Chapter 512: The Long Night

Chapter 512: The Long Night

There was always something new. Someone asking for attention, someone knocking on my door.

Knock knock knock.

Iona and I traded looks.

Ill get this one. I hauled myself out of my far too cozy couch, idly wondering if I needed to stash some of my books somewhere else before Auri arrived with the phoenixes.

Made me wonder if the two were related. It wouldnt surprise me at all if Arachne had sent over some reinforcements my way, like Atlas and his team to help keep the phoenixes happy. She knew my social reputation, and if they were left in my care

Well, wed be lucky to have an Exterreri Empire still standing before the next Immortal war. Might as well grab a pair of pointy ears and practice my High Elvish.

The woman naturally entered my view of [The World Around Me] before I could get to the door. Didnt recognize her at all, but I could tell she was human. I opened the door.

Hello? Can I help you? I asked.

Yes! Are you the lady of the house? She asked brightly.

Uh oh. I had a bad feeling about this.

I am I said warily.

She clapped her hands together.

Oh excellent! Im Flavia! This home of yours looks wonderful! I sell enchantments and enchantment services to make living at home much easier and more comfortable! We offer a wide range of-

Ugh. I knew it. I KNEW IT!

Door to door salesmen. A scourge in any reality, in every world. There was no escaping them! There was no getting away! I started to close the door in her face, with a quick No thank you.

Wait! She said, throwing her arm in the door.Vissit novelbin(.)com for new novels

Risky move - my level suggested I could accidentally crush her arm off if I wasnt careful or slightly unbalanced. Thank goodness for dexterity.

OneOfOurFavoriteItemsIsASlideToEjectUnwantedSalesmen. She blurted out in an impressively fast go.

I paused closing the door.

The idea of feeding a tiny bit of mana to an enchantment and watching door to door salesmen go flying was awfully tempting

I opened the door a hair more.

Tell me more. I said.

The beaming look on her face told me Id been got, hook, line, and sinker.

Iona handled most of the negotiation, and we agreed to review a contract a week from now for a slip and slide salesman-be-gone that would, with a little trigger enchantment by the door, make a narrow friction-free slide from our door, all the way down the mountain to the road. We declined the optional stink them up package.

Mostly because it sounded like a fuckton of fun for us to use ourselves. A magic slide almost an entire mountain long? Yes please!

I was reading a book the slow way, halfway through the climax, when another knock came on our door.

I whimpered in faux-pain. Iona glanced at how far I was through the book - only a bit left! - laughed, and patted my leg.

Alright, Ill get this one. She said.

Love you too! I replied without ever taking my eyes off the page. I closed my ears and didnt listen in on what was going on, I had to know!

Page after page flew by as I cheated, reading far faster than I was supposed to in order to find out what happened next.

Noooo! I cried out as I got to the end, Iona entering at the same time. I looked up, my eyes brimming with tears.

He got home sixteen years later after defeating the evil, but that was right when his girlfriend decided he was dead, moved on, and married his friend! Its not faaaaair! I said. The book had been like a punch to the gut. True love was supposed to win! He was supposed to get it all! Id been rooting for the two of them! Sure, it was entirely unrealistic and unfair, but I was a bit of a sucker for the love against all odds stories.

Iona paused, rapidly shifting gears back and forth.

Atlas sent a runner. Theyre wondering what the optimal accommodations for them in this area are, since the phoenixes are going to be here. I was thinking weve got the room for all of them?

I nodded.

Yeah, but food and cooking is going to be interesting. We should have a meeting with them to figure it out.

I was getting oooooold. I was the one planning out meetings and arrangements, and the best ways to get things done. What had become of me!?

Good plan. Iona said. I think I heard something rattling on the roof, Im going to go check it out.

I suppose, in a way, history had borne me out. The combined races of the world had banded together to eradicate the shimagu to the last.

I can believe that. I said after a few minutes of quiet pondering. Are there any specific examples?

Night nodded.

Oh yes. Sentinel Ocean in particular struggled deeply with the problem, and quickly requested retirement from the front lines, to better manage the issues and problems around the Nostrum Sea. Monsters did not care nor understand that we were in a war, they continued to rampage and cause problems just as they do to this very day. I will say, I do believe we have quite a bit of a better grasp on the issue now than we had back in the day, but that is simply a function of where we are at in the great cycle of Immortality. Unimportant for the moment - unless you wish to have a discussion along the lines of monster hunting to briefly distract yourself?

I wanted to immediately shake my head, but instead I thought about it for a minute.

Did I want to talk about monster hunting instead of the Han Civil War?

No, not really. Id spent a good amount of time running and dodging the problem for a bit, this was the time to tackle it head-on.

Hang on, wait, no.

I was being a huge idiot.

Night tended to have a policy that basically boiled down to Ill keep my hands off things unless I need to combined with let people make their own mistakes and discoveries. Hed try to guide me and give me advice, letting me think through things, but what if I just cut straight to the heart of the issue?

What happened if I just asked him what the best, most successful way of dealing with this was? He probably had the most lived experience of anyone ever, and he dabbled in a thousand and one different things.

What would you do in my sandals? I asked Night. Im I dont even know all the right words to describe how Im feeling. What Im feeling. Just that war sucks.

Night flashed an approving grin my way, a sparkle of acknowledgment that Id asked the right question glinting in his eyes.

Excellent. He said, and the single word filled me with joy. It lightened my steps, and was like a cool balm filling my heart.

He gave me half a minute to bask in the feeling before carrying on.

There is no one magical skill to solve all your problems. He said. There is no singular solution, and I do not promise that any advice I give shall work. Indeed, if you simply go through the motions of the steps I suggest, that could be worse than doing nothing at all, for at the end you shall not find catharsis, but instead a deep and gaping disappointment as your work has borne no fruit. It is something you must go into with your eyes open and your heart ready to bear a heavy burden.

I spent a minute digesting that, idly noting we were on the road to Sanguino, the glittering stars above half-coated by the ashen mantle of the city.

Basically, Night wasnt offering me a shortcut. Simply a roadmap. One Id have to walk myself, and I couldnt try to skim or cheat it.

Seemed fine to me. Better than just wandering in the dark.

I chuckled at my own bad joke. Night lifted an eyebrow, and I waved him off.

Stupid joke I thought to myself. I said. Alright, I think Im ready to hear it.

Night let the joke pass - hed probably heard it a thousand times already - and started to speak.

First is an acknowledgment of what has happened. Of what was done, and to who, by whom. It is my understanding that men and women were left behind in the Han Empire. It is no failing to acknowledge that, and the feelings that stem from the events. It is no issue to review what happened, when, and why. Understand, review, learn, and grow. But do not fall into the trap of wondering what you couldve, shouldve done, and obsess over it. Analyze. Think. Learn. But do not stay trapped in the past, for the past is inaccessible and will kill you. It will seep and suck all life and joy out of your existence. On that note, you may find it valuable to talk with the families and friends left behind from those who are no longer with us. Should you choose to do that, remember to look at the other side of the coin as well. Find those whose lives you saved, who you pulled from the clutches of Black Crow himself, and talk with them. Eat with their family, get to know their friends, for the lives you saved are just as valid, if not more so, than the lives no longer with us. Recognize both life and death.

That I hadnt thought of that. Id been so focused on the people I directly knew in the Sixth that Id forgotten about well, arrogantly, almost everyone else.

You did not fail. Not in the small, not in the large, not in the slightest. Night seemed to sense and know that now was the time and the place for the words.

They meant more than I could say.

Ten minutes passed as I processed, as we walked along. I gave a tiny nod, letting Night know I was ready for more.

The next part is both easier and harder. Live. He suggested. Enjoy planning your upcoming nuptials. I have a minor suggestion for that, another time. Work on your classes. If you would like to discuss them further with me, I always have an ear for you. Indeed, I am quite curious about your options and offerings in your most recent class up, as you have potentially tread new ground that not even I am familiar with. Explore your hobbies, indulge in them, but beware of excess. Do not pick up gambling, drink, or similarly destructive vices. I believe you are in better control of yourself than most, and are less susceptible than others, but I have been wrong before. The greatest [Paragon] I knew fell to gambling, while some of the seediest and least stable individuals have managed to entirely avoid vice when presented. Go to Phantasym, learn magic and spells from the [Witches] and [Wizards] there. Find out how you want to grow and evolve your classes. You have wealth, perhaps commission a [Runesmith] to create a new rune with the singular purpose of generating an entire set of the Medical Manuscripts. I can recommend a few in the Bhutai Provinces.

Night grew uncharacteristically silent near the end, perhaps having a thought of his own that he needed to mull over.

His ideas were good.

I had no idea where I was taking my [Loremaster] class. I liked the idea of it, I loved the stats, power, and skills. I was blessed that Auris shared experience had quickly maxed the class, I found learning about all the cool little secrets and hidden niches in the world, but I wasnt a [Loremaster]. Where did I want to take the class?

Similar question with [Butterfly Mystic]. Right now it was a sort of cobbled-together heres some neat abilities, OH, by the way, heres a touch of wizardry, right, lets go! class. What was my plan for it? Did I want to keep it as a hybrid class? Did I want to focus on the sorcery or wizardry? What was my upgrade plan?

Auris level suggested it was time to start thinking about it.

I hesitate to add this last item, for I do not believe it will help, but is certainly a distraction and a great headache which, in large part, is entirely due to your actions so my sympathy is limited. Amusement tinged Nights words, and I swear he was grinning in schadenfreude. Pay attention to Auri and the phoenixes. Work with them. See what you can learn and level from their presence. I do think, in the balance of things, that working with them will be beneficial, but not to the extent you are concerned about the aftermath of the Han expedition. However, I would be remiss in failing to mention your friends. Do not simply work with the friends and family of the fallen and the alive, but pay attention to your own life as well. Your own people. Auri. Artemis. Julius. Your friend with no name, and of course, your new fiancee.

We were approaching the gates, and I sensed our talk was nearly at an end. Night was amazing. Hed somehow managed to pace his walk in such a way that I thought wed slowly been going down the entire time, and yet, wed crossed twenty miles in the span of our discussion.

These are all good things to think about. I said. Speaking of Iona and our wedding, two quick questions. Would you be willing to give her a similar talk that you gave me? And you mentioned a detail about the wedding?

Night stopped and turned to me, grinning.

Why, yes. I would be more than happy to have a brief conversation with Iona, should she choose to bend a willing ear to this old mans words. I have had many opportunities throughout the years to explore various professions. Have you found a priest yet, and if not, may I offer myself up as one to perform the ceremonies for your wedding?