Thief of Time

“Normal people…” Dia found herself shaken by that statement. “The Blue Moon confirmed this? That normal people can be affected by the parasites of Limbo?”

Risti nodded. “I don’t know what’s going on, but there’s a very high chance the Red God’s passing has something to do with it. The divinities, after all, are in-charge of protecting the world from these things. If one dies, I suppose there’s going to be a huge hole there, right?”

“That doesn’t make sense.” Dia folded her arms. “Did the forces of Limbo attack when the Six Gods of Virtue perished? It’s one thing if they did, but if they did, how could this have remained a secret?”

“The Last Godsfall has operated on rules that are clearly different,” Risti replied. “Besides, the Trial of Aeons’ focus was actually on creating this new world for everyone to migrate into, right? In the past, it didn’t make sense to me…the Bearers of Destiny in previous Godsfalls worked together to replace the current ruling authorities. In this one, however, the divinities get one each. Isn’t it rather telling?”

“Preservation, over destruction…” Dia frowned. “True, that might work. This Godsfall was full of irregularities to begin with anyway, now that I think about it. Funny. So…because something unexpected happened, we’re all kinda screwed?”

“Probably. We aren’t…really supposed to kill the divinities, are we?” Risti made a face. “We should tell the other Bearers of Destiny that.”

“The fact that these words, which portray the divinities in a poorer light, aren’t censored is probably a bit telling.” Risti breathed out slowly, her nostrils flaring. “However, the Blue Moon has confirmed this.”

“Okay, but are we supposed to tell everyone this?”

“…No. It’s just to tell us not to rule out non-folders anymore.” Risti clicked her teeth. “It’s not something we can tell Schwarz or the people in this city. However, we’ll need to make our rounds and be careful. Anything can happen, after all. I won’t put it past these sneaky monsters to pull one over us.”

Dia nodded.

“That’s all, I suppose.” Risti got up. “Let’s go back in. Schwarz must be feeling left out and lonely by now, the poor thing.”

“Well, he did choose not to reopen the bar. Something about ruined expectations, you know.” Dia shrugged. “But he’s probably wondering what to do now, while we wait.”

“Let’s hope he won’t need to wait too long, then.” Risti cricked her neck.

The two of them returned into the mansion, where the bored bartender was fiddling with an exquisite set of crystalline glasses. There was something ceremonial in the way he handled them; Dia could sense a reverence that she typically associated with her father handling the dukedom’s national treasure.

Dia raised a finger to her lips as Risti opened her mouth, and then shook her head. Schwarz carried on with his elegant performance, pouring out measured amounts of clear alcohols into a single, crystal goblet lined with purple. Bubbles frothed madly as the bartender mixed them with a golden rod that had a diamond at the very tip.

It was a diamond as large as a tooth, which was why she could notice it the moment Schwarz took it out. Schwarz’s slow, reverential stirring continued for another minute or so, before he let out a long breath and withdrew the stirrer. With a flick of his wrist, the purple-lined crystal goblet shuddered, and its contents soared to the sky.

Schwarz drew out a small golden cup in that instant, and golden afterimages appeared all over the place as he captured every last drop that fell back down.

“…Wait, you flicked the contents of an entire goblet up just to get a small golden cup’s worth?” Dia asked.

“Alcohol evaporates easily,” Schwarz replied. “It’s an old, old process, really. According to my father, alcohols, if tossed up into the air, creates droplets. The droplets that are big enough to survive the flight land back into the cup as condensed alcohols. Those that don’t are inferior, vanishing like dew in the morning.”

Dia looked at the golden cup. “This is my first time seeing this, though. And the whole ceremonial getup.”

“Yeah, well, it’s my first time returning here after such a huge mess,” Schwarz replied. “I was thinking of things to do, and my mind happened to settle on producing the year’s most concentrated alcohol plus fizzy drink. This is a new beverage, the first of its kind.”

“…We can’t drink it, right?”

“If I dilute it with water, yes.” Schwarz breathed in slowly, and the faint wispy gas entered his nose. His face flushed faintly a moment later, and he staggered. “Alright. This is really strong…”

Pouring the contents of the small golden cup into a tiny little bottle, he capped it and stored it in his belt. “Anyway, we should get ready to receive our guests. They should be here anytime now.”

“Wait, we’ve been standing here for that long?”

“No, you guys were messing around outside for that long,” he replied.

The three of them trooped out to the garden and took up places around the entrance. Now that Dia had the opportunity to look at it again, she couldn’t help but see traces of blunt and sharp strikes that had been dealt to the moving booth. Clearly, there had been a few people who tried to break into Moon Mansion for the secrets and riches within, but the booth had remained as impenetrable as ever.

“I’m told that a few mana-users tried to bash a hole into our place, but Claud’s arrangements are really…sturdy. Of course, I don’t expect this to hold up against tetra-folders, but it’s already pretty damned impressive to hold off so many others.” Schwarz smacked his lips. “It’s…reassuring, to be honest. And there are so many things this mansion can do that we can hold out against a prolonged siege and even escape.”

“Let’s hope it’s never used, I suppose.” Dia smiled.

“Yes. Let’s.”

Two figures, flanked by a small company of troops, appeared in their vision as Schwarz made that fervent little wish, and Risti clapped her hands twice. Before long, Moon Mansion had been surrounded by the soldiers, and a couple holding hands were standing with Dia and everyone else.

“It’s been some time,” Nightfall noted. “You guys…look a lot more intimidating now. I see being a tetra-folder doesn’t not mean that your Mana Control Proficiency goes up at the same time. I thought it did.”

“Well, it’s not universal,” Schwarz replied.

The two men traded hugs. After a second, Nightfall stepped back and said, “Where is Claud, Lily, Nero and Farah?”

“The two lovebirds are still in Vacuos,” Schwarz replied. “Nero is nestling with a partner of his own. Farah is busy handling something.”

“I see.” Count Nightfall rubbed his hands. “I have been stuck in the county palace with Daybreak, who is still lodging with me under the pretense that his own palace is rebuilding. He has been eating a lot of food, however, and I believe that he is attempting to execute some master plan wherein he attempts to bankrupt me by eating all my stores.”

“How unfortunate,” Dia cut in, and the mental image of having fended off a slash rose up in her mind. If she didn’t get it wrong, the count would have attempted to foist the freeloader onto them, but there was no way she could let them happen. “Well, only a place as rich and as grand as the palace is probably able to house him.”

She paused. “Right, Farah should be back soon too…we’ll be leaving once that happens.”

Nightfall froze. “Wait.”

“You’re leaving?” Caroline, who had been watching happily, cut in. “Why?”

“Well, the Lustre princess is going to return home soon, so Dia invited us all to come with her and everything,” Schwarz added. “A tour and a stay-over, if you will.”

“Wow. Damn.” Caroline made a face. “How nice. I can’t run off with you guys, though.”

“Can’t leave the county,” Nightfall muttered. “Now I feel a bit jealous. You guys are probably going to be honoured guests or something…right, when you see her, do ask how she managed to hide from the Shadows of Grandis and every single bored mercenary. I think that’s an experience worth writing about, if I have to be honest.”

“Claud already asked me that,” Schwarz replied. “You’re not the first.”

He bobbed his head. “Anyway, tell me more about what happened in Nihila. I’ve been waiting for news about the outside world, and I’m dying of excitement!”

“Excitement really isn’t the word I’d use, though,” Schwarz muttered. “But sure. I’ll be happy to tell you some stories. Have you guys eaten? We still have some breakfast left over.”

“I’m not sure what to think about having leftovers for breakfast, but sure.” Nightfall’s eyes gleamed. “Hurry up. We want to know everything that has happened so far.”

“Stop rushing me, gah.” Schwarz turned and led the way back into the house. “Right, where’s Nightfall Junior?”

“Nightfall what now?”