82 Worldbuilding
Seeing Cairn and Sera emerge from the magically preserved school building, Andromeda surprised the former by adopting the faintest of smiles as she stated, "Your journey has finally begun, Sera. Be sure to serve the Champion and Lady Restia well."
"It is what gives my life meaning," replied Sera, returning a smile of her own. Their exchange made Cairn feel awkward, but it quickly turned to curiosity as Andromeda pulled out an ornate silver pendant adorned with flat blue stone fashioned into the shape of a moon, proferring it to Sera as she explained, "This is a gift from your mother, Cardinal Benedictus. Use it well."
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Name: [Once in a Blue Moon]
Rank: Legendary Pendant
Weight: 0.05kgs
Durability: Indestructible
Level: N/A
P.Def: 0
M.Def: 0
Enchantment(s): [Indestructible], [Dream Walk], [Preservation], [Treasure Sense], [Aura of Protection from Miasma]
Description: A pendant presented by the Goddess of Light, Restia, to St. Alice, who had fallen in love with the Champion, Alfred. Once every three months, the wearer can enter the dreamscape of their beloved, bypassing the barrier between dream and reality. Every eleventh use, the wearer can open the path in reverse, manifesting their dreams in the material plane.
Ingredients: [Redacted], [Redacted], [Redacted]
Restriction(s): Saintesses and those with the [Beacon of Hope] Title.
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Though she had no idea what power the pendant held, Sera held it to her chest as if it were the single most precious item in the world. If she knew what it could do, she would probably spend an entire day singing Restia's praises...
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Instead of returning to the surface, Cairn, followed closely by the smiling Sera, was shown to yet another secret location in the Church, a spacious hall lined with pulsing Warp Crystals. At the end of the hall was a circular chamber whose domed ceiling was covered in masterful frescos, but they might as well have been invisible as everyone who entered the room had their focus invariably drawn to the enormous blue crystal suspended at its center. Half of it was hidden beneath the ground, hovering with roughly a meter gap between its crystalline surface and the surrounding wall, but it still loomed at more than sixty meters tall.
Demonstrating that she wasn't completely ignorant of the world outside The Cradle, Sera's eyes sparkled with fascination as she muttered, "This must be the Mothercrystal, the origin and central connecting point for all other Warp Crystals. It's even grander than the texts described..."
Neither confirming nor denying Sera's words, Andromeda looked to Cairn and stated, "I will now go and retrieve your companions. His Holiness has vested you free reign of this place, but I strongly advise that you stay put and not touch anything carelessly."
Finished with what she had to say, Andromeda turned and departed with hastened steps. In her wake, Cairn returned his attention to the colossal crystal, its presence making him feel incomparably small. He tried using Insight on it, but other than the crystal's name, [Fragment of Nuoroda], he couldn't obtain any additional information.
"Any idea what Nuoroda is...?" asked Cairn, his tone casual until he turned to Sera to find the latter staring directly at him.
"Nuoroda is the primary star of the Ophial Constellation," explained Sera, narrowing her eyes as she added, "As it is visible by simply looking up, it is also known as the Stellar Axis, the centermost star visible from the light side of Plainaire."
Raising his brows, Cairn returned his gaze to the Fragment of Nuoroda as he noted, "That implies there's a dark side, no?"
Blinking in surprise, Sera tilted her head slightly to the side as she asked, "Is Sir Cairn not familiar with the Tale of Genesis?"
"I'm familiar with several, but not the one of this world..." Cairn replied, feeling awkward as his expanded field of view allowed him to see Sera staring at him with a look of pity and concern.
Bringing her hands together in prayer, Sera explained, "In the primordial world, before concepts such as time, space, and creation, there were two contrasting forces, null and possibility. Null, before time, governed all that was, while possibility, without anything to perceive it, remained sealed in what we now refer to as the Astral Abyss..."
Opening her eyes and raising her gaze to the Fragment of Nuoroda, Sera added, "Not even Lady Restia knows what set it in motion, but there was eventually a ripple, originating from the side of null, where nothing should have been. As the ripple spread outward, ever-growing in size, the various crests and troughs formed the Stellar and Astral Planes. Lady Restia came to be in the boundary between the two, a plane of infinite twilight known as the Evergloom of Akasha. To become a Goddess of Light, Lady Restia needed to split herself in two, her other half becoming the God who rules over the Astral side of Plainaire, the Grand Labyrinth of Techt..."
Recognizing the name Techt, though he couldn't remember where from, Cairn crossed his arms and fell into deep thought. A lot has happened in the past month, so it took him a few minutes to recall it was mentioned in the prayer offered by the Slime Priestess he and Kaia encountered in the Den of Greed, Lagia. He had made a mental note to look into the name, but with everything that happened after the fact, it completely slipped his mind.
Freeing Cairn from his thoughts, Sera continued, revealing, "In the ancient past, long before humans roamed this world, the Twelve Great Dungeons originating from the Grand Labyrinth of Techt served as passageways for the forces of darkness to conquer Plainaire. It was thanks to His Holiness and the-"
"That's enough for now," said a voice familiar to both Cairn and Sera, the duo half-turning to discover Vira, in her Elder Dwarf form, standing behind them with her usual creepy smile.
"Lady Viraja!" exclaimed Sera, surprising Cairn immensely as she abruptly threw her arms around the diabolical Dwarf, squeezing her tightly.
Returning Sera's embrace, Vira maintained eye contact with Cairn as she mused, "You're looking considerably more radiant than when I last gave you a check-up. It's remarkable what some fresh air and a much-needed change of scenery can do for a person's mental wellness..."
Weakening her hold but still clinging to Vira, Sera met her gaze with an enthusiastic smile as she excitedly inquired, "Will you be accompanying Sir Cairn on his journey?"
"Indeed," replied Vira, caressing Sera's head with her right hand as she added, "Though, at least for the time being, I'm merely playing the part of a consultant. To that end, unless Cairn asks you to explain something, you shouldn't go out of your way to educate him. He has a delightful penchant for overthinking things, so if you bombard him with a bunch of history, his meager little brain will break under the strain of his extrapolations."
Furrowing her brows, Sera caused Vira to grin and narrow her abyssal-black eyes in amusement as she muttered, "You shouldn't speak ill of Sir Cairn..." while exuding a subtle aura of Divine Energy.
Hugging Sera's head to her chest, Vira softly mused, "Cairn is a growing boy, my dear Sera. If you defend him so overtly, you'll make him feel self-conscious..."
As Vira directed her words directly at him, Cairn couldn't help rolling his eyes. He would never admit it, but her advice to Sera wasn't 'entirely' out of pocket. He preferred being the one that protected others, not the other way around, so if Sera made a habit of speaking out in his defense, Cairn knew it was more likely to annoy than gratify him.
Blinking in surprise, Sera looked between Vira and Cairn several times in a somewhat humorous attempt to gauge their reactions. She wasn't exactly accustomed to interpersonal communications, so her expression became increasingly flustered as she didn't know whether to apologize, stand her ground, or ask for clarification...
Fortunately for Sera, Vira wasn't as heartless as Cairn assumed her to be. Her dispassion was born from an inordinately long life with little deviation. When it came to people and things that intrigued her, she may not exhibit genuine compassion, but most couldn't tell the difference.
"Never apologize for doing what you believe is right..." whispered Vira, smiling as she combed aside the loose strands of hair dangling in front of Sera's face. Doing so revealed that her right eye was golden, and, rather than a normal pupil, the center exuded a faint white light...
Interrupting the somewhat tense moment, the massive doors serving as the chamber's only entrance and exit opened with a low grinding sound, accompanied by the appearance of Andromeda, Kaia, Zarah, and Reine, the latter carrying a sleeping Fleur in her arms.
Moving to meet the group, Cairn accepted the sleeping Fleur with a wry smile, carrying her like a koala back to Sera, now standing alone at the base of the [Fragment of Nuorodo]. Vira wasn't particularly fond of large groups, so when Cairn made his way over to assist Reine, she whispered a few parting words into Sera's ear before performing her usual vanishing act.
Passing her gaze over the all-female group, Sera's silver-and-gold-eyes ultimately settled on Kaia, smiling as she perceived the seedling of Divine Energy within her heart. She had learned of Kaia's existence from Restia, but that didn't make her any less surprised or delighted to see a Karakut with the Blessing of Light.
Gesturing with his head toward Sera, Cairn said, "This is Sera Benedictus, aka, the Saintess. She possesses the Talent [Traveling Church], so before we depart, everyone needs to pray to her as if she were an altar."
Crossing her hands over her lap, Sera bowed steeply towards the group and expressed, "It is a great honor to stand in the presence of those who, like myself, will serve Sir Cairn in his endeavors..."
"Oh, Goddess..." muttered Zarah, raising her right hand and massaging her forehead as she could already tell Sera would be a tremendous pain in the ass. Having a Saintess on their side was the greatest boon they could ask for, but academics and religious ideologues mixed about as well as oil and water...
Confused by Zarah's reaction, Sera looked between her and Cairn, not understanding what she had done wrong. Fortunately, though it earned him an annoyed look from Zarah, Cairn readily explained, "That's Zarah. She's a genius Professor with the Palace of Wisdom, but she purrs like a kitten once you break down her gruff exterior."
Before Zarah could potentially lash out at him, Cairn gestured with his head and chin toward Reine and Kaia, adding, "And these two are Reine and Kai'ankh. Reine owns a comfy little place called the Rainy Day Inn, and this little cutie in my arms is her daughter, Fleur. As for Kai'ankh, I call her Kaia, and she's the closest thing I have to a family in this world. We're heading to the Frontier to ensure her actual family and tribe aren't caught up in the monster hordes sweeping through the region."
Though she became statuesque after learning that the person before her was the Saintess, Reine regained her senses when Cairn introduced her and her daughter, a nervous smile developing across her face as she said, "It's an honor to meet you..."
Nodding in affirmation, Kaia appended, "Indeed. I have done my best to support Cairn in your stead, but it's a tremendous relief to have you with us, Lady Sera. Please, feel free to address me as Kaia."
Adopting a smile that added to the luminance of the room, Sera narrowed her eyes and said, "I would also prefer it if you addressed me by my given name, Sera. Sir Cairn has informed me of his desire to remain low-key, so while it is true that I'm the Saintess, please feel free to regard me as you would one of your own. I have always wanted friends I could refer to on a first-name basis."
"It would be my pleasure..." replied Kaia, bowing her head slightly before raising it and reciprocating Sera's smile. The two had just met, but unlike Zarah, Kaia felt that Sera would make an excellent friend. Sera felt much the same way, so as the two zealous girls exchanged glances, their smiles and the world around them appeared to illuminate, causing Cairn to feel a peculiar sense of...nervousness.
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