Chapter 503 – Love and Hate From Another Era

Before Asterios had a chance to speak up, a wave of roaring applause and cheering swallowed the entire stadium. Playing along, he bowed a few times in each direction and waved at the elated spectators. Things might have gotten a little out of control halfway through the show, but that didn’t seem to completely ruin the mood.

Plus, most people who had gotten turned off by the earlier danger had already been escorted out of the scaffolding, leaving behind only those who wished to experience more of the planned festivities.

With Viona finally managing to calm down the crowd through her acoustic artifact, Asterios enhanced his voice solely through his draconic energy. It might not reach the entire town, but the arena and its close surroundings should be enough. The illusory displays and devices transmitting the sounds would take care of the rest.

“Thank you, everyone, for the warm appreciation. Both towards me and all the legitimate contenders taking part in this section of the show.” He lowered his head once more, then took a considerate glance towards Noir, who was still receiving aid. “The last fight might not have been the flashiest, but I think we can do without any more dramatic encounters for the day.”

Soft laughter echoed through the battleground before silence filled it once more.

“As of now, I’m happy to announce that there will be no change in Dragon Valley’s leadership due to none of the contestants succeeding in their attempt to best me. Fate itself seems to favor us, the gods looking down on our nation with a smile.” His statement brought forth another burst of noise. “I’ll spare you the political ramifications of all that happened and get to what’s actually important to everyone. As you might be aware, this stage won’t become empty. A plethora of other activities have been planned ahead of time. Concerts will continue, plays will take place, and so much more. Including something for those who still crave some bloody struggle.”

At Ast’s words, most of the audience remained quiet, leaning in to listen closely to what the lord meant.

“This previous short competition was a special one. While rather eventful, it was limited only to my person, which can quickly get boring. Especially considering the fact that the result of each match was obvious from the start.” Asterios shrugged nonchalantly, listening to the snorts and scoffs of amusement. “Therefore, in a few hours, in this same spot, an open tournament will take place. Anyone can sign in, as long as they are confident in their skills. It will follow a simple elimination bracket, with both winning and losing branches ending up with various tempting rewards. I can guarantee that the matches will be much less predictable, as even we don’t yet know who will show up. Though you can be sure that we will screen through every single submission thoroughly.”

Spinning around, he judged the reactions of all the onlookers. Plenty of people were already on the move, heading out to gather more information on how and where to register. The others looked fairly excited about a true contest of brawn rather than a one-sided beatdown.

“Moreover, to make things even more interesting for the spectators, this time, we will allow betting. After a few introductory rounds where you’ll be able to familiarize yourselves with the contenders, everyone will have the right to place their trust in one side of each duel.” He held a finger up in front of him, further increasing the tension. “Naturally, each win will provide a proper payout so that you might have a chance to secure some more funds to spend on fun things during the celebrations. A small, negligible tax shall be included in each betting pool to help fund the prizes and participation gifts. That way, both sides win. And I bet no one will notice when I skim a tiny bit off the top in the process. I’m in serious need of new clothes.”

Letting his guests have a good chuckle at his joke, Asterios caught Noir slowly making her way to him. He nodded at the fully recovered Dragon girl and patted her on the shoulder with a smile. The noise soon died down.

“Alright. That’s all from me. There are matters I need to tend to. As for you all, I hope everyone finds something to enjoy during the rest of our annual festivities. Long live Dragon Valley!” He thrust his fist into the air.

Immediately, a number of spectators picked up after him, and the whole place was shouting the phrase in no time. Even Noir joined in, a tad hesitantly at first, but quickly grew lively as her sharp eyes scanned the yelling crowd full of proud and joyous faces. Making them bow together, Asterios led them both into one of the exits. They walked in relative silence for a moment, listening to the muted shouting coming from all around.

“All good now?” He spoke up first.

“Yes. Your mate mended the injury completely. Her healing capabilities are impressive. Even if they don’t hold a candle to your innate power.” She rubbed her unblemished stomach as she answered.

“These are two different fields of recovery. She’s managed some incredible feats that I wouldn’t dream of either back then or at this point in time. I’ll never be able to heal others as she can if they aren’t part of my retinue,” Asterios pointed out.

“Perhaps.” Noir shrugged, and they went quiet again.

It was clear that she was still a tad hung up on the whole Adam scenario.

“So, how did you even get in?” he asked, hoping to distract her some.

Clever as she was, the black-haired female understood the nature of his question right away.

“Most likely the same way as the other guy, just with less malicious intent and more peaceful methods. I had a feeling you were going to ask and wouldn’t appreciate learning that I maimed or brainwashed a family or two, even if they were stupid enough to covet what’s yours,” she answered thoughtfully. “I spied on those nobles for a while, picked the easiest target, then introduced myself randomly on the street as someone desperate for money. One physical demonstration later, they were hard-pressed to hire me. In the end, their previous champion wasn’t in a state to fight anymore. Or do anything except lie down in a hospital.”

“As cunning as I would expect.” Asterios smirked her way. “Sorry that your plan to challenge me properly didn’t come to fruition.”

“It’s not your fault.” Noir growled at him with an angry scowl, then sighed deeply to the side. “If anything, I’m the one who ruined it for myself. You beat me fair and square again.”

“Only because you took pity on me and decided to teach this stumbling idiot how one should fight.” He chuckled, smacking her on the back lightly. “I hope I’ll be able to convince you to share more of your expertise with me. That spar was awesome.”

There seemed to be the faintest trace of rosiness on her cheek as she kept her face away.

“You could always just order me…” she whispered loud enough for both of them to hear.

Asterios grinned at her. “Well, if that’s what gets you going…”

Predicting the outcome, he sidestepped from the raging punch aimed at his shoulder. Laughing openly, he continued to dodge blows from the snarling Dragon girl, now more visibly red-faced. For a lethal apex predator, she was just too fun to tease sometimes. And the bonus part of getting her mind off the self-blame was the icing on the cake.

She stopped as soon as they walked out into the open, still glaring daggers at Asterios. They strolled through the streets briefly before using his shadows to travel to the castle, where the others were waiting for their return. Appearing in one of the audience lounges, they found themselves amidst all of Ast’s current mates save for the incorporeal Dryad, Tina’s and Ast’s mothers, King Welrond, Patriarch Grotger, and Demon King Zegion.

The transfer barely finished when someone slammed into Ast’s chest. Knowing perfectly well who, he embraced the trembling woman as she released a shaky breath into his shoulder, holding him tightly.

“Everything is fine, Mom.” Asterios brushed through Kindra’s hair soothingly.

“That was… terrifying.” She squeezed him more. “But, if even this much can’t really hurt you, then I guess I’ll be able to sleep peacefully in the future. As soon as I get that image out of my head.”

“I’m sorry you had to see that.” He rubbed her back tenderly. “But you are right. I can recover from almost anything at this point. That’s why I have to do what I need to protect those I care for.”

“Which can’t be said about the stage,” the ashen dwarf said with arms crossed over his chest. “But, I’ll lend you my boys and we’ll fix the market square in a flash. Free of charge, even. If you promise to throw us one of those fancy gates next, that is. It’s been the talk of the peninsula last week and would go a long way in helping our fairly enclosed community.”

“Grotger!” The human monarch squinted at the short man. “Have some empathy!”

The other guy grumbled something under his nose.

“It’s alright.” Asterios turned to face them, still hugging his mother. “Compassion is nice, but it won’t repair the damage. We need to talk business as much as each other’s well-being. I’ll convey your intentions to the Committee. Thank you.”

Kindra finally stepped back, and Lady Luna showed up by her side to wrap an arm around the other woman.

“If you are here for what I assume you are, there’s no need.” He directed a kind but firm gaze towards Tina’s mother, who just bowed apologetically. “I’m sure you did what you could. Information on something like this isn’t easy to find. Unless you have agents amongst the Elf Queen’s elder council.”

“You might be right, but it still is a failure on our part.” She offered him a weak smile. “The bits and pieces we gathered led us astray. I now realize they were fabricated to vouch for that person’s credibility and steer away from his true identity, which in itself felt unreal just with the supposed age.”

“He had the backing of a black True Dragon,” Noir chimed in. “Nowhere near the level of me or my mother, but still capable of manipulating lesse—normal individuals to ensure the success of his schemes. As Asterios said, you are not to blame. The fault lies entirely with me.”

Asterios didn’t want to fight her again on that amongst all these people, so he held his tongue for now. Especially with the glance she shot at him after correcting herself mid-sentence. He could tell she was at least trying to go against her instincts. And he appreciated that.

“The matter of how it all came to be isn’t that significant. We should pay more attention to our next steps. Welrond?” He raised a brow at Silvia’s dad.

The flame-haired king grinned at the more casual approach. “We are already on it, of course. You don’t need to bother with most of those rebellious nobles and leave them to me. No one should dare to bother your place anymore. As for the family that let that thing into your precious city…”

“That family might be long gone,” the Dragon girl added, capturing their attention. “The mastermind should have secured a way to erase his traces. If they haven’t been killed before the event, their minds might be wiped clean.”

“The head of the house was present during the fight and should have been captured by now.” Welrond peered through the window. “Even if he’s broken, we’ll still need to make an example of them. We can’t do nothing when our allies have been in grave danger.”

“Would investigating these people help your pursuit in any way?” Asterios asked Noir.

“It might.” She tilted her head in thought.

“Then you should accompany King Welrond’s people and see what you can do. Both for us and for him. Do you mind?” He met her eyes.

“As you wish.” Noir nodded slightly. “I’ll extract any useful bit of information from their minds and bodies, dead or alive.”

Responding with the same, he turned to King Zegion. “And you… What the hell were you even thinking? People aren’t that stupid.”

The pink-skinned demon snickered awkwardly, feeling several pairs of female eyes boring into his face with rather malicious thoughts.

“Come on, it was a fun fight! I’ll just deny outright any outrageous claims that it could have been me.” The ruler of the Demon Continent waved him off. “Plus, great idea with the betting. It will distract most people from everything that happened.”

Massaging his forehead, Asterios took a peek at his ladies. “My bad for throwing it all out without speaking with any of you first. I hope it didn’t completely obliterate your plans.”

Silvia was the first one to shake her head. “As King Zegion said, it was a good save. The Committee is on it as we speak. And we’ll help as soon as the meetings end.”

“You can count on us, Master!” Miria beamed at him from behind her. “I’ll personally handle the admissions!”

“Don’t overwork yourselves, okay?” He matched her infectious smile. “I’m here to salvage as much of the celebrations as I can.”

“You, my dear Lord, need to rest.” Selene leveled him with a no-nonsense stare. “And do not dare to talk back. If it were any of us, you would not let us move from the bed while fussing around like a loyal maid. Or do we have to dress like one to coax you into taking it easy, hm?”

The vision of his entire entourage dressed in maid outfits briefly flashed through Ast’s mind. Considering Grea’s sly grin, those would end up way skimpier than he was already imagining. She would make sure of that. And that would inevitably end with none of them having done much for the rest of the day other than recover in bed.

“Fine.” Asterios relented to the disappointment of his crimson-skinned lover. “After I talk with everyone. Speaking of which, where’s Queen Civienne?”

“She’s in the next room with the Spellsongs,” Welrond answered, poking his thumb to the side. “It felt like their matters required some privacy, so we gathered here instead. The four of us might be in a close alliance, but some highly confidential things should be left only for the head of each nation and everyone involved.”

The other monarchs agreed with him nonverbally.

“It will be rude to keep them waiting, then. Especially under current circumstances. They must be incredibly nervous.” Asterios let out a joyless sigh. “We are all connected mentally, so reach out if you need anything. Thank you again for your concern and all the help. Enjoy the festivities as much as you are able to. We’ll gather again after they wrap up.”

Shaking hands with each ruler and sharing a hug with both mothers, Asterios left the chamber alongside his mates.

As soon as the door closed, a familiar, ominous presence washed over him. ~Master.~

“Let me guess, you are going to apologize too.” Closing his eyes, he paused his step. “So, what’s the unnecessary excuse?”

~Apologies.~ Umbra chuckled a bit without much elation in his tone. ~If I were watching, if either of us were watching, we would have reacted immediately. And I intended to watch. But I never expected to lose track of time this badly. Abyss, and I do not blame her for this, was discussing with me the peculiarities of the dimension I now control. By the time we noticed, you were in the middle of the blast. I apologize on her behalf too.~

“It’s not like you were tasked with protection like some of us,” Tina commented sourly. “You have an entire world to look after now, and a growing dungeon too. It was just bad timing.”

Asterios stroked through her hair lovingly, sensing her troubled feelings. “Well said. So you all need to stop apologizing. I’m getting sick of it. We messed up together, big or small time, doesn’t matter. We focus on how to fix things. And learn as much as we can about everything. Starting with this whole ADAM mystery.”

He glanced over all his companions before reaching for the knob and entering the second meeting spot. Three people were present inside, as expected.

Civienne sat on one sofa gracefully, her eyes closed, hands held primly atop her lap. The keener eyes would discern their tense grasp. Imadil took the couch opposite her, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees, his face buried in his palms. Finally, Cynthia kept pacing behind him back and forth with arms crossed, biting on her fingernail.

The moment the door opened, she snapped towards him, starting to walk ahead. “Asterios, we are so—”

“Enough.” He raised a hand, doing his best to keep his tone as far from harsh as possible. “If I hear sorry one more time… Let’s say there will be some scolding.”

Smiling cordially, he gestured at her to take a seat beside her father. Chewing on her lip for a moment, the gorgeous artificer did as instructed. The rest of them moved to stand on the side of the table, spreading around.

“We’ve heard bits and pieces from Althea.” Grea set her hands on the table, looking between the queen and the smiths. “What’s the story here? And why did it look like this guy here regretted having been born the moment that thing walked into the arena?”

Imadil grimaced visibly, rubbing his temples. But, Civienne beat him to the punch.

“It’s… a dark part of our people’s history,” the queen said stiffly. “ADAM is something that shouldn’t have existed in the first place, nor appear in the world after so long. Its creators paid a heavy price for its conception, and certain individuals keep doing so to this day.”

“This tale is an extremely long and detailed story,” Cynthia joined in, her eyes partially pleading. “It would be wise to take things slowly and rest up first—”

“My wife’s parents were the ones who came up with this project,” her father cut her off, still staring into the floor. “Specifically, her mother. Easy to imagine, they were a Spellsong family just like mine. Served in the queen’s court along with many others.”

“Under my predecessor.” Civienne took a deep breath. “My mother.”

“The times were different. Much tougher, more difficult. Our nation was constantly at war with Dragons, even with the Tree of Life gone. The families practically spewed legendary Spellslingers daily. But the losses were still great,” the man continued. “A certain household had an idea, but they knew it was controversial and unethical. Yet, that didn’t stop them, their only goal was to secure the future for their kin. For their children.”

Everyone in the room held onto each word leaving his lips, slowly beginning to understand and perhaps even sympathize.

“Brilliant Spellsong that she was, she succeeded. Her weapon dominated the battlefield. It raised voices, but those were silenced by its effectiveness. At least initially. It was hard to argue about ethics when thousands were being saved and the enemy first experienced real fear.” Imadil allowed himself a shadow of a smile. “The threat gone, all the other Spellsongs jumped on the audacious family. Demanded an explanation and exposed their misdeeds with the queen’s help. For the crime of working behind her back and experimenting on people, regardless of whether they used vile criminals or not, they were sentenced to death.”

A few gasps escaped the girls, who were following the story with great attention.

“But the woman turned out to be with a child. So, the queen showed mercy and allowed her to give birth to a beautiful daughter before the sentence was carried out.” He shook his head ruefully. “And since she was the mastermind behind the project and the one who convinced her husband to aid her, the others showed a sliver of pity and spared the man. He was allowed to keep his daughter and was exiled from the elven lands, forbidden from continuing his craft.”

Miria was starting to sniffle, so Asterios moved closer to brush her side gently.

“However, nothing was said about passing on his legacy.” Imadil smirked more openly this time. “Centuries passed, and the tiny child grew up into a fine woman who inherited her mother’s infatuation with Spellslingers along with the talent of both parents. She polished her trade until the day her father drew his last breath, then headed straight for the Elf Queen, holding her gaze high.”

“Which would be me at that point,” Civienne said with a reminiscing glint in her distant eyes. “And no, she did not storm the palace seeking my head. Or any heads for that matter.”

“That’s the interesting part. Instead of harboring ill will towards those who wronged her parents, she intended to recover their honor by reentering the queen’s service and establishing herself as the best Spellsong of the current era.” By that point, Cynthia’s father seemed like he was reliving the best of his memories. “She was unyielding, focused, and determined to show her worth. To earn the right to call herself a true Spellsong. And to finally be allowed to work on all those epic artifacts she could only listen about so far. No amount of whispers and murmurs was able to make her waver.”

“And since my predecessor’s judgment did not specify the descendants, I agreed to give her a chance,” the queen filled in the gaps once more. “We set up a trial period, closer to a challenge or test of will. She had to complete an intentionally lacking schematic from each Spellsong family under my command. I provided her with a fully equipped workshop and assigned an observer whom I could trust. The Keeper.”

“Which would be me.” The handsome elf raised his hand. “I spent months by her side as both judge and guardian. Months that made me question plenty of methods my family has been using for generations, as I watched her complete each assignment in record time without breaking a sweat. No, not just complete, perfect and improve it on her own. I’ve never seen anyone create masterpieces like those where you could feel the maker’s soul inside. My eyes have been opened.”

“Those results spoke volumes. Perhaps too much for certain fragile egos.” Civienne’s lips thinned even more. “Concerns arose. One after another, families began worrying about this capable woman following in her mother’s footsteps. Her desire to progress and enhance once again leading her astray one day. Before we realized, they formed a united front.”

The man laughed incredulously, covering his face with his hand again. “The queen was willing, but her people were poisoned by the past. On one side, an individual who might revolutionize the craft and bring countless miracles to the nation, on the other, a group of people whose dissatisfaction could bring downfall to it instead. A tough but logical choice. And so, she was denied her birthright and legacy. On the same day, I renounced my familiar bonds and chose exile. There was no point in continuing the art of spellsmithing without her in it.”

“I suffered a greater loss than I thought I would.” The Elf Queen regarded him with a regretful expression. “Time only proved that.”

“Did… something happen afterward?” Bryn glanced hesitantly between her and the Spellsong duo, all of them aware that Cynthia’s mother was no longer among them.

“Nothing as drastic as you may be thinking,” the person in question answered with a sad smile. “From what Father told me, Mother seemed not to take the rejection to her heart, appearing strong, but on the inside, she was crushed. His company and the love for their craft that they shared so deeply evolved into another just as potent feeling. As you can guess, I’m the fruit of such emotion. But even with a happy family, failing her only goal in life weakened her greatly. She was much older than Father already when they met, and due to everything, she passed away some decades ago. Peacefully, I may add.”

“The rest of the story isn’t anything interesting until you guys show up,” Imadil continued after her, resting a hand on his daughter’s thigh. “We’ve had a few meetings with Queen Civienne, but kept to ourselves mostly not to agitate the other families. Which, again, might have changed after your involvement.”

The story finished, the room was enveloped in silence, everyone taking their time to digest the new information about their friends.

“Perhaps I should have involved myself more in that matter instead of just advising Civienne from the depths of my lair.” Althea sighed dejectedly, hanging her head down a tad.

“You did all you could while staying true to your oath. And your existence would have been at risk of being given away if you intervened.” A new, quite musical and seductive voice joined in. “If only I were awake at that time, I would have given those idiots a piece of my mind. That’s not how I taught them to treat their own kind.”

Right by Ast’s side, golden motes of light coalesced into a figure of a dazzling woman, his brows raising slightly. Tia appeared between them in the same bright visage she had used to meet the Spellsong pair, whose wide eyes made it clear they remembered. She usually chose to use his shadows instead, as someone could recognize her energy otherwise, especially with so many elves present around them at all times.

Yet, in this room, all elves but one had already met the new guest.

“And who are you?” The queen squinted at her in confusion.

“Oh, you know exactly who.” The glowing lady grinned at her. “Just need to stop doubting it.”

Civienne swallowed with a lot of trouble, her eyes turning into saucers. “T-Treemother? Impossible… The spirit is… alive?”

“My name is Tia. Pleasure to meet you.” The Dryad giggled sweetly.

“But that… should not be possible.” The other woman shook her head in disbelief. “You should be sheltered in his source… You shouldn’t be able to project yourself without the Tree…”

“I do have one, though.” Tia tilted her head and placed a finger against her lips.

“What? Where?” Civienne frowned.

“Right here!” The bubbly female draped herself over Asterios lovingly.

The queen gaped at her with her mouth open like she had grown a second head.

Asterios sighed faintly.

It seemed like now was the moment to come clean on both sides.

Or Tia just couldn’t hold back from teasing her best friend’s protege any longer.