As we both bowed before the women that the system seemed to call Indigo, I could barely keep the feeling of nausea from boiling over and making me throw up. It was a feeling not unlike the claustrophobic dungeon where the masked man himself walked right past us, that feeling of inevitable death that felt like it never truly left every for days after, it wasn't unlike what I felt when I saw my father raise a sword at me that night.
Yet what truly horrified me was the ease of which she made my body move on its own, she didn't move her hand, use any energy, or even take in a preparatory breath, she asked a question, and my body lunged as if a lapdog desperate for attention.
"Tree, why don't you give us a table and some chairs."
The woman said. A small part prayed it wasn't that easy for her, but the tree shook as vines burst fourth and a simple ornately formed and woven table appeared, 3 sets of chairs also forming as she sat down at the single one, and said.
"Lets sit down, Im sure your knees must be getting sore."
It was as if the weight of the entire castle I grew up in was lifted off my shoulders as I turned to Aiden who stood and glanced back, a silent look that was a mix of an apology and fear on his face as we both sat down.
Now that I could actually look at her, she was wearing a mask, that while very different from the one that Red from before wore, it still held the same ominous promise of countries reduced to ruble for the smallest slight.
"Now, since little Selene here doesn't know about me due to your concerns about the knowledge hunters, Let me see about calling them off, while I am doing that, Aiden, explain to Selene why I am here."
Indigo turned as she pulled up a screen not unlike a system screen except it was the same color as her dress as Aiden turned to me.
"Ok, no short way to say this, basically the fateless are created when a creature outside of our world wants to play around in our world, so they have Red make them a custom vessel to their standards by doing things like messing with their past and stuff. They don't always control them, thus why Jackson and Emi are currently free. Ymer and his team are working for someone that Miss Indigo hates with a passion. I meet her outside of the bookstore when we were staying with the Duke and when I revealed the letter we got after beating Ymer the first time, she said that Mr. Lee should treat me nicely."
Aiden looked like he might say more, but Indigo turned back and she collapsed her fan with a zipping noise of the pieces brushing past each other as she said.
"Very good, but the real question is if you can guess why I have come back so suddenly."
Aiden seemed to be racking his brain for a time as, be it because of the seemingly more relaxed atmosphere, or a misplaced calm because I had fought against Ymer's new party already, showing which side I was on, I chose to sheepishly raise my hand. Indigo glanced over as I said.
"W-Well, from what I can guess, it's b-because Ymer's group also received external help?"
Indigo smiled at me, as for a moment my entire body tensed up like it was a full body muscle cramp before she said.
"Well done, I assume the level gap must have tipped you off?"
Aiden's eyes widened slightly as he seemed to catch on.
"Yea, Ymer was level 15 last time we saw him, and especially since the XP amount goes up per level, the fact that he somehow expanded the gap between us means he was either going on quests day and night, or he got help."
"You are close, but fateless aren't bound by the XP leveling most are made to use, they have something called milestone level ups, they do something difficult and they can level up. Though that's not what makes me come to intervene."
Aiden and I shared a look of confusion as I asked.
"T-Then, if not because of the level gain, t-then why are you here M-Miss Indigo?"
She looked over at me, as for a horrifying second the atmosphere of casualty that had been forming seemed to drop and I was sure I would be told to snap my own neck before she said.
"It's because they are using illegal classes."
I blinked a few times as I waited for Aiden to ask.
"Illegal classes? Like, a country doesn't allow them or?"
Aiden asked, crossing his arms as he seemed to be listening to Will who was probably commenting on his lack of awareness for how much he was getting too comfortable in front of someone who could literally kill us with a word. At least I hoped he was.
"No, Illegal as in they aren't supposed to exist. It seems that the Observer gave the players free reign to make their own classes and skills for Ymer and his group. As such some are not as powerful, while some are way beyond what they should be power wise. Personally I think its because that bitch Purple probably begged Red, and he caved as he does when Purple is involved. He won't even let me skin her and make a harp out of her nerves to play when I get lonely, can you believe it?"
Aiden and I seemed to share the same horrified expression as we both tried and then quickly shut down any attempts to imagine what that kind of an instrument would look like.
"B-But if they have classes that are stronger than they should be, and a level gap, h-how are we supposed to win?"
Indigo gave me a grin that caused flashbacks to the shape of red's mask as she said.
"It's simple really, we abuse your status as Fatebound to grant you all some skills to help you. Oh, Selene, you have consumed Aiden's potions, yes?"
"She has, but hold on, Fatebound? I've seen the term but don't know what it is, also how exactly do my potions play any part in this fatebound thing?"
Indigo Sighed as she seemed to be getting tired of answering questions as Aiden and I shivered before she placed her fan through what seemed to be a small ripple in the air as it vanished and she began to take off one of her lace gloves, one finger at a time.
"Well, Aiden got it from his grandfather after it shipped to his dad, and due to his soul skill people who drink his potions can become fateless if they consume them regularly for a time. As for what a fateless is, think of you like the immune system of fate. Fateless walk around breaking and damaging fate to not be bound by it, you reinforce it in the same way, and from where fate cracks, but still holds, small fragments of fate remain to be absorbed to better enhance your ability to reinforce fate by being stronger."
The explanation made sense in theory, but the words, speed, and everything else of it all had me confused and clutching my head as I asked.
"S-So how exactly can we gain skills just from being a… a, uh.. Fate gone?"
Indigo flashed what seemed to be an annoyed look as the pressure from before sank in slightly, but not to the level from before. Whatever strikes we had before she would kill us, it seems I used our last one.
"Well, you need fragments of fate, and I want Ymer dead, so if we can agree on that exchange, I'll break off a chunk of fate for you to absorb."
I looked to Aiden, not with any intention or message to send, but seeing what he picked here. While on one hand, making deals with beings stronger than you is always warned against by adventurers of higher ranks because it can lead to bad wording catching you in loopholes, but this seemed more like a do it or die kind of thing.
Aiden looked over at me, as if wanting to know if I agreed, but I just shrugged, this was less a deal and more akin to paying off a guard to avoid our execution than anything. So Aiden turned back to Indigo and said.
"Lady Indigo, we accept your offer and thank you for your willingness to help us."
Be it paranoia, fear, or just the porcelain nature of the mask giving me scaring flashbacks, but as I looked over I could have sworn there was a manic smile hidden behind the mask as the air seemed to crack like glass.