Isaac Hamilton's POV
The [Archmages] and their closest coterie collectively scread and flailed as their spell failed and backlash struck them like Divine punishnt. If he wasn't so stunned by the scene unfolding before his very eyes, Isaac Hamilton would've snorted at the analogy. It could very well be Divine punishnt. Amusing allegories aside, he worried for the future of the Academy. Without the ruling triumvirate to keep it together in these trying tis, the institution could be drawn and quartered by the hungry factions eager to rebuild their own little empires.
Maybe it was an opportunity. He himself was mber of one of these hungry factions. He wouldn't dare do anything before checking with the book mimic. Speaking of which, the creature hung at Ambrose's side, safely nestled inside that silk bag. The halfling wasn't panicking as hard as the other people, which led credence to his suspicion that the to was involved with the unfolding events.
Back to the Headmaster, he {Appraised} him.
> Level 85 male [Archmage]
> Physical >>>>>>>>>> ntal > Spiritual >> Magical
His rare {Appraise} Ability paid off. Ten chevrons between one Attribute category and the next, the maximum his Ability would display, ant the difference in total points was ten tis or more. Isaac didn't want to believe but the System wasn't lying. Whatever happened to the Headmaster, it ruined his Attribute values.
Then he did the sa to the others. Every single one of them gave the sa result.
He detached himself from the scene and studied the reaction of the people around him. The other teachers rushed to help the [Archmages], while the two ladies next to him empathetically cried as they hugged each other. Ambrose lowered her head and clutched the strap of the book's bag. He felt the girl's disappointnt as she shook it.
Isaac relived the events. The Headmaster attempted to lie under his own spell, which caused its frawork to beco unstable. Given the Triumvirate’s expertise it would be a trivial matter for the other two to bring the spell back under control even if Druxius was unable to do so. However, it backfired entirely. One would suspect sabotage but why accuse when it was without proof and when it benefitted his position?
The Headmaster was a relic of another ti. And his actions only showed it. He was unhinged. The Headmaster's behavior was not one borne of civilized thought but one belonging to ages long past, one where power made right. He coveted the book mimic, the power it held but it was too much for him.
If the book mimic was even remotely related to the Goddess, Druxius was a fool. A lowly worm dreaming of soaring the clouds. Not even worth ntioning that if their suspicions were right and Netherbane was the Goddess' child, then Druxius should be happy he was alive.
In any case, he felt relieved that he took the right side. Isaac reaffird his intent of helping Ambrose and her familiar to the best of his ability. And maybe he should re-read the Holy books regarding the Matriarch. Before both miracles and divine wrath, the hearts of n often find renewed faith, after all.
'Matriarch, the Goddess of Protection! Swift is your punishnt but plentiful is your bounty. Please overlook our slights', he prayed to himself while he glanced sideways at the book.
*
*
*
*
While Isaac prayed, the world moved on. People talked as their voices tangled with one another in a cacophony, mages casted spells, and everyone tried to figure out what the hell was going on.
The chair that tumbled twice cracked under all the added weight of the [Archmage]'s new body. And boy, was it a marvel to behold. Lean muscles, taut and soft skin, he even grew an inch or two from sheer bulk. Too bad it was painful as fuck.
They howled and thrashed as their bones, muscles, and sinew were reforged by the System. It went on for less than a handful of seconds and then it was over. The group settled and the Headmaster's chair broke. The System's job was done and so was the curse. It was useless now and if I let it linger on them it would be a liability, ridiculously high detection difficulty or not.
Every mage in the room full of mages was using a spell or two. Healing, detection, protection, and so on. The fact it hadn't descended into utter anarchy spoke to the sense of duty most faculty had for the institution. Too bad their leader tried to seek power that didn't belong to them. Amidst the chaos, I cast a counter curse spell, letting the diagram draw in the air for all to see, joining the myriad of magical symbols floating around.
The diagram was carefully wrought to be easy to understand. It was a purifying and purging spell which could do no harm. So teachers noticed the spell and quickly nodded at , disregarding the spell. It ran its course and lifted any curse or jinx (weaker than ) in the room. It did nada to the ones I was burdened with, though.
> You gained 1 point of [Diplomat].
> You gained 1 point of [Spellcaster].
Being the closest one to , Barbara also noticed.
she rolled her eyes,
I tried to explain it to Barbara.
She huffed, annoyed.
She took a deep breath, then rubbed my dust cover with her hand.
She gasped.
Barbara asked, suspicious.
You gaze into the Cosmos. Behold its glory and forget about the world.
The experience must've been unsettling. They all shook and shivered as the effect washed over as soon as it happened, leaving only the ssage in their interfaces.
"That was..." Elizabeth shuddered and hugged her arms, rubbing them as if she felt cold.
"Yeah," Eleanora nodded.
"{Cosmos Within} ..." Isaac mused. "The {Capstone} for Ego. The most elusive of them all. And maybe the most powerful."
"All of them are, in their own way. But yes, it is strong," I agreed.
"I'll be honest, Netherbane," Isaac said. "Are you the one the church is looking for all these centuries?"
"And who is it?" I played dumb.
"The church seeks a Transcendental whose Status can't be read," he explained. "Everyone believes that to be about a person."
"It's okay to tell them, Nethe," Barbara suggested.
"No, it's not," I lowered my eyestalks. "Sorry guys. I can't answer that one. That way, you can honestly reply you don't know."
Isaac paused for a mont, collecting his wits. He shared a glance with the other two noblewon and earned nods from them. "Yes, that is for the best."
"Okay!" Eleanora broke the silence after a while. "I'm a little peckish, so can we go to Lizzie's room?"
*
*
That's how Isaac was discarded and I found myself baking in a corner of Lady Elizabeth's bedroom while the three won prepared for a tea slash sleepover party. Only one thing held them back from letting it all loose.
"Is Netherbane a boy book or a girl book," Eleanora asked.
Before I could protest, Barbara answered straight, "Girl book. Definitely a girl."
"How do you even..." Elizabeth stole a glance at . "How do mimics reproduce?"
"Nethe?" Barbara asked and I replied to them.
"Mimics split a portion of their bodies into a baby mimic once they reach a certain age. No rubbing bits of flesh required."
"Gross," Eleanora retched in jest. "You need to learn so poetry, Miss book."
I swiveled my ribbon-eyestalks backward and glared at her across the room, "Maybe I should stop baking and go read so. Or stop concentrating on this Fire spell and let it loose."
She quickly did a half-turn, "No, I was just joking."
They changed the subject for a while, until I arrived on the bed levitating two trays, one with steaming pastries and the other with three shot glasses with a fiery red liquid.
"My esteed Ladies, these are best consud hot. To whet your appetites, I have two draughts of {Major Fire Resistance Potion}. Take them before the pastries"
> [Ruby Major Fire Resistance Potion]
> Value: 25 silver.
> Ingredients: Crushed rubies, salt, crystallized dew, water, dragon blood.
> Increases sense of taste by 25%. Grants 80% Fire resistance and capsaicin tolerance. Duration, 8 minutes.
> This non-alcoholic potion tastes like wine with notes of tangy wild berries. It has extrely low potion toxicity.
"These are twenty-five silver," Elizabeth said as she picked one of the glasses.
"Although these aren't anything like the filthy roadside market versions, think nothing of it, my Lady."
Eleanora quaffed hers. "I doubt they are. No potion I've ever taken, tasted as good, Nethe."
She was testing the waters to see if she could use the nickna. I glanced at my companion.
[Sapphire Cool Potion of Intellect]
> Price: 1 gold, 89 silver
> Ingredients: Crushed sapphires, sugar, owl feathers, rmaid tears, water.
> Soothes the palate, removes fatigue. Increases MP regeneration by 25%. 15 Charisma, 5 Mind and 5 Magic. If unlocked, 5 Ego and 5 Soul. Allows imbiber to turn their tongue blue at will. Duration, 15 minutes.
> This non-alcoholic refreshing sweet drink loosen social boundaries while keeping the mind sharp and alert. It has extrely low potion toxicity.
"I'm afraid all drinks I serve are considered 'potions' by the System, milady," I replied. I can't make ordinary beverages, I only have [Alchemist] to brew."
The exchange sparked Eleanora's interest. She rolled on her hips to fetch herself a cocktail. "It tickles the back of my mouth," she trilled. "Can I have a box to go? Where did you learn the recipe?"
"It's a secret, I'm afraid."
She poked a blue tongue at . The value of sothing exclusive relied on artificial scarcity.
"I only brewed these three doses," I continued. "My Ladies, you tasted sothing unique in this entire world. Not even the Goddess knows how this drink tastes."
This ti it was Barbara's ti to giggle at .
"We are honored, Nethe," Elizabeth declared.
"Where did you learn [Alchemy] anyway?" Eleanora pressed, sloshing her over-half-empty glass. "Seriously, I estimate this requires over two hundred Proficiency to brew."
"I'm sorry, Nethe," the other Lady grabbed her furry-legged companion. "Elly didn't an to intrude. She's just curious."
"That's fine," Barbara dismissed Elizabeth's worries before she smoothly changed subjects. "You already know, don't you?"
I was surprised and so was Elizabeth, who inhaled sharply, then straightened herself on the bed to et the halfling's eyes.
"We suspected. But recent developnts and what you said about your Transcendental Perk confird it," the Lady admitted. "Nethe's mother is the Matriarch, isn't she?"
"Yes. She was the one trapped in the Headmaster's vault for a thousand years," Barbara admitted.
"The church is looking for you," Eleanora repeated Isaac's question, staring at . "Why won't you reveal yourselves?"
"I don't want to get dragged into their sches and plots too early," I explained. "I have a hunch who told the Church to look for and I have people out there looking for them. If I get dragged into the church's business, then mom will make their business her business. She doesn't want to rake that muck yet. You two are part of the nobility, you surely know so dirt on the church. Can you imagine the bother it would be to clean it up?"
"Isn't it her job?" Eleanora rebutted.
I shook my silk eyestalks. "The church exists to serve the Goddess, not the other way around. There's an anecdote that explains it very well."
An explorer visits a cannibal gnoll restaurant in the barbarian wilds, to the east. He browses the nu.
- Harpy wing tulips, 45 copper.
- Centaur ribs with barbecue sauce, 3 silver.
- Pickled Human haunches, 4 silver.
- Elf steak with sautéed vegetables, 12 silver.
- Roasted [Priest], 27 gold.
Intrigued, he asked the waiter why the roasted [Priest] was so expensive.
"Aside from staying for weeks over the coals to soften the at, have you ever tried cleaning one up?"
The girls didn't laugh. Maybe I should've brewed a fourth dose for myself. Or they aren't into cannibal humor.
"After centuries left to their own devices, the church is in a sorry state, to say the least," I explained. "Their only comndable achievent was to push the worship of the other gods to the sidelines."
"The Perk package for new [Priests] is a very generous one," Elizabeth admitted. "I know several people who joined the church just for the Perks."
"Let's assu you are the Goddess for a day. How would you feel about these [Priests] who only pay lip service to the Faith? Or the old ones who whore out the temple to line their pockets?"
Elizabeth startled at the W-word. She took a few steadying breaths. "I would purge them all," she doomsayed in a whisper.
"Exactly. Their reckoning is long overdue, but it will happen on mom's terms. She's healing from the Cataclysm and in no hurry for so house cleaning."
The real reason was that I didn't want to drag Barbara into this ss. I want her to live her life on her own terms. But if this sponsorship thing was ant to work, it had to be with all cards on the table.
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