Free Web NovelChapter 1625: Tarnished Trio
’What the hell?’
As Zhen Liu watched through the eyes of the protokaijin a moment that was just jarring to process, he tried to recall if the zakos he assigned to her were inclined to evolve sooner rather than later.
After the whole incident with Dante, Zhen Liu started paying more and more attention to the well-being and evolutionary potential of all of his zakos. Partially out of realizing the importance of having more potent fighters on hand, partially out of a deep desire of not being like that pseudo-lord motherfucker who treated even his most loyal of kaijin like garbage and tools.
When he started doing that, he discovered that the zakos he created weren’t as uniform as he thought they were.
Some seemed to have higher growth potential, others seemed much lower, while some just straight up were inclined to evolve in ways that directly opposed their initial natures.
Granted, he had that impression when he performed a synchronization with Hurricroak that one time and turned a whole bunch of zakos into a bunch of random subtypes, but he assumed that was just a bit of random chance.
Turns out that wasn’t the case.
Regardless, Zhen Liu needed information as to why the zakos he assigned to Serena were now protokaijin. Thankfully, he now had a direct line.
’Sorry to interrupt meal time...’
[Eh? Who this?!]
...Oh this is awkward...
"Now open wide for the dragon to pass..."
[Ahh...]
"Very good!"
In one of the private chambers that only the First Hearth Tender was allowed to use, a rather strange scene was playing out.
Serena, the current Hearth Tender of the Sacred Flame Theocracy, was feeding three small figures made of precious metals various aether minerals like they were babies being fed mashed-up vegetables and fruit.
These three figures were initially made of just copper, just silver, and just gold and more or less resembled featureless mannequins.
However, after Serena started feeding them, they started to develop some more distinctive features.
Over the course of days, she had watched with amazement as the once plain zakos began to develop more and more lively personalities and performed more and more complex actions. Once they started talking, she had actually gotten quite close to them.
[Thanks for the meal!] the copper one said as he happily chewed on the low-tiered aether plant. [I can feel my luster getting brighter!]
The copper protokaijin had a pattern on its metallic form that looked similar to interwoven knots and ribbons criss-crossing each other. In the eyes of certain Otherlanders, this pattern would be known as "Celtic Knots." Completing the look, a big emerald was smack dab in the middle of his chest, glowing with a power that was a mix of Terraqi and wood aether.
[Please chew with your mouth closed,] the silver one said in the exasperated tone that only an older sibling could have. [Its bad manners to chew so loudly.]
[Sorry!]
The silver protokaijin had a rather plain body shape, except its head had a curved and winged style that those from other worlds would recognize as being done in the "Conquistador" style. Embedded in their chest was a brilliant ruby that was somehow both fierce and warm at the same time, kind of like the sun.
[We shouldn’t be eating anyways,] the gold one said in an authoritative tone. [We should be focusing on making sure our charge is safe.]
[We are.]*2
The last to speak, the gold protokaijin, had the most elaborate look to him, looking a touch more fantastical than the historical look his companions had, complete with large curving shoulder pads and the like. A bright blue sapphire was in the center of his chest, but strangely, it didn’t carry concentrated Aquarii aether power. If anything, it was more...erudite.
Regardless of these new developments, though, Serena still saw all three of her assigned protokaijin as... well...the closest thing she had to a real friend in a very long time.
"Now, now, it’s fine, Goldie. Copper is just enjoying himself." fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓
She hadn’t yet come up with actual names for the trio of protokaijin who had somehow developed sentience under her care, so she had just defaulted to calling them Goldie, Silvie, and Copper.
She had tried to use Coppie, but it didn’t sound right on her tongue.
"Besides, the stronger you three get, the better you can protect me, right?"
[I...I suppose.]
"In that case there’s nothing wrong with—"
Before Serena could finish her sentence, Copper made a weird sound as a strange energy suddenly filled the room.
This energy initially caused Serena, Silvie, and Goldie to go on their guard until they probed it further and realized what they were actually sensing.
Or more precisely, who they were sensing.
"Wait a minute... Master Zhen Liu?!"
[My liege!]
[My liege!]
Once they had confirmed who this presence was, Goldie and Silvie both got down on one knee as Copper shook for a spell before looking at both them and Serena.
Copper’s eyes had gone from white to green when he went from being a zako to being a protokaijin. But now, because Zhen Liu possessed him, his eyes had gone rainbow-colored.
[Well... I keep forgetting how weird it feels to try and do this trick on protokaijin as opposed to fully formed ones,] Copper said with Zhen Liu’s voice. [Then again, it feels like you three haven’t been exactly sapient until about ten or so minutes ago.]
At this statement, Serena developed a rather shocked look on her face.
"That...can’t be right. Goldie, Silvie, and Copper had been able to communicate with me for awhile now."
[Not what I meant,] Zhen Liu explained. [Your average zako has about the same amount of intelligence as a two-year-old...maybe a puppy? Once they become protokaijin, though, they start to act and think like toddlers or children. I’m not entirely sure on the scale myself. Also, you two can stop kneeling now.]
[Of course.]
[Thank you, my liege.]
Goldie and Silvie rose to their feet with the ease and grace of well-trained knights, which reminded Zhen Liu of the Neo Storm Knights he had left under Jin Fang’s care.
’Damn...I wonder how her training is going...wait, not important right now.’
Once Zhen Liu got his head back into the moment, he finally addressed the elephant that he and the kaijin had found under several layers of the catacombs.
[So...good news, bad news, and weird news, ] Zhen Liu began. [The good news is that you were right about there being a conspiracy afoot. Well, multiple conspiracies really. Wait, I suppose that also makes it bad news...]
"Huh..."
When Serena recalled her first meeting with Zhen Liu, she had initially thought of the man as being a bit of a dork. Then, when they arranged the private meeting, she assumed that the dorky persona was merely a mask for a much more scheming, much more dangerous true personality.
But now, seeing him get lost in thought while inside of Copper’s body made Serena think that Zhen Liu was perhaps much, much dorkier than she had initially anticipated.
Honestly, it was kind of adorable.
"Perhaps it would be best to explain what these conspiracies are?" Serena helpfully suggested. "Actually, shouldn’t the main being who killed my predecessor?"
[Ah, right, well...that’s where things get...rather tricky.]
"Tricky...how?"
[Tricky in the sense that I can confirm that neither Hulna nor Feroxxa are the killers, but it might be their benefactor, which is a sentient offshoot of your Sacred Flame,] Copper said in a tone that they hoped was placating enough to cushion what he thought was probably bad news.
Evidently, Serena was just flabbergasted by the content.
"By the embers, what did you just say?"
[Okay, so...]
...Alright, you already know this part of the story, so let’s switch POV...
"Well...now that’s really interesting," General Legante muttered to himself as he reviewed the attack on Mercenary Town.
Despite the Erupting Dawn Empire’s reputation as a bunch of battle-hungry brutes, there were still several leaders who made a name for themselves for being significantly more tactical and open-minded.
Case and point, General Legante.
During the attack on the perimeters of Emberona, he didn’t just send in the Raidmen to go and soften their defenses. Rather, he made sure to use a special observation-type aether treasure in order to keep track of possible malefactors and opponents that would fuck up future raids.
This particular raid allowed him to learn about the presence of a dragon-blooded princess and a strangely young yet competent group of warriors accompanying her.
However, his attention wasn’t focused on her: it was focused on what wasn’t recorded.
During the battle, he had witnessed the presence of a young man who handily tore through the Raidmen and the False Guards like they were nothing more than paper dolls, even capturing two of them in the process.
However, when he tried to review the footage, all he got was static.
Or to be more precise, the young man in question’s entire recording seemed to be...missing.
"How can that be..."
