I narrowed my eyes.
"I love that part about you, you know?" The air around her seems to vibrate with a faint hum, and a sense of anticipation fills the space. The mana coalesces into a shimmering form, taking on the shape of a chair with elegant lines. As the mana solidifies, the chair materializes before my eyes with a soft thud. The wood is smooth to the touch, and the cushions are plump and inviting. I can see the intricate details of the chair's design, from the carved legs to the gracefully curved backrest.
"Unnecessary hostility." She then crossed her legs, "Want a bargain with me?"
As I gaze at her pupil, I notice something peculiar happening within its dark depths. It begins to transform, shifting from its usual circular form into a sharp and angular shape. Slowly, the rounded edges start to taper into sharp points, until it has taken on the unmistakable silhouette of a triangle.
The transformation is startling, and I find myself fixated on the newly-formed shape. The once soft and welcoming appearance of the pupil now looks sharp and menacing. Its edges seem to cut into the surrounding iris, creating a stark contrast that draws the eye like a magnet.
The triangle-shaped pupil is both fascinating and unsettling, giving the impression that something otherworldly is at play. It seems almost as though the eye has taken on a life of its own, morphing into a shape that defies explanation.
"What for?" I said coldly.
'She's been hovering her gaze on top of my head. Just what do you see with those eyes of yours?'
With a smile on her face, she then spreads her arms, and a swirling mass of shimmering light begins to take shape before her. It dances and flickers in mesmerizing flickers of colors, from deep purples to bright blues and greens, forming intricate patterns that seem to stretch beyond the boundaries of her arms.
As the magic grows stronger, the image projection becomes clearer and more defined. Wispy tendrils of light snake and weave around each other, creating a delicate and intricate matrix of patterns. Finally, in a final burst of energy, the image projection bursts forth in a dazzling display of light, illuminating the room with its radiance.
At first, the image is blurry and indistinct, like a picture slowly coming into focus. But with each passing moment, it becomes clearer and more defined, until the cat appears. It's a sleek and graceful creature, with fur as black as night.
She stared at me right in the eyes. "Isn't it fascinating? A cat made its presence known, and the rogue spirit surprisingly conceded in fear synonymous with their ferocity, yet somehow, the opposite ensued."
Cytheria moved her fingers elegantly, and the magical projection transitioned to the scene of me fighting the werewolf. "Quite fast, I must say."
"Get to the point."
"So impatient. Anyhow, I want to propose a bargain that will benefit the two of us and our respective factions, and perhaps, also what's ahead of us. You could say, a proposal to strengthen our relationship. Not a bad deal, am I right?"
"No," I responded, flatly.
The smile on her face disappeared. "Eh? I haven't said my proposal yet."
"Not like I care. No means no."
"Hold on. Just like that? I know you're suspicious about me, but—"
"Exactly. I don't trust you."
"Eeeeh~? Does our physical intimation lead to nothing? Everyone says, once a man and woman have an intimate physical relationship, it'll lead them closer."
"What an idiotic perception."
"Poor me~ After all of that... I was about to give you all... But in the end, you're playing with my maiden's heart." Cytheria wiped her tearless eyes.
"Not going to humor you."
"Hear me out. Our interests align with each other, thus I bought up the proposal. Let's have a fruitful relationship that will benefit both parties. Right now, the elven kingdom can't protect both you and your master. The draconian might be on your side, but let's be real, they won't care." After saying that straight to my face, her unique eyes glinted as if they were peering through the inside of my head in search of an answer.
As soon as the words left her mouth, I burst into laughter, a ridiculous bargain, almost too good to be true. Cytheria looked confused, not sure if she had said something funny or if I'm crazy. I've met a lot of people whose sole intention of approaching me was to meet Master Irene, yet upon arriving here, my situation didn't change but became worse. However, unlike the previous instances, this woman before me was openly letting me know her intention.
'Should've expected it.' I thought.
Cytheria brushed my reaction off with a smile. "It's not cute when you know too much."
"Why would I trust a scholar?"
Cytheria's eyes glisten in excitement. "Of course, you should! The methods of the scholars might be unorthodox or at times, inhumane, but we're obliged with our duty, risking everything in pursuit of the truth. Yet despite the risks, we press on, driven by a belief that the world holds secrets yet to be uncovered. We know that the truth is out there, waiting to be discovered, and we will stop at nothing to find it." She paused discreetly.
In an instant, the room is transformed. The darkness is replaced by an expansive image projected onto the walls, stretching as far as the eye can see.
Mountains soar into the sky, their jagged peaks piercing through the clouds. Rolling hills covered in vibrant green grass stretch out into the distance, dotted with wildflowers of every color. Rivers and streams wind their way through the landscape, shimmering in the sunlight. Forests of towering trees, their leaves rustling in the wind, stretch out as far as the eye can see.
As I watched, the scene began to shift and change. The sun sets in a blaze of oranges and pinks, casting long shadows across the landscape. The stars twinkle above as the moon rises, illuminating the world in a pale glow.
Then she continued. "Our successes are rarely celebrated, and our accomplishments are rarely acknowledged. But we do not seek fame or recognition. We do what we do because we believe in the power of knowledge, and the importance of understanding the world we live in.
"The duty to unveil mysteries, seeking the inconceivable in order to attain the logic behind the paradox of our own universe; things that can't be explained simply based on logic. Our only sole purpose is the pursuit of knowledge! Knowledge is an experience of ideas distinguished by the inner will and perception of subjects. We, the members of subsistence, aggregate ideas with one another to understand the reality of what's before our very own eyes!"
"Therefore, you wanted to know the truth behind the existence of my spirit?" I asked.
"Right on the money." Cytheria clicked her tongue. "Not so cute."
"Too obvious."
"My eyes. I've developed these eyes on my own to go beyond what our normal eyes can perceive... The product of my ideals." She caressed her left eye, "What about you? What are your ideals?"
Cytheria waved her wand, and the image began to fade, slowly dissolving into the ether. First, the edges of the image blurred and softened, as if the image was melting away. Then, the colors started to lose their brightness, turning into muted shades that lacked the same vibrancy as before. The image shrunk in size, gradually becoming smaller and smaller until it was no more than a tiny dot.
"I don't have one. I simply live day-by-day, enjoying every moment." I said as I analyzed the magic by pressing my right hand against the invisible wall before me, "Well-built structure."
"Intriguing." Cytheria says, "Unlike any people, you exist, but at the same time, you don't. Physically, you're there, yet behind your physical body, I see hollowness like I'm staring into an empty shell. It's bothersome yet so intriguing. The enigmatic hollowness that you possess is terrifying as I can't exactly say whether that hollowness is for good or for the worse. Therefore, why not work with me?"
"Not the first time I've heard that."
"Truth be told, you're just like them, one of the few exceptional people that my eyes can't see through."
"Then that's good to hear," I smirked.
After a few seconds of silence, she spoke. "... I can lend you support."
"Support for what?"
"I've said earlier. Even though I'm a scholar, I'm still a princess so it's natural for me to learn a few stuff here and there."
"I'm not asking that, but rather, what can you bring to the table."
"Anything you want. The Belmont, your brother, your parents, all of them—"
I slowly veered my attention to her. "Is that all? If you think you could reel me in by using my past. Then, think of a better thing to give me as I'm way past that. Furthermore, even 'if' I wanted to, I don't think I'm lacking in that area."
"You think they will? I'm well aware of their circumstance, your Master, the princess, and everyone around you. They can't provide you what I can."
"I clearly emphasized 'if' there."
"Oh, don't fool me."
"Yep, not like I care. Believe what you want to believe." I replied nonchalantly.
Cytheria smiled smugly.
"You won't believe me, huh? Say, if I did say yes, what's the catch?"
"A fruitful relationship. I would be a fool to let someone like you go."
"Come on, after all of your monologues? Straight to the point."
"Lend me your spirit!" Cytheria's eyes glistened with joy.
"No," I responded flatly.
"Ehhh~? Fine... What do you think? It's not like I'm the type of person who does inhumane things."
"No means no."
"If I told you what I know, would you lend me your adorable cat?"
"No."
"Then I won't tell you. Hmph!" She turned her face away.
"Tell what?"
'What a difficult person!'I sighed exasperatedly.
I stand before the towering wall. This barrier seems impenetrable, a wall of pure mana. Taking a deep breath, I focused on my quintessence, gathering my strength and determination. I channeled that quintessence into my hands, feeling it build until it crackles with power. I extended my hands towards the wall, slamming into the barrier with a deafening crack.
Once she saw what I was about to do, she yelled. "Wait! Just a little quick peek would do! I won't touch the cat or anything! I just want to see the cat up close! There won't be a problem with that, right?"
"No means no."
[She understands the characteristics of Astrals? That's impressive.] Diana exclaimed.
[She's a scholar for a reason. The scholars in the Tower of Magic are the smartest people and the craziest obsessive people on the planet, as Master Irene said. They have access to the untold amounts of knowledge buried in the tower. But, how did she—The kiss?]
[Unlikely.]
"I already did you a favor. Hmph!"
"You really like sticking your nose up to my ass, don't you?" I said while keeping a straight face.
"Hahaha! Do you also want to learn who sent it?"
"..."
"All of you, scholars of the tower, are nuts in the head."
Cytheria burst into laughter. "... Thank you for the compliment!"
"Not a good sign of the future for your kingdom, particularly in the diplomatic end."
"Worried? I can manage. I'm smart." Cytheria pressed her fingertips in her temple.
I responded with a blank stare.
Cytheria lifted her hand and thumped it against her palm in a gesture of excitement and realization, "Ah! I should've used this as leverage. Your cat is quite similar to the phoenix, both sharing a similar spirit astral disposition that dates way back thousands of years ago or even further than that—We call them 'Primordial divine beast'."
[Primordial divine beast. Have you heard that before, Diana?]
[Nope. It's my first time hearing it. From what the phoenix exhibited, perhaps it means some sort of guardian deity of the past or something.]
[I see... They've been also snooping, said Master Irene, but now, there's one in front of us.]
"Humu♫ Humu♫ Humu~♫Does that suffice you?" She said cheekily.
As I looked at her, a nagging feeling of suspicion gnawed at the edges of my mind. Something about her demeanor seemed off, and I couldn't quite put my finger on what it was. To put it simply, I can't get a read of her. This is a person of depth and complexity, someone who is not easily defined by a few simple descriptors.
'I'm being led, huh? Quite a troublesome woman.'
Then she raised an eyebrow. "It's still not? Quite a greedy one."
'About Tsuki, sounds about right, but nonetheless, useless. There are still factors of doubt in her words like how accurate it is or if is there any concrete evidence behind it. For now, let's do a cat-and-mouse game. Let's go deep with your game and see where it'll lead me.' I thought.
"Speaking to you just gives me a headache, I'll leave."
"Eh, so fast? No cuddles? Wait, what are you doing? Don't punch it! I can put it—"
-Boom!
"Such a waste of time." After saying that, I destroyed the spell, revealing the original room. "Eh, what happened here?"