[A month later]
The swing doors creak as a handful of guests step into a solemn restaurant-inn. Like the dry grainy air that scratches one's throat as they breathe, the restaurant atmosphere feels just as uncomfortable. The restaurant turns mute like a press of a button, and many pairs of eyes shoot over to the entrance.
The group of unknown travelers is covered with hooded capes to mask their body shape and facial features. However, that mystery soon lifts when one of them lets her hood fall on her shoulders to reveal her notorious appearance.
A blood elf.
She walks away from her group toward the old chipping reception desk and places three silver coins. Suddenly, the drapes over the kitchen window part. A demon with the head of a toad extends out to look at the blood elf tapping her foot.
Unfazed, the blood elf murmurs, "A week, three rooms."
The low-level demon gives a business smile and quickly races to the reception desk with her flimsy legs. She blobs onto the chair and scrambles through the keys messily placed on the desk while singing 'a week' joyously.
"I can see that little miss is here for the tomb… tsk, tsk, tsk!" The toad demon sings.
The eyebrows of the blood elf lift.
"You don't often see a blood elf in these parts of the continent unless you are raiding the cursed tomb. I must say, you are going to die!"
The blood elf frowns, "Someone already succeeded."
The toad freezes, and with an eerie smile, she lifts her pupils to look at the pissed blood elf.
"It's different," the toad pauses to widen her round, and slimy eyes, "The only ones who succeeded are the fallen saintess and her servant."
The toad slaps the three keys on the counter with a smug.
The blood elf takes the keys and blurts, "Well, I am going to succeed as well!"
The toad demon giggles, infecting the restaurant inn's guests with a burst of demeaning laughter. The chain of laughter stops once a knife stabs into the counter. A crack runs around the reception desk. The imposter's hood falls, and the toad twists her brows after seeing the pure white hair and dark blue skin.
"What an odd combination! A drow with a…. blood elf?"
"Careful there, toad," the drow growls.
The drow pulls his hood forward and heads to the stairs like the rest of the group.
The toad narrows her eyes, making the blood elf nervous.
The low-class demon hands two copper coins back, and the elf takes them, preparing to leave.
"So…."
The blood elf slowly turns with cold sweat chilling her back.
The toad gives out another business smile, "Are you getting meals here?"
The blood elf exhales in relief, "Yeah, sure."
After the blood elf is gone, the toad sighs while rolling her eyes. The cook, a low-class demon with the head of a horse, sticks his long head out of the kitchen.
"I can't believe I am receiving exiles to my inn," the toad demon huffs.
"Exiles?" The horse demon chews loudly on a sugar cane.
"Most likely! Or else why would enemies be together?"
One of the guests walks to the reception desk.
"I think you shouldn't bother them."
"Suski, are you afraid of mere exiles?"
"No, no! I am not saying that, goddamn toad! There were two nobles in the mix!"
"Nobles? Which type of demons did you see?"
"They had humanoid figures and also those patterns!"
"You mean the patterns from the nobles that entered those death gates!"
Suski nods and leans close, "Do you think the fallen saintess has told them what they could find inside the tomb?"
The toad demon lifts the corners of her lips all the way to her temples.
"Who would know if we don't kindly ask?" the toad sings while jiggling the silver coins in her hand.
---
The blood elf closes the door where the rest of her group has gathered. She collapses on the squeaky bed and exhales her tension.
"That toad almost saw through us!" Laurel sits back up again.
Kyrie chuckles, "No way! Queen Theresia has given us really effective potions. I think it is because people never saw a drow with a blood elf together."
Laurel pouts, "Well… I can't blame the new queen for not knowing the relationships between races in the demon continent…. But that almost gave me a heart attack!"
"We do make an odd combination," Ian joins the conversation, "Federline and Lemuel are drows, Laurel is a blood elf, and Kyrie and I are noble demons."
"It makes me curious why Queen Theresia had these kinds of potions," Laurel whispers.
"Laurel…." Kyrie warns.
"Okay, okay! I was just curious!"
"It seems that only the fallen saintess and the fallen paladin have succeeded in raiding the tomb," Federline points out.
"The tomb is really dangerous because there are a lot of traps and puzzles. If one is not careful, you can really get lost there forever even if you can survive in it," Ian explains since he is the most experienced out of them.
"Why is it so hard?" Lemuel asks.
"The tomb acts almost like a living thing. The paths change every so and then, but it has no consistency. It is completely random. There are also plagues of unnatural creatures inside."
Kyrie nods slowly while eyeing Lemuel and Federline, "I want you two to stay behind."
Before Federline and Lemuel can protest, Ian nods in agreement.
"We need people from the outside in case something happens. At least you can gather more people to look for us if we stay inside for way too long," Ian explains Kyrie's decision.
"Plus," Kyrie smiles, "It will be three of you soon."
Lemuel blushes while Federline scratches his nape.
He caresses the slight bulge on his stomach while realizing once again that he is going to be a parent soon. Lemuel's chest flutters while he thinks of a tiny human being in his arms shortly. It seems like a dream, even if he processes it now.
Is he going to be a good parent? Will the child like him? Many questions surface in his mind.
He senses Federline's hand on his shoulder and feels more sure that things will go well.
"How lucky," Laurel pouts again, feeling a bit envious of the couple.
"I heard from Queen Annora that Lemuel can give birth with half the time that is required for a regular woman. I hope you can have tons of kids that look like you, Lemuel! I will be a great aunt!"
Lemuel's face totally turns red while Federline chokes on his saliva.
"Why not like me?" Federline protests.
"Because Lemuel is cute, and you…. Let's not talk about it."
"Hey!"
Laurel smirks at Federline, "Who wants to have a face that has muscle paralysis!"
Federline starts to wrestle with Laurel, but they are equally matched, making Federline feel flabbergasted.
Laurel snarks, "Federline, do you think I would stay put after knowing that you can win against me?"
Federline turns to Kyrie with some betrayal in his face that basically says, 'I thought you only tortured me the most!'
Kyrie's eyes shine at the opportunity, but Laurel and Federline immediately turn their heads away to continue arguing amongst themselves.
They argue like they have the insurance of a dog chain around their necks.
They are not going to fight, but they are going to argue!
"Didn't they want to get better?" Kyrie whispers under his breath as Ian lifts a corner of his lips.
[Why are people always against my genius? No pain, no gain! It is a natural law of achievements!!!]
Meanwhile:
Laurel looks at Federline like she could chop his head off, and Federline takes a deep breath because that was too close to hell.
They both think, 'Anything but Kyrie's hell training!!!'
Lemuel awkwardly chuckles and diverts the topic to something else, "Nur told us that Queen Annora once mentioned that Phanes knew the alchemist demon queen."
With the main topic pointed out, Laurel and Federline cease fighting and look at Kyrie for some more explanation. Since they have used the first transformation potion to test its stability, they have to rush to the demon continent after finding its effectiveness.
Kyrie takes out a recording stone left behind by Queen Annora in case something happened to her before Phanes's successor never got to meet her.
Kyrie pours some mana inside the recording stone, and the stone gets wrapped in light with rainbow patterns. Then, a sky blue beam shoots up to the ceiling and fans out into a panel. The panel shatters into millions of cubes and starts to piece back together into Queen Annora's figure.
"Hello, successor," the formal but gentle voice coming out of the recording stone reddens Kyrie's eyes.
"If you see this, it means that I am no longer alive to tell you the story."
Queen Annora goes over her story with Phanes and her sin against the god realm. Then, when that story is over, she pauses and ponders. She places a finger on her cheek.
"I have heard of another story coming from Phanes that you might be interested in. It is about her previous friendship with the Alchemist Queen Melan.
It is not publicly known that the Alchemist Queen used to be a human since her image looks closer to a demon. She is a homunculus since she has given up being a human and performed numerous experiments on her own body.
However, before she had given up on her humanity, she used to be called Isadora Seona. In the history books, Isadora's reputation is close to a divine doctor. She has green fingers and loves the art of medicine more than anyone.
During those tranquil days, Isadora met Phanes while hunting for wild ginseng in a forest. They became friends rather quickly since they have a similar curiosity towards the world.
However, Phanes soon got to know of Isadora's dark side. It was the extreme opposite of what Phanes knew her to be. In the light, Isadora was a merciful healer. But in the darkness, she was incurably obsessed with her own mortality.
Phanes thought that if Isadora learned how to absorb essence, the problem would be gone. Ultimately, essence can extend Isadora's life.
However… Even though there is no denial that Isadora is a genius, she is not born with the ability to accept essence into her body.
Because Phanes revealed the existence of essence to Isadora, Isadora got to know that Phanes was a rather meaningful existence amongst mortals.
I don't know a lot of the details, but Isadora has betrayed Phanes.
Phanes looked for her for many years, and when she found Isadora, Isadora already turned into the alchemist queen.
When Phanes has met Isadora again, she couldn't find a single trace of humanity left in her old friend. For Phanes, the alchemist queen has swallowed Isadora. She couldn't recognize the alchemist queen anymore due to her cruel and vile actions."
Queen Annora sighs, heartbroken for Phanes as she narrates.
"So, Phanes has made the decision to take her down along with her enormous obsession.
I asked her why she didn't destroy the alchemist queen's tomb, and she said she wanted to show the tomb to her successor. She mentioned that she left something important behind for him.
So if you have time, dear successor, please make a visit to that tomb.
I think that is about it with what I know about Phanes.
I hope that if you meet her to help me pass on an apology from me. Tell her that I am sorry that I couldn't be her better friend. Tell her that Theresia has grown into a kind and mature lady. And tell her how grateful I am to meet someone like her."
Queen Annora gives a final smile before the light from the recording stone dims, and the particles of light blend into the air.