Having paused, Ais tried to think about her choice. On the one hand, she had the option of being much closer to people who know her mother, on the other hand she had the option to stay away forever and even potentially become an enemy.
"I…" She stopped, as a question rose in her mind. "Can I see mama?" She asked.
"It's possible." Ceraunius was the one to answer, though he wasn't done… "Before we can do that, it would be for the best if you learn to master what your magic is really capable of."
Riveria's eyes widened for a moment. "I have tried to teach her about it…"
"Unsuccessfully." Gamelia quickly knocked that slim hope down. "You should know by now we're the only people in the world who can truly teach her." She added.
"Right… I know little to nothing about spirit magic. Much less about controlling it." Riveria began feeling dejected, the one thing she prided herself on, and she was no better than a fraud. "I'm not even close to someone like Alfia, let alone a spirit like you, Lady Gamelia, or your husband Lord Ceraunius."
Ais had been staring at Gamelia's face, seeing the beauty she possessed was so much like her mother… "If I go with you, you'll teach me how to use my magic better, hold me when I have nightmares, and let me visit my mother?"
"That's right, and you'll gain a real family. One that treasures you as who you are. You'll never have to hide who you are ever again. Embrace it, and be yourself. The person that you want to be." Gamelia answered.
Ais gulped and hugged Gamelia, burying her face into the crook of her neck. "I want to see mama. I want to get stronger, like my papa was." She answered, shaking as she did. "You feel warm, I want to go with you."
"Aisepoo?" Loki began crying, as if a mighty dam just shattered. "I-I-I-I can't… I won't…"
Astraea smiled, and let Bell and Zaria down from her lap. "Can the two of you go grab Royman? He's probably still panicking outside the room."
"Yes, mamastraea!" Bell said, running off with a quickness that stunned Riveria for a moment.
Then… "Hey, wait for me, Bell, Mamastraea said we were to go together." Zaria pouted cutely, bounding across the room.
"I just got excited." Bell laughed childishly.
Shortly after, Royman came inside with a few other guild representatives flanking him, one of them was Eina… Being the smart young lady she was, that despite her being a novice, could clearly figure out the gist of things. She was also flushed red from Bell and Zaria staring at her with sparkling eyes.
Royman was rubbing his brow of sweat, some would call it pig sweat, but… "I heard a few things from the two kids. However, please explain the situation."
Astraea smiled, though it only looked and felt warm to the children of her familia, Ais, and then Eina as a special favor for Bell and Zaria. "Ais Wallenstein wants to convert to my familia. She has passed my test, and I will accept her. However Loki is insistent upon refusing to let Ais go, she can't even say her name right." She explained, leaving the rest of what could happen to the imagination.
"I-I see, Lady Loki, you know as well as anyone, conversions are not uncommon. However, there is also a price for something like that. You should name it, and accept this outcome." Royman explained, utterly terrified of Ceraunius and Gamelia. "Alternatively, you can fight a wargame to keep her, risking your whole familia."
Loki was caught in a rock and hard place. She may have been the Patron of her familia, but a decision like this would still need Finn. This was because Finn ran the familia, Loki was the figure head, Finn was the one with the real power. "Riveria go find and bring Finn here."
"As you wish Lady Loki." Riveria slowly stood to her feet, and made a move to leave.
It was dead silent in the conference room for several minutes, spanning to a half an hour that passed before Riveria returned with Finn and Gareth in tow.
"I've heard the gist of what's going on from Riveria. Loki, what do you want me to do? Fight a war game we can't possibly win? Or ask for something we can't possibly get on our own right now?" Finn asked, his thumb braced in place so it wouldn't shatter to pieces being so close to Gamelia and especially Ceraunius. "From the looks of things, Ais wants to go with Lady Gamelia. Is this true, Ais?"
"Yes, Finn." Ais said, cutely sitting on Gamelia's lap, her hair being brushed again, only this time she was smiling a little.
"Alright, Lady Loki, you know what my goal is, and I can't do that when we lose a war game like that. So unless you and Lady Astraea can agree on conditions for the war game now, I can't agree to anything like it. It needs to be something either side could win." Finn explained. "I have no reason to prevent Ais from leaving if she wishes to do so, but that doesn't mean we can't demand something from them in return."
"But… Fine, Astraea, what would you say to a battle without Ceraunius, and Gamelia participating?"
"That's acceptable." Ceraunius butted in. "I don't like to bully the weak. However, you have some at level 6. So if you want me and my wife to stay out of the battle, we will with the sole exception of giving our familia our buff." He smirked.
Astraea, knowing what that was, started giggling, then calmed down. This was enough to make Loki ask the next question. "So what would you ask for Finn?"
"To make that choice I'd need more information, but something that would really help us to push further into the dungeon would be nice."
Ceraunius let himself show a small smirk. "This little discussion you're having has made me certain neither of you deserve her. You can rest assured we'll get you something. I know just the thing. We'll see what you do with it." He said. "It'll take a few weeks to grab it… It's quite far down after all."
"What is it?" Finn asked, curious what he was getting in exchange for Ais.
"Something better than Adamantite. It's so rare it might as well be none-existent."
Finn, Gareth, Loki, and Riveria gulped audibly.
"Titanite." Ceraunius said the name of an ore that made everyone speechless.