Long Awaited Reunion. Or Not?

Finding his way rather easily with the mental map of the manor he had traced with his wandering. Julian stepped down a set of stairs to arrive in a dark stone hallway.

It was rather classic as far as medieval dungeon went, cold iron cells illuminated by the sparse torche.

Finding Elsa wasn't difficult as only one such cell was occupied by someone. Though this someone looked asleep.

Approaching the cell, Julian noticed the clearly magical energy spreading from the bars and the material making up the single bed holding.

While he didn't know exactly what it was there for, he instinctively know that it was a sort of enchantement to keep things in. Rather than out.

So, with not a single care in the world. He entered, the door not even locked for him. Looking at the comatose Elsa, still rounded in the sheet he had covered her in yesteday to protect her dignities. Julian Idly noticed a set of clothes and a tray of food present on the floor before he placed his palm on her forehead.

His EC had not regenerated much yet, but with most of the work already done. It would be enough.

Thus, setting on the task. Julian smoothed the inconsistency in Elsa modified memories and notably those concerning their fights, her contract with Roswaal and her past an assassin.

He made it so that despite her original personality not changing much, she was forced into the business to merely survive and make a good living since she was good at it.

Only dramatic change he made was her taste for colorful guts and the warmth of blood. He wrenched it away, since it wouldn't do. And seriously, this wasn't very healthy nor very hygienic.

Frowning in concentration, Julian finally snapped all the changes together to make a coherent whole of her entire life.

From now on, the broken killer that was the bowel hunter was no more.

Taking the rook in his fingers, he pushed it against her chest. She wouldn't have a choice in the matter, he hadn't gone through so much trouble for nothing after all.

Julian wasn't delusional enough to think that she would repent herself under him. He knew he just wasn't kind enough to let her rebirthed self go free after everything she's done.

The truth was, from the moment she lost against him. She belonged to him.

Spoils of the victors, as they say. At least he reserved the right to use this rule against despicable people.

As the rook sinked into her chest. Julian felt a connection from between himself and Elsa. It reached into him and brought something insignifiant for him to the woman.

The first peerage set he had made was flawed, but it was disposable in the first place. He had made it with the idea of putting his enemies under his rule. As such, a one way connection from him to his peerage put their being under his thumb. At the same time, he could give them a bit of his own infinite potential along with changing their race and strenght depending on the pieces used.

In an ideal world, the connection would be two ways. And way more efficient, with him barely having any influence on his peerage member. Making it more of an equal relation, and both parties sharing a part of their special attributes and aptitude. This would be a set made for those he loved.

Out of his hat right now, there was Koneko. But he had other candidates in mind.

Refocusing on the now, Julian passed his palm over Elsa. Seeing that as planned, she was waking up. He crossed his arms, and took a step back.

Her eyes fluttering open, he let her some moments to digest her situation before she turned her eyes toward him.

"No need to say anything, I remembered you at the first glance yesterday. Elsa. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like you did. So, here we are." Julian said simply, as if he was dissapointed. (A/N: If you want some context, go back and read the start of the Memories Broken~ chapter. Where Julian modifie a crucial memory of Elsa's childhood.)

It took a few seconds for Elsa's confused face flashed with recognition and incredulity.

"No, I did not..." She finally uttered blankly, a bit of bitterness seeping into her voice as she sighed longingly.

"All along, you were from Lugnica. What a shame." She stated simply seating up, the sheet falling off her shoulders to expose her upper body.

Seemingly sensing something, she flexed her hand in wonder. "My body. It's..."

"Since you lost to me, I put you under a spell of mine. From now on, you work for me and only me. But don't worry, I treat obediant servants well. And as such, I granted you power. You will find yourself even thougher than before, your blow more powerful. Even magic is not out of the question now." Julian said straight to the point.

After digesting the bomb that has been dropped on her in silence. Elsa looked directly at Julian and looked him up and down. "I have seen worse, as far as what happen to women losing to men in deathly fight goes. But now, I'm almost disappointed."

Putting a finger to her chin, she smiled coquishetly. Her eyes full of hunger. "I can deal with that."

Julian raised an eyebrow, a bit surprised at how quickly she accepted the situation. His eyes flashing briefly purple, Julian quickly understood.

Elsa had always been a simple woman, driven by instincts and urges in life rather than goals and emotions. Living in the now rather than looking toward the future. She hadn't changed in that aspect.

"So, what I am to do? Master~? Where are we?"

"In your previous crontactor manor. But it doesn't matter, you'll understand soon enough. For now, clothes yourself and follow me. In the forseeable future, you will train me in dagger and knife play. I'll find you something to do in your free time. You like knitting, don't you?" Ignoring her surprised look, Julian exited the cell, destroying the enchantment keeping everything in with a light wave of PoD in passing. There would be no need for it anymore. Though some explaining would probably have to be done with Roswaal.

"One last thing, and it's an order. Don't make trouble with anyone living in this manor."

"Of course master~. Though, I think you never gave me your name. Be it in the past or now." Falling in step behind him in casual clothes, Elsa said.

"Julian. I'm just Julian here."

—————

Since the conflict and bloody fight between Elsa and Subaru never happened in this timeline because of him. Besides her reputation as the bowel hunter, there was no major problem when he introduced Elsa to Emilia, Subaru and the two sisters. Especially when he showed them that she was totally cooperative with him. And though there was much curiosity shown about his deal, he couldn't exactly tell them.

"Is this really neccessary?" Julian had an impression of deja vue as Rem took his measurements like she did for creating Subaru's working outfit.

"As the strongest mage of the Kingdom. Roswaal-Sama has a reputation to maintain. Given Julian-Sama status as an official student, putting up a good front is a neccessity before the public. To that case, a suit of tailor made clothes is the bare minimum to have." Ram recited, carefully surveying the situation as if she was actually doing something useful.

"A simple yes would have been enough." Lifting his chin in the hope of not being tickled by Rem's blue hair, Julian's said. His arms lifted up at his side as the blue-haired girl brought her measuring from his waist to his left arm.

He may have looked relaxed, but in reality. He was curiously monitoring Rem to see if she would try to confirm if he had the scent of the witch on him like Subaru did. A scent she had caught when taking the other boy's sizes.

And sure enough, when she came around to his back. Her head came too close to him for mere a second.

Then, he saw it. A reaction even he wouldn't have noticed if he wasn't on the alert for it.

Rem's movement never even paused. Nonetheless, and ironically. He saw it in the reflect of Ram's pink eyes. How Rem's nose twicthed after taking in his scent. And he witnessed it clearly.

While he couldn't be sure if it was really the witch scent that had made her react, he was pretty certain that it was. He was bearer of Satella's curse as much as Subaru after all.

This was somewhat problematic given that it made a confrontation with the Oni-Maid inevitable in the near future. But he wasn't very worried, since if it all went as expected. It would come after the cursed dogs accident, and thus would have little chance to come to violence.

"Rem is done."

Snapping out of his thoughts, Julian came back to the sight of the two sisters looking at him oddly.

"Julian-Sama seemed to have lost himself in Ram's eyes, and while this is expected. Ram asks that Julian-Sama refrain from falling in love with her. As Ram doesn't want to hurt Julian-Sama's feelings." Ram said matter of factly, her brows a bit raised.

Realising that yes, he had been staring straight into her eyes when he lost himself in his musing. Julian waved her off. "Ah, that's not it. It's just that the color of your eyes reminded me of something."

Alternating his gaze between Ram and Rem, a shit eating grin slowly rose on his face as he finally settled on the pink-haired maid and trash talk master wannabe. "It was that I always liked blue more."

Witnessing Ram's mouth twitch at his reply was enough for Julian. Thus, not waiting for her to gather her wits back and spit back at him. He left the two sister to their devices and left the room. Diriging himself to the courtyard to begin his training.

—————

Laying in a meditating postion in the garden. Julian went into his inner essence and came before the piedestal representing his embodiment of the sins and virtues.

Right now, only two of them were burning weakly with a red and purple flame on the right side of the circle.

It was obvious which represented Wrath and which represented Lust. But anyway, he wasn't there to admire them. He was here to find how to unlock the rest of them.

From the two case he had, it was clear that a sin would be unlocked when he reached a previously never felt level of a particular emotion and let himself act on it. As such, we could say that two factor were in play here.

The second one wasn't a problem, at least not anymore. But the first one was problematic since it was a personal problem.

Greed, Gluttony, Sloth, Pride and Envy...

These were things he never felt, something he wasn't prone to have. Be it in this life or the previous one. With maybe the exception of Pride.

Even Lust and Wrath were occasional things and never in big in intensity. Maybe that was the reason why they were 'weak' in the first place.

This situation annoyed him to no end. Being unable to use one of his very own power to its full potential made him consciously uncomfortable. And that was not even taking into account how they were powerful embodiments to begin with.

As such, he was trying to find a solution. But while he had an idea, it was rather drastic.

Opening his eyes and exiting his inner realm, Julian sighed as he jumped to his feet.

Self-hypnosis was the answer he came with. With that, he would be to amplify his emotions manually.

It was dangerous, but he was sure he could deal with it.

Turning to face Elsa who was waiting for him, normal daggers held in hands. Julian reinforced his resolve, and after thinking for a bit, decided himself.

'Let's try slowly with greed. Shall we?'