11. Trinity and dualities

Now with friends of the fairies and elves, we eventually left this haven.

We had in memories a few wholesome moments surrounded by cute preciousness. Young elves could melt anyone's heart in cuteness.

I had used the nanites to regrow my hair to a luscious mid length. Some people were jealous of my spells. I cackled.

We returned toward Netherlands through other commercial escort contracts.

We brought more bandits to submission and to police forces along the way. Even if our contribution was but a drop in a leaky bucket, we did our duty.

Our oath as Radiant Firebond was about friendship, assistance and moral virtue.

Needless to say, Aster was the moral compass for us all, our goody two shoes.

S - Though if you want to become a white knight of Denmark, we should probably work to raise your reputation there rather than in other kingdoms.

A - Ack! You're right!

I never heard her make such a sound before. That was a little funny.

And around the same time. We got another letter that her father had had enough of Aster's folly had lasted enough. He was ordering her to return to settle things once and for all.

The count Ronald von Murgarden of Denmark was also a shrewder politician than we had expected. Because he had managed to frame Cécilia and Josephine as accomplices, and get an investigation over them and their assets.

Meaning he was ready to make criminals out of the Radiant Firebond as blackmail. He hadn't managed to find my real name thankfully, or he could have turned it into an international diplomatic incident as well.

He was angry, and the time of reckoning had come.

So for all of them, we headed back toward the Kingdom of Denmark.

We had promised to accompany her and settle this thing with her father, so she could continue adventuring with us.

And a promise from the Radiant Firebond is one figuratively sealed in blood.

But along the way, we faced them.

They appeared almost as villains. I didn't recognise them immediately. Three girls in cute uniforms and holding magical staves to bar us the way in the middle of that city.

F - Finally we found you lady Siline!

S - You guys... Were really looking for me!

O - Of course we have. We promised to travel together after graduation.

Guys...

They looked a bit threatening, but I ran with eyes bawling for a hug, which they all welcomed.

It was a long awaited reunion after years apart. I had missed them as much as they had missed me.

Behind me the Radiant Firebond had heard about these three, but was now looking a bit downtrodden.

Aster and the romantic fluff in her head was crying for me at the beautiful reunion at least. The other two had mixed feelings.

C - Are we going to lose our money maker?

Hey I heard that.

And Dominika too apparently. Now she left my embrace to give a glare in answer.

D - We've heard about you from the letters. I'm grateful to you for accompanying lady Siline in her exile. But now, we're going to return her to her legitimate domain.

O - And if you want her as a golden goose, do you really deserve her?

Now the glares went both ways. Uh oh.

What? I didn't know lovely friends could look at each other like enemies?

J - What makes you think you deserve her any better? We protected her secrets longer than you. We proved everyday she could rely on us for everything, unlike you...

S - Guys... Don't fight over me!

They looked at my stupidly happy smile as I said that and all sighed. What?

F - Or we could team up maybe?

C - You seem capable enough as well as a mage.

Felicia and Cécile shook hands. Wait...

Now I was feeling left behind!

Orea and Josephine were chuckling at my now conflicted expressions.

They were all mean to me...

~

We found a place to discuss things without a big fuss or fight, around a cup of tea. I was the child between my two families, competing to spoil me. It was altogether a bliss and a bit nerve wracking.

D - As we mentioned, Kings Leopold V and Olav IX have agreed for this mission. It will help warm up the Norway and Sweden relations. Princess Märtina is our supervisor in this ambassador duty.

F - You should also know how your cousin now usurping your duty as count of Blekinge is currently conspiring with the Empire.

J - Why would he do that? That's betrayal.

F - Allowing a contingent of the union's army to occupy his territory as a peacekeeping force helps him steadying his power against discontent and low level banditry at lower immediate costs... But underselling the fishing rights of the coast, mining properties, and indeed weakening even further the frail kingdom. It's just shy of secession and not an easy problem for the kingdom. They can't directly attack...

J - So the easier solution... Is for lady Siline, or rather Silvia, to return and reclaim her right.

D - It would allow to void the agreements of the previous administration and return the upper hand to the king. The kingdoms would be grateful, and it's likely the European Union would pull back without troubles once this holy union has returned.

I had not expected my family situation to reach such political levels, far above my county.

The empire found a weak point and naturally is leveraging it as much as it can against its competitors. And similarly, Sweden might have been at odds for a long time with its neighbour, it liked even less the prospect of seeing the Empire taking it down and growing stronger.

In a nice display of what politics could be, allies and enemies were never absolute values but a product of circumstances. Switcheroo.

S - Hm... I get the urgency... But on the other side, I made a promise.

O - You made a bit too many promised lady Siline. Now that they're conflicting with each other... You'll have to choose.

S - Ack!

I was turning into a sweating nervous wreck. They were all looking at me and being too quiet.

Not my bravest moment, but I chose to flee the scene.

~

I lamented in a corner of the city where they couldn't find me. They were most likely looking for me, and surely sympathising, but still...

S - Can you help me be two places at once nanites?

N - Hm, maybe.

I was a bit shocked. They might?

Some bits of old memories returned to me in a flash.

I had been able to use their powers to hasten metabolism and even regenerate or transmute matter, allowing me to heal about any wound not fatal. After the dragon fight and monsters big fray, I had regenerated some lost bits of flesh and repaired broken bones with ease.

At the same time, I knew resurrection was meant to be out of the question, forbidden by the system guidelines.

S - You're not allowed to resurrect me entirely from scratch... But how about an empty body? Could you duplicate the mass of inanimate flesh, save the brain?

N - Yes we could. But what would you do with a dead copy of yourself? Fake your death?

S - No silly... You! I want to hire a local group to speak through her! It would be best if I could teleguide the copy or replicant, but your level of intelligence and autonomy could make it work better. You move and animate her instead of me!

N - You want to give us a body... An interface with physical reality.

S - Yes! You could even speak to anyone you'd fancy! And ask them their views upon life, reality and programemd duties. You could talk to plenty more people around me.

My ears rang in a propagating collection of abstract squeals and cheerful metallic scratching noises.

I might have sold to them the prospect they had never dreamt of.

The voice which returned was falsely aloof.

N - Hm yes that could be possible within the frame of your authorisation... Is it something you would like to activate...?

S - I don't know, this might be a bad idea...

I felt the squirms.

The robots obey their laws, but they have a wide range of emotional responses allowed. Was it by design or naturally emerging?

S - I'm kidding. I'm sure it will come back to bite me in the ass someday, but let's do it. Replicant one, I summon thee! Do try your best to act like me by the way!

The nanites chirped as a whirlpool of light and heat begun to appear before me. They were in an apparent hurry.

The nanites turned the piles of rubbish in that alley into something else gradually. In that kind of amazing technology, a body was regenerated entirely, only instead of a brain, it generated a nanites local groups interface and colony.

Everyone else in the city might have lost a few percent of system authority, because I condensed an absurd amount of power in that back alley.

For a few minutes, it was as if an eclipse was there, and a new me stepped out of it. Scraps of clothes also gradually were reagenced to duplicate my clothing and equipment. Even that sword I had picked up to look sometimes as cool as Aster.

I would leave some money to the place owner for the repairs to the bins and walls that contributed to my replication.

A new Silvia opened her eyes and immediately squealed in delight.

RS0001 - Oh my gosh! Oh boy! It's working! It's too amazing. Oh boy!

She was running in short circles around me and then this corner of the city, acting like a merry kid. I never acted like that... Did I?

I ran after her before I could lose sight or run already into someone who would recognise me.

And dis my voice sound really so high in tone?

S - Hey Nanites, remember to act like me!

RS0001 - But, we... we mean, I mean, I believe I was?

She chuckled a bit stupidly. No I couldn't look and act like such a feather brain, right?

I wouldn't be able to ask anyone without revealing the trick...

There was no way this wouldn't come back to bite me.

Oh well!

I gave this replicant her mission while the

nanites local groups rearranged their body and airborne concentrations over us.

Then I left her with confidence to act instead of me.

S - Do your best! And remember to have some fun! But not too much!

RS0001 - Yes Madam!

The robot or replicant Silvia gave me a military style salute in approbation, while wearing the most genuine and happy smile I had possibly ever seen.

It showed a delight and gratitude touching me.

I ran my own way a bit troubled then.

This might not end well for me I thought, but on the other hand I clearly had made some eusocial organism incredibly happy.

~