By the time Greshina and Elyonari stepped out of the fading mist and onto the walkway leading into the mansion grounds, it was already sunset. The estate itself was almost too quiet, with the skeletal servants moving about their duties in smooth.
Ely stretched her arms slightly as she walked while Greshina walked beside her with her usual composed pace. There was a moment of silence between them before they stepped inside and for once, neither of them seemed particularly eager to fill it.
"Veneri I swear, if you push me any further, I am going to die!"
"Relax. Your body is still intact. That means you can go further."
"No! That is not how that works!"
Ely paused mid-step. They turned the corner into the main living area and were immediately greeted by the sight of unfiltered chaos disguised as "training."
Phaenora was on the floor with one leg extended forward and the other being pushed backward at an angle. Her hands kept gripping onto the floor like it was the only thing keeping her anchored to reality. Veneri was behind her, completely calm, holding her in position with one hand on her back and the other controlling her leg.
Phaenora's face was red, her eyes were glossy with tears and her entire body was trembling.
"I am not this flexible! I'm literally telling you, I am not this flexible!"
"You are."
Phaenora let out a sound that did not belong to any known language.
"I'm going to die. I'm actually going to die!"
"You already said you're incorporeal. Make up your mind."
"That is not— that is not the point!"
"Is this normal?" She asked.
"No, Greshina, but it happens."
Phaenora suddenly spotted them and immediately reached out like a drowning victim spotting land.
"Ely! Tell him to stop please! I'm begging you!"
Veneri didn't even look up.
"She has ten seconds left in this stretch."
"I HAVE ZERO SECONDS LEFT!"
"You should be grateful you are spending time with Darling instead of whining."
Phaenora froze and slowly turned her head toward Ely.
"You are actually evil."
"Well I'm not the one crying."
"I AM IN PAIN—"
"And yet you are still talking."
Phaenora stared at her like betrayal had just been invented. Greshina, meanwhile, stepped a bit closer, observing the situation with mild curiosity. There was no panic in what he was doing.
"Is this necessary?"
"Yes."
Phaenora groaned loudly.
"Of course you would say that—"
Veneri finally shifted, easing the pressure just enough for Phaenora to not collapse on the spot but not enough to actually release her.
"She relies too much on external augmentation. Her combat efficiency is high, but her physical capability is suboptimal. If she can't access my Tethers in future scenarios, her survivability drops significantly."
Phaenora slowly turned her head towards Greshina with the most betrayed expression possible.
"Do you hear this man? He's talking about me like I am a broken tool!"
Greshina actually let out a small, amused breath at that. Ely rolled her eyes. Veneri adjusted Phaenora's posture again, pushing her just a bit deeper into the stretch.
She screamed.
"This is Plenituse training so bear it. Your muscle fibers are being conditioned for flexibility under strain. Pain is expected in this."
"You agreed to training."
"I DID NOT AGREE TO TORTURE!"
Greshina crossed her arms slightly, watching this unfold like it was mildly entertaining.
"And Body Reconstruction cannot fix this?"
Veneri shook his head slightly.
"Not effectively. Muscle strain from controlled training requires natural adaptation. If she reconstructs repeatedly, her body won't retain the flexibility gains."
Phaenora sniffed dramatically.
"Listen to him. He's literally explaining why my suffering is necessary!"
"It is."
"I HATE YOU!"
"No you don't."
"I don't, but I'm considering it."
He released her.
Phaenora immediately collapsed forward onto the floor, breathing heavily.
"So what did you decide? Are you helping the Reniatsus, or are you planning to make enemies out of them?"
Veneri did not answer immediately. His hands were still on Phaenora's arm, carefully guiding her through another stretch despite her very vocal protests, and for a moment it looked like he was more focused on that than anything else. Then he exhaled, gently pushing her a little further until she yelped and nearly collapsed.
"Hold that pose honey."
"I hate you."
"No, you don't," he replied without missing a beat, before finally glancing at Greshina. "I spoke with Sentina Erideae. We're helping them. But if they turn on us after we try to negotiate, we kill them."
Greshina hummed, as if that answer neither surprised nor impressed her.
"Fair enough. Not like I care much about them anyway. Edarea Avinaris is acting as the ruler of Ledatic Siliportem right now. As far as the realm is concerned, she's me. So whatever happens there doesn't really involve me unless I decide it does."
Elyonari's expression shifted slightly.
"Edarea has my sister-in-law."
Greshina waved her hand dismissively.
"She's fine."
"That's not exactly reassuring."
"It should be. She's being treated well. Edarea might be… unstable, but she's still me. She won't harm her unless it serves a purpose."
"That does not make it better."
Greshina shrugged. "It's the truth. Honestly, she's safer there than she would be anywhere else right now."
Veneri finally released Phaenora, who immediately collapsed onto the floor.
"I'm done. I'm actually done. I'm retiring."
"You're not. We'll do this again tomorrow."
She groaned and rolled onto her back, staring at the ceiling.
"For now," Veneri continued, shifting the conversation back, "we don't have anything immediate to handle."
"That's a lie. Miss Ely needs to understand her Life Divinity and reach thirty-three percent of her Fifth Enlightenment. That's one problem."
Ely sighed quietly, already knowing she was right.
Greshina then pointed at Veneri. "You need to break into the Fifth Enlightenment with your Love Divinity."
"That's not exactly easy. Love Divinity isn't something you just figure out. Getting a Codex for it alone is complicated."
"It's actually very easy. All you have to do is follow my plan."
There was a pause.
"That doesn't make me feel better."
"It should. You literally have Miss Elyonari and Miss Phaenora with you. If you can't figure out Love Divinity with those two around, then that's just a skill issue."
Phaenora lifted her head slightly from the floor.
"I refuse to be part of this conversation."
Elyonari scoffed quietly. Greshina ignored them both.
"And third, you all need to prepare for the Second Krepsuna War. That's not optional. Edarea is already making moves on that front so whether you act or not, things are happening. Which is why we're not sitting around doing nothing."
"Can we sit around doing nothing? Just for today?"
"No," Greshina and Veneri said at the same time.
She looked genuinely offended. Greshina pushed herself off the couch and adjusted her outfit.
"Tonight, we're attending a political gala of who actually matter in Ledatic Siliportem."
"And why are we going?"
"Because, Miss Ely, you took the identities of people involved in this system. That means we have to show up. Not attending would raise suspicion. You'll observe how this world functions. How people think, how they interact, how they live, that's important for both of you. Understanding life isn't just about watching people die. It's about watching how they live."
Ely didn't respond immediately but her expression softened just a little. Then Greshina looked at Veneri.
"And for you, this is perfect for your Love Divinity."
Phaenora slowly sat up, still clearly exhausted. "Am I going too?"
Greshina looked at her like the answer was obvious.
"Yes."
Phaenora stared at her for a second, then dropped her head back onto the floor.
"I'm going to die."
"No, you're not, but you are going to stretch again later."
She shot up immediately and glared at him.
"I would rather die."
Elyonari rolled her eyes. Greshina simply turned toward the hallway.
"Get ready. We leave in a few hours."