☀️ Arselia and Akonia

Wandering through Margele, as well as familiarizing herself with historical and cultural literature, only seemed to confirm Klin's words rather than refute them. No, there was, of course, a small chance that someone had built a small town in a godforsaken place, her hometown, where everyone spoke Reimian and there was no mention of Enclessia, let alone Erinium or the Reim dynasty, but the chance of that was infinitesimally small. And frankly, the story about a parallel world sounded more plausible than all of this! This meant that Alaria was indeed here as a cosmic nomad, in a completely foreign but at the same time so similar world to her own. And if other undead like her ended up in this world, then... perhaps Elrina's disappearance from Alfard Asparagus's mansion was also caused by a similar ritual? Of course, even if that was indeed the case, Elrina could have ended up on the other side of the world. In any case, such a hypothetical possibility was not particularly relevant at the moment. However sad it was to admit, Alaria did not have the time or opportunity to chase after ghosts that might or might not be in this world. The upcoming work, of a voluntary-compulsory nature, was a much more pressing matter.

On Monday morning, Aria gathered Kenshiro, Klin, Garret (?), and Alaria in one of the villa's halls.
— Kenshiro, Klin. Prepare for a long voyage south. Garret, Alaria—it's up to you whether you will work for Her Highness or not. If so, go with Kenshiro and Klin, or head to Carnel. That's all for now, await further instructions.

The wording was extremely curious. Those who did not want to work for Her Highness were not sent off in all directions... but directly to a mercenary detachment, which Alaria had only heard about in passing during her brief tour of Margele. Of course, someone might argue that this was just a "recommendation," but something told the Tanarian that the recommendation would have been worded differently. In essence, she was now being offered a choice between working directly for the princess, going south, or indirectly through a conditionally independent organization. Either way, Alaria had simply gotten used to not trusting people and looking for a catch in their words. However, this did not mean that the work would be the same in both places. The journey south clearly hinted at something in the spirit of her "mission" in Beliade. A very dirty, but necessary for the future of Reim, job. Carnel, on the other hand... it would apparently be used to solve local problems? It was difficult to say without a clear understanding of the organization. Perhaps this option involved fewer risks, but also promised less prestige. To be honest, refusing to work directly for the princess, despite the risks, in favor of becoming a mercenary who still worked for the princess, was not even a choice. The work in the south was clearly more important, not to mention the fact that Alaria now owed a small debt, the price of her life. The second option, on the other hand, reeked of plain cowardice and, perhaps, naivety. A display of weakness. This was not the path she wanted to choose. After all, as one of her long-deceased compatriots said, "A person devoid of will is like a worm."
— It would only be right for me to repay good with good. South it is, then," said the warrior, following the Kriader. At the same time, she thought that she should ask him, "What does your south actually consist of?" If this world was like her own, then it clearly wouldn't be anything good.