Ch14: A Strange Visitor, P3
Chapter 14: A Strange Visitor, P3
~14.3~
*****
Their red eyes widened, and they exchanged glances.
Kye smiled apologetically. "I understand that's a bit difficult to believe, considering everything you've told me." Suddenly Kye heard a notification from her Neuraphone. "Sorry, one moment."
Allison >> Where are you?
Kye >> Realm 7. I seem to have transported myself here during a vision-dream like the other night. I'm meeting with Lady Akasha of the Akaisha Clan.
Allison >> I'll be there ASAP.
Kye >> Define ASAP.
Allison didn't respond right away, so Kye returned to her conversation with the royal vampires. "My apologies. Allison contacted me. It seems she's coming here."
"Oh. I see."
"Do you know how long it usually takes her to-" She stopped when she received another notification.
Allison >> Five minutes.
Kye >> Okay, see you soon.
"Never mind. She'll be here in five minutes."
"Do I get to meet her this time?" Aisha asked.
"Sure, why not?" Kye said.
"We tend not to trouble Lady Allison more than necessary," Akasha said.
"Oh, trouble her all you want. She's an academy instructor and principal. She'll be fine."
The three were surprised yet again.
"What?"
"We have never heard anything of Lady Allison's private life."
"Oh? Hmm… that makes sense, though. She barely talks outside the family."
"I resent that." Allison appeared out of thin air, startling the vampires.
"You said five minutes."
"I lied."
"Ah, Lady Allison, how nice-" Akasha began.
"Hold on." She held a finger and began interrogating Kye. "How the hell did you cross the boundary?"
"Well…" Kye described her vision, which Aisha confirmed was true, then described her arrival. "I just really wanted to come help her. I didn't want to be forced to watch again as something bad happened. So… one burst of silver light later…"
"I see. The burst the other day was silver, too. Do you understand what it is?"
"Yes."
"Tell me."
"The guy attacking Aisha called it… Elysia's divine light. I already told these three who I am. That Black Sword guy heard me say it, too, and got angry."
"Yes. There is a fanatical cult or something here that worships you like a god."
Kye felt a shiver go up her spine. "That is so disturbing…"
"I don't know the details, but I'm interested now. You should investigate them. Since you're stuck here until you figure out how to use the silvery white mana again, you'll have the time. You might even meet some interesting people."
"Yeah… wait, what?" Kye shook her head and dismissed the idea. "Anyway. Perhaps I can…" quickly brought up her control panel, but Allison cut her off.
"Before you try to fix it, even you with your System Operator authority can't adjust boundary permissions. That requires your real account or Goddess Eve, and the latter said granting the few of us permissions was a onetime deal. You're stuck here."
"What?! NO! My students! Also, don't you think I know what it takes to adjust permissions? How do you know what I was doing? I could've been accessing a backdoor you didn't know existed."
Allison ignored her arguments. "We'll figure something out. I'll need lesson plans, but I can-"
"Alethea. Ask her to do it. She knows everything I planned to teach."
"That works. I'll discuss that with her and your guardians when I return. For now…" Allison turned to Akasha. "I need details of this realm's geopolitical affairs. Everything you can tell me."
"Sure. There's quite a lot to say in that case."
"Books, too. History books, especially about that ridiculous cult."
"Allison, chill out. You're all but barking orders. These people are royals, no different than us."
Allison sighed. "Very well. Then-"
"No. You have work to do. My absence needs to be discussed. Since I'm stuck here, I'll learn the ways of this realm and do the research… I'll certainly have time."
"I don't feel comfortable leaving this to-"
"Don't insult me." Kye suddenly had an angry look in her eyes. "You know damn well that I've lived more lifetimes than you have years. There's literally no one better suited to suddenly find themselves in another world."
Allison sighed again. "It's easy to forget that you're a wolf in sheep's clothing. Just be aware that there are powerful people here. Unlike the peaceful Atlantis Empire, Elea's people have to fight to survive. This world is full of monsters and this planet is a super-earth. Don't expect to have an easy time with everyone. There's many on par with our royals, and one as powerful as me."
"Oh ho, is that right?"
Allison nodded. "I'll return now. I need to explain this to the others."
"Oh, and people who work at the academy are forbidden from coming here to serve as bodyguard. I'll just send them back if they do."
"What? You can't even transport yourself. How will you send somebody else across the boundary?"
"I know the spell you used to traverse it. There's a sister spell to transport someone else."
"I didn't know that." Allison's eyes narrowed. "Very well. We'll figure out someone that doesn't work at the academy. May as well be Astraia. She would be helpful to you in more than one way."
"Yes, true. She does have the requisite permissions, though I could probably summon her since she's soul-bonded to me. I'll message her myself, just in case."
Allison nodded and disappeared.
Kye turned back to the vampires and gave them a cheesy grin. "Well, looks like I'm going to be here for a while!"
*****
On the roof of the tallest building in the academy, Alethea was meditating. Being separated from Kye bothered her to the point of desperation. They were finally reunited, but had only spent a few short years together so far. Alethea was prepared to make long-term decisions just to see Kye again.
Adele and Michelle sat next to her, also meditating. Each was putting out an incredible amount of mana. Everyone on the campus could sense their power, but only a handful knew what they were doing. Their faces were full of determination. The redheads didn't have white mana, but they meditated anyway. Rather than white mana, they radiated transparent mana. Ever since Allison told them where Kye went, the three meditated.
"What can they do?" Layla asked. "I get Alethea attempting it, but neither of them has white mana. Are you certain it was the silver mana that allowed her to cross the boundary?"
Allison shook her head. "I'm certain of nothing. My hypothesis is that white mana is the base of that silver mana. I also expect Kye knows what it is. After all, she showed me something incredible before that transcends all else."
Both James and Layla perked up. James asked, "What do you mean?"
"She showed me rainbow mana with an illusion."
Both of their eyes widened.
"You're not serious," Layla said. "Rainbow?"
"Keep in mind who she is. Elysia is the daughter of Eve the Primordial. Rainbow mana is her true origin mana, not that black-white mana she has shown us in illusions. I suspect it's all a progression. White to silver to origin to true origin. Or perhaps silver is origin? But the system would have killed her if it was. She's clearly not dead. But that is also not necessarily the answer, either. She is the very creator of the system, so anything is possible with her."
"Indeed."
Allison mentally ran through the story Kye told her and had an idea. She walked over to Alethea and shook her from her meditation. She explained Kye's story and what she knew about the religion revolving around "Goddess Elysia".
"That gives me an idea."
*****
Revision: 2024-5-1