Reluctantly, Noble Indolence sits at the desk and opens the spellbook. After reading a few pages, she frowns, but after finishing, she can't help but feel nothing but admiration.
"Who designed this magic formation? Although it has a level limit, its fundamentals are extremely complex. All magic and skills, including magic formations, have a limit of improvement, but everything changes if the foundations are as robust as those in this spellbook."
For a moment, Noble Indolence forgets the situation she is in, praising the author of this magic formation, but it is Coldness Divine who brings her back to her senses.
"Can you improve it or not?"
"I can, but 24 hours is not enough."
"How long would you need for it to be effective against level 800 rankers?"
Noble Indolence is inwardly shocked, 'Effective against level 800 rankers? What is their purpose?'
Just by looking at them, she knows that the average level of those three women is 620, and at her level, facing a level 800 ranker is no different from suicide, even this magic formation wouldn't make a difference, so a new variable arises in her mind.
"At least three months."
When Noble Indolence says this, she does not know how much damage it causes to Coldness Divine.
A few steps away, Serene Will watches her back and sighs. This is the sacrifice Coldness Divine was willing to make to rebuild this magic formation, she knew they couldn't kidnap Noble Indolence and force her to work for them due to all the harm it would cause to their plans, to their future.
Even knowing this, Coldness Divine proposed it to Lawrence.
Willing to repeat this day as many times as necessary to achieve it.
"Divide the work into parts, make each day meet a goal and continue the next day. Plan it as if you were going to do it yourself."
"You know nothing about magic formations, such planning would require exhaustive--"
"Make it possible."
"Kuh…"
Coldness Divine pulls her hair, preventing her from developing her argument. Noble Indolence may be captive to these women, but she still maintains her pride. To achieve what this woman asks would require a broad knowledge of the other party, without knowing who will continue the development of this magic formation, it is impossible to make them understand what to do next.
It's easy to say that one person does something and the next continues, when the idea of the two people might be completely different.
‘I can endure this if it's just for 24 hours, these women plan to do something after that time, and when that happens... an opportunity will arise!’
Noble Indolence nods with displeasure on her face and only then does Coldness Divine release her hair. Holding the pencil in her hand, she will do what this woman asks, just as she says.
‘It will be the responsibility of whoever continues my work if they do not understand my concept.’
This is the only revenge she can carry out at this moment, writing for herself, so incomprehensible that only she can decipher, but… without deviating from the truth.
The planning covers a different topic for each division, each topic focusing on a small area that, when joined together, will form a larger concept. Each specialist has their way of carrying out this process, and Noble Indolence uses only hers, with which she is most familiar, but it is this same thing that will cause discord for whoever continues this project.
Because whoever is next to follow this itinerary will suffer if they lack talent.
Long hours pass until she manages to create a plan divided into more than ninety parts.
"Before starting the reconstruction of this magic formation, I want you to answer my questions." Noble Indolence sets the pencil aside and looks towards Coldness Divine. "How should I address you?"
Were it another question, Coldness Divine would use force to make her work, but following that course of action, she fears Noble Indolence would resist continuing, and that is not good for her.
Because of this, she responds with the truth.
"Then, Coldness Divine, what assures me that I will come out alive if I help you in this? This magic formation may be useful for little hunters, but after being rebuilt, nothing guarantees that I will keep my life intact for knowing too much."
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Eliminating a potential informant, this is the situation Noble Indolence finds herself in.
"I give you my word."
Coldness Divine looks her in the eyes and says: "The word of a dragon should not be underestimated."
Noble Indolence frowns, unsure whether to trust her or not, but then Coldness Divine speaks again. "Your life is important, nothing can happen to you, your position as a commander is what keeps you alive. If something were to happen to you, the underground city of Agares would not rest until they found those responsible. Safety would never be the same."
"Yes, but I know your faces--"
"We have a countermeasure for that. We haven't used it because we don't know what consequences it might bring for the reconstruction of the magic formation."
Coldness Divine's indifferent words remind Noble Indolence of the precarious situation she is in. She decides to accept that these women are not after her life, but that does not mean they won't harm her if she resists.
"Fine, once I finish I'll ask you to leave."
"Ha! That won't be necessary."
Noble Indolence clenches her teeth and picks up the pencil again. She evaluates the spellbook and was about to write when someone knocks on the door.
"Commander, have you decided to take the day off?"
The three women remain silent waiting for Noble Indolence's response.
"That's right. Carry out the usual rounds, do not disturb me for today."
"Understood, I will let the rest know."
Everything is resolved peacefully, and Noble Indolence tries to resume her writing rhythm.
But then an impact is heard behind the door. The next moment Serene Will opens the door and casually drags in a man imprisoned by a long vine wrapping his entire body, preventing him from screaming.
"What do you think you are doing?! I thought only I would be--!"
"Spoke in code, punish her."
Serene Will interrupts her and reveals the truth behind her actions, the man's life ends the moment her hands tighten around his throat.
"You have courage eh, hahaha! I knew you wouldn't stay calm waiting!"
"Wait! I didn't--"
All resistance is futile, no matter how much Noble Indolence tries to move away from her, only one of Coldness Divine's hands is enough to restrain her. While with the next...
"Your pretty ears, say goodbye to them."
"No--! Aaaah!"
Her elven race, which boasts of its lineage, which takes pride in its beautiful ears, today they are being cut off with a simple butcher's knife. The pain it causes her is incomparable to her pride being hurt, to feel how her beauty is ruined by a bad decision, as her perfection is destroyed before her own eyes.
"Hah… hah… hah…"
"Don't waste time lamenting, get back to writing."
Those single words hit her so hard that for the first time, Noble Indolence looks at Coldness Divine with deadly hatred, wanting to kill her even if she loses her life in the process. In this world, limb regeneration may exist, but, when has it ever been easy to find an elixir or have contact with a level 700 ranker of sacred affinity?
Sacred magic can only regenerate limbs of hunters with a much lower level than the user, for Noble Indolence it will be impossible to meet those conditions due to her high level!
"This time it was just your ears, don't make me continue hurting you. You were responsible for all of this, if you want to keep living then keep working."
Noble Indolence clenches her teeth and directs her gaze towards the blood-stained paper, angrily tearing off its pages and writing again. How she wished her blood had stained the spellbook or the sheets with her hand-written planning, but this woman not only cut off her ears, but also foresaw that such a thing would happen and burned her wound to prevent further bleeding.
'I'll kill her, I'll kill her!'
Line after line was written with her own hand, resentment residing in each of her strokes. As time passed, the sheets filled up, giving way to the next ones. There was no moment when Noble Indolence stopped. For others, pressure may be a limiting factor, but for her, it is nothing more than a whetstone. Her inspiration surges like never before, not even giving her time to think.
The time quickly expires, and the first part is completed.
"Now keep your word and leave here."
Coldness Divine glances sideways at Serene Will nodding and only then does she pick up the book from the desk. With it in her hands, she performs a dazzling magic, her eyes shining silver and the pages of the book moving at great speed.
This is a small copying magic she created for this occasion, but due to the rush she couldn't eliminate this ridiculous light illuminating the room. It's a magic that has many flaws, the most important being that it cannot record in her mind the spell books, but since this book is incomplete, the magic fulfills its purpose completely.
After using the same magic to copy the planning, Coldness Divine grins wickedly and opens her fan. Noble Indolence has no time to react when, the fan easily cuts her right arm.
"Aaaagh! Why?! Doesn't the word of a dragon mean anything to you?"
"It does... A lot."
"Then why?!"
Noble Indolence holds the wound with her left hand while, in silence, she begins to perform magic formations which--
"Because my word was not meant for this particular moment."
"Aaaagh!"
Various injuries appear on Noble Indolence's body, staining her beauty with a blood-red color. Her magic formations are activated and this time Serene Will doesn't destroy them, but Coldness Divine personally takes care of them.
Destroying the hopes of this proud elf right in front of her.
"You are nothing without your magic formations! Without your subordinates!"
"My death will bring you irreparable consequences! The one behind me is someone you cannot defeat!"
"Changing your attitude every time the situation doesn't go as you want, that's what I hate most about you! How many times have you mocked me? Today you are nothing! You gave up easily when you saw that I was stronger! Filth! A bitch who doesn't know her place!"
"Aaah!"
Sky Petal and Serene Will watch silently as Coldness Divine tears the flesh from Noble Indolence and scatters her blood around the room.
For them, seeing death is common, but what most captures their attention is not how Noble Indolence is slowly losing her life, but the emotions conveyed on the face of Coldness Divine. So many thoughts are revealed so easily through her actions that they cannot believe they come from a woman who has the word
When all her limbs had been cut off and her life was about to fade, Noble Indolence spits in the face of Coldness Divine. She, feeling the blood drip down her cheek, moves her fan once more and ends the life of this elf.
Noble Indolence has died.
Once the silence returns to the room, she looks at Serene Will and Sky Petal. She clicks her tongue at seeing their expressions.
"This is only the first time I will have to see those damn faces and I'm already sick of seeing them. I don't know what will happen if I have to see it ninety more times."
Sky Petal was about to speak, but Coldness Divine doesn't allow it.
She directs her fan toward her neck, and without hesitation, ends her own life.
Coldness Divine has died.