“Right, I’m handing out the first batch of pure-life gems to Schwarz,” Count Nightfall announced, as Dia settled her training plans for the others. “The next week’s batch will go to Risti, Farah and then Dia, who’s already a bi-folder. Right, where’s Nero?”

“He left earlier, while you guys were fawning over the little babies,” Dia replied.

“I think he might have left to bring one of them home,” Nightfall muttered.

“Hey, do I look like a kidnapper to you?” Nero asked, popping into the scene. “Also, nice timing, I guess. I suppose the only time when I’m actually talked about is when I’m missing nowadays. How depressing. Master, I want a drink.”

“If you’re calling me that, you better be prepared to pay for it,” Schwarz replied.

“Yeah, I know. A bottle of that super-strong, super-secret brew, thanks.” Nero tossed some green stones over.

“Lifestones. Really?” Schwarz rolled his eyes. “Well, whatever.”

“They’re mid-ranked lifestones. Not useful for us, but I’m sure it’s payment enough,” said Nero.

“Well, before Claud ran out for a honeymoon with Lily, he had been focused on collecting middle and low-ranked lifestones. I’ll store these for him and trade for his own high-ranked ones,” said Schwarz.

“Collecting middle and low-ranked lifestones?” Count Nightfall repeated.

“Sounds odd,” Caroline added. “Is he raising a small private force of his own? There’s not much reason to collect them otherwise. Heh. The idea of a small private force’s leader raising another small private force…sounds interesting.”

“Not too sure about that,” said Schwarz. “I don’t think so, though, but he always does things for damn good reasons. Maybe he’s trying to prepare for a day in which we need lots of one-folders. Like, you know, when a war breaks out. I can see him stocking up enough lifestones to raise a hundred people to one-folders and then pressing them into service.”

“What’s the point of that?” Risti asked.

“To provide an unprecedented boost in power that the enemy cannot predict,” Count Nightfall replied. “One-folders, even those untrained for combat like most of you guys, boast of speed and strength that non-folders and sub-folders cannot hope to match. In addition, if push comes to shove, you can also convert lifeforce into mana to sustain your strength. Even a troop of mages — sub-folders — can turn the tides of battle, let alone a troop of the real thing.”

“Oh. Well, trust Claud to think up of something like this, yeah,” Risti mumbled. “How sneaky.”

“There’ll definitely be dangers, though.” Count Nightfall had a grim smile on his face. “Ordinary people, when asked to choose between power and lifespan, typically choose the latter. When forced to take on power, however, their personality will change. Subtly, perhaps. Or drastically. Either way, the aftermath of creating so many one-folders would result in societal upheaval.”

Caroline emulated his smile and then gazed skywards. “People with power will seek to want more. That is their nature.”

“Is it me,” Nero whispered, “or are those two fogies finally behaving their age?”

“They’re three centuries old,” Schwarz whispered back. “It’s natural that they’ll have their own philosophy about life. In fact, it’s admirable that they haven’t gone about spouting philosophy and their own life experiences so far.”

“Hey.” Caroline glared at Schwarz. “I can hear you two.”

“Why are you only glaring at me?” Schwarz asked.

“Because we can’t defeat Nero?” Caroline replied, in a manner so natural that Dia was caught off-guard. “Duh.”

Schwarz clutched his chest and glanced at Nero, who had an awkward expression on his face. “Damn this realist couple.”

“Now, now.” Caroline looked up. “I’ll have you know that we’re eternally sixteen. Not three hundred and twenty-six years old, or three hundred and twenty-four. Get that into your head, okay?”

“Uwah, three hundred and twenty-six.” Nero looked at them. “Old fogies.”

“Well, for the record, Holy Daughter Clarissa is like three hundred and fifty-ish,” Caroline observed. “I’m sure she would be absolutely delighted to know that you’re including her in the realm of old fogies.”

“She can’t find out if I beat you two into submission,” Nero replied.

“…I’m just kidding.” Caroline rolled her eyes. “Sheesh. Can’t a maiden crack a few jokes here and there?”

“Still, you two really don’t act your age,” Risti observed. “At times, anyway. When we’re in an informal setting, you two are like young adults or something, not the old geezers I would expect. Only when you two are doing work do I get that impression.”

“Well, age is a weapon. Cuts in many ways,” Count Nightfall replied. “It can be used to influence many, many things. Anyway, I think we got a bit off-track here and there.”

“Yeah,” said Dia. “I’m quite sure we were talking about lifestones and the one-folders here. What about them again?”

“Well, it’s something of a thank-you gift rather than an obligation, so don’t feel bad about using them. That said, I’m sure it’ll be easier to raise your strength if I give everyone two thousand high-ranked lifestones in place of the pure-ranked ones, since the yield is far bigger.”

“Two thousand…gosh.” Schwarz swallowed. “How many years is that?”

“A hundred and sixty-seven years, but we’ll lose some to purity issues. Fortunately, the inefficiency tapers off at a ninety percent loss and never lower,” said Count Nightfall. “Push comes to shove, every high-ranked lifestone will yield three days of lifespan and nothing else.”

“With two thousand, it’s like twenty years or so,” Schwarz muttered. “That’s a long time.”

“Really?” Caroline asked. “Doesn’t really feel like it to me.”

Nightfall nodded. “Twenty years pass by in an instant at times. Why, I remember reading a really thick book for every morning for three decades. Least productive period of my life ever.”

“Don’t bother talking to them,” Nero whispered. “They’re lost in their old age things again.”

“Hey.”

“Well, if you have that much time,” said Nero, “go and become a tetra-folder already. With so much time in your hands, you must have gathered lots of information on the Second Tutorial, right?”

“I just became a tri-folder, though,” Nightfall replied. “Last year. And I’m already very close to a tetra-folder. Shouldn’t take long.”

“Wait, what?” Nero rubbed his head. “I thought you two were old hands at this or something. I mean, you two give off the air of a veteran or something.”

“I’m a veteran, yes,” said Caroline. “But Aran isn’t. My family told him to become a tri-folder before he could invite me over, which is why I’m also here. They’re old-fashioned, but he just complied with their demands anyway.”

“Anything for you, really,” Nightfall replied.

“Aww.”

“Ahem.” Nero cleared his throat. “Anyway, other than the lifestone announcement, what else are we gathered here for? The little Moon babies have been carried away and there’s no threat to the city now. Is there anything important we need to know next?”

“Mostly about that, but…” Nightfall paused. “Never mind. I’ll tell you lot about it when I get more concrete details. For you, it’s best if everyone here focuses on increasing their strength. The Moons have provided us with lots of resources, so we should make full use of it.”

“After all,” said Caroline, “when divine beings give out lots of freebies, it can only mean that our strength will be needed. Like it or not, our current ruler is not Emperor Grandis or Ruler Istrel. It’s the Moons. And if they want us to fight…it’s probably best to cooperate and get more resources from them in passing. That’s the only way we can get stronger.”

“We’re now mercenaries?” Schwarz asked.

“In a sense, yes.” Nightfall had an interesting look on his face. “I can pay you guys a lot of lifestones. Consider it an investment into your fledging team.”

“Don’t you actually need those resources, though?” Schwarz asked. “You’re very close too…”

“You’ll understand once you reach 3.95 in your Mana Circuit Superimposition,” Nightfall replied.

Caroline nodded. “There’s a huge difference between a tetra-folder and a tri-folder for a reason, you know. But you guys aren’t even qualified — literally — to know what that difference is yet, so we cannot say anything.”

“Bah.”

“Discrimination.”

“Looking down on us…’

The count stared at everyone, and then flicked his middle finger at them. “Oi.”

Dia broke into laughter, and the others followed suit. For a time, the only thing that could be heard was everyone laughing madly, without any restraint whatsoever. It was, perhaps, proof that a turbulent time had passed — if only temporarily, anyway — and that everyone’s spirits had been raised by the pleasant turn of events.

However, Dia — and everyone else — knew that this was just the calm before the storm. The news about how the Dark had seized control over the Voidum Sovereignty in Nihila still rang clear in her mind. In addition, they hadn’t heard anything about the other continents, but something similar had to be occurring in both Nihal and Lacheln too.

Was their laughter intended to distract their minds from the looming chaos? Dia didn’t know.

Nor did she want to find out.