The Chimeric Ascension of Lyudmila Springfield

Chapter One-Hundred-Four: Reaching Ria’s Ruins– Part Two

"Thank you for the breakfast,” said Sera as she took the plate from Greggie. We sat around the extinguished campfire as she told us about the villagers. “They’re adjusting well. It warms my heart to see them return to a life of worrying without fear. Niva.”  

“Yes?”  

“Good news. Lord Aetos has agreed to continue your training.”  

“What do you mean?” asked Primrose. Sera cut into her veggie omelet and took a small bite, her eyes widening at the densely packed flavor.   

Her face flushed crimson, and she returned to the topic. “Lord Aetos trained you in your dreams. Well, he can still do that. It’ll be easier now that he’s been transplanted.”  

“What about the distance?”  

“I plan to make nightly visits, so you can tag along if you wish.”  

Niva looked at me.   

“I think it’s a good idea. Lord Aetos is the best teacher you can ask for. I can’t think of anyone better.” That was the truth. Who else but the Spirit Lord of Nature to teach the summoner he chose and his daughter?  

Niva wanted a shortcut. Unfortunately, one didn’t exist for her. She wasn’t a chimera. She couldn’t devour her monsters to claim their power.    

The ascension of strength for someone like me was like this. The hill was astronomically steep at first, yet once you passed that first hurdle and acquired some power?  

The opposite occurred.   

Yet for Niva?  

The path would always be steep. Sure, it’d taper off, but it would never decline. She was in for a never-ending uphill struggle. That alone was more than some people could handle.   

I knew Niva had it in her. I knew she did.   

“We should accept the offer,” said Primrose, her voice encouraging.   

“Okay. We’ll do that, Sera. Thank you.”  

“You’re welcome!” Sera’s ears happily wiggled. “Oh, and I’ll obviously help as well!” She took a few more bites and finally asked the obvious.   

“It’s an expanded version of [Wooden Gym],” I explained.   

“Me and Lei like the climbing wall, don’t we?” Yew turned to the happily jiggling slime. 

“How marvelously complex. While I would like to examine it further…we are burning daylight. Sister?”  

“I’m on it.” I stood and played my flute. My ability to cast without speaking wasn’t a secret, except casting via my instrument just…  

It just felt so right.   

The medical wagon and horses vanished, and our transport appeared. Tris walked around camp to store our supplies.    

We entered and took our seats. Well, almost everyone did. Niva stared at my outstretched hand like it was a foreign substance.    

“Actually… Is it okay if I walk? I want to stretch my legs a little more.”  

“That’s fine. We’re about an hour from Ria, anyway.” I whistled, and the wooden horses moved—with Niva and Prim tagging along. We weren’t in a rush or anything. It was unlikely we’d be warped to the capital immediately upon arriving since teleportation magic was intricately complex when accounting for just one person, let alone a group.   

However, that thinking made me realize something…  

“You don’t know much about Requiesta?” asked Sera.   

“Not too much. I primarily spent time in Ria with Irisa, Mom, and Dad. The capital city didn’t much interest me. So, what all do you know? Can you give us a rundown?”  

Sera didn’t mind. “Well, it’s a city that focuses on the arts while specializing in music. It has a lot of musical academies and orchestras. Oh, and rumors say Gloria is a tremendous connoisseur of the arts. Almost to a frightening degree.”  

“A place of music? Doesn’t that sound fun, Elly?” asked her cousin.    

“It does. We aren’t visiting for pleasure, but the city sounds amazing. I definitely wanna come back one day.”  

“As you should. My conflict doesn’t lie with the city. It’s with the shrewd woman leading it. Hmm… Ah! I take it you haven’t heard about the bloodied history?”  

“Of…what?” I asked.   

“Doesn’t it have to do with the two colleges? Like, don’t they hate each other?"  

"Colleges? I suppose that’s another term for the organizations, Tilde,” replied Sera, delving into an abridged history lesson.   

Requiesta was home to the Aria Academy of Melodic Arts and the Harmonia Institute of Sound and Craft.  The two were founded centuries ago, with the former focusing on performing while the latter delved into instrument making. Such a combination should’ve led to a union-- of working together to enhance the other. However, a rivalry soon formed after their establishment because they grew into their niche rather than fostering their weaknesses.    

“Aria Academy prides itself on the purity of music. They view it as an ethereal art form to elevate the soul.”  

“I…can almost agree with that,” commented Elly. She sat back and crossed her legs. “Music has the power to turn a frown upside down. It can give a lost little girl the courage to follow her dream. In our world, music’s often used in war.”   

“Why bring them to the battlefield?” asked Sera. “Your world doesn’t have magic.”  

“It doesn’t,” said Mary. It felt nice to see my ‘teacher’ finally act like one. “The bands would play to lift the soldiers’ spirits. Our world had no magic, so it wasn’t a buff you’d see in a Status Menu.”  

“Even with that, music can be a force of its own. The beating of the drums… The triumphant blare of horns. Yeah, music can stir the soul in ways other things can’t and instill a trembling soldier with the courage of a lion to charge into battle,” added Elly.  

Sera intently listened to the impromptu lecture and thanked them before continuing to the other aspect of Requiesta’s bloodiest feud.  The Harmonia Institute emphasized the tangible craft behind music, believing that innovation in instruments and sound was the true path to musical evolution.   

“The conflict was non-violent at first,” said Sera. “Representatives from the academy and institute would often engage in philosophical debates. That divide was treated with respect, you know. However, it was just a prelude to their forthcoming history. It inadvertently laid the foundation that would etch the two in infamy. Have you heard of The Battle of Sound and Silence?”  

“I have,” said Tilde after no one raised their hand.   

Of course. My fairy’s almost like an encyclopedia.  

“The two big honchos finally decided to meet on the debate field. Maestro Lucien Aria—the big boss of the academy, and Artificer Thalor Harmonia—the big man of the institute, engaged in their first and last public debate. Before this, it was all kinda left to the professors and teachers. If I remember… It took some convincing for the two to confront each other, so it was a big deal when news broke out.”   

“You remember correctly, Tilde. It almost sounds like you were present.”  

“That’s because I was. Had a front seat to the whole shebang, you know.”  

“Eh? That was centuries ago.” Sera’s surprise was only natural, but her mind had still yet to be blown.  

“Tilde used to hang around Melly and advise her,” casually added Ami. “That was a thousand years ago.”  

“A thousand?! Tilde, how old are you?”  

“Hmm… Maybe not older than you, but I’ve been around the block a few times,” said my maid. “Some fairies just live a long time. Consider me one of them.”   

So, you’re—Wait… Melusine… A Crystal Fairy…” Sera looked at the former queen and scrutinized her closely.  “If I recall… There was a kingdom led by a Crystal Fairy. Faedornia, yes?”  

“You are correct, Seraphina.”  

“How did you survive? I heard the kingdom was cursed.”  

“It was,” answered Mary. “The world turned it into a dungeon. Umm… Quella? Should we…”  

“It’s fine. Meruria sent us there for punishment. We met the boss, and to make a long story short, we…kind of broke Melusine from her prison.”  

“I’m sorry. I don’t understand.”  

Mary summoned a mana orb—a unique ability given to her by her Soul Crystal. Based on the truth I knew about her…  

That was either a sick, cruel joke or a blessing in disguise. Not even Meruria’s memory tampering could distract Mary’s soul from what it had desperately desired at one point.   

“I can capture monsters. For what it’s worth… Melusine appeared after we discovered the Lore. We talked, and once I realized the world considered her a monster... I chanced it." 

“Mary’s ability transported me to her orb, breaking the force binding me to the dungeon.”  

“That should be impossible. I honestly cannot know how an ability like that even exists. Soul Warriors often possess unique power, yet this goes beyond that.”  

“Lord Enele said something similar,” said Quella. “He said it should be one of our greatest secrets. Melusine’s dungeon's probably incompletable. The boss won’t spawn if she’s not there.”  

“You’ve met Lord Enele?”  

“Uh-huh. Honestly, he saved our lives. We wouldn’t be here if he hadn’t jumped in to save us from that chimera,” Ami added.    

Sera was more perplexed, so she listened to a short summary of what Team Quella had endured—barring some ‘not-so-important’ details left unsaid.   

“I’m sorry the world's been so harsh on you.” Sera slightly lowered her head as another realization struck her. She looked at Melusine. “How much do you remember?” she asked. “About...1,000 years ago?”  

“More than I’m comfortable with. I’m certain I know who you are referring to. Yes—that… ‘entity’ was responsible for Faedornia’s devastation.” Sekh subtly shifted her weight. Her armored hand brushed my palm, and I grabbed it, squeezing softly to reassure her I was right here. Quella saw it, too. She side-eyed Sekh, remaining quiet.   

“Nelly and Kaiho told us a little about her,” said Ami.   

“Nelly?”  

“It’s her nickname for him,” Elly explained, citing that Lord Enele liked the sobriquet.    

“Nelly… Hmm… It’s quite charming!” said Sera with a slight smile until she changed her tone. “However, since you know she-who-must-not-be-named…” Sera narrowed her eyes. I’d never seen her more serious. “You know you cannot carefully discuss her. Lord Amos and his allies worked tirelessly to remove all mention of her from history. The tyrannical shrewd that threatened to destroy the world must be cast away from everyone’s mind. Death is far too gentle and won’t end her life, so we must make her extinct via some other method.”  

“Were…you there, Sera? I mean, you…saw what…”  

“I did, Ami. Very few who lived through those turbulent times still draw breath. Likewise, when one hears of what happened, one cannot understand the true extent of how close the world came to ending. I will never, ever praise my enemy, but her title was not for show. No one deserved it more than her.”  

Sera briefly paused before continuing.   

“However, I’m sure Lord Enele told you about the 'prison.' The strongest Soul Warriors to have ever existed have given their souls to create a seal that will never be broken. Even if it does, failsafes are in place to keep her trapped. Every possibility has been accounted for.”  

All except one. No one expects the void.   

 “Anyway, to get back on topic,” said Tilde.  “Lucien Aria said music transcended instruments and existed as something ‘pure’ within the performer’s soul. He argued something could not be called ‘music’ if it needed something else.”  

“Sounds like he was a fan of a cappella.”  

“Yep. Pretty much, Greggie. Thalor believed differently. There'd be no purity to express if you didn't have an instrument backing the vocals. So, they went back and forth without giving any leeway. So it ended in a stalemate. I don’t think they ever yelled at each other. Nor did they start throwing hands. Except…” Tilde closed her eyes and focused. “I think they scowled at each other? The debate soured what friendship they had, though. I’m sure they weren’t the same after that since they saw the other as a misguided fool.”  

“That’s accurate,” said Sera. “The next hundred years was called The Dark Century, although I’m unsure why. Everything was adeptly recorded in the history books, so there is little to misinterpret.” Sera explained the chaos started as harmless pranks, although I wouldn’t describe them as harmless since monetary damage was far from benign.  

Harmonia’s instruments or sheet music would either be damaged or go missing before critical performances, causing a delay. The perpetrators were always from Aria Academy.   

Likewise, Aria’s grand recitals would be interrupted by audible disturbances. Spells would be used to alter how sound flowed, ruining weeks or months of hard work. Yes, the criminals were from Harmonia Institute.    

One side did something, so the other had no choice but to respond even if upper leadership tried and failed to calm the growing, surging emotions.    

In either case, money was lost due to damages. Eventually, those 'pranks' became anything but pranks. 

“It started with an assassination attempt on Lady Evelina Aria, Aria Academy’s newest headmaster and granddaughter of its founder. It happened during a banquet. The poison was rare, concocted from numerous ingredients not found within Dirge. It dulls the senses, paralyzes your vocal cords, and numbs your throat. It’s fast and deadly. The newspaper said not even thirty seconds had passed between ingesting and gasping for air. By then? It was already too late.”  

“Did she die?”  

“Nah. Not from that.” Tilde answered Greggie.  “Although she lost the ability to sing. So, for someone like her? It’s worse than death.”  

“Being denied something you cherish more than life… Evelina…sadly fell victim to suicide not long after. Unfortunately, the criminals were never found, although it’s commonly believed they were students from Harmonia.”   

From there, Aria students attempted to burn Harmonia Institute’s famous Harmony Forge. Their arson was quickly thwarted, and no one died, but those incidents were the start of something violent that assaulted the capital for nearly a century.   

Gloria wasn’t around there. Dirge wasn’t a Divine Country. Even still, it didn’t make sense why it took so long for the city to impose a peace accord or force a truth until you remembered the two colleges ran the place. Money equaled power. I suppose the shadow brokers funding the schools used violence to make even more money, so when they projected that there would be more gold to make if peace was made?  

Only then did it make sense for bygones to be bygones.  

The ceremony was called The Grand Accord. The city’s ruling council—the bigwigs behind the scenes— ‘threatened’ to revoke the colleges’ charters if the violence didn’t cease—something the citizens had wanted for quite some time. Their complaints had fallen on deaf ears until this point. Tilde almost likened it to a play or skit—the two heads’ reluctance was probably false. Perhaps the violent rivalry had been genuine, but greed—like all things—reared its corrupted head and turned the situation into one where money was to be made.   

“It’s not like things are all hunky dory, ya know.” Tilde yawned as Sera used a gentle ice spell to cool my fairy’s sore muscles. She’d been doing stretches during the trip. “The two still hate each other. Although I guess ‘hate’ is a strong word. They’re still rivals. It’s just that murder and poison have been replaced by challenges and bragging rights. You don’t hear about that many raw rights breaking out over two idiots with something foolish to prove. Like... You still hear about a performer getting an upset belly before a big opera, but they’re easily cured. Or maybe a practice instrument is broken an hour before a concert, but it’s just a practice instrument. It’s not something expensive to replace. Heck, the institute has warehouses full of them.”  

“Something like a cold rivalry?”  

“Yeah,” Tilde answered Keeth. “Something like that. The Modern Era: Cold Rivalry and Subtle Sabotage. That’s what I’d call it. Hmm? What’s that look for, Elly?”   

The singer sighed and crossed her arms. “It sucks that it had to be bloody. It doesn’t feel right. Music… I don’t think it should be that way.”  

“You didn’t have anything like this in your world?” I asked.   

“We did. Famous people have egos. If you don’t stroke them… They’re bound to make a scene. Get too many of them together, and fights break out. Those turn into grudges, which evolve into murders. It’s not that I don’t think rivals have a place in the industry. It’s the opposite—having someone or something to push you harder is just what it needs. Electro Arrow and Bae Blade were rivals. Their joint concert was what really pushed me to be an idol. It’s what sparked my love for music. I owe everything to them because they worked to bring out the best in each other.”  

“Electro Arrow? Is that the name of a group?” asked Sera. Elly nodded and went into a quick lecture. The girl was like a walking encyclopedia when it came to her icons.  

“Speaking of the academy,” I said, jumping in when there was a lull in the conversation. I’d been listening while enjoying the bountiful nature around us. “Kokan—my father—taught at one in the capital.”  

“What topics?” asked Mary. Her interest was piqued.   

“Physical combat, ancient literature, and magic theorization. I don’t know which college he was affiliated with.”   

“It’s likely one associated with Harmonia Institute. They're contracted with the guild to set up branch academies on their property, so it must’ve been one of them for those who want to learn combat. That’s impressive, though. Getting that job isn't easy if you don’t have nepotism giving you a boost.”  

He’s really an outstanding man...   

“You mentioned magic theorization,” said Sera. Her ears subtly wiggled. “I suppose now we can delve into the mechanics behind casting without speaking. Niva.” The elf turned to the summoner and her spirit. “You two should listen because you’ll only benefit from learning.”  

Niva and Prim nodded. They’d been mostly quiet throughout our journey.   

They have much to ponder. I can only imagine what’s swirling through their minds.   

“Casting magic, when broken down to its simplest terms, is asking the mana within your body and around you to do something,” Sera began. Her voice was calm but focused. She opened her palm.   

“Winds of Vredi, rise and swirl,  

Whisper through the forest’s curl.  

By leaf and root, by sky and stream,  

Orb of wind, fulfill my dream.”  

Suddenly, Sera conjures a swirling orb of wind. “In this instance, I asked the mana to form a ball of compressed wind. Notice how it flows. It moves in a continuous, natural rhythm. I didn’t specify any direction; the mana made the decision."  

She canceled the spell, repeated the chant, and another orb formed. This time, it rotated in the opposite direction. “If you don’t provide detailed instructions, the mana will fill in the gaps based on its essence. You might think it defaults to something, but that’s a misconception. Mana is alive—it has a will, a presence, a consciousness, though I use that term loosely.”  

“So, the language of mana is…our personal connection to it? That’s why Qutie has to chant like a wizard from a storybook while I have to sing?” asked Elly.   

 “Exactly,” Sera nodded. “That connection—the emotional bond we establish with mana—is vital. It’s a reflection of our innermost selves. To me, it’s my love for my birth forest. It sounds easy, but people can…be difficult to understand. To cast magic means to understand yourself—to be in tune with who you really are. That’s not easy since some people may not want to accept the truth, which leads to a startling hurdle potential mages must overcome.”  

“Who we want to be and who we are can be two different things.”  

“Indeed, Ami. The concept is simple when viewed from afar, yet it’s far more intricate when you examine it. That brings us to this—the most advanced form of casting called silent casting.” 

Sera’s gaze sharpened. “Silent casting is a different level of mastery that requires the caster’s soul to be in perfect harmony with mana itself. In vocal or physical casting, the sounds or motions act as bridges or pathways for your will to reach the mana. But in silent casting, your soul must speak directly to it. There’s no buffer or external tool to help you. Your mind, thoughts, and the mana must become one. Think of it as being a seamless entity.”  

She gestured slightly, and this time, the orb of wind formed without so much as a flicker in her expression—utterly effortless. “To achieve this, you must reach a state without distinction between you and the mana. The mana doesn’t just follow your will; it becomes your will. It’s as if the boundaries of your soul extend outward. It must wrap around the mana and guide it as if it were an extension of yourself. The more in tune you are with your essence—your desires, fears, purpose—the more precise your silent casting will be.”  

“How exactly does that work?” asked Quella, trying to grasp the deeper layers. “How do you make that leap? From words to thought and from thought to soul?”  

 “It’s about total alignment,” Sera replied. “Most people see themselves as separate from mana. Almost like they’re giving it orders. You have to dissolve that divide to silently cast. You don’t command the mana—you understand it. You don’t ask it to do something—you invite it to act as part of you. Your soul and the mana must sync. Think of it as dancing together in perfect unison. It’s like discovering your true self and understanding who you are at your core. It’s the next step beyond discovering your specific language of mana, which is already difficult as it is. I’m sure you can imagine why most mages find it impossible. It took me many years to grasp it, even with the help of the greatest instructors." 

“Hmm…”  

“What’s with that look?” I asked Elly.   

“Well, if people have to do that… What about monsters? Some monsters can't talk, but they can still use magic.”  

“Consider it a…perk of being a monster, I suppose. Have you seen one spawn from nothing?” Ami nodded. Sera continued. “They have an innate connection to mana since...in a roundabout way, a monster's parent is mana.”  

“Does that apply to monsters who can naturally reproduce?” asked Elly.   

“It does. I’m unsure if that can be ‘bred out.' If it can, then it must be rare.”   

It’s a perk for me. Chimeras are monsters, so they get this advantage.   

Now that the ‘secret’ was out, it was a matter of casting without speaking—easier said than done—but that gave the group something to do while we continued our travel towards Ria’s ruins.