[TWS] Chapter 281 - Reverse Review (Patreon)

A few minutes had passed as Imadil and Cynthia tidied themselves up from their recent work and the duo regrouped with the others in front of their forge looking right and proper. No matter how important their role or bloodline was, they obviously couldn’t show up for an important meeting with the queen looking like they had strolled right out of a furnace.

Fievedem led everyone through the underground part of the capital once more and they resurfaced a moment later. The entire way to the palace, the father and daughter duo discussed the topic of the weapons with Asterios and the girls. Miria and Selene were the most active participants in that conversation since they knew the most about the core material that might be used in the creation of the new masterpieces.

Though, Bryn chimed in now and then too, offering the resources available in her realm. Nothing was yet sure about the meteoric mineral which had been used to craft Miria’s heirloom blades so they wanted to keep an open mind. Asterios first wanted to visit the home realm of his beastfolk mates to try and gather some more information about the fabled meteor that wasn’t just pure stories Miria’s parents filled her head with during her childhood.

Their best bet was Lerisse and her tribe of Spiritual Foxes. The matriarch might be in possession of some historical records about the situation from the past. Her kin lived much longer than most beastfolk subraces and their archives previously had some useful bits that Asterios and the girls had used in their other pursuits.

Other than that, Selene suggested reaching out to the community living the closest to the place of impact. They would surely know a thing or two about the incident even if information had been passed mouth-to-mouth through generations. From what Miria pitched in, the area belonged to a local, kind-hearted tribe of Lizardkin. Other subraces, of course, lived there too, but the reptile family was dominant, just like felines made the majority of people in Miria’s village, followed by canines.

In the end, they had thought up those two options before reaching the inner palace, where they chose to pause their conversation for the moment. A royal guard joined them and guided everyone toward the meeting chamber. It looked like they weren’t going to talk inside Althea’s lair this time. But, that seemed right considering the fact that neither Fievedem nor the Spellsongs had been brought in alongside Asterios and the girls. They most likely weren’t kept in the loop regarding the truth about their Divine Guardian and the Tree of Life.

The guard held an ornate door open for them and they respectfully stepped inside a medium-sized room. A row of arched windows spanned from one side to the other on the surface of the wall opposite the entrance. The meeting chamber was filled with the same grown furniture that they had seen in multiple places in the palace. Rather than a strictly official setting, the atmosphere inside the cozy space resembled that of a relaxing lounge to enjoy some tea and books in pleasant silence.

Queen Civienne stood in front of one of the empty windows while gazing outside, holding her palms together behind her back. As the door closed behind the last person, she turned around and graced the new arrivals with the common sight of her calm, neutral, possibly even emotionless expression. Her sharply-angled eyes and firmly closed lips just added to her cold aura.

“Welcome. Please, take a seat on one of the sofas in the corner.” She gestured to the right side of the room. “Would you like something to drink? It would be best to let your request be known right now as I would prefer no one to disturb us after we begin.”

“Nothing in particular, Your Majesty.” Imadil lowered his head before moving to the appointed location with his daughter mirroring the motion.

“It’s the same for us, right?” Asterios glanced over all the girls and they nodded softly, following him to a free sofa too.

Fievedem didn’t voice her thoughts, but it was quite clear that she wouldn’t be breaking out of the created pattern. The queen then walked up to one of the mesmerizing cupboards and pulled out a long bottle that looked to be made of literal bark and sealed up with a pinecone. Picking up a few wooden chalices, equally as extravagant, she seated herself in a small, comfortable throne worthy of her position and uncorked the mysterious container.

“There is one more thing I have to mention before we move on to the main reason behind this gathering.” She poured a clear liquid with a faint, green tint into the glasses with noble grace and control before setting the bottle down and focusing her sharp gaze on the three elves. “Fievedem. Imadil. Cynthia. I need your assistance. But, the matters which we will be discussing here, and involving ourselves in through that, can be considered the most precious and classified in the entire history of our people. I will need everyone to take the highest oaths available to our kin if you would still wish to proceed while aware of the gravity of the situation. This is the moment to stand up and leave the room if you do not. The choice belongs to you and I shall not think any less of you for deciding not to pull this additional weight onto your shoulders.”

The trio exchanged slightly shocked gazes, most likely not expecting such a tense and serious beginning. But, they quickly turned back to their ruler.

“Your tone only further convinces us that we should stay, Your Majesty. I’m sure that the three of us have been handpicked exactly for this grave situation as such heavy secrets aren’t commonly shared with the most devoted and loyal subjects of the nation, even with the oaths present,” Imadil answered in their name. “We want to remain here and offer our aid, in whatever form that may be.”

Nodding at them firmly, the queen waved her wrist, and bright green motes of light quickly gathered in a vertical line. They flashed faintly after fully merging and a long staff resembling a big branch appeared in her hand. At its top, the wood split into a few thin, spiraling tendrils that curved inside. A beautiful apple of the same color as the motes hung from their ends, locked inside the small cage the curling twigs created.

She hit the floor with the staff’s butt once and three copies of that apple materialized on top of the table in the same manner. Knowing exactly what to do, the trio picked one each, touched their foreheads with their apples while muttering something quietly, and took a big, juicy bite.

Asterios could feel the energy seeping from the fruits and he hastily activated his special sight. He watched in fascination as mana flowed around their foreheads and throats, clearly setting up whatever kind of ancient, powerful spell that the oaths were. The spiritual traces soon disappeared after flowing into the elves’ bodies, but he could still make a faint hint of them if he focused greatly and imbued his draconic eyes with even more energy.

He realized that the apples had burst into the same motes of energy during the absorption and were now completely gone after just a single bite. It felt like a bit of a waste as they looked extremely appetizing, but maybe they were just pure mana instead. The trio took a little sip from their chalices and everyone followed. The alcohol the queen provided had a sweet, refreshing taste and filled one’s body with a chilly wave of freshness. The calming scent of mature pines under the spring rain tickled everyone’s noses and throats.

“Good. With that, we can officially begin.” Civienne nodded to herself and reached to her side.

Her slender fingers grabbed a piece of brown cloth that covered something next to her chair and had been standing there since the very start. Everyone was curious about the mysterious thing, but no one dared to point out its presence yet. Now, it seemed that the queen was fine with letting them see what was hiding underneath the sheet.

Asterios wasn’t sure what he had expected, but it certainly wasn’t a standing, oval mirror as tall as a person. The confused faces everyone else made proved that their thoughts aligned. Unbothered by all the reactions, the queen trailed her finger over its reflective surface and the silvery pool rippled.

After a moment, the waves calmed down and an image of a seated person dressed in green robes came to be. Ast’s group immediately recognized the woman even with her face hidden deep inside the hood she kept up over her head. He assumed that the wooden interiors surrounding her were from the cottage Bryn had mentioned to him after their date in Althea’s lair.

“Greetings, Your Majesty.” Althea made a polite nod, careful not to reveal her features.

“Asterios is already acquainted with this person here, but for everyone else, she is an important friend. One that is suffering from a vicious malady and is aided by Asterios in an attempt to recover from it. She will join us whenever we discuss the current matters as her knowledge and wisdom are crucial and invaluable,” the queen explained.

It became apparent that, even with the oaths, Civienne still was going to keep many things related to Althea and her true identity a secret. Judging by the faces of the elf trio, no one seemed to have an issue with that either. Someone brought up by their queen was definitely not a simple person.

“Now, let’s start with your condition first.” The queen glanced at the Dragon lady.

Althea’s image turned her attention to Asterios. “I feel much better than yesterday. The antidote definitely helped. It has been a long while since the last time I had such an easy and healthy night. But…”

“But?” Asterios joined his hands, leaned forward, and rested his chin atop them.

“It wasn’t a permanent solution.” She sighed softly. “The poison was almost nullified, but it didn’t get completely removed. It’s now progressing to develop itself again. Thankfully, at a much slower pace. My assumption is that the cure you have provided me with could neutralize only part of this wicked toxin.”

He clicked his tongue. “It must be outdated. Or it’s missing some elements from the other nations and regions. The poison you came in contact with must have been much more developed than the ones we found and the rulers gathered during the joint raid. Of course. It would have been way too easy.”

“Please, do not blame yourself for it.” Althea shook her head. “I’m regaining a lot of my lost strength thanks to this antidote. As I said, the poison is now much weaker.”

“And regarding the joint operation to raid their hidden research centers, I have spoken with King Welrond after our last conversation,” Civienne continued after her. “He agreed to provide all the samples and material rather than just their reports and results and he is going to convince the other rulers to do the same. We will create a united laboratory in our lands to work on this poison together in one place.”

“An initiative where we work with all the other races on something? I don’t think such a thing took place here in centuries.” Imadil stroked his chin with his eyes widening a little.

“Right. Let us catch the three of you up before we move on to the details.” The queen nodded, turning to the elves. “An evil cult is creating an ultimate poison. Their hideouts are spread all over the realm. They test their creations on the race characteristic of the region. Asterios discovered them some time ago and most rulers decided to strike them down at the same time. My friend here might have possibly gotten poisoned during one of the raids. There is a very high chance that they aren’t yet fully eradicated. Additionally, we suspect that the last death of an Elder was an attempt to steal our secrets, if he truly is dead. We might have more traitors amongst our ranks and that’s why I need help from the most trusted people I can find.”

“You… You trust me, Your Majesty?” Fievedem was completely taken aback, holding her hand over her heart. “After everything I have done?”

“Yes,” Civienne replied shortly. “You showed a great deal of courage and loyalty to your oaths. I could see in your eyes back then that you were considering the only way to keep your word to Asterios, which is suicide. Thankfully, you knew that you wouldn’t be able to achieve that goal without me interrupting. You might have briefly resisted my orders, but I am aware of your dedicated heart and strong will to uphold your beliefs.”

Fievedem did her best to keep her emotions in check but the way she held her hands over her mouth while her eyes watered betrayed how touched she was by the queen’s response. Everyone waited a minute for her to recover before the conversation could continue.

“To single out the potential moles, I will need your help.” The queen glanced over everyone. “We will start a common investigation into archived reports. No one else will be included, even the Elders. To explain Asterios’ involvement, I will soon make an announcement that we have come to an agreement with the Human King for his delegation to experience how things work in our palace and nation as a token of trust. You three are already respected, loyal subordinates who have worked with the crown many times.”

“I can’t believe that an Elder would be involved.” Cynthia shook her head.

“We haven’t yet confirmed if he joined them willingly, faking his own death, or if he was assassinated and had his body stolen from the burial grounds. But, both options are a possibility. If not more,” Asterios said.

“An internal investigation will take a while, especially with such a small team.” Imadil hummed to himself. “We will definitely do whatever we can, though.”

“Is there any specific plan other than pinpoint the possible contacts this organization has in the palace and research all the poisons gathered from the joint raid?” Fievedem asked.

“We haven’t yet thought of any other options and this meeting is hosted exactly for that purpose,” Civienne replied. “But, our first priority is to cure my poisoned friend. She can’t fight the poison forever and it was a miracle that Asterios had something that could weaken it on himself. Everything else is secondary. I’m hoping that we can learn everything about these people and get rid of them once and for all while doing that.”

Asterios noticed the faint sigh Althea let out as the queen talked. He almost smiled wryly while trying to imagine the exasperated expression of the Dragon lady as she listened to herself being put above everything else. It contradicted the very core of the elven teachings but she didn’t have any effective ways to change Civienne’s nature.

“Well, I think the best way to figure out the source of something is the most common and appropriate method in all the fields based on research,” Grea chimed in, putting her hands behind her head.

“Which is?” Althea asked.

The demon lady grinned and turned to Asterios. He rolled his eyes at her antics. Instead of giving an answer like a normal person, she just had to divert the attention to him. But, to some extent, it was she who had taught him a lot, so perhaps Grea just loved to relish the feeling of her apprentices displaying the gathered knowledge in her stead. It wasn’t unusual for teachers to take pride in their students and their achievements.

“Reverse review,” he answered while looking back at her, watching how she alluringly nibbled on her bottom lip. “We don’t know much so the best option is to trace back our steps one by one and try to figure out more hints along the way. If we are focusing on healing… your friend… then the crucial moment of this research subject is the moment she was poisoned. We have no idea how that happened, but that knowledge could prove to be just as important. I think we should be able to do this much, right?”

“My memory is almost perfect. I should have no issues recalling every single step I took during my deployment to take down one of the facilities,” the Dragon lady said.

“That’s perfect, then.” Asterios smiled at her image. “This could be the thing our small party focuses on. There’s a chance that my eyes will be able to pick up something useful. I’m sure that everyone else here can do a much better job at working on the reports and figuring out the traitors. It would take a while for us to learn the ropes of the Elf Nation before we made ourselves useful. Not that I’m trying to shirk away from doing so. I’m certainly very interested in that prospect.”

“This is a good delegation of leads and responsibilities,” the queen agreed with a nod, taking a sip of her liquor. “We will intermingle nevertheless, but you are already closely acquainted with each other so things should be smoother that way. And, you can easily travel our lands without worrying about alerting our enemies with suspicious behavior. It’s almost expected of you to experience our country and everything it has to offer.”

Asterios could feel Miria’s growing excitement at the prospect of more sightseeing. The other girls certainly wouldn’t mind it either. There was a lot to see in the very capital so their expectations for the rest of the territory were quite high too. Not many people had the chance to wander deep into the domain of elves.

“I will send Umbra to make a copy of your memories related to that operation later, then.” Asterios gestured at Althea with his head. “It will be easier for us to follow the trail and any additional information is appreciated. If you don’t mind it, that is.”

“I see no issue with that. It’s certainly a useful thing to share. But, there is no need for you to go alone. I shall accompany you on this journey. Just as my memories might be an asset, so could be my thoughts as I experience this path once more,” Althea suggested.

“Tea—” The queen’s eyes widened slightly and she almost addressed her directly but managed to catch herself just in time. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. You are weakened and could barely sit straight yesterday. You are not fit for a journey. Your condition would unfortunately slow the group down. I know that’s harsh but it’s the truth.”

“Your Majesty, I am in a much better condition right now than I have been in quite some time. In fact, I can even use most of my magic and abilities. There will be no issue for me to use the usual method of transportation,” Althea countered, and if not for the hood, Asterios was sure that she would be sending the queen a firm glare. “I can’t sit back and do nothing while everyone else is doing whatever they can to stop these evil people from causing harm to your innocent subjects. Besides, stepping out of my house might be exactly what I need to improve my health. I don’t think I leave my dwelling often enough.”

It was quite clear that Civienne wanted to argue, but at the same time felt compelled to listen to her precious teacher. They had already seen how the queen acted in front of the ancient Dragon lady. The elf trio might not know about that side of their ruler but they most likely could tell that she held the mysterious woman’s opinion in high regard.

“There is no need to worry so much. Asterios offered me his protection. I think we both know that he is a capable individual. It would be impossible to appoint a more reliable guardian in our lands,” Althea added.

“That’s true.” Imadil chuckled softly. “I dare to include the other lands too.”

“I agree.” Fievedem nodded with a small smile. “He can easily fight off an army on his own. And with the ladies present? They clearly wouldn’t have needed the help of Glimmervale’s guards and soldiers to defend the town if they were able to focus solely on fighting off the incoming enemies.”

“And we are so much stronger now than we were back then!” Miria beamed at everyone with her boundless enthusiasm.

“Very well.” The queen sighed while rubbing her forehead. “We shall proceed as agreed. You may begin whenever you see fit. Don’t skip your preparations. Meanwhile, the four of us will talk about this situation from the very beginning, the day we received word from the Human King. Afterward, we will start organizing everything on our side. There are plenty of statements to make and official documents to fill in.”

“As you wish, Your Majesty.” Asterios lowered his head. “We shall excuse ourselves to meet up with your friend, then. The earlier we move out, the better. Hopefully, it’s not too late to investigate the trail.”

★━━━━━━━━━━━━Author's Notes━━━━━━━━━━━━★

Alright. It's time to start the week of catching up. Just one chap for now but let's keep them coming. Hope you all had good rest during Easter if you celebrate. I might have possibly resolved most if not all the issues during that brief break so there's hope we stumble on no more distractions :v BIAW is slowly on the way now, then we focus on missed TWS. There's a lot ahead of our favorite crew.