BK1 Chapter Thirty-Nine - EDITED

Chapter Thirty-Nine

My body’s muscles had never felt so relaxed in months as I stepped out of the bathtub, satisfied. Clamping my hair with one of the towels provided, I hummed in bliss from the warmth and cleanness the bath had provided. It had taken me a bit of trial and error to get the temperature right; it turned out one of the taps was for heated water and the other for cold. I marvelled at the device; if it had been available in Talbour, I would not have needed to rely on the maids so much.

Moving to the wardrobe, I found a set of garments had been provided. They were unisex and had ties, so they would fit all sizes. I pulled out the grey cloak and held it between my fingers as the rough material symbolised a Trainee’s uniform. It was edged with black trim and had a small bronze badge pinned. The badge had an etching of a closed flower bud.

I gently placed the cloak back in the wardrobe and instead pulled out a simple set of white cotton garments with stretch in the waistlines. They fit relatively okay but were quite large on me. Sitting down at the desk in the room, I opened the drawers and found neat piles of paper provided alongside a set of feathered quills and ink. The room was stocked with everything I could need, except there was a lack of books on the shelves. Only the bare minimum was provided.

Leaning my head on my hand, I tapped the desk looking out at the window at the stone-walled view. Our training would begin tomorrow; I had to figure out how to improve my core to grade one for Vishka’s quest. But there were more urgent matters I had to consider. I assume Eduard is probably planning to present Rogers’s letter for my release from the blood contract as soon as possible. I doubt he will do it today; knowing him, he will want to ensure he is presentable first. Besides, it’s already getting late looking at the dimming sky.

I sighed, moving my gaze to the paper. I must present a reasonable argument against Roger’s request, but that won’t be easy. As my adoptive father, Roger has the right to control my life to such a degree, I don’t have a strong enough core to argue my use as a Summoner. I only have my herbology skills which may not be enough to persuade the generals. Of course, then there is Young Duke Elkart; he has an interest in my ability to ride Kreshna. Maybe I should have just told him about my beast-taming skill that day; this may have been easier now if I had done so. But I can’t change that now; if Vishka thinks I should keep it hidden, I should trust her.

What were my options?

I could try to grow my core to a usable level? Was that even possible in this short amount of time? I imagine Eduard will present the letter first thing tomorrow. The technique Albus gave me less than a week ago hasn’t made any changes for me so far. I don’t think that is something I can rely on happening in a day. Maybe if I could get some Jabascus root?

Wait… my chest tightened as a slither of an idea formed. I stared down at the paper and bit my lip. Perhaps there was one thing I could do, but I didn’t know enough about the law to know if it was plausible. It was risky, more so than my scandal plan, but it may be my only choice.

Hesitantly, I picked up the quill and dipped it into the ink. I hovered the pen above the paper, my hand stilling as I considered this idea. After a moment, I swallowed my trepidation and began to write. I carefully crafted my argument, weaving together the threads of my reasoning and hoping that it would be strong enough to sway the decision in my favour. The ink flowed from the quill, forming words that danced across the page, each stroke carrying the weight of my hopes and fears.

As I delved deeper into my plan, I realised that I would need legal expertise to navigate the complexities of the law. I made a mental note to seek out someone knowledgeable in this area, but who could I trust to guide me through the intricacies of the system? Maybe I should try to find a textbook on it instead. I can’t risk this reaching anyone before I need it.

The room around me grew quieter, the lamp’s soft glow casting a warm light on my determined face. The night sky outside the window had darkened, and I knew that time was of the essence. The wheels of fate were turning, and I had to be prepared for any outcome.

Finishing the last sentence of my argument, I set the quill down and read over my words. Doubts and insecurities tugged at the edges of my mind, but I pushed them aside; I had made it here so far. I could do this.

With a sense of determination, I folded the paper neatly and placed it in a secure location, hidden away from prying eyes. It would serve as my backup plan, my last resort if all else failed. However, I hope it won’t come to that with all my heart. I don’t know what I will do if I have to use it.

Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath and reminded myself of my chosen path. It would be my backup; I would only use this if the generals took Rogers’s side.

***

As the sky darkened into night, I sat in the fluffy warmth of my bed. It felt wonderful to be on a mattress instead of the hard ground after a month of marching. Gazing at the blood sign on my hand, I crossed my legs and tried to sit comfortably. I remembered how Brendan had sat during my night with Eduard and his team as he cultivated and tried to copy it. 

Taking one slow deep breath, I closed my eyes and focused my attention towards my mindscape. Within moments I felt my body sensation change; opening my eyes, I saw the familiar darkness that was my centre. It had managed to get here must faster than last time. 

As expected, the tiny glow of my core bobbed in the air as the rune I had placed sucked in Aether from the outside world. I approached its warm glow, my steps rippling through the darkness like ink. It hadn’t grown in size since I last saw it, but upon closer inspection, as I followed the strands of Aether soaking into it, I could see a swirl of pale white mixing within that hadn’t been there before.

“Child of Vishka”, A voice made me jump as I turned to my guest. 

“A-Albus”, I greeted the shadowy figure as he approached from the darkness. He was as creepy as he had been at our first meeting. His ethereal body blending into the space. 

“I have not yet replenished fully, so I can not remain long” he nodded toward my core. “You are unable to sustain me sufficiently without stunting your growth.”

“Stunting my growth?” I asked, taking a step back from the man. 

“Yes. The Aether I require is greater than your current rate of gathering. If I were to take what you could gather at this moment, there would not remain any for you to grow your core with.” 

“It hasn’t grown at all, has it?” I asked, looking back at the tiny orb. If I didn’t have Albus, would I have seen a change by now? 

“It has not. In order to grow, your core needs to be filled with Aether. As of now, It is eight percent filled.” Albus moved with a glide to stand beside me as he gazed at the swirling Aether accumulating in my core. 

“That’s a little over one percent a day”, I sighed. There was no chance I could grow my core in time to argue my use as a Summoner against Rogers’s request to have my blood contract revoked. 

“Patience. It will grow in time.” I swear Albus would have rolled his eyes from his tone if he had features. 

“I’m worried I don’t have time”, I whispered, pulling my hands away from the orb in a slump. Maybe I was going to have to use my backup plan after all. 

“Why are you so impatient?” Albus asked curiously as he followed my movements. 

I hesitated in my place, looking back at the strange being that he was. I suppose he was the only person who knew the truth about Vishka and my repeated lives. Perhaps, he may be the only person I could truly confide with? He was the memory of a man who had experienced much of the same. 

“My father wishes to have my blood contract to the Army revoked. If that happens, I can not learn to become a Summoner, and I can not follow Vishka’s guidance.” I pinched my fingertips. 

“I see. That is troubling,” Albus’ voice hummed as he raised his hand to stroke his chin. “I was not aware such a requirement to become Summoner existed in this time.”

“It is against imperial law for anyone to learn how to use their cores if they are not a member of the Imperial army or Temple,” I informed him. “There are no textbooks permitted for the public, and it is punishable by death for a Summoner to teach another who is not enrolled.” 

Albus almost frowned from his stillness at this information. “Things have indeed changed”, he mumbled as he began to pace in thought. 

“It has always been this way, has it not?” I asked, my own curiosity piped at his words. 

“No,” Albus responded. “I would not worry. I can teach you what you need.”

I rubbed the back of my neck with a slight upturn of my lip as he avoided elaborating on my question. “I think that would possibly end up with my death”, I laughed a little “An unregistered woman who can suddenly use her core is definitely not something that would be permitted.”

“Hmm. Your rules of this time are very restrictive.” 

“Yes.” I sighed in agreement. They certainly were. 

“It is unwise not to follow Vishka’s will. What has she tasked you with?” 

“To grow my core to grade one” I bit my lip, watching the rune as it thrummed. “I did have one idea I could use, but it is not something I have made before.” 

“Tell me.” Albus floated to me quickly, making me flinch. 

“Jabascus root, in one of my previous lives, it was used with herbiscous tea to increase your core. Do you know anything about that?”

“What does this root look like?” 

“It grows a round green ball with three brown roots. It is used as a vegetable by the majority.”

“A vegetable!?” Albus’s voice raised in shock. “What you describe is a plant called Ascious. It is a very rare plant that absorbs Aether naturally as it grows. The size of a specimen indicates how much it has obtained. It is a lucrative plant that is rare to find.”

I stood back a bit at Albus’s sudden intensity. “It is very common…” I said as he raised his hands flippantly. 

“It is used as a vegetable!?” he exclaimed in outrage. “What has happened to this world” he shook his head, resting it in his right hand. “Obtain this plant immediately.” 

“Yes?” I said wide-eyed.

“Yes. I want to see what has become of this plant. If it has not mutated since my time. We can put it to use.”

“A-alright, I’ll get some Herbiscous tea as well” I nodded, feeling a sense of excitement.  

“I have far better alchemic formulas than adding it with ‘herbiscous’ tea”, Albus tutted. 

“Alchemy? I’m not very good at that,” I hesitantly smiled. 

“No matter. You can learn.” Albus body language made me gulp as he crossed his arms. Was he going to be a tyrant teacher?

“I must go now. We have spoken longer than we should have. Do not come back without Ascious.” his form faded into the darkness, leaving me alone in my mindscape. 

Right, so I should probably try to figure out when I can get to the market.