Complete Private ✪ Finweald Different People, Different Priorities

[Amy]

Amy giggled at Magnolia's words, "Didn't I just say you didn't need to apologize?" Amy honestly wondered if Magnolia was going to apologize for apologizing again at this point, "Just don't worry about it." Amy stated with a smile.

"I guess it is rare for us to be able to talk about the people we're the closest to." Amy wondered out loud, "We're either right next to them, or we're on a trip where it's unlikely we'll find anyone interested in the people we care for." Amy didn't remember having the chance of talking about her family often either. Not many people care for what happens in Zalra, or for the people who live there.

Holding Magnolia's hand, Amy smiled, "I'll be in your care."

Then, Amy turned her face back in the toymaker's direction when he replied to her, "I see... Something that you may or may not be able to obtain." It had certainly perked Amy's curiosity up, "Alright, then. I'll look forward to it with mild expectations." Amy wasn't sure if she would be able to actually pay for whatever this thing was, but it's not like she had asked him to gather it in the first place, so she decided to not mention that.

Following that, Amy left the store with Magnolia, "Hungry? To some extent, I am. Not enough to need to eat right now, but certainly hungry enough to eat something pleasant as we talk." Amy hadn't even thought about food until Magnolia mentioned it. She was just planning on eating whatever was available after booking the first carriage she found that would take her out of Astorea and back to Falderen, where she'd take the trip to Zalra on her feet.

Compared to that, a calm meal at an inn felt much more appealing. Amy had just found another thing to look forward to on top of the meeting with lord Trevor.

And it was at this moment that Amy felt something extremely rare... She felt like she missed being a Starcalled, even if only for a single moment... If both her and Magnolia were Starcalled, she could send her a Friend request and they would be able to talk to each other even after parting. A very rare feeling, even if it only lasted for a single instant.

After all, there were other ways to communicate over long distances, "May I ask where lord Trevor's estate is? While I cannot read nor write, my family can do it for me. I would like it if we could exchange letters from time to time... Though I don't have fixed residence myself, as my family is nomadic, letters have a way of reaching us in Zalra in one way or another." It may take a while, but eventually it reaches one nomadic group, and one group passes it on to another, and eventually it would find Amy's hand.

@Magnolia

 

[Magnolia]

The toymaker simply chuckled at @Amy's remark as the duo left his shop, and the path to the inn was as peaceful as it could be. Being the capital, it was normal to expect a lot of movement through the day, especially as it wasn't night yet. However, with the recent outcomes, Finweald was still going through a recovery, both structure wise, and population wise as well.

"Understood, this means something simple should suffice. Do you prefer us to eat and talk in my room or in the hall of the inn?" Either worked, but she wasn't certain how private the faerin wished their conversation to be. Not that the inn was particularly crowded in any way. The number of actual visitors had dropped drastically, with most of the ones visiting the capital doing so to try to assist on rebuilding it.

Magnolia listened to Amy's question and intention quietly, and after a few seconds of silence— "You are very endearing, Amy. We have just met and you've already honored me with an invitation to stay in contact." She said, opening the door of the inn for Amy.

"Master Trevor's estate is in Cindershine, located in Lyrwick. It isn't close to Zalra, but it shouldn't be impossible to exchange letters." Magnolia pondered. "We can make it work, if you wish."

 

[Amy]

"Either works for me. I am fine with whatever makes you and lord Trevor more comfortable." Amy replied, "If I had to make a choice though, I would prefer a private room." Simply because Amy did not want to overhear anyone talk about 'playing', 'game' or anything like it in the middle of her own meal.

It wasn't particularly hard to ignore those things though, so she wouldn't mind eating at the hall if that's what they preferred.

That aside, Amy smiled at Magnolia's following words, "What can I say? Of all the things I was expecting out of this trip to Astorea, I certainly hadn't expected finding a friend. I felt like it would be a waste to throw this opportunity, that lady Rhiannon gave me, away. It is important to cherish the relationships we make." Amy did not know how Magnolia would react to being referred to as a friend, but she did not stop herself from it anyways. Amy did not see a point in refraining from saying what she felt, especially when the feelings were good.

Besides, considering how Magnolia was going out of her way to not only introduce Amy to lord Trevor, but to also assure her that she'd have a guide on her trip back to the toymaker's store, she figured that the feelings were mutual at this point, even if unvoiced.

So, Amy simply continued smiling as they moved forward, "I will be sure to remember it. I definitely do wish to make it work." Amy felt like a small child again for a second. Someone excited to go back home to tell her family about the new friend she had made. A little girl who was looking forward to hearing her family's reaction to it.

It was a really silly thought, but Amy allowed herself to have it. Her family was very worried about what would happen to her in this trip after all. Coming back home not only with a bag of gifts, but with some happy news to pair up with explanation of how useless the trip to the Lion's headquarters was, would probably sooth them a fair bit.

@Magnolia

 

[Magnolia]

"A private room it is." Magnolia nodded, stepping into the inn as soon as @Amy did. The inn was quiet, but it was easy to listen the conversation going on the other tables. Perhaps exactly the fact everything was so quiet that made any voice or sound be highlighted.

It really made the word 'friend' be very clear.

"A friend." Magnolia said, pondering for a moment. Aside from Yume, who she haven't seen for over an year already, she didn't meet anyone she could call a 'friend' since the Day of Disappearance. It was only really Trevor.

"Agreed, I wasn't expecting it either." She turned to face Amy, resting a hand over hers. "I shall try to be a good friend."

Her eyes then traced a path to the innkeeper. "Please, excuse me. I shall make our order and we can go to our room." Magnolia said, waiting for Amy to voice what she would like before going to order it.

Whatever they would order, would be delivered at the room Magnolia had rented with her master, so soon she guided Amy to it. The room which they got in was big, and it would be clear to Amy as soon as she had to take many steps to reach Magnolia's bed, that was quite large. Not really a double bed, but certainly larger than a single bed.

"If you prefer to sit on the armchair, let me know. But the desk is crowded with master Trevor's paperwork and books, so I'm afraid we can't use it."

 

[Amy]

After she was guided inside the inn, Amy became really happy that Magnolia had agreed to a private room... It really was way too easy to overhear conversations here. It would be uncomfortable to talk in this place, after all.

And the feeling of Magnolia's other hand on top of Amy's made her smile, "You don't need to try to do what you're naturally good at, Magnolia." no 'miss' was put there this time. There was no need to, "But I'll try my best too." Because unless venting a lot and being a liability counted for being a good friend, then Amy did not think she did anything to deserve being called as such.

Either way, it was now time to order food, which... Was not something Amy was very confident on doing in Finweald. There was probably some food native to Earth here, but what exactly that meant was completely beyond Amy's wildest guesses. And it's not like she knew anything about Earth food outside of the United Kingdom anyways.

So... When faced with the necessity of ordering something... "I'm afraid I don't know much about what is served here, so I'll leave it to you, Magnolia. I'd just like something light, preferably without fishes, and maybe some sweets for dessert too." She should have enough to pay for that and still have enough to cover the trip home... And maybe the mysterious item from the toymaker too.

Either way, Amy wasn't a particularly picky eater, so she would probably be happy with whatever they ended up getting. The only reason she didn't want fishes was because she went to Ilmea's Lament from time to get some seafood, so she figured she'd get something different now that she was all the way in Finweald.

So, she waited until Magnolia finished making their order, and then Amy let her guide her to her room.

Once inside, Amy made sure to move her cane at a slower pace than normal, to make sure she didn't accidentally bump it on anything.

And it... Took a small while to bump into something? Something hard?

Amy moved her cane around it a bit more... A wooden (?) leg. A chair or a bed's, probably. So Amy slowly took a few more steps forward and carefully moved her hand about, until she found fluffiness... Yes, that was a bed.

At this moment, Magnolia offered the armchair instead, which seemed to imply sitting on the bed was fine... Amy smiled at that, and carefully took the appropriate steps to sit on the bed that was a bit too tall for her, "The bed is fine. I would rather not take lord Trevor's chair." If the desk was filled with his documents, then the chair was probably his too.

"Is lord Trevor out on some business?" Amy asked. Considering she didn't hear his voice yet, she assumed he wasn't in the room.

And then... Amy tried thinking of some topic for small talk. Something to keep them occupied while waiting for the food and for lord Trevor.

She wasn't the best at coming up with topics for talking with other adults though. She was more used to playing with the children back in Zalra, but... One thing did come to mind, "Say, what do you look like, if I may ask?" A simple question born out of pointless curiosity, but... Well, Amy just felt like knowing once the thought entered her head. Perhaps she wanted to be able to describe Magnolia to the children back in Zalra. She wasn't sure herself, but she knew she wanted to sate her curiosity.

@Magnolia

 

[Magnolia]

"Hopefully salad and some eggs should be alright for you then? Sweets are easier to choose, I hope you will like the lemon pie." Magnolia wondered on their way to the room. At least it also meant that the food wouldn't take too long to be done and brought to the room.

Upon the question regarding Trevor, Magnolia nodded, looking at the desk before sitting on the bed. "It is master Trevor's habit, going for a business and being side tracked by another business at the same time." Magnolia revealed, looking back at @Amy. "He shouldn't take too long to come back though, he knows if he does, I will start looking for him."

It was the only order she disobeyed. No amounts of 'stay here until I come back' would make Magnolia sit and wait for more than how much time Trevor would need to accomplish a business.

"I am an elite maid, after all. I'm also his personal bodyguard, in a way."

The following question caught Magnolia by surprise, even if her voice and expressions— as usual— didn't show it. "How do I look like. Short cream hair. Green-hazel eyes. Pale skin... Hm." Magnolia looked at Amy for a moment, before taking her hand and scooting closer. "You can feel it yourself." Magnolia guided Amy's hand to her own face, and released it.

 

[Amy]

"That should be wonderful." Amy replied. A lemon pie in particular felt very appealing... She wondered how many years it had been since she last ate one... And gave up on the thought not long after. She just couldn't remember it anymore.

"Lord Trevor's habit sounds... Very worrisome." Magnolia saying that she would start looking for him if he took too long said it all... It definitely got her worried. Just how Amy's family would get worried if she stayed out for too long, or how Amy would get worried if she hadn't heard of a family member for a bit too long too, "Let us hope that he comes soon, then. For both your sake and his." Amy smiled as she wished for that. Letting her feelings about this matter out in the open.

Though Magnolia's words surprised Amy, "Oh, an elite maid and a bodyguard? That's quite impressive. I can't even imagine being able to handle either of those roles, and not just because of my eyes." Or well, her lack of them, "It's just the kind of thing that requires a lot of stamina, fighting and magical prowess... All things that I lack." Amy's voice got a bit disheartened as she said that. She wished her magic at least was a bit better. To let her be able to protect her family if nothing else... Instead, they were the ones who always protected her.

She tried to not dwell on it too much though, and instead tried to focus on Magnolia's description of herself, "You sound like quite the beauty-

"Eh!?" Amy was... A bit startled at the sudden hold of her hand, and how it was dragged until... She touched something else... Considering Magnolia had said to feel it herself, and the way Amy's arm had moved... This must be Magnolia's face.

Amy got embarrassed. She did not expect her question to lead to this, but... She accepted the offer and slowly moved her fingers around Magnolia's face. Letting her feel its shape, and trying to imagine what she would actually look like.

By the time Amy was done, she smiled again, "Yes, I'm sure of it. You are definitely quite the beauty." Truth be told, Amy hadn't really tried to feel other people's faces before, and she was sure her face was still a bit red from doing that, but... Even without having a clear notion of how her tact translated to an image, she still believed the words that she had just said. Perhaps it was just herself coming to a conclusion with no real basis to back it, but... It is what she thought anyways.

The embarrassing mood was cut short though, as Amy suddenly heard a knock on the door, "Ah... I suppose our meal has arrived?"

@Magnolia

 

[Magnolia]

"Truly are worrisome, but it can't be helped." Magnolia said, pondering about @Amy's words. "I lack magical prowess, I make it do with potions and poisons though." It wasn't a proper substitute for magic, but it was close enough in terms of adding more effects and efficience to her attacks.

The embarrassing reaction from Amy made Magnolia curious. She was most certain that this was one common way for blind people to feel how someone looked like, but it seemed like she was either mistaken or she was going too far with someone she has just met.

"Thank you very much for your compliment, Amy. You are very beautiful yourself." Magnolia said, pausing. "My apologies if I was too—"

But the knock halted her words, and she stood up. "It must be, excuse me." Standing, she approached the door, opening it only to be surprised by an unexpected sight—

"I've heard you've ordered something, so I went ahead and took it for you."

"Master Trevor?" Magnolia asked, looking at the tray with a salad of boiled eggs, sauteed carrots, cucumbers, potatoes and some cherry tomatoes. "You shouldn't, it is my job to do it."

"I was already downstairs, there was no point of me calling you to take something that I could grab myself."

He gave the tray to Magnolia, stepping in to hang his jacket and look at the guest.

"I wasn't expecting a guest. Is she an acquaintance of yours?"

"A friend."

Trevor paused to look at the faerin, and Magnolia averted her gaze from her master, approaching Amy with the tray and pulling a small cart that served as a movable support for the tray, getting it closer to the faerin.

 

[Amy]

"Poisons and potions..." Amy muttered... It's not like she hadn't considered it before. If she could make a potion, she'd be able to help her family no matter where they were, for as long as they had the potion with them.

But the problem was making it... Not only would Amy need to learn alchemy, but she'd also need to learn how to identify the ingredients, as well as where there were located... It sounded unfeasible, even if it's something that Amy would really like to have access to in order to help her family... She felt a bit jealous of Magnolia for being able to do that, but she didn't comment on it. There was no point in doing so.

Regardless, she could feel herself smiling at the compliment. It was something she hadn't heard in a while, and it brought back some happy memories, "No need to apologize." Amy said as she heard Magnolia's steps.

Then, Amy was surprised by the sudden exchange... Seems like lord Trevor arrived earlier than they had expected.

When Magnolia introduced her as a friend, Amy got out of the tall bed and did a curtsy in the direction of lord Trevor's voice, "Greetings, lord Trevor. My name is Amy. It is an honor to be received at your room, and a true pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Then, as she heard a noise that seemed like something being dragged, Amy decided to ask, "We were just planning on eating. Have you ordered something for yourself, lord Trevor?" It would be a bit troublesome to eat without him now that he was present... But it's not like Amy could offer to share a portion of her meal in the first place. It might be seen as rude. She didn't know what noblemen ate.

Amy also considered explaining the circumstances of her meeting with Magnolia, but she didn't know if it was her place to explain it, so she figured she'd let Magnolia go over it if she deemed it important enough for lord Trevor to know.

@Magnolia

 

[Magnolia]

"The pleasure is all mine."

The man returned the curtsy with a bow, soon handwaving at the mention of him ordering something.

"I did not. I've already had my fill for the day. The perks of business meetings."

"Are you sure, master Trevor? I could go downstairs to order something." Magnolia offered.

"Thank you, but if I wished to order something, I would've already done it myself before coming upstairs..."

As he finished speaking, his gaze seemed to linger on @Amy's eyes, but his attention wasn't particularly there, but rather on something much deeper. His expression shifted for a moment, and he didn't kept his words only in his mind.

"Zalrisis. You must've come from really far, Ms. Amy."

Magnolia glanced at Trevor. If her expressions weren't mostly gone from all these years, a startled and slightly mad expression would cross her face. "Excuse me, master Trevor. But it isn't polite to pry." She scolded him subtly.

 

[Amy]

Amy smiled as she heard lord Trevor's words. It seemed he truly did not mind her sudden visit.

His exchange with Magnolia also brought her some happiness. It truly seemed like they had a good relationship... Though Amy was still a bit troubled about the prospect of eating in front of him while he ate nothing. She wasn't sure how she was meant to behave now.

Amy was thinking of what to say as things suddenly went silent. She wondered if Magnolia and lord Trevor were exchanging something that she could not see... Until lord Trevor brought up something that sent those thoughts as far away from her mind as it could.

Amy started trembling. Magnolia's words barely registering on her mind, "Y-y-yes. I-I'm from Zalra, milord...

"A-a-a-are there traces of z-z-z-zalrisis still in my body?" Amy couldn't believe it. She knew it was possible. She knew it could happen. B-but still, "C-can they be removed? C-can lord Trevor remove them? P-please, I beg of you... Please save me..."

Amy started kneeling down on the spot, but she stopped as she felt her body hitting something once she started moving... Maybe a tray with food? She did hear the sound of something being brought close.

Still... This really couldn't be happening... She had already lost so much, now she was going to lose herself?

No... There had to be a way... It had to be something removable... Like her eyes once were... It had to be... Amy had to go back home... She had to...

@Magnolia

 

[Magnolia]

Magnolia tried to hold @Amy as she ended up clashing with the food cart, staring at her with a longing concern lingering in her mind before she exchanged glanced with Trevor, that calmly shook his head, without changing his expressions too much at the clear worries of the faerin woman.

"The traces will always be there, though invisible for most. It would never escape my senses, however. I have a knack for these things."

He quickly retorted, but also added:

"Zalrisis is incurable, and perhaps it is because we treat it as an illness, not as a curse or sorcery, which is my theory. Otherwise there would have no Zalra cult. What kind of illness forces people to act like cultists? Sounds too specific for a deadly illness, if you ask me. A parasite of the sorts, akin to fungi or myconids."

Trevor explained and offered his opinion, but Magnolia went for reassurance instead, which her master failed.

"What he means, Amy, is that you aren't going to die from it. It just means you have scars he can see." She said, trying to help her friend to stand and caressing her shoulders softly to try to calm down any stiffed muscles. "Did you get hurt?" Magnolia asked.

 

[Amy]

Amy appreciated the feeling of being held. It brought her some much needed comfort. It didn't stop her trembling, nor the tears that were quickly spilling from her eye sockets, but she still relied on the hands that were holding her to keep herself somewhat steady.

She also knew that zalrisis was incurable. She had always known. That's why she had her eyes removed. And why she lost so many people that were precious to her that were taken over by it... Curse or illness didn't quite matter to her. Amy just wished to be saved, yet lord Trevor just danced around her request... It was so frustrating. She wanted to wail. She wanted to scream. She just... She just barely stopped herself because she was somehow able to remind herself that she was in front of a noble and she had to maintain some semblance of dignity right now.

Until Magnolia spoke up, which made Amy instantly turn her head in Magnolia's direction. She could hardly believe the words she had just heard, "S-scars...? I'm... I'm safe...?" She felt the tension instantly leaving her body... She almost collapsed onto Magnolia's arms, and she needed a bit of time to recover her breath, before she was able to make use of Magnolia's help to get up.

"H-hurt...?" Amy asked in response... Now that she thought of it... Yeah, some parts did hurt. It probably happened when she tried to kneel and collided with something, "A-a bit here and there." She gestured to her aching forearm and knee, "B-but it's nothing to worry about and..."

She had already forgotten the general direction that lord Trevor's voice had come from... The worry of being afflicted by zalrisis again just made some things she usually paid extra attention to fly out of her mind... She turned her head to the side a bit, not knowing if it was too much or too little, "I-I'm sorry for my disgraceful behavior, lord Trevor. I should have understood what you meant better."

@Magnolia

 

[Magnolia]

Feeling @Amy becoming slowly more relaxed, Magnolia tried to lead her to sit down, keeping a gentle hold on her. "It is everything to worry about." Magnolia corrected, "Excuse me-" She asked, trying to see if Amy was bruised, and even if it wasn't the case, she would calmly massage the spot to let blood run and make sure it wouldn't swell.

Despite not being very expressive, upon hearing Amy's apology, she would cast a glance at Trevor, with her lips pursing very slightly, almost forming a pout on her lips.

The very vague expression caught Trevor off guard, and he was quick to return Amy's apology.

"No. You have my apologies, miss. I should've been more straightforward. Under non-urgent ocasions, I can become rather... Redundant."

He cleared his throat.

"However, I can reassure you that if I were to find any harm coming to you, I would act before mustering any word. Not only because there are things that words don't solve, but also because Magnolia was very close to you. I am sorry I have scared you with my words."

Magnolia's lips relaxed, and she looked at Amy. "It wasn't your fault. My Master is too troublesome."

"Hey now."

 

[Amy]

Amy followed the lead provided by Magnolia and slowly sat down again. Carefully trying to stabilize her own breathing. Letting Magnolia do as she pleased, even if Amy flinched a bit when Magnolia touched her leg... Seems like Amy might have hit it with a bit more force than she originally thought.

Still, she managed to mutter, "Thank you..." at least, while trying to calm herself down... Her behavior was really disgraceful. She had really overreacted there... Yet her body was still trembling a bit... Goodness, why couldn't her body listen to her head after she had already understood that she was safe...?

Amy was quite surprised to hear lord Trevor's words though... She did not know how to react to them. How was a noble apologizing to her? What had she done to deserve this? Amy was at a bit of a loss. Trying to understand how she was meant to reply to this show of generosity from lord Trevor.

And it was only when she heard Magnolia's exchange with him that Amy finally understood what she was meant to say... She giggled a bit. Finally calming down properly, "Thank you very much for your kind words, lord Trevor... I can see how Magnolia is so loyal to you. You are a wonderful person that truly cares for her." Amy smiled as she said that. Her face was still wet by her tears, but that didn't matter to her right now. She could always dry those later.

Also, hearing this much come out of him gave Amy a bit more courage to bring up the topic that brought her here in the first place, "Then, lord Trevor, if I may be so bold... May I ask why you have such interest in magical artifacts and mysterious phenomenon? Magnolia had told me a bit about you, and that caught my interest... Not many are attracted to those things that are so easily capable of ending one's life." Amy tried thinking a bit on lord Trevor's words on zalrisis... Less like an illness and more like a curse...

It's not like Amy disagreed, but she had also never given it that much thought, as the nature of zalrisis was never something that truly mattered to her. What mattered was finding a cure and learning the symptoms.

And yet, here was a man who, to the best of her knowledge, had no real contact with zalrisis, yet understood enough about it to try making a theory about its true nature... Something that not only would require extensive knowledge of zalrisis, but also on the nature of curses and illnesses.

... Lord Trevor was certainly an unusual one, but not in a bad way.

And then, Amy's stomach rumbled, which made her go red... This was not something she had prepared herself for, and she was sure she wasn't that hungry in the first place... But why did it have to happen now...? "M-my apologies..." She meekly muttered. Still unsure if she should even try to eat while in lord Trevor's presence.

@Magnolia

 

[Magnolia]

The mention of Magnolia's loyalty to Trevor made the maid glance at @Amy, mostly as an excuse to avert her gaze from Trevor. She was ready to proudly voice her loyalty to him, but listening to someone saying that outloud, in front of him on top of it, truly made her feel a hint of embarrassment, even if her expressions failed to convey it.

Noticing the lingering tears, Magnolia held Amy's hand and placed a handkerchief on her palm with her other hand, letting the Faerin wipe her own tears if she wanted.

"Master Trevor is indeed very caring. He wastes no efforts to solve any trouble that is afflicting Cindershine."

"Both of you are flattering me."

He rose an eyebrow, especially at the reveal that Magnolia was talking about him.

"Truly? Indeed my curiosity for magical artifacts and phenomenon is insatiable. Knowledge is power. These intriguing artifacts and phenomenon can be the answer to questions that we have been trying to find for centuries, and sometimes it may even reveal questions we didn't even know it existed. With the right knowledge, there is no unsolvable problem. However, with power, it also comes the respon—"

His voice halted at the stomach rumble.

Magnolia looked at Amy. "You should eat your salad, Amy. Allow me to get you ready for it." She would move the cart close enough to the faerin woman, this time warning her about the presence of the cart before handing wares for her to eat, if she was going for it.

"Indeed you should. I suppose I've interrupted your and Magnolia's meal."

 

[Amy]

Amy wordlessly received the handkerchief and used it to wipe her tears. She thought of thanking Magnolia again for it, but she decided to not do it, to not interrupt her, nor lord Trevor's words.

She also did smile when hearing he put his all into caring for Cindershine. It was not a region she knew much about, but she was happy that there were people who truly cared for it. And happy that she was meeting those people today.

Either way, she paid careful attention to lord Trevor's words as he elaborated on his curiosity... It truly did give quite something for Amy to think about... If only her stomach hadn't interrupted him though!

"T-thank you..." She meekly muttered as she heard the noise of something moving very close to her... And with both Magnolia and lord Trevor telling her to eat, she decided to carefully move her hands, feeling what was in front of her, picking up on where were the plate and the tablewares, then slowly moving one small piece of her meal to her mouth.

She munched on it and gulped down before saying anything else, "The food her is certainly tasty. You should eat too, Magnolia." It's not like it was anything special, but... It was certainly better than what she ate on a daily basis. It was more than enough to let her appreciate her current meal.

And this time she took to take the first bite of her food was enough to let her think carefully about lord Trevor's words, so as to give him a reply, "So, it is something done for the pursuit of knowledge? Though not just knowledge for knowledge's sake, but actual useful knowledge? The kind you'd be able to use to enhance the lives of the people in Cindershine?" Or in Zalra... Though that part was left unspoken.

She took another bite and slowly gulped it down before continuing, "The answer to questions creating more questions though... I had never imagined this concept, but I think I can understand it... Like, if we were to assume that Zalra's crystals aren't so much of a vessel for an illness, or a curse as you suggested, but instead a part of Zalrea, who uses her own being to convert people into zealots of her faith... In that case, how would she fool the other gods to not let them find that out? How is she still doing it when lady Rhiannon was punished as severely as she was for saving us?" Amy took a deep breath, "Of course, it's purely a hypothetical, but... I suppose I can understand the concept. As well as the desire to pursue any and every type of knowledge if it means it will help the people you love, no matter what risks are associated with it."

It was the same kind of drive that brought Amy here, after all. To swallow her pride and come to Astorea to beg for help because she felt like the Starcalled were the only ones who could bring change to her homeland, and stop her from losing any more people who are far too precious for her.

Though well, she just now found someone who understands enough about zalrisis to instantly recognize her scars, so... Perhaps it was a bit hasty of her to assume only the Starcalled could help. There were others who were actually doing their research, who may actually make a difference.

Amy felt no need nor the right to ask lord Trevor to help Zalra out though. He was clearly already doing his research. If he found a solution, she was confident he would share it with her family, or maybe he would put it in practice right away without even needing to tell them anything.

Of course though, his priorities did lie with his home. It couldn't be helped if a solution didn't come any time soon... Amy would just pray to lady Rhiannon and wait. Wait until the right time came.

@Magnolia

 

[Magnolia]

Magnolia nodded at @Amy's invitation, quietly taking a fork to catch a bit of the salad and delivering it into her mouth. She took her time to eat it, with nearly half a minute of munching before actually swallowing the food.

"It is truly refreshing." She added, soon going for another fork of salad.

"Knowledge for the sake of knowledge is a hobby rather than a study. However, it shouldn't be underestimated either, as it can give you the right tools for the right situation. Just like someone who practices sword arts for ceremony's sake, but end up finding themselves in a situation they must defend themselves."

Magnolia swallowed the second bite- "It is how I turned into a bodyguard maid." She revealed.

"Is that so? This is news to me, I thought you..."

Magnolia's gaze locked intently at Trevor's, which made himself quiet before she added: "Sometimes you need to lie in your curriculum. My deepest apologies."

"It is fine, the job is well done."

He cleared his throat.

"It seems to me that you've made your homework, Miss Amy. For a non-scholar, your knowledge is far above average. The truth is that Rhiannon's actions were against the interests of the Gods, and kindhearted as she was, I am certain she wasn't confrontational. She most likely accepted her fate to avoid further damage to her children... Zalrea is probably more defiant, and her actions through Zalrisis are indirect- We don't fully know its origins either, so it could've been the actions of some particularly extremist priest."

 

[Amy]

Amy listened to lord Trevor talk about knowledge for knowledge's sake... It's not like she was against it. Sometimes learning useless things could be entertaining in its own right, but it was interesting to hear him mention that it can actually be useful at times.

Hearing Magnolia mention she became a bodyguard maid out of that surprised her though... And she couldn't help asking after thinking about it for a second, "Was the fighting or the maid knowledge that you learned for the sake of learning?" Amy couldn't imagine anyone learning either for a hobby, so it certainly got her curiosity.

If anything, she imagined some Starcalled might want to learn fighting for 'playing' here in Arcia, and they might want to learn how to be a maid because of... What was the term for this again? A fetish? Amy felt like she had heard it before, but she wasn't quite sure she understood what it meant.

Either way, that was only for Starcalled, so... Well, she was curious about what led Magnolia to learn what she learned, but she felt like she shouldn't unnecessarily pry. We all have some things we may not be very comfortable with sharing, and she felt this might be one of those.

Regardless of that though, she smiled at lord Trevor's praise, "I only tried learning more about the goddess who protects me and my family, and about the land I live in." It was no lie. There was plenty that she didn't know and that she had no interest in knowing. But lady Rhiannon and Zalra? That she tried learning everything she could about.

Her smile got very saddened when hearing about lady Rhiannon accepting her fate though, "Some of us are just like her ladyship, then... Too kindhearted to fight. Willing to accept the end..." Amy started trembling a bit and tears got to her glass-filled eye sockets again, "When they realize there is no more salvation for them...

"... I always pray for their safety in the afterlife... I pray that now that they're together with lady Rhiannon, they never need to suffer again..." She took a deep breath to try calming herself down. To try suppressing those despairing memories and to let some of the happier ones take her mind instead.

It wasn't easy, but it wasn't the first time she had to do this, so she managed to continue the conversation, "It would be truly terrifying if Zalrisis was created by a priest... Someone having the power to create this kind of deadly curse would be..." She shivered when thinking of it, "Though perhaps it might be better if it is this way... A manmade curse is certainly much easier to lift than a divine one." A small console, if any.

Amy tried eating another bite. Trying to see if the food would help her ease her mind a bit... It wasn't very helpful, but it was better than nothing.

@Magnolia

 

[Magnolia]

"Fighting was learned for the sake of learning." Magnolia admitted, and even if it would make her sound morbid, she added: "I'm used to cut animals for cooking, and at some point while using my knife, I wondered how well I would cut someone if I needed. So I started practicing it with large chunks of meat until I've got formal lessons."

Trevor looked at Magnolia with a blank expression. He couldn't believe that his maid truly thought that was the best explanation she could come up with. If anything, it almost felt like she was trying to scare the poor faerin off with that absurdity to make sure she wouldn't dig into it any longer.

"By having someone to look after you, I'm certain they are at peace now."

Now it was Magnolia's turn to look at Trevor, raising her eyebrows very slightly in what was the closest thing to showing an 'expression' coming from her. How her usual skeptical and tactless Master simply accepted those words without some blunt remark?

"Truth be told is that Zalrisis in itself is easy to avoid and to prevent even if you are caught by the crystals or wounded. The reason it spreads so intensely is because it reached a quantity it is so enormous that it became a large biome, and not only that, the creatures affected by it zealously attempt to spread it. It is the kind of thing that should've been erradicated as soon as the patient zero showed up."

"It can't be helped. This illness is old by now, they couldn't know it was so simple to avoid it." Magnolia looked at @Amy. "The best that can be done now is to make sure there will be no more victims until Zalrisis is contained. Somehow."