The brief sharp pain from the needle pricking her finger gave Ariellia an odd sense of satisfaction. It's done, with this little bit of blood the magical journal is now bound to her. No one else can open it even if they stumble upon it by chance. She'd learned her lesson from Folami's carelessness. It's not wise to leave your secrets lying around for others to find. After convincing Neilos to return to Rahnoff with five of his elite guild members, she ran off to her guest room at lightning speed.
She immediately popped open the magic journal and began writing everything she could remember about the game. The gaps in her memory became glaringly obvious when only half of the journal could be filled. She knows there's more she needs to write but nothing comes to mind no matter how hard she tries to recall it. A certain dark elf had gobbled it all up.
In the end she had to be satisfied with the pages she managed to fill with important information. Hopefully, this would be enough to avoid any death flags that might come up. Who knows, once she's divorced Rei and he's headed off to the capital, she might head out on a journey of her own to avoid the troublesome suitors likely to come knocking on the duke's door.
'I don't want to divorce Rei though.'
Eren rolls her eyes at sealed Arie's interjection. "Rei isn't destined for us, holding onto him will only spell doom for us. I've already died once, it's too soon for me to be seeking death in this life."
'That's not what the oracle said.'
"You still believe that charlatan, his spell is what got you locked away in your own body. How can you trust a word he said?" She flops over on the large plush bed, propping her head up with her hands. To complete the journal in secret she'd order Sena not to disturb her for now, no one would bare witness to her talking to herself in an empty room.
'You say it's all a lie now, but you'll see I'm right, the world tree is never wrong.'
"And you know this how?" That's another thing she's been curious about. In their little talks Ariellia keeps hinting that she can communicate with the world tree. This is strange since the world tree should be in Endall, it's too far-fetched to think that the little sapling in the Evergreen forest could be the one communicating with her.
'I've always been able to hear her voice since I was a baby. She promised that someday I'll get to meet her.'
Fat chance of that, if things played out like the game Ariellia would be dead by the end of the month. As it stands Eren has no intention of crossing the sea to go to Endall to meet the other side of the family. It's hard enough to play the part in front of David and Jasper. The duke is willing to feign ignorance to the changes in her behavior because he loves her too much to entertain darker possibilities of why.
"Whatever, lets sort out our physical situation first before talking about visiting the world tree. Who knows what will happen in the future." The month's end is fast approaching, she doesn't have a moment to lose. Hopping out of bed, she approaches the storage chest at the corner of the room. Her impressive haul from today's shopping spree should be in there. She can't wait to examine each item closely. Just when she's about to reach out to open it there's an urgent knock at the door. Confused, she decides to leave the chest for now and answers the door.
It's the young maid Sena, but the expression on her face doesn't look good.
"Sena, what's wrong?"
"My lady we must leave now, the duke got an urgent report from Sir Emiya. He said the monsters of the witch's forest are acting strange, likely preparing to march on the city. The duke has ordered everyone to pack our things and head back as soon as possible."
Ariellia didn't even attempt to hide her shock. It's too soon, she'd been hoping for more time to prepare. In her mind she felt like she had the whole month to gain experience and slowly reveal the situation to her father through carefully placed hints. Should she be thankful that Sir Emiya had taken this thankless task off her hands or dismayed by the sudden change of events?
"My lady we need to prepare the horses, is there anything you would like me to prepare before we leave?"
"No, just don't forget to take the storage chest in my room back with us." She'd been so busy writing in her new journal she never really got a chance to unpack in the first place. Neilos offered to give a proper tour of the city since it's been so long since she last visited. It's unfortunate timing, she'd really been looking forward to seeing the sights. "Wait for me, I'll get changed."
Rushing into the dressing room, she swiftly replaced her long gown with leather breeches and a pair of sturdy riding boots. By the time she returned to the room the storage chest had already disappeared, Sena wasted no time at all, packing all her lady's things in an orderly manner. All that was left was the magical journal on the bed, Ariellia personally went over to retrieve it herself.
"Let us go, where is my father?"
"Duke David is bidding mayor Takao goodbye. The news came so suddenly they didn't have enough time to talk about the governance of the region or account for this year's taxes."
"And Neilos?" It's short notice but she still hoped he could fulfill his promise and join them on the trip back.
"The young master ran back to the guild to gather his members. He offered his services to the duke to help deal with the monster march."
Phew, Ariellia doesn't know whether to be thankful or amused by the young dark elf's heroics. He's certainly trying to win every brownie point he can to paint himself in a good light. She follows Sena out to the stables to collect Mori-fae. The huge horse seems to have been eating to his heart's content, completely unconcerned about their earthly affairs. She finds herself a bit envious, the next few days will determine her life or death, yet her steed remains indifferent.
'So much for sharing a destiny.'
She shakes her head and mounts the rebellious horse, joining the rest of their entourage while they wait for the duke to appear.
"Good, you're still here!" She hears the happiness in his voice before she spots Neilos riding up to her at full speed. Behind him are five other individuals, each of a different race and creed but oddly harmonious in nature. He doesn't wait for his horse to come to a full stop before dismounting in one fluid motion. He rushes to her side and gives her hand a kiss.
"My lady I have gathered the finest members of my guild. We shall travel with you back to Rahnoff to defeat the monster march."
"Thank you Neilos" She gives him a shaky smile in return, trying and failing to pull back her hand.
"Good, it looks like everyone is here. There isn't much time before the monsters of the forest march on the city. We will be racing against time to make it before they reach the city gates. I'm deeply grateful for all your valor. May the Lady light our way through the darkness!" Once again, her image of the pampering plump duke undergoes a drastic change. His short speech is enough to heat up the atmosphere, making the hot-blooded knights of the duchy raise their weapons in union and let out a deafening cry into the night sky.
"To Rahnoff!"