Next Step

On the next day, rumours of a supposed Hero who had arrived in the city circulated quickly, flying from the mouths of council members to the noble class to the ears of lowborn families. Before the group's arrival, King Granda IV had confessed publicly to covering up the true nature of the Mu'un plague, and public opinion of him had stooped to the lowest it had ever been. As a result, many citizens believed that the so-called Hero was merely a ploy for the ageing king to reclaim some of his lost credibility.

Meanwhile, Larion, Lotte and Yula had spent most of the morning recounting their own understanding of Demonkind to Barion and his comrades in exasperated tangents--the true nature of Mu'un, the newly-identified Emitter Demons, and the glowing, subterranean lake residing deep beneath the earth. Moreover, they were surprised to hear that neither Barion nor Dorma had ever encountered such phenomena before.

"A great, underground ocean with pillars of flesh rising from the surface…" Barion muttered, "It sounds completely unbelievable, but I know you wouldn't lie about something so absurd."

"These lakes-- assuming there are several, may very well be the progenitors of Demonkind." Dorma placed a hand to her chin, "If we can identify whatever it is specifically that spawns these flesh towers, it may be that our next objective is already decided."

"Yes, but… the Mu'un, you see- it's at such a ridiculous concentration at those depths…" Lotte replied, "The incredible magical power of Her Majesty's sceptre could only barely shield the two of us. An unprotected person would be killed in seconds."

"I don't understand…" Barion crossed his arms, "We encountered Mu'un 500 years ago, but we always thought it was some kind of dark magic. You're saying it's actually a completely natural force, like wind or rain?"

"Calling it 'natural' may be bending the truth ever-so-slightly, but Mu'un is certainly not magic." He answered, "Instead of comparing it to something constant and expected, like rain, try thinking of it as a manipulation of matter, like how a blacksmith heats metal to shape it. Such things don't occur in nature, but under the correct conditions, it can happen quite simply."

"Right… what's our next step, then?"

"If only everybody asked such optimistic questions." Lotte smirked, "You're the most qualified to investigate this lake, Lord Barion. Or, at least, you're the best person we have for the job. Even without the Sword of Light, I imagine you're quite the fighter."

"What could I possibly figure out that sorcerers can't?"

"If we gave you Her Majesty's sceptre, you could easily walk to the lake's bottom." He replied, "The barrier repels everything, after all--even water. We could have a Necklace of Adaptation prepared for you, as well. That way you wouldn't run out of air."

"Fantastic. Where's the sceptre?"

"Now, just hold on a moment!" Yula interrupted, "We have no idea what could be at the bottom of that lake! Diving in is practically a death sentence!"

"On the contrary, I think it's a rather safe proposition." Lotte countered, "The… those things rising out of the water--whatever they are, don't appear to be aggressive, and the threat of Mu'un is nullified thanks to the sceptre. We only need an able-bodied researcher, and who could possibly be more able-bodied than the Hero of legend himself?"

"You mentioned that the sceptre's barrier was large enough for two people." Barion noticed.

"Yes, I was about to say…" Lotte resumed, "-Well, three at the absolute maximum, but I don't think we'd want to run the risk of someone accidentally stepping out of the barrier. Even minute exposure to that level of Mu'un will make for a quick death. But you could easily bring a partner, if you so choose."

"Manyu." Barion turned his head to the former Demon King, "We're off to Aelf'ahlnohma."

"...Me?" The man paused, "Why not Dorma?"

"She knows the city's capabilities better than you or me. Dorma needs to stay here and coordinate defences. You, on the other hand, won't be doing anything if we just leave you to your devices, so that means you're coming with me."

"Well, when you put it so politely, how could I ever refuse?"

"If I may interrupt…" Lotte spoke, "I don't think it would be safe or productive to bring along any of your comrades besides Lady Dorma. We still have no idea what to expect from that cavern."

"Manyu's quite the stubborn fool when it comes to dying, so don't worry yourself about that."

"Very flattering." The man in question folded his arms, "-But I must admit that Barion is correct. And furthermore, I'd like to think I have just as much of a stake in this as he does. If there's even a shred of truth to what you've told us, then it's an opportunity I can't pass up."

"I'm sorry, but…" Lotte paused, "Who are you, exactly?"

"A spring roll salesman."

"-He's quite capable of defending himself." Barion added, "Time's of the essence, right? And this is just research, so we'll need to get it over with quickly. Hand over that sceptre and we'll be back before you know it."

"Her Majesty awaits you in Aelf'ahlnohma. We aren't about to move such a priceless historical artefact between cities like a common tool. There's a Gate to the silver city in the alchemy lab currently. It leads straight to the throne room. Pick up two Necklaces of Adaptation while you're there."

"Come on, Manyu." Barion beckoned.

"No time for breakfast? I was looking forward to enjoying a proper meal for once."

"If we come back alive, we'll have a feast to celebrate."

As the twin powers departed from the room, bickering all the while, Lotte's attention quickly shifted back to Dorma.

"Quite the character, isn't he?"

"Moreso than usual." The sorceress smiled, "I think he's secretly getting a little excited about having something to do. Is there anything else you were planning to discuss today?"

"Actually, I was wondering if I could have a chat with your Homunculus?"

At his request, Dorma's shadow moved. As if given life, a black mass sprouted from the ground and took form as a human wreathed in darkness. Fusala's oversized hat bobbed strangely as she turned to face Lotte.

"Are you in need of something, Sir Lotte?" She asked properly.

"No matter how many times I see it, I can't believe that someone actually managed to create a Homunculus…" His eyes scanned Fusala with interest, "Our alchemists have enough trouble concocting droughts to cure even common illnesses. The simple act of theorising the creation of a Great Work is beyond us, nevermind attempting one, and yet here one of them stands before me. I see the tales of Yamora's expertise were no exaggeration."

As expected, not much time passed before a sorcerer in the castle was able to identify that Dorma was afflicted with a curse-bond. Having never seen a Homunculus before, and as victims of the stigma that had surrounded such creatures within scholarly circles, most of them were quick to demonise Fusala, but after proving she was far from a threat, that fear quickly turned to frenzied interest.

"Does this castle have an alchemy lab?" Fusala asked.

"It does indeed. One of the world's best, if I do say so myself--though not quite as advanced as the labs of the Lunar Dominion." Lotte answered, "His Majesty has us synthesising magical items around the clock nowadays, mostly barrier enchantments and the like."

"Have you developed anything that could defeat a Demon?"

"That's a difficult question to answer…" Lotte rubbed the back of his head, "Certainly, if a magical sword finds enough purchase, it could fell a Demon, but rarely are soldiers ever given the opportunity. The new weapons given to the Anti-Demon Leagues are almost as good as magically-enhanced blades. The problem is that they aren't large enough to do any real damage."

"New weapons?" Fusala tilted her head.

"Yes. Well- armour, too, but the weapons are the most impressive part. Our smiths have given the name 'steel' to this new metal. It's an alloy, like bronze, but much more durable. Only, it requires an exceptional amount of heat to create--the kind of heat we can only create with magical furnaces, so production is slow. Then again, with the soldiers that perished from the Mu'un plague, we actually have a surplus of them at the moment."

"I see. The effectiveness of this new equipment is bottlenecked by the fighting strength of the soldiers."

"Well, that's just how it is, I suppose…" Lotte lamented, "Demons were never meant to be slain by common men--only Heroes. Of course it would help if the weapons were larger, but we're all just humans at the end of the day. Longswords are hard enough to brandish when wearing such heavy armour."

"I've found that anti-matter bombs--and anti-matter spells, by extension, are effective at dispatching Demons." Fusala explained, "Their naturally resilient hides cannot resist the collapsing forces of spacetime."

"I imagine they are, but…" Crossing his arms, Lotte pondered his options for a moment, "-Well, I would say that only so many of us are capable of such feats, but with you here, Lady Fusala, it's quite possible that we could bring some of the weaker sorcerers up to speed…"

"I believe it would also be worthwhile to equip a number of soldiers with physique-enhancing magical items and potions. The issue is not the inherent strength of steel weapons, but their reach. Forging larger swords and training the most talented soldiers in their use would lend them a significant advantage on the battlefield when armed with the means to wield them."

"That's not a bad idea, but it will take time to implement."

"All the more reason to begin the process immediately." Fusala insisted, "Wouldn't you agree?"

"...Well, of course…"

"I will proceed to the castle's alchemy lab, in that case." She concluded, "Goodbye."

Wandering off without another word, the girl disappeared through the western doorway into the labyrinthine halls of the royal castle. Lotte had a somewhat exasperated expression on his face as he turned his attention back to Dorma and Yula.

"Quite the assertive one, isn't she?" He noticed.

"You would be too, if the grandmother of alchemy was your teacher." Dorma replied, "-But you must admit that she makes an excellent point. Our forces are not only decimated from this Mu'un plague, but completely unfit to engage Demons in the first place. We cannot rely on magic to win every battle."

"If she's half as good of an alchemist as I expect, then we'll soon be drowning in magical items capable of feats beyond our wildest imaginations." Lotte pointed out, "But our numbers are a problem, yes."

"Is Khazman aware of what's happening here in Gria?"

"I believe so. Neither they nor Fleecia have been attacked by Demons yet--although trade with Fleecia is currently inhibited by the appearance of Leviathan."

"Why not request aid?"

"From the Lunar Dominion?" Lotte considered, "How likely are they to help?"

"We have an alliance. It will look terrible from a political standpoint if the Shah refuses."

"I see… we'll need an emissary, however, and all of our remaining scouts aren't qualified to act as diplomats. I suppose one of us could travel there, but that's taking a precious chunk out of our defensive capabilities. We really do need every sorcerer close at hand."

"Why not Pale?"

"Pale… the Rabbitkin girl?" He paused, "Is she a good negotiator?"

"Not particularly. But I imagine she'd make it to Khazman faster than any human scout."

"Couldn't we just send a message to open a Gate between our countries?"

"Creating one on the Lunar Dominion's soil would be a violation of the Infiltration Act."

"That's a terribly outdated agreement. Don't our circumstances supersede some law introduced hundreds of years ago?"

"A nation's right to hold its place in the Holy Alliance is built upon honouring any treaties, regardless of circumstance." Dorma answered, "We could have the law rewritten, if you fancy going through that process."

"Not in the slightest." He rejected, "-We can open a Gate on the border, however."

"That would certainly help Pale along."

"Is it really a good idea to send a Beastkin to represent human affairs?" He wondered, "Do the words of someone completely unaffiliated with the Holy Alliance have as much weight as a king's, or a diplomat's? I can't help but feel that this is a poor decision."

"Pale travelled with us because she wished to avenge the Beastkin slaughtered by the Demonic tides across the Steppe. She wouldn't only be supporting our plight, but speaking from the perspective of a front-liner who has some insight into just how worrisome the situation is becoming. If her words can't convince the Shah to start openly participating in the conflict, then the Shah will not be convinced by anyone."

"Mm…" Lotte considered her words, "Very well. If she's earned your trust, Lady Dorma, it's worth a shot. Where is she?"

"Pale? I believe she's still in her quarters."

"Best keep it until tomorrow, then. We need to give the Lunar Dominion forward notice of her arrival. I think it's best if myself and Yula see to it that Lady Fusala hasn't gotten herself lost in the castle. We should be heading to the alchemy lab anyway."

"I think I'll be accompanying you." Dorma replied, "I'm keen to see just what she has in mind."