Chapter 295: Heart of The Divine Sword
Daniel does everything he can to melt into the lounge chair he’s seated in. It’s a gathering room near the large dining room for the Fievegal’s main family, and he finally has a chance to wind down and relax with a stiff drink.
Well, mostly.
Kera’tai is clinging to him rather affectionately, while Gwenesphia is on his other side laying across his lap so he can pet her growing belly while he drinks. Zuzia, Neith, Magnir, Serrentuk, Senn, and Veiranoei are across from them while Hekate lays on the back of Daniel’s seat so she can stay close to him while allowing the other two to cuddle with him for now.
Ryuogriar has the other dragon ladies, Vaergraes, Aoloan, and Aramellianna gathered somewhere else to speak to Doephluev, and Yaulwembor is following them around to learn.
“You know, Daniel, Harbinger of Evil,...” starts Zuzia as she looks at her current glass of wine. “You still owe me beer.”
“Owe you?” retorts Daniel. “You’ve been drinking my wine and my rum just fine.”
“Hah! I’m not some heathen! Who would pass up perfectly good wine or rum in the absence of beer?” She takes a sip, but almost chokes when she quickly decides she needs to add one point. She points at the ladies who are obviously pregnant, which are presently Gwenesphia and Kera’tai, “Except you. Don’t drink when you’re pregnant. It’s a terrible idea.”
Gwenesphia giggles and stretches her arms up playfully at Daniel’s face, playing with his chin. “We’re aware, Zuzia. Thank you.”
Hekate’s ears fold down a little, and Daniel looks over his left shoulder. “She’s just teasing, Sweetpea. Don’t pay it any mind. If you don’t like it, you don’t like it.”
“Plus, you’re too-...!” Zuzia starts to say it, but Daniel waves her off. She realizes that it’s a looping conversation that usually ends up with Hekate trying to pressure Daniel towards overlooking her age for something else. “Too… cute! That’s it. No, what I mean is, it’ll stunt your growth.”
Hekate’s ears perk up and she sits up behind Daniel, asking, “W-Wait!? Really?”
Zuzia nods guiltily as she sips her wine, looking to the side as she hums, “Mm-hmm.”
“Daniel?” asks Hekate.
“I’m sure I’ve heard that as well, now that she mentions it. I hadn’t thought of it, since I never started drinking until I was already as big as I’m going to get.”
While it’s an insecurity for Hekate, it’s a ‘positive’ insecurity in that she wants to grow, so she’ll likely buy it for now. And, while Daniel isn’t sure the extent of alcohol consumption that does stunt growth, he would never allow Hekate to have more than a little anyways, since she is on the smaller side, and likely won’t be as tall as the gatonines for a long time. Treia normally drinks with Daniel, but she likes private sessions with him, or very limited groups, because of where it might lead once she and Daniel are sufficiently relaxed.
“Daniel, if you accidentally get any in my mouth, I’m going to be really, really mad.”
“The only alcohol I might’ve put in your mouth would have been potations, Hekate, I promise. And, now that Zuzia brought it up, all the more reason to never use them on you, unless there are no other options.”
“That’s not what I meant!”
“Oh, I know what you meant, Hekate. The Hekate Game is undefeated.”
“Graaa!” Hekate ruffles her hands through Daniel’s hair and bats his face with her tail, which causes him and the others to laugh.
Neith then says, “If you haven’t already, Geirahoel has a great variety of plants in the various gardens, and I believe she has more at Shiaulvolgarro’s Hoard. They’ve almost certainly fallen into disrepair at the former Dragon’s Keep, but it may be worth searching for the one you need for this ‘beer’.”
“Indeed,” agrees Serrentuk. “I’ve never fancied myself a botanist, but I have encountered a large number of herbs and spices in my travels, so I might be able to help track them down once we know what we’re looking for.”
“Right! Yes, I’ll check with Geira, then,” replies Zuzia. “Though… will she, uh… Will she bite my head off if I just ask her out of the blue? She was nice enough when we first met, but… I don’t want to step on her toes if she thinks… if she misunderstands something.” Zuzia glances at Daniel, undoubtedly referencing their last private conversation regarding Ryuogriar.
“Geira won’t pull anything on you,” replies Daniel. “She can just be feisty, but as long as you don’t tease her about her love-life or her affection for her brother, you’ll be fine.”
Neith and Magnir both chuckle in agreement. Daniel ‘died’ recently by being exploded by Geirahoel, but it was in Yaulwembor’s dreamscape, so it thankfully didn’t harm him, other than startling him a bit. From what he was told afterwards, she proceeded to attack the two male dragons.
“Daniel called her a soon-der-day,” states Hekate proudly with a grin.
“You mean ‘tsundere’?” asks Zuzia, knowing immediately that she can see it now that it’s said out loud, even if the word comes from anime as far as the American and the Polish woman are concerned.
“Yeah, probably,” replies Hekate.
“Hah! I can see that… Anyways, I’ll ask her later. Thanks, Neith.”
The dragon toasts, and Gwenesphia teases, “Neith, why aren’t you spending time with your fiancee and her family now that they’re here?”
“I asked if they wished to join us, but they were too nervous,” replies the dragon. “The audience seems to have unnerved Ulkamak and Vynseria, and Roestren requested that they be allowed to rest.”
“And Roestren?” asks Zuzia.
Neith seems to be confused by this, and the women present all sigh in disgust. He chuckles nervously, and Daniel says, “Neith, if we’re not actively on mission or visiting with guests, you don’t need my permission to speak up and be with your fiancee. I’m sure she has missed you.”
“Y-Yes. Perhaps you’re right.” Neith chuckles and he finishes his own wine. “May I take a bottle for my future mother- and father-in-law?”
Daniel nods. “Of course. Send them my regards, and as soon as you want to hold a wedding, we’ll name Roestren your Grand Princess.”
“Thank you, my Liege. Your Greatness. Please excuse me, everyone.”
“Bye, Neith!” teases Kera’tai. “Bring us more cute dragon children! Heeheehee!”
The dragon grins as he takes one of the extra bottles from nearby, and he bows politely before leaving the room.
“If we’re making requests,” starts Zuzia. “I’d like to request some weapons that I can make use of.”
“If we’re talking your full strength, it’ll likely need to be made of sharmelkolle,” jokes Senn. “And, even then, you’ll probably break them.”
“You can just give me a magic bag with like fifty giant steel warhammers, then,” retorts Zuzia playfully. “As long as I can get one good, solid, golf swing… Grandpa will be proud.”
“I thought you were going to help us with establishing our national taxes!” whines Hekate.
Zuzia twitches. She has offered her own earthly experience with something crucial to a nation, and which the Fievegal is fumbling their way through right now. Implementing monetary taxes this late in the game is risky, but Daniel plans to start at around 20% and keep them there so long as mana donations continue, since mana enough to summon a ton of gold via magic to the Citadel is more precious than being paid a ton of gold in taxes. But, for international trade, having basic money, and incentivizing work through having a formal currency to make it easier for the citizenry to obtain what they want, all make for an economy that can stabilize and grow. If they intended to be insular forever, then currency can be somewhat fudged away, but even internal trade is made easier by the “equivalency” that currency creates, allowing a person who does not need grain to be paid for his iron, and then use that payment to buy salt from someone who does not need iron.
“Listen, I’ll help, but don’t expect me to play along if you guys keep changing the rules every couple of months! I got enough of that in my last life. Go to school for a degree, only to see the horrors of my glorious homeland’s Olympic-level of stupid tax code. I’d just finish a damn business’s filings, only for a new code to come out to make half of what I just finished by the old code illegal under the new code! Only for it to change again like a day later!”
The Polish brunette clutches her temples, pressing her wine glass to her left as she cries out, “Gaahhh!” from the horrible memories. She then stands up, shouting, “And those…Those bydło... They expected us to file all of the documents after all that, only to have to send them into the main server that has the peak computing power of a potato! A rotten one! And it didn't even give any vodka back! I spent the better part of five hours on filing day just trying to refresh and get a connection with the stupid server, only to get a stupid ‘please try again later’!” She sighs, grumbling at the end while she slides her fingers through her hair, “Do jasnej ciasnej…”
Daniel replies warmly, “I feel you! Dear Lord, I feel every bit of that. It’s not quite the same, but in the Navy, we could shave every friggin’ day, first thing in the morning, not missing a single hair, and half the time, the brass would hold all their meetings in the afternoon or evening, just because, so you show up with a literal five o’clock shadow, and they’re like ‘Did you shave today, shipmate?’ ‘Yes, Chief. First thing in the morning.’ ‘You sure? Looking pretty rough to me.’”
“You shoul’a tol’ that fool you’re a mammal! Hair grows!” retorts Zuzia, the alcohol now starting to noticeably seep into her, and Daniel can feel his own working on him as well.
“Hah! I wish!” exclaims Daniel. “A carrier’s not all piratey like those submarines or destroyers you see in the movies. Too many gold-shirts all walking around with sticks up their asses and a dagger behind their backs, looking for the next rung on their Machiavellian ladder.” Daniel takes a drink, adding after a hard swallow of the sip, “Us ‘filthy enlisted’ were just the metaphorical punching bags.”
“Bah! You’re just a mięczakiem! Mięczak! Mię-cza-ku!” <A/N 1> Zuzia’s voice gets more and more taunting and mocking as Daniel simply brushes them off, since each iteration is of the same word’s declensions, which are modifications of a word in Polish to suit the part of the sentence and define how something is being addressed. Or something.
“Ahhh, take your moon runes back to Poland, you two-bit bean counter!” teases Daniel with a dramatic wave of his hand that was petting Gwenesphia’s belly, and the gatonine and Chi’rinnis both giggle on Daniel’s sides. He mockingly raises his voice and ‘whines’, “Ooo, waanh! Taxes are hard. Government compooters are swow!”
Zuzia stands up tall, stumbling from the ‘mysterious changes in gravity’ all of a sudden. She leans over Daniel menacingly, retorting, “Some polished-up bureaucrat, you hardly talk back to, but a specimen of unfathomable destruction who could pop your head off clean, right this second, you’ll call a ‘two-bit bean counter’!?”
The mechanic is fearless and unintimidated with Zuzia’s face directly in front of his. Without warning, he simply brushes the Polish woman’s nose with something black and fuzzy, and she flinches back, caught off guard by the tickling sensation. She is reminded by this that Hekate is possessively clinging to Daniel’s neck from behind, ‘protecting’ him from Zuzia, and she squirms in response to Daniel’s use of her tail, her big ears firmly upright.
Daniel retorts to Zuzia, “I’ll be fine. I still have an HMD.”
“HMD?” quotes Zuzia skeptically. She clearly finds it a little tasteless. That is, until Daniel finishes the joke.
“Yup. A ‘Hekate of Mass Destruction’.”
“I’m not a gun, Daniel!” whines Hekate as everyone else laughs, including Zuzia.
Gwenesphia teases Daniel, “Daniel was a big softie at Fort Peony as well. And, I was thiiis close to having him all to myself, too.”
“As timid as he can be, you would’ve failed,” retorts Treia as she walks into the room. “You have to have a contract signed by five witnesses for him to be willing to do it when we’re in heat.”
Hekate growls, while Gweneshia complains, “You were the one who ruined it for me, Sergeant! Daniel didn’t even know gatonines go into heat!”
“You’re disgusting,” growls Zuzia as she scowls at Daniel in utter contempt.
“What!?” complains the American. “Didn’t you just hear her!? I could’ve had my way with Gwen! I held back because I am the paragon of self-control.”
“Oh really!?” asks Zuzia sarcastically, gesturing around the room where several women who are affectionately bound to Daniel as consorts are seated. They snicker at him, since Zuzia’s tone is in line with Daniel’s own, and they are both just taunting each other.
Hekate’s tail swishes back and forth while her ears fold down in irritation, and she digs her nails into Daniel’s collar a bit. He winces, yelping, “Hey! Hekate! You’re supposed to be fighting Zuzia for me, not me!”
“Zuzia’s not a traitor,” growls Hekate. “Nor is she indebted to me many times over. Three times, Daniel! Three times!”
“Ugh…”
Everyone laughs at Daniel’s ‘curse’, and even the mechanic-turned-emperor enjoys relaxing a little.
The cost of the mana fire was great, but the world is safe. That said, Treia seems to have entered with business, rather than pleasure in mind, since she does not take a drink when Magnir offers her one.
“Something up?” asks Daniel, noticing Treia positioning herself to speak to Daniel seriously.
“Unfortunately, yes. One of the golems… went behind our backs again, at Doephluev’s instruction.”
Daniel sighs as he touches his right temple above where his scarred flesh is. He can feel himself sobering up by the second.
“How bad is it?”
“Well… We’re not sure that Sundenelle knows yet, but an extremely high ranking mage was killed, and Yaulander will almost certainly be blaming it on the Fievegal.”
Everyone turns serious, and Hekate grumbles, “We should have killed Yaulander forever ago…”
“The only thing preventing the Grand Principality from declaring war on us right now is the fact that he, very specifically, is still alive,” replies Daniel softly. “Did…” Daniel stops himself. Doephluev was just caught doing this very thing, and she does it again. Daniel knows he’s soft on every one of the women that he’s intimate with, and plenty that he’s not. And, he knows Doephluev is acting with the Fievegal in mind, but not necessarily out of altruism or anything of the sort. Otherwise, she would have found a way to pressure Daniel into taking action.
The problem is, in a best case scenario, killing Baumalde would have accomplished almost nothing. Daniel would have a better gut feeling about it all if she had targeted the void artillery itself, but as Daniel proves, it’s not necessarily about being able to get to one hundred percent from the beginning.
If you can get eighty percent of the way there, it’s generally significantly easier to finish the construction, especially if you have a decent understanding of how it works. It won’t be perfect, but functional is just as dangerous, and plenty of people can reach functional if they interacted with something in a meaningful capacity.
Ahok may have led the theory of the void artillery, and Baumalde was her number one ‘partner’ on the project, but there were lots of mages involved, as well as the operators that fired it. If enough of them are gathered, and Yaulander does enough research, one dead nobleman will have been a meaningless stopgap, rather than prevention.
Not to mention, there’s a significant chance that Ahok could be kidnapped and forced to develop new void artilleries. She could feign ignorance with virtually anyone but Yaulander, since most others would reasonably buy that she was just an assistant. However, Yaulander likely knows the truth at this point, if Baumalde hasn’t made any significant progress.
“What should we do?” asks Hekate from Daniel’s shoulder, reminding him that, even though he always hopes they’ll do whatever they want, they seem to like it when he makes decisions because he’ll make them without much hesitation, and he’ll stand behind the decisions. For now, they all effectively share the authority of Sovereign, which works at present, but will need to be refined to a more formal process as the Fievegal moves from a “small company” feel to a true nation. With the rapidly increasing name recognition of the Fievegal, that day is rapidly approaching.
For now, Daniel has to deal with a brewing international incident, as well as an accusation that the Fievegal attempted to assassinate a high ranking royal from the Empire.
Fortunately, if it’s in line with the last clandestine mission Cheshyret performed, it may only be an accusation for now. They need to be careful not to give away what they shouldn’t know, and how they respond.
“Let’s gather everyone together. We need to figure out exactly how much Yaulander knows, what evidence he might be able to scrape together, and whether or not fake-Zuzia’s cover has been blown.”
“What are you going to do about your rogue elements?” asks Zuzia, not sure how else to word it. She’s not being mean, condescending, or particularly grim. She’s seriously asking, particularly before they are in front of Cheshyret and Doephluev.
Daniel sighs. “Doephluev is making it extremely difficult to be the only one who wants to wholeheartedly defend her… Especially because the evidence is rapidly stacking against my gut feeling as the only real thing I have…”
“Is it possible Doephluev is actively working against us?” asks Veiranoei. “I know you don’t think so, but… should we be dismissing this as incompetence?”
Daniel shakes his head. “Doephluev is skilled, but she wasn’t the one in the field. She was hoping for a fire-and-forget solution to a problem she thinks I wouldn’t solve because of how soft I am. She may have been right, but now… Now, we have more problems, not fewer.”
The room is quiet, and Daniel gently pats Gwenesphia’s belly, since she hasn’t yet risen up to let him out. Kera’tai is also still leaning against him cozily, pondering the goings-on thoughtfully.
Kera’tai does speak up, though. “What about Commander Leiwelles?”
“Who’s that?” asks Zuzia.
“A commander lady at Fort Peony,” replies Hekate. “She has a magic ability that lets her know if someone’s lying! She even said Daniel isn’t my husband! Can you believe it!?”
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“Sounds like her power works well, then,” replies Zuzia with a straight face, and Hekate’s ears fold back as her eyes widen in growing fury.
Daniel and a few of the others chuckle, while Daniel says, “Let’s gather everyone and see what we should do. We have to be careful about who we inform, not least of which is because leaks could reach Yaulander and confirm Cheshyret was acting on our behalf. But, I agree. We could confirm once and for all if Doephluev’s schemes are born of overly-aggressive ambition or malicious treachery. Hell, while we’re at it, I’ve got a whole list of people to use her powers on. Zuzia, Serrentuk, I’d like you two to come up with some questions to ask Doephluev once Leiwelles is here, if we can get her to come. You two are the least familiar with Doephluev, I think, so you should be the most objective about questioning her.”
Serrentuk raises his hand. “Pardon me, Daniel…”
“Please, speak your mind, Serrentuk. So long as you are willing, I’d like us to be friends more than anything.”
The ancient elven sage nods respectfully, joking, “At least until I am ‘Father-in-law’, am I right?”
Senn chuckles, retorting, “Don’t frighten him off, Father. Though… I do think I know what you’re going to say…”
“The Archoneldwyn… are as scarce as elves on this continent for a reason. And, I must admit that I have… a regrettable hand in the early days of that event…”
Daniel can sense that he doesn’t want to explain it in full right now, so he focuses on the task at hand. “Do you hate the archoneldwyn?”
“Spirits, no,” replies Serrentuk. “I have… some reservations about trusting them, in general, due to my experience, but I have no more or less animosity for them than I would humans or gatonines in general. In a life as long as mine, you might see the patterns within a species’ or race’s collective, and it’s easy to see them as a monolith, but it is an individual’s agency that causes harm, not the race or species they belong to. If they are sapient beings with free will, then they are responsible for their own agency. I just… worry that I might pity Doephluev, which would not fit with your request for unbiased questioning.”
“Be as unbiased as you can be. I don’t want you to drive her to depression or anything. I want you to pick questions that a professional liar, thief, and assassin would struggle to answer ‘truthfully’, but with the absolute loosest sense of ‘true’.”
Zuzia scowls at Daniel, and he replies, “Until a couple weeks ago, she hadn’t tried to assassinate anyone since meeting us.”
“After trying to assassinate you, specifically,...” grumbles Gwenesphia.
This shifts Zuzia’s mild disgust to skeptical confusion. “Masochista?” The word is spoken in her mother tongue of Polish, but Daniel recognizes it with ease, since it is almost identical, at least in spelling, to the English word.
“I’m not a [masochist],” retorts Daniel, using the English word itself, since he doesn’t actually know the Eastern Imperial Trade word for it yet. “And, if you want the full story, you can ask Ryuogriar. Just keep in mind she really doesn’t like Doephluev because of the attack. And, understandably so. But, if I hated everyone who tried to kill me, I’d be… Well, I’d probably be with Gwen and/or Treia...”
“Hey!” whines Hekate. “I was only hungry and trying to eat you!”
Everyone laughs again, and Kera’tai adds, “I have no regrets. I’m more free now than if we had won at Peony.” She rubs her belly as well, which is only a short amount of time behind Gwenesphia’s, “Well, for now…” She grins happily.
“I never tried to kill you,” replies Veiranoei. “I only challenged you before you fought Grandfather.”
“No I know you’re a masochist,” retorts Zuzia bluntly, since fighting Kalegrynten is obviously a foolhardy move.
Daniel chuckles, and he says gently, “Please let me up, ladies. You don’t have to join if you don’t want to, but I do always appreciate everyone having a say, even if they don’t necessarily have to speak.”
Gwenesphia pouts, but she reluctantly sits up with Daniel’s help, and he says to Senn, “Senn, if you have any contacts in the Empire’s magic fields, I’d like to know more about this sorcerer that was assassinated. I think we have at least one revival potation on hand, but they’re limited to a few hours before they lose the ability to save someone.”
“I can probably speak on him myself, as it turns out,” replies the younger of the two elven sages. “Do we know who it is?”
“I wasn’t told a name,” replies Treia. “Only to come retrieve Daniel. Xyreko is… focused on Cheshyret, I believe.”
Daniel nods. “Zuzia, do you have any objections to revival magic?”
“Because I’m religious? No. As… you know, I’m not exactly the most zealous or anything. I just… believe in God’s guidance, and being morally good overall. If I was worried about a medicine that can bring someone back to life, I’d also have to despise [defibrilators], right?” She shrugs. “I accept that I’m just a little speck of dust in the stream of time created by and observed by God, not some paladin or priestess of Lawful good. Though, if you suggest making an extrajudicial killing of someone… I would need a lot of compelling evidence to be convinced.”
“Even if it’s Yaulander?” asks Magnir curiously. “I don’t think any of us want to know officially what’s happening to your image in his clutches.”
“Maybe, but… if you guys want to help me with that, then we just need to make sure my battle with my ‘imposter’ is extremely public, so that when I defeat it and it’s revealed to be a golem…”
Hekate perks up, saying excitedly, “It’ll look like Yaulander has been trying to frame us all along!”
Zuzia grins deviously, and Hekate cackles as she rubs her palms together. “Mwahahahahaha! He’ll look like the biggest stupid that ever… um… stupided.”
The honey-haired brunette laughs and pets Hekate’s head a little roughly, since she’s still inebriated. “That’s right, Maleńka. Very stupided indeed.”
“Heh heh heh! Oh, how the chairs have turned!” continues the feldrok teen as everyone is climbing to their feet.
“Don’t you mean tables?” asks Daniel.
“What? ‘Tables’? Why would tables turn? That's dumb.”
Zuzia bursts into laughter, saying, “Yeah, Daniel! That’s dumb! ‘Turntables’. What nonsense.” She keeps laughing, and Daniel simply watches with a bemused smirk.
He can hear Veiranoei whisper to Magnir, “I wonder if we should be writing these down for Wenlianna… She’ll be upset if she learns there are words she missed out on…”
“I have a pretty good memory,” replies the blue dragon quietly. “I’ll write them down when I get a chance.”
“Alright, alright, let’s go meet everyone else and figure out what to do next,” replies Daniel. He is mostly used to and patient with his herd of cats, which grows every time he turns around. But, they do need to act quickly if they wish to prevent the situation with the Grand Principality from boiling over into the Empire and sparking the worst case scenario.
They can protect Sundenelle and Byleathea, but it may lose Sundenelle’s rightful position as Empress of the Grand Zenkon Empire. That said, as long as Sundenelle lives, there will always be a threat to anyone in the seat, so long as a generations-long dynasty that was popular enough for almost all of that time is still alive.
Daniel’s a little foggy from the wine he had, but some of his best –though also some of his worst– ideas were had while he was a bit tipsy, since his imagination becomes unshackled with his lowered inhibitions.
Lowered inhibitions being something Daniel will never explain to Hekate until she’s old enough for him to not regret what she might try to do after the fact.
Almost everyone in their inner circle that could convince Daniel to start drinking with them know better than to cooperate with Hekate on that one specific issue, but it only takes one of them.
For now, though, they need to deal with Cheshyret and the damage that was done.
The worst part being that it already makes Daniel want a drink that is far more stiff than what he has already had today.
“Ah, and before we get too far ahead of ourselves, I need to check on Nemaisol. Everyone go on ahead. I’ll catch up with you.”
“If you’re going where I think, I’m coming with you,” replies Zuzia. Daniel nods in agreement, though he doesn’t want it to turn into a whole crowd of people.
Hekate scowls at them briefly, and Daniel explains, “We’re just going to meet with Ryukana and Amalaskae, who should be with h- it for safe keeping, since… Kaeralegier was still unconscious, last I checked.”
Hekate’s ears droop, and she nods. “I’ll… um… I’ll stay back for now.”
No small part of that is because of what Hekate did to create a path for her to reach Daniel at the heart of the mana fire, which included managing to draw Nemaisol in spite of Kaeralegier’s power that she long-ago designed the sword with; a repulsion of magic power. Hekate was able to do so, but it turned her fur bluish-white for a time afterwards, and it drove the sword-bound goddess’s spirit into the apparent equivalent of a coma. Ryukana and Amalaskae have been watching over her to try to keep her from fading away entirely, but they’re also worried about the implications of a missing world manager resurfacing in their knowledge.
Daniel pets Hekate’s head gently, saying, “It’s alright, Sweetpea. I’m sure Kaeralegier will understand. I think she’s probably just scared right now.”
“Wh-... What if… What if the… ruling ones…”
Daniel kneels in front of her. He replies softly, “I don’t want to speak for higher powers of any level, but… I genuinely believe Chaos and Order have always known… If they chose to do nothing about her for all this time, I doubt they’ll erase her now. At least, that’s what I hope. Either way, don’t feel guilty.”
“B-But she… she told me to stop… And,... And, I didn’t… I…”
Daniel hugs her, and she starts crying. “Shhh, Hekate, I’m serious. None of this is your fault, no matter what happens. Because, I know Kaeralegier enough to know that she wasn’t trying to stop you because of what it could do to her. She was afraid you would die. She cares about us more than she’s afraid of dying, just like me, and just like you. So, let me go check on her, and if it’s good news, you’ll be the first person I tell.”
Hekate cries a little longer, but she nods in agreement with Daniel’s plan.
He’s a little optimistic, but he also knows that Chaos and Order operate on a higher order than anything he can imagine, so it could be for a purpose as easily as anything they do has no actual purpose.
That said, he has a sneaking suspicion that he knows what Chaos, in particular, might say if he were to mention his concerns, since she already joked about it in regards to Ryuana.
He is optimistic, but he also knows that optimism comes with a high chance of facepalm in his forecast.
***
Amalaskae paces around the room nervously, while Ryukana is reclined in her personal chair gifted by Daniel. She is aware of many of the things going on, and as promised to herself, she has been keeping her gaze on Daniel, so she knows the two Earthlings in the Citadel are on their way.
She agrees with Daniel’s reassurance to Hekate on a simple level; Chaos and Order aren’t malicious, and they obviously forgive mistakes. The more she sees, though, the more Ryukana wonders what the grand plan could and would be that the world managers like Kaeralegier, Ryukana, and Amalaskae exist in the first place. There are thousands of their colleagues that typically reside within the Divine Realm, since their direct intervention is supposed to be almost non-existent. Zenkon has entered into a very strange situation where Ryukana is living with the mortals, present, but generally forced to be a last resort against Daniel and Hekate, rather than an overseer for the whole world. Amalaskae should be overseeing the world, but the main anomalies have been dealt with, and something else is on the clumsy younger goddess’s mind.
“Wh-What if… What if I get replaced? Sh-She was better at this than I am, right? I… I looked Kaeralegier up, and she had the longest reign of any world until she disappeared.”
This sounds misleading, since Ryukana only ‘lasted’ a couple thousand years or so, but time flows differently in the Divine Realm, and they do occasionally change worlds. Kaeralegier is far older than either of them, and she possibly served during a time when there were far fewer World Managers, meaning it was harder to get advice on certain things, because Chaos and Order are even more ‘talented’ in remaining hands off if they choose to than any of the World Managers ever have been.
“She’s going to take over Zenkon again, and… Wh-What happens to me? What if… What if this counts as a failure?”
“You’re not going to be replaced,” replies Ryukana, not opening her eyes. “I’d be more worried about whether or not she’ll wake up.”
The sword in question, containing Kaeralegier, is leaning against the desk nearby. Ryukana isn’t sure if Kaeralegier will make herself known to them even if she does regain consciousness, since she was terrified of being discovered originally, and Daniel reluctantly told Ryukana about her after the Fellmother’s attack on the Citadel’s contract removal chamber.
“{Kaeralegier, if you can hear me, we will do what we can to protect you,}” offers Ryukana through a telepathic connection. At least, she hopes she ‘connected’, since she never knew Kaeralegier was there until she became suspicious of Daniel’s behavior. The swordbound goddess’s presence is impossible to detect because she created the sword to negate all forms of power typically defined as “magic” or even “holy power”. It’s possible Nemaisol even negates radiation, given the relationship it has with magic, but it wouldn’t prevent the heat blast from vaporizing Daniel and anyone else around it, so it would be a moot point.
Regardless, she receives no response from her elder, so all she can do is relax and wait. If Chaos and Order don’t intervene, then there’s no real reason to worry. Kaeralegier is already bound to the sword, which is still intact and unblemished, in spite of Hekate’s power clashing directly with her.
There’s a knock at the door, and Amalaskae flinches like a startled rabbit. She shakes her hands in a panic as she paces around, and Ryukana warns, “Do not touch anything right now, Amalaskae…”
“Wh-Wh-What if that’s…”
“You may enter,” calls out the senior of the two goddesses right now.
Daniel and Zuzia enter, and Daniel bows, “Forgive me for disturbing you, but… I was hoping to check on Kaeralegier…”
“She still hasn’t responded,” replies Ryukana, while Amalaskae rushes to Zuzia.
“Zuzu! Zuzu, what do I do!? What if Kaeralegier wakes up and takes her job back!? This was originally her job, and-and-and…”
Zuzia accepts the tackle-hug and embraces the silly ‘angel’ as she refers to the two divine women. She pets Amalaskae’s back, doing her best to reassure the heavenly being, in spite of how awkward it seems. “There, there, Amala. Nothing happened to Ryukana when you took her job, right?”
“Waaaahhhhhhh!” sobs Amalaskae even more dramatically, as if she’s now reminded that she has committed an even worse sin.
Daniel approaches the violet-haired Ryukana normally while Zuzia tries to hobble along, somewhat dragging the dramatic woman having a breakdown about something that probably won’t happen.
Ryukana says, “It’s hard for me to tell what’s going on within the sword. Kaeralegier shielded herself well. I’m surprised she ever revealed herself to you, Daniel.”
The mechanic scratches his neck awkwardly, replying, “I… admittedly treated the sword like a companion before I ever had any suspicions and would talk to it, and when I did start to think someone was making the sword suit my needs better, I asked for her to help, and she finally answered. Though, she was a bit of a tsundere about it.”
“It’s a little weird to be using that in normal conversation, Daniel. Especially because none of us are Japanese.”
“Should I have brought Senn? Apparently, she has a Japanese ancestor.”
Zuzia scoffs, while Daniel asks Ryukana, “May I?”
“By all means,” replies the beautiful goddess with a smile as she climbs out of her recliner. “None of us can draw the blade, whether she’s conscious or not.”
Daniel picks up Nemaisol and places his hands on the scabbard and pommel respectively. He hesitates for a moment, though, and he lets out a sigh.
“Kaera,... you’ve helped me so much from the day I received you. I can’t express how thankful I am to you. Everything you’ve done, and every single thing about Nemaisol have been… utterly perfect. Even the fact that Hekate was able to make use of you through sheer force… So, please… please be okay… And, please talk to us. Or at least me…”
Daniel cautiously tugs on the hilt, and to his surprise, the sword withdraws from the sheath with ease. He slides it all the way out, and the sword swirls with various colors as ambient mana washes across the blade. It’s made of sharmelkolle, so it’s partially a natural reaction that the near-invincible alloy would have regardless of whether or not it contained a goddess trying to fix a mistake and hide from her punishment.
Ryukana keeps her eye on Daniel without trying to overtly stare at him. Even after she started watching over him more diligently, she has never heard Kaeralegier’s voice, meaning she can apparently communicate with Daniel without it being audible or detectable to anyone else.
After a moment, Daniel finally smiles, his own shoulders relaxing. Just seeing this is relieving to Ryukana as well, but just as she suspected, Kaeralegier doesn’t trust her or Amalaskae. It’s reasonable, since they are supposed to be watching over Zenkon, and a rogue goddess could be considered an anomaly.
“That’s a nice sword,” states a voice that startles Daniel and Ryukana back because of where it just came from, while Zuzia scoops up Amalaskae and leaps back an impressive distance, almost reaching the door. “Wh-Who is that!?”
A child has suddenly appeared in Ryukana’s quarters, but she is certainly no adolescent. Ryukana is stunned speechless for a long moment, and she drops to her hands and knees in a reverent bow. “L-La-...”
The ‘child’ snaps her fingers, and Ryukana’s voice vanishes. She can’t speak, or she can’t produce sound. She looks up in terror, and Amalaskae clings to Zuzia, her eyes watering.
Daniel glances at everyone else, and he defensively shifts himself between the powerful being and Nemaisol. He has to know it’s a futile effort, but it is a gesture that aligns with who he is.
“Lady…” starts Daniel, but she points at him, and Daniel flinches. The neotenic goddess grins, and she says with an amused seriousness, “This is our first time meeting, Zuzanna Czesława Kołodziejczyk. I am something of a Manager to our adorable little angels here.” She gestures with her hands towards Ryukana and Amalaskae. “Don’t worry, no one’s in trouble. I only came to congratulate you on His behalf. You may call me Amitiel.” ‘Amitiel’ bows politely with her hand over her heart, and she then looks up at Daniel. “Daniel, it has been some time. Though, less so from my perspective.” She smiles charmingly, but the only person present who might be unaware of exactly what this ‘child’ represents is Zuzia herself.
She holds her hands up, requesting, “May I, Daniel?”
Daniel hesitates for a long, awkward time. He doesn’t want to hand over Nemaisol, because he knows what is at risk.
“Lady… Amitiel, I… would ask you to allow me another instance of small greed, as this sword… and everything about it is crucial to helping me protect this world as well.” Daniel kneels before her, saying sincerely, “Please… don’t take the wheel from me.”
Amitiel smirks at him dryly, and Ryukana can’t say anything. Zuzia speaks up nervously, “A-Amitiel… If anything, Nemaisol was extremely helpful to us. And… so was Kaeralegier.”
Daniel winces, and Zuzia speaks up, “I’m sorry, Daniel… If she is an angel, then, I don’t see how lying will get us through this…”
The child-appearing goddess grins deviously, and she says playfully, even if her tone is rather level, “And, didn’t you hear me, Daniel? I said no one is in trouble. So, may I?”
Daniel hesitates for only another second or so, and he reluctantly hands over Nemaisol.
Amitiel’s smile softens, and she holds the sword carefully, not being harmed by the blade, even if Nemaisol’s mana-repulsion is activating.
“You’re a good man, Daniel,” replies the tiny goddess. “And, you’ve done pretty well yourself… Kaeralegier.” Amitiel snaps her fingers, and a transparent humanoid figure with small, but mature stature appears, gasping and covering her naked form. Ryukana wouldn’t recognize her normally, but she does know it has to be Kaeralegier. “There you are, Kaeralegier!”
“L-Lady… Amitiel… I can explain… I just…”
Amitiel smiles as she listens to the former world manager grovel, hovering in midair next to Daniel’s head and trying to keep her breasts and pelvic region somewhat covered out of embarrassment. Her hair is messy, like a woman who just woke up, and her cheeks are pale, even noticeable in her present gossamer form.
Everyone who knows the truth still obeys Amitiel’s implicit order to use the name Amitiel, because she is trying to respect Zuzia’s beliefs without overtly stomping on them. Ryukana, Amalaskae, and Kaeralegier don’t have archangel names, and Amitiel isn’t formally recognized in Christian contexts, so it seems Zuzia won’t be disturbed or have her faith broken by the name.
As for her part, Kaeralegier does her best to bow, even while floating in the air, saying, “I’m… I’m really sorry I abandoned my post… I was terrified. B-But, I have a contract with Daniel! S-So, if you’ll spare me…”
Before Amitiel can respond, Daniel blurts out, “I wish for Kaeralegier to be safe from all harm.”
This dissolves Amitiel’s smile, and Ryukana nervously looks at him. Chaos and Order don’t grant wishes when wishes are made. Between the two of them, they favor a sort of balance; equilibrium. A wish that Chaos and Order can grant, which is pretty literally anything, will have a price of equal or greater value. Ryukana tries to whisper, “D-Daniel…”
Daniel says confidently, looking directly at Amitiel. “I owe Kaeralegier my life in many ways, and I would argue I stopped another anomaly, using a means contrary to my comrades’ wishes, but I had the conviction to commit necessary evil to stop utter destruction.” Daniel bows his head, “Please… let Kaeralegier stay with us…”
Amitiel stares at him silently for a long time. When she does finally speak, it’s after letting out a slightly exasperated sigh. “You are hopeless, Daniel… But, I suppose you have yet to let me down…” Daniel looks up just in time to see her toss Nemaisol carelessly at him, and Daniel drops the scabbard as he nervously flinches to catch the sword. Given its size, Nemaisol should weigh as much as a standard combat longsword at around 3 pounds or so, which is relatively heavy when something that can slice through metal like butter is sailing through the air at him, and it’s only after his hands outstretch that Daniel realizes that he needs to dodge, not catch.
Somehow, though, he manages to catch the blade as Kaeralegier lunges at Daniel to try to stop him, but she is a gossamer spirit form and can’t interact directly with him.
That said, Daniel’s hands don’t fall off or lose any fingers, and his own expression goes pale.
Amitiel says dryly with a dismissive wave of her hand, “I refuse your wish, Daniel. I told you twice now that no one is in trouble. If anything, I just wanted to scare our little Kaeralegier a bit, since it has been such a long time.”
Everyone stares at the neotenic goddess for a long time, and she grins. “You got me. Zuzanna, your heart is always in the right place, as you said yourself, but you are no paladin or priestess. Please be mindful not to cross over from a heart in the right place to a heart that is convinced of its own infallible righteousness. Our Glorious Lord on High is watching over you all, but he is most pleased when you live by your own will with good in your hearts.” She is acting a little preachy, but she adds with a skeptical look at Daniel. “Key word; live.”
“U-Understood…” replies Daniel as he bows his head.
“Good. Now then, I have seen what I needed to in order to finalize my decision.” She smiles and places her hands on her hips, and everyone waits for her to say something else.
However, the ‘chief archangel’ simply widens her smile into a toothy grin, and she dissolves into a flash of golden light.
“Wh-What decision?” asks Amalaskae. She looks at Zuzia, whimpering, “Sh-She didn’t tell us her decision.”
Daniel lets out the breath he was holding, and he starts laughing, hugging the sword to himself. Kaeralegier starts to fade, saying, “Daniel… Thank you…”
“Kaera… Thank you. I’m glad to have you back.”
Though she fades from sight, she doesn’t hide her voice this time when she continues to speak telepathically to everyone, “{I’m glad to be back. Now, keep your other promise Daniel. A-And just in case, we’ll still do the contract… I-If that’s alright.}”
“If that’s what you want,” replies Daniel. He smiles at the others, showing immense signs of relief. After all they’ve been through, it’s reassuring to know they’ve become such good friends, and Ryukana smiles with her own shoulders sagging in relaxation. I’m glad… Though, I have to wonder as well… What was the decision being made?
Surely, if they’re meant to know, it’ll become apparent eventually, assuming it isn’t already. Thankfully, it seems like they’re allowed to continue as they were.
***
A/N 1: As always, as long as I’ve gotten it right (please correct me if not), “You’re just a mięczakiem! Mięczak! Mię-cza-ku!” in the context used above means: “You’re just a wimp! Wimp! Wi-m-py!”