Chương 73: Unexpected Guest?
Hello everyone, sorry for the delay.
I became a bit sick, then I left on a family trip, I was supposed to come back Sunday afternoon, but due to heavy traffic, I came back at night, losing many hours of work time.
Because of this, I ended up only being able to update some of the other works before I decided to call it a day.
In any case, we continue from where we stopped after the small skip, we'll have some interactions and conversations before ending with a bang and doing the full-time skip, which I promise you all.
Because its already done lol.
As for how I'll do the time skip, I'm unsure.
I could just say 4 months passed and he did this in that order, or I could show many POV's first, it's up to you all.
Who do you want to see and why?
Perhaps even, is there some scenario you've been eagerly waiting for?
Questions! Make sure to leave them here.
Enjoy, peace!
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'Viera's jaw almost fell out of her head as she heard his statement.'
'She just… Couldn't take this.'
"..."
'Philip on the other hand enjoyed this moment as he showed off.'
I like her reaction, it's about what I expected.
A new Magic System is something big enough to shake all mages, even if she has yet to realize the meaning of what she is seeing.
She only thinks this is some sort of new technique or technology, which is still pretty impressive in itself…
How would she act if she were to know what is in front of her, I wonder?
"..."
'Viera was still shocked, gazing at the knife, her expression changing... She was going through multiple stages of... Something.'
'So Philip kept thinking.'
In fact, I just realized, I have 2 extra questions now…
Can I mix this world's and Nyrn's magic?... Perhaps this question makes no sense in the first place, even during math, you can't sometimes put different formulas into a single problem and expect something to come out of it.
So, where does Magicka comes from?
For the first… I believe that it wouldn't be impossible… The problem is effectiveness x time, to have time to study both formulas and make them work well with each other.
On that note... What happened to Magicka?
Did this world just accept this foreign source of power into itself, creating a brand new source for it, or did it change?
Maybe it never was there, to begin with, and this transformation of energy is done within my body, either that or by the System, as my Class changes how reality is around me.
'Philip turned around, focusing on the Enchanting Table.'
'His hands moved, and the runes in it lit up, and blue mist rose above it…'
'Why think so much when he had a pretty capable mage right next to him?'
"Let me ask you a question, what do you feel when you see this?" He asked as he pointed at the smoke
"What was that all of a sudden?... But… I don't feel much."
The problem is not that... How did he do that?
I don't recognize the process... Is this somewhat related to his usual excuse, Military training?...
'While she wondered about the origins of his powers, Philip pondered over her response.'
"You don't?... Peculiar. Thank you for the answer."
'He ignored her reaction turning around again.'
If she can't feel it, then it's proven, Magicka is still Magicka, and it hasn't mixed with this world's magic… Not yet at least.
In the first place, there was no reason for them to mix together, they may be both called magic, but the way they perform said task is different and through variant forms and processes.
So, where does it comes from? So far, I never had a Class that had such a resource to manage, so I can pinpoint its exact source…
As I mentioned before, my Class supposedly alters my reality, it may be that the energy is transformed just for me on the fly...
But this shouldn't be the case anymore as my Magic was accepted by the world.
Perhaps… Accepted doesn't mean incorporated.
If the world accepted this new System, then its theory and logic may now impact it and others may be able to learn it, but this doesn't mean the energy that backs all of this exists.
If I use a Soul gem to trap someone's Soul, people should be able to learn the same process and understand the nuances behind it... But without Magicka...
In this case, Magic from Nyrn would be nothing more than a very complex and over-the-top Fictional tale...
Lastly, if this was all true, I wonder, if its theories and other principles were accepted, did any sort of clash happen?
It may be complicated and hard to visualize the scope of such incongruencies, but I imagine that some mage performing a very sensitive magic ritual may end up being affected by the new variables that were added to the world... If this was the case at all.
Just one more thing to test in the long run, since, if I can use this world's enchantments, it would greatly increase my options, though not necessary at the end of the day.
Of course, even if I could mix them together, it would be another problem altogether to make them function correctly, you can't just mix such things…
It's like trying to force a Steampunk engine inside an Imperial Crusader battleship.
'Philip scratched his head in frustration.'
Of course, I'm not saying one is better than the other, just that they are that different.
/Exhale.../
"Sigh."
"… I should just forget about that and focus on what I have at hand."
Instead of getting too fed up trying to make sense of everything, I should just accept I'm a Hero and that everything works due to the System and be done with it.
Thinking and overthinking will lead me nowhere, it'll instead stunt my progress.
That is good enough for now.
/Frown.../
'Philip was too lost in thought to realize he wasn't alone in the room...'
"Excuse me… Please do not ignore me…" Viera complained, almost pouting
'So he turned around with a smirk.'
"Apologies, I was just too focused on my own things."
I should also...
'He pulled a small shirt from his inventory, putting it on as to make her feel a bit more comfortable.'
"Then? Did I answer all of your questions?"
"... Most of them, after I'm done here I guess I'll just… Rest a little."
I'm too tired to go back to the office and start writing, honestly, I just want to sit down and relax...
I don't even want to go to the city, I feel like I should just melt down...
"Oh? You do deserve some rest." Philip replied with a nod
"If you wish, you can ask MT to help with that, he should have a lot of things inside his metal frames to help you pass time and cool off."
'As he said that, he focused, and the world slowed down.'
I barely used it so far, but MT has a few hundred Petabytes of just entertainment within.
Movies, songs, games, books, and more.
It may seem crazy, and even wasteful to use such advanced military gadget in this way, but that is very very little compared to its total capacity.
Besides, it's mine, I don't really care.
MT was made to be exactly this, a massive library that can process its contents as well.
I made many modifications to it, adding things I thought were necessary, taking into account this world, and removing many components I thought were useless.
In the end, I increased its overall weight by 4 times, something that would've made it impractical for its original use unless you were to use some sort of exosuit, though that is barely any different to me.
And even then, MT has a very compact and efficient programing to reduce load, and if necessary, I could have it make a new storage Unity to pass on all of that junk.
It would just take a few days of preparing the materials as there are no 3D printer materials in this world, but through alchemy and magic, I'm more than capable of making substitutes.
Anyway, most of its contents were kept locked away, because, if Viera were to start playing around with it, she may realize something was wrong.
And the last thing I want is to wake up and have her ask me what is a Metal Gear…
It wouldn't hurt to have her see some, it's not like everything in there contains sensitive information, most of the time, it's pretty self-contained.
And even if there was, I could have MT censor it, its AI is more than advanced enough to do such a basic task.
Recently, I predicted she might need these functions, so I had MT halt its operations to make a few folders full of 'safe' things for her to consume.
As for what MT was doing, it was sorting through all Books it had collected, and to do so, it had to properly read and understand everything in each book.
That would take an exorbitant amount of time and processing, so he had it focus on cataloging things like history, creatures, and languages first as they were more straightforward than magic.
In fact, it was this Language folder that I studied almost every day now in order to raise my Western Continent Language Skill.
'His mind slowly coming back from its high-speed thinking, he listened to Viera speak:'
"MT?... I'll check it out later… But that isn't important now…"
'She fiddled with her fingers, trying to gather some courage to speak...'
"I was... You know… A tad…"
"Curious about my Magic?" Philip interrupted with a smile
"... Y-Yes…"
'She looked like a child that had done something mischievous.'
'Asking a mage to learn their magic was something very absurd, much less something so personal as a new or exclusive magic…'
'Mage families would never let outsiders learn their unique studies, nor would a grand mage teach a disciple their strongest Spells that easily.'
'Just like how the principal is so picky about who he'll choose to inherit his true teachings.'
'Philip may not know, but Viera's opinion of him had greatly changed right now.'
'Even if his magic was proven faulty later, it was still a fact he had done something, and that was already miles ahead of her…'
'So she unconsciously saw herself being more formal, and Philip noticed that somewhat.'
'It was something he planned to correct, and it had to be now.'
"I can teach it to you… But not now." He replied after thinking for a moment
"Really? I-I don't need to learn it fully, it's mostly for my own curiosity..."
'She looked left and right, blinking multiple times quickly.'
"I'm not an enchanter per se, I just learn what I need…"
'Philip patted her shoulder.'
"I know, and that's something to be proud of, most mages can't even learn more than one thing at once."
"But my magic is a bit more complicated than that, we would have to start from a base, and that would take quite a while…"
I would like to see what an established mage would have to say about everything I did...
But now's not the time.
"Focus on what you're already carrying, as I don't wish to add more weight onto that bag of yours."
"Though... I'll show you bits and pieces from time to time, how about that? Is it a deal?"
"... Deal!"
'She smiled fully, it seemed her resentment had already gone away.'
"..."
Viera does love Magic…
In the end, this isn't 'her Magic', it's something else completely.
Regardless, this was good for me, I've been meaning to test some things with her and I did need an excuse, I guess I've found one.
That's for the future anyway.
'Philip and Viera talked for a little longer, she asked a few more questions, but none related to his magic, it seemed his talk was having its effects on her.'
'Once she was done and left, he took off his shirt and went back to work, this time taking out expensive materials, he was about to make something really good…'
…
/A few minutes later.../
'While Philip drew some things on a small notepad...'
"You're lucky." Laplabe muttered
'This interrupted him, making Philip take out Laplabe from his pockets.'
"How so?"
'Although Philip wanted to make a light joke, he wasn't in the mood.'
'When he made this question, Laplabe, who was currently transformed as a pocket watch moved his pointers, pointing at the door.'
"The girl, I did expect her to fail, but I didn't expect her to go that far."
'Philip wasn't surprised.'
"Does it matter? A fail is still a fail."
"That is true, the old man was very strict, if someone failed his tests, he wouldn't give them a second chance unless he felt like it, and his mood swung from one side to the other like a teen girl."
"And that's exactly her case, and at the same time not."
"She passed all of the meaningful trials, the bothersome ones, she just needs to accept him."
"Pretty much, she can become an inheritor, but she can't become his disciple..."
'His voice changed, becoming nostalgic.'
"Had he been here, I bet he would've thrown a fit for being refused like that, but since he isn't, he gave her some time to think things through."
"Though at the same time, the fact he didn't force her to be his disciple either points to the possibility she is lacking in some ways… Or he likes her somewhat."
"In the end, I still urge you to seek another suitable person, I don't expect you to find more than one at once, but even then, that would be perfect nonetheless."
"... I understand, though it's not like my plans changed at all… Unless you give me access to the…"
"No."
"Shame."
Unless she passed, I had no intention of changing my progress, it would be good to just throw away this responsibility and enjoy the benefits, but it's not like I'm lacking anything right now.
If at most, time.
'Philip went back to sorting his materials, getting ready to get his hands dirty.'
'And like that, the day passed.'
…
/Scrub scrub…/
'Back in the workshop, as the sun took over the skies, rising to its mighty glory, Philip took his time polishing some objects.'
'Next to him were dozens such objects, some pretty obvious as for their functions, like several knives strapped to each other, likely a throwing set.'
'But others weren't, like a strange and small wooden coffin, a glove that spontaneously created red silk, and a small mace that let out sparks from time to time.'
'Those items were once his trusty pals, his old yet not as old Hunter tools.'
'After staying in the cold inventory for a long time, it was time to bring them back into the light.'
/Whistle~/
'Philip sang a small song as he cleaned them, something he kept at the back of his mind whenever he hunted beasts in the past, it helped him focus on something and not give in to whispers that often tried to consume his mind.'
'Once they were gone, he even felt somewhat empty, but those feelings were long gone, the System had perfectly cleared all PTSD he had gathered from that terrible place.'
'This time, he wasn't doing something as useless as cleaning them up though, as inside the system, they wouldn't gather dust at all.'
'What he was doing was preparing them for what he was about to do… Improving them.'
'With his knowledge of magic and his ever-growing Smithing Skill, he considered if he would be able to improve these.'
'Perhaps not to the same level of usefulness they once had, but at least to a state he could make use of.'
'Even if he can't use them, what about someone else?'
'Regardless, they weren't the only things on his list of things to improve…'
"..."
'Turning his head to the side of the table, he saw two swords resting there carefully amidst many other weapons, such as a large scary-looking axe, a crooked hammer with a trigger, a bow, and a… Cane?'
'His main weapon, the Darklight Sword, and the Vibration Blade.'
'Albeit he barely made use of the latter, it was still true that the Vibration Blade possessed the highest performance regarding its sharpness and durability, even more so than the Darklight Sword.'
'The only reason it even lost was due to the Arcane potential of the Sword, once unsealed, it greatly surpassed anything the Blade could ever dream of accomplishing.'
'It was also too brittle for him to use, it could resist many tons worth of force, especially now with its nanomachine enhancement, but even then, it lacked.'
'Yet, it's not like the Sword is any better.'
'During his last fight, he noticed the sword chip in some areas, it may be done with some irregular materials from another world, but their standards are different.'
'Because even back then, the Holy Moonlight Sword, its predecessor, broke into many pieces due to how much it was used over time.'
'He had to improve it as to reduce the risk of it breaking at an unfortunate time, such as in the middle of a fight.'
'However, now wasn't the time.'
/Thud.../
'Philip dropped his hands, letting them fall onto the table.'
"I think this is enough…" Philip said as he took a step back, bringing forth his Skills from his newest Class
{Mage -> Illusion: 1-79; Conjuration: 1-82; Destruction: 27; Restoration: 1-95; Alteration: 2-56
In-Between: Enchanting: 79
Warrior -> Smithing: 53; Heavy Armor: 26; Block: 23; Two-Handed: 27; One-Handed: 41
In-Between: Archery: 20
Thief -> Light Armor: 22; Sneak: 66; Lockpicking: 89; Pickpocket: 22; Speech: 1-93
In-Between: Alchemy: 1-12}
'As he read his stats, his expression didn't change.'
My Smithing Skill leveled 29 times within a day of me using the forge.
And I wasn't even fully efficient, I played around for a good time, making goofy tests to see how things fared.
This speed was all due to the few expensive pieces of gear I made…
Well, I don't really know how expensive they truly are, I just grabbed some ores, studied them, and them forged with the knowledge I knew.
The work is actually pretty sloppy, but with each one that I made, my skills improved.
As for the rest like One-Handed, they all increased due to my fight against those thugs.
They rise in Level proportional to the damage I make, so being strong from the get-go is already a huge experience boost.
I have my own plans for those...
Regardless, my focus isn't on them, they'll have to wait.
"My plans are quite simple."
'He moved to the side where there was a large scroll hanging on the wall, it was full of runes and complicated formations.'
'In the end, the symbol representing Oblivion could be seen.'
(Image?)
First, raise smithing to a high level, get better gear, and impress the Dwarves even further...
Secondary objective: Raise Magic arts in the meantime if possible.
Second, using my newly raised smithing skill together with my magic skill, I'll find a way to open an Oblivion Gate and pin down a portion of Oblivion to use as a base.
This includes things like making a focus point, and more.
From there, I would be able to get access to resources from literally another Universe, this would further my progress greatly.
Third, above all else, double down on all defenses to make sure no one, from Oblivion and on this side, finds out about each other.
The greater my Magic Skills become, the more I'll be confident about all of this scheme.
"It sounds simpler on paper than in practice..."
However, I think this is all doable, even if I have to keep closing and opening a gate and expending a lot of resources, I should still be able to profit.
The problem with that is how random it is, if I get unlucky, I might open a gate directly near a Daedric Prince's Plane, or I may get lucky and be really far away from anyone and not be bothered at all.
In a perfect scenario, I'll open a gate to a secluded area and lock it in place, stabilizing it for my own use.
Even then, I need to prepare ways to at least defend myself, hide, and a retreat path in case shit goes down.
"That is my grand Plan."
I can't forget that at the end of the day, it is more beneficial to me to seek a new Class than to focus on one for long.
And for that, I need to achieve the conditions, that so far have been pretty constant.
Max out my Skills and Achieve that Class's main goal/fate.
The first takes time, while the second… Let's not care about it.
'After gazing at the paper for a little longer and making some slight changes to it and writing it on a small notepad, he raised his pocket watch, Laplabe next to his face.'
"It's almost time for her to arrive."
The meeting with the daughter of the Azul Family.
Thankfully, Viera woke up from the trials on time, as it would've been embarrassing to explain her disappearance.
"She should be able to handle her, but it wouldn't be polite to welcome her like this…"
'Right now, Philip was sweating slightly, shirtless, and a bit dirty due to working near hot furnaces all day.'
'As he cleaned his face with a towel, he looked at the furnaces with an annoying glare.'
"I understand now why most smiths have at least one assistant."
Cleaning the equipment and workplace takes too much time.
'Thankfully, he had magic.'
"Still, I won't need to clean this place for at least a few more days."
'Philip turned around, stretching his arms as he walked around.'
'He quickly thought over what he did in these past few days.''
I would say my progress was perfect.
After my Evolution, I received a few Titles due to achieving a few things, the usual, it won't really affect me right now apart from being annoying.
I took a slight look at it, but it's nothing that will affect me, my System craze has already ended and my ears can rest easy without those notifications.
Despite my inclination to just mute them again.
I trained some Skills and Apex Evolver awakened, much to my surprise.
I was expecting it to remain slumbering for a little longer… Much less for it to awaken a day after my Evolution.
And like a bird growing feathers, it completely changed in appearance.
[The Great Desire of *****
Description: You seek to unshackle from the mortal body you currently reside in. One step at a time you will reach greatness through constant evolution.
But senseless evolution is not what you seek, all must be in perfect balance, a golden ratio, and only through that can you achieve an even greater evolution.
Following the idea of the scorned, that once sought light in a dark world, march forward, and break the chains imposed on you.
*****
*****
Its will extinguished, now passed on. Oh! The irony.
Its desire meant ***** and ***** weren't satisfied with its heretical existence.
Seek the end beyond endless mutation, or be devoured by those that abandoned it.
Effects:...
>Extra Effects:...
]
My Title changed, and most of its description is now censored.
A Title that shouldn't exist this soon in the game, or so I see.
To reflect on this great Achievement, the System proclaimed, the first Hero to receive a 'Named Title'.
What that is, and what it means will have to be left for later.
As for my reward… I actually didn't receive any.
Perhaps the System is tired of feeding me so much food that it has decided to keep me hanging…
Though that isn't realistic, unless the System is way more sentient than I expected.
Or it follows some directives I'm not aware of…
Not that I was aware of any…
It could be gathering my achievements, waiting for it all to add up.
"My Title changed, and apart from the change in its name and description, most seem about the same."
A few sections got stronger, for example, Endless Mutation, the very reason this Title is broken, the ability to fuse it with another Title and carry on their effects.
It previously had a small chance of being lost when fused depending on the compatibility between Titles…
But this feature is now lost, being replaced with the ability to fuse a Title INTO it.
So I have no more chances of losing this Title, but neither can I evolve it into something else.
It's not like I knew how to anyway, but it's some food for thought…
If I ever acquire a Title that I find completely useless, I'll just feed it to this Title.
"It's convenient, but I don't like how everything just goes well…"
I feel like I'm slowly draining my luck.
It's a stupid thought to have, but one that resurfaces every once in a while.
"The rest can be left for later…"
'Philip cracked his neck and went to work, there was still an hour or so until his guest came over, and he had no intention of wasting it.'
…
/At the same time…/
'Viera sat at Philip's desk as always, studying her books with renowned energy while MT stood near her, processing its task silently, waiting for a command.'
"Mmnn!"
'Stretching her arms, she yawned, grabbing another book and opening it to a specific page.'
'A good night of sleep after who knew how much time inside the trial grounds was everything she needed.'
'Now it was time to put into words what she learned there and resume her own studies.'
'Although she felt she was still far from the next stage, she now understood that her current one was in actuality, much simpler than she previously believed.'
'From a thick fog of confusion to an endless green plain, although the end was out of sight, everything was much clearer now.'
'If only she could receive some level of guidance from him... But then, wouldn't she be betraying her master's trust?'
'If only she knew how to contact her and confirm her will...'
/Knock knock…/
"Hum?... Come in." She said as she raised her head
/Creak.../
"Excuse me madam, but our guest is on their way…" A Maid replied as she opened the door
'Viera raised her head with some confusion.'
"Guest? Are we expecting a guest?"
Did he invite anyone?... Doesn't really matter, I'll just stay here...
"Are you unaware? A few days ago, the Lord received a letter and…"
'Barely had she started talking, Viera already got slightly annoyed.'
'She had talked with him multiple times today and yesterday, and in none of those times had he raised this subject to her!'
"#!"
Lazy ass forgot to mention it to me!
No, he did it on purpose!
'Viera's expression turned dark as the maid continued.'
"... A lady from the Azul Family will be visiting us in around an hour, perhaps even sooner."
'The Maid seemed a bit tense, but she spoke in a cohesive way, almost gentle.'
"So I came here to…"
'Viera suddenly raised her hand.'
"Wait, Azul? You mean… Her?!" She exclaimed in surprise
Why is she…? Don't tell me, for me?
We barely even talked I… Dammit! I look like crap!
'Viera didn't mind her appearance for the most part, but it's true that thanks to the Maids and Philip's incentive, she was now putting quite the effort into it.'
'But in the end, she was still inside her own home, there was no point in going over the line just to look pretty.'
'However, now was different, someone she knew, a Great Noble at that was making her way to her home, and her head was buried in books and she had two small dark circles beneath her eyes…'
'Philip might say she was fine, but even he would understand and try to help her get ready.'
'There was something called pride and embarrassment, something both he and her shared.'
'Philip was someone very free, but he would never meet a Noble like her in his casual clothes because it would be more of an offense to her than an expression of goodwill from him.'
'So it was to no surprise that for Viera, someone that grew in this world to just rush with her Maid to the bathroom inside her quarters.'
'Philip on the other hand…'
...
/CLANG!/
/CLANG!
'He finished shaping a small metal into a bracelet, stopping to take a quick breath.'
'But in this moment of relaxation... He looked at a bucket inside the forge...'
"It's actually quite cool, I grew so strong I can just shove my hand in molten metal." He said with a playful tone as he tried moving his hand into the bucket full of molten gold
'Philip just plucked the bucket from within the forge, uncaring about the raging flames within, sticking his hand inside like a kid playing with sand on a beach.'
'He lifted it up, finding it quite odd as the metal cooled around his fingers.'
"1.5 thousand degrees... It's warm at most… Can I take a bath in pure molten gold?"
Ha! That would be a scene straight out of a Wuxia Novel… Take a bath in 1000-year-old Gold to cultivate the Absolute Body art to the second stage…
Albeit... My arm hair was completely burnt off, guess it doesn't boast as much heat resistance as my skin.
"Anyway, I now need to reheat this shit again… And clean my damn hand." He said with a helpless smile as he peeled off the cooled metal
'Cleaning his hand was pretty simple, he just had to heat it and let the metal flow onto the bucket, cleaning the impurities was pretty simple as well.'
'He may lose a bit of gold, but what of it, he had many bars left.'
'Injuries were the least of his concerns, he was more worried about the quality of the metal and the forge.'
'His hand could heal, but if his slight moment of carelessness spread dirt inside the forge, compromising its capabilities, he would cry.'
'Though that is quite the exaggeration.'
/SHAAAA!/
'So he let it burn and bubble with a small smile.'
…
/Around an hour later…/
'A bluish-black carriage slowly approached from the street, being pulled by beautiful horses that galloped in harmony.'
'It was driven by a knight clad in full blue armor that looked both fierce and elegant.'
'It stopped somewhere around the entrance of the Manor, where several people could be seen.'
'Viera, now in a beautiful dress, looked like a young noble lady.'
'Philip, with his hands in his pockets, looked very classy, yet somewhat bored.'
'Sebastiano and some maids, standing behind them.'
"..."
"Relax, you look good." Philip said in a relaxed tone
"Don't even start, why didn't you warn me about this?" She replied with a frown
"I already said I forgot didn't I?" He said with a slight shrugg
"As if you would forget such a thing." She said with some scorn
"..."
Damn right.
'Philip didn't have much to say to that, instead, he just looked at her and the others.'
/Neigh!/
'The horses grunted slightly as they clashed their hoofs with the street as a beautiful lady with silvery hair stepped out from within the carriage with the help of the knight.'
'She was wearing a short casual dress, it was clear that it was made to be light and easy to move around with, it wasn't a party dress by any means, but she was still extremely elegant with it.'
'Philip even had the momentary illusion that there were flowers floating around her as she descended from her carriage, like a true princess.'
'She also had a small white hat on her head with a blue lace around it, it went well with her eyes.'
'Lastly, Philip noticed the small spider on her shoulders, the moment their eyes locked, the spider was frozen solid as it rolled backward, falling from her shoulders, as if dead.'
'The girl was stunned by this as well, but she acted as if the spider wasn't there, moving away from the small spider as her smile twitched for a moment.'
'As for the knight, he was her escort, the sole one her family had sent to follow her, though more than enough for any task.'
'… Hopefully, his pay is large enough, as doing so much at once is definitely a great bother.'
'Following the girl, another one stepped from within, wearing blue and white clothes.'
'It was her personal maid, as every Noble should have, equally as pretty as her.'
'She seemed like the serious kind of person as she kept the same face, not changing her gaze at all even as she stepped out of the carriage with the help of the knight…'
"?...!"
'Though her expression went through a small change as her eyes passed through Philip, it seemed she wasn't the only one that noticed something was odd as the knight also unconsciously moved his hand to his hips, but there was no sword there.'
'His sword had been left in the carriage, as carrying it here could be offensive.'
'He became slightly embarrassed as he tried to hide this lapse of judgment, looking to the side and the horizon...'
/Gulp.../
"Can I really do this?" Viera asked herself in a low tone as she undervalued herself
"Well... I don't think she bites." Philip joked slightly
"..."
/Sigh.../
'It was a small group of 3 people, but their presence was very strong for everyone apart from Philip.'
/Tap…/
'Philip tapped Viera's shoulders, encouraging her to welcome them.'
'Even now, he thought this lady's visit wasn't due to him, but due to her, as such, wouldn't it be best if she welcomed them instead?'
'He was only here to say hi, as once everything was over, he would leave the ladies alone with whatever they wanted to do as he went to do something else…'
'Though he wondered if Viera would be capable enough of hosting for their guest… They did practice a little in the few minutes they had.'
'Philip gave her a few ideas, but in the end, he, like her, had little to no idea what Noble girls did.'
'His etiquette classes back in the Palace did not cover this subtle topic.'
"Ah…"
/Clears throat…/
'Gathering her courage, Viera took a step forward, engaging in a conversation with the smiling girl, her expression was just as she remembered, elegant.'
'But she seemed more relaxed now, even friendly.'
"Hm?..."
'Philip on the other hand, moved his head to the side, looking at a pair of men staring at them from far away… One middle-aged, the other old.
'But due to this, he missed the slight side glance the silver-haired girl gave him.'
'One looked young and gallant, the other, wise and nostalgic, like a grandfather that is really kind…'
'His eyes flashed, and two names soon appeared in front of him…'
[Duarlos Fesard... Azul
Level 1?
]
[Roland Sertir... Azul
Level 1?
]
'And as he read their surnames, he frowned.'
The Azul family?
Hm...
Are they keeping an eye on the kid?... Compared to Rafiel, she does seem to have fewer people around her, though she could've also left her other assistants back in the place she's staying at...
And their Level... They're hiding it.
'As he thought about this, the two men reacted as well.'
…
"It seems he noticed us sir." Roland replied with a small amused smile
We're quite far, and he noticed us almost immediately.
That's quite the nose... Or eye.
"We weren't trying to hide in the first place." The other man replied with a smile
'He scratched his thin, shaved beard with a smile, not very surprised Philip had seen them.'
Now that's the demeanor of a young lad, not really trying too much, but still quite resolute.
He's completely calm, observing us in silence without alerting the others around him, he must've realized we mean no harm... Or he's confident in himself.
That kid Rafiel pales in comparison, he may be good at acting and leading people on and on, but that sort of Skill is only good at those sorts of parties.
Meet someone with just as much skill or someone with little patience and things will go down really quickly.
"However…"
/Flash.../
'His eyes sharpened as he took a look at Philip, his right eye flashing in white light as he tried to confirm something...'
'But after a while, they squinted a little as a small tear fell down his right eye.'
"Sir?"
"It's okay, just a tiny backlash." He replied as he closed his right eye for a few seconds before opening it again as if nothing had happened
"Ho? What a surprise." Roland said with a small laugh
To overwhelm his sight, even if for a small moment…
'Fesard was now quite serious as he said:'
"That kid has an incredibly potent Spirit, either indicating a powerful body, an incredible Soul, or an equally strong Spiritual Affinity."
"I can even see traces of a domain enveloping his body, even if it's weak, he isn't average by any means."
Also, her guardian's reaction... For him to be able to see it and stun it for a slight moment...
Things are likely not as simple as just a strong body, Soul, and affinity.
"A domain you say? Now that's a surprise." Roland replied as he closed his eyes
'Nothing Fesard said seemed to surprise Roland, he always laughed slightly and dismissively, as if he had already seen it all.'
'It may just be his personality to not be surprised or his advanced age.'
A Spiritual Domain in the middle of nowhere... And on a young man.
Fesard might feel inferior at this point, none of his older sons have something like it, even that little rebellious girl.
'Fesard took out a small rock from within his chest pocket, it was vibrating slightly, and for the first time, surprised Roland.'
"Above all, he's causing a small reaction… Even from this distance."
'He then stored the rock back in place before tapping his chest slightly.'
'None of them mentioned the rock once it was stored.'
"Hum... My daughter mentioned him more than once during her reports, saying he had been the cause behind Rafiel's demise…"
"I bet his father is quite upset, though his lack of action is just like him."
He'll always see the situation in a rational way, and even if his son were to lose a limb, he would try to see who was in the wrong first before taking action.
If it wasn't for the prestige of his family and great love for his kin, he might've even scolded his son for doing bad deeds and reaping the consequences of his own actions…
Even then, he is still a father, how can a father stay still as his son is beaten up, even if he deserved it?...
If he was to be beaten, be it by his hand and not a stranger's...
However, he isn't someone to just observe and do nothing, I wonder how he'll deal with this situation.
Could he also have realized this young men's strangeness and is currently investigating it?
"He's much greater than I thought… Do you think we're bothering him by being here?" He asked Roland
"I don't really want to spoil the mood..."
'Roland replied without much thought.'
"I'm unsure, it's my first time meeting him, but by his expression, and that strange feeling from before, I'm sure he already confirmed our identities and reasons for being here."
"Ha! I bet he did."
'The more he looked, the more interested he became.'
'And this definitely didn't escape Roland's sight.'
"Are you thinking about turning him into little Eri's...?" Roland asked with a playful look
"Not quite... Though... Is it that obvious?"
"Sigh… I'm just trying to do my job as a father while also trying to do good for the family…"
We seek to always improve our Arts and Affinities, as such, we never really cared about the background of someone, be it a convict or a commoner, as long they had that 'Spark' and the appropriate personality.
At the same time, we tried our best to keep the purity of our Family through many rituals, while also trying to maintain and raise our Reputation...
The amount of ridicule they threw at us when father choose mother, a commoner to marry him was... It burns me to this day.
Even when it proved to be beneficial, they merely shut their mouths, unwilling to admit being wrong.
That doesn't matter anymore as finally, Eri, someone with great talent has been born.
She may not be the best in our history, but considering the average talent of the Family is slowly declining... She may be the best overall.
Not only did she inherit great Spiritual powers, but her features also resemble those of the first few generations of our Family, indicating she awakened our lost genes.
As such, it is imperative I find someone she can love, and at the same time be someone that can raise the standing of our Family, otherwise, those old guys will never accept it.
They view her in a completely different way than I and her mother do... And that pains me, but I can't blame them, they see the Family with great importance just as much as they love her.
As long as I... She can find someone suitable, then all is good.
That's something I've been thinking of even before she was born, much to my wife's displeasure.
"..."
'Roland's carefree smile slowly disappeared as he looked below into Philip's Manor.'
"It's not like I don't understand you, the boy's too promising to be refused, and Eri herself seems somewhat interested in him, at least, that's the biggest reaction I have ever seen from her regarding any boy her age."
"The problem is… He's too much, we have to be realistic here Fesard."
"From what we heard of her guardian and from the investigations, he's the only successor of a fallen Noble Family, and even then, these records came out of nowhere as we investigated…"
"It seems there is a force making sure his identity remains set as that, though it's unsure why they decided to reveal his existence now, considering there were never any signs of a successor for the Polter family within our records."
"It's mostly my own idea of course, the papers were all in line, and saying they were only found now isn't enough to justify they're fake, as they are all self-sufficient."
If we go by that argument, a lot of things would be disproven... Which isn't realistic.
"Hum…"
'Eri's father remained silent… Before turning around.'
"Are you leaving already?"
"Yes, I've seen enough."
"I sent my daughter for a mission that I thought would be simple, not only for her own satisfaction but also so she could grow further."
"I knew she was getting bored back home, being pestered by those young lads from other families... And the old from our own side as well."
"So I wanted to send her away so she would have some fun and train, and it just so happened we wanted to observe the Pyke Family, and we had a reason for it…"
"Everything fit perfectly."
"In the end, she quickly found a reason to move away from him, and even dug up a bigger plan than I initially thought… This is bothersome in many ways."
She exceeded my expectations, and albeit I'm proud, I'm also annoyed.
"And now she doesn't want to leave…"
/Chuckle/
'Roland laughed, saying, "She has always been a stubborn one." as he looked below.'
"That's true."
'He turned around, tapping Roland's shoulders.'
"I'll leave her to you, make sure to bring her back home today, there can be no delays."
She promised me she would leave in exchange for my request of digging into the Pyke Family's Head of administration, Ezekiel Perfor.
And as she pointed out, there was indeed something wrong…
Perfor is actually pretty sick, suffering from Fey Dislocation syndrome.
This is a hereditary condition that can only appear in people that share a bloodline with Elves, a problem of mixing different species.
It doesn't appear in full Half-Elves, but it can appear in anyone else, even if they fully inherit their other side.
If the Half-Elf has a descendent with a Human, its genes will carry on, and even if its features vanish over decades, the chances of this decease happening somewhere down the line are ever-present.
It's a pretty serious condition that needs specific medication that can only be produced in the Elven Empire.
However, it should've been something the Pyke Family can resolve on its own…
Meaning, he either kept it hidden, or his condition is so serious he had to resort to contacting some other force to acquire it, and this must be the people my daughter speculated about.
It can only be that.
Yet, the question becomes… Who could acquire it?
However, from here on out, her work is done, and the investigation will be done by me, that was the deal we had.
Even if stubborn, she has realized this has far outgrown her capabilities, its time for her to leave.
'Eri's father exhaled in frustration.'
"Once she's done with this small tea party of hers, I'll meet with her back home, her mother has been meaning to see her you see… She's just as interested in this kid as we are."
"And I'm sure she'll become even more curious after I share with her what I just saw."
"Indeed she will… Should I prepare a…"
"Of course, my wife is a perfection freak."
"If she doesn't have a report with everything we can muster about this kid, she'll likely come here after him herself, so please, let's spare everyone this troublesome and awkward scenario..."
"Loud and clear, I'll make sure to add everything neatly."
"I expect no less…"
"Now, if you excuse me, if I get late for my dinner with her and she realizes I had been spying on our daughter, you know what'll happen…"
"Haha…"
'And like that, Elyria's father turned around, walking down into a small entrance on the wall of the Ravine, his figure slowly vanishing into the dark.'
'While Roland kept watching for a moment more before turning around as well.'
'He had seen enough, but if he were to do his job of protecting the lady…'
'Then he needed to get closer.'
"Hoho…"
/Sha sha…/
'Several green tongues of fire rose from the ground, covering his body.'
I wonder if he'll be able to notice me if I do this.
'As the fire slowly vanished with him, he said:'
"Will the boy surprise me further?"
/Fwoosh…/
'The embers vanished, not even leaving behind a mark on the ground.'
…
.
.
.
Notes
Pretty long chapter huh, almost 8k words long.
Philip talked about his changes and the visit from the girl, what will happen from here I wonder...?
Bye!
New version
There is a rewrite of this work going on. (New Version)
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