I'm exhausted.
It must be psychological because my body didn't actually do anything all that time. But I suppose it could also have something to do with the 'soul damage', or whatever. Despite the claims that the injuries on that plane would translate to the real world, I don't have any injuries on my body. Either they healed, or they were never physical in that sense.
"Congratulations, Master! You've won the quest and the reward for it!"
What reward? The enchanted robe? It's not really that important, given my skin is already like iron. If it were a new weapon, at least that might be of some use, but Absolute Defense makes one armor the same as another.
"Oh, no, Master, you've been given a very special gift for defeating the boss and proving your strength! The Queen herself has chosen to reward you with a special item."
...I really don't want a blueberry yogurt flavor or whatever. Just to be clear.
"It's not yogurt, Master. She likes blueberry jam."
I don't. Want jam. Nor do I still care what this woman wants or likes except whatever is required to leave this damn place.
"Master, you can't just be rude to her! She's a powerful ally!"
I don't care. I've seen no evidence anywhere that I need any kind of allies at all. If anything, this side quest only outlined what a liability having allies are. If it were just me alone, I could have walked straight to the door without a problem, or fought those shadows as long as I wanted.
"That is not the lesson you're supposed to learn, Master!"
I sigh. If I'm being offered a quest reward...well. At least that's something more than just getting to continue moving forward. I'd have liked to keep the demon king's sword, but the elf queen apparently wanted to keep that to test other random passersby.
"Using the sword would trigger its curse every time."
The shadow world thing, or the nakedness?
System Helper does not respond to my query.
I sigh, aggressively carding my fingers through my hair. I suppose I should be somewhat satisfied. I could fight enemies for once without...well, with less of the obnoxiously broken abilities I never asked for. I could be hurt, overwhelmed, even possibly die. But why did it have to be tied down by a damn escort mission?!
Seriously! Instead of getting to enjoy combat, I got stuck with four companions who couldn't defend themselves, one of whom was experiencing some kind of existential crisis, and the death of any was an instant loss! Who would ever think that would be fun?! It wasn't a test of my skills or ability, it was a damn babysitting adventure with bonus therapy sessions!
"Answer: It was a test of mettle and loyalty, Master."
I don't see how forcing me to babysit people would prove either of those things!
"Master, I have news. Queen Liyana is coming with your reward. Then you'll be allowed to return to the others."
Finally. Though I don't expect much this early, if it's something I can sell then it'll at least be worthwhile. It's not even my fault this time that I didn't get any treasure from this adventure, but I'm still without any gold in case I need to buy anything - like a better sword.
The elf queen reappears from inside the complex, where she'd vanished and demanded I not follow her into. She looks as regal as ever, standing as tall as I am, with that long, flowing green hair of hers spilling over her shoulders in a way that reminds me of some eighties movie I watched once and can't recall the name of. I'm little more than a cretin, but even I can tell at a glance that she's got a certain regal...royalty? Something like that. It in the way that she stands and moves. Little things that I can sense and recognize when I look, but not describe,
Well. All I've ever seen is fiction. But from those video games and movies, she'd fit right in.
I'd be more impressed if I weren't so annoyed by her recent side quest.
"As a token of our gratitude, let me give you this." The queen holds out a box in her hand and opens it, revealing my reward. It's a silver-and-wood bracelet, delicately engraved and woven together with what I can easily assume is magic. "This is an elven bracelet of projection." The woman nods and smiles. "It shall give you some limited control of shadows and illusion, and amplify any magical potential for it that you might have. May it be of use to you in your foolhardy quest."
That sounds about the level of a simple side quest reward, yeah. "What does it sell for?"
"--What?"
I don't care if the tone in the voice of the queen changes or not. If I'm not interested in it, it's useless to me. That, and anything that 'amplifies magic' is useless to me. Not only do I not want to get some cheesy mage build, but I already have that irritatingly broken skill that masters all magical elements by default anyway. It's useless to me. And that's just how it is.
She stares at me for a long moment, and then shakes her head. "It is a priceless treasure. It is not something you can sell."
Everything has a price at the right unscrupulous merchant. Or sometimes every merchant. Unless this world has some kind of enforced no-selling-quest-items rule. But if that extends to quest rewards that's just a quick way to piss anyone off. Who wants to keep a bunch of junk forever?!
"The bracelet is a gift, and cannot be sold. It is a rare and valuable artifact that has been in our possession for generations. You must take it and appreciate its worth." She shakes the box at me, as if to insist I take it. Which is impressive, when I just indicated I want to sell it.
I'm not sure if she's saying that to me or trying to convince herself, but. Either way, it's not a gift. It's an obligation. If I refuse it now, I risk infuriating her and getting us trapped in another cell. I did not just survive an impromptu escort mission just for it to go to waste because I offended the quest giver. So. "...Fine."
If I can't sell it, then maybe Meera will be able to use it, at least. She's a magical type, and presumably she's not already unlocked every single magical power on her own. Unlike myself, middling gear is probably good for her. Which is yet another reason why I never asked for these damn abilities! There's no satisfaction of progressing to better equipment if it's all just worse than what I started with. If not for these damn abilities this would actually be useful!
...Even though I still probably wouldn't use it, because mage builds are always either trash-tier or overtly broken. Or both, depending on the level.
The queen hands me the box, and I take the bracelet out of it, pocketing it in the surprisingly voluminous pockets of the enchanted robes I've been given. "Thank you." It's the right thing to say, even if it's not the true sentiment. I'm not quite so disconnected from human contact as to not know that.
She nods, and turns away, gesturing for her guards to follow. The elves file out from their stone bleachers back into the compound, and I'm left alone. It seems she really is true to her word. If I'm free to move around as I wish, we must not be her captives anymore. I sigh and run my fingers through my hair again. I suppose I should check in on my companions. Even if my body is only perfectly fine because of the regeneration - which is a possibility - Arin will have healed up any harm they suffered in there. Which, if I recall, was mostly Kael.
Still. I should...probably meet back up with them. If I don't, I imagine I'll just wake up to Meera leaning over my face one day without warning, and I really don't want an experience like that. I push off from the pillar, wincing at the odd cramp in my thigh that comes from walking again, and trudge back into the compound. My companions were with me right up until I entered the arena, so they shouldn't be far even now.
Elara looks up, eyes sparkling, when I walk into the room they're all sitting in. "Ryo! That was incredible!"
"...Was it?" I blink. She seems awfully energetic for as moody and depressed she was a few minutes ago on the Soul Plane.
"It's not every day you see someone light on fire and then not die screaming." Kael says, lips quirking up into a faint smirk, "I could have done without the peep show after. But maybe I'm outvoted on that."
"K-Kael!" Elara shrieks, face turning as red as her hair.
Meera cackles and coos, "So naughty, Ryo~!"
...What...??
"Answer: Kael is referring to the sword's purging curse that-"
Not that! Why are they talking about the fire and not the whole...everything else?
"Answer: Their souls were not conscious during the test. They have no memory of it happening."
So, they saw...what....? Just. Me standing there on fire for however long the test actually took?
"That's correct, Master! They only saw your nakedness!"
I don't! Need a reminder! Of that!
Ever again!!
I cough, cutting into the discourse about. Nothing important.
"Look. We're free to go. So." I wave in the vague...general direction the exit of the forest should be. "Let's. Go."
Kael's attention turns from Elara, who is still red faced and blabbering nonsense, and he gives a short nod. "I agree. The less time we spend here, the better. The queen will keep her word, but she can change her mind at any time."
...Yeah. That sounds pretty fae to me.
"But the exit is actually that way." Meera points to the opposite wall of the one I pointed to.
Alright. Fine. Maybe I do need to have companions still.
...Of all the things that damn goddess had to go and give me, she could have given me some kind of internal compass, at least.
"She would have, Master, but she didn't know how bad your sense of direction is...!"
I choose not to dignify that with a response, and instead follow the others to the horses. Which actually just means following Kael, because he's the only one who actually knows where those horses were taken by the elves.
He takes us in a straight line from where we were to the stables - and despite the number of elves I've seen in this place so far, I see none of them on the trip to the stables, nor do any appear as we ride out of the elven encampment and back into the open forest. Apparently, when the elves are done with us, they simply dismiss us and ignore us. Which is just fine with me, really. I'm just as happy to be out of this place and back on our original path again as quickly as possible.
The path in question that we follow is not the same one we were on before - the road is far more used than before, cleaner cut and heavily packed from traffic. But Kael rides with confidence, and I see no reason to question his expertise in this situation. Even if he was...completely unhinged in the Soul Plane. His true darker self isn't really my concern anyway, as long as it doesn't somehow get in the way.