Chapter 72 - Attending on Someone's Behalf

"What? I thought the target was already eliminated, so how can there still be an emergency? Don't tell me Michelle has reappeared?" 

Hearing this, I couldn't help but ask in surprise. I had never fully understood the details of the encirclement operation and felt like things were not as simple as they seemed. How could Michelle have been so easily eliminated?

"Are you Feliciana?"

Everyone present turned to look at me. Janette immediately recognized me, her expression changing. 

"Where's Nicola who was with you? How come I don't see her again?"

"Nicola?"

I didn't understand why she suddenly brought up Nicola, wasn't she here to seek an audience with Elara just now? Why did she switch the topic to Nicola?

"Nicola is outside the city right now, she probably won't be back tonight."

Still, I honestly reported the situation. This was not confidential information, anyone could find out by asking around in Tivi Palace. 

Speaking of which, Elara and Reed had been inseparable these days. Now not only Cyra, but even other angels were secretly whispering whether something was going on between those two.

"Is that so?"

Upon hearing my reply, Janette's expression eased a little, seeming to breathe a sigh of relief. 

"In any case, even if there is urgent military business, you still have to go through the messenger to request an audience, not barge into Lady Elara's chambers as a legion commander yourself. That does not follow protocol!"

Norma was unconcerned with Janette and my conversation, sternly warning her.

"If you force entry into Tivi Palace again, don't blame me for informing the angel guards!"

"Fine! I was just returning from the outside world anxious to report, since you're so unwelcoming, I'll come back tomorrow then!" 

After pondering for a while, Janette eventually chose to compromise.

"But you must help me arrange to see her before Lady Elara leaves in the morning!"

"That part shouldn't be a problem!"

Norma hesitated briefly then agreed. Janette, seeing this, said no more and immediately turned to the followers behind her with instructions.

"I heard the comprehensive competition is quite exciting and still going on right now in the south of the city. You may go watch if interested, perhaps you can learn some useful combat skills... dismissed for now!"

"Yes ma'am!" 

The angels immediately dispersed upon command, leaving only one or two closely following Janette.

Didn't she just dismiss the tournament as a crappy event on-site? How did she suddenly recommend her subordinates go watch now?

I really couldn't comprehend Janette's maneuvers here. I thought she might complain to me for providing inaccurate information, but unexpectedly she just glanced at me silently and then left with her people.

"Janette used to be very respectful of Lady Elara, wonder why she's become more and more arrogant recently." 

Once Janette was far away, Juliet finally relaxed.

"Forget it, it's over, let's not mention it again. You two just return to your posts. Pay more attention, and stop daydreaming about playing cards all the time!"

Norma reminded them before turning to ask me.

"Where's Cyra? How come she hasn't come back so late?"

"She's staying a while longer at Reed's, and probably will be back late."

I pondered then replied, hoping that guy wouldn't play too long in the light elf settlement.

Don't know why I suddenly regretted not going with her. Those primitive light elves living in the forest sounded quite interesting. Unfortunately, I had already returned, and could only wait for the next chance.

After getting back to my room, I lay in bed spacing out for a while. Just as I was about to turn on the light element isolator and rest, I suddenly recalled something else. So I went back to the desk, took out the angel figurine Elara had given me earlier and started examining it.

This figurine was so ugly, if not for Elara telling me it was related to source magic, I would've tossed it into a corner long ago.

But even so, after flipping and checking it for a long time, other than discovering its material was extremely affinity with light elements, I found nothing else.

Oh right, the joints could move, making me even more dubious whether this was a figurine from another world. Maybe Elara picked up the wrong thing, very possible.

But picking the wrong thing would be quite amusing. Don't tell me Elara secretly collected figurines? Didn't expect someone her age to have such unique hobbies...

Anyway, I'll think more about it later. I threw the figurine aside and then went to bed as usual.

Not sure how much time passed, in my groggy state it seemed someone was shaking me awake.

"Who is it?"

I opened my bleary eyes. This kind of situation had occurred many times since coming to Edenmere, often woken up inexplicably early by Nicola or Cyra. If not for quickly becoming lucid after disabling the light element isolator, I would've exploded in anger long ago.

"Get up quick, let's go find that councillor Meg together!"

Cyra's voice came from beside my ear. The culprit this time was her. When I saw my surroundings, the clock on my bedside table showed it was already morning.

"Huh? Find councillor Meg, isn't that Reed's business?"

I got out of bed and stretched towards the bright window outside. Another peaceful, ordinary day!

When I turned back to look at Cyra, I noticed she was holding two gas collection spheres in her hands. 

"How did you bring those things back? Where are Reed and the others?"

"They already went to the tournament venue according to plan!"

Cyra held up the gas collection spheres to show me, a sly expression suddenly appearing on her face.

"I had a great time playing in the light elf settlement last night. When they saw my angel identity, those light elves were so warm and welcoming, so I ended up staying the night... Why didn't I find out about this place sooner..."

"You didn't come back all night?" 

I looked at her reminiscing appearance, truly shocked. what could she have played for a whole night? I couldn't help looking her up and down again.

"That doesn't seem right, does it? Norma specially asked about you coming back last night." 

"Norma asked about me?"

Cyra didn't seem to quite believe it. She lowered her head silently for a while, then suddenly spoke again.

"Anyway, let's talk business! When I went to Reed's cave this morning, we discussed and decided since I'm back in the city with nothing to do, might as well have you join me in bringing these two things to represent them at the council meeting, to show those higher-ups. 

"Can we do that, isn't that too silly?"

Hearing this, I immediately focused my attention back on the two collection spheres in her hands. After some thought, I suddenly realized in astonishment. 

"How do we demonstrate this? Don't tell me we just show these two spheres to the councillors?"

"Of course not, if it was only for display one would be enough, why two?"

Cyra said, handing me one of the collection spheres.

"This is the other byproduct Nicola obtained when separating the gases - oxygen. Since we didn't use it at all, Reed only compressed it to a certain degree and didn't continue. Unlike the near-complete 'hydrogen bomb' in my hand, I can still extract pure oxygen from the inside. I'll be in charge of displaying the magic circle's light element absorption and extreme compression, you just need to ignite it with fire, give those high-ranking angels a taste of what combustion boosting is, and scare them a bit. That's all."

"You make it sound so easy, leaving all the tricky parts to me!" 

I opened the oxygen sphere, and the marble-sized black orb inside was enormously bigger compared to Cyra's hydrogen sphere, still completely unchanged from when I first saw it.

"Is it dangerous to ignite all this pure oxygen at once?"

Recalling carefully, Nicola did say she would use hydrogen and oxygen's chemical properties to fool the audience but still felt uncertain.

"It should, probably, maybe be no big problem... Reed said Edenmere is filled with light elements, so the combustion effect may be suppressed, only seems weak because of the proportions... we don't normally notice..."

Cyra also didn't sound too certain and immediately added:

"But I suggest finding a wide open area before demonstrating!"

"Can you be a bit more reliable?"

I put away the oxygen sphere for now. With angels' defensive capabilities, it shouldn't fear a bit of flame anyway.

"I don't know where that councillor Meg is either, why don't we ask Elara first..."

"Oh right, she's leaving this morning, so we'd miss her just in time!"

Suddenly recalling Norma's schedule reminder last night, I didn't know what to do for a moment.

"No worries, these things all have procedures, Tivi Palace must have arrangements too. We just need to find Norma and ask." 

Cyra casually suggested, seeming quite familiar with all these protocols already. 

"The service counter at the Royal Hall should also know, let's go there and check first!"

Having said that, we immediately walked out of the room together. But we had barely turned a corner past one hallway when we ran into Norma rushing anxiously towards us.

"Oh no! Many angels were unable to wake up in their rooms last night, nightmares have started appearing again!"

"You can't be serious..."

I grabbed her and asked.

"Are you certain it's true?"

Weren't nightmares already eliminated? Moreover, we were told the angel guards had confirmed it last time.