4.6K words
A small, in-between chapter that closes where the previous chapter ended.
Enjoy.
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/Chatter.../
Viera and Elyria continued their conversation while Philip's gaze turned to the distant houses on the other side of the ravine, 'They're gone.' He thought as he noticed them leave, feeling a little odd.
'Was it long enough for you to create a profile of them?'
[You wish. The stronger they are, the harder it becomes to pierce into their essence… and even then, there are multiple layers of complexity and likeness]
[At best, I can recreate their appearance]
But Philip looked away, uninterested… Instead, he turned his focus to the maid and the knight standing beside Eri, his eyes flashing once more:
[Enricta Fi-erland
Level 68
]
[Kalkas Trocts... Azul
Level 71
]
But as expected, both the knight and the maid were extraordinary, 'I half expected the knight to be capable, but even the serious-looking maid holds some power?'
'She doesn't strike me as the mage type, but being close to the 70s, unless she's someone favored by the System, would likely put her strength a step beneath that of the instructors, wouldn't it?'
'The knight specially. His given level has already surpassed the category. I would how things would go if we faced each other with nothing to hold us back.'
[I know the answer to that. Would you like to see the results of your simulation confrontation?]
'… No… Also, how were you able to analyze them this quickly?'
[They are close enough and the conditions are proper. That said, I'm actively working towards making the models closer to their source personalities]
Philip exhaled, 'You don't understand the severity of your statements, don't you?'
[I am in servitude to a master that does not mind such behavior]
'Indeed… I'm the kind of master that'd praise you for it.'
/Chatter.../
Just as he looked at them, they looked at him, though their expressions were hard to read. One had a poker face, gazing at him with an icy stare, while the other was hidden by a blue helmet, but he could see the reflection of his eyes from beyond its slits.
Perhaps they had somewhat noticed they were being sized up, but they weren't in a position to throw up a fuss about it… Or maybe, they saw something in him that justified their attention.
Philip, nonetheless, acted as carefree as always… 'Maybe it's my face.'
[The knight is actually a "she", sir]
'Oh? So it is my face… Jarvis, should I throw a pose?'
She sighed, [No, sir, you're not a bird to pose]
'I'll ask them for their letter address later.'
[…]
Philip smiled slightly as he turned from them, noticing Viera struggling a little to communicate with her guest, finding it funny.
'Give her some help… She was always a loner kind of girl back in the academy, and now that I think about it… I don't think I ever saw her talk to anyone else aside from me and maybe Ivia.'
[Even more of a reason for me not to intervene. A child should learn things on their own… But if its necessary, I'll step in and guide her]
[Maybe you should step up too and give her some assistance. "Lord of the House"]
But he only looked away… quietly listening as he watched the leaves fall...
Though… he couldn't help but get bored.
…
/A minute later…/
After exchanging her greetings with Eri, Viera invited her inside with the most complex and courteous words she knew… making it quite comical for all.
Sebastiano wanted to shake his head, but he maintained a professional look, the same for the maids.
Eri herself knew from their past interactions that Viera was likely not a noble lady, but didn't seem to mind in the slightest.
If anything, she seemed to be more at ease and relaxed, her calm mind and emotions were proof of it.
To her, Viera's awkward attempts to convey her emotions through her embarrassed and awkward dialogue, only made her smile further.
A genuine gaze… to see her true self, or even if a slight reflection of it… was something rare to behold.
Even then, her attention was elsewhere now. Ever since she arrived, she kept him at the corner of her eye, and in some moments, she even let herself lose focus… only to wake up and refocus on Viera.
/Step step.../
But it was over now, breathing up and down, she approached him…
"I...?"
'W-What do I say?...'
And when she did, she realized her words… somehow escaped her mouth.
Before long, she found her greeting taken away, "Welcome, daughter of the Azul Family, lady Elyria." Philip humbly said as he bowed to her.
"I'm Philip Polter, I hope you have a nice time in my humble abode."
"I…"
'Wait!... Just... How?!'
She smiled, trying to reply… but once again, her words got stuck in her mouth. It was only now, being this close, just a few steps away from him that she could feel it…
Like a rising waterfall, his Spirit had completely changed from the last time she saw him. Contained beyond a veil, but not hidden from the eyes she had inherited from her ancestors.
'Was he hiding who he truly was, or was this his true appearance?'
She thought she was strong enough… good enough… but compared to this…
Even he grew concerned, "Miss? Is something the matter?"
'Her thoughts are all over the place.'
She suddenly jolted awake, "Ah… my apologies, I lost myself for a moment… Mnn…"
'Come on! I need to focus... phew… I came here to talk, but I can barely utter a sound... How shameful.'
She ran through her mind for an excuse or apology to use, and before she could even think it through, her brain came in with the save…
She put one hand in her cheek, tilting her head faintly, "You just look too dashing… Ah?!"
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
/Silence.../
Everyone became speechless, even Eri herself lost the air in her lungs… Her knight trembled a little, her maid looked to the side, a small grin on her lips... and Viera's gaze… turned defensive.
With her face turning crimson by the minute, Philip let out a small chuckle in response, which only made her transition into utter embarrassment faster.
'In the end, she's just like any girl.' He thought to himself as he put an arm behind his back
"Thank you! That was actually the first time I ever received such a compliment." Philip replied with a wide smile as Eri struggled to retain her etiquette
'It really is the first time a girl has complimented my appearance in this manner. To think it would take a girl from another world to do so… Maybe it's the new hairstyle.'
"I… mn…"
Her mind was in utter confusion, 'What did I just say???!!!'
Eri completely lost what she wanted to say, her fingers moving around in distress as she tried to come up with something else to say, be it an apology, an excuse... or anything that would unravel her from this awkward entanglement.
The others, on the other hand, remained still, letting this debacle unfold without interference.
'… Could the lady have come here for a crush? How lovely of her.' The knight thought with a smirk as she looked away
Before the situation grew anymore complicated, Philip decided to step forward and put a lid of it while he still could, "I'm sure you're tired from your journey, so please, come with me, Viera has already prepared the best tea we have available."
"Eh?... I… of course!" She replied as her eyebrows twitched
'He's putting more food on my plate!'
Viera hadn't actually prepared anything, but she did remember Philip talking about that with the maids before they stepped outside. From the beginning, he had been taking care of things without her knowing.
On their way inside, Viera turned to Philip and lightly remarked, "You do look handsome."
'Did I do it right? I didn't know complementing each other was etiquette… maybe I should complement her more when I have the time.'
"Hm??"
A stray bullet striking him from nowhere, Philip grew confused.
…
Without conflict, they all went inside while the horses were unstrapped from the carriage by the maids and moved to a small stall on the side near the manor.
Once inside, Viera and Eri sat at the main hall table, where an extensive selection of desserts and other delicacies awaited them for their tea party, or whatever they were about to do.
Which Viera was about to find out…
Philip, on the other hand, caught an opportunity to excuse himself, leaving under the eyes of both ladies in broad daylight like a cheeky thief that doesn't fear the police.
Though it seemed one of them wanted him to stay a bit longer…
After seeing her talk with her for a few minutes, he knew she had it in her to host their guest.
Philip had faith in Viera, but above all, he knew Mita would assist her in the foreseeable future. Even if there was a lack of subjects to discuss, maybe they could sit down to watch a movie or enjoy some music…
Whatever it was, if they needed him for anything, Mita would call for him.
…
/Later.../
/CLANG!/
/CLANG!/
"Phew… "
Back in the forges, Philip struck the iron with great momentum. He had already changed clothes, his previous cool demeanor gone, replaced with a pair of focused eyes.
As to be expected, he had long taken his shirt, revealing his bare muscular body, and his trusty shorts had arisen to replace his pants, protecting his booty from the fiery flames coming from the furnace behind him.
On his forehead was a small bandana, fluttering in the hot wind.
/CLANG!/
"… fifty-one hammerings, next!"
He grabbed the prototype of a blade, inspecting it multiple times as he counted the seconds inside his head… before he shoved it down a bubbling liquid.
/Tsss…/
Now, he had to wait for it to quench. It was precise timing, but thankfully, he had the most precise machine counting the time for him.
/Pulls!/
He took it out, and inspected it once more, "It didn't bend, good enough."
'But this pattern… it's not what I was expecting. Maybe a good polish will solve it all.'
Without surprise, he really enjoyed working with metal.
…
/A few minutes later.../
/Scrub scrub scrub.../
"Would you look at that, it became better than I thought."
Once the blade was complete, Philip did not follow through with any complementary steps. He just put the metal core carefully on the table right next to many other half-finished workers and went on his way.
For efficiency, just finishing up to here already provided him with enough experience to raise his Smithing Skill. Completing the blade wouldn't provide him with much compared to just redoing the process.
"… Time to start again. "
Like a barbaric brute, Philip shoved his hand inside the flaming forge, taking out a small bucket full of molten golden liquid.
"Oh! This one's a bit hotter, like grabbing a slightly warm glass cup of water."
'I wonder if my body is actively building resistance to heat while I'm doing this.'
"… I shouldn't forget about moving these over too."
And so his work continued.
/Tsss!/
...
/CLANG!/
"... Tsk, I missed the timing."
/CLANG CLANG!/
He was ready to redo the process, but he couldn't focus very well for some reason… feeling quite odd.
His hammer was raised, but it never fell, dropping it lightly on the anvil, he exhaled in frustration, 'I need to stop for a moment...'
Silently staring at the wall as he waited for more metal to heat up, he thought that… things had become a tad too silent…
Perhaps he had been pampered with his constant days of conflict, making these last few days of peace and comfort alien to him.
Or just maybe… something was indeed wrong… Some, however, would call this feeling of strangeness… of hypervigilance, a form of PTSD.
He, however, thought differently.
"Sigh… I need some fresh air."
…
/Creak.../
Now outside, he looked to his right, where a twirling path within the woods led straight to the manor. And if he closed his eyes, he'd even hear the echoes coming from within…
But amidst all the chaos, a single sound stood out, bellowing from a direction he didn't expect. A heartbeat reached his ears… coming from the rocky walls behind him.
[The old man from before is nearby]
Philip showed little reaction to Mita's words, but his forehead tensed as a vein surfaced as he mildly clenched his jaw… 'Of course he is. I can't have a damn moment of peace.'
"… I can see you there, get out." He proclaimed as he tapped his forehead
/Rustle!/
/Fwoosh!/
Jumping out from within the bushes, an old man stepped out with a rather baffled expression.
"Ho! And I thought I was hiding well." Roland replied as he brushed some leaves from his shoulders
Seeing him up close again, despite the previous warnings, Philip became as baffled as him.
'This guy again? I thought it'd be her father and not this guy…'
[I should've been clearer. I apologize]
He recognized almost instantly, it was the old man spying on them from afar.
Not in the mood to act up, he took a step back, crossing his arms, "Are you lost? The way out is over there." He added as he pointed at the path behind him.
"I'm not lost, far from the contrary."
That much was obvious to him, but his blatant admittance of it was almost at his own level of shamelessness. But Philip kept his act up, "Then do you need something? Why were you hiding in a bush of all places?"
"Hm? For fun, mostly." Roland replied as he fixed his mustache and hair
"... I see."
'Perhaps even in a magical world, elderly people fall prey to dementia...'
Roland adjusted his stance, taking a more formal presence, "Please don't take me seriously, it takes away the fun when the other party doesn't correspond in accordance."
Philip merely sighed, "I'm just a tad too tired to play around."
"I can see that…" Roland replied with a side glance as he stared at the Manor
He bowed as he noticed Philip's growing wariness of him, "I apologize for my unannounced visit, young lord, and also for disturbing your work; it wasn't originally my intention."
"Though I hope you may forgive me for this trespassing, I have a job to fulfill."
Philip blinked slowly, "Everyone has something to do, be it me or you… I presume you are here for the lady who is currently having tea with my fiancée?"
"A most sharp observation. I shan't interfere any further, if you allow me to remain, of course."
Philip waved him off with a yawn, "I don't mind, do as you wish. Just don't stick around for long."
Roland put one hand over his chest, "I bow to your magnanimity. It was a great pleasure to meet you like this, despite our awkward conditions…"
His eyes grew deep as he raised his head faintly, "The Family head sends his regards to you."
Philip gave him a side-eye but did not reply.
"… allow me to ask you something before I depart."
Shrugging, Philip rested his back against the wall, "It's not like I have anything else to do…"
"How was I exposed? I am quite confident in my hiding skills."
[That was all me]
Philip ignored Mita, "Oh, that?... It's nothing impressive…" He muttered as he tapped his own chest, "Your heartbeat gave it away."
[To lie so blatantly…]
'That's of no importance right now!'
"My… heartbeat?" He mumbled aloud with slight confusion, staring at his chest
After a few silent moments, he smiled… albeit his mustache hid most of it.
"I was certain I had long mastered how to hide even the tiniest of sounds… but it seems age is catching up to me… On that note, I'll take my leave. Thank you for entertaining an old man such as myself."
Philip scoffed before smiling faintly, raising his thumb to point at the manor, "What about her?"
"A lady of her age has her own matters to attend to. I'm merely a concerned elder accompanying a child so she may not go astray in an unfamiliar environment… and I have deemed her safe enough for my own departure."
Philip noticed the ground heat up before he exhaled and smiled, "… See you soon then."
Roland smiled in response.
/Crackle…/
A quick spark of flames took over his body, and he vanished. And unable to pinpoint where he went, realizing the old man's meaning behind such a display, he scratched the back of his head in frustration.
"So you had a few more tricks hidden away... how annoying."
He turned around, revitalized, 'Why are there so many strange old people in this world?'
[Perhaps it would be strange to turn out "ordinary" after living in such a world for so long]
'I suppose I'm the living truth of that.'
Philip returned to his endeavors, the forge heating even more soon after.
…
/Knock knock!/
The sky dimmed, and his workshop's peace was once again profaned.
"Who is it? Sebastiano, is that you?… Did something happen?"
'The insulation in this room is so strong even I have difficulty telling people outside apart.'
Philip jumped over his anvil and reached out for the door, /Creak…/ Opening the large metal door, the person who appeared in front of him wasn't exactly who he expected…
Long white hair, almost reflecting the faint sunlight, and sky-blue eyes, staring up at him silently…
"You?... I mean, my lady…"
Philip let his tongue slip, speaking informally as his brows furrowed.
But she didn't seem to mind in the slightest, "Pfft… you can drop the formalities. I too get tired of them eventually."
"I prefer this much more." She said with a smile
Philip didn't say much, still processing her sudden appearance. But she didn't let him think for long:
"In any case, may I come in? I wanted to ask you something." She asked as she tried to peek inside the workshop
"... Of course. Just be careful and be wary of the heat."
'This isn't exactly the kind of place you'd expect a princess like her to step into…'
She smiled, following him, closing the heated door behind her.
/Clonk!/
…
Once inside, she gazed around with great interest, the many materials scattered all around, some expensive, some inexpensive, and the many items laid out on the tables…
Before she even arrived, Philip had already stored his enchanting table together with his other materials, exactly for a situation like this one.
An unexpected visit.
'Oh no... I knew it, I should've notified him first...'
She stared at the anvil, seeing an almost finished sword resting upon it, feeling a bit guilty, "I'm sorry for interrupting you…"
But he shook his head, "It's okay, stopping now won't change anything. Besides, I was getting a little tired." He said as he moved his right arm around.
"It's surprising since you here… Where is Viera?..."
"Well…"
She grew a little flustered at the question, "Technically, I'm in the bathroom."
"…"
Philip truly didn't know how to answer this girl. In the end, he tried to play it cool as he always did, slowly building some steam to get the conversation rolling.
"… Well then, since you took the trouble to make an excuse, how may I help you? Given the little time you have?"
"Ah?... Ah, yes!"
She cleared her throat and touched her chest, "You see, I wanted to ask you a question; it's very important. It's been digging at me for the past few days."
"I'll answer them to the best of my ability."
"Thank you, I'm sure you benefit from them as well."
"Please, don't take this as a threat… But were you the one that took out the Conjunction outpost a few days ago?"
"Hm?"
Philip felt a slightly change as the pressure in the room even seemed to increase a little. He crossed his arms and grew a little more serious, "That is a rather sudden assumption…"
"But I also have a question of my own: How is that important for anything?"
"Cough!... It's because… did you do it for the Dwarf Family?"
"Hm…"
'Now, this is getting interesting…'
Amidst his silence, Eri just continued, "I don't mean any harm… You must already know, but I came to this city with Rafiel that moron…"
"Not because I had any feelings for him, but because I had a mission to accomplish."
But his silence and lack of reaction upset her slightly.
She raised her tone, "I'll repeat, I have no feelings for…"
"I understood that, continue." He interjected, raising his hand to interrupt her words
"..."
She looked at him with her big, round eyes, as if he had done something wrong.
Nonetheless, she soon returned to what she was saying, "In my investigation, I came to understand that the Pyke Family was funding a series of…"
...
She then explained the brunt of her findings. Though throughout most, if not all of it, Philip couldn't help but wonder how he fit into any of it, and how she connected him to what happened before.
"... and that leads me to you."
/Silence.../
The gears in his mind rotated, 'Whatever the Pykes wanted with funding Tredis' research and how all of it connects with the Conjuction's kidnapping of his wife… isn't something I'm particularly interested in.'
'But her story is curious in itself. It seems my previous suspicions of there being other powers involved in this scuffle were true, which needs to be taken seriously, given the severity of what Tredis did when he was pushed to the brink of his sanity.'
'To a matter that would potentially lead to the extinction of the Dwarven civilization… such matters, whatever small, should all be studied with the highest of consideration.'
His eyes faintly sparkled, 'And so, it raises a doubt… This is not a mere coincidence, it cannot be. If not for Dae's regression, would anyone have bothered with such a nameless researcher?'
'Perhaps… there are others out there pushing for certain things to happen, pulling several strings at once at different times, only so their carefully inlaid house of cards collapses at the right moment…'
His mind returning to the present, Philip spoke, "… Let's say I believe you, what do you want from me?"
"I… don't really want anything, but if you want a reason…"
"Thanks to you, I went this far in my investigation, and that is more than enough for me to repay you."
A very innocent and naive response, yet it fitted somehow.
Philip felt no malice from her, it truly seemed as if she came this way out of pure curiosity and interest, to share away her own achievements with an ear willing to listen.
That did not answer his greatest doubt, however… He felt as if their connection wasn't as clear as he perceived. Something was missing, a fact only she had unravelled.
"Allow me to ask a question of my own. What made you believe I was involved?"
"W-Well…"
How could she explain, in an understandable manner, that she essentially stalked him and sniffed him here? She couldn't.
"… It's complicated."
Philip rolled his eyes, "I'm not letting you go this easily next time. Consider yourself lucky."
He smiled at her. But in the end, it wasn't like he needed to ask her directly…
[Analysis complete. But there's one issue… I was unable to fully recreate her set of abilities]
[She holds a lot of secrets. Not only within, but around herself as well]
Philip's intense glare only made her look away.
/Cough!/
Now that she had said everything she wanted, Eri coughed in embarrassment, unable to meet his stare any longer, "T-That was all I wanted to say given our current conditions… ahem…"
"I'll… take my leave now. T-Thank you for having me here." She said with a slight nod and a stutter
"… I… I do hope we can meet again. In a more appropriate time."
Philip walked with her to the door, "I too would've liked it if our conversation were longer."
'Our paths are destined to cross again. That is a reality of Heroes and Nobles… perhaps… it would be great if I could mark her like I did with the others.'
[Shall I?]
'Oh? Of course.'
Suddenly, Elyria felt exposed, a cold, chilly wind passing through her clothes and into her stomach, causing her to gasp audibly and turn her face away as her words were cut short, "I... yes."
She quickly bowed and ran away, even holding her dress with both her hands so she could quicken her pace.
Philip watched her dash into the distance with a smirk, 'I'm interested to see what we can learn from a High Noble. What secrets they hide in their vaults and libraries.'
/Clack!/
…
Going back to his anvil, Philip thought about Elyria's story.
'She warned me about the dangers of this investigation. Of the possibility of something occurring in the near future… Something that forced even her to drop her search.'
[Skill, Eyes of Premonition Lv??? unveil a Fate of destruction]
Philip grimaced at the notification, "That's never good."
'Just as she said, I now have this feeling… that something is about to happen.' He thought as his eyes flashed with weak, golden light
His eyes narrowed, his lips going dry, 'For some reason, I can't help but think about that boy Laplabe told me about. The one connected to the two Elven ladies, and suspected to be another Hero candidate.'
'I avoided investigating them out of concern for retaliation. For just as there are agents of the Crown around me, there might be some around them too.'
'But if a clash is inevitable… then the winner is defined… by who makes the first move.'
He tapped his stomach, "Seems like its time to meet with them again."
…
At the same time... somewhere below…
/Alarm!/
/Alarm!/
/Alarm!/
"… WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING HERE!?" Tredis exclaimed as he rushed to the main reactor control room
"S-SIR! The main reactor... It suddenly went supercritical!"
"What?!… WHO ACTIVATED IT! Today was supposed to be maintenance day!"
Tredis ran to the control board beside the other researchers, "No… this can't be happening. We… WE STILL NEED TO TEST THE NEW TEMPERATURE CONTROL VALVE!!!" He screamed with all his might.
"Who approved of this? Who was in charge of overseeing its operations?!" He exclaimed as he waved his arms frantically, "Where's Jamai?!"
"T-The thing is..."
"SPEAK LOUDER!"
The researcher's back straightened as they closed their eyes and bit their lips, "J-J-JAMAI LOCKED HIMSELF IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM AND ACTIVATED THE REACTOR WHILE WE WERE ALL AWAY!"
"WHAT?!"
"We… we just arrived!"
Tredis stood still for a second…
"WHAAAAT?!"
...
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Notes
See you all in the next chapter!