Chapter 107: In The Garden
Two days had passed since I returned to tous, and it had been a relaxing and enjoyable ti.
I got to spend quality ti with my family and Lila. We did little bits of everything–eat, watch shows, play gas, and just hang out.
However, the weight of all my current issues was not easily ignored.
The wounds on my soul; the clock my freedom was on; my lack of information on my enemies; my lack of allies; and my lack of funds. So of the issues were obviously a lot more important than others, but for my revenge, I needed to up my ga.
What I wanted to do was talk with Nina, as she could be a solution to a number of my problems, and she made wait long enough.
One thing that did happen in these two days was that I was finally able to get a new bloody phone. I couldn’t fix it anymore because it lted during my final fight at Jelannax station, so I got a new one.
With one minor issue resolved, it was ti to potentially talk through a few others.
I’m happy we are finally getting a chance to talk; I can’t say it would be in a place like this.
Currently, I was sitting across from Nina in a fancy garden slash private restaurant place owned by Nina.
I can see why my mum would enjoy this place.
Tella’s love for plants was not sothing passed down to any of her children. I thought flowers looked nice, yeah, but Tella loved everything about them, from the stems, the shapes, the sll, the thorns, and the vines. Though hard to say I didn’t understand at all, my love of the stars was similar, but my obsession was better than hers.
Mum would also be nervous, for many reasons...
When I was told Tella went here with Nina multiple tis, I nearly had a little giggle. The fact that this place was fancy and she would be talking with a famous figure, her nerves would be frying themselves, though I bet she would’ve tried to keep a stray face, it was funny for to think about.
“Did mum enjoy the flowers?” I asked.
Nina replied. “Yes, it did take a couple of visits before she felt comfortable leaving the table and seeing the full scope of everything.”
“Haha, I guessed right.”
“Do you want to see them?”
“I’m good. I don’t share the sa interests, but maybe if you invite both of us around, Tella would love to explain each one to , and that would be fun.”
It was a way we differed; Tella would love to tell people about what she was growing only if she hadn’t told them before or explained the ‘amazing’ plants in a place like this. I, on the other hand, never really tried to explain my love for the star unless soone asked .
It was why she chose a plant-based Vocation.
[Plant Mage] was the only Vocation she would have ever chosen.
I did respect that, unlike , who chose [Fire Mage] due to utility while also being useful for my passion, her first option was completely about what she loved. I could’ve chosen sothing like that, but realistically, [Fire Mage] was the best option for , as it had given plenty of fun experiences and saved my life nurous tis.
(“ But [Plant Mage] isn’t her Vocation ”)
What...?
Wait...
Do you just an it's an Adjusted Vocation or sothing? Yeah, that makes sense; her passion could definitely make it change into one–
(“ No ”)
Espr interrupted again.
(“ It was never [Plant Mage] ”)
And just like that, a bomb had been dropped onto my head. Not a major one, but definitely a shocker.
How do you even bloody know that?
I knew Espr could see people’s Vocation, that part made sense, but now it can see the past Vocation, What? Did it have access to a database or sothing?
My confusion was very evident, and instead of dancing around the topic for a laugh, Espr gave the answer.
(“ In your case, I can see your past Vocations because of my access to your soul; for other people, I can’t do that. However, I am able to tell, when I look at soone’s information whether there were signs of switching Vocations on their Soul”)
I really wished Espr worded that differently than 'my access to your soul’.
Wait, if you can see it based on their outside, does that an switching Vocation leads to damage?
I’ve recomnded switching Vocation to so many people...
(“ There are no dangers; Existence makes sure of that. When it is done properly at least ”)
Properly aning... not being stabbed by an arrow that damages the soul and resets their level?
(“ That indeed would be one of the improper thods ”)
Okay…
I was starting to wonder what all the proper and improper thods were because maybe there were quite a few of both.
Actually, what is Mum’s Vocation?
I stopped that train of thought and jumped back to my original question.
I realised it was a question I never had the answer to; my mother never explicitly told anyone her Vocation. Well, she did, but looking back on it, she was lying through her teeth! My mory wasn’t perfect, but I could kind of picture her saying sothing along the lines of ‘it’s a plant mage’ rather than saying it’s [Plant Mage].
Add that to the list of things to ask Mum about.
While I was having the back and forth with Espr, Nina beca serious.
“Are you a Witch, Ceella?”
“A what?” I asked, genuinely confused. “A female mage? Sure, but I don’t specialise or even use cures and debuffs.”
Nina was a little shocked at my confusion. “Um, you don’t have to pretend, if you are? I know what a Witch is. I know a few.”
"Yeah, no, I don’t know what you're talking about.”
“Okay…” Nina paused; apparently, her whole starting conversation's first talking point was about Witches.
I was still confused, so I asked. “Can you explain what a Witch is?”
“Certainly.” Nina nodded. “Maybe I should’ve started with that instead of rushing things…” Nina looked apologetic.
“They are people who make contracts with… other entities… we don’t know what these other entities are, though. These are people who are granted strength via this contract, usually at the cost of growing, and they gain the Vocation of Witch. In return, these people beco loyal to whatever this entity that grants them strength is.”
Nina continued her explanation, but the major points were covered by her opening statent, as she just went further into the little amount of information she knew. It seed she had so privately shared info, likely tossed around by so high-level or important people, and so information she discovered from her own interactions with a ‘Witch’.
It sounded more like a warlock contract from gas than what I would normally associate with a witch, but I had no idea about why the terms were picked.
Espr?
(“ Nothing she said was exactly incorrect ”)
So does that make a Witch?
(“ Technically speaking, yes ”)
What about Vocations?
(“ Well, the term [Witch] beca popular, so a skill was created that showed the Vocation of such people as [Witch]. In truth, their actual Vocation would be sothing else entirely ”)
…Like [Primal Guardian Lord]?
(“ Correct ”)
So if I did fall under your influence, I wouldn’t be able to level again?
(“ No. I despise such restrictions. I love seeing you grow, so I won’t purposely prevent you from growing stronger ”)
A part of Espoiramissa's response raised more questions for , but this wasn’t the ti for them.
I debated my response for a mont. “Based on your criteria, maybe, but it certainly wasn’t a wish for strength.” I continued drinking the soda that was given to ; I didn't want any tea or coffee.
It appeared Nina had plenty of questions of her own. “So wait, did you not make a deal?”
“I did make a deal. It was a simple one. I wanted off that rock I was trapped on.”
Nina's hands were fully away from her drink that she joyfully sipped throughout the first half of this conversation. “You didn’t ask for strength, power? Wait, did it still require your loyalty?”
“Yes, but also no.” I began to explain a lot about my deal, but for the sake of privacy. I didn’t ntion that Espr was the one who I made my deal with or that it was the Dungeon Planet. I thought about it, but for the mont, I didn’t want to add more elents to this conversation. If I needed to, I could bring it up later.
I ntioned the key parts of the deal, in exchange for being able to get a ride off the planet. I would be given a ti bomb that did act as a source of strength if I wished. I did ntion that I did reach Level 264 before such a deal was made, which gave Nina a nice surprise.
Haha… now I am a level lower than that.
I had to ntion that the entity knew that my main goal was revenge, which I told Nina as well.
Nina said, “Sounds more like a trap than an exchange.”
“I know that, but there wasn’t another option. Breathing in space wasn’t possible at the ti, and even if I could, I would still need to get off the planet and sohow find a ship, and after my recent experience of flying through space alone for months, I am sure nothing I could do alone would’ve gotten off that planet.”
“I see… normally people, well, I guess not like you, don’t talk at all about their deal and conditions.” It appeared that Nina wrote down notes in her mind as she half-talked to and herself. “To be able to get a station to co pick you up? Maybe they contacted other Witches?”
She stopped theorising, and Nina looked down with a painful expression. “I wish sothing could’ve been done before.”
I rebutted, “Don’t wish for sothing impossible; I doubt anything could have been done, and that it is far from the worst of my current problems.”
It was true in my mind. I didn’t see any way for ships to just co and land on Espoiramissa.
Nina sighed and shuffled and sorted the information in her mind. “So your Vocation is what you gained from your deal with your contracted entity.” She clearly rembered saying my Vocation wasn’t [Fire Mage]. Maybe that was part of the evidence she used for the Witch acquisition.
“Oh no, I got a new one after I lost my first one after nearly being murdered and getting my soul damaged. That happened imdiately. Well, the damage happened before I got stranded, and the Vocation was a selection of choices I received after I lost [Fire Mage].”
Nina looked wide-eyed again; it was kind of funny.
“I-um, argh.”
Oh no, I broke her.
I leaned back in the chair. “Why didn’t we have any of these conversations on the ship?”
Nina decided to finish another sip of her tea. “I believe people deserve to rest before jumping back into trouble.”
“I think it would’ve been best if we talked on the ship instead of you ghosting my conversations.”
Nina tried to maintain a calm deanour. “Maybe, but ti to rest and recuperate is important–”
“Yeah, I can’t even properly absorb mana at the mont. My soul is super damaged. Sa weapon as last ti, with added bullshit.”
“What…?”
“Yeah, very painful. It was literally destroying my soul and levels.” My very relaxed explanation destroyed Nina as the whiplash caused her to freeze before she started panicking and requiring answers.
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