"You damn dragon, what the hell were you thinking!?" (Mizuki)
I'm standing in front of Nina, berating her for her thoughtless actions. She looks somewhat timid compared to normal, but not exactly apologetic.
"B-But Mizuki, I had to, don't you see how important this is!" (Nina)
She gestures to our surroundings – a huge natural hot spring. It's situated high on a mountain, deep in the western region of the Elven Kingdom, and is sparsely surrounded by trees on all sides. Through the trees on one side, you can see off the southern edge of the mountain to the expansive valley below.
The location is remote, and I can't see any evidence of villages or cities near the mountain. I won't deny that it's beautiful, but…
"That's not what I'd call this! At the very least, it wasn't urgent, and your message suggested that it was! I thought your life was in danger, Nina. Your message didn't need to scare me! Why not say, 'Mizuki, I made the most remarkable discovery, please come see me in the next few minutes', or something similarly less alarming!?" (Mizuki)
Probably also sensing my emotions through our connection, Nina starts to look a little guilty. She walks forward and kisses me quickly with an apologetic glance.
"Okay, you may have a point…I'm sorry. I was just excited. I haven't ever found a hot spring this nice and private! Baths are fun, but I miss this. Still, you're right that I worried you too much. How about I make it up to you…in this hot spring?" (Nina)
Nina gives me a suggestive smile and runs her finger around my chest. I sigh deeply…she's not exactly complicated, is she? I give her a smile that communicates my annoyance as well as my forgiveness.
"That sounds nice, but you don't have enough daylight to spare, and I promised Alto we'd spend the afternoon together with research. I know the location now, so how about I bring us both back here tonight? I have a lot to catch you up on, and afterwards I'll take you up on your offer. Sound fair?" (Mizuki)
Nina makes a pouting face, but it seems to be for show. After a moment, she nods with a sweet smile.
"Great, thanks. I'll leave you to it then, I'm heading back to Alto!" (Mizuki)
Without another word to Nina, I teleport back to the library with Alto. I've been gone probably five or ten minutes at this point. Seeing me, she looks up from a book with relief.
"Mizuki! What happened? You just disappeared on me!" (Alto)
"Yeah, sorry about that, you can blame Nina. She's on a reconnaissance mission to the demon continent. She sent me a message so urgent that I thought Veyron had confronted her and her life was in danger. Turns out that damn dragon just wanted to show me a hot spring she found on the way." (Mizuki)
Alto stares at me blankly for several moments, the hangs her head and sighs.
"Well, I guess we better get used to her whimsical nature, since we'll both be stuck with her as long as Azura exists. By the way, this is the first I'm hearing about her going to the demon continent. Why'd you send her there?" (Alto)
"Just so I could teleport and not have to fly there myself, but I worded it kindlier to her. She's to call me immediately when she arrives on the coast, so I can go retrieve her. Tomorrow, I want to survey the demon's forces and maybe find out why they're doing all this. Naturally, I'll turn us invisible, so we don't attract attention." (Mizuki)
"Hmm…do you mind if I come?" (Alto)
I shake my head at her apologetically.
"Sorry, but there is an Elder Dragon and an entire army waiting for us – as much of an asset as I think you'd be, there are too many unknowns and powerful beings at play. I think it's an excessive risk to your life for this first trip, but maybe on a later one you can come with us. How's that?" (Mizuki)
"Okay, that seems like a fair enough reason." (Alto)
"Thanks, then let's finally get started. Did you decide what you want to start with in our research?" (Mizuki)
Alto smiles and then nods at me, amused.
"Yes, I did. The other day, you told me about atoms, but said that there was a lot you left out and it was related to why heating up wood creates a self-sustaining fire but heating up water doesn't create self-sustaining steam. Could you explain all this now?" (Alto)
"Sure, but this will take a while. We have to cover several concepts. Let's get started!" (Mizuki)
I spend the next hour or two discussing the related science with Alto. We discuss the basic structure of an atom, protons, neutrons, and electrons, and how their arrangements in an atom determine the element and its interactions with other atoms.
I also explain how electron clouds can overlap like puzzle pieces between atoms to form covalent bonds, and when multiple atoms are covalently bonded it's called a molecule. Finally, I explain noncovalent bonds, and how they're less stable attractions between atoms and molecules.
"Okay, I think I understand the difference. So, what does that have to do with my question about heating wood versus water?" (Alto)
"Well, water turning into steam is what's called a physical change, where you are only disrupting noncovalent bonds. The types of molecules in steam are the same as in water, they're just heated so much that they aren't held as close together anymore. When you heat wood in a fire, the heat also makes it possible to break covalent bonds. This fundamentally changes the types of molecules in the wood, and that is called a chemical change." (Mizuki)
Alto seems to think that over.
"So, does that mean that breaking noncovalent bonds doesn't release heat, but breaking covalent bonds does?" (Alto)
"No, not exactly. Breaking bonds between atoms or molecules doesn't release energy, it uses it instead. Forming new bonds between atoms, however, can release energy that makes things heat up. In the case of wood fire, the initial heating breaks covalent bonds in the wood to produce new molecules, which then form new covalent bonds with the air molecules, and that releases energy that heats up other wood molecules to repeat the process." (Mizuki)
"Then, the reason heating up water doesn't release more heat is because only noncovalent bonds are broken, which means no new molecules, and no new types of covalent bonds being able to form to release the energy that heats up things?" (Alto)
She really is sharp. She would have done well as a STEM student on Earth. I nod at her approvingly, and she seems to beam with pride. However, then she turns kind of annoyed.
"Mizuki, all that does is raise more questions though!" (Alto)
I laugh out loud at her, and when I get myself under control eventually, I respond.
"That's exactly right, Alto, and that will always be the case. Eventually, though, I won't have answers to the questions that you ask. At that point, we'll become true research partners, and we'll have to start devising experiments to answer our own questions! It will be hard, and take lots of time, but we'll never get bored. So, do you see why Azazel has lived for so long but still feels curious about everything?" (Mizuki)
Alto gives me an expression that's somewhat difficult to interpret, but it feels like she's simultaneously frustrated by the scope of the unknown, and excited that she has so much to do with her long life.
"Yes, Mizuki, I do. There's so much! It took you hours just to explain the reasons for a basic observation about the natural world! That was even when you already knew everything from your home world. What if we had to figure out all those things ourselves!? Would it have taken days? Weeks? Years? That's absurd!" (Alto)
I direct a shit-eating grin at her and nod.
"Yes, Alto, what I just explained to you is knowledge acquired over centuries on my home planet, and it involved many people working together to understand it. Countless years of careful trial and error, experiments and observations, and setbacks and breakthroughs. All of that, just so I could answer your basic question. We truly have our work cut out for us! So, are you disappointed or excited?" (Mizuki)
Alto sighs at first, but then she smirks back at me.
"Do you even need me to answer that?" (Alto)
"Fufufu…no, no I don't." (Mizuki)
¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬
[Okay, Mizuki, I'm arriving at the demon continent, I should land soon! I don't see anyone around where I'm landing.] (Nina)
I am relaxing on our bed in Elmesia when Nina's message comes through. I sit up, and I focus on her location through our connection. It seems like she's landed and changed into her human form, so I teleport to her.
When I arrive, I give Nina a hug, then look around at the landscape. We're near a cliff edge facing the ocean, and below I can see the waves lapping on a gravely shore. Looking inland, the terrain reminds me of the African savannah on Earth – dry, sparse, and harsh, but not a desert. I don't see any large wildlife or people around.
"Okay Nina, thanks for doing this. Let me try and get a sense of where Veyron and the armies may be before we go." (Mizuki)
"No problem, go ahead." (Nina)
I close my eyes and use magic sense in a thin arc to sweep the continent as far as I can, focusing on Elder Dragon signatures. I get one reading towards the limit of my detection, about 1300 km west-northwest of our location. I swap to power level sensing to gauge his strength, and I'd put him in the low 6's. Relative to Nina, he's got about a fourth of her magic power, thanks to her boost from the contract.
"Hey Nina, before our contract, how did the Elder Dragons' respective strengths stack up?" (Mizuki)
"I was at the bottom, then Halzar, next Veyron, and Cerilia was clearly at the top. Why?" (Nina)
"Well, you'll be glad to know that you have about quadruple the magic power of Veyron now. That doesn't necessarily translate to combat ability, and I still don't know how you stack up to Cerilia. However, you're the only Elder Dragon that can use another spell class besides their core element, as far as I know. So, combined with your magic power it's quite likely you're towards the top of the rankings now!" (Mizuki)
I sense a deep satisfaction wash over Nina.
"Fufufu…good, I'm excited to show Veyron that's the case as well." (Nina)
I swap my magic sense to a wide arc for power levels of 2 and higher, and I begin scanning for large clusters of such presences nearby. I find one, about 200 km north northwest. It could be a village, but it might also be something associated with the army's oceanic invasion plans since it's near the coast. Maybe an advance ship-building battalion. Regardless, that's all I need for today.
"Alright, Nina, let's go to your hot spring." (Mizuki)
Nina squeals delightedly and jumps over to wrap me in a hug, then I teleport us to the hot spring she found.
When we arrive, I look off the southern side of the mountain at the valley that's secluded and uninhabited. The sun is just beginning to set off to my right, and it's a beautiful scene.
"Hey, Nina, this would be a pretty cool place to build a house, wouldn't it?" (Mizuki)
I feel Nina hug me from behind.
"Hmm…yes I think I'd like that, and I'm sure Ilina would appreciate it being in the Elven Kingdom. Let's not discuss that though. I'm quite ready to enjoy these hot springs alone together, Mizuki." (Nina)
After that comment, she abruptly spins me around and drags me to the hot spring.
¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬
"Now, how do you feel about these hot springs, Mizuki? Do they still seem unimportant?" (Nina)
She asks me this as she leans against me in the hot spring. She's in quite the smug mood.
"Fufufu…I think you're well aware that the hot springs are not the reason for my good mood, Nina. They're nice if that's what you wanted to hear though." (Mizuki)
"Hmm…I guess. Now, what were these important things you needed to tell me before we got distracted?" (Nina)
"Oh…right. Azazel might have made a house call to talk to me today." (Mizuki)
I sense wariness from Nina as she tenses up against me, then she looks at me seriously.
"A god taking an interest in one mortal to the extent of a personal visit, even a mortal as powerful as you…that's no small thing Mizuki. What did he want?" (Nina)
"Just to chat…he was pretty friendly and didn't do anything aggressive. Essentially, I had a few realizations about Azura, magic, and the gods while researching with Alto. I found them very concerning and thought I should check in with Azazel. As I was about to teleport to his location, he showed up himself. We discussed our respective concerns, exchanged a few favors, and then parted ways on good terms." (Mizuki)
Nina is silent for several minutes.
"Fufufu…Mizuki, things are never boring with you, are they? You're exchanging favors with gods like they're friends of yours. So, what kinds of things did you realize, and what concerns did you have?" (Nina)
I recount for her my realizations about the origins of incantations, and the implications. Then, I paraphrase everything that Azazel and I discussed until I asked him for my favors.
"Oh my…it's a good thing that you talked. We were walking a very fine line before it seems. So, you can have three disciples that you share everything with. Alto is obviously one, but who will your other two be?" (Nina)
"Well, I actually think that since I've told you all this, I have to count you as one. As Ilina is now, I think she might count as a disciple as well. I started to reshape her perception of magic, I taught her unknown spacetime spells, and I told her that magic classes are more like suggestions. Still, I don't know if I should tell her anything more and risk having to kill her if she can't keep it from her people." (Mizuki)
Nina nods sadly.
"I'm very sorry Mizuki. I'm sure you don't want to keep secrets from your friends, much less Ilina. Could you just tell her about the situation with Azazel, and why you might not want to teach her more? At least this way you could be honest with her and figure out the best option together. She might even help us avoid the dangers Azazel warned of, if she knew what was at stake." (Nina)
That's actually a pretty good point. I let out a deep sigh.
"Thanks for your advice, Nina. I really appreciate you. I also think I'll do as you suggested, but I want a little time to think it over first." (Mizuki)
"Of course, I'm glad I could help. Fufufu…should we return to the palace now?" (Nina)
"Yeah, I think that'd be a good idea, it's after dark." (Mizuki)
I form a sphere of my magic above us, and I will it to convert any radiation produced inside its boundaries –radiation from the heat of the ambient air, background radiation, and anything else – into visible spectrum radiation.
The result is a floating ball of light.
Initially, I'm quite surprised – I didn't think there'd be enough radiation of any wavelengths to be useful for actual illumination. I was prepared to start heating up the air to compensate, but it looks like that won't be necessary. Hmm…
"Wahhh! Mizuki, what is that!?" (Nina)
Nina's remark jars me from my thoughts. She looks surprised, but I'm guessing it's for entirely different reasons.
"Fufufu…it's a light source, so we can find our clothes." (Mizuki)
"B-But it looks kind of similar to that thing you almost killed me with…I still have nightmares about that, you know?" (Nina)
Oh…I don't really think so, but I guess she's only ever seen me make two glowing orbs, including this one.
"Well that other glowing orb was really hot and had lots of other dangerous stuff leaking out of it, aside from the light you see. This one only produces light for us to see with. Go ahead and touch it!" (Mizuki)
Nina looks at me skeptically, then reaches up and runs her hand through it. She turns to me surprised.
"Mizuki, I can't feel anything there! Can you teach me this!?" (Nina)
Oh god…I haven't even gotten to theories of electromagnetic radiation with Alto yet. That's relatively advanced for Nina, who probably doesn't even know that the air is made of small particles.
"Uhm…in theory I probably could. You'd have a lot to learn first before I could explain it. It'd take days in the library studying with me to teach you all the information. I'm willing to do it if you want, though?" (Mizuki)
Nina turns her lips up in a disgusted expression, like a kid you just told to eat their vegetables before dessert.
"Tch…definitely not. I'll just have to keep you close, so you can do it for me." (Nina)
Nina hugs me affectionately, then continues waving her hand through the ball of light while I go to find our clothes. After we're both dressed, I dispel the ball of light and teleport us back to Nina's palace room for the night.
¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬
The next morning, Elira, Dargo, Ilina, I, and the other members of my party met in the palace conference room. At my suggestion, everyone except us and Klaus left after serving tea and scones. Elira comes out of the gate sarcastic.
"Mizuki, do you plan to make a habit of dismissing all my staff? I pay them to work for me, you know." (Elira)
"Do you? How much do you pay them?" (Mizuki)
"Tch…aren't you witty." (Elira)
The exchange is had with lighthearted smiles on both sides, so it doesn't really feel antagonistic.
"I'm pretty sure you'll be glad I dismissed them when you hear what we're discussing. You are welcome to call them back in for the demon-related talks afterward." (Mizuki)
"Oh? Do tell." (Elira)
"Yes, what's this about?" (Dargo)
They both look at me expectantly. I turn to Ilina with a smile. I'd mentioned to her that this would be happening when we were making out like teenagers yesterday. Although, I guess I am a teenager here.
[Alright, Ilina, you're up. Let me know if you need anything.] (Mizuki)
Ilina smiles back at me and nods.
"Mother…Father…Mizuki and I have decided that we'd like to be together romantically." (Ilina)
Elira and Dargo look surprised, but then they both seem to become quite excited.
"Well, well…I didn't expect news this soon, but I'm quite glad to hear that Mizuki will be closer to us as a people." (Elira)
"That's great news, Ilina! Might I live to see grandchildren?" (Dargo)
Ilina ignores Dargo, and keeps a neutral expression, then responds to Elira evenly.
"I'm glad you approve, because based on what Mizuki told me about your conversation, there will be a problem with us pursuing our relationship." (Ilina)
Elira's eyes narrow.
"What problem would that be?" (Elira)
Nina chimes in at this point.
"That would be me. When I heard that you wished for Mizuki to be a secret concubine, I made it clear that I will not give my blessing for such an arrangement. Their romantic relationship would need to be public, and any children clearly recognized as Mizuki's. Ideally, they'd have an elven marriage. I will not be budging on this matter, so please do not wear my patience by pestering me about it." (Nina)
A thick silence hangs over the rooms.
"Are you demanding that Mizuki be made into our king!?" (Elira)
"Fufufu…no, Mizuki does not even want to be king. I'm just telling you what the conditions for them being intimate with my blessing are, and my blessing is essential. Mizuki would never consider pursuing Ilina without it." (Nina)
Elira glances at me questioningly, and I nod seriously, like 'damn straight'. Elira groans out loud and throws herself back into the couch. After a minute, she looks at Ilina.
"Well, I'm disappointed it won't be Mizuki, but you'll just have to find another husband." (Elira)
Ilina shakes her head very seriously.
"Respectfully, Mother, I'm not asking permission. Now that Mizuki has committed, I won't let elven prejudice get in our way. If a marriage is never recognized, if you renounce my rule, if you want to exile me from the kingdom…it won't stop me. Mizuki will aid me in protecting this country discreetly, so I'll be fulfilling my duties. Eventually, I'll make our romance public for Nina's blessing, so you should prepare with that in mind." (Ilina)
Holy shit…she did not tell me that she was going nuclear.
[Uhm…Ilina, you didn't want to try a more diplomatic approach first?] (Mizuki)
I watch her face after my thought message…is she smirking!? Everyone else piles on.
"Fufufufu…Ilina, I did not know you had so much backbone! I have to say, you are acting very much like a dragon, and I approve. What you describe fits my conditions fine. If you still want to get married, we could have another country do it." (Nina)
"Certainly. As potential elder of the wolf-kin, I can marry you two in our village." (Zara)
"While the kingdom may not recognize it, I'm happy to officiate your wedding in elven custom." (Alto)
Elira is staring at them all in open shock, then looks at me questioningly. I hold up my hands and wave them defensively.
"I thought this conversation would be diplomatic, but I'm not going to condemn their words. I'd never tell you how to run your kingdom, but I don't think you get to force Ilina into anything. If Ilina is willing to accept all those consequences over her actions, then that's her right and I'm going to support it. Naturally, if Alara returns to power as a result, we won't set foot in this country." (Mizuki)
Elira shakes her head in exasperation and looks over at Dargo helplessly.
"Dargo, dear, what is your council on this absurd matter?" (Elira)
"My Queen, we can help her and hope for the best, or just reinstate Alara and exile them to appease her. Honestly, I only see Alara being a terrible ruler, especially after what happened. If Alara came into power and couldn't let go of her grudge, she'd probably get herself killed. Then, we'd have an assassinated queen with the kingdom in disarray, and no way to return Ilina to the throne. I…think we should back Ilina." (Dargo)
Dargo looks surprisingly accepting of their situation, while Elira seems to be slipping into a state of learned helplessness.
"I have a suggestion. Why don't we ask Alto? Alto, as one of the elven people, and knowing your own feelings towards humans before we met, what would have convinced you to accept me as your future queen's romantic partner, or at least non-aggressively tolerate it?" (Mizuki)
Everyone turns to stare at Alto, and I see her start to break out in a cold sweat.
"Well…I don't think we should show them the scale of your power yet. That would only reinforce their existing fears. However, the elves are isolated, especially in Avalon, and their fear is conceptual. The nobles may be another matter, but I think common elves just need repeated positive exposure to you. Eventually, they might see you as the friendly individual you are." (Alto)
"Before we knew of his power, we certainly considered him friendly and docile, but that's not the same as tolerating his marriage to our First Princess." (Elira)
Alto shrugs.
"With all due respect, that's because you're royals. When the Queen makes a decree, the commonfolk only take issue with what they fear affects them negatively. If they no longer fear Mizuki as an individual, and trust you, him, and Ilina when you say that the decision does not signal an influx of humans to the kingdom, they will probably tolerate it. Again, the nobles have separate motivations, so this is not sufficient for them." (Alto)
Elira and Dargo appear to be thinking this over carefully.
"So, then, what do you propose Miss Alto, to facilitate desensitizing the people to Mizuki?" (Dargo)
"Well, why not have Ilina, Mizuki, and maybe Nina spend a few hours each day roaming the city and interacting with Avalon's citizens, until the royal announcement? Klaus's presence would put the citizens' minds at ease. If you then publicized the royal announcement and allowed socialization, most of the crowd might be friendly to Mizuki already. That might improve the nobles' assumptions about him." (Alto)
Now it's my turn to be confused.
"Alto, sorry, but would that even be possible. Aren't royals and nobles generally opposed to interacting with commoners, and even look down on their station? How would it be possible to just have them mingling in an open setting?" (Mizuki)
Elira looks a little embarrassed.
"Ehem…Mizuki, I'm sorry if Alara gave you the wrong impression. However, elven royal, nobility, and commoner social structures aren't like the ones you describe. Elves quite cherish one another. Consequently, most of our nobility is invested in seeing their subjects prosper. In return, common elves are very respectful to the nobility and royalty. So, such open socialization wouldn't be problematic." (Elira)
Huh…that is surprising, given what I know of similar social structures in human culture. I guess it's not unbelievable – humans are the only race that isn't unified in a single country, while the elves are practically a monolith. Perhaps their social norms truly are that different.
"Ah, very well then, I guess that's not unbelievable considering your culture otherwise. Well, I'm on board with Alto's plan if everyone else is?" (Mizuki)
There's a round of assent from my party, Ilina, and even Dargo. Elira sighs deeply.
"Very well, I suppose that's better than any other idea we have, but I'm not particularly hopeful about the results. Still, we've already set the invitations in motion for the royal announcement to be in ten days, so this plan will have to do." (Elira)
"Good enough for me. Shall we move on to discussing the demons, then?" (Mizuki)
Elira nods solemnly.
"Of course, what would you like to know, Mizuki?" (Dargo)
"Let's start with, specifically, what evidence you have that they're planning to invade and maybe go to war with the elves." (Mizuki)
"The Elven Kingdom has a few large ships at our disposal, which we will occasionally use to surveil coastal borders of surrounding countries. One such ship noticed an amassing of armed troops on the eastern border of the demon continent, as well as the beginnings of large-scale ship construction." (Dargo)
Hmm…then it's a reasonable deduction that they plan to invade the Elven Kingdom, but not exactly definitive.
"Has there been any communication between you? Have the demons sent an emissary, or have you sent one to gather intelligence about what's going on and what their intentions are?" (Mizuki)
"No, the demons are isolated on that continent. We've had virtually no communication with them over the millennia. However, they don't maintain large sailing vessels, so they'd have no way to send an emissary ahead of ship completion. Still, waiting for them to finish building an entire invasion force in the hopes they send an emissary first would be foolish of us." (Dargo)
"So…what about sending some of your own people to determine what's going on?" (Mizuki)
Dargo nods his head solemnly.
"The ship that noticed the demons sent three soldiers ashore to contact them, and they planned to return to the ship the following day. After three days without word from the soldiers, the ship reported back to our kingdom. We're sending a larger group of soldiers to investigate soon, but it was debated heavily first, and mobilization to the coast is time consuming." (Dargo)
Hmm…again, that definitely seems to support their suspicions.
"Okay, what about Veyron's involvement? I've been hearing that's why you're so concerned and wanted Nina to help you, but how do you know he'll actually be a problem?" (Mizuki)
"Well, my understanding was that dragon-kin are completely loyal to the Elder Dragon their bloodline derives from, and a number of fire dragon-kin were seen among the demon soldiers' camp near the coast." (Dargo)
As Dargo says this, he glances at Nina, like 'right?'.
"Yes, that's correct. Such dragon-kin would be fundamentally unable to disobey an order given by Veyron, and they feel a strong sense of reverence for him no doubt. His very blood was used to create them or their ancestors, after all." (Nina)
Was this all they had to go on? I'd say it's totally plausible that Veyron isn't a threat to the Elven Kingdom at all.
"Still, and I mean this with all due respect Dargo, that's poor evidence that Veyron is joining a war effort. It sounds like the dragon-kin could still help the demons as individuals. Also, if all you did was see them in the demons' camp, you don't even know that they were aligned. They could have been captured by the demons, they could have been attacking the demons, we just don't know, do we?" (Mizuki)
Dargo raises his eyebrows at me.
"Well, I wouldn't stake our lives that Veyron is coming to the Elven Kingdom to attack us. However, if we assumed he is and then were wrong, any war is just easier than anticipated. If we assumed he wasn't and then were wrong…we're effectively wiped out. We are responsible for the people of this country's safety. We have to respond to even minor possibilities of total annihilation seriously, Mizuki." (Dargo)
Ah…right. I'm treating this like an academic exercise, but they have very clear stakes for their assumptions. They can't afford to weigh evidence neutrally. That was naïve of me.
"You're right. Elira, Dargo, I apologize if that came off as critical. As you can tell, I'm not exactly accustomed to ruling a country, and I didn't have the same sense of caution that you did." (Mizuki)
Elira gives me a surprised expression.
"That's frank of you to admit your shortcomings like that, Mizuki. We're not offended. As for you lacking the same caution…well, that's not strange given that nothing can really hurt you it seems." (Elira)
"Yes, as my Queen said, we're not offended, Mizuki. So, now that we've answered all your questions…what do you think? Will you be assisting us?" (Dargo)
"Oh, absolutely not. There's no way I can start promising anything with such flimsy evidence for even the intent, and no knowledge of the motivations." (Mizuki)
Dargo's face goes stiff, and Elira seems to smack her lips bitterly. Ilina glances back at me with…amusement!? Ah…she must know that I'm just being dramatic. The members of my party seem similarly amused, but I expected them to know better.
[You sneaky elf…you know what I'm going to say next don't you? That's no fun.] (Mizuki)
Hearing my thought message, Ilina smirks.
"So, I guess I'll just go have a little talk with the demons this afternoon, and I'll get all the answers I need from their leader." (Mizuki)
Elira's and Dargo's eyes go wide in shock.
"Alone!? M-Mizuki, you can't be serious!? From what I recall, there's thousands of them! Also, what if Veyron shows up!?" (Dargo)
"Fufufu…no, I'll bring Nina. That way I have someone to talk to for the trip, and to blame my abilities on if need be. As for the numbers, that doesn't matter – as you noted, none of them could even scratch me. If Veyron shows up…well, I'm a reasonable guy. If he's not too belligerent, I'll let him live. However, Nina might not be so kind. My understanding is that they have a bit of an unsavory history." (Mizuki)
Dargo's mouth is hanging open in shock, but Elira is shaking her head in amusement.
"Why do I get that feeling that your casual indifference to killing an Elder Dragon is not an act, Mizuki? Very well, best of luck. We look forward to hearing about what you learn." (Elira)
I give them a nod and stand up to leave, and my party follows suit.
"Oh! One more thing. Zara, I can't promise that it will be safe, but would you like to come? I haven't offered you many opportunities here aside from sword training with Klaus, but if this interests you then I'll allow it." (Mizuki)
Zara's eyes shoot open in surprise, then they transition to gleaming with excitement.
"Yes, Mizuki, I'd very much appreciate the opportunity. I promise that you won't regret it." (Zara)
I chuckle internally…she's such the stoic soldier type.
"Alright, I'm glad to hear it! Go prepare whatever you need, it will just be a day trip. Come find Nina and I at her room when you're ready. Ilina, if we get back and there's enough daylight left, then we can go do our rounds in Avalon and start desensitizing people to me." (Mizuki)
Zara nods excitedly then exits the room. Ilina smiles at me and nods her agreement.
"Sure thing, Mizuki, be safe. You too, Nina. You all can go ahead. I'm sure my parents would like to discuss some things with me privately, so I'll stay behind for now." (Ilina)
I nod my assent, then Nina and I leave the conference room with the others. I can't help but smile.
I'm finally going to meet some demons!
¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬
A short time later, we are standing on the coast of the demon continent where Nina flew to yesterday.
"So, Zara, what do you think?" (Mizuki)
Zara is looking out at the ocean with her eyes sparkling.
"Mizuki, you're telling me that the Elven Kingdom is in that direction? I can't even see it…there's nothing but water." (Zara)
"Fufufu…that's right, that's an ocean. I'm guessing you've never seen one?" (Mizuki)
Zara just shakes her head in disbelief. Then, after a few more minutes she turns to us and nods that she's ready. I pick Nina and Zara up with me and take off via max speed stealth flight north, towards the coastal cluster of people.
Eventually, we arrive above a huge expanse of humanoids and tents scattered across an open plain – the people probably number over ten thousand. The group is relatively close to the oceanside, so this is likely the demon army that was reported by initial elven scouts.
I move us closer to the ground to observe the people, and notice that they're pretty much like humans, except for a few key differences. They have some variation of light brown skin, dark-colored blue, green, or purple hair, and most have small horns – overall, very cliché demons.
I use magic sense to scan the area for people, and I notice another cluster of them about 20 km east of here. That is close enough that I didn't distinguish it yesterday. They're not as numerous as the thousands here, but they do seem to be much stronger on the average. A separate force, maybe?
Looking around the camp, I see mostly male and female demons with armor and weaponry, but I also see several more civilian-looking demons. Overall, it's still 80% soldier-type demons.
As I continue moving over the camp, I come across a small arrangement of tents in the center. I feel my blood run cold…there's small demon children concentrated in this area. I'm no expert on war, but you don't bring children to the front lines when you're preparing for it. What the hell is going on?
I continue moving us through the camp until I notice one larger-looking tent with a couple of armed demons standing outside it. If I had to guess, that person is higher up the food chain of the camp, if not in charge altogether.
"Nina, Zara, I'm going to take us where I think the leader is while concealed. It should be safe for us to talk inside my spell, but I'd be quiet, just in case." (Mizuki)
They both nod their agreement, and I take us down toward the command tent and land in front of it. Looking into the tent, I see one 40s-looking demon man looking over papers tiredly at a desk. I don't see anyone else inside the actual tent. I send a quick message to Nina and Zara.
[Stay directly behind me so we all stay invisible.] (Mizuki)
They nod their agreement, and I walk into the tent between the guards. Then, I apply a magic cage against physical attacks around the inside of the tent, and layer it with a silencing spell as well. As I do, the background noise from the outside cuts off abruptly, and the demon inside the tent stands up cautiously and calls out.
"Guards! What's the situation?"
Not seeing any reaction from them or hearing a response, his expression becomes puzzled. At this time, I drop our concealment spells and apply max body enhancement on myself. Seeing us all three appear, his eyes go wide.
"Hello! Don't bother trying to escape or call for help, I've created an impenetrable barrier around the tent that also blocks sound from traveling in or out. I'm not here to hurt you, I just need answers to questions. Why don't we start with your name and role here? My name is Mizuki, and these companions of mine are Nina and Zara." (Mizuki)
Nina and Zara give light head nods to the demon, and he narrows his eyes at us and grabs the handle of the sword at his waist.
"My name is Dez, and I am the general of the forces here. However, that's all the information you'll be getting from me, because I don't take kindly to infiltrators in my camp. I'll be getting more answers from you, though, after we take you as prisoners. Draw your sword and prepare for combat." (Dez)
Dez the demon general, huh? I don't hate it. He's not the talking type, though, it seems. As he finishes his declaration, he draws his long sword.
"I have a better idea, Dez. How about a little friendly wager between warriors? You fight one of us of your choosing, until surrender or incapacitation. If you win, I'll answer every question that you have willingly. If we win, you must do the same. Likely, after that we'll depart without further bloodshed. It's a lot easier than torturing us, and you'd only have to fight one person, so what do you say?" (Mizuki)
Dez looks at me with a puzzled expression.
"Mizuki, why would I agree to that? Even if I win, you could just go back on your word, and I'd have gained nothing." (Dez)
"I suppose that's partially true. However, for what little it's worth, I don't break promises. Also, I'd say you do gain something by agreeing to the duel, even if I lie. If you forego it and fight now, it will be 3v1, but if you do the duel and I break our deal, it's 1v1 then 2v1 and you stalled for time, which still sounds like a good thing to me. So, want to reconsider?" (Mizuki)
Dez narrows his eyes at me, and he is wearing a confused expression. After a minute, he chuckles dryly.
"Fufu…sure. This small tent is not ideal for a duel, however, want to go outside?" (Dez)
His behavior obviously suggests that he'd love to have his people join in on his dilemma by me lowering the barrier, but also that he knows I'm not stupid enough to agree to it. He'd be wrong, though! I smile at him with an amused expression.
"That's an excellent point Dez. I think we should take this outside!" (Mizuki)
As I say this, I focus on pouring all the magic I can into the spells in this tent, so they'll hold for a while. Following my agreeable response, Dez shoots me a dumbfounded look. As he does, I teleport all four of us to the demon continent coast where we first arrived.
Seeing the sudden change in scenery, a bewildered look passes over Dez's face as he takes in his surroundings. Looking back at me, I see fear.
"Alright, Dez, I've accommodated your request. I think we can agree that this area is much more suited for a duel. Naturally I'll return us to your tent afterward for the victor's interrogation of the other party. Now, which of us would you like to fight in this duel?" (Mizuki)
Dez is staring at me warily with his sword drawn, and I can see that he's clearly nervous.
"Well, I can clearly tell that I'm not going to pick you…I have no death wish. I don't suppose you'll tell me who I have the best chance against?" (Dez)
He smiles wryly as he says the last part, but Zara steps forward with a smile on her face.
"I was hoping you'd pick me, so I don't mind telling you that I am immeasurably weaker than the other two here. Still, I don't expect you to win. Shall we begin?" (Zara)
As Zara says this, she pulls out her black sword and takes up a defensive stance against Dez. As she does, she mutters and incantation for body enhancement. Dez smiles grimly in her direction and also takes up a sword fighting stance, then nods his consent to start the match.
Immediately, Zara flashes toward Dez and tries to hit him with an overhead slash towards his collarbone, but Dez manages to block it. I slow time to watch the fight in detail.
As he blocks the strike, Dez sweeps his sword to the side to deflect Zara's blade away for a counter, but I see her smile viciously as he does. She lets her sword be pushed to the side and uses the momentum to spin in the air and land a brutal kick against Dez's shoulder that sends him flying several meters.
As Zara lands from the kick, she immediately springs towards Dez again without giving him time to recover, and she begins a barrage of quick side slashes. None of the attacks are particularly heavy strikes, but they're so fast and accurate that Dez is straining just to defend himself.
As she continues the barrage, and Dez's defense becomes less controlled, the flow of Zara's quick strikes changes. Instead of alternating side slashes, they begin to move in a rough circle, forcing Dez's blade around to further reduce the control of his parries.
As one of the strikes pushes his sword and hands a bit further outside their range than normal, Zara quickly doubles her sword back to take advantage of the break in his guard. The bottom of her blade hits near the wrist of his dominant hand on the sword, and she cleanly slices into his flesh towards his fingers.
A mist of blood squirts out from his mangled sword hand, and he loses the grasp on his weapon. Zara quickly uses the opportunity to pull her dagger out and stick it to his throat as he grasps his hand to stop the bleeding.
Dez grimaces from the wound.
"I yield the duel." (Dez)
I'm in shock, and I begin clapping like a proud older brother. Zara glances at me and I flash her a huge grin. Zara flashes me a smug smile in return, but I think she's earned it.
I heal Dez's hand and teleport us back to the tent for a civil conversation, and we all take seats around his desk.
"First off, spectacular swordsmanship Zara. Obviously, your time working with Klaus has paid off, and I'm sure Nina is now dying to fight you again with your physical strength and magic matched." (Mizuki)
Zara gives a polite smile in return, but it's obvious that she's quite pleased with the praise.
"Thank you Mizuki, Klaus is an excellent instructor. I've been eager to test my skills against Nina as well." (Zara)
"Fufufu…anytime you're ready, Zara." (Nina)
Surprisingly, Dez also piles on.
"Indeed, little wolf. Your skill with a blade is nothing short of prodigious. If you can already easily beat me in single combat, and you're truly immeasurably weaker than the others in your party, then I was doomed to begin with. Per our agreement, I will answer any questions you have. Truthfully, I intended to do so the minute I glimpsed Mizuki's power to move us so easily." (Dez)
Well…that's surprisingly cooperative of him, I thought that would be harder.
"Well, Dez, don't feel too bad about not being able to stop us. First, because I have no short-term plans to hurt you or anyone else here, especially based on what I saw while surveilling the camp. Second, because Nina here is an Elder Dragon in human form…no number of demons stood a chance against her." (Mizuki)
Dez's face turns to one of surprise, followed by bitterness and anger. He begins glaring at Nina rebelliously. So, does he have an issue with Elder Dragons, then? If so, I think I might have some idea of what could be going on.
"Alright, Dez, first question. Why do you have this demon army here and are building all those large ships?" (Mizuki)
"The fact that it is an army is true, but it's mostly just a byproduct of our situation. We're building the ships to sail everyone here to the Elven Kingdom. We're here waiting on standby until the ships are completed and we can leave." (Dez)
"Are you planning to invade the Elven Kingdom? What are your plans when you arrive?" (Mizuki)
Dez looks at me with a grim expression, and he responds flatly.
"Our only plans are survival. I suppose it's technically an invasion, but we just need off this continent to ensure our people's safety. We plan to set up a colony in any secluded part of the Elven Kingdom we can find, and if the elves don't try to harm us, we won't be hostile. When the colony is stabilized, we'll consider alerting the elves to our presence and negotiating peacefully, but we'd rather remain unnoticed for as long as possible." (Dez)
As expected, you don't bring civilians and especially children with an invasion force. If they're truly fleeing for their lives…I'm guessing it has something to do with Veyron.
"Alright, Dez, here's the situation. The elves are convinced that you're coming to declare war, and they believe that you're allied with Veyron and the dragon-kin. I've come here to determine what your intentions and motivations are, but I am not officially aligned with either of you. Consider me an intermediary. So, why don't you tell me how you came to be in this situation, so I can facilitate a solution." (Mizuki)
Dez's eyes go wide in surprise, and then his expression becomes thoughtful.
"Several months ago, the Elder Dragon of fire, Veyron, and his dragon-kin showed up to one of the largest demon villages on the continent and mercilessly slaughtered all but a few survivors. Allegedly, he's decided that his existing territory on the western side of the continent is not enough, and he'd like to claim the continent in its entirety. He wants the only race left on the continent to be his dragon-kin, and he told us to flee or die. We've been trying to hold out against the dragon-kin long enough for the ships to be completed." (Dez)
Hmm…I don't see any reason to doubt that, based on what I've personally seen. However…
"The elves noticed a number of dragon-kin within your camp during their surveillance, and three of their soldiers that came to make contact also went missing. How do you explain these events, if not how the elves interpreted them?" (Mizuki)
Dez nods solemnly.
"As I said, we've been plagued by dragon-kin attacks, especially in the wake of Veyron's declaration. We tried keeping dragon-kin prisoners around the camp, to deter their attacks, but the other dragon-kin seemed to not care. The prisoners became a liability, so we got rid of them. I don't know of any elves contacting us, but they could have easily been killed by the dragon-kin in the area. Veyron's campaign has been truly merciless…as far as I know, we're the only the remnants of the demon race on this continent." (Dez)
Dez's face contorts in anguish, and I feel my blood boil at the implied genocide. I can't think of any reason why his story wouldn't be true, and it's certainly more consistent with my own observations than a hostile invasion that's aligned with Veyron. I'll need one more piece of information, but then I should take action.
"Dez, please come here and give me your hand." (Mizuki)
Dez gives me a puzzled look, but he obeys. I tune my magic sense to him, or to demons rather, then scan the surrounding area. I don't sense any other demons outside this camp. I swap back to look for magic power signatures, and I find the cluster of people around 20 km west that I noticed before.
Based on Dez's story, that's likely a group of dragon-kin stationed nearby to deal with the demons. I can't be sure, but it's good enough for now. I release Dez's hand and step away.
"Alright, Dez, it seems likely that you're telling the truth. In that case, I think it's time." (Mizuki)
Dez fixes me with a nervous expression.
"T-Time for what?" (Dez)
I direct an amused smile at him.
"Time for you to meet the elves' queen, obviously." (Mizuki)