The Chimeric Ascension of Lyudmila Springfield

“To what do I owe this pleasure, Arella?” I asked the Dark Elf leaning against the door. “If I knew we would receive a visitor, we’d have cut our trip short.”

“I’ve come for a little chat, Lord Springfield. I hope you’ll forgive me for the sudden appearance.”

“There’s nothing to forgive because you’ve done no wrong. Is no one else in?” I knew the others were out. Sera had taken Team Quella around town with Yew. Niva and Primrose were asleep. I doubt they heard Arella’s soft knocks.

“It appears they’re gone,” she replied, knowing that was the case. This was all to have a private parley without Sera’s influence. Maybe she thought it’d be easier to convince one Vredi, not two. She probably wanted to size up Sekh for what felt like an inevitable fight between them. It just felt like things were heading that way. Sekh also sensed it, showing no weakness nor breaking eye contact as I unlocked the door. She entered behind Tris, who pushed Tilde’s wheelchair.

“Then we have this talk to ourselves,” I said. “Please. Sit. Would you care for a drink? A snack, perhaps?”

“I wouldn’t refuse a cup of tea, Lord Springfield. Thank you.”

“I should be thanking your lord for the stocked pantry. It’s impressive how many niches she supplied to satisfy our group’s diverse palette. I could eat a thousand meals and still have something new to try.”

Basic kindness. That’s all it is.

“I believe she’ll be elated to hear that, Lord Springfield.” Tilde’s injuries prevented her from accomplishing her self-given duties, so she patiently waited as Tris handled the work in her stead. Sekh, meanwhile, never left my side.

“Now…” I leaned back, crossing my legs. “I surmise you’re here about the rumors involving Thaddeus?”

“I am.”

“What seems to be the issue?”

“Thaddeus. His family is a prominent member of our country. The Mesalitos are known for their honor and status. Others almost always drop everything to listen when they speak.”

“…”

“I’m here to ask that you reconsider the curse. Concerned citizens are demanding answers. They’re frightened. For something to happen to a man like Thaddeus imparts a dark worry that no one is safe.”

“Why are you asking me?”

“I’m sorry?” Arella genuinely blinked as Tris returned with the drinks. She set the tray down before remaining beside Tilde; her hands elegantly folded behind her back. The tea’s aroma hinted of softened citrus—with just a dash of extra sugar.

“You speak as if I’m responsible for the curse. Those rumors should have suggested I wasn’t near the Mesalitos's estate.”

“…”

“Now, Niva left last night with her spirit. Surtr, my lion, pulled the carriage. I know they went to Thaddeus’s house, but whatever happened occurred not because of me, but because of Niva. She's a girl who was very wronged, so she willed it to be so. I’m sorry, Arella, but you’re barking up the wrong tree.”

“Is that true, Lord Springfield?”

“It is,” I replied with my most ‘pleasant’ smile.

“I want to believe you, but the evidence suggests something contrary. The magic produced at the time of the cursing, while not an exact copy, bears the same fundamentals as something called [Conferment].”

“Mmnn… You refer to the unique ability only used by Lords.”

“I do. Niva may have changed since the last time my lord or I saw her, but not enough time has passed for her to evolve into a Lord. Yet [Conferment] was undoubtedly used. Even if all signs point to Niva using it… The truth must be something else.”

“Care to explain your theory, then?”

“It’s simple. Someone used [Conferment] in Niva’s place while another used illusion magic to make it seem like she was casting the curse.”

“Have you a suspect in mind?”

Go on. Accuse me.

“A few. My lord wishes to leave it at that.” The way her eyes glanced at me instead of on me told me all I needed. They had already ruled out Sera secretly being a Lord because, as a Vredi, she probably wouldn’t have kept it that secret due to how it could affect the world's balance of power.

But me?

A Vredi that the world didn’t know existed? That was more likely. However, for them to assume I was a Lord meant placing a claim of obfuscation on Sera. Because why would I, a Vredi, keep something hidden from another Vredi? Especially when we were close?

There were enough doubts to classify the claims as dubious. Yet, because the process of elimination was a logical railroad that almost always led to the truth, Gloria was forced to understand something indecipherable.

Honestly, that added to her mental anguish. Gloria wouldn't publicly claim me to be a hidden Lord because that was too disrespectful. She couldn't also accuse Sera of being the ‘phantom user of [Conferment].’ So, where did that realistically leave Gloria?

Either the impossible happened—Niva reached the level cap, evolved, and became someone equal to the one who subjected her to a fate worse than death. Or there was a hidden Lord within the city—one with a grudge against either Dirge, Requiesta, or Thaddeus, who also, by either proxy or association, knew Niva enough to help her with her revenge.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Team Quella was at the top of her list. Melusine was a member of the nearly extinct, if not extinct, Crystal Fairies. We didn’t attempt to hide that. Gloria probably knew her history, so she decided Melusine's minimum age was at least 500. Lord Enele-- the all-powerful Dark Lord of Justice was within throwing range of that age.

Again, though. For that to be true, Gloria would realize that Sera and I knew Melusine was a Lord. However, nothing we did hinted towards that.

It was a circle. Some evidence hinted at one thing while disregarding another, yet the opposite was true when you focused on another aspect.

Paradoxical proof meant Gloria was trapped without an answer. She could pick one, yet any evidence would have plenty of faults for Tris to scrape away. What could be true when nothing had a definitive answer? What was false when she had enough attestation to prove otherwise?

“A few, hmm? It sounds like dubious schemes are lying in wait. Thank you for informing me. I’ll be sure to pass along the message to the others.”

“Your safety, Lord Springfield, and the ones who travel with you must be maintained. For as long as you are here? You are Lord Gloria’s guests.”

“Even after our meeting?” I asked, catching her off guard. “Most would interpret my promises to mark the end of diplomatic discussions. I wouldn’t have blamed your lord had she wanted to keep quiet.”

“It’s well evidenced that your mind will not be swayed at this point. So, Lord Gloria wishes for the remainder of your stay to be as comforting as possible. And to assist with that, might I ask what business you had with Sir Barclay? They’re profiteers of death—masters of stringing together funerals that will never be forgotten while extracting information.”

I played coy. “My business was rather elementary. It’s just that—business. I know people who are nearing their end. Consider it…curiosity, I should say, from someone who isn’t affected by time’s corroding grasp. I will never experience old age. I don’t know many funeral directors, you see. Why delay my inquisitiveness when the chance to strike it appeared before me?”

“I often wonder the same,” replied Arella, camouflaging her thinly veiled frustration at my sidestepping her question. She knew my answer was full of smoke and mirrors.

“He has been helpful. Who knows? I may require his family’s services in the coming weeks.”

“I see… The Barclays are second to none. But with how you’re speaking… I hope the people you’re envisioning live long, prosperous lives.”

“Isn’t that the shared truth? Parting with them will…be difficult.”

Mom would eventually die of old age. Dad... Erin… Irisa…

No. Don’t think like that. There’s probably a way to give someone [Timeless Existence]. No—with [Conferment], there must be a way.

Arella checked a pocket watch. She finished her tea, stood, and thanked me for my time. “I hope I didn’t delay your plans too much.”

“Not at all. I’m glad we had this talk. It feels like I know you a little better. Take care, okay?”

Arella nodded as she stood. The Dark Elf approached the door, but she stopped when I spoke. “As a fellow elf,” I said, offering a warning. “I don’t want to see you die.” This foreboding notice wasn’t planned. I wasn’t even sure why I said it, but it was like something—someone inside me— someone who partly formed my first body—had to speak. “It’s better to sever a finger to save the hand when the alternative is losing your arm. Your lord has a way out. I urge you to convince her to take it.”

I didn’t want to mean those words.

I also didn’t want to not mean those.

Arella didn’t reply. She left without a word. “Nothing to say, Sekh?”

“Not explicitly.”

“Did you feel nostalgic?”

“It seems I’m not alone in that regard. Yes. Looking at Arella makes me remember her. I don’t know why. They share the same race and weapon choice, but that’s it.”

“Maybe those two are more alike. If the Dark Elf inside Master is reaching out like the High Elf did in Aetos Village, then… Well, you can do the math. Hey, can you like…I dunno compare Arella’s mana to Reina's?”

“She’s a distant relative, although I’m stretching the definition. Think of her as being four or five branch families away,” answered Tris. “The bloodline is there, albeit it’s as thin as it can be.”

“I’ve done all the convincing I want to do. Whatever happens is up to Gloria. Let her decide the cost, and I will pay it.”

“That’s all we can ask for. The ball’s in her court,” replied Tilde, who added that I did a good job at the discussion table. She found flaws, but it was enough to get a passing grade. “Anyway… I guess we have some free time, don’t we?”

“Yeah. Don’t have much to do until Erin’s ready. It could be a few hours. Why?”

“Well… You don’t look a gift horse in the mouth and throw away the opportunity it presents.”

“What…” Sekh began to say until she fell silent. Tilde smiled like a naughty cat.

“I’m just saying that if a certain Master and her armored lioness wanted to spend quality time together, then this is their best opportunity. It’s also their first chance without interruptions.”

I looked at Sekh. Though her face was covered by a helmet, I knew she was blushing.

“That gives you two something to do because I gotta ask Sera something. But before Tris and I leave… Come here, Sekkie. I’ve got something to tell you. Wait, let’s chat in the room. A certain someone ain’t supposed to hear this because it’ll ruin the surprise.”

Sekh pushed Tilde’s wheelchair into our room and shut the door. I smiled, rolling my eyes because I probably knew what they were discussing. I wouldn’t peek, though. There was a time and place to eavesdrop—this wasn’t it.

“I may ask Quella about the favor I inquired of her.”

“The one about teaching you?”

“Yes. I want to learn more advanced mathematical theorems and scientific concepts from an intellectually superior world. I also think this is the best way to reinvigorate Mary. She thinks she's not suitable to be a teacher even though she holds all the qualifications. So, this could bring that spark back to her eyes.”

“That’s not the main goal, though. Is it?”

“Nope, my lord. First and foremost, it’s for my benefit. The more I learn, the more I expand my thought processes. Different avenues I’d have never considered will present themselves to me. Reigniting those feelings in Mary is a secondary goal. If it happens, it’s an unintentional gift. A good one, but one that wasn’t intended.”

“Do you think it’ll work?”

“I do, my lord. Mary’s forgotten what it’s like to teach those who want to learn.”

“Sounds to me like you actually want to help her.”

“…” Tris cracked a small smile. “Perhaps you’re right. The group is growing on me.”

“I’m glad. That’s a good thing.”

The door handle turned. It opened, and Tilde rolled out without help. Sekh probably stood behind the door since it closed without Tilde touching it.

“You’re gonna wanna wait like three minutes before entering. Oh, you can thank me later,” she playfully said with a cute smirk. "Anyway, let’s roll, Tris! We have a High Elf to find!”

“We shall see you later, my lord. Have fun!” The two left, leaving me alone at the table. A five-minute countdown timer appeared in the corner of my vision, so I relaxed my weight against the table and stared at the door. Being left to wonder—relying on nothing but my imagination elicited urges. It almost made me hungry.

I could’ve satiated my curiosity by peeking, but where was the fun in that?

No—I wouldn’t spoil the surprise awaiting me.

Instead, I focused on the growing sensation between my legs...

I couldn’t wait…

*****

Lord Springfield had business, so her entourage departed after a late breakfast. That left my team alone with Sera and Yew, so we quickly discussed what we’d be doing. Elly vocalized a desire to see more instruments, which Yew echoed. So, we had our plans. Niva hadn’t emerged from her room, so we left her. She wasn’t alone, though. Primrose was with her. Tris’s ever-watching eye also had her sights locked onto her.

So, she was never truly alone. None of us were.

We declined a carriage and chose to walk. The day was pleasantly gorgeous, with a few marshmallow-like clouds swirling amongst a sea of blueberry ice cream. Our feet led us to the market. Mary, Melusine, Sera, and I went to the food court while the others followed Elly. Her excitement was infectious, I suppose. If this had been a city focusing on literature instead of music, our enthusiasm would’ve swapped.

We weren’t alone for that long because we soon saw a blond-haired Lionfolk pushing a uniformed maid in a wheelchair.

“… And that’s about the extent of it. Erin’s spending time with her grandparents. Master’s doing the same with Sekh, so that brought us here. Ain’t got that much going on, so we thought we’d try to catch up with you guys,” explained Tilde, who popped a crimson cherry in her mouth, the skin breaking with a satisfying crunch.

“Sounds like it was an emotionally charged reunion. I’m glad it seems to have gone well,” replied Sera. Her hands cupped a mug of hot tea. She eyed the fruit plate, but her mind guided her fingers to the mini-cookies.

The food stalls were impressive. It was surreal how cookies, brownies, and sandwiches existed in so many different worlds. Every reality had staples that didn’t change-- no matter the world.

“Yep. Us too. Anyway… I hope you don’t mind, but I have a favor to ask you.”

“Anything, Tilde. If it’s within my power, you can consider it granted.”

“Do you have the capabilities to enchant clothing with the power to automatically grow or shrink to the wearer's size? I think I can recover faster if I revert to being, you know, my fairy-size, but… Call it selfishness, but I don’t want to part with my uniform.”

“I can understand that. It’s important to you, after all. Hmm…” Sera pondered quietly for a moment. “As for your favor… Yes. I can probably grant it. My forest has a storage building for unneeded monster cores. It’s been untouched for decades, at least. I haven’t needed to enchant anything in a long time. My family used to have an enchanting table. It was in the mansion, but…”

“Don’t mourn it,” said Tris. “The table survived. It’s safely within my lord’s storage skill.”

“Really?!” Sera’s eyes beamed brightly. I gathered that the table was—quite literally—a priceless artifact. “That’s…so truly a blessing. I haven’t seen it since… I’m glad it’s still here. Its history cannot be replicated, and its materials are rarer than ever. Do you have any experience enchanting?”

“Me?” I asked. Sera nodded. “I know the basics, but that’s it. The methodology, too. But I’ve never enchanted anything. My gear was either found or given to me with its enchantments.” The crimson robe I wore was my most powerful. It came at a deadly cost, although…

It was really a punishment from Remy because of what I had to do to get it… A constant reminder of the lives I’d taken. Yes, they were undead. Yes, nothing—nothing—could’ve saved them, so baptism by flames was the only choice.

Ultimatums always hurt. They were never easy.

“Would you like to change that? You’re all welcome to my forest.”

“I’ll have to ask the others, but I’m sure they’ll accept your offer. I try not to do anything severe without their input.”

“Great! We’ll leave after we finish our tea.”

“Now that Tilde has asked her favor, I’d like to vocalize mine,” said Tris. “Do you recall our conversation, Quella?”

“I do.” Her request hadn’t left my mind.

“She told me about it,” said Mary, finally speaking. “She asked me for help.”

“Is that something you’re willing to assist with?”

“I’m…not opposed to it if that’s what you mean.” Melusine’s comforting touch encouraged Mary to continue. “Are you sure you want to learn from someone like me?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Tris’s question caught her off guard. I knew she was aware of Mary’s self-doubt. She hadn’t felt like a teacher for so long.

“I don’t know where to begin. I don’t know your aptitude or level of general knowledge. You know anatomy, though. I surmise you’re familiar with the body since you helped Keeth with Niva’s prosthetics.” Mary’s voice trailed off. The hints—no, Tris hadn’t tried to hide them. Proof of Tris’s understanding of math and science was there for all to see. Mary finally realized there was much more to the woman known as Tris. Was it curiosity, then, that made her definitively accept? Or perhaps the yearning to guide the youths once again?

Either way, Tris was grateful as we left the table. My mind went to my friends.

I was close enough to my allies to know their answer, so hearing a chorus of ‘yes’ didn’t surprise me when we found them at a local shop. Elly didn’t buy anything, though. Maybe she didn’t want to give too much patronage to Gloria. Then again, our travels were about to bring us to an ashy desert. Ash storms were the norm. It’d be a nightmare to maintain an instrument. She probably wouldn’t even use it more than a handful of times. So, why not wait and buy something after work?

Remy was the concern.

They still didn’t know the truth, but my friends knew that personal effects were a weakness that damn pest never failed to target. Anything-- everything we liked or harbored close to our hearts was something she used to hurt us.

We returned to the castle since Sera had her coordinate crystal there.

“Hmm? Where’s Lord Springfield? Is she out with Sekh?” asked Ami. “Do they wanna come to the forest with us?”

“Not so much as ‘out.’ I’d…have to say she’s currently very busy with something. Master and Sekh are making up for lost time, so it’s better to let them be.”

“Oh… Oh!” Elly’s cheek flushed bright red when Tilde’s lewd undertones were understood. The fairy maid giggled at her reaction. Sera fetched the crystal from her room, placed it on the table, and told us to gather close. A magic circle soon engraved itself below us, whisking us away to a forest so terribly far away and hidden from the world.

*****

“Imaginary numbers are anything but imaginary,” said Mary, beginning a lecture on a rather advanced topic. It wasn’t the starting point she would’ve chosen since it relied on fundamentals you should’ve learned over the past few years, but that was what Tris had requested once we arrived at the forest. So, by virtue of asking about them, Tris had given Mary an anchor to branch off from.

She was already starting to resemble the teacher I had known. The offshoot of [Wooden Gym] called [Wooden Classroom], which did as it said, became the temporary learning environment. The blackboard it produced was especially notable because hardened sap was the ‘chalk.’ The ‘eraser’ was a compressed ball of ‘dried water.’

“To understand them, we first need to look at the imaginary unit, i, which is defined by the equation i2 = -1. This simple definition allows us to solve equations that would otherwise be impossible. Like taking the square root of a negative number. For example, the square root of –4 isn't something you can find on a number line, but with imaginary numbers, we can write it as 2i since (2i)2 = 4i2 = -4.

She paced as she spoke, gesturing with one hand to the equation-filled blackboard. “But imaginary numbers don’t exist alone. When combined with real numbers, they form complex numbers, written in the form a + bi. For instance, 3 + 4i is a complex number, where 3 is the real part and 4i is the imaginary part.”

Tris listened intently.

“Now, why does this matter?” she continued. “Because complex numbers help solve equations that have no real solutions. Take the equation x2 + 1 = 0. There’s no real number that satisfies it, but in the complex number system, we can find that x = ±i. But it’s not just abstract math—complex numbers are everywhere. They describe alternating current in electrical circuits, wave functions in quantum mechanics, and in engineering calculations. They may be called ‘imaginary,’ but their impact on the real world is undeniable. Heron of Alexandria is recorded as the first person to present a calculation involving the square root of a negative number. It wasn’t until the late 1500s that rules for multiplying them were agreed upon, though. Other mathematicians scoffed at the idea, so it was another two centuries before the derogatory feelings faded.”

“I see… Interesting… So…” Tris shut her eyes. I could only imagine how quickly her mind processed this data. What did she compare it to? Did she have any problems this information could answer? If so, would she have arrived at the same conclusion that the brightest mathematicians found hundreds of years ago?

“Your description of imaginary numbers as essential to electrical engineering warrants further elaboration,” she began. “In AC circuit analysis, impedance is expressed as a complex quantity, where resistance is the real component and reactance is the imaginary component. Given that physical measurements yield real values, what is the precise mechanism by which the imaginary component influences observable electrical behavior?”

Mary crossed her arms as she eyed Tris with renewed curiosity. “Well, since you somehow know about impedance, let’s break it down.”

She gestured as she spoke, trying to gauge Tris’s reaction. “The imaginary component—reactance—doesn’t directly show up on a meter because it doesn’t dissipate energy like resistance does. Instead, it represents energy cycling back and forth between electric and magnetic fields in capacitors and inductors. These components don’t consume power; they temporarily store it and then return it to the circuit, causing a phase shift between voltage and current.”

Mary tilted her head. “Think of it like… pushing someone on a swing. If you push in perfect sync with their motion, you’re adding energy efficiently—like a circuit in resonance. But if you’re out of sync, you’re fighting the motion, wasting energy, which is where impedance and phase angles come into play. The imaginary number j is just a mathematical way of tracking that phase difference.”

“Fascinating… Then… If I…” Tris whispered to herself. “Could I apply these concepts to magic? How… Mary, how do these imaginary numbers allow cellular communication to occur?”

“You know about cellphones, too?”

“That’s my fault.” I raised my hand. “Tris was curious about our world, so I talked about a few things. I didn’t think she’d connect the dots so readily.”

“You have my thanks for that discussion,” replied Tris, assisting with the lie I had concocted.

“She’s adept at connecting the dots,” I continued.

Mary faced the blackboard and drew diagrams to reinforce her forthcoming point. “In wireless communication, signals are transmitted as electromagnetic waves, which vary in amplitude and phase. To process these signals efficiently, engineers represent them as complex numbers, where the real part corresponds to one component of the wave, and the imaginary part represents the phase shift.”

She glanced back at Tris. “For example, in quadrature amplitude modulation—QAM for short—data is encoded into both amplitude and phase shifts. This allows multiple bits of information to be packed into a single wave. Without imaginary numbers, we’d have no way to mathematically describe those shifts or separate overlapping signals in a meaningful way.”

Tris replied with a question. Mary naturally answered, which begot another query. Mary’s shocked nature vanished as she taught. Instantly, I was reminded of my world. The nostalgia was almost too much—just…so much time spent with my nose deep in a book about organic chemistry. Or I’d be at an academy after initial learning to receive supplementary lessons.

Learning.

Learning.

Learning.

I had to learn. I had to get smarter. I had to become the Debil’s pride and joy, to not bring the stain of failure upon the name so graciously granted to me by my parents.

What a load of shit that ended up being. All those worries to never lose…only to fail more than I could count when Meruria whisked us away to this world. Failure became synonymous with my name.

“There. See if you can solve those equations,” said Mary, pointing to the blackboard. “Consider it a quiz.”

“Understood.” Tris retrieved a journal from somewhere and began solving them…

Although she had probably already answered them in her mind. This process was a formality to inform Mary that she understood the proper order of operations to arrive at the correct answer. That was often just as important—maybe even more so for certain types of maths.

“I can’t remember the last time I felt like this,” Mary whispered. She leaned against the teacher’s desk with a smile I hadn’t seen before. “It’s been so long since I’ve taught that I sometimes forget that I used to be a teacher. Even if being an instructor was the sole reason I was created.” Her hand instinctively went to that covered tattoo.

M15H37 was inked on her upper shoulder. It was her ‘unit number.’ Mary was the closest thing to an artificial human—having been created in a test tube by a corporation.

“That past seems like a lifetime ago. It used to be all I thought about. Now I find it difficult to remember because…I know I don’t want to return to that world. I don’t want to forget the ones who cared for or loved me. Or the knowledge inscribed upon me… But everything else? That world? That reality? That existence? I want to throw it all away.”

We heard giggles and turned to the source. Melusine sat on a log, her graceful hands holding a picture book as she read to a group of spirit children. Beside her, Elly and Ami were acting out the story. Those who didn’t want to listen or watch were on the nearby playground, having the time of their lives.

“I know I said what I said, but if I could drop everything and become a kindergarten teacher… I think I would. Or an elementary school teacher. Just… I want to get away from the fighting—from the killing. Quella, I don’t want to return to Meruria. How could I...after experiencing a time without her suffocating presence? I know that, while we’re here, we don’t have to worry about Remy intruding upon us. But this bliss won’t last. I’ll have to be on guard the moment we return. I can’t always be on edge…”

I wanted to tell her the truth. It gnawed at my insides like a ravenous mole trying to escape a predator’s stomach, but my lips kept silent. I couldn't reveal anything without Lord Springfield’s or Tris’s approval.

Mary’s voice was barely audible, but I knew Tris had overheard everything with [Skyview]. She probably debated the pros and cons of letting Mary in on the loop.

“Dreams are immortal. They only die when we stop fighting for them,” I replied. One thing came to mind—one way to tiptoe around the obvious while reducing her heart’s worry. “Nothing is impossible. You used to worry about your accelerated aging, but look. It’s been months since that chimera stole your medicine. Nothing’s happened. You don’t feel sick. You don’t feel unsteady. Becoming a Soul Warrior cured something the smartest minds of our time couldn’t.”

“…”

“Meruria isn’t the all-powerful, all-knowing supreme overlord she thinks she is. People like her are overconfident and cocky until someone bigger comes along. And there will always be someone more powerful. In a world that values and embodies growth and evolution, a stagnant limit goes against that philosophy. Her time is coming. It’s not a matter of if. Someone will appear. That's inevitable.”

“That’s a dangerous line of thinking.” I thought Mary was about to admonish me, but her words surprised me. “You’re not guilty of it alone, though. I sometimes dream about someone—something—coming to save us from our predicament. Like a knight in shining armor. You know, from those fantasy books you’re always talking about. King Arthur would ride on a stark white stallion with Excalibur at the ready. Maybe Lancelot would use Arondight to smite our darkest fears.”

“Now who's thinking dangerously?” Little did Mary know we had a hero. Heroes—in fact. Although perhaps calling the Dark Lord of Tyranny that wouldn’t sit well with her. Lord Springfield probably wouldn’t have accepted the title, either.

…

I…was still uneasy about Sekh. If I took Lord Springfield’s word at face value, a curse predating even super-ancient history forced a horrible past on the Dark Lord of Tyranny. She was naught but a puppet, compelled by a force more primordial than the mightiest evolution this world offered. For what reason?

Destruction?

Was that really the end goal? Why use her as the curse’s vessel?

The curiosity gnawed at me like a mole in the dirt, but only the curse knew the answer. Everyone else had nothing except theories with no method to verify them.

“Okay. I’m finished,” Tris announced. Mary approached the desk.

“Excellent work. I see no flaws in your deductive process… Astounding... You quickly deduced the secret behind the third problem. Euler’s formula establishes a relationship between complex exponential and trigonometric functions. Since you’ve grasped that… Before we continue, Tris, I’d like to fully realize your starting position. I’ll make an aptitude test for you. It’ll have everything from elementary to collegiate level.”

“Please make the latter as hard as possible. I want to get the questions wrong so that I may learn. As my lord’s [Beacon of Wisdom], I must strive to always achieve ever more with every passing day.”

“A challenge, then? I think I can do that. Don’t forget you asked for this.”

“It shall never leave my mind.” Tris smirked, catching Mary off guard. She asked about it. “It’s your expression. Inside, you harbor a desire to teach. Present circumstances notwithstanding… Let me propose something. I’m not the only one needing instruction.”

“Like…”

“Yew, for instance.” Tris pointed to the reincarnated tree, who joyfully chased a centaur child around a swing set. “She’s never experienced a student's life. Erin wouldn’t skip the chance. Neither would Sekh, either. The children also don’t have a formal education. So, should you feel that strongly about realizing your dream… The means to obtain it is within reach.”

“But…” Mary nervously rubbed her arm. Evidently, she didn’t anticipate facing her dream so closely so soon.

“I’m certain Sera wouldn’t mind building you a school. Lord Aetos would give his blessings, too.”

“What about…Meruria?”

“The persuasiveness of one Vredi, let alone two, is not something so easily ignored. Especially if it is framed as a request, which would give the aforementioned Holy Lord a favor to call in at some point in the future.”

“…”

“Do not forget what your team endured to protect Aetos Village. Debts—incurred or owed—are always repaid. My lord is not so arrogant as to think the saying does not apply to her.”

“Hope is something we’ve been without for a long time,” I said, sneaking a word in. “We don’t have to remain devoid of it. After experiencing the worst this world has to offer…we’re now seeing some of the joys. Meruria’s taken a lot from us, Mary, but we can’t let her steal that. She may hold away over our lives, but I refuse to let her snatch my dreams.”

The conversation pivoted to that—joys and dreams. We all had something we wanted. We knew Elly wanted to throw a concert. Not like the ones Meruria forced her to do for those who desired the status of having an idol from another world perform for them.

She wanted a real one—a genuine one—with a packed auditorium of roaring fans screaming her name…getting drunk on the infectious, energizing atmosphere.

Ami still wanted to be a fighter. Maybe there existed a coliseum somewhere. One not focused on lethality but on unarmed wrestling and martial arts. She’d fit right at home there. I knew she’d be a big star, too.

Our team chef wanted his restaurant. That much was a given as Keeth desired his own pottery or sculptor shop. I could see it—shelves lined with his masterpiece creations.

Melusine? She had closely bonded with Mary. Those two were rarely apart, so even though she was a former queen, I was sure she’d fit right at home as a co-teacher or teacher’s aide.

Me?

I…wanted to write. Becoming an author sounded lovely. Maybe I could…once Meruria’s looking threat had been vanquished, travel the world. I could write a memoir during the journey, detailing the life of an otherworlder who had everything she ever knew violently uprooted by the act of a selfish, mad woman.

Maybe not. Nothing was set in stone. Nor was anything about to be etched into the promised stone. Thinking that far ahead while the thorn in our sides still filled her lungs felt wrong—hasty, even.

Tris’s ears twitched. She looked at an unassuming shed, where our eyes followed her gaze as the doors swung open. It was Sera and Tilde! Judging from the basket of cores on her lap and that smile, they must’ve been successful in their search.

“The preparation is almost ready!” sang Tilde. “Anyone who wants to watch better gather around!”

“That’s my cue,” said Tris. “I must retrieve the table. Mary, I hope you think about our conversation. Well, please excuse me.” Tris left us with a pleasant wave as she headed towards Tilde.

I was curious about the process, so I planned to watch. Mary, though. She had this forlorn look in her eyes that saw the present but interpreted the past.

“I’ll…talk to you later, Quella. I…need to think about some things.” She gripped Tris’s quiz.

“I understand. We’ll be here if you need us.” I patted her quivering, trembling shoulder as I walked past her.

I heard it a few seconds later. Tris had only retrieved the enchanting table from somewhere when quiet whimpers echoed softly behind me.

But…

I didn’t think those sounds originated from sadness. Instead…

I thought they came from hope…from happiness…from having another shot to live your life’s dream…

Just wait, Mary. We won’t have to live in fear that much longer.