(This chapter was uploaded on Saturday 15/February/2025 10:30 AM, timezone GMT+3)
Greetings, dear readers
I want to inform you that what Shira is turning into will be explained in a mind-numbing amount of detail. From the genetic composition, superficially, to social life or preferences and difference in behavior when compared to humans. It will be in a sidestory's footnote, so don't worry about the explanation taking precious chapter space.
(Line Break)
('1), ('2), ('3), etc. means that there is some explaining for the thing in the chapter's footnotes.
"..." small moment of silence.
"Talking"
[Different Language Dialogue (Different from the language of the PoV)] (What language it is: Accent if necessary)
"He-" Someone was interrupted.
'Inner Monologue'
{Skills' names, chanting, spell keys and spells' names}
(PoV)
(Flashback, including the text)
Don't shy from commenting on typos and/or inconsistencies. That and/or suggesting a modification to certain things that didn't make sense to you.
I hope you enjoy reading this chapter.
(Line Break)
(Friday, 16/10/1058)
(In The Twilight Manor's Library)
(Henryk's PoV)
"You are here, both of you" Riveria greeted us. She was looking behind me, at the door. She was half expecting to see Fey barge in.
"She's with Tiona right now. I'm really amazed by how quickly they became such close friends" I said. I was inwardly concerned for Fey. Since Tiona's name is mentioned in the nagging lessons from Norman, being a morally good character, I could leave Fey with her for now. But, my heart still gets heavy with worry for Fey regardless.
"Tiona has got some talent in getting closer to people she wants to befriend" Riveria said with a soft smile, one that indicates her remembering some endearing memories.
"Henry, can we sit down?" Shira finally spoke up, breathless. She was limping and stumbling on our way here, relying on me to keep her balance from completely collapsing.
"Sorry, I momentarily forgot" I said as I helped her to the table Riveria was sitting at. I pulled out a chair for Shira before doing so for myself. It seems that her muscles shrinking, following the digitigrade shape plan, made walking harder, much, much harder. Human muscles aren't built for this leg and feet structure.
"Should we start, then?" Riveria's aura changed when she asked us this question.
(Later)
"So, that was your knowledge on the dungeon and the monsters down to floor 12?" Riveria sounded baffled, rightfully so. "How long was your study on the subject?"
"After arriving at the Pantheon, and a day of futile searching, I decided to go back there on our first night and acquired access to the guild's public archives. I just memorised the information there in a hurry at night and for the night after. In total, I memorised for two nights. I didn't understand much of it and instead focused on memorising it for later contemplating" I said, somehow drawing a satisfied smile from her as she closed a booklet.
"That's impressive" She smiled a bit more. That unnecessary smiling caused some of the elves, who were already glaring daggers into me for addressing her informally, start giving me death glares. That was especially the case for a ginger elf that was biting her nails.
"Thank you for the compliment, lady" I performed some etiquette to spite them, to tell them that I could've always done so, but chose not to. And it worked wonders.
"Umm... Henry?" Shira clung to me, showing her unease. She was wary of what those elves might do, and I replied by straightening up.
"Yes? Is it because of them? I did that on purpose. They can't possibly expect me to act in a certain way just because they wanted it. Isn't that the case, Riveria?" At my question, her features slightly sharpened. I had reason to believe she was remembering something unpleasant. She caught on to me noticing that and flinched.
"That is true. There is no obligation to act in certain ways, not to mention that I came here to escape that kind of life, where my choices aren't my own. I don't want to be the reason someone is forced to do something against their will for no proper reason" She looked at every single elf in the library, making them shrink away and out of the place.
I got the stink-eye from every single one except for a more mature-looking elf who introduced herself as Alicia Forestlight earlier. She was uncomfortable with my manners earlier but kept it to herself. She was the only one who didn't have anything to feel ashamed of and drag herself out of the room. She remained where she was, reading a book about magic analysis. The spine of the book said so, at least.
"Can we go somewhere with no people? I want to talk about something in private" Now, only now, did Alicia look at me with some dangerous side-eye.
"Why?" Riveria, without looking back, raised her hand to tell Alicia not to take action. That was enough to make Alicia give me a warning stare before returning to reading her book.
"I can't say anything with others hearing it" I said, looking at Alicia, who got the message and stood at a far corner, turning her back to us. With no one else present, I got the chance to tell her.
"I have a magic spell that allows me to modify my body" I said.
"And? I don't see why I should know about this" Riveria was perplexed. Her eyes took a glance over to Shira, who I already told about this on our way to the library. I planned for this and didn't want her to feel like I'm not trusting her enough to tell her beforehand.
'Well, Shira knows more of what my magic actually does, but I told Riveria that it's a body modification that only works on myself, not that it also works on anything willing to accept the changes it brings'
"I need a healer readily available at all times during the modification process, just in case some of the modifications cause an internal injury that prevents me from reversing it due to falling unconscious" I said.
"And why would you need me rather than take a potion?" She scrutinised me. This was an important thing for her to know.
"That's because potions cause my body to use its nutrient reserves rather than the mind used by healing magic, that which replaces the nutrients" My words reverberated inside her head as she mulled over them for a few seconds.
"That is... something I failed to notice before. I took them for granted, as our bodies weren't in dire need of more nutrients before, but potions do have a limit to their healing, and they stop when the body no longer has something to use. Falna..." Her voice quieted down towards that part of the sentence.
"Of course, I'll explain my knowledge of human anatomy and what modifications I'll be making on my body. I want your help in making them possible in exchange for that knowledge" I offered her a level of knowledge I was sure doesn't exist here. I read books on what little proper medicine they tried developing. That didn't go so far before healing magic or potions became much better alternatives for it.
"Just how much do you think you know?" She skeptically asked, though there was a genuine curiosity behind that.
"Enough to help healing magic focus on mending a shredded heart or reconnecting a decapitated head, if done within a very tight timeframe" I said, shocking her. Alicia's ears twitched a bit, that eavesdropping moron. I knew she'd do that but let it be since once the magic had taken effect, there was no hiding it. Misleading them seems like a better option going forward.
I also wanted to test one of my hypotheses, one involving ingesting magic stones much like Fey and the silver wolves do before I apply my magic on them.
Riveria looked conflicted. But after some thought, she relented and sighed.
"Fine, but only until we go to the next expedition in about twelve days. I have to go with them" She said. I could glimpse some sense of loss in her voice. She wanted to have more time to analyse the knowledge we'll be discussing later, didn't she?
'No, I should not even think of manipulating someone's curiosity, no matter how advantageous for me. Although, I'll do that if I told the other party, and I get them to agree on it out of their free will'
"What about me? What'd I do?" Shira tugged my arm, grabbing my attention.
"That's an easy thing to figure out. We just need you to try out your new limbs until you can move them naturally" I nodded sagely.
"Really?" Shira wasn't impressed with my answer.
"Really. There's no other way around it, unless magic or divine intervention are involved. And we all know that divine intervention isn't" I said, having no faith that any of the gods still up there were gonna ever help Shira. "At least, your body's general shape could make you go nearly two times the speed a usual human could, that's when you aren't serious and aren't affected by falna"
"What about my balance?" Shira asked, pleading with me to participate in whatever it was she wanted.
"That could simply be solved if you had a tail" She started backing away, feeling slightly weirded out by the thought of having a tail. I let her go away while keeping quiet about the fact she started walking all on her own.
"Shira" I finally pointed it out. "You could walk on your own all this time, huh?" I smirked at her while still pointing at her legs, making her go red. Immediately, her legs started shaking as they buckled under her.
"That hurts!" She moaned in pain, having fallen on the ground with nothing to cushion her fall.
"Try walking without actively thinking about how to move your legs. Leave it for your legs to move themselves" I said as I held a hand out for her. She was still flustered from earlier but held my hand. I pulled her up.
Taking a few steps forward, her legs were somewhat more stable than before.
'This needs time to get used to, especially since her human instincts are probably still there and are conflicting with the new instincts that came with the new pair of legs'
"Congratulations, Shira. You just need to do this for prolonged periods" I left her hands, and she braved it. She walked a few more steps on her own before collapsing onto her hands, where she was stabilised.
"What?! Why does my back feel more comfortable like this?!" Shira screamed in existential crisis.
"..." I squinted my eyes and saw a budding protrusion forming on her ass. "Your skill might be slowly transforming you into a cat-like person" I commented as I pinched it, causing her to bend her spine at an impossible angle to bite my hand, instinctively so.
"Hiss!!" She successfully bit my hand as I let her do it to observe the extent of what she might do. My hand gained new punctures.
I patted her shoulder silently, making her flinch. She slowly released my hand and looked down, refusing to meet my gaze.
"Shira" I called her name. "Look me in the eyes" I put a hand on her cheek as a suggestion, without putting any force into it.
"Sorry" She said guiltily.
"Shira, do it" I put my other hand on her other cheeks, still not putting force. I let her move her head at her own pace.
"I just bit your hand! I almost ripped a part of it off!" She seemed rattled deep down to her core.
I gave everyone who was there a look, and they grumbled as they left us to our privacy. I then lowered myself to look her in the eyes.
"I should be the one to say sorry, Shira" I moved my hands as I hugged her with one arm going around her shoulders and the other around her waist. 'I should silently slip in something she wanted. That should shift her focus for now'
Her hands crept up to hold my shoulders. She started shaking.
"Shira, are you scared of changing into something inhuman?" I asked. My words might've sounded horrible, but they meant to spur her to let it out. Bottling these kinds of emotions leads to all kinds of terrible outcomes.
"I-I... -" She attempted to talk, but all that came out were silent stutters and hiccups, and lots of shaking.
"If that happens, be assured that I'll help however you want me to. I'll always stand by your side, Shira, no matter what your skill does" I said as the hand I had on her shoulders moved to bring her head closer.
Now, you peeping toms should stop reading here and come back later.
(AN: Sorry, I couldn't hold myself back and made that comment. Henryk canonically doesn't think or say this. The one who said this is the 3rd-person PoV narrator interfering with Henryk's PoV)
(3rd person PoV)
Not sensing any more sound coming from the inside, Riveria opened the library's door just enough to look. She saw that Shira was calmly sleeping with her head on Henryk's lap, her face stained with tears. He shushed Riveria before she even made a noise, bar the slight creek of the door's hinges.
Riveria nodded and closed the door. She turned her back to the library and told the others to disperse.
"They have a lot of new things to explore together, these two" Riveria pitied them. They were close enough when they arrived in the manor. But after Shira's skill changed her body, there were already clear spaces getting made between them, solely from Shira's side.
Having thought for a long time, Riveria was standing in front of the door when Henryk came out while carrying Shira in his arms.
"I'll put her in our bed before coming back to discuss things about the request I made" Henryk said before walking back to their room.
When he arrived, he wrote a paper for Shira for when she wakes up.
(End of Chapter)
I didn't expect to finish editing this chapter within an hour. This is a new record for me. But it could be due to it being on the shorter side. This chapter only has around 2200 words, give or take 20-30 words.
Looking at the time, I will start on chapter 25. I hope I could finish it and chapter 26 before I go to sleep.
Regardless of that, do you want me to change the scene between Shira and Henryk in the library? I felt like there could be room for improvement there, but didn't see a path forward. What do you say about it?
Then there is the agreement between Riveria and Henryk, to study things. The details of their lessons will go into side stories of their own. Some people might not be here for the science and just want to enjoy a story. I won't bother this group of people with something they may not want to read. It will be under the name of "An Elf's Lessons".
Well then, say what you feel on the chapter as a whole. Is it a good chapter? If it isn't, what do you think should change and how?
Stay well, ladies and gentlemen.