§  The mood remained awkward as the two ancient fairies observed me for several breaths, unknown inhuman calculations passing through their minds as they weighed my answer. These two were nothing like Dilorè and Amana, who are relatively familiar in their thought processes. Rather libertine and unbound by most human scruples, but familiar in the shape of their reasoning. Dilorè …

§  Rather than four days, more than a week would go by before Diur and Pasrue completed their preparations and Kotto and Amana continued their investigation. During that time, I again had a rare stretch of peace. Fan Li (or at least one copy of her, as she had fully perfected the multiple stream awareness trick at this point) became …

§  “You’re really not having a fight?” The discussion over dinner went on for nearly two hours, with not only Rod but also Ryuu and most of the others persuaded to their plans while I continued to object to them. The only thing I managed to gain in the end was their agreement to require the few Servants who were …

§  Back in the days when we thought Ged’s accession to the throne was far in the future, before the southern lords shattered the peace of Orestania, Rod’s role, besides being spare prince, was to train as a military man. Ged also had to train, but his trajectory was a little more straightforward, as future king. In a kingdom where …

§ “Her Grace, Tiana, Duchess of Pendor and Bride of the Southern Viceroy, is entering!” I managed not to roll my eyes at the overly formal declaration as I approached the formal dining room of the Ducal Residence. This would be the first ‘official’ time that I entered since this chamber ceased to be the temporary War Room, so the …

§ I canceled the [Blood Presence] spell that linked me to the world inside the Training Network and opened my eyes in my real body… § I noticed motion in my peripheral vision and turned my eyes from the reflection in the mirror of Genette doing final touches to my hairdo to catch Pasrue’s airship passing the window that overlooks …

§ Spirit Folk tents are amazing.  When the threatening storm arrived at last, the Fire Folk were preparing to unearth some sort of buried barbecue, the kind where you cook your food in a covered hole, like at a clambake or a luau. They downed tools, secured the scene and hustled into the tents, whisking their guests along without letting …

§ Curator set up the celebration according to Ceria’s wishes, which left me terribly curious.  “A cat girl from 33rd century Orestania would not know what manner of celebration might be available in the Elder Age Southern Continent,” I pointed out. At that moment, Curator, Kanon and I were Willing the rest through the ‘Background’, a canvas of abyssal black …

§ 1000:1 compression is the limit for which Curator can maintain a wide ‘world’– out to continental size, say– at Huadean spiritual density. The simulation which Ceria and Oberon entered is an example of that, being a replica of all ten million square miles of the Southern Continent during the last millennium before the Elder-Demon war. But Curator can decrease …

§ Ceria’s face greeted me upon my entry, but I was seeing her on a monitor of sorts. The basis for it was a [Water Mirror] spell, except it displayed a remote image rather than a reflection. A familiar group, seated in an idyllic field of moonlit daisies, starry sky beside a tranquil pond, was watching her through it as …