A/N: Sorry for the late update, I kinda sorta passed out from the heat.
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Both of us chose to enter the dark, decrepit corridor without even having to look at each other for confirmation. Obviously, we didn't inform anyone else about our whereabouts either, since that was the smart thing to do... or rather, the thing anyone with a lick of common sense would do.
Unfortunately, I was an adrenaline junkie and Luviagelita was basically Lara Croft when it came to exploring weird places. Such a thing as forethought was just not part of the dictionary when it came to our duo. My inner cautious Henry sobbed at my actions, but I locked him inside a closet and proceeded to forget that he ever existed.
The air was musty, dust and cobwebs gathered on the dark, misshapen walls, and the wind hummed strangely the deeper we went. There was little else though... and considering the sort of things I'd encountered thus far, all this wasn't really cause for any alarm.
"What was that spell last night?" Luviagelita inquired suddenly as we walked, her amber eyes seemingly gleaming in the dark... nevermind, they were actually glowing.
It occurred to me once again that all magi were technically massive fucking nerds... or, geeks for the more inclined. Just that their particularly niche subjects of obsession happened to be capable of influencing the world in a supernatural manner. To put more substance to this perception, most spent their time holed up in their workshops researching and forgot even basic human needs.
At the same time, because their research gave them very real power outside some really niche discussion, they also had really big heads. The biggest heads even. Much of the nobility didn't consider anyone not a noble human to begin with.
I eyed Luviagelita.
That was what made her such an oddball.
"I didn't expect you to be stingy with it." She huffed.
"What? No, I'm not being stingy. It was a fire arrow. I'd think someone so esteemed would have working eyes and over two functioning brain cells. My apologies for overestimating you." I did a theatrical bow, flicking my wrist to the side as I ducked under her high kick.
"I saw it in a manga once. That's it. I swear."
For a moment, she looked baffled but then she just sighed. "That is... about what I've come to expect. I was curious about which school such a spell was based upon."
School... Thaumaturgical Foundation.
"None. The spell itself was the impromptu foundation. Before you blow a fuse, that's exactly what Flat does with his spells. Except the dickhead can just make spells out of nowhere cause he feels like it."
In contrast, I had to obey many more rules. While my eyes allowed me to analyze the 'flow' of mana at a subatomic level, process, and manipulate it with unparalleled efficiency, I couldn't just make things out of nowhere. No one could just will mana to do things. There was a certain 'process' to everything. So, there needed to be a basis because of the unique methods in which mana was made to influence the world.
The methods I identified as the 'languages' of communication that were used to write the 'programs' called spells. Of course, one could use words and letters in many different ways, in both programming and real life communication... but knowing those letters came first.
Where I could just straight up copy a spell, Flat could 'write' a new spell that did the same thing. But, in his own way, he had more limits. He was limited by his perception and processing speed, I wasn't, not to his degree at least. He could read the flow of mana too, but not like I could, no one could do it like me.
But, the comparison was unfair to both of us.
Flat was the raw type of genius. I was a cheater. And a damn proud one.
"I'm him."
"A Brand ranked magus can do that too." Luviagelita deadpanned, not all that impressed. "It's just highly inefficient so no one chooses to."
I nodded in agreement, raising a finger. "In the words of the Professor, it's like making a new computer every time you want to run a new program... except the computer just explodes every time you're done."
Suddenly, her face soured. She really didn't like Waver for some godforsaken reason even though he was a pretty great guy, in my experience, at least.
"But, but, Miss Luvia, the hate for Flat and the Professor aside, don't you think I deserve some praise for being able to do it as someone who's practised this stuff less than even Gray? You said it's Brand level stuff, didn't you? That's like the second highest rank."
"Yes, yes..." She sighed. "You're very impressive."
"That doesn't seem very sincere."
"I've been seeing you do it for quite some time now." I didn't know why, but those words seem to affect her a lot. She looked around uncomfortably, then brought her hands together like some blushing maiden, "It's more of... well, it's natural that-... I expect you to be... impressive."
"So she says, completely ignoring that she was trembling when it first hit her."
"...Can it." She averted her gaze.
I chuckled, deciding to annoy her further. "Coincidentally, what happens if I do fail? Not saying I would, but what then?" Dramatically, I put my hand over my forehead, "Would you abandon me? Saying I was nothing but a passing flair? Or a disappointing pet project?"
The Edelfelt Princess steepled her fingers, avoiding my eyes with the barest hint of a smile.
"Then...Then I would give you a hug... and assure you that you would do better next time, with my help."
Aw dammit. Now it was my turn to be speechless.
"And of course, take some heads as revenge too, or at least punch someone."
Fortunately, circumstances chose to save me from being embarrassed when we abruptly came upon a room. It was nothing grand or particularly awe-inspiring, just a small room reminiscent of a prison cell, complete with a jail bar window cut into stone just above a rudimentary bed with bloody sheets.
A small shelf stood near, lined with a couple of dusty tomes, a pentagram, some measurement tools and some...
"Are those torture tools?"
"Seems like it." Luviagelita put a hand under chin, not really affected by the surroundings.
I unceremoniously poked the prongs, then the spiked baton, the cuffs, the... wrench?
Either Geryon Ashborn was one kinky son of a bitch or he was a professional torturer from medieval times. There was even a fucking stretching rack, chains and all, standing just beside the entrance. I lowered my aviators, and plopped down on the hard bed.
"No spells or nothing. But this place is the centerpoint of this whole workshop. His own torture chambers? Wait, a sex dungeon?! Luviagelita, did you know this was here and bring me-... My voice wouldn't reach-... Kya~"
"...It's his living chamber." Luviagelita ignored me. That was no fun. "And... I wouldn't need to bring you somewhere secret."
Woah.
Wait no, double woah.
"Who the hell would live in a place like this?"
"A magus." She whispered, tracing a finger along the dusty shelf. She stopped near a particularly thin red leatherbound book. "This is it, his research journal."
I was... honestly baffled. It made no sense to keep journals, and even less sense to keep them when engaging in activities like this room suggested. Surely, individuals obsessed with knowledge possessed a spell to retain memory or some such.
"It's an ego thing. Every magus believes himself chosen." Luviagelita explained before I could even ask, "He would like for those who follow to know of his great accomplishments. Naturally, the same goes for myself as well. Yet... I would never do something a quarter as barbaric. I tremble with disgust at this savagery."
With an annoyed click of her tongue, she tossed the journal over her shoulder, at me. I wondered what could possibly annoy her so much as I grabbed it out of the air and flipped through the pages... It didn't take long for me to understand where she was coming from.
"I told you something was shady here." I snorted, scanning the pages.
Much to my disappointment, the angels really didn't have anything to do with the incident this time... He just made use of their innate mystery as holders of 'power' to strengthen the effects of his workshop, that was it.
Luviagelita's 'disgust' came from something else entirely. Or rather, the fact that the whole Tuner thing was a massive sham. There was no secret knowledge. The dude was just killing his customers, then tearing them up for materials to help with research and... crest restoration for the select few way out of his league.
Yes, it detailed how he used those materials for said restoration but... for a person like Luviagelita, who prided herself upon 'elegance' and what not, it was just barbarism. No wonder she was so annoyed now. Then there was the bit about how he made that creature that attacked Heine from his wife's remains.
Tldr; he was just as fucked up as any typical magus.
"Absolutely disgusting. Ah, why did I expect anything else?" She kicked at the wall, and the stone trembled under the force, displacing dust and cobwebs. "You may burn that, Henry."
I tuned her out for a bit, flipping more pages, until I came across a page that listed recent visitors.
"Well now... Have a look here."
"Orlocke is natural." Luviagelita narrowed her eyes. "The two were rather close friends. It makes sense that he would visit to have his failing crest fixed."
I shook my head.
"Not that," I trailed my finger down to a second familiar name. "Lookie here."
"...I do not understand how that concerns us."
"Yeah, but it does tell you something about why someone like this would basically pass over his inheritance to the winner of a damn puzzle. The math doesn't math here. Look at that little side note. 'I implanted what I had of Glannid onto that person.' Glannid's his dead son, right?"
Yes, I was still stuck on how fishy this whole thing sounded.
She just tilted her head. Honestly, I got her confusion. He used his wife as materials, what stopped him from using his son.
"Well, it would tell a smarter person something. Unfortunately, neither of us are that smart... so let's just shove this on Waver."
"What would that talentless hack be able to do with a name? It doesn't matte-"
Suddenly, the howl of a beast cut her off. The grating noise bounced off the walls, possibly amplified by the workshop itself and I couldn't help but cover my ears. When I looked up, I saw Geryon's wife barrelling down the dark corridors, pincers clicking together as her claws scraped against the stone floor, leaving long gashes. This tight space really wasn't an ideal for a fight against something like that.
"Of course." I groaned.
Luviagelita regathered herself in the blink of an eye.
"I take offense to being thought of as easy prey to be ambused." She raised a hand to her chest, and her crest flared. With her other hand, she tossed a number of shimmering sapphires and rubies in the air, "Call! Blue 3! Red 4! For your Queen!"
That was probably her chant or whatever. It made zero sense to me. Still, a blinding light erupted from the precious stones, instantly pushing away the darkness... and flashbanging me in the process.
I heard the beast howl again.
When the light cleared... nothing had happened. Confusion flashed across her face as she tried again.
"For your Queen!"
Again, nothing.
She looked down at her hand, at her crest... and her eyes suddenly widened. "It deactivated... my Crest?"
By then, the beast had crossed the distance between them. It lunged for her... and if it got through the diamond-like hardness of Heine's armour, it was definitely getting through her flesh.
"Well shi-..."
I moved before I could even think.
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Hope you enjoyed. Please, share any thoughts you might have on the chapter.