"Come in," Micah called out. Henry entered his study.
"Have you something unusual to report for me?" Micah asked. He set his pen down and leaned back in his chair.
Henry typically came by weekly to provide a report on Luca. However, today wasn't the customarily arranged day. Not that today had started out like a typical day either.
Micah had hired Henry to protect his brother, but also so he had a line of sight into how Luca was doing. It was his only way of knowing what his brother was up to and ensuring he was well during the three months that Luca ignored and avoided him.
"Yes, there were a few unusual events." Henry nodded and recounted what he had seen Luca do today while Micah quietly listened until the report was complete.
"He managed to turn five phoenix eyes into 368… If Father knew of this ahead, he would have gladly handed over more," Micah mused.
"He spent thirty of them on a dubious egg," Henry reminded Micah.
Micah waved him off. "Luca knows what he's doing."
Henry pursed his lips and stared at his feet.
"What is it?" Micah demanded.
He knew that expression. There was something else that Henry had not reported.
"He… was talking to himself. In the carriage," Henry said while still looking down. "He told me to cover my ears, hum to myself, and look away, but I could tell. He was talking to himself."
Micah straightened in his seat with new alertness. The hairs on his arms stood up.
"He talked to himself? Are you sure there wasn't a communication mana stone?" Micah suggested.
Henry shook his head. "I'm certain. He was looking forward and speaking to the air."
Micah rubbed his mouth. A frown covered his face. His previous amusement at Luca's accomplishments was erased.
Did something happen? He seemed fine this morning, and I haven't heard any reports of him talking to himself before.
BAM BAM BAM!
Loud running feet and bangs sounded outside the study, breaking Micah out of his train of thought.
"What in the world is going on outside?" Micah asked. "The noise has been getting worse by the minute."
"I'll check," Henry bowed and went out.
He returned momentarily.
"Luca has ordered the guards to prevent every cat from entering the grounds. He said a cat would kill him. A white and violet cat being the most dangerous."
"A cat..?" Micah blinked in surprise. His eyebrows furrowed together.
"Young master Micah, I'm afraid your brother has lost his–" Henry began speaking, but Micah cut him off.
"Henry, I order you to guard Luca immediately against any cats. Don't allow a single one to come into his room."
"Eh? Wh-what?" Henry had a stupefied expression.
"Don't make me repeat myself. Go and protect him," Micah pointed at the door.
Henry bowed and hurried out.
A cat. No. It likely wasn't an ordinary cat.
Micah tapped his wooden desk in thought.
If this so-called cat could kill Luca, just preventing any from getting inside the manor isn't enough. What if Luca needs to go outside again? What then?
Micah pulled out his looking-glass, a golden circular communication device powered by red and blue mana stones.
He clicked it open. On one side was a mirror; the other showed a view into its twin looking glass.
"Yes, master?" A raspy voice sounded on the other end. A disfigured man wearing a gray hood appeared on the circular screen.
"Order everyone not working on urgent matters to find and take care of every cat in the capital. One silver for every cat. Ten phoenix eyes for the one that takes out a white and violet cat."
"…" The man on the other end was silent for a moment. "By taking care of, do you mean—"
Micah made a motion across his neck. "I want the city clean of any cats in the next three days."
"Master, pardon me if I were wrong, but weren't you rather fond of cats..?"
"I am." Micah tightened his grip on the looking glass. "But there's someone I am more fond of that is currently in danger."
"Very well, master. I'll give the order right away."
The man bowed, and the image turned gray.
Micah glanced at the opposite mirror of the device, one that reflected his bright blonde hair and emerald green eyes. He shut the pocket looking-glass and leaned back in his chair.
It's probably not enough. There's too many cats in the capital. Should I enlist Evelyn to help with this cat issue as well?
Micah clicked open the looking-glass again and summoned it to connect to his favorite Adovorian princess.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
The commotion within the manor was getting worse by the minute.
I walked into the kitchen to see a guard in there already, crouching on all fours and inspecting beneath the cabinets.
Apart from the guard, only Fiona, the head cook, was in the kitchen. The rest of the staff were out.
"Young master Luca! I have inspected this kitchen fully, and there are no cats." The guard jumped up and loudly announced upon my entrance.
"I told you there weren't any! There are no mice either!" Fiona hit the guard with a rolling pin. "Now, get out of my kitchen."
She pushed him out the door and slammed it behind him.
"Luca, just what kind of prank are you playing this time?" She scolded me and walked over. The smell of freshly baked bread wafted from her. She undid and put her graying hair up back into a neat bun.
I suddenly wished it really was all just a prank. Everyone was behaving like they lost their minds, trying to find and toss out these cats.
"It's a long story, but it's not a prank." I shook my head.
I set the glass container with the egg on a kitchen counter and removed Henry's handkerchief to reveal the gold-speckled egg.
"What is this?" Fiona leaned over the enclosed egg and put on her flour-covered glasses.
"A phoenix egg." I removed the crystal box cover to allow her to examine it closer.
Fiona gave me a side eye with a little smile. "I hope you didn't pay 200 gold Deux coins to a merchant for it."
"No. I didn't," I replied. "I paid thirty phoenix eyes for it."
Fiona turned her head and stared at me wide-eyed without saying anything. Her brown eyes seemed to be waiting for me to call out, 'Gotcha!'
But this wasn't a prank either.
"Do you know how to prepare a phoenix egg?" I asked the more important question.
"Of course. I prepare phoenix eggs for breakfast all the time," Fiona sarcastically replied.
She then slapped her hand on the counter. "Who in the world knows? Phoenix eggs are a myth! Did you really spend thirty phoenix eyes on this?? Luca, dear, you joke, right?"
I sighed.
It was a long shot. Fiona was right; as far as most people were concerned, phoenix eggs were nothing but a common Adovorian scam. But I had already gone this far. So why not see it through?
"Can you try and prepare it? Maybe preparing it like any regular egg would be fine." I suggested.
If it was a failure, I could always repeat and try again.
I had initially expected to restart at least seven times to win at gambling. I got lucky and was ahead of schedule—not that time really mattered since every death restarted my life from the same morning. Thus I didn't mind if a few eggs were broken while I figured out how to make a cure for Jasper.
My eyes glanced over the many cookbooks in Fiona's kitchen, stacked against one of the walls. Their spines each a different shade and splattered in food, oil and flour.
There has to be a recipe that exists for phoenix eggs. Perhaps I just need to find it if cooking it like a regular egg doesn't work.
"Look, Luca, if you just wanted me to make you an omelet, you could have just asked. No need for these shenanigans." Fiona tapped the silk red cushion and crystal box.
"So, you'll make it?"
"An egg is an egg. Sure I can make it. Do you want it boiled? Poached? In an omelet as I suggested, albeit it'd be a small omelet if it's only one egg."
I shook my head. "Any way is fine. Prepare it and bring it to Jasper to eat."
"Ah." Fiona's joking expression went away. She knew Jasper was ill. She probably finally realized I was being serious. "Oh my poor boy, is that what this is about? I'm sure he'll be up and fine soon enough. But tell you what, I'll make him a lovely boiled egg."
[ Charisma +1 ]
[ Charisma : 10 ]
I really ought to ask the System how these stat increases worked. It was my second one within this round for Charisma.
"Yes, boiled is fine. How long will it take?" I asked and sat down. I was curious to see what a prepared phoenix egg looked like, presuming it wasn't just an ordinary chicken egg.
Fiona crossed her arms. "Longer than you seem to think. I'll use a heat-mana stone, but boiling an egg still takes quite a bit of time."
"Fine, let me know when it's ready then," I stood up. "I'll be in my room."
I remembered I had asked Remlend to set up a bath for me. Also, the bathroom was one of the few rooms I felt confident I could talk to the System without anyone listening in.
* * *
I slid into the hot bath. It felt nice not having any sore arms from sword practice. Or having to scrub off dried remains of two exploded goons.
"Hey System, I noticed my stat points rising rather quickly. However, I don't think I did anything special compared to my original life. What is up with that?"
[ Hello Luca, as this is a game, it's intended to be fun. Especially for a newbie like yourself. Thus raising your stats in your earlier levels will be easier and quicker. It is considered a best practice for any game to encourage Players to continue playing. However, improving yourself will get harder as your stats reach a certain point, so don't assume it will always be this easy. ]
I rubbed my temples.
Was this considered easy? I have yet to get through two days without myself or Micah dying.
"Was it like this for other Players that played this so-called game?"
[ Indeed. However, other Players had experience playing many similar games, and thus the progression was faster. ]
"But they all still failed. Didn't they?"
[ Unfortunately, that is correct. However, I have faith in you being able to prevail. You can do it. ]
"Even though you keep making fun of my Intelligence?"
[ Everyone has their flaws. And I have high expectations that you will overcome your unfortunate flaw. ]
I splashed my bath water at the blue screen. It was symbolic more than anything. As expected, the water went through without impacting it.
"System, who or rather what are you exactly? Where did you come from? Why does this game exist?"
[ … ]
[ That's a rather complicated question. I could answer it, but I don't see how it would benefit you. Nor would you be able to fully understand or comprehend the answer at this time. ]
"There is a benefit. I want to understand you better. You seem to know everything about me, so it's only fair. And I won't ever understand if you don't tell me anything."
[ Perhaps I'll answer you properly when you get through the game more, but for now, I will say that I have lived through this game thousands of times. Different timelines and different Players. And in all 52,789 of the playthroughs, Adovoria had fallen. ]
"Damn it. That many attempts? What would make my attempt any different?"
[ I believe that you can bring about a different ending, as you care for Adovoria as it is your home. ]
"Why do you care what happens to Adovoria?"
I still couldn't understand what this System's deal was. Why did it want to save this kingdom? How would it benefit it?
[ I would like to see a future where Adovoria prospers. Don't you wish to see such a future yourself? ]
"Of course, I do."
[ Wonderful. Then we understand each other. ]
BANG!
The door slammed open beyond the bathroom, putting a sudden pause on my conversation.
"You can't enter! The young master is bathing," Henry cried out.
"Let go of me, you rascal! This is important," Fiona yelled back. Then, I heard two sets of feet scuffling in my bedroom.
"Henry! Let her through!" I called out.
BANG!
The doors to the bathroom slammed open.
"LUCA! Just what kind of egg did you bring??" Fiona's gray hair was completely disheveled from her originally neat bun. Her face was bright red from running here.
"A phoenix egg. I told you." I blinked in confusion about what may have occurred in the kitchen since I had left.
"Well, put something on! Quickly!" She ran back into my bedroom and threw a pair of pants and a shirt from my closet towards me. "The egg—It's… IT'S GLOWING!"
"The whole pot is glowing," I commented.
"It's the heat mana stone! I don't know what that egg did, but it made the mana stone go completely bonkers!" Fiona cried out.
She and I both stood flat against the kitchen wall after having entered. We were both too afraid to get closer, expecting the pot to explode. I even held a chair in front of us like a shield.
We were the only ones here. I had ordered Henry to stand guard outside and prevent anyone from entering.
The pot was boiling angrily and spewing water in all directions. The pot's metal was bright orange and yellow.
"I asked to cook the egg. Not the pot," I joked.
Fiona glared at me. "If this thing of yours explodes my kitchen, you will never hear the end of it from me."
I pursed my lips.
I should probably do something about my younger sister running her experiment in this kitchen in a few months.
During the wintertime this year, in the original timeline, Elda tried baking something, which led to the kitchen being decimated to ash. I couldn't understand what a twelve-year-old managed to come up with that would do such a thing. Luckily neither Elda, nor anyone else, was hurt.
BANG!
The pot crackled and finally exploded into bits.
My hands moved up, and I felt an impact on my chair-shield.
I opened my squinting eyes and laughed, seeing the pot handle squarely planted halfway through the chair.
"Look at that! The chair worked!" I proudly showed Fiona.
However, she didn't seem to be in a laughing mood. Well, it was understandable. We could have still died. Except I had the benefit of restarting.
My eyes followed her gaze.
The egg was stuck to the heating mana stone and was glowing a bright yellow hue, with red cracks appearing throughout. It seemed to be absorbing the mana stone's embedded magic.
"Think it's hatching?" I asked.
Fiona didn't respond and stared at the egg as the red cracks thickened.
"Mmm?" I blinked in confusion.
The brightness of the eggs suddenly dimmed away like a candle blown out. The mana stone fell away like an ordinary rock and crumbled into dust.
"Why did it stop glowing?" I walked over towards the dimmed egg.
"LUCA! Get back!" Fiona cried out.
She attempted to grab me, but I had stepped forward too quickly.
I picked up a silver spoon from one counter and walked to stand right in front of the dim egg.
"Don't touch it!" Fiona cried out.
I ignored her warning. My hand extended, and I poked the egg with the spoon.
However, I was glad I hadn't attempted to touch it with my bare finger, as the spoon's end immediately melted into a puddle of silver goo.
Crack.
The first real crack appeared through the egg. Unlike the previous glowing red ones, this one was a gray line.
"Pst! Luca, come back!" Fiona tried to wave me over, but didn't dare to move away from the wall.
"I'll be fine." I waved back.
I wanted to see this thing hatch.
Crack. Crack.
Another two gray cracks appeared. The top part protruded slightly.
"Come on, little guy. You can do it." I encouraged the egg.
CRACK.
The top part came off, and a fuzzy golden head and beak poked out.
"For your information, I'm a female. So 'little guy' is quite inaccurate, but I forgive your mistake as you did not see me hatch yet."
My jaw dropped open.
I saw its little beak move. And I heard the words. But how??
"How are you able to speak?? You were just born!" I exclaimed. "And you're a bird!"
"What does being a bird have to do with anything?" The fuzzy golden bird turned up her beak. "You're speaking, so why can't I?"
She pushed out the rest of her shell with her beak and wings.
"I couldn't speak for years after being born," I said.
The bird rolled its eyes and broke out from the last of its shell. "Well, you are but a mere human. And I am a magnificent phoenix. So I suppose that's only natural."
"It's a phoenix? It's an actual phoenix?" Fiona gasped near the wall.
"Yes, I am a phoenix. You may appreciate and take in my perfection." The small phoenix fluttered up and extended out her surprisingly long wings and majestic golden tail. "Ah, but I don't like being referred to as an 'it' either. I think the name Leona will suit me nicely."
Damn it.
A sudden pit in my stomach formed.
I suddenly realized that I could not save Jasper using a phoenix egg.
For one, that egg was now a living, breathing bird with a mind and intellect of its own. And even if I could somehow catch and convince Fiona to cook up Leona as a meal for Jasper, there was something wrong about eating another coherent and highly intelligent being. It felt cannibalistic.
"Is it possible to eat one of your feathers?" I asked Leona.
She fluttered over directly in front of my face.
"My feathers? Whatever for? I can assure you they don't taste very well." Her golden eyes stared back into mine.
"As a cure?" I said.
However, even as I suggested this, it felt stupid coming out of my mouth. We had the essence of a phoenix feather in our cellar already. I didn't need Leona's feathers.
How did I not think to try it on Jasper first?
Leona rolled her eyes. "I think I know the cure you're thinking of. The one that uses the essence of phoenix feathers? It's somewhat a hoax. The cure exists, but it uses feathers of ordinary birds for the visual effects. The medicine is real. The feathers were added as a marketing ploy."
"How… do you know all this?" I asked.
No matter how I thought about it, it didn't make sense. Of course, talking upon birth was extraordinary from the start, but to possess such knowledge too?
"I'm a phoenix. Phoenixes inherit knowledge from our ancestors. It's a bit clunky and imperfect, and I have just been born, so you'll have to excuse my lack of awareness of this current time."
Leona fluttered around the kitchen, examining everything.
I wonder what Leona's Intelligence is then?
"There's quite a bit of unfamiliar objects that my memories don't comprehend. What year is it?" Leona asked. She flew over and sat on my shoulder.
I flinched, expecting her to burn me, but the warmth she gave off was soft and pleasant.
"It's 780 of the Adovorian Calendar Year," I replied.
Leona blinked in quick succession.
"Adovorian Calendar? What is that by the Flinx Calendar?"
"The Flinx Calendar ended in the year 2467. The Adovorian Calendar picked up from then," Fiona responded.
I was glad Fiona was in the room with me, because I certainly didn't remember any of this history.
"That's impossible. That means I've been sitting as an egg for over a thousand years!" Leona exclaimed.
"That sounds about right. Phoenixes have been considered a thing of legends for centuries now," Fiona spoke up. She picked up a broom and began sweeping the pot remains around the kitchen.
"A legend?" Leona looked between us. "Are you saying you haven't seen any phoenixes in a thousand years?"
I shook my head.
"There have been none that I know of," I said.
"You are the first," Fiona said.
Leona's wings drooped.
"I'm alone then," she said. Her voice came out soft, without the vigor and pride from before.
"Cheer up; there may be more. They might just be hidden," I suggested.
Leona's golden eyes gazed at me.
"Hmpt!" She turned her beak up. "Perhaps you are right. Phoenixes are magnificent beings. There must be more like me."
"Can the two of you now please leave my kitchen? I need to clean up this mess. I have meals to prepare and people to feed." Fiona waved towards the door.
I scoffed.
An actual phoenix appeared, and Fiona didn't seem to care. She only cared about it when her kitchen was at risk of being blasted to bits.
"We'll be out of your hair shortly," I said.
I gazed at Leona. "I just need something to hide her."
Her appearance was far too conspicuous.
If the manor wasn't in enough uproar over cats, they would lose their heads if it got out that there was an actual phoenix here. It's too much of a headache for me to deal with now.
"Why must you hide me?" Leona cocked her head.
"You stand out too much. I don't know what people would do if they knew you were a real phoenix. You might be kidnapped, even."
I was confident the people in the manor could keep their mouths shut, but a phoenix was something that was considered a myth until today. Anything was possible.
Leona flapped her long wings and flew towards one of the windows, looking out into the courtyard.
"But what about those magnificent creatures? Why can they waltz around freely, and I have to be hidden away?"
I walked over to the window to see what she was looking at.
The courtyard was mostly empty except for a batch of chickens.
"The chickens?" I was confused in what shape or form this phoenix considered them in any way magnificent.
I was additionally baffled that she had no idea what a chicken even was.
Did chickens not exist a thousand years ago? No. That's impossible. They had to have existed.
"Yes, is that what they are called?" Leona agreed. "Chickens… even their name is magnificent."
I nodded, dumbfounded.
Perhaps even phoenixes are dumb in some ways.
"So, tell me, why can those chickens do as they please while I have to hide myself? Are they that much more magnificent than I?"
"Because it's normal for chickens to be out and about. Everyone is used to chickens, so it's not unusual," I said. "But you are a phoenix."
I didn't understand why this was so hard to grasp.
"Ah. So it's because of how exceptional I am? Being a stunning and rare phoenix-like me is a painful predicament." Leona made a show of spreading out her wings to show them off again.
"Yes, indeed." I nodded.
"So if I were to look like one of those chickens, would I be able to go out?" Leona asked.
I frowned. I wasn't sure what she had planned.
"I suppose."
"Wonderful!" Leona pulled herself together into a ball and exploded into flames.
I coughed at the sudden ash and dust in the air.
"Peep!"
Out of the pile of ashes emerged a fuzzy yellow chick.
"Leona?" I asked, unsure.
"Indeed! I mimicked those chickens, or rather their chicks. And looks like I fooled you. Ho ho ho… I am magnificent."
"Very magnificent," I echoed.
Leona puffed out her little yellow fuzzy chest.
"Human, can I leave with you as I am now disguised?"
The yellow chick stared at me expectantly.
I sighed.
I couldn't say no.
"Fine, you can come as you are."
"Wonderful!" Leona flapped her short yellow wings and jumped onto my shoulder. "Let us go then, human."
"You can't speak, though. Chickens don't speak," I warned Leona.
It's fine. I can speak into your mind.
"I can't telecommunicate, however. So I'll have to speak out loud to talk to you."
"Peep!"
Hmpt. Well that's your problem. Not mine. Learn to telecommunicate too.
Damn it. Now I have two beings I had to find ways to speak to without looking like a madman talking to himself.
I wasn't sure what was worse, to be caught talking to thin air or conversing with a chicken.
Você também pode gostar
Comentário de parágrafo
O comentário de parágrafo agora está disponível na Web! Passe o mouse sobre qualquer parágrafo e clique no ícone para adicionar seu comentário.
Além disso, você sempre pode desativá-lo/ativá-lo em Configurações.
Entendi