Taste of Magic: Ambassador's Voice

Saturday morning. Melina woke up in Alistair's bed while holding one of his shirts close. It wasn't easy to sleep without his familiar warmth next to her. To think that she'd get dependent on him for peaceful sleep so quickly. The bed felt far too large without him and far too cold. She would often wake from nightmares and have trouble falling asleep again.

Holding one of his shirts gave her some peace of mind, helping her fall asleep. But every waking moment, she wondered where Alistair was and what he was doing. She wanted to see him so badly. But at the same time, she had to trust that he was alright.

But while he was gone, she had to do her best to prepare Sunglow for what was to come. She got up early in the morning, together with the sun. She didn't have to—the bakery was closed that day. But if she wanted to be discreet with her magic, it was best to do it while most of the town was asleep.

Coincidentally, Mango was asleep too, unable to force herself awake so early. Sienna, in her large form, shook her head, disappointed by the fox's sleepiness.

"It's okay, Sienna," Melina soothed. "Kids need a lot of sleep."

Sienna didn't seem quite satisfied with that answer, her tail swishing left and right. Likely because the wyrm understood the importance and gravity of what Melina was doing.

Their first stop was the entrance gate near the Guild. This was where she would begin to weave her web of wards. Obviously, she couldn't just lay a giant protective ward over the whole city. Nobody possessed enough mana for something as large-scale as that, not to mention that it was wasteful anyway.

Melina's plan relied on protecting key locations in the town. The gates, the port, Erina's inn, Adventurer's Guild, the bakery, Alistair's house, the apothecary, and finally the passageway itself. These were the key locations the Church was more likely to target. Some of them, like the bakery and the passageway, were almost certain to be targeted.

There, she laid down some extra magical protection, employing Sienna's help to set up a more powerful ward. The other locations she kept were simpler. But the point was that every location had a detection ward. If somebody with a large amount of holy mana passed through, Melina would know.

By the time Melina was done setting up wards, the people of Sunglow were waking up. Some of them were heading for the port, eager for the fresh supplies. Some were heading to the market while stopping to chat with their friends. It was a Saturday like any other at first glance.

But she also noticed adventurers among the crowd. One might think that they were just going on their daily business as everyone else, but their gazes were too hardened. Too alert for a simple Saturday morning. Melina could feel the storm that was brewing on the horizon, and so could the people of Sunglow.

She had to do more. If push came to shove, her wards wouldn't be enough to save Sunglow. They were nothing more than a mold annoyance, especially if Heiliger decided to go all out. Thinking of the Bishop made Melina shudder. She wondered just how much she remembered. Could she use her most powerful skills?

Melina turned on her heel and decided to pay a visit to Elowen. While she would have liked to rely on her strength to help Sunglow, she knew she wasn't the one who could bridge the gap between worlds. That wasn't her role.

"I'm thirsty!" The siren cried in the early morning.

Elowen groaned. Between the extra shifts he had to take to cover while Sinclair was gone and watching the annoying siren, he was finding his patience wearing thin.

He didn't blame Melina for it. She was actually relying on others for once, something he didn't remember her doing much in his memories. She only ever trusted Sinclair, but lately she was opening up to others. Allowing Leliana to deal with the Monster Realm plant project. Employing a young baker to help her with the pastries. Even overcoming her distaste for drow and asking Etrian for help.

Elowen just wished that Melina hadn't asked him to watch this annoying siren.

"Hey! Did you hear me?" The siren repeated.

"Are you really so lazy that you can't get water yourself?" Elowen said, not even bothering to get out of bed.

"A gentleman should know when to pamper a lady," the siren retorted, swishing her long, pink hair behind her back. A pathetic attempt to appeal to his masculinity.

Elowen wasn't swayed. He couldn't care less for the siren's looks. Her appearance was tacky in his opinion. Leliana, in her gardening outfit, looked far more appealing.

"You're not a lady, monster, and neither am I a gentleman. It is a human term," Elowen said, lazily waving the siren away.

"Will you stop calling me a monster? I have a name, too, you know," the siren protested.

"You never deigned to tell me," he protested.

"I did tell you, but you were talking with that red-haired human with the ugly sunburn and didn't listen," the siren complained.

This got Elowen's attention instantly. He sat up in the bed and pointed an angry finger at the siren. "That red-haired human is far more attractive than you could ever hope to be with your fake disguises. If you ever call her ugly again, then I'll put you to dry out in the sun."

"Hmmm…" the siren drawled out, not at all put off by his threat. "So that's your type. Never would have expected that from an elf."

Moments later, the siren's shape changed, and in her stead stood Leliana, dressed in the elegant green dress he'd seen her wear so often. "Maybe now could give me that glass of water?"

Elowen snarled and withdrew a dagger he kept hidden in his sleeve at all times. The siren nervously lifted her hands as he put the cold blade dangerously close to her throat. "If you take her shape one more time, I'll slit your throat where you stand, and Melina won't save you."

The siren chuckled nervously and quickly changed back to her pink-haired form. "Okay, okay. Yesh! You people are so uptight."

"In your place, I'd be grateful to be alive. Melina, as she was in the past, would have killed you without hesitation, especially for trying to harm and impersonate her lover. I frankly still can't believe that she allowed you to keep your head."

The siren chuckled nervously. "You're just trying to scare me."

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"Believe what you want, monster. But I wouldn't be testing us in your place," he said, and decided to get ready for the day. He would have to go on patrol in a few hours. So he had to eat breakfast and drop off the siren at Etrian's shop.

"I am not a monster! My name is Aeriganta!"

Elowen shrugged and headed out of his room. The siren grumbled but followed after him. "I really need some water!"

"You can get it yourself in the bathroom. You have half an hour while I get ready for the day, after that we're going to Etrian," he said.

"That's not enough to hydrate my skin!" She protested.

"Not my problem. I have other matters to attend to," Elowen said coldly.

The siren let out another dissatisfied growl, but instead of complaining, hurried away to the bathroom. This gave him a bit of breathing room. He knew that she wouldn't do anything while trying to soak her skin. The summer weather in Sunglow was too dry for a siren. It will use every moment to soak.

In the meantime, Elowen cleaned up himself, greeting other members of the Guild, humans and elves alike. He was amazed at how quickly this place had become his home and how quickly he got accepted, despite what happened in the Monster Realm. Sure, Guildmaster had been mad at him, but more in a "Don't do that thing again" kind of way, rather than the true anger he had witnessed from the woman during battle.

Half an hour later, he was clean and ready to head to the cafeteria for breakfast. Aeriganta had also left the bathroom, although she wasn't too pleased about it. She tried complaining about it to a few adventurers, but her complaints fell on deaf ears. These people fought monsters daily, and she was just another one of those. Something to be cautious around, not somebody to indulge.

Much to Elowen's surprise, as he descended to Guild Hall, he saw Melina sitting on one of the couches and waiting. Their eyes met, and she got up, indicating that she had been waiting for him.

"Good morning, Elowen," she greeted him.

"Good morning, Melina," he returned the greeting. "What brings you here so early?"

"I'd like to talk to you about a matter," she said, her expression growing serious. "I was hoping you'd hear me out."

"Of course, except I have a bit of a tail with me," Elowen said, pointing at the siren.

"The most beautiful tail," the siren said boastfully.

"Wasn't she supposed to be in Etrian's care today?" Melina asked.

"I was just going to take her after breakfast," Elowen said.

"How about we take her now and then have breakfast together?" She suggested.

"Hey, what about my breakfast?" The siren protested.

"I don't intend to feed you feyfruit every day. You're going to have to make do every two to three days or pay me for it," the baker said shortly.

Aeriganta let out a dissatisfied snort, but didn't dare to complain loudly. At least the creature understood not to bite the hand that fed her.

Although Elowen couldn't help but wonder what exactly Melina wanted. He had a feeling it wouldn't just be a pleasant chat over breakfast. It never was.

After they dropped the whiny siren at the tailor's place, Elowen and Melina headed to Erina's inn. However, he didn't miss the significant look the baker had shared with a drow. Just a small incline in her head, and an acknowledging nod. Wordless exchange, but he could feel the gravity behind the gesture. They were preparing for something.

For the arrival of the Church. Everyone was preparing. Ever since they had captured the spy, they had expected it to happen any day. Nobody managed to pull any useful information from the spy. He was too tough. Even the Guildmaster was equally impressed and horrified by what was done to them.

Illitran had even tried mental magic used for interrogation among elves. It was a last resort as it can break the mind of the one on whom it was used. But not only was the spy not broken, he didn't reveal anything. His mind was already trained against mental attacks, which, on its own, was troublesome news.

By the time Melina and Elowen had sat down at a small table in the corner, each with their own breakfast in tow, he was convinced that Melina wanted to discuss something regarding the Church.

"Are you sure this is the right place for this discussion?" Elowen asked. Despite the early morning hour, the cafeteria was already filled with eager customers, chatting among themselves as they tried to choose their preferred breakfast meal. Elowen had chosen three pork sausages with hashbrowns—something to keep him full for longer.

"Don't worry, nobody will hear anything we say," she said, twirling her fingers, little motes of mana floating about. She must have set up a privacy ward around their table. They could scream aloud, and nobody else would be any wiser. Very useful magic. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"I see. I assume it doesn't concern the siren," Elowen said, cutting off a piece of sausage.

Melina likewise struck a fork in her breakfast, salad with extra chicken on the side. Both her familiars were already sniffing the air cautiously, begging for a piece for themselves. Little Mango got a piece first, after which Sienna got her share, chewing eagerly on the meat.

"No. With you and Etrian watching her, I have nothing to worry about. No, I hope to set up some insurance for when the Church arrives. However, I don't think I can do it myself. Or rather, I'm sure that I'm going to fail," Melina said.

"You? Fail? I never thought you'd admit readily to failing at anything," Elowen said in surprise. Melina, in her memories, was always a picture of confidence.

"I know my limitations. Namely, my standing with the Monster Lord."

He winced. That was partially his fault. Perhaps, if he'd given the Monster Lord more time to come to terms with what happened in the other timeline, he'd be more willing to hear him out. More willing to give Melina a chance. Or maybe not. Who knew?

"Why are you suddenly mentioning the Monster Lord? I believe I made it clear that I regret—"

"No, it's not that. I'm not blaming you for what happened. I'm asking for your help," Melina said, scratching Mango behind the ear.

"Help? To do what exactly?"

"Bridge the gap between our worlds. Ultimately, I was hoping to do it slowly over time, but I think the Monster Lord needs to know that the Church is about to launch an expedition in what is essentially his backyard."

"Wait… You want to warn the Monster Lord about the Church's arrival?" Elowen asked in disbelief.

"Yes. Preferably within the next few days. I'm afraid we've run out of time," she said with a nod.

Elowen blinked, not quite able to believe his ears. "So you want me to go and warn him?"

"For us to go and warn him. Obviously, I wouldn't send you on such a dangerous mission alone. I, along with Sienna, would go along as well. Teleport us away if things get… bad," she said.

"They are guaranteed to go bad. I believe we already tried talking to the Monster Lord…" He frowned.

"Yes, I know, but I want to try again. I know he hates me, but I'd never forgive myself if I didn't try to convince him at least a few more times. Maybe bring him some pastries as a token of goodwill," she said.

"He'll just think you're trying to poison him."

"Valid point…"

Elowen sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "So you want the two of us to head into the Monster Realm and speak with the Monster Lord and hope he doesn't try to murder us in cold blood."

"He'll most certainly try. But I still believe he needs to know about the Church."

Elowen felt his headache returning. He had just gotten rid of it, too. This plan was reckless and dangerous. The Guildmaster would never approve. Melina probably knew that too, hence why she reached out to him and set up the privacy ward.

But he felt that she was right. To bridge the gap between worlds, they had to try to convince the Monster Lord that they didn't mean him harm. Emphasis on try.

He rolled the sausage around his plate for a bit until he finally groaned. "Ugh! Fine! But we're only telling him about the Church and then getting straight out."

He was certain that she'd go without him if he didn't agree. And if something happened to her, then Sinclair would destroy everything in a fit of rage.

"Wonderful!" Melina said with a smile, although he did notice her fork tremble for just a moment.

"One question—why do you ask me? I know you and the Monster Lord get along, but it's not like my standing with him is any better after what happened."

"Because you're the Ambassador. I'm sure the System gave you that skill for a reason," Melina said.