TBATE: Let The Truth Be Known {Completed}

Chapter 29: Calm Before the Storm

"That's not bad. I get why you aren't using it. It's hard to do something like that when you're not her child even though she may treat you like it. I'll do that. I have a bit of paper in my dimension ring. I'll get started now. Thank you, Cecilia!" she shouts in response before skittering away.

She's a good girl. Such a shame no boy will ever get to have her. Not with Arthur as her brother.

I decide to get out of the house to ask the Twin Horns if they have any ideas on what would be a good gift idea. They know her almost as well as her kids do.

On the way out of the house, I find Alice rocking on the porch. Fortunately, she wasn't in the house to overhear my and Ellie's conversation.

"Good morning, Cecilia. Sleep well? I can imagine you're tired of sleeping in that room alone," she asks with a toothy grin.

"Yes, Mrs. Leywin. I slept well enough. It is beginning to be lonely in there since Arthur not only doesn't sleep but also doesn't even come home," I answer.

"That boy is like his father in that regard. He has too much energy. He's always here or there doing whatever it is people need him to do. He's almost too selfless," Alice replies as she continues to rock.

"I hope I get the chance to see him tonight. Tomorrow is a big day. I'll go ahead and act like I don't know how many years it is so you don't have to feel old. 29 right?" I tease.

"30, but close," she says with a chortle.

"Almost," I chuckle. "Anyway, I'll be heading into town for a while. I want to bring Tessia to see Virion."

"Be safe, dear," she replies as I begin to descend the stairs and head into town.

The autumn-like air feels as crisp as it always has been. This zone stays in a perpetual state of a harvest season. Fortunately, this means the crops can grow well enough without being hindered too much. As of late, children have been born in this zone which creates even more mouths to feed. As a result, more fields have been sectioned off, and farming on them has begun.

Walking into town feels even more cathartic than usual. The happy faces of people who have experienced the most horrific scenes over the past few years bring me nothing but joy. They make cobbled roads, erect homes, and even plan to hold a festival soon to celebrate the semi-anniversary of entering the zone. People are at home here despite being in completely foreign scenery.

"Going anywhere, Cecilia?" I hear from over my shoulder. Unbeknownst to me, I was aimlessly walking through town without any particular direction.

"Yes, actually, Helen. I was looking for you all. It's getting close to lunch. Can I join you four?" I answer.

"That a rhetorical question? Of course, you can. Any particular reason?" she replies.

"I need a gift idea. I'm sure Ellie's already asked. I was able to help her, but now I'm even more stuck," I admit.

"Alice is extremely appreciative of anything so I don't know if you'll have a hard time getting something she'll like. However, I know you well enough to know that you want to get her something amazing. Do you have an idea you're not sure of?" she asks.

"Well... I think so," I mutter. "I think it would be possible for me to will mana into her core and purify it. I want to discuss the mana theory behind it with Arthur. Essentially, I could bring her Dark Orange core to Light Yellow or even Initial Silver with enough concentration."

"Y-you can what?" she stutters.

"Well, I don't know if I can. I was going to offer to try it out. She has Djinn blood in her, so the effects of that would increase her core development while in the Relictombs. It's more of a perfect storm. It's the reason Ellie went from Orange all the way to White in just a few months," I explain.