I Know What You Did Last Isekai - Chapter 2

The cool breeze of spring blew through the streets of Arcadia, rustling the early blooming flowers planted through the streets of the Administrative District.  It was such a small thing, but totally worth it for the color it brought to the otherwise drab cobble streets.  Despite the hustle of early morning workers moving to and fro, it was strangely peaceful compared to her old life.

One vendor was set up selling skewers of meat and root vegetables roasting over a fire.  Unable to resist the alluring scent, a purchase was made with a smile and exchanged coins.  A short bow was offered before she moved back towards her minder.  He was a bald man with gentle green eyes and a kind smile that brought comfort with them.  She offered him one of the skewers without a word before biting into her own. 

“I must say, your progress has been a delight to witness these past years.” 

A warm smile graced her lips as she considered his words.  Given the starting point, he wasn’t exactly wrong.  When she woke in that basement, she had known nothing of the world at large.  Not even the spoken language.  If not for the kindly priest that had taken a chance on the strange girl, she might have been executed for doing nothing more than surviving the horrid incident that accompanied her arrival in the world. 

“It is all thanks to your tutoring and guidance, Maester Chandler.” 

“Nonsense,” the Maester dismissed with a wave of his hand.  “You worked hard to recover from that abomination of a ritual.  You earned that praise, Kimbree, and I expect you to accept that which is rightfully due.” 

“Of course, Maester,” she said with a smile.

Learning that the girl whose form she now held was named Kimbree was a bit of a shock, especially with how close their appearance was in the first place.  It was almost as though they were counterparts, or doppelgangers, of one another.  She felt bad just stepping into the poor girl’s life like that, but she had to accept that this was her life now.  Making the most of it was the least she could do, even if Heather wasn’t there to share it with her.

All she could hope for was that the girl found peace wherever she ended up.

“Thinking on complicated subjects again?” 

She smiled at the Maester, shaking her head.  “Nothing worse than the usual.  I doubt I will ever truly let go of my former home, not to mention the people I left behind.” 

It was an old discussion between them, one they had many times after she learned enough of the language to begin to communicate with the denizens of the new world she found herself in.  Maester Chandler was the only living soul who knew the full truth of her circumstances, and it was on his word alone that she was allowed to join society once more. 

“We may have more answers for you soon,” Maester Chandler said as they walked.  “The team sent to investigate Margrave Hall should return within the fortnight, perhaps they will uncover more clues.” 

Kimbree blinked, that was news to her.  “Have they been linked to the cult of Lilim?” 

“Potentially,” he said, being frustratingly vague.  “Some financial ties to a cult member were recently uncovered that warranted a small audit for unrelated reasons.” 

That was the usual excuse given when they needed to look into the dealings of anyone potentially connected to the cult.  A quick audit of their finances citing some minor taxation oversight, then uncovering the investigated party actually overpaid so they didn’t question things too deeply.

Because Kimbree’s family truly had been attempting to summon a dark goddess; their daughter offered up as the intended vessel.  They had no idea if the original Kimbree had been a willing sacrifice or not, and no answers were likely to be forthcoming given everyone was dead or lost.  The family had botched the ritual, and in doing so they pulled Kimberly’s soul from across time and space rather than that of the dark goddess Lilim.

Yet she had received Lilim’s powers all the same. 

The Goddess of Darkness that once succeeded in casting the world into chaos and ruin, and Kimbree could wield those powers as easily as breathing.  Darkness was at her total command, and no space was truly without some shade for her to draw on.  That was the truth that Maester Chandler concealed from the Council; that she was indeed the holder of the power meant to destroy the world. 

Finishing her skewer, she sent a small sliver of her power through the stick, and tore apart the structure at an atomic level.  Mere control of shadows was a poor description of what her power was.  Years of practice had proven just how dangerous she could be, and how easily she could fall into the role of Dark Goddess should she wish to do so.

But why would she want to risk her second chance at life?  

The more she learned about the world, the less she thought it would be possible to recreate the Goddess’ reign of terror.  Magic was very real; not that it was well understood despite the advancements since then.  Entire armies existed that could invoke spell formulas that rewrote fundamental portions of reality.  Arcadia’s own armies had two divisions dedicated to magical warfare, capable of decimating any invading force.  And that was despite the state of education in Arcadia.  What would it look like after her reforms?  There was no doubt in Kimbree’s mind that things wouldn’t be the same as the last time Lilim walked the surface of their world. 

“Any signs of further beasts stirring?” 

“No more than usual,” the Maester said.  “The aetheric currents are still rippling with the effects of the summoning.” 

Kimbree frowned.  “They should have dissipated after a year or two, why do they persist?” 

“There are many theories,” Chandler said, tossing his own stick in a public rubbish bin rather than letting her break it down.  “The most troubling theory is that another branch of the cult attempted a new summoning recently.” 

“We would be seeing more beasts stirring if that was the case,” Kimbree said, her thoughts drifting.  One theory was that the flood of dark magic had caused mutations within the animal life, while another was that dormant minions of Lilim were waking.  She wasn’t about to test it, not with all the watchful eyes on her.  “I take it you’re still opposed to any testing on my part?” 

“Vehemently,” he confirmed.

A heavy sigh followed.  It would be the simplest way to confirm if animals were mutating from magic exposure, just let her douse a rat in her power and see what happened.  Unfortunately the Maester kept to his duty completely.  He would keep her secrets, but only so long as she didn’t use those powers for evil.  Perverting the natural order qualified in his eyes.  She bottled thoughts of testing her theories behind his back up tight as they approached the steps leading up to the Council of Arcadia.  

It was a grand structure unlike anything she knew of on Earth.  Towering columns lined the courtyard, all constructed with stone magic that allowed them to be singular pieces of granite rather than assembled.  The stone walkway was crafted similarly, formed from shaped magic.  Conjured materials were forbidden from long term projects due to the decay rate they suffered from, but shaped materials would last essentially forever.  That didn’t mean they were used exclusively across the city.  Mages capable of manipulating elements were rare, which meant expensive.  The Administrative District had the money to spare.  The lesser districts weren’t as lucky, and that didn’t even touch upon the slums built outside the walls. 

“Do you think they will humor my proposal?” Kimbree asked as she nodded to one of the Council guards. 

“They should,” the Maester agreed.  “I doubt you will secure wide support, but so long as you continue to offer up your own funds I don’t see why it wouldn’t get the votes needed.” 

The atrium of the Council Chambers opened up before them, a large dome of glass letting light spill over the internal gardens.  A fountain sat in the midst of the green space, the flowing waters keeping everything lush year round.  Carved runes in the stone made sure the temperature never became too extreme for the plants to flourish. 

The yearly upkeep for this single space was higher than an entire battalion’s pay.  Yet, she didn’t mind the frivolous use of those funds, because it was a truly beautiful space.  It wasn’t necessarily open to the public, but there was nothing that prevented any Noble from spending an afternoon lounging in the relaxing space. 

“A school for magic that the commoners can attend,” Kimbree said wistfully.  Bringing the ability to establish and maintain such beauty to everyone was but one of her goals.  Just the thought of the entire city being alive and awash with natural beauty…  “This might not be everything I wanted, but it is a step towards that goal.” 

Leaving the atrium behind, the soft light of magical lamps lined the hall as they descended into the depths of the Council building.  Such conveniences were a now familiar sight, one of the many magical inventions that were available readily and not just sequestered away for the nobility.  Thankfully, scholars paved the way with now common magical advancements, because there was no way she could have gotten used to using a chamber pot or outhouse. 

“Simply improving the literacy of the masses was indeed a noble goal,” the Maester said.  “I do hope you succeed in pursuing further reform.  Education has long since been limited to the Nobility who can afford to hire personal tutors for their children.  Convincing those people to teach potentially dozens of children at once will be a difficult endeavor.” 

He wasn’t wrong, but still.  “Those things worth doing are rarely simple.” 

Because she dreamed of elevating society so that even those of common birth could enjoy the convenience that magic devices afforded.  The sigils for light were easy enough to carve and many common craftsmen had figured them out without any advanced training.  As far as Kimbree was concerned, that was her proof of concept.  

Waste disposal was far more complicated, an entire mosaic of symbology versus a simple single rune, but the benefits to the state of the city would be immense if she could convince the Council that it was worth it.  The smell alone should have been enough, but they were stubborn like that.

“Indeed!” Maester Chandler said with a barking laugh.  “I don’t think anyone quite grasps your ambitions.  If they knew what was coming, they would truly believe you to be the Dark Goddess reborn.” 

A shiver ran down Kimbree’s spine.  Chandler said it in jest, but it was a very real fear that the fringe accusations might gain momentum with some of the more outspoken Council members.  Fortunately most of them took him at his word.  Their friendship was probably her most treasured thing in this new world she found herself in.

She was grateful that aside from the wealth gap, there were no extreme societal issues that she felt strongly about to address.  Slavery was illegal, mostly because it defied the Creator’s word, so kudos to whoever wrote that into the old book.  Women weren’t property, not that it stopped misogyny, but magic tended to be a great equalizer for human rights.  Probably why gay relationships weren’t outlawed either for that matter.  Overall, it was a decent enough world, and better than her old one in many ways. 

Maester Chandler paused at a pair of ornate doors, smiling wide.  “Ready to face the vultures?” 

“Not at all,” Kimbree answered with a sigh.  “Still, the sooner we finish here, the sooner I can get back to my projects.” 

“Quite right,” the man said, nodding to the guard.  “Shall we?” 

Squaring her shoulders as the Council doors were opened, Kimbree prepared herself for facing the Nobles that controlled all of Arcadia.  She knew them well, and some were even decent enough people.  The rest were little more than petty snakes clinging to their inherited power.

Unfortunately, she was counted among their number.