☀️ Arselia and Akonia

- There's no need to look far for an example; there's Tluassa. Although it could have been worse if one of her colleagues had attacked me with a sword without attempting to talk.

-- Indeed, -- Fyr smiled sadly, seemingly already forgetting the incident and focusing on finding a solution. However, she was reminded.

-- You're right, it's not the worst option, and her frankness and dedication to her beliefs can be seen as positive. But... yes... -- pursing her lips indicated that Erephir's breach of protocol and aggression were not well-received.

- Well. It's good that we're on the same page. If we can get through something like this together and keep our cool, then there's no need to worry about everyday problems.
Having voiced this amusing thought, he smiled.

-- Yes ) But, if anything, I didn't mean that this situation completely suits me; I'm just realistically assessing the state of my soul. Ideally... I would like to become a heroine whom no one could reproach, no matter how hard they tried. The past is the past, but in every new second, I intend to act in such a way that at least meaningless sacrifices can be avoided. Maybe it sounds a bit naive after the realism I just expressed, but who's going to stop me from trying?..

- I would have left the city without a second thought before, but now I don't even want to think about it.

-- I noticed, -- the girl said softly, having already given Am an opportunity for a tactical retreat from the room, but he didn't even think to take advantage of it. Does he trust her that much? This thought both warmed and frightened her; the knight liked that Am had become brave, but she was afraid that this bravery would backfire on him.

- What do you think of the Empress in general? Unlike you, I know almost nothing about her.

-- She is the most generous and the strictest person I have met in both worlds. The Sovereign saved me from death by bringing me here, because my real body had already turned to ashes as a result of one not-so-successful "draw." She immediately entrusted me with a squad, even though she had never seen me before, and all my modest successes are rewarded as if I had really performed some miracles... And yet, we both know that I am always on the verge of a precipice and barely manage to meet the minimum requirements without completely failing.

-- At the same time, the Sovereign immediately made it clear that if there is no cooperation, she doesn't need outsiders here, and this is not just an empty threat to increase loyalty. Again, we both know that my loyalty cannot be built on fear, so this was more of an information session. Twice this has already come to pass: at different times, two of my subordinates were exiled for not meeting Her expectations. One even... Just yesterday.

-- If we add to this the fact that the Sovereign inherits many of Akonia's predilections... Rituals of summoning, for example, are indicative. These are probably the result of Her own research, but it seems very likely that the interest in this area is dictated by a singular soul -- because Akonia herself in the past concluded a corresponding agreement with another singularity, known to us as Miss Cosmos; this was a measure to win the war against the celestials. And based on this example, you should understand that Akonia once fought against Rishi; therefore, although you and I have considerable experience in mutual assistance, if it comes to the question of "Can he be an exception to the rules, and the terms of the mandate not be observed?", then... It is unlikely that this will be in accordance with Her wishes. If we turn to Her for help, I can hardly imagine how to do it without taking appropriate steps on our part.

- I wouldn't want to test that... Hmm, but if I turned into a Skryme, would you be able to put up with me?

-- Put up with it? -- Erephir was surprised. -- You know in general how I lived for twenty-three years, and what sometimes happened to people I knew, and you think that the greening of my fiancé's skin will make me change my attitude towards you? To be frank, even if you turned into a slug, I would "put up with it."

-- The question is, it would damage your soul, and therefore I wouldn't "put up with it" in the sense that I wouldn't be satisfied with such a situation. If the worst were to happen (although I hope it doesn't), I would study all aspects of the world, biology, medicine, and anatomy, learn any magic, whether it's body alteration or creating artificial bodies with soul transfer... I would find any artifacts, but I would restore your appearance. Or... It is possible, of course, that the Sovereign is capable of something similar, -- she added, although she was not sure that it would be rational to increase her debt to the Empress, with the risk of refusal.