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Chapter 72. Exploring the city

  Several hours after my unusual introduction to Lady Axis, I felt more anxious than the first day I arrived into the dwarven capital. The only thought that managed to keep me from slowly descending into a pit of despair was the continuously echoing memory repeating in my mind.

  Axis was considered a neutral god. True enough, half of it was oriented towards evil while the other half towards good, which was the reason it was called a god with neutral alinement. However, since both avatars remained closely intertwined, it meant that neither half was purely good or truly evil.

  Sure enough, that didn’t make my initial impression of Lady Chaos any better in retrospect. Thinking about her alone made the small hairs raise on the back of my neck.

  Not even mentioning that they practically drained a day's worth of my mana in seconds. I still had a bit of a headache thanks to that, even if my magic started to re-accumulate as I continued to stew in my thoughts for a few hours now.

  I forced my chaotic thoughts to a stop. Allowing myself a moment of calm to take in the silence of the surrounding room. My eyes hovered over several piles of neatly folded clothes. I have been given a surprising variety of new clothing by Nerha. It was actually one of the main reasons she tended to call me over, aside from tea, of course. I suspected that she felt responsible for the argument between me and Jolga and this was her best attempt to make me feel comfortable. If I was a woman on the inside, I suspected that this would have achieved some measure of success.

  Sadly, while I undoubtedly adapted some womanly guile and instinct with my reincarnation, the constant desire for new clothes and the stamina to try them on did not seem to pass onto me. True enough, at first I held some measure of curiosity and interest, seeing the novelty of wearing female clothes, it quickly lost its charm.

  Most of the time, I pick one of the shirts and skirt combinations that didn’t look too terrible together and simply go with it every morning. After that, I usually comb my hair and put it into the simplest of pony tails or allow Bella or Camilla to braid it more for their own amusement than for my own.

  Oh yeah, Camilla was really angry about Jolga when she eventually got the news. She rushed over and stayed with me for the majority of the following days. Skipping some of her training with the scouts of the household along with members of the branch families. To be fair, the girl was sparkling with joy and it was obvious even when she tried to hide it. She was likely afraid that witnessing her happiness would make me jealous or irritated, seeing my less than savoury circumstances.

  I did not feel like that, of course, I was too old for that sort of stuff and never really was the jealous type to begin with. Seeing her happiness, however, made me feel at peace. The girl had experienced more than enough troubles and tragedies for such a young person. I couldn’t have felt any other way about her life’s improvements.

  I think she has noticed that her fears were unfounded, since she was talking more openly about her training and the friendliness with which the other scouts and trainees welcomed her. The general atmosphere regarding the hired soldiers and branch houses were clearly more accommodating than the one in the main house.

  I mean, Emrum and Nerha were fine, along with Dalorsaer, at least if I managed to catch him in the morning or early afternoon hours. Passed that time, he is either too drunk to talk coherently or is out there doing god knows what. Unfortunately, all of them tended to be surprisingly busy, and I couldn’t spend more than several hours in their company on a daily basis. They had their duties, while I had apparently none. Not that I wanted to try my luck with cooking again, after my recent experiences.

  With a shake of my head, I continued to glance over my room, looking for something that could distract my thoughts. My eyes stuck to the jewellery box for a second before dismissing it.

  Unfortunately, there was nothing in my room that could effectively distract me from the chaotic thoughts haunting my mind.

  It was at that time that I heard the familiar pitter-patter of steps heading towards my room. I smiled gently, immediately realizing who they belong to. I slowly sat up on my bed, smoothing out some of the wrinkles in my chemise, while also taking extra care to pat down the edges of my skirt. Shortly recalling a recent embarrassing experience when the back of my skirt somehow got stuck in a less than favorable position. Thankfully, it was only Camilla who saw it. Not that she didn’t make fun of me for half a day straight.

  Obviously, I have complained to Nerha about only getting skirts to wear. She said that it was only proper to wear skirts for a noble lady. When I mentioned that I was not used to wear such clothing since I used to be on the road most of the time, she dismissed my words, saying that in that case it was even more important for me to get used to them. She also added that wearing armor and pants was a completely different matter on the road or on a battlefield than wearing them in the middle of one’s home.

  I reluctantly relented hearing her reasoning, they were the local customs after all, and I did not intend to start an argument about a minor inconvenience.

  That said, while my thoughts continued to wander all over the place, the door to my room burst open and the familiar sight of Bella thudded in with a jovial spring in her steps radiating energy.

  “We are going out to shop!” — The girl beamed with her statement, skipping up to me and urging me to stand.

  I raised a curious eyebrow at the girl’s antics, but followed her lead without resistance. — “Is that so, and what do you intend to buy?” — I asked curiously, quite happy for the distraction. I couldn’t help but grow excited with the idea of exploring the city, even if I suspected that Aria won’t like the idea half as much as I do.

  Just as the thought crossed my mind, the familiar form of the wood elf appeared leaning against the doorframe, her arms crossed over her chest with a measured scowl.

  I turned towards her, meeting her gaze half way over the excited little girl. I decided to direct a pleading look in Aria’s direction. I loath to admit it, but I practiced this move in front of the mirror over this last week. Seeing the woman’s conflicted expression, my practice was not for naught. Well, that or the dark circles under my eyes might have convinced her that I needed some air and a change of place.

  She slowly unfolded her arms, letting some of the stress slip from her guarded posture, then she offered a simple nod.

  I smiled at her, feeling happy and relieved for the first time in days. Maybe, just maybe, our relationship wasn’t yet beyond hopeless.

  Seeing my expression, her features softened somewhat. Then she stepped into the room and spoke in a strict but approachable tone, which once again filled me with hope. — “Fine, but neither of you are allowed to get out of my sight without me specifically stating otherwise.” — Her eyes stuck to mine as we exchanged silent words. I just knew from her look that I was not supposed to use magic on this outing. That was fine with me, since my mana was already low thanks to my unexpected visitors. I nodded to her, acknowledging her wishes, and wholeheartedly intending to follow through.

  Bella, when she heard Aria’s words, stiffened for a second, only to grow twice as excited the moment she realized that the forest elf agreed with the plans. She twirled and danced around the room, even going as far to bring me a pair of shoes from my shoe cabinet.

  I smiled gently at the sweet child, accepting the black pair of light laced shoes already starting to pull them on. Aside from that, I had a knee length black skirt and a beige long sleeved chemise with a tiny collar. The most important part of the shirt were undoubtedly the handmaid buttons decorating the front of the shirt, each with the miniature emblem of the Dimhollow House. Fair enough, it was not that hard to paint a black circle, but one can still appreciate the idea.

  It was at that time, another person stepped inside my room in the form of Nerha. The woman took one look at Aria and frowned. — “Are you worried about her getting lost? Dear, we are not going that far, why don’t you relax a bit.” — She raised an inquisitive eyebrow at the elf, then shrugged, turning her attention to me and Bella.

  “You too, it is getting hard to ignore the tension between the two of you. If I wouldn’t know any better, I would think that all elves are as intense as you are.” — She paused for a while, then added. — “Let’s not ruin this afternoon with old grudges, ladies. It is rare to have such a marvellous opportunity to get to know each-other better.”

  I offered a thankful smile to Nerha, who has long since noticed the lingering tension between me and Aria, then glanced towards the elf with an expectant look. She noticed my stare but ignored it, her expression remaining cold and stubborn as usual.

  Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  I looked down, biting the inside of my lips, but not enough to draw blood. The iron taste in my mouth would remind me of a certain incantation, which I did not wish to recall now. I really didn’t like how things were going these days. Every time it seems that Aria might relax her guard around me, it turned out to be nothing more but a false hope.

  It was so frustrating.

  I shook my head lightly, focusing my attention back to Bella, who was already pulling me towards the door.

  “Stop standing around and let’s head out! I wanted to go shopping with mommy and big sister for days now!” — The girl stated in an excited voice, and I couldn’t help but chuckle, growing witness to her bubbling energy, just for her to add in an annoyed pout. — “You didn’t even listen to me telling what I wanted to buy.”

  I blinked, realising that I have asked her that previously, just to get distracted by the arrival of Aria. — “You are right, I am sorry. Would you tell me one more time? I promise that I will listen carefully this time.” — I told her honestly, and she seemed to be placated by my words.

  “Uh-hmm… Fine, I am used to big sister being a scatterbrain, anyway.” — There was a horrified gasp behind me, coming from Nerha’s direction, making both of us stiffen.

  “Young lady… would you care to repeat that one more time?” — The steely voice of Lady Nerha sinisterly echoed through the empty corridor.

  There was a moment of silence, then my little companion decided to bolt away towards the outer gates of the mansion. Leaving behind her flabbergasted mother and two elves who have already got used to her antics.

  ~oOo~

  Fifteen minutes later, we were standing in front of the outer gates of the mansion. This being the first time in a week that I left the perimeters of the garden since arriving here. It seemed that Bella’s excitement started to grow on me as well. I felt an unusual giddiness to leave the gloomy place behind, even if it was for a short time.

  Well… that wasn’t truly fair towards the mansion… It was a luxurious place, but in all honesty, being as large as it was and without servants to fill it with life. The building often felt more like an abandoned mansion than an actual noble house. Adding the fact that everything was in good condition, paired with the unearthly gleam of mushrooms leaking into the building at night. It even had a certain sense of otherworldliness, something like a haunted building.

  I was not a very superstitious man in my previous life, but that quickly changed after my soul was brought here… I didn’t even mention that this world actually had necromancers. Necromancers meant undead, undead meant potential ghosts. Yes… ghost seemed to be a thing here.

  Oh… and living in a mansion like this, while constantly being followed by an elf with slightly sadistic tendencies… Did I ever mention that when she tried, she could be as silent as a cat? Well, now I did. All in all, it was a special kind of experience. I swear she enjoyed scaring me to death every once in a while. I frowned at the elf in question, who, noticing my glare, raised a questioning eyebrow in my direction.

  I turned away my gaze and instead focused on the surrounding street. It looked just like I remembered it. There were extensive gardens filled with pavilions, statues, and small lakes, with their own variety of giant mushrooms belonging to other noble houses lining both sides of the wide street. Beyond the forests of shrooms, large buildings, mansions could be seen almost entirely hidden from the street.

  On the street itself, there were many people walking around, some strolling in a lazy manner, while others with obvious purpose in their mind. I even saw a group of soldiers covered in plate armor shields and various weapons marching by us. Their armors clinking and clanking with the familiar rhythm, which I got so used to inside the deep roads. The sounds of heavy plated armors even offered me a sense of safety, as there were no other people aside from dwarves as far as I know who wear anything similar.

  I myself, of course, received several curious glances from the dwarves and occasional human walking in the noble district. While in the merchant district, humans were quite abundant, that did not seem to be the case in the noble district. Here, almost every person was a dwarf. That made our four-person group, including two elves, stand out like a sore thumb.

  Especially with the teary-eyed Bella grasping onto my hand with a childlike neediness. Of course, the girl was scolded the moment we reached the gate, where she waited for us anxiously. Likely realizing too late that if she wanted to come along, she needed to wait for us, instead of hiding away in the mansion until her mother’s anger subsided enough to confront her.

  Oh, yes… she was pouting terribly. I struggled to hide my amusement, yet steeled my will to push through. No matter how smart she was, the girl was still but a young child of seven years.

  Even so, seeing my situation, there was quite a few amused chuckles or surprised gasps from the nearby dwarves witnessing a young dwarven girl clinging to an elf so shamelessly. Well… the gasps could also be solely a result of my unexpected presence there to begin with.

  I decided to ignore the stares and turn my attention back to the sniffing child.

  “Bella?”

  “Sniff… Hmm?”

  “I would still like to hear what you want to buy.” — I added in a conspiratorial whisper. — “Would you like to tell it to this scatterbrain big sister of yours?”

  The girl’s eyes widened. She glanced towards her mother, who was walking several steps ahead, presently lost in a conversation with Aria, then she turned back to me with a smile. — “Fine.” — She took a deep breath and started. — “I wanted to go to the merchant district, as it is so lively and colorful, unlike the noble district with all these boring statues and gardens. Mommy said it was too dangerous to go there without bringing guards from the branch houses, and she didn’t request any escort for today, so we can’t.” — She paused, sniffing again. Talking about her mother clearly reminded her of her recent scolding.

  I attempted to distract her with a quick but genuine question. — “I wonder, how are we going to buy anything without visiting the merchant district, are there shops here too?”

  Bella snorted at my question. — “Of course there are. It would be too troublesome to visit the merchant district every time we wanted to buy something. You can buy food here and other things at the end of this street.” — She pointed forward in the direction we were heading. — “There are a few shops built next to each other, it’s something like a small market, the noble houses often have their special products sold there too. Of course they sell it in the merchant district as well, but they built this place for the nobles convenience. At least that’s what brother told me.”

  “I see.” — I answered, it made sense. — “So we are heading there, then?”

  Bella nodded. — “Yes! But that’s not all!” — She said, her voice cheering up as she prepared to say her next words. — “There is a very special shop there, it sells enchanted items from all over the world. Mommy told me they had received a new shipment several days ago.” — Her brown eyes gleamed with excitement and curiosity as she added, practically jumping on her feet. — "Mommy rarely lets me to buy anything from there, since they are quite pricy, but I like looking at the items and learning what they do. Grandpa once bought me a crystal there that shines in the dark in a golden hue. It’s so pretty, I will show you when we get home.”

  I nodded gently. — “I would love to see it.”

  The girl glanced towards her mother, then back to me before signaling me to lean closer to her so she could whisper something in my ear. I followed through her request and listened to her words. — “The crystal was supposed to only shine for a month, before someone needed to recharge it with magic.” — The girl told in a secretive tone. — “Yet mine never stopped shining.” — She added with a victorious smile.

  My eyes widened as I straightened up and looked down at the smug girl. — “That was how you figured it out.” — That she had mana in her body went unsaid.

  The girl nodded, letting go of my hand and skipping forward several steps before deciding to wait for me, a sparkling smile stretching across her face.

  I shook my head lightly.

  Nobody aside from me and Aria knew about Bella’s magical talent. There was a reason for this, which we learned from the girl herself soon after we made the deal of secrecy between us.

  As I have already known from various sources. Magic was an incredibly rare talent among dwarves. So rare, in fact, that the Northern Kingdom, if I remember correctly, only had seven mages apprentices included. Meaning that finding another dwarf with a sufficient talent for magic was quite a serious ordeal.

  Magic, being an extremely dangerous and volatile power, was only allowed to be taught by other mages. This was essentially a common rule among all races, since even with such precaution, accidents were unavoidable.

  Unfortunately, because of how small the number of mages were in the kingdom and how important their insight was… Mages were usually tied down with other duties, therefore to be taught by a mage, the potential apprentices needed to be sent to those mages for several years or more, with little to no chance to visit their families. This was considered common knowledge here. It was also the reason why Bella kept her magical talent to herself, at least until she learned that I was a witch and am going to live in the same place as her.

  The girl clearly wanted to learn about magic, but she didn’t want it so much to leave her family and everything she was comfortable with. I hardly blamed her, I mean… she was a seven-year-old child. Obviously, she would be scared and unwilling to leave her family.

  Apparently, my presence here changed everything. Now, she could have both. Knowing this, also explained why she was so attached to me from the moment I arrived into the Dimhollow Household.

  I mean, children could grow attached easily, but even so, she was suspiciously clingy from the start. She desperately wanted to learn magic, and I was like a light to a moth in the darkness.

  That said…

  There were two issues with that. She wanted to keep her talent in secret, and Aria was far from being comfortable with a blood mage teaching an innocent girl magic just yet. Even if she technically agreed to it, she didn’t miss the chance to remind us that there was no exact time for the start of the lessons agreed.

  Bella was pouting for a day straight after that… That’s what you got for making a deal with a six hundred plus year old elf, might as well try to pull the wool over the eyes of the devil itself.

  I chuckled to myself, recalling the ridiculous memory.

  Well… actually… there was three issues.

  I had no fricking idea how someone regularly learns magic. I doubt that the norm has anything to do with ancient gods and goddesses directly engraving knowledge into one’s body, mind and soul.

  I think… I will need to visit that temple sooner than expected and consult with Lord Axis regarding this problem, alas… that was a problem in itself.

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