Took some time off to focus on another rewrite. My Baki fanfic is now being rewritten!
And during that time, I beat Daybreak 1! Going right onto Daybreak 2. Almost caught up with the lore!
Hope you all are ready for some more chapters!
As always, Giliath demands your power stones!
*****
S1200. January 3rd.
Wednesday. 7:30AM.
Valflame Palace, Erebonia.
"Phew, that hit the spot.", I said, feeling a huge feeling of relief spread throughout my body. Escaping from a room full of steamy air, the door leading to my guest room opened, causing a bunch of steam to escape. It's great the Trailsverse derived their bathing culture from Japan. Nothing beats a hot and relaxing bath in the morning. Props to the maids too. Alfin's family sure is something. The maids under them must have their own keys. The bath was already drawn by the time I went in. They likely did it at the crack of dawn when I was still sleeping.
Moreover...
I glanced at my side. I wasn't alone coming out of that bath. I saw a silvery-white haired girl who was about a foot shorter than me. I was already nearing six feet tall (that's a shocker), so that meant this person was around five feet tall. Two puffy fox tails stuck out of her head. They were hidden away by two large balls of fur. A single, large bushy tail stuck out of her back. It pierced through the one piece navy blue and frilly white-hemmed skirt she was wearing. She even had the same golden eyes that I had. This girl was of course my familiar Tamamo. She turned ten years old last year. I was quite young when Master created her for me, and ever since, she has tagged along. Sometimes with me, sometimes not. She had her own fair share of adventures during my absences.
Tamamo currently had a towel wrapped over her hair, which was being moved by my hands. I was presently drying her hair off. Thankfully she was back in her human form. If she remained in her fox form, we would have taken all day to dry off that fur of hers, haha!
Tamamo did one last shake down of her entire body, which expanded her fur out, making it appear very fluffy. She was humming, obviously signaling that she was in a happy mood.
As was I.
For once, I had nothing on my plate. Minus one or two pending Quests. I still had the Quest related to Van which will prompt me to go to Calvard at some point. That plan is still in the making, to test Van's resolve and all that yada-yada nonsense. Well, not nonsense, cause shit's going to turn real very quick once that goes down. I already have an initial plan for that, and I'll have to reach out to some friends of mine, to whom I have not contacted in a while. If you exclude our brief interactions during the new year.
But perhaps saying that much might be already giving it away. I don't want to spoil the fun that is to come for that now, do I? This definitely won't take place until the Vermillion Trials are over. Perhaps not until at least two months out. Nonetheless, it will prompt me to pay a visit to Calvard.
For the time being, I could finally as the saying goes, kick back and relax.
I do not have to worry about any time-sensitive matters. In times like these, at least in the games, one would be given the so-called, "free time". They could enjoy some leisure events with the character cast, depending on what game you played. They were called bonding events. They didn't have this official name during the sky games, nor Crossbell. One could still bond with its characters, though. From Cold Steel onward, they became optional events a person could enjoy. If a person maxed a person's bond, they would get rewarded for it, whether it was info of a character's backstory, or something more material, like getting a piece of equipment, or quartz.
Granted, these weren't the games. This was my life to enjoy. I've come to create bonds with several of the character cast of each series. Some who I hold dearly, whether it be as friends, or lovers. I see maxing the Favorability portion of my Gamer System more of a perk, rather than something I'm looking forward to. But right now, I would say I have half a week to do whatever the hell I want. If there was a certain person I wanted to focus on spending time with, I could. I should review my current Favorability progress. I haven't checked on it in a while, so I figured now would be a good time to do so. There's still a half hour before the breakfast begins that I was invited to.
As I was thinking that, a voice spoke out to me. Tamamo was still distracted by her humming, but she's dry enough now to where I let go of the towel over her head.
"Geez, you sure took your sweet time with the dumb fox huh?", Celine asked, greeting the two of us. She was no longer in her napping position. She now stood upright near the edge of the bed, just like how a cat would normally do.
"It's been a hot minute since I've had a chance to relax in a bath like that. No pun intended.", I replied, smiling.
"Yeah yeah.", Celine said, shrugging her paws. Tamamo was free of my embrace, and she puffed out her cheeks at Celine.
"You should have come in with us, Celine. The water was just divine. That princess really knows how to treat someone right!", Tamamo said, spinning her bushy tail around.
"You do realize that I am a CAT, right? Taking a bath is the last thing I want to do. You know. Cat business.", Celine retorted, sighing at Tamamo's remark.
"Haha! It's not because I'm currently in the room, is it?", I responded with a playful grin.
"As if. I belong to Emma. Not you.", Celine said, squinting her eyes at me.
"Ouch. But I'll accept it.", I responded. "Anyways, there's a reason I'm so relaxed like this. For once, I have no pressing matters to attend to. What's in motion is currently in motion. You ever get that feeling like something's been lifted off your shoulders? It's like that. I'm just thinking of who I should spend some time with. Sure, Alfin will be the focal point, but I won't be with her twenty-four seven. It's not like the world revolves around just the two of us.", I said, ceasing my joking mood.
"So you've got more time on your hands now not knowing what to do with it. Trust me pal, that's been my entire life ever since Emma started that little excursion of hers with those other girls. I've been catching up on my sleep. Or being forced to check every nook and cranny of Heimdallr with this dumb fox here. Can't say I don't want to be in your boat, but it's not like I can't relate to it.", Celine answered, being honest this time.
"Aha, so you do get me after all. I used a few moments to review my ability. It assisting me in combat isn't the only thing it can do.", I said, before proceeding to sit down on the edge of the bed next to Celine.
"Just what does this ability of yours do, exactly? I get it that it can quantify your actions, but that sounds like a whole headache if you ask me.", Celine said, who was now seated next to me. Tamamo took a seat to my right.
"Sometimes, it really is. I've been exposed to it for over a decade. But I don't want my life to be controlled by a computer, so I've been living my life at my own pace. If I really had to take a crack at it, it's similar to an artifact or a controlled phase space that can create phenomena to a person or a group of individuals, but I'm the epicenter. Those said individuals need to be with me to experience said phenomenon.", I tried to explain.
"Which is this Party thing, I take it. This is still going over my head. Can't put it this in simpler terms?", Celine responded.
"To put it bluntly, I'm a singularity.", I said, shrugging my shoulders. "And a very capable one at that.", I continued to say. Celine raised her eyes.
"How in Aidios's name can a person be a singularity? That doesn't make any sense. But then again, none of this does. That might be the most apt description for this situation...", Celine uttered, continuing to ponder what I just answered.
"Which is why I'll leave you with a little riddle. Nothing batshit crazy like what I left Lechter with to figure out.", I replied with a playful smile. "And that is, I do not belong here. And yet, I do belong here."
"You don't belong here, but you do belong here?", Celine questioned, letting my riddle go completely over her head. "Now you're just speaking nonsense.", Celine retorted.
"Am I really?", I said, shrugging my shoulders again. This is me being from a person who reincarnated into Zemuria. From my perspective, it was from an outside plane of existence. Planet Earth. The concept of reincarnation and starting life over isn't foreign in Zemuria, though. Take the Lance Maiden, for example. A figurehead out of time. She was supposed to die in the War of the Lions over two centuries ago, but was resurrected. It eventually even became a running gag in the game series. Someone doesn't truly die until you see it happen with your own eyes.
But I didn't want to spend my free time being so sentimental as to why I should or shouldn't be here. I'm here now, and that's all that matters