B9 - Chapter 34: The Hohenheim Estate

The night had already grown dark by the time Viola arrived at the Silver Kettle. With her thoughts still heavy from the day's events, she had decided to walk instead of flying. Today, her steps were unusually slow and ponderous.

She only realized she had arrived when the large wooden entryway loomed before her, the image of a pot-bellied kettle painted across both halves of the door.

Viola reached up to grab the handle, but before she could, the door moved on its own.

She looked up and found a familiar face peering down at her.

"See?" Irina said. "I told you this town has a way of sucking you in."

"Sorry," Viola mumbled. "I lost track of time."

Irina waved her off. "Don't worry about it. Didn't miss anything important."

Saying that, Irina pushed the doors fully open, making way for Viola to step inside.

The entrance hall was nearly deserted, with only a few rough-looking men and women sleeping with their heads on the tables and a collection of mugs scattered around them. Even the innkeeper was no longer behind the counter.

Viola glanced toward Irina.

"...Did you wait for me?"

Irina shrugged. "How else would you find your room?"

Viola opened her mouth, but Irina immediately raised a hand.

"Don't."

Viola closed it again.

"I already said it was fine."

Irina pressed a key into her hand. The number 302 was embossed on its grip.

"We're on the third floor," she explained. "Bernard and I have the room to your right."

Viola nodded, pocketing the key. "Anything else?"

Irina motioned toward the staircase and started walking. Viola followed behind.

"One more thing," she said. "Sebastian managed to get us into the next batch of recruits to be tested. It's gonna take place in the morning, so we should get some sleep soon."

Viola winced. That explained why Irina had been waiting despite the late hour.

"...Do we know anything about the test?" she asked as they passed the second floor.

Irina shrugged. "It's apparently incredibly straightforward and has a very high passing rate."

"No need to be worried, then?"

"Not about that one, no," Irina said. "But if you're thinking about trying out for a group leader position, that might be a different story."

"What's that about?"

"We don't know much," Irina admitted. "Just that the area in Rukia is dangerous enough that no group with fewer than ten people is ever deployed alone. That means if none of us passes the leader trial, we'll be placed under someone else..."

"Are you gonna try out for group leader, then?"

"No." Irina's voice was adamant. "If Sebastian can't pass it, then I won't either."

"What about the others?"

"Grent is sure to try. Bern and I won't."

"What about me?"

Irina gave her a look. "Shouldn't you be the one telling me?"

"Can I?"

"Anyone can try, but..." She gave Viola an apologetic look. "I wouldn't get my hopes up. Less than one in ten pass. So..."

Viola nodded, understanding the warning for what it was.

The two women soon reached the third floor, and Viola immediately spotted the room with the number 302. Irina walked to the one beside hers.

Viola opened her mouth to thank her once more for waiting, but before she could, Irina put a finger to her lips.

Viola hesitated. Then she settled for a grateful nod.

Irina returned it before slipping into her own room.

Viola entered hers. Without even looking around or taking off her coat, she dropped onto the soft bedding and buried her head in the pillow.

Despite her fear that she might be unable to sleep, she found herself dreaming before she even knew it.

A boy with crimson hair laughing beside her.

The same boy years later, standing beneath a blood-red sky.

A battlefield.

A broken body.

Golden eyes that had seen far too much.

Pages turning beneath her fingers.

A familiar name written beneath the spellform.

Her name.

Then another page.

And another.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

"Fay. Faaay.

Faaa-aay!"

Viola awoke with a start. For a moment, she felt completely disoriented. She looked around, scanning her surroundings, but there was nothing to jog her memory.

This place...

was completely unfamiliar.

"FAAAAAYYYY."

The annoying voice, however, wasn't.

"Tone it down, Grent! I'm awake!"

The knocking and yelling stopped immediately.

"About time," the man said from outside, now in a far more measured tone. "Get down quickly if you still want to eat something before the tryouts."

Viola's haziness vanished instantly as the conversation with Irina from the night before surfaced in her mind all at once.

"Be right there!"

She threw off the blanket that had somehow wrapped itself around her like a snake during the night.

Viola glanced toward the mirror for a moment, gathering the loose strands of her hair into a ponytail. Then she reached into one of her dozens of pockets and retrieved one of the vials she had purchased the day before.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

It contained a dark, viscous sludge.

She uncorked the vial and poured some of the sludge onto her fingers. Then, after a single moment of hesitation, she began rubbing it into her scalp.

The change was immediate. Starting at the roots, the solution spread through her hair all the way to the tips, dyeing her entire head. From metallic silver, her hair turned blonde, then orange, and finally settled on a deep red.

Viola froze.

The person staring back at her looked somewhat unfamiliar.

The color of her hair, however, wasn't.

Her gaze slowly dropped toward the vial.

Then toward the label.

Permanent Alchemical Hair Tincture

CRIMSON CONQUEROR

Viola blinked.

Crimson... conqueror...?

Her eyes moved back toward the mirror. Deep crimson hair framed her face.

"...Seriously?"

Wasn't this... clearly Zeke's hair color?

Viola stared at herself for another long moment.

Wouldn't she look like a complete idiot walking up to the Hohenheim estate looking like this?

"Come on, Fay. It's really time."

Viola's head slumped.

What choice did she even have now?

Damn.

"Coming."

She walked to the door and opened it. In front of her stood exactly who she had expected.

The large Bone Mage, Grent, had his hand raised again, clearly about to knock.

"About time you..." His words froze as his eyes met hers. "You... You..."

"I know it's me," Viola said, striding past him.

Though she knew exactly why he was reacting like this. It was the first time she had shown her face to anyone in the group.

But she had no choice today. She highly doubted anyone would hire her if she refused to even lower her hood.

The giant soon caught up with her but remained uncharacteristically silent.

Viola endured it for several steps.

"What's up?" she finally asked. "Don't like my face or something?"

"I..." Grent paused. "I just didn't think you'd be that pretty."

Viola stopped. Then slowly turned around to face him.

Had he really just complimented her sincerely?

That Grent?

"I mean..." His face twisted. "I was certain your looks would match that awful personality of yours, but the heavens truly have no eyes, giving such a face to a shrew like you."

Viola rolled her eyes.

Yep.

This was more like it.

The rest of the party had a far milder reaction to her face. Sebastian acted as if nothing was out of the ordinary, though Viola caught his eyes lingering on her newly dyed hair for the briefest moment before moving on.

Bernard only gave her a single long look before ignoring her again.

Irina, meanwhile, began gushing almost immediately.

"Look at us!" she said, grabbing one of Viola's strands and holding it beside her own. "We look like sisters."

Viola gave her a flat look.

Irina only grinned wider.

Sebastian clapped his hands once.

"Save it for later. We don't want to arrive after the testing starts."

The group quieted at once.

Talking and joking along the way, they soon reached the third layer, where the main estate of the Hohenheim family was located. The large gate was visible from a distance and easy to recognize by the dozens of rough-looking people waiting in front of it.

Viola slowed slightly.

The Hohenheim crest was carved into the stone above the entrance.

For the briefest moment, her chest tightened.

Then Sebastian glanced back.

"Stay together."

The words weren't directed at anyone in particular, but everybody shifted closer almost immediately.

Viola did the same.

Their group joined the others at the gate, taking their place at the end of the line. Some of the waiting mercenaries looked over, giving them an obvious once-over before ignoring them again.

Viola's gaze remained fixed on the gate.

One figure stood on either side of the entrance. Both men were towering figures with the bearing of soldiers.

Viola's attention was especially drawn to the man on the left.

To his long, bushy beard.

The scar above his left eye.

Her breath caught.

She knew this man.

How many times had she seen him while visiting Maximilian's estate?

How many times had he opened the gates for her without asking questions?

How many times had she escaped her stifling family and fled there for some peace and quiet? A quiet office... A cup of tea left untouched... A hand resting against her back while she cried into Maximilian's robes...

"Everything alright, Fay?"

Viola blinked.

Irina was looking at her.

"Yeah, why?"

"Your face..."

Irina pointed.

Viola raised a finger to her cheek. It came back wet.

For a moment, she simply stared at it. Then she quickly wiped her face with the sleeve of her coat.

Viola cleared her throat, trying to regain control of her emotions.

"All good," she said, an octave deeper than usual. "I just thought about something..."

"Keep it together," Grent growl-whispered from the side. "Don't make them think we're soft."

Irina slapped his chest.

Sebastian glanced toward them, his eyes briefly moving from Viola to the guard at the gate.

He said nothing.

But Viola had the uncomfortable feeling that he had noticed far more than she would have liked.

She lowered her gaze.

They were here to try out as mercenaries. And who would hire a mercenary who started crying for no reason?

Just then, the gate swung open.

The bearded man took a step forward.

"Everyone," he said, addressing the crowd in a booming voice. "Enter."

Then the edges of his lips curled upward into a savage grin.

"If you can."

A slight murmur went through the ranks, but the ominous warning wasn't enough to deter anyone. After only a brief hesitation, the group at the front began to walk.

At first, they regarded the guards on either side of the gate with suspicion. But the closer they got, the more that suspicion was replaced by grim concentration.

By the time they stood directly between the two guards, their valiant strides had slowed to the pace of a crawling slug.

Despite that, they eventually made it through.

"Next."

The second group stepped forward.

One of their members collapsed near the very end.

"You. Get lost."

"Sir, please. I can..."

"No."

The bearded man cut him off.

"You'd die in Rukia."

The man froze.

"Train. Come back when you can walk through this without crawling."

The rejected mercenary opened his mouth a few times, but eventually, he simply left with a sunken face and grim expression. The rest of his party didn't follow him out.

It seemed they hadn't been a very close-knit group to begin with.

"Next..."

"Next..."

"Next..."

One group after another strode through the open gate, most passing without incident.

It was exactly as Irina had said.

Incredibly straightforward, with a high passing rate.

Sebastian watched each group carefully.

Which ones struggled.

Which ones compensated.

Which ones helped their companions.

Viola noticed his gaze lingering for a moment on one man who had nearly fallen but still managed to drag his partner through with him.

Then Sebastian looked away.

Soon, there was no other group left before them.

The bearded man turned in their direction.

Viola instinctively lowered her head. Despite her changed hair, she wasn't confident the man wouldn't recognize her if he focused his attention on her for too long.

"Next."

"Stay close," Sebastian said.

The group started walking.

Viola immediately squeezed herself between Irina and Bernard, hiding herself from outside view. Irina gave her a sideways glance but didn't say anything. Instead, she took Viola's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

Viola's fingers tightened around hers.

After only a few steps, she began to feel it.

Her steps grew heavier. Every breath became slightly harder to take.

It was a sensation she knew all too well.

Mana pressure.

The guards on either side of the gate were releasing the full weight of their Mana toward them, and with every step they drew closer, the pressure grew stronger.

Irina's hand tensed in her own. Her breathing became strained.

This time, Viola squeezed back reassuringly.

She could feel Bernard struggling on her other side as well. Grent's broad shoulders had gone rigid. Even Sebastian's steps had slowed.

Viola frowned.

It was uncomfortable, certainly.

But only barely.

Those guards, after all, were both only at the Grand Mage level.

Strong ones, for sure.

But still only Grand Mages.

For Viola, who had been around some of the strongest Archmages on the continent since before she could walk, Mana pressure of this level was akin to a breeze.

She took another step.

Then immediately realized her mistake.

Too easy.

Everyone around her was struggling.

If she walked through this like she was taking an evening stroll, she might as well turn around and introduce herself.

Viola let her shoulders sink slightly. She shortened her next step and forced her breathing to grow heavier.

Not too much.

She glanced at Irina from the corner of her eye and matched her pace.

Step.

Step.

Step.

The pressure increased further.

Viola allowed one knee to bend.

Just enough.

The bearded guard stood only a few paces away now.

Don't look.

Don't react.

Don't give him a reason to look twice.

Step.

Step.

Step.

Then, suddenly, the pressure vanished all at once.

Something else brushed against her senses.

A strange tug.

A distortion so faint she might have missed it if not for her familiarity with it.

The world shifted.

Not moved.

Folded.

Then settled again.

She opened her eyes fully and found herself standing in front of a large building.

Viola turned around.

The gate was nowhere behind them.

For half a heartbeat, nobody spoke.

Grent looked over his shoulder.

"What in the..."

Bernard frowned.

Irina blinked several times.

Sebastian merely studied the empty space behind them before turning back toward the building.

Nobody seemed overly worried. Whatever had happened, it was clear that they had passed.

Viola stared at the place where the gate should have been for another moment.

Space Magic.

Of course.

A bitter smile almost reached her lips.

Of course this family would use Space Magic for something as mundane as an entrance.

"Fay."

Sebastian's voice pulled her back.

She turned.

The others were already moving.

Sebastian pushed the door open and stepped inside first, the rest of the party right on his heels.

The large hall was filled with all the same people they had just seen outside the gate, minus the ones who had been disqualified. All of them were looking toward the front.

"You must be the last group for today."

A cheerful voice greeted them from that direction.

"Welcome, and congratulations on passing the selection. I hope you will make my family proud in the coming days."

Viola's entire body froze.

Her eyes instantly locked onto the speaker. It was a woman standing at the other end of the hall with a bright smile.

"Let me introduce myself."

Viola's body went rigid.

"My name is Mia von Hohenheim."

The woman's smile widened.

"Ezekiel is my boy."