I’m sitting at the table again. The diary is right there, pen at the ready. But now’s not the time for that.
“This district sure doesn’t look very lively,” Avilia says as she stares outside from the open window of our room. “I wish we could go see the rest of it.”
Today’s the day Karine promised she’d come talk to me and Avilia insisted that she wants to be present for it. Not that she’d have a lot of places to be in the first place, though!
“You and me both,” I say with a sigh. “But it wouldn’t be safe.“
Avilia turns around and smiles at me. Ugh, how can she be so cute? “But we are used to things not being safe, are we not? I am starting to doubt it could be worse than walking through the city during a battle!”
“Sure, you’re right in a way. But then we could just assume everyone had ill intent and keep our distance. Now? There’s going to be people everywhere and there’s no way of to tell.”
“Not worth the risk of getting stabbed, right?”
“Right.”
“So,” she says as she walks closer to me, “Where are you with your writing now?”
“You know how I told you I was writing down the infiltration bit?” I say as I pick up the diary, “We’re almost at the palace now.”
“Almost done for now, then?”
I nod. “Yes, it shouldn’t take too long now. I’d like to know when we’re allowed to leave before I’m done, though.”
“And that is why you asked Karine to come, right?” An innocent smile.
Her face is close to mine. Before I know it, I’m stroking her face.
“Didn’t I tell you that already?”
“You did.”
We kiss.
“I love you.”
“I love you too.”
A knock on the door.
Avilia stands up straight with a complex expression on her face. “I guess that would be her.”
I place the diary back on the table. “Probably.”
“All right,” she says as she takes a seat. “No point keeping her waiting.”
“Right.”
I walk to the door, open it, and...
Karine walks straight in with Flore in tow. “Sorry to keep you waiting!”
Why’d she bring Flore? Not that I’m against seeing her, but still.
“It’s fine, “ I say as the three of us stand just inside the room. “You’re busy, it’s to be expected.”
“Nice to see you again, Flore.”
“And you as well!” She gives a shallow bow. “I’m happy to see you two in good health.” She glances at Karine. “Karine’s told me what happened during the siege. I can’t believe you had to fight the black knight of all people.”
“I was sure we were done for. If he had been at his full strength…”
A shiver down my spine.
“But you pulled through nonetheless!”
“Oh, I guess so.”
Karine pipes up. “And that shows that you aren’t just a regular person! No one else could’ve made him run like that!”
Back to this stuff, already?
“Now now,” Flore says as she places her right hand on Karine’s head for a few moments, “I doubt she wants to talk about that. Right?”
“Absolutely right. I’m not a summoned hero, Karine.”
“R-right.”
“Are you three going to keep gossiping out there for much longer?” Is that annoyance I hear in Avilia’s tone?
“Shall we?”
I sit in front of my diary again, while Karine and Flore take the seats opposite of us two.
“Oh,” Karine starts and swipes my diary and opens it, “is that the diary I told you to keep?”
Rude!
“Yes, it is.” I extend my arm towards her. “How about giving it back?”
“I just want to see what you’ve been writing about.”
I sigh. “About everything that’s happened. I’m getting close to the end of the battle.”
“I see, I see.”
She turns a page.
“Your writing’s gotten easier to read.”
What’s that, a backhanded compliment?
“Thanks?”
“Remember, this is just a diary. You don’t have to write it like a story like this.”
“Anyway,” she says as she closes the diary and gives it back to me, “I doubt you asked me to come here to critique your writing.”
I place my diary on the table again. She ought to know why we’d want her to come here.
Avilia decides to start. “How much longer do we have to wait?”
“I figured it’d be about that,” she says and looks at Flore for a moment. She just smiles at her without saying a word.
“We’re like prisoners here,” I say, “I’m pretty sure this isn’t what we agreed on.”
“I know, I know, It’s not.”
Karine taps on the table.
“But you know how it is. We’re still going through all the dealings of the monarchy. As the provisional government, we have to figure out a way to do reliable voting. A census has to be done.”
“But you don’t need us here for that, do you?”
“No, we don’t. But we haven’t really had time to think what you’d deserve for your part and all that. I’ve barely had time to fix the arm I made you after it got damaged.”
“So does that mean we are not a priority?”
Good one, Avilia!
“Sadly,” Flore says and shakes her head, “That’s exactly what it means. While Karine maintains you’re a summoned hero and it looks like you two were instrumental during the siege, the others think having you wait doesn’t matter.”
“And there you have it,” Karine says. “The best I can do is keep bringing you up in the meetings.”
This isn’t exactly what I wanted to hear, but… It’s what I expected. It’s not really a secret we intend to leave when we’re given our reward, too. Since Karine’s been pushing the summoned hero narrative, I doubt they’d want their “summoned hero” to skip town before they’ve figured out the basics of their new government.
“Could you at least send me the repaired limbs?”
“Could you do that for me, Flore?”
“Sure. They’re in our room, right?”
Karine nods. Is that a little bit of blushing I see? “I just never had a chance to bring them, is all.”
She coughs. “Was there anything else you wanted to talk about?”
I nod. “Since it doesn’t seem we’re going anywhere soon, I want to learn basic illusion magic.”
If we’re stuck here, I’d at least want to be able to go outside!
“Illusion magic? Why’s that?”
Flore sighs. “Isn’t it obvious? They want to be able to go outside. As they are, they’d be recognized the moment they went anywhere. And dyes aren’t fool proof.”
“Oh!”
Karine gets up, looking all excited. “I can do one better! I could add something extra to the limbs before they’re brought back!”
Suddenly, she switches gears and is deep in thought. “Illusion magic, huh? I could add something that’d let you hide your true nature if you want to while using them. Could even hide their form. They’re kind of bulky, after all.”
“Could you add something like that to my regular limbs, too?”
She’s literally beaming with excitement! “I definitely could! Could you come by tomorrow?”
Tomorrow? I thought she was busy! I guess some things don’t change.
“Sure. But wouldn’t it be easier to just teach me illusion magic?”
“Easier? Maybe. It’s still something you’d want to learn, sure. But what if you go unconscious? What if you need to sleep? It’s definitely safer to have the magic be activated directly like this.”
“You’d probably be able to find some books about illusion magic in the former royal library,” Flore says. “We’re still busy going through its contents since they burnt so much of their documentation just to spite us.”
Avilia puts her hand on my arm. “Do not worry. I will help you as well.”
I smile at her. “That’s reassuring.”
“Anyway!”
We all turn to look at Karine.
“I need to go back to do the adjustments right now! Is there something else you need?”
“No,” I shake my head, “I can’t think of anything else right now.”
Given that we’re not going to be leaving all that soon, what else would there be?
Flore stands up. “If you would excuse us…”
“Come by tomorrow at noon-ish, alright?”
“Sure.”
After some hasty good-byes, the two of them leave, with the two of us still sitting at the table.
I push my back against the chair. “That went better than I thought it would. I kind of expected her to just ignore my request and come up with some lame excuse.”
“Yes! Even if we cannot leave yet, at least we can visit the city soon.”
“That’ll cut into my writing time, though,” I say with a sarcastic tone.
Avilia giggles. “I am sure you can manage.”
I smile. “Wanna go check the library?”
“Already?”
“No time like the present, right?”
She smiles back at me. “Okay, I wanted to stretch my legs anyway!”
Maybe we’ll find something fun to read, too!
Thank you for the chapter! And no worries.
Thank you for the chapter.
The helpful weasel strikes again