Chapter 438 437: Back At The Palace



Kat PoV

The carriage ride over to the capital was rather quick, and we spent the entire ride conversing about what flaws were in desperate need of attention and the best ways to theoretically go about them, be it physical or arcane flaws.

Of course, it was mainly Leone supplying the arcane theory, as my grasp on that complicated field of study had waned over the time spent away, and she had even taken a moment to inform us of her learning about other forms of magics, like Blood, Moon, and Glass.

All of that was really interesting, and I desperately wanted to sink my teeth into understanding those new fields of magic, to figure out how they worked and what I could possibly do with them; from the sounds of it, they were their own 'elements', which suggested I could, maybe, learn about a 'Cold Magic' to further enhance my Ice Magic.

Or, you know, become a Blood Magic wielder as well.

That was always a perfectly valid option in and of itself.

Though, again, from what little Leone knew about it, it would seem that this was something that came to the person, just like our own elements that we have now; I might be able to learn the simple Blood Magic spells, but I just might not be cut out for wielding it.

Besides the arcane side, the Marquess gave us tips for the shortcomings we thought we had, as well as giving review on our weapons of choice and the like.

She suggested that, with Leone's uncanny precision and control, she should utilize a rapier or some other light and thin blade; she doubled down on that when she heard about how Leone had blocked a thrust with a thrust of her own before with such ease.

The Marquess did agree that I should switch from only daggers to either a short spear or a rapier, adding some range to my arsenal of physical weapons so that I could branch off into different styles of fighting.

As for Anput and Jahi, the Marquess just told them to continue what they were doing; Anput seemed to be rather excellent with most weapons, and with her magic allowing her to shift everything, that was a viable strategy she could employ in the midst of battle.

For Jahi, she agreed that her frame was perfect for utilizing a two handed sword, and she was only suggesting giving the blade she had some more weight and reach if she wanted, upgrading it from a great sword to a claymore like she wielded.

Though, that was just her personal preference coming into play.

That was how we spent the carriage ride over to the Capital, and I got to see the familiar mountain that housed the Empire's heart once more, the warmth of the location just perfect as we entered the city's walls.

Rolling through the streets of the Capital, we went past the road leading towards the cottage and instead made our way up towards the Palace, where we would be staying for the next few weeks as we received guidance from the Empress' wives.

Entering the large walled off Palace of the Capital, the Marquess had the Banshee park the carriage in front of the entrance, where we all got out and grabbed our luggage before bowing to the white robed woman who met us at the door.

"Ah, I see you brought back Nai and Koko~! I was a tad worried about their disappearance last night, you see."

"I apologize, Lady D'Arcon, but... well, we learned that Kat had managed to make her way back to us, and..."

The holy woman just chuckled as she waved her hand, her blindfolded head looking towards me as she said "I understand. Family is very important, especially when you reunite with them. Come, the rest are waiting inside. Though..."

She glanced off to the side, her lips pulled into a frown as she asked "I am guess that she is with one of you? Otherwise..."

Pale gold light flickered around the woman's hands, and I sighed as I felt Cali scrambled behind me, appearing in a burst of pink mist.

"Sorry. Yes, she is with me..."

The light dissipated, and Lady D'Arcon nodded, though her lips were still pulled into a frown.

"Be careful with whom you consort with, young one. Wisdom does indeed come with age, especially when said age is past four digits."

Cali pouted behind me, muttering "There was no need to speak on my age... How rude..."

The others all glanced at the pink and violet Arch Fiend that hid behind me before deciding to ignore her, walking behind Lady D'Arcon as she beckoned for us to follow her inside.

It was interesting, seeing that Lady D'Arcon could tell exactly where Cali was; whether that was because she could truly 'see' her or because Cali let her see was an entirely different debate, but... I was more inclined to believe that Cali was truly hiding herself.

Her reaction felt to genuine, and there was a momentary distress in her actions as Lady D'Arcon let her Light Magic flicker.

From what Jahi had said, Light and Dark Magic are their banes, so... that is a problem for Cali if Lady D'Arcon is that strong.

The Arch Fiend walked behind me as we entered, my hands occupied by the luggage as Lady D'Arcon led us towards our temporary rooms before glancing back at us.

"Chordeva, Fen is waiting at the training grounds with the rest of the Knights. A few have yet to arrive, so you're not late yet, dear. Since... well, since the Fiends are coming back, and with that report you gave us, Theresa is insistent on you calling Ria here when your done with your own training. She wants to impart some more of her knowledge onto her protege. Perhaps you could learn a thing or two there as well~? If not, I believe Igna would provide some rather useful pointers. Good luck to you all..."

She was about to exit the large cluster of rooms she showed us when she stopped, glancing back at Leone as she said "Oh, and Leone dear, please use the time that they are training to brush up on the rest of your studies. All of our doors are open, dear, and we have much to teach you... Especially Lorelei; those magics will be far more useful then you could possibly imagine..."

With that, the white robed Lady D'Arcon was gone, and we all placed our luggage on the beds before turning towards the Marquess, who gave us a tight smile.

"Well... Who's ready for hell?"