I mean, it was Swift and relatively painless
Iâm not so sure she could have stopped it, she maybe could have swayed public opinion towards mercy given time she didnât have, but the church was gonna do it anyways. The Hierophant outranks her, and probably would have had us killed.
And adding to otherâs discussions, as a Leon simp, Iâm honestly really looking forward to seeing him again. Like, we are his worst mistake, his worst act, I wanna see how he reacts to us (especially since my mage loved and still loves him.)
24 Likes
Iâll make sure to remember that âkindnessâ.
May or may not return it.
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Hm, Iâm sorry. But death by fire or in this case suffocation is not painless. Far from it.
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The worm does it even to the MCs who romanced him.
Him and Param will both suffer for his failure as a person.
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Death by immolation or suffocation isnât painless, no matter how swift it may be, as E_RedMark says.
It seems we share the same view or interpretation on the story, and Iâm glad you expressed it better than I did. Anyway, it will be interesting to see how things go with your MC and Leon when they reunite. Please let us know when it comes to that.
3 Likes
I kind of wished that there was an epilogue to Book 1 which gives a hint of whatâs about to come. Like, our resurrection scene or something. I mean, you can guess that the story continues because âBook 1â tends to imply more and also because of how abrupt the end is. If it was written as a standalone tragedy then there would probably be an epilogue of some sort, but the book just fades out with the MC. I found it a little jarring.
Doesnât mean Iâm not gonna buy the sequels on the first day of availability, this story is a gem.
Personally I develop better connections with the White Fangs than the Arcadians (Eliana is chosen RO, Y is fine, I hate F and Tahliaâs guts) so itâs back to Param with me. Iâll feel bad because the Arcadians gave me life again but so be it.
12 Likes
The author said he has a strong dislike of cliffhangers
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I had a strange dream last night about my MC and his Arcadian teammates in the Kyuhan Port of Yotai, so I decided to write this short fanfic about it. I would like to mention that English is my fourth language, so please pardon me if there are any grammatical errors. I also want to point out that for some reason, my MC and the local Yotai people in my dream were speaking a strange language that is like a mix of Middle Chinese and Japanese, so the grammar of some sentences may come across as awkward, even though I tried to translate them into English as best as I could. Anyway, feel free to point out any grammatical mistakes Iâve made so I can correct them.
This is something a little lighthearted, and probably a comedy (as well as my first fanfic). So, enjoy.
Note: My MCâs name is Alexis aka âAlexâ. Yu in this story is a male (Yusuha), F is a female (Flyss), and Eli a male.
Summary
Alex stifles a yawn as he waits at the counter while the shopkeep goes and fetches the herbs he requested from the storehouse behind the counter.
This is the only apothecary shop still open this evening. All other shops and stores, which are ran by the locals, have closed early for the evening because it is the fifteenth day of the seventh moon. For the Yotai, it is the Day of Gratitude, to put it nicely. Or Ghost Festival, to put it crudely. And because the shopkeep is an outlander and she doesnât observe the custom, her business hours will be operating as usual. It wasnât particularly easy for Alex to find this shop, but with the help and directions given from helpful locals, he managed to find it.
âThoseâd be 15 silvers,â says the shopkeep as she places the herbs on the counter, wrapped in a couple of paper bags
Alex fishes for his purse. When he canât find it, he begins to panic as he thinks he might have dropped it somewhere along his way here. But then he remembers; he left it in his room back at the inn.
He slaps his forehead in chagrin. This is what he gets for having barely two hoursâ worth of sleep.
âI forgot to bring my money with me, maâamâ Alex says sheepishly. âCould you please put those herbs on hold for me? Iâll go get it and come back for them as quickly as I can.â
The shopkeeper smiles kindly. âNot a problem. This shop will be closing in two hours, so you still have time.â
âThanks, maâam.â Alex smiles gratefully. He heads out the door. âIâll be back in a bit.â
Alex stops at the mouth of the alley that opens into the Juilong Square, and he hesitates about continuing his way back to the inn. What if he forgets which alley that shop is located in? He doesnât really trust his memory today, and he can blame himself for staying up all night reading books for that.
He couldnât help it. He has found several volumes of good books on the history of the Yotai Free Cities from a local bookshop, compositions of past events recorded by the Yotai scribes of the past. They are copies the most original and authentic Yotai historical records he has ever come across. He has been drinking pages after pages of words from those books from the last evening to early dawn today, completely losing track of time. It wasnât until Eli woke up and found him still reading by a candle light that the older mage made him take at least a nap before starting his day.
Two hours of sleep, it seems, isnât enough to keep him from feeling like a zombie for the rest of the day. This will teach him not to neglect his sleep like that again.
He takes a crystalline tablet out of the fold of his robe, an enchanted device that allows him to communicate with the members of the Nightsaber at any time.
The device is one of the most recent inventions of the Black Grail, and Alex has played an important role in its invention. The Nightsaber members and Alex are among the first testers for this invention, their tablets enchanted in an enchantment ritual to connect them together. And as a brilliant mind of the Black Grail department, it is Alexâs job to observe the tabletsâ functionality as well as their shortcomings while working out on how they can be improved and be made more efficient, so that they may be sold on the market in the near future. Most importantly, it allows the Nightsaber members to communicate with each other silently when the need arises.
Anyway, there are only two persons Alex can contact for help; Eli and Flyss. Yusuha is visiting his aunt, the Huan, at the Nephrite Quarter to participate in the Gratitude Ceremony that is being carried out over there this evening to give thanks and to commemorate the deceased members of their clan. Everyone knows he participates in the ceremony for his late mother. The ceremony will be going on for several hours into the late night, Yusuha has told them, so he will be staying the night at the Nephrite Quarter.
Activating the tablet with a bit of his mana, the mage hesitates a little before scrawling on its glowing surface.
Alex: Eli, Flyss. You guys at the inn right now?
It doesnât take long for his tablet to vibrate with notifications of replies.
Eli: Yep. Just got back here. Whatâs up?
Flyss: No. Somethingâs up?
Alex immediately replies.
Alex: Nothing to worry about, Flyss.
Alex: Eli, can you please bring me my purse? Itâs in the drawer of my left nightstand. The one without the candle holder. I forgot to bring it with me when I went out to buy something.
He half expects Eli to tease him about neglecting his sleep last night. But thankfully the older mage doesnât.
Eli: Sure. Where you at?
Alex looks at the position of the rising full moon and deduces his position in the square.
Alex: The southern part of Juilong Square. Near the mouth of an alley.
Eli: Alright. See you in a bit.
Alex smiles. He knows he can always count on Eli.
Alex: Thanks a bunch, Eli. 
Eli: No problem. 
Alex deactivates the tablet and is about to put it away when it vibrates again with another notification.
Yu: Guys, remember itâs the 15th of the 7th moon. The Gate to the Netherworld is wide open tonight, and spirits 
from the other side will be roaming our mortal realm freely seeking food and money from us living folks till the end of this moon. So donât stay out late. Especially you, Flyss.
Alex is a little perplexed by the message from Yusuha, but then he quickly realises the humour in it. He has no doubt it is mostly targeted at the white-haired mage.
Yu: Yoo-hoo. You heard me, Flyss?
Yusuha writes after a while.
It isnât long before Flyss finally replies.
Flyss: 
Flyss has drawn a simple sketch of an abstract human face rolling their eyes in annoyance. He can almost hear the white-haired mage muttering âUgh!â from her side of the tablet.
Yusuha doesnât relent.
Yu: Flyss, that you? That doesnât look like your face. Did someone steal your tablet?
Yu: Gasp! Guys, her tablet must have been stolen! Our group chat is no longer secure!
Alex canât help but chuckle at the redheadâs mischief. He can almost picture the redhead grinning on his side of the tablet as he writes those messages. It does his heart good to know that Yusuha is feeling well enough to be the scoundrel that he is, especially after seeing how the red-haired mage has cried as he grieved under the golden house tree where his motherâs ashes have been scattered, when they first arrived here at Kyuhan Port nearly two weeks ago.
It isnât long before Flyss replies again.
Flyss: My tablet is perfectly safe. By the way, Iâm at the gate. Tell the guards to let me in.
Yu: What?
Alex quirks an eyebrow at Flyssâs response, then realises that the white-haired mage has gone to the Nephrite Quarter to give Yusuha a surprise visit. She is probably concerned about Yusuha and wants to check on him. Of course, she will never admit to caring about anyone. When Alex first met her, she was openly hostile toward him. But after getting to know her for a while, and after joining and helping her team on a few of their missions, she begins to show that she cares for him in her own gruff ways, like she does all of her team members.
Anyway, the forum, as Flyss calls it, or âgroup chatâ as Yusuha likes to call it, has been quiet after that, so Alex puts the tablet away.
He scans the square while waiting for Eliâs arrival. There are many people gathered here around the ancient, magnificent golden house tree that stands in the middle of the square. All of them seem to be local Yotai people, since all of them are burning joss paper in either brass basins or steel barrels that they use as incinerators, with a pair of candles, three sticks of aromatic incense, and a bowl of fruits placed before each of those fiery containers, all of them facing the majestic tree. It is likely that these people have the ashes of their deceased loved ones scattered around that tree.
Nearest to him on his right is a lone, middle aged man burning joss paper with a sad smile.
Curious, Alex approaches the man, taking note of the joss paper as he does.
So, thatâs what the netherworld money looks like, he thinks to himself. It is one thing to read about things in a book or hear about them from the mouths of other people, and another thing entirely to actually see them with oneâs own eyes.
The man notices his approach and turns his head to regard him.
âCan I help you?â asks the man.
âGood evening,â Alex says. âAh, please pardon me. I didnât mean to interrupt what youâre doing.â
âNot at all,â the man says kindly as he drops more joss paper into the flames.
âSending money to your family on the other side?â Alex asks.
âAnd friends,â the man replies.
âFriends?â
The man nods. âFriends who had no relatives when they lived, and no relatives whoâd give them offerings after they passed.â
Alex nods. âThatâs very kind of you, what you do for them. They are lucky to have a friend like you.â
The man shrugs. âJust doing what a friend does.â He turns to regard Alex again. âAnd you, boy? Are you here to send money to your loved ones on the other side as well?â he asks.
Alex shakes his head. âOn the contrary, Iâm actually waiting for someone to send me money.â
The man blanches and his eyes widen in shock and fear. He drops what he is doing and flees with surprising speed.
The display confuses Alex for a couple of seconds before he realises the implication of what he just said. The poor man must think him a ghost!
Alex wants to tell the man that he is not a ghost, but then, is he really not? He was burned at a stake, and was very dead for a little over a year before Tahlia brought him back to life.
âWait!â he cries out to the retreating figure of the man. âIâm just waiting for a friend to come over and give me money.â
All people in the square drop what they are doing and look at Alex wide-eyed. The next thing Alex knows, they do what the man did and scatter out of the square in all directions, living him alone in the now empty, quiet square, with unburnt sheets of netherworld paper money fluttering in the late evening breeze.
10 Likes
Loved the whole messenger tablet idea. It doesnât really fit the setting but, as you said, its more of a comedic fan fiction so even if it doesnât fit, it can create a lot of funny scenarios. I just imagined our old squad having like a group chat or something and a mage sending them a meme after year and a half after their death. Anyway, good stuff 
1 Like
Thanks for your kind words. I am quite surprised that the âemojisâ actually turned into real emojis in the post. I wrote them like â: heart :â or â: ghost :â except without the spaces. The emojis shown here are not exactly how I pictured them to be, but oh well.
This was a super fun read! Poor Alexis 
! Thank you very much for sharing, and yeah, the idea with the tablets is really cute. 
2 Likes
You know, Iâm wondering why Thalia never bothered recruiting MC and Eli like she did with young Mir. Woulda saved a lot of trouble considering she knew MC was stronger than sister would ever be.
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Im fairly certain that has to do with circumstance.
Mireil was ambitious and was conveniently placed to be sought after.
Eli died, and in the course of that the MC laid low and almost immediately fell in with the enemy after resurfacing.
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I agree with the fact that Thalia saw Mireilâs ambitions and decided to use that to gain her trust/loyalty. What I donât understand is why she didnât try to make an early contact with Mage and/or Eli. At that moment it would be easy to gain our trust, in my opinion.
Iâm also trying to figure out her original plan for us as well. Was she planning for Mir to make a strong case for us to join her without making us a thrall, or did she wanted for Mage and Eli to be killed on the spot only to be later resurrected - just to make sure we wonât be able to disobey her? 
At the moment. I really canât say for certain so will hope that we will be able to question Thalia later in that regard.
P.S. Also, canât she just resurrect Mir, if need arises, or am I giving her too much credit? I wouldnât let that past her so, unless she is physically incapable of resurrecting more that two people, we might reunite with Sister later down the line.
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In part it takes her a lot of time and resources to resurrect somebody at least thatâs what its been stated in game. As for the rest I would be curious to learn more on the why the timing and so much more lol
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I think I remember her saying, after resurrecting us, that Sister was the best she could find. Eli was dead, and the MC was incognito for years after, and when they finally did âresurfaceâ they were yâknow, BFFs with Paramâs new King, Prince, and the Saintessâs protege.
IIRC she also says to an⌠uncooperative MC, like mine, that she could just kill us again and bring Sister back in our stead.
I think the only reason that would give her pause in that is the fact that Eli would almost certainly revolt if she did, so sheâd lose two good specimens.
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While possible I firmly believe that she was the one who freed sister from the collar which lead to events that followed and had she wanted to she could have attempted to bring Eli and MC in even then. Which she did not do which lead to eli death mc running away and eventually resurfacing with the white fangs.
So yeah lots that could be said and cause and effects and the like lol but still looking forward to learning more.
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Yeah. Thatâs what stumps me. In Mireilâs flashbacks before her death, Iâm fairly certain that Thalia had contact with Mireil as far back as the days stuck in the lab for all three kids. In that case, Eli and MC were still young and naive enough to bring into the Arcadian circle. Three tightly knit, powerful children instead of one. I could be wrong, though.
Another thing I canât wait to see is the aftermath of the war on Salantiraâs side. Iâm not sure if itâs made clear on the fate of the grand duchy, but Iâm 50/50 on whether theyâre still alive or not. And even then, what is left after Sisterâs takeover? How are they gonna pay for the damages done to Param?
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The first issue I had while reading book 2 was that MC canât call Thalia on her BS at the beginning. From Sisterâs flashback, we know that she met Thalia while the kids were still experimented on. Itâs not clear (or I just missed it) how much time passed since then to their rescue and how big Thaliaâs part was in it if any, actually. I wouldnât put it past her to allow the experiments to continue if it meant good recruits for her later, especially considering that it was not Arcadia that rescued MC and C.O. but the Duke. The potential benefits were just too good to pass on for Tahlia
.
I think from that first contact with Thalia, Sister became her informant and later on an agent, and given Thaliaâs criminal disregard for other peopleâs privacy of their own minds there is no way she didnât know what Sister was planning or at the very least she would find out real quick afterward considering that if MC tries to conceal their plan to escape she says the more you try to hide your thought the easier it is for her. And I mean the initial betrayal here because there is no way she had no idea about Sisterâs plan to attack Param and even less way she didnât find out during the 2-year war anything about her final plan for the Mage.
So from MCâs perspective (even before they learn she is a compulsive and immoral mindreader), Thalia knew about everything Sister was up to and did nothing to stop her. She let Mireil destroy MCâs life twice over and even got them killed. I also wonder what kind of relationship MC has with the Duke. He seems like he wanted to fill a somewhat fatherly role for the trio, so itâs the second family that got deleted from MC. Arcadia employed this murderous mind-washing maniac who got thousands killed in a war that essentially didnât benefit anyone (as far as we know, at least for now), and later they have the audacity to say that the MC was less trustworthy than her. âLong leashâ my ass! I wanted to tell her off sooo badly but the MC was too drained postexecution to do so I guess.
Itâs another matter if the whole getting Eli killed business and the war later were both Thaliaâs plans to get MC killed and get a leash on them as well. And again I wouldnât put it past her to sacrifice few thousand ercei lives to get a couple of first-class âalliesâ (pawns/slaves).
Also, I wonder how Thalia explained to Eli after resurrecting her that the one who destroyed her life (both figuratively and literally) was working for them all along, AND still is actually. That mustâve gone well I bet.
And another thing while Iâm at it. Whatâs up with that mana exhaustion? Every time MC does magic itâs exhaustion, every encounter. Remember the duel with Leon? The one that lasted 20 MINUTES? And MC walked around fine, good as rain, no problemo (and that was before the war when everyone was supposed to get even stronger) but when we need 3 spells in a fight they get a one-way ticket to boneless-chicken town. Seriously, MC is an archmage (supposedly) but it doesnât translate into their endurance whatsoever. We need some more rules as to how magic works in this universe. On one hand, you can fight for 20 min no sweat, take a nap and youâre fine but on the other use 3 spells, and you almost dead, but you can cast multiple spirit gates for 6 people and donât exhaust yourself? What? You need to prepare magic circles and gather mana before casting a spirit gate but you can make a collar spell that would take years to break( for an archmage? huh?) in half a second with no prep, just a touch. You make contracts with phantasmas but we donât know of any specific conditions, until book 2 Arcadians didnât start talking about contracts specifically I didnât even know that was the case. The guy with Earthsworn was talking with him all the time but none of MCâs phantasma talks with them outside of that first use we see.
Establishing rules as to what characters can and canât do and consistently abiding by those rules is required for a story to have any proper stakes and here I feel they are either inconsistent or unclear. I just donât understand when characters are in serious danger, when are their lives threatened, or what would pose a challenge to them. Everyone gets to exhaustion super fast but then, they can still keep going anyway.
Also, I feel like Eliâs phantasma is super nerfed and underused all the time. She is supposed to be a miracle worker, the most unique type of all phantasma. I thought she excelled at healing and protection but sheâs barely any better than any random healer. Why not have her reattach the cut-off limbs and make cripples walk again? Fix those mana ducts right up? MC can kill dozens of people at once with their 4 ill-fitted ones, we should see Eli whose phantasma is perfect for her and had years to master its use, show great proficiency with it (without getting exhausted all the time). In the final fight of book 2, she didnât do anything noticeable and still got almost mana exhaustion all the same and didnât even use the super-sister-trapping cage from book 1. Even after her initial rescue, it is said that she would need days to heal the team. Days. Healing phantasma canât heal any better than a second-rate theurge it seems. Even while fighting she could be intentionally tanking potentially lethal hits and shrugging them off to the surprise and later demise of her enemies. I feel like her potential isnât realized at all.
Man, once I start going Iâm really going, I better go sleep now.
25 Likes