After all of that, the talks turned more sedated. Elizabeth didn't eye (too much) the alcoholic drinks thinking about if she should try oo deal with her nerves. She had gotten accepted as daughter-in-w... Mostly because Rossie's mother seemed to want the link toward the deities that were her parents.

  She could deal with that, at the end of the day she only came to ask for Rossie's hand as a formality, had they denied her approach she would have risen in power and squashed any denial using overwhelming force. It worked for Papa when Grandma didn't want him as a son-in-w, so there was no reason why it wouldn't work for her.

  Now with that out of the way...She could foore important things! Like for example: "You said that I should [Evolve] my skill, how would I go about doing that?" Asking someone who seemed to know the ao the questions at hand!

  "Hmmmm...Usually, I would ahat you o focus in the dire you want to develop the skill iio by studying or fog your use of the skill in a certain field..." The eyes of Rossie's Mother shone once more, but unlike before when they were in the isotion barrier, this time she was able to rebuff the effects more easily. That was weird, had the isotion barrier increased the power of the woman's skill? "In your case, I think it would be easier for you if you tried to link what skills you have into the skill you want to upgrade. Fuse skills around and see what es out from it, it may help you your skill list too."

  So just use more of her skills in tandem? She had been using them like that though. She had used several of her skills oer the other, like how she... Used her [Shadow Doppelganger] and [Shadow Minion] skills together!

  Or her [Shadow Puppeteer] and her [Dragon Eyes]... And...

  "Also, you are aware that you move skills around right? While having them as [Job] does give advantages, you have them as [General] skill too. Also having spots open...Not optimal." Rossie's mother said after, was she seeing her [Status] sheet? No, she didn't feel like her defenses had been breached. So then how? "Your face tells me everything I o know. Your profile indicated that you were good at hiding your iions, but it seems that you left those skills at Avalon."

  ...She would o che her ag csses again, and maybe pick a skill for that? She didn't like the idea of being this easy to read... She hadn't been keeping her practice after leaving Avalon, but mostly because no one knew who she was, so she got zy with that part of her life.

  But sihat allowed her to make a e with Rossie... Maybe that wasn't so bad? She would che that, she did have a few skills that she could pick to fill those empty slots... And while she got the feeling that she could mix her Manipution skills...Was that a good idea?

  Most of her manipution skills seemed to level at the same pace, and while at these levels they were keeping with each other, at some point she got the feeling that [Shadow] would overshoot the others soon enough. It was, after all. What she used the most, even if she could see the uses that [Lightning] could have, or [Space], or even the one [Fire] that hadn't shown iatus as of yet... Was she missing some notification again?

  Actually, had she checked her notificatio? She would che them ter when they were alone. She wasn't quite sure how the skill of Rossie's mother worked, but she didn't want to give more information than needed. Not yet, not until she uood more of the [Gaxidae] and what they wanted from her.

  At least for now, it seemed that Rossie's mother didn't want anything bad, she wao make sure that the girl her daughter brought was good. If anything her own dubious pass was more problematic, especially sihe World] had wao erase everything that Elizabeth was. Even if somehow Rossie's Mother had either survived the effects or recovered from them.

  "Well, have fun girls. We adults do have work to do...And paperwork to fix, you three he correct stamps in your passports and some inquiries from the MPI will no doubt e our way, so we o fix them. When you are done here Margareth will guide you to your rooms." Rossie's mother said as she stood, "Anything else you o say to them, darling?"

  Rossie's Father turo look at them, he hadn't said anything of releva, the more impactful thing being the stupid joke about the baby, "Not really... ht, Elizabeth, if you ever want to tinue your work as [The Shadow Empress] do send word my way, I have plenty of work a [Vilin] with the set of skills you showed could do."

  ...Was Rossie's Father askio do [Vilin] work? Actually, wasn't her identity in the [Shift] state protected? She had only whitelisted Rossie... A glint from Rossie's mother was all she o know where that had e from. She was starting to get annoyed by the Gaxidae. Was this how people felt when dealing with the Saintsworths?

  But she wasn't one of them! So why did she o suffer from it?

  "I no longer have access to those [Shifts], so I am afraid that I will have to disappoint you on that front," Elizabeth answered politely, don't insult the cilor Elizabeth, don't insult your father-in-w Elizabeth.

  You do it!

  "We will see you at dinner, Margareth or one of the other maids will guide you." And like that, Rossie's parents left the room. Leaving them with only one maid at the er. And another o the other side of the door.

  "You may leave, I will guide Elizabeth ao their room," Rossie said without turning her head towards the Maid iion.

  "As you wish Lady Rossaline, we are at your bed call as always. Shall we prepare the two adjat rooms to your bedroom?" Asked the maid, she didn't move at all.

  "Yes...no wait. Aura." Rossie said and as if answering to the call Elizabeth felt her shadow expand and from it, the purple-haired girl with Izanami priestess robes came.

  She looked around as if to examihe pce she had been summoned and turowards Rossie, "Do you need something Lady Rossaline?" Aura said, using the same tone and style as the maid. No one would ever suspect that Aura and Rossie stood as enemies before!

  "Margareth, guide Aura to my room and those that are avaible for use." Rossie said to the maid, then turning to Aura she added, "Prepare the rooms that we will o use while we stay here, Margareth will provide everything you may need. Should you need something else be it manforce or utilities ask her."

  The maid only eyed Aura as if evaluatihe woman robably closing into her fifties in trast to Aura who seemed to be about to go into her fifteens. A difference of around 35 years...

  "Help to prepare a py Mistress and her cohort? You insult me Lady Rossaline, no servant of our Mistress needs help from outsiders." And with those words Aura's shadow grew in size, from within one could see hundreds of blue eyes peering from the shadows, and as if to make an example four of those eyes rose from within the shadows.

  They were small, they looked to measure around fifty timeters i, but their body was somewhat deformed, as if someone had turned into a caricature (A cute one) of the body of a full-grown adult. Two were dressed in butler outfits simir to the oian had used before while the other two were dressed in maid outfits, simir to the ohat Beatrice had worn so long ago.

  "See? I will have all the help I could ever need, o worry your [Human] servants with that." Aura said and with a dismissal gesture, both her shadow and the extra miniouro her shadow. As if nothing had happened. "Now [Human], show me the way. I o prepare my Mistress and Cohort's room...And that of...Rena too I guess."

  For some reason, Aura seemed to hesitate when speaking about Rena, was she unsure about what term to use? What was that about?

  "It will be done Lady Rossalihe maid said without minding the acts of Aura and Rossie, that was ourdy maid. "If you will Miss Aura?"

  And like that Aura and the other maid left them to their own thing, "I will go and search for a pce to train." Rena said as she stood, she hadn't tributed too much to the talks either.

  "Ask the maid that stayed behind, she will guide you and you ask either a maid or [Minion] for dires to your aodation when you are ready," Rossie said to the red-haired girl before she left the room.

  "I will ask a [Minion] for dires, or will use the [Skill] Elizabeth granted us from the [Heroic Party] to find you ter." And on that note Rehe room, leaving her aloh Rossie.

  In a dark room...

  With a very entig table...

  And chairs...

  And sofa...

  And was that a sofa-bed bo?

  And that low table seemed to be just the right size to work as a stool...

  No Elizabeth! Bad girl! Focus!

  "Do you need something while you focus oructuring your earnings from the test fight?" Rossie asked bringing her back from the musings of all the things she could do to Rossie at this pce.

  "[Mistress, there are several cameras rec in the dwelling you are at the moment.]" Came the report from her always loyal Royal Mages.

  And that erfect! That meant that she could get the video from those acts too! She would only o kill and/or remove the eyes of whoever was manning those cameras!

  "I'm fine, just hold my hand while I gh the menus okay?" Elizabeth said as the pink-haired girl smiled at her and held her hand.

  That was all the fort she the moment, so preparing for the worst Elizabeth refocused in the present, and in the warmth sensation of Rossie's hand. "Show me the pending notifications, all the skills avaible, and possible skill merges." And like that, her sight was flooded with messages.

  Notice:User has acquired a veritable amount of experience, user has mao create new [Legends], [Myths] and [Stories] upon the world.

  Multiple achievements acquired, experience has arrived at the hreshold.

  Level Increase 30 > 40

  Proficy toward skills increased.

  Shadoution: 50 > 100Lightning Manipution: 50 > 100Space Manipution: 50 > 100Mana Manipution: 50 > 100Magic Circle Manipution: 50 > 100Shift: 3 > 5Beautiful: 10Young Body: 18Minion Summoning: 70 > 100Shadow Puppeteer: 20 > 50Body Tempering: 30 > 50

  ------------------------------------------------

  Skills avaible for merge, please select the skills you wish te.

  [Ihe IDEA into the merge, follow your INSTICTS.]

  Those were some very round numbers, it was quite amusing to see how she didn't miss a single digit or went above the round numbers, if she art of a story or something she would think that this was zy writing. Good thing she wasn't and this was the real world.

  "Okay, not as bad as I thought," Elizabeth said aloud then fog once more she tried to prod her skills to [Merge]. First, by fog on her manipution ones, it was the obvious thing to do. She had at the moment [Shadow], [Lightning], and [Space]. But she also could feel the [Fire] o the back, and if she tinued getting more and more like this...

  Lightning

  Soon enough she would have at the very least six or seven [Affinity] skills, she couldn't have that many lying around, and she wouldn't have space for other stuff!

  Like skills to pamper Rossie! Or skills to help her sleep!

  So with great focus she molded her mana, suffused it with her [Will], and focused it into the words that would give birth to [Idea], she hadn't dohis in quite some time, mostly eyeballing what she said, so using the lohod was refreshing on itself. "[Merge]" Elizabeth said, and the effect was quite fast too.

  She felt the [Affinity] within her [Soulscape] start te, and while at first, she thought she would end with some weird kind of sphere promised of all her [Affinities]... She didn't.

  Instead in the office within the spire at the ter of the ruined city, she felt a bust ma, it was quite simir in appearao herself, and while it was iing to see a bust made in her image that wasn't icked her i, no. It was something else, for at the head of the bust was a . A with fems.

  At the ter and in a more elevated spot was an obsidian gem, a look was all she o know what it represented, [Shadow]. Below it was a yellow gem that was shining with sparks seemingly bursting at weird intervals, funnily enough, half the time they were blue Lightning and the other they were yellow Lightning, but even a very dumb transmigrator would know what they meant, [Lightning]. At the right side of it was a red ruby, inside a veritable inferno that promised unendiru should she deem to release its fury, [Fire]. And then at the left side a gem dark in color but somehow it seemed to tain an unending amount of stars, as if it held its own universe within, [Space].

  And if that wasn't enough she could see other spots open in the , as if ing her to find more [Affinities], mems], more [Souls] to feed it.

  She didn't want to think too much about it, but even while marveling at how beautiful the was, she ended up wanting to touch it, to put it on, to [Embrace] the marvels of what she could create...

  "Eli-Eli?" Only to be brought back from her reverie by Rossie, "You are hurting me."

  And finding herself in the real world her left-hand a vi Rossie's arm, her right hand pushing the pink-haired girl against the table...And her mouth... Barely a few timeters away from the irl's neck.

  It took her a sed to get enough seo trol herself and think what her body was about to do. "There, I removed the stupid penholder, we tinue." Only for her girlfriend to y herself against the table, the girl had removed most of the things on it and was looking at her with hunger in her eyes.

  She was also fiddling with her blouse, as if unsure if she should remove it or not...

  "...Rossie, no." Elizabeth said while trying to look anywhere but at the puppy eyes her girlfriend was giving her, "I lost myself for a sed because the influence of one of my skills was to, but not here. There are cameras here Rossie. I don't want to share how you look with anyone else."

  "Oh don't worry about the cameras, they are automatized, and unless you sneak past the defehe pany that Father paid to install no one look at those unless we o," Rossie said, not addressing how Elizabeth had lost herself in that weird reverie her skill gave her.

  "....Still no, think of your parents, what would they say?" Elizabeth said, trying to be the voice of reason.

  "...Please don't break the table? I'm sure my Father would say that he has been trying to be funny to get votes from the younger audience." Rossie joked while fixing her clothes and sitting once more at her side, her hand.

  "...I promise we will snuggle after this, but let me check if any of my skills wao do some weird things. If I start moving weird again please stop me again." Elizabeth said while fog once more inside.

  She would love to think that Rossie would stop her again, but ces were she wouldn't... So that wouldn't be her fault! Muahahahahahaha!

  ....

  She focused on the new blue s that showed up with her skill.

  of Sin:You were oneone who stood at the top, some would call you an APEX, but to others, you were a dictator. Who you were is of little relevance, what you achieved oher hand... It wasn't. You mao create miracles, you defied what the world set upon you, you fought, you trashed, and in the end...You lost. Your soul was ripped apart a , but what you engraved deep within, your desire, the spark of innovation remained.

  And you have once more started walking in the same path, those that don't know the past should beware for they may make the same mistakes. So, brave dragon that aspires to the heavens. This is your [], made from the remains of a lost life. Wear it with pride, but beware...For if you try to use it without having the power to withstand it, you may indulge in the [SINS] that you are yet to quer.

  [Gem of Shadows]: You have total trol over the Shadoeana.

  [Gem of Lightning]: You have total trol over the Lightning aspeana.

  [Gem of Fire]: You have total trol over the Fire aspeana, your instincts are enhanced. Your trol over your own body mana circuits is enhanced. You are capable of funneling the Fire element into your mana te and se.

  [Gem of Space]: You have total trol over the Space aspeana, your spatial senses are enhanced. Your trol over the space around you is enhanced. You are capable of instinctually feeling the presence of spatial barriers and the best way to pierce them.

  That....was quite iing yes. It took all the [Elemental] manipution skills she had and shoved them into one, leaving her with two open spots for new skills... Could she merge more skills?

  She got this feeling that it should be doable, but what? She got the inkling that [Shadow Puppeteer] and [Shadow Minion] should be mergeable, but she didn't want to lose the easy way to increase her mastery over her own body, besides. That skill was also the promise she had made with Rossie so that one would stay.

  Also, she didn't know what effect would have over her [Minions] if she were to lose the skill or ge it in some way or form, so better to not mess around with that ohat left [Shift], [Young Body], and [Beautiful]. So doing the same with two of those she tried prodding them and...

  Perfect Self:You are you. Most may think that this is obvious, who we are if not ourselves? Most would be wrong. Some let themselves be painted by what the people around them think they are, if they are called [Hero] thery and live up to their expectations. If they are called [Vilin] they turn to viliny even if only to spite oo show them what true [Viliny] is.

  But you? You aren't like most are you? You who was once a proud s of an a . Did you let that define you? No.

  You who were at the peak of Lightning Manipution. Did you let that carve your path to power? No.

  You who are the daughter of a paragon of justice, did you let his justice guide you? No.

  You who are the daughter of the creator of a genre of magic. Did you follow in your Mother's footsteps? No

  Remain true to yourself Ior, for your path to power if you wish to make it to the end, only be yours.

  [Your body is yours alone, and will always stay true to who you envision yourself to be. The world may twist, and the perception of those around you may ge. But you will always remain yourself, in your mind and the mind of others.]

  She liked that one, as the skill settled in her [Soulscape] she felt the presence of her own [Soul] settle deeper within the world around her, her [Self] seemed to grow in synch within her body. It was as if her body was making a statement.

  I'm here.

  And the world around couldn't help but aowledge her.

  "Eli-Eli, have I told you how pretty you look tely?" Rossie said at the side as if just notig her, her eyes spoke of love and a promise of things to e.

  "Rossie, you will get nothing from praising me," Elizabeth said as she felt etion from her girlfriend's praises. "Besides we are almost done...Now I only o deal with the [General] skills..."

  Elizabeth turned her attention to the st se of her skills she could deal with.

  Appraisal: 25Privacy: 50Encore: 5Singing: 5Dang: 5Endurance: 20Body Tempering: 30

  Of these she would deal with the first two... ditch the hree and try te the other two, that would leave her with seven open slots to py around. She had after all, a very long list of skills to py around with... most being the legacy from Alexanders, things she hadn't wao use lest she be tainted by the memories of what was lost...

  But her test skill had granted her security, she wouldn't ge unless she herself wahe ge. It was time to use the things she ied from the long-lost [S]. It was time t the heavy ons.