"Should I interpret this as a provocation? Are you trying to get me to turn you into ash right here?"
Talulah raised an eyebrow. The temperature in the room began to climb at an alarming rate, to the point where the very air started to warp and shimmer. It looked as though she had been truly incited by the other's words and was seriously considering erasing the most dangerous individual in her eyes once and for all.
Yet, even now, Fiolet's expression remained as calm as a still lake, as if she had truly transcended the fear of death. Her eyes remained fixed on Talulah, staring into her pupils as if trying to read something from her reflection.
Despite the fact that her current body could not withstand such extreme heat for long, she maintained her elegant posture and spoke coolly:
"If you truly intend to act, then you had better be quick about it. If I am gone for too long, someone will come looking for me. But if you have no such intention, stop using such inferior methods to threaten me."
She had already seen through Talulah's lack of murderous intent. Such a display might work on someone else, but to her, it was merely childish. How many threats had she faced in her countless years? How many events had she witnessed? Talulah's current methods were, at best, child's play.
As her voice trailed off, the scorching air vanished in an instant, replaced by the natural chill of the room returning to fill the void.
"Every time I talk to you, I get inexplicably furious. Clearly, your kind and I simply don't get along," Talulah muttered gloomily, retracting her Originium Arts.
She did have the impulse to destroy this creature here, but her underlying rationality told her she absolutely couldn't. Doing so would only escalate the conflict unnecessarily. No matter how much she loathed Kashchey, she couldn't commit murder on a university campus—especially when neither she nor Jeanne were wearing any disguises.
This wasn't her home city. Back there, in the eyes of outsiders, the friction between her and Kashchey was seen as a private family matter; by now, people had likely stopped paying attention to it entirely. Of course, Kashchey's shadow moved behind the scenes there; the destruction of that city was inseparable from the old snake's machinations.
"That is because you still need training. When you can speak to me with a calm heart, that is when you can claim to be mature."
Fiolet was quite interested in this unrefined Talulah. As she had said, she looked forward to the girl's future. Even though this child's path had escaped Kashchey's control, what did it matter? Her existence would inevitably spark change within Ursus.
Regardless of what became of Reunion, Ursus would absorb what it needed from this upheaval and grow because of it.
"I can't help but feel that you're very different from the Kashchey we know. What exactly is your relationship with that guy?"
Jeanne watched this version of Kashchey, sensing that both her temperament and personality differed significantly from the one she knew. It was as if they both shared the name Kashchey, yet diverged wildly in the finer details.
Given Jeanne's experience with the Duke, the fact that he and Talulah could speak for this long without a physical brawl breaking out was a rare occurrence indeed. Usually, whenever Talulah finished discussing "serious business" with him, she would be so enraged she'd have to run out into the snow to cool her head.
Jeanne had teased her about it before—pointing out that since she couldn't out-argue the man, she shouldn't insist on staying near him to trade barbs. For a young dragon barely twenty years old to try and debate a "worm" who had lived for untold ages... the fact that she had held her own for so many years was a testament to her iron willpower.
Across from them, Fiolet gave Jeanne a light round of applause before speaking:
"Your intuition is indeed sharp. I am indeed slightly different from the Kashchey you know. However, this difference is difficult for you to grasp, so I won't bother explaining the technicalities."
Though she expected Jeanne to notice the discrepancy, for her to see through it so quickly proved that this girl was truly extraordinary.
Even if they were all the Black Snake—all parts of Kashchey—and could share memories, the uniqueness of an individual can only be understood through a face-to-face encounter.
That said, she had personally experienced the young girl's capabilities before. It was a sensation she never wished to recall for the rest of her life.
"You can think of me as another Kashchey who possesses all of his memories, but whose personality and personal pursuits are vastly different from his."
Jeanne listened with a half-understanding, half-confused expression, but she managed to grasp the general idea. She nodded, her eyes still holding a bit of a dazed look.
In essence, this being was a collection of concepts—a concept dedicated to ensuring the long-term survival of this land. Whether the land was ruled by the Hippogryph or the Ursus was irrelevant to Kashchey. As long as people lived on this soil and desired their nation to endure, the immortal Black Snake known as Kashchey would persist.
However, Kashchey could split into countless fragments holding various opinions. They held different, even opposing, views on how the land should continue.
Jeanne suspected there must have once been a Kashchey who supported the continuation of the Hippogryph Empire and secretly aided them against the Ursus. But where were they now? If such entities still existed, they would surely cause significant trouble for the current Ursus.
More likely, however, those fragments had vanished into the river of history along with the empire established by that Elder Race[1].
"So, right now, just how many clones of you are there? Are they all like you, or are they all like the Kashchey I know?"
Hearing that there was more than one, Talulah immediately blurted out the question. The thought of Kashcheys being scattered all over the country was a terrifying prospect.
With this information, Talulah finally understood why the Emperor of Ursus continued to give Kashchey heavy responsibilities even after discovering he was the mastermind behind certain conspiracies. It wasn't just because he could serve as a state witness; it was because his abilities on Ursus soil were truly formidable.
With such a creature around, you didn't just have an "eye in the sky"; you possessed a staggering intelligence network. And in war or politics, intelligence is the weight that shifts the scales—it is the thing that rewrites the board.
"How many of us are there? That is something I cannot tell you. Perhaps the merchant you pass on the street buying breakfast is a Kashchey."
The most terrifying aspect of Kashchey was their omnipresence. If that mystery were exposed, their value would diminish.
"As for your second question? I can only say anything is possible. Every Kashchey has the potential to become like me, or to turn into the version you know. It depends on our 'connections'."
Fiolet paused significantly before adding:
"But I can tell you this: the Kashchey you know is the most detestable fellow among all of us. That is the consensus of everyone."
Hearing this, Talulah began to wonder exactly what kind of heaven-defying, earth-shattering acts that guy had committed to make even other versions of himself hate him.
Then again, hating that guy... didn't seem wrong at all. From his personality to his face, he really was the type of character that both humans and dogs would find repulsive.
"And, this matter actually has quite a lot to do with you!"
Fiolet turned her gaze toward Jeanne. This left Jeanne completely baffled. What did this have to do with her? This was a
"Baton Pass[2]" move of epic proportions.
[1] Basically just rare, powerful races like Dracos, Lungs and Hippogryphs. They often resemble mythical creatures of our world.
[2] I think it's referencing a Pokemon move.