Posts from ☀️ Arselia and Akonia Auto-translated

Having received consent and given the owners time to prepare future resting places for the ashes of their fallen pets, Alaria begins the process. Once again focusing on her inner flame, she commits the body of Mysterius, and, if consent was given, other animals to the flames. Although the tanar could have completed this quickly, out of respect for her companions and the deceased, she prolonged the process. It needed to have a certain significance, a certain symbolism. For Beata and Gion, Mysterius was clearly not just a cat, but a member of the family. The girl performed the ritual in silence, leaving any possible words to the grieving couple.

During the initiation of Princess Naera's teleportation spell, Shen Shao stealthily made his way to the center of its effect, and once on the battlefield, he immediately moved away, observing the events through a telescope. At one point, as if from nowhere, a woman of exquisite appearance appeared behind him. Great sadness in her eyes adorned her beautiful face.

— You could have protected them... All these people and their homelands. Like half of Carneola, she did not belong to this world, but for most of the time, her physical form was contained within the jian of her master and materialized only when required or when she was allowed to. From a powerful valkyrie to a powerless servant—Miss Cosmos had a cruel sense of humor. — I tried, but Her Highness Naera and Commander Erefir made their choice. Unlike the empire, protecting Kridenaar is not Mindjin's responsibility. In response, she could only sigh heavily and give her master a look full of disapproval, understanding that it would have cost him nothing to help these people. — Don't look at me like that. — He slapped her to remind her of her place. — The current outcome is predictably better for us than if they had agreed, so I was prepared to make concessions and sacrifice our interests. — ...

At one point, Beata turned away and leaned against Guiyon, unable to watch the flames consume their friend, who had only yesterday been basking in the sun and chasing birds. Guiyon, on the other hand, watched the cremation until the very end, paying his respects to his pet. When it was all over, Guiyon reached into his bag and, after rummaging around, found an empty vial – apparently, it was a leftover medicine bottle from his days working. Not the best option for a burial urn... but it's all he had. He gathers the ashes of Mysterius, tightly seals the vial, and puts it in his pocket. Beata, in the background, finally stops crying.

Wiping away her tears, Beata hesitantly takes the vial of ashes from Guion. Holding it in her palms, she clasps her hands together in a prayerful gesture.
“Mother Anush, animals are also your children… May he rest in peace. May he have plenty of fresh milk, the tastiest food, the softest grass, and the rustlingest toys in the place where his soul awaits its return. May his next life be the happiest and most carefree. Watch over him… You’ll do a better job than we would.”
She turns her gaze to what remains of Mysterius.
“Say hello to Aiko and Zorica, okay? If you meet them there. We miss them very much. And give Raphael a good kick in the pants. If he has any there.”
She smiles through her tears and returns the cat’s ashes to Guion. Then she approaches Kilike and gently hugs her, trying not to intrude too much on her personal space.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispers, looking at Belik.
She hugs Erefia tighter and more confidently.
“I know it’s hard for you to be broken by someone else’s death… But you’re not made of iron. Not yet,” she said with a sad smile, “even if you’re doing everything you can to become one. I saw how you looked at Eclipse… I’m sorry. He was wonderful.”

Somehow managing to muster his dexterity, Klin manages to dig himself out from under the pile of papers that had recently cluttered his desk. Having finished filling out the invoice, he set the document aside and pulled a stack of overdue payment receipts closer. On the other side, he faced a pile of incomplete tax returns, which, fortunately, he didn't need to send out right now, otherwise Carneol would have already become an apostle of tax evasion. "They consume so much..." the secretary thought, mentally calculating the thousands of gold pieces spent on the elite special forces.

Fortunately, being undead had its advantages, and soon the abandoned office began to take on a more business-like appearance. The Crydearian had often wondered what his former colleague had been doing in that position, but it was best not to speak ill of the dead. He had already outlined a few proposals for the leader, but there was no point in focusing on them when the fate of the entire empire hung in the balance. Approaching the cabinet, he pulled out another box and placed it on the table. Judging by everything, a certain "Ayko" had been in charge of accounting in Carneol, which was clearly evident from the old, neatly tallied balance sheets and income-expense statements, based on which the knight decided to continue the work. After all, barely scraping by from paycheck to paycheck, closing each month with zero balance for the entire squad, and even having to borrow from a destitute knight of death, threatened trouble in the future.

Klin thought about how much easier it would be to deal with such paperwork at the villa: in case of any problem, Naria would simply add a couple of zeros from the imperial treasury. Thoughtfully turning to the window, the knight greeted the gloomy autumn day. He was somehow reminded again of his distant homeland, hidden in the depths of the misty mountains. Never mind, he and Sanex would be there soon.

"Klin"

An otherworldly echo of a familiar, native voice resonated in the knight's chest, causing the Crydearian to jump to his feet and look around the empty room. Everything remained the same, only the noise of the storm outside had subsided slightly. The undead was about to return to work when the speed of sound finally carried the shock waves to the walls of Margel. A terrifying explosive roar reverberates through the port area, heavy ships sway on the disturbed water, frightened seagulls soar into the sky, and a few passersby stare around in fear.

Klin rushes out into the street, instinctively looking for a flying comet in the sky, but in vain: the city was once again plunged into a peaceful slumber. The next thought takes the knight to the outskirts, where he heads at a brisk pace. Rounding a stone wall, his attention is drawn to a group of onlookers, intently staring into the distance. Catching up with the residents, the knight somehow pushes his way to the top of a small hill, from where there is a good view of the surrounding area. Directly in front of him, through the autumn haze, he sees a horizon engulfed in burning darkness, in the direction of places that were painfully familiar to his heart.

"What's going on over there?" a curious passerby asks.
"Looks like the Crydearians did something," someone mumbles beside the black knight.
"Come on, stop talking nonsense! It's days away from here. You can't see anything from here," the second replies.
"I'm telling you, there's nothing else there! They leveled the mountains, see how dark it is! Look through the telescope!"
"Well, that's good. There's nothing useful there anyway."
"Yeah. It's better that they and the other newcomers are being taken care of, rather than us."

Even through his undead aura, the knight feels his anxious soul plummet into the abyss.
Descending the hill, he turns and walks away in deep thought, his steps aimless.
He returns home only the next night.

Finally, the hour had come when everything was to be decided. The hour of the next strike, the moment when Despair would spread its mighty wings, soaring into the heavens like a projectile from an annihilating mega-cannon, with the dark intention of unleashing inevitable Armageddon upon its target for the second time. A sinister point rapidly cuts across the distant horizon like a falling star, and a moment later, a new catastrophe shakes the empire, obliterating settlements and claiming countless innocent lives, its echoes immediately reverberating throughout the territory of Welfern. Is everything going according to plan? A necessary sacrifice? Erephir didn't say anything about it, but it was already crystal clear. In full combat readiness, Carneol, through the magic of Princess Naera, teleported directly to the epicenter of the events. A mountainous area, riddled with cracks and rock debris, now covering a familiar-looking crater – just minutes ago, ordinary, peaceful life was likely bustling here; now, only an empty space remains, with no people or beasts. It seemed even the air had frozen still in the shadow of what had happened, although the mournful whistle of the wind could still be heard, slowly carrying wisps of smoke and clouds of dust away from the ruins of Kridear. Only he, the culprit of this grim apocalypse of destruction, towered as a monstrous silhouette over the band of brave heroes. These were the same people as the numerous victims of Despair, but today, Anush herself favors them, and marked with the blessings of her elemental singularities, they rush into battle just as a wounded world clenches a punishing hand into an iron fist, delivering deserved retribution to the awakened ancient evil. It was all quite quick. Divine immunity struck at the heart of the plague, the wrath of the elements of the universe unleashed in a storm and the onslaught of comrades upon the blasphemous abomination. Uttering a final, furious, bestial roar that echoed across the surroundings like thunder, the monstrous beast crashed to the ground, its belly split open, and the earth trembled from its fall. Is it all over? Garrett, who had already loaded the next bolt into his crossbow, didn't take his eyes off the dragon form that had only just been soaring so unrestrainedly and menacingly. Adrenaline was still pumping blood through his veins at an incredible speed, even though the lifeless Despair lay motionless at their feet; the charged asterec remained on alert, ready to deliver as many follow-up shots to the shameless monster as necessary. And only when Erephir began to devour the dead carcass did he calm down a little and allow himself to take a deep breath. What's next? And then, the redhead extracted the apostle's stone heart. Garrett managed to notice how, once exposed to the light, it burst from her hands, but no one had time to react – the Carneols were engulfed in darkness. ... The images of the repulsive feast stubbornly clung to his returning consciousness. Garrett shook his head, slapped himself on the cheeks, took a few deep breaths, trying to dispel the nauseating vision. His companions were in a similar state, but their little friends were less fortunate – the darkness proved fatal for them. Looking at Beata's tears and Erephir's momentarily drawn face, the former rogue muttered some curses under his breath and, carefully avoiding the unsightly remains of the cold ones, kicked the hopeless apostolic carcass with all his might, which even in its death throes spewed its black filth at them. Having discharged his emotions in this way, the asterec tried to concentrate on the next steps. "Well, the nightmare that has befallen Welfern has played its final chord," he said, placing a hand on the leader's shoulder. "It's time to go home."

- Do I want to? Kami have mercy... But I don't have a choice, do I? Now that I've gotten involved, I have to see it through. But I want to see Azarina and hear her voice, I want her to hug Bors and you. And no less, I want to break this inhumane cycle. The thought that I might have been unlucky and ended up there as a summoned one makes me feel nauseous and heavy in my stomach. ...Besides, I have a feeling that sooner or later, I would have had to do this anyway. But what about you? Are you really ready to go back there yourself? What if we fail? It would be a monstrous injustice to return to the lion's den voluntarily and perish there. I don't want to sound pessimistic, but we need to be aware of this. But... I won't lie if I say that the thought of something like this fills me with... horror? Although, that's too strong a word. You know, once I told a denke that my greatest strength is fearlessness. And it's true, however silly or arrogant it may sound - in Yanagi, we are taught to suppress this emotion, otherwise how would we be able to do our job? But here... The people - if they can be called that in this case - are more dangerous than any demon. I would feel much more confident if my task was to cleanse a cursed demonic palace, although I have a feeling that the difference is not that great... But in any case, - she looks at Sonata with an unnaturally firm, even harsh gaze, without blinking, as if a fragment of her life on "Reime". - I need to know in detail what to expect. Tell me everything you know and have seen, no matter how painful it may be, every little detail. Onegai.

"Pets won't go to heaven or hell, and their lives are almost never longer than those of their masters, even in such a dangerous endeavor as ours," thought Erefir. "The Nightmare took them quickly, depriving them of the small spark of spirit they had. They suffered little, unlike Candle, who, I don't know, did what when I was gone, and how long she lived... But in general, reasoning this way, I should think again about whether the situation with my empathy is normal, or am I just trying to play the role of a human? Maybe I was moved from my world because it was easy with my lighthearted soul, and I am almost a bio-golem?"

- I know it's hard for you to be broken by someone else's death... But you're not made of iron. Not yet," she smiled sadly, "even though you're doing everything to become one. I saw you looking at Eclipse... I'm sorry. He was wonderful.

The girl nodded, as did Alaria, allowing the latter to burn the pegasus.

Miss Darvening herself stood by the memorial... From the outside, it seemed as if she was paying tribute to the fallen Cridearans, and that was partly true, but partly because she was thinking. Her fears that the enemy would try to take advantage of the situation had not disappeared. The probability that the enemy had known about Cridear for a long time and had sent an agent to the area, who, of course, knew how to survive a dragon attack in a way that was incomprehensible to her, was close to 100%. But he didn't steal the stone. Most likely, he, like the Carneolians, was not aware of the nuance that a hopeless heart is more dangerous and unstoppable than all the others combined.

It was sad that, due to the tragedy, various political squabbles would begin soon. The deceased people, whose tragedy should be elevated in the plaintive songs of minstrels, would instead serve as a foundation for disgusting political speeches, and it would be difficult to do anything about it... Yes, it would not be easy. Again, everything went too smoothly on their mission. It would be much easier to sell the story of how the servants of the crown sacrificed themselves to save the empire from the dragon, but now opinions were destined to diverge: some would praise their heroism, while others would ask: "Where were you when the dragon attacked, why did you come so late? If so many people died, what is the point of your 'feat,' it would have been better if you had died too! It's your job to die in war, not innocent civilians, isn't it? So why are you alive, and they are dead?"

The balance in the empire now felt fragile. It was funny that a few months ago, Erefir had said the same thing to Amamius when they were flying to Tais, and he hadn't believed it. Nevertheless, the situation was not hopeless, no matter how cunning Tao was, they still had opportunities to prevent the empire from going into a steep dive. They had to restore people's hope at all costs.

***

A little earlier, somewhere under the mountain, in a cozy, warm stone hut near a crib, sat an elderly gnome in large glasses, and in the crib was a baby gnome, especially tiny, if you compare him to human children. The great-grandmother was telling her great-grandson some kind of fairy tale, and you could hear her slightly shuffling, but so soothing voice...

"And then the little gnome said to the tin soldiers, 'I'm not afraid of you! I may be smaller than you, but my heart is bigger than yours! As long as I stand in your way, you won't touch the queen!' The girl conjured a strong, strong flame from her hands, and the tin soldiers were afraid to approach her, fearing that they would melt... Meanwhile, the queen stood on a cliff with balloons in her hands and didn't know what to do and how to escape from the soldiers, but suddenly a strong wind blew, whoosh..."

Feeling that the baby had fallen asleep, the old woman sighed and stopped, and adjusted the baby's blanket. "Well, I have such granddaughters. Lovers of adventures... One went to earn money and then didn't return, and news of her is sad... The other abandoned a child and is somewhere with a boyfriend... She travels around. They don't think about me at all."

A terrible rumble rolled through the dungeons, unlike anything that had happened before, causing two stalactites to fall directly onto the sturdy roof of the hut. The baby woke up and cried in fright.

Before leaving, the Karneolians make sure the apostle won't rise again. As they move a little away towards Margel, Erephir manages to whisper something to his men, covering his mouth. To Garret: -- Keep your eyes peeled, scout, there's a high chance we're being watched. I'm not being paranoid, no, there are serious reasons for it. To Guion: -- Guion, I have a task for you, but take it seriously. You are responsible for supporting your fiancée's morale: after the stone disappeared, she received a curse, and although nothing terrible has happened yet, it is critically important that nothing happens to her before we reach Margel, and then we'll find a solution. You should understand the idea of the curse of hopelessness yourself; if it depends on emotions, then any sadness for Beate will be harmful. And although it's not easy for you after losing fifteen spirits, you still have a responsibility, understand? Act naturally, but don't let her get discouraged. I'm counting on you. And Kalina will monitor that her stats remain normal. Good luck. With great satisfaction, the following is added to the list of tasks: completing the dragon fight and dealing 5000 damage with a single blow (16355/5000).

When all the rituals were completed, the former inquisitor looked around thoughtfully. The once picturesque land had turned into a quiet wasteland, with the monument erected by Erephir and their small group being the only reminders of life. They had defeated the dragon, but how would she explain all this to Klin? How would she look him in the eye? "Sorry, Kridear became a bargaining chip in the fight against Despair"? It felt as if the very universe was testing the knight's resilience. Even the hardships he had endured in Calcite, especially his transformation into the undead, had almost broken the man. What would happen to his soul now? He would need all the moral support that Alaria could offer at the moment. It was possible that, besides her and Sanex, Klin had no one left.

But Klin wouldn't be the only one struggling, even outside the context of the grieving Carneolians. It's only in fairy tales that everything ends with the death of a terrible monster, but here, it seemed, it was only just beginning. The dragon had been stopped, but that didn't mean Welfern had been saved. The empire had been struck by two serious blows, each of which would have long-lasting consequences. Even now, its integrity was in question. Despair had been defeated, which was a glorious victory to be proud of and rejoice in, but many other trials still lay ahead. Alaria had no doubt that part of the responsibility for maintaining the integrity of Welfern would fall on their shoulders, on "Carneol." Given the talents displayed by half of the squad, including herself, the Tanarian even had a bad feeling about what kind of work they might be offered.

But that's all in the future. Perhaps, upon their return, they will have some time to rest. She would try to support Klin as much as she could. She would prepare their favorite dishes for the tired comrades, which she would ask about later, when everyone had calmed down a bit. And she would also need to prepare something for His Eminence, as a symbolic gesture of gratitude. The patriarch's actions had played a huge role in today's victory, directly or indirectly. If he hadn't saved Beata, the sweet couple might have faced a grim fate. If he had banished her, Erephir, or Garret, none of them would be heroically fighting now or on the islands of Kumari. Even the information about the singularities came from him. He deserved gratitude from "Carneol," at least verbally. But it would be better to reinforce it with something made with her own hands. Therefore, later, Alaria intended to make such a proposal, after everyone had calmed down a bit and resolved more pressing issues.

– So, Kalin, tell me… How did everything go in Wakamo? While we’re walking, I’d be interested to hear about your adventures. To be honest, I was worried that you were gone for so long. Even though Fyr wasn’t sure if anyone was eavesdropping, she couldn’t contain her curiosity, and there was no need for secrecy in the information. Besides, there was no one nearby: the way she darted around her companions, running from one to another, and how she ran around to orient herself and scout the path, she would have already run into someone. No, no matter how good the Mindjin were, they could relax a little.

Guyon:
-- Guy, I have a task for you, but take it seriously. You are responsible for providing moral support to your bride: after the stone disappeared, she received a curse, and although nothing terrible has happened yet, it is critically important that nothing happens to her before we reach Margel, and then we will find a solution. You should understand the idea of the curse of hopelessness; if it depends on emotions, then any sadness on Beate's part will be harmful. And although it is not easy for you after losing fifteen points of spirit, you still have a responsibility; do you understand? Act naturally, but don't let her get discouraged. I'm counting on you. And Kalina will monitor that her stats remain normal. Good luck.

- I am always serious when it comes to Beate's life and health, - Guyon replied. - Okay. I will do everything I can.
"Gods, why is she... Hasn't she atoned for her sins enough..."

- Are you ready? - Sonata wrapped her arms around her shoulders and shivered, remembering her life in the lair of the Coven of Passion, but soon, with an effort of will, she regained her calm and composed state. - But it doesn't matter whether I'm ready or not. There are things in life that must be done regardless of all other factors, and this is one of them. - She didn't elaborate on whether it was for Azarina, for revenge, or to prevent further injustice. - Okay, I'll tell you. Azarina was only there for a short time, so her memories probably don't contain complete information about this place. - I think we should start with Dakini, the head of this coven. Although I don't even know if it's a man or a woman... Well, since her last appearance was as a woman, I'll refer to her as such. The problem is that she can switch bodies with other people, so even if we stand face to face, there's a non-zero chance that I won't be able to recognize her. Some of the experiments, in which I was an unwilling participant, were conducted specifically to create an "ideal body" for Dakini - a beautiful body, unburdened by the hardships of human existence, such as diseases, old age, and death. You know, cruel madmen are very often obsessed with such ideas, probably because, due to their inferiority, they are unable to live a fulfilling life within the normal human lifespan. - Deciding not to spoil her face with negative emotions, Sonata took a deep breath and exhaled, regaining her clarity of mind. - Fate played a cruel trick on Dakini in my case, as the experiment was so successful that my body became protected from her dark magic. However, she wasn't too upset about this and made me the coven's favorite toy, whose physical form would not break no matter what was done to it. - For a moment, the fallen empress sadly lowered her eyes. - Perhaps I should thank Thiarius for the fact that his inhuman cruelty prepared me for such a fate, ha-ha... In general, Dakini is definitely a powerful sorceress, but unfortunately, I don't have any more detailed information about her abilities. - Since this is a dungeon, we'll consider the "floors" from top to bottom. So, there's nothing on the first floor, it's just a very ordinary, albeit very spacious, cave with a large lake in the center. The second floor is a long hall with high ceilings, on both sides of which stand clay golems. Hmm, wait a couple of minutes, I'll make a sketch for you. - Here. They look approximately like this, about five meters tall. They only attack those who try to go to the third floor, but they don't touch those who go from the third to the first. They are immune to everything except physical damage; steel is not very effective against them, but they are completely immune to all elements except cosmic. The next floor serves as a residence for most of the coven members, and in the center is the main hall. Most of the orgies and other such things between the coven members and the slaves take place on this floor. Almost all of them are men, but there are also female summoners among them, who lure male slaves from other worlds. Be that as it may, there are those among them who are simply wealthy people with "peculiar" hobbies, as well as a large number of sorcerers capable of various things. - The fourth floor is divided into two parts: slave cells and rooms with "instruments"... For example, in one of them, I was nailed to logs, and then they tore out my nails, gouged out my eyes, cut off my limbs, and so on... I think that's where I lost my wedding ring. If possible, I would like to look for it. - On the fifth floor is a terrarium, a place where various monsters are kept, as well as a breeding place where pregnant slaves are left to give birth... In order to raise new slaves from them. And on the sixth floor are Dakini's chambers. That's basically it.

The problem is that she can switch bodies with other people.

I thought such an ability would be given to a Legion Apostle.

You know, cruel madmen are very often obsessed with such ideas, probably because, due to their inferiority, they are unable to live a fulfilling life within the time allotted to a normal person.

But now I felt offended.

-- So, Kalin, tell me... How did everything go in Vakamo? While we're walking, I'd be interested to hear about your adventures. To be honest, I was worried when you were gone for so long.

Kalin, who had been watching the peculiar procession of mourning for pets with some disapproval, given the context of the nightmare that had unfolded in Kriedar, readily turned her attention to another topic.
- It's not that interesting of a story. I expected to have to duel with samurai or somehow prove my "worthiness," but in reality, it was enough to simply explain the situation, although I did have to wait for some time for an audience with the princess. She's a very sweet girl, although with her height, she looks like a child. I'm not particularly tall myself, but she's a head taller than me. In short, after she understood the situation, she agreed to help me and ordered the priests to prepare the Temple of Mio for the ritual. When everything was ready, they left me there alone, and I had to spend some time in prayer before the saint responded to my call. I think it helped that my faith skill was well-developed; otherwise, I would have just sat there not knowing what to do or what to expect. In short, she was convinced that I was a normal woman and that I was seeking her blessing with good intentions... And that's it.