"Hi, Yaci!"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"
I understand the reason for the jumpscare reaction and was expecting it. Even so, I can’t contain myself and start laughing.
Lovelace cos through the gate right after , so she missed the scene.
"What the hell... Aurea, is it really you? And Lovelace? How?"
"I’m sorry, Yaci... hahahhaha... but I... hehehehehe..."
"Can you stop laughing and please explain what’s going on?"
But the more I try to stop laughing, the more I laugh.
"I’m... sorry... but the way you jumped... hahahahahahahaha... and your scream... was magnificent."
"Just ignore her, Yaci. Well, to summarize, she developed a way to travel far distances through magic. One mont ago we were in East Rising."
"I see... so you used that magic to co visit ?"
"Yes. This is the first place we are visiting after she made sure that it was safe to travel."
While they talk, I slowly manage to regain control over myself and stop laughing. Though sotis I let out a chuckle.
"I’m sorry, Yaci. There was no way of warning you in advance. And I’m sorry for my reaction."
"It’s okay, you brat. But even with that magic, how did you know that I’m here?"
"Actually, I didn’t. And I don’t even know where here is, as you seem to be in a very random place in the middle of the Barrens..."
"Yeah, I’m out on patrol. But then, how..."
"Through this!"
I show her the comb she made as a gift for .
"I can follow the link between the comb and the one who made it, which is you. That’s how I managed to create a portal to the exact place where you are, even without knowing where that place was."
I find it funny that teleport works this way here. In all stories I’ve read, it was only possible to teleport to a place that was familiar to the caster.
That’s not true here. My spatial magic is based off the concept of a connection between things and/or beings. The strength of that connection varies depending on the nature of the connection and other variables.
So, teleportation magic depends on having access to sothing that has a connection with the place you want to go to. For example, to go back ho, I brought a flower from our garden.
The flower’s connection to its birthplace is strong, even so ti after it withers. I’ve tested it before coming.
But it imposes a ti limit on us. We have to go back before the connection weakens too much; otherwise, we’ll have to go by the natural way.
The comb has a more stable connection because of our mutual feelings in the mont of its creation. That’s why I can use it after so many years have passed.
Magic is sensational.
"Well, in the end, what matters is that you are here. And I’m so happy!!"
Yaci jumps on and hugs , the sa way she did so many tis before, when my body was still that of a little child.
"Aurea, you have grown so much! And you look like a clone of your mother... so gorgeous!"
"Hehe... and you are as beautiful as always, Yaci."
"You two, enough with the flirting. We have more pressing matters to attend to."
Oooh. Is it jealousy I see?
"What matters? I thought you were just visiting ."
"Well, that’s an important part of it, but still not the whole. I have a proposal for the beastkin tribes."
"A proposal? What kind of proposal?"
"Would you take to the elders?"
:::
A few hours later, we are in the elder council.
It isn’t that we were so far away from the camp. It’s just that, as soon as we arrived, the whole tribe ca to see us and say hello.
I love these people. They are so welcoming and easygoing. Their reception is as heartwarming as always.
But now, we are in front of the elders. Yara is still the head elder, and Yaci is accompanying us. She was too curious to not co, and nobody questioned her.
She is sitting at my side, and we’re holding hands, which makes my heart race more than the actual reason I’ve co to this place.
"I’m sure you’ve received enough welcoming words already. But still, let welco you in the na of the fox tribe of the beastkin."
"Thank you so much, Yara. The fox beastkin are always so welcoming and friendly. I always feel like this tribe is my actual holand."
"I’m really glad you feel this way, Aurea. So, I’m told that you have a proposal for the beastkin tribes?"
"Indeed. Well, you rember that my mother is the princess of the kingdom of Wesgoth, right?"
"Yes, we do rember."
"It happens that the royal family is progressist, which has garnered the hatred of several more conservative families, as well as the Church. That faction is calling itself ’the Blessed’ nowadays."
"Right."
"Since the Duke Addlington was executed and the family stripped of its titles, the duchy of the region nearest the Barrens has been vacant, as the king, my grandfather, is waiting for to accept the title."
"Hmm..."
"There is a civil war brewing on the horizon, and the Church will likely throw their weight on it, supporting the Blessed faction. With that support, we can expect for our army to be excommunicated."
"And that ans..."
"It ans that the army would lose their access to the Adventuring System, exactly like the Beastkin."
"I think I’m starting to see where this is going... you want an alliance."
"Yes. The king would sign a treaty that would make slavery a cri, as well as any discrimination against the beastkin. And you would be allowed to live within my domain when I’m a Duchess."
"To live within your domain?"
"Yes. It’s the region that includes Amapytu and the lands directly south and southwest of it, including the towns of Evergrove and Alderbury. It’s a very fertile land, mostly free of monsters."
"So the tribes would be allowed to live there? And the human population?"
"It isn’t like the two populations can’t coexist. You could opt to migrate to the existing cities, or we can find a place apt to found a new town for you."
"That’s in exchange for fighting the war with you, right? But what guarantees do we have that the war will be won to begin with?"
"There are no guarantees. It’s a war, after all. But we have so advantages to counterbalance their own advantages. First of all, there’s Lovelace and . We don’t really depend on the System, and yet, the excommunication wouldn’t affect us."
"I see. Any of you would be able to singlehandedly defeat a small army, indeed."
"I wouldn’t go that far... but we’ll train the army in systemless magic, including so of my most recent developnts."
"I heard that you developed a magic that can transport you all the way from East Rising to here."
"That’s one of our trump cards. We can use my spatial magic to hit them with guerrilla tactics."
"With what tactics?"
Oh, right, they don’t know what guerrilla is.
"It’s a kind of small-scale war, in which small platoons use high mobility and the elent of surprise to keep hitting the bigger enemy over ti, wearing it down."
"Oh, I see. So you could send so platoons behind the enemy lines with that magic?"
"Indeed."
It’s a bit more complicated than that because of the limitations of spatial magic. But it being within our own lands, I can prepare everything in advance.
"And then there’s a last factor that is by no ans lesser. The goddess disappeared around five years ago and has been silent ever since."
"What???"
"Yeah. So the Church is scrambling to maintain a sense of normality, hiding that information from the public. But, in a war, that would play in our favor by limiting the power-up they can receive."
"Yes, that’s a huge trump card. I see you’re well prepared, Aurea. The offer is more than re boasting. But it’s a decision too difficult to make on the spot. We would need so ti to talk between ourselves and with the Loa."
"Of course!"
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