“But it’s the least I can do to make up for the things I’ve done…”
“You don’t have to do anything.”
“But—”
“Just be there for me,” Fran said quietly.
She wrapped her arms around Lumina and hugged her. Lumina looked down on her with bewilderment, but eventually started stroking Fran’s back.
“Kiara said the same thing. You’re so much like her.”
“Hm.”
“And I haven’t changed at all in fifty years.”
They settled down in a sort of awkward silence. Fran wasn’t used to asking for affection, and Lumina didn’t know what to do, either. Exhaustion soon took over. Lumina collapsed into her chair and stretched.
How are you feeling, Lumina? Better?
The goddess said she had expended a large amount of energy. Did she go beyond her limits?
“I’ll recover. I used up all my reserves of energy as a Dungeon Master…but I’ll make do.” The Dungeon would be easier to complete now, but with Dias’ influence, she didn’t have to worry about getting accidentally exterminated. “I’m more worried about you. The skill the goddess gave you should allow you to conceal your Evolution, but still…”
What’s on your mind? The gods?
“I’m not as worried about divinity as I am about flesh and bone. Beastmen, in particular. The Beast King and the Blue Cats will target you if word of the Evolution requirements gets out.”
True. We couldn’t go announcing it willy-nilly. We needed to be careful. Maybe if we found someone with channels to the Black Cat tribe…
Is there a community of Black Cats anywhere?
“There should be some in the Beastman Nation, although they mostly live in ghettos…”
The Beastman Nation again. We should think about going there, especially in light of the Godsmith…but the Beast King was too dangerous to cross.
“You said there was a Godsmith there. Do you have any plans?”
No. It’s far too dangerous.
“But we might find out where you came from.”
Yeah, “might”. We don’t know for sure, and I’m not about to put your life in danger on a hunch.
“But!”
It’s all right. It’s not the only option available to us. There are other ways of getting word of the Black Cats’ Evolution requirements out there.
“Hm…”
I’d be lying if I said the decision didn’t come with its own regrets. Still, the Beastman Nation was far too dangerous.
Or at least, I’d thought it was back then.
Soon after the first round, we found that the Beast King wasn’t our enemy, after all. In fact, he was downright chummy with the Black Cats, and was in the process of breaking their chains.
Lumina broke down and cried when we told her that Kiara was alive and well. The guilt lifted from her shoulders and brought her to her knees. She pulled Fran into an embrace, burying her face in Fran’s shoulder to suppress her sobs, and cried until she was spent.
“I apologize. That was overwhelming.”
Good to see you’re taking it well.
“Thank you. That was the best news I’ve heard in five hundred years.”
Lumina smiled. She still bore the burden of the tribal curse, but at least her guilt about Kiara was absolved.
“This will make it easier for you to broadcast the Evolution requirements.”
“Hm.”
We had already told Aurel, and the old wolf said he would get the word out to the Black Cats through his beastman network. This continent was taken care of, at least.
“You can freely enter the Beastman Nation now.”
Yeah. The Beast King might know the whereabouts of the Godsmith. The legendary figure would be hard to ignore. He might be hiding out somewhere in that foreign land.
“You only have to win the third round to receive an audience with the king.”
“We got it. We’ll win and ask him everything about the Black Cat tribe and Kiara. I’ll ask for permission to enter the Beastman Nation while we’re at it.”
“May I ask you to send a gift to Kiara?”
“Sure.”
You didn’t need to ask.
Next stop: the Beastman Nation. We had the third round to win, but I was feeling optimistic. With Fran’s Evolution, we could take on Rigdith himself if push came to shove. The Class Skill Flashing Thunderclap was tremendously powerful. It was a risky move which ate at its user’s life and mana, but it would allow Fran to move at the speed of an A-Rank.
Black Lightning was a force to be reckoned with, too. It endowed Fran with penetrative abilities and struck everything in its wake as long as she kept her focus. The Thunder element easily ignored metal armor, and it was destructive enough that leather and shell wouldn’t be a problem, either. It had gravely injured a High Ogre with one strike.
“Our immediate goal is winning the third round.”
But our final goal is—
“Complete victory!”
Yeah! Let’s win and brag about it to Kiara!
“Hm!”
A quiet fire burned in Fran’s heart, fueled by a new resolve.
Chapter 6:
Insurmountable Wall
THE BEAST KING summoned Fran to the VIP room immediately after our match with Gaudartha. She could have refused, but he’d said the magic words: “Refreshments will be provided.” I wondered how he guessed Fran’s one weakness, but perhaps it was one all beastmen shared.
The beautiful room was located on the highest floor of the colosseum. The sofa looked expensive, and the carpets and curtains were glamorous, bordering on ostentatious. At the end of the room was a balcony overlooking the stadium.
“Hey. You made it.” The Beast King greeted her with a friendly welcome. Rosch was there, too, standing by his side.
“Hm. What’s up?”
“Well, I wanted to meet the legendary Black Sky Tiger in person. Never seen one before.”
Just as I thought. The beastmen we passed on our way here had stared silently at Fran. Now the Beast King was examining her. He raised his eyebrows.
“Yep, I can’t tell that you’ve evolved…I knew it wasn’t a distance thing.”
“I agree,” said Rosch. “She looks like a regular Black Cat.”
“But you saw it, didn’t you?”
“That I did.”
Rosch was right next to the Beast King, and he couldn’t distinguish any signs of Fran’s Evolution, either. Stealth Evolution was working its magic.
“Don’t suppose you could just tell us the trick?”
“Your Highness! Manners!”
“I mean,
