“This session is over; the decision will be made next week after some thorough discussion with various parties.”

Hearing the Ghaez, who was supervising the review, everyone inside the room got up and got into discussions. A few of them, notably from the Ten Houses approached Ghiscra and sent her barrages of question.

“That reminds me of the telegraph. I tried making one like those back then but I had no talent in engineering or any scientific talents. Then again, this world is quite limited on that field or rather the people’s talent here makes it limited.”

Thomas, the only earthling Inheritor came beside me.

“Huh, World War II must have been hell at that time.”

“Heh, imagine at that time, I was in the first expeditionary force sent to France. I spent almost three years stationed eating pozzies but then one fine morning, the alleymen decided to gift us with shells, the bad kind. Ah, it’s been a long time since I talked like this.”

Thomas had a nostalgic expression as he reminisced.

“I was stuck when part of the building fell on my left leg. Just as I was about to be die from bleeding, I found myself here and I thought I was unique for being summoned on a brink of death but you topped me off. All these years, I often wondered what happened to the Old World. Luckily you guys came and I’m glad to know we didn’t lose that badly even though London was bombed heavily for a year.”

From the world history book that I read, the Nation of Germany had succeeded in gaining their strategic value after the Blitz. Aside from that, they ceased the invasion towards Russia, won some key-point battles in Africa and Middle East and also as the United States were a late player in the world war theatre, they had succeeded in reaching one of their goals which was Lebensraum or acquiring living space as they had occupied almost one third of Europe. Other achievements was achieving control on significant strategic values and routes and from winning those key-point battles, they secured their proxy nations.

They technically won the war and Hitler was hailed a hero in some history books or a villain in some others but after thirty years or so, the Nation of Germany split into two as two major ideologies clashed.

The North Germany became a traditionalist country that uphold their old values while the South Germany, having mixed cultures and wider exposure to the globalization, became a bastion of Leftist ideology in Europe. Turns out, Ubermensch is from the latter side of the new Germany.

Thomas and I chatted about several topics back on earth. After some times, the crowd receded and Ghiscra was sighing heavily as I approached her.

“So how do you feel?”

“Liberated! The sensation of people expectations is too overwhelming for me. Maybe, I should cease experimenting or not making it official…”

Her shoulders went crestfallen as she said that.

The whole review had consisted of several procedures. We managed to last through all the procedures but it was mentally exhausting.

I find myself numbed with all the questions by the reviewers. One of them was the Enchanter Association representative and a friend of mine, Fenn Tahlakul, a Dragonoid of platinum scale was quite supportive of the invention but the Eomancers Council representative was the opposite as she had been quite critical about the invention, stating the obvious downside of such system.

All in all, the review was just an initial phase of the approval as each involved and relevant association and government bodies will have their own voting session and after that, the final phase of approval would be the voting every relevant associations.

“I think I’m going to only research on papers without experimenting since it would cause me to go through this again!”

As she rummage her notes, I placed my left hand on her shoulder. She’s not as averse to me touching her like before so this is one of the signs of our close relationship.

“Since you did a good job by at least not having a nervous breakdown in the middle of the review, I’ll cook your favourite!”

Ignoring my jab, she stopped her rummaging and her eyes were twinkling when she turned towards me while nodding furiously.

Near the exit door, Vefal and Rino, who was my bodyguards stood there chatting and as they saw us approaching, they smiled and we left that hall.

--

After finishing her favourite which was a braised scaled tiger fillets and a mushroom soup, she contentedly sat on her seat as I smiled along.

“Ruigne, thanks for the meal and everyone… I have a favour to ask!”

After simmering in her contentment, she looked at me then the others with an unsure expression. Vefal, Rino and I had eaten our shares.

“If it’s within my capabilities, ask away.”

I answered while Vefal nods and Rino kept silent.

She hesitated for a while but-

“Would you all like to accompany me to the Flower Field near the Summoning Hall tonight? I remembered the first time we came here and walked through that field, I was dumbstruck by such a sight. Now, I suddenly had an urge to look at them again.”

She solemnly said her reason. I can empathized since the first I saw them; it was straight out of fantasy… well the entirety of this place is fantasy.

“Actually why don’t we invite all the summoned to go there as well. It can be like our half a year anniversary ever since we came into this world.”

I proposed a get-together sort of outing.

No one oppose it as we all nodded and agreed to that.

--

The atmosphere felt mystical as the floating lights flutters around, softly illumination on the flowers.

I don’t know the names of the flowers here but the species are varied, probably crossbreed too. The weirdest thing is that this flower-field doesn’t actually exist in the official map of the palace.

I wonder what happen if I use the Gervash Elixir here? The lighting effect would have been transcendent but I refrain since I have only a limited number of them. I asked Ghiscra to make me some after I found out other uses aside from getting trippy. It seems to make me more attune to the Winds of Eomancy. I also learned how to actually move at some point.

It was a real out of body experience.

I tried not wasting them as there was something at the direction of the south that caught my attention when I was using the elixir in my Fhagec five days ago. It was a strange sight of a blue barrier-like existence that meshed with the chaotic colours of the Aurora Sky. It came from the seaside of Valvakea.

When I will be assigned at Valvakea, There will be opportunities for me to see what exactly that was.

“There you go again, your mind wandering off, wasting the opportunity here.”

Beside me was Vefal and both of us sat on the ground, in front of the field. Akujin, Kiefy and Erganisu were beside my right as they sat along in a row. Around us, the summoned were enjoying themselves, in fact, it felt like a night picnic.

Krolve was in the middle of the pathway and judging by his distorted ‘face’, he was anxious surrounded by pretty flowers. Near him was Amitva who was teasing the young tree. Just on our left side was another picnic spot with Vassil, August, and Stryklos was drinking merrily while Ubermensch along with Koizumi, Herkaloi and Aeriasus quietly discussed amongst themselves not far from where we sat.

Fyrphov and Ghrukka was looking at the flowers behind us but the former looked bored but his eyes were looking at the flowers like he was gauging how good it would taste.

Ghozano, Therius, Tevalini, Shakil and Ghiscra was standing, admiring the sight just right beside our Egazov’s picnic spot. Kristalisha and Annastasha were with Rino as they sat behind them, talking about their assignment experiences.

All the summoned are here in one spot, just like when we arrived. It’s been like almost a year since that time.

“Yeah, sorry, old habit dies hard.”

“You should empty your mind and do some mental exercise like how I do which are counting how many times you draw your breath or counting your steps as you walk.”

“You do those?”

“Yeah, to achieve a state of mind I supposed. A friend of mine taught me this trick because I was too nervous to fall asleep.”

Vefal took my hand as she said that. It’s weird but these past few days, it’s like both Vefal and Rino made a schedule in spending their free time with me and with themselves. Tonight was Vefal’s turn.

I guess Vefal was trying to establish the foundation of a relationships between the three us. She didn’t want me to be the centre and a main reason why this relationship exists so it was better that all three of us have a genuine bond with each other.

Even so, it’s still awkward having this sort of relationships for both me and Rino. We just can’t forgo a social value of our old world.

Time passes as we enjoyed the scenery.

“Ruigne, can I sit beside you?”

Ghiscra was standing on my right looking down on me, trying not to make eye-contact.

I patted the ground on my right as a gesture of my approval. She sat down close beside me. If it were the old her, it would have been about 5 feet a distance apart.

“I’ll give you two a room.”

-With a sly smile, Vefal who was on my left, got up and left.

After a moment of silence-

“Ruigne, Thanks for being around me. Although you’re not the first one or the only one to do so but you give the most impact in these three months.”

“…What are you talking about? I merely showed you the door. Anyone can do that but the only one who could open the door is always you.”

She shakes her head side to side.

“That may be true but you shouldn’t undervalue yourself. If you were to put it that way, then I’m thankful because you not only showed me the door but you guided, pushed and encouraged me to open them. Them, as many doors! You made me change into better!”

“Do I? Well, if you want to see it that way, both of us should be thankful then.”

Ghiscra sighed in resignation as she realized I won’t properly receive her gratitude. I strictly believe that every effort made in self-improvement is always because of the person itself regardless of how many helping hands.

Still I guess I should tell her about my reasoning why I felt inclined to her.

“This might sound like random thing to say but you kind of remind me of my niece especially your voice and your mannerism.”

“… How old was your niece?”

“Last I remember, she was about eight years old. Thankfully that part of memories remained.”

Ghiscra looked at me with a profound expression.

“It’s weird but I guess that’s fine too but the way I see it, you’re a brother figure to me in a sense but I think I’m older than you though.”

“Really? I can’t remember how old I am but I think I’m around mid-twenties-”

-And so the night went on with all the summoned without a care in the world.