"Forgive me, I have nothing to do since this land isn't mine."
"In case you've forgotten, you stole Valokia-"
The dragoness paused her writing, her gaze drifting upward in contemplation. Stolen land... In truth, none of those around her were natives here. It was an old tale, one she'd overheard from the village elders and dismissed as mere rambling.
But now, the thought lingered—what if, hidden within their words, lay a sliver of truth?
"Zenos, are you aware of this realm's history? There are many reports about you being a peerless warrior who does not care about anything other than combat, but there are also some rumors that you are incredibly intelligent. If so, I need that intelligence now."
The Viceroy raised an inquisitive eyebrow, his eyes narrowing in a moment of silent deliberation. He closed them briefly, as though weighing the notion of aiding the dragoness, and when his gaze returned, a quiet hum of assent slipped past his lips.
"Well then, my amethyst... what is it you require of me?" asked the Viceroy, resting his cheek on his hand.
"Do you know any- Wait, what did you call me?" asked Mavislin, looking at him in confusion.
"Amethyst. A violet gem. A-"
"I know, I know. I'm wondering why did you call me that?"
"That, my dear, is what your name translates to—or at least, to my tongue. 'Mavis'—the shade of violet, and 'Lin,' a gem of rare worth. Quite apt, wouldn't you agree? But musings on language can wait. Now then, what pressing matter calls for my counsel?"
"Oh yes. Do you know anything about the natives of this realm? Or anything about ancestors? From my limited knowledge of this world, everything here, from beasts to us, are not natives to this land," asked Mavislin, turning away with a slight blush.
"From the books and legends I've perused, it would seem plausible that we were transported here from another world—though not quite like the summoning of some creature from a distant realm."
"The key distinction is this: a summoned entity returns to its original plane upon death, while those brought here as we were are bound to this world, our former lives severed, unable to return home even in death," explained Zenos, as he recollected his past readings.
"Then, would you say, there might be a chance we've yet to find the natives of this realm?"
"What would you consider as natives?"
The dragoness leaned back on her chair as she tried to figure out an answer. A native of a realm is not just a being born in that world. If the blood running through that being isn't from the realm, then it's an outsider. So, what would be considered...
"A being born from the contents of the realm. It would have no problems navigating the realm it belonged in and could have its own power rank. Not a god nor a monster..."
"If that's the case, now I understand why the Four could slip past our eyes so easily..." mumbled Mavislin as her eyes lit up.
The blonde tilted his head in confusion.
"Our next enemy we are planning to fight is the Mother Of Spring. I was trying to find out if she was based on a legend from the Seat of Valour since she was a creation birthed from prayers. It would then be easier to develop a strategy like the Twilight Twins."
"However, no matter how much I thought about it, there was no one to fit the criteria. And to top it off, there wasn't much about her powers as she would escape before the authorities arrived. My girls are now having a tough time locating her as well."
"Let's say that the Mother of Spring, Spring Song, was a native to this realm. And with all the reports of what she's done to her victims and the fact that she seems to appear everywhere in Titania would make so much more sense," explained the dragoness.
"I find myself... slightly perplexed. What precisely has this 'Spring Song' done to her victims?"
"I had thought, at first, that the victims were merely coughing up petals—but I was wrong. They had become petals. To alter a body's composition so completely, to reshape flesh and bone into something entirely different, would take years of study and mastery."
"Only someone truly born of this world could wield such power. Using this knowledge, I think I can formulate a good proposal despite our disadvantage."
"Allow me to highlight something about Titania. My retainers were sent there under my father's orders, yet they did not return. The only things recovered by the rescue team were scattered petals and a cryptic note referencing a cult."
"Initially, I suspected the Legion, but… this group feels altogether different," added the Viceroy.