- "Hey, are you okay?"
- "Yes, Mrs. Amelia, I think so. But I feel like a heavy rock is crushing my leg."
- "I'm not a fucking rock! And stop pushing my butt!" – Plunged into complete darkness by the landslide, we barely survived the Leviathan's attack thanks to the fact that our scent was kept away from its keen sense of smell by the dust from the avalanche.
Feeling the vibrations of the pebbles on the ground, we were able to realize that that sea serpent was crawling back into the sea, leaving us behind as if it had gotten bored of chasing us.
- "Magna lux" – Casting a lighting spell on the thick darkness, our eyes were getting used to that claustrophobic scenario. Wherever we looked, there was only a wall of rocks that were propped up by heavy planks that gave the impression of belonging to a mine.
mithril mine that has been abandoned for a long time. You can realize that because the pieces of metal are already scarce in the veins of the walls" - Passing the tips of her fingers over the angular stones of the wall, Sandra looked for the location of the firing line to follow her route to in order to find us an auxiliary exit.
As we walked through the steep terrain of the mining cave, the rails used for the carts were lost among the muddy soil that formed due to the seepage of salt water from the underground layers that communicated with the ocean.
- "Master, there is a high risk of collapse due to vibration that I have detected when analyzing the structure. Try not to make a sudden movement for a change"
- "Lately your tongue has been loosening my dear Fausto, I think you are getting used to your new conscience"
- "I don't know what you mean, master, I've always been like that" - Sandra couldn't help but laugh at the haughty attitude that the oracle had towards me, being seconded by Ofelia when she saw me quarrel with the young alchemist.
Maintaining our conversation to reduce the tension for that small space, we soon realized that as we advanced along the path of the mining cars the water level began to rise until the cold penetrated our knees.
Because it was a mine near the coast, the workers had magical devices that would regularly expel the accumulated water from time to time. But given so much time of abandonment, the deterioration in the road became more evident to the point that we reached a dead end.
- "It is impossible to go through here, further on the unevenness is completely covered by water. If we follow this route we may not be able to go outside. We have to go back" – When Sandra was about to turn around, a series of bubbles began to puff on the surface of the water. Calling our attention due to the intermittence with which they appeared at irregular intervals.
- " Kyaaa ! Something slimy just ran between my legs."
- "Hey busty, it's probably an eel"
- "Yes, you may be right Mrs. San..."
- "Splash" – As if something had pulled her body with force, Ofelia was completely submerged in the cold waters of the mine before our incredulous eyes that desperately tried to locate her.
- "Ophelia! Hey, Ophelia!" – Unable to get an answer from her, I jumped into the water and began to dive with the help of wind magic. At the same time that I pointed my cane towards the front, projecting a luminous spell that would allow me to navigate in those dark waters.
Going through the entrance to the lower level of the mine, I was quickly able to locate the priestess, who was desperately struggling to free herself from what seemed to be a tentacle that wrapped around her from the waist to the legs. Letting out air bubbles due to despair over the situation he was in.
- " Nonsense ventus " – Projecting a consecutive gust of blades of cutting wind aimed at the base of the tentacle, the cuts on its slippery skin forced the beast to release Ofelia's body. Who was already on the verge of drowning, taking her in my arm while kicking hard trying to reach the exit of the lower level.
- "Yuck, cough, cough " - Emerging on the surface giving strong pulls of air in our lungs, our hearts continued to race from the impression of that monster that lurked in the depths of the mine.
- "Sandra, we must go directly to the main entrance."
- "Okay, but tell me what happened?"
- "There is no time, we have to run!" – Forcefully breaking the surface tension of the water, a series of tentacles emerged threateningly snaking against us, hitting the walls of the mine causing some small rocks to fall from the ceiling.
- "You have to be fucking with me!" – Grabbing my shoulder for support, Sandra and Ofelia began to run with me in that tight space being chased by those tentacles that moved along the walls with the help of their suction cups.
- "Let's go to a seaside city! What a great idea! Is it that every time I get involved with you I have to run for my life?"
- "Stop cursing and run you damn brat!"
- "Snotty?" – Suddenly without warning, Sandra's adult form changed again to her childish body like that first day I met her. Due to the strenuous use of mana and the weakening of her body that was barely recovering from the radioactive poisoning, the alchemist was unable to maintain her adult form any longer.
- "All this time I was a girl? A brat was verbally abusing me by calling me busty?"
- "I don't think this is the time to scold me, Ofelia! Better hold me tight because I'm falling" – Hugging the little alchemist, Ofelia gave the impression of a mother calling attention to her spoiled daughter. Making me escape a nervous laugh at the imminent danger that we had behind us.
- "Hey, get behind me, I have a plan"
- "Fuck you Amelia, I'm not going to serve as bait for that giant mollusk!"
- "Dear guest, I don't think that's my master's plan. For your safety, do as he tells you" – Pointing forward with my staff, I began to recite a long incantation while reciting another at the same time to combine their effects.
- " Canyon petra ferventis !"
- "Amelia, you're fucking crazy!" – Beginning with a slight whistle like that of a teapot, a small incandescent light on the tip of my cane was shot through the air in a straight line trajectory. Increasing in size considerably as he approached the wall of rubble that covered the main entrance.
- "Quick, get down on the ground!" – As soon as we threw ourselves on our chests, the large ball of incandescent material hit squarely with great force on the wall of rubble. Projecting the rocks outside like a cannon shot. Followed by the recoil of the air inside the cave, which worked like a siphon effect, throwing us outside as if the bowels of the earth were spitting us out. Due to the noise produced by that attack, the weakened structure of the mine collapsed, crushing the mollusk under a ton of rock, putting an end to its existence.
- "They are fine?" – Feeling the heat of a slap on my face, I turned my gaze to Sandra; who looked enraged, gritting her teeth with her eyes filled with a feeling of disapproval.
– "What was going through your head when you launched that attack? What would have happened if we had not gotten out of the cave in time?" Look back there! All that rock was shattered in a matter of seconds. Maybe you and I could survive that, but what about Ofelia?" – When I turned towards the priestess, I could see her terrified with her hands to her head as she cried from stress. But honestly, I didn't feel sorry for the decision I made at that time.
With that sea beast chasing us non-stop and with Sandra's weakened body, the only thing left to do was play that lucky card. But just when I was about to throw that in the alchemist's face, for some reason I held back once more.
Yes, it was true that my decision was the correct one given the situation. I was able to spit in his face the fact that all the weight of the responsibility was being placed on me. But for some reason, I felt like if I said all that, our paths would part and I'd be alone again.
I saw myself once again as in that apartment, locked in my room, surrounded by the things I liked, but with no one to share it with. And the fear of not having someone by my side overwhelmed me, remembering Richard's vile face as he beat me to the ground unable to defend myself.
Despite everything I had lived up to that moment, the near-death experiences over and over again, I didn't really feel afraid because there was someone by my side giving me hope that everything would be alright. Callisto, Sarah, Edith, Fausto or Amelia; all of them had already made a place in my heart that I didn't want to leave empty.
- "I'm sorry Sandra, you're right. But understand me too! We were trapped with no way out and all I know is elemental magic. Other than that, I'm just ignorant and yes, I admit, I was scared. I was afraid that I might lose you in that cave as I have already lost everyone who has crossed my path. I'm not made of stone!" – With my eyes moist while my teeth gnashed while I squeezed the soft sand with my hands, Sandra hugged me, acknowledging that she was aware of the weight of my decisions. Just as she admitted that she was completely useless without being able to use alchemy at the time.
- "Excuse me, can I talk for a moment?" – Wiping her tears with the sleeve of her tunic, Ofelia's nose looked red as she dragged herself to us on her knees due to the fatigue of her body.
- "I don't think you are useless. Mrs. Sandra and Mrs. Amelia have overwhelming power and can defend themselves against an enemy. Instead, I'm just a healer who can't even escape a miserable giant squid. If it wasn't for Mrs. Sandra covering us with the Leviathan, I don't think I would have been able to escape on my own. And you, Mrs. Amelia, it was you who saved me when I felt that I would die in those cold underground waters.
If I were only half as strong as you, I could be useful to you" – In that moment that Ofelia opened up with us, I remembered the words of the goddess Freya at the moment that she returned me to the physical plane.
- "Sandra, how long have you studied alchemy?"
- "You mean to manage my current power? I think about six years at most."
- "Do you think it would be possible for us to learn everything you know in a month?" - Hearing me say that, Sandra threw herself on her back on the sand laughing uncontrollably kicking hard. Almost running out of air by not being able to control himself.
- "Ha, ha, ha, ugh , cough , cough . Sorry Amelia, that's a good joke. Tell me you didn't mean it. I just told you that it took me six years to learn and master what I know of alchemy; We are talking not only about the basic level, but also the middle and advanced circle. In a month without bibliographical material, I could teach them almost nothing, except to turn water into urine.
In other words, you ask me for the impossible. Forget it."
- "Master, do you want to try the skill copy function?" – Making us remember what happened on the shore of the beach when I collapsed, the oracle began to explain to Sandra and me a method within the system that we could use as a shortcut for learning.
Through the execution of its techniques, the system would allow me to duplicate the mathematical principles to adapt them to the interface and in this way, generate a power similar to the one that the alchemists handled as a fundamental principle of the world.
- "I see, something like that would be possible. I mean, I was able to get your knowledge base through this thing you call model transfer. But I'm concerned about the toll on the body that might take, Amelia. I still have not recovered from the headache that this bug caused me by getting into my brain and rummaging through it."
- "I know, but I don't see any other way, Sandra. So far we've been able to get by keeping our powers combined, but we already saw with the Leviathan and the squid that if one fell, things would get dangerous again." – Raising her hand timidly, Ofelia interrupted us, mentioning that she could take care of the healing. While it was true that his divine power was limited, the burden on his body from casting consecutive minor spells would not pose a problem.
- "I don't quite understand how elemental magic or alchemy works. But I guess to use them requires a good concentration of mana. If that's the case, I don't think Mrs. Amelia can cast healing magic on herself if she's experimenting with alchemy at the same time. Please let me be of use to you this time!" – Placing her hand on her chest with her firm expression, the priestess gave an air of security that gave me confidence in her words.
Accepting his offer in a good way, Sandra and I agreed and we decided to wait for five days until our bodies fully recovered to start the intensive training.
Those days of brief relaxation began with the morning breeze facing the sea, distributing the roles to live momentarily in the city of Philius .
Ofelia was in charge of collecting the food fishing on the shore, while the alchemist and I concentrated on restoring one of the abandoned houses and equipping it with what was necessary to protect us from the inclement weather. At that time the season was in summer, with a pleasant climate at times that could suddenly change due to an atypical storm typical of the coast of the kingdom of Esterum .
In the same way, when the priestess went out fishing, I tried to stay a prudent distance behind her without her noticing, keeping alert that no sea beast would appear again to threaten her integrity.
At sunset on the fifth day, we were about to go to sleep when I felt the need to leave the house for a moment and go to the edge of the beach to sit on the sand dipping my feet in the water. With the moon shining in the sky and reflecting its light on the water, I remembered a time when I had failed a semester for not having had enough time to study before midterms. Living alone and not being able to depend financially on anyone, being a student who works to pay her tuition was a pain in the ass. Most of the jobs I had were only part time because I didn't have a degree and the pay was so bad that I had to take more than one job at a time.
With the accumulated fatigue, it was difficult for me to concentrate in the classroom and in the same way, the time I had to eat, I barely had the opportunity to try sweets. Making me gain weight considerably affecting my self-esteem.
- "If only I had had you in my other life, I think I would not have gone through so much shit, Fausto"
- "It is an honor that you consider me an important part of you, master. But I think if I had been with you, I would have stunted your growth."
- "Geez, you sound like my father."
- "I suppose he must have been a wise man"
- "Yes, in a certain way. He was" – Listening to the crunch of the marine vegetation that the sand dragged to the shore, I turned around holding my cane pointing to the source of that sound. Watching how Ofelia put her hands out in front of her, begging me not to shoot her.
- "What's wrong, Ofelia, can't you sleep either?" – Lowering my cane, the priestess approached me, sitting next to me folding the folds of her tunic. Looking carefully at the horizon with a feeling of melancholy in his eyes.
- "Mrs. Amelia, what is that voice that you and Mrs. Sandra hear in your head?"
- " Mmmm , it sounds like someone speaking inside a metal cone. Something monotonous, as if it were a computer voice synthesizer"
- "Computer?"
- "Hey, hey. Forgive me, I sometimes forget that there are things in my world that you don't know about" - Feeling affected by the nostalgia of my past life, I brought my knees to my chest while remaining seated, burying my face hidden by my arms muttering some curses in my language native.
- "You know, I don't know if it can be compared to what you feel right now. But I too had to leave my home behind when the priestesses of the order came to my village looking for girls with latent divine power. I used to live in a small town in the kingdom of Casius , but my parents and brothers had to leave it to emigrate to Siegfried due to a severe drought that devastated the kingdom.
When we settled in a small village in the kingdom, we barely had enough to eat and my father was unable to find stable jobs. My mother and I used to sew in a small craft workshop and my brothers went with the blacksmiths as apprentices.
We had little, but we were certainly happy all together. For me, that little world was the best thing I could ever have. Doesn't that sound silly?"
- "No, it is not Ofelia. Being surrounded by your loved ones despite adversity could never be something silly or worth making fun of" – Continuing with her story, the priestess told me how one day the order of knights from the temple arrived in the village and published at the gates of the small parish an encyclical with the order to bring all girls under the age of ten before the presence of the priestesses who would administer the test of divine power.
Despite the fact that her parents did not want to be separated from their little daughter, they were forced by the soldiers under pain of being considered heretics for disobeying the orders of the Holy See. Being compensated by the brotherhood with an amount of money for giving his daughter as a maiden.
- "The moment I put my hands on the evaluation stone, the priestesses gave the order to the soldiers to take me by force before the eyes of my parents. I could see how my mother tried to pass through the middle of those corpulent guards, hurting her face with the sharp edges of her armor.
For the first time I felt hopeless and powerless. I was being cut off from the people I had lived with all my life just under the guise of divine mandate. I lived my childhood cloistered in a convent, praying day and night, receiving the doctrine with lashes and hard bread. There were times when they would lock me in a cold cell without food for days, when they considered my faith weak.
How could I have faith if God was spitting in my face? But one day I decided to pretend, I lied with my lips with words that didn't come out of my heart. And so my life changed, I stopped being a black sheep in the eyes of the congregation.
I thought my days would be like this, immersed in a mask of lies without any hope until my bones rot within the walls of the order's headquarters.
But then that day came, when I was on my rounds in the main courtyard, he descended from the sky riding a golem . A beautiful woman with a bad character who seemed all powerful, tearing down the imposing soldiers that once subjugated me in my childhood" – With her eyes shining with an air of admiration, Ofelia seemed to speak of Sandra as if she were a being divine who descended from heaven demonstrating his power.
If the proud alchemist had been there to listen to him, she would have laughed uncontrollably until her lungs popped out of her mouth. But instead, I was there with her, attentive to everything she said, giving her importance as a fragile human being.
- "So you think your life changed when you met us?"
- "Of course! That's why I decided to follow Mrs. Sandra even though she doesn't like me."
– "I don't think he doesn't like you, it's just that that's the way he is. I don't know if you've noticed, but even he sometimes treats me with the tip of his foot. But deep down, she's just as fragile as you and me. In fact, the first time we met, she was nothing more than a capricious girl who looked more like a squirrel" - Letting out a slight laugh from her lips, Ofelia felt more comforted knowing that we didn't see her as a stranger among us. As if we were a family too for her who had lost everything.
- "Lady Amelia"
- "Hey, every time you call me ma'am you make me look like an old woman. Try calling me only by my first name."
- "Okay... Amelia"
- "Yes, Ophelia"
- "I can take me too"
- " Wow , wow , wow . Wait a minute! I don't know what kind of relationship you think Sandra and I have, but…"
- "I do not mean that! I'm talking about the voice in your head" – Holding my hand tightly in hers, the priestess's expression seemed pleading as she expressed her desire to form a binding pact.
Fed up with relying on others for protection, the maiden thought that by submitting to me, she might gain the power to protect herself and others. Even if it meant surrendering his soul to an entity that could take his will away.
- "Do you know the consequences of what you are asking of me? If you do, your life will be linked to mine forever. Not only that, the enemies that seek to kill me will also aim at your head and you will have nowhere to go. Are you sure about that?"
- "Yes, I am determined! I want to be of help to you!" - Letting a sigh escape from my lips, I ruffled my hair with my hand, shaking my head with some annoyance. But seeing that the priestess's determination would not back down, I completely gave up persuading her by invoking the Soul-Binding Charm.
- "Try not to bite your tongue, this is going to hurt" - Forming a flow of mana from my heart to hers, just like it happened with Sandra, the priestess's body jerked violently making her scream in pain. Making her hug me tightly, squeezing her hands against my back and her face resting on my shoulder.
- "It really hurts!"
- "I told you" - When the mana circle closed completely, the force left the exhausted body of Ofelia who barely opened her eyes, she saw the system screen that welcomed her as one more member of my team.
- "Master, I think you are taking the number of invited users very lightly"
- "Oh come on, considering that I have the whole world looking for my head, two people are nothing you should worry about"
- "It's just as Amelia says, sir with the funny voice, I want to help you" - Hearing how she was referring to him, Fausto energetically protested to the priestess, telling her to maintain a line of respect for his level.
- "Well, it's getting late. We need to go to sleep so we can get an early start on Sandra's Spartan training. So I recommend that you get ready, Ofelia"
- "Yes ma'am. I mean, Amelia" – With the energetic face raising her fists to the height of her chest, the priestess looked motivated by what was to come. Walking behind me, going back to the house to fall fast asleep until the next day.
- "Stand up you fat cows! It's time to wake up and we have a lot to do" – Pulling my blanket making me fall out of bed, Sandra had recovered her adult appearance and with it the energy to lecture me for falling asleep on our first day of training.
- "Come on Amelia, let's not make Mrs. Sandra wait" - At the foot of the door, already dressed in her robe, the priestess was seen briskly enduring Sandra's scolding, taking them as if they were affectionate words.
- "It takes me crazy, not only do I have to put up with Sandra's bad character, but now I also have to put up with Ofelia's excessive optimism"
- "I am afraid to say that I warned you, master, but you never listen to me"
- "Faust, don't start you too" - Getting up from the floor still half asleep, I followed that duo before what I felt would be one of those days in which I should not have gotten out of bed.