POV of Leylin Blight
"A Rewarding Conversation"
I returned home after crossing through the portal. After my meeting with the Collector, I had an illumination regarding the magic of the Boiling Isles.
I wanted to study it again and, thanks to Willow, I had access to knowledge from the Savage Age era that I could review in her library at any time.
Now I just needed to try to see the results if I combined this with my current power and scientific knowledge.
"You seem thoughtful, father?"
Evy's voice brought me back to earth. I cleared my throat slightly before facing her to explain my new projects.
"I just have some interesting ideas to explore. By the way, I remember that I still haven't given you anything for your hard work during my absence, have I?"
She seemed excited for a moment before trying to hide her impatience. No matter how many years pass, she remains a little girl at heart.
"I'll need a few hours alone."
I could literally create or obtain countless precious objects for her, but that wouldn't make sense for Evy.
You should know that she has always received incredible gifts on every birthday when I was present.
Gold or jewels don't really interest her anymore. She literally has tons of them in my base. I also assume she must have enormous resources now.
She managed my commercial empire during my absence, so she needs something unique that's out of the ordinary.
Evy left, not without giving me a look filled with expectation and anticipation. I simply smiled back.
"I remember a game called Elden Ring. I should take inspiration from Marika and create a bodyguard for her, and it would be a bonus for her evolution."
I immediately opened a portal to find Palistrom wood, a magical wood that was used to create Beasts and Huntress.
With a snap of my fingers, I changed its shape. Before me was a sculpture of a woman in traditional witch attire, but strangely fairy-like.
She seemed to be missing one eye and had four arms. This wooden statue looked peaceful.
"I don't need titan blood to make you a pure palisman," I murmured as I began using Savage Age methods to breathe life into the Palistrom wood.
"That's good. I just have to call Evy back. But before that..."
I still had some wood left. What should I do with it?
Maybe create a palisman for myself too. I remember that I don't really have one, and Beast isn't a true palisman 100%.
I only had a small amount left, so I shaped an egg the size of an ostrich egg.
Unlike ordinary palismans, these will certainly have the gift of speech, like the Bat Queen. I used a method older than the current palisman creation method.
"Evy, you can come back."
I wanted to activate it upon her return. Although I can create them, palismans follow those who share similar aspirations to theirs.
I couldn't guarantee that the palisman inspired by Ranni in Elden Ring would follow Evy. That's why she can take this egg.
I'll just gently "convince" the palisman to follow me afterwards.
...
"Is she mine?" Evy looked carefully at the blue-skinned woman in witch attire. She seemed fascinated by Ranni.
(Image)
"I haven't decided yet," Ranni replied in a cold voice, in contrast to her fairy-like appearance.
"But... Father! She's supposed to be my gift." Evy turned to me, seeking help.
"Yes and no. Ranni will lend you her power only if she judges that your aspirations are in line with hers." I could force things by penetrating Ranni's mind to modify her inclinations, but I wanted to see the real Ranni.
I don't want my daughter to get into the habit of resorting to mind manipulation to resolve these kinds of situations.
"So, young lady, what do you desire most?" Ranni had leaned slightly towards Evy, their faces very close.
Evy seemed disconcerted by this sudden action, but she quickly regained her composure.
She knew, like me, that a palisman can tell if a person is not sincere in their words. She had to be honest with Ranni and with herself.
I really wonder what my daughter's goal is.
"I want to become strong..."
A silence followed this statement. Ranni seemed slightly confused. It was strange to see confusion on her expressionless face since her birth.
"Can you elaborate?" Ranni finally asked, squinting while observing Evy.
"I want to become strong enough to protect my father and... never run away again."
I see, she really kept a bad memory of the Collector. I don't know if that's a good or bad thing.
"I see... You have great ambition. If you really want to protect this man... I mean master," Ranni glanced at me before turning her attention back to Evy, "you'll have to surpass him. Do you think you're capable of that?"
Ranni has little information about me and the world, but my desire to create a reliable person to guide Evy seems to have given birth to a damn intriguing being.
I'm not worried about betrayal. A palisman never betrays their master once they've chosen them. Generally, it's rather the master who betrays them.
"Yes! So Ranni, will you help me?"
After saying these words, Evy reached out her hand to Ranni, who looked at this outstretched hand for a few seconds before sighing and tilting her witch hat to cover her face.
I could see a satisfied smile despite her attempt to hide it. It seems she's a tsundere.
"Let's work together, mistress Evy."
Ranni began to glow before shrinking to the size of a figurine, then settled on Evy's shoulder.
"Here, this is Ranni's scepter," I said with a smile before leaving the room.
"Thank you, dad..." Evy murmured before I left.
"You don't need to thank me. People like you and me never have friends *sigh*, except in exceptional cases," I let slip to Evy as I walked away.
This reminds me of the time when I created beast.
In this life, I've only had one friend. I don't mean to say I don't love anyone, but since the incident with SCP-738 and Bill Cipher, my circle of close ones has considerably shrunk.
My affection for Amity has gone from the status of precious sister to simply a close one. It's the same for my father, even though he's probably the person I've spent the most time with, more than Willow or Amity.
Of course, I'm not counting my time spent in a coma, otherwise it's Willow who has spent the most time with me in my two lives.
I didn't know, at the time, that my words would one day change my relationship with Evy.
It's a shame that beings like me can't play too much with time.
Otherwise, I'd give myself a few kicks for putting unnecessary ideas in Evy's head about friendship.
….
POV of the narrator
In a dense, visibly ravaged forest, two silhouettes faced each other.
"Be cursed! *grr*"
The man spat blood before collapsing on the ground, his chest pierced by the woman's arm. He was a former rank 1 magus, a member of the unknown faction of the southern continent.
"You have evolved a lot... Vivianne," a familiar voice resonated behind the woman, who had just eliminated the fallen magus.
"Thank you for your praise, Master Kroft."
Vivianne responded politely, without emotion. A few months had passed since her flight from the Leslie family domain and Merlin's manor.
Vivianne had been able to progress as a Brand Swordman thanks to the dagger Merlin had given her. She wasn't even a rank 1 magus with a semi-converted Elemental Essence yet, but she had already eliminated a dozen magus since her advancement.
It must be understood that advancement to the rank of magus is strictly controlled on the southern continent. It is frowned upon for an individual to reach this rank without the support of a faction.
This usually signals the birth of a new faction, which is an undesirable situation on a continent lacking in magical resources.
"I suppose you're not here just to compliment me?" Vivianne turned to her former master.
She greatly respected Kroft; after all, he was the father of her master and brother, but nothing would prevent her from keeping her promise to Merlin.
She would become a magus powerful enough to return and claim what was hers, and no one would stop her from achieving this goal.
"Indeed. You may already be aware, but I was recently sent to the battlefield."
Kroft headed towards a tree, visibly slashed by a claw strike, and sat down nonchalantly.
"We have recently suffered numerous losses, and I'm no longer young for a magus *sigh*... So the Leslie family asked me to convince you to replace me at the front."
Vivianne frowned. Kroft's words simply meant that her origins had been discovered by the organizations of the southern continent and that the Leslie family was using Kroft to tie her to it.
'This is bad, Merlin could be in danger.' Various thoughts agitated chaotically in Vivianne's head.
She was still an extremely young magus by southern continent standards.
This is also why Vivianne had to eliminate so many magi since her advancement: organizations were seeking to discover her secret or recruit her by force.
She just had too much potential to be left alone without surveillance, it's just a matter of time before Vivianne can reach rank 2.
Every magus of each organization knowing the information about Vivianne thinks this.
"I will help the Leslie family obtain an area of the pocket dimension in your place, Master." Vivianne gritted her teeth while bowing to Kroft.
'I must endure a bit longer. If I reach rank 2, then... I will fear almost no one on the southern continent.' This conclusion from Vivianne's reflection is true.
Rank 2 magus are literally noble existences among the magus of the southern continent. If Vivianne reaches this level, the Leslie family surely won't want to antagonize such a power.
"I forgot one thing: I have a disciple in the white magi camp." Kroft got up from the fallen tree before turning his back on Vivianne.
"If you meet a certain Leylin Farlier, spare him." After saying this, Kroft left a letter on the tree trunk before leaving.
He had also left a mark on Vivianne, a means that magus use among themselves to communicate over long distances.
"Master Kroft had a student?"
Vivianne mocked this request a bit, but if she met this man named Leylin on the battlefield, she would kill him without hesitation.
"I need more souls still. Don't you desire more power?" A deep, dark voice emanated from the dagger at Vivianne's belt.
"I know, and you'll have them, Beelzebub, but you must continue to keep your word."
Merlin was right. Unlike the time when Leylin used this dagger in the world of gods, Beelzebub is still alive and fully active.
He had indeed tried to influence Vivianne, the current user of the dagger, but...
Merlin had concentrated all his efforts to prevent a possession, and he had succeeded. But he hadn't anticipated that Beelzebub would use the dagger simply as a means of communication or seal part of his full powers at will.
He also hadn't anticipated that Vivianne, thirsty for power, would conclude a pact with the archdemon to obtain more power.
"It's Lord Beelzebub to you, poor mortal. I have already kept my part of the deal, but you're not shedding enough blood to satisfy a bit of the hunger," Beelzebub growled, visibly annoyed.
He needed this idiot to penetrate the world of magus again, but for an unknown reason, he hadn't been able to take direct control of Vivianne.
I must be patient. Once she is completely transformed into a demon because of the dagger, he will be able to influence her more easily.
The reason is that Vivianne's existence will be closer to a Baator creature than a pure magus. He is a lord of Baator, it will be easy for him to influence a demon without a master.
Beelzebub had waited centuries for this kind of opportunity. He could wait a few more years.