Chapter 277 Two “sisters” alone? (I)
White Dragon Labyrinth Exploration Arc.
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(POV: Akashic Records)
Aaron adjusted her flowing blue hair.
In her opinion, there were a lot of inconsistencies with Laura?s plan, and this made her uncertain about the entire game?s set-up as a whole.
"Lady Laura, are you sure it was the right choice to allow Lumiere to move in tandem with Ravenna?" she asked.
There was nothing but utter pride and confidence in Laura?s pitch black eyes.
She chuckled a bit before she replied.
"Trust me, Aaron. Neither of them will be a threat. In fact, using one Curse King to catch another is the best strategy we have."
Now to explain.
The woman Lumiere encountered in the hidden chamber was none other than a Curse King. Or more precisely, the Immortal Curse King, Ravenna the Eternal. And while she possessed immortality due to her curse of aging, she was still vulnerable against forces like Rivka.
Rivka was normally known as the Ancestral Binder.
But among immortal beings she was feared as "The Immortal Unaliver" due to her ability to kill even those who were immortal through her [Spirit Magic].
However, the Curse Kings were an exception to this rule, as they possessed a transcendent backlash curse that guided their every move.
In essence, attempting to kill a Curse King would result in either becoming one and inheriting their curse or being eternally cursed.
Nevertheless, this was only common knowledge to beings who lived in the time of Rynar, the first Curse King.
Aaron's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"But why go through all this trouble? Why not simply incapacitate Lumiere right here and now?" she suggested.
Laura let out a soft chuckle, her lips curved into a mischievous smile.
"Oh, Aaron, as tempting as that may be, I can't simply kill Lumiere. If I were to do so, my older brother would never forgive me," she explained.
That was the only reason.
Naturally, Laura had a means to bypass the transcendent backlash curse and kill a Curse King or possibly, eternally incapacitate them.
Aaron nodded in understanding, recalling the delicate balance between the Five Orders and their apostles.
"Ah, the politics of the Orders. I see, now I understand why you've been proceeding with caution so far..."
Laura leaned back, crossing her legs and letting out a tired yawn.
"Exactly. So, for now, I can't have my fun with Lumiere," she casually admitted.
Still, there was still the question of why release Ravenna?
"But what was the purpose of freeing Ravenna? Surely the Imperial Red Dragon wouldn't be pleased with that decision either," she inquired.
Laura waved a dismissive hand, her gaze focused on the intricacies of her complex five-dimensional chess set.
"Don't concern yourself with that, Aaron. Ravenna may believe she's found an escape, but in the end, her soul will give up, and she'll die," she explained.
Aaron's eyes widened in surprise. "Die? But isn't she immortal?" she asked, her disbelief evident.
With a hint of boredom, Laura replied, "You ask too many questions, Aaron. Just watch and see how everything unfolds."
Bowing her head respectfully, Aaron accepted Laura's directive.
"If that is your wish, Lady Laura, then I will observe," she acquiesced, her voice calm and composed.
Laura delicately picked up another chess piece and adjusted it on her intricate five-dimensional chess set.
The pieces representing Lumiere and Ravenna, the Curse Kings, were carefully moved under her watchful gaze.
A king, and a queen.
The flickering orb in front of her seemed to react to their movements, glowing with a calm light.
Laura's eyes gleamed as she observed the shifting chessboard.
"Oh, it seems another set has started moving," she mused.
Her slender fingers maneuvered two pawn pieces representing Lumila and Elise.
...
Meanwhile,
In the depths of the labyrinth, Lumila groaned, awakening from her slumber.
She blinked her eyes open and immediately locked gazes with Elise, who was resting against the opposite wall.
Lumila struggled for words, her mind still foggy from sleep.
"Y... You're..." Elise began, her voice trailing off.
She didn't know how best to speak to Lumila.
"What's going on?" Lumila solemnly asked.
Elise, seated on the labyrinth floor with her chin resting on her knees, wrapped her arms around her legs, realizing Lumila's uncertainty.
"We... We got teleported here, I think," she admitted with uncertainty. "I'm not entirely sure what happened."
Lumila's hazy memory began to clear, and she vaguely remembered the sudden displacement.
"Oh yeah, that," she muttered.
She clearly recalled the annoying red flash of light.
Her eyes squinted in the darkness as she realized something was off.
"Wait, where are my glasses?" she exclaimed, panic seeping into her voice.
Frantically searching the ground, Lumila grew more and more desperate.
The labyrinth's darkness played tricks on her vision, making it nearly impossible to find her precious spectacles.
"I can't lose those," she muttered, frustration dripping from her words.
Elise, her normally shy demeanor momentarily pushed aside, mustered up the courage to speak.
"I... I kept them safe," she stammered, her hand sheepishly emerging from beneath her clothing, holding Lumila's glasses. "I... I thought you might need them."
Lumila's eyes widened in surprise as she accepted her glasses from Elise.
"What're you doing with them?" she asked.
She examined the spectacles, her fingers tracing the familiar frame.
Elise's cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she looked down, her voice trembling as she spoke.
"I... I didn't want... The frame chipped a bit when we fell here, I didn't want them to break... So I took them off and kept them for you," she confessed, her words coming out in a rushed, nervous manner.
Inwardly, she cursed herself for having to speak so much, considering she was usually the one keeping to herself.
Lumila, her eyes softening, took the glasses from Elise's outstretched hand.
She studied them carefully, polishing the lenses delicately before placing them on her face. "I see."
As Lumila adjusted her glasses, she noticed something else.
There was a scarf draped over her upper body.
"What's this?" she questioned, holding out the scarf for Elise to see.
Elise froze up, her eyes darting nervously.
She stammered, "I... It's... um..."
Lumila's patience wore thin, her voice rising slightly.
"Speak up if you want to be heard, Elise," she said sternly. "I can't stand your freezing silence every damn second, it's annoying."
Sadness filled Elise's narrowed eyes as she swallowed hard.
"I'm sorry, Lumila," she said meekly. "The scarf belongs to me. I... I didn't want you to feel uncomfortable while you were unconscious, so I wrapped it around you."
Lumila's expression softened, guilt washing over her.
She realized she'd been too harsh in her initial statement.
Instead of apologizing, however, she tossed the scarf back to Elise and told her, her words cold and blunt as ever, "Next time, don't bother helping people. You're the weak one, so I should be helping you instead."
As Lumila stood up and began to walk away, Elise remained seated, her expression reflecting sadness, fear, and uncertainty.
She debated whether or not to follow Lumila.
Feeling a pang of loneliness, Lumila sighed and looked back at Elise.
"Aren't you coming along?" she called out, her voice softer this time. "You may be annoying, but that's not enough reason for me to abandon you."
"Al... Alright," Elise replied.
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