“So, I got out only earlier today, and that’s what I’ve been up to the last few months.” I had Alysia in my lap as I sat down and relayed my story to the girls first.
Astria turned to Celeste and whispered in a voice I could easily hear. “He’s really into his sword.”
“He’s stroking her so lovingly. I’m really jealous!” Celeste giggled back.
“It’s not like that!” Alysia cried out.
“Really, now.” I sighed, taking my hand off of Alysia.
I wasn’t stroking the flat of the blade, was I? Alysia was just a woman I was fond of who now happened to be a weapon I depended on. That was all there was to it.
“M-master… you don’t need to stop…” Alysia’s voice turned pouty when I stopped touching her.
“A-anyway.” I ignored that and pushed the conversation forward. “What is going on here now? I want an explanation.”
The two girls looked at each other, and then Celeste shook her head. “I’m honestly not more knowledgeable than you. I only had a vague awareness once Elaya and Astria put me in the cocoon and dipped me into the fairy spring. I could feel mom changing things, but the only times I felt awareness was when the bond was severed and when you arrived and mom started tapping into the spring.”
“It is… a complicated story,” Astria spoke uncertainly. “After you died, Elaya and I had a falling out. She had control of the dungeon, and I had control of the fairy spring, but in the end, she won out and I had to flee. My focus was on protecting the fairy spring from annihilation and protecting my daughter. The cost… was extreme.”
“Cost?”
“Boring into the fairy spring under Elaya wasn’t easy. Maybe she knows I was doing it and allowing it because I was injecting more mana into it. I don’t know. Either way, I had to inject all of the mana I could. That included me.”
“What are you saying, Mother?” Celeste’s eyes widened.
“Part of the reason you’re so strong now, and that Deek was able to defeat me so easily, is because I have weakened substantially. To protect you, I used parts of myself. I permanently damaged my mana body and weakened my soul substantially, giving my power to you.”
“What about the people?” I asked.
“Fairies are inherently magic gatherers. Like a bee gathers pollen and makes honey, a fairy gathers magic and makes waters of life. How a fairy gathers magic ends up determining what kind of fairy you become. As a dark fairy, I absorb miasma. Some of my flock have evolved to absorb mana from humans.”
“The Nymphs…”
“Some are nymphs. Some are other types. The point is that we were all gathering energy to protect Celeste and the mana source. As for me, because of my dark fairy nature, I had to use those children as a sieve to filter out the miasma. I lied, partially at least, when I said I was turning them into fairies. In reality, they were being corrupted by my miasma, and would have turned into dark fairies if they survived.” Astria looked away, her expression filled with guilt.
“Mother doesn’t need to worry about such a thing anymore. When I evolved, I released a ton of purifying mana.” Celeste declared. “I used it to purify the children. They no longer contain any dark miasma.”
In the end, I hadn’t been as powerful as I had thought. I had been fighting a depowered Astria at the end of her rope. Astria had been a cornered animal, posturing to keep anyone from realizing how close she was to defeat. She had sacrificed most of her power to help her daughter evolve, putting her hopes in Celeste. This was why I was able to defeat her so overwhelmingly, and also why Celeste was so powerful now, having absorbed a purified form of her Mother’s power. They truly had changed places, with Astria much weaker now, and Celeste carrying her future.
“Astria… I’m…” I spoke up.
“Master doesn’t need to say anything,” Astria said. “It was my foolishness for not realizing who you were at first sight. I acted in a way that hurt the citizens you hold dear. I convinced myself that every sacrifice would be worth it, and in the end, that power could have easily been taken over by another if I kept going on the way I did. I will accept any punishment Master gives me.”
“Very well. Then, I will declare your punishment.” As I said this in a serious tone, Astria lowered her head, closing her eyes. “You will… be my slave again. Will you accept your punishment?”
Her head shot up, and tears began to run down her cheeks. “Yes. I will!”
{Astria has become your slave.}
{Name: Astria
Rank: Slave
Class: Advanced Magic
Job: Master Black Magician (LVL 100), Adept Darkness Magician (LVL 32)
Unlocked Jobs: Apprentice Darkness Magician (LVL 50), Basic Magician (LVL 100), Black Magician (LVL 93), Intermediate Magician (LVL 83), Novice Magician (LVL 25)
Race: Dark Fairy}
Yeah, I had a feeling that if I had tried to fight Astria at her strongest, she would have thrashed me.
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