CH.39 Alice’s mother
[Brian POV]
After my order to Dark Magician Girl, she used a spell I didn’t recognize. It forced the baron onto the ground. Well at least she didn’t attack with something like ‘Dark burning attack’. Or whatever it was. Dead noble would not be fun to deal with.
He started shouting like a madman. Everything about having me executed to nothing but my death matters. Is he trying to turn me into a demon lord or something? I would rather not turn the world against me, but if I have to, I might just do it. Well it was partly my fault for egging him on, but I’m just going to say it’s all on him.
“Could someone please explain what’s going on?” A female voice asked. I turned to see who it was and saw Lady Watchman walking towards us. Her name was…
(It is Christina.) Laura reminded me. Thank god my memory enhancement called Laura is working all the time.
I take the responsibility to respond, as I don’t think Alice is in a calm state yet.
“Your husband got a little over excited after hearing about Alice successfully casting a spell. I asked my summon to hold him down so he would calm down.” I told her. It’s mostly true.
“HE WAS THREATENING TO KILL ME! YOU MUST CALL THE GUARDS AND HAVE HIM EXECUTED IMMEDIATELY!” The fool was yelling on the ground.
“Just Shut Up you FOOL!” Christina said back to him. “I could absolutely see you losing your marbles after news like that. Let me guess, you immediately haunted Alice to use more spells, without listening to anything. Did you even notice her teacher passed out on the ground?”
“...” The fool was quiet for the first time since coming outside.
“So you didn’t. You prophecy obsessed fool.” Christina was laying on him. “And you are also trying to turn a system support holder against you. And a dungeon founder at that. You do realize that attacking him would mean death to this family.”
I didn’t realize that I was so important. Well I guess they spoke about me being a messenger of Gods, or something like that. I don’t really feel like that though.
“You will go back inside and cool your head.” Christina ordered. “I will deal with this.”
“...” The fool didn’t answer.
“DID YOU HEAR ME?” She asked, pressuring him to answer.
“...yes” Brandon answered.
“Could you release the spell, sir Brian?” She asked me.
“Sure.” I turn to Dark Magician Girl and nod. She realizes what I want and the spell is lifted.
The baron grumbles as he gets up, but leaves towards the front door without any more raging. Christina followed him with her eyes until he went inside.
“So now that we can speak with some peace, what’s going on?” She asked.
“Well I think you know most of it already.” I said to her. “Alice casted a dark magic spell, it was a little too powerful and darkness got everywhere, Brandon heard and lost his mind.” That’s the abridged version anyway.
“What about Trystan over there? Why has he passed out? And who is that lady?” She asked.
“Trystan is passed out due to running out of mana. I shared some with him, so he should wake up soon. And that is Dark Magician Girl. My summon.” I told her. I don’t know how long it will take for the teacher to wake up, but considering Laura was in charge of that, I’m sure he will be fine. She would have told me if he needed something more.
“So Alice really did it. I knew she had it in her.” Christina said. “But dark magic? That I didn’t expect. And that wonderful witch is really your summon. I didn’t think it was possible to summon something like that.”
“Well my summoning is not exactly normal.” I told her.
“Nothing about you is normal.” She said. “I hope you don’t mind me saying that.”
“Well, it is kind of true, so… I’ll give you a pass.” I told her in a teasing manner.
“Thank you for that.” She said. “I don’t want to get crushed.” As she said that she made her way to Alice.
“How are you feeling?” She asked.
“Better now.” Alice responded. She seems to be recovering from the terror caused by her father.
“Do you think you can cast a spell again?” Christina asked.
“I think I can.” Alice said. “But I need to use a different one. I don’t want to lose control again.”
“I see, but I don’t really know many dark magic spells. They are not widely known.” Her mother responded. Then she looked at me and asked. “Would you know sir Brian?”
“Don’t look at me.” I told her and pointed at Dark Magician Girl. “She’s my dark magic expert.”
“Don’t lie, Master.” Dark Magician Girl responded. “You know my teacher would know even more.”
“Well, I haven’t summoned him yet and you are already here, so please teach Alice a simple spell she can use” I ordered her.
“Of course, Master. But you must promise I get to teach her again.” DMG bargained.
“That’s fine by me, but you need to ask them.” I told her.
To that Alice nods and her mother says: “That would be wonderful. Finding dark magic teacher is almost impossible.” I really hope Alice’s previous teacher won’t get mad for losing his position. Well I guess he could try to co-teach Alice with DMG. But I’m predicting that Dark Magician will want to jump onto the teaching wagon after he hears that his pupil took on a student.
“Yay!” Dark Magician Girl got excited. “Alice, follow me so we have some space.” She dragged Alice by the arm.
“Please, don’t pull so hard.” Alice said back.
Alice took off after DMG. I was just standing there with Christina.
“So… now what?” I asked her.
“Well, I would like to make sure that Trystan is alright.” She said. “I know you said he is just out of mana, but I would like to make sure.”
“That’s fine.” I said back.
She walked over to Trystan and ,like I did, checked his pulse and breathing.
“He doesn’t seem to be out of mana. Did you lie to me?” She asked.
“No, I just shared some of mine with him.” I told her.
“I see…” She said, “Well he is still quite low, so it makes sense if you only gave him a bit." Didn’t I give him over 150 mana? Well that might not be that much for a great mage.
“Should we do something to him?” I asked her.
“No.” She responded. “With your mana in him, there are no major problems. We'll just have to wait until he wakes up on his own. We could splash him with water to wake him up, but I don’t think that’s necessary.”
Good, so my emergency first aid was enough.
“May I ask something, sir Brian?” Christina turned back to face me and asked.
“Go for it. But I might not answer.” I said back.
“Alice has never had an attribute, much less dark magic. Did you have something to do with her suddenly being able to use dark magic?” She asked. I guess she could see through me.
“If I tell you, do you promise to keep it a secret?” I countered her.
“I swear to keep it a secret. On the Watchman name.” She said to me.
“You know, swearing on your name might mean something to another noble, but not to me. If you want to hear the truth, swear on the system.” I told her. Normally I might take swearing on a name, but after Brandon’s foolery, I’m not so open to it anymore.
“If that’s what it takes,” She said. “I swear to the mighty system that I will keep this secret.”
“Then I’ll tell you.” I said. “I gave Alice the dark attribute.”
“You gave it to her? Is that even possible?”
“Well, I guess giving is the wrong word.” I specified. “More like I boosted her affinity with the dark attribute.”
“You can actually do something like that?” Christina asked.
“Yeah, I have a way of doing it.” I told her.
“Can you do it to anyone and with any attribute?”
“I think so, but the results may vary.” I told her.
“Then would you give me one? Or did you say ‘boost’. Would you boost one of mine?”
“Do you not have an attribute already?” I asked.
“I do have earth…” She said.
“Then, no.” I answered. “If you didn’t have a sufficient one, I would have considered it.”
“But…”
“No buts.” I said. “Greedy people will never win. And even then why would you need more magic if you can use one attribute already.”
“...I want to be able to fly…” She said.
“Wouldn’t flying magic usually be done with wind magic?” I asked.
“Yes!” She seemed excited. “Would you be able to give it to me?”
“No.” I said back. She looked a little gloomy after that. “And this time it’s not just because I don’t want to. It’s due to wind and earth being opposites. When I boost one attribute, it’s opposite goes down. If I boosted your wind attribute, you would lose your earth one.”
“I see. I’m sorry, asking for the impossible.” She said.
“Well the attribute is the impossible part. Helping you fly would be simple.” I told her.
“Really?”
“Remember that I’m a summoner.” I told her. “All I would have to do is summon a flying creature and let you ride it.”
“Do you promise you will let me fly?” She asked. All the members of this family are on some levels of greed. I honestly would give her something like a sleeved Cyber Falcon, but she doesn’t have the card summoner skill.
(Master, if you make her the dungeon master, she might gain that skill.) Laura informed me. Well I guess that would be a good thing. And the skill does seem to be tied to the dungeon in some way.
“Lady Christina, would you be willing to be the dungeon master of the dungeon I founded?” I asked her.
“Would you really let me?” She asked. “It would be my honor.”
She might be the best choice. Zayaan can’t do it according to law and Brandon has been losing reliability points fast. And I would have a good excuse to give her Cyber Falcon as a means of transportation to the dungeon and back.
“Yes,” I said to her. “I think you might be the best choice.”