"Sister Amplia, I’ll have to bother you again." Iris stood up and bowed. "I have something urgent to discuss with you. If you could do me a favour, I'll be eternally grateful."
Amplicia quickly went to the table and sat opposite Iris. Her silvery appearance remained unchanged as if time had no hold over her existence. Unlike before, she suppressed her powerful aura and kept amicable air around her, showing her respect to Iris and her mysterious origin.
"As long as your request doesn't harm The Empire, I'll be glad to help you," Amplicia said. "I'm sure Her Highness will be overjoyed to learn about you. If she wishes to meet you, I'll personally escort you to her."
"You're overestimating me, Sister." Iris shook her head, quivering at the thought of meeting the Second Princess. Even her loyal assistant was at the Condensation Phase; how terrifying would she be? "Her Highness shouldn't be spending her valuable time on me, a mere Slime Girl. She should be directing The Empire to prosperity."
"Her Highness and Her Majesty have already played their cards. The Empire will inevitably be victorious." Amplicia looked up at the room’s ceiling. "Sister Iris, if you pledge your loyalty to The Empire, Her Highness will grant you anything you may desire: food, wealth, maids, Monster Girls, Pure Races, or even saintesses."
Iris fell silent. Though she instantly rejected the notion, she had to show her respect by earnestly contemplating the issue. After a few minutes, Iris gently shook her head. Her expression turned complicated, as though she regretted her choice.
"It will hurt Her Highness if I were to pledge my allegiance to The Empire. Please don't mistake my words. The Empire is mighty, but the crisis over me far outweighs what I can offer." Iris wryly smiled. "I believe in fairness; it is better to keep our relationship strictly as partner."
"If you said so, Sister." Amplicia sighed. "What, then, do you need my assistance? Don't worry. I don't need anything; please treat this as compensation for my previous rudeness."
"How could I do that?" Iris leant forward, prompting Amplicia to do the same. "Sister, the Sinking will commence soon, and I can accelerate it."
Amplicia widened her eyes as she sank back into her chair. Her initial dim silvery eyes glowed, but she failed to see through Iris. The mysterious mist which concealed her thickened, blocking even the divination. When Iris smiled and returned a profound gaze, Amplicia almost shot up from her seat.
Through the divine eyes, Iris's silhouette distorted into a mass of fog. Her beauty resembled the glittering silver, her eyes gleaming in golden light, almost like Iris had turned into Amplicia. Their gazes were the same, infusing with a hint of divination, the power capable of peering into the sea of fate.
"Sis, you're staring too hard," Iris said. "Is there anything you wish to tell me?"
"Please forgive me. I unknowingly got lost in my thought." Amplicia wryly smiled. "What could I do for you, Sister?"
Iris sank into the chair and sighed. Her body quivered as she relaxed, feeling the suffocating weight dispersing from her heart.
"I have a family. They’ve helped me numerous times," Iris said. "I need to protect them, but I'm not strong enough. Sister Amplicia, you and the Broken Empire are strong, stronger than me, stronger than any nation. Please protect them."
"Is it not better for you to join us, then? Not just your family, but we will protect you as well."
"Unfortunately, circumstances prevent me. If I could, I would have done so."
"I can send people to take them right now. Is that good? They will spend their time within my mansion; I'll provide them everything."
"They haven't known about this meeting, but they won't let me leave if I tell them, so please keep this a secret."
"Then my people will keep watch from afar. If any problem arises, it will be settled in no time. I swear with the honour of The Empire."
Amplicia smiled. She then talked about various topics, mostly about the Puppeteer Legacy Ground, which she wished to visit but had to stay put to complete her mission. Though she had never experienced the trials herself, the information she acquired gave an illusion as if she had visited it multiple times.
Iris did her part as a good listener and swiftly digested all the information. Her innocent questions prompted Amplicia to answer vividly every detail. The conversation was so satisfying that the two didn't notice the Silk Revenant bringing in the beverages. She placed one for Amplicia and another for Iris, who blinked and snapped out of her daze.
"I don't remember asking for this," Iris said.
"Don't worry, Iris. I asked for it," Amplicia said. "Would you like to try it?"
Before Iris could refuse, Amplicia pushed the tall glass to Iris and stared at her, her eyes sparkling. Iris looked at the drink. Its dark purple colour was alluring, and its intense yet soothing fragrance invited her to have a taste. She smiled and held the glass, reaching forwards.
"A toast then," she said. "For the Broken Empire."
"For you as well, Sister."
The glasses clicked. Iris drank her cocktail and savoured the intense burn in her throat as it dispersed throughout her body, tainting her slime purple. The sweet yet sour aftertaste lingered in her mouth, but the bitterness from the concentrated Corruption Power stood out from other ingredients.
"The drink is called Black Bliss, Lady Iris," the Silk Revenant said. "One of the Esteemed Guests, a Darkness Elemental, bestows this name."
"Peculiar indeed." Iris twirled the glass. The dark purple liquid danced inside and bubbled. "I have never heard of a drink mixed with Corruption Power before."
"We use the Mystic Raindrop Fruit in combination with the Darkness Crystal to create concentrated Corruption Power inside the Black Bliss. It is best served after a lively conversation."
"I'm glad you like my choice of drink, Sister," Amplicia said. "Though every drink here is superb, thanks to the skilled bartender beside us."
"Great Lady, please don't overpraise me, or you'll be disappointed by my failing to reach your standard."
Amplicia giggled and conversed with Iris some more. Despite not knowing each other that much, they talked as if they were close friends who had not contacted the other for years. The topic of their conversation ranged from the mundane to the extraordinary, though Amplicia was the one mostly talking.
...
Reta stayed with Iris after everyone else left the room. Though she too played with Iris, her mind wasn't in the moment but kept receding to the instance where her webs of formation alerted her. From her calculation, Iris left the room, but she was also in her bedroom. Something wasn't right.
"Sis Reta, is there anything you want?" Iris said as she sank into her bed, panting. "You look out of your mind. Is something bothering you?"
Reta looked at Iris, then walked to the window beside the bed and opened it. The soft wind blew against her face, brushing her pale-white hair. The trajectory from the window matched with the part where the formation alerted her. She turned to Iris and smiled, her eyes gleaming.
"Sister Iris, is it possible that you can be in two places at once?" Reta said. "I heard that ordinary Slime Girl can only clone themselves after the Transformation Phase, but you are no ordinary."
"Why do you think so?" Iris got up on her bed, frowning.
"To practice my magic, I weaved an intertwining array around the house. It monitors every movement in and out of the house. I didn't have time to tell you because you've been inside your room the entire time."
"Why would I leave without telling? You all are everything I have and ever want."
"Sis, I'll give you one last chance. I haven't told others about this, but if you don't tell me the reason, even if you beg, I'll still tell Sister Lenmia."
Iris stared at Reta's pair of crimson eyes. Inside them were the overflowing determination, which told Iris that Reta wasn't kidding. Though Iris didn't want to worry her sisters, she couldn't divert Reta's attention. At least Reta hadn't told anyone.
"Promise me you'll keep it a secret," Iris said. "I don't want you all to worry about me."
"If it's worth keeping secret, then it must be serious. Why do you have to hide it from us, Sis?"
Iris averted her gaze, but Reta grabbed her and forced eye contact. They tensed but couldn't back down. The silence persisted for a minute before Iris shook away Reta and took a deep breath, regulating her words.
"Before coming here, I've seen many strange things and known many mysteries. I've made a friend, a powerful friend. She and I have struck a deal: she will protect us, and I'll owe her a favour."
"How great is this favour, then?" Reta sat beside Iris, leaning onto her. "Is it dangerous?"
"It depends on the situation, but it shouldn't be too bad." Iris closed her eyes. "Sorry, I thought it would be the best."
"Now that I know your secret, we'll be closer than ever, right?" Reta said. "This sounds fun, so please don't tell others about it. We can surprise them later."
"Thank you, Reta."
"If you want to thank me, how about you clone yourself for me? Can you make the other me or any of our sisters?"
Iris shook her head and pointed at herself. The fake core inside her body slowly dissipated, returning to the appearance of the ordinary blue slime.
"I can only create one clone for now, and I can't mimic any of you yet. I can change my colour, though."
"Really?" Reta perked up. "Any colour?"
"As long as I know what it is."
"Can you mix colours? Can I have a rainbow colour?"
Iris giggled and closed her eyes. The Corruption Power inside her swirled, forming a river that permeated her body. Using her sophisticated control, Iris condensed and shifted her concentration of slime and its colour, though at a different rate in a different place. The process was complicated; she needed to retry a few times before multiple colours emerged on her membrane.
The shades flowed inside her body, breaking off into differing branches, merging, spiralling. The green slime mixed with the red and the blue, turning Iris into a bubbling pot of colours. As she got up and placed herself in front of the window, light refracted inside her slime. When she spun, a soft trail of light sparkled around the room, turning her into a lantern which radiated all possible colours.
"Sister," Reta said. "You look majestic, like an angel from my dream. I've never seen a living rainbow before."
"Then use this chance to see everything. Embed this into your heart. As long as I'm still here, you will see a living rainbow, always a living one."
"Very poetic, Sister." Reta smiled and turned around, walking out of the room. "I've seen enough, and I'm satisfied. Thank you. If it isn't necessary, I won't tell anyone. Family first."
After the door closed, Iris sighed and laid on the bed, staring at the ceiling.
"Family first, always," she muttered.
