Unknown territory 1: Mines of the Iiion armory Exteriors of the territory: District of Adventurers
With the full moon shining on high, the night lay quiet in its fullness when Erin, Grimm and Ehrwald left the Shrine of the Walker. For the giantess, who had only heard about the Unknown Territories and had never physically been in one, the image of joy and fuss dislodged her.
The entrance to the mines was excavated in the mountains, with a building built around it and a long queue waiting for almost 30 adventurers. Around the entrance of the Shrine of the Walker were shops, inns, street stalls, the largest adventurer's Guild that Erin had ever seen, and even thermal baths... all decorated with colored garlands and branese crystals painted in bright colors.
Street musicians, artists and others gather in the streets, surrounded by hundreds of adventurers sharing stories, tasting meals or showing guns.
Grimm went forward a few steps, standing in front of the sanctuary with his arms wide open. "Do you hear that, apprentice? It's the melody that accompanies the adventure!" Erin said nothing, still open-mouthed without being able to understand what she saw. Adventurers of all species of humans and demons, of all sizes and colors ... the nose of the giantess was detecting aroma of popcorn, roasted meats, sweets and all kinds of festive foods.
"Emmile has made me come to the mines a couple of times to, as she says, stretch her wings and take off a little the desire to fight..." Ehrwald walked towards his uncle, protecting his alchemy bag with both arms. "But even so my mouth always water when entering this place"
"It's normal!" Grimm laughed while keeping an eye on Erin. It wasnt that the giantess was going to get lost or that it was hard to find her... but even so, Grimm felt obliged to have her controlled. "You can only live this at a regional party or in the Unknown Territories! This mixture of smells... tastes... sounds and sensations, all this is born of the purest feeling of freedom!"
"Grimm ..." Erin whispered as she joined her two companions, kneeling so they could hold a conversation in low voices. "I dont understand what all the fuss is about, is not this supposed to be an unexplored Territory? Because... it seems that I have strained into a street during the Vontalba festivities"
Grimm suppressed a guilty laugh, placing his hand on the giantess shoulder. "My metaphorically little apprentice ... I infer that this is your first time in an Unknown Territory, right?" The giantess nodded as she fastened her trenchcoat and put on her hood, the fear of being recognized quickly surfaced in her heart. "Then, let me explain to you, dear! And before that... question for exam-"
"I have exams?"
"From now on. What is unknown territory? "Grimm crossed his arms, letting the giantess leave the hole alone ... or ask for help.But that was not written in Erin's dictionary either.
"An unknown Territory is an area that has been torn from space and time by a High God, turning the area into a sort of self-healing closed dimension in 3-day cycles. The conditions for a Territory to occur are three:
- It must have suffered effects from the magic of some Deep One, directly or indirectly through invocations or artifacts of the Deep Ones.
- It must have been contaminated by a Bio Blood Rain.
- Or it must have been affected by the star of Apodemus and his Mother Night.
Any of the conditions generate creatures that should never have existed or "Nonacids", which will act as a seal of the nucleus of that Unknown Territory, be it a living nucleus, a nucleus-object or a nucleus-place.
I know the theory of an unknown Territory, master. My grandmother has been my post-class tutor... And she was a renowned adventurer"
...
Grimm's face was worthy of being framed, something Ehrwald made very clear when he burst out laughing. "YOUR APPRENTICE HAS PUT YOU ON YOUR PLACE, UNCLE GRIMM!" Almost on the verge of crying, Ehrwald had to lean on the giantess to maintain her balance.
Very slowly, Grimm began to nod... first almost without moving his head, picking up rhythm and speed at every moment. "Very well ... very well, apprentice" On the one hand, the giantess feared for her physical integrity... on the other hand, she sat too late to finally use the endless hours of explanations and definitions that her grandmother forced her to swallow. "Well, that... the Unknown Territories have the property of regenerating their interior every three days... including the treasures and goods that the High Gods left for the brave who tried to clean the territories from the source of their corruption... although as history has made clear, That is almost impossible.
If you put together places with treasures that regenerate, ergo are infinite, to that you add a sense of adventure since the territory changes every three days... and you finish it off with humans and demons with a lot of free time and wanting to test their magic and/or improve your skills ... what gives you everything?"
The giantess decided not to answer, leaving this time it was her teacher who took the credit for being able to teach her new things... already known, but eh! That Grimm doesnt have to know!
"It gives you the Adventurer's Guild! As you can imagine, before the Guild everything was in chaos, the adventurers joined in gigantic groups to confront the territories ... and that led to the first infection"
Erin nodded, remembering her grandmother's lessons. "I know that. The first infection occurs when a group of 100 adventurers stormed the territory of Gulf of the Tides..." The giantess expected her teacher to continue, but Grimm had other plans. With a hand gesture, Grimm pointed to Ehrwald, who after making sure it was he who Grimm was looking for, took a book out of his bag, beginning to read.
"Gulf of the Tides is corrupted by the blood of Bio, and the creatures that inhabited the territory transmitted the plague of the distorted flesh of Bio with each impact. It was only necessary for one of the adventurers not to heal properly after the assault... and become infected to the old Phromecia"
"Old Phromecia had no chance ..." Grimm interrupted, crossing himself so that Erin and Ehrwald remembered to do it, as tradition marks. "Once the first adventurer was transformed... it was a simple domino effect. Amun had to appear in person, surround the city and bless the walls so that he could sink everything underground...
More than half the city sank in the depths, leaving only the university as a reminder of what was once the first great city of Paradiso. Maybe that same university is the center of New Phromecia, but the memory of what caused a single oversight penetrated deeply into the collective. Amun called before him the greatest adventurer of that time, urging him to form a legislative body capable of controlling the entrance to the Territories... and after that, Amun traveled throughout the continent assigning a guardian for each Territory"
"Amun and Marias Bink-" Approaching the group, an old man continued the story of Grimm. between Grimm's smile, Ehrwald's reverence and the giantess's own memories of the meetings in which she accompanied her father, Erin could understand that who was in front was the old friend of Grimm with whom they had to meet, the great magistrate and adviser Hector... although the giantess remembered the old man with more hair. "-Fundated a year later the Adventurer's Guild, which was dedicated to control and register any adventurer worth his blood.
Of being next to the territories, the Guild quickly extended to be in each capital... and later, in each great town, almost at the same level of importance as a hospital"
"You had to steal my story?" Grimm asked as Hector joined the group, taking a bluish envelope from his tunic.
"I tell it better, not in vain... I have studied about it" ignoring Grimm's burlesque gesture, Hector turned to the giantess, offering a small and discreet reverence. "Princess Myerina, a pleasure to see you again ... and see how well you have grown since the meeting of the assembly in Vontalba"
"I was only eight years old at the time, Magistrate Hector." Erin responded with another discreet bow, making sure that no one had heard them. "And if you'll excuse me, for the moment I keep the profile of Erin, Don Hector"
"Of course, your majesty" Grimm and Ehrwald looked at each other for a second, both of them taking a step back when they noticed how the conversation had risen without realizing it. "I know your situation in detail, and you should know that I share the opinion of this idiot" Hector discreetly pointed to Grimm, who responded by sticking out his tongue. "Gurian is a complete idiot"
"An idiot with too much power," Grimm added, opening the envelope. "Priority +15? Come on Hector! I know you can do much better!"
"Dont be impertinent, Grimm, it's the best I've been able to achieve in such a short time. I didnt want to wake up his majesty, so I made the prince who signed him... and no matter how prince he may be, at 7 he still does not have much authority"
Grimm pretended to spit a false annoyance, although in the end he could understand the logic after the decisions of his friend. "Ehrwald, come with me to check in to enter the Territory. Hector, I ask you please to prepare Erin with everything she can need... It's her first time in one of these, so we want her to endure until the end" Without waiting for an answer, Grimm ran out with Ehrwald behind him, leaving the giantess and the magistrade.
"Don Hector... what Grimm mean with hold on until the end?"
"I will explain it to you in due time ... before that, I must assure of one thing" Hector's expression hardened more than the giantess expected, beginning to fear that he had done something wrong. "Is Grimm treating you properly?"
"Eh? Treating properly? ..." Erin asked confused, fearing that the magistrate was going to do something about the Master-Apprentice contract if she answered something she didnt like. Protecting her former employers until they had some business with which to have benefit remained in the mind of the giantess... although Grimm didnt seem the kind of person who went to claim the money ... or let her go before the expiration of the contract without fighting...
Hector shook his head, grabbing the sleeve of the giantess to bring her closer. "You know ... Grimm is not the most attentive person in the world, and he has never traveled alone with young ladies like you to understand ... your needs!"
Quickly, Erin understood why the magistrate's concern. "No no! Grimm is super attentive to me! He doesnt mind stopping when I have to go to the bathroom or wait behind his back, he makes sure we have a roof under which to sleep every night and offers to go himself to look for food! It is true that we havent ... trained as much as I thought, but in the rest he has been super attentive!"
Hector sighed in relief, the giantess swore to see how a huge weight was removed from the shoulders of the magistrate. "Good thing... when he told me about you this morning, the memories of all the problems that Grimm gave Maria and Iskar have come to my head... and I couldnt let him do the same to a girl much more young and impressionable like you!"
"Oh come on, Don Hector, I'm not 8 years old anymore, I've grown a lot since then and I can prove it to you-"
"No need, the story that Grimm told me is more than enough to know that you have become a mature girl and ready to be a great queen some day" Hector prepared to turn around and ask Erin to follow him , but the memory of the old days made the giantess need to ask something.
"Don Hector, do you know anything about the Breca royal family?" The worried and darkened tone of the giantess helped Hector quickly understand what the giantess really wanted to ask.
"According to the confirmation to the meeting her father sent, your friend is in treatment and is much better, Erin" The giantess sighed feeling relief at the same time that Miki had overcome her illness and pain for not being in Vontalba and to be able to visit her... So many years apart and when she finally improved, it was Erin who wasnt available.
Unknown territory 1: Mines of the Iiion armory Exteriors of the territory: District of Adventurers
With the full moon shining on high, the night lay quiet in its fullness when Erin, Grimm and Ehrwald left the Shrine of the Walker. For the giantess, who had only heard about the Unknown Territories and had never physically been in one, the image of joy and fuss dislodged her.
The entrance to the mines was excavated in the mountains, with a building built around it and a long queue waiting for almost 30 adventurers. Around the entrance of the Shrine of the Walker were shops, inns, street stalls, the largest adventurer's Guild that Erin had ever seen, and even thermal baths... all decorated with colored garlands and branese crystals painted in bright colors.
Street musicians, artists and others gather in the streets, surrounded by hundreds of adventurers sharing stories, tasting meals or showing guns.
Grimm went forward a few steps, standing in front of the sanctuary with his arms wide open. "Do you hear that, apprentice? It's the melody that accompanies the adventure!" Erin said nothing, still open-mouthed without being able to understand what she saw. Adventurers of all species of humans and demons, of all sizes and colors ... the nose of the giantess was detecting aroma of popcorn, roasted meats, sweets and all kinds of festive foods.
"Emmile has made me come to the mines a couple of times to, as she says, stretch her wings and take off a little the desire to fight..." Ehrwald walked towards his uncle, protecting his alchemy bag with both arms. "But even so my mouth always water when entering this place"
"It's normal!" Grimm laughed while keeping an eye on Erin. It wasnt that the giantess was going to get lost or that it was hard to find her... but even so, Grimm felt obliged to have her controlled. "You can only live this at a regional party or in the Unknown Territories! This mixture of smells... tastes... sounds and sensations, all this is born of the purest feeling of freedom!"
"Grimm ..." Erin whispered as she joined her two companions, kneeling so they could hold a conversation in low voices. "I dont understand what all the fuss is about, is not this supposed to be an unexplored Territory? Because... it seems that I have strained into a street during the Vontalba festivities"
Grimm suppressed a guilty laugh, placing his hand on the giantess shoulder. "My metaphorically little apprentice ... I infer that this is your first time in an Unknown Territory, right?" The giantess nodded as she fastened her trenchcoat and put on her hood, the fear of being recognized quickly surfaced in her heart. "Then, let me explain to you, dear! And before that... question for exam-"
"I have exams?"
"From now on. What is unknown territory? "Grimm crossed his arms, letting the giantess leave the hole alone ... or ask for help.But that was not written in Erin's dictionary either.
"An unknown Territory is an area that has been torn from space and time by a High God, turning the area into a sort of self-healing closed dimension in 3-day cycles. The conditions for a Territory to occur are three:
- It must have suffered effects from the magic of some Deep One, directly or indirectly through invocations or artifacts of the Deep Ones.
- It must have been contaminated by a Bio Blood Rain.
- Or it must have been affected by the star of Apodemus and his Mother Night.
Any of the conditions generate creatures that should never have existed or "NullumEst", which will act as a seal of the nucleus of that Unknown Territory, be it a living nucleus, a nucleus-object or a nucleus-place.
I know the theory of an unknown Territory, master. My grandmother has been my post-class tutor... And she was a renowned adventurer"
...
Grimm's face was worthy of being framed, something Ehrwald made very clear when he burst out laughing. "YOUR APPRENTICE HAS PUT YOU ON YOUR PLACE, UNCLE GRIMM!" Almost on the verge of crying, Ehrwald had to lean on the giantess to maintain her balance.
Very slowly, Grimm began to nod... first almost without moving his head, picking up rhythm and speed at every moment. "Very well ... very well, apprentice" On the one hand, the giantess feared for her physical integrity... on the other hand, she sat too late to finally use the endless hours of explanations and definitions that her grandmother forced her to swallow. "Well, that... the Unknown Territories have the property of regenerating their interior every three days... including the treasures and goods that the High Gods left for the brave who tried to clean the territories from the source of their corruption... although as history has made clear, That is almost impossible.
If you put together places with treasures that regenerate, ergo are infinite, to that you add a sense of adventure since the territory changes every three days... and you finish it off with humans and demons with a lot of free time and wanting to test their magic and/or improve your skills ... what gives you everything?"
The giantess decided not to answer, leaving this time it was her teacher who took the credit for being able to teach her new things... already known, but eh! That Grimm doesnt have to know!
"It gives you the Adventurer's Guild! As you can imagine, before the Guild everything was in chaos, the adventurers joined in gigantic groups to confront the territories ... and that led to the first infection"
Erin nodded, remembering her grandmother's lessons. "I know that. The first infection occurs when a group of 100 adventurers stormed the territory of Gulf of the Tides..." The giantess expected her teacher to continue, but Grimm had other plans. With a hand gesture, Grimm pointed to Ehrwald, who after making sure it was he who Grimm was looking for, took a book out of his bag, beginning to read.
"Gulf of the Tides is corrupted by the blood of Bio, and the creatures that inhabited the territory transmitted the plague of the distorted flesh of Bio with each impact. It was only necessary for one of the adventurers not to heal properly after the assault... and become infected to the old Phromecia"
"Old Phromecia had no chance ..." Grimm interrupted, crossing himself so that Erin and Ehrwald remembered to do it, as tradition marks. "Once the first adventurer was transformed... it was a simple domino effect. Amun had to appear in person, surround the city and bless the walls so that he could sink everything underground...
More than half the city sank in the depths, leaving only the university as a reminder of what was once the first great city of Paradiso. Maybe that same university is the center of New Phromecia, but the memory of what caused a single oversight penetrated deeply into the collective. Amun called before him the greatest adventurer of that time, urging him to form a legislative body capable of controlling the entrance to the Territories... and after that, Amun traveled throughout the continent assigning a guardian for each Territory"
"Amun and Marias Bink-" Approaching the group, an old man continued the story of Grimm. between Grimm's smile, Ehrwald's reverence and the giantess's own memories of the meetings in which she accompanied her father, Erin could understand that who was in front was the old friend of Grimm with whom they had to meet, the great magistrate and adviser Hector... although the giantess remembered the old man with more hair. "-Fundated a year later the Adventurer's Guild, which was dedicated to control and register any adventurer worth his blood.
Of being next to the territories, the Guild quickly extended to be in each capital... and later, in each great town, almost at the same level of importance as a hospital"
"You had to steal my story?" Grimm asked as Hector joined the group, taking a bluish envelope from his tunic.
"I tell it better, not in vain... I have studied about it" ignoring Grimm's burlesque gesture, Hector turned to the giantess, offering a small and discreet reverence. "Princess Myerina, a pleasure to see you again ... and see how well you have grown since the meeting of the assembly in Vontalba"
"I was only eight years old at the time, Magistrate Hector." Erin responded with another discreet bow, making sure that no one had heard them. "And if you'll excuse me, for the moment I keep the profile of Erin, Don Hector"
"Of course, your majesty" Grimm and Ehrwald looked at each other for a second, both of them taking a step back when they noticed how the conversation had risen without realizing it. "I know your situation in detail, and you should know that I share the opinion of this idiot" Hector discreetly pointed to Grimm, who responded by sticking out his tongue. "Gurian is a complete idiot"
"An idiot with too much power," Grimm added, opening the envelope. "Priority +15? Come on Hector! I know you can do much better!"
"Dont be impertinent, Grimm, it's the best I've been able to achieve in such a short time. I didnt want to wake up his majesty, so I made the prince who signed him... and no matter how prince he may be, at 7 he still does not have much authority"
Grimm pretended to spit a false annoyance, although in the end he could understand the logic after the decisions of his friend. "Ehrwald, come with me to check in to enter the Territory. Hector, I ask you please to prepare Erin with everything she can need... It's her first time in one of these, so we want her to endure until the end" Without waiting for an answer, Grimm ran out with Ehrwald behind him, leaving the giantess and the magistrade.
"Don Hector... what Grimm mean with hold on until the end?"
"I will explain it to you in due time ... before that, I must assure of one thing" Hector's expression hardened more than the giantess expected, beginning to fear that he had done something wrong. "Is Grimm treating you properly?"
"Eh? Treating properly? ..." Erin asked confused, fearing that the magistrate was going to do something about the Master-Apprentice contract if she answered something she didnt like. Protecting her former employers until they had some business with which to have benefit remained in the mind of the giantess... although Grimm didnt seem the kind of person who went to claim the money ... or let her go before the expiration of the contract without fighting...
Hector shook his head, grabbing the sleeve of the giantess to bring her closer. "You know ... Grimm is not the most attentive person in the world, and he has never traveled alone with young ladies like you to understand ... your needs!"
Quickly, Erin understood why the magistrate's concern. "No no! Grimm is super attentive to me! He doesnt mind stopping when I have to go to the bathroom or wait behind his back, he makes sure we have a roof under which to sleep every night and offers to go himself to look for food! It is true that we havent ... trained as much as I thought, but in the rest he has been super attentive!"
Hector sighed in relief, the giantess swore to see how a huge weight was removed from the shoulders of the magistrate. "Good thing... when he told me about you this morning, the memories of all the problems that Grimm gave Maria and Iskar have come to my head... and I couldnt let him do the same to a girl much more young and impressionable like you!"
"Oh come on, Don Hector, I'm not 8 years old anymore, I've grown a lot since then and I can prove it to you-"
"No need, the story that Grimm told me is more than enough to know that you have become a mature girl and ready to be a great queen some day" Hector prepared to turn around and ask Erin to follow him , but the memory of the old days made the giantess need to ask something.
"Don Hector, do you know anything about the Breca royal family?" The worried and darkened tone of the giantess helped Hector quickly understand what the giantess really wanted to ask.
"According to the confirmation to the meeting her father sent, your friend is in treatment and is much better, Erin" The giantess sighed feeling relief at the same time that Miki had overcome her illness and pain for not being in Vontalba and to be able to visit her... So many years apart and when she finally improved, it was Erin who wasnt available. "Erin, you must not suffer for being here..." Hector said reading it as an open book, the second person in a long time that did something like that. "As long as she heals, you will come back to see her. Amun wouldnt let destiny separate you both, he isnt that type of High God"
Instantly, the smile returned to Erin's face. Apparently, the giantess had not matured as much as she wanted to be seen, Hector thought to himself, turning to the crowd. "Now, Erin, its time to follow me. We have to prepare you for the Territory" The magistrate began to walk through the market, followed closely by the giantess. Erin could see how Hector directed quick and concrete looks at the products, jumping among them at full speed. A true master of shopping, no doubt.
"Let's start with the explanations, dear. I'm sure you'll want to know what's waiting for you inside" Erin nodded as Hector stopped to look at some fruits that the giantess had never seen, small and purple but shaped like bananas ... They didnt have the best aspects, if Erin had to be honest.
"The first thing is that you understand the term Moral Death. You see, Erin... "Hector said as he began to walk again. "It isnt possible for an adventurer to die within an unknown Territory. Instead, when your body succumbs to pain or fatigue fainting, the guardian's blessing makes you appear at the entrance to the Territory.This is called 'Moral Defeat or Death'... and believe me, morality is a name chosen through experience.
Another thing you should know is that the atmosphere inside of the Unknown Territories is distorted, causing the human or demonic body to consume its energy much quicker" Hector stopped suddenly at one of the food stalls, exchanging glances between the stand and the giantess's trenchcoat. "Dont you have a backpack or something?" Erin deny as she squatted to see, the vast majority of the fabric roofs of the market only reached the waist of the giantess.
"Are they candy?"
The magistrate nodded while without any hesitation opened the pockets of the trenchcoat, putting his hand inside and everything. "They arent normal candies, their recipe is designed to condense as much lemon juice and sugar as possible, all to provide enough energy to resist the atmosphere of the Mines"
"I like lemon and sugar... so go ahead, I'll stay with them. How much-" Hector did not even bother to let the giantess answer, paying with a handful of bills to the owner of the post and beginning to fill both candy pockets. "They are human-sized, but simply that you eat a handful should get the same effects. And I pay them forget this time... consider them a gift, you want? One of apology for Gurian's behavior... and for the future and inevitable behavior of Grim"
Although the giantess felt guilty about accepting such a gift, the idea of r03;r03;free candy was too attractive to reject. The walk of both continued for a couple of minutes, stopping in front of an armory in the open air.
"I dont need weapons! I have basic knowledge of hand-to-hand combat and I trust my strength! I'm perfectly fine fighting hand to hand, I assure you, Don Hector!"
The magistrate looked at her for a few seconds, gesturing to the giantess to bend over. "Believe me, even hand-to-hand fighters must wear mittens and gloves to defend themselves... you do not want to touch the NullumEst directly.
I suppose Gaspar will have taught you how to defend yourself with a sword, spear and axe, right?" The giantess nodded, looking with her eyes for a weapon of her size. "Dont worry about that, dear. Boss! Boss, are you there?"
From behind a forge appeared an elf and a young dwarf carrying a box with the Blueorb symbol on it. "Of course! A pleasure to see you again, magistrate Hector. If you comes for the rapier of the young prince, I havent finished it yet"
The elf replied as she wiped the sweat on her shirt.
"None of that, boss. I need a weapon for my goddaughter, which as you will see-" With a single gesture of hands the smith already understood the problem. "She is a giantess ... and it isnt easy to find giant weapons far from the plains. I know you usually have weapons purchased from very diverse companies, so you are our last hope"
The elf smiled as she looked at her assistant, who nodded back. "Well, you have good luck, dear! Yesterday my apprentice bought a pair of straight swords from a giant salesman! Do you know how to handle them?" Erin nodded, still stunned by her companion's lie. The elf made a gesture to enter the building behind the post, which thanks to the gods, had a door designed for titans/giants.
The building acted like a gigantic forge, dozens of workers hitting the iron, driving ovens or sharpening weapons. The elf turned directly after entering, opening the door of a small improvised store. With much effort between blacksmith and apprentice, the elf opened a huge wooden box, revealing the aforementioned sword. (Nothing out of the ordinary, simply a simple and efficient design to cut and penetrate)
"Here are the swords, so new that nothing has yet proven its edge! But quiet, sharpen and polish it myself before storing them! I'm sure that as a godchild of Hector you are used to something more luxurious... I hope you can settle for this!"
While Erin was bending down to take the sword, the elf gestured to her assistant, who ran back to the store. "Do you feel comfortable with them, Erin?" Erin raised the sword, letting her arm adjust to its weight. With a fast and precise movement of the dolls, the giantess made several cuts in the air.
"It's perfect, like the one I used to train with my grandfather. How much-"
"I already told you that today I pay! Dont insist!" Hector replied, watching as the assistant dragged a gigantic belt, almost covering it completely. "What is that?"
"Since they are nothing special-" the elf said as she took the belt and hooked the hilts to him. "I give you a belt with a scabbard holder completely free. That would leave us only the price of the sword, which would be 350 BlueOrbs"
"With that price I feel like I'm stealing you, boss... but I will not be the one who chooses to pay more for no reason" Hector laughed as he took out his wallet, paying again in tickets while Erin adjusted her new belt.
"Why have you left them alone, Uncle Grimm?"
The queue to see the Territory Guardian was moving much slower than Grimm wanted. It wasnt strange that Ehrwald felt that he had to break the silence between the two... no matter how much Grimm preferred to keep it until they had finished talking to that bastard rat.
"Couldnt you have bought Erin's things yourself?"
On the one hand, they were all just questions... but at the same time there was no desire within Grimm to answer them. Time played against and the Territory was so animated it could only mean that Grimm's greatest fears had become real. Or the other adventurers had managed to get the Foreman Gartacos out... and in case they hadnt arrived, surely the defensive systems would be activated.
Erin isnt weak, but her maximum level was far from what was required if Gartacos or the defense systems had appeared. One wrong step and the giantess could suffer a defeat that would destroy her emotionally... and that means that Grimm would have failed as a Master.
The lack of time to train her put the entire operation in a delicate spot... and even so, as a teacher, Grimm knew perfectly well that keeping Erin from accompanying him would only make the giantess feel weak...
"Uncle Grimm, are you listening to me?"
Ehrwald's presence reassured Grimm more than he himself would like to admit. The alchemist was no longer the 10-year-old beginner who so delayed Grimm in the past. The "midget" had matured into a renowned alchemist...
"Eh?" And although it would normally be an ironic Eh, this time it was true that Grimm was too deep in his thoughts.
"I was telling you-"
"Next!" The assistant shouted, opening the double doors. Ehrwald struggled to hide a disgusted snort as Grimm stepped forward.
The interior of the room gleamed like a well-polished jewel, the trophies and pictographs of victorious adventurers accumulating on the walls. In the middle stood the pillar on which the territorial guard reposed, lying face down on a cushion of silk while sipping a glass of wine. (With straw)
"Khan! Old man-" Grimm tried to initiate the conversation with energy to carry out the procedure as soon as possible... but the lazy mouse guardian had other plans.
"Old friend? You were going to say that, Grimm?"Khan didnt move, finishing the glass of wine before he even continued talking. "You stopped being our friend from the moment you took the DarkSun mask and the seal of Amun so that that bastard Merlinus dared to use his impure magic to transform it into that... gods, I do not even want to think what the fuck you will have turned it into"
"Dont say that! The treasures of old Phromecia are much safer under our-"
"You stole Amun himself, Grimm" Rolling lazily, Khan leaned over one edge of the cushion, banging a bell with his tail. "I'm surprised that Amun didnt kill you and put him as a trophy for an offense like that..."
"It's because I'm right, that's why I'm still alive" Grimm and Ehrwald did everything possible to ignore the servant who came swiftly into the room, filling the wine glass. "You should ... you should make your workers wear more clothes"
"By Gods... I will not be able to forget that and then Emmile will see it in my heart ..." Ehrwald cried softly, not wanting to bother the mouse.
"My servants, my uniforms, Grimm. I dont go to your house to tell you how to dress your employees"
"I have not-"
"Exact. You have no employees, Grimm" Khan rolled back onto the cushion, holding the straw between his paws. "And you dont have it because you're nobody. You are a failure with pretensions to greatness" The first of Grimm's emotional cords broke into a thousand pieces, the master having to contain himself with all his strength not to act.
"I dont care what you say, Khan. I have a level 15 permit-"
"Do you think I dont know? I have my men watching all the people in this district 24 hours a day" The couple looked down, finding the mouseholes quickly. "I know you have a permit, and I know you come with a giantess that you call your... sorry, how is it? Your apprentice?"
The second of the cables burst like a rocket in the night sky. "I would ask you not to speak ill of Erin... disgusting rat-"
"First, I'm a mouse." Khan raised one of his legs, making a ghostly scroll appear over him. "Let's see... Myerina Vegner... heir of Vontalba! How low can that little princess fall to let a coward like you train her?"Third and fourth cable.
"I see... I let Gurian crush her will in front of her own family? Useless and without blood in the body... bad combination having so much size and so little self-esteem"
"Khan..." Grimm's fists were so tight that the blood began to run where his nails were nailed.
"Oh! I see what happens! You are so afraid of dying without your children knowing who you are that you think that 'training' a girl of the bunch you can feel that your life makes sense! Damn pathetic bastard! I've always known you were sad... but I never thought that you would overcome the fact that your chosen nickname is Black Shadow of Paradiso! I see that-"
Every.
All cables, interrupters, cords... All untied.
Taking a first step, black roots full of thorns crossed the well-kept wooden floor, entangled around the pillar until reaching Khan. The mouse tried to conjugate a barrier without success, the roots strangling him long before the first word could come out of his throat.
"I am pathetic? That's what I am, mouse?" Desperate, Khan began to scratch and try to hit the roots with his tail... all completely useless. "It may be pathetic... but it's because I didnt get rid of you while stealing your precious little treasure! Perhaps the Mines of Iiion could have had a worthy guardian and not a mouse frustrated and dismissed from his former territory for being unable to follow simple commands! A fat, lazy and perverted mouse who cant even manage his territory correctly and depends on seconds to do all his tasks! "
Ehrwald began to tremble, following his instincts and closing the door as hard as possible. Explaining what was happening would be much easier without witnesses in between.
In an attempt to get reinforcements, Khan managed to push the cushion enough to throw the bell, throwing it to the floor. And as the sound never came to reproduce, the mouse closed its eyes losing hope ... just as the root began to loosen. "Eh ... Are you tired, Grimm? Can I ask you for a drink or something?"
Grimm laughed softly, slowly releasing the roots that held the mouse. "You expected the cold embrace of the eternal lover, right?" Grimm walked back to his companion, undoing the spell. "I prefer that you live knowing that the DarkSun belongs to my daughter... and that you will never possess it again nor will you recover your position as guardian of Old Phromecia"
"Lucky bastard... Give me that letter, let's end this quickly" Grimm sent the letter flying to the cushion, watching as the mouse opened it and looked at it. "Everything is in order, and since I dont have any urgency greater than 15, your group is next to enter"
"As ordered, 'guardian.'" Grimm smiled as Ehrwald reopened the door, heading for the exit when Khan called again.
"Since you go inside, do me a favor and tell your translucent boyfriend and his assistant that they have been there too long, that I have people waiting to undermine the last veins of electro-iron... and as much as you are friends with Hector, I have some rules to follow"
Ehrwald and Grimm opened their eyes almost at once, letting the mouse savor the surprise. "Uncle Grand is here?" Ehrwald took the lead in the question.
The mouse licked his lips, watching as Grimm wanted to shout something like "It's not my boyfriend" but his own pride made him not want to raise his voice, However small, that conflict of interest was reward enough for such disgusting conversation.
"Yeah, he came this morning and asked me if I could let him in without having to wait... Something that the pressure of the lower areas is ideal for his current job"
Grimm restrained his excitement, leaving the building and beginning to scream and run to where they had been with Erin and Hector... the excitement to be reunited with his friend such that he had already forgotten that his nephew was with him. "It's talking to each other and they're both kids... I cant understand what interest Amun has in letting them live..."
Growling, Khan did levitate the bell back to the pillar and the straw back to his mouth, resuming his guard night.
The giantess and the magistrate were the first to arrive at the crossing, looking around for the rest of the group. Although the giantess had been walking all the way back thanking Hector for his generosity, the feeling that it wasnt enough still lingered in her heart.
If anything, her parents had taught her to always give thanks for every act of generosity, a Vontalba custom that as part of royalty she should promote and respect.
The magistrate remained impassive, steadily removing the matter... his own honor made him want to help the daughter of a good friend. And more than that, it was the fact that Erin was part of the future heirs of the assembly, which instinctively made treating her properly part of Hector's tasks.
The assembly Paradiso-Inferno serves as a meeting point for the great kings of both continents: a place to resolve conflicts peacefully, where to draw new trade routes or where to create new treaties and international contracts for a better coexistence between humanity and Daemonium.
Whether humans or demons, all adults wanted to leave a better world to their children, so the assembly charged more and more value each year, with almost all the big and small kingdoms of both races having or seeking representation. Hector's dream was that all races within both species will end up joining the assembly, creating a powerful alliance that would allow any young person the ability to travel without fear.
It is true that on the part of humanity was the problem of the Reslae, their own nature as proud warriors and heirs of the mission of Bio to protect the genes of all the members of humanity made them not want to join the assembly without the right to challenge others of members of the assembly... and to lose against a Reslae means to give them the right of your genetic material... something no sensible king or queen was willing to accept.
An authentic riddle for coexistence that the magistrate had prepared to deal with at the next meeting of the assembly, at the beginning of the following month-
"Hector! Hector! Earth calling Hector!" Erin insisted, striking the magistrate's shoulder carefully.
Shaking his head, Hector made his thoughts to one side, focusing his attention again on the young heiress. "Excuse me, Erin. I was... thinking about a certain problem. Were you talking about something?"
"More like trying to ask you" Erin clarified, sitting on the floor next to the magistrate. "I was asking if you knew what Dancing Glory is and why Grimm cares so much. In the five minutes that we have to wait for the Pillar of the Walker to be activated, he has not stopped repeating that it was the best idea now that he had an apprentice who injected young blood ... and I want to know what I'm getting into, because my contract is just to be Grimm's apprentice"
The prudence of the giantess did not resemble that of her mother, which added more reasons to the magistrate's smile. "Dancing Glory... eh? That name brings me so many memories... That's the official name of our team, which Emmile, Grimm, Grand and the rest call our 'Family'. A long time ago we swore over a certain grave with our blood to stay united in the joys and sorrows, sharing our lives until the end.
That sentiment has not dissipated... but if it is true that we gave the team by undone in the records of the Adventurer's Guild...
If Grimm wants to officially revive it, it means that you are really important to him, Erin" Looking sideways, Hector did not have to wait long for see how the giantess blushed in an extreme start of shyness and shame.
"Why-"
"Grimm has lost many times the strength to continue, Erin" Hector interrupted, placing his hand on the giantess knee. "Dont ask why, just enjoy it and learn everything you can. Grimm will not be a hero or a great man ... but he is wise and knows how to cling to others ... indirectly, many people owe their lives to their actions ... and I am sure that if he noticed you it was not because of your potential power.
I've known Grimm for too long, and I can assure you that he cared about you for your heart"
"My heart?..." With both hands on her heart, the giantess closed her eyes. "I still dont understand ... but I guess I do not need to do it for now. My contract is clear, and I never disappoint."
"I know you will not, Erin. That feeling is the clear proof of your inheritance... Dragos would be proud, dont hesitate it for a moment" The giantess turned even redder, turning her head as she and the magistrate heard Grimm's first cries in the crowd.
"Grand is here!" The Master repeated over and over, reaching Erin completely sweaty from so much running.
While Grimm urged his apprentice to hurry, Hector watched them silently. That Grand was here wasnt luck... After so many years, the magistrate knew very well how capricious the Lady Destiny was... and this was clearly her work.
Dancing Glory... Again and again, the name echoed in his head, filling his tired old bones with emotion. Emmile's daughter, Erin... new blood in the family... blood need to be guided...
If Myddrin could repent of his decisions, he too can regret it.
"Grimm!" Feeling his muscles tense again excited, Hector waited for Grimm to turn to him to keep talking. "To face the Territory, you have an apprentice with no designated style yet, an alchemist and yourself as a WildCard. Erin could use somebody skilled in physical magic to learn and it would be good for you to have someone with real skill to finish the NullumEst fast"
Hector's smile had an unexpected effect on Grimm. The magistrate could swear to see a loose a tear to fall down the face of his friend. "And you have thought of someone who can fill that gap, old fox?" No answer is needed, both beginning to walk to the entrance of the mines.
Although Erin didnt understand the emotion of the matter, seeing her teacher so happy was able to cheer her up.
And with a firm step, the giantess quickly joined her master, Hector and Ehrwald at the entrance, ready to fight for the fate of Myddrin.