Author's Notes: Chapter edited and corrected by Scott Fellman.
Riveria POV. (14 days after Bellatrix joined the Miach family.)
"Are you rereading the books?" Finn asked, making me squeal with surprise.
"Finn!" I squealed in surprise, clutching the book that was nearly slipping from my grasp. Finn grinned, amused. I felt my cheeks warm slightly before I regained my composure. "Are the tests over?" I asked quickly, closing the book. Finn nodded.
"They are... that Twice Critical... it really is an incredible item." Finn said solemnly as he took a seat next to me.
We were standing in front of a small campfire with the tent pitched to one side. We were close to the lower floors, so we were close to Rivira. Our ration problem would finally be solved.
Everyone had debts to pay, including me. I had forgotten that I had left my staff with Lenoa to be repaired, so we had to go down to the dungeon. That was a week ago.
But then we got involved in the whole incident with the red-haired monster tamer and the plant monster incident that happened in Rivira at Under Resort, so we had to return to the surface to inform Loki and the guild about what happened.
During that time, I hadn't had time to read the books that Miach's daughter had left me. So on this second trip, I had completely devoured the three new books that were full of magic.
It's embarrassing to admit that more than once, I became utterly fascinated by the books. Enough to get lost in them on different floors of the dungeon, to the point that the rest of the group had to save me from some monster that, under normal circumstances, would not have approached.
But putting all that aside, we hadn't been able to test the Twice Critical, and aside from Finn not being a magic specialist, I hadn't been able to understand how the Twice Critical was made entirely.
So both Finn and I were reluctant to use it.
That was until Ais insisted on staying alone on the deep floors.
Initially, we were going to split up. The rations weren't enough for seven people, so Finn and the others would go back, while I stayed with Ais to protect her.
Both came to the same conclusion: Ais would explode sooner or later. She had been in a bad mood ever since the incident with the monster tamer, obsessing over killing monsters once again.
It had happened a lot in the past; it was almost routine to go and save Ais every time she went into the dungeon alone. If we refused, she would eventually do it herself, alone, without a support network; it was better if one of us was there.
But then Ais had asked for permission to use Twice Critical. After a long conversation, we discovered Ais's plan. She wanted to use Twice Critical to face Udaeus alone.
That's why Finn, and consequently the others, stayed behind. Not only because of the danger of confronting Udaeus, but also because Finn had allowed Ais to use the Twice Critical and stayed to monitor the situation, in case the device was a hoax or worse, a trap.
Udaeus was utterly destroyed.
Twice Critical worked exactly as Miach's daughter had promised, and even better. Not only did it increase the parameters of its active level by 50%, but it also increased the total parameters of all accumulated levels by 50%.
All of Ais's stats surpassed level 5 and firmly entered level 6, though only at the lower end. Her strength, her speed, her stamina, her magic—everything increased. Oh, she was sure it wasn't enough to defeat a level 6 veteran like Finn outright, but it was still incredible.
And that was the push Ais needed to kill Udaeus.
Fortunately, that had calmed things down considerably, and we began to rise to the surface.
Along the way, Finn wanted to start testing the Twice Critical for himself and let others try it to really see what it was capable of.
"So?" I asked, wanting more information. Finn sighed.
"It's incredible, it's truly a 50% increase in a person's own stats. The increase I received was greater than Ais's. Lefiya received a better increase in her magic relative to her physical stats, and vice versa for Tione and Tiona."
"I don't know how it's made, but... It's really amazing," Finn finally said. I looked at him apologetically. "Don't worry, I would never order you to do something you didn't want to," Finn said casually. I smiled weakly.
"Thank you." I said weakly.
"We could always kill Miach's daughter," Finn said casually. I gave him a blank stare, and he just smirked. "I mean, I'm sure she has creations far more terrifying than that Twice Critical, and Bellatrix Black must be strong enough, but I'm sure I could surprise her. The speed of a level 6 adventurer with a 50% boost isn't bad at all," Finn pointed out.
"Finn." I said flatly, Finn smiled broadly before chuckling slightly.
"Don't worry, I'm just kidding, just kidding," Finn said playfully. I snorted as I clutched the book. "After all, it's more profitable to keep her alive while we pay for the books in grimoires," Finn said cheekily. I snorted before chuckling slightly.
"I appreciate your discretion." I said dryly, Finn just laughed.
"So... the books? How are they?" Finn finally asked, my eyes sparkling slightly, and I was practically bouncing in my seat.
"I—yes, they're… fascinating." I tried to say calmly. Finn raised an eyebrow.
"You can say what you really think about them," Finn said playfully. I bit my lip slightly.
"They're wonderful." I couldn't resist saying quickly, which made Finn laugh. "I... they're incredible, the number of ways to do magic that I'd never even thought of is just... amazing."
"Oh? Can you enlighten me, or is that a secret too? " Finn asked. I glanced at the book before shrugging.
"I doubt she'd mind if I gave you a summary," I said casually. Finn nodded. I was about to open my mouth when the others approached us.
"Riveria-sama? Finn-sama?" Lefiya asked as she approached with the others. Tiona and Tione were behind her, Ais was to one side, and I could see the Twice Critical on her wrist; she had been holding onto it for as long as possible. And then there was Rakta, who was helping us carry our things.
We had to order her to keep everything related to the books and the Twice Critical a secret, which she readily agreed to, even though she was fascinated by it.
"Nothing important, Lefiya, Riveria was just about to share what was in those magic books that Miach's daughter left us," Finn said casually. Lefiya's attitude changed completely.
"That elf! How could she even think of offering Riveria-sama that kind of deal! " Lefiya growled. I blushed deeply as I remembered the 'payment' options for teaching the magic books to others.
"I say she should do it," Tiona said casually. "I mean, it's just a bit of skin, nothing to worry about, no one's going to touch her or anything, and with that she can teach that elegant magic to all the elves of the Familia," she added absentmindedly.
"Not everyone is comfortable showing so much skin, Tiona," Tione reprimanded her.
"Fiiiiine!" Tiona complained before stopping. "And can't we offer to undress in front of those portraits?" Tiona added curiously; I grimaced.
"I don't think that will work, Tiona. If that were the case, Miss Prince would have made it clear that any member of the family would do, but she pointed directly to Riveria," Finn said with an apologetic smile. Tiona just snorted.
"...magic." Ais interjected almost silently as she looked at the book in my hands.
"Oh yes, what have you discovered Riveria-sama?" Lefiya asked excitedly.
"It's wonderful!" I immediately repeated myself, excited. I grabbed one of the books and held it up. "Let's start with this one. It describes the branch of magic called Transfiguration, the art of changing the shape and appearance of an object or a person," I said happily.
"That... sounds impossible?" Tiona said, bowing her head.
"It is! And it's a really complex branch of magic! Much more than previous enchantments! But it's full of potential! " I said happily. I took another book out and held it up.
"The next book is Defence, and it's just as interesting! Actually, it's not any specific branch of magic; it's simply a collection of spells from different branches that are used for self-defence."
"From defensive magic and shields to enchantments and transfiguration for attacking, there's even how to defend against other branches of magic or nullify the effects of different spells! There are even several instructions for mages on how to enter a fight and defend themselves or react in certain circumstances. It's simply incredible! " I said excitedly.
"Shields?" Finn asked, interested. I nodded excitedly.
"There are several shields, the first one the book teaches is the Shield charm, Protego, it is the most generic shield of all that exists, but it is powerful, it can block and reflect most spells and curses, even block physical objects."
"Obviously, being an all-purpose shield, there are some aspects where it's extremely weak or can't defend itself against certain curses, but it's still incredible." I was practically bouncing in my seat.
And it was incredible, defensive magic was terribly rare! Or rather, Protego was invaluable, even if it was weaker than my strongest defensive magic, Via Shilheim, which was capable of completely blocking all physical and magical attacks.
Via Shilheim required dozens of words, around six sentences, and a lot of concentration to cast. It could protect against an imminent attack if I knew it was coming early enough, but Protego? Protego was a single word, a fraction of a second's worth of creating a shield, a shield that was by no means negligible if the calculations in the books were correct—and they were; so far, the author hadn't made a single mistake.
So yes, my Via Shilheim was stronger defensively, but Protego was much more valuable; if I could teach that spell to mages of the Family, then it would significantly change the game entirely for the mages.
Mages were like glass cannons; they were strong, yes, but they couldn't defend themselves. They took a long time to perform magic; it required extensive preparation. Their resistance stats didn't increase, so most monsters were a danger if they got close to the mage, and more.
This Shield enchantment was truly incredible; all the magic in the books was amazing. To be able to switch from defending to attacking in just a few seconds and vice versa? It sounded like something out of a dream.
The defence book also discussed chaining spells or casting multiple spells at once for swift simultaneous attacks. In contrast, simultaneous attacks were not uncommon; it was unusual to chain spells of different kinds to force the enemy to lower their guard.
"The next one is this, Dark Arts. Just like the Defence Against the Dark Arts book, there isn't a dedicated branch for them here; they're just... different types of magic used to harm, control, or kill creatures and people." I said seriously as I pulled out the last book. "And... I actually found something interesting." I smiled slightly as I opened the book.
"Oh?" Finn asked curiously, and I smiled and started reading.
"A dark charm is primarily defined as any charm that negatively affects the object consistently, generally associated with varying levels of discomfort."
"Dark enchantments can be classified into three groups: Jinx, Hex, and Curse. These groups form a hierarchy, with Jinx at the base, Hex in the middle, and Curse at the top. The higher one ascends in this hierarchy, the more malevolent, powerful, long-lasting, and less reversible the effects of the dark enchantment appear to be." Finish reading and look expectantly at the others.
"Are there... curses in there?" Lefiya asked, almost pale.
"Not really, they're all Jinx and some Hexes, the Curses must be in later books." I said honestly. Truly, I was almost horrified reading some of them, too.
I had previously thought that the spells in the first book were suitable for fighting, and perhaps they were, but… what was in this book was that and more. All the magic in this book focused on one thing: harming the enemy.
And the more I read, the more revealing it became about how dangerous it could be that magic used to break bones literally was only a Hex and not a Curse. It really gave me a bad feeling. I really didn't want to know what the author considered a Curse and how much damage it could do.
"But the important thing is the Hex. Hex is moderate, mid-level dark magic; it causes either a major inconvenience or minor damage. For example, Impedimenta, the Impediment Hex, which slows the target's movement, the Knee reversal Hex that reverses the knee position, or Oscausi, the Mouth Sealing Hex." I said with a wide smile.
"Wait, how does she reverse your knees? How does that work? " Tiona asked, confused.
"Focus, Tiona! The last one! That mouth-sealing Hex!" Tione said, reprimanding her sister.
"That must have been what she used against Bete," Finn said, and I nodded.
"Those Hexes were only placed as examples, but none are described in the book, but I do not doubt that she used this Oscausi to seal Bete's mouth," I said confidently.
"And it would make sense, for us, there are only Curses, especially when magic feels as dark as you said. However, if for her there are different levels and the magic she cast is really just what she calls a Hex, then it would make sense that no god would find her words false."
"After all, she never lied," Finn said, snorting playfully.
"I knew it! I knew Riveria-sama couldn't be wrong!" Lefiya chirped, and I smiled slightly.
"Does that mean we can punish her?" Tiona asked. I shook my head.
"Absolutely not, she won that confrontation. Even if we really have proof that she sealed Bete's mouth, we can't prove it to anyone without making the books public, and that's a terrible idea," I said while shaking my head.
"Boring," Tiona complained.
"Can you show us some magic?" Ais asked curiously. I smiled broadly and stood up.
"Of course!" I said excitedly. "Ais, stand up and grab your sword!" I said with a wide smile. Ais nodded and stood up. We moved a little away from the group. I put my staff aside and grabbed the sceptre I'd brought just in case. Before I could point it at Ais, she took a fighting stance. "Attack me whenever you want without using Twice Critical," I said simply.
"Hm." Ais nodded simply. Her legs flexed, and she immediately appeared in front of me; my eyes easily followed her movements, and my hand moved.
"Protego!" I waved my hand in front of me, a circle appeared instantly, and my wand met her sword, but her sword stopped inches from mine. Ais's eyes widened slightly. " Expelliarmus!"
My wand pointed at her chest. Ais crossed her arms to protect herself from the attack, making me smile. Just as I expected, the magic hit Ais, and her sword was forced out of her hands. Ais's eyes opened wide as her sword went flying.
" Flipendo!" The next spell struck Ais's chest and pushed her back forcefully. "Avifors!" The nearby rocks transformed into hundreds of birds. "Oppugno!" The hex acted upon the transfigured birds, who immediately began attacking Ais with an intensity that made them seem like the very monsters in the dungeon.
The birds began attacking Ais without even bothering to defend themselves. Ais began to defend herself, killing the birds, and I just smiled. I moved my wand once more and pointed it at the birds. The hundreds of animals transformed again, this time into large, thick, sharp needles. Then another circle lit up.
I launched another Oppugno at the needles and ordered them to attack the target aggressively once more. The needles shot out into the air towards Ais. She jumped back, trying to dodge them. Several of them stuck in the ground, but most bent in mid-air and pursued her once more.
Ais used her Ariel spell to scatter them, but the needles turned around and tried to follow her again. However, the time she had was enough for her to reach her weapon. I smiled and flicked my wand.
"Relashio!" The spell arrived the moment Ais gripped her sword. Ais's eyes widened once more as her hand was forcibly opened by the Jinx that had just struck her, yet Ais was still about to grasp the sword with her other hand. "Wingardium Leviosa!"
Ais's body rose into the sky before her fingers could touch her sword, leaving her completely unprotected. She had no surface to stand on and no control over where to move, so the needles quickly moved closer to her.
Ais summoned Ariel again to try to defend herself. I just moved my staff, and all the needles turned into harmless bubbles as Ais's body slowly descended.
"So? How was it? " I asked with an excited smile. It was much better than I expected.
"That was incredible, Riveria-sama!" Lefiya said while clapping excitedly.
"And all mages are supposed to be able to learn that?" Tione asked, surprised. I just nodded.
"If I could teach it, definitely, maybe not the same power, but all those spells I used, yes," I said happily as I approached the camp.
"Strong, it caught me off guard." Ais said as she approached, sheathing her sword. I nodded.
"That's the great thing about this kind of magic, the number of things you can do is... truly incredible. There is an extensive range of spells you can learn, and these are only the first books of several." I said, amazed.
"It's truly incredible. It really seems we'll have to go to some serious trouble to get those grimoires for Miss Prince," Finn said seriously. I nodded. "Unfortunately, we'll have to return Twice Critical," Finn sighed reluctantly.
"...can I marry her?" Ais asked, making me choke on my breath, just like all the others.
"Ais?!" Lefiya screamed, thoroughly horrified.
"Ais... how... did you come to that conclusion?" Finn asked tensely. Ais bowed her head.
"Twice Critical... marriage." Ais said weakly, I took a deep breath.
"First, once again, we don't know if she'll accept... just any woman marrying her, and second... are you really sure you want to do this?" I asked carefully.
"I want to become stronger so I can kill more monsters," Ais said, deeply serious. I grimaced and sighed.
"I..." I bit my lip hard. This would be resolved if I married this Serena Prince... or agreed to send her portraits of myself in little or no clothing...
"Am I... not pretty?" Ais asked, almost hurtfully. I shuddered slightly.
"You are!" I said quickly in a panic.
"Ais is beautiful! She's super beautiful! You can get any wife you want! " Lefiya said immediately with total conviction.
"Don't worry, Ais, you're super cute!" Tiona said, giving her a thumbs-up. Ais stopped and smiled slightly. I sighed and looked at Finn; we both chuckled.
I just sighed as my fingers traced the book cover once more… getting naked for the portraits was out of the question, I felt not at all comfortable doing it, the mere thought of my naked body being engraved in a picture for anyone to see… repelled me.
But… was I really thinking about getting married? I… I really needed to think about it…