Chapter 87 - Strategy Meeting

Valenas' POV

"I'm heading out now!" I shout into the empty hall before leaving for the day. Since I awoke as a Champion, I've mostly just hung around the Guild Hall's training area, working on getting used to how my body now moves.

You'd think that the difference between eighty and hundred wouldn't be that high, but let me tell you, it is. I'm unsure if it's caused by the increase in Stats alone, but in the beginning it was hard to even maintain a grip on my weapons since I'd not expect the force I'd put out and end up flinging them across the room.

An elegant, silver haired woman is waiting for me outside, and I startle a bit. "Ah, I'm sorry if I scared you! I just wanted to let you know that the last three Champions have arrived, and we'll be having a meeting over dinner at the Blind Cockatrice around five today." Peony Amberroux, the Kings niece and second in line for the throne, informs.

The Blind Cockatrice, that's the best restaurant in town! It's the most expensive as well...

"I'll be sponsoring the meal, don't worry. Oh, and this is strictly between the Champions, so..." She edges closer to me to whisper something. "Please don't tell anyone that you're going. I suspect there are enemy eyes among us."

I'm taken aback. A spy? "D-do you suspect anyone?" I whisper back, blushing profusely as Peony edges even closer, looking around before she replies.

"Don't worry, they're not among any party-members of any Champion, but Brocken warned me... Someone is after them, and possibly you as well if the rumors she's heard are true. A criminal organization called the Hand of Aurellium." My face is uncomfortably hot as Peony takes a few steps back. Wait-

"Brocken is a woman? The Brocken I met looked distinctly like a man?" I forget my embarrassment as this new conundrum appears.

Peony shrugs. "The Brocken I met looked like a woman. And I got that same reaction when I met them as when I met you, Terne and Merkiv." She tilts her head, placing a hand on her chin as she thinks. "I've heard of girls becoming men and boys becoming women, but they usually stay as the gender they've chosen. Perhaps Brocken's just very undecided?" She shrugs again and smiles.

"Regardless, as long as they're my ally, I will support them in any way I can." She gives a confident pose. "Now, I've got lots to do before the five, so I'll be seeing you later." She gives me a nod, the royal farewell or dismissal, and leaves, walking towards the Church. As she exits the gate in front of my house, an armored man accompanies her. Seems he's been waiting for her.

"A dinner at five..." I mumble as I hurry towards the training hall.

Later that day, at the Blind Cockatrice

I was uncertain about the dress-code, so I ended up with picking a dress that I deemed neither opulent or plain. Seems that was the correct choice, because other than Brocken and the Champion of Dark, everyone else was similarly dressed.

We're currently in the private hall of the Blind Cockatrice. It's mostly rented out to bigger businesses when they need a place for meetings. For that reason, the walls are actually enchanted with sound-proofing. We shouldn't worry about being overheard in here.

"I... I'm not that wealthy... I more or less only own two sets of clothes." Brocken mumbles apologetically as they fiddle with the slightly tattered coat they're holding. Seems that this time Brocken is a she, with a skirt-over-pants attire that seems easy to move in. It is worn and a bit yellowed with age though.

"Uh, seems I went a bit overboard... My name is Smaragdina Merogem. I believe you've met my brother's son, Safyr?" A well built female Minars introduces herself. She's wearing a crimson silk dress accentuated by a golden belt studded with several large blue gemstones. Both of her horns has a golden ring at the base of it, and her goggles are more like gold-rimmed glasses with black lenses.

Even though she's a bit overdressed, she radiates an aura of confidence and power. "I apologize for wearing my goggles indoor, but I'm afraid my newfound powers render me even more sensitive to light. Oh, and please call me Dina, everyone does." She smiles warmly.

Next, an Accan approaches. "A pleasure to meet you, I am Wanda Razortide." Their voice is an odd mix of feminine and masculine, sounding almost like a young boy in an adult's body. "I am Moonborn. I am both male and female, and my kind are almost always destined for battle against the enemies of the Divine." They explain with quite a bit of pride in their voice.

"Why Moonborn? Isn't the moon typically associated with Dark?" I ask.

"Well, mostly, but the moon guides the tides, you see. The brighter the moon shines, the greater the changes in the water. Similarly, the better I fight, the bigger my impact on the World will be. Such is the fate of the Moonborn." They smile softly as they explain.

"I see. It's nice to meet you, Wanda." I smile at them as a short Beastfolk man approaches. He's thin but not gaunt, and a big bushy tail flicks excitedly back and forth as his ears move frantically to take in all the sounds at once.

"I-I'm Oyvind M-mudknell. P-pleasure to m-meet you both!" He excitedly grasps Wanda's and mine's hand, shaking them both simultaneously before suddenly letting go and scampering over to Brocken and Peony to greet them.

"Seems like he's a bit nervous?" Wanda comments.

"Ah, I think it's his beast. Some Beastfolk take very deeply to the mannerisms of the monster they resemble. He looks like a Lesser Ratatoskr, so it'd make sense if he was nervous and skittish." I muse, having learned quite a bit about Beastfolk from Lima.

The Lesser Ratatoskr is a Mammaloid monster that's low on the food-chain, but its Evolution, Ratatoskr is a Chimeroid able to stir nearby monsters into a frenzy with its cry. Makes me wonder about his preferred method of fighting.

'tink-tink-tink'

Peony is holding up a glass, gently tapping it with a metal spoon to get everyone's attention.

"Now that everyone's met, I believe it is time for dinner. Once we're done eating, let's discuss the situation further." She instructs, her tone of voice makes her sound in charge, and I feel like I should do as she says. Is this the power of nobility?

The dinner was amazing. The meat was just right, and the mashed vegetables were divine. I almost burst out laughing when I saw Brockens reaction at her first bite. She looked like she was almost moved to tears.

Once the plates have been cleaned out by the servers, and fresh bottles of Ayo-juice are set out, the meeting begins. Peony begins. "I've gathered you all here today so that we may get to know each other better and start our future cooperation on a positive note. I propose that we each take a moment to give a brief overview of preferred role in combat and any particularities the others should know before we actually see real combat."

I feel an icy pit in my stomach. I- I have to tell them then. I suppose now is better than accidentally calling for Millibelle in the midst of a battle...

"I'll start. Even before my awakening as the Champion of Life, I were gifted in the art of Healing. I know both Great Heal and Recover now, due to the blessing of the All-Mother. I am, however, not very strong." Peony informs.

"So, you'll be support. Staying at the back unless you need to get close to someone's that hurt." Brocken summarizes.

"Indeed. I'm also always accompanied by my Guard, so don't worry too much about keeping me safe." Peony adds. "Now, I suppose... Brocken, you're next."

Brocken hesitates a moment before speaking. "I'm the Champion of Death, but before then... I used to be an Admin for the criminal organization 'The Hand of Aurellium'." Shocked shouts drown out what she says next, but a firm hush from Dina settles the others enough for Brocken to finish talking.

"I am no longer associated with them. In fact, I'm most likely actively being hunted by them, their goal being to kill me. I'm also technically still serving time for my crimes, and as such I'm marked by the 'Lunar Scent'. My location is always known to the person assigned as my Sun, but I doubt they'll aid in combat." Her slightly trembling hands calm down once the hard bit is explained.

"As for combat, I can either be an offensive Spell-Caster, use my Bolster Spells to aid others as a support, or serve as a distraction with my Illusions and melee combat." Brocken finishes, looking at each of us in turn, seemingly to try to discern what we're thinking about her.

"I- I'm glad you trusted us enough to share this with us, Brocken. Given your adaptability, I suppose you should choose as the situation warrants, no?" Terne seems moved, her eyes shining as they reflect the candle-light.

"I suppose I'm next, then." Terne continues. "I am the Champion of Light, and I'm also a high ranking officer in the army of Feyloche, as well as a B-Rank Hunter. My combat style is a mixed form of medium to close range combat utilizing clawed gloves and Light Spells. I perform best against small to medium targets." She finishes.

A slight mumble rushes through the group as they learn that a member of a foreign army is among them. I'm not too surprised, considering the way she carried herself the day before.

"I'm sure we'll make a good match then, Terne." Smaragdina smiles warmly. "I'm the Champion of Dark, and I specialize in Statuses, particularly Weakening Spells and the Dark Spells Blind and since my awakening, Dark Shackles. I distract and restrain the enemy, leaving my allies to finish them off."

"Then I'm in your care, Dina." Terne smiles wryly, no doubt already formulating tactics.

"I-I'm ne-next, then. I'm the Ch-Champion of Earth. I fight... mainly with my bow. My companion- she's not allowed in the city, so she's staying at Minas Ranch at the m-moment- she keeps the enemy at be-bay." Oyvind fidgets with his glass as he stutters forth. "I- I'm most used to hunting- hunting alone... But- but I'll try my best!" He makes a determined face as he announces this.

"I'm looking forward to meeting your companion, Oyvind." Merkiv, who's been quiet until now, smiles at him. Oyvinds face goes beet red and his tail threatens to upend a nearby end-table.

"I suppose I'm next then. I'm the Champion of Fire. I am a dedicated Spell-Caster, though I have some trouble managing the output of my Spells... I have access to Fire, Light, Heat, Air, Earth and Lightning Spells, so as long as people stay clear of my targets before I cast I should be able to fight well." Merkiv finishes, appearing shocked as both Brocken and Dina catch their drinks in their throats when he mentions his range of Elements.

Indeed, I knew he was an accomplished mage, but to think he not only knows Lightning and its prerequisite Elements, but Earth in addition? Add in the boost in firepower that being a Champion provides and he's a terrifying foe. Though Brocken also has a wide array of Elements...

Wanda is the next speaker. "I fight with the spear. Point me at my foe, and I'll pierce their heart." We all hesitate for a moment. That's it? Spear? Judging by their expression, that was indeed the entirety of it.

I cough, as if to shake the confusion from my mind before telling the others of my own style of combat. "I- I am the Champion of Air. I fight with paired swords, using my speed to dodge attacks. With my awakening, I learnt some magic, though I'm still unused to casting it. I..." I pause, drawing on all my courage before continuing.

"I'm also the Namer of the Monarch, Millibelle. I-if my life is in danger, I can call on her, and she will appear to aid me."

I wince at the dead silence that follows. Do they believe me? Or are they all wondering why I would lie about something like that? A thousand thoughts swirl through my head as the silence becomes overbearing.

"H-HAH!" Merkiv guffaws, as if something finally clicked in his head and he is laughing at himself for not seeing it earlier. "Of course! It all makes sense now!" He smacks a hand against his forehead in exasperation. He looks around, seeming to sense the confusion of the others. "She's telling the truth. Valena was with the Monarch when she altered my Fate by saving my life. That Monarch... She's the reason I'm the Champion of Fire."

Everyone looks from Merkiv to me. Their eyes filled with... reverence?

"But, why awaken us all if Valena here can command the Monarch, the most powerful monster in the World?" Dina asks.

"Because... She can't fight this enemy, not without risking her mind." I solemnly answer. "The darkness emanating from the Illomen Forest... It's Malice. My party and I encountered an Onyx Ironwing that was attacked by a humanoid that'd been changed by the Malice." I shiver at the memory of that poor monster, driven nearly to madness by its wounds.

"But... You need pure Malice for that to happen. The kind you get when you put Malice Cores in a Divine Spring. Even Hateful monsters don't produce Malice of high enough purity to affect humanoids." Brocken seems worried.

"H-how do- do you know this?" Oyvind asks, his tail flicking nervously.

"The Hand of Aurellium... They did experiments with it. Trying to re-discover the 'art' of chimerification. I came across some notes about it when researching a different topic. Seems the organization abandoned the project though, the death-toll was too high." She shrugs.

"From what I gathered, at least. There might have been different projects, but I knew better than to pry. You don't stick your nose too deep into anything regarding making Chimeras."

A gloomy mood overtakes the gathering.

"Ah- well, I've certainly learnt a lot! Perhaps we should schedule a joint training session, so we can get used to fighting together." Peony breaks the silence, her cheerful tone just a bit too strained.

"I think it goes without saying that the things we've learned today, particularly about Brocken and Valena should not be told to anyone else, under any circumstances. Their safety depends on it." Her tone once again takes on that peculiar effect of imprinting a desire to obey.

Everyone nods in agreement before finishing their glasses of juice and getting ready to leave. It's already late, so I end up hurrying home once I've said goodbye to everyone else.

I hope we'll be able to face this threat without me having to call on Millibelle.