The Pillar of Enera

[Chapter 41 part 1] Dawn - Martial Artist From The Cultivating Realm

"Miki, tell us where we stand." Lily had returned last night, stating 'I've done what I can'. Fayla had rounded them up this morning, Miki joining shortly after.

"Right," Miki rose to speak. Must be a habit from meeting the press. "As you know, Samuel Lithorn has drafted a proposal stripping Lily of her Regency. If the World Council convenes and the votes 'for' outnumber the 'against', it'll be over."

"Currently, the scales are even. Lined up against us are the Northern Empire, its satellites, and most smaller nations. On our side, we have the Barsal Empire, the Aery Alliance, the GreyKingdom, Kalonia, and Banzerkest..."

"Say..." Miki turned to Lily. "Why is Banzerkest backing you? They normally stay out of international affairs, abstaining from everything, same as the Cultivating Realm..."

"It's because of Handam Xolran." Lily grimaced. "After witnessing Agadon's breath, he declared himself incapable of surviving the attack. According to him, as the dragon god's summoner, that makes me the only person alive capable of killing him. With this acknowledgment, Banzerkest treats me with the utmost respect. The support doesn't make me happy, but I'll take it."

"I see..." Miki said. "Anyway, currently the Demon World is pivotal. As a distant member of the royal family, I've been peddling what influence I can, but it looks bleak..."

"Thanks again for your help." Lily

"Knowing Lithorn was involved in Arther's murder, it's the least I could do." Miki answered

"What do we do now?" Hope asked.

"Cross our fingers and pray." Miki replied. "We'll learn the Demon World's decision by day's end. If it goes well, this turns into a battle for smaller players. If it doesn't..."

"...We call Astra and begin planning." Lily finished. "Everyone's free to go, but stay close."

Dawn descended to the EmptyCity brooding. Miki sounded pessimistic. That's depressing. Dawn didn't want to leave the Isle yet. I like the place.

Besides the dire prospect, her mind was weighed down by yesterday's match. Losing to someone in her twenties is galling. It was also unfair. Without that Sublime Vagary, Shine wouldn't have stood a chance.

Dawn experienced pangs of envy. She accepted Shine had gained her trump card through a suitable display of proficiency. What frustrated her was the lack of clarity over acquiring her own. For most skills, mimicking others is enough with my talent. Sublime Vagaries had no such reliable path. Retreading past approaches required more effort only to produce an inferior variant. Everything is less impressive the second time around. She felt subjected to the whims of fate, floundering in the dark.

Must I act theatrically too? Shine's showmanship undoubtedly contributed to her early acquisition. Problem is, if you act that way and nothing happens, you look like a bloody fool. Still, dissatisfaction egged her on.

How'd it go again? She danced around, doing her best to recalled the movements of Shine's routine. After a minute of practice, she reached up her hand high. Placing an imaginary hat on her head, Dawn shouted softly "Radiant——". Then she spun sideways, recreating stances from memory. After her eighth revolution, she finished, "——Masquerade." Frozen in this final pose, she noticed Simon Black in front of her.

"... How long have you been there?" She whispered.

"A while." Simon answered. "I didn't realize you were a fan of Balladeer."

Arrrggggg. Dawn contemplated silencing the man, but quickly despaired realizing it wasn't feasible. Instead, she stiffly righted her posture.

"What did you want?" Behind Dawn's straight face, she screeched inside. How did this happen? What on Enera was I thinking? I want to die. Kill me, kill me, kill me.