"I am Aeris Illya Thaloreon, 2nd Princess of the Thaloreon Kingdom."
Aeris spoke, but in her voice, she seed hesitant to trust . I an, I wouldn't trust soone who blasts their way in a bandit camp and cleaves their leader in half while not even giving a fuck.
But well, my objective was successful—Rescue Aeris Illya Thaloreon and make her the first mber of the Covenant.
[You have not asked her to join your faction yet...] Dante sighed.
I don't need to.
[Why?]
Because she will join of her own accord.
[And why is that?]
Aeris in the ga was a villainous who straight up wiped out two Elven Kingdoms—Eldorwen and Thaloreon. But when Raiden and the elven heroine, Maerina Illya Thaloreon, Aeris's sister, fight her in the later part of the ga and defeat her.
It was revealed that Aeris was suffering from a strange and rare disease that made her mana-insensitive.
It ant that she could not sense or feel mana in the surroundings, which in turn led to her not being able to use mana because if one can't feel mana, they can't form a mana core.
[And you know how to fix it?] Dante asked.
Of course, it is was a potion that we were able to craft in the ga—The Elixir of Astral Roots.
A potion made out of a very rare tree root found in the mazes. It is one of the reasons I applied for a Mazekin license, other than, of course, building the guild as a cover for the covenant.
And since alchemy is one of the most overpowered minor build that a player of the ga, according to , must learn. It can complent a player's major builds perfectly.
As first of all—Healing potions. That's one of the most basic requirents in a playthrough. Also, there are potions like Recovery potions, enhancent potions that can be used to make the experience better.
[And your plan to help her sense Mana again]
Bingo
At least for now, Aeris is useless to . But when she forms her mana core and gains leverage over her legacy.
Even I might fall behind her power.
"So what Great House are you from?" Aeris's voice cut through my thoughts, her tone still tinged with uncertainty. Her golden eyes looked at with slight doubt.
"Great House?" I raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, the Elven family you belong to or are you a commoner?"
"No, I am not an Elf," I simply stated, removing a few strands of hair that covered my ears, "I am a Human."
"What?!" Her voice echoed throughout the room. She stepped back, her fists raised upwards in a fighting stance like she could even do anything to .
"What's so surprising about being a Human?" I scratched my cheek as I slowly approached, but she moved further back.
"Stay away, Mudborn!" She spat back.
Damn she is a racist like the other knife-ears.
I took a deep breath, calming myself down. I t her gaze while maintaining a composed expression on my face. "Listen, I know about your condition... And I know how to cure it."
Aeris's eyes narrowed, her fist still raised, but there was a slight twitch in her lips. "What do you an?"
"Your Mana Insensitivity." As the words parted from my lips, her eyes widened. Her whole fra shook, and her face contorted with confusion as to how I had known about her condition.
"H-How?" Her voice cracked, her eyes trembling.
"How what?"
"How did you know about my condition?"
"Beca—"
"Were you sent by my family to kill !?" Her raw voice bood. Her voice was laced with unfiltered rage and slight sadness. "Why!?"
"Why should I suffer for sothing I cannot even control!? It is not my fault that I was born this way without power!"
"I never wanted to be like this..." Her voice lowered as tears fell from her eyes. "I also wanted to be strong, to be soone who could stand up for their own. I also wanted to use and learn magic... I never wanted to be this pathetic piece of flesh which can be easily discarded by others"
I simply listened to her every word, her deep-seated hatred for herself, sothing that reminded of my own. When I loathed myself for being born.
When I loathed myself for being a burden on my mother. But no, not anymore. That was the past.
"I can help you cure your insensitivity."
Her tears stopped at my words; she looked at with an uncertain gaze, but this ti, there was a flicker of hope—a small ember that burned in her golden eyes.
"W-why should I trust you?" She asked, her voice breaking.
"You don't have to," I smiled and tapped on my storage ring, pulling out a piece of white paper with various lines written on it and extended it towards her. "Let's sign a contract of blood."
"I will cure you of your Mana Insensitivity, help you train your mana and help you get revenge on your family, but..."
"But what?"
"You will have to pledge loyalty to and join my faction. A win-win deal, right?"
Her brows furrowed as she stared at the piece of paper extended towards her. "But how can I comply? I don't have mana."
"That is why I chose a contract of blood, it does not require mana. Only our blood," I smirked. I knew she would ask this; that is why I made plans in advance.
Her eyes softened slightly, but she still remained wary, "Will you really fulfil your word, Human?"
"I will," I stated firmly.
"And about pledging loyalty, you an as a slave?"
"No, as a supporter who will fight alongside ."
Aeris's hands lowered. Her defiant eyes were now burning with hope, which was exactly what I needed.
As the saying goes, give soone hope, and they will do whatever it takes to achieve it.
"So will you comply, your highness?" I asked, shoving the paper towards her.
"Aeris. Just Aeris is fine, human." She replied, taking the paper from my hands and read the conditions that I just stated to her.
"Blade?" She asked, facing towards .
"Ah, yes,"
[Shadow Forge] I muttered, forming a small dagger in my hand, "This should suffice."
I gave my finger a small cut with it, allowing a few drops of blood to fall on the piece of paper. I handed the shadow dagger over to her.
Aeris did the sa. And as soon as her blood landed on the paper, it glowed a bright red signaling the establishnt of our contract.
If she or I failed to fulfil, lets just say it will have so not so desirable consequences.
I put the contract inside my storage ring and made my way towards the chest that the bandit leader kept. I knelt beside it and remained silent.
So much money was being wasted on such trash.
I groaned inwardly and closed the chest. I tapped on my storage ring, and warp ford above where I comfortably put the chest inside.
"What now?" Aeris asked.
"We should leave this place." I replied, taping on my ring, this ti to take out so warm fur cloak and gave it to Aeris, "Here, its cold outside and your clothes are worn out."
She took the wear with a slight blush on her face, "Thank you..."
"Lets go," Ignoring her reaction I moved out of the room and she followed behind .
...
...
As both of us climbed out of the underground hatch. We were t by the cold snow of the enclosure. The body of Klaude and Rolf were still lying on the ground alongside Phil's headless body.
Of course, this is not a ga anymore. Their bodies won't just dispawn.
I glanced at Aeris who was trembling not from the cold but from the horror she had seen today. The remaining captives that I did not rescue, the dead bodies of the bandits and that poor woman.
It will haunt her for now but she must get used to it.
"Lets go before it snows," I said looking up the cloudy sky.
"Yes..." Aeris whispered quietly behind .
My plan now is to go to Clinkton and collect my Mazekin license. After that I will return to Rasendorf where I will shove Aeris's responsibility to Aunt Josephine while I search for the Astral root.
[Noah, soone is watching.] Dante's voice echoed.
[Shadow Forge]
I muttered creating a bastard sword out of my shadows. I held Aeris behind , my eyes darted across the ruins to find any spies but there was none.
Are you sure?
[Yes, there was soone watching you.]
But who?
***
Far away sowhere a figure of a woman could be seen. She was sitting on the roof of a abandoned house. Her Violet hair stood out from the white snow and her purple reptilian gaze was on a young man standing before an elven girl.
Her figure was covered in a scaly violet and black armour with a sword strapped around her waist with a spikey hilt.
"I almost got caught, didn't I?" Her face was etched with sharp smile which softened as soon as she saw the young man. Her gaze lingered over him, morizing his every feature. "He is still handso but not as you though."
"But why him?" She whispered to herself in a soft voice. "Why did you choose him instead of the Heir of Dawn?"
"Why did you choose the Heir of Ashes?"
She stood up from her position and turned around but not before having final glance at the young man.
"But that is so much like you... Ethan."
Her figure blurred, disappearing in the cold air.
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