"Of course, this will only take a moment." (Mizuki)
I walk over to Alara and place my hand on her head. She doesn't fight it…she doesn't even look up. Then, I focus on pouring my own magic into her, and I will it to sink into her body and become one with her.
After a moment, it feels like she can't hold any more of my magic, and I release her and step away. Alara seems to have noticed that I didn't harm her, and she looks up at me in confusion.
"There you go Alara, I've returned your magic to you. Why don't you give it a try?" (Mizuki)
Alara stares at me dumbfounded for several moments, but eventually lifts her hand and conjures lightning around it with an incantation. She repeats this for several minutes in complete shock, then she finally turns her gaze towards me.
She's terrified, through and through. Now's the perfect time.
"You may have gathered that I'm not what you thought I was, Alara. I'm sure you want an explanation, but I don't give those to people like you. Instead, I'm going to make this very simple. You will uphold your deal from before, and you will never again attempt to inconvenience me, or anyone associated with me." (Mizuki)
I pause for a moment to gauge her reaction. She's still terrified, and I don't see any desire for hostility, but I wouldn't say she's completely cooperative either.
"I see…you don't look convinced that doing as I ask is in your best interests. You should know that if you don't comply, I can find you anywhere on the planet and take your magic, or I'll punish you in ways that will make that seem tame. However, if you never cross me, then you can still live happily as an elven noble." (Mizuki)
Alara seems to make up her mind, and she begins nodding furiously with a frantic expression.
"I-I promise, M-Mizuki! After this announcement, you'll n-never hear from or see me again! If anyone asks about you, I won't say a negative thing about you, or mention what happened today. I don't know what you are, and I don't want to know anymore. P-Please…just let me go peacefully." (Alara)
I glare at her, and she looks back fearfully. I still see no hints of deceit or hostility…I guess that's good enough for now. I let out a deep sigh.
"Alright, you can go back to where that guard found you. Stay unproblematic and do your part at the royal announcement to make this a smooth transition, and then you're free to go live your life. I promise to not bother you after that unless you cross me, or you're implicated in a crisis. How's that?" (Mizuki)
"T-Thank you!" (Alara)
After her thanks, Alara leaves the room in a hurry, and we're plunged into silence. I turn back towards everyone to assess the situation.
"Does anyone have any concerns about that situation, or how I handled it? I obviously had to bluff Alara a bit, and I truly don't want to hurt her. I didn't enjoy hitting her that first time, but it seemed like the easiest way to set the tone. I'm sorry if I scared any of you." (Mizuki)
After a moment of silence, the others begin commenting. Nina and Zara wear relatively relaxed expressions.
"Fufufu…I think that was beautifully done, Mizuki. It's like I've always said about you, you only show complete mercy or complete force. She rebuked one and got the other…I see no issue." (Nina)
"I personally agree with your stern approach, Mizuki. Half-measures are rarely effective with people like that elf, but I admit that I'm used to dealing with the wolf-kin who respect strength." (Zara)
Elira and Dargo weigh in next. Elira's face is a mix of pity and relief, while Dargo just seems…relieved.
"Mizuki, I honestly can't think of any better outcome. You've shown Alara more compassion than you showed the slavers you freed some of our people from, and she's done nothing but spite you in return. Thank you for being willing to reveal yourself to Alara to some degree to make this possible. It was quite scary seeing you like that, but…I think I agree that it was necessary." (Dargo)
"I'm having a harder time being as accepting as Dargo. I know she deserved every bit of that and more after how she's behaved, but…she's still my daughter. However, I am shocked that she's seemingly going to no longer be a problem child, and you didn't have to critically injure or kill her to make it a reality. I personally had no better paths to resolution in mind, so…I can come to terms with how you did it." (Elira)
Honestly…even Elira's reaction is better than I was expecting. I let my frustrations guide my actions a bit, so I was worried about the fallout. I turn to Ilina with a questioning gaze, and she looks…grateful.
"It's okay Mizuki. I was surprised when you hit her, but you were still gentler than I was when we fought. If I'm being honest…while I wish you'd given me a warning, this still feels like it was a compromise where you favored my feelings. I didn't think she'd get off that easy, or that you'd be willing to expose yourself to do it. So, thank you." (Ilina)
I'm honestly in shock…I think they are drastically overestimating my character here. I just basically tormented Alara in front of them, so some fear or condemnation would be well within expectation. Are they just lying because they're scared of how I'll react? The thought makes my blood run cold.
I turn to Alto…I can trust her. She'll be honest with me no matter what. Looking at her expression…I see fear and regret. I feel a rush of fear myself over what that may mean for our relationship going forward, but I'll accept it and try to make amends however I can.