Infinity in the Void – Freedom in the Abyss

Another day had passed, and most of them got to this point relatively unscathed. And someone got mauled by otters and almost drowned by them last night. Francis begged me to cancel the trip but as I predicted, the students wanted to continue.

There is nothing more thrilling than an adventure.

Now we are going to the deeper entrance to El Dorado.

Well... I summoned a gold coin from the Legacy, scratching it with my nails until it caved in.

"Look what I found.", I said with an air of amusement, crouching down and pretending to pick up the coin.

"That's... a gold coin!", Mitsuki was excited, "We are close, right?"

"Yes, we are. Though we need to hear the noise first. So let's slow down for now and camp when things get dark.", I pocketed the coin.

And there is something else interesting. I glanced to the side, taking in the image of a green wisp that flew past the trees. It is hiding from me, as it knows I am the predator and it is the prey.

We headed further in, using my world calculation to find the markings left by previous expeditions. I also made a few rest stops to let the Scout team look ahead and find a good path, using my suggestions to manipulate them to go in my direction.

It is just so fun to be a mastermind~ heh, although my memories are hazy I think I said something about not being able to scheme like Seria or the Director... but now? Hehahahahaha~ 

They are stuck in my labyrinth of schemes and lies, they know I am unpredictable and uncontrollable. They cannot see my future or what action I may take next, due to the Legacy of Monte Cristo fucking up and messing with destiny and fate.

I snatched a venomous snake from a tree, snapping its head off and squeezed out all of the blood in one motion. To the horror of the students. Then I cook the meat with my alchemical fire.

Taking a bite out of the cooked snake, hm, a little bit too gamey for my liking but the bones are brittle enough to give a nice crunch. I look around for the Luz Mala, it is on my radar so let's keep it that way.

"To live for yourself or to live for others.", I began to talk, picking up a wildflower, "There is no difference between selfishness and selflessness, as both are made to fulfill a desire."

"Professor, what are you talking about?", a student asked.

"I am somewhat of a philosopher, though I don't like to call myself that. Just think of it as random mublings.", I brushed the subject aside.

"Well, since we are on the topic, I want to ask. What will you do if you have the power to do anything?", I cut down a tree with a kick and flung it far away.

I sat down, facing them.

"I would just go to sleep, unbothered.", a student answered.

"Travel everywhere and collect beautiful men!!", a girl said with a flushed face.

"Challenge those who call themselves the best.", that answer came from Armillys.

More and more answers came, they spoke their desires under my influence. I gleefully smile at this sight.

"Yes, but have you considered the morality of it all?", I grinned.

The atmosphere became tense, as my words struck a chord in them.

"The power to do everything, it equate to freedom to do whatever you want, should it be bound by rules of society and morality? No, that is not freedom as you are still bound by external factors. But getting rid of all those factors, what is the meaning of freedom?"

I spread my arms out, my eyes dials from azure to silver.

"To see that life is fleeting and inherently meaningless, so do you make the best of the situation? Or to see the world as a canvas that you can trample on? Maybe to create meaning of your own? Freedom of creation, freedom of rule, freedom of choice. For me, freedom is something sacred, to define freedom is a paradox in of itself."

Then I placed my right index finger on my lips, my voice became a soft whisper in their ears.

"So break your own internal rules, discard your own principles. And you may find your own meaning of freedom, Children of Liberty."

"If you dare.", and I snapped my finger, bringing them back from my hypnotic trance.

The scouts are back, that includes Francis so I can't act rashly.

"Well, that's all for today's philosophical question.", I stood up from the stump.

I turned around, seeing the Scout team return, some of them shivering for some odd reason.

"What happened?", I asked.

Francis stepped up, "We encountered a Wraith of some kind that made the air suddenly cold."

"Ah, a Luz Mala.", I smiled, "That means there are treasures nearby."

"What do you mean by that?", one of the scouts asked.

"Luz Mala isn't a Wraith, it's a Wisp, the lower form of a Wraith, that protects treasure. The closer you are to that treasure, the more humanoid the Wisp become, even being tangible to kill treasure hunters.", I explained, then I got a brilliant plan, "When we get to the next campsite, feel free to try and find treasures."

"I won't allow it!!", Francis objected.

"I know, just leaving it out there~", I shrugged, "I won't stop any of you from leaving tonight."

That got the students rowdy, already forming groups to try and find the treasure. Francis tries to dissuade them from going, but that's obviously useless.

Mitsuki came from behind, "So~ do you wanna go treasure hunting with me?"

"No, I'm not interested in taking someone else's prey.", I shrugged, "Plus, I expect to get to El Dorado tomorrow."

"We are rushing the schedule quite a bit, right?", she asked.

"Yup, that's why I want to make things more interesting.", I grinned, turning to the coffin, commanding it to open, taking out a pouch, "When we make camp, plant these early in the morning."

I gave her the pouch, where she opened it with a look of confusion.

"These are... fangs?", she questioned me.

"Yes, something exclusive to the Hellenic Armed Forces, Dragon Tooth. Thirty of them."

The only Dragonborn of Greece, Cadmus the Founder of Thebes, only provides these when the people need them most. Like in the Greco Civil War, where he provided the soldiers to fight against the automaton army. For me, I just stole them because as the Silver Princess of Humanity, they are my property just as Cadmus who got turned into a dragon is my citizen.

By just planting these into the ground, an army with fully trained soldiers will pop up with gears and equipped with the latest tactical gears in the region - also a way for the Greek government to gauge other countries by planting one and collecting the equipment.

This will be interesting, let's see how they deal with a hundred superhuman soldiers.

 

=0=0=

 

At night, while Charlotte was doing her own things, disappeared into the night.

Armillys approached Mitsuki with a single goal.

"Miss Mugen, I want to challenge you to a fight.", she stated.

Mitsuki just smiled, "Alright!! What will the rules be? A fight until someone surrenders? Getting three hits in first? Or..."

"A fight to the death?"

Armillys suddenly got goosebumps, for a moment she saw a monster in Mitsuki's place, those blue eyes belonged to something not human...

"Haha!! You don't need to be scared!! I'll go easy on you!!", she laughed in excitement.

"T-Thank you.", she felt like she made a mistake.

They headed to an empty area, other students came to hang out - which was a dozen or so since most of them went to hunt the Luz Mala's treasure - and watch the fight.

Armillys summoned her emerald glaive, holding it with one hand, while Mitsuki unraveled the cloth concealing the spearhead.

"The rule is whoever hit the other person three times first wins.", Armillys announced.

"Okay!!", Mitsuki agreed, spinning her spear around for warm-up.

"On three...", the reincarnation of Guan Yu began, holding her glaive with two hands, ready for a frontal strike.

"Two..."

Mitsuki narrowed her eyes, raising her spear in an overhead stance.

"One—"

Armillys found herself in a white world, where only she and Mitsuki stood.

But before she can comprehend what was happening, a stab came right at her—

She deflected the spear, only to realize it was pulled back. Armillys blinked, finding the world had returned to normal. Then she was hit in the back of her head with the end of Mitsuki's spear.

"Tell me, do you yield?", she put the spear right next to Armillys' neck.

Quickly, Armillys kicked Mitsuki in the shin, knocking her off balance, and rolled away. She then swung her leg and used the weight of her glaive to stand upright.

She engaged Mitsuki, bringing her glaive down on the spearmaster.

Clank!!

Mitsuki instantly felt the weight of the weapon and tilted her spear to the side, letting go of her left arm to not stop the momentum and disengaged.

Armyllis cannot handle the momentum, her glaive crashed into the ground. Before she can even react, her back is hit by the spear's side, and her stomach receives an uppercut from the spear's bottom.

"That's three!!", Mitsuki cheerfully announced, "I won!!"

The crowd was shocked, as Armillys was their best fighter, and she got played like a fiddle.

"What was... that room?", she questioned as she got up.

"That? Well, it's just a by-product of me focusing.", Mitsuki just laughed it off, "I have so much talent with the spear that I broke my own mind!!"

"What do you mean by that?", she clutched her stomach in discomfort.

"Well, I would've died if it weren't for Ch— ehem, if it weren't for Sinclaire!!", Mitsuki raised both her arms, stretching her body.

"Miss Mugen! Between you and the professor, who is stronger?", a student asked.

Armillys assumes they must be evenly matched, but then again, she never sees Charlotte going all out of face her.

"Sinclaire by a long shot, I couldn't even lay a finger on her if she doesn't want me touching her!", Mitsuki nodded to herself, "Remember her coffin armory? That weighs four tons and she swings it around without any effort!"

Armillys was silent, she was processing the information. And she ran away, keeping herself from crying. She wanted to be strong, a simple thing to wish for, and that is why she continuously trained until her body gave up, she was the reincarnation of a hero, carrying the strength and power of a warrior praised as a God of War.

But she felt like her dreams were crushed when it came to Charlotte, seeing someone so gifted and carefree - a level where she had nothing to worry about. The domain of the strongest, she saw it then.

When Charlotte was facing the students, that cold azure gaze was unwavering and still. Armillys felt something else in that girl, a child - a being who acts only in her best interest, like a child ignorant of the world.

She hid behind a tree, where she broke down and cried. Depression overwhelms her, stress fills her mind as if her dream was shattered. It might be her instincts telling her to stop, even if she does not want to, to be the strongest, what can she do against someone so simple yet so incomprehensible?

As she was crying, she felt someone sat on the other side of the tree. But she did not care, she kept on crying. She has no need to keep her image as one of the best fighters in Libertas, her future was set in stone to become a soldier... yet now... seeing the world and learning about the Hunter Organization...

She wants to become a Hunter.

Her cries died down, and the person on the other side spoke.

"Are you alright now, Armillys?", it was Gai.

"Why are you here...", she expected it would be her friend, not the jock of the academy.

"I saw you ran when Miss Mugen was glazing the professor, so I followed. Sorry about that but I wanted to check if you are alright.", he rubbed the back of his head, staying silent.

"Heh... I never thought you would care.", she chuckles a bit.

"And I never would've thought I could hear you cry.", he retorted with a playful tone.

Both of them shared a laugh together. Armillys was feeling better already, sometimes, you just need someone to be there for you.

"I think your dream is stupid.", he blurted out.

"I know...", she buried her face in her knees, "But that's what I want, to be strong."

"And that is stupid, you can't be strong when you have a mental breakdown right after getting your ass whooped.", he chuckled, "Heh, please think more realistic, you are the only one in your group to not have a significant other, maybe find someone to love might be better for you."

"Wow, are you trying to flirt with me?", she was amused by his attempt, "Sorry, I don't do dating."

"Neither do I.", Gai shrugged, "Just saying, having someone else to check that head of yours instead of Ellen is better for you."

Armillys looked up at the canopy, she closed her eyes for a moment.

"Alright then.", she stood up and walked around, facing Gai, "Since both of us are single as hell, let's date each other."

He looks at her with wide eyes, "Bro, what the fuck are you talking about?"

"Think about it, you don't get bothered by the girls due to your charm, and I have someone to stop me. It's a win-win situation.", she smirked as she extended her hand out, "What do you think?"

"Hah, there is something in there except fighting.", he took her hand and stood up, "Well, nice to meet you."

"The feeling is the same.", she thinks that maybe... she should rethink her life.

And this is a needed fresh start.

 

=0=0=

 

Meanwhile, back on Prydwen, traveling across the sea and covered in fog. Charlotte dances on the deck with Elderstahl, continuing to master the weapon, naked and sweating under the false snow.

Her arms pulsing with crackling crimson veins and electricity. Her breath was ragged, the strips of cloth protecting her hands had burned away.

"[Your Highness, don't push yourself too much.]", Utopia spoke in worry.

"Nonsense, I still have one more percent to go.", she retorted with annoyance, "Hah... but you are right."

She threw the sword up, and Elderstahl transformed into her humanoid form.

"That will definitely leave scars.", she commented on her arms, "And do you have to be naked?"

"Being naked is part of the process.", Charlotte smirked, looking at her arms, covered in Hope's Dew but they are not doing much, "Guess I'll have to wear gloves tomorrow."

She held her hand to the side, where Utopia gave her the watch Seria gave her as a present. It's just nine so she just heads inside the ship, where she lays down comfortably on her bed.