A few days later, Lilly visited Eolande to see the transformation of her more furnished home. The place had undergone a significant change since her last visit, which didn't surprise Lilly considering the sounds of activity she had heard coming from Eolande's house recently.
"You've really made a home in record time, Elly. It's like you've lived here for ages," Lilly remarked, impressed by the cozy and lived-in feel of the place.
"I'm glad you like it, Lilly. There were some really helpful guys selling furniture a few streets over that way," Eolande said, pointing eastward.
"Oh, that must have been 'Orton's Furniture'. We bought a bed from them a few years ago. They were very service-oriented, so I'm not surprised you got help. The heavy gold pouch you must have been carrying probably didn't hurt though," Lilly commented, half-joking.
"Oh, you learn a few tricks when you get to my age, Lilly. It doesn't even have to be gold to work," Eolande responded with a knowing smile.
"I'm sure," Lilly replied, amused by Eolande's reply.
As they walked around the house, Eolande proudly showed Lilly her new purchases and how she had arranged them.
"That's a large bed," Lilly observed, noting the size of the bed in the main bedroom.
"Yes, it's just in case you ever need a place to feel completely safe while you sleep. I normally only use a tiny bit of the bed," Eolande explained, her tone sincere.
"That's… nice. But I'm 18 years old," Lilly responded, slightly taken aback by the offer.
"I can hardly tell you if you'll ever need it, Lilly, but I can say that just this decade, things have happened to make me want a space like that of my own. Don't underestimate life, and don't overestimate yourself, is what I'm trying to say," Eolande advised, her voice reflecting a mix of wisdom and concern.
"Okay, I appreciate the gesture," Lilly replied, touched by Eolande's thoughtfulness and care.
"... When I held you during that evening in the forest, how did you feel?" Eolande asked, her question indicating she wanted to delve deeper than just acknowledging the bed as a gesture.
Lilly's mind traveled back to that terrifying evening in the forest, to the moment when she was overwhelmed by fear and the crushing weight of her unmet ambitions. She remembered how she had laid in her bedroll, tears silently streaming down her face. Then Eolande had come to her, holding her close, providing a warmth and safety that allowed Lilly to fully embrace her vulnerability.
"... Safe, I guess. Safe enough to be vulnerable… Okay, I get it. This is sort of a representation of what you are to me?" Lilly realized, understanding the deeper meaning behind Eolande's gesture.
"Well, I hadn't thought of it like that, but it's not wrong. I think that anything you're unable to deal with on your own, anything, you can come to me with. Sorrow, guilt, anguish, regret, a body, anger, envy, anything you can think of that would leave you unprepared to face the next day. You come here, and I help you in any way I can," Eolande explained earnestly.
"Did you just say a body?" Lilly asked, taken aback by the unexpected inclusion in Eolande's list.
"I don't remember saying that. But I meant it," Eolande said, her tone serious yet reassuring.
"Well, I hope it doesn't come to that, but I'll keep it in mind, Elly. Thank you," Lilly responded, a mix of gratitude and surprise in her voice.
Lilly moved in for a hug this time, feeling a sense of comfort and security in Eolande's presence. She appreciated knowing there was another person she could turn to with anything. Eolande's motherly demeanor offered a different kind of support than what she received from Gramps, whom she knew would do anything for her. Though her relationship with Eolande was still developing, Lilly sensed the potential for an unconditional love there as well. The fact that Eolande was willing to go to such lengths for her, even hypothetically dealing with a body, was more commitment than Lilly had ever expected.
"Now then, next room," Eolande said, her voice filled with anticipation as the hug ended.
They moved on to the next room, which was furnished with a comfortable arrangement: a table, a few chairs, a bookcase, a bed, a desk, and a storage cabinet.
"Wow, Elly, is all this for me? That's too much!" Lilly exclaimed, surprised by the extent of the preparations.
"You haven't seen the best part, come here," Eolande beckoned, leading Lilly to the table.
Eolande placed her hand on the table, and a formation lit up in a circle, spreading around the top of the table and encompassing everything on it within its glow.
"This formation is made for enchanting. It protects you from most explosions, gathers mana to speed up the gathering process, and lets you enchant something through the table. In other words, you can put your hand on the table and put mana into any object on it to cast the spell," Eolande explained, her eyes sparkling with pride.
"That's so useful! Thank you, Elly! How did you get such a table so quickly?" Lilly was genuinely impressed by the functionality of the table.
"Oh, it was just a normal table. I bothered Eldrin to make the formation," Eolande revealed with a casual shrug.
"Hah, I should thank him as well then. And all that space for materials and books! I don't understand the bed, but you seem to like them, so that's fine," Lilly said, her tone light and grateful.
"I'll save that for a juicy 'I told you so', so just laugh at it for now," Eolande replied, her voice playful.
"I can't wait," Lilly responded, smiling at Eolande's foresight.
"Only one room left now, but that's just for my alchemy. Want to see it?" Eolande asked, her enthusiasm evident.
"Absolutely! I don't know anything about alchemy, so I've been looking forward to it," Lilly replied, eager to learn and explore this new aspect of Eolande's skills.
They proceeded to the alchemy room, Lilly following Eolande with a sense of wonder and curiosity. The room was a fascinating array of alchemical equipment. Pots and bottles, many of them empty, lined the shelves, and a large cauldron sat in the center, equipped with an air pipe to vent out any dangerous gasses.
"Wow, that's what you use for alchemy? It seems so… witch-like?" Lilly commented, taking in the traditional setup.
"That's what I use, at least. I've heard some newer techniques focus more on beakers and glass tubes, but it just sounds needlessly complicated to me," Eolande explained, showing a preference for the classic methods.
"But can you make small amounts of things with that huge thing?" Lilly asked, curious about the practicality of such a large cauldron.
"Oh sure, alchemy cauldrons are very simple to use. They hold ingredients at the bottom, and then you use mana to drag what you need to the top where you mix them. Then anything you've made can be taken out the same way. The cauldron is sort of a big mixer controlled by mana, and this one even has internal heating, so you don't need a giant bonfire," Eolande elaborated, her explanation revealing the versatility of the cauldron.
"Are you sure you're not a witch?" Lilly joked, amused by the traditional witch-like setup.
"Do you have any constructive questions, Lilly?" Eolande asked, a hint of amusement in her voice.
"How long do witches live?" Lilly continued playfully.
"Depends on the witch," Eolande responded, playing along.
"Can witches make themselves look young?" Lilly inquired, looking at Eolande like she was too youthful to be a witch.
"Do humans perceive time slower than elves? Because this conversation is becoming a drag," Eolande quipped, her patience waning playfully.
"What are witches weak to?" Lilly pressed on with her line of questioning.
"Lilly, witches are just weird mages that live in the forest. A stab in the heart should do the trick, same as you and me," Eolande answered, a bit more seriously.
"Convenient how I can't test it on you, huh?" Lilly said, her tone still light.
"Lilly," Eolande warned, her tone indicating it was time to move on from the witch topic.
"Sorry… What can you make with alchemy?" Lilly finally asked, redirecting her focus to the practical aspects of alchemy.
"There we go! Well, the obvious answer is potions, but alchemy can also create certain crystals that store mana and some metals that are stronger than most natural ones," Eolande explained, sharing her knowledge about the versatile applications of alchemy.
"I've been wondering about potions, actually. How do they work?" Lilly asked, her curiosity piqued.
"Sort of like enchanting, actually. Potions also use systems, only they naturally combine in the boiling cauldron when the right ingredients are mixed, instead of being dragged from a material. Most potions only last for a short while since they're powered by the mana in the liquid, but some can give lasting effects. Those are usually called elixirs, and they use your own mana to keep themselves going," Eolande detailed, drawing parallels between enchanting and alchemy.
"I see, that's an interesting way for systems to act. Do you need to follow an exact recipe for each potion, or how does that work?" Lilly inquired, interested in the process.
"That's the only way I can do it, which makes a recipe quite valuable. I know there are master alchemists that can recognize system parts and manipulate them to make the right effect, but that's way beyond me, honestly. I focus more on the mana crystals anyway; that's what I'm good at," Eolande admitted, highlighting her specialization.
"Okay, I wanted to ask what elixirs can do before moving to the crystals," Lilly continued, eager to learn more.
"You've certainly entered study mode, haven't you, Lilly? Elixirs can do most things potions can, so hardened skin, focused vision, super strength, changing appearance—"
"Like to an elf? If, say, you're a witch?" Lilly interjected playfully.
"If I knew any recipes needing a bothersome human to boil for a few hours, I would be tempted right now, Lilly," Eolande joked, her tone light yet firm.
"Consider me muffled," Lilly responded, chuckling, acknowledging Eolande's playful warning.
"Good then, let's talk about crystals. There are many kinds, and they're usually graded by quality, divided by the colors of the rainbow. Red is the simplest and white is the greatest, and white is after violet. I've been able to make a rechargeable indigo crystal once, which is harder to make than a single-use one," Eolande explained, delving into the subject of mana crystals.
"Mhmhmhmmffmf," Lilly responded, still adhering to Eolande's earlier playful admonition.
Eolande struggled not to laugh at Lilly's muffled response and eventually couldn't contain it anymore. "Pfhahah, no more questions then, Lilly?" she asked, her laughter breaking through.
"No, wait! How do you make crystals, and how do I use them in enchanting?" Lilly quickly removed her self-imposed muzzle, eager to learn more.
"You just boil mana-rich ingredients until they condense into a crystal, easy peasy. And you can insert them into items through sockets, which will significantly increase the capacity for storing mana, depending on the grade of the stone," Eolande explained.
"How much increase?" Lilly inquired, curious about the specifics.
"Well, the capacity of an item is decided by the volume and makeup of the material. The increase from a crystal is not related to the capacity of the original item, so I can't give you an exact figure. But a red crystal would give a steel sword about twice the capacity, I think. A blue crystal is the same for mithril, and indigo for adamantium," Eolande detailed.
"Wow, I saw a mithril blade a few days ago, and it was huge on the inside. If blue is enough for that, then alchemy is super useful after all," Lilly remarked, impressed by the potential of alchemy.
"Did you have doubts?" Eolande asked, her eyebrows raised slightly.
"Not really, I just didn't know how useful. That's a significant increase, especially for smaller jewelry and stuff. And either way, it's far above what I can use at the moment," Lilly admitted, acknowledging her current limitations.
Before Eolande could respond, they suddenly heard a knock on the door to the house. Eolande looked surprised, indicating that the visitor was likely unexpected. Both Lilly and Eolande paused, turning their attention to the door, wondering who could be visiting at this time.
"Your first guest, Elly?" Lilly asked with a hint of playfulness.
"You don't count?" Eolande responded, her tone light.
"Well, I like to think of it more like I'm living in two places now," Lilly said, smiling.
Eolande, now also wearing a wide smile, went to open the door. To Lilly's surprise, it was Mia standing there.
"Hello, miss elf, ma'am. Uhm, is Lilly here?" Mia seemed a bit nervous, which Lilly guessed might be due to meeting Eolande for the first time. Wanting to ease the tension, Lilly stepped in to make introductions.
"Elly, this is my good friend Mia Gorton. Mia, this is Elly, or Eolande as she prefers to be called, I think," Lilly said, facilitating the introduction.
"Oh no, Elly is fine, Mia. It's nice to meet you," Eolande said warmly, extending a hand.
"You too, Elly. Thank you for taking care of her in the forest, and everything since, I guess," Mia replied, her gratitude apparent in her voice.
"Oh, I hope you're not referring to us scaring her," Eolande quipped, enjoying the chance to tease a little. Mia, though not exactly little, towered nearly as tall as Eolande.
"No, no, the other thing," Mia clarified quickly.
"Mia, relax. Elly is very kind, even though she hates to show it to most people. Although she might be a witch," Lilly said, pretending to whisper the last part to Mia, aiming to elicit a reaction from Eolande.
"You're hopeless, Lilly," Eolande commented, shaking her head but smiling.
"She really is," Mia agreed, her nerves easing a bit in the light-hearted atmosphere.
"I really am," Lilly chimed in, happy to see the ice breaking and the conversation flowing more naturally.
"What brings you here, Mia? Is it the bracelets?" Lilly asked, curious about Mia's unexpected visit.
"Yeah, I finished the last one today and decided to bring them over. Gramps said you were here, so, here I am," Mia responded, holding a small bag that presumably contained the bracelets.
"Great! I just got a new workstation, so I was hoping you would come over with them today," Lilly said, excited to get to work on the enchantments.
"Already? You work fast, Elly," Mia complimented Eolande, clearly impressed.
"Oh, it was no bother for me. Eldrin, on the other hand," Eolande said, alluding to the help she had received from Eldrin.
"Hang on just a second while I go get the carving tool and the flowers in my room, you two," Lilly said, preparing to gather her enchanting materials.
"Oh, eh, sure," Mia replied, her tone suggesting she was a bit uneasy about being left alone with Eolande.
"I'll be right back," Lilly assured, quickly heading to her room.
It only took a minute or two for Lilly to collect the necessary items. When she returned, she found that Mia and Eolande had gone inside. Opening the door, she was greeted by a rather unexpected scene.
Inside, Eolande was holding a frog, while Mia's clothes were lying on the floor beside her.
"Hahah, that's a good one, Elly," Lilly laughed, immediately catching on to the joke.
"Isn't it? I thought you would like her better like this," Eolande kept the joke going, holding the frog up.
"Well, it might be hard for her to hold a hammer. Where are you, Mia?" Lilly asked, scanning the room.
"...I didn't think you'd figure it out that fast," Mia's voice came from behind the door, her tone a mix of surprise and amusement.
Lilly turned to see Mia, dressed only in her underwear, standing behind the door.
"I'm surprised you agreed to that," Lilly said, a hint of disbelief in her voice.
"Oh, I was shocked when Elly suddenly asked me to undress. But I'm all for a good prank, and since you called her a witch, it just seemed perfect," Mia explained, her voice indicating she was a good sport about the whole situation.
"Embracing your inner witch, Elly?" Lilly said, looking at Eolande while Mia got dressed.
"I was hoping to scare you a little bit to get you back for that. Unfortunately, I don't have any frog potions yet, so we had to do it like this," Eolande added, maintaining the playful tone.
"Surely that's not a real thing," Lilly said, half-questioning.
"… Okay, you're right. It might technically be possible, but entirely too expensive for a prank," Eolande admitted with a smile on her face, while she gently put the frog back in a box.
"Good. Now can we go do some enchanting?" Lilly asked, eager to get started with their magical work.
"Sure," Mia replied, now fully dressed and ready to see Lilly's enchanting in action.
They all ascended to the room Eolande had set up for Lilly, with Mia taking in the surroundings with keen interest.
"Wow, this looks like a professional enchanting room!" Mia exclaimed, visibly impressed.
"It is! This will be my first time trying it, I'm excited!" Lilly replied, her enthusiasm contagious.
Mia handed over the electrum bracelets, a sense of pride in her craftsmanship evident. "Wow, these look great, Mia! The dragon decoration looks really cool!" Lilly complimented, admiring the bracelets.
"Thanks, it was your idea, so you can take some credit," Mia responded, acknowledging Lilly's contribution to the design.
"Those are nicely crafted indeed. Electrum?" Eolande asked, observing the bracelets.
"Yeah, it's very good for holding enchantments supposedly. I guess we'll find out, Lilly?" Mia said, turning to Lilly with anticipation.
"Yup, I'll just get started. I can use this table now," Lilly said, ready to begin her work.
She placed the bracelets and flowers on the enchanting table and then held her hands against it, activating the enchantment spell. Instantly, she felt the ability to channel her mana into the objects on the table, even several at once. She attempted to focus on all the objects simultaneously but found it challenging to concentrate on more than two.
Focusing on one bracelet to enchant first, Lilly sensed the electrum metal. Its mana capacity was considerably larger than steel but smaller than mithril. Pondering the metal's properties, she turned to Eolande, "Is electrum at the level of a yellow crystal, Elly?"
"Somewhere around there, yes. You feel the capacity?" Eolande inquired, intrigued.
"Yeah, it's very good! It won't be a problem to use these at all, maybe they could even hold another enchantment?" Lilly pondered the possibilities.
"Let's take it one step at a time, Lilly. Besides, these are wares, right?" Eolande gently reminded her.
"True, I need to sell them. Experimenting comes another time," Lilly agreed, refocusing on the task at hand.
Lilly had found a rhythm in her enchanting process. With the superior carving tool in hand, she effortlessly inscribed the runes for 'fire' and 'safe' onto the next bracelet. The process felt more like writing than carving, allowing her to complete the runes quickly. When it came to infusing power with the amulet and finishing the spell, she was done in less than a minute.
"That's one down!" Lilly announced, pleased with her efficiency.
She noticed that the time it took for the bracelet to charge with mana was significantly reduced, thanks to the table's ability to collect mana. "This table is fantastic, Elly, especially the remote enchanting feature," Lilly praised.
"I'm glad you like it, Lilly," Eolande responded, pleased to see her contribution being so useful.
After completing the enchantment, Lilly examined the bracelet. She could feel that the enchantment had used up far less than the bracelet's full capacity—perhaps only a third.
"It feels like it could handle two more enchantments… But not now. Let's test it out," Lilly said, thinking about the potential of the bracelet.
"How?" Mia inquired, curious about how they would conduct the test.
"Uhh, Elly?" Lilly looked to Eolande for suggestions.
"I'm not much of a mage, Lilly, so no fireballs. We could go to Mia's place after you finish the rest, to test it next to the forge maybe?" Eolande proposed.
"That's fine by me," Mia agreed. She seemed to have grown more comfortable with Eolande, perhaps in part due to the earlier prank, which might have been Eolande's intention all along.
"Then I'll just finish the rest of these, it shouldn't take more than 5 minutes," Lilly said, getting back to work on the remaining bracelets.
"At this point, the process is quite simple, huh?" Mia observed, watching Lilly work.
"Yeah, with this carving tool and the amulet, it's easy. It takes a lot longer still if I don't use it, and I'm still not good at judging the right amount of mana, so I often fail… Actually, I'm a terrible enchantress," Lilly admitted, her mood dipping as she reflected on her actual skill level.
"Don't be so hard on yourself, Lilly. Eldrin has told you how fast you're learning. The fact that you're not a master enchantress without your cheat tool is obvious," Eolande reassured her.
"Well, it just feels bad. I still need to practice enchanting without the amulet to get better, but it's not as fun when I can just do it perfectly at any time if I want. The improvement aspect is lessened," Lilly expressed, feeling conflicted about her reliance on the amulet.
"Then you'll have to ask your great teacher to give you an incentive," Eolande suggested.
"Yeah, that might work," Lilly considered, thinking about ways to motivate herself.
"Although… He might be busy soon," Eolande added, her tone turning serious.
"Eldrin? With what?" Lilly asked, surprised by the sudden change in topic.
"Well, there's talk of a war," Eolande revealed.
"What?!" both Lilly and Mia exclaimed in unison.
"But we don't go to war," Lilly said, confused.
"It has been a while, yes. Eighty-something years, I think," Eolande said, recalling the history.
"Why? And how sure is it?" Lilly asked, concerned about the possibility of conflict.
"Dortfell is unhappy with our king refusing a marriage proposal to our princess, supposedly. But it could just as easily be a war for territory. The truce after the last great war ended a few years ago, and nations have been building forces ever since. It's likely to happen, forces have gathered at key positions already," Eolande explained, her tone grave.
The revelation cast a somber mood in the room. The thought of war was distant and abstract to Lilly and Mia, who had grown up in a time of peace. The potential conflict brought a sense of uncertainty and concern, overshadowing the excitement of enchanting. The reality of their world, with its political tensions and historical conflicts, suddenly felt much more immediate and pressing.
"A defensive war? But don't we have allies? Sarthas?" Lilly asked, trying to grasp the geopolitical situation.
"We do, but Dortfell has about as much military might as Eldoria and Sarthas combined. It's a sticky situation for sure," Eolande explained, her tone grave.
Lilly felt overwhelmed by this revelation. The thought of war had never crossed her mind, and she realized she had been ignorant of the larger political dynamics at play. She could see that Mia was equally shaken, her face pale and reflecting the fear that Lilly herself felt.
"But, but what about… Could they come here?" Lilly asked, her voice tinged with fear.
"As a port city, Thundrel is a possible target, Lilly. But as long as Lady Selene is here, no ships will be able to invade," Eolande reassured her.
"Lady Selene? The archer?" Mia interjected, seeking clarification.
"Yes, the archer. She's the only Royal Guard stationed in Thundrel, but she's enough," Eolande confirmed.
"She's that strong?" Lilly asked, incredulous.
"She can stop ships with her bow; she's strong. And as long as I'm here, no invading force will hurt you. Same for you, Mia; if something were to happen, get your family to my place," Eolande offered, her voice firm and protective.
"Thank you, Elly," Mia said, visibly touched by Eolande's offer.
Lilly felt a sense of safety envelop her, like a protective blanket, knowing Eolande was there.
"But what about Eldrin? He'll leave?" Lilly asked, concerned about her teacher.
"He will, same for Thoren. They can both contribute a lot to the war on the front lines, and they have a duty to uphold," Eolande stated.
"But what about you?" Lilly pressed, worried for Eolande.
"I'm… I'm not suited for frontline combat, or wars. And I'm not bound by any family I need to protect besides you," Eolande revealed, her words carrying a weight of sadness and resignation.
"Didn't you have a husband?" Lilly remembered.
"I do, but he doesn't need my protection. You might," Eolande said, her focus on Lilly.
Lilly, filled with gratitude and a newfound appreciation for Eolande's presence, moved in for a hug. In that moment, she realized just how much she valued having Eolande in her life, especially now, when the threat of war loomed on the horizon. Eolande's willingness to stay and protect her was more comforting than Lilly had ever imagined it would be.
"You're the best, Elly," Lilly said, her voice filled with affection and gratitude.
"You're not bad yourself, Lilly… Let's push that away for now and finish the last bracelet so we can go test it," Eolande suggested, trying to steer the mood back to their immediate task. There was a hint of deep emotion in her voice, but she composed herself well.
Lilly worked on the last bracelet, her mind occupied with thoughts of the looming war. She pondered over the need for protection—for herself and for those she cared about. Ideas of creating another bracelet or an amulet swirled in her mind. She resolved to consult her book for protective enchantments and speak to Gallus about potential materials.
When she completed the last bracelet, Lilly noticed it took longer to charge with mana than the others. Puzzled, she examined it through the enchanting table and was startled to find that the enchantment had nearly filled the entire bracelet with a significantly higher mana density than the other three. 'What? How did that happen?' Lilly wondered, visibly surprised.
"Ehhhh, Elly? This bracelet is a lot stronger than the other two for some reason," Lilly voiced her confusion.
"Really? Oh, I can feel it clearly," Eolande responded, focusing her attention on the bracelets. "Did you do something different?"
"No, everything should be very similar to the others… But, I did think about making something to protect people in case the war comes here. Could that have affected the power?" Lilly speculated, though as soon as she voiced her thoughts, she doubted them. The idea didn't align with the principles of enchanting, where mana couldn't be conjured from nowhere. All magic adhered to a set of rules, so the additional power in the bracelet had to have a source.
"I don't know much about enchanting, Lilly, but it might make sense that a protective enchantment becomes stronger if you're focused on protecting someone while you make it," Eolande suggested thoughtfully.
"But where would the increase in power come from?" Lilly asked, still puzzled.
"The power comes from the item draining mana from the surroundings, right? The enchantment only decides how much it can absorb on its own, doesn't it?" Mia added, contributing her understanding of the process.
"Oh, of course! And Eldrin said emotions affected enchantments; that must be it!" Lilly realized, a moment of clarity hitting her.
"Well then, it's a good thing you used electrum, and that you had the protection in the table. That's an interesting discovery though; you should remember it well," Eolande advised, recognizing the significance of Lilly's realization.
"I will. That's such an incredible increase in power though; I'm shocked it can change it so much," Lilly said, still amazed by the discovery.
"How much more protection does it give?" Mia asked, eager to understand the practical implications.
"Well, a bit more than twice the protection, I think. I'm not sure how it's calculated, but the mana is over twice as dense," Lilly explained.
"Can it protect against a drake's breath?" Mia inquired further, intrigued by the potential of the enchantment.
"It actually might, as long as you don't stay inside the flames. But due to the weakness of the material, it won't be as strong as a more effective protection with the same mana," Eolande interjected, sharing her expertise.
"Let's go test it." Lilly said enthusiastically, eager to see the enchantment in action.
And so, they set out to Mia's forge to test the newly enchanted bracelet. The air was tinged with a somber undertone, the news of the potential war casting a shadow over their excitement. Despite the sense of dread about the future, Lilly's discovery about the influence of her emotions on the enchantment brought a glimmer of hope and curiosity. It might turn out to be a significant discovery in an otherwise uncertain time.