Chapter 29: The Problem P3
~29.3~
*****
"Unlike her, we don't have true bodies to return to."
With their mouths agape and their eyes wide, everyone was completely and utterly shocked.
"One option would be to have you... create a new body for me that I would reincarnate into."
Draelana raised her hands and shook her head. "Hold on, I'm still processing the part where your original bodies are... gone. Back up to that. You said except Elysia. She didn't fight?"
Adele shook her head. "No. She remained in Athas, specifically at the core of the nexus. She didn't fight for two reasons. One is the core. If it's destroyed, causality will collapse and the whole of Elysium would disappear. It's unlikely anyone would go as far as destroying it, but she remained there to protect it, partly because of the other reason. The second reason is that she didn't want to harm anyone."
"""Huh?"""
Michelle nodded her head. "You have to understand something to know what she's getting at. Elysia is more powerful than the rest of us combined. She could have fought off any of the other civs on her own, but even she can't be everywhere at once. But that doesn't matter. She abstained because if she had fought, everyone on the battlefield with her would have died. She was angry and not in full control. Any single spell or attack she used would have changed the very landscape. It was nearly impossible for even us to be in her presence. Anyone outside of the Athas court, that's the immortal souls like us, would have just evaporated."
"Uhh..." Draenara wasn't sure what to say to that. "The hell?"
Michelle smiled apologetically. "Yeah. That would've been bad. But, anyway, long story short... we don't have bodies."
"Long story short... huh," Draelana mumbled. She shook her head a few times and took a sip of water. Looking down at the table, her mind was focused on one thing after that explanation. "Are we in danger?"
"Hmm?"
"The invasions were stopped because of Elysia's sacrifice. Now that she has her body and the barrier is gone, are we in danger?"
"Yes," Adele said, without a second thought. "We are. Any of them could invade at any time. And some have already done so covertly."
"What can we do?"
Michelle shook her head. "Nothing. I'm sorry to say, but the collective military power of the Atlantis Empire is miniscule compared to a one of the older established satellite civilizations. However, it's not so easy for such powerful individuals to enter the Ten Realms or the stars above. Above a certain threshold, it's impossible to enter normally. You'd need the King's Blessing, which is white mana, to enter from outside. So, we should be safe for a while, at least. Long enough for Elysia to figure out what to do about them."
"That's right. So, while some may enter covertly, an invading force cannot."
*****
The next day in class, Alethea was teaching her afternoon magic classes. During the class with her own group, Isabel and Louise asked her about something.
"Last time, we talked about using aspects of one element with another element," Louise said. In their previous class, Alethea displayed a few spells that were unusual. One was mixing the cold aspect of ice with fire to create cold fire. Another mixed the heat aspect of fire with earth to create molten rock - in other words, lava.
"Yes. Has anyone learned any Other Element Aspected spells?"
Louise nodded. "I mixed lightning and wind, specifically an aspect of wind with lightning." Louise raised a hand and began channeling mana. A small whirlwind-looking mass of lightning formed. She dispelled the magic and continued, "Then I experimented and added water as well. I created a... thunder storm."
"Oh my, well done!" Alethea patted Louise on the head, and that's when everyone realized how much taller she was. Despite being in her early 20s and born male, Alethea Atlantis was closer to average female height than average male height. Now, however, with the prior day's events, she was taller.
Alaira stood up and walked up to her. Doing the stereotypical one-eye-closed inspection with a hand on her chin, she examined Alethea, particularly her chest. "You are taller and your boobs are bigger." She looked up and stared into Alethea's eyes, as if demanding answers without asking.
"Okay, okay, I'll tell you. You'd have found out after school today anyway, but I suppose I can tell you early."
A few minutes later, everyone was wide-eyed and their mouths agape.
"""HUH!"""
"You... died?" Alaira was visibly shaken. She hugged Alethea. "I'm so sorry! I can't imagine what that's like."
Alethea smiled apologetically. "It's not that bad. When you die... well, I suppose I shouldn't explain... suffice it to say that it's generally painless. It was painless for me this time."
Rika raised an eyebrow at that comment. "This time?"
"Well, you all know about our transmigrating. Kye explained everything at the start of the year. I've died a few times, ya know?"
The impact of her death was suddenly lessened. "Ah. Right. I guess it's not a big deal to you then."
"Well, it almost was very inconvenient this time... I... could have not come back for a while, or would've had to go through childhood again... though a certain redhead child of mine could probably have helped skip ahead." Alethea shook her head. "Too much thinking. It doesn't matter. Anyway, now Kye has her original body, I have a new one, and we've simply resumed our lives. The goddess was kind enough to meddle with the DNA in this body, so it has a mix of my original body, my recent body, and my mother's DNA."
"So does that mean you are the Empress's biological daughter now?"
"More or less."
"So what happens if you die with that body?"
"It would be very inconvenient. The goddess won't simply restore my body anytime we ask. She's very whimsical and will do things as she pleases, but things that directly affect causality are different. Manipulating life and death, as well as a few other things, directly interferes with causality."
Louise, Isabel, Alaira, and Rika exchanged glances with one another, and Louise asked the question they were all thinking, "You're speaking of Goddess Eve?"
Alethea nodded. "That's right."
"Why would she be constrained by causality?"
The pink-haired instructor shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I can't say. That's information that only the monarch gives out."
"But, you're the Queen of Elysium?"
"I'm Queen of Elysium, but Kye is the regent. I am the first Queen Consort and thus my authority is less. You need to ask Kye for the answer to that question."
"I see. Hmm..." Louise put on her best thinking face and soon had an idea. "If I may take a guess... if an omnipotent being is constrained by causality, that would mean that she cannot truly exercise her omnipotence at will, rather it must be approved. I would guess the use of her omnipotence must be approved specifically by the monarch and governors, probably by the majority or perhaps even unanimously."
Alethea smiled apologetically again and held both hands up. "I really can't say."
*****
Revision: 2024-9-17