Study Breaking Things Up a Bit

With the semester well underway and the spring equinox around the corner, almost half a year had now passed since I had arrived. Things had been going well for me, and aside from the regular trauma dreams and occasional Phyllis abuse, it felt like my new life in Esseria was off to a pretty good start.

As for the triop and their school status over this most recent semester, I had watched them hit their stride. They were currently the talk of the Second Years once more, though this time the whispers of being misfits had all but disappeared. It seemed that someone had leaked what their winter project had been, quickly raising the three to class legends as the school learned of the successful dungeon dive. This was great for them, but it also meant more people were now interested in hanging out and chatting with the three before and after their classes. As a result of this and the recent rule changes limiting our monster grinds, our training regimes had become fewer and farther between. And though I had promised to keep us on track for the end of the semester, which meant taking control of scheduling, I had unfortunately fallen through on that task recently.

Struggling to get our schedules synchronized, I had instead been hitting the gymnasium more regularly to train my reflexes. Over that time, I'd also been working on channelling magic into my movements and strikes, getting a better handle on magical concentration at a physical level. As far as harnessing bigger and better spells, I was still a three-pump chump. But that was what Rionriv was for.

Occasionally, the girls joined me for exercise, with Aesandoral and Sharzin attending my afternoon training sessions more regularly as of late. Rionriv would make it now and again, though her priorities had been on studying the numerous Druidry classes she picked up as electives to help her understand her lycanthropy. This meant, as part of my continued support in all things academic, I had been spending even more long, boring hours at her side when I could squeeze it in.

Though I had begun to give up on studying werebeasts, having found much of the work repetitive after the fifth or sixth tome about lunar dependency and arcanosomnolence. So, instead of wasting all my time on a topic that Rionriv was quickly becoming an expert in, I had begun diving back into the school's legal code. Bolstering our private library with a collection of centuries' worth of academic legal tomes, I hoped that they would assist with an upcoming problem. And, finally, as of earlier in the day, this studying and theft of property had become time and money well spent!

Currently, well into the early afternoon, I had been studying all day with Rionriv and Aesandoral as they prepared for the less important but still required academic midterms. Having grown drained by my research, I stared at the doorway, waiting for our salvation to reveal herself. Sharzin had yet to show up, still spending the majority of her free time diving deep into the ancient archives, looking for something to help Rionriv. Though with how long we had been waiting, I was beginning to feel like she had again ditched us for the food court in Phyllis’ mall, conveniently forgetting to tell us she had arrived.

“Ngh—Don’t touch, magic ‘splody—” Aesandoral mumbled as she slipped off her Moose-shaped pillow with a gasp of air.

Having fallen asleep behind her Introduction to Ancient Arcane Technology, again, she grumbled gently as the book tumbled to the floor. As it collided with the ground, she released a subtle snort as she awoke with a start, startling both herself and the dire wolf behind her.

“Whoa, sorry,” She yawned, stretching out her arms as she reached for the book before rubbing at the dire wolf that took up much of the bed. “I dozed off.”

“You don’t say,” Rionriv replied sarcastically from the papasan, her nose buried in an Intermediate Arcanoengineering tome as her hand gently rubbed at Blitz. “Couldn’t tell.”

Glancing over to the sorceress and her companion, I listened to the rumbling purr of the shadow panther she had tamed. What had been the side of a large house cat a month ago, when she informed me that the beast was now hers, was now roughly as large as a big dog. I was surprised that she and the oversized feline got along so well, especially as it took up nearly as much of the chair as she did, with only its large head able to rest in her lap.

“Manners,” I mumbled towards her, only to be hit with a pillow a moment later. “Agh—hey, what’s the deal?”

Ruckus adjusted behind me at my sudden flinch and the appearance of the pillow. A head perked up from over my shoulder, as the wolf sniffled at the feather-filled sack before giving my cheek a lick. Providing the wolf a gentle rub, he calmed back down, something I wished I could have said about our resident sorceress.

“When I turn tonight, I’m biting you first,” Rionriv growled at me, her eyes locked with mine as an excited smile crossed her face. "I will find a way out of Phyllis's cage, and I will tear into you."

Tonight was a full moon, the second since Rionriv had been transformed, and in that time, I had learned something.  There was something about the days leading up to the lunar maximum that made Rionriv different. I had learned from the research that this was the cursed blood coursing through her veins, making her more animalistic. This substantially enhanced her natural cravings for the hunt of both prey and mates. Unfortunately, it was hard to distinguish between the cravings displayed by the sorceress. A fact that equally excited and terrified me. 

It was a good thing that I had my deflections to her were-gression.

“Ooh, is that a promise?” I cooed in reply, giving her a wink."Come and get it, kitty-girl. I'll bite back."

“Ugh!” She turned away, frustrated by my excitement. "Gods, you're such a creep!"

I smiled, turning towards Aesandoral, who glanced between us before looking down at her lap. Over this time, I had also learned that the flirtatious fighting between Rionriv and me made Aesandoral feel things. While she would never say it, I could tell by her lowered gaze that she felt left out.

Feeling a wave of trauma memories flowing to the surface, I gently cracked my neck and breathed through the feeling. Even though I was passing out less in combat, I was still cursed to relive the complex emotions of my previous life in my mind. Most recently, I had remembered a girl named Hailey that I had flirted with in university. Our constant banter, just like mine and Rionriv's, was filled with plenty of false promises and payments of flesh. And, while cringy, I couldn't help but take these thoughts and run with them.

"Hey, Aes," I drew the elf's attention my way, before giving her a wink. "You can take a bite of me, too, if you want. And don't worry, if Ri transforms me, you'll be the first I pin down and dine on all night."

"Eeeep!" Aesandoral flushed red as she turned and buried her face into the pillow that was Moose. "Aaahhh, Isharaaaa! Stoooop!"

Heh-heh-heh! Oh yeah, she likes it.

"Yeah, creep!" Rionriv butted in, this time throwing a book at my head. "Stop being so perverted! Leave my sister alone!"

"Aww, you jealous, my little kitty?" I replied, catching the book in my hand and snapping it closed with a laugh. "Don't worry, there's enough Ishara to go around."

"I'm going to murder you!"

Playing off this threat with a laugh, I tossed the book back to the sorceress and glanced at Aesandoral. The archer shot me an embarrassed look that I had begun to recognize as one tinged with lustful thoughts. The cringey memories had also begun to help me notice these little things, giving me hope that I had moved past the worst traumas of Tahvin's youth.

“Hey, so I was wondering…” I deflected the threat, clearing my throat as I stretched my arms out and leaned back into my furry chair. “Have you three talked about your summer jobs yet?”

A quiet moment passed between Aesandoral and Rionriv as they looked at each other and then at me.

“I mean,” Aesandoral spoke first, repositioning herself to face me. “Most Second Years take on apprenticeships under a Magilancer or on the shimmer ships. So, one of those?”

"And I mean, we're still overpowered for our semester," Rionriv added to this. "So we'd probably be the first choice for shimmer ship jobs."

"Ugh! Ships," Aesandoral whined, gagging at the thought of being stuck on a boat for the summer. "Please no."

"Oh, stop, it's over sand and not water."

"But still!"

I looked between them, nodding as I listened to their bickering over which job they preferred to be stuck doing over the three-month summer solstice window. A smile crossed my face as they confirmed what I had written as the two primary academic choices Second Years had access to for their required quest. But just like with the workaround to the test, I had found the ammunition for another option to the summer job issue.

“What if I said we could do another dungeon-dive-esque quest instead?”

“But the Al’magi rules say Second Years have to experience the workforce,” Rionriv replied as she fixed her gaze on mine. “Or do you have some other obscure—”

I locked eyes with her, wiggling my eyebrows as I pulled the legal tome up to give her.

“You don’t! You do?!”

Rionriv reached over, snatching the book from me as Aesandoral squealed with excitement. 

“Money! Money! Money!”

“It may not be super profitable, but it hits the criteria of being a middle-of-the-road D-Rank bordering C-Rank quest.”

“But we’re barely D-Rank right now!" Rionriv coughed in reply, looking up from the book. "And with the school monitoring those who abuse the ‘monster mechanics’ on campus, there’s no way we’ll be anywhere near C-Rank by summer. That's Fourth Year territory!”

“Yeah, I thought of that.” I continued, adjusting in my seat to face the sorceress directly. “Now, if we train twice a week instead of the five to six times we were, we can have roughly eighteen to twenty combat encounters before the end of the semester. And if we focus only on blue and gold wristbands, then it should put us somewhere between D- and C-Rank. And just in case, I’m looking for another one of those hidden book quests as a supplemental experience boost, too.”

Rionriv nodded, closing her tome and turning to me. “It seems sketchy, Iz. I don't want to get in trouble.”

"We can work on our stealth tactics." I bounced back, ready for this. "Practice taking out the blue wristbands without them even noticing us. I'm sure Sharzin would be grateful for the challenge."

"Mmmm," The sorceress grumbled. "Okay. And what did you have in mind for this summer?"

Nice! Okay, now for the hook that Phyllis gave me.

“We liberate Eingalstead from the hags cursing it.”

Aesandoral and Rionriv locked eyes, sharing a curious look for a moment. Their expressions shifted to intrigue as they locked their stare back on me.

“Where?”

I gave my head a shake as I looked over my companions. It blew my mind that they had no idea what I was talking about, especially considering that we had briefly discussed it last semester.

Wait…they should know this.

“Ein…Eingalstead?” I responded, shooting them my own curious look. “That, and I quote, ‘creepy, haunted little podunk hamlet’ between Goodshore and Valenkamp?”

Rionriv adjusted in her seat.

“You mean…Tahvinstead—" Rionriv suddenly smacked her lips. “Wait…Tahvinstead…am I supposed to believe the name is just a coincidence?"

“Wait—it’s called Tahvinstead now?!”

Yeek, even more cringe! I thought as confusion gave way to panic, and then transitioned once more into confusion. Wait, okay, so the hamlet and surrounding area that I wrote to be an ideal homestead for me is suddenly named after my past life. That’s just weird and edgy. Self-insert much?!

“Well, the name is definitely a coincidence. But it was always where I planned to set up that little homestead I mentioned. It’s an ideal geographical location and far enough away from the future front lines in Moal'aw that we won’t have to worry about the coming war for a few years at least.”

Rionriv gave me one of her distrustful glares, sending me into a panic.

“I, well—" I panicked, realizing that I should have seen this coming.

In all honesty, the site had been designed just like Fearnemyst. It had always been meant to be just another joke that I had planned to never elaborate on. It was positioned on the outskirts of a series of lakes and forests that resembled a place that once meant something dear to me. A place I could never return to, even before being isekai’d. It was a memory that, as I searched for it, I couldn't find. Instead, standing in its place was the ominous dam that threatened to burst if I poked too much. I only knew that it was once important to me and nothing more. And, now that I was here, I wanted to check it out firsthand to see if being on the site would trigger a trauma response that made it impossible to remain. But at the moment, Rionriv's suspicion was turning the mission into a nonstarter.

Maybe if I bury this conversation in lore? I thought, looking to remediate the situation as fast as possible.

“Well, the original hamlet name, Eingalstead, got its origin from—”

With that, I heard the door fling open downstairs and slam as small footsteps raced up the steps towards us. Sharzin emerged a moment later, her face flushed and dripping with sweat.

Saved by the Sharzin!