Day After the Transfer
Aura 1
"They seem a rather large crowd these dark elves. Are we sure it would be ideal for them to take refuge within the city proper? I find a temporary camp within the outskirts of the city would prove a better alternative."
Such was Shalltear's proposed suggestion, as her delicate hand elegantly unfurled a jewel-crusted fan, sewn with red and black cloth, to shroud her lower visage.
The room fell still at that, patiently appraising the merits of such an approach.
…that was, everyone save for Aura, who found little appeal in attending such matters of state and social affairs. She was instead focused on something else entirely, mind and all. 'This is the 8th time she'd unfurled that thing since the meeting.'
The dark elf watched once more as the accessory vanished, done with its inane act.
She understood not the reason behind her cousin's fascination with the turgid trinket, nor why she deemed it proper to continuously furl and unfurl it with each sentence she uttered.
Was it perhaps a new trend?
The ways of fashion were removed from Aura's interests, thus she was unfamiliar with many of its new fancies if they did not spill over their usual circles. Thus such a thing might be the case.
Yet it mattered not. She found it annoying, and she would see that her cousin knew this, lest it became a habit.
Her brother, who was sat beside her, was the first to break the silence, a question on his lips. "Wouldn't such an approach make them feel isolated?" He asked, "Not that I don't see the benefits behind that idea. If so, wouldn't it be better just to… I don't know, build the temporary camps within the forest?"
Mare had been tasked, or would expected be the proper word, with overseeing the integration of the native dark elves northeast within the great forest, along with subjugating the mad creatures who had sparked the current unrest within it.
More still, he was set to carve up suitable locations that would in time become the Fiore fiefdom now that uncautioned movement and expansion did not spell doom.
Unsurprisingly, the Aigroqir would be playing a great role in these operations, which ultimately meant that Aura would also be heavily involved, and not just as a notable figure within the ranger corps, but also as a major member of House Fiore.
Which was again the reason she was involved in this meeting she quite honestly wanted no part in. A fact she made clear to her brother, not that doing so accomplished anything.
…not when the king himself was the one who requested her presence. And the elven monarch was among one of the few individuals she felt no eager to disappoint.
This was something she suspected the man was aware of, as he would occasionally direct questions her way.
"It's quite the opposite, Mare," the king stated, his treasure gaze settling on her brother. A low-pitched tone was his voice, an interesting contrast given his extremely androgynous beauty. "There is a considerable disparity between Elgroth and the dark-elven settlements. Bringing them directly into the city would only serve to disorient them, especially amidst the current bustle."
Her unmatched eyes flickered towards the royal, whose attire had taken a different form from the one he had on during their morning feast barely a handful of hours earlier. Gone was his midnight black silk outfit kissed by the blood-red embroideries and sleeve-touched with pale gold. In its stead, he favoured silver and gold for his look, with the former hue holding dominion.
Beside him, the queen opted for the same colours, if transposed in theme.
Not for the first time, Aura found herself curious about the true enjoyment of carnality. Was it really as good—nay, as incredible—as the royal couple made it out to be? After all, the both of them did tend to be more pleasant to be around after they had sated their lust upon each other.
Were her tutors' claims about such baser activities truly false? Mayhaps a word with her cousin would enlighten her, revealing if the pleasure derived was solely for women to bestow.
Ignorant of her improper musings, the king leaned back in his chair before continuing his reasoning, "While the camps will maintain their sense of community, the dark elves and the city denizens will have opportunities to mingle, with free transportation provided for both parties to traverse between the camp and the city."
On some level, Aura thought she understood the importance behind the king's reasoning. The native refugees were an unfamiliar community, one with different views and traditions. Immediately introducing them to the subjects of Elgroth— individuals who experienced little outside of suffering— would be an unwise decision.
After all, hard times did make for loose morals.
Irisviel, overjoyed beside the still bitter Cocytus, elaborated on the excellence of her cousin's suggestion. "This will also lessen the demand on the medical personnel, who won't need to be overly divided. They can simply monitor the health of the elves within the city's borders instead of constructing a subpar temporary facility beyond it."
"I see," Mare said, his hands coming to scratch his cheek as he thought over something. "So it would be a slow integration. Though what incentive will the dark elves have to mingle with the city folks? From what I've seen they seem a reclusive bunch."
Few were the things that invoked pure discomfort within Aura. After all, she was a hard woman, a boast not ill-given but earned through her survival of Shalltear's recounts of her many horrid romantic tales and unwanted suggestions on who would pair well with her noble self.
Yet still with at that, the mere sight of Mare trying to mimic King Arathron's persona was one that sent a dark shiver down her spine.
Dreadful.
Alas she suffered alone in this manner, a fact she understood immediately as she noted her cousin was looking at her with mild amusement...
And thus came another aspect that pulled within her discomfort. Her attire, or more precisely, the look her cousin forced upon her for this meeting.
In lieu of her common fashion, she had on her a long black-leather choker dress worn with a pair of midnight stilettos belted up her ankles in a diamond fasten. On her long ears were drops crafted from pure mithril and fashioned in the variant of maple. While on her head, her blonde hair was semi-braided and left in a back cascade.
The dress clung comfortably to her frame, emphasising her curves and bosom slightly shown.
It was a rather…alluring look. Not that Aura was opposed to such fashions, yet she felt there was a time and place for them. And quite frankly those times were when the queen was not present to foster doubt within her.
…unwanting to act as further amusement for Shalltear, the dark elf feigned immediate interest in the pile of documents before her.
Yet even with that, she did catch the response to her brother's question.
"That is true," the king replied, a tinge of pride in his tone. "Though it's something that can easily be mitigated by opening a few stores within the campsite, no?"
"It is the simplest way to promote interaction and bolster the wealth of the people without resorting to direct gifting," Demiurge quickly added, appearing to have already devised a plan.
Once again, they delved into another session of back-and-forth, fine-tuning the details of their plans to divide up lands and borders, along with business ventures and the construction of administrative institutions.
Budgets were made, opportunities drawn up, and ideas discussed. There was even an announcement of an engagement among the noble bloods, though Aura failed to discern who the regarded pair were.
No, the elven ranger was lost in the pages depicting the conditions of the dark elves the king had deemed necessary to rescue and protect. And rescue they did need.
Prominent amongst the writings was the ill-fate that had befallen these forest dwellers. Malnutrition, ailments, and sustained injuries were the most common.
Although it was a dreaded realization, Aura understood why Shalltear was hesitant about immediate integration. Despite their grim living conditions, the dark elves boasted an estimated population that amounted to a fifth of Elgroth.
Speaking of their grim living conditions, the ranger was honestly astonished by the natives' lack of advancement. It almost seemed like a glimpse into the Blight Epoch. From their shelters—structures made of branches, mud, and dry grass—to their attire, mere rags fashioned from animal hides and treated plant life, the dark elves' lack of advancement was a chilling discovery…
Curiously, she did wonder if the Chronos Institution would run interference during their operations. After all, preserving historic sites and affirming lost knowledge was their creed.
…worst of all proved to be the foods they consumed, plain meals prepared from the lesser bounties of nature, lacking both flavor and nourishment.
How one could survive such bitter comforts was beyond her comprehension. The Nine knew she would have long ended her life if she were stuck in a world without burgers.
No, she needed to rescu—
"Bella, is something the matter?" The king's voice sounded Aura out of her thoughts, a hint of concern marring his tone. "You've been awfully quiet for a while now."
The elven ranger looked up from the documents, finding that everyone present had turned their attention her way. Had she been in a normal mood, such attention would not only have stuttered her thoughts but also flooded her heart with anxiety.
Yet such was not the case now, with righteousness overflowing in her breast. "Your Majesty," she began, turning towards the king, whose face held as much seriousness as she felt. "We need to save these people."
Although not privy to the full extent of what she meant by those words, an expression that promised naught but agreement softened King Arathron's visage.
"Well said, Bella." Was the king's reply, spoken with a brilliant smile on his face.
Despite herself, Aura did feel a creep of rose on both her cheeks and ear tips at the monarch's honest affirmation. However, and much to her relief, her caramel skin hid most of it.
The king extended his right hand, a twinge of mana gathering through it as a spell formation manifested in less than a second. All this, she caught with her Essë-Làmin, the innate ability requiring no conscious heed from her to flicker to life.
…[Summon Item] manifested into a servant bell, a slight wiggle of the king's wrist echoing its [Call].
Alas, the others shared not the understanding she and the monarch achieved, thus bemusement made its way into their expression.
"My love, I feel you might have left the rest of us in ignorance." The queen's voice was a soft melody that carried with it a lilt that beguiled even with her confusion. "An explanation would be appreciated."
That last part was said with a huff, a physical exertion that…well, did things to the queen's bosom.
Beside her, Aura felt a shift…
In the tales shared by the old fossils who served her ancestors, there were often creatures—beautiful mimics who would sing ethereal melodies to men, luring them into their lairs where they would kill them and devour their essence.
The tales were meant to caution her brother about the viper women who would seek to use him and his prestige. A lesson Mare had only partially heeded, given the many maids he had taken to his bed.
Yet that was beside the point.
Whenever Aura was reminded of those stories and those creatures, it was the queen's image she saw as their false incarnation. This was not a thought born of any ill feelings, but rather the mere acknowledgment that the queen was to allure what snow was to cold.
Manifestation.
It also did not help that her brother did sometimes lose his wits in Albedo's presence.
…unsurprisingly, her druidic twin was locked in a stare with Albedo's chest. Discreetly, Aura pinched him on his sides. However, the yelp that echoed did not come from her brother's mouth but from Cocytus, now on the receiving end of Irisviel's glare.
The king, ignorant of this mild impropriety, turned to his wife:
"We've allowed ourselves to be absorbed in the minutiae of the politics surrounding our decisions instead of prioritising actions." He explained, easing his hand, vanquishing the trinket in it. "Let us not waste any more time."
The feigned annoyance the queen donned melted away, replaced by exhilaration. Aura had long come to understand the dynamic between the royal couple. Both were weak to each other, so acquiescence was more often than not their reaction to each other's requests.
This was to say, she was by no means surprised by Albedo's reply to that:
"Of course, my love~."
However, what surprised her was the immediate desire that flooded the queen's eyes.
'Gods, couldn't they act like proper people for a single day.' She groaned into her arms, uncaring of the breach in etiquette such an act caused. The elven ranger could not wait to be in the wilds, away from all this lunacy.
Not to say she disliked the royals— gods knew she loved them to bits. Yet all that love did not mean she was unaware of their many flaws, prominent of which was their blatant displays of affections.
Even now, Albedo had pushed herself beside the king, leaning into his shoulder like a lovestruck maiden. Not that the king was any better, his chest having gained a bit of volume at his wife's closeness.
'Even Aunt Bukü isn't this bad.'
Of course, everyone else feigned blindness to this display—not that most of them found fault in it.
Fortunately, the gods spared her this discomfort, as the doors' gaping ceased any further inappropriateness from taking shape. Welcoming the distraction, Aura did turn her attention to the room's entrance and to the group the elven monarch had summoned.
Yuri, the leader of the Pleiades, was the first to appear, acting as the head of the group. Her face was a portrait of serenity and her appearance elegant in the unfashioned uniform worn by all maids.
Even more so, she was graceful in her movements, steadily yet unhurriedly making her way toward the front of the "C"-shaped table, followed by Lupusregina and Solution, who were in turn tailed by Entoma and Shizu.
They almost seemed rehearsed in their motions, synced and theatrical and all the while serious. Had she lacked proper context, she would have believed them to be naught but disciplined maids who found little fancy in all things improper.
Coming to a halt at the head of the table, the maids deferred to them graceful bows.
"My king has summoned for us?" Yuri asked of the royal, her face a stoic tranquil.
"Indeed I have," the king replied, regaining his prior gravitas. "We have reached a few decisions, and I would see them implemented with haste."
"As his majesty decrees." The maids said in unison, retrieving their scripta. "What orders does your majesty wish for us to carry out?"
"There's a coalition of dark elf tribes within the great forest, a few days west of Elgroth, that has come under attack by beasts riled up by a corrupted treant." King Arathron held the maid's eyes as he talked, "These attacks have left their homes in little more than shambles. From what we've been able to ascertain, this has been a month-long ordeal and one that found the forest dwellers with little to begin with."
Aura was perplexed by the king's recount, though she had the presence of mind to hold her tongue. After all, politics was a delicate affair, and despite her lack of competence in it, she still understood its etiquette.
Looking at the maids, she found the elder three were intensely listening and recording the royal's words.
The king pushed back into his chair, "As noble individuals of Elgroth, we've decided to render aid to these unfortunate people."
"What my love means to say is that he needs you to prepare the tools such an endeavour will require—at the very least, some that will help with their food, temporary shelter, clothing, injuries, ailments, and more." The queen clarified, "Of course, since the tribes' population amounts to a fifth of our own, such an undertaking will require external support."
Lupusregina was the first to pose a question. "What of the destroyed shelters? Will the Builder's Guild need to be alerted about an external venture?"
"No," Shalltear answered before explaining further. "Temporary tents will be provided for lodging—at least for a week—until mass teleportation clearance can be arranged."
This time, even Aura heard the "we need to quarantine them first" that went unspoken.
"Thus, the guild will instead build a temporary camp near the northwest tower," the king spoke again. "Of course, all the funds for materials, supplies, and equipment will be provided by the royal family, along with some additional manpower to hasten the venture's completion."
It took a lot longer for the maids to scribe all the orders involved in that statement.
Just from the constructions alone, the ranger knew that visits to merchants, nobles, builders, and guilds would be made, while at the same time enforcing fairness among all those who would be involved.
"Let's not forget the villagers south of us," Cocytus informed, "they too will need the same support offered."
"Villagers?" Yuri questioned, curious.
"There's an undead horde wreaking havoc on the unaffiliated human villages a few days south of our city. We suspect that a necromancer might be involved in these incidents as the horde's movements are unlike those of common undead."
This was news to Aura. She hadn't been aware that they had human villages as close neighbors, nor that there was an undead plague happening nearby.
Yuri, ever so caring, appeared rather panicked. "Sh…should I send notice to the cathedral?"
"The Militaur has a handle on things," Cocytus was quick to reject.
Demiurge addressed the concern. "Another temporary camp will be built near the east tower. Though this one will house a smaller number, perhaps half the size of the elves'?"
Irisviel nodded. "That should be enough, though there will be a need for caretakers."
An explanation was unnecessary for the latter words, as the implication was bare. Yuri's lips did pull into a frown at that, and the ranger was reminded that Yaimiko and Yuri did have several orphanages under them.
"Now, to less grave matters," the king declared, dispelling the gloom before it could fester. "I've decided that, as a gift to my subjects, I shall declare this day one of leisure and celebration as a reminder of our freedom from the accursed realm of the Vanir."
This was an expected announcement. The day was already joyous and in a light mood outside the palace's walls.
Still, the monarch continued. "Let it be known, through announcers and bulletins, that lands and people have been found. Those who might seek migration beyond the city's borders, will be provided with aid, and those who are sworn and with ménage, will enjoy further benefits. Those who would start businesses or expand their existing ones will be offered, not only assistance, but a reduced tax rate..."
Aura was now quite certain that King Arathron was trying to buy the loyalty and love of his subjects. Yet she did not dislike it; in fact, a look around assured her that no one found fault with this blatant gifting.
Withdrawing from the announcements and the scribbling of orders, she wondered about the operation involving Tob and the creatures that roamed within it. Her collection was starting to feel dull, after all.
'Mayhaps I can finally find a dragon willing to form a bond with me.'
Such an accomplishment ought to humble her brother.
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Information [Magics]
1. Call: A low-tier enchantment charm woven within a small, silent bell. A similar alert charm woven into the clothing of the desired recipient emits a chime when the bell is shaken. It has an effective range of one kilometer, with a preference for vertical direction.
2. [Summon Item: An 8th-tier spell that allows the caster to summon marked items to themselves regardless of distance. Its mana charge is proportional to the mass and quantity.
3. Essë-Làmin: The user can see the life essence of all living things within a 60-foot radius. This essence appears as a glowing aura surrounding each being, with colors and intensity indicating various states of health or affliction.
* This ability has a secondary effect that can slightly unveil things of either mundane, supernatural, or magical.