Nexus Awakened (An Isekai LitRPG Gender Bender Story)

710. Musical Dissonance

In the meantime, Frost locked herself in a room deep within the ship with a conscious Mae and the Ankou. Mae knew that her time had come, so she assumed a prostrating position to make it easy for Frost to lob her head off.

“Relax, I’m not going to kill you.” Frost said, but Mae insisted that she groveled on the ground.

“I belong down here! I’m just a worm trying to go about my own way! I promise you won’t even notice me! I’ll never use my legs again! I’ll lick the floor of wherever you step–!”

“Enough.” She commanded, and Mae gulped as she held back her sniffles, snot running down her face. “Clean yourself. I’ve already decided to spare you considering you’re important to what’s happening here.”

“Huh…? I mean – Forgive me –!”

“Haaaaah.”

This was the first time Frost had met Mae, yet she reacted like Frost had been haunting her for as long as she could remember. Her identity aside, what mattered to Frost the most was that Mae was likely the musician D-13 mentioned.

Frost sat on one of two chairs in the small room. Mae had every opportunity to talk to her eye to eye, but she insisted that she was a lowly slug.

“Listen. You helped Deiman, so I’m willing to put my trust into you. I just want to know if you’re the musician the Impuritas looking for. You’re not going to end up like this talking head, if that’s what you’re wondering.”

“I’d rather be a talking head than to suffer like this! Uuuuuu. I’m sorry I ever got in your way –!”

“Mae.”

“… I-I’m sure… That the Brightest Star does want me – B-But I don’t know why! Honest! And – H-How I know who the Brightest Star is – B-Because – *Hic* I…”

“Calm down. It’s alright. I’m not going to hurt you. You have my word.” Frost reached down to help ease her heart, which only further twisted the knife of guilt into the woman’s heart. “Here, stand up. [Cleanse]. Take a seat.”

Frost was supposed to be the Amalgam – the very definition of fear itself.

Mae knew exactly what she was capable of. But after everything that happened, and after experiencing the mercy of this person they had wronged, Mae had no idea how to compose herself.

“… You will treat this traitor… with such kindness? She’s a Maestro of Flesh, one wanted by the Brightest Star.” The Ankou tried to drag Mae down with him, but Frost believed in her status more than the talking head.

Mae did ultimately confirm that she was a Maestro of Flesh, but her encounter with Iscario had caused her to reconsider. She was closer to the Painters who were Impuritas that were already similar enough to the Maestros of Flesh. The main difference was that they did not dabble in the same atrocities as they did to create their pieces.

Mae was too broken to properly explain why she was like this, but between her sobs and sniffles, she conveyed that she realized that their methods of music – which required living instruments – was wrong.

After conveying this, she stuck out her neck again and fell to Frost’s feet, rambling again on how she’ll do anything to atone.

Does realizing your sins catalyze a factional change? Or do you think that’s the doing of the seed, Nav?

“Either may work. But pay attention to her title.”

Warping, huh. Deiman did say that she can teleport.

“Mae. I don’t want to have to pull you together again. I’ve got the gist of your situation, and frankly, I’m only willing to spare you because you’re no longer a Maestro of Flesh. But I think I might know why Iscario wants you. You can teleport, correct?”

“*Hic* Uhuh.”

“Mind demonstrating it for me?”

Mae teleported around the room, still prostrating on all fours before she appeared on her seat.

“Iscario must’ve wanted your power somehow. They could steal Skills and Magic in the first place. Chances are they desperately wanted yours. But that’s surprising. So it’s possible to take the skills from an Impuritas away. Unless what you have is unrelated, which I highly doubt.”

One other reason why they wanted her was in relation to what was occurring in the Bellum Empire. With the Maestros of Flesh stationed here, it was possible that they needed a musician to fulfill some kind of criteria.

She flicked the head of the Ankou like a bobble head and asked him if he knew anything.

“A musician of exceptional talent is required as a catalyst. The Maestros of Flesh cannot fulfil the criteria.”

“Which might be why they let Mae go in the first place.” Frost reasoned. “The question is – for what?”

“To be delivered to Primus Ramus; the Capital of the Diavola Kingdom… All for the Piece of the Fallen Star!”

This was all Frost needed to hear, and she immediately broadcasted this. Her feathers rustled madly, like they were certain beyond doubt that this was the truth. They knew the Piece of the Fallen Star was involved in this beforehand, but the question was where.

Still, she had to wonder how a musician was going to power it in the first place. If anything, it would be the collective desires of the Bellum Empire that would power it.

“A musician is needed?” Mae uttered suddenly. “Me? I’m not sure so s-sure about that. Aaaa! I don’t mean disrespect! I just… find that hard to believe.”

“Elaborate.” Frost leaned forward, urging her to speak.

“I’m not the only musician in the Bellum Empire. If we’re talking about talent… then wouldn’t it be that… A… Are… Aaareia? B-Bear with me for a second! Just a second!”

Mae tried to recall the name of the musician she met in the cave, wracking her mind with both hands as her knees frantically bounced in place.

The name was just at the tip of her tongue, but it was enough to cause Frost to reconsider what she knew. If Mae wasn’t the key, then who was and where were they? It was hard for her to believe this, but Mae didn’t seem to be lying.

If anything, her feathers rustled more than they ever had since she first adorned the Coat of Prejudice. As she patiently waited for Mae to wrangle her thoughts, she finally received a message from Nav.

< Raoul is not currently employed nor endorsed by CogitO >

< There is a warning beside his name in their records >

“Raoul has a warning?” Frost said out loud.

< Category V Offence >

< Crime: Gravedigging on Atlas soil >

< Findings: The remains of the Blue Dahlia are missing, including Res’ personalized CognitO Filter >

< Time of discovery – 2 hours ago >

< Time of crime – Approximately 2 weeks ago >

His name was the reminder Mae needed.

“ARA! The musician’s name was Ara!” She proclaimed, jumping straight out of her seat. “She was with Raoul! Raoul! The Raoul! The Wise Black Wolf! It wasn’t me they’re after in the first place! Iscario wanted me, but… Urgh…”

Mae threw up in the corner of the room at the mere mention of Raoul. At first Frost believed it was because she was either a victim of the Solemn Paw or had at least witnessed or heard of their history.

“Our friend is with Raoul right now. The musician is in good hands.” Frost assured, but Mae rapidly shook her head.

Nothing could have prepared Frost for Mae’s rebuttal.

“You’re wrong! Ara – the musician – She’s in trouble!” Mae declared. “I though it was weird why he didn’t kill her on the spot! He needs her! They need her!”

Frost’s heart sunk.

If this was the case…

… then Cer and Ara were in grave danger.