Chapter 515: Chapter 503: More and more questions

[Realm: Uhorus]

[Location: Verdantis]

[Capital City]

The seats in Alyssia’s chamber somehow felt more uncomfortable the longer Lucinda remained in them.

It was not the material. The couch beneath her was soft, almost excessively so, the cushions sinking just enough to ease tension from the body. Nor was it because she still sat clad in armor, silver sabatons planted firmly against flooring while alloy pressed against her shoulders and ribs.

No, the discomfort came from somewhere else entirely.

From the pressure sitting in her chest, from everything she had learned within the span of a single day.

Lucinda sat stiffly despite herself, fingers loosely interlocked atop her lap as her red eyes moved around Alyssia’s chamber once more. The room was warm in a way that felt strange after the biting cold outside. Golden light from fixtures bathed the space, illuminating carpets, lavish furnishings, and shelves crowded with books.

And yet the warmth did little to ease the tension hanging in the air.

Fiona and Victoria sat beside her on the plush couch, though each carried themselves differently. Fiona’s posture remained rigid, one armored leg crossed over the other while her ears twitched occasionally in agitation. Victoria, meanwhile, appeared far more composed at first glance, leaning back. But Lucinda noticed the small signs regardless—the way the blonde’s fingers tapped once against the armrest, the narrowing of her eyes whenever Guinevere or Lyra shifted in their seats.

Across from them sat Alyssia, Lyra, and Guinevere.

Lyra lounged leisurely, one leg crossed neatly over the other while her eyes lazily drifted between everyone present, as though this entire situation did not involve revelations capable of overturning everything they thought they understood about the world.

Guinevere sat far more gracefully, refined down to the smallest detail, dark violet hair falling over one shoulder while gloved fingers rested delicately atop her lap.

And then there was Alyssia.

Lucinda’s gaze lingered on her again before she could stop herself.

The other spawn of Octavia sat with far more dignity than the other two, though there remained something youthful about the way she carried herself. She carefully held what appeared to be a blueberry muffin with both hands, taking small bites as though trying very hard to appear mature and composed before company.

It almost would have worked if not for the small pout still lingering on her face from Lyra’s teasing earlier. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

The table between them only added to the strange normalcy of the scene.

Plates of pastries, cookies, muffins, small cakes, and delicate sweets had been arranged with excessive care. Steam still curled from a freshly prepared pot of tea. Under ordinary circumstances Lucinda may have indulged without hesitation.

Now she could barely think straight.

Too many revelations pressed against her mind at once; everything felt tangled together into something far larger than her.

Alyssia, however, seemed completely unconcerned. She continued nibbling quietly at her muffin while attempting to maintain a dignified posture, though the occasional glance she shot Lyra suggested she was still mildly irritated.

Guinevere observed all of them silently for a moment before finally speaking.

"You all look as though you’re on the verge of breaking beneath the weight of your bottled-up questions," she remarked calmly, leaning back further into her seat. Her voice remained smooth, yet there was the smallest bit of amusement beneath it. "It would be healthier to ask now rather than continue staring at us as though we are about to announce something even more absurd."

Victoria and Lucinda both opened their mouths almost simultaneously.

But Fiona was faster.

The Solkari leaned forward immediately.

"Where exactly is Mikoto?" she asked.

There was no hesitation in her voice or dancing around the subject.

Guinevere answered just as quickly.

"Another realm."

Silence followed.

Lucinda blinked once, and Victoria’s composed expression shifted slightly as Fiona froze.

"Meaning another continent?" Lucinda questioned uncertainly at first, though even as she asked it, she knew that was not what Guinevere meant.

Victoria exhaled slowly beside her.

"No," the blonde murmured thoughtfully. "She means an entirely separate world... perhaps even an entirely separate universe."

Guinevere merely watched them, and it was Lyra who answered.

"Considering the deity tied to your lineage, Victoria, the answer should not be difficult to infer."

Victoria pinched the bridge of her nose lightly before sighing.

"Yes, yes, I suppose not," she admitted. "If someone truly wished to remove Mikoto from the equation completely, then sending him beyond this universe would certainly accomplish that." Her gaze sharpened afterward. "At least temporarily."

Lucinda frowned deeply.

"But I’ve never heard of power like that before," she said quietly. "Travel between realms—was it some kind of magic?"

At that, Guinevere hummed thoughtfully.

"Mana was involved to an extent," she explained. "But it was hardly the sole requirement. Several different sources were used as fuel for the process." Her eyes shifted slightly toward the tea set before continuing. "As for whether such a thing is possible through magic alone, yes. Magic is boundless in potential when pursued far enough. There are spells capable of traversing realms."

She paused briefly.

"Employing them successfully, however, is another matter entirely."

Lucinda slowly processed that as Fiona’s brows furrowed tighter. Victoria leaned forward slightly now, genuine interest overtaking her composure.

"And that," Victoria said carefully, glancing toward Alyssia, "is where she became involved?"

Alyssia immediately frowned.

"’Lady Alyssia’ would be much more preferable," she muttered under her breath.

Victoria blinked once before smiling ever so slightly.

"We appear roughly the same age. It feels somewhat prudish."

Alyssia only gave another small huff in response and folded her arms.

Lucinda almost smiled despite herself.

Guinevere continued before the moment could linger.

"To answer your question, yes," she said. "I have already devised a method capable of reaching the targeted realm."

Lucinda’s attention snapped back immediately.

"You already have a way?" she asked.

"A theoretical method," Guinevere corrected calmly. "The spell itself is complete. The issue lies with the sheer quantity of mana required to sustain inter-realm traversal."

Even Lyra’s expression dimmed slightly at that.

"Even with Typhon assisting me," Guinevere continued, "the output remains insufficient."

Fiona visibly stiffened.

"Typhon?" she repeated. "Theophany Typhon? The Divine Beast?"

Guinevere inclined her head once.

"The very same."

Fiona let out a slow breath through her nose.

"I once attempted to replicate even a fragment of that creature’s energy flow during my training," she admitted. "It nearly tore my entire body apart."

A small shiver passed through her shoulders at the memory.

Victoria looked mildly horrified.

"You attempted to mimic a Divine Beast’s energy output?" She questioned.

"I was curious," Fiona defended flatly.

"You are quite insane, Fiona, dear," Victoria replied immediately.

"That is rich coming from you."

Guinevere ignored the exchange.

"Alyssia’s role was to act as an additional fuel source," she explained. "Her mana reserves are exceptional, even among spawns of Octavia."

Lucinda could believe that easily.

Even while suppressed, Alyssia’s mana felt immense. Dense, bright, and almost overwhelming when sensed directly.

"The issue," Guinevere continued, "is efficiency."

Alyssia narrowed her eyes immediately.

"I am sitting right here."

"You release too much mana at once," Guinevere said without mercy. "Rather than controlled output, you simply flood the spell until it destabilizes."

"I do not!"

"You very much do."

Alyssia folded her arms harder.

"You cannot honestly blame me for that."

"I absolutely can."

The white-haired girl pointed accusingly toward Lyra instead.

"If anyone is to blame, it should be her. She spent years forbidding me from fighting properly."

Lyra looked entirely unrepentant.

"Only because seeing you cry over the smallest scratch would have been exhausting."

"I am not that soft!" Alyssia cried immediately, face flushing red.

Lyra laughed softly at that, warmly at that. The sound, as ever, caught Lucinda off guard; it was odd how such a cold-looking woman could sound so genuine.

Alyssia grumbled quietly and looked away.

Lucinda studied the three women carefully before turning back toward Guinevere.

"Then maybe I can help," she offered after a moment. "If the issue is mana quantity, perhaps my restoration method could compensate somewhat."

Guinevere regarded her thoughtfully.

"It’s quite alright," she said at last, gently waving the offer aside. "This process serves another purpose as well." Her eyes shifted toward Alyssia. "Namely training our very lazy former princess here. And easily bored. And easily annoyed."

"I am not either of those things," Alyssia muttered.

Lyra immediately spoke without missing a beat.

"You threw a bed through a stone wall less than half an hour ago because you were annoyed..."

Alyssia looked away.

"That is not true."

Victoria covered her mouth to suppress a laugh; even Fiona looked dangerously close to smiling.

("She really is... just normal.") The thought came to Lucinda idly as she stared at her fellow spawn. How easily she got embarrassed or angry. You’d swear she was naught but an ordinary girl if not for her appearance. "Maybe... it would be better if it was kept that way... I can still handle everything else. There’s no need to drag someone else down.")