Chapter 170: 170
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The skies above Itroch shuddered ominously with a soft, crimson glow that was unmistakably unnatural. Far above the heads of Reed's group, spatial distortions could be seen with the naked eye that even mortals would have been able to identify.
It was dark outside. That was not normal, especially since they had begun their mission near midday. There was a mysterious spatiotemporal anomaly present within the city's confines that had imposed permanent darkness upon it. The only natural source of illumination was the beautifully ominous blood-red nebula that hung above Itroch...
Were it not for the dreadful association the color had with the cursed fissure below, Reed would have gladly enjoyed the sight of the peculiar celestial phenomenon.
"The reports mentioned this anomalous distortion, but I didn't that it would actually end up being so pretty," said Ophelia as she directed a little caravan of floating drones to record the night sky.
When one of her drones accidentally bumped into Horatio's head, he said, "Careful, Phi. These suits are durable and the mission's exploratory in nature, but that doesn't mean you can afford to get careless."
"Sorry, sorry... I just got a little excited. It's just that, well... we're the first people to be allowed to enter Itroch after it got locked down a year ago. I couldn't help myself..."
She had not come emptyhanded, unlike Astor and Horatio who had only come in pressurized environmental suits designed for extremely hazardous situations in the Shadowlands. It was an uncommon thing for Chosen, who were almost impervious to all manner of afflictions, to don such protective gear.
Only 'Abyssal Divers,' Chosen who had elected to specialize their efforts in the field of artefact acquisitions -- hunting for artefacts -- wore such equipment, and only when it was necessary. These fearless tomb raiders were the only people who had the cojones to venture deep into the Shadowslands, where the Infested miasma was concentrated enough to poison even veteran Chosen, in pursuit of untouched technological caches to plunder...
Ophelia had brought a mobile laboratory of sorts along with her in order to record, collect, and analyze anything that could lead her and her fellow colleagues aboard the Spirit of Bountiful Charity towards finding a cure for the Itroch syndrome case.
Reed calmly observed the pair in the distance and then whispered to Astor, "...Hey. Uh, I'm not one to pry into matters that aren't mine, but are those two... um, you know..."
Astor softly chuckled and said, "It's more complicated than a simple yes or no answer, but yeah. Not that they've explicitly made it... official, so to speak."
"Complicated? For them? I mean, those two are clearly..."
"Not them, bud. It's their families that are the problem. They're descendants of two family heads that despise each other. The head of Redcliff family, Augustus Redcliff, and the head of the Restus family, Lerito Restus, have major beef that stretches as far as the Unification Era."
Reed shrugged his shoulders in confusion and said, "That sounds like horseshit."
Lu'um chimed in and said, "Yes, that indeed does sound like horseshit."
"So, what, I am to believe that they are unable to enter a relationship with one another because of two bickering man-children? Are you sure this isn't the plot for some bargain-credit romance novel? Get real."
"I know it's a shit situation, but there's nothing we can do about it. I'd love to play the part of the royal cupid, but my family has no power over civil cases like these. In any case, even if we did, it'd still be a shitty situation. The royal family has long kept out of the affairs of its vassals, the noble families, in return for their unwavering loyalty. How they handle matters in their domains and between themselves has always been a matter out of our jurisdiction.
For me -- or rather, the royal family -- to intervene in matters that have historically not been under our authority would be a breach of the unspoken agreement we made long ago."
"In essence, you don't want to pick at a hornet's nest you allowed in your backyard a while back," said Reed. He was sympathetic to Astor's concerns, but at the same time, found it laughably ridiculous that a family that had been backed by the Dreaming Council still had to compromise in the end.
Lu'um spoke at length for the first time since the conversation started and said, "Kings do not compromise with their vassals; They rule them. One cannot expect unity and harmony to arise out of the competing interests that lie dormant in the hearts of all Men. Conflict is the natural trajectory that all Men will follow if left unsupervised.
Therefore, it is imperative that Men have a figure who can make use of their desires in a productive manner that benefits the whole of those under them. In other words, a king."
Her words rang clear and true, much to Astor's bitterness. He hollowly laughed and said, "...You'd make a fine ruler, Lu'um. Though it'd mean that Reed would become your queen, no? I'm not sure if the North would be ready for that kind of progressive change, you know."
Reed ignored his teasing and said, "So have you been? Find a nice girl for yourself yet or is your family also cockblocking you, too? Don't tell me that one of the most eligible bachelors in the North has just been doing nothing for the last three years..."
Astor sighed when he heard the question and said, "...You wouldn't understand, bud. Life as a prince isn't all roses and daisies..."
"Try me, then. I-- We've been through some tough times, too." Reed pulled Lu'um close to him in an embrace and said, "If you knew half the shit we've dealt with, you find your concerns to be nothing more than child's play." It was the truth. Hell, they were still not even halfway through the latest mess to disturb their lives, the Eventide of Faith.
The lonesome prince closed his eyes and said, "It's Violett, man. She. Just. Won't. Leave. Me. Alone. Every single girl I've brought home has been... more or less chased out by her. It doesn't who I bring, she won't accept them! I don't know what sort of fucking metric she's using to judge the girls I've introduced to her, but it's ruining my goddamned game!
Does she want me to bring someone who can beat her in a fight?! Am I her fighting manager or something? She'd always nitpicks everything little thing about the girls I bring over, as if she's trying to slander them death... What do you think she wants from me? I've never done anything bad to her, I think..."
Reed wisely kept his mouth shut and patted Astor's back in a futile attempt to comfort him. Perhaps he had been wrong, after all. There was always a deeper hell below...
Lu'um snorted and said, "She's been testing you... probably. That, and she might be childishly acting out, too. There are some older siblings who are sometimes too... attached to their younger siblings. Compound this with the fact that you generally capitulate whenever she gets angry at you and we have the current situation."
"What do you mean? I haven't done anything wrong, then?"
"Most likely she perceives you as her own possession. ...A toy of sorts? Naturally, she would not want to give her beloved toy away to some other strange woman. My advice for you is simple: Grow a spine. Stop obeying your sister and be your own person. You need to her to see you for who you are -- a grown man with your own free will -- and not the adorable baby brother she has always seen you for.
The next time you bring a girl over and she tries to her scare off, put your foot down and stop her. Even if you have to fight her. You don't even have to win against her, either. Just do it to get your point across -- let her know that you're serious about that girl and you won't take no for an answer."
Astor swallowed a lump of cold spit and said, "S-So that's how it's been this whole time? I mean... I always thought that she was just a little spoiled and overbearing at heart, but not to this extent... Still, you're asking for a lot, you know. Fighting? Against her? Goddess give me strength..."
Reed grimly recalled his experiences 'training' with Violett and a chill crept down his spine. The girl was the epitome of merciless precision and unrestrained ultra-violence when it came to her fighting style. She was a high-spec intercontinental missile in human form.
He gulped and said, "H-Hey, at the very least, she won't kill you. I won't deny that you'll most likely end up getting beat down into mush, though. And it'll be a one-time thing, too. I think... it'll be worth the price. When you think about it in the grand scheme of things, it's a small price to pay." Reed knew he spouting absolute bullshit, but what else was he supposed to do?
Nevertheless, he had now been convinced that his troubles had not been as bad as he initially thought them out to be. At least, not compared to Astor's troubles...
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The skies above Itroch shuddered ominously with a soft, crimson glow that was unmistakably unnatural. Far above the heads of Reed's group, spatial distortions could be seen with the naked eye that even mortals would have been able to identify.
It was dark outside. That was not normal, especially since they had begun their mission near midday. There was a mysterious spatiotemporal anomaly present within the city's confines that had imposed permanent darkness upon it. The only natural source of illumination was the beautifully ominous blood-red nebula that hung above Itroch...
Were it not for the dreadful association the color had with the cursed fissure below, Reed would have gladly enjoyed the sight of the peculiar celestial phenomenon.
"The reports mentioned this anomalous distortion, but I didn't that it would actually end up being so pretty," said Ophelia as she directed a little caravan of floating drones to record the night sky.
When one of her drones accidentally bumped into Horatio's head, he said, "Careful, Phi. These suits are durable and the mission's exploratory in nature, but that doesn't mean you can afford to get careless."
"Sorry, sorry... I just got a little excited. It's just that, well... we're the first people to be allowed to enter Itroch after it got locked down a year ago. I couldn't help myself..."
She had not come emptyhanded, unlike Astor and Horatio who had only come in pressurized environmental suits designed for extremely hazardous situations in the Shadowlands. It was an uncommon thing for Chosen, who were almost impervious to all manner of afflictions, to don such protective gear.
Only 'Abyssal Divers,' Chosen who had elected to specialize their efforts in the field of artefact acquisitions -- hunting for artefacts -- wore such equipment, and only when it was necessary. These fearless tomb raiders were the only people who had the cojones to venture deep into the Shadowslands, where the Infested miasma was concentrated enough to poison even veteran Chosen, in pursuit of untouched technological caches to plunder...
Ophelia had brought a mobile laboratory of sorts along with her in order to record, collect, and analyze anything that could lead her and her fellow colleagues aboard the Spirit of Bountiful Charity towards finding a cure for the Itroch syndrome case.
Reed calmly observed the pair in the distance and then whispered to Astor, "...Hey. Uh, I'm not one to pry into matters that aren't mine, but are those two... um, you know..."
Astor softly chuckled and said, "It's more complicated than a simple yes or no answer, but yeah. Not that they've explicitly made it... official, so to speak."
"Complicated? For them? I mean, those two are clearly..."
"Not them, bud. It's their families that are the problem. They're descendants of two family heads that despise each other. The head of Redcliff family, Augustus Redcliff, and the head of the Restus family, Lerito Restus, have major beef that stretches as far as the Unification Era."
Reed shrugged his shoulders in confusion and said, "That sounds like horseshit."
Lu'um chimed in and said, "Yes, that indeed does sound like horseshit."
"So, what, I am to believe that they are unable to enter a relationship with one another because of two bickering man-children? Are you sure this isn't the plot for some bargain-credit romance novel? Get real."
"I know it's a shit situation, but there's nothing we can do about it. I'd love to play the part of the royal cupid, but my family has no power over civil cases like these. In any case, even if we did, it'd still be a shitty situation. The royal family has long kept out of the affairs of its vassals, the noble families, in return for their unwavering loyalty. How they handle matters in their domains and between themselves has always been a matter out of our jurisdiction.
For me -- or rather, the royal family -- to intervene in matters that have historically not been under our authority would be a breach of the unspoken agreement we made long ago."
"In essence, you don't want to pick at a hornet's nest you allowed in your backyard a while back," said Reed. He was sympathetic to Astor's concerns, but at the same time, found it laughably ridiculous that a family that had been backed by the Dreaming Council still had to compromise in the end.
Lu'um spoke at length for the first time since the conversation started and said, "Kings do not compromise with their vassals; They rule them. One cannot expect unity and harmony to arise out of the competing interests that lie dormant in the hearts of all Men. Conflict is the natural trajectory that all Men will follow if left unsupervised.
Therefore, it is imperative that Men have a figure who can make use of their desires in a productive manner that benefits the whole of those under them. In other words, a king."
Her words rang clear and true, much to Astor's bitterness. He hollowly laughed and said, "...You'd make a fine ruler, Lu'um. Though it'd mean that Reed would become your queen, no? I'm not sure if the North would be ready for that kind of progressive change, you know."
Reed ignored his teasing and said, "So have you been? Find a nice girl for yourself yet or is your family also cockblocking you, too? Don't tell me that one of the most eligible bachelors in the North has just been doing nothing for the last three years..."
Astor sighed when he heard the question and said, "...You wouldn't understand, bud. Life as a prince isn't all roses and daisies..."
"Try me, then. I-- We've been through some tough times, too." Reed pulled Lu'um close to him in an embrace and said, "If you knew half the shit we've dealt with, you find your concerns to be nothing more than child's play." It was the truth. Hell, they were still not even halfway through the latest mess to disturb their lives, the Eventide of Faith.
The lonesome prince closed his eyes and said, "It's Violett, man. She. Just. Won't. Leave. Me. Alone. Every single girl I've brought home has been... more or less chased out by her. It doesn't who I bring, she won't accept them! I don't know what sort of fucking metric she's using to judge the girls I've introduced to her, but it's ruining my goddamned game!
Does she want me to bring someone who can beat her in a fight?! Am I her fighting manager or something? She'd always nitpicks everything little thing about the girls I bring over, as if she's trying to slander them death... What do you think she wants from me? I've never done anything bad to her, I think..."
Reed wisely kept his mouth shut and patted Astor's back in a futile attempt to comfort him. Perhaps he had been wrong, after all. There was always a deeper hell below...
Lu'um snorted and said, "She's been testing you... probably. That, and she might be childishly acting out, too. There are some older siblings who are sometimes too... attached to their younger siblings. Compound this with the fact that you generally capitulate whenever she gets angry at you and we have the current situation."
"What do you mean? I haven't done anything wrong, then?"
"Most likely she perceives you as her own possession. ...A toy of sorts? Naturally, she would not want to give her beloved toy away to some other strange woman. My advice for you is simple: Grow a spine. Stop obeying your sister and be your own person. You need to her to see you for who you are -- a grown man with your own free will -- and not the adorable baby brother she has always seen you for.
The next time you bring a girl over and she tries to her scare off, put your foot down and stop her. Even if you have to fight her. You don't even have to win against her, either. Just do it to get your point across -- let her know that you're serious about that girl and you won't take no for an answer."
Astor swallowed a lump of cold spit and said, "S-So that's how it's been this whole time? I mean... I always thought that she was just a little spoiled and overbearing at heart, but not to this extent... Still, you're asking for a lot, you know. Fighting? Against her? Goddess give me strength..."
Reed grimly recalled his experiences 'training' with Violett and a chill crept down his spine. The girl was the epitome of merciless precision and unrestrained ultra-violence when it came to her fighting style. She was a high-spec intercontinental missile in human form.
He gulped and said, "H-Hey, at the very least, she won't kill you. I won't deny that you'll most likely end up getting beat down into mush, though. And it'll be a one-time thing, too. I think... it'll be worth the price. When you think about it in the grand scheme of things, it's a small price to pay." Reed knew he spouting absolute bullshit, but what else was he supposed to do?
Nevertheless, he had now been convinced that his troubles had not been as bad as he initially thought them out to be. At least, not compared to Astor's troubles...
The skies above Itroch shuddered ominously with a soft, crimson glow that was unmistakably unnatural. Far above the heads of Reed's group, spatial distortions could be seen with the naked eye that even mortals would have been able to identify.It was dark outside. That was not normal, especially since they had begun their mission near midday. There was a mysterious spatiotemporal anomaly present within the city's confines that had imposed permanent darkness upon it. The only natural source of illumination was the beautifully ominous blood-red nebula that hung above Itroch...Were it not for the dreadful association the color had with the cursed fissure below, Reed would have gladly enjoyed the sight of the peculiar celestial phenomenon."The reports mentioned this anomalous distortion, but I didn't that it would actually end up being so pretty," said Ophelia as she directed a little caravan of floating drones to record the night sky.When one of her drones accidentally bumped into Horatio's head, he said, "Careful, Phi. These suits are durable and the mission's exploratory in nature, but that doesn't mean you can afford to get careless.""Sorry, sorry... I just got a little excited. It's just that, well... we're the first people to be allowed to enter Itroch after it got locked down a year ago. I couldn't help myself..."She had not come emptyhanded, unlike Astor and Horatio who had only come in pressurized environmental suits designed for extremely hazardous situations in the Shadowlands. It was an uncommon thing for Chosen, who were almost impervious to all manner of afflictions, to don such protective gear.Only 'Abyssal Divers,' Chosen who had elected to specialize their efforts in the field of artefact acquisitions -- hunting for artefacts -- wore such equipment, and only when it was necessary. These fearless tomb raiders were the only people who had the cojones to venture deep into the Shadowslands, where the Infested miasma was concentrated enough to poison even veteran Chosen, in pursuit of untouched technological caches to plunder...Ophelia had brought a mobile laboratory of sorts along with her in order to record, collect, and analyze anything that could lead her and her fellow colleagues aboard the Spirit of Bountiful Charity towards finding a cure for the Itroch syndrome case.Reed calmly observed the pair in the distance and then whispered to Astor, "...Hey. Uh, I'm not one to pry into matters that aren't mine, but are those two... um, you know..."Astor softly chuckled and said, "It's more complicated than a simple yes or no answer, but yeah. Not that they've explicitly made it... official, so to speak.""Complicated? For them? I mean, those two are clearly...""Not them, bud. It's their families that are the problem. They're descendants of two family heads that despise each other. The head of Redcliff family, Augustus Redcliff, and the head of the Restus family, Lerito Restus, have major beef that stretches as far as the Unification Era."Reed shrugged his shoulders in confusion and said, "That sounds like horseshit."Lu'um chimed in and said, "Yes, that indeed does sound like horseshit.""So, what, I am to believe that they are unable to enter a relationship with one another because of two bickering man-children? Are you sure this isn't the plot for some bargain-credit romance novel? Get real.""I know it's a shit situation, but there's nothing we can do about it. I'd love to play the part of the royal cupid, but my family has no power over civil cases like these. In any case, even if we did, it'd still be a shitty situation. The royal family has long kept out of the affairs of its vassals, the noble families, in return for their unwavering loyalty. How they handle matters in their domains and between themselves has always been a matter out of our jurisdiction.For me -- or rather, the royal family -- to intervene in matters that have historically not been under our authority would be a breach of the unspoken agreement we made long ago.""In essence, you don't want to pick at a hornet's nest you allowed in your backyard a while back," said Reed. He was sympathetic to Astor's concerns, but at the same time, found it laughably ridiculous that a family that had been backed by the Dreaming Council still had to compromise in the end.Lu'um spoke at length for the first time since the conversation started and said, "Kings do not compromise with their vassals; They rule them. One cannot expect unity and harmony to arise out of the competing interests that lie dormant in the hearts of all Men. Conflict is the natural trajectory that all Men will follow if left unsupervised.Therefore, it is imperative that Men have a figure who can make use of their desires in a productive manner that benefits the whole of those under them. In other words, a king."Her words rang clear and true, much to Astor's bitterness. He hollowly laughed and said, "...You'd make a fine ruler, Lu'um. Though it'd mean that Reed would become your queen, no? I'm not sure if the North would be ready for that kind of progressive change, you know."Reed ignored his teasing and said, "So have you been? Find a nice girl for yourself yet or is your family also cockblocking you, too? Don't tell me that one of the most eligible bachelors in the North has just been doing nothing for the last three years..."Astor sighed when he heard the question and said, "...You wouldn't understand, bud. Life as a prince isn't all roses and daisies...""Try me, then. I-- We've been through some tough times, too." Reed pulled Lu'um close to him in an embrace and said, "If you knew half the shit we've dealt with, you find your concerns to be nothing more than child's play." It was the truth. Hell, they were still not even halfway through the latest mess to disturb their lives, the Eventide of Faith.The lonesome prince closed his eyes and said, "It's Violett, man. She. Just. Won't. Leave. Me. Alone. Every single girl I've brought home has been... more or less chased out by her. It doesn't who I bring, she won't accept them! I don't know what sort of fucking metric she's using to judge the girls I've introduced to her, but it's ruining my goddamned game!Does she want me to bring someone who can beat her in a fight?! Am I her fighting manager or something? She'd always nitpicks everything little thing about the girls I bring over, as if she's trying to slander them death... What do you think she wants from me? I've never done anything bad to her, I think..."Reed wisely kept his mouth shut and patted Astor's back in a futile attempt to comfort him. Perhaps he had been wrong, after all. There was always a deeper hell below...Lu'um snorted and said, "She's been testing you... probably. That, and she might be childishly acting out, too. There are some older siblings who are sometimes too... attached to their younger siblings. Compound this with the fact that you generally capitulate whenever she gets angry at you and we have the current situation.""What do you mean? I haven't done anything wrong, then?""Most likely she perceives you as her own possession. ...A toy of sorts? Naturally, she would not want to give her beloved toy away to some other strange woman. My advice for you is simple: Grow aspine. Stop obeying your sister and be your own person. You need to her to see you for who you are -- a grown man with your own free will -- and not the adorable baby brother she has always seen you for.The next time you bring a girl over and she tries to her scare off, put your foot down and stop her. Even if you have to fight her. You don't even have to win against her, either. Just do it to get your point across -- let her know that you're serious about that girl and you won't take no for an answer."Astor swallowed a lump of cold spit and said, "S-So that's how it's been this whole time? I mean... I always thought that she was just a little spoiled and overbearing at heart, but not to this extent... Still, you're asking for a lot, you know. Fighting? Against her? Goddess give me strength..."Reed grimly recalled his experiences 'training' with Violett and a chill crept down his spine. The girl was the epitome of merciless precision and unrestrained ultra-violence when it came to her fighting style. She was a high-spec intercontinental missile in human form.He gulped and said, "H-Hey, at the very least, she won't kill you. I won't deny that you'll most likely end up getting beat down into mush, though. And it'll be a one-time thing, too. I think... it'll be worth the price. When you think about it in the grand scheme of things, it's a small price to pay." Reed knew he spouting absolute bullshit, but what else was he supposed to do?Nevertheless, he had now been convinced that his troubles had not been as bad as he initially thought them out to be. At least, not compared to Astor's troubles...
