It has been at least a week since we've been guarding the forest to the northern east side of the tomb. I, Aura, am not particularly thrilled by this task... while we serve as simple scouts, Shaltear and even Solution Epsilon have more interesting jobs, they have already left for the capital. Ains-sama is with one of the Pleiades, Narbelal Gamma, en route towards the city of E-Rantel.
As for Mare and I... we have to watch these humans kill each other and get information. I thought it would be another uneventful day of those humans just killing one another in order to extract the 'Armatista'.
But it was then that Mare and I saw it from the distance, among the bushes beneath the tall trees, if one looked at the branches, one could only awe.
"I-It's an Eclipse, Aura! Just like back then!"
I don't know if this world is any different... but Eclipses are not events one is supposed to see every day, and yet... this is the second time in less than two weeks. As if that wasn't enough, that's not even the moon. Something that wasn't the moon began covering the sun ever so slowly, dimming up the light
"We have to inform Albedo-"
We were tasked to report back any important information, but then I saw it. A gate manifested out of nowhere in the middle of the battlefield, just like the one that manifested in Nazarick. Energy abounded and golden ores started to manifest from the soil around the gate ever so slowly together with what already was.
"Aura..."
"Yes, as expected, the gate is the origin of the Armatista... we have to report this as well".
Instead of getting involved right away, we watched how several individuals crossed that gate as the Eclipse accentuated the skies.
"Four of them and that's..." Mare stuttered
"Lady Yasaka, from the last time..."
There she is, the same Lady who together with Lady Elysir, left an unforgettable mark in our hearts. Aside from her, there were other three mysterious individuals, Lady Elysir was nowhere to be seen. There was also a dark-skinned man wearing an odd attire, a woman so tall it was impossible to ignore her and... a woman with a black dress and a lot of black wings.
'What are they...?'
The scene that unfolded after that was one we would never be able to forget, I grit my teeth with thrill, almost shivering as she massacred everyone with such efficiency and lack of emotions.
Within minutes hundreds of people were killed, no, destroyed.
"W-What should we do?" A shivering Mare asked me, but all I could do was bite my finger in ecstasy.
"Of course, Ains-sama instructed us to treat Lady Yasaka and Lady Elysir with the utmost respect, also... their unknown master. We will follow orders, Mare~"
**
**
It was a waste of time. Azrael massacred all these people for me, but when I tried to predate them, they gave next to no Chaos Points, just a bunch of weaklings. I hope this world has a lot more to offer than this. Otherwise, I'll end up relying on just bookings to make Chaos Points and rank up.
"Ray-sama, I suggest we head to a social hub. Given the way these people are dressed, it is safe to assume they belong to a bigger faction. Although I don't understand why they were fighting here of all places" Yasaka frowned and picked up one of those golden ores.
"I think it is related to these weird stones" Kuu pointed out, picking up another.
[These stones are the residual energy of your Chaos Points. Because the gate you created is unstable, and you didn't execute the spell to its full efficiency, there was residual Sun Energy. It seems the moment that energy came into contact with the mana of this world, the result was this Golden Ore] Horus explained.
I frowned and tried to predate on those ores, doing so netted me twenty chaos points. It was a lot more than what I received from the corpses of those humans.
*WHOOSH!*
My brows twitched suddenly when I felt four energy readings closing up on us slowly, moreover, they were suppressed. It is people trying to stay concealed. It seems I wasn't the only one that felt them.
Yasaka frowned and raised her hand, a blue magic circle manifested. The two main energies seemed to realise they were going to be attacked and started shivering. Coming out of their hiding.
"Lady Yasaka, we're friendly!"
"Friendly friendly!"
"Oh, I recognise you two~"
Two elves appeared in front of us mounting what looked like a pair of wolves. They were blonde, and small and their eyes had different colours, green and purple.
"It is an honour to be remembered by Lady Yasaka-sama. Please once again our apology for that incident" The two elves bowed in front of Yasaka who was giggling the whole way, I was confused, what were they talking about?
"The past is the past. If you don't mind please introduce yourselves again to my master" Yasaka pressed me forward and the two elves looked at me fixedly.
"As expected it was you, Lady Elysir and Lady Yasaka's master. My name is Aura Bella Fiora and this is my little brother, Mare Bello Fiore".
"..."
So they're both boys? I thought this Mare was a girl... shit, is this what they call a 'trap'?
"We're our master, Ains Ooal Gown-sama's servants, pleased to meet you, Ray-sama".
Both dark elves explained to me that back then when Elysir and Yasaka crossed the gate, they had been unfairly treated. I recalled the event. After I massaged Solution, Horus said the gate wasn't closing up, it was because Ains Ooal Gown was using some sort of spatial spell to prevent the gate from closing.
All that misunderstanding had already been resolved.
"Nice to meet you too. These two are my servants. You can call them Kuu and Azrael" I facilitated the introduction and they merely nodded at each other. For some reason, Kuu was looking at Mare with a wicked grim. I can almost see what's in this perverted woman's mind.
The ominosity of her gaze reached the point where the 'boy' was visually uncomfortable and didn't want to look at her.
"How come you two are around this area?" I asked them, I don't know how far away are we from their headquarters or whatever, but it is quite a coincidence that they were here the first day we arrived. Such a coincidence was almost suspicious.
"The Great Tomb is nearby, Ray-sama. We're on the border between the Re-Estize Kingdom and its rival empire the Baharut Empire, this place is known as the Great Forest of Tob. The conflict started a week ago. You must have been summoned at that time as well" Aura frowned at me. Another misunderstanding, I wasn't summoned.
"I wasn't summoned here by anyone. I voluntarily arrived here to... visit" There was no need to disclose my intentions, "Do you know why those two groups are fighting?"
"Let alone both Kingdom and Empire have a history of conflict, this time it is different" Aura picked up one of the golden ores remaining.
"This ore was first discovered by a group of adventurers around the area where your first gate opened. It was labelled as 'Armatista' by an alchemist of the Baharut Empire, an ore never before existing in this land. Mare and I did our research in both sides' camps to try and understand what was happening, that's how we got this information" He explained.
"..." I indicated for him to continue.
"Even we have to take a portion of it to analyse it. One of our comrades, Demiurge, analysed it and realised It is a highly volatile magical catalyst that can enhance spells, among other uses. It has stirred skirmishes between both sides to obtain it" He explained albeit not solemnly, it was more like he was amused by the situation.
'Holy shit, did I cause a war mistakenly?' I scratched my head.
"As we speak there may be stronger factions from the Sloane Theocracy heading in this direction to investigate. Every time there is an Eclipse... something is bound to happen" He giggled.
I was a bit confused by this Aura. I mean... he's dressed like a boy but has many girlish mannerisms and even voice. If the boy is a girl, could it be...
"If that is okay with you, Ray-sama. Could you come with us to Nazarick to speak further in there?" he invited me.
"Is Ains Ooal Gown there? or Solution?"
"Ains Ooal Gown-sama is out on an important mission and so is Solution Epsilon, I'm afraid, but you will receive our hospitality."
I didn't have a reason to reject them, from what I understand, they're new to this world too... but they have been here longer than us and have gotten quite a bit of information. If what he said is true and there are powerful forces coming here to collect this 'Armatista'.
'Then it is best to stay around this area~' I couldn't help but chuckle. Hopefully, they will send someone powerful that's worth quite a bit of Chaos Points.
"Very well, lead the way. It is not like I have anywhere else to go. If you have information about this world, I'd like to hear it".
"Thanks, Ray-sama. You can mount-" Aura wanted to offer me his wolf to mount back, but Yasaka stepped forward defiantly.
"I am Ray-sama's mount, Aura~"
Not only did the powerful ten-tailed fox say that she even said it with pride. Both elves gulped audibly and nodded, watching how Yasaka transformed into the most beautiful piece of animal that any of us will ever see and put her head down towards me.
It is not many times I have the opportunity to mount her, so... I obviously accepted her loyalty.
I mounted her... and so did Kuu, Azrael chose to fly.
"..." (Yasaka)
"Fufu~" (Hasshaku-sama)
"Why are you mounting me too?! Get off!" (Yasaka)
"Master, this naughty fox is bullying me, she wants to abandon me in the forest!~" (Hasshaku-sama)
"You're heavy, GET OFF!" (Yasaka)