New here? I'm Roha — want a quick tour?
Are Erika and her company close enough to the palace to "inspect" it?
-- The question isn't that. Who is more important – a bureaucrat or the only royal daughter, even if she is adopted? And you, Sir Kir, where do you intend to go? It looks like the perfect moment for a wandering knight. The very same epic hero with a magical sword from the chronicles, who appears in the darkest hour to save the king and the country, right?
- It's okay, I guess. I've learned a few combat skills. Now, I don't think I'm such a "weakling" anymore...
Camistella nodded.
“Then let’s begin! After that, the person known as Cherry Mazzard agreed to the application of the appropriate spell, blah-blah, the client is some person from the Guild of Wonders, blah-blah, Camistella Lein is the performer, and other formalities for the safety of all involved, blah-blah.”
After this strange monologue, Camistella used the “Growth” spell on Cherry Mazzard, making every effort to ensure that it only affected her hair.
After answering the student, Kir turned his gaze to Erika. - And what do you think about the future prospects?
- To wit, - he recalled his grandfather's interjection, uttered with a sound that evoked the image of an ogre's club descending on the head of a random weakling. - The question is settled. I like it when problems are solved instantly.
The "old man" pondered the riddle for a while, which required a little more IQ than he currently possessed, and when he figured it out, he clicked his tongue:
- As if there weren't just one monstrous mistake here. Well, what can you do, sometimes you have to pay for them. That's why I'll take "Shiris," - saying his pick, he nudges Girru. - She couldn't have made such a big mistake, right, buddy? Such entities are not prone to this.
- Beautiful... - the Fire Elemental suddenly said. - What do you think, Su... I mean... Zibaba...
After pulling an entire mansion out of the abyss, a minor spell couldn't surprise Camistella anymore.
“Mm, yes, it turned out well,” the Lunarian agreed. “Beauty rules the world; those who aren’t beautiful are simply not beautiful. All suggestions and complaints, if necessary, should be submitted directly to the Guild of Wonders, not to the performer. However, no one else could have done it better than us.”
In her own way, Camistella was quite pleased with the work done. She enjoyed creating beauty, and Cherry definitely looked more attractive with her long hair.
- Don't let the glittering regalia fool you, Asmidul. Most rulers are idlers, whether they are monarchs or elected representatives. - The King didn't specify whether he included himself in that number. - The time of my active administrative work is long gone, and my attention is now focused on completely different matters. - Looking up at the ceiling for a moment, he then returned his gaze to the guest and gestured for him to sit down opposite him. - Relax. Kings, peasants, laborers, slaves, travelers, warriors, sorcerers, theologians... We are all just mortals, each with our own unique destiny. - Clenching his right hand into a fist, Thiozar told the young man to do the same, after which he touched his fist first to the top of Asmidul's fist, then to the bottom, and completed the strange ritual by touching the knuckles of both fists. - In the last novel I read, there was such a greeting, it seemed quite curious to me. The one who is higher in status starts from the top, and the one who is lower starts from the bottom.
- This form of greeting doesn't quite align with what you were just trying to convey.
- Oh, don't nitpick... Ah, you reminded me that there was a thought in that novel that I liked about trust. Asmidul, what do you think - who can you trust in this world?
— The graduate listened attentively to the wise king's words.- What can I say... It's either "us" or "them". There are no other "options" in sight..., - Erika replied with a sigh.
- I mean, the enemy's strategy is simple: overwhelm with numbers, process the biomass – our fellow countrymen – into labor and military force, and repeat the same thing over and over until victory. As I see it, there's not much point in fighting to the bitter end on the Tunguska border, so I'd like to believe that the government will find another way to achieve victory.
- So, you're going to travel with random players, old man? Eh, - Genz waved his hand at Girra. - But on the other hand, who else will look after them, if not you, so they don't kill each other? Phew! It's definitely a directive from the very top.
- I think I've always thought that, my dear pirate friend, that of all the possible archetypes of women, each of which is good in its own way, two are capable of igniting a greater flame in the heart of a warrior-poet than others: this is the naive, cheerful energy that naturally flows into a warming image of a rough, weathered soul, evoking a desire to protect it, or the thoughtful, beautiful mystery, attracting with its unknowability. I don't feel either of these at first glance, but despite this, there is something elusive, as if between the lines... as if the longer you look, the more you feel it. Not a sharp katana iaido, cutting the opponent like a straw dummy, and not a technical fight in which you always know in advance what the opponent will do, and you carefully prevent each of his steps, thereby breaking his spirit, but rather a long, smooth dance, at the end of which the opponent drops his sword with complete surprise and acceptance, as if he was even pleased with such a strange defeat, although in reality he was not your equal.
Having finished this physiognomic analysis based on a single cropped photo, he shrugged:
- But that's just a digression. The success of the operation is paramount, - in fact, he was very glad that he wouldn't have to eliminate her, so he started talking. Pretending that he had correctly deciphered the riddle from the very beginning, Si and Ze nod. - What do you say? There will be some kind of tour there too. By the way, do you know how to speak Calcite?
You won't have to fear unwanted attention if you have a witch's amulet. Magic and beauty are a wonderful combination! Kamistella smiled at this thought.
- Our world is dangerous. You can be the very embodiment of ugliness... and die for it. You can have great wealth... and still die at the hands of others. Beauty does not stand out among other attributes that can expose the negative qualities of others. In such cases, a great investment of time and effort will be to study ways of self-defense, - replied the lunar, and then nodded: - An interview? Hmm, we're in the editorial office, that's a logical suggestion. Why not.