As I sat down in one of the relaxation areas of Difar's Castle, my mother sat down across from me.
Cassandra sat down next to me and smiled.
I could tell she was shaking with excitement from being able to meet my mother.
I had finished crying and was now feeling nervous.
"Since I never got the chance, I want to get to know you better! Oh dear...I had no idea my son would turn out to be such a handsome man! And also..." Karia said just before narrowing her eyes at Cassandra.
Suddenly...she seemed really intense...almost angry.
"Who are you? You keep acting like you're close to my sweet baby boy."
Sweet baby boy...? I'm a grown man!
Cassandra smiled.
"I am Second Princess Cassandra Victoria Albatross. At least that is my former name and title. I am now simply Cassandra Iratus. Mizik's loving wife~! It is so wonderful to meet the mother of the man I adore so much!" Cassandra said excitedly.
"You're...one of the Princesses of Albatross!? Hmm...yes. You'll do just fine. Someone like you would be perfect for my sweet boy... But why did you marry him?" Karia asked suspiciously.
"Umm...Mom? Don't you think it's a bit early for-"
"Please be quiet, dear. I want to hear her reasons," she said.
I had an instinctual urge to quiet down. There was something in her tone warning me...
This woman is fierce.
"An excellent question! Mizik is the most wonderful man I have ever net! He saved me from my horrible loneliness with his loving-kindness!" Cassandra said happily.
"How wonderful! Now then...how devoted to him are you? Can you cook? Do you take care of his every need?" Karia asked.
"Of course! Mizik loves my cooking and I do everything I can to please him. I am always completely obedient to my darling Mizik! I am his possession and have made it my goal to devote my mind, body, and soul to only him!"
"I see. Well, you have a good occupation, you are also quite beautiful, you can cook, and attend to his every need. Not to mention, well-mannered and respectful. Good. You pass the test. I will give you my blessing. Now then, why do you appear so much older than he is?"
"I am currently under the effects of a skill that causes me to age a few years. I'm sixteen years old and Mizik is currently fourteen."
"Well, that explains that. Next...let's talk about grandchildren," Karia said.
"Hold on! Aren't we forgetting something!?" I said.
My mother looked at me and tilted her head.
"Are we?"
She narrowed her eyes at me and I felt the same feeling as before.
The instinctual feeling of wanting to be quiet and keep my head down.
"Such a familiar gaze! It is easy to see where Mizik gets his personality! And...a lot of his looks. Mizik looks a lot like you...ehm...can I call you mother?" Cassandra asked.
"Oh my... You flatter me, Cassandra! And of course you may! You're my newest daughter, after all! I'm so very excited to be speaking with a Princess of Albatross! When I was on Avernia, I'd only heard that you and your sister had been born. It's delightful to see that one of you realized the value of my sweet boy!" Karia said with a smile.
"Mom...we really have to talk..." I managed to say.
"Oh course, sweetie! Tell me about the family! Did Ulysses raise you well? How is he?" She said.
"He's dead. They're all dead... Cassandra's sister destroyed Avernia. I'm really sorry I had to say it that way," I said.
She sighed quietly.
"I suppose both of them couldn't be as sweet and well mannered... You don't think Lord Difar got hold of my dear Ulysses before the world was destroyed, do you?" She asked.
"Hard to say... He was fighting Rose when it happened. Er...that's the name Cassandra's sister went by. She killed Dad and Amelia... I have some important things I need to say. Can we please stay on subject?" I said.
"Very well... Ask your questions. I'll tell you everything you want to know."
"What happened!? I thought you were dead!" I said.
She tilted her head slightly and gave a concerned look.
"There appears to have been a misconception... Sweetie, I am dead. At least, my body on Avernia died. Lord Difar got hold of me by accident when my soul tried to escape that world. I was converted in the pit and woke up here. Now I live in the Abyss and serve Lord Difar."
"Why do you keep calling him Lord Difar? Do you have any idea what that bastard has done to so many people?" I said.
"I don't call him that because I want to. I am Corrupted... Because of this, I'm forced to call him my Lord. And...I am aware of what he is. I don't approve and I don't enjoy living here. But I don't have a choice in the matter... Living in the Abyss is unpleasant, but it's better than not existing at all," Karia said.
"He hasn't...hurt you a lot, has he? I mean... He didn't try to have his way with you?" I asked.
I needed to know.
Because of what he did to Aria...
"No. Going through the Pit was awful enough, but today was the first time I ever actually spoke to Lord Difar. I was curious as to why he brought me here. Besides, he has plenty of willing slaves, from what I'm told. Why do you ask?"
"I just wanted to be sure. He's an evil piece of garbage... But I want to know more about the process of being Corrupted. I thought everyone was just turned into monsters," I said.
"The bodies of those who cannot withstand his power are warped into his soldiers. Our souls go to the Abyss after being refined. Here, we live as citizens under his dark rule. His Generals, however, are different. They keep their bodies and their souls are given greater power."
"And the worlds he devours? Where do they end up?" I asked.
"Here. They are taken by Lady Valtheim and deconstructed. They are reformed in the barren landscapes of the uninhabited Abyssal Realms to create darkened versions of our former homes. If you were curious, I would have lived in Lorelei if Avernia had finished being taken. But that isn't possible now..." She said.
Is he seeking to combine Creation and the Abyss...?
"I see... But...Lady Valtheim? Do you know what kind of monster she is?" I asked.
"There isn't a single person who hasn't heard of her down here. She is what allows Lord Difar to move freely. Without her, he would be trapped in this place like everyone else. Lady Valtheim is the invincible weapon of Lord Difar. None of the other Abyssal gods stood a chance against her during his conquest. And the former King was no exception."
I wondered if there were still other Abyssal gods down here, but I decided not to ask. I didn't really care when I thought about it.
"Is that all you want to know? If so...I would love to spend more time getting to know my newest daughter!" Karia said happily.
Then she got up and hugged Cassandra.
"That's all. And...it's good to see you, Mom. No matter what, I promise to free you one day. I can't do anything right now, sadly, but I'll return here for you at some point," I said.
She smiled and nodded as she let go.
"I eagerly await that day. Now then, Cassandra? Tell me about your duties as Second Princess!" Karia said.
Cassandra smiled.
"My darling Mizik has such a wonderful family! I'm so honored to be part of it!" She said.
After that, we spent a lot of time getting to know my mother.
She also wanted to know a lot about me, my interests, and the kind of person I was.
My mother was proud of the man I became and thankful to Cassandra for protecting and looking after me.
She still treated me like a child, however...
It made me wish so badly that I'd grown up with her as well... Enough to make me cry.
We talked about many things and I learned that Difar used her as a means of motivating me to get stronger.
It worked.
I didn't think he had any intention of torturing her because of me, but I still worried...
After we finished talking, we departed for now and vowed to see each other again, soon. From now on, I was even more determined to get stronger.
I would stop at nothing to destroy the Oracle, and after that...
I would find a way to return here and slay Difar.
* * *
The next...day...?
I met with Iris and discussed some things with her.
She was still getting over the destruction of Ignitus and had a few ideas on how to get Valtheim into Excelsis.
"Since Valthiem can't enter through the barrier around Excelsis, I need to have a look at the generator that makes it," she said.
Her eyes were still red from crying. As far as I could tell, her voice seemed devoid of feeling.
"You mean to say that the Oracle doesn't make the barrier?" I asked.
"No. She can strengthen it, but the barrier is created from another source. It's also what allows her to forcefully expel intruders. That generator needs to be dealt with. Unfortunately, I'm likely already a wanted criminal up there."
"Is there anyone else able to go there?" I asked.
Iris shook her head.
"I'll have to check the place out, myself. I have several ideas on how to do that," she said.
"We need to get through that barrier. If we can't beach Excelsis, we can't deal with the Oracle," I said.
"I understand. She needs to pay for destroying my world... Ah...all those wonderful people..."
Iris suddenly started to tear up and I placed a hand on her shoulder.
"I can't say anything to make it better, but if it helps, I loved that world, too."
"Thank you, Mizik..."
Afterwards, I went to check on the Enforcers.
They were doing well and still dealing with the fact that the Overlords were now allies.
All of which had now been fully Corrupted. I was really dreading the fact that one day, I would likely have to fight them again.
Regardless, I figured it would be best for the Overlords and Enforcers to work alongside one another as separate teams.
The Overlords were volatile individuals who were used to doing great harm to those weaker than them without cause. This made them perfect for our plans on the battlefield, but they were difficult to get along with.
Once things began to settle down, we started to discuss our next move.