Rise of a Pretender Chapter 5 (Patreon)

[!!! Important Author notes at the end !!!]

…

[ Furina POV ]

As she stared at the surprised face of Fontaine’s newest public celebrity, Furina inwardly cursed herself at her hasty slip of the tongue.

‘Oh no… I was building myself up earlier by saying I’d make him my sidekick, but I didn’t mean to actually say it in our first meeting!’ She exclaimed with panic in her mind despite showing no facial fluctuations outwardly, a testament to her incredible acting skills.

She had only just begun the first phase of her master plan, yet somehow, she managed to ruin everything right away!?

Furina suppressed a gulp and continued to stare at the bewildered man in front of her, feeling slightly giddy despite her situation as she finally managed to get a close-up of the new illustrious figure of Fontaine’s Opera Epiclese. She wanted to see his reaction to her words despite her slip-up.

Would he get angry? He always kept his composure during his trials in the Operahouse, but maybe such a provocation would make him lose his cool?

Wait… Furina suddenly realized that that could possibly end very badly for her if he decided to take action personally after her arrogant words. Perhaps she was too hasty after all??

As she slowly lowered her hand from its arrogant position and prepared to find a way to backtrack from the situation she put herself in, Furina’s eyes widened as the renowned figure standing before her gently held her hand to keep her from lowering it. 

She watched with bated breaths as he lowered himself to one knee and smiled at her warmly. His eyes reflected the same brightness they held during his court cases as he gently held her hand in front of him.

“It would be my honor, Lady Furina.” He answered firmly, with no sign of jest in his actions or words.

??????

Furina mustered up all of her willpower to stop herself from blushing furiously at his sincere and intimate action, her mind racing at a million miles a minute as she tried to process what was happening before her eyes.

Yet, as she stared back into the eyes of the newest Fontaine heartthrob, all of the screams and worries in her mind were drowned out by the depth she saw in his eyes.

She didn’t understand what was happening, but she almost felt… seen… by those eyes. It was a… terrifying feeling, yet… one she had sought for centuries.

Before she could properly process the emergence of this new feeling, it quickly passed as she forced herself to focus on her actions and response instinctively. She couldn’t let herself be distracted, not even subconsciously.

“Ahem… I’m glad you are so quick on the uptake, my new sidekick!” Furina cleared her throat and gracefully pulled her hand away from his, her fingertips brushing against his as they separated. “Though I am quite concerned… Should you not question my purpose first?”

Furina almost wanted to allow a small flush on her face as she saw him slowly pull his hand back and place it on his chest, directly above where his heart rested. She couldn’t allow that, though. No way.

“What is there to question?” He asked with a bright chuckle as he stood up, towering over her with his noticeable height like before kneeling before her. “As one who seeks the purest form of justice, was there ever any other option for me except to accept when faced with the God of Justice herself?”

‘A-Ah…?’

Was that why he accepted so quickly? 

It made sense… No one ever understood or discovered the Ace Attorney’s motives except that he helped those who needed aid most and fought to bring justice to the unjust. According to his statements during trials, at least.

If he truly sought justice above all, he would have no issues becoming the ‘sidekick’ of the ‘God of Justice’.

The only problem was…

‘I’m not actually the God of Justice!’ Furina screamed in alarm inside her mind even as she nodded calmly with a prideful smirk.

“Ho! You’re quite wise, Ace Attorney.” Furina stated arrogantly while placing her hands on her hips. “That is correct. If you wish to tread the path of true justice, there exists not a better individual to follow but myself!”

“I’m glad I could impress you with my humble wisdom, Lady Furina.” He didn’t react negatively to her boastful words, simply nodding in agreement with the same gentle smile. “Also, please just call me Astel. I am your sidekick now, after all.”

Furina internally suppressed her joyful laughter as her plans went off without a hitch, a sense of delight and elation filling her chest as she nodded generously to her new sidekick’s request.

“That is acceptable, of course.” Furina nodded proudly, her chest puffed out slightly before quickly becoming aware of her ‘circumstances’ and stopping.

“Ah, do you wish me to use a more formal moniker for you now, Lady Furina?” Her new sidekick, Astel, asked curiously, unaware of the mysterious panic that suddenly rose in her chest.

“No!” She refused quickly, pausing for only half a moment in puzzlement at her panic before she continued flawlessly. “It would show disunity if I were to have you refer to me so formally as my sidekick, after all!”

“Ah, is that so?” His eyes widened thoughtfully at her words as he acquiesced to her point. “It seems I’ve still got much to learn. Thank you, Lady Furina.”

She mentally breathed out a sigh of relief and simply nodded in reply, secretly fussing over what came over her to refuse so vehemently earlier.

‘Why…?’ She asked in confusion, carefully inspecting the features of the man in front of her in hopes of finding the reason.

Her earlier daze when staring into his eyes came to mind, but she quickly dismissed it again as she realized she had to speak before the silence stretched too long.

“Very well, Astel. I suppose I should first ask what you were doing before I… arrived.” Furina quickly took control like it was the most natural thing, staring curiously at Astel while suppressing how curious she actually was from appearing on her face.

“Patrolling, I suppose. Though this may not be the most efficient way to search for cases, I’ve found a few urgent trials in need of my attention simply by keeping an eye out while I sun gazed and watched over Fontaine.” He answered calmly while turning his gaze to stare down at the crowd still inhabiting the illuminated streets, entrancing Furina with the softness in his smile as he watched the peaceful populace.

Was that truly all that it was…? What was she even here for then?

Furina pursed her lips slightly as she stared at her new sidekick’s face, her resolve faltering momentarily as she gazed into his glowing amethyst eyes filled with warmth.

‘No! Snap out of it, Furina! You have a mission to accomplish!’ She broke out of her reverie just as she was about to ask something, shaking her head to compose herself as her previously faltering, mismatched eyes stared at Astel intensely.

‘What is your purpose, Astel?’

…

[ POV Switch ]

Just what is your purpose, Furina?

Astel hummed mentally as he watched the ‘Archon’ staring at him in the corner of his eyes, feeling no anger or negativity even after sensing her ulterior motives from a mile away.

He had to look away towards the crowds below once he felt his gaze softening. He didn’t want to confuse her, even if that would undoubtedly be quite cute to see…

“... Hm. Your diligence is commendable, my dear sidekick!” Furina eventually spoke out again, nodding in approval as Astel finally looked back at her.

“Your words are too kind, my lady. You’ve been protecting Fontaine for longer than I could imagine… My actions cannot compare to your efforts.” Astel shook his head with a small smile, complimenting Furina in the only way he knew would truly reach her.

Furina’s clenched hand relaxed slightly at his words before she tensed them and raised them with a proud smile.

“Indeed! While your efforts are praiseworthy, you cannot compare to a God such as myself!” Furina exclaimed arrogantly and raised her nose proudly, a smirk befitting her stature gracing her lips.

“Naturally. I cannot wait to see what I can learn from the God of Justice herself.” Despite himself, Astel couldn’t hold himself back from teasing Furina.

Her arrogant boasting paused as she suddenly remembered that she was technically his superior now, meaning she’d have to somehow fool Astel into believing she was as competent as he was in what he did.

All she knew was from detective novels! How did one go about investigating criminals and defending the innocent??

“A-Ahem… Of course.” Furina still nodded stubbornly, unable to admit her deficiencies, as she smiled weakly. “Many Fontainians would surely envy you for the chance to learn under me, you know?”

Astel held back his chuckles, simply nodding gratefully at Furina’s ‘kindness’.

“I am truly blessed, Lady Furina,” Astel replied with a slightly amused tone as Furina narrowed her eyes imperceptibly. “Very well. Would it be acceptable for me to set a date to commence our first joint investigation, my lady?”

As much as he wanted to see Furina try to bluff and improvise her way through everything, he knew he couldn’t bully her too much… yet. He should at least give her time to think and strategize, or she may panic~.

“Ah! Yes, that would be satisfactory, my dear sidekick!” Furina piped up at the offer, accepting gracefully with a bright smile on her face.

“Very well. Would the day after tomorrow be acceptable?” Astel asked curiously as Furina blinked in surprise and raised an eyebrow.

“Keeping a God such as myself waiting is quite rude, don’t you think?” She harrumphed and crossed her arms, raising her nose and closing her eyes as her hair swayed gracefully behind her from the sharp movement.

Someone’s quite eager, huh? Cute…

BZZz..Zz.zZZz.zz…

The buzzing inside Astel’s head increased with a joyful tempo the longer he spoke to Furina, coming at a frequency akin to music. The pleasant hum inside his mind emanated a feeling of satisfaction and happiness as he gazed at the proud Furina pouting.

“My apologies, Lady Furina.” Astel apologized sheepishly as Furina opened one eye to look at him. “You see… My investigations are not exactly profitable…”

“Huh?” Furina’s pouty behavior paused as she heard Astel's justification, her eyes widening as she seemed to realize something. “You don’t get paid for the cases you represent?”

“How could I ask for compensation from those I aid voluntarily?” Astel asked amusedly as Furina blinked owlishly. “A lot of the time, I appear in front of the people I wish to represent while they are in the waiting room. They have no time to compensate me before I disappear, and I often refuse compensation when offered.”

“Oh… I-I see.” Furina cleared her throat at the new information and nodded, lowering her head slightly in shame. She understood that Astel couldn’t investigate with her tomorrow because he needed to actually work. “Ahem… Well, I suppose that it’s unavoidable then…”

“Do not worry yourself, my goddess. It will only be two days…” Astel dropped to one knee again to stare into her widened eyes apologetically and with a comforting smile. “I will be there… at this exact time, alright?”

“A-Ah, you’re mistaken, my dear sidekick! I am not disappointed at something as simple as this!” Furina quickly denied while turning around to hide her embarrassment at being comforted like that. “I’m only regretful at not being able to impart my wisdom sooner!”

“Oh? Is that so?” Astel raised a hand to hide the smile on his face while nodding to Furina. “I suppose I should be the one disappointed at missing such an opportunity.”

“Indeed!” Furina declared proudly with a smirk as she turned around with a dramatic twirl. “But fear not, my dear sidekick! You need only wait for the day after tomorrow to receive my guidance!”

“I’m glad.” Astel simply nodded with a smile, already looking forward to all the mischief he’d cause once they finally went on their investigation.

Furina returned the nod and fixed her hat on her head despite barely making any difference, clearing her throat once she was done.

“Very well. I will be expecting you in two days at this exact time, my dear sidekick. Do not keep me waiting.” She ordered impatiently while narrowing her eyes as if daring Astel to go back on his promise. “I will return to Palais Mermonia now, as I’m sure my subjects are worried about my absence.”

Astel blinked, suddenly realizing that he sensed no Gardes anywhere nearby following and watching over Furina.

What was she doing all alone like this? People might think that she’s the Archon, but she knows very well how powerless she actually is.

Astel frowned as he remembered the last time Furina was shown alone in the game… Where she was ambushed by the Knave and developed PTSD as a result.

“My lady?” He suddenly called out as Furina prepared to trudge her way down the fire escape, making her pause and turn to look at him with slightly hopeful eyes. “May I have the privilege of escorting you home?”

Furina blinked in surprise as Astel offered to escort her all the way back to the Palais Mermonia instead of just down the building, as she had hoped. Confusion marred her face momentarily before she cleared her throat.

“That will not be very necessary, my dear assistant. If you must, simply lowering me to the ground will be sufficient if it’ll ease your worries!” She masterfully twisted her words to appear like she was simply relieving his worries by allowing him to help her, but Astel shook his head.

“I must insist.” Astel furrowed his brows slightly and extended a hand to Furina with a serious expression as she blinked in surprise at his caution. “While it may be quite a silly concern to worry over a God such as yourself, I could never allow a lady to walk home by herself, Archon or not.”

“A-Ah, I see…” Furina’s eyes widened slightly at Astel’s chivalrous justification as she slowly raised her hand and placed it on his gracefully, the slightest flush appearing on her cheeks. “W-Will this suffice…?”

Astel hid the soft smile on his face as he heard Furina’s somewhat bashful tone, nodding his head in response to Furina.

“Yes. I wish you a good night, my lady.” He whispered while raising Furina’s hand higher as she tilted her head slightly in confusion. “I promise not to keep you waiting, but for now…”

Furina gasped as Astel raised her hand to his lips, kissing her knuckles while staring into her eyes with his stunning violet orbs. It was only for a few seconds, but her senses were warped until she could see nothing but his glowing eyes gazing into hers…

“Farewell, Lady Furina.” He whispered as he gently let go of her hand and smiled, quickly fading away the next second.

Furina didn’t have time to react to his action before suddenly realizing where she was. The familiar walls and architecture of the Palais Mermonia surrounded her instead of the dim roof she had previously stood atop alongside her new sidekick.

“Lady Focalors? When did you arrive?” A Garde asked in surprise from behind her as she suppressed her blush with all her might and cleared her throat.

“I was always here, of course! I simply didn’t wish to be seen until this very moment!” She turned around and declared, leaving the surrounding Gardes awed by her abilities as they had not noticed her entrance until she announced it just now.

“You’re incredible, Lady Focalors!” The Garde exclaimed as the others spoke similar words of awe, but Furina didn’t bear them any mind this time. She had something else on her mind.

… Incredible, huh?

She supposed that this was a Mission Accomplished, at the very least!

…

…

[ Lumine POV… ]

Lumine sighed in satisfaction as she patted her stomach, having just finished a hearty breakfast at Good Hunter’s with Paimon.

The little fairy was quite satisfied herself, floating lazily beside Lumine as they made their way to the Adventurer’s Guild for their Ascension Trial.

Lumine was quite confident that she’d pass easily. In the past few weeks, she’s had enough time to hone her swordplay and elemental manipulation back to fighting shape on many different monsters and foes. Hence, she’s relatively unworried about what she’ll have to face.

Although, she’s quite curious about the other Adventurer taking the Trial alongside her. She heard he only joined a week before her but had already caused a crisis in the Adventurer’s Guild with how many monster-slaying and bandit-clearing commissions he’s finished.

Even she has felt the effects of his ‘rampage’. It was quite a sight watching Katheryne quickly scroll through different papers in search of a combat-oriented commission for her, her usually composed face falling further and further with each ‘Cleared’ she saw.

Having said that, she felt that she’d have no issues completing this Ascension Trial with a teammate like that, so her confidence only doubled.

“Hey, Lumine, what do you think the other Adventurer we’re meeting will be like?” Paimon asked curiously after her sleepiness faded as they neared their destination.

“I’m not sure,” Lumine replied simply, still not very used to the Teyvatian(?) language.

“Paimon hopes the rumors we’ve heard about him aren’t true…” Paimon said nervously with a slight chuckle, remembering what they had heard from different adventurers about this Adventurer in the last few weeks.

Cold, ruthless, uncaring… All of the adventurers who’ve seen him claim that they’ve never seen him smile as he received his commission rewards or finished for the day. Some even said they’d seen him return with his snow-white hair stained with enough blood that they mistook him for Master Diluc… and none of the blood was ever his.

She could sympathize, though. She once returned with her white dress drenched in blood after a particularly tricky commission. It wasn’t her fault they exploded like that…

“I’ll protect you.” Lumine smiled at the nervous fairy and reassured her with a few words, chuckling as Paimon perked up and floated around her gratefully.

She turned her gaze back to the Guild as she entered the designated spot where she needed to meet her temporary teammate, narrowing her eyes as she passed through the door to the room.

She immediately focused on the only present individual inside as she finally saw the Adventurer she had been so curious about. Her eyes widened as a familiar feeling of unease entered her stomach once she focused on him.

She quickly inspected the man carefully, noting his aloof and unbothered expression as he watched the crowds peacefully walk through the streets of Mondstadt. His hair was as white as she heard, reflecting the purity of snow. Yet, his eyes were lidded, almost completely pitch-black, dull enough that she wouldn’t believe he was alive if she didn’t see him breathing and standing.

Eerie…

“A-Ah, hello!” Paimon didn’t seem to feel the same unease as she did, even if she was still quite nervous about the infamous Adventurer. “You’re Estel, right? We’re your teammates for the Ascension Trial!”

He finally turned away from the window once Paimon called out to him, turning to stare at Paimon and her curiously. He locked eyes with Lumine, and she felt the unease inside her fade away mysteriously.

“Hello… It’s nice to meet you.” He spoke with an unsociable tone that matched his aloof expression as he turned away from Lumine to look at Paimon.

“Paimon would’ve actually believed that if you didn’t look so uncaring as you said that!” Paimon, in a surge of bravery that came out of nowhere, retorted fiercely, crossing her arms in the air. She then paused as the man switched his gaze from the two to just her, pushing her to immediately dive behind Lumine for protection.

“... I’m sorry if it seemed like I was lying. I truly meant what I said.” Instead of attacking as Paimon feared, the man apologized, putting both Paimon and Lumine through a loop as they reevaluated his character in their minds. “I hope we can complete this commission safely.”

“Likewise.” Lumine finally spoke her first word, nodding to the aloof man before switching her gaze to the Hydro vision hidden around his waist.

He was a vision bearer, huh? But why did she feel the same way she did when meeting ‘Aster’? They looked nothing alike…

“You’re confused, Outlander?” Estel suddenly asked curiously as Lumine’s eyes widened in shock, and Paimon squeaked. “... There’s no need to be surprised. You and I are nowhere near the only Outlanders here in Teyvat.”

“We aren’t?” Lumine asked in surprise before suddenly realizing something in his words. “Wait, We?? You’re an Outlander too!?”

“You are??” Paimon asked with a gape as he nodded in response, his aloof eyes lidding slightly in what seemed to be exasperation. “Why are you staring at me like that??”

“... This is my Bronya Face.” He replied simply, only confusing Paimon further. “You repeated your companion’s question… Why?”

Paimon opened her mouth to reply… only to shut it again in embarrassment, unsure how to answer his genuine question.

Lumine couldn’t help but crack a smile at the sight, but she had other things to focus on.

“... So you’re not from this world?” She asked seriously as he turned his ‘Bronya Face’ from Paimon to her, making her quickly change her question before she embarrassed herself. “Do you also know others who aren’t from this world?”

“... Yes. In fact, I could think of at least 3 others, just in Mondstadt.” He nodded easily, uncaring of how flabbergasted she and Paimon were at the information. “Outlanders aren’t an outlandish commodity… Ironically.”

He stared at them expectantly, as if expecting them to laugh. 

He then turned his deadpan to the ground with what seemed to be a hint of anguish as neither she nor Paimon laughed, almost making her want to laugh at his misery.

Was ‘Aster’ one of the Outlanders he spoke of? Maybe the feeling she got only appeared when she met other people who weren’t from this world…

“Then… Have you heard of the whereabouts of my brother?” Lumine asked hopefully as Estel tilted his head slightly.

“Looks like you?” He asked curiously as she nodded excitedly. “... Sorry. I don’t know anyone that looks similar to you.”

The hope blooming in her chest died a miserable death at his words, a regretful smile gracing her lips as she nodded in understanding.

Paimon quickly moved to her side to rub her shoulder to comfort her, gaining a smile of gratitude from her.

“Um…” He spoke out again with a frown as he saw her sadness, making Lumine perk up to look at him hopefully. “... While I may not know where he is, I can at least assure you of one thing…”

She tilted her head in confusion but nodded in rapt attention, taking any information or advice she could.

“... Outlanders are never quiet or unremarkable.” He stated seriously as Lumine blinked and tilted her head further. “If your brother is out there… You will learn of him as long as you search. Outlanders are impressive, if nothing else.”

“Oh! So what you’re saying is that we’ll definitely encounter her brother as long as we continue searching!?” Paimon repeated what he just said with widened eyes, making him turn to her with his ‘Bronya Face’.

“... That is what I just said, yes.” He stated blankly as Paimon blushed in embarrassment.

She couldn’t stop herself from smiling this time as she saw this, turning from the embarrassed Paimon to Estel with a grateful smile.

“Thank you.” She didn’t elaborate, expressing herself enough with her smile as he nodded back in reply to her thanks.

Lumine turned her head away as she heard the door to the room click, Katheryne's familiar face soon entering.

“Ah, it seems you’ve both already met. Perfect.” She announced her presence with her usual composed smile as she nodded to Lumine and Paimon before staring intently at Estel. “I will not waste your time with introductions, then.”

Everyone nodded and gathered around Katheryne as she took out the paper containing the details of their Trial.

“Your Trial will require you to locate and dispatch a hostile Anemovishap south of Mondstadt-”

…

…

Estel walked quietly alongside Lumine and Paimon as they chatted (mostly Paimon) about different things, inwardly contemplating what he wanted to eat for dinner, thanks to Paimon’s incessant requests for food.

“Sticky Honey Roast-” Paimon began, only to be interrupted by a Sweet Madame chicken leg being pushed into her mouth. She protested for just a second before registering what was in her mouth. She immediately melted in delight and nom’d on the food once she did.

“Sweet Madame,” Estel answered decisively as if her previous declaration of ‘Sticky Honey Roast’ was a challenge. One that he won once he shut her mouth with the food.

“Huh… I’ll have to keep that strategy in mind for the future,” Lumine muttered thoughtfully as she looked at the quiet Paimon nibbling on the chicken leg.

“Very useful.” Estel agreed with a nod, holding the Sweet Madame plate out to Lumine after he subtly summoned it behind his back while using Hydro effects just in case Lumine noticed.

Good thing, too, as she did notice. She immediately glanced at his hand once he summoned a Hydro Circle similar to Mona’s.

“Thank you.” She took the offered plate and looked at Paimon with a blank, ominous stare that the little fairy missed as she easily finished the chicken leg in seconds.

“A-” As Paimon opened her mouth to speak, the entire chicken was forced into her mouth somehow, courtesy of a creepily smiling Lumine with blank eyes.

Instead of complaining, however, Paimon quieted down again as she struggled to begin devouring the invading chicken. It would undoubtedly take her a while to finish this time, thanks to the size of the chicken and the struggle of chipping away at it.

“... We’re nearing our destination.” Estel pointed out as Lumine noticed the giant tree of Windrise in the far distance. 

“... Mm. You use Hydro?” Lumine asked curiously as she stared at the vision on his waist, blinking as he didn’t respond and looking up to see him using the ‘Bronya Face’ she was already used to seeing by now. “... Stupid question. Sorry.”

“... No, it’s okay.” He surprisingly shook his head and summoned another Hydro Circle, retrieving a very beautiful and intricate greatsword halfway from inside as she raised an eyebrow in surprise. “I use this, too.”

“I didn’t expect you to use a Greatsword of all weapons,” Lumine noted curiously with a small smile, watching as he fully unsheathed the weapon from the Hydro Circle and slashed toward a nearby boulder.

Her eyes widened as an arc of Hydro shot out from his blade and flew towards the boulder, cleanly cutting it in half diagonally as the top half easily slid off the sliced bottom.

“Woah! You’re really strong, Estel!” Paimon exclaimed despite the food in her mouth, the display too eye-catching for her to miss even if she was eating.

Strong… She’d need at least another element of her sealed power to feel comfortable facing an attack like that boldly. And that was a casual attack, too…

Well… At least she knows she’s in better hands with him as a teammate?

“You?” Her attention returned to Estel as he suddenly asked, confusing her momentarily before she realized he was asking about her fighting style.

“I can use Anemo… and I use a sword.” She summoned a Windblade in her hands as a demonstration before summoning her sword as well.

“Ugh…” She froze as he recoiled once she summoned her sword, turning to look at him with confusion before flushing slightly as she saw his disgust towards her dull blade.

… She probably should’ve gotten a better sword. Even if she didn’t need one, thanks to her strength, walking with such an amateur blade was certainly gonna make people look down on her, huh?

“Here…” The blade in her hand suddenly shattered like it was made of ice before another blade dropped into her hands from a Hydro Circle he summoned above her. “... Harbinger of Dawn. Nowhere near the best, but better than that.”

“Thank you…?” She said off-handedly, too busy wondering what the hell he did to shatter her previous blade like that. Sure, it was quite weak, but he didn’t even move or use Hydro…

He nodded in response but couldn’t respond verbally as someone beat him to it.

“Halt!” The sound of a particularly authoritative woman stopped them as they turned around to see an unfamiliar knight with light blue hair and a unique blade that Estel recognized as the ‘Song of Broken Pines’. “State your identities, travelers!”

“Eep!” Paimon quickly dived behind Lumine as the intimidating knight appeared, leaving Lumine to stare at the unfamiliar woman with furrowed brows.

“... Adventurers from the Adventurer’s Guild. We are on a commission to slay a rampant Anemovishap that has emerged here.” Estel responded diplomatically before Lumine could utter a word, hearing no complaints from her as she remained silent and inspected the… admittedly beautiful woman.

“I see. I am Eula Lawrence, Captain of the Knights of Favonius Reconnaissance Company.” She didn’t soften her stance even after they stated their identities, frowning as she introduced herself and lowered her weapon to step forward. “Pull out your Adventurer IDs for inspection.”

Estel and Lumine quickly did so, handing them to the newly named Eula for inspection. The knight soon looked over their IDs before nodding and handing them back, finally relaxing slightly as she was assured of their identities.

“... You’re the newly appointed Honorary Knight, aren’t you?” Eula asked while narrowing her eyes at Lumine as Lumine blinked before nodding. “I see. We’ll settle our scores at a later time, then.”

“H-Huh? Why is that a reason for you to be upset at us??” Paimon spoke out in confusion from behind Lumine as the knight narrowed her eyes, and Paimon quickly dove back down with a shriek.

“... I think it’s because I cut the boulder in half earlier,” Estel whispered to Lumine and Paimon, but Eula seemed to notice as she tilted her head with a raised eyebrow. “... We’re going to prison. Oh no.”

Lumine couldn’t help a giggle at Estel’s blank tone as he ‘bemoaned’ having to go to prison, her eyes lighting up in amusement as she noticed the knight’s lips twitch upwards momentarily before returning to a frown.

“... And you are the illustrious ‘Crimson Tainted Spirit’, are you not?-” She began asking, only to freeze as Estel suddenly collapsed like a puppet with cut strings.

“Estel!?” Paimon exclaimed in horror as she quickly dove down to the collapsed Estel, shaking him furiously as his body remained unresponsive.

Lumine would be convinced he was dead if she didn’t already know that his lifeless eyes were like that normally.

“I-... I didn’t…” Eula seemed shocked at the man's sudden collapse, her eyes widening in horror. Lumine quickly bent down to check if he was breathing but quickly realized she didn’t need to, as he sat up abruptly and looked at Eula.

“... Please tell me that that name has not been localized.” He practically pleaded with more emotion in his voice than she had heard from him since meeting him.

“... I only heard that name from one of the knights under my command after he saw your bloodied form leaving a pile of dead enemies behind while on reconnaissance.” Eula hesitantly answered with furrowed brows as Estel breathed a sigh of relief.

Was that the reason for his sudden collapse? A little dramatic…

… But she understood. She’d react similarly if she gained a title like that after returning from that one quest with her bloody dress.

Oh dear. Many people saw her on her way back! Does she also have a terrible title like that in some circles??

“I’ll pay you any amount you desire to keep that title from spreading.” Estel declared firmly while staring into Eula’s eyes. She blinked in surprise at the seriousness in his voice before sighing exasperatedly.

“... I will inform my knights not to spread unwanted titles.” She answered simply as Estel nodded gratefully and easily got back up.

“Thank you.” He stressed his gratitude with a sigh as Eula pursed her lips before clearing her throat and frowning again.

“You have no need to thank me. You and I have unresolved grudges as well. Mark my words…” She exclaimed seriously as Estel slowly blinked.

“... It’s okay. I forgive you.” He nodded seriously as Eula froze.

“No, it is not that simple. We shall resolve this with our blades, not with apologies.” She stated seriously while furrowing her brows as Estel tilted his head.

“I surrender.” He replied immediately, making Eula recoil at how he ‘resolved’ their ‘dispute’.

“You cannot surrender! Do you not have any honor?” She asked with a genuinely flabbergasted expression as Estel shook his head before freezing, realizing he shook his head at the wrong question.

“I do… But I have no enmity with you.” He explained calmly before hitting Eula with his signature ‘Bronya Face’ as she stared at him in surprise.

Lumine couldn’t help but smile as she saw the interaction, quickly joining in to bully the astonished knight.

“I don’t either, Miss Eula. I forgive you, and I surrender.” The knight turned to look at Lumine with shock as she mirrored Estel, soon turning to the grinning Paimon floating behind Lumine.

“Paimon too! Paimon forgives you, and Paimon surrenders!” Paimon declared proudly and puffed her chest out smugly.

“You…” The knight was left speechless at their actions, her eyes sparkling slightly before dimming as she lowered her head and gritted her teeth. “For this grudge… Mark my words; I will have vengeance.”

“I surrender.” Estel immediately surrendered, followed by Lumine and Paimon moments later.

“We surrender!” Paimon declared brightly, smiling proudly.

“You- Quit surrendering!” Eula froze and stuttered before demanding they stop, her face slightly flushed as she ground her teeth in frustration.

“I will surrender as an apology.” Lumine sniped cheekily with a grin as Eula recoiled and gaped at her audacity.

“You…” 

GrrrRRRRaaAAAUUUU!

Whatever she was about to say was soon interrupted by a screeching roar nearby, cutting through whatever pleasant(?) atmosphere was previously building up here.

Lumine smiled nervously as she spotted the Anemovishap in the distance. A sweatdrop fell down her head as she sensed the concentrated elemental power gathering around the beast, gathering with enough intensity that she began to doubt whether this was the same ‘Anemovishap” they were searching for or not.

It was strong… Very strong. Perhaps even one of the “Primo Vishaps” that Paimon told her about when she was being briefed about the species…

Judging by Paimon’s slight tremble, that guess may just be correct. While not as monstrously big as Stormterror, Lumine wouldn’t be surprised if someone described the creature as a ‘dragon’ just from a cursory glance…

… That… It was still fine. Lumine was confident in her capabilities, and she had quite a competent helper in Estel as well. Not to mention, they even had a Knight Captain as backup-

“... Miss Eula, please sit back for this fight. This Vishap is required for our Ascension Trial, so outside aid will invalidate our rank-up.” Estel calmly requested from the astonished knight as Lumine’s eyes almost bulged out of her skull at his words.

Say what!?

He wants to take this thing on alone!?

…

…

Howdy. Not much time to talk, so I'll go ahead and explain the changes that have happened in the last month.

First of all, I have implemented the idea I talked about on discord. Voting will now become a privilege for higher ranked Patreons as peace of mind for myself. You may have noticed the changes to the ranks recently, and I'm happy to announce that the new changes are now active.

Next, I have changed my writing style and focus slightly as you may or may not have noticed. The reason... is mostly to get a change of pace. Two days into this change, and I finished this chapter to send out after being stuck on a 10k word chapter for Speak in a Dungeon. Only at 5k there, unfortunately.

Speaking of which, you will need to wait a few weeks for the next Dungeon chapter. I have a few important exams coming up, so I will be working on less serious stories like Pretender and possibly even an IND chapter (as unlikely as that would be) until I no longer have the stress of that nonsense. It shouldn't take too long, don't worry.

It's a very important few chapters coming up in Speak in a Dungeon. I won't fuck them up just because I'm hasty to send out chapters. Not my style.

Anyways, that'll be all for now I believe. I'm going to rest now. Thank you all for reading until now.

The Overlord bids you farewell... for now.