"Mono/Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

Narration

[Message/communication apparatus]

Date: August 1088

Location: Unnamed wilderness, near the border of Northwestern Kjerag.

POV: Narrator

Nyx is currently taking care of her temporary shelter and office for further resource prospections. The site is a typical wooden cabin with several drone sentries lurking around, scanning and dispatching threats. More mundane protections include barbed wires, tripping mines, and even the occasional ditch with stakes. Looking inside Nyx is hard at work.

She maintains a multi-function communication station near the wall, before moving onto a rack of armaments near her bedding. On the right side, just a step from the double door is where her bike was being parked. Nyx had also set up a communication tower just outside her shelter, strong enough to withstand occasional winds but easy to repair if it snapped anyway… which might never happened due to a gorgeous lady helping her around.

“… You don’t have to do anything you know? I can manage just fine…”

“Define manage.”

“That I can place where I need an object to be and know when and where during the occasion of me needing them? Come on, it is not like you’re my mother or something…”

The gorgeous lady snorted with bemused exasperation. She can’t believe that this is the Grey Serpent when her mask is nowhere to be found; childishly hopeless, dryly snarky, and insists on doing things all by herself using backtalk as a ruse.

“Oh my, really? The very moment I stepped inside, all I could see was nothing but a barely tidied up storage; if not some forgotten dumpster made to hide objects from illicit dealings.” The Feranmut moves her hands around a box of spare parts. Several balls of ice can be seen helping around with cleaning too.

“… That’s just rude…”

“Oho? Do tell me why you deemed it acceptable to have explosives lying around a barrel of dormant Originium? How can you be so nonchalant to sleep inside such a place…? You’re a lady that I had deemed to be capable, so please act like one.”

“Jeez, look how lucky I am to have a Feranmut as my Guardian and mentor in ethical concern… Yay…” Nyx's flat tone is enough to highlight her distaste for the matter and can’t do much about it; especially since it is true.

“Speaking about that specifically, how could you tell I’m one? Pretty sure my acting was top-notch as a clueless, cute, and harmless lady who sadly got lost in the woods. I was even crying out for help with the best possible scenario of damsel in distress in mind back there…” Nyx is starting to get irritated with Feranmut’s teasing and amused grin.

“The very fact that there was a clueless, cute, and harmless lady being lost in the woods made my stomach churn… Not to mention just how blatantly different your scent and aura are compared to everything I had documented around here. You’re also dressed too nicely for being ‘lost’ in the woods judging at how you have no dirt, no visible bruising, your utterly fake distress, and I know just how territorial beasts are around here.”

“Can you honestly blame me? Your senses were sharper than I thought they would have… If I just popped up right beside you, I would surely have a knife stabbed into my throat.”

“That’s what is called the right to self-defense.”

“Call me outdated with common trends, but I’m sure your perception of self-defense is skewed.”

“…” Nyx decides to not go further, she has an inkling that she is fighting a losing battle. Sadly the Feranmut has more to say when she smiles before speaking out loud about something that interests her about Nyx.

“I see traces of how your body is still trying to adapt with yourself… each of those facets of yours are racing against one another, how troubling… Do you need help, my child?” Nyx froze and cursed internally for her lapse, before playing it off as nothing.

“… Scratch that, you’re just a stalker with that admission…”

“Fufufu~… That was a terrible accusation if I say so myself, have your parents ever taught you manners? A lady as dainty as I am is deeply hurt by such a thing, you can be quite empathetic no?” Despite the lady’s scowl and pout, Nyx spots how the corner of her lips quivers.

“Hmph, it wasn’t much of an accusation and more like an interpretation of your demeanor… and for your previous question, I only have an adoptive Dad…” Her teasing expression is gone, effective immediately. The Feranmut can only fidget where she stands and sports an apologetic, sincere, and awkward-to-boot, smile while shyly scratching the corner of her lips.

“… O-Oh… Sorry. I… Uh… don’t mean to belittle your familial ties… promise…”

“… Apology accepted… still surreal that I met Kjeragandr herself…”

“I’m nothing more than Kjarr at the moment~. Kjeragandr is currently busy with goofi- Ahem, working and ensuring that The Snow Realm is safe~.”

“If that makes you happy then sure, Kjarr… I swear that your kind has been a pain in the ass…”

‘Am I actually cursed?’ Nyx wonders why she keeps meeting the gods and or elders of Terra. The Pythia suspects that there is something really wrong with her fate; as far as she’s concerned.

“Judging from your tone, you have someone who is a believer in one of my aspects no?”

“Yeah, I got an acquaintance from Victoria. She keeps shouting your name whenever I do something stupid, according to her inflexible mind anyway.” Nyx said nothing else and Kjarr can see how she is no longer in the mood to entertain her until she is finished with setting up everything. The Feranmut smiled sadly at how she pushed what was plaguing her mind aside. Kjarr remembered the incident that happened just 4 days ago, mere hours after their meeting.

Flashback

Kjerag, a land of eternal winter. High peaks to climb, rich woodlands of white, blanketed in ice and sung by a lullaby of winds are what makes Kjerag, Kjerag. This land and nation were seen as an insular and backward country, so much so that they’re largely ignored for having anything of value for the major chess player of Terran geopolitics. This insularity promotes an image of not willing to escalate anything as long as they’re left alone.

An old myth had regaled a tale when Kjeragandr, the now patron deity of Kjerag from Before the Common Era, had once led her people to settle in the mountains free of catastrophes. She was defined by her gracefulness and willingness to accept those who wish for a reprieve from the world’s blight. It is a sacred part of their culture that is only being venerated by its core inhabitants, but to the outside world, this story is nothing but folk tales and myths.

Such a tale had naturally emboldened unsavory elements to encroach its peripheries; all scrounging up for a shelter or a land to claim as theirs. One such group can be seen hiding near one of the many scattered caves around the country’s borders, this cave is a makeshift one with piss-poor foundations made up of rusty steel mixed with wooden pillars held by barely acceptable beams. The cold would have shattered said pillars and snapped the beams, but with some wasteland finagling, they made do.

Forget about the cave for now, since this one was currently in the middle of a tense argument. Judging by their clothes, either a group of failed mercenaries, exiled rabbles, or perhaps… outlaws.

“What do you mean you were scattered and the hideout got ransacked?!” An Elafian angrily shouted at his subordinate. Well, subordinate might have been such a generous term; they’re actually bandits. The subordinate cowered from both his chief berating and colleagues who seemed to be taking in the sight with morbid giddiness and delight.

“B-Boss, it’s the truth! We just got there before suddenly smokes started showing up from everywhere! W-We hightailed since the local authority might-” The man got cut off from saying further, and his superior exploded in anger once more.

“Local authority my ass! Those mountain hicks aren’t gonna bother this far out! Even the Paleroches won’t give a single flying fuck we staking in a land for ourselves there.”

“Beat his ass boss! Or just give him to us, we can use some sandbags after all.”

“Yeah, he is useless anyway. At least his sister is good for something, this ungrateful shit can’t even suck a cock…” The man starts clenching his hands, it is one thing to humiliate him, but touching his sister is getting on his nerves. Yet he perseveres; they are frankly depending on the group after all and neither of them can stand up against a couple dozen of them.

“Screw that, I ain’t riskin’ it. We should have just thrown him out, that cursed shit can spread ya know?” Cursed… yeah… that made his heart sink again, not in the city and especially not in the wilderness will he find peace. An office worker who got unlucky; tales as common as a grain of sand on an average Sargonian desert.

“Fucking infected, can’t do shit right… Why are we accepting this useless shit again? We should have just pawned ‘im off to Ursus; we can get a few bottles that way. His sister got nice ass and clean; unlike this fuck.”

“Go back to the mine, slave.” The man withstood the barrage of insults, his palms were squeezed so tightly it had gone pale white. He gritted his teeth but kept trying to convince them that there was something there and that it was in their best interest to go somewhere. The chief then barked out; annoyed and exasperated in equal measure.

“Shut up! Ain’t talking to you fuckers!” His men quieted down immediately; their boss can be quite frightening when angered. He is an Elafia but built like an Ursus, towering at 7’4, and a body made of steel-like muscles. He turned his attention back on his Feline subordinate, whom is afraid but had yet to relent on his words.

“Boss, I’m telling ya; Kjerag is up to somethin’ best we look elsewhere.”

“Then where? First, however, Why? If you cannot make a good reason then I’ll have you hanged.” The surrounding outlaws are sporting nasty grins and mocking expressions. Frankly, they’re fed of seeing nothing for the last weeks.

“I think that the Browntails aren’t going to do anything there, they are just conniving bastards from those shitty drunkards. Which leaves us with Paleroches and Silverash…”

“The Paleroches might be their primary military, but they won’t step outside their territory. Guardianship of Mount Karlan will always be their primary concern. The Silverash had gone quiet from what my information brokers have, guess losing their previous chief still hit hard and the new one is just a city boy who knows shit. Then average Kjerag citizen? I don’t think they even know what a Television is.” His surroundings hummed with agreement and pent-up aggression.

“I failed to see why would they do things this far out. Speak up, what else do you have?” Outlaws that have been watching quietly get noisy again, sensing that the infected will get lynched after all. Not to mention that his sister is as good as unprotected once he is gone; early birds get the worm. The feline gulped but pushed his misgivings down and needed to think of something… then a foreign voice came from the entrance.

“Goodness me, what naughty people you guys are …” Everyone immediately turned away to look at the source, there stood a gorgeous woman and she walked like she owned the place with a bright smile on her face. One of the bandits got enraged, but before they could do anything they got stopped in their tracks.

First, they feel cold; freezing, and unforgiving cold. Second, they realize how something is breaking apart at the seams and pain starts to clash with both endorphin and adrenaline in a bid to preserve their psyche all the while their mind being left unable to cope effectively… and by the third, they toppled with their legs shattering like broken glass. Fourth?

“AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!” The bandit cried out in agony, their legs bled profusely, and their bones were shattered along with their mangled flesh of icy property, this happened while the potential perpetrator paid little attention to them. She kept on walking forward and the outlaws unsheathed their weapons, once again she paid no mind to their aggression.

“Who the fuck are you?!” One of the bandit said, and despite their tone; terror can be felt vividly from each uttered syllable. The woman smiles, a very bright one in fact; yet her disgust is clear for all to see. She sighs before answering.

“How awful… does your mother never teach you decorum? I understand that all of you have your own sob story; but it was a cruel act on what you did to those sweet children, you know? Just dumping them on the sideline like pieces of rags…” She tilted her head, her expression unreadable and her smile was no more.

“However, if I am angry… wonder what a certain someone is feeling right now~.” Her tone turns back into a sing-a-song inflection while being uttered along the tide of mock pity. She put one of her fingers beneath her chin and adopted a thinking pose, so cutesy and out of place that it caused her surroundings to recoil… doesn’t help that she had yet to acknowledge one of them bleeding on the floor, screaming.

“W-What do you mean, bitch?” The woman scrunched her eyebrows again, both distaste and dismay are marring her expression. She subtly glared at the one who called her with such a less-than-flattering nickname, and they flinched under her frigid gaze.

“What a foul and rude attitude you have, I was being nice of telling you that a certain someone is here. She is furious about those people of yours who left not too long ago. The acts they had done had frankly made my blood boil too but I still believe that not everyone is the same as those people. Then how about this certain someone you might ask? Hmph, better start praying.”

“W-Well! We have you surrounded, that one was a fluke, and no matter who that certain someone was, she would make no difference!” With that threat, 4 pieces of ice-like construct float around her. Each of the constructs morphs into a draconic head, and its maw lets out bluish vapor; a promise of freezing death should they initiate hostilities.

“Try it bitch! We’ll fuck you up, you’ll start begging for more!” Sadly they’re not that bright… but even animals know one singular language… and that language? Fear.

“Oh for the love of… well… me… Whatever, eyes up.” She gestured at one of the steel beams that helped the cave stay stable. They all look towards the direction she had graciously given them.

There they see The Grey Serpent staring them all down. Her eyes, safe from her blazing crimson color, are empty, her figure is so still one might mistake her for a statue, then blood and pieces of flesh clung tightly on her fists. Her expression might be empty, but it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that she oozed contempt and laughably restrained rage…

They all froze like a tiny frog under the gaze of a Midgardsormr by comparison. Some had already lost control of their decency, Kjarr scrunched her nose in disgust before pulling back ever so slightly. Her mood is already spoiled, no need to get too close to something even more disgusting.

“… Oh god…” To say that they lost all hope would be the same as saying that apparently getting burned hurts a lot. The gorgeous lady watches the ensuing bloodbath without missing even a single frame… She will intervene when necessary.

End of Flashback.

“Done… wait, where are the cables?” Nyx words yanked her attention back to the present. Nyx had just finished setting up the television, she told her that she was looking forward to one of her students, and someone she considered a little sister, fighting in a tournament of some kind. Kjarr gestured towards the balls of ice to bring up a table and chairs near the window. When Nyx looked back, she saw that Kjarr had prepared their seats, the table, 2 cups, a teapot, and cookies.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” She takes her seat while Kjarr is brewing their tea. The Feranmut then pours it into their respective cups before she takes a seat. Nyx was pleasantly surprised at how good the tea was.

Since the usual, and mostly shitty, advertisement is still ongoing, Nyx decides to get it out of her chest first.

“I owe you one…”

“Don’t be, it is only prudent to restrain our hatred and direct our rage to those who deserve it. I do concede, however, that facing the brunt of your anger was not an experience I wish to relive a second time or more for that matter.”

“My modus operandi beg to differ. I used to be more on the belief that even if you have done nothing yet; you’re guilty by being an accomplice with the perpetrator, thus death is a fair equalizer…”

“Your conscience did win over your bloody impulse. I might have no say in it, but cold logic was not how mortals operated.” Kjarr then turned her face to her, her teasing grin was nowhere to be found. She then speaks seriously.

“My kind sees the world with their own lenses; I wonder which one will prevail, yours or ours…?”

“I’ll find a way and even you have limits, isn’t it?”

“That I am, but we’re not equal, each of us has their own strength.”

“Which would be even better if it bleeds, a mere mortal can kill it and I know as much.”

“Indirectly calling yourself a mere mortal is not exactly accurate. Do not mistake confidence for senseless pride or false bravado.”

“Mortals are being rife with pettiness and bravado, we won’t be here if getting burned was enough to allay us from moving forward.”

“You speak as if you witnessed the creation of life, do tell me where this confidence coming from?”

“A youngling would tip-toe to find their limits, the old, even when at their weakest, had long since acquainted with said limits.”

“I wonder…” The temperature starts dropping and her icy constructs are morphing into their draconic form. Yet despite being exposed to her racial weakness, Nyx was not remotely disturbed. The Grey Serpent even has the gall to pull her chewing tobacco and start munching under frigid temperatures. She is neither shivering nor intimidated by how Kjarr is showing how outmatched she currently is… then the Feranmut laughs.

Laughter and chewing sounds coalesce upon one another, one is greatly amused while the other doesn’t even care one whit. On a side note, perhaps to show the Feranmut’s control, their teas’ temperatures were left unaffected.

“You’re indomitable! Goodness me, you’re just like her… A girl that had once braved the cold wind, to live or die with a coin flip chance. A poor little girl who had once climbed the mountain with the bell in her hand. A weak and shy little girl who sacrificed herself to find a path to the future. A girl who is in control despite boiling in anger of betrayal… She is the one I cherish and adore…”

“Uh-huh, good for you, and the match is about to start.” As on cue, the advertisement section ended with a countdown. After the countdown is finished, the camera shows the stadium from high above the sky. Spectators from all over the land are packed tight into the stadium. Nyx recalled that the venue has a capacity of 50,000 spectators, not counting the VIP seating.

“Hmm… it is the first time I watch a tournament without being physically present.”

“Can’t you just peek at them anyway and just how far behind you guys are really?”

“Oh shush it you, that query just made me sad.”

“You mean due to Kjerag’s isolationist policy? How so? I thought you’re the one who wish for isolation, judging by how devout your believers are regardless of where and present condition.”

“Not quite, while I’m happy for my people’s reverence of me and the things that entailed, I’m still sorely disappointed that they prefer isolationism.”

“… I have a feeling that this ‘they’ are not average Kjeragian…”

“Whoops, that’s not something I should say to outsiders. Sorry~…” Kjarr stuck out her tongue before winking at her.

“Suit yourself…”

[WELCOME LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! WE’RE BACK AGAIN AT THE 21^ST KAZIMIERZ MAJOR! I WELCOME YOU ALL TO WITNESS OUR KNIGHTS! BE IT THE BRAVE OR THE THRILL SEEKER, THE HUMBLE SOLO OR TEAM BUILDER, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY TO WITNESS A HISTORICAL MOMENT FOR OUR DAZZLING TOURNAMENT!] Kjarr winced from the sheer enthusiasm the audience had shown through the screen. Seeing them riled up so easily was unlike what she used to see back in Kjerag proper, though she couldn’t help but notice that some of the audience looked a lot more subdued than the rest.

[WE HAVE FOR US TONIGHT THE FABLED AND TESTED KNIGHT OF WESTERN PLAIN! THE MASTER OF BOTH SWORD AND SHIELD, THE ONE WHO WILL MAKE ITS OPPONENT KNEEL! LET’S WELCOME BRONISLOVAS, OUR EMERBLADE KNIGHT!] Joyous chanting from said knight’s fans heralded his entrance. Emerblade Knight’s sword, shield, and armor are all green. Nyx spots that he has a tail and horn jutting out from his armor. From the looks of it, he is around 6’1 or 185 cm. He waves his hand toward the camera before lifting his sword high and making a neck-cutting motion.

[GET THEIR ASS EMERBLADE!]

[THRASH ‘EM GOOD!]

[I BET 3 MILLION ON YA!] The Feranmut really doesn’t know what to comment on that one. While she might have been a part of one then added with the fact that Kjerag isolationism doesn’t halt flow for some foreign currency, 3 million sounds obscenely pricy anyway… but one thing struck her the most.

“… Um… does Emerblade just mean… Emerald and Blade?” Kjarr scrunched her eyebrows. The name certainly stuck, but… eh… it works?

“The easier to market, the better.”

“… That’s… awfully simple.”

“Welcome to the Age of Consumerism, where even a pornographic video of me lookalike only lasted a week at most. You wouldn’t believe how many times my face has been used to satisfy the masses’ fantasy… Strangely, I was being the bottom most of the time… ugh… What’s with them and my tail plus choking really…? Projecting maybe?” Nyx tilts her head in wonder, and yes; she watches those kinds of work. She does it to nitpick and perhaps she just enjoyed torturing herself.

“Y-Your what?! What bottom?! What do you mean tail and choking?! Does that mean my dear Enya would suffer the same fate if her face is being made known?! Oh no!”

“Sounds familiar… But don’t worry too much. Most of them are just some wish fulfillment shit, doesn’t really matter in the long run… It’s like a belief, the more you suppress them, the more prevalent and appealing they would be.”

“I’ll curse them if they so much dare to besmirch my Enya!”

‘… Now that I think about it, the Silverash family was made up of a man and a pair of women according to what Conrad had found… don’t tell me…’ Nyx wrote this piece of information down into her mental notebook while smirking at how the Feranmut is still in denial of that potential eventuality.

[THAT’S OUR EMERBLADE! ARROGANCE?! NAY! HE IS THE EPITOME OF CONFIDENCE! HIS LAST BOUT AGAINST THE BLACK KNIGHT 3 YEARS AGO WAS ENOUGH AS PROOF! BUT WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, LET’S WELCOME OUR NEXT COMPETITION KNIGHT!] The camera moves to the east side of the stadium.

[NOW LET’S WELCOME THE NEWEST ENTRY TO OUR HALL OF WONDROUS KNIGHTS! SHE HAD MESMERIZED US WITH HER PROWESS MONTHS AGO, SCORING A STAGGERING 45 OUT OF 135 MAXIMUM POINT FROM A SINGLE BATTLE ROYALE ALL BY HERSELF! MOVEMENT AS GRACEFUL AS DANCING! STRIKES THAT TOPPLED EVEN THE FABLED CASTELLAN KC! PRESENTING THE UNDERDOG THAT PROVED TO BE ONE OF THE TOP DOGS! ZOFIA, OUR WHISLASH KNIGHT!] Despite being more subdued compared to the Emerblade, a sizable chunk of the audience still cheered her name.

Zofia gracefully walked up the stairs, waving towards the crowd with a bright smile on her face. She wears a set of white light armor. Judging from her appearance, she had already layered an arming doublet beneath her breastplate. She also attaches a single spaulder that is connected to a gauntlet on her left arm. For her armament, a whip blade on her left hip and an ordinary rapier on her right.

[ZOFIAAAAAAA!]

[HAIL OUR GODDESS!]

[WHIP AND LASH ME, ZOFIA!] Nyx decides to take note of that one person, she will find that one. Don’t worry, she just wanna talk like civilized folk; her serrated knife notwithstanding. Then the Grey Serpent smirks, Zofia’s competition nickname was too funny to pass up.

“Whip and slash… got it. I’ll rub it on her face once I’m back.” Nyx grinned after knowing Zofia’s nickname. She can’t wait to tease her little sister about her simplistic nickname. It is definitely not because she is being petty for having been teased by her little sister for her nicknames too, nope.

“…” The Feranmut is still suffering BSoD. Kjarr will need a while to accept reality or start sending blizzards all over Terra.

[LET’S COUNTDOWN FROM 3~! READY FOLKS?!]

[YEAH!]

[3]

[2]

[1]

[MATCH START!]

Emerblade takes the initiative by barreling down forward with his shield raised at chest level, making his body into a makeshift battering ram. Zofia calmly unsheathe the rapier with her left hand, while her other hand is gripping her whip’s handle. Just when they are about to collide, Zofia side-stepped the Emerblade while sending a thrust to his side; aiming at the exposed arm, neck, and even armpit joints.

His armor proves to be even tougher than it looks, the blow against his joint only gives him a mild push to the side; enough to stop but never to topple. He lashed his sword diagonally, and Zofia answered by bending her body low to avoid the incoming slash. Her flexibility allows her to maintain a suitable posture to aim at his exposed weak points.

Whislash knight doesn’t let that chance come to pass, unsheathing her whip sword, she coiled it on her opponent’s leg to disable him momentarily before striking at his exposed neckline. Her opponent countered just in time; Emerblade got his right leg yanked forward, but he immediately stabilized by planting his kite shield on the ground. The shield smashed against the sword coiling his leg, but it didn’t sever it and merely freed him while his shield deflected the strike.

Her attempts were futile so far, but Zofia can be seen grinning widely. Her expression, which looks borderline haughty, was caught by the camera. The audience went wilder once more; the match had turned into a stalemate that made things interesting. Chanting of respective contestants’ names gets louder along with the MC fanning the flames of fanaticism.

With him being on the defensive, Zofia now has the initiative. She slashed and stabbed with both of her swords in a one-two pattern before leveraging her agility against the robust Vouivre. He might be under the barrage of strikes, but the man is calm in weathering the storm and can still fight back when she veered too close inside his range. This back and forth lasted for a while; neither giving up ground.

Zofia then made a mistake, in a bid to distance herself; she allowed her opponent to pull a secret weapon. Crossbow bolts are being shot from Emerblade’s shield, the Whislash Knight barely dodged them all before being chased around by a shield-turned-repeater scorpion. The bolts have a greenish glow that envelopes them.

[WHAT’S THIS FOLKS?! DOES EMER-AND-ADD-BLADE BRO LEARN FROM HIS MISTAKE YEARS AGO?! IT IS A SURPRISE THAT IS VERY MUCH WELCOME! COME ON FOLKS, CRANK UP THOSE SWEET, SWEET NUMBERS! REMEMBER THAT KAZIMIERZ BANK WILL ALWAYS OPEN FOR ALL WHO WISH TO TRY THEIR LUCK! DON’T BE SHY!] The Kjerag’s Feranmut and The Grey Serpent rolled their eyes and scoffed respectively. What a blatant advertisement, but the audience doesn’t seem to care and starts pulling out their device to gamble.

“How utterly shameless, can’t they be more tact- what are you doing?” Kjarr stared accusingly at Nyx who pulled her terminal and was in the middle of applying her bet, Kjarr’s eyes twitched seeing that the bet was at least 6 digits of zero. Nyx stared back…

Before proceeding to finalize her bet for Zofia’s victory anyway…~

“… Have you no shame for betting on your student like that?”

“…”

[HO HO, SOMEONE IS BEING PARTICULARLY BRAVE TONIGHT! 5 MILLION POUNDS FOR ZOFIA! HEY GUYS COME ON! IT IS MAYBE ONCE IN YOUR LIFE TIME CHANCE TO GET ENOUGH MONEY FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!]

“W-What?! Just how sure are you with her?!”

“…” Nyx moved her eyes to the screen and started chewing her assortment of tobacco again. Completely disregarding Kjarr’s disapproving, and mildly disgusted, gaze.

“Hah… we’ll talk later.”

“…Yes, mother…”

The both of them decide to shelve the matter for later. Nyx watches the tournament with interest, she is worried for Zofia but she won’t coddle her forever, while Kjarr is making sense of Emerblade’s action; which she does.

“Hmm…  I see it now.”

“Oh, you too? Then please, go right ahead.”

“Emerblade certainly does not lack in raw strength, but he is very cautious and not shying away from using whatever advantages he could bring to bear. Instead of pressing on with his armor toughness and stamina, he decides to fight steadily at range. From what the… MC was it?”

“Yes.”

“From what the MC said, he fought against this Black Knight to be memorable enough. Safe to say that he is not all brawn, he chooses the surest way to win; attrition. Then we can look at those bolts he used, each was Arts.” Nyx just hummed her agreement before they turned their attention back to the screen.

It doesn’t take a genius to know that the Kuranta is now being cornered. Zofia is nowhere near giving up and in a daring maneuver brave the storm of bolts straight. She moves in a zigzag pattern but inching ever closer, prompting him to keep his distance as long as possible. Zofia can feel her stamina being drained and her focus divided between predicting the line of fire and dodging plus countering what she can with her sword whip.

The sword lacks any sort of penetration against its opponent’s robust armor, goes without saying that bashing it against the shield is an exercise in futility. The counterattack is not all for nothing, however; her opponent is running out of space to run into. When she is close enough, Zofia unveils her Arts for the first time.

2 Bluish shields manifested itself to float around her. Presenting one side towards Emerblade, Zofia is now doing the battering motion. He managed to shoot all his remaining bolts before planting his feet on the ground; a shield of synthetic steel collided against that of pure energy. The former won out but what truly matters is that Zofia can finally close in before her opponent has a chance to reload his weapon; she has one shield left to use.

Blades clash against one another, shields bash and scrape on the side, and even limited hand-to-hand combat comes into play. It doesn’t develop into a prolonged stalemate when Zofia gets her whip sword knocked away from her hand. Her hand that held the rapier was being left to fend off Emerblade's sudden flurry of onslaught along with her floating shield. An overhead cut that was followed by a shield bash, a stab supported by a kick, and all manners of style are being used to overwhelm Zofia.

Zofia's posture finally broke, and she was left open for a diagonal slash from Emerblade’s right to left (which would be her left to right). He does not strike immediately, instead, he bashes at her floating shield and shatters it to pieces. Now she only has her rapier to defend herself while getting pushed farther and farther from her sword whip.

‘The situation looks bad, but I don’t understand how Nyx barely shows any surprise. If anything her expression is that everything has been going smoothly.’ This rouses Kjarr’s suspicion but she stays quiet and just watches till the end.

His strike found its mark once again when he shatters her rapier to pieces. Left wide open, he made a general slash at her; connecting with Zofia getting flung to the side… or so people thought.

Instead of being flung to the side, she makes use of both her Arts and her fluid posture to cover her armored gauntlet and spaulder while also to lessen the impact respectively.

First, her body bends very low, preparing to withstand the upcoming blow by holding her armored arm. It is a very dangerous move, downright idiotic, to be done in pretty much any other circumstances; but with the blade being slowed down by her half-formed shield she can withstand the strike.

Second, she realizes that receiving the blow in full is an unwarranted move. She bends herself low while angling her arm at 45˚; aiming for a glancing blow. She succeeds and lets the blade scrape itself upward while simultaneously breaking her opponent's posture.

Third, with the sword out of the way and his shielded side not in the right position, Zofia rapidly maneuvers toward Emerblade’s exposed side. If she was fast before, then she is now a whirlwind by comparison.

Lastly, with astonishing calmness, she use her shin guard to strike the Emerblade's lower arm. He winched from the pain and let go of his shield. She kicked the shield to the side and started repaying back for the onslaught she had suffered.

The audiences are astonished by the sudden reversal; they go quiet for a second before erupting into a euphoric fever of admiration and being truly entertained in general. Kjarr is deeply impressed at how quickly the young girl can revert her situation while Nyx is beyond proud at how Zofia made use of her Arts and flexibility.

Zofia showcases her hand-to-hand combat and what can be surmised to also be acrobatic. She dodged a downward swing to then retaliate with ease using kicks and arm lock. The ensuing exchanges are bizarre, to say the least, and not because Zofia was unarmed, no.

It is because most of her unarmed strikes are mostly harmless, she is still smashing metal with her bare hand. So how come she is not too injured? Simple, Zofia is mostly pushing him around until she can reach her sword. If Emerblade is not panicking, he will realize that he can withstand the punishment but with an occasional strike that hurts a lot keep him on his toe.

Once Zofia was close enough to her whip sword, she delivered a kick on his chest to push him away. With her sword back in her grasp, Zofia uncoiled it and whipped it at Emerblade. He braces himself, especially for the possibility of her sword coiling his leg. Yet the blade missed him, and he didn’t think twice to make use of Zofia’s lapse. Yet the Kuranta lady smirked before reforming and coiling her sword back.

A piece of metal struck the back of his head, making him topple forward but his helmeted face crashed upon a hard surface. Zofia moved forward once again to smash him with her Arts shield. Blood can be seen flowing to the ground. His helmet started to break and his consciousness grew dim, but she was not done yet. He can only stagger, wide open for the penultimate strike for this match.

‘Clever, if you can’t pierce it, then just scramble the inside… Still, pretty sure your Arts can pierce armor with efforts being put behind it. Guess you don’t wanna pull everything you have…’ Nyx mused seeing Zofia’s performance. The only advantage Zofia has compared to Margaret is flexibility in thinking and acting. She smiles remembering her Lil Sis's losses against the up-and-coming Radiant Knight.

‘I need to check back on Margaret soon…’ Nyx returns her attention to the match.

Concentrating her Arts on the sword whip, Zofia drew her hand back to accumulate force before sending forth a thundering thrust against Emerblade. His subconscious reflex still managed to respond by placing his sword in front of him, but it was for naught. Her sword shattered his, and he was flung to the edge of the arena. The last thing he saw was a charming smile of an angel…

The stadium fell silent… before frenzied amusement and joyous chanting of her name filled the entire stadium.

[WHAT AN UPSET! THAT WAS NOT A MISS FOLKS! SHE DELIBERATELY AIMED FOR THE SHIELD! ONE CAN SAY THAT WAS A TRULY ENLIGHTENING EXPERIENCE TO GET SMACKED BY YOUR OWN EQUIPMENT BEFORE SEEING SUCH A RAPID BEAT-TO-THE-DOWN BY GOING TO TOWN!] Flashes of cameras, chanting of fans, and even groans of frustration for losing their bets accompany Zofia’s victory.

[LET’S CELEBRATE OUR WINNER OF THIS MATCH! OUR GRACEFUL WARMAIDEN! OUR LOVELY KURANTA LADY! OUR VERY OWN WHISLASH KNIGHT!]

[ZOFIA!]

[ZOFIA!]

[ZOFIA!]

Zofia turns her head towards a camera, then she blows a kiss before smiling sweetly. Shrieks, exclamations, and even fainting fans happened not long afterward. She exits the stadium with a mirthful gait and cheeky smile.

“She made a really good showcase of her abilities and now she can brag of not being all bite and no bark. Hahhh…. I still need to think about what to do with creeps aiming for her… Then again, I don’t have any right to dictate her life… What a conundrum…” Despite being disturbed, Nyx couldn’t be more proud of her Lil Sis's growth.

“We’re not all that different…” Kjarr answered with conviction within every syllable of her words.

“… Yeah, we wanted the best for them… but we cannot help but encourage whatever path they take… Tell me, Kjarr… do you understand what is happening in Kjerag right now?”

“I would be remiss to say I don’t, but the question is… will you partake?”

“I might be the last person to preach about peace, but even I will not endorse a conflict to happen. Are you really alright with what is happening?”

“… The only thing I ever did was provide them with a home and if they wish to leave… what sort of mother am I to dampen that aspiration of theirs?”

“Even when bathed in blood?”

“Not wrong but incorrect, it is precisely because I believe… there will always be the better alternative; we only need to wait.”

“Heh, how funny that you’re the more illogical between us…” They then spend some more time watching other matches before Kjarr bids her farewell. She said that even now, she has mortal duties to uphold. She waves at Nyx before vanishing into the blizzard outside…

Being left once more, Nyx stretches and unwinds for a little bit. She can’t help but be mesmerized at how the tea Kjarr had brewed tasted sublime despite already going cold. She stores it for later; it is not every day you can savor a beverage brewed by the closest thing to a physical god after all. After that’s done, the Grey Serpent rummages inside a hidden compartment of her bike. She pulled out a large map, seemingly stitched together…

Nyx unfolded her map on a table, she had made this during her resources prospecting… She notes how having wildlife that can be controlled and manipulated is an ideal zone for either nobles’ hunting ground… or for military training. The emphasis on leaving most of the outlaws alone can also be meant for extermination and doctrinal application.

The Grey Serpent smiled wryly at such a risky gamble Enciodes was playing. One wrong move, and the entire thing can fall apart with Kjerag ending up in ruin or being transformed into a colony… but if he succeeds? Kjerag can potentially be the place where Columbia, Victoria, Kazimierz, and even Ursus might need to tread lightly… one thing interests her the most.

She charted possible routes for moving goods and equipment… particularly militaristic in nature. The Ex-Mercenary traces her eyes from quadrant to quadrant, sector to sector, grid to grid, and even landmark to landmark. She feels like an idiot for forgetting the best method for moving supplies in land is none other than…

“Railway…” With stable land free from catastrophes and flourishing potential for industries, Kjerag could catch up quickly… she just needs to know who is backing Enciodes or that he has other means for it. She looked back on the map, there were 4 quadrants each having 4 sectors neatly arranged with Mount Karlan and Kjerag as a whole right in the middle.

'Quadrant 1 or Northwest Zone, Sector A and C are filled with natural barriers in case Columbian feeling particularly brave. Then the flatland at D is just perfect as bait while also exposing their flanks to potential intervention by Victoria, especially from the Duke of Caster. Sector D is also accessible for Minoan Mercenaries, if he gets the industry going then security can be handled… Sector B could be considered a gateway to Kazimierz if Enciodes played his cards right.' She moved her eyes on the second Quadrant.

'Quadrant 2 or Northeast Zone is directly bordering Kazimierz. Sectors E and G are all forested terrain, suitable for training soldiers without much scrutiny by either Victoria or Columbia, provided that once again Enciodes could strike a deal with K.G.C.C…. Sectors F and H are the ridges I have seen beforehand. The wildlife there would be quite an attractive venue for Upper Nobility and placing a barrack there would be enough to assure them…' Lastly, Nyx scan the remaining 2 quadrants, mostly untouchable since her job was to prioritize 1 and 2... 

'Quadrant 3 and Quadrant 4 are all bordering Victoria… Shame that I don't have the time to fully understand these places... Well, Gnosis was really adamant of not letting me go too deep there... If only I have Conrad with me...' Nyx wonder…

'Will I be invited or eliminated for knowing this much? Welp… guess I need to get Conrad to hurry up. I won’t lie though, Enciodes is either a brilliant strategist or an insane megalomaniac… If I can get a hand in it, I might be able to negotiate a deal with him… Mm-hm~… how troubling…~' Those were but a few possible reasons she could decipher. She would need to spend more time to know more, but her contract is almost up and she is slated to return just before the 21^st Major’s final.

Date: Late October 1088

Location: Somewhere in the Western Kjerag.

What was once an empty, natural, wilderness is now a center of construction effort and a fairly large one indeed. What looks to be train tracks are being laid out carefully but just enough to be concealed until its time. There are dwellings built into the caves, saving both material, space, and cost for any further planning.

One might wonder why a trade hub based on trains is being built in a world like Terra, the answer is simple; it is Kjerag. This isolated nation, both by harsh winter and terrain, can actually flourish moderately albeit at the cost of its technological level and prestige internationally that was inherited from their isolationist policies.

A Liberi man can be seen conversing with his superior, a Feline, through a large screen about the progress they have gained so rapidly in the last few months. The situation has stabilized and they are moving into the finishing touch for the current phase.

[How has our project fared so far?]

“We are on track with constructions and all the necessary prerequisites, it goes without saying that local disturbance has been dealt with swiftly. I do need to reiterate that the Grey Serpent had filed a complaint for our complacency, 2 girls and a boy were traumatized due to our negligence. The pair suffer severe psychological trauma and the boy's outlook for employment is grim.”

[I see, I’ll handle the compensation personally. Do continue…]

“Our negotiations and meetings with interested investors are going smoothly. The subjugation of local wildlife has been going well, and we manage to rehabilitate those we can. We are moving steadily with our timetables… how is it on your end?”

[Only a matter of time and opportunity. I must say that these merchants are truly verbose… how troubling, but it is for the better.] Gnosis continues to brief Enciodes with the projects, local acceptance, noble backings, and all those bureaucratic nightmares that would make a single person wish to die; but not for Gnosis. The Liberi man is merely irritated that his personal research is being sidelined at the moment. When he finishes, Enciodes asks him about a certain someone.

[Does our guest collaborator privy to the truth?]

“The Grey Serpent knows.”

[Fantastic, proceed as planned.] The communication was cut and Gnosis then returned to his duty; directing and commanding the whole project. Curiously, the workers are not from Kjerag, since Gnosis has a complicated relationship with the nation as a whole. Such a topic doesn’t escape the workers’ notice, so they consummate it quietly but eagerly. He cares not for their opinions, he only has one true tenet in life after all he had gone through all these years…

“Progress must be achieved…”

[END OF CHAPTER]

Author’s Note:

Sup there, this is me, myself, and I, the author who is waiting for his graduation and who is essentially a NEET.

Here we see some finagling of future events and if you know, then you know…

Our poor Pythia had met another Feranmut, thankfully this one is really on the sweeter side as long as you’re not being an asshole. I interpret her demeanors from the implications of her personality from the “Break the Ice” event, or known in-universe as the “Snowcap Incident”. Would she have anything to do with it? I dunno. :)

Update as usual

Ciao