The Chimeric Ascension of Lyudmila Springfield

Chapter Ninety-One: The Woodland Spirit’s Feelings

Morning came, and it was the second to last day of the trip.  

Tilde was distant. She took it to heart. But I disliked that. When Tris went upstairs with Niva and Primrose, I had a heart-to-heart with my favorite fairy. I didn’t let her leave my embrace until we had genuinely talked it out.   

“The chances were always there, you know,” I whispered, holding her close. The relaxing clashing of the early morning waves rocked the ship like a baby cradle. “It could’ve happened this morning. It could’ve happened sometime tomorrow, or it would’ve been next week. The point is that remembering them was inevitable. It’s better to face them now when I’m surrounded by loved ones than risk it happening when we’re apart. Hell, even breaking Sekh from her coffin could’ve triggered them. If not that, then seeing that goddamn Holy Lord might’ve been the catalyst. And that’s the last thing I needed. So, it’s better to face them now, Tilde, when surrounded by loved ones... When I have the help I need to get through this. And you’re that support.”  

“I... Someone like me shouldn’t make mistakes like these, Master,” whispered Tilde. She had been whimpering for about fifteen minutes—ever since waking up. She even tried to shrug off my touch before relishing my comfortable embrace. “I’m probably the oldest thing in this world...so I should know better. I'm supposed to be knowledgeable and experienced, but... I really screwed up.”  

“Well, this old woman is still my favorite fairy in the whole wide world. I don’t want anyone else to be my headmaid. It's an honored title." 

“Really?”  

“Yes, Tilde. Really,” I replied, wiping away her tears. “I’m not mad. You know I’m not mad. Even if I didn’t have my Wrath at 0, this would not have pissed me off. You’re a best friend, Tilde, and a lover. You’re someone I don’t want to live without. So... Why don’t we eat breakfast? Tris told me the food’s ready.”  

Tilde flashed a small smile. We had talked last night, but the words I imparted had to be reinforced, and there was nothing wrong with that. Sometimes...you had to hear something multiple times. If not to reinforce something, then to merely listen to it again, and again, and again.   

We ascended the stairs to the deck, hand in hand, and enjoyed a pleasant breakfast. It was on to training after that.    

As always, the clone with the water weapons fought Niva, who seemed to be in rare form. Everything about her was quicker and sharper. She dexterously moved like I hadn’t seen before and used her staff and [Vine Manipulation] to enhance her mobility. For example, she’d make a hook and rope out of vines and attach them to the mast to get up high. Or she’d use them to latch onto something behind her and yank herself out of danger.    

Tilde said she needed to maintain her form, so she began a series of squats and pushups. She wanted to work on her muscles, so Tris developed plans to make dumbbells using the iron we had stashed away. Between using slime to form molds and clones to provide the furnace, it didn’t take long to have them made.   

Honestly, everyone was really into it.    

It made me want to grab some workout gear and join in. But with me being a chimera, plant, and part slime, physical training offered very few benefits.   

But maybe it’s worth it? If Tilde’s gonna oversee my wardrobe, then wouldn’t she like the chance to make me a workout outfit? That might cheer her up.   

I encouraged them from the sidelines until lunch, and Tris mentioned an interesting point I hadn’t considered. “You want to use [Status Cloak] to forcefully give a clone a title?”   

“Yes. Your clone of a chimera gave Ayroix a title related to slaying them. [Status Cloak] fools the world into thinking something true is false or something false is true. To the system, any entity you use it on is considered factual. Whatever status it shows will be considered legitimate by the world.”   

To test it out, I made a clone of Mia. That bitch annoyed me, so I was too eager to send a rifle round through her skull when Tris configured the [Status Cloak] around her to be a goddess.    

But nothing happened. I didn’t get any title.    

We tried a few more with various animals and royalty-related titles, but it didn’t work. Tris said I probably had to be considered a goddess or a queen first by the world, then I could ‘grant’ those respective slayer titles to my allies by having them kill a clone with them.    

That kinda sucked.  I could still falsely display that title, though. I just wouldn’t get any beneficial effects without first legitimately acquiring it.   

But we learned something else. The clones I killed? I didn’t get experience, but I obtained progress in my Soul Weapon Evolution Tree.    

That improved my mood a lot. But it worked if [Status Cloak] made my clones into their ‘own’ beings. It sounded like a loophole, but I took advantage of it.  

By the time it was dinner, 761 clones had perished—all of them looked like Mia. But progress drastically slowed after my fourth unlock.    

Until now, I had the Colt SAA, Winchester Model 1873, Winchester Model 1887, a Beretta 92FS, a M1911, a Beretta M9, and a snub-nosed Taurus 856. After my leveling, I added the Cei-Rigotti—one of the world’s first automatic rifles from Italy to my arsenal. It was never officially adopted, although it was heavily tested. Tris made the plans and ordered my clone to make the 6.5x52mm Carcano rounds.   

Can’t believe prototype weapons are included.     

My second and third abilities were [Frag Grenade] and [Flash Grenade].    

My Soul Weapon’s forms were supposed to be firearms. But grenades weren’t guns. You could use them in grenade launchers, but these worked by taking soul energy and forming an explosive device in my hand. The shape and size looked like the M67 the United States military used in the latter half of the 20th century. It just felt right at home in my palm.    

I pulled the pin and threw it as hard as I could. Five seconds later…it exploded just above the ocean’s surface. It seemed strong based on the waves it produced. But just one took 5% of my soul energy. The flash grenade took less, and it worked by creating a sharp, bright light that could blind someone. It also emitted a loud, annoying ringing. It could stun a blind monster from the noise alone, but I could probably learn a [Stun Grenade] skill somewhere along the way.    

The last ability was [Soul Weapon Enchant – Wind]. I tested my new automatic and fired a controlled burst with the skill active. Wind surrounded the bullets and made them fly farther and faster. So, not the worst. But it still used a large chunk of soul energy.    

But I was happy. I was feeling more confident about these abilities.    

Grinding with the guns made me unlock more attachments, so I had silencers on the ones that could use them. Tris said we had a lot of bullets, so I figured it was time to rearrange my armaments.    

Tilde kept her SAA and snub-nosed revolver after I added a sight to them. Primrose was given the M1911 with a silencer and a laser sight, which helped her accuracy. But she had problems keeping her wrist steady.    

But Primrose thanked me and promised to work at mastering it.    

Niva couldn’t use one, but I aimed for her while she pulled the trigger to my 92FS. It was a minor thing, but I knew Niva liked spending this time with me.    

Tris asked to see me all kitted out, so I equipped my automatic rifle on my back, the 1887 over my left shoulder, the 1873 over my right, the 92FS on my hip, and the M9 on my ankle.    

Tilde said it looked like I was readying for war. For the hell of it, I grew a dozen arms and fired all my guns at once, utterly obliterating the pans Tilde and Primrose threw into the sky. Smoke filled the skies, and while excessive, it felt good to blow off some steam.     

The Cei-Rigotti was stable when full-auto, but the stock version came with a 10-round mag, and the weapon fired at 299 rounds a minute. I used soul energy to fuel it.     

Being full-auto meant it was less powerful than my other weapons. However, it needed less soul energy per bullet, and detrimental effects like poison or paralysis were more effective when spells containing those effects were used with [Chimeric Armatization].  The rate of status build-up was high, so things would get poisoned or paralyzed sooner. 

An hour later, Surtr received a report from Kengu and Longtooth. Lord Enele and Sera had arrived in Plymoise with Gretchen, Captain Morgan, the carriages, and horses with teleportation magic.    

The Heptarchis, however, didn’t end the way I thought it did. Too much had changed in too little time. The Wisefolk system was all they had known, and you couldn’t replace it in just a few weeks. Not even Lord Enele could get everyone on the same page.    

But progress was made.  There was to be a regularly scheduled Heptarchis held every three months, and Lord Enele offered to arbitrate the first four. It was either that or remain there for months as tension kept flaring. A temporary reprieve was, by far, the optimal choice.     

While Lord Enele made small talk with Dad and the others after introducing himself, Sera’s nervousness was displayed. She barely spoke above a whisper until Irisa took charge and introduced herself as my sister. Her friendliness was really on display. She took Sera’s hand and led her to the lobby’s couch, where she quickly broke the mold.    

Irisa had done the same with me… She always said she had trouble making friends because Irisa didn’t have a filter on what she said or did, but the problem was keeping them. Tilde said something similar when she saw the stress fade from Sera’s face.    

But Irisa hadn't spent much time with Chax and Ginnie. They were friends, so I wondered if she realized it? Then again, a lot had happened. A war. A rebellion. Death of the Wisefolk. A sudden realization of something important… And I had to leave a lot. When Sekh was back in our arms, we needed to spend some time with our favorite oni.  

Erin put on a brave front. She held Longtooth and tried to join in the conversation. Sera smiled when Erin proudly said she was my younger sister. It looked like Sera had understood that while I was alone for so long, I wasn’t by myself anymore.    

The lies I’ve been telling aren’t falsehoods if you read between the lines.   

After a few minutes, Lord Enele inquired about the blisters. Sera examined them, but her healing magic didn’t work.    

If a mage of her caliber was stumped, how would we cure them? They seemed harmless. They didn’t hurt or cause any irritation. They were just…there.     

Asking the Essence of Wrath seemed like an idea, but she was busy dealing with the literal hell that was my past. Even before this, I had refused to ask because she couldn’t be trusted. Anything she said was liable to be a lie to fuck me over.     

I wasn’t going to fall for it.     

During their dinner, Dad and Lord Enele hashed out the finer details of the trip, and they agreed to leave the following morning after breakfast. Gretchen already had the carriages and wagons ready, and Sera vowed that her magic would ensure they wouldn’t have anything to worry about.  She also said she would research the blisters and work hard to find a solution, staking her status as a Vredi on it.    

I just had to have hope that it wouldn’t take long for both objectives to come true.     

Hope never found a home with me, but times were changing. And things were different.   

“But I need to talk with you about something.”  

“Hmm? What’s up?”  

“Is everything okay, Mila?”  

Tilde and Niva were concerned, but I assuaged their worries. “Yeah, everything’s fine. It’s just my SP.” Eyes went wide, and jaws dropped when they discovered how much I had. “You can thank Atrix for that. But I can’t use it all myself.”  

“Sharing is caring, huh?” I nodded at Tilde.   

“So, you’re each getting 1/3rd. Sekh’s gonna get about half of the rest.”  

“She’s super strong, so that’s about tracks. And you’re much better at manually learning magic and skills after destroying the blockades. Things are coming up nicely, aren’t they, Master?”  

“Yep.” I rubbed Tilde’s head and began sharing my SP.   

Sekh initially convinced me to allow her to bind herself to my will via [Tyranny Control] by mentioning the SP sharing property. And now look…  

I had hundreds of thousands! I had so much that I couldn’t possibly use it all! But if I knew then what I knew now…  

I’d have never gone through with it.   

Seriously… I wanted to kick my ass for that terrible mistake… Yes, [Tyranny Control] was considered unbreakable, but shouldn't [Conferment] hold the power to make it breakable?

I couldn’t waste the life force and try it now—Sekh had to be here… But after that? Perhaps expunging the curse could wait, but only if removing that damn [Tyranny Control] was possible.   

I hoped it was…  

I really…really hoped it was possible.    

An hour before dawn, I woke up and noticed Primrose wasn’t here. A quick search saw her on the deck, so I went to see what was wrong because she pensively looked out towards her former home.  

"It’s not like you to be like this,” I said, standing beside her. The moon highlighted her beautiful figure.    

Primrose merely talked. She rambled for a dozen minutes, freely speaking her mind as the ocean breeze blew her hair. The scent of salt was around us.    

“But more than anything, I feel confused. My heart… It’s suffering from an oddness I cannot explain.”   

I stepped closer, put my hand on the railing, and offered my help.    

“It’s… It’s more than one thing. It’s multiple worries. It’s a guiltiness I cannot shake. Forgive me, Lord Springfield, but I cannot get your past out of my head. I wish to forget it—much like you, but… Knowing it now makes me realize how foolish I’ve been since my birth. Call it remorse, if you will. If I had matured faster…” Primrose placed a hand on mine.  “Would I have known you quicker? The real you? The one suffering from an exclusive ache? Or would I be blinded by my hubris and fail to see the truth? Sometimes, I think about that eagle. If he hadn’t forced me to think like a slave, would it have taken this long? Would I have still received your anger?” Primrose looked fine, but her eyes showed a different tale. They were listless and dull. You couldn't find any light within them.  

She seriously needs help. Telling her Aetos’s ‘grip’ on her core being a figment of her mind would only exacerbate things. She seriously thought he was about to kill her.    

I remained quiet and let Prim talk. Her hand became weak and nearly slipped away, but I gently interlocked her fingers with mine.     

She shivered fiercely.    

“You once asked me to stand beside you as an equal, but I don’t know how. I…still feel like I must be strong for your sake. If not yours, then my summoner. Your request… How do I accomplish that when I’m deathly afraid? You’ve felt me shiver. The link connecting me to the eagle is gone, but…”  

“I won’t let anything happen to you, Prim. Aetos won’t even get to think about harming you. But I’m sorry. I can’t help you with the former. I can certainly be there, though. Niva wishes to prove her strength to herself. Irisa wants to be the world’s best crafter. Find what you value. Is it strength? Is it success? Is it happiness?”  

“I…” Primrose was at a loss. She looked at the moon. “I don’t know.” Primrose had been born for one purpose. Without it? She felt like she had nothing. Then Prim's focus transferred to me. She traded one obsession for another. It would probably turn to Niva. And that was fine in a vacuum. Maybe it was just…okay? Some people probably didn’t like independence. Perhaps it equated to being alone. Not that Primrose would go solo anytime soon, but I couldn’t lie and state I didn’t understand her hesitation. “Sekh…” she suddenly said.   

“Sekh?”   

“I...” Primrose shivered, then took a few deep breaths to calm her nerves.    

After a moment of silence, Prim asked me about Sekh. I suppose she wanted me to talk about her since she asked questions she knew the answer to.  

In the end, she looked once at the Eagle Yew. “I wish to apologize to her. Will she accept me?”  

“Why wouldn’t she?”  

“My association with Aetos? I was born—”  

“Remember our first meeting?”  

“Please don’t make me recall that,” Primrose whined. She covered her eyes and blushed.    

“Did you ever think you’d talk about Sekh like this? Or that we would sit here and communicate under the moon?”  

“I...did not,” she whispered. Her eyes were slightly wet from the salty sap leaking, so I dried them for her with slime.     

“Sekh’s… She’s just another woman at heart.” I told Prim about Drunk Sekh and found myself laughing along with her. “The curse is what prevents her from doing regular things. She’s been with it for so long that it…just alters her way of thinking. Death and destruction are all she’s ever known. She  was forced to believe those two things could solve every problem in the world.”  

“She’s suffered a lot, hasn’t she?” I nodded. “I… Would…”  

“Changing your goal to Sekh instead of Niva?” Prim asked how I’d known, and I laughed, saying she was easy to read. Her cheeks reddened.   

“But it’s okay if you don’t know what to do. I’m serious. It’s fine. You’ll find something. Maybe spending time with Sekh will do you some good. Some of your worries might fade.”   

“Wouldn’t she rather be with you? Why me? I’m just...”   

“Maybe you can spend it with Erin, too. The three of you can have fun, relax, and become closer.”   

Primrose was confused, so I told her Erin wanted to spend more time with Sekh because it felt like she hadn’t had the chance to. “Sekh’s touched our hearts in more ways than one. Without her? I know I wouldn’t be here. You wouldn’t. Erin wouldn’t. And Tilde wouldn’t. If you think about it, we can trace our meeting to her saving my soul from the void… To the Dark Lord of Tyranny… To the woman destined to destroy the entire world by a curse that controls her every being. Prim?”   

“Yes?”   

“Your assistance. I’ll need it more than ever. I can’t do it alone. I’ll…need those I can trust to stand beside me.” The life force I’d need was staggering. Even the lives of many thousand were just enough to remove the little bit she let in during the fight with the Essence of Wrath. Just what in the world would I need to completely shatter it? “Honestly? That’s what scares me the most. It’ll be nice if Meruria and her Soul Warriors would be sufficient,” I confessed. “I can get my revenge and save Sekh.”   

“And after that? What are your plans?”   

“That’s…” Easy? Was it? My only goal was revenge. That was the flame that kept me going. Would it be extinguished once I had achieved what I wanted?   

No…   

I had other reasons, didn't I? I’d be a hypocrite if I didn’t. Living solely for revenge wouldn’t be different from Niva striving to summon a spirit specifically for me. Or Irisa's yearning to better herself for my sake alone.  

It was time…for me to be selfish.   

“I want to continue being happy. Michael and Shuuta died. But I'm alive. I can live for us... I can do what the world refused to do for them. The happiness they never experienced? I'll be happy enough for three lifetimes."  

"That's a wonderful answer, Lord Springfield."  

"Having people like my family waiting on me?” I touched my chest. “It’s…something I’ve never had before. It’s certainly an odd feeling. Sometimes…” I confided in Primrose. “Sometimes this feels like a dream. But I don’t want to wake up. Even if the path will get rocky before it smoothes out, I wouldn't change anything because of what's awaiting me once my goals are finished."  

“You’re not alone in thinking that. But this is real life. It must be. Why else…would that eagle let me feel like this? If it were a dream, I’d…” Primrose didn’t finish. She didn’t need to.    

She brushed her hair past her eyes and raised a hand to the Eagle Yew. Suddenly, she turned and hugged me. I touched her forehead with mine and rubbed her arms.   

Since we were feeling sentimental, I shared some personal worries with her—about what I had done in Atrix. The problem could’ve been solved in a few days, but Sekh was more important. I saw a chance, and I took it.  Thousands had died. Families were shattered that didn't need to fracture. Lives were lost that didn't need to expire.   

“And it’s the same with Sera.” Truthfully? I worried for her. Sera's heart would be broken. I could try until the end of time to keep Sekh a secret while trying to keep a false sistership with her, but the truth would eventually come out. The other option was ghosting her. I could just not...recognize her appearance. I could ignore every aspect and decline to talk to her—to treat her like an outcast. It’d hurt her, but that hatred would save her from a harsher heartache.  

I didn't know what to do...  

I really didn't... I was...using her to cure her greatest enemy... That kind of broken trust couldn't be repaired.   

“You have your own monumental worries as well, Lord Springfield,” Primrose whispered.   

I asked Prim to reveal her core. The webbing I had wrapped around it was still in good shape but outdated. The crystalized silk from those crystal spiders doubled my webbing’s strength and durability. It took but a few seconds to reinforce it. After closing her chest, she returned her sight to the tree.    

She talked about her mistakes again. She said she should’ve died a dozen times over. But I didn’t have to tell her to stop thinking like that. Primrose made a vow to me. She promised to grow. She swore to become someone better. She knew the past couldn’t shackle her.    

"I'm sorry I hurt you," I confessed, recalling our first fight after her summoning. And when I shot her with my gun. "You aren't afraid of me?"  

"No. I'm not. You're a wonderful woman, Lord Springfield. I'm not scared, worried, fearful... I'm...happier than I've ever been before."  

Tris soon arrived to prepare breakfast. Prim wanted to help, so I watched them do that. Tilde and Niva joined a few minutes later. By then, it was time to eat, and I had something to discuss with Niva.  

“You want to use [Conferment] to fix my blindness?” asked the cyclops, looking at me like I spoke gibberish.   

“Yes. [Conferment] can do the impossible. It can bring back your limbs and tail, and I could use it to remove the potion dependency so you wouldn’t have to take any more detoxes. Is that something you’re interested in?”  

“Umm... I... I really don’t know, Mila. I should say yes, but why do I feel hesitant?”  

“Well, mythril is stronger than flesh,” said Tilde. “Some can argue that prosthetics are better if you have a nervemesh. And haven’t you heard that losing one sense strengthens the other? Only being able to see via [Mana Perception] will naturally cause it to grow faster and stronger than if you weren’t blind. Your conflict probably sprouts from that.”  

“Tilde is right,” added Tris.   

“What do I do? Mila? Prim?”  

“I can’t make the decision for you, Niva.”  

“Neither can I, my summoner.”  

“But you don’t have to make it now. Are you happy?” I asked.   

Niva nodded. “Happier than I’ve been in a while. I...feel so independent. Even with one arm and a prosthetic leg and a foot... I feel better than ever. But I can’t break those barriers if I can’t feel them. But Sekh needs to be rescued. I’m sorry, Mila, but I can’t ask you to waste lifeforce on me when she’s almost here.”  

“It’ll never be a waste,” I said, rubbing her head. “But the choice is yours. Remember, the option is always on the table, okay?”  

“Okay. I’ll remember. Umm... Thank you.”  

“Anytime.” I smiled and returned to my breakfast, eating as a conversation about guns and arrows began.   

After that, we still had an hour before we were scheduled to disembark. That time was used to check our gear.  

Prim and Tilde ensured they had enough ammo for their guns in their brand-new crystal web ammo pouches a clone had made.     

We didn’t anticipate a fight, but a fool would walk around unarmed. Although I did transform the Model 1873 into Kronto at the last minute and kept it on my back as a divider between the Cei-Rigotti and 1887.     

The stubborn eagle just needed to hang on.   

We were almost there.   

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