Chapter 13: Plans
Sofia was opening her eyes. It was comfy feeling, the pillows around her. There was something laying on her legs. A heavily breathing little fox girl was there with dried tiers covering her cheeks. Her outfit was worn out.
On the chair next to Sofia was her clothes. Everything was there. Cleaned.
'I ... the forest! The snake!'
There was a small crystal on the top of the clothe pile.
'That is the soul? Soul stone!'
It was morning. The curtain was open. No one had in consideration to shut them. It was morning sun.
'It's really early.'
The light couldn't reach the window well yet. The sun was just rising. Normally -- no, never -- was Sofia awake at this hour.
She pulled her legs from under the maid slowly. Lisa was not waking up. There was little scratches on her face. Her ears were down and tail was dirty. Something snow like was still hanging in it.
Sofia recalled the battle and she took her shirt up fast and watched her stomach.
There was nothing there, but she was sure that most of her was no suppose to be anymore... in that area. It was suppose to be porridge. The hole, in which a grown man was suppose to be able to put his arm through, was missing. Just a thin stomach with a little bit abs showing off.
"This is ... unbelievable."
Then she remembered the backlash pain. Everything around her was sucked into her. All that life force, all the mana, was devoured by her. She was a mana-black-hole at that moment. And she was death to everything around her back then.
'Logbook open.
Messages:
New*! "You have reached level 11. Normal bone density has been reached."
New*! "You have regenerated all you wounds!"
New*! "You have gained a new nickname 'Magic-smith'!"
New*! "WARNING! Avoid over using BATTLE MODE functions on your Grim Reaper job. This function has a heavy cost to your surroundings and might have unwanted consequences."
Nicknames:
Magic-smith: "You can create your own spells if you have enough mana and a clear idea of the spell. The success rate is determined by the will of the smith and creation of spells will cost a random amount of time and mana."
Status. Using preferred units.
Level 11, 49% -- Mana 72% -- Stamina 44%
Height: 165cm Weight: 52kg
Spine reconstructed.
Stomach reconstructed.
Left arm healing process done.
All ribs healed.
Small internal wounds healed.
New mass created.
Internal organs healed.
Physical trauma healed.
REPORT: BACKLASH OF THE BATTLE MODE IS OVER!
REPORT: BODY RECONSTRUCTION OVER!
Pain numbing off. -0%. Normal state.
Control on automatic.
Strength 01:00 times average.
Regeneration 11:00 times average.
Endurance 01:00 times average.
Total mana generated 05.00 times the average.
Mana pool 01.50 times the normal.
WARNING!*** An emergency experience gain is active until level 15 has been reached.
All the experience is multiplied by three. This causes sleepiness and powerlessness. Low level causes low strength and low endurance in comparison to body's maximum capacity.'
'I am somewhat able to use magic now. But those effects... were not what I was going for... so unreliable... that fire was so bad... and that wall was not... the wall spell at all! I need to get to see those people in capital who have this flexible mana pool! Could I accidentally blind someone with illuminate? At least... we are alive.'
Kuru kuru*
Sofia crawled next to Lisa and patter her head. The fox didn't wake up.
Kuru*
"You need to go and take a bath... wait... why am I not... dirty at all? Wait a moment..."
Lisa was changing her position and started to drool on the bed.
'Eeeeh?!'
Kuru*
"... sleep then a bit more. I go hunt something from the kitchen."
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Sofia walked down from the third floor and straight into the kitchen. The main cook was there and two maid.
"Morning."
The maids flinched and the cook stopped what ever he was doing with minced meat. To Sofia, it looked like he was starting to prepare today's main dish, meatballs apparently.
"M-morning sorceress. How may I help you?"
"Ah, just be at ease, it's really early so it's not yet breakfast time. But even though, I have a screaming hunger so I came by myself. Lisa is sleeping at the moment. You know anything about that?"
"Ah. The fox-maid Lisa came back yesterday evening carrying you on her back. She looked like she had seen the death itself. Never seen her with that expression and I have seen quite a lot her faces since she visits kitchen quite often. As far as I know, she took care of you and well now you are here."
'Fox...? Discrimination?'
"So it has been only one night?"
"Yes? Ah. You must be still confused. She said that you had tried some new thing with magic and it went badly again. You should talk to the knights in charge of the mansion while the Duke and the head-magus are gone. They probably can give you proper information."
The two maids sneaked away from the kitchen while giving Sofia scared glances.
'It's probably not good for Lisa's reputation to be my maid actually. They look me, like I am some crazy cat-lady -- fox-lady?'
"About the food miss."
"Yes, I was mainly asking for that. I am starving to death right now. Anything is fine as long it's not rotten."
"Hmmh. There is probably something if for example cheese and bread is enough. There is some slightly salted meat too but we haven't yet gotten the next weekly delivery. And my hands are quite full right now."
"Ah. I don't mind. I get some bread and cheese then. Can I use the fire? I am going to melt the cheese with the bread and probably if you could give some of that meat..."
"Miss is a cook?"
"I am not a cook. Just going to mix the ingredients and eat them like a burger."
"Burger?"
"Eh, well two slices of bread and between them is cheese and meat and if you have any eggs I could have one or two of those too."
"We don't have eggs unfortunately. Like I said, the delivery isn't yet here. It was suppose to come yesterday, but not seeing it at all yet. As you see, there isn't farm animals at this mansion. I kind of hope there would be to be honest."
"I see. Anyway, you think it has something to do with the Prince's death?"
"Eh. Um. I hope not... that would mean there is something really bad going on..."
'There probably is. Ron is dead. He didn't seem like a person to simply drop cold from a flue.'
"Hmmh, what do you think it could be? Some old wounds not still being scarred and bleeding from the war?"
The chef scratched his small clean partially grey beard. He gave a glance at the direction where the maids had gone.
"Hmm. There is some rumors going on, but there is nothing I could say with certainty. Some say that the royal family itself is on Arka's side... some say partially this is the case. Some say that there is spies in royal guards. And the list goes on so long that it would be night when I finish with this speculation. What I can say about it though, is probably what you have already guessed right..."
Sofia looked at the chefs eyes with frightened realization and almost choking to her words, "The war isn't over? It's just cold? But, I have..."
'...everyone says it's over! That is a lie? I ... see.'
Chef was silent. It was sure that was the thing everyone was thinking. Sofia didn't know what it would be like to fight in a war, but she could imagine something similar. If this country would burst into flames right now, she would probable be forced to take a side thanks to her being a sorceress now. Anyone as powerful as her, even with slight magic abilities, could not stay out of it. This is a kingdom, not a country of freemen. And as long as Sofia would live here, she is assumed to be one of its residents.
'My hands are already full! I have two missions. I have my studies! If I am now dragged into some continental crisis, I might actually fail the "Debt to pay"-mission. There is no indication what that penalty is, but ... assuming it to be something similar to that "backlash", I have no intentions to fail that missions.'
The chef was nodding slightly, "True. That is what everyone has in their minds. That, it was a lie to buy time. Lie to the public to handle the war inside nobility first. If it is true, we are all going to the mouth of the taboo Dragon. It is simply a ceasefire, but now... I don't want to think about it."
'I see. Then, I need to go to the Taninburg and finish this penalty mission as fast as I can... before it becomes impossible... I need to tighten my butt and spit out some serious bullshit to the knights to explain why I am leaving... though I don't think they can stop me... Henry will be mad though, but it will take eternity for him to come back from capital.'
"Thank you for your honest thoughts. I go make that breakfast now."
"Um... miss?"
"Yes? What is it?"
"I recommend you do not commit more experiments near the mansion. There is bad rumors going around here about you and Arka being connected... probably thanks to your looks that is, but be careful non the less miss. The Duke has accepted you, but now, as he is not here, be careful. Not everyone is like me, an old man who just makes meatballs."
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It was evening. Sofia was slightly scolded by the knights. Apparently, the knights didn't mind her leaving the mansions, more over, they had gotten small smiles on their faces when Sofia had mentioned wanting to go to Taninburg. She would leave in two days. Tomorrow there was still something she was going to do and that could take the entire day -- talk to the scythe. But that was tomorrow's problem.
It was already midday. Sofia was walking up the stairs when she heard running from the third floor.
"Miss! Miss!" Lisa was standing on the top of the stairs.
Sofia simply gave her a smile, "I see you are awake now".
"Miss! What time is it? Sun is far up already! I ..."
"It's past midday. l visited the kitchen and talked to the knights about certain matters. Apparently they wish me to leave this place..."
'...or they are just assholes.'
"Eeeeh? Is.. is it because of those magic experiments... or um... well... I know that I lied o the knights... but... does the lord Duke approve this? And where are we going? Do they know that I lied?"
"We?"
"Naturally, I am ordered to look after you, aren't I... or don't you want me with you?" Lisa's tail was hacking the ground.
Sofia raised her hands to stop the maids hysteric , "Stop, slow down a bit. We need to talk about yesterday..."
"M-miss! I am sorry for sleeping on duty again, please let me come with you."
"Eh. Hmmh. Well, lets talk, but let me come up form the stairs first." Sofia took a step towards Lisa who hadn't realized that she was blocking the way.
"S-sorry, miss."
They went into the alcohol-library and shut the door. Sofia took an apple from her robes pocket.
"You want some breakfast? I got two of these." She threw the apple towards Lisa, who caught it with ease.
"Thank you miss."
"Anyway, sit down." Lisa did so and Sofia followed and looked at the maid who just took a bite of the apple.
"Need to ask you some things. But first, tell me what happened after I lost my consciousness? The knights only saw you carrying me, and my memory is only flashes from the fight with the snake-monster. They apparently went to check the area where my so called experiment from yesterday took a place and found a field of around a hundred-square-spears that was like a wild fire would have run a festival there."
Lisa nodded slightly and took another bite.
Since the maid had her mouth full, Sofia continued, "I have to admit that I was not really aware of my surroundings during the fight, could you tell me what happened? More of, what you saw? The knights and the staff I have come across today, they all felt somewhat hostile or scared, like I am a wolf with sheep's clothing. And why aren't you scared of me? This has been troubling me for a while now."
'She doesn't have common sense? I am not normal even by this world's standards! Suicidal maid...'
Lisa just smiled while she swallowed the last part of the apple. The new record holder of fast apple eating answered, "I am not afraid of miss, cause miss is kind to me. Simple. But what happened to miss with the monster, I cannot understand. It was like the winter was opening its eyes in the forest of summer. Or better, what was suppose to live, was no more around miss. That is how it felt, cold. I ran further to watch miss, exactly because of this reason. Everything in me told, that if I stay too close, there is not tomorrow for me. I don't know what magic miss used, but the magic itself was scary, the miss is not scary. There is a difference, don't you agree... master?"
'Master?'
"I see. Well. I try to stay away from situations where this magic occurs again. I am not sure, but it didn't feel like I was completely in control of it. "
"M-miss?"
"Yes, what is it?"
"You are spacing out again."
"Eh?"
"Did... it hurt?"
There was no answer from Sofia. No, she had no words to answer it. The entire day, that pain was behind her thoughts. Like a hand on her shoulder.
'Yes, it did. But that word doesn't really tell what it felt like.'
"Not that much. I am alive, aren't I?"
Sofia stroke a wavering smile towards pouting Lisa.
"Umu... I... I see, it's good that miss is fine then."
"And?"
"What miss?"
"The rest?"
"Eh... oh. I did carry you and tell knights some excuses for you which miss is already aware of since I did fall asleep again. And, yes, the place is now a field of ash and sand. The trees are made of coal and air is hard to breath and full of dust. That is what miss left behind. The body of the monster was turned into nothing. There was a small stone, that I placed on..."
"Yes, I have it here", Sofia tapped her robe's pocket, "and you don't need to trouble your mind with it. It is simply something that dropped from the monster."
"I have never heard..."
"Like I said, don't mind it. It will only cause you harm to know all the secrets of the sorceress."
"I... see, my apologize miss." Apparently this still bothered the maid, but there was no saying back.
"Well. Tomorrow I will do something alone. I start it around morning after dinner. You are not allowed to come to my room during 9 am and 11 am. That should be enough. And I might sleep the rest of the day after this. Not sure about that though. Anyway, I am going to check my equipment and repair them if needed and I don't wish anyone to see that."
"I see miss. Well I can look if someone is coming and warn you in time then." Lisa was smiling and her tail started to move.
"And no eavesdropping."
The tail died.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
BlueMoonFox
BlueMoonFox Well, got time to write now.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
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