WIEDERGEBURT Act III: Chapter 35

I arrived back at the Neverian Braves headquarters later that evening, when the sky was colored with dusk and streaks of clouds like fire shot through it. A lot of people greeted me as I made my way up to my living quarters. I did my best to greet them back, but I was preoccupied with other thoughts. I was sure my greetings were half-hearted at best.

When I entered my living quarters, it was to find Fay, Kari, and Lin sitting on one of the two couches before my desk, eating a light meal of stew and greens. Well, Kari and Fay were eating what could be considered a light meal for a Spiritualist. Lin looked like she was on her sixth piece of steak and there was a stack of about five more piled on her plate.

“Eryk!” Kari was the first to greet me, but the other two weren’t far behind.

“Darling, why are you so late?”

“Is everything okay? You were with Empress Hilda much longer than usual.”

I smiled at three girls as I moved to the couch opposite them and sat down. The soft foam sank underneath me slightly before adjusting to my weight. I leaned back and released a weary sigh.

“Everything is fine. The reason the meeting took longer than usual was because Herleif needed to speak with me.” None of the girls spoke up as they stared at me, obviously expecting me to explain myself further, and I released another sigh as I decided to just get this over with. “Herleif has asked me to travel with him to the Morkdypt Ravine.”

No one spoke for the longest time, but I felt the tension rising within Kari and Fay, whose eyes were slowly growing wider as the seconds ticked by. The only one who didn’t look worried was Lin. She tilted her head and glanced at Kari.

“What is the Morkdypt Ravine? And why do you and Fay look like someone just told you that your great ancestor died?”

Fay didn’t say anything, but Kari, being the wealth of knowledge that she was, had no trouble explaining what the Morkdypt Ravine was to the Lamia.

“It is a large ravine located so deep in the Demon Beast Mountain Range that we do not have any maps of the surrounding region. The only reason we even know of this ravine is because of several autobiographies written from the time before the Catastrophe that survived. Most of the books have actually been rewritten several times. Did you know that rewriting ancient books is one of the most important jobs within Nevaria? We have several scribes who sole purpose is to—”

“Kari,” Fay said when the young women began going completely off topic.

“Right. Sorry.” Kari took several deep breaths, centered herself, and began again. “Anyway, the books that tell of the Morkdypt Ravine state that it’s a ravine so deep no one really knows how far down it goes. It makes the ravine just a few hours travel from Neveria look like a tiny crack. It’s supposed to be unbelievably vast, spanning over a hundred kilometers. The books I’ve read all state that it was a meteor crashing into the ground that caused the ravine to be created.”

As Kari spoke, Lin leaned forward and stared at her with unblinking golden eyes. Her tail thumped a slow beat against the floor.

Kari took a deep breath and continued. “What’s more, the Morkdypt Ravine contains frightening Demon Beasts that are far stronger than anything we have ever had to deal with. I’m not even talking about the A-rank Demon Beasts. According to the books detailing that place, there are a number of S-rank Demon Beasts who’ve made it their home.”

Lin sucked in a deep breath at these words, leaned back, and turned to look at me. Fear was now present in her eyes.

“Don’t tell this princess that you plan on actually traveling there,” Lin said as though she was hoping against hope it wasn’t true.

I nodded. “I am. Herleif somehow managed to travel out that way and discovered that a number of Sekbeists were located around the Morkdypt Ravine. As you know, the Sekbeists are a grave threat to Nevaria. They were behind the Leucht Family’s betrayal, were the ones who had used Dyr’s power to draw the Demon Beasts to Nevaria, and that one back in Bucharest had created those collars to control Demon Beasts.”

Pausing for just a moment, I gave this knowledge time to sink in. Only after Lin’s, Kari’s, and Fay’s eyes had widened did I continue.

“Now imagine if that Sekbeist manages to create an even more powerful collar that can control S-rank Demon Beasts. Could you imagine what would happen to Nevaria? We already know they are targeting our city. If they could gather S-rank Demon Beasts to their side and force them to fight, this city will be wiped from the map.”

In my previous life, I did not remember any Demon Beasts over A-rank being present during the Demon Beast Invasion, but I would also admit that I had not been paying attention to things like that. I had been scared witless. Back then I was weak, frightened, and could only rely on Kari for protection. My view of the situation had been very narrow because of this.

But now I couldn’t help but wonder if maybe there had been S-rank Demon Beasts present. I vaguely remember seeing a massive Demon Beast that was the same size as the mountain upon which the Imperial Royal Palace sat. Trying to recall what it looked like did no good. I’d simply been so frightened that I couldn’t actually remember. However, perhaps that had been a legendary S-rank Demon Beast.

“That’s why I have to go,” I continued. “Herleif can’t travel on his own because it’s so dangerous. He needs someone who can watch his back, but only another Spiritualist who has reached the Third State of Spiritualism would even stand a chance of surviving a place like that. Anybody else would end up becoming a liability.”

There were only a few Spiritualists who had reached the Third State of Spiritualism: Empress Hilda, myself, and Herleif. Of course, there was also the elders of the Drage Family supposedly. Also, I now believed that Gudmund Drage had been feigning weakness during our first meeting and was also someone who’d reached the Third State of Spiritualism. However, it wasn’t like we could ask the Drage Family for help. I was sure they wouldn’t give it.

“I guess there isn’t much choice.” Even though she admitted this, Kari grimaced as though she had tasted something unpleasant.

“What’s wrong, Big Sister?” asked Lin.

“It’s just… Eryk is finally going out into the Demon Beast Mountain Range, but I can’t go with him on this journey.”

For someone who loved exploring, not being able to travel outside must have been brutal torture for Kari, and it showed on her face. I personally was just glad she understood why she couldn’t come with me and Herleif. This expedition wasn’t going to be pleasant.

“That just means we need to get stronger,” Fay said at last. “The reason we can’t travel with him is because we haven’t reached the Third State of Spiritualism, so we need to keep working hard and getting stronger, until we’re strong enough to go with him even when he travels that deep into the Demon Beast Mountain Range.”

“You’re right, Fay.” Kari smiled, but it was somehow both wan and optimistic. “We’ll just train harder.” She paused and tapped her delicate chin with her index finger. “Maybe I should skip a few classes to continue meditating on the light element?”

“Please don’t,” Fay said dryly.

We continued to discuss the matter regarding my trip to the Morkdypt Ravine. I was schedule to leave two days from now.

As we spoke, I wondered about what I would find in the Morkdypt Ravine. I had been there once before in my previous life, but I never traveled down it because there hadn’t been a reason to. The Sekbeist hadn’t been around either. That was the real mystery to me. Where had the Sekbeist in my previous life disappeared to? What were they doing in the Morkdypt Ravine?

“I guess now the only thing that’s left to discuss is sleeping arrangements,” Kari suddenly announced.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Well… the Morkdypt Ravine is really far from Nevaria, right?” she asked.

“At least half a month’s travel,” I confirmed.

“So we won’t see you for at least a whole month, and that’s barring any unforeseen incidents. Given that you are traveling there to investigate the Sekbeist, I imagine it might take you even longer to return home.” I must have had a stunned look on my face because Kari suddenly smiled as if she knew what I was thinking. “That being the case, we only have two nights to spend with you before you head out. Naturally, we need to think about who is going to sleep with you during those two nights.”

“Uh-huh…”

I was finally able to see where this was going, but at the same time, I wondered if it was necessary. I had actually been going to suggest we all sleep together. However, it looked like Kari had other plans.

“Ahem.” Covering her hand with her mouth as she coughed, Kari glanced at the other two girls. “Seeing how I have been kind enough to share my nights with you two on occasion, I believe it is only right that I spend the night with him.”

“T-that’s not fair!” Lin suddenly leapt onto her tail. “We never asked you to share your nights with us. You did those on your own. Why should this princess have to give up her time to sleep with Darling for such an arbitrary reason?”

“As the Primary Wife, it is only right that I spend this night with Eryk,” Kari said, shocking me stupid. Never in my life had I ever seen Kari pull the “Primary Wife” card out. She normally treated Fay and Lin as equals and partners, so seeing her act like this was more than just a tad surprising.

“This princess doesn’t think it matters who the Primary Wife is!” Lin made wild gesticulations with her hands as her tail thumped against the floor. I warily eyed the tail, which had the power to punch a hole straight through the floor if she wasn’t careful. “Just being the Primary Wife does not mean you have the right to deny this princess her time with Darling!”

“Actually, it does.” Kari raised her pointer finger and adopted a lecture pose. “The Primary Wife is the most powerful figure within any harem. The reason they are called the Primary Wife is not only because they are the first who to become married, but because they are also the one who lays down the law. Everything the Primary Wife says must be followed to the letter. Failure to do so could result in you being expelled from the harem.”

Lin reared back as if struck. “Y-you wouldn’t do that, would you?”

“Of course not.” Kari assured Lin with a smile. “However, I do think it is only right that I sleep with Eryk before he leaves on his trip.”

“This princess… won’t give up her time to sleep with Darling!”

As I sat there and wondered whether or not I should intervene, Fay came over and sat down next to me. We didn’t say anything at first. I was busy studying Kari. I felt like she was acting awfully controlling and greedy, far more than I had ever seen her act before. At first, I thought it was because I was leaving for at least a month and she wanted to spend as much time alone with me as possible. It wasn’t until I noticed her smile that I realized what was really happening.

“I see you’ve finally noticed it,” Fay said with a soft giggle.

Sighing, I nodded once. “Kari isn’t being serious. She’s completely stringing Lin along for her own amusement.”

“Kari confessed to me once that she always wanted a little sister to tease,” Fay told me. “She used to complain about all the times Geirolf made fun of her, picked on her, and made her feel terrible. She constantly used to tell me that if she ever got a younger sister, she’d never be mean to her like Geirolf. At the same time, she said she always wanted to try her hand at good-naturedly teasing a younger sibling.”

I nodded, aware of how Kari felt. The two of us watched on as Kari continued teasing Lin, until the dark-skinned Lamia girl looked like she might start crying. Once that happened, Kari realized she’d gone to far and tugged Lin into her arms.

“Sorry, I went too far. I’m not going to take your time with Eryk away from you.”

“You won’t?” Lin sniffled.

“I won’t,” Kari promised.

“Kay.” Sniffling a little more, Lin rested her head on Kari’s far larger chest. She closed her eyes for several seconds before opening them and looking up at Kari. “Um, maybe we should all sleep with him like before? I know we set a rotation where each one of us sleeps with Darling alone so we could be intimate with him, but since he’s going to be traveling…”

“I was thinking the same thing,” Kari confessed.

Lin narrowed her eyes. “You were teasing this princess, weren’t you?”

“A little,” Kari confessed with a smile.

Lin’s cheeks swelled like a Bombchu.

***

I didn’t wake up early the next morning and chose to sleep in instead, luxuriating in the gentle and lulling warmth of the three beautiful young women sharing my bed. It had been awhile since all three of us slept together. While sleeping with the girls one-on-one was always nice because it allowed us to be more intimate, there was something charming and wonderful about moments where all four of us were snuggled together like this.

However, I knew that I couldn’t remain in bed. I needed to gather supplies for the journey into the Demon Beast Mountain Range. I would be traveling far deeper into Demon Beast territory than ever before—since I returned to the past.

While I lay there in bed, I thought about all the things I would need, absently stroking Kari’s and Fay’s shoulders and arms. Kari released a gentle, almost purr-like sound as she nestled herself closer to me. Fay did not make any noise, but she did bury her face in my shoulder. Meanwhile, Lin, who lay on top of me and had curled her tail around the entwined legs of me, Kari, and Fay, was muttering something under her breath.

“This princess… won’t let you get any sleep tonight… fumu fumu…”

I had no idea what that meant.

Considering I’d be gone for about a month, I needed enough rations to last for at least half a month. I hated rations and preferred cooking my food while journeying. In this case, however, I had to consider the fact that we would be traveling into enemy territory. Once we reached a certain point, we probably wouldn’t be able to start a fire for cooking.

I think I had been lying there longer than I realized. Kari stirred against me and slowly opened her eyes. She blinked several times as though her eyes were adjusting, then smiled at me.

“Morning, Eryk.”

She tilted her head and leaned forward, intending to place a kiss on my cheek, but I turned my head at the last moment. Her eyes widened when our lips touched. Then she closed them and opened her mouth, pushing her tongue past my lips, teeth, and into my mouth. The sudden surprise attack would have left me breathless if I hadn’t been prepared for it.

“Good morning yourself,” I said after she leaned back.

Kari smacked her lips a few times as she placed her head back on my shoulder, grinning. “Have you been up since early this morning thinking about your expedition?”

“Yeah…”

“You’re thinking about how many provisions you should bring, right?”

“You know me too well.” I turned my head to look at the ceiling. “Since it’s going to be a long trip, I’ll need to pack quite a bit… but I also have to consider the fact that I won’t be able to carry much. Backpacks and pouches can only hold so many supplies, and the more we stuff into them, the more unwieldy they become.”

I was strong enough that I could lift objects weighing upwards of ten tons, but being able to lift that much weight and traveling with something that weighed the same were two different things.

“Then I guess it’s your lucky day,” Kari said with a glint in her eyes. “I have something that I think will help you with this particular issue.”

“You do?” I furrowed my brows and tried to think of what Kari could possibly have that would help me carry more supplies. It came to me after a second, and when it did, my eyes went wide. “You mean…?”

“Let’s wait until Fay and Lin are awake.” Kari’s smile vaguely reminded me of a very satisfied cat who’d just caught the biggest, juiciest rat of all time.

Fay and Lin woke up only a few minutes after Kari, perhaps stirred by the sound of our voices. It was almost amusing how Lin woke up. First she uncoiled her entire lower half from around our legs. Then she sat up and slowly stretched her arms before cutely rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She wasn’t wearing a single stitch of clothing, so her modest breasts with their dark pink nipples, flat stomach, and beautiful hips that shifted from skin to scales were on full display. I glanced at her pussy for only a brief moment before looking away. We didn’t have time for sex.

Fay’s method of waking up was far more modest—probably because she was clothed. She sat up in bed and rubbed her face. The string sitting on her left shoulder slipped down, causing her to bare a little more skin, but Fay didn’t respond with embarrassment like she used to. She yawned and slid the string back up her shoulder.

After everyone finally woke up, we got dressed in something more suitable for others to see, then found Jessie and asked her to deliver some breakfast to us.

Breakfast was a simple dish of sausage, poached eggs, and bread that had been toasted over an oven. We were also given some butter to use as a spread.

It wasn’t the most extravagant meal we’d ever eaten. Indeed, breakfasts at the Imperial Royal Palace had been fit for royalty, but I honestly preferred the simpler taste of commoner dishes like this. Even when I was the leader of Brave Vesperia, I had always eaten simple meals.

“You mentioned you have something that can help me carry supplies,” I said to Kari as the four of us sat around the coffee table and finished our breakfast with some warm tea. It was a rauðr tea, which was almost blood red in color. My understanding was that it was made from bilberry berries and complimented with bilberry leaves, birch leaves and bark, labrador tea, and a type of moss. I also thought I detected a hint of juniper berries, but I couldn’t say for sure.

Kari’s wide and satisfied smile was a sight to behold. “I do. Let’s head to my workshop after we finish breakfast.”

Fay and Lin looked curious to know what we were talking about, but they held off until the four of us finished our tea.

Kari led us to her workshop, which I was pleased to note looked tidier than the last time I’d seen it. There were no papers strewn about the floor, the books were all put back in place, and the table was mostly clear. There were only a few objects still sitting on it, including knives, a small buckler shield, and a ring.

It was the ring that Kari picked up and presented to me. “I’m sure you know what this is.”

She dropped the ring into my outstretched hand, allowing me to study the simple design. It was just a plain band made of an alloy I recognized as belonging to the Giant Rock Golem I had fought quite a few months back. The simple reddish silver color seemed plain at first, but a closer inspection revealed several dozen Runes had been carved into the surface. They were both outside and inside of the band.

“You’ve managed to create a storage ring?” I looked from the ring to her.

“Uh-huh.” Kari grinned as she placed her hands on her hips and thrust out her chest with pride. I briefly watched the way her breasts bounced before focusing on what she was saying. “It took me awhile to get the Rune Array right. There was a lot of trial and error because someone was always busy and couldn’t be here to help me.”

“I’m sorry,” I apologized.

“It’s okay.” Still grinning, Kari continued. “Anyway, this storage ring is pretty simple and can’t hold more than half a ton worth of supplies, but that’s still far more than a backpack can carry.”

Half a ton also equaled about half a cart’s worth of supplies, meaning this storage ring had enough space to store about half a month’s worth of rations for two people, which was just enough. I sighed in relief.

“Excuse me,” Fay began, her curious expression shifting between me, the ring, and Kari. “Can one of you explain what that ring is?”

“Oh! Right, I totally forgot to tell you two, didn’t I?” Kari looked honestly shocked, but she quickly adopted a pose similar to an instructor as she began explaining what her storage ring did. “This ring is called a storage ring. The name is actually pretty self-explanatory. It uses a Rune Array that utilizes the Runes of Fehu, Uruz, Raidho, Gebo, Pertho, and Ehwaz. When you combine these Runes to form an array, it creates a very small pocket dimension that allows people to store items. I’ve further expanded the space by creating a string of Rune Arrays and connecting them together to form a network, but I could only create a pocket dimension large enough to fit half a ton’s worth of supplies inside.”

Fay’s eyes widened in shock. On the other hand, Lin had cupped her chin and was looking at the ring with keen interest.

“Can you even store water?” asked Lin.

“Of course.” Kari nodded as her smile grew broader. “The storage ring can hold anything, including food and water. Not only that, but the pocket dimension located inside of the storage ring is unaffected by time, so anything placed in the storage ring will remain fresh. When you take something out, like food, it will be as if the food had been freshly baked. I actually tested this by storing fresh baked cookies inside and bringing them out several days later. They were still warm.”

“T-that’s incredible!” Fay exploded in shock. “With something like this, you wouldn’t need to use such large carts when you travel! Imagine how convenient this would be!”

There was some truth to Fay’s words, and indeed, I had similar thoughts. However, Kari shook her head.

“It might be convenient, but it’s not like these can be mass produced.” She sighed and took the ring from my palm. “For one thing, the materials needed to make a storage ring are rare. You can’t use normal metals like bronze, iron, and steel. Only an alloy from a Demon Beast like the Giant Rock Golem will work. I think it has something to do with how Demon Beasts are sensitive to Spiritual Power, thus the parts you salvage from them are able to absorb and store Spiritual Power, but I digress. Since the materials necessary are so rare, we can’t mass produce them.” She paused, then added. “There’s also the fact that there is only one person aside from Eryk and myself who are currently capable of inscribing Runes into objects like this.”

“Oh…” Fay’s shoulders slumped a little. “I really thought my idea was a good one.”

“It is!” Kari assured her. “It’s definitely a great idea, and if we can get the necessary materials and teach others how to inscribe Runes, we could create a whole new market. It just isn’t possible right now.”

Kari’s words made Fay look a little better.

I took the storage ring from Kari again, marveling at the cool sensation on my palm. I still remembered how amazing the ring Immig had created was. After the destruction of Brave Vesparia and the death of Kari and Kayli, I had taken the storage ring on my journey, and it had been of great use to me.

And now Kari had managed to recreate this ring using the vague memories she could barely remember. I had helped her, of course, since I had all of my memories intact, but most of the legwork had been done by Kari. Her incredible ability to recreate something based on memories she couldn’t recall with any clarity was beyond impressive.

In either event, I now had an item that could be used to store enough provisions to last for a minimum of half a month.

It was time to begin packing.