True Magician

Chapter 178

Eldonia.

Returning to the room where I had killed and then resurrected Mistiora, the first thing I saw was her standing at the window, looking out at the city. It was a fairly simple scene, but for some reason it seemed to me that I was looking at a completely different person, well, an elf.

If before I had felt apathy and a hint of sadness emanating from Mistiora, now everything was a little different. She was like a baby bird that had just left the nest and was preparing to discover the world, and I must say, it looked and felt quite amusing.

- "Your aura changed quickly, huh?" I smiled and sat down on the couch. "Now the question is, are you happy with it or not?"

Mistiora didn't answer, but just kept doing what she was doing. She seemed to be in a trance, and I guess that was normal for someone like her. Heh.

After a couple of minutes, Mistiora took a deep breath, which gave the impression that she was doing it for the first or last time, then gracefully turned around and sat down opposite me, in the same place where she had been sitting before. True, now there was a hole in the back of her couch from Gaé Bolg, but oh well.

- "What happens next, sir Romani?" Mistiora began softly, studying me with her eyes.

- "Oh? What are you talking about?" I asked, pretending not to understand her.

- "I'm sure I died. I remember the pain from the blood-red spears and the absolute darkness after I... asked you for a favor," she said, playing along. "And when my senses returned and I opened my eyes, I noticed... changes in my body."

Mistiora paused and looked me in the eyes.

- "The curse... It's gone... And the magic I couldn't control for hundreds of years is back in my power..."

- "And?" I asked, creating a cup of coffee and taking a sip. "Are you happy about that?"

- "I... I don't know..." she replied after a few seconds, looking confused. "It's... complicated..."

- "Hmm... I guess you need some time to come to a final decision, huh?" I muttered thoughtfully. "Well, okay. Have you thought about what I said?"

- "What did you say, sir?"

- "Yeah. I'll be going back to Nidavellir anyway, as soon as Olga gives me the signal." And here's the question: will you come with me or not?" I shrugged, and Mistiora gave me a shocked look. "Not right now, of course, due to certain circumstances, but still."

- "Why are you asking me this?" she asked, coming out of her stupor. "I'm just..."

- "A concubine? A piece of meat to satisfy men's desires? Not anymore, although partly, yes," I continued for her. "Right now, following your own logic, you belong to me. And I'm giving you the choice of whether you follow me or not."

I took a sip of coffee and leaned back on the sofa.

- "If you agree, you will see your homeland again and your sister, to whom you can tell what she asked me to tell her before her temporary demise. If you refuse? Well, I'll grant you one small request, and then we'll part ways. Or I'll give you some strength, quite considerable by local standards, and then you can do whatever you want. I respect other people's choices."

- "That's..." she began uncertainly. "Do I have time to think about it?"

- "You have time, but only until Olga contacts me again," I shrugged and looked out the window, where I could see the city in panic and a rather large army in the distance.

Hmm... Apparently, this is the reason for the panic I saw among the city's inhabitants when I first arrived here.

In theory, I could have ignored it, but I was too lazy to look for a new temporary hangout, so an idea formed in my head.