Chapter 58 - Chapter 58 – I am Nephilim

Darak fixes his sad gaze on Ilina. 

"Ilina...dear...I'm sorry. I sincerely thought that once the nobles knew about Mizuki's ability to give you a high elf heir, and that he can't die of old age, they'd change their minds. It's why your mother and I haven't spoken up, but...if Tessa and presumably Jorah still oppose your marriage, I don't know what hope you have of rallying the people to your side.

"You know we want to support you, but we also have an obligation to not throw our kingdom into chaos. Now that you've seen what you're dealing with, is there any compromise we can reach? Perhaps a secret but still royally sanctioned marriage? I just...I can't stand the thought of you actually leaving us..." (Dargo)

To his great confusion, Ilina's grin only grows wider. However, the exchange is quickly interrupted by three people squealing in unison. 

"Wait!? You mean all that stuff about Mizuki was true!?" (Darak/Helena/Tessa)

The shock of the interjection stuns Dargo out of his misery, and he stares at the three nobles in bewilderment. At the same time, Tessa glances at Helena and Darak, clearly surprised by their synchronized response. Then, she immediately turns towards me, her voice and expression incredulous. 

"How is it possible for you to not age, and to have a high elf child with Ilina?" (Tessa)

Instead of responding, I look to Ilina for direction. As if expecting it, she's already looking at me with an encouraging smile. She nods at me approvingly.

"Mizuki, could you please tell them all the truth about yourself? It will address Tessa's concerns about our marriage and put my dad's mind at ease." (Ilina)

Her comment is enough to draw everyone's attention, even Elira's and Dargo's. Elira narrows her eyes in annoyance. 

"Mizuki, when she says the truth, does she mean something that even her father and I don't know? Because I can't think of anything else about you that hasn't been shared yet. Quite frankly, I'm not sure I can handle any more of your surprises today, Ilina." (Elira)

I scratch my cheek nervously while avoiding her gaze. 

"Uhm...yes, actually. Sorry, Queen Elira. If you recall, back when you first learned about how strong I am, you asked me the secret behind my strength and I refused to answer you. That secret is the one that Ilina is referring to." (Mizuki)

"It's like he says, Mo-...my Queen. I'm sorry for keeping it from you, but I promise it's the last thing you don't know about him. If it's any consolation, barely anyone knows. First he told Nina, then me, then Alto. Zara and Alara learned about it only recently. Nobody else knows, not even Cara. Also, you'll appreciate this revelation...so no need to worry." (Ilina)

Elira's and Dargo's eyes snap wide open, and Elira's voice becomes a bit friendlier. 

"Okay, color me intrigued. What don't we know?" (Elira)

Tessa narrows her eyes at Ilina, her tone clearly skeptical. 

"Yes, please enlighten us. I can't imagine anything that would change my mind." (Tessa)

Cara grumbles her assent indignantly, her voice soft and cheeks puffed out in annoyance. 

"I second that. I'd like to know what was so important you couldn't trust me with it, Mizuki!" (Cara)

Helena rolls her eyes, her voice impatient. 

"Alright, we get it, everyone is curious! Out with the damn news, Mizuki!" (Helena)

I chuckle and rub my forehead in amusement as I throw a glance at Helena, but Ilina chimes in before I can answer. 

"Mizuki isn't human. That's why he won't age, why he's so powerful, and why his magic is so...strange. That's also why Tessa's concerns won't be an issue...we have no bad blood with his race." (Ilina)

Everyone's eyes go wide in surprise, and I'm expecting another long silence, but Dargo is surprisingly quick to speak up. His expression is twisted in genuine confusion as he addresses me. 

"Mizuki, we explicitly asked you if you were inhuman. I was quite adamant about it, in fact. You insisted that you were, and I honestly believed you. Why would you lie about that?" (Dargo)

His tone hints at him being a touch hurt by the perceived deception, and Elira seems to feel similarly, her tone rich with annoyance. 

"Those are my thoughts exactly, dear. Why did you hide this from us, Mizuki? Honestly, you masquerading as a human has only been a hassle within our borders." (Elira)

I can't help but be a bit annoyed and disappointed in their responses. They didn't even hesitate to discard the idea that I was human. No doubt at all. Honestly, I was hoping for more skepticism from them after my friends insisted last night that nobody who knows about my power considers me to be human.

I guess this is just two or more additional examples of that...

Putting aside my ancillary concern to focus on Dargo's and Elira's feelings of betrayal, I raise my hands in a conciliatory gesture. My voice becomes a bit higher pitched. 

"Woah, woah, it's not like that, I swear! I didn't think I was lying to you at the time. Or at least, not entirely. The humans I've met on Azura all seemed similar to me physically, except for their eyes, lifespan, and lesser magical abilities, so I still thought that I was human...more or less.

"In retrospect, that was probably an oversimplification on my part. After all, if I make your ears less pointy and shorten your lifespan, elves would be indistinguishable from your human ancestors. Eye color and magical power aren't less significant differences, so it's fair to say that your people may be more human than I am." (Mizuki)

My comment is quickly met by several surprised or angry questions around the room, not limited to the nobles. All of them sharing some variation of Tessa's thoughts.

"Perhaps I misunderstood you, Mizuki. But did you just imply that we are somehow related to those despicable humans!?" (Tessa)

Ah fuck...me and my mouth.

I let out a deep sigh and scratch the back of my head thoughtfully, noting that Ilina and Alto are shaking their heads in exasperation at my slip up. I shrug and decide to direct a deadpan expression at Tessa and just respond matter-of-factly. 

"I'm sorry if that offends you, but...yes. I'd say that's all but guaranteed. I forgot that your people probably aren't aware of that...Alara, Alto, and Ilina where surprised when I told them as well. Here's the deal..." (Mizuki)

I quickly give them the same justification that I went through with my friends last night at our house. I remind them of the origin of the Elder Dragons, and how the gods have a penchant for tinkering with existing lifeforms. Then, Nina and Zara help me explain to everyone how Elder Dragons and elves can have children with humans, but dwarves and demi-humans cannot.

Finally, Nina and I explain how strangely binary the offspring of elves and humans are, and the implications of that with respect to elves being derived from humans. It's a bit difficult without Earth's knowledge of genetics, but they seem to have a general recognition of inheritance patterns, so we manage to convey our reasoning. 

When I'm done explaining my theory about how Nedilir probably created elves from humans on their home world, some are lost in contemplation, like Helena and Dargo, while others are borderline despondent, like Tessa. I'm sure that if Jorah had regained consciousness already, he'd just faint again. Judging by Zakariah's worried glancing at his father after the revelation, I'm guessing he agrees. 

"This is...too much. I'm not sure what we should do with this information..." (Dargo)

"I understand what you mean...this would change our entire world view. Is there any way to confirm this?" (Helena)

Helena's question seems to be to everyone, but she's glancing between me, Dargo, and Nina. I've, of course, considered her question before. If I could do whole genome sequencing and alignment for a dozen elves, humans, and wolf-kin, then Nina and myself, we'd have the answer to our question. 

However, I don't have the means for that. I can use magic to isolate the DNA samples, and I even have a method in mind to generate sequence information output. However, I have no way to record that absurd amount of information, nor to process it and perform a sequence alignment. For those steps, I'd need photodetectors and high-performance computers from Earth. 

Alas, before anyone can answer Helena, or I can have an epiphany on the subject, Ilina interjects. 

"I can understand that you all need time to digest this information, but let's put it aside for now. You may recall that we were having an important discussion about Mizuki, and we've gotten off-topic." (Ilina)

Ilina fixes me with an admonishing glare as she says the last part, and I give her a sheepish smile. Thankfully, Darak pipes up and saves me. 

"Princess Ilina is right, this discussion can wait. For now, I'm also curious about Mizuki's other comments. Mizuki, I'm actually inclined to agree with your previous assumption. Out of all the races on Azura, humans are most similar to you. So why are you sure that you're not human?

"More importantly, I'm confused how you could be so unsure about your race in the first place. Your race is determined by your parents, regardless of how much of an anomaly you may be compared to them. At the risk of prying into your personal life – do you not know your parents, or at least their races?" (Darak)

I see Elira nod approvingly as Darak continues to study my reaction. 

"Agreed. Your alleged confusion over your race makes no sense, Mizuki." (Elira)

I scratch the back of my head as I try to collect my thoughts. It makes sense that they would still assume I'm from Azura. I mean, aside from the few Elder Dragons and Greater Spirits, who are dozens if not hundreds of millennia old, everyone alive on this planet was born here. 

After a few seconds, I let out a deep sigh and nod. 

"Yeah, that's the part that I was hiding from you when we first spoke. I don't know how else to say this, so I'll just be blunt. I wasn't born on Azura. To be more specific, as of a year ago, I was living my life on a completely different planet from you. That is, until I was brought here by Azazel, just like your ancestors were dozens of millennia ago.

"That's the reason for my initial confusion. I know who my parents are, and I was never some kind of anomaly. It's just that, while the humans of this planet look similar enough to me for us to pass for the same race, we are quite literally worlds apart." (Mizuki)

Shocked silence descends over the group as I take in their incredulous expressions for several moments. Eventually, I hear Cara's voice, overcome with disbelief. 

"So you're...an alien? Seriously?" (Cara)

Her amber eyes are studying me with newfound curiosity, and perhaps a trace of concern. I raise my eyebrows, and I can't help but chuckle out loud at the experience of hearing that term applied to me.

I give her a small smile and nod. It's time to really blow their minds...gotta sell this inhuman narrative, after all. 

"Yes, I suppose that's accurate. And, all the novel things I've introduced to your country are inspired by things from my home planet. All the games flooding Eden, the MMCs, and even the trains. Although, they are admittedly poor imitations. For example, only a fraction of people have enough magic power to operate my trains, but those on my home planet could be operated by any elf in your entire country. 

"You see, my planet is drastically more advanced than yours, and as I said, I'm nothing special by their standards. In addition, despite what you may assume since I won't age, I'm quite young still. Me fully replicating the things from my planet would be like a twenty years old elf at the Elven Magic Academy being able to recite all the information in the royal library. It's simply laughable. 

"What you've seen me create is just a fraction of what my people have achieved. They have items that can fly hundreds of people through the air faster than my trains, others that can destroy entire countries in a flash of light, those that can solve more math problems in a moment than your entire academy can in a year, and even some that can carry my people to other planets." (Mizuki)

At this point, I'm unsurprised but definitely amused by the sight of every royal and noble except Alara and Ilina staring at me with their mouths wide open. Deserved or not, I'm experiencing a rare moment of pride about Earthlings. 

Eventually, Tessa breaks the silence. 

"You're telling me that, not only are your people that much more advanced than us, but you also don't stick out at all among them? Someone like you is...ordinary?" (Tessa)

I turn towards her and see her grey eyes studying me incredulously. Truthfully, it's a little misleading to say I was ordinary. While I certainly wasn't a genius, just a guy with a great memory and above-average intelligence, getting a college degree in physics still isn't easy. But this is the perfect time to really set my people apart from Azura's humans. 

So, I just smile and nod at Tessa.

"That's exactly right. Both physically and intellectually...ordinary. Speaking of which, when I told some of you that my eyes are green because of my connection with Nina, that was a lie to cover my ass. I was born with them. Blue and green eyes are quite common for my people, unlike with the humans here." (Mizuki)

Helena snorts. 

"Well then I think it's pretty fucking safe to assume that your people are not human. Which begs the question, what the hell are you, exactly?" (Helena)

Jackpot. I've already thought about the answer to this a lot – it's a pretty interesting topic. Honestly, I don't even have to lie to explain this to my advantage. 

I shrug at Helena nonchalantly.

"Keep in mind, I didn't learn the common tongue of this planet like the rest of you. It was basically inserted into my mind by Azazel, just like for Nina and the other Elder Dragons. That means that words I know are interpreted through my birth language.

"If I encounter something deemed familiar to me, then my known word for it will be linked in my mind with your word for it. Conversely, if I encounter something foreign to me, then I won't know the word for it, and I'll hear a strange-sounding new word when someone identifies it to me. Similarly, if I try and talk about a thing or idea foreign to Azura, I have no translation for it and will speak in my native language. 

"Consequently, my brain would tell you that I am a human, because I, Azazel, or both of us – depending on how the translation magic works – saw the physical similarities and assumed we were the same race. If it was instead determined that there was no version of my species on Azura, then I assume that the magic would have left the word untranslated. Hence, I'd be a human {in English}. But, those words mean the same thing to me.

"So, to answer your question, I have no idea what race you should call me, if not human. Or rather, I didn't until very recently. After I told my secret to Alara, and she recalled some of your people's fables, we were surprised to discover that elves and my race are already acquainted. Thankfully, there seems to be an Elvish term for my people." (Mizuki)

Helena gives me a dumbfounded look and turns to look at Alara. 

"What is he talking about?" (Helena)

At the same time, Elira, Dargo, and many others outside my inner circle are wearing dumbfounded expressions. Before anyone can follow up on Helena's question, however, an ear-piercing shriek erupts from behind Tessa. 

Everyone turns to Tessa's daughter, Selena, whose eyes are so wide that they're more white than grey. One of her hands is outstretched, pointing towards me as it shakes like a leaf, while the other is covering her own mouth. 

"Oh my gods! Y-you're...you're a Nephilim!" (Selena)

{AN: I won't italicize and clarify it every time, but it's implied that when Mizuki hears the word 'Nephilim', it's derived from Elvish. There's no word for it in Azura Common. The opposite is true for when Mizuki has mentioned words with no counterpart in Azura's languages. E.g., when he said 'apples' in an earlier chapter, it was in English. I'll try to be more clear when Mizuki 'senses' that a word being said isn't Azura Common henceforth.}

This time, it's my turn to widen my eyes in shock. Did Ilina tell her or drop breadcrumbs...to make the revelation more believable to someone like Tessa? That would be...impressive. 

I turn to glance at Ilina, but she looks just as surprised as me. In retrospect, of course she didn't tell Selena. How would she have even broached the topic without raising suspicion or Selena relaying it to her paranoid mother?

I look at Selena again, who is still staring at me...not in fear, but not in awe either. Perhaps both, or something in between.

Since an independent person bringing it up gives us credibility, I nod at her approvingly. 

"Well that's unexpected...Alara told me that the stories were mostly lost to time among elves." (Mizuki)

At my 'confirmation', Selena sways a bit on her feet, and I have to fight the impulse to look amused. She opens her mouth to respond, but nothing comes out.

By now, Tessa has registered the remark as well, and her face has gone completely pale as the strength seems to leave her body. She grips the table in front of her, her eyes fixed on me with rabid intensity. Her voice is barely a whisper. 

"That's...no...a Nephilim...that's impossible..." (Tessa)

Apparently she didn't whisper it too quietly, because there's immediately another shrill voice from near Darak. 

"No, it makes perfect sense! His gem-like eyes, godly magic, otherworldly origin, and eternal youth. The wisdom of his race, how he's trying to help us with trains and MMCs, and how kind he's been to the elves without good reason. Even his marriage to the Princess...it's just like the legends! Selena is right, Mizuki must be a Nephilim!" (Linnea)

Darak's likable daughter, Linnea, has moved to lean over the table near him, her eyes gleaming in excitement as she stares at me. She's seemingly oblivious to all the stares she has drawn. Next to her, Darak, who I assume knows at least as much about Nephilim as his daughter, is staring at me open mouthed with a deeply thoughtful look, as though I'm a specimen he wants to study. 

My rising trepidation over his behavior is cut short by Helena's annoyed voice. 

"Anyone want to enlighten us mere elves what the hell a Nephilim is, and why you're all so excited about it?" (Helena)

Helena sweeps the room with a scowl, and Zakariah's meek voice soon follows. 

"Uhm...yes, I'd like an explanation as well. My father has never mentioned them before." (Zakariah)

Their inquiries are enough to finally snap Elira and Dargo, who have been staring at me with expressions that slowly morphed from disbelief to greedy excitement, out of their reveries.

Elira clears her throat, her voice calm, but she never takes her eyes off me. 

"Ehem...yes, I believe explanations are in order. Nephilim are something that only those close to the royal family are likely aware of. As Mizuki mentioned, their story has mostly been lost to history. Dargo, dear, you're the bookworm...do you mind?" (Elira)

Elira glances over her shoulder at Dargo as she poses the question, and he nods and steps forward quickly. 

"Of course, my Queen. Allow me to expl-" (Dargo)

His words are cut off by the sounds of something violently colliding with the table and a chair being scraped across the floor. My head snaps towards the source of the commotion, and I see Tessa sprawled out on the floor unceremoniously. Her escort, a woman that's not her daughter, is cradling Tessa's head as though she caught Tessa when she fell. The woman glances up, noticing all the stares, and speaks in an embarrassed tone. 

"I...believe she fainted..." (Tessa's escort)

My eyebrows raise curiously, and I lean over to observe the incapacitated Tessa. 

"Huh...well that's inconvenient..." (Mizuki)

¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬

Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack.

The sound of footsteps echo through the halls around him as a man walks towards a set of carved, wooden double doors at the end of a stone corridor. The man appears mid-30s, dressed in fine silks that scream of his privileged status and don't lose out in quality to the decorative trinkets and banners that line the edges of the corridor. 

The man has shoulder-length, silver hair that hangs unnaturally straight around his face, but the way it parts around his long, pointy ears betrays its soft, lush nature. His lips are curled into a small, curious smile, though his eyes still carry a hint of coldness. However, as the man arrives at the large doors, his eyes finally shine with affectionate warmth, and a blistering smile is plastered on his handsome face. 

He pushes the doors wide open and confidently strides into the massive room beyond. Inside, shelves of books line all the walls, and more free-standing bookshelves are arranged in rows to cover most of the available floor space. Here and there, small tables with fine, comfortable chairs can be seen. 

Above him, a similarly dense collection of books can be seen to exist on each of at least five additional floors of the library, every floor connected by a single spiral staircase that extends through the partial ceiling. Taking in the sight, the man lets out a deep satisfied sigh. 

After all, he's personally collected every book here in his home library.

The man calls out in a cheery voice.

"Little Scholar! Where are you?" (...)

After a moment, only silence greets the man, and he frowns in confusion. He makes his way up the stairs in the center of the library, occasionally repeating his greeting, but his call continues to go unanswered. As he nears the fourth floor, he becomes aware of faint sobbing sounds nearby. 

Registering the noise, the man's blood runs cold as his heart rate seems to triple, and he immediately springs into a full sprint, desperately making his way towards the noise. As he takes the stairs three at a time, exiting on the fourth floor, the man calls out frantically, his voice breaking in fear. 

"Little Scholar!?" (...)

Receiving no reply, he continues to race through the rows of bookshelves without regard, knocking several books off the shelves in the process. As he navigates the maze, the sounds of a little girl wailing slowly become louder, until he arrives in a small clearing amidst the shelves. 

The space is completely covered by a plush rug, and the only furniture is a large, comfy couch. A little girl about 8 years old, with waist-long silvery hair and wearing a pale blue dress, is sprawled on the floor at the base of the couch, sobbing uncontrollably into the rug. Around her, dozens of books are stacked irregularly on the floor, forming a makeshift barrier. 

Catching sight of the little girl's state, the man immediately barrels through the stacks of books to reach her, falling to his knees and pulling the little girl into his arms. As he desperately searches her for injuries, his voice rings out again, more fearful than ever. 

"Little Scholar, what's wrong!? Tell me what happened! Are you hurt!?" (man)

Feeling the mans arms around her, the girls sobs only intensify. She rolls over in his lap, pressing her face into his shirt as she clenches at the surrounding fabric. Tears and snot stream down her face as she tries to answer between gasps and wails. 

"She's...sniffle...dead! Daddy, they killed her! They killed...sniffle...our Princess!" (girl)

The man's entire body goes rigid at the statement. He'd locked himself inside his office most of the morning to catch up on a dreadful amount of paperwork, and he told all of his aides not to bother him. His daughter is the first person he's seen all day.

Is it possible that there was an attack on the royal palace he doesn't know about?

He directs a fearful gaze at the little girl, his throat feeling dry and constricted as he tries to find the words to ask the questions that he needs to. 

"Something happened to your cousin? What do you mean? Who attacked her?" (man)

The little girl continues to cry into his shirt, but she shakes her head. 

"No...sniffle...not El! Princess Rennalia, Daddy! The humans...sniffle...they killed her!" (girl)

The man's face twists in confusion at the familiar name, and it's then that he notices the open book lying on the floor near the little girl, its pages wet from many tears. Understanding dawns on the man's face, and he grabs the book with his free hand to inspect it. Like every book in the library, it's one he's read more than once. 

The book is an account of how elves settled on Azura after leaving their home world, including their early development. Princess Rennalia, the first high elf to be born on Azura, is one of the central 'characters' of the book. She was a leading figure in the Azuran elves' founding civilization, and a large proponent of trying to form harmonious relationships with the varied races already present on their new planet. 

As the man notices the page that the book is already opened to, he curses at himself inwardly. It's the part of the book that describes how Princess Rennalia and her escorts were brutally murdered by Azura's humans during a peace envoy.

Unfortunately, the book is far from a romanticized story appropriate for kids. It spares no detail about all the horrors inflicted upon Rennalia's group, and even includes the surviving witness's speculations. In other words, it's enough to make the stomach of even an old man like him turn.

Obviously, his daughter, who wasn't aware of Rennalia's full backstory, found this book and got attached to the woman through the book's pages. No doubt, reading about her graphic death in such detail was as scarring to his daughter as watching a friend die.

The man snaps the book shut with one hand and tosses it away carelessly. He quickly refocuses on his daughter, using one hand to cradle her against his chest while he rocks her. He runs the fingers of his other hand through her long silver hair, reassuringly caressing her face while he pulls her hair off her wet cheeks and tucks it behind her long, pointy ears. 

He continues this for several minutes, whispering soft reassurances to her until the severity of her sobs slowly decline. All the while, he continues to curse in anger at his own shortcomings as a father...he blames himself for this incident. 

He's always been a scholar and a book-lover at heart, and his daughter takes after him wholeheartedly. Unlike other elven children who would have spent most of their lives outside, playing with friends or following their parents around the Elven Kingdom, his daughter has spent most of her time since she could walk holed up in this library, reading or practicing magic. 

After all, he's just the husband of their family's matriarch, and his job keeps him around their home for the most part. So, he spends much of his time holed up in an office or a library too, instead of traveling around the country for meetings and site visits like his wife.

Seeing nothing wrong with his own way of life, and being immensely proud of how voracious of a reader his daughter is, he's did nothing but encourage it until now. He even gave her free reign of the library, not thinking to censor some of its contents. If he'd been less absorbed in his own work and research, perhaps he would have noticed the issue sooner. Or at least, that's what he can't help thinking. 

To his severely introverted daughter, the characters on the pages of her books are like her closest friends, doubly so when they are about the lives of real people. When they suffer, she feels pain, and when they triumph, she experiences joy as though she lived it with them. In retrospect, he can see how unhealthy that level of immersion in her reading is, especially at her age, and he resolves himself to fix his mistake. 

The girl's cries have now completely died down, and she's in the process of wiping her face thoroughly on her father's shirt while he's lost in his own self-loathing. Her small, scared voice suddenly shakes him from his thoughts. 

"Daddy...are the humans going to kill us, too?" (girl)

As his daughter stares up at him nervously, her grey eyes clearly full of fear, he bites his cheek in frustration. Then, he puts on a reassuring smile and shakes his head, his voice soft and friendly. 

"Of course not, sweetie, you're safe. Why do you think that?" (man)

The fear in the girl's eyes mostly dissipates, but he can still feel its lingering effects on her as her body trembles periodically. 

"The book said that they were more powerful than us. That instead of getting revenge for Rennalia, we had to hide. Because if the humans ever found us, they would wipe us out or make us their slaves. But we're not hidden anymore, right? The humans know where we live now..." (girl)

The man wears a conflicted expression on his face. What his daughter said isn't entirely untrue. The humans have long since learned about the borders of the elves' kingdom, though they have yet to successfully penetrate their defenses.

However, in an all-out war between any of the human countries and the elves, their people would likely fall to the humans' sheer numbers. In addition, people who can produce enchanted armor and weapons are much more common among the humans, giving them another advantage. The main thing keeping them from invading is uncertainty about the Elven Kingdom's military strength and geography, and internal conflict among the humans. 

Every elven adult lives with that knowledge. 

But the man's daughter is just a child. While he doesn't want to lie to her about the real danger that the humans pose, he also doesn't want her to live in fear. Eventually, he purses his lips thoughtfully as he watches his daughter. 

"Hmm...do you remember what I'm always telling you, Little Scholar?" (man)

Confusion sparks in the girls eyes, then her face scrunches up. She appears to ponder the question gravely for a few seconds, until realization dawns on her face and she looks at her father confidently. 

"Don't tell Mom where you hide the kur'kes, or we'll have to share!" (girl)

The man's eyes widen in horror. 

"Wha-...no! I mean, yes, never tell her that, and keep your voice down! But I'm talking about the other thing I say, Tessa. The Uril family motto!" (Tessa's father)

Tessa giggles sweetly seeing her father's terrified expression, her own fear already evaporating from her childish, short-term memory. 

"Knowledge is power?" (Tessa)

Her father sighs in relief, then gives her an appreciative smile. 

"Yes, Little Scholar, that's right. Knowledge is power. That's why your grandfather founded the Elven Magic Academy, and it's why I've spent most of my life supporting it as its headmaster, ever since I left the royal family. Now, do you want to guess what makes elves special? What our secret power that protects us from humans is?" (Tessa's father)

Tessa beams with pride at having answered correctly, then presses her little fingers to her chin as she ponders her father's second question. She cuts her eyes up at him uncertainly. 

"Is it...knowledge?" (Tessa)

Her father smiles at her encouragingly. 

"You're close, sweetie. It's wisdom. When you have knowledge and you know when and how to use it, that's wisdom. That's a very important difference, and it's what sets us apart from the humans. 

"We live long lives, Little Scholar, especially us high elves. Much longer than humans. In fact, about four hundred generations of humans will live and die during your lifetime. Their short lives make it easy for them to grow to such large numbers so quickly, but it also prevents them from accumulating as much knowledge, and turning it into wisdom.

"Meanwhile, our numbers are much fewer, but the effects of our long lives on those around us much deeper. So, we cherish each other more. That's why, while humans fight amongst themselves, elves work as one.

"Our longer lives are why all human civilizations have already forgotten and repeated their ancestors' mistakes several times since I was born, but we elves remember and improve. Why humans have lost access to most of their magical knowledge over time, but we elves protect it and learn how to use it better. 

"This is our secret power as elves, Little Scholar, and that's why its the job of every elven scholar to master a thousand times as much knowledge as a human. Our wisdom, and their lack of knowledge, is what keeps us safe. They worry about the strength of our country, knowing their magic is weaker than ours, and they don't know that they outnumber us, have better weapons and armor. In short, they're held back by a lack of knowledge.

"So, make sure to grow wise, Little Scholar...stay one step ahead of the humans. Do that, and you have nothing to fear from them." (Tessa's father)

Tessa looks up at her father, nodding along with a serious expression as he speaks. When he finishes, she smiles earnestly. 

"I will, Daddy, I promise! I'll learn more than anyone else!" (Tessa)

The young girl squirms her way out of her dad's arms and grabs another book off the ground around her. She immediately opens it to the first page to read, leaning her back against her dad's legs, and quickly becomes absorbed in its pages. 

Her father can't help but chuckle at the sight, pride swelling in his chest from seeing how happy and studious she is. A smile forms on his face, and there's only a faint nagging at his mind that, just maybe, he's already forgotten an important lesson.

Then, he suddenly remembers the sight of her crying in anguish on the floor, and how much he lamented his shortcomings as a father for the stories of her books being her whole world. His face goes pale, and he immediately grabs the book from her hands. 

Tessa squeals in surprise and indignation, turning an accusatory glare at her father. Without missing a beat, he picks her up into a princess carry and begins walking towards the stairs. 

"I...uhm...just remembered another important lesson for you. Not all knowledge is in books, Little Scholar. Some of it's hidden outside, with other people. And in pastries...yes, definitely in sweet pastries. It's important that you make time for these things, or you'll only grow knowledgeable, never wise. I think we should have some kur'kes and tea right now...to err, further your education. How does that sound?" (Tessa's father)

Young Tessa directs a skeptical expression at her father. 

"Mmm...if kur'kes hold knowledge, then why are you hiding them from Mommy? Isn't hoarding knowledge bad, Daddy?" (Tessa)

Her father's steps falter slightly, a cold sweat forming on his neck as he considers his tactical failure. Seeing there is no path to victory, he takes solace in a strategic retreat...there's nothing wrong with living to fight another day. 

"Err, sweetie, would you like me to tell you a story on our way to the kitchen? I have read every book in this library, you know? All you have to do is ask me about something." (Tessa's father)

Excitement gleams in the young girl's eyes, her voice soft and probing.

"You'll tell me a story about anything I want?" (Tessa)

Her father breathes a sigh of relief that his escape has been assured, so he doesn't notice the mischievous grin that forms on Tessa's face as he nods his approval. 

"Of course, yes, anything you want, Little Scholar." (Tessa's father)

Tessa giggles excitedly. 

"The First Queen! The one with the Neb-...uhm...Nebyu-...the Nebyu-lum!" (Tessa)

Her father lets out a deep sigh. He should have seen that coming...he must have told her that story a hundred times, and the last ninety-nine were at her...insistent...request. 

"It's pronounced Nephilim, sweetie. Are you sure that's the story you want...again? That's a fable, Little Scholar. It's not a true record of events." (Tessa's father)

Tessa nods emphatically, then sticks her finger in the air as her voice takes on a formal tone, clearly imitating someone. 

"All worthy fables have a grain of truth and something to teach you. Even children's stories make you wiser, Big Scholar, so never miss a chance to read them." (Tessa)

Her father frowns at the familiar words. He told her that so she'd let his wife read her something less dry! So mother and daughter could bond over her love of books without her mother falling asleep in seconds! 

Still...his wife has cherished scouring for obscure fairytales together with her daughter, so he's happy to pay the price. 

Resigning himself to his fate, he deepens his voice and begins to speak.

"A long time ago, on a planet far, far away, the first elves were created by the god, Nedilir. They didn't share the planet with any humans, dwarves, or demons who could threaten them, but they also new nothing of cities, books, farming, or advanced magic. They lived in small, traveling tribes, took only what nature provided, and left nothing behind but their children when they died. 

"The first elves lived this way for many generations. They were happy and safe, and their numbers slowly increased, but they never grew in other ways. Whatever an elf learned in life, their descendants eventually forgot after their death. They never built anything greater than themselves, nor did they find ways to be happier or safer than they already were. They were doomed to spend eternity exactly as they were. 

"However, one day a young elven man was foraging deep in the forest for his tribe, and he came across a beautiful woman he didn't recognize. She looked similar to him, but also different. She had unnatural ears, eyes like gemstones, and wore strange clothes he'd never seen. Her magic was beyond his imagination, casting spells he'd never encountered without the incantations he normally needed. 

"When asked, the mysterious woman shared with him that she was a child of their god, Nedilir, and that her people, the Nephilim, shared the planet with the first elves. The Nephilim woman was kind to the young elven man, and even brought him to meet her people. What he saw left him convinced that he'd arrived in a dwelling of gods. 

"The Nephilim lived in a large city full of endless food, surrounded by walls that even the most savage beasts couldn't breach, protecting palaces the size of mountains. The young elf witnessed many enchanted tools that he could never have imagined – those that turned night into day, that cooled their homes in the summer and heated them in the winter, and even those that could fly people across the city. He also learned that some of the young-looking people in their city were dozens of times older than any elf – the Nephilim never died of old age.

"Soon after that fateful encounter, the Nephilim and the first elves established a harmonious relationship. The elves would scour the forests around the Nephilim's city, providing their new friends with information about the local beasts and with the forests' bounties they'd collect. In return, the Nephilim tried to impart their knowledge on the elves. But, the elves sadly lacked the ability to utilize it fully. 

"Still, the Nephilim made sure that the elves always had enough food, good clothing, and taught them how to use weaker elemental spells to mine ore, blacksmith tools, and build safer shelters. Over time, the two races grew closer. 

"Eventually, after several generations of elves and millennia of good relations between their peoples, a Nephilim and an elf became close enough for the elf to mother a child, to the great shock of both races. The child was a little girl, who looked just like a normal elf, and so it was decided that she would live in the elven village with her mother. However, her Nephilim father, adoring the girl and her mother, continued to visit the two and care for them. 

"As the girl grew up, it became apparent that, while she may have looked like an elf, she was also special. She was brilliant beyond what any elven child should have been, and exhibited god-like magical talent. Though she was not quite as powerful as her father, the girl was able to learn the Nephilim's strange, incantation-less magic. 

"As the years and centuries passed, that girl continued to live with the elves while learning the secrets of the Nephilim from her father. With time, she helped her people to build there own magnificent cities, grow their own food, record their own histories, make their own enchanted tools, and much more. Her influence was so great, ushering in such growth and prosperity for the elves, that their many tribes eventually combined and declared her their First Queen. 

"Though her name is lost to time, legends say that the First Queen was more powerful than any elf that has ever lived since, or will ever live again. That she had power surpassing the Elder Dragons of Azura, and that she lived hundreds of elven lifespans. It's believed that all high elves alive today are her descendants, her blood granting them longer lives and greater magic power." (Tessa's father)

For a several moments, father and daughter walk in silence following the story, the sound of young Tessa's steady breathing matching her expression of quiet contemplation. Her father looks down at her, a small smile on his face. 

After a while, Tessa looks up at him in confusion. 

"Daddy...did any other Nephilim have babies with elves? Couldn't some of the high elves be from one of those people? We can't all come from the First Queen, right?" (Tessa)

Her father widens his eyes in surprise at the insightful question...it's the first time she's ever asked it. 

"Well, remember that this is just a fable, Little Scholar. We can't be sure how much is real. But there are no other stories about children born from a Nephilim and elf parent, just the First Queen. If she really was the only one, and if it's really Nephilim blood that makes a high elf, then perhaps we all really are her descendants." (Tessa's father)

She purses her lips, clearly displeased with the answer. 

"But that makes no sense, Daddy. If it happened once, it should happen again eventually. How could there be no other Nephilim-elf babies?" (Tessa)

Her father chuckles and shrugs his shoulders. 

"I don't know sweetheart...that's just the limits of what we know. However, if you really want me to guess, maybe it's because there wasn't enough time for it to happen again. Stories about the Nephilim say that, at some point, they all disappeared from our home world, long before our people moved to Azura. We don't know why or exactly when. But since it took several elven generations together for the First Queen to be born, maybe the Nephilim's disappearance happened only a few more generations after that, before another child like her could exist." (Tessa's father)

Tessa's eyes go wide in disbelief.

"The Nephilim disappeared!? What happened to them, Daddy!?" (Tessa)

He shakes his head. 

"I don't know. That's all the stories tell us, and truthfully, very few elven scholars alive today even know those stories. Some scholars think that the Nephilim are just a myth created to explain where high elves come from, and to stress the power of learning and sharing knowledge. Others think that the Nephilim died out somehow. I've even heard theories that the Nephilim just...left. To another land, to another world...who knows." (Tessa's father)

She pulls on his sleeve, looking at him expectantly. 

"What about you, Daddy? What do you think really happened to them?" (Tessa)

He raises his eyebrows at her, then thinks it over for a moment. Truthfully, the stories about them are too few, too old, and too...romanticized...for him to consider them evidence for speculation. But, they might be useful for something else...

He smiles at his daughter and responds in a curious tone. 

"I'll tell you what, why don't you tell me what you think the most logical explanation is, and I'll tell you what I think of your answer?" (Tessa's father)

Without saying a word, the girl's face scrunches up in concentration, and her finger subconsciously presses into her chin while she contemplates her father's question. Eventually, she nods to herself. 

"Making them up to explain high elves like you said is dumb, Daddy. Couldn't a god just create elves and high elves together? That's a simpler story. And you always say fables have a grain of truth, but making up an entire race is nothing but lies! 

"I don't think people that strong can all die, either. If they did, why weren't their elf neighbors dying, too? So, I think they moved far away. Probably to another planet, or else the elves would have seen them again. If they could already fly across their cities, I bet they could fly to other planets just fine!" (Tessa)

An amused smile comes to her father's face. She's a little naive, assuming that all the information is either true or not, instead of exaggerated or partly true. However, she's at least doubting the things she reads, and she's doing an okay job of justifying her answers. He couldn't be more proud. 

He squeezes her with a quick hug and peppers her cheeks with a number of affectionate kisses, causing the girl to giggle hysterically. 

"Excellent job, Little Scholar, you make some very good points! Okay then, we'll say you're right, and the Nephilim set out amongst the stars. Why do you think they moved away?" (Tess's father)

Tessa slowly manages to stop giggling and gives her dad a confident smile. 

"That's easy, Daddy! It's because their children were all grown up." (Tessa)

His expression becomes confused. 

"What do you mean by that, sweetie?" (Tessa's father)

Her smile doesn't fade, and she just nods matter-of-factly. 

"Well, the elves were kind of like me, and the Nephilim were like you, right? You take care of me, and you help me learn and answer my questions. But remember what you said? That it's your job to make me wise enough so I can be on my own. I bet the Nephilim left because they did their jobs." (Tessa)

He walks in stunned silence for several seconds, his daughter completely oblivious to how much those words have affected him. After a few moments, he gives her a loving smile, while she's still staring at him patiently. 

"Well then, you've convinced me...the Nephilim are out there on another planet. But if they're good parents, they'll still check in on their children and visit the elves of Azura one day. That's very important for me to do, too, Tessa. So, even when you're all grown up and wise, you need to come back and visit me so that I can check on you. Okay, Little Scholar?" (Tessa's dad)

The girl smiles up at her father and pulls his shirt towards her in a feeble embrace. 

"I promise, Daddy!" (Tessa)

¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬

When Tessa's consciousness begins to stir, she's first aware of familiar voices around her. 

"...shame you're not a woman. Hmm...do you have a sister, perhaps?" (voice 1)

A long silence ensues. 

"No...I don't. Also, as I mentioned, I came to your planet alone, and I have good reason to believe that no more of my kind will ever come here again." (voice 2)

The first voice sighs deeply. 

"Ah, yes, so you did. Well, no matter. Your life is long and I'm sure you'll have many children. Err, may I ask, Princess...how long will we have to wait for you to have the first one? I think we can all agree – the sooner the better." (voice 1)

A third, familiar voice enters the conversation, sounding...irritated. 

"No, no you may not ask. And there's nothing to agree on, because it's not something that anyone other than me and him will be discussing or planning." (voice 3)

A fourth voice sounds amused and reproachful. 

"Forgetting someone? I expect to be there when it's discussed, when it's planned...fufufu...perhaps when it's conceived, too!" (voice 4)

The second and third voices are raised in unison, laced with bewilderment.

"What!? That's n-" (voices 2 & 3)

A fifth voice enters the conversation, sounding extremely flustered. 

"Uhm...Princess...err, my Lord...sorry to interrupt, but I believe Mother is regaining consciousness." (voice 5)

Tessa's eyes slowly flutter open, white light blinding her vision as she becomes aware of a soft, comfortable pressure along the back of her body. As her eyes focus, she notices that she's staring up at the ceiling in a room. Glancing around, she sees that she's lying down on a plush, leather couch. 

She recognizes one of the royal palace's informal meeting rooms, which includes multiple couches and a coffee table. It's a room that Mizuki has often met with the royals inside, though Tessa is unaware of that. 

As the fog clears from her thoughts, Tessa takes stock of everyone present in the room with her. On the same couch, beside her feet, there's her daughter, Selena, watching her with a concerned expression. Elsewhere in the room, spread across other couches and chairs, there's Elira, Ilina, Jorah, Mizuki, Nina, Alto, and a couple of royal palace staff. 

As her eyes settle on Mizuki, however, he stares back at her, and the weight of his gaze makes her body tremble involuntarily as the color drains from her face.

There's nothing special about the way he's looking at her. His lips are just barely curled into the smallest of smiles, his body language is relaxed and open, and his eyes hold a sparkle of amusement, as though everything he's observing is casual entertainment. 

In short, it's how he's always looked at her. The gaze that she has always interpreted as deep assurance that everything will go his way, and on the off chance it doesn't, he only considers it a novel form of amusement. The gaze that makes her feel like a side character in her own life.

It's the gaze that, as of this morning, always made her grit her teeth in frustration, reminding her every second that it lingered on his face how much she loathed his presence and his attitude. 

Alas, that was this morning, and now she can only feel fear and the spinning of the ground beneath her feet when she meets Mizuki's gaze. Now, the world is not the same as it was this morning.

More accurately, the world is exactly as it always was...she's just finally seeing it, and Mizuki, clearly for the first time. It's her world that has been changed forever by this day...this, meeting from hell. 

She remembers clearly how it started...

Mizuki waltzing into the meeting a bit early, following behind Lady Nedonera with his typical, quiet arrogance. Of course, she'd fully steeled herself to maintain her normal, polite facade towards him for the day. The recent news of the train that Lady Nedonera built was all too enticing, and the Elder Dragon had made it very clear in past encounters how much she adored Mizuki. 

For the chance to have and study an item that could allegedly transport cargo and hundreds of elves across the country and back in a day...well, she'd even put up with Mizuki's presence with a smile.

Begging for gifts wasn't something she enjoyed, but she'd already had a spy try to study Alara's train by becoming its operator. Her fear and anger towards Mizuki had only grown when she found out that spy was identified by Mizuki within minutes and thwarted, even though her spy had already evaded the ever-shrewd Alara's detection. Still, the whole event had left her convinced that it was far too risky to try and get what she wanted through force or subterfuge. 

So, she'd hoped that, if she played her cards right, Nedonera would simply grace her with a train of her own at the nobles' meeting. After all, Alara had tried to kill the dragon's precious Mizuki, and Nedonera still gave her a train and helped her develop her territory. 

So, why would Tessa be an exception?

Naturally, she soon learned that Nedonera had never given Alara a train in the first place...not really. The Elder Dragon inexplicably considered whether to build trains a decision for solely Mizuki to make, and she even went so far as to suggest that the nobles direct their begging and gratitude for them towards her human servant.

Some nobles took her at her word and turned their requests to Mizuki, but they were all shocked to see him turn them down without exception, citing that none of them could be trusted to not endanger their own people if given a train.

Tessa even had to listen to Mizuki's cocky little elven pet condescend her, agreeing that she'd somehow be a danger to her own people, and lecturing her of all people about magic. Needless to say, the exchange made Tessa's blood boil. 

Acquiring magical knowledge and using it to help her people was the basis of her whole personality. Others would often accuse her of being cold, calculating, conceited, or unfriendly, and she was perhaps all of those things. However, she felt that it was a consequence of devoting her entire life to becoming wise enough to protect her people. If nothing else, she felt that her knowledge of magic and her devotion to the elves were beyond reproach. 

So, finding out that Nedonera's magic was divine in nature, and thus, that replicating the trains was fundamentally out of her reach, and that Mizuki and Alto were speaking the truth when they spoke about her ignorance on the subject...it was infuriating. 

What irked her more than anything, though, was that Mizuki seemed fully aware of her ignorance but chose not to mention it himself before, claiming that Tessa would have never believed him. It irked her because he was right...if Alto and Nedonera hadn't been the ones to bring it up, seemingly against his wishes, she'd have never accepted such an explanation from him. 

Finally, buried among all the frustration and anger that the conversation about the trains brought, there was also fear. The experience had reinforced for Tessa just how cunning Mizuki was, and how much sway he had over Nedonera. After that conversation, she was already starting to worry about the influence he'd indirectly acquire through Alara, who she could easily see rising to economic superiority and acting as Mizuki's pawn out of gratitude. 

Such worries were only set ablaze when it was revealed that the Empire was planning to invade their kingdom, and that the warning came from none other than Mizuki himself after meeting with the Emperor. 

What if Mizuki had been working for the Empire all along? She'd just had a bitter lesson in underestimating his cunning. What if he was acting as a double agent – telling them about the invasion to gain their trust, just to be able to redirect their forces where they'd be crippled? What if he was giving them the trains, which the elves were left with no understanding of or control over, as a poisoned gift? To lay the foundations for Empire troops to invade deep into their country with Mizuki's help, before the elves could mount a proper response? 

Such was Tessa's paranoia and fear once the Empire became involved in the conversation. It was her worst nightmare since childhood come to fruition...an unstoppable force of humans coming to violate the only safe haven for the elves in this world. To wipe out or enslave them all. 

This deep-rooted insecurity is why, when Mizuki suddenly revealed that Belmod had been killed by his adventuring party, and that Nedonera was posing as his human subordinate in that party, Tessa wasn't reassured. Quite the opposite, in fact. The way Mizuki justified the murder of seventy elite soldiers and the ruler of the most powerful human nation on the planet, it sounded to her like it was completely his decision. 

It became painfully clear to Tessa in that moment...Nedonera's deference to Mizuki went far past a casual interest in him. For him, she'd joined his adventuring party, debased herself as a human, and even slaughtered the entire central power structure of the Empire. Tess had often wondered if Nedonera would hesitate to kill someone from the elven nobility if they offended Mizuki too greatly, but now she had no doubts. 

When Tessa had asked Nedonera why she'd follow a human's orders like that, the dragon had merely giggled like a schoolgirl – completely uncaring for the slaughter – and proclaimed how much she valued Mizuki's company. That convinced Tess that Nedonera would slaughter the entire elven government, royalty and all, just because Mizuki asked her to. The realization had caused her a terror so profound that she nearly fainted for the first time right then. 

Little did she know, she hadn't even begun to experience true terror. 

Shortly thereafter, before the cold sweat on Tessa's neck had even dried, Nedonera turned her entire world upside down three times over. First, her open admission that she was following Mizuki's orders – that he was the undisputed leader of their little group. Next, that her fondness for him didn't just exceed Tessa's expectations, but was also romantic.

Mizuki was Nedonera's husband. 

Finally, they were treated to a claim so absurd, so utterly unexpected, that Tessa had been inclined towards Jorah's reasoning that Mizuki was attempting to trick them. That is, Nedonera revealed that Mizuki was actually stronger than an Elder Dragon. That he held so much power that she didn't even consider him human. 

Of course, Tessa was in no emotional state to say anything in response to that claim, even if she doubted it, but the same couldn't be said about Jorah. She'd been forced to watch in horror as Jorah's idiotic posturing at Mizuki had forced him to prove his claims, demonstrating his strength. 

Before Mizuki did just that, it hadn't escaped Tessa's notice that, right before Nedonera's declarations about Mizuki, fear had suddenly wreaked havoc on the Queen's usually steady voice. She'd even tried to subtly reason with Mizuki about something. 

Tessa had known her cousin for millennia, and she'd always been as fearless as she was formidable. Elira was no coward, and Tessa had never heard the Queen's voice filled with so much alarm. Not even when dealing with an angry Nedonera. So that, combined with her speaking up before Nedonera revealed anything, spoke volumes to Tess. 

Whatever power Mizuki wielded, Elira already knew about it, and that power scared the Queen more than anything else on the planet. That's why, before Mizuki even snapped his fingers, Tessa's blood had already run cold, her instincts telling her a single truth. 

They were about to bear witness to something so monstrous that even their own Queen, the most unshakeable person Tessa knew, only thought to subtly appeal to Mizuki to not act too hastily.

Mizuki's own behavior at the time only confirmed Tessa's suspicions. His normally reserved, smug smile was finally on full, unfettered display as a wolfish grin, and his eyes that normally held a spark of amusement were practically shining with mischief. The message from him was clear as well – whatever had been holding him back from being himself in the past was no more, and he was fully resolved to etch into their very souls exactly who they were dealing with. 

And then, a snap from Mizuki had wiped away Tessa's entire world. Literally and figuratively. One second they were holding a meeting in the palace, surrounded by the illusion of safety, and the next they were somewhere else entirely. It was as though the walls around her had dissolved in a flash of light to reveal a completely foreign and unfamiliar space.

The entire elven government had been dragged to some faraway land at a mere snap of Mizuki's fingers, and he didn't even break a sweat. 

She realized the implications of the demonstration almost immediately. While he seemed to busy himself, completely calm all the while, with informing everyone present about what he'd done, where they were, and how they had nothing to fear, Tessa's eyes were locked on him as her own mind mulled over her new reality. 

She recognized that what he'd done wasn't just a 'demonstration' of his power, but also a very subtle threat. Teleporting them all to another room wasn't inherently aggressive, and he was indeed behaving non-threateningly after doing so. However, it also sent a simple message to anyone with a brain – he could just as easily have teleported the entire elven government to the middle of the ocean to die, if he wanted. 

Tessa received that message, loud and clear. 

She decided right then and there...under absolutely no circumstances could she afford to antagonize Mizuki or anyone in his group, or to let any other elf present do the same. 

Not yet, at least.

They were completely at his mercy. With the speed Mizuki had teleported them, any weapons they brought served only to weigh them down if he sent them to the ocean. 

That's why, when her daughter and other escort had continued to brandish their weapons at Mizuki, she'd admonished their behavior as severely as she could in the moment. It's also why she'd made such efforts to publicly shame Jorah for his efforts to have Mizuki teleport them back so he could call the guards, and to verbally support the decision to continue holding the meeting inside Mizuki's home. 

However, none of this was because she'd come to the conclusion that she could trust Mizuki, or accepted that he was someone whose power should banish any thought of resisting his whims. On the contrary, her fundamental opinion of Mizuki as a person, or rather, as a human, hadn't changed. 

At that point, she still assumed that – as a human – he was a fundamentally hostile threat whose actions could only harm and exploit her people in the long-term, even if the elves had seemed to benefit from them thus far. In her mind, the only thing that had changed was the magnitude and urgency of the threat he posed. 

So, instead of deciding that he wasn't to be trifled with, she resolved herself for the arduous task of killing him. If she had to grovel, lie and say she believed he was their savior, become his most ardent benefactor to gain his trust, or even swallow her bile and invite him into her bed to get him to let his guard down, she decided right then that she'd do it on her own. To eliminate the grave threat she saw him as, even if Nedonera killed her afterwards because of it. 

One would assume that, after such a profound display of power on his part, she'd have concluded him to be a being whose whims it was futile to resist. In fact, that was exactly what her reactions early on in the meeting had suggested to Mizuki. Alas, that was just a facade...a manifestation of Tessa's resolution to convince him that she'd abandoned any thought of future hostility.

Instead, Tessa was confident that she could still kill him.

It's important to note that every line of thought, every step in logic she made, began with the assumption that allowing him to do as he wished in their kingdom would ultimately bring them to ruin. That a human had to have nefarious intentions towards the elves. Therefore, she reasoned that, if he hadn't leveraged his power against them before, it was because something was holding him back. Because he wasn't as powerful as he wanted them to believe, and had a weakness she could exploit. After all, impressive though it was, all he'd done so far was teleport. 

She couldn't accept the simple truth as a possibility – Mizuki hadn't used his power to harm them, not because he couldn't, but because he harbored not a shred of ill will towards the elves. 

When faced with his power, she'd merely repeated her family's motto to herself over and over again – knowledge is power. If she could learn enough about Mizuki, about his power and its weaknesses, then with enough planning she could kill him. Just like the other humans, knowledge was the key to overcoming him. She truly believed that.

If he could kill anyone he sees, she'd just hide and strike from afar. If he could kill her with a snap of his fingers, she'd strike before he even thought about doing it. After all, even Elder Dragons could bleed, and he had no scales of his own to protect him. If she could plan one, critical attack while he was unaware, she was sure that he could bleed, too.

Until that day, she'd already resolved herself to be the epitome of a friend to him and bide her time. 

Alas, her resolve was shattered like glass against a sledgehammer as the meeting continued and he revealed his abilities. Teleportation, flight, invisibility, barriers and strange forces that not even the strongest physical enhancers could resist, and more. The most terrifying thing of all, however, was his ability to sense anything over inconceivable distances and use his powers from afar. 

That was something she couldn't have imagined in her wildest nightmares. The knowledge that, no matter where either he or she was in the kingdom, he was only a thought away from setting her on fire, teleporting her into the ocean, or crushing her like paste where she stood. There was no overpowering him, no hiding from him, and with Nedonera's ability to sense deception, no keeping her intentions from him. 

As soon as she understood that, all thoughts of taking any hostile action against Mizuki died forever. At the same time, she realized the truth that she hadn't been able to before – the only thing stopping Mizuki was himself.

In retrospect, that was clear to her from how, before he'd slaughtered Belmod and his guards uncontested, he'd groveled, promised to spy, and offered them every opportunity to end the discussion peacefully. Not because he had some mysterious weakness and was scared of them, but simply because he felt like giving them a chance to live. 

That idea was only solidified when he was asked if he'd ever turn his power against the elves, and she heard his response. He didn't lie, he didn't change the subject, he didn't even bother sugarcoating his words. He just plainly declared that he'd slaughter their entire army if they did something to deserve it. No apology, and no concern for how they'd react. It was plain as day to her – Mizuki didn't see anyone on the planet as a threat to him. 

And...she agreed with him. 

She'd already decided that she'd never even dream of antagonizing Mizuki again, but that moment had been when she finally cracked. She may have been silent on the outside, but her thoughts at the time were already descending into madness. 

'Knowledge is power?', she'd thought wryly. 'What a joke! In the face of absolute power, knowledge is just a tool to understand enough to shit yourself in fear.'

To her, trying to kill something as powerful as Elder Dragons might be a matter of determination, planning, and luck, but trying to kill a god...that was ritual suicide. And as far as Tessa was concerned from then on, that's exactly what he was. 

Mizuki was a god...one that the elves had to learn to live with. 

So, she did exactly that. She decided to trust what he said from then on, for the simple reasons that he had absolutely no reason to lie to her, and she had no hope of resisting whatever agenda him lying to her was part of. And with that resignation, came her chance to feel peace again. 

As they discussed plans to defend the Elven Kingdom from the Empire, and Mizuki made one promise of protection and assistance after another, asking for nothing in return, she'd begun to accept her new god. As far as gods went, he was calm, uninterested in bending the elves to his will, and far more willing to help them than any other god she'd ever met. 

She allowed herself to think that, just maybe, Mizuki didn't represent a constant, oppressive presence for the elves. That after the crisis of the Empire was over, things could return to the way they were before the meeting. Mizuki would be a silent presence in their country, and the elves' way of life wasn't destined to end. Plus, she still thought him human, and assumed he'd die of old age in a few decades. They just had to avoid issues before that happened. 

Then, Ilina dropped the bomb that was her and Mizuki's engagement, and all hell broke loose. 

Tessa had already had her expectations subverted too many times that day, her sense of control violated too severely, and it showed in her uncharacteristically emotional response to the news. All she could feel was their new god's presence, which she'd just begun to think was subtle and negotiable, becoming oppressive and unavoidable. 

She feared the destruction it'd bring to her people, not because she thought Mizuki's goal was to harm them, but because she could already imagine the commoners' reaction to a human ascending to the throne. Even if the whole elven government publicized their support, and even if they explained that Mizuki was more powerful than an Elder Dragon, seeing and believing are two different things. 

The public has never seen Mizuki helping them, and Tessa knew firsthand...words alone wouldn't make them truly fathom the depths of Mizuki's abilities the way they needed to. She could imagine that, over time, the announcement of his engagement to Ilina would eat at them, sowing fear and discord, until it turned hostile. That alone would be bad enough – the commoners rioting or otherwise disrupting normal city functions in protest could wreak havoc. But if they were to turn their hostilities directly against Mizuki in their ignorance and anger him...

Tessa's mind conjured visions of elves burning alive as cities collapsed in the background, and the imagery had caused her to squeeze her hands into fists so tightly that her palms bled. Her already unstable psyche had cracked further when faced with the violent premonition, and for a moment she'd only been able to think of stopping it at all costs. Mizuki's presence at the meeting was all but forgotten. 

So, when Ilina painted her marriage to Mizuki as unavoidable, refusing to forego it and threatening them with the unavoidable repercussions of trying to subvert her, in a moment of desperation Tessa had succumbed to threats of her own about treating Ilina as a traitor. 

However, Mizuki's swift and cold response to her threats had quickly put an end to her borderline manic state, his barely concealed anger a sobering reminder of the limits to her control over the situation. But while she was shaken, she wasn't broken, and her resolve remained.

She did the only thing she knew that could give her a sense of control again – combine cold logic and knowledge like her father taught her, and find the best path forward, no matter how unpleasant it may seem.

Mizuki's words had made it clear to her that, as long as Ilina was safe and free to pursue some kind of relationship with him, he wouldn't oppose the nobles' response to the situation. With that in mind, she'd suggested what she considered the safest option.

Banish Ilina and Mizuki from the kingdom, allow them to pursue their relationship however they saw fit, and welcome Ilina back after Mizuki's death. She knew that the absence of the Princess for several decades would cause problems, but they were only minor inconveniences. 

Even when Ilina proposed what Tessa thought was a hypothetical – Mizuki being ageless and capable of giving her elven heirs – her mind remained unchanged. Sure, they'd have to find a new heir, lose the trains, and Eden would suffer some hardships, and they'd lose some face with the commoners. But she was certain that no cities would burn. 

She held her ground because, in her mind, nothing could be more dangerous than the backlash of putting a human into power in their country. Especially one as existential threatening as Mizuki. 

As much as the prior revelations had strained her sanity, as much as the fear and and sense of helplessness threatened to overwhelm her, and despite knowing that all the other elves present thought she was just being a bigot, she persevered in preventing her horrifying premonition. Because whatever else Mizuki was, he was also human. 

Until he wasn't. 

When Ilina and Mizuki confirmed his agelessness and revealed that he came from another world, and Tessa realized that no Azuran in their right mind would consider a nigh-immortal, powerful, otherworldly traveler to be a human, regardless of his physical appearance...

Her resolve finally shattered, and with it, her clarity of purpose.

The revelation affected her so severely that she was in no position to contemplate their other assertion about elves being god-made variations of humans. Mizuki's race, and its implications for his marriage to Ilina, were all she had room to consider.

The dangers of denying Ilina's marriage to Mizuki were predictable and nontrivial, while Tessa's worries about burning elven cities now seemed more paranoia than premonition. But the consequences of supporting the marriage, while relatively lesser, were now shrouded in unknowns. And the unknown scared Tessa as much as anything. 

How much could she really know and trust about Mizuki's nature? Would he actually be able to give Ilina elven children? Even if Mizuki isn't human, the elven people acknowledge that, and everything else she's heard about Mizuki is true, will his marriage to Ilina be accepted? 

After all, it's reasonable that common elves would take the word of trusted officials about Mizuki's power and origins, and rationally accept that he's not human. But would they accept such a being as their future King? Tessa wasn't sure. 

She believed that her people wouldn't oppose their Queen marrying a non-elf King on principle, as long as the Queen and her heirs are elves. But...she didn't know it – there'd never been such a situation before. Her apprehension was exacerbated by the fact that Mizuki was a mysterious being whose race was a complete unknown to the elves. Worse, he wielded horrifying power with a visage of the humans that had long terrorized the elven people. 

She had no idea whether supporting his marriage to Ilina would be better or worse than banishing them both, and her self-doubt about what decision to make was eating her alive. 

It's in the midst of that inner turmoil that her daughter finally uttered the name of Mizuki's alleged race...Nephilim. Hearing the word had shocked Tessa to her very core, eliciting beloved childhood stories so vivid, and disbelief so visceral, that she'd had to grip the table in front of her just to remain standing. 

And her shock was only destined to worsen. 

Much like her own daughter, Selena, Darak's daughter Linnea immediately recognized the appeal of the claim. One after another, she listed off every piece of information known about the Nephilim from elven lore, each characteristic as perfect a fit to Mizuki as it was a blow to Tessa's already fragile mind. 

Mizuki being a god incarnate was one thing. Gods were aloof, unknowable existences to Tessa. Something that she accepted the grander importance of, but she personally felt held no relevance to her people's lives.

A Nephilim, though...to those that knew of their supposed place in elven history, there couldn't be a more profound existence. Even gods took a backseat. A god may have created the elves, but the Nephilim made them who they were. Their magic, their culture, their scholarly identity, and even their ruling class, the high elves...legend attributed it all to the Nephilim. 

And every high elf in the room with Tessa knew it. 

She could see it on their faces – her daughter, Darak and Linnea, and even the King and Queen – their eyes sparkled with something akin to worship. Once Selena made the connection on her own, planting the seed of the idea, and Linnea verbalized and confirmed it, the reverence of the elves for Mizuki was infectious. It dispelled any doubt and spread among the elves like wildfire. 

Tessa could feel it, too, threatening to overwhelm her – the desperate hope that a Nephilim might now walk among them. 

At the same time, she also felt despair. Because she saw clearly, even then, what that knowledge represented – a potential momentum behind Mizuki's rise to power. If Mizuki's alleged nature as a Nephilim, and all that entailed, was shared with the common people, and the atmosphere in the room spread through them like it had the nobility, it no longer mattered if Tessa supported the marriage. Even three out of five nobles' support was more than enough. 

In all likelihood, the revelation heralded the end of life in the Elven Kingdom as Tessa knew it. In one fell swoop, the assertion of Mizuki's Nephilimhood, true or not, had robbed her of any semblance of control over the developments in her kingdom, and simultaneously drenched the future in uncertainty. Both together was more than she could take. 

And so, as her sense of control slipped away from her, so too had her consciousness. 

In the present...

As the memories of the meeting's earlier events cease their assault on Tessa's mind, she snaps herself from her daze, reminding herself of her new environment post-fainting.

Once again focused on the present, she notices that everyone in the room is quietly staring at her with expectant expressions. She realizes that she's probably just been laying in silence for quite some time since waking. 

It's not hard for her to imagine that she's been unconscious for quite some time, given the change in location, so she quickly sits up properly on the couch, trying to gather her bearings. Then, she clears her throat nervously. 

"Ehem...sorry, have I missed anything? While I was...out." (Tessa)

To her surprise, Mizuki hands her a plate with kur'kes and a tea cup on it, meeting her gaze politely. She accepts it with a stunned expression, and he nods at her before moving to answer her question. 

"Well, you actually missed several things. 

"Essentially, with you and Lord Jorah indisposed, the rest of us quickly realized that discussions about my and Ilina's marriage were pointless until you rejoined us. So, I teleported everyone back to the royal palace, you two were moved into this room for your comfort, and a guard was left to monitor you. 

"In the meantime, the rest of us met to iron out the details of a few minor topics that we mentioned earlier but never reached a final decision on. Your respective heirs participated as proxies. 

"However, first, I had to clarify my status as an alien and a Nephilim. Helena and other regular elves weren't keen to move on until they were also brought up to speed about what your people know about Nephilim from your fables. I insisted on waiting to discuss further details about my race and origins. 

"With that out of the way, there were questions about the trains and MMCs that I agreed to build for the other nobles, in the event that you all decide to support our marriage. Regarding the details that were decided upon, well..." (Mizuki)

Mizuki turns to Ilina expectantly as he trails off. She nods and fixes Tessa with a very stern gaze, her voice broking no argument. 

"Allow me to explain. I've asked him to build a single train system for each noble that connects Avalon to their capital city, where your family homes are located. I've decided that those trains will be managed by the royal family, specifically me. All train operators will be hired and paid by us, and approved by Mizuki and Nina.

"At no time, ever, will the nobles or those in your employ have direct control over the trains' enchanted items, and Alara's current train operators will also be moved under the royal family's employ. To make clear the severity of this expectation, tampering with the trains, trying to study them, or interfering with a royal train operator's job will be officially ruled as high treason, punishable by death. I have the Queen's full support in this matter." 

Tessa, who's largely stunned by the influx of clearly important information, glances at Elira inquisitively out of habit, causing Ilina to pause her explanation. Elira merely nods seriously to confirm Ilina's words, then Ilina continues speaking. 

"With my threats out of the way, let me also confirm that all profit generated by the trains will still go to the noble whose territory it connects to. We will also leave you – within reason – in charge of deciding on the fares for your train system, setting operating schedules, and negotiating any kind of cargo shipment deals with merchants. We will only be responsible for the trains' direct operations.

"As for the MMCs, Mizuki will build exactly one per noble, in your family homes, in a private room that you can assure the security of. To start, the items will only be capable of receiving messages from the royal palace, not sending them. That will allow our Queen to instantly summon you or convey important announcements, and you can send response letters by train if needed.

"After some time passes, and I'm assured that you'll use them responsibly, Mizuki will fully update the MMCs so that all royals and nobles can exchange messages freely. If you never convince me that you can be trusted with the full MMCs, then you'll never get them. Simple as that. 

"Finally, understand that these conditions are not up for even the slightest debate, and the other nobles have already accepted them. I wholly understand and share Mizuki's concerns about the rest of you having access to these revolutionary enchanted items, and it's my trust with my fiancé that is on the line here. So, I'll be doing everything I can to make sure I live up to the considerable trust he's placed in me by granting this request. That's all." (Ilina)

Ilina turns to Mizuki and nods politely, signaling both the end of her declaration and the resolve behind her words. Mizuki gives her a wide, appreciative smile and nods in return. He then glances at Tessa, presumably waiting to see if she has any questions or comments about what she's heard so far. 

Truthfully, she's registering the information, and she understands it in a detached way, but she's not really capable of caring about it properly right now. To her, things like what kinds of gifts Mizuki grants them seem so inconsequential in the face of the revelations that caused her to faint. When it comes to how she'll respond to their requests – when she recovers enough to do so – trains and MMCs are a non-factor. 

Unaware of Tessa's inner thoughts, Mizuki assumes that her silence means she has nothing to say, and he continues updating her. 

"Thank you, Princess Ilina. Now then, back to what else you missed, Lady Tessa. Another thing that we all discussed was my impending negotiation meeting with the Empire. Specifically, I wanted advice on whether any demi-humans should be given a seat at the negotiations, and whether I should visit all the demi-human tribes first to apprise them of the situation and potential consequences. Ultimately, we agreed that I should at least inform their elders of my plans, but that I should avoid including them in the actual negotiations if possible.

"After that, we got word that Lord Jorah had woken up, and everyone joined together to update him on what he'd missed. To recap, that was my and Ilina's engagement, our desire for his help in facilitating a public, official marriage, our offer of trains and MMCs, and of course, my inhuman nature and origins. 

"As for Lord Jorah's reaction to all this information..." (Mizuki)

Mizuki trails off with a thoughtful, conflicted expression on his face as he glances at Jorah, as though he's trying to decide on a delicate way to describe something. Before that can happen, however, a giggling dragon interjects. 

"Hehehe...the poor elf lost his mind. That was his reaction." (Nina)

Jorah scoffs indignantly. 

"Given the absurdity of the information I was being given, my response was that of any sane person." (Jorah)

Tessa jumps at the sound of a short bark of laughter from Elira. The Queen's face twists into an exasperated expression as she shakes her head. 

"Sane? Is that what you call your reaction? When this moron regained consciousness and Mizuki and Ilina reiterated their expectations surrounding their engagement, he started screaming for the guards! He claimed that Mizuki had sexually assaulted our Princess, and if I hadn't preemptively told the guards to ignore any calls from Jorah, no matter how desperate, someone could have died!

"Once we finally subdued him enough for us to continue the discussion, and he found out that all the conscious nobles had already given their approval, he started trying to strangle himself with his bare hands. He was convinced that he was having a nightmare – the idiot was trying to wake himself up. It took Zakariah's help to convince him everything was real and talk him off the metaphorical cliff!" (Elira)

Tessa glances at Jorah with a bewildered expression, her eyebrows raised as she waits for confirmation. Jorah just sighs, shrugs, and nods. After a few moments of stunned silence, she can't help but notice that, as of now, Jorah is sitting within hugging distance of Mizuki...completely calm. 

'So far he's been acting like Mizuki is his old drinking buddy...what the hell happened?'

Tessa raises her eyebrows at Jorah. 

"Jorah, if I may say so, you aren't exactly acting...eccentric, anymore. In fact, you don't seem like you were bothered by the discussion of Mizuki's and Ilina's relationship at all just now. What happened? I thought you hated Mizuki so much that the mere mention of him being so familiar with our Princess would make you turn hostile without exception." (Tessa)

Jorah gives her a puzzled look. 

"That's not true. I never hated Mizuki...per se. I just have zero room in my heart to believe that anything a human does is remotely trustworthy. Still, even I can't deny that, on record, he hasn't done anything but benefit us. I was just convinced that, as a human, we must be missing the true, nefarious goals of his actions. So, the lesser his interactions and influence with our people, the better. 

"However, once I learned that he's not human, and from another world no less, I changed my mind. Humans can't be trusted, but I see no reason to distrust a...err, Nephilim?" (Jorah)

Jorah glances at Mizuki inquisitively, as though confirming that he got the name right. Mizuki just nods politely. 

She's largely remained in stunned silence since waking up, but hearing that word...the severity and implications of it send her into an internal turmoil no less severe than what first caused her to faint. Tessa's face reeks of incredulity, and she can't keep it out of her voice either as she interrogates Jorah further. 

"And you believe him!? About being a Nephilim!?" (Tessa)

Again, Jorah just shrugs. 

"Well I sure as hell don't think he's human after everything I've learned today, and that's good enough for me. As for him being a Nephilim...why not? I confess that I didn't know what they are before waking up earlier, but everyone else conveyed their known qualities from our fables.

"Based on that and what I was told about Mizuki and his people, which was confirmed by Lady Alto, Lady Nedonera, and the Princess...they are strikingly similar. He even told me that there are stories among his people about them coming to that planet from among the stars. Even more compelling, he says that even though his race is the only sentient one on their planet, and supposedly always has been, he already knew about elves from their own fables. How could that be a coincidence?" (Jorah)

Tessa's mouth nearly drops open at the revelation, which she admits is pretty damning evidence of Mizuki's people being Nephilim. She turns towards him in open disbelief, desperately seeking confirmation. 

Mizuki is secretly more than a little embarrassed about the mention of his people having stories about coming from the stars to Earth. Naturally, and unbeknownst to anyone else, he was actually referring to just one of dozens of fringe conspiracy theories about how life came to be on Earth. Similarly, they also have stories about most of the creatures on Azura, not just elves. Needless to say, he knows those two pieces of 'evidence' are far less compelling than they sound. 

So, he simply nods at Tessa sheepishly, who is too stunned to notice his odd behavior. After she's silent for a few moments, he's quick to change the subject and move on. 

"Ehem...and so, after Lord Jorah was updated, everyone that's not here now went to discuss the defensive preparations for the country in case of an invasion by the Empire. At Selena's behest, your other escort joined them to act as your proxy, as Dargo and Zakariah did for the royals and the Abel house. Jorah stayed here since we figured you'd want to talk to him.

"And...that about covers everything you missed. Any questions?" (Mizuki)

With her eyes wide and her face pale from the recent revelations, Tessa reaches for the kur'kes on her plate, only to realize that there are none. Her face twists in confusion as she notices the crumbs everywhere. She could swear that the plate was full of them when Mizuki handed it to her. 

In actuality, she's been absentmindedly stress-eating all of the kur'kes while Mizuki spoke. 

Realizing her blunder, she quickly pulls the cup of tea to her mouth and drains it in one, long, embarrassed gulp. Then, she returns her attention to Mizuki, who is just staring at her silently, though he's clearly somewhat bewildered by the sight of her behavior. 

She clears her throat nervously. 

"Ehem, uhm...I see..." (Tessa)