CH291

“Ugh, I’m so tired of reading this,” Thera groaned as she put her book down, leaning her head on Ben’s shoulder. “Golem creation, petrification, earth healing, even at the ninth level in both of my magics I don’t think I have the control to actually manage any of these.”

“Well, you won’t know until you try. When we get back to Stonewall we can go for a good long hunt and test them out after you understand the theory a bit better.”

“I know, I know. Might as well do something productive while we wait I guess,” She said as she opened her book to read through again, one devoted to the topic of spells that made use of both earth and life mana to function as Ben absentmindedly hummed a cheerful tune while working on his own magics, kneading a piece of iron in his hands to pass the time.

<Ben, this is hard to say given all you’ve been through recently, but I really need you to be a little less happy right now.>

What? Myriad who starts a conversation like that? Ben asked, temporarily pausing his training. I’m exactly as happy as I should be, life’s been going great!

He let his eyes drift back to Thera as he watched her brow crease, trying to understand whatever concept was giving her trouble as they passed the time in the embassy. They’d been stuck in Allfaith for a week longer than either of them had expected, but if it weren’t for a certain event gripping the world in fear they would have already started on their way back to Stonewall, the only thing keeping him there being a few tasks still to do.

<That ‘certain event’ you’re thinking of being the potential end of the world. Hearing you hum so happily as all of my other believers are struck with fear is ridiculous. Could you try and take things a bit more seriously?>

Hey, I’ll have you know I’m super unhappy about things kicking off. It completely ruined my date!

As soon as the beam of light appeared and they both understood what was going on, all plans they had made were canceled. They rushed back to the embassy without even receiving their food and had been waiting for things to calm down in the week since, with the city finally seeming more relaxed from the view in their window as order was restored.

<…I’m more looking for you to show a reasonable level of concern here given it might mean your impending death.>

Listen, I’m not going to stress about something that doesn’t involve me. The biggest benefit to not being taken in by a nation is that I get to have a comfortable distance from everything. At worst I’ll send some of my old classmates some equipment, but until then I intend to enjoy the few remaining months of peace I have, especially now that things are starting to calm down a bit. If the armies fail it’s not like there’s anything I could have done anyway.

<You hold two awakened skills now. Thinking there’s nothing you could do is disgustingly humble, but fine, if you intend to stay away from the battlefields that works best for me as well, there’s just something obnoxious about how you look ready to walk on air.>

Ha, you’re just jealous that you have work to do and I don’t. He teased, knowing that all of the gods had been pushed to exert themselves as they put plans into action and compared invasion points to what was expected. They seemed to be based mainly off population sizes in the given area, but there were a few outliers, and worst of all, a few dozen that weren’t to cities with gates. Those would be the hardest to defend, the act of supplying them with goods and soldiers being a monumental task compared to supplying anything that was only a few steps away, but Ben decided he wasn’t going to be worrying about it. He wasn’t involved, and while he hoped he’d live to see the end of it, as well as the world as a whole, all he could do was try to enjoy the time he had and make the plans he wanted to as if he was guaranteed a future.

His silent conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door though, one he’d been expecting all day long since he sent a request through the embassy to the queen. Well, to be more accurate it was Thera sending the request on his behalf. Even if he was viewed by her nation to essentially be Pelenia’s son-in-law, even if they didn’t call him that, he couldn’t just get someone to act as a messenger for him. She though could.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

He opened the door and found two familiar faces, only one of whom he’d been expecting. There was Furela, Anailia’s barrier master and teacher to Glob, and in his hand was the small ruby crab he’d been through so much with, Greed.

“Hey thanks for coming. Gotta say, I wasn’t expecting to see you be the one taking him though Furela.”

He knew the other man was important, and given what was happening in the world assumed he had better things to do, though he just smiled and shook his head.

“Given the state of things, I couldn’t just let a guest go out unattended right now, and the queen asked me to check on you both. Are you well?”

“As well as we can be,” Thera chimed in. “Though hoping things have calmed down a bit.”

“They have. I still wouldn’t recommend being out too late alone, but it seems most people managed to work out their panic the first few days.”

“Cool, and while you’re here there’s something I can get from you anyway,” Ben happily said as he grabbed the other man’s hand, breaking down the level eight barrier enchantment on his ring to replace it with a ninth-level one. “But with that done, sorry do you mind waiting outside? I need to have a private talk with Greed.”

“Of course, I’ll be downstairs.”