《Amelia Thornheart》 Chapter One: The Vengeance Chapter One: The Vengeance The first thing Amelia noticed upon waking was the lack of pain. She had become so used to either the rotting ache of her disease or the sharp pain of needles that she had forgotten what it felt like to not be in some form of agony. Her body felt floaty and warm and her mind, normally racked with exhaustion and headaches, felt clear and rested. Amelia set about trying to memorize these feelings she had long forgotten. After a few moments, she decided to risk flexing a few toes and found with delight this didn¡¯t cause shooting pains. She moved a leg, and then an arm, and then deciding to risk it all, did something she hadn¡¯t been able to do in years. ¡°Mmmmmtth!¡± She stretched like a cat, feeling the satisfaction rivet through her body. Surely she had died and this was heaven! Although, she was definitely lying on a hard wooden floor and that didn¡¯t seem very heaven-like at all. Not that she was complaining, compared to her years in the hospital a floor like this was welcome. Even so, she should probably open her eyes and see where she was. A wooden ceiling looked back at her, striated with dark beams. Amelia sat up and found she was in some kind of office or study. The walls were covered with bookcases, cabinets, and tables and where there was spare wall there were paintings and even the mounted head of a moose. Centered in the room, in front of her, was an ornate desk and leather chair flanked by two large windows. Behind her was a pair of double doors. Using the desk as a handhold Amelia slowly stood up, and found she still wasn¡¯t in pain! Her knees didn¡¯t feel like they would collapse under her own weight! ¡°I¡¯m standing up!¡± She exclaimed to herself and the world. She took a few steps back and forth and then a few more. The feeling of not being weak was intoxicating. She even did a few jumps, her blond hair rising and falling in waves. Wait, her blond hair? Amelia grabbed her hair and examined it. It was definitely blond, practically golden, and not dyed. Her hair was supposed to be mousy brown, not blond. Amelia looked over the rest of her body and found she was wearing a simple grey top and shorts that hung loosely, leaving her midriff and legs rather bare. She looked at her feet, which were definitely not her feet. Amelia had spent countless hours looking at her toes at the end of the hospital bed and these were not her toes. These were not her fingers. This was not her body. Amelia looked around frantically for a mirror and found one hung by the stuffed moose head. She raced to it and stared at her reflection, not quite believing what she was looking at. There was no doubt, this was the body of Amelia Thornheart, the character she had spent years leveling in the hospital! But why did she look like this pretty blond human? Amelia Thornheart was a demonic combat mage with horns and black wings! Ah. Amelia remembered the last time she logged in she had taken part in a guild social event where they all took polymorph potions to look like the opposite of their normal characters. To make things even more amusing they undertook roles that were equally different for that night¡¯s PVE events. So, Amelia Thornheart the demonic mage of destruction and terror was instead played as an innocent blond human divine healer! Polymorph potion or not, why was she in the body of her game character? Was she still logged into the game world? No, this was not a neurolink-enhanced game experience, nor was it a dream. Amelia simply knew on an almost instinctive level that this was very much reality. Does that mean some great power had recreated the world of the game in some pocket of the universe, or did this world always exist, and the game was made to replicate it for entertainment purposes? ¡°Status¡± she muttered. Nothing. No floating game screen. Amelia tried a number of other phases as well as trying to simply will the character screen into this new reality but nothing happened. She did however become aware of her vast reserves of aether dwelling inside her. Aether. It was what the game called mana and was the main resource in most magic disciplines. As a combat mage Amelia had spent an enormous amount of time completing quests and hunting titles to maximize her aether capacity and regeneration. Among her guildmates, her min-maxing had earned her the nickname of the ¡°Aether Addict¡±. Could she cast magic? Canonically magic was cast by your in-game character speaking the incantation. As part of your build, you were able to select spells that your character would understand on an instinctive level and be able to cast without a verbal component. This led to a lot of strategy in PVP whereas in PVE all spells could be cast instantaneously as long as you reduced the cast time further enough. Well, nothing ventured nothing gained. First circle, Ward of Thew. She said in her mind, willing the magic to manifest. She felt her aether tremble as if it wanted to move but couldn¡¯t quite find the energy. First circle, Ward of Thew. With a bit more force of will, her aether twisted and turned as the spell took effect. She immediately felt stronger and full of vigor, like she could stop a blade with her bare hands. Her skin took on a golden glow which matched what she remembered from the game. The cabin was bathed in her subtle yellow light and Amelia found herself concerned someone might see it through the windows. She would need to do something about this. Third circle, Cloak of Secrecy. The cloaking spell activated, dulling the effects of the Ward of Thew to almost nothing. Amelia let out a sigh of relief. Thank goodness for that! Now that she had some defense Amelia felt confident to look around a bit more boldly. Approaching the window she peered out and was met with nothing but blue sky far above and below. Was this building on a mountaintop of some kind? Where in the game world was she? She turned her attention to the desk. Upon it lay a large map that seemed to be of an archipelago. Numerous locations had been labeled and the owner of this office had pinned notes to different locations. Amelia peered closer to read some of them. Yup, she couldn¡¯t read this! It certainly wasn¡¯t English nor did it look like any of the common scripts found in the game. ¡°What language is this...¡± Amelia pondered. ¡°That would be High Imperial little one,¡± a coarse masculine voice broke out. Amelia jumped up, almost hitting her head on the ceiling, not quite used to the extra strength the now-cloaked Ward of Thew gave her. ¡°Whose there!? Show yourself, intruder! I have hands and I¡¯m not afraid to use them!¡± Amelia held out her hands like a boxer, behind which her eyes frantically scanned the room. ¡°Ah... hahaha! The intruder accuses me of the crime she is guilty of! What a strange human you are. Yes yes... Over here, no no... to your right, by the mirror little one.¡± Amelia followed the voice until her eyes settled on the source. ¡°A talking moose!¡± ¡°I am not a talking moose!¡± the talking moose exclaimed. ¡°I am Anathor! The guardian of this ship and adviser to its captain. I-¡± ¡°We¡¯re on a ship!?¡± Amelia interrupted. She darted back to the window, peering through its dirty glass. ¡°Then why can¡¯t I see the sea? Where¡¯s the water?¡± ¡°Hrmph... I said we''re on a ship little one, the Vengeance, a mighty military vessel feared for leagues around! This is no mere watership for harvesting salt! What use would there be of putting a warship on water when we have the skies?¡± ¡°We¡¯re flying? I¡¯m on a flying ship!?¡± Amelia bounced back to Anathor. ¡°Well, the proper term would be sailing. It is a ship after all, not a bird! But we forget ourselves! The topic of this conversation is you! Who are you, little human, and what are you doing in the captain''s quarters?¡± Anathor¡¯s glassy eyes took on a red tinge that Amelia supposed was meant to be threatening but surprisingly she found herself completely calm. Despite being in a situation that should frighten her she found herself lacking any feelings of anxiety. Furthermore, Amelia had a certain feeling that Anathor wouldn¡¯t harm her, and even if he tried, she was certain she wouldn¡¯t be harmed, owning to her high base stats boosted by the Ward of Thew she had applied to herself. Canonically in the game the higher a character''s perception stat was the more capable they were of determining on an instinctive level what can and cannot harm them, as well as the nature of a person. As a max-level end-game combat mage, Amelia Thornheart had tremendous base stats, including her perception which had further been boosted by months of achievement grinding. So, she just knew that Anathor was someone of good character, and not dangerous. At least, not dangerous to her. ¡°I¡¯m Amelia, pleased to meet you Mr. Anathor.¡± She gave a polite bow, flashing the red-eyed moose what she hoped was a charismatic smile. Her mind was racing trying to think of how to approach the next question. ¡°As for why I¡¯m here... after a long battle with an affliction I was finally cured of it, but the cure has flung me through space to this location unknown! To be honest I don¡¯t know what the future holds for me but after being bedridden for so long I want to experience many new things... I have some talent in healing, if this is a military vessel perhaps your captain would allow me to offer my services?¡± Anathor was silent for a full minute. ¡°Hmmm.¡± ¡°Mr Anathor?¡± ¡°What a strange human you are. You may explain yourself to the captain.¡± ¡°The captain? Uh, sure. Where is he?¡± ¡°She is here now. Be warned... she can be a little... angry.¡± As Amelia processed that last sentence, the double doors burst open and she found in front of her face there was a cutlass, a real pirate cutlass. Attached to this shining steel was a firm and steady hand, and attached to that hand was a towering figure in a neat black military uniform trimmed with gold. On the top of this figure, a beautiful demon face was snarling at her, with deep crimson eyes, black hair, and a set of magnificent horns. Amelia found herself getting lost in such a pretty set of eyes. Yes, she could definitely work for such a captain... ¡°A demon! A demon captain!¡± She exclaimed, admiring the figure that looked like it belonged more in a storybook than reality. ¡°Port or starboard? Pick one.¡± The captain snarled at her. ¡°Uh.. Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll let you choose which side of the ship we hang you after you spill everything you know, human spy.¡± The last two words were punctuated with little jabs of the cutlass, now millimeters from Amelia''s nose. Well, this job interview was going rather badly. She would need to fix this quickly. ¡°I like your horns!¡± Amelia said with a smile and tilt of her head. The demon captain opened her mouth and the closed it, a moment of confusion flashing on her face. ¡°I mean, they¡¯re super intimidating of course, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re going for... but they¡¯re also really pretty you know? Can I touch them?¡± A few moments of awkward silence passed. Amelia was sure she heard a faint chuckling from Anathor. Maybe the compliment was badly timed, but after feeling so good after so many years of feeling bad Amelia felt she wanted to be nice to everyone! ¡°You...¡± said the captain, ¡°the Republic must be getting desperate to send a mad human to spy on me. Ran out of sane assassins did they?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a spy! Or an assassin!¡± Amelia protested. ¡°I¡¯m a healer, would you like to hire me... perhaps?¡± In response the cutlass poked her nose a little, her skin wouldn¡¯t be so easily pierced with the ward active but Amelia could sense this captain had some real ability behind her. If it came to it, she could always speak the First Word but that would certainly destroy the office, if not the ship itself and if they were really flying, no, sailing through the skies, then she would rather not condemn the crew to death. Although, she did have the skills to protect them. ¡°Captain,¡± Anathor piped up, interrupting Amelia¡¯s train of thought. ¡°Perhaps we should not be so hasty in judgment here. Confine this human below and let us have a discussion about how to proceed.¡± ¡°Anathor,¡± the captain said, not moving her eyes from Amelia. ¡°The human is a spy or an assassin. There is no reason to keep her alive.¡± ¡°Hmmm... the Vengeance has suggested otherwise.¡± The captain''s eyes widened at that, even briefly snapping to the moose before settling back on Amelia. ¡°The ship spoke to you?¡± ¡°In a sense.¡± Not just a flying ship, but a talking one? What a strange place Amelia had found herself in. There were no flying or talking ships in the game. The captain kept glaring at her for a few more seconds, and Amelia met that gaze calmly with a smile. ¡°Take her below. Kill her if she resists.¡± Ordered the captain and suddenly she was flanked by several more demon soldiers, although these were male and their horns far less impressive. Amelia allowed them to put her in chains and found herself lifted off the ground and carried away. It seemed they didn¡¯t even trust her to walk. Serena examined the office and her desk for any traps or missing documents. The desk drawers had not appeared to be opened and she could not see any telltale signs of lock-picking tools having been used. Anathor had told her as much and had been notifying her of the spy¡¯s activities the moment he had discovered her but she didn¡¯t fully trust his recollection of events, especially as he could not tell her how the human had bypassed so many locked doors and guards to get into her quarters. ¡°I don¡¯t understand, how can you, the guardian of this ship, not know how she got in here? You see everything.¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± the stuffed head mumbled. ¡°The human was not here and then she was.¡± ¡°Did you see her arrive? The moment it happened?¡± ¡°No... and there was no change in the Aetherfield. Maybe if she was shifted here from another realm...but there are very few beings capable of hiding a realm-shift from my eyes, captain.¡± Anathor was quiet for a few moments before continuing.Fo?llo?w new stories at novelhall.com ¡°And... even if I was fooled - there is no power that could fool the ship. If this human was a true threat to us then it would have expelled her.¡± Serena raised an eyebrow. ¡°A threat to us, or the ship? It has allowed assassins to board before.¡± Anathor didn¡¯t seem to have a response to that - his connection to the ship was only slightly more reliable than her own. Serena waved a dismissive hand. Serena pondered that for a moment. It was rare for a demon to be a Speaker of the Words, and even rarer for a human, and it was especially unlikely such a young human could Speak but... it was not without precedent. Suddenly a memory of the encounter sprang into her mind. ¡°Anathor, what is she doing now?¡± ¡°She¡¯s in the cell uh... stretching.¡± ¡°Stretching?¡± ¡°Yes, captain, and now... she¡¯s doing push-ups.¡± ¡°Whatever, does she have a cut on her nose? Any blood?¡± ¡°Hmm... no captain.¡± Serena felt her eye twitch. She was a master of the sword, and she had definitely given that smug-looking human a poke with her cutlass. If she wasn¡¯t bleeding then the chance that the human had a cloaked defensive spell active was suddenly uncomfortably high. Serena communicated her thoughts to Anathor. ¡°Time for you two to have another conversation. Not many leagues till we¡¯re at battle stations¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Serena found herself nodding. ¡°A little interrogation to answer some questions.¡± ¡°Hmm... try less interrogation, more conversation if possible captain... best not to have any of the Words Spoken on the ship, from either that mystery human or you.¡± Chapter Two: A Human Speaker!? Chapter Two: A Human Speaker!?¡°Forty-nine... fifty!¡± Amelia finished her last set of push-ups and sat up. It felt so good to move her body! How many years had it been before she had done a push-up? A squat? Was exercise always this enjoyable? Those foolish demons, they thought these thick chains on her hands and legs would restrict her! Rather they had given her ample opportunity for some resistance training! She was amazed at how her high base stats and ward had already translated into such strength and endurance. Amelia could tell the chains on her were heavy, no doubt designed to seriously slow down any fast movement or escape attempt, however, she found it remarkably easy to move around. Her cell was no more than a two-meter by two-meter box of iron bars that extended from the floor to the ceiling. It was one of a line of cells that were arranged in the center of this deck of the ship, but Amelia¡¯s was the only one occupied. Hundreds of cargo crates and barrels lined the walls, with just enough space left for the demons to walk around and between the cells. And leaning on these very crates were the two demons that had manhandled her so aggressively! They had thrown her hard enough against the bars that she was sure she might have broken something if she had been a normal human being! But, a normal human being was something she very much wasn¡¯t! She was Amelia Thornheart, the top-ranked dreadmage of the Blacksteel Crusaders! What player had spent sleepless nights slaughtering thousands of archangels to be the first to finish that collection log? She did! What player had the most solo speed-run records for the abyssal dungeons? Her! If anything, the iron bars were the ones in danger of being broken and she would definitely be complaining about her experience to the captain! She should start by giving these two a piece of her mind and, ah, what were they saying? ¡°Sorry, what was that?¡± Amelia bounced up to the iron bars. The two male demons were ridiculously muscular. If her current body was accurate to the height she chose in character creation then these two, who stood more than a head over her, would be about seven foot! Their hulking figures were strapped with breastplates and leather. Holstered in their belts was a sword and some kind of firearm. They were both bald with deep orange eyes set under a thick brow and above a square jaw. Their skin was marbled with black, gray, and red in a similar pattern to the uniform of a modern military from her old world. Each wore a set of horns, similar to the horns found on a ram. The demons from the game world didn¡¯t quite look like this. Other than herself and her magic, most of the things she had already experienced seemed to indicate this world was very different from the game she played in the hospital. ¡°Cap¡¯n gunna make toothpicks of your bones, human.¡± One of them said to her with a grin consisting of chunky white teeth. ¡°Ain¡¯t that right, Dagon?¡± ¡°Right you are, Tomes,¡± said Dagon, flashing her his own grin. ¡°¡¯Member the last one she broke? Hung him up from the starboard sail.¡± ¡°Used him for target practice we did, didn¡¯t we Dagon?¡± Dagon nodded, smirking at her. ¡°Screamed all night he did, didn¡¯t he Tomes?¡± ¡°That awful howling. Kept the entire crew up all night it did, didn¡¯t it Dagon?¡± ¡°Truer words never spoken. Cap¡¯n kept his skull to drink her wine fr-¡° ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Amelia interrupted. ¡°She tortured someone all night? Kept you all awake?¡± Dagon spat on the ground, his forehead furrowing in annoyance. ¡°Damn straight little human, exactly what¡¯s gonna happen to you.¡± ¡°The captain really made her entire crew, which operates a military ship, go an entire night without sleep? Huh?¡± The demons paused at that and Amelia took that as a sign to go on the attack even more. ¡°Hrmmph! Sounds like someone¡¯s a terrible captain! Or maybe... maybe you¡¯re just trying to scare me with your exaggerated and made-up tales, hmm!?¡± Dagon looked stupefied, his mouth opening in response but nothing came out. It was Tomes who spoke next, his eyes darkening. ¡°Exaggeration or not, little human, the captain really does torture and hang those that endanger her or her crew, and you,¡± he punctuated with a finger jab, ¡°are a threat. If you tell her everything you know, she¡¯ll give you a quick death. Seven hells, if you¡¯re extra cooperative, she might even dump you on an island somewhere. She-¡± ¡°Tomes. Dagon,¡± a cool voice intoned from the shadows. The captain stepped forward. By head height, she was shorter than the other two, although her horns just about made up the difference. The captain¡¯s eyes were fixed on her, and her arm rested on her sheathed sword. Amelia raised her chained hands and gave her a little wave. ¡°Hello,¡± she whispered. ¡°Any troubles?¡± The captain asked her two subordinates. ¡°No, cap¡¯n!¡± they both exclaimed in unison. ¡°Just recounting to our little spy here ¡®bout that cutthroat that snuck on-board last moon,¡± Dagon explained. ¡°Don¡¯t think she quite realizes what situation she¡¯s in. Want me to smack her around a bit?¡± The captain didn¡¯t reply immediately and kept her eyes locked with Amelia¡¯s. What was she thinking? She did seem a little... calmer. Maybe she had had second thoughts about her employment! ¡°Tomes. A word.¡± ¡°Yes, cap¡¯n!¡± The demon stood up and followed the captain away down the line of cells and Amelia then realized that not once, from the moment she was thrown into this cell, and even now with Tomes and the captain walking away, and even now with Dagon watching her... Did any of them ever remove a hand from one of their weapons. Serena walked Tomes to the end of the cells, as far away from the human as she could be while still keeping her in sight. ¡°How did it go?¡± She said in hushed tones. Tomes took out a pair of neat spectacles and slid them up his nose, responding in an equally low voice. ¡°Something''s not right here captain. I¡¯ve been at war long enough to know how humans react to us, and I know what a frightened human looks like, and captain, she ain¡¯t frightened. She might have twigged me and Dagon are playing dumb.¡± ¡°Anathor and I think she might be a Speaker.¡± ¡°Captain!¡± Tomes blurted out, starting to move back, pulling out his firearm but stopped when Serena grabbed him by the arm. ¡°Wait!¡± she hissed. Tomes was one of the smartest soldiers she had ever had the privilege of commanding, but he always had a blind spot in rationality when it came to his sworn battle-brother, Dagon. ¡°She hasn¡¯t done anything yet, right?¡± Tomes caught himself, but didn¡¯t look back at her, instead keeping his focus on the other end of the cells. ¡°Not yet. Captain, if she can Speak then those chains and those bars aren¡¯t going to stop her. Seven hells captain, the munitions!¡± Below this deck was the munitions hold, where several thousand four-inch shells lay sitting, patiently waiting to greet the Republic. They were sailing heavy, in anticipation of the upcoming bombardment, but this preparation was a double-edged sword, and an unknown human Speaker added a domain of risk Serena never thought she would deal with on the Vengeance. ¡°I have Anathor moving them as we speak, the rest of the crew are helping. The deck armor is strong Tomes, and she indicated she¡¯s from a healing branch. If she only knows the First Word from one of those branches, we''ll be fine.¡± Tomes was silent for a moment. ¡°Anathor told you she could cast a defensive spell, right?¡± ¡°Yes. A ward-spell. She probably cloaked it so...¡± ¡°So we can¡¯t just shoot her in the head when she''s distracted?¡± ¡°Afraid not, and believe me Tomes if she¡¯s a danger I¡¯ll do what needs to be done to protect this crew but...¡± she trailed off, causing Tomes to turn and look at her with a quizzical expression forming on his face, ¡°...remember the ship spoke to Anathor, it doesn¡¯t consider her a threat.¡± ¡°Is he sure he understood the ship correctly? It¡¯s not exactly speaking modern Imperial to us, is it?¡± ¡°He seems confident.¡± ¡°Well then, ship hasn¡¯t done us dirty yet, has it?¡± Tomes took his spectacles off, cleaning them with a bit of cloth before putting them away. He shrugged his shoulders and sighed. ¡°We about to get friendly with a human Speaker then, captain?¡± Serena felt herself grimace. ¡°I¡¯d rather not, although I have a gut feeling.¡± ¡°A gut feeling.¡± ¡°That she might be... alright.¡± ¡°Korvus will never accept that. He¡¯ll try to kill her.¡± ¡°Anathor is keeping Korvus distracted. I don¡¯t want him knowing of her existence until the battle is over.¡± Korvus was definitely going to be a problem. If she wasn¡¯t a Speaker herself then controlling her best storm-trooper would be impossible. ¡°How are we approaching this? We got a plan to find out if she¡¯s a Speaker or not?¡± ¡°I, not we. You and Dagon will go help move the rest of the munitions. As for the method... I¡¯ll just ask her.¡± ¡°If she says no?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stab her proportionally to how smug she¡¯s being. Find out if she¡¯s really a healer.¡± ¡°If she says yes?¡± ¡°Might just stab her anyway. Let¡¯s go.¡± Serena walked back to Dagon who seemed to be recounting the tale of when she¡¯d hung some thieves that were selling off cargo behind her back. Those thieves, who had been demon mercenaries she hired, seemed to have been replaced in Dagon¡¯s retelling as a band of human women. ¡°... and then, the cap¡¯n took a fire poker, as hot as the sun and - ah cap¡¯n, you¡¯re back!¡± ¡°Your brother has a job for you. Go to him.¡± ¡°Yes, cap¡¯n!¡± Dagon hurried past her, and as he did so he fixed his eyes to hers. Careful, he mouthed. She gave him a subtle nod in return. Serena looked at her captive. This one was tall for a human, her blond hair was more golden than any she had seen before, and her bright blue eyes seemed to almost sparkle. Her button nose wrinkled as she scratched it. Gods, this human really pissed her off. ¡°Enjoying Dagon¡¯s stories?¡± She asked, keeping her expression and voice neutral. ¡°According to him, you hang and or torture everyone who looks at you funny! Ever thought you''d catch more flies with honey?¡± Serena watched the human closely. The psychological battle had already begun. However, was the human even playing? ¡°I... maybe?¡± Amelia gave a little shrug. ¡°Your body is healthy. You do not have the appearance of someone who has spent a long period fighting an affiliation, what-¡° Serena closed her mouth. A healthy person not knowing how they were cured. It didn''t add up. Something Anathor had suggested suddenly flashed in her mind. A question formed that needed to be asked, one she really didn¡¯t want to know the answer to. ¡°Amelia, is the body you are in now, the same one that suffered this affliction?¡± Amelia¡¯s eyes locked with hers, a solitary tear running down her cheek. ¡°... No.¡± Green. A darkblade! A lifecheater! A heretic! Serena leaped up, drawing her cutlass, and started twisting the aether inside her, letting it froth and layer upon itself, the pressure and heat building up, as she felt the First Word forming, felt it want to be Spoken. Anathor would see what she was doing and warn the rest of the crew but first, she would seek confirmation! ¡°Did you knowingly transfer your soul into another body? Answer me!¡± ¡°N-no! I didn¡¯t know that was possible!¡± ¡°Are you a darkblade!?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what that is!¡± ¡°Do you follow the Anathema scripture!? Are you a heretic!?¡± ¡°No!¡± The human threw up her hands, an action that almost made Serena attack on reflex. ¡°I¡¯m not even religious! Will you calm down! Stop being so hot-headed! You¡¯ll blow us out the sky if you Speak!¡± Amelia was glaring at her now. They stared at each other for a few seconds. Damn this entire situation! What was this human? Why did she look upon her as if she was... a friend admonishing another friend? ¡°Amelia, do you plan any harm upon me, the crew, or the ship?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t!¡± ¡°Even though we are of demonkind? Waging war against the human Republic?¡± ¡°I like demons!¡± Serena felt herself blink at that. She slowly sheathed her cutlass, sitting back down on the barrel. She took a slow breath, cooling her aether down but keeping it simmering, just in case. Time for another difficult question. ¡°Are you... a Speaker of the Words?¡± She saw the human visibly gulp at this and knew the answer before it came. ¡°... Yeah. I can speak the First Word of a healing branch.¡± This was definitely going to be a headache. A human Speaker on her ship, right before battle! ¡°How many years have you lived, across any and all bodies your soul has inhabited?¡± ¡°... Twenty-five.¡± ¡°Tsk!¡± She wasn¡¯t lying. Twenty-five and a Speaker! What awful talent had she stumbled upon! She had to make sure. ¡°Could you prepare to Speak now, without Speaking? As proof of this claim?¡± ¡°Uh, sure. But I¡¯ve never Spoken in this body. Give me a moment.¡± Amelia¡¯s eyes became unfocused and then started to shine. Light started to flow from her body, brightening up the dark deck, hues of aetheric blue and gold danced from her skin, and Serena saw, in the eyes of that human, the depth and breadth of the ancient power waiting, wanting to be released. It was beautiful. ¡°Stop.¡± She commanded, and Amelia obliged, her radiant body dimming and her eyes becoming focused again. Serena took out a key. ¡°Come here.¡± She said. Amelia came closer, pressing her cheeks between the bars. Serena unlocked the chains on her and they fell to the deck floor with a thud. ¡°I have never had a human Speaker on this ship.¡± She said, watching the Amelia closely. ¡°And I have never had a human Speaker be non-hostile. I can only request you forgive me for the way you have been treated. As a Speaker of the Words, you are entitled to a level of dignity you will now be afforded.¡± With another click of a lock the cell door opened with a whine. The human looked up at her, only stepping out when Serena gestured. ¡°However,¡± she continued. ¡°Keep the matter of your... new body a secret. You seem wholly ignorant of too many things, and that¡¯s dangerous.¡± She jabbed at Amelia with her finger. ¡°In fact, don¡¯t talk to anyone but me, Anathor, and my Trusted: Dagon and Tomes - the latter is our bookkeeper and quartermaster and is the one you¡¯ll need to have a conversation with. I¡¯ll take you to his office now.¡± ¡°Sure! Why do I need to have a conversation with him?¡± ¡°Well...¡± Serena said, peering down at Amelia. ¡°For salary negotiations, of course.¡± Chapter Three: Battlestations Chapter Three: Battlestations ¡°Captain on deck!¡± a voice rang out and everyone in the bridge scrambled to stand at attention. Serena took her position overlooking her loyal officers. The bridge was a cone-shaped room poking out the top of the Vengeance¡¯s rear structure. It was ringed with thick reinforced windows for observation, through which Serena could see the three twin-barrel cannons lining the deck of the ship. Each cannon could fire a set of four-inch flak, explosive, or penetrator shells every three seconds. These were supplemented with another four sets of one-inch repeater anti-air cannons installed lower down on the sides of the ship. Two port side and two starboard. The Vengeance was classed as a light cruiser, but under Serena¡¯s command, making use of the... unique aspects of the ship she was able to make it punch well above its weight. To her left and right were the port and starboard observation posts. These small rooms jetted out over the ship''s structure and allowed direct observation of the sides of the ship. There were two more under-hull observation pods at the front and rear whose occupants would pass information through speaking pipes to the officer on duty. The bridge had three elevations. At the highest was her station, the helmsman¡¯s wheel and the first officer¡¯s position who, along with her quartermaster, were currently preoccupied with a certain bundle of blond hair and irritating bouncy energy. The middle elevation was a larger space, ringed with desks manned by her most important staff. Here, the navigator, communications officer, sensors officer, weapons officer, and chief engineer all worked as a well-oiled machine. Centered on this elevation was a large table on which a small model of the Vengeance lay propped up as well as maps of Port Highwind, their target. Leaning over this table, moving pieces from here to there, were her air and ground tacticians, doing what they did best - planning and arguing with each other. During combat, these tacticians would, as best they could, keep this representation of the air space updated with the locations of enemy ships, and the maps updated with the movements of her stormtroopers. At the lowest level were the lesser officers and subordinates of her key staff. They manned a semicircle of two dozen desks from which they could communicate with areas around the ship, prioritizing and passing information to their superior officers, who would either handle it themselves or pass it onto her or her first officer. ¡°At ease.¡± The demon crew resumed their work, while Serena took a moment for herself. She wanted some time with her thoughts before the upcoming engagement between the Vengeance and Port Highwind¡¯s defenses. Amelia had been left in the capable hands of Tomes and Dagon, who seemed reluctant to let his brother be alone with her. Serena had given Tomes a rundown of where she and the human Speaker currently stood with regards to potential employment. Incorporating her into the crew formally was out of the question, Tomes had reminded her as much, stating it could even be considered an act of treason. Hiring her as a mercenary was equally dubious, and despite her station giving her far more freedom than other captains, Serena still had her superiors to obey and regulations to follow. The best solution Tomes had come up with would be to contract Amelia as part of her personal retinue, as an adviser and, well, as a maid. Serena did have the right and technically it did not conflict with her military obligations, but it was pushing the boundaries right to the edge. Regardless, she would still risk it despite the future problems that would inevitably arise. Demonkind had no gods of healing to learn from so it was especially rare for a talented healer to arise in their number, rare enough that the military was starved of them and they were practically non-existent in civilian life. To find then, a human that was not only a Speaker of a healing branch, but also for whom seemingly lacked the knowledge of the centuries of racial conflict between their two species was something she previously thought impossible. To then stretch those odds even further and discover that this human appeared to have a positive opinion of demonkind was almost beyond belief. The force multiplier Amelia would bring could not be understated. The average non-recoverable casualty rate of her stormtroopers on a given mission was twenty percent. Five percent would die during the assault, while the remaining fifteen percent were a mix of missing in action, those who would die on the operating table, or those who recovered but were unable to return to combat. Even if the human could bring that twenty percent to only ten percent then the combat effectiveness of her command would skyrocket. The savings on recruitment, training, and logistics would not only help their purse strings but allow them to focus more on training specialized soldiers and build stronger cohesion in the ranks. That was, if she could employ Amelia. Serena had to be thorough and there were many things left unchecked. She hadn¡¯t had nearly enough time to cover all the topics of discussion she¡¯d wanted; where was she born? Who was her family? How could she speak Imperial but not write it? What other spells could she cast? How did she get so strong? With any luck, the answer to these questions would be getting teased out of the human by Tomes and Dagon at this very moment. This time, with honey and sugar, as opposed to chains and dark cells. ¡°Captain?¡± A gruff voice piped up, breaking Serena from her thoughts. It was Anathor, this time speaking through a mounted stuffed windlizard. Anathor didn¡¯t need a mounted head to speak from, he could do it from almost any part of the ship''s structure, he simply preferred to talk through them as apparently, it felt more natural. "We''re at the pre-appointed time," he said. ¡°Navigation! Status!¡± Serena pushed Amelia out of her mind. It was time to focus. ¡°Thirty-two knots! Bearing twenty degrees from north! Two thousand three hundred meters!¡± The navigation officer yelled out, reading the values of the pitot-static instrument in front of him. ¡°Five leagues till we¡¯re within aetherscope range captain! Ten leagues till were horizon-visible!¡± They were sailing low, just over two klicks above the lumina boundary. Port Highwind sat on an island almost as low, allowing them to get far closer than normal before they were within visible range of the port''s watchtowers. ¡°Sensors! Report!¡± ¡°No blips! Low-level lumina noise! Aetherfield clear!¡± The sensors officer shouted. Even with being over two klicks away, the lumina caused interference with the aetherscopes that ringed the Vengeance. It was these devices that detected the aetheric combustion of a ship¡¯s lift engine and served as an early warning system where and when their observer¡¯s eyes failed. The interference was why ships, military and civilian alike, avoided sailing low, instead, most battles and travel occurred in mid and high-sky. Get too close to the lumina boundary, and the noise would render your ship¡¯s instruments useless. Sail into the lumina, and the aetheric combustion would catastrophically chain-react and destroy the ship. That is, if the ship wasn¡¯t the Vengeance. ¡°Communications! What do our eyes see?¡± ¡°Sky clear! Visibility good captain!¡± ¡°Alright... let¡¯s go swimming!¡± Serena cleared her throat before giving the command. ¡°Pitch down! Ten degrees!¡± ¡°Pitch down! Ten degrees!¡± The helmsman responded, adjusting one of the many levers of his station. ¡°Pitch down! Ten degrees!¡± The chief engineer shouted into a speaking tube, reporting her command to the engine room. This was a practice of redundancy and clarification of her orders. The helmsman equipment was connected to the engine, whose workers would see the changes and adjustments made to their course, but those engines could be loud so every command was repeated through the speaking tube. A few moments passed and Serena felt the Vengeance respond, its bow dipping slightly below the horizon. The simmering expanse of the lumina and its gentle glow were now visible, an orange blanket that formed the foundation of their world. Thankfully, it was calm today. Even commanding the Vengeance, Serena knew to avoid a lumina storm. She did the rough maths in her head but decided to have the navigation officer report it for the benefit of the room. ¡°Navigation! Time till impact?¡± ¡°Thirteen minutes!¡± There was little left to do. Communications would report anything that needed reporting and the sensors department would soon be mostly blind. She double-checked with the weapons officer and got the green light on all barrels. The ground tactician also reported all green for the stormtroopers, who were prepping the transport ships which were attached to the sides of the Vengeance along with several support craft which according to the air tactician were also green. She considered asking Anathor what Amelia was doing but decided against it. It was frustrating how that smug face kept appearing in her mind. Maybe if she found an excuse to stab her a little, it would stop happening. Perhaps the human would like a friendly spar between Speakers? ¡°Anathor, how¡¯s the ship doing?¡± She asked the stuffed head. ¡°Hmm...¡± The windlizard paused for a moment, ¡°It¡¯s... excited. Looking forward to the lumina.¡± Where other ships face certain destruction, the Vengeance liked the lumina. The ship had a supernatural ability to maintain aetheric combustion while sailing within the boundary, an ability that she, before and again now, would make great tactical use of. Serena had once asked Anathor if the ship could go even further, to break through the boundary itself, to reach the fabled under-sky, but he had only responded with; ¡°She¡¯s not ready yet, captain...¡± ¡°Thirty seconds till impact!¡± Navigation called out. ¡°Aetherscopes blind!¡± The sensors officer yelled. ¡°Pitch up! Five degrees!¡± ¡°Pitch up! Five degrees!¡± The helmsman and chief engineer responded in unison. ¡°Rig for silent running!¡± ¡°Rig for silent running!¡± The chief engineer passed the order to the engine room, and soon she felt the ship slow, as air resistance brought it down to a slower twenty knots, just as the under-hull of the ship entered the lumina. ¡°Rigged for silent running!¡± Reported the chief engineer. ¡°Under-hull, one point five!¡± The sensor officer shouted. There was a density gauge attached below and on top of the ship. Normally used to check the density of clouds they sailed through, they could also be used to estimate the density of the lumina. ¡°Under-hull, one point eight!¡± ¡°Maintain course!¡± Serena commanded. The lumina was calm today, not very dense in its upper layers. They would have to go deep to ensure they were properly camouflaged. The deck of the ship was swallowed by the ethereal fog, and then the cannons, and finally the windows themselves. Being in the upper layer of the lumina the blue of the mid-sky could still be seen shining through. ¡°Visibility one hundred meters! Under-hull, two point two! Mast, one point five!¡± Serena felt a moment of pride at how well her staff worked now. When they did this originally, after much convincing from Anathor who claimed the ship needed it, the tension had crippled their cohesion. Now, they were almost relaxed. Almost. A dead language. ¡°Tomes,¡± she said, this time not being able to resist grabbing her horns in frustration. A habit from her childhood. ¡°What does this even mean!? Is she a member of the church? A human saint?¡± ¡°You told me she said she wasn¡¯t religious, right?¡± The quartermaster looked at her with a sympathetic look. ¡°Don¡¯t worry captain, it gets worse. Anathor?¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± came the rough voice from the moose. ¡°It¡¯s not quite Anglish captain. It¡¯s Old Anglish, the proto-language the original human bible was written in, telling of the great demon of Good, Speaker of a thousand Words... Christ himself.¡± ¡°Damn right,¡± said Tomes, ¡°when I twigged it was Anglish I asked her why she wrote in that language, and get this captain; she looked at me like I asked something dumb and said it¡¯s what everyone wrote in and spoke, where she¡¯s from.¡± Serena put her head in her hands, letting out a muffled groan, which didn¡¯t stop Tomes from continuing. ¡°Which means captain, if she¡¯s telling the truth, she¡¯s either from some secret sect, some nation from one of the distant continents, or she¡¯s from another realm.¡± ¡°She¡¯s certainly not a native of Cascadia...¡± Anathor chimed in. ¡°Then why can she speak Imperial!? She speaks it perfectly!¡± Serena was able to just resist throwing her hands up in frustration, having regained a little bit of control. ¡°Could it be... a blessing?¡± ¡°Aye, a blessing.¡± Tomes nodded. The fell gods, and even some of their more powerful servants, could bequeath blessings upon those worthy. Blessings took many forms, but generally either enhanced or gave an ability to an individual. A language was certainly possible. ¡°Alright. Alright,¡± Serena said, ¡°theory time. One of the fell gods, or some powerful entity from the mists, gave this human, from a land far away, the blessing to speak Imperial. They then either realm-shifted or otherwise transported her into my quarters... for what purpose?¡± Serena intentionally left out the tidbit that Amelia had changed bodies. That was the type of secret she wanted to keep close to her chest. Tomes shrugged. ¡°It could be that, but then again, it just raises further questions... Why her? Why you?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s put this to the side for now. My head¡¯s going to fucking explode if we keep going down this line of reasoning. Hopefully, I¡¯ll wake up tomorrow and it¡¯ll have all been a bad dream.¡± She eyed her quartermaster. ¡°What else is there? Did you find out about how she became a Speaker?¡± ¡°I asked. She said she trained. I asked what kind of training and she said she wouldn¡¯t say, not that she didn¡¯t want to, but she didn¡¯t know how to explain it without giving an inaccurate picture of events. I poked further but she clammed up.¡± ¡°The human claims she spent most of her life in a hospital bed,¡± Anathor said, ¡°I¡¯d be very interested in knowing what kind of bed-bound training can produce a Speaker. Could it be a blessing?¡± ¡°No blessing in history has ever made anyone a Speaker.¡± Tomes said, shaking his head. ¡°We could find out,¡± Serena said. ¡°The human church would be able to tell the nature of the blessing if they examined her, wouldn¡¯t they?¡± Tomes took his spectacles off, steaming them up with some hot breath then setting about cleaning them on his shirt. ¡°How are we going to get a human priest to do that? We could kidnap one, but then we¡¯ll have the Inquisitor Navy after us, and that''ll be the end of us, Vengeance or no Vengeance.¡± "I wouldn''t be so sure of that..." Athanor said softly, almost too quiet to hear. Serena shrugged, ¡°Guess we¡¯ll wait and see if the opportunity arrives. We¡¯ve already got one human friendly toward demonkind, why not another?¡± Tomes chuckled at that. ¡°Did you find out anything else about her powers? She can speak the First Word but is she a fourth circle mage?¡± ¡°She said she was not sure and would need to experiment. Not sure what that means, but then I thought if she had a blessing that helped her become a Speaker, she could be quite new to it, and not know her limits.¡± Serena found herself nodding at that. Unlike Tomes, she and Anathor knew Amelia was in a new body. Perhaps the soul transfer meant she wasn¡¯t yet sure what she was capable of. Amelia had said she hadn¡¯t Spoken in her new body yet. ¡°As for first, second, and third circle...¡± Tomes continued, ¡°She said she knows a range of healing spells, ward spells, and what she called support spells.¡± He took a breath. ¡°And for all of these, she claimed she could cast them as a field spell.¡± Serena narrowed her eyes at that. It was more than she hoped. ¡°How many spells can a typical human healer cast?¡± ¡°Somewhere between four to six as a third circle healer. Maybe ten as a Speaker of the Words. But the way she was talking it implied she knew a lot more.¡± ¡°And her aether capacity? Did she go into detail on that?¡± ¡°I er... didn¡¯t get around to it. To be honest, at this point it was hard for me and Dagon to keep a straight face. You would have had to be there, captain. She was talking about all of this so casually. I don¡¯t think she realizes how taboo it normally is for a Speaker to discuss their abilities.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s in line with how she¡¯s behaved with me.¡± Serena leaned back in her chair, allowing a few deep breaths to calm her mind. ¡°Family? Friends?¡± ¡°No family, she claims. Didn¡¯t ask about friends.¡± ¡°And about her employment?¡± ¡°Yeah...¡± Tomes looked awkward suddenly, ¡°about that.¡± ¡°Just tell me, Tomes, I can¡¯t get any more surprised.¡± ¡°Well, she seemed especially delighted about being your maid. Even when I used the term adviser she kept referring to herself as a maid. Talked about wanting a proper uniform and everything.¡± Serena felt her eyebrow twitch. Speaker or not, she was definitely going to find an excuse to stab her. Maybe she¡¯ll say it¡¯s practice for her to get used to the new body and its abilities. ¡°Compensation?¡± She asked. ¡°Offered her twelve hundred Denarii a month. Fair wage for a Speaker and to be honest she¡¯s probably worth more, especially considering how lacking our side is with healers. She¡¯s ignorant enough that we could short-change her, but why risk losing her when she finds out her value? Not like we could stop her leaving.¡± ¡°Agreed. Anything else?¡± ¡°She wants me to teach her how to write, High Imperial that is. Figured that¡¯ll be fine, and gives a good excuse for me to find some more answers. And...¡± Tomes put his hands behind his back, shuffling awkwardly. Could headaches get headaches? Serena was sure that was about to happen. ¡°... she wants you to teach her the sword. Said she¡¯s got no need to get better at magic, said she¡¯s never held a sword in her life.¡± As Tomes said this he tensed, as if expecting an outburst from her. Instead, she found herself smiling. ¡°Captain?¡± ¡°Oh, I think we can do that. I think that would work very well.¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± Anathor piped up. ¡°You have that look in your eye again, captain.¡± ¡°What look!?¡± she snapped. ¡°Nothing. Nothing...¡± ¡°Prepare the contract, Tomes. Dismissed.¡± ¡°Yes, captain.¡± The quartermaster turned and opened the door, but before leaving, his eyes met with hers. ¡°You know captain... with her being a Speaker... with everything that¡¯s happened, everything we¡¯ve seen... do you think... with her... there¡¯s a chance?¡± ¡°A chance for what?¡± ¡°That... never mind. This old man is thinking stupid things again.¡± ¡°Get some rest, Tomes. Dismissed.¡± ¡°Yes, captain.¡± The door closed and Serena let herself stare off into blank space. She had known Tomes for many years, they barely needed to talk to communicate with each other. She knew what he was going to ask, and she was thankful he didn¡¯t. Given their situation, there were some questions that really, really should not be asked. For the wrong answer would condemn her and her crew to certain death. Chapter Four: The Battle of Port Highwind Chapter Four: The Battle of Port Highwind ¡°Pitch up! Twenty degrees!¡± Returning to the bridge, Serena had been greeted by the familiar air of pre-battle tension. There was no changing plans now, no more debating and theory-crafting over maps of defenses. They were locked in, their hand having been dealt and the dice thrown. Port Highwind was an important logistic hub for the Republic, through which demonkind had long suspected aid was funneled in from the other human nations. It was the largest island of the archipelago, floating three klicks above the lumina. Despite its importance, due to its ability to act as a supply hub for the front line, the port only kept a squadron of frigates and interceptors. Even that was somewhat impressive, considering the state of the war. It wasn¡¯t the frigates that were the port¡¯s primary protection, those scouts and light-ships were mostly there to send early warning to the Republic¡¯s reserve fleets, which would scramble from the air-staging bases in the north, thirty klicks out. No, it was the static defenses that secured the low-lying port¡¯s security. If their information was correct, they could expect the battlements of Port Highwind to be laden with no less than forty-two six-and-a-half-inch artillery systems, paired with several dozen lighter anti-air turrets. That heavy artillery could fire a shell over thirty kilometers and given Port Highwind¡¯s open sky, it was easy shooting at any imperial ships that came close. Battleships would be hammered before their own guns got in range, and lighter craft would be shredded by the flak rounds. However, the port had a weakness that only the Vengeance could take advantage of; its low-sky position. Any other ship would be unable to get close to the supply hub, either spotted by the screen of scouts, detected by the port¡¯s aetherscopes, or simply seen from their watchtowers. But a ship that could travel into the lumina? It was something that wasn¡¯t supposed to be possible, yet the Vengeance did it anyway, and now the ship was a half-klick from the port, making its final moves before the battle would begin. The stormtroopers were loaded and her escort frigates reporting the all-clear. It was time. The moment the propellers were clear of the thicker lumina fog, Serena gave the order. ¡°Flank speed!¡± ¡°Flank speed!¡± yelled the helmsman, pushing the lever that controlled the ship''s speed all the way to the red zone, where someone had written ¡®Danger!¡¯ along with a skull and crossbones. ¡°Flank speed!¡± roared the chief engineer, screaming down the speaking tube. The ship shuddered and its hull creaked as new forces took hold, and the deep hum of the lift and propulsion engine could be heard, even here in the bridge, as every knot of speed was forced out of them. The noise would be deafening in the engine room, but alas, the engineers didn¡¯t need to hear, they just needed to keep the engines from blowing. They broke out of the lumina like a great arcwhale breaching a cloud. The ship¡¯s bow pointed steeply up and through the port side bridge windows Serena could see the reinforced wall of the defenses looming, artillery barrels poking out, appearing like shadows from this angle beneath the sun. Communications worked quickly. "Abyss one, three, and four confirmed! Abyss five... six, confirmed!¡± Her tacticians placed magnetic icons representing the defenses on the map of the port, their position having been verified visually. Looked like their information was good. ¡°Armed tower at chalice one! Armed tower at jinx three!¡± Information flooded in from communications to the tacticians and weapons officer, who would prioritize and delegate targeting of the ship''s cannons. ¡°Weapons free!¡± Serena gave the order. ¡°Weapons free! Hit the towers!¡± repeated the weapons officer. ¡°Launch escorts!¡± ¡°Escorts away!¡± As she saw the six barrels turn, selecting their targets, the squadron of escort fighters, painted a deep red, screamed past. A moment later the guns roared to life in a thunderous symphony of destruction, as if the ship itself was breathing fire and fury. The bridge was heavily armored but the vibrations could be still be felt throughout the steel and wood structure. A moment of silence, the briefest period of violent calm as the sound of the guns died, and then came the telltale sounds of destruction as their explosive shells found the isolated watch towers, blasting huge holes in and through them, causing their collapse. The Vengeance''s engines hummed as it tore towards mid-sky. Just as the ship was about to come level with the defenses, Serena shouted out the next stage of their attack plan. ¡°Release gliders!¡± ¡°Releasing gliders!¡± Their stormtroopers, nearly two hundred of them, were crammed like coals in a furnace in the dozen gliders they had attached to the Vengeance. These heavily armored gliders, as the name suggested, had no propulsion of their own and served merely to keep the demons inside alive as they transited to their targets. Luckily demons were made of sterner stuff than most squishy humans, for these gliders less glided and more crash-landed. A shout rang out, ¡°Gliders released!¡± Each squad of troops would aim to guide their transport as close as possible to their prearranged destinations. Their velocity would carry the gliders, and the troops within them, in an arc over the walls and into the port. In reality, many of them would fall short or overshoot their targets and the soldiers would need to improvise, the ability to do so determined who was picked as a squad commander or not. Just as the last shout faded, the Vengeance cleared the defenses. The ship, being pitched up twenty degrees, meant the port wasn¡¯t yet visible through the bridge windows. ¡°Level out!¡± The side observation rooms, as well as the under-hull observation pods, would be able to see clearly, and soon information came streaming into the bridge. ¡°Abyss seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven and thirteen, verified! Armed watchtower at chalice seven, chalice nine!¡± The weapons officer and his subordinates hurried to coordinate the under-hull guns, while the tacticians hurried to add and remove models from the map. ¡°Communications! Find their staging! Navigation! Get us turning! Roll thirty degrees!¡± ¡°Yes, captain!¡± The two officers responded and a flurry of commands was given out. She intended to put the Vengeance in a circular turn, low and within the boundaries of the port''s ringed defenses, relying on surprise and firepower to destroy the fleet-endangering static artillery. The ship groaned as it rolled and every demon in the room had to adjust their limbs so the thirty-degree tilt wouldn¡¯t throw them to the floor. ¡°Staging found! Three... belay that! Four light craft identified! Grid six by eleven!¡± Communications shouted out, causing Serena to cast a look at the map on the table below her, identifying the location. They had found the air staging platforms for the port''s fighter squadron. Some would be out forming a scout screen, no doubt hurrying to return as their aetherscopes picked up the Vengeance¡¯s engines. The rest, however, were landed at the staging towers, idle. ¡°Weapons! Prioritize the staging! Grid six by eleven!¡± ¡°Aye, captain! Grid six by eleven!¡± The weapons officer shouted into a speaker tube. A few painful seconds later the guns re-aligned, the roll of the ship allowing them a straight shot to the other side of the port. All was still for a moment and then the shuddering crescendo of the guns sounded as a broadside, followed by another and then another, launched explosive shells into the grid square containing the staging towers, bringing them down like they were made of matchsticks.Re?Ad lateSt chapters at novelhall.com Only ¡°Good work! Weapons! Focus the battlements! We¡¯ll do a full circle!¡± There were at least forty-two static defenses on the walls, and it was required for these to be non-functional or captured for the final part of the plan. Another explosion flashed across the bridge windows as one of her fighters hit the stored munitions in one of the watchtowers, blowing it into oblivion. An air siren finally started to ring out, the element of surprise now lost. It was faint on the bridge but would be impossible to ignore in the port. Every republican soldier and sailor would be rushing to battle stations. It was a race against the clock, to disable those guns before they could finish the laborious task of turning them inwards. ¡°Captain! Aetherfield! Three signatures! Bearing one-ninty! Two¡¯o¡¯clock! Eight klicks!¡± Sensors shouted out. The scouts they had stealthed past were returning, now in range of the Vengeance¡¯s aetherscopes. ¡°Notify the fighters!¡± ¡°Yes, captain!¡± ¡°Turret one jammed!¡± The weapons officer exclaimed, the turret in question falling silent while its brothers and sisters kept up the staccato of shell fire. ¡°Turret one!¡± screamed the chief engineer down one of the many speaking tubes in front of him. ¡°Make haste!¡± ¡°Abyss twenty-four, twenty-five, twenty-eight confirmed destroyed!¡± A bead of sweat fell into Serena¡¯s eye, but she refused to blink. She couldn¡¯t miss a thing. A battle as risky as this meant seconds could make the difference between success and failure. ¡°Taking fire! Starboard under-hull!¡± A voice shouted. Something from inside the port was hitting them. ¡°Anathor!¡± yelled Serena. ¡°Holding, captain!¡± The stuffed windlizard yelled back, ¡°It¡¯s only flak! They haven¡¯t time to load anything else!¡± ¡°Weapons! Get the under-hull guns on it!¡± ¡°Aye, captain!¡± Thankfully they weren¡¯t being hit by armor-piercing rounds, all thanks to their point-blank surprise attack. A fortress like Port Highwind would have its defense strategy centered around a flak screen first, expecting to engage an attacker at range before needing to switch to something more solid. ¡°Abyss thirty-one, thirty-two, thirty-three, destroyed!¡± ¡°Watchtowers destroyed!¡± ¡°Captain!¡± Announced the ground tactician, ¡°We¡¯ve secured the gatehouses!¡± Port Highwind¡¯s walls could only be accessed through a gatehouse, one in each cardinal direction. These were the primary objectives of the stormtroopers, whose landings would have only added to the confusion and chaos. Now, with the gatehouses secured, they would own the walls, and with it, the port. ¡°Deck cannons! Ceasefire! Tell the troops to take the walls!¡± She gave the order. No need to destroy the remaining artillery if they could capture it. It was a better result than she had dared hope for. ¡°Yes, captain!¡± came the chorus of replies. ¡°Turret one back up!¡± yelled the chief engineer. Serena made a few motions, teasing her limbs in ways that would normally trigger a painful response, but finding none came. So, this was the power of a human healer. ¡°That¡¯s... amazing.¡± She said softly. ¡°Mmm!¡± Amelia nodded enthusiastically. ¡°Glad you liked it!¡± A few moments passed in silence, and Serena looked at Amelia in a way she never thought she could ever look at a human. A look of gratitude. ¡°Captain,¡± said Tomes, interrupting the moment. ¡°Anathor kept us updated. A torpedo?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Serena forced herself back into captain mode. ¡°Something new.¡± ¡°I fell over when it happened!¡± Amelia said, ¡°And it was so loud! All the books came off the shelves! Did... a lot of people die?¡± Serena opened her mouth to chastise the girl, for speaking so casually about her crew, but stopped when she saw, in those blue eyes, a spark of maturity and determination that was not normally present. ¡°Yes...¡± Serena said, ¡°and, plenty to heal. Have you signed the contract?¡± ¡°Ah, about that, captain...¡± Tomes trailed off. ¡°I can¡¯t read it!¡± Amelia piped up. ¡°How can I sign something I can¡¯t read?¡± ¡°I will read it out to you,¡± Serena said, ¡°and on the dignity of my name I will not deceive you.¡± Amelia bit her thumb, seemingly thinking it over. ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have time right now. Would you be willing to assist the injured before the contract is signed? We will back-date it to this morning.¡± ¡°Sure!¡± the girl nodded. ¡°Before that, we need to find you a set of clothes. Tomes?¡± Amelia was still wearing the simple undergarments she arrived in. It would not do to let a woman walk around the ship showing so much of their body! Especially one looking like that! ¡°Aye, captain,¡± said Tomes, moving to a wardrobe. ¡°We can¡¯t put her in a proper uniform, her not being part of the crew and all, so I found this.¡± Tomes fished out a set of clothes. ¡°Republican officer. Only one in her size.¡± The white and blue clothes were a stark contrast to their dark uniforms. They kept examples of the enemy''s uniforms, so soldiers could learn to identify enemy officers in the field. This was one such set. ¡°I ripped off the military markings and figured we¡¯d get it to a tailor, but it should do for now,¡± Tomes explained. ¡°Better than nothing,¡± Serena said, pointing to the human. ¡°You. Clothes.¡± She pointed to the washroom. ¡°Quickly.¡± ¡°Yes, captain!¡± Amelia grabbed the clothes, hugging them tight before disappearing into the side room. As the door closed, Serena turned back to her quartermaster. ¡°Sent the message to the fleet. They should get here in time if everything is alright on their end. If not... some of the static defenses survived, we¡¯ll have to see if we can scare them off with it.¡± Tomes nodded. ¡°With the port ours... their entire flank is vulnerable. They can¡¯t have ever expected they¡¯ll lose it.¡± Serena shrugged. ¡°Who knows... This damn proxy war might be over by next year.¡± ¡°An end of the war? That would be nice. Depends on what the other human nations do. You¡¯ve heard the rumors, captain? About the coalition they¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°Tsk! It¡¯s just saber-rattling! They won¡¯t commit, not over a rebelling republic.¡± ¡°I hope so, captain. I hope so.¡± Tomes cleaned his spectacles, and a moment later the washroom door opened. ¡°Couldn¡¯t figure out how to tighten the bloody belt!¡± Amelia said. ¡°How do I look?¡± She gave a twirl, the neat uniform fitting her form surprisingly well. Its white and blue colors complimenting her golden hair and blue yes. She looked... looked... Serena found herself biting her tongue. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± she said. ¡°Tomes, head to the bridge. I¡¯ll be there after visiting the med-bay.¡± She looked at Amelia. ¡°Don¡¯t talk to anyone but me. Keep your head down. Don¡¯t look at any crew members in the eyes. So far they only know of you as a captive healer. And for the sake of the fell gods, don¡¯t let anyone know you¡¯re a Speaker!¡± ¡°Aye, aye captain!¡± Amelia said, straightening her back and saluting, her face serious yet cheerful. ¡°And don¡¯t salute me! You¡¯re not part of the crew!¡± ¡°Nope! I¡¯m your maid!¡± ¡°... Shut up.¡± They left, Tomes heading off in one direction while she and Amelia went in another. ¡°Walk in front of me, like a captive would. I¡¯m going to hold your hair. It will make it look convincing. Try not to look so... happy!¡± Serena positioned Amelia in front, and pushed her fingers through Amelia¡¯s hair, grabbing it. She decided to ignore the strange sound that came out of the human. They walked like that, through the wooden and steel corridors, down towards the med-bay. They didn¡¯t see many sailors, and those they did see would look surprised and some eyes would narrow in disgust but otherwise, no-one said anything to Amelia. As they approached the med-bay things got more busy. Medical rushed back and forth, carrying water, bandages, and more of the injured. The med-bay was a section of the ship¡¯s third deck, four rooms had been allocated and filled with beds and sanitation equipment. These four rooms were now full of crying, swearing, screaming, and unconscious demons, their injuries the result of that torpedo as well as the ground operations. ¡°Medical officer!¡± Serena called, and soon a demon appeared, covered in the blood of a dozen patients. Shorter than her, with stubby horns was Hillbrand, her medical officer and one of the few women on the ship. ¡°Captain! I... who¡¯s this!?¡± Hillbrand hissed, glaring at Amelia. ¡°This brat is the human healer I caught. Figured she could help us out, isn¡¯t that right, human?¡± She punctuated the end of her sentence by tightening the grip on Amelia¡¯s hair. Again, she decided to ignore the weird noise she made. ¡°Hillbrand, where are the most critical casualties?¡± ¡°Over here captain, but captain, are you sure? A human mage!?¡± ¡°Rather do this than have more dead, officer. Don¡¯t worry, she¡¯s nice and docile.¡± And really annoying. She thought to herself. ¡°Aye captain... over here.¡± Hillbrand led them to a line of beds whose occupants were breathing their last. ¡°These haven¡¯t got much life left in them. I gave them something for the pain. Not much else to do, unless this human healer has the aether for it.¡± Serena looked at Amelia, who was looking at the dying demons with an expression of shock. ¡°Well,¡± she asked, ¡°can you do it?¡± ¡°Uh, sorry,¡± Amelia looked at her, a picture of sadness painted on her face. ¡°I¡¯m not used... it¡¯s okay... I¡¯ll do it. Can you let go, please?¡± Serena obliged, releasing her hand, and letting the silky hair leave her fingers. She wasn¡¯t exactly sure about the capability of healers, and how many Amelia, who seemed more capable than most, would be able to heal. If she could mend the worst dozen or two, then they could take it from there. The human stood quiet, eyes closed. A moment passed. ¡°You-!¡± exclaimed Hillbrand, but Serena put a stop to it with a glare. ¡°Let her work.¡± She ordered. She could sense something in Amelia, something building. A spell being prepared. ¡°Say it out loud,¡± she commanded the human. At first, she thought Amelia hadn¡¯t heard her, but then the human¡¯s eyes opened and she looked at her, a small smile forming. ¡°Third circle,¡± she said, her mouth closing, before opening once again. ¡°Divine healing of Aseco.¡± And the room exploded with light. Chapter Five: The Contract Chapter Five: The ContractAmelia smiled at her demon captain, feeling the aether inside her begging to be expressed, to be spoken. The pressure was unusual, reminding her of the few times she had flown on an airplane and how her ears would pop. Although, this pressure was across her entire body and felt... nice. ¡°Divine healing of Aseco.¡± Warmth, love, and light exploded from her body, filling the space with waves of gold and blue. Amelia felt the aether pour out of her, and the atmosphere seemed to hum in satisfaction as it was saturated with energy. She could sense the spell seeking out the injured demons, wanting to fix them, to make them whole again. Inside her, Amelia could faintly feel her aether reserves slightly reduce. It was of little concern though, the ridiculous base stats she¡¯d inherited gave her a titanic amount of aether regeneration. The last wisps of golden light dissipated, and silence filled the air. Two crimson eyes, situated under two very pretty horns were wide with shock, looking at her with an expression Amelia had come rather to enjoy. Her capable captain, being so tremendously capable and cool, quickly recovered. ¡°Put it down,¡± the captain''s eyes flickered from her to her side, ¡°Hillbrand,¡± she said softly, raising an arm. Amelia turned her head and couldn¡¯t stop herself from twitching. Pointing at her forehead was the barrel of a firearm, held in the hand of the medical officer who had previously been glaring at her. ¡°What did you do!?¡± The demon hissed at her, eyes full of suspicion. Amelia shrugged. ¡°What I was told. Healed them,¡± she said. ¡°Mind putting that down? You could hurt someone...¡± She was running more than just the Ward of Thew, having stacked multiple defensive spells and cloaking them in turn. Keeping them up was only slightly slowing her aether regeneration. Amelia knew instinctively that it would take far more than a mere firearm to kill her. As she was now, she suspected it was a coin flip whether she could take one of the ship''s explosive shells straight on. When she was in her cell, her high perception had overheard Tomes talking about shooting her, in the head no less! It was very rude of him! Centuries of racial conflict or not, didn¡¯t they see how awfully cute she was!? Nevertheless, it had only caused her to double her resolve, she was determined to have the captain, Tomes, Dagon and the rest of the crew view her in a positive light! She loved demons! It was frustrating, if only she was in her game character¡¯s original body, she was sure it would be much easier. Or... maybe not. Amelia Thornheart the demonic dreadmage was more or less a demigod. Worship was something she definitely didn¡¯t want! The captain, her captain, put a palm against the firearm, pushing it gently to the side, and as she did, faint cries started to fill the room. ¡°I¡¯m... I¡¯m healed!¡± ¡°Praise the fell gods!¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore!¡± ¡°My horn... it grew back!¡± ¡°Captain,¡± said Hillbrand, still glaring at Amelia, ¡°that was third circle magic, like nothing I¡¯ve ever seen. You can¡¯t hope to keep a mage like that captive, even if it¡¯s you.¡± She emphasized the last word, no doubt hinting towards the captain''s ability as a Speaker. ¡°That¡¯s because she isn¡¯t a captive, not anymore. I¡¯m hiring her, and having her work under me. This human... is sympathetic to the cause.¡± ¡°Mmm, mm!¡± Amelia nodded furiously. ¡°Demons are awesome! I like your horns!¡± ¡°Captain!¡± The medical officer protested, ignoring her comment, ¡°There¡¯s no such thing! She must be a church mage! A republican spy!¡± ¡°She is not. I¡¯ve verified it with a truth-finder. The uniform is something we gave her, it was all we had.¡± ¡°Furthermore...¡± came the now familiar voice of Anathor, speaking through the mounted head of some kind of stuffed bear, with boar-like tusks. ¡°The ship believes in her... even likes her. She isn¡¯t a threat, Hillbrand.¡± ¡°Captain...¡± ¡°Holster your weapon, officer.¡± A sharp edge took form in the captain¡¯s voice. A moment of hesitation passed, and the medical demon finally obeyed her superior. ¡°The crew won¡¯t like this...¡± the demon said. ¡°Look around, Hillbrand,¡± the captain said, gesturing, ¡°they¡¯re damn healed! They might not trust her, I don¡¯t need them to. I need them to trust me, and tolerate her. Nothing more. Can you do that?¡± Hillbrand cast a look around the room. The demons that were previously minutes from dying were now moving their limbs, expressions of amazement and confusion on their faces. One demon was clenching their hand, their arm having regrown after just being amputated. ¡°... aye, captain. I can do that.¡± ¡°Excellent work, soldier. Now, you.¡± The captain faced her with a stern, but thankfully not an angry, expression. ¡°How¡¯s your reserves? Are you able to do... that again? There are three more treatment rooms.¡± ¡°Yes! But, no need!¡± Amelia piped up, flashing a smile. She was feeling a sense of euphoria, an after-effect of not just the movement of her aether, but also the feeling of being able to heal so many! The feeling of doing good. ¡°No need?¡± The crimson eyes looked confused. ¡°H-Hillbrand!¡± A group of demons, dressed similarly to the medical officer, came pouring through the doorway. ¡°What was that light!? The others...¡± ¡°No need!¡± Amelia said again, not being able to stop herself from sounding a little smug. ¡°I did them all!¡± The captain blinked at her. ¡°I did the whole ship!¡± ¡°... Oh, dear...¡± Anathor quietly said in the background. They returned to the captain¡¯s quarters, Serena having hurried her back after Amelia had turned into a miniature sun. The captain had told Anathor to instruct Tomes that she would be late, explaining to Amelia that it was time to lock her down. Serena sat in the captain''s chair, while Amelia awkwardly stood to the side. She had suspected her little act of healing had somewhat impressed the captain more than she had planned, giving Amelia pause as to what level a typical human healer was supposed to be working at. The healing branch of Aseco was one of the more powerful paths, boasting excellent healing spells, moderate defensive capabilities, and even a few holy lightning attacks. While she could attack, Amelia had decided to avoid that if possible. She would be a healer, not a soldier. Besides, if it really came down to it, she had far more powerful Words from the combat branches of the demonic gods that she could Speak. The captain was reading over Amelia¡¯s contract and the room was quiet barring the occasional shuffling of paper. Eventually, Serena put the paper down, before writing something on a note and showing her. ¡°Do you know what this is?¡± She asked Amelia. It wasn¡¯t English, nor was it the Imperial script she wanted to learn. Its lettering was sharp, with many jagged and vertical lines. She had never seen this before. Amelia told Serena as much. ¡°It is the language of the Words,¡± the captain said, ¡°a phonetic language so that the Words of power can be communicated across the barriers of language and culture. This is one of the First Words; Aseco. This is the one you can Speak, yes?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Amelia wouldn¡¯t lie to her captain, but until they had a better relationship, and more trust between them, she would avoid sharing that she could do far more than just Speak one word. ¡°What Word can you Speak?¡± she asked, curiosity forcing the question out. There were a few candidates in her mind, Amelia suspected the captain was following the path of one of the demonic sword gods. ¡°The first rule of being a Speaker, keep your cards close to your chest. You are far too willing to answer questions about your abilities, and to use them,¡± Serena said, pointing at her. ¡°You should have healed everyone one by one, with a smaller individual spell, like when you healed me earlier. Word is going to get around about this. It will reach the ears of my superiors. Even if everyone finds out that you¡¯re a Speaker, do not be forthcoming with information about your Word.¡± ¡°But, depending on the spell, and when you Speak, everyone will know the Word immediately!¡± Amelia protested. ¡°And until that moment, no one will know you¡¯re a Speaker unless you¡¯ve told them. The element of surprise can be the difference between victory and defeat. Many Speakers on the front-line constantly change their appearance, or blend in with the common soldiers.¡± Serena sat back, looking thoughtful. ¡°I will have Tomes act as your tutor in more than just Imperial. The language of the words, the things you should know as a Speaker yet do not... he will teach them to you, as far as his duty permits him. That is the first clause of the contract.¡± ¡°Okay! What else?¡± ¡°I will teach you the sword, to the best of my ability. Much of it will depend on your own talent. I am a busy demon, but will try and find time for you at least bi-weekly in this matter.¡± ¡°Cool! I can¡¯t wait!¡± Amelia gave her two enthusiastic thumbs up. ¡°I will pay you twelve hundred denarii monthly. One of my foot soldiers receives a salary of eight denarii in the same period, so you are being valued equal to one hundred and fifty soldiers,¡± Serena paused, ¡°...but, given your display just now, we will revisit this at a later date. There is only so much of my estate I can use without permission from my family head.¡± Oh? This was something new. Her captain was becoming more and more interesting. ¡°Family head? Estate? Are you nobility?¡± She asked. ¡°Yes. You should refer to me as Lady Halen in private, and as captain when on the ship...¡± Serena raised a finger, ¡°Actually, refer to me as Lady Halen at all times. It will reinforce the notion that you are working for me, as part of my personal retinue that I have the privilege to establish as a noble, rather than part of the crew.¡± ¡°Halen? Your surname?¡± ¡°My family name, yes.¡± ¡°Mmm... Serena Halen. Serena Halen...¡± Amelia rolled the name around her tongue. It was a lovely name, fitting for such a beautiful demon with such magnificent horns. ¡°Serena Halen... Serena Halen...¡± ¡°Stop saying my name.¡± ¡°Yes, Lady Halen!¡± A question popped up in her mind. ¡°What family do you have? Any brothers or sisters?¡± ¡°There is the patriarch, my father, my mother also. I have two younger sisters.¡± ¡°No brothers?¡± ¡°He died during the war.¡± Oops! She didn¡¯t want to bring up any bad memories. Amelia tried to give a sympathetic look but was interrupted before she could say anything to ameliorate the suddenly chilly atmosphere. ¡°Tsk! We are going off track!¡± Serena jabbed the paper in front of her. ¡°Here are your obligations, you are, within the bounds of being reasonable, to provide your services of healing to my battalion. You are on call, always, and must have my permission to leave my service or the ship. You have no obligation to partake in battle directly, although if I request it you will provide your services on the front line, where every effort will be taken by myself to ensure your safety. And...¡± Amelia tilted her head as Serena trailed off. ¡°... you are not to provide your services to the enemy, nor render them aid in any way or form, magical or otherwise.¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± Amelia said, placing a finger on her temple. ¡°I refuse!¡± She expected Serena to have an outburst, but was surprised to find her silent, looking at her calmly. When the captain made it clear she was waiting for more, Amelia explained; ¡°I spent years in bed, mostly immobile. I¡¯m not going to let the same fate fall upon anyone else, demon or human! I¡¯m not going to stop you fighting, I won¡¯t get in the way, and I won¡¯t run off without telling you, but I will heal whoever I want if the opportunity arises.¡± She examined the demon, surprised to find her nodding to her explanation. ¡°I expected as much. The rest is acceptable, though?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Serena scratched out a line on the contract. ¡°I can only request you give me the heads-up before you render aid to humans, if possible. As for your title, you will be listed as a maid in my service, for I do not dare to give you a higher title, lest it cause even more problems for my estate and family.¡± ¡°And the uniform!?¡± Amelia asked, she was very excited to have a maid uniform, a real-life cosplay! The captain gave her a look up and down, prompting Amelia to give a quick twirl. ¡°We will find something less... republican. Regardless, you will not have to do any actual maid duties. Such things as cleaning and cooking are beneath the status of a mage of your caliber, let alone a Speaker.¡± ¡°But I like cleaning! I can¡¯t cook but... I¡¯d like to learn!¡± ¡°Ridiculous... well then, if you are seen cleaning, it will only help sell the idea to the crew,¡± Serena said. ¡°If there is nothing else, sign here.¡± She turned the paper towards her, along with a pen. Amelia bent down, looking for the dotted line. ¡°One more thing...¡± she trailed off, ¡°where will I be staying? Sleeping?¡± ¡°With me,¡± said the captain, ¡°we¡¯ll set you up in my private quarters. Putting you with the crew would never work, and I¡¯d rather keep you close by lest you get into any more trouble.¡± Amelia immediately signed the contract. ¡°All done!¡± she said, feeling her cheeks go red. If Serena saw, she didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Anything else I should know?¡± ¡°Yes... as a maid, as a civilian under me, you are not subject to military orders, only my own. As per the contract and my order, you will accept requests for aid from any demon on this ship, but should any of my battalion try and order you in some way that conflicts with my own, you may ignore it, and report to me the event.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°Furthermore, as a civilian, you are not permitted to just stroll about the ship. Most areas are off-limits to you, unless your obligations require you to go somewhere, then you will not. The bridge is off-limits, as is the entire first deck, on which the turrets are mounted. Other than when you need to exit or enter the ship, there is no reason for you to be on the first deck. There should also be no reason for you to be on the second deck, the crew''s quarters, unless you¡¯re being taught by Tomes. The third deck contains the medical bay, mess hall, and kitchens. I imagine some of your time will be spent there. The fifth and sixth deck, cargo and munitions, I can¡¯t imagine much reason for you to ever go there... unless I¡¯m putting you in a cell again.¡± ¡°What about the fourth deck? You left that out!¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± the glassy eyes of the moose¡¯s head glinted as Anathor spoke. ¡°The fourth deck is off-limits to all, even the captain.¡± ¡°Off-limits? Even for you?¡± Amelia asked Serena. ¡°Yes. I wouldn¡¯t concern yourself with that, put it out of your mind.¡± Serena said, but Amelia couldn¡¯t help herself. ¡°What¡¯s on the fourth deck? Anathor?¡± ¡°Hmm....¡± Said the moose, but was no more forthcoming. ¡°As I said, do not concern yourself with that. You will come to understand that this is more than a normal ship. The Vengeance is special in more ways than one.¡± ¡°How... frustratingly mysterious!¡± She cried out, throwing her hands up. ¡°Amusing,¡± said Serena, ¡°for you, calling that mysterious, you, the biggest bundle of mystery that might have ever befallen Cascadia. Ha! What a crazy human you are!¡± ¡°In the very flesh!¡± Amelia proclaimed, giving a little bow. ¡°At your service!¡± ¡°Silly girl...¡± the captain said, shaking her head. Amelia only gave a grin in response. ¡°Captain! I mean, Lady Halen! I have a request!¡± ¡°... what is it?¡± ¡°I want to go outside!¡± Amelia stood awkwardly next to Serena. They were in some meeting room on the first deck, and the captain had dragged in every single officer, along with most of the squad commanders. A semicircle of six to seven-foot demons, all looking at her with suspicion. Their skin had a range of colours and hues, some demons, like Serena, were mostly pale, with subtle patterns of reds and oranges. Others were darker, with deeper grays and blacks. Their eyes were all in some range of red, orange, or yellow, although none quite as crimson as the captains. Their horns were equally varied. Some were thick and curled, like a set of ram''s horns, others were straighter, like goat horns. There were single horns, pairs, and triples, and some demon¡¯s heads had so many horns it was basically hair. Serena explained the situation to her staff, leaving out several key bits, she made sure to emphasize how Amelia was not part of the crew, and very much under her orders and control, and yes, that healing light that spread throughout the entire ship was something she ordered. They had agreed at appropriate times Amelia would pipe up with a quick ¡°Yes, Lady Halen!¡± before zipping her mouth and keeping her eyes on the floor. She had been told not to act like her usual cheerful self, and try and be... submissive. Several officers had protested, most strongly amongst them was a squad commander called Korvus, which Serena had warned her about, telling her to avoid him at all costs. The room had become heated at times, at one point it seemed she might even be attacked, but Serena spooled up her aether, leaking power and intent, and that had quietened it back down. The captain had emphasized that as a part of her personal retinue, an attack on Amelia was an attack on her, and her family. That statement had seemed to cool the room even further, although the demon called Korvus never took his eyes off her. Surprisingly, Hillbrand had supported her, despite pointing a gun in her face earlier. The medical officer gave a report on how Amelia had saved the lives of more than a dozen demons, and how a further two dozen could immediately return to work, instead of spending weeks recovering or being dismissed entirely. This prompted a short discussion amongst the officers, as they discussed how such rapid healing could open up a new range of strategies. After that, Serena had dismissed them and led her to the deck of the ship, where a walkway lay for them to cross to the battlements of what Amelia now knew as Port Highland, a location they had captured in the battle just past. On the deck, Amelia stood with her arms wide, turning on the spot, feeling the wind through her golden hair, not caring if the demons in the bridge could see her. She was outside! When had she last gone outside the hospital? To feel the wind? ¡°Watch yourself!¡± Warned Serena, as she strayed close to a gaping hole in the deck. ¡°Was this... that explosion from earlier?¡± ¡°Yes. There used to be a turret here. We¡¯re patching it up now but will need to travel south, to a proper air-dock, to replace it. A month of repairs, maybe more.¡± ¡°I see...¡± Amelia cast her eyes south, across the deck, to the open ocean of air and space that spread as far as the eye could see. Above her, she could see layers of cloud, and below her an endless field of orange, that seemed to glow softly. ¡°That is the lumina, the foundations of the world.¡± ¡°What¡¯s beyond it?¡± ¡°No one knows. We refer to that place as the under-sky, it¡¯s where we deliver the bodies of the dead, so they may explore the great unknown, in our place.¡± ¡°It feels... weird. It¡¯s not natural, is it?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s magical. It disrupts aether. Even a Speaker would not survive a fall into it, although the ship protects us from most of its effects.¡± Amelia had already been made aware of one of the unique aspects of the Vengeance, its ability to sail into the lumina and not be destroyed. Really! This ship was getting more and more mysterious! She made a mental note to uncover its secrets in the future, should the opportunity arise. ¡°And the islands? How do they float?¡± She asked, gesturing to the enormous pieces of land that impossibly floated with seemingly no sense of propulsion. ¡°Tens of thousands of years of moon rain saturated the land with moon crystal, which reacts with aether to produce a lifting effect. This reaches equilibrium between the lumina at the bottom, and the lighter aether at the top, and the islands maintain a stable level, depending on their weight, and the density of crystal within their earth and rock.¡± ¡°Is that also how the ship... sails?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Serena nodded. ¡°The same phenomena, trapped and utilized by the brilliant minds of inventors and engineers. The ship has two engines, a lift engine, that uses aetheric combustion to generate lift, and a propulsion engine, which uses the same to generate heat, to boil water into steam and drive the propellers.¡± ¡°Wow... it¡¯s all so... so cool! We didn¡¯t have anything like this from where I¡¯m from. Instead, our aircraft only had a propulsion engine!¡± ¡°Oh? Then how did you sail? How did you generate lift?¡± Serena asked, sounding very interested. ¡°We didn¡¯t call it sailing, that¡¯s what we called ships that lived only on the water, on the seas. We called it flying. If you put large wings on a ship...¡± Amelia punctuated this by spreading her arms, imitating the wings of a plane, ¡°... and those wings are shaped in a certain way, and you apply enough propulsion to the aircraft, then the wings themselves generate lift just by how they hit the air!¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m familiar with this, some gliders and lighter craft use that method, although larger ships are too heavy for it, hence the lift engine.¡± Serena paused, seemingly thinking over some words. ¡°Not now, but at some point in the future, I would like to discuss your old world with you. I still have so many questions, especially about your technology.¡± ¡°Mmm, sure thing!¡± ¡°Come now, let us walk.¡± Serena led them across the walkway. Amelia had to resist closing her eyes. She wasn¡¯t the biggest fan of heights, and she certainly didn¡¯t want to fall into the lumina. If she did happen to fall, there were Words she could Speak that would give her flight, so she wasn¡¯t too concerned. Together they walked along the battlements, occasionally passing demon soldiers standing guard, while other demons seemed to be examining and repairing some of the destroyed artillery. The conversation had hit a natural lull, and Amelia took some time to look over Port Highwind. It seemed to be somewhat of an industrial town, with many warehouses and storage locations. The buildings were mostly red brick, but some sections seemed dominated by timber houses with whitewashed walls and clay tile rooftops. This, she figured, was the residential district and as they continued to circle the port, an area that looked to be some kind of town square or marketplace came into view and as it did Amelia couldn¡¯t help but frown. The occupants of the port had been penned into the town square. Amelia could see soldiers bringing civilians from across the port to the central location. The humans were surrounded by demon soldiers who stood guard on the ground and the rooftops overlooking the area. ¡°The civilians,¡± intoned Serena, ¡°and soldiers who surrendered. We can¡¯t just let them do as they like in their own houses, planning any possible insurgencies. At least, not until a proper policing force comes in.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Amelia said, stopping. They both watched the area for a while, the warm sun beating down upon them. ¡°What will happen to them?¡± ¡°The soldiers will be taken as prisoners of war, and the civilians, once vetted, will be able to return to their old lives, with some restrictions.¡± Serena hesitated, before opening her mouth again. ¡°If instead, I said I would execute them all, civilians and soldiers alike, what would you do?¡± Amelia met those crimson eyes with her own. ¡°I¡¯d stop you!¡± she said, raising and tensing her bicep. ¡°Oh?¡± Serena mused, a quizzical hint of amusing forming on her face, as she raised an eyebrow. ¡°A Word from the healing branch of Aseco, even Spoken by a talented Speaker, is still only a Word of healing. Do you think it would be enough, to stop me?¡± Amelia flashed a cheeky smile. ¡°I have some tricks up my sleeve, I think I could manage it, if I needed to.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Serena asked, ¡°And what tricks would these be?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to tell you! So don¡¯t ask! A Speaker keeps their cards close to their chest, remember!?¡± ¡°Huh, would you look at that? The human can learn.¡± ¡°Hey! I¡¯m very studious!¡± ¡°You still made the mistake of hinting towards the existence of further capabilities, now I¡¯m thinking all kinds of thoughts as to what those could be,¡± Serena said, placing a finger on her lips, a mock expression of thoughtfulness on her face. ¡°Hmmrph!¡± Amelia exclaimed, crossing her arms, and turning away from her. Secretly, she was glad, glad that they could already talk this casually. Amelia suspected that amongst all the demons, Serena had a much higher tolerance of humans than most. A thought cropped up. ¡°Lady Halen,¡± She said. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Since I¡¯ve healed all the demons, I¡¯m going to go down and heal whatever humans I can. Would you like to come with me?¡± ¡°I... see. I will come, for until you¡¯re better trained I fear what problems will arise if I leave you alone. Very well then.¡± Together they made their way off the battlements, towards the first group of humans Amelia had ever seen since coming to this world. Chapter Six: Korvus the Mad Dog Chapter Six: Korvus the Mad Dog As they approached the large group of humans huddling together in the square, Amelia felt a knot of anxiety grow in her stomach. It was bizarre. She felt comfortable around demons, yet the idea of being around humans felt strange, almost unnatural. She figured she had inherited all of her powers from her game character, and had verified much of it; Amelia had previously found time to play around with her aether, to fold it upon itself in different ways as she prepared the intention to Speak some of the many Words she knew from the many combat branches she specialized in. It was a pleasant surprise to find they all seemed to be available to her, and most interestingly, they appeared to provoke certain emotions as they were prepared. Perhaps this was why healing made her feel so good. Knowing that, and feeling the anxiety in her stomach, Amelia pondered as to whether she had also inherited the demonic trait of being mistrustful of humans, despite being a literal human herself. Or was she? Whatever mysterious force had given her this opportunity of a new life, had built her the body of her game character, which, last she remembered, was polymorphed into that of a cute human woman. However, was she still in a polymorphed state? Was her true form still that of a mighty archdemon, and this current body a temporary veneer of... blue eyes and blond prettiness? Serena had seemed to take to her quite well, which delighted Amelia, and so had Dagon and Tomes, other than the initial talk of murdering her, of course. Was this friendliness because she was still truly a demon behind the scenes, and they were picking up on this on a subconscious level? Well, she could think more about that later. They arrived in the square. The mood was, at best, grim. Hundreds of humans, maybe half a thousand, were crammed in the square. They wore either work clothes or were barely dressed, huddling blankets against the cool air, despite the sun overhead. The Vengeance had attacked the port early in the morning, and many of the port¡¯s residents had not woken up yet. A separate group, numbering about a hundred, had been cornered off, and judging by the white and blue uniforms that looked so very similar to her own, Amelia made an educated guess that these were the remains of the defenders. Their eyes were downcast, the atmosphere somber. The cries of children and women could be heard, and the wails of those in pain. Many of them clenched prayer beads, muttering comforts to themselves. Parents kept their children close, but many of the young seemed to be missing guardians, instead, what looked like older brothers and sisters were hugging their younger siblings close, speaking words of comfort to them. Some of them would never again see their parents. It was a terrible sight, an awful situation that tugged at her heartstrings. Amelia was powerful, she knew that much, and she also knew she was ignorant of this world. Could she have prevented this? All she had was power. She was sure she could have destroyed the Vengeance, saving the port from this fate. She could also have wiped out the fortress, the surrounding islands, and all the human aircraft, preventing the torpedo from hitting the ship. Or she could have simply left, and let the battle happen anyway. What she didn¡¯t know, is how she could have prevented it altogether, without making herself an enemy of one or both sides of the conflict. This was, she supposed, something solved in the realm of diplomacy, a subject that went very much against her brutally honest nature. At the very least she could make things better, for both demons and humans. At least by doing something she could feel in control of a tiny part of this conflict. ¡°Hey...¡± she whispered to Serena, leaning in so only she could hear. ¡°Are you able to provide them with any medical supplies? Aid from Hillbrand and her team?¡± Serena shook her head, ¡°They hate us, and understandably so. Some small number of them would accept care, but just attempting it would cause this situation to spiral out of control.¡± She bent towards Amelia, speaking even more quietly; ¡°a decade of propaganda has led to some ridiculous beliefs ferment among the humans. Many of them believe we eat them.¡± Amelia gave a solemn smile. ¡°I suppose we don¡¯t taste very nice, too stringy.¡± A weak joke, an attempt to lighten the mood. ¡°Anything I should know, before I begin?¡± ¡°... you¡¯re smarter than you pretend to be, aren¡¯t you? I thought the concept of caution was completely foreign to you.¡± ¡°So unfair...¡± ¡°Firstly,¡± Serena said, raising a finger, ¡°nothing big or flashy. Do it slowly, one by one.¡± A second finger joined the first. ¡°Secondly, if asked, do not say you are a captive. Tell them the truth, you are under my employment, and willingly so. Thirdly, and this is the most important, do not imply in any way you have any connection to the human church, or any church for that matter.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Amelia whispered back. ¡°... and don¡¯t over-exert yourself!¡± she added, as Amelia stepped forward amongst the humans. They were lined in rough columns, with just enough space for her and the demon guards to walk up and down the square. Amelia strolled forward, some murmuring having started as more and more humans, civilians and soldiers alike, noticed her. Amelia¡¯s high perception made it easy to capture these snippets. ¡°Sis, who¡¯s that person?¡± ¡°A republican officer... ?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen her before... ¡± ¡°She wasn¡¯t part of the garrison. A slave?¡± She bent down next to a man who seemed to have been caught in an explosion. His body was riddled with small cuts and wounds, and his eyes were covered in bandages. A nasty bump on his chest suggested one or more of his ribs had broken, threatening to pierce through the skin. A young girl, perhaps in her early teens, was holding the man¡¯s hand, her face wet with tears. ¡°Hello there,¡± she said, intentionally making her voice just loud enough to carry over the square, audible to all. ¡°Is this man your father?¡± The girl¡¯s eyes met her own, red and raw from crying. She looked Amelia over, before nodding slowly. ¡°Da¡¯ worked in the warehouses... he... he got blown up-!¡± her voice broke at the end, unable to stop herself from sobbing. ¡°Would it be okay, if I healed him? Is that alright?¡± She let her voice take on the tone she had heard for so many years in the hospital. The tone she had grown to truly despise, the doctor¡¯s bedside manner, but now... now she was the one rendering aid she began to understand its value. ¡°You... you can do that? Make da¡¯ better?¡± The girl stopped sobbing, her eyes growing wide like saucers. ¡°I can. I would need to touch him, is that okay?¡± ¡°Y-yes! Please miss...¡± Amelia gently touched the man¡¯s chest, and invoking one of the lesser healing spells, golden light, with flecks of blue, traveled from her own body into the injured man. Within seconds, he was breathing normally, the cuts and wounds had closed up and the broken ribs mended. The man reached up and removed the bandages around his eyes. ¡°I can see... I can see! Oh, my daughter! My sweet, I can see your beautiful face again!¡± ¡°Da!¡± The girl threw herself into her father¡¯s arms, weeping loudly. ¡°Thank you! Thank you, holy priestess! I¡¯m not worthy... a thousand blessings upon you!¡± The man cried, grasping her hand with his own, his eyes brimming with gratitude. ¡°Thank you!¡± Amelia beamed, as the crowd now had its full attention upon her. ¡°She healed him!¡± ¡°Is she a captive?¡± ¡°A member of the church, here? Are we saved?¡±Re?Ad lateSt chapters at novelhall.com Only Serena felt herself starting to get angry. It was always like this, with Korvus. Always a fight. ¡°Anathor said the ship trusts-¡± ¡°Anathor said!¡± Korvus interrupted, spittle flying from his mouth. ¡°The ship!¡± He turned, glaring at her. ¡°Not everyone is on board with putting faith in the ship! And Anathor! He¡¯s not even in the chain of command! He has no allegiance to you! He says it himself, he is the guardian of the ship, not the guardian of you!¡± ¡°I trust Anathor, he-¡± ¡°We don¡¯t even know what he is! Huh? And you trust him? Has he ever told you what¡¯s on the fourth deck!? Ever shared that little bit of knowledge?¡± Serena narrowed her eyes at him. ¡°Commander, if you keep interrupting me, you¡¯re going to have a problem with more than just the human.¡± Korvus¡¯s expression fell, and he turned back to the square, sighing. ¡°And now... you even defend her, over me.¡± ¡°Eighteen demons. Four sailors and fourteen shock troopers, your shock troopers. That¡¯s how many she saved from certain death. Dozens of others were healed, Korvus. Dozens of your brothers, ready to keep fighting.¡± Just as she thought she would make some progress with him, Korvus shattered that, with another softly spoken question. ¡°She¡¯s a Speaker, isn¡¯t she?¡± He asked. ¡°... Yes.¡± The wind picked up, caressing her hair as a painful silence took hold of them both. It was broken, eventually, by Korvus. ¡°A Speaker of Aseco?¡± He asked. ¡°One of my soldiers told me she spoke one of his spells.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°... that¡¯s how I know you¡¯re lying, captain.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Speakers of Aseco come from one place, and one place only; the Golden Cathedral. They are all, all, under the direct command of the human pope, for their branch is one of the most divine under the human gods. It is only within the human Vatican, the holiest of places, guided by their strongest priests, could a human ever hope to commune with Aseco and his family. There is no way she managed it, secreted away in demon territory under your family.¡± Seven hells! How did Korvus know that? She had only known about the origin of Speakers of Aseco when Tomes had told her earlier, and all her quartermaster did was read books! ¡°Ah...¡± she muttered, resisting the urge to grab her horns, ¡°I¡¯m getting pissed off, why do you have to make my job so hard, Korvus?¡± ¡°Likewise captain, likewise.¡± ¡°When did you get so smart? Never seen you read anything other than a battle plan.¡± ¡°... I had the motivation,¡± he said, a solemn expression on his face. Amelia was working on the soldiers now, having healed all the civilians that needed healing. Dagon was staying near her, his presence, along with the surrounding guards, was keeping things under control. How many people had she expended aether on? A hundred? Two hundred? Her reserves seemed endless and the human wasn¡¯t slowing down. Amelia was invaluable, and Serena suspected whatever other secrets she had, would only make her even more so. The issue was, how could she salvage this situation, how could she convince Korvus? Her mind raced, thinking of another lie she could tell before giving up. She didn¡¯t know what Korvus knew about the situation. She was backed into the corner, with one last card to play, before things became very risky. The truth. ¡°We... don¡¯t know how she boarded the ship. It was early this morning. I was going to hang her, but then we figured out she was a Speaker, and then we talked, and then we made a deal...¡± Korvus was silent, not reacting to what she said. Perhaps, that was a good sign. ¡°She¡¯s not from this place, not from Cascadia, Korvus. She might have come from a different realm altogether. She has no dislike of demons, she even likes us. This was all verified with a truth-teller. Trust me on this, Korvus.¡± ¡°Hmm... trust,¡± he intoned. He clasped his left hand with his right, cracking the knuckles one by one. After he was done, he began working on the other hand. ¡°My father...¡± he said, almost whispering, ¡°... was a ship-builder. Not the metal kind, but the old one. Wooden. He would buy hardwood from the humans, republican traders, and have lift engines brought up from Centralis. He would build small hulls, transport ships, and the like. He and his workers were hard, honest men, and got on well with the humans, even if they always tried to cheat him a little on prices. We lived in a small village, under the domain of Greatlord Orlan, by the mountains.¡± ¡°... oh.¡± Korvus looked at the sky, he wasn¡¯t crying, but sadness bled from him nevertheless. ¡°They attacked us with the same ships we built for them. It wasn¡¯t even the republican army at first, they came later. The initial assault was led by the fanatics, too unstable to serve in the Inquisitor Navy. Village after village. In the fighting, I came across the son of one of the traders I had broken bread with. He was cutting down a child. I killed him. When I finally returned to my village, I had hoped that my family had escaped, but instead... instead I met them again... impaled on pikes. It was then, that I Spoke the First Word, for the first time.¡± Serena gulped. ¡°I didn¡¯t know... you never said.¡± ¡°Humans... and demons too, call me a mad dog. Battle-crazed. Thirsty for blood. They use all these words, all these names, that suggest I¡¯m somehow crazy, but the opposite is the truth. I had my mind set clear that day, and every day since.¡± He turned to her, his eyes clear and cold. ¡°But you, captain. You are afflicted with the same disease that killed my father, my family, and my friends. For the sake of everything, the crew, my men, I cannot let this go on any longer.¡± Korvus raised an arm high, fist clenched. Serena was confused for a moment, before recognizing the hand signal that the combat troops used. Her eyes darted to the square, where she saw Amelia, bending over as she treated a wounded soldier. Her eyes went wide. The square¡¯s guards, some two dozen demons, were pointing their rifles straight at the human healer, who hadn¡¯t yet noticed. ¡°I will cure you of your insanity,¡± the demon next to her said, dropping his arm in one swift motion. ¡°Korvus!¡± she spat out, but it was too late. A cascade of gunfire rang out on the square, and Amelia fell into a crumpled heap, her golden hair glimmering in the sunlight. The world suddenly became very dark. She could see nothing but Amelia, unmoving. Her vision was surrounded by black and she could feel her heart, pounding like a drum in her ears. She was freezing cold and boiling hot, and the feeling of wetness was on her face. There was only one thing she could do, one action. There was no controlling this. Her aether frothed in delight. She Spoke the First Word. Her Word. ¡°Narean¡± Chapter Seven: Confession Chapter Seven: Confession The Word was Spoken and power, chaos, and violence erupted from Serena. Korvus was blown back, slamming through the wall of a building, collapsing it upon himself. The citadel was destroyed, unable to withstand the force of the Spoken Word. The stone walls crumbled, dooming any demons inside to a horrific death. Those below, humans and demons alike, were thrown back, piling up against the sides of the buildings ringing the far side of the square in a mass of bodies and broken limbs. Their lives were saved only by the distance from the Spoken Word. She hovered there, in the air, her connection with the aetherfield so strong that she could mimic the levitation effect of the lifting engine of the Vengeance, of which she could sense in the distance, the pulses from it beating through the aetherfield like a heart. Something else is there. A thought arrived in her head, formed from curiosity that was not her own. Her attention was pulled to the black ship in the distance. Something strange called to her. There was a song, its melody caressing the aetherfield, a song just for her. Beckoning her. It came from the fourth deck. No! This was not her mind! Serena bit her tongue, using the pain to align her thoughts once again. She fought to keep the Word in control, to maintain her mind! She wrapped her body in layers of green hues. The normal auras of a warrior - red, orange, and yellow - first, second, and third-level respectively were now beneath her. The fourth-level, accessible only to those who can Speak the First Word, layered upon her skin as a subtle green aura, providing her a defense no shellfire could hope to penetrate. The same aura spread into her sword, strengthening and sharpening beyond anything a blacksmith could manage. Narean, the Word itself, a manifestation of the will and power of the demon god of the same name, clung to her mind, eating away at her sense of self and demanding control, demanding violence and that blood be spilled in its name. ¡°I am in control.¡± she spat, gritting her teeth and steeling her willpower. A traitor. Kill the mutineer. The Word whispered to her. Rip him to pieces. A warning flashed through her mind. She had Spoken badly, in haste, and was already seeing the first signs of losing control: Aether-Cognitive Resonance. ¡°Argh!¡± Serena roared, her voice sounding like that of a beast. Another pulse of power emitted from her, and she felt her horns ignite with hellfire, a tail of flame formed from the base of her spine, and the faintest shadow of wings of black mist, not able to fully form in this realm, took vague shape upon her back. ¡°Bayle.¡± The Spoken Word rippled through the aetherfield, triggering the attention of any Speaker or aetherscope within twenty klicks. The building her enemy had been blasted into exploded in black and grey flame and within it stood the towering figure of her opponent, glaring at her. Dark mist danced along his horns, and his grey body was now, like hers, hued in green. His hands had become scaled and his fingers changed into razor-sharp talons. The force of his Word had excited Serena, and she gripped her cutlass tighter. To finally come head to head against Bayle! A chance then, to finally teach that demon god its uncouth and barbaric way of fighting fell short against her honorable blade! No! These were not her thoughts! They were the desires of Narean manifesting within her. Her control was slipping. Defeat Korvus. Save the human. She thought. Kill Korvus. Kill the human. The Word inside her demanded. ¡°A captain... does what¡¯s best for her crew,¡± said Korvus. ¡°Stand down, captain.¡± Unable to stop herself, she launched herself at the mutineer, bringing down her sword upon him. The blade was stopped by the back of Korvus¡¯s arm, but it still cut him, just barely. She struck him again and again, as he parried and defended her assault. ¡°Hmm...¡± Korvus said, before punching her in the gut, having found an opening in her attacks. ¡°You¡¯re not fully in control of your Word, are you?¡± He asked as Serena flew back, through a ruined wall. She rolled on the ground, before finding her feet and stance, the taste of iron appearing in her mouth. ¡°Bayle!¡± she roared, ¡°You traitor!¡± the flames on her horns took on a new intensity and she flung herself back into the fight. Her sword slashed again and again, her tail of flame whipping and striking her enemy. As the rage increased, she felt herself become faster and as she became faster she felt her mind relinquish more and more control, and as the control slipped, the more powerful she became. Her green aura began to take on flecks of blue. ¡°Bayle!?¡± exclaimed Korvus, now needing to duck and dodge her attacks. ¡°Narean is taking control! Captain! You must not become a vessel! You-¡± he lept to the side, avoiding a slash that destroyed the wall behind him and gorging a chunk out of the building behind it. She chased him, chased Bayle. With every swing of her sword, she felt she was coming closer and closer to victory! How dare this demon mutineer against her, against the mighty Narean! ¡°I¡¯m sorry, captain,¡± Bayle muttered, as he avoided another attempt at his life. ¡°That it has come to this...¡± The demon lept backward, putting distance between them. A warning flashed in what little of Serena¡¯s mind was still in control. Danger. Bayle clasped his hands together, and his aura exploded, the green aura replaced with a deep blue, with flecks of indigo. The fifth-level, with a hint towards the sixth! When had this traitor exceeded her abilities? How dare he! Serena, or rather, Narean, gritted her teeth. She squeezed the power of the Word inside her further, fueling the process with her rage and determination. Her skin cracked and bled, hellfire spewing controllably from her, and then it settled, as for the first time she crossed the barrier, just barely, into the fifth-level. She struggled to catch her breath, her body and brain burning from the exertion. Bayle did not give her time to recover and attacked her immediately. A series of punches and claws assaulted her being, at a speed this vessel had never defended against before! Blue aura or not, she had to put everything into the defense, frantically parrying and dodging as the borderline sixth-level attacks threatened to end her, only the natural talent of this vessel kept it alive! It was a losing struggle, and after only a few moments her left arm was sheered through at the elbow, and a follow-up punch broke her ribs, sending her flying through the walls of multiple buildings. She spewed blood, coughing and spluttering. She tried to stand but her body was reaching its limits and refused to obey her. ¡°Narean. Your conflict with my god, and your arrogance, has doomed your vessel.¡± Bayle said, approaching where she lay sprawled. The demon raised his fist, talons shining in the sunlight, before bringing them down on her throat in a killing blow. Those sharp talons met her skin and- what was this! They didn¡¯t cut her! Her vision, which was fading to black, suddenly became clear, as warmth spread through her! Her ribs mended, and her left arm grew back. Her body radiated golden light, as spell-wards wrapped around her, supplementing her blue aura. Amelia... A tiny part of Serena¡¯s mind called out, but it was not enough. She could not wrestle back control from the Word she had Spoken. She was back up! She could continue fighting! She lept at Bayle, slashing away, who returned in kind, however his strikes now struggled to damage her! As she frantically attacked, she felt faster and stronger than ever before, her body enhanced by more than just defensive spells! ¡°Grr!¡± Bayle mumbled, as the initiative was slowly lost. ¡°It seems... the human survived. She must die first.¡± He threw a wild swing at her, destroying the buildings behind her, and forcing her to throw herself to the ground to dodge. The traitor took the opportunity, and lept away, his powerful legs taking him in a great arc in the sky. Then, a tremendous boom sounded out, and a flash of golden light blinded her momentarily, as a great lightning bolt struck out from the sky, blasting Bayle over the port walls and into the farmland and forest beyond. She raced after him, consumed with rage, leaping onto a building and then over the wall. She found him in battle against... something. A golden light darted around the forest, almost too fast for her to track! Bayle was launching attacks in every direction, trees exploding with every strike, and chunks of earth were ripped up and thrown about the battlefield, each one enough to kill a dozen soldiers. The golden light stopped for a moment, and she saw it was a person. Inside that blinding light, a pair of blue eyes found her own and as it did, she felt her very core tremble for reasons unknown. ¡°How puzzling,¡± said the Highlord, ¡°because I just spoke to her father, and he has not heard of this development, nor given it his blessing. Her father has become very interested in this development, and if he is interested then I am interested.¡± Another drag of the cigar. The room was starting to smell. The captain hated smoking. ¡°Furthermore... Korvus was a talented Speaker, close to the sixth-level. Some might say he was ahead of your captain in ability... so then, the question to be asked, is how was he subjugated? Do you know?¡± ¡°Ah...¡± ¡°Because, our aetherscopes detected holy attacks of a very powerful Speaker and yet, no Word was spoken that could bring them about. Which means, that human is capable of far more than she¡¯s letting on...¡± Another drag of the cigar, another intimidation of a dragon from the demon¡¯s nostrils. "She must know a word from a combat branch. The lightning attacks were too powerful. Your captain has brought an unknown dual-speaker, at least, into the center of one of the most important military operations of this war.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure she-¡± ¡°Damn it, officer! She might be hanged for this! Both of them!¡± Dagon gulped. Everything was so far out of his depth. Surely things would not escalate that far? ¡°Highlord...¡± he said, voice straining, ¡°But her father would not... permit that? His own daughter?¡± ¡°Could do. Would do. We¡¯re trying to win a war, not frolicking around with human Speakers!¡± The demon stubbed his cigar out on the desk, crushing it angrily. ¡°Not that I can hang them if I wanted to. I can¡¯t even get to them! I can¡¯t even talk to the damn human! Anathor!¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± came the gruff voice from the moose head. ¡°The medical wing is off-limits to you, Highlord. It is... beyond your authority.¡± ¡°You¡¯re lucky you don¡¯t have a material form, you bastard! What about the agreement?¡± ¡°You know with whom the agreement was made, do you not? The ship has claimed both of them as under its protection. You may not touch them. Not without her permission.¡± ¡°I have three battleships sitting outside and a dozen heavy cruisers. What do you think would happen if I turned their guns on this ship, Anathor!?¡± ¡°...¡± the moose was silent for a moment. ¡°Then... Highlord. I¡¯m afraid you would be down a fleet...¡± Dagon didn¡¯t know that the atmosphere could get any worse, but it somehow managed to. Thankfully his other officers had joined him in forming a nervous sweat. What comradeship! He would buy them all drinks in the afterlife! The Highlord did not respond, instead taking out another cigar, which was probably worth more than his month''s salary, and lit it. A painful minute of silence filled the quarters. ¡°Korvus will remain with us. When the captain wakes, inform her of such. I am disbanding your ground forces, we will take them and integrate them into our own. Where are the ones you captured?¡± ¡°Uh, in the cells, Highlord. Twenty-one, the others died during the... fighting.¡± ¡°Good. Hang them all. Sail to Kenhoro, find some new sailors mad enough to work on this ship, and then go to Shimashina. Fix the ship at the imperial shipyards there.¡± ¡°Y-yes, Highlord! That¡¯s... far, why not at a closer dock?¡± ¡°One, I don¡¯t care how great a healer that human is, nor her claimed opinion of demonkind. I want her as far away from the front line as possible.¡± The demon jabbed a finger at Dagon. ¡°And two, that¡¯s where your captain¡¯s father currently residing for the foreseeable future.¡± ¡°... ah.¡± ¡°He wants to spend time with his daughter.¡± The Highlord took a slow drag, and then once again crushed the expensive cigar into the desk. ¡°And the human.¡± Four thousand miles away, within the great Cascadian basin, lay the many cities of Centralis, which formed the economic and industrial core of the demon empire. Near the center of these lies the magnificent city of Celle, the capital. Within its districts of white and gold, at its highest point, sat the Cathedral of Bone, the empire''s center of power. Within its bone walls, inside a room built from the remains of a titanic creature long forgotten to most of the world, sat a woman. Adorned in white clothes trimmed with gold thread, with blond hair and blue eyes, and two very small horns, so small that along with her pale skin, she could almost be mistaken as a human, sat the woman, sipping tea from a small cup. She sat in perfect harmony with the world, for over the centuries it had long grown accustomed to her presence. The woman looked out the window at the empire beyond. Her empire. Then, without warning, she froze and the small cup fell from her hand, shattering upon the floor. The maid in the room looked at the cup, and then at her master. ¡°Divine one?¡± ¡°Theresa. Did you... hear something just now? Not in the aether, rather... in the mists?¡± ¡°No, divine one.¡± The maid was a triple-speaker, knowing the First Word of three distinct combat branches. ¡°Is something the matter?¡± The smallest of smiles appeared on the woman''s face. ¡°A monster... has appeared.¡± Chapter Eight: What鈥檚 Chicken? Chapter Eight: What¡¯s Chicken? Serena woke to the familiar ceiling of wood and steel. She was somewhere in the Vengeance. The room was dim, the aetherlights having been turned down to their lowest setting. Was it nighttime? There were no windows to check. She was lying on a bed, not her usual hammock. The medical wing. Why was she here? Was she injured in battle? She couldn¡¯t remember. Serena moved an arm and then cried out as the movement caused her skin to crack and bleed. Her cry of pain further caused her face to fracture. Through the blinding agony came a thought of understanding. Her soul had been damaged. She must have lost control of the Word. Why? When had she Spoken? Serena tried to call for Anathor, but as she did a golden hue filled the room, mending her skin and dulling the pain. It was only a temporary measure, as soon as the warmth faded she could feel it building back up again. A soul damaged by divine possession was not so easily healed. ¡°Sleep now, captain. If you could...¡± came Anathor¡¯s voice. And then a white fog clouded her eyes, as someone cast a sleep spell on her, sending her back to a deep slumber and the realm of dreams. Serena¡¯s opened her eyes, finding herself standing in the main stairwell of the Vengeance. It was dark, the aetherlights not turned on, the only light from a greasy oil lantern hanging from the wall. The sounds of the ship, creaking and groaning, reached her ears, and the sound of... water? Her mind was muddled. What was happening? Were they sailing through a storm? No... these were the sounds of... waves. Not possible. The Vengeance was not a watership, and this was definitely her ship, she recognized the structure of the stairwell that went through the ship¡¯s decks. But... where were the steel beams? Everything was wooden. Why did it look so... old? She tried to call for Anathor, but no sound came out. What deck was she on? A few hesitant steps later she found a door, and a familiar set of words was etched upon it. Fourth Deck. It was slightly open. No... Something in her mind warned her. The door to the fourth deck is forever closed. It is off-limits, even to the captain. The voice in her head felt unnatural. Were these even her thoughts? Who was speaking in her mind? What is in there must never be allowed out. She reached out and pulled the door close. Its handle was icy cold and the heavy thud of its closing reverberated in the space. Serena blinked and then looked down and saw she was holding the key. Never use the key. Who used the key? Who opened the door to the fourth deck? It must be locked. The mechanism clicked as the lock engaged. As she pulled the key out she heard a voice talk to her in an ancient tongue. She did not know the name of the language, but the meaning and intention behind the words and their speaker were clear. ¡°Bring me the girl,¡± said the ship. Amelia! Serena¡¯s mind yelled out, as she was pulled from the dream into the waking world, a familiar ceiling of wood and steel greeting her. She tried to remember the dream, but it was like trying to grasp fog itself. It slipped from her mind and she soon gave up. How long had she been sleeping? With a cautious movement of a single finger, and then another, and then an arm she confirmed that her soul had somehow been healed, repaired from the divine energies that had fractured it. The room was lit, the aetherlights shining bright, meaning it must be daytime. Serena turned her head. The other beds in the room were empty. She was alone, apart from... ¡°Mmm... fried chicken...¡± She looked down at a familiar set of messy blond hair. Amelia was lying next to her, curled into a half ball, sucking on her thumb like a babe. Her other hand was resting on Serena¡¯s left arm. What in the seven hells was fried chicken? Tsk! She forced herself to set up, pushing with her hands and feet so her back was elevated against the pillows, the movement causing Amelia to mumble something else. Thankfully, despite a subtle sense of exhaustion, she felt pretty good! She wasn¡¯t in pain, nor did she feel thirsty or hungry. Amelia had obviously played a part in healing her, that was without doubt. However... this idiot human! What was she doing, sleeping in the same bed as her!? She was nobility! And a woman! If word got out that she shared a bed with a human that... was almost cuddling her... ¡°Wake up, idiot,¡± she said. Finding no response she looked for something she could stab her with. Unfortunately, her cutlass was nowhere to be seen so she had to make do with a finger, which she jabbed a few times into the messy blond hair. ¡°Wake. Up. Idiot.¡± A pair of blue eyes slowly opened and then went wide like saucers. ¡°You¡¯re awake! Serena!¡± Exclaimed the astonished healer. Serena was about to chastise her for using her first name, but was stopped by a wave of gold and blue flowing into her, and as the warmth and light rippled through her body the last feeling of exhaustion left her. ¡°How are you feeling? Are you all... mended? Your soul?¡± ¡°I think... it¡¯s okay now. Thank you, Amelia.¡± ¡°Mmm! I was so worried! Every time I healed you, you would start cracking and bleeding again! Narean really took you for a ride, eh?¡± Narean... Serena cast her mind to the demon god she had communed with. Why had she Spoken? Why had she lost control? ¡°What happened? Why did I Speak?¡± ¡°Korvus attacked you! A mutiny! His men also tried to shoot me! Can you believe that!? So rude...¡± Ah, now she remembered - but, she had been the one to attack Korvus, not the other way around. An image flashed through her mind, of a blond figure lying unmoving on the floor of the square. ¡°You... were okay? I saw you get shot... you weren¡¯t moving.¡± ¡°Mmm! It was super confusing! I was bending over to heal someone, and then suddenly I just fell over! We found out they had used these huge...¡± Amelia sat up, spreading her arms wide, ¡°...hunting rifles, with these massive iron slugs! All against me! My wards held just fine but the forces flipped me all about! Took me quite a while to figure out what had happened, and then you Spoke and blasted the whole square! I had to heal everyone all over again before coming to help you!¡± ¡°I see... where is Korvus now?¡± ¡°Gone. The fleet arrived not long after, and took him as well as all the ground forces! I think... you¡¯re in a lot of trouble. Dagon wouldn¡¯t tell me much!¡± Serena racked her mind, trying to remember the fight. After Korvus had Spoken his Word - Bayle - she had lost control, and everything after that was a blur. She had been... losing. ¡°Did you... win against Korvus?¡± She asked Amelia. ¡°Hell yeah!¡± Amelia said, cheerfully punctuating her words with two thumbs up, ¡°Sorry... that¡¯s an expression from my world. You were getting your arse kicked! I think if you were protected by anything less than blue aura you would have died before I got to you!¡± ¡°Blue!¡± Serena exclaimed, ¡°I was using blue aura?¡± ¡°Yup!¡± ¡°Why?¡± She narrowed her eyes. She had suspected the same, especially after Amelia had admitted she had Spoken something to fight Korvus. ¡°The fleet¡¯s aetherscopes only picked up your Word, and then Korvus¡¯s. They didn¡¯t pick up anything Spoken from the girl.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not possible,¡± Serena said, shaking her head, ¡°Their aetherscopes must have missed her Speaking. She took care of Korvus! He was a fifth-level warrior, almost sixth! Even accounting for the general increase in abilities from communing with more than one god, she would have still needed to Speak to contend with him.¡± ¡°Right, that¡¯s what I said to Tomes after the meeting. This girl... she¡¯s already pushing the boundaries of what¡¯s possible. We don¡¯t know what¡¯s normal in the world she came from.¡± Dagon twiddled his thumbs, furrowing his brow. ¡°We got talking, me and Tomes, and we were thinking that... you know... what thinking about her abilities and all... that maybe it¡¯s not a matter of her being able to Speak the First Word of a branch or two, or even three. Maybe it¡¯s something bigger than that. Maybe she can Speak the Se-¡± ¡°Stop. Don¡¯t go down that path, Dagon.¡± She warned. ¡°And tell Tomes I said that. He tried to bring up the same subject before. Thankfully he had the sense not to pursue it, sense I hope you have too.¡± ¡°I... sorry, captain.¡± ¡°She likely has a way to limit or maybe even hide the aether release, the grandmaster at the academy could do it. Apparently, all of the Empress¡¯ Lord Guardians have the ability. We can dig into it later, but for now, assume she covertly Spoke a Word from a human combat branch. Do we have a record of known human Words?¡± ¡°Aye, Tomes has one somewhere.¡± ¡°Next time you see him, tell him to send it to my quarters. I¡¯ll ask Amelia about it. I don¡¯t think she would lie, she doesn¡¯t seem to like it, which is why it¡¯s so dangerous and important that you never go down that previous line of questioning with her.¡± ¡°... Yes, captain.¡± ¡°Now... back to something less concerning. Anything else from the Dragon?¡± ¡°We¡¯re to sail to Kenhoro, finish repairs there, get a new turret installed. Could be a chance to pick up some of those fancy new propellers Tomes was going on about.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Serena nodded. Tomes had mentioned he had come across some propellers that helped prevent cavitation. It would be a useful upgrade for when they went swimming in the lumina. ¡°And then, await orders?¡± ¡°Afraid not. Got to sail to Shimashina after.¡± ¡°Fuck.¡± ¡°Yeah. Your old man wants to see you.¡± Dagon sighed. ¡°And... the girl.¡± ¡°Seven hells!¡± Serena resisted the temptation to grab her horns. ¡°That...¡± She trailed off, pausing. It would be nice to see her family again. Some of them. ¡°We must be getting close to Kenhoro, if I¡¯ve been out six days.¡± ¡°Aye, captain. Two days out. We¡¯re well into Imperial airspace. Ship¡¯s on low alert. Getting some washing done. Thought it best to take it easy on the crew, after the hangings and all that. Moral is a little low, to be honest. Are you feeling able?¡± ¡°I¡¯m good now, thanks to Amelia,¡± she said. Serena swung her legs off the side of the bed and stood up. After that last bout of healing, she didn¡¯t feel weak at all. She looked down at her feet and... ¡°Where the hell is my uniform?¡± She was wearing a white shirt and trousers, very different from her usual black and gold captains outfit. ¡°Was burned and shredded during the fighting. There¡¯s a spare set around here somewhere...¡± Dagon dug around in some drawers before pulling out a familiar set of clothes. ¡°Here, captain.¡± ¡°Anathor! Gather the officers in the bridge.¡± ¡°Very well...¡± came the gruff reply. Serena turned and gave a pointed look at Dagon, who stared back at her. She sighed. Men. ¡°Dagon.¡± ¡°Yes, captain?¡± ¡°Get out.¡± She motioned to the uniform in his hands. ¡°Ah! Sorry, captain. I¡¯ll be outside!¡± He hurriedly placed the uniform on the bed before making himself scarce and closing the door. Idiot. She found a basin of water, wetted a towel, and began cleaning her body. There didn¡¯t seem to be too much sweat or dried blood, had Amelia and Hillbrand washed her, or did Amelia have some kind of cleaning spell? It would not surprise her, not anymore. ¡°Anathor,¡± she said, ¡°have you ever heard of chicken?¡± Serena wouldn¡¯t change in front of Dagon, but she had long accepted that Anathor could and would see everything at some point. He had assured her previously that he had no interest in those things, and it wasn¡¯t like she could leave the ship every time she wanted to wash herself. ¡°Hmm...¡± came the reply. ¡°A flightless bird. Extinct in this realm. From pre-Cascadian times, of the old human kingdoms that formed from the initial wave of colonialism more than two thousand years ago.¡± ¡°That long ago?¡± She asked, pausing her changing. Anathor was old, he had hinted at it a few times, but pre-Cascadian, before the demon empire was formed? Was it possible? ¡°How do you know?¡± She asked, ¡°Have you... seen them?¡± ¡°Hmm... I do not know. There is a memory, but I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s mine or if it¡¯s... never mind...¡± He trailed off for a moment. ¡°However, I believe the chocos popular in the Northern Terra Firma and Centralis are a descendant species.¡± ¡°Oh, chickens are an ancestor of chocos? That¡¯s interesting. I¡¯ll have her try one, see if she thinks it tastes similar.¡± Then, a thought arrived. ¡°Anathor, could Amelia be from the original world of humans? From which those caravans arrived?¡± ¡°Unlikely. That world was sealed from realm travel shortly after they arrived, by forces incomprehensibly more powerful than the gods you all Speak the names of.¡± Suddenly, something Anathor had said to her when she had first discovered Amelia in her quarters a week ago came to mind. ¡°Powerful enough... to fool your eyes, and the ships?¡± ¡°Hmm... the ship cannot be fooled.¡± The ship... the fourth deck... there was something about the fourth deck that she had forgotten. Tsk! It can¡¯t have been important. Serena finished changing. ¡°How do I look?¡± ¡°Hmm... happy.¡± ¡°Happy? I wasn¡¯t expecting that.¡± ¡°You often seem happy after talking with the human.¡± ¡°... keep those thoughts to yourself.¡± ¡°Yes, captain.¡± She exited the medical wing, meeting Dagon in the corridor. Together they headed to the bridge, and Dagon was giving her a run-down of the smaller things that had happened on the ship over the time she had been healing, however, most of it went through one ear and out the other. Her mind was preoccupied with what Anathor had said. Amelia made her... happy? Chapter Nine: Arcwhale Chapter Nine: Arcwhale ¡°Dismissed!¡± The officers on the bridge returned to their stations. There was a feeling of relief among the soldiers, seeing Serena fully functional and barking orders, as usual, did wonders for their morale. A crew with a captain who was unconscious for an unknown length of time was a tenuous situation, especially post-mutiny. The demons in the bridge chatted amicably amongst themselves, whilst the air and ground tacticians did what they usually did and debated hypothetical scenarios. Although their ground forces had been disbanded by the Dragon, the ground tactician was technically part of the navy and not the army and had thus remained. His acumen of human defensive strategies would be invaluable in planning future missions of all kinds. They were well into imperial space, and their aetherscopes were picking up frequent transport ships of both military and civilian origin. The atmosphere was casual, the pre-battle tensions long gone. Now with days of free time behind and in front of them, her sailors would be occupying themselves, whether relaxing in the mess hall, napping in their quarters, or - as she could see through the bridge windows - doing washing. Now the hole from the torpedo had been patched up, the deck was open for the sailors to get some fresh air and hang their clothes and uniforms to dry. Washing lines went from the gun barrels to the deck railing and from there to the long beams of the port and starboard sails, which were fully deployed. The propulsion engine was inactive, and the ship was sailing on just the trade winds that would take them to the imperial airdocks in Kenhoro. A dozen sails, six port side, and six starboard side caught the midsky winds and kept them at a modest fourteen knots, all without a gram of crystal fuel being burned. ¡°Thorne, Allston, with me,¡± she said, and her gunnery officer and chief engineer fell in behind her as she approached the repair job on the deck. As the sailors saw her emerge on deck a ripple of cheers erupted. ¡°Cap¡¯n!¡± ¡°Welcome back!¡± ¡°That human earned her keep, eh?¡± She accepted the comments with a raised hand, ¡°Thought about dying,¡± she exclaimed, ¡°But then I couldn¡¯t bear the thought of leaving your old horns under Dagon¡¯s command!¡± That earned a bit of laughter - morale wasn¡¯t at rock bottom then. Serena came to a stop at the former location of turret three. Steel plates had been welded by the fire mages, forming a relatively thin covering of half-inch thick metal. ¡°How long for a full repair, Allston?¡± She asked. ¡°Three weeks, maybe four at Kenhoro, where we have access to their steel and cranes,¡± grumbled the chief engineer. ¡°The main deck girders and heavy plates need replacing, but the wooden flooring and walls can be finished on the move. Decks one, two, and three need most of the work. Minor work on deck five. As for deck four... guess it¡¯s true what you told us, that it¡¯ll take more than a battleship shell to get in there.¡± ¡°In this case, more than that new torpedo they have.¡± Dagon had informed her that he had given the fleet a full report of what they encountered, unfortunately, the only documents they had regarding the new weapon were stored in the pocket of her uniform and didn¡¯t survive the battle with Korvus. ¡°We¡¯re damn lucky Anathor and the ship closed the bulkheads before the secondaries detonated. Saved the turrets from chain reacting. Could have lost the ship.¡± ¡°Damage to turrets one and two?¡± ¡°Nothing other but some light maintenance we finished a few days ago,¡± Allston said. ¡°Did some test firings while you were recovering, captain,¡± said Thorne, the weapons officer. ¡°All green. Need to come to a decision about what we¡¯re going to replace turret three with.¡± Serena nodded, the twin-barrel four-inch batteries had served them well but were nearly seven years old now. There had been numerous advances in ship warfare, as both demon and humankind had sought to find every edge they could over the other. ¡°Any recommendations?¡± ¡°Been talking with the tacticians about it. Given how light craft is getting more numerous these days, and especially considering they¡¯re now carrying torpedoes, we should consider a heavy flak battery instead of an artillery piece.¡± ¡°Any come to mind?¡± The standardization of weapon sizes and fittings had become more and more simple over the last decade, as the Imperial Navy had sought to modularize its equipment. The turret pods they had were compatible with a growing range of standardized cruiser-class weapons. ¡°We¡¯ll only be able to choose from what¡¯s stored in the armory in Kenhoro, unless we can delay long enough to order something from Tanhae, or eastern Centralis. Ideally, they¡¯ll have a six-barrelled two-inch system, if not we¡¯ll definitely be able to find a quad-barrelled piece. Heard the latest flak can output three shells per second, per barrel.¡± That would be twelve heavy flak shells a second for a quad-barrel, or eighteen per second from a six-barrel system. A two-inch flak shell had an effective fragmentation range of ten to twenty meters, depending on the characteristics of the shell itself. If they could fire eighteen a second, they would barely need to aim to paint the sky in metal. ¡°Alternatively,¡± mused Thorne, ¡°Torpedos are pretty accurate these days. Could see if we could put a launcher in, if they have any... Rumour is the brains in the Centralis workshops are close to figuring out how to get the torpedoes to track the aetheric combustion signature of the enemy ship automatically.¡± Now that would be a game-changer. Didn¡¯t her sister mention she was working on something torpedo-related? Serena made a mental note to ask her the next time they were face-to-face. ¡°We¡¯ll see. I¡¯ll find time tomorrow to go over the strategies with you and the tacticians. Since we don¡¯t have ground forces anymore I don¡¯t think they intend to use us as a hammer in the future. Suspect we might be getting something different.¡± If I¡¯m not dishonorably discharged. She thought. ¡°At ease, officers.¡± She said, leaving after they saluted her. She made her way to the captain''s quarters, greeting numerous demons along the way who were all pleased to see her up and about. Arriving at the door to her office, she hesitated for a moment before going in. It was just as she remembered it, although thoroughly empty of one Amelia Thornheart. ¡°In here!¡± came the now familiar cheerful voice. She found Amelia in the only other room connected to her office, her personal bedroom. The human was lying on a hammock she had set up, waving at her with a smile on her face. ¡°Did you... need to set up your hammock right next to mine?¡± She asked, casting a suspicious eye towards the grinning woman. ¡°I had no choice! Can¡¯t tie it to that beam, as I¡¯ll bump against the furniture, and can¡¯t use that one as it would block the door to the washroom!¡± The explanation seemed plausible, so Serena let the matter drop. She lay down in her own hammock, and they both rocked gently in silence for a minute. ¡°Thank you again, for what you did,¡± she said softly, ¡°You saved my life¡±. ¡°Mmm...¡± mumbled Amelia, but was no more forthcoming than that. ¡°Although, if asked about it, don¡¯t mention you slept in the same bed as me for three days.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a noble, and rumors about me affect the standing of my family, my father, and my sisters. It would cause problems if such things became common knowledge. The fact you¡¯re a human just complicates things further. The gossip would be unbearable.¡± ¡°Even if it was because I needed to be close, to keep healing you?¡± Was that really why? That was what she wanted to ask, but stopped herself. Doubts quickly formed in her mind - why did she want to ask that question? Was she hoping for a different answer? Why was it so relaxing for her mind to lay here... talking to Amelia? ¡°Yes... my family has enemies that would love the opportunity to harm us in any way.¡± ¡°Wow, what a bunch of losers. Hey,¡± Amelia said, and the rustle of cloth let Serena know she had turned to face her. Should she keep looking up at the ceiling, or turn to face her? Why was she debating this!? Why was it suddenly so awkward!? ¡°... so you must be super important, right?¡± ¡°... Yeah,¡± Serena answered to the ceiling. She was the daughter of her father, a talented speaker and captain of the infamous Vengeance. It wasn¡¯t her ego talking to say she was important in some circles. ¡°And your family? Are they all... like you?¡± ¡°Like me?¡± ¡°You know, hot-headed, sword-waving, order-giving grumpy demons?¡± ¡°Pfft!¡± She couldn¡¯t stop herself snorting at that, and then flushing with embarrassment as she made such an impolite sound. Strangely, she felt no urge to chastise Amelia. Why was she this comfortable around her? It was like... she was... ¡°Do it then.¡± The fighters had begun their dive, the steel hunters streaming down like arrows toward the Sardis. Amelia raised an arm, palm facing toward the fish, and closed her eyes. There was no burst of light, but Serena sensed a stream of aether erupting from the open palm and snaking out into the skies, beyond her perception. She frantically looked through the spyglass, taking painful seconds to find the Sardis again, and when she did her mouth opened in shock. They had somehow become opaque! Instead of being transparent, they were painted in hues of blue and green! ¡°Here they come!¡± A voice rang out and the fighters, like birds of prey hunting in the night, flew in and through the groups of Sardis, before pulling up and closing their nets using their jury-rigged pulley system of ropes and weights. A tremendous noise of triumph and celebration erupted on deck, as it became obvious even from this distance that they had caught far more than a few. It was excellent flying from her pilots, she would be sure to give them a bonus for that and... she glanced to her side, at the blond woman, who slowly opened her eyes and returned the look, with a smug grin on her face. ¡°I did good, didn¡¯t I?¡± She asked, a mischievous twinkle in her blue eyes. ¡°You did good,¡± Serena said, and before a part of her mind could stop her, she reached out and ruffled the blond hair. It was like running her hands through fluffy silk. ¡°Well done.¡± Before the moment became awkward she turned back to the Sardis, seeing the remainder had scattered into the clouds. The fighters began their turn back to the ship, their pilots throwing out fists of celebration. ¡°We¡¯re going to be eating good tonight!¡± She called out, the demons around her hollering. An idea sprung to mind. ¡°You,¡± she said to Amelia, loud enough for those around the pair to hear. ¡°What spell did you cast, to keep the Sardis from escaping?¡± Amelia paused momentarily, looking confused before widening her eyes slightly, as she then understood what Serena was doing. ¡°Just a minor sleep spell! Just enough to make them drowsy! I didn¡¯t want them falling out of the sky!¡± The many demons around them still chatted amongst themselves but were clearly eavesdropping on the conversation. ¡°Excellent job. There are dozens of sailors on this ship who have never tasted Sardis before - and now will - thanks to you.¡± She noticed a number of demons nodding to themselves in her peripheral vision. Best not to let the opportunity go to waste. ¡°We have any of the cooks here!?¡± She called out. ¡°Aye, captain!¡± One of the demons answered, wearing a white cap. ¡°Any of you know how to prepare Sardis?¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t done it before, but can¡¯t be much different from Arkis.¡± ¡°Reckon you can take this one with you?¡± She reached a hand behind Amelia, pushing her forward. ¡°Me!?¡± Exclaimed the human. ¡°You are my maid, and you did say you wanted to learn how to cook, didn¡¯t you? That alright with you, and your boys?¡± She asked the latter question to the cook, who rubbed his chin. ¡°Aye, that¡¯ll be alright with us. Come on then, Miss Thornheart.¡± ¡°... Okay!¡± Amelia bounced up. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to prepare your dish, Lady Halen!¡± ¡°Captain.¡± Intoned the cook, and led Amelia down the deck, as the fighters made the last maneuvers before docking back up with the ship. ¡°Wait...¡± a voice sounded out. Amelia had stopped, her attention to the skies off starboard. Slowly, she raised a finger, pointing at something. ¡°There¡¯s something there. In that cloud.¡± Serena followed the finger to see it pointing to a huge wall of the cumulonimbus cloud wall, reaching from upper-sky all the way down to low-sky. She walked up alongside Amelia, eyes trying to spot something within the mountain of white. She strained her senses, but a warrior''s sensitivity was always less than a mage''s. ¡°What is it? What can you sense?¡± ¡°It¡¯s like... a heartbeat. It¡¯s big... I think it¡¯s coming closer!¡± Serena was just about to give the command for battle stations, when another voice beat her to it. It was Dagon, shouting from one of the bridge doors. ¡°Captain! Arcwhale! Starboard!¡± With that, a deep bellow sounded in the sky. A noise somewhere between the echoing roar of distant thunder and the drone of a wind-blown organ. It was a majestic and ethereal sound that resonated through the clouds. A dark shadow appeared on the surface of the cloud wall, and then the archwhale breached through with another mournful cry. It was enormous. Larger than a battleship. It was nearly three hundred meters long, and a hulking body, painted with stripes of purple and blue, took up most of its mass while two tails - extruding from the rear - took up the other two-thirds of its length. It was flying in parallel with the Vengeance, one of its huge fins still embedded in the cloud wall, splitting it like a knife through paper. ¡°Don¡¯t point any weapons at it!¡± She shouted down to Dagon. ¡°It¡¯s just curious! Prepare to dive if we need to!¡± The arcwhale was pulling up alongside the ship, its enormous eye staring at them. ¡°Don¡¯t cast any magic.¡± She said to Amelia. ¡°It might think it¡¯s an attack.¡± ¡°That¡¯s... a big fish.¡± Said Amelia, slowly raising a hand and waving at the enormous creature. ¡°Hello,¡± she whispered. ¡°Nice to meet you...¡± ¡°It¡¯s Rhaknam!¡± A panicked voice cried out. ¡°No!¡± Shouted Serena. ¡°Rhaknam lives in the Shattered Isles! Rhaknam is darker!¡± And much bigger. She thought to herself. ¡°It¡¯s just curious about the ship!¡± She yelled, reassuring herself as much as the crew. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything stupid! Don¡¯t run! Let it satisfy its curiosity! It might have thought our lift engine was one of its brethren!¡± She placed a hand on Amelia¡¯s shoulder, who was still staring wide-eyed at the arcwhale, which seemed - if she wasn¡¯t mistaken - to be looking right back at her. ¡°You okay?¡± she asked. ¡°Who... who¡¯s Rhaknam?¡± Amelia questioned, not taking her eyes away from the titanic animal. ¡°Rhaknam is their god, the god of arcwhales. They follow him and Speak his name when attacked. Of course, if you try and hunt one and succeed, Rhaknam himself would come up from the Shattered Isles and... cause problems.¡± She gritted her teeth. She had heard stories. Tales from centuries ago. Nations wiped from the map. ¡°Wait, they can Speak!?¡± Amelia exclaimed. ¡°Yes, at least, big ones like this one here can. Rhaknam being their First Word.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know there were animal gods! I only thought there were demon and human ones!¡± ¡°Rhaknam isn¡¯t the only animal god in the sky. There are others - some are known - others are just myths. I¡¯ll go over this with you, or have Tomes do it. There¡¯s a lot you don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°How does it stay up!?¡± ¡°Remember the heartbeat you felt? It has organs that do something similar to our lift engine, only it does it with flesh rather than steel.¡± ¡°That¡¯s incredible! Hello, Mr Arcwhale!¡± She waved again. ¡°Stop waving. It¡¯ll go away soon.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t attack us, will it?¡± ¡°No, not unless we attack it first. A deal was struck - a long time ago - between Rhaknam and the Empress. We share the skies, ignoring each other as best we can but...¡± she gestured at the gigantic animal, ¡°Sometimes one of them gets curious, or mistakes a ship for another of its kind¡±. Another bellow sounded out from the arcwhale, a melody that lingered long in the ears of everyone who heard it. Then, rolling slowly like a great ship, it moved away from the Vengeance until it was swallowed back up in the clouds. They watched the shadow of its presence fade until only the white wall of cloud remained. ¡°Maybe it was after the same Sardis as we were, and got annoyed?¡± Amelia questioned. ¡°Maybe. Let¡¯s go. You, head to the kitchens. I have a report I need to write. Every sighting needs to be added to the records, and besides...¡± she eyed Amelia, ¡°Who knows what else is going to appear if you stay outside.¡± Chapter Ten: The Second and Third Words Chapter Ten: The Second and Third Words ¡°One at a time, you bloody demons! You¡¯re like a pack of damn wolfhounds! One at a time!¡± The rabble slightly calmed down at the head cook¡¯s bellowing, but it took only moments for it to fall back into a frenzy again, encouraged by the exclamations of the demons who managed to get their meal. ¡°Seven hells! How can something taste so good!?¡± ¡°I must have died! I definitely died!¡± ¡°I feel like a right proper noble eating this, ha!¡± ¡°Me next! Me! I was first!¡± The sardis was being filleted and cooked as quickly as possible. The sound of its sizzling flesh as it was placed on the hot plate was tantalizing. A rich mouth-watering aroma filled the air and contributed to the chaos of impatient hungry demons. ¡°Miss Thornheart! Gut these two!¡± ¡°Yes, head cook!¡± Amelia hurried to the part of the kitchen that had been designated as the gutting station. She used a sharp knife to make an incision from the sardis¡¯s tail to its gills, being careful not to cut too deep and penetrate the internal organs. They had been impressed by her knife control and quick learning, something that was certainly aided greatly by her high dexterity stat from the game. With the sardis¡¯s belly open, she gritted her teeth and reached into the abdominal cavity, pulling out the innards. She couldn¡¯t deny it made her squeamish, but the knowledge and sounds of a hundred ravenous demons behind her put those thoughts to rest. With the internal organs removed, she ran a thumb - like she had been shown - along the spine of the fish, removing any dark kidney tissue that would ruin the flavor. They had gone through a sardis and a half before they figured that out. Finally, she rinsed the insides of the fish and once that was done, repeated her actions with the remaining sardis. The results were passed to the next cook in line, who was delicately cutting through the connective tissue around the gills to detach the head. ¡°Done, head cook!¡± ¡°Get over there! I need more cooked! Don¡¯t let the rest burn!¡± ¡°Y-yes!¡± ¡°Yes what!?¡± ¡°Yes, head cook!¡± She ran to the hot plate where fillets of Sardis were cooking. Amelia breathed through her mouth, not daring to breathe through her nose lest she start drooling all over the food! She grabbed a pair of metal tongs and began turning the fillets that needed it and removed the others that had just reached a subtle golden colour. Amelia wasn¡¯t sure if the flesh of fish was supposed to become golden when cooked, but sardis did. She replaced the empty spaces on the hot plate with new fillets that made a satisfying sizzling sound as they contacted the metal. The cooked fillets were carried over to the opening where the head cook was defending against the horde. ¡°Head cook! We¡¯re falling behind over here!¡± One of the cooks shouted. ¡°Miss Thornheart!¡± The head cook peered down at her, raising two fingers. ¡°Two pieces per demon! Two pieces per plate! No favoritism!¡± He dragged her to his spot in front of the crowd. ¡°Go easy on her or she won¡¯t heal any of you animals in the future!¡± Amelia gulped and the head cook vanished deeper into the kitchen, leaving her at the mercy of the frantic mob! ¡°O-one at a time! Hey! Hands off!¡± She swatted the hand of a demon reaching over the counter. ¡°Hurry up!¡± ¡°We¡¯re hungry over here, miss!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pay you if you give me an extra piece!¡± Amelia found her stride and began serving the demons. She wasn¡¯t sure but thought that perhaps they were slightly less aggressive with her than with the head cook. That didn¡¯t stop the mess hall from being a madhouse though. Two pieces per demon. Two pieces per plate. She absorbed herself in the task. ¡°Don¡¯t stand around eating you idiots! Get your grub and get out of here!¡± Tome¡¯s voice could be heard from somewhere. The mess hall was a long, thin part of the ship and could only hold so many sailors at once. They were being funneled out the moment they got their food, to the outside corridors, first deck, or their quarters where they could enjoy the sardis. ¡°Two pieces per demon! Two pieces per plate!¡± She repeated to herself, a mantra to keep order in the chaos. After a while, she realized the noise had died down, and coming out of her work trance she couldn¡¯t help breaking out into a nervous smile. ¡°Working hard?¡± Serena intoned, a space forming around her that she naturally commanded. ¡°Y-yeah!¡± Amelia looked at the demon, noting the small smile that had appeared on Serena¡¯s face. Honestly! Even though it was nice that she wasn¡¯t snarling at her anymore - with that look in her eye that said I really want to stab you right now -she kind of missed it... Maybe she should annoy her in the future, see what happened when she pushed the captain¡¯s buttons. ¡°I¡¯m waiting...¡± ¡°Ah! Sorry!¡± Amelia hurried and placed two pieces of golden fish on a plate. ¡°Two pieces!¡± She said, beaming at Serena. ¡°Per plate! No favoritism!¡± She handed the food to the captain, who cast a wary eye at it, then at her, and then at the pile of cooked sadis. Then, reaching out an arm, slowly and steadily, like a snake after its prey, the captain took another piece! ¡°Three!?¡± ¡°Officers get another share,¡± Serena said, standing straight and dignified before reaching out and... ¡°Four!?¡± ¡°Hmm? Oh, didn¡¯t you know? Captain gets one more,¡± she gave an exaggerated sigh, ¡°Especially as she¡¯s been under so much stress recently¡±. With a definite smug grin on her face, rivaling that of Amelia¡¯s own... ¡°Five!?¡± She shouldn¡¯t chastise her captain, but she couldn¡¯t help puffing out her cheeks in frustration! ¡°Why five!? That¡¯s unfair!¡± ¡°Well, an extra one for every Word you can Speak,¡± Serena leaned in, eyes glinted mischievously, ¡°And how many will you be taking, I wonder?¡±. She... she was playing with her! It wasn¡¯t a serious attempt at extracting information from her, she was sure of that! Amelia bit her lips, trying to think of a good comeback but finding nothing came to mind. Blast it! She knew it would come to her when she would drift off to sleep tonight, too late! ¡°Cooks!¡± Serena called out, her voice taking on that commanding captain¡¯s edge. The demons in the kitchen stopped what they were doing immediately. ¡°An extra piece for you all, for your work! I last had sardis when I graduated and that was cooked by Hakian chefs from the desert! I¡¯m telling you I think you may have outdone them!¡± The cooks raised their fists, hollering. ¡°Aye, captain!¡± ¡°Give another share to the pilots, any remaining pieces we¡¯ll cut in half and serve for tomorrow''s breakfast. If there¡¯s not enough, we¡¯ll do it by roulette.¡± Commands given, Serena looked at Amelia. ¡°As for you. Once you¡¯re finished with your work here, come to my quarters.¡± ¡°Yes, captain! I mean Lady Halen!¡± With that, Serena turned and - extruding control and dignity - left the mess hall. All was quiet for a few seconds before the chaos picked up once again as the last few dozen demons scrambled to be first in line. Amelia worked hard, and before she knew it she had been lost in her task and there was no one else left to serve. Looking around, the last of the sardis had been prepared and stored for tomorrow. ¡°Phew!¡± She said to herself, taking a plate and putting one, two, and then a third piece of sardis on it. It was common knowledge now she was a Speaker so she didn¡¯t feel concerned about that third piece. Besides, if she truly followed Serena¡¯s instructions, she wasn¡¯t sure if there were enough fillets, or space on her plate! Her mouth had started watering again in anticipation! ¡°Thank you! It was fun learning how to prepare fish! I¡¯m happy to help in the future!¡± She gave a polite bow to the group of cooks. ¡°... maybe.¡± She said, suddenly feeling the urge to look away. Could she Speak Asclepius? If she went by the game, she should be able to, but Amelia never had the opportunity while in battle with Korvus and Narean, where she had favored more familiar and powerful Words to subdue both him and the rampaging minor god. ¡°What about the third row? There¡¯s only one entry, under Asclepius.¡± ¡°That... is the only known human Third Word, known only by the pope, who has sat on his golden throne in the Vatican for centuries. It is Ascemurella, the highest god the humans have managed to commune with.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Amelia said, ¡°And... are you expecting me to tell you any additional Words I know, if any?¡± ¡°No. I just want to put it in context for this discussion about how rare Speakers are, and how closely their secrets are kept. Second Word Speakers are strategic weapons, closely guarded and controlled by both sides in past, current, and future conflicts.¡± Serena sprayed out a large sheet of paper, on this one was a map. ¡°This is Cascadia, both the name of the floating continent and the namesake of the empire of demonkind, the Cascadian Empire. It is split into five major administrative regions. In the center is Centralis, which is the economic hub of the empire. Several dozen cities in the Centalis basin contain the majority of the empire''s population,¡± Serena gestured at the map, ¡°And to the north, east, south, and west we have the four Terra Firmas which are each ruled by an Overlord, each of them being a powerful Second Speaker, as well as a triple or quad First Word Speaker.¡± ¡°And Centralis? Doesn¡¯t the most important area have an Overlord?¡± ¡°No, because Centralis is headed by the Empress of Demonkind, the divine Elana. She is immortal - a shard of infinity - and has lived for nearly a thousand years. Like the human pope, she is a Speaker of the Third Word. Demons consider her to be a god in demon form, and as you learn more about her you will come to understand why.¡± ¡°What¡¯s her Third Word?¡± ¡°It is unknown. We only know that it is the Third Word of the branch of demonic hellfire.¡± ¡°I see!¡± Amelia felt herself getting excited. Demon Words were her speciality! ¡°Although, there are records and evidence of it being Spoken in the last millennium. The Shattered Isles here,¡± Serena pointed to an area of empty space, south of Centralis and a little bit east of the Southern Terra Firma, ¡°This used to be a peninsula, but was destroyed when the Empress Spoke her Third Word. It is now a stormy, broken area, consisting of thousands and thousands of islands. It is where the arcwhales call home, and the territory of Rhaknam, the arcwhale god.¡± Amelia felt herself gulp. In the game Speaking the Third Word was just an extra powerful area-of-effect attack! It wasn¡¯t something that could rip apart the land! ¡°Why did she Speak?¡± Asked Amelia. Serena shook her head, ¡°Get a history lesson from Anathor or Tomes another time. I want to give you a grounding in the structure of the empire and your place in it.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°Now each of the four Terra Firmas has an Overlord, and each of those has three or four Greatlords under them. Greatlords are typically also Second Speakers or triple-speakers of the First Word. Each Greatlord rules a region that is comparable in size to a human kingdom of twenty or so million people. Look, you can see on the map how the Terra Firmas are split into these regions.¡± ¡°And, where are we now?¡± ¡°We¡¯re here, sailing south towards Kenhoro in the Eastern Terra Firma. Now, each Greatlord essentially has their own nation, which they govern in accordance with their Overlord''s will, who in turn are given a large amount of freedom by the Empress to do with their territories as they wish. Under each Greatlord are a dozen or more Highlords, who are either promising Speakers or very talented administrators. Highlords govern entire cities or important economic centers like ports.¡± ¡°Highlord... like the Dragon?¡± ¡°Yes, and like many Highlords the Dragon occupies other positions in the structure of his Overlord¡¯s administration. The powers given to him from these positions are why he¡¯s so... intimidating. Now, we¡¯re almost done. Below each Highlord is half a dozen Lords, who may or may not be a Speaker, and hold important estates and land within the domain of the Highlord.¡± Serena took a breath, ¡°Finally, below them are the Lord-prospects. Any demon Speaker automatically becomes a lord-prospect and gains the privileges that come with it, such as hiring a personal retinue. This is also why you refer to me as Lady Halen. Should my service be satisfactory to the Greatlord above me, they may bestow upon me full Cascadian Lordship.¡± Amelia took that information in, letting it simmer. She had a thousand questions but could tell Serena wasn¡¯t in the mood for a long lecture. ¡°Right, so where do I stand in all of this?¡± ¡°Speakers are rare. Even Speakers of the First Word. The military academy that trained me in the sword only sees one or two Speakers graduate a year, the rest reaching mostly second-level aura, and that¡¯s pretty damn good. Most captains of cruisers like the Vengeance are not Speakers. In fact, along with the ship itself being infamous, the fact both me and Korvus were on it made its name and its exploits reach far wider than they normally would. ¡°You are a powerful Speaker, a suspected duel-speaker, or more. You rival the Highlords in power and dare I say it - with how easily you seemed to defeat Korvus and save me - you may even approach the level of some of the weaker Greatlords,¡± Serena said, jabbing a finger in her direction. ¡°This makes you of tremendous interest to people far above my station, and the station of my father, who is an important Highlord in his own right. Assassination attempts are not out of the question, by either rival demon nobility or from the human nations.¡± ¡°Huh!? The humans might try and kill me!? Why!?¡± ¡°Once it gets out that you are not, in fact, a captive, and are willingly aiding demonkind, they will try something. You are a Speaker of Aseco and that means you share that branch with the pope himself. They will likely see it is an act of heresy that needs to be stamped out.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°I suspect for this reason the Dragon is sending us south, to keep you away from the war and knowledge of you from spreading faster than it already is,¡± a small sigh escaped Serena¡¯s lips. ¡°Of course, alongside potential assassinations and kidnappings, even more demons will try and lure you to their side, bribe you, employ you, you name it. Demonkind has no gods of healing, and thus you are a very, very rare commodity. It¡¯s not unlikely a request will come from the Greatlord himself or... even higher.¡± She didn¡¯t like the sound of that! ¡°Nu, uh!¡± Amelia shook her head vigorously. ¡°I¡¯m staying right here! With you!¡± She was happy to see Serena smile at that - and if she wasn¡¯t mistaken - she could see the very faintest redness spreading on her cheeks! ¡°How... loyal.¡± Serena leaned back on the leather chair, clasping her hands together. ¡°You must be observant in the future. People will approach you directly and indirectly, pretending to be unaware of who you are, meanwhile hidden behind them are the intentions of their masters, or a poisoned knife. I suggest you, if possible, keep ward-spells active at all times, much like how I keep a layer of aura running even when I sleep.¡± ¡°Understood!¡± ¡°When we travel to Shimashina, and meet my father, there may be complications. Technically as my maid you... belong to me in a sense, and are not directly touchable by the Cascadian Lords, even those high in the ranks. That does not mean some of them cannot apply an enormous amount of pressure and incentives to my father, who may or may not pressure me in turn. It depends...¡± ¡°Depends on what?¡± ¡°How much my father likes you.¡± ¡°Heh,¡± Amelia flashed two thumbs up. ¡°I¡¯ll be on my best behavior!¡± ¡°Ha! Pfft!¡± Serena laughed, covering her mouth. ¡°Your best behavior would cause chaos in any noble estate in Cascadia! During the month in Kenhoro, Tomes and I will be thoroughly teaching you some proper manners so you can at least pretend to be a normal dignified Speaker like you should be!¡± Amelia opened her mouth to protest and then closed it. Serena was probably right. Besides, how difficult could it be? It would be like cosplay, right? To pretend to be some stuck-up rich girl, prancing about with servants and dresses? ¡°Sounds fun! I can- oh no!¡± Amelia slapped her forehead with her hands. It was a disaster! She had been so mentally drained from the kitchens she had forgotten! ¡°I forgot to bring my share of food! The sardis!¡± ¡°Took you a while. Anathor told me as much. Here.¡± Serena reached into a side drawer and pulled out a plate. On that plate was two - no - two and a half fillets of fish! ¡°For.. for me?¡± She felt her mouth start watering, as she looked at Serena with wide eyes, trying to put as much pleading as possible in her expression. ¡°Seven hells, you¡¯re like a starved pup. Stop looking at me like that. Yes, you can have it. It¡¯s cooled down but still tastes as good. I¡¯ll get the rest of my share tomorrow.¡± ¡°You¡¯re... you¡¯re the best captain in the world!¡± Amelia bounced up, taking the knife and fork on the plate she cut a piece of fish, which was so tender it was just falling apart. Serena watched her, amused. ¡°Eat up, after which we¡¯ll go on deck and I¡¯ll introduce you to the sword.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to teach me!?¡± ¡°Yes, idiot. It¡¯s part of your contract, remember? It¡¯ll be good entertainment for the crew and who knows you might have some talent.¡± ¡°Thank you! I can¡¯t wait!¡± She placed the sardis in her mouth and chewed, and as the rich flavor filled her senses, she couldn¡¯t stop herself from letting out a moan that in anyone''s world probably belonged more in the bedroom than at the table! The unelegant noise was worth it, as Serena¡¯s eyes darted to look at something else while the redness reappeared on those well-defined cheeks! She devoured the rest of the food and after spending a minute enjoying the heavenly taste that lingered in her mouth, she shook her head and began tying her hair back. ¡°I¡¯m ready!¡± Amelia exclaimed. It was time for her first-ever swordsmanship lesson. Chapter Eleven: Sensei Chapter Eleven: Sensei Amelia gripped the wooden sword with both hands and stared down her opponent. Serena was turned slightly to the side, her own wooden sword pointed to the floor as she extruded confidence. The wind gently rustled her black hair, contrasting against the evening sky. ¡°First lesson,¡± she said as she slowly approached Amelia, who gripped the wooden sword even tighter as the threat loomed. ¡°Don¡¯t grip the sword too tightly; you don¡¯t want to tire your hands.¡± Amelia relaxed her hands a little and the moment she did a flick of Serena¡¯s wrist wrenched the sword from her grasp and flung it to the ground. ¡°Not that loose,¡± Serena said, a smile forming on her lips. Amelia grabbed the weapon and once again faced the captain as a titter of chuckles sounded from the others. They were on the first deck, and a circle of demons had formed, providing an impromptu arena. After asking Serena why so many of the crew were watching, the captain shrugged and said, ¡®Evening entertainment¡¯! ¡°Second, let¡¯s fix the stance,¡± Serena motioned with her sword. ¡°Feet. Keep them slightly more than shoulder-width apart for better balance.¡± After adjusting her stance, the sword was pointed at her knees. ¡°Don¡¯t lock your knees; stay flexible and ready to move. Bend them slightly to lower your center of gravity.¡± ¡°Like this?¡± Amelia adjusted her stance as best she could from the instructions. ¡°Yes. Your stance is the most important thing. Everything else will be built from it. This one is called Hachiji-dachi and is the natural stance. Now, tense your body and feel how little force is needed to tip you over.¡± Amelia clenched her core and Serena placed a hand on her collar, slowly applying pressure. Doing her best to ignore how her heartbeat skyrocketed, she focused on how her body quickly began tipping backwards. Unconsciously, she moved her back foot to stabilise herself. ¡°Not a lot, right? Hachiji-dachi is your gun and sword, it-¡± Serena stopped at the questioning look Amelia cast her way. ¡°... What?¡± ¡°Gun and sword? Is that an expression?¡± ¡°... Yeah. It means your foundation. Something you become so proficient in you can always fall back to it.¡± ¡°We have an expression like that! We call it your ¡®bread and butter¡¯! Wait! Do you even have butter here!?¡± As she thought about it, suddenly a lot of food from her home might not exist here! What about cheese!? Oh no. She wasn¡¯t sure she could survive without cheese! ¡°Yes, we have butter. Focus on the lesson, idiot.¡± ¡°Sorry!¡± Amelia gave her a small smile. ¡°Sorry, what?¡± ¡°Sorry, Lady Halen!¡± ¡°Idiot. Call me sensei when I¡¯m training you!¡± ¡°Yes, sensei!¡± She squeaked. The crew forming a circle chuckled at that, and a few jeers were thrown in. ¡°Don¡¯t be too harsh on her, Cap¡¯n!¡± ¡°It¡¯s like I¡¯m back at the academy!¡± ¡°Little mouse looks out of her depth!¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to find out why the humans call her the hellfire captain!¡± Amelia felt her mouth quiver as a flash of anxiety rippled through her. Maybe asking the captain to train her wasn¡¯t a good idea. Serena did have that look in her eye, after all. ¡°Fifty push-ups, go on.¡± ¡°Y-yes, sensei!¡± Amelia got down, but before she could even begin... ¡°Idiot, why have you let go of your sword? Never let go of your weapon. The weapon is the warrior, and the warrior is the weapon. You are one! Grip your sword and do it on your knuckles!¡± Serena was enjoying this, wasn¡¯t she? Amelia gripped her sword in her right hand and began doing push ups. She was far tougher than a normal human, so the pressure on her knuckles didn¡¯t bother her at all. Soon, she was lost in the rhythmic motion of the exercise. How much time had passed? She had lost count! Just as she started to feel her muscles slightly protest, a voice called out to her. ¡°Stop! Up!¡± Amelia scrambled up. ¡°I said fifty, and you did a hundred. What am I to do with a student who cannot follow instructions, I wonder?¡± Serena tilted her head, placing two fingers on her cheek with an expression of mock distress. She was definitely enjoying this. ¡°Still, your physical endurance is exceptional, which is expected of someone who has communed the First Word. You have your wards active, yes?¡± ¡°Yes, sensei!¡± ¡°It depends on the talent of the mage, but ward-spells are roughly equivalent to a warrior''s aura in defensive ability.¡± Serena took out her firearm, pointed it at Amelia''s chest and pulled the trigger. The gunshot was like a crack of thunder. Amelia flinched, felt an impact, and smelled gunpowder. She... she had shot her! ¡°You shot me!¡± She exclaimed. ¡°Yes, it was rather an enjoyable experience.¡± Serena spun the firearm on her finger before bringing the barrel to a stop under her lips and blowing on the smoke. Amelia had to admit, it looked pretty cool! ¡°I¡¯ll make a habit of it if you don¡¯t follow my instructions.¡± ¡°From the attempt on your life, you¡¯re already aware of how difficult it is to hurt you with conventional weapons. However, the noise of gunfire will still induce panic and shock to the inexperienced, so we¡¯ll work on fixing that with you.¡± ¡°Because of the human?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The side door opened, and Amelia stepped out. ¡°What¡¯s happening because of me?¡± ¡°Kenhoro authorities sticking their-¡± she looked in Amelia¡¯s direction, reflexively taking a breath. ¡°What are you wearing?¡± Amelia had removed her uniform and was left in only her undergarments, the loose-fitting top and shorts that left her midriff and legs bare. To make matters worse, she had been cleaning herself up and had gotten enough water on her top that it had started to... cling to her chest. ¡°What? I was sweaty from the training, and if you remember, I have no other clothes!¡± Amelia put her hands on her hips, and Serena found it difficult to keep her eyes from wandering. Amelia was well-proportioned but lacked the muscle definition a trained warrior would have. She looked... soft. Tsk! As if I would find a human... attractive! Serena chastised herself mentally. ¡°First etiquette lesson. Displaying yourself like that-¡± ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°Like that!¡± Serena waved a hand, gesturing in Amelia¡¯s direction. ¡°In the presence of not just a captain - but also a noble - is improper, and if anyone finds out, that would only lead to rumours, especially for me!¡± Amelia tilted her head in confusion. ¡°Why, especially for you?¡± ¡°I...¡± She bit her tongue. That was a mistake. She shouldn¡¯t have this conversation now. She had started to suspect Amelia was somewhat... impressed by her. To discuss the rumours that had been started during her academy days within the all-women¡¯s dorm... would complicate things further. Even if, as the saying goes, where there was smoke, there was fire. ¡°Nevermind. If anyone comes, you disappear into the bedroom, got it?¡± ¡°Yes, sensei!¡± ¡°It¡¯s only sensei when we¡¯re training, idiot.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Amelia gave two enthusiastic thumbs up. The raising of her arms caused her chest to compress, and Serena could not stop her eyes from flickering to the location. Damn it! ¡°What do you want, anyway?¡± She said, not able to keep a hint of frustration from her voice. ¡°I heard you were talking about me.¡± ¡°... Right. We¡¯re being escorted by two Kenhoro authority ships.¡± ¡°Cool! Can I see them?¡± ¡°No, idiot. They¡¯re most likely here because you¡¯re here. They¡¯re keeping an eye on us to see if anything happens. You won''t be going on deck tomorrow. You can spend some time with Tomes. He¡¯ll get you started on your letters.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± said Amelia. ¡°Can I do my katas here? It¡¯s easier to move around like this, and the bedroom is too small. I¡¯ll be quiet! Promise!¡± ¡°... Can¡¯t you do anything else? I¡¯m trying to work.¡± ¡°Well, I would read, but I can¡¯t really do that, can I? I don¡¯t want to go to sleep just yet... I¡¯ve spent enough time in bed!¡± Amelia shook her head from side to side. ¡°Besides, doing the katas is fun! It¡¯s a bit like meditation!¡± ¡°Did you... enjoy the training?¡± Serena asked. ¡°Mmm, mmm! Sure did! Apart from you shooting me!¡± Serena couldn¡¯t help but smile at that. It was amusing to see Amelia so flustered. She would have to shoot and stab her at random times in the future - to add some variety and entertainment to her daily life. ¡°You¡¯ve got that look in your eye again, Captain,¡± said Anathor. ¡°What look!?¡± ¡°... Nothing.¡± ¡°Do your katas. Be quiet, and don¡¯t ask for any help. I have a letter to write.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Amelia began going through the motions she had memorised so quickly earlier that evening. Serena set about writing her letter, but no matter how much she tried to focus, her eyes kept being drawn from the paper to the person in front of her. She would only look when Amelia was facing away from her, and the more she caught herself looking, and the more she realised where she was looking, the more the realisation slowly dawned in her mind. Over a human. She thought. Really, Serena? You¡¯re such an idiot. Eventually, as the last of the evening light faded and the night came, Serena got up from her chair and, despite her earlier statements, gave Amelia some further instructions. After all, it was somewhat exciting to feel how her heartbeat sped up. When they were close. Chapter Twelve: Polina Volkova Chapter Twelve: Polina Volkova ¡°Polina Volkova?¡± A speckled youth with a baby face and circles around his eyes called out as he opened the door to her office. They didn¡¯t even knock anymore. It was somewhat understandable, as they were swamped with work from sunrise to sunset, and the juniors were running on less sleep than she was. ¡°Yes...¡± Polina groaned. It was too early to deal with others. Couldn''t she have a little quiet time alone first? ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Priority from upstairs.¡± The junior handed her a large sealed envelope. ¡°Right,¡± She said, gesturing to the pile of documents and envelopes on one side of the desk. ¡°Shall I put it with my backlog of priority assignments here? Or perhaps...¡± She waved towards the other side of the desk, where another tower of paper lay waiting. ¡°Should it go under the extra-important priority backlog?¡± The junior shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s more... extra-important-right-now priority,¡± he gestured for her to look at the document. Polina saw the red stamp pressed upon the envelope and resisted the urge to cry. ¡°Did he give this to you himself?¡± ¡°Yes, said to tell you that you¡¯ve got ten minutes.¡± ¡°Until?¡± ¡°Until you need to be in his office upstairs with an analysis.¡± ¡°Christ!¡± She waved the junior away. ¡°Get out then! Times ticking!¡± After her door was closed she ripped open the envelope and spread out the documents. She skimmed the summary. It was a report consisting of an aggregation of eyewitness accounts of a recent battle between republican forces and... ¡°A single ship... the black ship,¡± She muttered to herself as her heartbeat increased. ¡°It¡¯s the Vengeance. You¡¯ve appeared before me again...¡± Her brain clicked into focus, and the weariness she felt was pushed away. Port Highwind had been taken by surprise, leaving the skies undefended for an assault fleet to push through. The report didn¡¯t seem to focus on that. In fact, it didn¡¯t seem that concerned with the Vengeance itself. That was strange. That ship was a priority assignment for the bureau, and there was a dedicated team to tracking it. A team she had desperately tried to get on. Polina gave herself a mental slap. Now wasn¡¯t the time for ruminating on the past. The report was more concerned with the testimonies of a group of republican soldiers - defenders of the port - that had been rescued as they were being transported in an opportunistic strike. She became bewildered at what she read as she examined their eyewitness accounts. ¡°A human healer... gunshots...¡± As she read further, her eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Serena Halen and Korvus Maranai fought!? They Spoke!?¡± With renewed vigour, she devoured the information from the other eyewitness accounts. Just as she was about to start mentally constructing different scenarios, she caught sight of the wall clock. She was late! Polina lept up, scrambling to put the documents back together, and then threw herself out of the office, only just remembering to slam the door behind her. The flurry of her movements caused all the junior analysts on the floor to glance in her direction before returning to their own mountains of grunt work. She ignored them and began leaping up the stairs, taking three at a time. She ran through corridors and almost crashed right through the locked door between her and her destination. ¡°Ahh... ahh... Here.¡± She passed the guard her identification while desperately trying to catch her breath. The guard examined it and then gave her a look of amusement. ¡°Polina Volkova.¡± He said, marking her admission in a notebook and opening the door to her. Polina didn¡¯t wait and burst through. Then, conscious of where she was, she forced herself to slow down to a brisk walk as she made her way around the cauldron. The cauldron was the bureau''s centre and shaped like an amphitheatre. The floor''s design carried the sound of footsteps throughout the entire space, and no single place was outside the line of sight of at least one standing guard. Polina found herself at the right door. She took a few seconds to calm her breathing and mind and then politely knocked on it. Almost immediately, the door opened, and in front of her was someone she had not expected to see. ¡°Natalia Marakova?¡± She said, not intending for it to be a question. The neat black-haired operative looked her up and down with an examining gaze. ¡°Polina Volkova. How long have you been with the bureau?¡± ¡°T-three years, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°And you were recently promoted?¡± ¡°Yes, senior analyst, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Ever been in the field?¡± ¡°N-no, ma¡¯am.¡± Polina saw Marakova clenching her teeth and sighing through her nose. ¡°Come in,¡± she said. The office door opened fully, and Polina stepped in, having to duck slightly under Marakova¡¯s arm, which held the top of the door frame. The office was clean and tidy, with leather furniture and a singular desk. This room served only as a conversation area. The actual office lay behind the thick wooden door on the other end of the room. Behind the desk was a man with a familiar prominent figure, sharp eyes, short hair and a semi-permanent scowl. ¡°Boris Ivanov,¡± Polina said in greeting. ¡°Polina Volkova. Welcome. Would you like a coffee?¡± Director Ivanov said, gesturing to the equipment on a side table. Polina swallowed reflexively. She was running on little sleep, and coffee beans were getting harder and harder to source these days. Of course, top brass like Ivanov and Marakova would have their stockpiles. ¡°Uh... it must be exaggerated. Soldiers typically aren¡¯t exposed to magic higher than the first circle so they often misrepresent the power of minor spells. Furthermore, only two Words - one by Serena Halen and one by Korvus Maranai - were Spoken so it cannot be fourth-circle magic. However, the lightning attacks are consistent with what we know of Aseco, and the blue flecks of light reported when the human healed the soldiers is further evidence of that branch.¡± ¡°You can see why we have such a problem,¡± Director Ivanov interjected, ¡°We have evidence of the impossible. A third-circle Aseco healer that is seemingly as proficient in healing as they are in combat. It takes an enormously long time to become proficient in just one discipline of Aseco, and that¡¯s with all the aid of the church. This woman was reported to look youthful. She should be in her late forties, at a minimum.¡± ¡°Not only that,¡± Marakova continued, ¡°My team tracked the Vengeance in the weeks and months leading up to this event. Not once was there any indication of a human being onboard that ship. We also witnessed no significant tension between Serena Halen and Korvus Maranai. The only thing that explains their behaviour is...¡± The team leader raised one finger, ¡°That the captain somehow kept the healer a secret from both us and him, or...¡± A second finger went up, ¡°The healer somehow boarded the ship after it left the dock out of range of our trackers.¡± A thought struck Polina. ¡°Is it possible she¡¯s a church spy? A secret mission from the senior leadership?¡± As she asked the question, the director and team leader glanced at each other for a moment. After their silent communication ended, Boris spoke up. ¡°This is a little beyond your pay grade, but just know what information we are receiving from the church high command very much indicates this is as surprising to them as us.¡± ¡°Then...¡± She shrugged. ¡°The puzzle pieces must fit together somehow. We don¡¯t have enough information... Where is the ship now?¡±. ¡°We received word it passed the Kenhoro perimeter not long ago,¡± Marakova said, ¡°The report didn¡¯t go into much detail, but the Vengeance took a hit. It¡¯ll be facing a month of repairs at least.¡± ¡°Are we able to get an informant on board? Bribe one of the crew?¡± ¡°It won¡¯t work,¡± Marakova said, shaking her head. ¡°Are they that loyal to her?¡± Polina asked. ¡°They are loyal, but that isn¡¯t the reason. The ship has a guardian on it. An advisor to the captain. A Formless.¡± Polina gulped. ¡°So it¡¯s true then, the stories?¡± ¡°Yes. He sees and hears everything on the ship, and is sensitive to the intentions of those who board it. You cannot trick him for long. We either have to bribe or capture the crew when they¡¯re on land leave or resort to observing from a distance.¡± ¡°I see...¡± Polina said. ¡°With respect, director, ma¡¯am. It appears my line of thinking has matched your own. I apologise for not being able to come up with anything new.¡± She tilted her head in apology. ¡°Head up, Polina Volkova,¡± Boris said, his frown slightly softening, ¡°You were not brought here for just an opinion. That report - and this conversation - was your briefing.¡± ¡°Director?¡± ¡°Your blessing has been of great assistance to the bureau on many occasions, and it has been one of the major reasons we¡¯ve kept you behind a desk. You¡¯re too valuable to risk in fieldwork.¡± ¡°Ah... thank you, director,¡± she mumbled. ¡°However, after this event, I¡¯m under a lot of pressure from my superiors to find out about the nature and origin of this healer.¡± Polina swallowed. There were not many people ranked higher than the director. He must be under mountains of stress, like her. ¡°Therefore, a decision has been made, against the recommendation of both Natalia Marakova and me, for you to join some of her team members who are setting up a cell in Kenhoro.¡± Fieldwork! They were sending her outside the office! Away from paperwork! She would finally be closing in on her nemesis! ¡°It¡¯s an honour!¡± Polina exclaimed, feeling a smile erupt on her face. ¡°I won¡¯t disappoint you, director, ma¡¯am!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see...¡± Marakova mumbled. ¡°We will be leaving tomorrow, circling east and taking the trade winds to Ponan. From there, we¡¯ll travel to Tanhea and then Kenhoro. We¡¯ll cover as a merchant group. You¡¯ll have a new identity. You¡¯ll have to learn much as we go along, so pay attention.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am!¡± ¡°I mean it,¡± she raised a finger to make a point, ¡°Half the trackers we send after that ship drop off the face of the continent after a few months. Cascadia has a tremendous interest in that ship, and their own ministry of intelligence has agents working counter-espionage to protect it. There are conditions. Under no circumstances are you to approach Serena Halen if given the opportunity.¡± ¡°I understand!¡± Polina said, trying to extrude the picture of obedience. Inside her mouth, however, she bit her cheeks. Would she be able to resist, to stop herself? ¡°Secondly, under no circumstances are you to board the ship. We are there to observe and gather intelligence, not to infiltrate the crew. Understood?¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am!¡± Polina nodded. ¡°Very well, Polina Volkova,¡± Director Ivanov said, ¡°Return to your office. Delegate your remaining work to the juniors. Natalia Marakova will collect you at the end of the day.¡± ¡°Yes! Thank you for the opportunity!¡± Polina stood up, and with a final expression of gratitude, she left the office. Walking back to her office, she couldn¡¯t resist humming. Her blessing had finally come through, giving her the opportunity she needed to get close to Serena Halen. She had begun to resent it, thinking it was too valuable for them to ever let her do fieldwork. This event had changed everything, and now the need for intelligence tipped the scale in her favour. Thank the gods for blessings! Not just the one she had shared with the director. The other one, too. The one she had never told anyone about. The one she would use to kill Serena Halen. Chapter Thirteen: A Puzzling Nightmare Chapter Thirteen: A Puzzling Nightmare Serena¡¯s thoughts were muddled - like pushing through tar - she tried to figure out why the old stairwell was oddly familiar. She had been here before, but when? It felt like... the Vengeance¡¯s stairwell. However, things were different and not quite right. Where were the steel deck plates? Why were there greasy oil lanterns hanging from the walls instead of the usual aetherlights? ¡°I¡¯m dreaming again,¡± she muttered, the sound of her voice reaching her ears a half second after she spoke. An unnatural fog clung around her, muffling sounds and preventing the light from reaching too far. Serena unhooked one of the oil lanterns and cast it about, peering through the darkness. The metal hinge on the lantern squeaked as she moved. There it was again. The heavy wood door stood before her. The familiar words etched into it. Fourth Deck. Why was she here again? Serena tried to think and remember. There was something... something about Amelia. She found her hand holding the key. The captain¡¯s key. She looked at it. Why was it here? Serena slowly moved her eyes to the defiant door in front of her. There was something coming from within. Serena pressed an ear against the hard wood. Music. Singing. The mournful song flowed into her ears, and she couldn¡¯t stop a tear from falling down her cheek. Why would someone so talented be singing such as sad song? Serena felt a chill, a sudden drop in temperature, and the song stopped. She looked down and saw she had inserted the key into the lock. ¡°No,¡± she whispered, ¡°The fourth deck is off-limits, even to the captain¡±. Serena forced herself to remove the key, and as she did, it evaporated into white mist. ¡°Only the one who made the agreement may enter,¡± she mumbled. When had she learnt that? Heavy footsteps sounded above her. ¡°Who¡¯s there!?¡± She called out, the delayed and muffled sound disorientating her speech. Serena scrambled up the stairwell, chasing after the person. ¡°Wait!¡± She yelled, following the noises through twists and turns of the corridors, only her oil lamp giving her any light. Serena turned a corner as the sound of a door closing echoed in the space. It was a familiar door with familiar brass lettering upon it. Captains Quarters. ¡°This is my room...¡± she whispered, placing a hand on the doorknob and twisting. She stepped through and found herself not in a room but standing on a field of fog that reached out as far as she see. There were no walls and no ceiling. Just darkness and a floor of fog. There was something else. A man, sitting in a chair, facing away from her. He wore a brown uniform, and the edges of a grey bushy beard could be seen. On his head, he wore a triangle-shaped hat. A captain''s hat. Serena approached him but found that the closer she got, the harder the fog became to walk through. It was pushing her back, resisting her presence like it didn¡¯t want her there. ¡°Hey!¡± She called out. The man turned his head slightly. ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± A deep, gruff voice croaked out that seemed oddly familiar. She couldn¡¯t place it. ¡°Who are you?¡± She asked, fighting against the fog. She was a few meters away from the man but could not get closer, no matter how much she exerted. The fog began frothing, becoming agitated at her continued attempts. It clung to her now, working its way up her body. ¡°You¡¯ve committed a cardinal sin. There will be a punishment.¡± Grumbled the man. ¡°What sin!?¡± Serena yelled. ¡°Who are you!?¡± A moment of silence while the fog engulfed her, blocking her vision. At the last moment, she saw the man had begun to turn into white mist. ¡°Too late... You must protect the girl...¡± ¡°Protect who? Amelia!?¡± She choked out as her vision turned back, and she was wrenched from the dream into the waking world. ¡°Amelia!¡± Serena shouted, sweat running down her forehead. ¡°Hello, yes, that¡¯s my name.¡± Came the reply. Amelia, wearing her white and blue uniform, stood in the doorway to the bedroom. She was carrying a plate of steaming sardis. Her mouth opened as she tilted her head in confusion. ¡°Were you having a nightmare?¡± She asked. Serena took a few moments to calm down. Yes, it was a nightmare. ¡°Quick!¡± She exclaimed, ¡°Pen and paper!¡± Seeing Amelia hesitate for a moment, she leapt from the hammock and pushed past her into the office space. She sat down on her desk and began trying to remember the events. ¡°Fourth deck... fourth deck... was it open or locked?¡± She scribbled what she could remember. Was there music? There was a man. Someone had committed a sin. It didn¡¯t fit together! Damn it! Something at the end. She had to protect someone. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Amelia asked. Amelia. She had to protect Amelia. Who told her that? ¡°Anathor,¡± she said. The moose responded almost immediately. ¡°Yes, captain?¡± ¡°I think the ship is trying to talk to me. I¡¯m having dreams again.¡± ¡°Hmm... Can you understand it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Serena stopped her hands from grabbing her horns. ¡°It¡¯s all... foggy. It vanishes from my mind as soon as I wake. It feels different from the previous times. Has the ship said anything to you?¡± ¡°... No, captain, although...¡± Another paused for a moment, ¡°It has been more... active recently. Ever since Miss Thornheart cast that wonderful healing spell.¡± ¡°Me?¡± Amelia questioned. ¡°Did I heal the ship?¡± ¡°I do not know, little one,¡± Anathor replied. ¡°There is a chance... some of your magic soaked into the fourth deck. It may explain some of the things I have been sensing. Have any of you been hearing... music at all?¡± ¡°Music?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°There was music in my dream. Someone singing... I think,¡± Serena said, re-reading her notes. ¡°I can¡¯t remember anything else! Are you hearing music, Anathor? Amelia?¡± The girl shook her head. ¡°Sometimes...¡± Came the gruff voice. ¡°Is it something that¡¯s a concern for us?¡± Serena eyed the moose. ¡°... No. Only echoes of the past. If Miss Thornheat could avoid casting that spell again unless absolutely needed... if it happens too many times, we could be in violation of the agreement.¡± Serena rubbed her eyes. She would need to ruminate on this later. ¡°How far from Kenhoro, Anathor?¡± ¡°Two hours, captain. Mainland will be within visual range soon.¡± ¡°Are we still being escorted?¡± ¡°Yes, captain.¡± ¡°Before any of that...¡± Amelia put the plate of sardis in front of her, and its delicious smell finally reached her nostrils. ¡°Eat before it gets cold!¡± the healer exclaimed with a smile. ¡°You got us breakfast?¡± ¡°I got you breakfast. I wanted to eat together, but couldn¡¯t resist! I had my share on the way back! The head cook gave me a little extra. So...¡± Amelia shuffled on her feet, looking everywhere but at Serena. ¡°So...?¡± Serena mimicked, placing the first piece of sardis in her mouth. Seven hells, it was even better than yesterday! She could immediately feel her mood improving and the stress of the nightmare fall away. ¡°So what¡¯s the plan, with me?¡± Serena swallowed. ¡°Since you¡¯re up, head to Tome¡¯s quarters. He¡¯s got something to give you. There¡¯s not enough time for a lesson on your letters, but he can give you some more information about Kenhoro, so you don¡¯t do anything completely stupid.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to keep me trapped on the ship!?¡± The girl raised both hands in the air. ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡°You thought I would keep you locked up in here?¡± Serena asked, seeing Amelia nod in response. ¡°When we make land, we will all be finding quarters in Kenhoro. Only the engineers need to stay close, as they¡¯ll be making use of the dock¡¯s cranes to repair the ship properly, as well as install a new turret. They¡¯ll be working day and night, so the noise from the steam grinders and rivet guns will prevent anyone from sleeping. ¡°Some crew members have family homes they can stay at. Most will stay in the barracks. I don¡¯t think putting you in a barracks and mixing with other crews is a good idea, so we¡¯ll be renting a place.¡± ¡°We?¡± If she thought about it, with the Ward of Thew running, she could potentially punch through one as she was now without channelling any higher auras or Speaking. She would have to test that later. ¡°They do on the list, but you know how things are... the list never matches what¡¯s actually there. Things get moved, paperwork dropped... underhanded deals... you name it.¡± Throne shrugged. Serena clicked her tongue in annoyance. ¡°If it comes to it, we¡¯ll pull military law and source some from the civilian industry. We¡¯ll wait till the Ponan shipment arrives first. We don¡¯t want to upset the locals unless we have to.¡± ¡°Aye, captain.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s begin our approach. Helmsman, pitch down. Three degrees.¡± ¡°Pitching down! Three degrees!¡± The reply from the helmsman came as he operated one of the levers next to him. ¡°Pitch down! Three degrees!¡± The engineer on duty yelled into the speaking tube. She was one of the only other women on board, and her feminine voice, although a little coarse, stood out in the bridge mostly full of men. She was Allston the chief engineer¡¯s niece. Serena had once challenged the man on whether her position wasn¡¯t an act of nepotism, and the man had shrugged and told her, ¡®She¡¯s a damn better engineer than I am¡¯. Through the bridge windows, the mainland was now clearly visible. The Cascadian continent floated in the sky at the height of almost four thousand meters, and from their current height, the mountain tops - where the population centers were located - could be seen. A few minutes later, the green of the great forest that carpeted the majority of the empire could be made out. As more of the continent became visible, the mood on the bridge improved. ¡°First officer.¡± ¡°Yes, captain?¡± ¡°Before we let the crew out into the city, make sure they know not to be too forthcoming about Amelia.¡± ¡°Aye, captain. But... the men will drink, and drink makes men talk...¡± ¡°Yes, I simply wanted to try to minimize information spread where we can. Make sure to highlight very strongly the military consequences with regards to accepting bribes for information about this ship or anyone upon it.¡± She gave Dagon a hard stare. This was important, and she would flog or hang those who became too greedy or easily swayed while on land leave. ¡°... Aye, captain,¡± Dagon responded. With that dealt with, Serena turned away and occupied her mind with thoughts about all the events that had transpired over the last week. She thought about the crew. She thought about Korvus. She thought about her dreams and the ship. Most of all, she thought about Amelia. ¡°Hang on, why are all of the major cities on mountains? Doesn¡¯t it make farming difficult?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°Did the captain not go over this with you?¡± ¡°Not really, she said you would give me a history lesson.¡± Amelia was sitting in Tome¡¯s quarters which was the epitome of organization. She couldn¡¯t yet read the numerous labels that were attached to everything, but she could see there was some highly complex system of colour-coding that Tomes had applied to the room. Tomes had been giving her the rundown on Kenhoro. Being close to the front line and to a country called the Sabanis Dominance, it had a constant stream of demon and human travellers and merchants. Apparently, about one in five of the population was human, and there were even human-majority districts in some parts of the city. She interrupted him, however, as he made an offhand comment about how the entire city was located in the mountains like all the others. ¡°I see. I guess I should start at the beginning.¡± ¡°Yes, please!¡± ¡°One thousand years ago, many-¡± ¡°Wow, when you say at the beginning you really mean it, huh?¡± Amelia couldn¡¯t stop her outburst and felt herself be crushed under Tome¡¯s glare. ¡°Sorry...¡± She muttered. ¡°One thousand years ago,¡± Tomes continued, intentionally pausing, daring her to interrupt again. ¡°One thousand years ago, many nations - both demon and human - inhabited the Cascadia continent. Back then, there were no airships. No firearms. No steel. The Words were unknown to us. Everyone lived on the ground, prospered, fought wars and got on with life. Cascadia saw it all, floating in the sky as it always had done... and then!¡± Tomes flourished with hands, bringing his two fists together. ¡°A collision!¡± Amelia felt her eyes go wide. She had to admit the man had a talent for storytelling. She felt like a kid being told stories by a grandfather. ¡°Our continent collided with unknown dark lands in the far north, and from these treacherous lands came legions of black beasts! Titanic creatures that sought to destroy all life!¡± Tomes threw his hands dramatically in the air. He was definitely enjoying himself. ¡°Oh my!¡± Amelia exclaimed. ¡°They were led by the chaos god known as Anathema, although most people refer to it as the Malignant Darkness.¡± Tomes raised a finger to his lips. ¡°Don¡¯t say the first name out loud, it brings bad luck!¡± Amelia nodded frantically. ¡°They butchered their way across the continent in a century-long invasion we call The Long Discordancy. Outmatched and facing extinction, humans and demonkind fled to the mountaintops and plateaus, where we built our fractured civilization on higher ground. The invaders spread with them an inhospitable wilderness, the ancestor to the great forest that blankets the world even today!¡± ¡°And it was in one of these desperate small plateau kingdoms,¡± Tomes continued, raising a finger, ¡°That a young woman was born, a talented mage that led her subordinates to battle against the enemy forces. Her hellfire spells burned the black legions to ash, and bit by bit, they began to win!¡± ¡°Only then did the avatar of the enemy appear. He was far stronger than anything that had come before! Hellfire tickled his skin, and swords broke upon him! The young mage battled him for seven days and seven nights, but she was not strong enough! It was then, when all seemed lost, all her subordinates laying dead around her, that the future empress communed the First Word and Spoke for the very first time!¡± ¡°What then!?¡± Amelia had drawn her knees up, lost in the story. She could see it now in her mind, a beautiful demon - who looked just like Serena - in shining armour conquering a great evil! ¡°Then, Elana took her place on what would later be called the True Throne, fashioned out of the skeleton of the avatar himself, and began the long process of expelling the invaders from the continent, gathering all to her cause. This reconquista took eighty years, and during this time, Elana communed the Second Word! The wilderness was pacified, and the most dangerous beasts were slaughtered. Some descendants species remain even today if you go deep enough.¡± ¡°Once the enemy had been forced back to their home continent to lick their wounds, Elana - who was only a queen then - knew it would only be a matter of time before they communed their own Words. So she marched to the point of collision and prayed to the higher gods for seven years! Eventually, her faith reached a great god of hellfire, who communed the Third Word with Elana, and when she Spoke it, the enemy land was driven from our sky, never to be seen again!¡± Tomes took a much-needed breath. ¡°Then, returning home, she was content in ruling as a benevolent queen. However, the kingdoms began to fall back into their own ways, fighting over land and religion. She knew they had to be united should the enemy ever return. Therefore over the next century, Queen Elana unified much of the continent and formed the Empire of Cascadia and became Empress! That was a bit over eight hundred years ago, and we have prospered ever since under her rule! The end!¡± Amelia clapped enthusiastically. ¡°That was a great story, uh, not a story. A great telling of history! Thanks, Tomes! You did kinda skip over the last eight hundred years, though...¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± Tomes said, scratching his jaw. ¡°I remembered halfway through I have two hundred crew payments I need to document and balance, so I skipped the latter chunk. Some of the books on the captain¡¯s shelves are history books, so you can dig deeper when you learn to read Imperial.¡± ¡°Oh, okay! Well, it explains why all the major cities are in the mountains. Do many people live on the ground?¡± ¡°Yes, as populations grew and the need for more fertile farmland became urgent, more effort was put into clearing more forest. As of today, every major city has significant ground around it that is cleared for farming. Numerous small towns and villages have popped up there as well. Practically the entire Centralis basin is cleared of forest and has been for a while now.¡± ¡°I see! I can¡¯t wait to see Kenhoro!¡± Amelia was itching to walk on land. The time on Port Highwind was so short, and then she had been stuck onboard for a week! She was definitely getting claustrophobic. ¡°That reminds me, take this.¡± Tomes fished out something from his person. ¡°Captain gave this to me. It¡¯s a symbol of her house, the Halen House. There¡¯s a good chance you¡¯ll be stopped at random times and asked about who you are and what you¡¯re doing. Showing them this should clear things up.¡± He handed her the dark metal piece, which had a silver carving of a wolf attached. ¡°Take this and wear it around your neck.¡± He gave her a piece of string, which she threaded through a hole in the metal and tied it to form a makeshift necklace. She would definitely treasure this for the rest of her life! ¡°Myself, Dagon or the captain will be with you at all times during the first week so that you find your feet in the city. We can give you an advance on your first month''s payment, so you have some money to spend. Any questions?¡± Amelia shook her head. ¡°Nothing comes to mind!¡± ¡°Right. I have some work to do. We don¡¯t have time to start on letters properly, but we¡¯ll go over the numbers. Look here: This is the imperial script for number one....¡± Tomes wrote down all the numbers from one to twenty and told her to go practice in silence. Amelia obeyed, happy to finally learn some Imperial. It seemed to be in base ten, but the numbers from ten to twenty had their own special symbol. After that, things seemed to flow in the same manner as they did in her old world. She lost herself in the task, and before she knew it, she was filling out the fifth page. ¡°We¡¯re landing,¡± Tomes said, barely looking up. ¡°We are!? Are we even moving? I can barely feel it!¡± ¡°The last part of landing takes the longest. Heavy ships like the Vengeance will spend twenty minutes coming into dock at half a knot or less.¡± ¡°Why so slow?¡± ¡°Because the ship is thousands of tonnes of metal, wood and demon. If that hits the side of a building or a crane at anything above a knot, it¡¯ll plough straight through simply due to inertia. Battleships come in even slower.¡± Amelia squirmed in her seat, her excitement rising. Soon she would be outside! On the mainland! ¡°Any moment now, we¡¯ll hit the keel blocks, and the shoring arms will attach to the hull to hold it in place...¡± As Tomes finished, a jolt rippled through the ship''s structure. It felt similar to the last moment of a train pulling into a station. Amelia tapped her feet like an excited child. They had arrived in Kenhoro! Chapter Fourteen: Kenhoro Chapter Fourteen: Kenhoro With a hiss of steam and a clunk, the metal gangway came to a stop. A familiar man in a dark blue uniform was waiting for her. A double pair of small horns crowned his head from which an enormous ponytail flowed. From behind a pair of spectacles, sharp green eyes glared at her, a rare trait that suggested the man had ancestry from the far West. ¡°Dockmaster Yu. Always a pleasure to see you well,¡± Serena said smoothly with a smile. She had come to appreciate Shin Yu, the dockmaster of Kenhoro. ¡°You!¡± He pointed a finger at her. ¡°Get that ship out of my docks! Go somewhere else! Why come to Kenhoro, huh!?¡± Shin waved to the east. ¡°The Tanhae docks are over there! Yes, hello!? I can hear them now! They want you to go over there! Shoo! Bye bye!¡± He motioned with his hands frantically. Shin Yu spoke Imperial with a thick accent, and much of his native Manwese tone slipped through. He was unbelievably direct when speaking Imperial, lacking the full vocabulary to be more tactful. Not that anyone would criticise him for it. No captain would dare get on the bad side of the dockmaster. ¡°Come now, we¡¯ll be out of your horns before you know it. A bit of work on the hull, and we¡¯ll vanish like the wind.¡± Serena flashed her most charismatic smile. ¡°That ship! Bad luck!¡± He was wagging his finger at her now. Shin Yu enjoyed expressing himself with his hands. ¡°You! Bad luck!¡± Serena pondered how she could placate the excitable dockmaster when a pair of figures approached from the side. ¡°Just the man I need!¡± Allston, the chief engineer, appeared flanked by his niece. ¡°We need two overhead cranes, thirty meters of two by one girder, eighty meters of half by half. Good man, how many armour plates do you have lying about?¡± Allston put an arm around the dockmaster and practically dragged him away, ignorant of the noises of protest coming out of the man. His niece rolled her eyes and gave Serena a knowing look before following after them. Well, that was one problem that was dealt with. Those two would talk over each other for hours. She turned and shouted back up the gangway, ¡°Dagon! Start letting the crew off!¡± After she heard the affirmative reply, she made her way to the requisition office, where she found a demon lazying around behind a windowed desk reading the broadsheets. The man did a double take, eyes widening in recognition and surprise. ¡°Speaker Halen! It¡¯s an honour!¡± He scrambled to his feet and gave her a hasty salute. ¡°Turn that around, officer. Let me have a look,¡± she said, nodding her head at the broadsheets. The requisition officer obeyed, and Serena read the large block capitals printed across the broadsheet: EASTERN FLEET ADVANCES. The subheading underneath read: ADMIRAL ZHAO EXPLOITS COLLAPSE AFTER KEY LOGISTIC CENTER LIBERATED. ¡°When was this printed?¡± She asked. ¡°This morning, Speaker Halen!¡± the officer enthusiastically responded. ¡°They say that it was your doing! They¡¯re saying you might be awarded a silver eagle!¡± ¡°Who¡¯s saying that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all in there, Speaker Halen,¡± the demon gestured to the broadsheet she was reading. Serena skimmed the contents. She was named, as was the Vengeance. There wasn¡¯t a picture of the Vengeance; the broadsheets were forbidden from publishing a photograph of the ship. Yet a lack of visuals didn¡¯t stop them from building up the ship as an unstoppable vessel undetectable by the enemy. Reading further, she found the officer was right and the papers reported that Greatlord Feng - master of Kenhoro, Tanhae, and Ponan - had recommended her for the medal. Serena wondered if her father had anything to do with that. He could have leveraged the strategic position the war had put their family in for such a cause. Alternatively, if they were planning to honourably discharge her from the Navy, then the medal would be the method to buy her silence. ¡°How did the broadsheets find out about this so fast?¡± She asked. ¡°Admiral Zhao took a media team with him. They docked up in the civilian bays last night.¡± That would explain it. If the media arrived at Port Highwind shortly after the fleet did, they would have beaten them back to Kenhoro, especially as her own departure was delayed due to the fighting and the politicking of the Dragon. ¡°Right,¡± Serena said, turning her gaze from the broadsheet and to the officer. ¡°You got any raincoats? One my size and one,¡± she held her palm up flat in level with her eyebrows, ¡°about this size. Get me a pair of boots, size seven through to ten, and the socks for them. Find a couple of rainhats as well.¡± The requisition officer scrawled down her request and disappeared into the back. Amelia wasn¡¯t technically wearing a military uniform as they had ripped any identifying parts off, but it was still republican colours, and she didn¡¯t want to take her out to the city until she was wearing something that wouldn¡¯t draw attention. While mentally mapping out the path they would take in the city, a voice called out to her. ¡°Lady Halen! Is that you?¡± Serena turned towards the goatee-sporting demon with a handsome face. He wore a uniform that was similar to hers, but instead of gold trim, red thread decorated the edges. ¡°Aiden!¡± she exclaimed in surprise, recognising the man. She corrected herself after noticing the marks on his shoulder. ¡°Officer Adachi? Congratulations... looks like you found your place in intelligence.¡± Aiden Adachi stroked his goatee and gave her a grin. ¡°Took three attempts but got there in the end! When was the last time we met? At graduation?¡± ¡°We saw each other two years later at the shareholder meeting in Asamoto. You were...¡± Serena couldn¡¯t help but form a smile, ¡°Too far gone to recognise me. You thought I was my sister and tried flirting with me, you bastard.¡± Aiden¡¯s drinking prowess at the academy was somewhat legendary, and it hadn¡¯t seemed to have died down when they had encountered each other four years ago. The habitual drunk rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. ¡°My bad, my bad. You know Nina¡¯s name is cropping up more and more in reports? She¡¯s got a team working for her now. Whatever she¡¯s building, they¡¯re throwing coin at it.¡± Serena nodded. She didn¡¯t know too much about what her sister was working on currently, but whatever that genius was cooking up would no doubt be a significant help to the war effort and the family. ¡°We¡¯re all very proud of her...¡± She trailed off with a cold stare at her old friend, happy to see that she could still make him wither under her glare. ¡°Why are you here, Officer Adachi?¡± ¡°They got me doing grunt work, stock takes and the like,¡± Aiden said, shrugging while looking to the side, ¡°You¡¯d be surprised at just how bad the-¡±. ¡°Cut the shit, you¡¯re here for the human right?¡± ¡°Damn right, I am!¡± The demon blurted out shamelessly, ¡°Can I meet her!?¡± ¡°... for what purpose?¡± ¡°The big horns want me to do a personality profile on her. That¡¯s it, honest!¡± Aidens eyes took on a pleading look. ¡°Come on Serena, this is my big opportunity! I¡¯ve been doing logistics for years now, and I¡¯m ready to pull my horns off!¡± ¡°What happens if I say no?¡± ¡°Then... I guess there¡¯s an escalation. You know how far they can go. They want to do things quietly and peacefully out of respect for you and your family. It really is just a profile, please?¡± ¡°Give me a week.¡± ¡°A week?¡± ¡°Miss Thornheart is somewhat ignorant of things. I¡¯m teaching her a bit of common sense before letting her... roam. Etiquette as well. We¡¯ll be meeting my father in Shimashina after the repairs are done.¡± ¡°How long are you here for?¡± ¡°A month, maybe. No longer than six weeks. Ships got a big hole that needs filling.¡± ¡°Where are you staying?¡± ¡°... at The Highguard, if they have rooms.¡± ¡°Ah, family friend, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±UppTodated from ¡°Well then... In about a week, the moonrain festival will start,¡± A glint appeared in Aiden¡¯s eyes, and his mouth formed into a knowing grin. ¡°We could go all out then? Show her a good time?¡± ¡°You mean, go out drinking?¡± Serena sighed. This man never changed. He was an idiot, although a different type of idiot than Amelia was. ¡°They have a street here, half a klick long, you know? I don¡¯t know its Manwese name, but the Imperial translation is Beer Street. Know why? Pubs!¡± Aiden cast his hands dramatically, ¡°Everywhere! We could do a pub crawl and introduce the human to a proper demon drink! Like we did on those academy weekends.¡± ¡°That is a terrible idea,¡± She shook her head, ¡°We¡¯re not students anymore, Officer Adachi.¡± ¡°But!¡± Aiden exclaimed, raising a finger. ¡°We are demons. And I¡¯m still on my crusade to find a human that can outdrink Aiden The Drinker!¡± ¡°It was Aiden The Drunk, idiot,¡± she said, smiling at the academy memories popping into her mind. Maybe it wasn¡¯t a completely terrible idea. As a Speaker, it wasn¡¯t like she or Amelia could get drunk easily, and the girl was twenty-five. Serena didn¡¯t want to or plan to treat her like a child. Besides, it could be fun. Perhaps Amelia would like to dance, perhaps- What in the seven hells was she imagining? Serena mentally slapped herself. What dangerous fantasies were creeping into her mind? She tried to push them away but found she was unable to. The image of her and Amelia dancing together... It was nice. Damn it. Who said she couldn¡¯t have a friend? Who said she had to play the stiff captain all the time? She was allowed to have fun, right? ¡°Alright,¡± she said. ¡°Next week. For the festival.¡± ¡°Wonderful! Thank you, Serena! You¡¯ve saved my hide!¡± He gave her a friendly salute. Serena had an increasing suspicion that Amelia and he were going to get on. ¡°Oh, one more thing. Some of the prisoners of war from the Port Highwind liberation were intercepted by the enemy. So keep an eye out, alright? We¡¯ve put a team on the both of you, and it¡¯s possible they¡¯ll try to approach the human while we¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Republican intelligence is in Kenhoro?¡± ¡°Probably not. They don¡¯t have the resources. It¡¯ll be federation boys, which means if something happens, at least try and be a little diplomatic.¡± ¡°Empress Elana, yes.¡± ¡°Wow, it¡¯s... so big. There¡¯s so much metal everywhere. It all feels so... practical.¡± ¡°That¡¯s imperial military architecture for you. Kenhoro proper feels completely different. It¡¯s mostly wood and clay. It¡¯s an amazing city. Come on.¡± ¡°Okay...¡± Amelia followed Serena quietly. She kept lifting her head up just to take in the sheer scale of the space, which made her feel tiny. Serena led her through a small opening, and soon, they were lost in a small maze of corridors. ¡°We¡¯re taking a side exit,¡± Serena explained, ¡°There will likely be people looking for you at the main gate.¡± Serena stopped and then looked directly at Amelia. ¡°Never Speak in the city unless your life is in danger. It is against Imperial law to do so in urban areas. There is much greater tolerance for using first, second, and third-circle spells or techniques to defend yourself, but you should still only use these if needed. Understand?¡± Amelia nodded furiously. Once she and Serena were closer, she would tell her that she could Speak covertly and ask her how the law handled that. ¡°Second, if you ever get lost or something goes wrong, come back here to the ship. Use the symbol of my house Tomes gave you to get through the gate. If that doesn¡¯t work, force your way through and get on the ship. You¡¯ll see once we get out, but the imperial docks have a series of huge lighthouses above them, they can be seen throughout most of the city.¡± ¡°I understand!¡± ¡°Good, let¡¯s go.¡± They continued for a minute and then came to a steel gate manned by a pair of guards. Serena spoke to them quietly for a moment, and they suddenly enthusiastically saluted her. Seeing that made Amelia feel proud. Her captain was so cool and respected! The guards opened the gates, and they stepped through into Kenhoro proper. For the second time, Amelia couldn¡¯t stop exclaiming in wonder. The streets were paved and lined with lamposts and trees. Hundreds of people formed small groups going this way and that. There was a light rain, and everyone was wearing some form of raincoat and rainhat. The people moved like brown blobs, although some were brightly coloured, especially the children, whose little horns poked through their straw hats. They were so adorable! There were some humans mixed in as well. One in ten. On average, they were shorter than the demons, and their intact straw hats stood out amongst a sea of horns. The street was lined with three-story buildings, the bottom floor being a shop of some kind. Amelia couldn¡¯t read the shop names, but she could see a cobbler, a flower shop and a cafe or two. Some of the signs were written in a different script she had never seen before. She pointed it out to Serena. ¡°That¡¯s Manwese, the native language of this region - Kenhoro, Tanhae, Ponan, and some of Shimashina - High Imperial is only truly dominant in Centralis, and its culture and language has naturally exported itself to the Terra Firmas over the centuries. Everyone speaks Imperial though so you needn¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°The buildings look gorgeous!¡± Amelia exclaimed, and they did. Each floor was separated by a curved tiled roof that jutted out from the white-washed walls, supported by thick beams of dark wood. The ends of these beams ended in carvings of strange animals. ¡°It¡¯s called a garbled roof. All the roofs in the region are curved like this. It¡¯s effective at keeping the rain off. Look at that one. Can you see how it has a triangular piece on top?¡± Serena gestured to a building down the street, and Amelia saw a pagoda standing five stories tall, topped with a fancy-looking triangle tiled structure decorated with small statues. ¡°That¡¯s a hip-and-garble roof. Important buildings like shrines or government buildings have them.¡± ¡°And is this some kind of shrine?¡± Amelia could see some people bowing towards the structure as they passed. Something seemed to be giving off smoke. Were they burning incense? ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a religious structure, built as a home for the Kami.¡± ¡°Kami?¡± ¡°Spirits of the elements. Quinto is the dominant religion here, and it worships the Kami.¡± This was confusing. Wasn¡¯t the Empress supposed to be a literal thousand-year-old god? Why would they worship something else? Was that even allowed? Amelia raised her questions with Serena, who explained that the Quinists believed that the Empress was a great Kami taking demon form. ¡°There are many religions in the four corners of Cascadia, and you¡¯ll find out that they all - in some way or another - worship the Empress.¡± That made sense. If the Empress was a thousand years old then the religions would have adapted and formed around her as a central figure. ¡°I see...¡± ¡°Come now,¡± Serena led her through the crowd and down the streets, eventually stopping and stepping into a tailor¡¯s shop. ¡°Here,¡± Serena said, indicating towards some coat hooks at the entranceway. ¡°Every shop or eatery has these to put your raincoats and hats on.¡± Serena removed her outer layer, and Amelia followed. ¡°You are Clothmaster Dai?¡± Serena asked the short demon tailor who was waiting patiently. ¡°You fixed my father''s suits a few summers ago, is that correct?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Lady Halen, I presume?¡± The female tailor gave a small bow. ¡°It¡¯s an honour to have the famous Speaker and captain in my shop. How may I- oh my!¡± The tailor''s eyes went wide as she bounced up to Amelia, and before she could protest, Amelia found herself being turned this way and that. ¡°What a dreadfully fitting uniform! Surely this wasn¡¯t provided by House Halen!?¡± ¡°No,¡± Serena said, an amused look in her eye as the eager demon manhandled Amelia. ¡°She is an employee of the house, only recently signing a contract. This old republican uniform is the only thing that fits her. I¡¯m looking to have a few outfits made.¡± ¡°Of course, of course.¡± A tape measure appeared from somewhere and suddenly Amelia was directed to stick her arms and legs out in different directions while the tailor eagerly took measurements. ¡°What kind of work will she be assigned?¡± ¡°... I¡¯m not sure. We need something practical and easy to move in. Three sets should do, I think. Also, another three sets of casual wear. We also want a formal suit and several sets of bedwear. Oh...¡± Serena paused for a moment, looking away from Amelia, ¡°And a pair of dresses, red¡±. Oh? ¡°Dresses?¡± She asked, raising an eye at Serena. ¡°Yes... for the festival.¡± ¡°Are you going to be wearing a dress?¡± ¡°... of course.¡± How exhilarating. Amelia had never seen Serena in anything other than her uniform or the medical wing garments. Hell, Serena even slept in her uniform most of the time! It was criminal to hide all those curves behind a stiff military outfit! Now she was even more excited for the upcoming festival. ¡°Lady Halen, we¡¯re all done. Any preference for colour for the work uniforms?¡± ¡°Dark grey or black, with silver trim. As for the casual clothes, keep the colours dull, something that can easily blend in.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± said the tailor. ¡°For now, you must let me put her in something that isn¡¯t so outrageous! Those republicans really have no sense of style. Hmm... here we go!¡± A set of clothes was fished out from a stack of uniforms and handed to her. ¡°These should be far more comfortable. Head through there, my dear. Shout if you have any trouble.¡± The demon gestured to a curtained area. ¡°O-okay! Thank you, Miss Tailor!¡± She gave a small bow and hurried into the side room. Pulling the curtain along the rail, Amelia undressed and began slipping into the new clothes. They were light brown and grey, but the clothes were clearly very high quality and more comfortable than her previous uniform. It took her a while to work out how to tighten certain parts. There were tassels that seemed to be elastic that could be pulled and fixed into place. Eventually, she was happy with how it felt, and she stepped outside the side room. ¡°Much better,¡± Serena said approvingly. ¡°Oh my dear, you¡¯ve tightened it all wrong!¡± The tailor ducked all around her, adjusting parts here and there, and the clothes that had already felt comfortable now felt like second skin. ¡°Try moving,¡± the tailor said. Amelia moved her arms and walked around the room. ¡°This feels amazing,¡± she said, ¡°I never knew clothes could feel this comfortable! You¡¯re amazing!¡± Amelia gave a genuine compliment. ¡°Oh, thank you, dear,¡± the tailor said with a smile on her face. ¡°It¡¯s not just me! That¡¯s cotton from the sheep fields of Fengra! Very expensive, but very comfortable.¡± ¡°How long will the clothes take to tailor?¡± Serena asked. ¡°Hmm... six days for the work and casual uniforms, another three for the suit and another three for the two dresses. Let¡¯s call it a fortnight.¡± ¡°Price?¡± ¡°Two hundred and twenty denarii. I¡¯ll have to buy the dye for the dresses, but I won¡¯t charge for that! Just let me see her wear it!¡± The tailor beamed at her. What was she, some kind of dress-up doll? And what was that price!? If she remembered right, these clothes were equal to about two years of a normal soldier''s salary! So this is the price of someone with the title of Clothmaster? ¡°Right, we¡¯ll come back in a few days for the work uniforms. Where''s your credit book?¡± Serena asked, and the tailor provided her with a small book that Serena wrote in. She then ripped a page out of the book and handed it to the tailor. ¡°Thank you for your custom, Lady Halen,¡± said the tailor, giving another small bow. ¡°And thank you, miss,¡± She bent her head in Amelia¡¯s direction, ¡°for allowing me to make you such fine clothes!¡± ¡°Uh, no problem! I can¡¯t wait to see them!¡± ¡°Come on, you,¡± Serena pulled her to the shop exit, where they donned their raincoats and hat. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± she said, stepping outside the shop. ¡°Where are we going now?¡± Amelia asked. There was a moment of silence, and then the answer came, softly spoken. ¡°To get a hotel room...¡± How scandalous that sentence was! As she was led once again through the crowd, Amelia let her mind come up with all kinds of inappropriate scenarios. The best part was Serena had said room, singular! What a flirtatious captain she was becoming... Chapter Fifteen: Matching Masks Chapter Fifteen: Matching Masks As Serena led her charge towards the center of Kenhoro she was constantly bombarded with questions. Amelia was intrigued by every little sight or smell. Honestly, it was endearing to see somebody so fascinated by demon culture. On more than one occasion, Serena had to stop Amelia from walking into someone as she was so distracted by the next shiny thing. She did her best to answer what she could, although she often failed to give further detail when the inevitable follow-up questions were thrown her way. The culture in Kenhoro and the surrounding area was familiar to her due to her military career, which caused her to spend a significant amount of time docked. However, she was not a native, and her homeland - The Three Sisters - was several hundred klicks to the southeast. ¡°This is the Kenhoro procession, the main thoroughfare in the city,¡± She said to Amelia as they stepped onto the enormous paved street. Frequent trams passed them, excess steam hissing out the tops as they trundled past in the tracks embedded in the ground. ¡°Here, hold on,¡± She wrapped an arm around Amelia¡¯s waist and hoisted the both of them onto a passing tram. An interesting noise came from the human, which she almost ignored. ¡°Sorry. Getting on and off a moving tram is an urban skill you¡¯ll need to learn quickly,¡± Serena cast an apologetic look at the red-cheeked girl. ¡°Never walk along the tracks. The trams have scoops installed on their fronts to push pedestrians out of the way, and the drivers are perfectly happy to use them.¡± ¡°Okay! There are so many people!¡± Amelia said. The tram was almost full, and outside there was a constant river of people moving up and down the procession. ¡°How many people do you think live in the city?¡± ¡°About a million, give or take. Probably another two hundred thousand in the surrounding area. You should see the Centralis Basin. The last census of that region came to eighty million people! It¡¯s probably eighty-five now,¡± Serena shook her head, ¡°Imagine the logistics to feed that many people! Kenhoro is a big place, but it has no underground. In Centralis, there are thousands of klicks of tunnels through the mountains and earth, connecting them all.¡± Amelia looked at her with wide eyes. ¡°Whoa!¡± She exclaimed. ¡°Can we go there?¡± ¡°Eventually,¡± Serena said. They would inevitably, at some point. If she were going to receive a silver eagle for her work, they would typically invite her to the capital for the ceremony. ¡°We can see the titan,¡± she said. ¡°Titan?¡± ¡°Tome¡¯s gave you a history lesson right? About how the empress was victorious against the Titans?¡± ¡°I think so...? He mentioned gigantic monsters at some point.¡± ¡°The Titans were the generals of that ancient enemy. They led the legions of beasts and were felled one by one by the empress. Other than the bones that were used in the construction of the Cathedral of Bone in the capital, there wasn¡¯t much evidence of the rest of them. ¡°That was until a century and a half ago when they began digging the underground railway in the Centralis Basin. They came across a gigantic skeleton of a creature slain long ago. Only the skull is accessible to the public, but they¡¯ve turned it into somewhat of a tourist attraction.¡± Amelia¡¯s eyes grew even wider. ¡°Have you ever seen it!?¡± ¡°No,¡± Serena said, shaking her head. ¡°And yes to the question you¡¯re about to ask. We¡¯ll try to find time to visit it when we go central.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Amelia beamed, flashing her a perfect smile. Serena let herself enjoy that smile for a few seconds. ¡°You know, eighty million isn¡¯t that much,¡± Amelia whispered, moving in closer. ¡°The biggest nation from where I came from had three billion people.¡± Serena narrowed her eyes and found Amelia wasn¡¯t jesting. Three billion people. How could she even begin to imagine that? ¡°All human?¡± She asked, and Amelia nodded back. Christ. That was a lot of... humans. ¡°How would you even feed that many people?¡± ¡°Mmm...¡± Amelia¡¯s eyes looked thoughtful, ¡°You know how advances in metallurgy allow better armour and better engines to be made?¡± Serena nodded. ¡°Well, I guess we¡¯ve perfected growing crops. Better fertilizers. Centuries of breeding the best crops. It¡¯s all automated also.¡± ¡°Automated?¡± ¡°Yeah, like...¡± Amelia raised her hands, seemingly struggling to find the words. ¡°Imagine an advanced steam engine, but it¡¯s smart enough to know how and when to perfectly plant, grow and harvest crops. It can work day and night, farming hundreds of kilometres of farmland year-round.¡± ¡°That¡¯s interesting. My sister would be very interested in hearing about that.¡± What Amelia described sounded like a far more advanced version of the golems widely used in the southern desert. ¡°Can I try this on?¡± Amelia pointed towards one of the carnival masks donned in blue moon crystal. The stallkeeper eagerly unlocked the cabinet and handed the mask to Amelia, who looked up at Serena. Amelia held the mask in position. ¡°What do you think? Matches my eyes, right?¡± Serena swallowed awkwardly. How did adding a small carnival mask add so much... enticement? The blue glow from the crystal only highlighted Amelia¡¯s eyes more. ¡°Take the hat off,¡± She told Amelia, ¡°See if it fits properly.¡± Amelia obeyed, removing the hat and revealing her golden hair. ¡°A human...¡± the stallkeeper mumbled before quickly turning back into cheerful merchant mode. ¡°What brilliant golden hair you have! It shines even more than my wares! If I may ask, dear customer, whence do you hail from?¡± ¡°She¡¯s from Karligard,¡± Serena said before Amelia could respond. She hadn¡¯t missed the brief drop in the stallkeeper''s face when he had seen Amelia''s lack of horns. Discrimination had been rising through the years, and the humans in Kenhoro had slowly been grouping closer to their districts on the outskirts. ¡°It looks good,¡± She said as Amelia finished adjusting the mask. Good was an understatement. Amelia looked stunning. ¡°You like it? Okay then! I¡¯ll buy it! How much?¡± Amelia grinned at the compliment. ¡°You don¡¯t need to buy something just because I said so, you know,¡± Serena said, trying and failing to chastise the girl. ¡°I know, but I want to dress up for the festival. What about you?¡± ¡°What about me?¡± Amelia turned to the stallkeeper. ¡°How quickly can you get one just like this,¡± Amelia motioned towards the mask on her face, ¡°But with red crystals?¡± Amelia turned to Serena, motioning towards her eyes. ¡°For your red eyes. It should match, no?¡± ¡°Red is expensive these days. I don¡¯t want to spend that much on a mask. I¡¯ll get something like this...¡± Serena picked up one of the masks patterned in red cloth. ¡°No, no!¡± Amelia protested, shaking her head. ¡°We have to match, or there¡¯s no point! Mr Stallowner, can you get a red one like this in time for the festival?¡± The stallkeeper''s expression was puzzled as he listened to their back-and-forth and was a little slow to react. ¡°Ah, of course,¡± he said, "Of course!¡± He clasped his hands together. "I can have it ready within two days. Is that acceptable for you?¡± Serena began to protest, but Amelia cut her short. ¡°I will pay for it! Don¡¯t worry! How much is it, Mr Stallowner?¡± ¡°Thirty for the blue mask and fifty for the red one.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Amelia turned to Serena. ¡°You have the money on you, right? Take it out of my wages for this month!¡± Serena looked at Amelia for a moment. She would have to teach her the price of things. These two masks were half a year of a soldier''s salary. ¡°My dear customer, what a wonderful choice! Would you like me to gift wrap them for you? Free of charge!¡± ¡°Yes, please!¡± Amelia removed the blue mask and handed it back to the stallkeeper, who busied wrapping and bagging it. Serena handed the man his money, and the purse Tomes had given her felt far lighter. The stallkeeper handed Amelia the bag and a receipt so she could pick up the remaining mask in the future. ¡°Here you go, valued customer. If I may ask, you spoke of wages. From what profession do you hail from?¡± Amelia flashed a grin and jabbed a thumb at her chest. ¡°I¡¯m her maid!¡± Serena sighed. Idiot. Chapter Sixteen: A Highguard Mystery Chapter Sixteen: A Highguard Mystery Hotel Highguard oozed wealth. Its lobby was lined with marble walls, and the floor was covered with a shiny black rock Amelia had never seen before. A dozen pillars were dotted about, each holding an expensive-looking piece of earthware inscribed with ornate patterns. On the far side of the lobby, a grand staircase layered with a red carpet led to the floors above. There were two elevators to one side, each with a demon attendant. ¡°Take your raincoat and hat off,¡± Serena said as she removed her own. ¡°Hold these,¡± she said, passing them to Amelia, who tried to fold them awkwardly over her arm while holding the gift-wrapped bag from the market outside. ¡°Hurry up,¡± Serena commanded as she strutted off to the reception. ¡°Yes, Lady Halen!¡± Amelia piped up, remembering Serena¡¯s instructions to be on her best behaviour. She followed behind obediently. The receptionist gave a deep bow as they approached. ¡°Welcome to the Highguard, Speaker Halen,¡± said the receptionist politely, ¡°Or do you prefer Captain?¡± ¡°Speaker Halen,¡± Serena said, ¡°Is the owner in?¡± ¡°The owner is unfortunately occupied for the foreseeable future,¡± the receptionist explained, his eyes briefly flicking to Amelia. ¡°I can pass on a message for you.¡± ¡°No need,¡± Serena said, resting an arm on the receptionist¡¯s desk. ¡°We require a twin room. One month. For both of us.¡± Serena gestured to Amelia at her side. The receptionist blinked a few times before a smile formed on his face that didn¡¯t quite reach his eyes. ¡°Our greatest apologies, Speaker Halen. All our rooms are fully booked for the next three months.¡± ¡°I''m sure they are. However, I am well aware the Highguard always keeps rooms in reserve. We¡¯d like one of them,¡± Serena said, her voice taking on a hard edge. Amelia couldn¡¯t help but start to feel a little excited. Serena in authoritative mode was her second favourite Serena mode, coming in shortly behind secret-big-softy mode.Follow the latest novels at novelhall.com ¡°Once again, I sincerely apologize, Speaker Halen. We are unable to provide one of the reserve rooms... in this case.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Amelia noticed Serena¡¯s eyes narrowing. The danger level was increasing. She quickly checked Serena¡¯s waist and was relieved to see Serena wasn¡¯t carrying her normal cutlass. ¡°And if you could explain precisely what you mean by this case?¡± ¡°Of course, Speaker Halen,¡± the demon nodded his head, ¡°We currently have a large number of military staying with us. Many of these guests are extra vigilant regarding their surroundings, and I believe there is a high chance of conflict arising if you and your...¡± a set of orange eyes met Amelia¡¯s, ¡°... assistant stayed with us.¡± Serena was silent for a full ten seconds, staring down at the receptionist whose calm facade was just starting to crack, his smile looking a little more nervous than before. ¡°Military?¡± ¡°That is correct, Speaker Halen.¡± ¡°From which battalion or squadron?¡± ¡°I... believe they take the name of the Crimson Reapers.¡± ¡°Mercenaries! Tsk!¡± Serena clicked her tongue, tapping the desk with a forceful finger. ¡°When in the seven hells did Highguard start housing mercenaries and privateers?¡± ¡°The activities of our valiant and brave guests have allowed them to meet our very competitive prices, Speaker Halen. They have purchased all available rooms.¡± ¡°Activities? Ha!¡± Serena¡¯s laugh echoed in the large lobby, and Amelia wondered how uncomfortable the lift attendants were getting. ¡°You mean looting and plundering out in international airspace?¡± ¡°Speaker Halen, if you could refrain-¡± ¡°No. You listen here,¡± Serena jabbed a finger at the flustered receptionist. ¡°House Halen and the owner are on good terms. We have hosted him as a guest in our estate many times. I will speak to him myself. Where is he?¡± ¡°I cannot-¡± ¡°I was not asking,¡± Serena snarled, her voice abandoning all pretence of politeness. What a terrible hot-head she was! ¡°I am instructing you. Tell me where I can find him, or you¡¯ll experience some of that conflict you hope to avoid right here, right now!¡± The threat was punctuated with a crack as the edge of the receptionist desk Serena held splintered under her strength. As covertly as she could, Amelia twisted and turned the aether inside her and silently cast a little bit of ice magic. A wave of cold erupted from her, and the receptionist involuntarily shivered. Serena glanced in her direction, and Amelia responded to the questioning look with a small shrug. ¡°T-there¡¯s no need for that, Speaker Halen,¡± the receptionist blurted out, looking thoroughly intimidated at their joint attack. ¡°Lord Yulan is recuperating in the penthouse suite. If you insist so strongly, then we have no choice...¡± the demon awkwardly gestured to the lift. ¡°One of our attendants will take you there.¡± Serena held the man in her gaze as if glaring at him for long enough would melt him into a puddle. ¡°Recuperating?¡± She asked. ¡°Y-yes. He is... unwell.¡± Serena cast a side-eye at her. Amelia responded with a small nod to the implicit question. ¡°Very well,¡± Serena intoned, ¡°Shall we go see the owner, Miss Thornheart?¡± ¡°Mmm, mmm! Sure thing!¡± Amelia nodded enthusiastically. Leaving the stressed receptionist behind, she and Serena entered one of the lifts and the attendant - who looked like he¡¯d rather be anywhere else - produced a silver key from about his person. The attendant inserted the key into a keyhole and twisted three times. An audible click sounded and from below their feet there was a hiss of steam and the elevator began to trundle upwards. The three of them stood in awkward silence. If they were alone, Amelia would have asked all kinds of questions but the presence of the lift attendant kept her lips closed. Another hiss of steam and the lift came to a halt outside a short hallway. The gates of the lift opened and for a moment everything seemed very still. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Serena said, stepping out into the hallway. ¡°Leave that here,¡± Serena gestured to the raincoats, hats, and gift bag containing the mask she was carrying. Amelia placed them on the floor to the side. ¡°Speaker Halen,¡± a small voice called out. It was the lift attendant, bowing deeply in Serena¡¯s direction. ¡°If you can do anything to help Lord Yulan¡¯s position, many of us would be most grateful.¡± Serena evaluated the man with a cold gaze. ¡°How long have you been under his employ?¡± ¡°Five years, Speaker Halen.¡± ¡°How long has Lord Yulan been recuperating?¡± ¡°A little over a year now.¡± ¡°A year!¡± Serena exclaimed. ¡°Who has been running Highguard in his place?¡± ¡°That would be his nephew, Manager San.¡± ¡°Lord Yulan has a nephew?¡± Serena tilted her head in puzzlement. ¡°I have never seen or heard of this nephew. Why?¡± ¡°I can only repeat what I have heard but... Manager San was estranged from the family many years ago for eloping with an Ainese woman that Lord Yulan did not approve of. He recently reappeared to make amends with his uncle.¡± ¡°And was it this Manager San who was responsible for allowing that rabble in?¡± ¡°Yes, Speaker...¡± the lift attendant seemed to chew his words a little, ¡°... Manager San appears to be close with their commander.¡± Serena blinked a few times. ¡°I see,¡± she said, ¡°And when exactly did Manager San make his return?¡± ¡°Ah...¡± The lift attendant kept his eyes firmly on the floor, a pained expression on his face. ¡°That would be...¡± The demon''s voice became barely a whisper, ¡°... shortly before Lord Yulan became bedridden.¡± Serena closed the distance to the attendant and bent down so they were close. ¡°Is the situation that bad?¡± She whispered. ¡°Cargo moves through the hotel only at night. Manager San and his allies monitor it. We are being replaced, one by one.¡± The lift attendant bowed deeply. ¡°If you can do anything, I beg of you!¡± Serena straightened up slowly. ¡°Will they be suspicious of you?¡± ¡°... Yes,¡± came the reply from the still-bowing attendant. ¡°Then, you know what I must do? For your sake?¡± The attendant stood up, his mouth quivering, but Amelia could see the determination in his yellow eyes. ¡°I am prepared, but if you could control your strength-¡± The man was cut short as Serena¡¯s fist smashed into his face and blood exploded from his broken nose. ¡°Ahh... ahhh!¡± The man cried, clutching his bloody face. ¡°Return below. Use all kinds of colourful language to describe me,¡± Serena¡¯s voice took on a note of sympathy, ¡°Describe my actions as violent and without restraint. Tell them I threatened your life with a sword. If you find the opportunity, exit the hotel. Hold this in your hand so it¡¯s visible to the outside crowd.¡± Serena reached into her pockets and pulled out a silver insignia identical to the one Tomes had given Amelia earlier. ¡°You may or may not be approached by someone. Ask them if their accent is from Ichtaca, regardless of how they sound. If they say yes, then inform them that Speaker Halen is exercising her privilege. Is this understood?¡± ¡°Ah... I understand, Speaker Halen!¡± The bloody attendant took the insignia and hid it in his sock. ¡°I will do as you ask!¡± The man spoke with newfound enthusiasm that would look rather noble if he wasn¡¯t pouring blood onto his uniform. ¡°Is there any other way to access this floor?¡± Serena asked. ¡°There are only the stairs. Right here.¡± The attendant pressed a bloody hand against the wall, and a mechanical click sounded as a section swung back, revealing a stairwell. ¡°Return this way. Go now. Be quick,¡± Serena ordered. The attendant gave a hasty bow and vanished down the stairwell. Amelia watched him go and listened as his footsteps quietened. She turned to Serena and raised her eyebrow as best she could. ¡°Well, this has escalated rather quickly!¡± she said, forming her mouth into a sly grin. "How thrilling! What was all that about with the... you know?¡± Amelia motioned a punch with her fist. ¡°I merely want to give them pause in following us. If they believe I am out of control, they will be more hesitant. For some reason,¡± Serena sighed, ¡°I have a reputation for being violent.¡± ¡°Oh my!¡± Amelia made a mock expression of shock, ¡°How could anyone have gotten that idea?¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°Where does she hail from!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s complicated, and we have more important manners to discuss. Can we move the conversation along, old man?¡± Lord Yulan stared at Amelia for a little longer. It was rather awkward, so she gave him a small smile. ¡°My deepest gratitude, young human, for the aid you have rendered upon me. House Yulan will not forget what has transpired here today...¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome! I¡¯m always happy to help Serena out!¡± Amelia exclaimed with a bigger smile. ¡°Besides, this will help me get a raise,¡± she turned to look at Serena, oozing smugness as she took the opportunity. ¡°Right, Ren?¡± Oh dear! What a super-effective attack! Serena¡¯s cheeks bloomed with redness, and she looked thoroughly stricken with embarrassment! Success! ¡°You... you idiot! Don¡¯t call me that!¡± ¡°You¡¯re blushing!¡± ¡°So are you!¡± ¡°Ah! I forgot! Don¡¯t look at me!¡± Amelia turned, hiding her flushed face from Serena again. Lord Yulan looked between them for a few seconds. ¡°It appears you¡¯ve made a friend, Serena?¡± ¡°I...¡± Serena began, ¡°Damn it! This is a conversation for another time. Look here, old man! This is what they were giving you.¡± She produced the tobacco pipe and vial of Dust, handing them to the bewildered Lord Yulan. ¡°This is... Dust, isn¡¯t it?¡± he asked, turning the vial against the light. ¡°Yes.¡± Lord Yulan looked around the room, taking in the mess. ¡°How long have I been here?¡± ¡°About a year, your lift attendant told us. Some in the hotel appear to still be loyal to you. We were told it was the work of your dear nephew, someone with the surname San." ¡°That...¡± Lord Yulan stared off into space for a moment. ¡°That bastard! I welcomed that snake back into the family! I still see he¡¯s the same conniving son of a-¡± The old man caught himself, coughing into his hand awkwardly. ¡°Apologies Serena, Speaker Thornheart. I¡¯ve lost myself in my emotions.¡± ¡°No need, that bastard has welcomed the Crimson Reapers into the hotel. He seems to be working with them on some kind of smuggling activity. Could be weapons, could be drugs. He¡¯s using your hotel in some way to hide or sell the goods. Also, the twerp seems to have instituted a segregationist policy in the hotel, something I took particular exception to.¡± ¡°Seven hells!¡± Lord Yulan exclaimed. ¡°Where is he now!?¡± Serena shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I caused a scene down at reception and demanded to see you. Forced my way here and then broke the elevator and blocked the stairs. I imagine it won¡¯t be long till they try and force their way through.¡± ¡°Surely they won¡¯t try and fight you?¡± He turned his eyes towards Amelia. ¡°Fight you both? You¡¯re both Speakers!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what they¡¯ll have planned, but it won¡¯t be good. I suspect they have law enforcement under their thumb and will try and cause a scene to make it look bad for us. Frame this as a kidnapping or something...¡± ¡°Kidnapping!? What do you intend to do with me?¡± ¡°Get you out of here. There¡¯s a squad from Centralis Intelligence following us. I¡¯ll make contact and hand you over... and then...¡± Serena looked up as a smile formed on her face. ¡°You have that look on your face again, Serena,¡± Lord Yulan said. ¡°What look!?¡± ¡°... Nothing.¡± ¡°Tsk! Anyway, you old man, let¡¯s get you out of here. Do you want to change first?¡± ¡°Yes, of course! I can¡¯t be seen like this. One minute, ladies!¡± Lord Yulan jumped up with a sudden bout of energy and began rummaging in a wardrobe for some clothes. ¡°I feel brilliant! What wonderful healing abilities you have mastered, young Speaker Thornheart!¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome!¡± Amelia grinned. She decided she very much liked being called Speaker Thornheart. Lord Yulan stepped behind a paper screen and soon reappeared in a smart suit. ¡°I¡¯m ready, Serena. What now?¡± ¡°Can you still maintain the first aura?¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± Lord Yulan closed his eyes and after a moment his body began to glow with hues of red. ¡°That was easier than I thought! It has been years since I last did this!¡± ¡°Excellent,¡± Serena strolled across the room, pulling down the shuttered blinds. Daylight flooded the bedroom and from beyond the window the streets of Kenhoro were sprawled out. The urban expanse was sprinkled with towering pagodas and in the distance Amelia could make out the triple steel lighthouses of the imperial docks. Serena coated her marble katana with an orange aura before stabbing it through the window frame, cutting out the window in its entirety like a jigsaw piece. The window fell inwards, and Serena caught it and let it down gently. A breeze filled the room, and paper began flapping all over. Amelia gulped nervously. Surely she didn¡¯t mean... ¡°Ready?¡± Serena asked the room. ¡°How thrilling!¡± Exclaimed Lord Yulan, rolling his glowing red shoulders. ¡°I feel young again!¡± ¡°Are you crazy!?¡± Amelia spluttered. ¡°We¡¯re going to jump!?¡± She tiptoed to the edge of the room and peered out. Her stomach twisted into knots as she felt a queasy feeling rising. They were maybe twenty floors up, and the people below looked like ants. ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± Serena asked. ¡°A jump like this is easy for a first-level aura or ward, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve changed my mind,¡± Amelia said, ¡°I¡¯ve decided I very much prefer fighting and all that! Let¡¯s go back the way we came and fight our way down!¡± ¡°Are you... scared of heights?¡± ¡°No! Yes! I don¡¯t know! It just feels weird!¡± ¡°Have no fear, young Speaker! Look!¡± Lord Yulan appeared at the edge with them. ¡°The outside seating is unoccupied! We can aim there!¡± ¡°I...¡± Amelia tried to desperately calm her frantic heart. ¡°I... I can only do it if you hold my hand!¡± She cried out, causing Serena to open her eyes in shock. ¡°What? Why?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do it any other way! I¡¯m too scared! I feel like crying!¡± Oh, now she had actually started to cry. She was trying her best! She could do it! She would be brave like Serena always was, confident and self-assured! As long as Serena held her hand! ¡°You¡¯re a very weird human, aren¡¯t you?¡± Lord Yulan said, a sparkle in his eye. ¡°Well, Serena? Your friend requests your assistance and I can¡¯t keep my aura going all day!¡± ¡°... Fine. Fine!¡± Serena grabbed her hand, wrapping it in warmth and comfort. ¡°Here. Don¡¯t squeeze too tight! Remember to bend your legs when we land.¡± ¡°Oh, okay!¡± Amelia pushed down the knot in her throat. Everything would be okay as long as she held Serena¡¯s hand. ¡°The wind will be loud as we fall. Oh, don¡¯t scream or yell; it will draw more attention than we need.¡± ¡°O-okay!¡± ¡°Are you ready?¡± ¡°I... I think so!¡± ¡°Good. We¡¯ll aim for the far side of the seating area. Old man, you aim for the side closest to us, alright?¡± ¡°You got it!¡± Lord Yulan rubbed his hands together eagerly. ¡°Amelia, in three?¡± ¡°Three?¡± ¡°Two!¡± ¡°Two!?¡± ¡°One! Jump!¡± ¡°Ah!¡± They leapt from the building, and despite Serena¡¯s stern instructions... Amelia screamed. Chapter Seventeen: Coffee Before The Storm Chapter Seventeen: Coffee Before The Storm As they plummeted down, the wind roared in Serena¡¯s ears and Amelia''s grip almost crushed her hand that was covered in second-level aura. Seven hells! The human was strong when she wanted to be! The ground rushed up to meet them and Serena smashed through a wooden table, denting the stone floor underneath and throwing up dust and splinters. To her right, Amelia had somehow gone through the table head first, face-planting the stone floor. Her legs wiggled in the air and she was making weird whimpering noises. Serena removed her hand from Amelia¡¯s crushing grip and pulled the struggling human upwards by her ankle. ¡°That was amazing!¡± An upside-down Amelia exclaimed when her face appeared. ¡°Can we do it again!? Oh my, the adrenaline rush! I feel wonderful!¡± Serena rolled her eyes and opened her hand, letting Amelia fall into a crumpled heap. At least the idiot was okay. ¡°Old man?¡± She called out, turning to see Lord Yulan clamber smoothly out of a bed of soil and plants. She wasn¡¯t sure how it was possible to look dignified in such a situation, but Lord Yulan managed it. He dusted his legs and adjusted his shoes before rubbing his knees. ¡°A little hard on my joints, but I still have it in me, Serena!¡± Lord Yulan¡¯s face broke out in a proud smile as he crossed his arms and straightened his posture. ¡°These old horns still have some fight left in them! Hmm...¡± He narrowed his eyes at the pile of blond hair and limbs. ¡°Is your human alright?¡± ¡°She¡¯s fine,¡± answered Serena, climbing out of the wooden table. A crowd of market-goers had started to form. Amelia¡¯s screaming certainly hadn¡¯t helped reduce their attention. ¡°Dear, do you think they¡¯re okay!?¡± ¡°Must be pretty skilled to survive a fall like that!¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t fall, they jumped! I saw it!¡± ¡°Seven Hells! That¡¯s Speaker Halen! The captain in the news!¡± ¡°Come on,¡± Serena said, helping Amelia stand. The trio pushed their way through the crowd, and after turning a few corners, they escaped from prying eyes. Behind them, the piercing sounds of whistles blown by the city guard could be heard. Serena guided the pair into a quieter part of the city before dipping into an empty cafe at the end of an alley. She shut the door behind them and turned the closed sign around. Two young demons in work uniforms stood awkwardly behind the counter, watching Serena. One of them was casting a nervous look at her captain''s uniform and marbled sword, while the other stared at her with wonder. ¡°It¡¯s Captain Halen! The war hero!¡± The teenage demon spluttered. He gave a shoddy but enthusiastic salute. ¡°It¡¯s an honour to meet you! Bless the seven hells!¡± ¡°You are... students?¡± She asked, eyeing the both of them carefully. ¡°Yes, Captain! I¡¯m trainee Yin, and this,¡± he elbowed his nervous-looking colleague, ¡°Is trainee Meng! We¡¯re second-years at the academy! You¡¯re a legend amongst the officer staff, Captain!¡± ¡°Is that so? Well then, trainee Yin, would you be able to do me a favour?¡± The youthful face lit up as he beamed with sudden pride. ¡°Of course, Captain!¡± ¡°My friends and I require some privacy. Would you and trainee Meng make yourself scarce for the time being?¡± ¡°Y-Yes! We can do that!¡± ¡°Before you go, is there anyone else in the building?¡± Serena asked, noticing a door behind the two employees. ¡°No one else! The boss won¡¯t be back until the end of the day.¡± ¡°Good. Now take this...¡± Serena fumbled about in the pockets of her uniform. She was looking for her family insignia but she had already given it out to the hotel employee. ¡°Amelia,¡± she called out, ¡°Do you have the Halen insignia on you?¡± ¡°Mmm! Of course! I¡¯ll never take it off!¡± ¡°Well, take it off now. I need it.¡± ¡°Aww, alright.¡± Amelia pulled at her neck and removed the necklace she had fashioned from the insignia and a piece of string. Serena took it, pausing slightly at feeling how warm the metal was. Warm from Amelia¡¯s body heat. She cursed quietly. She needed to sort through this bizarre and unnatural attraction that was building. She let her eyes wander over the girl''s face for a moment. Amelia was a friend, and that was all she needed to be. A beautiful and annoying friend... with soft pink lips that- ¡°Tsk! Idiot!¡± She muttered. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything!¡± Amelia protested, puffing her cheeks out. ¡°Not you,¡± she said, shaking her head. This time, she was the idiot for getting distracted and letting her mind think about such... inappropriate things. ¡°Trainee Yin. Take this and stand at the edge of the street. Hold it so it¡¯s visible to the passing crowd. If you¡¯re approached by somebody, ask them if their accent is from Ichtaca, no matter what they sound like. If they answer yes, then point them to this cafe. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Understood, Captain!¡± Another shoddy salute. ¡°And sort your salute out, trainee. Like this,¡± Serena saluted the youth with all the experience and practice of the seasoned captain she was. The boy looked like he could die happy. ¡°Yes, Captain! I¡¯ll practice all night!¡± ¡°Good, now go, the both of you.¡± After a pair of slightly-improved salutes, the two workers exited the shop and vanished from sight. Serena turned and inspected the room behind the work area. It was a storeroom filled with bags of beans and leaves. Satisfied they were alone in the building, she returned to the table and positioned herself so she could face the doorway. ¡°What¡¯s the Ichtaca thing about?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°An old intelligence trick for two agents to identify if they¡¯re both part of Centralis Intelligence,¡± Serena explained, ¡°It¡¯s not really used anymore as the war has forced intelligence techniques to become more sophisticated. However, I know there¡¯s an intelligence group monitoring us, and they know I know, it should be good enough.¡± She was overdue for a refresher course. New cryptographic methods had been invented, and some ships now had dedicated cryptographers to work alongside the sensors and communications officer. The only reason the Vengeance hadn¡¯t had its protocols modernised already was because it filled a unique role in the navy and did not participate in normal fleet operations. ¡°Why would Centralis be monitoring you?¡± Lord Yulan asked, ¡°Because of the ship?¡± Serena felt herself grow hot. This damn idiot was really pushing her luck. She would definitely find a way to punish this kind of behaviour. After all, Amelia wasn¡¯t subtle, and Serena was finding it harder and harder too... Resist. She sighed. ¡°Well, look over there; that¡¯s a painting of her.¡± She gestured to the wall where a depiction of the Empress stood, leaning over a table with several other subordinates looking at a map of the Eastern Terra Firma. ¡°That¡¯s her!?¡± Amelia jumped up to examine the painting. ¡°She looks... so normal! I thought her horns would be huge! I was right about the black hair, though!¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± Lord Yulan leaned in, reading the imperial tag on the painting. ¡°Looks like this was three hundred years ago, when she came here to contain the monster waves after the Samino civil war. She takes a different form now.¡± ¡°She takes a different form?¡± Amelia turned, eyeing Lord Yulan in confusion. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Not only is she immortal, but our divine empress can change her appearance at will. She does so often, matching her figure to the people of the lands she visits. It is a generous and tactful reminder that our Elana embodies all of demonkind.¡± ¡°That... that...¡± Amelia waved her arm about... ¡°That¡¯s crazy! Does she actually change form? It¡¯s not illusion magic?¡± ¡°Not illusion magic, my dear,¡± Lord Yulan said, shaking his head, ¡°After she communed the Third Word, over the next few centuries, she communed even greater powers. It would be strange if she couldn¡¯t change her form.¡± ¡°There¡¯s also a rumour,¡± Serena said, jumping in, ¡°That she semi-often visits random parts of the empire¡ªa pub here, an inn there¡ªin full disguise that no one can see through or detect¡±. ¡°It¡¯s not just a rumour,¡± Lord Yulan said, ¡°Cascadian officials have made enough comments about those activities that it¡¯s more considered an open secret than a rumour.¡± ¡°So she could be anyone!? At any time?¡± Amelia asked, eyes open in surprise. ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Serena said, ¡°This is why you need proper etiquette lessons. I don¡¯t want you to be impolite to that bartender who is actually our divine deity on her night out! Ha!¡± ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll take them seriously!¡± Amelia protested. ¡°So what does she actually look like? Her original form?¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± Lord Yulan said, ¡°She was originally born in Celle, and like all people of Cerulean heritage she would have...¡± His eyes suddenly narrowed as he looked at Amelia, ¡°Golden hair and blue eyes. Just like you...¡± A moment of silence enveloped the trio as Amelia looked more and more awkward. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Serena said, ¡°I¡¯ve long since decided that if this idiot is the Empress in disguise then all hope is lost and we should surrender now.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Amelia protested, ¡°I¡¯m very capable when I need to be!¡± Her cheeks were puffed out in that way that Serena had come to find very cute. Suddenly she wanted to ruffle that silky blonde hair. Messing Amelia¡¯s hair up so it took on the appearance of bed hair did... strange things to Serena¡¯s mind. ¡°The problem here is when you¡¯re not capable, you¡¯re a walking disaster!¡± She said, enjoying pushing the smug human¡¯s buttons a little more. ¡°Well then!¡± Amelia huffed, hands on hips, ¡°I cannot wait for our next martial arts lesson. I think it¡¯s time I started to get serious! Hmm!? How about I tie you up like a knot and leave you hanging from the mast! Bet I can do it!¡± ¡°Idiot. If anyone¡¯s tying anyone up, it¡¯s me!¡± Serena glared at Amelia who for some reason gave a strange giggle and started to blush. ¡°Well, if you say so...¡± Amelia said quietly. ¡°You...¡± Serena trailed off, the blushing human suddenly made her feel like blushing. Damn it! ¡°Well I must say Serena,¡± Lord Yulan intoned smoothly, ¡°I am thoroughly delighted to see you¡¯ve made a friend you can be comfortable with. You used to be so cold and now your hearts warmed up, hasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Tsk! Stop speaking nonsense old man,¡± Serena mumbled, looking to the side. After a moment, she looked back to see Amelia grinning smugly at her and so she was forced to look away again! Damn it, now she looked like a nervous idiot! ¡°You two lock horns like an old married couple. How envious I am of your youthful energy!¡± Lord Yulan cried out in an exaggerated manner. ¡°Alas! What can an old set of bones like me do but guide the younger generations into happiness?¡± ¡°I think we get on great!¡± Amelia mused, ¡°Serena pretends to be this serious, scary captain, but she actually has a big soft side! That¡¯s my favourite part!¡± ¡°Stop saying unnecessary things... the both of you,¡± Serena muttered, feeling herself blushing even more. How was she supposed to deal with this two-sided attack! Luckily, she was saved by a pair of figures entering the doorway. A pair of demons with their faces shrouded in masks stepped through. As the door swung open, one of them raised the insignia she had given the employee. ¡°Is this yours?¡± Serena stood up, gripping her marble sword. She stood in between the two groups. The demon that spoke carried a long hafted mace in his other hand, while his partner - who had a womanly figure - carried a short sword and shield. She could sense their aether frothing inside them and reflexively spooled up her own. ¡°Who are you?¡± She asked, already suspecting the answer. With her free hand she gestured behind her the military hand signals. Prepare. Fight. She didn¡¯t know if either of them would understand. Another thing to teach Amelia. ¡°We found this hidden in the sock of a whimpering little rat,¡± the man said, dropping the insignia on the floor. ¡°It was a nice plan you made, Captain Halen. Don¡¯t worry; we¡¯ve dealt with those interfering agents hovering about. Also,¡± the man removed his mask, revealing a thin mouth with scars running up both cheeks, forming a morbid smile. ¡°We found a pair of teenagers at the end of this alley. They were so eager to help.¡± Serena blinked, trying to stay calm. ¡°Who are you?¡± She asked again. ¡°Does it matter? Can we just get started?¡± Said the female demon in annoyance, gripping her short sword tighter. Yellow aura spread across her body and her weapons. The male demon did the same, his long mace glowing yellow. It was third-level aura, and skillfully done too. Which meant... ¡°Amelia!¡± She yelled, not taking her eyes off the pair in front. ¡°Ward Yulan! Now!¡± Serena forced her aura to match, glowing yellow. ¡°Salinas,¡± Spoke the man. ¡°Taruna,¡± Spoke the woman. And everything exploded. Chapter Eighteen: Mutual Confession Chapter Eighteen: Mutual Confession Serena was thrown back, smashing through the wall into the building beyond. Despite being wrapped in yellow-aura the shock caused her to bite through her tongue. She spat blood, raising an arm to protect herself as the ceiling collapsed on her. She hurried the Word to form, layering the aether upon itself, folding it into the required structure for communion with Narean. Surprisingly, she found it formed with surprising obedience. Speaking Narean always included a brief battle of will, a demonstration that the Speaker still possessed the power and determination to demand the abilities of the demonic sword god. This time, Narean seemed almost eager to assist. Was this because she was so much stronger after crossing the boundary into blue-aura? Or did Amelia¡¯s ward help in some way? Despite the aether going wild outside, and the wood and stone forming into sharp points that tried to piece her through, Serena was resolute. She wouldn¡¯t allow the skills of Salinas, the Earthlord, to cut her so easily. ¡°Narean.¡± Her vision darkened for a moment and she felt like she had just been turned upside down as the power of the sword god flowed into her. Her stored aether was expelled forcefully - blowing away the rubble and the incoming attacks - and was replaced by the clean and pure aether from the divine realm. She slipped easily - almost too easily - into the fourth-level, her body glowing softly with green light. Hellfire ignited on her horns and the familiar tail formed from the base of her spine, a fifth limb she would make full use of. She leapt back into the ruined cafe, swinging the marbled sword that she had never let go of. A testament to her training and instincts. The man with the scarred face formed shells of stone and earth that he flung at her at speeds that would blow apart any lesser warrior. She cut through one, two then deflected another before being intercepted by the female demon who swung her shield, throwing Serena towards the wall. Serena didn¡¯t smash through, pulsing the aether strongly enough to produce enough of an anti-gravity effect to slow down. She cast a wary eye at the environment, taking in as much information as her accelerated mind could. The man stayed at the back, using his long-hafted mace as a staff, forming earth attacks that floated in a semi-circle above his head. The masked woman stood between them, her shield and short sword glowing green. ¡°An earthlord and a paladin,¡± she said, maintaining awareness of her surroundings. Where was Amelia? Lord Yulan? ¡°What secret lies in Highguard that you¡¯ll Speak to protect?¡± They didn¡¯t respond and the man mumbled something under his breath. The wind picked up and a sandstorm engulfed the cafe, blinding her vision. No matter, Serena didn¡¯t need vision to fight. She closed her eyes and relied on her aether senses to identify attacks. The woman unleashed a flurry of attacks on her, forcing Serena to adjust her stance to avoid being pushed back. She swung her katana in response, parrying and striking where she could. She couldn¡¯t afford to allow the paladin to get under her range, for they were experts in close-quarter combat. Her senses detected the movement of aether in the rubble near her, and blades of stone and wood struck out, seeking to strike through her blind spots. Serena deflected or dodged these attacks, her senses giving her just enough warning. She put her tail of hellfire to work, striking out in opportune moments or defending against an attack that slipped through her defence. ¡°Stubborn,¡± the woman said through gritted teeth. The paladin jumped back and raised her sword. ¡°Turana¡¯s Zeal!¡± she yelled, and the rest of the building''s upper floors were blasted away as a bolt of red lightning struck the shortsword, wrapping it in crackling energy. Even though her eyes were closed, the lightning could be seen through her eyelids. In her senses, the aether was flowing around the sword like a storm. Her instincts warned her of the new danger and she pushed her aether further, trying to breach the boundary into the next level. It wasn¡¯t easy, and the insurmountable wall that she had crossed only once before held firm. Undeterred, she threw her aether against it, chipping away at the metaphysical boundary as she sought new power. Surprisingly, Narean didn¡¯t appear to add any resistance like he usually would. The pair attacked again. The man had changed tactics and instead of large shells of earth was favouring dozens upon dozens of smaller bullets. Too many for her to dodge. Each one could maim or kill a first-level warrior but as a hint of blue appeared within Serena¡¯s aura they only bruised her. The woman¡¯s empowered short sword was the real problem, and it chipped Serena¡¯s marbled katana with every swing. Thankfully the speed hadn¡¯t increased, only the power. With each collision, lightning struck out from the point of impact, hitting the surroundings randomly. ¡°Hurry up,¡± growled the man. ¡°He¡¯ll arrive soon. Kill her!¡± ¡°Fucking trying,¡± the woman spat between strikes. ¡°Bitch¡¯s aura is tough.¡± The woman tried to bash Serena again, but just as her foot stepped forward to shift the weight into the attack, Serena struck out with her hellfire tail knocking the woman momentarily off balance. She swung as hard as she could, ignoring the flurry of bullets striking her. She missed the woman''s neck but was able to cut through the skin of the shoulder, giving her a light wound. Damn paladins! This was the first time she¡¯d fought one properly, and she found it true what she had been told; they could fight at a level above their aura. They were a tough nut to crack. ¡°Ah!¡± The woman backed away, recovering her stance. ¡°Stop fucking about with magic and get in here,¡± she commanded the man, who swore and with a spoken spell covered his body in earthen armour. Stone flowed up his long-hafted mace and formed menacing spikes at the end. He approached cautiously as Serena tightened her grip and planted her feet. How many seconds had passed since she Spoke? The heightened senses meant time slowed down for Speakers. They could fight, speak and comprehend faster than normal. Ten seconds? A dozen? Something was coming, pushing its way through the rubble. A familiar aether signature. Amelia. Serena deflected a swung mace aiming to take her head off, while the woman¡¯s short sword cut her side. Serena kicked out, striking with her tail and twisting her katana to cut the man¡¯s armour. The frantic assault was beyond her current capabilities but as the wounds built up she felt that internal wall breakdown and her aura took on more and more blue. ¡°Bitch going blue,¡± grumbled the woman as the paladin¡¯s aether flared and she unleashed a series of strikes that Serena couldn¡¯t fully defend against. The sword cut her and the woman flared her aether again and a bolt of lightning caused Serena¡¯s body to tense momentarily. Before she could recover, the mace slammed into her side, throwing her across the room. She spat blood as she sensed a familiar aether signature standing over her. ¡°Is Narean behaving?¡± Amelia asked, head tilted. Warmth erupted throughout her body as Amelia healed her. Then her body glowed in hues of silver and gold as some kind of ward wrapped itself around her. Serena opened her eyes to find the sandstorm had died down. The cafe looked like a desert, and Amelia was looking at her with a concerned expression. The human looked no different than a minute ago. ¡°Amelia! Speak! They¡¯re a paladin and an earthlord! Get-¡± The earthlord appeared behind Amelia, swinging his massive mace with two hands against her head. The woman struck at Amelia¡¯s neck, the red lightening crackling with power. Serena leapt up, feeling her aether blast through the barrier as she stepped into the world of blue. She swung towards the woman in desperation, but the huge mace slammed into Amelia¡¯s head and at the same time the woman''s shortsword reached the delicate neck and- Nothing. ¡°Oh?¡± Amelia said softly as the heavy weapon shattered against her head, ruffling her golden hair. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± She mumbled, the shortsword was held in her grip, its red lightning cracking uselessly. ¡°Turana¡¯s Zeal, is it? How nostalgic...¡± The woman tried to pull the sword free but Amelia¡¯s hand didn¡¯t budge an inch. Then - almost too fast for Serena to see - the human grabbed the wrists of both of the enemies. ¡°Amelia!¡± Serena exclaimed, ¡°How...?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already Spoken,¡± she said plainly. ¡°Took a few seconds as I wanted to do it quietly. No point blasting away half the street.¡± She turned a head towards Serena, ignoring the armoured first slamming into her head again and again. ¡°Lord Yulan¡¯s fine, by the way. Made sure to get him safe. As for these two...¡± Amelia''s eyes darkened, and Serena saw behind those eyes that glowed golden; there was a background of crimson. It was terrifyingly beautiful. ¡°It¡¯s Salinas and Turana, then?¡± Amelia asked, her voice lacking its usual clumsy cheerfulness. The two demons cried out in pain as an audible snap came from their wrists. Amelia had broken them. ¡°Did you fools not hear my warning?¡± ¡°Gah! Bitch! I don¡¯t even know you!¡± gasped the woman, as she tried to free herself. ¡°Not you,¡± snapped Amelia. ¡°I¡¯ll ask again... did you not hear my warning?¡± Serena involuntarily gulped. Amelia used some kind of spell when she asked that question. Something rippled in the aetherfield, and for the first time, she became aware of something else, another layer that formed underneath the aether. Whatever it was, it reacted strongly to Amelia¡¯s words. The woman suddenly spewed blood from her mouth. She screamed in agony as her skin cracked and poured blood and aether. ¡°Turana! Why!¡± she cried. The woman¡¯s aura violently shifted from green to yellow, then it dimmed to orange and finally red before vanishing entirely. The woman was unconscious and entirely defenceless. What in the seven hells had just happened? Serena¡¯s mind raced at the scene before her. Did Amelia just... expel a Word from someone? She swallowed nervously. Amelia had said she had Spoken, but to do this... had she Spoken only one word? Spoken only the First Word? ¡°Amelia-¡± she began, interrupted by the sudden cry from the man. ¡°Salinas! I give you my soul! Bestow upon me the means to escape!¡± The scarred man roared. For a moment, nothing happened. ¡°What an ambitious demon god you are...¡± Amelia mumbled as power and aether erupted from the man who ripped his arm away, leaving a bloodied hand behind. The earth bent and buckled underneath their feet and then opened. The surrounding buildings above collapsed upon them, accelerated by some gravity spell. It slammed into the group, and they were flung down into the darkness. Serena spun this way and that before something reached out and pulled her close. ¡°Hold on!¡± Amelia yelled, pulling her into an embrace. Aether flowed about them as some kind of defensive spell was cast, and they slammed into the ground. As the building fell upon them, her ears were bombarded with a violent array of noise and sound, but Amelia¡¯s magic formed an invulnerable pocket. Most of them! Serena felt her eyes go wide and took a deep breath. ¡°You know... most of the human Words?¡± ¡°No...¡± ¡°No?¡± ¡°My character didn¡¯t always look like this,¡± Amelia said, pulling away and holding out her blond hair. ¡°Before I used to play with a character that was a demonic mage. In the years I spent in the hospital, I must have put in thousands upon thousands of hours training her up! She knew... basically all of the demon Words...¡± Amelia fiddled with her hair, ¡°For a joke I made my character look like this, and then I became her but... I feel that I can still Speak all the demon words... if I wanted to.¡± Serena quietly absorbed this information. She thought back to a conversation between her and Anathor. A blessing from the gods couldn''t make someone a Speaker, but what if Amelia had received a blessing from an entity greater than the gods? There were myths, talked about only half-seriously, that spoke of things living in the mists, and other realms of unimaginable power. Amelia kept her eyes low, seemingly afraid to meet Serena¡¯s. ¡°You don¡¯t... hate me, do you?¡± She whispered. ¡°Why would I hate you?¡± ¡°Because I kept this from you... kept it hidden. Speaking is such a big deal here and look at how everyone reacts when they find out I can speak just one Word. I¡¯m sorry...¡± Amelia trailed, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to scare you off! I really like being around you, and I don¡¯t want that to change...¡± Serena sighed, and pulled Amelia closer. ¡°I don¡¯t hate you, idiot.¡± Serena rested her head against the top of Amelia¡¯s. ¡°I¡¯m glad we have somewhat of an explanation. It doesn¡¯t answer everything, but I don¡¯t think you¡¯re lying. Besides, I like you being around as well...¡± ¡°Really?¡± Came a small voice. ¡°You¡¯re an annoying idiot, but you¡¯re my annoying idiot,¡± Serena ruffled the golden hair. ¡°I admit, I¡¯m tired of playing the obedient daughter or the strict captain all the time. I can¡¯t remember when I could last speak so comfortably to someone, but somehow I can do that with you.¡± ¡°So, can I stay with you? Is the contract still valid?¡± ¡°Of course, I swear on my horns.¡± ¡°Then... can I... get a raise?¡± ¡°Pfft!¡± They both laughed at that, a much-needed release. ¡°Once we speak to my father, we can sort something out,¡± Serena explained. ¡°So, would you be able to explain what you did to that Turana bitch? It felt like you used some power when you asked her a question, and then she lost all her abilities.¡± ¡°I um... last time when you fought Korvus and Narean took control, I kinda threatened them all...¡± ¡°Threatened who?¡± ¡°The demon gods... told them to behave themselves around you.¡± ¡°Please tell me you¡¯re joking,¡± Serena said, ¡°Because that¡¯s insane¡±. ¡°Then I¡¯m insane,¡± came the reply. ¡°Although, I only yelled a bit at the lesser gods. They¡¯re really not that tough, just arrogant children flailing about trying to get the higher god¡¯s attention.¡± A few seconds passed as Serena digested that information. ¡°When you talked about the warning earlier, I felt something ripple, but it was weird. It was like there was something underpinning the aetherfield that reacted.¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s the mistlands. I spoke to Turana directly, so I had to send my words through the mists to reach his realm. At least, that¡¯s what I feel I did on an instinctive level. I don¡¯t have that much comprehension of how it all works, you know? When a trainee moves their fleet to attack in a game of Captain¡¯s Chess that wouldn¡¯t give them much understanding of what it¡¯s like to actually command a fleet, right?¡± ¡°Right...¡± So what she had felt was the mists themselves. Was it because she had finally reached blue-level aura again? Serena realised she was idly stroking Amelia¡¯s hair. So soft. ¡°You really spoke to Turana directly? A god?¡± ¡°Yeah, and did you see how he ran away from his vessel with his tail tucked behind his legs?¡± ¡°I did... speaking of! Where are they!¡± She had forgotten entirely about her adversaries! ¡°They fled, I thought about stopping them but...¡± Amelia trailed off. ¡°But?¡± ¡°But I was so comfortable... being held by you.¡± Serena felt heat rise in her cheeks. Well, if Amelia was spilling everything out it might as well be time to address the arcwhale in the room. ¡°Amelia... how do you feel... about me?¡± She asked cautiously, feeling her heartbeat speed up and Amelia reflexively tense. The human was quiet for a dozen seconds before she finally answered. ¡°... Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± She whispered. ¡°Amelia, I¡¯m a demon. You¡¯re a human... I think.¡± ¡°I told you when we first met, didn¡¯t I? I like demons.¡± So she had. Serena suddenly found herself smiling. Why was she suddenly so happy? Damn it, she knew why. She knew exactly why. She opened her mouth to say something. What should she say? What would the right thing be to do? Should she prioritise House Halen, or herself? ¡°I-¡± She began. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what you say, my feelings aren¡¯t going away. And besides...¡± Amelia raised her head and met her eyes. The human''s cheeks were so red and hot Serena could probably fry an egg on them. ¡°Besides, I saw you checking out my arse when I was doing my katas. So don¡¯t pretend it¡¯s not mutual... unless it really isn¡¯t, alright?¡± She had been caught! ¡°I...¡± She struggled to meet Amelia¡¯s eyes. Where had the human gotten this confidence!? ¡°I suppose...¡± she began, her eyes flickering to Amelia¡¯s pink lips. ¡°I suppose it is... mutual.¡± She whispered, and Amelia broke out with the happiest expression Serena had ever seen on anyone ever. ¡°That¡¯s the best thing you could have said! So...¡± Amelia¡¯s eyes flickered awkwardly downwards, towards Serena¡¯s lips. ¡°Umm... should we...¡± Amelia suddenly looked bashful, struggling to meet Serena¡¯s eyes. ¡°You know...¡± she muttered, looking to the side. Serena swallowed nervously, her heart pounding so loud in her ears that she could barely hear what Amelia was saying. She didn¡¯t need to hear her, she could see her intention. Serena had told herself she needed to address her feelings and her attraction for this human. And that was exactly what she was doing. Serena reached out, wrapping a hand around the back of Amelia¡¯s head. ¡°Come here, idiot,¡± she whispered, pulling her close. Until their lips met. Chapter Nineteen: The Greatlord of Kenhoro Chapter Nineteen: The Greatlord of Kenhoro Amelia gripped the handhold Serena had created and pulled herself up before seeking the next one. Serena was just in front, using her magic to create little holes in the earth and stone. Together they ascended up the hole the Salinas Speaker had desperately created to escape. Amelia could have jumped out easily, or used earth magic herself to bring the both of them to the surface. Instead, she was glad they had silently agreed to this slow ascent. It gave each of them valuable time to think and Amelia had plenty to think about. Her mind raced between the sheer embarrassment of breaking down and crying in front of Serena, and the celebratory feeling of delight and satisfaction she felt over the most amazing kiss anyone had ever experienced!Vissit for updates Best of all, Serena had initiated! Nothing else could have assured Amelia her feelings were reciprocated as much as Serena¡¯s hand wrapping around her head and pulling her in so gently and so boldly! As she adjusted her limbs into the next set of handholds, Amelia ran her tongue over her lips. She could still feel that soft, sweet and yet somehow firm pressure from Serena¡¯s lips. A phantom feeling of the kiss lay at the edge of her senses and that alone caused warmth and joy to ripple through her heart. If it were possible, she would have quite literally melted into a puddle of bliss. Luckily she hadn¡¯t melted, although if she had she would just have healed herself back up! The one thing she couldn¡¯t heal away was the lingering embarrassment of spilling everything in such an ugly way. The emotional outburst took Amelia by surprise, and she hadn¡¯t realised quite how scared she was of everything, despite how safe and powerful she was. Most of all, she had been terrified of Serena being scared of her. She dreaded to imagine those crimson eyes looking at her in fear or apprehension. How happy she was when those eyes looked at her with only surprise and sympathy and in the end, when their lips broke apart, with desire. Amelia ran the memory of the kiss over and over again in her head as she ascended the last few meters out of the hole towards the powerful beings that had been waiting for them all this time. Serena swallowed nervously. Clenching her fist against an open palm, she bowed deeply to the trio, who were waiting for them. She did not recognise two of them, but the third was unmistakable. Dressed in traditional silk Manwese clothing, the man hovered above the sandy cafe floor, crackling with blue energy that saturated the atmosphere with tension. Lei Gong the Stormlord, Greatlord and ruler of Kenhoro had arrived. ¡°Stormlord,¡± she began, using the man¡¯s preferred title while trying to keep her voice at the right tone. ¡°I apologise for this disturbance that has befallen your city. May I explain what has happened here?¡± Serena stayed bowed, waiting for the reply. ¡°Look at this Lord-prospect!¡± Exclaimed one of the men she did not recognise. He had an arrogant posture and a long white beard. His clothes were expensive, but his hands were those of a fighter. ¡°Do they not teach manners over in the Three Sisters? Hrmph! I told you, a native would not have caused this!¡± ¡°You are correct, Highlord Qiang,¡± said the other man, who was unknown to her. He had a noticeably slim build, sharp features, and narrow eyes. A single thick horn extruded from his forehead to the base of his skull, forming a kind of mohawk. ¡°This one is Highlord Halen¡¯s daughter? Is that correct?¡± ¡°Correct,¡± uttered Serena, maintaining her bow. ¡°And this one? Is this the human Speaker?¡± Serena turned her head slightly to see Amelia had joined her in her act of submission. At least she could read the room. The golden hair was now dirty with sand, dust, sweat and blood and had clumped together awkwardly. Through a gap in the hair, Serena could make out those pink lips that not so long ago she had... No. Now wasn¡¯t the time. ¡°This is Amelia Thornheart,¡± Serena said. "Speaker Thornheart is a native of Karligard, a travelling healer that I have secured for House Halen.¡± A few moments lapsed, the only sound being the imposing crackling of the Stormlord¡¯s energy as little bolts of blue lightning whipped up miniature sandstorms. ¡°Lord-prospect Halen, a word of advice,¡± said the unknown man who she was certain was another Highlord. ¡°When in the presence of other Cascadian Lords, especially a Greatlord, it is seen impolite to hold onto Narean. Some of us might even take it as a threat.¡± ¡°Ah! My sincere apologies!¡± Serena had forgotten she was still holding onto the Word. It had cooled down, the hellfire on her horns and flaming tail had vanished inside the hole, but she had still maintained a grip on the divine aether inside her. She was in a state known as simmering. A battle state allowing Speakers to react quickly without expending too much effort. Serena released her will on the aether inside her and felt it escape as it crossed the boundary into the realm of the gods. In its place, her aether reserves recovered as she absorbed the normal atmospheric aether. It was happening faster than usual; the atmosphere was saturated with aether with the Stormlord''s presence. ¡°Forgive me, but I don¡¯t recall your name, Highlord,¡± Serena said, trying to sound apologetic. ¡°Ha! This is what happens when you lock yourself away year after year, my friend!¡± Highlord Qiang laughed softly. ¡°What¡¯s the point in having so many great achievements if those who use them don¡¯t know your face!?¡± ¡°My dear friend Qiang,¡± the man said in mirth, ¡°Isn¡¯t the achievement greater if it is done without the expectation of fame and glory?¡± In reply, Highlord Qiang smashed his two fists together. Serena could see they had seen battle many times. ¡°Fame and glory make the achievement, and the achievement makes fame and glory! Can¡¯t have one without the other!¡± Highlord Qiang punctuated his statement by bringing his fists together once again. ¡°Nevertheless...¡± the man turned his attention back to Serena and Amelia. ¡°I am Highlord Ru. I don¡¯t expect you to recognise my face. I rarely leave my laboratory. Stand up straight, both of you. Too much bowing is impolite.¡± Serena and Amelia both straightened. Serena examined Highlord Ru¡¯s face. His face didn¡¯t ring any bells, but his name did. She had definitely heard of it before. She turned the name over in her mind. With a glance at Amelia, she saw that she wasn¡¯t looking at any of the trio in front of them at all. Instead, she had a puzzled expression on her face and was looking at some unidentifiable spot in the sky behind the Greatlord and two Highlords. Serena glanced in the direction Amelia was looking at, but seeing nothing, turned her eyes back to Highlord Ru. Hopefully they would forgive the human for being a little rude. As she thought about pre-emptively apologising, the name Ru suddenly triggered a memory. ¡°Highlord Ru, are you perhaps the same Ru of the Ru-Barfield equation?¡± ¡°The very same! See, friend? Sometimes a name is all you need!¡± Highlord Ru said with a smile of pride on his sharp face. ¡°You invented the lifting engine! The equation that took demonkind to the skies!¡± Despite the tension in the atmosphere and the absolute monster crackling with energy at the back, Serena couldn¡¯t help but blurt out the statement. ¡°You¡¯re the Aetherlord!¡± Seven hells! What next, tea with the Empress!? Serena rested her head against the palm of her hand for a moment, gathering herself. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Lord Yulan should be just down the street. Uh... we don¡¯t look great, do we? Here...¡± Serena found some paper towels that had survived the fight. ¡°Use these,¡± She said, offering some to Amelia. ¡°No need! Come here!¡± Amelia reached out a hand, and when Serena touched it some spell was activated. All the dirt, sweat and blood vanished from their hair, clothes and bodies. ¡°I thought you knew a cleaning spell...¡± Serena murmured, examining how pristine she was suddenly. ¡°Is this what you used on me in the medical bay on the ship?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Amelia grinned happily, ¡°If you ever want to skip a shower, let me know! Although...¡± She wrinkled her nose, ¡°Even though it makes you perfectly clean, I still feel like having a wash, you know? Can we find another hotel, one that doesn¡¯t hate humans?¡± ¡°Sure...¡± Serena nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s find Lord Yulan. He has all kinds of friends in the industry.¡± Together they made their way down the street, and as the Greatlord had said, they found Lord Yulan pacing frantically, looking worried. ¡°Serena! Miss Thornheart!¡± Lord Yulan exclaimed, relief written on his face. ¡°You¡¯re alright! What happened!? Did you see the Greatlord!? What power!¡± ¡°Glad to see you¡¯re alright, old man,¡± Serena said, giving him a hug. ¡°There¡¯s a lot to talk about. Highlord Qiang is in the process of raiding the Highguard, so I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll be able to go back there for a while.¡± ¡°This is going to be terrible for business,¡± sighed Lord Yulan. ¡°So, what¡¯s happening with you two?¡± He eyed them both. ¡°Are there any hotels outside of the city centre that would be happy to have us stay? Any friends owing you favours?¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± Lord Yulan scratched his jaw. ¡°I can think of a few. Actually, I know just the place. Let¡¯s jump a tram, and then it¡¯s a short walk.¡± The three of them left the area. A crowd had formed, but the city guards were massed in great numbers and were keeping the situation under control. They slipped through a side alley, guided by a guard, before jumping on a tram. The three of them rode in silence, not wanting to speak in public about the events that transpired. When they jumped off and began walking through quieter streets, Lord Yulan bombarded her with questions and she did her best to answer. Of certain matters that occurred in the hole as well as the part about the Overlord she kept secret. No need to complicate things further. They soon arrived at a large inn on the outskirts. Where Highguard was tall, this place was stocky and wide. Serena found out that in the centre was a private garden, and the building and its two floors were wrapped around it. It was a modest, quiet inn. Perfect for their needs. Lord Yulan was welcomed by the owner with a smile of joy, and the two nattered about all kinds of irrelevant things before Yulan broached the subject of them staying. ¡°I am Mister Weng, the owner of this establishment.¡± Mister Weng bowed to Serena and Amelia. ¡°It is a great honour to have not only two Speakers stay here, but ones who saved my friend Lord Yulan from such a troubling situation. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.¡± Weng prostrated himself even further. ¡°Mister Weng, I take it you have a room for us, then?¡± Serena asked. ¡°Of course, Speaker Halen. You are lucky that we still have a room remaining. The rest are occupied by festival-goers. I shall make it available to you free of charge, for as long as you wish.¡± ¡°No need. House Halen will pay the invoice. We won¡¯t impose on you that much, Mister Weng.¡± ¡°Your generosity knows no bounds, Speaker.¡± Weng had a pleasing smile on his face. ¡°Here are the keys. My receptionist will guide you to your room.¡± He handed Serena a large brass key. ¡°I¡¯ll let you two kids get on with it, then!¡± Said Lord Yulan cheerfully. ¡°Where are you going, old man?¡± ¡°Home, of course! I don¡¯t live in the Highguard! Need to make sure my house is still standing!¡± Lord Yulan gave her a wave, ¡°I¡¯ll impose upon you two in a few days, I imagine I have a dreadful amount of paperwork to go over!¡± With that, Lord Yulan vanished, leaving Serena and Amelia alone with the owner and receptionist. ¡°Speaker Halen, Speaker Thornheart. If you could follow me.¡± The receptionist - a short, neatly dressed human - bowed to them. ¡°Enjoy your stay!¡± Weng called out as they were led up a flight of stairs. The receptionist led them around the terrace that surrounded the garden before coming to a stop at a door. The human bowed politely. ¡°Here we are. There is a bell you can ring inside. It''s connected to the reception. Is there anything else I can do for you?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s all for now,¡± Serena said, and the receptionist left them alone. She placed the key in the lock and opened the door. Looking inside, she swept her eyes over the room before closing the door and turning to Amelia awkwardly. ¡°Umm...¡± She muttered, not knowing what to say. ¡°What is it?¡± Amelia asked, pushing open the door and looking inside herself. ¡°Oh my!¡± She exclaimed, flashing a look at Serena, cheeks going red. The room was beautiful and luxurious, but one thing stood out among the luxuries that caused heat to rise in both Serena¡¯s and Amelia¡¯s bodies. The lone bed that lay teasingly in the centre of the room. Chapter Twenty: Two Girlfriends And Many Drinks Chapter Twenty: Two Girlfriends And Many Drinks The door swung shut behind them - leaving them in silence - staring at the bed whose very existence made Amelia¡¯s heart race. Amelia cast an eye sideways to see Serena with a nervous expression on her face. The demon was chewing her lips. ¡°Well!¡± Amelia exclaimed as cheerfully as she could. ¡°It looks very... cosy, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I will return to reception. Have them bring another bed,¡± said Serena, turning to the door. Amelia intercepted her, throwing her arms wide and blocking her passage. ¡°You can¡¯t!¡± Amelia cried, ¡°We¡¯ve already imposed so much on Mister Weng! We can¡¯t bother him any more!¡± ¡°We¡¯re paying customers; it¡¯s his job to be bothered.¡± Serena crossed her arms and tried to look stern, although her flushed cheeks somewhat spoiled the act. ¡°It¡¯s the last room, Mister Weng must be very busy running a full establishment! We can bother him tomorrow!¡± Amelia wasn¡¯t going to let this gift from the gods go unused. This was something to fight over! ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. We¡¯re Speakers. It¡¯s probably an oversight. They¡¯ll be delighted to fix it...¡± Serena trailed off slightly at the end, the conviction in her voice fading, which was all Amelia needed to go on the attack. ¡°It¡¯s not a problem, so it doesn¡¯t need to be fixed! Right!?¡± ¡°W-what are you suggesting!? We sleep together!?¡± Serena¡¯s cheeks had gone fully red, and her voice was wavering. Now was the time to be strong, to strike the finishing blows! ¡°Of course! We like each other, don¡¯t we!? And besides...¡± Amelia puffed her cheeks out and shuffled her feet while trying to maximise her cute appearance. ¡°... When you hold me, I feel so warm and safe. Like nothing could ever hurt me...¡± A critical strike! Serena took a half-step back and her right hand went to her chest. ¡°Y-you... you... ah!¡± It was all too much for Serena and she turned away from Amelia. ¡°You can¡¯t say such shameless things so easily!¡± Serena seemed to find her voice when she wasn¡¯t looking directly at her. Amelia took the chance and shuffled up behind her. ¡°Can I... put my arms around you?¡± She asked quietly. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Do I need a reason to embrace the person I like? Mmm?¡± Serena was quiet for a few seconds before the whispered response came. ¡°Do... as you like...¡± Amelia slipped her arms around Serena¡¯s waist. Unfortunately, the captain¡¯s outfit prevented her from being as close as she wanted, but this level of intimacy was still satisfying. Serena was just a bit too tall for her to rest her chin on her shoulder, so she turned her head to the side and rested her cheek against Serena''s upper back. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I pushed things too fast...¡± Amelia whispered, squeezing Serena a little. ¡°I just, really, really like you. I think I have from the moment we first met. Not just romantically... but physically as well.¡± Oh my, it was so much easier to say embarrassing things in this position! She would have to make this a habit. ¡°The thought of cuddling with you makes me so happy, and we can¡¯t exactly do it in the hammocks on the ship, right? So I want to make the most of it while we can. That¡¯s all I want! Just cuddling! We don¡¯t have to do anything else...¡± She was blabbering now, ¡°... but if we could kiss some more that would be perfect, if you¡¯re still, you know... into me...¡± Serena let out an audible sigh. ¡°You really don¡¯t know when to stop, do you?¡± the demon said. Amelia felt Serena place her hands on her own. ¡°No! And I don¡¯t want to stop!¡± Amelia gave Serena another squeeze. ¡°It¡¯s just... there¡¯s supposed to be a period of courting. Because I¡¯m a Lord-prospect, and daughter of a Highlord. At least, um... three moons, I believe it was? It¡¯s supposed to take time, so the two families can iron out any problems...¡± ¡°But, I don¡¯t have any family, in this world or the other one. It¡¯s just me!¡± Amelia exclaimed, trying not to let the atmosphere drop too much. ¡°I don¡¯t think anybody did courting where I¡¯m from. We just went on dates and got to know each other!" ¡°Dates?¡± ¡°Like going out and doing something together - eating a meal, watching a play - something like that.¡± Serena pried Amelia¡¯s arms off and turned to face her. The demon was smiling, and coupled with the flush cheeks and crimson eyes, Amelia once again found herself taken back by how attracted she was to Serena. ¡°We can do that...¡± Serena said, holding hands with Amelia, interlocking their fingers. ¡°I just want you to understand that... same-sex relationships are frowned upon. The Holy Demon Bible, of which the Empress herself compiled from the ancient scripture, strongly discourages them.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Well,¡± Serena suddenly looked bashful, ¡°The scripture has a heavy emphasis of... multiplying demonkind, and I guess us being two women would make that... difficult.¡± Serena closed her eyes for a few seconds before opening them. ¡°Okay, but that won¡¯t stop us from trying, right?¡± Another critical blow! Serena released their hands and pulled Amelia into a tight embrace. The demon sure did give great hugs! ¡°Stupid idiot,¡± Serena said, ruffling her golden hair. ¡°I can¡¯t look at you when you say such awfully forward things, idiot!¡± Amelia had her cheeks pressed against Serena¡¯s collar, which meant if she rotated her head just a little she was in the perfect position too... ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Amelia said, giving Serena a small kiss on the neck. ¡°There must be something wrong with me, because I¡¯m actually addicted to making you flustered.¡± Another peck against the skin. ¡°I must be a pervert or something because I love seeing that stern captain act break down. It honestly excites me...¡± Another kiss. ¡°This is going to be so much trouble...¡± Serena mumbled, pulling Amelia off and looking into her eyes. The demon placed one hand on Amelia¡¯s waist and another behind her head and, like before, pulled their lips together. ¡°Mmm¡± ¡°Ahh¡± ¡°Mmm¡± ¡°Ow!¡± ¡°Sorry!¡± Amelia exclaimed, pulling away. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting your tongue!¡± She giggled at the annoyed-looking demon. ¡°See,¡± Amelia said, ¡°It¡¯s much easier to look at each other if we keep doing things like this, right!?¡± ¡°Tsk! That logic is...¡± Serena paused, rolling her eyes. ¡°I suppose it makes some sense.¡± Serena placed a hand on each of Amelia¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Look, our relationship isn¡¯t illegal. But there are many who would be opposed. My father included. He¡¯s-¡± Serena was cut off as Amelia pulled her into hug. ¡°You said our relationship!¡± Amelia exclaimed before looking into those crimson eyes. ¡°So we¡¯re definitely dating or courting or whatever? You¡¯re my girlfriend? I can call you that?¡± ¡°I... suppose so.¡± ¡°Serena Halen,¡± Amelia said, grinning wildly, ¡°My girlfriend!¡±. She tilted her head and gave Serena a kiss on the cheeks. ¡°So what¡¯s this about our relationship? People aren¡¯t going to throw rocks at us or anything?¡± ¡°Uh, no,¡± Serena¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°And if they did, I¡¯d collect those hands and decorate the ship with them.¡± Those crimson eyes didn¡¯t seem to be joking. ¡°The point is, I won¡¯t deny we¡¯re... together if I¡¯m directly asked. I won¡¯t disrespect either you or myself by pretending otherwise. It¡¯s just that we should avoid public displays of affection. Such things are unbecoming of nobility, and double so that I¡¯m a Speaker, and triple so that I¡¯m a commissioned officer.¡± ¡°Alright, that makes sense. I won¡¯t go screaming about it from the rooftops then, even if I want to!¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Serena looked relieved. ¡°Even when it does become known, whether as an open secret or formally announced - we would still be immune from most public criticism as we are, after all, two powerful Speakers. But you will hear things said behind our backs. Most people aren¡¯t quite aware of how good a Speaker¡¯s hearing is. Some of the more... passionate people will use rather... unkind words when they think you cannot hear them.¡± ¡°And I should, what? Let them be?¡± Amelia frowned. She didn¡¯t want to go around starting fights and picking battles all the time, but it felt wrong to just... let it happen. ¡°If things are said behind your back, best to report it back to me, and we can start figuring out our allies and enemies. If it¡¯s said to your face...¡± Serena sighed. ¡°I know you don¡¯t like fighting, but if you break a few noses when it happens, it¡¯ll stop it from continuing. As long as you don¡¯t break another Speaker¡¯s nose, it''s unlikely it¡¯ll cause any real problems. You are a Speaker after all, and once you¡¯ve been granted citizenship, you¡¯ll have the Speaker¡¯s Privilege. You¡¯ll be permitted to take the law into your own hands, to an extent.¡± ¡°Insulting a Speaker is against the law?¡± ¡°To a small degree. Speakers have a right to seek retribution against a slight against them. It¡¯s an old law but still used today. Think about it, Speakers are worthy of divine communion with the gods. Society treats us a step higher than others, for the gods themselves have sanctioned and chosen us. You will also have the right to fine people up to ten denarii if they cause you problems, although don¡¯t use that against any nobility.¡± Well, the more Serena told her about Speakers, the more excited Amelia became! ¡°When will I become a citizen?¡± She asked. ¡°There¡¯s an old friend of mine from the academy here in Kenhoro. His name is Aiden Adachi and he was sent by Centralis Intelligence to do a personality profile on you. You¡¯re supposed to meet him during the festival. Although...¡± Serena looked thoughtful, ¡°We might as well meet him earlier, given the drama that just transpired.¡± Amelia took her own sip, and the richness of the flavour filled her mouth. When she swallowed the taste lingered and transformed into a satisfying aftertaste that just encouraged her to take another sip. ¡°Is it worth a lot?¡± She asked. ¡°Yes, for the common worker. This bottle is...¡± Serena glanced at the menu. ¡°Ten denarii. More than a month''s salary for a soldier.¡± ¡°So much!¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s manufactured in the Western Terra Firma and shipped all the way here. It¡¯s the main export of the far West; the loqua berries will only grow under the light of the green moon.¡± ¡°Are the moons always in the same spot? Don¡¯t they orbit the planet?¡± ¡°No, the moons are magical in nature. They follow a cyclical pattern, moving closer to the land where they rain down moon crystals before pulling back high in the sky. They deviate a little, but the movements can be predicted mathematically. There is a non-magical moon that orbits the world at a greater distance, I¡¯ll point it out to you when we see it.¡± ¡°And the upcoming festival, you said that it was to do with the moons?¡± ¡°Right,¡± Serena said, taking emptying her glass and refilling it. ¡°At this time in the cycle, the moon is at its apogee. The furthest away from the planet it can go. The festival is an act of celebration and worship, to make sure it remembers to come back again.¡± ¡°Is it dangerous when the moon crystals fall?¡± ¡°Yes, but not terribly so. The crystals react with the lumina as they fall so they sort of float down. Some of the crystals have more rocks embedded in them so they don¡¯t slow down as much. Normally everyone stays indoors for the period of moonrain when it comes.¡± Amelia finished her glass of loqua and poured another one. The bottle was almost half empty already! She would definitely be ordering some more. After all, she could afford it. ¡°So the blue moon is here, red is in the south, yellow is Centralis and green is in the west. What¡¯s in the north? What about the human territories?¡± ¡°The north is covered by the cold light of the purple moon. Most of Cascadia is warm or tropical, but the north is frigid and cold. Something about the cold makes purple loqua impossible to manufacture, which is why that colour of drink doesn¡¯t exist. As for the human territories, the federation has an orange moon. Karligard and the Republic share a white one, and there¡¯s one more... I can¡¯t remember.¡± ¡°Is there a black moon?¡± Amelia asked. If there was a white one, surely there was a black one. ¡°No,¡± Serena said, shaking her head. ¡°No black one.¡± Those crimson eyes looked at her for a while. ¡°What?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°The next moonrain in the east will take place while we¡¯re in Shimashina, but the morning after a moonrain, when the blue moon is at its closest...¡± Serena cast her arms about, imitating a sweeping landscape. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful. The forest is cloaked in a blanket of blue light, and it sparkles! From thousands of freshly fallen crystals. You only have an hour or so to enjoy it before the harvesters get their grubby hands on it all. Even so...¡± Serena looked to the side awkwardly, ¡°I would like to see the next one with you, if you¡¯d like.¡± ¡°I¡¯d love that!¡± Amelia grinned. Already another date was planned! This couldn¡¯t be going any better! ¡°Good... good. It¡¯ll be a sight to remember,¡± Serena said before ringing the bell on the table. ¡°Let¡¯s order, I know the perfect thing to get.¡± A moment later an employee appeared, Serena gave them the order, including a request for a bottle of blue and green loqua. ¡°Why not red?¡± Amelia asked once the employee had withdrawn. ¡°Red crystal is in shortage at the moment, due to the war.¡± ¡°What has the war got to do with it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a key component in the manufacture of explosives,¡± Serena said with a shrug. ¡°It¡¯s very expensive these days due to demand and export controls. It¡¯s why it was so expensive when you ordered the mask.¡± ¡°The mask!¡± Amelia¡¯s eyes widened, remembering the bag she had left behind in the Highguard. She had completely forgotten! ¡°I left the gift bag behind in Lord Yulan¡¯s room!¡± ¡°Not to worry, I¡¯ll send a message to Lord Yulan in the morning. I¡¯m sure we can get it back.¡± Serena shrugged. ¡°And if not, I¡¯ll buy you another one.¡± Oh my, what a reliable and pragmatic girlfriend she had found! ¡°Okay!¡± Amelia said cheerfully. The cloth curtain opened and the employee brought two bottles of loqua, one blue and one green to the table. After verifying there wasn¡¯t anything else he could do for them he withdrew with a bow. ¡°Green loqua,¡± Serena said as she poured two glasses, ¡°Is sweeter than blue. It¡¯s also higher in alcoholic content so be careful. Although, as a Speaker it¡¯s pretty hard to get drunk.¡± Amelia took a sip, noting the sweetness of the green liquid. Like blue, it was delicious and left a collection of flavours in her mouth that changed as time went on. Serena wasn¡¯t wrong, it was much stronger than the blue loqua. She felt the fumes of the alcohol go to her head. She wouldn¡¯t be a lightweight right? Not in this body? They spent a few minutes drinking quietly, chatting about random topics. Amelia found out about Serena¡¯s younger sisters. One of them was called Nina, and was some genius engineer working in Centralis, and the other was the youngest called Lani, who was still in school and in Serena¡¯s words was a teenage brat. Then the food came and a dozen small bowls were placed in front of them. They were each provided with a larger empty bowl, as well as several pairs of chopsticks. After the employees had left Amelia raised an eyebrow at Serena. ¡°How the hell do I eat this?¡± She asked. Serena laughed, her cheeks flushed with alcohol. ¡°Here, place the large bowl in front of you. Now, sit up straight and maintain good posture. Don¡¯t let your back touch the wall or seat behind you. Okay, now take the chopsticks, like this... no like this...¡± Eventually, Amelia was able to mimic Serena''s holding of the chopsticks. ¡°So, this is a traditional Manwese set-up. You see how all the meats and vegetables are a similar size?¡± Serena said, pointing to the many bowls sprinkled around the table. ¡°The goal is you take a rice patty like this,¡± Serena lifted the thin circular piece of rice before placing it neatly in the centre of the large bowl. ¡°And then you build your mouthful. Typically you want one vegetable and one meat.¡± Serena demonstrated neatly. ¡°And then, if you haven¡¯t put too much, you can close it easily with the chopsticks like so.¡± With a flourish of her wrist, Serena wrapped the meat and vegetable in the rice covering before picking the entire thing up and placing it in her mouth. She made it look so easy. ¡°There¡¯s a concept in the East,¡± Serena said, ¡°About knowing yourself. Part of that is knowing how much you can fit in your mouth, and it is about controlling gluttony.¡± She laughed, watching Amelia¡¯s attempts at folding the rice around the meat that kept falling out. ¡°See it as your first test of etiquette, okay?¡± ¡°You¡¯re enjoying this, aren¡¯t you?¡± Amelia muttered, stabbing the meat with her chopstick and biting it like a kebab. When the taste hit her mouth her eyes widened! She hurriedly swallowed. ¡°This is chicken!¡± She said. ¡°No, it¡¯s choco. Anathor said choco is a descendant species of chicken that went extinct long ago. It¡¯s mostly popular in Centralis and the north. I had to request they made this especially for us.¡± ¡°It tastes exactly the same! Well,¡± Amelia took another bite of the choco. ¡°I think it does, at least!¡± The meat was tender and perfectly cooked. Despite not being hungry, she couldn¡¯t resist another bite. ¡°Stop stabbing the food, try again. Rice patty first. Follow me,¡± Serena said, guiding Amelia through the process of constructing her little wrap. This time she was able to build something that survived the trip into her mouth. ¡°It¡¯s good!¡± Amelia said after she had swallowed. ¡°I¡¯m getting used to the chopsticks!¡± She took another drink of green loqua, the flavour pairing well with the choco meat. ¡°I¡¯m glad you enjoy it. It¡¯s not as good as sardis, but we have other fish here to try. Look at this,¡± Serena guided Amelia through another recommendation and as the minutes ticked by the two of them were busy with trying out different combinations and drinking through both bottles of loqua. Seeing they were empty of both food and drink, Amelia took the initiative and rang the tablebell. When the employee appeared, she ordered another bottle of blue and green loqua. Once the employees had removed the empty bottles and bowls, Serena cast a sly smile at her. ¡°Trying to get me drunk, are you?¡± ¡°Obviously,¡± Amelia threw back. ¡°But I¡¯m also interested in how much I can drink. I used to be such a lightweight but now I feel I can handle so much more.¡± She clenched her hands together, feeling more tipsy than she was letting on. By her estimates, the blue loqua was similar to a strong wine, and the green was equivalent to a strong spirit. If so, in her old world she would have long passed out. Now? Now she felt good. The bottles came and the two wasted no time in opening it. Serena shared stories from the academy that made Amelia giggle and on more than one occasion, splutter loqua onto the table. Amelia spent a long time trying to explain to Serena how in her world they had - without the aid of magic - travelled to their moon and constructed a flourishing base on it. Soon those two bottles were empty, and Amelia could no longer deny she was close to being drunk. She was sure she could heal the feeling away, but she didn¡¯t want to. When she had drunk this much, it was so easy to stare lovingly into Serena¡¯s eyes, who returned the look with no hesitation. At some point they even started holding hands, only remembering to separate when the employee came to take the bottles away. They both looked at the empty bottles longingly before turning to look at each other. ¡°One more bottle, before bed?¡± Amelia asked, trying not to tip over. ¡°One more bottle,¡± Serena affirmed, gesturing to the employee. ¡°Green, please.¡± After all, one more bottle couldn¡¯t hurt, could it? Chapter Twenty-One: The Kenhoro Officer Academy Chapter Twenty-One: The Kenhoro Officer Academy ¡°You¡¯re here,¡± grumbled the grizzled captain as Serena once again found herself standing in an ethereal fog that stretched endlessly into the darkness. ¡°You¡¯ve committed a cardinal sin,¡± the captain said, his voice muffled in the unnatural expanse. ¡°There will be a punishment.¡± Serena¡¯s thoughts were full of Amelia, and she felt anger rise within her. Was she still drunk? She was probably still drunk. ¡°For falling for a woman? A human?¡± She snapped at the illusive man, who didn¡¯t react at all to her outburst. ¡°Too late... you must protect the girl...¡± the captain grumbled, removing his captain¡¯s hat to reveal messy grey hair and the edges of an aged face. Serena paused, realising this dream figure was human. ¡°I¡¯m heading to the ice-lands to do my part. As for you...¡± The human battered the side of his hat, knocking dirt and dust loose. The rhythmic beating of his palm against the brown leather sent shockwaves throughout the space. ¡°... the pair of you must go to the desert. The old temple...¡± ¡°Why!? What if I refuse?¡± She challenged the old captain¡¯s ramblings. ¡°I wish there were another way, but you must. To keep her safe...¡± The captain turned into white mist and vanished, leaving only the frothing fog that covered Serena¡¯s vision and wrenched her into the waking world. As she became conscious, she peeled open one eye before closing it in pain. What a terrible hangover! What a thoroughly idiotic demon she was to drink so much! She tried to remember how much she¡¯d drank, but just imagining more alcohol made her feel queasy. Serena groaned before forcing herself back to unconsciousness where hopefully the next time she woke her head wouldn¡¯t be throbbing like it was. When she once again stirred awake, she realised there was something warm and soft wrapped in her arms. This felt a lot nicer than her own head and if she focused on it, it helped distract herself from her hangover. She squeezed the thing in her arms, and it made a squeak. How amusing. She squeezed it again and it made another cute noise. Serena felt a warm hand hold hers. ¡°Mmm... morning,¡± Amelia whispered. ¡°Hungover,¡± muttered Serena, not liking the aftertaste in her mouth. ¡°Heal me, please... before I throw up.¡± She didn¡¯t have to ask twice, and soon magical warmth rippled through her body, wiping away the awful pressure in her head. She no longer felt parched or tired. The general ache throughout her body vanished, and Serena felt like she could run a hundred klicks. ¡°Your magic is truly wonderful,¡± Serena said, blinking her eyes open. Now she saw why Amelia felt so warm. Both their upper bodies were devoid of all clothing, and Serena was wrapped around the girl. Serena snapped her eyes down, breathing a sigh of relief when she saw they still had their trousers on. What had happened? With her head no longer splitting, she could cast her mind back to the night before. She started counting the bottles of loqua they had drunk. Two... four... six... seven hells, how much had they spent!? The pair of them had gotten one last bottle and then stumbled back to their room, only just keeping up appearances until the door was shut behind them, after which they had thrown themselves at each other in drunken passion. Kissing. There was a lot of kissing. When had the clothes come off? Serena couldn¡¯t quite remember. She propped herself up on one arm and ran a hand over Amelia¡¯s stomach. ¡°How are you doing?¡± She asked, surprising herself at how smooth she sounded. With a bitter realisation she noticed she felt pride at the events that had transpired. There was something so validating about having someone throw themselves at her with passion and desire. To make things even more satisfying, this wasn¡¯t just a fling, it was Amelia. It was her girlfriend. Serena internally cringed at the next thought but couldn¡¯t deny it was a part of how she felt about the situation. Her conquest. ¡°Mmm...¡± groaned Amelia, rolling onto her back, her left arm covering her eyes and her right was under the blanket, placed ontop of Serena¡¯s. ¡°I smell of alcohol...¡± she mumbled. ¡°So do I,¡± Serena said, turning her head and smelling herself. ¡°When you drink so much, you sweat it out when you sleep. We¡¯ll probably have to get new sheets and wash up...¡± ¡°Uh, no need. Here,¡± Amelia said before casting a spell Serena had seen the day before. It was Amelia¡¯s cleaning spell. Immediately, Serena felt clean as every iota of dried sweat, dirt, and alcohol was magically cleansed from her body. She ran her tongue around inside her mouth and found the spell also cleaned her teeth. She no longer felt the urge to go to the toilet. ¡°That¡¯s... ridiculously helpful. With that and your healing, would you ever need to eat, sleep, or change clothes?¡± She asked as the utility of such a powerful cleaning spell popped up in her mind. The normal cleaning spells she knew about were more of an assistance towards normal cleaning rather than a complete replacement. ¡°Maybe... even so, I want to keep eating delicious things, sleep in comfy beds, and try out pretty dresses,¡± Amelia said, her voice sounding more wakeful. ¡°Also, look what you did!¡± Before Serena could say anything, Amelia threw the blanket down, exposing her naked chest and... The teeth marks that had bruised one of her breasts. Oops. Serena felt herself swallow nervously. Was that her? It must have been her, right? ¡°Was that me?¡± She asked, cupping Amelia¡¯s breast and lightly rubbing it. ¡°Yes, it was you,¡± Amelia said with a sigh, but the corners of her mouth teased upwards as she removed her arm and made eye contact with Serena. ¡°The tongue was nice, but you were too tipsy to control your teeth, stupid demon.¡± Amelia put both hands behind her head and gave Serena a sly grin. ¡°Are you enjoying groping me? I won¡¯t lie; it¡¯s kind of relaxing.¡± ¡°Ah, sorry,¡± Serena said, removing her hand as a small amount of golden light with blue flecks healed the bruise away. That was a shame, she was going to ask if she could kiss it better. Before she could do anything else, Amelia turned to her front and exposed her back. ¡°Make it up to me,¡± she said. ¡°How?¡± ¡°Give me a massage,¡± Amelia said, her voice muffled by the pillow. ¡°Not too firm but not too soft.¡± Serena obliged, running her hands up and down Amelia¡¯s back. The human wasn¡¯t muscular, but she was slim enough Serena could identify the different muscle groups and begin to massage them with varying levels of pressure while making adjustments based upon the cute noises coming from Amelia. ¡°Mmm...¡± ¡°Ah...¡± ¡°Right there...¡± ¡°Ahhh!¡± The last was squeaked out while Amelia violently wriggled underneath her. It turned out that Amelia¡¯s sides were ticklish. How adorable! Serena filed that bit of knowledge away for future use before apologising and resuming the massage in a more acceptable way. Five then ten minutes passed, and Amelia¡¯s breathing became slow and soft. Another five minutes and Serena was sure she had just massaged her girlfriend back to sleep. That was a good thing, right? She leaned in and gave her a soft kiss on the base of her neck. ¡°I¡¯m going to wash up,¡± she whispered before carefully clambering off the bed and heading to the washroom. With Amelia¡¯s magic she didn¡¯t need to clean herself, but that still didn¡¯t stop the satisfaction of a hot shower and the smell of the fancy soaps the inn had provided them. As the hot water rained down on her back, and the room steamed up, Serena ran the events of the night over and over again in her head. Things they had spoken about, the stories and jokes they had both shared. The warmth of each other''s bodies when they returned. On more than one occasion, Serena caught herself smiling happily to herself like an idiot. You¡¯ve become a rather smitten demon, haven¡¯t you? She thought to herself. Her thoughts then turned to her dream. She ran it over in her head again and again. Something was so familiar about that human captain. Had she seen him in a book somewhere? Perhaps during a lesson in the academy? Was he the embodiment of the ship itself reaching out to her or something else? She would have to bring it up again with Anathor. This wasn''t something she could just ignore. She finished up, drying and dressing herself before returning to the bedroom to find Amelia propped up on the side of the bed, hugging a towel that covered her chest. ¡°Morning,¡± Amelia said with a smile. She hopped off the bed and passed Serena. ¡°You smell good,¡± Amelia said, before opening the door, ¡°You¡¯ve made it so warm and steamy for me! Thank you!¡± The blond hair vanished through the doorway and not long after the sounds of a sweet melody could be heard. Serena listened for a moment, appreciating the talents of her girlfriend before collecting herself. She had a few things she wanted to get done today. Serena tidied up the bedroom, before arranging some spare blankets and pillows into an impromptu futon. For now, she wanted to make it look like they hadn¡¯t slept in the same bed. After she had finished redecorating, she pulled the cord to get the receptionist¡¯s attention. A minute later, there was a polite knock on the door. ¡°Reception,¡± a voice sounded from outside. Serena opened the door, making sure to swing it wide enough that the attendant would see the futon. She stepped outside, closing the door behind her. ¡°We¡¯d like some coffee for the room and something simple for breakfast. Does the kitchen have any soup prepared?¡± Even though Serena was fully healed, she still felt uncomfortable eating something too harsh on her stomach. It was probably a psychological thing, her mind was used to treating the stomach delicately after a night of heavy drinking. ¡°Ah, the cook has prepared a choco broth that should be ideal for hangovers. Would two portions be sufficient?¡± ¡°Yes, and some bread and butter to go with it.¡± ¡°Of course. We¡¯ve just had our morning delivery. We have some fine sourdough with a traditional honey glaze that would pair well.¡± ¡°Good, and coffee?¡± Serena was wide awake without a glimmer of tiredness. Even so, if she could start the morning with a decent coffee she would. ¡°We have beans from the mountains of Shiloh, and the fields of Yamen. We also have a brand of Dacian coffee, although many of our customers find it too harsh.¡± ¡°Nothing from Jimar?¡± Soon they left the gossiping students behind and she was led up multiple flights of stairs and through several corridors before stopping at a large ironwood door. A brass plaque on the front simply read Director. The guard rapped his knuckles against the solid wood. ¡°It¡¯s open,¡± came a gruff voice from within. The guard opened the door, and Serena could make out an office that was best described as chaotic-neatness. It reminded her a little of Tome''s quarters. ¡°Speaker Halen is here to meet with you, director,¡± the guard informed. ¡°Mmm? Is that so? Well then, let her in and return to your post.¡± ¡°Yes, director,¡± the guard bowed and left Serena to her own devices. She stepped into the office, greeting a pair of crimson eyes and large bull horns that looked terribly familiar. ¡°Grandmaster Gu, it¡¯s a pleasure,¡± Serena greeted, clasping her hands together in a tidy bow. ¡°I believe we last met at my graduation in Asamaywa?¡± ¡°Mmm... come here, Serena. Let¡¯s have a look at your hands...¡± The grandmaster motioned for her to approach and Serena walked over to his desk. The old demon took her hands in his own and examined them with a thoughtful expression. ¡°Your military life has kept you busy...¡± He mumered, turning her hands this way and that. ¡°I see you¡¯ve kept your skills, even improved them. What aura can you manifest under Narean now?¡± ¡°I... am just breaking into blue, grandmaster. I have reached it twice. Once under my control and the other... not.¡± ¡°Mmm... Narean can be demanding, can he not? You must train your will and determination as much as the sword itself.¡± ¡°Yes, grandmaster.¡± ¡°Still, to lose such an awful talent like yourself to my brother! A terrible tragedy! Can I not convince you to spend a few semesters here as an instructor?¡± ¡°I apologise, but my military duties take me elsewhere currently.¡± ¡°Gah! You¡¯re wasted in the military, you know that, don¡¯t you, Serena Halen?¡± ¡°I... I¡¯m comfortable where I am.¡± ¡°Well then,¡± Grandmaster Gu sighed, reclining into his chair. ¡°For what purpose have you visited me?¡± ¡°I-¡± Serena began but cut herself off. She organised her thoughts before beginning again. ¡°There was a recent battle in the city centre, I trust you¡¯re aware of it?¡± Someone of the grandmaster¡¯s skill would easily detect the Spoken Words from yesterday. Grandmaster Gu nodded slowly. ¡°There were two trainee cadets that died. I believe it was one trainee Meng and one trainee Yin.¡± The Grandmaster stared at her for a moment before opening his mouth. ¡°Yes, two of ours.¡± ¡°They... died following my orders. They died doing their duty.¡± Serena took a breath, ¡°Through you, I would like to use my Speakers privilege to communicate an official commendation for them both. I would like to recommend a bronze eagle each and, if possible, if you are amenable to it, for them to post-mortem graduate as a commissioned officer.¡± The Grandmaster was silent for a dozen seconds and Serena had to make a conscious effort to avoid swallowing awkwardly. ¡°You... feel guilty over their deaths?¡± He asked her in a quiet voice. ¡°I cannot deny it... I do,¡± Serena muttered. The Grandmaster was quiet for another period before sighing. The demon reached into a pocket and put on a pair of spectacles. He fumbled around his desk, finding pen and paper. ¡°You really should consider becoming an instructor. The military isn¡¯t for you, Speaker Halen. Now then... how would you like to word this? Best be polite; the Greatlord will be reading it.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± Serena felt a burden lift from her. She couldn¡¯t resurrect the dead. No-one could. What she could do was give the fallen a little honour and something for their families to ease their grieving. Over the next few minutes, she worked with Grandmaster Gu to word the recommendation properly. ¡°Thank you for your assistance, grandmaster,¡± Serena said, standing up after signing the final version. ¡°There is one other matter I wish to cover.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Is the academy private training grounds for instructors, free for use? I have another Speaker with me, someone I¡¯ve promised to teach the sword. With your permission, I would like to make use of them.¡± Officially Serena didn¡¯t need the grandmaster''s permission. She even had the right to eject any non-Speakers from whatever training session they were in, but that was not a power she would abuse, especially in front of someone she respected so much. ¡°Another Speaker? This wouldn¡¯t be a certain Miss Thornheart whose name I¡¯ve been hearing here and there?¡± ¡°That... would be correct. I have employed her under my name for House Halen. She¡¯s an excellent healer and has taken an interest in the sword.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± The grandmaster¡¯s bushy eyebrow rose. ¡°Does she have any talent?¡± ¡°It...¡± Serena thought about the question a little longer. ¡°It¡¯s hard, she¡¯s an amateur in the sword, but being a Speaker, her constitution far outstrips even the most talented non-Speaker. It¡¯s too early for me to tell if she has any real talent.¡± ¡°What¡¯s her disposition?¡± ¡°She¡¯s compassionate, excitable and optimistic. However, she is a little naive,¡± Serena said, giving a blunt and honest overview of Amelia¡¯s personality. ¡°Mmm... so unsuited for the military?¡± ¡°That may be so, but she¡¯s not in the chain of command. She¡¯s merely under my employ.¡± ¡°Have you ever considered sponsoring her for the swordsmanship courses here? Being human, she won¡¯t be able to become an officer. I¡¯ll never turn down a soul that¡¯s passionate about the sword, even if they¡¯re a human Speaker.¡± Serena gave the grandmaster a wirey smile. ¡°You haven¡¯t even met her, and you¡¯re already trying to pull her into your tutelage?¡± ¡°Tsk!¡± The grandmaster clicked his tongue, ¡°I¡¯ve lost one talented Speaker to my brother! Before I know it, he¡¯ll take another!¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to decline for now,¡± Serena said, inclining her head as she politely refused the man. She tried to imagine Amelia as a student; her blond hair bouncing in a sea of horns as she rushed to class. It was... surprisingly easy to picture, actually. Nevertheless, she couldn''t envision a pathway that would end with Amelia attending an academy. Not yet, anyway. ¡°Stubborn...¡± mumbled the grandmaster. ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll let you use one of the private training halls. Only... I¡¯d like to watch the session. You can¡¯t get me excited over a prospective talent in my halls and then deny me the opportunity to witness it myself, right?¡± Serena took a moment to think. It was a fair request and she had no real reason to deny it. ¡°Alright,¡± she said, ¡°What training hall is free?¡± ¡°Ah,¡± the grandmaster waved his hands dismissively. ¡°I¡¯ll come with you to get her, and then we¡¯ll go together and find a hall. Where is she now?¡± ¡°I left her at the gate with the guard. They weren¡¯t willing to let a human Speaker onto the grounds without your permission.¡± ¡°Damn straight,¡± the grandmaster snorted. ¡°We¡¯re at war. Can¡¯t be too careful. Come on then, Speaker Halen. Let¡¯s get these old bones moving.¡± The old demon clambered up. His clothing hid his body but Serena could tell from his movements that underneath he possessed an iron body that would rival any younger demon¡¯s effort. Together they left the office and returned to the gate. There they found the gate guard sweating nervously. Amelia stood nearby, idly kicking rocks and pebbles and whistling awkwardly. ¡°Uh, hello,¡± She said, ¡°A little problem...¡± Serena took a moment to mentally prepare herself. ¡°What¡¯s happened?¡± Amelia gestured to the side and Serena turned her head to see a demon encased in the ground. Earth magic had been used to wrap him in stone, leaving only his head sticking out. Serena grinned before taking her time to pace over to the grumbling demon. ¡°Serena!¡± The trapped demon begged, ¡°Tell her I¡¯m not an assassin! This is very humiliating!¡± ¡°Hrmph!¡± Amelia folded her arms, looking away. ¡°You might not be an assassin, but you¡¯re definitely a weirdo! What kind of strange man tries to give a young, innocent girl like myself alcohol in broad daylight? Creep!¡± Serena tapped her foot against the stone encasing the poor demon. ¡°Why did I never think to do this myself?¡± She pondered out loud. ¡°So, what can we do for you, Officer Adachi?¡± Chapter Twenty-Two: Grandmaster Grandpa Chapter Twenty-Two: Grandmaster Grandpa ¡°How¡¯d this happen, then?¡± Serena asked Amelia, lightly kicking the stone encasing the complaining demon. ¡°This weirdo,¡± Amelia made sure to emphasise that word for extra effect, ¡°Came up to me like some homeless beggar and tried to get me to go with him to some traveller¡¯s bed or whatever! Shameless!¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Serena intoned, drawing her marbled sword, ¡°Which bit do you want me to cut off first, Aiden the Drunk?¡± The blade glowed red as aura coursed through it, causing the trapped demon¡¯s eyes to shake in panic. There was an older demon with Serena who was watching the events with an amused expression on his face. He looked old and gave her a grandfather vibe, but Amelia¡¯s instincts told her he was on par if not more dangerous than Serena was. A Speaker of at least one Word, for sure. ¡°T-traveller¡¯s Rest!¡± The trapped demon cried, ¡°Traveller¡¯s Rest! It¡¯s a new pale ale from the Sabanis Dominance! I thought we could get a drink while we waited for you to do whatever you were doing! And...¡± The trapped demon eyed the blade nervously. ¡°It¡¯s Aiden The Drinker, remember!? Unbeaten and unrivalled!?¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± Serena tilted her head, a mock expression of thoughtfulness painted on her face. ¡°I¡¯m not sure you¡¯re deserving of that title anymore. Just last night, the pair of us put away one, two...¡± Serena counted on one hand, ¡°... three bottles of green loqua, and the same amount of blue.¡± She waved the three raised fingers in the face of the demon called Aiden The Drunk. ¡°You... you drank loqua? Without me!?¡± Aiden protested before flicking his eyes between Amelia and Serena. ¡°But... how are you both not hungover? That should- oh.¡± He cut himself short, a moment of realisation as his eyes settled on Amelia, who strode over and crossed her arms as she towered over the encased demon. It sure felt good to look down on others like this! Amelia made a mental decision to avoid positions of power when possible. Although... would it be so bad? A ruler who looked this cute would automatically do amazing, right? ¡°So you¡¯re the one who¡¯s supposed to be doing a profile on me, huh?¡± She said, trying to inject as much disapproval as possible into her voice. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be sure to send Centralis my own report on the conduct of their employees! I even have a witness!¡± Amelia gestured to the sweating gate guard who looked like he was going to bolt at any moment. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t be so sure of that,¡± Serena said with a smile. Amelia saw her looking with amusement at the nervous guard. ¡°Did Officer Adachi mention he was with Intelligence? Mention my name?¡± ¡°Uh...¡± she mumbled. ¡°Yes!¡± exclaimed Aiden. ¡°Yes, I did! I told her we were friends at the academy!¡± ¡°Alright, fine!¡± Amelia clicked her tongue. ¡°He may have mentioned something along those lines, but you should have seen how he approached me! He was all so arrogant and confident! Like he¡¯s never been rejected by a woman before! It pissed me off, so I...¡± She trailed off, realising this wasn¡¯t making her sound very good at all. ¡°... put him in the ground...¡± she mumbled. ¡°I see...¡± Serena said. Amelia watched her eyes feeling a hint of regret rising in her stomach. Thankfully, Serena seemed more amused by the situation instead of being angered. It looked like Aiden The Drunk really was an old friend.Fo?llo?w new stories at novelhall.com ¡°Anyway,¡± Serena continued, ¡°Amelia, this is Grandmaster Gu, Lord and Director of the Kenhoro Officer Academy. He has kindly allowed us to use the private training facilities for our lesson, and he will be observing our progress. His skill and insights will be invaluable to the both of us.¡± Oh? This old demon was actually someone amazing! Amelia bounced up to him, giving him her best version of a traditional Manwese bow. ¡°Nice to meet you, grandpa!¡± ¡°G-grandpa!?¡± Both Serena and Grandmaster Gu stuttered in unison. ¡°Thanks for letting us use your facilities! I can¡¯t wait!¡± She flashed the old demon her second-best smile. The best one was, of course, only shown to Serena! ¡°Hrmph, well...¡± Grandmaster Gu mumbled, rubbing his beard and looking to the side. He murmured something strange about always wanting a granddaughter, but Amelia chose to ignore it. Everyone was a little weird, right? She was happy to forget an old demon¡¯s idiosyncrasies if he could help teach both her and Serena! ¡°If you three are done becoming a family, could someone please get me the hell out of here!¡± The trapped demon cried in frustration. Amelia rolled her eyes. So dramatic! She agitated the aether inside her. The movement of her reserves and her ability to manifest spells was noticeably easier than when she had first arrived. Her intuition - backed by stats boosted by thousand-hour grinds - was becoming more reliable and more straightforward to understand by the day. The aether obeyed her command and the stone flowed like liquid off Aiden. He rolled to his side, groaning in relief and Amelia made the extra effort to smooth the pavement. It didn¡¯t look quite the same as before, but it was good enough. Maybe it would become a tourist spot! A place where the students would whisper stories in excited tones. Tales of when Amelia Thornheart - House Halen¡¯s most powerful maid - defended Serena Halen - Cascadia¡¯s prettiest demon - from a lecherous drunk and his antics! Yup! That was how she would tell the story in the future! Aiden gathered himself. His clothes were dusty and dirty, and it was kind of Amelia''s fault so she reached out with a cleaning spell and made him look new. The demon looked over himself in wonder before turning his eyes to her. ¡°That was your magic?¡± He asked, and Amelia nodded in reply. ¡°You¡¯re welcome!¡± She said before offering her hand to him. ¡°Sorry about all that, I was... surprised, you know?¡± Amelia wiggled her outstretched hand. ¡°We can be friends, right!?¡± Aiden eyed the wiggling hand suspiciously. ¡°You¡¯re not going to turn me into a fish or anything?¡± He asked with a raised eyebrow before shaking her hand. Amelia giggled but didn¡¯t answer his question. Could she turn him into a fish? She ran her mind over the countless demonic spells she had memorised, trying to remember if there were any that could polymorph another person. Before she could find one, Serena interrupted her thoughts. ¡°Grandmaster Gu. As you may have gathered, this is Speaker Thornheart,¡± Serena coughed lightly into her hand. ¡°She can be a bit forward,¡± for some reason, Serena glared at her when she emphasised that word. Weird. ¡°But she¡¯s rather friendly. Shall we proceed? Officer Adachi, would you like to watch?¡± ¡°You¡¯re inviting me?¡± Aiden asked, looking surprised. ¡°Well, I was hoping to speak to you about yesterday''s events, and I figured you might as well be introduced to Speaker Thornheart before the festival.¡± ¡°Right... right. I¡¯d be delighted to come along. If it¡¯s alright with Grandmaster Gu?¡± Grandmaster Gu rubbed his beard. ¡°I don¡¯t see why not,¡± he said. In response, Aiden gave a quick bow and fell in line as they marched towards the academy¡¯s front door leaving behind the fumbling gate guard. The building was almost entirely made of wood, with only a stone foundation and paper windows. Above the enormous front door was a huge wooden beam that looked like someone had attacked it with a sword. ¡°What¡¯s that about?¡± She asked, pointing to the damaged wood. Behind her, Aiden groaned, Serena snorted, and the Grandmaster chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you later,¡± Serena said, ¡°It¡¯s a funny story.¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Amelia responded, trying to think of reasons why someone would carve sword marks into wood. The group of them entered the academy with its flowing students and wide corridors. The paper windows let in a large amount of natural light, although Amelia could see aetherlights had been installed throughout the building. Given that the building was one huge fire hazard, it made sense not to have gas lamps. As they travelled, the passing students all bowed to the Grandmaster; even the older-looking demons who Amelia guessed were teachers bowed deeply. Students and teachers alike wore coloured belts. Many were gray but she often saw students with red belts and some with orange. All the teachers seemed to wear yellow belts. ¡°What do the belt colours mean?¡± She whispered. ¡°The highest rank aura they can manifest,¡± Serena whispered back, ¡°Red is the first and easiest, followed by orange and yellow. Yellow is the minimum requirement to become an academy instructor.¡± ¡°Ack! Ack!¡± Serena choked on her food before swallowing audibly. ¡°Ahem, excuse me,¡± she said, patting her chest. ¡°After we¡¯ve eaten, we¡¯ll go through some very light sparring before heading back to clean up,¡± Serena paused, ¡°Although... we wouldn¡¯t need to...¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Amelia chirped. She could just magically clean them of any dirt and sweat once the training was over. ¡°I¡¯d like to explore the city a bit more, if that¡¯s okay?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll go through the market on the way back to the docks. I need to see what¡¯s going on with the repairs.¡± With that, the four of them ate in silence for a moment. Amelia tried to focus on the training, but her mind wandered to other things that had happened that day. ¡°So...¡± she began, ¡°What¡¯s the sword marks above the entrance about?¡± Her question caused a ripple of amusement and mirth in the group. ¡°It¡¯s a joke,¡± Serena said as she swallowed her last bite. ¡°It¡¯s a jest played on the first-years by the seniors. Here and also in the academy back in Asamaywa.¡± ¡°A joke?¡± ¡°Right, so what happens is some fresh-faced trainee from Centralis earns their placement here or in another academy in the East, where all the best swordsmen and women are,¡± Serena nodded her head at the Grandmaster, who tilted his in response. ¡°They arrive, and they see these mysterious sword marks on the wood. ¡®What¡¯s that?¡¯ They ask.¡± ¡°Then a senior appears and tells them, ¡®That¡¯s the hidden technique of the ancient master who built this academy centuries ago. Only the person who truly understands the sword can decipher this ultimate technique said to strike down Speakers!¡¯ Ha!¡± Serena laughed. ¡°Why¡¯s that funny?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°It sounds cool!¡± ¡°Because those sword marks are changed every year - often by the winner of that year¡¯s academy tournament. The sword marks mean nothing! I added my own back when I won at the end of my third year, before graduation.¡± ¡°You added a smiley face, didn¡¯t you?¡± Aiden said, grinning. ¡°That¡¯s right! If you tilt your head like this,¡± Serena tilted her head awkwardly to the side, ¡°It looks like a smiley face. I even added a little tongue! The Grandmaster made me change it a little as it was too obvious.¡± Serena, Aiden, and Amelia all laughed at that, and even the Grandmaster gave a hearty chuckle. ¡°It has some value,¡± Serena explained. ¡°It gets the first-years riled up and focused. Some of them go through the entire first year without it being explained to them! Sometimes we would take bets to see when a certain person would realise the joke or not. Ah... good times...¡± She leaned back on her hands, smiling. "Took two semesters before somebody told me," grumbled Aiden. "You were told earlier, but you were drinking so much you kept forgetting!" Serena said, laughing. ¡°You youngsters aren¡¯t the only ones having fun,¡± Grandmaster Gu said, standing up. ¡°When I last went to see my brother, I think this was two years ago now...¡± The old demon straightened his posture, looking dignified. ¡°My brother was late returning from a trip, so I was met with all the instructors to welcome me to the academy. They led me to the front gate, and I stopped like this,¡± The Grandmaster tilted his head up with a mock expression of surprise. ¡°¡®By the fell gods, what heights has my brother¡¯s sword reached now? What next, will he split the very heavens apart?¡¯ Ha! And then I left the instructors there, and I swear they spent the entire evening second-guessing and arguing!¡± The four of them burst out laughing. Amelia grinned in happiness. She loved this! A group of people just sitting about having a good time. One girlfriend, one grandpa, and possibly a drinking buddy. They made a good group and Amelia knew she would fondly remember this for a long time. ¡°Serena,¡± said the Grandmaster as he sat back down. ¡°How long will you be in Kenhoro?¡± ¡°Likely no longer than a month, maybe three weeks. The Greatlord is sending us extra pairs of horns to assist our ship repairs.¡± ¡°The pair of you should make use of this hall daily. I¡¯ll make sure it¡¯s available.¡± ¡°Ah - it¡¯s very kind of you but-¡± ¡°I will also personally give you daily training. Let¡¯s see if we can secure that blue aura.¡± ¡°I happily accept,¡± Serena tilted her head, ¡°Thank you, Grandmaster.¡± Amelia found the quick turn-around amusing. Private tutoring from a Grandmaster must be extremely valuable for Serena to change her mind so quickly. She was also delighted with this arrangement. She could train in the sword every day! How much better would she be in a month!? ¡°You broke into blue?¡± Aiden asked, his eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Just about,¡± answered Serena. ¡°That¡¯s incredible. You always were an unbelievable talent, but to hit blue. I mean... well done, friend.¡± Aiden raised a cup of water as a toast. ¡°What about you? Ever thought you return to training?¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m afraid not,¡± Aiden said, glancing awkwardly at the Grandmaster sitting next to him, ¡°I was told there was an infinite number of ways to swing a sword, so I decided I would also prove there are as many variations of beer!¡± ¡°You idiot,¡± Serena said. ¡°Mister Adachi,¡± the Grandmaster intoned, ¡°Although you may have lost your way, you¡¯re welcome to attend our future sessions. Who knows, perhaps a sword will find its way into your hand again?¡± ¡°Ah... We¡¯ll have to see, I guess...¡± Aiden rubbed his chin awkwardly. ¡°Shall we resume the lesson?¡± Serena asked, fixing her eyes on Amelia. ¡°Uh, sure!¡± Amelia jumped up. She was excited to continue, to experience that satisfying feeling of progress again! ¡°If it¡¯s okay with you, Speaker Halen,¡± grumbled the Grandmaster as he clambered up. ¡°I would like to take over the remainder of today¡¯s session.¡± He cast his pair of eyes over Amelia. They were almost as crimson as Serena¡¯s. Almost. ¡°Let¡¯s see what you¡¯re really capable of then, Speaker Thornheart,¡± said the Grandmaster, pulling a much heavier sword from the wall and gesturing for Amelia to join him. There was a glint of something in his eyes. Amelia swallowed, suddenly feeling nervous, before shuffling over obediently. Maybe this grandpa was scary, after all. Chapter Twenty-Three: Tea With The Empress Chapter Twenty-Three: Tea With The Empress Amelia blocked the three-strike combination with ease. Now that she knew how to tense the muscles in the right places to avoid her guard collapsing, defending against the attacks that came in a half-second was becoming satisfyingly easy. Another dozen swings came at her from the grandmaster. At first, it was a challenge, but then Amelia understood it was only a matter of figuring out how to move her body in a way that could keep up with her perception. She could see every attack and follow the sword''s path through the air. Seeing, however, was very different from being able to do something about it. A swing from an unfamiliar direction came at the end of the combination, and the strike broke through her improvised deflection before stopping at the centre of her chest. ¡°That was mune-tsuki, the chest thrust,¡± The grandmaster grumbled. ¡°Here, this is how you deflect it.¡± Amelia was shown in ever-increasing detail how to defend against a thrust. She gave her utmost attention, not wanting to disappoint the old man. Besides, he was a little intimidating. Amelia¡¯s instincts reassured her that the defences of her layered wards would hold against anything he could throw at her, but that didn¡¯t stop the sheer presence of the demon keeping her on edge. Every one of his movements felt, at a moment''s notice, like it could snap into a deadly attack. Furthermore, having a sword swing at her face faster than her body could react often triggered a flinching reaction that she was trying her best to overcome. Beyond that, Amelia had to admit the grandmaster was an exceptional sensei, far more skilled at tutoring than Serena was. Serena was great at identifying mistakes and slowly ironing them out, but this old demon was adjusting things at just the right time to prevent those mistakes from ever manifesting in the first place. Every instruction he gave came with it decades of experience that Serena had yet to overcome. They began sparring again, which really just consisted of Amelia defending against an assault with no opportunity to counter-attack. She could perceive what she thought were openings, but she had no idea how to manoeuvre her body in such a way to make use of them. This time, the attacks against her included the occasional thrust and after an unknown amount of time, Amelia started to feel confident in defending against them even as her body grew tired and sweat dripped down her face. Serena had been right. The sword she held no longer felt very light. Again, another attack was thrown in that Amelia couldn¡¯t defend against. Sometimes it was a new strike or a variation of an existing strike that somehow slipped by her guard. With each addition, they would stop, and the grandmaster would carefully explain how she should adjust to the new threat. After he was satisfied she understood his explanation they would continue sparring. Just as her confidence grew and she felt she was starting to piece things together, the grandmaster cloaked his body and weapon in red, the first aura. The speed and aggression suddenly increased drastically, and Amelia was only barely defending against each strike. Her blocks, which she felt had become controlled and firm, were now hastily formed one after another, only just fending off one strike before the next one came. Her hands ached, and her shoulders felt weak. It wasn¡¯t long before her guard collapsed, and the wooden blade was once again at her throat. ¡°Ha... Ha...¡± Amelia breathed heavily. For someone untrained, relying on base stats and cloaked wards, her body had held out for a long time, but it could do no more. Without healing herself or Speaking, her strength was all but spent until she rested. ¡°That¡¯s enough for today. Well done, Speaker Thornheart.¡± The grandmaster gave a neat bow, and Amelia reciprocated with her own, which was far more clumsy than she would have liked. ¡°Ah... T-thank you. Now if you excuse me...¡± Amelia flopped onto the wooden floor. ¡°I¡¯m just going to have a little nap here...¡± She heard a familiar click of Serena¡¯s tongue and could imagine the shaking head of disapproval, but she didn¡¯t care. The blood pounded in her ears, and she tasted iron in her mouth. She would ask Serena to give her a nice long massage later. ¡°What do you think, Grandmaster?¡± Amelia heard Serena ask. ¡°Instructing Speakers is fundamentally different,¡± the grandmaster replied. ¡°Their constitution, which they gain from just communing with the gods, allows them to train at a higher intensity for longer. This is the first time I¡¯ve trained a Speaker mage...¡± he trailed off, and Amelia could sense the three of them had turned their heads in unison to look at her sprawled out on the floor. Well, let them look! She was busy resting. ¡°I hope she is an anomaly, for if all human mages are capable of what she just went through, then I dread to think what their dedicated swordsmen can do.¡± ¡°Is she talented?¡± Aiden asked. ¡°Maybe. The concentration is excellent, although her etiquette needs some work...¡± ¡°Working on that,¡± grumbled Serena. ¡°I train here every day. I start an hour before lunch. While the three of you are in Kenhoro, you should join me when you can. I¡¯ll notify the front gate not to challenge any of you in the future.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a generous offer,¡± Serena said, ¡°I hope we¡¯re not imposing.¡± ¡°Not at all!¡± The grandmaster said cheerfully. ¡°I myself have some questions regarding the sword I have struggled to answer for many years. Perhaps tutoring two talents like yourself will give me the insight I¡¯ve been looking for!¡± ¡°Thank you, Grandmaster.¡± The trio of them chatted about various topics while Amelia had a power nap. In addition to her monstrous aether regeneration, she also had significant health regeneration that she suspected greatly improved her recovery from exercise and other stresses on her body. After a few minutes, she felt okay again and joined the group. With the grandmaster¡¯s permission, he allowed both her and Serena to take a practice weapon so Amelia could refine what she was taught in her own time. He had been intrigued by Serena¡¯s weapon, which was made of marble, so they recounted the events of the Highguard affair to him from their perspective. ¡°I only know Lord Yulan by name. I didn¡¯t know he was a friend of House Halen,¡± said the grandmaster while standing up. ¡°Still, it gladdens me to hear he has recovered from his affliction, thanks to Speakers Thornheart¡¯s magical healing.¡± ¡°Mmm, mmm!¡± Amelia said, nodding. ¡°Would you like me to heal you? Serena said it healed her shoulder, which had been troubling her for years!¡± ¡°Oh? You would offer such a service to an old-timer like me?¡± ¡°Of course! Can¡¯t have you keeling over on us mid-lesson, can we grandpa?¡± She flashed a cheeky grin. The old demon was only scary when he was instructing her. Outside of that he had an almost homely feel to him. Hopefully, Serena¡¯s father was just as easygoing! ¡°If you wouldn¡¯t mind...¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Amelia twisted the aether inside her, forming the spell and spreading golden light with blue hues that flowed into the old demon¡¯s body. She threw in a cleaning spell as an extra, ridding the demon of the small amount of sweat that had built up. The grandmaster bathed in the light in an almost meditative state. He was silent for a long moment before a smile crept up on his face. ¡°Yes... this might be what I needed. It seems so clear now.¡± He gave a quick bow to the group. ¡°I apologise, but I must continue my own training. Speaker Thornheart, may the fell gods be in your favour for your kindness in sharing this boon. Speaker Halen, Officer Aiden. Your company was a pleasure! Leave this old man and his sword now. I hope I¡¯ll see you three tomorrow.¡± ¡°Uh...¡± Serena started before gathering herself. ¡°Yes, Grandmaster. Thank you for your instruction. Let¡¯s go, you two.¡± The group of them left the training hall and navigated their way back through the building. Thankfully, Serena seemed to remember the way; otherwise, Amelia was sure she would have gotten lost and stumbled upon some lecture instead! ¡°He seemed... eager,¡± Amelia said, thinking about the grandmaster''s reaction. Serena shook her head, keeping her voice low. ¡°You must understand how above-average your healing is. When you healed me once, it felt like all the wear and tear of years of war had left me. I felt young again, even though, you know... I am young.¡± ¡°How old are you, anyway?¡± Amelia asked. She was twenty-five when she had her soul move into this new body, which she suspected was even younger. ¡°I...¡± Serena suddenly looked away, blushing slightly. ¡°Hrmph! Does it matter?¡± Aiden leaned into the pair, his face contorted into a serious expression. ¡°That¡¯s the noise that a thirty-year-old demon makes after they leave their twenties, Speaker Thornheart.¡± The man tried to dodge Serena¡¯s backhand but failed spectacularly and was soon nursing a swollen forehead. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare heal him, Amelia,¡± Serena commanded, her eyes still not meeting hers. ¡°He deserved that.¡± ¡°O-okay!¡± Serena bid Aiden goodbye, taking a last look to appreciate her handiwork on his forehead before taking Amelia on a walk to the nearby markets. Tsk! Men! Why were they always so tactless? Serena cast a side eye at her girlfriend, who was skipping along, humming to herself. Her age didn¡¯t bother Amelia, did it? She was still young, right!? Well, it was a question she would probably be too embarrassed ever to ask, so best to let it disappear from thought. Amelia¡¯s smile made her want to smile, and the way the girl¡¯s hand kept touching the wooden practice sword sheathed in her belt reminded her fondly of the enthusiasm with which she had entered the academy. ¡°Whoa! What¡¯s that!?¡± Amelia exclaimed, pointing to a towering fountain that took the form of a dozen stone waterbirds. From their long beaks, spouts of water poured into the fountain basin. ¡°Waterbirds,¡± Serena said. She joined Amelia at the fountain¡¯s edge, where hundreds of coins could be seen shining in the water¡¯s bottom. ¡°Look, each one is an offering to the kami. Each one a prayer or a wish.¡± She was sure the authorities must periodically remove the coins as they would eventually fill the fountain. ¡°Can I have a coin? Please!?¡± Amelia looked at her, eyes pleading. Serena dug out a small denomination from her purse and watched Amelia flick it into the water. ¡°What did you wish for?¡± She asked. ¡°Secret!¡± Amelia raised a finger to her lips. ¡°It¡¯s between me and the kami!¡± Serena rolled her eyes. ¡°Come on,¡± she said. ¡°Market¡¯s over here.¡± Together they moved to the crowd of haggling and bartering demons. There were significantly more humans around, many even running their own stalls. It seemed any discrimination manifested less here in the outer ring. Unlike the Central market, this one had far fewer luxury goods and instead was more focused on homeware and food. ¡°Here,¡± Serena said, purchasing the pair of them a large fruit with a paper straw sticking out. She handed one to Amelia before sipping her own, enjoying the sweet taste. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Amelia asked, taking a sip. ¡°It¡¯s sugary!¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s sugary; don¡¯t you recognise these?¡± ¡°No,¡± Amelia tilted her head, looking a little too adorable with the straw poking her lips. ¡°Should I?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have sugar, where you come from?¡± Serena asked, keeping her voice a little quieter, although the noise of the crowd alleviated any real concerns of being overheard. ¡°Yeah... why?¡± ¡°Sugar comes from this, right?¡± Serena wriggled the fruit in her hand. ¡°The sugarfruit?¡± ¡°Um... our sugar came from sugarcanes.¡± ¡°Sugarcane? What does that look like?¡± After settling on a wording that she felt communicated her thoughts on the matter appropriately, the young-looking woman scratched her reply onto the paper with a quill before gently inserting it into an envelope and using magic to melt some wax upon it. She pressed the stamp into the wax, leaving an imprint of a single letter that was written in the language of the Words. E. Placing it to the side, she lifted the skull and removed the following document that required her attention. It was a letter written in shining red ink on ash-coloured paper. Paper that was almost priceless, for it was sourced from the holy trees that only grew in the higher circles of hell. Looking at its author, she saw it was a message transcribed by her ambassador to the Upper Halls. The poor man had been dragged into a rather uncomfortable meeting with the higher gods and given a dressing down. She allowed the smallest of sighs as she read the letter¡¯s contents. It was essentially a noise complaint regarding the events that transpired in the Lower Halls a week ago. The language used was aggressive, demanding an explanation. It strongly implied that without one, they could consider the event an act of war against the Seven Hells as it had originated from her territory. The woman took a few breaths to think. The Hellords had been diplomatic in their wording not to demand it, but reading between the lines, they clearly expected her to cross realms and offer an explanation in person. Whilst thinking about this, the woman decided the mint tea was wholly unsuitable for the mood. ¡°Theresa,¡± she called. With a crack, the maid snapped into the realm, appearing from thin air beside the woman. It was a skill that would frighten even the Greatlords, if they even knew what the ability truly implied. ¡°Divine One?¡± ¡°I-¡± She was cut off. ¡°Somethings approaching. Fast.¡± A slight frown appeared on her forehead as she identified the anomaly. ¡°Ah. This will be a private conversation. Make yourself scarce, Theresa.¡± After a moment of concentration, the maid shifted into another plane of reality, leaving behind the telltale sign of a hurried realmshift; the smell of burnt toast. The woman relaxed, sipping her mint tea while the anomaly swept into her office, ruffling the papers and causing a pleasant breeze. A second passed, and the atmosphere died down. The hollow eyes of the skull glowed with a familiar crimson hue. ¡°Hail, Empress Elana of Cascadia! Shard of Infinity! Overlord of Overlords! A-¡± The skull suddenly cut off its salutations. ¡°Am I being used as a paperweight?¡± It asked, its gruff voice suddenly taking on a tone of annoyance. ¡°If I had known you were coming, I would have placed you somewhere more suitable, Anathor,¡± Elana said. She gave the frustrated skull a small smile and took a slow, deliberate sip of tea. ¡°I wish I could say I enjoy these rare moments you leave the ship. Unfortunately, you always seem to bring bad news when you do.¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± ¡°What troubles, then?¡± ¡°She is waking up. I am certain of this.¡± Elana closed her eyes. A feeling of ancient guilt and a touch of sadness filled her heart. ¡°How? It shouldn¡¯t be happening so soon.¡± ¡°The human cast a healing spell. It has seeped into those torn and broken pieces of her and brought them a little closer together.¡± ¡°The human...¡± Elana murmured, her eyes flicking to the ash-coloured paper on the desk. ¡°Tell me about the human, Anathor.¡± ¡°Hmm... I did not notice it until now, but the pair of you look similar.¡± ¡°In what way?" ¡°Blonde hair, blue eyes,¡± The skull¡¯s red eyes flashed, ¡°Both hiding another form...¡± Elana was silent for a moment. ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°She has bonded with the captain.¡± ¡°Bonded?¡± ¡°Yes. I sense it in them both. A growing infatuation. It will eventually turn into love.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Elana intoned, sipping the last of the bitter mint tea before swallowing audibly. ¡°How sweet. I¡¯m jealous, truly. I must find time to meet the human and this captain.¡± ¡°To what end, Princess Elana?¡± Elana raised an eyebrow. She decided against chastising the formless, for his comment had raised an authentic smile upon her lips. For that alone, he could be forgiven. ¡°Princess?¡± She asked the skull. ¡°So many centuries have passed, but you are still that same brazen princess I remember. Charging into the enemy, waving that flaming spear.¡± The gruff voice softened, and memories she had thought she had forgotten sprang up in her mind. ¡°I remember now. I lectured you for your recklessness. Ha!¡± ¡°So long ago...¡± She murmured. ¡°So long ago,¡± echoed Anathor. ¡°Sometimes I still feel like I¡¯m eighteen, you know? I thought I would grow to despise my long life, but as the centuries tick by...¡± She turned her head and stared directly into the skull''s glowing eyes. ¡°I find myself loving it more every day. How about you, my mentor?¡± ¡°Hmm... I haven¡¯t given it much thought... You don¡¯t think much of these things when you don¡¯t have a body.¡± ¡°Would you like me to make you one?¡± At her offer, the skull was silent for a long time. ¡°Perhaps...¡± Anathor eventually said, ¡°...Perhaps after my duty is done. Then I may request such a thing. If you are willing.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Elana said, feeling a tinge of empathy at the long-suffering plight her mentor¡¯s duty had caused him. ¡°What will you do if that comes to pass?¡± ¡°Hmm... I would go home.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a long way from home, Anathor.¡± ¡°So very far...¡± The two of them fell into a lull of silence and self-reflection. Many memories flashed through Elana¡¯s mind, and she was sure Anathor was having his own period of reflection. Eventually, the skull¡¯s red eyes flashed as Anathor broke the silence. ¡°Are your shackles still holding firm?¡± ¡°... Yes,¡± Elana whispered. ¡°Our punishments were deserved.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°It was a terrible thing we did. A great sin.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°A cardinal sin.¡± ¡°Damn it, Anathor. Why are you bringing it up now?¡± She gave the formless a pointed stare. He always knew how to drive a point home. ¡°The human, how powerful do you think she is?¡± She asked, forcefully changing to a less sombre subject. ¡°Hmm... as with you, I sense no upper boundary to the powers she can draw.¡± ¡°Is she experienced?¡± ¡°... No.¡± Elana sighed, taking a sip from the cup before remembering too late that no tea remained. Nevertheless, she kept the act up, pretending to drink politely as she organised her thoughts. ¡°Where do you think she came from?¡± ¡°The deepest depths of the Sixth Heaven. The souls there merged into something by chance and created her. Not knowing what to do, the Heavens placed the soul in a vessel and threw her into the mists where she stumbled upon our realm.¡± She considered the possibility before mentally filing it away for further consideration later. ¡°If the ship¡¯s waking up, then we have no choice Anathor. We must find what was lost.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°... I¡¯ll think about it.¡± She placed the cup delicately back down. ¡°Go now, Anathor. You know how uncomfortable she becomes when you¡¯re not there.¡± ¡°... Goodbye, princess.¡± The red eyes faded, and the formless began its flight back to the East, leaving only the noise of rustling papers. ¡°Goodbye, Anathor.¡± She whispered, losing herself in her thoughts. Chapter Twenty-Four: Breaking Boundaries Chapter Twenty-Four: Breaking Boundaries The week building up to the festival was a blur of activities, new experiences and satisfying bedtime exercises that were slowly becoming increasingly risque. As they became more comfortable with each other''s bodies, Amelia felt their connection grow. When they were alone, she would sometimes sit on Serena''s lap, interrupting her work. While the demon would click her tongue and roll her eyes, Serena would still embrace and kiss her before complaining about being distracted from her paperwork. They kept up the appearance with the futon but otherwise cuddled each other to sleep. Serena seemed to like it when Amelia buried her head into her chest, so that became their typical sleeping position. They would talk about each other''s lives and hold as little back as possible. Serena couldn¡¯t share everything as she was a commissioned officer, and so some things needed to remain secret. ¡°I suppose there¡¯s one thing I¡¯ve been wondering...¡± Serena mumbled one night while Amelia was nestled into her chest. Amelia readjusted her position so she could look into the pair of crimson eyes. She had learned that when Serena mumbled like this, it was because she wanted to ask something that was troubling her. ¡°Wondering about what?¡± ¡°What did you look like in your original body?¡± Ah. Amelia could see why that was a difficult question to ask. She supposed it made sense. Serena knew she was in a new body, and curiosity was only natural. Her original body was her authentic self, and she was still getting used to it. At times she felt a little strange, especially when she looked at herself in the mirror, but those feelings faded as the days passed. ¡°I was a few inches shorter, and I had brown hair. Don¡¯t worry, I wasn¡¯t an old man or anything!¡± Amelia gave her girlfriend a reassuring smile. ¡°I had blue eyes, but they weren¡¯t as blue as these ones. Umm... I modelled the face after my own but made my features a little more sharp. Made my nose a little cuter as well!¡± ¡°So you looked similar?¡± ¡°Yeah! I imagined her as an adorable little sister when I made this body! I think I was pretty average in looks where I came from, but the chronic disease often had me looking gaunt, so...¡± Amelia shrugged, ¡°I hope you don¡¯t think you¡¯re being deceived or anything like that.¡± ¡°No, of course not,¡± Serena said, pulling Amelia closer and giving her a kiss on the forehead. ¡°I was just wondering.¡± On occasion, Serena would ask a question about the game Amelia played. These conversations didn¡¯t bore much fruit as so little of the game¡¯s world reflected the reality she was now in. One theory they had was the game was designed by someone who had lived or visited this realm, but that didn¡¯t explain how she had gained her character''s abilities. The most difficult thing to communicate was the neurolink device through which the game was played. After eventually getting the concept across, Serena asked if such technology could be recreated in Cascadia. After thinking about it, Amelia figured it would take many centuries of enormous investment to get even slightly close, even knowing the end product. Besides, the noise interference of atmospheric aether and the lumina would tremendously complicate computer chip development. Apparently, despite the ethereal substance manifesting as literal magic, mathematicians modelled much of its behaviour and interactions. Amelia was looking forward to meeting Serena¡¯s genius sister Nina and asking her about it. Tomes started visiting them for a few hours every morning, during which time he would tutor her in the imperial script. The first time he met them at the inn, he was carrying a bundle of books in his hands. He only briefly glanced at the futon before settling the collection on the desk. ¡°Seven hells, these bring back memories,¡± Serena said, picking one up and flipping through the brightly coloured books. ¡°Are these... children¡¯s books?¡± Amelia asked, flicking through the books with more pictures than words. ¡°That¡¯s right. I raided a book market for these. Half a denarii for the lot!¡± Tomes said, looking proud of himself. ¡°They¡¯re all imperial, although they seem to focus on Manwese fables and stories. Loads of them seem to be about the kami.¡± He dug into the books and pulled out a red one with numbers on the cover. ¡°Look here, elementary mathematics for demons aged uh...¡± He squinted at the back of the book, ¡°Five to six!¡± Amelia rolled her eyes. ¡°Tomes, I know how to calculate the orbits of planets. I just need to figure out the symbols for different things.¡± She flicked through one of the maths books, seeing that she could do all this quickly with her limited knowledge of imperial numbers. ¡°Can you get something more challenging?¡± ¡°Alright then...¡± Tomes grumbled. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can find for tomorrow." After that, they sat down and Tomes took her through the twenty-eight letters of the imperial alphabet. She was sure she just needed to sound out the letters a few times and practice with simple words before it would all fall into place. By the end of the hour, she could already make decent attempts to pronounce the three and four letters that Tomes had written down. After Tome¡¯s lessons, Amelia and Serena would take an early lunch and make their way to the academy, where they would train alongside the instruction of Grandmaster Gu. Amelia was introduced to the full suite of what was deemed ¡®basic strikes¡¯ as well as a number of new katas to practice. Half the time was spent teaching Amelia, but for the second half, she was left alone to focus on her individual training while Grandmaster Gu instructed Serena. Unlike her training, which involved a lot of movement and sparring, Serena seemed to spend a long time meditating with her sword under the grandmaster¡¯s instruction. Aiden would be there, although he didn¡¯t train and preferred to watch and chat. ¡°When did you leave Karligard to go travelling?¡± He asked one time they sat down to eat the bland buns. ¡°When I was sixteen,¡± Amelia said, blowing on her hot bun, ¡°After I realised I could keep myself in good condition from healing... I just set out and walked, you know? Sometimes I didn¡¯t eat for weeks, but my magic kept me going.¡± ¡°Did you sell your services?¡± ¡°No,¡± she shook her head, repeating the story she had gone over dozens of times with Serena. ¡°I avoided cities and only healed any injuries I came across. Never stayed around for long. I knew the church would want me, and I didn¡¯t want the bother so...¡± she shrugged, ¡°I just kept wandering.¡± ¡°Until you met Captain Halen?¡± ¡°Until I met Captain Halen,¡± she echoed. ¡°And how-¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough, Aiden,¡± Serena interjected, looking nonchalant as she nibbled her food. ¡°You¡¯re here for a profile, nothing more. I¡¯m satisfied with her past, and that¡¯s what matters. Her secrets are hers to keep and share as she pleases.¡± ¡°Officer Aiden,¡± the grandmaster grumbled, ¡°Although I don¡¯t attend their events much, I still am a Cascadian lord.¡± The old demon pulled out a letter and handed it to Aiden. ¡°A recommendation from me for you to attach to your report. I can vouch for the good character of Speaker Thornheart.¡± Aiden took the letter, eyeing the grandmaster with a puzzled expression on his face. ¡°You¡¯ve only known her for a few days,¡± he said. ¡°True, but through our swordplay, I have seen enough of Speaker Thornheart¡¯s soul to make my judgement.¡± The grandmaster gave her a grandfatherly smile. ¡°She has done much for me already, so I am merely repaying the favour.¡± What a kind grandpa! Amelia had to rub her eyes before tears could form. ¡°Thanks grandpa! You¡¯re amazing!¡± She beamed a smile at him, causing the man to rub his beard awkwardly and mumble something about a granddaughter. ¡°To be young again...¡± mumbled Lord Yulan. ¡°Well, I wish I could offer you a place to stay in the Highguard, but it¡¯s going to be at least a month before we¡¯re ready to reopen, and then you¡¯ll be gone!¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid so. We¡¯ll have to experience your hospitality next time we¡¯re here, old man,¡± Serena said. ¡°Before I go, there is one thing...¡± He fished out a letter sealed with wax and handed it to Serena. ¡°It¡¯s just a few words from me vouching for Amelia¡¯s character. You mentioned Centralis Intelligence was poking about. Thought this might possibly help avoid a fight...¡± Another letter of recommendation! That was awesome! Or rather, she was awesome? ¡°Thanks grandpa!¡± Amelia exclaimed with a smile and two thumbs up. ¡°G-grandpa!?¡± Lord Yulan stuttered. ¡°Stop calling every old man grandpa, idiot,¡± Serena said, pulling her cheeks. ¡°You¡¯ll give them heart attacks.¡± ¡°But they¡¯re being so kind to me...¡± Amelia whimpered as her cheeks were gently pulled in circles. It sort of felt like a massage. Should she mention it felt nice to Serena? No, she shouldn¡¯t. If she did, Serena might stop using it as a punishment. ¡°Idiot,¡± Serena said again, releasing her cheeks. They bid Lord Yulan goodbye, and he promised to come back before they left Kenhoro. On the fourth day, they visited the Central market again. The crowd was packed and they had to push their way through. Amelia noticed that more and more demon horns were decorated with crystal bands and earrings. Although Amelia figured they weren¡¯t called earrings. ¡°They are hornbands and hornlets,¡± Serena explained when Amelia asked her. ¡°There are also horncaps which are pretty self-explanatory. On the day of the festival, you¡¯ll see a lot of demons painting their horns in all kinds of colours. There are often awards for the most impressively decorated set of horns. To some noble families, that prestige means a lot.¡± As the festival drew close, it wasn¡¯t just the horns that changed. Bunting, flags, and other decorations appeared along the walls and roofs of buildings. Statues of kami were being dressed up, and more and more people were wearing costumes. ¡°It¡¯ll start in the outer districts, and there¡¯ll be several groups moving in a circle around the city. They¡¯ll all eventually meet up in the centre for the final events. I imagine Aiden won¡¯t have us following it for long. The pubs are going to be packed.¡± Serena sighed, giving Amelia a smile. ¡°Try not to drink too much, alright?¡± ¡°But last time I drank loads, some really good things happened!¡± ¡°Shut up...¡± came the muttered response, joined by a slight blush. Together they found the stall owner who sold the masks. He recognised them immediately and showed Amelia the red mask. It was similar to her own blue one, but the red glow gave it a mature allure that would fit Serena perfectly. Once she indicated she was happy with it, the stall owner wrapped it neatly, and the pair of them left the market with Amelia buzzing with happiness. Their next destination was to check in on the tailor, who jumped from her seat when they walked in. ¡°You¡¯re finally here! I didn¡¯t know how to contact you!¡± ¡°Hello!¡± Amelia said cheerfully. ¡°How goes the, uh... tailoring?¡± ¡°I have one workset complete and two casual ones. Would you like to try them out?¡± The tailor immediately began buzzing around her, adjusting different parts of Amelia¡¯s clothing as she talked. ¡°Mmm! Sure! Can you show me how to tie it all properly again?¡± Amelia tried all the outfits on. The workset was particularly impressive as it had so many hidden pockets and pouches. It was also designed so it could be worn inverted in case it became dirty. Amelia kept quiet about her cleaning magic, as the tailor seemed proud of this feature. After the work and casual clothes, she was thrown into a prototype of the red dress the tailor had been working on. In Amelia¡¯s eyes, it was a perfect dress that balanced modesty and the allure of her body and cleavage. She felt it fit her form perfectly, but the tailor kept muttering about mistakes and adjustments that needed to be made. ¡°What do you think?¡± She said, unable to resist the sly smile she felt creeping up on her face as she stepped outside the changing room and did a twirl for Serena. Perhaps it was a mistake as the demon''s mouth dropped open for a moment before Serena realised and closed it. Amelia didn¡¯t miss the look in her eyes, though. It was the same look she usually only saw in the bedroom. ¡°It¡¯s... uh, good. Fitting for an employee of House Halen. Your work is admirable.¡± Serena visibly swallowed and Amelia gave her a cheeky wink. She turned so her arse was facing her girlfriend. ¡°So, is it easy to put on and remove, or will I need assistance?¡± She asked innocently while squeezing her buttcheeks with both hands, out of sight of the tailor facing her but right in the eyesight of her girlfriend. She didn¡¯t quite hear the tailor''s reply as she was focused on the sensation of Serena''s gaze burning a hole through her dress. Her girlfriend couldn¡¯t meet her gaze when she turned around, so it must have had the intended effect. Serena gave the tailor the inn''s location to send the clothes and then made her excuses for the pair of them to leave. It started to rain, so they put on their brown raincoats and hats and jumped on a busy tram back to the inn. Serena hadn¡¯t said anything during the ride, and Amelia was going to ask if she had upset her but was cut short when she felt her girlfriend''s hand slip into her raincoat and feel her up. Amelia gave a small squeak before covering her mouth. She leaned into Serena, letting herself be groped before slipping her own hand through the layers of leather and paying Serena back in kind. When they returned to the inn, they barely made it through the door before Serena quite literally threw her on the bed and climbed on top of her with eyes full of desire. ¡°You need to be taught a lesson,¡± Serena said, pinning Amelia¡¯s hands to the bed with her body weight. ¡°Oh no. I¡¯m trapped and helpless!¡± She gave Serena her best fuck me eyes and made herself moan softly. ¡°Whatever will my punishment be, I wonder? I-¡± She was cut off as her lips were stolen while Serena fumbled to undress her, almost ripping the clothes in the process. The following events were quite possibly the most pleasurable Amelia had experienced in her entire life. She was stripped entirely naked, and Serena¡¯s fingers and tongue went to places and crossed boundaries they never had before. Afterwards, as they caught their breath, one thought crossed Amelia¡¯s mind. So that¡¯s what it feels like to be ravaged. She turned and cuddled Serena, and when she was confident the demon had fallen asleep, she leaned in and whispered in her girlfriend''s ear in the quietest voice she could muster. ¡°I love you.¡± Chapter Twenty-Five: Breaking Bones Chapter Twenty-Five: Breaking Bones After an awkward exchange of morning greetings, Serena took a shower in the washroom. She sat down as the warm water rained down upon her, clutching both her horns in a mixture of embarrassment and frustration. Was it normal for her thoughts and emotions to be so strong? She knew she liked Amelia, but the magnitude of her urges and how often she gave into them was like nothing she had ever experienced before. What she did to Amelia last night - what she enjoyed doing - were things she never thought she would ever do to another person, let alone a human. She¡¯d lost herself in raw desire, and that smug idiot - her girlfriend - had only encouraged her! Was everyone else this passionate behind closed doors? Or was their relationship different? The romance she had toyed with during her academy years was nothing like this. She let out a soft groan. Infatuation. That was the word that described her situation. Every time she had let her attraction to Amelia manifest into action, the human was right there to encourage it. Worse of all, she was undeniably proud of what she had done. She didn¡¯t feel any regret, and knowing she could make those noises come out of her girlfriend from her fingers and her tongue was satisfying. When she- Damn it. Even thinking about it made her embarrassed. She dried and dressed herself and returned to the bedroom. Amelia was sitting in her undergarments, sipping coffee at the table. A second cup was waiting for Serena. ¡°I poured you a cup!¡± Amelia chirped as she began nibbling on a biscuit. ¡°Thanks,¡± Serena said, trying to sound normal to prevent the atmosphere from becoming awkward. She joined Amelia at the table and began drinking the coffee. Unfortunately, she found she didn¡¯t know what to say, and a lingering silence weighed down upon them. ¡°I¡¯m really starting to enjoy the coffee in Cascadia,¡± Amelia said idly. ¡°That¡¯s good... It¡¯s quality stuff,¡± Serena said quietly. ¡°Do you want to talk about last night?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°I do,¡± Serena said, taking a long sip of coffee to give her time to think. She would just power through this as if she were on a battlefield. ¡°I guess, with how intense it was...¡± She glanced at Amelia and she was relieved to see they were both blushing. ¡°I¡¯m worried that I pushed too much too quickly. I hope you didn¡¯t feel like I was... overpowering you?¡± ¡°Not at all!¡± Amelia smiled softly before hiding most of her face behind her cup. ¡°I really like what you did. I promise you, if I¡¯m ever uncomfortable about anything, I¡¯ll let you know, alright?¡± ¡°Right. Thank you...¡± Serena felt what little guilt she had over last night evaporate. After all, if Amelia had enjoyed it as much as she did, then there was no point feeling bad. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking, and I just think that our relationship is so... so...¡± She waved her hand, ¡°Irregular.¡± ¡°Irregular?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m the daughter of a Highlord. Any relationship I¡¯m in should be something organised and sanctioned by both families. There would be a long period as the engagement slowly progressed. The meetings would always have attendants nearby, so any passion,¡± her eyes flicked to Amelia¡¯s lips, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t have a chance to be acted on.¡± ¡°And... because what¡¯s happened with us so quickly,¡± Amelia gestured to the pair of them, ¡°You feel out of your depth?¡± ¡°I guess so,¡± A sigh escaped Serena¡¯s lips. ¡°It¡¯s more than that. My emotions are so strong I don¡¯t feel like I¡¯m in control. It¡¯s honestly frightening, but I also like it, I think.¡± At her words, Amelia put down her coffee cup and stood up. She approached Serena before sitting on her lap and placing an arm around her. ¡°Well, I¡¯m delighted to hear you¡¯re as crazy about me as I am about you! Sometimes, you make me so happy I feel like my heart¡¯s going to explode!¡± Amelia gave her a peck on the forehead before running her hand through Serena¡¯s hair and giving her a massage. ¡°Are you... massaging my head?¡± She raised an eyebrow, giving her girlfriend a sly smile. ¡°Yup! Do you like it?¡± ¡°... Yes, keep going.¡± A minute passed, and Serena slowly relaxed. She realised she liked these quiet moments of intimacy as much as what happened last night. Sitting here with Amelia while receiving a massage felt so right. She nuzzled Amelia¡¯s neck, lightly kissing her. ¡°It¡¯s going to be difficult to keep my hands off you when we¡¯re sailing,¡± Serena whispered. ¡°Not much room in those hammocks, right?¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°Well, we do have a few weeks to get it all out of our system,¡± Amelia said with a cheeky grin, ¡°And I still need to repay last night¡¯s favour!¡± ¡°Tsk!¡± Serena ruffled Amelia¡¯s hair. ¡°You¡¯re trying to make me flustered again, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Obviously, and it¡¯s working!¡± Came the reply behind the blond mop. ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± Serena declared, ¡°From now on, I refuse to be embarrassed or flustered by anything you say!¡± She leaned back in her chair, folding her arms and trying to look as serious as possible. ¡°Is that so?¡± Amelia asked, using her hands to make an opening in the blond curtain of hair. ¡°How about a bet, then?¡± ¡°A bet?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ask you one question, and if you can maintain eye contact with me, I¡¯ll tone down the teasing.¡± Two blue orbs gazed at her with an unidentifiable twinkle. ¡°Deal?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°And if I can¡¯t?¡± Serena narrowed her eyes. ¡°Then you have to promise me you¡¯ll never hold back! Any time you want to kiss or hug me, then you have to do it! Unless the situation is completely inappropriate, of course!¡± ¡°Fine then, I¡¯ll take that bet.¡± ¡°Great! Are you ready?¡± ¡°Was that the question?¡± ¡°No, you smart-ass demon!¡± Amelia stuck her tongue out, ¡°It¡¯s not going to be that easy.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hear it then. I¡¯m ready.¡± Serena focused on their eye contact, feeling determination take over. ¡°Okay!¡± Amelia coughed lightly into a closed hand. ¡°Ahem! Did you-¡± Her girlfriend broke eye contact and buried her head in her hands with a groan. ¡°Hang on, hang on!¡± She made eye contact again. ¡°Did you li-¡± Amelia stopped her question again, breaking out into an uncontrollable nervous giggle. ¡°Damn it! It¡¯s too crass, even for me.¡± ¡°Oh? So I win, then? If you can¡¯t even ask the question?¡± ¡°No, no!¡± Amelia waved her hands before taking a few deep breaths. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m really ready now. I just needed a moment to prepare,¡± Amelia wriggled on Serena¡¯s lap, moving closer until their eyes were only six inches apart. The human¡¯s face was as red as Serena¡¯s crimson eyes. ¡°Did you like it when I used your horns as handles while your tongue was between my legs?¡± Serena snapped her eyes closed as she pulled Amelia into a tight embrace so she wouldn¡¯t have to look at her. As the heat erupted on her face, she made a mental note never again to make a bet with her girlfriend. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want Tomes to come with you?¡± Amelia rolled her eyes. What did Serena think she would get up to!? ¡°What could I possibly get up to? I¡¯m just going for my lesson with Grandpa Gu,¡± Amelia gestured with both arms to one side before switching to the other direction, ¡°Then I¡¯m coming back here. Easy.¡± ¡°Uh-huh,¡± Serena, Tomes, and Aiden said in unison. Aiden had appeared at the inn during her morning lesson with Tomes. Apparently, his superiors wanted to question Serena about the Highguard incident and other matters. The timing meant those two would not be able to make that day¡¯s swordsmanship training. Amelia had offered to go with them, but Serena immediately shot down that idea. For some reason, the three of them seemed suspicious when she declared she would attend the academy training alone. Her girlfriend was initially against the idea but relented quickly. One thing Amelia liked about Serena was she was protective but not over-protective. ¡°Bye!¡± Amelia waved at them as she hopped on a tram. In less than a week she had become very adept at hopping on and off the steam-powered transportation. When the conductor approached her she fumbled about counting the required copper coins but managed to pay for a ticket. Serena had given her a rundown of the imperial currency and its denominations. After clambering onto the second tram Amelia spent her time sounding out the stop names as well as trying to read any passing imperial signage on shop fronts. Manwese was still impossible for her but imperial was slowly falling into place. She figured she would know enough to get by in a month. Arriving at the academy, she skipped past the gate guards with a greeting before heading into the main building. She had appeared at the time students and instructors were moving between lessons and she was lost in the river of bodies. No one spoke to her, but her blond hair stood out and more than a few utterances were heard by her sharp ears. ¡°It¡¯s that human again.¡± ¡°What do you think she does every day?¡± ¡°She¡¯s alone this time.¡± ¡°Think she¡¯s training? She has a wooden sword.¡± Amelia hummed to herself as she navigated the now-memorised corridors and stairs before arriving at the private training hall. Slipping inside, she bowed politely to the Grandmaster swinging a sword. Her bows had also improved greatly. It was something Serena had been making her practice every evening. ¡°Hello, grandpa!¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± grumbled the old man, ¡°Just you?¡± ¡°Get her, Mel!¡± ¡°Show her what it means to wield a sword!¡± ¡°Punish that liar!¡± ¡°Make her bleed!¡± Amelia saw behind the crowd two instructors were whispering frantically to each other, glancing in their direction. One of them ran out of the training hall while the other just stayed there and watched. The student called Mel attacked her again and again. She threw out a flurry of strikes that Amelia could tell had been practised thousands of times. They were far more controlled than her own, executed with more confidence, and... They were so slow. Amelia frowned as she internally recalculated her expectations. She moved her body to respond to strike after strike. Unlike the vicious assault by the grandmaster, she felt like she could have defended against this all day. ¡°Is this all you¡¯ve got?¡± Amelia said between blocks. Ha! She bet she looked super cool saying that. If only Serena were there to see it! Her mocking had the intended effect, causing Mel¡¯s face to contort with rage. She would make a terrible officer. ¡°Let¡¯s see how you handle this!¡± Amelia sensed the aether in Mel''s froth as her body took on a red hue. The attacks took on a speed that required Amelia to focus a little more. Still, it was nothing like when Serena or the Grandmaster attacked her. In fact, she was sure Serena¡¯s attacks without aura had far more speed and aggression. When the grandmaster used red aura, he could strike more than a dozen times a second. This student was managing about four. Amelia waited until Mel tried another thrust before parrying it like she had been taught. She swung her sword around and struck Mel¡¯s upper arm with about the same strength as she used against the grandmaster. That was a mistake as Mel¡¯s red aura collapsed under her strike, and Amelia felt the bones in the upper arm shatter as her wooden sword slammed into her opponent. ¡°Argh! Ahhh!¡± Mel dropped her sword and collapsed onto the floor, screaming in pain. ¡°What did you do to my sister, you bitch!¡± A voice yelled from behind Amelia. She turned her head to see a blade - a real blade - covered in orange aura, carving a path towards her face. Amelia felt her vision darken as her anger exploded at the attempt at her life. She flared the triple-wards she was running as hard as she could, and as the blade approached her nose, she leaned upwards and... Bit down on the steel, shattering the sword with her teeth. She swung her fist at Mel¡¯s brother, whose eyes had widened with shock. Amelia used all the speed she could muster without Speaking, slamming a fist into his ribs. She knew she could probably punch through the man¡¯s body if she wanted, so she simply aimed at the spot where his ribs were and then added another inch. The effect was immediately felt as she could feel his ribs shatter under her blow. The man crumpled to the floor, gasping and trying to scream but not being able to produce anything more than a whimper. For a moment, all was quiet apart from the noise of the defeated siblings. Amelia glanced at the instructor in the background and was surprised to see him take a step backwards. She must have had one hell of a look on her face because when she made eye contact with any of the students, their faces went pale and they cast their eyes down. ¡°D-did you see what happened?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t see anything!¡± ¡°She bit the sword! Bit it!¡± ¡°How did she move so fast!?¡± Amelia turned to leave, and as the students parted, a familiar set of horns appeared. Grandmaster Gu had come, flanked by the instructor who had run off earlier. ¡°Speaker Thornheart, what happened here for your eyes to show such anger?¡± At his voice, the surrounding students erupted into another flurry of hurried whispers. ¡°Speaker! He called her a Speaker!¡± ¡°Was she pretending all along?¡± ¡°But she didn¡¯t use aura!¡± ¡°Who is she!?¡± Amelia looked at the old man''s crimson eyes, which held an unreadable expression. She swallowed before explaining her version of events. ¡°I got lost leaving the academy. I found myself here and thought I would watch the students train. I wanted to see if I could see any of the mistakes in their training that you corrected in mine.¡± She gestured to Mel, who was looking at her with a mixture of pain and horror. ¡°This one disrespected me and Lady Halen. She accused me of being a spy and more. She wanted me to spar, and I broke her arm when I struck her back.¡± Amelia waved an arm at the gasping man on the floor. ¡°This one tried to kill me. He swung at me with a steel weapon coated in orange aura at my face. As you can see,¡± She met the grandmaster¡¯s eyes, ¡°The sword lost.¡± The old man was silent for a while, and it felt like everyone was holding their breath. ¡°What did you learn?¡± The grandmaster asked her. ¡°I learned... that there is more variation in the quality of aura than I thought. I counter-attacked with the same strength I use against you. That was a mistake,¡± Amelia shrugged. ¡°I also learned that just because someone is a good swordsman,¡± she glanced at the man on the floor, ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean they have the temperament to be a good officer.¡± ¡°And what punishments do you think they deserve?¡± ¡°Umm...¡± Amelia thought for a few moments. She looked at Mel who swallowed nervously. ¡°I agreed to spar with that one. So if anything...¡± Amelia bowed to the quiet student, ¡°I apologise for breaking your arm. I am not a Speaker of the martial gods and am unfamiliar with controlling my strength.¡± She raised her body and kept her eyes on Mel. ¡°After the festival, if she is willing to apologise to Lady Halen and me for her words, I will heal her arm.¡± ¡°Oh? Hmm...¡± The grandmaster turned to Mel, ¡°Is that acceptable to you?¡± Mel swallowed nervously before answering in a quiet voice. ¡°Yes, grandmaster.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t answer me, answer her!¡± He barked. ¡°Ah... Yes, Miss Thornheart...¡± ¡°Speaker Thornheart!¡± The grandmaster barked again. ¡°Yes! Yes, Speaker Thornheart! I will apologise...¡± ¡°As for her brother,¡± Amelia pointed at the quivering man who had caught his breath and was looking at her and the grandmaster with fear in his eyes. ¡°My understanding of Cascadian law is that trying to murder a Speaker is punishable by death. I suppose he would normally be hung.¡± Amelia shrugged as the man¡¯s eyes widened and his mouth opened, ¡°Normally, that is. I¡¯m not yet a citizen of the empire, so those laws probably don¡¯t apply. I don¡¯t know what should happen, but I won¡¯t heal him for what he did. Maybe make him clean toilets for a year or something.¡± The grandmaster rubbed his beard. ¡°Damian, is it?¡± He asked the demon who was clutching his ribs. ¡°Y-yes, grandmaster.¡± ¡°You¡¯re supposed to graduate at the end of this year?¡± ¡°Y-yes, grandmaster.¡± ¡°Not any more. I¡¯ll delay your graduation by two years. You¡¯ll spend the next year from now cleaning toilets, and then the year after, you will focus on tutoring first-years. Only then can you graduate. A small price to pay, to avoid the noose?¡± ¡°T-thank you! Thank you, grandmaster!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t thank me, thank Speaker Thornheart, whose mercy has prevented so much shame from falling upon your family.¡± ¡°... Thank you, Speaker Thornheart.¡± ¡°Excellent!¡± The grandmaster clapped his hands. ¡°Looks like everyone here has learned a few important lessons, and it didn¡¯t cost any lives! Remember! When you¡¯re on the battlefield, the cost of lessons becomes the lives of your soldiers and your friends! Make these mistakes now, in the safety of my halls, before you make them in war!¡± The grandmaster turned to Amelia. ¡°Speaker Thornheart, I trust you¡¯ll return to training after tomorrow''s festival?¡± ¡°Y-yeah!¡± Amelia nodded, ¡°I mean, yes, grandmaster!¡± ¡°Wonderful! Now run along,¡± He gave her a smile, ¡°Try not to stumble into any other training halls on the way out.¡± He gave a deep bow, and she returned. With a last look at her defeated opponents, Amelia turned and walked out of the training ground. The tram rides back were a blur as Amelia ran what happened repeatedly in her head. She kept second-guessing actions she had taken or things she had said. What would have happened if she had done things differently? The possibilities kept creeping into her mind and occupied her thoughts all the way until she stepped through the door to the room at the inn. ¡°Welcome back,¡± Serena said idly, not looking up from her paperwork. ¡°So, when should I expect the city guard to come knocking with your arrest warrant?¡± ¡°You... you! How did you find out so quickly!?¡± Amelia blurted out as Serena looked at her in surprise. ¡°Christ! Seven hells, I was only joking. You idiot! What have you done now!?¡± Oops. Chapter Twenty-Six: The Moonrain Festival Chapter Twenty-Six: The Moonrain Festival AnnouncementI''ve set up a discord for Amelia Thornheart! The invite link is: I''ll be posting maps and updates about the series there! I''m also considering streaming the writing process - see author notes at the bottom! After having her hair ruffled and cheeks squeezed, Amelia was able to recount the tale of events to an annoyed-looking Serena. Her girlfriend¡¯s glare softened when Amelia explained Grandmaster Gu¡¯s reaction and the hair ruffling slowly changed into a gentle head massage. ¡°Mmm...¡± Amelia murmured, ¡°I don¡¯t understand why they got so aggressive so fast. I would have thought trainee officers would be far more composed...¡± ¡°Idiot,¡± Serena replied, running her hands through Amelia¡¯s golden hair. She sat Amelia down and began to comb through the ruffled mess. ¡°Some of it was probably anti-human bias. They¡¯re trainee officers; you know the first thing that gets drilled into your head throughout your time at the academy?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°To watch out for human spies. That¡¯s the singular lesson that gets repeated constantly throughout the years. Then you turn up in their academy, poking your nose in their training. If you were a spy, think about the information you could get,¡± Serena explained, slowly teasing out the knots in Amelia¡¯s hair, ¡°Counts of how many students had reached red aura, counts and identities of those reaching orange.¡± ¡°Oh, that makes sense... but surely they would have seen me enough to know both you and the grandmaster were okay with me?¡± ¡°Right,¡± Serena said, ¡°If they had looked at the situation calmly, things might not have escalated. It turned out like it did because you insulted their egos.¡± ¡°I did? How?¡± ¡°Saying you were getting personal training from the grandmaster after only holding a sword for a few days,¡± Serena finished combing and began giving her a shoulder massage. ¡°Getting instruction from a grandmaster is an incredible honour, and most students will never have the privilege. It would¡¯ve angered them for you to speak about it so casually...¡± Serena paused as if in thought, and her hands became idle. ¡°At least you didn¡¯t call him grandpa in front of them, you idiot.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t stop! It feels nice...¡± Once Serena¡¯s hands had resumed massaging her shoulders, Amelia asked her if there was anything else that she had done to make the situation worse. ¡°You implied you could learn red aura in such a short period of time. Even if it¡¯s true, most of those students have been training for a decade just to build the foundation to get into that academy. Half of them won¡¯t ever reach red. You would have come across as arrogant.¡± ¡°There¡¯s something else I don¡¯t understand; They seemed to respect you as a war hero, but made jokes about me keeping your bed warm...¡± Amelia felt Serena¡¯s hands grip her shoulders slightly harder. ¡°It doesn¡¯t add up. Why would they insult you if they respected you?¡± Serena took a moment to answer. ¡°It was an insult to you, really. Saying you serve me only as a... paramour. To say it to you - another female - is to imply you¡¯ve accepted payment to engage in acts of homosexuality which most people consider... unnatural.¡± ¡°Nothing about how I feel about you feels unnatural!¡± Amelia gritted her teeth. ¡°I hate that word. Our connection is as natural as anyone else¡¯s!¡± Amelia tilted her head backwards to look at Serena. ¡°Do you feel it, too?¡± she asked. ¡°Yes,¡± Serena bent down, giving her a kiss on the forehead and then on the lips, ¡°I do.¡± The pair then went downstairs for some food. Amelia was getting rather good at using chopsticks now and could neatly construct her little mouthfuls with what she thought was elegance and grace. Serena still pointed out flaws here and there but declared that she was approaching a level of etiquette that she deemed passable. Mister Weng appeared and handed Serena a small box. It came from the tailor and was Amelia¡¯s red festival dress. She wanted to open it right there and then but Serena made her wait until their meal was done and they were back in their room. ¡°It feels so... expensive!¡± Amelia exclaimed, lifting the dress out of the box. ¡°Help me put it on!¡± She stripped down to her undergarments and slipped into the dress. Serena had to help her with a dozen small ties, but it was soon done and Amelia gave a twirl to her girlfriend, who couldn¡¯t take her crimson eyes off her spinning body. ¡°You like me in red, I take it?¡± She asked with a sly smile. ¡°Obviously, idiot,¡± Serena approached her and pulled her into an embrace. ¡°It¡¯s so unfair...¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I spent all that time putting the dress on, and now I just want to rip it off you.¡± ¡°Ha!¡± Amelia grinned. Every time Serena vocalised her desires like this, her heart would leap joyfully. ¡°If you think about it, I¡¯m your present... and you¡¯ll be unwrapping me!¡± She gave her girlfriend a wink and got a blush in response. Amelia glanced at the clock on the wall. ¡°Are the markets still open?¡± ¡°Should be, for another hour or so. Why?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not much time! Quick!¡± Amelia started removing the dress, and Serena happily helped her. ¡°There¡¯s something I want to get before the festival!¡± Once she was undressed, she put on a set of casual clothes and headed to the door. ¡°Don¡¯t follow! It¡¯s a present for the festival!¡± Amelia declared, pointing at Serena who made to follow her. ¡°Every time you go somewhere alone, you get into trouble!¡± Serena huffed, crossing her arms. ¡°If you¡¯re going to buy something at the market, I can just get a coffee nearby or something.¡± ¡°Fine, but no looking! Promise?¡± ¡°Promise.¡± They donned their rainhats and raincoats and jumped the tram to Central. It was raining more often recently and the wind was stronger than usual. ¡°It¡¯s the storm season,¡± Serena explained as her black hair was lifted by a gust of wind. ¡°Soon, they¡¯ll shut down civilian transport for about a month. The storms hitting the continent cause enough turbulence to rip apart a wooden transport.¡± ¡°Will it stop us from sailing?¡± ¡°No,¡± Serena said while shaking her head, ¡°The Vengeance can handle all but the most serious storms. However, if the winds are strong enough, the light craft and sails attached to the hull could be ripped off and destroyed.¡± As they neared their destination, Serena put an arm around Amelia¡¯s waist and hopped off the tram. She couldn¡¯t help but make a squeak of satisfaction. Being manhandled like that excited her in ways she didn¡¯t quite understand. Besides, Serena seemed to enjoy manhandling her, so she would do anything she could to encourage the act. They arrived at the central market, and despite it being late, it was still extremely busy. Everyone seemed to want to buy their last-minute festival items, and Amelia was no different. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± ¡°One thing my father liked about me was how frugal I was with my allowance growing up. Unlike my youngest sister, who spends money as fast as she can be given it, I bought practical clothes and simple food.¡± Serena turned around to face Amelia. ¡°Who knew to experience that lifestyle, all I needed to get was a girlfriend who¡¯d spoil me?¡± ¡°Hmrph!¡± Amelia crossed her arms and moved her face closer to Serena¡¯s. ¡°Well, it¡¯s basically your money anyway, right? You¡¯re the one paying me! Besides,¡± she flicked her eyes to Serena¡¯s lips, ¡°You could pay me nothing, and I¡¯ll stay by you. I don¡¯t care about your money when I have your heart!¡± She felt her own cheeks flush at the last sentence but kept her composure. Her discipline was well rewarded as she got to once again enjoy an embarrassed Serena looking awkwardly away while trying not to smile too much. ¡°Idiot, saying such unnecessary things...¡± Serena mumbled. Amelia darted in for a quick kiss before pulling back with a cheeky grin. ¡°It¡¯s very necessary for me, I assure you. Here, let me put these on,¡± She took the earrings from Serena¡¯s hands and clipped them onto the demon''s ears and Serena did the same back to her. It felt weird having the weight of wealth hang from her ears. She shook her head a few times, enjoying the weird feeling pulling on her ears. A knock sounded at the door and the two glanced at each other before scrambling up. ¡°Who is it?¡± Serena asked. ¡°Your best friend, carrying his best friend in his hands!¡± Aiden¡¯s cheerful voice was slightly muffled through the door. ¡°Can I come in?¡± Serena strode over, opening the door to reveal a smart-looking Aiden. He wore black trousers and a white shirt. His horns were painted with the colours of the moon. In one hand, he held a bag, and in the other, a bottle of beer. ¡°Your best friend?¡± Serena asked, eyeing the bottle. ¡°You need better friends, Aiden The Drunk¡± ¡°I have two wonderful,¡± he gestured to the room with a flourish, ¡°And beautiful friends right here. However! Since you so strongly insisted I could not make our trio any bigger I am left with making this my third friend...¡± Aiden lifted the bottle, frowning as he examined the label, ¡°... Demon¡¯s Delight. How fruity and crisp you taste today, dear friend!¡± Amelia giggled and Serena rolled her eyes. ¡°Can I try it?¡± Amelia asked. She was able to smell the beer from here but couldn¡¯t quite identify the familiar fragrance. ¡°Aha!¡± Aiden exclaimed. ¡°I knew you wouldn¡¯t be such a bore. Here,¡± he fished about in the bag and pulled out another bottle of Demon¡¯s Delight, ¡°I brought another with me. Try it while we go over the plans I¡¯ve made for today!¡± Aiden handed Amelia a bottle and she fiddled around with the top before opening it with a satisfying pop. The bottles she had seen all used flip-top style caps instead of the usual crown cork she was familiar with in her world. ¡°Where¡¯s mine?¡± Serena said, crossing her arms in disapproval. ¡°I drank it on the way,¡± Aiden said with a shrug, ¡°You know how it is.¡± While Serena admonished Aiden, Amelia took a swig of her bottle. The beer was light and fruity, and there were hints of something similar to strawberry and banana. ¡°Mmm!¡± She exclaimed, taking another sip. Aiden had picked something good to start the day off! ¡°Hic!¡± Amelia covered her mouth in embarrassment. Her noise caused the other two to stop arguing and stare at her. ¡°It¡¯s good!¡± She exclaimed, taking another sip. ¡°Hic!¡± ¡°Give me that,¡± Serena said, striding over and taking the bottle from her hands. The demon took a swig, then another, before fetching two cups and decanting the beer into them. The three of them gathered around the table while Aiden took them through the day''s plans. ¡°Right, we¡¯re going to keep it simple,¡± Aiden explained, ¡°We¡¯ll follow one of the processions for an hour, then duck into beer lane until it gets dark-¡± ¡°Beer lane?¡± Amelia asked, suppressing another hiccup. ¡°Literally a street full of pubs,¡± Serena said, ¡°Aiden¡¯s dream come true.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll work our way through that holy ground,¡± Aiden continued with a smile on his face, ¡°And then we¡¯ll get some food before heading to a pagoda viewing room I booked to witness the main ceremony.¡± ¡°You booked a pagoda room?¡± Serena asked with a raised eyebrow, ¡°How¡¯d you afford that?¡± ¡°Pulled some horns,¡± Aiden said with a grin, ¡°Part of the expenses I can claim for this mission to profile our wonderful human friend,¡± Aiden tilted his head in her direction and tapped his horns. It was an action Amelia had seen a number of times now and she figured it was a similar mark of respect to tipping your hat. Aiden stored their dress clothes in his bag and they finished the Demon¡¯s Delight before leaving the inn. Aiden led them through the streets towards the main road. As they got closer, the sound of music and drums could be heard and when they turned the final corner Amelia was greeted by a kaleidoscope of colour and sound. Hundreds of demons and humans walked, danced and skipped past them while laughing and drinking. Every other person wore an elaborate costume representing a kami, while the rest wore colourful jewelry on their horns and ears. Many wore facepaint and some have even gone topless with their bodies painted with colourful patterns. Most walked in small groups of friends but often there were those that were coordinated in their formation as they danced and twirled while waving flags and batons. People walked along playing trumpets and stringed instruments while others played large drums strapped to their bodies. The rythmic sounding of the drums lifted the spirits of everyone as the atmosphere of the festival soaked into their senses. ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go!¡± Amelia exclaimed, and before anyone responded, she skipped into the throng of festival goers and twirled about as she followed the hundreds of people progressing up the road. Her heart sang with joy as she felt her happiness grow as she saw how much fun everyone around her was having. It didn¡¯t matter how she came to this world, whether she died or was brought by something against her will. This made it all worth it. This was an experience she would remember for the rest of her life. Right now, she was doing everything she had wished she could do when she spent years lying in that hospital bed. She was dancing, twirling and drinking without a care in the world. At least until her revelling was stopped by Serena grabbing her wrist. ¡°You¡¯re making me dizzy,¡± Serena said with a gentle smile. ¡°Do you want to dance?¡± Amelia asked, ¡°I can see everyone¡¯s doing the same kind of skipping dance thing - I¡¯m trying to learn it!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll dance later,¡± Serena said, ¡°I need to drink more before I can move like you do, and besides...¡± She trailed off, and Amelia tilted her head in confusion. ¡°I¡¯m enjoying just watching you for now...¡± The demon¡¯s crimson eyes twinkled. ¡°Why¡¯ve we stopped?¡± Aiden said, appearing from the side. ¡°Look, there¡¯s a stall over there doing face painting. Wanna get it done as a group? I might get a shawa face.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Amelia asked, ¡°Shawa?¡± ¡°A bigger peeka,¡± Serena explained, holding her palm flat at about Amelia¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Very big, and instead of licking you, they eat you.¡± ¡°Peeka! Can I get a peeka face done? Please!? You as well!¡± Amelia pointed to Serena and then herself, ¡°We can match! Come on!¡± Not caring if Aiden saw or not, she grabbed Serena¡¯s hand and dragged her to the stall. Tonight was all about fun. Chapter Twenty-Seven: A Good Show Chapter Twenty-Seven: A Good Show When Serena turned and showed Amelia her painted peeka face it was only the result of a titanic amount of self-control and the presence of Aiden that prevented her from blurting out something entirely inappropriate. While she bit her tongue to stop giggling with enough force to crush a warrior wrapped in orange aura, Amelia was delighted to see that Serena seemed to be facing the same predicament. ¡°Look at you two,¡± Aiden said, as the finishing touches were made to his painted shawa face, ¡°I¡¯m king of the forest! You can be members of my pack! Here,¡± Aiden offered them another beer from his bag, ¡°You can share some of my kill!¡± ¡°King of the drunks, more like,¡± Serena said, turning her mirth-filled gaze from Amelia¡¯s face and towards Aiden before snatching the bottle. ¡°Do shawas and peekas hunt in packs?¡± Amelia asked, not quite able to imagine the lion-like shawa with a pack of peekas. The latter seemed even more friendly than the domesticated housecats from her world. ¡°No, they¡¯ll get eaten,¡± Serena said, crossing her arms while a sly smile appeared. ¡°I¡¯d like to see this idiot try anything like that with either of us!¡± The cheerful threat was slightly dampened coming from a face with an adorable peeka painted on it, but it was enough to make Aiden throw his hands up in mock surrender. They finished up and the three of them continued following the procession for a while. Amelia was getting the hang of the strange energetic dance that everyone was doing and even managed to get Serena to briefly join in on the part where you link elbows and spin. She suspected Serena was a little shy to dance in public. Perhaps it was the lack of alcohol or the presence of Aiden that held her back. The rhythmic beating of drums and the symphony of celebration carried them through the streets. There were stalls set up on the sides from which Aiden would constantly restock his bag of alcohol and would make sure neither her or Serena were lacking refreshment. The air was humid and despite the constant breeze of storm season it was rather warm. Whenever Aiden handed out a beer she would agitate her aether and cool it down with a bit of ice magic, something him and Serena very much appreciated. A few more minutes passed before Aiden pulled them out of the main procession and into a side street that seemed even more packed. ¡°Welcome!¡± He announced, spinning and throwing his arms wide. ¡°To the holy ground!¡± The side street stretched into the distance as far as Amelia could see and on either side, waves of people - demon and human alike - flowed as they entered and exited the hundreds of establishments lining the street. Every few seconds, Amelia¡¯s enhanced hearing could make out the shattering of glass or someone falling over. ¡°Seven Hells,¡± Serena muttered, ¡°It¡¯s worse than I thought.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, dear friend!¡± Aiden bent forward in a traditional Manwese bow, ¡°I have selected a dozen of the finest establishments in our path! You won¡¯t be disappointed; I can promise you that!¡± And so, the pub crawl truly began. Aiden led them from one pub to the next, spending no longer than half an hour in each one. To his credit, he had picked establishments where they often had their own cubical or private drinking area. It seemed he had thoroughly planned the night to the extent of booking ahead. He took Serena and Amelia through a range of drinks. Beers, ales, lagers and stouts which Amelia was told were a particular favourite of demonkind. She lifted up the glass of dark liquid with a layer of foam, examining it before giving it a sip. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how,¡± she said before taking another sip of the stout, ¡°But it somehow tastes heavy. Is that a thing? It¡¯s good, though!¡± She enjoyed the feeling of the cool liquid flowing down her throat. ¡°Aha!¡± Aiden exclaimed while bending over and digging through his bag. While he was distracted, Serena leaned over and wiped Amelia¡¯s upper lip with her thumb. ¡°Foam,¡± Serena whispered with a smile and a twinkle in her eye before licking it off her thumb. Her eyes told Amelia everything she needed to know, and as Aiden straightened up, Amelia innocently reached under the table and squeezed Serena¡¯s thigh. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Amelia asked at the notebook Aiden had produced. Under the table Serena had placed her own hand on top of Amelia¡¯s but made no attempt to remove it. Amelia kept her hand where it was, enjoying the contact. It wasn¡¯t the first time they had gotten intimate while Aiden¡¯s attention was elsewhere. ¡°This, my human friend, is the record of my life!¡± Aiden proudly declared while flicking through the notebook. ¡°You¡¯re still writing that? Christ...¡± Serena rolled her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s his record of alcohol he¡¯s tried,¡± She explained to Amelia, ¡°Aiden wants to write a book about it one day. It was the goal he decided on when quitting the sword in the academy.¡± ¡°Yes, yes,¡± Aiden chirped, waving his hand dismissively, ¡°Now, what was this called...¡± He examined the stout that Amelia was drinking, ¡°...Ironwood Forest. Perfect.¡± He scribbled a few lines of imperial in his notebook before turning his eyes to Amelia. ¡°You described it as heavy, yes? Anything else? The more descriptive, the better!¡± ¡°Umm...¡± Amelia took another sip of the stout. ¡°It¡¯s bitter, but not unpleasantly so. It has a strong aftertaste of iron that lingers for quite a while. It¡¯s, uh... rich in flavour.¡± She struggled to be more colourful in her description. Mathematics was always her strong suit. ¡°And how would you rate it?¡± ¡°Four stars?¡± Amelia offered, thinking it over. ¡°Maybe four-and-a-half stars? Out of five, that is. What?¡± She asked, noticing Aiden and Serena were looking at her in confusion. ¡°Stars?¡± Aiden asked. ¡°Umm... yeah?¡± ¡°Why would you rate something based on stars?¡± He asked with a frown. Amelia felt Serena squeeze her hand under the table. ¡°It''s just something that we did back in Karligard,¡± Amelia said nonchalantly. ¡°I never thought about why. It''s probably some tradition or something,¡± she shrugged dismissively. ¡°What do you usually use to rate things?¡± ¡°Well, the moons, obviously,¡± Aiden said, pointing upwards. ¡°Five moons sit above Cascadian land so typically we would rate something out of five moons. Hmm...¡± He scratched his chin with a thoughtful expression. ¡°Four-and-a-half moons it is.¡± Aiden scribbled her commentary into his notebook. They finished up and headed to the next establishment and then the next. Amelia got to try a wide range of flavours and alcohol. There was The Gravedigger¡¯s Horns which had strong, earthy tones while a pale ale called Six Heavens tasted like peaches. It turned out cider was also popular in Cascadia although Amelia found that just like in her own world it wasn¡¯t to her taste. As the hours ticked by, the bottles of alcohol got stronger and stronger and as the night sky darkened they had moved on to fortified wine. Amelia felt pleasantly drunk and she was sure Serena was becoming just a little wobbly as well. As the alcohol took hold of the pair, Amelia had slowly ignored their pre-arranged boundaries and sat closer and closer to Serena. Now, as the empty-bottle of fortified wine was replaced with another Amelia let herself lean ever so slightly against her girlfriend. ¡°Keeping warm?¡± Aiden asked with a grin. ¡°Tsk! She¡¯s just-¡± Serena began, a note of panic in her voice. ¡°Right, I get you.¡± Aiden interrupted. ¡°It¡¯s just the-¡± ¡°Yes yes, very much so.¡± Aiden said with a twinkle in his eye. An awkward silence descended for a moment and Amelia heard Serena swallow. ¡°Guess it¡¯s not exactly a secret anymore, right?¡± Serena asked, ¡°When did you... you know...¡± ¡°Figure it out? Hmm...¡± Aiden raised a finger, ¡°Suspected it by the end of the first training session,¡± a second finger was raised, ¡°Confirmed by the end of the third. Didn¡¯t take amazing detective skills to watch you two undress each other with your eyes every time you looked at each other. And also...¡± Aiden lowered his voice until it was barely audible, ¡°One of our agents saw you two groping each other on the tram. They said-¡± He was interrupted by Serena¡¯s loud groan as she leaned forward and grabbed her horns in anguish. Amelia giggled and began rubbing her girlfriend¡¯s back sympathetically. ¡°We thought we were being so careful!¡± She said cheerfully, ¡°You don¡¯t mind, do you Aiden?¡± The demon shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t care too much either way. It¡¯s a bit unusual to see a demon and a human but it¡¯s not unheard of. Happens all the time in the Sabanis Dominance. Serena was always one to make her own path through life. The only downside is I¡¯ve lost my evening entertainment...¡± ¡°Evening entertainment? What do you mean?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°Watching you two drunk fools think you¡¯re being subtle, feeling each other up under the table,¡± Aiden said with a grin, prompting Serena to groan loudly again and squeeze her horns tighter. In response, Amelia increased the back rubs tremendously. ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t think I haven¡¯t noticed. I¡¯m not a member of Cascadian intelligence for nothing!¡± He gestured to himself proudly with his thumb. Amelia leaned over and embraced the crumbled heap of her girlfriend. She looked across the table at Aiden. ¡°Doesn¡¯t The Bible speak out against... you know?¡± She punctuated her statement by giving Serena a gentle squeeze. ¡°Sure,¡± Aiden said, looking amused. ¡°But things were very different back then. The scripture the Empress constructed from the teachings of Christ himself - the greatest demon to ever walk the realms - was done when demonkind was facing an extinction event. How much do you know about how Cascadia was formed?¡± ¡°Tomes gave me a brief overview.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s Tomes?¡± ¡°The quartermaster on the Vengeance.¡± ¡°Right. At the height of the long discordancy when human and demonkind were scrambling to survive on the plateaus and mountaintops, it was bad, really bad,¡± Aiden jabbed a finger into the table, ¡°Historians argue about the exact number, but most settle on around two-hundred thousand.¡± ¡°Two-hundred thousand what?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°Two-hundred thousand demons remaining. Of our entire species. That¡¯s how close we came to extinction in this realm. That¡¯s why in most religious scripture, whether it¡¯s the Quinto scrolls here in Kenhoro, the diaries of Sangoism, or the etchings made by the stone-worshippers in Honkanai, they all emphasise the need for demonkind to procreate.¡± Aiden led them up a central flight of stairs until they reached one of the upper floors. The space was split up into half a dozen sections, each with their own tables and couches. The sliding walls had been opened to reveal a sparkling and festive Kenhoro spread out as far as the eye could see. Once they found their reserved section, Amelia all but collapsed on the couch. She announced she was going to close her eyes for a bit and to wake her up when the food was here. ¡°Make sure to get some chicken,¡± she mumbled. ¡°Chicken?¡± She heard Aiden ask. ¡°She means choco,¡± Serena explained. ¡°And some loqua!¡± She blurted out, suddenly remembering the delicious drink from the inn. Aiden had been generous enough to organise this entire night so she thought it would be fair to treat the group to a bottle of the stuff. Or a few bottles, depending on how it went. After assuring the others she would pay for it, Amelia heard Aiden walk off to find someone to order from. A few moments passed, and she felt a soft pair of lips press against her cheek. ¡°I¡¯m heading down for a few minutes. There are some things I want to add to the order,¡± Serena whispered, ¡°You feeling okay?¡± ¡°Yeah, just sleepy. I¡¯ll stay here.¡± Amelia mumbled, burying her face into a cushion. The alcohol had hit her harder than she expected and all she wanted to do was have a nap. She could easily wipe all traces of alcohol from her body with a spell but she was rather enjoying the feeling of being drunk and wanted to avoid using magic for now. She heard Serena¡¯s footsteps fade and soon she could only hear the light chattering of other groups on the same floor backed by the deep drumming of the festival. She was just about to drift off into a satisfying sleep when a nasal voice pierced her foggy mind. ¡°I cannot accept that this establishment does not have a room for someone of my stature! They should be bending over backwards to give me the entire floor!¡± Amelia heard the arrogant and selfish tone in the boyish voice and felt herself frown. Well, she was sure this person and the group he was with would soon move onto another floor. Surely she wouldn¡¯t be so unlucky to deal with this drama alone, right? ¡°Look here, lord-prospect! There¡¯s an empty room here!¡± ¡°Ah, finally! It has a good view too! Now, go and get some drinks, will you?¡± ¡°Y-yes, lord-prospect!¡± Amelie¡¯s frown deepened when she heard the group''s footsteps come closer and she had to refrain from sighing when she heard the door to her area slide open. With her eyes closed her senses counted six men stumbling into the room. ¡°There¡¯s someone in here!¡± One of the men cried out in surprise, his words slightly slurred. Amelia groaned and turned around, burrowing her head into the side of the sofa. She would just wait until Serena came back, then she could watch her girlfriend kick ass and protect her. Not that she needed protection, of course. ¡°Wha- what¡¯s this!?¡± The nasal voice piped up again, ¡°What is a human doing here!?¡± ¡°Maybe she¡¯s a kitchen wench, lord-prospect?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be a fool, her clothes are too fine for that.¡± ¡°A working girl, then?¡± ¡°She can be our evening entertainment! Come here, you!¡± Amelia scrunched up her face as she felt her anger flare. She could sense the approaching hand, threatening to grab her shoulders and turn her around. ¡°Piss off,¡± She said and the hand paused. Amelia rolled her eyes and with an awful lot of effort re-orientated herself so she was facing the room. She lifted and rested her jaw on one hand and opened her eyes. Six shocked demons stared at her. At first glance, she thought they looked like clones of each other. Each wore traditional robes with the same black hair braided into a ponytail. Their cheeks were flushed red with drunkenness and their eyes wide with surprise. On closer inspection she found they varied by their horns. Some had only one pair, while others had two and the one in the most expensive-looking clothing sported three pairs of black horns sprouting from his head. Of course, they didn¡¯t come close to the magnificence of Serena¡¯s horns. ¡°Y-you!¡± One of the men pointed at her, ¡°What did you say to Lord Jin!?¡± ¡°What are you doing?¡± Amelia glared at the group. ¡°My friends and I paid for this room. It¡¯s not yours, so piss off!¡± Her repeated expletives seemed to send another wave of shock throughout the rabble. ¡°Human girl,¡± said the demon with three pairs of horns. ¡°Before I decide upon your punishment, what is your name?¡± Amelia yawned loudly, not bothering to cover her mouth. She could almost hear Serena nagging her about the breach of etiquette in her mind. ¡°Amelia. What¡¯s yours? Jin, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Lord Jin, human!¡± The drunk lord¡¯s eyes flashed with anger, ¡°Who do you work for!?¡± ¡°Mmm... my master. I¡¯m her maid.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a maid!?¡± One of the men behind lord Jin exclaimed. ¡°How dare you address our Lord with such impunity! Lord Jin, allow us to teach her a lesson! We¡¯ll have her kissing your feet in no time!¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Amelia stifled another yawn, her intuition telling her these men were no threat to her whatsoever. ¡°Is that the only way you can get close to a woman?¡± She formed the best snarky smile she could muster. ¡°I guess you probably pay them. Although there¡¯s not enough denarii in all of Cascadia to make me willingly come within six feet of you. Pfft!¡± Amelia giggled as the man went as red as a tomato. She could actually see his veins bulge as his blood pressure skyrocketed. Well, if he actually had a heart attack she might step in, but until then... ¡°You... you have a death wish!¡± Lord Jin shouted, drawing a gleaming sword and pointing it at her, his drunken face contorting with rage. When did they have swords? Well, she was so drunk that she probably didn¡¯t notice. ¡°That¡¯s an awfully weak grip for such an impressive-looking sword,¡± Amelia continued. She knew she ought to stop, but the words kept flowing. ¡°I suppose you¡¯re compensating for something? What a tragic experience it must be for a woman to be bed by you!¡± Lord Jin spat on the floor. ¡°You¡¯re pretty for a human; let¡¯s see how smug you look once I¡¯ve carved your face,¡± he pressed the sword¡¯s tip into her cheek with enough force that would cut someone who hadn¡¯t warded themselves. ¡°You all saw it, right?¡± Lord Jin said to the room as a cruel smile formed on his face. ¡°She attacked me in a drunken rage, right!? What a crazy woman...¡± Just as her assailant''s eyes took on a deadly glint that Amelia felt no threat from, the sliding door to the room opened and a familiar set of footsteps could be heard. ¡°Hello!¡± Amelia said cheerfully as Serena appeared in view. ¡°I see you got the loqua!¡± Her girlfriend was carrying a bottle of blue loqua and just seeing the liquid made Amelia lick her lips in anticipation, although the action was somewhat inhibited by the sword pressing into her cheek. ¡°Aiden¡¯s bringing the food up now,¡± Serena said with a yawn. She sat down on a chair at the side of the room and rested her chin on her hand. ¡°You going to do anything about that?¡± Serena asked, gesturing to the rabble that was souring the atmosphere. ¡°I¡¯m awfully tired,¡± Amelia said, punctuating her statement with a yawn. ¡°I was stalling for time until you got back. I thought it was only fair, you know?¡± ¡°Fair?¡± ¡°You got to watch me dancing earlier. I was hoping you¡¯d put on a show for me!¡± She grinned at Serena, who sighed before slowly standing up. ¡°You! Are you the master of this maid!?¡± Lord Jin spat, ¡°I demand compensation! I¡¯m fining you both!¡± ¡°Can he do that?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°No, only Speakers can fine the public,¡± Serena sighed again before putting down the bottle of loqua and rolling her shoulders. ¡°What do I get if I put on a good show?¡± ¡°Mmm...¡± Amelia grinned as the idea formed in her head. ¡°If you can get them all on the floor unconscious in five seconds, I¡¯ll do whatever you request back at the inn.¡± Her voice had barely faded before Serena started moving, and as the violence erupted against the helpless group, Amelia couldn¡¯t help but feel impressed. After all, she had never seen Serena move so fast with so much determination! Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Merchant Girl From Tanhae Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Merchant Girl From Tanhae ¡°And how did all this happen?¡± Aiden asked as he stepped into the room carrying a tray of food. The restaurant workers he was assisting let out little gasps of shock as they took in the scene of devastation and lust-driven violence. ¡°She happened,¡± Amelia said with a grin, gesturing to Serena standing proudly over a pile of unconscious demons. ¡°The one with three pairs of horns put his blade against my throat so Speaker Halen protected me,¡± Amelia emphasised Serena¡¯s title as a Speaker, which had the intended effect; the restaurant employees suddenly became very docile, and their eyes took on a mixture of fear and respect as they fixed their gaze upon Serena. She figured that considering Serena¡¯s status as both a lord-prospect, war hero, and Speaker, the establishment might be willing to avoid the hassle of kicking them out. Her prediction turned out to be correct as the owner soon appeared and after a quiet conversation with Serena and Aiden the unconscious rabble was taken away. They even gave them another bottle of blue loqua on the house! ¡°When I become a citizen, will I be able to go around giving such firm etiquette lessons myself?¡± Amelia asked Serena after the employees had left. ¡°Stop calling them etiquette lessons, idiot,¡± Serena said while rolling her eyes. ¡°You were assaulted. This was self-defence. Here,¡± She sat down and poured the three of them a glass of blue loqua. Now awake, Amelia licked her lips in anticipation. ¡°A toast,¡± Serena said, raising her glass. Amelia and Aiden copied. ¡°To what?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°To...¡± Serena hesitated momentarily, ¡°To the end of the war!¡± ¡°To the end of the war!¡± Amelia and Aiden echoed. They clinked their glasses and took a sip. Although the taste was every bit as delicious as she remembered, Amelia couldn¡¯t help but catch the sombre look in Serena¡¯s eyes. Her girlfriend had been at war for a long time and it had slowly taken its toll. As long as the conflict went on, Amelia silently vowed to be Serena''s unyielding support. She would shower her girlfriend with as much love and affection during and after the war ended. ¡°Oh, sweet hells,¡± Aiden mumbled. ¡°My sweet, delicious, blue friend! How I¡¯ve missed your taste! Oh, and what¡¯s this!¡± The demon¡¯s eyes widened as he saw the extra bottle of blue and green Serena had bought. ¡°You¡¯ve brought your family along! Praise the fell gods!¡± While it looked like he was about to weep from happiness, Amelia asked Serena something that had been bothering her. ¡°I heard Lord Jin refer to himself as a lord-prospect, but everyone called him lord. Are both titles correct?¡± ¡°It depends. Lord-prospect is the correct title, but his lackeys were likely trying to appease him for their own benefit.¡± Serena shrugged, sipping her glass. ¡°Employees of the house will refer to me as lady, a Cascadian Lord would refer to me as lord-prospect, while to anyone else, I would be Speaker or Captain.¡± ¡°So many titles! Will I become a lord?¡± Amelia asked. Instead of replying Serena gestured towards Aiden, who appeared to have recovered from his ecstasy enough to join in the conversation. ¡°With Lord Yulan and Grandmaster Gu¡¯s recommendations, they¡¯ll make you a citizen and a lord, I¡¯m sure...¡± Aiden said, trying not to slur his words. ¡°So fast?¡± Serena asked with a raised eyebrow. ¡°They¡¯ll want to lock her down. Remember, she¡¯s a friendly Speaker of a healing branch.¡± Aiden leaned back, swirling the loqua in his glass, ¡°Demonkind has no gods of healing. Sure, aura helps recovery, and some of the support wards from the mages can do their part, but nothing like the human Aseco branch.¡± ¡°Still... a human lord...¡± Serena murmured. ¡°There are some human lords in the Centralis,¡± Aiden said with a thoughtful expression, ¡°And the North. It¡¯s only the eastern and southern overlords who prohibit it.¡± ¡°What about the West?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°Eh...¡± Aiden wobbled his hand in the air, ¡°The West has their own way of doing things.¡± ¡°What¡¯s their overlord like?¡± Amelia had long noticed the West was the least talked about empire territory. ¡°Who knows?¡± Aiden shrugged, ¡°No one has ever seen him. Or her, for that matter. Well, I suppose the Empress knows who they are. Even their name is unknown. But get this,¡± Aiden leaned in with a mysterious glint in his eye, ¡°The one singular fact that is public knowledge about the western overlord is that they are the strongest of the four. Quite the mystery, right?¡± It was quite the mystery! Amelia suddenly felt an urge to explore the West. ¡°Can we go there?¡± She asked Serena, who shook her head. ¡°The borders have been closed for centuries,¡± she explained, ¡°You need a good reason and a visa to go there, whether by air or ground. It¡¯s not like the rest of the empire. Things work differently there.¡± ¡°Look!¡± Aiden interjected as he pointed out the window, ¡°The main procession is here!¡± Amelia followed his finger and saw the main square filling up with the festival goers. A large stage had been erected upon which important-looking people were taking seats. ¡°Those are the Highlords,¡± Serena explained as she peered below. ¡°Looks like Highlord Ru is absent, but that¡¯s expected. Guess what Lord Yulan said is true; the seat for the greatlord is empty.¡± ¡°What did Lord Yulan say?¡± Asked Aiden. ¡°That something important was being transferred to Centralis and the greatlord was personally guarding it,¡± Serena eyed Aiden with a suspicious eye, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t know anything about that, would you?¡± Aiden threw one hand up, ¡°I¡¯m not so high up on the ladder I get told what the greatlords get up to. It¡¯s news to me.¡± Serena held her gaze for a moment before turning back to the square. ¡°The dancing will start soon,¡± Serena said, a hint of eagerness creeping into her voice, ¡°We should change into our dresses, Amelia?¡± ¡°S-sure!¡± Amelia sprang up and fetched Aidens bag with their dresses. Serena adjusted a paper screen to block the view from Aiden or anyone else coming in and the pair of them set about undressing and dressing each other. They fumbled about, the alcohol taking its toll on their dexterity. Serena didn¡¯t need any help with her black dress, but Amelia needed the extra pair of hands to assist her. An extra pair of hands that didn¡¯t miss the opportunity to grope her breasts. ¡°I can hear you giggling!¡± Aiden called out. ¡°Don¡¯t think I can¡¯t guess what you¡¯re getting up to!¡± Having been caught, the pair of them finished up and exited. ¡°Seven hells,¡± Aiden exclaimed as they appeared. ¡°Don¡¯t you look like quite the pair! This is the first time I¡¯ve seen you in a dress since graduation,¡± Aiden said, tilting his head towards Serena, ¡°And of course, you look lovely in red, Speaker Thornheart.¡± Amelia giggled at the compliment. ¡°I wish we had dress shoes!¡± Both she and Serena were still wearing the practical work shoes they used on their day to day adventures. ¡°I¡¯d rather have our feet in something we can move in if a fight breaks out,¡± Serena explained pointedly, tapping her shoes against the wooden floor. ¡°Who¡¯s going to start a fight down there in front of all those Highlords?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°Who¡¯s going to start a fight in a cafe?¡± Serena answered with a blank expression. ¡°Who¡¯s going to Speak in public? Who¡¯s going to start a fight in here?¡± Serena reached out and slightly ruffled Amelia¡¯s hair, ¡°You¡¯re a magnet for trouble, you know?¡± ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t mess up my hair!¡± Amelia protested and began adjusting her braids. Serena rolled her eyes and dug out two rainhats for them. ¡°It¡¯s drizzling, so wear these.¡± Donning their hats and receiving the very strongest promise that Aiden wouldn¡¯t drink all the loqua while they were gone, they proceeded downstairs and out into the main square. The space was packed with people who were dancing to the festival drums. Serena pulled her into the throng, and the pair of them began giggling as they tried to copy everyone else''s energetic movements. Turned out, with enough alcohol in her, Serena was every bit of an enthusiastic dancer as she was. Luckily, the tailor did an exceptional job, and the dresses were tailored to allow vigorous dancing. As the night stretched on and the tempo of the drums increased, Amelia felt herself fall into a trance-like state, much like she did while training. She wasn¡¯t sure, but for a few moments she felt like the connection she had with her girlfriend actually manifested into something tangible. Something in the aetherfield that she could sense. Or maybe she was just terribly drunk. ¡°So, I did it, didn¡¯t I?¡± Serena asked when the tempo slowed down and they could simply hold each other in an embrace while swaying from side to side. ¡°Did what?¡± Amelia asked, enjoying the close contact. Their hats had protected them from much of the rain, but enough had gotten through to cause parts of their dresses to stick to their skin, leaving little to the imagination. ¡°I knocked them all out within five seconds.¡± ¡°Oh... Oh!¡± Amelia grinned as she saw Serena begin to blush. She tried to meet Serena¡¯s gaze but everytime their eyes would meet Serena would look away with a nervous smile. ¡°Stop grinning like an idiot, idiot.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t help it!¡± Amelia felt her grin grow even wider. She removed her rainhat so she could nuzzle against Serena¡¯s neck. ¡°So what did you want me to do?¡± She whispered. ¡°You¡¯re so warm...¡± Amelia mumbled to herself. ¡°I¡¯m a healer of sorts!¡± Amelia briefly considered keeping it a secret, but she was already aware that the knowledge of her healing was spreading in all kinds of circles, so she didn¡¯t see much point in hiding it. ¡°I provide healing services under Lady Halen¡¯s direction.¡± ¡°Amazing!¡± Tatiana¡¯s eyes went wide in shock. ¡°Are you a member of the church!?¡± ¡°Uh... no. I kind of avoided them. Took a different path, I guess...¡± Amelia rubbed her nose awkwardly. ¡°It¡¯s no problem. We all take our own journeys in life,¡± Tatiana said, her eyes taking on a far-away look. ¡°Would you like to meet up later in the week and walk around the market? I need to buy stationary and ink, and I would feel better if someone local was with me. The rest of my group doesn¡¯t want to leave the human district.¡± ¡°Sure! We could do it today, if you like?¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± Tatiana shook her head, ¡°I have so much work to do. Can we do it in three days? On the twenty-fourth?¡± ¡°Mmm! Can do!¡± ¡°Would it be okay to meet here? At midday?¡± ¡°Could we do two¡¯o¡¯clock? I have training midday.¡± ¡°Training?¡± ¡°I¡¯m learning the sword at the academy. I train there every day at lunch!¡± ¡°A healer learning the sword? How strange...¡± There was a brief flash of confusion on Tatiana''s face before it settled back into a smile. ¡°Are you a student?¡± ¡°No, but the Grandmaster took an interest in teaching me ''cause I¡¯m a-¡± Amelia caught herself. She shouldn¡¯t go around telling everyone she¡¯s a Speaker. It might make her new friend treat her differently! ¡°Because I¡¯m a mage,¡± She finished. ¡°So, two¡¯o¡¯clock here in three days?¡± ¡°Sounds good! Do you want me to come in while you buy your coffee?¡± Amelia noticed Tatiana had brought a large flask with her, a level of preparation that Amelia hadn¡¯t thought of. Tatiana nodded, so the pair of them went inside and Amelia waited while Tatiana got her flask filled. ¡°This is the good stuff,¡± Tatiana said. She had cheered up a lot now. ¡°Jimar coffee is hard to come by outside Cascadia. No better way to start your morning.¡± Amelia found herself nodding. She had grown to like the bitterness and lasting aftertaste of the Jimari beans. ¡°So, what kind of stuff does your merchant group... merchant?¡± She asked once they had exited the cafe. ¡°The group I¡¯m with brings down spices from Vinay, stopping at Tanhae and then here. We take back silk and cloth. Although, there are other merchant ships taking part in the convoy. It¡¯s safer to travel as a larger group. It¡¯s also cheaper to pay for protection.¡± ¡°Have you visited much of the empire?¡± Amelia asked. Unfortunately her hopes of stories of adventure and pirates were dashed when Tatiana informed her she had only ran the routes from the Sabanis Dominance down to the Eastern Terra Firma and back. ¡°Well, thanks for everything,¡± Tatiana said, ¡°It¡¯s really nice for you to stick yourself out for me... with the war and everything, I just don¡¯t feel comfortable around demons...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry! It¡¯ll be just us! You can tell me about The Federation! I¡¯ve never visited!¡± ¡°Ha... sure!¡± Tatiana gave her a friendly smile, her brown hair waving in the wind. ¡°See you in a few days, Amelia!¡± ¡°See you in a few days!¡± Amelia waved bye before skipping away, whistling cheerfully to herself. A new friend! How exciting! She would let Serena know, of course. Maybe they could eventually meet! Maybe... Serena did glare a lot at humans she didn¡¯t know. Ah, well. It¡¯ll work out eventually! Polina Volkova¡¯s heart had only begun to settle down by the time she returned to the merchant ship. Boarding the deck, she navigated into its depths before stopping at a heavy wooden door. She gave the pre-arranged knock to indicate she wasn¡¯t under duress and a moment passed before the sound of an iron bolt moving could be heard and the heavy door swung open. ¡°Coffee?¡± She offered the room, holding the flask. ¡°It¡¯s Jimari, the good stuff.¡± ¡°You¡¯re back,¡± Natalia Marakova coolly intoned. ¡°Close the door.¡± Polina shut the door behind her and approached the group of five; three men and two women. There were more embedded in roles in the city itself but Polina didn¡¯t know anything about them. Things like that were on a need-to-know basis. ¡°Well?¡± Marakova asked as Polina sat down. ¡°It went well,¡± Polina answered, placing the flask on the table. No one seemed to move to have some, so she busied herself by pouring some in her cup. ¡°A guard started harassing me outside the cafe Ame- I mean, target one visited. But that turned into an opening to start a conversation.¡± ¡°Give us the rundown,¡± Marakova commanded. ¡°She¡¯s really a maid employed by target two, or at the very least she believes she¡¯s a maid. My blessing cannot distinguish between the truth and an honestly believed falsehood. Her name really is Amelia,¡± Polina took a sip of the coffee, finding it challenging to relax under the intense gaze of four experienced field agents. ¡°She claimed to be from Karligard, but that was a lie. She said she had never visited the federation. That was the truth. She claims not to be part of the church. That was also the truth.¡± ¡°Where in the six heavens did she come from...¡± one of the field agents muttered. ¡°What else?¡± Marakova questioned. ¡°She was telling the truth about providing healing services for target two. She admitted to being a mage, although we knew that already.¡± Polina took a moment to gather her thoughts, ¡°She¡¯s training at the academy under the grandmaster every day at lunchtime.¡± ¡°What!? Why?¡± Marakova¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°She¡¯s learning the sword. I know, I found it weird too. Apparently, the grandmaster¡¯s interested in teaching a mage.¡± Polina took another sip as the surrounding agents murmured for a moment amongst themselves. ¡°What academy is that?¡± Someone asked. ¡°It¡®ll be the Kenhoro Officer Academy. It¡¯s the only one here with a grandmaster directing it.¡± Marakova explained. ¡°Senior Polina. Recount the entire conversation from start to finish. Don¡¯t miss anything out, no matter how trivial it seems.¡± Polina swallowed her coffee and recounted the events of that morning in as much detail as she could remember. She was surprised to find Marakova wasn¡¯t annoyed at Polina arranging to meet Amelia in a few days and actually congratulated her on the initiative. ¡°We¡¯ll have agents tailing you for your little date,¡± Marakova said with a sly smile, ¡°If target two appears, then you are to make your excuses and leave as quickly as possible. Once target one reports that she¡¯s made a friend with a federation accent then target two will likely investigate.¡± ¡°Our cover should hold, right?¡± Polina asked. The merchant company they were sailing under was an honest company registered in Vinay. Polina wasn¡¯t sure, but she suspected most of the employees and perhaps even the company owner himself didn¡¯t know it was a front for federation intelligence. ¡°It¡¯ll hold... Unless someone gets captured,¡± Marakova said with a grim expression. Capture meant interrogation, and interrogation likely meant torture. ¡°Keep the pill close at all times. Hold it under your tongue during the next meeting.¡± ¡°Yes, team leader,¡± Polina couldn¡¯t help but swallow nervously. She would have to gather intelligence while holding a pill in her mouth that would kill her if she swallowed it accidentally. It was nerve-racking yet, on a weird level, exhilarating. ¡°We¡¯ll spend the next few days going over what questions we need answered. We¡¯ll run you through example conversations so you¡¯ll know what to say in any circumstance. You¡¯ll be alright, Polina Volkova.¡± ¡°Thank you, team leader,¡± Polina gave a smile and felt the determination in her heart solidify. She was so close. So close to getting revenge. So close to Serena Halen. Chapter Twenty-Nine: Polina鈥檚 Confusion Chapter Twenty-Nine: Polina¡¯s Confusion Mel paced in front of the door to the training room. Back and forth she went, too distracted in her thoughts to stop. Her throat was constricted and she felt like she wanted to be sick. A pit of anxiety had formed in her stomach that gnawed at her mental state. She wanted desperately just to run away. Unfortunately, running away was tricky while her broken arm was wrapped in a sling. For the third time, she raised her a fist to knock and for the third time, she hesitated. Beyond that door were not one, not two, but three Speakers! How was she supposed to be able to handle that! ¡°You can do it, you can do it...¡± she muttered to herself like a mantra. She squeezed every bit of mental strength she could muster and knocked on the door. There was no answer. Of course there was no answer. This training room was a private area for instructors and Speakers. She knew about the famous sound-blocking enhancements covering its thick wooden walls. She reached down and before her instincts could stop her, she opened the door and stepped through. Unexpectedly the training room looked like nothing special. It was also questionably quiet. Too quiet. For a moment, Mel considered she might be in the wrong place but then she caught sight of a man eating training buns to the side. He spotted her and waved, then gesturing for her to come over. Further into the room, Mel saw three people - two demons and a human - sitting silently on the sand in a meditative pose. It was the grandmaster, Speaker Halen, and the individual who broke her arm. Speaker Thornheart. Mel approached the man who had waved at her, glad to have some instruction to follow as opposed to standing around awkwardly. She recognised him as part of the trio that had been coming in most days to train. As she walked over, she couldn¡¯t help but note that he didn¡¯t feel like a swordsman. Was he a mage? Another Speaker? ¡°Hello,¡± she whispered. ¡°Hello, sit down,¡± the man gestured to the floor, ¡°They should stop for lunch soon. Are you hungry?¡± He offered her a bun as she settled into a respectful seiza position. Mel took the food with her good arm, not knowing how to refuse. She couldn¡¯t bring herself to take a bite, feeling like she would throw anything she ate back up. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, her voice slightly breaking. ¡°Ahem! My instructor told me to come here at this time to, um... apologise.¡± She looked at the floor, feeling small and naive. She shouldn¡¯t even be in this room! It was a room for monsters. For true masters! ¡°Ah... you¡¯ll be the trainee Serena told me about. Well, Amelia sure gave you a beating, didn¡¯t she? How¡¯s the arm?¡± He flashed Mel a friendly smile. Mel blinked a few times at the man¡¯s straightforwardness. ¡°It¡¯s, uh, well...¡± How was she supposed to answer this? ¡°... Broken,¡± she finished before giving herself a mental slap for the lacklustre response. Thankfully, the man seemed to be in a somewhat cheerful mood. He didn¡¯t seem to be training. What was he here for? Questions she couldn¡¯t and wouldn¡¯t ask. ¡°You needn¡¯t worry much,¡± the man said, popping the last bit of a bun in his mouth and swallowing. ¡°Amelia has a kind heart. She feels terrible about what she did. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll heal you in a- ah, here they are!¡± Mel scrambled to her feet and offered a deep bow at the approaching trio. With only one arm she couldn¡¯t manage traditional Manwese etiquette so she placed her good hand on her hip and bowed in the Samino style. ¡°Trainee Mel, welcome,¡± came the gruff voice of the grandmaster. ¡°Hello again!¡± came the chirpy voice of Speaker Thornheart. She heard nothing from Speaker Halen and when she straightened her posture, she was greeted with a pair of terrifying crimson eyes that stripped away her ego and left her naked and hollow. What a fool she had been to provoke the ire of such a noble demon. ¡°Tsk! So this is the one that insulted House Halen with such impudent arrogance?¡± Speaker Halen snapped at her, putting one hand on her hips and another on the hilt of her training sword. For a moment, Mel thought she would pass out from the sheer presence of Speaker Halen. ¡°I- I¡¯ve heard of your great achievements,¡± Mel rambled, ¡°I think- think you¡¯re a huge inspiration to others. And me, of course. I-I wanted to apol- apolo-¡± Mel swallowed the lump in her throat and forced the words out. ¡°Apologize for my thoughtless words the other day. I¡¯m very sorry!¡± ¡°Bah! What an awful apology,¡± Speaker Halen clicked her tongue, turning her head slightly away as she looked down on Mel. ¡°And what do you have to say to Speaker Thornheart?¡± Mel glanced at the human Speaker who gave her a silent wave and a friendly smile, entirely contrasting Speaker Halen¡¯s presence. ¡°I¡¯m very sorry!¡± She blurted out, bowing quickly again. ¡°I failed to conduct myself properly as a trainee officer!¡± ¡°You should make her grovel,¡± Speaker Halen said coldly. ¡°I would have broken both her arms if I were in your position. And a few ribs. Tsk! To speak to a Speaker like that...¡± ¡°Oh, stop it!¡± Speaker Thornheart suddenly piped up, turning away from Mel and addressing Speaker Halen. ¡°She¡¯s gone white as a ghost! You¡¯re-¡± ¡°Why are ghosts white?¡± Asked the man sitting down. He was staring at Speaker Thornheart with a confused expression. Despite her confusion at being defended by the one she offended, Mel couldn¡¯t help but also wonder where that expression came from. Was it a human culture thing? ¡°Wha-¡± The human Speaker also looked confused. ¡°What colour are they supposed to be? Wait, never mind! The point is that Mel feels bad about what she said! No need to torture the poor girl!¡± Th.e? most uptod/ate novels a/re published on n(0)velbj)n(.)c/o/m Mel couldn¡¯t help but wonder at Speaker Thornheart calling her a girl. She was twenty-one herself, and if she wasn¡¯t mistaken the human looked even younger than her. If she had to guess she would say Speaker Thornheart was as young as eighteen! No, that wasn¡¯t possible. The human was a Speaker. No one could become a Speaker so young. She must have used her human healing powers to make herself youthful. How old was she really? Forty? Fifty? She didn¡¯t act like she was older. ¡°Whatever,¡± Speaker Halen rolled her eyes. ¡°Hurry up and heal her, then. I¡¯m hungry, and seeing her here pisses me off.¡± ¡°O-okay!¡± Speaker Thornheart stuttered before turning to Mel with a smile. Mel was about to ask if she needed to do anything but before she could get the words out Speaker Thornheart started to glow. It wasn¡¯t the warm glow of a gas lamp or the white glare of an aetherlight. It was the glow of magic. Speaker Thornheart¡¯s golden hair shone with aether, and her blue eyes intensified to a shade that Mel could only describe as beautiful. She had never been this close to a mage casting a spell and for the first time she understood what it meant to detect the formation of magic that took place within the body. As Speaker Thronheart twisted and moulded her aether Mel could sense it folding into the spell structure. Mel might not be a mage herself, but there was no doubt about the unbelievable amount of skill that Speaker Thornheart was demonstrating. A moment passed and golden light with - if Mel wasn¡¯t seeing things - blue flecks flew from Speaker Thornheart and entered Mel¡¯s body. She braced herself for pain, but instead experienced a feeling of warmth and love that caused her mouth to drop open. She wasn¡¯t being struck by the human¡¯s magic, she was being embraced. As the kindness rippled through her body, one thought came to mind. Seven hells, I¡¯ve become such a bitch. Mel thought. She always snapped and argued with her brother. Where was the caring and supportive younger sister who would cheer him on while he trained? She mocked and bullied those weaker than her to impress her friends. Where was the girl who used to gossip and giggle about boys she and her friends fancied? When had she let such darkness into her heart? As the magic dissipated and her feeling of self returned, Mel looked at the human in open wonder. How unfair it was that demonkind had no gods of healing! She glanced down and tentatively moved her arm. She slowly pulled it out of its sling and straightened it. Still feeling fine, she began to flex her arm. It was completely healed. No, it was stronger than ever before! ¡°Yup!¡± Amelia chirped. It was a lie. ¡°I was born in Karligard! After I understood my healing abilities, I sort of just... wandered around alone until I chanced upon Lady Halen!¡± More lies. Polina resisted a frown. If she wasn¡¯t born on the human continent and she had only visited Kenhoro, then where was she born? She didn¡¯t have the look of a native of the Sabanis Dominance. Was she from one of the floating islands? Maybe she was from Mur? Most puzzling of all. Why would she lie? Was she protecting someone, or was someone instructing her to lie for another reason? ¡°It must have been hard,¡± Polina answered, trying to sound sympathetic. ¡°To be alone for so long. What kind of places did you visit while travelling from Karligard?¡± ¡°Ah... I sort of wandered through Christdom a lot. I never really visited any cities as I wanted to avoid the church. Then I kept going south, and the rest is history...¡± Amelia shrugged. Her words were lies and knowing that Polina could tell they were practiced lies that were spoken a little too mechanically. ¡°Why did you want to avoid the church?¡± Polina asked, ¡°They would have given you a life of luxury! They still would!¡± Her voice raised slightly at the end, and she had to quickly bottle her rising emotions. ¡°Sorry,¡± she whispered. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Amelia said. ¡°I suppose it must seem strange. But there¡¯s not much difference whether I¡¯m up there healing humans or down here healing demons and humans, right?¡± Of course there¡¯s a difference! Polina wanted to shout but resisted the urge. ¡°Do you really think there¡¯s no difference? Despite the... conflict?¡± Amelia shook her head. ¡°Not really. Did you attend the moonrain festival the other day?¡± ¡°No,¡± Polina said. She was forbidden from partaking in anything like that unless it was a part of the mission. ¡°Well, I did. We followed the procession for the first bit. It was amazing, there were colourful costumes and dancing and drinking and...¡± Amelia trailed off, ¡°Anyway, the point is, guess what I saw?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Demon and human children playing and dancing in the streets! They looked adorable and they were throwing coloured chalk at each other. They were laughing and playing! You know what that means?¡± ¡°... What does it mean?¡± ¡°It means any distrust or conflict between demon and humankind is learned. Those children playing with each other will only grow up to hate each other if other adults teach them that! Who cares if one person has a pair of horns and the other doesn¡¯t? We all feel the same emotions for the same reasons...¡± Amelia was quiet for a moment. ¡°And that¡¯s why I¡¯ll heal whoever I want when I want,¡± She turned and looked Polina directly in the eyes, ¡°So it¡¯s not a problem, right?¡± Polina knew she was being asked if she thought it was a problem. The honesty of Amelia¡¯s candid take on human-demon relations had thrown Polina into a pit of confusion. Just who was this fellow human? ¡°I suppose not... it¡¯s just... not a lot of people share the same views as you do...¡± ¡°Well then!¡± Amelia exclaimed, sounding a lot more cheerful, ¡°It¡¯ll be down to me to start changing people''s minds then, won¡¯t it? Come on, this is our stop!¡± They hopped off the tram and headed to the central market. During which Polina tried to get answers from Amelia but the signals her blessing gave her were causing even more confusion. She asked Amelia who had taught her healing spells, and her truthful answer was no one did. This was supposed to be impossible. Training even a talented human into a healer was extremely skill, resource, and time-intensive. It wasn¡¯t something that you could just do by yourself. Was her blessing broken? As she slipped in questions here and there, Polina grew more and more confused. Amelia, who came from nowhere and had never visited anywhere apart from Kenhoro for a week, had somehow developed a comprehensive understanding of healing magic. To make matters worse, Amelia told her she was only twenty-five. Had she just fallen out of the sky? One thing was sure, Amelia¡¯s accent was definitely Centralis Imperial. She spoke like a native, yet every answer she gave around the subject indicated she had never been in or near Centralis. It made no sense. One thing she could confirm is Amelia was not in the military, nor was she a citizen. Apparently, she was planning to become a citizen of Cascadia as soon as possible. Not only a citizen, Polina was sure they would make her a Cascadian Lord. Amelia asked plenty of her own questions and Polina politely answered. Amelia seemed to love stories and adventure so she would mix in a few tales of her real experiences adjusted on the fly to fit with her fake identity. ¡°Oh, Tatiana! This was what you wanted, right?¡± Amelia guided her to a paper and ink stall, where Polina bought a hundred sheets of paper and a few bottles of ink. This action wasn¡¯t just part of her cover story; she¡¯d been told the entire team would be spending much of the time they had on the way back writing reports. She sighed. Polina didn¡¯t want to leave. She couldn¡¯t leave. How could she head back now after coming so close to Serena Halen? Although she didn¡¯t think Amelia was necessarily a bad person, it made her sick when she heard the woman speak of Serena Halen with such kindness. Did she not know the actions that monster had taken? The people she had killed? ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Amelia asked, ¡°You looked sad suddenly?¡± ¡°Ah, I was just thinking I have so much work to do I¡¯m not sure if we¡¯ll be able to meet again...¡± Polina mumbled the prepared and practised line. ¡°Oh no! Are you heading back north?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Merchant traffic shuts down in two weeks, so we¡¯re leaving before then.¡± ¡°It must be tough, being a merchant,¡± Amelia said, ¡°You travel to all these places but never really settle down anywhere!¡± ¡°Yes... it¡¯s difficult...¡± Polina answered. ¡°Well, if you ever have free time, come find me!¡± Amelia chirped and told Polina what inn she and Serena were staying in. Polina knew the inn already, although the field team hadn¡¯t assigned anyone to watch it directly. It was too dangerous to tail or observe a Speaker like Serena Halen. They would be detected almost immediately. Amelia found a stall selling sacks of coffee beans and she bought a huge bag of Jimari beans. Polina couldn¡¯t help her eyes going wide at the amount of money Amelia carried. It made sense as she must have been paid a tremendous amount for her healing capabilities. After all, demonkind didn¡¯t have any gods of healing. They took the tram back to the cafe, and Polina bought a coffee which Amelia insisted on paying for. She avoided drinking it, instead standing and holding it in her right hand. A signal to the team that everything had gone okay. She didn¡¯t know who, but someone sitting inside or outside the cafe would be someone under Natalia Marakova¡¯s instruction. Bidding farwell to Amelia, Polina returned to the merchant ship where she was thoroughly interrogated for hours until every tiny detail had been repeated a dozen times. At the end of it, she was exhausted and simply collapsed onto her assigned bunkbed. Getting revenge was tiring. Chapter Thirty: The Second Word of Divinity Chapter Thirty: The Second Word of Divinity For the next week and a half Amelia followed a simple schedule. First, she would wake up in Serena¡¯s arms and give her a blast of healing magic. Serena had remarked that she suspected her body might be getting younger as a side-effect, although she wasn¡¯t sure. The pair of them decided to keep an eye on things. The next daily task was washing, followed by breakfast and a morning coffee. Serena had raised an eyebrow when Amelia had returned with a twenty-pound sack of Jimari coffee beans but otherwise didn¡¯t say anything. Tomes continued to turn up in the morning and help teach Amelia writing and reading. She was getting good now and could understand more and more complex sentences. She also enjoyed the mathematics books he had brought her and was delighted to find that demons had discovered calculus! Although they used different symbols that felt strange at first, she got used to them. At seeing how proficient she was with numbers, Serena mentioned that her oldest sister, Nina, would get along with her. They would then proceed to the academy to train. Amelia never saw Mel again, but she caught sight of her brother once, who only glared at her but otherwise said nothing. As she continued to spar and practice her swings, Amelia was feeling more and more confident by the day. The wooden sword now felt natural in her hands and the grandmaster and Serena were pointing out fewer and fewer mistakes. Still, the first aura lay beyond her reach. It was a frustrating experience. Her experience as a mage only made it more challenging to get her aether moving in the unfamiliar ways required for the warrior¡¯s aura. She was making some progress, although Amelia felt like it was happening far too slowly despite both Serena and the grandmaster telling her she was doing great considering the amount of time she had put in. ¡°Try imagining a convection current,¡± Serena said one time. ¡°A convection current?¡± ¡°Right. When you heat a cup of water from the bottom, the heat travels like this.¡± Serena scratched a diagram into the ground. ¡°Imagine something similar but instead of heat it¡¯s your aether moving throughout your entire body.¡± ¡°I tried that! Look!¡± Amelia focused inwards and flowed her aether around her body. ¡°That¡¯s not the same,¡± Serena said, ¡°You¡¯re flaring your aether like a mage and relying on your exceptional aether control to move it while it¡¯s agitated. Aura needs a more delicate touch. You need to inject intention into your aether and let it react instead of forcing the expected reaction.¡± That instruction had helped Amelia greatly, and she soon felt she was on the right track. She was given a few more meditative exercises, which she practised as often as possible. After training, Amelia would wander around the city with Serena. Sometimes Aiden would join them, although he had a growing list of other tasks that would keep him busy. Now that he had sent off the report about Amelia it was mostly a waiting game for whatever the Cascadian government decided. Serena had been spending more time around the ship as they finished the repairs and installed a new gun turret. The shipment from Ponan had the last vital supplies they needed, and with the help of the greatlord¡¯s men, they were ahead of schedule. Serena¡¯s weird dreams had stopped, although Anathor had warned them they might return when they left Kenhoro to sail south. Amelia had questioned Serena about the nature of The Vengeance. Was it alive? Did it have a soul? Her questions only received half answers and an apology. Apparently, the answers she wanted were locked behind doors and protected by Serena¡¯s superiors on a need-to-know basis. It was a shame Tatiana was too busy to meet up again. Even so, Amelia was happy to make a human friend. Surprisingly, Serena didn¡¯t seem bothered, stating she wasn¡¯t the kind of person to stop her from having friends. She had been suspicious at first, but after her investigation into the merchant came back clean, she didn¡¯t mention Tatiana again other than after their final meeting where Serena made sure Amelia recounted everything she had said ¡®just in case you let something slip¡¯. They would spend their evenings at the inn, training and chatting. On occasion, they went out for food and drinks. Thankfully, there was no more drama or drunken lords to cause problems. Then the night would come, and without fail, lips would meet lips, and the fingers and tongues of one of them would have the other giggling and moaning. As the days ticked by, they grew ever more comfortable around each other and Amelia would often not even bother to get dressed anymore when she woke up. Instead, she would lounge around naked while drinking her morning coffee, enjoying both the bitter taste and Serena¡¯s eyes on her. When they finally went to sleep, Amelia would kiss her girlfriend and whisper ¡®Goodnight, Ren¡¯ and Serena would whisper ¡®Goodnight, Lia¡¯. Their little nicknames became a small ritual that only they would witness every night. A sign of their growing relationship and trust. All seemed to be going well until one morning, ten days after she had met Tatiana for the last time, Serena stomped into their room, frustration and worry visible on her face. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°Just overlooking the loading of the new cargo down in the docks, and guess who I bumped into? Or rather, who bumped into me?¡± ¡°The greatlord?¡± ¡°Worse. The Dragon is in Kenhoro.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°So? The man has direct command over the eastern admiralty! I¡¯m used to taking my orders from Greatlord Oshiro! That was who swore me into my commission! Bastard...¡± Serena poured herself a coffee and sat down, mumbling a few curse words. ¡°I guess he gave you an order?¡± Amelia asked, sitting up. ¡°Intelligence has detected movements of Christdom church agents in Kenhoro and Tanhae. The Federation are up to something as well. Kenhoro¡¯s getting hot.¡± Serena took a sip of the coffee. ¡°The Dragon wants us to take a civilian cutter down to Shimashima, while Dagon will sail The Vengeance towards Ponan before turning south and meeting us.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because with so many foreign agents poking their noses around the likelihood that you¡¯ll be attacked or someone will try and kidnap you is too high. There will be Speakers hidden in the enemy agents, and we¡¯ve already had one fight in the city where Words have been Spoken,¡± Serena said with a thoughtful expression, tapping her horns. ¡°I suspect it¡¯s some kind of counter-intelligence move. I bet they¡¯ll leak where we go through certain channels to identify leaks and see who moves to follow us or The Vengeance.¡± ¡°We? I can come with you?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°Of course,¡± Serena said. ¡°He all but stated he expected both of us. I think it¡¯s fair to assume the Dragon is aware of our relationship now. Which means...¡± Serena gave a soft sigh. ¡°My family also knows.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t wait to meet your family! It¡¯s going to be fun!¡± Amelia said with a grin. ¡°Fun is not the word I would use...¡± Serena muttered. ¡°When do we have to move?¡± ¡°Now.¡± ¡°Now!?¡± Amelia blurted out. It was so short notice! ¡°The cutter waiting for us at the eastern docks is called The Sakamoto. It¡¯s one of the last lines out before travel shuts down tomorrow or the day after. Storms will start hitting the city any day now.¡± ¡°But, but...¡± Amelia cast her eyes around the room that had begun to feel like a home. ¡°What about our stuff? The masks? My coffee!¡± She went over and hugged the enormous sack of Jimari beans. ¡°Ha!¡± Serena scoffed at her actions. ¡°There¡¯s people waiting for us outside. I¡¯ll have them get whatever we miss and put it on The Vengeance. As for us, pack your clothes in a bag.¡± ¡°This is happening so fast!¡± Amelia cried, ¡°Do we have rooms on this other ship?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. But it¡¯ll be packed. They probably picked it because it¡¯ll be packed. I bet you whoever¡¯s working behind the ticket office today is an agent in disguise taking notes on whoever has a sudden pressing need to board The Sakamoto.¡± ¡°Right, right,¡± Amelia said as she hurried around the inn room collecting her worldly possessions. She made sure to fill the pockets of some of her clothes with what coffee beans she could, which made Serena shake her head. Her girlfriend joined her packing, and within a few minutes the pair of them were downstairs saying goodbye to Mister Weng. After exiting the inn, Serena talked to a mysterious man smoking a cigar. ¡°Can you get the rest of our possessions and get them on The Vengeance?¡± Serena asked the man. ¡°Boys!¡± he called, and a pair of demons appeared from around the corner. ¡°Go upstairs with Weng and get everything that doesn¡¯t belong to the inn. Get it on the ship!¡± The pair of demons headed inside, and the man produced two tickets which he handed to Serena.Th.e? most uptod/ate novels a/re published on n(0)velbj)n(.)c/o/m ¡°These are your tickets for The Sakamoto,¡± he said. ¡°It leaves in an hour, so you¡¯ll need to hurry.¡± ¡°Will the ship have an escort?¡± ¡°No, not until it gets closer to Shimashina. This is all short notice.¡± ¡°Right, we¡¯ll be off then.¡± ¡°Good luck.¡± With that, they hurried to catch a tram to the eastern docks. When they arrived, Serena handed over the tickets to the demon sitting inside a windowed office who glanced at the pair of them before stamping them. Amelia wondered if that demon was really an agent in disguise. He looked exactly like the bored minimum-wage worker you could find anywhere. Finding the bay The Sakamoto was docked in gave Amelia a shock. It was very different from The Vengeance. The cutter was made entirely of wood and didn¡¯t appear to have a walkable deck. Instead, a gangway led into an opening on the ship''s side. It was about half the size of The Vengeance but looked far sleeker. ¡°Cutters are built for speed,¡± Serena explained, ¡°Lightweight and powerful engines. No armour. We¡¯ll reach Shimashina by tomorrow morning.¡± They boarded the ship, pushing through the other passengers and their luggage. They found their rooms near the engines in the rear of the ship. They knew they were near the engines because they could feel the rhythmic beating of the lift engine sounding from somewhere close by. ¡°Guess first class was sold out,¡± Serena said as she opened the door and peered in. The room was small, with a single tiny bed and a thin table. Amelia¡¯s room was opposite and it was equally compact. ¡°Like sardines in a can...¡± Amelia mumbled. ¡°What are sardines?¡± ¡°Small fish. Packed tightly together in a can for transport.¡± ¡°Do they taste good?¡± ¡°... Nah.¡± ¡°The Vengeance is prepping to move. Something spooked them.¡± Natalia Marakova snubbed her cigarette into the desk. Polina swallowed nervously. ¡°Do we follow them?¡± Polina asked. ¡°No,¡± Marakova waved a dismissive hand. ¡°We do not deviate from the ship¡¯s itinerary. If we do, it¡¯ll blow our cover. We return to Vinay as planned. We have other agents in other cities. They¡¯ll report to us when they see it make land.¡± She narrowed her eyes at Polina. ¡°Do you have any problems with that, Polina Volkova?¡± ¡°No, team leader,¡± Polina said. She knew Marakova was well aware of her personal history with Serena Halen. It was the core reason why Marakova was originally against her coming on this trip. Nevertheless, Polina had been on her best behaviour for the duration of the mission. Never complaining nor deviating from her instructions. ¡°Target one and target two are not sailing with The Vengeance,¡± Marakova said, prompting a series of murmurs to erupt around the room. ¡°One of our assets has informed us they¡¯re taking a cutter south to Shimashina. A ship called The Sakamoto.¡± ¡°Why the split?¡± One of the men in the room asked. ¡°Church Intelligence is in Kenhoro,¡± Marakov explained, ¡°And you know how sloppy they can be. The information regarding the targets taking different routes is floating around in a few circles. It¡¯s an intentional leak.¡± ¡°To see who¡¯ll bite?¡± Polina asked. With her mind made up, Polina followed the path down to the eastern docks, where she saw a group of travellers getting their tickets stamped before heading through a gate. It was a gate she could climb if it wasn¡¯t in direct line of sight of the employee sitting in the windowed office. She chewed her lips momentarily, thinking about how she could get past. Then she saw that the building the employee was in was lit by aetherlights. That would work. Polina waited until there was no one else around and activated her blessing. The world was drained of all colour, and she felt her energy draining. In her vision, she could see the moon crystals in the building¡¯s aetherlights glowing through the walls. She focused on one behind the employee, ignoring how queasy it made her. The crystal was stable but Polina gave it a nudge, telling it to become unstable. The aetherlight exploded. ¡°Fuck!¡± The employee jumped, spinning around. Polina moved. She walked as fast as she could while keeping her feet quiet. Towards the gate she went. She focused again, and another aetherlight on the ceiling of the building exploded. She heard the employer curse, but he didn¡¯t turn around. She reached the gate. Focusing once more, she picked a lamp in the room and made that unstable. As the final explosion continued, she scrambled up and over the gate and quickly turned a corner. Using her ability three times so quickly made her feel faint, and she had to rest against a wall for a moment. Gritting her teeth, she pushed herself off. She just needed to get on the ship. But how? Polina looked around and saw a small windowed room. Opening the door, she found herself in the employee cloakroom. She found a jacket that looked like someone¡¯s spare uniform and put it on. Grabbing a workhat and fixing it on her head, Polina exited the room. She approached The Sakamoto as a family was boarding, struggling to move all their luggage aboard. They were arguing in frustrated tones, clearly the stress of last-minute travel testing their nerves. ¡°Need any help?¡± she asked, trying not to let her federation accent come through. Not waiting for a reply, she picked up a piece of luggage. ¡°What room?¡± she asked. After receiving an answer, she took a deep breath and walked up the gangplank into the ship. Thankfully, the conductor was distracted and only glanced at her. She wasn''t sure whether he assumed she was a part of the family or a dock employee. Walking through the ship, Polina followed the signs to the room. She kept her head down and her eyes low. Her heart was racing. Every time she turned a corner, she jumped in anticipation of bumping into Serena Halen or Amelia Thornheart. What would she do if she saw them? If they saw her? She didn¡¯t know. She wasn¡¯t ready, yet. Arriving at the room she dumped the luggage inside. It was a fancy first-class room, but not a place she could hide in. As the family arrived and started bickering with each other Polina took her leave. She needed to find somewhere she could hide. Somewhere where she could find a lot of moon crystal. Steeling her nerves, Polina walked through the ship. Towards the engines. ¡°All this happened so fast,¡± Amelia said, swinging her legs. There wasn¡¯t even enough room to cuddle on the small bed so Serena laid on it while Amelia sat on the table. ¡°What about Aiden? Oh! We didn¡¯t get to say goodbye to grandpa Gu or Lord Yulan!¡± ¡°Aiden will have been updated and he¡¯ll let the grandmaster know something came up,¡± Serena said, yawning lightly. ¡°Mister Weng will notify Yulan if he comes knocking at the inn. What time is it?¡± Amelia glanced at the wall clock ticking softly. ¡°Dinner time! Wow, it¡¯s already been so long! How far do you think we¡¯ve travelled?¡± The pair had kept to themselves since The Sakamoto had set off. At one point, Amelia had even retired to her own room and napped. The sounds of the engine had lulled her to sleep. ¡°Eight hours... a cutter like this will travel at fifty knots so... a little over seven hundred klicks.¡± Serena said while placing a hand on her stomach. ¡°I¡¯m hungry. Are you hungry?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see what passes for food around here... come on.¡± They both left their room and made their way to the dining room. It was a long, thin room with small tables and cubicles to the sides. Waiters moved trollies of food down the centre and at the far side the kitchens could be seen where a handful of chefs worked as they chopped vegetables and sizzled meat. ¡°Do you have a reserved table?¡± A passing employee asked. ¡°No,¡± Serena said. ¡°Sit anywhere where there isn¡¯t a reserved sign. Ring the bell when you¡¯re ready to order! Menus are over there!¡± The employee pointed and then rushed off to collect more plates from the kitchen. Amelia bounced over and picked two menus then followed Serena to a table. As they sat down, Amelia was delighted to find that she could read the majority of the dishes. The lessons from Tomes were really paying off! Amelia eventually settled on her choice but when she looked up at Serena she found her girlfriend was looking down the dining room with narrowed eyes. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°Listen to what those employees are saying.¡± Serena nodded in the distance and Amelia focused on her hearing. Two uniformed employees were having a whispered discussion. Amelia¡¯s high perception easily captured the contents. ¡°A stowaway!?¡± Amelia whispered, ¡°Someone snuck onboard?¡± ¡°In the engine room... they¡¯ve barricaded the door...¡± Serena mumbled, before sighing and standing up. ¡°I¡¯ll investigate this. Stowaways are not uncommon but considering the situation I¡¯m going to double-check. You never know...¡± ¡°Want me to come with you?¡± ¡°No need. I¡¯ll just have whatever you¡¯re having. I won¡¯t be long.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Amelia chirped. Serena left and informed the employees who she was. After a moment of deliberation, they lead her back down the room, past Amelia and through the doors. Amelia ordered her food and relaxed, humming to herself. She didn¡¯t want to be nosey, but she couldn¡¯t help but eavesdrop on the surrounding conversations. Everyone was travelling for different reasons. Some were trying to return for a family birthday, others for a business meeting. Some were travelling for leisure, while others were catching a connecting ship to go further afield. As Amelia listened the hairs on her neck rose as something rippled through the aetherfield. Her instincts screamed at her and she had just enough time to throw up a ward around her. And then the ship exploded. She had just enough time to see bodies and wood fly against her ward before being lifted off her seat as the room twisted and tumbled wildly. She was flipped in the air and was only just able to grab onto a wooden pillar. Looking at her feet she could see an enormous hole in the ship where the kitchen was and beyond it the darkening night sky. Chairs, tables, food, and cutlery bounced around the room, along with two dozen bodies, some of which were screaming and the others quiet. Amelia gritted her teeth and boiled her aether. She threw out a healing spell, covering what she hoped was the entire ship. What else could she do? Where was Serena? She needed to find her. ¡°Serena!¡± she yelled out as the wind screamed outside. ¡°Serena!¡± she scrunched her eyes shut as tears formed. ¡°Serena!¡± she was scared. It didn¡¯t matter how powerful she was. She was scared! ¡°Sere-¡± A familiar hand grabbed onto her. It was Serena. ¡°Serena...¡± she couldn¡¯t help but blubber as her emotions got the best of her. ¡°It¡¯s okay!¡± Serena yelled over the wind. ¡°The engines blown! We need to get outside! So we can see!¡± Amelia nodded. Serena looked at the hole where the kitchen was. ¡°There must have been a bomb in the kitchen as well! It¡¯s an assasination! Come on!¡± Together, they climbed up the dining room as the ship was now in a nose dive. They weren¡¯t fussy about handholds, using their extreme strength to simply grip into the wood as they pulled themselves towards the hole. As they reached their goal, Amelia threw out another ship-wide healing spell. Who knew how many people were getting hurt by things flying around? They climbed out of the ship and if it wasn¡¯t for her strength the wind would have pulled her off. Looking down, she could see smoke billowing from holes all through the ship''s structure. And beyond that... was the ground. The dark green expanse of the endless forest was approaching faster and faster as they approached terminal velocity. ¡°What do we do!?¡± Amelia tried to think how to save everyone on board. She could throw out a healing spell just as they collided but would that help? In airplane disasters, bodies disintegrated. She wasn¡¯t confident she could time it right, and even if she did, could she heal somebody if they were in pieces? Luckily, Serena seemed to have a plan. ¡°Can you Speak!?¡± Serena yelled. ¡°I can¡¯t! I¡¯ll destroy the ship and blow us away! But you can!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Amelia yelled back, folding the aether into Aseco and then ejecting the remaining aether so Speaking wouldn¡¯t cause a power release. ¡°Aseco,¡± she Spoke and she felt herself become divine as the godly aether rushed into her body. She glowed an incandescent golden, so bright anyone a hundred klicks around would see. ¡°Good!¡± Serena yelled. ¡°Flare your aether as hard as you can! Against the lumina! Hold the ship up!¡± Amelia gritted her teeth and did as instructed. Her connection to the aetherfield was extremely strong and by flaring her aether she could levitate against the vast lumina far below. She pressed her aether as far as the First Word allowed her and for a moment she felt the ship slow as the force she produced counteracted against the thousands and thousands of tonnes falling towards the ground. But it wasn¡¯t enough. She could slightly slow the doomed ship, but she couldn¡¯t do enough to prevent the crash from being devastatingly fatal to everyone inside. The method of generating force from the lumina-aether reaction wasn¡¯t efficient. The First Word wasn¡¯t enough. ¡°I need to Speak more!¡± She yelled, looking at Serena. ¡°The First Word isn¡¯t powerful enough!¡± As her words reached Serena, her girlfriend¡¯s eyes widened as she registered Amelia¡¯s intentions. A sombre moment passed while they looked at each other with complex emotions. Serena gave the smallest of nods. ¡°Do it!¡± ¡°Promise me!¡± Amelia called, ¡°Promise me you won¡¯t change how you see me! No matter what I become!¡± ¡°... I promise!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Amelia closed her eyes, focusing inwards, ignoring the screaming wind or the ground rushing to meet them. She focused only on the divine aether inside her as she moulded the aether of Aseco into the advanced Word. It was the first time she had done this for real, but her instincts didn¡¯t let her down and in a few moments it was ready. Amelia opened her eyes and Spoke the Second Word of the branch of divinity. ¡°ASCELPIUS!¡± The world slowed to a crawl as it took on a sepia tone. All sound was muffled apart from the ethereal thud that erupted from the divine aether in Amelia''s body, rippling through the aetherfield and the mists. The noise snaked its way through the planes of reality as it sought its owner. It was a knock on the door, so to speak. After a moment that felt like a dozen seconds to Amelia, but was only microseconds in real-time, an answer came back. ¡°Oh, mighty and dreadful daemon lord, arrayed in human flesh. Dost thou seek to sully my nature? Dost thou desire my embodiment?¡± It took Amelia a moment to register the words being spoken in her mind. The experience of having Ascelpius communicate with her directly was akin to being blasted by amounts of aether far denser than any attack she had witnessed in the world so far. No wonder the Second Word was such a momentous achievement here! The average Speaker would be risking their lives just making this initial step! Well, the deity had asked her a question, and keeping him waiting would be impolite. ¡°Um... yes, please?¡± Amelia chirped. Chapter Thirty-One: Observation Chapter Thirty-One: Observation Faren gripped the ship''s railing with white knuckles, forcing himself to take deep breaths as the upper-sky island came into view. Of all his friends and acquaintances, he didn¡¯t know anyone who got more air sick than he did. He felt queasy travelling on a tiny ship like this, especially as the storm season winds meant he was constantly off balance. ¡°Ready with the rope, mister Faren!¡± yelled the captain, struggling to keep the ship¡¯s wheel from spinning out of control. ¡°Look! They¡¯re waiting!¡± the captain gestured with his chin at the approaching island, and Faren squinted to see a pair of demons waving from a small jetty. Faren braced himself as the ship came ever closer, holding the hefty rope in one hand while trying to keep himself steady with the other. The winds battered the ship, tilting it this way and that. He groaned silently to himself. He¡¯d been assured his career in sensors and communications would mean a dull but stable life in an office somewhere. Unfortunately, things hadn¡¯t turned out so easy for Faren. Sure, he¡¯d finally got the position in an office... One floating six thousand meters above the continent. ¡°Going to be a bit of a bump!¡± yelled the captain over the wind as the island rushed to meet them. They were probably breaking more than a few sky laws coming in to dock like this, but what could they do? If they didn¡¯t dock now, who knew when they would be able to? In the last few meters, the captain flipped a lever, and the ship spun so Faren¡¯s side aligned with the jetty. ¡°Throw it!¡± the captain shouted and Faren threw the rope with all his might at the two demons. They caught the rope and a moment later Faren was almost thrown off the ship as it collided with the jetty. The ship listed slightly before lifting up and over the structure. ¡°Easy, easy!¡± the captain fumbled with the wheel before locking it in place. A second jolt went through the ship and Faren bent over the side to see that the two men had firmly secured the rope around a metal post. ¡°Good work, mister Faren!¡± the captain called. ¡°I¡¯ll reduce the lift, jump down and help them pull us in!¡± Credit to the captain, he was skilled at operating his station. Despite being battered by the winds, the ship slowly lowered in a controlled manner. Faren clambered off the side of the ship and dropped onto the jetty. He rushed over to take his place next to the other two, gripping the rope and trying to find somewhere to dig his heels. ¡°Heft!¡± called one of the demons, and Faren pulled with all his might. ¡°Heft!¡± Faren pulled again. ¡°Heft!¡± The ship became level with the jetty. ¡°Heft!¡± A final pull, and the slack in the rope was wrapped around the metal pole. A second rope was used to fasten the ship against another pole further along the jetty. ¡°Get the supplies off first!¡± one of the demons shouted. ¡°Quickly!¡± Faren nodded and with the captain and two others they began getting the cargo off the ship. They formed a line running crates back and forth into the small wooded area that was the island''s key feature. Once they were done, one of the demons turned to the captain and asked, "Do you want to wait until the winds die down?¡± ¡°No! I¡¯ll ride it back down!¡± replied the captain. ¡°See me off!¡± he clambered back behind the ship¡¯s wheel and gave the signal. The other two demons unwrapped the holding ropes and soon the ship was pulled by the winds away from the island. ¡°Woohoo!¡± Faren heard the captain¡¯s cheers and mad laughter as the ship sailed away, soon disappearing below the cloud layer. ¡°Crazy bastard!¡± the demon exclaimed. ¡°Can¡¯t say I blame him! Who¡¯d want to be stuck here for months!?¡± he gestured to Faren. ¡°Come on! Help us get these inside!¡± ¡°Inside?¡± Faren asked. The island was small. There were perhaps two dozen trees. He couldn¡¯t see any sign of a building or structure. His question was answered as his new colleagues opened a rusted door built into a raised mound. Peering in, Faren discovered there was a path and judging by the way it curved, it spiralled down into the island itself. Eager to get out of the wind and its constant howling he helped the others carry the cargo through the doors and down the spiralling path. Aetherlights lit his way and soon he arrived in a small room where someone was waiting for him. ¡°You¡¯re the new sensors analyst?¡± The man puffed on a cigar, his three horns making him look a little like a trident. ¡°Welcome.¡± He shook Faren¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯m your boss for the foreseeable future. Call me Mangs.¡± ¡°Uh, yes, Officer Mangs!¡± Faren recognised the name and gave a quick salute. ¡°We don¡¯t bother with that shit here,¡± Mangs said, waving a hand dismissively. ¡°This isn¡¯t a bridge of a ship. Don¡¯t bother with titles, either. Save that for when the upper brass comes knocking.¡± ¡°Ah, sure.¡± ¡°This is Goren, our steam mechanic.¡± Mangs gestured to one of the demons. ¡°And this is Ladis, our aethersmith, although we all call him by his family name, Longhall.¡± Goren and Longhall took turns shaking his hand. ¡°You¡¯re Faren, right?¡± Longhall asked with a grin. ¡°It¡¯s been quiet since Urlan left. Must have been a shaky ride to get up here.¡± ¡°Sure was,¡± Faren said. ¡°Thought the damn captain was going to flip the ship.¡± ¡°Any captain sailing in these winds has to be mad,¡± Goren said, shaking his head. ¡°They¡¯ve stopped civilian traffic now. We received the notification only a few minutes ago.¡± ¡°No one is leaving the island for a while,¡± Mangs said, banging on a large metal door. He turned to Faren as someone on the other side moved a series of heavy bolts. ¡°Try not to piss anyone off. Not a lot of space around here. Best we all be friends.¡± Before Faren could communicate his agreement, the heavy iron door was thrown open, and he caught sight of a flash of red. That flash of red belonged to a crimson haired woman who darted past him and using her bare hands practically ripped one of the crates apart. The subtle red glow of the woman¡¯s skin clarified Faren¡¯s thoughts. An aura user. From the north, if the red hair was any indication. ¡°Gimme!¡± The woman cheerfully announced as she filtered through the crate. ¡°Seven hells...¡± Goren mumbled. Longhall laughed and Mangs rolled his eyes before disappearing through the now-open door. ¡°Ah, my beloved! My child!¡± The woman held up a package of rations in the air before clutching it tightly to her chest. Faren saw the black lettering on the package: COFFEE. Wasn¡¯t military coffee the worst? The women recovered and turned to face Faren with a quizzical expression. ¡°Oh? Finally, a handsome face around here.¡± The woman put her hand out and Faren shook it while introducing himself. ¡°I¡¯m Finella! A fellow analyst! So, you¡¯ll be taking Urlen¡¯s shift then? Rabbie¡¯s sleeping, but I can kick him awake if you want to meet him.¡± ¡°Uh, no. That¡¯s okay,¡± Faren said. He was a little taken back by the liveliness of the woman. ¡°What made you become an analyst? You¡¯re a warrior, right?¡± A demon who could manifest even the first aura would have an easy pathway to squad commander or even higher. ¡°Ha!¡± Finella put her hands on her hip and threw her hair back dramatically. ¡°Damn right, I am! I used to be Officer Bright. Got me a fancy position on a light-cruiser. Only it turned out...¡± A forlorn expression appeared on Finella¡¯s face. ¡°It was not to be...¡± ¡°What she means to say is she got in a fight with her captain.¡± Longhall said with a smile on his face. ¡°Who was someone important. A Speaker. Their father was...¡± ¡°A highlord,¡± Finella groaned. ¡°She was so uptight all the time. Thought if I pushed her buttons a little she would open up. Instead, things escalated...¡± Finella rubbed the back of her head. ¡°Gave her a little tap and now I¡¯m here!¡± Faren swallowed. ¡°You struck your superior officer? Why didn¡¯t they hang you?¡± ¡°¡®Cause while she was beating me black and blue, I made a breakthrough and hit orange! Captain said hanging someone of my talent would be a waste so instead they demoted me and put me here on this island!¡± Finella leaned in and whispered, ¡°I¡¯m supposed to be training rigorously. If anyone asks, tell them I¡¯m doing that, alright?¡± She gave Faren a wink and bounced out the room. Faren looked after her for a moment before turning back to Longhall and Goren. ¡°Interesting colleagues,¡± he said with a raised eyebrow. ¡°You get used to her,¡± Longhall said, shrugging. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get you settled in.¡± Faren was led through the door, and as he took in the room beyond he couldn¡¯t help but exclaim in awe. ¡°Biggest one you¡¯ve seen?¡± Longhall asked. ¡°Yes. This must be bigger than one on a battleship.¡± Faren said, leaning over the walkway and looking down at the enormous aetherscope. Its bulbous silvery structure made it appear stationary but he knew enough to know about the heavy and complex moving parts inside. ¡°What¡¯s the diameter?¡± ¡°Minus fifteen.¡± ¡°Classic lift-engine.¡± Finella pulled a chair alongside Faren and opened another logbook. ¡°We might be able to match it to a known engine brand. What¡¯s the magnitude?¡± ¡°It¡¯s, whoa! It spiked!¡± For a moment, the line on the screens burst into life before settling back down to baseline. ¡°Where¡¯s it gone?¡± He looked down over the aethermap which was now devoid of any telltale peaks. ¡°Zoom out, let¡¯s see if we can find it.¡± Finella said and Faren played with the controls until the aethermap now displayed a piece of the south a hundred klicks across. No peak could be seen. ¡°You said it peaked?¡± Mangs said, appearing beside him. ¡°Finella, get me that readout.¡± Something in his tone changed the atmosphere to something less playful. Finella obediently fetched the paper readout the metal arm had scratched. She passed it to Mangs, who laid it over the desk. ¡°There!¡± Mangs exclaimed, pointing at a section of the readout where the arm had inked a suddenly rise of magnitude before settling down. ¡°Is it...¡± Finella began before trailing off. Faren felt himself swallow. He had seen diagrams of a readout that looked exactly like this in the training manuals. ¡°A catastrophic aether reaction. Their lift engine blew.¡± Mangs said with a grim expression. ¡°There might be survivors. I¡¯ll call it in! Finella-¡± Mangs was cut off as a siren burst into life. Red aetherlights began flashing and the lines on the screens went wild. ¡°What the fuck!¡± Finella yelled. ¡°What¡¯s that shit!?¡± ¡°H-hang on!¡± Mangs yelled back over the noise. He scrambled to a wall and pressed a red button, silencing the sirens. ¡°I didn¡¯t know we had fucking sirens!?¡± Finella exclaimed, rubbing her ears. A moment later, Goren, Longhall and another demon Faren assumed was Rabbie appeared at the door. ¡°Mangs!¡± Rabbie yelled, pushing through the group and reading the readout on the paper. The demon looked up at his superior officer with wide eyes. ¡°Is it...¡± ¡°Looks like it,¡± Mangs grunted. ¡°You got the key?¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah! Here!¡± Rabbie produced a key and threw it to Mangs. After catching it, Mangs produced a second key from his person and walked over to a wall safe. With the two keys inserted Mangs turned them both at the same time and opened the safe from which he pulled out a small blue book. He pulled a chair against the control desk and began to flip through the book with a grim expression. ¡°Rabbie, magnitude?¡± ¡°It¡¯s... one-¡± Rabbie shook his head. ¡°Christ. One-hundred and five. Is that possible?¡± ¡°Pattern?¡± ¡°Type C.¡± ¡°Does it flare at the end?¡± ¡°No.¡± Faren desperately wanted to ask what was going on but decided to keep his mouth shut. While Gorden and Longhall seemed to join him in a pensive silence, Finella had other thoughts. ¡°Mangs!¡± she hissed, ¡°what the fuck¡¯s going on? What were those sirens?¡± ¡°They¡¯re set to go off when the aetherfield reports an event of magnitude eighty or higher,¡± Mangs explained as he flipped through the blue book. ¡°Finella, what¡¯s the typical magnitude of a First Word?¡± ¡°Sixty-five. Maybe seventy if Spoken by a talented Speaker.¡± ¡°And a Second Word?¡± ¡°Umm...¡± Finella stumbled. ¡°Eighty-five,¡± Faren said. ¡°Is that why the alarm was set to eighty?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Mangs answered. ¡°Rabbie, frequency?¡± ¡°Eight point two, high.¡± ¡°Pitch?¡± ¡°Ah... shit,¡± Rabbie mumbled. ¡°Sorry, Mangs. It¡¯s far into the blue. Thirty-six.¡± ¡°Blue?¡± Finella said, her voice taking on an element of nervousness. ¡°Does that mean...¡± ¡°A possible human Second Word.¡± Mangs grumbled. ¡°On our territory.¡± For a moment, everyone was silent and the only noise that could be heard was the scratching of both Mang¡¯s pencil and the metal arm recording the aetherfield. ¡°It¡¯s weird,¡± Mangs said while tapping his pencil against the blue book. ¡°The closest match is Asclepius. The Second Word of divinity. But this is strange. The pattern matches, as does pitch, but the frequency suggests it was Spoken like it was a demon word. It¡¯s like it was Spoken by a...¡± Mangs shook his head. ¡°Nevermind. I need to report this. Finella, Rabbie? Log everything. Faren stand by.¡± Mangs stood up, turning towards Goren and Longhall. ¡°Double check the aetherscope and the stability of the steam. Make sure it¡¯s operating right.¡± ¡°Mangs.¡± Faren couldn¡¯t help himself. ¡°The magnitude was one-hundred and five?¡± Mangs didn¡¯t reply, instead giving a slight sharp nod. ¡°The scale is logarithmic. A typical Second Word is eighty-five. So this Word is a hundred times more powerful than average?¡± ¡°... That¡¯s right.¡± Mangs locked eyes with Faren, an indescribable expression on his face. ¡°Could it be... a Third Word? The Empress?¡± ¡°No.¡± Mangs shook his head. ¡°Even this doesn¡¯t come close to a Third Word.¡± Faren swallowed nervously. ¡°What¡¯s... the magnitude?¡± ¡°That information is on a need-to-know-basis.¡± Mangs said pointedly. ¡°But... Third Word or not...¡± He looked over the group, taking in their drained faces and eyes of worry. ¡°The war is about to get a whole lot more ugly.¡± Chapter Thirty-Two: Who Is Amelia Thornheart? Chapter Thirty-Two: Who Is Amelia Thornheart? In one moment, Serena saw Amelia¡¯s eyes filled with fear, hope, and determination. Then Amelia Spoke, and night became day. The aetherfield twisted and boiled as energies manifested at levels she had never seen or experienced before. These forces didn¡¯t harm her; they simply flowed about, announcing to the world, ¡®I am here!¡¯. Then the night returned, and Amelia was gone. In her place, a pair of gigantic taloned feet gripped the ship, each one large enough to wrap around Serena¡¯s body. She gulped and turned her head upwards to see that much of the night sky was covered by a pair of enormous black feather wings. Each stretched for more than a hundred feet, and the dark feathers twinkled with hints of colour, reminding Serena of the sky during moonrains, where the crystals burned up in the atmosphere in bright flashes. Much of Amelia¡¯s elongated form was now covered in the same dark feathers. They covered her shoulders, chest, and arms in layered patterns that reminded Serena of scale armour. She had to do a double-take but saw that Amelia now had four arms, each ending in a four-finger hand, boasting nails that looked as sharp as any aura-covered sword. The parts that weren¡¯t covered instead boasted pure white fur. White fur. That brought a memory to the forefront of Serena¡¯s mind. Asclepius was described as a great winged angel with shining white fur and glowing golden feathers. Amelia¡¯s wings should be golden, not black. Also, what was with her talons and nails? There had been no mention of an Asclepius embodiment looking like... like this! Wasn¡¯t she bigger than she was supposed to be? Fifteen meters was the number she remembered but Amelia seemed to be almost double that. A four-armed, thirty-meter-tall angel with black wings and feathers. Serena tried to get a good look at Amelia¡¯s face, which was turned away from her, facing the night sky. She could tell it was heavily feathered with long, sharp ears, similar to the demons in the far west. ¡°Scree!¡± Amelia made an animalistic noise, its tone sounding alien and unnatural. Amelia¡¯s aether flared, and Serena caught a vague sense of the endless reservoir of aether she possessed. It was a genuinely titanic amount, perhaps more than a hundred First Words. The ship jerked as it suddenly slowed and Serena lost her grip. She was thrown off, causing her to reflexively push her aura into yellow, an action that was easier than normal. Was the presence of Amelia in this form aiding her? Nevertheless, she comfortably wrapped her body in yellow aura and smashed through the forest canopy. For a moment, she tumbled, breaking smaller branches and bouncing inelegantly off the bigger ones. Then she was clear, and the forest floor approached her as she flew down past the enormous ironwood trees, each one reaching over a hundred meters in height. Serena landed with a thud, quickly gathering herself and looking up, sensing the presence of Amelia and the ship approaching. The Sakamoto breached the forest canopy first, its weight too much for even the mighty ironwood branches. It tunnelled through, but not before visibly slowing. Amelia followed the ship, still gripping it in her taloned feet. Her black wings sliced through the canopy and Serena could see those feathers were scratching the bark of the ironwood as easily as a shawa¡¯s claws could dig into flesh. The ship was lowered, its weight counteracted by Amelia¡¯s tremendous reserves of aether pushing against the lumina kilometres below, until it hit the forest floor. The collision was bad enough to crack the ship''s hull but not enough to be overly dangerous to those inside. Amelia let go of the ship, which for a moment was balanced perfectly until it fell to one side against the trunk of an ironwood. The ship rolled to the side and fell to the forest floor, and as it did, waves of magic erupted from Amelia¡¯s divine form. The rapid firing of spells that came from Amelia was unbelievable in their frequency and power. As far as Serena could tell, these were healing spells, each one cast far and wide. Unlike Amelia¡¯s previous healing, which was loving and gentle - these instead skipped such superfluous emotions. They hit Serena and simply demanded the body and soul to correct itself, as if any scratch or bruise was an insult to the order of the world. The scratches and cuts Serena faced in the engine room didn¡¯t so much as heal as they simply vanished. Whatever condition the travellers were in previously, they were surely all better now. Serena looked at Amelia, who must have sensed her presence because she turned her face, locking their eyes together. Serena swallowed. Amelia¡¯s brilliant blue eyes were gone, and there were no signs of the golden grace of Asclepius either. Instead, two enormous crimson eyes stared back at her, each with one large black pupil surrounded by two smaller ones. For a moment, Serena was transfixed by the otherworldliness of those eyes. ¡°Amelia?¡± Serena asked, trying to keep the nervousness out of her voice. Amelia was silent, simply observing her as she hovered in the air. The giant face tilted in confusion, or maybe it was curiosity. Amelia¡¯s mouth opened, consisting of pearly white teeth. ¡°Demon...¡± she said in an alien voice that sent shivers down Serena¡¯s spine. Serena¡¯s mind raced. This was the first time Amelia had ever Spoken the Second Word. She didn¡¯t know too much about what it entailed - Speakers with such capability were not that forthcoming regarding what happened. She did know that the first time was the most difficult, and hardest to control. How much of Amelia¡¯s mind was her own, and how much was Asplecius influencing her? ¡°Scree!¡± Amelia screamed into the night sky, before clambering onto a tree. Her sword-like nails and scythe-like talons easily digging into the ironwood bark as she made her way away from the crash site. Where was she going? Serena didn¡¯t know, but knew she had to chase after her. She ran after Amelia. Passing the fallen ship, she could hear cries of surprise and fear from within the vessel but no sounds of pain. Something Amelia had done had also put out the flames, as only the slightest whisps of smoke escaped the hull. Serena left the ship behind and delved deeper into the forest after Amelia. Making her way through the enormous ironwoods, Serena felt small. Very small. These trees were the ancestors of the wilderness that dominated the continent a thousand years ago - and they were still here, standing tall and proud. Each one of these trees contained tens of thousands of cubic meters of wood. Each one could be used to build a thousand homes or a dozen small ships. That is, if you put in the extraordinary effort to cut through the metal-like bark and defend yourself against the wilderness¡¯s inhabitants. Speaking of, where were they? Serena¡¯s senses were tremendously heightened by the yellow aura she cloaked herself in, yet she couldn¡¯t sense any monsters at all. Could they sense Amelia? Were they avoiding her? She gritted her teeth and ran on through the dark forest. Amelia was her priority. Stopping atop a rise in the terrain, Serena peered through the darkness. Amelia was gone, and Serena couldn¡¯t see or hear her, but she could sense her. It was almost like they were tethered. Serena just knew where she was. It wasn¡¯t a matter of her aether picking up on the fluctuations caused by Amelia¡¯s vast reserves. It was something more, something deeper. It was as if there was a line linking them together. A line she couldn¡¯t see but could feel at the very tip of her enhanced senses. She ran for a few more minutes, covering several kilometres as her aura-enhanced body put the best athletes to shame. Rounding a large ironwood tree, she stumbled across a clearing. In the centre lay Amelia, her enormous feathery body curled into a ball, black wings folded tight. Her white fur glowed under rays of moonlight flittering through the forest canopy. Serena could see the huge body rise and fall as the angelic being breathed. Serena couldn¡¯t help but think it looked like Amelia belonged in the vast wilderness. It was almost natural to see this unnatural entity in an unnatural environment. No. Amelia was hers. Amelia belonged to her and her to Amelia. Serena cautiously approached the resting giant. After only a few steps, Amelia raised her head, facing her with those crimson alien eyes that seemed to see not only her but through her as well. ¡°Tired?¡± Serena asked with a weak smile. She didn¡¯t really know what to say, only that she felt an overwhelming need to be here, with Amelia. Amelia didn¡¯t respond. Instead, she repositioned so she was standing like an animal, with her four arms and legs supporting her weight. Honestly, she was behaving more like a peeka than a person. Her enormous black wings kept half-expanding and then retracting as if she didn¡¯t know what to do with him. It would be war. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Thinking about events... and the ship,¡± Serena told a half-truth. ¡°A rescue vessel should come within the next twelve hours. We¡¯ll need to protect the ship from the local wildlife.¡± ¡°Ah... I can sense them. Hiding so far away. Hiding from me...¡± ¡°But we can¡¯t have you staying in that form! Can you... change back?¡± Serena asked. If Amelia stayed as she would, how could she explain it to the travellers on the ship? Or to whoever was on their way to rescue them? With the magnitude of the Second Word, every Speaker in the East would have sensed it. It wouldn¡¯t surprise Serena if the overlord himself was moving to meet them. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how... I think-¡± Amelia went silent, something interrupting her thoughts. ¡°Ah... thank you, Asclepius. How very helpful.¡± Well, it appeared the deity was only too happy to assist Amelia in breaking their connection. Serena couldn¡¯t help but feel a touch of sympathy for the poor human god that had Amelia storm into his life, much like Amelia had to her own. ¡°Before that... did you heal everyone on the ship?¡± Serena was sure Amelia had, but she wanted to make sure. The nature of whatever spells Amelia had cast, which must have been somewhere in the seventh, eighth or even ninth tier, was beyond her ability to comprehend. ¡°Yes... even my friend...¡± ¡°Your friend? Oh.¡± Serena looked away, feeling guilty. ¡°She¡¯s alive, then?¡± ¡°Her body was broken, but the soul hadn¡¯t yet left. I remade her.¡± Amelia sniffed, and her enormous eyes wobbled slightly. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me, if you knew?¡± Serena shuffled her feet awkwardly, ¡°Her background check did come back clean! It was only after I pushed deeper we found out she was a federation spy.¡± Serena sighed. ¡°Remember what I told you? That people would approach you, pretending not to know you? Still... you seemed happy you had a human friend... so I let it go.¡± Serena clenched her fist. ¡°But I can¡¯t anymore, somehow she, or people she was working with, put a bomb on the ship. She tried to kill us.¡± ¡°It was no bomb,¡± Amelia said as softly as her mighty form could manage. ¡°What?¡± ¡°She has a blessing. Two of them. I can see them on her soul. I can see her right now.¡± Amelia peered into the distance, eyes focused on a point beyond the ironwood trees. ¡°What!?¡± Ignoring the fact Amelia could see blessings, the knowledge someone had two of them was something she would reject if it wasn¡¯t coming from Amelia¡¯s mouth. Never before, in any conversation, text, or lesson had she ever been made aware that such a thing was possible. ¡°I¡¯ve put her to sleep.¡± A note of sorrow filled Amelia¡¯s voice. ¡°What¡¯s her real name?¡± ¡°... Polina,¡± Serena said. ¡°Polina Volkova. She was part of a federation cell operating in Kenhoro. We discovered them the morning we left. It was why everything was so rushed.¡± ¡°Polina...¡± Amelia mumbled. ¡°Polina. Not Tatiana. Polina...¡± She sniffed. ¡°Nice name.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not your friend,¡± Serena said sternly. ¡°Remember, she blew up the ship. Condemned a hundred demons to die for a chance to kill us.¡± ¡°Maybe. Yet... she blew herself up, right? Tatiana- I mean, Polina didn¡¯t seem like someone to martyr themselves.¡± Amelia shook her wings, ¡°Maybe there was a reason. I want to talk to her.¡± ¡°In... that form?¡± ¡°Yes. Until I know the nature of her blessings.¡± ¡°Shall I... bring her here?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ll put everyone else to sleep. Bring her outside the ship, if you could... uh, please.¡± Serena sighed. If it weren¡¯t for Amelia¡¯s healing, she would have a headache right about now. Even so, the urge to grab her horns in frustration was highly tempting. Why did things keep getting more and more complicated!? She had never felt so uncertain about the future. What would happen when Amelia talked to that spy? What would happen when she met her father? What awaited them in Shimashina? Questions upon questions. Ah, whatever. She¡¯ll go along with the flow. She¡¯d rolled her dice, and they¡¯d landed firmly upon Amelia. What¡¯ll happen will happen. War or no war. As long as she was there to help manage the walking disaster that was her girlfriend, things would eventually turn out alright, right? ¡°Come on then,¡± Serena said, guiding Amelia back through the trees. It was time for an awkward conversation. Chapter Thirty-Three: Interrogation I Chapter Thirty-Three: Interrogation I With every step, Amelia felt herself bond closer to her divine form. She walked on her six limbs, as the movement felt more natural given her elongated body. Her talons were razor sharp and easily sliced through earth, stone, and wood. Her great wings were difficult to control entirely, but depending on her will, they could become an impenetrable shield or wall of soft feathers. The endless ocean of aether inside her begged to be used, circulating throughout her body and pushing her senses to new heights. It wasn¡¯t just the feeling of her vast reserves; Amelia could feel her body drawing in the aetherfield. It was like she was a vacuum, and the ethereal substance was rushing to fill her up. At the same time, she was continuously expelling aether back into the atmosphere, creating a continuous process that she could only describe as breathing aether. Her perception had grown tremendously, and her ability to process information had similarly caught up. Before, she could sense the aether inside someone to gauge their strength, but now Amelia could see it. The aether inside people appeared like a shimmering light, not blocked by earth or trees. She could count the people in the ship, unmoving due to her magic; a low-level sleep spell thrown far and wide from the branch of Kanaxai, the demon god of illusion and trickery. She could also see the aether signatures of creatures many kilometres away, keeping their distance. She was strong and mighty, and everything around her knew it! It was a shame, as she hadn¡¯t actually seen what they looked like. Serena had always referred to them simply as the ¡®local wildlife¡¯ but the way she had described some of them they sounded more like dinosaurs. Amelia turned in a few circles while Serena clambered through the ship on her mission to bring the healed and sleeping Polina out. She wasn¡¯t entirely sure what she was going to say, but it didn¡¯t matter much. What was done was done, and if Amelia hadn¡¯t been there, everyone onboard would have died. Amelia cast her feathered head down in thought before breaking out into a happy grin, distracted by the sight before her. How the ground sparkled! Thousands and thousands of moon crystals buried beneath the surface shone like the purest night sky. Like herself, the crystals didn¡¯t produce aether; instead, the aetherfield was pulled through them, causing them to shine! Even in the giant trees that made up the forest, she could see a slight current of aether flowing through their roots. Aether appeared to be more closely intertwined with life than she had thought! There were also other things. Aether signatures that didn¡¯t seem to be a part of this realm. They were about as bright as Serena¡¯s signature, but none came close to her strength. They kept their distance but were evidently curious about her as they seemed to follow and circle her cautiously, maintaining a distance of about a kilometre. Whatever they were, did she look the same in their eyes? A bright glowing ball? Whatever this other realm was, it seemed to be layered upon this one. Her curious friends seemed to follow the same terrain as her, avoiding the same trees. Was there another copy of Cascadia, existing alongside this one? How would that work, and what did it mean? She would ask Serena about it later, although she suspected this might be a bit beyond the knowledge of her brilliant girlfriend. Tatiana- no, Polina was carried out by Serena and thrown against the base of an enormous tree. Amelia raised one enormous feathered eyebrow at Serena, who gave her a shrug in response. Polina stirred but didn¡¯t respond; waking someone from her sleep spell would take far more than that. Polina¡¯s hair was unkempt, and her face and body were covered in dirt and grime. Where did she live, in the sewers!? Her clothes were tattered, although not to the point of being immodest. With a quick burst of aether Amelia cleansed Polina¡¯s body. Beyond the flesh, Amelia could see Polina¡¯s soul. It looked like a white cloud, from which little wisps and bits would twist and turn. It was reacting to the aetherfield, or maybe the aetherfield was reacting to the soul. Looking even further, using her Second-Word-enhanced vision, she saw the soul was connected to the mists, the proto-realm connecting all other realms. She wasn¡¯t sure if souls lived in this realm and were linked to the mists or that souls lived in the mists and were linked to this realm. Regardless, Amelia could see the complicated structure of the two blessings layered upon Polina¡¯s soul. She couldn¡¯t quite figure out precisely what gods gave each blessing, but Amelia was certain one was provided by a human god and the other by a demon god. Well, she would be ready for anything. Amelia was basically invulnerable in this form, and anything that did manage to hurt her could be patched up in the blink of an eye. To ensure the safety of everyone else, Amelia twisted the aether inside her to form an eighth-circle ward, which she casually threw over Serena. The ward was invisible to the naked eye, unlike the lower circle spells she had previously cast that caused a golden glow. This didn¡¯t mean they were cloaked. It shone like a lighthouse in her enhanced vision, disrupting the aetherfield and causing the mysterious creatures from another realm to draw back even further. Amelia then picked another spell and cast it around the three of them, creating a defensive shell that would act as a first line of defense against any attacks going in or out. Ha! She would like to see something and try to get through that! ¡°You just did something ridiculous, didn¡¯t you?¡± Serena asked her while examining her own body. ¡°A ward? I can barely sense it.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Amelia said. ¡°Are you able to control how much aether you¡¯re leaking? If you keep talking with such power in your words, the girl will have a heart attack.¡± Mmm. That wouldn¡¯t be good. Amelia focused inwards and slowed the flow of aether, both into and out of her body. Interestingly, it wasn¡¯t just the aether that obeyed her command, but the aetherfield itself seemed to want to work with her. ¡°How¡¯s this?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°Much better.¡± Serena unsheathed her sword. It was only a wooden training sword, but being cloaked in an orange aura, it was far sharper and sturdier than any blacksmith-created weapon. Serena pointed the sword at Polina¡¯s throat. ¡°Shall we wake her up then?¡± ¡°H-hang on!¡± Surely they didn¡¯t need to hold Polina at sword-point! It wasn¡¯t like she could escape unless one of her blessings was teleportation. ¡°I think we should approach this in a much more friendly way!¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Serena¡¯s mouth curled up. ¡°Which one of us has actual interrogation experience?¡± Amelia groaned, which sounded more like a growl in her new form. ¡°I¡¯m just saying. Maybe we should do that thing, you know where one of us is helpful and friendly, and the other is aggressive?¡± Surely the classic good cop bad cop wouldn¡¯t fail them? ¡°You... know about that method?¡± ¡°Sure do! I saw it in shows all the time!¡± Serena rolled her eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t think your experience with entertainment qualifies. Besides...¡± She turned her gaze towards Polina. ¡°I think she¡¯s going to be scared regardless.¡± That was a good point. Waking up in a dark forest, not knowing where you were or how you got there. Anyone would be scared! ¡°Good point!¡± Amelia chirped, ¡°Maybe you should hide around the tree so it¡¯s just me... what?¡± Serena was looking at her with a stupified expression. ¡°Idiot. You think you¡¯re the less scary one of all of us. You¡¯re a gigantic...¡± Serena gestured at her with a complicated expression. ¡°Angelic-bird-peeka thing!¡± ¡°I know! Don¡¯t you think I look fluffy and cute!?¡± To emphasize her point, Amelia stood upright on two legs and extended her wings to their fullest extent. It felt incredibly satisfying to stretch her wings. Having a pair of wings was unfamiliar at first, but it was growing on her. She suddenly felt the urge to wrap Serena up like a burrito. Imagining the cute noises Serena would make almost made her do it then and there. Maybe another time. Looking down, Serena and Polina did look very small. How tall had Serena said she was? Thirty meters? That was about the same height as a ten-story building! Maybe she did look scary after all! ¡°Fine...¡± she grumbled before plodding her way around the back of the tree, coming around and laying on the floor so Polina would only see two of her arms and her head. ¡°You take the lead, and I¡¯ll just... be here...¡± ¡°Better. Are you planning on talking?¡± ¡°Sure!¡± ¡°Are you... going to let Polina know it''s you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to lie!¡± ¡°Y-y-y...¡± Polina was trying to choke out some words. It was as if she was in shock. ¡°You... you... who are... you?¡± ¡°I am Serena Halen, Captain under Greatlord Oshiro of the eastern fleet,¡± Serena said, a distinctive note of pride under her voice. Once again, Polina¡¯s blessing activated to no noticeable effect. ¡°I saw you, in the engine room, before the ship exploded. What were you doing?¡± ¡°I... uh...¡± Polina gulped, ¡°I...¡± She turned and threw up to the side. The poor woman was shaking. Amelia almost reflexively cast some healing but held back. It didn¡¯t make her happy at all, to see Polina like this. ¡°I was a stowaway... hitching a ride...¡± ¡°Trying to get... where?¡± ¡°Anywhere... I had nowhere to go...¡± Polina closed her mouth and Amelia sensed she was running her tongue around her mouth. It was a weird action, and she couldn¡¯t understand why she was doing it. ¡°How am I...¡± ¡°Alive?¡± Serena interrupted. ¡°Amelia healed you.¡± Polina¡¯s blessing activated again, and Amelia detected another disruptive echo in the mists. ¡°A titanic amount...¡± Polina whispered seemingly to herself. ¡°Amelia... is here?¡± she asked nervously. ¡°Where is she?¡± ¡°Still in the ship, recovering from using up so much aether.¡± Again, the blessing fired. Was it activating whenever Serena talked? Polina looked around again, even up at the forest canopy where only a few beams of moonlight broke through the dense greenery. ¡°Are we...?¡± ¡°On the forest floor, yes.¡± Serena nodded. ¡°I¡¯m sure a rescue ship is already on its way.¡± ¡°T-the monsters!¡± ¡°The local wildlife? Have no fear. I am a Speaker. They won¡¯t approach us so recklessly.¡± Serena paused and asked, ¡°Why did you have nowhere to go? Amelia told me you were a merchant¡¯s bookkeeper. What happened?¡± Some more pulses from Polina¡¯s blessing, and the woman became silent for a long time. ¡°What¡¯s my name?¡± Polina suddenly asked. ¡°Huh?¡± Serena seemed confused by the sudden question. ¡°Have you forgotten?¡± ¡°What do you think my name is?¡± ¡°Why-¡± ¡°Just answer!¡± Polina cried out, her voice carrying out a strange note of desperation. ¡°... You¡¯re Tatiana,¡± Serena said as Polina¡¯s blessing activated. All was quiet for a few seconds and then Polina giggled. The sound was so unexpected both Serena and Amelia were taken back. ¡°Pfft!¡± Polina giggled again, and then began laughing out loud. ¡°Ha ha ha!¡± She laughed madly for a minute before settling down, breathing heavily. ¡°Well, go on then, make it quick.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter much now, but I didn¡¯t mean to blow the engine. Really,¡± Polina¡¯s voice became firm, ¡°I only wanted to get you.¡± Aside from the rustle of the treetops, silence filled the area for a dozen seconds. Amelia¡¯s mind raced. Why had Polina given up the act now? ¡°I thought you recognised me,¡± Serena said plainly, all veneer of compassion gone from her voice and her usual captain demeanour coming through. ¡°Why did the lift engine detonate? Those things don¡¯t go up easily.¡± ¡°Ha!¡± Polina scoffed and pushed herself up against the tree. ¡°You bitch,¡± she said. ¡°I hate your guts. Hurry up and kill me, before I try and kill you again.¡± ¡°Yet you haven¡¯t, which means you cannot. A lot of humans hate me, although not many try and kill me,¡± Serena said. ¡°Why did Federation intelligence try and assassinate me? Were you trying to kill Amelia as well?¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t try and kill you!¡± Polina spat on the floor. ¡°I did! Me! Alone! Why? Does it matter!? Why don¡¯t you kill me and finish the job!¡± ¡°Finish...?¡± Serena mumbled, seemingly unperturbed by Polina¡¯s aggression. ¡°Did I kill someone close to you? Ah... so it is that...¡± Serena leaned in. ¡°Who was it? Who did I kill that caused all this to happen?¡± ¡°Bitch! I¡¯ll never tell you!¡± Polina seemed almost maniacal, and Amelia was teetering on a knife edge about whether to interfere. ¡°So just kill me!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to kill you,¡± Serena said flatly. Another activation of Polina¡¯s blessing and Amelia began to assemble a theory. ¡°T-then, hurry up and torture me! That¡¯s all you¡¯re good for!¡± ¡°What nonsense you speak...¡± Serena mumbled, ¡°I¡¯m not going to torture you or hurt you. It seems I¡¯ve already done enough. I don¡¯t think you understand how lucky you are. I doubt anyone¡¯s going to be killing or torturing you, even if they wanted to.¡± Another activation. ¡°Huh!? What...¡± Polina¡¯s attitude made another radical change, now she seemed only confused. ¡°I don¡¯t understand...¡± This final change was enough to confirm Amelia¡¯s growing suspicions. ¡°I know what her blessing does!¡± Amelia yelled out excitedly, popping out her gigantic face around the corner. ¡°It lets her detect truth and lies! Isn¡¯t that right, Polina!?¡± ¡°Ah, ah, ahhhhhhhh!¡± Polina screamed. Serena just sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose while shaking her head. Huh, what did she do wrong!? Chapter Thirty-Four: Interrogation II Chapter Thirty-Four: Interrogation II AnnouncementSome say there''s an endless supply of cookies over at the series discord... don''t let too many people know! ¡°W-w-wh-¡± Polina stuttered, her face drained of colour and eyes wide in fear. ¡°Wh- what¡¯s that!¡± She had scrambled backwards, pressing her body hard against the tree. ¡°Har har!¡± Amelia bounced around the area, clambering up a tree and looking down on the shaking Polina. ¡°It¡¯s me! Amelia! Aren¡¯t I cute!¡± Amelia dropped down and approached the pair. Serena was groaning and rubbing her forehead. Concerned that perhaps she was getting a headache, Amelia fired off another round of healing and cleaning. Polina¡¯s blessing had activated when Amelia had announced her identity. Interestingly, it seemed to pass through her defences as if her wards weren¡¯t even there. There was no blessing mechanic in the game she had played in the hospital. They seemed to work under entirely different principles compared to regular aether magic. Still, if Polina¡¯s blessing did let her know that Amelia was telling the truth; that she was especially amazing and adorable in this form, then things would progress easier. Based on that assumption, Amelia took one, two, three, and then a fourth hand and curled each of them into feathery thumbs-up. With her quadruple thumbs-up prepared, she thrust them towards Polina and, with a friendly smile, chirped, ¡°Amelia! Your friend, remember!?¡± ¡°A-Amelia!? I-is that really you?" ¡°Mmm!¡± Amelia affirmed, producing a sound halfway between her usual self and an alien growl. ¡°How did...¡± Polina shook her head as if trying to dispel an illusion. Unfortunately for her, Amelia¡¯s greatness was no illusion! ¡°What happened to you!?¡± Polina finally spluttered. ¡°I Spoke the Second Word!¡± Amelia said, grinning. ¡°And then I became like this! Feel how soft my fur is!¡± She moved and thrust an arm in front of Polina¡¯s face, turned so the underside of the forearm, with the pure white fur, was facing her. ¡°Wh-¡± Polina began. ¡°Feel it!¡± Amelia said with a bit more force. Polina swallowed and hesitantly reached out and touched Amelia¡¯s arm. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it feel amazing! I was thinking I could lop off an arm and then make a blanket from my skin! Is that- is that weird? I think it¡¯s weird, but imagine how much it would sell for! It would be so-¡± ¡°If we could,¡± Serena interrupted her rambling. ¡°We¡¯re moving off-topic.¡± Serena gave her a look that was somewhere between an eye roll and a stern glare. ¡°Ah...¡± Amelia mumbled. Something about this form made her act a little weird. She would try and keep it down for now. She backed off a few steps, but was happy to see Polina kept looking at her. No doubt she was awestruck by her white fur and shimmering black wings! ¡°Polina,¡± Serena said, turning her gaze upon the nervous woman. Eventually, Polina was able to break her eyes away from Amelia and turn them towards Serena. ¡°Is what Amelia said true? Your blessing can distinguish truth from lies?¡± Polina was silent for a long time before looking down and softly muttering, ¡°Yes...¡± ¡°Prove it!¡± Serena demanded, crossing her arms. ¡°H-how!?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make a series of statements. Tell me if they¡¯re true or not. I-¡± ¡°Oh! Me, me!¡± Amelia interrupted, patting her hands on the floor excitedly. ¡°I bet Federation Intelligence already knows all about you! They won¡¯t know about me!¡± Serena opened her mouth and looked as if she was about to chastise her, but instead, she hesitated. A moment later, she nodded at Amelia. ¡°Fine, but don¡¯t give anything important away.¡± ¡°Okay! Okay!¡± Amelia¡¯s mind raced. ¡°Polina, did you know I used to smoke when I was younger?¡± As her sentence finished, a now-familiar ripple propagated out of Polina, bouncing off Amelia and returning to Polina¡¯s soul. ¡°I-it¡¯s not true...¡± Polina muttered. ¡°Correct! Another one! I once helped catch a bunch of sardis using magic!¡± After Polina¡¯s blessing finished, the woman correctly determined it was true. Amelia fired off another series of claims, some true and some lies. ¡°I¡¯ve never broken a bone!¡± ¡°Water is my favourite drink!¡± ¡°I once ran a marathon!¡± ¡°I once slept for three days!¡± Polina correctly identified all four claims, even if she mumbled about not knowing what a marathon was. Serena looked like she was about to step in, but Amelia had one more trick up her sleeve. ¡°One more! I am utterly and hopelessly, down to the deepest depths of my heart, in love with someone!¡± Amelia giggled as Polina¡¯s face took on an expression of shock, and the faintest squeak came from Serena, so quiet that only Amelia could have heard it. ¡°It...¡± Polina began before closing her mouth as she struggled to find the words. ¡°I can make moon crystals unstable. I can undo them, causing them to...¡± She motioned an explosion with her hands. ¡°... Blow up.¡± Ah, another piece of the puzzle fell into place. That explained why the ship blew up like it did. It wasn¡¯t that there was a bomb in the kitchen; instead, Polina had detonated the crystal fuel powering the kitchen ovens. ¡°So, you used it to blow the ship up?¡± Amelia asked, seeking clarification. ¡°N-not on purpose! I was...¡± Polina broke eye contact, looking at the floor again. ¡°I was looking for fuel I could use to target... target Serena.¡± Her eyes flicked to Amelia before darting back down again. ¡°But I got caught in the engine room and while I was trying to figure out what to do, she just appeared and I lost control! I didn¡¯t mean it!¡± Polina began to choke up again. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to kill everyone...¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± Amelia scratched her neck with a talon. ¡°You¡¯re lucky I was there. I was able to put everyone back together.¡± Seeing Polina¡¯s eyes widen, she couldn¡¯t help but give her another cheerful thumbs up. At least she could provide some good news. ¡°Yeah, my healing¡¯s super amazing! I put you back together as well! I think everyone survived!¡± ¡°B-b-but...¡± Polina stuttered. ¡°You can¡¯t just put someone back together! You can¡¯t bring back the dead! No-one can! Not even the pope!¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± Amelia thought back to the previous events. Despite her losing herself in the initial transformation, she remembered every detail perfectly. ¡°I don¡¯t think people were really dead. Sure, many of their bodies were broken, but I could see their souls still hanging about. They were slowly vanishing, into the mists I think, and if I were even ten seconds late then I wouldn¡¯t have been able to do anything but...¡± Amelia shrugged, ruffling her feathered neck. ¡°When I poured out my healing power, everyone¡¯s bodies reformed and the souls sort of... reattached. I don¡¯t think I resurrected anyone, it was more like... I fixed things before the soul realised the body had died.¡± ¡°... That¡¯s incredible.¡± Polina looked genuinely in awe this time, which made Amelia buzz with happiness. ¡°So I didn¡¯t kill anyone?¡± ¡°Nope!¡± Amelia exaggeratedly shook her head. ¡°I knew you weren¡¯t evil!¡± ¡°... thank you...¡± Polina said before adding, ¡°...thank you for saving my life...¡± ¡°Mmm! You¡¯re welcome!¡± Amelia said with a grin to which Polina responded with a weak smile. Their conversation died, but they seemed happy to sit in reflective silence for a few minutes. Amelia thought about closing her eyes and napping when Polina suddenly piped up. ¡°Hang on, what about everyone else? Where are they?¡± ¡°Oh! They¡¯re on the ship. I put everyone to sleep, thought it would make things easier.¡± ¡°Right...¡± Polina sighed. ¡°So what now? Are we just going to sit around waiting to be rescued?¡± ¡°I guess so!¡± Amelia chirped. ¡°We¡¯ll probably move everyone onto the rescue ship and then continue sailing to Shimashina!¡± ¡°We most certainly will not,¡± came a stern voice from the outside. Amelia lifted a wing to see Serena standing there with her arms crossed and a firm expression. ¡°Huh?¡± Amelia started. ¡°We¡¯re not?¡± ¡°If she¡¯s telling the truth about her second blessing, then she absolutely cannot be allowed to travel on any ship,¡± Serena stated firmly. ¡°Whether it was an accident or not, there is nothing stopping it from happening again.¡± Serena kicked about the ground for a moment before pulling up a small clump that glowed softly in Amelia¡¯s eyes. Serena rubbed most of the dirt off the unrefined crystal before chucking it on the ground a few meters away. ¡°Go on then,¡± Serena said, gesturing to the crystal. ¡°Prove this blessing of yours.¡± Polina swallowed. She locked eyes with the crystal and began to focus. Amelia stared at Polina¡¯s soul, where the second blessing began wriggling excitedly. A moment later, a tendril shot out, connecting with the crystal on the floor. The tendril pulsed and the aetherfield around the crystal suddenly distorted wildly. The crystal blew up with a sharp explosion similar to a gunshot. The sound echoed in the dark forest. The three of them were silent. Eventually, Serena dug around for another crystal, throwing it about twenty meters away from Polina, who shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t do it that far. About a dozen meters is the best I can do.¡± ¡°How many times?¡± Serena asked. ¡°Depends on the distance and size, but... not many. It¡¯s exhausting to use.¡± Serena nodded. ¡°What a terrifying blessing. Do you know what god blessed you?¡± ¡°Umm...¡± Polina hesitated. ¡°No... I¡¯ve kept it secret. Even the Federation only knows about my truth-telling one.¡± Serena glanced at Amelia with a look that said don¡¯t tell her anything. Amelia cast a look back in agreement. Polina struggled with demons enough as it was. If she were to find out a demon god had blessed her, it might drive the poor woman to have another accident. ¡°Then... what do we do? If we can¡¯t put her on a ship, how will we get to Shimashina?¡± Amelia asked, cocking her head to the side. Surely they weren¡¯t going to walk hundreds of kilometres through the forest? If it were just her and Serena, they could run at an enhanced speed and get there in a few hours, but with Polina, it meant they had to go at her pace. ¡°Well...¡± Serena said while casting a side-eye at Amelia. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You do have wings, don¡¯t you?¡± Chapter Thirty-Five: Little Big Horns Chapter Thirty-Five: Little Big Horns Wings! She did have wings! Amelia couldn¡¯t contain her growing excitement and leapt up, bouncing around the arena, giggling uncontrollably. ¡°You mean it!?¡± she asked Serena as she stopped and began tippy-tapping the floor with her four hands. ¡°We¡¯re going to fly to Shimashina!? You¡¯re going to ride me!?¡± ¡°Ha!¡± Serena exclaimed, looking amused at Amelia¡¯s antics. ¡°Not quite. We¡¯ll fly within fifty klicks of the city and enter the forest before the perimeter ships and their aetherscopes can pick you up. Then you¡¯ll transform back, and we''ll run the final leg. We-¡± Serena frowned. ¡°Hang on.¡± She vanished into the ship, where Amelia could sense her collecting their luggage. While that was happening, a small voice piped up. ¡°We¡¯re really going to... fly?¡± Polina asked in a small voice. Amelia flashed a gigantic smile. ¡°Looks like it! Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll ward you so if anything goes wrong you¡¯ll be unharmed!¡± At her words, Polina¡¯s eyes widened and a small smile appeared on her face. ¡°Ward me? Of course, you can do something like that...¡± she muttered. ¡°How can you Speak the Second Word? It should be impossible. You¡¯re twenty-five! Unless...¡± Suddenly, Polina looked apprehensive. ¡°Are you a darkblade!?¡± she blurted out. ¡°Nope!¡± Amelia chirped, waiting for Polina¡¯s blessing to verify her statement before continuing, ¡°I¡¯m just me! Amelia!¡± She punctuated her point using two of her four hands to point to herself. Polina mumbled some more stuff about impossible things as she twiddled her fingers. Amelia let her be, turning back to the ship as Serena appeared with their luggage and a large rope. ¡°Our stuff. I figured we might as well bring it. After all, when you change back...¡± Serena looked Amelia up and down, ¡°... you¡¯ll be naked. Can¡¯t have you strolling into Shimashina wearing nothing, can we?¡± ¡°Hehe...¡± Amelia giggled. ¡°We¡¯ll wrap the luggage in this rope,¡± Serena said, holding the thick rope up. ¡°You can hold it in one of your hands. You¡¯ll need to be careful not to crush it accidentally. Look at what those wings and talons have done to the tree bark!¡± Serena pointed, and Amelia followed her finger to see the deep scratches and cuts in the enormous trees surrounding them. ¡°It¡¯s just tree bark, right?¡± Amelia asked, raising a taloned hand and carving into a nearby tree. She barely felt any resistance. ¡°That bark is two inches thick and almost as tough as iron,¡± Serena intoned. ¡°In emergencies, ships have been known to land and harvest it for repairs and armour! Be careful with your hands! You¡¯ll slice someone in half if you¡¯re not careful!¡± ¡°Ahh...¡± Amelia gulped and made a mental note to always pay attention to where her hands were. ¡°I see...¡± ¡°I¡¯ll find another rope to make some kind of harness for me and that girl,¡± Serena jerked her head towards Polina, who shrank back a little. Serena couldn¡¯t keep the distaste out of her voice. ¡°It would be best to put her to sleep for the journey. Because-¡± Amelia¡¯s aether flared, and a moment later Polina fell to her side, under the effects of Amelia¡¯s sleep spell. Serena¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°That was easy; I thought you would be against the idea...¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that,¡± Amelia said quickly, focusing almost entirely on the aetherfield as her instincts screamed at her. ¡°Somethings coming, something big. Fifty kilometres... closing fast.¡± As the entity approached, Amelia cast an eighth-circle ward on Polina and then an enormous sixth-circle ward covering the entire ship and its unconscious inhabitants. So many wards were a strain on even Amelia¡¯s titanic aether reserves. Her regeneration - which she now understood to be a result of how her soul bent the aetherfield into her, similar to how a planet bent space-time - was struggling to keep up. Amelia cancelled the ward she had cast around the trio earlier, stabilising her aether. Still, it made her oddly anxious for her maintenance costs to more or less match her regeneration. The tiers of spells accessible from the Second Word, the seventh, eighth and the monstrous ninth-tier were no joke. They were exponentially more expensive than the lower tiers. This was the first time she had begun to sense the precise limit of her powers. Of course, she still had numerous buffs she could cast upon herself to increase her capabilities, although she had zero experience using them in the real world. If it came to a fight, then hopefully everything worked like it did from the game. The wind began to pick up as the entity approached. First, it was just the whisper of wind, the slight rustle of the forest canopy and the gentle ruffling of her feathers. Then it picked up, and the branches began to creak under the growing wind, and leaves began to fall. Serena seemed to sense it now as well, and moved closer to Amelia, her hand gripping her training sword. As it closed in on them, the wind became a storm, and thunder sounded from close by. The air hummed with electricity, and her feathers and fur rose. Small branches snapped off and fell, carpeting the mostly barren floor with a carpet of greenery. Then, it breached the forest canopy. It was a giant humanoid thing. It didn¡¯t seem to have a physical form. Instead, its outline was subtly defined by the flow of wind around its location - its body vaguely represented where the leaves and dirt struggled to pass through. As it floated down, nearby leaves and branches were entirely vapourised by the arcs of electricity firing off the giant¡¯s body. It landed about fifty meters away from them and simply watched them. At least, Amelia thought it was watching them. She could only barely make out its facial features. Looking at it with her newly gained perception, she suspected that this entity mostly existed in the mirror realm she had identified, and only a small portion of it was manifested in this plane. The power of its soul was almost blinding to her eyes and made it somewhat uncomfortable to look directly at. He was also enormous. Perhaps twenty-five meters tall. If Amelia stood upright than maybe she would be taller, at least if it weren¡¯t for the great horns of shadow that crowned the figures head. Amelia swallowed nervously, and then slowly raised one of her four arms and gave a small wave to the familiar entity. ¡°Hello again,¡± she said to the eastern overlord. The overlord was silent for an awkward amount of time that stretched to the point Amelia considered speaking again. Thankfully, he broke the silence first. ¡°You again,¡± intoned the overlord, the act of just speaking sending bolts of lightning to vapourised parts of tree bark, leaving oddly shaped holes behind. Amelia couldn¡¯t help but suspect that perhaps this was why he landed away from them. ¡°The first violation in Kenhoro, and now... this.¡± He hissed the last word, and a stream of lightening crackled wildly as it ate away at the surrounding trees. ¡°I-¡± Amelia began to explain. ¡°Do I need protection?¡± Amelia wasn¡¯t sure what level of attack she could withstand in this form, but it was surely far greater than anything Serena could handle. ¡°I¡¯m super strong, you know?¡± ¡°Not that kind of protection... you¡¯ll see...¡± Serena gave her neck a hug and then withdrew. ¡°Let¡¯s prepare to leave! It might take a while to figure out the best way to secure this luggage. Here... hold this! Try not to slice the rope with your talons...¡± Serena set about tying the luggage together. Eventually, they got it in a position where it was half strapped to Amelia and half cradled in her lower two arms. After assuring Serena multiple times that she definitely wasn¡¯t going to drop it, Serena clambered onto her back, gripping Amelia¡¯s feathers as she settled into a comfortable position. ¡°I¡¯m worried... about Polina...¡± Amelia said, unable to stop herself from sounding sad. She was sure the overlord could hear her, but she didn¡¯t care. ¡°She¡¯s going to wake up in a strange place, and I won¡¯t be there!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be,¡± Serena said. ¡°Believe me, she¡¯s so valuable not a hair on her head will be harmed. You can trust the overlords, they are principled and honourable. She''ll likely be given a place to stay that makes The Highguard look like a slum in comparison.¡± ¡°I hope so...¡± As long as Amelia maintained her ward on Polina, she could follow the trail of aether to her location. ¡°I will write her a letter,¡± Amelia announced to herself, Serena, and the listening overlord. ¡°I don¡¯t want this forest to be the last time I see her!¡± Serena didn¡¯t say anything in response, but Amelia was sure her stubbornness was recognised. Once Serena confirmed she was secure on Amelia''s back, Amelia used her other two hands and legs to clamber up a tree and through the forest canopy. ¡°Wow...¡± she exclaimed, trying to ignore the blinding soul of the annoying overlord above them. ¡°What a beautiful night sky...¡± Serena mumbled from her back. ¡°Look! You can see the blue moon! It¡¯s only going to get bigger from now, until the next moonrain!¡± Amelia looked at the shining blue object in the far distant sky. Serena was right; it was beautiful. Amelia felt a yearning inside her. If she were a wolf, she would want to howl into the sky. Sadly, she couldn¡¯t howl, but she could fly. ¡°Ready?¡± Amelia called out as she unfurled her great wings under the night sky. Flying would be easy, right? Lani paced around the room. She knew a dignified highborn lady like her shouldn¡¯t pace, but she couldn¡¯t stop herself! Every thirty seconds, she would glance out the window, looking down the road for the carriage that was supposed to have arrived hours ago. ¡°Ho ho... you¡¯re an impatient one, aren¡¯t you...¡± said an elderly maid as she tidied and cleaned the room. ¡°Why don¡¯t you sit down and read, young Lani? You¡¯ll only tire yourself out.¡± Lani rolled her eyes. Why did old people always feel the need to give her constant advice? She could figure everything out by herself! Nevertheless, she forced herself to sit down, turning to look in a mirror. She grumbled at what she saw. ¡°They¡¯ll get bigger, won¡¯t they?¡± She asked the old maid. ¡°They¡¯re barely past four inches!¡± ¡°Of course, my dear Lani!¡± The maid gave her a reassuring smile. ¡°You¡¯ll have your growth spurt any day now! Besides, horns don¡¯t stop growing until you¡¯re far into your twenties! You have a wonderful set of horns, I bet all the boys try to talk to you all the time!¡± Lani giggled at the old maid¡¯s words. Old people always had such nice things to say! Why didn¡¯t she listen to them more often!? ¡°But... boys like big ones, right? Big like Serena¡¯s?¡± Lani reached up and grasped her horns in her hands. Even with her small lady-like hands she could easily wrap them around each horn. ¡°Some might... but others like smaller ones! Bigger isn¡¯t always better, young Lani!¡± The old maid paused her cleaning and waggled a finger at her. ¡°Don¡¯t fixate on one thing! You have such lovely silky hair, and your eyes are every bit as crimson as any other member of House Halen!¡± ¡°Hmm... you¡¯re right! I am pretty!¡± Lani looked at herself in the mirror, feeling a lot better about her appearance. She should probably thank this old maid. Lani didn¡¯t even know her name! ¡°What¡¯s-¡± she began before catching sight of a carriage slowly coming up the road. ¡°Seven hells! She¡¯s here! Out the way, old woman!¡± Lani jumped up and ran out the bedroom, ignoring the maid calling after her not to run in the house. Down the stairs she went, taking them two at a time. Through the doors where her father and his attendant were waiting. ¡°Lani! Behave yourself!¡± Father barked at her. Lani skidded to a stop, taking her position by her father. She almost couldn¡¯t stop the rising excitement as the carriage came through the gates and pulled up in front of them. When the demon inside stepped out, and those familiar set of horns appeared, Lani couldn¡¯t contain it any longer. She leapt from the steps and threw herself at her sister, giving her the best hug she could. ¡°Big sister!¡± Lani squealed, squeezing her harder. It didn¡¯t matter how hard she squeezed; someone like her could never hurt her sister! ¡°Welcome home!¡± Well, the family house in Shimashina wasn¡¯t exactly home, that label belonged to the massive estate they all grew up in over in Asamaywa. Regardless, Serena would get the message. ¡°Ooof! You¡¯ve become so strong!¡± Serena exclaimed, hugging her sister back. ¡°Look at your horns! They¡¯ve become so big!¡± ¡°But not as big as yours!¡± Lani complained. ¡°Well, make sure to eat everything on your plate! That worked for me!¡± ¡°Uh, huh,¡± Lani rolled her eyes. Her big sister was always giving her big-sister advice like that. Well, she could forgive Serena for now; after all- Oh, who was this? Someone else clambered out of the carriage. It was a human wearing work clothes, with golden hair and a cap. ¡°Hup!¡± the person exclaimed, jumping down from the carriage. They patted themselves down before looking around awkwardly. ¡°Human!¡± Lani called, breaking away from hugging her sister. ¡°Who- oh, I¡¯m sorry! I thought you were a human!¡± She smiled nervously, hoping she hadn¡¯t insulted Serena¡¯s friend, or was she a servant? Maybe an assistant? Poor girl, here Lani was, worried about her horns growing as big as Serena¡¯s while this demon''s horns were so small they were hidden behind her hat! If it weren¡¯t for her crimson red eyes, every bit as blood red as any member of House Halen, Lani would have thought she was human! ¡°Hello!¡± Said the demon girl, ¡°I¡¯m Amelia! Nice to meet you!¡± Chapter Thirty-Six: Father and Daughter Chapter Thirty-Six: Father and Daughter ¡°We¡¯re almost there,¡± Serena said as the carriage trundled along the road. There were no tramlines to the outskirts of Shimashina, so they had to make do with a horse-drawn carriage. ¡°Remember your lessons. First impressions are important, especially towards my father.¡± The father in question would undoubtedly meet them when they arrived. Hopefully, their lateness didn''t irritate him. After she and Amelia had run the last fifty klicks to Shimashina, rode the plateau lifts, met with the Vengeance''s officers and explained what had happened, the sky had already darkened. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll like me!¡± Amelia flashed a thumbs up, her now-crimson eyes brimming with excitement. From what Serena knew, it was normal for a Second Word transformation to leave lingering physical effects. Amelia was quite lucky only her eyes had changed since transforming back. Only time would tell whether they would stay red or eventually revert to her usual blue. ¡°Just... try only to speak when spoken to. I¡¯m not sure how much he knows.¡± Serena said, thinking back to the previous events in the forest. The overlord had referred to Amelia as a realm traveller, which meant he knew she wasn¡¯t a native of Karligard. If he knew that, then the greatlords below him likely knew. However, had that information filtered down to the highlords, such as her father? Even more concerning was the thought that this information would also have risen above the overlord''s station to the only one who could claim to be their superior. The thought of it made Serena want to squeeze her horns. Imagining that at some point, a document with her and Amelia¡¯s names would have landed on her desk was extremely uncomfortable. How widespread would the information about Amelia Speaking Asclepius travel? The fact a Second Word had been Spoken in the East was already being whispered about; she had heard the locals gossiping about it outside the carriage. Damn it! Hopefully, House Halen wouldn¡¯t be sued for the financial cost of scrambling hundreds of ships in response to Amelia¡¯s Speaking! Serena really needed to have a proper sit-down and explain to Amelia how significant it was to get involved with the overlords. She thought she had explained it before but hadn¡¯t accounted for Amelia¡¯s naivety. Amelia hadn¡¯t grown up in this realm, hadn¡¯t developed alongside the culture that glorified and worshipped powerful Speakers. The problem was Amelia was too strong for her own good! She felt herself almost shudder at the thought of what might have happened. There was a moment when Amelia looked like she might challenge the overlord over that human girl! Insanity! Even if - and it was a big if - the inexperienced Amelia could rival an overlord in a fight, any battle they might have had would surely have angered the slumbering animal god, Rhaknam! If he took flight in anger, then who knows what kind of catastrophe would have arisen! There were rumours that even an overlord would struggle against him! And, hell forbid, if Amelia somehow posed such a threat to the overlord, then he could call reinforcements! That scenario made Serena feel sick because there was only one entity that the overlord would have a right to call in such a situation, and if she turned up then Serena was sure she would just start crying. At that point, what could anyone do but beg for mercy? ¡°You okay?¡± Amelia asked, ¡°You¡¯ve got that im-thinking-about-things-that-make-me-want-to-grab-my-horns look going on?¡± Amelia held Serena¡¯s hand and fired off a small burst of healing which actually helped a little. ¡°Are you that worried about meeting your family? I won¡¯t mess up, I promise! Eee!¡± Amelia squirmed as Serena ruffled her girlfriend''s hair. Sometimes, she felt a little jealous of Amelia. How nice would it be to be so powerful that everything felt like it wasn¡¯t a problem? ¡°I¡¯m alright, thank you,¡± Serena said, enjoying Amelia wiggling as her head was ruffled and patted. There was another matter they needed to discuss. Amelia¡¯s confession. Sure, they had told each other they liked each other, but Amelia said she loved her! Only that idiot would have thought to use the presence of a truth-teller to confess her love! Serena didn¡¯t know if the memory made her roll her eyes or squirm with delight! She turned away from Amelia as the heat started to creep into her cheeks. Luckily, there was an adequate distraction out the window. They had arrived. ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± she said, quickly prompting Amelia to fix her hair. They came to a stop and Serena had barely left the carriage before a figure threw themselves at her, squeezing her tight. ¡°Big sister!¡± Lani squealed as she hugged Serena as firmly as she could. ¡°Welcome home!¡± Serena couldn¡¯t help smiling. Like Amelia, Lani was often a breath of fresh air away from the seriousness of her normal military life. As much as her little sister could be extremely annoying at times, it was for her happiness that Serena kept fighting. ¡°Ooof¡±, she exclaimed, hugging Lani back. ¡°You¡¯ve become so strong! Look at your horns! They¡¯ve become so big!¡± ¡°But not as big as yours!¡± Lani complained, looking up and puffing her cheeks out in a very Amelia-like fashion. Serena grinned and gave her little sister some big sister advice, telling her to eat a lot. Lani rolled her eyes, before spotting Amelia climbing down from the carriage. Lani broke away from Serena. ¡°Human!¡± Lani called out, ¡°Who- oh, I¡¯m sorry! I thought you were a human!¡± Amelia didn¡¯t seem offended; instead, she broke into a somewhat nervous but otherwise friendly smile before sticking her hand out. ¡°Hello!¡± Amelia chirped, ¡°I¡¯m Amelia! Nice to meet you!¡± Lani looked blankly at Amelia¡¯s hand, prompting Serena to sigh. She told Amelia that ladies didn¡¯t shake hands, but the idiot kept doing it! ¡°Amelia, women don¡¯t shake hands, at least not in the East.¡± Serena turned her attention to her little sister. ¡°Lani, this is Amelia Thornheart. Despite her eye colour, she is human.¡± ¡°Huh!¡± Lani looked between her and Amelia. ¡°You¡¯re human!? Why do your eyes look like mine!¡± ¡°Ah...¡± Amelia withdrew her hand and scratched her nose. ¡°Some uh, spellwork backfired. My eyes are actually blue, you see...¡± ¡°Oooh, a spell! You¡¯re a mage!? The teachers say humans make poor mages, is that true? I heard humans aren¡¯t as intelligent as demons! Isn¡¯t your kind super weak!?¡± Lani fired off question after question, not taking into consideration the atmosphere. In that way, she had another similarity with Amelia. ¡°Why would someone like you be with big sister? Are you a slave!? Did she capture you!?¡± ¡°Lani!¡± Serena barked, switching right past stern-captain mode and into the much more dangerous angry-big-sister mode. ¡°Amelia is a talented Speaker and a willing employee in my retinue. Remember your manners! Apologize!¡± ¡°Eeek!¡± Lani squeaked, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Amelia!¡± ¡°Speaker Thornheart!¡± ¡°S-Speaker Thornheart!¡± Lani stuttered, ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s okay!¡± Amelia bent forward with a smile. ¡°I like your horns! They¡¯re so symmetrical! I wish I had horns!¡± ¡°You... you really think so!?¡± Lani beamed at the naked flattery. ¡°It must be so weird not to have anything up there...¡± Lani tapped her horns. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it feel weird?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Amelia said with a shrug. ¡°I¡¯ve never had horns to know what it feels like!¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°Ahem!¡± The authoritative yet polite cough cut Lani off. Serena¡¯s stoic father lowered his hand. ¡°Lani, come back here. Serena, my daughter... it¡¯s been too long. How was Kenhoro?¡± Serena took the cue and approached her father, surprising him with a sudden hug. It wasn¡¯t something she usually did, and she felt a little mischievous doing so. The widening of her father''s eyes behind a pair of neat spectacles was a worthwhile reaction. It seemed a little bit of Amelia¡¯s cheekyness had rubbed off on her. ¡°Hello, Father,¡± Serena said. ¡°Kenhoro was busy... We found time to attend the festival. Oh, we bumped into Uncle Yulan!¡± Serena was confident her father had received a report of the many chaotic events they had been involved in. Even so, there wasn¡¯t any need to bring up how she, Amelia and Lord Yulan leapt out of his penthouse suite, was there? ¡°He¡¯s doing good. Sends his best.¡± She turned to the old butler beside Father. The tidy old demon was standing impeccably, dressed in a black and white uniform. ¡°Johan, I hope Father isn¡¯t working you too hard. Make sure you¡¯re taking your holiday.¡± Johan inclined towards her with a perfect bow. ¡°The human,¡± her father said cooly, placing down his glass. ¡°Amelia, yes.¡± ¡°When I heard you¡¯d become involved with a human Speaker, especially a healer... I admit I panicked a little. I pulled all kinds of favours to get the orders dispatched for you to come here.¡± He took a slow breath before continuing, ¡°I thought... well, I¡¯m not sure what I thought. Was it a trick? Were you being deceived, or were you deceiving the human? She appeared, and the next moment, you''re fighting Korvus Maranai. Your actions seemed mad. I was... concerned.¡± ¡°Then, as I waited... reports came in that the human saved your life, defended you against those Speakers in Kenhoro - I started to think maybe you weren¡¯t mad.¡± He cast a long look at her and Serena held his gaze. ¡°I was about to petition the greatlord to intervene directly when he contacted me first. He explained the human was already under surveillance and you were protected. Still, I was worried.¡± He took a slow sip of the loqua. ¡°It¡¯s strange. The reports described her as having blue eyes, yet shortly after a Second Word was Spoken, right around where the Sakamoto went down, her eyes seemed to have become a new colour.¡± His face turned grim. ¡°Do I need to ask?¡± ¡°She¡¯s powerful,¡± Serena explained bluntly. ¡°Beyond you or me. Beyond both of us together. Don¡¯t think you can intimidate her into doing anything; she¡¯s too strong for that and too naive to have the tact to navigate Cascadian politics. Remember, she is employed as part of my retinue; she is not yours to command.¡± ¡°Is she a threat to the house?¡± Father asked. ¡°No more than I am.¡± ¡°No more than you are...¡± he murmured. ¡°Serena, the walls you¡¯ve kept up since your brother''s death seem to have weakened. You''re more... emotional. Don''t think I haven''t noticed that you call her Amelia, not using the proper title of Speaker Thornheart.¡± The mention of Gin caused Serena''s heart to twist. Perhaps if her brother never died she wouldn¡¯t be in the military, perhaps her father wouldn¡¯t be working so hard. Perhaps she would have never met Amelia. ¡°We have a good relationship. After all, we¡¯ve been through... situations together.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve noticed she¡¯s... attractive for a human,¡± he said, causing Serena to resist a gulp as she identified what direction he was going in. ¡°I am concerned... that your disposition may have caused you to make... poor decisions.¡± ¡°My disposition is not a matter for your concern,¡± Serena said sternly, sensing her annoyance rising. ¡°As a highlord, you should be well aware of how improper of a subject this is to discuss with another lord.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not asking as a highlord!¡± Father suddenly called out, a note of desperation in his voice. ¡°I¡¯m asking as your father. I¡¯m asking my daughter, not the lord she has become!¡± He took his spectacles off and rubbed the bridge of his nose. ¡°I apologize, Serena. It¡¯s just... even before you became a Speaker, you had plenty of worthy suitors. When you became a Speaker, you would have had your pick. And now? The sky''s the limit! Any family would twist their horns backwards for you to marry into them. Tell me, is this... human... really what you want?¡± Serena was quiet for a full minute while she figured out how best to answer. Settling on her wording, she opened her mouth, ensuring she sounded calm. ¡°Father, as your daughter, I beg for your understanding. I am under no delusion, no spell or deception. I would not have chosen this if I thought it would harm our House. You have a Cascadian Lord as a daughter who will always protect you. And you have a Second Word Speaker who will protect me. And... most of all...¡± Serena gave a weak smile. ¡°She makes me happy.¡± Her father was quiet for a moment. ¡°How strange. I said the same thing to Greatlord Oshiro decades ago." Seeing Serena''s confused expression, he smiled softly. "We fought once, you know? Back when he was a highlord and I a mere lord. We fought for your mother, who we both fancied terribly. Ha...¡± He snorted before pouring himself some more loqua. ¡°He thrashed me, obviously. Still, I refused to end the duel, to give up. By law, he could have continued and taken my life, but instead he asked me... why? Just that question: why? I said the same thing; she makes me happy. Somehow, that was enough, and he just...backed off.¡± ¡°... I didn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a silly old story anyway,¡± he sniffed, fiddling with the glass. ¡°Still... what about children? Don¡¯t you want some? No matter how powerful she is, I doubt she could put a baby in you.¡± ¡°Dad!¡± Serena blurted out, feeling heat rush to her cheeks. ¡°Why did you say that!¡± ¡°What?¡± he replied as if he did nothing wrong. ¡°I¡¯m an old man, and I want my grandchildren. Nina is married to her work, and Lani is too young.¡± ¡°Tsk! I don¡¯t know about Nina, but you shouldn¡¯t worry about Lani. All she thinks about is which boy she¡¯s going to marry and what she¡¯s going to name her children. She¡¯ll be popping little horns out one after another when she reaches adulthood. Ha!¡± Serena laughed, and her father joined her. The atmosphere became noticeably lighter. ¡°The human-¡± ¡°Amelia,¡± Serena corrected. ¡°Right. Amelia and Lani seem like they¡¯ll get on. She¡¯s always complaining about being bored despite being provided with anything she wants. I think I spoil her too much...¡± he took a sip of the loqua, smiling. ¡°But what¡¯s the point of being a father if I can¡¯t at least spoil my youngest daughter.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be too soft with her; it¡¯ll come back and bite you.¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± he murmured. He opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by a bell sounding in the office. The small bell was connected to the kitchens by a string. ¡°Dinner is ready. It¡¯ll be nice to have a friendly conversation with the... I mean your... uh... Amelia.¡± ¡°She only wants to impress you. She¡¯s been going on about meeting the family for weeks.¡± ¡°Is that so...¡± he suddenly paused. ¡°One last thing. Her origins. I¡¯ve been told she¡¯s from Karligard, but her accent is perfect Centralis Imperial. Is there...¡± he raised a questioning eyebrow, ¡°...something I need to know?¡± ¡°Nothing someone like you wouldn¡¯t be able to deduce by yourself over time,¡± Serena said frankly. It was only a matter of time before her father twigged Amelia came from a different realm. ¡°It would be best to avoid that topic of conversation. Stick with... simple things, oh, and try not to be too surprised when she says or does something weird or incredible like it¡¯s nothing at all. She¡¯s just like that.¡± ¡°I see. I hope Lani behaves...¡± her father stood up and neatened his clothes. ¡°Shall we?¡± Serena stood up and together they headed to the dining hall. Her first family dinner with Amelia. Chapter Thirty-Seven: A Whispered Confession Chapter Thirty-Seven: A Whispered Confession Serena sat down at the ironwood table. It wasn¡¯t comparable to the enormous gold-trimmed table in the grand dining hall at their home estate. Instead, this table only politely whispered of House Halen¡¯s wealth. The rest of the room continued in a similar vein, boasting great tapestries and heavily-framed paintings. While not produced by the most skilled artists in the Empire, these still exuded a quiet sense of affluence. Looking across the table, Serena found the Empress of Cascadia looking back at her. At least, through painted eyes. ¡°What made you choose that incarnation?¡± she asked Father, nodding towards the painting. ¡°The horns,¡± he replied, sitting next to her. ¡°Your grandfather had horns that curved back like that, a sign of his southern heritage. Also, her black hair reminds me of my beautiful daughters, even when they cause me endless trouble.¡± Serena eyed the painting. The dignified and stoic depiction of the Divine Empress consciously made her straighten her posture and raise her chin. She wouldn¡¯t volunteer the information, but when she was in the academy, she would study paintings of the Empress and try to capture the feeling of power and control that the Imperial figure seemed to exude no matter what medium depicted her. While she pondered the painting, the door opened, and a group of employees bowed quickly before entering and busing themselves with tasks. Drinks were poured, cutlery was placed, and candles were lit. Eyeing the bottle before her, she raised an eyebrow at her father. ¡°More red loqua?¡± ¡°A celebration!¡± he replied enthusiastically. ¡°You made Cascadian Lord! Red loqua is the least we could do! I¡¯ll throw a grand dinner when we¡¯re next in Asamaywa, invite all the local lords...¡± Serena nodded but made a mental note to tell her father in the future to ensure any potential guests knew that she was not in the market for a husband. In the past, she¡¯d already begun avoiding social events due to the persistent attempts at wooing her, and it would only become worse now she was a full lord. ¡°I hope that¡¯s juice,¡± Serena said, motioning to the bottle of blue loqua set down where Lani would be seated. She hoped her father''s spoiling of her little sister didn¡¯t go as far as providing her with alcohol. ¡°Hrmph! What kind of father do you take me for? Although...¡± He leaned towards Serena and spoke quietly, ¡°She¡¯s almost at that age where her friends might pressure her to drink at the academy. I was hoping you could have a few words with her. She does look up to-¡± He was cut off as the doors opened again. ¡°Ah, Lani! And...¡± Behind Lani, a familiar bundle of blond hair and now-crimson eyes appeared. Serena and her Father stood up as Amelia entered the room. ¡°Speaker Thornheart! Please, sit!¡± he gestured towards the seat opposite Serena and next to Lani. ¡°I hope Lani has been behaving herself,¡± he said, earning a stuck-out tongue from the cheeky little sister. ¡°Lani! Manners!¡± Serena barked before narrowing her eyes. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± ¡°Uh... sitting down?¡± Lani replied. ¡°Sitting down at the table before Speaker Thornheart has sat down? Are they teaching you anything at the academy?¡± Serena crossed her arms and cast a medium-level glare at her little sister, who only half-rolled her eyes in response. Well, a half-roll meant Lani had gotten more polite, if only by a fraction. ¡°Of course, how unconventional of me,¡± Lani spun around, facing Amelia. ¡°Speaker Thornheart, my deepest apologies.¡± Amelia looked back and forth awkwardly before sliding into the chair opposite Serena with an expression she knew meant Amelia was uncomfortable but putting on a brave face. After Amelia was settled, Serena and her father followed, and then Lani finally sat down. ¡°No need to call me Speaker Thornheart!¡± Amelia chirped after a moment of quiet. ¡°You¡¯re all welcome to call me Amelia. In fact, I¡¯d prefer it!¡± ¡°How considerate, Speaker-ahem, Amelia,¡± Father began, correcting himself with a polite cough. ¡°Then please also call me by my name. Dalinar.¡± At this, Amelia beamed and immediately appeared more comfortable. Serena sighed inwardly, Amelia really didn¡¯t hide her emotions or feelings at all. Anyone could read her like an open book, which was both a boon and a curse. Serena resisted a side glance at her father. He was being unusually docile. He¡¯d never liked discussing it, but Serena always knew he disapproved of her disposition. It was somewhat surprising he had accepted the situation so readily. He had barely given her any pushback during their earlier conversation and was treating Amelia like an honoured guest. The more she thought about it, the more it made perfect sense. Her father was, above everything else, a pragmatist and a rationalist. Despite the political fallout of House Halen publically supporting a human Speaker, and the inevitable loss of business as a result, the benefits of even being slightly supported by a Second Word Speaker were far greater. It was almost equivalent to the eastern overlord breaking his usual political neutrality and publically supporting a single house above all others. Even though Amelia was connected to House Halen indirectly through Serena, her father, who was an expert at navigating Cascadian nobility, would be able to maximise his gains while hopefully avoiding the risk of Amelia¡¯s ire. If it was ten years ago, her father might have disowned Serena for her actions. Now, the fire in his horns had cooled enough for these events to only cause a little friction between them. The house employees appeared again with the first course, a delicate fruitbread that etiquette dictated precisely how it was supposed to be eaten. Amelia had a good go, and Serena felt a little proud at her lessons bearing fruit. Unfortunately, Lani disagreed. ¡°Not like that! Amelia, watch me!¡± Lani demonstrated and began giving Amelia an impromptu lesson on how to cut fruitbread as a proper lady. Serena watched her little sister with some amusement. Lani seemed to be trying to take a big-sister role, which didn¡¯t make much sense considering Amelia was ten years Lani¡¯s senior. Nevertheless, it was a sweet gesture, and Amelia seemed happy to play along. It was nice to see Amelia make a friend. Especially a friend that Serena knew wasn¡¯t a spy in disguise. Tsk! She resisted twitching with annoyance. Serena needed to have another conversation with Amelia about Polina. She still struggled to understand why Amelia was so determined to protect someone who had attempted to harm her. If it weren¡¯t for Serena¡¯s absolute confidence in Amelia¡¯s loyalty towards herself, she would have been inclined to describe her girlfriend¡¯s actions as a betrayal. Still, she tried to remember that Amelia wasn¡¯t in her right mind, having been transformed by the Second Word, and that her girlfriend was from a separate realm with common sense that was completely unlike anything found in Cascadia. Amelia held an underlying belief system that was foreign to Serena. She struggled to wrap her mind around it, but it was slowly starting to make sense or, at the very least, become predictable. It would be a difficult conversation for both of them and, unfortunately, something that a captain could ignore. Amelia¡¯s actions were the kind that could endanger the crew of the Vengeance and therefore Serena needed to understand them fully. Even more problematic was that when they had that future conversation, Amelia would demand that Serena explain the incident that motivated Polina. ¡°Serena?¡± someone asked, and Serena blinked, looking around. She had become lost in her own thoughts. ¡°Apologies, it¡¯s been a long day,¡± she said. ¡°What did I miss?¡± ¡°Father says there¡¯s something you have to announce!¡± Lani prompted. What did she- oh. Serena cleared her throat and delivered the news of her sanctioned lordship to her little sister, who squealed in delight and bounced in her seat. ¡°Everyone at the academy is going to be so jealous! Rion keeps bragging because his Father communed another Word last semester, but this will easily overshadow him! Teehee...¡± They finished the fruitbread and soon after the main course arrived. It wasn¡¯t a manwese dish, but rather fried choco with a balanced variety of vegetables. It was a dish you could expect to see in Centralis rather than the East. Did her father know about Amelia¡¯s preference towards the chicken-like meat? Probably. ¡°This is new!¡± exclaimed Lani. ¡°Have you ever had this before, Amelia?¡± ¡°Mmm!¡± Amelia elegantly placed a forkful into her mouth. The illusion of etiquette fell apart when a rather un-ladylike moan escaped her lips, making Serena sigh and Lani giggle. Despite the mistake, Amelia pushed through and simply declared her compliments must be passed on to the chef. Small talk continued through the main course. Father appeared to be content with probing only lightly, something Serena was thankful for. One lapse in judgement and Amelia would blurt out, well, something Amelia-like. ¡°Have you thought about what path you would take in the future?¡± Father asked as the employees removed their plates. ¡°Surely a Speaker of your talents wouldn¡¯t be satisfied with spending years on a military ship?¡± ¡°Mmm!¡± Amelia eyes shone with excitement. ¡°I¡¯d like to go travelling! I¡¯d like to see the Shattered Isles! I¡¯d like to visit the Southern Terra Firma, where people ride windlizards across the desert! Oh, I always want to visit Centralis and see the skull of the Titan they found!¡± Amelia punctuated each statement by unfurling another finger. ¡°Also, I want to see the Cathedral of Bone! And then maybe go to the far West and see how they grow loqua berries! Oh! I always want to go to the North, where...¡± Amelia continued for a solid minute, lost in her future travel itinerary. Amazingly, she seemed to have remembered every single point of interest in the Empire that Serena mentioned in the last six weeks. When her girlfriend wasn¡¯t being a disaster, she often demonstrated a razor-sharp mind that reminded Serena of Nina. ¡°What an adventurous spirit! In my youth, I dreamt about sailing over the eastern sky-rift to unknown lands yonder...¡± He took a polite sip of the red loqua. ¡°However, after marrying my dear wife, such desires subsided...¡± ¡°The Dragon¡¯s coming to Shimashina?¡± Serena struggled to keep the dislike out of her voice. ¡°No, he¡¯s already in Shimashina. He¡¯s coming here tomorrow. He¡¯s coming to give you your new orders. Orders which-¡± he continued quickly, seeing the protest forming in Serena¡¯s mouth, ¡°come straight from Greatlord Oshiro.¡± ¡°...I see.¡± Satisfied, Serena began skimming the papers and as she did so, she realised how tired she was. She glanced at the wall clock. It was eleven minutes past eleven. ¡°I¡¯ll go through this tomorrow. It¡¯s getting late, and we¡¯ve had a long day.¡± ¡°Ah? Oh, of course!¡± Father stood up. ¡°Amelia, your company has been a pleasure. Did Lani show you your room?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Amelia said, ¡°It¡¯s really nice, thank you!¡± ¡°I shall leave you both and retire myself. Highlord Corvus is expected midday tomorrow, so please ensure you¡¯re available at that time.¡± He bowed in Amelia¡¯s direction before excusing himself. Just like that, they were alone. For a few moments, neither of them said anything. ¡°Citizenship!¡± Amelia blurted out. ¡°Hehe! They offered me citizenship! I can¡¯t wait to accept!¡± Unable to contain her glee Amelia jumped from her chair and spun around the room. ¡°We¡¯re going to thoroughly go through this tomorrow morning,¡± Serena declared, standing up and approaching Amelia. ¡°Right now though, I¡¯m honestly exhausted. I just want to sleep. Shall we?¡± ¡°Mmm!¡± Amelia nodded, and Serena led her upstairs. Amelia¡¯s prepared room was opposite her own. They lingered in the hallway awkwardly. ¡°Well...¡± Serena began before being cut short from receiving a tight embrace. They held each other in the dark corridor for a dozen seconds. ¡°Does he know?¡± Amelia whispered. ¡°Yes,¡± Serena whispered back. ¡°He seemed... okay?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a pragmatist. He knows fighting it wouldn¡¯t solve anything.¡± ¡°Did I make a good impression?¡± Serena softly laughed. After everything, it was these matters that Amelia cared about the most. ¡°I think so,¡± she said, rubbing Amelia¡¯s head. ¡°We should sleep... we can¡¯t linger here too long.¡± If a random house employee appeared, it would be a little awkward. ¡°Different rooms?¡± Amelia asked quietly. ¡°Afraid so, best not to rock the ship just yet.¡± ¡°Okay...¡± Serena felt the cool touch of Amelia¡¯s lips on her neck. ¡°Goodnight, Ren.¡± As usual, the sweetness of their goodnights calmed her mind. ¡°Goodnight, Lia,¡± she said, giving Amelia a small kiss on the forehead. With a final squeeze, Amelia pulled away and they both retreated to their assigned rooms. Serena changed into her night clothes while her senses told her Amelia was doing the same. She clambered into bed, hearing Amelia follow along in her own room. Soon, Serena was breathing softly while the house became quiet and dark. As the night stretched on, the aetherlights dimmed, and only the subtle light of the blue moon blanketed the house. Eventually, while she lay there on the comfy mattress, she realised one thing. She couldn¡¯t get to sleep! Without Amelia in her arms, the bed felt empty and cold! The room felt too quiet without the sound of Amelia¡¯s soft breathing and gentle heartbeat. Serena sighed, turning and trying to force her mind to rest. If she had any talent in the Kanaxai branch she could cast a sleep spell upon herself. Surely she would fall asleep eventually, after all- Oh, what was that? The distinctive sound of rustling from Amelia¡¯s room, followed by a small yawn and the pitter-patter of feet. Amelia¡¯s door opened and closed as quietly as the woman could manage. A few more footsteps sounded, along with a creaking floorboard. Then, the smallest of knocks on the door. Serena sighed in resignation. She climbed out of bed, strode over to the door and pulled it open. Beyond which was a yawning Amelia with fuzzy bed hair and a sleepy expression. ¡°Sorry,¡± she began. ¡°I just can¡¯t sleep with- eee!¡± Amelia squealed as Serena pulled her into the room and shut the door. Before Amelia could say anything, Serena bent down, picked her girlfriend up and carried her over to the bed where she was placed under the covers. ¡°Make sure Lani or Father don¡¯t see you in the morning,¡± Serena commanded as she clambered under the sheets and pulled Amelia tight against her. ¡°Now, no talking. Let¡¯s sleep.¡± ¡°O-okay!¡± Amelia whispered frantically, placing a hand over Serena¡¯s and wiggling so she was comfortable. She didn¡¯t have much room to manoeuvre as Serena pulled her tight against her body, her face nuzzling Amelia¡¯s neck. It wasn¡¯t their usual sleeping position, but right now, she simply wanted to feel closer to Amelia. It took a while, but eventually Amelia¡¯s breathing slowed and as it did so her heartbeat followed. Serena could feel the rhythmic beating through her hand and focused upon it until half an hour had passed and she was certain Amelia had fallen asleep. Finally, she could say something she had only come to admit to herself recently. ¡°I... love you,¡± Serena whispered in the quietest voice she could manage. Her whisper faded into nothing, and Serena thought that would be the end of it until she felt Amelia¡¯s heartbeat triple its speed. Serena let out a soft groan. ¡°...You weren¡¯t asleep, were you?¡± she asked softly. ¡°Nope!¡± came the reply, thoroughly dripping with glee. Chapter Thirty-Eight: Chesterfield Chapter Thirty-Eight: Chesterfield Amelia blinked awake in the embrace of Serena¡¯s arms. She was warm, cosy, and wanted to do nothing but lie here for hours listening to her girlfriend¡¯s cute snoring. Serena, of course, denied snoring adamantly. Her snoring had become yet another tool in Amelia¡¯s ever-growing repertoire of things to tease Serena about. Amelia stared at the creeping morning light bathing the room for a few minutes until the sound of footsteps reached her ears. They were too energetic to be a servant and too light to be Dalinar¡¯s, Serena¡¯s father. There was only one person they could be. Lani! As the footsteps made their way down the hallway, Amelia elbowed Serena awake. ¡°Lani¡¯s outside,¡± she whispered, prompting Serena to sit up frantically. Despite the situation, Amelia couldn¡¯t help appreciating Serena¡¯s bed hair and how the light bounced off her horns. A knock sounded, not at the door to Serena¡¯s room, but at the door to Amelia¡¯s room opposite. ¡°Amelia! Let¡¯s have breakfast!¡± Lani said cheerfully. When no reply came, Lani tried again. ¡°Amelia? Are you awake?¡± Bloody hell! What teenager got up this early!? Amelia turned to Serena and quickly mouthed: What do we do? Unfortunately, her normally reliable girlfriend seemed at a loss and simply shrugged back at her with eyes wide in fear. Although Amelia didn¡¯t think their relationship was anything to hide, she understood that perhaps this wasn¡¯t the best way for Serena¡¯s little sister to find out. ¡°I¡¯m coming in!¡± Lani chirped and opened the door to Amelia¡¯s room. ¡°Huh? You¡¯re not here...¡± Hide! Serena mouthed. Amelia raised her palms upwards, widened her eyes, and shook her head quickly. Where!? She mouthed back. More footsteps and then a knock on Serena¡¯s room. ¡°Big Sister? Are you up?¡± Amelia scrambled out of bed, trying to be as light as possible on her feet. Where the hell was she going to hide!? There were no side rooms, the bed was too high off the ground, and for some reason, this was the only bedroom in Cascadia with no large wardrobes to hide in! She turned to Serena and wiggled her head to say, There¡¯s nowhere to hide! ¡°Door!¡± Serena whispered as loudly as she could get away with. Amelia looked at the door and then at Serena with a tilted head of confusion. ¡°Behind the door!¡± Serena hissed, and Amelia finally twigged what she was getting to. Darting across the room, she stood behind the door in the corner. Amelia was light on her feet but not light enough. The noise of the creaking floorboards encouraged Lani to open the door. Which she did, just as Amelia got into her position. ¡°Big Sister!¡± Lani called out, standing a few feet into the room. Amelia was hidden against the wall, the open door hiding her completely. Thankfully, Lani was lax regarding etiquette for her family because if Amelia remembered her lessons correctly, leaving a lady¡¯s bedroom door open was impolite! ¡°Lani,¡± Serena cooly intoned. Amelia couldn¡¯t see what was happening, but from the rustling sounds, she could tell Serena had propped herself up against the pillows. The sound of paper being flipped reached her ears. It seemed Serena had grabbed the citizenship documents and was pretending to flip through them. ¡°Good morning!¡± Lani said in a sing-song voice. ¡°Where¡¯s Amelia? She promised she would help me with my workbooks!¡± ¡°You woke up early to do homework?¡± Serena said doubtfully. ¡°Lani! If you¡¯re looking for Amelia, I heard her heading to the kitchen for breakfast. Go find her there.¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± Lani mumbled, ¡°I just came from there...¡± ¡°Then you must have just missed her. Now, I¡¯m very busy, so if you could...¡± Serena trailed off and Amelia could sense the glare that punctuated that sentence. ¡°Boo! Boring! Bye!¡± Lani bounced out of the room, pulling the door shut behind her. Amelia stayed utterly still, like a frozen hare. She and Serena looked at each other while listening intently to Lani¡¯s footsteps disappearing down the stairs. Once Lani was gone, Amelia broke out into a grin and Serena soon followed. She delicately hopped over to the bed and began putting on her clothes. ¡°That was close,¡± she whispered. ¡°I swear,¡± Serena said, shaking her head. ¡°She¡¯s never get¡¯s up that early. You promised to help her with her work?¡± ¡°I spent an hour yesterday finding out exactly who has a secret crush on who at her academy,¡± Amelia said with a smile. ¡°Being a teenage demon sounds exhausting! I was going to pull my hair out until she mentioned the workbooks! She struggles with mathematics, and that¡¯s my favourite subject!¡± Amelia finished dressing, and a quick burst of cleaning magic left her clothes and body feeling fresh. ¡°I¡¯ll head down,¡± she bent forward, kissing Serena. Then, not entirely satisfied, she gave her another, longer-lasting kiss. ¡°See you there?¡± ¡°Tsk!¡± Serena tutted, but her rosy cheeks suggested she greatly enjoyed Amelia¡¯s affection. ¡°I¡¯ll be down in ten minutes...¡± Waving goodbye, Amelia bounced out of the room and down the stairs. ¡°Hello!¡± she greeted an old maid cheerfully. ¡°I¡¯m looking for Lani! Which way¡¯s the kitchen?¡± The old maid bowed and offered to lead Amelia, which she accepted. Amelia was once again impressed by the politeness and professionalism the house employees displayed. She wasn¡¯t sure why, but she had expected snide comments whispered in secret or glances with traces of dislike and distrust. There had been nothing like that. Amelia made a mental note to ask Serena about it later. They arrived at the kitchen, and when she entered, all the employees stopped what they were doing and bowed to her. It was a little awkward, and Amelia wasn¡¯t sure exactly what to do, but Lani rescued her by taking control of the situation. ¡°Morning! I¡¯ve been looking for you!¡± Lani exclaimed, grabbing Amelia¡¯s hand. ¡°You promised you were going to help me! Let¡¯s eat!¡± She dragged Amelia over to the head chef and listed off several dishes. ¡°Come on!¡± Lani pulled her to the dining room from yesterday, where Amelia was surprised to see Serena¡¯s father already seated. ¡°Good morning, Speaker- I mean, Amelia,¡± Dalinar said, correcting himself quickly. ¡°I hope you slept well.¡± Amelia awkwardly returned the greeting, wondering how much Serena¡¯s father knew about last night. Well, she would just power through any awkwardness like usual! ¡°Yup! Thank you for your hospitality, Dalinar!¡± Amelia beamed and sat down in the same chair as last night. Lani quickly followed and began bombarding Amelia with everything Lani wanted to do after breakfast. ¡°Lani,¡± Amelia began when the girl had finally taken a breath. ¡°I have to spend this morning going over documents with Serena, and then at lunchtime, I have a very important meeting.¡± Lani¡¯s face dropped and Amelia quickly added, ¡°However, afterwards, we can hang out for the rest of the day! Maybe we can go through your workbooks in the garden?¡± ¡°O-okay! Do you promise!?¡± ¡°Of course! Here, pinky promise!¡± Amelia curled her pinky finger and held it out. Lani looked at it as if she didn¡¯t know what to do. Amelia mentally slapped herself. Once again, she had forgotten many things native to her world didn¡¯t translate well here. ¡°Here, copy me. Give me your pinky finger.¡± Once Lani did, Amelia grasped it with her own. ¡°This is a pinky promise. It¡¯s an unbreakable vow between two women. I promise we can spend time later, okay?¡± ¡°Hehe... okay! Pinky promise!¡± Lani announced happily and Amelia suddenly had a dreadful feeling that pinky promises would soon be a widespread thing amongst the gossipy teenagers of the academy. Before any more awkward moments could happen, Serena appeared. She was dressed in her military uniform and once again Amelia was taken aback by how striking Serena could be. Her girlfriend exuded a natural feeling of command and confidence that Amelia could only hope to emulate. ¡°Father, Sister, Amelia,¡± Serena greeted each of them before sitting down. Breakfast arrived, and Amelia found herself eating a tasty fish similar but not quite as tender as sardis. When she made the comparison, Dalinar explained it was something known as a springfish that was frequently caught in high-sky during this time of year. ¡°When did you have sardis?¡± Dalinar asked. ¡°North of Kenhoro,¡± Amelia answered. ¡°The Vengeance caught some. It was the most delicious thing I¡¯ve ever eaten!¡± ¡°You¡¯re so lucky!¡± Lani chirped with an envious expression on her face. ¡°The fishermen can¡¯t get it here due to the ban!¡± ¡°Ban?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°The nearest schools of sardis fly about two hundred klicks south-east,¡± Serena explained. ¡°That¡¯s far too close to the Shattered Isles. The arcwhales are protective of their feeding grounds, and no fishing ship will risk a five hundred meter behemoth ramming it out the sky.¡± ¡°Whoa,¡± Amelia struggled to imagine a creature of that size. The one she had seen in the skies north of Kenhoro was only three hundred meters, and that dwarfed the Vengeance and sent the crew into a panic. ¡°How big is Rhaknam?¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± Serena looked up thoughtfully, ¡°He hasn¡¯t been seen for a while, but I remember reading about a sighting in the eighth century, about sixty years ago. Then it was said he was a little over two kilometres long.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Dalinar stood up. ¡°Lead me to them. Serena...¡± He turned to Serena. ¡°I¡¯ll bring them here, so be prepared.¡± Serena nodded and began adjusting her military uniform, her face suddenly becoming very serious. After Dalinar and the butler had left, Amelia asked, ¡°You¡¯re nervous around the Dragon, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Tsk! Obviously,¡± Serena mumbled as she fiddled with her hair. ¡°The man¡¯s a snake, and like the most dangerous snakes, he has his own goals and has the power to pursue them. If the ship didn¡¯t prevent him, he would have put us both in chains and more likely than not, attempted to hang one or both of us.¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± Amelia thought quickly. ¡°I¡¯ll try not to say too much then; let you take the lead.¡± ¡°Perfect, thank you, Amelia.¡± ¡°Mmm!¡± Amelia nodded happily. ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± Serena had just finished adjusting her uniform to be perfectly straight when Father appeared with the Dragon and another man shortly behind him. When they entered, Serena swore the temperature of the room dropped. Once again, she was reminded how accurate the man''s moniker was. The Dragon was crowned with at least six sets of horns, some of the most prominent Serena had ever seen on a demon. The plain-looking man who followed the Dragon was practically the exact opposite. Where the Dragon¡¯s presence dominated the room, this man seemed unassuming and unthreatening instead. His horns were small stubs, a horn-type found in some areas of Centralis, and his face was plain, neither attractive nor unattractive. Intelligence Officer, Serena thought. ¡°Lord Halen,¡± the Dragon intoned as he stepped in, his deep voice filling the room and sending shivers down Serena¡¯s spine. ¡°And Lady Thornheart. I see you¡¯ve seen fit to join our humble Empire.¡± Amelia politely returned the greeting, and Serena quickly followed suit. ¡°Please, sit.¡± Father gestured to the prepared chairs, and the Dragon and his guest slowly sat down. Serena, Amelia, and her father quickly followed. An awkward silence passed before the plain-looking demon spoke up. ¡°Some tea, perhaps?¡± He requested with a smile. Dalinar quickly rang a bell and a moment later an employee appeared. The guest raised a finger. ¡°A pot of mint tea, if you have it.¡± The employee bowed at the request and vanished. ¡°I¡¯ve always preferred conversation with tea,¡± he said to the room. ¡°Having something to do with your hands makes those awkward moments almost bearable, doesn¡¯t it?¡± No one seemed to know how to reply to that statement, so Serena simply resigned herself to silence. She noticed that the Dragon¡¯s guest was carrying some kind of case, which made her uneasy for some reason. A suffocating eternity later, the tea arrived. While they held their cups in polite silence, the Dragon eventually began talking. ¡°We have matters of import to discuss,¡± he said. ¡°This here is Mister Chesterfield, a representative from Centralis Intelligence. He will explain some of these matters, as they are beyond my paygrade.¡± Oh? Now, that was interesting. As far as Serena understood, there was very little beyond the Dragon¡¯s paygrade. Additionally, he had referred to his guest as Mister, not Lord or Speaker. Who was this man exactly? He didn¡¯t appear to be any kind of mage or warrior. ¡°A pleasure to meet you, Lord Halen,¡± Chesterfield said, tilting his head in Serena¡¯s direction. ¡°And a terrific pleasure to meet you, Lord-Prospect Thornheart.¡± He smiled at Amelia for a period of time that was just a little too long to feel natural. ¡°Now, before we get onto the more serious stuff...¡± Chesterfield glanced at the Dragon, who pulled out a small box from about his person and passed it to Serena. She took the box. It was a little larger than her fist and covered in black cloth. On the top side, a familiar symbol was embossed in gold. A crown wreathed by horns. The emblem of Cascadia. ¡°Open it,¡± the Dragon instructed, and Serena did. Within the box lay a bronze medal with embossed silver. ¡°Your bronze eagle,¡± the Dragon explained. ¡°For your exceptional work capturing Port Highwind. It would have been silver if...¡± His eyes narrowed. ¡°...You hadn¡¯t ended up losing control of your Word and battling the commander of your ground forces to near-death.¡± Serena felt a flash of annoyance but quickly quenched the feeling. After all, the Dragon was correct. What happened in Port Highwind was her failure; it was a miracle she hadn¡¯t been dishonourably discharged. ¡°Thank you, Highlord,¡± she uttered with as much sincerity as she could manage. ¡°It¡¯s a great honour.¡± ¡°Greatlord Oshiro also offers his congratulations and wishes he could have been here to hand it off personally.¡± The Dragon said. He produced a cigar and lit it, inhaling and exhaling slowly out his nostrils. Now, he really did look like a dragon. Serena couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he did it on purpose. ¡°Speaking of the Greatlord, the Vengeance is being pulled out of the Eastern Fleet.¡± ¡°What?¡± Serena hissed, unable to control her displeasure at the sudden subject change. ¡°As you know, the Vengeance is leased to the Eastern Fleet on a contractual basis. That contract has ended, and Greatlord Oshiro has not sought to renew the lease from the Centralis Navy.¡± ¡°You¡¯re taking my ship from me?¡± Seeing Chesterfield smile at her words, Serena struggled to keep herself calm and threw him a piercing glare. He held her gaze, and eventually, Serena looked away. ¡°Unfortunately, no.¡± The Dragon puffed his cigar again. ¡°The ship has taken a liking to you, and as you know, without the consent of both parties of the original agreement, the Captain of the Vengeance can not be removed so easily.¡± Another stream of smoke out of his nostrils. ¡°You and your crew will remain with the ship. You¡¯ll be doing important work, taking on missions directly from Intelligence. Chesterfield will be your handler, through whom your orders will be given.¡± ¡°I would like to protest,¡± Serena said with as much force as possible. She didn¡¯t want to be passed so quickly from Greatlord Oshiro, a man she respected, to some nameless face from Intelligence. ¡°Ahem,¡± Chesterfield coughed into his hand. ¡°The instructions for this... shuffle come directly from the top.¡± ¡°The top?¡± Serena asked. ¡°The Empress herself has commanded it.¡± Serena bit her tongue, swallowing loudly. She forced herself to slow her breathing. ¡°Then, I accept,¡± she finally said. ¡°Excellent!¡± Chesterfield clapped his hands, turning to Amelia. ¡°Lord-Prospect Thornheart, am I correct in my understanding that you intend to keep following Lord Halen, your employer?¡± ¡°Umm...¡± Amelia glanced at Serena. ¡°Y-yeah! I¡¯ll follow her!¡± ¡°Terrific!¡± Chesterfield¡¯s face broke into a warm smile that seemed genuine yet entirely out of place considering the atmosphere. ¡°Now then.¡± He turned to the Dragon. ¡°Francis, if you could...¡± ¡°Sir.¡± The Dragon nodded before standing up and gesturing for Serena¡¯s father to do the same. ¡°Highlord Halen, could you show me around your spectacular gardens?¡± ¡°Oh? Yes, of course!¡± Father stood up, his face looking a little confused. The Dragon politely nodded at the room and the pair of them exited, leaving only Chesterfield and his easy, out-of-place smile. ¡°Who are you?¡± Serena asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯re not some paper-filing, pen-twirling middle-ranked Intelligence Officer. You¡¯re high up, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Quite high up,¡± Chesterfield said softly, sipping the mint tea. ¡°However, when you¡¯re as high up as I am...¡± he looked at Amelia briefly, ¡°...you come to understand there¡¯s always someone greater. Well then...¡± Chesterfield opened the box he had bought with him. From within, he pulled out two more boxes. One was about ten inches in all directions, while the other was about as big as Serena¡¯s medal box. The smaller box made her instincts scream. Whatever was in there couldn¡¯t be good. Chesterfield brought his hand to the lid of the larger box, hesitating. ¡°Would you like to know what the Vengeance really is?¡± He looked at Serena with a tense expression. ¡°... Yes,¡± Serena finally answered. ¡°Wonderful,¡± Chesterfield said, opening the larger box and pulling out a human skull and placing it on the table. ¡°Anathor, could you join us, please?¡± Chapter Thirty-Nine: Shadow and Splinters Chapter Thirty-Nine: Shadow and Splinters Serena vaguely sensed a disruption in the aetherfield before the skull''s eyes glowed red, and a familiar gruff voice spoke out. ¡°Hmm... Captain. Miss Thornheart,¡± Anathor intoned in greeting. Serena opened her mouth as a question formed but quickly closed it. Anathor had once told her he could leave the ship if he had to, but it wasn¡¯t a good idea as the ship would begin to behave strangely if he was gone for too long. As captain of the Vengeance, Serena had never known Anathor to leave the ship. At least, not to her knowledge. ¡°No greeting for me, Anathor?¡± Chesterfield said with a soft smile. ¡°Hmm... hello, Chesterfield,¡± the skull eventually mumbled after a long silence. ¡°Before we begin,¡± Chesterfield announced, spreading his hands wide. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind, but it¡¯s important that we record this conversation, so...¡± the demon reached into a pocket and brought out an ornately cut moon crystal sitting in a small box. Unlike the other box on the table, which gave her an ominous feeling, this one was immediately recognisable. She used the same device to record her initial interrogation with Amelia. An Axiom Crystal. Chesterfield placed the device on the table and twisted the activation crystal. With a small click, the crystal began to glow a gentle blue as it passively recorded all sounds in its vicinity. Casting a suspicious glance at the Intelligence Officer, Serena reached over and picked up the device, examining it from all angles. ¡°You can be at ease, Lord Halen. There¡¯s no truth-telling crystal being used,¡± Chesterfield assured her with a disarming smile. ¡°It was considered but eventually decided to be too offensive a strategy. Besides...¡± his smile widened slightly, ¡°I¡¯m more than capable of telling if someone¡¯s telling the truth. It becomes second nature when you¡¯ve been doing this as long as I am.¡± Satisfied but remaining suspicious, Serena returned the Axiom Crystal and glanced at Amelia. Her girlfriend must have sensed her concern as she said, ¡°Other than that device and the aetherlights, the only other crystal in the room is whatever¡¯s used in the locking mechanism of the safe hidden behind that painting.¡± Amelia gestured to one of her father¡¯s landscape paintings on the wall. ¡°Additionally,¡± Amelia continued, ¡°I can¡¯t sense any blessings on this man. Still...¡± Amelia glanced at Serena and then Chesterfield. ¡°I don¡¯t intend to tell any lies, but I might refuse to answer some questions.¡± Amelia held Chesterfield¡¯s eyes calmly. It seemed her girlfriend was made of sterner stuff than Serena was. Something about Chesterfield put her on edge. The man wasn¡¯t a mage or warrior, and he didn¡¯t seem to be warded in any way, yet something felt off. ¡°Well, now!¡± Chesterfield announced cheerfully. ¡°This is already getting off to a wrong start. This is no interrogation or underhanded way to investigate you two. All that¡¯s already been done, thanks to my wonderful subordinates. One of which you¡¯re familiar with, an...¡± he raised an eyebrow, ¡°...Officer Adachi?¡± ¡°I meant no offensive,¡± Serena said smoothly. ¡°I, as well as any Captain worth their horns, know full well the games Intelligence plays. The last game of which would have killed dozens of innocent civilians if Amelia wasn¡¯t there to heal them.¡± She tried not to glare at Chesterfield but nevertheless found herself giving him a hard stare. His behaviour and attitude were disarming, much like Amelia''s. However, unlike Amelia, this man had none of her naivety. A very dangerous demon. ¡°It is understandable, and what happened the other night with the Sakamoto was an unexpected consequence of a rushed operation. Speaking of...¡± Chesterfield gave Amelia a polite smile. ¡°Lord-Prospect Thornheart, your continued supply of aether over such an enormous distance to maintain the ward you¡¯ve placed upon Miss Volkova is, while a brilliant testimony to your talent, causing us significant problems. ¡°Not only is this river of aether causing continued interference with our early warning aetherscopes - a vital part of our strategic defence, but it is also interfering with the arcwhale''s yearly migration, whom rely upon the natural aether flows to navigate south to the Shattered Isles. I kindly request you cease this particular spellwork.¡± Chesterfield finished his sentence with a delicate sip of his mint tea. Amelia didn¡¯t reply immediately and Serena wasn¡¯t sure if she should speak for her or not. On one horn, Amelia¡¯s naivety and tendency to just power through every problem meant Serena often found the urge to jump in and prevent possible escalations. On the other horn, Amelia often demonstrated remarkably sharp observation skills and an ability to approach serious topics maturely. ¡°... I can do that,¡± Amelia eventually said. ¡°If I write a letter to her, can you ensure she reads it?¡± ¡°Certainly.¡± Chesterfield nodded. ¡°Please understand it will be read beforehand to prevent any accidental slips of intelligence. I¡¯m sure Lord Halen here will be able to aid you in its writing.¡± Amelia nodded slowly and a moment later Serena felt the flow of aether that had been pouring out of Amelia for almost two days now cut off. ¡°Excellent. Thank you, Lord-Prospect Thornheart. Now...¡± Chesterfield took another polite sip of the mint tea and turned his gaze to Serena. ¡°Where were we? Ah, yes, the Vengeance. How long have you been its Captain?¡± ¡°Nearly four years,¡± Serena answered, glancing at the skull''s glowing eyes. She knew Chesterfield would already know this information but played along to move the conversation along. ¡°And what information regarding the Vengeance were you given after it chose you to be its captain?¡± Serena frowned slightly. The Vengeance was one of the few subjects she¡¯d refused to answer Amelia¡¯s prodding questions about. If Chesterfield was asking these questions now, then a decision must have been made to permit Amelia to hear the answers. ¡°An anomaly. A living ship with a damaged soul.¡± Serena glanced at Anathor. ¡°With a Formless guardian, forever bound to the ship to protect it and its crew.¡± ¡°Hmm... my noble duty...¡± Anathor quietly mumbled. Chesterfield nodded. ¡°A good summary. And what of the fourth deck? What were you told regarding that?¡± Serena glanced at Amelia, feeling a little guilty. When the fourth deck had been brought up previously, she had lied and told Amelia no one knew what was contained within. ¡°A protective shell,¡± she answered. ¡°Containing the damaged soul, in a form that must never be released unless...¡± Serena hesitated as she remembered the words once carefully explained to her. ¡°Unless the ship''s capture is imminent, or the destruction of the enemy is of cataclysmic importance.¡± Chesterfield nodded. Serena looked at Amelia; instead of seeing any annoyance at being lied to, her girlfriend was on the edge of her seat with the same excited glint in her eyes that she always had when discussing any mystery. ¡°A simple and accurate summary, Lord Halen,¡± Chesterfield said. ¡°However, a little bereft of the whys and the hows. Tell me, have you never felt the urge to investigate further? Anathor tells me you never truly tried to pry any further secrets.¡± Serena shrugged. ¡°I had my duty, and that was enough for me. Besides, a living ship isn¡¯t that unusual. The South uses stone golems for work, and the North has ice spirits. It wasn¡¯t a difficult thing to accept.¡± ¡°How very reliable. If half our captains were as straightforward as you are, the war would be over already.¡± Chesterfield said with an amusing smile. ¡°I¡¯m here to unlock more of the puzzle, as the knowledge is required for your upcoming duty. Firstly, I have to clarify a few things.¡± The demon took a sip and, finding it empty, frowned and poured himself a refill. ¡°The information you will receive is classified at the highest level. I will later clarify what you can pass down to your officers; if I do not explicitly sanction it, then it¡¯s only for your and Lord-Prospect Thornheart¡¯s ears.¡± Serena suspected this was only a half-answer. Still, she decided not to press further. ¡°You said earlier that Amelia was part of the unique combination that makes this task possible. The Vengeance can find other shards, and I¡¯m its Captain, but why Amelia?¡± Serena glanced at Amelia and found she was nodding along. ¡°It¡¯s rather simple,¡± Chesterfield began with a gentle smile. ¡°Lord-Prospect Thronheart is a powerful Speaker with exceptional perception. On top of that, she has no significant obligations, such as having a city or territory to manage. She is free to roam. She has also expressed the desire to travel and experience many new things. With that, and considering her loyalty to you, it seems a natural fit, does it not?¡± ¡°Mmm, mmm!¡± Amelia nodded enthusiastically. ¡°I agree!¡± Serena resisted the urge to roll her eyes. ¡°So where are these shards, then?¡± ¡°An excellent question, and unfortunately, I don¡¯t have the answer.¡± ¡°Good start,¡± Serena grumbled. Chesterfield appeared to find her annoyance amusing whilst Anathor chuckled softly. ¡°We have threads we can pull. Areas of interest. Locations which have demonstrated unusual characteristics. Shards can have... varied influences on their environment. For security, you¡¯ll have one thread to pull at a time. I hope you understand.¡± Serena narrowed her eyes at the mild-mannered demon. ¡°And you¡¯ll be our handler?¡± ¡°Hmm... I don¡¯t want you on the ship...¡± Anathor quietly mumbled. ¡°I see we¡¯re of similar mind, Anathor,¡± Chesterfield said with a smile. ¡°I will not be joining you on your adventures. Unfortunately, I have no end to pressing matters I need to address and therefore I cannot leave Centralis for long. Officer Adachi will join your crew and act as our line of communication.¡± Aiden would be joining the Vengeance¡¯s crew? Serena felt a small smile coming along. During their time in Kenhoro, she became somewhat accustomed to the infamous drunk and found herself missing his silly antics. Still, one Intelligence Officer would hardly bolster their forces. ¡°My ground forces?¡± Serena asked. ¡°They were disbanded by the D- I mean, Highlord Corvus. Are they being reinstated?¡± Serena was a talented Speaker and Amelia was at her own ridiculous level, but two Speakers can only be in two locations simultaneously. ¡°Ah, yes,¡± Chesterfield took another sip. ¡°A decision has been made. It was a difficult problem to solve. The presence of Lord-Prospect Thornheart is problematic, and we don¡¯t want another assassination or mutiny on our hands. Considering your destinations will likely take you outside the Empire, we cannot let you take a battalion with you. International conventions prohibit such actions. ¡°We believe forming an elite squad of capable warriors and mages is the best solution. It¡¯s important that they are loyal to their Captain, with no pre-existing bias towards working with a human Speaker. For this, the best option is to recruit from the upcoming batch of graduates directly.¡± ¡°How many?¡± ¡°No more than a dozen. Each one either orange-aura or second-circle at a minimum. It would be a formidable force, even without you and Lord-Prospect Thornheart backing it.¡± ¡°Where from?¡± ¡°The Asamaywa Academy.¡± Serena felt her eyes widen. That was the academy she graduated from. Her home from home. ¡°When?¡± she finally asked. ¡°The last semester begins in two weeks. The arrangements have been made already. You¡¯ll be a guest instructor, training the second-years before graduation. Also...¡± Chesterfield gestured towards Amelia. ¡°We would also like Lord-Prospect Thornheart to join the class. After all, one of the most important traits you¡¯ll need to uncover is the willingness to work alongside a human Speaker. Furthermore, Lord-Prospect Thornheart¡¯s participation in the magic and aether classes would be greatly appreciated, as her perception and intuition will help identify talented mages who are comfortable working with her. She¡¯ll become a teaching assistant for the Head Mage. ¡°Of course, it also gives time for Lord-Prospect Thornheart to become better acquainted with demonkind. The experience will be beneficial for her as well.¡± Chesterfield punctuated his sentence with a sip of tea. He then placed the teacup on the table and reclined slightly, resting his hands on his knees. ¡°Any questions?¡± he finally said. ¡°I... I¡¯m going to school!?¡± Amelia blurted out. ¡°Magic school!?¡± Her crimson eyes were wide with excitement and she was grinning like an idiot. ¡°I can¡¯t wait! This is going to be amazing!¡± She turned to Serena, nodding happily. ¡°Let¡¯s do it!¡± Serena couldn¡¯t help but smile at the familiar optimistic enthusiasm. It was only a semester, and it was an opportunity for her to experience the nostalgia of returning to the academy where she had spent so many years training. Thinking about it some more, she felt her own excitement grow. She could show the Grandmaster how far she had come since graduating. What would he say when he saw her sword now? Also, the Asamwaya Academy possessed proper facilities for Speakers to train in; Serena could use them to get a firm grasp on her recently achieved blue-aura. There was, however, one thing yet to be addressed. Something that had been gnawing at her instincts for a while. Serena gestured to the small box on the table. ¡°One question. What¡¯s in there? A shard?¡± ¡°Good question and good guess, but wrong. This little box doesn¡¯t contain a shard.¡± Chesterfield''s expression suddenly turned serious, and his eyes darkened. ¡°It¡¯s unpleasant, but you must know the threats you¡¯ll face.¡± Chesterfield reached over and pulled the small box so it was facing her. His hand was poised above it, ready to open the box. ¡°You¡¯re not the only ones looking for the shards. For nearly a thousand years, the Enemy has also been looking for them. You know them as the Darkblades, but did you ever know why they¡¯re called ¡®dark¡¯? Here, take a look...¡± With a grim expression, Chesterfield opened the box. The room¡¯s temperature plunged, the aetherlights dimmed, and Serena felt the aetherfield protest. Her instincts screamed at her. Her sword-hand instinctively went to her waist. From within the box, shadow erupted, spewing over the edge and covering the table in what could only be described as an absence of warmth and light. ¡°That¡¯s impossible...¡± Serena muttered. ¡°Hmm... A hateful thing...¡± Anathor grumbled. Laying within the box was something unbelievable. Something of myth. A black moon crystal. Chapter Forty: Priorities Chapter Forty: Priorities ¡°That¡¯s impossible,¡± Serena said again, knowing her words contradicted the ominous reality before her. Her heartbeat shot up and adrenaline filled her body, causing her to shake. The black moon crystal made her grit her teeth in anxiety. Strangely, the sight of it also prompted a deep feeling of anger. It was as if the existence of this crystal was an offence to all living things. She hated this crystal, and somehow, she knew it hated her. ¡°Weird...¡± Amelia muttered, shuddering and rubbing her arms. ¡°Hmm... never gets easier...¡± Anathor mumbled. The ethereal shadow spreading from the crystal could not reach the glowing skull. Whatever abilities Anathor possessed, it was enough to prevent the corruption from getting too close. ¡°Here,¡± Chesterfield said, reaching over and picking up the crystal with only the slightest bit of hesitation. ¡°It¡¯s uncomfortable but not painful,¡± he explained, holding it out to her. Shadow spewed from the crystal and covered his hand, frothing over and falling towards the ground in slow motion. It also crawled up his forearm as if seeking to cover his entire body in darkness. Before she could decide whether she wanted to ignore her instincts and accept Chesterfield''s offer, Amelia¡¯s hand darted out and snatched the crystal. Amelia didn¡¯t seem affected by the shadow that quickly consumed her hand and crept up her wrist. Instead, she examined the crystal as if it were an intellectual curiosity, turning it this way and that. Serena sensed Amelia''s aether flare and the shadow retreated back into the crystal. ¡°It reminds me of...¡± Amelia muttered. ¡°...Antimatter.¡± She looked up and made eye contact with Chesterfield. ¡°What happens if this touches a normal crystal? It won¡¯t explode, will it?¡± Chesterfield shook his head. ¡°No, but it¡¯ll cause an awful amount of aetherfield interference.¡± He slowly looked at both of them. ¡°The Enemy has been using these to create a new type of aetheric-warfare ship.¡± His eyebrows narrowed. ¡°What¡¯s antimatter?¡± he asked, returning his attention to Amelia. ¡°Something that explodes,¡± Amelia answered dismissively. ¡°You know, I¡¯ve got pretty good aetherfield perception, but it wasn¡¯t until I Spoke the Second Word I understood how life and crystals themselves bend the aetherfield into themselves, much like a planet bends spacetime.¡± She bounced the crystal a few times in her hand, causing even more shadow to gush out. ¡°But this is the opposite. It bends the aetherfield away. I can feel it trying to push my wards open. How strange... It¡¯s not an aggressive action; it¡¯s just its nature to resist aether. Yet... it feels so...¡± ¡°Hateful,¡± Anathor grumbled. She¡¯s really going to get along with Nina, Serena thought. Her genius sister rambled and murmured theories exactly like Amelia sometimes did. Despite the almost unbelievable level of advanced technology Amelia had informed Serena about, all of it seemed like it would be impossible to re-create in this world with the lumina interference damaging electrical circuits. However, if anyone could do it, Nina could. ¡°Try it,¡± Amelia said, holding the crystal out. ¡°It¡¯s safe. My wards on you will hold.¡± Serena reached out to take the crystal, a small smile forming as she realised that Amelia had snatched the crystal first to ensure it wasn¡¯t dangerous. Honestly, who was supposed to protect who? Well, they could protect each other. That didn¡¯t sound too bad. When the crystal made contact with her palm, Serena shuddered involuntarily. There was such a sensation of coldness and lifelessness from the crystal she couldn¡¯t help but cringe. Chesterfield and Amelia were correct; there was no pain. Still, it was uncomfortable. What was shocking was the red-aura Serena kept running at all times melted away from her hand. As the shadow crept up her forearm, the red aura covering it vanished. It wasn¡¯t the same as an attack; her aura wasn¡¯t resisting a strike; instead, it simply became undone. Thankfully, the just-in-case-a-mountain-falls-on-you wards Amelia kept active on Serena held firm. The first ward wobbled slightly, but Serena sensed a little increase of aether from Amelia, and it quickly stabilised. She reached internally within herself and moved her aether, forming the second aura. The orange glow filled her body and even reached up her arm, but the black moon crystal refused to allow the aura to go so far as to protect her hand. Gritting her teeth, Serena churned her aether and moved her aura into the next stage. Yellow hues lit her body and the room as the third aura was established. To her relief, this time she was able to protect her hand. Still, the aura near the black crystal wobbled, trying to come undone. Serena flared her aether and strengthened the aura as much as she could without Speaking. Now, her aura appeared to be too much for the crystal to contend with and the shadow was finally pushed back within the crystal. Not wanting to burn through her reserves and not wanting to hold this crystal a moment longer, Serena placed it back in the box and closed the lid. She opened her mouth to question Chesterfield, but he interrupted her with a raised finger. ¡°What a wonderful father you have,¡± Chesterfield said quietly. ¡°He¡¯s rushing up here now, preparing to Speak one of his Words.¡± Chesterfield¡¯s statement was quickly validated as a moment later, Serena¡¯s father burst through the study door with his aether boiling and a worried look. ¡°Serena! What-¡± he exclaimed, frantically scanning the room. Eyeing Serena and seeing her unharmed, he quickly calmed. ¡°I sensed you flared your aether. Why?¡± He cast a wary eye at Chesterfield, who had slightly turned to face him while resuming his mint tea consumption with an easy smile. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Father,¡± Serena reassured. His reaction was understandable. Forming high-level auras and wards was something not done in polite company, and flaring aether was often an action taken before a fight. ¡°Just a demonstration.¡± ¡°I see...¡± her father said after some hesitation. He relaxed his aether and Serena sensed the Word he had been simmering fade away. A moment later, the Dragon appeared behind him with his usual expression of disapproval. ¡°The man ran off before I could explain,¡± the Dragon grumbled. ¡°An understandable reaction,¡± Chesterfield said, nodding slightly. ¡°Highlord Halen, could you wait downstairs with Highlord Corvus? We are almost done, and there are some important matters I need to discuss with you. Ah-¡± Serena¡¯s father was eyeing the box with a wary eye. ¡°Do not worry about this item. It was required to explain Lord Halen¡¯s new orders.¡± Serena gave her father another reassuring nod, and he eventually left after apologising for the intrusion. The dragon followed soon afterwards. After their footsteps faded, Chesterfield said with a gentle smile, ¡°I suppose what they said about your father is true.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Serena asked. ¡°That his fierce heart had been cooled by his daughters.¡± Chesterfield tapped his chest. ¡°A parent¡¯s first duty is towards their children. This has always been true and will continue to be so,¡± he said softly, his voice taking on a rare note of emotion. ¡°That crystal,¡± Serena said, fixing her eyes upon the closed box. ¡°It was undoing my aura. Does the Enemy use it as a weapon? Is that why they¡¯re called Darkblades?¡± Serena had simply assumed they had that name because they worshipped the dark gods and black beasts that invaded Cascadia a thousand years ago. She didn¡¯t realise the name could be so literal. ¡°No,¡± Serena answered immediately. ¡°Wait! I can¡¯t go!¡± Amelia blurted out suddenly. ¡°What?¡± Serena and Chesterfield uttered simultaneously. ¡°I...¡± Amelia hesitated for a moment. ¡°I promised Lani I would help her with her workbooks this afternoon! Plus, she told me she would teach me the etiquette differences between Manwese and Samino culture! So I can only leave tomorrow!¡± ¡°You...¡± Chesterfield began and then stopped himself. He spent a moment collecting himself before asking in disbelief, ¡°Are you really - in light of everything we¡¯ve discussed - going to prioritise homework over divinely given duty?¡± ¡°No!¡± Amelia declared, crossing her arms. ¡°I¡¯m prioritising a promise made by House Thornheart to a lady of House Halen! I refuse to let the sacred pinky promise be broken! If it¡¯s such a problem, then I can leave in the night and fly to catch up with the ship!¡± Amelia shrugged. ¡°I know ways to get wings without Speaking my Second Word, and I¡¯ve had a lot of practice!¡± Chesterfield¡¯s eyes twitched and Serena found herself only amused by the reaction. See what I have to deal with, she thought. A small part of her wanted to chastise Amelia, but Chesterfield was slimy, and Serena knew he was keeping a lot of information from her. Allowing Amelia to, well, be Amelia was her way of getting back at him. ¡°...Fine.¡± Chesterfield finally intoned. ¡°I suppose this behaviour is understandable, given your personality.¡± It looked like it took him great effort, but Chesterfield eventually recovered his regular, easy-going expression. ¡°We can leave tomorrow. I¡¯ll send a carriage for you at first light.¡± He stood up, and Serena and Amelia quickly joined him. ¡°Lord Halen, Lord-Prospect Thronheart. On behalf of the Empire and her Divine Ruler, I sincerely thank you for accepting this duty.¡± He bowed deeply to them with such perfect movement Serena immediately pegged him as someone from a highborn family. ¡°Now, I have important matters to discuss with Highlord Halen. Thank you both for your time.¡± ¡°Hmm... goodbye, Captain, Miss Thornheart...¡± Anathor grumbled, and the skull''s glowing eyes dimmed. Serena bowed back, and Amelia quickly followed. With no more words, Chestfield packed up the skull and boxes and left the study. They didn¡¯t move until his footsteps had long disappeared. Amelia looked at Serena. ¡°He¡¯s an arsehole, isn¡¯t he?¡± Amelia said with a cheeky smile. Serena laughed, ruffling Amelia¡¯s hair and, ignoring her protests, pulled her into an embrace. ¡°Idiot,¡± she said. ¡°He¡¯s dangerous.¡± Before Amelia could respond, Serena put a hand around the back of Amelia''s head and kissed her. When Amelia leaned back, Serena found herself captivated by the blond human. ¡°So am I,¡± Amelia said with a wink. How can a human be this beautiful? Serena thought. She¡¯s even more attractive with demon eyes. Feeling a sudden urge, she pulled Amelia back in and set about enjoying the softness of her lips. ¡°Mmm.¡± ¡°Ahh¡± ¡°Mmm...¡± ¡°Mmph!¡± Amelia pulled away, her face flushed. ¡°I need some air!¡± She grinned as she frantically wafted her face. ¡°What¡¯s got into you so suddenly? You were so serious a moment ago!¡± Serena smiled, feeling her cheeks become warm. ¡°I made a promise, remember?¡± Serena ran a hand through Amelia¡¯s hair, tucking it behind her ear. ¡°You made me promise always to hug and kiss you when I felt like it. And now... I feel like it.¡± She pulled Amelia in and again gave her a long kiss. To be honest, Serena hadn¡¯t expected it to be so intense. Then again, it had been several days since they had last had a moment of proper intimacy. Damn it! Their time in Kenhoro had conditioned her to get used to an unreasonable amount of attention and pleasure. How were they going to manage on the ship? Would Anathor complain? ¡°Hehe...¡± Amelia nuzzled against Serena¡¯s neck before giving her a gentle kiss. ¡°I love you, Ren,¡± Amelia whispered. The words made Serena¡¯s heart soar, and she decided she would never take such words for granted or get sick of hearing them. ¡°I love you, Lia,¡± she whispered back. Serena placed a hand under Amelia''s chin and slightly tilted her head up. Then, taking a moment to look into those beautiful crimson eyes, leaned in. Until, again, their lips met. AnnouncementHello everyone! Today, I''m doing the first ever shoutout-swap with user Wyn and their series Untouchable; it''s a highly rated VRMMO/LitRPG with a game world inspired heavily by Elden Ring (unga-bunga strength users unite :3). It also makes heavy use of in-chapter illustrations which is something I haven''t seen before! Synopsis Debated as one of the best players of all time in the competitive VRMMO ''Champions of Andartha,'' Yuusha ''the Untouchable'' suddenly disappeared from the pro scene without a trace. Years later, at the height of the game''s popularity, a chance meeting with an up-and-coming streamer draws her in once more to their world. Will this fateful encounter rekindle her competitive spirit to rise once again and reclaim her former glory? Chapter Forty-One: A Nighttime Chat Chapter Forty-One: A Nighttime Chat Lani was bored. Father had instructed her to stay out of the way while he had important guests, but that was hours ago. What was she supposed to do? Sit in her room and poke holes in her pillow with her horns? Annoyingly, that was precisely what she had been doing! After thoroughly destroying one pillow, Lani sat up in bed and proceeded to tilt her head back, leaving two small dents in the wooden frame behind her. ¡°I... Am... Bored...¡± Lani muttered, punctuating each word by nodding backwards and further damaging the wooden bedframe. On the bright side, her horns had grown enough to do this! A year ago, she¡¯d had to bend her neck all the way back! ¡°Lani, my dear,¡± said the old maid sitting across the room. ¡°How much of the house are you intending to destroy with your horns?¡± The old maid spoke in that you''re-being-childish-and-we-both-know-it tone that annoyed Lani so much. ¡°All of it!¡± Lani declared, bashing her horns against the wood once again. ¡°Maybe then Father wouldn¡¯t lock me up with nothing to do!¡± It was so frustrating! Lani wanted to socialise with her human friend but apparently Amelia had to attend a bunch of meetings! Couldn¡¯t they do it another time!? ¡°You¡¯re not locked up, dear,¡± said the maid, raising a finger. ¡°Why not walk around the gardens?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°Shall we have some tea in the conservatory?¡± ¡°Boring.¡± ¡°We could bake those cookies again? You know, the ones with the popping sugar?¡± ¡°Uhhh...¡± Lani rolled her eyes and then rolled her body off the bed, letting herself fall into a crumbled heap. ¡°Oh my, the lady of the house seems to have died!¡± Lani heard the maid intone cheerfully. ¡°To think, after surviving such struggles! What a shame... just as Highlord Corvus and his guest are leaving! Speaker Thornheart is going to be so-¡± ¡°What!?¡± Lani leapt up and ran to the window. There, she saw Highlord Corvus with his scary-looking horns shaking hands with Father. A carriage was waiting for them and inside Lani could see the plain-looking demon that had come with the Highlord. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me sooner, old woman!¡± Lani complained. ¡°I¡¯m free!¡± Lani darted to the door and threw it open, bouncing down the hallway and leaving the old maid behind. ¡°Hehe!¡± Lani giggled to herself but quickly stopped when she remembered her job to teach Amelia what it meant to be a proper lady! She forced herself to slow down, corrected her posture and kept her head high. ¡°Mmm... now where are you...¡± Amelia told her she would find Lani after her meetings, but Lani couldn¡¯t wait that long! After not finding Amelia in the entryway or the kitchens, a servant informed her that Amelia was probably still in Father¡¯s study along with Serena. After chastising the servant for not telling her sooner, Lani walked as fast as her dignified posture would allow and soon found herself outside the room in question. Serena might tell her off for walking in, but Serena had already had more than enough of Amelia¡¯s time! It was her turn now! Lani threw open the study door. ¡°Hello! Amelia- huh?¡± Lani¡¯s words were cut short as she saw Amelia being thrown away from Serena; the human fell to the floor and tumbled before stopping. Amelia was red-faced and breathing heavily. Her hair was ruffled and to make things even worse, her shirt was ripped and some of the buttons had come undone! ¡°What-¡± Lani looked at Amelia, then at Serena to find her sister was also red-faced and looking at Lani in surprise! ¡°Lani, I didn¡¯t hear you...¡± Serena muttered. She seemed angry, but strangely, when she met Lani''s gaze, she turned her head away with a guilty expression. What in the Seven Hells was going on!? ¡°Hang on a minute...¡± Lani muttered, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes. She observed the two women and mentally recounted the facts. Her guilty-looking sister. Amelia being pushed to the ground. Amelia, with ripped clothing and also an expression of guilt and shame... It could only mean one thing! ¡°Y-you!¡± Lani pointed an accusatory finger at Serena, stepping between the demon and the human. ¡°You¡¯re bulling Amelia, aren¡¯t you!? You¡¯re beating her up! How... How horrible!¡± She felt tears form as her anger rose. How could Serena do something so cruel? ¡°Amelia¡¯s not part of your crew!¡± Lani declared, trying to sound as forceful as possible. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to hurt her! I¡¯m going to tell Father!¡± ¡°No!¡± Both her sister and Amelia cried out suddenly. ¡°Lani, look...¡± Serena mumbled. ¡°Lani! I¡¯m fine!¡± Amelia popped up with a smile, patting her hair and adjusting her shirt. ¡°Your sister wasn¡¯t punishing me! I promise! She was just, uh, showing me some of her Shimokan martial techniques! She¡¯s been teaching me!¡± Amelia said, nodding enthusiastically. Too suspicious! ¡°I-I¡¯ve heard about this! The victim makes excuses for the perpetrator! Is that what¡¯s happening!?¡± Lani glared at the pair! She would get to the bottom of why Serena was bullying her friend! ¡°Lord Christ in the Seven Hells...¡± Serena muttered, making the sign of the demon cross. ¡°I¡¯m going to go insane...¡± ¡°Lani!¡± Amelia exclaimed. ¡°I promise that everything¡¯s fine. We train like this all the time! Serena says it¡¯s important to practice martial arts in all kinds of places, to get used to fighting at unexpected times!¡± Lani wanted to roll her eyes, but the sincerity in Amelia¡¯s gaze made her pause. Maybe it was just a bit of martial arts training. Amelia had told her she was being taught before... ¡°Do you promise?¡± Lani asked suspiciously. ¡°Do you pinky-promise?¡± ¡°I pinky-promise that I¡¯m not getting bullied!¡± Amelia held out her pinky. ¡°You just walked in at a... uh... inopportune time.¡± Lani grasped the outstretched pinky with her own. ¡°Fine! But we¡¯re going to spend the rest of the day together, right!?¡± Amelia nodded and reaffirmed the promise. ¡°Hrmph!¡± Lani declared triumphantly. She stuck her tongue out at her big sister and led Amelia out of the office. First, she would find Amelia a new shirt and then tell Amelia all the recent gossip Lani remembered from the Academy! Serena smiled. Whatever had she done to deserve such a caring and loyal girlfriend? ¡°Thank you, Amelia. I guess I''ve been viewing the situation as a soldier while you''ve been viewing it as, well, you. Still, there''s one more thing I don''t understand. After such efforts to protect Polina, why did you obey Chesterfield¡¯s request?¡± It surprised Serena that Amelia, who almost challenged an Overlord directly over Polina, would relent to some high-up Intelligence Officer from Centralis. ¡°Well...¡± Amelia shivered slightly. ¡°Firstly, Chesterfield was difficult for me to read. It was as if something was blocking my intuition. What did he feel like to you? A mage, or a warrior?¡± ¡°...Neither,¡± Serena answered, thinking back to the plain-looking demon from which she sensed no talent with aether. ¡°Exactly, yet there was this subtle intensity when he asked me to stop my ward. I¡¯m not sure, but at that moment, I could sense danger from him. There¡¯s more to him than meets the eye. I stopped it because I felt it would be a mistake to resist, and I decided to trust you when you told me Polina wouldn¡¯t be harmed. I suppose I always trusted you... I was just being a bit stubborn regarding the whole situation. Besides...¡± Amelia smiled softly. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to cause any harm to the arcwhales.¡± ¡°Ha!¡± Serena laughed. ¡°Idiot.¡± ¡°But... did you notice?¡± Amelia sat up with an inquisitive look in her eyes. ¡°Chesterfield didn¡¯t feel like a mage or a warrior, yet he knew when I had stopped the ward. It¡¯s suspicious. I wanted to look closer but didn¡¯t want to Speak to increase my perception. Maybe next time we meet, I¡¯ll be in a position I can look closer!¡± ¡°We should be careful... I hope we never see him again,¡± Serena muttered. ¡°Mmm...¡± Amelia mumbled after a moment of silence. ¡°There¡¯s something I wanted to say.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a little awkward, but I sometimes forget how much of a big deal it is for you to... You know...¡± Amelia gestured wildly, ¡°...fight for Cascadia. Be a Cascadian Lord and be part of this thing that is bigger than just you. I don¡¯t really have the same level of attachment to the whole Empire thing, and I¡¯m not sure I ever will, so...¡± Amelia took a breath. ¡°I just wanted to promise you I¡¯ll never make you choose between your duty and me, okay? We can exist side-by-side! Ah...¡± Amelia buried her face in her hands. ¡°That¡¯s... thoughtful of you,¡± Serena answered with a smile, enjoying Amelia¡¯s shyness. ¡°And, and...¡± Amelia muttered. ¡°I also promise that for me, I¡¯m always going to put you first because...¡± She looked down and poked her index fingers together. ¡°I really like you,¡± Amelia said in a small voice. ¡°Idiot,¡± Serena ruffled her girlfriend''s hair as her cheeks warmed. Amelia was so cute sometimes. She had already confessed her love to Serena, yet she was getting all awkward about this! ¡°Look after yourself as well. I would say try not to get into trouble in the future, but that¡¯s a given with you, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Amelia puffed out her cheeks and Serena couldn¡¯t resist pulling on them. ¡°Are you excited about teaching magic?¡± Serena asked once she had her fill of Amelia¡¯s soft cheeks. ¡°I imagine they¡¯ll want you to use your monstrous aether reserves to demonstrate magic for the class. You¡¯ll be in front of several dozen mages. Will you be okay?¡± ¡°Y-yeah!¡± Amelia nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll just imagine I¡¯m you! Strutting about with your head held high and looking down on everyone- mmph!¡± Amelia¡¯s answer was cut off as Serena once again explored how much Amelia¡¯s cheeks would stretch. ¡°There¡¯s a new type of training I want to introduce you to,¡± Serena explained. ¡°We¡¯ll do it when we sail to Asamaywa. It¡¯s something all talented soldiers go through, and while you¡¯re not a soldier, you need to get used to the sounds of battle.¡± ¡°...Sounds of battle?¡± Amelia mumbled through stretched cheeks. ¡°Warfare is loud. Most civilians don¡¯t understand how loud it is. Even if shellfire cannot harm you, you still need to get used to it and learn how to override your instincts to hide. This training will help you with that.¡± ¡°...I see. Can you stop playing with my cheeks?¡± Serena pulled her arms back, but Amelia reached forward and grabbed her hands. Her girlfriend looked at her with a twinkle in her eye. ¡°We¡¯re leaving tomorrow, right?¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°Then tonight might be the last night for a while that we can...¡± Amelia tilted her head towards the bedroom. ¡°You know...¡± Serena rolled her eyes but couldn¡¯t help smiling. ¡°You¡¯re so shameless sometimes.¡± ¡°Do you have a coin?¡± ¡°What?¡± Amelia repeated the sudden request and Serena dug out a half-denarii. ¡°Here,¡± she said, passing it to Amelia who flicked it in the air. She caught it and covered it in her palm. ¡°Heads or tails?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°For what?¡± Serena narrowed her eyes. ¡°Just answer!¡± ¡°.. Heads. What¡¯s this for?¡± Amelia looked up with a cheeky grin. ¡°It¡¯s for whoever¡¯s tongue goes first, obviously!¡± Serena¡¯s eyes widened, but before she could chastise Amelia for being so crass, her girlfriend opened her palm and revealed the coin. The answer sent them both giggling into the bedroom, where their last night in Shimashina was bereft of sleep and instead full of many soft moans. Chapter Forty-Two: The Cascadian Ambassador Chapter Forty-Two: The Cascadian Ambassador AnnouncementEnjoying the series? Come stop by the series discord for a chat! We have cookies and blob emotes :3 Anton peered through the windows, watching the arriving ship come into dock above the Numengrad skyline. The capital of the Federation was usually cool this time of year, however, the warm air from the southern storms had finally reached the city, causing an abnormal amount of humidity. Anton opened the window the few inches it allowed. Windows in the Red Citadel - the center of government for the Federation - couldn¡¯t be opened fully. Still, the subtle breeze freshened the room and took away some of the stickiness. The ship docked in the Red Citadel''s private airdock. Anton watched a small group disembark. Even from this distance, the singular demon in the group was easily identified. Standing a head above the rest, the height difference was further emphasised by two sets of horns. The demon glanced at the Red Citadel with an indecipherable expression before following a guard out of sight. Calvin Cornelissen, the Cascadian Ambassador to the Federation, had arrived. Sighing, Anton walked away from the window and brewed some Jimari coffee. He always made sure to brew Cascadian coffee when meeting with their ambassador; it was important to show that despite the sanctions Cascadia had leveraged against the Federation for its just support of Republican efforts, they were easily circumvented. Anton sat down and nursed his coffee. Under his instruction, the guards would make Ambassador Cornelissen wait ten minutes. The Federation was always busy serving the people; therefore, you wait for the Federation, and the Federation does not wait for you. Even so, for this particular matter, Anton¡¯s mind was too busy by recent events to make good use of the enforced waiting time. His mind churned over the difficult conversation that was about to happen. It didn¡¯t help that when this conversation was over he would report to the head of the Red Navy and the head of the People¡¯s Army. Two individuals who could crush any man or demon with their presence. The allotted time passed in silence and then a side door opened. A guard stepped through. A rifle was holstered over his shoulder and his uniform was simple and brown. Yet, foolish would the man be who assumed this man was a simple soldier; a guard position in the Red Citadel was an elite position reserved for only the most loyal and decorated soldiers. This simple guard would, at minimum, be an orange-aura warrior and likely had decades of experience using it. ¡°The Ambassador is waiting for you, sir,¡± informed the guard. Anton stood up, tidied his uniform and let the guard lead him to the meeting room. The room itself was large and immaculate with white marble floors and a long polished ironwood table. This table was almost ten meters long and if Anton really wanted to indicate his disapproval, he would make sure his guest would sit at one end and Anton at the other. However, now was not the time for that kind of politicking and so Calvin Cornelissen was sitting in the center of the long table. The ambassador stood up when Anton entered the room but Anton waved him down. Anton passed his usual position at the head of the table and sat down opposite the ambassador. With a small sense of satisfaction Anton noted the guard had sat Cornelissen down on the right side of the table. Now, when the ambassador faced him as he did now, his vision would be consumed by the enormous ten-by-sixteen foot painting behind Anton upon which the visage of the leader of the Federation would bore his painted eyes into the demon. ¡°Ambassador,¡± Anton cooly intoned. ¡°Secretary.¡± Cornelissen nodded in response, his pure yellow eyes holding Anton¡¯s gaze. ¡°Would you care for a drink?¡± ¡°No, thank you.¡± Anton took a moment to reply. He slurped the coffee before setting it down and resting an arm on the table. ¡°We have much to discuss,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s not often we summon you on the same day you request to speak with us.¡± Due to recent events in the Cascadian city of Kenhoro, the Federation quickly collected what information they could and summoned the Cascadian ambassador. As fast as they had moved, the Cascadian government had worked equally as quickly and only a few minutes after the summon had been sent they had received the request from Cornelissen. ¡°Please inform me, Ambassador Cornelissen, what bothers Cascadia?¡± Anton smiled. Cornelissen was the guest and by having him speak first he could better determine his own moves. Would the demon jump straight into the topic they cared most about, or would he talk around it? ¡°Matters of concern,¡± Cornelissen intoned. ¡°In addition to the current restrictions imposed upon the Federation regarding red crystal exports, Cascadia will immediately cease exporting blue and purple crystals to the Federation. Furthermore, as with red crystal, we will forbid the re-export of those crystals from the Sabanis Dominance. We regretfully take these actions in response to the Federation¡¯s continued encouragement of the tribal warriors of the Endless Sands to bolster Republican forces.¡± Skirting around the main topic then, Anton thought. ¡°Nonsense,¡± Anton immediately protested, keeping his voice calm and his temper measured through decades of political experience. ¡°These tribesmen merely seek to earn a better living and travel to Ironburg for work. We have their visas and documents proving their reason for travel, and we even have copies of the Republican work orders. Do I need to fetch them for you to look at?¡± ¡°Regardless of what any documents say, our battalion commanders are reporting an increasing amount of tribesmen on the ground,¡± the Ambassador¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Need I remind you of their fanatical beliefs? The tribesmen believe that by grounding down our horns, they can create ever stronger golems. We have already shown you evidence of the barbaric desecration of demon bodies. Until the Federation prohibits their travel and actively assists Cascadian efforts in stamping down on the illegal horn trade, these restrictions will be maintained.¡± Anton felt the faintest pinch of annoyance but quickly quenched it before it could manifest on his face. After Cascadia had restricted the outflow of red-crystal, the Federation needed to rely on less efficient explosive production utilising different crystals. This caused them to come to a mutually beneficial agreement with the desert tribes. The Federation would give them cover and means to travel to the Republic so they could find the ingredients for their magic, and the Federation would be allowed to mine the desert crystals. Cascadia¡¯s problem was entirely their own making! Anton would love to point this out but couldn¡¯t, as their official public opinion was that Cascadian sanctions did not affect the Federation. Now, with reduced access to not only the red crystal of the Southern Terra Firma, but the blue crystal of the Eastern Terra Firma and the cold purple crystal of the Northern Terra Firma, the Federation would essentially be publicly cut off from all Cascadian crystal exports. The yellow crystal that falls in Centralis was never exported internationally and the green crystal from the mysterious Eastern Terra Firma was hoarded by the hidden Overlord. Any attempts the Federation made to establish any kind of relationship with Cascadia¡¯s eastern territory were met in failure. As far as Anton knew, even Centralis only got a small measured amount of green crystal each year. Still, they could get access indirectly. The Bureau had worked hard over the last few years to establish a coherent network in the Sabanis Dominance. Through this network, they would be able to circumnavigate the sanctions. Even so, these activities would weigh on the treasury. This needed a response. ¡°First and foremost,¡± Anton began, ¡°We would like to inform Cascadia that the terrible and unfortunate event that transpired is categorically disavowed by the Federation, and we were all relieved to find no innocent civilians were harmed-¡± ¡°Thanks to the talent of Lord-Prospect Thornheart,¡± Cornelissen interrupted. ¡°I believe you are aware there were a small number of Federation citizens on the Sakamoto who would have surely perished had it not been for her magic?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Anton intoned, feeling the growing sensation of being trapped. ¡°Please communicate our gratitude to Miss Thornheart-¡± ¡°Lord-Prospect Thornheart, Secretary,¡± Cornelissen said with a smile. ¡°Let¡¯s not disrespect her, even if we¡¯re so far away, by ignoring her noble title.¡± ¡°...Lord-Prospect Thornheart, yes.¡± Anton spent a fraction of a second clenching his jaw and then forced his face into a relaxed expression. ¡°Furthermore, if it wasn¡¯t clear, we would like to inform your government that these events were absolutely not an intended outcome and should we have been aware of the possibility of it happening, then we would have expended every effort to stop it.¡± ¡°Some might suggest not establishing intelligence cells to spy on our ships and citizens would be a good first step.¡± The ambassador punctuated his statement by relaxing into his chair. Anton knew as well as Cornelissen did that fieldwork like this was an established practice between Cascadia and the human kingdoms. Still, that didn¡¯t mean they openly admitted such a thing. ¡°We would like to discuss transferring this... rogue agent into Federation custody,¡± Anton began, producing a slip of paper from his inner pocket. He passed the slip to the ambassador. ¡°I¡¯m sure you recognise these names.¡± The paper contained a list of Cascadian spies the Federation had caught and were serving lengthy prison sentences. ¡°We would like to offer an exchange for any two names of your choosing. In addition, we will pay for all repairs for the Sakamoto.¡± The ambassador glanced up from the list before slowly placing it on the table. ¡°A tempting offer, Secretary, however...¡± the demon''s eyes narrowed. ¡°Considering the unique talent of Polina Volkova, a mere two names isn¡¯t going to cut it.¡± Ah shit, Anton thought. They know about her blessing. He locked eyes with the demon for longer than was polite. ¡°How many names to satisfy Cascadia?¡± ¡°All of them.¡± ¡°Impossible,¡± Anton stated firmly. ¡°There is a limit, Ambassador. There is only so far we can stretch. Eight names.¡± ¡°Fifteen.¡± ¡°Ten, and we¡¯ll double the payment for the Sakamoto.¡± ¡°Twelve names and you¡¯ll pay for the Sakamoto and an additional hundred thousand denarii in compensation. This is our offer,¡± Cornelissen said with an element of finality. Anton forced himself to slow down. He took a sip of his coffee, finding its now-cold bitterness entirely suitable for the atmosphere. ¡°I will need to discuss this with my superiors,¡± he said. ¡°Ambassador, would you care to stay within the Red Citadel until we can sort this out?¡± ¡°Certainly,¡± Cornelissen replied. ¡°Please understand that if I need to communicate with my government, I must do so from our embassy.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Anton said with a nod. Aetherfield communication was easily eavesdropped and so sensitive discussions over it required encryption. Demon cryptography had only recently caught up with human innovation and the embassy communications they had easily listened in on previously were now resistant to their efforts. The two men settled on some further details and soon they covered everything their respective governments had requested of them. Anton stood up first, trying to regain some feeling of control. ¡°Ambassador, thank you for your time.¡± ¡°No, thank you, Secretary,¡± Cornelissen said cooly. ¡°One last quick matter...¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°A colleague of Polina Volkova, an individual identified by Natalia Marakova has escaped our capture and seriously wounded several city guards. We know she¡¯s still in Kenhoro, hiding away in some safe house...¡± Cornelissen eyes narrowed. ¡°Instead of further conflict and risk of casualties, we¡¯d much rather arrange a time where our guards outside the Federation embassy can look away for a few minutes and allow her to return to Federation hands. See it as...¡± the ambassador looked thoughtful momentarily. ¡°...a gesture of goodwill.¡± ¡°... I understand,¡± Anton responded after a moment''s hesitation. ¡°I will communicate this to my superiors.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Anton called the guard in and Calvin Cornelissen was led away. For a long while after the demon was gone, Anton stood staring into space. How had all this happened? How had one human Speaker caused so much insanity to take place? How did their Intelligence Operatives, with the aid of a truth-teller, find out so little about her? Who the hell was Amelia Thornheart? Chapter Forty-Three: Full Broadside Chapter Forty-Three: Full Broadside ¡°Right then, this looks good enough.¡± Serena held up her hand, feeling the strength and direction of the wind. Her gunners would need to adjust slightly, but for a crew as experienced as hers, they would hit the target easily enough. ¡°Are you sure this is a real training method?¡± The target in question complained before putting her hands on her hips and pouting. ¡°You¡¯re not making this up so you can shoot your adorable girlfriend, are you?¡± Serena felt a sly smile form but otherwise chose not to reply immediately. They¡¯d set sail from Shimashina that morning. After clearing the aetherscope range of the city¡¯s perimeter ships, Serena ordered the Vengeance a few dozen klicks away from the regular travel route and found a small mid-sky island floating six klicks above the continent. Dagon had taken command as acting captain while Serena and Amelia jumped the few dozen meters down onto the island with their training equipment. With only a few thousand square feet and a handful of trees, the island was mostly unremarkable. One thing of note was that the island was lumina-locked; without significant external force the island would maintain its current location and elevation perpetually. Lumina-locking occurred naturally and artificially. The military used the technology to capture islands and use them as entrenched defensive artillery positions or early-warning aetherscope installations. In the hands of the rich and powerful, luxury islands and private resorts were traded on the markets. Serena once heard that a Centralis merchant took a particular liking to an island floating around Fengra and had - at tremendous cost - it transported all the way to Centralis. Serena shook her head, both at the thought of owning an entire island and at Amelia¡¯s question regarding training. Once a mage or a warrior became proficient with their aether control, they would be put through this gauntlet. Even if someone¡¯s talents meant they were now effectively resistant to bullets, their previous instincts often took a while to adjust. ¡°You¡¯re essentially immune to conventional weapons,¡± Serena explained to the pouting target dummy. ¡°Even if you know this, the demon body - I mean - the human body, will react naturally when untrained. For example...¡± Serena unholstered her pistol and shot Amelia in the stomach. Amelia tensed a bit as her wards easily defended against the bullet. Her girlfriend gave her a tilted look which seemed to say, Seriously? ¡°You¡¯re better than before,¡± Serena said with a smile. ¡°Before, you would jump like surprised peeka. You need to eradicate all normal reactions to gunfire and being hit. In a fight you cannot waste time with things that cannot harm you!¡± Serena picked up a rifle and aimed it at Amelia, causing the woman to clench her fists and hold her breath. ¡°Don¡¯t anticipate the shot,¡± Serena informed her. ¡°A rifle bullet will go straight through several soldiers without stopping. It is wards and aura that stop a bullet, not tensed muscles! Focus on strengthening your wards!¡± A subtle pulse in the aetherfield informed Serena Amelia had done precisely that. With her girlfriend¡¯s skill at cloaking her magic, that subtle pulse likely reflected a titanic amount of reinforcement that would drain the reserves of any normal mage in seconds. ¡°Ready?¡± Serena asked. The moment Amelia nodded Serena pulled the trigger and a thunderous boom sounded as the rifle bullet slammed into Amelia. The woman squeaked and took a step back. ¡°As you can see,¡± Serena explained once the smoke had cleared. ¡°Even if your wards protect you, the bullet''s momentum must go somewhere. You might be able to take a cannon shell directly, but that same cannon shell could launch you out and away from the battlefield. Remember when Korvus and his men tried to assassinate you? You survived, but the forces flipped you over, and you lost your bearings?¡± ¡°Right,¡± Amelia replied, eyeing the rifle warily. ¡°It¡¯s so much louder than the pistol. I can¡¯t help but react! How can I ignore something like that with my enhanced hearing?¡± ¡°Good question. Suppression through noise and chaos is one of the best ways to limit the effectiveness of enemy Speakers.¡± Serena remembered the field manuals describing the recommended amount of munitions to throw in the grid square of a Speaker to prevent their effective command. She had, on more than one occasion, been subject to such a barrage. ¡°There are ways warriors can manipulate their aura to protect their ears. Some of my previous squad commanders preferred to fight practically deaf so they could focus on the aetherfield and their eyes. From what I¡¯ve heard, mages can do something similar.¡± She operated the rifle''s bolt handle, loading another round. ¡°Ready? I¡¯ll keep shooting you. Focus on your reaction and your ears.¡± The one-sided assault began as Amelia took bullet after bullet against her warded torso. After two dozen rounds she stopped reacting so noticeably but would still cringe if she saw the weapon aimed at her head. Serena explained that while it was a natural reaction, Amelia¡¯s head and even her eyes were as protected by her wards as her torso. Once Amelia had gotten used to her head and face being targeted, Serena had her turn around so she couldn¡¯t see the shot coming. After another fifty rounds at the back of Amelia¡¯s head, the human stopped jumping entirely. Next, Serena ordered her to practice her kata while under fire. This was a repeat of some of the training she had undertaken in Kenhoro, although Serena and Grandmaster Gu had used a small calibre pistol. ¡°Good, now draw your sword,¡± Serena instructed after half an hour. ¡°We¡¯ll lightly duel, and I¡¯ll show you how firearms can be used in Speaker swordfights. I¡¯ll stick to orange. Try and match me.¡± Serena drew her sword and Amelia followed suit. She had been given a soldier¡¯s sword from the ship¡¯s armoury. ¡°We¡¯ll keep it sharp and fast, no strong moves, lest one of us is thrown off the island.¡± If that were to happen, both could Speak and return to the island by flaring their aether against the lumina, but it wouldn¡¯t be ideal. After the traditional pre-spar bow, Serena moved her aether into orange and began her attack. Amelia had become quite proficient with the Grandmaster as her instructor but she still fell short against Serena¡¯s experience. Her assault kept Amelia¡¯s defences on the brink of collapsing. In between the stabbing and thrusting, Serena began slipping her pistol through gaps in Amelia¡¯s defence and letting off a shot point-blank. The first few times, it caused Amelia¡¯s defence to collapse entirely. Eventually, she got used to the tactic and could ignore the pistol. ¡°Enough,¡± Serena commanded, stopping the duel and bowing. ¡°You learn fast, Amelia.¡± ¡°Mmm!¡± Amelia nodded, retying her hair. ¡°It was scary at first, but I¡¯ve got a grip on my hearing! One thing I¡¯ve been thinking of is that all this training is to get used to ignoring firearms, right?¡± ¡°Right,¡± Serena said with a nod. ¡°But now we know there are firearms with black-crystal rounds. Isn¡¯t it a little...¡± Amelia shrugged. ¡°Counter-intuitive?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of a single example of these rounds being used,¡± Serena explained, shaking her head. ¡°While we might become a target of the Darkblades, it sounds like the amount of black crystal is far and few between. The vast majority of firearms we¡¯ll face will almost certainly be conventional.¡± The abhorrent existence of black moon crystals was easily detected by anyone in the vicinity with an ounce of aetherfield perception. At their final meeting at the Shimashina airdocks, Chesterfield informed her that the reason behind the Kenhoro Greatlord¡¯s sudden interest in the Crimson Reaver¡¯s cargo was a tiny bag of black-crystal fragments discovered in one of the crates. He had also implied that the Salinas and Taruna Speakers they battled were in Kenhoro to oversee its transportation and it was Serena and Amelia¡¯s interference at Lord Yulan¡¯s Highguard Hotel that prompted the cafe attack. She didn¡¯t know if those Speakers were Darkblades themselves, but that insidious group was certainly pulling the strings. Anathor told her that wherever black crystal was to be found, the Darkblades would be nearby. She tightened her fists, feeling determination and anger rise. No matter what, she would do her part in destroying the sworn enemies of the Empress and the Empire! ¡°Hey! You got that look in your eye!¡± Amelia exclaimed. ¡°What look?¡± ¡°The look where you¡¯re thinking about shooting and stabbing someone other than me!¡± This idiot! ¡°Well then!¡± Serena declared, ¡°Let¡¯s correct that grievance! Back up a few meters!¡± She motioned with her hands and Amelia retreated. ¡°You¡¯ve got control over your hearing, right?¡± Seeing Amelia nod, Serena moved the equipment into a depression in the earth and fished out two handflags, one green and the other red. ¡°Flags?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°What are they for?¡± ¡°Communication,¡± Serena replied. She turned towards the Vengeance. Dagon had manoeuvred the ship to hover at the same elevation as the island, approximately half a klick away. At this distance, an average person might struggle to make out details but for Serena and the observers on deck, it was not a problem. At this distance, they could probably hear each other shouting, but using flags was the military norm. Serena raised the flags, one in each hand, and made a series of gestures. Ship. Receive. The observer on deck responded with their own series of movements. Serena was taken aback. ¡°In a bomb?¡± ¡°Right¡± ¡°How big is the bomb?¡± The entire Empire probably didn¡¯t produce enough explosives yearly to match the power of a Third Word. Even if the technology of Amelia¡¯s realm had more advanced explosives, such a device would need to be enormous. How would it even be delivered? By one of those ships that Amelia claimed could travel to other planets? ¡°About... this size?¡± Amelia spread her arms about a meter apart. ¡°Surely you jest,¡± Serena shook her head. ¡°Explosives can¡¯t be that powerful.¡± ¡°No, no, it doesn¡¯t use explosives. Well, not the kind you¡¯re thinking of. It uses a different mechanism entirely,¡± Amelia explained. ¡°What type of mechanism?¡± Serena frowned. ¡°I, uh...¡± Amelia hesitated. ¡°I¡¯d rather not say. In fact, it was a mistake to bring it up; I¡¯m sorry. Actually, can you promise me you won¡¯t mention this to anyone else? It¡¯s a weapon that devasted my world on more than one occasion. Imagine if every nation could just produce Third-Word Speakers by the thousands? It¡¯s a disaster waiting to happen.¡± Serena hesitated for a moment. ¡°Alright, I promise. However, tell me one thing. Is this weapon something the Enemy could produce?¡± She felt a dash of relief seeing Amelia shake her head. ¡°No - I don¡¯t even know if the materials to make it exist in this realm. It might be possible for you in... maybe a century? I don¡¯t know; this world focuses more on magic development and its applications. The lumina might mean it¡¯s impossible...¡± Serena nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, I won¡¯t tell anyone.¡± She made a mental note to bring this up with Amelia in the future. A century was not a long time, and if such a weapon was possible in this realm, it was vital for Cascadia to develop it first. Still, she could sense when Amelia could be pushed for more information and could tell the woman would lock up if she prodded any more. ¡°Ready for the final tests?¡± Serena asked, changing the subject. ¡°Instead of taking fire directly, I thought it would be a good idea to test your fieldwards against the Vengeance¡¯s cannon fire.¡± Serena knew mages could cast their wards externally, much like a warrior would cloak their weapon with their aura. However, the strength of Amelia¡¯s spellwork and her ability to fuel wards over large distances was an enormous shock to her. She had long hoped to test these wards and see if Amelia could potentially ward the entire ship in combat. ¡°Pick a first-circle ward and cast it between those two trees,¡± Serena gestured at the trees that had suffered a barrage of fragmentation. ¡°Don¡¯t cloak it; let it be visible to the gunners. We¡¯ll start at the lowest ward and work our way up.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Serena sensed Amelia¡¯s aether boil, and a moment later, a translucent crimson ward formed between the two trees. It shimmered and danced like a flame. Serena peered close. ¡°Is that...¡± ¡°Igni¡¯s Barrier, yup!¡± Amelia nodded happily. She had cast the entry-level ward of Igni, the first demon god of hellfire. ¡°Let¡¯s give it a shot then,¡± Serena raised her flags. Main cannon. Explosive shell. Single. Target ward. Confirm. After confirming the order, one of the Vengeance¡¯s main twin-barreled turrets turned. A singular barrel roared into life and the four-inch shell impacted Amelia¡¯s ward at twice the speed of sound. The explosion ripped the trees apart and both Serena and Amelia were forced to step back from the shockwave. After the smoke cleared, Serena was surprised to see the ward standing firm. ¡°You... you didn¡¯t reform it, right?¡± she asked Amelia, who shook her head. Seven hells! She knew Amelia¡¯s spellwork was powerful, but to see a first-circle ward withstanding a cannon shell!? First circle spells and red aura were supposed to resist only small arms fire! Amelia¡¯s weakest spells were as powerful as a talented mage¡¯s third-circle wards! She wasn¡¯t done yet. She signalled the Vengeance once again. Full broadside. Confirm. The second turret turned and, with its brothers, spoke in anger as they launched four four-inch explosive shells into Amelia¡¯s ward. It was a barrage that had destroyed many an enemy fortification and felled more than a few Republican vessels. The resulting explosion caused Amelia to fall over and Serena to stagger. She kept her eyes peeled at the moment of the explosion. Amelia¡¯s ward wavered but still didn¡¯t break. Ridiculous! ¡°Hehe!¡± Amelia chirped as she clambered to her feet. ¡°Guess you¡¯re going to need a bigger cannon! What!?¡± Serena caught herself glaring at her girlfriend. ¡°Apologies, I¡¯m just used to my cannons doing a normal amount of damage to normal wards. Tsk!¡± Serena turned and waved her flags. If this didn¡¯t penetrate Amelia¡¯s weakest spell, then she¡¯d surely grab her horns in frustration and cry! Full broadside. Penetrator rounds. Confirm. Tungsten was a rare and expensive metal in Cascadia. They had to import most of the ore from the Federation, and so little was mined domestically that tungsten rounds were rationed. They were supposed to be used against truly hardened targets, such as heavy cruisers or battleships. Or one smug human¡¯s wards. The cannons fired, and Serena only caught a glimpse of the shell in flight before they pierced straight through Amelia¡¯s wards, through the hundred feet of earth and exploded out the other side of the island taking with them a significant chunk of its mass. ¡°Ha!¡± she declared triumphantly. ¡°Guess you¡¯re going to need a bigger ward!¡± Amelia bounced to her side, clapping her hands. ¡°Well done!¡± she said with a smile. ¡°You defeated my weakest spell! Shall we try a second-circle ward?¡± ¡°Fine!¡± Serena gave the command as Amelia set up the next level of magic. The tungsten rounds were fired. And the result? Someone got their hair ruffled and their cheeks pulled. Chapter Forty-Four: Human Mince Chapter Forty-Four: Human Mince AnnouncementIf you want a visual guide to where all the cities are mentioned in this chapter, there''s an image in the author notes and a full world map in the discord - :) The next day, with only a few hours until they landed at Asamaywa, Amelia was dragged away from her game of Drunk Demon¡¯s Hand where she¡¯d won a significant chunk of Dagon¡¯s monthly pay and was led by Serena out and onto the deck of the Vengeance. ¡°Wow!¡± Amelia exclaimed, stepping out into the open air and pointing towards the front of the ship. ¡°You can see the airflow!¡± Like the aircraft from her world, the Vengeance had flaperons. The large panels that extended off the port and starboard side of the ship''s hull could be adjusted from the bridge to affect the ship¡¯s roll and help generate lift. An opaque air stream erupted from their tips, trailing the ship''s length. ¡°It¡¯s called trailing vortices,¡± Serena explained. ¡°Happens due to differences in pressure along the flaperon. Atmospheric conditions around the Nai inlet and its mountains are ripe for it when we¡¯re at full sail.¡± She gestured, and Amelia saw the enormous port and starboard sails fully deployed and catching the westerly winds. Good winds could reduce fuel usage by as much as a third, and most vessels took advantage of this fact as much as possible. ¡°Here,¡± Serena said, leading Amelia to the railing and pointing down. ¡°That¡¯s Nai.¡± Far below was a plateau city tucked into the end of an inlet. ¡°They were the last kingdom in the East to fall during the Long Discordancy and the first to re-establish themselves. See how their position is uniquely defensive?¡± Amelia nodded. Mountains hugged Nai on three sides and only a thin path a few kilometres wide was passable between the mountains and each edge of the inlet. On the eastern side, this gap narrowed into nothing as the mountains reached the continent''s edge and on the western side the passage opened up to the vast expanse of the wilderness. ¡°Only one chokepoint to defend, right?¡± Amelia asked. At the end of the western passage, a large wall separated the territory of Nai and the wilderness beyond. Of all the plateau cities she had seen so far, Nai looked like it had cleared the wilderness further from itself than any other, although the total area was likely less than Kenhoro¡¯s surroundings. ¡°Hey,¡± Amelia continued, pointing down. ¡°You can see earthworks where each previous line of defence was.¡± It looked like Nai expanded its territory in no fewer than a dozen separate offensives throughout the centuries. ¡°You¡¯ve got good eyes,¡± Serena said approvingly. ¡°Each Terra Firma¡¯s Overlord closely controls territory expansion. If we take too much too quickly, it¡¯ll trigger a reaction and the ensuing monster wave could wipe out a city.¡± Amelia nodded. She found it incredible how this sprawling Empire was forced to coexist with this great wilderness and its dinosaur-like inhabitants. She glanced over Nai and its surrounding towns. Dozens and dozens of small fishing vessels were sailing from one side of the inlet to another; nets spread wide. In a manner similar to waterborne fish in her old world, the continent edge was where the majority of airborne fish life was found in this realm. ¡°Looks like living here would be cosy!¡± Amelia called out happily. Nai reminded her of a quaint seaside town. ¡°It¡¯s a popular holiday destination for the citizens of the Three Sisters,¡± Serena replied. ¡°Nai is Nina¡¯s favourite city. House Halen owns a small estate in one of the towns. It should be...¡± Serena''s eyes narrowed as she searched the land below. A moment later her brow furrowed and a frown appeared.. ¡°...I¡¯ve forgotten,¡± she eventually mumbled. ¡°Must be so nice to be so rich you can forget about all these extra homes you own!¡± Amelia grinned and began strutting about the deck in her best impression of a stuck-up noble. ¡°Why yes, Sir Chesterfield! The theatre was most- oops!¡± Amelia pretended to trip over something. ¡°Oh my! What was that!? It appears to be yet another estate I own. They seem to pop up everywhere these days!¡± Serena rolled her eyes and placed a hand on her belt-holstered pistol. ¡°You trying to get shot again, idiot?¡± ¡°Always,¡± Amelia fired back with a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t forget, you¡¯re soon going to be so rich you can begin buying multiple homes across the East,¡± Serena explained pointedly. That morning, Amelia signed an updated contract. Some of the provisions of the previous contract revolving around Amelia needing to use her healing powers on Serena¡¯s orders were possibly illegal now she was a Lord-Prospect. Nevertheless, a new contract was signed where Amelia was simply an advisor to Serena - now Lord Halen - and her monthly pay doubled to two thousand four hundred denarii! It was an enormous sum, equivalent to three hundred soldiers! For now, House Halen was handling her funds until all the official paperwork for bank accounts for House Thornheart could be processed. House Thornheart! Amelia was the newly minted head of her very own noble house! In the near future, she¡¯d even get to create her very own sigil and have her insignias crafted! Amelia wasn¡¯t sure what her sigil would look like, so she needed to find time to go over records of other houses for inspiration. ¡°The Three Sisters will come into view soon,¡± Serena said, pointing to the horizon. The Three Sisters; the cities of Asamoto, Asamaywa, and Asamino were where Serena grew up, with Asamaywa being home to House Halen¡¯s core estate and the academy they would soon be attending as instructor and teaching assistant. They would stay at the estate where Serena¡¯s mother resides. Judging by the expression Serena made on her face when talking about her, it seemed the mother of Amelia¡¯s girlfriend would be much less accepting of their relationship than the soft-hearted father! Well! Amelia would simply have to kill the woman with kindness! If she saw how powerful she was, surely the demon mother would come to understand how safe and protected her eldest daughter was from Amelia¡¯s wards! Right? Still, a small ball of anxiety refused to go away, and Amelia was glad to be distracted by the beautiful sights offered by the Vengeance¡¯s deck. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± she asked, pointing towards an area outside Nai where some kind of worksite was established against one of the mountains. ¡°A mine?¡± Rail was laid into tunnels, and Amelia¡¯s sharp eyes could see they were bringing out minecarts filled with rock. ¡°Ah, not quite. They¡¯re building train tracks through the mountain. Soon, Nai will become connected by rail to the Three Sisters. With the help of mages, they¡¯ve been blasting their way through the mountain range for more than ten years now. I think they¡¯re on target to finish next year.¡± Serena had a look of pride on her face, clenching her first. ¡°Once it¡¯s done, it¡¯ll be one of the greatest achievements in the East! To tame even the mountains themselves!¡± ¡°Mmm!¡± Amelia hummed happily. ¡°Do you think I should help? I could-¡± ¡°Idiot,¡± Serena interrupted, reaching out and ruffling Amelia¡¯s hair. ¡°Let us have our achievements! Knowing you, you¡¯ll level half the mountain range and walk away whistling!¡± ¡°Hehe...¡± Amelia smiled, retying her hair. As she tried to think of a comeback, she spotted another point of interest. On the outskirts of one of Nai¡¯s towns was a series of great stone pillars formed concentric circles from which long columns of pillars stretched to the east and west. The construction seemed important as the nearby towns avoided building near them. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Amelia asked, directing Serena¡¯s attention to the mystery. ¡°That¡¯s the Needles of Nai! Guess who put up all those stone pillars?¡± ¡°Uh, the Empress?¡± Amelia guess. ¡°No one knows!¡± Serena declared with a sly smile. ¡°They¡¯re old. Really old. I¡¯m not exactly sure how the archaeologists know but apparently it was built thousands of years before even the first human caravans arrived in this realm! They could be five thousand years old! Imagine what they¡¯ve seen. To those stones, the Empire itself must seem young! See those two columns extruding from the main circles?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± ¡°They call her the Devil of the East,¡± Dagon said, moving his fingers to dance the toothpick across his hand and back. ¡°Aint that right, Tomes?¡± ¡°Right you are, Dagon.¡± Tomes looked at Amelia with a solemn expression. ¡°Men stutter for a week after receiving one of her verbal lashings - isn¡¯t that right, Dagon?¡± ¡°Damn right.¡± Dagon flicked the toothpick into the bin. ¡°One small slip of etiquette, you¡¯ll be chewed out and what remains served for supper. Ain¡¯t that the way things are, Tomes?¡± ¡°Spot on,¡± Tomes replied. ¡°Remember that pretty little noble she dressed down at that ball? It¡¯s been a year and she hasn¡¯t left her estate has she, Dagon?¡± Ahh! ¡°I feel sick,¡± Amelia groaned. ¡°Tomes, is this curtsy okay?¡± She performed her best curtsy, utilising every bit of enhanced dexterity her new body afforded her. ¡°Hmm...¡± Tomes adjusted his glasses. ¡°Seems passable. The real test will be the dinner. Isn¡¯t that right, Dagon?¡± Dagon nodded. ¡°The Devil of the East is known to keep a particularly fine table. Hopefully, Miss Thornheart here remembers how to carve.¡± ¡°C-carve!?¡± She didn¡¯t know how to carve! ¡°Surely I won¡¯t be expected to!?¡± ¡°Listen,¡± Tomes said, leaning forward with one hand extended in the mock action of a carving knife. ¡°Carve away from the bone.¡± ¡°Away from the bone. Right!¡± Amelia nodded intensely. ¡°If it¡¯s venison, cut it in thick slices. If it¡¯s mutton, medium. Beef, thin.¡± Tomes motioned the sizes with a finger and forefinger, and Amelia tried to burn them into memory. ¡°Oh, and if they serve choco, try not to saw at it. Long, smooth motions.¡± ¡°Away from the bone, away from the bone. Venison thick. Mutton medium. Beef thin.¡± Amelia chanted the knowledge to herself with one finger on each temple. ¡°Aye,¡± Dagon said. ¡°But be careful, they might go super fancy and serve human.¡± ¡°Human? What do I do then!?¡± ¡°Human? You take the knife and sort of...¡± Dagon took a hand and mocked a mincing motion against the sofa cushion. ¡°Mince. Quite thoroughly.¡± ¡°Right, right,¡± Amelia muttered. ¡°Venison thick. Mutton medium. Beef thin. Human mince.¡± Dagon sniggered, and then he and Tomes burst out in laughter. The sudden change in atmosphere knocked Amelia¡¯s mind into gear. These... these idiot demons! Amelia scrunched up a piece of paper and threw it at Dagon, who headed the projectile across the room towards Tomes, who slapped it straight into the bin. If Amelia weren¡¯t so annoyed, she would compliment them on their demonstration of teamwork! ¡°Very funny,¡± Amelia sarcastically intoned, folding her arms. ¡°This is your revenge against me winning your wages, huh!?¡± In response, Dagon chuckled, reclining and flashing Amelia his chunky white teeth. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine,¡± Tomes said with a smile. ¡°You don¡¯t become such a well-known figure in eastern social circles as the Lady of House Halen without having tact. You¡¯re a Lord-Prospect and a Speaker. She might prod a bit, but she won¡¯t cross the line, even if she doesn¡¯t like you.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Besides, the Captain will be there; she¡¯ll bail you out.¡± ¡°Nah, she¡¯s gonna be too busy clutching her horns, Tomes.¡± Dagon piped up. ¡°Greatlord Oshiro and his wife are going to be attending.¡± ¡°Oh dear,¡± Tomes mumbled. ¡°At that point, you might as well invite the Dragon and be done with it.¡± ¡°Not helpful,¡± Amelia complained. She was going to complain further but was stopped by the ship rocking slightly and the structure creaking. The ever-subtle hum of the ship¡¯s lift engine whirled down. ¡°There it is,¡± Tomes said. ¡°We just docked.¡± They had arrived in Asamaywa. Chapter Forty-Five: The Public鈥檚 Personage Chapter Forty-Five: The Public¡¯s Personage Serena hadn¡¯t been wrong. The moment Amelia crossed the gangway and set foot on the Asamaywa Imperial Airdocks, several dozen workers ceased their activities and stared at her, stopping only to elbow their coworkers and nod in her direction. Unlike her arrival in Kenhoro, Amelia wasn¡¯t wearing a hat and so her blond hair was as noticeable as a lighthouse aetherlight. Serena suggested Amelia travel covertly throughout the city, but she¡¯d rejected the idea; she was now a Lord-Prospect, and if she wanted to integrate fully into demon society, then the sight of her was something they would need to get used to! Team leaders barked at the distracted workers who scrambled to resume their duties. Still, other demons kept their attention on her; small groups of people dressed in naval officer uniforms mumbled amongst themselves, throwing the occasional glance. Doing her best to ignore them, Amelia chose to look up and down the airdocks, marvelling at how different it was from Kenhoro. The airdocks stretched the entire length of the eastern side of Asamaywa and its connecting sister cities of Asamoto and Asamino. Hundreds of bays were frantic with activity; the noise of engineers with their steam grinders and welders produced a symphony of industry. Dozens of cranes loaded and unloaded cargo, moving large wooden crates and nets filled with sacks. The standardised shipping container that was so recognisable in Amelia¡¯s old world didn¡¯t seem to have been invented yet, so she made a mental note to bring it up with Serena at some point. The hum of dozens of ship engines filled the air, and it was here Amelia saw a battleship for the first time. The Vengeance was classified as a light cruiser at approximately eighty meters long, but the ship before her was more than double that, with an enormous superstructure extending above its deck and below its underhull. Massive triple-barrelled turrets lined the main deck, making the Vengeance¡¯s armament resemble a toy. Amelia counted a dozen secondary turrets, which looked roughly the same size as the Vengeance¡¯s four-inch main batteries. All in all, the ship looked like an angry steel porcupine. This wasn¡¯t a ship that danced with the enemy, nimbly positioning itself and dodging fire. This ship chose a spot in the air, parked itself there, and then obliterated anything rude enough to think it was allowed in the same part of the sky. ¡°It¡¯s an Oshiro-class, the latest design in the East¡¯s ship-of-the-wall doctrine,¡± Serena said, looking at the same ship Amelia was. ¡°Named after the Greatlord of Asamaywa and my direct superior.¡± Serena paused for a moment, fiddling with her gloves. ¡°At least, he was my direct superior. I guess the Vengeance¡¯s lease has ended, and we¡¯re back in the capable hands of Centralis Intelligence.¡± ¡°The same Oshiro we¡¯re about to be dining with...¡± Amelia mused, trying not to smile at the recent memory of Serena clutching her horns. ¡°He must be impressive to have a line of battleships named after him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s Greatlord Oshiro to you, and to me, and to anyone who doesn¡¯t want to embarrass themselves. You¡¯re nobility now, so take extra care to remember the titles of your fellow nobles. Now...¡± Serena sniffed, looking back at the Vengeance¡¯s deck. ¡°Tomes! Where¡¯s my First Officer?¡± ¡°Coming now, Cap¡¯n!¡± Tomes called back. Dagon appeared, hurrying down the gangway and giving Serena a quick salute. ¡°Captain,¡± Dagon intoned. ¡°Dagon, what are your current duties?¡± Serena asked, a subtle smile forming on her face. ¡°Well....¡± Dagon rubbed the back of his head. ¡°Given that you and Miss Thornheart are off to dinner, I¡¯ll sort out the paperwork with the Dockmaster. Then-¡± ¡°Wrong answer. Get Tomes to do it. You¡¯re coming to dinner with us.¡± Serena clicked her tongue, turning and gazing at the battleship a few bays down. ¡°I¡¯m outgunned at this dinner. Dealing with my mother and the Greatlord and his wife? You¡¯ve been a fine First Officer, haven¡¯t you? It would be an honour for you to dine alongside a Greatlord in a Highlord¡¯s estate, would it not?¡± Dagon breathed out slowly, and Amelia heard a stifled laugh from the quartermaster on deck. Dagon looked like he¡¯d much rather be facing the barrel of a gun than Serena¡¯s honourable gift. ¡°It... would be a great honour, Captain,¡± a deflated Dagon mumbled. ¡°Excellent,¡± Serena beamed a charismatic smile. ¡°Go find out if we have a carriage waiting for us. If not, procure one. Dismissed.¡± Dagon responded with a salute slightly slower than normal and trundled off. Serena folded her arms and looked around with her usual impeccable posture. ¡°Is that allowed?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°To just invite him like that?¡± ¡°Lords are permitted to bring a guest to most events. It¡¯s an important tradition that allows nobles to create connections between their benefactors and others. It¡¯s a ¡®you scratch my horn and I scratch yours¡¯ kind of thing.¡± ¡°So, would I be permitted to bring a guest?¡± Serena looked at her suspiciously. ¡°Yes. However... you have a mischievous twinkle in your eye. Who are you thinking of?¡± Grinning, Amelia turned and called up to the Vengeance¡¯s deck. ¡°Oi, Tomes!¡± ¡°What!¡± came the reply. ¡°Want to have dinner!?¡± ¡°Piss off!¡± A moment of silence passed and then Tomes appeared with an apologetic look on his face. ¡°Uh, no offence, Captain. I just meant... you know...¡± he said with a sheepish smile. ¡°What was that, Tomes!?¡± Serena yelled. ¡°Did I just hear you volunteer to clean the toilets?¡± Serena gave Tomes a hard stare until the quartermaster acknowledged the order with a meek ¡°Yes, Captain¡± and disappeared off out of sight. ¡°Don¡¯t be too casual with them in public,¡± Serena mumbled. ¡°At least, not at first. There will be a lot of opposition against your appointment to Lord-Prospect. If you veer too much from established norms, it will be seen as a mockery of high society from a human.¡± Amelia nodded. It was a point Serena had been driving home recently. While the Overlords and their subordinate Greatlords no doubt knew about her Speaking the Second Word, her capabilities were less well-known to most of high society. Even the idea that someone as young as she was a Speaker of the First Word was challenging to believe. Dagon appeared with a worried look on his face. ¡°Captain,¡± he said as he arrived with a salute. ¡°There¡¯s a carriage waiting for you, I mean us, outside the docks. The problem is...¡± he glanced back over his shoulder. ¡°The hacks are there, swarming.¡± ¡°Tsk!¡± Serena clicked her tongue and swore. ¡°Hacks?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°Reporter¡¯s,¡± Dagon explained. ¡°Poking their horns in Captain¡¯s business. They¡¯ve got cameras and everything. I imagine they¡¯re here for you, Miss Thornheart.¡± ¡°Lord-Prospect Thornheart, in public Dagon.¡± Serena hissed. ¡°Seven hells!¡± She turned to Amelia. ¡°Don¡¯t answer any questions, and stick by me. How far to the carriage, Dagon?¡± ¡°Ten meters. The driver got it as close as he could. They recognised your sigil. More are arriving every minute, so the quicker we go, the easier it¡¯ll be.¡± ¡°No time to waste then,¡± Serena turned and caught the attention of a handful of sailors. ¡°You lot, help us get through this pack of hacks. Don¡¯t let them get too close.¡± ¡°Aye, Captain!¡± came the chorus of replies. The sailors rolled up their sleeves and rolled their shoulders. They looked more like they were preparing for a pub fight than anything else. A tinge of nervousness formed in Amelia¡¯s stomach. Reporters from her world were generally highly professional, and the profession was respected. How bad would they be here? How far would a journalist go to get a scoop? ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Serena commanded, and the group moved to leave the docks. Serena went first, then Amelia, and finally Dagon, protecting the rear. The sailors took the flanks. The moment they turned the corner towards the exit the rabble became apparent. Dozens of demons were pushing against a line of dock guards, each holding either a notebook or an old-fashioned-looking camera. Or at least, old-fashioned according to Amelia. Where the novelty cameras from her old world had an electric bulb for their flash photography, the ones in this world used a moon crystal to generate a burst of light. Unfortunately, she didn¡¯t have much time to examine the fascinating piece of magical technology. Still, as the cameras were raised and the flashes began, she noticed with each flash the camera would give off a little hiss of steam. She felt like she was walking into a den of snakes. The thought made her giggle, which helped a bit with the nervousness. The guards parted and their group began pushing through the journalists. Serena barked at them to make way, flaring her aura so it was as visible as possible. While her presence was enough to slowly part the praying journalists, the sailors protecting Amelia¡¯s sides did not have their personal space respected as much. Cameras were raised high and pushed between gaps in their defences, flashing and hissing steam. Thank god Amelia wasn¡¯t epileptic! It wasn¡¯t just the cameras. A hundred questions were thrown at her in a chaotic symphony of noise. ¡°Thornheart! Is it true you¡¯re a Speaker!?¡± ¡°Human! Lord Nakata has suggested you¡¯re a spy! Do you have any comment on these accusations!?¡± ¡°At the front gate,¡± Serena answered before stepping outside and speaking to whoever had called out to them. A few moments passed and Serena reappeared. A loud clunk sounded and the iron gates opened with a whine. The carriage passed through and Amelia noticed an enormous silver wolf welded onto the gates. The familiar sigil of House Halen. The carriage trundled along the gravel pathway before veering in a semicircle around a fountain and pulling up to the front of the house. ¡°Seven hells!¡± Serena muttered, peering through her window. ¡°What is it?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°Your mother?¡± ¡°No,¡± Serena shook her head. ¡°My grandmother. Mother must have sent her to fetch us, which means she¡¯s probably already entertaining Greatlord Oshiro and his wife. Come on, let¡¯s go.¡± Serena opened the door, stepping out of the carriage. Amelia followed with Dagon right behind. There was a single demon waiting for them. An elderly demon and probably the oldest looking demon Amelia had seen so far. The old woman was slightly hunched, wearing an elegant shawl and leaning against an ornately carved walking stick. Her face was weathered, but her eyes were bright crimson and when she looked at Amelia she seemed to bore right through her. ¡°Hurry your horns! Get over here!¡± Serena¡¯s grandmother called out, her voice rough but clear and strong. ¡°Seven hells! Now, let¡¯s see... hmm...¡± The elderly demon mumbled as the trio fell in line before her. ¡°Grandmother! How are you doing? I didn¡¯t expect to see you today,¡± Serena said. ¡°Hmph! Look at you! My granddaughter,¡± Serena¡¯s grandmother peered closer, clicking her tongue in a very Serena-like fashion. ¡°You look younger. A spitting image of your mother at your age. Is this the work of your human¡¯s healing?¡± The elderly demon waved her walking stick in Amelia¡¯s direction without looking her way. ¡°Grandmother, Amelia-¡± ¡°Quiet! Your grandmother isn¡¯t finished! I see your manners need some work.¡± The grandmother slowly circled Serena. Amelia focused on looking straight ahead with her very best posture lest she incur the wrath of this demon! ¡°At least you¡¯ve kept your uniform clean!¡± Amelia felt a small bubble of pride, knowing it was her cleaning magic that was responsible. ¡°I see those idiots finally came to their senses and made you Lord. If young Oshiro was going to delay any longer, I was going to give him a whack!¡± To punctuate her point, the demon slapped the gravel a few times with her walking stick. ¡°About time the Admiralty recognised you properly! Half of them are useless, and the other half spend most of their time picking up after the other idiots. It¡¯s a wonder we haven¡¯t lost the war with so many fools in charge!¡± ¡°Grandmother!¡± Serena burst out with exasperation. ¡°Please refer to Greatlord Oshiro with-¡± ¡°What? I give credit where it''s due! Don¡¯t think they scare me! I¡¯m too old to get scared! Bah! I just spent the last hour telling it to his face! Although...¡± The old woman paused. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s why they sent me out instead...¡± she mumbled. No one said anything while the elderly demon finished her circle, standing back in front of the group. She narrowed her eyes at Dagon. ¡°Who in the seven hells are you!?¡± ¡°D-Dagon Dahlberg, Ma¡¯am!¡± Dagon spluttered. ¡°First Officer of the Vengeance!¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± The grandmother peered closely. A long silence ensued until she asked, ¡°You¡¯re from the South, aren¡¯t you? Where do you hail from?¡± ¡°Kurnal, Ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Bah! Serena, is this man your lover?¡± Serena spluttered. ¡°Grandmother! Where are your manners!¡± Her voice betrayed a note of anger. Amelia turned her head to see Dagon going as red as a tomato. She couldn¡¯t wait to tell Tomes about this in the future! ¡°Don¡¯t get snappy with me, missy!¡± A walking stick was waved in Serena¡¯s direction. ¡°You¡¯re not married, and you¡¯ve bought an upstanding-looking man with you! What am I supposed to think, eh?¡± ¡°Officer Dagon is a fine First Officer, and he is here because I believe he deserves to be recognised by Greatlord Oshiro for his service. He is my guest, but he is not my lover! Grandmother, stop asking such ridiculous questions!¡± ¡°Tsk!¡± The elderly woman clicked her tongue. ¡°Well, better be so. We don¡¯t want our noble family mixing with Southern blood! No offence, Officer Dahlberg.¡± ¡°...None taken, Ma¡¯am,¡± Dagon mumbled weakly. ¡°Well then!¡± The walking stick went tap-tap as Serena¡¯s grandmother came to a stop in front of Amelia. ¡°This must be the human everyone¡¯s blathering on about. Amelia Thornheart, is it?¡± ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am!¡± Amelia did her best to smile. ¡°Tsk! You¡¯re pretty for a human, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am!¡± Amelia chirped. ¡°What¡¯s a pretty human like you doing so far away from home?¡± The demon¡¯s eyes narrowed as she placed both hands on her walking stick and leaned towards Amelia. Amelia swallowed, her brain racing. ¡°A call to adventure, I suppose.¡± ¡°Adventure, is it?¡± The grandmother scoffed. ¡°Quite a bit of luck, isn¡¯t it? For your adventure to lead you to the table of House Halen - producers of munitions - during wartime.¡± A dangerous glint appeared in her eyes. ¡°And what if I were to accuse you of being a spy? What would you say then, Lord Prospect Thornheart?¡± ¡°Grand-¡± Serena began, but her grandmother cut her off with a firm ¡°Silence!¡± Amelia looked into the grandmother¡¯s eyes and for a moment they just stared at each other. Forming her reply, Amelia opened her mouth and said, ¡°I would say it would reflect poorly on House Halen, for they would surely have ensured my loyalty and status before inviting me to dinner with a Greatlord during wartime.¡± ¡°Hrmph. We could be setting a trap.¡± The grandmother scoffed. ¡°With respect, Ma¡¯am,¡± Amelia felt herself smile. ¡°You¡¯ll need more than a few Greatlords for that.¡± Next to her, Amelia could swear she heard Serena groan internally. ¡°You¡¯re sharp. For a human so young,¡± the elderly demon said with a sly smile. ¡°And so are you. For a demon so old,¡± Amelia cheerfully replied. ¡°Ha!¡± The grandmother waved her walking stick. ¡°So bold!¡± She turned and methodically shuffled back towards the entrance. After a few steps, she turned, eyeing Amelia. ¡°You¡¯ll do just fine,¡± mumbled the grandmother. ¡°Just fine indeed. Come on, you lot! Young Oshiro is waiting!¡± Casting complicated expressions at each other, the trio followed the old women into the house. It was time to dine with the Devil of the East! Chapter Forty-Six: Greatlord Oshiro Chapter Forty-Six: Greatlord Oshiro AnnouncementIf you''re enjoying the series and want to find delicious cookies and theory-craft (or nag me to write more), then stop by the series discord! We have more than 160 members already :3 Greatlord Oshiro shifted slightly in his chair. It wasn¡¯t that his seat was uncomfortable, the atmosphere awkward, or the temperature too hot or cold. No, it was his instincts as a warrior, honed to a standard worthy of his station through thousands of hours of religious practice, that caused him to adjust his weight. It wasn¡¯t a conscious reaction, and he found his body preparing for combat before he identified any obvious threats. The sensation lingered in his mind; the subtle screaming of his instincts informed him of one clear fact unnoticed by everyone else around him. Danger. But from where? It wasn¡¯t from Highlady Halen, the pinnacle of Eastern nobility and Lady of the House Halen, who was chatting amicably while delicately sipping tea. Nor was it from the unparalleled beauty in discussion with her: his wife, Ashina Oshiro. Neither was the threat from the legion of skilled maids that served them with practised grace and elegance. Not even the houseguards, some talented enough to break into yellow aura, were enough to cause a second glance. The threat was outside and coming closer. While his wife and Highlady Halen discussed their travel plans after this year¡¯s storm season was to end, Oshiro found himself alert for what was approaching. This was the source of danger. Every fibre in his body twitched in anticipation and excitement. The door opened, and through it shuffled the foul-tongued mother of Highlady Halen. While the old bat was a force in of herself, she wasn¡¯t the source of his unease. Next came Lord-Prospect Halen; no, she was now Lord Halen. His Overlord had beaten him to her long-deserved promotion. Serena was indeed a talented warrior and skilful captain. If the rumours were correct, she was on the verge of blue aura, a monumental achievement for a demon so young. Yet her formidable presence was not what set Oshiro on edge. The real source of the storm was the person who was half-hidden behind her. The singular person in this estate who lacked horns. The only human he had ever known to carry the crimson eyes of the most pureblood demons. The woman was warded and cloaked by countless layers of spellwork, an amount of which betrayed her titanic aether reserves, again betrayed by the fact that a similar amount of spellwork was being maintained upon the newly sanctioned Lord Halen. Amelia Thornheart. The young human mage invoked a reaction within Oshiro that was similar to how he felt when he faced his Overlord. It was a sensation only warriors like himself could experience. It was the promise of a great battle against a worthy foe. What would happen if he attacked the human right now? Could he win? How many Words would he have to Speak to break those wards? How would his aura handle her spellwork? Something about him must have shown through, giving away his inner thoughts. Once Highlady Halen stood up and approached the guests, his wife turned towards him with a hardened stare. No fighting, she mouthed at him. He¡¯d been caught! No one could read him as well as his wife could. Still, he would play dumb. He forced a surprised expression and turned his palms upwards as if to say, What could you possibly be talking about? You¡¯ve got that look in your eye again, his wife mouthed. What look!? He mouthed back. Nothing, she replied, followed by a smile. Highlady Halen brought over the guests; The grumbling old woman who cared little for decorum; Serena, with her sharp eyes evaluating the environment; Lady Thornheart, who was trying to appear casual, but the slight rigidity in how she moved betrayed her discomfort; And another demon from the South who seemed familiar, but Oshiro couldn¡¯t immediately place him. Judging by the man¡¯s uniform, he was likely Serena¡¯s First Officer. Oshiro wasn¡¯t sure who looked more out of place, the mysterious human or this Southern demon with a noticeable nervous sweat forming on his hairless head. ¡°I know you¡¯ve met before, Greatlord Oshiro, but allow a proud mother to introduce...¡± Highlady Halen gestured to her daughter. ¡°My daughter, Speaker, war hero, and now Lord. Serena.¡± The daughter in question snapped to attention with a perfect salute. Oshiro rose, doing his best not to stare at the human. ¡°At ease, Captain,¡± he returned the salute. ¡°Let¡¯s not have the formality of the military distract from this casual evening.¡± After Serena relaxed, he added, ¡°Tremendous work up North. I was about to sanction your Lordship myself, only to find I was beaten to it by our Overlord. You¡¯ll make a fine Cascadian Lord, Captain Halen.¡± ¡°Thank you, Greatlord,¡± Serena replied. ¡°If it were my choice, I would have preferred to remain under the horns of the Eastern Admiralty.¡± Oshiro felt the corner of his mouth rise at the compliment. If he had his way, the Vengeance and its talented captain would remain under his horns. Nevertheless, an agreement was made between his Overlord and Centralis, and he was grudgingly encouraged not to renew the lease. Again, he resisted a glance at the human. How many of these events were because of her? ¡°Centralis has their way of doing things,¡± Oshiro intoned before Lord Halen¡¯s compliment lingered into an awkward silence. ¡°They may have their horns stacked with paperwork, but the Imperial Navy is competent.¡± When it¡¯s forced to be, he added silently. ¡°Tsk!¡± Highlady Halen¡¯s grandmother clicked her tongue, reminding Oshiro that the woman still hadn¡¯t died. ¡°Competent? Ha! They¡¯re soft. Afraid to mobilise properly! It¡¯s been eight years, and they still can¡¯t put down the Republic. Soft, I tell you! Soft!¡± The old woman shuffled over to her granddaughter, tapping her cane against Serena¡¯s uniform. ¡°Serena here has more grit,¡± she said, clenching her free hand into a tight ball. ¡°In one of her horns than the entire of Centralis! You shouldn¡¯t have let her go, young Oshiro!¡± ¡°Mother!¡± Highlady Halen protested, clearly attempting to keep her voice controlled. ¡°Grandmother!¡± Serena blurted out, casting a nervous eye in his direction. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Oshiro raised a hand, silencing the complaints. ¡°I¡¯m sure the esteemed mother of Highlady Halen wasn¡¯t criticising the orders of the Eastern Admiralty, was she?¡± He gave the old bat a hard stare who eventually looked away, clicking her tongue. ¡°No, no...¡± she mumbled. ¡°I¡¯m just an old lady, forgetting myself. Don¡¯t mind me.¡± She waved her cane dismissively. ¡°I¡¯ll just sit here and have some nice tea...¡± The old demon shuffled over to a chair and began pulling it out. A maid jumped forward to assist but was quickly smacked away with a swipe of the cane. ¡°Damn you!¡± she complained. ¡°I can sit at a table just fine by myself, thank you! Help me when I¡¯m dead! Hmph!¡± ¡°And...¡± Highlady Halen began with a weak smile and eyes that screamed I¡¯m sorry, that crazy old woman is a horn in my side! ¡°I believe this is First Officer Dahlberg, an unexpected addition to our little table. Officer Dahlberg, may I introduce you to Greatlord Oshiro and his wife, Ashina?¡± The Southern demon stiffened. ¡°It¡¯s an honour, Greatlord, sir,¡± he said quickly. ¡°Dahlberg, is it?¡± Oshiro intoned, amused at how out of place the bald, muscular Southerner was in this environment. ¡°Not many Southerners earn a commission in the Eastern Navy. First Officer, was it? It must be you keeping the ship in check when Lord Halen here is off winning battles and...¡± he paused, letting his gaze linger on Amelia Thornheart. ¡°...Collecting humans.¡± Dahlberg mumbled something but Oshiro was more interested in the reaction of the human. He tried to decipher her nature and temperament, but the weak smile she gave wasn¡¯t anything unusual compared to the typical unease most humans feel around demons. He looked expectantly at Highlady Halen, who quickly understood his meaning. The women continued to gossip, and Oshiro noted his wife¡¯s attempt to include Lady Thornheart in their conversations. It also didn¡¯t escape Oshiro¡¯s notice that Highlady Halen was clearly not happy at the human''s presence. She didn¡¯t push it into the realm of rudeness, especially as his wife was making her friendly stance clear, but there was an absence of inclusion from Highlady Halen that betrayed her dislike. How would the Lady of House Halen react if he told her he suspected Amelia Thornheart of being the Empress? What would Serena say? There was always the possibility that Serena had more information than he had and was somehow involved in this mysterious plot. He briefly considered pulling her aside and ordering her to tell him, but something within him told him it wasn¡¯t the right move. Greatlord Oshiro, may I raise a matter?¡± Amelia asked politely after a lull in the conversation. All three women gave her the side-eye while the grandmother chuckled but thankfully didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°You may,¡± he replied. Amelia explained that as a talented healer, she wanted to see if she could arrange to visit hospitals and provide her services. She¡¯d raised the matter with Highlord Halen, who¡¯d been somewhat critical of the idea and had correctly informed her it was not a small decision and could cause conflict between the Terra Firmas. Demonkind had no gods of healing. Amelia Thornheart¡¯s presence, whether she was a talented human Speaker or the Empress secretly forcing communion with the human gods, was nevertheless a drastic shift in the political landscape. Was this the Empress¡¯s plan to bring healing spellwork back into the hands of the demons somehow? Oshiro resisted a sigh. It would do him better if he weren¡¯t to try and guess such things. He would continue as if he didn¡¯t have any suspicions regarding Amelia Thornheart¡¯s true identity. ¡°You were right to bring this up with me, Lady Thornheart,¡± Oshiro began. ¡°I believe House Halen has already received many offers regarding your services. Highlady Halen?¡± ¡°That¡¯s quite right, Greatlord,¡± Highlady Halen said through a smile that didn¡¯t quite reach her eyes. ¡°Thirty-seven letters, numerous requests for meetings, and I believe this very morning, a very determined messenger had to be thrown out by our guards! Your connection with House Halen has caused a plethora of complications that I hope you¡¯ll do your best to resolve.¡± Choosing not to let the not-so-subtle implication of Lady Thornheart¡¯s unwelcome presence linger for too long, Oshiro quickly added, ¡°As you can see, there is a growing problem. If we allow you to heal the friends and family of Eastern Lords, then a conflict will arise with the nobility of other territories. If we disallow it completely, I fear we¡¯ll be under entirely different kinds of pressure.¡± If they prevented Lady Thornheart from healing outside of her contract with House Halen, then they would face accusations of not using the resource that was this human. Then, it wouldn¡¯t be long until outside forces began trying to take her for themselves. ¡°I will raise this matter with my Overlord,¡± Oshiro declared. ¡°I suspect an agreement will have to be made with other territories. For example, you would be permitted to restore a battalion¡¯s worth of soldiers if there were a promise you would do the same in each of the other Terra Firmas. One son of a family here, for a daughter elsewhere. That kind of arrangement.¡± That was simplifying it. In reality, there would be even more fighting amongst the Eastern Nobility regarding who deserved Amelia¡¯s healing. It would take the orders of the Overlord to contain it. ¡°O-okay! I mean, thank you, Greatlord.¡± Amelia flashed a smile. ¡°I look forward to your reply!¡± Oshiro didn¡¯t know if Amelia¡¯s casualness was out of ignorance, confidence or something else, but he didn¡¯t comment and politely informed her that she was welcome. Conservation continued, with a few jabs thrown in from Highlady Halen. Whether the human could tell or not, Oshiro wasn¡¯t sure. Ashina would always bring things back down before they could boil over into an argument. As much as his wife looked to include Amelia, Serena did the same to her First Officer. Oshiro suspected the man had been dragged here against his will and would only speak when spoken to. As the table was set for dinner and the smell of venison could be caught from the kitchens, voices were raised when Highlady Halen learned her daughter would not spend her time in Asamaywa at the estate. Instead, Lord Halen and Lady Thornheart would favour the rooms at the academy. ¡°Serena! I¡¯ve barely seen you this year, and you¡¯re going to hide away in that academy, training and teaching?¡± Highlady Halen protested. ¡°Surely you¡¯d prefer staying in the home you grew up in!¡± ¡°It¡¯s simply more practical to stay at the academy,¡± Serena countered. ¡°I miss you dearly, and I¡¯ll find time to visit. We can go to the theatre this weekend.¡± ¡°To the theatre?¡± ¡°Yes, mother.¡± ¡°Just us?¡± Highlady Halen intoned, her brow slightly creasing. ¡°Yes, just us,¡± Serena said, letting the smallest sigh escape. ¡°I see I haven¡¯t been invited!¡± the grandmother exclaimed in a huff. ¡°Forgot I was here, did you? Hmm?¡± ¡°Grandmother,¡± Serena said with a smile, ¡°Would you like to come to the theatre with Mother and me?¡± ¡°No, I hate the theatre,¡± the old demon grumbled. ¡°Dreadful place. Too dark and too loud.¡± The grumpy reply caused even Oshiro to chuckle. ¡°Give my best to the Grandmaster, Lord Halen. I imagine you¡¯ll see him tonight.¡± ¡°Of course, Greatlord. We¡¯ll be heading there after dinner,¡± Serena sniffed and glanced behind her. ¡°Speaking of...¡± The house staff brought out dinner, an elaborate and extensive variety of expensive dishes suitable for satisfying someone of his station. The main dish, an enormous silver plate containing a deer lying on a bed of citrus fruits, was placed on the table. ¡°Lady Thornheart!¡± Highlady Halen called out. ¡°It appears the duty of carving has fallen upon you. If you could, dear.¡± She gestured towards the carving fork and knife. Oshiro wasn¡¯t sure if anyone else heard the nervous swallow from the human. Amelia picked up the utensils, stood up and with a deep breath and a moment of hesitation, leant forward. What became of the expertly cooked deer caused a tense atmosphere to develop. ¡°Amelia, dear,¡± Ashina said with amusement, ¡°The poor creature has suffered enough already. No need to kill it again.¡± ¡°Y-yes, Greatlady...¡± Amelia mumbled in a pained expression. Oshiro was pretty sure the human was mouthing the phrase ¡°away from the bone¡± to herself repeatedly. Well, this display had certainly put a hole in his theory that Amelia was the Empress in disguise. The Empress was talented in countless skills, but surely even with a thousand years of practice, no one, not even her, could act out the awkward butchery that was taking place in front of his eyes. Should Amelia Thornheart become a titan of the Empire, what was happening before him would be a story that would serve him well. Oshiro resisted a smile and simply sipped his tea. What an amusing human. Chapter Forty-Seven: The Assistant Instructor鈥檚 Assistant Chapter Forty-Seven: The Assistant Instructor¡¯s Assistant The carriage trundled away from Serena¡¯s home and towards the academy. Inside, the pitter-patter of steadily increasing raindrops filled the carriage¡¯s cabin. Serena sat, doing her best not to break out into a giggle. Amelia sat opposite her and judging by how she looked everywhere but at Serena, she wasn¡¯t able to make eye contact. ¡°That was... something,¡± Serena said before biting her tongue to stop herself from laughing. With a mighty effort, she managed to squeeze out the question, ¡°Did you... enjoy the dinner?¡± ¡°Uhhh...¡± came the agonised groan. Amelia didn¡¯t meet Serena¡¯s gaze. Instead, she turned her head slowly and let her body tilt until her forehead smashed against the carriage wall. ¡°I think,¡± she mumbled. ¡°I think I want to die.¡± ¡°Nonsense!¡± Serena replied cheerfully. ¡°It was a wonderful introduction to my Mother and Greatlord Oshiro! You made...¡± she intentionally paused for dramatic effect, ¡°...a memorable impression.¡± ¡°Uuhhhh!¡± Amelia whimpered, her eyes squeezed closed. ¡°You¡¯re doing this on purpose, aren¡¯t you? You devilish demon...¡± ¡°No!¡± Serena protested, forcing her eyes wide with innocence. Yes. She was. There was no way she would miss the opportunity to make Amelia squirm. Just like the human had done to her dozens of times with her crass innuendos. ¡°All I want to say...¡± Serena raised a finger and placed it on her chin, tilting her head in mock thoughtfulness. ¡°I think we should donate to the Asamaywa Carpenter¡¯s Guild.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Amelia slightly turned her head, giving Serena the side-eye. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Well, for being able to create a dining table capable of withstanding such a brutal-¡± ¡°Stop! Oh my god!¡± Amelia wailed, half crying and half laughing. ¡°I swear I¡¯ll hit you! I really will!¡± Unable to keep it down herself, Serena broke out into a fit of laughter. She laughed heartedly until her belly ached. She would never have laughed like this before, but now she felt like she could enjoy the moment to its fullest. Amelia pouted before moving to sit next to her. Her blond head rested on Serena¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I think I might have been... out of my depth,¡± Amelia mumbled. Serena placed a hand upon Amelia¡¯s hair, massaging and running her fingers through it. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Serena said soothingly. ¡°When I was a teenager, Father took me to my first ball. Trying to set me up with some newly sanctioned Lord-Prospect or another,¡± Serena smiled, remembering the events. ¡°I was excited but so nervous! The moment we started dancing, I kept standing on all his toes and almost tripped over in front of everyone! I thought I¡¯d never live it down! Ha!¡± She continued gently rubbing Amelia¡¯s head. ¡°Everyone¡¯s nervous the first few times in front of someone like my Mother. It¡¯ll get easier.¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t like me, does she?¡± Amelia asked softly before clenching her fist. ¡°She kept saying things in a way that I knew were sly comments, but I couldn¡¯t figure out how to respond! It was so awkward...¡± Serena made a noise of agreement. Her mother was masterful at her ability to control conversation and say ten different things with only a few words. Amelia couldn¡¯t be expected to contend with her. Serena was confident that the benefits of having a Second Word Speaker aligned with her family would eventually win out over her mother¡¯s disposition against humans. Serena didn''t know whether that would happen over a few months or years. Hopefully, it was the former. ¡°At least your Father and Lani like me,¡± Amelia muttered. ¡°When one horn grows, the other withers,¡± Serena said pointedly. Amelia was quiet momentarily before asking, ¡°Can horns wither?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°...Stupid expression.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Amelia turned her head, looking up with glistening eyes. ¡°Stupid demon,¡± she said with a weak smile. She quickly smacked her lips together. Understanding her meaning, Serena bent down and kissed her before wiping Amelia¡¯s tears of frustration away. ¡°Stupid human,¡± she said, grinning. ¡°Mmm,¡± Amelia answered. She leaned away, moving the curtain and peering outside. ¡°It¡¯s raining hard...¡± she mumbled. ¡°The moon¡¯s really big.¡± ¡°Not long now till moonfall,¡± Serena replied, peering out her window at the moon. The next moonfall was about a week away. She planned to take Amelia to one of the viewing towers to watch it. ¡°Hopefully, no idiots get caught out and hit.¡± After each moonfall there would be a mad scramble for everyone to gather as many crystals as possible to sell to the authorities for processing. More often than not, a few daring demons - perhaps fathers with children who have empty bellies - would risk the falling crystals and try and harvest early. ¡°Does it damage the buildings?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°Sometimes, but if you look, most of the buildings have reinforced roofs,¡± Serena explained. ¡°And those that don¡¯t have coverings that can be pulled over.¡± Most architectural designs across all cultures incorporated sloped roofs to help minimise the expected damage. The falling moon crystals did slow down as they got closer to the lumina as the aetheric-lumina reaction became stronger, but the larger chunks could still go straight through a non-reinforced flat roof or kill someone unlucky enough to be in its path. ¡°How much falls?¡± ¡°Across the Eastern cities and their inhabited surroundings? Tens of thousands of tonnes, give or take.¡± Serena wobbled her palm. ¡°Far more throughout the Great Wilderness, although accessing it isn¡¯t viable for most.¡± Speakers and other talented adventurers could venture out and harvest, but those with that capability often had better options for income. The exception was red crystal, which was traded at a premium due to the war effort. Serena heard there was a booming business for those willing to risk the desert sands. ¡°So much...¡± Amelia said to herself. A comfortable silence took over the carriage. With a background of soothing rainfall, the pair of them stared out their respective windows, lost in their thoughts. The carriage jolted as it came to a stop and Serena realised she¡¯d lost track of time and they¡¯d arrived at the academy. Someone was talking to the carriage driver. Despite the heavy rainfall blanketing the city, Serena could easily make out the conversation. A female speaker was explaining that the academy path was being repaved and that it wasn¡¯t suitable for a carriage. They would need to walk. The driver - a long-term employee of House Halen - argued quite passionately against the inconvenience but ultimately relented. With the sound of boots splashing through water, the figure knocked on the carriage door. Serena opened it, revealing a drenched figure; their raincoat and hat had not sufficiently defended them against the pouring rain. ¡°Lord Halen!¡± They called out. ¡°I apologise for the inconvenience, but you must walk from here! We¡¯re repaving the entire road, and the carriage won¡¯t be able to get past!¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± Serena demanded. ¡°I¡¯m Instructor Kawas!¡± yelled the figure through the rain. ¡°We drew straws to see who would come out here and get you!¡± Instructor Kawas leaned slightly, looking past Serena at the other occupant of the carriage. ¡°Lord-Prospect Thornheart! Welcome to Asamaywa Academy! Do you prefer to be addressed as Speaker or Lord-Prospect!?¡± ¡°Umm,¡± Amelia bit her lips before collecting herself. ¡°Lord-Prospect is fine, Instructor Kawas!¡± ¡°Excellent! I apologise for the weather! Please follow me; we¡¯ll be there in no time!¡± Serena climbed out of the carriage, instantly becoming drenched by the rain. She hadn¡¯t had the foresight to bring a rainhat. Nevertheless, the frantic rain and the air getting colder by the day did little to distract her. Even without Amelia¡¯s wards, Serena¡¯s aura was sufficiently powerful enough that she could sleep in a freezing, muddy trench perfectly fine. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean she wouldn¡¯t seek better sleeping arrangements if possible. Amelia followed and the moment she stepped off the carriage, her aether surged. The sudden unannounced spellwork caused Serena to prepare herself instinctively while Instructor Kawas stepped back with an expression of surprise. Soon, it became evident neither of them needed to have worried, as an external ward formed several meters above them. At about a dozen square meters, the ward generously blocked out the rain and the noise of the water took on a cosy, muffled quality. ¡°Your-¡± Instructor Kawas began yelling but quickly stopped, realising she could talk normally. ¡°Your talents seem true to the rumours, Lord-Prospect Thornheart.¡± The instructor took a moment to peer at the ward above. ¡°So large... and so quickly cast... and so silently...¡± She peered at Amelia momentarily, an element of awe forming in her eyes. ¡°I hope all human mages aren¡¯t this capable.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think you¡¯ll need to worry about that...¡± Serena muttered. ¡°Lord Halen?¡± Instructor Kawas said with a tilt of her head. ¡°Never mind.¡± Serena decided to change the subject quickly. ¡°What subject do you instruct at the academy, Instructor Kawas?¡± She gestured along the path. The instructor took her meaning and began leading them through the wet and muddy academy grounds. ¡°Air tactics,¡± the instructor replied. After everything was all said and done only Instructor Kawas and Instructor Nakajima remained. The latter yawned before telling Serena, ¡°Instructor Halen, your lodgings are this way.¡± ¡°Assistant Instructor Thornheart, if you could follow me this way,¡± Instructor Kawas politely bowed. Serena raised an eyebrow. ¡°We¡¯re not to be in the same building?¡± Instructor Nakajima shook her head, waving pitch-black hair. ¡°Instructors under Nathaniel stay in the main building. Those under dear Lunaria are all housed in the new building for the Department of Aether Studies. Is there a problem?¡± Serena shook her head. ¡°No problem!¡± Amelia said cheerfully. She whispered to Serena, ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow!¡± With a wave, she bounced away with Instructor Kawas speed-walking to keep up. Serena resisted the urge to sigh. ¡°Strange human,¡± Instructor Nakajima muttered. ¡°You¡¯re telling me,¡± Serena answered. Serena hoped she¡¯d be able to sleep this time, without Amelia¡¯s warm body nearby. Even on the Vengeance, they had separate hammocks but were still in the same room. Maybe she could hug a pillow instead. Thinking about how she could best arrange bedding to resemble her dear human, Serena mumbled simple replies to Instructor Nakajima¡¯s questions while she led her through the building. Amelia hummed as Instructor Kawas led her through the hallways. They left the main building through a side door and headed towards another building. Amelia didn¡¯t need to cast any magic for the rain as the academy had built a wooden structure covering the path between the two buildings. ¡°It¡¯s well-lit,¡± Amelia said, noting the numerous aetherlights that shone with a sharp white light, illuminating the rainy night. ¡°It used to be gas lamps,¡± Instructor Kawas replied. ¡°With all the new funding we¡¯ve been able to modernise quite a bit.¡± They continued into the Department of Aether and began climbing the long spiral stairs that snaked their way all the way to the top floor. The building was perhaps ten stories tall and Amelia noted they¡¯d used wooden beams to try and hide the steel beams used in its construction. Instructor Kawas tried a few times to prod a little at Amelia and her magical talents but she was given mostly non-answers. Amelia would hide her true skills up her sleeve. Only Serena was allowed to know everything! ¡°You¡¯ve been appointed an assistant,¡± Instructor Kawas suddenly said when they stepped off the stairway. Amelia stopped, not being able to stop her mouth from dropping open. ¡°Me?¡± she asked, pointing towards herself. ¡°An assistant?¡± Seeing Instructor Kawas nod, she added, ¡°What would I need one for?¡± ¡°All the minor tasks that might take time away from your teaching or training,¡± the instructor explained. ¡°Passing messages to other members of staff. Retrieving or returning books from the library. They can also assist you with experiments, should you conduct any.¡± Amelia nodded. The reasons made sense. Still, could she act appropriately as someone¡¯s superior? She supposed all she needed to do was channel a bit of the confidence Serena displayed in her infamous Captain mode. ¡°Who are they, a mage?¡± she asked. Surprisingly, Instructor Kawas shook her head. ¡°Due to your interest in swordsmanship, someone made the decision to have a warrior assist you. It caused a bit of politicking because while you¡¯re a Speaker, none of the senior students wanted to work for a, uh...¡± the woman suddenly looked down. ¡°Work for a human, right?¡± Amelia said with a reassuring smile. ¡°Apologies, Assistant Instructor Thornheart.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be,¡± Amelia waved it away. ¡°So you found someone, right?¡± ¡°Right,¡± Instructor Kawas nodded. ¡°They- ah! Here we are...¡± they stopped in front of a door. ¡°These are your quarters. You have your own bedroom, reception room and bathroom. You¡¯ll find appropriate clothes and other necessities inside. Your assistant will be able to help you with anything you require. Speaking of...¡± Kawas motioned to a door at the end of the hallway, from which a soft yellow light bled through the gaps in the doorframe. ¡°They seem to be awake. I suggest you introduce yourself.¡± ¡°O-okay!¡± Amelia clenched her fist. Before she had taken two steps, Instructor Kawas stopped her. ¡°A bit of a warning. They don¡¯t actually know you¡¯re a human. They¡¯ve only been told they¡¯ll be working under a talented Speaker for a semester and jumped at the opportunity.¡± ¡°They don¡¯t know who I am?¡± ¡°Well, they¡¯re a foreign student. From Kenhoro...¡± Oh? Did Grandmaster Gu recommend someone? It sort of made sense. Kenhoro was more cosmopolitan, so finding a student who would be okay working with her would be easier. Still, it was strange they didn¡¯t tell them who she was. ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡± Amelia said reassuringly, more to herself than the apologetic-looking Instructor. ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll get along fine!¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief,¡± Instructor Kawas said with a sigh. ¡°Then... I¡¯ll leave you be. Any problems, you can contact reception at the bottom and someone will come and sort things out. Goodnight, Assistant Instructor Thornheart.¡± The woman bowed, and soon her steps vanished down the winding staircase. Amelia gulped and approached the door of her assistant. Casting some magic to quieten her footsteps and disguise her presence, she crept right up to the door. Straining her hearing, she listened. Footsteps. Someone was inside and by the sound of their feet they were pacing back and forth. Were they as anxious as she was? Hopefully they were. It would make things easier for Amelia. Taking a deep breath, Amelia wore her very best lets-be-friends smile and knocked quickly on the door. At the sound of her knocking, the person inside squealed. A woman, by the sounds of it. There was the sound of frantic movement that stopped on the other side of the doorway. Amelia could hear them take their own deep breath. The door opened and revealed Amelia¡¯s assistant holding a lantern. ¡°Hello!¡± Amelia quickly chirped. ¡°I¡¯m Amelia, pleased to- Y-y-you!¡± She felt her eyes go wide and she raised a finger at the surprised demon who in turn dropped the lantern. It shattered upon the wooden floor. ¡°W-what are you doing here!?¡± the assistant cried out, a note of fear in her voice. ¡°T-that¡¯s my line!¡± Amelia exclaimed. Mel stuttered, her expression looking every bit as confused as Amelia felt. Chapter Forty-Eight: The Northern Swordmaster Chapter Forty-Eight: The Northern Swordmaster AnnouncementHello! If you''re enjoying the series and want to natter about the latest chapter, join the discord! It''s also become quite a good place to get recommendations! We''ve created a welcoming and friendly atmosphere and would love to see you pop in and say hi! ^.^ We''re open for readers and writers alike! For the first time in a long time, Serena woke up in an Amelia-less room. Her sleep had undoubtedly suffered for it. She¡¯d become accustomed to the soft warmth of Amelia¡¯s body next to hers, and without her girlfriend¡¯s gentle breathing, the night seemed awfully quiet. She¡¯d tossed and turned for an hour before arranging no less than three pillows into a line next to her, which she held until she eventually fell asleep. The pillows were a poor substitution for her human but they had saved her from a sleepless night. She even found she missed Amelia¡¯s snoring. Amelia refused to admit that someone ¡®as cute as she was¡¯ would snore, no matter how often Serena complained about it. It had gotten to the point where Serena was prepared to bring in an axiom crystal to record her as evidence. It was early, and only the very first tendrils of the morning light were streaking through the windows. Before she¡¯d manifested the first aura, mornings like these would be a sordid affair as the chill in the air would send shivers down her back, forcing her to remain in the warmth of the bedding. Now, many years on, getting up and starting her day was an effortless routine. Serena washed and dressed. She¡¯d been provided with an instructor''s uniform. The clothes balanced practicality and military fashion, invoking a sense of dignity and authority. A yellow belt tied it off, signifying Serena was capable of at least the third aura, the highest aura achievable before needing to Speak the First Word. Leaving her lodgings, Serena made her way down the stairs and through the nostalgic corridors. She wasn¡¯t seeking out Amelia, or anyone else for that matter. Serena was making her way towards the training hall. Her time in Kenhoro under Grandmaster Gu made her realise how few hours she¡¯d spent personally training. Her time was eaten up by her military duties, time which was further occupied by a certain bundle of smug blond energy. Serena planned to make full use of the Asamaywa facilities while she was here for the semester. On her way, she didn¡¯t see a single pair of horns. The vast majority of the academy was still sleeping, and it wouldn¡¯t be for another hour until the kitchen staff woke to prepare the students breakfast. Serena reached the doors to one of the training grounds. It wasn¡¯t the training ground exclusive for staff, but rather the very same training ground she¡¯d spent thousands of hours in when she was here all those years ago. As the great doors creaked open, a wave of nostalgia washed over Serena. She felt a smile form on her face. She¡¯d heard the creak of this door a thousand times, and now she was hearing it again. Stepping through, the first thing Serena noticed was the light snow falling. It wasn¡¯t quite cold enough to settle on the sandy floor, but it gave the open-topped area an odd silence. The second thing she noticed was that she wasn¡¯t alone. Not more than a dozen meters away stood a woman practising vertical strikes. The demon was a fellow instructor, judging by her clothes and yellow belt. Yet, it wasn¡¯t her uniform that caught Serena¡¯s eyes. It was the woman¡¯s ethereal beauty; a pair of perfectly symmetrical horns sprung from a bed of fiery auburn hair. Her features were sharp and despite being engrossed in her training with sweat on her face, the woman gave off an aura of femininity. Yellow aura danced across her skin, deflecting the falling flakes of snow. Her swordsmanship was unfamiliar to Serena, but even so, it could be considered flawless. When the demon stopped moving, her position was picturesque, as if she was posing for a painting worthy of being hung in the finest halls of Cascadian nobility. The woman didn¡¯t react to Serena¡¯s presence, appearing fully engrossed in her training. Serena wanted to stare, to stand there and watch the unbelievable talent of this woman. However, that would be rude. Serena forced herself to turn her attention away and sought a training sword. With the weapon in hand, she found herself a section of the sandy floor and began her pre-training warm-up. Serena started with red aura and simple strikes, slashing vertically and horizontally while she got used to the weight of the wooden sword. Then, she began practising her parries. Slowly at first, before pushing herself into orange aura and increasing the ferocity of her movements. Elegant swordplay was always a treat to witness, but after her time as a squad commander, Serena quickly understood that it was raw, unyielding violence that won fights. She¡¯d once seen a fellow commander, wreathed in orange aura, overwhelmed by a republican officer with only red. The commander had all the technical skills from his time at the academy, but the battlefield was a harsh mistress, and experience made all the difference. Running her previous fights through her mind, Serena lost track of time as she practised. She fell into a warrior¡¯s flow, the state of mind where she could truly focus on the task at hand. The background melted away and Serena became aware of only her body and her sword. She began moving as one, with every move working alongside her breathing and heartbeat. That was until a strangely accented voice pierced through her concentration. ¡°Your lead foot is moving,¡± said the voice. Serena blinked, feeling the flow of her practice evaporate. Turning her head, she saw the mysterious woman watching her. Two purple eyes shone brilliantly, full of clarity and determination. The demon pointed towards Serena¡¯s front foot. ¡°You move it. Before you attack. Shall I demonstrate?¡± The woman¡¯s purple eyes and accented Imperial told Serena all she needed to know regarding her origins. Still, she wanted to verify it. If this woman was who Serena thought she was, then seeing her skills up close would be enough. ¡°Demonstrate?¡± Serena asked. ¡°Yes,¡± the northern woman said with a quick nod. She approached Serena until she was only a few meters away. Something about the woman put Serena on guard. Something about her triggered Serena¡¯s instincts. The woman took an unusual stance, raising her sword high and slightly compressing her posture. It was a strange stance, unlike anything found in Serena¡¯s arsenal. ¡°Duel?¡± asked the woman. ¡°You use Shimokan; I use the Hawk, yes?¡± The woman didn¡¯t seem to care for any pre-spar rituals, but Serena gave her a quick traditional bow anyway. She¡¯d barely made her stance when the woman attacked. Quickly, Serena forced herself into yellow aura, barely keeping her guard from collapsing as the woman¡¯s strike connected. Such strength! Her opponent wasted no time in flowing into another attack, bringing her sword against Serena¡¯s defenses half a dozen times in under a second. On the sixth attack, Serena twisted her sword, parrying the incoming blade. The woman leapt back and Serena didn¡¯t waste the opportunity to take control of the duel. ¡°There!¡± the woman suddenly called out, pointing towards Serena¡¯s feet when she began to close distance. Serena bore forward, swinging her sword, but the woman had already begun dodging, quickly escaping Serena¡¯s attack. Instead of chasing further, Serena reset her stance. Just in time as the woman resumed yet another assault that Serena frantically defended against. The woman¡¯s sword was elegant yet ferocious. The fact she maintained such control while bearing down upon Serena with the aggressive northern style, empowered by yellow aura, meant she was much further ahead than Serena when it came to raw skill. As a warrior progressed through the auras each strike, each movement, contained far more power than before. Such power meant fine control became difficult, and mistakes slipped through that the warrior wouldn¡¯t make in the lower auras. As her opponent pointed out, Serena¡¯s front foot shifted slightly before stepping forward. It was a tell that only happened when she was above red aura, but it was something that she needed to fix. At the speed and violence of an aura-powered fight, a small tell like that could mean death. ¡°Do you understand?¡± the northern demon said suddenly, stopping the duel and sheathing the wooden sword in her belt. Serena nodded, holding the gaze of the woman¡¯s brilliant purple eyes for a moment too long before sheathing her own sword. ¡°Katalin of Driss, I presume?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Katalin nodded solemnly. ¡°An honour to cross swords with you, Highlord Driss,¡± Serena said. Katalin of Driss was a Highlord in her own right, unlike Serena¡¯s mother, who only held the title of Highlady due to her marriage to her father. Serena suspected Katalin wasn¡¯t one to pick horns over Cascadian etiquette, and such thoughts were quickly validated. ¡°Instructor Driss, if you please.¡± Katalin tiled her head, looking into the distance as if she was choosing her following words carefully. ¡°Instructor Halen?¡± Seeing Serena nod, Katalin continued, ¡°The one with the human mage? The healer?¡± Serena couldn¡¯t help but frown at Katalin''s words. Even if they were alone, the northern demon¡¯s manner of speaking regarding the Greatlord was impolite at best. Some would consider her criticisms insulting. Serena bristled, keeping her voice controlled she asked, ¡°You speak casually, Instructor Driss. As talented as you may be, do you think it wise to make such statements regarding the Greatlord? You act as if you know him better than he does himself.¡± Katalin did not appear to take any offense at Serena¡¯s statements. Instead, she only maintained her smile and said, ¡°Do you know how I came to be a Highlord, Instructor Halen?¡± Katalin held Serena¡¯s gaze. Through those purple eyes, Serena could barely sense how far beyond her own skills Katalin was. Had the northern demon truly only communed two First Words? She felt more like a Greatlord than a Highlord. It would not be unusual for a communion to remain a family secret. ¡°I do not,¡± Serena said plainly. ¡°Of course...¡± Katalin said. ¡°Much of it has to do with my own skill with the sword. I admit my motivations are selfish; I seek to develop my sword above all else, understand? The main reason I came here was to experience Shimokan. Yet, there is another. You see, I understand people I fight, yes? Whenever my blade clashes with another, I gain insight into that person''s nature. It¡¯s a skill I¡¯ve possessed as long as I¡¯ve held a sword. If I hadn¡¯t had myself checked by the demon Church, I would have thought it a blessing. ¡°What made me Highlord was my ability to guide promising talents onto the best pathway for them. I¡¯ve volunteered this service only in the North until now, and there are more than a dozen Speakers on the front lines who have had their communion accelerated by my guidance. I am good at what I do, Instructor Halen. My family keeps tabs on promising Speaker¡¯s Empire-wide and your name has come up more than once. Understand? Although you are not the primary reason I left the icy north, you were a motivation. So, accept my efforts and take my words to heart. Taruna is the Word for you, yes?¡± Serena stood still for a moment, and she felt a slight warming of her cheeks as pride surged from within. She may not have been the whole reason, but to think that the elusive Katalin of Driss sought her out! Regardless of anything else, it was, at the very least, a validation of her hard work so far. Serena promptly bowed. ¡°It¡¯s an honour to receive your advice, Highlord. I will take it seriously.¡± Serena rose. ¡°I take it this won¡¯t be the last time we cross swords? I was informed you intend to teach an Instructor¡¯s class?¡± ¡°That is correct. You¡¯re not the only Instructor here who needs guidance. I-¡± Katalin was cut off as the ringing of bells sounded throughout the academy. ¡°Ah,¡± the northerner said once they subsided. ¡°Now, the eager students will wake up. I will return to my other duties. I believe the Grandmaster has requested you and Assistant Instructor Thornheart¡¯s presence, yes?¡± Serena jumped, realising she was likely late. It wouldn¡¯t do well for her first - or rather, second - impression as an instructor to be that of being late to a meeting. Thanking Katalin again, Serena returned her training sword and left the hall. As she made her way to the Grandmaster''s office, tracing a route she remembered from years ago, she started to pass students and instructors who¡¯d woken for early training or studying. The students gave her a look, noticing that she was a new instructor. A few recognised her, elbowing their friends and whispering about the Hellfire Captain. Serena ignored them and soon left them behind, navigating into the deeper corridors of the academy. Turning a corner, she arrived at her destination, where she found Amelia yawning, leaning against the wall next to the office door. A student stood next to her that looked oddly familiar, but Serena couldn¡¯t place where she¡¯d seen them from. ¡°Hello!¡± Amelia waved. The student beside her jumped when she saw Serena but quickly looked down. ¡°I thought we¡¯d have time for breakfast,¡± Amelia continued. ¡°I hope the Grandmaster¡¯s going to be quick!¡± ¡°Good morning,¡± Serena intoned, stopping before the two women. ¡°Who are you?¡± she asked the student directly. ¡°Umm...¡± the girl mumbled. ¡°This is Mel!¡± Amelia chirped. ¡°Remember? Back in Kenhoro, when we fought a duel, and her brother tried to kill me?¡± Amelia grinned happily when she said this but Serena did not miss the subtle groan coming out from Mel. Even if it weren¡¯t her own actions, having someone in their family who lost their temper and tried to - unknowingly or not - cut down a Speaker would weigh heavily on whatever family Mel hailed from. ¡°I remember,¡± Serena answered. ¡°Why is she here?¡± ¡°She, well...¡± Amelia raised a finger to her chin before turning to Mel with a smile. ¡°Mel, could you run along to breakfast ahead of us? Save us a seat, would you?¡± ¡°I... I think Assistant Instructors and Instructors have their own tables, Assistant Instructor Thornheart,¡± Mel mumbled. ¡°Oh?¡± Amelia blinked. ¡°Well, come find me at lunchtime then! I¡¯ll need someone to give me a tour of the academy. You can do that for me, right?¡± Mel nodded, and with a quick bow to them, she hurried away and out of sight. Once she was gone, Serena raised a questioning eyebrow towards Amelia, who leaned in and said hushedly, ¡°Turns out I get an assistant of my own! Isn¡¯t that cool? None of the second-year students wanted to risk volunteering for the job. Even though I am a wonderful Speaker...¡± Amelia jabbed a thumb at herself. ¡°They feared associating with a human would do more harm than good for their careers and families. From what Mel told me, at some point, the Grandmaster here spoke to Grandpa Gu, and Mel¡¯s name popped up! ¡°After being healed, her personality and attitude did a complete flip. She turned away from her former friends and was getting bullied herself. Since she¡¯d met me and had already been warned about keeping my abilities a secret directly by Grandpa Gu, she was offered to transfer down here. But get this! They still didn¡¯t tell her she would be my assistant, only that she would be assisting a Speaker! Why would that be, hmm?¡± Serena soaked in the information. ¡°When was Mel offered this opportunity?¡± she asked. Upon hearing Amelia¡¯s answer, her eyes grew wide. ¡°That means all of this,¡± Serena said, waving a hand. ¡°Chesterfields plan, everything... It was all in the works while we were in Kenhoro. Seven hells, how fast was Intelligence working? That¡¯s why Mel wasn¡¯t told. Everything was kept as secret as possible until it was confirmed. Wait...¡± Serena felt her forehead furrow as a tinge of annoyance rose within her. ¡°This means Aiden knew about this. He wasn¡¯t just there to report on your personality, but he was scouting you out for Chesterfield¡¯s ¡®offer¡¯. He was there when Mel was healed, right? It might have been him to put her name forward in the first place!¡± Aiden Adachi was due to arrive shortly before the end of the semester. It was a shame he wasn¡¯t here right now, for Serena would love to strangle him for some answers. For now, she¡¯d have to do with squeezing her fists until the knuckles whitened. ¡°When you next see him,¡± Serena instructed Amelia, ¡°Put him in the ground again. We¡¯ll make him squeal until he spills everything.¡± ¡°Mmm!¡± Amelia nodded enthusiastically, grinning wildly. ¡°I can¡¯t wait!¡± For a few minutes, they discussed their respective lodgings. Serena didn¡¯t know why, but magic associations seemed to like building their research facilities as enormous towers. Amelia was on a higher floor, which, if Serena remembered correctly, was a sign of status and respect. Amelia hadn¡¯t yet met Instructor Inoue but was supposed to meet with her after breakfast privately. ¡°Remember what Chesterfield said regarding Words,¡± Serena whispered. Just before leaving Shimashina, Chesterfield all but outright said that Centralis was aware that Amelia was capable of Speaking demonic Words. The man from Intelligence had implied very strongly that if Amelia Spoke one or even two demonic First Words, it would assist the Cascadian Government with the political manoeuvring they¡¯d begun to do regarding the human mage on the international stage. Serena couldn¡¯t begin to guess at the breadth and depth of Cascadia¡¯s plans, but one thing was obvious: if Amelia were known to be a demonic Speaker, it would make it all but impossible for Christdom to claim she was a lost or kidnapped saint. Seeing Amelia nod, Serena added, ¡°Also, I just met Katalin of Driss; she¡¯s as impressive as the rumours say. She didn¡¯t seem that interested in you, but you¡¯ll likely meet her sooner rather than later. She-¡± Serena was cut off as the door next to them slammed open, revealing a red-faced and growling Grandmaster. ¡°Damn it!¡± the grandmaster snapped. ¡°Are you going to stand outside my office and natter all day!? I¡¯ve been waiting, damn you! Get in!¡± Amelia squeaked at the sudden outburst, of which Serena only managed to stop herself laughing by biting her tongue and hiding her face by performing a deep bow. Not wasting any more time, they both darted into the Grandmaster''s office, where he spent more than a few minutes dressing them both down. Chapter Forty-Nine: Aether Addict Chapter Forty-Nine: Aether Addict AnnouncementHello! Most of the writing of this chapter was streamed live on Twitch at ! If you''re interested in getting a peak preview of the upcoming chapters, then feel free to check it out. Or, if you''re an aspiring writer, it might help you see just how many silly mistakes I make when writing! I also announce when I''m going live on the discord, so don''t forget to pop in there and say hello :) After grumbling and complaining about their tardiness, Grandmaster Shun spent no less than half an hour drilling the pair of them about how they should conduct themselves around the students. Well, it seemed he was drilling the pair of them, but Amelia felt she was the target of most of his instructions and warnings. From what Amelia could decipher, any trouble they caused would reflect badly onto him. As the head of a famous academy Empire-wide, where Cascadian nobility and other wealthy patrons sent their sons and daughters to receive the very pinnacle of military education, there were enormous expectations and pressures placed upon the staff to fulfill their roles flawlessly. Both of them had additional warnings laid out. Most instructors were Speakers, and being Speakers, they not only represented the academy but also the class of society that was looked upon as being divinely chosen. The existence of a Speaker meant they measured up to the expectations of a god, and it wouldn¡¯t do well for them to betray the significance of that. Furthermore, unlike most instructors, Serena was in active service, so her conduct reflected Eastern admiralty more than her colleagues did. Amelia, on the other hand, was human. Not only was she human, but she was also the singular human on the academy grounds. Many of the students would have had limited contact with her race so her actions would be an essential experience for the trainee officers. Since she was a known Speaker, this effect would only be magnified. ¡°My brother informs me you¡¯re talented beyond your years, Assistant Instructor Thornheart,¡± grunted the grandmaster. His gruff voice sounded oddly familiar to Amelia¡¯s ears as it was absent of the subtle Manwese accent she¡¯d grown used to from Grandpa Gu. ¡°As long as you don¡¯t harm your fellow instructors or the students under your care, I suggest you don¡¯t hold back that talent.¡± ¡°Why?¡± asked Amelia, making a mental note to, despite the instruction, hold back quite significantly. She hadn¡¯t been in her transformed Asclepius form long enough to truly get a grip on her power, but in general, she figured her wards were as powerful as a native¡¯s ward that was two, or even three, circles higher. First-circle wards could typically be expected to resist or outright defend against small-arms fire. However, Amelia¡¯s casting of Igni¡¯s Barrier was more akin to a third-circle ward, only being breached by the Vengeance¡¯s terrifying tungsten penetrator rounds. ¡°Because most of our students have grown up on the assumption that humans are weak,¡± the grandmaster explained, turning his palms outwards. ¡°Which they are, of course. At least, if we compare your standard human soldier to their demon equivalent. We can carry more weight, run faster for longer distances and take more punishment on the battlefield. However,¡± the demon leaned back in his chair, closing his hands together. ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter much when aura and wards get involved. I don¡¯t care how strong a soldier is. If they cannot manifest aura, they¡¯ll lose against a human who can. ¡°Most of our students don¡¯t have the experience or the instincts to recognise the power a Speaker such as yourself holds, Assistant Instructor Thornheart. You being so young, as well as a human... and female.¡± He sniffed, clicking his tongue. ¡°Those highborn fools will look down on you. It¡¯s one thing being told someone¡¯s a Speaker, but another to experience it. If I remember,¡± he turned his head slightly, raising an eyebrow towards Serena. ¡°You had your fair share of suitors thinking their orange could crack your yellow, wasn¡¯t there?¡± ¡°Aye,¡± answered Serena. ¡°Took a few broken ribs and a couple of flattened noses, but they got the message eventually.¡± The grandmaster raised a finger. ¡°Communion only began a thousand years ago. Men¡¯s instincts are far older. Despite being told they couldn¡¯t possibly measure up to you, a Speaker, they will feel they can. As I said, don¡¯t be afraid to show your talent. I believe Instructor Inoue plans to have you duel some of the troublemakers in her class. It might be worth putting you against some of our more ambitious warriors as well. Some of them think just because their orange aura is turning a little yellow they can challenge a Speaker.¡± ¡°Understood, Grandmaster. Don¡¯t hold back.¡± Amelia nodded her head, affirming the instruction. Must hold back, she thought to herself. Turning her head, she saw Serena¡¯s expression. Judging by the slight wrinkling of her brow and tension in her jaw, her girlfriend was thinking the same thing. With a few more nuggets of advice from the demon, they were dismissed. In the hallway, Amelia faced Serena. ¡°Breakfast?¡± she asked. ¡°Breakfast.¡± Serena nodded. ¡°Follow me,¡± she began, leading Amelia through the corridors. ¡°Remember, don¡¯t sit with the students. Even if you think it¡¯ll help demon-human relations, it¡¯s better to maintain a certain distance from those who you¡¯ll be teaching. If you get too close, it¡¯ll create... complications,¡± Serena muttered. As they got closer to their destination, more and more students appeared. Many of them saluted Serena earnestly, only for their expressions of admiration and respect to turn into shock and surprise as they saw a human instructor. They then spread their confusion to their friends as they gossiped, perhaps not knowing Amelia could easily make out their hushed whispers. ¡°A human? Here?¡± ¡°She¡¯s dressed like an instructor. Yellow belt...¡± ¡°Father told me about her. That¡¯s Amelia Thornheart. They said she...¡± ¡°Did you catch her eyes? They looked as red as a highborn demon! Is that normal for humans?¡± Doing her best to ignore them, Amelia and Serena stepped into the breakfast hall. Of all the things she expected, she didn¡¯t expect to see such an orderly system in operation. Perhaps her expectations were tainted from her experience of serving lunch on the Vengeance, where she had to practically fight off hordes of ravenous demons climbing over each other to be the first to bribe her for an extra piece of sardis. Here, everyone neatly lined up with a tray in hand, going past several food stations where they could freely pile their plates with a selection of vegetables, fruits, meats and sauces. Feeling a little self-conscious, Amelia stuck close to Serena, not paying that much to what she was putting onto her plate. Thankfully, Instructors and Assistant Instructors had their own set of tables on a raised platform above the students. Approaching the Instructor¡¯s area, they were waved towards a pair of open seats by familiar faces that had welcomed them last night. Amelia sat next to Instructor Kawas, the mage who¡¯d guided them through the pouring rain and mud. Whether it was her nature or if she was making a special effort for Amelia, Kawas was rather chatty, making comforting small talk. Across the table, Emalina Honda, the head of the Department of Medical and Battlefield Care, kept jumping into the conversation, poking and prodding at Amelia¡¯s healing capabilities. The senior instructor didn¡¯t seem to fully believe Amelia when Amelia responded that yes, she could grow back a lost limb. Amelia eventually shrugged and told the woman if she wanted proof, she could chop off a limb here and now, and Amelia would happily demonstrate. That earned her a few chuckles from the other instructors, most notably Ryosuke Yamamoto, the Head Instructor of Leadership and Ethics. ¡°Don''t doubt her, Emalina,¡± Instructor Yamamoto said, wagging a finger. ¡°I once took the sword arm of a human Speaker, only to find myself crossing blades with him the following week. Guess what? Whole new arm! Rather unfair, don¡¯t you think?¡± Looking around, Amelia couldn¡¯t see any instructor fitting the description Serena had given of Katalin of Driss. She did, however, see Mel across the hall. The young demon was in a quiet discussion with other students. At least she seemed to have found some friends. ¡°Where is Katalin of Driss?¡± Amelia asked the table. ¡°I¡¯ve looked forward to meeting her. Grandpa, uh, Grandmaster Gu from the Kenhoro Academy spoke highly of her.¡± ¡°The elusive swordmaster eludes our company,¡± Sarafina Nakajima, the Head Instructor of Intelligence and Security, intoned softly. ¡°She¡¯s probably training right now. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen her eat in the two weeks she¡¯s been here. She¡¯s quite the enigma...¡± And herself, of course. ¡°I wonder if that¡¯s true,¡± Inoue murmured. ¡°Or does your healing slow, or even reverse your ageing?¡± The demon seemed lost in thought for a moment before suddenly exclaiming, ¡°Well! Come over here then. Can¡¯t get a proper look at you if you hide by the doorway!¡± ¡°Ah...¡± Amelia ensured the door was firmly shut before walking towards the senior instructor. As she did, Amelia took in her surroundings. The room was enormous and spacious. It was like a giant, empty warehouse. There were no windows. The room would be pitch black if it weren¡¯t for a few dim aetherlights. The floor, walls and ceiling were covered in a dark sponge-like material. Behind this material, Amelia could sense distortions in the aetherfield that formed repeating patterns everywhere she looked. She¡¯d never seen the ancient Writing Serena had talked about. The humans had somehow inscribed the runic script upon the torpedo that struck the Vengeance, allowing it to do so much damage. It was one of many subjects Amelia planned to investigate while spending a semester at the academy. ¡°Hmm...¡± Inoue tilted her head slightly as Amelia stood before her. ¡°Impressive. Very impressive. I see potential. Excellent aether reserves. You¡¯re cloaking yourself, aren¡¯t you?¡± Amelia nodded. At all times, Amelia maintained several cloaking spells to hide her true power. After returning from Speaking the Second Word, she¡¯d found her body was able to process truly titanic amounts of aether, even without Speaking. The more she used aether, the more her new body seemed to adapt and become even more efficient at moving the stuff around. Her cloaking was getting better by the day, but some still leaked through. As far as she could tell, she presented as an above average Speaker to most mages or warriors observing her. However, more powerful people, like Grandpa Gu or Greatlord Oshiro, seemed like they could perceive through her cloaking magic and catch a glimpse of her actual capabilities. The question was, how much could Instructor Inoue see? ¡°Good, good...¡± Inoue tapped her foot on the spongy floor. ¡°And wards? I can sense at least one on you. Something from Aseco, right? There¡¯s more...¡± The aged mage leaned forward, peering at Amelia in a manner some might call offputting. Amelia had the odd sensation of being studied and examined like a creature in a science experiment. ¡°You¡¯ve got demon wards on you, is that right? I can smell Igni and Taranis on you. How unusual for a human to dabble in demonic spellwork.¡± More than dabble, Amelia thought. ¡°Well,¡± Inoue said, straightening up. ¡°If you¡¯re maintaining that many wards and that many cloaks, then your aether will be fit for the job. Although...¡± the demon brought a fist to her mouth, lightly coughing. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t mind me verifying it, would you?¡± ¡°Verify?¡± Amelia questioned, feeling a subtle tension form in the air. ¡°Just a little duel, if you please, young Assitant Instructor Thornheart. Would you be amenable to that? These walls are built to withstand bursts of aether. I daresay you can flare as much as you please.¡± ¡°Are you... sure?¡± ¡°Is that a yes?¡± The instructor¡¯s voice took on a note of eagerness. Hopefully, this mage wasn¡¯t some kind of battle maniac. Amelia did a quick mental check of her wards. She was extremely confident in their strength, but even so, Inoue would likely be the most skilled opponent she would have faced so far. ¡°Yes, we can duel,¡± Amelia replied. She figured that even if she was utterly out-skilled and her natural affinity failed her, she could simply tank whatever Instructor Inoue could throw at her until the woman was bored or exhausted. ¡°How eager!¡± Inoue broke into a broad smile, stepping forward and reaching out her hand. ¡°Where are my manners? I¡¯m Lunaria Inoue, Lord of House Inoue and Head Instructor of the Department of Aether! It¡¯s a pleasure to meet and work with you, Assistant Instructor Thornheart.¡± ¡°Call me Amelia,¡± Amelia said, taking Lunaria¡¯s hand into a handshake. Amelia wondered if this demon was from Centralis, as shaking hands was typically less common in the East. ¡°Then call me Lunaria. Are you sure you¡¯re ready to start, Amelia?¡± Inoue asked, not releasing her grip on Amelia¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± Amelia answered. ¡°Truly?¡± ¡°Truly.¡± ¡°Charming,¡± Inoue said, her face wrinkling in mirth. ¡°Then, if you don¡¯t mind...¡± her aether frothed and churned, forming into a familiar structure. A Word. ¡°Igni¡±, Spoke the demon, blasting everything in her surroundings, including Amelia, away. Amelia flared her aether, forcing her to slow down before slamming into the wall. As she came to a stop, she formed her own Word, wrapping the ethereal substance into the required shape. She had permission to use the demonic Words now. The very same Words she¡¯d spent thousands of hours using in the hospital. The ones that earned her the title of Dreadmage Thornheart. Amelia knew she could probably only Speak no more than two First Words, lest she cause more problems on the political stage. Then, she had to pick carefully. The choice was obvious. Why not start with her most reliable Word? The one she¡¯d by far spent the most time with playing the game. She couldn¡¯t help feeling a grin creep up her face. She might not be a soldier, but this was thrilling! ¡°Taranis,¡± she Spoke, invoking the demon god of storms. Hello everyone, here''s you chapter! We''re trending again! Twice in short order, I believe. It''s all thanks to everyone support so have some cookies from me! I have a big stash stored away from the hundreds I''ve been receiving! :3 We''re awfully close to three hundred ratings! I truly titanic number of ratings for a series with under fifty chapters on SH! I can''t express how grateful I am for the continued support! Till next time! (Or even sooner if you catch me writing live on twitch!) Chapter Fifty: Duel Chapter Fifty: Duel With the sensation of her entire body taking an exhilarating cold breath. Divine aether flowed in and through Amelia¡¯s body. Power. Since Lunaria had been so kind as to blast Amelia away with her invocation of Igni, Amelia thought it was fair that she returned the favour. She didn¡¯t quite know exactly how strong the surrounding Writing-enforced walls were. Still, her intuition told her that if she maximised the amount of atmospheric aether to be expelled by the incoming god-given aether, the resulting explosion would cause the newly formed House Thornheart to be given a devastatingly expensive repair bill. So she made sure to cycle the aether and expel it beforehand. Well, most of it. She left a fraction in as a tentative test of her aether capacity and to repay Lunaria¡¯s bold opening move. Hopefully, with even such a small amount of her monstrous aether reserves, the effect would still be magnificent. Amelia wasn¡¯t disappointed. The explosion of aether-infused lightning flooded the room with cracking energy, smashing apart the hellfire Lunaria was already sending her way and deafening Amelia with the noise of a thousand lightning bolts that outdid any barrage of shellfire landing near her. It wasn¡¯t just a thousand bolts of destruction; every streak of lightning gave Amelia tactile feedback of their surroundings and what they slammed into. All at once, she could feel the excitement of the air as it hummed with energy. She could feel through a thousand arms the spongy - now charred - material that lined the room. She could feel the odd sensation of her aether colliding with Lunaria¡¯s wards. From the perspective of her energetic children, punching through the instructor¡¯s wards was like trying to push through an ever-thickening invisible wall. The weaker barrier collapsed immediately, but the stronger ones felt like a mountain of thick, oozing mud that sought to envelop and suffocate any attacking aether. Other than that, Amelia felt fundamentally changed. When Serena Spoke Narean, her horns became wreathed in hellfire, and she gained a tail of the same magical element. Amelia had been hopeful for a majestic transformation, and she wasn¡¯t let down! Horns. Amelia had horns. Not of the physical variety, of course. They were made from the same aether-infused lightning that was Taranis''s calling card. Unlike the bolts that whipped out to strike like a venomous snake, her horns were dense and maintained their form. Tightly wrapped and glowing blue, they protruded from her head, curving to form a set of very familiar horns. Serena wouldn¡¯t mind, would she? Sparks of energy snapped between their tips, reminding Amelia of two tesla towers. Just like her lightning bolts, Amelia¡¯s horns were more than just aesthetic. They were a new set of sensory organs, attuning her closer than she ever had been - apart from her Asclepius transformation - to the aetherfield. Her resplendent set of horns wasn¡¯t the only change. Layered over her fingers were two sets of ghostly claws that crackled with energy. They weren¡¯t extruding from her fingertips or knuckles but sat about an inch above her digits. Moving her hands experimentally, she noted that the two lightning claws moved perfectly in sync with her actual body. Strange. Taranis was not a melee-orientated Word. Why had her invocation given her a set of claws? ¡°If you¡¯re quite done examining your own body...¡± A voice heavy with fiery power interrupted Amelia¡¯s self-reflection. A beam of superheated lava rocketed towards her, catching her off guard, slamming into her side and spinning her around. If it weren¡¯t for her heightened sense of the surrounding space and her position within it, Amelia would have been wholly disorientated. The white-hot beam curved, giving chase. Amelia cycled her aether, sending a compressed bolt to destroy it, only for the beam to split into a dozen smaller attacks that attempted to strike her from all angles. As a precaution, she wrapped her lightning around herself, forming the powerful fifth circle ward, Taranis¡¯s Cloudguard. From the feeling of the aetherfield, Lunaria had wrapped herself with the equally strong protection, Igni¡¯s Hellshield. At least, it was equally as strong as long as Amelia kept limiting herself to a small fraction of the titanic amount of aether she could potentially channel. This duel was a perfect opportunity for her to explore what was an appropriate amount of power to show. She wanted to show off, to an extent, to ward away potential enemies of herself and Serena. Still, she didn¡¯t want to display capabilities that would terrify people and cause her to withdraw from society. Lunaria¡¯s attacks continued in a frenzy. Amelia tried her hand at dodging. She flared her aether repeatedly, propelling herself around the room while her lightning struck out at the instructor who also did her best to avoid the incoming attacks. Lunaria seemed to move in a far more experienced manner, her invocation of Igni had provided the instructor wings of hellfire. Amelia wasn''t sure whether these burning wings helped the instructor move around the room or if they were just aesthetic. ¡°Such power!¡± Lunaria exclaimed. ¡°Such talent!¡± The aged woman grinned as if she¡¯d discovered a new favourite toy. ¡°I feel like I¡¯m fighting Lei Gong, the Stormlord himself! Tell me...¡± Lunaria paused her speech to form another spell. A dozen balls of hellfire manifested next to her and launched themselves one by one at Amelia, each one causing a tremendous explosion that sent the room shuddering as they impacted Amelia¡¯s wards or the surrounding walls. ¡°...You cannot truly be twenty-five, can you? Such power is impossible for a human so young! Unless... no... could it be?¡± ¡°Not a blessing, and I¡¯m not a darkblade!¡± Amelia said cheerfully, dodging another round of fireballs and superheated beams. ¡°I¡¯m just me, Amelia!¡± As soon as she said it, she regretted getting caught up in the moment. Perhaps it would be best to hint that she did possess a blessing. She didn¡¯t want to draw too much attention to herself, but then again, given the journalists she¡¯d already encountered, she figured the cat was out of the bag and she¡¯d do better to try and adapt to her new celebrity status. The back and forth continued as godly amounts of aether saturated the room''s atmosphere. Lunaria launched beam after beam at Amelia, who responded in kind with her own compressed bolts of lightning. Larger and larger fireballs manifested as Lunaria spooled up greater and greater amounts of aether. Amelia took the opportunity to explore the variety of spellwork she remembered from the game. She was delighted to discover she could manifest Taranis¡¯s Cloudburst, a devastating fourth circle chain-reacting area-of-effect attack that was her bread and butter for grinding countless achievements in the game. Seven enormous ball-lightnings sprung from her, darting to random locations before each exploding into seven more balls, which each then detonated into even more balls. This process repeated until the room was thick with lethal lightning, charring the last bit of wall and ceiling that had escaped the combat so far. Lunaria was forced to focus on her defense, ceasing her attacks and flaring her aether to reinforce Igni¡¯s Hellshield. The attack ripped into the ward, tearing away chunks as it sought to breach the fifth circle defense. For a moment, Amelia feared she would break through, although such concerns were not shared by her opponent. ¡°Invigorating!¡± The instructor exclaimed. ¡°More! Finally, someone who can match my aether!¡± Lunaria¡¯s brow creased in concentration and even more aether was funnelled through her body, distorting the aetherfield as she formed and cast her next spell. Instantly, a thousand threads of razor-thin hellfire spawned in the room. Amelia halted her movement lest she slam into the unfamiliar spell. A thousand threads intersected the three-dimensional space in every direction, crossing and crisscrossing each other to form a chaotic wall of tripwires. Each one was formed from more aether than the largest fireballs Lunaria had launched. ¡°What spell is this!?¡± Amelia shouted, feeling herself becoming a little lost in the excitement. This was new. Not everything about the magic of this world was reflected in the game she¡¯d played. ¡°Ha...¡± Lunaria breathed heavily, her breath misting with raw aether. It seemed the casting of this new spell took a toll on the academy¡¯s famed Aether Addict. ¡°I suppose you might not recognise... you are human after all...¡± She turned to look directly at Amelia, her eyes glowing with power. ¡°It is the pinnacle of Igni, a sixth circle spell first communed by the desert Greatlords centuries ago! Now, let¡¯s see how you handle it!¡± Lunaria roared, flexing her aether as three dense beams of superheated lava erupted from her, homing in on Amelia¡¯s position. Amelia took a breath, flaring her aether to reinforce not only Taranis¡¯s Cloudwall, but also digging into her reserves to shore up her other heavily cloaked wards from a multitude of branches. She managed to avoid the beams but found herself heading straight for a tripwire. Seeing the collision was unavoidable, Amelia twisted her body to slash at the hellfire beam with her lightning claws. It didn¡¯t help much, and the wire detonated with tremendous force. Amelia was engulfed in white-hot hellfire that dissolved through one entire third circle ward before being stopped by her more robust defenses. She was thrown through the room, triggering tripwire after tripwire, cascading into a devastating amount of demonic energy assaulting her tumbling form. Amelia cried out, not in pain but surprise, as the thunderous noise briefly paralysed her until she was able to channel her aether into her ears to protect them. At this point, the spongy material that lined the rooms had all but melted, falling to the floor and bubbling into a tar-like consistency. The actual walls of the room were revealed, and Amelia was surprised to see that they were wooden. It looked like ironwood, but she couldn¡¯t be sure. Runic patterns were etched into the surface. This Writing, which Amelia had no analogous concept from the game to compare it to, somehow interacted with the surrounding aetherfield to form a surprisingly resilient defensive structure. Turning her focus away from the walls, Amelia gazed upon her opponent. Lunaria hovered a little above the ground, panting heavily, struggling to catch her breath. ¡°Ha... ha... Still standing, are you? This is...¡± The instructor swallowed heavily. ¡°... Excellent training...¡± Amelia waited until the demon recovered before circling her own aether, forming it into the complex shape required for her next attack. Since Lunaria had taken things to the sixth circle, and the surrounding walls had withstood that level of attack, Amelia felt it only fair she conducted her own magnificent finale! ¡°Brace yourself,¡± Amelia warned. She formed the sixth circle spell Taranis¡¯s Downpour, the most powerful area-of-effect attack in that demonic branch. She poured her aether into the spell''s construction, feeling it greedily suck more and more of the ethereal substance up. Amelia couldn¡¯t help but giggle, feeling almost high on the sensation of such a powerful spell forming within her body. It was similar to how she felt constantly when she Spoke Asclepius. Drunk on power. ¡°Try this for size!¡± Amelia called out, spinning the formation within her and activating the spell. ¡°W-wait!¡± Lunaria called out, her voice suddenly stricken with panic. ¡°Stop it! That¡¯s a seventh circle-¡± The bit of Amelia¡¯s brain that wasn¡¯t lost in the thrill of spellwork flashed a warning, and she instinctively tried to reclaim the invoked formation. It was only slightly effective, and as the spell manifested the rest of Amelia¡¯s brain kicked into gear and she realised the scale of attack she¡¯d just launched. Panicking, she frantically formed another invocation of Taranis¡¯s Cloudwall, barely waiting for it to complete its structure before launching it with all her might at Lunaria. The ward raced towards its target, reaching the instructor as the spell hit, painting the room in white as the aetherfield twisted from the density of attack that sought to destroy everything it touched. The Writing on the walls only just managed to not shatter under Amelia¡¯s spell. Unfortunately, the ceiling couldn¡¯t boast the same level of resilience and enormous cracks formed across its length, breaking the runic patterns and dissolving the defensive ward they somehow manifested. If Amelia¡¯s spell had continued for a fraction of a second longer, she would have blown the ceiling to kingdom come. Her frantic, last-minute attempt to reabsorb as much aether as possible was just enough to prevent the worst from happening. As her spell faded, Amelia threw out a healing spell towards Lunaria, only to find it blocked by her wards. Huh, that was new. ¡°Hey,¡± Amelia said in an apologetic tone. She floated down to the instructor, who was on all fours, gripping the tar-like substance of the floor, now beginning to cool. ¡°Are you okay? I can heal you if you release your wards.¡± ¡°Just a moment,¡± Lunaria mumbled. The instructor was still for a minute before turning to sit on her knees, facing Amelia. ¡°Fifty-five years I¡¯ve been alive, and I¡¯ve never seen that!¡± She stared at Amelia earnestly. The woman was frazzled but otherwise seemed unharmed. Amelia¡¯s hastily thrown ward had blocked most of her attack, and what little hit seemed to have been stopped by Lunaria¡¯s own Igni¡¯s Hellshield. ¡°Seen what?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°That!¡± Lunaria waved her hands, getting more excited by the moment. ¡°You! Casting a seventh circle spell while only Speaking a First Word! I know Taranis is powerful, but his Word isn¡¯t that powerful! It shouldn¡¯t be possible! The aether requirements should be...¡± Lunaria trailed off before raising a suspicious eyebrow at Amelia. ¡°You were holding back, weren¡¯t you?¡± Amelia scratched her chin awkwardly. How should she answer? Her attempt to present herself as a talented - but not norm-shattering - Speaker had once again failed. How was she to know the spell that was sixth circle in the game was actually seventh circle in reality!? To be fair, she should have figured it out when she felt the formation sucking away far more aether than it should have, but she¡¯d been caught up in the moment and hadn¡¯t been thinking. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to answer, you don¡¯t need to,¡± Lunaria said. The instructor took a deep breath before letting out a long, deliberate sigh. ¡°Well, you pass. I¡¯m going to have great fun looking at the faces of my students trying to crack your wards.¡± She looked up, her face contorting into a look of sorrow. ¡°That old man¡¯s going to take all my funding to repair that ceiling! Ah!¡± Lunaria bent forward, clutching her horns in a very Serena-like fashion. ¡°He¡¯s going to yell at me for hours! So unfair...¡± The instructor sobbed quietly for a few minutes before collecting herself. Lunaria raised her head with a smile and asked, ¡°Would you mind healing me? I fear I¡¯ll fall asleep for a week without Aseco¡¯s golden grace.¡± Amelia obliged, casting a modestly powerful healing spell, wrapping the instructor with a golden warmth dotted with blue specks. ¡°Ah...¡± Lunaria muttered, a distant look in her eyes. ¡°To think I would feel this golden grace once again.¡± Amelia¡¯s eyes widened with surprise. ¡°You¡¯ve been healed before? By a human healer?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been around,¡± Lunaria replied nonchalantly. ¡°It would be before your time, well, that is if you¡¯re telling the truth about your age.¡± She sniffed. ¡°A story for another time. One day, perhaps I¡¯ll tell you.¡± The woman slowly climbed to her feet, and Amelia followed suit. They both took a moment to observe the destruction. The room was almost pitch-black, with only the glow from Amelia¡¯s horns and Lunaria¡¯s wings lighting the room. The aetherlights had long since been destroyed by their battle. The glow of Lunaria¡¯s wings soon faded as the woman released her Word. Amelia followed suit. As she released Taranis, the door to the room was flung open, and a demon with auburn hair and purple eyes strode through, carrying a presence of confidence reminiscent of how Serena strutted around the ship. ¡°Everything alright, yes?¡± asked the demon in an unfamiliar accent. ¡°Lots of noise.¡± Perhaps it was due to the monstrous amount of aether that still saturated the atmosphere, as well as Amelia¡¯s now-fading horns of aether-infused lightning that acted as attuned sensory organs. For a moment, as she set her perception upon the beautiful demon, Amelia caught a glimpse of something within her that straightened the hairs on the back of her neck. ¡°Then, I wonder what you¡¯ll say to me when those calculations prove to be wrong.¡± Before Hinako could answer, Head Instructor Inoue clapped her hands. ¡°Right! Enough talking! We¡¯re going to get ready. Instructor Kawas will bring you through one by one! The order will be random! Write your name on some paper and give it to Instructor Kawas, who will shuffle them to determine the order. After the duel, you will return to the lecture hall! She will also inform you if the previous candidate won or failed! That¡¯s all!¡± With a final clap of their hands, the Head Instructor and Assistant Instructor Thornheart left the room. ¡°Before you start strategising,¡± Instructor Kawas called out, ¡°Come write your name here!¡± Once everyone had written down their names, Instructor Kawas ripped them into neat squares. She left the room, and the moment the door closed, everyone burst into a frenzy. ¡°There has to be a trick. There has to be!¡± ¡°First circle might beat second, might... but no way she beats Daichi!¡± ¡°Is she really only going to defend herself with first circle? She could die!¡± ¡°The later in the pecking order you are, the better your chances...¡± The last statement was mumbled by Hinako herself. Even if Amelia Thornheart possessed statistically unlikely amounts of aether capacity, she would surely be exhausted by the time she got through half the students, let alone the entire class! Instructor Kawas returned, and the moment she stepped into the room, a tense silence enveloped the students. Despite the certainty that someone would beat the human opponent, everyone understood that the first person had the smallest chance. ¡°Eishun Toshiyasu!¡± she called. The student in question stood up and gave everyone a playful salute before following Instructor Kawas out of the room. ¡°He¡¯s first circle, isn¡¯t he?¡± someone asked. ¡°Almost second,¡± someone else answered. A little over a minute passed, and Instructor Kawas opened the door. Stepping through, she said, ¡°Eishun Toshiyasu has lost to Assistant Instructor Thornheart. The next candidate is...¡± she looked at one of the paper squares. ¡°Goichi Oya?¡± Goichi jumped up, following Instructor Kawas to the door. Before leaving, he turned and bowed to the class. ¡°I¡¯ll see you on the battlefield, for I¡¯ll be graduating shortly!¡± That earned him a few laughs. Shortly after, he was gone. ¡°Goichi¡¯s second circle, isn¡¯t he?¡± Kanoko asked. ¡°Yes,¡± Hinako answered. ¡°And known for raw power. He trains his aether capacity against your spells, doesn¡¯t he, Daichi?¡± She eyed the class¡¯s most talented mage. ¡°Right,¡± he answered. ¡°He¡¯ll either win or exhaust the human, so the person after him wins. We¡¯ll find out any moment.¡± Thirty seconds later, Instructor Kawas appeared once again. She surveilled the room for a moment before stating, ¡°Goichi Oya has lost to Assistant Instructor Thornheart. The next candidate is...¡± The next candidate climbed up and left, and then a minute later, Instructor Kawas returned to inform everyone they¡¯d failed to win their duel. Then, the following candidate was called, only for the same result to be announced a minute later. Then the next. And the next. A few more minutes passed and twelve students had left and reportedly failed to win against Assistant Instructor Thornheart. The atmosphere had changed entirely. Students no longer joked about early graduation when their name was called. Instead of faces filled with humour, the expressions became darker with worry and confusion. Discussion changed from banter and idle chatting to serious debate about what trick Head Instructor Inoue was pulling. ¡°Maybe the lesson is not to be trusting,¡± Jayjay suggested. ¡°Sure, they said there would be all these restrictions, but how do we know they¡¯re not teaming up on you the moment you step into Duelling Room Two?¡± At this, several remaining students nodded, having come to some conclusion. ¡°Maybe we¡¯re being watched, and it¡¯s a test to see how we react and strategise against seemingly impossible situations?¡± Kanoko offered. ¡°Could be,¡± Hinako said. ¡°Maybe-¡± She was interrupted by the now familiar return and result announced by Instructor Kawas. This time, the name read from the paper was one everyone had been waiting for. ¡°Daichi Ishitani¡± The most talented student in Senior Class B stood up, his face filled with determination. Without saying anything to his fellow students, he walked out of the room. When the door closed, Hinako stared after him, her mind racing. ¡°There¡¯s no way he can¡¯t do it,¡± she said to herself as much as anyone listening. ¡°If the rules they told us are genuine, then there¡¯s no way his third circle magic loses to first circle. She must be exhausted by now.¡± If Daichi couldn¡¯t do it, then there must be some form of trickery going on. There could be no other explanation. If Amelia Thornheart was a Speaker and permitted to use third circle magic, then it¡¯s plausible she could win against the entire class in a duel. Not likely, but plausible. But, restricted to only first circle while her opponents faced no restriction? Nonsense. A little over a minute passed and the door opened once more. This time, every remaining student stood up to hear the result. Instructor Kawas looked over them all individually, appearing to find the room''s atmosphere amusing. ¡°Daichi Ishitani has lost to Assistant Instructor Thornheart,¡± she said plainly. ¡°The next candidate is... Hinako Aikawa.¡± As Hinako¡¯s eyes met the instructor¡¯s, a sinking pit of anxiety formed in her stomach. Hinako stood up, shocked to find her legs a little unsteady. ¡°You got this!¡± Jayjay said cheerfully, clapping her on the back. ¡°Yeah! Go weaken that human for me!¡± Kanoko added in with a smile that didn¡¯t reach her eyes. ¡°Thanks, you two...¡± Hinako muttered before following Instructor Kawas outside. The moment the door shut and they were alone in the corridor, she asked, ¡°So, what¡¯s the trick?¡± She wasn¡¯t expecting a truthful answer; instead, she hoped to decipher some information from whatever answer was given. ¡°No trick,¡± Instructor Kawas replied, moving to stand poised to open the door to Duelling Room Two. ¡°You¡¯re the third person to ask that. No tricks beyond this door, only a human that challenges your calculations.¡± Instructor Kawas gave Hinako a sly smile before pushing her through the door. Stepping through, Hinako immediately began forming her best ward, only to quickly be shouted at by a relaxed-looking Head Instructor Inoue sitting in a chair to the side. ¡°Not yet!¡± she barked. ¡°Wait till I say your fifteen seconds have started! Name?¡± Was there no trick? No ambush? Hinako sensed the room. She was getting better by the week at perceiving the aetherfield, and she could tell a lot of spellwork had recently been conducted in this room. Was she sensing the remnants of Daichi¡¯s efforts? And there was Amelia Thornheart, seemingly looking unaffected as if she¡¯d barely been put under any pressure. Was this really her true appearance? Was she under a glamour by Instructor Inoue to appear so calm and... bored? ¡°Name!?¡± ¡°Ah, sorry!¡± Hinako collected herself. ¡°Hinako Aikawa!¡± ¡°Hinako Aikawa... check,¡± Head Instructor Inoue nodded and then Hinako felt a powerful ward wrap itself around her body, sticking like a second skin. It was sudden, but she felt oddly secure. This was a third circle ward by Lunaria Inoue herself! ¡°Right, you have fifteen seconds until the duel begins. You win if your ward lasts ten seconds or you destroy Assistant Instructor Thornheart¡¯s. You may begin attacking when the bell rings. Begin!¡± Hinako threw herself into her magic, spooling up her aether, circulating it with as much recklessness as she could risk. After five seconds, she¡¯d formed the required structure and then spent the next ten refining it and pouring in as much aether as possible. Just before the bell rang, she activated the ward, cloaking herself in the most extensive ward she¡¯d ever produced under pressure. Glancing upwards, she saw Amelia Thornheart had simply conjured up a modest-looking first circle ward. Igni¡¯s Barrier. Hinako flared her aether, focusing everything she could on her defense. The bell rang. What followed in the next three-quarters of a second left Hinako speechless. From her newly found position sprawled upon the floor, she looked up at Assistant Instructor Thornhearts face as the human reabsorbed the remains of the attack magic she¡¯d just cast against her. Then, she found her voice. ¡°Please, teach me,¡± she asked, touching her head to the floor. Chapter Fifty-One: Firemint Tea Chapter Fifty-One: Firemint Tea In the academy¡¯s central throughway, Amelia found herself lost in thought as she idly perused the display cabinets lining the walls. Contained within were martial weapons of all types, to which Amelia paid little attention. Her mind was occupied with recent events, and the passing student gossip barely registered. She was filled with a mixture of excitement and doubt. One of the students, a second circle mage named Hinako, enthusiastically requested Amelia¡¯s tutorage. The request was delivered with such solemn determination that Amelia was once again reminded that the magical capabilities she took for granted were of life-changing importance for many of the academy¡¯s students. Amelia had agreed, caught up in the excitement of the prospect of developing her own group of disciples. That wasn¡¯t anything unusual; the teaching documents she¡¯d gone over made it clear that instructors could - and were encouraged to - take on students as direct disciples if it wouldn¡¯t interfere with their other teaching obligations. Instructors competed with each other vicariously through their disciples at the end-of-year tournament. Given the opportunity to join the fun, Amelia surprised herself by how quickly she jumped at it. Now that the dueling class was over, Amelia had some time before her next obligation. Instead of returning to her room or hunting down Serena - an easy task requiring her to only follow the aether pouring out from her - Amelia instead took solitude in exploring the academy. Strangely, as the minutes ticked away and her mind started to go in circles, she found the previous excitement at being Hinako¡¯s tutor slowly replaced with a gnawing doubt. Now she had time to reflect, Amelia realised she very much wasn¡¯t a good teacher. She might become one in the future, but for now she could honestly self-evaluate herself as clueless. She might be a powerful mage, but her capabilities, which she controlled with a supernatural level of instinct and intuition, had been somehow created from her time playing a game. Doing magic came easy to her but teaching it was a whole other story. Her time in Kenhoro, where Serena and Grandpa Gu taught her, made her realise how different the teaching skill set was from simply learning the taught skill. Serena was an excellent swordswoman and a good teacher, but Grandpa Gu was exceptional in both. The ability he had to spot Amelia¡¯s mistakes with her sword before she even had a chance to accidentally ingrain them into her muscle memory was phenomenal. He guided her down a learning path customised for her effortlessly. It was a skill backed by his own experiences of training hundreds, if not thousands, of students over decades. Amelia hadn¡¯t trained hundreds or thousands of mages. She hadn¡¯t even trained one. She didn¡¯t know the common pitfalls students faced when trying to cycle their aether and form the simple formations of ordinary first circle magic. What would she be able to do? Other than saying, ¡®It¡¯s easy, just do it like this!¡¯ it wasn¡¯t like she actually knew how structured magical learning went. ¡°Assistant Instructor Thornheart, you have a disconcerting look about you,¡± a smooth feminine voice intoned, dripping with alluring charisma. Amelia turned to see Sarafina Nakajima, the Head Instructor for the Department of Intelligence and Security. Serena told her that Instructor Nakajima had previously worked in Centralis Intelligence before recently becoming an instructor. ¡°Instructor Nakajima,¡± Amelia replied. She opened her mouth to say that everything was fine but stopped herself. Perhaps the instructor could give her some advice. Amelia threw up a sound-blocking ward around them. Instructor Nakajima raised an eyebrow but otherwise didn¡¯t comment on it. Sound-blocking wards were a common act of privacy in a world where so many had enhanced senses. ¡°A student recently requested to become my disciple,¡± Amelia began, recounting the events that transpired an hour ago. ¡°I accepted, as I was happy to see a demon willing to learn from me, a human. Only...¡± Amelia took a breath. ¡°Now I realise I don¡¯t have any teaching experience and am concerned I might delay or otherwise negatively affect the student''s development.¡± Instructor Nakajima simply blinked at her, and Amelia blinked back. Eventually, the Head Instructor opened her ruby lips. ¡°This happened in your first class?¡± she asked, slightly tilting her head. Seeing Amelia nod, a small smile appeared on the instructor¡¯s face. ¡°My my... one class, and you already have students requesting your tutorage. What in the seven hells did you do to them?¡± ¡°I, uh, dueled them under Lunaria¡¯s instructions.¡± ¡°Lunaria, I see. Seems like something she would do. After the pair of you caused so much damage this morning I can see how she¡¯d be inclined to take out her despair on the students.¡± Instructor Nakajima raised a hand to cover her mouth, quietly giggling. ¡°I wasn¡¯t there to see it, but many of us sensed your Taranis invocation. Your power must satisfy the rumours, for the Writing on those walls makes for a comprehensive cloak. I would know.¡± Amelia couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What rumours?¡±. She¡¯d overheard all kinds of nonsense spouted by the students but wondered what a former Intelligence Officer thought. ¡°Well...¡± Instructor Nakajima leaned in slightly, lowering her voice. ¡°I¡¯ve retained all manner of contacts, and one of them told me that the aetherscope installation that monitors the Nai inlet recently picked up an unusually powerful invocation of Asclepius. An invocation that occurred around the same time a cutter went down while on its way to Shimashina. A cutter that Instructor Halen was reportedly travelling on. You see...¡± Instructor Nakajima leant in even further, now with a sly smile. ¡°Normally, such an event would be a catastrophe. Even with a talented Speaker like Instructor Halen to protect the survivors from the wildlife - the collision would cause many casualties. However, in this case, there was barely a scratch on any passengers or staff. Almost as if someone did an awful lot of healing.¡± The demon leaned back, stifling a yawn. ¡°You¡¯re a known Speaker of Aseco, Assistant Instructor Thornheart. Doesn¡¯t take a genius to put the two horns together.¡± Amelia responded with an anxious smile. By now, she¡¯d come to understand her being a Second Word Speaker would become well known. When she¡¯d first come to this world, she¡¯d hesitated to use too much magic, concerned about what detection spells there might be. Never would she have thought there were enormous aetherscopes that could detect her Speaking from thousands of miles away! Not that she couldn¡¯t potentially hide the fact in the future. Speaking the First Word silently was something she¡¯d got a good grip on. Would she be able to do the same with the Second Word? Perhaps she could be dropped off somewhere remote, in the center of the great desert in the Southern Terra Firma, or maybe on a remote island outside the range of any aetherscopes or slumbering animal gods. She could then practice Speaking not just Asclepius but also the range of more powerful demonic Second Words she knew. ¡°How many, uh, people do you think have been able to put those two horns together?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°Anyone with a few brain cells, although many will still reject after hearing your supposed age, which for the record, I am rather suspicious about. Not to worry,¡± Instructor Nakajima nodded her head solemnly. ¡°A woman¡¯s age is a sacred thing, so I won¡¯t ask.¡± ¡°But you¡¯ll rely on your contacts to find out instead, right?¡± Amelia said, feeling amused as the topic of her suspicious age once again came to light. No matter how many times she told the truth that she was twenty-five, people didn¡¯t fully believe her. If her memory was correct, Amelia had answered that question when Serena interrogated her when they first met. The axiom crystal should have recorded her telling the truth, but apparently, they weren¡¯t as reliable as a genuine divinely blessed truth-teller like Polina. ¡°Here? Yes,¡± the demon answered. ¡°In the North, not so much. It grows wild on the mountainsides. I believe the crackling is a defensive mechanism against predators, but we are far too large to be harmed and can instead enjoy the sensation.¡± She took another delicate sip. ¡°I dug this out from my stores for Katalin, but I haven¡¯t found the opportunity to socialise with her yet. We only really see her during the training sessions.¡± The instructor sighed with a forlorn expression. ¡°She¡¯s a wondrous demon...¡± ¡°You¡¯re not bad yourself,¡± Amelia pointed out. ¡°Your cloaks are some of the best I¡¯ve ever seen. Kanaxai, right?¡± The demon god of trickery was an obvious choice for a former Intelligence Officer. Amelia reckoned that most mages and warriors wouldn¡¯t be able to identify the almost imperceptible yellow aura wrapped around the instructor. ¡°Oh?¡± Instructor Nakajima raised an eyebrow after Amelia pointed out she could see the subtle aura. ¡°Very good, Assistant Instructor Thornheart. Excellent perception. Most would need to Speak to see through my cloaks. Cloaking has always been my talent. I wanted to be an ice mage growing up, but fate had a different plan.¡± ¡°What kind of stuff did you get up to?¡± With the demon''s skill, Amelia could imagine her pulling off all kinds of disguises to conduct espionage and assassinations. ¡°During your time in Intelligence, I mean. Bet you did all kinds of secret missions with those skills.¡± ¡°Perhaps,¡± Nakajima smiled, then hid her mouth with the teacup, the rising steam blurring her face. ¡°If I did, I couldn¡¯t possibly tell you about them. What I can tell you is I spent many years in a diplomatic role. I was an advisor to the Cascadian ambassador to Ulm.¡± Amelia blinked, remembering the maps she¡¯d committed to memory. Ulm was a prosperous city-state bordering the northwest of the Republic along the western coast of the human continent. ¡°What was it like?¡± she asked. ¡°To be a demon in human territory?¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± Instructor Nakajima raised a finger to her chin. ¡°Things were bad when our group arrived and,¡± Her eyes widened as if exasperated. ¡°Terrible when we left. The war set back relations fifty, perhaps a hundred years. I fear they will get a lot worse before they get better.¡± Her eyes narrowed. ¡°When it started, we saw the war as a conflict between ideologies. Then, the humans started to see it as a racial conflict fueled by their silly interpretation of Christ. And now...¡± the instructor sighed. ¡°Now it seems demonkind has followed down the same path. Honestly, I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a good or a bad thing that you¡¯re here. The only thing easing my doubts is the Eastern Overlord sanctioned your presence. Here at the academy, all of us hope you live up to whatever expectations he has for his new Lord-Prospect.¡± ¡°Any advice on living up to the expectations my disciple is going to have?¡± Amelia asked, turning the conversation back to the original topic. ¡°Ah, yes.¡± The demon placed her cup down, crossing her legs and placing her hands on her knee. ¡°You said you have no teaching experience?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± Amelia gave a quick recount of the event that caused Hinako to request Amelia¡¯s guidance so earnestly. The demon didn¡¯t seem surprised that Amelia took on an entire second-year class while limiting herself only to the first circle. Nakajima knew she Spoke a Second Word, so her victory against the students wouldn¡¯t be unusual. And to think, I can do so much more, Amelia thought. ¡°Then your best bet is to be honest. If you trounced poor Hinako in a duel, then she¡¯ll be able to excuse any lack of teaching skill from you due to your tremendous talent. She will think, ¡®Of course, this human doesn¡¯t know the first thing about teaching; they must have spent their entire life cycling aether!¡¯ You just need to be upfront about that and let her know you¡¯ll be learning as much from her as she will from you. Our students aren¡¯t idiots. She can tell you what she thinks she needs to help her grow. ¡°And even if that turns out to be inefficient. Hinako Aikawa is known to have her eyes set on the arena. Just by dueling her repeatedly, she¡¯ll be sure to develop and discover insights independently. You don¡¯t need to hold her hand. You¡¯re not much older than she is, after all.¡± Amelia nodded, feeling a sense of relief. The demon''s words were enough to make Amelia cast away any inclination she had to try to present herself as a stringent, formal instructor. She would take a more friendly approach to the whole situation, one which aligned closer with her honest and open personality. After all, she¡¯d learned a lot about control by dueling the class one by one. More duels would help Amelia understand herself and her titanic powers even more. The two chatted further while enjoying the crackling firemint tea. In the end, the demon insisted Amelia call her by her first name, Sarafina, in the future. ¡°But not around the students,¡± Sarafina pointed out. ¡°Keep it Instructor Nakajima, lest we be accused of not providing a professional learning environment by the local nobility.¡± ¡°Mmm, mmm!¡± Amelia nodded happily. Soon, the bell rang, and Amelia had to rush to her appointment. Giving Sarafina her thanks, she clambered up and headed to the magic tower where a session on crafting aetherlights and other equipment from moon crystals was about to start. With Amelia Thornheart gone, Sarafina refilled her mint tea before relaxing into her chair. Her mind raced over all the little bits of information she¡¯d gleaned from the human. Someone like her didn¡¯t need to ask probing questions to fill in the gaps in her knowledge. The subtle changes of the human¡¯s pulse, how she breathed before she spoke, where her eyes lingered and for how long. All these small signs told Sarafina everything she wanted to know. ¡°A pleasant, amenable personality,¡± Sarafina muttered, finalizing her judgement of the human. She paused before adding the one statement she knew she would need to for her mind to be satisfied that it fully understood Amelia Thornheart. ¡°And definitely a monster.¡± Chapter Fifty-Two: Crystalcraft Chapter Fifty-Two: Crystalcraft Amelia walked as quickly as she could without embarrassing herself. She would only be a few minutes late. Her chat with Sarafina Nakajima had occupied too much time! Sarafina¡¯s company was pleasant and Amelia made a mental note to acquire her own batch of firemint tea leaves. It would compliment her jimari coffee beans quite nicely. Although now wasn¡¯t the time to be thinking about tea. Amelia entered the magic tower and hurried up its spiralling staircase. About halfway up, she double-checked the brass plaque that indicated the floor and stepped off. The magic tower¡¯s rooms were arranged in a circle on each floor, with their doors facing the center. A balcony ringed each floor and provided the only walking space. The academy had installed nets on each floor, stretching from the balcony edge to the stairway, saving any student unlucky enough to fall. ¡°Workshop D...¡± she muttered, circling the floor and quickly finding the target door. Taking a deep breath and mentally hoping that not everyone would stare at her, Amelia pushed open the door and stepped through. Unfortunately, everyone stared at her. Three dozen students and a handful of staff all stopped what they were doing and stared. Silence enveloped the room.. By now, she¡¯d grown used to people staring at her. After all, who could blame them? She was radiant, cute, and mysterious! Resisting a giggle, she exclaimed, ¡°Hello! I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m late! Lunaria, I mean, Head Instructor Inoue permitted me to sit in!¡± She punctuated her greeting with a polite smile and waved, adding, ¡°Nice to meet you! I¡¯m Assistant Instructor Thornheart!¡± The unfamiliar instructor leading the class recovered first. Amelia put him down as a Southerner because of the man''s marbled skin and ram-like horns. He coughed into his hand and said, ¡°Ah, yes, Instructor Kawas, could you be so kind as to take Assistant Instructor Thornheart into your group?¡± Amelia looked across the room to see a familiar face. Instructor Kawas panicked slightly before jumping into motion, pulling an empty desk into the group she seemed responsible for. With a nod towards the southern instructor, Amelia approached Instructor Kawas. ¡°Hello again,¡± she whispered. ¡°Assistant Instructor Thornheart, welcome,¡± Kawas replied as she placed an array of tools on Amelia¡¯s desk. ¡°Ignore the rest of the class; Instructor Abbas is teaching advanced theory. This group is focusing on introductory theory and practical applications, led by myself.¡± ¡°Right,¡± Amelia nodded, settling into a chair. She introduced herself to the students around her but received polite but short responses. It was one thing to stand before the mage class in the role of an Assistant Instructor, but to sit down with students as a fellow student? They didn¡¯t seem to know how to act. She was, after all, a Speaker, an Assistant Instructor, and a human. And devilishly cute. ¡°What are we doing?¡± she asked Kawas as the class¡¯ background noise resumed, and Instructor Abbas continued his workshop. Amelia couldn¡¯t help but notice she was the subject of almost all whispered gossip. It turned out her performance earlier defeating every mage in Senior Group B had gotten around, and some nicknames were already being formed. The Golden Terror had a nice ring to it. ¡°The simplest of all crystalcraft,¡± Kawas explained, pulling Amelia out of her eavesdropping. ¡°Aetherlights.¡± The demon gestured towards the tools she¡¯d placed in front of Amelia. ¡°This is your callipers, chisel, eyeglass, and scoring tool. Oh, and sandpaper to grind away surface debris. Right, follow me...¡± Instructor Kawas began explaining the fundamentals of crystalcraft to Amelia. All a moon crystal needed to act as a light source was to be cut into a specific configuration. This configuration was called the Tilburg-Cut, named after the Centralis city whose crystalers¡¯ discovered it centuries ago. It required positioning, scoring, and then cutting the crystal into a long obelisk shape, with the ends then cut into a flat-topped pyramid. This was all that was needed to make the moon crystal glow. And through Amelia¡¯s exceptional perception, constantly enhanced by her wards, she saw why. When Amelia was transformed, she began to understand that the reason moon crystals glowed wasn¡¯t that they generated light themselves; instead, the crystal sucked in the surrounding aether by bending the aetherfield towards itself, much like a planet bent spacetime to create the phenomenon of gravity. Building on that observation, she now learned that by cutting faces into the crystal, the shape and nature of that aether flow could be manipulated. The geometry of the crystal changed how the aether was channelled through it, and by cutting a specific configuration, the crystal could be made to generate light. The complications arose, however, because crystals weren¡¯t perfect. Each and every sample carried imperfections. Trace amounts of material that weakened and disrupted how effectively the crystal could manipulate the aetherfield. The result was that while the Tilburg-Cut was ¡®good enough¡¯ for the majority of crystals, many of them needed custom adjustments to shine enough to be of practical use. Most crystalers relied on their experience to produce a better aetherlight. Whether the angle between two faces needed adjusting or an entirely new face needed to be added, whatever it was, they relied on their intuition to make the change. However, Amelia wasn¡¯t like most crystalers. When she focused, she could see the aetherfield bending to the crystal''s geometry, and before she¡¯d gone through a dozen samples, she quickly got the hang of what area of the crystal needed some adjustment to begin working. Samples labelled as failed attempts from previous students breathed light anew. Not only that, but her extreme dexterity allowed her to quickly understand the ins and outs of using the tools before her. Amelia became adept at knowing exactly how much force the chisel needed to be struck with. Once she understood how faces and angles changed the aetherflow, she needed little direction in positioning her chisel and making adjustments. ¡°Why did you do that?¡± a student asked after Amelia chipped a large section of crystal from the center of the sample she was working on. It would have looked like the work of a maniac to anyone else, but Amelia knew what she was doing. ¡°The imperfection here,¡± Amelia explained, pointing to the upper half of her crystal. ¡°Is blocking the aetherflow to the end. If we curve the flow around it, which we can do by cutting out what I just did, and then...¡± Amelia positioned her chisel, and with a quick tap, the crystal began spewing out brilliant white light. ¡°We can save this from becoming a reject! Look at that!¡± Amelia held up the crystal, feeling proud of herself for saving it from failure. It would need refinement from more practised hands, but Amelia¡¯s rough cuts had created another working aetherlight. ¡°You can see the aetherfield so clearly?¡± Instructor Kawas asked, only to shake her head when Amelia responded in the affirmative. ¡°How lucky you are. Speakers have an advantage, don¡¯t they? Ah...¡± the demon suddenly looked apologetic. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Assistant Instructor Thornheart.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Amelia answered, waving her hand. ¡°It makes me wonder, though; if cutting crystals make them naturally form a light-generating formation inside themselves, then surely, in theory, every spell could be activated from a crystal cut precisely enough?¡± Instructor Kawas shook her head again. ¡°In theory, yes. But the difficulty of cutting a crystal to form even a simple spell formation is beyond our abilities. As a mage, you should recognise the difference between your spellwork and the simple light-generating formation in these crystals.¡± Seeing Amelia nod, Instructor Kawas continued, ¡°Only this, along with a few others, such as the heat-generating or heat-absorbing cuts, are capable of mass production.¡± ¡°Are crystals used in cameras?¡± Amelia asked, remembering the flash photography she was subjected to when she arrived in Asamaywa. ¡°When I was being photographed, the cameras gave off a hiss of steam. Was that the result of a heat-generating crystal?¡± ¡°Not quite. The Tilburg-Cut can be adjusted to provide a light surge when activated. The problem is this also produces a lot of heat, enough that the camera is at risk. So, inside the camera, the crystal is kept in a container of water that evaporates when it takes a picture. That¡¯s why you hear a hiss of steam.¡± ¡°Oh...¡± A piece of the puzzle fell into place! ¡°Can you show me examples of the heat-generating and heat-absorption crystals?¡± Amelia waited for Instructor Kawas to dig around for some samples. Unsurprisingly, the heat-generating crystal was cut from red moon crystal and the heat absorption one was cut from purple. Different moons were better or worse at producing different phenomena. ¡°This one is called the Yiannis-Cut. You can see custom adjustments here and here,¡± Instructor Kawas explained, pointing to different parts of the crystal. ¡°Heat-generating formations are much more complex, and therefore, even small imperfections lead to a large loss in efficiency. Even with these adjustments, this crystal cannot generate steam. It does have some usages, such as preventing a tank of water from freezing in the winter.¡± Amelia took the sample from Kawas and examined it, noticing that the crystal was in two pieces. Instructor Kawas explained that, like aetherlights, the final production stage was cutting the crystal in half. By doing this, you would lose some efficiency but gain the ability to activate and deactivate the effects by simply pulling apart or rotating one section of the crystal. It was a principle that would allow lights to be dimmed or allow bathwater to be kept at the right temperature. Amelia rotated the crystal, sensing the aetherflow forming as it began to warm her hands. ¡°Can they break from the heat?¡± she asked. ¡°Eventually, the faces of heat-generating and heat-absorption crystals develop micro-fractures and need to be recut. If you¡¯re lucky enough to have thousands of denarii to afford a perfect, pristine crystal, then you might be at risk of it melting. Red melts at around sixteen hundred thols,¡± the demon explained. ¡°Purple melts the easiest at around nine hundred. Once a crystal melts, it loses all ability to affect aether.¡± ¡°How many thols to boil water?¡± Amelia asked, seeking a reference against the temperature scales she was familiar with from her world. If Instructor Kawas thought it strange that Amelia didn¡¯t know she didn¡¯t show it. She informed Amelia that it was a hundred thols to boil water at the continent level. Amelia continued studying the crystals. Before she knew it, the class had ended. That didn¡¯t mean everyone left. Her prodigious talent for seeing the aetherflow meant Instructor Abbas and more than a dozen students remained to watch her work. After a while, Instructor Abbas had an idea and brought out a few boxes of heat-generating and heat-absorbing crystals deemed only worthwhile as practice items. With Amelia doing her best to explain how the aether was flowing, the remaining students could, under Abbas''s instruction, put many of the crystals in working order. Interestingly, Amelia noticed that the closer she was to a crystal, the greater its effect was. This made sense, as the crystal only nudged the surrounding aether, and the atmosphere near Amelia was dense with aether due to the many layers of wards she was running. Furthermore, the aether that she was constantly pouring out to run Serena¡¯s wards created an invisible flow that would brighten any aetherlight that happened to cross its path. It wasn¡¯t as noticeable as it could have been; after Chesterfield¡¯s complaints Amelia had spent some effort trying to cloak the aether in transit to Serena. She¡¯d found some success, although it was something that she¡¯d achieved through her intuition rather than any definitive spellwork. ¡°Swordsmanship training?¡± Serena intoned sarcastically, crossing her arms. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have come up with a better excuse? You don¡¯t even have a sword on you! How long are you planning to stay?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t planning on leaving,¡± Amelia said with a grin. ¡°Where¡¯s your bedroom, through here?¡± Ignoring Serena¡¯s sudden protest, Amelia opened a nearby door and saw a comfortable-looking bed with a suspicious arrangement of blankets and pillows. ¡°Oh my,¡± Amelia raised a hand to her mouth in mock surprise, unable to keep the smugness out of her voice. ¡°Is that supposed to be a replacement for me?¡± She turned to find Serena thoroughly red-faced, looking to the side. ¡°I... I¡¯ve become accustomed to your... warmth. Damn it!¡± Serena kicked the doorway. ¡°This is your fault! If you weren¡¯t so... so...¡± ¡°Devishly attractive and extremely cuddly?¡± Amelia asked, widening her eyes to form a look of innocence. ¡°Yes! Idiot!¡± Serena reached out, ruffling Amelia¡¯s hair. ¡°Because of you, I now have...¡± Her voice became quiet, the last bit barely audible even to Amelia¡¯s senses. ¡°...needs.¡± Serena groaned, grabbing her horns while looking upwards and muttering, ¡°I was managing just fine, and then you appear for two minutes, and I become like this! Damn, damn, damn...¡± Amelia giggled before skipping over and launching herself onto the bed. ¡°Well, don¡¯t mind me. I¡¯m just here for some light reading. It¡¯s lonely in my room.¡± Amelia waved the book at Serena. ¡°What are you up to?¡± ¡°Ahem! I¡¯m writing a lecture plan,¡± Serena explained, recovering slightly from her prior awkwardness. ¡°I¡¯ve been asked to explain the Port Highwind operation. How we approached it, why we chose to do what we did...¡± Serena shrugged. ¡°What about you? Everyone¡¯s talking about your duel with Instructor Inoue. I see you chose Taranis in the end. Are you planning on Speaking another?¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± Amelia replied, stretching like a cat on the bed. She quickly explained the events that transpired regarding Senior Group B, as well as the positive impression she made during Instructor Abbas¡¯s Crystalcraft workshop. All in all, Serena responded positively to the idea of Amelia taking on a few disciples. She explained that learning to teach would be a great learning experience for Amelia. ¡°So what do you want to do now?¡± Amelia asked. Serena¡¯s blush returned and she took a half-step forward before stopping and shaking her head. ¡°I need to finish this plan. Then we can... do other things.¡± Again, Amelia couldn¡¯t help but giggle. Serena was so easy to read. Amelia sat up on the bed and patted the mattress next to her. ¡°Come work here. You can do your writing, and I can read, okay?¡± ¡°...Fine,¡± Serena muttered. She vanished and soon reappeared with paper and pen. The demon hesitated only a little before climbing onto the bed as if she was worried Amelia would do something the moment she got too close. Amelia began reading. At least, she pretended to. While Serena scratched away at her work, Amelia spent her time focusing on her girlfriend''s movements. It didn¡¯t escape her senses that Serena kept pausing to glance at her legs, and when she rotated to the side, her back facing Serena, she could feel her girlfriend¡¯s gaze on her arse. So predictable. Amelia yawned, complaining that the room was too hot. She removed her outer layer of clothing and positioned herself on her belly, pretending to read while lightly moving her feet in the air. After a minute of being a distraction, she muttered that it was still too hot and removed her trousers, leaving her only in her undershirt and pants. ¡°I know what you¡¯re doing,¡± Serena said flatly. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Nothing. Stop talking.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who said something!¡± ¡°...Shut up.¡± Half naked, Amelia hummed while flicking through the pages of her book. Serena had long stopped writing, and Amelia knew if she looked up from her book, her girlfriend would either be glaring daggers at her or rolling her eyes. Whichever it was, it would be accompanied by flushed cheeks. ¡°Still so bloody hot!¡± Amelia exclaimed, doing her best to act frustrated. Reaching back, she pulled her undershirt off and, acting as nonchalantly as possible, unhooked her bra. ¡°Aren¡¯t you hot?¡± She asked Serena as she rotated her body so her bare back touched her girlfriend¡¯s arm. This was too much for the demon, who yelled, ¡°Seven hells! You¡¯re incorrigible!¡± Pen and paper were thrown aside, and Amelia felt herself forcefully adjusted so she was lying on her back. Serena clambered on top of her, her face bright as a tomato, but the brashness of the situation didn¡¯t stop her girlfriend from leering at Amelia¡¯s topless body. ¡°What¡¯s gotten into you so suddenly?¡± Amelia asked, unable to keep herself from smiling. ¡°You!¡± Serena exclaimed in frustration. One of Serena¡¯s hands pinned down Amelia¡¯s wrist above her head while the other was brazenly groping one of her breasts. ¡°Making me so... so...¡± ¡°Horny?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°Stop saying weird things!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not my fault you demons reference your horns in every idiom ever made, yet you¡¯ve never come up with the expression horny. That¡¯s weird!¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s weird that humans reference horns to communicate their... their...¡± Serena tutted. ¡°Just say aroused like a normal person!¡± ¡°Well then!¡± Amelia chirped. ¡°Are you?¡± ¡°Am I what!?¡± ¡°Aroused?¡± ¡°Of course I am, you fool!¡± Serena leaned forward, aggressively stealing a long and passionate kiss. Amelia fumbled awkwardly, eventually managing to undress Serena. It wasn¡¯t until they were both entirely naked that Serena¡¯s hand left Amelia¡¯s breasts and went below to a far more pleasurable area. I¡¯m the luckiest human alive, Amelia thought as she moved closer and closer to the inevitable satisfying explosion. Whatever the future may bring, these moments made it all worth it. Chapter Fifty-Three: Red Aura Chapter Fifty-Three: Red Aura AnnouncementLiking the series? Stop by the discord and say hi! I''m also posting updates in there of my progress developing NovelPets, a new web novel site that aims to mix RR with Patreon :3 If you want to participate in any of that, feel free to pop in whether you''re a reader or a writer! Serena woke at first light. She didn¡¯t open her eyes just yet, instead choosing to enjoy the warm pressure of Amelia leaning into her. It was unbelievable how difficult it was to maintain composure around her. At first, she accepted it as the result of a fledgling infatuation, but in many ways, it only got worse. Was this what it felt like to be madly in love? As the days and weeks ticked by, Serena not only began factoring Amelia into more and more decisions, but she¡¯d also begun working on the assumption they would always be together. An assumption that made Serena giddy. She wrapped an arm around Amelia¡¯s sleeping figure and gave her a small squeeze. Her action earned her a satisfying squeak and something mumbled about fried chicken. Serena slipped out from under the blanket and stood up, quietly yawning as she regulated her aura to resist the morning chill. She glanced through the window and was greeted by a frosty, foggy morning. Turning away, she- Wait, what was that? Serena snapped her gaze back out the window. She eyed the suspect corner, where she swore she had just seen someone watching her. There was no one there. Serena pushed through orange and into yellow aura, enhancing her perception as much as she could without Speaking. While her senses now informed her of a few dozen aether signatures around the academy, there was no sign of the person who had been watching her. Was it just a coincidence? ¡°We being attacked?¡± a mumbling and sleepy Amelia asked, not even turning around. ¡°Or are you training?¡± With an exaggerated yawn, the blond-haired mess slowly moved onto her back. ¡°It¡¯s so early!¡± she exclaimed suddenly before reaching out with one hand, gesturing at Serena. ¡°Ren... come back to bed. It¡¯s so cold and lonely without you...¡± The invitation brought a smile to Serena¡¯s face. She approached the sleepy Amelia, letting her aura drop to its usual red hue before kissing her girlfriend¡¯s forehead. ¡°I thought I saw something,¡± she explained. ¡°But we need to get up anyway. You need to slip out before anyone sees you.¡± ¡°Mmm...¡± Amelia reached and took hold of Serena¡¯s hand, pulsing a subtle healing spell into them both. At least Amelia possessed enough awareness now to know that if she blasted her magic here, it would announce to half the academy that she was in Serena¡¯s room. The familiar golden warmth filled Serena, revitalising her for the day ahead and washing away any sleepiness. Amelia continued their morning ritual by casting her cleaning spell on them both, erasing any sweat from their bodies and removing the need to use the toilet in the morning. ¡°Well, I¡¯m awake now,¡± Amelia chirped, sitting up and looking around the room. ¡°Coffee?¡± she asked, pointing towards a small gas stove. The main academy building hadn¡¯t been modernised fully. While it replaced the old gas lamps with aetherlights, the gas lines remained in use. ¡°Sure,¡± Serena filled a kettle, struck a match and lit the stove. ¡°Some of your Jimari beans,¡± she gestured towards a small pot. She¡¯d taken the liberty to borrow some of Amelia¡¯s stash from the Vengeance. After her girlfriend had bought a ridiculous twenty-pound bag of the stuff - a luxurious expense Serena would never do herself - she¡¯d found that she¡¯d become accustomed to the quality coffee over the military rations she was used to. ¡°Mind brewing while I wash?¡± she called out, heading to the washroom. With Amelia¡¯s cleaning, magic washing wasn¡¯t necessary; it was simply a habit Serena enjoyed. After washing and dressing, Serena returned to the bedroom to find two steaming cups of coffee waiting for her. ¡°What are your plans for today?¡± she asked, sipping the black liquid and enjoying the bitter sensation. ¡°I...¡± Amelia closed her eyes, seemingly focusing on remembering her schedule. ¡°I¡¯m free till lunch, then there¡¯s a first-year magic class Lunaria wants me to attend, but only to observe how they teach. Oh, that reminds me! Since when was Taranis¡¯s Downpour a seventh-circle spell?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly. Maybe a few centuries?¡± Serena offered. Taranis was close to becoming a Second-Word god. Even now, the aether required to commune his name as a First Word was so much he was one of the rarest Words out there. It was estimated that within a few decades, maybe another century, Taranis would make his first embodiment and officially move higher up the divine ladder. Serena explained this to Amelia and finished with, ¡°He¡¯s sort of considered a one-point-five Word.¡± ¡°Guess that explains it,¡± Amelia nodded, sipping her coffee. ¡°I almost killed Lunaria yesterday with it.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± Serena uttered. ¡°That¡¯s how the roof got damaged?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Idiot.¡± ¡°...Yeah.¡± They sat in silence for a moment, enjoying the morning. After their coffee was almost finished Amelia said, ¡°Sarafina knows I Spoke Asclepius, and I suspect Lunaria also knows. I think a lot of them know, to be honest.¡± She shrugged and added, ¡°I didn¡¯t confirm it directly, but I can¡¯t deny it...¡± Serena nodded slowly. If there was one major fault with Amelia, it was how difficult it was for her to deceive others. She could do it a little, but anyone half-trained could pick up her body language and know what was truthful and what wasn¡¯t. ¡°I imagine it¡¯ll be officially announced soon. They¡¯re probably drip-feeding information to get a feel on the response.¡± Of all nations, the response of Christdom was the most important. Had Asclepius informed the Vatican of Amelia¡¯s embodiment of his divinity? Asclepius was, like the other human gods, aligned with the human race. After all, there was a reason they were called the human gods. But there were rules and accords in the halls of divinity that transcended the racial politics of the Known World. It was entirely possible that after Amelia had, in her own words, told off the lower rung of demonic gods through some mysterious way of Speaking, divine arrangements had been made regarding her. Still, who was Serena to start guessing what happened in the Seven Hells or the Six Heavens? ¡°Gah!¡± Amelia groaned. ¡°I should have picked one of the demonic Second-Word gods to save the Sakamoto. They¡¯re far more fun!¡± Serena snorted. Despite Amelia¡¯s growth, she still said ridiculous things. Even knowing Amelia¡¯s circumstances, it was strange to hear her talk about picking a Second-Word as if she were plucking fruit from a tree. A Second-Word was a lifelong goal of the most talented and dedicated demons. ¡°What?¡± Amelia questioned. ¡°I¡¯m just happy to have such a capable girlfriend,¡± Serena mused, nursing her cup of coffee. Amelia¡¯s cheeks flushed. Serena knew Amelia loved being referred to as her girlfriend. Hells, Serena enjoyed it too, especially as it was one of the few things she could use to make Amelia giggle and blush. ¡°You were reading that last night. What is it?¡± she asked, pointing to the book Amelia had brought. ¡°The Mathematics of War,¡± Amelia said, turning the book so Serena could see. It was a familiar book. One she¡¯d studied during her time at the academy. The Mathematics of War reformed many military processes. The anonymous author greatly influenced the thinking of Centralis with its commentary on the Cascadia-Republic conflict in its early stages. It argued that technological advances meant war would become bloodier, not quicker and that Cascadia should prepare for long, grinding wars of attrition that prioritised destroying the enemy instead of taking territory. When it was written, the conflict hadn¡¯t yet become the quagmire it was today, where Republican efforts only persisted due to countless resources and ¡®volunteers¡¯ being funnelled into the country by the human nations. Thankfully, the reforms it suggested were carried out years ago and meant that Cascadia could constrain most of the fighting off the Cascadian continent. ¡°What did you think of it?¡± Serena asked. Amelia wasn¡¯t military-minded, but some of the weapons she¡¯d mentioned were shocking. Torpedoes that could travel thousands of kilometres, hugging the terrain guided by their machine brains aided by human creations that orbited the planet. She didn¡¯t think Amelia was pulling her horn, but Serena simply couldn¡¯t fathom how the handheld machines Amelia described could do millions of calculations a second. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Amelia replied, shrugging. ¡°I wasn¡¯t actually reading it. I was more focused on teasing you! Hey! No hair ruffling!¡± The woman¡¯s complaints were left unanswered as her golden hair was thoroughly ruffled. ¡°What about you?¡± Amelia asked as she fixed her hair. ¡°What are you doing? Can we meet up later?¡± ¡°Katalin of Driss runs an instructor-only training session on Wednesday mornings. That¡¯s where I¡¯m heading. Did you want to come?¡± Serena asked. ¡°Uh,¡± Amelia hesitated for a moment, a look of indecision on her face. ¡°Sure!¡± she suddenly exclaimed. ¡°Maybe she¡¯ll have some insights on me breaking into red aura!¡± ¡°That''s good. It saves you from needing to sneak out. If anyone sees us, we can pretend you came first thing to me so I can take you to the session.¡± That excuse became useful sooner rather than later. Shortly after leaving Serena¡¯s quarters, they crossed paths with Ryosuke Yamamoto. Serena greeted the demon, explaining her role as Amelia¡¯s guide. Luckily, he didn¡¯t seem to give it a second thought. As they got closer to their destination, Serena felt an unfamiliar bubble of anxiety form. Was it because this would be the first time she trained with her fellow instructors? Or was it perhaps the fact that something about the northern demon set her on edge? ¡°What kind of sessions does she run?¡± Serena asked Ryosuke. ¡°The first half is relatively standard, although at a much higher pace than what we put the students through. Then, most instructors leave, unable to cope with the second half of the session where she...¡± The demon warrior¡¯s eyes narrowed, his brow furrowing. ¡°...She mostly just destroys us.¡± ¡°Well, that sounds awfully ominous!¡± Amelia exclaimed. ¡°Why do you keep coming back?¡± ¡°Where¡¯s your warrior spirit, Assistant Instructor Thornheart?¡± Ryosuke¡¯s eyes gleamed. ¡°How can we resist? She¡¯s as talented as the rumours say, and it feels as though no matter how much we try, she¡¯s always there to match us. Not just with the sword either; she wields the spear just as well! Katalin swore she''d privately tutor those who last a month, so a few of us are fighting for that privilege.¡± They arrived at the training hall. From within, Serena could hear the muffled sounds of clashing metal. ¡°Steel, not wood?¡± she asked Ryosuke with a raised eyebrow. ¡°It¡¯s how she wants it,¡± came the reply. ¡°Oh, and one last bit of advice: if she asks you to attack her, then attack her.¡± Serena nodded. Ryosuke opened the door, and the three of them stepped in. Inside, two dozen instructors and assistant instructors were warming up. Perhaps half of the warrior side of the teaching academy was present, the value of Highlord Driss¡¯s teaching outweighing the painful early mornings. In the centre, the demon in question stood. ¡°One minute!¡± Katalin called out before locking her purple eyes with Serena and then Amelia. Serena watched Katalin¡¯s expression closely, looking for any signs of anger or hatred. The North did not like humans, and Katalin¡¯s comments from the last time they met suggested the demon didn¡¯t vary from the norm. Serena didn¡¯t want to cause conflict, but if anyone started to bully Amelia, she¡¯d have to step up, no matter the complications it caused. Serena, Amelia and Ryosuke formed a trio, joined by three other instructors who looked worse for wear. ¡°That was an exceptional strike, Instructor Yamamoto,¡± Serena said, earnestly complimenting what she saw. Within her, the embers of her competitive spirit flared. This was the level she needed to reach! ¡°But still not enough,¡± Ryosuke replied, the corner of his mouth raising. Katalin explained their next drill. One person would defend using the hawk, while the others would form a queue and attack with thrusts one by one. Once the defender had gone through each opponent, they would switch. Attackers would maintain their aura one level below the defender for their safety. Serena defended first, finding it difficult to maintain her yellow aura in her exhausted state. Aether exhaustion was not a familiar feeling to Serena. Plays, novels and tales told by drunken soldiers exaggerated how long a fight between warriors lasted. Nearly every fight Serena had been in had ended in less than thirty seconds. When it came to survival, it was better to flare your aura as much as possible, attack to the best of your capabilities, and retreat if you can¡¯t break your enemy in seconds. Most warriors can only flare their aura for ten to twelve seconds before risking exhaustion, and an exhausted warrior can only manifest a weak aura. And a weak aura meant death. In their group, Serena only had difficulty with parrying Ryosuke. Ryosuke was a far more experienced warrior than she was, and she simply couldn¡¯t bring her sword down or step aside in time. Amelia was easy to parry. The woman wasn¡¯t suffering from aether exhaustion, but her body was relatively untrained, and she was getting tired. With her tiredness, her power became sloppy, and an Amelia who was being sloppy was an Amelia who was dangerous. It didn¡¯t help Amelia was still focusing on cycling her aether the way warriors do, all while maintaining her own and Serena¡¯s wards. With so much going on, it wasn¡¯t unexpected that Amelia¡¯s sword flew out of her hand by Serena¡¯s parry. It tumbled in the air until stabbing into the ground. ¡°Death!¡± Katalin roared from across the room! ¡°Death!¡± The room went deadly quiet. Katalin snatched Amelia¡¯s sword, jabbing the point in front of Amelia¡¯s neck. ¡°You lost your weapon! That¡¯s death!¡± she shouted. ¡°You think you¡¯re tired, huh? Well, you¡¯ll be able to sleep if you were on the battlefield because you would be dead!¡± ¡°I...¡± Amelia audible swallowed, taking a moment to catch her breath. Her face was red, and beads of sweat dotted her forehead. ¡°I have my wards!¡± she protested. ¡°You are not here to learn to be a mage! You are here to learn how to fight like a demon!¡± Katalin shouted. ¡°Your wards hold you back! They are a crutch! Remove them!¡± ¡°R-remove them?¡± ¡°Remove your wards! You¡¯ll never reach red otherwise!¡± ¡°But you said-¡± ¡°Your wards are interfering! The warriors'' aether cycle cannot flow! You are more than ready to make the step! Remove them!¡± ¡°But I¡¯ll be unprotected!¡± ¡°So? Do you not trust me!?¡± Katalin glared as Amelia and Amelia glared back. Then, as the seconds ticked by, the frustration on Amelia¡¯s face relaxed into something else. A quiet look of determination and... understanding? Serena was puzzled by what she saw and even more confused when Amelia dropped her wards, leaving her vulnerable for perhaps the first time since Serena had known her. It looked like Amelia realised something about Katalin. Did her intuition inform her decision? Regardless, Amelia didn¡¯t stop supplying aether to Serena¡¯s wards. ¡°This shouldn¡¯t take long,¡± Katalin stated. She flipped Amelia¡¯s weapon, holding the blade and handing it back towards Amelia. ¡°Make some space!¡± she commanded, and the group obliged, backing away. ¡°We¡¯ll spar until you hit red or until you lose consciousness, yes?¡± ¡°My weapon isn¡¯t warded...¡± Amelia muttered. With the external wards on her weapon, it would shatter against Katalin¡¯s aura-enhanced sword. ¡°We¡¯ll do it the old-fashioned way,¡± Katalin said before dropping her aura. ¡°Metal against metal. Don¡¯t lose your sword. Even if you die, never lose your weapon.¡± ¡°O-okay!¡± Amelia nodded. Serena saw her tighten her grip. Without bowing or any other display of etiquette, Katalin closed the distance and began her attack. It seemed ridiculous at first; the expertly delivered strikes appeared slow and unthreatening to the aura-enhanced eyes of Serena. No matter how skilled an opponent was, normal steel wasn¡¯t threatening to a warrior unless it was in the shape of a bullet. But Amelia wasn¡¯t a warrior, and without any wards, the steel swinging towards her would cut her. Watching her girlfriend hastily defend against the attacks, her tiredness becoming more evident by the second as she desperately tried to cycle the aether within her made Serena realise how much danger Amelia was actually in. If Katalin wanted, she could cut Amelia¡¯s head off before anyone could react. The moment this thought passed, Serena took a step forward, only to be stopped by Ryosuke. ¡°Wait,¡± he hissed quietly. ¡°It¡¯s a gauntlet. The human will be fine. She¡¯s done this to others already.¡± The clanging of steel continued to ring throughout the air. ¡°One mistake, and she could die,¡± Serena replied, not taking her eyes away. She felt a knot form in her stomach. For the first time, she realised she might lose Amelia. The thought made her sick. At this moment, Serena realised the depth of her love for the human. It transcended all etiquette, all norms, and now she was sure it transcended her loyalty to the Empire. Amelia''s defence slowed and faltered, but Katalin kept the pressure up. ¡°Don¡¯t stop cycling!¡± Katalin shouted, assaulting Amelia with strike after strike. Katalin¡¯s sword slipped past Amelia¡¯s guard, slicing her shoulder. Amelia stumbled. Blood poured from the wound, darkening her outfit. Serena saw red and prepared Narean. She was about to Speak when Amelia suddenly shouted, ¡°Serena, don¡¯t!¡± The blond human was on one knee, her sword grinding against Katalin¡¯s, who was simply applying physical pressure against Amelia¡¯s weakened form. ¡°It¡¯s okay!¡± Amelia called between gasps of breath. ¡°I want this!¡± Katalin didn¡¯t even look Serena¡¯s way. The other instructors looked at Serena in shock and, in some cases, fear. They would have picked up on Serena¡¯s readied Word. Ryosuke said something, but Serena was too tunnel-visioned on Amelia to register what he said. She simmered her Word, ready to Speak at any moment. Amelia¡¯s words had prompted Serena to hold back, keeping Narean simmering. Amelia grunted, standing with great effort. Katalin continued to attack, shouting, ¡°Don¡¯t just defend! Attack!¡± Amelia obeyed and, with dripping sweat and blood leaking from her wound, began desperately swinging back against Katalin. The northern demon blocked, parried and simply dodged. ¡°Is that it!? To become a warrior, you need more than that! What are you swinging a sword for!?¡± Katalin taunted Amelia. ¡°How will you protect those that you love!? Will you let them die because you¡¯re tired!?¡± ¡°I... can... protect...¡± Amelia muttered between gasps of breath. Her aether flared, more and more cycled throughout her body with every passing second. It was not a mage''s aether flow but almost the flow of a warrior¡¯s aura. As much as she hated what Katalin was doing, Serena had to admit it was working. Amelia was close. ¡°Aura is more than a spell! It is a divine charge! A blessing to defend the weak! To defend the Empire!¡± Katalin called out as Amelia¡¯s strikes began taking on an element of fluidity. ¡°To defend your family! Your friends! Can you do it, Amelia!? Imagine if I attacked Instructor Halen, yes!? Imagine if I cut her down! What would-¡± ¡°Argh!¡± Amelia screamed, swinging her sword as a red aura exploded from her body. Serena¡¯s vision was blanketed in a blinding red light, and for a moment, she thought Amelia had Spoken a Word. No, it wasn¡¯t that; it was still only red aura, merely amplified by Amelia¡¯s titanic amount of aether. It spewed from her, and from where she stood, Amelia glowed like the red moon itself. There was no subtlety about this, no gentle hue of red from a student manifesting aura for the first time. This was Amelia Thornheart, Serena¡¯s girlfriend, powering a red aura at a level equivalent to a First Word. And then, slowly, the red light dimmed, and everyone¡¯s vision readjusted to the scene before them. Amelia was in her stance, her hands gripping her sword where she¡¯d just finished her strike. She was gasping; her eyes glowed with power while her breath fogged with both heat and aether. In front of her stood Katalin. And on the floor lay Katalin of Driss¡¯s severed arm, still gripping her weapon tightly. Serena felt her blood run cold as she, along with everyone else in the room, stared in shock at the dismembered limb. She looked at Katalin, expecting something, but the northern demon had a calm expression. Amelia stood up slowly, her breath and aura stabilising. Only then did her face turn ashen, her eyes widening as she realised what she¡¯d just done. ¡°Fucking hell...¡± Ryosuke muttered. ¡°I-I-I¡¯m...¡± Amelia began blubbering, tears running down her cheek. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m so sorry! I didn¡¯t mean it! I didn¡¯t-¡± ¡°Enough,¡± Katalin intoned, raising her remaining hand, cutting Amelia off. ¡°How do you feel?¡± The demon sniffed, examining Amelia¡¯s aura. ¡°Good stability. Good start. Are you going to throw up? That¡¯s common the first time.¡± ¡°E-enough about me!¡± Amelia stuttered, pointing a shaky finger at the severed limb. ¡°Your arm! I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m so sorry!¡± ¡°Ah, yes,¡± Katalin looked down at her solitary limb like it was a passing curiosity. ¡°Let¡¯s see here...¡± the demon said idly. ¡°Been a while since this has happened.¡± Katalin bent down, picking up her arm with her remaining functioning hand. ¡°This is a good lesson!¡± Katalin announced, raising the limb that was still gripping the sword. ¡°Never forget how dangerous aura can be against an unprotected limb, yes? Or even a higher-tier aura against a lesser colour, understand? Now...¡± She held the detached limb against her bloody stump. ¡°Assistant Instructor Thornheart, now we have a decent foundation to build from. We¡¯ll take a break before the second half of the session. Would you mind invoking some of Aseco¡¯s grace and reattaching my arm?¡± Katalin looked around, clicking her tongue. ¡°And can someone fetch me some damn mint tea!?¡± Chapter Fifty-Four: Aftermath Chapter Fifty-Four: Aftermath ¡°This must never get out,¡± Grandmaster Shun said, glaring at the three of them. The grandmaster sat at his desk, hands clenched with white knuckles hinting at his controlled anger. Serena, Amelia, and Katalin stood to attention. The demon''s presence wasn¡¯t quite as intimidating as the Dragon¡¯s, but it was enough that Serena felt a tinge of nervousness; a part of her instincts raised alarm bells at the sheer violence he was capable of. After Amelia had quite literally disarmed and then rearmed Katalin, they soon moved into the second half of the session. Only Serena, Amelia and the three Head Instructors, Ryosuke, Nathaniel, and Joey, remained while everyone else, exhausted and gossiping over the events that had just transpired, left the room. Katalin seemed especially eager to have Amelia begin sparring with her newly formed red aura. And what an aura it was! Serena didn¡¯t think she¡¯d ever seen a red aura with such vibrant hues. Looking at Amelia¡¯s aura was fascinating; it somehow seemed to give off more colour than it should have. It was so rich that it imparted a sense of density, which wasn¡¯t a word typically used to describe a warrior''s aura. An aura, for most warriors, is a subtle sheen across the skin, with short-lived rays of coloured light dancing along the body. But Amelia was not a normal warrior. Katalin had expressed no real surprise at the magnitude of Amelia¡¯s aura, nor did she seem bothered at losing a limb. It was as if she¡¯d expected both. Was that possible? Was the Highlord skilled enough to see the true depths of Amelia¡¯s talents? And, Empress forbid, did the sword maniac intentionally let her arm be sliced off to make a point to Amelia and the rest of the class? The latter was a question Serena kept to herself. It would be wildly inappropriate to raise the matter. The question itself implied something negative regarding the sanity of a Highlord. With the waves Serena had already been making for herself and House Halen, she didn¡¯t need to cause any more trouble. Yet, she found herself, along with Amelia and Katalin, in the grandmaster''s office, being thoroughly dressed down. The man had stormed into the training room and demanded they follow him. It seemed some instructors had immediately run to the grandmaster to inform him of what had happened. ¡°This academy has trained warriors for almost a thousand years,¡± the grandmaster continued. ¡°I follow in the footsteps of Grandmaster Kobayashi, who followed in the footsteps of Grandmaster Kimura and the chain continues right back to the founding of Cascadia. More than eight hundred years of history. A history of blood, dirt, sand and metal. We are not the only academy in Asamaywa, but we¡¯re the only one that can trace their lineage back so far! The only academy that our Divine Empress visited four centuries ago! ¡°For all that time, we were a small dojo. It is only recently, with new expectations and funding from Greatlord Oshiro and our Overlord that we¡¯ve expanded to what we are today. Now, we no longer train only the talented children of the Eastern Nobility but entertain students from the far reaches of the Empire. The sword, spear and bow are no longer all we teach!¡± The grandmaster began counting with his fingers. "Magic. Crystalcraft. Cryptography. Battlefield medicine. We teach it all! ¡°Cascadian Lords send their children here to be moulded into warriors, mages, and most importantly, officers. They expect us to imprint the proper traits into their children: obedience, loyalty, discipline, and skill. They especially expect us to do it safely!¡± The demon''s eyes narrowed as he emphasised the last word. ¡°What message do you think it sends to Greatlord Oshiro and the rest of Cascadia if our instructors are running around cutting off each other''s damn arms!?¡± His voice rose to a shout, slamming his hand onto his desk. ¡°What were you thinking!?¡± he jabbed a finger at Amelia. ¡°I would expect someone of your talents to be able to maintain control! You cut off a Highlord¡¯s arm! Why do you think people are given the title of Lord-Prospect before they become a full Cascadian Lord? Well!?¡± ¡°I-¡± Amelia began. ¡°Exactly! To prospect the individual to determine whether they are worthy of the title! Do you think cutting off Highlord Driss¡¯s arm, the daughter of Greatlord Driss, is an appropriate action for one of your station? Do you know what punishment could await you should the Greatlord petition our Overlord for satisfaction? Do you!?¡± ¡°Capital punishment, right?¡± Amelia questioned, slightly tilting her head. Surprisingly, Amelia didn¡¯t sound all that concerned. To be fair, neither did Serena. The last time a Lord-Prospect had been put to death for harming a Lord was more than a century ago. If the knowledge of the event got out, and Katalin and her father sought remuneration, then a fine would likely be all Amelia would get. Given what Serena understood of Katalin so far, she suspected the Highlord didn¡¯t even care about losing an arm. After all, it was reattached. And, Empress forbid, even if Amelia was somehow sentenced to something more... How would they enforce it? ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± the grandmaster growled, glaring at Amelia for a few seconds before turning his anger towards Serena. Despite her battlefield experience, she still felt herself bristle under his glare. ¡°And you,¡± he said, jabbing a finger in her direction. ¡°What in the seven hells were you thinking to prepare a Word? Against a Highlord? What were you going to do? Strike Highlord Driss down?¡± Yes, Serena thought. She had been about to do exactly that. Seeing Amelia bleed had switched something on in her head. Something primal. An instinctive need to protect those she loved. Of course, Serena knew she couldn¡¯t explain it that way, so she chose an explanation that ever so slightly bent the truth. ¡°I was concerned the duel was developing out of control,¡± Serena explained. ¡°I was concerned Amelia¡¯s life was in danger, and I knew without a Word I would have no hope in intervening against someone of Highlord Driss¡¯s strength.¡± Serena turned slightly, bowing to the northern demon. ¡°My sincerest apologies, Highlord Driss. I should have trusted your judgment. If I were a man, I would shave my head in shame.¡± ¡°Do not worry yourself, Instructor Halen,¡± Katalin replied smoothly. ¡°Trust needs to be earned and we are still so unfamiliar with each other, yes? I take no offence. I am more than happy to take responsibility.¡± Mentally, Serena breathed a sigh of relief. She¡¯d suspected Katalin would take this approach and was glad to be proven right. At no point had the northern demon indicated she cared about her injury. Given Serena¡¯s position as Lord of House Halen, many demons would have taken advantage of this opportunity. Luckily, Katalin seemed more than willing to let it go. The grandmaster, on the other hand, wasn¡¯t. ¡°At least someone¡¯s taking responsibility,¡± he said, turning his ire to Katalin. ¡°Highlord Driss, it was out of respect for your father and the belief that having someone of your talents train my Instructors would be beneficial to the academy that I permitted your request. I never would have thought someone with your reputation would be so reckless! This must never happen again, understand?¡± Katalin turned sharply to the grandmaster. Placing her right fist against her chest, she bowed deeply. ¡°You have my apologies and guarantee that this will not repeat itself, Grandmaster. Seeing a powerful mage form an aura is so rare that I could not help myself. I should have prepared properly for this scenario. Rest assured, I will not mention these events to my father.¡± If the grandmaster was surprised at having a Highlord apologise so earnestly to him, it didn¡¯t show. He grunted his acceptance before turning back to Amelia. ¡°Assistant Instructor Thornheart,¡± he intoned with a voice slightly more devoid of anger. ¡°You haven¡¯t been here three days and you¡¯ve already damaged one of our Speaker Rooms and cut off a Highlord''s arm. Do you think you could continue your tenure here as an Assistant Instructor with a little more control?¡± ¡°Mmm!¡± Amelia nodded enthusiastically. ¡°Sure thing!¡± ¡°...Get out then, all of you.¡± He waved his hand dismissively. The three of them quickly began exiting the office. As Amelia was leaving, the grandmaster called out to her once more. ¡°Assistant Instructor Thornheart?¡± ¡°Especially a Speaker,¡± Nathaniel added while everyone else nodded along. ¡°It¡¯s not that uncommon to have student warriors capable of casting first-circle magic, or a first-circle mage to reach red, but for someone as entrenched along one of the paths as far as you are... very rare, Assistant Instructor Thornheart.¡± ¡°Next step will be to practice extending that aura over your weapon,¡± Ryosuke said, looking up from over the broadsheet he was reading. ¡°Although I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll take you long, given the amount of aether you seem to have under control.¡± He resumed reading, his brow furrowing. ¡°Anything interesting?¡± Serena asked, gesturing towards the paper. She hoped it wasn¡¯t another Amelia-centric headline. If the hacks got wind of what happened that morning, that would become rabid. They¡¯d be at the academy¡¯s gates regardless of any warnings from above. ¡°Raiders getting bolder,¡± Ryosuke said. He passed the paper to Serena before continuing to eat his lunch. Serena examined the headlines, raising an eyebrow. ¡°What¡¯s this nonsense? A ¡®Pirate Republic¡¯? I thought they were put down years ago?¡± When demonkind created the first lift engine, air-piracy was born shortly after. Mercenaries, deserters and the dregs of society would turn to the criminal occupation to line their pockets. Major trade routes were protected, but the Empire was large and not everywhere could be covered by the Imperial Navy, especially the routes that skirted the Empire¡¯s boundaries, using the trade winds to risk a hefty profit. One of these trade routes was the Southern Passage, a stretch of sky that reached from the Salaban Range at the southern tip of the Southern Terra Firma to the east, skirting the south edge of the Shattered Isles before opening up to the island chain of Kraken Kur and then the far eastern cities of Fengra and Hokanai. It was a profitable trade route; the favourable winds cut weeks off the alternative journey of heading north towards Centralis before turning southeast. However, it was a route in uncharted skies and the perfect location for pirates and other unsavoury individuals to hide. When Serena was younger, the southern pirates dominated the headlines. The pirates became bolder, eventually striking inland as far as the Shimashina-Nai route. At this point, the insult had gone on too long, and the Overlord could no longer ignore the complaints of the Aindo Greatlords and mustered a suppression fleet to deal with the problem once and for all. It had been expensive; the ensuing battles stretched the eastern fleet, and the debts incurred took a decade to repay. But it had done its job, and the Southern Passage was determined to be safe. Well, relatively safe. The sky was unchartable. Its proximity to the Shattered Isles and the massive storm systems in the far south meant islands were constantly appearing and disappearing from the maps. ¡°Rumour is some Arakian warrior has brought the rats to heel,¡± Ryosuke said. ¡°He and his men started harassing the desert skies five years ago. Now they¡¯re reaching east.¡± ¡°Do we have a name?¡± Serena asked. ¡°Hacks like to call him the Blackhorn. From Hakim, apparently.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard he was a tribal soldier from Dectus,¡± Joey suggested. ¡°Broadsheet the other week said he was a deserter from the Tevari guard,¡± Nathaniel added. The instructors shared their theories on the origins of the upstart pirate lord. Other than the man¡¯s nickname, little was known about the demon. It was likely that the focus on the Cascadia-Republic war had reduced resources allocated to pirate suppression, allowing the resurgence of organised piracy under this Blackhorn. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t the Southern Overlord handle it?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°Ha!¡± Ryosuke scoffed. ¡°He¡¯ll see it as the responsibility of the desert Greatlords. The reasoning would be that if they can¡¯t handle it, then perhaps they shouldn¡¯t be Greatlords. It¡¯s how things work in the desert. Might makes right, and if you don¡¯t have the strength to protect what is yours, then you don¡¯t really own it.¡± He shook his head. ¡°Every few centuries they get full of themselves and the Empress has to remind them who¡¯s on top.¡± ¡°When was the last time?¡± Amelia asked, her eyes widening. ¡°Hmm...¡± Ryosuke rubbed his chin before turning to one of the few southern instructors in the academy. ¡°Abbas! Do you know?¡± ¡°Six-fifty-five. So, almost two centuries now,¡± Instructor Abbas responded. ¡°They say she took the form of the Great Spider and Spoke the Third Word to put down the previous Overlord. I doubt it¡¯ll happen again any time soon. The current conflict is cooling the desert blood.¡± Serena found herself nodding along. Despite the conflict straining the North the most, about thirty percent of the army battling Republican forces were Southern soldiers. Say what you will about how they conduct themselves; the South did not back down from a fight. ¡°And the attitudes you speak of don¡¯t reflect the entire desert, Ryosuke,¡± Instructor Abbas intoned, pointing a piece of cutlery at the Department Head. ¡°The Wami and Yemenian people are quite adjusted to more modern sensibilities. Even many of the Arakian are leaving behind the old ways. It only remains strong within the Dakian communities, around Qasim, Dectus and Tevari.¡± ¡°I mean no offence, Abbas,¡± Ryosuke said, tilting his head in apology. The southern demon merely shook his head and continued eating. Amelia finished her meal and followed Serena outside. She had to do her best not to skip or jump with joy. Red aura! She¡¯d reached it! Finally! Sure, the length of time she had taken was outrageously fast compared to a normal person, but she had become impatient! The sense of achievement warmed her heart. It may have only been red aura, but to Amelia, it was more satisfying than any of the magical abilities she had demonstrated thus far! She couldn¡¯t wait to be free that afternoon to train more. Now that she¡¯d formed an aura once, she felt the second time would come quickly. The feeling of it was still fresh in her mind. She planned to play around with her cloaking magic to see what worked best in covering up her new abilities. After that, she would- ¡°Mmm? Sorry?¡± Amelia asked. Serena had said something. ¡°I was saying, come find me when you¡¯re free. We¡¯ll go over your red aura together.¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Amelia chirped, feeling her face beam. ¡°I have to monitor a first-year class now. Then I was hoping to catch Lunaria, I mean, Instructor Inoue, for some advice.¡± She looked around quickly, thankful no students were nearby. It was easy to forget to use the proper titles in public. ¡°I¡¯ll find you after, okay?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Serena nodded. ¡°See you later.¡± Amelia hummed happily as she left Serena and headed to the magic tower. After the upcoming lesson, she had some topics she wanted to cover with Lunaria. Now that they had a good working relationship, Amelia reckoned the Head Instructor would be the ideal person to ask about the other reality she detected while transformed by the Second Word. And whether the instructor knew anything about Anathor and his kind, the mysterious Formless. Chapter Fifty-Five: The Shimmer and The Formless Chapter Fifty-Five: The Shimmer and The Formless Amelia quietly observed the first-year class. It was led by Instructor Kawas, who, aided by a handful of assistant instructors, inscribed first-circle formations in chalk on the room''s enormous blackboard. The twenty-five students of Junior Class C did their best to copy the geometry into their notes, scratching away while Amelia listened in on Kawas¡¯s instruction. ¡°Note the double-helix shouldn¡¯t pass the heartline here,¡± Kawas intoned to the class, snapping a long cane against the blackboard. ¡°The aetherflow must separate before; otherwise, you won¡¯t have room to construct the dextral and sinistral triquetra here and here.¡± The instructor prodded at another area of the board, saying, ¡°Those of you who struggle to form first-circle triquetras can use the simpler lemniscate as a replacement, although you¡¯ll struggle to match the former¡¯s efficiency. For the select few in the class who are already experienced with these sub-formations, consider replacing this area with a reuleaux triquetra; you¡¯ll find the practice useful if and when you attempt second-circle wards.¡± Amelia desperately wanted to grab a pen and paper and start copying earnestly. She couldn¡¯t, of course. If she did, everyone would know she was a fraud! A charming and powerful fraud! Everyone naturally assumed that Amelia knew all the underlying theories and terminology that formed the building blocks of spellcraft, but she didn¡¯t! Amelia¡¯s magical talents were entirely intuitive and instinctive. She didn¡¯t think about this stuff at all! Her aether naturally moved according to her intentions; a determined push of her willpower would manifest her desired spell. Amelia wasn¡¯t thinking about her aether flowing from double-helix spin formations into rouleaux triquetra amplification nodes; it just happened! She had to admit she was impressed by the rigour of the academic study of magic. Instructors and students didn¡¯t see aether as some mystical substance beyond human or demon understanding. It was a phenomenon that followed strict natural laws. When formed into specific three-dimensional shapes, the aether''s behaviour was well understood and modelled with equations similar to the fluid-dynamics equations Amelia was familiar with from her old world. Although using different symbols, the mathematical equations Kawas had written on the blackboard were almost identical to the partial differential equations that formed the Navier-Stokes equations Amelia had long since memorised. There were slight differences; where her version of the equation used a Cauchy stress tensor, the version on the blackboard used something called an aetheric flow tensor. These equations were called the Barfield-Sina Equations, named after the demons that discovered them seventy years ago. Amelia made as many mental notes as she could. Thankfully, she hadn¡¯t been approached by any students or instructors who wished to discuss magical theory with her. She wasn¡¯t sure if it was considered impolite or if they were wary of working with a human, but Amelia was glad to have some breathing room. By taking advantage of her right as an instructor to sit in on any lecture she wanted, coupled with the mathematical books she¡¯d checked out from the library, Amelia planned to quickly learn the nomenclature of the academic field so she could at least pretend she knew what she was on about. These discovered mathematical structures that modelled aether highlighted how different Amelia¡¯s reality was from the game she played in the hospital. The full-immersion game she put thousands of hours into didn¡¯t have anywhere close to the detail she was now becoming aware of. Amelia previously thought perhaps the game represented a time in Cascadia¡¯s past, but nothing she¡¯d seen on any maps, names of people, kingdoms, or cities matched anything she¡¯d discussed with Serena. The anti-climatic conclusion Amelia had come to was that the developers behind the game somehow possessed some knowledge of the real magic system and that they reproduced it virtually for entertainment. Still, that didn¡¯t explain why Amelia was in the situation that she was. You couldn¡¯t really gain real-world magical abilities by just playing a game, could you? A clap by Kawas snapped Amelia out of her thoughts. The class moved into the practical part. Twenty-five students began trying to construct the formations on the blackboard. The more inexperienced of them began with simpler shapes and sub formations, while the more capable students experimented with complete formations, creating first-circle wards while adjusting their aether flows to better their understanding of the process. Of the twenty-five students, only a couple seemed to stand above the rest, either at or close to second-circle magic. Serena had told her that graduating from an academy as a second-circle mage or an orange-aura warrior was good. Being capable of third-circle or yellow aura was excellent. It would guarantee a prosperous career in civilian life or, if they were on the officer course, a double promotion upon graduation. When it came to a student communing a First Word, that event was exceptionally rare. Amelia had seen the hall of fame in the entrance hall listing the students who had achieved such a momentous achievement; it was a short list with often more than a decade in between names. Not even her fantastic girlfriend, the talented and ferocious Serena Halen, had managed to do it. She did see the names Takahiro Oshiro and Yuu Shun, which Amelia made the educated guess were the first names of Asamaywa¡¯s greatlord and the academy''s grumpy grandmaster. Amelia hummed to herself while she watched the class. Instructor Kawas and her assistants offered help and advice to the struggling students. Some common issues the students faced were maintaining an aetherflow with sufficient velocity within their bodies, failing to construct the formation large enough, and difficulty controlling their aether to form the required shape. The assistants would demonstrate by sitting close to the students, constructing the formations themselves in an exaggerated size, and then flaring their aether so the student''s perception of the aetherfield would give them a better understanding of how they should be doing it. Amelia made a mental note to start practising exaggerated versions of the sub-formations. In the next class, she should be capable of helping out as long as she learns the terminology to go with it. The class ended, and the students filtered out, some looking tired and frustrated. Amelia thanked Kawas and got directions on where to find Lunaria. When the aether addict wasn¡¯t cycling aether in a training room, she would be consumed with some experiment or another in her laboratory at the top of the tower. As Amelia was already halfway up the tower, she would check the laboratory above first. Amelia left the class and headed up the spiral staircase. On the way, any staff member she passed and even a few students nodded in acknowledgement. The news of her domination over Senior Class B spread like wildfire, and even though some students looked at her suspiciously, the majority treated her with growing respect. As Amelia neared the top floor, she was surprised to find that the staircase didn¡¯t end at a landing like the other floors. Instead, it coiled upwards through the ceiling, tapering into a steep staircase that ended at a large wooden door. Even before getting too close, Amelia sensed Lunaria''s presence inside; the room was shielded with sound and aether muffling measures, yet with just a touch of focus, Amelia could easily recognise Lunaria¡¯s familiar aether signature. Just as she could detect Lunaria, the aether addict could detect her back. The demon¡¯s voice could be heard from somewhere above, telling her to come right in. Amelia happily obliged, and with a cheerful, ¡®excuse me!¡¯, she opened the door, climbing up the last few steps into Lunaria¡¯s laboratory. Initially, Amelia noticed countless unique aether signatures scattered throughout her surroundings. Various cut crystals in different shapes and sizes were employed to harness and direct aether across numerous experiments. Crystals floated over copper-hued metal plates, others heated liquids, and some sparked electricity between them. Many crystals exhibited intricate cuts that exceeded what Amelia learned in yesterday''s crystal-craft lecture. In the center of the room, an enormous telescope, perhaps ten meters long, pointed at an opening in the ceiling. Lunaria must have taken over the tower''s observatory and turned it into her laboratory. The instructor in question stepped out from a pile of books and glassware. Unlike the first time they met, Lunaria wasn¡¯t running any glamors. The demon¡¯s silver hair and creased eyes gave her an aged, wise appearance. ¡°Feel free to have a look,¡± Lunaria said, gesturing towards the telescope. ¡°Should still be pointed at the moon.¡± ¡°Can I?¡± Amelia replied with a grin. She walked over to the telescope and bent down to look through the eyepiece. Through it, she was greeted with the sight of the brilliant blue moon. The supernatural object gave off an ethereal lustre that was noticeable though it was daytime. The surface, as best as she could see, varied heavily in terrain. Some parts of the moon¡¯s surface shone brighter, while others were duller. She guessed this was due to different amounts of rock and crystal. Rimming the moon were thousands of smaller lights, too small to be seen even through the telescope. ¡°Are the lights surrounding it the crystals breaking off, ready to fall?¡± Amelia asked, not looking up from the telescope. Something about the moon made her want to keep looking, subtly pulling her attention. ¡°Yes,¡± came Lunaria¡¯s reply. ¡°The moons are constantly growing, and when the Chernykh limit is reached, the surplus tephra is ejected by the subsurface aethermagmatic activity.¡± ¡°They¡¯re constantly growing!?¡± Amelia exclaimed, bringing her head up and looking at Lunaria. ¡°How¡¯s that possible? Where does the mass come from?¡± ¡°Well, if you figure that out, you¡¯ll earn yourself a Golden Eagle,¡± Lunaria intoned with a smile. ¡°They¡¯re not considered supernatural for nothing.¡± The demon approached the telescope, producing a click as she flipped a lever. Lunaria gestured towards the eyepiece, saying, ¡°Look again, do you see the two lines on the lens?¡± Amelia put her eye against the telescope''s eyepiece. Whatever Lunaria did caused two thin vertical lines to appear. They slightly inside the left and right edges of the moon. To the left of the first line were numbers. ¡°One three six,¡± Amelia mumbled. ¡°What do they mean?¡± ¡°Distance,¡± Lunaria replied pointedly. ¡°One hundred and thirty-six thousand kilometres. It measures the distance of the moon from our surface. Use the controls next to your right hand to adjust the lines. The controls by your left hand adjust the telescope''s aim, magnification and focus. Adjust it so the moon fits perfectly between the two lines and read out the number.¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Amelia set about testing the different controls and seeing which ones did what. It took less than a minute for her to adjust the lines so they neatly hugged the blue moon. As the lines moved or the telescope¡¯s magnification changed, so did the numbers. ¡°One two nine,¡± she read out. Amelia looked up from the eyepiece to see Lunaria writing on a blackboard, adding the value to the end of a long list of descending measurements. ¡°How many are there?¡± ¡°There are forty-two Formless that we either know of directly or have hints of their existence. All that have been able to give their name have matched the list.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a list?¡± Amelia replied. ¡°Etched in Anglish in the Cathedral of Bone. I can¡¯t remember if it''s been dated to any era, but it¡¯s been there a while. Here.. I have a copy of it somewhere around here...¡± Lunaria delved into the stacks of books and a moment later reappeared clutching a thin tome. ¡°Here we are! The Formless: Sightings and Conversations. The instructor flipped to one of the earlier pages. "On the left is a sketch of the original slab, but that¡¯s in Old Anglish. On the right is the Imperial translation.¡± Amelia looked at the drawing. She could read Old Anglish just fine; it was her mother tongue after all. Still, she suspected revealing that to Lunaria might not be best, so she forced herself to read from the Imperial translation. The list contained forty-two names. Strangely, every Formless lacked a surname and had unusual titles. ¡°Diego the Wanderer,¡± Amelia muttered, reading one of the names out loud. ¡°I guess he travels around?¡± ¡°Exactly. Quite a friendly Formless as well. There are plenty of recorded conversations with him throughout the centuries, not just in Cascadia. Last decade, he stopped by a Federation land transport while they cooked lunch and discussed new culinary techniques.¡± ¡°Seriously?¡± Amelia raised an eyebrow. ¡°Seriously. Many of them carry nicknames based on their behaviour and actions.¡± ¡°So this... Chandra the Philosopher...?¡± ¡°Once refused to let a Highlord sleep for three days until they finished their debate about utilitarian ethical frameworks.¡± ¡°Sindr the Savior?¡± ¡°Known to lead troubled airships through storms and other problematic situations. Takes the form of a glowing ball of light.¡± Amelia scanned the list and looked for Anathor. ¡°Some of the names and titles are cut off,¡± she pointed out. ¡°The slab was broken at some point. Unless there¡¯s another record somewhere, we only know the first few letters of some of them. Some have been encountered and verified their names and titles, but some have refused to elaborate.¡± Amelia read the broken list. Alongside the missing names were comments by the book¡¯s author. Idalia the Gent- (Assumed Gentle or Gentleman. Never Encountered.) Savia the- (Unknown title. Non-verbal. Two interactions, see p29 and p53) Meilo- (Never encountered) Mir- (Mirabel the Dancer, discovered 205 AV, p11) Celes- (Celestina the Seamstress, discovered 176 AV, see p9) Honora the- (Possibly Honora the Daring, see p34) And then, one final name that was obscured by the slab''s damage. Anathor the K- (Unknown title, existence confirmed through Centralis Intelligence in 630 AV. See p60) ¡°Anathor... the Kind?¡± Amelia muttered. That would fit. Anathor was challenging to talk to sometimes, but he was always courteous to everyone on the ship. Would he know what his title was if he asked her? He wouldn¡¯t get angry if she poked a little, would he? ¡°The Kind?¡± Lunaria questioned. ¡°Do you know?¡± ¡°No, sorry, just guessing.¡± Amelia shook her head before tapping the book. ¡°Can I take this? I¡¯d like to read about the interactions people have had. The Formless are spoken about with such superstition by the sailors and the public. I want to understand them more.¡± ¡°Not a problem,¡± Lunaria said with a smile. ¡°Is there anything else you wanted to ask?¡± ¡°No, thank you,¡± Amelia flashed her best smile and gave Lunaria a bow. ¡°You¡¯ve been so helpful! Thanks for your time, Lunaria!¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re very welcome...¡± Lunaria waved a hand dismissively. ¡°That said, I have some future experiments planned, which will require an awful amount of aether for a prolonged period of time. Would you be willing to help an old lady?¡± A dangerous glint appeared in the demon¡¯s eyes. What kind of experiments would this crazy aether addict want Amelia for? ¡°Mmm, sure thing!¡± Amelia chirped. She wouldn¡¯t come to regret that answer, would she? Chapter Fifty-Six: In Asamaywa鈥檚 Shadow Chapter Fifty-Six: In Asamaywa¡¯s Shadow Noburu shivered against the bitter lowland weather. He hugged himself, preserving his body heat, covering the holes in his tattered clothes and hiding the package he carried. He had warmer clothes hidden away, but Noburu didn¡¯t dare wear them outside. Winter was when people got desperate, and if Noburu wanted to keep pretending he was the same as everyone else, he couldn¡¯t afford to be seen as possessing too much wealth. Not that he was wealthy. Noburu, like the majority of the slum-dwellers, was poor. Down here in the narrow streets winding between ramshackle buildings, if your coin purse were seen holding more than a few scraps of copper, it wouldn¡¯t be long before a cutthroat or guard would follow you with less than honourable intentions. Often, they were the same person. It wasn¡¯t a difference in wealth that discriminated Noburu from the rest of the slum. It was his spirit. The people down here had long since given up on a better life. They would beg, steal or otherwise take what they wanted, spend it all on cheap ale and then repeat the process day after day, all while cursing at the better-born who lived in the great city above them. They would tell tales of how one day they would become a lord-prospect, or find a job in some rich merchant¡¯s estate, but deep down, they didn¡¯t believe it. They didn¡¯t have hope. They weren¡¯t Noburu. They weren¡¯t determined to better themselves. He looked up, noticing today''s low clouds obscured his view of Asamaywa above. Was someone up there, looking down at him right now? What thoughts crossed their mind upon seeing the slums clinging to the cliffs of the plateau? Maybe they ignored the view down, focusing instead on ships arriving at the dock or the lush farmland and wilderness beyond. After all, why would anyone gaze at Asamaywa¡¯s shadow when brighter sights were available? He caught the sound of men talking. Looking down, Noburu saw a group of guards mingling at the end of the street, between him and his route. Damn them! Down here, if you rolled a bad set of dice, a group of guards was no less dangerous than a gang. Noburu darted into an unfamiliar alley, hugging the package close. It wasn¡¯t a package he could let the guards find. His movements must have caught their eye, for he heard a command for him to stop. Noburu quickened his pace, turning the only corner to find the alley came to a dead end. It was too late to turn around; the guard''s footsteps were entering the alley behind him. He looked around frantically for an escape. Tall wooden walls surrounded him. There wasn¡¯t even a drainpipe to climb. Some gangs kept hidden ropes in the dead-end alleys, but if there was one, Noburu couldn¡¯t find it. Damn it! Damn them! Noburu backed against the far wall, sliding down and pulling his feet in to shrink as much as possible. As the guards turned the corner, Noburu took a deep breath, activated his blessing, and slipped into the ghost world. The world took on a reddish-brown, and an uncomfortable squeezing sensation began forming in his chest. Time slowed, and the guards hurrying after him now moved sluggishly. Their outlines were blurred, glowing slightly like all living things in this strange place. They called after him, but the sound was distant and muffled as if they were shouting over a great distance. The alley''s roughly-hewn wooden walls were now covered in ghostly purple vines. The guards couldn¡¯t see the ethereal plant life, just as they couldn¡¯t see Noburu. As they paced the alley, the vines pulled away from their presence. Some larger vines couldn¡¯t move away and brushed against the guards¡¯ faces. Despite this, the guards didn¡¯t react. You couldn¡¯t feel the vines if you couldn¡¯t see them. In some cases, Noburu had seen them pass right through another person. They were like ghosts, only loosely holding onto the physical world. For this reason, Noburu called this mysterious plane of existence the ghost world and the vines ghost vines. ¡°Where in the seven hells did he go!?¡± one of the guards called, his voice sounding lower than it should due to the slower passage of time. They fanned out and scoured the alley, finding nothing. ¡°Rope or a false wall, I reckon,¡± another guard said, kicking at some of the wooden panelling. ¡°He¡¯ll be far away by now.¡± ¡°Little rat scurried off. Leave ¡®im!¡± A guard spat on the floor right next to where Noburu was hiding before turning and walking away. The guards left the alley. Noburu waited until the burning sensation in his chest forced him to exhale, pushing him out of the ghost world and back into reality. In the ghost world, he could breathe if he had to, but it made him sick. He gasped for breath. The smell of something burning filled the alley. Exhaustion racked his body. His stomach gnawed at him. He was ravenous. Something about his blessing used up his energy. Noburu reached into a pocket and pulled out a bit of leftover bread. He was going to give it to one of the children, but now he needed it more. He took a moment to chew the bread and steady his breath. His ears remained sharp, prepared to use his blessing again if someone came into the alley. Fortunately, he wasn¡¯t interrupted and soon got back on his feet, feeling his strength return. Stealthily approaching the alley¡¯s opening, Noburu glanced around the corner. The guards had left. Feeling relieved, he pressed on through the slums until he arrived at his destination. Before him stood a building that was sturdier than most: it featured a stone foundation, ironwood supports, double-planked walls, and fired clay tiles. When it was originally constructed, it must have appeared magnificent. However, now the walls bore poorly patched holes, and half of the roof depended on makeshift fixes to prevent the rain from getting in. The orphanage stood at the end of the street, surrounded by a tall wall that created a safe play area for the children. It was Noburu¡¯s residence, where he and his sister had spent most of their lives. After the owner died, he somehow became responsible for managing the orphanage. Although he didn''t seek this duty, he felt there was nothing else he could do; the children depended on him for their hope. He tapped out the agreed-upon pattern on the heavy door. ¡°It¡¯s me!¡± he shouted. ¡°Who¡¯s ¡®me¡¯!?¡± a young boy¡¯s voice responded. ¡°Me who won¡¯t be able to give you this sugarfruit if you don¡¯t let me in!¡± Jubilant shouts sounded from beyond the door, and after some scrambling, the heavy iron bolts were pulled back and the door opened. A gaggle of children, wearing patchy clothing and with dirty faces, looked with eyes wide in anticipation. Those excited faces quickly turned into frowns as they saw no sign of the promised fruit. ¡°Liar!¡± Mira, one of the girls, shouted, pointing at him. ¡°Here,¡± Noburu said, fishing a small coin out of his pocket and flicking it to her. ¡°Go to the market and bring back half a dozen. Don¡¯t let them short-change you, okay?¡± The children, four boys and two girls, cheered happily, racing out the doorway. ¡°Stick together!¡± He called after them. ¡°Bring one back for your sister!¡± Noburu hesitated for a moment before adding, ¡°And one for me!¡± Normally, Noburu would do without the rare treat, but he wanted to get some energy back. He watched them skip down the street, laughing joyfully. He stepped into the orphanage, shutting and locking the door behind him. He moved down the hallway before turning into the largest room in the building. There, he found Kiku, his younger sister and the only blood-related family left, piling kindling against the wall. The room was originally the orphanage''s dining room, but it had long since been converted to the everything-room. In this room, they ate, worked, played, and slept. The beds had been moved down here, while the dining table, once polished and shiny, now scratched and full of splinters, had been shoved against one side. This room held their stores of food and wood, material for their work, and anything else. At the end of the room, a clean area was maintained for cooking. The crystal-fuelled oven had long been dormant; instead, they had a gas stove they sparingly used. This room had become the everything room due to the wood burner installed against one of the walls. By staying in one room, they could manage their meagre stockpiles of wood throughout the winter. During the cold months, the warmer you were, the less food you needed and the more you could work. ¡°Enough for winter?¡± Noburu said, gesturing to the stacked wood. ¡°Might need to buy a little more,¡± Kiku said, standing and facing him. She dusted her dirty knees. ¡°But we can afford that if you stop buying the children sugarfruit.¡± Kiku tilted her head in disapproval. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± she asked, eyes narrowing as she spotted the package. Noburu took the package out, placing it gently on the table. ¡°Clothes,¡± he said. ¡°From Yoshiro.¡± He winced slightly, anticipating the argument. His sister examined the package, peeking inside. ¡°A disguise? You went to see Yoshiro?¡± she asked. When he nodded, she shook her head, gritting her teeth. ¡°You don¡¯t need to do this anymore! You don¡¯t need to work for him!¡± Kiku grabbed Noburu¡¯s hands, pulling them towards her. ¡°What are you going to lose next time? A hand? You only have so many fingers!¡± She caressed his hands. His right hand was whole, but his left was missing the last two digits. ¡°I can¡¯t get over how good this is!¡± ¡°I could eat this for every meal for the rest of my life!¡± ¡°Shu, you¡¯re going to spill it; slow down!¡± ¡°Remember to eat the flesh! Even the rind is good for you!¡± Despite warnings to savour every bit, the sugarfruits were soon devoured. The juice drank, the flesh carved away with spoons, and the bitter rind was chewed and swallowed. Noburu himself found he was lost momentarily in the deliciousness of the meal. He did, however, stop himself from eating the rind, instead letting the children split it between themselves. A touch of anger rose within him. Here, the children enjoyed even the bitter rind, eagerly arguing over who deserved the last scraps. How unfair was it that they had to find happiness in this while the better-born would feed the same scraps to their swine? What did that make them? ¡°We heard something in the market!¡± Chiho announced. ¡°They say a human healer appeared in the city! They say she¡¯s nobility! Maybe if we save money, we can write to her, and have her look at Kiku?¡± Chiho leaned over and hugged Kiku. ¡°I bet her magic could make you better!¡± ¡°Oh, Chiho...¡± Kiku giggled, patting the child¡¯s head. ¡°I don¡¯t think Greatlord Oshiro would sanction a human. All human healers belong to the church, thousands and thousands of kilometres away! Why would one leave the human continent and travel all the way here? The human gods wouldn¡¯t allow it! Besides,¡± Kiku pumped a fist in the air. ¡°We¡¯re demons! We¡¯re stronger and better than those weak humans! I¡¯ll get better, don¡¯t you worry!¡± ¡°Hurry up, then!¡± Chiho complained, ¡°I want to play with you like we used to!¡± ¡°When we get older, we¡¯ll find work on the farms!¡± exclaimed Riki, pointing to himself and Reo. ¡°Then we¡¯ll save loads of money and buy the treatment you need!¡± ¡°Mmm!¡± Shu nodded, following along with his siblings. ¡°I¡¯ll learn to knit the best hats! We¡¯ll sell them all!¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do it!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll make Big Sister better!¡± ¡°You can count on us!¡± Kiku laughed, but before she could respond, a loud thud sounded from the front door. Then another, and then another. The room became deathly quiet. No one spoke, and everyone looked at Noburu. The knocking wasn¡¯t one of their pre-arranged patterns. ¡°I¡¯ll go talk to him,¡± he said with an exaggerated sigh. ¡°Wait here.¡± He left the room and headed down the hallway. The thudding in the doorway continued until Noburu pulled the iron bolt across, partially opening the door to reveal a familiar face. ¡°Yasuji,¡± Noburu intoned, moving to block the guard¡¯s sight through the doorway. ¡°What brings you here?¡± Yasuji eyed him with yellow eyes, one hand on his hip and the other on his shortsword. Guards in the slums typically didn¡¯t carry firearms, although Noburu had once seen a captain with a rifle. Still, the guards were the only ones who could carry weapons openly, and they made sure you knew it. ¡°Saw the brats with a bit of copper. Buying food. Figured you gave it to them.¡± He clicked his fingers. ¡°Come on, then. This month''s late. Don¡¯t give me any black speech about you not having it. I swear, little lord, I¡¯ll turn this place upside down if I have to.¡± Yasuji spat on the floor, stepping up and putting a hand against the door, pushing it open. ¡°Kiku in? Shall I give her my greetings?¡± Noburu extended a foot to prevent the door from opening any wider. Yasuji had encountered Kiku only a few times, typically on the rare occasions she felt strong enough to stroll to the market. Noburu disliked what he saw in the guard¡¯s eyes during those moments. He also hated the sound of her name on Yasuji¡¯s tongue. ¡°Seeking to stop me doing my duty, little lord?¡± Yasuji revealed an ugly grin. The guard gripped the handle of his sword tighter, unsheathing it an inch. ¡°Want to play?¡± Yasuji asked, his brow furrowing. ¡°Or should I use my aura to tear this building down? Eh!?¡± Noburu desperately wished to smash the guard¡¯s face. He doubted the man was a genuine warrior. If he truly possessed aura, wouldn¡¯t he work as a manor guard, enjoying a more comfortable position? Or maybe he was indeed telling the truth, serving his role down here as a form of punishment. Noburu forced an apologetic expression on his face. ¡°Certainly not, Yasuji. Kiku is running a fever, and I¡¯d hate for you to catch her ailment. Here,¡± he said, pulling a small coin purse from his pocket. He jingled it lightly to get the guards'' attention, then poured its contents into his palm and gave it to Yasuji. ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± Noburu remarked, showing the empty purse. ¡°You could tear up the floorboards and not find a single chit or tak. We barely have enough to survive the winter.¡± The guard snorted. ¡°Yeah, right. Little lords like you always have more hidden away.¡± Noburu didn¡¯t rise to the comment. On account of his and Kiku¡¯s crimson eyes - redder than anyone else in the slums -Yasuji and the other guards had given him the nickname little lord. It was another thing that set Noburu apart from the rest of the slum dwellers. No matter how poor he presented or how destitute he really was, he would always be seen as having the taint of nobility in his bloodline. Not that they were wrong. ¡°Anything else?¡± Noburu asked, trying to glare just enough to let the guard know he wasn¡¯t welcome, but not too much as to rile him further. ¡°Don¡¯t be late next month. If it weren¡¯t for us, those brats wouldn¡¯t be able to beg or sell their wares. That¡¯s a privilege that we could take away at any time. Then, you¡¯ll need to find some other way to pay...¡± The guard''s mouth curled up into a disgusting leer, his eyes looking past Noburu into the hallway beyond. Noburu had no illusions about what the man might demand if they couldn¡¯t afford the protection fee. Over my dead body, Noburu thought. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to have it ready,¡± Noburu intoned with a fake smile. ¡°See you soon, Yasuji.¡± He shut the door, letting out a sigh of relief. Lately, Yasuji had been making an increasing number of comments about Kiku. Fortunately, his sister seldom ventured outside and would remain indoors throughout the winter. He hoped the guard would find someone else to harass. Noburu wasn¡¯t a fighter. He could hold his own if necessary, but he doubted his odds against Yasuji, even if that man exaggerated his aura abilities. After receiving his hundred denarii from Yoshiro¡¯s job, he would take stock of the situation again. If Yasuji hadn¡¯t moved on by then, then Noburu would hire a cutthroat to deal with the issue once and for all. He would do anything to protect his sister, even if that meant stepping outside Asamaywa¡¯s shadow and risking it all. Chapter Fifty-Seven: Refinement Chapter Fifty-Seven: Refinement AnnouncementAs we hopefully enter a long streak of consistent chapter releases and the buildup of a future Patreon backlog, make sure to drop by the series Discord and say hi! Don''t worry if you''re only an orphan living in the Asamaywa slums... we have cookies for everyone! After Amelia left Lunaria¡¯s observatory, she dropped off the book about the Formless in her room before hunting down Serena for some aura training. Given Katalin¡¯s morning session and the events that had transpired, most normal people would baulk at the idea of doing more. However, Amelia¡¯s magic made her an exception to the norm. Even with her body that was supernaturally more resilient due to her game stats, she was sure she would have fallen asleep if it weren''t for her healing abilities; she needed a dash of it to repair her wound and recover from her exhaustion. Aseco¡¯s magic was miraculous, but it had its downsides. It prevented her muscles from fully benefitting from the intense training they¡¯d been subjected to. The divine healing simply healed away the damage to the muscles instead of letting her body naturally strengthen the tissue through its normal processes. Finding Serena was easy; even if Amelia didn¡¯t have her flow of aether that powered Serena¡¯s wards to guide her, she only needed to take a moment to open her senses and Serena¡¯s familiar aether signature was unmistakable. However, as Amelia strolled through the corridors this time, focusing intently on presenting herself as a refined lord-prospect and dignified assistant instructor, her mind wandered, and she forgot to pay attention to where she was going. Despite no longer consciously tracking down Serena¡¯s signature nor following the aether trail, Amelia suddenly found herself before the demon. Was it luck, or was their connection so deep Amelia was unconsciously tracking her girlfriend? That didn¡¯t make her a stalker, did it? It¡¯s not stalking if you do it accidentally, right? Serena stood in the academy¡¯s main throughway, flanked by the rows of cabinets containing all manner of weapons, armour and other oddities laid gently on black cloth - a constant reminder to the students travelling between classes of the great warriors of the past. Notably, there was no mage-related equipment on display. The magic tower possessed a few cabinets with examples of specific crystal cuts or old tomes documenting the history of formations, but nothing in the main building. From what Amelia could tell, the martial part of the academy revered their history with greater zeal than their counterparts. ¡°Hello, Instructor Halen,¡± Amelia said cheerfully, coming up and standing next to Serena. Her girlfriend was looking at the names of student Speakers etched in brass. ¡°Did you...¡± Serena was focused intently on the names. ¡°...Want to practice our auras?¡± Amelia finished. ¡°Mmm,¡± Serena mumbled. ¡°Or, do you want to stare at a list of names all day? Can¡¯t you think of something else you¡¯d rather look at?¡± Amelia intoned, feeling her lips curl into a smile. She couldn¡¯t flirt as boldly as she wished, especially with the chance of students and staff witnessing them, but some playful teasing seemed acceptable, didn''t it? Amelia glanced around. How would Serena respond if Amelia gave her a swift smack on the behind when no one was observing? No, she shouldn¡¯t do that! It would be dreadful! If she did, Serena would make that adorable tutting sound and then try to stab Amelia affectionately, wouldn¡¯t she? Maybe? Probably. Definitely. Must do it in the future, Amelia made a mental note. Making Serena flustered was Amelia¡¯s addiction. After all, it wasn¡¯t healthy for her big-softy girlfriend to constantly pretend to be a strict naval officer, was it? Years of war had caused Serena to put up all kinds of barriers, and Amelia was determined to break them all down! ¡°Apologies, Assistant Instructor Thornheart,¡± Serena replied, giving Amelia the side-eye. ¡°Just... memories,¡± she continued, returning to the list of names. ¡°When I was a student, I desperately wanted to be on this list. I was so determined. My yellow wasn¡¯t quite there, and Narean still eluded me. It wasn¡¯t until I spent a year as a squad commander that I managed to Speak for the first time.¡± ¡°Do you think it helps?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°To be in real combat?¡± Serena nodded. ¡°For me, it did. For others, it can hinder development. It varies by the individual and the will of the god with whom they are communing.¡± Serena¡¯s brow furrowed slightly. ¡°Gods like Bayle place great importance on combat, while Narean is more flexible. I first realised I was ready after...¡± Serena hesitated, looking around. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not a story to be spoken of in public. Ask me another time.¡± ¡°Mmm!¡± Amelia agreed. ¡°Did you want to train aura?¡± ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s go.¡± Serena guided her to one of the instructor-only training rooms. Inside, Ryosuke and Nathaniel were training, and judging by how damp their uniforms were with sweat, they had been doing so for a long time. The pair nodded in greeting but otherwise continued to concentrate on their own training. The Asamaywa Academy had the best instructors, and those instructors found time in their busy schedules to ensure their skills did not lapse. ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡± Amelia asked, as she was led to one of the corners. ¡°Even though you achieved red through combat, aura is refined through meditation,¡± Serena explained, gesturing for Amelia to sit down. ¡°Much like how we repeat strikes thousands of times, whether individually or through the formalised katas, so that we can rely on them in a fight, we also train our aura through meditation, so that a base level of efficiency can be relied upon. ¡°There are more active ways, of course: the aura-stepping exercise we did this morning, or the flaring practice during the warm-up. Don¡¯t be mistaken,¡± Serena sat opposite Amelia, raising a finger. ¡°Meditation is the foundation - the sword and gun of a warrior¡¯s abilities.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t an actual sword and an actual gun be the sword and gun of a warrior¡¯s abilities?¡± Amelia asked innocently, tilting her head to the side. It was a strange saying, and she still preferred her world''s version of bread and butter. For some reason, Serena couldn¡¯t wrap her head around it. ¡°Shush,¡± Serena said, rolling her eyes and touching her lips. ¡°Just listen.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°Try to enter red again. It¡¯s much easier to form an aura the second time. If possible, try to restrict how much aether you convect. It¡¯ll be distracting if you start glowing like the red moon again.¡± Serena¡¯s mouth curled into a smile. ¡°Now, close your eyes and begin. Spend a few minutes slowing your breathing, as we did in Kenhoro. When you¡¯re ready, give it a go.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Amelia closed her eyes, trying to quench her distracting excitement. With a few deep breaths, she began the breathing exercise. It was challenging at first; the more she tried to soothe her thoughts, the more her mind sought external stimuli. From the sound of Serena¡¯s breathing to Ryosuke¡¯s and Nathaniel¡¯s grunts as they swung their swords, Amelia had to exert considerable effort to block them all from her thoughts. In time, she found some semblance of inner stability. Satisfied, Amelia began to convect the aether around the body. The convecting of a warrior''s aether shared similarities but also differed from a mage¡¯s cycling. While the sensation once felt unnatural, now there was an element of familiarity. She embraced the sensation, concentrating on achieving a smooth and unified aether flow. Then, without warning, Amelia felt an exhilarating rush as her aether suddenly locked in and for the second time, a red aura blossomed throughout her body. Power! Strength! Amelia¡¯s tendons felt as if they¡¯d become corded steel. Her skin was as impenetrable as thick ironwood bark. Her muscles became mighty lift engines, capable of lifting and throwing huge weights. She knew instinctively that she could sprint for hours, even without her healing abilities. This was aura! It was different from her usual magic. Wards manifested as a thin layer, an artificial shield safeguarding the fragile body within. Even her strength-enhancing spells lacked the feeling of completeness that aura provided. Aura felt natural, as if it were an inherent extension of her body manifesting within her. It was hers. ¡°Well done,¡± came Serena¡¯s voice. ¡°But tone it down a bit; you¡¯re brightening the whole room.¡± Amelia blinked her eyes open to a crimson-hued room. Although it was better than earlier that morning, it remained an embarrassing distraction for anyone else. Her focus started to slip, causing her aura to tremble. Sensing its impending collapse, she channelled more aether to stabilise it, deepening the room¡¯s red shade. Oops! Ryosuke and Nathaniel paused their training, silently observing her with expressions of awe. Not that Mel disagreed with the favouritism. Amelia was a friendly human healer on a continent of demons without gods of healing. What did that make her? A demigod? Mel shook her head the moment the thought formed. There was only one figure that deserved that title, and she resided in the Cathedral of Bone thousands of klicks away. ¡°What are you reading?¡± Mel asked, trying to turn her thoughts away from blasphemy. ¡°A book on the Formless,¡± Amelia replied. ¡°Did you know that...¡± she intoned as she traced the page with a finger, ¡°...That there¡¯s a Formless called Osoric that goes around teaching blacksmiths how to make better weapons? He¡¯s very active in Centralis, seen several times a year!¡± ¡°The name rings a bell,¡± Mel said. Growing up in Kenhoro she was taught the Formless were powerful Kami that would come after her if she didn¡¯t eat everything on her plate or do her chores. Admittedly, she hadn¡¯t given them much thought as an adult. She told Amelia as much and then passed her the bag of letters, saying, ¡°These have all come for you.¡± ¡°Ooh! Letters!¡± Amelia excitedly opened the bag, pouring the contents onto the bed. Many of the letters were decorated with metallic thread, some even embossed with moon crystals. They were all written to ¡°Lord-Prospect Amelia Thornheart.¡± Amelia waved Mel to sit on the bed, which she did after some hesitation. Such a comfy mattress, Mel thought. She was about to ask if Amelia wanted her to fetch a letter opener, but the human seemed more than happy to use her hands to open them. Moments like this made Mel ponder the mystery of Amelia Thornheart. The woman spoke High Imperial with a refined accent as good as any other noblewoman, and her curtsying and general movements carried an inspiring gracefulness. Yet, her other actions were often unladylike: requesting Mel to call her by her first name after only knowing her briefly, asking someone who wasn¡¯t a family member to sit on her bed, and eagerly using her hands to open important letters. Amelia¡¯s movements and language were at a standard that only noblewomen achieved through training since birth. Who would raise her in such a way but fail to instil the other components of nobility in her? With what little digging Mel had attempted, Amelia hadn¡¯t given much up. The woman would just shrug and say her past was complicated. She didn¡¯t want to risk offending her, so she¡¯d given up on prodding at Amelia¡¯s background. Besides, she was sure she would find out someday. All secrets claw their way to the top eventually. ¡°Ah,¡± Amelia mumbled, her face falling. ¡°Another one of these...¡± She sighed, placing the letter to one side before opening another. Upon reading it, Amelia put it in the same pile with a tense expression. ¡°What is it?¡± Mel asked. ¡°Sad stories,¡± Amelia answered, glancing at the opened letters. ¡°Sons with missing limbs. Daughters with incurable illness. Offering me large amounts of money to travel to heal their family members or even willing to bring the patient to me. At least some letters are more positive, like this one!¡± Amelia held up a later sewed with gold thread. ¡°An invitation to a fancy meal and dance in Hokanai! I won¡¯t be able to go, but it''s nice to be invited!¡± ¡°These days, I imagine you¡¯re at the forefront of many dinnertime conversations,¡± Mel pointed out. She didn¡¯t want to add that the invitations to highborn events were likely just the more tactile approaches to petition Amelia for her healing services. ¡°Do you plan to accept any of them?¡± she asked, gesturing to the growing pile of requests. Mel was surprised to see Amelia shake her head and asked why. ¡°Lords, Highlords, and Greatlords have told me that if I start healing everyone, it¡¯s going to cause chaos and political conflict between the Terra Firmas, and that could spiral out of control,¡± Amelia explained with a pained expression. ¡°I don¡¯t like it, but it does make sense. If I favour healing the warriors and mages of a particular Greatlord or some other group, I could upset any power balances.¡± Amelia threw her hands up. ¡°It¡¯s so frustrating! You would think having power and my abilities meant you could do anything you wanted, but I¡¯m actually under more restraints than someone with no abilities! Ah...¡± Her shoulders slumped. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll run away and farm somewhere in peace...¡± Mel giggled. ¡°Sorry,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s just I can¡¯t imagine someone like you... farming. But I suppose I understand what you mean. I¡¯ve heard the movements of the Greatlords and other Second-Word Speakers are heavily restricted by the Overlords due to them being strategic weapons. Imagine how much worse it would be if you could Speak a Second-Word!¡± Students here and back in Kenhoro frequently discussed the topic of Second-Word Speakers. It was well known that the Greatlords, who had reached the near-pinnacle of divine favour by communing at least one Second-Word, were second in power only to their overlords and the demigod above even them. But what about the hidden Speakers? The ones that were fully dedicated to their overlord¡¯s will, living quiet lives in strategic locations, ready to act at a moment''s notice? According to her fellow students, the top contenders of people in the academy who were secretly Second-Word Speakers were the Head of the Department of Leadership and Ethics, Ryosuke Yamamoto, and the famous Northern swordmaster, Katalin of Driss. Of course, Amelia had amazing abilities and was freakishly strong in her own right, but how would she react if she went against a Second-Word Speaker with their mighty embodiments of their communed god? ¡°Yeah. Imagine...¡± Amelia huffed. ¡°Help me organise these, will you? Can you write down a list of everyone asking for my help? Even if I can¡¯t help them right now, I¡¯ll remember it for later.¡± Amelia reached over, pulling a notebook and pen from the bedside table. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s okay?¡± Mel asked. ¡°Okay?¡± ¡°For me to know... that information.¡± It felt wrong for someone like Mel to have access to such personal letters. Many noble families didn¡¯t speak publicly about family members who were struck with ailments. Instead, the families kept up the act of them ¡®travelling¡¯ or ¡®spending time in seclusion¡¯ until they recovered. Often, you wouldn¡¯t know they had been ill until the family announced the death and subsequent period of mourning. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Amelia waved a hand dismissively. ¡°Just don¡¯t tell anyone else, alright? Oh, if any letters are from House Halen then put them to the side. Also...¡± Amelia lifted one of the letters up, tapping the wax seal. ¡°If you see any seals that look like they would suit me, let me know. I¡¯m technically the Head of House Thornheart, and I need to create my own insignia. If you have any ideas, let me know!¡± One huge question mark would be appropriate, Mel thought. ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye out,¡± Mel said. The two set about tabulating and organising the letters. As time passed, Mel found herself telling Amelia about her life. Even though Amelia was human, she was surprisingly easy to talk to. With nobility, you always had to watch your conduct, for they could fine you on a whim. Speakers like Amelia even possessed the right to detain suspected criminals. Such concern didn¡¯t exist with Amelia, and Mel felt comfortable talking about her thoughts. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking recently; I want to become more than just an Officer,¡± Mel explained as she scribbled on the paper. ¡°Above all else, I want to become exceptional with the sword, as good as Captain Halen or Highlord Driss. To that end, I was thinking I would spend a few years as a squad commander, then return to the academy as an Assistant Instructor. Then, if I can focus on communing a Word and as a result, be tenured as a full Instructor!¡± ¡°Well, I haven¡¯t forgotten my promise. I¡¯ll put in a good word for you!¡± Amelia said, giving Mel a double thumbs-up that made her giggle. The grandfather clock chimed, and Amelia sat up quickly. ¡°Oops! I¡¯m late to a, uh, appointment. Let¡¯s finish up for today!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Mel nodded. ¡°Did you want me to bring you anything to eat later?¡± ¡°No, thank you,¡± Amelia began brushing her hair. ¡°I won¡¯t be back tonight, so don¡¯t stay up.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t be back?¡± Mel tilted her head in confusion. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°N-nowhere!¡± Amelia spluttered. ¡°I mean, I¡¯m going to do some training, and if it gets too late, I¡¯ll just stay in the main building. Just don¡¯t...¡± She waved her hairbrush in Mel¡¯s direction. ¡°...Don¡¯t wait for me or anything. Focus on your own training!¡± Could she be meeting a man? Mel thought. She¡¯d only ever heard tales of human-demon relationships. The human church strongly forbade them since all offspring from such a paring were always full-blooded demons, regardless of the race of the mother. No one could say that Amelia wasn¡¯t beautiful, at least for a human. Mel found it a bit jarring to see a face without some horns attached. The tops of human heads always seemed weirdly flat and open in comparison. Still, Mel could understand why some demons would find Amelia pleasing to look at. Maybe she¡¯ll tell me who it is, eventually... Amelia finished up and headed out, leaving Mel to tidy the room. She arranged the letters on the desk, leaving the unopened ones for Amelia¡¯s return tomorrow. She made the bed and quickly brushed down any surfaces that looked dusty. She opened the top window a fraction to air the room and ensured the remaining windows were locked. Hmm? Down on the grounds, Mel thought she saw someone in the shadow of a large tree, obscured by its trunk. It looked like they were watching her for a moment, but when she blinked, the figure was gone. Some staff members were walking a path behind the tree, and they gave no indication that someone was hiding from Mel¡¯s sight. Was it a trick of the light? Putting it out of her mind, Mel retired to her own quarters for the night. Inspired by the enthusiastic human who seemed to have boundless energy, Mel relaxed into a meditation position and began refining her aura. Her red was now heavily hued with orange, and she felt like she would break through to the next level of aura any week now. Even if Amelia managed to reach red eventually, Mel would surely be able to impress her with an orange aura! The next time they duelled, Mel would show Amelia how far she had to go! Chapter Fifty-Eight: A World War Chapter Fifty-Eight: A World War Serena woke to a comforting warmth divided into two parts: the first being the golden-haired Amelia nestled in her arms, snuggling against her chest; the second was the radiant glow of Amelia¡¯s magic enveloping Serena, soothing her muscle soreness and dispelling any lingering sleepiness. She¡¯d experienced the sensation of going from asleep to fully awake in a split second before. Serena had been shelled awake on more than one occasion, and Anathor had done his fair share of acting as an alarm while she¡¯d been asleep in her hammock. What she would never get used to was the magic-induced wakefulness that was on par with adrenaline. ¡°I presume you¡¯re awake?¡± Serena intoned, bending down and ruffling Amelia¡¯s hair. Seven hells, Amelia smelt good. Her mother once told Serena that the man she¡¯d marry would smell alluring. She didn¡¯t quite understand it until recently. Of course, her mother would never have thought it would be another woman who would be so welcoming to her daughter''s nose. Wait... marriage? ¡°The clock chimed,¡± Amelia mumbled. ¡°You were sleeping like a baby. Mmm... oh, wait!¡± Amelia shot up, her forehead furrowing. ¡°I didn¡¯t just ruin your training from Katalin¡¯s session, did I?¡± ¡°No,¡± Serena said, stretching her limbs before pulling Amelia back into a cuddle. ¡°Muscles only grow for about twenty hours after being stressed, so it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Twenty hours? Are you sure? I thought it was longer...¡± Amelia said softly. ¡°Maybe for you weak humans,¡± Serena gave Amelia a sly smile, reaching down and flicking her nose. ¡°Demons heal faster, grow faster, get ill less often...¡± Serena trailed off, lightly rubbing Amelia¡¯s shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s only fair,¡± she continued. ¡°We don¡¯t have any gods of healing, so at least it¡¯s somewhat balanced by our constitution.¡± ¡°Well, I can be your god of healing, can¡¯t I?¡± Amelia said with pride, gesturing towards herself with a thumb and sticking her tongue out playfully. ¡°You...¡± Serena frowned before relaxing when she saw that Amelia was joking. Thank the Empress for that! If Amelia went around proclaiming herself a god, then the world would be thrown into total chaos. Even more than it already was. ¡°Coffee?¡± Amelia asked, cheerfully changing the subject. ¡°Mmm,¡± Serena climbed out of bed and prepared them some morning coffee. They both cleaned up and dressed, only this time, Serena changed into her officer¡¯s uniform. ¡°Going to check in on the ship,¡± she explained when Amelia raised an eyebrow. ¡°Would you mind giving it a quick clean?¡± With a dash of Amelia¡¯s cleaning magic, the uniform was free of dust and dirt. Amelia¡¯s cleaning even removed the small smears of lubricant and grease that Serena picked up whenever she checked in on the Vengeance¡¯s engineers. It was a great utility spell, and if she were ever away from Amelia for a long time she didn¡¯t think she would get used to not having the feeling of total cleanliness that her magic invoked. I¡¯m becoming spoilt, Serena thought. Like Lani. ¡°You want to come?¡± she asked. ¡°Another time!¡± Amelia responded. ¡°Lunaria gave me a book on the Formless. I plan to read through it and then chat with Anathor. Think he¡¯ll mind?¡± ¡°No, but don¡¯t get your hopes up,¡± Serena answered. She¡¯d first been apprehensive regarding the grumbling Formless, but as the moons came and went and Anathor had been nothing but trustworthy, she¡¯d found herself relying on him. The few times she¡¯d been a little inquisitive regarding who or what he was, she hadn¡¯t gotten very far. ¡°Anathor¡¯s old. I¡¯m not sure how old he is, but his memory isn¡¯t great. He once mentioned something about it being damaged. Although...¡± Serena¡¯s mind suddenly connected some dots. If Amelia¡¯s healing magic was strong enough to seep into the fourth deck, was there a possibility that she had somehow healed Anathor? Amelia clearly followed the same line of thought, asking, ¡°Do you think he¡¯ll let me try and heal him?¡± ¡°You could ask, but don¡¯t do it without my permission,¡± Serena warned. ¡°I¡¯m not confident that it wouldn¡¯t have unintended consequences. Anathor isn¡¯t a living being - not by our normal standards, anyway. He¡¯s a... thing. He doesn¡¯t have a physical brain to store and process memories like we do. No one knows how the Formless work.¡± ¡°Mmm!¡± Amelia nodded. ¡°And what about you? Have you had any more of those weird dreams? You know, mysterious bearded captains talking about ominous temples?¡± ¡°No, but I have an odd feeling that they''ll resume if you use any large-scale magic on the ship again.¡± Serena didn¡¯t know if having more interactions with the ship would be a good thing or not. On one horn, it could provide some of the vital information that Chesterfield was obviously withholding, but on the other horn, she could handle only so much at once. Having weird dreams that may or may not be the memories of a splintered thing contained within the Vengeance¡¯s hull was not exceptionally high on her list of priorities. With a kiss goodbye, which quickly became a second and third kiss, Amelia snuck out. After waiting a few minutes, Serena left with a slightly flushed face. She left the main building, heading down the main path where early morning work crews were still installing steam pipes. She passed a yawning gate guard and entered the streets of the slowly waking Asamaywa. A city was like a living being. In the mornings, it slowly became awake, with street cleaners brushing the paths and clearing snow, followed by the countless shop owners getting ready to open for business. Steam erupted from wall vents, indicating the early morning kitchen work of many of the city''s restaurants. Younglings, with their horns small and still growing, ran through the streets throwing or posting the morning broadsheets. As the foot traffic increased, the food stalls began selling morning snacks to the workers heading towards their shifts. Hopping onto a passing tram, Serena rode to the Asamaywa Imperial Docks. Stepping off, she handed her identification to the soldiers guarding the entranceway, and after receiving a quick salute, she went inside. Almost instantly, the noise of stream grinders and welders filled her ears, along with the demanding shouts of foremen and workers. Whether it was day or night, dockwork never ended. Maintenance was always needed, or some cargo needed to be moved. Walking to the bay that held the Vengeance, easily identified by its distinctive black hull, Serena was about to step onto the gangway when she was hailed from behind. It was Thorne, her weapons officer. He ran up to her, offered a salute and said, ¡°Captain! Morning. Was about to send an aethergram to the Academy.¡± ¡°What news?¡± ¡°Someone from Intelligence has some orders from up above. He¡¯s waiting back there,¡± Thorne indicated towards a door behind him. ¡°Bought some fancy-looking equipment with him, as well as some engineers. Wouldn¡¯t tell me what it¡¯s about, but if I had to guess, we¡¯re getting some upgrades.¡± ¡°Equipment? Be specific, Officer?¡± ¡°Aye, Captain. Looks like a new firing solution for our cannons. A mechanical calculator that links up with the range-finder.¡± He shook his head slightly, an expression of awe and excitement forming on his face. ¡°I saw early prototypes of it when I was in training, but this looks far more sophisticated than anything I could have envisioned. Looks like the very latest stuff.¡± It wasn¡¯t often she saw excitement on the face of her weapons officer. The man had once told her he cared about one thing and one thing only: to accurately put down as much shellfire as possible on an enemy''s location, whether in the sky or on the ground. Serena valued that kind of ruthless pragmatism the most and put significant effort into cultivating it amongst her officer staff. They fulfilled their roles with efficient professionalism, so if someone like Thorne dropped that facade, this new firing solution was the real deal. ¡°And this Intelligence Officer, did he give his name?¡± ¡°Introduced himself as Officer Adachi, Captain. Said you were expecting him at some point.¡± Perfect. ¡°Take me to him,¡± she instructed Thorne. The man saluted and led Serena through the door he¡¯d gestured at earlier into a small waiting room. There stood the familiar visage of Aiden Adachi in uniform and three middle-aged engineers in overalls. There was nothing special about the overalls themselves, but from the visible cuffs, boots, and necklines Serena could see all of these engineers were officers. ¡°I admit, I¡¯m impressed,¡± Serena said, folding her arms. She might not like these changes being forced upon her by Intelligence, but she couldn¡¯t deny the combat effectiveness they would gain from it. ¡°One of the greatest feats of demon engineering I¡¯ve ever witnessed,¡± Lange said, stopping his operation of the firing table and standing back up. ¡°Not even the Oshiro-class has these installed. They only entered production four months ago. These directors have been configured with years of real-world targeting data from over a hundred naval engagements. I¡¯m surprised they¡¯ve prioritised a light-cruiser such as the Vengeance,¡± the demon shrugged. ¡°Hells, who am I to complain? I¡¯m just happy to work with such a machine.¡± ¡°When can you start?¡± Serena asked. ¡°The installation? Today. If your Weapons Officer and Chief Engineer can give us a walkthrough of your pods, we¡¯ll start drafting a work schedule. The Warrant Officers can show your gunnery crews to new lodgings in Asamino for training. Best they get started as soon as possible.¡± Serena nodded, turning to Thorne. ¡°Thorne, find Allston and show these men what they need. Send an aethergram to the barracks and get your gunnery crews here.¡± She turned towards the Sergeant Major. ¡°I¡¯m teaching a semester in the Asamaywa Officer Academy. If anything urgent comes up, you can find me there. Regardless, I expect I¡¯ll come down and check up on things every few days. Dismissed.¡± With her orders given, the men set about their tasks. Giving the machine one final look, Serena left the room to find Aiden standing awkwardly. When he saw her, he grinned sheepishly and nervously rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°Captain Halen, I don¡¯t have long...¡± ¡°This won¡¯t take long,¡± Serena said, trying to keep herself from snapping. She dragged Aiden into a nearby room. Once inside, she locked the door before turning on the man and giving him her best intimidating glare. To emphasise her displeasure, she deliberately walked slowly towards him. ¡°Aiden,¡± she said, making her voice sickly sweet. ¡°Guess what I found out the other day?¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Aiden replied, backing away until his back hit a cabinet. ¡°Amelia¡¯s got a new assistant, did you know?¡± Not waiting for an answer, she continued, ¡°An assistant that just so happens to be the same student you met when Amelia healed her broken arm. An assistant who claims that before we left Kenhoro, she was approached about an opportunity to become an assistant to a mysterious Speaker in Asamaywa. She said the Grandmaster put her name forward, but I have this terrible feeling that it might have been you.¡± Serena raised an arm, visibly making Aiden cringe. She placed it above his shoulder, leaning into him. It felt good to be tall. ¡°Surely I must be mistaken? Because that would mean that you lied to me when you said you were just in Kenhoro for a personality profile, wouldn¡¯t it? It would mean you knew about that bastard Chesterfield¡¯s plan to have Amelia and me come here, wouldn¡¯t it? You wouldn¡¯t know anything about that, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Now, Serena, look here,¡± Aiden began. Serena raised her other fist, clenching it tightly. Before she could intimidate Aiden any more, he suddenly squealed out, ¡°If you hurt me, I¡¯ll tell Amelia!¡± A long silence passed between them. Eventually, Serena straightened up, stepping back to make space between them. Another long silence passed. ¡°Seven hells, Aiden...¡± Serena mumbled. ¡°I...¡± ¡°That was...¡± ¡°I know, don¡¯t tell her, please?¡± ¡°That was pathetic! Ha!¡± Serena snorted, chuckling at the now red-faced demon before her. ¡°That might be the saddest thing I¡¯ve ever seen you say. Look at you! An Officer running around tattling about their problems to Amelia.¡± ¡°Bah!¡± Aiden groaned. ¡°Just don¡¯t tell her, please! I panicked, okay?¡± ¡°Panicked? What did you think I was going to do to you!¡± Serena scoffed. In her eyes, she had every right to be angry at her so-called friend, but she wouldn¡¯t cause him any actual harm. Maybe a tiny bit? ¡°You, err,¡± Aiden shuffled on his feet awkwardly. ¡°Had that look in your eye, Serena.¡± ¡°What look!?¡± ¡°You know... look, never mind!¡± Aiden put his hands up in a gesture of peace. ¡°I¡¯m not told everything! I don¡¯t know exactly what was decided and when, but I do know this,¡± he curled one hand into a pointed finger, emphasising his point. ¡°When Amelia healed you, and the Vengeance denied the Dragon access to her, someone very high up decided to prioritise bringing Amelia over to the demon side with no expense spared. Something about the ship protecting her set off alarm bells. They were going to imprison and interrogate her, and now, Amelia could probably ask for a Greatlord¡¯s territory and they¡¯ll give it to her if it would secure her loyalty! That¡¯s how important she is to the people up top! ¡°And then... when our agents discovered that you two were, you know, a thing.¡± Aiden¡¯s eyes darted to the side, and Serena felt an unavoidable blush form. ¡°Whatever plans they had with her now encompassed you as well. At one point, I think they planned to persuade her to become a student at the Academy for the full two years, with you teaching, but then,¡± he raised another finger, ¡°Then, she invoked Asclepius, and everything changed! And not in a good way!¡± ¡°How so?¡± Serena asked, feeling her forehead furrow. ¡°Well, it¡¯s mostly rumours, but I heard that the Intelligence apparatus dedicated to infiltration and monitoring Christdom and its allies tripled overnight. These are not just passive measures but active ones as well. I¡¯m hearing whispers of everything from sabotage campaigns to a pre-emptive strike!¡± ¡°Nonsense,¡± Serena said. ¡°The Empress wouldn¡¯t order another front. We¡¯re currently winning in the Republican war. We have the numbers, the material, the ships. We overmatch them in everything.¡± The current approach Cascadia took in the conflict was a war of attrition. They had long destroyed the main combat force the Republican side possessed pre-war. Now, they mainly were chipping away at unmotivated conscripts. If the human nations wanted their military aid to be used ineffectively by the struggling Republican army, then that was a deal that worked for the demons! ¡°They have no pathway to victory, and everyone knows it. Why would we spoil our advantage by stretching ourselves with another theatre?¡± ¡°Right, my thoughts exactly, but listen to this...¡± Aiden leaned in, lowering his voice. ¡°I still have contacts from my time in logistics. You know what I¡¯m hearing from those guys? Massive expansion of production lines. Everything from raw resource extraction to smelting. Extraction companies in the desert have been awarded huge contracts to find more red. Why else but the mass production of explosives? And it¡¯s all kept quiet. No announcements. It''s the same thing with shipbuilders; believe me, they aren¡¯t laying down hulls for civilian ships. No one wants to admit it, but all the signs are there. We¡¯re preparing for war at a scale never before seen by either demon or human hands!¡± ¡°A great conflict...¡± Serena trailed off, her thoughts wrapped in confusion. ¡°A conflict, judging by what I¡¯ve been hearing, is expected to be waged against any and all enemies. Not just Christdom, but their allies and anyone else. And if Christdom and their allies go to war, the rest of the human nations would follow, either against us or each other. You¡¯re aware of the military alliances on the human continent. It¡¯s a powderkeg waiting to ignite.¡± Serena was quiet for a long while before saying the phrase which refused to leave her mind unless it was spoken out loud. ¡°A World War...¡± Chapter Fifty-Nine: A Knife In The Night Chapter Fifty-Nine: A Knife In The Night With the occasional hiss of steam, the plateau lift continued trundling its way up the cliff face towards Asamaywa. Peering over the railing and looking down, Noburu could see the slums fade away until they merged into one great smear of gloom and grey. As the distance grew, he felt a growing sense of liberation. Living in the slums was a sordid experience; he always felt a little dirty, no matter how much he washed. He somehow felt cleaner by riding the lift and rising above it all. He glanced at the woman next to him. Seonmi stood tall, wearing the uniform Yoshiro provided them both. There was no way the lift guards would¡¯ve allowed them through with how they usually looked, even with a bribe, so they¡¯d been forced to get into character immediately and use their forged travel permits. The guards barely gave them a second look before letting them through. The truth was that as long as you look and act the part, people will naturally assume you are who you say you are. A grimy slum-dweller wearing patchy clothes trying to charm his way through the gates would never succeed. However, Noburu and Seonmi, with their good posture, clean uniforms, documents, and well-spoken accents, didn¡¯t face such scrutiny. No one suspected they were destitute and scraping by on the bottom rung of society. Seonmi was looking out at the vast expanse of the lowlands with a neutral expression. Noburu had known the woman for nearly five years now. She¡¯d been the one to introduce him to Yoshiro. She possessed an interesting mix of Manwese and Ainese features: sharp eyes with thick-based horns that ended in the stereotypical Ainese twist. Those very same sharp eyes now glanced his way. They weren¡¯t as crimson as his own. Instead, they were a memorable blood-orange. He suspected she might have been highborn. Something about how she carried herself, even in the slums, reminded her of himself. He¡¯d once heard a rumour of a sister called Haneul, and suspected Seonmi might be estranged in some manner, but he¡¯d never investigated it further. If you start poking about in other people''s business, then they¡¯ll do the same to you, and when people poke others in the shadow of Asamaywa, it¡¯s often done by the pointy bit of a knife. ¡°Yes?¡± she asked, her voice soft. ¡°You¡¯re being quiet,¡± he murmured before pointing to her white-knuckled hands gripping the lift¡¯s railings. ¡°Not fond of heights?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just... looking at the ships,¡± Seonmi replied. She nodded skywards. Noburu followed her direction to see a light frigate escorting a transport into the docks above. A year ago, transports rarely needed a convoy guard but now it was far more frequent a sight. He¡¯d heard guards whispering about increased piracy in the south. Perhaps that¡¯s where that ship had sailed from? ¡°Do you know how expensive it is to keep those things in the air?¡± Seonmi. ¡°How much money it costs to buy the crystal fuel? Think about how much food you could buy. And the military expenditure...¡± She shook her head. ¡°Every manufactured shell could be a sack of rice. It just feels so... wrong.¡± ¡°...I know,¡± Noburu replied. After you¡¯ve been poor and hungry for long enough, your worldview develops in one of two ways: Either you become indifferent to your struggle, seeing your place in society as a natural inevitability, or, as Noburu had, you become angry at the wealthy spending so much on frivolous items. Why spend so much gold on some paint on canvas or that porcelain vase from Hokanai when you could feed a hundred orphans for a year instead? It''s why he never felt bad for stealing from them. Noburu disagreed on one point. The ship wasn¡¯t a waste. Sure, the shells inside them were wasteful, but the ship itself? A ship was freedom. A ship meant untold prospects and opportunities. If he could save up and buy even a small fishing ship, then he just needed to make one catch of sardis, and he¡¯d be set for decades. He could take Kiku and the kids away from their life of poverty and into the clean air of upper-sky! Even if he couldn¡¯t do that, he could get everyone on a train to a new life. Far below him, the lowlands were etched with the steel of the Eastern Railway. Tracks stretched from the base of Asamaywa out into the lowlands before breaking off into the north, east, and south. The northbound tracks snaked through industrial areas and farming towns before curving back towards Asamoto. To the east, they stretched into the horizon, where on a day with better weather, he would have been able to make out the mountain tops of Nachon more than two hundred kilometres away. The last few tracks turned south, either linking up to Asamino or going to the Far Eastern cities of Fengra and Hokanai. His true home that he didn¡¯t remember. The lift shuddered and hissed as it came to a stop. Noburu gave himself a quick mental slap to put him in character. A glance and nod from Seonmi told him she¡¯d done the same. They queued up where a bored-looking customs officer was filtering through documents. When it came to Noburu and Seonmi, he raised an eyebrow, his gaze flittering from the travel documents to them. ¡°Says here you came trainbound from Fengra to Asamaywa, but you got off early in the lowlands. Why¡¯d you stop, eh...¡± He flicked back to their identification documents. ¡°Miss Yoo-jung? What business did you have down below?¡± ¡°We got an aethergram before we left,¡± Seonmi answered immediately. ¡°Farmers thought they might have found something ploughing the fields. We stopped by to consult. Turned out to be nothing.¡± ¡°Right,¡± the customs officer yawned. ¡°And you, Mr Kim, what¡¯s your business in Asamaywa?¡± ¡°Restoration work at the Asamaywa Officer Academy,¡± Noburu answered. ¡°Twenty-day contract. It¡¯s all there in the yellow sheet." He gestured to the document in the officer''s hands. The demon skimmed it before returning everything to them and jerking his thumb. ¡°Go through,¡± he intoned. Thanking the officer, the pair passed and entered Asamaywa proper. Noburu had only had cause to enter the city a few times, but every time he did, it surprised him how much louder it was. Hundreds of demons moved this way and that, with yells and bells filling the air. It was a stark contrast to the threatening silence that permeated the slums. The two walked through the city, stopping only a few times to get their bearings. Soon, they found their pre-booked accommodation and signed in. It was a small, slightly run-down hotel sectioned off from the main streets. The owner showed them to their rooms before leaving them to themselves. Noburu pressed an ear to the closed door, only giving Seonmi a nod when the owner''s footsteps had disappeared. ¡°Once we¡¯re in the academy, hells, when we¡¯re even near it, we need to make sure we only communicate with signals,¡± Seonmi said, yawning and stretching out on the cheap mattress. ¡°Right,¡± Noburu replied. Everyone knew that warriors and mages had ways to increase their perception. They had a hawk''s eyes, a wolfhound''s ears, and the reaction speed of a sardis. They would be quite literally surrounded by them in the academy, which meant they couldn¡¯t afford to even whisper to each other about their true intentions. They could only communicate with hand signals when they were sure they weren¡¯t in sight of anyone else. ¡°What now? Tools?¡± He asked. He¡¯d spent the last several days absorbing as much knowledge he could about artefacts and restoration. He¡¯d spent long hours in Yoshiro¡¯s den practising using the equipment he was supposed to have mastered - everything to sell the illusion that they knew what they were doing. Instead of bringing the aged and half-broken tools they¡¯d practised on, Yoshiro gave Seonmi enough money for them to buy everything they needed. They would look for good quality second-hand sets or purchase new ones and then quickly weather the tools. Then, they planned to spend the little time they had left practising further before the arranged meeting inside the academy. All they needed was to get inside and locate the target artefacts they were tasked with stealing. Then, all Seonmi needed to do was make an excuse to leave, leaving Noburu alone with the items he could steal and then escape using his blessing. He tapped his horns reassuringly. What could go wrong? Amelia felt rather proud of herself. She¡¯d decided on the bright idea of simultaneously fulfilling both Hinako¡¯s request for tutoring and Mel¡¯s request for sparring. She¡¯d taken advantage of her academy privileges and booked out a training room, arranging to meet the two women there at the allotted time. Serena had invited herself along, claiming that her expertise would help evaluate Mel¡¯s swordsmanship. However, Amelia suspected Serena really wanted to make sure Amelia wouldn¡¯t do something too amazing and cause more problems. She was a little surprised when she stepped through the door to find Mel, Hinako, and Serena with no less than three additional students! All six demons turned simultaneously and set their gazes upon Amelia. Serena¡¯s eyes carried the most familiarity, followed by Mel, then Hinako, and finally, the three students, whose faces possessed a mixture of excitement, wonder, and apprehension. The first unfamiliar demon was a male whose features reminded Amelia of Katalin. He had reddish-brown hair and purple eyes - a Northerner. The man clearly took pride in honing his body. He was well built, although not quite at Tomes of Dagon''s level. Notably, the remaining two unfamiliar students, one male and one female, possessed only a single horn curving out from the center of their forehead. It was a variation of demon horns that Amelia had learned was more common in the ethnic Aindo part of the demon race centred around the Far Eastern cities of Nachon, Fengra, and Hokanai. Their eyes were a fascinating burnt orange, starkly contrasting the typical crimson hues she¡¯d got used to around the ethnic Samino like Serena. They both possessed extremely similar features. Perhaps they were brother and sister? ¡°Morning!¡± Amelia exclaimed cheerfully, walking up to the group. ¡°Assistant Instructor Thornheart!¡± the group of students intoned. Mel and Hinako bowed while the three students Serena brought along snapped to attention with a salute. The northern demon stood with his right hand in a closed fist on the left side of his chest in what Amelia had learned from Katalin as the traditional northern salute. Meanwhile, the two Aindo students performed the standard Imperial salute of raising their hands to their temple. So cool! Only... She sat up, rubbing her aching shoulders. Instructor Halen had put her and her fellow students through one of the most intense training sessions she¡¯d ever had. Still, if that was what it took to break into orange and defeat Amelia¡¯s red aura, then so be it! The nighttime chill made her shiver, so Mel manifested her red aura, relying on its supernatural properties to protect her from the cold. She reached for a cup of water by her bedside, suddenly freezing. What was that? A subtle creak from next door. A movement of the floorboards. Had Amelia returned? Once again, she¡¯d told Mel she wouldn¡¯t return that night. Mel had started to wonder if she really did have a man or if something else was going on. Regardless, it would be problematic if she stuck her horns into someone else¡¯s business. Amelia seemed to have a favourable opinion of Mel and she didn¡¯t want to ruin that. Another creak. Mel climbed out of bed. She didn¡¯t need to wear her uniform; she would only check if Amelia wanted anything. She was awake anyway, so she might as well fulfil her duties. Lightening a lantern, Mel exited her room. She strode the length of the corridor, stopping outside Amelia¡¯s room. Quiet. She knocked lightly. ¡°Amelia?¡± Mel called. No answer. Mel opened the door, stepping into the darkness of Amelia¡¯s quarters. The lantern didn¡¯t do much to pierce the darkness, so she strained her aura a little further, enhancing her eyesight. Nothing seemed amiss in the reception area. Mel proceeded into Amelia¡¯s bedroom. Amelia¡¯s bed lay, still tidy from when Mel made it the night before. So Amelia hadn¡¯t returned then. Then what... ah. Mel caught sight of a window slightly ajar. Sighing, she closed the window, and as she did, the realisation that she¡¯d closed it earlier formed in her mind. If she closed it, that meant someone opened it. If someone opened it, that meant... Mel spun around, pushing her red until it was uncomfortable. The dark room became as clear as daylight to her. She strained her ears. Was she alone? Had someone snuck in and then left? Or were they- The sound of someone¡¯s breathing reached her ears. It was slow and methodical. She¡¯d been taught about this in Kenhoro. A type of breathing designed to produce as little sound as possible. An assassin''s breathing technique. But Mel heard it. Without a doubt, there was someone straddled to the ceiling above her. Mel flared her red aura - a painful experience given the training she¡¯d gone through earlier. She threw the lantern above her head and ran using aura-empowered legs towards the door. She made it two steps before something pierced her left shoulder. Another two steps before something else pierced her lower back. A final two steps before something cut her leg, causing her to trip and spin around. Mel screamed, grabbing something nearby and throwing it at the dark figure as she crumpled to the floor. Her opponent¡¯s figure was wavy. Some kind of cloaking spell from the Kanaxai branch. He was a warrior. His orange aura gave that away. He ducked the thrown object - a book - and leapt towards Mel with a dagger. Mel put everything into her aura, feeling herself burn from the inside as she manifested orange for the first time. It was a shaky, weak orange that wasn¡¯t enough to completely stop the assassin''s dagger from piercing her stomach. Mel reflexively grabbed the man¡¯s hand, pulling her legs back and kicking him as hard as she could. He stumbled back. Everything suddenly seemed so wet with blood. Her blood. Even as she scrambled back, her feet slipped, failing to find traction against the bloody wooden floor. She couldn¡¯t win against this person. Her orange aura was barely up to scratch, and her body felt like it would explode. Mel was already at peak aether exhaustion, and she wouldn¡¯t be able to maintain her aura against another attack. If only she could get to the door and out into the hall. If this assassin was here for Amelia it was unlikely he would chase Mel down. All she needed to do was make herself an unattractive target so he would flee back through the window. The hazy assassin launched himself at Mel again, and Mel saw her death coming. There was no way she could make it. Should she scream? Wait, she was already screaming. She hadn¡¯t stopped since she started. Ah, it was getting hard to think. Was she afflicted with poison? A loud snapping sound filled the air, and the assassin''s arm froze, his dagger inches away from Mel. Someone''s hand had appeared, grabbing the assassin by the wrist. A floating hand. A pungent smell of burnt toast reached Mel¡¯s nose. The assassin was yanked, and with a grunt, he was pulled into... Nothingness. He was there, and now he was gone. Mel was suddenly alone. She forced herself to stop screaming. What in the seven hells just happened? Was she saved? She needed to dress her wounds and keep her aura up. If she could keep her aura going, she could delay blood loss and poison spread. She could... Ah, her vision was going dark. Another snapping sound reached Mel¡¯s ears, and out of nowhere, a figure bent towards her. It was not the assassin, rather a feminine figure with a grimace. She had small horns and yellow eyes. Someone from Centralis? Wearing a maid uniform. ¡°What the...¡± Mel mumbled as she felt herself go weak. Whatever poison was inside her, it was acting fast. She felt the figure pick her up. During her last moments of consciousness, she heard the woman who appeared from nowhere, dressed as a maid, mutter something that made no sense. ¡°The Divine One is definitely going to be giving me a raise after this...¡± Chapter Sixty: Ochimusha Chapter Sixty: Ochimusha Serena woke to the sound of hurried footsteps in the outside corridor. She immediately knew the owner of those footsteps was coming to communicate bad news. It was the same type of determined strides she¡¯d grown familiar with from her time as a captain. On many occasions, Tomes or Dagon approached her quarters in the Vengeance in the same way, always coming to inform her of a problem. She elbowed Amelia. ¡°Get dressed,¡± she hissed before climbing out of bed and slipping on her instructor uniform. She barely had time to fix her jacket when the footsteps stopped outside her door and the person behind it rapidly knocked. Judging from the aether signature, it was either Ryosuke or the grandmaster. ¡°A moment!¡± she called, then frowned realising it was unlikely her shout would be heard through Amelia¡¯s sound-blocking ward. The room brightened, and she turned to see a golden glow with hints of blue fading from Amelia¡¯s body - she had healed herself wide awake. ¡°Instructor Halen?¡± a voice sounded from beyond the door, followed by more knocking. It turned out it was Ryosuke, after all. Serena exchanged a glance with Amelia. They were both confused and while Serena could keep her face neutral, Amelia wore her emotions on her face as if they were the latest fashion. Confusion. Concern. Worry. Serena left Amelia behind in the bedroom to get dressed. Exiting Amelia¡¯s sound-blocking ward, she once again called out, ¡°One moment!¡±. Thankfully, that stopped Ryosuke¡¯s knocking. The man sounded like he was seconds away from kicking the door down. Something must have happened. Serena opened the door to see the Head Instructor with a tense expression. He looked her up and down before stepping through the doorframe and looking around the room. His eyes lingered on the closed bedroom door before locking onto Serena¡¯s. He was carrying his weapon. ¡°Is Amelia in there?¡± he asked. ¡°I can sense some wards.¡± Serena felt her tongue twist, ready to click in annoyance. She liked and respected Ryosuke, but it didn''t bode well if the coming conversation regarding her and Amelia¡¯s relationship started so curt. She knew many of the instructors possessed quite traditional views when it came to... her disposition. She¡¯d hoped, and still hoped, that Ryosuke, who had travelled the Empire more than she had, would be more understanding. ¡°Yes,¡± she answered flatly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± As she asked the question, her mind churned. Would Ryosuke, either by himself or under the grandmaster¡¯s orders, storm into her room, armed, in the early hours of the morning? Even if they disapproved of her activities, this wouldn¡¯t be the time or the place for them to bring it up. ¡°Has she been with you the entire night? She hasn¡¯t left?¡± The latter question prompted Serena to become sure this wasn¡¯t about the potential discovery of her relationship. ¡°Yes,¡± she answered. ¡°She was exhausted after training her aura, so I invited her to stay the night.¡± Serena crossed her arms. ¡°Why? What¡¯s going on, Ryosuke?¡± He scratched his nose. ¡°Is she decent? Can you fetch-¡± he coughed into his hand lightly. ¡°Can you request she make herself known?¡± As his question finished, two more sets of footsteps could be heard, and a moment later, Ryosuke was joined by Nathaniel and Sarafina. Now, three Head Instructors were making themselves welcome in her reception area. Great. Why not invite the Empress along as well!? ¡°We¡¯ve woken the staff,¡± Nathaniel said. ¡°Aethergram sent to the Old Guard. Perimeter guards were notified. They¡¯re on the way.¡± ¡°Amelia here?¡± Sarafina intoned smoothly, nodding her head towards the bedroom. ¡°Coming!¡± Amelia''s voice sounded from beyond the door as the sound-blocking ward dropped. The door opened, and Amelia stepped through with a nervous smile and a small wave. She was wearing her uniform and - no doubt through a dash of spellwork - had it and herself looking pristine. With how she presented, no one would believe that less than a minute ago, she¡¯d been fast asleep in Serena¡¯s bed. That is if she hadn¡¯t forgotten to put on her shoes. This idiot! ¡°Hello, you three!¡± Amelia chirped. Serena eyed their reactions to Amelia closely. With relief, she noted their expressions softened upon seeing Amelia. Whatever Amelia was involved in, it hadn¡¯t caused hostile intentions to form between her and the staff. ¡°Amelia,¡± Sarafina said softly. ¡°Where were you approximately an hour ago?¡± ¡°Uh,¡± Amelia rubbed the back of her neck. ¡°Here. Sleeping.¡± ¡°Sleeping?¡± Sarafina questioned. ¡°Since when?¡± ¡°Mmm...¡± Amelia placed a finger on her chin. ¡°Midnight?¡± ¡°You shared Instructor Halen¡¯s quarters?¡± Nathaniel asked, a frown forming on his face. ¡°She¡¯s been helping me with my aura in the evenings and early mornings,¡± Amelia said, shrugging nonchalantly. ¡°It¡¯s easier to stay the night than walk back and forth.¡± ¡°Have you used any of your healing magic tonight?¡± Sarafina asked. ¡°Especially recently?¡± ¡°Only on myself,¡± Amelia answered. ¡°To wake up.¡± The trio of instructors threw each other glances. Ryosuke¡¯s eyes narrowed while Nathaniel and Sarafina looked confused. Serena loudly clicked her tongue, forcing the room''s attention on her. She dropped her neutral expression, allowing her growing anger to show. ¡°Enough questions,¡± she stated, folding her arms and tapping her foot. ¡°I¡¯m not accustomed to having armed Speakers barge into my quarters day or night. Amelia has been with me the entire night. I state that on my honour and name. So, tell me, what the fuck¡¯s going on?¡± Surprisingly, none of the three took offence to her directness. Ryosuke even bowed in apology. Straightening up, he gave one final glance towards Amelia before explaining, ¡°Second-year Melanie Mori was found unconscious in Amelia¡¯s quarters an hour ago. Lunaria found her after detecting an unusual amount of aether that indicated a fight.¡± Ryosuke raised a hand, cutting off Amelia, who¡¯d begun to interrupt. ¡°Miss Mori is alive and well. She¡¯s only suffering from a small amount of aether exhaustion. Lunaria has her under a sleep spell currently. We¡¯re interested in Amelia''s whereabouts and spellwork because while Miss Mori¡¯s clothes show signs of being attacked by a blade, her body is spotless from both injury and dirt - signs we¡¯ve come to understand are typical of Amelia¡¯s healing and cleaning magic.¡± ¡°She was attacked!?¡± Amelia blurted out. ¡°Who attacked her?¡± Serena asked, locking eyes with Ryosuke, demanding his attention. ¡°An ochimusha,¡± Sarafina jumped in. Serena hissed, feeling her eyes widen with surprise. An ochimusha!? Here!? ¡°Now dead,¡± Sarafina continued. ¡°His body is in Amelia¡¯s room. Strangely, it looks like he died from aether exhaustion, which has us all puzzled. He entered through the window and certainly engaged in some kind of fight with Miss Mori. Only...¡± ¡°Only... defeating an ochimusha would be beyond Mel,¡± Serena finished the sentence. The term ochimusha referred to an honourless warrior who had fallen into a dishonest and criminal lifestyle. They were assassins, thieves, and pirates. Above all, they were dangerous. Beyond the capabilities of an average trainee officer. ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Ryosuke affirmed. ¡°Judging by the symptoms of aether exhaustion, Lunaria reckons the man¡¯s aura bordered on yellow, if not already there. Miss Mori was verging on orange - not a close match. Her aura wouldn¡¯t have protected her against his attacks, and his weapons looked poisoned. As I said, Miss Mori¡¯s body is unharmed, but her clothes carry the signs of being subject to cuts and stabs.¡± Resisting a sigh, Serena explained she was helping Amelia train in the evenings and early mornings and how she would invite her to stay to save walking back and forth between the main building and the magic tower. It wasn¡¯t technically a lie; it would pass the test of an axiom crystal. It just slightly avoided what they got up to between those two training periods. Serena was sure that once things had settled down, some of the instructors might begin to construct... theories, especially the three who had seen Amelia exit Serena¡¯s bedroom barefoot. For now, at least, they had bigger fish to catch. ¡°In that case...¡± Lunaria murmured. ¡°I¡¯ll keep my thoughts to myself. I fear if I vocalise the few theories I have that fit with the facts, you¡¯ll cart me off to the asylum for madness. Ha!¡± This prompted a few titters from the instructors in the room, but in their eyes, Serena could see they were having similar thoughts. Where could she even begin with this? As far as she knew, the nearest human healer that wasn¡¯t Amelia was thousands of klicks away on the human continent! To the best of her knowledge, the only human healer both friendly and powerful enough to do what was described, was already here in this room! And that healer was adamant it wasn¡¯t her! Could it have been a demon? As the thought formed, Serena was already pushing it out of her head. Demonkind had no gods of healing, and no demon have ever communed with Aseco. Neither had any demon ever developed enough communion to form even the first-circle healing spells. The worst part was that Serena knew Amelia wasn¡¯t lying. She had known the woman long enough to understand how difficult it was for her to lie about anything. It was both a blessing and a curse and that especially held true tonight. It was a blessing to have Amelia not be involved, and also a curse that she wasn¡¯t because it meant there was someone else with powerful healing abilities that could hide themselves from Lunaria¡¯s perception. Had another ridiculous existence like Amelia popped up? Was there another powerful healer somehow friendly to demonkind? Was there some kind of hidden talent that Centralis Intelligent had pulled out? ¡°I¡¯m going to check on the other body,¡± Serena said, turning to Amelia. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Mmm!¡± Amelia nodded, although with forced enthusiasm. ¡°I¡¯m happy to see Mel¡¯s okay!¡± ¡°You can heal her when we wake her up,¡± Lunaria intoned from her chair. ¡°Not that she needs it, as you can tell. Just don¡¯t do it now - the feeling of aether exhaustion might help her remember the fight.¡± ¡°Back soon,¡± Serena declared, standing up. Nathaniel left the room while Ryosuke and Sarafina were going over some papers. Judging by their comments, it was the results of the student headcounts and searches. ¡°Anything unusual?¡± she asked as she passed. They both shook their heads. Serena stepped into Amelia¡¯s bedroom. It was well-lit; the aetherlights had been turned up fully. Lying on Amelia¡¯s bed was the corpse of the ochimusha. Standing against one wall was the grandmaster. He was watching the dead body with cold eyes, almost as unmoving as the corpse on the bed. She gave the dead ochimusha a look over. He was an assassin, alright. He wore dark, well-fitted clothing so it wouldn¡¯t catch on any thorns or brambles. He wore no shoes; his aura would have protected him against anything he could step on, so he would have favoured the extra feedback through his bare feet. His weapon of choice was a steel knife, its deadly blade now lying harmless next to him. There was blood on the blade, as well as something else. Serena leaned closer to examine it. ¡°Poison,¡± the grandmaster growled. ¡°Careful.¡± ¡°Right,¡± Serena nodded. She could see the sticky resin coat. If this was the blade that cut Mel, then it was even more evidence she was covertly saved and healed. Furthermore, Serena wasn¡¯t an expert tracker or hunter, but she knew enough to determine that the ochimusha¡¯s placement on Amelia¡¯s bed wasn¡¯t congruent with Mel¡¯s blood trail. Someone had placed him here after he was dead. ¡°Manwese,¡± the grandmaster stated. ¡°Perhaps from Tanhae, judging by the base of his horns. No one here recognises him, so he probably isn¡¯t named. Once the Old Guard get here, I¡¯ll get copies of the photographs they take and see if anyone in my brother¡¯s circle knows who this is.¡± ¡°We¡¯re passing the investigation onto them, then?¡± Serena asked. Considering the Speakers involved and the fact the crime happened on the grounds of what was technically a military establishment, the grandmaster have the authority to take charge himself. ¡°Oh, we¡¯ll do our investigation, but on paper, it¡¯ll be them,¡± he said, raising a fist and squeezing it tight. ¡°The Old Guard handle the perimeter security, which means this bastard slipped through their net. I¡¯ll bring the seven hells onto them for this failure.¡± His eyes darkened and somehow became even more cold. ¡°If the girl had died, I would¡¯ve taken their heads.¡± He wasn¡¯t joking. ¡°Do we know it was the window?¡± Serena asked. ¡°Mmm,¡± came the grumbled response. ¡°Lockpicking marks on the lock.¡± The grandmaster finally moved, walking past Serena and closing the door. A burst of aether erupted from Lunaria, and Serena experienced the now-familiar sensation of being in a room wrapped in a sound-blocking spell. Now, it was just the pair of them. And a corpse. ¡°Instructor Halen,¡± he intoned, his presence filling the entire room. ¡°Do you know anything about this? Is this Thornheart¡¯s work?¡± He glared at her, and Serena could swear she could feel herself shrinking under his gaze. She thought she had a weighty stare, but this was something else. ¡°No,¡± she answered. ¡°It¡¯s not. I know this.¡± ¡°How do you know?¡± ¡°Because I know her. I know when she¡¯s lying, and she¡¯s not lying. She¡¯d testify to this under an axiom crystal, as would I.¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± the grandmaster rubbed his chin. The pressure in the room eased. ¡°Know any likely suspects? People with the means and motive to order this?¡± ¡°Any high-ranking member of the human clergy?¡± Serena offered with a shrug. ¡°A Northern fanatic? This could be the work of a hundred different organisations. The list of possible suspects might be thousands. To be honest...¡± She sighed. ¡°I thought something like this might have happened sooner rather than later.¡± The grandmaster took a moment to reply. ¡°This doesn¡¯t feel like a particularly sophisticated attempt. An honourless warrior against a Speaker? Madness. Madness and stupidity.¡± He shook his head. ¡°Human groups wouldn¡¯t waste an ochimusha on a half-hearted attempt like this. This came from a demon, but that hardly narrows the list.¡± ¡°Maybe...¡± It was worth a shot. ¡°Darkblades?¡± Serena suggested. ¡°They¡¯re both mad and stupid.¡± Even as she said it, she didn¡¯t really believe it. She fully expected that, at some point, the Darkblades would try and assassinate Amelia. They¡¯d had more than a few discussions around the subject. But this? It felt sloppy. Amateurish. Like some spoilt rich boy had thrown money at a problem he had no idea- Could it be? ¡°There... is one person,¡± Serena tentatively began, a memory from her time in Kenhoro slowly surfacing. ¡°A Lord-Prospect Jin. I never found out his first name. He was a snarky, stuck-up brat with too much money who would never be sanctioned with full lordship but still liked his friends calling him Lord. That kind of man. I, Amelia, and an intelligence officer called Aiden Adachi encountered him in a Kenhoro restaurant for the moonrain festival.¡± She placed a finger to her temple, closing her eyes, trying to remember the events. It was tricky - she¡¯d been drunk at the time. ¡°He was a sixhorn. Three pairs. Long braided dark hair. He had a group with him. Four to six people. Similar appearance less the horns. He pulled his sword against Amelia. I stepped in and gave them all a beating.¡± Serena decided she wouldn¡¯t mention that the primary motivation for her actions was Amelia¡¯s promise that if she could get them all unconscious within five seconds, she would agree to anything Serena requested when they were alone in bed. She¡¯d greatly profited from that deal. ¡°There¡¯s probably more than a dozen Lord-Prospect Jins walking about Kenhoro and Tanhae...¡± The grandmaster took a slow breath. ¡°But not a lot of sixhorns. My brother would know who that is. You think this Lord-Prospect Jin is the type?¡± ¡°For this?¡± Serena gestured towards the corpse. ¡°Young, brash, stupid... unable to drop a grudge, too scared to get revenge against House Halen directly, so he blames everything on the human... it¡¯s possible. At the very least, the stupidity fits.¡± ¡°Stupid indeed. He¡¯ll hang for this.¡± He nodded towards the door. ¡°I¡¯d like to bring Thornheart in to discuss this incident. Then, we¡¯ll wake the girl up and see what she remembers. When the Old Guard come and make a mess of everything, don¡¯t mention this Lord-Prospect in any statements. We¡¯ll ask Thornheart to do the same.¡± ¡°They¡¯re that incompetent?¡± Serena asked. She knew there was some bad blood between the Old Guard and the military, but didn¡¯t know it extended all the way up towards figures as important as the grandmaster. The demon shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not so much as incompetence; rather, the hacks have so many contacts on the inside they¡¯ll end up leaking everything, whether intentionally or accidentally. We¡¯ll do our own investigation before this Lord-Prospect finds out he¡¯s a suspect from a broadsheet headline.¡± He faced Serena. ¡°It¡¯ll be a long night. They love taking photographs of everything and speaking to everyone multiple times. I also need you to complete an incident report for military records.¡± Right. Of course. Paperwork. Serena¡¯s time in the military had caused her to learn there were three things guaranteed in life: death, taxes, and the inordinate amount of paperwork you had to fill out when anything interesting happened. Letting a small sigh escape, she joined the grandmaster in returning to the reception room, where a long night awaited them. Chapter Sixty-One: Investigating The Shimmer chapter sixty-one: investigating the shimmer the workspace the academy prepared for them was a small room through an unassuming door on the lower floor, away from the main throughway. once, noburu thought it might have been a classroom, judging from the inset part of the wall where a large blackboard would have fitted. they were told it had been a nearly forgotten storage room for years until it was hastily tidied and cleaned pending their arrival. the assorted furniture and boxes were piled against one side, and a large table was set up in the remaining space for their work. hardly the most modern workshop. a few armour sets stood on the table, propped up by their wooden stands. lying alongside them were half a dozen swords and a few spearheads. noburu and seonmi pretended to expertly examine the artefacts while the staff member assigned to show them around watched with mild interest. the demon, a man named takumi, who didn¡¯t feel like much of a warrior, served as the academy''s archivist. ¡°mmm,¡± noburu mumbled, peering through a magnifying glass at the dry, cracked leather. ¡°ah...¡± seonmi added as she examined the metal clasps. they shook their heads, looked at each other, and then shook their heads again with an additional sigh. their performance had the intended effect, earning them a face of worry from takumi. ¡°that doesn¡¯t sound good,¡± the archivist said with a frown. ¡°could be worse,¡± noburu said, straightening up. ¡°we¡¯re lucky this brigandine was kept in a box with a support structure. it also helps the leather is rannar rather than cattle. the former is far more resistant to deterioration. that said, we¡¯re not starting with the best pair of dice; maintenance work should¡¯ve started earlier.¡± ¡°how much earlier?¡± noburu glanced at the plaque at the base of the armour stand. samino brigandine. war of the ten houses. 520 a.v. ¡°about three centuries ago,¡± he declared. ¡°i can make the leather presentable, depending on how much i can interfere. i can clean it using dry methods and then use a humidifying chamber to bring some life back into it, but if you want it looking fresh, it¡¯ll need treatment with conditioners.¡± he turned to seonmi, making sure to use her false name. ¡°how¡¯s the metal, yunseo?¡± ¡°severe rusting on the internal plates,¡± seonmi replied, gesturing towards the armour. ¡°some of the rivets are barely holding on. we can sandblast the larger pieces, but the rivets are unlikely to survive. we could use an acid bath, but that carries the risk of weakening the metal through hydrogen embrittlement. hmm...¡± she placed a hand on her chin. ¡°it would be best to replace them entirely. you mentioned that you have a large number of examples from the war of the ten houses?¡± seeing takumi nod, seonmi continued, ¡°then, as much as it pains me to cannibalise the past, if you want to keep things authentic, then we¡¯d best salvage some stronger rivets from the old pieces that are beyond restoration. if we could get permission to open up more boxes and see what¡¯s there, i think we¡¯ll be able to find a proper replacement.¡± ¡°i... i can ask,¡± takumi replied. ¡°what about the weapons?¡± seonmi peered at the series of blades laid out on the table. ¡°typical amounts of corrosion. varying levels of pitting. see here? we can clean it up, but without filler material, it will never look great.¡± she pointed towards the handle of one of the weapons. ¡°see this grey? the silver decorations have tarnished. it¡¯s not corrosive, but we¡¯ll need to be careful polishing it. the goal will be to bring back the previous lustre without removing too much material.¡± noboru could tell seonmi was having fun in her role as yunseo yoo-jung, the metal specialist. she was a natural-born actress, and noburu never understood why she didn¡¯t use her charm and talents to join a travelling trope. she could get out of the slums, travel the empire and explore. as far as he knew, she didn¡¯t have any obligations like he did with kiku and the kids. so, why didn¡¯t she leave? perhaps she was hiding from something or someone. either way, it wasn¡¯t his business. ¡°how long will your work take?¡± takumi asked. ¡°we¡¯re contracted for the completion of these piece¡¯s restoration, not for any deadline.¡± seonmi looked upwards as if doing mental arithmetic. ¡°we¡¯ll likely spend a few working days just building a plan of attack. once you start removing material, you can¡¯t go back. like a sculptor, we must be sure before we begin. let¡¯s say... two or three days for the preparation work and then two or three weeks for the actual work. it might be longer as we¡¯ll need to bring in specialised equipment, as you¡¯ve told us all work must be done on-site.¡± seonmi¡¯s voice took on a note of calculated annoyance. ¡°i¡¯m not accustomed to working while being guarded.¡± when they¡¯d arrived that morning, noburu noticed the academy seemed to be in an unusual state of heightened security. there were far more patrols and standing guards than yoshiro¡¯s information had suggested. he didn¡¯t miss how the students would glance at these guards with raised eyebrows while they whispered about the new changes. not only that, but he saw a few men wearing the uniform of old guard investigators. they were striding around the grounds, taking notes and photographs with their large crystal-fuelled steam cameras. their presence had caused a slight tinge of worry to form in noburu¡¯s stomach, which he quickly crushed down. they weren¡¯t here for him or seonmi. something else had happened. when they signed in to the academy''s visitor book, they were told by takumi that due to a recent incident, they would need to be accompanied at all times. they would even be led to and from the latrine should they desire to use it. once they arrived at the workshop, a guard had been waiting at the doorway. seonmi protested the situation, slowing making takumi apologetic. after all, she was the talented yunseo yoo-jung, the fengra expert who had travelled all this way only to be treated like a common criminal! which she was, of course. ¡°it should only be temporary,¡± takumi explained after seonmi¡¯s latest outburst. ¡°in a few days, things should have calmed down.¡± in a few days, we¡¯ll be gone, noburu thought. ¡°but please understand, this is a military institution and cannot have contractors walking about as they please,¡± takumi added. ¡°there¡¯s a war on, and there¡¯s always a risk of distrustful individuals...¡± as takumi emphasised his point, noburu didn¡¯t miss the man''s eyes darting to his left hand where two fingers were missing. it was best to take the chance to address his hand now instead of hiding it and letting takumi¡¯s thoughts fester into something more. ¡°chisel,¡± noboru stated, holding his left hand up. ¡°when i apprenticed as a woodworker. one moment, i was smoothing out a joint, and the next, i¡¯m looking at two bloody fingers lying on the floor.¡± he grimaced, shaking his head. ¡°learned a lesson that day; tools can be as deadly and as sharp as any weapon.¡± he chuckled at the imaginary memory. ¡°expensive lesson.¡± any suspicion in takumi¡¯s face evaporated. ¡°once or twice a semester, an overly enthusiastic student gets cut. leaves a nasty scar. told the screams are horrible.¡± he shook his head. ¡°then again, they are being trained to wage war. some of the highborn students we get from centralis seem to think it''s all a game...¡± takumi coughed quietly. ¡°excuse me. i shouldn¡¯t ramble.¡± ¡°as much as i enjoy listening to men talk about injuries,¡± seonmi intoned sarcastically. ¡°takumi, could you please enquire as to whether we have permission to salvage rivets from storage? we¡¯d only take from pieces that have degraded beyond any reasonable possibility of restoration. also, please request permission for us to bring in larger equipment and chemicals for the acid baths and humidifying chambers.¡± they didn¡¯t have access to that equipment, but takumi didn¡¯t need to know that. ¡°forgive yunseo,¡± noburu said with a smile. ¡°she becomes a shawa if you get in the way of her work. she¡¯d argue with a highlord until the moons fall.¡± he continued to joke and build rapport with the archivist. if someone enjoyed your company, then manipulating them became easy. all they needed to do was fool the man long enough to identify their target in the academy''s storage and make copies of any keys they needed. then, all noburu needed to do was slip in and out one night. soon, kiku. soon, i¡¯ll give us all a better life. amelia blocked the attack with a ward, prompting a burst of colour to erupt from the impact point in the shimmer. she watched carefully and found that her hypothesis was proving true: aether within the shimmer naturally spread out when uncontrolled by a mage''s willpower, eventually leaking undetected into the real world, appearing no different than normal aetherfield fluctuations. the operative word here being uncontrolled. amelia, at all times, controlled a significant amount of aether to maintain serena¡¯s wards. after she¡¯d faced complaints by chesterfield regarding her river of aether flowing across the eastern terra firma to maintain polina¡¯s wards, she¡¯d put in effort to cloak the even greater amounts of aether that protected serena. by relying on her intuition and instinct, she¡¯d found decent success in cloaking the telltale aetherflow that indicated serena was warded, hiding the evidence from most normal mages. now, with her new and growing perception, she understood that what she had achieved was to simply shift the aetherflow into the shimmer. they continued to conduct further experiments. while they both could readily see into the shimmer, lunaria believed that travelling into the mysterious space should be possible. she¡¯d shown amelia fragments of scholars from various periods in the empire¡¯s history that discussed the possibility. frustratingly, none of them shared any actual method. lunaria suggested that a way would appear if they channelled even more aether. however, travelling to this other realm was a long-term target. they had a far more reachable goal in mind. together, they¡¯d discovered that if they maintained a little focus, they could still see inside the shimmer even after they¡¯d stopped cycling such enormous amounts of aether and even after they released their words. it was as if now that they¡¯d been exposed to the shimmer with such clarity, some of that clarity remained with them. they were training their perception, opening it up to the world''s truth. their last round of cycling aether had reached the five-point-five mark on the aether-density gauge. without amelia, lunaria could only get a little over five for a short period. this time they reached six, causing the real world and the shimmer to be as clear as day. amelia could even start to see lunaria¡¯s beautiful, shining soul. with more practice, would she be able to see and identify blessings like she could under the embodiment of asclepius? after a few more minutes of cycling, lunaria began to struggle under the intensity. with a nod, they both released their words. the density gauge dropped to two, but the shimmer was still within her perception, even without the extra sensory organ of amelia¡¯s horns. it was notably more opaque than before, but they could still see it. slowly, as time passed, that opaqueness grew more and more until it became a barely visible muddy reflection of the world. but amelia could still see it. ¡°i think i¡¯ve cracked it,¡± amelia said, feeling her forehead furrow in concentration. ¡°cracked?¡± ¡°i mean i think i can still see it, only just. what''s the gauge indicating?¡± ¡°...point five.¡± lunaria took a breath. ¡°that¡¯s almost atmospheric levels.¡± ¡°mmm...¡± amelia mumbled, focusing her aether around her eyes, maximising her perception. yes, she wasn¡¯t mistaken. she could still see the shimmer. her eyes had adjusted as if they¡¯d learned how to perceive light outside the visible spectrum. only instead of a new colour, it was a whole new plane of reality. it wasn¡¯t anything close to the clarity she had under the influence of taranis while blasting aether. still, it was enough to vaguely see the outline of lunaria¡¯s shape and the faintest perception of the vibrant colours of her formations. amelia let her enhancements reduce ever so slightly, toying between the point at which the shimmer became hidden. she needed to train herself to perceive this hidden world even when she wasn¡¯t buffed up on many perception-enhancing spells. otherwise, she would be nursing a constant headache that would need continuous healing day in and day out. ¡°can you still see it...?¡± lunaria asked. ¡°yes, it goes when i reduce some of my spells, but i can bring it back.¡± ¡°incredible...¡± came the muttered reply. amelia silently agreed. in the previous attempts, once they lost perception of the shimmer, they had to spool back up to first-word levels of aether to regain their sight. now, amelia¡¯s senses were experienced enough to recover that sight without speaking. ¡°can you sense anything different about me when i¡¯m looking into the shimmer?¡± amelia asked. lunaria said she couldn¡¯t, even when flaring her aether to the best of her ability. ¡°if you can maintain that sight while under atmospheric amounts of aether...¡± lunaria began. ¡°the advantage would be tremendous.¡± ¡°right.¡± amelia nodded. ¡°imagine the advantage in a duel,¡± she added, thinking of hinako. in cascadian society, a mage or warrior walking around maintaining a few wards or a low-level aura was considered an acceptable measure of pre-emptive self-defence. a sudden flaring of aura or spell formation was considered a precursor to conflict. it was why cloaking was so powerful. a person who could disguise their third-circle ward as a first-circle one, or their orange aura as a red aura, would be able to mislead their opponents or potential attackers. a mage with good enough cloaking could even hide the fact they were preparing an attack. but if you could examine people through the shimmer, their actual capabilities would become evident. you would know who was hiding their strength or preparing for an attack. in all honestly, it wasn¡¯t that much of an enhancement over amelia¡¯s standard abilities. she could already push her perception to such unbelievable heights, backed by tremendous amounts of cloaked aether, that she¡¯d only met two people she couldn¡¯t perceive. and one of them was a formless. what would anathor look like through the shimmer? she¡¯d read most of the book - the formless: sightings and conversations - and was eager to interrogate, no, have a conversation with him. maybe he would know something about this mysterious inner world. she also made a mental note to work on her cloaking. she thought her cloaks were an impenetrable wall against prying eyes, allowing her to construct formations freely. however, through the shimmer, her cloaks were surprisingly transparent, allowing someone like lunaria to gain a bit more information about amelia¡¯s true capabilities that she¡¯d rather stay hidden. although, the aged and tactful head instructor hadn¡¯t mentioned anything. ¡°ready to go again?¡± lunaria asked. amelia caught the unmistakable glint of hunger in the aether addict¡¯s eyes. there was no way the old demon would let amelia go until she could also see the shimmer under atmospheric levels of aether. chucking, amelia got into position, and once again, the pair invoked their words. lunaria was extremely talented, and raising her perception to the required level shouldn''t take long, especially with amelia''s help. right? Chapter Sixty-Two: Mel鈥檚 Deductions chapter sixty-two: mel¡¯s deductions announcementhello everyone! if you''re new to the series and have caught up with your binge, we''d love to see you in the series discord! we have demons, cookies, and cozy hugs ^.^ under pressure from seonmi, the archivist takumi sought permission from his superior, noel yamaguchi, head of the department of history and military studies. the department head''s narrow, investigative eyes worried noburu, but seonmi¡¯s act as the work-driven yunseo yoo-jung won through, and they got permission for her to explore the storage room for replacement rivets. if anything, he seemed annoyed they¡¯d bothered him with the request. the department head reiterated they must remain under guard, and since they could only spare a singular pair of horns to guard them, noburu and seonmi had to move together. while noburu clenched his jaw in annoyance and seonmi clicked her tongue, it was actually the ideal outcome. this way, they could both explore the storage under the guise of seonmi searching for replacement metal. the storage facility was a large basement filled with old boxes and crates. takumi explained that while many of the items had been stored here for decades, the room itself was regularly cleaned of dust, and its exterior was maintained to prevent moisture from creeping in. ¡°long before my time, all these were kept upstairs,¡± takumi explained, gesturing towards the boxed artefacts. ¡°eventually, someone realised the temperature fluctuations through the seasons and changing humidity were contributing to their degradation. they were moved down here... a little over a century ago. i just finished cataloguing everything myself.¡± ¡°moons... you organised all this yourself?¡± seonmi intoned, her voice laced with professional appreciation and a touch of femininity as she moved to sweeten the archivist¡¯s mind. ¡°took a long time!¡± takumi replied cheerfully. ¡°you wouldn¡¯t believe how many boxes were mislabelled or objects from multiple eras piled under the same label. here, each row is roughly two centuries...¡± he gestured to the left, where a small pile of boxes lay. ¡°starting with pre-cascadian times. the samino museum took anything of interest, but a few scraps remain. we have miscellaneous stone tools in here that date back to five thousand b.v! most demons don¡¯t care too much for their heritage that far back, only showing interest in something big like the needles of nai or great desert geoglyphs like the dectus lines. but i think there¡¯s a story to be told in these little bits of knapped rocks.¡± noburu raised his eyebrows in interest, walking over to the area of boxes. takumi unclasped one box, opening it to reveal what was neatly labelled as a stone axehead. who cares? noburu thought before mentally slapping himself to get back into character. ¡°fascinating examples of stone age technology,¡± noburu murmured, leaning closer to examine the knapped items. ¡°to think there was a time, long before the long discordancy, long before the wilderness, where we were cutting down natural trees, not even knowing how to smelt copper.¡± ¡°how were they dated?¡± seonmi asked. ¡°stratigraphic principles?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right,¡± takumi affirmed, checking the labels. ¡°san-tir archaeological site. discovered seven-sixty-five a.v. if i remember my modern history... that¡¯ll be one of the central sites discovered during the last major wilderness clearing in the direction of nachon.¡± ¡°what about the first row, here?¡± seonmi pointed towards the left-most row of boxes, which, while more populous than their stone age neighbours, were lacking compared to the other rows further down. ¡°dark ages,¡± takumi answered. he approached and patted the first box. ¡°mostly fragments of iron and steel tools. some broken ceramics. again, the samino museum bought most of it a long time ago. i¡¯ve organised it chronologically. the boxes in this little section are two-fifty to two-hundred b.v. then, you see the red marker on the box there?¡± takumi pointed out a small red flag a few meters down. ¡°that marks the continent collision with the dark lands in one-eighty-two b.v. then, further down, we cover the century-long period of the long discordancy. we have a few fragmented skeletons of the enemy, but nothing worth displaying. past that...¡± he gestured to the very end of the row, which was dimly lit with a weak aetherlight. ¡°we have armour and blades from her holy reconquista. we have fifty-six of her thousand blades. twenty are in storage down here, fifteen are stored elsewhere in the academy, and the remainder you can see displayed in the main throughway.¡± the archivist walked to the next row, followed by noburu and seonmi. the guard standing outside the entrance didn¡¯t move, but then again, why would he? the man was likely an aura user and could hear everything they were up to anyway. ¡°here we have the next two centuries. one a.v to two hundred a.v. we have some great examples of early imperial weaponry during the consolidation era. in the second century, we have a moderate amount of artefacts from the war of the spear. this is where we start to see traditional samino armour utilising ironwood bark. we have some fully preserved polearms on display from this period upstairs.¡± ¡°polearms? including the shaft?¡± seonmi asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°that¡¯s right,¡± takumi answered. ¡°how? the wood should have long decomposed. unless...?¡± seonmi trailed off, tilting her head at the archivist. ¡°a bog?¡± ¡°correct!¡± takumi enthusiastically answered. ¡°presevered in the oxygen-less environment of a peat bog. they found bodies as well! they are so well preserved that they look like they could wake up at any moment despite being seven hundred years old! we don¡¯t have them here, unfortunately.¡± ¡°the bog soldiers,¡± noburu intoned. ¡°i¡¯ve never had the opportunity to see them myself. where are they? let me guess...¡± ¡°samino museum,¡± takumi finished with an exasperated sigh. ¡°they have the privilege to forcefully purchase any artefacts in samino territory before they go to auction. they send someone every few years to poke their horns in what we have. many of the items we have on display are on loan from the museum.¡± the man frowned in annoyance before correcting himself. ¡°right, where were we?¡± takumi continued to the next row. ¡°two hundred a.v to four hundred a.v. we have armour and weapons from the early religious wars, the three sister¡¯s war, and finally the late religious wars that ended just before the turn of the fifth century.¡± takumi continued to the second last row. this one was filled to the brim with crates and boxes. this aligned with the preparation work noburu had done; he understood the fifth and sixth centuries were when restoration efforts and archaeological evacuation began to become popular. ¡°five hundred a.v to six hundred a.v. i imagine this is where you¡¯ll find your replacement rivets,¡± takimu explained while nodding his head. ¡°about halfway down, we have all the war of the ten houses examples. shall we?¡± they followed takumi down the row, and suddenly, noburu felt like he were in a forest of boxes. ¡°try to avoid rotating any boxes and open them in situ if possible. if you look at each box''s label, i¡¯ve noted the quality of what¡¯s inside. anything with three x¡¯s should be a candidate for replacements.¡± ¡°you judged they were beyond restoration?¡± seonmi asked with a sly smile. ¡°you¡¯ve been holding out on us, takumi.¡± ¡°ha.¡± the archivist rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°just guessing mainly, but it doesn¡¯t take a genius to see if something is beyond recovering. i¡¯ve always thought artefacts are like people. once they degrade or corrode beyond a certain threshold, there¡¯s no hope of recovery, is there?¡± ¡°there¡¯s always hope,¡± noburu snapped. he tried to hide his annoyance, but takumi¡¯s words angered him. the attitude of the nobles regarding the slums and their inhabitants was the same. it was so easy to look down on those underneath you, pretending they were alien, that their circumstances would never befall you. ¡°moons,¡± seonmi cooly intoned. ¡°you missed your morning coffee or something?¡± she rolled her eyes, gesturing dramatically to a nearby box. ¡°takumi, mind helping?¡± ¡°ah, right, of course...¡± a glare from seonmi set noburu¡¯s mind straight. right, right. he wasn¡¯t noburu here. they began opening boxes, examining the often delicate pieces within. seonmi kept takumi smitten and the atmosphere jovial. noburu joined in on the conversation, keeping the man talking. most people liked talking about themselves, and takumi was no exception. he also clearly found seonmi attractive, something the crafty woman had picked up on and was abusing subtly. she began moving in a way that emphasised her form and started giggling and smiling at his terrible jokes. given how intentionally snappy she¡¯d been earlier, takumi must have thought his charm had won her over. poor man. key. question. seonmi indicated with her hands when takumi wasn¡¯t looking. injury. act. you. question. he flashed his reply quickly. yes. ready. question. yes. the archivist kept his keys on a keyring attached to his belt. one of those keys was a large iron key used to enter the storage room. one way or another, they needed access to that key. ¡°this one up here, please, takumi,¡± seonmi indicated to the box on a shelf at her shoulder height. before takumi could respond, she began shifting it over the edge. the archivist quickly moved to assist her. noburu positioned himself behind the man. ¡°s-slowly!¡± takumi exclaimed. ¡°it¡¯s fine...¡± seonmi grunted. ¡°just need to- moons!¡± seonmi¡¯s ankle rolled, and her form collapsed, releasing the box which crashed to the ground. she swore loudly, her face contorting in pain. ¡°yunseo!¡± noburu cried out, barging into takumi, unhooking his key ring while simultaneously tripping the man. ¡°i got it!¡± noburu grabbed the crate. ¡°go help her!¡± takumi stumbled up, assisting seonmi who was clutching her ankle while letting out a colourful string of curses. the man helped her stand before bending down and examining the ankle. ¡°doesn¡¯t look broken,¡± he said. ¡°it might swell up something terrible. if you wait here, i¡¯ll get some ice.¡± ¡°you have ice? here?¡± noburu asked, gently lowering the end of the crate onto the ground. ¡°imperialist!¡± ¡°what¡¯s wrong with that?¡± mel asked. ¡°nothing!¡± amelia replied cheerfully. ¡°just nice to see someone passionate about something. sometimes, your determination reminds me of serena!¡± ¡°serena...¡± mel echoed, feeling her pride blossom. instructor halen, captain halen, or even lord halen, was semi-famous around the academy. a war hero who had cracked the republican defences by liberating the key logistic hub of port highwind. a captain of the mysterious black ship, the vengeance. a speaker of narean, her distinctive pair of horns - the pinnacle of samino nobility - were said to become wreathed in hellfire when she spoke, earning her the moniker of the hellfire captain. they say there wasn¡¯t a republican soldier who didn¡¯t fear seeing her ship on the horizon. to think amelia, who was technically a noble, just compared mel to her! amelia was close to instructor halen, and mel recently found out amelia wasn¡¯t sneaking off at night to be with a man but instead, she was being trained by the instructor in person! how lucky was she to have such a casual relationship with a war hero? to learn from one of the best! they had a relationship that bypassed the usual concerns of demon-human relationships. mel hadn¡¯t missed the playful banter they sometimes intended towards each other during the joint training session. they were... awfully close, weren¡¯t they? mel¡¯s mind mentally kicked itself away from the line of thought she was about to go down. tsk! how improper of mel to even begin to entertain such an idea? after all, instructor halen had been so kind as to volunteer her time to train her, and amelia had equally been so kind as to forgive and heal mel after she stupidly enraged her at the kenhoro officer academy. although... mel reluctantly forced her mind back onto the track she didn¡¯t want to be on. what exactly did she say to amelia to annoy her so much back then? what was it that she said that caused instructor halen - then a visiting guest - to become so angry and glare at her so much? mel had insulted amelia, accusing her of being instructor halen¡¯s paramour - a human to keep the demon¡¯s bed warm. a sexual plaything. ...they were awfully close, weren¡¯t they? also, amelia said she stayed the night after training. she claimed it was to save the walk back and forth. on the face of it, it made sense, but then why would amelia be so flustered at that time when mel asked her where she was going? no! surely not! but... maybe? no! yet, it made sense, didn¡¯t it? oh no! mel brought her hands to her cheeks, hiding the sudden blush that formed. surely not! it was indecent! it was a sin! wasn¡¯t instructor halen a christian!? mel had seen the golden petrine cross on a necklace. and amelia... was amelia religious? she must be, but did she follow a demon faith, or a human one? it all added up... but... oh moons! how she wished it didn¡¯t! ¡°oh, we¡¯re back!¡± amelia¡¯s happily announced. they were standing in front of the enormous front doors of the academy. they stood fully open, with no less than four guards standing around. they stepped aside, letting the pair of women through. ¡°let¡¯s take a walk through the main throughway before we go back to the tower,¡± amelia continued. ¡°i¡¯d like to see some of the artefacts again!¡± mel followed amelia obediently while her mind raced. she wished it didn¡¯t add together, but the more she thought about it, the more it did! the times she¡¯d witnessed amelia and instructor halen together, wasn¡¯t there a certain softness underpinning their conversations? didn¡¯t instructor halen¡¯s lips curl upwards when amelia approached her during training? didn¡¯t they stand and sit a little closer together than one might assume was proper? mel stopped to see amelia, who had also stopped just ahead of her at the junction where you could turn left or right. her back towards mel. she was oddly still. had she deduced mel¡¯s thoughts? mel swallowed loudly. ¡°amelia...¡± she tentatively began. ¡°wait,¡± amelia commanded. all friendliness from her voice was gone. she wasn¡¯t speaking as a friend or an acquaintance but as a noble. this was a command. mel froze, her instincts tickling her. danger. surely, not from amelia? amelia raised a hand slowly, pointing at a space between the wall and a display case. ¡°in that space... a man is hiding.¡± what!? mel pushed her aura to the pinnacle of red, ready to flare it into orange at a moment''s notice. her hand reached down to grab her sword, only to find it wasn¡¯t there. why hadn¡¯t she brought it with her!? where was the man? was it another ochimusha? amelia had pointed to a space, but there was nothing there! was he hiding inside the wall? was he- then, a loud snap echoed through the throughway. ¡°no!¡± yelled the man, who suddenly appeared out of thin air. he wasn¡¯t facing amelia or mel, but he faced down the right-hand side of the junction with his hands up as if he were defending himself from an attack. in his hands, he carried some kind of bundle. the man scrambled, turning to run down the corridor, away from amelia and whoever he was facing. only to crash into a shimmering set of external wards that expertly formed a box to trap the man. as he collided with amelia¡¯s wards, the bundle in his hand dropped, unwrapping to reveal a set of daggers. ¡°a-an assassin!¡± amelia cried out, pointing at the panicked man. ¡°no! please! there¡¯s-¡± the man gestured wildly down the other end of the corridor in the direction he was initially facing. ¡°where did she go? be careful! she could appear at any-¡± ¡°hrmph!¡± amelia cracked her knuckles. ¡°nice ploy, assassin! what are those daggers for? cutting my steak!? admit it, you¡¯re here to finish the job, aren¡¯t you!? they must have been desperate to send someone capable of entering the shimmer! don¡¯t even think about speaking!¡± ¡°no! you got it wrong! there¡¯s a maid-¡± ¡°silence!¡± amelia commanded. the human twisted her neck to give mel a prideful look. ¡°see!?¡± she continued, her face beaming with smugness. ¡°w-what?¡± mel replied, hurrying to the wall and grabbing one of the display swords. she might get in trouble for using it, but it was better to have a weapon than not! ¡°i caught one!¡± amelia flashed a thumbs up. ¡°i caught an assassin!¡± Chapter Sixty-Three: Noburu鈥檚 Experience Chapter Sixty-Three: Noburu¡¯s Experience It was time for Noburu to finish the job. He and Seonmi made their final plans in their rented accommodation. Their charisma and skills had paid off; not only had they gotten an impression of the key they needed, which they used to create a replica via a contact Seonmi knew, but they also managed to identify the exact box containing the target artefact. Why would a pair of old daggers be worth so much, anyway? ¡°Are you sure your ability can last?¡± Seonmi asked, blinking at him with her brilliant blood-orange eyes. ¡°It¡¯ll take at least ten minutes. Every breath you take will exhaust you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s easier in the city. I¡¯ll manage it.¡± Noburu affirmed. He¡¯d tested his blessing enough to know it was mostly the presence of the ghost plants that exhausted him. Down in the slums, the ghostworld was full of ethereal plant life, but up here in the city, it was less present. Something about demon activity and the presence of aetherlights discouraged their spread. They reviewed their plan one more time, and then, with the chiming of the midnight bell, it was time. Noburu slipped out and made his way to an alleyway near the academy. He took a few deep breaths and one final one before activating his blessing. With a loud snap and a subtle jerking sensation, Noburu was again within the ghostworld. The alleyway was full of semi-translucent plant life, so Noburu quickly exited to the main street where there was none. The aetherlights in the lamposts lining the street didn¡¯t shine in the ghostworld, but they did give off soft bursts of vivid colours as if celebrating his arrival. The sepia world gave him a sense of comfort. Here, no one could find him. He glanced up, comforting himself in the glow of the blue moon. The moon was crisscrossed with geological activity in the real world, but in the ghostworld, it was perfectly smooth and uniform in colour. Sometimes, if he looked at it for long enough, Noburu¡¯s eyes would begin playing tricks, and he would see strange shadows appear across its surface. Bow wasn¡¯t the time for moon gazing. Noburu strode quickly to the academy gates. They were closed. He climbed them as his lungs began to protest. It was difficult to affect real-world objects from within the ghost world. If he tried, only a small amount of force could be transferred into the real world. Even as he climbed aggressively and dropped down the other side of the academy''s gates, they would wobble only slightly to a real-world onlooker. The gate guards didn¡¯t notice a thing. His lungs were burning. Noburu gasped, taking another breath. To his left and right, the academy¡¯s gardens and forested areas were overlaid with a jungle of ghostly flora. In front of him, the main path, where students and staff walked dozens of times a day, was largely empty of alien plant life. Only a few weed-like plants flourished between the stones; their semi-translucent leaves waved rhythmically to a wind Noburu couldn¡¯t feel. A guard patrol was near to his left. Something about the guards seemed more colourful than how people typically looked in the ghostworld. Was it because they were warriors with experience in using aether? Yasuji, the guard who demanded protection money every month, didn¡¯t seem anywhere near as colourful in the ghost world as these academy guards. That man was surely lying about being an aura-user. It took Noburu a few more breaths to reach the academy doors, where four guards stood, each with varying levels of colour. It was nerve-wracking to sneak between them. Noburu had verified people could feel him in the other world, even if the tactile feedback was minimal. Unlike the ghost plants that could move through someone, Noburu found he couldn¡¯t do that. If he could, what would happen if he exited the ghostworld while moving through someone? Making it through, Noburu walked into the academy, down the main throughway, as far as he could before taking another deep breath. Unlike the real world, where pacing yourself and controlling your breathing would make logical sense, in the ghostworld, he became exhausted quickly when using that method. For some reason, when he took a large breath here, he could hold it far longer than the real world. Navigating through the corridors, Noburu traced the learned route he¡¯d previously travelled only twice. Reaching the storage room, Noburu took out the key. Placing it in the lock, he gritted his teeth and used both hands to put as much torque as possible into the key. Only a tiny amount of force transferred between the two worlds, so it took all his strength to get the lock to disengage. No?v(el)B\\jnn Noburu could bring items into the ghostworld when he activated his blessing, but those items, like himself, struggled to affect the real world. It was disappointing that it worked like that. Otherwise, he would probably have swung a metal bar at Yasuji¡¯s head by now. With the door open, Noburu removed the key and placed it in a pocket. Taking another breath, he began to shoulder barge the door. Even using his full weight, it took half a dozen attempts, aimed at the furthest part from the door¡¯s hinges, for it to begin to move. Elated, he continued his efforts, building on his created momentum until the door was opened enough for him to slip through. Another breath, and he started to feel the telltale signs of exhaustion. The throbbing in his head. The pressure in his chest. Thankfully, the academy was empty of ghostly, energy-draining flora. If he were surrounded by plant life, he would have collapsed by now. With tremendous effort, he was able to close the door from the other side. The physical exertion didn¡¯t help, and Noburu took even more breaths in the progress, further tiring himself. He made his way down the steps to the storage room. The aetherlights were turned off, but Noburu could still see well enough. Darkness didn¡¯t exist in the ghost world; everything was lit under the same neutral sepia tones - even if it was an enclosed basement. He made his way to the section near where they¡¯d been working earlier that day. It was the period covering the Three Sisters¡¯ War in the early fourth century. It was in this section that Seonmi charmed the archivist, Takumi, into showing her weapons. Incredibly, the daggers they¡¯d been contracted to steal were discovered almost immediately. A lucky sign, surely. Looking at that very same box, Noburu resisted a sigh. There was no way to get access to it in the ghost world. The box was nestled between others on a shelf, sitting about shoulder height. Even using his full weight, he wouldn¡¯t be able to get it off the shelf. It was frustrating but not unexpected, and there was a simple solution. Releasing his blessing, Noburu returned to the real world with a snap. It was pitch black in the real world, and the familiar smell of burning toast lingered in the air. Noburu was forced to wait thirty seconds until his demon eyes adapted to the darkness. As he did so, he felt hunger building. He wasn¡¯t ravenous, but he would need to eat something relatively soon. The pressure in his head and chest belated slightly, but he wouldn¡¯t have the luxury of waiting to be fully recovered. Who knew if an academy guard heard the mysterious snapping sound and were on their way now? It took Noburu another thirty seconds to pull down the box, open it, and bundle the pair of daggers in cloth. Then, he closed the box and placed it back on the shelf. This way, no one would discover any theft until the box was opened again. Sure, the restorationists'' disappearance after a single day of work might seem suspicious, and if they investigated, they would find that their identification and travel documents were forged, but by then, they would be long gone. No one would look for them in Asamaywa¡¯s shadow. Noburu took a few deep breaths and, with a grimace, activated his blessing and snapped into the ghostworld. Doing it again so quickly carried its toll - the headache and pressure increased dramatically. It didn¡¯t help he was bringing the pair of daggers in with him. Bringing in items took far more energy. He should still be fine. Noburu came to the steps of the storage room, looking up at the closed door. He somewhat regretted closing it, but he did so to prevent any passing guard from noticing the open door. Now, he had to open it again. He didn¡¯t hesitate. Who knew when that maid was going to exit the ghostworld and attack? Noburu turned, gathering the last of his strength, and began running down the hallway, away from where the maid was and the instructor who could see him. Only to crash into a shimmering wall that sent him crumpling to the ground. ¡°A-an assassin!¡± The instructor cried out, pointing directly at him. ¡°No! Please!¡± Noburu yelled, frantically pointing to the spot where the maid was. ¡°There¡¯s-¡± he continued before stopping. No, the maid could be anywhere by now. Didn¡¯t she say she couldn¡¯t be seen? She might kill not only Noburu but this instructor and her student as well! ¡°Where did she go?¡± Noburu frantically asked. If this golden-haired instructor could see him in the ghostworld, she might also be able to see the maid! ¡°Be careful!¡± His mind was exhausted. His head pounded, and his body felt like it was going to rip itself apart. Only adrenaline was keeping him going. ¡°She could appear at any-¡± ¡°Hrmph!¡± The instructor declared, cracking her knuckles. Focusing in on the sound, only now could Noburu see this instructor properly. Judging from her crimson eyes and golden hair, he thought she was a Samino demon with some Cerulean heritage, but now he saw the truth. She had no horns sprouting from her head! She was a human! ¡°Nice ploy, assassin!¡± The human triumphantly declared. ¡°What are those daggers for? Cutting my steak!? Admit it, you¡¯re here to finish the job, aren¡¯t you!? They must have been desperate to send someone capable of entering the Shimmer! Don¡¯t even think about Speaking!¡± What in the seven hells was this human talking about!? ¡°No!¡± Noburu protested. ¡°You got it wrong! There¡¯s a maid-¡± ¡°Silence!¡± the human interrupted. She turned her head, looking at the student next to her. Noburu, despite being exhausted, followed her gaze. This student was a demon, visibly glowing with orange hues that danced along her skin. So that¡¯s what aura looks like, he thought. He¡¯d seen it from a distance earlier that day, but being this close, he could see how beautiful it was. ¡°See!?¡± the human instructor exclaimed to the student, her voice dripping with glee. ¡°W-what?¡± the student replied, keeping her eyes on Noburu. The student moved to a nearby wall and pulled off one of the display swords, pointing it at Noburu. As she did, her aura seemed to crawl up the sword, coating it in the same shimmering light as her body. ¡°I caught one!¡± the human exclaimed, throwing a thumbs up towards the student. ¡°I caught an assassin!¡± ¡°Amelia...¡± the student tentatively began, not moving her eyes from Noburu. ¡°I¡¯m not sure he¡¯s an assassin.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not! I¡¯m not an assassin! I¡¯m...¡± Noburu trailed off. What could he say? He usually had a talent for using his words to escape a tight situation, but now, his mind wasn¡¯t working after everything. Damn it! He was starting to feel ravenous. He would collapse soon if he didn¡¯t eat something. ¡°A-are you sure?¡± Amelia asked, peering closely at Noburu. ¡°I suppose he isn¡¯t dressed like the last one.¡± Last one? ¡°And...¡± the student pointed at the daggers that had fallen to the ground. ¡°Those look like they¡¯ll break if they were used. I don¡¯t see any actual weapons. I think...¡± her head tilted to the side, a subtle frown fallen. ¡°This is a thief.¡± ¡°A thief!?¡± Amelia¡¯s mouth opened in awe. ¡°Now I look at him properly, he¡¯s not a Speaker, is he? Hell, he isn¡¯t even a mage! I don¡¯t think...¡± She trailed off, raising a finger to her chin in thought. ¡°Then how was he in the Shimmer...¡± The Shimmer? Was that what she called the ghostworld? ¡°There was someone else in the... the Shimmer!¡± Noburu shouted. He waved his arm to try and gesture, but it collided with the shimmering walls that were boxing him in. ¡°I wasn¡¯t lying! You could see me, right? There¡¯s a woman! Dressed like a maid! She was.... She was hunting me! She might appear at any time! Keep an eye out! She¡¯d dangerous!¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± Amelia¡¯s crimson eyes flashed with some kind of energy. She turned slowly on the spot. ¡°I don¡¯t see anyone.¡± ¡°A maid?¡± the student questioned, a deep frown on her forehead. ¡°Why does that feel so familiar?¡± ¡°Look! I¡¯m a victim here!¡± Noburu declared, finding the strength in his voice. ¡°I just came here to get some work done! I¡¯m not a bad person! I didn¡¯t hurt anyone! Please, let me go home! I have children to look after!¡± There was a chance this approach might work. A minute chance. Humans were easily manipulated, weren¡¯t they? If he could get this instructor to just let him go... ¡°Mmm! I believe you!¡± What! That easily!? ¡°I¡¯ve got good intuition on these things, you see. However!¡± The human called Amelia pointed dramatically at him. ¡°I¡¯ve already gone through something like this before, and...¡± Her eyes suddenly looked sad. ¡°...I¡¯ve come to understand that even good people can do bad things under the wrong conditions.¡± ¡°Wait...¡± Noburu protested. ¡°So,¡± Amelia continued. The human turned and waved to the door guards already descending the hallway. Amelia turned back, her golden hair waving. ¡°I¡¯m going to capture you, alright? I¡¯ve already been involved in enough situations here, and I want to wait at least one, no, two weeks before getting into another! Understand?¡± Those crimson eyes twinkled, and Noburu panicked. He tried to activate his blessing but found he couldn¡¯t. He was too exhausted. Then, something colourful erupted from the woman, striking and then sinking into Noburu¡¯s body. Magic, he thought, as his eyelids forcefully closed and an unnatural sleep engulfed his mind. Kiku... I should have listened to you... Chapter Sixty-Four: Discovered Chapter Sixty-Four: Discovered The Old Guard Headquarters was as imposing as it was boring. Its roof was flat, absent Eastern architecture¡¯s characteristic sweeping rooftops. Nor did it have any decorative statues or inlays. All to prevent the possibility of someone climbing. At first glance, the facade appeared plain, built with plaster and wood beams. However, Serena knew from prior visits that the outside walls were more than a foot thick and packed with special material designed to block sound¡ªa simple solution to prevent any enhanced ears from eavesdropping on any inside investigations from outside the building. In a similar vein, the building had no windows. Unlike normal Samino architecture, where paper windows were common, the flat walls of the headquarters seemed oppressive. It was a building that told you that you weren¡¯t welcome. Can¡¯t listen in, can¡¯t look in. Hells, if you loitered around outside for more than a moment, someone would come outside and find out who you were. Which was what happened now. ¡°Lord Halen!¡± a demon in plainclothes stepped outside the front door, bowing in greeting. ¡°I¡¯m Detective Minato. We¡¯ve been expecting you. Please.¡± He opened the door, signalling for Serena to enter. She didn¡¯t hesitate, striding past the detective and into the building. As a Cascadian Lord, Serena had no obligation to go along with anything the Old Guard asked; they had no jurisdiction over her. Still, the missive that had arrived via aethergram early that morning was from the Office of Greatlord Oshiro, and he was a demon Serena respected and obeyed. The message was sparse with information, mentioning that Lord-Prospect Thornheart prevented a thief from escaping the academy the previous night and that Serena was to appear at the Old Guard Headquarters as soon as possible. She¡¯d dressed herself in her military uniform and left immediately. By now, she¡¯d become sensitive enough to Amelia¡¯s aether that she could roughly tell the direction and distance of where the woman was. When she checked the aetherflow that morning, it pointed in the same direction she was summoned towards. Amelia was already inside. ¡°What¡¯s this about?¡± Serena asked the detective the moment the door closed. ¡°Honestly, Lord Halen, I¡¯m not too sure. A few hours ago, it was a simple case of a bold thief. Lord-Prospect Thornheart captured the suspect in the academy, aided by a trainee officer called...¡± The detective frowned, his eyes flicking to the right as he tried to remember. ¡°Melanie Mori?¡± Serena suggested dryly. ¡°That¡¯s right. So you¡¯re acquainted.¡± He nodded before gesturing further into the building. ¡°May we walk and talk?¡± ¡°We may.¡± The pair of them walked through the headquarters. Dozens of administrative members of the Old Guard were moving back and forth, carrying about their duties. All in all, they seemed rather busy. ¡°It¡¯s always like this before, during and just after the coming moonrain,¡± Detective Minato explained as if reading her mind. ¡°Organised crime uses the moonrain as cover for smuggling and other illicit activities, not to mention the common criminals and opportunists. We¡¯re up to our horns in work, so I¡¯m so glad this theft case is being taken from us.¡± ¡°Taken from you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct, Lord Halen,¡± the detective nodded. ¡°This is why I said I¡¯m not sure about the full extent of this case. Shortly after taking in the thief, we were about to wake and interrogate him before Grandmaster Shun and some big horn from Intelligence came in and demanded we stop. Apparently, it¡¯s now an Imperial investigation. Really, I¡¯m just here to take you to them. I¡¯m not even allowed in anymore.¡± ¡°I see...¡± Serena trailed off. An Imperial investigation? How had Amelia stumbled into that? Or had the Imperial investigators taken over because Amelia was involved? They continued down several flights of stairs and through a maze of corridors before stopping before a door flanked by two guards. Serena¡¯s sense of Amelia¡¯s aetherflow was strong. She was undoubtedly just beyond this door, along with another signature of whom she was sure was the grandmaster. ¡°I¡¯ll be off then, pleasure meeting you, Lord Halen,¡± Detective Minato bowed and explained where she could find the washroom or meal before vanishing. Serena watched him go before turning to open the door. She wasn¡¯t fast enough, as it was opened first from the other side. Serena was treated to a familiar sight and smell. Despite the seriousness of the situation, the cheerful expression she was faced with caused her to smile reflexively. She didn¡¯t have much self-control around her, did she? Once, she would see that as a weakness. Now, she enjoyed it, even if her stress-induced horn-clutching increased. ¡°Hello!¡± Amelia chirped. ¡°I caught a thief!¡± ¡°Congratulations,¡± Serena answered, resisting the urge to ruffle Amelia¡¯s hair. Honestly, she looked so proud of herself, like a peeka who caught its first mouse and brought it back to its owner. ¡°I see I¡¯m not the only one here to celebrate your achievement,¡± Serena said, peering past Amelia and looking at the other figures within the dimly lit room. There stood the grandmaster, who, judging by the fragrance, was politely sipping mint tea with another man Serena couldn¡¯t sense. ¡°Grandmaster,¡± Serena intoned with a firm bow before straightening and locking eyes with the other man in the room. ¡°Chesterfield,¡± she nodded, offering a smaller bow. The mysterious big-horn raised his cup of mint tea in greeting before taking a slow sip. ¡°Lord Halen, always a pleasure,¡± he smoothly replied, placing his teacup on its saucer. As usual, Serena detected no spellwork or aether around the man. He seemed entirely ordinary, even though her instincts screamed he wasn¡¯t. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see you again so soon. Come to join our little tea party?¡± He waved towards a side table with a steaming pot. ¡°...Thank you,¡± Serena said. She poured herself a cup, holding it in her hand. The room was long, rectangular and painted grey, with dark furnishings and one side almost entirely windowed. Not paper windows, but thick glass. Walking up to the two demons, she realised they were on a raised observation deck looking down into a room where an unconscious demon lay. A female mage sat near the man, her eyes closed as she focused on her spell. ¡°Keeping him asleep?¡± Serena asked, then before anyone could answer, she added, ¡°This isn¡¯t any normal thief, is he?¡± ¡°Correct,¡± answered Chesterfield. ¡°He has a blessing!¡± Amelia chirped. ¡°A really interesting one!¡± ¡°Before that,¡± grumbled the grandmaster. ¡°We¡¯re keeping this quiet. If it gets out that this academy cannot stop both assassins and lowborn thieves, then we¡¯ll be mocked from across the Empire.¡± ¡°The student Melanie Mori has already signed a vow of secrecy, as have the guards involved in the matter,¡± Chesterfield explained. ¡°Grandmaster Shun will keep this from the rest of the academy staff. These thieves impersonated restorationists to steal an artefact from the academy¡¯s storage. As far as the archivist Takumi and department head, Noel Yamaguchi, will be concerned, they were called away on an emergency task for one of the Fengra Lords.¡± ¡°Thieves?¡± Serena asked, raising an eyebrow at the wording. ¡°Have a look,¡± Chesterfield walked down the observation deck, and Serena followed. The long room they were in spanned several interrogation rooms below, each partitioned by a thick wall. In the next room over, Serena looked down through the window and saw a female demon sitting at the singular table. She was bent over, clutching her horns. Ah, someone else who knows my suffering, Serena thought with amusement. How much time did you spend around my girlfriend for you to start doing that? ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± she asked. ¡°Seonmi San,¡± Chesterfield said. ¡°Confidence trickster that¡¯s been implicated in more than a few events that have greatly embarrassed and lightened the bank accounts of the local highborn. Apparently, the Old Guard here have been aware of her for some time, but she¡¯s always slipped away.¡± ¡°How was she caught?¡± ¡°Imperial trackers.¡± Chesterfield looked up, blinking twice. ¡°I found out about this situation six hours ago. Caught her... four hours ago. She was hiding in some den in the slums. It¡¯s no wonder she escaped the authority''s grasp for so long if that¡¯s where she was hiding.¡± He looked down at Seonmi, who was now looking around the room, stress visible on her face. ¡°We¡¯re letting her simmer in her own thoughts for a while.¡± Ah, so Amelia caught the man, and trackers hunted the woman, Serena thought. Still, she¡¯s quite pretty for a criminal. Seeing the woman¡¯s looks, she could understand how she could pull off a confidence trick against the wealthy and foolish. Her horns, which had a thick Manwese base but ended in a characteristic Fengra twist, would make her an exotic sight for the men. ¡°She can¡¯t seem to see us, can she?¡± Serena asked. Despite Seonmi¡¯s eyes passing over them, she didn¡¯t seem aware they were there. ¡°One-way glass,¡± Chesterfield explained. ¡°Invented in Centralis a few years back. We can see through the window, but it looks like a mirror to the people down below. As long as we keep that room brightly lit and this room dim, the illusion works, so don¡¯t go turning the aetherlights up. It¡¯s why all the furnishings in this room are dark - to absorb the light. It won¡¯t fool anyone here, or any half-decent warrior or mage, but our thieves there don¡¯t have that capability.¡± ¡°And this one?¡± Serena nodded towards the captured woman. ¡°Does she also have a blessing?¡± ¡°No...¡± Chesterfield took a deliberate sip of his mint tea. ¡°She¡¯s special for a different reason. We¡¯ll go over that when Greatlord Oshiro arrives.¡± He strode back down the observation deck to the sleep-induced demon. ¡°This is our main prize.¡± ¡°Our?¡± Serena narrowed her eyes. ¡°What has this got to do with me? If you wanted to keep this secret, why am I involved in the first place?¡± ¡°Yes, of course,¡± the greatlord replied with a smile, taking a sip of his mint tea. ¡°It¡¯s truly a wonder. No matter who I¡¯m talking to, whether a fellow Greatlord, a representative from the Centralis Parliament, or a trade delegation from the Sabanis Dominance...¡± He took another long sip of tea. Serena sensed he was building up to something. ¡°...They all seem equally entertained by how the local deer suffered so terribly by your hands, even in death.¡± Amelia whimpered. Ha! She actually whimpered. It was a noise somewhere between the sound of a deflating balloon and the depressed mewing of a peeka. Serena didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or feel sorry for her. The grandmaster¡¯s face was confused; he evidently wasn¡¯t aware of how Amelia had butchered the venison at the family meal when she¡¯d been asked to carve. And carve she did. Serena couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at the memory. ¡°Please... have mercy...¡± Amelia mumbled, bowing again. Serena wasn¡¯t sure whether she was bowing to apologise or just to hide her flushed face. ¡°Of course,¡± Greatlord Oshiro replied cheerfully. ¡°See it only as pre-emptive satisfaction for the series of future headaches I am confident you¡¯ll be causing me and my Lord Superior.¡± He turned towards Serena, a sympathetic smile on his face. ¡°I recommend mint tea during stressful moments, Lord Halen. It helps.¡± ¡°...Thank you, Greatlord.¡± Serena bowed again. ¡°Now then,¡± he continued, striding up to the window, looking down into the room where the man named Noburu lay sleeping. ¡°This is our man?¡± he asked, looking at Chesterfield, who nodded. ¡°To think a lowborn thief would be given the blessing of Mistwalking. Do we know what god blessed him?¡± ¡°No,¡± Chesterfield answered. ¡°I have an Imperial Investigator arriving shortly with someone who will be able to tell us for sure. Historically, something like this would be the work of Kanaxai.¡± ¡°Fitting...¡± Greatlord Oshiro murmured. He paced to the other window, looking down at the woman named Seonmi. ¡°I¡¯ve seen this one before, during the Blue Dinner three years ago, where I made a short appearance. Even so, beyond my memory, this woman is oddly familiar to me. Why is that?¡± ¡°Her full name is Seonmi San,¡± Chesterfield explained. ¡°She didn¡¯t change it, perhaps not wanting to abandon her past and believing no one would make the connection with such a common surname. She¡¯s familiar because she¡¯s the long presumed-dead heir apparent of House San.¡± ¡°Highlord San¡¯s daughter!?¡± Greatlord Oshiro¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°This thief? The very same?¡± ¡°Highborn in blood. Lowborn in action,¡± the grandmaster grumbled. ¡°Seems so,¡± Chesterfield continued. ¡°We¡¯re going to interrogate her and find out for sure, but the best guess is that she fled Fengra due to the succession crisis a few years ago. She probably had a target on her back. Maybe she planned to return eventually.¡± ¡°Ah...¡± Greatlord Oshiro rubbed his stubble. ¡°Now I remember. The eldest sister, Haneul San, was declared the successor. Then I remember House San announcing a period of grieving for the death of one of their daughters - presumably this Seonmi. It wouldn¡¯t be the first time something like this was covered up. Didn¡¯t Haneul die somewhat recently?¡± Haneul San. Where had Serena heard that name before? Someone had mentioned it to her, and not too long ago. Where was it? When? ¡°Given the... attitude of House San towards the reigning Overlord, you can understand that not only does this case need to be handled delicately, but it also presents a powerful opportunity for our influence over the Far East.¡± Chesterfield placed his cup down. ¡°If we bring her out now, they¡¯ll refuse to recognise her. We need to elevate her standing with the East before we move.¡± ¡°And how...?¡± Greatlord Oshiro suddenly turned his head, glancing at Serena. ¡°Ah, I see.¡± You see? What do you see!? Serena hurriedly thought. Her mind was still reeling from the conversation with the grandmaster. What dots had Greatlord Oshiro connected that she missed? Who had spoken the name Haneul San to her recently? ¡°What about this one?¡± Greatlord Oshiro asked, pacing back down the room to look down upon Noburu. ¡°You mentioned he was also highborn.¡± ¡°He goes by Noburu in the slums, but we believe he¡¯s the last surviving male member of House Yun. If our documents are correct, his real name might be Minho Yun.¡± Greatlord Oshiro raised an eyebrow at Chesterfield. ¡°How sure are you?¡± ¡°We¡¯re investigating the orphanage he grew up in. We don¡¯t have any photographs or descriptions of his birth, but we do for his younger sister, who was born shortly before the House collapsed. There¡¯s a hornmark consistent between our records and the orphanages. Given their similar appearance, we¡¯re pretty confident. And, like with the woman, there¡¯s an opportunity here.¡± ¡°Well, what an interesting pair of horns to interrupt my schedule,¡± Greatlord Oshiro said. ¡°Shall we get started with the interrogations, then?¡± He cracked a knuckle. ¡°Given the delicate nature of his blessing and possible position, I have an Imperial Investigator due to arrive, along with a capable individual who would be able to prevent any escape attempts should he try and mistwalk. Ah, Grandmaster...¡± Chesterfield bowed towards the towering martial artist. ¡°My apologies, but I have to inform you that what will follow from this interrogation is likely a classified matter. Would you-¡± ¡°Say no more,¡± the grandmaster growled. ¡°Send for me if I¡¯m needed. I¡¯ll keep my horns straight. You keep yours.¡± With that, he strode to the door, turned, gave a firm half-bow, and left the room. He¡¯s annoyed, thought Serena. Chesterfield and Greatlord Oshiro continued to discuss matters. Considering neither she nor Amelia were asked to leave, it would seem they were included in whatever classified conclusion they would be arriving at. Chesterfield had mentioned Noburu might be some kind of aid for Amelia¡¯s training regarding the Shimmer. What would they do, have him teach her how to travel through this other reality? How dangerous would that be? And more importantly, the academy staff knew, or at the very least, suspected! She needed to talk with Amelia. Serena looked at Amelia until she noticed, then tilted her head towards the door. She repeated this twice and then said to the room, ¡°Excuse me. I¡¯ll return shortly.¡± ¡°M-me too!¡± Amelia chirped. ¡°Nature calls!¡± Serena rolled her eyes as the corners of the men¡¯s mouths curled. Hadn¡¯t she taught Amelia that a lady should never reference using the toilet when in the company of men!? Thankfully, they didn¡¯t seem offended. They both deeply bowed toward the room before exiting. Following the directions the detective had given her, Serena found the shared toilets, which consisted of a brightly lit room with a row of sinks and cubicles. It was uncomfortably modern. Although judging by the clean tiles and mirrored surfaces, this room was far more pleasant than the shared latrine her crew used onboard the Vengeance. ¡°Whoa,¡± Amelia murmured as they entered, her aether twisting. Serena sensed the privacy wards Amelia surrounded the room in. ¡°If you added a bit of plastic, this could be a bathroom from- mmph!¡± Amelia¡¯s words were cut short as Serena, after verifying they were alone in the room, began pulling Amelia¡¯s cheeks. ¡°You idiot,¡± Serena intoned as she massaged her girlfriend¡¯s face. ¡°Some of the academy staff are onto us! They¡¯re probably gossiping after discovering you¡¯ve been spending the night with me!¡± ¡°So?¡± Amelia replied, reaching up and locking their hands together. ¡°We just need to be careful. It¡¯s not such a big deal anyway, we- mmpth!¡± This time, Amelia was cut short as Serena stole a kiss. Hells, when had she become so impulsive? ¡°That¡¯s your punishment for being... you,¡± Serena said, licking her lips. ¡°I have to admit,¡± Amelia said, her face flushing as her mouth moved into a smug smile. ¡°I¡¯m starting to enjoy what you consider a punishment.¡± ¡°Shut up,¡± Serena said. ¡°This is serious. Some of the staff at the academy are well-known and well-respected. Their words carry weight. We do need to be careful!¡± ¡°Fine,¡± Amelia pouted. ¡°But even so, if the Grandmaster is on our side, then he can override anyone trying to make a problem, can¡¯t he? They¡¯ll go through him first, wouldn¡¯t they?¡± ¡°What makes you think he¡¯s on our side?¡± Serena asked with a tilt of her head. ¡°That man is extremely traditional. He values the reputation of the academy highly. Didn¡¯t you understand the message behind his words? He¡¯s not happy about it. He wants us to knock it off!¡± ¡°Maybe, but you also didn¡¯t see,¡± Amelia said with a grin. ¡°See what?¡± ¡°When he raised the subject with us earlier. You know, when he was coughing? You didn¡¯t see because he was facing directly away from you, but I was slightly to the side. I could see the side of his face. That¡¯s how I know he¡¯ll protect us!¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± Serena frowned. ¡°What did you see?¡± ¡°When he was talking...¡± Amelia¡¯s grin grew even wider. ¡°...He was blushing.¡± Chapter Sixty-Five: Commodore Chapter Sixty-Five: Commodore After taking a moment to ensure neither of them had any noticeable flush on their faces, Serena and Amelia returned to the observation deck, where they found Greatlord Oshiro alone. ¡°Greatlord,¡± Serena intoned, bowing. Amelia followed suit, this time remembering his title. Even in the dimly lit room, the Greatlord¡¯s presence shone. He stood with perfect posture at the window, his hands clasped behind his back. What would it be like to wear his horns? To be responsible for Asamaywa¡¯s security and the million demons residing in the city? Today¡¯s events felt significant to Serena, but they were probably a small blip in the Greatlord¡¯s diary. ¡°Where¡¯s Chesterfield?¡± Amelia piped up, her voice a little quieter than usual. Even she wasn¡¯t entirely immune to the Greatlord¡¯s aura. ¡°He stepped out to meet the Imperial Investigator and someone... important.¡± The demon sniffed. ¡°I suggest you get ready to bow when they arrive.¡± Before Serena could enquire as to whom the important figure was, the greatlord continued, ¡°Seems interesting things keep happening around you two.¡± He turned to face Serena. ¡°Even before Lord-Prospect Thornheart¡¯s appearance, your name was constantly on my desk, Lord Halen. I knew I wouldn¡¯t regret recommending the daughter of Highlord Halen.¡± He raised his eyebrow, his expression warming. ¡°You¡¯ve had an interesting career, Captain. I still don¡¯t believe your victory at the battle of Port Highwind was adequately commemorated. A Cascadian Lordship and a Bronze Eagle isn¡¯t enough for the results of your duty.¡± Serena swallowed. What prompted this sudden outburst of compliments? Even as she questioned it, she could feel her pride swelling. To cover her reaction up, she bowed deeply one more. ¡°Thank you, Greatlord,¡± she said, trying to keep her voice even. ¡°I merely followed your orders and-¡± ¡°No need for modesty,¡± Greatlord Oshiro interrupted. ¡°Stand up, Captain.¡± Serena straightened. ¡°While the international situation is growing more perilous by the month, your actions have reaped more than we could have hoped along the Republican lines,¡± he continued. ¡°Their situation was much more dire than we previously estimated. Meppen¡¯s defences collapsed yesterday. We¡¯ll liberate the city within a week.¡± Serena¡¯s eyes widened, her mouth briefly opening in shock. Could it be? The Republican capital! ¡°T-that means-¡± Serena paused, forcing herself to stop stuttering. ¡°Then the Republic¡¯s about to be cut in half. That means we¡¯ve...¡± Serena trailed off, her mind imagining the map. With the capital, Meppen, taken, the Republican wartime industry in the east would come under siege. With Cascadia occupying the railways, the munitions and weapons produced in the industrious Ironburg wouldn¡¯t be able to get to the west, meaning that the front would completely collapse! It was only a matter of time. ¡°It¡¯s only a matter of time,¡± Greatlord Oshiro said. ¡°Two or three months to crush what remains. If you allow me to finish your sentence... you are correct.¡± His eyes flashed menacingly. ¡°We¡¯ve won.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe it...¡± Serena muttered. Eight years of war. Eight. Sure, not all of it was the brutal attrition war it had become - still... eight years. Serena had given so much. She¡¯d lost a brother to the conflict! Her father had become a Highlord! She¡¯d given her youth for it! To be honest, the last one seemed to be reversing, thanks to Amelia¡¯s morning healing. Serena was pretty sure she would pass for around twenty-five now, more than half a decade younger than her actual age of- Well, never mind. ¡°Neither do I,¡± the greatlord said solemnly. ¡°Not yet. They¡¯ve run out of experienced men, and the mercenaries from Christdom and the Federation cannot plug the gaps. They cannot raise more conscripts, not without starving their population. They¡¯ve lost too many warriors and mages. The few powerful Speakers they have left won¡¯t throw away their lives in a lost war. Even so...¡± the greatlord sighed. ¡°We still don¡¯t know what the other nations will do, especially Christdom. You¡¯ve seen them talking about a coalition of the willing.¡± His mouth curled into a sneer as he sarcastically mimicked human nations'' phrasing. ¡°It would be madness for them to get involved now,¡± Serena pointed out. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t commit their national armies and navies to fight in an unfamiliar land and sky.¡± Cascadia had ruled the Republic for more than a century before their rebellion. No one knew that sky better than they did. The Empire knew the location, direction and power of every anabatic or katabatic wind. They knew the jet streams, trade winds, the extent of the easterlies, and how the mistral winds broke upon the territory from the Sabanis Channel. ¡°Madness is the key word here, Captain Halen. Some of my peers have already begun celebrating, but I fear we may become mad ourselves just as we enter a more perilous time. Never before has Cascadia shown such unity against a foreign threat.¡± The greatlord raised a fist, clenching it until his knuckles whitened. ¡°Never before have we built so many warships, raised so many battalions, nor bled so much blood. The human nations put their weight behind the Republic because they feared Cascadia becoming a major power on their continent. Now, that reality is about to come true, and our military might has never been greater. Even the Sabanis Dominance is becoming wary of the East¡¯s strength.¡± ¡°...You fear a larger war is coming?¡± Serena questioned. After she received a slow nod in response, she continued, ¡°I¡¯ve had similar concerns. So has Father.¡± She didn¡¯t mention the information Aiden had leaked the other day regarding further expansion of Cascadian wartime industry beyond what the Republican war would require. It was probably information she wasn¡¯t supposed to have. ¡°Highlord Halen is wise, and I see you¡¯ve inherited that wisdom.¡± He clicked his tongue. ¡°We must not become drunk on this victory, but focus on firmly grasping the next one before it slips away. I¡¯m confident that you will be of great value to the future of this Empire, Captain Halen. Whether you work under me or that bighorn from Intelligence. I was not merely passing polite words earlier regarding your achievements. To that end...¡± Serena¡¯s Lord Superior took a breath. ¡°...I¡¯m recommending your advancement to Commodore, Captain.¡± ¡°C-commodore!¡± Amelia squeaked, her teacup frozen on her lips. ¡°Greatlord!¡± Serena threw herself into her deepest bow yet. Commodore! She was going to be promoted! Had she truly earned this!? No, she had, hadn¡¯t she? She¡¯d dedicated so much... But... Commodore! To reach this rank so quickly! She was so young! She was only- Well, never mind. ¡°You¡¯ll still need to pass the exam, Captain,¡± came Greatlord Oshiro¡¯s amused voice. ¡°You might be working for Intelligence now, but they can¡¯t stop me from doing this. It¡¯ll be a difficult exam, so make sure you study. I won¡¯t be the only Greatlord on the panel.¡± ¡°Y-¡± Serena cleared her throat. The adrenaline was making her stutter. ¡°Yes, Greatlord! It¡¯s an honour!¡± Serena rose from her bow to see her Lord Superior looking at her with an appreciative smile. Turning her head, Serena saw Amelia had put down her cup and was silently clapping with small, eager motions. Well done, her girlfriend mouthed. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say. It¡¯s an honour!¡± Ah, she¡¯d started to ramble. ¡°I only wish I could show my appreciation!¡± She couldn¡¯t stop herself from bowing again. This wasn¡¯t embarrassing, was it? ¡°You only need to keep doing what you¡¯re doing, Captain,¡± Greatlord Oshiro mused. ¡°Although you might start by preparing some more mint tea. I seemed to have run out.¡± ¡°Ah, of course,¡± Serena turned and busied herself preparing the tea. She boiled the water and began steeping the tea leaves, trying to hide the smile that kept breaking out on her face. When the door opened again, she barely registered it. When she did turn, her eyes widened at the sight. She saw Greatlord Oshiro bowing as profoundly as Serena had just been toward him in the direction of the door. It wasn¡¯t just a bow of respect, but one of submission as well. What!? Serena quickly faced the door and looked at the newcomers. Who in the seven hells could have turned up for a greatlord to behave like that? She couldn¡¯t sense anything in the aetherfield, so it couldn¡¯t have been the monstrous overlord that had demonstrated confidence in dressing down Amelia when she was under the influence of Asclepius. There was Chesterfield, strolling in like he owned the place. Not him. Next to him was a neatly dressed, spectacled demon with tidy hair. - the Imperial Investigator. Serena recognised the uniform. Not him. No, it was the hulking figure behind them. Serena¡¯s blood turned cold. Her earlier adrenaline from Greatlord Oshiro¡¯s recommendation now told her to run. Her instincts screamed at her one terrible, irrefutable fact. ¡°Oh, a rare treat in the East, Lord-Prospect Thornheart!¡± The Lord Guardian''s voice sounded... impressed. The massive demon set about refilling the kettle and heating it, the tools looking comically small in his huge hands. ¡°Firemint is tricky. If you want to maximise its characteristic popping effect, then it should be brewed at eighty-eight thols. To maximise the flavour, ninety-six thols. Both for three minutes.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll remember that, thank you!¡± Amelia earnestly replied. ¡°What other type of mint leaves are there?¡± ¡°An excellent question, Lord-Prospect Thornheart. Allow me to tell you about the famous Drissian Icemint. It has the bizarre effect of making your throat feel chilly despite the warmth of the drink. You¡¯ll rarely find it out here as it needs to be bathed in purple moonlight to prevent deterioration. Now, there¡¯s also heavy mint found on the slopes of Oker, those are called heavy because...¡± Serena blinked another three times as her brain was overheating. Of... of all times! Of all people! This was who Amelia had just chosen to be her new friend!? Madness! Pure madness! She was dating a madwoman! A crazy, unstoppable madwoman! She slowly turned her head, making contact with Greatlord Oshiro, whose face was a little paler than she¡¯d ever seen before. What¡¯s going on? Serena asked with her eyes. I don¡¯t want to know, the Greatlord¡¯s eyes responded. The demon broke eye contact before turning and looking out the window. Serena looked into nothingness. Was she dreaming? Was she going to wake up any moment? ¡°Let¡¯s start with Noburu,¡± the Imperial Investigator quietly said to Chesterfield, bringing Serena back into reality. ¡°We need to explore the exact extent of his mistwalking. If it¡¯s something we can handle without establishing precautions within the Shimmer, then we won¡¯t need to occupy too much of our Lord Guardian¡¯s time.¡± The Imperial Investigator looked up from his papers in the direction of Amelia and her new best friend who were busy discussing the varieties and brewing differences of northern mint. ¡°Umm... then we¡¯ll talk to this Miss San and cross-reference our information.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the expert,¡± Chesterfield nodded. He turned and gestured towards Serena. ¡°Lord Halen, over here if you could.¡± ¡°Ah... yes,¡± Serena answered, her voice weaker than she would have liked. No, that wouldn¡¯t do. Hadn¡¯t she promised herself she would move forward with Amelia till the end? Ridiculous situations like this were bound to appear in the future; she couldn¡¯t lose her composure at each and every one! ¡°What is it,¡± she said, her voice recovering its usual resoluteness. That¡¯s right. She was Captain Halen, soon to be Commodore Halen! Talented Speaker and war hero! Who was she to get unnerved by her girlfriend befriending a demon that could call upon more Imperial power with one wave of his hand than the entire Eastern Admiralty could? Ah... she was getting a headache. ¡°During the following interrogations, please focus on the personality and temperament of our two thieves,¡± Chesterfield¡¯s face had its usual easy-going smile. ¡°I would like to hear your evaluation afterwards.¡± ¡°...Of course.¡± Serena bowed. She wasn¡¯t sure exactly why. ¡°Lord Halen,¡± the Imperial Investigator intoned, bowing towards her. ¡°Akechi Kogoro. Pleased to make your acquaintance. May I say how honoured I am to meet someone with your achievements? You¡¯ve managed what I could only dream of in the skies.¡± Serena eyed the man for a moment. ¡°You served?¡± she asked, noting his familiar posture and bearing. ¡°I did - four years under Greatlord Kiyoshi. I remember hearing your name for the first time when you were made Captain of the Black Ship. Who could have expected the string of victories that would follow your appointment? Nevertheless, I did not have the stomach to face the action you did. I know my way around people better than I ever understood my gun or sword.¡± he tapped the Imperial insignia on his chest. ¡°Now I serve her in a manner more fitting to my talents.¡± ¡°Investigator Kogoro, I will remember your name,¡± Serena affirmed. ¡°It¡¯s an honour, Lord Halen.¡± He bowed, and when he straightened, his eyes widened slightly, lingering on something just past Serena¡¯s shoulder. She turned, and only by the mightiest effort did she not jump in surprise at the Lord Guardian standing just behind her. Sipping his tea. ¡°So we don¡¯t know how deep he can go?¡± The Lord Guardian enquired, his voice returning to a low growl. ¡°Not yet,¡± Chesterfield replied. ¡°Once we make him aware there is no escape, we¡¯ll have him demonstrate his mistwalking. Once again, thank you for taking time out of your schedule, Lord Guardian.¡± Chesterfield bowed. The man was oddly polite to the towering figure. Not that he wasn¡¯t polite to Serena, but she sensed that politeness was superficial, sometimes even bordering on mocking. The tone in which he spoke to the Lord Guardian was genuine. ¡°We would¡¯ve been involved one way or another. You were lucky I was already in Asamaywa.¡± The Lord Guardian downed the remainder of his drink and set aside the teacup. ¡°Lord-Prospect Thornheart,¡± he said. ¡°Pay as much attention to me in there as you would towards anyone else. You might learn something.¡± ¡°R-right!¡± Amelia nodded, flashing a thumbs up, before quickly hiding it and not so smoothly transitioning to a bow. ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go, Investigator.¡± The Lord Guardian left the room, quickly followed by Investigator Kogoro. A few moments later, they stepped into the room below. The mage inside was focused intently on her spell and fell out of her chair in shock when she realised a Lord Guardian was next to her. After a quick performance of frantic bowing and apologies, she soon left the sleeping Noburu alone with the Investigator and the Lord Guardian. The enormous demon took up position behind Noburu. His piercing eyes seemed to lock onto Amelia before turning towards the floor as if looking for something. And then, he vanished. Even though Serena had just been informed about the Shimmer and mistwalking, seeing it first-hand was entirely different. How... was that even possible? To do something so incredible with no burst of aether or noise? One moment, he was there, and the next, he wasn¡¯t. As the thought formed in her mind, so did a memory of when someone had spoken very similar words to her. Hmm... the human was not here and then she was. It was what Anathor told her when Amelia first appeared in her quarters onboard the Vengeance. Is this how it happened? Did Amelia travel through the Shimmer? Did someone aid her? ¡°Wow...¡± Amelia muttered. ¡°Impressive,¡± Greatlord Oshiro intoned. Chesterfield merely chuckled softly. Serena didn¡¯t have time to say anything. Investigator Kogoro reached over and used ammonia salts to shock Noburu awake. ¡°Ah!¡± Noburu cried, his eyes flicking open. ¡°Hello, Noburu,¡± Investigator Kogoro said with a smile. ¡°Before we start, I must warn you: If you use your blessing without my permission, you will die. Do you understand?¡± Patreon Announcement Patreon Announcement Hello everyone! It¡¯s 3am as I write this, and after a day of writing and fighting with Patreon¡¯s UI, my brain is cooked... But I finally have the Patreon ready! Link below: It¡¯s a momentous occasion and a long time in the making. It¡¯s been wonderful to see so many readers enjoy the world of Cascadia and the lovable dorkyness of Amelia and her demon girlfriend Serena! It¡¯s honestly amazing to have so many people enjoy their journey as they navigate the world with their budding relationship. Whether they¡¯re relaxing, bantering or shamelessly flirting, it¡¯s been an honour to write your chapters! The Patreon is split into three tiers: Lord, Highlord, and Greatlord. The prices for these tiers were established through a popular vote on the series , where users were asked what they thought was a fair price. What¡¯s on there currently? I want more rewards! How big will your backlog be? The plan is to build the backlog out to 100,000 words, which will be 25+ chapters. If you¡¯re not happy with the current offerings, then look again in a month and see if it''s worth your hard-earned money <3 Furthermore, the Highlord and Greatlord tiers will have access to interlewds(18+) and other material produced related to the series, such as more in-depth worldbuilding articles and side-stories. None of these have been written yet, so they¡¯re not listed on the Patreon. As they are created I¡¯ll keep people updated in the author notes! Thank you for your support so far. It¡¯s been an honour to write and continue writing for you! I hope you enjoy everything to come and whatever projects I might undertake in the future! P.S - Yes I will be shilling the Patreon often in the author notes now, forgive me! Chapter Sixty-Six: Noburu鈥檚 Interrogation Chapter Sixty-Six: Noburu¡¯s Interrogation Investigator Kogoro wasn¡¯t lying when he said he was good with people. It was an expertly conducted interrogation, leaving no room for the thief to hide. Their conversation was recorded with an Axiom Crystal, and from her position in the observation deck, Serena could see a truth-teller crystal embedded in a position Noburu couldn¡¯t see. It was exactly the same approach she used when interrogating Amelia in her cell. At first, Noburu tried to deflect and began to conjure up a half-baked story. Kogoro was having none of that nonsense, bringing him back on track, tactfully bringing up a new piece of information that shattered Noburu¡¯s attempts at evasion. The first thing Kogoro established was who else was involved. While Noburu quickly gave up the name of the gang leader who orchestrated the theft, a man known only as Yoshiro, he was surprisingly resistant to giving any information regarding Seonmi. Perhaps they were a couple? It wasn¡¯t until Kogoro named Seonmi and informed Noburu that she was next door that the thief finally gave up any hope of deceiving the investigator. After Noburu was fully convinced that he wasn¡¯t getting out of the situation easily, he became far more forthcoming. Kogoro had him start again from the beginning, in excruciating detail, starting with his life in the slums. ¡°You cannot understand what it¡¯s like,¡± Noburu emphasised. ¡°In the winter, people freeze to death in the alleyways! Their throats are cut for what little they own! Everyone¡¯s struggling! We live in one room because we don¡¯t have enough firewood! It¡¯s nothing like what you have here in the city!¡± The truth-teller showed no sign of red, so at the very least, Noburu believed in what he was saying. He was pleading with the investigator, trying to elicit sympathy. Despite the green light, Serena struggled to find herself convinced by his words. Even if his conditions were difficult, why wouldn¡¯t he find work in the lowlands? Weren¡¯t these all just excuses so he could justify taking an easy life of crime? How could he value his honour so little? He was the kind of weak man Serena looked down upon. She turned to her left to see Greatlord Oshiro frowning at Noburu, his face tense. To her right, Amelia¡¯s eyes had grown wide, and her face was the pinnacle of sympathy. Of course, Amelia would be sensitive to this kind of thing. Humans were more emotional than demons, and Amelia wore her emotions on her sleeve. Investigator Kogoro showed no sign of annoyance at Noburu¡¯s excuses and instead chose to build rapport by saying, ¡°Of course, we understand that you had no choice.¡± He continued the back and forth, with Noburu slowly relaxing. It paid off, as he didn¡¯t hesitate to provide information regarding his blessing. ¡°It first happened when I was ten,¡± Norubu explained. ¡°I was hiding from the director. He wanted to cane me because I fought another boy. I was hiding in a closet, and as he was calling my name, coming closer and closer, I prayed he wouldn¡¯t notice me and then...¡± Noburu clicked his fingers. ¡°It just happened.¡± They continued on the subject of his mistwalking for a while longer, trying to establish the frequency and limits of Noburu¡¯s ability. He had some fascinating descriptions of the Shimmer - what he called the ghostworld. ¡°What¡¯s this plant life he¡¯s talking about?¡± Serena asked quietly. ¡°The Shimmer contains some interesting and often dangerous flora and fauna,¡± Chesterfield answered, sipping his tea. ¡°The plants feed on aether, but too much will burn them away. It¡¯s a delicate ecosystem. Most Mistwalkers are already powerful enough to protect their aether from the plants.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s why there¡¯s none in the academy but loads outside where the students don¡¯t use aether!¡± Amelia exclaimed before frowning. ¡°But... I didn¡¯t see any plants when I first saw the Shimmer in the Wilderness. Shouldn¡¯t a place with no human, I mean, demon activity, practically be a jungle?¡± ¡°Your embodiment of Asclepius would have burned it all away. Probably for a few kilometres.¡± Chesterfield looked at Amelia, blinking twice. ¡°Not to worry, it grows back quickly.¡± He took a slow sip, turning his attention back to Noburu. ¡°There¡¯s a small amount of evidence that it may cause psychosis in certain people. Nothing definite, but enough that we have to be careful with our thief.¡± Serena looked down at Noburu. ¡°Is this why you asked for my evaluation of his temperament?¡± ¡°Partially.¡± The interrogation continued, and Serena devoted her full attention to Noburu and the investigator¡¯s methods. She could learn a few things from him. Kogoro was teasing out every little bit of detail, often making Noburu backtrack and retell the same events again. Sometimes, he would suddenly jump to something Noburu had recalled happening several days before, then return to last night''s theft. It was a technique familiar to Serena; keeping Noburu¡¯s mind constantly moving to different places in the timeline prevented him from being able to form any coherent lies. Kogoro had Noburu retell his version of events regarding his capture by Amelia. As he did so, he said something that seemed too odd to make up on the spot. He said he¡¯d been chased and almost killed by a mysterious woman who also possessed the power of mist walking. Strangely enough, a woman dressed as a maid. The truth-teller showed green. ¡°One of your agents?¡± she asked Chesterfield, raising an eyebrow. ¡°...Someone I¡¯m aware of,¡± he replied definitively, refusing to elaborate further. ¡°Now I think it¡¯s time for a demonstration,¡± Kogoro said, relaxing and folding his hands. ¡°As you know, you¡¯re not the only one with this ability. Right now, there is an individual waiting for you in the Shimmer. Not this maid you¡¯ve talked about - a colleague of mine. Any escape attempt from this room or anywhere else will be impossible. Kindly save us all the bother and don¡¯t try.¡± ¡°...Alright,¡± Noburu muttered. ¡°Now, in your own time. The person in the Shimmer will inform you when to return.¡± Noburu¡¯s eyes flicked nervously around the room. Then, he took a few deep breaths before taking a final enormous one. Serena strained her senses, pushing her aura into yellow, enhancing her perception of the aetherfield as much as possible. To her left, Greatlord Oshiro was doing the same. Then, with a loud snapping sound, Noburu disappeared. Was there perhaps...? Maybe she picked up on the faintest ripple emitting from the activation of his blessing, but beyond that, there was nothing. No, that wasn¡¯t quite right. A subtle smell lingered in the air, originating from the room below. It smelled like burned toast. ¡°What?¡± Serena frowned before realising. ¡°Oh, the sister. Even if it¡¯s true, it¡¯s likely an excuse for his actions. He- oh...¡± Serena trailed off as she realised the true nature of Amelia¡¯s thoughts. The one singular time Serena had seen Amelia speak with a voice of passionate disgust was when she first told Serena about the condition her body had suffered in her previous life. Even now, Serena remembered the name and description. Chronic Endothelial Collapse Syndrome. A condition that weakens the host''s blood vessels, leading to organ failure and death. Despite the advanced - almost magical - technology of Amelia¡¯s world, it was often fatal. ¡°I¡¯m sure we can-¡± Serena began, interrupted by the door opening. ¡°Lords of the East, my sincere apologies.¡± Kogoro bowed deeply. ¡°The man¡¯s passion likely caused him to believe his own words. The honourless often live in delusion, as they say. I also should not have lost my temper. I couldn¡¯t bear to hear his insults.¡± He bowed again. ¡°My good man,¡± Chesterfield intoned. ¡°You know as well as I that passion doesn¡¯t fool a truth-teller, whether in crystal, demon, or even human form. These are concerning allegations, and you will not be brushing them under the rug.¡± ¡°...Yes, sir.¡± ¡°Could you give us some privacy, Investigator Kogoro? I have some matters to discuss.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. I will prepare for the next interrogation.¡± Kogoro bowed, leaving the room. As the door closed, Chesterfield turned towards Serena. ¡°Now, Lord Halen, what is your understanding of this man¡¯s temperament?¡± ¡°Poor control of his anger. Highly resentful of his superiors.¡± Serena gave her candid understanding. ¡°Blames others for his failures. Yet...¡± She paused, trying to find the right words. ¡°He¡¯s bold, willing to take risks to protect the ones he loves. He¡¯s stupid but could likely be whipped into shape.¡± ¡°Short and sweet,¡± Chesterfield replied, taking his time to pour a new cup of tea and savouring the taste. ¡°Oh my, the Lord Guardian does know his leaves, doesn¡¯t he?¡± Returning to the window, he asked, ¡°Should we desire to whip this man into something useful... who should hold that whip?¡± ¡°Someone who can earn his respect,¡± Serena answered. ¡°He clearly doesn¡¯t respect the work of his Lord Superior, so it would be better to have someone who can demonstrate strict but fair discipline. If you are too harsh on him, it¡¯ll reinforce his existing prejudices.¡± She shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve seen it in sailors before. Ah, that¡¯s an idea. Find a ship and put him on it. Keep him there with a fair wage he can send to his sister... and then... eventually...¡± She looked at Chesterfield. Chesterfield looked back, his eyes twinkling. Serena blinked three times. This bastard! ¡°You-¡± Serena coughed, catching the swear word before she could utter it in the presence of Greatlord Oshiro. ¡°The Vengeance is not a penal ship. We do not take conscripts.¡± ¡°The Vengeance is not a penal ship,¡± Chesterfield echoed. ¡°But you do take conscripts. At least now you do. More specifically, you will be taking these two, well...¡± Chesterfield nodded down the observation deck towards the windows overlooking Seonmi¡¯s room. ¡°As long as Miss San down there hasn¡¯t committed any heinous murders, she¡¯ll also be joining your crew.¡± He took a slow sip of his tea, raising a hand to halt the protest Serena was about to unleash. ¡°I think a skilled confidence trickster and a mistwalker would be a valuable addition to this elite team of yours. You¡¯ll need a wide range of abilities in the future, more than your cannons and swords can provide.¡± ¡°They¡¯ll run,¡± Serena countered. ¡°At the first opportunity. The moment they hide away enough wages. Hell, they¡¯ll steal what they can and flee.¡± ¡°No,¡± Chesterfield waved his hand. ¡°We¡¯ll control their finances. As for preventing any further acts of dishonour... Well, for Noburu, we can guarantee his loyalty by protecting his sister and those children.¡± ¡°Bought loyalty isn¡¯t real loyalty. It won¡¯t last the deafening terror of battle.¡± ¡°Hmm, of course,¡± Chesterfield said with a sigh. ¡°That said, we hope you won¡¯t be subjecting them to terror anytime soon. As I mentioned before, you¡¯ll be staying within Imperial borders. At first, anyway.¡± He chuckled before continuing, ¡°As for Seonmi, we¡¯ll offer her the position as Head of House San, should she earn enough accolades in your service.¡± Serena clenched her teeth. This... this was what Greatlord Oshiro realised earlier! How could she have been so blind!? ¡°Before we argue, let¡¯s not forget the shocking allegations your new crew member has made,¡± Chesterfield turned to the window. ¡°Corrupt guards accepting bribes and running a protection racket? A chronically ill woman under threat? What should be done about this, Lord Halen?¡± ¡°I...¡± Serena began, not missing the wobbling of Amelia¡¯s eyes. ¡°I think you should make your way to this orphanage with all due haste.¡± Chesterfield kept his back towards her, his face partially reflected in the window. ¡°We can¡¯t have Noburu¡¯s family harmed if we hope to persuade his loyalty by assuring him we can keep them unharmed. Hmm...¡± He rubbed his nose. ¡°Plateau lift five will bring you closest. It should be a short walk there. If you leave now, you should catch an outside-line tram.¡± ¡°...I¡¯ll leave immediately.¡± Serena half-bowed to Chesterfield and then produced a deeper bow towards her greatlord. ¡°And...¡± Chesterfield continued. ¡°Take Lord-Prospect Thornheart with you. She should witness all aspects of our society, don¡¯t you think? The good, the bad... and the fixable.¡± His eyes met Serena¡¯s through the window¡¯s reflection. He gave her a subtle nod, which she returned. ¡°Amelia, let¡¯s go,¡± Serena commanded. ¡°S-sure!¡± Chapter Sixty-Seven: Saint Amelia Chapter Sixty-Seven: Saint Amelia The plateau lift belched steam as its massive gears turned, carrying Serena and Amelia towards the lowlands. Stretched across the horizon before them were the developing lands of towns and farming communities. Serena had been gone from Asamaywa for only a year, but even in such a short amount of time, the amount of industry that had sprung up was astonishing. While the sight of the beautiful lowlands, bathed in blue hues from the enormous moon above, along with skies striated with travelling transports and military ships, would normally have Amelia asking a hundred questions while squealing about how amazing everything was... For now, she was quiet. Both of them were. ¡°You understand why he wanted you to come with me?¡± Serena asked. ¡°...Yeah,¡± Amelia replied, her voice quiet under her rainhat. They were both wearing hats and coats to cover their uniforms. This wasn¡¯t a time to be visible or flashy. ¡°Keep it... discreet.¡± ¡°I will,¡± Amelia replied. ¡°And you can¡¯t just help everyone, remember? You might want to, but it¡¯ll cause untold problems and-¡± ¡°Yes, alright!¡± Amelia tutted. ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me everything!¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± Serena said. ¡°I¡¯m just... tense.¡± ¡°So am I.¡± Serena wanted to discuss the Lord Guardian with Amelia, but the time and place felt inappropriate. So, with Serena mentally vowing to conduct a thorough cheek-pulling session later, they rode in silence down towards the lowlands. Stepping off, she was treated to what could best be described as disorderly order. A bustling market, targeting the travellers moving to and from the train station, produced a symphony of sounds as stall owners fought with their voices to catch the attention of passersby. People were well dressed, and she saw happy smiles on the faces of many. She could see half a dozen guards and station employees maintaining order and keeping the lift queues moving. She saw people clambering on the rooftops, placing wooden sheets over the tiles to prevent damage from the incoming moon rain. The storefronts were also boarding up their glass and paper windows. The trains would stop soon, and air traffic would shut down for the night. ¡°Come on, come on, keep it moving!¡± ¡°No ma¡¯am, the last train to Nachon left half an hour ago.¡± ¡°Speak to us if you need shelter tonight! Don¡¯t get caught out! Cheapest rates!¡± ¡°Papa, the moon¡¯s so big! Catch a big crystal for me!¡± They turned off the main street and headed toward the orphanage. The first few streets they passed were lit with aetherlights, with clean cobblestone pathing. However, as they continued, the amount of people walking became fewer and fewer. The streets became narrower, and aetherlights no longer lit their way. Here, the building style started to change; the homes relied heavily on jettying to maximise floor space on their upper floors. In fact, after walking further into Asamaywa¡¯s shadow, the jettying became so egregious that the upper floors of each side of the street were less than an arm''s length apart. Not only did this invoke a strange sense of being trapped, but it limited the amount of sunlight reaching the ground. ¡°Huge fire hazard...¡± Amelia muttered, looking up. ¡°This doesn¡¯t seem so bad,¡± Serena intoned. Looking around, she didn¡¯t see anything that couldn¡¯t be found in the less affluent districts in the city above. The streets looked like they were still swept occasionally. She soon came to regret those words. As they walked deeper, a change occurred. With the light barely reaching the ground, it was as if the world was slowly rotting away. Shop windows no longer used glass, and many were boarded up with wooden planks. The cobblestone paths gave way to gravel and dirt and the drainage channels on the sides of roads were filled with debris, looking like they hadn¡¯t been cleaned in months. They didn¡¯t see a single guard patrol. The atmosphere became ever more sullen. People stopped smiling or nodding as they passed; instead, they hurried past, casting wary looks. Although Serena¡¯s and Amelia¡¯s raincoats - borrowed from the Old Guard¡¯s Headquarters - had plenty of signs of wear and tear, they were still noticeably better maintained than the patchwork clothing worn by the few residents they saw. Beggars started appearing in most corners, their eyes devoid of any spark of life. More than a few had the shakes - a symptom of Dust addiction. They were seemingly content to rot away with the rest of the world. No, not the world. Slums. These were the slums. Where was the energy? It was winter, sure, but even in the poorer parts of Asamaywa, the winter markets would continue throughout the season, only stopping if they were truly snowed in. They turned a corner to see a man being beaten by two others. His assailants were using their fists but carried crude bludgeons on their waists. Serena couldn¡¯t believe what she was seeing. Where were the guards? ¡°You there!¡± she shouted, striding down the alley. The two thugs stopped their assault, letting their victim fall into a crumpled heap where he lay shaking and unconscious. ¡°On whose authority are you punishing this man?¡± She narrowed her eyes, glaring at the men. ¡°Authority?¡± one of the men questioned, his head tilting. ¡°This ¡®ere is Marlos¡¯s turf,¡± the other snarled, jabbing his finger to the floor. ¡°Don¡¯t stick yer pretty nose into our business, ladies.¡± He peered forward so he could see their faces better. ¡°Oh! Yeh are pretty. Look at yer eyes! Born proper, were we?¡± He bent back up, tapping his bludgeon with a finger. ¡°Highborn women like yeh should be careful. Why don¡¯t yeh come with us ¡®ere? We-¡± Before Serena could break the thug''s hands, Amelia fired off two spells, causing the men to collapse into a magic-induced sleep. Her girlfriend looked at her and shrugged. ¡°Sorry,¡± Amelia said. ¡°Did you want to speak to them?¡± ¡°...No,¡± Serena eventually answered. This wasn¡¯t the right time for her to run about clearing out criminal gangs. While she had certain legal rights to do so, as a Speaker and a fully-sanctioned Cascadian Lord, it was considered offensive to do too much without consulting the lord responsible for the area. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m going to take your pain away, okay?¡± Amelia bent down. A tiny thread of golden light with dancing flecks of blue reached out from Amelia and entered the shivering, bloody man. She¡¯s much better at control now. The man¡¯s cuts and bruises healed, leaving only dried blood on his body and clothes. Amelia¡¯s magic took care of that, too. The man slowly stood, touching his clean body in disbelief. ¡°I... Who...¡± the man stuttered, his face full of confusion. ¡°I suggest you leave,¡± Serena commanded. The man took a few hesitant steps back before turning and running down the road, his now immaculate patchwork clothing standing out against the dirt and grime of everything else. ¡°I don¡¯t like this place,¡± Amelia mumbled. ¡°It feels... oppressive.¡± She shuddered, rubbing her arms. ¡°Should we do something?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t just heal the entire slums,¡± Serena said, looking around. ¡°This is beyond a quick fix. I¡¯ll have to report this to Greatlord Oshiro. The conditions here are worse than I thought.¡± The residents thought they were subtle, but their attempts at hiding were no challenge for her aura-enhanced perception. They spied on them through little cracks in the doors and walls. When Serena made eye contact, they hurried away. She shook her head, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s go; we must have taken a wrong turn.¡± ¡°What about these guys?¡± Amelia poked one of the thugs with her foot. Serena dragged them into a side alley and had Amelia release the sleep spell. It was cold, and they risked frostbite or worse if they stayed asleep. They would wake up in a few minutes confused, but other than that, no harm would come to them. Although, perhaps some should. Continuing, they eventually came across a guard patrol. Although the guards seemed less interested in patrolling and more interested in chatting with each other, drinking alcohol from a flask. Their uniforms were mostly clean, but worn haphazardly. As if they didn¡¯t value the duty that came with a uniform. ¡°You there!¡± Serena called. She strode towards them, slightly releasing her control over her red aura, allowing it to be easily visible. The guards reflexively placed their hands on their swords, but as she approached and her red aura became clear, their eyes took on a tinge of fear and awe. She gave them a quick description of the orphanage. ¡°It should be nearby. Do you know it?¡± ¡°...Aye, we know it,¡± one of the guards eventually answered, his voice hesitant. ¡°A squad was sent there earlier. Who are you?¡± ¡°Speaker Halen. I have business at the orphanage. Orders from my Lord Superior. Take us there.¡± At her words, the guard''s eyes widened at the word Speaker. ¡°Wh-¡± ¡°Tsk!¡± She clicked her tongue. Where was the discipline? ¡°Do you talk back to all your superiors, man?¡± ¡°The Captain needs-¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have the Captain before an Imperial Court for failing to maintain discipline amongst his guards!¡± Now, she was really channelling her captain persona. Soon to be her commodore persona! Her threats worked, and the guard¡¯s insubordination ceased. They lead them through the narrow, dark streets, casting the occasional glances at her and sometimes towards Amelia. With the rainhat, Amelia¡¯s golden hair was hidden, and they wouldn¡¯t necessarily assume she was a human. Demon horns came in all shapes and sizes. They would likely have assumed hers weren¡¯t large enough to poke through the rainhat. The darkness lifted as they entered an open space, where half a dozen stalls circled a long-defunct fountain. A few guards lingered around the square, and she even saw a gaggle of children running through with sticks, rolling wooden hoops. Despite the cold weather and their thin clothes, they were laughing. They looked skinny but not malnourished. Still, it didn¡¯t give her much hope. ¡°That there is the guardhouse, S-Speaker Halen.¡± The guard pointed at one end of the square, where a large building stood, one of the few around with sweeping roofs and decorative inlays. ¡°It¡¯s where the Captain''s office resides. Are... you sure you don¡¯t want to meet him? I-¡± ¡°The orphanage,¡± Serena reiterated. ¡°...Yes.¡± From the guards she¡¯d seen, not one of them was capable of aura. She knew the demands of the war had pulled aether-users from their positions into more suitable tasks, but to think an entire area like this would be stripped of guards capable of actually fighting. What would they do if they encountered an ochimusha? As they exited the square, Serena asked, ¡°Why is the rubbish left to pile up?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no money,¡± the guard answered. ¡°I see.¡± After turning a few corners, they reached their destination. It was just as Noburu described. The orphanage was a dilapidated building with a patchy roof and broken windows. It sat at the end of the street, with a wall extruding from it that enclosed some private space. Perhaps a garden. Smoke billowed from its chimney, and a bored-looking guard leaned in the entranceway. ¡°Oh! Okay!¡± Amelia''s eyes widened. ¡°Will he... obey me?¡± ¡°Probably not,¡± Serena admitted. ¡°But he has no right of refusal. Use whatever means you want to make him comply.¡± ¡°Right!¡± Amelia nodded, punching her open hand with the other. Her face was deadly serious. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back!¡± She turned and began to move out before swivelling around and asking. ¡°And then, I can... you know?¡± She gestured to Kiku and the children. ¡°Of course.¡± Serena smiled. ¡°Mmm! I¡¯ll be a minute!¡± Amelia vanished, only to return a moment later. ¡°Uh, do I need to inform them of their charges?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that,¡± Serena replied, glancing towards the guards. ¡°You¡¯re only detaining them. Charges will come later.¡± At her words, the guards¡¯ jaws clenched. ¡°Understood!¡± Amelia gave a quick bow and vanished once more. While keeping her perception open to Amelia¡¯s outside antics, Serena snapped her head towards the guard called Yasuji. Wait a minute, wasn¡¯t Yasuji the one Noburu was worried about harming Kiku? Had Serena arrived just in time? She eyed Yasuji. ¡°This... destruction,¡± she waved her hand around, gesturing to the destroyed furniture. ¡°Your doing, I presume? Why have you destroyed what little these people have? They clearly have no valuables.¡± ¡°T-they are thieves!¡± Yasuji spluttered, his attitude suddenly changing after hearing Amelia be referred to as both a Speaker and a Lord-Prospect. What would he be thinking? Perhaps he was wondering who Serena was to be able to command Amelia to go and detain his captain. ¡°Thieves?¡± Serena asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°What thieving do you think this girl can do? She can barely walk, isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°No, I mean, look at this!¡± Serena¡¯s attention was directed to a winter coat the occupants had apparently stashed away. It was the kind of cloak you could find anywhere in the city shops if you were on a budget. Yasuji tried to argue this was stolen, but Serena was having none of it. ¡°It¡¯s her brother!¡± Yasuji hastily changed his approach. ¡°You¡¯ve interrogated him, right? Then you know what kind of man he is! It¡¯s not just him!¡± He cast a finger towards the four children. ¡°They¡¯re fingersmiths! They¡¯ll slip a purse from your person the moment you look away! They-¡± A flurry of protests erupted from the children. ¡°Liar!¡± ¡°You steal from us!¡± ¡°Tell her, Kiku!¡± ¡°It¡¯s.. it¡¯s true!¡± Kiku exclaimed. ¡°We pay him money for protection, but he always asks for more and more! He always threatened to turn this place over and take anything of value, and that¡¯s what he was doing! He¡¯s destroyed everything! He said if Noburu didn¡¯t return, he would take me to bed and-¡± ¡°Stupid girl!¡± Rage blossomed again in Yasuji¡¯s face, spittle flying everywhere. He stepped forward, raising his hand to strike her. Serena¡¯s eyes widened. What was he trying to do!? Knock her head off!? Serena manifested her aura, blossoming it into a bright orange. It was more than enough to intercept the strike with her hand, snapping Yasuji¡¯s arm before he realised she¡¯d even moved. It wasn¡¯t a clean break, either. Letting her subdued anger come forth, she crushed his bones as she snapped them. He would never use that arm again. He¡¯d probably need it amputated. Unless Amelia healed him, which she sincerely hoped she wouldn¡¯t. She kicked Yasuji across the room, where he collided with the broken dining table, collapsing into a heap next to his stunned colleagues. Amazingly, he wasn¡¯t unconscious. Instead, he threw up before clutching his arm with a face of agony. ¡°Ah... ah...¡± ¡°If you scream, I¡¯ll break the other one.¡± Serena walked over to him and then spat on him. It was an action she¡¯d only done a few times in her life and one she¡¯d never do in proper company, reserved only for when she wanted to establish her utter distaste for someone. ¡°You two,¡± she glared at Keishi and Ikki, their faces white. ¡°Take him outside. Under my authority and rights granted to me by Imperial Law, I, Lord Halen, am detaining the three of you.¡± She raised her voice slightly. ¡°Amelia, I¡¯m coming out!¡± ¡°I heard! I¡¯m almost done!¡± came the reply, easily picked up by Serena¡¯s enhanced perception. Serena removed her rainhat and coat, revealing the immaculate black and gold officer uniform underneath. She wasn¡¯t sure how, but when the guards saw the uniform, even more blood drained from their faces. Yasuji had gone from being as red as the red moon to as white as the white one. Even the children couldn¡¯t resist uttering their surprise. ¡°Whoa...!¡± ¡°She¡¯s glowing orange! ¡°That¡¯s aura, Reo! Remember I told you about it!¡± ¡°So pretty!¡± She led the men outside to find Amelia dragging an unconscious body into a line of a dozen others. It looked like they¡¯d tried to resist Amelia¡¯s detention, but her magic had put them to sleep before they could achieve anything. ¡°Hello!¡± she chirped. ¡°That one¡¯s the Captain,¡± she said, pointing towards one of the sleeping demons. ¡°Those are the two that came with us, that one is the guard who was at the door, and... the rest are men the Captain brought with him!¡± ¡°Quite the collection,¡± Serena nodded, turning towards the three guards. ¡°Sit down,¡± she ordered. They hastily obeyed. ¡°Mind adding these three to your collection?¡± Serena asked. ¡°Mmm, mmm!¡± Amelia put the three men to sleep and then warded the area so no one could interfere. They returned to the destroyed room to find the four children crowded around Kiku, fussing over her. They backed off a little when they entered, their eyes wary. But not hostile. Serena didn¡¯t have time to say anything before Amelia pushed past her, practically falling to Kiku¡¯s side as she grabbed the demon''s hands and spluttered, ¡°Hello! I¡¯m Amelia! It¡¯s nice to meet you!¡± ¡°It¡¯s...¡± Kiku looked confused. ¡°Nice to meet you, but...¡± she pulled her hands away. ¡°I¡¯m so dirty, and I don¡¯t want to make you unwell, umm, Lord-Prospect...? Are you crying?¡± ¡°No!¡± Amelia replied as tears bubbled up and fell down her cheek. ¡°Never mind that I can¡¯t get ill anyway! How long have you had your condition?¡± ¡°Almost... four years, Lord-Prospect,¡± Kiku smiled weakly. ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is, but I can¡¯t walk very far, so I stay in this room.¡± ¡°Four... four years?¡± Amelia echoed. She wiped her tears and, in the process, knocked her hat off, revealing her golden hair that seemed to shine in the drab and dreary room. No, her hair was actually shining. Amelia was spooling her magic up. ¡°I used to be ill for so long as well. I couldn¡¯t move at all some days, and I cried so many tears at how unfair it was! I can see you¡¯re a beautiful demon with a beautiful soul...¡± Amelia sniffed. ¡°It¡¯s not fair this happened to you!¡± Amelia sniffed again as more tears were pouring from her eyes. Kiku started crying, yet she was also smiling. She gave a weak laugh and thanked Amelia. Tsk! Even Serena felt something in her eyes. She turned away to dab her face discreetly. As she did, she heard the children squeal in excitement. ¡°She¡¯s shining!¡± ¡°Is it aura!?¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t have horns!¡± ¡°K-kiku! It¡¯s the human healer I told you about! It is, isn¡¯t it!? She¡¯s come for you!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Amelia blubbered. ¡°I¡¯m that healer, and I¡¯m going to make you all better!¡± She reached forward and pulled Kiku into a hug. ¡°I¡¯m going to make everyone better! Can I do that for you, Kiku? Please?¡± From over Amelia¡¯s shoulder, tears flowed freely down Kiku¡¯s face. ¡°Yes,¡± she croaked, her voice weak. ¡°Please fix me. I want-¡± She choked up with emotion, unable to continue. Amelia just kept crying, and as she did, she glowed even more. The room was filled with golden light. The children cheered and threw themselves into the hug, wrapping their arms around both Kiku and Amelia. Wait a minute... How much aether was she cycling right now!? Serena thought Kiku was being healed, but Amelia hadn¡¯t activated the spell yet! All this glowing was just from her spell formation! How much aether was she putting into it!? ¡°Amelia!¡± Serena called. ¡°Discreetly, remember!?¡± ¡°I... I can¡¯t do this discreetly!¡± Amelia cried out. ¡°And I don¡¯t want to! I can¡¯t stop it!¡± Serena hurried into a position where she could see Amelia¡¯s face better. ¡°No, really!¡± she stressed. ¡°Keep it down! Think of the problems this might cause!¡± She could tell already this was going to be at least a magnitude more powerful than the healing Amelia cast when she covered the entirety of the Vengeance. ¡°I¡¯ll fix those problems as well!¡± Amelia cried, sniffing heavily. She opened her eyes. Gone were her crimson pupils, instead they shone a bright golden blue, with raw aether misting off them. It was as if she¡¯d Spoken a Word! ¡°Third-circle,¡± Amelia spoke. Serena sent a quick prayer to the Empress. ¡°Divine Healing of Aseco.¡± With that, Amelia¡¯s magic activated. Chapter Sixty-Eight: Made In The Empress鈥檚 Image Chapter Sixty-Eight: Made In The Empress¡¯s Image Amelia activated her magic. Passion, kindness, and love erupted from her. Using so much power caused her to experience an exhilarating release as her aether burned away the slums'' unhappiness and sorrow. Her magic was a bubble of hope expanding outwards, fending off this place''s oppressive darkness. The atmosphere hummed with her aether, somehow sounding happy. It was as if the world itself was satisfied with the meal of aether Amelia had cooked up. Tears continued to stream down her cheeks as she squeezed Kiku. She could feel the young girl¡¯s body mending under her loving light. Her frail body was strengthening, and so were the bodies of the poor, skinny children who were hugging the pair of them. From the height of her spell¡¯s intensity, it took time for things to calm down. Her healing magic diffused slowly throughout the atmosphere, like a lingering musical note fading into silence. Amelia had cast a magical symphony, and her expectations of a thunderous applause were not disappointed as she pulled away from Kiku. However, instead of an audience of Eastern Lords, she had a gaggle of agitated children. ¡°That was amazing!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t feel hungry anymore!¡± ¡°Look! My scars have gone!¡± ¡°Kiku! Kiku! How do you feel!?¡± ¡°Give her space!¡± Amelia waved the excited children back. She stood up, wiping tears of happiness from her face. She held a hand out to Kiku. Only then did she see that Kiku, the chair she sat on, and the rest of the room were spotless! She must have somehow integrated her cleaning magic into Divine Healing of Aseco¡¯s formation! How? It must have been instinctual, right? All she did was pour all her emotion into her aether and let it do its thing! This wasn¡¯t a problem, was it? Kiku took her hand and stood up. With a nervous smile, the girl took one step. Then another. Then another. Kiku paced the length of the room once, then twice, and then, while laughing happily, skipped and jumped into the air. ¡°I don¡¯t feel any exhaustion!¡± Kiku exclaimed, spreading her arms wide. It was as if she were announcing her cured condition to the world. ¡°It¡¯s... it¡¯s...¡± Kiku ran and embraced Amelia. ¡°Thank you, oh thank you. Amelia! No! Saint Amelia! You¡¯re a Saint! You¡¯ve healed me! Oh, may the moons bless you!¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome!¡± Amelia hugged her back. She was so happy to see she could change someone''s life like this! This was what she should be doing more of! If she knew how bad this place was, she would have been more forceful about the matter with Greatlord Oshiro! She would have just done it! It was wrong to have such potential and power to help so many people and not use it... right? ¡°Even the room...¡± Amelia heard Serena mutter. Amelia broke away from Kiku for a second time. The moment she did, the children threw themselves at the girl. Poking and prodding both their bodies and hers, asking her for the tenth time if she still felt strong. ¡°He must have expected this, don¡¯t you think?¡± Amelia bounced up to Serena, grinning wildly. ¡°How can he not have!? He knows what I¡¯m like!¡± ¡°Sure...¡± Serena shook her head. ¡°But this... powerful? He must have-¡± Serena was cut short by the sound of an air siren. Its long, droning undulations filled the air, causing even the celebrating children to pause. ¡°That¡¯s the response to... you,¡± Serena sighed. ¡°I would say I was getting a headache but you just healed it away! Tsk!¡± Her girlfriend clicked her tongue but obviously wasn¡¯t annoyed as she ruffled Amelia¡¯s hair. ¡°Hey!¡± Amelia protested. Still smiling, she began to fix her hair while looking around. Perhaps someone would come, just like how the Greatlord of Kenhoro appeared after their fight in the city? Greatlord Oshiro wouldn¡¯t be mad at her, would he? Amelia stretched her senses, even looking into the Shimmer; the lingering atmospheric aether made it surprisingly easy for her. When she looked around, she jumped. There, in the doorway, was the scary-but-not-actually-scary Lord Guardian! Her mint tea-loving friend! He was standing in the Shimmer, invisible to Serena and the others. He said something to her, but she couldn¡¯t hear it. She shrugged, and he then pointed to her and Serena, gesturing to the hallway. His movements were strange, as if he were experiencing a faster flow of time. Chesterfield mentioned a time difference, hadn¡¯t he? What was it he said? A minute in the Shimmer was thirty seconds outside. Did that mean, to the Lord Guardian, he was seeing her move in slow motion? ¡°He¡¯s waiting for us!¡± Amelia chirped, pulling Serena¡¯s arm. ¡°Who?¡± ¡°The Lord Guardian!¡± At her words, Serena¡¯s eyes widened. Honestly, he wasn¡¯t that scary! Couldn¡¯t they sense his good heart and caring spirit? She knew etiquette was important to the Eastern Lords, but sometimes they should lighten up a little! How many friendships were they missing out on because of the boundaries they enforced between themselves!? Amelia led Serena to the hallway, shutting the door behind her. As she did, the Lord Guardian appeared from within the Shimmer before them, his figure dominating the hallway with his horns barely missing the ceiling. Serena immediately fell to one knee. ¡°My will is your will,¡± she uttered quickly. Amelia followed suit. The action felt overly submissive to her, but she couldn¡¯t ignore how powerful the Lord Guardian was, so some level of respect was warranted. She still couldn¡¯t see souls that clearly; they were murky, and their outlines faint and, well, shimmering. However, the Lord Guardian¡¯s soul shone larger and brighter than Lunaria¡¯s! This man was undoubtedly a Speaker of at least one Second-Word. The Empress must have tremendous power to command a group of these Lord Guardians! She thought there must be limitations on their actions because the war would surely have ended long ago if they¡¯d been mobilised. ¡°Lords, rise,¡± the Lord Guardian spoke, his voice low and clear. They both straightened. As Amelia examined the Lord Guardian further, she noticed his scarred face was... still scarred. Was he out of range when she cast her healing spell? Or did her magic not work well enough in the Shimmer? Perhaps he avoided it somehow. If Amelia¡¯s hidden theory was correct, then he chose to keep his scars. Maybe he was proud of them? Possibly he saw them in a similar manner to how Serena saw her bronze eagle - a physical symbol of their achievements and record of their duties. Amelia also noticed a faint smell of blood lingering on the demon. It wasn¡¯t there before. Had he been fighting someone recently? In between the time of their last meeting and this one? Who had he fought with, and why? ¡°I thought you said you were returning to your original duties,¡± Amelia blurted out before hastily adding, ¡°Lord Guardian¡± as Serena tensed beside her. Oops, was she supposed to wait for him to talk first? She was, wasn¡¯t she? The Lord Guardian frowned but thankfully didn¡¯t seem angry. ¡°I did. Now, your antics are my current duties.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Amelia mumbled. ¡°I¡¯m not in trouble, am I? It¡¯s really not my fault!¡± she protested. ¡°It¡¯s the fault of whoever let the slums become like this, you know!? Have you seen the condition of the people here? It¡¯s terrible! That... Noburu was right! People are barely surviving! Everyone¡¯s so thin! There¡¯s no law and order! I-¡± She was cut off by the Lord Guardian raising a palm. He looked at her for a long moment, then looked to his left as if thinking. ¡°Your personality...¡± he quietly said, as if talking to himself. ¡°It¡¯s as if...¡± He was silent for a few more seconds before mumbling one more word. ¡°...Sisters...¡± He suddenly shook his large head. ¡°I¡¯ve made a decision,¡± he said. ¡°Return to the academy and continue as you have. Greatlord Oshiro is aware of your actions today. He will give you further guidance. Also...¡± he gestured with his head towards the front door. ¡°Drop your spellwork on those outside. I will take them into custody. Understand?¡± ¡°Yes, Lord Guardian,¡± Serena intoned. ¡°Yes! Lord Guardian!¡± Amelia echoed, ending her Kanaxai sleeping spells. She knew she should take an attitude of deference to the Lord Guardian, but she couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What about the children? I can¡¯t-¡± ¡°The children will be protected. An Imperial tracker will find the other two. Do not worry your troubled heart, Lord-Prospect Thornheart.¡± The man¡¯s piercing gaze lingered on Amelia. It wasn¡¯t a look of friendliness like she would experience from Tomes or Dagon, but it also wasn¡¯t the harsh, imposing stare of hostile intimidation. ¡°Did you observe closely before?¡± he suddenly asked. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to use that man¡¯s method. His blessing allows him to access the Shimmer in an alternative way. You should aim to copy me instead.¡± Amelia blinked. ¡°Umm, I looked, but I still don¡¯t understand exactly what I¡¯m looking for!¡± She had tried to see how the Lord Guardian moved into the Shimmer, and she expected an ¡®ah ha!¡¯ moment after observing him, but she struggled to find anything obvious! ¡°Hmm...¡± He thought for a moment. ¡°Focus on your shadow.¡± ¡°M-my shadow?¡± Amelia spluttered. Of all the advice she thought she might get, that was leagues away from what she thought it could be! What did her shadow have to do with anything!? ¡°Thanks,¡± Amelia smiled. Ah, her girlfriend was so dependable and accepting, wasn¡¯t she? ¡°Although...¡± Serena raised an eyebrow. ¡°Your tab is building up.¡± ¡°My tab?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Serena nodded as if she were talking about the most serious of matters. ¡°The tab of cheek-pulling and hair-ruffling you¡¯ll be subject to next time we¡¯re alone.¡± ¡°O-okay!¡± Amelia spluttered, trying to hide her delight. After all, this meant Serena was going to reward her, didn¡¯t it!? Such a dependable, accepting, and loving girlfriend! She was the luckiest human alive! ¡°We¡¯ll talk later. I¡¯ll come and find you,¡± Oshiro instructed Highlord Yasuda. ¡°Greatlord,¡± the highlord intoned. The man bowed deeply before leaving the office. After the door closed, a long silence developed. Highlord Yasuda¡¯s report sat fresh in his mind, with Oshiro carefully considering his options. He ruminated for several minutes until the light clinking of a tea cup brought him out of his thoughts. ¡°What¡¯s your decision?¡± Chesterfield asked. The man was relaxed, and why wouldn¡¯t he be? The action undertaken by Amelia Thornheart was precisely as he¡¯d predicted. ¡°It¡¯s not something we can hide,¡± Oshiro answered, his voice even. ¡°Too large of an event around too many horns. We managed to limit the spread of the Sakamoto incident because it happened in the Wilderness during storm season. But this?¡± He clenched his hands together. ¡°We have to ride this storm.¡± ¡°Mmm,¡± Chesterfield hummed. ¡°She is like a storm, isn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°When will the Demon Church make their announcement?¡± He asked, ignoring the casual remark. ¡°There are still some bighorns resistant to the idea of canonising a human,¡± Chesterfield explained with a sigh. ¡°But the Imperial pressure we¡¯re putting on them is only increasing. This event will give us the leverage we need. It¡¯s also good timing; the incoming moonrain will keep people distracted. The extra time will allow the problematic Lords to untwist their horns.¡± Ah yes. The problematic Lords. Despite the fact she was entitled as a Speaker, Thornheart becoming a Lord-Prospect caused discomfort amongst many of her peers. Now, she would cause even more ripples from this mass-healing event. The only saving grace was she healed the bottom rung of society. At least the Far East couldn¡¯t claim their peers were hoarding the human¡¯s capability for themselves. ¡°I¡¯m surprised,¡± Chesterfield continued. ¡°That you¡¯re letting Highlord Yasuda take credit for this scheme. Normally, something of this magnitude would fall upon your shoulders, Greatlord.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll use the celebratory nature of this event to cover up Lord Kanamori¡¯s punishment. His corruption is embarrassing for Highlord Yasuda, and his embarrassment is my embarrassment.¡± He gave Chesterfield a hard stare. ¡°I will not let the blame fall on him. I will shield him from any naysayers.¡± ¡°Generous,¡± intoned Chesterfield, taking a sip from his cup. ¡°And who will replace this fallen Lord? The Asamaywa Station is the busiest part of the Eastern rail network. It needs Imperial oversight.¡± Oshiro grumbled his agreement. ¡°I¡¯m considering giving it to Highlord Corvus.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Chesterfield¡¯s eyebrow rose, his mouth curling into an amused smile. ¡°Now they will say the Dragon is even more ambitious.¡± Oshiro scoffed. ¡°Of course he is. War brings out ambitious men. I didn¡¯t become Greatlord by sitting down and tapping my horns!¡± He reached across his desk and refilled his cup. ¡°The station will appease him, and with this conflict ending soon, his ambition will temper.¡± Highlord Corvus was a valuable man, earning both the title of Highlord and the rank of Rear-Admiral in the last eight years. He should be well-satiated with managing one of the most important territories in the East. And if he wasn¡¯t... well, there was a limit to how fast and quickly one would be allowed to rise. They both sat in silence, drinking their tea. The honey fragrance filled the room, settling Oshiro¡¯s mind. Eventually, feeling the time was right, he asked his old friend something that had been on his mind for a long time. ¡°How is she so powerful?¡± Chesterfield didn¡¯t answer immediately, taking his time to delicately place his teacup on its saucer. ¡°How powerful do you think she is, anyway?¡± he asked. ¡°She... feels like Vikram,¡± he answered frankly. ¡°But I cannot understand how it¡¯s possible. She is too young to have communed so many Words. Against her newly-achieved aura, I am confident. But her magic?¡± Oshiro tapped the desk. ¡°I fear I may be embarrassed.¡± The question of Amelia Thornheart had been on his mind ever since the meal. The woman was undeniably friendly and of no threat to demonkind, but her amenable personality did not satisfy the question of her power. She wasn¡¯t lying about her age. He¡¯d met energetic mages who kept a youthful appearance with their Kanaxai glamours, but he could always detect the underlying wisdom of their actual age. Not with Lord-Prospect Thornheart. The woman was truly in her mid-twenties with all the youthful eagerness and naivety that often came with it. ¡°I thought she was the Empress,¡± he admitted, prompting Chesterfield to laugh softly. ¡°In disguise, of course,¡± he added. ¡°She looks terribly similar to her, doesn¡¯t she? If you put the right pair of Cerulean horns on her, she might even trick a few people, especially if she goes around healing people!¡± ¡°We¡¯re aware of the similarity,¡± Chesterfield answered, his voice even. ¡°A happy coincidence, that¡¯s all. If anything, it¡¯ll make it easier for the Demon Church to name her as a saint. Made in the Empress¡¯s image, and all that...¡± He trailed off, shrugging lightly before resuming drinking his tea. Was that a lie? Oshiro thought. Was it really a coincidence? His old friend was almost impossible to read now, especially after the man received his blessing. He couldn¡¯t help but suspect that below everything, beyond the games of politics and lords, there was a deep underlying connection between Amelia Thornheart and the Empress. Now, it seemed, was not the time to bring it into the cold moonlight. ¡°The other girl,¡± he said, changing the subject. ¡°Seonmi San. Are you confident she¡¯ll stay under control?¡± He valued Serena Halen enormously and didn¡¯t want to see trouble come to her because they forced unneeded dangers upon her crew. The addition of the mistwalker Noburu had a purpose, but Seonmi was more for their own end: to weaken the influence of the Far Eastern Lords now quietly whispering of rebellion. ¡°We¡¯ve made her understand that regaining her House is contingent on impressing Captain Halen,¡± he placed his teacup down, blinking twice at Oshiro. ¡°Or will that be Commodore Halen?¡± ¡°Are you unhappy about my recommendation?¡± Oshiro asked. ¡°Not at all. It¡¯s something we envisioned happening in the future. If Captain Halen can achieve so much with one ship, imagine the results she¡¯ll manage in the next war as Commodore Halen, with an entire squadron of ships.¡± Chesterfield looked to the side momentarily. ¡°Although I wish you¡¯d notified us first. She¡¯s working for Intelligence now, remember.¡± ¡°I have no obligation to do so,¡± Oshiro pointed out. Imperial influence had grown dramatically over the Terra Firmas in the last eight years of conflict. As the Empress enacted more and more wartime powers, the Lords of the Empire found their autonomy shrinking by the year. Many, including himself, were looking forward to the end of it all. The words Chesterfield said ran through his mind once again. The next war, the man had said. Maybe it was a slip of the tongue, or perhaps it was intentional. Either way, it was strangely reassuring that his old friend, with the power he held, was as pessimistic as he was regarding the prospect of a long peace. May the Empress protect them all. And the moons fall upon her enemies. Chapter Sixty-Nine: Moonrain Chapter Sixty-Nine: Moonrain Amelia carefully continued her walk up the magic tower¡¯s staircase, glad to see that Lunaria¡¯s floor was finally in sight. It had been a slow process; the stacked plates of cooked meats and cheese bites were one wrong step away from causing an avalanche of nibbles. She¡¯d enlisted Mel¡¯s help, trying to convince her that this would be some form of balance training. The warrior wasn¡¯t convinced, but still happily came with her to and from the kitchens. ¡°I¡¯m dizzy,¡± Mel muttered. ¡°Every time I come up here. Twelve floors of winding staircase! Why do mages always build towers? Why can¡¯t they stay closer to the ground like normal people?¡± She shook her head. ¡°Honestly, I think they do it just to mess with us.¡± Amelia giggled, causing the trays to wobble. ¡°Ah!¡± She exclaimed, rebalancing the precarious stack. ¡°There we go... phew!¡± She pondered Mel¡¯s words for a moment. ¡°I don¡¯t know; I always thought it had to do with the circles.¡± ¡°Circles?¡± ¡°Yeah, First-Circle, Second-Circle and so on. From a bird''s eye view, the floors of the tower would be circles, right? And there are twelve: three circles of magic for non-Speakers, three after the First-Word, three after the Second-Word, and three after the Third-Word. Makes sense, right?¡± ¡°Mmm...¡± Mel hummed. ¡°Could be that.¡± It seemed logical enough to Amelia. Still, the magic accessible after the Third-Word, the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth circles of magic were more or less mythological concepts to the mages here. Their only understanding came from imaginative stories coupled with scripture documenting the Empress¡¯s actions throughout history. She decided not to mention the different, titanic powerful forms of power she was able to access in the game. She didn¡¯t know if they existed in this world and dared not invoke them in case they did! She¡¯d barely controlled the Second-Word, and the one after that was frightening enough! Together, they managed to enter Lunaria¡¯s observatory without dropping any nibbles. She even got a small ovation as she caught the attention of the other moonrain party-goers. She and Mel were able to place their haul on a nearby table. ¡°You should have asked for me, Assistant Instructor!¡± A voice called. Amelia turned to see Hinako approaching with a look of guilt on her face. ¡°I would have helped!¡± ¡°Amelia,¡± Amelia cheerfully replied. ¡°Not Assistant Instructor, remember? Amelia¡¯s fine, Hinako! Okay?¡± ¡°Oh...¡± Hinako looked to the left and right before leaning in and half-whispering, ¡°But there are so many other staff around! Even Speakers! Are you sure it¡¯s appropriate? Eee-!¡± The woman jumped; Lunaria had appeared next to her like a ghost. ¡°Do not worry yourself, young woman,¡± Lunaria intoned, her aged face showing mirth. ¡°This is a casual event, and dear Amelia is...¡± She paused for a moment. ¡°A casual person, isn¡¯t that right? You won¡¯t be offending anyone to use her name here.¡± ¡°I see!¡± Hinako bowed. ¡°Thank you, Head Instructor!¡± ¡°Amelia,¡± Lunaria continued, ¡°Would you like to see the view? The balcony is open.¡± The Head Instructor gestured to the side of the room where large sections of the wall had slid together, leaving wide openings to enter the balcony that ran the rim of the observatory. Amelia looked up, seeing the roof was closed in anticipation of the coming moonrain. ¡°Mmm, sure!¡± she said, nodding happily. Lunaria led her outside. The balcony was slim, extending not much more than a meter. Above it, a sloped roof would protect them from falling moonstones. Beyond... the city of Asamaywa was laid out in all its beauty. From this high up, she could even see Asamoto to the north! The Three Sisters were fascinating, similar in some ways to Kenhoro but also very different. The architecture was mostly the same, with the same sloped roofs and stylised pagodas, but there was a distinct lack of kami depictions. It seemed that the Quinto religion wasn¡¯t as popular here as it was further to the west. Stone was used more in construction, as was plaster. The city had a kind of grandness that was hard to pinpoint. Well, it wasn¡¯t the capital of the Eastern Terra Firma for nothing! Amelia leaned slightly over the balcony, looking up. ¡°Whoa...¡± she muttered, the view causing her mouth to drop open. It was night, with the moonrain due to start any minute. Contrasting against the darkness, the blue-hued sky above glistened. Thousands, no, millions of moonstones, no, aetherliths, were primed to enter the denser parts of the atmosphere. They sparkled in the night sky, reflecting the moonlight. It was the most beautiful thing she¡¯d ever seen. Well, the most beautiful inorganic thing. She existed, after all, and Amelia was well aware of how thoroughly adorable and beautiful she was! And then, she supposed, above even her... Was Serena! Careful. Going to make myself blush! she thought, scratching her cheek. When was Serena going to arrive, anyway? Amelia looked around, not seeing the telltale pair of horns amongst the chattering party-goers. Serena didn¡¯t believe Amelia¡¯s claims that she could pick out her pair of horns from a crowd of thousands. Little did her girlfriend know, she¡¯d burned the exact shape of her horns into memory, never to be forgotten! ¡°The moons have blessed us with a clear night,¡± Lunaria said softly. ¡°Look to the west; you can even see the Yellow Moon of Centralis.¡± Amelia followed Lunaria¡¯s finger, surprised to see the tiny yellow orb above the Asamaywa Mountains. It had a regal warmth to it. Amelia couldn¡¯t help but wonder what it would be like to live in Centralis, where the population was bathed in yellow light every night. She¡¯d already grown used to the blue light in the East. ¡°Whoa! Are any others visible?¡± she asked, stretching her neck to get a better look. ¡°You might glimpse the Red Moon of the South if you catch it on its apogee, but it¡¯ll be hazy. You¡¯ll be looking through the atmospheric dust of the Shattered Isles and the desert. You can get a decent view most nights from Ponan. The Southern Lights become particularly intense after the red moonrain.¡± ¡°Southern... Lights?¡± Amelia echoed, tilting her head. ¡°You¡¯ve never seen them?¡± Lunaria asked. ¡°Or heard about them?¡± When Amelia shook her head, the Head Instructor continued, ¡°It¡¯s an atmospheric phenomenon of how red moonlight behaves when it bounces through the desert dust. It looks like...¡± Lunaria motioned with her hand. ¡°Ribbons of silk, made of light, hundreds of miles long, dancing along the atmosphere.¡± Oh... Amelia¡¯s brain clicked. It sounded similar to a well-known phenomenon in her old world! She¡¯d never had the opportunity to travel to the Arctic Republic to see them in person, but she¡¯d enjoyed the experience through her gaming headset many times! ¡°Sounds amazing!¡± she said, smiling happily. The Southern Lights would be another item added to the list of things she¡¯d have to see with Serena! Speaking of... she looked around, again failing to find Serena¡¯s horns amongst the crowd. It was strange that her heart would still beat so much in anticipation of seeing her despite only leaving her presence a few hours ago! Was she still in what they called the honeymoon phase? Every time she thought that the butterflies in her stomach had stopped fluttering, they fired back every time she saw Serena smile or blush! I¡¯m sorry Ren, Amelia thought. Your blushing gives me a positive feedback loop. Hang in there!@@@@ ¡°You¡¯ve been busy today, I see,¡± Lunaria said, bringing Amelia¡¯s attention back to her. ¡°Mmm?¡± Amelia replied. ¡°Your mass healing.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Had everyone here already found out about it? Had news travelled that fast? ¡°I¡¯m surprised you knew already... but I suppose you sensed it.¡± Any mage of Lunaria¡¯s talent would have found whatever they were doing rudely interrupted by Amelia¡¯s magic. The ripple in the aetherfield would have given whoever manned the aetherscopes a scare. Amelia sent a silent apology to them. Hopefully, they didn¡¯t have to stay up late buried in paperwork because of her! What, did she want some loqua as well? They were friends! Of course, she could have some! She must have been too nervous to ask. It was an expensive drink, after all. ¡°Here,¡± Amelia said. ¡°Take this; I¡¯ll share Serena¡¯s.¡± ¡°S-share?¡± Mel muttered for some reason. Still, her friend took Amelia¡¯s mug and, after some hesitation, took a sip. The moment she did, her eyes widened. That¡¯s how you become addicted, Amelia thought. Now, no other alcohol will come close to loqua! Sorry Mel! Amelia and Serena took turns holding the mug and sipping the delicious drink. The stones started coming down heavier now. The pinging had become more like thudding as larger pieces collided with the ground and roofs. Serena had said they slowed down, but these were going fast enough to kill anyone! She was about to open her mouth to ask but then realised it was a terrible idea. To most people, she was a resident of the world. While she could use the excuse of a lack of formal education as to why she didn¡¯t know the scientific or magical explanations for things to do with the moon, it would seem weird if she asked a question that made her sound like this was her first ever moonrain. It was a good idea to wait; as the moonrain intensified, the falling stones became brighter, and as they became brighter, they travelled slower. With her perception, she understood why. The moonstones with higher crystal content reacted stronger with the lumina and slowed down more. The rocks that were slamming into the ground were those that were, well, just rocks. The change was noticeable in the Shimmer as well. The plain rocks didn¡¯t affect the aetherfield much, but the ones with more crystal bent the aetherfield towards them proportionally to the crystal content. As time went on, the descending stones increased in density. It was as if the heavens were falling - thousands of blue lights descending upon the world. If someone were to see this from her old world, they would think of it as a religious event. It was truly magical. Despite the odd loud thud, the sloped roof above them held well, as did all the roof coverings of the city''s residents. However, she saw a few chimney pots get destroyed and broken. The streets were empty; it would be madness for an unprotected person to take a single step outside. ¡°A lot of smoke tonight,¡± someone said. Amelia was captivated by the night sky. The ground, no, all of Asamaywa, began to glisten as the moonstones continued to shine even after they landed. They didn¡¯t shine like an aetherlight, they would need to be properly processed for that. No, they shone with a natural blue hue and glinted as they reflected the moon above. It was a beautiful sight. Even so, she had something more beautiful and pure next to her. Amelia couldn¡¯t help but steal a few glances to the side, where the outline of Serena¡¯s sharp features, lit by the blue moonlight, was intoxicating. The curve of her nose, her lips that were much softer than they looked... Amelia quickly looked away but found her mind pulling her eyes back towards her girlfriend. The tickle of butterflies in her stomach was as addictive as the loqua! ¡°Focus,¡± Serena mumbled, her face clearly hiding a smile. ¡°Sorry,¡± Amelia whispered. She looked forward and then to the left. Mel was staring intently ahead, a blush on her face. Was she cold? ¡°There go the Houks!¡± Someone shouted, pointing to the distance. Amelia frowned, flaring her perception. There, in the sky beyond the city limits of Asamaywa, was a fleet of small ships flying through the moonrain. The ships looked strange, like nothing she¡¯d seen before. It looked like someone had taken a normal fishing ship, like the ones she¡¯d seen crossing the air space near Nai, and added a bunch of... buckets? ¡°They¡¯re mad!¡± someone exclaimed. ¡°Imagine what it sounds like inside!¡± ¡°You couldn¡¯t pay me to do that!¡± ¡°Are those... buckets?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°Are they trying to catch the moonstones?¡± ¡°Any crystal that falls upon a Captain¡¯s ship is theirs to keep and use as fuel,¡± Serena explained. ¡°In the East, due to the war, people cannot collect the crystals like they used to. Years ago, before the restrictions were in place, all the city¡¯s residents would hang out buckets to catch as much as possible. Now, the only exception is the old law applying to those lucky enough to own a ship. The buckets are to maximise surface area. They make a profit, providing their ship isn¡¯t destroyed. They¡¯re nicknamed Houks, as in Houk-class after the famous Yellow Rogue, Erik Houk. He became known across the Empire for campaigning for the law to be passed. Wherever you go, you¡¯ll see Houks every moonrain, some taking more risk than others.¡± Amelia decided there and then, if she ever had the power, she would ensure a Halen-class line of ships were made, all in honour of her girlfriend! ¡°Is it... dangerous?¡± she asked. ¡°A few ships go down every moonrain, but rarely fatal. Often, the cause is a rock hitting the flaperons or some other part of the ship critical to flight, so they have to make a controlled landing. As long as they sail over the lowlands and not the city, it¡¯s fine. The real danger is to the people who go out on foot.¡± Serena sniffed. ¡°I think something¡¯s burning...¡± Bells started to ring across the city. Amelia saw Serena frown. ¡°Fire!¡± someone in the room yelled. ¡°There¡¯s a fire! From below the city!¡± Everyone, including Amelia and Serena, rushed to the east side of the balcony, the structure barely wide enough to fit everyone cramming in to take a look. There, billowing up past the plateau''s edge, were thick columns of black smoke. No longer did the falling moonstones capture anyone''s attention. Instead, they were occupied with the abject horror of what the smoke implied. ¡°Empress...¡± a muttered prayer was heard. ¡°That¡¯s a big fire,¡± Serena said solemnly. ¡°I-isn¡¯t that?¡± Amelia turned towards Serena, her eyes wide. ¡°Isn¡¯t that where we were?¡± Serena blinked before saying quietly, ¡°...It looks like it.¡± ¡°Hail!¡± An instructor appeared in the room, judging by the sweat on his forehead, he had raced up all twelve floors. ¡°Fire!¡± he exclaimed between breaths. ¡°In the lowlands! Near the Asamaywa Station! Any mages or warriors who can protect themselves against the moonrain are asked to come! If you can¡¯t protect yourself but are capable of water or ice conjuring, please find someone to protect you! It¡¯s already engulfed four streets! It¡¯s an inferno! Civilian firefighters are being struck by the moonstones! They need support!¡± A deadly silence took over the room. ¡°Stop just standing there!¡± Lunaria bellowed, clapping her hands. ¡°Let¡¯s go! Their taxes pay for our salaries, so we should show them we¡¯re earning it!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll come,¡± Serena said with a nod. ¡°Me too!¡± Hinako declared. ¡°And me!¡± Mel added. ¡°There¡¯s no time to waste,¡± Serena said, eyeing the staff members hurrying down the stairs. ¡°Let¡¯s jump. We can run to the city edge and jump from there.¡± Jump! What did she mean, jump!? As if reading Amelia¡¯s thoughts, Serena said, ¡°Just like in Kenhoro. Come on! People are dying!¡± ¡°R-right!¡± Amelia tensed her fists. She¡¯d grown since then. Now wasn¡¯t the time to panic! She was sure Kiku and the children were safe, the Lord Guardian would keep his word. But what about the other residents? Her mind recalled the excessive jettying she saw in the lowland architecture. Her idle comment of it being a fire hazard was now fresh in her mind. Every second she wasted was more suffering that could be prevented. She moved to the balcony¡¯s edge. And without any fanfare, without any crying or screaming, and, most importantly, without any hand-holding... She took a breath and jumped. Chapter 70: The Great Asamaywa Fire Chapter 70: The Great Asamaywa Fire Announcement This is a banger of a chapter at 6.5k words! It''s one I''ve been looking to put on SH/RR for a while now! If you like it and want more, the is four chapters ahead! With a brief sense of vertigo followed by rushing wind, Amelia slammed into the paving stones below, cracking the slabs. Compared to the time in Kenhoro, her level of control was better; she managed to land on two feet this time and not her head. ¡°W-whoa!¡± she exclaimed, spinning her arms to reclaim her balance. A moment later, Serena landed next to her in a flash of black uniform and yellow aura. Her girlfriend bent her knees on impact before fluidly transitioning into walking. Serena made it look as if she¡¯d just stepped off a stair. Amelia had to admit - it looked cool. Mel came next, flaring her aura into orange before smashing into the ground and rolling to the side. Then came Hinako, cycling her aether to push against the lumina far below to slow her descent. It worked a little, but she still landed heavy with an adrenaline-fueled scream. Finally, Lunaria came floating down. The massive quantity of aether the woman could control enabled her to descend elegantly. She made contact with the ground with a gentle kiss. ¡°We need to get to the plateau''s edge!¡± Serena announced. As she spoke, a moonstone smashed into her shoulder, breaking into pieces. Serena didn¡¯t even react; her yellow aura was sufficient to make such strikes meaningless. ¡°Let¡¯s run!¡± she shouted. Amelia didn¡¯t wait. She moved with determination, running through the academy grounds and jumping the wall. In the air, she had a moment of weightlessness, once again captivated by the beauty of the moonrain. Falling blue crystals littered her vision, sparkling with their light. Then she landed and, after a brief stumble, was off running again. Serena was next to her, and together, they were running faster than anyone had ever sprinted in her old world. They would be able to go faster, but the thousands of moonstones littering the floor posed a threat to their feet. One or both of them tripped and fell on more than a few occasions. Several times, Amelia ran into a moonstone as it fell in front of her, slowing her down even more. From behind, the voices of the others were heard. ¡°H-how can they run so fast!?¡± ¡°Keep going Hinako, don¡¯t trip!¡± ¡°Y-yes!¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± Lunaria mumbled as she came up to Amelia¡¯s side, practically gliding. ¡°You can hear it now.¡± Through the plinking and thudding of thousands of moonstones, the sounds of the inferno from far below the city reached them. A harsh, continuous roar of the flames, joined by the cracking and popping of burning wood and the tinkering of exploding glass. Just as these sounds became known, they were joined by the city''s sirens. The droning alarms were a different tone to the alarm Amelia had triggered before. A specific one for fire, perhaps? The wind picked up as they crossed the last corner to the boardwalk along the city¡¯s eastern rim. It pushed them from behind as if encouraging them towards the fire. It was not a natural wind but a wind born from the massive amount of superheated air rising with the black smoke. The group approached the rim, the scale of the fire now causing even Amelia to gawk in awe. Her mind struggled to comprehend the scale of what she was seeing. Even though they were still several hundred meters above the lowlands, being this close to the city''s edge put the fire into a new perspective. The black smoke didn¡¯t look all that threatening from the magic tower, but being in front of it, it came across as an impenetrable wall of darkness stretching as far into the sky as Amelia could see. The smoke was so dense that moonstones falling into it seemed to blink out of existence, their soft glow unable to be seen through the smothering smoke. To her left, mages with the uniform of a different academy were manifesting large spheres of water over the rim''s edge, letting them fall. Civilian firefighters were holding a dozen water hoses, spraying jets of water down below, yet something seemed to have gone wrong with the water pressure, and they were struggling to keep a constant torrent of water flowing. Warriors stood beside them, holding large shields to fend off the falling stones. ¡°I can¡¯t see a thing,¡± Serena said, peering over the edge. ¡°The heat! I¡¯ve never felt anything like it!¡± Amelia joined her, looking down at the billowing inferno. The heat was causing freak weather patterns, and some of the smoke was twisting into tornados. It looked like an unstoppable catastrophe. How could anyone survive that!? Could she even do anything!? No! Amelia shook her head. She would push forward and not linger with hopeless thoughts! The Lord Guardian would have protected Kiku and the children; she was sure of his word. The important thing now was to do her best! ¡°Against this conflagration... with this quantity of water...¡± Lunaria mumbled, looking at the attempts of dozens of firefighters and mages. ¡°I fear the water would only evaporate before it hit the ground. We need more water...¡± Lunaria turned to face Amelia. ¡°It¡¯s improper to ask, but given the situation... can you invoke Yemaya?¡± Yemaya. The human god of water. Amelia closed her eyes, trying to form the Word. Her aether didn¡¯t respond. It wasn¡¯t unexpected. Amelia¡¯s abilities somewhat lined up with the game character she developed, and that character only learned the Words of Divinity so she could roleplay as a human healer! She never knew any other human Words! ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± Amelia replied. ¡°What about Taranis? He¡¯s the demon god of storms; would that make a difference?¡± Lunaria shook her head. ¡°His storms generate water but will bring lightning to start new fires and winds to spread the existing fire. It¡¯s not efficient enough. I imagine the best way you could help would be to Speak Aseco and ward the warriors who will be evacuating people. You can then heal those they rescue. I fear...¡± Lunaria peered over the ledge, her expression darkening at the black expanse. ¡°If you go down there, you risk dying from smoke inhalation. You may think you can constantly heal yourself, but one slip of concentration might be the end. It only takes one breath of smoke.¡± Amelia swallowed. Sure, her healing was a fantastic addition to the situation, but why wasn¡¯t Lunaria talking about the obvious demonic Word? Amelia hadn¡¯t yet gone through a comprehensive list of Words with Serena. She¡¯d wanted to, of course, but Serena had refused, claiming some Words were military secrets that she should not discuss with a civilian. She also refused on the basis that if Amelia¡¯s list turned out to be more comprehensive than what Serena knew, then it was information Serena could give up if she was ever captured. Shaking her head, she decided to risk asking about one Word. It was a Second-Word, but it seemed the most capable way to extinguish the fire. It would be a risk, as she¡¯d never Spoken it before, but she was confident after Asclepius she would have better control over herself and not become so... weird. ¡°What about...¡± Amelia kept her voice low, ¡°Suijin?¡± Suijin. The demonic god of water. ¡°What?¡± Lunaria replied, her eyes narrowing. ¡°Even if such a communion was possible against his strength, Suijin hasn¡¯t responded to any embodiments for nearly two centuries now. He no longer has an interest in this realm. We know that much.¡± ¡°I see...¡± Amelia mumbled, dropping the subject. She was about to open her mouth when she sensed a powerful figure fly up from the black smoke. His black wings spread wide before he torpedoed towards the city''s edge, landing heavily while coughing. His clothes were once fine; now, they were frayed, burnt, and covered in ash. His skin was patchy in places where he¡¯d been burned. This man had invoked Narean. Of that, Amelia was sure. His aura was a firm indigo, the telltale colour of the sixth aura level and the highest level achievable before needing to Speak the Second-Word. ¡°Highlord Yasuda!¡± shouted a nearby warrior guarding the firefighters. ¡°What news!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s little use!¡± Yasuda yelled, gesturing towards the firehoses and orbs of magically-manifested water. ¡°Save your aether!¡± He pointed at the nearby homes. ¡°Soak every house between lift one to lift seven! Soak this trackway as well!¡± He stamped his foot against the wooden floorboards twice. ¡°Spread the word! And tell the men to knock on every house within half a klick of the city''s edge! The residents need to be ready to put out fires starting in their own homes! Give out sand buckets to them!¡± He pointed to the sky. ¡°It¡¯s only getting worse! The fire will lift burning debris all the way here! We cannot let this spread into Asamaywa Proper! Go! Now! Spread the message down the line!¡± ¡°Yes, Highlord!¡± The warrior bowed as a moonstone narrowly missed his face. ¡°You, you, and you! With me! Firefighters, save the water!¡± The man began diligently carrying out his duties. Highlord Yasuda turned, stopping when he saw Amelia and everyone else. ¡°Lord Inoue! Lord Halen! And...¡± He bowed. ¡°Lord-Prospect Thornheart! Down below, the lowlanders speak prayers in your name! Have you come to offer healing? Hundreds will die without you!¡± His wings flapped, the motion somehow adding gravitas to his statement. A surge of emotion welled within Amelia. Sadness. Guilt. Fear. She pushed them down. She might not be able to save everyone, but she could heal those she could! ¡°Yes!¡± Amelia said decisively. ¡°I¡¯ll be here for as long as I need! Where should I go!?¡± ¡°Into the heart of the inferno!¡± Yasuda shouted. ¡°Fear not, an earthlord has managed to construct walls to protect an area! A handful of mages and a dozen warriors are trapped there while the fire burns, but their spirits burn stronger!¡± He clenched a fist. ¡°They are still braving the flames to bring back the almost-dead! They risk their lives at every moment! Your divine intervention is needed! Will you go!?¡± She nodded frantically. ¡°I will go!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°Where are they trapped?¡± She peered over the edge, seeing nothing but billowing black smoke. ¡°There!¡± he pointed down. Amelia focused her perception and found she could identify the earthlord through the black smoke. Not from sight, but his signature in the aetherfield; the Speaker of Salinas shone. Nearby to him, she could sense the aether signatures of mages and warriors, but no other Speakers. ¡°I see it!¡± she yelled. ¡°I will go with her!¡± Serena declared. ¡°My Narean will be of use.¡± She turned to face Mel. ¡°Melanie Mori!¡± she commanded. ¡°Yes, Instructor Halen!?¡± Mel snapped to attention as if her body was reacting reflexively to Serena¡¯s captain mode. ¡°Come with me! With Amelia¡¯s assistance, you can maintain that orange aura for as long as you need! You¡¯ll help me rescue those from the inferno!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Lunaria stepped forward. ¡°Highlord Yasuda. Always a pleasure.¡± She smiled at the man. ¡°How can this old woman help?¡± ¡°Lord Inoue.¡± Yasuda bowed quickly. ¡°We are constructing earthworks below to the south. We must protect the station and the lifts! Your reserves of magic would be of tremendous help! The rocky terrain under the station is making things difficult!¡± ¡°Very well then,¡± Lunaria¡¯s eyes glinted. ¡°Miss Aikawa, with me! We shall leave immediately!¡± ¡°Yes, Head Instructor!¡± Hinako affirmed. ¡°Igni,¡± Lunaria Spoke. The ground under her feet cracked slightly as wings of hellfire formed on her back. Without another word, she picked Hinako up and flew to the south. The Spoken Word prompted the mages nearby to stop wetting the houses and look on in awe. It wasn¡¯t every day they would see a Speaker Speak, and even rarer to see one do so more or less silently. A chorus of murmurs reached Amelia¡¯s ears. ¡°Did you see that?¡± ¡°That was Lord Inoue, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°They call her the Aether Addict...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be distracted! Back to work!¡± Highlord Yasuda turned back towards Amelia, Serena, and Mel. ¡°I will-¡± He suddenly coughed, and Amelia realised he¡¯d likely been inhaling smoke for a while now. Without asking, she sent forth a burst of healing magic, then another burst of cleaning magic. ¡°I...¡± The demon looked at his clothes. ¡°I thank you, Healer Thornheart! My aura feels strong again! You¡¯ve reinvigorated my hope!¡± He gave her a firm nod. ¡°I shall give you two space to Speak. I shall see you down there!¡± He went to flap his wings. ¡°Wait!¡± Amelia piped up. ¡°Let me ward you first!¡± Despite the capabilities of a warrior''s aura, especially one of Yasuda¡¯s level, the man had been struggling after being exposed to such intense heat for so long. Amelia twisted her aether, willing it to form into the familiar shape of Igni¡¯s Barrier. It was only a first-circle spell, but it had strong fire resistance, which, when backed by Amelia¡¯s titanic amounts of aether, would be boosted even further. She cast the ward on Yasuda and then followed up by protecting Mel as well. For Mel, she also cast the Ward of Thew, enhancing her capabilities across the board. Her friend was only capable of orange aura, and Amelia wanted to minimise the risk she would face in the fire. She wouldn¡¯t let any of her friends die. To his credit, Yasuda recovered from his shock quickly. Externally cast and maintained wards were not common; this might have been the first time it happened to him. Nevertheless, he thanked her quickly. ¡°Then, I shall take the warrior Melanie Mori,¡± he declared. ¡°Lord Halen, Lord-Prospect, follow my aether signature after you¡¯ve Spoken!¡± ¡°Yes, Highlord!¡± Serena and Amelia echoed. Mel tried to say something, but Yasuda wasted no time picking her up and carrying her down into the black smoke. She wasn¡¯t sure, but Amelia thought she saw a blush on Mel¡¯s cheek. How scandalous! ¡°You can Speak silently,¡± Serena muttered. ¡°I can¡¯t. I¡¯ll jump and Speak mid-air. I have enough power under Narean to guide my fall. I¡¯ll go first.¡± Serena backed up, and without another word, she launched herself towards the oppressive mass of black smoke and its underlying inferno. ¡°Narean,¡± Serena Spoke as she fell. The force of her Word was explosive, pushing away a large section of the smoke and blasting Amelia with enough force to make her step back. If Serena had Spoken up here, she would probably have destroyed a house or two! Amelia swallowed. She peered over the ledge, glad to see Serena descending slowly towards the destination. Her horns were ignited with hellfire, and a tail made of the same ethereal fire stretched from the base of her spine. Hmm? What was that? Amelia peered closer. Usually, Serena had only a shadow of black wings, barely visible to the naked eye. Now, it was half-manifested! Her girlfriend was getting more powerful! Now, it was just Amelia. She took a deep breath, expelling the aether from her body. ¡°Aseco,¡± she Spoke, feeling the exhilarating thrill as power erupted within her body. The divine aether immediately made her feel her capabilities magnify by at least a magnitude. Perhaps even more. Under Aseco, Amelia glowed with golden light, brightening the area for fifty meters. The nearby mages were gawking at her, too surprised to say anything. Amelia didn¡¯t jump; she simply used her aether to will her body to lift and fly. Her connection with the aetherfield was strong, and she could now push her aether against not only the lumina kilometres below but also the aetherfield itself. Effectively, she could fly. And so she did. Amelia tore through the sky, racing down through the darkness towards the signatures of the Speakers below. For a moment, she wondered if she looked like a yellow moonstone falling to the ground. She took the opportunity of being airborne to stretch her senses. There were numerous Speakers in the distance, around the edges of the inferno, especially towards the train station to the south. One exceptionally bright spot in her perception was easily recognisable as Lunaria. Unfortunately, most of them seemed to be warriors. While a Speaker warrior was a huge help, it wasn¡¯t like a sword could cut down this inferno. Amelia sent a quick expression of gratitude to her past self for picking a mage in the game. This way, she could have a much greater effect on the world. A positive effect! ¡°Suijin,¡± she declared, trying to sound confident. A long silence developed between the three of them. With every passing second, Greatlord Oshiro¡¯s expression darkened further. ¡°You lie,¡± he finally said. ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± Amelia said, her protest sounding weaker than she hoped. ¡°I just-¡± ¡°It is not possible.¡± ¡°Greatlord...¡± Serena interrupted, speaking quietly and softly. Her girlfriend turned the Greatlord¡¯s attention upon herself, and instead of withering from his darkened expression, she faced him with confidence. ¡°If it¡¯s her... it is possible.¡± The man was deathly quiet. For a moment, Amelia thought he would never reply, but he eventually responded with a simple, ¡°How?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t fully understand it myself,¡± Serena replied, her voice even. ¡°I just know... she could call upon him. With your permission, of course, Greatlord.¡± Greatlord Oshiro turned towards Amelia. He stepped forward with an expression she¡¯d never seen him wear before. ¡°Tell me!¡± he demanded. ¡°Who are you, really!? The Overlord of my Overlord!? Are you the one I pray to!? The one I fight for? Answer me! If you are not her, then who are you!?¡± ¡°I... I¡¯m not!¡± Amelia spluttered, putting her hands up. ¡°I¡¯m not! I¡¯m only me! Amelia!¡± The greatlord glared at her for a dozen seconds. Amelia couldn¡¯t begin to guess his thoughts. How could she? She felt guilt for causing him such turmoil, but... she only wanted to help! ¡°Tsk! Then I will see this power for myself!¡± Greatlord Oshiro suddenly declared, all traces of conflict in his face evaporating. ¡°You have my permission, Lord-Prospect Thornheart. Invoke Suijin, and I shall be the judge of your sincerity.¡± ¡°Is... is it okay?¡± Amelia asked hesitantly. ¡°...Yes.¡± Amelia looked towards Serena, who gave her a small smile and a nod. ¡°Save that station,¡± her girlfriend said encouragingly. Somehow, despite the pressure and unease from Greatlord Oshiro, Serena¡¯s small smile brought back all of Amelia¡¯s confidence. ¡°Sure!¡± Amelia nodded. ¡°Only... I cannot guarantee I won¡¯t become a little...¡± Manic, she thought. I need to find a better word. ¡°Manic,¡± Serena explained to the greatlord. ¡°She¡¯s still new to invoking the Second-Word. I had to spend time calming her when she invoked Asclepius.¡± ¡°...I see.¡± Greatlord Oshiro took a step back and drew his sword. ¡°Very well then. Then here I take this vow.¡± He covered his sword in a brilliant indigo aura before driving it into the stone. ¡°Should you lose control of Suijin, then I...¡± He narrowed his eyes, his clothes billowing under some unseen wind as the ash was stirred up around him. ¡°...I, Takahiro Oshiro, shall suppress you!¡± Amelia swallowed. He was so cool! So ridiculously cool! ¡°I will help,¡± Serena added, her voice firm. ¡°I will bring you back, no matter what.¡± ¡°T-thank you!¡± Amelia said, pushing away the urge to giggle. ¡°Then... I¡¯ll go up a little and, um, begin...¡± She took a few steps back and, feeling tremendously awkward, cycled her aether to float up above. When she reached the height of the earthen wall, she began forming the Word. Suijin. It was slow progress, slower than it took with Asclepius. Her aether was moving like it was pushing through sludge. Yet it was moving. It was forming the Word. Without question or doubt in her mind, Amelia knew this; she was capable of calling for his embodiment. A minute passed, and it was finally complete. It was an enormous Word; the formation was even more complex than Asclepius. It took up her entire body, so much space that she had to drop the Sphere of Convalescence. But it was finished. And it felt oddly familiar. Was it because it was a demonic Word? Because she was a demon in the game? She cast one final look at Serena, gave her a small wave and said softly, ¡°See you in a bit.¡± She Spoke the Word. She didn¡¯t shout it like she did with Asclepius. No. She just said it. ¡°Suijin,¡± Amelia Spoke. The world slowed. The Shimmer opened to her, and her request snaked through the layered planes of reality, seeking its distant recipient. It hit resistance. Amelia¡¯s request didn¡¯t give up. It fought. It burrowed its way through the resistance until the pathway was clear, and it could finally deliver the request to the waiting deity. Then, without warning, the answer came. ¡°Who dares?¡± Suijin replied. Suijin swam through the endless ocean. This planet was his favourite, mainly because he was rarely bothered by his peers here. He had peace, and while enjoying that peace, Suijin kept swimming. He changed his form as he went, switching from small fish to massive sea-born predators pulled from thousands of memories. Then, he changed his form to water itself, merging with the planet''s natural currents. He let nature take its course, bringing him to the frigid poles and then back down to the warm waters around the equator. Some small tropical landmasses offered sandy beaches and delicious fruits. Every few years, he would make landfall, but there wouldn¡¯t be many rotations of the planet about its axis before he felt the pull of the water again. In the water, he could resonate more easily with the mists. In the water, he could get stronger. And Suijin desired strength. As all gods did. After his third trip around the planet, his divine intuition told him something was coming. A visitor? Suijin pulled his mass together and headed to the nearest landmass. He forced his body to change until it resembled the form he possessed before he ascended. He sat on the sandy beach, awaiting his visitor. Strangely, they were coming from an unusual place. Did he not know this deity? As they got closer, he realised an awful truth. It was not a they; it was an it. And that it was a request. A request for his embodiment! Who would have the audacity!? No, who would have the means? He had abandoned such things long ago. Raising a hand, he expelled some of his divinity, throwing a shield around the planet. The request slammed into it with an unfathomable amount of force. His celestial ward held. For a brief moment, Suijin thought that would be the end of it. Then, the request continued. Slowly but surely, it burrowed through his protection. The god gritted his teeth. Who, from that realm, had such power!? He was bound by the accord, unable to use his true strength to fight what he had previously agreed to. Still, for two centuries, it had been enough. He had withdrawn his presence from that world, refusing to commune with anyone else. Staying there was too painful. He watched as the request broke through his ward, searing down through the planet''s atmosphere. The moment it collided with him, he opened the channel. ¡°Who dares?¡± he asked, pushing as much anger as he could into the channel. A few seconds passed, and there was no answer. He hoped his reply would scare off or even kill whoever was on the other end, but he didn¡¯t expect his hopes to bear fruit. The connection was strong. He would have to sacrifice years of strength to break it. ¡°Umm, hello!¡± came a sudden reply. A voice. A woman. Young? Could it be that terrible demigod? ¡°I¡¯m Amelia! It¡¯s nice to meet you!¡± The voice continued. It wasn¡¯t her. It was someone else. ¡°Look, I¡¯m really sorry about this, but I need-¡± ¡°I refuse.¡± Suijin sent his angry reply. He cared little for what this woman wanted. ¡°Wait! Let me explain! There¡¯s this massive fire, and your embodiment is what-¡± ¡°I refuse.¡± ¡°Now...¡± the voice paused. ¡°Listen here, you bloody-¡± Anger. Frustration. Annoyance. All these emotions came through the channel. The strength of the connection intensified, and he caught a glimpse of the person on the other end. Beyond the superficial structure of her body, he could see her soul. Suijin opened his eyes wide, stretching his divine perception to the limit. Was he mistaken? He peeled away the layers of reality between him and this requestee, using the connection to move his perception closer and get a better look at the woman¡¯s soul. It was. There was no mistake. Alone on that planet, there was no one to see Suijin smile. But smile he did. ¡°I accept,¡± he said, sending his answer down the channel. Shortly after, he sent his embodiment. He would watch this closely. To think... this is how I would see you again, Esmeralda, Suijin thought. It would be an honour to aid you, even if only in part. Chapter Seventy: The Great Asamaywa Fire Chapter Seventy: The Great Asamaywa Fire Announcement This is a banger of a chapter at 6.5k words! It''s one I''ve been looking to put on SH/RR for a while now! If you like it and want more, the is four chapters ahead! With a brief sense of vertigo followed by rushing wind, Amelia slammed into the paving stones below, cracking the slabs. Compared to the time in Kenhoro, her level of control was better; she managed to land on two feet this time and not her head. ¡°W-whoa!¡± she exclaimed, spinning her arms to reclaim her balance. A moment later, Serena landed next to her in a flash of black uniform and yellow aura. Her girlfriend bent her knees on impact before fluidly transitioning into walking. Serena made it look as if she¡¯d just stepped off a stair. Amelia had to admit - it looked cool. Mel came next, flaring her aura into orange before smashing into the ground and rolling to the side. Then came Hinako, cycling her aether to push against the lumina far below to slow her descent. It worked a little, but she still landed heavy with an adrenaline-fueled scream. Finally, Lunaria came floating down. The massive quantity of aether the woman could control enabled her to descend elegantly. She made contact with the ground with a gentle kiss. ¡°We need to get to the plateau''s edge!¡± Serena announced. As she spoke, a moonstone smashed into her shoulder, breaking into pieces. Serena didn¡¯t even react; her yellow aura was sufficient to make such strikes meaningless. ¡°Let¡¯s run!¡± she shouted. Amelia didn¡¯t wait. She moved with determination, running through the academy grounds and jumping the wall. In the air, she had a moment of weightlessness, once again captivated by the beauty of the moonrain. Falling blue crystals littered her vision, sparkling with their light. Then she landed and, after a brief stumble, was off running again. Serena was next to her, and together, they were running faster than anyone had ever sprinted in her old world. They would be able to go faster, but the thousands of moonstones littering the floor posed a threat to their feet. One or both of them tripped and fell on more than a few occasions. Several times, Amelia ran into a moonstone as it fell in front of her, slowing her down even more. From behind, the voices of the others were heard. ¡°H-how can they run so fast!?¡± ¡°Keep going Hinako, don¡¯t trip!¡± ¡°Y-yes!¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± Lunaria mumbled as she came up to Amelia¡¯s side, practically gliding. ¡°You can hear it now.¡± Through the plinking and thudding of thousands of moonstones, the sounds of the inferno from far below the city reached them. A harsh, continuous roar of the flames, joined by the cracking and popping of burning wood and the tinkling of exploding glass. Just as these sounds became known, they were joined by the city''s sirens. The droning alarms were a different tone to the alarm Amelia had triggered before. A specific one for fire, perhaps? The wind picked up as they crossed the last corner to the boardwalk along the city¡¯s eastern rim. It pushed them from behind as if encouraging them towards the fire. It was not a natural wind but a wind born from the massive amount of superheated air rising with the black smoke. The group approached the rim, the scale of the fire now causing even Amelia to gawk in awe. Her mind struggled to comprehend the scale of what she was seeing. Even though they were still several hundred meters above the lowlands, being this close to the city''s edge put the fire into a new perspective. The black smoke didn¡¯t look all that threatening from the magic tower, but being in front of it, it came across as an impenetrable wall of darkness stretching as far into the sky as Amelia could see. The smoke was so dense that moonstones falling into it seemed to blink out of existence, their soft glow unable to be seen through the smothering smoke. To her left, mages with the uniform of a different academy were manifesting large spheres of water over the rim''s edge, letting them fall. Civilian firefighters were holding a dozen water hoses, spraying jets of water down below, yet something seemed to have gone wrong with the water pressure, and they were struggling to keep a constant torrent of water flowing. Warriors stood beside them, holding large shields to fend off the falling stones. ¡°I can¡¯t see a thing,¡± Serena said, peering over the edge. ¡°The heat! I¡¯ve never felt anything like it!¡± Amelia joined her, looking down at the billowing inferno. The heat was causing freak weather patterns, and some of the smoke was twisting into tornados. It looked like an unstoppable catastrophe. How could anyone survive that!? Could she even do anything!? No! Amelia shook her head. She would push forward and not linger with hopeless thoughts! The Lord Guardian would have protected Kiku and the children; she was sure of his word. The important thing now was to do her best! ¡°Against this conflagration... with this quantity of water...¡± Lunaria mumbled, looking at the attempts of dozens of firefighters and mages. ¡°I fear the water would only evaporate before it hit the ground. We need more water...¡± Lunaria turned to face Amelia. ¡°It¡¯s improper to ask, but given the situation... can you invoke Yemaya?¡± Yemaya. The human god of water. Amelia closed her eyes, trying to form the Word. Her aether didn¡¯t respond. It wasn¡¯t unexpected. Amelia¡¯s abilities somewhat lined up with the game character she developed, and that character only learned the Words of Divinity so she could roleplay as a human healer! She never knew any other human Words! ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± Amelia replied. ¡°What about Taranis? He¡¯s the demon god of storms; would that make a difference?¡± Lunaria shook her head. ¡°His storms generate water but will bring lightning to start new fires and winds to spread the existing fire. It¡¯s not efficient enough. I imagine the best way you could help would be to Speak Aseco and ward the warriors who will be evacuating people. You can then heal those they rescue. I fear...¡± Lunaria peered over the ledge, her expression darkening at the black expanse. ¡°If you go down there, you risk dying from smoke inhalation. You may think you can constantly heal yourself, but one slip of concentration might be the end. It only takes one breath of smoke.¡± Amelia swallowed. Sure, her healing was a fantastic addition to the situation, but why wasn¡¯t Lunaria talking about the obvious demonic Word? Amelia hadn¡¯t yet gone through a comprehensive list of Words with Serena. She¡¯d wanted to, of course, but Serena had refused, claiming some Words were military secrets that she should not discuss with a civilian. She also refused on the basis that if Amelia¡¯s list turned out to be more comprehensive than what Serena knew, then it was information Serena could give up if she was ever captured. Shaking her head, she decided to risk asking about one Word. It was a Second-Word, but it seemed the most capable way to extinguish the fire. It would be a risk, as she¡¯d never Spoken it before, but she was confident after Asclepius she would have better control over herself and not become so... weird. ¡°What about...¡± Amelia kept her voice low, ¡°Suijin?¡± Suijin. The demonic god of water. ¡°What?¡± Lunaria replied, her eyes narrowing. ¡°Even if such a communion was possible against his strength, Suijin hasn¡¯t responded to any embodiments for nearly two centuries now. He no longer has an interest in this realm. We know that much.¡± ¡°I see...¡± Amelia mumbled, dropping the subject. She was about to open her mouth when she sensed a powerful figure fly up from the black smoke. His black wings spread wide before he torpedoed towards the city''s edge, landing heavily while coughing. His clothes were once fine; now, they were frayed, burnt, and covered in ash. His skin was patchy in places where he¡¯d been burned. This man had invoked Narean. Of that, Amelia was sure. His aura was a firm indigo, the telltale colour of the sixth aura level and the highest level achievable before needing to Speak the Second-Word. ¡°Highlord Yasuda!¡± shouted a nearby warrior guarding the firefighters. ¡°What news!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s little use!¡± Yasuda yelled, gesturing towards the firehoses and orbs of magically-manifested water. ¡°Save your aether!¡± He pointed at the nearby homes. ¡°Soak every house between lift one to lift seven! Soak this trackway as well!¡± He stamped his foot against the wooden floorboards twice. ¡°Spread the word! And tell the men to knock on every house within half a klick of the city''s edge! The residents need to be ready to put out fires starting in their own homes! Give out sand buckets to them!¡± He pointed to the sky. ¡°It¡¯s only getting worse! The fire will lift burning debris all the way here! We cannot let this spread into Asamaywa Proper! Go! Now! Spread the message down the line!¡± ¡°Yes, Highlord!¡± The warrior bowed as a moonstone narrowly missed his face. ¡°You, you, and you! With me! Firefighters, save the water!¡± The man began diligently carrying out his duties. Highlord Yasuda turned, stopping when he saw Amelia and everyone else. ¡°Lord Inoue! Lord Halen! And...¡± He bowed. ¡°Lord-Prospect Thornheart! Down below, the lowlanders speak prayers in your name! Have you come to offer healing? Hundreds will die without you!¡± His wings flapped, the motion somehow adding gravitas to his statement. A surge of emotion welled within Amelia. Sadness. Guilt. Fear. She pushed them down. She might not be able to save everyone, but she could heal those she could! ¡°Yes!¡± Amelia said decisively. ¡°I¡¯ll be here for as long as I need! Where should I go!?¡± ¡°Into the heart of the inferno!¡± Yasuda shouted. ¡°Fear not, an earthlord has managed to construct walls to protect an area! A handful of mages and a dozen warriors are trapped there while the fire burns, but their spirits burn stronger!¡± He clenched a fist. ¡°They are still braving the flames to bring back the almost-dead! They risk their lives at every moment! Your divine intervention is needed! Will you go!?¡± She nodded frantically. ¡°I will go!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°Where are they trapped?¡± She peered over the edge, seeing nothing but billowing black smoke. ¡°There!¡± he pointed down. Amelia focused her perception and found she could identify the earthlord through the black smoke. Not from sight, but his signature in the aetherfield; the Speaker of Salinas shone. Nearby to him, she could sense the aether signatures of mages and warriors, but no other Speakers. ¡°I see it!¡± she yelled. ¡°I will go with her!¡± Serena declared. ¡°My Narean will be of use.¡± She turned to face Mel. ¡°Melanie Mori!¡± she commanded. ¡°Yes, Instructor Halen!?¡± Mel snapped to attention as if her body was reacting reflexively to Serena¡¯s captain mode. ¡°Come with me! With Amelia¡¯s assistance, you can maintain that orange aura for as long as you need! You¡¯ll help me rescue those from the inferno!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Lunaria stepped forward. ¡°Highlord Yasuda. Always a pleasure.¡± She smiled at the man. ¡°How can this old woman help?¡± ¡°Lord Inoue.¡± Yasuda bowed quickly. ¡°We are constructing earthworks below to the south. We must protect the station and the lifts! Your reserves of magic would be of tremendous help! The rocky terrain under the station is making things difficult!¡± ¡°Very well then,¡± Lunaria¡¯s eyes glinted. ¡°Miss Aikawa, with me! We shall leave immediately!¡± ¡°Yes, Head Instructor!¡± Hinako affirmed. ¡°Igni,¡± Lunaria Spoke. The ground under her feet cracked slightly as wings of hellfire formed on her back. Without another word, she picked Hinako up and flew to the south. The Spoken Word prompted the mages nearby to stop wetting the houses and look on in awe. It wasn¡¯t every day they would see a Speaker Speak, and even rarer to see one do so more or less silently. A chorus of murmurs reached Amelia¡¯s ears. ¡°Did you see that?¡± ¡°That was Lord Inoue, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°They call her the Aether Addict...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be distracted! Back to work!¡± Highlord Yasuda turned back towards Amelia, Serena, and Mel. ¡°I will-¡± He suddenly coughed, and Amelia realised he¡¯d likely been inhaling smoke for a while now. Without asking, she sent forth a burst of healing magic, then another burst of cleaning magic. ¡°I...¡± The demon looked at his clothes. ¡°I thank you, Healer Thornheart! My aura feels strong again! You¡¯ve reinvigorated my hope!¡± He gave her a firm nod. ¡°I shall give you two space to Speak. I shall see you down there!¡± He went to flap his wings. ¡°Wait!¡± Amelia piped up. ¡°Let me ward you first!¡± Despite the capabilities of a warrior''s aura, especially one of Yasuda¡¯s level, the man had been struggling after being exposed to such intense heat for so long. Amelia twisted her aether, willing it to form into the familiar shape of Igni¡¯s Barrier. It was only a first-circle spell, but it had strong fire resistance, which, when backed by Amelia¡¯s titanic amounts of aether, would be boosted even further. She cast the ward on Yasuda and then followed up by protecting Mel as well. For Mel, she also cast the Ward of Thew, enhancing her capabilities across the board. Her friend was only capable of orange aura, and Amelia wanted to minimise the risk she would face in the fire. She wouldn¡¯t let any of her friends die. To his credit, Yasuda recovered from his shock quickly. Externally cast and maintained wards were not common; this might have been the first time it happened to him. Nevertheless, he thanked her quickly. ¡°Then, I shall take the warrior Melanie Mori,¡± he declared. ¡°Lord Halen, Lord-Prospect, follow my aether signature after you¡¯ve Spoken!¡± ¡°Yes, Highlord!¡± Serena and Amelia echoed. Mel tried to say something, but Yasuda wasted no time picking her up and carrying her down into the black smoke. She wasn¡¯t sure, but Amelia thought she saw a blush on Mel¡¯s cheek. How scandalous! ¡°You can Speak silently,¡± Serena muttered. ¡°I can¡¯t. I¡¯ll jump and Speak mid-air. I have enough power under Narean to guide my fall. I¡¯ll go first.¡± Serena backed up, and without another word, she launched herself towards the oppressive mass of black smoke and its underlying inferno. ¡°Narean,¡± Serena Spoke as she fell. The force of her Word was explosive, pushing away a large section of the smoke and blasting Amelia with enough force to make her step back. If Serena had Spoken up here, she would probably have destroyed a house or two! Amelia swallowed. She peered over the ledge, glad to see Serena descending slowly towards the destination. Her horns were ignited with hellfire, and a tail made of the same ethereal fire stretched from the base of her spine. @@@@ Hmm? What was that? Amelia peered closer. Usually, Serena had only a shadow of black wings, barely visible to the naked eye. Now, it was half-manifested! Her girlfriend was getting more powerful! Now, it was just Amelia. She took a deep breath, expelling the aether from her body. ¡°Aseco,¡± she Spoke, feeling the exhilarating thrill as power erupted within her body. The divine aether immediately made her feel her capabilities magnify by at least a magnitude. Perhaps even more. Under Aseco, Amelia glowed with golden light, brightening the area for fifty meters. The nearby mages were gawking at her, too surprised to say anything. Amelia didn¡¯t jump; she simply used her aether to will her body to lift and fly. Her connection with the aetherfield was strong, and she could now push her aether against not only the lumina kilometres below but also the aetherfield itself. Effectively, she could fly. And so she did. Amelia tore through the sky, racing down through the darkness towards the signatures of the Speakers below. For a moment, she wondered if she looked like a yellow moonstone falling to the ground. She took the opportunity of being airborne to stretch her senses. There were numerous Speakers in the distance, around the edges of the inferno, especially towards the train station to the south. One exceptionally bright spot in her perception was easily recognisable as Lunaria. Unfortunately, most of them seemed to be warriors. While a Speaker warrior was a huge help, it wasn¡¯t like a sword could cut down this inferno. Amelia sent a quick expression of gratitude to her past self for picking a mage in the game. This way, she could have a much greater effect on the world. A positive effect! ¡°Suijin,¡± she declared, trying to sound confident. A long silence developed between the three of them. With every passing second, Greatlord Oshiro¡¯s expression darkened further. ¡°You lie,¡± he finally said. ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± Amelia said, her protest sounding weaker than she hoped. ¡°I just-¡± ¡°It is not possible.¡± ¡°Greatlord...¡± Serena interrupted, speaking quietly and softly. Her girlfriend turned the Greatlord¡¯s attention upon herself, and instead of withering from his darkened expression, she faced him with confidence. ¡°If it¡¯s her... it is possible.¡± The man was deathly quiet. For a moment, Amelia thought he would never reply, but he eventually responded with a simple, ¡°How?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t fully understand it myself,¡± Serena replied, her voice even. ¡°I just know... she could call upon him. With your permission, of course, Greatlord.¡± Greatlord Oshiro turned towards Amelia. He stepped forward with an expression she¡¯d never seen him wear before. ¡°Tell me!¡± he demanded. ¡°Who are you, really!? The Overlord of my Overlord!? Are you the one I pray to!? The one I fight for? Answer me! If you are not her, then who are you!?¡± ¡°I... I¡¯m not!¡± Amelia spluttered, putting her hands up. ¡°I¡¯m not! I¡¯m only me! Amelia!¡± The greatlord glared at her for a dozen seconds. Amelia couldn¡¯t begin to guess his thoughts. How could she? She felt guilt for causing him such turmoil, but... she only wanted to help! ¡°Tsk! Then I will see this power for myself!¡± Greatlord Oshiro suddenly declared, all traces of conflict in his face evaporating. ¡°You have my permission, Lord-Prospect Thornheart. Invoke Suijin, and I shall be the judge of your sincerity.¡± ¡°Is... is it okay?¡± Amelia asked hesitantly. ¡°...Yes.¡± Amelia looked towards Serena, who gave her a small smile and a nod. ¡°Save that station,¡± her girlfriend said encouragingly. Somehow, despite the pressure and unease from Greatlord Oshiro, Serena¡¯s small smile brought back all of Amelia¡¯s confidence. ¡°Sure!¡± Amelia nodded. ¡°Only... I cannot guarantee I won¡¯t become a little...¡± Manic, she thought. I need to find a better word. ¡°Manic,¡± Serena explained to the greatlord. ¡°She¡¯s still new to invoking the Second-Word. I had to spend time calming her when she invoked Asclepius.¡± ¡°...I see.¡± Greatlord Oshiro took a step back and drew his sword. ¡°Very well then. Then here I take this vow.¡± He covered his sword in a brilliant indigo aura before driving it into the stone. ¡°Should you lose control of Suijin, then I...¡± He narrowed his eyes, his clothes billowing under some unseen wind as the ash was stirred up around him. ¡°...I, Takahiro Oshiro, shall suppress you!¡± Amelia swallowed. He was so cool! So ridiculously cool! ¡°I will help,¡± Serena added, her voice firm. ¡°I will bring you back, no matter what.¡± ¡°T-thank you!¡± Amelia said, pushing away the urge to giggle. ¡°Then... I¡¯ll go up a little and, um, begin...¡± She took a few steps back and, feeling tremendously awkward, cycled her aether to float up above. When she reached the height of the earthen wall, she began forming the Word. Suijin. It was slow progress, slower than it took with Asclepius. Her aether was moving like it was pushing through sludge. Yet it was moving. It was forming the Word. Without question or doubt in her mind, Amelia knew this; she was capable of calling for his embodiment. A minute passed, and it was finally complete. It was an enormous Word; the formation was even more complex than Asclepius. It took up her entire body, so much space that she had to drop the Sphere of Convalescence. But it was finished. And it felt oddly familiar. Was it because it was a demonic Word? Because she was a demon in the game? She cast one final look at Serena, gave her a small wave and said softly, ¡°See you in a bit.¡± She Spoke the Word. She didn¡¯t shout it like she did with Asclepius. No. She just said it. ¡°Suijin,¡± Amelia Spoke. The world slowed. The Shimmer opened to her, and her request snaked through the layered planes of reality, seeking its distant recipient. It hit resistance. Amelia¡¯s request didn¡¯t give up. It fought. It burrowed its way through the resistance until the pathway was clear, and it could finally deliver the request to the waiting deity. Then, without warning, the answer came. ¡°Who dares?¡± Suijin replied. Suijin swam through the endless ocean. This planet was his favourite, mainly because he was rarely bothered by his peers here. He had peace, and while enjoying that peace, Suijin kept swimming. He changed his form as he went, switching from small fish to massive sea-born predators pulled from thousands of memories. Then, he changed his form to water itself, merging with the planet''s natural currents. He let nature take its course, bringing him to the frigid poles and then back down to the warm waters around the equator. Some small tropical landmasses offered sandy beaches and delicious fruits. Every few years, he would make landfall, but there wouldn¡¯t be many rotations of the planet about its axis before he felt the pull of the water again. In the water, he could resonate more easily with the mists. In the water, he could get stronger. And Suijin desired strength. As all gods did. After his third trip around the planet, his divine intuition told him something was coming. A visitor? Suijin pulled his mass together and headed to the nearest landmass. He forced his body to change until it resembled the form he possessed before he ascended. He sat on the sandy beach, awaiting his visitor. Strangely, they were coming from an unusual place. Did he not know this deity? As they got closer, he realised an awful truth. It was not a they; it was an it. And that it was a request. A request for his embodiment! Who would have the audacity!? No, who would have the means? He had abandoned such things long ago. Raising a hand, he expelled some of his divinity, throwing a shield around the planet. The request slammed into it with an unfathomable amount of force. His celestial ward held. For a brief moment, Suijin thought that would be the end of it. Then, the request continued. Slowly but surely, it burrowed through his protection. The god gritted his teeth. Who, from that realm, had such power!? He was bound by the accord, unable to use his true strength to fight what he had previously agreed to. Still, for two centuries, it had been enough. He had withdrawn his presence from that world, refusing to commune with anyone else. Staying there was too painful. He watched as the request broke through his ward, searing down through the planet''s atmosphere. The moment it collided with him, he opened the channel. ¡°Who dares?¡± he asked, pushing as much anger as he could into the channel. A few seconds passed, and there was no answer. He hoped his reply would scare off or even kill whoever was on the other end, but he didn¡¯t expect his hopes to bear fruit. The connection was strong. He would have to sacrifice years of strength to break it. ¡°Umm, hello!¡± came a sudden reply. A voice. A woman. Young? Could it be that terrible demigod? ¡°I¡¯m Amelia! It¡¯s nice to meet you!¡± The voice continued. It wasn¡¯t her. It was someone else. ¡°Look, I¡¯m really sorry about this, but I need-¡± ¡°I refuse.¡± Suijin sent his angry reply. He cared little for what this woman wanted. ¡°Wait! Let me explain! There¡¯s this massive fire, and your embodiment is what-¡± ¡°I refuse.¡± ¡°Now...¡± the voice paused. ¡°Listen here, you bloody-¡± Anger. Frustration. Annoyance. All these emotions came through the channel. The strength of the connection intensified, and he caught a glimpse of the person on the other end. Beyond the superficial structure of her body, he could see her soul. Suijin opened his eyes wide, stretching his divine perception to the limit. Was he mistaken? He peeled away the layers of reality between him and this requestee, using the connection to move his perception closer and get a better look at the woman¡¯s soul. It was. There was no mistake. Alone on that planet, there was no one to see Suijin smile. But smile he did. ¡°I accept,¡± he said, sending his answer down the channel. Shortly after, he sent his embodiment. He would watch this closely. To think... this is how I would see you again, Esmeralda, Suijin thought. It would be an honour to aid you, even if only in part. Chapter Seventy-One: Suijin鈥檚 Return Chapter Seventy-One: Suijin¡¯s Return Serenity. This was the sensation Amelia felt shortly after Suijin had suddenly agreed to her request. Sure, there was an odd feeling of her body becoming something new and the unfathomable surge of power that now coursed through her very essence. But, after that? Serenity. Amelia felt like a calm winter¡¯s lake, perfectly still. She instinctively knew she had control over Suijin¡¯s power. It was strange... he felt familiar. It wasn¡¯t the same as when she invoked Asclepius, where the messy communion made her manic and she needed Serena to calm her down. No, this time, Suijin was working with her. She wasn¡¯t sure why; she¡¯d been in the middle of giving the snarky deity a proper dressing down when the request was suddenly accepted. Nevertheless, he had accepted, and now she was once again in possession of more power than she knew what to do with. Amelia didn¡¯t know what form she had and didn¡¯t feel the urge to check. She did notice, however, upon opening her eyes and seeing Serena and Greatlord Oshiro hovering near her face with tense expressions, was how big she was. She was sure she could open her mouth and gobble them both whole! Heh. Maybe another time. ¡°Hello,¡± she said. Her voice was melodic and lyrical. ¡°Did you wait long?¡± she asked. ¡°Amelia...?¡± Serena asked, her eyes widening. ¡°Yes, I have control. Suijin accepted.¡± Amelia felt herself smile. She looked down. Oh my, she was enormous this time. Much bigger than Asclepius¡¯s embodiment. The inferno licked at her sides, but Amelia wasn¡¯t worried. That fire would need enough energy to boil an ocean before it would irritate her. How silly of it to rear its ugly head against her and Suijin. ¡°I¡¯ll begin now,¡± Amelia sang. She didn¡¯t need to move, or make any gestures. No, Amelia was serene. She gently told her aether to manifest some water, and it did. A square kilometer of water, perhaps an inch thick, manifested near her feet, above the buildings. The water wanted to fall, to assault the insulting inferno underneath. So Amelia let it fall. You¡¯re not welcome here, she thought, enjoying the sounds of the fire¡¯s energy depleting. She summoned another plane of water, then another. Soon, the vast quantities of smoke were outdone by the rising steam. Another plane of water, then another. A few remnants of fire remained, so she summoned another, final plane. It was winter, wasn¡¯t it? She kept the water warm, and instructed it to stay warm for the foreseeable future. ¡°Amelia!¡± she heard Serena call. ¡°I think... I think that¡¯s enough!¡± Oh, that¡¯s right. She¡¯d essentially produced the equivalent of half a foot of rain over two minutes. She wouldn¡¯t get in trouble for a little bit of flooding, would she? Amelia stretched her senses, detecting the lives of every resident still hiding in the basements. She was worried that water would pool in those locations, potentially drowning the last survivors of the now-extinguished fire. So she commanded the water not to enter the basements, and it obeyed her. Water was her element, after all. After such smoke and ash-filled chaos, the now water-logged lowlands were at peace. Amelia could relax and return to her original form. She¡¯d done plenty now. She could hear the cries of relief of those she saved. She giggled, the noise sounding ethereal. It made her feel so good to help so many! What was the problem with a little Second-Word embodiment if it could produce such a positive result? She let go of Suijin¡¯s power, returning it to the strangely obedient god. He spoke to her as she did. Such a kind soul, Suijin said in her mind. She would be proud of you. Maybe... if it¡¯s you... she can come back. Starla knew arriving early to parliament was a good idea. The side-benches were not yet fully occupied so she was able to find herself a seat with a good view of the House. Although the five-hundred-year-old building - with its stained-glass windows depicting the Empress slaying the Enemy - first prompted her to open her mouth in awe, she was now used to it. The House doors were yet to open, but through them Starla could hear frenzied debate going on. She looked at the Lord Speaker, who was in discussion with the Clerk of the House and the Serjeant-at-Arms. The latter was the only person allowed in parliament capable of manifesting aura. The Serjeants-at-Arm¡¯s name was Honora Duguie, a famous Speaker with an almost unrivalled military record and someone Starla greatly admired. The woman had retired to politics, where she famously refused Lordship, preferring to stay in the House of Commons over moving to the House of Lords. Now, she served as the House¡¯s Serjeant-at-Arms, responsible for protecting the civilian delegations that were more of a danger to each other than any outside force. They wore tense expressions, no doubt mentally preparing for the chaos ahead. ¡°Going to be a wild one,¡± she whispered to her colleague. ¡°Hear that outside? They¡¯re already clashing horns! Oh...¡± She fingered through the documents she carried, pulling out a report. ¡°Here¡¯s the sewage flow rate figures. Someone sent them to my desk instead of yours.¡± ¡°Thanks, Miss Seraphine.¡± Her colleague took the paper with a smile. ¡°Somehow, I think the sewage question won¡¯t be on today¡¯s agenda. What do you think he¡¯ll start with?¡± He nodded towards the Lord Speaker to their left, whose seat overlooked the rows of benches waiting to be filled with the Empire¡¯s delegations. ¡°Surely it¡¯ll be the fire, right? That¡¯s on everyone''s mind and the honourable rabble outside won¡¯t cool down till it¡¯s discussed.¡± Starla reached back, tying her blond hair into a ponytail. Then she clenched her hands around her small Cerulean horns and gave her colleague a tired-looking expression. ¡°This is how I expect we¡¯ll feel by the end!¡± Titters erupted around her. Like her, Starla¡¯s colleagues carried documents full of facts and figures, ready to supply the Centralis delegation should they need to double-check anything. With a minute until the doors opened, the side benches had hushed discussions about the upcoming session. ¡°How angry do you think Yannis will get this time?¡± ¡°Willem will have his horns wrapped around his fingers, ha!¡± ¡°I passed through the lobby; the West sent a proper delegation this time!¡± ¡°Oh? That¡¯s unusual. Are they finally reacting to Thornheart?¡± As the final seconds ticked by, the anticipation rose. Even the noise outside the door dimmed down. Starla could imagine them now, crowding around the door, trying to be first in line. ¡°Serjeant-at-Arms!¡± called the Lord Speaker. ¡°The sooner you have those doors open, the sooner we can be done. If you could, please.¡± ¡°Yes, Lord Speaker.¡± Honora nodded her head and walked to the other side of the room. Once at the doors, she lifted the large brass knocker and used it to knock thrice - producing powerful thuds that echoed through the House. ¡°Make way for the doors!¡± Honora shouted before knocking three more times. She then moved the large bolt keeping the House¡¯s doors barred and pushed them open, revealing the gathering of civilian delegations. The Centralis delegation entered first, their expressions dark, contrasting their fair hair and blue eyes. Whatever arguments had been going on beyond the door, it was clear they¡¯d been in the centre of it. Still, with their dark robes trimmed with gold thread, they maintained their composure as they took their seats. The Head of the Delegation, the Right Honourable Willem Pieter, sat in front, flanked by his two officers: Johann Leopold and Maria Catharina. Behind him, the remainder of the delegation, more than two dozen pairs of horns, crammed themselves into the limited bench space. More than a few were relegated to standing at the back. Then came the Eastern delegation, led by the Right Honourable Tadashi Haruto and his two officers: Chen Liang with his thick-based Manwese horns and Jung Yoonah with her horns ending in the exotic twist found commonly in the Aindo people. They were all dressed in black and blue, their black hair and sharp eyes giving them a formidable appearance. Weapons were forbidden in the House, but Starla could easily imagine them as soldiers instead of the politicians they were. They took their seats opposite the Centralis delegation, their faces solemn. Next through the door were the Northerners in black and purple. Their horns were more curly than most, matching their curly brown hair. Starla couldn¡¯t help but admire their handsome faces, adorned with prominent noses, well-defined jawlines, and green eyes. Even though they were red-faced, with some grinding their teeth, it did little to harm their eye-catching appearance. Led by the Right Honourable Yannis Theodoros, they sat down on the opposite side of the Centralis delegation, next to the Easterners. Yannis immediately entered into a hushed conversation with his officers: the angry-looking Mikkel Aslak and the sharp-eyed Freya Solveig. They occasionally glared at Willem Pieter and other members of the Centralis delegation but kept their cool. For now, Starla thought. Then, the striking Southern delegation came striding through the doors. What skin could be seen through the black and red robes seemed almost painted, but Starla knew it was a natural feature of their ethnicity. They sported a variety of horns: the thick ram¡¯s horn of the Wami people, the straight and smooth of the Yamenian folk, and the thick singular horns of the far southern pyramid-builders, the Arakian. Their Head, a muscular, bald man named Lukas Stanislaw, sat down. Two female officers quickly followed him. Starla had seen them many times before: Aisha Laila from Yamen, and the elegant Nefertari Bastet from Jimar, home of the Empire-wide appreciated Jimari coffee. Nefertari especially caught Starla¡¯s eye. If I stayed in the sun, would I ever get bronze skin like hers? she thought. The southern delegation sat down opposite the northerners, next to the Centralis delegation. Lastly, the Western delegation arrived. Their numbers were smaller than the rest, and most of them were threehorns. The Head of the Delegation, Santiago Manuel, carried himself with a neutral expression. He and his officer, a demon named Antonio Alejandro from Ipar Binarri, made the sign of the Petrine cross towards the prominent stained-glass window of the Empress before sitting down next to the Northern Delegation. ¡°Silence! Damn you! Silence!¡± The gavel was slammed downwards thrice. ¡°I will have silence!¡± The Lord Speaker shouted until his voice was the only one that could be heard. ¡°Thank you,¡± he finally intoned. ¡°This House will have order! Now...¡± he turned to his left. ¡°I believe the Head of the Imperial Delegation, the Right Honourable Edward Alistair, has a comment! The floor is yours, sir!¡± The white-robed Imperial representative stood up. Edward Alistair took a moment to observe the room, and once he seemed certain everyone¡¯s attention was on him, he opened his mouth and said, ¡°The Empress intends to respect the Eastern Overlord¡¯s right to Speaker Privacy. That is all.¡± With that, he sat down. ¡°Lord Speaker!¡± Tadashi shouted before the commotion could start up again. ¡°While the name of the individual is not known...¡± Tadashi greatly emphasised his words. ¡°The name Amelia Thornheart is known to all of us. Although I call into question the veracity of the Right Honourable Sir¡¯s report...¡± Yannis sniggered, folding his arms in protest. Tadashi ignored him. ¡°I would like to continue our report regarding Thornheart¡¯s actions!¡± The demon took a sip of water before continuing. ¡°Lord Speaker! As we all know, Thornheart is a human Speaker! Not of Rula, the Word of the weaker human branch of healing... No! Lord Speaker, Thornheart is a Speaker of Aseco! The much more powerful branch of divinity!¡± Tadashi spread his arms wide. ¡°Is this not a great thing for our Empire!?¡± At his words, many in the Eastern and Centralis delegation nodded, murmuring their agreement. Tadashi, seemingly finding his stride, continued, ¡°I once again have to question the Right Honourable Sir¡¯s incessant suspicion and argumentation regarding Lord-Prospect Thornheart!¡± Tadashi dramatically pointed to the stained-glass window with its rendition of the Empress shining down upon the House. ¡°Our Overlord himself has sanctioned her! As I have informed the Right Honourable Sir multiple times in the past, I now once again remind him that she was successfully screened by Intelligence!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± someone from the Centralis delegation called out. ¡°She¡¯s on the Empire¡¯s side!¡± ¡°Servant of the Empress!¡± ¡°A priceless asset!¡± ¡°Lord Speaker!¡± Tadashi shouted. ¡°The Honourable Sirs and Madams across from me have their horns straight! For Amelia Thornheart, a wandering healer born in Karligard, to find her way to the Empire while avoiding the clutches of the Vatican is a sign from the Seven Hells! A blessing of the Moons! During the inferno that claimed the lives of so many, Thornheart¡¯s divine healing saved thousands from the same fate! She worked directly under the supervision of Greatlord Oshiro and Highlord Yasuda! Because of her, the Asamaywa Station was saved! Now!¡± Tadashi fixed his eyes on Yannis. ¡°Do I need to remind the North how difficult it would be for us to supply the battlefield if we lost such a key part of our rail network!? I see the Right Honourable Sir is shaking his head, Lord Speaker! May I ask, why!?¡± Yannis stepped forward, raising his hands to the sky. ¡°Lord Speaker, what has overcome us! Sometimes, I wonder if the Honourable Sirs and Madams think they should be worshipping Amelia Thornheart instead of our great Empress!¡± The Northern delegation sent out a series of jeers in support of the proclamation. The Southern delegation added their support while the East and Centralis delegations shook their heads. Starla glanced towards the Western delegation. They were sitting still, barely reacting to the chaos. ¡°Lord Speaker!¡± Tadashi called out. ¡°I see that the Right Honourable Willem Pieter is eager to address this hogwash! I give my floor to him!¡± Tadashi sat down as Willem Pieter stood up. ¡°The House recognises the Right Honourable Willem Pieter!¡± the Lord Speaker shouted, banging his gavel. ¡°My sincere thanks, Lord Speaker¡± Willem began, his face holding a sly smile. ¡°I fear for the Right Honourable Sir from the North. He¡¯s become as red as the red moon! I worry he may soon explode!¡± Laughter erupted from the Centralis delegation, prompting Yannis¡¯s face to contort angrily. ¡°I say only this, Lord Speaker,¡± Willem continued. ¡°The presence of Amelia Thornheart continues to be, if you forgive the pun, a thorn in the side of the rebellion! Are we not well informed that this human Speaker of Aseco, who has allied herself with Cascadia, has seriously impacted the morale and unity of the human nations? Shouldn¡¯t the North be thankful for the chaos this one singular human has caused amongst our enemies?¡± ¡°Good point!¡± ¡°Hear, hear!¡± ¡°Ya!¡± ¡°Lord Speaker!¡± Yannis bellowed. ¡°The Right Honourable Sir must have his horns twisted! We hear different whispers on the battlefield! Whispers that the presence of Thornheart may prompt Christdom to formally join the conflict!¡± He pointed at the Centralis delegation. ¡°Lord Speaker, they seem so relaxed. They think that just because Meppen has fallen, the war is over! Perhaps if Centralis would provide more divisions, then we might share with them their demeanor! The North bleeds!¡± ¡°The North bleeds!¡± echoed the rest of the northern delegation. ¡°Lord Speaker!¡± Willem protested. ¡°I must find I am shocked to see such comments launched towards Centralis and its delegation!¡± He raised his two hands, palm down, carrying a puzzled expression. ¡°Is it not true that the majority of munitions are manufactured by Centralis cities?¡± The Centralis delegation cheered. ¡°Is it not true that we¡¯ve supplied more than a hundred vessels to the North!? More than a hundred thousand men!?¡± More cheering. ¡°Without Centralis, the North would have nothing to shoot! The North bleeds, yes.¡± Willem looked exasperated. ¡°But so does Centralis!¡± ¡°Perhaps, Lord Speaker,¡± Yannis growled. ¡°If the Right Honourable Sir had ever served, he would understand things better. I note to the House that the Right Honourable Sir¡¯s excuse for not volunteering was a medical reprieve, yet I¡¯ve never seen him looking healthier over these last eight years! Why is that, do we think?¡± ¡°You... you accuse me of cowardice!?¡± Willem spluttered, his previously controlled expression falling quickly to anger. ¡°Is that your claim, Honourable Sir!?¡± ¡°It is not, Lord Speaker!¡± Yannis scoffed. ¡°I am merely concerned with what our peers might think while considering your questionable medical history!¡± Starla sighed. Here they go. Yannis knew how to twist Willem¡¯s horns as much as Willem knew how to twist Yannis¡¯s. ¡°I-I will not stand for this!¡± Willem yelled. ¡°Lord Speaker, I must demand an apology this instant, or the Serjeant-at-Arms must surely remove the Honourable Sir for improper behaviour unfitting of a parliamentary representative!¡± ¡°There is no apology to be given!¡± barked Yannis. ¡°I demand you take back your words, sir!¡± ¡°Lord Speaker, I will not!¡± ¡°I cannot let such an insult go unsatisfied, Lord Speaker!¡± ¡°Then the Honourable Sir can request satisfaction, Lord Speaker!¡± ¡°I will not be toyed with like this!¡± Willem spat, gritting his teeth. ¡°I demand satisfaction!¡± ¡°A duel, sir!?¡± Yannis sneered. ¡°With your medical condition!?¡± ¡°By the Empress, man! A duel it will be! I will shoot you dead, I swear on the moons!¡± ¡°You shall not! For I will shoot you first! Then you¡¯ll finally know what it¡¯s like to bleed!¡± ¡°I will not listen to this any further! Dawn tomorrow, Honourable Sir!¡± ¡°Dawn, tomorrow it is! I will bring my pistol!¡± ¡°As will I!¡± ¡°Very well then!¡± ¡°Hrmph!¡± ¡°Tsk!¡± The men, reddened with anger, huffed and puffed. Starla couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°My good men,¡± the Lord Speaker intoned. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve kindly agreed to make my job fifty per cent easier by the end of tomorrow...¡± The room erupted with laughter, with delegation members jeering while waving their papers in the air. ¡°Let us proceed to the next matter while your blood cools. I believe the Southern delegation wished to-¡± The Lord Speaker cut off suddenly, his eyes fixed across the room. Starla followed his gaze, to see that Tenoch Xolotl had raised his hand. For a moment, the Lord Speaker only stared at the Westerner¡¯s golden eyes before finally banging his gavel. ¡°The House recognises the Honourable Tenoch Xolotl!¡± Tenoch stood up, his presence seemingly filling the room. Once everyone¡¯s attention was transfixed upon him, he bowed towards the Eastern delegation. ¡°Honourable Sirs and Madams of the East,¡± he began, his strange accent tickling Starla¡¯s ears. ¡°Although we are different, separated by many thousands of leagues, we, too, know the pain of fire.¡± For a moment, Tenoch looked like he would elaborate on that matter, but he simply moved on. ¡°You are in our hearts. Our Overlord desires to gift three thousand bottles of loqua to the East. A reward for those who worked so hard in fighting the terrible tragedy. Would you accept our Overlord¡¯s kindness, honourable friends of the East?¡± Tadashi stood up, bowing deeply. ¡°We will accept, Honourable Sir.¡± ¡°You were most fortunate,¡± Tenoch intoned. ¡°To have Amelia Thornheart so close. We of the West are happy to see another Terra Firma receive such a boon. Her actions are also the cause of my presence here today...¡± he turned, taking a sealed envelope from a delegation member. ¡°Clerk of the House!¡± he called. ¡°A missive from our Overlord!¡± The clerk jumped, walking a bit too quickly to receive the letter from Tenoch. Starla could see the man visibly swallow. The Yoaltan must seem massive up close! Once the Clerk was reseated, Tenoch continued, ¡°A letter... consisting of an invitation and a recommendation.¡± The demon bowed again towards the Eastern delegation. ¡°Our great and wise Overlord extends a formal invitation to Lord-Prospect Thornheart to travel to the Western Terra Firma and enjoy our...¡± The Yoaltan smiled, revealing several of his teeth were made of green crystal. ¡°...delights.¡± Murmuring and whispers spread throughout the House, silenced only by Tenoch continuing to speak. ¡°Included is also a recommendation,¡± he intoned smoothly, glancing at his peers one by one. It seemed no one could meet his golden eyes. ¡°From our Overlord to the Eastern Overlord, to sanction Amelia Thornheart with full Cascadian Lordship with all haste. For her noble and brave actions saving so many demon lives.¡± For a moment, there was silence. Then, a chuckle sounded from the door. Honora Duguie, the Serjeant-at-Arms, was laughing. And, as if her laughter gave everyone else permission, the House imploded into chaos. The resulting commotion made Starla realise that her earlier joke about clutching her horns in frustration would become a reality. Chapter Seventy-Two: Reconstruction Chapter Seventy-Two: Reconstruction The time following the fire was a blur. In the immediate aftermath, Greatlord Oshiro brought in a group of high-ranking Old Guard officers and intelligence officials and had everyone vow to keep the events secret. It quickly became apparent that the Eastern Lords intended to keep Amelia¡¯s identity as Suijin¡¯s Speaker secret. From what she understood, the vast majority of people in the East and the wider Empire only knew her as a Speaker of Aseco. They weren¡¯t hiding the fact she Spoke Taranis in the academy; it just hadn¡¯t become well-known yet. While that knowledge would spread, the East wanted to control the Suijin situation as much as possible. Not necessarily only for political reasons either; Amelia was informed that hiding Second-Word Speakers was a common practice for strategic reasons under a concept known as Speaker Secrecy. She agreed to sign the documents demanding her compliance - at least, after having Serena thoroughly read through them first. Her and Serena¡¯s version also included provisions against carelessly spreading knowledge about the existence and workings of the Shimmer, so they were killing two birds with one stone. Or, as Serena put it, breaking two horns with one strike. Honestly, these demons and their obsession with horn-based idioms! Amelia wasn¡¯t convinced this would keep her Suijin embodiment a secret. There were too many people who saw her. While the inferno blocked off their little area from the rest of the city, Amelia had still been seen floating in the air and Speaking Suijin. It wasn¡¯t just the warriors and the earthlord but also the hundreds they had saved. Even though the Old Guards informed the lowlanders of the severe consequences for breaking the vow Amelia didn¡¯t think it would take long until alcohol started to loosen someone''s lips. ¡°I never imagined you had... you were...¡± Mel mumbled. The demon made all kinds of motions, from shaking her head to nodding to grabbing her horns in a very Serena-like fashion. Eventually, she gathered her composure, turning to Amelia and slamming her fist against her open palm. ¡°All this means is that I must train even harder to overtake you! Yes...¡± Mel nodded with a serious expression. ¡°Just you wait!¡± Somehow, Mel had become even more determined after seeing how amazing and cute Amelia really was! She would fit in well amongst the Vengeance¡¯s officer cohort, wouldn¡¯t she? With vows of secrecy made, Amelia and Serena made their way towards Asamaywa Station. She hadn¡¯t realised it, but the square in the centre of the inferno was only a small part of the greater firefighting efforts that had been taking place. Dozens of Speakers, backed by hundreds of warriors and mages, had worked tirelessly to build firebreaks and protect both the station and the plateau lifts. Even now, important-sounding figures shouted directions and coordinated efforts to manage the situation. Almost immediately, work began to clear the charred ruins of the slums. It was a welcome surprise to Amelia, who was used to large infrastructure projects taking years of planning in her old world before the first shovel of dirt was dug! All it took were a few orders from Greatlord Oshiro and the city of Asamaywa moved as one. Throughout the night, mages and warriors constructed makeshift shelters for the thousands who had been displaced. The mages employed earth magic to shape and manipulate the rock and soil beneath the skeletal remains of the slums, causing them to collapse to the ground, where warriors could lift immense quantities of debris and relocate them. The warriors also wielded large hammers, using their aura-enhanced strength to break through the buildings'' walls. Hundreds of normal people joined the efforts, helping where they could. Groups from the Asamaywa Carpentry Guild and the Asamaywa Masonry Guild appeared, lending their expertise where needed. They often advised the mages and warriors on how to put pressure on a building to collapse it safely. Not long after, officials in blue uniforms appeared. With a quick question, Amelia found out they were part of the Three Sisters Collectors Guild. Apparently, just collecting moonstones was important enough to have an entire guild structure to manage it. They appeared as soon as the moonrain stopped and began their tasks. Each member would take a section of a street, and certain civilians from that street would be paid to assist the person in collecting all the moonstones on the ground and help find the ones trapped in trees, roofs and other nooks and crannies. It didn¡¯t take long for the streets to stop sparkling. They even had the legal authority to stop and search the workers in the slums. More than a few were fined for trying to pocket a few moonstones amongst the ruins. None were arrested, and most were given the option to work that fine off if they kept volunteering their time. Amelia helped here and there, mostly healing people as they got tired. She wanted to be more involved, to help lift rubble and flatten ground, but it didn¡¯t seem she was needed. Another time, she might have argued to help even more, but... She felt tired. Not physically tired. Or even mentally tired. It was something deeper. She felt like she¡¯d once again stretched herself by invoking such a powerful Second-Word. Despite healing herself, she still wanted to rest. It didn¡¯t take long until she needed to step away from everything and soon she and Serena were sitting in the room of a nearby inn. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Serena asked. ¡°Tired... and sad,¡± Amelia replied. That was right, she felt sad. A part of her found it funny; what right did she have to feel sad when so many people had lost loved ones and everything they owned? Even so, as the night continued and morning came, seeing so many bodies being removed from the rubble made Amelia feel an overwhelming sadness at the entire event. ¡°I¡¯m worried the cause might have been the celebrations...¡± Amelia mumbled, twiddling her thumbs. Ah, she sounded pathetic, but she couldn¡¯t not share her thoughts with Serena. ¡°You know... because of my healing.¡± ¡°Nonsense,¡± Serena stated firmly. ¡°It was because of your healing that so many escaped! How many frail children or dust-addicted beggars did your healing fill with the strength to escape? Your actions not only saved hundreds before the fire but also hundreds during it.¡± Serena moved closer, putting an arm on Amelia¡¯s back and rubbing it. ¡°It¡¯s easy to blame yourself. It¡¯s your mind seeking reason in a place where there is none. Similar things happen on the battlefield.¡± Serena frowned for a moment. ¡°Similar things have happened to me.¡± She continued rubbing her back. ¡°It was a terrible fire that would have happened regardless. Don¡¯t go thinking such unnecessary thoughts, okay?¡± Ah, her girlfriend really was the best. ¡°Thank you,¡± Amelia replied. She looked out the window as the morning light continued to brighten the world outside. It was a shame. Serena once told her the morning after a moonrain was beautiful, where the Wilderness sparkled from all the crystals caught in the canopy. Unfortunately, they would have to wait until next time. ¡°Can we... just lie here for a bit?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°I want to close my eyes and try and think about nothing for a while.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Serena ensured the door was locked before grabbing some blankets and throwing them over Amelia. She then slipped in with her, wrapping an arm around and pulling her tight. Amelia, despite everything, found herself smiling. She felt so secure in Serena¡¯s arms. Their closeness melted away all her troubles, and she soon felt her mind clear and her breathing slow. And then, even though she had recently healed herself, she fell asleep. A few days later, Amelia reunited with Kiku. The young woman and the children had all been found and moved out of the slums before the fire had started. They¡¯d been settling into a new house in the city when the moonrain began. Amelia¡¯s instincts had been right; the Lord Guardian hadn¡¯t broken his word. The house was two stories and sandwiched between a florist and a milliner. It had no garden and was probably smaller in floor space than the orphanage, but the orphanage had only one functioning room anyway. When the door opened and she saw the now healthy demon, Amelia couldn¡¯t help but hug Kiku again. The children jumped for joy, and Amelia was equally happy to discover they had new clothes. They were still awfully skinny, but with better access to food, they would fill out in short order - she was sure of that! ¡°Don¡¯t worry about us,¡± Kiku said with a smile, her eyes shimmering slightly. ¡°These clothes are worth more than what we lost in the fire, and they were given to us! That massive man said we¡¯d even be given a weekly allowance as an apology for having to pay the guards¡¯ protection fees! I mean...¡± she gestured around. ¡°Look at this big house! What are we going to do with all these rooms!? We don¡¯t even need to pay rent!¡± Despite having enough bedrooms, many of the younger children had set up their beds in one room, with only the teenage children wanting the privacy of their own spaces. While being shown around they bumped into Noburu, who was organising the furniture in his and Kiku¡¯s room. He jumped when he saw Amelia but seemed quite friendly otherwise. ¡°I¡¯ve... signed a contract,¡± Noburu explained sheepishly. ¡°I can stay here on the weekends but they¡¯re putting me through an accelerated course at a cadet school. It''s going to be tough, but I can do it because...¡± His voice became heavy with emotion, and he bowed and said, ¡°You did what I couldn¡¯t! You healed my sister!¡± A tear fell, splashing against the wood. ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Noburu!¡± one of the children shouted. ¡°Yeah! Everything¡¯s alright now!¡± ¡°We¡¯re not cold anymore! Or hungry!¡± ¡°I love the city!¡± ¡°Lady Amelia,¡± Kiku began awkwardly. ¡°Or is it Lord-Prospect? No, Saint-¡± ¡°Amelia¡¯s fine!¡± Amelia chirped quickly. ¡°O-okay!¡± Kiku nodded with a serious expression as if she¡¯d been bestowed a sacred privilege. ¡°I just wanted to ask...¡± the demon glanced at her brother. ¡°Please look after him!¡± she burst out. ¡°He said he has to serve for a minimum of two years! They told him he¡¯d be serving under the Hellfire Captain! They said you sail with her, so I was hoping you could protect him and ensure he wouldn¡¯t be...¡± Kiku lowered her voice. ¡°...harmed by her.¡± ¡°Harmed by her?¡± Amelia asked, frowning. ¡°You know...¡± Kiku looked around awkwardly. ¡°They say the Hellfire Captain hangs anyone who steps out of line! She whips anyone bloody and dangles them from the ship as a warning to the rest of the fleet! They say the ship¡¯s haunted with the ghosts of those who displeased her!¡± Serena! This is what you get when you keep glaring at everyone! ¡°Yes! Of course!¡± Amelia tutted with mock annoyance before spinning around and exiting the tent. As the days ticked by, Amelia fell into a satisfying routine. She would wake and either go and meet Serena for some early morning training, or they would attend Katalin''s bi-weekly sessions. The Northern demon was steadily increasing the intensity of the sessions, and Amelia was sure she was developing some genuine muscle from them! ¡°Duels are simple, yes?¡± Katalin said one session after a drill. ¡°But rarely are things so fair. Those who served on the frontlines will know what I am referencing, mmm?¡± At her words, most of the instructors nodded in understanding. ¡°The best way to kill an enemy is to outnumber them, and the best way to be killed is to be outnumbered. The humans know this and so do we. We will now learn how to control the battlefield in such unfair conditions. Now, all of you...¡± Katalin¡¯s eyes gleamed as she unsheathed her sword. ¡°Attack me.¡± It took a moment for the class to register the request before the first handful surged forward, followed by the rest. They did their best to swarm Katalin. No matter how good she was, no one would be able to defend themselves if they were surrounded, right? They didn¡¯t find out because no matter how much they tried, Katalin moved around the room in such a way she was only ever within sword-reach of one or two people. It was almost as if she were controlling their movements, somehow understanding exactly how the attacking class would respond as a group and using this knowledge to her advantage to cause people to bump into each other and trip. The instructors eventually figured out how she was doing it and quickly began to counter, splitting into small, independent groups. However, this didn¡¯t help much. Katalin changed tactics, going on the offensive and demonstrating how individual groups could be broken apart by pushing, tripping, and throwing demons at one another. That day, the reputation of Katalin of Driss as a swordmaster was set in concrete in the minds of the humbled Eastern instructors. Amelia tried her best to absorb the lessons but knew it would take years of practice to fully understand what Katalin was teaching. She could understand how she eclipsed everyone else, even those famous for their contributions to the war. Who would win between her, the grandmaster, and Greatlord Oshiro? The grandmaster had a sense of brutal efficiency, developed from decades of honing his skills. Greatlord Oshiro had a dominating presence; when he entered a room, everyone naturally deferred to his superiority. So, who would win? Maybe she would ask Serena¡¯s opinion later, but if Amelia¡¯s theory were correct, Katalin would only lose if she wanted to. While Amelia was pushed to her limits in Katalin¡¯s session, she and Serena continued their joint training sessions with their disciples. Serena would train the Northerner, Flakken Holm, and the two excitable lowland-born siblings, Ido and Arin Song. Amelia kept assisting Hinako, but after one session, she was approached by the student mage named Daichi. He was the most promising second-year student, with solid third-circle magic, and was the one who had been so arrogant towards her when she duelled his entire class in a row - defeating them one by one. ¡°Assistant Instructor Thornheart,¡± Daichi politely bowed. ¡°Daichi Ishitani,¡± Amelia intoned, having long since memorised everyone¡¯s name. ¡°How can I help?¡± ¡°I have heard you¡¯ve been assisting the lowland construction efforts,¡± he began tentatively. ¡°With your earth magic. I¡¯ve been told it is unique and more efficient than most. I was hoping you would allow me to learn from you.¡± He punctuated his request with a bow. ¡°And what kind of learning were you hoping for?¡± Amelia asked, folding her arms. ¡°I believe allowing me to witness your magic up close would give me new insights. If you could point out inefficiencies in my magic, that would be desirable. I would also like to duel against your... first-circle wards again.¡± Well, the previously arrogant demon had turned a new leaf. After thrashing him in the duel he¡¯d always held a glint of hostility in his eyes. Now, Amelia''s intuition informed her that hostility had significantly lessened. Had he finally accepted how amazing and cute she was!? It made sense. He would know about her invoking Taranis and would have calculated her aether capacity from the readings of her Sphere of Convalescence. Even if the demon was predisposed to racial elitism and possessed a tendency for arrogance, he couldn¡¯t deny the reality before him. ¡°One question...¡± Amelia began. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you volunteered your talents in earth magic in the lowlands? You would be a great addition to the construction teams.¡± ¡°That...¡± Daichi frowned. ¡°Construction work is... eh...¡± ¡°Construction work is?¡± Amelia said, pressing him. ¡°My family consider it to be...¡± Daichi swallowed. Amelia didn¡¯t let him escape. ¡°Considers it to be what?¡± Serena had stopped directing her group and was watching her with amusement. I hope you¡¯re proud! Amelia thought. I learned this from you! The art of making someone squirm. ¡°Consider it to be...¡± Daichi¡¯s voice became small. ¡°...lesser work.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Amelia placed a finger on her chin. ¡°Lesser work? For... lesser people?¡± ¡°I-¡± ¡°Does that mean you consider me to be a lesser person?¡± ¡°Not at all, Assistant Instructor Thornheart!¡± ¡°I am a noble of the Empire,¡± Amelia said, enjoying emphasising each word. She wasn¡¯t actually annoyed, so it was okay to re-educate him a bit, wasn¡¯t it? ¡°Do you know what that means? It means I am to work for the Empress, to aid her in building a prosperous world for all demons!¡± And humans, she added in her head. ¡°So how can it be lesser work to help provide homes for thousands of demons who struggle to feed and warm themselves through winter? Can you explain that, Daichi Ishitani?¡± ¡°My way of thinking has changed, Assistant Instructor! I now see the error of my ways!¡± That easy!? Amelia was surprised. This Serena-style re-education thing worked! ¡°Excellent, then you can come to the next training session!¡± Amelia declared. ¡°Thank you, Assistant Instructor!¡± Daichi bowed again, his eyes full of genuine appreciation. ¡°But there¡¯s a condition.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll only help you train if I see you in the lowlands, assisting with the construction work.¡± Amelia saw Serena bite her tongue in the background. While her girlfriend kept control, Ido and Arin Song laughed loudly. As lowlanders themselves, it must be cathartic to see Amelia tease Daichi so much. And with innocent encounters like that. A month passed. Chapter Seventy-Three: Bitter Truths Chapter Seventy-Three: Bitter Truths It didn¡¯t take long for the city to return to its usual ebb and flow. After a few weeks, the broadsheets stopped reporting on the event, and photographs of Amelia¡¯s embodiment of Suijin were no longer sprawled across the front pages. Instead, with the capital of the Republic, Meppen, fallen, the war retook its usual spot in the headlines. Every night, celebrations could be heard lasting until the early hours of the morning. Serena heard it talked about everywhere, from the students to the instructors to the shopworkers and their customers; the war was ending. After a month, the fire was a distant memory to the citizens of Asamaywa. The construction effort was moving along well. The work of the earth mages was finished, and the bulk of the remaining tasks were contracted to various companies under the umbrella of the Asamaywa guilds. Steam-driven cranes littered the lowlands, each one replacing the work of an aura user, and hundreds of civilian workers buzzed around the site, fulfilling their roles diligently. Amelia had stopped coming down, but only at the behest of Serena, the academy, and Greatlord Oshiro himself. Over the last month, the face and name of Lady Thornheart of the Lowlands had become so well known that Amelia began needing a protection squad when travelling. Not because she was in danger but because the citizenry would constantly approach her, delaying her schedule again and again. Most citizens were polite, simply wanting to pay their respects, but many tried to persuade Amelia to heal them or their loved ones with a story of sorrow and pain. It had been hard, but Serena had convinced Amelia not to heal everyone who approached her with an ailment. Serena emphasised that if she did, she would never be able to walk freely; she would be mobbed whether she went. Sure, Amelia could disguise herself with Kanaxai spellwork, but then her freedom would always come at the cost of never being able to truly be herself. While Amelia agreed, she explained very clearly that she wouldn¡¯t refuse to heal anyone on that principle; she just couldn¡¯t bear to see the suffering she¡¯d seen in the lowland slums. If, in her words, the Greatlords of the East didn¡¯t want her causing political problems, then they should fulfil their duties in ensuring the bottom rung of society could at least survive. Amelia¡¯s tone had been angry saying that. Even so, Serena couldn¡¯t find it in her heart to correct her. The slums had been far worse than she could ever have imagined. Lord Kanamori had been quietly removed from his position as Lord of Asamaywa Station and its surroundings. He hadn¡¯t had his lordship revoked but was encouraged to relocate to his new territory, a minor mining village somewhere in the mountains. Essentially, he was exiled. And, if the rumours were true, his wealth had been seized to contribute to the reconstruction under the guise of a donation. It was a tactful amount of political manoeuvring that left a sour taste in Serena''s mouth. If an officer under her had demonstrated even a fraction of Lord Kanamori¡¯s corruption, she would have them hanged. Since it was understood that if Amelia was restricted too heavily, she would likely just do another chaotic healing event anyway, an agreement was made so that she would repeat another mass healing event before they left Asamaywa. To minimise intra-Empire political fallout, Cascadian Lords from all corners were invited to the event. Greatlord Oshiro explained that the Overlord was being careful and had weighted the invitations proportionally across the Empire. Serena understood it as a delicate balancing act; the East wanted to maximise Amelia for themselves but couldn¡¯t be seen as trying to hoard her. According to an aethergram her Father received from Nina, more than a hundred Centralis-registered ships had requested travel visas for the Three Sisters, and hundreds more were waiting for paperwork. With all the public docks in the Three Sisters booked until the event, people resorted to getting travel routes approved for the nearby Nai and even Nachon, where they would get a train or shuttle to Asamaywa. The prices of accommodation and private docking space had increased by more than a magnitude. This wasn¡¯t just due to people desperate to receive Amelia¡¯s healing; many wanted to witness the event for bragging rights. Amelia didn¡¯t like the sound of people being charged up to their horns for just a chance to see her. Still, her complaints stopped when Greatlord Oshiro pointed out that the increased revenue - from what Serena was calling Amelia tourism - was paying for the lowland to be rebuilt. ¡°The topic has caused more than a few heated arguments in the House of Commons,¡± Greatlord Oshiro explained one day at his estate. He had been summoning both Serena and Amelia frequently over the weeks. They stood in an ornate reception room with paintings of landscapes and flowers decorating the walls. It was a room made for the occupants to feel relaxed. ¡°The delegations have nearly come to blows on more than one occasion,¡± Greatlord Oshiro continued. ¡°How does the rest of the Empire view Amelia?¡± Serena asked. ¡°Centralis is... welcoming. The North isn¡¯t. Sentiments built up over the war will take time to cool. They don¡¯t like a human taking such a prominent position in the Empire.¡± Greatlord Oshiro glanced at Amelia standing nearby, who just shrugged in response. ¡°The South believe Amelia was behind the Suijin embodiment and aren¡¯t happy the East has a claim to such a large part of their heritage through a human.¡± ¡°They... know?¡± she asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°An intelligence document was leaked to the North. It was presented in parliament.¡± She frowned. ¡°They just let that happen?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve never attended parliament, have you, Lord Halen?¡± ¡°No.¡± As a Cascadian Lord, Serena had a right to attend the House of Lords and make her voice heard. Typically, it wouldn¡¯t be done without the permission of their Lord Superior, but occasionally, a Lord might bypass the normal etiquette as a form of protest if they think their Lord Superior wasn¡¯t listening to them. ¡°Both Houses have the same rules in that they cannot prevent a member from sharing information. The Northern delegation got part of the early report that named Lord-Prospect Thornheart as Suijin¡¯s Speaker.¡± ¡°Is it possible Intelligence leaked it intentionally?¡± Amelia asked, blinking innocently. ¡°Perhaps,¡± Greatlord Oshiro answered. ¡°But the papers won¡¯t report on it. They know they need permission to reveal a Speaker¡¯s name. Someone may want this information to filter back to the human continent. I can see it cooling the temperament of the human nations. For a while, at least.¡± He was silent for a moment, then continued, ¡°Still, our official position is to deny the allegation, so I expect you both to do the same.¡± ¡°O-okay!¡± Amelia chirped. ¡°Yes, Greatlord,¡± Serena intoned with a bow. ¡°There is something else,¡± Greatlord Oshiro said, producing two letters. ¡°There will be an award ceremony for those who risked their lives or otherwise contributed greatly to putting out the fire. I¡¯m sure it shouldn¡¯t be surprising for either of you to find out you¡¯ll be awarded. Here.¡± He passed the letters over, and after seeing his affirmative nod, Serena opened hers and read it. ¡°A... Gold-¡± Serena swallowed and tried again. ¡°A Golden Horn?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Greatlord Oshiro stated. ¡°One hundred and thirty Bronze Horns, Forty Silver Horns and eight Golden. Two of which are going to you two.¡± He frowned. ¡°It¡¯ll be a long ceremony. You¡¯ll be going last.¡± ¡°What¡¯s a Golden Horn?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°It¡¯s the highest civilian award in the East,¡± Greatlord Oshiro explained. ¡°It entitles you to a modest yearly sum for ten years and to own land in Asamaywa Proper. As a Lord-Prospect, you already have that right, of course. If such a reward feels insufficient...¡± Amelia began shaking her head. ¡°...then know this Golden Horn will only be for your miraculous healing that saved the lives of so many. We can¡¯t reveal your role in Speaking Suijin, but we can reward you for it. So,¡± the greatlord cleared his throat. ¡°Lord-Prospect Thornheart, for saving Asamaywa Station by extinguishing that terrible inferno... you¡¯ll be awarded a modest estate in the city.¡± Greatlord Oshiro politely coughed. ¡°It comes fully furnished, so you¡¯ll be able to move in the moment the paperwork is signed.¡± ¡°Y-you¡¯re giving me a house!?¡± Amelia¡¯s eyes grew as wide as a peeka spotting a mouse. ¡°Thank you!¡± She bowed deeply. ¡°Thank you!¡± She turned to Serena. ¡°Did you hear that? A house! All for me!¡± Serena couldn¡¯t help but smile at Amelia¡¯s enthusiasm, but something Greatlord Oshiro said made her suspicious. After all, fully furnished estates don¡¯t spring up out of nowhere. This award was either planned in advance or it was... ¡°Greatlord Oshiro, this estate,¡± Serena began tentatively. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t happen to be...?¡± A question needed to be asked. A question she didn¡¯t really want the answer to, but she had to know. ¡°Greatlord...¡± she began tentatively. ¡°The lowland fire. Was it truly... due to a baker''s oven?¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± He tapped the couch¡¯s armrest. Once... twice... thrice. ¡°The report we produced stated the origin of the fire was a baker¡¯s oven, so...¡± His expression darkened. ¡°The origin was a baker¡¯s oven. I suggest not questioning the official report any more, Lord Halen.¡± ¡°Of course, Greatlord,¡± Serena said. ¡°I¡¯m merely doing my duty and raising a point of concern regarding her powers that may have an accidental detrimental effect on your ability to carry out your duties.¡± Greatlord Oshiro explained. ¡°Make sure you take adequate measures to prevent any future complications, Lord Halen.¡± ¡°Yes, Greatlord.¡± She must never know, Serena thought. I must never tell her. Greatlord Oshiro took another sip of the earth-tea and Serena copied him. Still unpleasant. ¡°How is life in the academy?¡± He asked, his expression softening as if the previous topic had never been discussed. ¡°Have you found any promising talent? Surely that Melanie Mori girl meets your standard?¡± ¡°Yes, Greatlord, along with some others.¡± Serena swallowed. ¡°I do have some concerns. Given the seriousness of my future duties, I can¡¯t help but question the rationale behind forming a new group of softhorns. Even if they are talented in their abilities, they lack the wisdom of age and experience of real combat. I find myself wondering if it wouldn¡¯t be better to bring in some veterans instead?¡± It had been a question troubling her for a while. The original justification provided by Chesterfield was that they wanted an elite team that could work with Amelia with no existing bias against humans. Only... Serena had seen demons like Highlord Driss and Flakken Holm, both from the North, be capable of putting their biases aside. ¡°Good deduction,¡± Greatlord Oshiro intoned. ¡°The lack of existing biases is more of a happy coincidence. Why, then, do you think it was so important for us to get her in an academy and help scout a team of demons more or less her age?¡± He raised an eyebrow, signalling he wanted her to arrive at the answer herself. ¡°Because...¡± Serena began, her mind racing to connect the dots. Why had they put Amelia in an environment around budding trainee officers and not integrated her into an experienced elite squad? Why did they want her to take an active part in forming a new team? Why had he emphasised the words ¡®her age¡¯? ¡°Friends...¡± she answered. ¡°No, not just friends. Connections.¡± She felt her eyes widen at the realisation. ¡°Connections,¡± she repeated. ¡°You want to bind her to the Empire.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Greatlord Oshiro¡¯s eyes glinted dangerously. ¡°She¡¯s a human in a world of demons. It¡¯s natural for her not to fit in. The last thing we want is for her to leave our clutches. She must be bound to the Empire. Not by chains of force, but with things more powerful. Just as a great ironwood tree burrows its roots into the earth, we want Amelia to do the same. We want her roots of friendship to run deep, her sense of loyalty and duty to her squadmates to trap her, and her relationships to make her never consider leaving. In that sense... you¡¯ve done well, Lord Halen.¡± Ah, that was right. Greatlord Oshiro would have read all the intelligence reports detailing just how close Serena and Amelia were. However, it seemed that any moral concerns he might have over the matter were irrelevant when it came to the much more important goal of binding Amelia. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how to respond...¡± Serena mumbled. She didn¡¯t like thinking of Amelia as a thing to be bound. Still, her mind, trained by years of rational and practical education, further developed by her battlefield experience, couldn¡¯t deny the cold logic before her. Even if, like the tea, it left a sour taste in her mouth. ¡°Ruthless, isn¡¯t it?¡± Greatlord Oshiro replied. ¡°Don¡¯t view it from the point of view of Serena Halen, but from the point of view of Lord Halen, servant of our Overlord and the Divine One. It¡¯s not like anyone wishes the girl any harm. Quite the opposite, we are all immensely invested in keeping her happy. In a matter of a few months, she¡¯s become one of the Empire¡¯s most important strategic assets, and our actions must reflect that. The Western Overlord has recommended Vikram to fully sanction her lordship.¡± What!? ¡°What!?¡± Serena burst out before quickly correcting her tone of voice. ¡°Sorry, Greatlord.¡± She readjusted her position on the couch, resisting the urge to stand up and pace. ¡°If I may ask, why?¡± ¡°It came out in parliament a few weeks back. An official request.¡± The greatlord shrugged. ¡°The justification is her actions during the fire. It¡¯s not without precedent, but it''s certainly unusual for the West to put their horns out like this. She also has an official invitation to visit the Western Terra Firma, so you¡¯ll have no trouble getting a travel visa should your duties take you in that direction.¡± ¡°I see...¡± Serena trailed off, absorbing the information. A part of her wanted to ask what the Greatlord knew about the ever-mysterious Western Overlord but figured she¡¯d pushed her luck far enough. However, there was one question left. ¡°The necklace you gave her for the ceremony, what¡¯s the meaning behind that?¡± ¡°Oh, that?¡± Greatlord Oshiro stood up, walking to the window where he stood with his back to her. ¡°That¡¯s for the visiting cardinal. They''re going to canonise her as a saint, and if she can be seen as honouring the demon church, it¡¯ll erase the last bit of resistance.¡± Serena¡¯s hands started reaching for her horns but, by a mighty effort, she was able to stop from embarrassing herself. Instead, she stood up, and after forcing herself to take a few breaths, asked, ¡°You¡¯re not jesting? They truly mean to make her... Saint Amelia?¡± ¡°The lowlanders already call her by that name, so it won¡¯t change much,¡± came the answer from the window. ¡°Friends. Relationship. Homestead. Titles. Duty. Loyalty...¡± The greatlord coughed. ¡°And now religion. Each one an attempt to integrate Amelia Thornheart into the institutions of our Empire.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure she would agree to it,¡± Serena pointed out. ¡°It¡¯s not the kind of thing she would want. The extra responsibilities might be too much for her.¡± ¡°There won¡¯t be any extra responsibilities. She only needs to take the title officially. With that, she¡¯ll become a famous symbol of the Empire, and that¡¯s what¡¯s important; that she¡¯s of the Empire.¡± Greatlord Oshiro turned to face Serena. ¡°It¡¯s a lot, but you¡¯ll be leaving soon to a new Terra Firma. It¡¯ll be a well-deserved change of pace for both you and our city.¡± ¡°I.. see. What about her lordship?¡± ¡°We have to wait at least a year, regardless of the opinion of another Overlord. There are plenty of Lord-Prospects in the East who have been waiting for five years or more. It¡¯s too risky to inflame them, especially with how delicate the situation in the Far East is already.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Serena said softly. In all honesty, her brain was overheating from so many repeated revelations. She should be delighted for Amelia, happy that she was going to move up so quickly in the ranks of the Empire. But she wasn¡¯t. Not because of jealousy or envy but because she was worried too much too fast would put undue stress on her girlfriend. There she was again, instinctively putting Amelia ahead of the Empire. Why didn¡¯t it feel wrong? She felt like she needed a holiday. Somewhere far away, somewhere where she and Amelia could just... Hmm? ¡°You mentioned a new Terra Firma,¡± Serena pointed out. ¡°Do you know where our next destination is?¡± ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s not for me to say,¡± came the reply. ¡°Although... I¡¯ll give you a hint...¡± The Greatlord¡¯s voice took on an amused tone. ¡°Prepare for somewhere warm.¡± Chapter Seventy-Four: Award Ceremony Chapter Seventy-Four: Award Ceremony AnnouncementThe series discord has finally passed a whopping 500 people! If you want to theorycraft, have a look at the world-map, or just make new friends who love similar series, then A few days later, the award ceremony was held at the Asamaywa Ceremonial Grounds. It was a place familiar to Serena. She had first attended it as a teenager when her brother Gin became an officer. Many years later, it was where her graduation had been held and, most recently, where she had watched her father become a highlord. The piece of land was large and rectangular, slotting itself forcefully amongst the hustle and bustle of the populous city. It was an open space with paved flooring and a raised platform at the far end. Two stone statues flanked the entrance: Sango, the legendary warrior of Sangoism, and his spiritual wife and Trusted, the Empress of Demonkind. They both wore traditional Samino armour and carried spears. While Sango''s statue had a determined expression, the Empress¡¯s was gentle. In her other hand she held an orb, representing her control over the Blue Moon itself. Serena always felt like she was being watched when walking through the entrance. The sheer presence that even a statue of the Empress emitted forced everyone to straighten their posture, even if they weren¡¯t sure exactly why they were doing it. She and Amelia took their position in one of two waiting areas nestled in the open air to the left and right of the entrance. The one they were in was for significant members of society, Lord-Prospects and above. Highlord Yasuda was the highest-ranking individual present but not the only Speaker; Lunaria Inoue, Gregory Takeda and Ryosuke Yamamoto were some of the many academy Speakers who had answered the call. She also recognised the Earthlord, who had tirelessly protected the square with his earthen walls. After a short conversation, it turned out that he was a fully sanctioned lord, who governed a large territory of farmland in the lowlands. Seeing all these people here again reminded her that her experience in the square was just a tiny part of a much larger firefighting effort. Outside of where she had worked, thousands of others had been working together around the fire¡¯s rim. On the other side was another waiting area where a much larger group was gathering. It contained all the civilians whose bravery during the fire had earned them recognition. Among them were Melanie Mori, Hinako Aikawa, Daichi Ishitani, and nearly a hundred other warriors and mages from the Asamaywa Academy and other institutions. There were also a few dozen that had no talent with aether. They were the brave citizens of the lowlands who had heroically helped organise the firefighting efforts. Maybe it was because of nerves, but many kept looking at the noble waiting area and gossiping amongst themselves. While the ones with some experience with aether were more taciturn - their education imposing proper etiquette into them - the others didn¡¯t seem aware of how easily Serena and her peers heard their whispered conversations. ¡°That¡¯s Highlord Yasuda, isn¡¯t it? I saw him fly in and out of the fire, rescuing dozens!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a Highlord in person before! Ah! He¡¯s so handsome!¡± ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, isn¡¯t that Serena Halen? The captain of the Black Ship?¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re right, and she¡¯s standing next to the Golden Healer!¡± Amelia stepped closer and whispered, ¡°They¡¯re talking about you!¡± She grinned before adding, ¡°You¡¯re so famous!¡± ¡°So are you,¡± Serena muttered her reply. If it wasn¡¯t for Highlord Yasuda and the other nobles around, she would have added ¡®Idiot¡¯. Even so, she and her peers had to more or less stand there and pretend they couldn¡¯t overhear the incessant whispering going on. It wasn¡¯t always easy having enhanced perception. She occupied her mind by adjusting her clothing. Everyone wore some variation of a traditional Samino kimono. The women wore light colours wrapped with a patterned sash while the men wore dark greys and blacks, with the addition of loose jackets, emphasising their forms. Serena¡¯s kimono was decorated with silver thread that wove itself into shapes of war: swords, spears and other bladed weapons. Meanwhile, while Amelia had chosen a flowery design like most women, she¡¯d refused to let Serena talk her out of buying the red sash with depictions of peekas playing embossed upon it. What was it with this human and her obsession with peekas!? At least Amelia looked good in red - it matched her crimson eyes. Time passed and Serena talked with the other nobles, mainly discussing the fire and congratulating them on their diligent and dutiful work in slowing the fire¡¯s spread. The topic of Lord Kanamori¡¯s effective exile was avoided. Instead, people took the shameless opportunity to build connections with Amelia. ¡°Lord-Prospect, House Fuwara would love to extend a welcome...¡± ¡°The moons must have blessed us that night for you to be there...¡± ¡°Have you seen the new play in the theatre? It¡¯s highly reviewed. Perhaps you would...?¡± ¡°He¡¯s here,¡± Highlord Yasuda growled, prompting everyone to stop their unbearably polite harassment. Greatlord Oshiro strode through the entrance and, as if he cast a spell on the entire ceremonial grounds, silence descended once his presence made itself known. He approached the noble waiting area first, flanked by his guards. His face seemed devoid of the tension Serena had seen the last time they spoke. Instead, he seemed light and cheerful. ¡°Welcome,¡± he intoned, stopping in front of the group, who all bowed in unison. ¡°It is I who should be bowing to you, Lords of the East,¡± he said with a smile. ¡°You have done a great service to our city. While these little metallic horns I¡¯ll be pinning to your chest seem small in comparison to your large deeds, I assure you I will never forget your actions that day.¡± He bowed respectfully. ¡°As is tradition, we¡¯ll be handing out bronze first, then silver and then gold. Most of your group will go last and leave last. It¡¯s a lot of waiting, but I¡¯ll be up there even longer!¡± He smiled. ¡°If I knew how much standing around there would be, I would have never accepted my ascension to Greatlord!¡± His jest earned him some polite laughter. ¡°Now, excuse me,¡± he continued, tilting his head in the direction of the other waiting area. ¡°I now need to make our other guests very uncomfortable.¡± To some more laughter, Greatlord Oshiro left and approached the other group. At the sight of the approaching Greatlord, most people grew white, and some even began trembling. Such was the presence of a Greatlord to an ordinary citizen. Unless you were a Lord or Highlord who regularly interacted with one of them, the sheer gravitas and power they exuded with every motion and word put even battle-hardened warriors on edge. While Greatlord Oshiro did his best to calm the others'' nerves, the seating around the edges began to fill up as the family members poured in. The ceremonial grounds had two rows of seating at the sides and a special seating area at the far end, overlooking the raised stage. It didn¡¯t take long for Serena to see her father, mother, and Lani settle into seats at the far end, positioned at the front row with the families of the other Highlords of Asamaywa. Grandmother wasn¡¯t there. Hopefully, no illness had befallen the old demon. Lani waved enthusiastically before her mother grabbed her hand and forced it to her side. Even so, Amelia waved back, which delighted Lani and set off a hushed but heated argument between her and her mother. Her highlord father seemed to be trying to pretend he was somewhere else. Shame Nina isn¡¯t in the area, Serena mused. It¡¯s been a while. I wonder how she¡¯d react to Amelia? Making a mental note to send her smartest sister a letter in the near future, Serena waited while Greatlord Oshiro took his place at the podium and for the seats to fill. A few assistants coordinated things on the stage, making last-minute adjustments and then leaving to position themselves near both waiting areas. Then, a long silence developed. It was as if an unspoken cue informed everyone to stop talking. The anticipation built until the bell towers across the city suddenly rang their hourly chime. Greatlord Oshiro must have been waiting for them, as he immediately began his speech once they finished. ¡°Welcome,¡± he boomed. ¡°Lords of the East! Citizens of the Empire! Welcome! I stand before you today as not only the Lord of the City, but a Lord in mourning! I grieve, no less and no more than you do, at the tragedy that befell our great city!¡± Greatlord Oshiro continued to give an overview of the inferno, the official report of its origins, and how the city fought so tirelessly to contain it. He didn¡¯t mention the Suijin embodiment directly, only referencing that due to the threat to Asamaywa Station, a decision had been made to reveal one of the Empire¡¯s strategic assets. Then, he held a minute of silence for the victims of the fire. Once the sombre period of reflection ended, Greatlord Oshiro spoke, saying, ¡°Attendants, if you please.¡± The attendants near the waiting group on the other side began flicking through their papers, directing a group of four civilians to make their way down the ceremonial grounds. Serena could hear the attendant walking with them, giving them instructions on ceremonial etiquette: when to bow and where to stand. ¡°Doing four at once,¡± someone nearby said approvingly. ¡°It¡¯ll go quick then.¡± The others murmured their agreement. The four made their way to the stage and, one by one, they were rewarded with their Bronze Horns. Greatlord Oshiro would introduce each one by name, their position in society, and what actions they undertook to earn them the reward. The actions were varied, but all were impressive in their own right. ¡°For volunteering to open warehouses for those that had lost everything.¡± ¡°For risking his life by knocking on hundreds of doors in the opening hour as the fire licked his heels.¡± ¡°For organising a waterline and delaying the fire until the earth mages could begin their work.¡± The first group had their Bronze Horns pinned to their chests and were scuttled off to the side to begin the lengthy waiting process. Group after group went up, pulling students, civilians, and other individuals who had contributed selflessly to the firefighting efforts. Hinako Aikawa was in one of the last groups, earning herself a Bronze Horn for her magical aid. The student named Dachi Ishitani also earned himself a Bronze Horn for volunteering his skills in construction work over the last month. Serena briefly wondered if anyone else knew the prideful demon had only done so because Amelia wouldn¡¯t welcome him into her private training sessions otherwise. Eventually, after nearly two hours had passed, the last of the Bronze Horns was awarded. A short break was announced before the Silver Horns would be given out. Serena glanced at her family. Her father was sitting proudly, every bit the diligent highlord he was. Her mother looked on with an annoyed expression and it didn¡¯t take Serena long to see why. Lani slouched in her chair and seemingly refused to sit back up. Serena wasn¡¯t entirely certain, but she swore Lani was repeatedly muttering the word ¡®bored¡¯. Serena chuckled to herself. Her stubborn, annoying sister grated her nerves almost every time they met, but she still loved Lani dearly. Reminds me of someone else... she thought idly. After some time, Greatlord Oshiro resumed the ceremony. His voice remained strong and as reliable as a lift engine, booming across the open space. He read out the contributions and achievements of the Silver Horn recipients. Emalina Honda earned hers for organising the hundred-person medical operation that kept so many from dying before Amelia¡¯s magic could heal them. Gregory Takeda, the head of the Department of Engineering, earned his Silver Horn for efficiently and quickly guiding the hundreds of people involved in the construction of the earthen walls, and effectively redirecting a nearby stream to flood part of the lowlands, slowing the fire down greatly. Ryosuke earned his for overseeing the warriors at the fire''s edge, taking enormous strain from Highlord Yasuda. Mel also earned herself a Silver Horn. With Amelia¡¯s wards, she had been able to throw herself into the flames again and again, working with Serena to bring back the injured and trapped citizens. The poor girl looked like she was going to pass out on stage, but she kept it together. She¡¯ll make a fine officer, Serena thought, looking at the Silver Horn pinned to Mel¡¯s chest. I made the right choice in picking her. Then, finally, after almost another hour, it was time for the recipients of the Golden Horns. By now, the amount of people left was few. Serena, Amelia and Lunaria were the only ones from the academy. There was also the Earthlord and the handful of warriors that had run into the inferno repeatedly with Serena, surviving only thanks to Amelia¡¯s wards and healing. They went up one by one instead of groups of four. The warriors went first, pride and gratitude plastered upon their faces. For the Golden Horn recipients, Greatlord Oshiro took even longer to introduce each one, emphasising their previous achievements in depth before their contributions relating to the fire. When he pinned the Golden Horn on their chest, the audience erupted into rapturous applause. The Earthlord went up next, followed by Lunaria. They both earned their horns for essentially doing the work of a hundred normal mages. Lunaria was especially complimented by the Greatlord, who stated that the station would have almost certainly been engulfed in flame if Lunaria hadn¡¯t used her massive aether capabilities to shift the rocky foundations. Then it was Highlord Yasuda''s turn, and in almost no time at all, only two were left. Serena and Amelia. ¡°Lord Halen,¡± an attendant spoke. ¡°If you could follow me, please.¡± ¡°See you in a bit,¡± Serena muttered to Amelia. Her girlfriend didn¡¯t respond; she seemed preoccupied with chanting mantras that sounded oddly like the phrases ¡®no one is watching¡¯ and ¡®no need to be nervous¡¯. She¡¯d be fine, wouldn¡¯t she? Serena walked the length of the ceremonial grounds with the attendant. She could feel all eyes on her, but that was fine. As captain of the Vengeance and instructor of the Asamaywa Academy, Serena was more than used to being the centre of attention. She strode up the platform steps and stood before her Lord Superior. Greatlord Oshiro began describing who she was and listing her achievements, focusing on her valuable contributions to the war, both on and off the battlefield. When it came to the fire, he emphasised that Serena, under her invocation of Narean, had braved the hottest of flames and rescued the most people individually out of all other warriors. Photographers took the opportunity to take as many photographs as possible, prompting a few dozen hisses of steam to sound when Greatlord Oshiro pinned the Golden Horn on her chest. ¡°I imagine this won¡¯t be the last time I¡¯m pinning an award on you,¡± Greatlord Oshiro muttered. ¡°Let¡¯s hope next time is under better circumstances, don¡¯t you think so, Lord Halen?¡± ¡°Yes, Greatlord,¡± Serena replied, bowing deeply when he took a step back. ¡°It¡¯s an honour to serve you, our Overlord, and the Empress above.¡± With the formalities over, Serena took her position next to the other recipients. Greatlord Oshiro wasted no time, already beginning his speech as Amelia approached the platform. Looking at her, she looked every bit like an elegant lady, confidently striding towards her deserved accolades. But Serena knew her girlfriend¡¯s stomach was twisting inside. Nothing would go wrong, right? ¡°It is with great honour to award the next recipient,¡± he began. ¡°Those of us who haven¡¯t been reading the headlines in the last few months would have still heard her spoken of by other names. The ¡®Golden Healer¡¯, ¡®Lady Thornheart of the Lowlands¡¯, and even...¡± Greatlord Oshiro paused momentarily. ¡°Saint Amelia. In such a short time, she¡¯s left her mark of love and kindness upon the world of demons. As our war ends, this noble woman symbolises unity between our two races. She emphasises our desire for prosperity and peace! I, of course, refer to Lord-Prospect Amelia Thornheart!¡± He finished his opening introduction by dramatically gesturing to the side of the stage where Amelia was walking up the steps with an uneasy smile. And, just as everyone began clapping, Amelia tripped on the last step. She took one stumbling step, then two, then seemed like she was going to stabilise before collapsing face-first into the wooden ground with a distinctive thud that echoed around the ceremonial grounds far more than it had any right to. Serena had never seen an audience start and stop clapping so quickly. A few whimpers of sympathy were muttered from those around her. ¡°Oh dear...¡± ¡°Ouch...¡± ¡°Oof...¡± ¡°Damn it,¡± Amelia muttered, accepting the hand of a nearby attendant. She clambered to her feet, fixing her sash and uniform that had become untidy, all while looking at the floor and mumbling, ¡°Just a dream, just a dream...¡± She finished fixing her clothing, put her characteristic grin on her face and strode forward with determined steps like it never happened. It was an almost flawless continuation if it weren¡¯t for her face, burning as red as the Red Moon itself! Serena reckoned that if she pushed her aura into orange and focused a little, she would be able to hear Amelia¡¯s pounding heartbeat. Poor Amelia. Serena made a mental note to hug her on the carriage ride back. ¡°Ahem!¡± Greatlord Oshiro began. Before continuing with Amelia, he took a moment to tell a story of when he embarrassed himself as a young lord. To ordinary citizens watching, it must have come across as a tactful attempt to reset the mood and ease Amelia¡¯s awkwardness. Those who understood that a Greatlord¡¯s actions were often far more calculated didn¡¯t miss the secondary implication under the story. I¡¯m willing to embarrass myself to protect Amelia Thornheart. ¡°Amelia¡¯s benevolent actions saved the lives of hundreds of demons, perhaps even thousands,¡± Greatlord Oshiro announced to the seated attendees. ¡°Her expertly casted wards protected many of her fellow Golden Horn recipients as they delved again and again into the white hot fires. Her healing of those pulled from the inferno gave them a second chance at life. Despite knowing it would exhaust her, Amelia''s grand spellwork even covered those working at the fire''s edge, saving even more lives!¡± Serena didn¡¯t miss the not-so-subtle implication that Amelia¡¯s spells exhausted her. She¡¯d spoken about this messaging before with Amelia. It was all to construct a narrative where Amelia and her Lord Superior would have a handy excuse to politely push back on requests for her healing, allowing some breathing room in the future. The photographers went wild when Greatlord Oshiro approached her with the Golden Horn. Over steam hissing, Serena heard Greatlord Oshiro quietly say, ¡°You¡¯re not the first to trip on those steps, believe me.¡± Then, he leaned forward slightly and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry; you¡¯ll have a chance to redeem yourself at the ceremonial dinner. You¡¯ll be carving.¡± He bent back with a grin as Amelia¡¯s eyes widened and her mouth opened. ¡°Only jesting,¡± he said before turning around and announcing the next part of the schedule to everyone. Poor Amelia! Serena made another mental note to give her an extra long massage to make up for today. She would massage these awkward memories out of her. Seven hells, Serena thought. I¡¯m such a good girlfriend, aren¡¯t I? With the pinning ceremony complete, they were let go individually to line up in front of the stage. It took half an hour but was still much quicker as it was more of a final roll call than anything else. Once positioned, Greatlord Oshiro loudly declared, ¡°Lords of the East!¡± All the attending Lord-Prospects, Lords, and Highlords sitting in the special seating area stood up. Serena glanced up to see her father standing tall, his face filled with pride. ¡°In honour of those that serve with excellence, we bow!¡± Greatlord Oshiro shouted before bowing to the medal recipients deeply. Then, all the lords in the special seating followed suit and bowed. Serena heard more than a few civilians swallow. To them, having a regular Lord, let alone a Greatlord, bow to them out of respect was almost too much to handle. With the act of gratitude finished, the main part of the ceremony was over. Families were allowed to come down from the stands to mingle with their sons and daughters. At the same time, dozens of attendants suddenly appeared and began setting up chairs and tables for the upcoming celebration dinner. They would be eating out in the open. ¡°Did you hear what he said to me!?¡± Amelia hastily whispered. ¡°I felt like I was going to cry... hey!¡± Her girlfriend puffed her cheeks out. ¡°Why do you look like you¡¯re trying not to laugh!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not!¡± Serena protested while biting the inside of her cheek. ¡°You did great,¡± she continued. ¡°No one will remember what happened anyway,¡± she added reassuringly. ¡°Daughter!¡± a familiar voice called. Serena turned to see her father making his way through the crowd with her mother and Lani behind them. Serena barely opened her mouth before she was captured by her father''s arms. ¡°A recommendation to commodore and now a Golden Horn!¡± her father intoned, squeezing her tight. ¡°You and Nina just keep raising the status of this family! I¡¯m proud of you!¡± Serena smiled but awkwardly detached herself from her father¡¯s grasp. ¡°Thank you, Father. Mother! It¡¯s great to see you! And Lani... are you behaving?¡± ¡°No,¡± her mother said. ¡°Yes!¡± Lani chirped, hugging Serena. ¡°Big Sister! My horns are getting bigger, aren¡¯t they!?¡± ¡°Lani!¡± Mother snapped. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Serena couldn¡¯t stop herself from smiling. She rubbed her sister¡¯s back before stepping back. ¡°Hmm... I think they¡¯re much bigger. What do you think, Amelia?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Amelia gave Lani a happy thumbs up. ¡°You¡¯ll overtake Serena in no time!¡± ¡°Hehe!¡± Lani giggled before suddenly pointing at Amelia. ¡°Amelia! You have to come to my academy!¡± ¡°W-what?¡± Amelia blustered. ¡°Why!?¡± ¡°Because no one there believes I¡¯m friends with the Amelia Thornheart! They keep calling me a liar!¡± ¡°Oh my!¡± Amelia opened her mouth in mock indignation. ¡°We can¡¯t have that! Only... are you keeping up with your studies?¡± Now, it was Lani¡¯s turn to be flustered. ¡°W-why does that matter?¡± ¡°You promised me you¡¯d put your best effort in every workbook they gave you, didn¡¯t you?¡± Amelia pressed forward, leaning in slightly. ¡°You can¡¯t ask me a favour if you don¡¯t fulfil your promise to me, isn¡¯t that right? Hmm?¡± ¡°...Yes,¡± Lani muttered. ¡°Are you keeping up with them?¡± ¡°...Maybe,¡± Lani answered in a small voice, chewing her lip. ¡°She most certainly is not,¡± her mother interrupted with a motherly glare. ¡°She was good for maybe... How long was it, Lani? Five days? Hmm?¡± She crossed her arms as Lani shrunk under the disapproving gaze. ¡°Well... oh!¡± Lani¡¯s eyes suddenly widened. ¡°I see someone from my academy over there! It was an honour seeing you again, Amelia! See you later!¡± Before anyone could stop her, she quickly bowed and bounced away to a group of teenagers who had gathered in their own space, away from the intimidating adults and nobles. ¡°She¡¯s still the same,¡± Serena said, giving her parents a sympathetic stare. ¡°How¡¯s Nina doing? Have you had any communication?¡± ¡°Only to inform her of your award,¡± her father answered. ¡°She gave her congratulations and wanted to attend herself, but she couldn¡¯t get the time off. She¡¯s been put in charge of some important project that she can¡¯t talk much about. I think she¡¯s travelling a lot. The last aethergram from her was routed from Killion!¡± Killion? What would Nina be doing in the Southern Terra Firma? ¡°What about grandmother? Didn¡¯t she want to come?¡± ¡°We wanted her to, but she said-¡± Her father sighed. ¡°-That if she had to leave the house every time you earned a medal, she¡¯d be travelling until she keeled over.¡± He frowned momentarily. ¡°I think that was her way of saying she¡¯s proud of you...¡± That sounded just like her. Still, Serena would like to see her grandmother again before leaving. The old devil was getting on, and Serena wouldn¡¯t have many more opportunities to spend time with her. ¡°Are you staying for long?¡± she asked her father. ¡°We¡¯re set to sail shortly after graduation, but I¡¯d like a family meal if you can fit it in. I¡¯m busy myself, so no promises.¡± As their leaving date drew closer, Serena¡¯s workload increased by the day. Her gunnery officers under Thorne were finishing up their training at the Asamaywa Gunnery School, and the installation of the new Ambler Firing Tables was being finalised and tested. Not only that, but she still needed to work with Amelia to settle on the final names for their softhorn elite squad. ¡°We¡¯ll find time,¡± her father nodded reassuringly. ¡°Amelia, you¡¯re welcome to come,¡± her mother added sweetly. ¡°Oh! Thank you!¡± Amelia¡¯s bright expression brightened further. ¡°It¡¯ll be an honour, only...¡± she leaned in slightly. ¡°Please don¡¯t make me carve.¡± Her mother raised a hand to her mouth, laughing politely. ¡°Follow me, dear. Let¡¯s take a walk around the grounds while you tell me about that lovely kimono of yours. Did Serena help you pick it out? There¡¯s a lovely shop near...¡± Her mother expertly led Amelia away. Serena wasn¡¯t concerned. After Amelia healed the slums, her mother changed her tune, and there was no sign of her prior subtle dislike. With Amelia becoming the talk of the Empire, even her mother couldn¡¯t deny the advantages it would bring to align her to her house. Serena watched them momentarily before turning to her father and whispering, ¡°Does she... know?¡± ¡°About? Oh...¡± Her father had a complex expression on his face. He looked around to make sure no one was nearby before whispering. ¡°I think so, but you know what she¡¯s like. She might never bring it up unless something...¡± He tensed his jaw, a look of worry forming on his face. ¡°Unless something obvious happens.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Serena replied. ¡°As long as Lani doesn¡¯t find out...¡± she trailed off, happy to see her father nodding in agreement. Lani had stumbled upon her and Amelia practically undressing each other in Shimashina, and only by Amelia¡¯s quick thinking had she been able to fool the innocent teenager. Should Lani find out for real... well, Serena didn¡¯t know exactly what her little sister would do. But it probably wouldn¡¯t be good. With the cry of the city''s bells the afternoon became evening and the dinner began. It was a neat affair with the nobles and their families maintaining polite conversation while the citizens from the lowlands tried not to draw too much attention to themselves but still whispered excitedly over the expertly cooked dishes. Down the table, Serena noticed one young man sitting next to Mel, looking like he¡¯d rather be anywhere else. It was Mel¡¯s brother, and he spent most of the meal picking at his food. He cast more than a few glances towards Amelia, but once he met Serena¡¯s eyes he never looked their way again. Judging by how Mel¡¯s parents were doting on their daughter and her Silver Horn, it seemed they had a new favourite child to fawn over. Well, it was his fault for attacking Amelia so cowardly. With food eaten, people mingled. Many nobles tried to establish ties with Amelia, but only a few were brave enough to attempt it while she was standing next to Serena¡¯s highlord father. Amelia handled it well enough, giving polite non-answers. If the person pushed too far, Serena would just give them a glare and they¡¯d back away. Slowly, as the sun began to dip low, people and their families excused themselves and returned to their homes. Just as Serena thought it might be time to go, Greatlord Oshiro appeared. ¡°Lady Halen,¡± he intoned politely to Serena¡¯s mother. ¡°Highlord,¡± he greeted her father. ¡°Greatlord,¡± they replied in unison. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I must take Lord-Prospect Thornheart with me. There¡¯s one or two people who have been waiting a long time to meet her. One of whom is a grumpy old member of the clergy who¡¯s been the source of a headache for me. Ah...¡± Seeing Amelia¡¯s expression, Greatlord Oshiro glanced between her and Serena. ¡°Would you prefer it if Lord Halen accompanied you? I know she¡¯s been a supportive pair of horns in helping you navigate high society.¡± ¡°Mmm! Yes, please!¡± Amelia nodded, the worry that started to form on her face quickly melting away. ¡°Both of you it is, then,¡± the greatlord said with a nod. ¡°Lady, Highlord, thank you for your brief company.¡± He nodded towards Serena¡¯s parents before turning and striding across the ceremonial grounds. ¡°Don¡¯t wait for us,¡± Serena said hastily. ¡°I¡¯ll send you an aethergram afterwards!¡± ¡°Alright,¡± her father replied. ¡°Good luck!¡± With that, Serena and Amelia were led through a door and down a corridor, stopping outside a sliding door. She had no illusions about who was on the other side of the door. Greatlord Oshiro had discussed the man in their prior meeting, and Serena had extensively talked about the matter with Amelia since. It was time for Amelia to meet the cardinal. Chapter Seventy-Five: An Unexpected Meeting Chapter Seventy-Five: An Unexpected Meeting When they stepped into the room, the cardinal greeted the trio almost immediately. Like herself, he was ethnically samino. His horns, in contrast to her own, were painted white with each horn bearing golden accessories; three hornbands and a horncap. His church robes mirrored the colour scheme; consisting of thick white cloth embroidered with golden thread. In his hands he carried a copy of the Demon Bible and an upside-down cross hung from around his neck. He was old, perhaps older than Serena¡¯s grandmother. His face was weathered, carrying the etchings of long decades of religious servitude. To a normal citizen the cardinal might come across as a kind elderly man, but Serena¡¯s instincts told her a different story. This cardinal was a Speaker. ¡°Ah...¡± the old man murmured, making his way over to Amelia. ¡°Your hair really does seem to shine, doesn¡¯t it?¡± He smiled, catching Serena¡¯s eyes. ¡°I think I see why they call this one the Golden Healer, yes? Hmm...¡± He peered at Amelia closely, who stood there with an awkward smile. ¡°Such a noble eye colour. Not normal for a human, is it? Was it a parting gift from Asclepius? How strange... I thought the reports might be mistaken, as he¡¯s known for giving golden eyes. No wonder Christdom¡¯s so upset.¡± ¡°Lord-Prospect Thornheart,¡± Greatlord Oshiro politely intoned. ¡°Lord Halen, this is Cardinal Hiroshi, the church¡¯s representative in the East. He also oversees the Archdiocese Major, consisting of Asamaywa, Asamino, and Asamoto, as its archbishop. Cardinal Hiroshi, may I introduce you to Lord-Prospect Thornheart and Lord Halen.¡± Serena bowed politely and Amelia quickly followed. The cardinal made the sign of the cross, his face breaking into a weathered smile. ¡°How lucky we are, to have one of Tamerlane¡¯s lost sheep find its way into our humble flock. May we sit? Greatlord Oshiro has kept me waiting all this time through that long ceremony.¡± Serena didn¡¯t miss how he intentionally used the name of the human pope. ¡°Of course,¡± Greatlord Oshiro responded. They sat on the floor in the traditional position of seiza. They were arranged in a circle, with Amelia across from the cardinal. As Amelia shuffled into position, she chirped, ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you! I like your horns! Why are they white?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± Cardinal Hiroshi responded, disappointment evident in his voice. ¡°Even though you wear the cross?¡± He gestured towards the small necklace Greatlord Oshiro had given to Serena, who had passed it on to Amelia. After a long discussion, Amelia had decided to wear it to the ceremony. ¡°I, uh,¡± Amelia shifted awkwardly. ¡°Wear it out of respect. I suppose I¡¯m still finding my own path, but-¡± Her voice rose. ¡°There are so many religions I don¡¯t know which one I should follow or whether I should even follow one at all! There¡¯s the Quinto religion in Kenhoro with their worship of the Kami, and then there¡¯s Sangoism down here, whose teachings seem really solid! And I¡¯ve heard about...¡± Amelia rambled for a bit, mostly listing some of the Empire¡¯s many religions she¡¯d learned about from Serena and Tomes. The cardinal listened to everything without interrupting. When Amelia finished, he replied, ¡°You still haven¡¯t found your flock. Well...¡± The cardinal cleared his throat. ¡°To answer your first question, the clergy paint their horns white to symbolise the purity and goodness of Christ and his spiritual successor, our divine Empress. Although...¡± He leaned in, dropping his voice. ¡°It originally began as an easy way to identify each other in a crowd!¡± ¡°Mmm! I see!¡± Amelia nodded. ¡°What about the hornbands?¡± Cardinal Hiroshi reached up, tapping the golden hornbands with a wrinkled hand. ¡°One for a priest, two for a bishop, three for an archbishop and...¡± He tapped the top of his horn. ¡°This cap is for cardinals. I never take them off, the Empress even affixed them herself! Let¡¯s see... it was perhaps thirty years ago? But if I may ask you a question, Lady Thornheart.¡± His mouth stretched into a smile that on the surface seemed gentle, but behind it Serena could see the smile of a predatory fish. ¡°How are you finding our Empire? Coming from a small country like Karligard, it must seem enormous.¡± Serena wondered how much the cardinal knew. The overlords were aware that Amelia was a realm-traveller. They would even know she was living in a new body - the Axiom crystal recording she¡¯d passed on included Amelia admitting as much. Did Cardinal Hiroshi know Amelia¡¯s origins? Whether he did or not, it was evident from his question that he intended to hide it. ¡°Mmm!¡± Amelia hummed. ¡°It¡¯s amazing, and I¡¯ve only seen such a small part! I can¡¯t wait to go travelling!¡± The cardinal chuckled. ¡°And while you travel, do you intend to replicate your Sphere of Convalescence?¡± His eyes narrowed as he let the question linger. A cold silence developed. ¡°I-if I have to!¡± Amelia blurted out. ¡°No one could look at the condition of those slums and not do what I did! At least, no decent person!¡± At her words Serena detected the first hint of annoyance in the cardinal¡¯s eyes. ¡°You were right,¡± Cardinal Hiroshi intoned, turning his head towards Greatlord Oshiro. ¡°Her spirit is pure, and innocent...¡± Greatlord Oshiro nodded subtly. ¡°...But, naive,¡± continued the cardinal. He turned his gaze back to Amelia. ¡°I, of course, welcome the miraculous spellwork your wondrous talent has produced, and I am delighted to see how diligently you worked to assist construction efforts after that unfortunate tragedy. However...¡± He tapped the Demon Bible rhythmically. ¡°Actions do not exist in isolation. Word of your miracle has reached the human nations, and covert activity against our interests has increased.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Amelia frowned. ¡°Fear,¡± Greatlord Oshiro growled. ¡°They know we¡¯re united. More than a hundred million demons all working for Cascadia¡¯s prosperity. A hundred million demons that are taller, stronger, and more resistant to illness than an average human. But we¡¯re not invincible. A demon on the battlefield dies just as easily as a human. Our medicine improves yearly but still falls flat against the human ability to invoke their healing spellwork. But now!¡± Greatlord Oshiro rapped his knuckle against his leg. ¡°With you! With your healing! They no longer have that advantage anymore! What if you were sent to the battlefield? What if your existence encourages other conscripted healers to desert? They fear this. They fear it deeply.¡± ¡°Also,¡± Cardinal Hiroshi added. ¡°The human nations have always possessed this advantage over demonkind. They see healing as human magic. They think they are entitled to it. It is, in their view, a divine reward for their heathen faith. One to be used against their enemies, which, in this case, is us.¡± He let out a slow sigh. ¡°If you weren¡¯t a Speaker it would be something they could ignore, but when they found out you invoked Aseco to heal so many demons... they see it as an affront to their faith. They¡¯ve already accused us of kidnapping you, forcing you to use your powers.¡± ¡°T-that¡¯s nonsense!¡± Amelia spluttered, crossing her arms. ¡°Nonsense!¡± ¡°Of course.¡± The cardinal nodded. ¡°They know it, deep down. However, the framework in which they analyse the world makes it impossible for them to accept it. It drives them mad, and madness and fear will, we fear, drive them to action.¡± ¡°The war is ending,¡± Greatlord Oshiro explained. ¡°The majority of both sides are relieved, even if the outcome isn¡¯t ideal to some. However...¡± His expression darkened. ¡°There are those that wish to see the war re-ignite into something greater. It is those elements on the human side we don¡¯t want your acts of healing to provoke. Not yet, anyway.¡± Not yet, anyway? Serena thought. How inevitable was a future war that Greatlord Oshiro would speak in such terms? ¡°I get it, I do!¡± Amelia¡¯s fists clenched. ¡°But, you can¡¯t expect me to just let starving children die! I¡¯ve read the vows of Cascadian Lordship! I know what they say; we have a duty to be strong and aid those who cannot be strong themselves! What¡¯s the point in me having this power if I can¡¯t even use it! Those poor children...¡± Amelia¡¯s eyes glistened, the beginning of tears forming, her knuckles white. ¡°We must balance that duty with our duty to the Empress, and the prosperity of demonkind as a whole,¡± the cardinal explained. ¡°Then...¡± Amelia wiped her eyes. ¡°If duty is getting in the way of me helping those in need, then maybe it¡¯s duty that needs to go!¡± ¡°...What are you saying, Lord-Prospect?¡± Greatlord Oshiro asked, his forehead furrowing. ¡°Cascadian Lordship is a voluntary process, is it not?¡± Amelia shrugged. ¡°If I withdraw myself as a prospect, then that¡¯s one less barrier in my way, right!?¡± She glared at Greatlord Oshiro whose eyes widened at the sudden proclamation. Surprisingly, he looked away, turning his attention towards Serena. This is news to me! Serena communicated with her eyes, coupled with a quick shrug. ¡°There is no need for such action,¡± Greatlord Oshiro slowly began. His finger was tapping his leg. Was that... a nervous tick? ¡°Yes...¡± Cardinal Hiroshi nodded. ¡°We did not mean to put such a burden upon your shoulders, young one.¡± The two men exchanged a glance. Was it only a trick of the light, or had Greatlord Oshiro¡¯s expression whitened slightly? ¡°A rash decision like that would only embolden the human efforts to harm the Empire,¡± Greatlord Oshiro quickly added. ¡°If you abandon your nobility, they¡¯ll see it as a victory, believing they can turn you against the Empire...¡± Greatlord Oshiro paused momentarily. ¡°...And Lord Halen.¡± ¡°I would...¡± Amelia swallowed. ¡°Never...¡± She trailed off, her thoughts secret. ¡°Please don¡¯t misunderstand us,¡± Cardinal Hiroshi hastily began. ¡°We don¡¯t want to limit your healing in any way. In fact, we want to work with you. We know it¡¯s unfair to feel chained by the reactions of others, but we haven¡¯t explained these problems to you without bringing a solution! Over the past six weeks, the High Council of the Demon Church has been seeking a unanimous vote to canonise you as a saint!¡± ¡°I know,¡± Amelia sighed, having recovered her confidence. ¡°You know?¡± ¡°She knows,¡± Greatlord Oshiro said, giving Serena a glance. ¡°And... what do you think about it?¡± the cardinal asked. ¡°Your lack of faith in the Demon Church isn¡¯t ideal, but...¡± He glanced towards Greatlord Oshiro. ¡°Given the alternatives, an exception can be made. Your respect and adherence to the principles of good will be enough to quell any dissent.¡± ¡°How... would it solve the problem?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± The cardinal sat up, his face returning to an easy smile, devoid of the prior concern and worry. ¡°The Church is explicitly a non-military institution. Although we have chaplains serving, they are forbidden from doing any fighting. The human nations know this, and despite their heretical beliefs about Christ, they respect it. If we canonise you, we can make a firm international declaration that you won¡¯t be deployed on the frontlines. That¡¯s what they ultimately fear at the end of the day. This way, we can minimise their outrage while enabling you to continue your healing work. Furthermore, the Church can provide organisational expertise and funding to help coordinate these events, so that-¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to be worshipped,¡± Amelia interrupted. ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to be worshipped,¡± Amelia repeated. ¡°I don¡¯t want to have people revering me, kneeling before me, or smothering me with gifts and gratitudes. I just want to be me. Amelia. That¡¯s all I am. Nothing more, nothing less! I don¡¯t want to stand before a crowd of believers and give grand speeches. I don¡¯t want to live a life smothered by obligation and duty. Sorry! I¡¯m too selfish for that!¡± Amelia laughed. ¡°Isn¡¯t that funny? A selfish saint!¡± Amelia chuckled and a long silence developed. ¡°It¡¯s... amusing,¡± the cardinal eventually murmured. ¡°If someone came to me and said what you had, after spending a month dedicating their time and energy to rebuilding people''s homes... if they came and said they were selfish...¡± The cardinal shook his head. ¡°I would tell them they weren¡¯t selfish, they were only demon. But I guess the wording for you should be that you¡¯re only human. Ha... that feels funny to say.¡± ¡°Only human, right?¡± Amelia said with a smile. The cardinal gripped the Demon Bible, closing his eyes for a few seconds and then opening them. ¡°I¡¯ve been humbled, Lady Thornheart. I feel like I¡¯ve spent too much time in church politics, too much time giving sermons to hundreds if not thousands of followers, and I¡¯ve forgotten how individual we all are. As you put it, what¡¯s the point in having the power to heal if you can¡¯t use it? Or using it at all when it brings guilt?¡± The cardinal sighed. It wasn¡¯t a sigh of annoyance, but one of sympathy. ¡°Allow us to canonise you, for the sake of both you and Cascadia. We¡¯ll do it quietly, and announce it formally once you¡¯ve left the East. There shall not be any obligations imposed upon you. You won¡¯t be made to speak to the masses, or commanded to use your magic. My only request is you warn nearby Church authorities the next time you decide to cast anything of similar magnitude to last month''s event. And...¡± He tapped his Demon Bible, before reaching out with it. ¡°Please at least read through this, even if you don¡¯t formally convert. It¡¯s unbearable to me to have a soul such as yourself be ignorant of the teachings. Unlike the human church, our bible contains both the Humanic and Demonic Testaments. There are good stories in there, believe me.¡± ¡°O-okay!¡± Amelia, seemingly cheerful again, reached over and took the cardinal¡¯s bible. ¡°I¡¯ll read this... and... I¡¯m sorry!¡± Amelia formally bowed, touching her forehead to the floor. ¡°I¡¯m probably going to cause more problems in the future, but it¡¯s not my intention, really!¡± She straightened up. ¡°Problems just keep cropping up around me and I have to solve them!¡± Well, that¡¯s one way of phrasing it, Serena thought. ¡°Leaving Asamaywa will be good for you,¡± Greatlord Oshiro intoned. ¡°You may feel that you¡¯ll be recognised wherever you go, but that is not the case. The Empire is large, with a plethora of powerful beings residing within its borders, and many of those aren¡¯t demon or human. Give it a few months and you¡¯ll be missing from the front pages. Wait until someone provokes one of the animal gods and you won¡¯t even be a footnote. Well...¡± Greatlord Oshiro frowned. ¡°That is unless you¡¯re the one that provoked them.¡± You¡¯re courting fate! Serena thought, mentally chastising her Lord Superior in a way that she would never dare verbally. Thankfully, Amelia¡¯s hasty invocation of Asclepius hadn¡¯t woken the slumbering god of the arcwhales, Rhaknam. And, bless the moons, her invocation of Suijin had been controlled enough not to send the Eastern fleet into a panic. Still, there were other animal gods in the world, and it was only a matter of time before Amelia met one and... She would try and befriend it, wouldn¡¯t she? Idiot! ¡°Something amusing, Lord Halen?¡± Greatlord Oshiro asked, breaking Serena¡¯s chain of thought. Damn it. Her mouth had smiled before she realised. Seven hells... since when did she start smiling at the thought of Amelia getting into more trouble!? ¡°Nothing amusing, Greatlord,¡± Serena said politely. ¡°I was only smiling at the resolution we¡¯ve arrived at. I sincerely thank you for factoring in Amelia¡¯s nature in this matter.¡± She bowed to her Lord Superior. ¡°Well, well,¡± Cardinal Hiroshi said, rubbing his chin. ¡°I¡¯ve heard all manner of things regarding the famous Hellfire Captain. I came in here afraid you¡¯d bite my horns off! It¡¯s refreshing to see such stories bear... little... merit...¡± He trailed off as Serena stared at him. ¡°Yes?¡± she asked, wondering why he¡¯d stopped speaking. The cardinal chuckled. ¡°What a fearsome look you have in your eyes, Lord Halen.¡± Serena couldn¡¯t stop herself asking, ¡°What look!?¡± She was just looking at him normally! ¡°...Nothing, Lord Halen,¡± the cardinal said, coughing into his hand. ¡°Must have been my imagination.¡± Amelia giggled. ¡°What happens now?¡± she asked the cardinal. ¡°I will report this to the High Council,¡± he replied. ¡°Your desire to not be seen as a public figure will actually work in your favour. While we all unanimously agree that the teachings contained within the Demonic Testament should be open to all, including humans, there are several cardinals that are wary regarding canonising a human. Those with such reservations should be pacified by your insistence on doing things quietly.¡± The cardinal clasped his hands together, continuing, ¡°Once your canonisation is unanimously approved, the request will be made to the Divine One. Normally there would be a grand ceremony in Centralis, where she would personally make you a saint, but I believe, in this case, she¡¯d delegate that power to one of the cardinals. Given your tight timeline on leaving Asamaywa, that individual would likely be me.¡± ¡°Mmm!¡± Amelia nodded enthusiastically. ¡°What do I need to do at the ceremony?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll need to wear all white, but we¡¯ll provide that clothing for you.¡± The cardinal frowned. ¡°Normally we¡¯d paint your horns white, but given that you don¡¯t have any I suppose we¡¯ll skip that step, and... hmm...¡± He mumbled to himself for a moment regarding ceremonial procedure before finishing with, ¡°You¡¯ll be permitted to have a witness of your choosing. Their role would be to sign their name in the Holy Register of Witnesses, pledging that you undertook the canonisation with your full consent.¡± He had barely finished speaking before Amelia¡¯s head snapped toward Serena. Serena resisted a sigh. ¡°Representing House Halen, I would be willing to be your witness, Amelia.¡± ¡°Awesome!¡± Amelia flashed a thumbs up. ¡°What about Aiden?¡± ¡°Aiden?¡± Serena asked. Why was Amelia bringing him up now? ¡°He¡¯s in Asamaywa, isn¡¯t he? I haven¡¯t seen him yet, so why don¡¯t we go out for a drink after to celebrate my canonisation?¡± ¡°Ack! Ahem! Ack!¡± The cardinal choked on air for a few seconds before a burst of Amelia¡¯s healing magic ended his suffering. ¡°T-thank you, Lord-Prospect. What a miraculous feeling. I feel ten years-¡± He shook his head. ¡°No, one moment! Surely you don¡¯t mean to celebrate becoming a saint by going out and... and...¡± He swallowed loudly before uttering the end of the sentence like it was the most vile curse word in the Empire. ¡°Drinking!?¡± ¡°Heh,¡± Amelia grinned. ¡°Of course not! I¡¯m only jesting!¡± She most definitely wasn¡¯t jesting, Serena thought. ¡°Thank the seven hells for that,¡± mumbled the cardinal, as he patted his knees. ¡°I suppose it¡¯s better for all of us to approach this matter with a little humour, yes?¡± Even as he spoke, Serena felt like the cardinal was convincing himself as much as anyone else. ¡°I think so!¡± Amelia giggled. ¡°You¡¯re not anywhere near as grumpy as Greatlord Oshiro said!¡± ¡°Excuse me!¡± The cardinal spluttered with indignation, turning his attention to the Greatlord, who impressively kept his expression neutral. ¡°The Lord-Prospect exaggerates, I assure you, Cardinal,¡± Greatlord Oshiro smoothly intoned. ¡°She¡¯s merely referencing a brief conversation we had outside, where I explained my frustrations knowing you would be waiting for so long. I believe I stressed how I didn¡¯t want to make you uncomfortable. Isn¡¯t that right, Lord Halen?¡± His eyes bored into Serena from across the circle. Serena resisted the urge to gulp. What was going on!? How had this sombre conversation of international politics degenerated into one of invitations to drinks, accusations, and now this situation where she was being asked to lie to protect her Lord Superior''s honour!? Oh right. Amelia. Damn it! She might have a massage planned for Amelia, but right after that she would give her girlfriend some serious punishment. This damn cheeky smug human was going to be the end of her! ¡°Yes, Greatlord,¡± Serena said with a slight tilt of her head. ¡°You speak truthfully.¡± It seemed to work and the four of them discussed inconsequential matters for the next few minutes. Once the conversation reached a natural lull, the cardinal took his leave. Greatlord Oshiro seemed to be waiting until the cardinal was firmly out of eavesdropping range, before turning to Amelia and giving her a death glare. Amelia, apparently, was unfazed and having none of it. ¡°Hmmph!¡± she huffed, crossing her arms and looking away. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that! That was just an honest bit of revenge! Serves you right!¡± ¡°Revenge?¡± the greatlord growled. ¡°I am Takahiro Oshiro, your Lord Superior. What in the seven hells have I done to warrant your revenge?¡± His expression darkened, forcing even Serena to swallow nervously. ¡°Y-you keep referencing that thing!¡± Amelia spluttered. ¡°What thing?¡± the greatlord snarled. ¡°You know!¡± Amelia raised a hand, making a sawing motion. ¡°The... the...¡± She swallowed before whispering weakly, ¡°...The carving.¡± Greatlord Oshiro blinked three times. With each blink, his expression softened and the tension in the air lifted. Then, without warning, the greatlord burst out with laughter. ¡°Ha ha ha!¡± He laughed heartily. ¡°Is that so!?¡± He chuckled, calming down. ¡°I see... I see... well then, Lord-Prospect Thornheart, how about this?¡± He thrust his hand forward. ¡°Truce?¡± he offered. ¡°We shall shake on it, like they do in Centralis.¡± ¡°Truce?¡± Amelia questioned hesitantly. ¡°Truce.¡± ¡°F-fine then!¡± Amelia shook his hand, nodding happily. ¡°Truce!¡± she said again. Serena couldn¡¯t believe what she was seeing. How had the chaotic bundle of blonde energy that was her girlfriend, who did nothing but stumble from one unbelievable situation to another, just successfully negotiate with a greatlord!? Not just any greatlord, but Takahiro Oshiro!? The man so fearsome he could make his peers squirm!? Amazing! Her girlfriend was amazing! What an incredible talent she had! She could become a politician! Parliament would stand no chance! ¡°Well then,¡± Greatlord Oshiro said, his voice warm and joyful. ¡°That¡¯s one problematic meeting done. Ready for another?¡± ¡°A-another!?¡± Amelia stuttered. ¡°Remember I told you I had two individuals who wanted to meet you?¡± Greatlord Oshiro adjusted his clothing, straightening out the creases. ¡°There is another, although...¡± he glanced at Serena. ¡°It would be more private. You can wait outside the room, of course. I will be doing the same.¡± Amelia frowned before asking, ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°Someone important. Someone who¡¯s leaving the East tonight. Someone who wants to see you. Follow me,¡± Greatlord Oshiro commanded. He began to lead them deeper into the building. ¡°Don¡¯t mention anything about your upcoming canonisation. Keep to light topics. In fact, I¡¯d prefer it if you kept this meeting a secret in its entirety. It¡¯s only for your benefit, after all.¡± ¡°My benefit?¡± Amelia wore an expression of confusion. ¡°That¡¯s right. Here we are,¡± Greatlord Oshiro said, stopping in front of a sliding door. At his words, Serena could sense a lone person inside shift their weight. ¡°You might have forgotten, but we haven¡¯t. You requested this meeting when you first met Chesterfield in Shimashina. Keep it short. We¡¯ll be outside.¡± With that, Greatlord Oshiro slid open the door, revealing the person waiting inside. ¡°P-¡± Amelia stuttered. ¡°Polina!?¡± ¡°Hi, Amelia,¡± the Federation spy nervously replied, her eyes drifting between the three of them. ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you again,¡± Polina said awkwardly. Chapter Seventy-Six: Friendship and Punishment Chapter Seventy-Six: Friendship and Punishment AnnouncementNote: This chapter has ~500 words of what I would call light spice at the end. I wouldn''t call it smut, and it''s not explicit, but it is a longer scene than the usual fade-to-black. Let me know in the comments if you did or didn''t like it! Amelia stepped into the room. ¡°We¡¯ll be outside,¡± Greatlord Oshiro said, before closing the door behind her. How could he spring this on her so suddenly! After her expert negotiations earned her a truce, the crafty greatlord went and did this! She would have to plan her next act of vengeance very carefully... ¡°Are you... alright?¡± Polina asked. ¡°You¡¯re clenching your fists...¡± ¡°No, no!¡± Amelia shook her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see you like this! I thought...¡± Amelia didn¡¯t know what she thought, but decided to keep talking to prevent any awkwardness from developing. ¡°It¡¯s great to see you! Look at you!¡± Polina looked healthy, well-fed, and wore a comfortable floral-patterned kimono. She¡¯d cut her hair to shoulder-length and more or less looked the same. However, she didn¡¯t sound the same. Her voice had an unusual accent Amelia hadn¡¯t heard before. ¡°It¡¯s my real accent,¡± Polina explained after Amelia asked about it. ¡°This is what High Imperial sounds like in the Federation. I figured there was no point in hiding it anymore. I didn¡¯t...¡± Polina looked to the side awkwardly. ¡°...Want to hide anything else from you.¡± ¡°Mmm!¡± Amelia hummed, happy at Polina¡¯s honesty. She grabbed the spy¡¯s hands, holding them lightly. ¡°You look well! I was so worried they were going to, you know...¡± Amelia nodded towards the closed door. ¡°Do horrible things to you because you were a spy!¡± ¡°Ah, no... that didn¡¯t happen,¡± Polina sheepishly answered. ¡°Everyone was rather polite.¡± ¡°Well, tell me then! What happened after we left!? I hope you weren¡¯t confused!¡± The original plan had been for Amelia, in her form under Asclepius, to carry Polina to Shimashina. Those plans were interrupted by the Overlord, who had descended and demanded to take Polina with him. It must have been confusing for her to wake up wherever she did, with Amelia nowhere to be seen. ¡°Things were explained quickly...¡± Polina said. ¡°After the initial shock, I was made to explain everything about my blessings and then I was taken to some estate in the mountains. Honestly...¡± Polina rubbed her nose. ¡°It was quite boring. I had nothing to do until the servants let me help them with the gardening... it seems silly, but that helped me organise my thoughts. Umm...¡± Polina looked at the floor. ¡°I wanted to apologise for what I did... what I said... I mean, I want to apologise for deceiving you, pretending to be someone I wasn¡¯t. But!¡± Polina¡¯s voice rose, a touch of desperation layered upon it. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean I didn¡¯t enjoy our time together! Gods, look at me,¡± Polina sniffed, wiping her eyes with an expression of frustration. ¡°I¡¯ve had two months to think about what to say to you and now I¡¯m rambling like an idiot.¡± She sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m cut out for fieldwork.¡± ¡°Definitely not!¡± Amelia chirped. ¡°You should always be honest! Honesty always succeeds in the end!¡± Amelia understood that telling some truths should be delayed until the right time, but you shouldn¡¯t live your life deceiving others. Every lie you tell someone is a lie you tell yourself and, if you live a lie too long, you won¡¯t even know who you truly are. That was something Amelia strongly believed in. It was a belief from her old world. ¡°I also wanted to apologise for...¡± Polina rubbed her forehead. ¡°Look, I¡¯ve been thinking about the events that happened with the Sakamoto. The only reason I was on that ship was because of how much my anger and desire for revenge consumed me. If it weren¡¯t for you... I would have accidentally killed hundreds of people. So, for that, I wanted to say...¡± Polina took a step back and bowed in the traditional samino way. ¡°Thank you, Amelia. Thank you for saving those people.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay!¡± Amelia flapped her hands. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a big deal!¡± She heard Greatlord Oshiro grumble something from outside but decided to ignore it. Let him grumble! ¡°The irony hasn¡¯t been lost on me,¡± Polina continued. ¡°That in my pursuit of vengeance against... that woman...¡± It seemed Polina still wasn¡¯t comfortable using her name. ¡°That I essentially caused the same type of incident that she did. If you weren¡¯t there, perhaps there would be demon children right now... swearing the same promises to themselves every night that I did...¡± Polina kicked the floor with the toes of one foot. ¡°I feel different, after having so much time to myself and my thoughts. But... it¡¯s still... difficult. She¡¯s outside, isn¡¯t she? When I saw her just now... I didn¡¯t feel the anger. Just... sadness.¡± ¡°I understand!¡± Amelia nodded. ¡°I think you and Serena, you and me, demons and humans... we¡¯re all more similar than we are different. We feel the same emotions, make the same mistakes.¡± ¡°And what are you?¡± Polina asked with a small smile. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Human, or demon?¡± Polina lifted her forefinger, pointing towards her own eyes. ¡°Your eyes,¡± she said. ¡°They¡¯re bright red. Not exactly a human colour is it? Is it a glamour, or the result of...?¡± Polina let the question linger. ¡°It''s-¡± ¡°Careful!¡± interrupted Greatlord Oshiro from outside the room. ¡°Ah,¡± Amelia wrung her hands. ¡°I guess I can¡¯t say, sorry.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± Polina said. ¡°You¡¯re a Lord-Prospect now, aren¡¯t you? You¡¯ve aligned yourself with Cascadia...¡± Amelia shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t see it that way!¡± she exclaimed, indicating to herself with her thumb. ¡°I¡¯m actually quite selfish!¡± ¡°S-selfish?¡± Polina stuttered. ¡°Yeah! I¡¯m a Lord-Prospect because it makes it easier for me to do the things I want and to be with the people I want to be with!¡± Honestly, there wasn¡¯t much Amelia wouldn¡¯t do if it meant she could stay by Serena¡¯s side and go on adventures. Going with the flow of the Empire seemed to have worked out so far. ¡°...Be with? Oh,¡± Polina¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°It must be nice, for things to be so simple. I wish I had someone like that...¡± She shook her head. ¡°I have to admit, I¡¯m a little jealous.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be!¡± Amelia exclaimed. ¡°There¡¯s plenty of fish in the sea!¡± ¡°Sea?¡± Polina¡¯s head tilted, a frown forming. ¡°Uh,¡± Amelia mentally slapped herself. ¡°I mean, there¡¯s plenty of fish in the sky!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t...¡± ¡°Nevermind!¡± Amelia waved her hand, hurriedly changing the subject. ¡°So tell me about what happened to you! You were bored and did some gardening... then what happened?¡± ¡°Well...¡± Polina¡¯s expression became thoughtful. ¡°Shortly after the ward you put on me ended, a demon came to see me. He never told me his name but I reckon he was someone important as he seemed to be the one coordinating my transfer back to the Federation.¡± Could it be...? ¡°He... didn¡¯t happen to drink a lot of mint tea, did he?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°That¡¯s right, how did you...?¡± Heh. Chesterfield, you old dog! ¡°We¡¯ve met,¡± Amelia nodded. ¡°So you¡¯re going home? Greatlord Oshiro told me you were leaving tonight. Is that right?¡± ¡°Right,¡± Polina nodded. ¡°From what I understand, the Cascadian delegation to the Federation was able to create...¡± Polina crossed her arms, reassuringly rubbing her upper arms. ¡°...Rather favourable conditions for an exchange. I think I¡¯m being swapped for more than ten others.¡± ¡°Oh! Is it because of how valuable you are due to...?¡± ¡°My blessing, yes. Us truth-tellers are worth so much because we can use our blessing multiple times a day. Most people only have access to the manufactured crystals, but given how time-consuming those are to make...¡± Polina sighed. ¡°It feels weird to be valued so highly when I¡¯ve caused so much trouble.¡± ¡°Will you...¡± Amelia felt herself swallow. ¡°Be punished when you go home?¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± Polina shrugged. ¡°Probably. I¡¯ll probably be under house arrest for a while...¡± ¡°House arrest? Why?¡± ¡°So Federation Intelligence can verify that I haven¡¯t, you know...¡± Polina¡¯s mouth grimaced as she shrugged. ¡°...Turned.¡± Right, of course. It was like that. ¡°Well, if they try to punish you, let them know if they hurt you, I¡¯ll come over there, and-¡± Amelia thrust her fist into her open palm, throwing a wild grin at Polina. ¡°Teach them to play nice!¡± ¡°Ahem!¡± Greatlord Oshiro cleared his throat, loud enough to prompt Polina to glance at the door. The woman looked back, a nervous smile on her face. ¡°I think that might cause even more problems,¡± Polina said with amusement. ¡°After all, you¡¯re a noble of Cascadia now. You can¡¯t go around declaring war left, right and center!¡± Right, she shouldn¡¯t be doing that. ¡°But...¡± Polina shuffled on her feet awkwardly. ¡°There you go again, going to such lengths to protect me. I don¡¯t understand why? We barely know each other...¡± Polina glanced at Amelia before briefly looking away. My, was there a tinge of redness on her cheeks? Amelia suppressed a giggle, forcing herself to be serious. ¡°I know it must seem weird. Believe me, it was difficult to explain it to those around me as well,¡± Amelia began. It was hard to explain how reliable she felt her game-enhanced intuition was. She¡¯d had more than a few discussions about it with Serena and even then her girlfriend struggled to get it. ¡°Look, I admit I was a little... manic at the time. I had, you know... Spoken a Word, and the power it gave me made me feel a tiny bit drunk. I wasn¡¯t in my right mind! Even so, I behaved how I did because I truly believe you¡¯re a good person, Polina!¡± Amelia flashed her best you¡¯re-a-good-person smile. ¡°Even though you did a terrible thing, you did it because you¡¯d become trapped in this cycle of negative emotions and revenge. You understand that, right?¡± ¡°...Again, you make it seem so simple,¡± Polina said with a gentle smile. ¡°Years of anguish my end, summed up so easily by you. Oh!¡± She put her hand up. ¡°I¡¯m not saying I¡¯m insulted, only that it¡¯s strange to see your point-of-view on something I thought I understood fully. Even so, I doubt... that woman feels the same, correct?¡± ¡°Mmm...¡± Amelia mumbled her answer. Despite her best efforts, Serena was adamant that she would never forgive Polina for her actions. Amelia understood, she really did! She didn¡¯t need Serena to see eye to eye with her on everything. Only... Amelia sometimes wondered if Serena¡¯s attitude might change if she could see into the Shimmer and with that witness the goodness in Polina¡¯s soul. While Amelia hadn¡¯t cracked the hint the Lord Guardian had given her regarding finding her shadow, she had become extremely adept at seeing into the Shimmer with greater clarity. Even now, she could see Polina¡¯s soul glistening brightly, and, while she wasn¡¯t anywhere near the level of perception she had under Asclepius, she could see the two smudges on Polina¡¯s soul that denoted her two blessings. ¡°Regardless... I heard the war is ending soon,¡± Polina said softly. ¡°At least, with it over, mistakes like this will stop happening. Who knows, one day you might visit me in the motherland. Ha!¡± Polina chuckled. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m rambling again...¡± ¡°No, no!¡± Amelia exclaimed. ¡°I¡¯d love to! I was going to write you letters, but so much has happened and my mind was always elsewhere! When I finally sat down, I couldn¡¯t put my thoughts into words... But I tried! I really did!¡± She had. Amelia had scrunched up over a dozen letters over the last two weeks. Every time she had re-read what she had written, she had squirmed at how awkward it sounded! ¡°Amelia...¡± Polina hesitantly began. ¡°Are we... friends?¡± Were they friends? Amelia thought they were initially, when Polina had ¡®accidentally¡¯ met her in Kenhoro under the persona of Tatiana. No matter how many times Serena told her Polina had deceived her, Amelia couldn¡¯t deny the genuine happiness she sensed in Polina¡¯s expression when they explored the markets together. In that sense, they were friends. But then, as the weeks ticked by after Amelia had calmed down from her embodiment of Asclepius, she had started to feel differently. After all, Polina had tried to kill her girlfriend. The only thing was... in contrast to the two Speakers who attacked them in the Kenhoro cafe, Amelia couldn¡¯t sense the same level of conviction in Polina¡¯s attitude. Those Speakers had wanted to kill for sadistic and selfish reasons, but Polina¡¯s desire to harm Serena was superficial, built only on the shaky obligations she felt from a misunderstood event that had tied the two women together by fate. If a friend lashed out in a way you knew was uncharacteristic of them, doing no actual harm at the end of the day and then admitting their mistake later... could you still be friends? ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Amelia said honestly. ¡°But I believe we can be! We might be standing on two different sides, but even if there¡¯s bad blood between two parties, and even if we end up fighting in the future...¡± Amelia swallowed, feeling a strange sense of sincerity build within her. ¡°I truly believe we can all live together as long as at least one person from each side is willing to cross the line and be friends! So! With that in mind!¡± Amelia thrust her hand forward. ¡°We can be friends!¡± She flashed her best let¡¯s-be-friends grin and said, ¡°Hi! I¡¯m Amelia, do you want to be my friend?¡± Polina''s eyes widened, and her eyes flickered between Amelia¡¯s eyes and her hand. H-hurry up! Amelia thought desperately. Or it¡¯s going to get awkward! ¡°...Fine,¡± Polina muttered, slowly reaching out and grasping Amelia¡¯s hand. ¡°Hi Amelia, I¡¯m Polina. ¡± She raised her eyes, meeting Amelia¡¯s gaze. ¡°Let¡¯s be friends.¡± Polina shook her hand before adding, ¡°This is very awkward, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Tremendously!¡± Amelia chirped. This was why she preferred hugs! At least then you don¡¯t have to make eye contact in situations like this! Amelia giggled, followed by Polina¡¯s soft laugh. ¡°I was always told you¡¯d return to the Federation,¡± Amelia said. ¡°But I think a small part of me hoped you would somehow... stay. It seems silly, I know, but I thought that if someone like you, who held such biases against demonkind, could learn to live with them, then it would somehow fix everything.¡± ¡°A little naive,¡± Polina said. ¡°No,¡± Amelia shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not naivety, but idealism! They are similar, but not the same! If we don¡¯t have ideals to work towards, we¡¯ll never be brave enough to achieve our greatest goals!¡± ¡°And...¡± Polina¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Your great goal is... what? Demons and humans living in peace?¡± ¡°Mmm!¡± Amelia hummed, nodding enthusiastically. ¡°It seems like a worthy ideal, doesn¡¯t it? Even if it never comes to pass in our lifetime, I can at least help inspire more friendships like ours! And if my...¡± Amelia gave a twirl, using every bit of her dexterity to make it as elegant as possible. ¡°If my adorable charm and healing isn¡¯t enough, then I¡¯ll just beat up everyone who refuses! Ha!¡± Amelia laughed. ¡°I¡¯m joking, but you get my point!¡± ¡°Thank the moons for that,¡± Polina replied. ¡°I heard they call you the Golden Healer now, but I¡¯m worried that¡¯ll become the Golden Terror if you ever get too angry.¡± Polina laughed lightly, putting a hand up to interrupt Amelia¡¯s rapidly expanding cheeks. ¡°No, but seriously. We have a saying in the Federation. I¡¯m not sure what the Imperial translation is, but it¡¯s something like: Those that try to hold the sky will find their legs crumble.¡± Polina shrugged. ¡°The point is, you¡¯ll never make everyone think like you, even if you use force. Even so... I hope you find some success... I also don¡¯t want any more conflict...¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do my best!¡± Amelia happily replied. It was a strange but pleasant feeling to know she and Polina, who had grown up in quite literally different worlds and had differing principles and attitudes, could find some common ground. They talked about light topics for the remainder of the time. Amelia shared her discovery of firemint tea, while Polina told her of the cuisine of the Federation, including a sour-salty soup called solyanka, of which Amelia promised she would find a chef to make it for her. After nagging her for a full minute, Amelia got Polina to say a few sentences in Pulpian, her native tongue. ¡°It¡¯s a pretty language!¡± Amelia chirped, complimenting Polina''s vocalisation. When speaking Pulpian with her native accent, the two combined to make an almost lyrical quality. ¡°Strange, I always thought Karli sounded nicer,¡± Polina said. ¡°Could-¡± She stopped suddenly, frowning at herself. ¡°Nevermind, we are friends now, aren¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Mmm!¡± Amelia smiled. She was sure Polina was about to ask her to speak in the native language of Karligard, where Amelia claimed to be from. Polina had asked her about her origins in Kenhoro and, if she used her blessing at that time, she would have detected Amelia¡¯s lie. Still, Amelia¡¯s budding friendship with the Federation spy had overridden her desire to verify it. Progress! They talked for a few more minutes and then a polite knock on the door let Amelia know it was time to wrap things up. ¡°Thank you for everything, Amelia,¡± Polina said. ¡°For your forgiveness and your kindness. It¡¯s changed me... in ways I don¡¯t fully understand, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll come to regret. Although...¡± Polina glanced at the door. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m ready to forgive her... Not yet, anyway.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay!¡± Amelia said happily. Even having Polina bring up the subject of forgiveness was a huge step forward. ¡°There¡¯s no rush, and besides, we¡¯ll meet again in the future! I¡¯m sure of it!¡± ¡°Ha...¡± Polina shook her head. ¡°You know, it¡¯s weird... I think we will, won¡¯t we?¡± The Federation spy smiled at her. ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye on the papers, so I''ll be reading about it every time you do something ridiculous. If you¡¯re ever in the Federation... come say hi.¡± Polina smiled, but quickly waved her hands. ¡°On official business I mean, like if you¡¯re part of a diplomatic mission! Don¡¯t just pop up out of nowhere! I¡¯ll get in trouble!¡± Amelia laughed before promising that she would do things properly should she ever visit Polina¡¯s homeland. Shame, it would have been fun to surprise her. With a final farewell and feeling satisfied, Amelia bowed to Polina and left the room. ¡°Could¡¯ve gone worse,¡± Greatlord Oshiro mumbled. ¡°I¡¯ll take it from here. Lord-Prospect Thornheart, Lady Halen... best of luck.¡± He stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. Amelia heard the greatlord instruct Polina to follow him through the building, and Amelia listened until their footsteps became faint. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Serena said. ¡°You handled that well. Not that Miss Volkova was going to try anything. Still, you didn¡¯t let anything serious slip. Well done.¡± ¡°Thanks! Also... what¡¯s that?¡± Amelia asked, nodding towards the papers in Serena¡¯s hands. ¡°Your deed.¡± ¡°Deed?¡± ¡°To your new estate, formerly owned by Lord Kanamori.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± That¡¯s right! She owned a house now! ¡°Is it really mine!?¡± Amelia chirped. ¡°Yes,¡± Serena said, her mouth curling with a smile. ¡°Here.¡± She passed the documents and Amelia skimmed through them. She owned a house! ¡°Can we...¡± She swallowed. ¡°Can we check it out?¡± ¡°Now?¡± Serena glanced at the dark sky. ¡°I guess we can.¡± They left the ceremonial grounds and headed to the address. Amelia¡¯s new estate was in a neighbourhood elevated above much of the city. From the neatly maintained buildings, this was clearly one of the more affluent parts of Asamaywa. High quality aetherlights kept the streets well lit, and even the paving stones had decorations etched into them. A tram was moving down the street, following the metal tracks embedded into the stone. As a steam-powered vehicle passed, Amelia saw it was labelled as private. ¡°I suppose it¡¯s only for residents to use,¡± Serena mused. They walked for a few minutes, passing estate after estate, before stopping before a large entrance. It was the gated entrance to Amelia¡¯s house, and what a gate it was! Thick red-coloured wood had been used and the beams were embossed with silver and shining brass forming shapes of ornate flowers. It was as if Lord Kanamori had been trying to communicate his wealth to his visitors and guests from the moment they arrived. ¡°This is it,¡± Serena said, pushing the gates open and revealing an unlit garden and a silent house. Amelia flared her aether, but could sense no one else on the premises. They passed through a small but immaculately kept garden, the gravel paths winding through arched structures that had vines and flowers flowing through them. They passed over a small bridge, where for the first time since coming to this world, Amelia saw brightly coloured fish! Real, swimming fish! ¡°Fish!¡± she exclaimed, excitedly pointing. ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen them!¡± ¡°Waterfish,¡± Serena corrected. ¡°Fish fly, but somehow these ones don¡¯t have that ability. So we call them waterfish. Can you imagine living your whole life in water?¡± Serena shook her head. ¡°I think they look weird... and they feel strange. They¡¯re slippery to touch. You said they were common where you came from?¡± ¡°Mmm!¡± Amelia nodded. ¡°Remember the enormous oceans I told you about?¡± In Amelia¡¯s old world, the rise of the second industrial revolution in the late third millennium had, along with the total melting of the planet''s ice, caused a devastating collapse of sealife. However, many centuries later, her planet¡¯s ecosystem had recovered and there were all kinds of incredible species swimming in the seas! They¡¯d even managed to resurrect the mighty blue whale a century after the tiger returned! She¡¯d explained it before to Serena, but her demon girlfriend struggled to imagine an endless stretch of water that was larger and heavier than the floating continent of Cascadia. Although Amelia had fun acting out the motion of waves to try and help explain how the Moon affected the tide. It was another little moment where Amelia realised that things that were normal in her world were abnormal here, and vice-versa. Serena nodded, and together they continued towards the house. Amelia fell in love with it immediately. It had one floor and was constructed in a square shape. The center contained another small garden and a small structure that served as a teahouse. The main building had empty walls and bare floorboards, making their footsteps and voices echo. It would feel completely abandoned if it weren¡¯t for how clean everything was. Serena led Amelia through the rooms. She not only had her own reception room to receive guests but also a bedroom, toilet, and kitchen! There was a room that would make a good office, and another which, as Amelia envisioned it, would make a good lounge. There were a few more buildings on the grounds. A small bathhouse was attached to the main building, accessible only through her bedroom. There was also a guesthouse, which had its own toilet, reception room, and bedroom. Finally, a small building served as both storage and the servants'' quarters. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to hire people to look after the place while I¡¯m away, right?¡± Amelia buzzed around, almost not believing that this was all hers! Would she get rewarded like this every time she helped reeducate a corrupt noble? It was good business! ¡°We¡¯ll recommend people,¡± Serena intoned, looking through cabinets and inlaid wardrobes lining the walls of Amelia¡¯s new bedroom. ¡°It¡¯s a good house. Not too big, and not too small. We can always send over people from our estate on a temporary contract. Oh-¡± Serena reached up and pulled out a large futon. ¡°They left some stuff behind. This is a nice futon! I miss sleeping on these. I¡¯m either in a hammock or a bed these days...¡± For a moment, Serena stood there, holding the futon and looking at Amelia. And Amelia stood there, looking at Serena. The same thought went through their minds. ¡°Ahem!¡± Amelia cleared her throat. ¡°Well, it is getting late...¡± She walked up to Serena, placing a hand on her new futon. ¡°Lord Halen, you must be awfully tired from looking at a certain individual all day! I couldn¡¯t possibly allow a lady such as yourself to walk home on such a dark and dangerous night! I must insist you stay until tomorrow!¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Serena rolled her eyes. ¡°But there¡¯s only one futon, Lord-Prospect Thornheart. What in the seven hells are we to do?¡± Amelia giggled. ¡°Well, it¡¯s the host''s duty to make sure her guests have a satisfactory night, isn¡¯t it?¡± She took the futon and laid it down. ¡°Don¡¯t you worry, Lord Halen, this humble host will make sure that- mmph-!¡± Amelia was cut off as Serena kissed her. ¡°Mmm...¡± ¡°Ah...¡± ¡°Mmm...¡± ¡°Oh my,¡± Amelia whispered, feeling her face heat up. ¡°My first-ever guest seems to have some unconventional thoughts regarding tonight.¡± ¡°Shut up,¡± Serena said, pecking Amelia on the lips again. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, hasn¡¯t it?¡± Amelia took a step forward, slipping her hands into Serena¡¯s sash, snaking her fingers around to hold her lower back. ¡°And what...¡± she whispered, ¡°would you like us to do?¡± She ended her question with a gentle kiss on Serena¡¯s neck. Amelia intended for it to be a single seductive kiss, but she couldn¡¯t stop herself from going in again, and again. Soon, she was gently sucking Serena¡¯s neck, running her tongue over her skin. It didn¡¯t take long before Serena¡¯s breathing became heavy. ¡°I need...¡± Serena mumbled, placing a hand behind Amelia''s neck, holding her against her neck. Amelia responded by letting one hand dip down, to wrap around the curve of Serena¡¯s buttcheek. Another hand went up, out of the sash and snaking its way through the kimono¡¯s folds until it found itself cupping one of Serena¡¯s breasts. ¡°I need to punish you...¡± Serena sighed with satisfaction as she began to undress Amelia. ¡°And... massage you...¡± ¡°Mmm? A nice punishment followed by a nice massage...¡± Amelia moved her lips back to Serena¡¯s, happy to see her girlfriend¡¯s cheeks were crimson. Serena no longer got embarrassed over her cheeks flushing, but that didn¡¯t stop them flushing in the first place. And Amelia loved making Serena blush! ¡°We won¡¯t have much opportunity for this on the ship,¡± Serena mumbled, fumbling with Amelia¡¯s clothes. ¡°With Anathor and all... so I need to make tonight¡¯s punishment count.¡± ¡°Mmm...¡± Amelia began to undress Serena, alternating between loosening clothing and running her hand over her girlfriend¡¯s toned body. How could she smell so good? Did demons release pheromones that made humans react like this? ¡°Doesn¡¯t just have to be tonight, does it?¡± she whispered. ¡°We can stop staying over in the Academy till we have to leave, right?¡± ¡°But... it¡¯ll look suspicious,¡± her girlfriend replied weakly. ¡°Ren,¡± Amelia intoned sarcastically. ¡°I think those that can pay attention have started to notice. Didn¡¯t you say Oshiro implied he knew?¡± Amelia finally unravelled Serena¡¯s kimono, leaving only her undergarments. Such thin pieces of cloth only served to aid Amelia in her teasing. She placed a hand between Serena¡¯s legs, ever so slightly brushing the fabric, letting the smallest amount of sensation reach her girlfriend''s most sensitive area. Amelia knew that with a delicate touch, and Serena¡¯s enhanced perception from her aura, she could drive her girlfriend mad with this method. That was, she would have been able to, if Serena didn¡¯t pick her up and throw her down on the futon and climb on top of her! ¡°Hey!¡± Amelia protested before having her lips stolen. ¡°Oh no,¡± Serena shook her head, her black hair waving mesmerisingly from the movement. ¡°You¡¯ve been extremely annoying recently and you¡¯re the one who''s going to have to lie there and suffer this time! Do you...¡± Serena swallowed, looking around. ¡°Do you have wards up?¡± ¡°Already done,¡± Amelia mumbled, feeling her heart race. ¡°But... it¡¯s useless! I¡¯ll never break!¡± ¡°You just stay there,¡± Serena said with a grin, unravelling Amelia¡¯s clothes and ripping her undergarments off. ¡°You¡¯ll have to ask for it,¡± her girlfriend instructed, kissing her on the lips, then the neck, then her chest. ¡°Until you ask for it, I won¡¯t give it to you.¡± Serena adjusted her position, moving her kisses lower and lower... But never reaching where Amelia wanted them. Despite her earlier statements of not breaking... She lasted about ten minutes before shouting out in maddened sexual frustration, ¡°You bloody demon! Okay! I want it! Just move your tongue there and stay there, damn it!¡± And when Serena finally relented, and Amelia could relax and enjoy the sudden rampant increasing pleasure, she realised that it wasn¡¯t just teasing she was going to have to suffer tonight. Serena seemed determined to make sure Amelia knew exactly how intense an aura-enhanced tongue could be, in both speed and endurance. I¡¯m the... Amelia thought in between moans, luckiest human alive... Chapter Seventy-Seven: Spoken Secrets Chapter Seventy-Seven: Spoken Secrets AnnouncementI just found out you can gift Patreon memberships, so make sure to join the where I''ll be giving some away every now and again! Serena woke to an unfamiliar ceiling in an unfamiliar bed. What was familiar, however, was the warm body of Amelia pressing against her. She was sleeping soundly, so Serena took a while to enjoy the sensation of her girlfriend¡¯s chest rising and falling against her back. It was a comfortable pressure that brought with it a satisfying feeling of warmth and strangely enough, safety. Her mind felt refreshed and free of burden. The layers of stress that had built up repeatedly over the last month from her military obligations, academy duties, and studying for the commodore exam had vanished entirely. Even with Amelia frequently healing Serena, the mental strain would return the same day. Was this newfound clarity... due to last night¡¯s activities? No! Surely not! What kind of indecent woman would that make Serena, if she were the type to destress through such... actions? Although she naturally rejected that, Serena could admit to herself that she felt some level of pride. After all, Amelia was sleeping like a babe, exhausted and entirely satisfied by Serena¡¯s extensive punishment. Is this what a man feels like, after...? Serena thought, quickly pushing the topic out of her mind and refocusing on mental revision of fleet tactics and logistics. She remained absorbed in her thoughts while the room progressively brightened as natural light diffused through the paper windows and doors. Not long later, the Asamaywa bell towers began their early morning cries. It was Saturday - the day of Katalin¡¯s weekend session. While a part of Serena wanted to remain in bed, sharing warmth with her girlfriend, she knew the Northern swordmaster would be returning to the North soon, and every session was a tremendous benefit to both Serena¡¯s and Amelia¡¯s training. With the exception of the cancelled session immediately after the Asamaywa fire, Serena and Amelia reliably attended every one. Katalin¡¯s sessions were split into two parts; the first was a more standard training session attended by perhaps two dozen of the academy¡¯s staff, while the second was relentless, consisting of intense dueling and simulated situations that pushed those that remained to their limits. Along with Serena, only those with a strong yellow aura could keep up. Other than her and Amelia, the only instructors reliably attending the second part of the session were Ryosuke, Nathaniel, and Joey. Amelia struggled, but that was only due to her minimising the use of healing magic to keep herself going. Her girlfriend had become quite accustomed to pushing herself through difficult experiences, and while she didn¡¯t have the mindset of a soldier, she¡¯d matured greatly over her time at the academy. Not to mention, Amelia¡¯s body had even built a little muscle, putting the sensation of her body somewhere between firm and soft in a way that Serena was secretly delighted about. And the arms of that body were now squeezing her tight. ¡°Morning, Ren,¡± Amelia mumbled before yawning loudly. ¡°You knew I was awake?¡± ¡°I know how you breathe when you sleep,¡± Amelia replied, nuzzling into Serena¡¯s back. ¡°Wow, now I¡¯ve said that, it sounds creepy, doesn¡¯t it? Here...¡± Amelia invoked her magic, healing and cleaning them both. ¡°Katalin¡¯s session today, right? She mentioned she would do something special.¡± Amelia yawned again, likely more out of habit than any morning tiredness - the latter of which would have been obliterated by her spellwork. Amelia sat up while Serena rotated onto her back. She idly moved her hand and lightly rubbed Amelia¡¯s back, running her fingers through her silky golden hair. ¡°No coffee here,¡± Amelia said quietly. She turned her head down towards Serena and asked, ¡°Should we-¡± Amelia stopped talking, suddenly looking away. ¡°Uh, should we get coffee on the way?¡± ¡°Yeah, and some food,¡± Serena replied. ¡°We can walk slow...¡± She felt herself frown. ¡°Lia?¡± ¡°Mmm?¡± Amelia hummed, looking away. ¡°Look at me,¡± Serena requested, her mouth curling with amusement. Amelia was quiet for a few seconds before turning to face Serena, revealing a flushed face. Not only that, but Amelia found it challenging to meet Serena¡¯s gaze. ¡°Oh?¡± Serena asked. ¡°What¡¯s made you so timid?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not timid!¡± Amelia exclaimed, puffing her cheeks out. ¡°It¡¯s just...¡± ¡°Just?¡± ¡°I remembered...¡± Amelia chewed her lip. ¡°Last night...¡± Her voice became extremely quiet. ¡°It was so much more than you¡¯d done before...¡± Her girlfriend giggled. ¡°You haven¡¯t treated me like that since that time we got drunk in Kenhoro! It was overwhelming...¡± Amelia looked away again. ¡°But also really nice...¡± ¡°Ha!¡± Serena laughed. So that was all she had to do to reverse the deck against Amelia!? For months she¡¯d accepted a relationship where Amelia would relentlessly try and make Serena blush with her lewd compliments and requests. Only now, it was Amelia on the backfoot and Serena relishing her victory! All it took was a night-long aura-enhanced assault against her girlfriend¡¯s senses! ¡°Well,¡± Serena couldn¡¯t stop herself grinning. ¡°It has been a while, hasn¡¯t it? Have to make up for lost time, don¡¯t we?¡± ¡°You...¡± Amelia rolled her eyes, ¡°Look so smug right now.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been taught by a master of smugness, after all!¡± Serena reached out, pulling Amelia into a hug. They held each other for a while before agreeing to get moving. They quickly dressed, helping each other adjust their kimonos. They would have to stop by their rooms in the academy to get into their uniforms before going to the session. Suddenly, Serena¡¯s enhanced ears picked up the sound of someone knocking; not at the door to the house, but at the unstaffed gate at the estate entrance. The individual knocked out, before calling out Amelia¡¯s name. Serena sighed. She was concerned it might be a friend or an acquaintance of Lord Kanamori, but it was neither of those things. What was he doing here, so early? ¡°As Head of House Thornheart, why don¡¯t you go and greet your first ever visitor?¡± Serena offered. ¡°I¡¯ll come out in a bit.¡± ¡°Mmm! Sure!¡± Amelia nodded happily, her golden hair rising and falling in waves. The wards surrounding the building were released as Amelia bounced out of the room and down the gravel path winding through the well-kept gardens. Serena tied her hair, only moving after she sensed Amelia cast more magic. She followed after Amelia, quickly reaching the gate where she found a very annoyed-looking man knee-deep in the entryway of the estate. Amelia¡¯s earth magic had made him sink, trapping him completely. ¡°I remembered!¡± Amelia declared proudly, putting her hands on her hips as she twirled to face Serena. ¡°To put him in the ground! Remember?¡± Amelia turned back to the trapped man, lecturing, ¡°This is what you get when you make plans behind our backs! Hmm!? Are you sorry now, Aiden!?¡± ¡°...I wasn¡¯t the one who made the plans...¡± Aiden countered, his voice exasperated. ¡°Besides, look!¡± He held a suspiciously bottle-shaped gift in one hand. ¡°I bought a house-warming gift! Ah, can you let me up? I can feel dirt getting into my shoes...¡± Ignoring his complaints, Amelia grinned and took the gift. ¡°A house-warming gift?¡± Serena questioned. ¡°It¡¯s a popular tradition in Centralis,¡± Aiden explained as he slowly sank further into the ground. ¡°And I haven¡¯t met Amelia since Kenhoro so I thought it would be appropriate!¡± His voice sped up as the stone reached his thighs. ¡°Amelia, can we do something about this?¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Amelia beamed, ripping open the gift. ¡°It¡¯s loqua! Blue!¡± Amelia showed the expensive bottle to Serena before turning to Aiden. ¡°Bribe accepted! You¡¯ll live for now, Aiden!¡± ¡°Give me that,¡± Serena instructed, taking the bottle from Amelia. There was no way that Aiden the Drunk would willingly give up a whole bottle of loqua. As it turned out, she was right. ¡°He¡¯s already drunk a third!¡± Serena exclaimed, pointing out the level of liquid to Amelia. ¡°You idiot!¡± she said, chastising Aiden. ¡°Who paid for this? Intelligence? Are you planning to drink all the diplomatic gifts you give? Amelia...¡± she intoned, making herself frown and seem serious. ¡°It¡¯s bad luck to have your first guest be a man controlled by greed and alcohol. Better bury him completely. We¡¯ll tell the Old Guard we never saw him.¡± ¡°Mmm!¡± Amelia crossed her arms, nodding. ¡°It was nice knowing you, Aiden. We¡¯ll drink to your memory!¡± ¡°No! Wait!¡± Aiden cried as he sank to his waist. ¡°I have your deployment orders!¡± He stopped sinking. Amelia looked at Serena with an expression that said, ¡°Should we bury him anyway?¡± Serena shook her head. ¡°I suppose he can live a little longer.¡± She snapped her fingers. ¡°Let¡¯s see them, then.¡± Aiden fished a thin, sealed letter from his pocket and handed it to Serena. The envelope was addressed to Captain Serena Halen and sealed with the sigil of the Imperial Navy. She tore it open. There was only one piece of paper, and it didn¡¯t take her long to find the important part. As she read it, she frowned. She was to take the Southern Passage west to the Southern Terra Firma and make land at Ishaq, where she would then receive information about her next destination. The orders gave no information about what she was supposed to be doing other than travelling. They only clarified she was to establish her elite team of recruits by the semester''s end. If... if Ishaq wasn¡¯t the true destination, were they going to have to traverse the Arakian Desert? Lift engines didn¡¯t work over the red sand of the Southern Terra Firma nor was there any rail network - the local wildlife made it impossible to maintain. The residents of the south had to either walk the sands or ride animals. ¡°W-what¡¯s our destination!¡± Amelia asked, bouncing on her toes. ¡°Secret,¡± Serena answered, folding the paper and putting it back in the envelope. ¡°What?¡± she asked, seeing Amelia frown. ¡°These are military orders and you are a civilian . You¡¯ll find out our destination when the rest of the crew does.¡± Despite their relationship and closeness, there were still lines she shouldn¡¯t cross. ¡°Fine!¡± Amelia pouted, but didn¡¯t chase the matter. ¡°Can you at least tell me if it¡¯s somewhere different?¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± Serena answered, giving Amelia a sly smile. ¡°On a different subject,¡± she said, eyeing the half-buried Intelligence officer. ¡°How did you know she was here? No one followed us here.¡± Serena had been extra careful the night before, flaring her aether to make sure there wasn¡¯t anyone lurking around any corners. With Amelia¡¯s wards of privacy they should have been invisible to the world. ¡°Ah,¡± Aiden mumbled. ¡°You were seen walking into this area, and given Amelia¡¯s recent acquisition - congratulations by the way - it was easy to figure out where you both were. Now, if that¡¯s all your questions...¡± Aiden¡¯s voice took on a hint of annoyance. ¡°Can you please release me! I want to die surrounded by expensive liquor and elegant women, not buried underneath some noble''s estate!¡± Amelia giggled. ¡°Okay!¡± she exclaimed. Moments later, Aiden was standing on solid ground. Amelia''s cleaning magic took care of everything before he could complain about the state of his clothes. Before he could thank her, Amelia leapt forward and hugged the man. ¡°Long time no see!¡± Amelia stepped back. ¡°Did you hear about me becoming a saint? Want to celebrate after? I doubt we¡¯ll have a chance to drink much while sailing to wherever!¡± Empress save me, Serena thought. She¡¯s worse than him! While Amelia and Aiden caught up, they walked towards the academy. They stopped at a nearby coffee shop, where Amelia brought them all a cup of steaming Jimari coffee. They found a stall selling wraps and Amelia was happy to see they sold a wrap filled with choco meat and a tangy cream sauce. They arrived at the academy shortly after finishing their breakfast. Aiden bade them farewell, but before he left, Amelia healed him, citing how haggard he looked. Serena had to agree. Intelligence was putting Aiden through an accelerated course on fieldwork to get him up to speed before they left. He told them he was averaging four hours of sleep. ¡°I...¡± Aiden mumbled after the golden light died down. ¡°It really is amazing... your magic I mean.¡± He looked at Serena. ¡°You¡¯re blessed, to be able to access this ability whenever you want... Seven hells, now that I really look, it¡¯s made you younger hasn¡¯t it? You look like you¡¯re in your mid-twenties! That¡¯s crazy...¡± He shook his head. ¡°No one would suspect that you¡¯re really-¡± ¡°See you later, Aiden,¡± Serena said, clicking her tongue and guiding Amelia through the academy entrance. ¡°B-bye!¡± Amelia said with a wave. ¡°I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s coming with us,¡± Serena said once they were alone. ¡°Hope he can adjust to life on a ship.¡± As she said that, she remembered something about Aiden. Didn¡¯t he once tell her he got terribly airsick? He would be okay... wouldn¡¯t he? ¡°I¡¯ll see you there,¡± Serena said. She returned to her quarters, changed into her instructor uniform and walked to the training hall. She lingered outside until Amelia appeared before entering together. Katalin, as usual, was there. She was warming herself up, seemingly not paying attention to them, but Serena knew the highlord¡¯s senses were sharp. Something about the Northern demon made her want to be better. Feeling herself almost unconsciously straighten her posture, Serena collected her training sword and began warming up with Amelia. The first session was, as expected, intense but manageable. While a few less experienced warriors had to step out occasionally to rest, the remainder powered through. Katalin took them through exercises, one of which involved forming groups of eight, where one person would stand in the middle of a circle formed by the rest of their group. They would then take turns attacking the defender in the middle, who would need to adapt and counter. At first, the attacks were prescribed and done sequentially in a clockwise order. Then, changes were made to slowly make things more difficult for the defender in the middle. The first change was the requirement that they had to counter using a different strike each time. Then, the attack order was changed to be random, forcing the defender to rely on their instincts and aura-enhanced stances. Next, the attacks were no longer prescribed, allowing the attacker full freedom on how to conduct their assault, requiring the defender to react instantaneously to a slash or stab targeting anywhere on their body. The final change was that there was no longer any restriction on how many people could attack at once. That last rule essentially turned it into a brawl. Serena was defending, and when Katalin barked the order to begin, she flared her aura into a bright yellow, slipping past the defense of a junior instructor''s orange and throwing him at the rest of the group. She twisted out of the circle, parrying an incoming blade away before kicking sand in the faces of her attackers. She didn¡¯t stop and give them a chance to organise themselves, she struck, kicked, punched and tripped everyone she could, striking as often as possible and only defending when necessary. Katalin¡¯s prior lessons on fighting groups formed the basis of her actions. Even as Serena moved, she couldn¡¯t help but consider how much real combat experience the highlord had. How Katalin handled herself, how she moved, how she explained martial concepts... the rumours that she lived a reclusive life in her father¡¯s estate couldn¡¯t be true. Serena fought desperately for another few seconds before Ryosuke managed to overwhelm her, tripping and putting her on the floor. He wiped sand from his face while keeping his sword tip against Serena¡¯s chest. ¡°That was some excellent defending, Instructor Halen,¡± he intoned. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been punched in the face in a swordfight.¡± He shook his head. ¡°If you fight like this on the battlefield... I fear the next fool to challenge you.¡± Katalin called for them to stop and, after checking that no one was seriously injured, had someone else stand in the middle. This cycle of chaos, with a brief respite, continued for half an hour. Sometimes, the defenders got overwhelmed immediately, but other times, they replicated Serena¡¯s aggressiveness and focused on escaping the circle first. Amelia did alright, considering her lack of experience. She managed to block a few attacks and even counter before the group overwhelmed her with their yellow and bright orange auras. By now, Amelia¡¯s partners no longer held back against her red aura; they understood that the layers of wards she had backing it made her more than a match for their yellow. Even so, Amelia¡¯s footwork kept letting her down, exposing her to strikes she should have been out of range of. As the exercise continued, everyone was tested to the limit. The repeated flaring of aether and quick rounds built up, and soon Serena, along with everyone else, was dripping with sweat and panting heavily. After the third person collapsed, Katalin called it quits. ¡°Second part! Five minutes!¡± she declared. Despite the impolite nature of the sound, half the room groaned in relief. ¡°Praise the fell gods...¡± ¡°It was like I was on the battlefield again!¡± ¡°Greasy. I need to eat something greasy...¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to nap before my afternoon class...¡± While the majority quickly left the training hall, Serena and Amelia joined up with the usual suspects; Ryosuke, Nathaniel, and Joey. ¡°I fear I may need to ask for healing if the second session follows the same intensity...¡± Joey mumbled, rolling his shoulders. ¡°Although, don¡¯t you think we¡¯ve improved?¡± After a short discussion they all agreed that if Katalin had run that session early on in the semester, they wouldn¡¯t have made it through. As difficult as it was, these sessions were making everyone involved stronger. It was a type of training that Serena didn¡¯t have access to under her regular duties. The Vengeance wasn¡¯t a suitable location for such intensity. Katalin came over, prompting Serena, along with everyone else, to straighten their backs. ¡°I¡¯ve been enjoying these sessions,¡± Katalin mused. ¡°It is a shame, but with the war ending I have new obligations in the North. The next session will be the last, understand?¡± She blinked, her purple eyes radiating something. Regret, perhaps? Ryosuke recovered from the sudden declaration first. ¡°It¡¯s been a great honour to host you, Highlord Driss.¡± He bowed deeply. ¡°Your skill has reinvigorated my competitive side. One day, we¡¯ll cross blades again and I¡¯ll show the result of my effort.¡± The others murmured their agreement, thanking Katalin for her time. ¡°I am most proud of you,¡± Katalin intoned, turning towards Amelia. ¡°Rarely have I seen a human grow so fast. You have talent, mmm?¡± ¡°Ah...¡± Amelia¡¯s posture collapsed slightly, and she twiddled her thumbs. ¡°Thank you, but... I always lose when my opponents get serious,¡± she said. ¡°But I¡¯ll improve! I promise!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t compare your experience against these instructors, understand?¡± Katalin gestured to Serena and the others. ¡°They have the experience of the battlefield, and decades of practice, yes? You can survive against them longer than most people who have wielded the sword for ten years can. It is... a good sign.¡± Katalin nodded approvingly. ¡°Thanks!¡± Amelia smiled, adding, ¡°But it¡¯s only because my wards enhance my abilities. I don¡¯t think I could take more than a few hits if I only used my aura!¡± By Serena¡¯s estimation, while Amelia¡¯s first-circle wards were as powerful as a normal mage''s third-circle wards, her red aura, despite its magnitude, was about the same as a normal warrior''s deep orange. That alone was outstanding, and Serena was certain once Amelia had spent several more months refining her aura it would hold against most warriors¡¯ yellow. ¡°There is nothing wrong with using one talent to help develop another,¡± Katalin explained. ¡°Using your strength to develop your weakness is common sense, yes?¡± ¡°Mmm!¡± Amelia hummed. ¡°I mean, yes, Highlord Driss!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll focus on meditation and expelling aether for the first half of the second part,¡± Karalin explained. ¡°Amelia, you can Speak with elegance, yes?¡± Seeing Amelia tilt her head, Katalin rephrased. ¡°You might know it as Speaking silently.¡± ¡°Oh! I can, yes,¡± Amelia nodded. ¡°Show us,¡± Katalin instructed. ¡°N-now?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Umm... okay,¡± Amelia said with a nod. She took a few steps back and closed her eyes. ¡°Pay attention,¡± Katalin commanded. ¡°The first step is to cycle your aether. By definition, a warrior¡¯s convection of aether cannot remove it from the body, understand? Amelia is heavily cloaked, but you can still sense some of her aetherflow, yes? Notice it¡¯s thick when it leaves her body, but most of it is prevented from coming back in? This is what you must copy. Once your body is empty of aether, except what is required to keep your aura or wards running, then you can Speak.¡± Katalin cleared her throat. ¡°Amelia, a First-Word if you could.¡± Serena internally frowned. Why had Katalin said ¡®First-Word¡¯ and not a ¡®Word¡¯. Did she already know Amelia was a Second-Word Speaker? Glancing at her fellow instructors, it seemed they hadn¡¯t noticed the Northerner¡¯s phrasing, instead their attention was focused entirely on Amelia. Serena kept her eyes on her girlfriend, but her mind kept thinking. Did she know Amelia Spoke Asclepius? Did she know she Spoke Suijin ? No one had seen Katalin when the fire was raging, but, given her skill, was it possible she was hiding and observing? ¡°Aseco,¡± Amelia Spoke, producing a small ripple in the aetherfield that kicked up a few tufts of sand. With the Word Spoken, Amelia¡¯s hair began to shine even more than normal. Her skin radiated a warming golden glow, with subtle flecks of blue dancing here and there, and her crimson eyes became a brilliant blue, an effect that would last until Amelia released her Word. ¡°Hells,¡± Ryosuke muttered. ¡°I fought a Vatican highpriest during the battle for Gelre, and I thought they were a talented Speaker and mage... but this is something else...¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure our Lunaria could Speak so cleanly,¡± Nathaniel said, a hint of wonder in his voice. ¡°Did any of you even feel it?¡± Joey asked, shaking his head. ¡°If one of our strategic aetherscopes was focused in on her, I still don¡¯t think they would know she Spoke at all!¡± At first, Serena was amused at how surprised they were by Amelia before she realised that they just didn¡¯t know. It was one thing coming to terms with Amelia¡¯s unusual talent as a mage and budding swordsmanship, but to witness her mastery over the First-Word was another thing entirely. Serena had simply adapted to how powerful and capable Amelia was. A year ago, Serena had only seen Second-Word embodiments in photographs. Now, she¡¯d seen three of them in person. Two of them were Spoken by Amelia! She¡¯d even ridden the first one! ¡°The walls here are thick,¡± Katalin began. ¡°They can handle a loud Speaker, yes?¡± Seeing Ryosuke nod, she continued. ¡°Spend the next thirty minutes practicing emptying yourself of aether. Afterwards, we will see if those efforts pay off. And...¡± Katalin trailed off, looking at Amelia. Amelia was looking at Katalin, her eyes slightly wide. Serena realised Amelia had been looking at Katalin since she Spoke. Had she seen something with her Speaker-level of perception? Had she looked at Katalin''s soul through the Shimmer? Perhaps the Northener possessed a blessing that Amelia had noticed. ¡°S-sorry,¡± Amelia stuttered. ¡°I¡¯ll, um, just...¡± Amelia swallowed and released her Word, returning to her usual golden self. Amelia smiled nervously at Katalin. ¡°I¡¯ll begin my practice now...¡± ¡°No,¡± Katalin shook her head. ¡°You are experienced in this method, yes? It¡¯s better to assist others, providing advice where possible. You¡¯ve been assisting the trainee officers in this manner, haven¡¯t you?¡± Katalin paused momentarily, adding, ¡°Don¡¯t share too much information. As a talented mage, you¡¯ve had experiences these warriors have not. If you tell them all your secrets too quickly, they won¡¯t understand. Not yet, anyway. Understand?¡± Amelia was silent for a few seconds, but eventually nodded in agreement. She¡¯s acting strange, Serena thought. She¡¯d have to ask her about it later. The session on aether control began and it quickly became apparent who had experience with cycling aether. Amelia, with her natural talent, was at the top of the pecking order. Ryosuke was the next best, apparently able to expel nearly ninety per cent of his aether. Nathaniel followed at eighty per cent, with Serena trailing him at a mere forty per cent. Lastly, Joey could barely cycle his aether at all, expelling perhaps one or two per cent. ¡°As you can see,¡± Joey explained sheepishly while rubbing the back of his neck. ¡°Becoming a warrior was the easier path for me.¡± ¡°Your word is Taruna, yes?¡± Katalin asked. ¡°Taruna Speakers have difficulty with this task. It¡¯s quite normal. What you lack here, I am sure you make up for in defense, yes?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Joey nodded. ¡°Under Taruna, I never faltered no matter what struck my shield.¡± ¡°Have you invoked her in this room before?¡± ¡°Yes. The walls hold fine as long as I¡¯m in the center.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll do that, then.¡± Katalin nodded, before clapping her hands. ¡°Gather around!¡± Serena clambered to her feet, hurrying over. Katalin explained that they would each take turns stepping into the center of the room, invoking their Word, and moving to the side. Once everyone had Spoken, she would join them and the training would begin. ¡°I will try and reach Amelia, yes?¡± Katalin asked, explaining the format. ¡°If my blade touches her once, I win. You will all try to stop me. We will keep our auras blue since there are so many of us, and I don¡¯t want to deal with the hassle from the grandmaster if I break this room¡¯s walls, understand?¡± At her words, sounds of amusement rippled through the group. It hadn¡¯t been mentioned explicitly, but everyone knew Amelia and Katalin got dressed down in the grandmaster¡¯s office. ¡°Question!¡± Amelia chirped. ¡°If I¡¯m under Aseco, can I give them enhancements? Many wards under his branch improve a warrior''s abilities!¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Katalin answered. ¡°But you cannot heal the others, unless it is a serious injury. Or attack me yourself,¡± the Northerner said with a smile. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be hit by any of his holy lightning, understand?¡± ¡°Understood!¡± ¡°Ryosuke, you¡¯re up first.¡± At Katalin¡¯s order, they retreated to one side of the room, leaving Ryosuke in the centre. After taking a moment to expel his aether, he formed his Word. Unlike Amelia, who could Speak almost perfectly silently, Ryosuke wasn¡¯t quite there, causing the atmosphere to hum in quiet anticipation. Serena knew Ryosuke Yamamoto as a dual-Speaker. He was a known Speaker of Narean, but no one knew his second Word. ¡°Narean,¡± he Spoke, blasting away the air and sand within half a dozen meters, enough to plaster Serena and everyone else with a thin layer of debris, temporarily blocking their vision. The first thing she noted was the temperature drop. Ryosuke¡¯s Narean was not of hellfire like Serena¡¯s. It was of frostbite. His horns were covered in a layer of blue ice that kept cracking off in large pieces, only to float up and vanish into nothing. His skin took on an ethereal sheen and, through his now-green aura, Serena could see something resembling mirrored scales. Unlike the hellfire variant of Narean, he had no trace of black wings, but a cool wind constantly flowed around him, subtly rippling his uniform. ¡°Was hoping you would surprise us,¡± Nathaniel said, clapping his hands. ¡°Still, your Narean is as impressive as ever. Just the other day you were saying you were getting old!¡± Serena found herself nodding. It was an impressive Narean, far beyond her own capabilities. Seeing it, she had no doubt Ryosuke was capable of the sixth aura - indigo. Some gods, like Narean, had several communable forms. Narean offered a hellfire and frostbite form, but other gods varied. Serena didn¡¯t know any martial gods that offered more than two, but knew some of the mage Words had three or more. ¡°Thank you, friend,¡± Ryosuke intoned, his voice misting with aether. ¡°I will wait for you,¡± he said, bowing and walking to the side opposite them. ¡°Nathaniel,¡± Katalin commanded. ¡°Yes,¡± he answered, stepping out and into the center of the room. He stood still for a while, expelling as much aether as he could before forming and invoking his Word. ¡°Longinus,¡± he Spoke. A pressure wave slammed into Serena, enough to make her take a step back. The room filled with sand and the crackling of lightning filled the air. Once the sand died down, she saw Nathaniel standing tall. His eyes and hair had yellowed, and his horns crackled with electricity. Like the Greatlord of Kenhoro, Lei Gong, Nathaniel was powerful enough for lightning sparks to constantly vaporise the nearby sand particles. His skin was cracked, but in those cracks she saw lightning and not blood. It didn¡¯t seem to hurt him at all. ¡°Excellent!¡± Joey called out. ¡°But I still know you¡¯re hiding another Word, Nathaniel!¡± ¡°Forgive me for being boring,¡± Nathaniel bowed and moved to the side next to the ice-cold Ryosuke. ¡°Serena,¡± Katalin intoned. ¡°Yes,¡± Serena answered. As she walked to the centre of the room, she wondered why Katalin was referring to them so informally. Perhaps the highlord felt that titles were not necessary if they were going to do something as personal as train their Words together. Standing in the centre, Serena glanced at Amelia, who mouthed the words "Good luck!" back. Closing her eyes, she cycled her aether, encouraging it to leave her body and trying to restrict the flow back in. Despite her original talent in earth magic when she was younger, the years of focusing on martial arts had made her rusty. It took her five minutes, but she was eventually able to remove half her aether. Unable to do any more, she formed Narean, and, after only a moment''s hesitation, she invoked her Word. ¡°Narean,¡± she Spoke. The rush of power and fire was exhilarating. She felt the ancient, divine power of the martial god flood her body. Her horns ignited with a satisfying crackle, and the sensation of a new limb, her tail made out of hellfire, returned. Although her wings hadn¡¯t yet fully manifested, she felt something was there. Not that she needed them to fly, she was becoming ever more adept at pushing against the aetherfield to manoeuvre herself in the air. Serena opened her eyes to see the room filled with sand. A quick bit of spellwork from Amelia brought the sand back down, and once she had finished, she grinned at Serena. Serena couldn¡¯t help but grin back. ¡°The fire is strong,¡± Katalin said approvingly. ¡°Your wings will come through soon, I imagine. Narean is a good fit for you, Serena.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Serena replied with a bow, taking the opportunity to try and sense anything unusual about Katalin. Despite manifesting a strong green aura, she couldn¡¯t perceive anything about her that prompted concern. Amelia must have seen something in the Shimmer. Serena moved to the side, where she earned a few compliments from the much more powerful Ryosuke and Nathaniel that made her feel a little awkward. ¡°This will be loud,¡± Joey muttered, walking to the center. He didn¡¯t spend any time trying to expel his aether. One or two per cent wasn¡¯t worth waiting the twenty minutes it would take him. ¡°Taruna,¡± he Spoke, blasting the room with a violent surge of power that would likely have blown a hole in the wall if he wasn¡¯t in the centre of the room. A wall of pressure smashed into Serena, lifting her off her feet and forcing her to flare her aether against the aetherfield to stop herself from smashing into the wall. Sand was everywhere, and if she hadn¡¯t protected her ears with her aura, she would surely have become deaf. Serena sensed Amelia cast a spell, and the sand was once again brought under control. Standing in the centre of the room was Joey, and he looked solid. Serena really didn¡¯t know the best way to put it. There was an atmosphere around him that seemed weighty. She knew Taruna had an offensive form and a defensive one, and this was certainly the latter. She¡¯d fought the offensive type in the cafe in Kenhoro, but Joey¡¯s Word differed. The man had grown an entire foot, now rivalling the Lord Guardian in height and strength. Other than that, he didn¡¯t have any drastic physical changes. Joey bowed towards Amelia. ¡°No blade will reach you while I protect you,¡± he intoned seriously, as if taking a sacred vow. He walked to the rack of weapons, taking a large wooden shield. The moment he touched it, his blue aura engulfed it and then hardened. It was as if his aura transformed into a metal, wrapping itself tightly around the shield. How resilient was that blue aura? Enough to withstand whatever Katalin was going to throw at them? As Serena¡¯s mind raced, Joey walked over and joined them. ¡°Quite the team,¡± Ryosuke growled. ¡°I respect her talent, but can she really fight all of us? Unless she¡¯s going to surprise us with an embodiment, I cannot see us being defeated.¡± Serena was sure he was exaggerating. There was no way Katalin, even if she could, would invoke a Second-Word for a training session. ¡°She only needs to touch Amelia with her sword,¡± Nathaniel pointed out. ¡°Maybe she¡¯ll Speak Kanaxai and rely on trickery and illusion.¡± ¡°Amelia,¡± Katalin coolly intoned. ¡°O-okay!¡± Amelia bounced to the centre and, without any dramatic fanfare, invoked Aseco. She became a golden light that Serena and everyone else had to protect. ¡°Take your positions, and then I¡¯ll invoke my Word,¡± Katalin mused. Katalin wandered to one side of the training hall, while Serena and the others formed a defensive line. Ryosuke stood at the front, with Serena and Nathaniel flanking him. Behind them and in front of Amelia stood Joey, his large frame and shield ready to intercept Katalin should she make it past them. ¡°If you haven¡¯t already, manifest blue,¡± Katalin called, her voice cheerful. Serena gritted her teeth and pushed her green further and further until it was at the cusp of blue. The expected wall never appeared, and she found with delight she could push into it! It wasn¡¯t the strongest blue; even if she flared she doubted there would even be a fleck of indigo in it... but it was blue! The elusive fifth-level aura that few her age had managed to achieve! When Narean had taken over her body and forced her to manifest blue when she wasn¡¯t yet ready it had almost killed her. Without Amelia¡¯s intervention she would surely be dead. Now, after training with Grandmaster Gu in Kenhoro, and then training back home in Asamaywa under the gruelling sessions of the elusive Katalin of Driss... Serena had grown stronger! Noticeably, tangibly, undeniably, stronger! ¡°Get ready,¡± Ryosuke growled from the front, brandishing his sword in both hands. ¡°She¡¯s about to Speak.¡± Serena snapped her mind into focus. She eyed Katalin, who stood perhaps twenty metres away, looking at them with an easy expression. She seemed relaxed. Too relaxed. What Word would she Speak? Narean? Longinus? Bayle? It would surely be something offensive, wouldn¡¯t it? Or... something fast? Katalin closed her eyes and Serena sensed the aetherfield around the Northerner hum. Like Amelia, Katalin was highly skilled at Speaking silently. A few seconds passed without anything happening. Then the room began to hum with energy. Katalin opened her eyes. Formerly purple, they were now a brilliant emerald green. ¡°Careful,¡± Amelia whispered from behind them. ¡°It¡¯s powerful.¡± Then, Katalin Spoke. It wasn¡¯t Bayle. Nor was it Narean. Nor was it Longinus, or any other martial Word Serena knew. Nor was it Kanaxai. ¡°Alinyah,¡± Katalin Spoke. It was a Word Serena had never heard before. It was a new Word. Chapter Seventy-Eight: Alinyah Chapter Seventy-Eight: Alinyah The moment Katalin Spoke Alinyah, Amelia felt her eyes widen. The room''s atmosphere intensified ¡ª humming with anticipation at the inevitable fight. The defenders gripped their weapons tighter and dropped their centre of gravity. ¡°What the...¡± Joey mumbled, his voice low under his Taruna transformation. Amelia peeked around him. The other side of the room glowed in an ethereal, otherworldly colour. It wasn¡¯t a friendly hue. Katalin glowed with violence. It was both ominous like the bloodiest red and yet radiant like warm daylight or a clear sky. Amelia couldn¡¯t describe the colour in any other way, for it was a new colour, beyond anything she¡¯d ever seen in this world or her previous one. It was ochure, the normally-invisible eighth colour of the rainbow. Amelia knew Alinyah from the game. She knew how the Word was supposed to work. It was how she knew what she was looking at, despite never seeing it before. Ochure was the colour of the characteristic glow of a Speaker of Alinyah. The God of Demonlight. It was a martial Word, and the ideal Word to use in this situation. Amelia¡¯s defenders seemed to understand the danger; while Joey stayed between her and Katalin, Ryosuke slowly approached his enemy with careful, deliberate steps. Amelia could see his breath misting from the coldness of his Narean frostbite form. On the other hand, Serena, with her magnificent horns crackling with hellfire, positioned herself carefully while her hot breath steamed from her nose. Before her mind could take her down a path of inappropriate thoughts, Amelia turned her attention to Nathaniel. The man had taken a spear from the wall and held it tightly as he approached Katalin¡¯s flank. His horns and spear crackled with energy. With every step he and the others took, the tension in the room increased until it was almost unbearable. She had to admit, she was a little surprised they hadn¡¯t taken advantage of their numbers and exploited Alinyah¡¯s weakness immediately! Although it made sense considering Serena and the other head instructors¡¯ personalities. As noble warriors, they greatly respected Katalin and her skills so it was understandable they would want to see as much of her swordplay as possible. Besides, they might think not giving Katalin a fair shot would be disrespectful. After all, it was only a friendly bout! At some unspoken command, Ryosuke struck forwards, his sword slicing the air as its blue aura-enhanced blade swept down towards Katalin, who glided out of the way, parrying it lightly. As their blades touched, a melodic note rang throughout the training hall, coupled with a small explosion of demonlight that brightened the room for a fraction of a second. It was a surprisingly cautious attack for the usually confident Ryosuke. Amelia had seen him launch an all-out attack at Katalin when she instructed, so it was a little strange to see him seem... hesitant. Was he being wary because of the fact that they were all Speakers? Amelia nodded to herself. That must be it! Serena told her that all training fights were like a conversation, where the exact amount of ferocity and power was slowly established with every exchange. Ryoksuke struck again with similar results. Katalin hovered over the sandy floor, her entire body moving suddenly as if she were weightless and caught by a blustery wind. It was as if she was ignoring the laws of physics! Katalin could impart more force in her parries than made sense from her floaty stance. Each time her blade struck Ryosuke¡¯s, a pure note would sound, accompanied by a flash of demonlight. ¡°Ryosuke?¡± Serena asked, her voice hesitant. ¡°The light appears harmless,¡± he growled, taking a few careful steps back. ¡°But her movement... is unnatural.¡± ¡°It may prioritise speed,¡± Nathaniel muttered. Huh? What were they suggesting? Amelia frowned, but before she could say anything, Katalin raised her free hand elegantly to her mouth, letting out a small titter and saying, ¡°I have no intention of slipping past in such a manner, even though I could.¡± Katalin¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°No, we¡¯ll do this the real way...¡± With that, Katalin pointed her sword to the ceiling before muttering, ¡°...A proper brawl.¡± Then her sword came down, and with it, her body flowed like the wind towards Ryosuke. She struck half a dozen times, each strike flowing harmoniously with the last, coming at Ryosuke from entirely different directions. In one moment, Katalin was hovering to his left, striking at his side, and then in the next moment she had spun around him, stabbing towards his neck. Alongside the elegant violence was the symphony of melodic sounds, and every time Ryosuke countered, Katalin would be somewhere else, either avoiding the strike entirely or parrying it with a gentle touch and a flash of beautiful ochure. Nathaniel joined in, his crackling spear darting forward, quickly synchronising with Ryosuke to create, in theory, inescapable situations for the Northerner. Yet, every time, the delicate flow of Alinyah defied all odds. Katalin avoided each attack with the same violent politeness as before. It didn¡¯t matter whether they came in from a blind spot, or with a sudden burst of speed as Ryosuke or Nathaniel flared their aura, it wasn¡¯t enough to surprise the experienced Northerner. When Katalin''s blade struck Ryosuke¡¯s, it made a high note. When it struck Nathaniel¡¯s spear, it made a medium note. When the fight''s tempo intensified, and Serena joined the fray, low notes began sounding as Serena¡¯s blade was parried repeatedly. The result was a strange melody punctuated with eruptions of ochure. It was almost as if a magical fireworks display took place every time their blades collided. ¡°Such skill...¡± Joey mumbled. Amelia couldn¡¯t help but nod in agreement. Ryosuke, Nathaniel, and Serena were considered exceptional warriors with battle-hardened instincts. Without needing to discuss it, they would position themselves to defend their comrades¡¯ weak sides, while striking out in the most opportune moments. Their strikes were natural and fluent, and the two swords and spear manifested a flurry of attack and defense that would, or should, butcher anyone unlucky enough to stand in their way. Yet, Katalin and her Alinyah invocation didn¡¯t care what would or should happen. She never let herself be swarmed by her three attackers, something Amelia understood to be the worst thing that could happen in the early stages of an Alinyah invocation. Katalin wasn¡¯t only defending. She was ferociously attacking them one after another. Katalin slashed at Serena in one moment, forcing her to focus on defense. Before Serena could recover, Katlain would be gone like the wind, darting towards Ryosuke to poke and prod at him only to float up several meters before gliding down to attack Nathaniel, slipping past his spear and forcing him to jump away. Serena¡¯s hellfire sword. Ryosuke¡¯s frostbite blade. Nathaniel¡¯s crackling spear. Each one wrapped in blue aura, capable of slicing or stabbing through the toughest battleship armour. Each one wielded by their hosts, enhanced with divine aether that propelled them into the upper echelons of society. Each one used with expertise that was unattainable to those without natural talent, against one of the most skilled swordswomen in the entire Empire. But... Amelia couldn¡¯t help but wonder. Were they really going to let Katalin continue generating demonlight? Amelia was sure the Northerner¡¯s Alinyah was close to blooming, after which the three attackers would be at a massive disadvantage. Alinyah, after all, was a Word that had to be defeated quickly. Because it was only weak at the start, before its Speaker gathered enough demonlight. Amelia always hesitated to assume how much of the game she played in the hospital translated to this world. After all, the game didn¡¯t have floating continents, flying airships, a magical lumina, mysterious Formless or roaming animal gods! However, while there were a few differences, the mechanics of Speaking Words and the Words themselves seemed to more or less match. Judging from what she saw from Katalin, it seemed safe to assume Alinyah worked the same. Like in the game, Alinyah required a focus on evasion and parrying at the start. It was a skillful balancing act that required the Speaker to engage in combat to gather demonlight while avoiding getting hit, for if they did, they would lose their accumulated light in a sometimes explosive manner. Katalin was doing this expertly, even attacking far more than Amelia had seen her guildmates do. Well, Katalin was that skilled. She could afford to be more aggressive. Not only that... Amelia blinked her eyes, flicking her perception into the Shimmer once more. It was easy to do it with this much aether in the atmosphere. She only reverified what she saw earlier before awkwardly closing her connection to the Shimmer. It would be an uncomfortable conversation, but she¡¯d have to talk with Katalin about it. It would be okay, right? Amelia shook her head and focused on the melody of the battle. ¡°Narean¡¯s Slowing!¡± Ryosuke invoked, a burst of divine aether rippling from him as he called upon Narean to coat his blade in a shining white ice. He swung his blade at Katalin, and when she parried it, the ice invaded Katalin¡¯s blade.. Katalin didn¡¯t seem to mind and continued to glow ever brighter as she fought her three attackers. Her peaceful expression was replaced with one of intense focus. Her formerly-pale cheeks were now reddened, and her forehead was slick with sweat. As the intensity of the fight escalated, she began flaring her blue aura, needing the extra power to counter the increasingly fast attacks as Ryosuke and the others became more determined to land a devastating blow. As their coordination increased, Katalin began using more than just her sword, gliding between her opponents¡¯ bodies and tripping and throwing them at each other. As Speakers they could push against the aetherfield to prevent themselves from colliding with each other or the walls. However, it still served as an adequate distraction for Katalin to avoid a disadvantaged situation or put herself in an advantageous one. ¡°She¡¯s not slowing,¡± Serena growled after trying to catch Katalin off-guard with a sneaky strike from her hellfire tail. Her observation was a daunting one. After parrying a dozen strikes by Ryosuke¡¯s frostbitten sword, Katalin''s sword and arm were covered in the shimmering white ice that was supposed to slow down an opponent. Katalin, however, continued unaffected, as if the crackling ice freezing her was a mere decoration. Suddenly, after blocking a fierce attack from Serena that produced a spectacular amount of demonlight, Katalin¡¯s expression changed. She jumped back, creating distance between her opponents as a sly smile formed. ¡°It¡¯s been a while,¡± Katalin muttered, floating in the air. ¡°What now...?¡± Joey asked. He hadn¡¯t yet gotten involved in the fighting, faithfully keeping to his role as Amelia¡¯s last line of defense. ¡°C-careful!¡± Amelia shouted past him, sensing the twisting of the aetherfield around Katalin. ¡°She¡¯s about to bloom!¡± ¡°Bloom?¡± Rysouke, Nathaniel, Serena, and Joey all questioned simultaneously. What? Did they know it by a different name? Or did they... Amelia swallowed as a possibility formed in her mind. Had they never encountered this Word before!? She¡¯d thought their hesitancy and calculated caution was out of respect for Katalin, but now... Did they just not know how Alinyah worked? Oh dear. This wasn¡¯t good at all! ¡°The trial ends, the offering accepted,¡± Katalin whispered, her quiet voice filling the room. Katalin''s chest, where her heart would be if it was on her right side, began to shine brightly, with rays of starlight and vibrant ochure pushing through the cloth of her uniform. ¡°The heartlight forms,¡± Katalin continued, her breath misting with pure aether. ¡°The latent power blooms...¡± With a flash of demonlight and a single powerful note, wings of light erupted out of her back. Ethereal, semi-transparent robes formed around her body, creating a dozen thin layers of light that Amelia knew would be as strong as sixth-tier aura. ¡°In front of the true power of the North,¡± Katalin''s eyes met the Speakers¡¯ below. The ochure demonlight wrapped her sword, extending its length and creating a shimmering surface that was both deadly and beautiful. Katalin opened her mouth, saying one more word that seemed more of a command than anything else. ¡°Despair.¡± At that moment, everyone in the room swallowed. Amelia could practically hear her defenders¡¯ jaws tighten and their hands squeezing their weapon¡¯s handles. Amelia herself was transfixed on the beautiful sight of Katalin¡¯s blooming form. The wings of light... the shimmering robes... her majestic sword... the words she said... Amelia swallowed again. Katalin was... She was... So cool! So unbelievably cool! Had she practised those lines!? Has she done that sequence in front of a mirror!? It was perfectly timed! A natural-born actress! She must¡¯ve worked on the stage before, right!? How else could she send such shivers down Amelia¡¯s spine! Amazing! The next time Amelia had the opportunity, she would do something just like that! It took every fibre of her being not to break out into applause! ¡°Here she comes!¡± Ryosuke barked. Right, she needed to focus! Katalin was the enemy right now! Katalin¡¯s wings folded and she swooped down, her sword glowing brightly as it slammed into Ryosuke¡¯s defense. Amelia heard the man grunt with exertion, and then in surprise as Katalin released an explosion of power and light from her sword, blasting Ryosuke away. The Northerner twisted, blocking Nathaniel''s crackling spear with one wing while swinging her sword towards Serena, half a dozen metres away. From Katalin¡¯s sword a crescent of light shot out, carving through the floor on its way towards Serena who, seemingly judging she couldn¡¯t avoid it, dropped to one knee, jamming her sword into the ground and putting her weight against her blade. Despite her preparations, the blade of light smashed into her like a runaway train, pushing Serena back a dozen metres and throwing up a mountain of dirt and sand before she finally stopped. Amelia sensed the attack shatter two of the wards she kept on Serena before her stronger ones, coupled with Serena¡¯s weakening blue aura, held the attack off. It took several seconds for the attack of light to stop trying to burrow through Amelia¡¯s wards and eventually fizzle out. ¡°Fucking hell,¡± Joey mumbled. ¡°What kind of Word is that?¡± Amelia silently agreed. Alinyah really was overpowered once it bloomed, wasn¡¯t it? It possessed defense on par with a weak Second-Word, while having the ability to produce overwhelming attacks in close-quarters and at range. While it spent demonlight to manifest its abilities, it could recover that light through continued combat! This was why you always had to defeat an Alinyah Speaker quickly before they could bloom! If you fail to defeat them in the first phase, you¡¯ll be on the backfoot and struggling to survive once they bloom! Amelia sighed. She supposed it was her time to shine. She figured she shouldn¡¯t shout out the mechanics, it would be too difficult to explain why she knew what she knew. She¡¯d already revealed too much by using the term bloom. Per her previous agreement with Katalin, she wouldn¡¯t use Aseco¡¯s magic to attack or heal, unless someone was seriously injured. It was a massive limitation, especially as Aseco¡¯s wards weren¡¯t that exceptional. Still, she could even the battlefield before Katalin utterly overwhelmed everyone else. ¡°Wards going up!¡± Amelia declared, spooling her aether. Her magic squealed in delight as it was invoked, her spells rushing across the room to wrap everyone in a golden light. Their recipients took a moment to adjust to the sensation before resuming their renewed attack against Katalin. With the power the Northerner had displayed, they seemed to understand their only hope was a battle of attrition. And a battle of attrition it became. One minute. Five minutes. Ten minutes. Through gasps of breath and with sweat coating the sandy floor, they fought. On a few occasions, Katalin found some breathing room and launched a crescent of light at Amelia, only to be blocked by the titanic Joey with his hardened aura. Something about his Taruna invocation meant he wasn¡¯t thrown across the room when he withstood Katalin¡¯s attacks. Fifteen minutes. It was becoming clear the three didn¡¯t have enough power to break through Katalin¡¯s shimmering robes and aura, and that Katalin didn¡¯t have enough power to break through Amelia¡¯s wards. They were all trying to be conservative with their aura, only flaring it at the moment they made contact with their blades. Even so, the repeated actions were tiring the three of them out, and Katalin, who had to manipulate her aura far more than her opponents, was showing a weary expression. Twenty minutes. The light of Katalin¡¯s sword changed to a brilliant blue, which she then swung at the empty space between Nathaniel and Amelia. As the blade swept through, Amelia felt a terrible tearing sensation with her aether. Nathaniel''s golden glow subsided and Amelia felt a weird sense of loss. A quick examination of the aetherfield confirmed her suspicions. Somehow, Katalin had cut the aetherflow, causing Amelia¡¯s ward to collapse. Amelia desperately formed a new one, but Katalin was faster, getting under Nathaniel''s spear and blasting him with a burst of demonlight, shattering his blue aura and throwing him back. He collapsed against the wall, his eyes closing as he fell into unconsciousness. ¡°One down,¡± Katalin mused, diving into the air to avoid a joint attack by Serena and Ryosuke. ¡°She...¡± Amelia found her words. ¡°She cut off my wards somehow! Be careful!¡± Her warning was heeded quickly. Serena and Ryosuke retreated towards Amelia and Joey. It was risky to bring the fighting so close to Amelia, but it meant there was less space for Katalin to repeat what she had done. That said, she managed it a few more times, but with Joey so close, he could interfere and prevent Katalin from shattering anyone else¡¯s aura. Feeling Serena¡¯s wards collapse worried Amelia, but then she realised Katalin was only cutting the aetherflow in this world, not the aetherflow in the Shimmer - through which Amelia kept Serena¡¯s most powerful wards running. Twenty-five minutes. Joey could not make up for Nathaniel''s offensive skill, and Katalin found more and more opportunities to slam a devastating strike against his shield. Each time her attack connected, a deep and sonorous sound rang out, like a massive belltower producing a single, determined note. Each time, large quantities of dirt and sand were thrown up, covering everyone in the room and sticking to their sweaty skin. Amelia could even feel the grit between her teeth. They couldn''t push Katalin back with Joey¡¯s lack of offensive abilities, but with his defensive skills, they could stop her from getting to Amelia or putting anyone else out of the fight. Katalin was breathing heavy now, and her shimmering robes had lost some light. The glowing heartlight emitting from underneath her clothes had noticeably dimmed. Thirty minutes. Katalin once again cut the aetherflow feeding Ryosuke¡¯s ward. Ryosuke jumped back, ready to let Joey defend while Amelia re-established the connection. Only this time, Katalin didn¡¯t chase. Instead, she slammed her sword into the ground. ¡°Alinyah¡¯s Devastation,¡± she said quickly, twisting the sword as the aetherfield contorted wildly. The room went dark. Katalin¡¯s light momentarily dimmed, then, the ground exploded with rays of ochure light erupting from underneath their feet, throwing them all into the air and shattering Ryosuke¡¯s aura before Amelia could ward him again. It was a blinding area-of-effect attack, with power more in-line with a mage Word than a martial Word. They had been taken by surprise. Joey frantically positioned himself the best he could, with Serena on his flank. Using her foot, Katalin flicked Ryosuke across the room to land next to the unconscious Nathaniel. ¡°Two,¡± Katalin intoned. ¡°Now, ack!¡± She coughed, droplets of blood falling to the sand. ¡°Ah...¡± she said, wiping her mouth. ¡°I¡¯ll need to finish this quick.¡± She flashed a smile, not the smile of a friendly instructor, but one of a predator. Although her condition was bad, her light was dim, and her mouth bloody, Serena and Joey were not much better. Serena was struggling to keep her aura stable. If it weren¡¯t for Amelia¡¯s wards, she would have likely collapsed by now. Serena had the least experience compared to her seasoned colleagues, and it showed with her aura flickering down to green. ¡°You don¡¯t...¡± Katalin pointed her sword at them, gasping for air. ¡°Want to step aside?¡± ¡°I am the bulwark,¡± Joey said between deep breaths. ¡°I shall not falter!¡± ¡°You¡¯re half-dead,¡± Katalin replied. ¡°I will win. I know this. You do not have the endurance.¡± ¡°Strange,¡± Serena said with a laugh, gripping her sword with both hands. ¡°I would say the same thing to you.¡± They eyed each other for a few seconds and then, as if in silent agreement, resumed the battle with renewed vigour. Both sides fought in increasing desperation, using dirty tricks to do everything they could to exhaust their opponent before they collapsed. Thirty-five minutes. At this point, their fighting more resembled a drunken brawl than a dignified exchange between seasoned veterans. Serena lost her sword, but then abused Amelia¡¯s powerful wards and leapt at Katalin, grabbing her sword arm while tanking a direct hit. She began to wrestle with her to try and take her sword, pulling them both to the ground. Katalin used her wings to fend off Joey while trying to punch the back of Serena¡¯s head. Serena used her hellfire tail to slap Katalin in the face repeatedly. Katalin gave up punching and began throwing sand in Serena¡¯s face. Serena began biting Katalin¡¯s wrist with closed eyes, like a wolf gnawing its leg to escape from a trap. Amelia chuckled nervously. Serena once told her every martial duel was a conversation. If that was true, what was being discussed like... this? By this point, Nathaniel and Ryosuke had woken up. After understanding they¡¯d been defeated, they kept to the sideline, and when Serena and Katalin began tussling on the ground, they began whooping and hollering. It took almost no encouragement before Amelia joined them, pumping her fist in the air and giving her girlfriend some much needed moral support. ¡°Go on! Bite her!¡± ¡°She¡¯s grabbing sand!¡± ¡°Kick her... you know where!¡± Serena managed to clamber onto Katalin¡¯s back, and was in the process of rubbing the Northerner¡¯s face in the sand and dirt, assisted by Joey who was holding her wings down, when the door to the training hall opened. When Amelia saw Grandmaster Shun step through and close the door behind him, she swallowed nervously. When Nathaniel and Ryosuke saw him, the colour drained from their faces, and they immediately stopped jeering. When Joey saw him, he clambered off Katalin¡¯s wings and scrambled away. The grandmaster was halfway across the room before Katalin and Serena noticed his presence. They froze at the sight. Katalin''s fist was jammed in Serena''s mouth and Serena¡¯s hand gripped Katalin''s hair, pulling her head back. For a dozen seconds the grandmaster said nothing. Then he sighed. He approached the wall and picked up a heavy wooden training sword. ¡°You kids...¡± he muttered, shaking his head. ¡°When you¡¯re as old as me, you sometimes forget how immature the younger generations are.¡± The grandmaster approached the women, his aura flashing into orange and then yellow. ¡°G-Grandmaster!¡± Serena stuttered, removing Katalin¡¯s fist and climbing to her feet. ¡°Ahem,¡± Katalin coughed politely, trying to straighten her clothes. Even her ethereal robes were loose, and her wings of light, barely visible, drooped as if in submission. ¡°Narean,¡± he said, pointing the sword at Serena. He then slowly aimed it at Amelia. ¡°Aseco,¡± he continued. ¡°Y-yes...?¡± Amelia mumbled. ¡°And...¡± The grandmaster pointed the training sword at Katalin. ¡°Alinyah, yes? I did not expect to find such a rare and powerful Word Spoken in these halls.¡± ¡°How... do you know about Alinyah?¡± Katalin asked in confusion. ¡°Ha... haha...¡± The grandmaster chuckled, rubbing his chin. ¡°I¡¯ll be the ones asking the questions. But first...¡± His eyes narrowed. ¡°It is the job of the senior generation to discipline the junior one... prepare yourself, children.¡± ¡°W-wait a second,¡± Serena said, raising her hands. ¡°There¡¯s no need-¡± Katalin began. ¡°Taruna,¡± Spoke the grandmaster. His eyes flashed dangerously before he leapt towards the three women, yelling out a battle-cry. The events that followed became legend in the Asamaywa Officer Academy. What exactly happened and who was involved was never fully confirmed. Some even doubted it occurred in the first place. Either way, those suspected of being in Speaker Training Room B at that time would deny anything unusual took place. In the future, the only thing that would come to Amelia¡¯s mind when she remembered the event was that... Some grandpas could be awfully scary sometimes! Chapter Seventy-Nine: Canonisation Chapter Seventy-Nine: Canonisation Over the next few days, Serena''s schedule was relentless. On top of everything she already had to devote her time to, she was under pressure to make the final selections for the Vengeance¡¯s new squad. She coordinated closely with Aiden and each time they saw each other he had yet another stack of papers detailing the students¡¯ and their families¡¯ backgrounds and connections. It wasn¡¯t just a matter of each prospective warrior or mage passing a personality profile; it was also about verifying that they had no hidden debts, obligations, or criminal activity that could be used as a vector of subterfuge in the future. Beyond that, there was a singular factor that Serena was ordered to consider above all others. Could they be friends with Amelia? While Serena had to prioritise this question, she also had to devote enough time to studying for the upcoming commodore examination, all while ensuring the preparations for the Vengeance were going smoothly. Given their destination of the Southern Terra Firma, she and her officers had a whole new set of problems to handle; the ship¡¯s medical officer, Hillbrand, was coordinating the supply and storage of several hundred vials of vaccines they would be administering to the crew after they left. Desert Fever was no joke and they couldn¡¯t assume Amelia would be around to heal them. Her chief engineer, Allston, and gunnery officer, Thorne, were also busy ensuring the propellers and gun turrets were sufficiently protected should the Vengeance find itself in the middle of a lumina-born sandstorm. There was also the question of finding appropriate dust covers for the Vengeance¡¯s parasite fighters attached to its hull, and whether the attachment points for the lightcraft needed to be upgraded to withstand the dangers of a sand-laden barrage. Still, her officers'' competence meant she could offload just enough responsibilities to not burn out from stress. She would probably be sleeping with her horns in her hands if not for Amelia¡¯s regular healing and night-time stress-reducing activities. And so, Serena managed to tackle the days as they came. The end-of-year tournament was approaching and formal lectures had ended to allow the students some time to focus on their preparations. The academy grounds were full of construction workers erecting the temporary seating surrounding the outside arena for the upcoming duels. Activity was also blossoming in the city streets where decorations were being strung up alongside buildings in preparation for Christmas. Unfortunately, the religious holiday fell on a day when they¡¯d be sailing through the Southern Passage. For that reason, Serena had instructed her cooking staff to bring some choice cuts of meats and extra spices for the day. While the demonic branch of Christianity wasn¡¯t the most popular religion in the East, any captain worth their horns would know the crew would expect something special on Christmas. And Serena was a captain worth her horns. However, before Christmas, before they would set sail, and before the tournament, the day had finally come for House Halen¡¯s family dinner. That was due to take place in a few hours. But... before that... ¡°I look weird...¡± came Amelia¡¯s voice from beyond the door. ¡°Don¡¯t say that, Lady Thornheart!¡± one of the maids chastised. ¡°You look stunning!¡± another one added. ¡°I¡¯d never thought a human could look so radiant!¡± It was the day of Amelia¡¯s canonisation. While the future saint was being dressed in layers of religious garb, Serena paced the stone floor of the Asamaywa basilica. For some reason, even though she wasn¡¯t the one going through the ceremony, Serena felt nervous. With its tall archways and detailed stained-glass windows, the building invoked a sense of wonder that made you want to keep your voice low. It also didn¡¯t help that while the cardinal kept his promise of keeping the ceremony discreet, that didn¡¯t stop all three greatlords of the Three Sisters from turning up! Nor did it prevent those greatlords from bringing several dozen highlords with them! The atmosphere in the basilica¡¯s reception hall had been stifling and Serena was glad to have the excuse of escorting Amelia to escape! ¡°Finished? Finally!¡± came Amelia¡¯s cheerful voice. A few steps sounded, coupled with the rustling of heavy cloth. The door creaked open and Amelia stepped through. Serena blinked, looking at her girlfriend for several seconds before saying, ¡°Well, you certainly look the part.¡± Amelia''s robes were white, made from layers of heavy cloth. They screamed purity and the yellow-crystal thread that formed ornate patterns throughout the clothing whispered of wealth. Hanging from Amelia¡¯s neck, a wooden demonic cross settled just above a depiction of the symbol of the Empire - a golden crown wreathed with two silver horns. With no horns to paint white, the maids had woven white ribbons through Amelia''s golden hair. Serena had to admit that, with Amelia¡¯s golden hair contrasted by the white decorations and her white robes contrasted by the yellow-crystal thread, it came together to create a pleasing sight. ¡°There were so many layers,¡± Amelia intoned, rolling her eyes. She picked at her robes, only stopping when one of the maids'' nostrils flared with a sharp intake of breath. Amelia mumbled an apology, casting Serena a weary smile. These maids evidently took enormous pride in their work. It wasn¡¯t surprising; the opportunity to personally dress a saint was a once-in-a-lifetime event. Devoted church maids wouldn¡¯t let something small like a Lord-Prospect get in the way of that! ¡°Excellent, excellent!¡± an aged voice cried out. Serena turned to see Cardinal Hiroshi striding towards them with a spring in his step. ¡°This is a historic moment!¡± The cardinal lifted his cross, kissing it lightly before looking to the ceiling. ¡°We are truly blessed! Christ, the Empress, the Moons... are all surely smiling right now! Now...¡± He reached down, delicately taking Amelia¡¯s hands. ¡°Have you memorised the words?¡± ¡°Mmm!¡± Amelia nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll do my part!¡± Serena didn¡¯t miss the mischievous glint in Amelia¡¯s eyes. ¡°Good,¡± Cardinal Hiroshi said before turning to Serena. ¡°The Holy Register of Witnesses has arrived. Your fellow witnesses are waiting in the aisles along with everyone else. Could you go ahead, Lord Halen? We¡¯ll be through shortly to begin.¡± ¡°Yes, Cardinal,¡± Serena intoned, bowing politely. She gave Amelia some final words of encouragement before heading down the corridor and through a door into the basilica¡¯s main hall. When she entered, dozens of pairs of eyes snapped in her direction. Greatlords, highlords and numerous church representatives eyed her before returning to their murmured conversations. Greatlord Oshiro was in quiet discussion with the greatlords of Asamino and Asamoto. Surrounding them were a dozen highlords, some of whom Serena recognised from times when they would arrive as guests at House Halen¡¯s estate. Her father was there, giving her a nod across the aisle before returning to his conversation. Between the aisles lay a thick red carpet leading from the entrance of the building to the altar at the far end. A lectern stood in front, overshadowed by a statue of Christ in his familiar pose: bleeding, broken, and offering his snapped horns to his spiritual successor, the Empress of Cascadia. The statues were simple and carved from wood. Yet, they somehow invoked a sense of gravitas that dominated even the presence of the three attending greatlords. Looking upon Christ, Serena felt... complicated. Years ago, she turned away from Sangoism because she no longer felt spiritually fulfilled by its predominantly martial teachings. While it had been a reliable source of strength during her earlier years, Serena sought a different presence in her life after the Federation convoy incident ¡ª something that wasn¡¯t so focused on fighting. Becoming a member of the Demon Church had been the obvious choice. The Demonic Testament offered what she needed: Hope, clarity, and most importantly of all, passages that relieved her guilt. In the Demonic Bible she¡¯d found the writings of the Empress resonate with her. Sangoism taught how to fight conflicts, but the Demonic Testament taught how to end them. Perhaps if it weren¡¯t for the teachings of the Bible, and the heavy inclusion of humans within its text, Serena wouldn¡¯t have been so accepting of Amelia so quickly. Even though she didn¡¯t like to be seen doing it, she occasionally clenched her hands and performed a quick prayer before bed. It was nothing much, just a quick ¡®thank you¡¯ delivered hastily to Christ and the Empress. Thanking them for sending her Amelia. Of course, the irony didn¡¯t escape her that the Demon Church labelled her and Amelia¡¯s relationship a sin. Then again, Serena¡¯s life was full of compromises. You never held all the cards in a war - you could always identify things that would give you an even more advantageous position: a different elevation, a better firing solution, more munitions or better-trained soldiers. Sometimes you just have to make a decision and stick with it. That was exactly what she¡¯d done when she¡¯d decided to open her heart to Amelia. As if celebrating the end of her self-reflection, the basilica¡¯s aetherlights dimmed. The lack of artificial moonlight meant the natural daylight streaming through the stained-glass windows created a colourful and warm atmosphere. The whispered conversations stopped and everyone¡¯s attention was drawn to the far end of the hall, where Cardinal Hiroshi was slowly leading Amelia down the red carpet. The old man looked like he was tearing up. And Amelia... Perhaps it was a mixture of Amelia¡¯s radiant hair and robes which stood out against the dim room, or maybe it was the fact that even the greatlords were transfixed upon her, but she had presence. Her expertly-cloaked wards would tickle the instincts of the dozens of Speakers in the room, while her looks would draw the eye of both men and women. She was a terrifying power that rivalled the skills of at least a greatlord, all packaged up into a bundle of chaotic and cheerful blond energy that most Cascadian lords didn¡¯t know how to handle. Serena felt like an unspoken conclusion was instantaneously made in the room. Any lords that had been harbouring doubts about Amelia¡¯s canonisation would quickly have reevaluated their position upon seeing her magnificence here today. As she passed by Serena, Amelia turned her head slightly, giving Serena a quick wink. Some of the demons standing nearby murmured at the unsaintlike behaviour. Get used to it, Serena thought, trying to keep a serious expression on her face. Cardinal Hiroshi began the ceremony. He moved behind the lectern and, with Amelia by his side, he started recounting her story: a tragic life being born in Karligard, only to spend years on the run, hiding from the Human Church hunting her down to hoard her healing powers for themselves. The attendees were told how Amelia eventually found a ship to take her to Centralis where she became a refugee and devoted herself to learning High Imperial while Intelligence hid her. Eventually, coordinating with the authorities, she¡¯d set out to see more of the Empire, all while selflessly healing those she encountered. ¡°...Amelia chose the distinguished East as her first destination,¡± the cardinal droned on. ¡°She was captivated by the unique cultures of the Manwese, Samino, and Ainese people. Her first visit was the plateau city of Kenhoro, where she fell in love with the swordsmanship of Shimokan. This appreciation of the Eastern martial art led her to attend the Asamaywa Academy, where...¡± Serena tried not to frown. She wasn¡¯t sure how much the man actually knew. As a cardinal, he was the Demon Church¡¯s equivalent of a greatlord. Yet, from her conversation with Greatlord Oshiro, it appeared that even they were not told of Amelia¡¯s realm-travelling origins. Furthermore, while her Lord Superior had deduced that secret, he¡¯d given no indication that he knew about her soul transfer. Even if Cardinal Hiroshi did know the truth, he could hardly introduce her as, ¡®This is Amelia Thornheart. She appeared in the Vengeance¡¯s captain¡¯s quarters half naked and then proceeded to shamelessly flirt with said captain until-¡± Serena gave herself a mental slap. What was she doing, allowing her mind to go down such an inappropriate line of thought!? In a holy place nevertheless! Serena kept her mind clear and focused on the ceremony. After Cardinal Hiroshi had finished recounting Amelia¡¯s imaginary life in this realm, he listed the reasons the cardinals had unanimously voted for her canonisation, emphasising Amelia¡¯s role as an unwavering symbol of peace and unity as well as her exceptional assistance during the Asamaywa fire. He concluded that Amelia¡¯s name would be entered in the canon of the saints, and her work should be venerated and serve as an inspiration to all of demonkind. Glancing around, Serena saw many of the Lords nodding along, some even politely wiping tears from their eyes. She had to appreciate the cardinal''s talent at public speaking, even if the story was false. Wasn¡¯t it a sin for a clergy member to tell lies on holy ground? ¡°The petitions have been answered,¡± Cardinal Hiroshi declared, dramatically holding up a document. ¡°The Head of the Demon Church, the Empress of Demonkind, has affirmed that Amelia Thornheart¡¯s canonisation is for the honor of the Church, the exaltation of the faith, and the defense of demonkind against the darkness!¡± He flourished the paper, upon which Serena saw the neat ¡®E¡¯ signed at the bottom. It was strange how even just seeing the Empress¡¯s recent handwriting made Serena feel a sense of awe. ¡°Before the Empress, under an irrevocable decree, declares and defines Blessed Thornheart to be a saint, we must, under the light of the five moons of the Empire, hear the vows and promises!¡± The cardinal turned towards Amelia, instructing her to repeat after him. ¡°I, Amelia Thornheart, vow to faithfully promote the cause of justice and peace, and to encourage the spread of love, life, and happiness to all demonkind.¡± Serena saw Amelia swallow. ¡°I, Amelia Thornheart,¡± Amelia began. ¡°Vow to faithfully promote the cause of justice and peace.¡± Amelia¡¯s eyes flickered to Serena¡¯s for a moment. ¡°And to encourage the spread of love, life, and happiness to all.¡± Amelia¡¯s lips curled into a smile. Ah, that was why she had the mischievous twinkle in her eyes earlier. Whispers and murmurs sounded from the aisles. Amelia¡¯s choice to change ¡®all demonkind¡¯ to just ¡®all¡¯ did not go amiss amongst the attendees. Cardinal Hiroshi blinked three times before opening and closing his mouth. He turned his head, his eyes darting across the room. Serena followed the cardinal''s gaze as he stared at the one man Serena couldn¡¯t sense at all. When had Chesterfield appeared? The neat-looking Intelligence figure looked back, not at the cardinal but Amelia. Amelia wore an easy smile and then winked at Chesterfield. It was a wink that said, ¡®You¡¯re not going to trap me that easily!¡¯ An almost imperceptible sigh escaped Chesterfield¡¯s lips followed by a quick nod towards the cardinal, who swallowed and resumed the vows. It took him a while to return to his confident and dramatic candor, but they were soon done. Amelia had consistently protested, constantly changing ¡®all demonkind¡¯ to ¡®all¡¯ and even once adding ¡®and humans¡¯ to one vow. Despite the shaky end, the ceremony neared its completion. Serena, along with the other designated witnesses, were called to the front to sign their names in the Holy Register. To her surprise, Chesterfield was one of them. ¡°Have you been forced, coerced or otherwise manipulated through unnatural means to undertake this ceremony?¡± he asked Amelia, who shook her head and denied it. ¡°Wonderful...¡± Chesterfield mumbled before using the provided quill to scratch his name into the book. Serena had heard rumours that the quill was actually a magical artifact, taken from the wings of one of the titanlords that ruled over the Centralis Basin during The Long Discordancy. It was a nice story, but Serena¡¯s perception told her there wasn¡¯t anything unusual about this particular writing instrument. But then again, her perception struggled to pierce whatever defenses Chesterfield had, and he certainly wasn¡¯t ordinary. Once it was her turn, Serena stepped up. She asked Amelia the same question and received the same answer. Nodding approvingly, Serena bent down to write her name. Huh. Athelstan Chesterfield. It was an unusual name, and strangely familiar. Still, to think this would be where she would discover Chesterfield¡¯s full name. That is, of course, if he had signed his real name. She wouldn¡¯t put it past the crafty Intelligence officer to sign a pseudonym. ¡°Problem?¡± Cardinal Hiroshi asked gently. ¡°No, sorry,¡± Serena mumbled and quickly wrote down her name. Following her, there were a few more witnesses. Several high-ranking-looking Church members, followed by Greatlord Oshiro and his peers; the greatlords of Asamoto and Asamino. They each ensured Amelia wasn¡¯t under duress before signing their names. Serena wondered exactly why they needed to clarify that the saint was consenting to the ceremony. Wouldn¡¯t that be something that was naturally assumed? Was there a historical event that caused this tradition to start? She made a mental note to find out after her busy schedule had died down. The ceremony finished with Cardinal Hiroshi''s final speech announcing Amelia¡¯s formal canonisation as Saint Amelia. The cardinal then led Amelia down the red carpet. As Amelia passed by Serena, she twirled elegantly, allowing her robes and hair to flare upwards. The action caused a few to gasp in surprise - not at any breach of etiquette, but because of how eye-catching the movement was. Despite the occasional tumble or unwarranted destruction of venison, Amelia was remarkably dexterous in her actions. Serena thought Amelia could quickly become an Empire-renowned dancer should she choose to be. Those in the aisles began to filter out, following Amelia and the cardinal to the reception hall. As they walked, Serena found herself next to her father. He looked happy and Serena understood why; not only was House Halen closely associated with a human Speaker, but that very same human had now become a rare living saint. Amelia wasn¡¯t formally a part of House Halen, but the association was more than enough to elevate the House¡¯s prestige. On one horn, a noble house that did direct business with humans was seen as a sign of losing prestige. Demon nobility were supposed to keep with their kind, and if their economic goals required contracts between their house and a human company, then it would be done through a merchant third-party. A house directly using their name to establish connections with a human organisation was a sign of a desperate house that had fallen out of favour with their demon peers. On the other horn, the presence of Amelia meant more and more noble houses wanted to form connections with House Halen. With the upcoming public announcement of Amelia¡¯s canonisation, her father and mother would likely be bombarded with letters and requests. Thankfully, Serena and Amelia would be a thousand klicks away by then, sailing west through the Southern Passage towards Ishaq. The reception further demonstrated this point. While Serena, her father, and Amelia were in polite conversation with the greatlords of the Three Sisters, Serena could see more than a few demons wanting to approach both the new saint and Serena¡¯s father. If it weren¡¯t for the presence of Greatlord Oshiro, who stayed with them even after the greatlords of Asamoto and Asamino left, they would have been swarmed! She suspected Greatlord Oshiro was intentionally keeping them at bay. He tactfully called over the highlords one at a time, making small talk while introducing them to Amelia. They would always bow politely and leave with a light-hearted invitation or a quick prayer, but otherwise didn¡¯t push too hard. Everyone was on their best behaviour and things went smoothly. The minutes ticked by until the bell towers sounded, announcing the time. ¡°That is our cue,¡± Serena¡¯s father said as the ringing ended. ¡°We have a dinner to attend. Our carriage will be waiting... Greatlord Oshiro, are you...?¡± ¡°No,¡± the greatlord replied. ¡°I have other obligations.¡± He leaned in. ¡°The Sabanis Dominance is holding talks to negotiate the Republic¡¯s surrender. I¡¯ll be travelling there as part of the Cascadian Delegation to represent the interests of the East.¡± ¡°Ah... so it¡¯s going to end, then?¡± Serena¡¯s father asked. ¡°Yes,¡± Greatlord Oshiro nodded. ¡°It¡¯ll end.¡± He leaned back. ¡°I can¡¯t make time for your dinner, but I believe my wife accepted the invitation.¡± He turned towards Amelia, saying, ¡°I understand you¡¯ll be attending?¡± ¡°Mmm!¡± Amelia nodded. ¡°Ashina¡¯s been excited to meet you again. She¡¯s only refrained from formally inviting you to our estate due to how busy you¡¯ve been with the fire and your other obligations. Next time you¡¯re in the East, we¡¯ll be sure to host you properly.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t wait!¡± Amelia replied with a thumbs up. She turned towards Serena. ¡°I¡¯ll go get ready! I can¡¯t have a meal dressed like this!¡± She gestured towards her fine saint robes, scrunching up her nose. ¡°Feels a bit too much, doesn¡¯t it? I¡¯ll go change and meet you in the carriage!¡± With that, Amelia bounced across the room and told one of the church maids it was time for her to change. She disappeared and reappeared a few minutes later in casual clothing. Serena didn¡¯t miss Cardinal Hiroshi¡¯s look of disappointment at the change, but he didn¡¯t say anything other than wishing them well. After a final round of goodbyes, they took their leave and exited the basilica into House Halen¡¯s waiting carriage. ¡°This will be our last meal together until you return,¡± her father said when the carriage started to move. ¡°It¡¯s a shame Nina isn¡¯t here, she¡¯s been eager to find time to come home but her work keeps pulling her away.¡± He shook his head. ¡°I hope Lani behaves in front of Ashina. Don¡¯t mention the ceremony to her, by the way. Lani would tell half the city before sundown! Also, I hope Grandmother behaves...¡± As her father muttered his concerns, Serena sat back, relaxing as the carriage carried them home. She would try to make the most of the dinner. Within a week, they would set sail, and who knew when they would return? They could be gone for a month or even a year! Lani was growing up so fast that Serena felt guilty she wasn¡¯t there to see more of it! Lani... Grandmother... Mother... Serena thought, glancing at Amelia. And Lia... Four people with strong personalities. They would all behave in front of the wife of a greatlord, wouldn¡¯t they? Right? Chapter Eighty: Secret Identity I Chapter Eighty: Secret Identity I Announcement Hello you! If you love the optimistic adorkiness of Amelia, and want to meet other positive and adorkible people... then stop by the series and say hello to all 550+ of us! As their carriage trundled through the aetherlit streets towards House Halen¡¯s estate, Serena decided to give Amelia some much-deserved praise. ¡°You handled that well,¡± she said as a conversation starter. It was a blessing that her canonisation had gone so smoothly. Amelia was, after all, a trouble magnet. Any significant event involving her had a fifty-fifty chance to either go to plan or have Amelia¡¯s amelianess cause a storm of horn-clutching chaos. ¡°Ha!¡± Amelia replied with a wild grin. ¡°Are you kidding? I was so conscious of my feet when I was walking down that carpet! I kept thinking of what happened during the award ceremony!¡± Amelia buried her face in her hands, letting out a rather unladylike groan. ¡°If I don¡¯t think about it, everyone will eventually forget, right!?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Serena¡¯s father affirmed. Not a chance, Serena thought. ¡°Serena speaks the truth,¡± her father continued. ¡°You handled it extremely well. Of all the witnesses to your canonisation, I imagine many of them had all kinds of expectations of a living saint. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s outrageous to say that you exceeded those expectations, Amelia.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Amelia peeked out from behind her hands. ¡°Yes,¡± he said with a serious nod. ¡°The moment you appeared, it was like a spell was cast upon the room! No one could take their eyes off you! I fear the Church will regret the choice not to take photographs. They¡¯ll want you to appear in that uniform again.¡± ¡°Heh,¡± Amelia said, scratching her neck. ¡°Maybe... If they pay me enough!¡± At Amelia¡¯s words, Serena¡¯s father awkwardly coughed. Serena laughed. ¡°I hope the Church is prepared,¡± Serena said, flashing Amelia a playful grin. ¡°I doubt even they fully understand the bundle of chaos they¡¯d brought into their fold!¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Amelia protested, puffing out her cheeks. ¡°From my point of view, you¡¯re the one who''s always nearby when things go tits up! Ah...¡± Amelia covered her mouth, casting a glance towards Serena¡¯s father. ¡°That wasn¡¯t very saint-like, was it? Oh!¡± She pointed at the window. ¡°We¡¯re here already!¡± Despite Amelia¡¯s naked attempt at changing the subject, her observation was spot on. The carriage passed through the estate¡¯s gatehouse and, within seconds, was parked in front of House Halen¡¯s estate. Serena heard the crunching of boots walking over gravel before the carriage door was opened by her father¡¯s butler, Johan. Serena peered out past his shoulder. Behind the butler stood a familiar grumpy face. Serena¡¯s grandmother. She was gripping her walking stick with shivering hands and looked rather unhappy. ¡°Hurry up!¡± she barked. ¡°How much longer will you force me to stay out in this blasted cold!¡± The walking stick was jabbed into the floor several times in annoyance. ¡°Hurry up! Let me see my favourite granddaughter!¡± ¡°Grandmother!¡± Serena exclaimed. ¡°Thank you, Johan,¡± she said quietly, taking the reliable old butler''s hand as she climbed down. Serena approached the elderly demon and said, ¡°Don¡¯t let Lani hear you call me your favourite. She¡¯ll throw a tantrum!¡± ¡°Bah!¡± The old demon scoffed. ¡°She wouldn¡¯t dare, not in front of me or her mother! It¡¯s because of young Dalinar over there!¡± She raised her walking stick, jabbing it toward Serena¡¯s father. ¡°If he didn¡¯t spoil her so much, she wouldn¡¯t be so immature!¡± ¡°Hello, Sachiko,¡± Serena¡¯s father intoned, stepping down from the carriage. He took off his overcoat and wrapped the cold, complaining demon in it. He turned towards Johan. ¡°I¡¯m guessing she insisted on coming out here?¡± ¡°Yes, Highlord,¡± Johan said politely. ¡°I warned her about the weather, but she still refused to take a coat. She claimed...¡± Johan frowned slightly. ¡°That she survived much harsher winters before.¡± Serena¡¯s father sighed. ¡°Sachiko, you must be more careful. You¡¯re not young any more! You need to look after your body and save your strength!¡± ¡°Ha!¡± Serena¡¯s grandmother laughed. ¡°If you weren¡¯t a Highlord, I¡¯d show you how much strength this old body and its walking stick have!¡± She turned towards Serena, clicking her tongue. ¡°Look how improper he is - calling a woman like me old! Tsk! Anyway, dear...¡± She placed a wrinkled hand on Serena¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Congratulations on your Golden Horn. Despite young Dalinar¡¯s best efforts, you and Nina continue to bring prestige and honour to this house!¡± ¡°Thank you, Grandmother,¡± Serena said, glancing at her father, who was rolling his eyes. Grandmother had never fully approved of House Halen¡¯s activities in the war. Sachiko Halen came from a generation where producing munitions was considered a lesser vocation, whereas farming and academics were held in high regard. Of course, after decades of steam-powered and ship-assisted Wilderness clearing, the East now produced more food than it consumed, selling the excess to Centralis. This immense food production meant farming was often thrown in as a lowland vocation and not given the appreciation it had previously held for centuries. ¡°I wasn¡¯t the only recipient,¡± Serena began, looking back. As if on cue, Amelia appeared. ¡°Hello, Grandma!¡± Amelia chirped. ¡°How have you been!?¡± She gave Serena¡¯s grandmother a deep bow before adding, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have come out when it¡¯s so cold!¡± ¡°G-grandma?¡± Both Serena¡¯s father and grandmother stuttered. ¡°Amelia also received a Golden Horn, Grandmother,¡± Serena continued as if nothing had happened. At this point, she had moderate resistance against Amelia¡¯s outbursts of... Amelia. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have been able to save so many people without her spellwork.¡± ¡°Ahem!¡± Serena¡¯s grandmother cleared her throat. ¡°Well, of course! I would expect those you associate with to be exceptional, even if they are only human! Besides...¡± Her eyes narrowed slightly as she examined Amelia. ¡°I said she¡¯d do, didn¡¯t I? Although I wish you could have brought a nice man home instead!¡± ¡°Grandmother!¡± Serena complained. ¡°Sachiko...¡± her father mumbled. ¡°What!?¡± the old demon exclaimed, raising her hand to her ear. ¡°I can¡¯t hear you if you mumble!¡± She tapped the floor with her walking stick. ¡°I stand by what I said! I want to hold some great-grandchildren before I die! I want to see some softhorns running around the house! See some snotty noses and hear some blubbering cries! I¡¯m not staying alive just to spite you, am I!?¡± ¡°Could have fooled me...¡± her father said quietly. ¡°I heard that!¡± her grandmother protested, waving the walking stick. ¡°I¡¯m not deaf! Besides...¡± She lowered her impromptu weapon and turned her attention back towards Serena. ¡°If you or Nina don¡¯t have children, then Lani will beat you to it! And I just know she¡¯ll spoil her softhorns every bit as much as your father spoiled her!¡± ¡°May the moons fall upon me and put me out of my misery...¡± Serena¡¯s father muttered, his face suddenly showing an expression of resignation. Serena couldn¡¯t help but smile at their bickering. Despite first appearances, she knew her grandmother¡¯s horns were still as sharp as ever. Sachiko Halen was one of the few people who could put Serena¡¯s mother in her place. ¡°Greatlady Oshiro is with Highlady Halen and Young Lady Lani in the eastern reception room,¡± Johan said before Serena¡¯s grandmother could retort. ¡°I fear keeping them waiting any longer may be inappropriate, Highlord.¡± ¡°Yes, Johan. Thank you.¡± Serena¡¯s father sniffed, adjusted his uniform, and then led everyone into the house and through the brightly-lit hallways. The house was unnaturally warm. When Serena questioned it, her father explained, ¡°We had underfloor heating put in while you were away.¡± He pointed to the floor. ¡°Copper coils run under the floor, with an aether switch and red moon crystal every metre. They¡¯re connected to these rotary switches here.¡± He pointed at the wall where a crystal switch sat. ¡°Impressive,¡± Serena admitted. Now that she knew where to look, she could perceive the aetherflow running underneath their feet. ¡°Expensive?¡± she asked. Red crystal had been going at a premium for years, and acquiring it for purposes not related to the war effort carried a heavy cost. ¡°Not with our contracts,¡± Serena¡¯s father replied, looking over his shoulder. ¡°Right, best behaviour. Let¡¯s give a good impression to Greatlady Oshiro.¡± They entered the reception room. Serena saw her mother entertaining Greatlord Oshiro¡¯s wife, Ashina Oshiro, along with Lani who was doing her best not to look bored. Half a dozen of House Halen¡¯s employees formed a ring around the room, ready to step in with refreshments at a moment¡¯s notice. ¡°Dalinar!¡± Ashina called out, her refined voice carrying a melodic quality that was pleasing to listen to. ¡°Michiko was just telling me how much time you¡¯ve been spending down in Shimashina! A good husband must make time for their wife!¡± Ashina turned towards Serena¡¯s mother, saying, ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m half-tempted to storm into Vikram¡¯s office and tell him to give Takahiro some time off! Every week, he has to travel somewhere new!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to host you, Greatlady Oshiro,¡± her father said with a bow. ¡°I¡¯m sure every minute away from you brings pain to Greatlord Oshiro¡¯s heart. He was only recently complaining about having to take another trip, so I¡¯m confident he shares your frustration.¡± ¡°Look!¡± Ashina said, waving her hand playfully. ¡°Look how the men protect each other! What are we poor wives to do, Michiko!?¡± Before Serena¡¯s mother could answer, Ashina turned her attention towards Amelia and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you think women are more trustworthy, Amelia? Come sit here, dear.¡± She patted the couch next to her. ¡°Okay!¡± Amelia nodded. She curtsied politely before making her way over to the couch. ¡°Hello everyone!¡± Amelia exclaimed, giving Lani a small wave as she sat down. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet-¡± Amelia was interrupted by something. Serena saw her eyes widen and her pupils dilate. Serena followed her girlfriend''s gaze to see what had caused Amelia to look at something in a similar manner to how she looked at Serena. Ah, of course. ¡°That¡¯s Poro!¡± Lani explained, seemingly happy to contribute. ¡°He¡¯s an Ainese Shorthair! He costs over three hundred denarii, but he doesn¡¯t like playing with me!¡± Lani pouted. ¡°He scratched me once, so be careful!¡± ¡°He¡¯s so...¡± Amelia¡¯s eyes flashed dangerously. ¡°Cute! Poro! Come here! Psst psst!¡± Serena resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She sat down opposite Amelia, saying, ¡°He has a temper. Perhaps now isn¡¯t the best time...¡± she trailed off, hoping Amelia would understand that playing with the house peeka could wait until Amelia wasn¡¯t sitting next to Greatlady Oshiro. ¡°Nonsense!¡± Amelia exclaimed. ¡°Poro!¡± Poro lifted his head. ¡°Meow?¡± ¡°Come on!¡± Amelia clicked her fingers. To Serena¡¯s shock, Poro, the grumpy peeka that never let anyone stroke him without exchanging a few bites and scratches, jumped down from where he was curled up, bounced across the floor, and, after only a moment of hesitation, jumped up into Amelia¡¯s lap! Then he began to purr as loud as a lift engine before kneading his front feet in circles and rubbing his neck against Amelia¡¯s hands. ¡°He likes me!¡± Amelia said happily. ¡°Wow...¡± Lani mumbled. Serena wasn¡¯t as vocal but shared her little sister¡¯s surprise. Poro the peeka, or as Lani sometimes called him, Poro The Terrible, had never shown as much affection as he was doing right now! Honestly... did Amelia have to make friends with everything she came across? ¡°You¡¯re an animal lover?¡± Ashina asked, her voice devoid of any annoyance at Amelia¡¯s impoliteness. The greatlady raised a hand towards Poro, quickly withdrawing it when he tried to swipe her. ¡°It seems only you have a talent for the felines, Amelia,¡± Ashina said, pouting slightly at her rejection. ¡°Poro! Behave!¡± Amelia chastised the peeka, who eventually settled down after having his ears scratched. The peeka curled up, burrowing its nose between its two tails, and fell asleep while still purring loudly. ¡°Sorry,¡± Amelia said sheepishly. ¡°I love cats-¡± Amelia coughed quickly. ¡°I mean, I love peekas. Serena won¡¯t let me take one on the ship!¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Ashina said with a gentle smile before turning her attention to Serena. ¡°Why not? I would have thought the presence of a peeka might do wonders for ship morale?¡± ¡°I fear it would be too distracting, Greatlady,¡± Serena explained carefully, glancing at Poro. She decided not to mention that the other reason was selfish. While they were sailing, she and Amelia had separate hammocks, and if she couldn¡¯t sleep with Amelia, then she sure as hell wasn¡¯t going to let a peeka replace her! ¡°They make good rat-catchers,¡± Amelia said, grinning while giving Poro scritches. ¡°There are no rats on my ship,¡± Serena countered. She¡¯d heard stories about waterborne ships having problems with vermin. They climbed the ropes while the watership was tethered to the dock. Luckily, regular ships like the Vengeance didn¡¯t have that problem. Imperial docks were too well guarded to let any rats slip up the gangway. ¡°Well, anyway,¡± Ashina declared. She clapped her hands. ¡°Sachiko! Come and sit down and have some mint tea! I was worried about you being out there in the cold!¡± Serena¡¯s grandmother grumbled something that sounded like appreciation before sitting down in a soft chair. An attendant brought over a cup of steaming tea, which Serena¡¯s grandmother greedily snatched. After huffing and puffing about it being too hot, she eventually stopped complaining. ¡°I must offer my congratulations,¡± Ashina said. ¡°For the Golden Horns that you were both awarded. So many lives were saved because of you two! It was a dreadful fire, was it not? You could feel the heat of it from our estate! Ash covered our lawn! I can¡¯t imagine what it was like in the centre of that inferno!¡± Ashina tilted her head. ¡°On behalf of the city and its people, thank you. The Blue Moon must have blessed us to have you both staying here when the fire broke out.¡± ¡°Not a problem!¡± Amelia replied happily. Serena bowed her head before saying, ¡°We were only a small part of a much larger effort.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Ashina waved a hand. ¡°But credit must be given where it is due, don¡¯t you think? Besides, everyone¡¯s contribution falls flat compared to that mysterious Suijin Speaker, doesn¡¯t it!?¡± Ashina leaned forward. ¡°Have you seen the photographs? What an ethereal and beautiful embodiment! Did you notice its feminine figure? Doesn¡¯t that mean the one who invoked the lost water god was a woman?¡± Serena was looking at Ashina, but out of her peripheral vision she saw Amelia¡¯s hand freeze momentarily before continuing to stroke Poro¡¯s neck. The greatlady seemed not to have noticed. Serena quickly said, ¡°It was a truly magnificent sight. I heard rumours that the Overlord himself made the decision to reveal the communion in order to save the station.¡± ¡°Ah, you only know rumours? I was hoping you or Amelia might know who it was,¡± Ashina said, her voice tinged with disappointment. ¡°I was told you were both near the location of the embodiment, so I thought you might have seen something.¡± ¡°A wall of thick smoke surrounded us, Greatlady,¡± Serena said, trying to keep her voice even. ¡°We could barely see in front of our own noses.¡± ¡°Even so,¡± Ashina said, a teasing smile appearing on her face. ¡°It must have required someone capable of cycling a tremendous amount of aether, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± She raised a delicate finger to her chin as if in thought. ¡°There aren¡¯t many people known for their large aether capacity. Isn¡¯t there a...¡± She frowned momentarily before continuing, ¡°A Lord Inoue at the academy? Wasn¡¯t she famous for her talents in cycling large amounts of aether?¡± ¡°It can¡¯t have been her, Ashina,¡± Serena¡¯s mother interjected. ¡°Lunaria Inoue was seen all night helping with the earthworks to protect the lifts. Unless it was an illusion, it must have been someone else.¡± ¡°Ah, is that so...¡± Ashina smiled, turning towards Amelia. ¡°What do you think, Amelia? You¡¯re a talented Speaker. I¡¯ve been told you invoked Taranis a while ago. He¡¯s an elusive Word now, considering how much aether is needed to commune with him. Do you have any idea about the identity of Suijin¡¯s Speaker? I would have hoped your perception would have identified them, given how close you must have been!¡± She¡¯s fishing, Serena thought. She suspects it was Amelia but isn¡¯t sure. Serena knew Greatlord Oshiro was not the type of man to spill Empire secrets to his wife, but she also knew Ashina Oshiro didn¡¯t become his wife for any lack of shrewdness. Greatlord Oshiro and everyone else in the square had signed vows of secrecy regarding the matter. No matter how much Ashina Oshiro pushed, they couldn¡¯t tell her anything. Which was something Serena suspected the greatlady had thought of. ¡°Hehe,¡± Amelia smiled awkwardly. She raised a finger and rubbed her cheek. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know. I¡¯ve only been in the East a short while and haven¡¯t yet memorised all the significant mages. I was preoccupied with healing, you see? It must have been a powerful demon, though. Don¡¯t you think? Are we sure it wasn¡¯t the Overlord himself? I¡¯ve heard he wasn¡¯t seen during the fire.¡± Ashina sighed. ¡°Sadly, Vikram was photographed in Centralis at the time.¡± The greatlady sipped her tea before dejectedly saying, ¡°I suppose not all mysteries have to be answered. Although...¡± Her eyes shone with sudden enthusiasm. ¡°You must tell me about Katalin of Driss! She¡¯s refused all my invitations! I was this close to storming into the academy myself and dragging her out! You¡¯ve been training with her, isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°Yes, Greatlady,¡± Serena replied, glad of the subject change. ¡°Highlord Driss has been teaching biweekly sessions for the academy¡¯s instructors. Her swordsmanship is as elegant and refined as the stories say. No...¡± Serena paused, thinking about the time when Katalin taught them how to fight outnumbered, where the Northerner skillfully outwitted an entire class of senior warriors, all trying to swarm her. ¡°She¡¯s even more impressive than the stories.¡± Suddenly, a memory flashed in her mind. In it, she avoided getting sand rubbed in her eyes by a dirty, sweaty, and snarling Katalin. Meanwhile, Serena did her best to slap the Northerner into submission with her hellfire tail. Serena gave herself a mental slap. If she didn¡¯t think about it then it didn¡¯t happen, right? ¡°Oh my!¡± Ashina put her tea down, leaning forward with excitement. ¡°And what about her looks? Is she as beautiful as the Northern Lords claim? Is her hair the colour of fire and her eyes a shining emerald green that no man or woman can refuse?¡± Serena smiled at the naked eagerness of the greatlady. ¡°Her hair might not reach the colour of fire, but she nevertheless carries a sharp and refined beauty that would satisfy any man. Although, I fear the poetics of her potential suitors may have led you astray. Katalin¡¯s eyes are purple, not green.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± Ashina hummed. ¡°I¡¯m certain I heard about her green eyes from Greatlord Driss himself. You would think a man would know what his own daughter looks like, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Perhaps she is using a Kanaxai glamour, Greatlady,¡± Serena said. It was a plausible explanation, but Serena knew it wasn¡¯t true. Even under the heightened perception of Narean, Serena hadn¡¯t detected anything unusual regarding Katalin¡¯s appearance. Still, she didn¡¯t want to argue with Ashina Oshiro over such a minor detail. ¡°Or perhaps, like Amelia, her eye colour is the result of her magic?¡± The greatlady no doubt knew Amelia Spoke Asclepius and would understand that was what Serena meant by magic . With that thought in mind... perhaps Katalin¡¯s purple eyes resulted from that mysterious word Alinyah? No... that didn¡¯t make sense. Katalin¡¯s eyes had become a brilliant blue when she Spoke Alinyah. It didn¡¯t match it would give her purple eyes. Maybe it was the result of a different Word? Was it possible Katalin was a Second-Word Speaker? As much as that seemed outrageous for someone as young as the Northerner, Serena couldn''t refuse the possibility after seeing her skill with the blade. After all, Amelia existed, didn¡¯t she? Just as the conversation reached a natural lull, a house employee announced that the food was ready. Everyone stood up and made their way to the dining table. Serena, and she suspected everyone else, did their best to ignore all the peeka hair clinging to Amelia¡¯s clothing. It was strange. Ignoring a Greatlady to play with a peeka would normally be a catastrophic failure of etiquette that could be fatal to the reputation of a newly-formed house. Yet somehow, Amelia had once again gotten away with being Amelia. Their dinner was a traditional Samino multi-dish meal. They each went through a dozen different dishes, ranging from small appetisers to artistically arranged cuts of fish and meat that had been steamed, fried, and sometimes flame-grilled. In between meats, they had a light palate-cleanser soup or a vegetable dish. They then had steamed sardis for the penultimate dish, the aroma of which made everyone''s mouth water. Finally, they finished with a frozen sugarfruit dessert. Apart from the mid-meal drama where Amelia and Lani were caught passing bits of fish under the table to Poro who had somehow snuck in, the meal passed with no further prodding from Ashina regarding the secret identity of Suijin¡¯s Speaker. ¡°Your chefs are incredible,¡± Ashina announced after the dishes had been cleared and replaced with glasses of blue loqua. ¡°If we had room in our estate, I wouldn¡¯t be able to resist stealing them!¡± ¡°I will pass on your compliments, Greatlady,¡± Serena¡¯s father said, bowing his head. ¡°And Amelia, my dear. You must come and meet my friends! They¡¯re dying to meet you! Some have been sending invitations, and your lack of an answer has been most upsetting! We¡¯ve been placing bets on who will be accepted first!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve tried to answer them all!¡± Amelia explained. ¡°But... I get so many and it takes up so much time writing a polite refusal every time...¡± At her words, Ashina laughed. ¡°Yes, I imagine you must be receiving quite a lot of letters. I understand you¡¯re leaving the East soon, but you can¡¯t avoid high society forever, Amelia! At some point, you¡¯ll have to embrace the delicious food and womanly gossip!¡± The greatlady took a sip of her loqua and continued, ¡°When you return, I¡¯ll be insisting on you attending an event at our estate. Don¡¯t think about refusing! I¡¯ll make Takahiro order you to come if I have to!¡± ¡°Umm... thank you?¡± Amelia said, smiling awkwardly. ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Ashina said, lightly tapping the side of her glass. ¡°Besides, we might meet sooner than you think. You may only be a Lord-Prospect, but if the rumours I¡¯ve heard hold true, you¡¯ll be receiving an invitation to the Cellian Golden Ball!¡± At Ashina¡¯s words, Serena felt her eyes widen. She wasn¡¯t the only one in shock. ¡°Surely you jest, Ashina!¡± her mother exclaimed. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t do that!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the Cellian Golden Ball?¡± Amelia asked innocently. Ashina coughed into her glass. Serena, who was used to Amelia asking about gaps in her knowledge, quickly explained, ¡°The Cellian Golden Ball is the most prestigious gathering of Cascadian Lords in the Empire. Invitations are generally only given to Highlords and above, with only a few going to exceptional Lords whom the Empress wants to show recognition. A Lord-Prospect has never been invited. At least, not to my knowledge.¡± ¡°Never,¡± Ashina added, padding her mouth delicately with a tissue. ¡°Which begs the question: Will the invitation read Lord-Prospect Thornheart, or will it read Lord Thornheart? Who knows, you might break a record for the shortest time of having Vikram sanction full Cascadian Lordship upon someone!¡± ¡°Ugh,¡± Amelia sighed. ¡°Sounds like a bother...¡± Serena¡¯s grandmother cackled while her mother and Ashina looked mortified. ¡°That¡¯s the spirit!¡± Serena¡¯s grandmother exclaimed. ¡°Young Thornheart here has more grit in her little finger than most Lords do today! The standards are dropping, I tell you! Back in my day, you had to earn a lordship! You-¡± ¡°Yes, thank you, Grandmother,¡± Serena¡¯s mother interrupted. ¡°Just giving my opinion,¡± mumbled the elderly demon before reaching out and pouring herself some more loqua. ¡°Well,¡± Ashina intoned, her usual smile returning. ¡°Now I¡¯m definitely looking forward to the event. I hope the rumours turn out to be true! Remember, Amelia,¡± Ashina said, raising a finger. ¡°The invitation, despite its nature as an invitation, is not optional. Each one is signed by the Empress herself.¡± ¡°Ah...¡± Amelia rubbed her nose. ¡°So I¡¯ll need a good excuse? Maybe I¡¯ll accidentally drop it off the ship''s side or something when we¡¯re getting shot at.¡± Serena couldn¡¯t help but laugh at the sight of the astonished faces of her mother and Greatlady Oshiro. Once again, her resistance against Amelia¡¯s casual outbursts had saved her. It was refreshing to see someone else experience the chaos instead. This is what I have to live with, Serena thought, taking a sip of loqua. Despite her thoughts, she wasn¡¯t complaining. For she couldn¡¯t imagine living any other way. Not since she fell in love. Chapter Eighty-One: Secret Identity II Chapter Eighty-One: Secret Identity II On the morning of Katalin¡¯s last session, Amelia and Serena entered the training ground together. Any expectations Amelia had for a special final session taught by Katalin were soon dashed. ¡°Given recent events,¡± Katalin explained. ¡°I don¡¯t think the Grandmaster would be too happy if I carried out the finale I had originally planned, yes?¡± Katalin smiled and continued, ¡°We will focus on individual training for both sessions this morning. I¡¯ll walk around and adjust your forms as I see fit. Meanwhile, remember all the previous lessons we¡¯ve taken together. Use whatever style you want.¡± The instructors split off and began a variety of training methods. Some focused on meditation, refining their aura. Others concentrated on the more aggressive aura-stepping routines, quickly building a sweat. A few instructors practised their shimokan katas while others practised the northern hawk style. Whatever they did, Katalin was there to give constructive advice. ¡°Your shoulders rise when you transition, see?¡± ¡°Narrow your convection, then slowly increase the speed.¡± ¡°You¡¯re flaring your aura too late. Time it with the strike.¡± ¡°Keep the stomach in, away from a potential counterattack.¡± It was a very ordinary training session, akin to what the academy normally provided. Amelia thought that, in a way, it was a fitting end to Katalin''s series of exhausting and demanding sessions. Everyone was in a good mood, taking the opportunity to compare techniques and offer suggestions to each other. Amelia herself didn¡¯t quite have the insight needed to join these conversations, so she focused on her kata while keeping an ear out. Of course, nobody who knew the truth of the last session mentioned anything. The others knew that something had transpired but thankfully didn¡¯t try and ask. They knew better than that. Amelia did, however, get to see an awkward-looking Serena when Katalin offered some advice regarding her future communion with Taruna. Serena was nodding thoughtfully, but Amelia could tell Serena was thinking about how, only a few days ago, she had rubbed Katalin¡¯s face into the sand! Shaking her head to suppress a giggle, Amelia finished her kata training and began refining her aura. At this point, she¡¯d managed to bring the size of her aura down to a level that resembled an average second-year student. However, Amelia¡¯s red aura was unusual - far larger and more intense than most. As a result, her ordinary-looking aura hid a frightening amount of power that could defend against far more than red aura normally could. Before she could push to orange, Katalin and Serena told her to focus on making her aura as invisible as possible. Those with a keen insight would still pick up on the intensity of her aura if they looked closely. If she wanted to pass for an ordinary aura user, she would need to refine it further. She focused on aura refinement until the end of the session. There was no second part this time; since the session had been so lightweight everyone had stayed on after the half-way mark and continued what they were doing. At the end, everyone lined up and bowed to Katalin, expressing their gratitude for her assistance. ¡°It¡¯ll be hard to match Instructor Driss¡¯s intensity ourselves!¡± ¡°Looking back, I gained as many insights here as I did on the battlefield!¡± ¡°It¡¯s true what they say, you never stop learning the sword...¡± ¡°I feel like a student again!¡± They chatted amongst themselves while people filtered out one by one, giving Katalin their final expressions of appreciation. Soon, only Amelia and Serena remained. ¡°Instructor Driss, no, Highlord,¡± Serena said, bowing to the purple-eyed northerner. ¡°It was an honour to train with you. I will remember everything you taught me. I will never let anyone disparage the might of the North¡¯s horns.¡± ¡°You were an excellent student,¡± Katalin replied. ¡°If you ever find yourself in the North, then stop by the Driss family estate and say hello. I¡¯ll make the time, yes?¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Serena bowed again. ¡°Umm...¡± Amelia began, looking at Serena and then at Katalin. ¡°There¡¯s something I wanted to ask, but it¡¯s, uh...¡± Amelia raised an eyebrow awkwardly, throwing an apologetic look towards Serena. ¡°It¡¯s private, I think?¡± Serena tilted her head, her forehead furrowing. ¡°No, I mean, there¡¯s a personal training question I wanted to ask. I¡¯ll tell you about it later!¡± she said reassuringly. Serena didn¡¯t seem to understand fully but understood enough to know Amelia wanted to ask Katalin something in private. ¡°I¡¯ll be outside,¡± Serena intoned. With a final bow at the entrance of the training hall, she exited, leaving Amelia alone with Katalin. A few seconds passed while neither of them said anything. How awkward! Since when were the training halls this silent!? ¡°So, what did you want to discuss?¡± Katalin asked, her purple eyes blinking twice. ¡°Ah...¡± Amelia rubbed the back of her neck. ¡°It¡¯s difficult to ask.¡± Amelia opened her mouth before closing it again. What if she was wrong? Her instincts told her she was right, but it wasn¡¯t exactly a casual matter! ¡°Umm...¡± Amelia mumbled, lifting her weight onto her toes and back down. ¡°I was... wondering...¡± ¡°I have a question,¡± Katalin said suddenly. ¡°Oh, yes!?¡± Amelia jumped at the chance for a distraction. ¡°You and Instructor Halen,¡± Katalin began, looking at Amelia with a firm gaze. ¡°You two are in love, yes?¡± Even if Amelia had wanted to deny such a happy truth, her mouth immediately formed into what must have been an idiotic grin. ¡°Yes!¡± Amelia answered. ¡°Awfully, terribly, unstoppably so! How did you know!? Wait!¡± Amelia¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°It wasn¡¯t you who reported us, was it!?¡± ¡°No,¡± Katalin shook her head slightly. ¡°That was another staff member.¡± ¡°How... how do you know that?¡± ¡°Someone informed me.¡± ¡°Oh...¡± Half a dozen seconds passed before Katalin asked, ¡°Do you want to know who it was?¡± ¡°Uh,¡± Amelia mumbled. She scrunched her nose and rubbed it. Did she want to know? Her first instinct was to say ¡®Yes,¡¯ but what if it was someone she respected? What if it were Ryosuke or Instructor Kawas? What if it were Lunaria? Besides, she was leaving the East in a few days. Did she need to end it on a negative note? Of all the intriguing mysteries of this world, who did and who didn¡¯t report her behaviour wasn¡¯t something she felt she should care about. Those grumpy fools who hadn¡¯t yet realised how amazing and cute she and Serenra were together could remain grumpy fools for all eternity! ¡°I guess I¡¯m more interested in how you figured it out,¡± Amelia said, pointing at Katalin before quickly putting her hand down, remembering her etiquette lessons. ¡°Well,¡± Katalin replied, her mouth curling into a smile. ¡°Instructor Halen is more subtle with her reactions, but you are not. Your heartbeat speeds up when you are close to her. When you look at her, your eyes dilate.¡± Katalin leaned in. ¡°It is noticeable when you know what you¡¯re looking for. Even now, your cheeks are flushed.¡± Amelia¡¯s hand snapped to her cheeks, feeling a familiar warmth. ¡°Sorry,¡± Amelia said with an awkward smile. ¡°Nothing to apologise for,¡± Katalin replied. ¡°Besides, you are proud of your relationship, yes? Never apologise for love.¡± The Northerner¡¯s face flickered to an unusual expression and back so quickly Amelia almost missed it. ¡°No matter what it costs,¡± Katalin finished, her jaw clenched. ¡°Why did you bring it... I mean, us, up?¡± ¡°In these times, your presence is a breath of fresh air.¡± Katalin sighed, taking a few steps away so her back was towards Amelia. ¡°There is too much suffering in the Empire, too much stress. It¡¯s nice to bear witness to such... innocent happiness. Don¡¯t underestimate your influence on those around you. Serena Halen was known to me as the Hellfire Captain with a cold heart that had frozen over after losing her brother. Yet, when we finally met, her heart was warm.¡± Katalin turned her head slightly. ¡°That warmth came from you, I think.¡± ¡°Thanks!¡± Amelia felt her confidence rise. She had been a wonderful influence on Serena, hadn¡¯t she? Sure, Serena sometimes clutched her horns here and there, but really, it was just because she was so overwhelmed by Amelia¡¯s cuteness, wasn¡¯t it!? And on those rare occasions when she clutched her horns due to stress, Amelia would be there to heal it! ¡°So, your question to me?¡± Katalin asked. Oh right. That. Well, as she always said: Nothing ventured, nothing gained! ¡°You came at me with such a serious question so suddenly, you won¡¯t blame me for doing the same to you?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°Oh?¡± Katalin¡¯s eyebrow raised. ¡°I¡¯m interested. Let¡¯s hear it, Assistant Instructor Thornheart.¡± The demon¡¯s eyes sparkled with a sudden intensity. Amelia swallowed, and before her mind could get in the way of her mouth, she quickly asked, ¡°I was just wondering if Katalin of Driss is a real person or someone you invented so you could train prospective talents and Speakers?¡± One second. Six seconds. Amelia began chewing her lip. Ten seconds. What if she¡¯d been wrong? Then, after a dozen seconds, Katalin responded. ¡°What a... perceptive question,¡± Katalin said slowly, her voice even and calculated. ¡°One I didn¡¯t think you would ask so soon.¡± The demon turned to face Amelia with a look that seemed to see through all her cloaks and defences. ¡°What is it that has raised such suspicions about my identity?¡± ¡°Oh, umm...¡± Amelia raised a finger. ¡°Mysterious renowned beauty and swordmaster that hides away, only appearing to train Northern Speakers.¡± She raised another finger. ¡°That same mysterious individual just so happens to appear at the academy Serena and I are instructing at just before our important duties.¡± Another finger. ¡°Your eyes are supposed to be green, but they¡¯re purple and turned blue - their real colour when you Spoke - and most of all...¡± A final finger was raised. ¡°Your soul.¡± ¡°My soul?¡± Katalin¡¯s head tilted slightly. ¡°The cloaking is excellent, but when I flare my aether and look at it through the Shimmer, I can see the shadow of something larger, and-¡± Amelia spoke faster, her excitement getting to her, ¡°When I looked at it under Aseco I caught glimpses of its true nature! I don¡¯t understand how you¡¯ve hidden it so well, but it wasn¡¯t enough for me! I thought you were limiting yourself during the fight!¡± She jabbed a celebratory thumb at herself. ¡°So, am I right!?¡± ¡°...I wonder,¡± Katalin mused. ¡°There are all manner of strange souls in the Known World, yours included. Well...¡± Katalin softly sighed, her eyes looking away thoughtfully before snapping back to meet Amelia¡¯s. ¡°If I am whoever you think I am, what would you do with that information?¡± ¡°I wanted to say thank you!¡± ¡°For?¡± ¡°For training me and Serena! I agree that Taruna is right for her second First-Word! So...¡± Amelia bowed deeply. ¡°Thank you for helping her on that path and helping me reach red aura! And...¡± Amelia rose, casting her best smile towards the demon in front of her. ¡°Thank you for healing Mel! She would have died if you weren¡¯t here!¡± Katalin was silent for a few moments. ¡°You¡¯re very perceptive,¡± she eventually muttered. ¡°Sorry,¡± Amelia said, tilting her head in apology. ¡°It just made sense. What was more likely? That another powerful human healer had appeared and somehow evaded all detection while saving and healing Mel... or...¡± Amelia twiddled her thumbs. ¡°It was you.¡± ¡°Here you are, thanking me for such small things,¡± Katalin said. As she spoke, her voice lost more and more of its Northern accent and speaking patterns. ¡°Meanwhile, it is I who wanted to offer you my gratitude. For invoking Suijin and putting that dreadful fire out.¡± ¡°Mmm! No problem!¡± Amelia nodded happily. ¡°Only... why didn¡¯t you do it yourself?¡± ¡°There are... limitations,¡± Katalin replied. ¡°Lines that are difficult for me to cross. Legal ones.¡± ¡°I would have thought the law would have been the least of your concern?¡± Katalin shook her head. ¡°We are bound by more than mere mortal laws. There are accords that even the gods dare not go against. You, however...¡± Katalin smiled, looking Amelia up and down. ¡°Are lucky. You¡¯ve gained tremendous power without the normal restraints. This is both a blessing and a curse. I pray that you understand why.¡± ¡°I do! It¡¯s scary at times,¡± Amelia said truthfully. ¡°But it¡¯s becoming easier every day to control. A lot of that is thanks to your training! It really helped! Umm...¡± Amelia chewed her lips briefly before continuing, ¡°I wanted to ask about my, well, about our powers. Our souls. Why do they...¡± ¡°Feel so familiar?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Amelia blurted out. Under the influence of the First-Word, the shadow of Katalin¡¯s titanic secret power made itself known. While that was a shock, what was even more surprising was how similar Katalin¡¯s soul was to Amelia¡¯s own. There was an odd sense of familiarity between them. It was why Amelia had been so trusting when Katalin requested her to drop her wards and fight while being completely vulnerable. There was a strange connection between them. Different from the connection between her and Serena. It was more like the connection of... Family. ¡°That¡¯s because our powers originate from the same source,¡± Katalin said evenly. ¡°Although, your binding seems to have taken place many centuries after...¡± The demon blinked twice. ¡°Or perhaps it happened simultaneously, and it took that long for you to return. Time flows differently in the mists, after all.¡± ¡°Binding?¡± Amelia frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t remember being bound to anything!¡± ¡°Perhaps not, but you remember your affliction? I listened to the recording of when you arrived. What did you call it? Chronic Endothelial Collapse Syndrome? You told Captain Halen your world didn¡¯t know where it came from.¡± Katalin tilted her head sympathetically. ¡°It¡¯s understandable. Your realm doesn¡¯t have a manifested aetherfield. Your body wouldn¡¯t have been able to handle the amount of aether forced into it.¡± ¡°...Aether?¡± Amelia whispered, feeling an ominous conclusion manifesting. ¡°Deterioration of the endothelial cells lining the blood vessels,¡± Katalin said, recalling the symptoms of Amelia¡¯s disease. ¡°This is what you described to Captain Halen, and they also happen to be the same symptoms that follow when an aether user flares for too long or when a Speaker loses control of a Word. It¡¯s a miracle the medicine of your world kept you alive for so long.¡± Amelia felt herself swallow, a lump of emotion forming in her throat. ¡°So everything that happened to me... was because of my magic!? I was always... a mage!? Are you saying I could have healed myself the entire time!?¡± Amelia sniffed, feeling her eyes brim with tears. ¡°Perhaps, perhaps not.¡± Katalin shrugged. ¡°Your world is aetherphobic. It would have been extremely challenging for a native to use magic of any kind. The laws of your world would have fought against you. I suspect it wasn¡¯t until your old body died and your soul travelled into the mists that it was able to bond with your shard properly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it then? The source of my power?¡± Amelia asked quietly, wiping away the tears that were about to run down her cheeks. ¡°I¡¯m a shardbearer?¡± She hadn¡¯t forgotten the name Chesterfield had used to describe those who had bonded with shards of the fractured soul the Vengeance protected. ¡°Yes,¡± Katalin answered. ¡°As am I. There are others. Not all of them demon or human.¡± Amelia sighed. An odd feeling of relief washed through her. It wasn¡¯t the most surprising revelation. She¡¯d suspected the possibility for a while now, and although neither her nor Serena had ever vocalised it, she was sure her girlfriend had put the pieces of the puzzle together as well. If some shard of this shattered soul had given Amelia all her abilities, then did that mean...? ¡°Chesterfield said that shards can find other shards. Is that why I appeared on the Vengeance?¡± ¡°Shards want to be whole, so they¡¯ll naturally attract each other. Fate will bring you together eventually. It¡¯ll happen far quicker if you¡¯re actively searching.¡± Katalin smiled, raising a flat palm. ¡°Hence Captain Halen¡¯s and your new duties. To do what I cannot.¡± ¡°W-who¡¯s soul is it?¡± Amelia suddenly asked. ¡°I can¡¯t give you all the answers,¡± Katalin said with a slight shrug. ¡°Some you¡¯ll need to find yourself.¡± Amelia couldn¡¯t help but open her mouth in both surprise and annoyance. ¡°Are you serious!?¡± she protested. ¡°You¡¯re going to hold your cards close to your chest now!? I was just getting some answers! You¡¯re doing it on purpose, aren¡¯t you!¡± She knew it was rude but still pointed an accusatory finger at the demon in disguise. ¡°Stop being so mysterious! It¡¯s annoying!¡± Katalin raised a hand to her mouth, laughing softly. ¡°As much as I enjoy having a mysterious aura, my motivation is far simpler.¡± She raised a finger at Amelia. ¡°If I tell you the Empire¡¯s most important secrets, then you¡¯ll run straight to Captain Halen and tell her, won¡¯t you?¡± Amelia crossed her arms and puffed her cheeks out. ¡°Obviously I would! But Serena can be trusted every bit as much as I can! We can keep secrets!¡± ¡°Funny thing about secrets,¡± Katalin responded with a wry smile. ¡°Once more than one person knows them, they very quickly lose their status as being secret. And...¡± The demon rubbed her chin slowly, looking upwards. ¡°Understand that some things are unpleasant for me to talk about. The past holds a lot of pain, and digging up too much too fast can cause problems.¡± ¡°Fine...¡± Amelia nodded slowly. ¡°But I¡¯ll have to tell her about...¡± She waved a hand at the demon in front of her. ¡°You! I can¡¯t wait to see her face when I tell her who¡¯s been training her all this time!¡± ¡°I would like to see that,¡± Katalin said. ¡°Just make sure you¡¯re alone when you tell her, and wait until you leave the East. Can you do that, my Lord-Prospect?¡± ¡°Mmm!¡± Amelia nodded. ¡°I can wait that long! Oh, and you can just call me Amelia!¡± Katalin chuckled. ¡°A Lord-Prospect permitting me to be casual. How bold... I can imagine Theresa¡¯s face already.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s Theresa?¡± ¡°An old friend,¡± Katalin replied. ¡°I think I¡¯ve answered enough questions.¡± The demon glanced towards the door. ¡°We¡¯ve kept Captain Halen waiting long enough.¡± ¡°W-wait!¡± Amelia cried. ¡°I still have so much I wanted to ask you! About the Empire, about the animal gods, about the lumina, and the Shimmer! I wanted to ask you about the Needles of Nai, and the Dectus Lines! Oh! And the giant skull they found underneath Centralis, and your Thousand Blades, and..¡± Amelia took a breath before frantically continuing, describing all the fascinating mysteries and historical questions she was sure the demon could answer. ¡°We¡¯ll meet again,¡± Katalin answered. ¡°In Centralis. You can ask me then, although given your next destination, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find the answers to some of those questions yourself. You should relax and enjoy the journey.¡± Katalin¡¯s expression suddenly turned serious. ¡°We have a brief respite as this conflict ends, but it¡¯s always quiet before the storm. Believe me, a storm is coming.¡± Amelia swallowed. ¡°We¡¯ll be okay, right? The Empire and... everyone in it?¡± ¡°There are plans,¡± Katalin said. ¡°Plans that have been in motion for a very long time. We¡¯re preparing for the future, and whether you want to take an active role in that is a choice you¡¯ll have to make. For now...¡± The demon''s expression lightened. ¡°Enjoy your adventures, and make plenty of pleasant memories. That¡¯s my order to you, Lord-Prospect Amelia Thornheart.¡± Amelia eagerly saluted. It wasn¡¯t exactly the proper response, but it felt right in the moment. ¡°Mmm! I won¡¯t disappoint you!¡± She bowed quickly. ¡°Thank you for everything again!¡± Amelia rose up. ¡°I won''t-¡± Katalin was gone. Amelia immediately flipped her perception into the Shimmer, but nothing was there. After thirty seconds of trying to find a trace of Katalin, Amelia gave up and exited the training hall. In the hallway she saw Serena leaning against the wall, looking as cool as ever. ¡°So what was that about?¡± her girlfriend asked. ¡°Hehe,¡± Amelia said with a giggle. ¡°I just needed to clarify a few things; I¡¯ll tell you about it soon, I promise!¡± ¡°Well, now I¡¯m intrigued,¡± Serena said. They walked down the corridor while Serena tried to get Amelia to spill the secret. Of course, she wouldn¡¯t give in that easily. She would tell Serena soon... But she¡¯d make sure to pick the most opportune moment! After all, Serena was becoming increasingly resistant to Amelia¡¯s attempts to shamelessly bother her! She needed to maximise the horn-clutching effect! Giggling at the future, Amelia skipped happily down the corridor, thinking of all the adventure and pleasant memories yet to come! And, if the future was dark, then she¡¯d become a beacon of light. This world was her home, after all. The Empress of Demonkind, Elana, waited until her Lord-Prospect was bowing before making her move. She found her otherworldly shadow and stepped into it, transporting herself into the Shimmer. Centuries of practice meant she could make the transfer flawlessly. There would be no sound or smell to give away her actions. But it wasn¡¯t enough. Amelia Thornheart could look into the Shimmer. So, Elana took a second step, passing from the Shimmer into the deeper realm of reality beyond. The Lustrate. Here, Amelia¡¯s titanic soul displayed its full brilliance. Its radiant hues captivated Elana¡¯s attention, keeping her eyes transfixed on the soul that had engorged itself on Esmeralda¡¯s shard. She¡¯d spent many hours secretly studying Amelia¡¯s soul, reassuring herself of Amelia¡¯s good and pure spirit. Elana watched until Amelia¡¯s soul moved towards the door, where it briefly stopped near Serena Halen¡¯s soul. After a moment, the two lights, one massive and radiant compared to the other, made their way down the corridor. She didn¡¯t miss the glowing connection between them, formed by their love. Maybe if it kept growing, Taruna wouldn¡¯t be Serena Halen¡¯s next Word after all. Elana sighed, turning away and walking through the wall towards Theresa. Unlike the Shimmer, real-world objects posed no obstacle. Only the Lustrum, the otherworldly forest that manifested in the Shimmer as ghostly fauna, held any corporeal weight. ¡°We¡¯re done here,¡± Elana said to her maid. ¡°Let¡¯s return to Centralis. I have a meeting with the Western delegation in an hour.¡± Elana began walking, only to stop when she realised Theresa wasn¡¯t following. In fact, the maid was glaring at her! ¡°Theresa?¡± Elana questioned. ¡°Divine One...¡± her maid responded, gritting her teeth. Theresa strode up to her, eyes filled with anger. ¡°Who in the Seven Hells and Six Heavens do you think you are to call me old!?¡± ¡°I called you an old friend!¡± Elana protested, raising her hands in a gesture of peace. ¡°You still called me old!¡± Theresa glared at her. ¡°There¡¯s only one way to make this right!¡± The Empress of Demonkind sighed. She¡¯d already increased Theresa''s salary after the incident with that student! Now she was going to ask for another raise! ¡°Alright then...¡± Elana let out another sigh. What was a greater threat to the Empire? The Enemy, plotting to destroy this world? Or her maid, single-handedly raiding the Empire¡¯s treasury at every opportunity? Chapter Eighty-Two: Tournament Chapter Eighty-Two: Tournament As the final few days passed, Serena felt a growing excitement. It was an excitement of three parts. The largest, most obvious part was the excitement of things to come. The cold winds that swept over the sloped roofs of the plateau city did little to suppress the growing excitement in the streets. It was an excitement that was visible everywhere. It could be seen in the toothy grins of young softhorns amazed at the sparkling decorations. It could be heard in the tired but satisfied sighs of their parents, who were waking up a little earlier or returning home a little later, all to work a few more hours to earn a bit more coin to make the upcoming day special. To Serena, it could be seen most obviously in Amelia, whose attempts at subtly inquiring about what she might want for Christmas were so naked it was difficult not to laugh. The second excitement was one that could be mistaken for the first. It was an excitement of that which was lacking. It could be seen in the broadsheet columns, where no longer did the headlines report on battlefield victories and growing discontent over a wartime economy, but instead they reported on peace talks and a new era of prosperity. It could be heard in the discussions of women, where their voices lacked the usual worry over losing their husbands and sons, replaced entirely by hope and anticipation. The final excitement was different. It was a personal excitement. One that thumped with Serena¡¯s heartbeat and grew or shrank along with her aura. It was an excitement that was hers, but also one that she shared with those like her. It couldn¡¯t blanket the Empire like the first or second excitement, but it didn¡¯t need to. An excitement like this was most powerful when it was controlled, when it was kept simmering like a Word, ready to explode with sudden violence and grandeur. It was the excitement of a warrior, and the excitement that Serena felt building up in herself and her colleagues as she watched the stands fill with spectators for the Asamaywa Officer Academy¡¯s end-of-year tournament. With the exception of military talent scouts, the only people permitted to attend the tournament were students and their instructors. Down on the arena floor - where Serena and Amelia were - some students were warming up, trying to get used to the slightly spongy material they would be performing on. Others remained in the stands, silently meditating with their eyes closed, preparing for the task ahead. ¡°Wish I could compete!¡± Amelia exclaimed, bouncing on the balls of her feet after Serena finished warming up her disciples. She¡¯d joined in on the warm-up because she, as she put it, ¡®Couldn¡¯t sit still¡¯. ¡°I don¡¯t think that would be fair,¡± Mel pointed out. ¡°Your wards are too powerful.¡± ¡°What if I only used aura?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°Speakers can¡¯t compete,¡± Serena said, shaking her head. ¡°Their increased capabilities from their communion give them too much of an advantage.¡± ¡°Bleh,¡± Amelia pouted. ¡°Well, it¡¯ll be fun just to watch!¡± Serena turned her attention to the students she¡¯d personally trained over the last few months. The reformed and capable Melanie Mori. The quiet but powerful Flakken Holm. And the cheerful twins, Ido and Arin Song. ¡°Remember,¡± she said. ¡°From the moment the duel begins, everything you do must be to further your victory. If you¡¯re not attacking, you should be either moving yourself or manipulating your opponent into a position where you can keep attacking.¡± There was so much advice she wanted to give, but she knew it would overwhelm them if she bombarded them with too much. In the end, she decided to keep it simple. ¡°If in doubt, just swing your sword,¡± she finished. The group nodded earnestly to her advice. Still, there was a lingering sense of nervousness around them that she didn¡¯t miss. She could see it in their eyes, which would flick occasionally to the uniformed military talent scouts sitting in the stands. The whole situation was most likely nerve-wrecking for the trainee officers. Their performance today could mean the difference between an average contract or being offered a prestigious one that would immediately elevate their careers years ahead of their peers. Not that their performance today mattered to Serena. She¡¯d seen what each one of them was capable of during their training sessions. She¡¯d already decided to make an offer to each of them after graduation and even had a few names in reserve if any declined. ¡°They¡¯ll be starting soon, so spend as much time on the mats as you can,¡± Serena instructed, tapping her foot against the hard foam mats that formed the three separate competition areas. With some final words of encouragement, she and Amelia retired to the stands, finding themselves a pair of seats with a good view. Down below, Mel was bouncing on the balls of her feet, practising combinations against an imaginary opponent with determined ferocity. In some ways, the woman reminded Serena of a younger version of herself. Flakken mainly stretched, apparently not looking to expend too much energy before the tournament started. Ido and his sister, Arin, practised their speciality katas on the mats. Ido had chosen an unarmed kata that consisted of slow stance changes before unleashing a flurry of upper-body strikes, while Arin had chosen a sword kata that demonstrated mastery over intermediate techniques. ¡°It feels like yesterday I was watching you down there,¡± a gruff voice broke out. Serena turned her head to see Grandmaster Shun settling down in the seat next to her. ¡°Feels like yesterday,¡± Serena agreed. ¡°Hmm,¡± the grandmaster hummed. ¡°The atmosphere is better this year. The students are more jovial.¡± ¡°Jovial?¡± ¡°For almost a decade, there was a spectre of death over this tournament,¡± the demon growled. ¡°It was the last innocence they could experience before going to war. I would see it in their eyes. A fear they would never admit to...¡± He paused momentarily before adding, ¡°Back then, I saw it in your eyes, too. Things are different now.¡± He raised a hand, gesturing to the students below. ¡°With the war ending, I no longer see that fear. I doubt any of these graduates will see the kind of fighting you¡¯ve been partial to.¡± ¡°I hope not,¡± Serena admitted. She¡¯d seen enough horrors to destroy any romantic idea she might have previously held regarding war. Duty and honour meant she would see things through to the bitter end, but she could find no enjoyment in it. In fact, until Amelia appeared in her life, she¡¯d started to wonder if she¡¯d ever experience the feeling of innocent happiness again. ¡°What about my eyes?¡± she asked, turning her head to look at the grandmaster. ¡°What do you see in them now?¡± The grandmaster locked his eyes with hers. After a few seconds, he said, ¡°I see growth.¡± ¡°Growth?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Serena turned her head, watching Mel continue her rapid practice. Then, she looked across the arena, to the seating on the other side, where the military scouts were making notes and pointing at particular students. ¡°I remember being so desperate to win that year. To impress them. Now, I¡¯m the one scouting for talent. The roles have switched in such a short period of time.¡± ¡°Of course they have,¡± the grandmaster said with a nod. ¡°You¡¯re a Speaker. It¡¯s natural for you to rise through the ranks faster than others. You¡¯ll be a commodore soon, won¡¯t you?¡± ¡°You heard?¡± ¡°I heard. When¡¯s the examination?¡± ¡°Just after graduation.¡± ¡°How are you feeling about it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m... trying not to think about it.¡± ¡°Ha!¡± the grandmaster scoffed. ¡°From an officer cadet to commodore. We¡¯ll be using you as an example in the lectures to come.¡± He leaned forward slightly to get a better look at Amelia. ¡°What about you, Thornheart? Has the semester been... enlightening to you?¡± ¡°Mmm!¡± Amelia nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve learned a lot! My magic control has improved, and more importantly, I finally reached red aura! I would love to stay, but I have obligations elsewhere!¡± ¡°Ahem.¡± The grandmaster politely coughed in a manner that told Serena he very much didn¡¯t want Amelia to stay and destroy more of the academy''s infrastructure. ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear it. You were the first human guest instructor we¡¯ve hosted for more than two centuries.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Amelia¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Who was the last one?¡± ¡°A swordmaster from the Sabanis Dominance. His name was Avyan Vinay.¡± Amelia asked a few more questions, her enthusiasm for knowledge trapping the grandmaster until a whistle sounded. Below, there was a sudden flurry of activity as more than a hundred students lined up, bowing to the tournament organisers. The first event was kata, and the three competition areas soon hosted a pair of competitors each. One of each pair would take a red piece of cloth, which they would tie to their red, orange, or (rarely) yellow belts. They would enter the mats, bow to each other, then to the organiser in front before making heiko-dachi - the ready stance. The organiser would select a shimokan kata from the first ten and command them to begin. The students would do their best, and their actions were closely watched by four more tournament referees, each sitting in one of the corners. Once both students had finished, the organiser would blow his whistle and they, along with the four referees, would raise either a white or red flag to determine the winner. It was that simple. ¡°How did you do when you took part?¡± Amelia asked quietly. ¡°I came third,¡± Serena answered. ¡°But my strength was always combat.¡± ¡°Mmm, figures,¡± Amelia hummed. ¡°Why are they only using red aura? To pace themselves?¡± She pointed down at one pair that were performing their kata with red aura, despite their orange belts indicating that they were capable of orange aura. ¡°All events are done with only red aura,¡± Serena explained, her eyes flickering to the military headhunters across the arena. ¡°At this level, control and mastery over the first aura is more than sufficient to determine a warrior''s overall ability. But even so, after the kata, one-step, and sparring events, there will be an opportunity for them to demonstrate their higher auras punching and cutting metal.¡± ¡°Is it the same for the mages?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°Are they limited to first-circle magic?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, for the same reason as well as to prevent the chance of a second-circle or higher spell accidentally hitting the crowd.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we ward the arena?¡± Amelia raised her arm, flexing a bicep. ¡°I could do it!¡± ¡°You could,¡± grumbled the grandmaster. ¡°As could Lunaria, if she ever attended these tournaments. Very few mages could manage to cast an external ward for the length of time needed. The rarity of such a mage means the rules dictate the duels must be conducted with first-circle magic. Your presence doesn¡¯t mean we go against tradition.¡± ¡°What about using the two Speaker training rooms?¡± Amelia asked, blinking innocently. The grandmaster frowned. ¡°They¡¯re not big enough, and if they were...¡± His expression darkened. ¡°One of them was destroyed by you and Lunaria, and the other was damaged by Highlord Driss and her... enthusiasm.¡± ¡°Oh...¡± Amelia audibly swallowed, turning and focusing on the matches below. ¡°Oh, look! Mel¡¯s up! Go-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t cheer,¡± Serena interrupted. ¡°It¡¯s only allowed during the sparringevent.¡± Amelia quieted down while Mel finished her kata. She defeated her opponent with a passable performance, earning her three flags over two. Serena knew immediately she would be lucky to survive another round or two. Mel was a determined student, but her focus was on combat. She preferred to hone her instincts with sparring and viewed kata as akin to a warm-up. This was different to her other disciples. Flakken performed better; his kata demonstrated explosive power but lacked enough flow. He moved through his kata like a shawa in a fengra shop; powerful and loud, somehow avoiding bringing everything crashing down. The best were the Ainese twins, Ido and Arin Song. They were both in long after Mel and Flakken were eliminated. When one of them performed, it was as if their bubbly and cheerful personalities evaporated, replaced entirely with a focused and determined warrior who lived and breathed the teachings of Sangoism. Their katas were both explosive and elegant, with a flow that could only be achieved through thousands of hours of practice. Serena only briefly covered katas in her sessions, but they must have been diligently training every day before and after. Once again, she was reminded of why she taught them. Not only were they some of the first demons in the academy to defend Amelia publicly, but they possessed tremendous mental strength that was a boon to anyone who might find themselves in a combat situation. The twins smashed through each round, often winning all five flags. They made it to the final eight where the format changed. Instead of their katas being dictated to them, and the voting done with flags, they would now choose their katas and they would be ranked on a numbering system from one to ten. The finals took place in the central competition area. The other areas were empty, and the hundreds of demons in attendance, students, instructors, and military scouts, would all be watching the finalists go up one by one to perform their katas. Such attention would only annoy Serena now, but there was a time when a hundred pairs of eyes on her would cause a nervous sweat. As she watched the finalists, she could see that nervousness manifest. Some would slightly hesitate, or make minor mistakes they hadn¡¯t before. Thankfully, the iron wills of the twins meant their performance didn¡¯t suffer. More than a few instructors were nodding in approval. Serena could hear the hushed compliments around her. ¡°That was the best rendition of Enpi I¡¯ve seen all year.¡± ¡°She invokes the right spirit, doesn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°Looks like they¡¯re really fighting someone, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°They could become professional shimokan practitioners with talent like that,¡± the grandmaster suddenly growled. ¡°Ido Song and Arin Song. You¡¯ll be taking them, I presume?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± Serena nodded. ¡°Never forget what pathways of their lives you¡¯ll be cutting off by binding them with a contract. Treat them with respect, Instructor Halen.¡± ¡°I shall,¡± she whispered. The kata event ended, with Arin winning first place with her swordsmanship, while her brother, Ido, won second with his rendition of Enpi. Their faces were full of happy grins as they celebrated their victory, hugging each other and showing off their medals to their fellow students. Next, the three competition areas were occupied as they moved onto one-step sparring. This was a structured form of combat. Each combatant would face each other, bow, and then the designated attacker would step back, announce their attack and then attempt to strike their opponent. If it were the unarmed variant, the attacker would punch to the head, then stomach, before switching to front and side kicks. The variant with swords would slash and stab at different angles and locations. The defender would block, dodge, or parry these attacks and then have the freedom to choose their counter-attack. After each attack, the pair would reset and move onto the next strike. After all attacks had been defended against, they would switch their role. Like with kata, there were five referees with flags. Each one looking for power, speed, and most importantly, control. Ido and his sister did okay, and Mel did much better, reaching the finals, but it was Flakken who was in his element. His lack of flow didn¡¯t hold him back, and his powerful counter-attacks stood out amongst everyone else. He ultimately came second, with Mel coming in at sixth place. Flakken was a stoic individual, and he kept his emotions subdued most of the time. Even so, Serena could see him smiling as he examined his medal. ¡°Hmm,¡± the grandmaster hummed. ¡°The students who trained under the instructors taught by Highlord Driss are performing much better than their peers.¡± He turned slightly, looking at Serena. ¡°Is that because you are passing on her teachings, or because the better instructors in this academy were inclined to participate in her training?¡± ¡°A bit of both,¡± Serena replied. ¡°Highlord Driss reminded us of the value of intense and exhaustive training. I took some of the pressure she put upon us and replicated it in my sessions. It seems to have paid off.¡± To Serena, it was further validation of the teachings of Sangoism. Namely, the one describing how even the weak will become strong when the right pressures are applied. It was another way of saying that people will rise to the expectations you give them, something Serena had seen first-hand repeatedly in war. The penultimate event soon started. It was time for free sparring combat, both unarmed and armed. While four referees remained seated in the corners with their flags, this time the head referee would be on their feet, moving with the combatants to ensure there was no foul play. Each referee kept a whistle in their mouth, and the moment they saw an attack land, they would blow it and raise the appropriate flag to award either a full or half-point. In a way, this was still controlled combat. The combatants would be reset every time one of them successfully made convincing enough contact. It was far from the terror of real combat, where a determined opponent would keep attacking the moment they saw the opportunity to kill you. Still, with red aura, it was the best method they could use to model a real duel without exposing the students to too much risk of injury. As the event continued, Serena was again reminded how dangerous it would be if they allowed the students to manifest their highest levels of aura. Even with red versus red, students were getting thrown across the mats from kicks that lacked control. On more than one occasion, matches had to be stopped due to concussions, especially when one combatant''s aura faltered at the moment of impact. And that was only with red-aura-enhanced strikes breaking through! If an orange aura strike shattered a red aura, then the defender would be lucky to get away with only some fractured or broken bones. Unlike the previous events, cheering was allowed during the free sparring, and the students took advantage of that. It began as tepid cheers of encouragement, but as the sparring continued and the weaker students were eliminated, their hearts beat stronger and their cries became more energetic. ¡°What are you doing!? Destroy her!¡± ¡°Break his horns!¡± ¡°Go on, Mel!¡± ¡°Stop bouncing around!¡± ¡°You can do it!¡± Amelia shouted, joining in with the chaos. ¡°Woo, Mel!¡± Encouraged by the shouts, Mel dove forward, executing a perfect mawashi geri that circled around her opponent¡¯s raised arms before slicing down and striking their neck, earning her the winning point and advancing her to the finals. ¡°Risky,¡± the grandmaster growled. ¡°Reminds me of how you fought.¡± ¡°I¡¯m more cautious these days,¡± Serena protested lightly. ¡°Risky?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Only for tournament fighting,¡± the grandmaster explained. He raised a finger, tapping the side of his neck so Amelia could see. ¡°There¡¯s a nerve that runs down the neck, connecting to the heart. It controls the rhythm of the heartbeat. Fifteen years ago, we had a tournament where one student executed a mawashi geri, and their big toe connected with their opponent¡¯s neck in just the wrong way. Hit the nerve, and then...¡± The grandmaster clapped his hands, his face grimacing. ¡°Dropped dead. Nothing we could do.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Amelia brought her hand to her mouth. ¡°Well, if that happens today, I¡¯ll be here to heal them!¡± With that, Amelia turned towards the fighting below with newfound focus. Luckily, for all involved, such an event didn¡¯t happen, although Mel did cause more than a few nosebleeds. Her aggression and ability to flow her attacks together to give her opponent no breathing room meant she could punch above her aura, defeating even a yellow-belt, who had a far more refined red aura than she did. She eventually lost to another yellow-belt, coming third overall. Initially, she seemed annoyed at losing, but her expression quickly changed to satisfaction once she had the medal in hand. The free-sparring was the most prestigious event in the tournament and third place was a great start to her career. The military headhunters were nodding amongst themselves, making notes. Mel appeared to see this, but, if Serena wasn¡¯t mistaken, she seemed more interested in glancing towards her and Amelia, only stopping when Amelia waved enthusiastically, causing the poor girl to blush awkwardly. ¡°She¡¯s a real talent,¡± the grandmaster said. ¡°I heard what happened in Kenhoro. Seems that humbling was what she needed to flower. Regardless, my brother must be doing something right to be attracting warriors like her.¡± Serena couldn¡¯t do anything else but agree. She made a mental note to be prepared to give Mel a generous signing-on bonus. With her talent and ability, she¡¯d be able to become a squad commander immediately and, of all the warriors she¡¯d been training, Mel was the one she wanted the most for the Vengeance¡¯s crew. With that thought in mind, the final event began. This was the chance for the students to demonstrate the upper bounds of their auras. Steel plates and rods were brought out, and the students would attempt to punch through the ever-thicker plates or cut through the ever-thicker rods. ¡°It¡¯s a traditional practice,¡± Serena explained to Amelia after she asked. ¡°It¡¯s meant to allow the students to expel all of their pent-up emotion during the tournament, and it also allows the military talent scouts a final opportunity to evaluate their capabilities.¡± The students were called up one by one. There wasn¡¯t a tournament structure for the final event, and there were no medals or awards. For that reason, the atmosphere was casual and jovial as they began denting and in some cases, punching clean through the steel. The average red aura of a student could punch through a five-millimetre plate, or slice a ten-millimetre-thick steel rod. Seeing the performance below really highlighted how much Amelia¡¯s wards enhanced Serena¡¯s abilities. She¡¯d already verified that without her aura, she could punch through a half-inch armour plate. With her red aura, that would double. Her girlfriend¡¯s magic was truly incredible, wasn¡¯t it? Of her disciples, Flakken did the best. His orange aura made clean work of a fifteen-millimetre plate, and he was able to slice through a twenty-millimetre-thick steel rod. Mel and the twins did okay, but nothing exceptional. That was alright, though. They would have time to grow in the coming months and years. With the final event finished, everyone lined up and made three final bows. One to the tournament organisers, one to each other, and a final one to the crowd watching them. They then cleared out, moving to the stands or elsewhere while the arena was changed to prepare for the magic events. ¡°Oh, I see Hinako!¡± Amelia exclaimed. ¡°I¡¯m going to head down there and give some words of encouragement! See you soon!¡± With that, Amelia bounced away and was soon down below, chatting to the mages she¡¯d been assisting over the last few months. ¡°She¡¯s not suited for a life on a military vessel,¡± the grandmaster intoned quietly. ¡°She¡¯s still too naive about the reality of war.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mistake her optimism for naivety,¡± Serena replied. ¡°She¡¯s far more aware than she lets on. Amelia chooses to be cheerful in the face of uncertainty and conflict. That¡¯s her strength.¡± She hesitated before adding, ¡°She didn¡¯t earn her Golden Horn from breaking down and panicking at the charred corpses.¡± ¡°...I suppose not.¡± The grandmaster scratched his nose. ¡°I still don¡¯t fully understand humans. Demons are so much easier to understand.¡± ¡°Tell me about it,¡± Serena muttered, prompting a chuckle from them both. ¡°Has knowing her made you change any opinions?¡± he asked, turning to look at her. ¡°About their race?¡± ¡°Not change, so much as reinforce.¡± ¡°Such as?¡± ¡°That we¡¯re more similar than we are different,¡± Serena uttered with a sense of finality. ¡°Too many demons think they look weird because they don¡¯t have horns, and because they look weird, demons think humans think differently. They don¡¯t. Even if some...¡± She frowned, watching Amelia cheerfully motion-casting spells below. ¡°Even if some are extra weird.¡± The grandmaster smirked at her words, but otherwise said nothing. They sat in silence until Amelia returned and the magic events began. Most of them followed a similar structure to the last warrior event, where there was no direct competition. The mages were called up and given a short time to demonstrate their aether control with first-circle spells. What each student did significantly varied. Some demonstrated their ability to conjure large columns of water, before freezing it into distinctive shapes. Others showed their control over earth and sand, creating impromptu defensive structures that could house several soldiers. When Hinako stood up, she demonstrated her skill at quickly casting multiple spells, manifesting fireballs, rocks, and shards of ice in quick succession that she bombarded straw targets with. Daichi, the most talented mage of the upcoming graduates, did something similar, no doubt inspired by Amelia¡¯s training. However, he carried out his demonstration while floating in the air, causing more than a few people to gasp. Serena understood why. Normally, a mage could only slow their descent by pushing against the lumina four kilometres below. If they were extremely talented, some could glide or even fly by manipulating the wind at the same time. However, to truly levitate like Daichi was doing required a strong connection to the aetherfield itself. Usually, a mage would have to Speak the First-Word to manage that. He¡¯s the most powerful prospect, Serena thought. I must make him a good offer. With the demonstrations over, they moved on to the duels. For safety, everyone but the referees and the combatants evacuated the arena floor, moving to the stands to watch. The mages were given strict instructions that all spellwork must be aimed towards or below the horizon, and they were only able to cast first-circle magic. The students were given time before to construct their wards, and combat would only begin when they were both ready. Serena thought the duels would be relatively boring, simply a matter of who could be most aggressive and quickly overwhelm their opponent, but to her delight, there were layers of tactics that gave the event a high skill ceiling. Mages were most vulnerable when they were concentrating on constructing their spell formations, but the students below were taking advantage of this by feinting their spellwork to invite an incoming attack, only to either dodge or dive behind a quickly constructed earthwork. Others would construct one formation, while cloaking a second formation behind it, forcing the opponent to either adapt in time or take a hit. When Hinako was up, she¡¯d become locked in a battle of attrition with her opponent. They were both crouched behind their respective earthworks, preparing their spells and then peeking up to take shots at each other. It reminded Serena of two snipers on the battlefield duelling. Just as the time limit was reaching its end, Hinako used her control of earth to burrow under her earthwork and pop up outside her opponent''s vision, hitting him with a powerful strike that won her the round and advancing to the finals where she ended up fighting Daichi. Despite her disadvantage against the third-circle mage, Hinako used every trick in the book, and seemingly invented new ones when she¡¯d run out of ideas. At some moments, she seemed more like a warrior than a mage and near the end of the fight, she even tried to wrestle Daichi to the ground, only having to retreat when he manifested hellfire around his body. She ultimately lost, but received relatively high scores from the referees. Her variety of tactics and determination had partially compensated for the difference in power, earning her second place while Daichi took first. ¡°She fights dirty,¡± the grandmaster said. ¡°But it¡¯s effective. She¡¯ll go far.¡± ¡°Mmm!¡± Amelia nodded. ¡°I told her to fight like that!¡± ¡°You did?¡± Serena raised an eyebrow. ¡°Yeah,¡± Amelia grinned, flashing her a cheeky smile. ¡°I told her to fight like you!¡± This idiot! The grandmaster coughed politely. ¡°Right,¡± Serena said, forcefully changing the subject. ¡°I¡¯m going to go down and make my offers.¡± She glanced at the military headhunters. ¡°Early bird gets the worm, after all.¡± ¡°Good luck!¡± Amelia chirped. Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Serena made her way through the stands, grabbing Mel, Flakken, and the twins. They headed down to the arena where the mages were congregating and grabbed Daichi and Hinako. With the students in tow, she found a quiet room and pulled each demon aside to talk to them individually. She reintroduced herself as Captain Halen and explained that her purpose in joining the academy¡¯s staff was to recruit for an elite team that would operate under her and from the Vengeance. She couldn¡¯t tell them the true nature of the mission they would be undertaking, but highlighted that they would likely travel across the Empire, undertaking unconventional missions that would bring prestige to their names and houses, once their contract was finished. ¡°Will Amelia be there?¡± Hinako asked. ¡°Yes. Not as a member of the military, so neither you nor she will have the right to order each other. She¡¯ll be travelling with us as a civilian advisor.¡± Serena thought for a moment before adding, ¡°Should you accept, you¡¯ll be able to continue your training under her.¡± ¡°Then I accept,¡± Hinako said firmly, bowing deeply. Daichi took more convincing. ¡°I don¡¯t know if my family would agree to it,¡± he said with a frown. ¡°House Ishitani is, uh...¡± ¡°Anti-human?¡± Serena finished. She¡¯d read Aiden¡¯s reports. ¡°My parents have always been political isolationists.¡± ¡°And you?¡± ¡°I...¡± Serena let him ponder his words before pointing out. ¡°You¡¯ve been training under her for a while now.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°She¡¯s a Lord-Prospect.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°And a Speaker.¡± ¡°So?¡± Daichi was quiet for a moment before saying in a low voice, ¡°I must prioritise my family''s concerns over...¡± He seemed to struggle to find his words. ¡°Does your family''s concern weigh heavier than your obligation to the Empress? Are they more important than respecting the concept of Cascadian Lordship itself?¡± Serena could see he was close to agreeing, so she kept up the attack. ¡°The war is ending, Student Ishitani. You won¡¯t find any greater opportunities for prestige than what I offer. We won¡¯t be sitting on our arses on patrol, I can tell you that. If the presence of Lord-Prospect Thornheart is such a problem, then simply don¡¯t mention it to your family.¡± Seeing him raise his eyebrow at her, she continued. ¡°She won¡¯t officially be on the Vengeance¡¯s manifest. As far as your parents will know, you¡¯ll be taking a position under me, the Hellfire Captain.¡± As much as Serena didn¡¯t appreciate her own nickname, she valued the prestige it brought. With a bit more prodding, Daichi agreed. He was a close one, only just passing the background check. While his xenophobic family had almost eliminated him as a candidate, his personal growth under Amelia had given him the edge. He was simply too powerful to let go easily. As a third-circle mage, he would be the strongest mage on the Vengeance after Amelia herself. With Daichi¡¯s agreement, Serena moved on to the warriors. Mel required no convincing. Ido and Arin needed a little prodding. Their main concern was being away from the East for too long, but they quickly relented after Serena convinced them that the Vengeance was their best pathway to moving up the ranks and perhaps even becoming Lord-Prospects. She¡¯d been hopeful she¡¯d manage a clean sweep, but her hopes were dashed by the last person. ¡°I apologise, Instructor Halen,¡± Flakken intoned with a bow. ¡°My heart is set on the Northern army.¡± Serena saw in his eyes that there was no convincing him. ¡°Very well then,¡± she replied. ¡°At least allow me to write you a letter of recommendation.¡± ¡°...It would be an honour. Thank you, Instructor Halen.¡± After Flakken left, Serena sat in silence, pondering her options. She¡¯d been given permission to recruit six from the academy. Daichi. Hinako. Mel. Ido. Arin. Five talented individuals, with the room for immense growth. Noburu. Seonmi. Two cadets with little combat ability. She needed one more. Serena went over the names she and Aiden had prepared in this eventuality. It was a short list of warriors, promising students. The only problem was that Serena didn¡¯t know them. Ideally, she¡¯d want one more with experience. Someone who was open-minded, but had also served. Someone... Ah, damn it. Serena sighed. It would have to be that woman, wouldn¡¯t it? Chapter Eighty-Three: The Final Member Chapter Eighty-Three: The Final Member AnnouncementRumour has it the Empress is in disguise in the series and if you find her she''ll give you a lifetime supply of cookies and hugs ^.^ The coffee shop was small and cosy, with an old proprietor who shuffled around slowly cleaning the tables. If it weren¡¯t for their subtle red aura that Serena had to strain her senses to detect, someone might be forgiven for thinking this was an ordinary coffee shop and not one of Intelligence¡¯s many bases. As it turned out, it was also Aiden''s temporary home and office. ¡°Are you sure about this one?¡± Aiden said, frowning as he examined the document Serena had handed him. ¡°I am.¡± ¡°I thought your opinion of her was... prickly.¡± Aiden leaned back, raising his hands. ¡°I¡¯m just surprised, that¡¯s all. Are you sure you don¡¯t want to go with another student? Given what happened...¡± ¡°You¡¯re well informed,¡± Serena replied, raising an eyebrow. Aiden raised his thumb and forefinger, leaving them an inch apart. ¡°Your file is this thick. I had to read it all.¡± ¡°I see they¡¯re keeping tabs on me,¡± she said. Serena wasn¡¯t particularly annoyed. She knew how important it was to track the whereabouts and mental health of Speakers. The last thing anyone wanted was a repeat of the Baldasar Incident, where a Speaker returned from the frontlines after he¡¯d developed the shakes from the relentless shelling. The man had broken down hearing a steam engine break, and, thinking he was back in the trenches, had Spoken in a densely populated area, killing more than a hundred civilians. ¡°What about Amelia¡¯s?¡± she asked. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Her file. How big is it?¡± ¡°Oh...¡± Aiden looked up for a moment. ¡°About the same, but honestly, I¡¯m only allowed to access a small part of it. I imagine the real thing is massive. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she has a dedicated team just for monitoring her. I imagine there¡¯s an army of psychologists who specialise in human psychology writing papers about her right now.¡± Good luck trying to understand Amelia, Serena thought. Her girlfriend wasn¡¯t someone you understood so much as you experienced. Shaking her head, she brought the conversation back to her final candidate for her elite team. ¡°Despite what happened, that woman is the right fit,¡± Serena explained. ¡°Considering our needs, I¡¯d rather take her over ten more students. She has the right intuition for this kind of work.¡± ¡°And... How will she be with Amelia?¡± ¡°They¡¯ll get on just fine.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know that. They¡¯ve never met.¡± ¡°Trust me. I know her. She¡¯s perfect to command the squad when I¡¯m not there. I won¡¯t accept anyone else.¡± She held Aiden¡¯s eyes until he relented. Aiden sighed, leaning backwards while slowly tapping his finger against the table. After he finally finished thinking, he said, ¡°Fine then. I¡¯ll send it up. Where she is now... they¡¯ll send the monthly supply ship tomorrow morning. I think we can make it. We¡¯ll send her the papers and pick her up on a fast ship. Bring her back here as soon as possible. We can always threaten her with a court-martial if she refuses.¡± ¡°She won¡¯t. She might complain, but she¡¯ll do her duty. That¡¯s the kind of woman she is.¡± It was a shame that Flakken¡¯s fate took him down another path, but the more Serena thought about it, the more she realised it was a golden opportunity for her to bring that woman back. Imagining her and Amelia being friends was surprisingly easy, and Serena had no doubt they would get on perfectly well. After all, one was an idiot who wanted to befriend everyone and everything, and the other was an idiot who would do anything if you put a cup of coffee in her hands. With that topic settled, she spent the remainder of the morning finalising other small matters with Aiden. Once their business was done, Serena left and hopped on a passing tram, travelling to House Halen¡¯s estate. Approaching the entrance, she was greeted by the always impeccably dressed butler, Johan. ¡°How is he?¡± she asked. ¡°Working hard as always, Lord Halen,¡± Johan intoned. ¡°You can find him in his office.¡± Thanking the butler, Serena navigated the house and its familiar corridors. She found her father scratching away at some documents behind his ironwood desk. ¡°Father.¡± ¡°Serena! I wasn¡¯t expecting to see you again! You must be leaving any day now. What can I do for you?¡± Serena smiled. ¡°You could take a break? Johan¡¯s always telling me how much you¡¯re working. The war¡¯s coming to an end, Father. Surely you can find time to take a holiday in Nai?¡± ¡°The war might be coming to an end,¡± Serena¡¯s father grumbled. ¡°But our work isn¡¯t.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I wanted to talk about,¡± Serena said, sitting down. ¡°How¡¯s our future looking, given the... changing political climate?¡± ¡°We have enough five-year contracts to keep our factories running and our infrastructure expanding. The Eastern army and navy want everything they can get. Additionally, Centralis is financing most of the expansion. It¡¯s already paid for.¡± He looked up from his documents, a look of concern in his eyes. ¡°I unfortunately don¡¯t have much hope regarding the length of this supposed peace. But, at the very least, our House will be fine for the foreseeable future. Well, as long as you, Nina, and Lani keep coming home in one piece.¡± ¡°Five-year contracts...¡± Serena mused. ¡°How long do you think we have till the next war?¡± ¡°Two years, if we¡¯re lucky. Who knows? Christdom might do something stupid quicker. They say Tamerlane is going mad on his golden throne. Whatever happens, we¡¯ll be ready. Here, take a look at this.¡± Her father reached over, passing her a design mockup. At first, Serena thought it was some kind of strange ship, but then she saw the tracks. She looked at the name printed neatly in High Imperial in the corner. ¡°Landship?¡± she questioned, raising an eyebrow. ¡°That¡¯s their official name, but everyone¡¯s calling them steelclads. It¡¯s not unusual you haven¡¯t heard of them. They only made it to the battlefield in the recent months, and the broadsheets are banned from printing anything about them. Although that restriction will be lifted once the peace treaty is signed. They¡¯re what broke the Meppen defensive lines. We¡¯ll be making shells for their cannons, and, once the expansion in Shimashina is done, we¡¯ll be producing their rolled homogeneous armour.¡± Serena tried to imagine these vehicles on the battlefield but struggled to conjure up the imagery. Hadn¡¯t Amelia mentioned that her world had something similar? ¡°What can they do that a ship or Speaker can¡¯t?¡± Serena asked. ¡°Constructed quicker,¡± her father grumbled. ¡°And cheaper. Needs fewer crew and significantly less crystal to function. They can protect the common troops in assault, and their cannon provides firepower that can suppress even orange auras. Their original role was to clear the mines and barbed wire, but then someone decided to add a weapon on top, and it gained a whole new offensive role. They¡¯re calling it a breakthrough doctrine.¡± ¡°Seems like the army is getting all the new toys,¡± Serena said, passing the document back. ¡°The navy will get its fair share. You¡¯ve got those proximity fuses, and last I heard...¡± Her father leaned in closer, dropping his voice. ¡°Nina finished her torpedo work. Her team couldn¡¯t replicate the Writing the humans did, but they did something else. They created a torpedo that can automatically home in on a lift engine''s signature.¡± ¡°Seven hells...¡± Serena mused. ¡°That¡¯ll change everything.¡± The middle sister of House Halen was a real genius, wasn¡¯t she? ¡°Perhaps,¡± her father answered. ¡°I¡¯ve heard the prototypes are prohibitively big. They can only be fired from battleships. It¡¯ll be a while before they find a way to fit them on cruisers, let alone light-craft.¡± ¡°Is that what she¡¯s been doing in the South?¡± Serena asked. ¡°Torpedo work?¡± ¡°No, that was finished a while ago. Different teams have taken over. She mentioned it had something to do with excavating ruins. I¡¯m not sure what it is, but it must be important for them to pull a talent like her away from weapons development and into archaeology. Whatever it is...¡± Serena¡¯s father looked at her, his eyes crinkling. ¡°Give her my best if you see her.¡± It took Serena a moment to understand his words. ¡°You know our destination?¡± ¡°I have contacts. I¡¯m a father, Serena. I have a vested interest in where my daughters are.¡± ¡°I think I can handle myself,¡± she answered, folding her arms and giving her father a look. ¡°Bah,¡± he said, waving his hands dismissively. ¡°You¡¯re not a parent, you don¡¯t understand. Don¡¯t roll your eyes at me, you¡¯re acting like Lani.¡± ¡°Dad!¡± ¡°See?¡± Her father chuckled. ¡°You might be a grown woman now, but I¡¯ll always remember how soft your horns were when you were born. You¡¯ll always be that little girl to me, with a snotty nose and-¡± ¡°Can we go back to discussing the war?¡± Serena asked dryly. ¡°It¡¯s far more enjoyable than reminiscing over my childhood.¡± Before her father could protest, she asked, ¡°Did you raise the matter of the growing threat of light-craft with Greatlord Oshiro?¡± ¡°No, I went to Highlord Corvus first.¡± ¡°The Dragon?¡± ¡°You know he doesn¡¯t like the nickname, Serena.¡± Her father scratched his chin. ¡°He seemed somewhat receptive, but I think he and his peers in the Admiralty believe these new torpedoes will fill that role.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not talking about fending off one or two fighters,¡± Serena pointed out. ¡°We¡¯re talking about a swarm of dozens, all fitted with the humans¡¯ spell-infused weapons!¡± ¡°I agree, I just don¡¯t think they see it as a sufficient threat yet. I think he might have thought I was exaggerating my concern, looking to be awarded more contracts for the proximity shells.¡± ¡°Tsk!¡± Serena could help but click her tongue. ¡°That¡¯s because he¡¯s the Dragon! He sees everything through a perspective of self-gain. I doubt he can even imagine someone doing anything without a selfish motivation!¡± Even though her father looked at her with a frown, it felt good to rant about the Dragon. She hadn¡¯t yet gotten the audacity of him disbanding her ground forces. ¡°Are you finished?¡± her father asked, the edge of his mouth curling. When she nodded, he continued, ¡°He might have access to information we don¡¯t. No doubt Intelligence has been working hard to figure out the extent of the humans¡¯ production of these torpedoes. We know they involve Writing, and we know the human Writers are as few and far in between as ours. ¡°But, enough about the Dra- I mean, Highlord Corvus.¡± Serena¡¯s father coughed politely. ¡°I heard some rumours circulating about the peace settlement, or more importantly, what the Empress will do after it¡¯s signed.¡± He leaned forward, his eyes twinkling. Serena found herself leaning in as well. Despite her father''s dignified position, she knew Lani learned her love of gossip from him. ¡°Whispers tell me that she¡¯s going to annex the Republic into the Northern Terra Firma.¡± Serena felt her eyes widen. ¡°That¡¯s risky,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s majority human. Considering the demon-human relations we have right now, it¡¯ll cause chaos.¡± Serena shook her head. ¡°It¡¯ll give the Far East the excuse they wanted to rebel. The South might join in!¡± Her father shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s what I¡¯m hearing. Rumour has it that the Centralis Foreign Office is working on the legal framework for it. Much of the initial trouble Centralis had in the war was because they couldn¡¯t legally deploy the territorial troops outside of Cascadia¡¯s core lands. At least, not until those fanatics crossed the Channel and raided the North.¡± ¡°Right,¡± Serena nodded. ¡°So she¡¯ll bring it under Cascadian lordship?¡± In the original treaty of Meppen, signed almost a century ago, Cascadia was granted the rights to govern the Republic as an overairs territory for two hundred and fifty years. During that time, they were forbidden from annexing it or having Cascadian lords oversee it directly. If things had gone differently, the Republic might have peacefully regained its independence when the time was right. Instead, Christdom had stuck its horns in and radicalised the population, leading to the events that had gripped Serena¡¯s life so viciously for so many years. ¡°That seems to be the plan,¡± her father said with a shrug. ¡°Honestly, I can¡¯t disagree with the decision. The North deserves it after everything they¡¯ve been through. As for rewarding the contributions of the other Terra Firmas, I¡¯ve heard they¡¯ll be transferring ownership of certain industries and ports. After all, the East and the South have done their fair share!¡± He raised a hand, scratching the back of his neck. ¡°The only concern is, once the North starts deploying their standing army and navy, the human nations will see it as a pretext for an invasion.¡± As he said this, Serena remembered the rumours Aiden had whispered to her: that, high up in the Intelligence community, there were plans for a pre-emptive attack. Was this annexation just an excuse to stage Cascadia¡¯s military for the next war? ¡°The world seems so much more chaotic these days,¡± Serena began tentatively. ¡°The conflict in the North. The brewing civil war in the Far East, and now the South has its growing pirate problem.¡± ¡°The guy they call the Blackhorn?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Bah.¡± Serena¡¯s father waved a hand. ¡°With the war ending, we¡¯ll have resources to put down piracy. Have faith in the Empress, Serena.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Serena intoned. ¡°She hasn¡¯t let us down yet.¡± ¡°No,¡± her father replied. ¡°She hasn¡¯t.¡± A lull in the conversation developed, broken only by the arrival of Johan with tea and biscuits. Once he¡¯d left, Serena manoeuvred the conversation into more pleasant matters, talking about family and happier times. ¡°Amelia¡¯s getting ready for her healing event,¡± Serena said. ¡°They¡¯ve timed it so we¡¯ll be leaving within the hour of it being finished. Make sure to use your influence to get the family in the building, especially Grandmother.¡± Serena looked at her father, making sure she sounded as serious as possible. ¡°Even if she complains, make her come. Amelia¡¯s healing is miraculous. I think it¡¯s made me younger. I honestly wonder if I¡¯ll live as long as an Overlord if she keeps it up... what¡¯s wrong?¡± For some reason, her father was wiping a tear from his eye. ¡°Ah, you wouldn¡¯t understand. You¡¯re not a parent. The thought of you not only outliving me, but living as long as someone like Vikram... fills me with joy.¡± ¡°...Your horns have become soft, Father.¡± It wasn¡¯t a serious admonishment and Serena smiled warmly at her father¡¯s affection. ¡°You used to shout all the time when we were younger and now you¡¯re shedding tears.¡± ¡°Shut up, and give me a hug.¡± Serena stood up, walked around the desk and embraced her father. ¡°Look after yourself,¡± she whispered. ¡°I¡¯ll be back before you know it. No matter what happens, I¡¯ll protect this House and the Empire surrounding it.¡± ¡°I know you will,¡± her father replied, patting her arm. ¡°Give Amelia my best, will you?¡± ¡°I will.¡± With that, Serena bid her father farewell and exited her old home. She looked back at the entrance, making a final vow that she would return unharmed. And then, she left. Faren leaned back into his chair, blowing on his cup of coffee and then bringing it under his nose to inhale its delicious scent. The coffee¡¯s fragrance filled the room, causing the occupants to cast envious eyes in his direction. He couldn¡¯t blame them. The monthly mail delivery to the solitary island had contained a parcel from Faren¡¯s family. They had sent him Shiloh coffee, which, compared to the normal military beans the crew¡¯d been living with, was a tremendous improvement in his quality of life. It was like drinking loqua after only tasting dirt for months. No, that wasn¡¯t quite right. Dirt probably tasted better than military coffee. ¡°You planning on drinking that anytime soon?¡± Faren¡¯s boss, a bald demon named Mangs, intoned sarcastically across the room. ¡°Or are you going to consume it by inhalation?¡± ¡°Just savouring the experience,¡± Faren replied. His eyes flicked to the aethermap below his station, where hundreds of thousands of tiny needles pulsed up and down, creating a topological map of the area around Kenhoro and Tanhae. A large portion of the aethermap was a long canyon, representing the Sabanis Channel just north of the island. Through this space, little pockets of metal needles rhythmically rose and fell with rapidity. The telltale sign of a lift engine. ¡°Traffic¡¯s increasing,¡± Faren said, nodding towards the table. He took one more sniff of his coffee before putting it down, leaning forward in his chair and manipulating the controls. By now, Faren was as skilled at controlling the aethermap as any of his colleagues. With practised hands, he directed the aetherscope to focus on the signatures. He noted their broadcasted identification codes and matched their engines'' magnitude, frequency, and pitch to known models used in transport ships. After taking notes of the new ships and verifying nothing was unusual, he leaned back, picked up his coffee and resumed his ritual. The quiet hum of the aetherscope, an enormous sixteen-metre, silvery, bulbous structure below the aethermap, lulled him into a sense of comfort. With the smell of Shiloh coffee reaching his nose, he could almost imagine he was back home, relaxing with- ¡°You seen Finella?¡± Mangs asked, scratching his bald head. ¡°Not after the mail arrived,¡± Faren answered. ¡°Maybe she¡¯s gone outside.¡± ¡°You softhorns are lucky I¡¯m so relaxed. If this were a front-line aetherscope, she¡¯d be whipped for leaving her station without permission.¡± ¡°Not like we have anywhere to go,¡± Faren replied softly, finally taking a sip of the luxurious Shiloh coffee. Mangs scoffed, but Faren knew he was right. Where would they go? The island they were on was a small artificial one that was aetherlocked six thousand metres above the continent. The aetherscope contained within was only one in a network of the Empire¡¯s strategic early-warning systems. It would be impossible to sneak an enemy fleet through the Sabanis Channel or approach the plateau cities of Kenhoro or Tanhae undetected. Even if an enemy force managed to sneak onto the continent, the moment a Word was Spoken, they would be here to detect it. Thankfully, nothing else happened besides the incident that occurred on the day he arrived, when a mysterious individual Spoke a human Second-Word in the wilderness near Shimashina. Faren grimaced as he reminisced on that day. The atmosphere had been dreadfully tense. They¡¯d watched in anxious anticipation as the Eastern Overlord approached the location, his movement represented by a mountain of ferro-crystal needles moving on the aethermap. To their surprise, a devastating fight didn¡¯t break out. Somehow, the situation was resolved peacefully and the overlord returned while the other Second-Word Speaker travelled out of their range towards Shimashina. Despite the anti-climactic ending, they didn¡¯t get much sleep for a few nights. The thought that, at any moment, the alarms could blare at the appearance of a Federation-backed invasion force or some other terrible event had kept them awake. While things had been quiet for Mangs and his team, their distant colleagues at the aetherscope above the Three Sisters weren¡¯t so lucky. Mangs¡¯ contacts working there had their own night of chaos during the Asamaywa fire, where they detected the Suijin Speaker. The last thing Mangs had mentioned was that they were up to their horns in paperwork. Poor souls, Faren thought, taking another sip of his coffee. As the rich flavour filled his senses, he was reminded of what his instructors told him: the military runs on not just men and munitions, but coffee as well. He had to admit, he was becoming a convert to that view. He could feel his energy rising by the minute as the black liquid took effect. ¡°Go find her,¡± Mangs said, interrupting Faren¡¯s quiet time. The bald demon walked over to him and tapped him on the shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll take over. Make sure she hasn¡¯t run off.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Faren replied. He stood up and left the monitoring station, taking his coffee with him. He passed through a dimly-lit corridor before coming to the entrance room to their underground home. There, among the crates of food, water, and other miscellaneous supplies, he found Goren, the steam mechanic, lubricating the iron deadbolts of the entrance door. ¡°Finella outside?¡± Faren asked. ¡°Mmm, stormed past me fifteen minutes ago, swearing up a storm.¡± Goren pulled the bolts back and forth, nodding in approval. ¡°Look at how easily it loosens up with a bit of lubricant! A bit like women, eh?¡± Goren flashed him a grin, to which Faren rolled his eyes. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t risk Finella hearing you talk like that,¡± Faren said. ¡°Seriously? She¡¯s the one who taught me that joke!¡± Goren slapped the large metal wall, producing deep thuds that echoed through the entrance room. ¡°Besides, if she gets her horns twisted, we can just lock her out!¡± ¡°Will that even work?¡± Faren asked, eyeing the two-inch-thick iron door. ¡°She¡¯s got a solid orange aura now.¡± Faren knew that Finella, despite her attempts to argue otherwise, took a great amount of pride in her aura. She was a talented aether user, and those talents had saved her from a fatal court martial when she¡¯d struck her previous captain. ¡°Mmm, for a bit.¡± Goren narrowed his eyes. ¡°Well... I suppose it depends on how twisted her horns are.¡± The mechanic''s eyes narrowed further. ¡°And whether she¡¯s had her morning coffee... I hope she¡¯s in a better mood.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m about to find out. Mangs sent me to make sure she hasn¡¯t deserted yet.¡± Faren slipped by Goren and made his way up the long, winding corridor that spiralled up through the island. Squinting his eyes against the sudden daylight, Faren stepped out into a cool breeze. The island was small. It was large enough for a few dozen trees but not enough to convince you that you were in a forest. Faren warmed his hands on his coffee mug, circling the island while trying not to look down. Six kilometres was a long way to fall, after all. He took in the sights as he walked. At this height, he could see the Sabanis Dominance itself. It was hazy at such a distance, but he could still make out its territory on the other side of the Channel. Following the Channel to the north-west, he could see it curve into the Cascadia-Sabanis passage - a massive tunnel that opened up under the isthmus joining the two territories. Even from here, he could see the ships patrolling or travelling the trade routes, carrying spices and silk. He could even make out the orange moon that sat above the Federation, although it was small and close to the horizon at this distance. Continuing on, he came to the island''s lone jetty. At the end of the wooden structure he saw Finella seated, looking out west towards Centralis. Her Northern red hair waved in the breeze and in her right hand she clenched a crumpled letter. ¡°Thinking of jumping?¡± Faren asked lightly, walking up the jetty towards her. ¡°Maybe,¡± Finella replied, not looking his way. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t die, not with my aura. I was thinking I could fake my death. Run away and join a travelling troupe.¡± ¡°Why? Mangs tell you to clean the toilets or something?¡± Faren sat down. He made sure to sit down near her and not next to her. Unlike Finella, he wasn¡¯t an aura user and wouldn¡¯t survive the fifty-two-second fall. With that in mind, he kept his feet well away from the jetty¡¯s edge, not letting them dangle like Finella was. Finella didn¡¯t reply immediately and, for a moment, Faren thought she wasn¡¯t going to. Then, without warning, she reached both arms into the air, flexed her legs and screamed in exasperation before collapsing onto her back dramatically, closing her eyes and sighing. ¡°Something the matter?¡± he asked. When she still didn¡¯t reply, he asked, ¡°Is it something to do with that letter?¡± Finella seemed intent on being quiet but Faren persevered, asking if it was good or bad news. After three questions, he¡¯d make no progress. Faren sighed, deciding to switch tactics. ¡°Spoke to Goren on the way up here,¡± he said. ¡°He said you were in a bad mood. He said he hoped you¡¯d be in a good one later. Said he was going to ask you on a date.¡± ¡°What!?¡± Finella sat up with a speed that would likely injure any normal demon. Her eyes were wide with shock, her jaw on the floor. ¡°Are you serious!?¡± she exclaimed. ¡°No, I was lying,¡± Faren admitted. ¡°You weren¡¯t talking,¡± he justified. Seeing Finella¡¯s forehead furrowing, he quickly reached out with the coffee. ¡°Here. Peace offering. It¡¯s Shiloh beans.¡± ¡°Tsk!¡± Finella swiped the cup, bringing it to her mouth. ¡°You can¡¯t trick me with the shit we-¡± Her eyes went wide. ¡°Seven hells! Where did you get this!?¡± ¡°Family sent me a package,¡± he shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ll make you another cup when we get back if you tell me what¡¯s got you looking so... so...¡± He struggled to find the right words. ¡°So unlike you.¡± ¡°Ugh...¡± Finella groaned. ¡°I just... I don¡¯t know...¡± She took another sip of Faren¡¯s coffee. ¡°Empress¡¯s tits, that¡¯s good!¡± After a dozen seconds of thoughtful silence, she asked, ¡°Have you ever got some news that makes you happy and angry at the same time? News that¡¯s both good and bad?¡± ¡°Maybe?¡± Faren looked at his coffee, resigning himself to the fact that he wouldn¡¯t get any more until he returned inside. ¡°Is that what that letter is?¡± ¡°Here,¡± Finella passed it to him. ¡°Take a look at my boon and my curse,¡± she finished dryly. Faren examined the letter, his eyes widening at the sight of the seal of the Eastern Admiralty. Not only that, but it was signed by the Greatlord of Asamaywa! ¡°A promotion?¡± he asked, looking at Finella before continuing to read the letter. ¡°You¡¯re being made a squad commander? Isn¡¯t this... good news?¡± Finella had always wanted to leave the island, and everyone had expected her to find a different position when her deployment ended after the winter. Although she¡¯d been a great source of laughter and camaraderie over the last few months, he didn¡¯t think she¡¯d feel so conflicted over leaving. ¡°It is, and it isn¡¯t.¡± Finella sighed. ¡°I¡¯d given up on an officer''s path, so this,¡± she waved a hand towards the paper, ¡°is amazing news. But... look at what it says! I¡¯m to resume service under my previous captain. Argh!¡± Finella again kicked her legs in the air, spilling some coffee. ¡°Why!? Why is she gripping her claws into me once again!? She said she would hang me if she saw me again! So, why is she dragging me back!?¡± Finella put the coffee down and reached up, clutching her horns. ¡°I¡¯m going to jump! I really will! Faren, will you help me fake my death? Tell them you found me drunk and I rolled off while unconscious! Please!?¡± ¡°Hmm, no,¡± Faren replied definitely. ¡°Help me understand. Doesn¡¯t this mean that she¡¯s forgiven you?¡± As far as Faren understood, even if an officer escaped a hanging for striking their superior, they would never again climb the ranks. Wasn¡¯t this a tremendous opportunity for Finella? ¡°No...¡± Finella mumbled weakly. ¡°She doesn¡¯t forgive. Not her. Oh, moons! I can see that glare right now. It¡¯s like she¡¯s in my mind, staring at me!¡± ¡°She can¡¯t be that bad, can she?¡± ¡°You have no idea,¡± Finella said, shaking her head. ¡°Maybe... maybe she wants to kill me and this is how she¡¯s going to do it? Yes... I can see it right now. She¡¯s making her prey come to her. I bet she¡¯s licking her lips right now, waiting for me to show my back and then-¡± ¡°Can you decline?¡± Faren asked, interrupting Finella¡¯s fantasy. ¡°Of course not!¡± Finella cried. ¡°Look who signed it! Greatlord Oshiro! I always knew her family had political sway, but I didn¡¯t think she¡¯d be able to get a greatlord to swing things! Not only that, but a ship¡¯s coming to get me! Tonight! Ahh...!¡± Tonight? Faren read the rest of the letter and saw that Finella was correct. There were instructions for her to make ready for departure by nine o¡¯clock, when a military transport cutter would pick her up. ¡°Why do I have to leave the moment I get sent some good coffee?¡± Finella took a sip of Faren¡¯s coffee. He did not mention that it was his coffee, only taking a mental note to hide his remaining beans before Finella could track them down like a starving wolfhound. ¡°I swear on the moons of Cascadia, if she doesn¡¯t have a sack of Jimari beans for me, I¡¯m going to desert at the first opportunity!¡± You¡¯ve got a greater chance of bumping into the Empress in a bar, Faren thought. No captain would indulge in something as extravagant as Jimari beans. Meat and alcohol were a far more reliable way to raise the morale of a ship¡¯s crew. ¡°You never spoke about this previous captain,¡± Faren began. ¡°Who is she? Why all this fuss?¡± ¡°You...¡± Finella looked at him with a dejected expression. ¡°You really want to know?¡± ¡°Sure...?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the stuff of nightmares, are you really sure?¡± Faren tilted his head. ¡°I¡¯m really sure.¡± ¡°Then...¡± Finella turned to him, picking up Faren¡¯s coffee, and leaned in, keeping her voice low. ¡°Let me tell you some of the stories of my previous captain.¡± She took a sip and continued, ¡°Let me tell you the tale of Serena Halen, the Hellfire Captain.¡± Chapter Eighty-Four: Graduation Chapter Eighty-Four: Graduation The day of graduation arrived, and once again, the stands in the academy grounds were filled with pairs of horns. Only this time, it wasn¡¯t for the spectacle of competition. It was for the joint celebration between the students, instructors, and families as the Eastern Navy gained a new cohort of skilled officers. While the civilians filled the stands, Serena, along with the rest of the academy¡¯s staff, stood with impeccable posture on a raised platform. Above them, positioned so everyone in the arena had a clear view, was an enormous painting. It was a polyptych ¨C a multi-panelled art piece. This particular one contained five panels, each one containing a depiction of the Empress in one of her many forms. It didn¡¯t matter which form she took, the portraits of the Empress exuded dignity and nobility to anyone looking. Serena found that the painting itself inspired the need to straighten her back a little more. She found it difficult not to stare and analyse each panel. Whether it was the Empress¡¯s depiction as a native of the Western Terra Firma, with dark honey skin, golden eyes, and swept-back horns, or whether it was the depiction of the Empress as a Southern Arakian - with dark skin, yellow eyes, and angular horns - the beauty and elegance of each portrait left Serena feeling awestruck. That said, the longer Serena looked, the more she found an unsettling similarity between the remaining three portraits and people she knew. The Cerulean form the Empress took when she was representing Centralis - her native ethnicity - was shockingly similar to Amelia¡¯s appearance. Serena had, of course, known about the similarity for a long time, but seeing such a large painting so close reminded her of just how similar they were. The Empress¡¯s image possessed bright golden hair that seemed to radiate light, coupled with a face that looked like it could switch between a refined or a playful expression at the drop of a hat. Other than Amelia¡¯s lack of horns, the only real difference was the colour of the eyes. The Empress possessed sapphire blue eyes, which didn¡¯t look so dissimilar to Amelia¡¯s own before becoming crimson after the Asclepius embodiment. Then there was the Empress¡¯s Samino form. This was the same ethnicity as Serena. Despite a part of her mind chastising her for the thought, she couldn¡¯t help but see a reflection of herself in the portrait. They both possessed the same striking crimson eyes, coupled with the elegant horns so distinctive of Samino nobility. Seven hells, while the Empress¡¯s expression was serious, a younger version of her would resemble Lani! Finally, there was the Empress¡¯s representation of the Northern Terra Firma: fair skin, straight horns, and purple eyes that seemed to be looking right at Serena. It was strange; despite knowing it was a painting, she couldn¡¯t help but feel like Katalin of Driss was looking at her. The similarity in the facial structure was uncanny. Then again, Katalin was a known beauty, and the Empress always took an appearance that was conventionally attractive to the area. Serena appreciated her aesthete distraction. Her commodore examination was scheduled just after the ceremony, where she would be in front of Greatlord Oshiro and his colleagues. She didn¡¯t know what she¡¯d be asked, and her brain would have imploded from all the stress-inducing studying she¡¯d been squeezing into every spare minute if it weren¡¯t for Amelia¡¯s magic. Nevertheless, as the time drew closer, Serena resigned herself to either outcome. After all, the worst thing that could happen would be that she failed and that she would have to retake it the following year. Although- Her thoughts were interrupted by a deep, resonant tone that washed over the crowd, silencing their chatter. Serena turned her head to see Grandmaster Shun pulling back a mighty ironwood bachi, a massive tool used to strike the bronze daiko, a colossal drum used in the academy¡¯s graduation ceremony. The grandmaster hit the daiko once more, silencing the last remnants of the chattering families and formally starting the graduation ceremony. As the final note¡¯s whispers vanished on the winter breeze, the graduating cadets marched into the arena. Serena had been so busy with her own schedule that she hadn¡¯t had any opportunities to witness the graduation practice sessions. However, seeing the students march in perfect lockstep, she knew that practice hadn¡¯t gone to waste. Each class of students circled the area once, perfectly responding to the marching officer¡¯s cries of ¡°Turn!¡± and ¡°About face!¡± as if they were a single organism. With a final command to turn and halt, each class of students came to a stop in front of Serena and the other academy staff. Moving as one, the students saluted them with steadfast resolve. Then, with the grandmaster filling the air with one more deep note from the daiko, the students saluted the polyptych, their faces changing slightly to betray their inner admiration. After a minute of silent reflection, the sound of a single pair of footsteps made itself known. Along with that sound, a momentous presence caused the hairs on the back of Serena¡¯s neck to rise. She, along with everyone else on the platform, kept their eyes staring ahead, only feeling out with their perception. Greatlord Oshiro came striding into view. His black and gold admiral uniform, with its prominent epaulettes and decorative sashes, made him a striking figure that captured everyone¡¯s attention. No one, not even the chattiest of family members, dared to whisper. It wasn¡¯t until the greatlord shook the grandmaster¡¯s hand with a smile that the atmosphere warmed up. Even so, through her peripheral vision, Serena could see some students start to sweat in their attempts to perfect their already perfect posture further. If Greatlord Oshiro weren¡¯t a few feet in front of her, she might have laughed. It wouldn¡¯t have been laughter out of cruelty or mockery, but a warm laughter that reminded Serena of her relentless determination throughout her academy years. Sometimes, it was strange to think that to some softhorns, she had a similar effect on them. Greatlord Oshiro murmured with Grandmaster Shun, making polite conversation. Once they were done, the grandmaster stood back and turned to the students. ¡°Class of eight-forty-six!¡± He barked. ¡°Bow to your Greatlord!¡± The students obeyed, throwing themselves into deep bows with envious flexibility. They stayed like that until the grandmaster determined enough time had passed and ordered them to rise. Then, turning towards the academy staff, he gave the same order. Once Serena was told to rise, she saw the grandmaster perform his own bow. It was a deeper bow than he¡¯d given his Lord Superior after the ochimusha incident. The grandmaster must have forgiven him, Serena thought. Greatlord Oshiro then took over the proceedings. He took his position and, pointing to the painting of the Empress, shouted, ¡°Face your Empress and kneel!¡± Almost everyone, Serena, Amelia, the rest of the staff, the students, and Greatlord Oshiro himself, knelt facing the polyptych. For Cascadian nobility and those in the military chain of command, kneeling wasn¡¯t optional. However, that legal requirement didn¡¯t extend to the civilians in the stands. Cascadian law permitted them to remain seated or standing, whether out of laziness or protest. That said, the majority of family members made the effort to kneel. ¡°Sing to your Empress!¡± Greatlord Oshiro commanded. And so, they sang. There were no instruments other than their own voices, but two hundred voices singing in harmony created an awe-inspiring effect. In the symphony, she could hear the grandmaster¡¯s gruff voice, perfectly contrasted by Amelia¡¯s clear and delicate intonation. They sang the Anthem of the East, followed by the Anthem of Cascadia. Both songs covered a heavily abridged version of the Empire¡¯s history, often swapping out historical events with poetic verses that used flowery language to communicate everything from the horrors of the Long Discordancy to the relief and delight of the Empress¡¯s communion with the unknown Third-Word. When the songs finished, they stood. Greatlord Oshiro called out the two names of the Academy''s top performers that year. One was named from the magic department. It was Daichi Ishitani. Another was named from the martial department. It was someone who¡¯d actually failed Aiden¡¯s background check. Nevertheless, while they didn¡¯t pass the requirements to join Serena¡¯s crew, that hadn¡¯t stopped them from becoming the strongest warrior cadet. They were given the privilege of raising the Flag of Moons, a modified version of the Empire¡¯s flag. This flag, along with its depiction of a golden crown wreathed by two horns, included the five moons of Cascadia. Daichi and the other student performed the duty with solemn, serious expressions. Their practiced movements soon had the flag flying high, softly flapping in the breeze. Once they¡¯d returned to their positions, Grandmaster Shun took over again. He began listing notable awards and merits that the students and staff had achieved during that academic year. It was mostly a list of the commendations that staff members had given out throughout the semesters, including the one Serena had recently written and submitted for Flakken Holm. Most commendations were read along with the justification written by the staff who awarded them. The reasons were sometimes specific, detailing an event where a student showed outstanding potential. ¡°Melanie Mori,¡± Grandmaster Shun declared. ¡°From Head Instructor Yamamoto. For carrying out her duty to the utmost during the fire.¡± Serena saw Mel¡¯s parents nodding happily in the stands. It was strange seeing their happy expressions; Serena was used to seeing them through the photographs attached to Aiden¡¯s reports. Nevertheless, with their daughter''s performance during the lowland fire and the recent tournament, they couldn¡¯t look more satisfied. A commendation by someone like Rysouke Yamamoto meant she¡¯d never have trouble in or out of the military. Looking down, Serena could see Mel¡¯s lips curl slightly in satisfaction. ¡°Melanie Mori,¡± the grandmaster repeated. ¡°From Instructor Serena Halen. For outstanding growth and encompassing all the traits that make an excellent officer.¡± Hells, it was the least Serena could do. The double commendation caused a few murmurs in the crowd. While not that rare, it meant a truly excellent student had appeared. Thank the Moons I got her to sign a contract first, Serena thought. More than a few military recruiters would be disappointed to find Serena had beaten them to the talent. ¡°Melanie Mori,¡± the grandmaster announced for a third time, sending a ripple of surprise throughout the crowd. ¡°From myself. For defending the values of this academy in blood.¡± Mel turned white as a nervous smile formed on her face. All the attention on her was proving to be too much. Practically every pair of eyes in the stands was looking at her. A third commendation! It was extremely rare for a student to earn three commendations. Normally, the grandmaster would refuse to formally accept the commendation, limiting a student''s commendations to only two. Exceptions were only made for cadets the grandmaster thought were the best of the best. Three commendations would mean Mel¡¯s name would be recorded on one of the plaques of honour in the academy¡¯s main thoroughfare. A plaque that also held Serena¡¯s name. The grandmaster¡¯s commendation caused more stir than most. The phrase defending the values of this academy in blood meant one thing: Mel had quite literally bled to protect the academy from an outside force. It was undoubtedly for the ochimusha incident, where Mel had nearly died fighting an assassin who sought Amelia¡¯s life. She looked like she¡¯d rather go through that again than continue to stand there with so much attention on her! Poor woman, Serena thought. Luckily for her, there wasn¡¯t a historic fourth commendation coming her way. Instead, the grandmaster called a different name, detailing the remaining commendations before moving onto the fire itself. He discussed the event in a similar manner to how Greatlord Oshiro had during the award ceremony, listing all the academy¡¯s recipients of Bronze, Silver, and Golden Horns that they now wore pinned to their graduation uniforms. Then, Greatlord Oshiro took over once more, beginning his keynote speech. It was a typical graduation speech, expertly delivered by the greatlord who had the cadets hanging on to his every word. As he spoke, Serena could almost see loyalty and resolve bubble within them. Their eyes, which had been relaxing throughout the ceremony, were once again hard and serious. The greatlord, through controlling his voice, further controlled his audience, bringing them to a rapturous finale. ¡°Today you stand!¡± he shouted, looking over the cadets. ¡°In a time of conflict, on the precipice of peace. Do not let the sweet smell of the future lull you into a false sense of security! Continue to hone your skills, and those of your subordinates! You must remain vigilant, for a brief respite in the war in the North means the vacuum of violence will be filled by others! Our Empire is titanic, and our enemies foreign and domestic! Cheer now! Cheer for the Empress and her Empire!¡± He raised his fist, calling for the cadets to act. They didn¡¯t need any more encouragement and, within moments, Serena¡¯s thoughts were drowned out by the noise of passionate demons shouting out a mixture of cries and prayers. Greatlord Oshiro raised an open palm, keeping it there until silence once again blanketed the atmosphere. Then, he began the long process of individually commissioning each cadet into an official officer of the Imperial Navy. Each cadet needed to repeat the very same oath Serena had repeated years before. ¡°I swear by the five moons of Cascadia, the Six Heavens, and the Seven Hells; I will faithfully serve my Overlord and dedicate myself to the Overlord of Overlords, the Empress of Demonkind. In their name, I vow to sail with honour and might, through storm and skirmish, to bring glory to our realm and doom to our foes.¡± Then they were presented with their officer''s sword: a shining steel blade that was both a weapon and the symbol of their authority. Many students struggled not to smile. It was, after all, the reward after two years of intense study and effort. For many of them, that effort extended back to when they were children, when they picked up a stick for the first time and playfully swung it, announcing to their parents that they would one day join the military and become someone of great import. Each cadet then saluted Greatlord Oshiro and the staff members before walking off the platform. Of all of Serena¡¯s picks for her elite team, Daichi and Hinako were the most composed. Mel might have been, but the shock of three commendations hadn¡¯t yet worn off. She looked like the moment she was alone she would scream jubilant cries towards the sky. It was a very... Ameliafied look. Serena, of course, was returning every salute sent her way. After saluting so much, she was starting to feel like a golem, endlessly repeating the same task for their magical masters. Eventually, the final cadet was processed by Greatlord Oshiro. He then invited a Sangoist monk onto the stage, who led the new officers through the tenets of Sangoism, requesting that they reflect on them now and forever. ¡°Strength through discipline.¡± ¡°Journey before destination.¡± ¡°Valor in adversity.¡± ¡°Unity of body and spirit¡± The monk led them through a prayer before leaving. It was Grandmaster Shun¡¯s turn again. He took his position and, with a barked order, the marching officers carried out the penultimate act of the ceremony ¨C the final march. The newly commissioned officers marched around the floor one last time before saluting the academy staff. And then, with one last smash of the daiko with the grandmaster¡¯s mighty baichi, the ceremony was declared over and the families were invited down off the stand. While most family members moved carefully, one large Ainese man barrelled his way through the crowd, picking up Ido and his sister Arin and embracing them tightly. ¡°D-dad! You¡¯re embarrassing us!¡± Arin cried. ¡°Oi, old man! Behave yourself!¡± Ido shouted, fighting to escape his father¡¯s grip. It wasn¡¯t until Serena approached them that the man finally released them. ¡°Mr Song, I presume?¡± Serena asked, holding out her hand. ¡°Aye, that¡¯s me. Who are yeh? Their instructor?¡± The hand that enveloped her own was massive and rough. If it weren¡¯t for her red aura, Serena might have felt intimidated by the Far Easterner¡¯s size. However, despite the size difference, he wasn¡¯t a warrior. Only a strong lowlander. ¡°Dad!¡± Arin whispered, not-so-subtly kicking him in the shins. ¡°That¡¯s Serena Halen. She¡¯s our captain! She¡¯s also a lord, so behave yourself!¡± The man¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Is my daughter speaking true? Yeh a lord, straight and proper?¡± ¡°That¡¯s... right,¡± Serena answered, trying to decipher the man''s expression. She needn¡¯t have thought for long, as he suddenly broke into a wide grin and resumed hugging his children, lifting them off the ground and spinning them. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it! You two worms managed to impress a lord! This is amazing! Yeh gunna be the talk of the village back home!¡± After a minute, he settled down, turning to Serena and saying, ¡°Pleasure to meet yeh, Lord Halen! I¡¯m Nongbu Song, the father of these two nutcrackers!¡± ¡°...Nutcrackers?¡± Serena asked, tilting her head. ¡°Don¡¯t let ¡®em step a toe out of line, will yeh? If they start poking their horns into somewhere they shouldn¡¯t then give them a good smack, will yeh?¡± The twins¡¯ father leaned in, his loud voice only slightly quietening. ¡°They¡¯re my only children, so look after them, will yeh?¡± ¡°You have my word,¡± Serena said. ¡°I¨C¡± ¡°Yeh hear that, children!?¡± Nongbu grabbed his children once more. ¡°Your father just got the word of a lord! I can¡¯t wait to tell everyone at home! I¡¯m going to be the talk of the village! Haha!¡± Now I understand where the twins got their personalities from, Serena thought with a small smile. Thankfully, Amelia turned up. Her natural cheerfulness quickly became a vital bulwark against Nongbu Song¡¯s boisterous personality. Taking advantage of Amelia¡¯s heroic sacrifice, Serena escaped and soon found herself in front of another set of parents. ¡°Lord Halen, thank you for your generous commendation,¡± a serious-looking man said with a polite bow. Next to him stood a woman dressed in a Manwese-style kimono, and next to her stood Mel, looking both proud and awkward. ¡°Melanie won¡¯t let you down,¡± Mel¡¯s father continued. ¡°You have my word.¡± ¡°I¡¯m confident she¡¯ll meet all my expectations,¡± Serena answered. ¡°Her actions during the fire were no less than heroic. I have no doubt you¡¯ll be celebrating her promotion before long.¡± ¡°Ah...¡± the father mumbled. ¡°Your words are most kind, and for them to be spoken by someone as respectable as yourself! Please, should you ever find your way to Kenhoro, stop by our house at any time. Our door is always open for you.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Serena said. She continued small talk with Mel¡¯s parents for a few minutes while trying not to eavesdrop on Amelia''s shenanigans with Nongbu Song. She did notice Mel¡¯s mother giving Amelia a side-eye, but whatever the woman¡¯s inner thoughts, she kept them from showing on her face. Neither Mel nor her parents brought up what happened in the Kenhoro Officer Academy, so Serena didn¡¯t either. Once they left, she only had a few seconds of respite before she found herself shaking another man''s hand. ¡°Eisen Aikawa, at your service, Lord Halen,¡± he said, his face open and cheerful. ¡°Hinako¡¯s father. Speaking of, she should be...¡± The man looked around, eventually spotting his daughter some way away. Serena saw Hinako with her mother, giving a young boy a hug. It was a hug Serena immediately recognised as the infamous Big Sister Hug. The little boy was laughing and reaching out with his small hands, trying to grab Hinako¡¯s horns. ¡°Over there,¡± Eisen said sheepishly. ¡°Apologies, Lord Halen. Hinako loves her younger brother. Anyway... I just wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart. I was delighted to hear you offered her a contract, and ecstatic when I heard Hinako accepted!¡± ¡°It¡¯s no problem,¡± Serena answered. ¡°She deserved it.¡± ¡°Ah, yes! Of course! What I mean is our Hinako always had her eyes set on the dangerous world of duelling! We always wanted her to take another path in life, but could never convince her!¡± The man''s eyes sparkled with appreciation. ¡°So, thank you! For her to work under a captain of your calibre settles all our fears!¡± ¡°Hinako is a second-circle mage,¡± Serena said pointedly. ¡°She¡¯ll be extremely safe wherever she goes.¡± Hinako¡¯s second-circle wards were powerful enough to stop most long guns. Perhaps they would struggle with the enormous slugs Korvus tried to assassinate Amelia with, but it wouldn¡¯t be long until she was protected from even them. Even so, it was strange that this man viewed duelling as more dangerous than active duty. Hinako soon turned up with her little brother. Serena entertained them for a short period before leaving them to their own devices. The moment she stepped away, a neatly dressed woman in a white and gold kimono appeared, wafting her face with a fan. Next to her, two teenagers stood with dignified expressions. Their faces were so familiar that Serena knew who the woman was before her newly commissioned officer son appeared to introduce them. ¡°Lord Halen, allow me the honour of introducing you to my mother, Lord Ishitani,¡± Dachi said politely. ¡°Mother, may I introduce you to my instructor this semester and captain, Lord Halen?¡± ¡°Well done, Daichi,¡± Lord Ishitani said with a nasal voice. Daichi¡¯s mother stepped forward, snapping her fan closed and handing it off to one of her sons. ¡°Lord Halen, it is an honour to make your acquaintance. I¡¯ve heard so much about you and your father. Ah...¡± Daichi¡¯s mother sighed, looking around. ¡°It¡¯s a shame we can¡¯t meet in a more calm environment,¡± she said, eyeing Amelia and the twins. It looked like Nongbu Song was trying to persuade Amelia to lift him up with one hand, betting her that a small human like her couldn¡¯t do it. She¡¯s going to do it, Serena thought. Better wrap this up quickly. ¡°I must give my thanks, Lord Halen,¡± Daichi¡¯s mother intoned. ¡°For providing him with such a valuable opportunity. If there¡¯s anything House Ishitani can do for you, we¡¯re only an aethergram away. I wish-¡± She was interrupted by laughter and cheers as Amelia reached down and picked up the massive mountain of a man that was the twins¡¯ father. ¡°I wish they were more restrictive on what kinds of people they allowed into these events.¡± The woman next to Serena sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve heard how you¡¯ve had to suffer travelling with a human, Lord Halen. Daichi assures me that...¡± A pair of eyebrows went skywards, ¡±...arrangement is ending?¡± Serena flicked her eyes towards Daichi, who wore an unreadable expression. ¡°I¡¯ve heard Lord-Prospect Thornheart will be travelling to another Terra Firma shortly,¡± Serena said, deliberately avoiding the fact that they would be travelling with Amelia. ¡°And you¡¯re welcome. Daichi is an excellent mage, and I look forward to furthering his career. You must be proud.¡± ¡°Oh, I am,¡± Daichi¡¯s mother said, her face twisting into a smile that made Serena want to slap her. ¡°May I introduce you to my other sons. This is-¡± ¡°Excuse me,¡± Serena said. ¡°My Lord Superior is looking for me.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Daichi¡¯s mother''s eyes widened when she saw Greatlord Oshiro looking at them from the raised platform. ¡°Oh! Of course. Don¡¯t let me keep the Greatlord waiting...¡± Serena climbed the stairs, approaching the greatlord. ¡°Greatlord,¡± she intoned, bowing. ¡°Lord Halen,¡± Greatlord Oshiro responded. ¡°Did you just use me as an excuse to escape the clutches of Lord Ishitani?¡± ¡°...Yes,¡± Serena finally said. Greatlord Oshiro quietly snorted. ¡°I can¡¯t blame you for that. Stand by me, and watch these events unfold.¡± Serena moved obediently to stand next to her Lord Superior. ¡°Events?¡± she asked. ¡°What do you- Oh.¡± She saw what he was looking at. Nongbu, not satisfied with being lifted up by Amelia¡¯s magically-enhanced muscles, was now demanding that she repeat the feat while he was holding his son and daughter. ¡°There¡¯s always something refreshing about the lowland folk,¡± Greatlord Oshiro quietly said. ¡°They¡¯re not brought up in such a strict environment. It produces the most interesting people. Have you ever wondered how you might have turned out if you were born where they were?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Serena said honestly. She turned slightly to see that the greatlord was looking at her with a raised eyebrow. ¡°A few months ago, when I saw the condition of the area where the fire originated... I wondered if I would have ever become a Speaker if I were born there.¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t,¡± Greatlord Oshiro said. ¡°Which raises the question: How many Speakers or skilled warriors are currently there right now, wasting their potential because they haven¡¯t been given the opportunity to demonstrate it?¡± ¡°There would be... some,¡± Serena answered slowly. ¡°Give Noburu and Seonmi that chance, Lord Halen.¡± Serena wrinkled her nose before quickly correcting her expression. ¡°I will, Greatlord,¡± she replied. ¡°Good. Now then.¡± He took a step forward. ¡°Let¡¯s interfere below. A few more minutes of this and Lord-Prospect Thornheart will be juggling that poor family.¡± Serena thought he was joking until she heard what Nongbu was saying. Typical! she thought, rushing down the stairs. This is what you get when you put two idiots together for more than a few seconds! Chapter Eighty-Five: Examination Chapter Eighty-Five: Examination With the minor juggling incident resolved, the graduation reception ended and Serena soon found herself pacing outside one of the academy¡¯s rooms. Inside, Greatlord Oshiro and his fellow examiners were preparing for her commodore examination while she grew progressively more nervous outside. At least she had some company. ¡°Good luck!¡± Amelia chirped. ¡°Not that you need it!¡± An enthusiastic thumbs up and a reassuring grin from her girlfriend lightened the atmosphere. ¡°They¡¯ll be idiots not to promote you!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let them hear you say that...¡± Serena mumbled. ¡°Not a problem!¡± Amelia winked. ¡°We¡¯re warded.¡± ¡°Mmm,¡± Serena hummed, distracted. Her mind was almost fully devoted to mental revision, going over last minute topics that she needed to memorize. She should have bought some of her books with her! ¡°You keep clenching your hands into fists,¡± Amelia pointed out, a sly smile forming on her face. ¡°Just how are you planning to pass this examination, anyway?¡± Serena gave Amelia a sarcastic look, but that didn¡¯t stop her girlfriend from intertwining their hands together. ¡°You got this!¡± Amelia reassured, licking her lips. ¡°Want a good-luck kiss?¡± Just as Serena began to lean forward, the door opened. Amelia snapped back, hiding a giggle while dropping the privacy wards. Serena straightened her posture to see an unfamiliar demon dressed in a military uniform eyeing her. ¡°Captain Halen,¡± the man intoned, opening the door for her. Judging from the stripes on his shoulder, he was the same rank as her ¨C a captain. ¡°Yes, thank you,¡± she said, striding forward. The man glanced at Amelia briefly before moving aside and letting Serena past. With a final ¡®Good luck!¡¯ from behind, Serena passed the threshold into the examination room. It was a small room. Other than a few pieces of furniture and its occupants, it was largely empty. There was a small desk to one side with a typewriter on it. The man who let her in sat at this desk, his hands positioned on the keys. Across the room, there was a larger desk with three demons sitting behind it. All three of them wore highly decorated military uniforms, each exuding a terrible amount of presence that might have made Serena¡¯s knees weak if her horns were half a decade softer. She recognised the first man. She reckoned she¡¯d seen more of Greatlord Oshiro than most Highlords in the recent months. She didn¡¯t recognise the second man, but she could make an educated guess on the man¡¯s identity from the insignia pinned to his chest. And the third man she recognised with some bitterness that she refused to let show on her face. ¡°In the centre, please, Captain Halen,¡± the man at the typewriter said, gesturing to the spot facing her examiners. ¡°State your full name and rank.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she said with a nod, walking to the centre of the room before snapping her feet together and saluting. ¡°Captain Serena Halen of her Imperial Cruiser the Vengeance!¡± Was it just in her mind, or was she speaking faster than usual? And her voice... did it always sound so high? She cleared her throat discreetly. ¡°Let the record show Captain Halen has made herself present at...¡± Greatlord Oshiro glanced at a crystal wall clock, ¡°four in the afternoon, precisely. Let us mark this time as the beginning of her examination for commodore. At ease, Captain.¡± As the man to the side clacked away on the typewriter, Serena brought her hand down. ¡°Admiral Takahiro Oshiro, present,¡± Greatlord Oshiro announced to the room. ¡°Vice-Admiral Yi Sunsin, present,¡± the man in the middle declared with an exotic accent. His name confirmed her suspicions. Greatlord Oshiro had informed her that he wouldn¡¯t be the only greatlord on the panel, but she didn¡¯t expect the Greatlord of Nachon to participate. Why was he here? ¡°Rear-Admiral Francis Corvus, present,¡± the Dragon growled. And why was he here? ¡°And, of course,¡± Greatlord Sunsin said, nodding towards the captain typing away. ¡°We have Captain Sasaki as record-keeper.¡± He turned his head, addressing Greatlord Oshiro. ¡°Quite the gathering you¡¯ve put together, Takahiro.¡± ¡°An exceptional candidate requires an exceptional panel,¡± Greatlord Oshiro responded. He turned to Serena, his eyes crinkling with amusement. ¡°You can relax, Captain Halen. You¡¯re as stiff as an ironwood tree!¡± ¡°Yes, Greatlord,¡± Serena responded, unable to relax a single bit. These men, despite their friendly demeanour... Well, other than the Dragon, whom Serena reckoned she¡¯d never seen smile... Other than him, the friendly demeanour of Greatlord Oshiro and Greatlord Sunsin was not to be underestimated. With a wave of one of their hands, they could crush her career and with a wave of the other, resurrect it. ¡°Shall we begin?¡± Greatlord Oshiro asked. Not waiting for an answer, he said, ¡°I believe you wanted to start, Yi.¡± ¡°Thank you, Takahiro,¡± Greatlord Sunsin responded. He slowly leaned back in his chair, taking his time to scratch his chin. It was a deliberate power move, highlighting that his position allowed him to be casual in ways Serena would never dare. The greatlord looked her up and down, before leaning forward, clenching his hands together and resting his chin upon them. ¡°Captain Halen,¡± he began. ¡°You¡¯re sailing uppersky in command of a Kiyoshi-class cruiser when you find yourself suddenly becalmed in enemy territory. Your propeller shaft has suffered a malfunction, and your sensors officer informs you of two signatures approaching your aft at a range of ten klicks from a midsky elevation. What do you do?¡± Serena¡¯s mind raced. She concentrated, trying to block out the clacking of the typewriter¡¯s keys, block out the Dragon¡¯s glare and everything else in the room. There was only her, commanding a Kiyoshi-class cruiser with no means of propulsion while two signatures approached from her rear. ¡°Are the signatures broadcasting identification codes?¡± she asked. ¡°They are not.¡± ¡°I direct the observers to identify the signatures visually. Order the chief engineer to prioritise fixing the propeller, and...¡± Unlike the Vengeance, a Kiyoshi-class cruiser had a twin-barrelled four-inch turret behind the ship¡¯s upper superstructure. ¡°Inform the gunnery crews to rotate the aft battery at the incoming signatures.¡± ¡°Your aft cannons were damaged beyond repair in a previous engagement,¡± Greatlord Sunsin stated, his eyes twinkling. ¡°I order the underhull ball turrets to track the incoming-¡± ¡°Inoperable.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± Serena said immediately. So she couldn¡¯t hit them. Was he trying to trap her with an unwinnable situation, or was he hoping she would go for a specific solution? Perhaps- ¡°Your observers now identify the signatures as enemy cruisers flying their flag of battle,¡± Greatlord Sunsin said, interrupting Serena¡¯s train of thought. ¡°Your chief engineer informs you that a repair will take at least an hour. The enemy will be within accurate firing range in ten minutes. What do you do?¡± ¡°How many degrees do I need to rotate the ship to be able to find a firing solution for the forward batteries?¡± Greatlord Sunsin wrung his hands, looking at the ceiling. ¡°Let¡¯s say... three degrees.¡± With her ship becalmed and without propulsion, it would be impossible for an ordinary captain to rotate the ship. That is, if Serena was an ordinary captain. After almost three years of being captain of the Vengeance, carrying out impossible task after impossible task, Serena had learned to think outside the box. ¡°I order crystal explosives to be extracted from the munitions and placed on the hull against the engine room''s armour.¡± The Dragon snorted. ¡°Excuse me?¡± Greatlord Sunsin raised an eyebrow. Greatlord Oshiro¡¯s lip curled almost imperceptibly. Serena took a breath. ¡°Red by itself wouldn''t even crack the engine room armour. Those plates need shaped charges, kinetic penetrators, or battleship weapons to break through. By placing the explosives alone and detonating them, I can generate enough yaw to rotate the ship and secure a firing solution. Twenty pounds attached to the strongest part of the armour, the lift-engine belt, should do the trick.¡± ¡°You would bomb your own ship?¡± the Dragon asked sarcastically, sneering at her. ¡°...Yes.¡± ¡°This is most unconventional...¡± Greatlord Sunsin mused, slowly tapping his finger on the table. He turned to his right, asking, ¡°Takahiro. Thoughts?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see where this goes, Yi,¡± Greatlord Oshiro responded. ¡°Very well, Captain Halen.¡± Greatlord Sunsin smiled at her. It was probably meant to be a disarming smile, but it raised the hairs on the back of Serena¡¯s neck instead. Why did all greatlords look like predators when they smiled? ¡°Let us assume this plan works and you manage to destroy one of the enemy cruisers. The remaining enemy is now wary of your action and ensures it remains in your blind spot during your approach. What might your next action be? Surely you don¡¯t plan on risking the engine¡¯s armour again?¡± Serena had already guessed they wouldn¡¯t let her use the same trick twice. Her mind had already settled on another out-of-the-box solution. She hoped they would take it well. ¡°I deploy the port and starboard sail,¡± she stated plainly. ¡°There is no wind, Captain Halen.¡± ¡°Nethertheless, I order them to be deployed.¡± ¡°Then what?¡± Greatlord Sunsin frowned. ¡°Your aetherscopes detect incoming shells. You¡¯re being fired upon. Captain Halen. What-¡± ¡°I order the chief engineer to turn the lift engine off.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± The Dragon rapped his knuckles against the desk, his face contorting in annoyance. ¡°You first bomb your own ship, and now you decide to condemn the entire crew to death? The point of these exercises is not to do the enemy¡¯s job for them!¡± ¡°A moment, Francis,¡± Greatlord Oshiro said. ¡°Let¡¯s see where this goes.¡± The Dragon clicked his tongue, leaning back in his chair. Greatlord Oshiro, seemingly satisfied that his protests had been quelled for now, turned to Serena and said, ¡°Continue, Captain.¡± ¡°As the ship plummets, the sails will act as parachutes. They will bring the nose of the ship down. Once we¡¯re hanging almost vertical I order the sail chains cut and let her fall.¡± Serena saw the Dragon¡¯s mouth open, but she quickly pressed on before he could interrupt her. ¡°The Kiyoshi-class possess a triple set of flaperons that are much larger than previous generations. Its designers prioritised mobility for its weight class. As we accelerate, the ship¡¯s flaperons will be able to generate enough force to create horizontal speed and roll. The enemy is midsky while I¡¯m positioned in uppersky. I can afford to sacrifice height without putting the ship in a more disadvantageous position than it already is. By losing height, I can gain distance, angle, and therefore, a firing solution. Once near the elevation of the remaining enemy, the lift engine can be turned back on.¡± Serena finished her explanation and then waited while the three men said nothing. The only noise in the room was the clacking of the typewriter. I didn¡¯t get it wrong, did I? Serena thought, second-guessing herself. ¡°See?¡± Greatlord Oshiro finally said, raising an eyebrow to the other men. ¡°I told you.¡± ¡°So you did...¡± Greatlord Sunsin replied. ¡°What an interesting mind you have, Captain Halen. I dare say I would never have thought to pitch the ship and drop it like a pen!¡± ¡°It¡¯s suicide,¡± the Dragon said. ¡°What would the chances of success be? Five percent? Ten?¡± ¡°Captain Halen?¡± Greatlord Sunsin asked, redirecting the question to her. ¡°...Rear-Admiral Corvus¡¯s analysis is correct,¡± Serena said honestly. ¡°However, I would take a five or ten percent chance over a guaranteed loss to the enemy, or even worse, a capture.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± Greatlord Sunsin hummed, nodding his head. ¡°Well then, who wants to take the next question?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take the lead,¡± Greatlord Oshiro said. ¡°Now we¡¯ve established Captain Halen¡¯s talents at finding solutions in otherwise unwinnable situations, let¡¯s throw her a bone, shall we?¡± Not waiting for an answer, he continued, ¡°You¡¯re in command of two Kiyoshi-class cruisers, three Yita-class destroyers, and two lightcraft hunter Ninko-class frigates, one of which is refitted to act as the squadron''s supply ship. Now...¡± He cleared his throat, leaning forward slightly. ¡°You¡¯re deployed on a prolonged operation. What strategies would you employ to manage crew fatigue and morale?¡± An easy question to start. ¡°Regular rotation of personnel for rest periods. If secure aethergram communication is possible, allow regular communication with families. Should any conflicts or issues arise on the crew, ensure they are promptly dealt with by superiors and-¡± ¡°Yes, yes,¡± Greatlord Oshiro waved a hand, cutting her off. ¡°We all know the textbook answers. What I want to know is what have you done personally in this regard?¡± Serena blinked twice. It would be a gamble, but... ¡°May I speak of a situation from onboard the Vengeance, Admiral?¡± ¡°You may.¡± ¡°Fishing,¡± she said. ¡°Fishing?¡± Greatlord Oshiro echoed. ¡°On the return from the battle of Port Highwind, my observers identified a school of sardis...¡± Serena began recounting the events from months earlier, making sure to rephrase them as best as possible. ¡°Given the opportunity to give the Vengeance¡¯s pilots some dive training, we affixed nets upon their structure and had them perform a fishing dive. We captured enough of the fish to feed the crew for a day, greatly raising morale after the losses we faced in the previous battle.¡± ¡°You need stealth engines to capture sardis,¡± the Dragon interrupted. Seeing Greatlord Sunsin nod in agreement, he continued, ¡°I don¡¯t believe you just got lucky, Captain Halen.¡± ¡°I ordered the pilots to turn off the engines on the dive,¡± Serena answered. ¡°And... I accepted the offer from a talented mage to put the sardis under a sleeping spell. The combination of these two things meant we were successful.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Greatlord Sunsin asked. ¡°You risked a mage by putting them in a dive?¡± ¡°No, Vice-Admiral,¡± Serena bowed her head slightly. ¡°The mage remained on the Vengeance''s deck.¡± ¡°Then what distance did they cast this spell?¡± the greatlord asked with a puzzled expression. ¡°Approximately one klick, Vice-Admiral.¡± ¡°The Vengeance has such a mage?¡± Greatlord Sunsin glanced towards Greatlord Oshiro and then back at Serena. ¡°What is this talented mage''s name? Other than Lunaria Inoue, I don¡¯t know of any other mage in the East capable of such a feat.¡± ¡°I, uh,¡± Serena began, glancing at Greatlord Oshiro. ¡°Lord-Prospect Thornheart was accompanying Captain Halen at the time,¡± Greatlord Oshiro explained. ¡°You¡¯ll have to forgive me, but I must direct our talented captain here not to speak further of the human¡¯s activities. You know how much our Overlord values her privacy.¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± Greatlord Sunsin rubbed his chin. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll hold my tongue for now. I¡¯ll be able to witness her capabilities tomorrow, anyway. That¡¯ll confirm the truth of this story to me, Captain Halen.¡± ¡°Of course, Vice-Admiral,¡± Serena replied. Tomorrow morning was Amelia''s date and time to repeat her miraculous healing. They would leave Asamaywa right after that, before the crowds could get too out of hand. ¡°Other than supplying your crew with the finest meat found in the sky, what else have you done to ensure high morale on your ship?¡± Greatlord Sunsin asked. ¡°I¡¯ve succeeded in maximising recreational activities on the ship''s deck. Weather and situation permitting, of course.¡± ¡°What kind of activities?¡± ¡°The men often wrestle in the open air, making small bets on the winner. It lets their horns cool from battle, and reduces stress,¡± Serena explained. ¡°We also do our washing outside, affixing lines from the rails to the port and starboard masts, and back to the turrets.¡± ¡°To the turrets?¡± the Dragon growled. ¡°Tying anything to the turrets is a disruption of their operation, and a violation of regulations, Captain Halen.¡± He turned to the others, saying, ¡°Are we really going to promote a talent that makes such juvenile mistakes? It¡¯s a crystal keg waiting to blow! If anything, it¡¯s grounds for a demotion!¡± ¡°Oh, come on, Francis,¡± Greatlord Oshiro replied, slightly rolling his eyes. ¡°If we demoted every captain who used their turrets for a washing line, we¡¯d have no captains! You know, as well as I do, that the fires of battle burn away these petty regulations.¡± The greatlord held the Dragon¡¯s eyes until the latter finally turned away. ¡°I¡¯m only making a point,¡± he mumbled. ¡°Let us turn our attention away from the Vengeance,¡± Greatlord Oshiro said. ¡°And back to theory. Now, where were we? Two Kiyoshi-class cruisers, three Yita-class destroyers, and two lightcraft hunter Ninko-class frigates...¡± Greatlord Oshiro continued with questions on fleet tactics and logistics¡ªthe key areas a commodore must know inside and out. The questions were varied but didn¡¯t deviate too much from the textbooks: ¡°How would you engage an enemy through a cloud wall?¡± ¡°If your squadron¡¯s flagship¡¯s aetherscope is damaged beyond repair, what methods would you use to ensure reliable communication throughout the fleet?¡± ¡°Describe how the ship-of-the-wall doctrine came about, and how you would use your given squadron to counter it.¡± ¡°What are the countermeasures against a hostile aether-scrambler, and how would you adjust your strategy if you knew the enemy possessed an aether-warfare ship?¡± Following those questions, they moved onto fleet logistics. As they continued on, Serena realised many of her questions could be answered by the planning and decisions she¡¯d already made regarding her upcoming deployment to the South. She only had to extrapolate from her plans for the Vengeance to multiple ships. ¡°You¡¯re on an extended deployment against the tribal barbarians in the Endless Sands. How would you ensure a continual supply of logistics for your squadron?¡± ¡°How would you ensure continuous maintenance on your squadron against the problems posed by desert sand while keeping the squadron ready for battle?¡± ¡°How would you prioritise resource allocation against a known enemy fleet with a similar composition to your own?¡± ¡°What contingency plans would you have in place for unexpected logistical challenges?¡± As she thought she neared the end, she found herself relaxing. At least, until the Dragon raised the one issue she¡¯d hoped he wouldn¡¯t raise ever since she¡¯d seen him behind the desk. ¡°Promoting someone to commodore isn¡¯t just a statement on their future prospects,¡± the Dragon said. ¡°But it is also an endorsement of their previous actions. Tell me, Captain Halen, about the events of forty-two.¡± Serena swallowed. Forty-two. The year of the Federation Convoy Incident. Why did he have to bring this up? She supposed it made sense; Greatlord Oshiro would have likely banned him from discussing the Korvus mutiny because of how closely it related to Amelia, so the Dragon decided he would attack her with this instead. Thinking about it, that incident marked the beginning of his hostility against her. Was that why he was on this panel? Was he trying to sabotage her promotion? ¡°Well,¡± she began, trying to keep her voice even. ¡°We were given intelligence that the Republican Navy had sent a convoy of eight medium Dubnyak-class transport ships to collect munitions from Federation logistic ports they¡¯d purchased using our stolen gold and crystal. If you¡¯ve read the report-¡± ¡°I have,¡± the Dragon interrupted. ¡°Then...¡± Serena coughed lightly. ¡°You will know this intelligence came at a point in the war after we found out the Republic had purchased a number of Federation hulls, including the Dubnyak-class. We were also aware that they were making their munition runs by illegally flying the Federation national flag, falsely declaring their allegiance to avoid us firing on them. Knowing this, the Vengeance lay in wait until the convoy made its return journey and we...¡± Serena paused momentarily. ¡°Opened fire.¡± ¡°Yes, you did,¡± the Dragon said. ¡°Tell me, why did you not identify them as civilians? According to the report...¡± he tapped his finger against the table, ¡°...they had no escort, and were not sailing in any military convoy formation you would have known.¡± ¡°I believed their formation and composition was to further their deception,¡± Serena answered, feeling a knot in her throat. ¡°I believed in our intelligence faithfully.¡± ¡°Long-range Federation aetherscops picked up their distress cries,¡± the Dragon said, his eyes narrowing. ¡°But you didn¡¯t, why?¡± Serena knew he knew the answer. Hells, she knew he knew that she knew he knew. Regardless, he was her superior and he asked her a question. It¡¯s not like she could lie. The truth was in the report. ¡°I was ordered to do everything in my power to destroy the enemy convoy,¡± Serena replied carefully. She took a deep breath, saying, ¡°I knew if we heard their surrender we would have a legal obligation to cease fire. So...¡± She felt her voice become weak. ¡°We turned off our aetherscopes when we launched the attack.¡± They never heard those cries of distress. ¡°Not we, Captain Halen,¡± the Dragon intoned smoothly. ¡°You, isn¡¯t that right? You, as captain of the Vengeance, ordered the aetherscope to be turned off, didn¡¯t you?¡± Serena squeezed her fists. ¡°...Yes,¡± she finally said. Her guilt. Her shame. Her terrible past, brought once more into the cold light of day. Would she ever escape that event? Would she ever be able to calm the twisting of her heart? Her regret? ¡°Come now,¡± Greatlord Sunsin said. ¡°Is it necessary to bring up a matter that has been settled? Both Cascadia and the Federation agreed no crime was committed. Captain Halen broke no law by turning off her aetherscope.¡± ¡°The only reason she didn¡¯t break the law was because it was an oversight. Those maritime laws were written before the aetherscope was invented! New international conventions were established because of her!¡± the Dragon, fulfilling his name sense, was red with anger. ¡°She damn near put us at war with the Federation!¡± ¡°It was a long time ago, Francis,¡± Greatlord Oshiro said with a sigh. ¡°The Republic is to blame for their acts of naval perfidy. This small blemish on her otherwise stellar record is too far in the past to colour our decision today.¡± To his words, Greatlord Sunsin nodded, but the Dragon shook his head. ¡°We can¡¯t praise her out-of-the-box thinking when it benefits us and then brush it aside when it causes an international catastrophe!¡± He slammed his fist on the table. ¡°We can¡¯t-¡± ¡°Seven Hells, man!¡± Greatlord Sunsin cried. He raised his hand and flourished towards Serena. ¡°She¡¯s been recommended by Greatlord Oshiro. Your Lord Superior! Do you intend to challenge his commendation?¡± Whatever anger that was building within the Dragon, Greatlord Sunsin¡¯s words managed to cool it. The Dragon took a slow breath and growled, ¡°I¡¯m not suggesting my Lord Superior was wrong. I¡¯m merely advocating we delay Captain Halen¡¯s promotion for another six months.¡± ¡°Delay?¡± Greatlord Oshiro asked. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°The Federation, despite their public statement on the report, still have bitter memories of the event. With the war ending, we have an opportunity to seek a lasting period of peace and, at the very least, make incremental steps to normalise our diplomacy with the human nations.¡± The Dragon looked at Serena coldly before turning back to Greatlord Oshiro. ¡°Her name is known in the Federation for all the wrong reasons. If we make her commodore now, it¡¯ll be over the Federation broadsheets within a week. It would harm diplomacy right as we¡¯re working to renew our steel and crystal trade! They¡¯ll see it as spitting in their faces!¡± Serena hated to admit it. She really did. But... he had a point. The room was silent for a long time. Not even the typewriter made any noise. Eventually, after a long period of consideration, Greatlord Oshiro said, ¡°Your logic is convincing...¡± Was it just her, or did he sound disappointed? ¡°However,¡± Greatlord Oshiro continued. ¡°Six months is too much. Consent to her promotion, Francis, and I¡¯ll delay it three months.¡± ¡°Three months-¡± ¡°I am being kind,¡± Greatlord Oshiro intoned, his face darkening. ¡°You¡¯re lucky to have moved my mind on this, Francis. She¡¯s involved in bigger things than you think. Cascadia has plans for her talent, as we have for yours. Her promotion to commodore is more than just throwing her a bone.¡± The Greatlord stared down his Lord Inferior until he relented. Once the atmosphere warmed back up slightly, Greatlord Oshiro said, ¡°Factoring in all that we¡¯ve heard today, those in favour of promoting Captain Halen to commodore, to be delayed for three months? I say aye,¡± he finished, raising a hand. ¡°Aye,¡± Greatlord Sunsin said, raising his hand. ¡°...Aye,¡± the Dragon said, slowly raising his hand. ¡°The ayes have it,¡± Greatlord Oshiro said, a smile forming. ¡°Unanimous.¡± He turned to Serena. ¡°Well then, Captain Halen. Congratulations on your future promotion. Expect to receive an aethergram in three months with your new commission.¡± Serena bowed deeply, and once she had risen, saluted the three men. ¡°Thank you, Admiral! It¡¯s an honour!¡± Greatlord Oshiro looked at her with an indecipherable expression on his face. What was he thinking when he looked at her? ¡°You may leave, Captain Halen.¡± ¡°Yes, Admiral.¡± With that, Serena turned and left the room. Only to be surrounded by a ward of privacy and bombarded with questions by a familiar bundle of blonde energy. ¡°Well!?¡± The bundle of blond energy asked. ¡°How¡¯d it go!?¡± Despite the stressful situation she¡¯d just gone through, despite the pain of dragging up her past, she always had Amelia to ease her burden. Really, she was the luckiest demon in the Known World, wasn¡¯t she? Chapter Eighty-Six: Departure I Chapter Eighty-Six: Departure I Their final night in Asamaywa was, as Serena had expected, one where they didn¡¯t get all that much sleep. Their justification was simple: the upcoming journey across the Southern Passage to Ishaq was highly dependent on the weather, and was expected to take anywhere from one to three weeks. Given that Serena was never truly alone on the Vengeance, engaging in the kinds of activities that she had... gotten used to... wasn¡¯t a possibility for someone of her upbringing. While she would be able to show some affection, she could hardly commit to anything that would sate Amelia¡¯s shameless lust on the ship, even in private. ¡®Private¡¯ on the Vengeance always carried with it the addendum of Anathor¡¯s omniscient presence. While Serena doubted an old Formless like Anathor cared too much about intimacy, she felt uncomfortable going that far with him watching. So they made the most of their final night and, despite showing her fair share of embarrassing expressions throughout the experience, Serena woke feeling refreshed and satisfied. ¡°Carriages should be here soon,¡± Serena said, neatly tying her hair. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t be there. I¡¯ve got to meet the new officers. I need to give them a rousing speech and finalise the preparations.¡± ¡°Mmm!¡± Amelia hummed. ¡°No worries! I¡¯ll be in and out before you know it! Ah...¡± She held her hands in the air, as if reaching for the sky. ¡°I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re finally leaving! It¡¯s only been two months, but it feels so much longer! So much has happened!¡± ¡°And so much more will happen, I imagine,¡± Serena mused. ¡°And where would these events be happening?¡± Amelia slid up to Serena, wrapping her hands around her waist. ¡°You want to tell me where we¡¯re sailing to?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll find out in a few hours,¡± Serena said, rolling her eyes. ¡°Until then... operational security.¡± She wagged her finger in front of Amelia¡¯s face, letting it rest on her girlfriend¡¯s soft lips. ¡°Bleh,¡± Amelia stuck her tongue out and then began to nibble on Serena¡¯s finger. Her eyes suddenly widened. ¡°Oh, they¡¯re here!¡± Serena flared her aura, stretching her senses. Amelia¡¯s insane perception never ceased to amaze her. Her girlfriend wasn¡¯t mistaken. After a few seconds, the sound of multiple carriages¡¯ wheels and dozens of pairs of shoes made themselves known. She heard a familiar voice talk with the drivers before making their way to the gatehouse. ¡°Johan¡¯s here,¡± Serena said. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± She and Amelia headed outside, walking through the winding garden to the gatehouse where Johan was waiting. Despite carrying a box, he maintained his usual dignified presence ¨C the aura of a practised butler developed through decades of refinement. ¡°Lord-Prospect Thornheart,¡± he intoned when he saw them. ¡°Lord Halen. Good morning.¡± ¡°Good morning!¡± Amelia chirped. ¡°Morning, Johan,¡± Serena said. If the butler had any thoughts about why Serena was at Amelia¡¯s estate so early in the morning, he showed no signs of it. ¡°Your insignias have arrived, Lord-Prospect,¡± Johan said, passing the box to Amelia. ¡°I¡¯ve taken the liberty of including several wax seals, appropriate writing instruments, and chequebooks. A copy of your identification documents are included as well. Should you ever lose them, you can have new ones printed at the Hall of Records.¡± ¡°Amazing! Thanks, Johan!¡± Amelia set the box on top of a nearby table and eagerly opened it. ¡°Whoa!¡± she exclaimed, pulling out the precious symbols that now represented House Thornheart. ¡°Check them out!¡± She held them towards Serena, who took one and examined it. ¡°So you kept it simple, after all?¡± Serena said, tilting the insignia to catch the light. Amelia had taken the universal symbol for humanity - a circle with a cross inside, touching the circle at four points, dividing it into equal quadrants - and the symbol of demonkind, a circle with two arrows attached to the outside, pointing outwards, representing two horns, and combined the two. The result was a human symbol with two arrows acting as horns. It wasn¡¯t exactly subtle. It practically shouted Amelia¡¯s political philosophy, but it had a simple elegance that Serena could appreciate. ¡°And here I was, thinking you were going to become the first house represented by a peeka,¡± Serena said with a smile, handing the insignia back. ¡°Oh, that was the original idea!¡± Amelia grinned, holding up her thumb and forefinger. ¡°I was this close to going with it, but Mel persuaded me to go with the symbol combination in the end!¡± Somewhere in the back of Serena¡¯s mind, her opinion of Officer Mori skyrocketed. ¡°There are several types of insignias you should carry with you or have close at hand at all times,¡± Johan explained. ¡°Traditionally, signet rings are worn by direct members of your family. As the legal Head of House Thornheart, you should wear the golden ring. Centralis tradition requests the ring be worn on the little finger of the non-dominant hand, but Eastern tradition encourages it to be worn on the ring finger. As your family grows, your golden ring will be passed to your husband¡¯s finger, if you choose to pass the title of Head onto him.¡± ¡°R-right!¡± Amelia nodded, casting a glance in Serena¡¯s direction. ¡°The silver rings will identify the remaining members of your family,¡± Johan continued. ¡°The bronze, silver, and gold pendants are yours to give away to people of good character who are aligned with your goals. Granting someone a bronze or silver pendant signifies House Thornheart stands behind them. The gold pendants grant legal permission to act on behalf of your house. Should you desire to hand one of those out, you will also need to write a contract explicitly stating what legal rights you are granting the beholder and for what duration.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t give them out lightly,¡± Serena warned. ¡°Even bronze pendants should be treated seriously. Just as a person might be defined in society by what Houses have granted them their insignia, a House is defined by the people it chooses. Typically, a person would be both friendly and beneficial to a house for many years before receiving a bronze pendant. Bronze is, after all, the traditional metal of friendship.¡± ¡°And what about silver ones?¡± Amelia asked, grinning as she tapped her chest. Serena knew underneath that shirt Amelia was wearing the silver insignia of House Halen. Serena had given one to her in Kenhoro to ensure Amelia would face no trouble in the city, and to prevent other Houses from trying to steal her for themselves. What? Serena thought. It was an exceptional circumstance! ¡°As for silver... other than exceptional situations,¡± Serena said, suppressing a sigh at Amelia¡¯s grin. ¡°We¡¯re talking decadal or even generational long mutual-relationships before silver pendants are handed out. Silver is the traditional metal of alliance, so understand what it implies.¡± ¡°And gold?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°What does that metal represent?¡± ¡°Leadership,¡± Serena answered. ¡°Hence why it¡¯s worn by the Head of the House. It¡¯s also the metal of marriage. Eastern tradition tends to be more subtle, with rings of gold exchanged during the wedding ceremony and worn on the ring finger. In Centralis, women wear golden hornbands to signify their marital status.¡± ¡°Mmm, understood...¡± Amelia dug into the box, bringing out a silver pendant and holding it out to Serena. ¡°Here you go! The first alliance of House Thornheart! If anyone threatens you...¡± Amelia flexed one of her biceps, winking at Serena. ¡°I¡¯ll beat them up!¡± At least it wasn¡¯t gold, Serena thought. How would she even react if Amelia tried to give her a golden insignia!? That said... how would she react? Could they even get married? And... why did the thought of it... feel so warm? ¡°I will have to inform Highlord Halen of this bestowal,¡± Johan said, interrupting Serena¡¯s thought. She blinked, focusing again. She took the silver insignia and, stepping back, performed a perfect curtsy. ¡°Thank you, Lord-Prospect Thornheart. As long as I carry this insignia, I will bring good fortune to House Thornheart.¡± Amelia grinned, performing her own curtsy. ¡°You¡¯re welcome!¡± she said, blushing slightly. Johan politely coughed. ¡°Regarding your other request, Lord-Prospect Thornheart, Highlady Halen would be delighted to furnish and decorate your estate. She only needs to know the budget and theme you desire.¡± ¡°Oh! Uh...¡± Amelia scratched her cheek. ¡°I¡¯d want a bit more colour. More flowers, I reckon. Just in general more warm and welcoming. It feels awfully empty, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Warm and welcoming, I understand,¡± Johan bowed slightly. ¡°Rest assured, Highlady Halen¡¯s experience in Manwese teng shua will have your estate becoming the talk of the city once she¡¯s finished with it.¡± Amelia glanced at Serena as if doubting Johan¡¯s words. ¡°Mother knows her interior design,¡± Serena said, giving her a reassuring look. ¡°I¡¯d suggest a budget of two thousand denarii. There¡¯s-¡± ¡°Two thousand!?¡± Amelia spluttered. ¡°That¡¯s the monthly wage of two hundred and fifty soldiers!¡± ¡°That¡¯s the minimum you can spend without any guests feeling insulted,¡± Serena said, raising a finger. ¡°Being a noble is as much about presentation as it is action. In general, the more expensive the presentation, the more sincere the action. Trust me, when you see the result, you¡¯ll be amazed at what Mother¡¯s able to achieve. You¡¯re a noble and a Speaker. People expect you to have a certain amount of wealth. It¡¯ll cause difficulties if you try to deviate from the norm.¡± Serena knew Amelia wasn¡¯t the type of woman to care too much about being wealthy, but lavishly decorating her estate was more for potential guests than her. Cascadian society was heavily stratified, and that stratification was all the more prominent in the polite and refined Eastern Terra Firma. People needed to show and display class signifiers. If they didn¡¯t, then other people wouldn¡¯t know how to act or talk. ¡°...Fine,¡± Amelia crossed her arms. ¡°But I¡¯m not moving on the children!¡± She turned to Johan and enquired, ¡°Did you sort it out, Johan? Did you find them an appropriate instructor?¡± ¡°I...¡± Johan glanced at Serena before continuing, ¡°I could not find a teacher of high enough standing who would be willing to put their name on the line. Please understand, Lord-Prospect, that these are lowborn orphan children. They have had years of bad habits ingrained in them. Training them as workers in your estate will likely-¡± ¡°Nah,¡± Amelia interrupted, shaking her head. ¡°It¡¯s important to me. If someone complains, they can take it up with the church. What I¡¯m doing is following the Bible¡¯s teachings, anyway. If you can¡¯t find a teacher of high standing then loosen the requirements. Even if you have to pay more.¡± ¡°Highlady Halen might find it-¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± Amelia raised a hand to her ear. ¡°Is this my estate, or Serena¡¯s mother¡¯s?¡± ¡°Ah...¡± Johan fumbled his words. He eventually looked to Serena for help. ¡°They¡¯re good kids, and they respect her,¡± Serena said. ¡°The one looking after them, the woman named Kiku, owes a debt to Amelia. She¡¯ll keep the children in line. Find a teacher, Johan.¡± ¡°...Yes, Lord Halen,¡± Johan intoned, turning to Amelia and bowing. ¡°Apologies, Lord-Prospect.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget to pay them a fair wage, Johan!¡± ¡°...Yes.¡± With the subject of House Thornheart¡¯s affairs in order, they exited the estate to a line of carriages. One of the carriages was for Serena to take her to the docks, while the other three were for transporting and guarding Amelia to her healing event. In addition to carriages full of guards, Greatlord Oshiro had ordered an entire squadron of Old Guard to walk alongside her carriage. There were more than fifty pairs of horns, ready to protect Amelia at a moment¡¯s notice. Not that she needed protection, of course. This was more about Greatlord Oshiro making a statement. ¡°You have everything you need?¡± Serena asked. ¡°You won¡¯t be coming back here.¡± ¡°O-one moment!¡± Amelia darted back into the estate, returning soon carrying a strangely shaped bundle and a large bag full of wrapped items. ¡°Are those...?¡± Serena asked, frowning. ¡°Presents,¡± Amelia said with a grin. ¡°Christmas presents!¡± ¡°I see...¡± Serena raised an eyebrow. ¡°Should I take them with me? Free up space for your carriage?¡± ¡°No!¡± Amelia shook her head. ¡°You¡¯ll shake them and try and figure out what¡¯s inside, won¡¯t you!?¡± Tsk! Serena clicked her tongue. ¡°Of course not!¡± she protested. Damn it. Amelia had seen right through her. Amelia put her presents in her carriage. Someone stepped in to offer her assistance, but the man was waved off. As much as Amelia was passable in most areas of etiquette, she was terrible at letting others do physical work she wanted done. It was something Serena avoided correcting. She knew Amelia liked moving and using her body, having told Serena once that every step felt like a celebration of health. ¡°See you in a few hours,¡± Serena said. She gave Amelia final words of encouragement before entering her own carriage and proceeding to the docks. On the way, she idly played with the silver insignia Amelia had given her. She really hoped Amelia wouldn¡¯t start giving them out like sugarfruits. Too many and she would stifle her House¡¯s options in the future. She felt a growing excitement about leaving. It was a strange feeling, not one she normally experienced on the eve of a deployment. Usually, she felt a sense of focus and duty, her mind occupied by nothing but the facts of the mission. This time, her mind continued to interrupt her thoughts with unnecessary things. How would Amelia react to all the new sights and experiences? What face would she make when she tasted Southern food? What- Serena shook her head. She needed to focus. She arrived at the docks. Stepping down from the carriage, she strode towards the gate. ¡°When Lord-Prospect Thornheart arrives, have someone show her to the Vengeance¡¯s bay,¡± she instructed the gate guard, returning the man¡¯s salute. ¡°Yes, Captain Halen!¡± the man earnestly responded. Approaching the ship, she saw a flurry of activity. Steam cranes hissed as they lowered the final barrels and crates into the Vengeance¡¯s hold. She saw her weapons officer, Officer Thorne, walking the length of the ship¡¯s deck, checking the guns¡¯ muzzle covers. Allston, her chief engineer, was discussing something with his niece. When he saw her, he strode over, saluting. ¡°Captain!¡± he announced. ¡°All on schedule. We¡¯ve installed the new flipdot displays in the engine and gunnery turrets. Green on all tests.¡± ¡°Good work, Allston,¡± Serena replied. While the ship''s turret pods were being integrated with the new Ambler Firing Tables, Serena had taken the opportunity to connect flipdot displays throughout the ship to the stations on the bridge. At a flip of a switch, she and her officers could transmit orders throughout the vessel, no longer relying on older technology like the speaking tubes. ¡°Where¡¯s my First Officer and Quartermaster?¡± ¡°Heh.¡± Allston rubbed his chin. ¡°They¡¯re breaking in the new officers. You know what they¡¯re like.¡± He gave her a knowing look and jerked his head towards the ship. Serena resisted the urge to roll her eyes. ¡°Alright,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll go on ahead. Dismissed.¡± She walked across the gangway and onto the Vengeance¡¯s deck. There, dozens of her crew saluted her when she passed, quickly resuming their work loading the last crates and barrels. She made her way to the officers¡¯ quarters. After the Dragon had disbanded her ground forces, they had been rather empty without the squad commanders occupying them. Now, as she approached, she could sense their new occupants ¨C her former students. She could also hear Dagon and Tomes. She slowed down, taking the time to eavesdrop. ¡°This ain¡¯t your normal ship, you bunch of softhorns!¡± she heard Dagon exclaim. ¡°You¡¯re on the Vengeance now! Cap¡¯n might have played nice at the academy when she had a lot of eyes on her, but now you¡¯re in her territory, ain¡¯t that right, Tomes?¡± ¡°Right you are, Dagon,¡± Serena heard her quartermaster smugly reply. ¡°You put one horn out of line, one slip of the regulations, one wrinkle on your uniform, one second late to watch, and you¡¯ll be lucky to get away with only a flogging, isn¡¯t that right, Dagon?¡± ¡°Aye,¡± Dagon replied. ¡°I¡¯ve seen her strip away flesh from bone with a single lash of the whip! When the Cap¡¯n gets her horns twisted, you better pray to the Seven Hells you weren¡¯t the ones to twist ¡®em!¡± There was a dramatic pause where Serena could imagine Dagon raising a finger. ¡°If you were, you better hope she doesn¡¯t throw you off board! Ain¡¯t that right, Tomes?¡± Serena rolled her eyes. ¡°That¡¯s right, brother,¡± Tomes answered, audibly shuddering. ¡°I still hear their screams at night. You¡¯ll never forget the cry of a man being thrown overboard. Lucky for us all, the Cap¡¯n is fair, isn¡¯t that right, Dagon?¡± ¡°Aye,¡± Dagon replied. ¡°Fair is the fair way to put it. As long as you softhorns jump when she tells you to jump, without any hesitation or questioning orders, you¡¯ll be fine. Just remember, this is her territory. She hears everything and sees all! The ship¡¯s guardian knows your every thought! Aint that right, Anathor?¡± Now Anathor was getting involved!? ¡°Hmm... right you are, First Officer,¡± Anathor''s gruff voice could be heard along with a few yelps of surprise that Serena guessed came from Ido and Arin Song. ¡°Any whispers of disagreement or even mutiny will reach the Cap¡¯n¡¯s ears before you can even think of taking them back!¡± ¡°Oooh, mutiny,¡± Tomes said, his voice lowering. ¡°A terrible word, isn¡¯t it, Anathor?¡± ¡°Terrible, Quartermaster,¡± Anathor replied. ¡°All those hangings the First Officer had to oversee. Rarely seen so many bodies hanging from the masts... I pity the demon who dares to think of mutiny!¡± ¡°Pity is all we can do for those poor fools,¡± Dagon said. ¡°And let¡¯s not forget the other important rule on the ship! No acting against our resident human healer! Remember! She¡¯s a Lord-Prospect and Speaker. You will be respectful towards her and you will not answer anyone¡¯s questions about her when we make land. What she does, what she says, and where she goes is confidential unless the Cap¡¯n gives you express permission to discuss it! Remember what happened to Officer Lin, Tomes?¡± Who the hell is Officer Lin? Serena thought. ¡°Oh, poor Officer Lin,¡± Tomes said with a sigh. ¡°Thought he could make a bit of coin in Kenhoro, didn¡¯t he, Dagon?¡± ¡°A bit of coin he certainly made,¡± Dagon intoned. ¡°A few extra denarii for leaking the activities of our healer to a friendly face that bought him a few drinks, isn¡¯t that right, Tomes?¡± ¡°A few drinks and a smattering of coin, that was all it took,¡± Tomes said. ¡°And what happened to Officer Lin when the Cap¡¯n found out, Dagon?¡± There was an elongated silence, but Serena could imagine Dagon drawing a line across his throat. ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Dagon eventually said. ¡°Punishment fit the crime, in my opinion! This is a military ship. A slip of your tongue could cost us our lives! Should you ever find yourself called to the Cap¡¯n¡¯s quarters, look for a skull-shaped cup. Cap¡¯n drinks wine out of it and...¡± Serena rolled her eyes a final time before striding into the officers¡¯ quarters, interrupting Dagon¡¯s imaginary tale of a skull cup in her quarters. ¡°Attention!¡± she barked, causing everyone in the room to jump and salute her earnestly. She thought about commenting on Dagon¡¯s and Tome¡¯s stories, but decided against it. She wasn¡¯t sure if she could do it with a straight face, considering the faces of her new officers were as pale as the White Moon. Somehow, telling exaggerated tales of Serena¡¯s punishments had become a sort of hazing ritual for new crew members. Well, she didn¡¯t have any desire to stop it. It was relatively harmless compared to what she¡¯d heard happening on other ships. Besides, Dagon was right; a slip of the tongue in the wrong place at the wrong time could cost them dearly. It was better for her new officers to be scared and obedient, encouraging reliability, than confident and casual, encouraging complacency. At least, until they settled in. ¡°You¡¯re on the Vengeance,¡± Serena said, watching her former students hang on to her every word, not daring even to blink. ¡°A mighty military vessel, with a public list of achievements longer than your horns, and a secret list of achievements longer than your parents¡¯ horns. You¡¯ve been chosen by me because I believe you have what it takes to help grow that list.¡± She narrowed her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t disappoint me.¡± Seeing the twins visibly gulp, she continued, ¡°You¡¯ll soon meet Officer Bright, who is returning to service after a training sabbatical. You¡¯ll answer to her. She¡¯ll answer to my First Officer.¡± Serena motioned to Dagon. ¡°Who answers to me. As for who I answer to...¡± Serena took a breath. ¡°The Vengeance is no longer leased to the Eastern Admiralty. My orders now come directly from Centralis Intelligence.¡± She let the words sink in. ¡°You understand what that means?¡± she asked. ¡°The missions you will be involved in will be highly secretive and serve not just the interests of our Eastern homeland, but the Empire as a whole. That information is, in and of itself, a secret. Tomes will give you instructions on how to answer probing questions from superiors outside your direct chain of command. Know this; I am the ultimate authority on this ship. I will always act with the best interests of the crew in mind, damned what the upper brass think!¡± Serena glared at the surrounding demons. ¡°That means the well-being of everyone is in my interest. You won¡¯t betray my interests, will you?¡± ¡°No, Captain!¡± the students shouted in unison. ¡°While carrying out your duties on this ship, keep a keen ear and eye out. If you see or hear anything suspicious, call for Anathor and report it. He¡¯ll report it to me. He''ll hear you whether you¡¯re in here, on the bridge, on the deck, or in the observational towers. Isn¡¯t that right, Anathor?¡± ¡°Yes, Captain,¡± Anathor replied. ¡°I expect you to be as tight-lipped about our resident Formless as you are regarding our resident healer, whom you are entitled to request healing services from at any time, understand?¡± After another chorus of affirmative responses Serena continued, ¡°Lord-Prospect Thornheart will travel with us as a civilian advisor. That means neither you nor she can give the other orders. If you encounter issues regarding her, pass it up the chain of command. I understand she has...¡± Serena felt herself frown. ¡°A unique personality.¡± Amazingly, everyone in the room, including Dagon and Tomes, quickly nodded. ¡°A final warning,¡± Serena said. ¡°As talented as you all may be, you¡¯re young and inexperienced. The hardhorns that make up our crew are unlikely to respect you immediately. Don¡¯t make the mistake of thinking that because you have a stripe on your shoulder, it entitles you to that respect. That said, if any of them refuse to salute you or speak foully behind your back, report it to your superiors. They¡¯ll ensure that behaviour stops, and if it doesn¡¯t, I¡¯ll step in.¡± For some reason, when she said this, their ashen faces turned even more pale. What did they think she would do? Hang someone for grumbling a few grievances? Well, now she thought about it, that was probably exactly what they were thinking. ¡°I¡¯ll leave Tomes to bring you up to speed on the operation of the ship and your schedules,¡± Serena said with a nod before turning to Dagon. ¡°First Officer, any sign of Officer Bright?¡± It was Anathor who answered. ¡°She just arrived on deck, Captain,¡± Anathor said. ¡°She¡¯s... pacing.¡± Serena blinked. ¡°She can pace all she wants when she¡¯s dead. Tell her to come to my quarters, Anathor. Tell her I have important matters to discuss with her.¡± ¡°Telling her now, Captain.¡± ¡°Good,¡± Serena faced her new cohort of officers. ¡°We¡¯ll be leaving in less than two hours. If you have any final messages you wish to send to your families, speak to Communications. Dismissed!¡± With a final salute, Serena left the white-faced officers and proceeded to her quarters. Stepping inside, she immediately felt a sense of comfort. There was her wooden desk and chair, with all the scratches and marks right where she left them. Her bookcase, cabinets, painting of the Empress, Anathor¡¯s moose head... all were where they should be. Serena crossed the room, opening the door to her bedroom, where two hammocks lay empty, set up so they were suspiciously close to each other. She felt a smile form on her face as she remembered that time months ago, when Amelia not so subtly insisted the only good place to hang a hammock was coincidentally right next to hers. Amelia hadn¡¯t exactly been subtle, had she? ¡°Anathor,¡± Serena said. ¡°Yes, Captain?¡± ¡°Just so you¡¯re aware...¡± She swallowed. ¡°Amelia and I are in a... romantic relationship.¡± ¡°Understood, Captain.¡± Serena¡¯s forehead furrowed. ¡°Understood? Is that it?¡± ¡°Should I have responded differently?¡± ¡°No,¡± Serena said flatly. ¡°I just... thought you might have an opinion.¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± Anathor mumbled. ¡°The purest form of love I ever witnessed was between two women.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Serena turned to look at the stuffed moose¡¯s head. ¡°When was this?¡± ¡°A long time ago...¡± Anathor answered. ¡°Before the Long Discordancy.¡± ¡°Did it... end well?¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± Anathor became silent, seemingly thinking hard about his words. ¡°The love they had transcended endings. It persists, even today, even after one of them died.¡± ¡°Even today? What do-¡± ¡°Officer Bright in the hallway, Captain,¡± Anathor interrupted. ¡°Five seconds.¡± Serena moved to her chair, pulling it out and sitting down. She tried to clear her mind, but struggled to stop thinking about Amelia and love. What form of love did they have? It was fair to say the initial stages of their relationship were pure infatuation, but it had grown beyond that now. Could it be described as pure love? Serena shook her head as a knock sounded on the door. ¡°Come in,¡± she called. As the door opened, a final thought regarding Amelia flashed through her mind. That idiot wouldn¡¯t do anything ridiculous during her last hour in Asamaywa, would she? Chapter Eighty-Seven: Departure II Chapter Eighty-Seven: Departure II You just had to go and do something ridiculous during your last hour here, didn''t you? Amelia sighed against the carriage wall, imagining Serena berating her. It hadn¡¯t been her fault! Honest! Well... maybe a little. But, it wasn¡¯t like she could help it! She had exceptional perception! If she focused, she could hear a pin drop from a kilometre away! How could she not hear the prayers and cries of all those who surrounded the basilica? There must have been more than a hundred thousand people there! To be fair to Greatlord Oshiro, he had held up his side of the agreement. Amelia had stipulated that at least half of the recipients of her healing must come from the lower rungs of society. She simply refused to be a saint who only used her magic for the affluent and noble. So while the basilica building was initially full of wealthy, influential citizens and lords, the grounds outside were packed with citizens who were lucky enough to be chosen for healing. Their being outside wasn¡¯t a huge problem, as once Amelia had invoked the Divine Healing of Aseco for the privileged inside, the newly healed were taken out one side and the remaining groups were brought inside the building. With each group, Cardinal Hiroshi would conduct a short sermon before stepping aside and allowing Amelia to do her thing. With every cast, she felt an immense satisfaction at seeing people touch their regrown horns and limbs. Some, who had been unable to walk, were bouncing on their feet, while others simply reached up to the sky as if trying to grab something unseen. But there was something that caused Amelia¡¯s heart to twist. It was just... even as the allotted time she had before the Vengeance was due to leave came to an end and the basilica was filled the final time, Amelia could still hear countless, desperate prayers outside. The streets were packed with thousands upon thousands of demons. From her eavesdropping, she discovered that while some were simply there to witness her golden light or Amelia herself, many others had brought their sick and elderly family members, desperately hoping to receive some kind of assistance. These were those who were unlucky enough not to be chosen, but were still filled with enough determination and desperation to make their way near her. They muttered reassuring prayers to themselves, not just to the Moons and the Empress, but also to Amelia. Despite their situation, they prayed for her good fortune and health. And... as much as Amelia didn¡¯t like to experience this kind of worship, she was moved by it. So, it really wasn¡¯t her fault, okay!? She just got a little emotional during her last cast and put a little bit too much aether in her final formation. Honestly, she didn¡¯t see why Greatlord Oshiro glared at her so much! It wasn¡¯t as if she Spoke Aseco and cast a sixth-circle spell, was it? Sure, her golden light breached the confines of the basilica, and sure, it then spread over a radius of a few hundred metres, healing all those who needed it but weren¡¯t lucky enough to be chosen. But that was just an accident, so he could glare all he wanted, Amelia wasn¡¯t having it! And by that, she meant the moment she¡¯d seen Greatlord Oshiro start to move towards her with narrowed eyes and a dark expression, she¡¯d darted out of the building, into the waiting carriage of House Halen and ordered the carriage drivers to drive. It wasn¡¯t until they were well underway to the docks that Amelia breathed a sigh of relief and changed into her more comfortable travel clothes, removing the white ribbons that they¡¯d insisted on her wearing. It turned out that, as well as being ridiculously cute, she was also a master of escape! Although now she thought about it, when she exited the building, there was a flurry of flashes as photographers operated their water-cooled crystal cameras. Without a doubt, her marvellous escape had been captured on more than one piece of film. Hopefully, there wouldn¡¯t be any embarrassing photos of her in tomorrow¡¯s broadsheet. Ah, Serena wouldn¡¯t complain too much, would she? Even if she did, Amelia knew a few tricks with her hands to calm her down! Besides, her girlfriend would be especially happy once she saw one of the many presents Amelia had gotten her! Once they arrived at the docks, Amelia thanked the carriage driver, as well as the numerous guards who accompanied her throughout the morning. She collected her bags and, refusing any offers of help, strode to the gates. There, a guard introduced himself and showed her to the Vengeance¡¯s bay. For some reason, the man kept stealing glances at her with reddened cheeks. Thanking him, Amelia began to board the Vengeance only to find herself stopped by a familiar face. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± Dagon intoned, looking down at her. He stood on the gangway, between her and the ship. With his folded arms and nearly seven-foot-tall body, Dagon was an imposing figure. Amelia thought the neat uniform on top of his marbled skin and muscular body looked a little comical, however. She would never tell him this, of course. ¡°Uh, up there?¡± Amelia answered. ¡°To my quarters? To put my stuff there?¡± She jostled her bag, giving Dagon a look. ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± ¡°Civilians can¡¯t just bring random bags onboard,¡± Dagon replied, clicking his fingers. ¡°Give them here, I need to search them.¡± ¡°N-no!¡± Amelia hugged her bags. ¡°You can¡¯t!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t?¡± Dagon said, his eyes narrowing. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Because they¡¯re presents!¡± Amelia exclaimed, tapping the bag. ¡°For Christmas!¡± ¡°Well, I won¡¯t spoil the Captain¡¯s gifts,¡± Dagon said, ¡°but I still have to¨C¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just for her!¡± Amelia shuffled her feet. ¡°I got you a present as well! And...¡± Amelia opened her eyes, blinking innocently at the towering demon. ¡°Tomes and the other officers...¡± ¡°You... got me a present?¡± Dagon asked slowly. ¡°Mmm!¡± Amelia nodded. ¡°So you can¡¯t look!¡± ¡°W-well...¡± Dagon scratched his cheek, looking awkward. A gruff, masculine voice filled the air. ¡°Hmm... you needn¡¯t worry, First Officer Dahlberg. The ship is happy to see you again, young Lady Thornheart,¡± Anathor¡¯s voice sounded from behind Dagon. ¡°She wouldn¡¯t be able to board if she were a threat.¡± ¡°I suppose not,¡± Dagon said with a sigh. ¡°Well, ship ain¡¯t done us dirty yet, has it? Come on then, I¡¯ll take you to the Captain. Let me hold your bags for you.¡± He reached out with a hand. Amelia shook her head. ¡°I got it!¡± she said. ¡°You just want an excuse to find your present, don¡¯t you!? Come on! Captain¡¯s waiting!¡± Ignoring the noises of exasperation from Dagon, she cheerfully strode past and up the gangway. As she did, she spooled up her aether, flicking her perception into the Shimmer and looking at the ship. ¡°Whoa,¡± she muttered. In the sepia-coloured layer of reality, the Vengeance stood out. Flowing in and around its hull were thousands of silk-like bands of magic. They were coloured in vibrant hues of ochure, the eighth colour of the rainbow, and wrapped every inch of the ship. Whether it was the turrets on deck or the aetherscopes at the top and bottom of the Vengeance¡¯s superstructure, the silk-like ribbons flowed through them. Passing through a door into the ship itself, Amelia saw that the bands saturated the inside walls, ceiling, and floor as well. They danced and twisted, never staying still for a moment. Sometimes, they merged into larger bands or split into many small ones, turning and flowing in different directions. The ribbons behaved with chaotic purpose and seemed to flow as if they were both liquid and gas at the same time. Amelia brushed a hand along the side of the wall, feeling nothing other than metal. Suddenly, the ochure ribbons twisted and pulsated. They brightened and darkened exactly in time with the voice speaking to her. ¡°Welcome back to the Vengeance, Lady Thornheart,¡± Anathor grumbled. The ribbons pulsated as he continued, ¡°The ship¡¯s missed you.¡± Were these ribbons... Anathor himself? ¡°Hello, Anathor,¡± Amelia said, forcing her voice to stay cheerful. ¡°I found a book about the Formless in the academy¡¯s library! I have loads of questions I wanted to ask you, if that¡¯s okay?¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± came the pulsating reply. ¡°We¡¯re very private, Lady Thornheart. But...¡± Anathor was quiet for a moment. ¡°But if it¡¯s you, then maybe I could answer a few...¡± ¡°Mmm! Thank you!¡± Amelia said, flicking her perception away from the Shimmer. It was simply too distracting to see those brilliant ribbons fill every part of her vision. Should she ask Anathor about it? Would he be offended? If that was his body, then how did he think? How did he store memories? Was the entire ship his brain? It was all too mysterious! They passed by the officers'' quarters, where Amelia looked into a room to see Tomes detailing some information regarding the duties of the ship to the newly-commissioned officers. ¡°Hello!¡± Amelia chirped, bouncing into the room. ¡°Lord-Prospect,¡± Daichi and Hinako intoned respectfully, touching their horns. Mel bowed slightly, her mouth forming into a small smile. ¡°Lord-Prospect,¡± she said. The twins¡¯ eyes widened as they waved. ¡°Lord-Prospect!¡± they exclaimed in unison. ¡°Hello, Tomes,¡± Amelia said, grinning towards the spectacled demon. ¡°Lord-Prospect,¡± he replied. ¡°What brings you here?¡± ¡°Just passing through,¡± Amelia explained. She tapped her bags and nodded her head towards Dagon behind her. ¡°Bringing my stuff onboard. Make sure to come visit me when you¡¯ve got free time!¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Mel asked. ¡°Where¡¯s your room?¡± ¡°I¡¯m staying with Serena!¡± Amelia said happily. ¡°I mean, I¡¯m staying with the captain,¡± she clarified. For some reason, Mel quickly looked away. ¡°O-of course,¡± Mel mumbled. ¡°I should have known...¡± Was it Amelia¡¯s imagination or did Mel¡¯s cheeks redden? Well, never mind! ¡°Don¡¯t forget to come to me for any healing!¡± Amelia said, looking around. ¡°Where¡¯s Aiden, I mean, Officer Adachi?¡± ¡°He¡¯s on the bridge. I¡¯m sure you can catch up with him soon,¡± Tomes informed her. He looked at his battle-brother, took off his spectacles and began cleaning them. ¡°How much trouble is she going to give us this time, Dagon?¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± Dagon rubbed his chin. ¡°All Seven Hells and a special human-sized eighth hell just for us, I reckon. Ain¡¯t that right, Tomes?¡± He glanced towards Amelia, the corner of his mouth curling into a smirk. ¡°Damn right,¡± Tomes mumbled. ¡°See what I have to deal with!?¡± Amelia complained to her friends. She only got sheepish looks of support in response. She turned to Dagon, trying to give him her best glare. ¡°Eighth hell, my arse! I bet you¡¯re still upset I keep winning at cards, aren¡¯t you!?¡± ¡°No one¡¯s that lucky...¡± Dagon mumbled. ¡°I am!¡± Amelia jabbed her thumb towards herself. ¡°I¡¯m the luckiest human alive!¡± She really was! ¡°Well,¡± Tomes said. ¡°Go be lucky somewhere else. I have a long list to go through with this lot and it¡¯s not getting any shorter with you standing around and chatting.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Amelia gave the room a polite bow. ¡°See you at lunch!¡± Dagon led her away and through the ship¡¯s corridors. Soon, they arrived outside Serena¡¯s door. Dagon knocked politely. Before he could speak, Amelia heard Serena tell someone to get the door. A few footsteps sounded and the door opened, revealing a stressed-looking woman with neat, straight horns and red hair. Another Northerner! The woman looked at Amelia, her eyes slowly widening. Then she glanced at Dagon only to look back at Amelia as her eyes widened even further. ¡°A... human?¡± the Northerner questioned, her forehead furrowing in confusion. ¡°But your eyes...?¡± ¡°Come in,¡± Serena said, waving Amelia in. ¡°Thank you, Dagon. Go and make sure the bridge is running smoothly. Dismissed.¡± ¡°Aye aye, Captain,¡± Dagon saluted quickly before closing the door and walking away. As Dagon¡¯s footsteps became faint, Amelia became conscious of the awkward silence lingering in the air between her and the mysterious Northerner. Judging by her uniform, she was an officer. She didn¡¯t seem to be newly commissioned. Her posture gave away some years of experience, and her aura was more refined than most students. As Amelia examined her, the Northerner examined her back. Suddenly, the demon¡¯s mouth opened in shock as the woman said, ¡°You¡¯re that human!¡± She turned towards Serena. ¡°She¡¯s that human! The Lord-Prospect! What-¡± ¡°Stop gawking,¡± Serena said, clicking her tongue. She raised a hand, gesturing. ¡°Amelia, meet Officer Finella Bright. She¡¯ll be in charge of the new squad. She¡¯s returning to duty onboard the Vengeance after taking time to develop her aura. Finella, meet Lord-Prospect Amelia Thornheart. She¡¯ll be acting as a civilian advisor, offering her expertise in magic during our deployment.¡± The demon called Finella blinked twice, looking between Amelia and Serena. ¡°By magic, do you mean..?¡± ¡°Healing? Yes. Haven¡¯t you read the broadsheets?¡± ¡°Sure, but seeing her is something else. Is she really...?¡± ¡°A Speaker? She is.¡± ¡°Amazing!¡± Finella¡¯s eyes suddenly sparkled. The Northerner turned to Amelia, examining her closely. ¡°And she¡¯s so pretty! How old are you!?¡± ¡°Twenty-five!¡± Amelia answered, already deciding she liked this woman. She even glanced at her in the Shimmer, just to make sure she wasn¡¯t going to have another surprise. ¡°No way!¡± Finella shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s too young! It must be a trick, right?¡± Finella glanced towards Serena. ¡°A glamour?¡± ¡°Nope!¡± Amelia grinned. ¡°I¡¯m just that adorable!¡± She puffed out her cheeks to emphasise her point. ¡°A-Anathor!¡± Finella called. ¡°Is she speaking the truth? Is she really only twenty-five?¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± came the coarse reply. ¡°Lady Thornheart speaks true.¡± ¡°A human Speaker at twenty-five!¡± Finella shook her head. ¡°Aseco is your Word, right?¡± Seeing Amelia nod, Finella turned to Serena. ¡°What about the Human Church? Even if she¡¯s a Lord-Prospect, won¡¯t the Vatican try something?¡± ¡°It¡¯s being handled,¡± Serena explained. ¡°Don¡¯t probe into her background too much; some information is confidential. Know that Amelia¡¯s healing talents were developed independently and not in the Golden Cathedral. They have no claim to her.¡± ¡°Whoa, Aseco actually communed with someone outside of Christdom¡¯s clutches...¡± Finella looked appraisingly at Amelia. ¡°You must have spent a lot of time in Centralis. Your accent is perfect!¡± ¡°Heh...¡± Amelia rubbed her nose. ¡°And her eyes?¡± Finella asked. ¡°I thought the reports were exaggerating, but you really do have the eyes of a demon! A noble colour! How did that happen? Were you born with it?¡± ¡°Nah,¡± Amelia shook her head. ¡°Side effect of some magic!¡± ¡°That¡¯s a lot to take in...¡± Finella smiled uneasily. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to imply anything, as you¡¯ve been sanctioned as a Lord-Prospect already, but what¡¯s your opinion on this conflict? What?¡± Finella looked at Serena, shrugging. ¡°I have to ask!¡± ¡°It''s okay!¡± Amelia made her best let¡¯s-be-friends smile and chirped, ¡°I like demons!¡± Amelia then repeated one of her most reliable lines. ¡°I like your horns! They¡¯re so pretty!¡± Her well-timed compliment caused Finella¡¯s cheeks to heat up visibly. Goodness, she was making everyone blush today, wasn¡¯t she? ¡°Don¡¯t worry about Amelia¡¯s allegiance, Finella,¡± Serena said with a sigh. ¡°Both I, Greatlord Oshiro and even his Lord Superiors are confident. Intelligence has gone through everything with a fine-tooth comb. Amelia...¡± Serena turned to her. ¡°Put your bags away and make us all some coffee, please,¡± Serena said. ¡°Mmm!¡± Amelia skipped across the room, darting into Serena¡¯s quarters. As she stacked her bags against one of the walls, she heard Finella question Serena. ¡°You¡¯re sharing a room?¡± Finella whispered. ¡°Is there a point to your question?¡± Amelia heard Serena answer. ¡°I mean... are you two...?¡± ¡°Stop asking unnecessary questions.¡± ¡°So you are. I thought-¡± ¡°Finella.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°Y-yes, Captain!¡± Amelia hummed as she returned and began grinding some beans in a small coffee grinder. Even before the inclusion of hot water, the fragrance of the dry beans tickled everyone''s heightened senses. ¡°I hesitate even to ask...¡± Finella muttered in disbelief. ¡°That smell... I¡¯m not deceived... are those... Jimari beans?¡± Her voice cracked at the end, tinged with pure, undiluted hope. ¡°Yup!¡± Amelia said cheerfully. ¡°I bought an entire sack of them in Kenhoro! You¡¯re welcome to some if you want!¡± ¡°No way!¡± Finella exclaimed, her pupils growing. ¡°Are you the Empress in disguise? Coming here to reward me for my dutiful service!?¡± Amelia laughed for more than one reason. ¡°Seven Hells,¡± Serena said, chastising the almost-drooling Northerner. ¡°You look like a peeka that¡¯s spotted a mouse.¡± Serena smiled, her eyes watching Amelia pour hot water over the ground beans. ¡°If you do your duty well, I¡¯m sure Amelia will be inclined to share more Jimari coffee with you.¡± As the intense fragrance from the hot coffee saturated the room, Finella looked like she might cry with happiness. She took one hesitant step towards the coffee, and then another. ¡°In the light of the ever-watchful Blue Moon, and as a servant of the Overlord of Overlords,¡± she began. ¡°I vow, if you want me to run into shellfire, I will. If you want me to crawl over broken glass, I will. I¡¯ll fight, protect, defend, or do whatever else you order, as long as you feed me Jimari coffee.¡± ¡°Christ, you haven¡¯t changed a bit. Why do I suspect not even your graduation oaths were said with such conviction?¡± Serena asked dryly. ¡°It¡¯s just coffee, Finella.¡± ¡°The military runs on coffee,¡± Finella replied, watching Amelia strain the black liquid into three cups. ¡°The Empire runs on coffee. Coffee makes the world turn! Please, Lord-Prospect!¡± Finella reached her arms out in desperation. Amelia considered teasing the coffee-fanatic, but decided to be kind. She passed the desperate demon a steaming cup and warned, ¡°Careful! It¡¯s too hot to drink fast!¡± ¡°That¡¯s what aura is for!¡± Finella responded, flaring her red aura and taking a large sip. ¡°Ah...¡± she moaned. ¡°I¡¯ve died and gone to heaven!¡± Serena clicked her tongue. ¡°I¡¯d forgotten you were an idiot, Officer Bright.¡± ¡°Mmm,¡± hummed Finella happily, taking another sip. Amelia handed Serena her cup and then sat down and took a sip, savouring the bitter taste that exploded in her mouth, fading into a nutty aftertaste. For a minute, the three of them sat silently, bonding over a quiet appreciation of the drink. ¡°How did your event go?¡± Serena suddenly asked. Ah. ¡°Well...¡± Amelia began tentatively. ¡°It started well, but I got a little emotional during the end, you know? Hearing all those who wanted to be healed but couldn¡¯t get a placement... so I-¡± ¡°Nevermind,¡± Serena interrupted. ¡°I¡¯ve decided it¡¯s best for my sanity not to know.¡± Her girlfriend took another sip of the coffee, her eyes twinkling with amusement. ¡°Tell me another time.¡± ¡°How much...¡± Finella began before trailing off. The Northerner had finished her cup, now looking at the lack of black-liquid like a dejected puppy that hoped more would magically reappear. ¡°How many Jimari beans do you have, Lord-Prospect?¡± ¡°Umm...¡± Amelia placed a finger on her chin. ¡°I bought a twenty-kilogram sack, so-¡± ¡°Twenty kilograms!?¡± Finella spluttered. ¡°I¡¯ve been blessed,¡± she muttered. ¡°A great blessing has come my way, for all my suffering. Yes, my prayers must have been answered...¡± Finella continued to mutter nonsense. ¡°You¡¯ll be able to buy some yourself,¡± Serena said pointedly. ¡°We¡¯re departing to the Southern Terra Firma imminently.¡± Amelia¡¯s eyes widened. The South! Wasn¡¯t that where Dagon and Tomes were from? She¡¯d heard the stories; an endless stretch of red sand that no ship could sail over! You had to walk or ride one of the native fauna to travel! During the day, it could become so hot you would shrivel up in minutes, and at night it was so cold you could freeze to death just as fast! Amelia had seen photographs of the famous Dectus Lines ¨C enormous geoglyphs depicting alien creatures carved into the rock thousands of years ago! She¡¯d also heard of- ¡°Taking the Southern Passage?¡± Finella asked, interrupting Amelia¡¯s excitement. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°That¡¯s pirate territory now,¡± Finella replied. ¡°My last superior had good connections. Apparently, it¡¯s worse than the broadsheets are letting on.¡± ¡°No matter,¡± Serena said, tapping the desk. ¡°I doubt they¡¯ll risk attacking the Vengeance. They have nothing to gain and everything to lose. Even so, we¡¯re set to meet another light cruiser during the trip. A ship called the Indefatigable, headed by Captain Matthews. Heard of him?¡± ¡°No.¡± Finella shook her head. ¡°Sounds like a Centralis ship. What class?¡± ¡°Orb-class. The Indefatigable has been patrolling the Southern Passage along with a frigate acting as a supply ship. A Wark-class. No pirate will dare attack a convoy flying Imperial colours.¡± ¡°They might not need to,¡± Finella said, running her finger around the rim of her cup. ¡°The passage has been more precarious in recent years, with or without the pirates. The Shattered Isles have been spitting out more debris, and the weather system has been complicating matters. It¡¯s been interacting with the Southern Rift, causing tornadoes ten to fifteen klicks high to form. Not just one or two. I¡¯ve heard reports of ships having to navigate through dozens of them like a maze. If it¡¯s bad, it¡¯s not unlikely our convoy would be separated and become easy pickings. Going to be hard to shoot back if we¡¯re in an uncontrolled spin. Can¡¯t we go Centralis way?¡± ¡°Intelligence wants us there as soon as possible,¡± Serena answered. ¡°When you¡¯re not leading the squad, I want you on Sensors. Your experience will be important. You¡¯ll be working alongside Officer Adachi. He¡¯s our contact to the big-horns. With you monitoring the aetherfield, I feel confident we can navigate safely.¡± Serena smiled. ¡°I¡¯d rather not bump into a slumbering Rhaknam, after all.¡± ¡°Will we see him!?¡± Amelia asked excitedly. She¡¯d heard countless stories of this two-kilometre-long arcwhale that was apparently so powerful that not only could he rival an Overlord, but other arcwhales could Speak his name to invoke his power! It was something that hadn¡¯t been present in the game, and something she was desperate to explore further! ¡°If we do, we''d better start praying,¡± Finella replied. ¡°But I doubt it. Visibility isn¡¯t good around the Shattered Isles, and Rhaknam slumbers in the densest part. He only pops out once a century or so to destroy a city or nation that¡¯s stupid enough to hunt his kin. Although...¡± Finella leaned forward, her voice excited. ¡°I heard a rumour from my commanding officer last year. An aetherscope south of Yamen swears they picked up movement. So who knows,¡± Finella shrugged. ¡°He might be waking up.¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± Anathor¡¯s gruff voice came from the stuffed moose head. ¡°Are the tornadoes bombarding the continent?¡± ¡°Not that I¡¯ve heard,¡± Finella answered, looking at Anathor''s glowing eyes. ¡°Then he isn¡¯t waking into anger,¡± Anathor grumbled. ¡°Lord Rhaknam, Master of the Sky, always moves with purpose. Either way, you must treat him with the greatest respect if you ever meet him. He has done much for the Known World.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Finella raised an eyebrow. ¡°And what nature of service has he done?¡± ¡°Hmm... It¡¯s not for me to share specifics.¡± ¡°Oh, Anathor,¡± Finella smiled. ¡°There you go being all mysterious again. You haven¡¯t changed one bit!¡± She turned to Serena. ¡°So, assuming we survive the Southern Passage, where in the South are we making land? Surely you¡¯re not taking us to Ishaq?¡± ¡°Ishaq?¡± Amelia questioned. ¡°Ishaq,¡± Serena repeated. ¡°After that, Intelligence will give us further orders. If anyone else asks, we¡¯re on a training deployment for new recruits. We have all the paperwork sorted.¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to have to keep a tight leash on the men,¡± Finella replied with a grin. ¡°Ships always lose some crew after docking in Ishaq.¡± ¡°Mmm,¡± Serena hummed. Amelia blinked. ¡°Why?¡± she asked. Finella laughed softly. ¡°Ishaq has an... interesting culture. It¡¯s very different from the Centralis you¡¯re used to, or...¡± Finella glanced towards Serena. ¡°The East the captain¡¯s used to. Let¡¯s just say there are certain temptations that make men want to abandon everything and stay there.¡± ¡°Oh... Oh!¡± Amelia exclaimed, feeling herself blush. ¡°It¡¯s not just that,¡± Serena added. ¡°Ishaq is a free city. It¡¯s had a level of autonomy granted to it for over five hundred years now. It¡¯s not governed under the Cascadian system of lordship. While Cascadian law technically applies to it, it¡¯s rarely exercised within the city''s boundaries. So don¡¯t go around trying to fine anyone if they¡¯re rude to you.¡± ¡°R-right,¡± Amelia answered, nodding. ¡°So, is that why it¡¯s called a free city? Because it hasn¡¯t got a ruling lord?¡± ¡°No,¡± Serena shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s called a free city because it¡¯s exempt from Empire taxes. Not even the Southern Overlord taxes them. Another reason why some people prefer to stay there. Although, I doubt any of my crew will be stupid enough to desert their posts. Anathor...¡± Serena eyed the red-eyed moose. ¡°Tell Dagon to remember to remind the crew of the penalty for desertion before we arrive.¡± ¡°Aye, Captain,¡± Anathor replied. ¡°Speaking of, First Officer Dahlberg has just requested your presence on the bridge. We¡¯re all green for departure.¡± ¡°Excellent.¡± Serena stood up. ¡°Come on, both of you. Including you, Amelia.¡± ¡°You¡¯re taking me to the bridge!?¡± Amelia exclaimed. ¡°I want you at least somewhat familiar with the environment,¡± Serena explained. ¡°So if I need you there to perform some magic in an emergency, you can do so.¡± ¡°Understood!¡± Amelia replied happily. Normally, she would read in Serena¡¯s quarters or relax in Tomes¡¯s office. Now Serena trusted her enough to introduce her to the heart of the ship¡¯s operation! Although it was small, in that moment, Amelia felt like she¡¯d grown even closer to her girlfriend! Amelia followed Serena and Finella to the bridge. Stepping through the door, she was greeted with a room of metal and glass, rimmed with desks and demons. ¡°Captain on deck!¡± barked Dagon, prompting everyone in the room to scramble up and salute Serena. A few of them narrowed their eyes at Amelia, but it was a look of confusion rather than suspicion or hostility. After all, her healing powers had earned her enough respect by now. ¡°At ease,¡± Serena commanded. Amelia could tell her girlfriend had suppressed her authentic big-softy self and was now in full-on captain mode. Somehow, knowing what she was really like made her captain mode seem somehow adorable. ¡°Chief Engineer!¡± Serena called out. ¡°All green, Captain!¡± the older demon called Allston shouted. Unlike the neat uniforms of everyone else, Allston always had stains on his, but no one ever called him out on it. ¡°She¡¯s ready to purr, Captain!¡± Allston added. ¡°Sensors!¡± ¡°Calibration finished, Captain! We¡¯re all green!¡± the sensors officer shouted. Next to him, Aiden stood tall. Judging by the stripes on Aiden¡¯s shoulders, he¡¯d been given a promotion recently. Since he was their go-between with Intelligence, perhaps they promoted him above most of the other Officers to ensure they listened to him? Amelia gave him a wink and got one in return. ¡°Weapons!¡± ¡°Green across the board!¡± the officer called Thorne shouted. ¡°We¡¯ve got enough firepower here to take on the Republic all over again!¡± he finished, to a few laughs. ¡°Navigation!¡± ¡°All green, she¡¯s responding like she¡¯s new, Captain!¡± the navigation officer called out. ¡°Communications! What¡¯s the dockmaster saying?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve got the all clear, Captain!¡± the communications officer responded. ¡°They wish us good winds and clear skies!¡± ¡°Good,¡± Serena said with a nod. ¡°Officer Bright!¡± ¡°Yes, Captain!?¡± Finella jumped to attention. ¡°That¡¯s Officer Adachi.¡± Serena pointed across the room. ¡°Go get acquainted. Go slowly, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll see a few familiar faces on your way.¡± ¡°Yes, Captain! Thank you, Captain!¡± Finella strode across the room, shaking a few hands as she went and sharing short words before settling in next to Aiden. Judging from peoples¡¯ reactions, Finella was well-liked. ¡°We¡¯ve got some greenhorns onboard,¡± Serena said to the room. ¡°Try not to eat them too quickly!¡± Titters erupted around the room. ¡°They¡¯re young, but I¡¯ve personally picked them myself. Believe me, their auras and magical talents are worth a thousand soldiers! Will you help me mold them into proper officers!?¡± ¡°Yes, Captain!¡± came a chorus of replies. ¡°Excellent,¡± Serena mused. ¡°Well then, there¡¯s only one thing left to do. Helmsman! Let¡¯s get her purring!¡± ¡°Aye aye, Captain!¡± the helmsman responded, adjusting one of his levers. ¡°What¡¯s our heading?¡± ¡°South, south-east,¡± Serena said. ¡°South, south-east, aye, Captain,¡± the helmsman affirmed. It began slowly, with a gentle rumbling from deep within the ship. Then, it grew with intensity into rapid, rhythmic pulsations as the lift engine spooled up. Amelia felt an odd sensation through her feet as the ship¡¯s structure subtly groaned as it readjusted, no longer being held down by the force of gravity. A few seconds later, Amelia felt the most minuscule feeling of her weight changing as the ship smoothly lifted off the keel-blocks and into the air. If it weren¡¯t for the view through the large windows rimming the bridge, she would have had a hard time figuring out they were rising in the air. Despite the technology of her old world that had allowed them to colonise the Solar System, they didn¡¯t have anything like this. It was almost surreal to be inside a structure that must weigh thousands and thousands of tonnes, and have that structure lift itself through the air by exploding crystals that fell from the moons-that-weren¡¯t-moons. This world, and the magic inside it, was amazing. Serena cleared her throat, bringing Amelia¡¯s attention back to the present. ¡°Good winds and clear skies!¡± she shouted. ¡°Good winds and clear skies!¡± the crew responded in unison. ¡°Good winds and clear skies!¡± Serena shouted again. ¡°G-good winds and clear skies!¡± Amelia couldn¡¯t help but join in awkwardly. Serena turned her head slightly, giving her a small smile. ¡°Good winds and clear skies!¡± she roared. ¡°Good winds and clear skies!¡± Amelia¡¯s shout became lost in the crescendo of everyone else''s. The helmsman skillfully operated his station, turning the ship to the heading Serena had given. As the propulsion engine spooled up, Serena turned to Amelia with a smile. ¡°Are you ready to explore the Known World, with all its mysteries and unknowns?¡± she asked softly. ¡°Mmm!¡± Amelia nodded her head enthusiastically. She couldn¡¯t stop herself from grinning with excitement. ¡°I can¡¯t wait!¡± Chapter Eighty-Eight: A New Path Chapter Eighty-Eight: A New Path AnnouncementDon''t forget to drop by the series , where we have more than 600 adorable Amelia-antic enjoyers ^.^ It''s also a great place to find recommendations for similar series! The Holy Capital of the Known World was blessed with calm winds and clear skies on the day Caolan returned. The Vatican was a sprawling expanse of white walls, golden roofs, and carefully curated gardens and forests to hide the fact that it was surrounded by the urban monstrosity that was Christdom¡¯s largest city ¨C Somerwall. It was an illusion that could only be maintained at ground level. As the ship carrying Caolan and his fellow diplomats touched down on one of the air staging towers jutting up and out of the Golden Cathedral, he was treated to the sight of the ever-growing city spreading almost to the horizon. Normally, he would have felt a sense of pride witnessing the holy city. Now, he just wanted to be alone with his thoughts. He turned away from the horizon, looking upwards at the towering structures that formed the centre of the Golden Cathedral. The largest of these buildings was the Spire of Saint Luminara, and Caolan couldn¡¯t resist sending a quick prayer and best wishes towards its golden roof. Hopefully, his small effort would bring some comfort to His Holiness. ¡°Go get some rest,¡± Caolan ordered his weary-looking colleagues. After receiving murmurs of gratitude and appreciation, Caolan strode down the winding steps of the staging tower and made a beeline for the nearest garden where he would hopefully find some time alone. He wasn¡¯t sure what he was feeling. It was a curious emotion, somewhere between frustration and relief. It had started the moment he watched the Republic¡¯s generals scratch their names on the treaty. It had intensified when he¡¯d added his own name as an observer. They called it the Treaty of Meppen. He felt his forehead furrow as he remembered the moment again and again. He couldn¡¯t help but ruminate on it. It was a historical event, even if the result wasn¡¯t what the Republic or its supporters wanted. Perhaps they could have achieved more favourable terms if- The sound of an argument from nearby pulled Caolan out of his thoughts. He turned from the path, stepping through some trees into a clearing where a group of boys were shouting at each other. ¡°It¡¯s not fair!¡± one of them insisted. ¡°I always lose!¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re the demon!¡± the boy¡¯s friends countered. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be the demon! I want to be on the human team!¡± They stopped when Caolan coughed politely. Frowns filled their faces which quickly morphed into surprise when they saw his uniform. Backs were straightened hastily. He looked them over. They¡¯d taken canes from the garden¡¯s supply shed and were using them as imaginary swords. The boy who had been complaining wore a headband with two sticks strapped to his forehead, creating a makeshift set of horns. ¡°You¡¯ve distracted me from my troubling thoughts,¡± Caolan said, bending down so he was at eye level with the children. They were young, perhaps eight or nine years old. ¡°Are you playing Humans and Demons?¡± ¡°Yes, Sir Paladin!¡± the boys responded in unison. ¡°A little unfair, don¡¯t you think?¡± Caolan asked. ¡°One demon against how many humans? One... two... three...¡± He slowly counted out the boys roleplaying the human team. ¡°...Four,¡± he finished. ¡°Surely our little demon here can have a teammate?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I said!¡± the boy with the makeshift horns exclaimed. ¡°But demons always lose!¡± one of the other boys countered. ¡°It¡¯s not fun to lose!¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Caolan raised an eyebrow. ¡°Demons always lose? Why is that?¡± The boys puffed out their chests. ¡°Because they are foolish heretics who worship their false demigod! They lie about the Second Coming of Christ! The Almighty punished them with horns so that all would know their deception! So they have to lose!¡± The boys pointed at the pretend demon. ¡°The heretic cannot win!¡± It was a child¡¯s answer. A rote repetition of their teachings that was loosely applied to Caolan¡¯s question. Even so, it came oddly close to describing some of the frustration he felt. After all, recent events had proven very clearly that demons sometimes did, in fact, win. ¡°Hmm...¡± he hummed, scratching his stubble. ¡°Even heretics are creatures of God. We must save their souls, remember?¡± He looked at the boys carefully, trying to keep his explanation simple. ¡°If the demons lost all the time, they wouldn¡¯t find it fun to be around humans, would they? And if they¡¯re not around humans, how can we save their souls? Sometimes...¡± he leaned in, smiling. ¡°We must let them win every now and again, so we can draw them in close and teach them the truth, understand?¡± ¡°Y-yes, Sir Paladin...¡± the boys muttered. ¡°Caolan,¡± a cool voice sounded from behind. ¡°You¡¯re back.¡± ¡°Play nicely, okay?¡± Caolan gave a final command to the boys before turning and approaching the newcomer. Despite the man¡¯s round figure and large jowls, Archbishop Bethell always managed to sneak up on Caolan. ¡°Let¡¯s walk,¡± the archbishop said, scratching his bald head and turning and walking through the gardens. ¡°I climbed all the way up the staging tower¡¯s stairs only to find you slipped away. Now here you are, playing with children.¡± ¡°I needed some time, Alexander,¡± Caolan replied, falling into step beside him. ¡°To do what?¡± Alexander replied, glancing at Caolan with sharp eyes. Without waiting for Caolan¡¯s answer he continued, ¡°Some might not like hearing you talking to our boys about demons winning. What would you do if High Command heard you talking like that?¡± ¡°Why?¡± Caolan asked. ¡°Are you planning on telling on me?¡± The archbishop scoffed. ¡°Probably the only time they might listen to me. Look at this.¡± He passed a brown envelope to Caolan. Opening it, Caolan saw pages of ship diagrams. Each one was dotted with hundreds of points, mainly around the ship¡¯s exterior superstructure and less-critical areas. ¡°Analysis of noted impact points of returning and repaired Republican ships,¡± Alexander explained. ¡°I just spent half an hour trying to convince High Command that the reason we¡¯re not recording impact points on the ship¡¯s turrets and engines is because the ships that get hit there don¡¯t return.¡± He raised his hands to the sky. ¡°What¡¯s the point being in Naval Intelligence if those we report to don¡¯t have the intelligence to listen!¡± ¡°Can we afford more armour?¡± Caolan asked. Every ton of steel was additional weight that the ship¡¯s lift engine had to fight to keep airborne. He glanced up, looking at the gentle glow of Christdom¡¯s White Moon. Its crystal boasted decent efficiency in aetheric combustion, but it wasn¡¯t quite as good as the blue crystal that rained down upon Cascadia¡¯s Eastern Terra-Firma. Likewise, the Federation¡¯s Orange Moon was the best human moon for munitions, but it still fell short of the demon¡¯s red crystal. ¡°We¡¯ll have to, even if we take some from the less-critical areas,¡± Alexander replied with a sigh. ¡°Those tungsten penetrators are a real problem to work around. You should see the damage they do to a ship¡¯s engine room! At least our torpedoes evened the playing field a little. Did you get a chance to pressure the Federation into more sanctions? If they tighten their belts a little more, Cascadia loses its ability to make penetrators.¡± ¡°I did, but they didn¡¯t respond well,¡± Caolan answered honestly. ¡°They said they¡¯ve done as much as their economy can handle, and any further pressure would just incentivise Cascadia to use the Sabanis Dominance as a third-party.¡± He shook his head. ¡°The Federation is ideologically opposed to a demon presence on the continent, but Federation ideology is notoriously weak when put against gold. We¡¯ve seen that time and time again.¡± Not to mention the problems the Federation caused by transporting the desert tribesmen of the Endless Sands from their doorstep into Republican territory. They defended the action by justifying it as providing desperately needed manpower for the Republican army, but it was really just a way for them to move one of their problems across the mountain range and out of their territory. ¡°Mmm...¡± the archbishop hummed. ¡°We must appear united, at the very least. How was the signing?¡± ¡°Cascadia made a show of it,¡± Caolin replied. ¡°As expected. They brought their media to take photographs. Large delegations from Centralis and each of the Terra-Firmas. Elana sent Edward Alistair to represent her and lead proceedings. I had a few opportunities to speak to him, but nothing substantive. They were mostly cordial, but you could sense the arrogance in the air. Greatlord Orlan couldn¡¯t stop sneering.¡± Caolon turned his mind back to recent events. ¡°They were more cautious and respectful towards us and the Federation, but it was a thinly-veiled politeness. They blame us for the war.¡± ¡°Bah!¡± Alexander waved a dismissive hand. ¡°Just because they¡¯ve clawed a small victory they think they can rewrite history!? They violated the treaty! They started the war by poisoning the Republic with their heresy! Did they expect us to sit back and let their lies spread? Teaching humans that Christ was one of them!? Ha!¡± The archbishop clenched his hands tightly. ¡°I feel rage just talking about it, Caolan. You¡¯ve seen the statues they worship in their churches! How in the Seven Heavens did you keep your composure in there?¡± ¡°By remembering they had a quarter million soldiers and three hundred ships within a hundred klicks of our borders,¡± Caolan answered flatly. ¡°All backed by Cascadia¡¯s war economy. Besides, I¡¯m a diplomat now. It¡¯s my duty to talk.¡± When I¡¯m allowed, at least, Caolan thought. Formal diplomatic ties had been severed from Cascadia for years, and it wasn''t until a Republican defeat became inevitable that Caolan and his fellow diplomats were instructed to reestablish contact and represent Christdom in the peace talks. Not that he hadn¡¯t been busy. For years, Caolan had been travelling, trying to set the framework for a direct allied intervention in line with High Command¡¯s orders. Unfortunately, Christdom¡¯s main ally, the Federation, had been more talk than action. The Coalition of the Willing had never manifested along the original plan, but it had enabled them to feel confident enough to put several hundred thousand soldiers on the Republic''s borders as a deterrent against any further Cascadian aggression. ¡°You know...¡± Alexander said slowly. ¡°Two months ago, I thought we were going in. I mean, really going in. I was seeing logistics orders go out that exceeded any training exercises I had seen before. We were building field hospitals on the border. The Inquisitor Fleet was repositioning. And then...¡± He snapped his fingers. ¡°Order came to stand down. Know anything about that? High Command wouldn¡¯t even tell Intelligence why.¡± ¡°I heard rumours, but nothing came directly to me...¡± Caolan stopped suddenly. ¡°When was this? What day?¡± After hearing the archbishop''s reply, Caolan let out a slow whistle. ¡°The Suijin embodiment...¡± he said. ¡°You think that was Cascadia¡¯s response?¡± If Christdom was really going to enter the war officially, Cascadia might have revealed one of its hidden weapons to try and put a stop to it. Caolan had thought the demonic water god had been invoked to fight the Asamaywa fire, but perhaps that was the excuse, and the primary reason was a show of force. It would have been a gross violation of international law for Cascadia to deploy a Second-Word Speaker, but would they have cared? Cascadia could hardly be trusted to keep their word, after all. ¡°That was my thinking. Did they mention Suijin at all during the talks?¡± ¡°No,¡± Caolan replied. ¡°They just made the same allusions Cascadia always has; that they¡¯re willing to use their full military force to protect their territory. Matters of Second-Word Speakers and above are beyond my station, Alexander.¡± He raised a finger, pointing to the sky. ¡°Perhaps someone higher up than I had a discussion.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± the archbishop intoned. Caolan had heard rumours that His Holiness had a direct method of communication with the demons¡¯ heretical Empress. From a diplomatic point of view, the existence of such a thing made logical sense. Still, from a religious point of view, it made Caolan feel uneasy knowing His Holiness might have had to converse with the source of the demons¡¯ heresy directly. May God¡¯s archangel ¨C Ascemurella ¨C grant His Holiness strength and wisdom. ¡°It¡¯s worrying to know we might have come so close to open conflict,¡± Caolan said, continuing to walk down the path. A quiet rumbling was heard, causing both men to look up. An Inquisitor Heavy Cruiser was taking to the skies. Its armour shone in the sun and, from its underhull, great red flags bearing the cross fluttered gently. The thought that this blessed ship and its faithful crew might one day lie broken and shattered upon the earth was a bitter one. ¡°I hope you can remind the High Command that God always provides another path, even if the folly of man cloaks it,¡± Caolan said slowly. ¡°I¡¯m more worried about the folly across our borders,¡± Alexander grumbled. ¡°You spoke to them. What¡¯s your perception? Do the demons want war? I¡¯ve read your report, of course. I want to hear your interpretation before it''s filtered for High Command.¡± Caolan took some time to answer. ¡°Cascadia gave us mixed signals,¡± he finally said. ¡°Such as?¡± ¡°The Republican gold we¡¯re protecting.¡± As Meppen¡¯s lines buckled, the Republican government transferred almost two hundred tonnes of gold bullion into Christdom. ¡°They implied they wouldn¡¯t ask for it back if Christdom recognised Cascadia¡¯s control of the Republic in-effect and normalised diplomatic relations.¡± ¡°A bribe, then?¡± The archbishop hummed to himself. ¡°I¡¯m surprised we accepted.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Caolan nodded. ¡°Christdom and the Federation will recognise the Republican leaders as a government-in-exile. Cascadia knew we would never recognise it legally, so on the face of it, it appears they were making an expensive compromise in good faith.¡± ¡°And the other signals?¡± ¡°They refused to enter into any form of arms reduction or restriction treaties,¡± Caolan explained. ¡°Whether limiting the number of soldiers they can deploy on Republican territory, or the tonnage of their navy, they refused entirely. They claim that due to the presence and aggression Christdom and the Federation are apparently displaying with our deterrence force, they¡¯re forced to maintain a large standing army and navy.¡± ¡°Funny thing, for the aggressors to complain about us reacting to their aggression. I hope you told them none of this would have happened if they had just recognised the Republic¡¯s independence. After all, we¡¯re not exploiting a colony of demons on Cascadia, are we?¡± ¡°I raised the matter, not in those words, but I raised the matter. They won¡¯t listen. They don¡¯t consider their warmongering as aggression. They specifically refer to it as defending demonkind and its interests. So as for whether they want war... I don¡¯t think they want it, but they seem to be moving towards it. If only they were willing to make a real concession. A real sign of wanting enduring peace...¡± Caolan looked down, clenching his hand and opening it. ¡°I would suggest to High Command that we should try and make the first move, but if I suggest anything that might be interpreted as fear or weakness, they¡¯ll throw me out of the room.¡± ¡°Demons only understand strength, Caolan. The only reason your talks made the progress they did is because of the strength we mustered on the Republic¡¯s borders. If we didn¡¯t send a single soldier south, an army of horns would already be marching through Christdom. Mark my words.¡± ¡°If there is going to be a war, it¡¯ll be terrifying,¡± Caolan answered. ¡°When we fought the Federation, there were perhaps a hundred and fifty thousand on each side. Right now, we¡¯re technically at peace and there¡¯s already more than six hundred thousand on the borders. If war happens, how long will it be until each side fields a million men?¡± ¡°Despite the numbers, it¡¯s a war we would eventually win,¡± Alexander growled. ¡°There¡¯s a little over a hundred and twenty million demons under Elana¡¯s thumb. Christdom alone rivals that, and if you factor in Ulm and the Federation, we have more than double. Karligard adds another fifteen million.¡± ¡°And alone?¡± Caolan asked. ¡°Could we win alone?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± the archbishop replied, shrugging. ¡°Because we would not be alone. God is on our side. We¡¯re united, Caolan. Cascadia pretends to be, but civil war is brewing, trust me on this. Where do your doubts come from? Do you really think demonkind can contend with humanity?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of our victory. It¡¯s the journey we seem to be taking to achieve it. I felt strange signing the treaty,¡± Caolan replied, trying his best to vocalise his complicated thoughts. ¡°Frustration at the result, of course, but also relief that the war would end. But, now that I think about it, I felt something else ¨C unease. After listening to the demons and receiving the orders from High Command, I can¡¯t help but think both sides gave up on an arms treaty too easily. It¡¯s almost as if...¡± Caolan paused momentarily. ¡°...It¡¯s almost as if we¡¯ve accepted that another war is an inevitable fact. We¡¯re sleepwalking towards it, knowing it¡¯s coming but not truly trying to avoid it.¡± ¡°...I liked you better when you weren¡¯t a diplomat. You talked less.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my duty to talk,¡± Caolan said with a sigh. ¡°I don¡¯t doubt the path His Holiness has set out to achieve, I merely have concerns about High Command and their... interpretation.¡± He turned to face the archbishop. ¡°Hurry up and become Cardinal so we can have someone competent advising His Holiness.¡± Alexander laughed. ¡°I¡¯m trying.¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious,¡± Caolan said. ¡°Something needs to change.¡± ¡°Change, mmm?¡± They walked in silence for a minute. ¡°There¡¯s someone I wanted to ask you about,¡± Caolan said. ¡°The healer Cascadia has somehow acquired.¡± ¡°Careful,¡± the archbishop said, keeping his voice low. He looked around before saying, ¡°That¡¯s a sensitive topic. A very complicated, sensitive topic.¡± ¡°I¡¯m aware,¡± Caolan answered. ¡°Just... help me understand.¡± ¡°Understand what exactly?¡± ¡°Who is she?¡± ¡°A bloody mystery,¡± Alexander hissed. ¡°She¡¯s an impossibility.¡± ¡°An impossibility?¡± ¡°Exactly. She claims she was born in Karligard, right?¡± As Caolan nodded, the archbishop continued, ¡°And she looks Karlish, doesn¡¯t she? Cascadia¡¯s story is that she travelled south while developing her healer skills, but neither Karligard, the Federation, nor Christdom has any record of an errant healer. It¡¯s simply not possible. Yet, it has to be. She¡¯s confirmed to be a Speaker of Aseco, which means she must have had some connection to the Golden Cathedral!¡± As if on cue, both of them turned their heads to glance towards the golden-tipped tower looming high towards the clouds. ¡°But get this: she¡¯s never been heard speaking anything other than Imperial. Her accent and language indicate she grew up in Centralis. That is, of course, impossible. No human can commune with Aseco without the guidance of His Holiness. And I know what you¡¯re thinking. Perhaps she isn¡¯t human. Perhaps she¡¯s a demon, using one of their Kanaxai glamours. No. It¡¯s been verified. She¡¯s the real deal. Don¡¯t ask how.¡± Alexander shook his head. ¡°Why? What are you thinking?¡± ¡°I just feel that...¡± Caolon mulled over his words. ¡°If I can understand who she is and why she¡¯s aligned herself with Cascadia, I¡¯ll be able to see the path towards peace. I¡¯ve seen the articles about her. She seems to... think differently.¡± ¡°Careful, don¡¯t let anyone hear you talk like that. It sounds too close to a compliment.¡± ¡°We need a different perspective, Alexander. There¡¯s another path, I know it.¡± ¡°Maybe war is the path towards peace,¡± Alexander replied. ¡°You seem to have made up your mind already.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a realist.¡± ¡°Do we know her motivations?¡± ¡°The healer? No.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Caolan raised an eyebrow. ¡°No-one¡¯s made contact?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve tried a few times,¡± Alexander replied with an uncomfortable look. ¡°Got close enough to verify what we know, but Cascadian Intelligence is too strong on their own turf. We¡¯ve had... casualties.¡± ¡°Has anyone made contact?¡± ¡°Mmm...¡± Alexander scratched his jaw. ¡°There was a Federation team that managed it. They used their trade relationships to slip in a Citadel field team. They were caught, though. There was a recent exchange to bring them home. Apparently one of them became friends with our lost lamb.¡± ¡°Friends? Really?¡± Caolan felt his interest surge. ¡°Who was it?¡± ¡°Why? Jealous?¡± Caolan gave Alexander a stare until the man chuckled. ¡°Just a nobody, Caolan.¡± ¡°Nobody is nobody.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t quote me to me,¡± Alexander complained. ¡°I can give you the name, but I doubt they¡¯ll let you meet her. They¡¯re keeping her close.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be heading to the Citadel anyway for post-war discussions,¡± Caolan said. Post-war discussions was the polite way of putting it. In reality it would be every side blaming each other for not doing enough. ¡°Who knows? I might bump into her.¡± ¡°Mmm...¡± Alexander hummed. ¡°I¡¯ll send you the file. Just don¡¯t do anything stupid.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Caolan said. They continued to walk and Caolan found his mind feeling lighter already. Perhaps it was his imagination, but with every step he took he felt like another path was opening up to him. He didn¡¯t know where it would lead him, but for now it seemed to point in the direction of the Federation and this nobody field agent. ¡°I wonder what she¡¯s up to now,¡± Caolan muttered idly. ¡°Who? Your Federation girlfriend?¡± ¡°No, you fool. Our lost lamb.¡± ¡°Well if you find that out, make sure to tell me. High Command might start listening to me more, then.¡± Alexander chuckled to himself before patting his stomach. ¡°I¡¯m hungry. Let¡¯s get something to eat.¡± Caolan let Alexander lead him back into the Golden Cathedral. Along the way, he couldn¡¯t help but keep thinking the same question. What is she doing now? ¡°You¡¯re unbelievable,¡± Serena said. ¡°What the hells... where did you get this?¡± ¡°I bought it!¡± Amelia chirped, striding from one end of Serena¡¯s bedroom to another. ¡°How couldn¡¯t I! What do you think!?¡± Amelia gestured at Serena¡¯s early Christmas present, hanging from one end of her bedroom to the other. It was a two-person hammock. A very expensive and comfy-looking one at that. Serena ran her hand over the fabric. It had just the right balance of firmness. She checked the maker¡¯s label. One hundred percent Fengra cotton. Serena shook her head. So, her idiot girlfriend wouldn¡¯t be satisfied with only sleeping near her for a few weeks, could she? ¡°You¡¯ve got that look on your face,¡± Amelia said with a smug grin. ¡°What look?¡± ¡°The one where you think you should chastise me for doing something amazing, but secretly you like what I¡¯ve done?¡± Amelia tilted her hips to the side, placing an exaggerated finger on her chin. ¡°That look?¡± Damn it, Amelia had seen right through her! And she¡¯d looked ridiculously, annoyingly cute while doing so! Serena strode over and after ruffling Amelia¡¯s golden hair for a few seconds, hopped up into the hammock. ¡°I guess it¡¯s an improvement,¡± Serena murmured as Amelia climbed up and over. ¡°Whoa, it¡¯s so comfy!¡± Amelia wiggled into position against Serena, yawning. ¡°I feel like I could... I could... Mmm...¡± Amelia¡¯s breathing slowed and soon she was fast asleep. Idiot. Serena reached down and grabbed a blanket. Once she placed it over both of them she closed her eyes, letting the rhythmic noise of the ship¡¯s lift engine and the continuous hum of the propulsion engine lure her to sleep. Amelia shifted, and a moment later Serena felt an arm snake around her waist. It was an unconscious reflex by Amelia, who was so used to cuddling or being cuddled by Serena. Still, this level of affection was something Serena was comfortable with on the ship, especially after she¡¯d notified Anathor of their romantic relationship. Serena turned her head, giving her sleeping girlfriend a peck on the lips. ¡°Night, Lia,¡± she whispered. ¡°I love you.¡± Chapter Eighty-Nine: Revelations Chapter Eighty-Nine: Revelations Amelia¡¯s hazy mind slowly exited its dreamlike state to the sound of music. Someone was playing a violin or something similar, somewhere on the ship. The notes were muffled, even for her enhanced hearing. She wasn¡¯t sure, but someone with a gentle voice might be singing along in a strange language. The more lucid she became, the quieter the music sounded. Eventually, its soothing notes were hidden from her ears, as if it only wanted to be heard in her dreams. Amelia yawned, reaching out with her arm to find the space next to her empty. Moving her perception to her aetherflow, she placed Serena on the bridge. Her girlfriend must have woken up earlier and let Amelia sleep in. Amelia shifted her weight to Serena¡¯s side. While not even the slightest trace of warmth remained, the fragrance of her girlfriend persisted. Amelia twitched her nose, burrowing her face into the cotton and relaxing as she smelled Serena¡¯s scent. She wasn¡¯t being weird, right? It was Serena¡¯s fault for smelling so ridiculously good all the time. Honestly! Amelia suspected Serena must be releasing pheromones that Amelia was genetically predisposed to liking, or something to that effect. Why else would she be behaving like a drug addict who needed their next Serena-fix? Alright, maybe she was being a little weird. Instead of healing herself, Amelia let her brain naturally wake up. She let the hustle and bustle of the ship¡¯s crew and the rhythmic thumping of the ship¡¯s engines bring her into a new day. Before getting up, she took some time to ruminate on her thoughts. So much had happened, and now that they had finally left Asamaywa, Amelia felt she could finally process everything. Most important was the knowledge Amelia gained from conversing with the person who called themselves Katalin of Driss. Amelia was a shardbearer. It was the source of all her power and all the misfortune in her previous life. Whoever or whatever soul the Vengeance protected had once splintered into shards, one of which had somehow bonded with Amelia¡¯s soul. The event had cursed her to a painful life as her body failed to adjust to its powers in a world without aether. It wasn¡¯t all negative. Shards attracted shards, and because of that, Amelia¡¯s soul had been drawn to this realm of demons and magic, right into the quarters of her favourite demon captain! It was a strange feeling to know the thing that had caused her years of suffering was also responsible for causing so much happiness in her new life. If she were ever separated from Serena, could she endure all the pain again to reunite with her girlfriend? Yes, she could¡ªa thousand times, yes. For a moment, Amelia had been worried that her soul was more than just hers. She¡¯d been concerned that elements of her personality had been artificially changed due to the shard attaching itself to her. However, the more time she spent introspecting and feeling the sensation of her soul and looking at its beautiful shine in the Shimmer, the more Amelia became convinced that it wasn¡¯t true. She wasn¡¯t exactly sure how, but she knew her soul wasn¡¯t a hodge-podged mash-up of part Amelia and part whatever else. It was a single, unified, homogenous soul. Whatever power Amelia had absorbed, it had melded into her soul and become hers. Amelia was, after all, Amelia. Nothing more, nothing less! Feeling a lot better, Amelia stretched, giving her best impression of Poro the peeka. Although she didn¡¯t have two tails, she could give him a run for his money regarding cuteness. ¡°Morning, Anathor!¡± she called out cheerfully. ¡°Good afternoon, Lady Thornheart,¡± came the grumbled reply from the next room. ¡°Afternoon?¡± Amelia sat up, habitually rubbing her eyes. She popped off the bed and, with a quick invocation of magic, her clothes and body were perfectly cleaned. ¡°What time is it, Anathor?¡± she asked, walking into Serena¡¯s office and facing the red-eyed moose. ¡°It¡¯s one o¡¯clock,¡± Anathor said. ¡°The ship is in a good mood, and we are blessed with clear skies and good winds. We¡¯ve made good distance and are currently skirting the western edge of Kraken Kur. Ah, one moment, Lady Thornheart. I¡¯m needed on the bridge...¡± One o¡¯clock! She¡¯d overslept far more than she thought! While Anathor¡¯s attention was elsewhere, Amelia made herself a coffee. It was strange; she never used to drink the stuff, but now the mornings didn¡¯t feel like they had truly begun until she had a cup of the black gold in her hands. She poured hot water over the coffee grounds and examined the maps on Serena¡¯s desk. Serena had made notes of their location and heading that morning. Amelia only knew the basics, but Serena had explained how little information she needed to identify the exact location of the Vengeance in the Known World. If Serena had access to recent forecasts of the moon cycles and could see at least two moons, she could perfectly triangulate their position. Even without the moons, Serena could navigate by the stars alone! Of course, in the modern age of crystal-powered sail, the Empire had hundreds, if not thousands, of crystal-powered lighthouses dotted around its territories. These lighthouses not only provided a visual light, but also sent out a pulse in the aetherfield every fifteen minutes, broadcasting the lighthouse''s identification code. Any ship whose aetherscopes were in range of three lighthouses could triangulate their position exactly. Those in range of fewer lighthouses could use other information, like the stars or the moons, to compensate. Amelia found it incredible how much this world had achieved without widespread use of electricity. Unfortunately, with how much the lumina and aetherfield disrupted radar and circuits, she felt the Empire had overlooked some key applications. Amelia glanced towards the bedroom where her bags lay unopened. She¡¯d brought quite a bit of material from the crystalcraft lectures. If only she could reproduce that, then she might be able to do far more good in this world than even what her healing could do! Anathor announced his return just as Amelia pressed and poured her morning coffee. As he finished his greeting, Amelia sensed the ship slowly turning in a new direction. ¡°Change in direction?¡± Amelia asked, sipping her coffee and resisting the urge to groan in satisfaction. She¡¯d have to take another cup to the new Northerner; it seemed the easiest way to become friends. After all, Officer Bright seemed as addicted to coffee as Amelia was to Serena. ¡°Hmm...¡± Anathor hummed. ¡°Small argument between our desired itinerary and Ainese perimeter ships. They are shadowing us, making it known our colours are... unwelcome in their airspace.¡± The moose''s eyes flashed menacingly. ¡°Fools. Now¡¯s not the time for the Far East to be playing about.¡± Amelia felt her forehead furrow. ¡°Why are they behaving like that? Aren¡¯t we all on the same side?¡± ¡°Bah! They¡¯ve always been prickly. Ungrateful louts...¡± Anathor grumbled. ¡°After everything we did for them... It¡¯s always like this with the distant territories. They lack the respect they should show.¡± ¡°There¡¯s... not going to be a fight, is there?¡± Amelia asked hesitatingly. ¡°...No. The captain¡¯s changing our course. Better we get to our destination early than play politics with the Ainese and arrive late.¡± ¡°Mmm...¡± Amelia nodded, taking another sip. ¡°Speaking of distant territories, have you ever been to our destination? Ishaq?¡± Anathor delayed his answer long enough for Amelia to flip her perception to the Shimmer and take a look. Anathor¡¯s body, made of flowing ribbons of silky magic that covered the ship¡¯s structure, seemed to be... thinking. Anathor looked both alien and beautiful at the same time. The ribbons began to pulse as he spoke. ¡°I haven¡¯t,¡± Anathor said. ¡°Even before I was bound to the ship I never went that far South. Before the invention of the lift engine, Ishaq was difficult to get to. It was founded by fleeing desert refugees during the Long Discordancy. It¡¯s well-protected, you see. The Enemy needed to drink water and rest like any army. But water is difficult to find in the Red Sands, and if you manage to cross the desert, you have the unforgiving Salaban Range to climb over. Ishaq was so untouched by the Enemy¡¯s forces that they were one of the few pockets of resistance actively going on the offensive. Ishaq¡¯s armies skirted the continent¡¯s edge and liberated Shiloh. Unfortunately, the Enemy found their own path and fighting stalled in the territory of the old Human Kingdom of Suria.¡± ¡°Suria?¡± Amelia asked, hopping onto Serena¡¯s desk and swinging her legs. ¡°Where¡¯s that?¡± ¡°It... no longer exists. It ruled the lands east of the Krummunds. Its defences were destroyed in the fighting by one of the Enemy¡¯s titanlords; a greatwurm that burrowed under the earth and collapsed fortifications and cities alike. That creature died when Elana¡¯s armies arrived and she invoked her divine power and shattered the lands, creating the Shattered Isles.¡± ¡°Ah...¡± Amelia mumbled. ¡°What happened to the humans of Suria?¡± ¡°The few survivors found a new life in Ishaq. I believe, even today, the city has a strong human population. You might meet many of your kind there, Lady Thornheart.¡± ¡°Really!? I can¡¯t wait!¡± Amelia felt her optimism grow even further. ¡°Hmm...¡± she said thoughtfully. During dinner with Serena¡¯s father, they¡¯d discussed the animal gods and he had told her of a greatwurm worshipped by the desert tribes. Was it perhaps the same one? ¡°You are thinking of Urlan the Greatwurm,¡± Anathor said after Amelia asked. ¡°The titanlord was far larger, having been poisoned and corrupted into servitude. He was called...¡± Anathor trailed off for a moment. ¡°I can¡¯t quite remember... but he was a terrible beast. He was both hated and pitied. I don¡¯t know what beliefs are popular in Ishaq, but I believe much of the desert still follows the ritualistic religion of Urda, worshippers of the insect gods.¡± ¡°Mmm!¡± Amelia nodded. ¡°Like the Greatspider, right?¡± She remembered what she¡¯d learned about the desert from Tomes and Instructor Abbas. ¡°They believe it¡¯s the Empress in another form, right?¡± Anathor chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s what the sects around Dectus and Qasim believe, but that¡¯s the modern branch of Urda. We¡¯re going to be near Ashendi territory, where the old tribes of Haki and Treki people reside. Their ancestors built pyramids far older than I am to bury their kings and, if you believe the tales, protect the slumbering bodies of their insect gods.¡± ¡°Why would they do that?¡± ¡°Urda teaches of a great cataclysm that happened many thousands of years ago. Long before my time... long before the human caravans came to this world... they speak of a world in the under-sky; a land surrounded by an endless plane of water, ruled by the spider god Mura. They built the pyramids to protect their gods until a time came for them to step back into the world. Hmm...¡± Anathor hummed thoughtfully. ¡°There was Bain, the beetle god. Falin, the ant god. The largest was Mura. She¡¯s housed in the largest of the pyramids.¡± ¡°So the Ashendi don¡¯t believe the spider god is the Empress?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°That¡¯s right, Lady Thornheart. If I remember correctly, they teach that Elana was one of Mura¡¯s offspring that she produced to save Cascadia.¡± Anathor paused momentarily. ¡°I remember liberating Qasim and Dectus during the Third Crusade, then one night, Elana announced she was going south, and we were to wait for her. When she returned, she had the Ashendi armies under her banner.¡± ¡°I see!¡± Amelia grinned. Anathor was chatty today, wasn¡¯t he? She planned to take full advantage of it. ¡°What was the desert like?¡± she asked. ¡°Hmm...¡± Anathor mumbled. ¡°A terrible place. Beautiful, but terrible. The Red Moon acts as a second sun in the South, you see. When it¡¯s low, the heat is so overwhelming that desert travel is impossible for all but high-level aether users. I remember it now. What a dreadful heat it was... it was a relentless, oppressive heat that evaporated your sweat before it could cool you. It didn¡¯t matter how much you drank, you could never cool down. It took us a while to figure out that drinking so much water without salt was dangerous. Men were going mad in the heat. To survive out there, you must live like the desert creatures and burrow underground when the moon comes close. That is, if you¡¯re foolish enough to try and cross at the wrong time. Desert trade follows the cycle of their moon, you see. ¡°Back then we had no ships, and even if we did, lift engines wouldn¡¯t work over the Red Sands. You have to go on foot or ride the windskimmers the desert tribes had domesticated. Now I believe you can also cross using kites and catching the wind on wooden boards... They call it sandsurfing. The desert is a difficult place to live, but the surrounding territories are tropical paradises. Ishaq and Shiloh get rainstorms with raindrops as big as your thumb!¡± ¡°Whoa!¡± Amelia expressed her amazement. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to explore!¡± ¡°You must be careful, Lady Thornheart. Both you and the captain. The desert tribes live very differently from the rest of the Empire. You must never harm an insect in the desert. If you do so intentionally, they¡¯ll punish you. As for Ishaq... well... I¡¯ve heard it¡¯s quite an exotic place where social norms are rather... relaxed. As Officer Bright said, there¡¯s a reason ships lose crew members when making land there...¡± ¡°How scandalous!¡± Amelia exclaimed, bringing a hand to her mouth in mock surprise. She had a pretty good idea of what temptations would cause men to desert. ¡°Right then!¡± Amelia brought a fist to her open palm. ¡°Don¡¯t hurt insects and don¡¯t fall for the temptations of Ishaq! Got it! Thank you, Anathor!¡± ¡°Hmm... you¡¯re most welcome, Lady Thornheart.¡± Amelia decided to go on the attack. ¡°So what was she like? The Empress, I mean. Back then, she wasn¡¯t an Empress, right?¡± As she asked, Amelia couldn¡¯t help but look at the painting hanging next to the stuffed moose head. There, the Empress or Demonkind was depicted. Not in any of her forms, but what was supposed to be her original Cerulean appearance. Blonde hair, blue eyes, small horns. Shockingly similar to Amelia. ¡°Hmm... by the time of the Third Crusade, she was a confident, powerful leader. Her hesitation was gone, and her will and focus were of unwavering determination. She was so very nervous at the start, you see...¡± Anathor laughed softly, his deep, gruff voice filling the room. ¡°She would be embarrassed to know I was telling you... I should stop...¡± ¡°I was just wondering!¡± Amelia quickly spoke up before Anathor shut down. ¡°You fought alongside her, didn¡¯t you? Was this before you...¡± She twiddled her thumbs. ¡°Became a Formless?¡± ¡°Hmm... I was more of a teacher and advisor,¡± Anathor replied. ¡°That was until... hmm...¡± Anathor¡¯s voice dropped low, taking on a note of pain. ¡°We committed a cardinal sin...¡± He continued to mumble indecipherable words. ¡°Sorry,¡± Amelia said. ¡°It¡¯s just that I read this book in the academy. It was called The Formless: Sightings and Conversations. I hoped you could talk about your origins, but you don¡¯t have to if it''s difficult!¡± Amelia waved her hands apologetically. ¡°I was just curious!¡± ¡°I..¡± Anathor trailed off. ¡°It¡¯s something I can¡¯t talk about, Lady Thornheart.¡± ¡°I understand! I didn¡¯t-¡± ¡°I mean, I can¡¯t talk about it. A binding oath was imposed upon us. I cannot talk about the event even if I want to. None of us can, with one exception. Should you ever find yourself in conversation with Empress Elana herself, you could ask her. Although... the subject is painful for her...¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Amelia raised an eyebrow. ¡°I met her!¡± ¡°Hmm...?¡± ¡°The Empress,¡± Amelia clarified. ¡°I¡¯ve already met her!¡± ¡°You... have? When?¡± ¡°A few days ago, in Asamaywa. She was disguised as an instructor. She was teaching me and Serena! She was...¡± Amelia thought back to the sessions that ¡®Katalin¡¯ had led. ¡°She was really cool! But also frustratingly vague! She barely answered any questions at all! Just like you!¡± ¡°That¡¯s...¡± Anathor trailed off before chuckling lightly. ¡°Just like her. I should have guessed she would want to see you in person. I should have given you a warning. I apologise, Lady Thornheart. I should have counselled you better.¡± ¡°No worries!¡± ¡°What did you two talk about?¡± Amelia answered honestly, describing the revelation about her power and shard. Amelia¡¯s instincts had always told her Anathor was a trustworthy person, and his historical closeness with the Empress only reinforced that opinion. Amelia suspected the Formless was well-versed in the nature of shards and shardbearers, and his lack of surprise at her revelations confirmed it. ¡°She said that, did she...?¡± Anathor said quietly. ¡°But, it has been nearly a millennium. How could a shard resist corruption for so long...? Could it be..? No... Then again, time does work differently in the deeper layers... could one of the Old Ones have...? Thought you came from the Heavens...¡± ¡°Anathor,¡± Amelia said sternly, crossing her arms. ¡°Hmm...?¡± ¡°You¡¯re doing that thing again!¡± Amelia accused. ¡°Mumbling all secretive to yourself!¡± ¡°...Apologies, Lady Thornheart. These are not matters to talk of lightly. Knowledge of these things is dangerous, and if Empress Elana hasn¡¯t given you the answers, she has chosen not to do so for good reason. I should not speak out of turn if she doesn¡¯t think you¡¯re ready.¡± Amelia rolled her eyes. Her coffee had gone cold, so she used magic to heat it back up. As steam began to rise from her cup, she asked, ¡°Can you talk to me about the Shimmer?¡± ¡°You know about that place?¡± Anathor asked. ¡°Of course... with your talents, it was only a matter of time. Did you talk to the Empress about it?¡± ¡°No, she vanished before I could! Even when I looked into the Shimmer, I couldn¡¯t see her!¡± Amelia went on to explain how she and Lunaria had taught themselves to see into the alternative layer of reality, how the Lord Guardian had given Amelia a hint to focus on her shadow, and the existence of Noburu¡¯s blessing that enabled him to step into the Shimmer. ¡°So that is what that man¡¯s blessing does... I was wondering...¡± Anathor murmured. ¡°The advice the Lord Guardian gave you is correct. You must find your shadow,¡± he finished solemnly. ¡°Find my shadow?¡± Amelia questioned, tilting her head in confusion. She pointed to the floor, where the room''s aetherlight cast her subtle shadow. ¡°There it is,¡± she said with a shrug. ¡°Not like that, Lady Thornheart. You must find your shadow in the Shimmer. Only then will the door reveal itself to you.¡± ¡°But there¡¯s no shadow in the Shimmer!¡± Amelia protested. ¡°The same reddish-brown light lights everything! From all angles!¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you need to look,¡± Anathor said. ¡°It¡¯s different for everyone. That man¡¯s blessing likely allows him to do it instinctively. Perhaps he has some answers. The Red Sands might help you. The desert is known for providing answers to those who are lost.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not lost. I¡¯m just confused about why no one¡¯s giving me clear answers!¡± Amelia pouted until another question popped into her mind. ¡°Speaking of the Shimmer, can you talk about why you look like you do? Do all Formless look like that?¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± Anathor hummed. ¡°I suppose so. Souls can exist in many forms, and when they are bound, they change to suit their environment. I, along with the other forty-one members of the expedition, am restricted to the deeper layers of reality. Many of us are still struggling to break through. It turned out splintering wasn¡¯t the only thing that could happen to a soul. They can be unravelled as well.¡± Expedition? Amelia thought. Interesting. She filed that away for future reference. The book about the Formless had mentioned nothing about them being on an expedition together. ¡°Would you like me to try and heal you?¡± she asked. ¡°Or any Formless I come across?¡± ¡°Best not...¡± Anathor replied. ¡°The results might be... unfavourable, especially with me. I know enough of myself to maintain my ego, and any more of your magic might trouble the ship. No matter how powerful you may be, you cannot remake a soul. We must collect the shards, so she remembers more of herself...¡± She? Amelia thought. So it¡¯s a woman? Anathor was being very chatty today! ¡°In the book they referenced a stone slab in the Cathedral of Bone. It has all your names listed there, along with a title. It¡¯s all written in Anglish and most have been translated, such as Diego the Wanderer or Sindr the Saviour.¡± Amelia took a breath. ¡°Your title was cut off, due to damage done to the slab. Can you remember what it was?¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± Anathor hummed. ¡°That is my secret to keep, Lady Thornheart.¡± So he did know! ¡°Fine,¡± Amelia said with a grin. ¡°I won¡¯t press, promise!¡± ¡°Are you going to tell the captain about the Empress?¡± Anathor asked. ¡°Mmm!¡± Amelia nodded. ¡°I have to! I was going to tell her this morning, but I slept in!¡± ¡°Tell her gently,¡± Anathor said. ¡°The captain respects our Overlord of Overlords with the deepest of conviction. It can be a shock for someone to find out how... personable she can be in reality. It can ruin their illusions about her... Oh, here comes the Captain now.¡± Before Amelia could answer, the door opened and Serena strode through. She wore an annoyed expression and was clicking her tongue loudly. ¡°Idiots,¡± Serena muttered, taking off her gloves and pacing. ¡°I knew relations were low, but to think they would show such disrespect to a ship flying Imperial colours! Tsk!¡± Serena crossed her arms. ¡°Well, at least we¡¯ll be early for our meeting with the Indefatigable. Perhaps Captain Matthews can enlighten me on the level of disrespect the Ainese seem so fond of showing these days!¡± Serena clenched her hand and then released it. ¡°Good morning, by the way,¡± she said to Amelia. ¡°Or afternoon, I suppose. I tried to wake you, but you were sleeping like a babe.¡± ¡°I think I needed it! Lots of things to think about!¡± Amelia chirped. ¡°I see you¡¯ve been having trouble with the locals?¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t think they serve the same Empress from how they act,¡± Serena said, shaking her head and glancing at the portrait on the wall. ¡°I bet they would change their tune if she made an Imperial visit! Idiots!¡± Taking a deep breath, Serena sat on the floor and closed her eyes. ¡°Calming yourself?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°Trying that breathing technique Katalin taught us, remember?¡± Serena answered with her eyes closed. ¡°And stop sitting on my desk. You¡¯ll wrinkle my maps.¡± ¡°Mmm...¡± Amelia hummed, hopping off. ¡°Speaking of Katalin...¡± Ah, suddenly things were incredibly awkward. ¡°What about her?¡± Serena asked, her eyes still closed. ¡°Well...¡± Amelia fidgeted, glancing towards the stuffed moose head. All she got back was a flash of red eyes. She supposed that was his form of encouragement. Amelia had been told to wait until they¡¯d left the East before telling Serena, but if the Ainese perimeter ships were encouraging them out of their airspace, then it was like they had left already, right? ¡°You know how I stayed behind after the last session...?¡± Amelia asked slowly. ¡°Well... I wanted to verify something. I sort of... perceived something about her I needed to check.¡± Amelia swallowed. ¡°And I did. I mean, I confirmed it, right?¡± Serena opened her eyes and frowned, moving to get up. ¡°No, no, no...¡± Amelia waved her arms. ¡°Stay sitting down. Trust me.¡± ¡°Please,¡± Serena said sarcastically. ¡°I¡¯m not like one of those delicate Centralis girls who¡¯ll faint the moment they hear something shocking. Come on then, what¡¯s the big secret? Did she have a blessing or something? Was she a Second-Word Speaker?¡± Amelia swallowed. Suddenly, her mouth felt awfully dry. She glanced at the portrait of the Empress. Maybe it was her imagination, but it seemed like those blue eyes were watching them right now, and those painted lips had curled up ever so slightly. Serena suddenly laughed, following Amelia¡¯s gaze to the painting. ¡°You¡¯re not going to tell me she was the Empress in disguise! Ha!¡± Serena laughed heartily. Amelia clenched her jaw, feeling the colour fall from her face. She giggled unconsciously. ¡°Well,¡± Amelia said in a small voice. ¡°You said it.¡± Chapter Ninety: Optimism Chapter Ninety: Optimism ¡°Perimeter ships pulling away!¡± the Communications Officer shouted, his clear voice filling the bridge. His announcement prompted a few mutters from the other officers and their staff. The childish antics of the Ainese Navy had irritated the Vengeance¡¯s professional crew. Or at least, a small part of Serena¡¯s mind thought that was what they were muttering about. In all honesty, her hazy mind was a little preoccupied at the moment. ¡°Steady as she goes, Captain?¡± the navigator asked. ¡°Mmm,¡± Serena hummed. Did we really...? her mind asked itself. Did I really...? ¡°Captain?¡± Perhaps Amelia was mistaken? No... ¡°Captain?¡± Should I sit down? I should probably sit down. ¡°Captain!¡± a loud voice barked. Serena turned to see her First Officer, Dagon, looking at her with an expression of concern. ¡°Are you... Well?¡± he asked softly. ¡°You appear to be a little drained of colour, Captain.¡± Serena blinked thrice. When did she get to the bridge again? The rational part of her mind fought valiantly against her fugue state. ¡°I¡¯m... quite alright, Dagon,¡± she said. Ah, that wasn¡¯t right. She was supposed to use titles on the bridge. Now his forehead had furrowed even more! Serena looked around, but for some reason, it was difficult to focus. Her talented and loyal officers were looking at her strangely. Aiden and Finella were pretending to be occupied but kept stealing glances at her. Maybe she wasn¡¯t well, after all. ¡°Steady...¡± Serena cleared her throat. ¡°Steady as she goes!¡± ¡°Steady as she goes!¡± the helmsman echoed. ¡°Aye aye, Captain!¡± ¡°Bearing one eighty!¡± the Navigation Officer shouted. ¡°Southbound at twenty-four knots! Sails full and by! Three hundred and forty klicks ¡®til we reach Cirranis perimeter! Seven hours and forty minutes!¡± I think you should sit down, Serena¡¯s mind told her. She blinked again, frowning slightly. Seven hells, now she was referring to herself in third-person! She needed time to process what Amelia had said. She needed... she needed some air. ¡°Carry on,¡± she commanded the room. She turned, catching Dagon¡¯s eye. ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon. In your command, First Officer.¡± ¡°Aye aye, Captain!¡± Dagon bellowed as he saluted her. ¡°Captain leaving deck!¡± Serena walked through the corridor. Her throat felt tight. She needed some air. Throwing back the large bolt on the thick metal side door, she stepped out of the ship''s superstructure and onto the side deck. Her hair immediately began fluttering about in the roaring wind. She gripped the railing, watching the portside sails bulge happily as they ate their fill of Kraken Kur¡¯s southbound tradewinds. That was better, she could breathe now. She closed the door behind her and made her way to the ship¡¯s stern. Turning the corner, she found a spot between a steam exhaust and the access ladder to the ship''s upper aetherscope where the wind seemed calm. There, she took a moment to look out to the horizon. Shrinking by the second, she could see the mountains of Kraken Major become smaller by the second. With her ever-present red aura and Amelia¡¯s wards, she could even make out the continent itself, hundreds of clicks to the north, only faintly visible against the horizon. And underneath them all was the glowing orange blanket that formed the foundation of their world, the lumina. There it lay, simmering gently, covering an untold number of secrets beneath its opaque density. Ah... Secrets, was it? Serena took a deep breath, checking no one would hear her. ¡°Fucking hells!¡± she shouted into the wind! ¡°Christ! Fuck! Ah... I¡¯m... I¡¯m so...¡± Embarrassed! she finished silently. ¡°Ugh,¡± she groaned in a manner entirely unbefitting of someone of her station. She leaned back against the ship''s structure, letting her back slide down until she was crouched. Here, she could hold her horns while almost curling up into a ball. ¡°I should have known, right?¡± she asked herself, squeezing her horns hard. ¡°It was obvious, wasn¡¯t it?¡± She closed her eyes, muttering a quick prayer. For a minute, she stayed still, enjoying the relative peace and quiet as her heartbeat slowed down. The noise of a door and approaching footsteps made Serena jump to her feet. Ah, of course. Obviously, she would come looking for her. ¡°Hello!¡± Amelia chirped, peeking around the corner. ¡°Thought I would- oomph!¡± Her sentence was cut off as a clump of her golden hair was caught in her mouth. ¡°Pleh!¡± she spat, shaking her head until the hair was free. ¡°I brought you some coffee! I thought you might... need it. I was worried...¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m quite alright, thank you, Amelia,¡± Serena said, collecting herself. ¡°Mmm...?¡± Amelia leaned forward, examining her. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Of course I am. I just needed some space.¡± Serena reached out and took the cup of coffee. The wind whisked away the fragrance before it could reach her nose, but a quick taste confirmed it was the luxury Jimari coffee she¡¯d grown used to. I¡¯m just trying to distract myself, aren¡¯t I? she thought. ¡°It¡¯s just, you sort of...¡± Amelia shook her head. ¡°Got this far-away look in your eyes. I was worried I... I don¡¯t know. I was worried I broke you, or something to that effect.¡± Serena laughed. ¡°I¡¯m no delicate snowflower. Here, hold this.¡± She handed Amelia the coffee. Then she reached up, held her horns and whimpered. ¡°Amelia ,¡± she said. ¡°I rubbed her face into the dirt! Deliberately!¡± ¡°I know,¡± Amelia replied, grinning. ¡°It was awesome!¡± ¡°I slapped her with my tail!¡± ¡°I was cheering for you!¡± Oh, it was becoming too much again. Serena let herself slither back down until her arse was touching the metal deck. As she did, more memories surfaced that she wished had stayed buried. The first was the vivid recollection of Serena¡¯s reaction when Amelia was cut and bleeding just before she reached red aura for the first time. ¡°I almost Spoke Narean against her! I almost attacked her to defend you!¡± ¡°Heh,¡± Amelia hopped over, sitting next to her. ¡°You were so brave! I was really touched!¡± ¡°Stop acting like this isn¡¯t serious!¡± Serena complained, not knowing whether to keep clutching her horns or pull Amelia¡¯s cheeks. Why couldn¡¯t she have four arms so she could do both at the same time!? ¡°Hey!¡± Amelia protested. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I be the one panicking? After all, I cut off her arm!¡± Serena felt her face fall. ¡°Oh, by the Empress,¡± she muttered. ¡°You cut off her arm!¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± Amelia¡¯s face broke out into a wide grin as she jabbed herself with her thumb. ¡°By the Empress, I did!¡± ¡°That¡¯s nothing to be proud of!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal! She didn¡¯t bring it up, did she?¡± ¡°...She didn¡¯t?¡± Serena asked weakly. ¡°Nope!¡± Amelia shuffled over, leaning her body against Serena¡¯s side. ¡°Remember, she put herself in that position. She chose to go to the Asamaywa Academy. You know what that means, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°What does it mean?¡± ¡°It means you were so amazing that, in an Empire of more than a hundred million demons, she thought you were worthy enough to receive her direct instruction! Isn¡¯t that awesome!?¡± Amelia smiled, nodding encouragingly. ¡°It-¡± Serena began. Now she thought about it... Didn¡¯t that mean her and Amelia''s talents were... recognised? Recognised by her? ¡°She was there... because of us?¡± Serena asked. ¡°Yup!¡± Amelia chirped. ¡°Obviously, she¡¯d heard about how amazing and cute I was, and what a ridiculously, overwhelmingly, talented captain-soon-to-be-commodore I was in love with! Who wouldn¡¯t want to see that themselves?¡± Serena felt her eyes widen. ¡°She knows about us!?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t tell her! Well, I did. I mean, she asked me first, and I confirmed. So she already figured it out! Besides, loads of people know! I think she would have access to that information, right!? But anyway, she seemed, uh, very supportive!¡± Amelia flashed a thumbs up before frowning slightly. ¡°Bah! I should have told her to change the Demonic Testament so it¡¯s more accepting of same-sex relationships. You know, I was reading it the other day. Did you know it teaches that two women together is a ¡®waste¡¯? Can you believe that!? A waste? As if... if I¡¯m not popping out babies left, right and centre I-¡± Serena reached out and ruffled Amelia''s hair, interrupting her. Serena¡¯s mind was slowly recovering, and the silky smoothness of Amelia¡¯s golden hair and the softness of her cheeks served to restore Serena¡¯s rationality further. ¡°What did you talk about?¡± ¡°Oh, you know, the weather, who¡¯s dating who at Lani¡¯s school.¡± Amelia shrugged. ¡°Girl stuff.¡± Serena gave her a dry stare. ¡°Alright, alright! I don¡¯t think she intended for me to catch on. It was only during the mock-battle when I had my senses enhanced by Aseco I felt confident enough about what I saw. She was extremely well cloaked, both here and in the Shimmer. Ooh, scratch there...¡± Amelia moved Serena''s hand to a point behind her left ear. ¡°Ah... Anyway! I always felt this weird connection with her. Not the connection we have, of course. Something else... I asked her about it, and...¡± Amelia visibly swallowed. ¡°She gave me some answers.¡± Amelia then proceeded to explain the conversation she had while Serena waited outside. As her girlfriend dropped bombshell after bombshell, Serena almost couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing. Yet, it made so much sense. ¡°So that¡¯s where your power comes from. And the Emp-¡± Serena swallowed, forcing her to utter the words. ¡°And the Empress has her own shard? That¡¯s how she¡¯s so powerful? Is that why she lives-¡± Serena cut off, her mouth opening. ¡°Oh, wow.¡± ¡°What?¡± Amelia asked, tilting her face. ¡°That¡¯s why one of her titles is the Shard of Infinity. I thought it was a metaphor for her long life!¡± Serena shook her head. ¡°It was in our faces the entire time!¡± ¡°Mmm!¡± Amelia nodded happily. ¡°So whatever god-like being is in here¡±¨CAmelia rapped her knuckles against the deck¨C¡±we both got a chunk of its power after it was shattered! And because shards attract other shards, that explains why I appeared on the Vengeance! Fate brought us together!¡± It was a lot to take in. ¡°You said she implied she had some kind of... restriction?¡± Serena asked. ¡°Something like that. She was quite vague about it. Bah! What¡¯s it with old people and being mysterious? You would think a granny like her could be a bit more forthcoming to the younger generations, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± Please don¡¯t call the Empress a granny, Serena thought desperately. Before she could vocalise her thoughts, Amelia continued her rant. ¡°No wonder she and Anathor are friends! Maybe she learned it from him!¡± ¡°She and Anathor are what? ¡± ¡°I know, right!? When you came in, Anathor and I were having a very interesting discussion! Let me tell you...¡± The next few minutes were another series of shocking discoveries. Although, somehow, Serena handled these a lot better. ¡°I guess he¡¯s opening up,¡± Serena said. ¡°He was always so hesitant to talk about himself. Look at you...¡± She ruffled Amelia¡¯s hair. ¡°Finding all these answers that people have been searching for for centuries! You have a talent as an investigator, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Heh,¡± Amelia puffed out her chest. ¡°Leave it to me!¡± She then wriggled close to Serena, resting her head on her shoulder. Serena tilted her head so it was resting against Amelia¡¯s. They stayed like that for a minute. ¡°I still can¡¯t believe I met her,¡± Serena said. ¡°I would say she wasn¡¯t what I expected, but I suppose she was acting? Someone with her experience must be able to disguise themselves perfectly.¡± She nodded to herself. ¡°It makes sense. She must have been holding back during the fight. I hope... I hope I made a good impression.¡± ¡°You definitely did! Also... do you think she made one?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°An impression. With her face. In the dirt.¡± Serena burst out laughing. ¡°Please,¡± she intoned. ¡°Have mercy. I¡¯m delicate right now.¡± ¡°Like a snowflower?¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± Amelia chuckled. ¡°These events... and these revelations. Neither of us can speak about them loosely, understand?¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Good.¡± ¡°You know, she never did answer my original question.¡± ¡°What about?¡± ¡°Whether Katalin of Driss was a real person, or a completely invented personality.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± Serena muttered. Now she thought about it, she wasn¡¯t sure either way. She¡¯d heard about the famous Northern swordmaster for years. Despite Katalin living as a recluse, surely the Empress wouldn¡¯t pick an identity so well-known? Or perhaps that was the idea? To hide in plain sight? Regardless, the Empress herself had suggested Serena¡¯s next Word should be Taruna. Serena couldn¡¯t disappoint her expectations, and would have to begin communing with the demonic god as soon as possible. It was a slow process to construct the highly personal formation to commune with a god, requiring years of trial and error. Could she do it in half a decade? With Amelia¡¯s healing that kept Serena¡¯s mind clear and sharp, could she do it even quicker? ¡°Well,¡± Serena said, coming back to Amelia¡¯s question. ¡°If we ever visit the North, we can pop in for some tea and find out, can¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Mmm!¡± came the cheerful reply. They rested for a minute. Serena listened to Amelia¡¯s calm breathing and the beating of her heart. The warmth of her body was comforting. ¡°The view¡¯s amazing,¡± Amelia said softly. ¡°Yes, it is.¡± ¡°Anathor said we were passing a place called Kraken Kur, is it those mountains there?¡± Amelia asked, pointing towards the shrinking mountain tops. ¡°Kraken Kur is the name of the archipelago,¡± Serena answered. ¡°What you see are the peaks of Kraken Major, the largest island. To the southeast, you¡¯ll see Kraken Minor, the second largest. We were originally going to follow the island chain, passing the cities of Saranai, Loronai, and Cirranis. But, due to Customs not wanting us in their airspace, we¡¯re flying straight south to Cirranis, where we will turn west, past the industrial city of Ranna and make a brief stop at Andalus.¡± ¡°Andalus? What¡¯s there?¡± ¡°A military fort. Probably the most isolated place in the entire Eastern Terra-Firma. At least, if you don¡¯t count the remote, strategic aetherscopes dotted around the place. It stands at the entrance of the Southern Passage. We¡¯ll be stocking up on fuel there before we make the trip. It¡¯s where we¡¯re meeting up with the Indefatigable and its sister ship.¡± ¡°I see.¡± There didn¡¯t seem to be any more questions forthcoming, so they simply sat there, taking turns sipping coffee while watching the mountain-tops of Kraken Major fade into the distance. How strange that such a short conversation with Amelia had already calmed her frenzied mind. In such a short time, Serena had gone from feeling overwhelmed and horrified at herself to feeling rather... Optimistic. As Serena left the bridge, Finella stayed quiet in her seat at the communications and sensors station. She remained silent as Serena¡¯s footsteps faded down the hall, where soon the sound of one of the outside door deadbolts sounded. A moment later, there was a loud clunk as it was slammed shut. ¡°What do you think that was about?¡± Officer Adachi asked quietly. ¡°What was what about?¡± Finella questioned innocently. ¡°The captain,¡± he said in a low voice. ¡°You know, she looked...¡± he trailed off with a shrug. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s her time of the month?¡± Finella teased, breaking out into a grin as Officer Adachi¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, only to narrow as he realised she wasn¡¯t being serious. ¡°Officer Bright,¡± the stern voice of the communications officer interrupted their conversation. ¡°It''s that kind of talk that got you exiled, remember?¡± ¡°And beaten black and blue!¡± someone yelled out from the other side of the bridge, prompting a round of laughter. ¡°I¡¯ll beat you black and blue,¡± she mumbled, glancing at Dagon. The Southerner was discussing something with the air tactician, and if he had heard her comments, he seemed content to ignore them. Phew. Dagon was always a little tricky for Finella to read. He hadn¡¯t been Serena¡¯s First Officer when she last served on the Vengeance, so she wasn¡¯t sure how much his promotion had changed his behaviour. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you ask her?¡± she whispered to Officer Adachi. ¡°You said you were her friend at the academy, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pass,¡± he said. ¡°Looked like women''s business.¡± Coward, Finella thought with amusement. She wasn¡¯t sure what to make of Officer Adachi yet, but he seemed easygoing. He must be decently competent for Serena to allow him on her bridge. ¡°I¡¯m sure Lord-Prospect Thornheart will handle any health issues,¡± he continued, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small book. ¡°Here¡¯s the codebook for this month,¡± he said. ¡°Given your recent deployment, I take it you¡¯re all up to date on modern practices?¡± ¡°Not a problem,¡± Finella said, taking the book. ¡°My last superior made sure things were done properly. You should have seen the aetherscope we had up there! We even had one of those fancy aethermaps. That thing could pick up a flying fish hundreds of klicks out! Still¡±¨Cshe tapped the instruments in front of her¨C¡±me and this beauty go way back. I haven¡¯t forgotten how it works. Does she still have her quirks?¡± Seeing the communications officer nod, Finella continued, ¡°Right. Look here. When you adjust the frequency, if you go past...¡± Finella made sure Officer Adachi could handle the equipment. By the time they were done, Serena reappeared. The colour had returned to the captain¡¯s face. Perhaps that wonderful, coffee-giving human had healed her? Speaking of coffee... Finella stood up, walked up to Serena and gave her a quick salute. ¡°Permission to train the new recruits, Captain!¡± ¡°What did you have in mind?¡± Serena asked. Whatever had concerned her earlier seemed to have vanished. Serena¡¯s face was full of colour, and she seemed focused again. Perhaps she really had been healed? ¡°Take them on deck and see what level they¡¯re at!¡± Finella replied earnestly. ¡°Those that are inexperienced with the sword, I¡¯ll have them shooting discs!¡± Serena blinked before nodding. ¡°Alright. Carry on, Officer.¡± ¡°Aye aye, Captain,¡± Finella said before exiting the bridge. A few minutes passed as she navigated her way through the familiar corridors. It was weird to be back on the Vengeance. After being exiled, she never thought she would return, especially to a captain who seemed so much more... relaxed. Finella was sure that human was at least partially responsible for the captain¡¯s change in personality. She popped into the mess hall, where she hassled the kitchen staff to make her an extra-large coffee. The Head Chef glared at her, but that man always glared, so she ignored him. ¡°My tongue still remembers the Jimari coffee from yesterday,¡± Finella said to herself with a tinge of sadness. ¡°Ah, I hope that human will make me another one... I¡¯ll do anything...¡± Humming quietly to herself, she made her way to the officers¡¯ quarters. There, she found Officer Mori meditating alone amongst the hammocks. Finella slowed her footsteps, taking a moment to examine the orange aura emitting from the young woman. It still had reddish hues, but it would soon develop into a solid orange. ¡°Won¡¯t be long till you¡¯re passing me,¡± Finella said. Officer Mori squeaked in surprise. Her eyes snapped open, and she scrambled to her feet to perform a salute. ¡°Officer Bright!¡± she quickly exclaimed. ¡°I didn¡¯t sense you approaching!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be complacent,¡± Finella said, returning the salute. ¡°At ease.¡± She looked around. The quarters were empty. ¡°Where¡¯s the rest of my squad?¡± ¡°Officer Song and Officer¨C¡±a small frown appeared on the young officer¡¯s face¨C¡±Song were-¡± ¡°Just call them the twins,¡± Finella said with a wave of her hand. ¡°Otherwise, we¡¯ll both be confused.¡± ¡°Right,¡± Officer Mori nodded. ¡°The twins were summoned by the quartermaster. Officer Aikawa and Officer Ishitani went to seek out Amelia, I mean, Lord-Prospect Thornheart, for magic training!¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Finella asked. ¡°Are you close with the human?¡± ¡°We¡¯re, ah, friends,¡± came the reply. ¡°At the academy?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± Finella murmured, rubbing her chin. ¡°How would you describe Lord-Prospect Thornheart, Officer Mori? In as few words as possible, if you please.¡± Finella was quite interested in what kind of impression someone close to Amelia Thornheart might have of her. Perhaps through Officer Mori, she could further understand why the Hellfire Captain had cooled her horns. And, apparently, had her heart captured. Officer Mori looked thoughtful before frowning. ¡°She¡¯s, uh, not exactly someone that can be explained in a few words, Officer Bright.¡± Finella chuckled. ¡°I thought it wouldn¡¯t be easy. Ah well,¡± she gestured to the young woman. ¡°Grab your sword. We¡¯re getting the others and going on deck.¡± At her words, Officer Mori scrambled to get ready and, after a few moments, followed Finella through the ship. They stopped by the common crew quarters, where Finella picked up the two non-warriors of her squad. ¡°Come on, you two!¡± she barked. ¡°Let¡¯s see how well you can shoot!¡± With the man named Noburu and the woman named Seonmi following, Finella made her way to the ship¡¯s armoury. On the way there, she bumped into the returning twins, whom she quickly corralled into her group. Coming around the corner behind the twins was a familiar set of horns and marbled skin. ¡°Tomes!¡± she called. ¡°Just the pair of horns I need. Mind giving me access to the armoury?¡± Tomes scratched his head. ¡°What do you need?¡± ¡°Uh...¡± She looked over the group. ¡°Five rifles. Two hundred rounds.¡± ¡°Mmm,¡± Tomes hummed, stepping past them and unlocking the heavy steel door guarding the ship''s weapons. ¡°Anything else you need for this little mutiny?¡± Finella laughed. Although judging by Officer Mori¡¯s expression, along with the panicked faces of the twins and the other recruits, they didn¡¯t seem to realise Tomes was joking. Tomes and Dagon didn¡¯t do their little onboarding routine with them, did they? ¡°There ain¡¯t a mutinous bone in my body,¡± Finella answered with a smile. ¡°At least, as long as the ship¡¯s supply of coffee hasn¡¯t run out.¡± Tomes laughed as he passed her the rifles. ¡°I see you haven¡¯t changed,¡± he said. ¡°The same Officer Bright you know and love,¡± she answered, handing the weapons to Noburu and Seonmi. They lack experience, Finella thought, noticing how they held them. It was as if they weren¡¯t yet used to the weight of a long gun. Serena had mentioned they¡¯d only gone through an accelerated cadet course. Her captain hadn¡¯t explained exactly why these two recruits were so important that they needed to be part of an otherwise elite warrior and mage squad, but she guessed they must have some hidden talents. She¡¯d have to ask Serena about it next time she could find some time with her. Regardless, Finella had her work cut out for her, didn¡¯t she? ¡°And a pair of shotguns,¡± she requested. ¡°Going fishing?¡± ¡°If we¡¯re lucky. Our prey is clay for now. Give me... fifty targets and a hundred shells.¡± ¡°Two shotguns. Fifty clay target discs and a hundred shells. Sign here.¡± Finella signed the armoury logbook. ¡°Don¡¯t drop any guns over the side of the ship,¡± Tomes warned. ¡°It creates a massive paperwork headache for me and the captain.¡± ¡°If I do, I¡¯ll throw myself over after them, don¡¯t worry, Tomes.¡± ¡°Mmm,¡± Tomes hummed. ¡°Right, you lot, come on then.¡± Finella led her fledgling squad away. ¡°Finella,¡± Tomes called. ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Good to see you back.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good to be back... I think?¡± ¡°Come to my office tonight. My brother¡¯s planning to challenge Lord-Prospect Thornheart to a game of cards. Win back some of his losses.¡± Tomes scratched his chin. ¡°A fool''s errand, if you ask me.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Finella raised an eyebrow. ¡°She plays cards? She¡¯s good?¡± ¡°She¡¯s incredibly lucky. It¡¯s rather funny if you¡¯re not the one losing money against her.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Finella was an expert at every card game under the moons. In the aetherscope installation, playing cards was one of the main ways she passed the time. Well, that and shooting clay targets. Either way, she¡¯d won enough coffee rations from Mangs, Faren, and the rest of her old friends that she was confident this human would pose no threat to her skills. Wait a minute, Finella thought. Couldn¡¯t she win all the Jimari coffee? She could, couldn¡¯t she!? ¡°I¡¯ll be there!¡± Finella called back cheerfully. ¡°I can¡¯t wait!¡± Despite her reservations regarding her return to serving under Serena... The future suddenly seemed very optimistic. Chapter Ninety-One: Lady Luck Chapter Ninety-One: Lady Luck Announcement Rumour has it that there''s a lot of Jimari-coffee giveaways in the series ! Or maybe not... either way it''s a cosy place to chat and meet fellow Amelia adorkableness lovers ^.^ Come say hi! ¡°I call,¡± Finella said. The northern demon wore a grim expression, her eyes flickering between her rapidly dwindling reserves of coffee and coin, and the two face-down cards in front of Amelia¡¯s growing winnings. ¡°You look like you¡¯re about to be walked to the gallows,¡± Tomes said with a sympathetic tilt of his head. ¡°She can¡¯t get lucky three times in a row,¡± Finella said. She spoke as if she were trying to convince herself rather than anyone else. ¡°She can¡¯t, can she?¡± ¡°Believe me, she can,¡± Dagon intoned, leaning back on his chair and picking his chunky white teeth with a toothpick. Amelia giggled. It had been fun to watch Finella¡¯s overconfidence slowly crumble throughout the evening. She¡¯d been so certain that Amelia''s stock of Jimari beans would be hers by the end of the night, and had come out the gate trying to bully Amelia at the table. That trap had been perfect. All Amelia had to do was let Finella win a few small pots, gather enough beans for a few cups, and then wait for the right moment to begin her assault. After all, Amelia¡¯s enhanced perception gave her a terrifying level of instinct when it came to poker. ¡°Let¡¯s see them then,¡± Tomes gestured. Reluctantly, Finella showed her two cards, prompting a whistle from Dagon. ¡°Pocket Lords,¡± he said, twirling the toothpick between his fingers. ¡°No wonder you came out strong. Only a set of three, though.¡± Dagon nodded toward the table, where a row of five cards ¨C placed down by Tomes as the table¡¯s dealer ¨C contained another Lord. ¡°Strong hand,¡± Amelia said, feeling a grin creep up her face. ¡°Oh no,¡± Dagon said. Finella whimpered, bringing her head down until her forehead hit the table. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it,¡± she moaned. ¡°Please tell me you¡¯re joking.¡± ¡°Mmm...¡± Amelia hummed happily. ¡°Well, I have this little Highlord...¡± She turned over one of her cards. ¡°And here is his friend, a happy little Greatlord,¡± she flipped over her other face card. ¡°I believe that makes...¡± Amelia pushed her two cards into the centre of the table, arranging them with three of the five. ¡°Ten, Lord, Highlord, Greatlord, Overlord!¡± she declared triumphantly. ¡°You chased the straight!?¡± Finella threw her hands up while Amelia greedily grabbed her winnings. ¡°You have the angels¡¯ luck! Ah... It¡¯s so unfair...¡± Finella deflated in the chair. ¡°My coffee reserves... I have nothing left to live for...¡± Oh dear. Well, this was an easy fix, wasn¡¯t it? ¡°Speaking of,¡± Amelia said cheerfully, tapping the table. ¡°You¡¯re back on shift in an hour, aren¡¯t you? Want another cup of coffee first?¡± Amelia picked up a small bag of ground Jimari and waggled it. With how the demon¡¯s eyes dilated, Amelia thought she might leap across the table then and there. Luckily, Finella restrained herself just long enough for Amelia to brew each of them a cup of coffee, and soon they were chatting happily while Tomes busied himself shuffling the deck. She wanted to ask what the human deck of cards looked like, but figured it would only raise suspicions. In Cascadia, the face cards, which Amelia expected to be Jack, Queen, and King, were instead Lord, Highlord, and Greatlord. Overlords replaced the four Aces, and the Jester, which they weren¡¯t playing with, had become the Empress. Instead of the four suits she was familiar with, a standard Cascadian deck of cards consisted of purple, blue, red, and orange¡ªcolours to match the moons of the Empire¡¯s Terra-Firmas. The yellow of Centralis was left out, but apparently there were larger decks that included it. ¡°Seven hells,¡± Tomes intoned after sipping the coffee. ¡°It¡¯s going to be hard to go back to rations after this. It almost feels like a mistake, letting my tongue realise what could be.¡± ¡°We get the crap stuff they can¡¯t sell elsewhere,¡± Finella explained. The northern demon¡¯s attitude had flipped. She sat up straight, her previous losses forgotten due to the magic of Jimari coffee. ¡°It¡¯s the Yemeni off-blends that Centralis turns their nose up at. It¡¯s not bad, you just need to make it twice as strong to get a semblance of flavour. Ahh... but this...¡± Finella took a sip. ¡°Is bliss. If the gods drank coffee, they would surely drink Jimari.¡± ¡°They should pay you to advertise,¡± Dagon grumbled. ¡°The dream...¡± Finella mumbled as Tomes dealt the next hand. Amelia placed her cup down and checked her cards. Seven two. Off-colour. Statistically, the worst hand. Well, she could let Finella win a little back, couldn¡¯t she? It wasn¡¯t like Amelia needed the coin or the coffee. She was just happy to make new friends and had already decided to wrap up a moderate amount of Jimari beans as an upcoming Christmas present for Finella. When it was Amelia¡¯s turn she called, throwing a few copper taks ¨C the smallest denomination of Cascadian currency ¨C into the centre. ¡°So, Finella,¡± Amelia continued. ¡°You served on the Vengeance before, right?¡± ¡°Call.¡± Finella stated, throwing in her own taks. ¡°I served from forty-three to forty-five. Eighteen months before I, uh, took that training sabbatical the Cap¡¯n mentioned. Spent the last year at an aetherscope facility in the skies above Tanhae and Kenhoro.¡± ¡°You worked in sensors?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°You seem like a pretty good warrior, though!¡± ¡°The Purple Moon blessed me with a good brain and a good sword arm,¡± Finella answered. ¡°I was going to serve in the army, the Northern Army, that is. This was back in forty-two when the fighting reached its worst, after the Federation started pumping in military aid. As a Northerner who could manifest a decent red, I assumed I would be on a fast track to squad commander. But...¡± Finella trailed off as she sipped her coffee. ¡°My family pushed me in another direction. I got recommended for a position here, as a junior analyst.¡± ¡°Mmm?¡± Amelia tilted her head. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I suspect it was my eldest sister. She was friendly with the Cap¡¯n. They both trained together in Asamaywa. I think she wanted to keep me out of danger and assumed a position on a ship was less dangerous than the frontlines. Which, I suppose, it is...¡± Finella glanced at Dagon and Tomes, grinning slightly. ¡°But considering the missions we went on, I feel I might have been better off being shelled in some bunker under Republican soil.¡± ¡°Now you¡¯re back, twisting our horns,¡± Tomes said with a chuckle. ¡°Back with a promotion,¡± Finella said, raising a clarifying finger. ¡°I¡¯ve got a squad to look after. They might be a bunch of softhorns now, but by the time we reach the South, I¡¯ll have them whipped into shape.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Tomes said, dealing out the first three cards into the centre of the table. ¡°That¡¯s if our munitions reserves can last your training.¡± Finella mumbled a reply while Amelia examined the table cards. Two sevens and a nine. She sighed internally. She was awfully lucky, wasn¡¯t she? ¡°Raise,¡± Amelia said when it came to her turn, throwing a few more taks and two chits ¨C the next largest denomination ¨C into the centre. ¡°I heard you were shooting targets on deck,¡± she said to Finella. ¡°How are they doing?¡± ¡°Officer Mori and the twins are above average, for sure. Mori¡¯s swordsmanship and aura are excellent, considering her age and experience. Uh, I call,¡± Finella said, pushing some coins into the table. ¡°The twins are decent, they might reach orange in a few months. Ido is stronger, but Arin is one hell of a marksman. Apparently, she used to hunt in the Fengra lowlands. They¡¯ll go far. It¡¯s the cadets I¡¯m worried about.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Amelia asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Noburu and Seonmi?¡± ¡°They¡¯re determined, just...¡± Finella sighed. ¡°They¡¯re not soldiers. Not yet, anyway. I¡¯m going to try and talk to the Cap¡¯n about it when I can. It doesn¡¯t help that they don¡¯t inspire confidence. Especially that Noburu.¡± Finella glanced at the rest of them. ¡°Missing two fingers.¡± ¡°Right,¡± Tomes said, nodding. ¡°Surprised the Cap¡¯n let a former thief on board,¡± Dagon said, scratching his chin. ¡°I call, by the way.¡± The First Officer put his money into the centre of the table. ¡°Cap¡¯n must have a good reason.¡± ¡°Mmm,¡± Amelia hummed, coming to a decision. Looking up, she saw everyone was looking at her. ¡°That wasn¡¯t a mmm in that I know the reason,¡± she quickly explained. Amelia did know the reason, but that wasn¡¯t what her humming was about. ¡°That was a mmm in that I¡¯ll offer to heal his fingers when I next see him. Feels silly not to, right?¡± ¡°You... you can do that?¡± Finella asked, her eyes growing wide and mouth opening in shock. ¡°Yeah, so if you¡¯re ever injured, come to me!¡± ¡°Moons...¡± Finella muttered. ¡°I¡¯d like to see that. Can you regrow horns?¡± ¡°Horns and limbs,¡± Tomes interjected. ¡°Pretty sure her magic regenerates lost blood, as well. She did good work after the battle of Port Highwind. Really helped her fit in with the crew.¡± Tomes sniffed, his mouth curling slightly. ¡°Well, that and her kitchen work.¡± ¡°Kitchen work?¡± Finella asked. ¡°Urgh,¡± Amelia groaned. ¡°Cooking sardis.¡± ¡°Sardis!?¡± Finella blurted out. ¡°When did you all start eating like highlords?¡± ¡°Since Miss Thornheart here figured she could use her magic to help capture them,¡± Dagon answered, giving Amelia an appreciative nod that she eagerly returned. ¡°Sardis... Jimari beans... what a life...¡± Finella murmured. ¡°What was so bad about cooking it? Is it not fitting for human tongues?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s the endless amount of washing up the head chef made me do afterwards!¡± Amelia complained, prompting the table to laugh. ¡°Ah, so he¡¯s still the same,¡± Finella replied happily. ¡°Come on, Tomes, deal. I¡¯m feeling lucky this time.¡± Tomes dealt another card. A Lord joined the two sevens and ten. Amelia''s instincts tickled her. Tomes liked seeing that ten, while it didn¡¯t seem to affect Dagon and Finella¡¯s hands. Tomes raised. She decided to play it safe and see what would happen with the final card. ¡°Call,¡± she said, moving some of her winnings into the table¡¯s centre. ¡°I¡¯d like to attend some of your training sessions,¡± she said to Finella. ¡°Both to practice my red aura, and to get some experience with shooting the rifles.¡± From Finella¡¯s description, it sounded like they practised something similar to clay-pigeon shooting in Amelia¡¯s old world. While she now felt quite comfortable holding a sword, she hadn¡¯t yet used a firearm. ¡°Sure,¡± Finella said. ¡°I¡¯m going to get the mages involved as well. For an unusual squad like this, it¡¯s important they all train together as much as possible. Especially this Daichi, who seems like he has the most firepower out of everyone else. Well...¡± Finella tapped the table thoughtfully. ¡°Not including yourself and the Cap¡¯n, of course.¡± She punctuated her sentence by throwing some coins into the table¡¯s centre. ¡°I call.¡± ¡°Mmm, sure!¡± Amelia responded. ¡°What makes this team so unusual?¡± ¡°Too many aura users and mages. If it weren¡¯t for Noburu and Seonmi, everyone would be an aether user.¡± ¡°Is that a problem?¡± ¡°Can be,¡± Finella answered, taking a sip of coffee. ¡°Typically, a squad wouldn¡¯t have so many aura users. Normally, only the commander and perhaps their second-in-command would be able to use aether. As I¡¯m sure you know, using magic and aura feels good. It feels powerful. Those feelings can quickly cause ego to develop, and then from there...¡± Finella gestured with her hands. ¡°Chaos. Imagine if you develop your aura or magic equal to or beyond that of those who command you. It creates arguments. That¡¯s why, normally, Officer Mori, Officer Ishitani, Officer Aikawa, and our two Officer twins would each have their own squad, or be second-in-command of someone else¡¯s. ¡°I heard that the Dragon disbanded your ground forces, right? So now we have a group of newly-minted officers, each eager to do their part, all piled together like coals in a furnace. The problem is they don¡¯t have people below to command. Without that, they won¡¯t have the validation of their two years of hard work at the academy.¡± Finella shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m worried about what the future will bring. They need to work well with each other. That¡¯s why it¡¯s important to have them train together. Not that you shouldn¡¯t or can¡¯t take Officer Ishitani and Aikawa for private magic training. Just keep them available for when I need them.¡± ¡°No worries,¡± Amelia nodded. Finella¡¯s words made sense. Amelia¡¯s formal education in Asamaywa had quickly brought her up to speed on the rigorous academic discipline of magic theory. She now knew all the nomenclature and was able to help Hinako and Daichi far more than before. Her own aether control continued to increase and she found it easier to isolate individual subformations and demonstrate their construction to her two disciples. While neither of them could use the Simultaneous Construction method as naturally as she could, they were making good progress. Dagon folded, bringing the action back to Tomes, who dealt the last card. It was a two. Oh dear, Amelia thought. A full house. This is going to be fun. Tomes raised and, after some deliberation, Amelia reraised. ¡°No straight for you today,¡± Finella said, peering into Amelia¡¯s eyes. ¡°What are you hiding? You¡¯ve got a seven, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Who knows?¡± Amelia said with an exaggerated sigh. ¡°Guess there¡¯s only one way for you to find out, isn¡¯t there?¡± ¡°Going to cost you a lot to see her,¡± Dagon said, resuming to pick his teeth. ¡°Haven¡¯t got much coin or coffee left.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think about what you have now,¡± Amelia said encouragingly. ¡°Think about the coffee you¡¯ll have after you beat me!¡± ¡°Hmmm...¡± Finella said, narrowing her eyes. ¡°That¡¯s a bluff if I ever saw one,¡± Dagon teased. ¡°Hmmm...¡± Finella looked indecisive. ¡°I need... time to think.¡± ¡°Sure, sure,¡± Amelia said, resting her cheek against her fist. ¡°Take as much as you need.¡± While her prey hesitated, Amelia decided to distract her with some more conversation. ¡°How¡¯s Aiden fitting in?¡± she asked. ¡°Aiden?¡± Finella frowned. ¡°Oh, Officer Adachi. Pretty well. Seems to get airsick a lot. Might not be much of a sailor, but it¡¯s nice to have a pretty face to look at every now and again. Why, you know him?¡± ¡°We met a few months ago, but we¡¯ve become friends. Ask him what happened when we first met in Kenhoro. He¡¯ll love to tell you about that.¡± At her words, Tomes chuckled. Amelia turned to face him. ¡°You know?¡± she asked. ¡°I heard rumours. Soldiers in barracks hear all kinds of gossip. Besides, it was somewhat overshadowed by the fight.¡± Tomes shrugged and finished his coffee. ¡°Looking forward to seeing what chaos you bring to the South, Miss Thornheart.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Amelia pouted, blowing up her cheeks. ¡°You look like a squirrel preparing for winter,¡± Dagon intoned coolly. Tomes and Finella burst out laughing. Idiot demons! Well, she would bid her time and when the time was right... she would win all their¨C ¡°Was that the Kenhoro Speaker fight? Three... four months ago?¡± Finella asked, looking between Amelia and the others. ¡°Just wondering. We picked it up with our aetherscope. Were you involved?¡± she asked, tilting her head. ¡°Uh,¡± Amelia said. She didn¡¯t think it was a great secret, but she probably shouldn¡¯t be so forthcoming about things, just in case she let something slip. ¡°Maybe,¡± Amelia said. ¡°Just asking,¡± Finella said, raising her hands in a gesture of peace. ¡°We picked up some strange readings. Never figured out what spells they were. Just thinking that it might have been some of your human magic. We figured out the Cap¡¯n was there, so...¡± Finella shrugged. Strange readings? Could that have been when Amelia, furious at Serena¡¯s injuries, had infused her voice with some of her instinctive power and given the lower demon gods a good verbal lashing? It was crazy to think that Finella was there at that time, observing the fight through an aetherscope in the skies. Small world, Amelia thought. ¡°A Speaker keeps their cards close to their chest,¡± Amelia replied with a smile. ¡°Speaking of, are you going to call my raise and win back all your losses?¡± ¡°Definitely a bluff,¡± Dagon warned. ¡°Unless she¡¯s got lucky four times in a row.¡± ¡°Let me... let me think!¡± Finella waved Dagon away. ¡°Thinking... thinking...¡± Finella idly played with her coins. ¡°Hey,¡± she said after a moment of deliberation. ¡°When did you leave Kenhoro?¡± ¡°Just before storm season,¡± Amelia answered. ¡°You didn¡¯t...¡± Finella swallowed. ¡°Happen to travel south, towards Shimashina, did you?¡± Ah. Finella must have detected her Asclepius embodiment. Now she was probing! What a sneaky northern demon! ¡°I might tell you, if you win,¡± Amelia said, nodding towards the table. ¡°Might...¡± mumbled Finella. ¡°And if you lose, I¡¯ll make you another Jimari coffee,¡± Amelia added. ¡°Call!¡± Finella declared with finality. ¡°Call,¡± Tomes said. ¡°Let¡¯s see it.¡± The quartermaster showed his cards, revealing a ten and a two. He¡¯d hit two pairs. Not bad. She cast an expectant look towards Finella, prompting the demon to sigh and flip over her hand. A seven and a Greatlord. ¡°Whoa!¡± Amelia exclaimed. ¡°Another set! Lady luck is on your side, Finella!¡± ¡°I hope so, she¡¯s been stabbing me in the back all night,¡± came the grumbled reply. ¡°Let¡¯s see the damage. What have you got?¡± ¡°Well,¡± Amelia began cheerfully. ¡°I have this little seven.¡± She flipped over one card. ¡°And...¡± ¡°Purple Moon, grant me strength,¡± Finella said quietly, her hands grasped together in prayer. ¡°...And this little two,¡± Amelia said, flipping over her last card, showing her full house. ¡°Argh!¡± Finella stood up, reaching her arms to the ceiling. ¡°You played seven two!? I can¡¯t believe it! I¡¯m cursed!¡± ¡°One demon¡¯s curse is another human¡¯s blessing,¡± Amelia intoned, gathering her winnings. ¡°Is that...¡± Finella¡¯s arms came down as she turned to Amelia. ¡°A real saying?¡± ¡°No, I just made it up. Look at all this coffee I won!¡± ¡°Right!¡± Finella clasped her hands together. ¡°That¡¯s it! New game! How about we play Drunk Demon¡¯s Hand?¡± ¡°Hope you aren¡¯t suggesting to drink before your shift, Officer Bright,¡± Dagon said dryly. ¡°No, no!¡± Finella said quickly. ¡°We can drink coffee, right? Our lovely, lucky, Amelia here suggested she would be happy to supply, right?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll drink your cup before we finish the first round,¡± Tomes pointed out. ¡°I have a better idea.¡± The quartermaster stood up and fished around under his desk. ¡°Here we are,¡± he said, bringing a briefcase and placing it on the desk. ¡°Since our resident human is so good at demon games, let¡¯s see if her luck holds when we play a human game.¡± ¡°You still have that old thing?¡± Dagon said, his eyes twinkling with amusement. ¡°Takes you back, doesn¡¯t it? Remember when we won big in Talik?¡± ¡°I remember, alright.¡± ¡°What... what is it?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°I¡¯ll make coffee!¡± Finella called out, jumping out of her seat. ¡°You set up!¡± ¡°This is an old game,¡± Tomes said, his voice taking on his storytelling voice. ¡°Both this set and the game itself. If I remember my ancient history, humans brought this game with them when they first appeared in the Known World, two thousand years ago. Anathor once told me that, even back then, the game was thousands of years old. This is...¡± Tomes flipped the latches and opened the briefcase, revealing that it wasn¡¯t a briefcase but a folded board with a dozen vertical markings, split into four quadrants. On one side, there were two sets of white and black discs. Between them, there was a set of dice and a leather dice cup. ¡°This is backgammon,¡± Tomes intoned seriously. ¡°Very popular in the desert. Have you ever played, Miss Thornheart?¡± ¡°No!¡± Amelia replied enthusiastically. ¡°But I¡¯ve heard of it! Can you explain the rules?¡± ¡°You hear that, Finella?¡± Dagon called to the northern demon, who was taking the opportunity to brew an extra-large amount of Jimari coffee when she thought Amelia wasn¡¯t paying attention. ¡°Miss Thornheart is unfamiliar with the game; this is our chance to win it all back!¡± ¡°I can feel the Empress smiling on me,¡± Finella replied happily. ¡°I can feel the luck flowing into me! Here you go, everyone!¡± Finella set about handing out everyone their coffees while Tomes explained the purpose of the game to Amelia. ¡°It¡¯s only for two people,¡± Tomes explained. ¡°But we¡¯ll watch you and Finella play. You both roll two dice, and the purpose is to move all your pieces around the board and back home, where you can then remove them. The person who removes all their pieces first wins.¡± Tomes went on to explain the concepts of capturing and protecting space and other simple tactics. ¡°Don¡¯t tell her too much!¡± Finella interrupted, hushing the patient quartermaster. ¡°The best way to learn is to play! Isn¡¯t that right, Dagon?¡± ¡°Right you are,¡± Dagon replied casually, picking his teeth. Amelia giggled. Well, she¡¯d won enough throughout the night. It was fine to give Finella a handicap, wasn¡¯t it? ¡°I think I get it,¡± Amelia said, tapping the table. ¡°I¡¯ll bet all the coffee I won tonight.¡± Dagon whistled. ¡°Can you handle that heat, Finella?¡± ¡°I... I can!¡± Finella clenched her fist. ¡°I¡¯ll have to dig into my strategic reserves, but I can match it! Let¡¯s do this!¡± Finella sat opposite Amelia, her eyes full of determination. They rolled to see who would go first. Amelia won. ¡°So,¡± she said, placing the two dice into the leather dice cup and giving them a good shake. ¡°What¡¯s the best opening move?¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± Tomes scratched his chin. ¡°There are a few, and depending on what you roll, there are some known best moves. But... I think most people would agree that if you roll a three and a one, you can perform the best opening move in the game, allowing you to capture this point¡±¨CTomes indicated one of the vertical slots¨C¡±called the Golden Point. Of course, you have to roll a three and a one.¡± ¡°Mmm, I see,¡± Amelia nodded. Finella licked her lips, no doubt thinking of all the coffee she would win. Amelia stopped shaking and poured the pair of dice onto the board. They tumbled for a moment before stopping still. Dagon burst out laughing. Oh dear. She was awfully lucky, wasn¡¯t she? Chapter Ninety-Two: Challenge Chapter Ninety-Two: Challenge Serena woke slowly from her dreams. Taking her time, she let her senses align to the waking world, feeling the hum of the ship¡¯s propulsion engine and the rhythmic beating of the lift engine wash over her. The Fengra wool hammock was so comfy that she was briefly tempted to doze off again. Wrapped in her arms was a familiar bundle of warmth and snugness. For a moment, Serena lay there, listening to that bundle breathe ever so softly. Then, unable to resist, Serena used a small amount of strength to give the bundle a squeeze. It made an adorable noise. ¡°No... Poro...¡± the bundle mumbled. ¡°We need to visit the temple...¡± Serena chuckled softly. She delicately extracted herself from the hammock, doing her best not to wake Amelia. Her girlfriend had returned when Serena was already sleeping. Being a light sleeper, she¡¯d woken up only to give Amelia a goodnight kiss before wrapping her arms around her and falling back to sleep. Back then, she remembered Amelia placing down a pile of paper packets. Now, in the early morning light, she saw what it was. A pile of coffee rations. Looks like Officer Bright lost, Serena thought, feeling her mouth curl. Amelia had a knack for games, referring to herself as a gamer. It was a strange title, but then again, Amelia¡¯s old world was strange all over. ¡°Morning,¡± came a mumbled voice from the hammock. ¡°I tried not to wake you,¡± Serena replied, walking over and giving Amelia a peck on her forehead. ¡°I see you put a dent in Finella¡¯s stock.¡± ¡°Mmm,¡± Amelia hummed. She rotated onto her back, her eyes still closed. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to come to the next one?¡± ¡°Best not,¡± Serena said. Military regulations heavily discouraged the captain from gambling with her officers. Likewise, it advised against officers gambling with their subordinates. Through trial and error, Cascadia had found that there needed to be some rigidity in the hierarchy onboard a ship. A crew that was too casual was a crew that became complacent. And a complacent crew meant death. ¡°Let¡¯s play backgammon together, sometime...¡± Amelia mumbled. Oh? Tomes must have dug out his old set. ¡°Sure,¡± Serena said. ¡°I¡¯m going back to sleep,¡± Amelia said with a yawn. ¡°Here you go...¡± Before Serena could reply, Amelia¡¯s miraculous healing and cleaning magic washed over Serena, preparing her for the day ahead. ¡°Thanks,¡± Serena whispered, leaning down and giving Amelia a quick kiss. ¡°See you later.¡± ¡°Mmm...¡± Amelia hummed before turning around and burrowing into the blankets. She dressed quickly and efficiently. Stepping into the neighbouring room, she set about preparing her cup of morning coffee. ¡°Morning, Anathor,¡± she called out. A second later, the glassy eyes of the mounted moose head began to glow. ¡°Morning, Captain,¡± Anathor replied in his usual gruff voice. ¡°How are we faring?¡± ¡°Bearing two-forty. Twenty knots. Leaving Cirranis perimeter any moment now. We¡¯ll be passing Ranna within the hour, Captain.¡± ¡°Twenty knots? Have the winds died down?¡± ¡°Allston didn¡¯t like the look of some of the rigging, so we¡¯ve furled the main port and starboard sails for maintenance. They¡¯ll be finishing up soon.¡± ¡°What¡¯s our altitude?¡± ¡°Eight thousand metres, Captain.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Serena made her coffee in silence. After taking a moment to enjoy the fragrance wafting into her face, she moved on to the difficult topic she¡¯d been putting off until now. ¡°Anathor.¡± ¡°Yes, Captain?¡± ¡°Amelia told me...¡± Serena coughed lightly. ¡°She told me she had a conversation with you, and that you... Apparently, you informed her you knew the Empress. Personally.¡± She couldn¡¯t help but glance at the portrait next to Anathor, where that very same Empress looked back with painted eyes. ¡°Hmm... I did,¡± Anathor replied. Serena looked deeply into the moose¡¯s red eyes, trying to decipher any underlying emotion. Unsurprisingly, her instincts didn¡¯t tell her anything. Being a Formless, Anathor was an alien existence and difficult to read. She took a sip of coffee while she formulated her next question. ¡°I didn¡¯t know,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯ve always been so hesitant to talk about yourself. I suppose I¡¯m surprised.¡± Once again, she glanced at the portrait. ¡°In what capacity did you know her? Can you tell me?¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± Anathor trailed off and for a moment Serena thought he might not answer. ¡°I was an advisor, and I like to think, a friend.¡± ¡°A friend?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I just...¡± Serena took another sip of coffee to calm her thoughts. ¡°I struggle to see her having friends. She¡¯s a higher existence. She¡¯s more. How could someone...?¡± Serena trailed off, her thoughts becoming tangled. ¡°Hmm...¡± Anathor grumbled. ¡°It should not be difficult to imagine. Were you not friendly with her recently?¡± Serena choked on her coffee as the painful mental imagery of her fight resurfaced. After she recovered, she took a deep breath and said, ¡°Whatever that was, I couldn¡¯t possibly consider us-¡± ¡°Elana¡¯s just a person, Captain,¡± Anathor replied. ¡°She has interests, hobbies, and flaws, just like you or any other demon in Cascadia. She¡¯s also a woman, like you or Miss Thornheart.¡± ¡°No normal person could achieve what she has, Anathor,¡± Serena protested. ¡°I think you¡¯ll be surprised, should you encounter her again. If Elana isn¡¯t playing a character, like she did in your academy, you¡¯ll find many similarities between her and Miss Thornheart.¡± ¡°Similarities?¡± Serena questioned, glancing towards the bedroom. ¡°What do you mean? Their appearance?¡± ¡°They have similar personalities. Optimistic. Playful. It took Elana a long time to learn how to be an Empress, but she never forgot her true self.¡± ¡°Are you telling me¡±¨CSerena felt her forehead furrow¨C¡±the Empress of Demonkind, a Shard of Infinity, Overlord of Overlords, is similar in behaviour to Amelia?¡± ¡°Hmm... yes.¡± ¡°Moons, grant me strength,¡± Serena mumbled. She wanted to sit down and grab her horns. ¡°I don¡¯t know if that makes me optimistic or pessimistic about the Empire¡¯s future.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± came Amelia''s voice from the bedroom. ¡°I heard that!¡± ¡°Go back to sleep!¡± Serena called back. ¡°Okay...¡± ¡°Apologies,¡± Serena mumbled. ¡°To both of you. It¡¯s still a lot to take in.¡± She cleared her throat. ¡°Anathor, Amelia informed me about a conversation she had with her, where Amelia learned they were both shardbearers. Shards of the same soul.¡± Serena tapped her foot against the wooden floor. ¡°Since we¡¯re sailing the skies to repair this soul, I want to ask... is there any risk to Amelia? She¡¯s not going to have to give up her power, is she?¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± Anathor hummed. ¡°I don¡¯t believe such a thing is possible, no. Amelia has bonded with her shard to the degree that even I cannot identify it. No wonder she was able to board the ship so easily. It wasn¡¯t that the ship was fooled; rather, it let her board. It must have recognised her as... kin.¡± ¡°Kin?¡± ¡°I cannot think of a better word.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Serena took a sip of her coffee. ¡°And how¡¯s the ship doing now?¡± ¡°Hmm... a little agitated, Captain. But it always reacts a little to Miss Thornheart¡¯s magic these days, even the smaller spellwork. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll calm down in a few minutes.¡± ¡°Do we need to go for a swim?¡± Serena asked. Every now and again, the Vengeance needed to dip into the lumina. Something about the dense aether helped calm the ship. She hadn¡¯t yet had the privilege of knowing what happens if the splintered soul was prevented from its medicinal swims. Hopefully, that was a privilege she would continue to avoid. ¡°Perhaps while we sail the Southern Passage,¡± Anathor replied. ¡°We might be fine without it. The tornadoes stir up the lumina, bringing aether into the sky. It might be enough just sailing the passage.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Serena nodded. ¡°Keep me updated.¡± ¡°Yes, Captain.¡± With her morning conversation over, Serena finished her coffee and proceeded to the bridge where Dagon was smoothly handling command. After waving down her officer staff, who had leapt up at her appearance, she approached Dagon and asked, ¡°How¡¯re the locals treating us? Any problems?¡± ¡°Cirranis perimeter ships hailed us when we were within range. Followed us for the last hour until breaking off five minutes ago. We protested their clinginess, but they claimed it was due to increased pirate activity.¡± ¡°Speaking of,¡± Serena began, ¡°any unusual aether signatures?¡± She turned to the sensor station. ¡°Sensors?¡± Serena noticed Finella was looking a little depressed, but decided not to bring it up right now. She was sure Amelia would slip her a cup of Jimari later anyway, and that would make the northern demon¡¯s day. ¡°No, Captain!¡± came the reply. ¡°No mismatching identification codes, no strange movements?¡± ¡°No, Captain,¡± the sensors officer announced. ¡°Everyone¡¯s behaving, so far.¡± ¡°Keep an eye on the aetherfield, I don¡¯t want any surprises.¡± ¡°Aye, Captain!¡± Serena took her elevated position, overlooking the bridge. Through the windows, she could see the morning mid-sky, under which lay the Vengeance¡¯s three turrets, ready to make quick work of any deserter, mercenary, or pirate stupid enough to mistake them for an easy target. While she ran future possibilities through her mind, Dagon took his position next to her. ¡°We won¡¯t be in any danger until we¡¯re past the Andalus Fortress and out of range of their aetherscopes,¡± he said. ¡°Pirates won¡¯t come within fifty klicks of the place. They¡¯ll prefer to hide behind the islands floating throughout the passage, waiting for an opportunistic strike.¡± Serena nodded in agreement. ¡°They¡¯ll be fools to try anything against us, let alone when we¡¯re sailing with the Indefatigable and its sister ship. How early are we going to be to our rendezvous?¡± ¡°Six hours.¡± ¡°And how¡¯re our new softhorns?¡± Serena asked. ¡°How¡¯s Officer Bright¡¯s training?¡± ¡°Going well. There are concerns about their cohesion. Both as a team and with the rest of the crew. That¡¯ll come with time, though, Captain.¡± ¡°Mmm,¡± Serena hummed. She shared Finella¡¯s concerns. After thinking for a few moments, she came to a decision. ¡°Helmsman!¡± she barked. ¡°Slow us down. Fifteen knots.¡± ¡°Aye aye, Captain. Fifteen knots.¡± The helmsman manipulated his controls and Serena felt the subtle change in the propulsion engine¡¯s vibrations as it adjusted to her command. With the ship taking a leisurely stroll through mid-sky, they would have enough time to enact her plan. ¡°Officer Bright!¡± Serena called, prompting Finella to jump and hurry over. ¡°Aye, Captain!¡± Finella saluted. ¡°Grab your squad. Take them on deck. Let¡¯s see how effective your training is. Swords and guns, Officer. Dismissed.¡± ¡°Aye, Captain. Swords and guns!¡± Finella nodded before hurrying them off. ¡°First Officer.¡± ¡°Aye, Captain?¡± Dagon raised an eyebrow. ¡°Same thing. Put the bridge on half-staff. I want everyone else on deck with Officer Bright. Let¡¯s see if our new softhorns can earn their respect.¡± At her words, a murmur of amusement erupted throughout the bridge. ¡°Also, let the sailors get some air. They can do some fishing while their superiors train. Standard drills.¡± ¡°Aye aye, Captain. Standard drills.¡± After dismissing Dagon, Serena left the bridge and stepped outside. Just as she took in the morning air and the rays of sun shimmering through the cloud layers, a school of fish flew past, and then another, and another. In fact, the skies were full of airborne life, including the occasional predator trying to catch an easy meal. The skies this far south weren¡¯t anywhere near as overfished as the skies closer inland. With this many fish around, it should be trivial for any sailor to catch an easy meal. She saw more than a few schools of arkis, followed by smaller schools of winterfish and longtails. No sardis, for now. Serena crossed the deck of the ship and looked south. In the distance, perhaps twenty klicks away, the mining town of Ranna was moving by. From here, she could see the smoke stacks pumping out black smog as they processed the valuable iron ore that was so rich in the Kraken Kur archipelago. Within a few hours, Ranna would be behind them and they would dock at the Andalus Fortress, the last port of call before the seemingly endless expanse of the Southern Passage awaited them. Serena walked to the bow of the ship, where she was quickly joined by Finella and her squad. With their equipment of swords, rifles, rounds of munitions and clay targets, they stood at attention. ¡°I heard Officer Bright has been using my munitions to harden your horns,¡± Serena exclaimed. ¡°She hasn¡¯t been wasting my resources, has she?¡± ¡°No, Captain!¡± came the chorus of replies. Behind the squad, Dagon was bringing out the majority of her officer staff, carrying their own sets of equipment. ¡°Take them through the drills, Officer Bright,¡± Serena commanded. She shouted the same order to Dagon. A few moments later, her officers and their subordinates, with the addition of Noburu and Seonmi as cadets, were going through the various gun drills that Serena expected her crew to know flawlessly. As they efficiently dismantled, cleaned, and rebuilt the rifles, Serena tracked down Allston, who was bringing up fifty or so sailors for some fishing. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Captain,¡± the chief engineer said, awkwardly carrying several fishing rods a dozen feet long. ¡°We¡¯ll catch some dinner. We¡¯ll set up from the masts. We¡¯re up there anyway. Just finished the repairs.¡± He nodded towards the main sails where his niece was working. ¡°Just make sure your men are tied down properly, I don¡¯t want any of them exploring under-sky,¡± Serena said. Even she felt a little queasy stepping onto the port and starboard masts, which stretched out into the open expanse, leaving nothing to stop you if you fell. The fact that she could Speak and levitate to the nearest island barely made it any better. The sailors who could navigate the rigging like fearless peekas had long since earned Serena¡¯s respect. Leaving Allston, Serena returned to her officers and their drills. The main purpose of all this was to enable her crew to see that their superiors trained as hard as they worked, especially the new squad under Finella. With her ground forces disbanded, the Vengeance had lost most of her aether users, and Serena was worried some ordinary members of her crew might forget the level of difference even red aura creates. Serena paced the deck as the drills continued, barking orders here and there, while loudly correcting some of the more obvious mistakes. Officers were expected to be better, to be above the common sailor. They were supposed to be an example to follow, and she wouldn¡¯t accept anything less than the best. She did give some leeway to Noburu and Seonmi, but only a little. Considering how little training they had and how little time they¡¯d had to adapt, Serena was slightly more gentle in her criticism. It didn¡¯t help that they were the only non-commissioned demons training in a group of officers, the majority of whom were capable of aura or magic. ¡°Let¡¯s see how they shoot!¡± Serena declared to the group. ¡°I¡¯m sure some of you have heard the rumours that your captain has a secret stash of Jimari coffee, haven¡¯t you!?¡± At her words, the sailors fishing on the rigging began hollering. ¡°Whoever scores best...¡± Serena picked up a clay target, holding it high so all could see. ¡°Might find themselves in possession of some of that secret stash!¡± Her officer staff suddenly had a fearsome look of determination in their eyes. Jimari coffee really is a good motivator, isn''t it? Serena thought with amusement. They settled on a tournament bracket structure. Two pairs would compete at a time, one on each side of the ship. She had two aura users use their strength to hurl the clay discs into the sky, where the competitors would try to shoot them. The first to score three hits would move on to the next round. Serena made sure to seed the tournament so her new squad would be mixed in against her veteran officer staff. The more she could get them interacting with each other, the quicker they would all smoothly operate as an efficient machine. As the tournament progressed, there were some interesting results. The mages, Daichi and Hinako, did relatively poorly as expected, quickly getting eliminated by their opponents who had years of real combat experience. Mel and Ido made it through a round or two before failing to win against some of Thorne¡¯s subordinate junior officers. Exceeding expectations, Seonmi did surprisingly well, earning a few whistles of approval from Allston''s men on the rigging. But the real upset was Arin Song, the Ainese sister of Ido. Serena knew the woman had excellent shooting scores from her time at the academy, but seeing it first-hand was something else entirely. Disc after disc, round after round, Arin shot her way to the finals with a calm and serious expression. It seemed the energetic twin sister became a different person entirely once she had a rifle in her hands. Her skill with firearms earned her more than a few compliments from the crew. The Ainese demon accepted the praise with a nervous expression, even laughing once or twice. It was good to see her and her brother get along with everyone else. With rising tensions with the Far East ¨C the homeland of the Song twins ¨C Serena had been worried they would face friction. Thankfully, there was none of that. Arin was finally defeated in the finals by the finest marksman Serena had ever known: her gunnery officer, Thorne. The clay discs were thrown further and further until Arin eventually missed one, while Thorne, relying on his years of experience, made the shot successfully, to the cheers of his colleagues. ¡°Not getting old yet, are you, Thorne?¡± Serena jested as the rifles were collected and packed away. ¡°Not yet, Captain. Still a lot of youth left in me,¡± Thorne replied, his face a picture of pride. ¡°Say, Captain, is there any chance I could forgo the Jimari coffee and instead¨C¡± ¡°I¡¯m not giving her to you, Thorne,¡± Serena interrupted, shaking her head with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ve got plans for her.¡± ¡°Aye, Captain. Fair enough,¡± a dejected Thorne muttered. Serena patted him on the back before turning to the rest of her officer staff. ¡°I can see the spirit of competition still burns in your eyes!¡± she shouted. ¡°Say, isn¡¯t it time my veteran officers taught the next generation what it means to wield a sword!? Does anyone want to challenge any of the newcomers to a duel? Jimari coffee to whoever can impress me!¡± At her words, her veteran officers chuckled, yelling out intimidating jeers and other taunts. ¡°I¡¯ll have a piece!¡± ¡°Save some for me!¡± ¡°They¡¯ll all be missing two fingers by the time we¡¯re done!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see some blood!¡± The supportive shouts from the rigging only served to increase the tension in the atmosphere. ¡°Don¡¯t take that sitting down!¡± ¡°Show them you earned those stripes!¡± ¡°Poke ¡®em full of holes!¡± ¡°They can sense weakness!¡± Serena clapped her hands, immediately silencing the noise. ¡°Form a circle,¡± she ordered. ¡°We¡¯ll point spar, using competition rules!¡± She glared at her officers. ¡°No playing dirty now. Keep your auras at the same level. Not all the softhorns can manifest it.¡± She glanced towards the nervous-looking Noburu and Seonmi. ¡°Aye, Captain!¡± came the shouted replies. A few moments later and a ring of horns had formed an impromptu arena at the bow of the ship. Serena was just about to begin when she spotted a shimmer of gold pushing their way through the crowd. ¡°Hello!¡± Amelia cheerfully announced her entrance. She approached Thorne and handed him a package of ground coffee. ¡°Anathor told me you earned this.¡± ¡°Thank you, Miss Thornheart.¡± Thorne took the package, bowing politely before raising his winnings with a look of gleeful pride. The envious looks on his colleagues quickly solidified into looks of fierce determination as they eyed their prey on the other end of the circle. ¡°I¡¯m not going to have to heal any lost limbs, am I?¡± Amelia said lightly, slipping in next to Serena. ¡°Oh, speaking of...¡± Serena saw her girlfriend glance at Noburu, and she quickly figured out what Amelia was thinking of doing. ¡°Afterwards,¡± Serena instructed. ¡°Mmm.. okay.¡± ¡°Right!¡± Serena shouted, getting everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Who¡¯s volunteering!?¡± A symphony of murmurs erupted, but no one stepped forward. ¡°What?¡± Serena shouted. ¡°Have your horns cooled already? If I have to pick people, you¡¯ll be on latrine duty!¡± Her threat quickly spurred the demons into action, and Serena sensed someone step forward. Not from the side of her veteran officers, but from her newly commissioned officers. Everyone watched Melanie Mori take a few steps into the circle. Then, the young woman turned towards Serena and bowed. Not me, Serena thought, feeling her mouth curl into a smile. Of course, she would take this opportunity... ¡°I challenge Amelia Thornheart,¡± Mel declared, her face and body filled with determination. For a few seconds, everything was quiet. And then... ¡°Mmm! Sure!¡± Amelia chirped. Chapter Ninety-Three: Celebration Chapter Ninety-Three: Celebration ¡°Alright,¡± Serena said. ¡°Tie these around your waists.¡± Amelia was handed a white strip of cloth. Mel received a red one, and they both quickly tied them as instructed. The colours matched the two hand flags Serena held. Those flags would be used to declare whether Amelia, as white, or Mel, as red, scored a point against the other. Serena then handed them both wooden training swords, which Amelia accepted without complaint. She guessed that even with her healing abilities, Serena didn¡¯t want to risk the drama of any lost limbs from steel. Although even wooden swords didn¡¯t help cut the building tension. Despite her eagerness to accept Mel¡¯s challenge and her growing experience of being in crowds and the centre of attention, Amelia still felt a knot of anxiety form in her stomach. Here she was, surrounded by the Vengeance¡¯s officer staff and dozens more on the rigging, about to have a formal duel with Mel! Honestly, how composed did Mel look!? How did the woman manage an expression of such serious determination? It was just a friendly spar, right!? ¡°Come here,¡± Serena ordered, gesturing with the flags. Amelia and Mel obeyed, quickly gathering around her. ¡°To keep things fair,¡± Serena began, ¡°keep to red. Also, Amelia, your wards...¡± Serena trailed off, giving a pointed look. ¡°Right, right,¡± Amelia said with a nod. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll only keep the defensive ones.¡± She nudged her aether, cancelling the numerous wards that enhanced her strength and reaction speed, leaving only those that boosted her defences. Amelia knew Mel was far more experienced than she was. She¡¯d seen her skills in every session Serena held in Asamaywa. Mel¡¯s swordsmanship was more refined, more accurate, and more elegant than anything Amelia could hope to reach any time soon. Not that Amelia¡¯s sword was bad, only that Mel¡¯s years of dedicated training stood out in comparison. That said, even against Mel¡¯s orange aura, it normally wouldn¡¯t be a fair battle. Amelia, with her inherited game stats and boosted constitution from numerous communions, was already fighting at a level above normal. If she added in her spells that enhanced her even further, it wasn¡¯t a fair fight at all! In fact, with how many wards she layered upon herself at any given time, Amelia was sure she could take on a Speaker without having to Speak herself. So, in the interest of fairness, Amelia dismantled many of her wards, leaving only her natural constitution and red aura to fight with. Red aura that drew more than a few muttered comments from the surrounding officers. ¡°Whoa, look at that!¡± ¡°How long has she been training again?¡± ¡°Never seen a human aura so dense.¡± ¡°Look at that colour! So rich!¡± Amelia felt herself swell with pride as she absorbed the compliments for her hard work. Her aura was something she¡¯d worked for, and having others recognise her efforts was satisfying on a level that she didn¡¯t normally experience with her magic. Sure, her majestic spellwork often inspired awe in those who witnessed her being cute and amazing, but she didn¡¯t earn those comments, not like she did with her aura. Mel, having seen Amelia¡¯s aura several times already, focused on manifesting her own. After a brief moment of concentration, red hues danced along Mel¡¯s body as she cast a serious look towards Amelia. Her aura flowed up her wooden blade, wrapping it in shimmering light. Ah! How scary! Amelia¡¯s knot of anxiety grew a bit bigger. She swallowed and wrapped her weapon with a first-circle ward. She hadn¡¯t yet developed her aura enough to protect her weapon like other warriors could do. Most of her training so far was spent on refining her existing aura so she didn¡¯t glow like the Red Moon every time she manifested it. ¡°First to three,¡± Serena instructed. ¡°Face each other. Bow.¡± Amelia bowed in time with Mel, each performing the elegant Shimokan pre-sparring ritual. Then, a moment of loud silence descended as the wind caught Mel¡¯s hair and a school of fish flew past overhead. ¡°Begin!¡± Serena called. Amelia dropped her centre of gravity, sliding her front foot forward to form zenkutsu-dachi¨Cthe front stance. Funny enough, it was at this very same place, months ago, that Serena introduced her to it. Of course, back then, Serena was more interested in poking holes in her future girlfriend and Amelia was more focused on getting close to the stern captain. How times had¨C Amelia blinked as she darted back, her thoughts interrupted by Mel¡¯s sword. The sudden action prompted the surrounding demons to holler their support with raised fists. Mel attacked again and again, tactically flaring her aura to give herself bursts of speed. Amelia blocked, then parried and leapt to the side, trying to find her bearings. The onlooking sailors wasted no effort. ¡°Go on, get her!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let that softhorn rattle you!¡± ¡°Keep up the pressure!¡± ¡°Go for the kill!¡± Honestly! Just how bloodthirsty was Serena¡¯s crew!? This was her fault for playing the stern captain all the time! Tightening her grip on the sword, Amelia closed the distance. She knew Mel was more comfortable attacking, so she couldn¡¯t sit back and react all the time. She flared her aura, painting the ship''s deck with red hues. Amelia darted forward, striking out with mune-tsuki, the chest thrust, attempting to emulate the power and precision she¡¯d experienced in Kenhoro under the tutelage of Grandpa Gu. She timed it well. Mel was caught mid-stance change. The demon¡¯s hurried parry wasn¡¯t sufficient to stop Amelia¡¯s sword breaking through and scoring a solid hit against her chest. ¡°Point!¡± Serena shouted, raising the white flag. ¡°Reset!¡± she commanded. As Amelia and Mel returned to their original position, Amelia heard Serena give Mel a few pointers. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate her,¡± Serena warned. ¡°You know how powerful she is. Don¡¯t think that just because you¡¯ve reached orange and she hasn¡¯t, you have an advantage. She¡¯s a Speaker, don¡¯t forget that.¡± Serena paused for a moment before adding, ¡°She struggles with quick footwork and rapid blocking. You can overwhelm her if you time it right.¡± ¡°Yes, Captain,¡± Mel answered, nodding solemnly. Excuse me! Amelia thought, only just stopping her cheeks from inflating. Who do you think your girlfriend is, huh!? Where¡¯s my advice! She allowed herself to pout just a little, but it wasn¡¯t backed by any real anger. She knew Serena was just using this spar as further training for her new officers. Amelia also knew she could have private lessons with Serena whenever she wanted. For a moment, she wondered how Mel would react if she found out about Amelia and Serena¡¯s relationship. Surely Mel would be accepting, right? ¡°Begin!¡± Serena shouted. Mel darted in before Amelia had time to settle into her stance. Seeing that the demon was going to unleash a relentless assault, Amelia tried to interrupt it by throwing out another mune-tsuki and hopefully scoring another point. Only this time, Mel parried it perfectly, twisting her body to strike down against Amelia¡¯s quickly established guard. She narrowly defended against one, two, and then three expertly delivered strikes. Amelia thought she saw an opening and risked a counterattack, only for Mel to manoeuvre her sword with a flick of her wrist, slapping Amelia¡¯s weapon out of the way before twisting around and landing a killing blow against Amelia¡¯s exposed neck. ¡°Point!¡± Serena raised her red flag, prompting the surrounding demons to cheer. ¡°Whoa,¡± Amelia muttered, unable to help herself. Mel has progressed far faster than she thought possible. It wasn¡¯t that long ago when they sparred for the first time in the Kenhoro Officers¡¯ Academy, where Mel¡¯s red aura had seemed almost comically slow compared to the overwhelming abilities of Grandpa Gu. Mel had parried and retaliated on instinct. Instinct that Amelia was fundamentally lacking. Instinct that would take years for her to develop. She couldn¡¯t wait! With one point each, they both reset and, at Serena¡¯s command, began the next round. Any hope Amelia had of skillfully scoring another point was quickly dashed. After a few hesitant engagements, it became clear that Mel was quickly adapting to Amelia¡¯s aura. Sure, Amelia felt that on any individual movement she could move and strike faster than Mel could, but Mel had simply far more experience in chaining together attacks, forming a flow that, as much as Amelia tried, couldn¡¯t stop from slipping through her guard. ¡°Point!¡± The red flag was raised after the tip of Mel¡¯s sword found Amelia¡¯s stomach. Amelia had been tricked by a double-feint! She could tell, judging by the way Mel¡¯s lips curled upwards, that the demon was extremely proud of herself. Even though she was losing, Amelia found herself cheering for Mel. After all, Amelia¡¯s friends were talented, hardworking individuals, and she loved seeing them succeed! Not that Amelia planned to lose easily. Given that Mel was relying on her strengths ¨C her years of prior training and instinct ¨C Amelia would do the same. While her finesse still needed work, Amelia¡¯s raw power could give even a Speaker warrior an unhappy surprise. ¡°Begin!¡± Amelia flared her aura, slipping into her preparatory stance before Mel could rush her down. She managed it in time, and when Mel began her assault with a probing strike... Amelia tucked her stomach in and raised her sword high with both hands. She would make Katalin proud of this rendition of the Hawk. Amelia moved forward with explosive power, bringing down her weapon with as much power as she felt she could safely muster. She felt her blade cut the wind itself as it bore towards the confident Mel. Credit to Mel¡¯s talents, she adapted quickly, twisting her body to guard against the heavy attack. Amelia¡¯s warded blade slammed into Mel¡¯s defence, causing a burst of red hues to fly out from the contact. If someone was looking at this through the Shimmer, Amelia had no doubt there would be an explosion of the magical colour of ochure. Mel¡¯s defence held for a moment. Then the aura that wrapped her weapon shattered, followed by the wooden blade itself. Amelia¡¯s blade continued downwards, stopping just before colliding with Mel¡¯s collarbone. As the explosion of colour settled, Amelia and Mel made awkward eye contact. ¡°Hehe,¡± Amelia giggled. ¡°Point!¡± Serena yelled. ¡°H-hey!¡± Finella shouted. ¡°When did you learn the Hawk!? When did you visit the North!?¡± ¡°Secret!¡± Amelia shouted back. It was good to keep an aura of mystery about herself, wasn¡¯t it? ¡°Don¡¯t assume,¡± Serena said to Mel, handing her another weapon, ¡°that your opponent will use attacks you''re familiar with. Real combat is full of surprises.¡± ¡°Yes, Captain,¡± Mel replied, wrapping her new weapon with her aura. ¡°Take your positions!¡± Serena demanded. ¡°Begin!¡± The atmosphere became electrified as the match point began. With so much yelling from the crew, it was hard for Amelia to focus. ¡°Five taks Officer Mori wins!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let demonkind down!¡± ¡°Overwhelm her!¡± ¡°Look! She¡¯s scared!¡± Amelia resisted rolling her eyes, knowing the moment she took her eyes off Mel, she would be under assault. They circled each other, drawing slowly closer. They didn¡¯t glare at each other or even look each other in the eyes. No, Serena had long trained that habit out of Amelia. Instead, they watched each other''s bodies and wrists. After all, all movement started from the legs, and all swordplay began at the wrist. It might make for a good story, but looking at your opponent''s eyes was an easy way to miss out on critical information. With how explosive an aura-empowered fight was, it was those initial engagements of leg muscles that you needed to react to. Unfortunately, without her normal layers of enhancements, Amelia¡¯s perception wasn¡¯t quite able to keep up with Mel¡¯s instincts. The demon darted in, feinting low before attacking high. Amelia tried to counterattack, but Mel slipped in a thrust that caused Amelia to frantically block. The thrust was expertly followed up with a flow of strikes that forced Amelia to adjust her stance, throwing her off-balance, revealing her vulnerable side and¨C ¡°Point!¡± Serena called, raising the red flag. ¡°Well done,¡± Amelia said. Despite her loss, she couldn¡¯t help but smile at her friend''s achievement. ¡°Ah... Thank you...¡± Mel said, catching her breath while trying to look composed. They handed their weapons back to Serena. After Mel returned to the circle, where she received pats on the back from the energetic Ainese twins, Serena leaned down to Amelia and whispered, ¡°Great work. That was a nice Hawk.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Amelia said with a grin. ¡°I learned from the best.¡± Serena looked like she didn¡¯t know whether to blush or clutch her horns. Adorable! ¡°R-right!¡± Serena shouted, clearing her throat. ¡°Who¡¯s next!?¡± After a few seconds, Dagon stepped forward. His muscular body exuded a presence that quickly quenched the chattering of the onlookers. Now, there was a deathly quiet as everyone waited in anticipation. Who would Serena¡¯s second-in-command challenge? ¡°Come on then,¡± Dagon intoned, picking up a wooden sword. ¡°Let¡¯s see how hard your horns are, Officer Bright.¡± Amelia didn¡¯t miss the almost inaudible groan coming from the northern officer. Looks like there was plenty of entertainment to come! Serena settled in her chair at the mess hall¡¯s elevated officer table, adjusting it until she was satisfied. As her officers filled the seats around her, the remainder of the crew filtered through the other end of the long, narrow room, taking their seats and talking amongst themselves. After a few more eventful spars, where even Hinako found an opportunity to earn respect after one of Allston¡¯s engineers, a fire mage, challenged her to a duel, the sailors had finished catching lunch and Serena had called an end to the impromptu training session. She¡¯d left Dagon in command. Ranna was behind them and they would soon make their final approach to the Andalus Fortress. Her First Officer was more than capable of handling everything, so she left the ship in his hands while she took an early lunch. As her officers settled in and began discussing the sparring, the fragrance of fresh fish slowly filled the room, making everyone''s mouth water. From the kitchens, the sounds of steam and sizzling fillets could be heard. Those with good hearing, or those sitting closer to the opening that led to the kitchens, could hear the head chef barking orders. Along with a familiar voice squeaking, ¡®Yes, Head Chef!¡¯ Amelia had volunteered for kitchen duty. Serena supposed Amelia wanted to take the opportunity to help cook ingredients she¡¯d never seen or tasted before. Or perhaps, equally likely, the woman simply volunteered knowing the head chef would hunt her down anyway. Either way, Amelia wasn¡¯t the only one slaving away. Mel, Hinako, and Daichi had been corralled into service before they could even think about running. At the time, Daichi had looked like he was going to protest, but a stern look from Serena had quenched any resistance in his eyes. He was adapting to ship life fast, but Serena could tell he missed some of the comforts of his highborn life. Whether you were highborn or not, on the Vengeance, everyone had to do kitchen duty at least once. Allston¡¯s men had managed to catch a grand haul. This far south, the skies were teeming with arkis, winterfish, and even the rarer longtails. They¡¯d barely needed to wait until the greedy fish had been hooked. While they came nowhere close to the deliciousness of sardis, the fish they¡¯d caught would do wonders for ship morale. Serena mentally awarded herself points for the decision. It had been a good idea. While the Southern Passage would be full of delicious predators and prey, it was unlikely that they would have the opportunity to fish after leaving the Andalus Fortress. It would be all hands on deck, her entire crew would be focused on keeping the ship stable and prepared to counter any unforeseen dangers the Southern Passage was known for. It wasn¡¯t like they could casually unfurl the sails and have men on the rigging, after all. The upcoming skies were filled with tornadoes that could rip a wooden ship apart. With this catch and the cuts of venison and wine Serena had prepared for the upcoming Christmas celebration, ship morale should remain high for the foreseeable future. The lunch today also doubled as a celebration for Finella and her squad, who had just earned enough respect to be well-accepted by the majority. I¡¯m a great captain, aren¡¯t I? Serena thought. ¡°I can¡¯t believe the behaviour of the perimeter ships,¡± someone at her table said. ¡°You¡¯d think they weren¡¯t part of the Empire, with how they¡¯re treating us!¡± ¡°I heard it¡¯s worse around Hokanai and Fengra,¡± Tomes grumbled. ¡°It¡¯s not right. We should be united, not bickering amongst ourselves.¡± ¡°Officer Song,¡± Thorne called out, prompting both Ido and Arin to look at him. ¡°Uh, either one of you, I guess. What¡¯s the attitude like, down there? I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re local, am I right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Ido nodded, tapping his single horn, a characteristic trait of Ainese demons. ¡°We were born and grew up in the lowlands outside Fengra. It¡¯s where Arin learned to hunt.¡± ¡°Ah, I was wondering where those skills came from,¡± Thorne said, nodding towards Ido¡¯s sister. ¡°So what do the lowland lords say from those parts? With regard to the rest of the East?¡± ¡°Well...¡± Ido hesitated, flickering his eyes between the numerous senior officers looking at him. ¡°Growing up, there was always tension. The Far East always felt they were cheated when their candidate for Overlord wasn¡¯t chosen. They claim it was petty politics.¡± ¡°And what do you think?¡± Thorne intoned. It wasn¡¯t asked interrogatively, but his tone had an underlying seriousness. ¡°It wasn¡¯t something we thought about growing up,¡± Arin said, taking over from her brother. ¡°It was just things you heard, mostly from the older generations when they drank ale. The real discontent started when the conflict erupted. The taxes imposed, and the loss of, uh...¡± Arin looked up, trying to find the right word. ¡°Autonomy,¡± Ido said. ¡°Autonomy,¡± Arin echoed. ¡°Right. The loss of autonomy, especially around the crystal and steel markets. It caused a lot of problems. The merchants, especially those around Kraken Kur, didn¡¯t like being forced to sell to the Three Sisters. As for what we think¡±¨Cthe Ainese demon shrugged¨C¡±I don¡¯t know either way. Seems everyone¡¯s had a rough time these past few years.¡± ¡°Ain¡¯t that the truth,¡± someone muttered. ¡°What about you, Officer Adachi?¡± Thorne asked. ¡°What does Intelligence know about any budding civil war?¡± ¡°Hey,¡± Aiden raised a disarming pair of hands. ¡°Just because I¡¯m in Intelligence doesn¡¯t mean I know every secret and operation. I¡¯m as blind as you are. Whatever¡¯s going on, it must be safe enough for now. They wouldn¡¯t have given us the order to sail this way otherwise.¡± Thorne nodded before turning to Serena. ¡°I¡¯m concerned the Andalus command might refuse to let us dock, or give us sub-par fuel. We¡¯re relying on their stocks to make it across the passage, after all.¡± Serena clicked her tongue. ¡°They would be fools to make that mistake. Believe me, we¡¯re getting what we¡¯re entitled to.¡± At her words, her surrounding officers nodded their support. No matter what, Serena wouldn¡¯t let the petty politics of the Far East interrupt their divinely-given mission. Even if she had to Speak. ¡°A matter to discuss, Captain,¡± a voice broke out. Serena looked down the table to see her medical officer, Hillbrand, talking to her. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°The woman. The new one,¡± Hillbrand nodded down the room. Serena followed her gesture to see that her medical officer was nodding towards Seonmi. ¡°What about her?¡± ¡°She¡¯s in the general crew quarters, right?¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°I¡¯m concerned...¡± Hillbrand tapped the table idly. ¡°A woman like that. Around so many men.¡± Hillbrand sniffed. ¡°Those whistles she got outside weren¡¯t just for her marksmanship. She¡¯s got thick-based Manwese horns with a Fengra twist. That¡¯s an exotic package for most of your men.¡± ¡°You have a request?¡± Serena asked. ¡°Allow me to set her up in the medical wing. Let her use the medical washrooms. I can give her work to do, so it doesn¡¯t look like favouritism.¡± Hillbrand met Serena¡¯s eyes, her face serious. ¡°I fear the men might get certain... temptations. She isn¡¯t a warrior or mage, is she? If we go through a period of low morale... some men might find their own ways to raise it.¡± Hillbrand held Serena¡¯s eyes, her expression serious. ¡°Tsk! They¡¯ll hang if I hear even a whisper of that nonsense,¡± Serena said definitively. ¡°Alright, Hillbrand. Sort it out.¡± ¡°Thank you, Captain.¡± Serena looked at her officers. ¡°Anyone else have any concerns? Might as well settle¨C¡± The door to the mess hall slammed open. Dagon hurried through and up to the officers¡¯ table. He bent down, whispering, ¡°Andalus Fortress are firing their guns, Captain.¡± Serena narrowed her eyes. ¡°Not at us, I presume?¡± It wasn¡¯t a serious question. If they had incoming fire, Anathor would have warned them. ¡°No, they just seem to be firing into the void.¡± ¡°A firing salute?¡± Thorne offered. ¡°Perhaps they¡¯re welcoming us. Or perhaps they¡¯re testing the guns?¡± Dagon shrugged. ¡°They would have notified us if they were. It¡¯s weird. They¡¯re not responding to our messages. Thought it best to notify you before we got too close, Captain.¡± Serena sighed. Lunch would have to wait. ¡°Come on, you lot,¡± she said quickly, standing up. ¡°To the bridge!¡± ¡°Aye, Captain!¡± came the chorus of replies. Serena led her men to the ship¡¯s bridge, where they quickly settled into their stations with professional efficiency. Looking through the bridge windows, she could see the dark shape of the Andalus Fortress ten klicks in the distance ¨C a monstrosity of iron and steel, stubbornly sticking out of the last mountain island of the Kraken Kur archipelago where it guarded the entrance to the Southern Passage. Then she saw the telltale flashes of cannon fire, and, by manifesting orange aura and focusing a little, heard the sounds eventually reach her ears almost half a minute later. ¡°Signatures?¡± she asked Sensors. ¡°Nothing we can¡¯t identify,¡± the sensors officer reported. ¡°But they are all centred around the port. It looks like the perimeter ships have all docked up or are hovering close by.¡± ¡°Shell trajectories? Are we sure they¡¯re not trying to hit something we can¡¯t detect?¡± ¡°Same trajectories each time, Captain. It¡¯s not coordinated fire. They¡¯re shooting at nothing.¡± ¡°Send them another request. Keep sending messages until we get a response.¡± ¡°Aye, Captain.¡± The sensors officer began tapping out a series of aethergrams. ¡°Officer Adachi,¡± Serena called. Once Aiden approached her, she asked, ¡°Anything I should know?¡± ¡°It¡¯s news to me,¡± Aiden said with a shrug. ¡°Maybe they got drunk? I doubt it¡¯s a fight, we would have heard a distress¨C¡± ¡°Captain!¡± Finella suddenly shouted. ¡°They¡¯re replying! It¡¯s...¡± Serena waited patiently until Finella¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°Well?¡± she snapped. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s...¡± Finella swallowed. ¡°It¡¯s a celebration! They¡¯re celebrating!¡± ¡°Celebrating what, Officer Bright?¡± ¡°The war!¡± Finella exclaimed, her face turning jubilant. ¡°The end of the war!¡± ¡°The end...?¡± Serena trailed off. ¡°The Republic signed the treaty! Two days ago!¡± Finella swallowed. ¡°The war...¡± ¡°...The war¡¯s over!¡± Serena blinked twice. Maybe she would have to use up that venison and wine sooner than she¡¯d expected. Chapter Ninety-Four: Caution Chapter Ninety-Four: Caution ¡°Thornheart! Bring that longtail up front!¡± ¡°Yes, Head Chef!¡± Amelia shouted, relying on her enhanced dexterity to dart around the chaotic kitchen and bring a plate of the delicious meat to the kitchen¡¯s opening, where it was being served to a bunch of hungry demons who were desperate to begin their celebrations. They had good reason to celebrate; Anathor had announced throughout the ship that the Republic had signed a peace treaty, ending eight years of conflict! The war was finally over! Amelia fully intended to celebrate that fact with Serena, but right now she needed to focus on navigating her kitchen duties, lest the Head Chef yell at her. That demon, instead of celebrating with his staff, had merely doubled the pressure upon them, emphasising that the upcoming excitement would require their best work. Amelia had gritted her teeth and focused on her efforts. Who would have thought that this was where her game-enhanced abilities would shine!? Not that she was complaining. Working as part of a team to fulfil the common goal of cooking scrumptious meals for the several hundred sailors under Serena¡¯s command was immensely satisfying. Even as a Lord-Prospect, Amelia felt that the Head Chef and his kitchen staff didn¡¯t treat her any differently. Something she greatly appreciated. Not everyone shared her thoughts, though. ¡°Empress... Damn it...¡± Daichi mumbled under his breath as he splashed soapy water onto himself. ¡°The war¡¯s over and I¡¯m doing this!¡± Amelia suspected the poor mage had never had to cook his own meals before, after he¡¯d demonstrated his inability to prepare fish by butchering a winterfish beyond recognition. ¡°By the Moons, man!¡± the Head Chef had shouted. ¡°Don¡¯t you highborn learn how to carve!? What did that winterfish ever do to you!?¡± ¡°That¡¯s more of a warrior tradition...¡± Daichi had protested. Either way, the Head Chef had put him on washing-up duty where he could do the least damage. As he slowly became more and more covered in soapy water, Amelia sent him telepathic messages of support. You¡¯re not the only one with a carving incident, Amelia thought. Hang in there, Daichi! Where Daichi failed to impress, Mel was there to make up for it. Using her red aura to enhance her dexterity, she deftly gutted and deboned each fish. Whether it was the fat arkis, the slender winterfish, or the tricky longtails, Mel was quickly learning how to prepare each one, improving from any mistakes and soon becoming an integral part of the kitchen process. Hinako found her stride at the cooking station, where she kept a keen eye on the fillets, constantly adding, removing, and turning them to ensure they were seared and cooked to perfection. ¡°I used to do this for my brothers!¡± she said cheerfully. ¡°When they trained at home. It¡¯s actually where I first got exposed to duelling and made the decision to follow that path! Oh, we need more plates!¡± ¡°Mmm!¡± Amelia hummed in acknowledgement. She darted to Daichi¡¯s station, picking up a stack of clean and dried plates. Even though Daichi complained a lot, he dutifully invoked his magic to dry the plates quickly. ¡°If Mother could see me now...¡± he muttered. ¡°Officer Ishitani!¡± barked the Head Chef. ¡°Y-yes?¡± ¡°Yes, what!?¡± ¡°Yes, Head Chef!?¡± ¡°Stop complaining in my kitchen!¡± ¡°...Yes, Head Chef...¡± Amelia giggled as she brought Hinako the plates. As she set them down, a new voice boomed through the kitchen opening. ¡°Kitchen!¡± barked Dagon. ¡°Break out some of the Christmas meat! A whole hog for the crew! And bring out a barrel of wine! Captain¡¯s orders!¡± As the crew began cheering, he continued, ¡°Make that two hogs! We¡¯re sending one down to Andalus. Figure if we stroke their horns a bit, they¡¯ll be more inclined to let us have the pick of their crystal.¡± ¡°Aye aye, First Officer!¡± the Head Chef yelled. He turned and gave orders to some of the kitchen staff, who darted into the ship¡¯s larder. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s really over...¡± Hinako muttered to Amelia. ¡°The war, that is. You know what this means? The arenas are going to be flooded with talent! All those returning warriors and mages with actual combat experience are going to be looking for new income. Ah...¡± Hinako shook her head, reaching out and flipping a few sizzling fillets. ¡°The competition is going to be fierce!¡± Dagon appeared in the kitchen with a few sailors behind him. As the kitchen workers brought up the required meats and drinks, he had the sailors pick them up and carry them away. One hog, ready to roast, went with them while the other started being prepared for cooking. ¡°Once it¡¯s done, would¡±¨Cthe head chef¡¯s gaze flicked to Mel, and then, as if reconsidering, flicked to Amelia¨C¡±you accept the honour of carving for the crew, Miss Thornheart?¡± Amelia felt a shiver make its way down her back. She didn¡¯t know how to respond! There were a million ways to say no to something, and she¡¯d somehow forgotten every one! ¡°Head Chef,¡± Dagon intoned, rubbing his chin. The southern demon looked awkwardly between the hog and Amelia with a clenched jaw. ¡°Uh, the Cap¡¯n and the rest of the officer staff will be eating this. I¡¯d rather have your skilled hands carve. Cap¡¯n deserves the best, after all.¡± My hero! Amelia thought. She sent him a message with her eyes that she hoped communicated her gratitude. For some reason, his lips only curled in response. ¡°Right you are, First Officer,¡± the Head Chef affirmed. Soon, the hog was coated with melted fat and put into the oven on a bed of potatoes that would absorb all its juices. After a few minutes, the tantalising smell of its cooking meat, coupled with the mouth-watering fragrance of the processed fish, had the crew practically cheering the Head Chef¡¯s name. As it slowly became a golden brown, Mel continued to prepare the remainder of the fish with quiet determination. She wasn¡¯t talking much and Amelia suspected she was running their duel through her mind. Even now, Mel was doing some form of training! Serena had really picked a talented bunch of horns, hadn¡¯t she? Under her girlfriend¡¯s tutelage and command, Amelia had no doubt that they would go far. With Mel¡¯s talent, it wouldn¡¯t be long before her orange was closing in on yellow and, after that, who knows where she might go from there? Amelia was sure that Mel would become a Speaker one day. ¡°Damn it!¡± Daichi cursed. His hand had slipped while scrubbing plates and he¡¯d managed to flick an enormous tidal wave of soapy water over himself. Amelia did her best not to giggle. Her restraint wasn¡¯t shared by the rest of the kitchen staff, who burst out laughing at his ordeal. Amelia cast him a sympathetic look as the Head Chef gave him another dressing down. Daichi would be fine, wouldn¡¯t he? After all, everyone had to do kitchen duty on the Vengeance. She wondered if Serena ever worked in the kitchens. She must have, right? Maybe not as a captain, but when she joined a squad commander. Or maybe not. It would only take one Serena-level glare to¨C ¡°Thornheart! Stop staring into space and get back to work!¡± ¡°Y-yes, Head Chef!¡± ¡°This is good crystal,¡± Allston said, as the glistening blue powder fell from his palm back into the barrel. ¡°The engines will be happy to eat this up. Although...¡± The chief engineer glanced down the ship¡¯s deck where his men were manoeuvring the cargo from the fortress¡¯s docks into the Vengeance¡¯s depths. ¡°This is more than we need. Are you¡±¨Che cast a quick glance at Serena¨C¡±expecting any diversions?¡± ¡°Just doing my due diligence,¡± Serena answered. ¡°This will be the longest trip we¡¯ve made without access to any ports of call. Who knows what luck we¡¯ll have in the passage.¡± As she finished her words, she took a few steps to the ship¡¯s railing and looked west, past the metal walls of the fortress. Thirty klicks of open sky lay before them, absent of any islands or notable features. If it weren¡¯t for the dark horizon, which flashed with the occasional bolt of lightning, it might have been peaceful. Instead, the distant skies seemed to be both welcoming and warning them. ¡°Captain!¡± a voice called. Serena turned to see Dagon approaching them, holding two bowls of steaming vegetables and meat. ¡°Roasted hog,¡± he said. ¡°Finest selection, carved by the Head Chef himself. Got one for you as well, Allston.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Serena raised an eyebrow as she and Allston took their bowls and forks. ¡°Amelia didn¡¯t volunteer?¡± Dagon chuckled. ¡°I might have saved her in that regard. Head Chef picked her, but I stepped in. Figure it¡¯s a favour I can call in later.¡± ¡°Valuable favour,¡± Serena mused, looking down at the bowl. She thought she wasn¡¯t hungry, but the moment the smell hit her nose, her stomach rumbled. Taking a fork, she quickly dug into the food, doing her best not to eat too impolitely. ¡°Make sure the crew don¡¯t get drunk,¡± she instructed Dagon. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear about any hangovers from Hillbrand. Ensure they understand that excessive drinking will result in punishment, not healing from Amelia.¡± Seeing Dagon nod, she added, ¡°Speaking of, make sure she and the rest of the kitchen staff get a portion of this hog. It¡¯s delicious.¡± ¡°Already done, Captain.¡± Dagon peered past her at Allston¡¯s men. ¡°Looks like we¡¯re just finishing up here. When did you want to set sail?¡± ¡°Tomorrow morning,¡± Serena answered. ¡°The Indefatigable should make an appearance by tonight. I imagine they¡¯ll want to join the celebrations if they haven¡¯t heard already. Make sure Navigation gets the latest weather charts sooner rather than later. I¡¯m guessing this fortress is going to be full of sailors too drunk to send an aethergram if we wait any longer.¡± Judging by the celebratory firing of the fortress¡¯s guns and the jubilant noises she could still hear from beyond its thick walls, the inhabitants were taking full advantage of the news about the war. Although the excessive drinking she¡¯d witnessed irked her professional sensibilities, she could understand why they would take the opportunity to let loose. Serving their contract down here, with dark skies and bitter weather, probably wasn¡¯t great for morale. They¡¯d managed to find the fortress¡¯s second-in-command. A tipsy demon who, after being bribed with a few barrels of wine and a whole hog to roast, let them have their pick of the fortresses¡¯ stores. What was it Amelia said all those months ago, when Serena had first interrogated her in the Vengeance¡¯s cells? You catch more flies with honey. Well, if the hog hadn¡¯t worked, then her fist would have. Serena watched as the last few pieces of cargo were loaded onto her ship. As the bay doors slammed shut, she went over her mental checklist. Once they entered the Southern Passage, they had to be ready for every eventuality. Even though she knew the ship''s weapons were well looked after by Thorne, and the engines equally well cared for by Allston and his niece, Serena couldn¡¯t help but think she was missing something. It wasn¡¯t an unfamiliar feeling. It was a feeling felt by every captain before a mission, and every squad commander before an assault. The dreadful sensation of thinking you might have made some unknown mistake that was going to bring everything crashing down catastrophically. For Serena, it was a feeling that had become more common after the Federation Convoy Incident. Right now, that feeling was particularly strong. As she reflected on the possible causes, her mind narrowed down onto one likely source of her concern. ¡°Allston,¡± she said. ¡°When you have time, bring me a spare gear.¡± ¡°Captain?¡± Allston tilted his head in confusion. ¡°Any size. Make sure it¡¯s got some lubricant on.¡± ¡°Uh, sure, I¡¯ll have it on your desk within the hour.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± She finished her meal. Handing the bowl and fork back to Dagon, she dismissed them and headed into the ship. Navigating through its corridors, she began heading down the main stairway that spiralled through most of the ship''s decks. She passed the second deck, from which she heard many of her sailors eating and drinking merrily in their quarters, and onto the third deck, where she made her way to the medical bay. Strangely enough, as she approached the doors to the medical room where Hillbrand worked, she sensed Amelia¡¯s presence draw closer. Pushing open the door, her suspicions were quickly verified. There were more than a few familiar faces before her. ¡°Hello!¡± Amelia chirped, giving her a wave. ¡°Did Dagon get you a bowl?¡± Amelia wasn¡¯t alone. Other than Hillbrand herself, the two cadets, Noburu and Seonmi, jumped up and saluted her earnestly. ¡°As you were,¡± Serena intoned, waving them back down. She cast a questioning look towards her medical officer. ¡°I¡¯m setting her up down here, Captain,¡± Hillbrand explained, gesturing to Seonmi. ¡°And giving her the same warnings I talked to you about, and going over her duties.¡± ¡°Right,¡± Serena said, looking at the female cadet. ¡°Working here isn¡¯t a promotion, Sailor. I expect you to pull your weight and be of value to my medical officer.¡± ¡°Y-yes, Captain!¡± Seonmi jumped up again, saluting her. Serena took a moment to look into the woman¡¯s eyes. They were a deep blood-orange, a colour that hinted at her highborn family. Serena cast a glance at Noburu, meeting his crimson eyes. They might not have been as pure as her own, but they were enough to raise suspicions that there was more to him than seen at first glance. ¡°Fitting in okay?¡± she asked. They both nodded quickly. ¡°Volunteer for kitchen duty for tomorrow''s breakfast,¡± she instructed. ¡°Everyone has to do it at first, and if you¡¯re seen working hard to cook food for the rest of the crew after a night of celebration... you¡¯ll fit right in.¡± ¡°Yes, Captain!¡± they responded in unison. ¡°As for you,¡± she continued, nodding to Noburu. ¡°What are you doing down here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s on me!¡± Amelia said cheerfully. ¡°Thought I would heal his fingers!¡± ¡°So you brought him down here, instead of blasting your magic in the mess hall for all to see?¡± Serena raised an eyebrow, feeling her lips curl into a smile. ¡°Look at you, learning how to be discreet.¡± ¡°Extremely discreet, thank you very much!¡± Amelia said, puffing her cheeks out. ¡°Well,¡± Serena intoned, folding her arms. ¡°There are already five of us here. Let¡¯s see it, then. Before your audience grows any further.¡± ¡°Mmm!¡± Amelia nodded enthusiastically. The blond healer turned to Noburu and asked, ¡°Are you ready? It won¡¯t hurt, I promise!¡± ¡°Umm.¡± Noburu looked between Amelia, Serena, and Seonmi in turn. ¡°Sure. I¡¯m ready. I just¨C¡± He was interrupted as a burst of golden light ¨C in which brilliant specks of royal blue danced ¨C exploded from Amelia. The light quickly converged, flowing into Noburu¡¯s body and onto his left hand. Serena even saw a bit of Amelia¡¯s magic break off and flow into Hillbrand and Seonmi. She knew enough about Amelia¡¯s control that this was probably intentional. Her girlfriend probably didn¡¯t want the others to feel left out, knowing they would feel too awkward to ask themselves. As Noburu¡¯s mouth dropped open, his luminous hand flashed with a sudden burst of aether before dimming to nothing. He slowly raised his hand, turning it this way and that, where everyone could see he was now in possession of the correct number of fingers. ¡°Surprises me every time,¡± Hillbrand said, shaking her head. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it...¡± Seonmi muttered. ¡°Just...¡± Noburu swallowed. ¡°Just like that? Are you okay?¡± he asked Amelia. ¡°You don¡¯t need to rest after this? That didn¡¯t exhaust you, did it?¡± Oh, Noburu, Serena thought. You¡¯re going to need to adjust those expectations. ¡°Well?¡± Serena clicked her tongue. ¡°Are you going to thank Lord-Prospect Thornheart, or not?¡± ¡°Y-yes!¡± Noburu exclaimed. ¡°Thank you!¡± He stood up, bringing his feet together and bowing deeply in the Samino style. ¡°Thank you, Lord-Prospect!¡± ¡°Just Amelia, remember?¡± Amelia reminded him with a grin. ¡°I...¡± Noburu trailed off, turning his hand this way and that. He bent his new fingers experimentally and touched them with his other hand. ¡°I...¡± ¡°Before you start crying, get out,¡± Serena commanded. ¡°I need to talk to Hillbrand. Amelia, would you mind taking Noburu back to the mess hall? I¡¯m sure his fellow sailors would like to celebrate the return of his fingers. Oh, and come to my quarters after. I have something to go over with you.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Amelia bounced up and led Noburu away and out of the medical bay. ¡°What can I do for you, Captain? Anything urgent?¡± Hillbrand asked, casting a glance at Seonmi. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Serena said. ¡°She can listen. I wanted to talk to you about the Red Fever vaccinations.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get it done tomorrow morning, after breakfast.¡± Serena paused for a moment, considering her options. ¡°No, do it before. We¡¯ll hold breakfast off until they¡¯re done. I¡¯ll get Dagon to announce a celebratory breakfast. Use up more of our venison and the fish Allston¡¯s men caught. Hold it hostage until they agree.¡± Hillbrand chuckled. ¡°Sure thing, Captain. I¡¯ll get things ready. Regarding that, I did want to ask you...¡± The medical officer swallowed. ¡°You know the statistics regarding the vaccinations, right?¡± After Serena nodded, Hillbrand continued, ¡°With a crew of almost three hundred, we can expect a dozen or so becoming bed-bound. And...¡± Hillbrand¡¯s eyes flickered to the doorway. ¡°Without her healing... one or two deaths. Three if we¡¯re unlucky.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Amelia about it. She¡¯ll be more than happy to step in if there are any adverse reactions.¡± Red Fever was no joke. It was especially dangerous to non-natives of the South. Dagon and Tomes would be fine either way, and any aether users would naturally have higher resistance. But it was the common sailor who was at risk, and some of that risk persisted with the vaccine itself. Although much safer, the vaccine had a reputation that sailors loved to exaggerate. It was why Serena decided to do it tomorrow. They would get it done fast, before they entered the Southern Passage and while crew morale was high. With reassurances that Amelia would step in if anyone had problems, she was sure there would be little resistance. Now Serena thought about it, she remembered a lecture from the Academy where they covered a case of mutiny. While not the singular cause, a round of Red Fever vaccinations had tipped the crew¡¯s morale past the point of no return and into insurrection. With Amelia nearby, such concerns vanished from Serena¡¯s mind. Demonkind might have no gods of healing. But the Vengeance had Amelia. ¡°See you in the morning,¡± Serena said, giving her farewells and leaving. She walked through the corridor, past more than one sailor with a reddened face. Reaching the stairway, she began to climb towards her quarters, where she would wait for Amelia and¨C What was that? Someone was playing music from below. A strange, mournful melody that tickled her ears. Without thinking, Serena took a step down. Then she took another, and another. Before she knew it, she was walking back down the way she came, spiralling down into the Vengeance¡¯s structure. Past the second deck. Past the third deck. Serena stopped. Fourth-deck, the brass plaque read. The heavy wooden door stood firm. Unyielding. Serena blinked and focused her hearing. Despite moving towards the melody, it still sounded far away. But... she was sure it was coming from within the fourth deck. Anathor had talked about this, hadn¡¯t he? Was this the ship¨C No. Was this the soul bound by the ship, reacting to Amelia¡¯s magic? Serena pressed an ear to the door, straining to hear more. Was someone... or something... Singing? Swallowing nervously, Serena clenched and unclenched her hands a few times. She moved her aura into orange, and then, slowly but surely, bent down and moved her face until she could look through the keyhole. Even with her aura- and Amelia-enhanced senses, only a solid darkness greeted her. Wait. Was that movement just now? Or was her mind playing tricks with her? Serena strained her senses. She was sure, she was certain, that if she kept looking, she would see something. She just needed to keep listening to that melody, and keep looking¨C ¡°Captain?¡± Serena jerked upwards, spinning around to see Allston looking at her with a puzzled expression. In his hands, he held a grimy gear, about six inches in diameter. What am I doing? Serena thought. She shook her head. She didn¡¯t need to tell Allston not to mention what he just saw. She trusted that he knew that this wasn¡¯t something that needed any further discussion. ¡°Allston,¡± she intoned. ¡°You got the gear. Thank you.¡± She reached out and took the piece of metal from him, feeling her fingers immediately become slick with grease. ¡°No problem, Captain. Anything else you need?¡± ¡°No. Continue as you were. Oh, make sure your boys get their fair share of hog.¡± ¡°Aye, Captain.¡± Serena nodded, and Allston nodded back. There was only the briefest moment of hesitation before her chief engineer coughed politely and continued up the staircase. She waited until his footsteps had faded and, with one last look at the mysterious door, continued on her way and back to her quarters. On the way, she chastised herself mentally. Mysteries could wait. For now, the Southern Passage loomed. And it was her duty to ensure her ship and every soul aboard survived the journey. Yet, even with the resolute determination that began to bubble from within. That same feeling of doubt remained. Nothing would go wrong, would it?