Chapter 242: Interlude-4/Chapter 241: Elf Queen Aura, Friana’s Experiment
Knock! Knock! Knock!
At midnight, Friana suddenly brought a few of her students to Emiya’s room.
The elf professor’s purpose was to obtain information about the ancient monsters "Lochness" and "Gugalanna" from Emiya, in order to update the [School District]’s monster encyclopedia.
Compared with Orario’s version of the monster index, which emphasized practicality, the School District’s records were much more detailed and rigorous. "Monsterology" was an important academic subject there, and among its fields, [Ancient Monsters] was the most valued research direction.
Not long after she knocked, Emiya opened the door.
"Shirou-kun, do you have some free time now?", the elf asked.
Emiya glanced at the large desk in the inn’s room. After thinking a bit, he said, "Mm... more or less, I suppose I do."
"That’s wonderful. Originally, I was going to look for you in the city, but meeting you here is convenient. I’d like to ask some questions about the two ancient monsters you defeated," Friana politely didn’t enter without permission, but stood obediently at the doorway waiting.
Still, she tilted her head and peeked inside. Emiya’s room seemed empty.
"Alright, no problem... please come in," Emiya hesitated for a moment, then invited Friana and her students inside.
Emiya sat down behind the desk, while Friana took a seat opposite him.
"Thank you for your cooperation. As compensation, I can provide you with a reward... hmm, Shirou-kun probably doesn’t lack money, so if there’s a magic item you want, you may commission me to make it."
"There’s no need for a reward. This is something I ought to do."
Apart from proprietary technologies like forging formulas and magical item schematics, most of the School District’s research results were shared with cities and other factions, especially research in "Monsterology."
Many monster weaknesses and subjugation strategies were the result of the School’s researchers’ analysis and experimentation.
So, Emiya was glad to cooperate with them.
"Lochness’s potential level was Lv.7, a water monster resembling a ’long-necked dinosaur beast,’" Emiya explained.
The long-necked dinosaur beasts were dungeon monsters from the [Forest Canyon] area, strong and durable, but extremely slow dinosaur-type beasts.
"However, Lochness wasn’t sealed by spirits in the Heroic Age or earlier. It was only sighted a few years ago in [Falling Moon Lake], where it began expanding its population," As Emiya spoke, Friana’s students took notes.
He added, "[Falling Moon Lake] is always thought of as an inland lake, but in fact, it’s connected to the southern sea through an underground waterway. Lochness must have entered the lake from there."
"I see. So that means Lochness is very likely an ancient monster from the sea. That does make more sense," Friana nodded.
Most ancient monsters on land were dormant or sealed. But in the deep seas, where humans couldn’t easily reach, who could say how many ancient monsters still roamed?
Thus, there was even a theory that [Leviathan]’s threat was actually far smaller than [Behemoth] and the [One-Eyed Black Dragon].
Although it had caused multiple tsunamis, destroyed countless coastal cities, and posed a massive threat to human navigation, [Leviathan]’s main area of activity was still the deep ocean, far from the human world.
So, whether that [Overlord of the Ocean] harmed humans more, or harmed other sea monsters and ancient monsters in the deep sea more, was hard to say.
"Alicia, Aura, don’t cause trouble," Emiya lowered his head and whispered.
Aura Moliel, Lv.4, titled [Grape Chalice], a member of Freya Familia, former adventurer, and now queen of an elven forest.
The town Emiya’s group stopped in today just happened to be close to that elven forest.
Before arriving, Emiya had written Aura a letter, informing her that they would be near the forest.
Originally, he had hoped to arrange a time to visit Aura there.
But instead of waiting for her reply, it was the elf queen herself who arrived, with a few trusted attendants, rushing here in the middle of the night.
When Aura arrived, it was already late. The queen was anything but polite, she barged straight into Emiya’s bedroom.
Since he couldn’t show favoritism, Emiya had no choice but to project a set of mystic code for Aura as well.
Incidentally, though Aura was a queen and Riveria was a princess, Aura’s throne extended only over a single elven forest, while Riveria belonged to a true royal family line. By elf custom, Riveria’s status was still above Aura’s.
Therefore, Aura came under the title of "audience with Princess Riveria."
Riveria, kneeling there beside Aura: ’Heh...’
Friana: "What did you say?"
Emiya awkwardly scratched his cheek, "No, nothing."
Then, Friana asked many more questions about the ancient monsters, and Emiya answered as best he could.
Nina and the others diligently recorded everything. Emiya reached a hand under the desk, rubbing Riveria’s and Ryuu’s heads to signal them not to follow Alicia’s antics.
Yet, they seemed to misunderstand his meaning.
"Gugalanna, on the other hand, is far more famous, even appearing as the final enemy in a heroic saga," Friana continued.
A certain blacksmith had forged chains that could bind even the "Heavenly Bull" that shattered mountains, and together with a sealing crafted from the sacrifice of the spirit of thunder, they sealed Gugalanna in the thunder canyon of the [Storm Wastelands].
That saga was rather obscure; probably only a heroic-saga enthusiast like Tiona would know it.
Apart from her, only historical scholars like Friana, since most sagas in this world were tied to actual history.
Emiya shifted his chair slightly, giving more room beneath the desk.
"Mm... Gugalanna was indeed much stronger. Its potential power was equal to an upper Lv.8, a solitary king of the labyrinth," He kept a serious expression and explained earnestly.
"May I ask how you defeated it?", Friana asked.
"Just like in the saga, using chains to bind the Heavenly Bull, then unleashing my strongest attack...", The weapon Emiya used to slay Gugalanna was the [Seven-Headed Warhammer/Sita].
Because of the goddess Ishtar’s recognition, he had obtained access to that weapon.
Among the divine weapons recorded in [O’ Humans, Let Us Restrain the Gods (Enuma Elish)], in terms of raw physical destructive power, the [Seven-Headed Warhammer] granted by Ishtar was the strongest.
Though in the realm of "Beauty," Ishtar was inferior to Freya, she also embodied war, harvest, and stars.
Strictly speaking, Ishtar was primarily an agricultural goddess, and only secondarily a goddess of beauty. In terms of divine authority, she far surpassed Freya.
But compared with divine power, the goddesses themselves cared more about "beauty" and "love."
Because of the topic of beauty goddesses, the faces of two of them involuntarily floated in Emiya’s mind.
He lowered his gaze slightly, staring at four pairs of cat ears, and felt a pang of guilt.
"...Alright, thank you very much for your cooperation," After many more questions, Friana closed her notebook and turned to her students.
"You all may go back first."
Though puzzled, Nina and the others obediently obeyed their professor’s command.
"Shirou-kun, did you know? Among us researchers, you have many nicknames," Friana hung her coat on a stand.
"One of them, and the one people care most about, is [Level-Up Accelerator]."
Emiya: "...What?"
"Haven’t you noticed? The girls around you, especially the ones close to you, level up at astonishing speed."
Riveria, after traveling and going on expeditions with Emiya, had leveled up to Lv.7 and was now not far from Lv.8.
Alicia had risen from Lv.4 to Lv.6 in just a year after meeting him.
Haruhime, from Lv.1 to Lv.3. even though she was practically useless in battle, she leveled up far faster than someone as talented as Yamato Mikoto.
Ryuu. Hers was the most extreme case. In just over a year, she had jumped from Lv.4 to Lv.7. Rumor even said she could fight Lv.8 Ottar to a draw.
Emiya: "...So?"
Friana removed her hair tie and set it on Emiya’s desk, her silver hair spilling loose, "As a researcher, I’m very curious. Therefore, I’d like to conduct an experiment with you..."
She leaned forward, lips close to the desk, whispering, "Would that be alright, Princess Riveria?"
Riveria’s forehead showed cross-veins. Crawling out from under the desk, she snapped, "Of course not, nya!"
"Ahh, so you really were under there...", Friana tilted her head slightly, "Nya?"
Her gaze fixed on the cat ears atop the elven princess’s head, and she gave a subtle smile.
Riveria blushed, hurriedly tearing off the cat-ear accessory.
"Relax, I’m joking," Friana smiled, "I won’t trouble Shirou-kun. I’ve lived long enough anyway."
"Then I won’t disturb you. Shirou-kun, Princess Riveria, sweet dreams," She curtsied and turned to leave.
In her heart, the elf counted, ’Three, two, one.’
"Wait," Emiya’s voice stopped her. At his words, a small smile flickered at Friana’s lips.
"What did you mean by what you said?", Emiya asked.
Friana paused, "I possess a skill that extends my lifespan. Its effect scales with my level."
[Falna]’s raising of life tier, a lifespan-extending [Skill], and being a long-lived high elf, these together meant Friana, though older than Riveria’s grandparents, remained so youthful.
But the skill still had limits. Friana merely had traces of royal blood, unlike Riveria’s true royal line.
"I’ve been stuck at Lv.6 for over a decade. I doubt I’ll ever break through again," Friana spoke softly, shaking her head as she moved toward the door.
Riveria: "...Come back."
Friana halted.
"You’re truly a rotten elf, Senior Friana," Riveria’s face was frosty.
Friana: "I don’t understand what you’re saying."
"Heh," Riveria sneered, "You’ll see."
She donned her coat, walked out, and soon returned dragging Haruhime along.
"Lady Riveria, should I cast [Uchide no Kozuchi]?", Haruhime asked, already familiar with this.
Thinking carefully, most of the [Uchide no Kozuchi] she had used recently was to counter Emiya. In fact, even in the Gugalanna battle, she hadn’t needed it.
"Yes," Riveria nodded, "But use it on Shirou." [T/N: Uh, oh!]
"Eh? On Master?", Haruhime blinked, "But if we use it on Master, everyone will die."
Emiya: "..."
Under Riveria’s cold gaze, he nodded helplessly.
Friana, uneasy, watched as Haruhime’s magic activated, platinum motes of light rising around Emiya, "What are you doing?"
"Alright, Ryuu, Alicia, Haruhime, Aura, let’s go," Riveria gave a cold laugh.
"Senior Friana, do your best to stay alive."
"No, I should say, do your best not to die too many times," Riveria activated [Oath of Time].
She looked at Emiya, smiling, "Shirou, since Senior Friana wants to level up so badly, why not activate [Mad Enhancement]? With me here, it’ll be fine."
Emiya gave a bitter smile, "Is this really okay?"
"If we don’t, how can we be sure she’ll level up? It’s for her sake. We have no choice," Riveria declared righteously.
After a moment’s silence, Emiya nodded softly, "...Very well."
"Actually, come to think of it, even without leveling up, I should still live another two hundred years or so," Friana stiffly edged toward the door, "So really, I won’t trouble you..."
But once Haruhime cast [Uchide no Kozuchi] on Emiya, everyone else immediately left the room.
The elven princess stood in the doorway, slowly closing it.
Riveria: "Sweet dreams, Senior Friana~"
———
Not long afterward, Friana leveled up to Lv.7. [Elven Eternal Song]’s effect improved, and her lifespan increased once more.
However, she was left with aftereffects: whenever she saw Emiya, she grew flustered, and even the slightest touch, just a head-pat, made her knees give way.
Whether that price for ascension was worth it or not, who could say?
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