Since it has come to this, they must prepare carefully before venturing into the lion's den. As soon as the dream ends, Ariellia rushes to the castle library to search for two things. A magic grimoire for life magic and a way to uncover the misty figure in Jasper's memory without turning the other into a raving lunatic. It's easy work finding the first, but harder to locate the latter objective. One of the many perks of having Myran Garrod as an ancestor, the genius scholar dedicated an entire section of the castle's library to life magic. With such abundance, finding a beginner's spellbook isn't difficult. Memory magic, on the other hand, isn't as well-known, with only a few races even capable of practicing it.
"I will head back to the orphanage to see how things are going. Riell and the nuns must be overwhelmed by everything that has happened." Rei finds her buried in a heap of books.
"Wait!" She quickly returns the book in her hand to the pile. "I'll go with you."
He doesn't say it, but those red eyes soften considerably when she offers to accompany him. As she tries to tidy up her mess, he gently pulls her away. "Don't, leave it to the maids. They've been worried lately that you're secretly planning to sack them since you don't call on them as much recently."
Oops
She only smiles, unable to explain the ingrained habits of an independent 27- no, 22-year-old salary worker. How could a spoiled heiress relate to the struggles of an everyday worker without breaking character? Impossible; better to feign ignorance and let the moment pass.
"You're taking that?"
She's so busy playing dumb that it takes a minute for her to understand what he means. She follows his line of sight to her newly acquired white spellbook hanging by her waist, right next to the black grimoire on dark magic.
"Yes, after that last battle I realized how dangerous it is to only rely on the soul calling spell. I can be more useful if I know more life magic."
"You're already useful as you are, but let me know if you need any help while learning the new spells." His willingness to get involved in her affairs is a vast improvement in their relationship compared to where they started.
She glances at him, feeling touched by his encouraging words. The awkward atmosphere between them after his confession before the monster march finally seems to have settled into a somewhat comfortable stalemate. He's not pushing her for an answer, but he's not hiding his affection either. It's a pleasant compromise she can accept for now.
To avoid prying eyes, they take an unmarked carriage up to the orphanage. It's easy to tell by the children's somber mood that things haven't improved. Riell rushes to meet them at the entrance; his keen sense of smell alerts him to their arrival before they even touch the gate.
"Rei, come quick, you need to see this!" His eyes keep darting back towards the annex. Something must have changed after their battle with the imposter, but it's likely not entirely good, or he wouldn't be this anxious.
Mirroring his mood, they rush into the building too. The scene is mostly the same; Lady Oya is still lying unresponsive in bed, but everything else is in utter disarray. Clad, looking out of sorts with unkempt hair and large dark bags under his eyes, doesn't even notice when they enter. In his large suit of armor, he keeps running around the room trying to catch something. In his pursuit, his bulky frame keeps bumping into things, creating a mess wherever he goes.
At first, they can't tell what's going on, but then they see a little wisp of a soul hovering over Oya's body. Unlike before, it refuses to merge back with the sleeping matron. It stubbornly floats, evading his large, clumsy hands like it's waiting for someone. Clad's eyes anxiously track its movements, but he finally stops his disastrous, futile chase.
"It's been like this since we got back from the castle. The soul fragment found its way back here, but it won't merge like before. Do you need to do the soul calling spell again?" It's an innocent request, but his ignorance doesn't spare him from Rei's harsh glare.
"She won't be using that spell again." His voice is so firm it leaves others feeling stupid for even asking.
"Relax, it's not that I can't use the spell. It's just that the target can't escape while I'm casting it; otherwise, I'll be the one to pay the bill."
Riell's eyes dart back and forth between the two of them like he's watching a racket match. "What are you talking about?"
"After using that forbidden spell, she stayed in a coma for two days before waking up."
"Oh, I'm so sorry. I would never have asked if I knew Rei." The beastman truly looks stricken by his inconsiderate words.
"It's alright, I understand." Ariellia's not one to give the fox a tough time. She still remembers he was the one to bring Anya's strangeness to light, taking her side for once. "It's troubling to see that her soul fragment hasn't merged back after two days. I've been reading a lot about life magic recently, and most of the books say a soul can't be without a physical vessel for too long, or they perish."
"Is Lady Oya going to die!" Riell unconsciously grips his tail, bright eyes pleading with her to deny it.
"Since some of her soul has returned to her body, I can't be sure." She frowns, lamenting the fact that she left a certain useful horse back at the castle stables.
'She won't die right away if that's your concern, descendant.'
'Mori-fae! Where are you?' She never expected to hear her ancestor's voice. She almost hoped the dark horse would somehow appear in the room without warning like he did on the battlefield.
'Look towards the window.'
Sure enough, a long horse face can be seen poking in through the window. The visual is a lot less majestic than she imagined, though.
'I followed your carriage after you left; I figured something like this might happen.'
'Why do I feel like you've labeled me as problematic?'
'…'
His silence is very telling.
'Her soul won't merge back because that is not her will. Go and touch the fragment, then you'll know what she wants.'
The idea of touching another person's naked soul is a bit unnerving, but she follows his instructions.
'Ariellia dear, can you hear me?'
'Yes, Lady Oya, I can.'
'That is good…wait, you are also not the same.' The glowing wisp hesitates, floating away from her fingertips.
'We are the same, two sides of a whole. She's just been living without me this whole time due to circumstances.' Eren tries to pacify the wary spirit.
'I see, I suppose we all have our secrets.' The old matron doesn't press the issue, only willing to believe him because she senses no malice in his words.
'Why have you not returned to your body? If you aren't careful, you may never be able to return.'
'Even if that were to be the case, I still want to save that child. When the impostor attacked me, I sensed it wanted to devour Anya's soul as well. Let me fight with you to expel that monster.'
'But how?' It's not that she doesn't want the old matron's assistance; she just doesn't know how. She can't just summon her like the impostor.
'Sure, you can. Is the spellbook on your waist just a fashion accessory? Open it and find the Soul fusion spell.' Mori-fae snorts and shakes his luxurious mane.
"Right. Arie, it looks like it's your turn."
Eren withdraws into the seal, giving Ariellia the stage. The heiress blinks twice before opening the book to find the right spell. The foreign symbols and words on the page seem to seep into her mind. Before long, she comprehends the entire code behind the spell. Her staff appears at her side, and she begins the incantation.
[Soul Fusion]
The wisp of Oya's soul flows into her body, and a bright light surrounds her. When the blinding light dims, the rest can see her again, but she no longer looks like her normal self. Still shrouded in a layer of mystic power, Ariellia's stature now resembles Oya's, with her muscles slightly more pronounced as she twirls her staff with expert ease. Having seen his lady shamefully struggle to defeat a single slime with her staff technique weeks prior, Clad knows this can't be Ariellia's skill on display. He recalls fighting alongside a certain old matron for many years and suffering countless bruises under her crushing pole strikes. No one knows 'that' fighting technique better than Clad. Ariellia's current state is the perfect likeness to Oya in her youth.
"Amazing, this takes me back to our old days in the academy." Suspicious tears appear at the corners of his eyes. In her calmer adult years, he'd forgotten she'd been such a firecracker in her adolescence. There's no way that Oya would be willing to lay down while one of her children is in danger, not while she can still fight.
"Are you still Arie?" Rei frowns, unconsciously reaching for her.
"No need to worry, husband. I'm still me." She cheekily smiles back with a hint of Oya's patient warmth seeping through.