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Last Thread: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/4413401/

Archive:
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=Black+Clover
https://pastebin.com/raw/P5jsYPTK
> Please vote if you feel like it.

Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/raw/trvUD4VV

Character Profiles:
https://pastebin.com/raw/3r24ndX1
> Has been updated.

Thread theme:
https://youtu.be/Cdjp2sIyuQ0 [We Builds This City]

>[The spells, their effects and cost have been slightly adjusted. Compare to the old one if you wish: https://pastebin.com/raw/Jhu6ZZab]

You make a couple of steps away to join Marine away from the likely blow-up. You keep your grimoire floating nearby and your magic wand swaying from one of the Coral Peacock Knights to another, an incantation of your healing spell lingers ready-to-cast on your lips. Unlike your – very reasonable – instinct of self-preservation, Marine’s creations of pink clay magic lack any. They obediently and motionlessly stand and wait for whatever is to come. Daffy finishes her pre-casting; she drags her finger against the glowing letters of her stunning, yet at the same time bright-coral, grimoire. The residing cloud of perfume begins to cultivate.

“Perfume Magic: Flammable Flirt”

There is a brief, crisp crackle before the fragrant vapour begins to burn with immense fire magic. The smell of smouldering smoke is intoxicating; it is drug-like and relaxing. The incarnated inferno is strong, powerful and ultrahot. The blast makes you cover your face to protect your eyelids and skin. Daffy’s magic rapidly surrounds the anomalous tree like an excruciating, flaming, and melting wax. After a few seconds, a cacophonous tumult is heard from the centre of the fiery fire as the dozen predatory maws of wolf-alike timber creatures begin to come to life. Like tadpoles of a honeycomb toad, they begin to hatch from the tree-like centre.

Surrounded by fire – and suffering through obvious agony from this fact – the wooden creations, one by one, burst from the stalk of the tree until what remains of the “oak tree” completely collapses on itself. The burning “canopy” collapses onto the ground to explode with an enormous fire vortex. There’s a shadow inside the flame of a creature crudely resembling a flatfish and a spider.

Unlike the wolf-like beings around it, it is unique in appearance and is four times their height. It is, however, very thin and lank...

Marine cowardly yelps and then hides behind you. She begins to nervously flip through pages searching for another type of spell.

But that’s not the immediate concern right now. Like discharging fireballs – fireworks without a cause – the timber monsters, one by one, begin to attempt to flee from Daffy’s spell. Surrounded by fire, they explode and trail into three completely separate directions. Quickly burning away, it is more than certain that they are not going to survive much longer... but this just will be enough time to wreak some havoc. A couple of those beasts burst out towards the village. They land far enough from it to not begin immediately burning it with their fire, but close enough to possibly reach it in their rabies of agony. Several of the beasts land not far from the top of the hillside: beneath the hills, in a crater-like meadow, lies an isolated island-forest of this region.

Three of the predators – the bigger of the bunch – crawl out of the trunk and their bodies to land right in front the three of you. Up this close, those burning and mad dire wolves of oak resemble hounds of hell. They waste no time focusing their anger on the culprit of their pain – the perfume mage. Howling at each other and her with an uncanny resemblance to living beasts, they leap in an attempt to bite into and – with no way to put out the flames - take Daffy with her to the afterworld. Daffy is in visible fright...

Thankfully, the small clay soldiers are there to stop the wolves. The four of them engulf in rhodonite radiance as they all leap to catch onto the monsters. All of Marine’s soldiers quickly begin to melt but not before summoning their powerful spells. With immense magic power, they grab onto the monsters and force them back onto the ground before they can reach any of you...

Immense mana leaves those little toys as soon as they take hold of onto and snatch onto the burning beasts. With the ever-flowing power of the Kaolinite magic surging within them, they are easily able to ground the beasts and hold them in place; for a while...

> Rush away to restrain the burning beasts near the village houses. [How?]
> Run towards the ascendance of the high hill lands to stop the beasts reaching the forest.
> Use your magic to interfere with the beasts currently trying to attack Daffy. [How?]
> Keep your cool and use your healing magic only when one of them gets injured.
> [Write In]

>>4456030
>> Rush away to restrain the burning beasts near the village houses. [How?]
try to stop them with weighted blanket

>>4456249
I'll support this plan

>>4456030
>> [Write In]
> Order Daffy to summon more flames and finish of best in front of them
> Order Marine to summon more soldiers and protect Daffy
> Rush away to restrain the burning beasts near the village houses. [How?]
This >>4456249

>>4456026
> [Damn it, I fecked up the links despite double-checking the OP post! Sigh... I'll try to post it below now to avoid the confusion…]

> OLD Character Sheet.
> https://pastebin.com/raw/trvUD4VV

> NEW Character Sheet.
> https://pastebin.com/raw/ctUyxpe7

> Character(s) Profiles:
> https://pastebin.com/raw/Jhu6ZZab

The empty yet vast forest, that is now rather likely to burn, is a second-hand problem; one you will have to worry about afterwards. You quickly glance towards Marine to settle a consensus; she is the more thoughtful and strategic of the two. She is also looking towards the distant village with a noticeable worry. “Sorry-sorry-sorry,” she mutters underneath her breath as she watches the burning beasts slowly stand up: their sights set on the earthy residencies of the villagers. Marine slams her hand against the soft pages of her magic tome before she turns towards Daffy. She swallows, “I told you it was too hasty, Daffodil!”

The bottles on Daffy’s belt bang against each other with annoying echoing the moment she turns to face Marine. “Coral Peacock!” her voice raises with quickly growing authority, “Did you just call me by the name I told~ you not to call me by?!?!”

Marine quickly glances away to the ground. Her soldiers continue to burn as she – barely audibly – mutters, “Sorry, Daffy.”

The purple-haired woman – she is the oldest amongst you – looks away and turns the pages of her grimoire, “I have this under complete control~” she says as she quickly summons another tangible and sweet-smelling gust of aroma and perfume. The mist trickles down her fingers towards the cindering wolf-like beasts of oak. However, it passes above the restrained, yet at the same time madly struggling timber cadavers a few meters above them to form a more corporeal overcast formed out of the icy mist.

She looks at the two of you an alluring wink. “Let’s not have everything burn down, shall we~,” she asks of Marine (?).

“Perfume Magic: Glacial Mizzle,” she incantates another spell of her grimoire. As the grey smoke begins to fume and grow from beneath the canopies of tall trees of the downhill, the bluish perfume cloud completes forming in their way; it begins to push it back and slowly descend through the green aboveground. A bizarre icy snowfall – as well as a sparkling layer of frost – quickly begins to forms around every greenery Daffy’s mist connects and passes all the way through. The fleeing fires that the beasts beneath have – unintentionally – started when they rushed downwards have calmed; the beast carcasses are now frozen.

You finish gathering your mana and rush towards the beasts dashing like spawns of brimstone hell towards the – luckily – stone houses of this settlement. “I’ll take care of the ones in the village,” you tell the Magic Knights as you point your wand...

Marine’s clay soldiers continue to struggle to hold down the – what one would assume – the most immediate of threats. The packs of dangerous creatures screech and roar with a noise which resembles an attempt of a rusty saw to – uselessly – flesh through a piece of an iron-hard wood; it is a gruesome and uncomfortable resonance. The magic within them falters as they stand ground to the very end. You hear bells on Marine’s dress jiggle as she finally calms down and begins summoning more soldiers.

The biggest creature continues to burn in the fire; it’s dark shadow figure beneath doesn’t look like it’ll die out easily.

“Linen Magic: Weighted Blanket!”

A barrage of sparkling ashen magic burst frontwards: it charges towards one of the few timber wolves ravaging through the nearest house of the village. The dwellings are located far apart; a spreading fire shouldn’t be much of a concern. As the glowing runic letters upon the spell page of your tome dim and finish its dazzle, your spellcasting concludes. Mid-flight, your mana turns into a powerful shimmering cloth; it is long, rigid and thick. Before the dying and uncontrollable kindle of fire can reach the easy-to-set-alight roof of the house, your magic cloth fully surrounds it like an iron carapace and slams it down.

You see the cloth struggle against the fire. Those flames are not natural, they are a product of Daffy’s Perfume Magic and, as such, they are strong enough to resist and burn through your spell. However, this time it does not happen and the restrained creature remains unmoving. You stop in panic but it does not seem like the other pair of dying timber monsters care.

They futilely run around and circle the single house in their vicinity. They drag themselves around the wet grass and painfully slam themselves into the stone walls of the half-buried dwelling; with each of their crash, they become much angrier...

There is a shabby wooden door and a pair of crummy windows on each side of the house the beasts have avoided so far.

> Focus on the remaining wolves of anomalous oak. Continue using [Linen Form: Weighted Blanket] to restrain them.
> Cry towards either Daffy or Marine – perhaps both – to assist you. Your main concern is to protect people inside there.
> It’s a gambit but those beasts won’t live for long, they shouldn’t be able to reach inside. Turn to help the duo instead.
> [Write In]

> [I don’t think we’ll run out of mana in this encounter so I won’t ask you all to roll for the mana cost.]

>>4457401
> Focus on the remaining wolves of anomalous oak. Continue using [Linen Form: Weighted Blanket] to restrain them.
> [Write In]
> Attempt to roll [Linen Form: Weighted Blanket] like a carpet and smack beasts with it, using spell like a cudgel

>>4457652
+1

>>4457652
> [You can't really use a spell like that unfortunately. If it (the Weighted Blanket) doesn't restrain someone on it's turn it'll vanish. It's magical properties won't deal any worthy damage. You can try and toss those that are managed to restrain by your weighted blanket, however - depending on how heavy they are or how weak their magic aura is it might be possible.]

>>4457401
>> Focus on the remaining wolves of anomalous oak. Continue using [Linen Form: Weighted Blanket] to restrain them.

One of the beasts continues to pester the household. Its crumbling oaken throat gurgles and growls. It stops and trembles, smoke and char continuing to burst and hang through the sky. Emblazed by flames, the beast charges and smashes into the house...

Its body finds a way and connects with the shabby wooden door of the dwelling. It manages to shatter and send – now burning – timber pieces flying across the front meadow. The charred door smokes and sparks and the hole begins to enflame!

You struggle for a short moment as you raise your wand – and force Linen Magic surging within your ‘Weighted Blanket’ – before tossing the heavy and solid textile carapace, with the burning timber beast inside, away from the dwelling.

Once you are entirely sure that the trapped fiend will continue to enflame with no way to escape, you turn your attention to the other flaming monstrosities. Hastily exhaling, you summon another, identical cloud burst of magic; first from within yourself, then focusing through the tip-point of your magic wand. Your explosion of mana quickly manifests into a netting of enchanted flax tissues mid-flight towards its second target. Again, you successfully mana to capture and restrain the ‘wolf’.

Despite the beast’s aggressive flinging around, you quickly manage to concrete and strengthen your hold. With great effort and a strained muscle, you slowly raise the mummifying restrain above the ground and then slam it down with all the power one can muster. You watch your first “Weighted Blanket” begin to crumble into white linen flakes and then dissipate into mana. As you have – thankfully – hoped for, what left of the blazing beast within is nothing but charred wood and cindering ash pieces.

You turn your eyes towards the last of the beasts pestering the household; with mad annoyance, it watches the door slowly continue to burn and fill the house with toxic fragrance smoke. Soon realizing that it’ll die sooner than the door’s collapse and that it’s ‘brothers’ are captured or burned away, it turns towards you. You can barely see anything resembling its original form now: the creature is just an amalgamation of scorching fire. Before you can react, it roars and begins rushing towards you!

> Please roll 1d100 – best of three – to avoid the attack.

> Point your wand and try and capture the last of the three beasts within a third [Linen Magic: Weighted Blanket].
> Attempt to capture the last of the beasts with your [Linen Magic: Weighted Blanket]. Try to toss it to break the door.
> Don’t bother with the last beast – let it rot in its own – use the already captured timber wolf in your cloth to break the door.
> Leave the beast to wither and die on its own. Rush towards the house and attempt to break the door with your shoulder.
> Make a risky attempt to empower your uniform and clothes with Linen Magic and break through the door that way.
> [Write In]

Rolled 8 (1d100)

>>4458868
> Point your wand and try and capture the last of the three beasts within a third [Linen Magic: Weighted Blanket].

Rolled 60 (1d100)

>>4458868
> Point your wand and try and capture the last of the three beasts within a third [Linen Magic: Weighted Blanket].

Rolled 94 (1d100)

>>4458868
>Point your wand and try and capture the last of the three beasts within a third [Linen Magic: Weighted Blanket].

>>4458868
> Point your wand and try and capture the last of the three beasts within a third [Linen Magic: Weighted Blanket].

The beast shortens the distance in a matter of seconds. A comet trail of heat and fire bursts as it leaps to strangle you. You quickly realize that if you do not move out of the way it is going to hurt; hurt a lot. You do not have the time to run away so, instead, you leap forwards. You bend your body and push your arms in front of yourself as you fold and fall onto the ground. You roll, tumble and slide right beneath the enormous ball of fire passes a meter above you. Bright, burning cinders rain towards you...

You stumble; you make a hasty attempt to stand up and face down the beast before it can do just so first. As the skin of your face itches from the tiny embers, you narrow your eyes at the blurry fiend of timber. You strike your wand towards the feeble beast as you begin to summon one more explosion of your Linen Magic; pages of your grimoire flutter as you prepare the spell.

The scorch roars and then leaps directly towards you once more – likely on the last fumes of its dying vigour – in an attempt to catch you off guard. It is too quick and too dangerous. For the sake of your well-being, you jump out of the way and leave your incantation unfinished. Your present, hanging mana quickly vanishes as you rush to the side to dodge a second attack.

Luckily, you manage to do just so. The living fire is unable to apprehend and grab you with its torch-claws. Instead, the creature attempts to correct its course mid-flight but, is no longer capable of doing so. A racket of brittle and brusque branches – what now remains of the last of this beast - smashes into the mossy wall of the house and burns out to final smithereens. As you catch your breath you stand up to make sure neither of those creatures is anymore a problem. You rush towards the blazing door...

The half-destroyed door is being consumed by flames, and from the looks of it, it quickly - yet only just – begins to spread inside the house on the rest of the wooden furniture. You try to look past the grey smoke through the cracks in the wooden frame: it is impossible to see anything. However, you hear the screams from inside – all of them feminine.

You need to act reassuring right now: “Don’t worry, I am here to help! Can you use your magic to take out the door?”

The oldest voice screams back, you can barely hear it: “I-I can’t, I’ve got Fire Magic! W-what is going on out there?!”

You take a step back as you stare down the blazing door right in front of you.

You look back: the two Magic Knights you have been accompanying are busy fighting an enormous spider-like monster.

> Rush towards the house and attempt to break the door with your shoulder.
> Attempt to summon one more [Linen Magic: Weighted Blanket] to destroy the door with it.
> Make a risky attempt to empower your uniform and clothes with Linen Magic and break through the door that way.
> Shout towards either Marine or Daffy if they can offer any assistance to you.
> Summon [Linen Magic: Cloths of Solace] to slightly heal the people inside as you deal with the door.
> [Write In]

>>4460343

> Make a risky attempt to empower your uniform and clothes with Linen Magic and break through the door that way.

>>4460343
>Make a risky attempt to empower your uniform and clothes with Linen Magic and break through the door that way.


I just finished reading the archived threads and I have to say this is not a bad story at all

>>4460343
>> Attempt to summon one more [Linen Magic: Weighted Blanket] to destroy the door with it.

>>4460343
> Make a risky attempt to empower your uniform and clothes with Linen Magic and break through the door that way.

>>4460485
> [Thank you for the kind note!]

> [I am going to try something new here. Let's call it Mana Strain. As Cynthia continues to grow as a magus, there will be moments that will challenge her mana and control over it. Sometimes there will be unintentional. Such challenges will give her a chance like the one right now - to break the door - in exchange for a chunk of her mana. However, if it is failed attempt the mana is lost with no return.]

> Please roll 1d180 - best of three. You need 50.

Rolled 50 (1d80)

>>4461144

Rolled 94 (1d180)

>>4461144

Rolled 80 (1d80)

>>4461144

Rolled 116 (1d180)

>>4461144
>>4461374
>1d80

Rolled 111 (1d180)

>>4461144
oops

I've been thinking, every night when we're not on a mission we should try forcing some of our mana in the sequin grimoire. It might not do anything but it could eveuentally reconnect it to us. Of course we should also keep looking into other methods but it's worth a shot

You take a step away from the flaming door to collect your thoughts. Your wand trembles in your hand as you try to come up with a solution. You do not know how dangerous the circumstances inside the house are, but screams inside continue.

Your eyes are hard at focus on the flipping pages of your haphazardly gliding grimoire; your collection of spells does not give you the inspiration to deal with this situation. You are wasting precious time. Your body is weak without magic, even if you try your hardest it’ll be impossible for you to break this – already damaged - door off its hinges; you lack the muscles. Even the effects of your lone Reinforcement Form spell - Frock of Daydream –will not do any good. You are well aware that some mages mostly experienced Magic Knights of nobility, can consciously summon and create a coating of mana which enchants all of their human abilities. They call it Mana Skin, a rare, impossible, ability to learn and use. It takes all three: luck, talent and hard work.

However, you are aware that, unconsciously, many mages have been able to crudely manifest a weak version of this technique in their everyday life; mostly when they are put under risk of serious injury or death; or, sometimes, in great duress.

Jumping through a burning entrance into a house filled with scorching skin is extremely likely to be one of such occasions. You close your grimoire and push it against your chest; you need all your mana to be concentrated in one place and to have no interference from your magic tome. Closing your eyes, you let out a flame of your own making –opaque silvery flakes...

You do not let your mind linger on the pain that failure will cause to your body. You wait until the uncontrollable outpour of mana you surround yourself with is near its peak before you charge directly into the flames. As soon as your body connects with the collapsing wooden frame, your visible cloud of mana bends and falters. You concentrate and push forwards...

You feel an extremely painful tremor rush through your entire body; your bones crackle and your muscles experience profound cold chills. However, you also feel much stronger. The flames begin to trickle off your mana and then, the door easily gives in under the pressure. It shatters and flings into the room with no more fire surrounding it. You exasperate, a massive flux of mana has left your body in an instance. You feel a horrible headache as you enter the one-room peasant dwelling. As soon as the flood of mana is no longer present, the barrage of smoke makes it visible to you as it begins to stream through the door right through you. Your eyes water and your lungs fill with ash. You cover your eyes and mouth and begin looking for the occupants.

The fire has spread on the cheap wooden furniture and has been slowly growing in its ferocity...

“W-what’s g-going on?!”

“The way is clear, we have to get out!” you shout at the barely visible figures. Three of them, it is a mother and two daughters: one of them is a young child she is holding in her hands, the second is barely ten years old. They begin to crawl towards your offered hand; you step forwards to grab the hand of the girl and the mother to push them outside of the house.

The lady – she is quite young – hastily retreats out of her house with her daughters. Tears are flowing down her red cheeks and she is gasping for air. At a quick inspection, it does not appear like any of them are injured; the youngest girl looks sick and is breathing with incredibly starvation for air...

You look back at your companions: their battle is not going as well. Somehow, the last remaining – but much different – timber creature has managed to “shed” it’s burning skin and lay it onto the ground all around it – with just enough space to safely stand inside. The wood has completely tarnished the grassy field. It seems Daffy has managed to calm the flames down. However, what remains is a moist heat – it’s so powerful you can see the melting air. She is bleeding through a massive gash on her shoulder...

It’s hard to spot anything else from this far, but it seems the creature is standing still and is somehow attacking them.

You are suddenly jolted by the crying – visibly heartbroken – woman:

“P-Please,” her scream is muffled by her tears, “Please you have to stop the fire... Save our home!!!”

> Rush inside the house to try and cover the burning furniture with [Linen Magic: Weighted Blanket]
> It’s too dangerous. Offer to go inside and retrieve any valuables they have if she tells you where to look.
> Apologize and tell her that it will be taken care of. Instead, rush to assist so the situation does not get any worse.
> [Write In]

>>4461445
> [You can try. You know 2 things. 1. A part of your soul is still connected with the grimoire; if there was no connection it would've vanished. 2. The magic only flew through it when a unique magic mix of yours and Cryz's mana formed Sequin Magic between you two.]

>>4461668
>> Rush inside the house to try and cover the burning furniture with [Linen Magic: Weighted Blanket]

>>4461668
>Rush inside the house to try and cover the burning furniture with [Linen Magic: Weighted Blanket]

>>4461668
> Rush inside the house to try and cover the burning furniture with [Linen Magic: Weighted Blanket]

> [I will need a 1d100 roll. Best of three.]

Rolled 68 (1d100)

>>4462309

Rolled 30 (1d100)

>>4462309

Rolled 23 (1d100)

>>4462309

You offer the woman an assertive nod before you slam open your grimoire and charge into the self-created smokehouse. Again, a scorching temperature begins to bite your naked skin. You try to pay it no attention as you hurriedly begin your attempt to summon enough mana to manifest one more spell; such rapid spellcasting is quickly taking its toll on you. As you attempt to concentrate, you heed a loud crunch. You raise your eyes to see one of the few supporting ceiling rails crack from the swelter...

It is hidden beneath a cloud of smoke that lingers like a canopy of cloud and conceals the damage; you barely manage to see through it. The crack spreads and, in an instant, it shatters into several massive pieces. Breaking through the concealment, the pieces begin plummeting towards you. You jump seconds before it comes crashing down upon the stone floor - by the skin of one's teeth. The fire quickly engulfs the fallen pieces of timber. As you catch your breath, you raise your eyes to inspect the bars.

Despite the open door, the smoke continues to hang. You can only trust your ears here, and even then the spreading sounds of burning fires act as an interruption. You have to deal with this quickly, else it’ll be impossible. “Linen Magic: Weighted Blanket,” you begin manifesting another magic extremely grey cloth of protection and rigidness. The creation process blasts the approaching flames and cinders away from you. You try to remain close to the floor and breathe as less as possible as you begin swaying and tossing your extensive and heavy (not for you) blanket on top of the burning bright fires.

After a few minutes of backbreaking work, you manage to deal with all of the flames, although you can't make sure the cinders do not alight by accident; for sure, at least. You escape the house and reassure the mother of two that it is taken care of.

You tell her to let the house cool down before going inside.

“Oh, thank God,” she exasperates with relief before she puts her hand to her audibly beating chest. “You are... with the Blue Rose?” she manages to recognize your robe through her tear-filled eyes. You feel yourself a bit ill after dealing with this...

“Yes,” you nod, “But if you have any complaints you should send them to Coral Peacock. I am just here to assist ‘em.”

You look towards the smaller of the girl. She is still heavily gasping for breath but she looks healthy in every other way.

“Y-yes, I remember now, we had a problem with a strange tree,” the woman trembles. Her head slowly turns to the raging battle not far from her house. “But I didn’t know it was this dangerous!”

You turn to see what the others are doing right now. Marine has manifested some sort of clay safeguard to shield herself from the upcoming attacks of the timber monstrosity. She remains uninjured however she is visibly not in control of the situation.

Daffy, on other hand, has most of the spider-like plant-being concentrated on killing her. The tall creature is standing in a long and thin arrangement. What is supposed to be its timber head and body is bent into a jellyfish-like stature and ascended meters above the Magic Knights. Its long half-branch half-roots are all pierced into the ground directly beneath it. The trunk has strange bumbling creatures, as small as hedgehogs, running around it...

Daffodil stops seconds before long and sharp plant root erupts inches away from her feet and face, nearly penetrating her.

> Offer to heal the youngest girl of the family with your ‘Homely Blanket’.
> Offer to heal any of the wounds the family might have with your ‘Cloths of Solace’.
> Rush towards Daffy to deal with her injuries; the reason you were sent here to do.
> Rush towards Daffy and use ‘Frock of Daydream’ on her in the hope she has a spell powerful enough to deal with the beast.
> While the timber mother beast is distracted, attempt to capture it with ‘Flaying Chenille Threads’ to restrain and drain it.
> [Write In]

>>4462760
>> Rush towards Daffy to deal with her injuries; the reason you were sent here to do.

>>4462760
>Rush towards Daffy to deal with her injuries; the reason you were sent here to do.

>>4462760
>Rush towards Daffy to deal with her injuries; the reason you were sent here to do.

>>4462760
>Rush towards Daffy to deal with her injuries; the reason you were sent here to do.

>>4462760
>> While the timber mother beast is distracted, attempt to capture it with ‘Flaying Chenille Threads’ to restrain and drain it.

>>4462760
>Rush towards Daffy to deal with her injuries; the reason you were sent here to do.

File: 1600441706721.jpg (104 KB, 1024x576)

104 KB JPG

> [Update will be later today.]

You make sure one more time that the family is in good health. It appears so. You grab your grimoire, preparing to rush.

“Do you plan on fighting that thing?” the eldest – yet still very much a child – girl asks you. She looks a tad traumatized by what she is currently experienced and seeing. You can’t – really - say you even seen something like this in your life at her age.

You stumble, forcing yourself to lean forward and stop. You turn towards the girl - she is tightly gripping the dirty cotton robe of her mother with fear, her deep azure eyes watching you. Her mouth barely opens, as if not sure if she wants or needs the answer. Uncertain at first, you clench your hand and push your grimoire against your thigh. You attempt a reassuring smile...

“I am going to help them do that,” you bow a long nod. You turn around and rush towards the Coral Peacock Knights.

The ground is very soft and unstable, it is rising and lowering as if the devilish branches and roots of the beast have concocted and twisted together into uncanny lung clusters. The field of battle - that is the grassless soil surrounding the anomalistic creature – is split and ruptured with earthen cracks and holes in several places: all from the edged sharp twigs.

Your magic surrounds Daffodil with an enchanted blanket of pure whiteness. As soon as your cloth coats the woman where she stands, it begins to shimmer with an ominous scarlet glow. The white fabric begins to quickly turn putrid red hue as it drains, seeps and leeches the wounds of the ‘Perfume Magic’ user. The enchanted cloth heals and mends her wounds with magic.

“Where were you prancing around~?” the woman asks of you once your cloth begins to vanish into the nothingness.

“I was saving a family’s house from being burned to the ground, thank-you-very-much,” your pouts.

She stares you down before her features relax. Immediately, she turns towards the tree-beast, “You’re welcome~ you could’ve done it faster, and... you smell horrible – all that perfume wasted.” She sighs, “What you have won’t last long with you.”

You frown as you turn the writhing anomaly, “Can we discuss it later, after we deal with this thing?” You question her.

Marine is still hiding behind her pink clay barricade in form of an oversized tower shield. She is nudging her head – just enough for you to see her misty orange eyes – in attempt to keep watchful of you, Daffodil and the ‘tree, “It’s a good thing you saved those poor farmers!” she says, her voice filled with nothing but genuine worry. “Once the ground cools down just a tiny bit my soldiers should be able to hold it in place for us to pummel it into oblivion! Please... don’t do anything drastic until then...!”

She is cut mid-sentence. The ground cacophonously rumbles seconds before two razor-sharp rootstocks burst from inside and smash into her terracotta shield. The centre instantly shatters and begins to crumble into tiny fractured pieces. Unable to hold the impact of the burst, Marine is sent crashing towards the ground. She yelps in pain as her dress plummets onto the ash...

She is lying injured but defenseless.

You notice the small wolf cub-like creatures of the wood swarming around the trunk like ants, quickly growing in size...

Daffodil shakes her purple ponytail as she flips through the pages, “We don’t have time to wait, and this requires immediate measures!” she says – her voice ringing with charisma and assertiveness – as she points her open palm towards the tree. A barely translucent cloud of magical outpour begins to form and manifest from her mana and her fingertips. She smirks:

“I have an even stronger spell in my grimoire that is sure to deal with this thing once and for all~” she explains.

> Suggest attempting to restrain the timber spider using “Linen Magic: Weighted Blanket”. Just long enough for Daffy to attack it.
> Suggest attempting to restrain the monster tree using “Linen Magic: Flaying Chenille Threads”. Even if proves too sturdy to destroy with her ‘even stronger’ attack, your threads should be able to drain and weaken it and leave it restrained for another try.
> Summon [Linen Magic: Frock of Daydream] around Daffodil to make sure her attack does not miss the rooted mother-beast.
> Stand aside, perhaps check on Marine if she is truly uninjured and keep watch over her, and allow Daffodil to deal with the rest.
> [Write In]

>>4464346
> [Sorry, Marine is *uninjured.]

>>4464346
> Summon [Linen Magic: Frock of Daydream] around Daffodil to make sure her attack does not miss the rooted mother-beast.

>>4464346
> Summon [Linen Magic: Frock of Daydream] around Daffodil to make sure her attack does not miss the rooted mother-beast.

>>4464346
>Suggest attempting to restrain the monster tree using “Linen Magic: Flaying Chenille Threads”. Even if proves too sturdy to destroy with her ‘even stronger’ attack, your threads should be able to drain and weaken it and leave it restrained for another try.

>>4464346
> Summon [Linen Magic: Frock of Daydream] around Daffodil to make sure her attack does not miss the rooted mother-beast.

>[No update today.]

Without directly touching the pages of the grimoire with your hand, you make a sweeping motion above it to magically force the pages to flip until the spell you desire is found: Linen Magic: Frock of Daydream. You quickly summon the white mist.

Daffy scowls at you for this, “What are you doing, blue rose? I told you, I have this under control~”

“I’m not going to interfere,” you reassure her with a gentle bob of your head. “It’ll be supporting spell...”

Before she can make any further complains, you grasp the magic into your palm and begin swirling it around the woman. Heavy and glistering sequins of enchantment and cloth begin to take opaque shape from the cloudy zephyr they are birthed from. Soon - with a blinding sparkle - a beautiful dress of exotic and stunning white-green hues manifests on top of Daffodil’s stature.

You can still feel the ash on your lips as you finish the incantation. “Linen Magic: Frock of Daydream.”

“Oho~ I can feel just slightly more powerful now~ I was only expecting a few low-level healing spells from you, girl~”

You reply with a tired sigh, unsure if she meant it in jest, sarcasm or blunt honesty. “It’s to make sure you don’t miss it.”

The tree mockery begins to madly judder with its twisted branches, roots and hungering crown. Even some of the surreal baulk creatures writhing on its lanky trunk – they now, just barely, resemble the wolf-like beasts of before, but much smaller - find themselves unable to hold on and collapse onto the ground with crumbling wooden sound. As soon as that happens, they attempt to climb back. A sharp root – as big and deadly as a spear weapon – bursts out of the ground just inches away from Daffy.

She avoids it. The woman clenches her fist as all the mana she has been releasing concentrates around the tree spider.

“Perfume Magic: Acidic Bitterness.”

In a second, the hanging cloud of perfume magic turns toxic green and incredibly intermittent. Despite this, it smells amazingly zesty with a strange note of vanilla powder and some other exotic fruits. A blast of heat begins to boil the air as the tree is consumed with bright sizzling foam that quickly begins to melt through everything it settles on. The anomaly is unable to escape the torturous erosion and, soon, its wooden body begins to liquefy and melt. Some of the small timber creatures attempt to jump off the mother tree and flee but they are unable to make it too far before they’re too, are soon melted. Daffy grins a tiny bit.

“I told you I was going to take care of it~,” she says confidently as her eyes turn to you. The disfigured and melted form of what remains of the creature appears from the green blistering brume. In a last-ditch cry of revenge, it tumbles towards Daffy.

It is not enough time to summon a spell.

> Shout at Daffy about the collapsing monstrosity.
> Rush towards Daffy to push her out of the way. [This will require a DR roll from you.]
> [Write In]

>>4466740
>> Shout at Daffy about the collapsing monstrosity.

>>4466740
>Shout at Daffy about the collapsing monstrosity.

>>4466740
>> Shout at Daffy about the collapsing monstrosity.

>>4466740
>> Rush towards Daffy to push her out of the way. [This will require a DR roll from you.]

>>4461445
> [I wanted to ask anon, since you read through the archives recently (I wished to do so but just couldn't find the time) have you noticed any inconsistencies?]

>>4466740
>Shout at Daffy about the collapsing monstrosity.

>>4466740
>Shout at Daffy about the collapsing monstrosity.

“Daffy! Get out of the way; behind you!” you raise your voice and point your hand towards the collapsing monstrosity.

Her turmeric eyes immediately jolt towards the foaming amalgamation of acid and anomalous timber. Her fingers sweep over the cover of her grimoire before she realizes, too, that there is not enough time summon a spell. Instead, she can only try and jump out of the way. With a look of determination, she quickly gathers a small perfume manifestation with the contour of an inconsistent bubble. As she pulls herself away from the falling and encroaching shadow, she uses the perfume to assist her dodge.

The monstrous tree comes crashing upon the ashen field. A burst of wet acid and rustling heat bursts upwards into the sky. The greenish froth bubbles with a loud and obnoxious sizzle as it quickly eats through what little remains of the timber beast.

“Whew~ that was close,” she says with relief. The elder woman lightly sweeps her foot near the ooze hill-gather of acid.

She turns around and opens her palm to summon a magic broom. She looks at Marine who, only now, slowly stands up.

“I am okay,” she reassures you both as she finds her ground. “Your spells are always so dangerous, Daffy,” she says.

“Of course they are~” Daffy harrumphs. She waves her hand around the melting heat to calm, and then vanquish it. The lingering presence in form of a tangible lemon aroma she casts and patterns into a perfume mist. She covers and weaves it around Marine, practically forcing the exotic smell onto her. Then, with the majority of what’s left, she gently swirls it into a glass bottle.

She pushes the cap close; she rings it not far from her face, “This thing gave my ‘Acidic Bitterness’ some unique notes~”

Marine begins sniffing herself; she tries not to show it but she is clearly enjoying the aroma of Daffodil’s recent magic.

“And don’t worry about getting hurt~,” she says, “That’s why we have this blue rose to accompany and assist us, coral peacock!” She looks over her arms, the rest of her body, and then her clothes. All of them have been healed, mended and cured.

“You were not-useless, blue rose,” she offers you a smile as she adjusts her ponytail. She climbs on top of her magic broom, “Well then... shall we get going? I don’t want to miss the evening meal; Captain Dorothy has promised us some doughnuts!”

You look towards the neighbouring house before asking, “What about them?”

She blinks – as if she was not even aware or quickly lost interest in the family of peasants – and pauses. She shrugs, “You said you saved their house from burning away, right? That’s wonderful~ I’m sure Captain Dorothy will offer them compensation for this ill-fated situation.” She is a still a noble, and her smile makes it clear, “It’s just mud and some stone.”

Marine, on other hand, approaches behind you. She puts a hand over your shoulder and spooks you with a loud ringing of the bells on her sleeves. “Sorry,” she apologizes before turning towards Daffodil, “We should make sure that they are alright and offer some kind of assistance until their house is repaired. It... It is kind of your fault the few of those wolves torched their home.”

With a cold expression, Daffodil shoots daggers at Marine with her glance. She rolls her eyes, “Our fault,” she insists arrogantly as if trying to make it true. She looks at you as you nod in support. “Very well, I’ll be waiting for you here you two~”

> Insist that Daffy apologizes for her recklessness ending up with a troublesome situation for the family.
> Ask the three if they have somewhere to stay until their house is repaired. If not, offer to pay for an inn.
> Heal the girls and the mother using [Linen Magic: Cloths of Solace] even if there are no visible wounds.
> Perhaps the girl will appreciate a ride on your Magic Broom to lift their spirit a bit? They might offer them.
> Take the three with you back the ‘Daydream Castle’ and insist that Captain Dorothy takes care of it herself.
> Ask Marine if she can use her pink clay magic to semi-repair the house until proper repair job can be done.
> Gift the mother a bottle of expensive wine Tugela gave you as an apology for what happened to her home.
> [Write In]

>>4468432
>> Ask the three if they have somewhere to stay until their house is repaired. If not, offer to pay for an inn.

>>4468432
>Ask the three if they have somewhere to stay until their house is repaired. If not, offer to pay for an inn.
> Heal the girls and the mother using [Linen Magic: Cloths of Solace] even if there are no visible wounds.
> Ask Marine if she can use her pink clay magic to semi-repair the house until proper repair job can be done.

You approach the mourning family and offer them a smile. They try but fail to return their own, clearly in grief.

“We are very sorry this has happened to your home,” Marine says; she follows with an earnest bow. “We did not expect this ‘tree’ to react in such a way, and I apologize for the consequences.” She lowers her head to glance inside the building – thanks to your efforts the damage is not –that– bad. The charred ceiling and ashen inventory aside, it doesn’t require that much repair...

“Don’t worry, Captain Dorothy will certainly take care of this!”

“That... That is good to hear,” the woman finally says as he clutches her children closer to her, shivering from the cold. She pauses, “Thank you for taking care of that strange tree, we did not know what to expect. Still... that will take time, won’t it?”

“Do you have anywhere you can stay until the situation is taken care of?”

She shakes her head, “We can try asking our neighbours but the houses here are not that big, so we’ll be troubling ‘em.”

“What about an inn?”

“This village doesn’t have an inn; the closest would be the town of Siri beneath the hillside.”

You frown, that’s quite the distance away, and completely in a separate direction from the Coral Peacock Headquarters.

You can’t leave them here like this. You have three Magic Brooms between you, Daffy and Marine. If this is the only available option, you’ll have to bring them to the inn and pay for it from your pocket; it’s rather likely Captain Dorothy will not mind returning you the chump change. However, there might be another way. “Marine, can you use your magic to fix the house?”

She immediately begins to bow her head with excitement but then, she pauses with a sour expression. Without giving you an answer, she enters the house to investigate the damage. There’s a momentary silence as you and the family watch her walk from one corner of the house to the other with discomfited hope. She finally shoves her arm from the darkness of the dwelling:

The small bells on her qipao dress ring as she raises a thumb up, “I should be able to get it fixed just about enough!”

There is a sigh of relief on the face of everybody present. Marine opens her grimoire and begins fixing the mess the fire has made. If she doesn’t, it’ll be impossible to live in; especially during the damp, dark and cold nights of the surrounding hillside.

You also turn and prepare your grimoire. You outpour your magical essence and raise it above your head with your hand. The lustrous mana forms into a coat of coral blanket-throw – it is so long that, for a moment, it resembles a colossal wyvern kite...

“Linen Magic: Cloths of Solace.”

The children are agasp by your unintentional display of beauty and magic; the mother has a look of bewilderment.

There’s a lingering crack as you twitch your fingers to separate the cloth into three identical pieces; all three dressings are just as long as they were before but are much thinner and smaller in height. They continue to shimmer with a thatch-pink deluge as you begin to surround each of the family members with one of them. At first uncertain and uneasy, they soon begin to relax and even close their eyes from the mellow and soft embrace of your magic. The cloths are warm and heal even their life-long bruises.

The child gingerly laughs in her mother arms as your ribbon slides around at a snail’s pace. Her eyes begin to fill with tears once the ribbons are no longer sustainable and begin to crumble and she finds herself unable to grasp them. She whimpers.

“P-Please calm down, Winona,” her mother hushes into her child’s cheek but it’s no use. The girl continues to cry.

“T-thank you for healing us, Miss Magic Knight, y-you didn’t have to...” the mother says as she attempts to lullaby the baby to sleep with a whistling melody. “Again, we are very grateful for getting rid of something this dangerous on your doorstep.”

“Y-yes, thank you very much!” the eldest girl says, her eyes sparkling.

“I am happy you three are safe. Tell me if anything else is bothering you.”

That doesn’t seem to be the case, and you are happy. Despite what you just said, you feel tired, if not outright drained. That’s a lot of spells you’ve used up today. In about ten to fifteen minutes Marine manages to fix the house to a – what she earnestly promises - good enough condition for the family to live in. You decide against double-checking and acting rude on her judgement. You and Marine, together with Daffodil, depart the village and return to the ‘Daydream Castle’ soon afterwards.

*** *** ***

Missions appointed to the Knight Squads by the Magic Emperor take a few days to be assessed and rewarded for; sometimes, the damage done to the surrounding environment, township or people can not only lose you the recompense but also grant you a negative merit star. You are not sure if it was the case this time, however, as Captain Dorothy did not make you wait. Instead, as promised, she gave you a star straight from the Coral Peacock bullet-board, a star someone else has earned beforehand.

You do a quick count: they have 55 stars. It is less than your Magic Knight Squad. As you agreed beforehand, she sent a flood of ringing yul coins directly into your grimoire. It is only the first pay Ashaya have asked for; an insane amount of yul coins.

Your expedition to “Hollow Mountain Y’ere” begins today, and Charlotte would wish to see you and Alice before that. You begin to go through your morning routine: making your bed, washing your face, styling your hair, and the rest. You feel a sudden jolt as you feel a recognizable magical presence outside your door. You are not sure who, though...

> Roll 1d100 – best of three.

Rolled 12 (1d100)

>>4469958

Rolled 84 (1d100)

>>4469958

Rolled 14 (1d100)

>>4469958

Your body jitters under an alien influence of someone else’s magic. It is not strong and your immunity soul is able to shake it off. You slowly place your hairbrush upon your table and turn towards the door seconds before there is a loud knocking.

You try not to act with noticeable suspicion as you twist the door-handle and open it.

Before you stand a red-face and exasperated Beraber. A golden strand of her black hair covers her eyes like vines.

“Let me guess” – you echo her manner of speaking – “Something happened?”

She frowns. Both of her hands are clutched behind her back, “Captain Charlotte confiscated half of my drugs!”

You simply shake your head and sigh, “I did warn you that was going to happ- half?”

“Yes, I hide some of the stash in my room and some inside my grimoire,” she tells you half-heartedly as she takes a step close to come close enough that only a few inches separate her face from yours. “But that doesn’t matter right now!” she insists, “I want someone to molest, Cynthia, tell me where Cryz is!? He left without notice, and I know you have something to do with it!”

> “You shouldn’t worry about him, but he won’t be able to meet you for some time. I’m sure you’ll see him eventually.”
> “Magic Emperor has allowed him to stay in the Clover Kingdom as a citizen. He is on his way to join the Azure Deer.”
> “The Magic Emperor came to visit us a few days ago. I am afraid I can’t tell you anything more.”
> “The Magic Emperor came to visit us a few days ago. He asked Cryz to try and become a Magic Knight so that is what he is currently doing. The Azure Deer is the Squad he is going for, if you are so interested.”
> “Forget about him, the Captain, the Wardress and the Vice-Captain do not like him. He left back to his Kingdom.”
> [Write In]

>>4471416
>“The Magic Emperor came to visit us a few days ago. I am afraid I can’t tell you anything more.”

>>4471416
> “Magic Emperor has allowed him to stay in the Clover Kingdom as a citizen. He is on his way to join the Azure Deer.”

>I want someone to molest
kek

>>4471416
> “Magic Emperor has allowed him to stay in the Clover Kingdom as a citizen. He is on his way to join the Azure Deer.”

>>4471416
>"He is on his way to join the Azure Deer.”
I think we should not mention Magic Emperor at all I know it doesn't imply he was here personally but still
>"Wait... W-what do you mean 'someone to molest'?!"

>Tell her she should not say things like that. And remind her that talking openly about relationship with man is shunned

“He is on his way to join the Azure Deer,” you take a step back to put some distance.

“The Azure Deer? Why would he go there?” Beraber asks you, visibly perplexed; she’s very insistent with her question.

You remain courteous, “He decided to stay in the Clover Kingdom, to try and become a Magic Knight.”

Her dark emerald eyes soon begin to shine as she puts her palms together in glee. There’s a – just barely visible - trickle of red fire and crumbling parchment as she does so. “Did he want to surprise me? How adorably cute; he’s such a green peanut.”

You decide not to correct her.

She pauses, “But why the Azure Deer? Why couldn’t he just join the Blue Rose? Geez, I just want to tarnish his body...”

Tarnish... his body? You attempt to bleach the immediate image out of your head as soon as it appears; it’s not easy.

“You seriously ask why? The Blue Rose is an all-female squad, Beraber. Charlotte is happy to allow –some – men to join as errand boys and servants but... why I am telling you this, were you not aware what kind of Squad this was when you’ve joined?”

She pats you, catching you off guard. “Cynthia.” She does it again, this time in a more repeated fashion as if spanking. “You need to calm down a little. Of course, I knew what kind of Squad this was, but I can’t see why a tiny rule can’t be broken!”

You push her hand off your head, “It’s because Roselei does not like Cryz. He’s from the Diamond Kingdom, Beraber.”

“But he has such a nice body, and such a pleasantly vulgar attitude,” she licks her lips.

“Relationships with the men, at least openly, are forbidden, Beraber,” you lower your voice, “Please keep that in mind.”

It is Beraber’s time to roll her eyes, “Who’s talking about a relationship?”

You narrow your eyes, “Then... what kind of relationship do the two of you have? What did you mean by ‘molest’?”

She pauses, her face lingering without emotion for just a brief second before her lips break into an incredibly scary and long grin. “Let me guess, are you worried about him? Or, could it be you don’t know what that means? I wonder if I should leave you with that thought,” she snickers, “But that would be cruel, too cruel even for me. Don’t worry, everything was consensual! Oh~ Cynthia, I’d love for you to try to guess but I think you can’t even imagine the things we’ve done,” she smirks wickedly.

“Did you... kiss?” you ask, a brief blush appears on your face. It darkens when she laughs in retort.

“Oh no, that’s not at all what I meant by ‘you-know-what’. We went behind the garden and then, with my nails, I s-”

“In fact, forget it!” you slam the door behind you – you are more or less finished preparing – as you walk past her. “I am not interested.” You try your best to get rid of the cursed images from your skull, “I need to get going anyway, else I’ll be late.”

“Are you sure?” she smiles as she follows and trails you down the glimmering, almost silvery, hallway.

You bite your lip in annoyance, “Just heed my advice and don’t make your vices so damn obvious before Charlotte.”

“But where’s the fun in that?” she smiles.

*** *** ***

You and Alice are standing in Charlotte’s bright, but also isolate, office chamber. Captain Charlotte is sitting quietly on a briar chair of her own creation before a tall and broad table. The big glass balcony door behind her lets in just enough light to keep the room intense with light. The doors are just mildly open to let in the smell of the blooming garden, the breezy lukewarm air and the alluring singing of the birds outside. Her deep blue eyes are set on the papers she’s holding.

With a tired half-sigh half-grunt she leans on her chair and raises her head. The loud ring of her armour deafens the quiet room with a brief moment. Finally, with a serious tone of voice, she begins talking... “Maybe we should skip this one...”

Your eyes widen, but you remain respectful and courteous and wait for Captain Charlotte to explain herself. Alice, however, is not so willing. She immediately takes a loud step forward, “Wha’ are you talking about, Captain Charlotte?!”

Your Captain raises her fingers to lead and then adjust her braid just over her ear, “Settle down, Alice.” She puts the stack of reports back on the table before her elbows join them. Her iron fingers entrench. You can only see half of her head, with the other half being hidden by her metal gauntlets. “I have been reading through the reports from the previous expeditions, and it is more worrisome than I can imagine. This will be the first-ever expedition for the Blue Rose, and I am no longer confident about this. You two are –not– ready.” Before Alice can interrupt her, she continues, “Alice, your grimoire only has a single spell. I know that it has more pages – multiple - which means you have still many things to learn. You have control over your ‘Mana Skin’, a surprisingly good one, but I am not sure if that will be enough for you.

“I-I am perfectly capable,” Alice, the ‘Worst Knight’, is barely able to keep herself from exploding. Her face is bright red as she clutches her fists, “Are you not going to say anything about the commoner – Cynthia – here? Is she ready, then!?”

Charlotte frowns; Alice pride has been hurt, “Of course not.” She turns to you now, “The fact that she does not know ‘Mana Skin’ will be a big detriment in this expedition, but it is rare for Junior Magic Knights, or even some Intermediate Magic Knights, to be able to use such a technique, so I can’t hold it against her, and I won’t. However, the fact is that the ‘Mana Shear’ inside Y’ere will be ruthless to her body. If even for a second, the two of you are separated, it’ll be over...”

You are not sure how to answer this.

“You have a lot of useful spells, Cynthia, but you don’t have a way to protect yourself, not even in a defensive sense.”

Alice exhales through her nose. She grabs her white-hued grimoire from her small pouch, “I’ll protect her just fine!”

Charlotte’s cold eyes stare Alice down, “And how are you going do that? Your vestiges are only focused on yourself.”

Alice comes closer, “We went through the labyrinth together, and we won the challenge against the other bunch! We work just –well- together, Captain Charlotte! You can’t just tell us we can’t go after all of that!” She slams her book.

Roselei does not even flinch at such a sudden outburst, “I would hardly call what you did in the ‘labyrinth’ cooperation.”

She sighs, her fingers press against the letters of the report, “54 years ago, a member of the Grey Deer – let me remind you, the Squad of the Magic Emperor - had not returned and is considered lost in action. 27 years ago, the expedition consisting of the Golden Dawn, Silver Eagle and Crimson Lion, went to the ‘Hollow Mountain Y’ere’. A member of the Silver Eagle has been gravely injured and it took the greatest healers in Kingdom two mouths to restore him to health. A member of the Crimson Lion had something interfere with his mana flow and she was forced to retired because of this...”

Charlotte clenches her hand, “I am your Captain, and I must make sure you’re safe; it’s my duty If I can’t be sure you’ll be able to return safely, or very much alive, I can’t allow you to do this. I’d rather have my reputation suffer instead!”

“What about the Purple Orca and Green Mantis, they’re a bunch of lowlifes and peasants!” Alice says.

“They can do what they want; Alice, but the Blue Rose, and her decisions, are mine to make...”

> “I understand you are worried, Captain Charlotte, but you need to be put your trust in us. We are Magic Knights.”
> “Please allow us to go, Captain Charlotte. This is once in God-knows-how-long chance. We will be safe, I promise.”
> “I was only able to reach the centre of the labyrinth because of Alice’s help, and vice versa. We make a good team.”
> “I might not have offensive spells, Captain Charlotte, but I have survived the desert temple regardless. I can do this.”
> “Is there anything that we can do to convince you that we are strong enough and ready to engage with this mission?”
> “Captain Charlotte is right, Alice, and in the end, she decides to make. If she says we’re not ready, then we aren’t.”
> Remain silent, you are the lowest rank in this conversation. If Alice is unable to convince her, then neither will you.
> [Write In]

>>4472717
>“I might not have offensive spells, Captain Charlotte, but I have survived the desert temple regardless. I can do this.”

>>4472717
>> “I understand you are worried, Captain Charlotte, but you need to be put your trust in us. We are Magic Knights.”

>>4472717
> “I understand you are worried, Captain Charlotte, but you need to be put your trust in us. We are Magic Knights.”

>>4472717
> “I understand you are worried, Captain Charlotte, but you need to be put your trust in us. We are Magic Knights.”
Where in the timeline are we?

File: 1600404927199.jpg (183 KB, 566x800)

183 KB JPG

>>4473134
> [I'd say we are about chapter 10-11 of the manga.]

>>4473503
>only 255~ more chapters to go

> [As you figured, no update today. Apologies. We'll continue tomorrow!]

>>4474906
It's ok. Take your time man. You put out great work and we can wait

“I understand you are worried, Captain Charlotte, but you need to be put your trust in us. We are Magic Knights.”

“Yeah,” Alice echoes as she picks up her grimoire from the surface of the table just to slam it against it once over again.

The Blue Rose Captain sighs; Charlotte leans and presses her forehead against the meeting point of her fingers, “Yes, I am well aware that you both are Magic Knights of the Blue Rose. And those last few weeks you did improve and even surprise me. However... However...” her voice lingers with a quiet pause as she begins stroking her fingers against the surface of the table.

“Of course things will go wrong!” Alice says as she presses her hand against the edge of the table. “But that always happens, Captain Charlotte! I’ve beat your ‘labyrinth’, I’ve beaten the other pairs...” Alice looks at you, “And she did too...”

“None of your fathers will be happy if they know you end up –dead–,” she emphasises, “It’s not an easy decision.”

You take a step forward – it is full of confidence. “I have all the spells I need to keep both me and Alice safe, Captain.”

“And I have all the spells I need to beat anything that comes my way to a pulp, Captain Charlotte,” Alice reaffirms.

Charlotte Roselei looks over Alice’s grimoire, and then the stack of papers lying before her, and once again sighs...

“...You did everything I asked you and more, and the mission you’ve failed, Alice, is not your fault... Very well,” she motions her hand to the both of you, “I will need one more proof that the two of you will be like glue in the ‘Hollow Mountain Y’ere’, and once I am satisfied, I will approve of this expedition.” Alice is visibly upset by yet-another-challenge; you, however, wait patiently for Charlotte Roselei to continue. “‘Union Magic’, I wish to see an example of spells you two can coalesce.”

“‘Union Magic?’” Alice asks with a pompous nod of her head and neck, “What the heck is that?”

Charlotte allows herself to smile, “Of course you wouldn’t know, Alice. It is a combination of multiple different spells to create a single, more powerful type. I want to see if you and Cynthia can create such a thing. Here, and now; you have an hour.”

“Here?” you ask with a ginger wince. Charlotte offers you a confirmatory, but assertive, nod.

“If you wish me to leave, I will,” she tells you, “But I will return in an hour. Make it visible and impressive, if you will.”

Alice turns to face you. Her face is red and her mouth is wide open as if she was a gasping goldfish. She is looking at you for the answer: she does not know a single thing about Compound Magic and its varieties. To be frank and honest, neither do you. From what you can remember you have only seen it twice: once used by Charlotte and Cryz, and once by Virginia and Lanarel.

Once Charlotte is satisfied with your silence, she lifts her hands from the table and puts them beneath her plated chest...

You look at Alice: you are just as lost as she is.

“Can you use your ‘Afterimage Magic’ on me?”

“No, you peasants, it only works with my motions.”

It seems this ‘spell’ will be using your magic as its basis.

“Are... you wearing linen?

She takes it as an insult, “So what if I am? Expensive silk and velvet clothes are not as easy to jump, run and fight with!”

> Ask Captain Charlotte to wait outside her office chamber.
> Attempt to infuse Alice’s linen clothes with your Linen Magic. See if her ‘Afterimage Magic’ is influenced in any way by it.
> Use ‘Frock of Daydream’ on Alice and then ask her to create a Vestige. See if such a combination will end with an original spell.
> Use ‘Weighted Blanket’ on Alice and then ask her to create a Vestige. See if the creation of a vestige will have any unique effect.
> Use ‘Flaying Chenille Threads’ on Alice and then ask her to create a Vestige. See if such a combination will have any result.
> [Write In]

>>4475764
>Use ‘Frock of Daydream’ on Alice and then ask her to create a Vestige. See if such a combination will end with an original spell.

>>4475764
>Use ‘Frock of Daydream’ on Alice and then ask her to create a Vestige. See if such a combination will end with an original spell.

>>4475764
>> Attempt to infuse Alice’s linen clothes with your Linen Magic. See if her ‘Afterimage Magic’ is influenced in any way by it.
>> Use ‘Frock of Daydream’ on Alice and then ask her to create a Vestige. See if such a combination will end with an original spell.

You open up your grimoire with a flip of a bundle of pages; a flux of barely visible but intense mana surges from within.

You look towards Alice as you run your fingers against the shimmering texts, “I might have an idea that’ll work, Alice.”

However, before your lips can finish a single word, and before your inner mana can catalyse into magic, and then a spell, Alice puts both of her hands against the front and back cover of your grimoire and loudly slams them close. You look at the woman in confusion, both of your hands pressed against the thick silvery bindings. Taller than you, she lifts the grimoire to the height of her chin, forcing you to tippy-toe to continue holding on to it. “W-what are you doing?” you demand rather awkwardly.

Instead of responding at you directly, Alice turns her head over her shoulder to confront and outstare Captain Charlotte.

“I very much respect your orders and instructions, Captain Roselei, but what are you playing at?” you can see her fake mint irises begin to brightly glow blue as she says so. “Our mission is today, and you want us to waste our mana just like this?”

Your eyes widen once you realize that is, indeed, true. ‘Frock of Daydream’ is a very mana intensive spell, especially for the person it is cast upon. You are unsure of how much of your mana you will need during the expedition but, you imagine, you will need a great lot of it; the more the better. You stay silent at Alice’s argument; you patiently stay out of the way of her adress.

Captain Charlotte nudges herself to reach for a concealed shelf beneath her table. She takes out a bottle of blue chemical. You can easily guess that it is a mana potion; it can’t be anything else. It’s very expensive and hard to make concoction of magic.

“Alice, you have the nerve to dare and imply that I would be using such meagre tactics to try and stop you from going on this mission,” her tone of voice hardens, it becomes like lead, “This is a warning, I do not care if your father is –the– Yakow Phetocruel, or not, you will act the way a Magic Knight should.” Alice bites her lips; it seems this particular mention hit a nerve.

“Captain Charlotte,” you gracefully and quietly allow yourself to break the short silence, “If that is indeed a ‘Mana Potion’, it would be a waste to use it here and now. I heard that they are expensive, hard to brew and, thus, rare. They would be much more of a help in Y’ere, or... any other mission.” Her beautiful, yet cold, eyes entrap yours. They are distant and unblinking.

Captain Charlotte looks away first: as if the first to admit her defeat of your short-lived discourse. She lifts a massive backpack with her hand and elegantly places it on the table; it creaks under the overfilling weight. She puts the potion inside of it.

“What were you planning to do with your spell?” she asks you with the same, emotionless tone of voice.

“I...” you glance at Alice and then back at Charlotte, “I’m not sure, I wanted to see if it’ll end up doing... anything.”

She crosses her arms over her chest, “Sigh... It is my mistake, and I should’ve given you this test a day or few ago...”

Again, there is a momentary yet heavy silence. Charlotte is still visibly hesitating about the whole ordeal.

You finally manage to grasp your grimoire from Alice’s fingers. Hesitatingly, you put it back into your pouch.

“We will be cautious and careful during this expedition, Captain Charlotte. We will not do anything dangerous.”

At this, Alice slowly raises her hand as if she was peasant asking the King himself to allow them to speak. Roselei nods.

“I will,” Alice says with a deadpan and irrational expression. With your mouth open wide, you begin gasping for breath.

Charlotte looks at you with a disappointment yet also with pity before she turns to Phetocruel to demand an explanation.

“You said yourself that we will be competing with other Squads to explore and markdown as much of the dangers of ‘Y’ere’ as we can; as well as to take note of magic anomalies and powerful artefacts in there! I plan to do all of that in there!”

“The Magic Emperor is sure to reward one Squad above all others, but this is your safety we are talking about here.”

Alice clutches her fists, “We knew what we signed for when we became Magic Knights, Captain Charlotte. You allowed that ‘Goat Knight’ to participate in the battle we had despite her curse. If she won’t, would you consider stopping her as well?!”

“Yes,” Charlotte tells her adamantly, “I would be just as uncertain after reading those expedition reports.” She sighs, “Alice, I know very well that you feel regretful after what transpired at the cultist town, but this shouldn’t cloud your attitude.”

Alice grinds her teeth, “I don’t feel... sorry... or regretful, or as if that damn cultist took pity on me. But it’s been half-a-”
Charlotte slams her plated fist against the wooden table. It creaks once more under the weight of her emotion. She scoffs.

“I know how long it’s been, and how much Tugela and Tresses are suffering because of this. But the Magic Emperor-”

Alice is upset, but also just a tad fearful of Charlotte’s outburst. She takes an exasperated sigh, “This is a very important mission, Captain Roselei. If we return with victory, the Magic Emperor will have no choice but to allow us to assault the cultists.”

Alice is usually empty-headed and brazen, but it seems this kind of argument somehow manages to play the right notes...

Captain Charlotte looks at you now.

“If this mission is what it takes to prove to the Magic Emperor that Blue Rose is – this time – ready to defeat the cult then we can’t waste this opportunity... I do not know anything about what has happened six months ago, I shouldn’t be saying this...”

Charlotte Roselei stands up, she motions for Alice to take the backpack off the table, “Curse it; get yourself all ready.”

*** *** ***

You and Alice separate your ways as soon as you leave the office. She briefly looks inside to see – and show you as well – that the backpack contains all manners of trinkets that will be of use inside the ‘Hollow Mountain ‘Y’ere’. It is heavy, but Alice is, thankfully, too proud and egoistical to make you carry something this important. She is a Noble, but a strange one. Captain Charlotte has said that she will give the two of you an additional reward if you manage to return with a “Union Magic” spell...

On your way, after breakfast, you stumble upon the Wardress Virginia. She spots you mid-way and pauses to greet you melancholically. Despite her usual, cold expression, you can see that she is sour and the irises of her eyes look dimmer than usual.

She explains that she is returning from Lanarel’s office after an apology. The proud Magic Knight offers you one as well:
“I am sorry for running away like that, Cynthia,” she says, “It’s unlike me and I apologize for doing something so rash.”

You offer her an understanding smile. You did not want to go to that mixer that much anyway. And that is the truth!!!

“H-how did your reunion go?” you ask with hesitation.

She scowls. You quickly tell her that she does not need to tell you if she does not want to. Her head turns around as she makes sure the corridor is empty of unneeded presence. She leads you back to her office, to where your new arm-coat is waiting.

“He refused to open the door for me, Cynthia. After so many years of us being separated, of him leaving without saying ‘farewell’, of him hiding where he was from me... not a single letter... he refused to meet me. I was this close to breaking the door, Cynthia, but from you said he is a respected ‘doctor’ on the High Street, I did not wish to ruin the Blue Rose reputation with this.”

That does sound like something Siegfried would do.

“But I know why you said he looks so much older than he is, I could smell the drug smoke leaving the empty door sill. I know this drug. It is not illegal, but it is addictive and harmful. It makes you age at a much quicker age the more you smoke it...”

And he is always smoking it.

Virginia pushes her heavy door to lead you into the office. She points the fingers of her right hand to create a circle of dancing white flames of her “Angel Fire Magic” to light up all the candles inside and bask the room in a silvery-white radiance.

She is quite troubled by this. She moves towards the cabinet containing all kinds of old wines and leans on it with a sigh.

Virginia hesitates, but her grief is stronger than her usually adamant attitude. “... I have failed so many Magic Knights, Cynthia. I know that Siegfried left because of how I acted. I could, but did not stop Cleole from going into that cursed dungeon and ending up stuck with her pestilential grimoire. I could, but didn’t stop Tugela from departing and failing to stop the accursed cult. Even in the Sunasho Palace, I was supposed to be protecting you two but Lanarel would’ve ended up dead without your help...”

> “Captain Charlotte said the same to me and Alice. The truth is, even if you’re like an older sister to us all, you can’t protect us. The two will find a way to break their curses, and you should not think about the past now, but how to support them presently.”
> “I know Siegfried less than you do, Virginia, but I see how he is. What I know is that he has been very hurt by the Blue Rose.”
> “Siegfried has been smoking for as long as I remember, but he is not unhappy. From what I know, he has been working for a noble and has managed to acquire a fortune that way. He’s willing to help everyone who needs it, and who’s willing to pay the price. I know it is not right, but if you want, I can pretend that me, or someone close to me, is hurt, to lure him to meet you then.”
> “Have you tried... apologizing to him, Wardress Virginia? He wouldn’t want me to say this, but he still cares a lot about you.”
> “Do you want me to speak with him first? I don’t mind acting as your diplomat, as long as you are happy with me doing so.”
> “I know that you are Senior Magic Knight, Wardress Virginia. I understand that it is your duty and responsibility to take care of us. But, as Magic Knights, we are also all equal. We know the dangers, and what we need from you is support, not overcoddling.”
> It is not your place to offer advice to your superior. Tell Virginia that she should do what she thinks is right.
> Enquire about what happened with Tugela and/or Cleole. You don’t feel right asking them, but maybe Virginia can tell you.
> [Write In]

>>4477504
> “Captain Charlotte said the same to me and Alice. The truth is, even if you’re like an older sister to us all, you can’t protect us. The two will find a way to break their curses, and you should not think about the past now, but how to support them presently.”
> “I know Siegfried less than you do, Virginia, but I see how he is. What I know is that he has been very hurt by the Blue Rose.”
> “Have you tried... apologizing to him, Wardress Virginia? He wouldn’t want me to say this, but he still cares a lot about you.
Enquire about what happened with Tugela and Cleole. You don’t feel right asking them, but maybe Virginia can tell you.

>>4477588
+1

>>4477588
This is good

“I know Siegfried less than you do, Wardress Virginia, but I see how he is. What I know is that he has been very hurt by the Blue Rose.”

Virginia facial features remain unmoving. She steps closer to you. She tries but fails to hide her troubled voice.

“Did he complain to you about it?”

Is it your place to shove yourself into their relationship? It is clear that Virginia is looking for advice, and there are not many people she is willing to open up like she is doing right now; if any. Soon, she’ll get a stone-cold and secluded grip...

You shake your head. You can offer her a piece of counsel.

“He did not, but he acted angry and hostile when I first mentioned the Blue Rose to him. He continued to act unenthusiastic and depressive after I became a Magic Knight of this Squad. He did ask about your name when I mentioned the Magic Knights who are currently cursed, and was – at least a tiny bit – relieved and happy when he learned that it was not you.”

Virginia straightens her towering figure. She’s wearing her heavy-duty plated armour. Did she visit his house like this?

“Have you tried... apologizing to him, Wardress Virginia? He wouldn’t want me to say this, but he still cares a lot about.”

“...Apologize?” Virginia asks you with clear sharpness in her voice. Her gauntlet grips the glass doors of the cabinet to awkwardly shove it open. You soon realize that she is reaching for one of the bottles. Holding it with an uncertain hesitation, she somehow squeezes it so hard and long enough that the bottleneck cracks and shatters, forcing the cap and glass rain upon the floor. She places the dangerously sharp neck of the bottle inches from her lips and begins pouring the wine into her open mouth.

“W-wardress Virginia?!” you gasp.

She continues to drink down the wine, her throat bulging and gulping the alcohol. Within a few seconds, she manages to completely empty out the bottle. However, when she lowers it, her cheeks remain white and washy and her stature is passionless...

“I don’t think I can apologize to him, Cynthia.” She says as if she needed all that alcohol just to confess such a thing.

“I feel bad, but it won’t feel honest. I need to know what exactly he wants me to apologize for, and he won’t tell me.”

Lanarel told you about a boy who joined at the same time Virginia did, but you are not sure if you can drag Lanarel...

“I think he we’ll let you in if you say you are there to apologize, and you can discuss everything else once you’re inside.”

You smile. Virginia looks at you with a cold glare before she grips the bottle and sends it loudly smashing into the waste.

You cover your head and squeak in apology. While initially, it seems Virginia is angry, it looks she took your advice to heart. She closes the fragile wine cabinet with the same dangerous and loud smash she did before. She approached the long table.

You follow her footstep. You notice a full padded doublet laying there; it is repaired and adjusted to suit your height...

She motions her head to the suit of half-linen padded armour. She changes the topic: “This should protect you out there.”

You look over the shirt with a keen eye of a tailor. You surge just a tiny bit of magic inside to have the linen react back.

You can make this work. You nod to her with gratitude. There’s a moment of silence before you decide to question her:

“Wardress Virginia, can you tell me what happened with Cleole in her dungeon expedition and Tugela on her mission?”

“I am not sure if they want me to tell you about their failures, and they are both long stories, one of which would be bad talking the Silver Eagle Squad...” she says, and you nod with understanding. “Let’s just say that Cleole was a part of the Silver Eagle and, because the Blue Rose refused to go on that mission, they send them instead. I knew her as a fellow Knight, and I tried to convince her of the dangers, but she refused to listen in fear of being ostracized by her Squad, which end up happening anyway. She was not ready to go on such a dangerous mission, and everyone knew but Nozel insisted regardless. Tugela wasn’t ready too.”

You can’t help but smile, but not cruelly and mockingly; she is worried, like an older sister – or even a mother would – there is an ironic charm to the way she acts. “Captain Charlotte said the same to me and Alice. The truth is, even if you’re like an older sister to us all, you can’t protect us. The two will find a way to break their curses, and you should not think about the past now, but how to support them presently. If I and Alice can return from this expedition as victors, ahead of other Squads, it might be possible that the Magic Emperor will lift his interdict and we can try to defeat the cult that put this curse on Tugela and Tresses and lift it that way. But ‘Y’ere’ is supposed to be an incredibly chaotic Magic Zone, I will attempt to find a way or ways which will assist or help with all their curses, as well as with the strange plague that is currently rotting Cleole’s grimoire.” You nod.

With the assistance of the white candlelight, Virginia’s tall shadow covers your whole. She stares you down, but bows and lowers her chin as to not appear insolent. “Don’t make me regret not stopping you here and now as well, Cynthia. Do not die.”

> It appears Lanarel is a part of their quarrel as well; she feels a tad responsible. Tell Virginia to bring her along with her.
> Promise ‘Not to die’. Thank Virginia for help assistance and help and leave her office to finally begin your mission.
> Ask Virginia if you can borrow her Magic Artifact, the curved sheeted blade she has been using in the desert temple.
> Ask her if she can tell you anything about Alice. She won’t tell you herself, she’s a noble snob, but it can be useful.
> [Write In]

>>4478608
>> It appears Lanarel is a part of their quarrel as well; she feels a tad responsible. Tell Virginia to bring her along with her.
> Ask her if she can tell you anything about Alice. She won’t tell you herself, she’s a noble snob, but it can be useful.

>>4478631
This + let's ask for the sword, the worst case she says no. The best we get a powerful weapon.

>>4478631
+1

>>4478631
This

“I won’t.” You reply without making any promises you can’t keep... You clear your throat as you take the doublet into your fingers to glance over it, “You should consider bringing Lanarel with you, it seems she feels somewhat responsible too.”

> Item Acquired: [Full Padded Doublet]
> [2/2] as AHP (Additional Health Points). Weights your body and slows you down with -10 DR penalty as long as you wear it.
> Using your Linen Magic [20 MP] you can restore your padded jacket to [1/2] AHP. The rest requires proper repairment.

Virginia pauses, “Does she?” She’s surprised by this. It doesn’t seem like the Knight is considering Lanarel any part of it.

You nod; you don’t add anything to your suggestion. If Lanarel so wishes, she’ll tell Virginia about her worries herself.

She runs both of her hands against the edgy and spiky ends of her dark-green hair. “I’ll consider it,” she responds coolly.

You hesitate. The things you say, the things you ask... you are not usually the person to be so importunate and prying, especially with someone much older and experienced than you. However, you consider Virginia a friend, if not a very close one.

If she’ll show any signs of resentment to the things you say, you’ll know it, and apologize. But, unusually, she’s open.

“Do you think you can tell me anything about Alice?” you ask, “She won’t tell me herself but I feel like I need to know her better if we are going to be stuck in ‘Y’ere’. I don’t want to get into any conflicts with her.” More than you usually do...

“Alice...” Virginia ponders out loud, “Alice Phetocruel. “The Worst Knight”. Yes, I know a few things about the girl, some of them unfortunate that it is not my place to share. I’ll tell you this, she has a very uncertain relationship with her father; Yakow Phetocruel was a well renowned and powerful Magic Knight, perhaps one of the strongest this kingdom has ever seen. He, too, had Afterimage Magic, but unlike Alice’s, his manifested in ways that he effortlessly used against his enemies. Alice loves and respects her father, but she also hates the burden of his name. A lot of people are aware of Yakow and when they hear about his daughter, they expect the same kind of abilities and strength from her and her magic. As you know, it’s harder for her.”

“But she is determinate, and if there’s one thing she has over her father is that she never gives up, no matter how bleak – if not outright suicidal and unwinnable – the situation is. You should be careful, Cynthia, unless she drags you together with her.”

You nod to Virginia with appreciation, despite her not giving you much of new information to chew on.

“She failed the ‘Blue Rose Labyrinth’ a dozen times, but ‘Y’ere’ is different. There is no place for failure there.”

After a few additional, short exchanges, you approach the door to leave. However, before you depart Virginia’s office your eyes catch a glimpse of a sheathed blade put high on the wall above the doorframe. “Wardress, do you think I can borrow your sword?” You blurt out loud before you realize the arrogance of your question. You flinch when she loudly approaches you.

Without a word, her arms reach for the height you’d never be able to – even if you hit a sudden growth spurt – and take the scabbard into her hands. For a second, her heavy metal chest painfully presses against your head. She lowers it and takes the curbed blade out of sheathing with a strident ringing of the metal. A beautifully curved blade infused by the magic of “Relic Magic” it surges even now with its power.

“This?” She inspects it closely before placing the sharp end of it against the ground, forcing the struck stone floor to zing, “Yes, it would help you a great lot. This is much more powerful than any regular ‘Magic Tool’; it’s the only Magic Relic in the Clover Kingdom.” She adds with annoyance about the fact that every other relic has been taken off her hands. She swings it in the air without activating the magic spell bond inside of it. “Have you ever used a sword before, little Cynthia?” she asks you coldly.

You, apologetically, shake your head. “No, I... never did.”

She contemplates for a few more seconds before sheeting the sword and offering you the scabbard. “You better learn.”

“Y-you are giving it to me?” you say. You can feel your eyes shining with excitement you are unable to hide from her.

She nods, “But only until you and Alice return from the ‘Hollow Mountain’, make sure not to lose it. I’m fond of it.”

You thank Virginia one more time but you stop yourself short from embarrassing yourself and reaching for a hug. With flustered cheeks from the idea alone, you finally leave with the big sword awkwardly hanging over your thigh. You enter the garden to meet Alice who, at first, greets you with cold disdain. Nevertheless, she takes interest in the blade you are carrying.

“What is that?” she asks – demands – of you.
“It’s a sword, a Magic Tool; Wardress Virginia gave it to me so I can protect myself in ‘Y’ere’.”

“The Wardress... gave it to you?” Alice echoes your words with a gasping huff, “Well isn’t that... great.”

You frown and narrow your eyes, “I need some way to defend myself if we get separated,” you tell her.

She straightens her back and chest and raises her chin, “You should give it to me; I’ll make better use of it.”

You blink, “What? You already have the ‘Paralyze Knife’!”

She smirks, “So what? You’re a peasant and a Junior Knight; it’ll only be wasted in your hands.”

> Item Acquired: [Magic Relic: Blessed Sword ‘Cauterizing Fire’]
> [Magic Relic: Blessed Sword ‘Cauterizing Fire’] 50 Mana. [10/10 charges]. DR30. -3HP. -2 HP penalty to next healing spell.
It is a curved white sword with a barely noticeable presence of age and silvery-blue rust from the Sunasho Armoury. If charged with magical energy [50 mana], and an on successful DR30 roll, the blade can cauterize the victims of those it strikes while also dealing -3HP damage to them. Cauterized victims suffer a -2HP penalty to the next healing spell applied to them.

> Give Alice the Magic Relic, but repeat the conditions on which Virginia gave it to you. She’s responsible for it now.
> Agree to give it to her but only if she is willing to give you ‘your’ Paralyze Knife. If not, then no cigar.
> Refuse, at least until she’s able to ask you nice, which will probably never happen. This is your sword now.
> [Write In]

>>4480023
> Refuse, at least until she’s able to ask you nice, which will probably never happen. This is your sword now.

>>4480023
> Refuse, at least until she’s able to ask you nice, which will probably never happen. This is your sword now.
How about no?

>>4480023
> Refuse, at least until she’s able to ask you nice, which will probably never happen. This is your sword now.

>>4480023
> Refuse, at least until she’s able to ask you nice, which will probably never happen. This is your sword now.

We can switch if situation asks for it but we need it more than her

You swiftly push away the loosely hanging scabbard away from Alice’s reaching hands. You shake your head.

“I need it more than you,” you repeat to her face. You glance away before you look back, “Sorry... but I really do.”

She gives you a dirty look with face like thunder. She lifts her head away, clearly displeased by your intractability.

She lightly, with the intention for you to feel it but not strong enough to get hurt or fall, shoves your shoulder away.

“Whatsoever, commoner. I’m sure you’ll beg me to save you eventually, and willingly toss me the sword!”

You bite your lips to furlough the insults boiling inside you. You shrug your shoulder, allowing the bones to crunch.

As the two of you continue through the garden path and towards the entrance you find Sol. She is broadly waving at you.

Ignoring Alice, the tanned tomboy pushes herself past her and grabs your hands into hers. As always, she’s wearing revealing and loose clothes. Her green eyes glisten. With a voice full of worry, she speaks, “Little Cynthia, I am so-so-so happy you are finally free from that boy!” Her face grimaces as she grabs you into a hug, “It must have been horrible! Hell! For how long have you been forced to stay like that, again? I can’t imagine even a second of such anguish; wedged with a dirty –man–!”

“I-it’s been less than a month,” you inhale to keep yourself alive in the choking hug. “I am happy to be “free” again.”

“What are you doing here, you commoner Sol?” Alice asks Sol pretentiously.

Sol looks past the obvious attempt to belittle her, “Sis’ Charlotte asked me to accompany you to the ‘Hollow Mountain’!”

She releases the clutch suddenly, your feet connecting with the ground. You barely manage to keep your balance intact...

“This is so great, ‘Thia!” Sol exclaims, “Two dungeons in a month, you’ll be an Intermediate Magic Knight in no time!”

You gingerly chuckle at such a suggestion and praise. You aware that you’re just lucky and helpful, it’s not the merit.

“Maybe not this year, however, the ‘War Merits Conferment Ceremony’ is just days away. I am being promoted, heh...’”

“You?!” Alice’s blue eyes widen as she looks at Sol with insult and shock.

“Yep! I am going to accompany Captain Charlotte’ to receive my endorsement! It’s for the six stars I got this year!”

“This is ridiculous, of all the people here, only you, a commoner... when did you– ”

Sol beams proudly. “Well I was busy all-year-long assisting Captain Charlotte, y’ know? You were in the ‘labyrinth’...”

She looks at you with a wink to add salt to Alice’s injury. A reminder to the noble that it took you one try to get the rose.

The tips of her ears turn red and sweat begins to pour down her face. She gives both you and Sol a glare that could kill...

“Well then, we better get going unless we miss the chance! Although, we still have many more hours to spare.”

You nod to Sol Marron. You open your grimoire and, with a bit of concentration, you take the broom out of the pages.

You look at Alice whom, while having her expensive-looking and richly encrusted Magic Broom floating beside her, is not yet taking flight. With an angry turn, she raises her chest and takes a long and loud gasp. Her lungs filled with fire, she shouts:

“Tresses... Tugela!” her sharp voice echoes like an explosion of wind. You cover your ears immediately after and even Sol does the same with two earthy arms she makes with her magic. You stare at Alice with agasp and bafflement when she continues; you swear the next shout is even louder: “Just you bloody wait, I am going to return from ‘Y’ere’ and leave the Magic Emperor with no other choice to let us deal with that damn devil-worshipping cult! And once I am back, I am going to crush her skull and deal with your curse that way! And once you are back to ordinary, I am going to beat you to a pulp to stand above you!”

You watch the windows of the mansion glisten as shadowy figures appear from beneath several of them to look at what is going on. You are unsure which of the windows lead to Tugela’s and Tresses’ rooms so you can’t say for sure if they even heard Alice. However, -a lot- of people did... this is very embarrassing. You see the Charlotte enter her balcony and look down.

Alice’s mint eyes concentrate on the Captain of the Blue Rose with a glare of a challenger not subordinate. A declaration.

> Stay silent, lower your eyes and prepare for the liftoff. Let Alice be the only who will embarrass herself here.
> Shout towards the manor with all of your might that you’ll make sure to return as the number one Squad in “Y’ere”.
> Shout towards the manor with all of your might that you’ll do everything in your power to fix Tugela’s and Tresses’ curse.
> Shout towards the manor with all of your might that –you– are going to become the strongest Magic Knight in the Blue Rose.
> Shout towards the manor will all of your might that you are going to bring the Blue Rose in the rankings to the number one spot.
> Caught in the flurry, shout towards your manor with all of your might that like the Magic Emperor and wish to work by his side.
> [Write In]

>>4481665
>Shout towards the manor with all of your might that you’ll do everything in your power to fix Tugela’s and Tresses’ curse.

>>4481665
> Shout towards the manor with all of your might that you’ll make sure to return as the number one Squad in “Y’ere”.

>>4481665
> Shout towards the manor with all of your might that –you– are going to become the strongest Magic Knight in the Blue Rose.

>>4482416
>>4481882
>>4481806
These

You are embarrassed; not only for Alice but also for yourself, and for what you preparing yourself to do now.

Despite your best attempt, your voice comes out more serene than Alice’s. Your lungs constrict.

“Me too!” you lower your clenched hands and puff your chest in the most direct and confrontational stature you can manage. Alice silently wheezes when you take a step to stand side by side with her. Again, she is not at all embarrassed but displeased that you dare to do the same thing she did. However, her brash glare does not stop you from yelling. You head facing the mansion, and with even more people looking out of the window, you gasp: “Tugela! Tresses! I’ll do everything I can so that we return from ‘Hollow Mountain Y’ere’ as the number one Squad! I’ll make sure that we get rid of your curses no matter what!”

You briefly look back to Sol to apologize for stalling her time, however, the tanned girl just laughs. She slams her hands against the ground and a vivid, geyser-like burst of bright magenta-orange descends deep into the ground. A few seconds later, you hear a rumble beneath your feet as the ground begins to quickly soar ride underneath your legs. You ascend with the pillar...

Alice steps aside with discontent. She angrily looks at Sol who raising her hand with a loud cheer, “Say it, little Cynthia!”

You now stand much taller than the gilded gates. Your legs begin to tremble as you are directly put in the spot. You can feel dozen of eyes - Captain Charlotte’s too – looking directly at you – a Junior Magic Knight who only just recently joined their Squad... and is now screaming her lungs out. Your hair bristles under the chilly breeze. The loss of air and the sudden height makes your breath shorten and your vision turn to smudge. You are excited, and your entire body trembles with unpredictable but difficult-to-control enticement. It will be even more embarrassing to say something stupid and weak or to remain silent, like this.

You dare to follow the bar Alice has put in front of you.

“I... want to say that I, Cynthia Gualdo, am going to become the strongest Magic Knight in the Blue Rose!!!”

You imagine your voice being much louder than it is in reality. Your statement ricochets off the walls and through your head. You catch your breath; your throat is sour and paining. As your face begins to turn crimson red you hastily and awkwardly realize what you’ve just done and, without even waiting for Sol to cancel her spell, you begin to descend her pillar with such speed as if you were escaping from something apocalyptic. Alice’s teeth begin to chatter as her lips rise with a scowl; just a bit.

“You... who do you think you are, you peasant?” she monotones.

Without looking or waiting for either her or Sol, you grab onto your Magic Broom and escape the situation’s awkwardness. Only once Sol eventually catches up with you, you realize that you don’t know the way, and follow her.

*** *** ***

You arrive at the base of the “Hollow Mountain” a few hours later. It is an enormous highland peak standing in the middle of a rich boreal forest with thousands of scale-leaved evergreen trees. The mountain surface itself is lush and rich. The sporadic trees continue to grow all across and over the facade of the mountain, with only the peak laying barren and covered in snow. Aside from this vividness and the fact that there are no other mountain hours away from it, “Y’ere” is nothing suspicious...

But there is a dangerous Grand Magic Zone hidden inside of it, one you are soon to enter. You land, your heart beating.

You are not sure if it beats because of what you just did hours before, or because you are now scared of going inside...

Alice remains silent and angry at, what you imagine the reason being, you stealing her spotlight. Sol, after mellowly mocking you on your flight here, is in a better spirit. There are many robed and hooded figures that are here to greet you; they are the members of the Order of the Magic Knight, but they serve directly under the Magic Emperor. They’ll be watching over you.

Once one of them approaches you with a vial containing gold-glimmering liquid and asks you to undress to apply it, Sol nearly knocks him out. She insults his brazen bruteness and grabs the vial out of his hands to apply the potion herself. She draws Charlotte’s head on the area between your stomach and chest and, as soon as she finishes, you feel a radiant heat coming from it...

The man, who almost had one of his teeth knocked out, explains, “It’s a special runic potion and a save-state. If you are unable to return on your own in two days the potion will make sure you are impulsively dragged to the weaker parts of the dome.”

Alice applies the potion herself, dragging her fingers over her body at random. It looks like the shape does not matter...

You soon acknowledge another group standing not far from you; you are unsure if they were here before you or just arrived. The three of them – two men and one girl – are wearing the olive-green mantle of the Green Mantis Magic Knight Squad.

One of them recognizes you, and so do you: Labrys Adzefrene. His family are members of the White Yul. Even now, he still has a shoulder-long snow-white hair and glistering green-blue eyes with a golden sparkle not unlike the exotic irises of Captain Dorothy. Your heart skips yet another beat once you realize what his presence here means – he’ll be going into ‘Y’ere’.

It’s been six months since your “date”.

“Beautiful Cynthia!” the man shouts with unshameful excitement. “That’s you alright! So you did become a Magic Knight!” He says as he begins going towards you. Sol shoves herself before you and keeps her arm near your head and body.

“Do you know this guy?” Sol asks you; she stands up protectively.

> Tell Sol that you two grew up on the same street – technically true – and that’s how you know him.
> Tell Sol that he’s a friend of yours and you meet in Kraal. Introduce yourself to the man properly.
> Grab Labrys by his hand and drag him away from everyone else to have a private discussion instead.
> Slam your palms together and beg Labrys not to say anything unnecessary while Sol and Alice are near.
> Continue hiding away from Labrys behind Sol. You can barely remember that night; you don’t want him to...
> [Write In]

>>4483248
>Tell Sol that you two grew up on the same street – technically true – and that’s how you know him.
>Slam your palms together and beg Labrys not to say anything unnecessary while Sol and Alice are near.

>>4483248
>Tell Sol that you two grew up on the same street – technically true – and that’s how you know him.
>Slam your palms together and beg Labrys not to say anything unnecessary while Sol and Alice are near.

File: 93bc662a68c1a15ebb1f5fd6a(...).gif (1.8 MB, 250x273)

1.8 MB GIF

> [I feel like my prompts are the weakest part of my quest, you lads are very often united on a decision.]

>>4483248
>Tell Sol that you two grew up on the same street – technically true – and that’s how you know him.
>Slam your palms together and beg Labrys not to say anything unnecessary while Sol and Alice are near.

>>4483248
>Tell Sol that you two grew up on the same street – technically true – and that’s how you know him.
>Slam your palms together and beg Labrys not to say anything unnecessary while Sol and Alice are near.

>>4484132
I wouldn't worry too much, there are plenty of thread with anons in sync about commands

“Of course I do, dainty Sol,” Labrys offers you all a warm and genuine smile. He approaches ever closer. “We were-”

You flinch and cringe. After taking a short but amazingly deep breath, you slink past Sol’s arms to meet Labrys and his eyes painted with a layer of gold head-on. Before anybody can react you slam your palms together; hopefully, he’ll understand what you are trying to ask of him.

To your relief, Labrys is still as perceptive as before. He immediately silences himself, keeping a poker face while looking at Sol.

You interrupt, “We grew up on the same ‘High Street’ in Kikka. It’s easy for families there to get to know each other.”

“Indeed!” Labrys suddenly raises his voice but Sol continues to guard you against his attempts to get any closer to you.

“That’s so?” Sol asks suspiciously, “You are acting –awfully– friendly for some left-field-acquaintance, you gigolo.”

You chuckle once you manage to upend Sol’s brawny grip and join the two by her side, “Our families knew each other.”

Sol eyes the tall and grinning man up and down before turning to you, “You never told me you had a friend who became a Magic Knight.”

“I didn’t know he became a Magic Knight until about six months ago,” you admit, skipping the embarrassing facts of your reunion.

“And now we are both Magic Knights, charming Cynthia,” he nudges his head, “You grew even more alluring in this short time! That 'Blue Rose' cloak suits you so well, precious Cynthia."

You can’t help but awkwardly clear your throat.

Sol holds her iron-angry glare set on Labrys, she remains unblinking...

Labrys is not ashamed to blink, “Oh, that’s right, Sol, how is your dear beautiful Captain doing? Did you marry her yet?”

Sol coughs on her saliva and breath, “W-what the hell are you talking about, you shameless troglodyte!?”

He smiles, “Well, everyone knows how much you adore her. But if not, I guess that there’s still an opportunity for me to do that.”

Sol immediately swings her arm yet again to connected an uppercut but Labrys easily avoids her attack. She stomps her foot and raises her voice, “You are below even a maggot for Captain Charlotte! She has no interest in filthy men; she the pure maiden of thorns and virtue!”

Before they can continue their argument, Alice grabs and shoves both you and Sol aside to step right before him; her eyes are dead cold.

“Intermediate Knight. So you are the best the Green Mantis could scramble together?” A powerful noble grin appears across her face, “This is piss’take, but I did not know what I was expecting from a bunch of commoners. What a disappointment.” She arrogantly crosses her hands.

Labrys remains smiling, “Irresistible Alice, the daughter of Yakow Phetocruel. It must be hard to be stuck with that horrible nickname they gave you.” Before Alice can respond with anger, Labrys puts a hand on his shoulder and says, “I am not an Intermediate Knight yet, actually.”

Alice’s eyes begin to twitch anxiously, “W-what do you mean with that?!”

Labrys throws you a wink. The man grins in the same manner Alice did before, back at her; he’s not a royal, but he’s certainly a son of a White Yul aristocrat, “I –supposedly– earned enough stars to advance in rank, but the award ceremony is happening during the same time as our expedition so we’ll be awarded afterwards. Captain Jack made an exception to this.”

“So you two are both ‘Junior Magic Knights’?!” Alice shouts are we she just spat in the face, the notion of the fact a clear insult to her rank and blood.

Labrys simply shrugs his arms, “I guess so, we’ll see if the Magic Emperor has any problem with this afterwards.”

“That’s not how it works!”

You notice the girl previously accompanying Labrys approach you. She looks a year or two younger than you; you are aware that you can’t be a Magic Knight until you get your grimoire at age fifteen. She must be just petite. She refuses to look at you; when you take a step to try and meet her eyes she immediately looks away.

She is wearing the traditional Green Mantis robe on top of her slender war shirt. She has a long skirt made out of dense brown cotton cloth. Most of her head and dark-blue hair is hidden underneath a veil, a white head covering with a thick bronze headwrap. She has similar bracelets on her wrists as well as a belt on her torso. All of her bronze objects are oxidized; they bluish misty layer flows over the bronze foundation. From over her feathery hair that covers both of her ears she has shoulder-length casual-side fluffy ponytails; they are held together by bronze.

“Hello?” you interrupt the silence between the two of you.

She takes the wooden square object she has been holding and shoves it in your face. She practically hits you with it. It is a well-drawn picture of a peasant boy. He is the most average person you have ever seen: worn-out clothes, short oily hair, brown eyes and dark shadows beneath... He has barely visible muscles and a thin, even dystrophic, body shape. His expression is calm: neither happy nor angry.

The girl blushes, “This is Myles, he’s my boyfriend and fiance and friend! He’s so handsome and attractive, don’t you think so?” She questions you.

Your eyes gingerly dart to the side, unsure on how to respond to such a question. In the corner of your eye, you spot the Purple Orca Squad.

It is a woman, and a boy your age. A boy you know very well. It is a boy who betrayed your father and left him in the soon-to-be-set-alight building with a horrible curse. It is a boy your father trusted and even loved like his son, and who you shared a roof with for years back. This person is Lucius Osta, now a Magic Knight of the Purple Orca and an accomplice of Patricia Navika. He joined the worst, most corrupt Magic Knight Squad and also the most heinous and horrible of all the White Yul families. Your breath cuts and then turns heavy; your eyes can’t help but stare at him. It doesn’t look like he noticed or recognized your presence...

You hear the girl chuckle behind her held painting:

“His magnificence caught your breath, did it not? I don’t blame you," She sighs.

> Calm down. Tell the Green Mantis girl that her boyfriend is beautiful and she’s lucky to have him.
> Compliment the Green Mantis girl’s boyfriend mellowly and ask why she refuses to look you in the eye.
> Storm to confront Lucius for all the horrible deeds he’s done to you, your father and your workshop.
> Point your finger towards Lucius and calm him out on the spot. Call out his misdeed before everyone.
> [Write In]

>>4485380
> Storm to confront Lucius for all the horrible deeds he’s done to you, your father and your workshop.

>>4485380
>> Storm to confront Lucius for all the horrible deeds he’s done to you, your father and your workshop.

>>4485380
>Compliment the Green Mantis girl’s boyfriend mellowly and ask why she refuses to look you in the eye.

I knew he would be here but anyway the dungeon is too dangerous to cause trouble, especially since you don't have evidence

>>4485380
> Compliment the Green Mantis girl’s boyfriend mellowly and ask why she refuses to look you in the eye.

>>4485380
>> Compliment the Green Mantis girl’s boyfriend mellowly and ask why she refuses to look you in the eye.

>>4485380
>> Compliment the Green Mantis girl’s boyfriend mellowly and ask why she refuses to look you in the eye.

File: Cynthia Gualdo.jpg (3.7 MB, 4000x4000)

3.7 MB JPG

“He is... um... a good-looking fellow?” you turn your head back to the picture and smile awkwardly at the girl hiding behind it.

She lifts and pulls the wooden frame back towards herself. She turns it around to appreciate it. Her cheeks are blushing and small pink hearts are glimmering inside her eyes. She squeaks, “I know! He once skipped a rock all across the entire Elyw’s pound!” You imagine Elyw being a village... skipping a rock across a pound is impressive but not groundbreaking.

Your run your fingers over and through your scarlet hair, unsure of what to say.

Humming with delight, she finally says:

“I just love him so much,” she takes the portrait into her arms to begin clutching and hugging it with a lot of amorous and passionate affection.

“I can see that,” you reply positively. Never in your life have you seen anyone being this strongly in love with somebody else, not even father.

She takes her eyes off the watercolour canvas but instead of looking at you, she turns them to one of the nearest trees...

“Once there was a very big and a very nasty – poisonous – spider climbing through my hair! He swiped it away with no fear and then squashed it like a bug!” She sighs with relief, “Myles saved my life, and that wasn’t even the first or the last time he did so!”

You nod.

“He’s so strong, as well! I remember once he was chopping firewood and, with a swing, he accidentally broke his axe! That's how powerful he is!”

You nod.

“And he’s so smart! I remember having a problem finding the book I needed but when I asked him, he realized they put it in ‘drama’ instead!”

You nod.

“And he’s so romantic! The local vendor was selling this beautiful bouquet. I don’t know how but he realized I wanted it so-so bad, especially for him to gift it to me! I was so unreasonable, and he didn’t have much yul, but he still managed to purchase it!”

You nod.

“And he’s so responsible! When our group of kids was hanging together until the late hours of the night, he always made sure to be the last one to stay. He escorted each one of us to our homes and stayed outside to make sure we all arrived safely!”

She sighs, “Oh and....”

“Do you mind if I ask you a question?”

“Of course!” her eyes light up, “It is about Myles? I can answer all and any question about him.”

“No, it’s not about Myles,” you awkwardly chuckle beneath your breath. “Why... are you avoiding eye contact?”

“Oh, that,” she chuckles in response, “I just don’t want Myles to get jealous that I’m looking at other people!”

You cough and gasp. Trying your hardest to remain stoic in the face and calm you ask her, “Did he... ask you to do that?” You feel uncomfortable.

You watch her grin, her eyes once again glued to the well-drawn picture of the most average boy imaginable, “Nay! I decided this on my own.”

File: Cynthia Gualdo.png (271 KB, 564x500)

271 KB PNG

Before you can respond, you hear her loudly wheeze. Within seconds she raises the picture to the clouds and sneezes...

“...Bless you,” you wish her.

Her cheeks immediately turn bright red. Holding the painting between her arms she holds her hands and squeals!

“Myles is thinking about me!” she shouts in excitement. She is unable to remain calm, “I only sneeze when he does so!”

You glance back at Labrys. Only now he finishes “arguing” with Alice; for him, it was a nothing more than a pleasant conversation. He’s the second person to notice the arrival of Purple Orcas. He rushes to greet the boy and the man with a firm handshake.

Lucius finally spots you, although it takes him a few more seconds to recognize you six months after. Perhaps he did not even know you became a Magic Knight?

His eyes widen in surprise before he immediately, as if apologetically, stares towards the ground to avoid making eye contact.

Alice cracks both knuckles of her hands, her arms still crossed beneath her chest, “What a noisy bastard.”

Sol furiously crosses her arms as well, “I couldn’t agree more!” She mutters much quieter, “But I wouldn’t mind marrying Sister Charlotte...”

Sol clears her throat. She points towards a cavern entrance not far and explains, “The dome itself is located beneath layers of earthy formations above it. You two are going to have to go through there and, hopefully, enter once the layer is weak.” She points to the many cloaked figures around you, “Those people here will stay to supervise and wait until your arrival. Nobody but the six of you can enter the cavern with you, as we might accidentally end up going inside ‘Y’ere’. It is against the agreement.”

You nod in gratitude to her explanation.

> Ask the Green Mantis girl her name. Suggest that Myles is worried sick about her going into the “Hollow Mountain.”
> Ask the Green Mantis girl to tell you even more about Myles. You don’t care - really - but it seems she enjoys talking about him.
> Approach the Purple Orca group to introduce yourself to them. Make it clear to Lucius that you remember every single thing.
> Wait until Labrys is alone and then approach him to catch up. Try your hardest not to make it obvious you’re happy to see him.
> Ask Labrys for a private talk. Ask the man if he’s aware of what the Navika Family is trying to do in Kikka and the “High Street.”
> Remain with your group until the time is right. Ask Sol to repeat the information Charlotte gave you previously. Prepare to leave...
> [Write In]

> I apologize for mistake in last update, the person who is with Lucius is a man, not a woman.

>>4486054
> Ask Labrys for a private talk. Ask the man if he’s aware of what the Navika Family is trying to do in Kikka and the “High Street.”

>>4486054
> Ask Labrys for a private talk. Ask the man if he’s aware of what the Navika Family is trying to do in Kikka and the “High Street.”

>>4486054
>Approach the Purple Orca group to introduce yourself to them. Make it clear to Lucius that you remember every single thing.

I don't think talking to Labrys is a good idea, remember the Purple Orca is corrupt and he might be in on it

>>4486877
But Labrys is apart of the Green Mantis?

>>4486887
Never mind that part then

You patiently wait until Labrys finishes his brief interaction with the two members of the Purple Orca Squad.

Once he is done, he begins walking back to the group consisting of the members of your Squad and his. You approach to intercept him mid-way, as fast as a loose arrow from a bow. He stops as soon as you stand in his path; his expression is relaxed and calm, although he is bemused.

“Can we talk in private?” you whisper, nudging your head towards the nearest collection of tall and concealing bushes. You feel both Sol’ and Alice’s eyes watch and judge his every movement; there’s nothing wrong about having a private talk with your childhood friend!

He leisurely, if not with a surprisingly happy smile, accepts your invitation. The lean man follows you to the underbrush. The greenish needle thickets are not big enough to entirely conceal your figures but they'll still able to hide enough of what you will be doing; that is: talking. It should be far enough for no one to hear the personal thing you are about to ask him...

“It’s really good to see you again, fulgent Cynthia.”

“Likewise... Would you mind stop praising my beauty with every mention?” you ask him politely.

His green-blue eyes widen as he chuckles back in surprised response, “Are you bothered by it, marvellous Cynthia?”

You stay silent. It is not... embarrassing or anything, but you do not feel like he’s being genuine. You gingerly nod your head; it is – perhaps – too big of a task to be asking him to control his speech. It doesn’t seem like he takes it as you being rude, thankfully.

“If that’s what you want, ‘Crystal’ Cynthia,” he winks playfully at you, “But it’ll be showing an exception to you, some ladies might find it very questionable if not suspicious; on no legitimate grounds. I’m sorry if that’ll cause any kind of trouble...”

You quickly realize that he is right and that it’ll be more trouble than it’s worth. You’ll just have to “suffer” through it.

“I-I don’t mind, as long as you stay reasonable, Labrys.”

“Well, of course,” he tells you, “I can assure you than what I say is reasonable and truthful, dashing Cynthia. I appreciate your beauty, as well as the inner and outer beauty of your handsome companions and the mesmerizing beauty of your Captain.”

You watch as the short moment the sun passes through the thick canopies of the tree above you it begins to shimmer his ashen hair...

You, near instinctively, harrumph. “I did hear from Tugela that you, to this day, are still attending those group dates: mixers.”

“It’s a time-waster, a pleasant hobby,” he admits without a second of remorse. He lifts his arm, his fingers remain floating in the air inches away from touching you but the motion he is visibly showing is that the intent behind it was to lift your chin...

“I did tell you that I am not looking for a long-term relationship, but perhaps your memory is a bit fizzy?” You gulp; it is indeed! It is like he’s staring directly into your mind here! You snicker as if to say ‘No, of course not. I remember everything!'

“But the night with you was still the most enthralling of all of them.” You exasperate. “We... didn’t do anything obscene, you are having trouble recalling our ‘date’”, He reminds you; he’s aware that on that night-trip you had too much to drink.

“I-I know that,” you say with the calmness of a run-away squirrel.

“I was just making sure you do not harbour any ill feelings in that adorable head of yours,” he smiles, “How’s your Magic Knight life going?”

“I joined less than a month ago, and the life of a Magic Knight is even more brazen and crazy than I could ever imagine. I did a lot...”

“But are you enjoying it, dear Cynthia?”

You allow yourself a brief smile, “I am...” There is a long silence before you sigh with defeat and tiredness. “Labrys, as happy as I am to see you, there was something serious I wanted to discuss with you,” you say, “It’s about the High Street politics.”

He can’t help but scowl; his sparkling cheeks immediately lose their rosiness, “Charming Cynthia, I think its best I remind you that I am not interested at all about the so-called ‘High Street’. My family has as a successor for their business, so there is no reason for me to worry or be anxious.” He showily runs his fingers through his stallion-like mane, “So I can’t help you.”

You lower your head dejectedly.

He gasps when he notices the emotions you can’t hide, “I-is it that serious? I... make no promises but I will listen to you.”

“Thanks, Labrys,” you lift your head, “It’s just that... a lot has been happening on the High Street you have been – it seems – ignoring. Your family are part of the White Yul, so it might be something you will not care about... however, I am very worried about my father and our workshop. Patricia, and her father, has been trying to force all those new laws to make us sell our business and make it impossible to exist without 'em.”

He furrows his brows, “Those were Navika’s ambitions since forever. No other White Yul Family cares about ‘purity’.”

You put yourself into a hug, “Well, she does, and, from what I heard, she managed to convince the Mayor Council and is even trying to push some restrictions through the Magic Parliament. That workshop is my father’s dream; I can’t let him lose it. It was important to my mother as well.”

Labrys awkwardly glances away, “You seem to be well-informed about it way more than I am, blue-ribbon Cynthia.”

“My father is worried; he’s trying to unite all the independent workshops against it but it is hard on him.”

Labrys bops his head, “I don’t know the whole situation or even a tiny bit of it, but does it matter if he’s independent?”

You look at him in disbelief. He finds it hard to keep intact with your dagger-sharp glare.

“As long as his shop belongs to a White Yul, it shouldn’t be a problem, should it? He can still live, use and work in it.”

> Ask Labrys with a dead-serious expression to talk with his family and try and stop Navika from getting her edicts through the Mayor Council and the Magic Parliament. Make it clear how important it is for you that the shop remains Gualdo’s.
> Plea to Labrys to see if there’s anything he can do without putting his family in trouble. If the High Street is controlled by the White Yul then there will be less variety, less uniqueness, and less charm. Warn him that Patricia will not stop there once it is done.
> Try and use your cute/womanly charms to convince Labrys to talk with his family and other members of the White Yul.
> Ask Labrys if he's interested in just-friends date after this mission is over.
> Ask Labrys about Tugela. Why is it she's so adamantly hostile to him?
> Agree with Labrys that this, indeed, has nothing to do with him and apologize for trying to make him part of it. Wish him luck.
> [Write In]

> [Thank you for playing, I appreciate it. I hope you are enjoying this quest and are excited for this next quest.]

>>4487574
>> Plea to Labrys to see if there’s anything he can do without putting his family in trouble. If the High Street is controlled by the White Yul then there will be less variety, less uniqueness, and less charm. Warn him that Patricia will not stop there once it is done.
I'm having plenty of fun, keep up the good work!

>>4487574
> Plea to Labrys to see if there’s anything he can do without putting his family in trouble. If the High Street is controlled by the White Yul then there will be less variety, less uniqueness, and less charm. Warn him that Patricia will not stop there once it is done.

>Tell him about counterfeit coins
>Warn him about Lucius Osta

This one is hard one

>>4487574
> Plea to Labrys to see if there’s anything he can do without putting his family in trouble. If the High Street is controlled by the White Yul then there will be less variety, less uniqueness, and less charm. Warn him that Patricia will not stop there once it is done.

> [No Update Today]

>>4488885
Do you like the manwhore archetype Melk?

>>4489048
> [I'm not sure why you ask!]

>>4489987
MAN asked a question Melk! Answer him!

>>4487574
> Plea to Labrys to see if there’s anything he can do without putting his family in trouble. If the High Street is controlled by the White Yul then there will be less variety, less uniqueness, and less charm. Warn him that Patricia will not stop there once it is done.

“Labrys, please...” you put your palm against the fingers of your other hand before pushing them both against your chest.

The man gingerly looks away from you; a trail of cold sweat trails down his forehead, “I don’t think I can help you, dear-”

You sniff to hold down your voice from turning rash, “I know that I am being unfair towards you here, but if the High Street is controlled by the White Yul then there will be less variety, less uniqueness, and less charm to it. Patricia has been very persistent about buying my father’s workshop, and even if it comes down to us agreeing to sell it to other members of the White Yul, she and her father want it to herself. I don’t think she cares about clothes at all, she just wants to curb stomp our defiance.”

Labrys gently pets your head. You raise your head in hope but, instead, he looks jaded and extremely reluctant about it.

“I don’t want to, but for you, tempting Cynthia, I’ll talk to my father to see if he’s willing to purchase your workshop.”

Your face dims; you raise both of your hands and hold the hand he has been caressing you with captive on your head.

“I don’t want you or your family to go through any trouble... if that... if that is the only thing you can then... maybe...”

Your voice's weak; what you are saying is not the truth. You don’t want to sell the workshop to the Adzefrene family either, or any of them.

You mutter, “...I am afraid that the Navika family won’t stop, Labrys. Once they get rid of all independent shops, they’ll go for other White Yul members next.”

You clench your fingers over his. He winces from the pain. When you are realizing this, you awkwardly let go of it.

“I don’t think that is a real worry. I care little about the politics of High Street, and her family is the most influential of them all, right... but there is always a non-verbal agreement. If only White Yul family steps out of line others will take it down.”

“What if her family grows too influential?” you ask.

“That’s unlikely to happen. High Street is finite, and it’ll be hard for her to buy off any shops belonging to other families.”

He smiles grimly, “I am sorry I can’t do more of you, lissom Cynthia.”

You raise your head right and left with a shake, “No... I am sorry for being unreasonable to you, Labrys. As I said, I don’t want you to get into trouble. I will talk to my father to see if it’ll be something he’ll agree on. If not, I’ll figure out something else.”

Labrys puts his hand over his shoulder; he is genuinely and visibly uncomfortable about what you have just discussed...

“There’s something I need to warn you about,” you decide to mention and to sway the topic from your previous pleading. “The Purple Orca is tasked with watching over and protecting the High Street, and most of Kikka. I am not sure if you know how corrupt the Purple Orca Squad is, Labrys, and I don’t want to speak ill of other Magic Knight Squads but... they are.”

He nods, “Of course I know, it’s not hard to see that almost none of the people there are driven by their wish to protect the innocents of the Clover Kingdom. Many of them are not even there for the wage or the freedom it gives, lovable Cynthia, but for the power aforementioned position gives you. It’s been almost near their inceptions that rumours about their black-market dead spread...”

“And the Magic Emperor does nothing?” you're puzzled.

“Those that are caught are discharged by their Captain after a trial, and there have been a lot of members like this. This is, mostly, why they have the reputation they do. However, many more have learned ways of doing it discreetly, in a non-obvious manner...”

You sigh, “They are all in the pockets of Patricia and her family.”

Labrys ponders, “It would be weird if the assignment Squad did not have a relationship with the most influential house.”

“Relationship? It’s outright corruption, Labrys,” you frown before sighing and continuing, “That boy from the Purple Orca group today, Lucius... he used to work for our workshop. We weren’t really friends but he was a very dependable employee and my father took a liking to him. However, on the day of my grimoire ceremony, he used his magic to curse my father: he made him unable to move. He didn’t do anything after that, but the people with him tried to burn my house down with him inside!”

Labrys’ eyes widen, “That’s... a lot to take in, bonny Cynthia. You mean that person joined the Purple Orca?”

“Not just that,” you nod incisively, “He’s working for Patricia, and he’s sharing with her all the information only the Order of the Magic Knights should be aware of. And not only that, about six months ago a servant of the Blue Rose had betrayed Captain Charlotte when she led and allowed a rogue mage to attack the Roselei Mansion. She was a peasant from the Forsaken Region. Everything ended well, but she was fired from her position. It is only now I learned that she is now working for Patricia.”

“That... doesn’t sound as bad as what ‘Lucius’ did to you. There’s more to it than that?”

You nod, “She has a very unique ‘Arithmetic Magic’. It is incredibly powerful if used without self-control. She doesn’t have a lot of mana but, recently, from what I know, she somehow learned to use those spells effortlessly. One of those ways is counterfeiting the yul. Sol told me that it’s very hard to do, but that girl's magic is that rare exception. Such yul is flowing through the High Street now because I know Patricia is asking her to do it. There are other, even more, horrible ways, she uses her magic...”

Labrys suspiciously widens his eyes, “How do you know all of that?”

You blink and clear your throat, “That’s... I can’t tell you that.” You can’t say you have Nicolai stalking the White Yul.

“You don’t trust me?” Labrys ask.

“I just... have somebody else already put their trust in me,” you retort with a glance-away and a wave of your hands.

Labrys coughs but does not question it further. He points towards the towering mountain, “From what I learned from the previous expeditions' reports, that place is way-dangerous, brazen Cynthia. You really should make sure to stay safe out there.”

You offer the man a cheeky smile, “I heard those reports as well, Labrys. Do not worry, I am everything but suicidal.”

He rubs his chin as he then tosses a glance towards Alice, “I’m very surprised she’s the one accompanying you...”

“Why is that?”

He grins, “Ignoring –that– hairstyle, I’ve been on a couple of missions with her in my time, and she’s been pretty useless."

You can’t argue about her waxed hair in the shape of dozens of bright-blue cubes. Alice is not the greatest, but you still feel wrong that someone else is making fun of her behind her back, although it seems Labrys wouldn’t mind doing it face to face either. You take a deep breath.

“You’ll be surprised, Labrys. Alice became much stronger; you shouldn’t underestimate her.”

He laughs, innocently, “Well, adorable Cynthia, I am not sure what your motivation today is, but the Green Mantis is quite low in the rankings right now. We still have time, ha-ha. I’m sure you’re aware that we are a Squad of commoners, so to see the nobles and royal seethe with anger we need to rise above them. Captain Jack said that if we return with loss, or die on our way back, he’s going to cut us in half.” He points a finger to your chest, “So I’m afraid I can’t lose here to you, sorry!”

You ponder, “How is he going to cut you if you are already dead?” you shake your head, “I... won’t lose to you either!!!”

You both stare at each other eyes with ascertainment and determination. It is a playful rivalry, not a serious declaration of animosity

“Would you like some shrooms?” a sudden voice interrupts you. You notice a man who was accompanying the girl and Labrys appear from spore-like blooms of the pine-tree nearby. You turn to see a shivering young man – not much older than Labrys – shove his open palm forward. He has a long, dishevelled hair and a pair of circle-framed glasses. His voice is coarse.

On his palm, there are small, dry mushrooms. They are as big as half of a finger and have a sickly ashen-blue colour.

“En, you are you trying to scare us?” Labrys asks the man. He is not bothered by his sudden appearance and takes him on his offer. Labrys picks up a chunk of the minuscule mushrooms and throws them into his mouth. They look like marshmallows.

“I am sorry, Labrys, I did not want to be a bother,” the man apologizes to you both as he attempts to awkwardly squeeze himself back into the spores... but fails so. Wishing not to appear discourteous, you take the mushrooms off his palm with a smile. You keep them in your hand, however. As much as it looks that Labrys is enjoying the treat, you are being reluctant...

“Oh, don’t worry. I think we should be going anyway,” he whistles, “Unless we want to wait another thirty years?”

You shake your head and, after another deep breath, you place the toadstools into your mouth. There is no taste at first but, the more they melt and turn gooey inside your mouth, the more evident the mix of sugar and salt becomes. You hold your gaging.

You gulp down the mesh and force a smile, “No, I think we shouldn’t waste this opportunity. Good luck, Labrys.”

He sneers as he looks himself over, “Actually, graceful Cynthia...Do I look good?”

You awkwardly shift your weight, “You look as good as you did six months ago,” is the best you can reply to him with.

Once you begin walking your separate ways and you reunite with both Sol and Alice, who begin to torrent you with questions, you hear Labrys shout to you across the hillside, “I hope that today, you once again, can continue surprising me, Cynthia!!!”

Alice grabs you by your shoulders and begins furiously shaking you, “What does that prat mean by it, you commoner?!”

*** *** ***

After a few more hours of preparation, you eventually have to get separated from Sol and the rest of the Magic Emperor’s Knights. To your surprise, the three groups enter the premise of the “Hollow Mountain Y’ere” from the many separate caverns. After about an hour of traversing through dim and unnerving corridors of the dark caves manifested above the dome of “Y’ere’” across thousands of years, you eventually enter the chamber with an unnerving yet luminous purple glow from the cracks in it.

On the floor, there is a fissure as big as a puddle. The surface growing through the stone resembles molten amethyst ooze. Alice dims the lantern and places it into her backpack; she approaches the layer that is itself softly bulging and trembling.

She bites her cheek and attempts to shove her hand into the layer of the dome shielding “Y’ere’” from the outsiders. Her hand stops inches away from touching the surface of the gooey substance. Alice’s fingers shudder; her hand loudly bounces back.

She angrily grabs the hilt of her Paralyze Knife before managing to calm herself. “We came too early,” she sits nearby it and puts it back.

You join Alice on the opposite side of the tear above the sludgy layer. There’s it as a hanging silence once everything calms...

“–I– am taking this seriously,” she suddenly tells you, her voice as sharp as a razor, “The Green Mantis commoners are not our friends, they’ll be our ‘opponents’ down there. Well, they’ll be just an annoyance, just like rats and hairbugs. If you feel some kind of peasant solidarity with them, brat, then so be it, but I intend to crush them all today. Maybe you did not mean a single thing you said back in the Headquarters, and you were just trying to debase me... but you should not get in my way down there.”

You clench your teeth and clutch your knees with your trembling hands.

“Huh? What is it, you got something to say?” she pretentiously spits oil.

> [Remain silent; you don’t want to get into any nasty argument with Alice right before entering a dangerous Magic Zone.]
> “I meant what I said, every word of it. I’ll make sure we are allowed to defeat the demonic leader of the cult, Alice, and if there are powerful objects inside ‘Y’ere’ that can assist with either of the curses, I’ll do my best to get and bring them back with us.”
> “Whatever... Can I kindly ask that you give me some of the items inside of that backpack of ours? Or will you require all of them yourself?”
> “You should give me at least one mana potion; in case we get separated.”
> “Labrys is a friend, but that does not mean I am going to go easy on him. I understand the importance of this mission, worry not.”
> “Maybe we should discuss some kind of –strategy– instead, Alice? Is it a good idea to jump in without any plans/ideas?”
> “Alice, by the end of this expedition I’m going to make sure you’ll respect me. I am serious about becoming the Greatest Knight.”
> “You might be above me in rank, Alice, but I have done something you never did. I met the Magic Emperor, and he praised me.”
> [Write In]

>>4489048
>>4490020
> [They are fun to write for but I don't have many manwhores in this quest!]

>>4490193
> “I meant what I said, every word of it. I’ll make sure we are allowed to defeat the demonic leader of the cult, Alice, and if there are powerful objects inside ‘Y’ere’ that can assist with either of the curses, I’ll do my best to get and bring them back with us.”
> “You should give me at least one mana potion; in case we get separated.”

>>4490193
> “I meant what I said, every word of it. I’ll make sure we are allowed to defeat the demonic leader of the cult, Alice, and if there are powerful objects inside ‘Y’ere’ that can assist with either of the curses, I’ll do my best to get and bring them back with us.”

>>4490411
This

>>4490193
>“Labrys is a friend, but that does not mean I am going to go easy on him. I understand the importance of this mission, worry not.”
> “I meant what I said, every word of it. I’ll make sure we are allowed to defeat the demonic leader of the cult, Alice, and if there are powerful objects inside ‘Y’ere’ that can assist with either of the curses, I’ll do my best to get and bring them back with us.”
Maybe we should discuss some kind of –strategy– instead, Alice? Is it a good idea to jump in without any plans/ideas?”
>You should give me at least one mana potion; in case we get separated.”
> “Alice, by the end of this expedition I’m going to make sure you’ll respect me. I am serious about becoming the Greatest Knight.”

You frown; your voice serious:

“I meant what I said, every word of it. I’ll make sure we are allowed to defeat the leader of the demonic cult, Alice, and if there are powerful objects inside ‘Y’ere’ which can assist us with either of the curses, I’ll do my best to get and bring them back with us.”

Alice’s mint eyes remain unmoving and unblinking. There’s a sharp and deafening cacophony as she suddenly drags the blunt edge of the knife against the stone surface of the hollow chamber, “Then I hope you don’t hold me back, you damn peasant.”

“I... I won’t,” your voice remains quiet, unlike the stalactite wavering air-full of Alice, “But we will be down there as a group, Alice.”

She harrumphs, “I wish I could just go alone, but that’s not possible. Just don’t get in trouble and make me rescue you...” She whispers something beneath her breath you are unable to hear. It is something she doesn’t want to share but still says out "loud".

“We beat the ‘Blue Rose Labyrinth’ together, Alice. You should give me at least some credit...”

“Yes, you did help me out there,” Alice spits, “Not that I was asking you for your help... But you got respect and glory for it either as well yourself.”

You gingerly smile and lightly shrug your shoulders, “I can’t say I’m not unhappy about the fact I found you in that labyrinth...”

She raises her Paralyze Knife to point its edge at you, “We are going to rob the other Squads of their treasures, y’ready?”

“W-we are?” your eyes widen as you look at her in disbelief, “But... it’s dangerous to go into conflict with them down there...?!”

“They’ll be busy, and I am going to ask them nicely. It’s not against the rules, and we’ll need to bring them down if we are to rise.”

You clench the hilt of Virginia’s powerful weapon. “I... I don’t know how I feel about this... can we just try winning on our own?”

“Sure, we’ll do that at first,” Alice idly waves her hand, “But if we’ll need to take their artefacts, I am not going to hold back on it.”

There’s a brief, yet cold and awkward silence. The blaze of the amethyst puddle continues to constantly dim and then relight...

“You should give me at least one mana potion; in case we get separated.” You question Alice.

Without any argument or warning, the woman shoves her hand into the heavy rucksack and takes out a glass vial. As soon as it is swirled, the blue liquid begins to shimmer and radiate within. Without stress, the woman tosses the brittle and expensive (worth an arm and a leg) vial over the fracture layer of the dome. You are forced to lean and barely catch it before it falls into it.

“That was dangerous!” you gasp. Your voice trembles as you glare daggers at Alice. The woman only condescendingly smiles back.

“Would be a loss of your potion if you couldn’t catch it, but your reaction is as good as we’ll need it to be down there,” she says arrogantly.

> Item Acquired: [Potion of Mana]
A powerful magic essence enclosed within a glass vial. Expensive, complex and weak, it is often considered not worth the effort; if drank to the very last drop within a single drink restores 20% of your current mana. If even a drop is left, restores 10% from the current mana you have.

As soon as you try to respond, your thoughts are interrupted by a wail from within the pit. The membrane coating of ooze and melt begins to boil and burst like a fresh, purple magma. As soon as it drops, the layer of the protective dome judders loses its sharp contrast and colour and then almost completely vanishes. There is just a small hanging crust of aquamarine hue left of it.

Alice picks up her belongings and jumps directly into the opening. She finds herself stopped mid-air and floating. Her boots are inches away from the thin and loose layer, but she is still unable to connect with it. There’s a sudden pressure and then it breaks.

Alice begins to descend through the air towards the unknown. You immediately rush to follow her, thankfully, nothing stops you.

You begin the fall through the air downwards, and the pressure of the “Mana Shear”, the disordered and primordial magic essence found only in “Y’ere’” makes itself known. Chaotic and erratic, the ever-hanging pressure of the influx is an orgy or predation and constantly withering progression. Unlike the natural mana of the exterior world, “Mana Shear” has a crammed and dazzling appearance; it resembles sizzling mercury droplets. It surrounds you now completely. Things are constantly born and shaped inside the pressure of “Y’ere’s Mana”, which makes every once-in-thirty-years expeditions extremely dangerous. You gulp down.

The layer of the dome is visible from here, like the purple celestial sky. It soon becomes more and more distant as you continue to fall downwards.

Then, you notice white darkness, like a cloud of mist, hanging beneath you. Through its thousands of years of existence, the “Mana Shear” has evolved from multiple isolated pockets into dozens of fluxes, all with their unique and precarious powers. From the reports, it is unlikely that you will encounter the same fluxes the previous expeditions had to deal with, aside from the most common, enormous and unelusive one: the “White Darkness.” Like typical darkness of the shadows, it envelops those who are within it in a pure-white ashen brightness. Nothing can breach through the concealment of it but ones’ keen magical abilities.

For a split second you notice Alice surround herself in aquamarine light – Mana Skin – before her body disappears inside of it.

> Cast a spell. [Which and how?]
> Allow yourself to fall into the “White Darkness” and prepare to act once inside. Hope Alice can assist you.
> Push yourself and your senses to resist the “White Darkness” as soon as you touch it. [‘Mana Strain’ roll]
> [Write In]

>>4491234
>Push yourself and your senses to resist the “White Darkness” as soon as you touch it. [‘Mana Strain’ roll]

>>4491234
> Push yourself and your senses to resist the “White Darkness” as soon as you touch it. [‘Mana Strain’ roll]

>>4491232
>Push yourself and your senses to resist the “White Darkness” as soon as you touch it. [‘Mana Strain’ roll]

>>4491234
>Push yourself and your senses to resist the “White Darkness” as soon as you touch it. [‘Mana Strain’ roll]
Let's hope it's not a massive cost.

> Please roll 1d180 - best of three. You need 50.

> [This might be the last update post this thread - I hope the achieve will have no problem this time. I might not have the time to form a new thread and an update tomorrow but I'll keep you informed if that's the case. Thanks for playing, especially you Anon >>4491732 !]

Rolled 48 (1d180)

>>4492899

Rolled 76 (1d180)

>>4492899

Rolled 40 (1d80)

>>4492899
It has been fun, thanks for running

Rolled 30 (1d180)

>>4492899
It might be worthwhile to contact the admin for suptg and see if they can fix whatever is wrong with the archive for that one thread.

> [Indeed, I will be busy with work today. See you tomorrow. Thread is archived successfully.]

>>4495443