The room is quite grand, grander than the one she was in and certainly more welcoming than the detached wing the Digger family was in previously. A massive fireplace covers one of the walls nearest the sitting area and the rest of the space is sparsely yet warmly decorated with what could be expected of a living area. Some bookshelves, a coffee table, several plants, sofas, chairs, and end tables. Paintings and a large, decorative clock hang from the walls.
A small chime rings when the clock's hour hand hits 13. At the same time, the double doors on the opposite side of the room open and Nidor Digger, covered in bandages and bruises, walks out accompanied by Winter.
He looks well enough, all things considered, but his eyes are vacant and expression blank. As if he's on autopilot.
"Winter," Aki rushes over to him. She gently pats his shoulder to gauge his reaction and gets nothing.
"Gifts can't be controlled, they're always passively working in some way." Aki walks with Winter to the rest of the group. Her touch didn't get any reaction. Worse for the matter, she couldn't feel him. "Even distressed emotions should leave an empty, sunken feeling. So why can't I feel anything from him?"
Her concern must have shown on her face because Vadi begins tearing up. Nidor clears the distance and is immediately consoling her while the Estril cousins wear mixed emotions. Worry, sadness, nervousness, stress, and discomfort all flow around Aki yet Winter remains vacant.
"Winter, can you tell us about that necromancer?" She shakes him gently. When he doesn't respond, Aki takes a breath and readies herself. "Who is Kokone?"
Upon hearing that name, Winter's head snaps to her. His lip quivers and he takes several steps back, colliding with a planter and knocking it over.
The maid yelps and Viscount Estril quickly orders her to clean it up. He stands from his seat and leans against the coffee table.
"Dear boy, you're a genius and have done exceptional things for myself and your parents but you are still a child. You need not battle nor face any more dangers than I have already asked of you but please tell us what you know. I beg you."
Viscount Estril rounds the sitting area to stand before Winter and presents him a deep bow. The guards and maid protest to some degree but are quickly shushed by a commanding word.
"I… I'm an Otherworlder."
A collective gasp comes from everyone save Phoebe and Aki.
No wonder. Otherworlders may be numerous but the general knowledge is that Otherworlders are transmigrated from their own worlds. Even those come in a variety of transmigration types. Not many keep in mind Otherworlders also include: avatars, reincarnators, and the rare metapsychs.
Winter doesn't meet the requirements to be a transmigrator or avatar from the start. As for a reincarnator, they are characterised by a frail disposition but an incredible intellect. The dissonance they experience from being in a body different to 'theirs' results in mental and physical weaknesses that more often than not, result in shortened lives. Natural or unnatural.
Winter, however, has a healthy body, strong presence, and is mentally sharp.
The only option left is the rare metapsych. A reincarnated person born from a native as a 'pre-existing character' from their world's media or so Aki remembers her friend and mentor Shur explained. Thus, the shock of those in the room is quite natural.
"What do you mean, honey?" Vadi approaches her son cautiously, disbelief evident on her face. "Don't think such bad thoughts. Of course you're not. You're our son, I gave birth to you. I- I held you as a newborn and raised you. You'd call me 'mama' and your father 'papa' so how could you…?"
"I am," Winter takes a half step back from everyone. Vadi's face falls at the movement. "Kokone. She- that necromancer was her. On Earth, where I come from, that was her. No matter what, I'd never forget her, so I'm positive."
Viscount Estril slowly nods, as if putting the pieces of the puzzle together. "This does explain your intelligence and wisdom."
"Here I thought my child was a genius just like his mother," Nidor laughs sadly. He claps a hand to his forehead and shakes his head. "Of course we would be the ones to bear an Otherworlder."
Vadi laughs, her voice cracking with emotion. "Can I even call myself a mother when my baby was never mine? Can you look at me and only see me and not someone else?"
Winter hesitates and that's enough for Vadi. With tears streaming down her cheeks, she runs out of the room.
"Mom! it's not like that." Winter shouts. He stretches out a hand and takes a few steps after her but holds off.
Aki feels his emotions now. In turmoil as a weight of responsibility settles onto his shoulders.
Nidor kneels down by Winter and puts his hand on Winter's shoulder. "No matter who you were before, you're my son now. Our son. It doesn't matter if you were 300 or 3000. I will love you just as much as a parent ought to. Your mother does too, she just needs some time to accept the way things are."
He stands up and smiles proudly at Winter. "Don't worry, I'll talk to her. Right now you've got work to do so make sure you say all that you can."
With those parting words, Nidor runs after his wife, a determined smile on his face. A look that cannot hide the pit in his heart from Aki.
"Right…" Winter turns to the group, anxiously rubbing his thumb with his hand. "I knew her back then. She… nevermind that. I should start at the beginning."
As if weighed down by something, Winter calls for something to write with and begins drawing out a rough diagram to illustrate his explanation. Verityu and Viscount Estril ask several questions but after a few minutes, they seem to have a grasp of the general situation.
"Kokone isn't bad. I don't know what happened but I promise she was the most honest and kindest person you'd ever meet. The thing is that she's wearing the same clothes as the 'vile witch' from a special add-on that was given out a year after the game first released." Winter explains, drawing a circle on something vaguely dress-like. "In the lore, the witch was supposed to be a necromancer named Vira that lost her loved one and attacked the protagonist to try and take her body. Beating the add-on gave you the option of starting a new game plus with Vira's weapon and armour."
Winter leans back and points to himself with a vaguely proud look peeking out. "It still didn't help beat the superboss that guarded the ninth route but it was really strong otherwise."
"So how come she replaced that game character here? Shouldn't whatsherface also exist here like you do?" Phoebe waves her hand and tries tapping the parchment with her missing hand before stopping herself. "Are you sure she is your fiancée and not actually that witch?"
"She said something to us when she saw Winter," Aki offers the group. "About finally beating him now before he grows up to become the bane of her existence. In not so nice words."
Winter nods in agreement. "No matter how many lives separate us, I could never forget the one I love… also the Vira in-game was a tall, pink-haired woman with red eyes."
Phoebe blinks twice and squeals, delighted. "Oh man, if that weren't coming from the mouth of a little kid that would've been pretty hot, eh, eh?"
She nudges Verityu who meekly responds with a dumbfounded agreement.
"So then how can we defeat Konone? Kokonu?... Erm, Vira?" Viscount Estril asks. His serious tone stills Phoebe's delight, who had hooked Verityu by the neck and had been ruffling up his hair. "This game, surely there were counters against an opponent like that?"
"Yeah. In the game, Vira used shadow magic and had that green mana. As far as I can tell, this Vira-Kokone has the same powers and is just as strong." He looks down at his hands and balls them into fists. "Winter - the game version - also used shadow magic. It was speculated that his character could counter a lot of the buffs and debuffs she applied in her boss fight but since no one could get him, everyone relied on the protagonist's celestial magic to beat her down while the rest of the party attacked."
Viscount Estril groans and puts his head in his hands. Aki doesn't need her gift to tell he's feeling defeated before they even began. Verityu meanwhile, looks between everyone, a nervousness shifting through his eyes.
Phoebe raises her stump. "What's celestial magic? It wasn't in New Lands Online."
"I know not what new land enlin is but it is a particularly rare type of magic." Answers Viscount Estril. "A person must be born with special mana circuits to wield that level of power before one can even begin using it."
"Even with Soul Sight, applying skill points to manually learn it is dangerous." Aki adds. "You've probably already tried using skill points, huh? Celestial magic would be worse."
Phoebe nods. She shrinks into her seat, her arms subconsciously wrapping around herself. She mutters something but Aki doesn't catch it. Still, the sorrow emanating from her is enough to guess what she said. The true death of many of her fellow Otherworlders.
"Then we are left to rely on an unknown player that has yet to wield the power that caused this Vira endless difficulty." Viscount Estril locks eyes with Winter who immediately looks away.
Winter tries to shrink into himself, an internal battle raging within his mind.
Aki puts a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"If you can't do it, then let me. I am an Acolyte of Mune. It's my job, so don't worry." Resolved, Aki addresses Viscount Estril with as much conviction as she can muster. "Where are my cl- eh, garments? I need them for… uh, let's call her Vira."
Viscount Estril's ears go red and he fakes a cough into his fist. "Yes, well. Forgive me for this but I do not believe a young lady, particularly one who has yet to reach adulthood should dress in such a manner. I mean this with all respect, Lady Acolyte, but would you not be better off completely covered and wearing armour?"
"Well, it would be weird if someone didn't say something about how I dress…" Aki shakes her head in response to his query. "I know it's wei- strange but I have a title that has, uhm, special requirements whether I like it or not. Those clothes are the only ones that meet them and still work for other things."
"I see…" He closes his eyes and orders the maid who'd been on standby since cleaning up the broken plant potter to fetch Aki's clothing.
Just as she departs the room, the sounds of urgent shouting and pounding footsteps running toward them can be heard.
The loudest of the voices and leading the pack of runners bursts through the doors. Both orks stand by the open doors, unsure whether or not to do something since the one standing there, completely out of breath and red in the face, is Verityu Estril.