Chapter 48 : "I won't let you escape Aley... ?"
And, uh, time has passed:
Time has passed... strangely fast, hasnโt it? Do you remember that famous ice statue the old lady told us about? The one that, according to legend, would grant the blessing of the snow god to anyone who managed to make it melt?
Well, right now, the entire town of Blindrock is gathered in the city center because...
"Listen up, my friends! The talented and oh-so-charismatic Githin has joined Novus Obris!" exclaims the new guy, creating heat as overwhelming as the damn sun with his magic, as if heโd opened a black hole that devours the surrounding cold.
What Iโm seeing... borders on madness.
The grand statue of the man in a cape is melting, slowly but surely, under the amazedโand slightly confusedโgazes of Blindrockโs townspeople, travelers, nobles, and curious onlookers. Murmurs ripple through the crowd:
"Thatโs the new member of Novus Obrisโฆ Heโs powerfulโฆ"
Great. Just what I needed: even more attention. I do my best to hide in the crowd, next to Valentin, while Alfira and Elvie, in plain sight, stand beside Githin, practically singing the praises of our guildโฆ
The statue continues to melt, drop by drop, until I spot a familiar face in the crowd: the old lady, Matilda, the one who told us the legend.
"By all the Saints, this ice blessed by a god is melting!" she cries, unable to believe what sheโs seeing. Unfortunately for her, Githin heard her perfectly.
"Iโm simply superior, aha!" he shouts, as proud as ever, but his proclamation is met with a few raised eyebrows in the crowd.
"... Heโs got quite a superiority complex, doesnโt heโฆ and to think Novus Obris accepted him among them," the bystanders murmur to each other.
But of course, Githin hears it all.
"A superiority complex? I donโt understand. Thereโs nothing complex about my superiority!" he declares, laughing loudly, as if the crowd shared his enthusiasm.
A few moments later, the ancient and majestic ice statue, sacred symbol of Blindrockโs center, is reduced to a mere puddle of water.
Cheers and congratulations erupt from the crowd, admiring but mostlyโฆ perplexed, which is understandable. Valentin and I are just as confused, for very good reasons. Meanwhile, at the center of attention, Alfira, Elvaria, and Githin are all in very, very good spirits.
Then a noble from Voltruite who lives here approaches us to offer a reward. After a bit of negotiation, we earn the long-awaited access to Voltruite! Weโll finally be able to enter that continent and explore the fabled dungeon. Yet, a question nags at meโฆ
While the group discusses with the noble to sort out the details, I decide to slip away for a moment to look for Matilda, the old lady who claimed to know the emissary of humanity. Alfira knew him tooโshe talked about my reincarnation before the tournament, just like Mercuria, but none of them recognized me, and thereโs nothing about the emissary in the libraryโs booksโฆ
Strange. I search all over town for Matilda, but I canโt find her anywhere, as if sheโd vanished after the statue incident.
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I finally head back to the group.
"Aley! Everythingโs ready, we can go whenever you want!" exclaims Elvie, waving excitedly. Theyโre all waiting for me in the town center, around the giant puddle left by the statue, as the sun begins to set again.
"Letโs go to Voltruite and get this over with..." I say, a bit tired.
At my words, they all nodโฆ and, for some inexplicable reason, they all give me a thumbs-up: Elvaria, Valentin, Alfiraโฆ
"EVEN GITHIN?!" I shout without thinking.
"What?" asks Githin, his voice hesitant, as if he just did something wrong.
"Nothing... never mind..." I mutter, before giving him a forced thumbs-up with a strained smile.
"Weโll leave tomorrow! Iโm exhausted!" declares Alfira suddenly, her voice booming.
"Githin, come here... Iโll teleport you back to the house," mumbles Valentin, not very enthusiastic.
And so, all of Novus Obris finds itself back at our guildhouse, on the top floor of a dungeon. In the middle of the second-floor hallway, right on the central door, a shiny plaque reads: 'Githin Lockheart.'
Of course, he took the middle room. I could have worried more about it, but honestly, Iโm way too tired to ask any more questions. Sleeping feels like the best choice.
Later, snug under my blankets, I start drifting off in my room when...
"Aley... I love you..." murmurs Elvie suddenly, lying on top of me. Yes, sheโs apparently sleeping here too. In the room next door, thereโs Alfira, farther down is Valentin, and in the center, Githin, whose snores fill the hallway. But Elvariaโฆ she seems totally in her element.
In her elementโฆ sprawled on top of me, yes.
I pull the blankets up to cover us both. Outside, the artificial night sets in, and the blue flowers of the dungeon softly illuminate the window. Itโs almost magical.
"Aley... You didnโt answer me; I just told you I love you," insists Elvaria, snuggling up to me, slightly annoyed.
"Yeah, yeah, great," I say in a casual tone to tease her, but she doesnโt take it lightly. She throws herself on me and kisses me.
"Donโt mock meโฆ or you might regret it, Aley..." she murmurs playfully in my ear, before laying her head on my chest and closing her eyes.
Well... I guess Iโll sleep too. Even though sheโs supposedly my fiancรฉe now, I only half trust her. I just hope she doesnโt do anything weird to me tonight...
In the morning:
"I-I canโt get up..." I murmur, eyes still closed. I feel a weight on me, but itโs different from last night, as if itโs all concentrated in one spotโฆ Not a good sign.
I struggle to open my eyes, but the sunlight filtering through the dungeon window still half-blinds me. I finally manage, only to find Elvaria comfortably seated on my chest, her thighs on either side, keeping me pinned.
"E-Elvaria, w-what are you doing!" I say, alarmed, a strained smile on my face. A cold sweat runs down my forehead as she looks at me with a suddenly... mischievous gaze.
"Aley... you ignored me last night..." she whispers in a sweet, alluring voice, her gaze tinged with a mischief that doesnโt bode well. Oh no, this is bad, mom Iโm scared.
"Elvie, could you... maybe get off?" I try to reason with her.
"Eheh... get off? Why would I? I havenโt made you pay for last night yet..." she replies, leaning even closer to whisper in my ear, still with that formidable smile.
-Knock, knock, knock
"YES, COME IN!" I shout at the door as if my life depends on it. Immediately, the door opens, and Valentin steps in.
"Hey, Aley, about yesterdayโ" he begins, stopping dead when he sees the scene. Without a word, he slowly backs out of the room, gently closing the door behind him.
Elvieโs face turns crimson, and the force with which she was holding me down loosens. Taking advantage of the opportunity, I slip free with the agility of an acrobat.
"Elvie, Iโm going to see Valentin. Take the chance to get dressed, okay? Love you!" I say with a bright smile. She stays there, red with frustration, while I make a swift exit, shutting the door firmly behind me.
In the hallway, Valentin is leaning against his roomโs wall, giving me a blank stare before breaking the silence.
"Aley, why did you ask me to come in?" he asks in a detached voice, looking thoroughly tired.
"To save me," I answer, as seriously as possible.
He sighs, rolling his eyes. "Alright, if you say so... Come on, letโs meet Githin and Alfira downstairs to prep for the dungeon raid."
"Iโm on it!" I reply as he heads down the stairs first. I follow him, joining everyone in the living room.
But at that moment, I hear a whisper coming from my room. Concentrating my hearing with a slight spell, I finally make out Elvaria saying, in a sinister murmur:
"Donโt think youโll get away with this, Aley... heheh."
A shiver runs down my spine, but I decide to ignore the threat and focus on the dungeon. Later, maybeโฆ when Iโm mentally prepared.