After my talk with Eliza I had an inkling of an idea as to how to deal with the luisent. So with that worry out of my mind I needed something new to fill the now empty space in my thoughts. So now with a wand in hand I turned my gaze over at chanting, for as embarrassing as I find it, I cannot deny how helpful it proved itself by ignoring affinities. So to further understand this process I decided to use the very same ice chant I used for Eliza and closely observe it under realm since my focus back at that time wasn't on the chant.

I said the words, low enough so Eliza who, returned back to resting wouldn't be disturbed. I saw how in real time my inner energy moved out of my arms and into the wand forming a thin 'cloud' around it, resembling the all too familiar pattern which in turn moved the outer energy to produce its own pattern responsible for the effect. At first I thought that chanting didn't consumed any inner energy but I was gravely mistaken, instead of using no energy it utilized very little to the point of being negligible and even ignorable like friction in physics homework, so miniscule in fact that it supported my working hypothesis that a chant's main focus was to maximize efficiency to the point that it compromised all power of the effect.

With the small ice cube slowly melting on the ground I was about to begin with a new chant and compare the two when I noticed something. Given that the chant was over, the energy gathered around the wand should have dissipated but some of it still persisted, the one found within the wand's design, with what I already know this shouldn't be possible since inner energy turns to outer when leaving the body and outer can easily pass through physical objects while inner on the other hand is very limited in that aspect... I should really stop calling them inner and outer energy and give them proper names...

Regardless I consciously started feeding the wand my inner energy, using realm to precisely fill the gaps. It didn't take much energy, around the same amount to start a campfire worthy flame and that was mostly becuase it was too much of a precision work for my untrained ass and a lot of energy just escaped becoming outer, meaning the efficiency can still rise without worry. I could say that it was filled, like a person new to the kitchen I may have nicked my fingers but the vegetables were satisfactorily cut, yet nothing happened. Cutting the feed of inner energy to the wand I saw that at least it didn't leaked.

Did it perhaps held energy for an emergency chant or something, that would be absolute counterproductive given that it would still cost less energy to simple chant. Am I over thinking this and it's just something that happens in general? It is a fact that all wands are sculpt out of beast bones becuase they are excellent conductors and maybe holding inner energy is simply one of the material's features. Well let's cast a chant and find out.

To not complicate stuff I once again used the ice cube chant where I finally found what that did. Usually a chant took form in front of the nose of the wand or at least where the nose was pointing when the chant began. Not this time, I saw the energy forming where I was staring with my eyes as they went wide with amazement. Was it brilliance or madness, logic or instinct that drove the sculptor to this discovery? Were they even fully aware of what they had created or did their hands grew a mind of their own for that one moment? High praises should have been sang for this person throughout the continent yet they will go unnamed down the annals of history.

The sculptor somehow found a way to integrate an auxiliary function into chants, a faction that was missing and can benefit the system greatly. Unpredictability. Even I with my spells and realm could see many cases where something like this can prove its worth and it just might make the difference against a luisent.

Among all the ways I could think of utilizing this new gimmick a thought squeezed itself to the front of my mind. I had left in the back for a variety of reasons, I didn't had the time for it, it was easily explainable with what I already knew, and honestly it was of the few thing that I didn't wanted to think about. For as much as I wanted to ignore it, it stood to reason that I would have an inner energy spell for my fire affinity similar to mispporting.

And it sure didn't disappoint. A fire that burned everything other than myself, I guess in this case my inner energy acted the same as a layer of alcohol, with a tad of insulation added in the mix, creating a safe space between my meat bag and flammable parts and the base of the fire. If only Cadence was the one to figure this out and not myself.

But I better not get into it right now. Lighting a fire I placed a pot half full with water on top and proceeded to cut some of the vegetables I got last night. They sure didn't looked pretty but still it will keep us fed. Next I cut and threw in what little meat was left and pulled out of the loaned supplies the most important ingredient of all, a bag of salt. I bet this thing costed as much as the rest of the stuff and he just gave it to me. Of course I did lay my eyes on it, standing there on the shelf, but I didn't explicitly requested a bag of salt, he by himself throw it along with the others ingredients. I guess this was his way of increasing the interest.

That night we ate. I would like to say it tasted like a meal fit for kings but that be classified as 'escapism'. To be exact it tasted like a fugitive living in a decrepit house made it, which in all honesty it's better than what I expected. Eliza on the other hand was jumping between excitement and disgust, it was somewhat amusing to watch. She would take a spoonful, her eyes sparkling and then her hair would stand in attention when she put it in her mouth, by the time her spoon was dipped into the soup she'd had already forgotten her previous experience and her eyes would be sparkling again.

I can't say that the night that followed was as lighthearted. Word around the town had it that German the luisent had arrived so naturally both Eliza and myself were on high alert, not daring to utter a word to each other. And just like clockwork a presence entered realm, skulking around outside the house, it wasn't Lana's. I nodded at Eliza.

Eliza: Please do enter our humble abode.

The presence was caught off guard, momentarily freezing but eventually recovering. Just as they were about the pass the door I lit a fire inside an empty lantern to illuminate the room. In walked a man in his early thirties with good proportions, slick black hair and a well kempt beard bearing a sword in his hip. I can see why Eliza gravitated towards him, well he could be better with some grays.

Eliza: Ger!... Luisent Illises. It has been quite some time since our last meeting, I hope you have been and are still doing well. Please do excuse us for the lack of accommodations as we don't have much to offer.

I could clearly tell that mister luisent wasn't paying much attention to her words as he stood there staring at her with mouth half open. He was clearly taken aback but I don't think Eliza noticed it. Really now, what an easy target he made. As soon as that last thought passed my mind he snapped back to reality and jumped away, creating as much space between the two of us as the house allowed. I supposed that I leaked my 'bloodlust' or whatever and it ticked him off.

luisent: Eli... Comtesse Troupe who that person may be?

So out of all the trails he followed Eliza's...

Eliza: She is of course my daughter. Only she goes by the name Alexandra now.

She introduced me just as we discussed, even though we both knew the truth it was easier to explain it this way to outsiders.

luisent: What! This doesn't make any sense. Were you not abducted! What about the ransom letter?

So that's the narrative they went with, I suppose it does forces the luisent to act with minimum questions asked. But how should I put it, now with his guard up there was something about him, it put me on edge in a different sense than before. That's right! He was dangerous, not someone the current me can make an enemy out of.

Eliza proceeded to explain the events that took place at the castle from our point of view all the while the Luisent looking more and more perplexed the more he listened, without neglecting to throw glances my direction. Given how bad my position right now is I could not help but feel a tad of pride given how I made a Luisent wary of me.

Luisent: How heinous! Hearing all that makes me want to go and clean out that filth living under the lands of our King.

And to think that he had such a great reaction with us keeping the slavery topic out of his ears.

"Well I could also go and raise the castle to the ground myself but that will achieve nothing. The clean up needs to be more thorough."

Luisent: I guess you are right, payback isn't of the moment. Getting the two of you out of here is a priority.

He proposed his arm. Charmed, Eliza made a motion to take it but at the last moment she broke the spell and turned to me.

Eliza: If you had said this to me at any other time my answer would have been very different. Right now it depends on what Alex has to say.

"Personally I have no intention of leaving so with all due respect I cannot follow Luisent Illises' plan. At the same time I do care about your safety and wellbeing, I will not force a choice on you, do as your heart desires."

Elisa: So, I suppose, the answer is clear as water. I do not intent on leaving your side...

She turned to face the Luisent.

Eliza: I'm sorry German but I can't come with you.

Luisent: NO. Let alone safety, just look at this place. A lady doesn't deserve to live in this dump!

"Should I take that as a thread of intent?"

He clutched his sword, ready in his waist.

luisent: What do you even expect to achieve from here. If you accept my protection I will help you any way I can.

"Help? I'd be surprised if you didn't proved yourself an obstacle most of the time. I'd have to plan around you, not with you in mind."

luisent: Watch your mouth girl. You may be Eliza's daughter but you are still in the presence of a Duc and Luisent.

"Of course, hide behind your titles. The very titles that were gifted to you. If your father was a carpenter you would be carpenter, the same goes if he had any other profession."

Eliza: Alex that's not...

luisent: Do you even understand what you are saying!

"Oh I understand very well but let me clarify it for you. If your family was a river, from the first generation being it's source, then you would be the swamp that river gets trapped on."

luisent: Nonsense. What do you know about me to speak such words!

"I can tell just by looking at you ever since you walked in. All you can brag about is being labeled 'good' by those around you. Feel free to prove me wrong but in my eyes you have no place here."

I could see in his eyes, the rage building up. Now I've done it, oh well it's not like I ever considered him an ally in the first place.

"Since you're so eager to go why don't we take this outside. Leave the future up to our weapons?"

Mispporting my wand in my hand I pointed it towards the door as the luisent somewhat regained his composure. He must have liked my proposition since he was the first to walk out. Wearing a smile of confidence to hide my uncertainty I followed behind him.