“I definitely won!” Sasha proclaimed, twirling her axes around as they approached the end of the dungeon. They'd spent the last few days getting back out of the dungeon. Many of the goblins and hobgoblins had re-spawned, not as many as had been there to start with, but enough to give them all a respectable amount of experience.

“Is your head full of rocks? I won!” Charles insisted, flames popping up around him, his own version of Liliana’s lost [Will-O-Wisp] spell. He’d gotten the spell after a level up. Apparently, being around her spell for a time had enabled him to gain the fire version of it. It left Liliana curious about what else one could learn by examining other affinity’s spells or skills. She’d spent a long time staring at Emyr’s shadows to try to figure out how to transfer it into a Light based spell or skill.

“I told you, I killed 64 goblins, that wins!” Sasha said, waving an axe threateningly at the fire mage.

“And I told you I kill 70,” Charles informed her. Sam whistled quietly from the back as he examined an arrow.

“I got 74,” Sam told the group, ducking a fireball without looking up.

“Half of those were stolen kills!” Charles told the archer and Liliana urged Lelantos to get further ahead, away from the quarreling ranged fighters.

Emyr and Alistair were walking separately from the group, but Liliana was fairly certain it was because Alistair was pouting. From what she’d heard, he’d killed 42 mobs, which didn’t put him as the winner. It was expected that a tank wouldn’t get as many kills. It wasn’t his job to kill the mobs. He still got a good amount of experience since anytime someone killed something if the System determined he’d assisted by drawing aggro, or protecting them, he got experience from it.

Emyr was trying to console him with the fact that he’d gotten 8 levels from the dungeon. Alistair was sitting at level 74 now. Emyr was close behind him at level 71. Liliana herself was catching up to both of them, her boon pulling its weight. She was at level 64 now, having gained 11 levels in the dungeon, the most by far of the group. It was unsurprising as her level had also been the lowest, and she got an additional 50% experience on top of the 20% this dungeon gave as a bonus.

Liliana kept out of the argument for the most part. She’d only gotten 59 kills herself in the dungeon and wasn’t in the running. She’d gotten a majority of her kills in the boss room as well, thanks to her ultimate. But it still wasn’t that impressive, not when compared to the other’s accomplishments. She also didn’t want to draw anymore attention to her too-fast leveling.

She could get away with saying she simply got a good percentage from the kills. There were far too many for anyone to bother double checking the math. But it reminded her that she needed to be careful with the information she gave freely. If someone noticed her gains were far too fast for anyone to have, they may start asking uncomfortable questions. She’d rather avoid informing people that a goddess had blessed her, because they’d want to know why. And that wasn’t a question she had a suitable answer to.

She pulled up the description of [Deception] again; the skill had been leveling slowly in the dungeon as well, more so when she realized she needed to keep quiet about her gains and lying to the others when they talked about how many things they’d killed.

Deception: You are adept at telling lies with both your words and actions, aiding you in making others believe what you wish for them to believe. You’ve grown into your ability to deceive those who spend time with you, shrouding the truth in layers of misdirection and subtle lies. Your developing Charisma aids you in making others see the truth you want them to, bending them to your whims. You’ve become proficient enough that other traits of yourself can be hidden from those who look, even those with skills meant to lay bare information. Hide your Level from any [Identify] under the level of your [Deception]+ 10% of your Charisma

Currently hidden from those with [Identify] under level 66

It wasn’t too useful yet, only hiding her level for those who didn’t have an [Identify] over level 66. Which was likely just the servants, as she knew they didn’t try very hard to level their skills from what she’d heard of from Astrid. The skill was a boon and a curse in its own way. Hiding her level or information meant that anyone who used [Identify] on her wouldn’t see it, but that would make them curious as to why. She wasn’t sure how many skills hid levels, but with the fact that it was customary for Nobles to not hide their levels to show them off, it made her look suspicious.

What if the other nobles have a skill like [Deception] but use it to change their levels to something else? Liliana considered, worrying her lip between her teeth. She’d need to ask someone who wasn’t a servant to know the answer to that. She wasn’t sure if even Alistair or Emyr knew, since she hadn’t seen them hiding their levels. In fact, like most of the other young nobles she’d spent time with, they seemed to gladly display their levels. After all, their levels determined their admittance to the prestigious Academy, and would aid them in social status once admitted.

However, hiding levels wouldn’t be a completely impossible thing for established nobles, not when they played their vicious games with each other. Hiding one’s true power from a rival or enemy was a common and effective tactic. The more Liliana considered it, the more possible the idea seemed. A familiar fire of determination built in her. She could level her [Deception] more and eventually get it to a point where it could not just mask her information, but change it. Or, she hoped.

She’d need to do more research on the skill, as it wasn’t common enough to be in any of the books she’d found in the manor. She’d likely need a more specialized text. If what she was hoping was possible, though, she could change her level to more accurately reflect what she should be at. Hiding her true, higher level, from prying eyes.

It would be good not just for removing any suspicion from her, but also for giving her an advantage in any fight with another human. Or beast evolved enough to use a skill like [Identify]. Liliana wasn’t sure when beasts got such a skill, Lelantos had it, but she wasn’t sure if it was typical. Or if he got it because Cheshire’s were generally more intelligent beasts from the moment they came into existence.

A mental query to the tiger in question left her with the information that he’d had the skill [identify] from as early as he could remember. Which meant either beasts were all born with the skill or all Cheshire’s were born with the skill. Liliana mentally noted it down as something to research in her dwindling free time.

Liliana moved her mind back to the conundrum at hand. If she could [Deception] to a point it could change her level, she wouldn’t need to worry about leveling too fast. She could level to her heart’s content and raise no eyebrows about it. She’d need to be careful, though. Even in her own home, she was walking a tightrope. She had to be good enough to keep her prodigy status that got her father’s favor, but not so strong she became a genuine threat in the Duchess’s eyes.

Already she worried she was too close to that line. She felt the woman’s cruel eyes on her anytime they passed, and she knew the woman had servants watching her. She still lashed out with vicious words hidden behind a thin veneer of kindness and propriety when in the presence of others, not willing to strike too hard after Liliana’s father had already raised issue at such things. Little though his protection was, he obviously only cared about Liliana so long as she continued to be of use to him. A tool didn’t need to be happy, it simply had to work. Otherwise, he wouldn’t keep that viper in their home at all.

If the viper of a woman caught Liliana when no one else was around? That thin veneer of hers shattered, and the venom that poured from her mouth was a scalding poison that hurt far more than it should. Liliana had memories of a mother who was kind and loving. Yet the memories she carried from earth were becoming less corporeal everyday she spent in this new world.

Already the memories she’d been given from the original Liliana were far more fresh, and sometimes felt far more real, than the ones she’d carried over from her previous life. Perhaps it was simply the result of time. Vita had implied she’d been in the void for close to a hundred years. Perhaps it was the goddess’ doing. She’d already changed Liliana’s memories to erase her name, the names of everyone she knew and every identifying detail.

Whatever the cause was, Liliana could say that her memories of a loving mother were thin and weak in comparison to knowing far more recently a stepmother who had nothing in her heart but hate for her. No memory of a mother singing songs to her as she brushed her thinning hair could fully combat the pain that came with words full of cruelty. Memories of happy holidays, warm kisses and tight embraces fell apart when faced with the too real sharp claws of a woman who knew how to aim for one’s weak spots.

‘You’re just a commoner at the core, aren’t you? I’ve heard that you struggle in your lessons, despite the time Miss Beckett devotes to you, and the money your father wastes on your teaching. You can’t even do this one thing right, can you?’

‘You think you can pretend to be a noble? When you spend your time rolling around in the dirt like a wild thing. Disgraceful, you never deserved the Rosengarde name,’

‘Eventually your Father will see the truth, he’ll see you’re nothing but a burden,’

‘All the care your father shows you, all the time we’ve both spent giving you clothes, teachers, food and a roof over your head, yet you can still turn such hateful eyes towards me? What an ungrateful and ugly child you are,’

‘You might be a pretty thing on the outside, but what does that matter when your insides are ugly? You’re nothing but a leech on this family, full of hate where you should show gratitude.’

Liliana shivered despite the lack of chill in the air as the harsh words scraped in her mind, tearing at her heart. Her eyes trailed to Alistair and Emyr, who were still talking amongst themselves. She couldn’t tell anyone of what the Duchess said to her when no one was there to hear. Who would believe her? Surely not her father, who had married the shrew. Not her own son, who still obviously loved his mother. Even if he was obviously distancing himself from her, opening his eyes to her ways. But he still loved her. Not Emyr, who had been friends with Alistair and known his mother since long before either had even known Liliana existed.

She could tell Astrid, but what good would it do? The woman was a maid and had no standing. Her words would hold less weight than even Liliana’s. Same with any of the guards. Even Silas would have his hands tied by the difference in rank. That’s if anyone would truly believe her word against that of a full-blooded noble woman. That was what the issue came back to time and again. Imogen had power thanks to her rank and marriage that Liliana herself could not boast. Power Liliana could only hope to makeup in levels, but that was a slow and long-term solution to a pressing current problem.

There’s not much more I could do. Even if I tried to hold her accountable for poisoning me, there’s no proof. I can’t even say I saw her do it! There’s no telling if she even has the poison with her still. She’s too cunning by half for such a simple mistake. She’s likely destroyed any possible proof of her actions, and she’s far too sly with her words. No one is ever around to hear her, and if there is someone she switches faster than a blink, Liliana mentally worried over the problem, until the sound of chuffs from her bond drew her from her thoughts. Lelantos was pressing at the bond, not enjoying the dark turn her thoughts had been taking so frequently this day.

Liliana tried to send comfort back. She was fine. Truly, she was, as well as could be expected. It was simply because today they’d be returning to the manor and her short week of blessed freedom from the machinations of nobility was ending. While she enjoyed leaving the manor, and her stepmother, the tea parties and balls were as dangerous as the dungeon. There were none among the nobility she could really call friend, but many she could label enemies. Even those who invited her out she knew they did it because she was shiny and new. Not to make ties with, or to befriend. They were all too superficial and fake for that, and Liliana too much of a risk to tie themselves to in any meaningful way.

Even the guards, while they’d been friendly to her, Liliana wouldn’t fool herself into thinking they were friends. They were comrades while in the dungeon, and some level of trust was built by necessity. You had to trust the people watching your back, or you died. But that didn’t make them friends.

For friends, she really only had Emyr, Marianne, and Alistair. As surprising as the last one was, she could admit they were friends now. It had begun with the bandit attack when Liliana had thrown herself in front of Emyr to stop the crazed woman from skewering him. She’d known Emyr and Alistair were close, but she’d underestimated their bond. Because after that day, her brother had slowly become more and more amicable to her. Months of slowly getting to know each other, of fighting together, of even joking together, had slowly watered the seeds of friendship and now there was a tentative bond built between them. Built out of blood, sweat and tears they’d shared together.

She’d miss this time they’d shared in the dungeon, when most of their titles were stripped from them. No longer lords and ladies, they were tanks, or fighters, or casters. This dungeon really had been a sanctuary for her. It was so much easier when the only enemies she had were the ones she could cut down by blade or spell. No hidden meaning to ferret out behind pretty flowered words, no poison to look for in her tea. Simple, even if dangerous, times. She’d miss it, and she wasn’t sure when she’d have a chance to return.

She had advanced far faster, and far higher, than anyone would’ve expected of Liliana a year prior. She could see her stepmother putting further push behind restricting her leveling attempts. After all, she had met the requirements for the Academy. She’d undoubtedly try to further weaken Liliana where she could, and the easiest way to do that was to prevent her from acquiring any more power that could be a threat to the woman or her son.

Liliana would be worried the woman would try to marry her off in an unfavorable union just to see her off, but the Cista kingdom was more progressive than the countries of a similar time era from her memory of Earth. Here noble children couldn’t be engaged or wed until they were 18, and they had a say in their marriages. Many accepted the proposed engagement presented by their parents, for their parents normally sought unions that would be both beneficial to the family and not completely awful for the child as well.

She’d learned this rather recently in lessons with Miss Beckett, before it hadn’t been something that had been discussed with her because everyone had accepted that Liliana was too tainted by commoner blood to ever hope for an acceptable marriage. No matter how Imogen hated her, the woman would never dare dream of further sullying the Rosengarde name by marrying Liliana to someone of a lower status than a noble.

The most parents would do to their children was promise them to others before 18, but those were easily broken, unlike a formal betrothal, and held far fewer repercussions both socially and financially. From what she’d learned, more than a bit of money changed hands when a formal betrothal was worked out, truly more a business deal than an event born of love. However, Liliana did not judge too harshly, even if it differed from the life she remembered on Earth. She knew her own world held its share of arranged marriages, even in the era she had left it, and it was a common practice there in history.

Nobles simply had far too much to consider to marry for love, for many had the lives of all who lived in their territories to consider as well. The responsibility nobles held was something Liliana was slowly coming to realize. The more she saw, and was taught, the less she thought she even wanted to be the Rosengarde heir. Hundreds of thousands of lives would be on her head if she became the Duchess. Perhaps the entire country, considering the borders they guarded.

No, truly, she’d be happy to live a much simpler life. In a little cottage on her own, surrounded by animals she’d bonded. She doubted the Duchess would believe her if she told the woman that she had no machinations for the title of heir, she’d gladly give the burden such a title held to her stepbrother who had actually been trained from a young age to manage a territory even if his true father had only been an earl and not a duke, he was far better suited to handle such a thing.

Liliana sighed softly as the light at the end of the dungeon got brighter. She shielded her eyes as they walked out into blinding sunlight. For a moment, the entire group blinked. Emyr had erected a small sloppy umbrella of darkness he was huddling under as he sent scornful glares at the cursed light that was assaulting all their eyes.

“The victorious warriors return from their conquests!” A voice shouted merrily, a small cheer coming from the gathered guards who had waited for them outside the dungeon. The ones who would’ve run in after them, had they found themselves so far in above their heads they needed to call for aid.

“You best believe it! We gave those goblins a good thrashing!” Sasha shouted back, rousing more cheers from the guards. The returned guards mingled with their fellows, exchanging jokes and tales of their battles. Liliana looked on enviously for a moment. Now more than ever, the divide between her and them was obvious, as the group gave a respectable amount of distance to the three nobles.

“I see it was a successful delve,” Jason said, one of the few guards who broke from the group to move towards the nobles. He directed his attention to Liliana, and she smiled at him, though it was forced with the dark thoughts her mind had circling in it, bringing her mood down.

“Yes, it was a very fruitful endeavor. Though the rewards were a bit lacking,” Liliana said the last bit regretfully. While the cores from the goblins would sell well, considering the volume of them, it still wouldn’t be nearly as much gold gained as she wished. Had they gotten better rewards from the boss, like true dungeon made weapons, they’d be sitting on far more gold.

“Give it a month or two and the rewards will improve. I’m sure you’ll have more chances to delve it. With the knowledge you gained from this trip, it’ll be even easier,” Jason assured her, and Liliana shrugged and nodded. She didn’t tell the man that she was fairly certain it would be awhile yet before she was allowed to run the dungeon again.

“Let’s go. I’m ready to have a bath and sleep in a proper bed,” Alistair called out, and the group that had been with them in the dungeon readily agreed. Liliana stayed quiet as she trailed behind the rest, not even needing Jason to reprimand her this time to force her to keep from the front.

Yes, let’s go home, I suppose, Liliana thought with a last, longing look at the dungeon.

Status Sheet

Name

Liliana Rosengarde

Age

14

Level

64

Class

Blade Dancer

Race

Human

Rank

7

Health

1000

H-Regen

+10/1.1sec

Mana

1300

M-Regen

+13/1.1sec

Stamina

1970

S-Regen

+19.7/1.1sec

Magic Power

1450

Magic Control

1695

Experience: 349,020/422,500

Vitality

100

Endurance

197

Strength

130

Dexterity

191 (198)

Wisdom

130

Intelligence

130

Speed

243(253)

Charisma

185

Unallocated Stat Points: 0

Affinity

Soul

92%

Light

90%

Life

85%

Illusion

22%

Quintessential Skills

[Radiant Revelry] Lvl 4

Skills

[Identify] Lvl 50

[Mana Manipulation] lvl 43

[Dodge] 47

[Solar Samba] Lvl 43

[Dance of The Windsong] lvl 38

[Regeneration] Lvl 34

[Persistent Casting] lvl 31

[Leap] lvl 30

[Pierce] Lvl 29

[Dance Of The Vanishing Blade] Lvl 27

[Stealth] lvl 19

[War Maiden’s Waltz] Lvl 12

[Borrow] Lvl 5

[Last Stand] lvl 1

General Skills

[Polearms Mastery] Lvl 56

[Dancing] lvl 55

[Deception] Lvl 48

[Reading] Lvl 36

[Etiquette] Lvl 35

[Pain Resistance] lvl 33

[Embroidery] Level 31

[Writing] Lvl 31

[Persuasion] Lvl 29

[Skinning] Lvl 27

[Riding] lvl 27

[Mathematics] lvl 25

[Animal Husbandry] Lvl 21

[Dagger Mastery] Lvl 17

[Dual Wielding] Lvl 16

[Mounted Combat] lvl 15

[Herbalisim] lvl 14

[Hand To Hand Combat] Lvl 12

[Alchemy] lvl 10

[Wilderness Survival] lvl 6

[Archery] lvl 3

[Sword Mastery] Lvl 2

Spells

[Light Burst] LVL 45

[Light Burst Coat] LVL 35

[Dancer’s Domain] lvl 33

[Light Barrage] lvl 27

[Barrier] Lvl 25

[Shadow Sonata] Lvl 24

[Shine] LVL 21

[Soul Strike] Lvl 17

[Adjust] lvl 16

[Bonding Contract] LVL 12

[Dancing Doubles] Lvl 12

[Healing Harmony] Lvl 4

[Companion Heal] Lvl 2