Trapped in Another World With No Magic

Chapter 105: Mechanic Meets an Elemental

Daniel looks at the small being slightly larger than his hand. To him, it looks like a dark-colored pixie, with big, curious eyes that have dark scleras and even darker pupils. In the right light, her hair and skin could be a dark purple, with star-like speckles.

She lays along Daniel’s forearm possessively like a cat, watching him and Doephluev study her in return.

Similarly, she looks at Daniel’s sword after Kaeralegeir’s voice informs him that this small woman isn’t a pixie or a faerie, as he suspected, but some kind of ‘elemental’.

Daniel replies gently to Kaeralegeir, “What’s an elemental?”

Doephluev looks up at him, and she cocks her head. “Elemental? What makes you say that?”

Kaeralegeir adds, audible only to Daniel, “Yeah, Daniel. What makes you say that? I thought we were keeping me on the down low?”

“I trust Doephluev well enough. She’ll find out when she stalks me on the mission.”

“Wha-!? ‘Stalk’ you!? I am your empress! And who are you talking to?”

Kaeralegeir sighs in Daniel’s mental voice, and she replies with telepathy audible to all three of them, “I am Kaeralegeir. I am Daniel’s ally. Don’t worry about further information on that. I am knowledgeable on this matter, though.” The elemental lifts herself into flight off of Daniel’s arm, and she hovers around Daniel idly, curiously inspecting him and Doephluev. She palms Daniel’s visor on his helmet, trying to study his eyes behind the transparent eye shields. He used the balinkon adhesive as a laminate for glass, which made it surprisingly strong. He can see scratches and black carbon scoring on the right side of the eye shield from where his rail gun exploded. The pixie-like elemental takes notice of the scratches, and she hovers closer, touching it as she hums softly.

Doephluev is surprised by the telepathic voice. “Wh-Who’s that!?”

“Relax,” replies Daniel. “She’s a friend.”

“W-What kind of friend?” asks the archoneldwyn.

“SO? What’s an elemental?” asks Daniel again, ignoring Doephluev.

“What do you think?” asks the goddess rhetorically. “You can see her, can’t you?”

“I can see her, but she looks like a pixie.” Daniel gently tries to touch the elemental, and she looks at his hand, giggling as she hugs his fingers. He can feel her, like she’s physically present. And, since he witnessed Arachne be summoned from seemingly thin air and magic alone, he’s not surprised, though very curious.

Daniel gently moves his hand, and the elemental gently and affectionately rubs herself on his hand and fingers like a cat, shifting with his hand until she’s seated happily on his palm.

Kaeralegeir explains with a hint of exasperation, “Elementals are born of pure magic. They don’t exist naturally in the world. Think of them as offspring as the gods. That’s not entirely accurate, but it’s the best way to put it.”

“Offspring of the gods?” asks Doephluev. She tries to poke the elemental gently with her finger, but the elemental glares at her hand and smacks it away with her hand, hugging Daniel’s fingers. “Hey!” whines the archoneldwyn. She asks grumpily, “It doesn’t look like a child. More like a jealous mistress.”

“Elementals are summoned by magic when certain conditions are met. It appears that piece of fabric summons elementals.”

“The scarf does?” asks Daniel, looking at the scarf in his other hand. 

“Yes. And, since you don’t come from a world of magic, her body is made of pure magic, and she’s a powerful magic user. Probably somewhere between the Uhl’tall archpriestess and Hekate.”

“That powerful?”

“Yes. Though, highly specific to one element. An elemental is born and bound from a magical element. In this case, you are looking at a dark elemental.”

“Dark elemental? Like dark magic?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“And, what does she do?”

“That’s up to her. Whatever the summoning conditions are, her power is bound to that.”

“Can she talk?”

Doephluev is still trying to antagonize the elemental, and the little elemental is putting up a fight, protectively defending Daniel’s hand from the much bigger mage.

“Not usually. But, she can understand. She was summoned by your mana to defend you, it seems. The scarf is powerful. I’d recommend keeping it on you. If Ryukana left it, it’s likely very powerful. I know I left my summons all kinds of goodies over the… uh… years.”

“Ryukana…?” murmurs Doephluev.

“Don’t worry about it,” replies Daniel. “Kaeralegeir, is she safe?”

“Mm-hmm. It’s your own personal goddess-endorsed mage to protect you. Possibly based on your current enviroment. Otherwise, I don’t know why a dark elemental would be summoned now.”

Daniel moves his palm closer to his face, and he uses his other hand with the scarf to remove his helmet. “Hey there… Can you understand me?”

The elemental nods happily, seemingly excited to simply hear Daniel talk to her directly. She hums happily, hugging his hand affectionately. 

“Daniel, don’t listen to her. She’s radiating dark magic.”

“You use dark magic,” retorts Daniel bluntly, and Doephluev gasps like it’s shocking news. The elemental nods, crossing her arms condescendingly as she sits on Daniel’s palm. 

“Can you tell me what you do?” asks Daniel, directed at the small dark elemental.

The elemental smiles, and she hops up to her feet, now standing on Daniel’s palm. She seems to gather magical energy in her palm, and she throws it at Daniel’s face. He recoils, but he feels a light buzz, like the light tingle of a battery. And, as he cautiously opens his eyes to look at her, he notices the room brightening. He squints his eyes in caution to protect himself, looking around for the source of sudden light, while Doephluev asks urgently, “My love!? What did she do!? You little…”

Daniel cautiously puts his scarf hand on Doephluev’s shoulder. “Is… Is it getting brighter in here?”

“What? No. Daniel? Are you alright?”

Daniel looks around. He could see his immediate surroundings thanks to Doephluev’s magic, and she was successfully highlighting monsters beyond that range. Now, though, he can see as clearly as if there were lights around the room, but he can tell it’s still dark. He looks at the dark elemental, who is grinning up at him while giving him a cute little dance of happiness.

“Dark vision? Is that what you did?”

The elemental grins and nods. She then points at the scarf, and then gestures at putting something over her head, finally pointing at Daniel.

“You want me to put it on you?” Daniel puts the scarf over the small pixie-like being, and she huffs and flutters, squirming out from under the scarf and throwing a temper tantrum. Daniel chuckles, and she makes angry gestures at him without words, finally crossing her arms and whirling around to face away from Daniel.

“Huh. She pouts just like you and Hekate,” jokes Daniel.

“I don’t act like that!” whines Doephluev. Daniel looks at her chest, and she looks down. She notices her own arms crossed under her breasts, and she huffs, whirling away from him. She then flinches, spinning back to face him and glare at him silently.

Daniel finally says, “Alright, little elemental, you win. I’ll put it on.”

She instantly faces Daniel again, suddenly happy again. Daniel puts the scarf on as promised and she does a happy little dance, flying up to hug Daniel’s cheek. Daniel chuckles and tickles her with his index finger. “You’re easy to please. Maybe I’ll make you empress.”

Doephluev gasps, tugging ineffectually on Daniel’s arm. “You can’t do that! I’m your empress! You said so!”

“Heat of the moment. And, I’m going to tease you every time it bothers you. Arachne doesn’t seem to mind.”

“Sh-She’s a summoned death knight! She’s not an empress! And, she’s your ‘daughter’, isn’t she?”

Daniel smirks deviously. “Sounds like she can be the crown heiress, then.”

Doephluev stares at Daniel once more. He then says gently, “Thank you, little miss elemental. Do you have a name?”

The elemental cocks her head, and then shakes it side to side.

“Are you alright if I give you a name then?” She nods agreeably.

“Alright…”

Daniel notices Doephluev become a little quieter. He asks, “What?”

She snaps her gaze to his, and she becomes a little flustered. She snaps her gaze back down, and she takes a deep breath. “M-My… Master… Can… I make a request?”

Daniel looks at Arachne, who has no opinions. He answers her, “You can always ask questions. Don’t expect an answer you like.”

She nods. “C-... Can I… choose? W-With your approval.”

“Is it going to be some secret code word?” asks Daniel skeptically.

She frowns sympathetically. “No. And, you can ask everyone who can use translation magic to translate every possible meaning to be sure. P-Please, Master?”

Daniel looks at Arachne again. “Notice how she calls me ‘Master’ again now that she wants something?”

“Yes,” replies Arachne bluntly. 

Doephluev pouts, but Daniel asks, “What would you choose?”

The elemental crosses her arms, humming skeptically as she stares at Doephluev.

Doephluev fidgets with her hands for a bit. “I’ve been giving it a lot of thought. F-For ours… Um… C-Can… Will Luceniel work?”

“Luceniel?” repeats Daniel. She nods cautiously.

Daniel nods. “Fine. It’s not bad. How’s that sound to you? Luceniel?”

The dark elemental mulls it over, and she nods. “Good. Then, if I call you ‘Lucy’, that’s also you, alright? A nickname.”

The newly dubbed Luceniel nods agreeably. She hovers up and hugs Daniel’s cheek. She hums happily.

“You’re welcome. Thank the assassin, too.”

“Empress!”
Daniel leans closer to Doephluev to give her a faux intimidation. “Harlot.”

Doephluev fearlessly stands up to him, pressing her chest to his. “Only for you, my Emperor.”

Daniel chuckles and shakes his head. “Unshakable, aren’t you?”

She grins. “A good trait for an Empress, yes?”

Daniel sighs. “Arachne, are there any hostiles nearby?”

“The ruins remain populated. The path to return to the entrance was clear when I came to Father.”

Daniel nods. “Remain cautious, then. Doephluev, can you still fight?” Her eyes are still a little red around her cheeks from rubbing sand clear.

She sighs in disgust that he continues to purposely ignore her flirting, ”Yes, my Love. But…”

“But?”

“Could be our last chance to be alone…”

Daniel sighs. 

***

“Have we heard from the company that stayed behind yet? Anything?”

“No, your Majesty. There have been no messengers from Fort Twilight.”

“I don’t understand,” replies Rikuto. He inspects the mobile void artillery that just returned from the battlefront. He recognizes the distinctive scrapes, dents, and pierce holes of firearms that hit the carriage and the surfaces of the weapon. The handful of soldiers that returned from the mission are battered and wounded. Many of them were maimed by limb shots and other ‘glancing’ blows from the rifle shots. Most waves of soldiers that faced Daniel’s rifles and returned have been magically contracted and can not return to the ‘Fievegal’s Sovereign Territory’ or face instant magical death. Mages are studying the brand mark, which clearly has Hekate’s name, and as Rikuto feared all along, the name is spelled with Romanized characters; English specifically.

All of the pieces fit together, but they may have a break. The returning soldiers reported a dragon appeared to fight at Fort Twilight, but it didn’t survive the weapon, and Daniel and his entourage were taking refuge in the fortress, according to spies that had tabs on the shuttle arriving and never leaving prior to the void artillery reaching Fort Twilight.

Given that there has been no retaliatory response or threats from Hekate, it’s highly likely that Hekate and Daniel are no more.

Of course, Rikuto can’t let his guard down. He is amassing the royal army of Mornistae near the capital, readying for a retaliation.

More troubling is the fact that the stay-behind unit has vanished. As soon as they had signs of Daniel’s forces or the rest of the demons trying to cross Fort Twilight’s location, they were supposed to relay messages by flares and ranged message runners. But, even still, no message has come in several days. It has also been strangely quiet in the Stalvaltan Grand Duchy. Rikuto is still receiving shipments of enhanced magic crystals, but he hasn’t heard anything from Aramellianna or her daughters.

“Send several scouts and messengers to find out the status of Fort Twilight,” declares Rikuto. “I need to know that Daniel and Hekate have been eliminated. And, if possible, I’d like to send a scouting team to the Citadel to determine whether or not the so-called Fievegal is in disarray.”

“As you wish, your Majesty,” replies the general. “Though, as you heard in the reports, Fort Twilight is nothing but a crater, thanks to your weapon.”

Rikuto nods. “Of course. It should make it very difficult for either side to pass through the mountains at the largest pass through. Are the imperial forces still stationed at the north and south fortresses?”

“Yes, your Majesty. They are garrisoned at the inner siege fortresses, with bolstering forces supporting Fort Reefjord and Peony. We have sent messengers detailing the destruction of Fort Twilight.”

“And, how was this report made?”

“Message, your Majesty. I detailed it as an attack by Hekate’s insurgent forces, and their attack led to the destruction of Twilight.”

Rikuto nods. “Good. It’s best if we keep the void artillery’s existence quiet. Count Baumalde was likely right that Ahok would not have remained quiet about it.”

The general nods in agreement. “She’d be more likely to try to warn the demon-kin. Will you be commissioning more of the void artillery units, your Majesty? I believe that it’s best to establish one at each of our most important defensive positions.”

“In time. It takes a significant amount of magic power for each unit to fire. We’ll need to keep it quiet until I can gather enough enhanced magic crystals from Aramellianna.”

“Why not seize the mine?” asks another of the generals consulting with Rikuto. “Surely, that will be less costly than paying the Grand Duchess’s exorbitant prices. In fact, the way she has been behaving, it’s possible she’s conspiring with the enemy.”

Rikuto has had that suspicion for a while, now, but he doesn’t know how to make diamonds. If Aramellianna suddenly ‘learned’ -and by that, it was of course Wenlianna-, then it was through Daniel, who seems to know a little about a lot.

He decides to wing it, now that he does have usable void artillery units. “There is no mine. Aramellianna is producing those diamonds synthetically.”

Everyone in the room currently; various nobles siding with Rikuto, military commanders, and a handful of knights, stare at Rikuto in disbelief.

“Producing?” repeats one of the dukes. “That’s impossible.”

“It’s not. Earth had various ways of producing diamonds. Daniel apparently helped them build a diamond production machine.”

This causes an outburst among the nobles especially. “Aramellianna should pay for this treachery!” “Your Majesty, it is unacceptable for such a device to exist in the hands of a vassal territory!” “It must be seized at once!” “All of the Grand Duchy’s assets are forfeit!” “This treachery cannot go unpunished!”

Rikuto listens to the clamor. They’re all in agreement, and they seem more frustrated that Rikuto kept it to himself for so long, rather than responding in the manner they believe the Royal Capital is entitled to.

They aren’t wrong. She essentially has her own printing press, and is literally like a prefecture or county printing her own money at will while also having weaseled out of paying taxes to her country.

And, with overwhelming support from the nobility of Mornistae, it might not be so impractical for Rikuto to rein her back in.

Especially because he has two void artillery units at his disposal.

***

Daniel, Doephluev, and Arachne disembark from the shuttle Daniel used to sneak away from the Citadel. His clandestine mission was discovered quite quickly, and Xyreko was still able to send Arachne to him via teleport, even though Daniel was certain he carefully ensured to not have anything Xyreko could track. 

And, he knows she’ll never reveal how she tracked him. The only other alternative would be Ryukana, who may have told the golem Caretaker or the others where the location was.

Luceniel, the pixie-like dark elemental, lounges on Daniel’s shoulder as she observes everything. It was night time when they emerged from the ruins, and it’s somewhat dark in the hangar.

It ALMOST feels like a welcoming detail lined up for a proper emperor as he returns home, but Daniel knows he’s not being welcomed home.

Or at least, he’s in big trouble during.

Everyone is gathered, including Aramellianna and her daughters, though they seem more interested in watching for amusement.

Daniel notices Hekate glare at Doephluev, but no one speaks to her, and she falls several steps behind Daniel, following him but not pretending to be his equal anymore.

He does his best to absorb the bulk of the attention, though. “Well, well, well. Where have you ladies been? I’ve been…”

“Don’t you dare!” snaps Geirahoel. She storms over to Daniel, gripping his chest armor as Hekate bounds over as well. The orange dragon in human form shakes Daniel lightly. “Why didn’t you invite us!?”
“The mission was safe this time, Mukori. And, I wanted everyone to know that ‘we’ all are hiding out here for the time being. The invasion should be fully manned in the next couple of days, and they’ll march on the Stalvaltan…”

“None of that matters!” interrupts Hekate. “You went on an adventure without me!” She glares briefly at Doephluev, adding coldly, “But, you took her with you.”

Doephluev looks down, but Daniel replies, “I was testing her. She passed.”

“Testing her!?” retorts the feldrok empress as the crowd around Daniel closes in. Doephluev is also surprised by his declaration, but she stays quiet.

Daniel nods once in affirmation. “Yep. I wanted to see if she really can be trusted. She was a big help. Arachne as well. Thank you for sending her, Vaergraes.” Hekate scowls at Daniel, but Vaergraes replies warmly to his thanks.

“My pleasure. And, please, Daniel. Feel free to call me ‘Vae’.”

Daniel cocks his head, replying cautiously. “If you insist,... Vae.”

“I do. Thank you.”

“Ignoring the assassin…” adds Hekate dismissively as she shoos the archoneldwyn woman away from Daniel. “It seems you broke the rules. And, you’ll have to be punished.”

Daniel winces, and he glances at Arachne briefly. Though she has a face, unlike the golems, she has similar composure, not making any indication that she understands what he’s looking at her for.

Hekate wraps her arms around Daniel’s right, and Geirahoel claims his chest in a hug, while Reignleif sneaks up and takes his left arm. Ryuogriar is the most daring, trapping him by hugging him from behind, sliding her hands dangerously low. Daniel keeps his composure, while Ryuogriar teases him. “You’ve been very neglectful, Mukori. We all discussed it, and you’ll be under house arrest for the foreseeable future. I hope you’re ready.”

Geirahoel nods against his chest, and surprisingly, Wenlianna adds in as she stands just behind Geirahoel. “She’s right, Daniel. You’ll cooperate, or you’re fired.”

He scoffs. “Alright. I’ll cooperate. But, are you going to ask if I accomplished my mission?”

“Obviously you did,” retorts Treia. “There’s a thing on your shoulder that wasn’t there before. And, Arachne told us.” She gingerly pokes at the dark elemental, and Luceniel glares at the gatonine woman, swatting at her hand like a cat might. “Hey!”

Doephluev states emotionlessly from her short distance away, “Luceniel is jealous of anyone that interacts with Daniel. She’s kind, though.”

The others look at the archoneldwyn mistress briefly, but no one scolds her. Daniel adds, “She is summoned by this scarf, and she gives me dark vision.”

“That’s it?” asks Hekate bluntly. This upsets Luceniel, and she throws a small tantrum before surprising everyone. She summons a bunch of copies of herself, though they are wispy like smoke. Regardless, the gremlin-like shadows chase after the women around Daniel, startling them. He calls out, “Whoa! Whoa! Easy there, Lucy!” He scoops her into his hands, and she swings her hands and makes various expressions, demonstrating her frustration without words.

Daniel gently holds her as the others give him a wide berth, on guard from the strange gremlins, which stop pursuing. “That was my fault, Lucy. Forgive her for misunderstanding, since it was my fault. I’m sorry. But, I don’t know all of your abilities.”

Luceniel huffs and crosses her arms. She calms down, and Daniel takes a breath and exhales deeply to relax. “Thank you, Luceniel.” He then adds, “I don’t know the abilities of this scarf or Luceniel. I’ve only experienced the dark vision and these little gremlin things.”

Vaergraes, the first one to become brave enough to approach again, says gently, “I don’t believe it… It’s an elemental.”

“You know what they are?” asks Daniel.

She nods. “Yes.” She cautiously inspects Luceniel without touching, while the small pixie-like being hugs Daniel’s hand firmly, watching with eyes full of suspicion for the relative giant.

“The scarf houses a lot of various pure magical energy, but this little one is solely composed of the dark element.”

“Does that mean anything?” asks Hekate.

“I’m not sure. But, in the stories my grandfather used to tell, elementals are empowered in the presence of their native magical element. At this level of light, she’s still rather strong, but I imagine the effects of her magic were even stronger in the pitch black of the ruins.”

“Is that true, Luceniel?”

Luceniel nods proudly, standing with her hands on her hips on Daniel’s palm. 

“What happens in daylight, then?”

The small dark-colored pixie smiles gently. She yawns with a stretch, and then motions laying down on Daniel’s palm, going to sleep.

“You… go to sleep?”

She sits up and nods.

“Turn the lights on brighter, Daniel,” urges Kaeralegeir’s voice. “It should reveal the truth.”

Daniel says gently, “I just want to see. Xyreko, can you raise the lights to a morning level?”

She nods, and the light brightens in the hangar. The scarf noticeably changes colors from a dark blue to a lighter blue and then to white, before finally turning into a soft yellow color. Likewise, Luceniel waves her hand with a goodbye smile, and she seems to fade away.

Daniel feels a little bad, but just as soon as Luceniel vanishes, a new pixie springs out of a small flash, twirling in a circle. She expressively searches around, looking at Hekate, Ryuogriar, and Geirahoel in order before she lays eyes on Daniel, and she perks up. This elemental looks very similar to Luceniel, but with different hair and a bright, sun-like orange color. She also has an even more happy-go-lucky personality, dancing in circles before flying up and inspecting Daniel’s face the same way Luceniel did. 

“A light elemental?” asks Vaergraes. Everyone looks to Ryukana for an explanation, and she smiles softly. She approaches, holding her hand out, and the light elemental happily flies around her hand, landing on it briefly. She makes some gestures, but it’s not apparent to anyone else what the small faerie-like being is communicating.

“Yes,” replies Ryukana gracefully. She gingerly touches the scarf, which seems to brighten at her touch. Daniel watches passively, interested in hearing a full explanation.

“I can’t determine what elementals will be born by the scarf, nor their specific abilities. Or… I could have, but I would have gotten in trouble.” She scoffs. “Hindsight is twenty-twenty, as they say, right Daniel?”
He chuckles. “No lies detected. Is she the same as Luceniel? The same person I mean?”

“Elementals don’t have the same perception of time as mortals, so they don’t have the same definition of ‘self’ that mortals do. That said, each elemental will be different. If you treat them well, they’ll grow stronger through their attachment. Think of it like a shard of a goddess. Or like a finger. The more attached they are, the more of their actual attention they’ll give you.”

Daniel nods. “Nice to meet you, Miss Light Elemental.” She zips to him on faerie wings, and she kisses his forehead. She hovers in front of his face with a happy grin.

Hekate remarks the obvious, “I think she wants something.”

The orange pixie nods vibrantly. She points at herself. “Any ideas?” asks Daniel.

Ryukana stares at her ponderously. Hekate offers, “Treats maybe?”

The pixie shakes her head. Doephluev feigns a sneeze, all but spitting out the word, “Name!” She rubs her nose, murmuring, “Excuse me.”

The light elemental perks up, nodding eagerly.

“Name!” repeats Hekate. “Ooo! Ooo! Let me! I want to pick this time, Daniel! Please? You named Luceniel.”

Daniel only glances at Doephluev when she twitches, and he winks at her. “Do what you want, Hekate. But, pick something good.”

She nods proudly. “Of course! It’s me we’re talking about!” Hekate sets to thinking hard on the task. She hums as she searches her brain for any names. She stares at the little elemental, trying to give it her best effort.

“Need some help?” asks Ryuogriar a little teasingly.

“Like you’ll be any better at it than me!”

“Reese.”

Daniel and Hekate both cock their heads in surprise.

“What kind of name is that?” asks Hekate.

Ryuogriar crosses her arms, looking up proudly with a triumphant smirk and hum. “Because she’s orange and it’s the name of Mukori’s favorite candy.”

Hekate instantly looks at Daniel with a face of betrayal. But, Daniel is just as confused as she is. Suddenly, he realizes what Ryuogriar is talking about, and the young feldrok girl immediately accuses, “So it’s true!?”

He chuckles, looking at the light elemental as she eagerly nods. He wants to object, but Ryuogriar is profoundly proud of her decision.

“Technically, it’s a brand name of candy, so we can’t use it.”

“What? Why not?”

“Well, now that we’ve made the connection, I can’t claim it’s coincidental.”

They all stare at him, not understanding. He offers gently, “It’s a good idea otherwise, Ryuo-Mukori.”

She pouts a little, and Hekate adds, “Besides! By your logic, we might as well name her ‘Geirahoel Junior’. She’s orange.”

Geirahoel twitches and blushes. “N-No! You can’t! That would be too embarrassing. E-Especially if… one of us -not that I would- mistakes who Daniel is talking to. But, I wouldn’t.”

Daniel scoffs. Reignleif offers, “Vaarskahana?”

“Does that mean something?” asks Daniel gently.

“Um… It’s the orange flowers… In Draconic.”

Geirahoel nods. “It’s the name for [Marigold],” clarifies the youngest of the three dragons.

“Ahh. That’s a fitting choice. Sure. How’s that sound, Miss Elemental? Vaarskahana. And, for short, we’ll call you Hana, if that’s alright.”

The light elemental thinks for a second, and she nods. “Great! Nice to meet you.”

Ryukana, having observed patiently, teases warmly, “That’s wonderful. Now, you’ll just have to figure out the conditions to summon the rest so you can name them.” She smiles, and Daniel glances at Vaarskahana. The small pixie-like being grins up at him happily. He chuckles. “Let’s come up with some guesses and make a list. I assume there will be an elemental for each of the basic magic elements.”

“As well as a few others,” confirms the goddess with a knowing smile.

“Any hints, my Lady?”

“I could. But, that scarf shouldn’t exist, so…” She puts a finger to her lips and smiles. Daniel sighs in defeat. He knows she’s constantly on thin ice with Order and Chaos with how much direct assistance she has given, and the scarf is no exception. She was, at best, supposed to leave it in the world for Rikuto -or Daniel- to find. It seems Order and Chaos are rather forgiving, though Daniel’s pretty sure Ryukana has been scolded more than once since Hekate showed up in the Divine Realm. He effectively had her use the same trick Brosjak used, following the goddess by forcefully opening the echo of her magic to her location.

And, the primordial goddesses forgave them all. Or at least, they didn’t smite everyone.

“I’m glad to see you’re doing better, Daniel…” murmurs Gwenesphia. “Before you went out…”

The others nod in agreement.

Daniel nods. “I… had some time to think, and it helped. A lot.”

Hekate hums skeptically, shooting a quick scowl at Doephluev. Daniel replies gently, “Give her a break, please. We had a good talk.”

The feldrok empress flattens her ears, and Doephluev is a little surprised as well.

Hekate finally huffs and sighs. “Fine. If that’s how it is, I’m just glad you’re in a better mood, too. Now spoil me rotten!” She jumps at Daniel and he scoffs and chuckles while catching her.

“Jeez, Hekate! You’re supposed to be an empress.”

Everyone shares a laugh.

Kera’tai brazenly approaches next, clearing her throat. “Daniel, don’t get comfortable. I have private business with you.” She gives him a toothy grin, and the other women roll their eyes. Treia retorts, “You say that like you’re the only one.”

Kera’tai snickers, and Daniel points arbitrarily across the hangar. “What’s that over there!”

Shek, Skloe, Kera’tai, Thymeria, Erimaya, and Vaergraes are the only ones who look, innocently fooled as Daniel tries to jog away, only to find Ryuogriar standing in his way. “Oh… Uh… Hey Ryuo. Come here often?”

She grabs his collar, saying as she drags him away from the shuttle, “Come, Mukori. Your punishment begins immediately.”

Daniel chuckles, going along with them as he is surrounded and trapped by his family.

The destruction of Twilight is still on his mind, but his brain is working again, and he has a reason to fight on.

***

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