Caelrisu's [Analyst] ability, as its name suggested, offered her far more than memory. Her memory, already sharp, had been honed into something inhuman; every detail is being imprinted into her mind forever in real time. But its true power lay in deciphering, in breaking apart the unknown and mapping its inner workings until the truth was laid bare.
Advancing the ability, however, was no simple task. To ascend, one had to dismantle increasingly complex problems, puzzles with ceilings so high they might as well touch the heavens.
But for Caelrisu, the stairs to the ceiling were already in her hands.
Because she possessed one of the most complex problems imaginable.
Her own body.
Even analyzing only her arms, every bone, vein, and muscle fiber; the essence channels woven within; the hidden runes carved in an unknown language; the modified strands of her very DNA, was enough to drive her further down the path. Enough, she believed, to push her to the threshold of Silent Judge.
As for what she received from devouring her 'Her True Self,' Caelrisu was able to analyze it, and it was something incredibly dangerous. Just summoning it, even for an instant, could potentially cause lives to vanish within a wide radius, with her at the very center.
Because of that, she didn't dare to probe deeper. Not yet.
'I'll have to wait… until I reach the Second Rank Verdant Soul. Only then will I be granted both a position and the right to apply at the Clan Hall to leave the territory. Only in the wilderness, far from watchful eyes, can I summon it without hesitation.'
As for the Grafting of a Myriad Souls, she wasn't using it now. There was no material nearby worth infecting and assimilating.
'Another reason I need to go outside.'
Though her body sagged with exhaustion, inside she pulsed with anticipation. Starting next week, the long-awaited practical lessons would finally begin. And with them, the chance to wield her [Analyst] ability for what it was truly meant to do.
A faint smile touched her lips as her thoughts blurred into darkness. The fatigue claimed her, and she surrendered to sleep.
***
In another corner of the Clan, Lunaris sat in the Elder Council chamber, his back straight, his expression grave as he listened to the proceedings.
His gaze drifted first to Vermas, who was pinching the bridge of his nose with a weary, almost pained expression, irritation bleeding through his usual composure.
Then to the First Elder, face flushed, lips moving in a stream of muttered curses, his anger barely restrained.
Finally, Lunaris's eyes settled on his uncle, the Clan Head. His face was calm, perfectly still, and unreadable to most. But Lunaris knew better.
That small habit, resting his hand against his cheek, two fingers tapping in a steady rhythm, was similar to the one his father had whenever fury coiled beneath the surface.
And the source of that fury was the report the Ravens had delivered. The 3rd Elder's network, masters of assassination, surveillance, and information, had brought back grim news.
A couple of villages had been attacked.
That alone was not unusual; such tragedies occurred often enough. But the culprit this time was no ordinary Beast or some Heretic.
It was a Spirit Beast.
A tiger, towering over fourteen meters tall, its twelve massive wings unfurling into a wingspan that blotted out the sky, over fifteen meters each. Its strength rivaled that of an Aethersage.
A monster that required the Clan Head's intervention to bring it down.
That was troubling enough. But what twisted every face in the chamber with suppressed rage and endless worry was the origin of the Beast.
The Solisrisu Clan.
The Solisrisu Clan wasn't a clan with the Clan Head or some artifact at the level of an Aethersage like Vesperion or the Aurelis Clan, but it had the support of the Spirit Tiger for centuries. The records that mentioned how the connection came to be and its depth had been long lost, but one fact remained clear.
Every Clan Head of Solisrisu can only ask the Spirit Tiger for help only thrice, and the first time, she had done so when 'That Being' had appeared for reasons unknown and caused the Alliance to fight it with everything they got and only manage to subdue it after much damage to everyone.
It caused one-third of their forces to be annihilated. Vitalis Aurelis, the previous Clan Head of Aurelis and parent of Caelrisu and Lunaris, also died after vanquishing it, not even leaving behind a corpse. Along with other heroes.
Causing all three of them to enter a phase of recuperation. But every single one of them knew that now that the common threat had been removed and Aurelis had been weakened beyond measure, then both of them could invade their territory for war, causing Aurelis to walk on a thin rope for years.
And now, the Solisrisu Clan had started it. They sought the help of Spirit Tiger and invaded their territory to scare and warn them. This also invoked the Territorial Law, a decree crafted during the reign of Lunaris and Caelrisu's grandfather, forbidding the entry of any Silent Judge into each other's lands without permission.
Even so, they swallowed their fury and sent a letter to Solisrisu, their words weighed with politeness but their teeth grinding behind them. Their only goal is to buy as much time as possible.
A day later, the reply arrived.
The conditions dripped with audacity.
First, Solisrisu demanded that Aurelis give up three of their seats in the Alliance meetings to them.
Second, they were to provide at least 1/8th of their land, as it used to belong to the Solisrisu Clan, which had been snatched away by Aurelis some centuries back.
And lastly… the insult that made every vein in the chamber throb with fury: a marriage alliance. A woman of Aurelis blood, offered up like tribute, to be chained into Solisrisu's house in the name of "friendship."
If any of the conditions were not met, then a war would ensue against them.
"These whore-sons!" the First Elder roared, his fist slamming into the arm of his chair with such force that cracks spread through the wood. "They know we treasure our people, and they dare use cheap tricks to indebt and shackle us to their filth! It's clear every condition is just an excuse for them to start the war."
Another Elder snarled, his voice dripping with venom.
"I can say for certain, if we gave up our seats to them, then either the red light district or the brewery of the Market, which had been in our control for decades, would be snatched away under some niche reason."
"But if war were to truly start right now, then there is a high chance that we would suffer such immeasurable damage that it could take decades for us to recover from it," said Vermas, his tone contemplative and full of worry.
The chamber burned with rage and worry, voices rising, overlapping, threats of war, curses of bloodlines, and promises of vengeance, as well as the potential repercussions of starting the war right now.
And on the high seat, the Clan Head remained still, hand pressed to his cheek, two fingers tapping in a slow, deliberate rhythm.
Then, finally, he spoke.
"What do you think, Lunaris?" His voice was calm and measured, like still water hiding a whirlpool beneath. "What should we do?"
Dozens of gazes turned sharply toward Lunaris, the young successor seated among titans of power.
"Clan Head," Vermas protested immediately, frowning deeply. "With all due respect, he is too young to participate in this kind of discussion. We allowed it out of courtesy, given his position as successor, but…"
"Calm down, Vermas."
The Clan Head's voice cut through, not loud, yet full of authority. "Let the young ones speak. They must learn to carry the weight someday."
Vermas reluctantly nodded and made himself conform.
[This much should be fine, right, Clan Head?]
Vermas's voice echoed in the Clan Head's mind through their mental link.
[Yes. It's enough.]
The reply came, quiet, almost weary, but firm.
The chamber returned to silence. Only the low hum of soul-lamps filled the air.
Lunaris sat still, eyes closed in deep thought. When he opened them again, there was a faint glint, calculated, not naive.
"We didn't start a war," Lunaris began slowly, "because the cost of it would be too immense. 'That Being' destroyed one-third of our forces back then. Recovering this much strength took us years; even then, we can't say that we have recovered enough to put up a challenge to us in our prime. And that should be the case for Solisrisu too, correct?"
The Clan Head nodded slightly. "Correct."
Lunaris leaned back and asked Clan Head.
"Can you please tell me where the damage exactly happened for Solisrisu?"
"Hmm… well, the exact point of damage was near their source iron mines, and they also lost a huge forest in flames, causing the decline in their resources and finances, causing damage to the nurturing of their young ones for a prolonged period."
"That means that they won't want to stretch the war for any longer, right?"
The Clan Head nodded again with a faint smile.
"And so unless or until something big happens," Lunaris continued, his tone sharpening, "they would never want to drag this out. And that must be the reason for seeking the help of Spirit Tiger to try to start and end this war as soon as possible to acquire our lands so that they could properly nurture their young ones."
"Yes, that was the reason we deduced as well in the previous meeting." Vermas cut in grimly, his eyes containing slight approval. "But the main problem is their generations-long marriage alliances with the Vesperion Clan, which makes it extremely troublesome."
Lunaris's eyes glimmered faintly. "But… the Vesperion Clan pretends to be righteous and benevolent, doesn't it? And if what I know is not wrong, they suffered the least amount of damage during that time."
A murmur rippled through the elders. The First Elder leaned forward, intrigued. "That's true; the only damage they suffered was the handful of casualties and an artifact. Unlike Solisrisu, these snakes flaunt their 'justice' at every alliance meeting."
Being the representative of the Aurelis Clan in the meetings, he obviously knew their habits.
Lunaris smiled, soft, graceful, and chillingly beautiful.
"I have a plan. A plan that would allow us to drag this war as much as possible until Solisrisu would be forced to back down with minimal resources."