Chương 139: Chapter 132 - The Domain

Chelsea"Sir Erik, Sir Samuel, would I be incorrect in assuming I have some sort of accommodations?"

"No, Your Grace, you wouldn't be incorrect," Erik replied.

"The room for the Holy Emperor or Empress does exist. Though, I'm unsure where it is or how to reach it. The Lord Commander is the only one who knows that information. Shall I fetch him?"

"Yes, please," Chelsea said.

"And Sir Samuel, can you please get some sort of food for Miss Ivy? I'm sure the food in the dungeon isn't quite…" She looked at Ivy's thin face and the way she was struggling to remain upright.

"Please, just bring up lots of fruit and vegetables."

"Yes, Your Grace." Both knights departed through the oval doorway. Chelsea was left with Ivy, Freya, and the handful of guards still stationed around the chamber. None of them seemed willing to look directly at her for more than a moment. She turned off Blessed Travel. Her boots struck the floor with a heavy clang, and Chelsea had to shift her weight to steady herself after hovering.

"Okay," she said quietly.

"So I'm the empress. What the fuck does that mean exactly?" She looked between Ivy and Freya.

"You don't know?" Ivy asked.

"How long have you been the empress?"

"Like five or ten minutes before you arrived up here?"

"Seriously?" Ivy whisper-yelled.

"How did you know I was down there?"

"Those assholes mentioned that they sentenced someone else for helping the orphanages in the Holy City." Chelsea's expression softened.

"Thank you for that." The pieces suddenly came together. Her eyes widened.

"You're the reason those kids I saw earlier looked like they were actually being taken care of. Oh gods, I thought it was the Church."

"No. I visited one, and it was as bad as Junstruce before you arrived. I didn't go around buying the buildings, but I did fill up their bank accounts."

"Well then, I guess, on behalf of the Church, thank you for looking after my children?" She replied awkwardly, trying to figure out how to word that correctly.

"Your children?" Ivy asked, looking at her skeptically.

"My class seems to think I'm all of the orphans' mother?" Chelsea gave a small shrug.

"I'm going to seriously have to sit down and figure out what that means exactly."

"Your Grace." Sam had returned carrying a platter covered with fresh fruit. He crossed the chamber and offered it to Ivy. She took it without hesitation and immediately began eating.

"Hey, Freya," Chelsea said.

"What do you know about the Goddess of Doorways?"

"Not a lot. Actually, I've only talked to her once. Though, that doesn't mean much. She's a minor goddess, and there are so many of them that it's hard to keep track."

"You're Freya!" Ivy said around a mouthful of apple.

"Yes?" Freya replied, confused by the sudden announcement.

"Sorry. I haven't really been able to look at either of you. The glowing hurts my eyes."

"Ah!" Chelsea said.

"That's why you didn't recognize me." She looked down at herself, then held one glowing hand out in front of her.

"Actually, why am I glowing? Can I turn it off?"

"Nope," Freya replied.

"Why do you think I didn't want to come along? It's a beacon of 'look at me.'" Chelsea frowned at the white light still pouring from her body.

"Hey, Sir Samuel, this is going to get tiring. Mind if I just call you Sam?"

"Of course, Your Grace," he replied.

"How are you in combat compared to Erik?"

"Sir Erik is exceptional. I've never been able to best him. Sir Rosco and I often spar with him two against one and never come out on top."

"Dammit." Chelsea glanced toward the spot where the fight had taken place.

"Then I didn't have to evolve my class after all. Though, if I hadn't, I wouldn't have gotten Ivy out of the dungeon." Ivy suddenly stopped chewing.

"Miss Rose!" she exclaimed.

"Chelsea, you have to help Miss Rose."

"Who?" Chelsea asked.

"She's a kind old elf woman who's been in the dungeon for years. She was put there for not being able to pay her taxes. Her dressmaking business had to close because of the high taxes. She was under a contract that said she would keep paying them even if her shop closed, for years afterward." Chelsea tilted her head to one side.

"Shit. I'm probably going to have to retry the majority of what's down there." She furrowed her brows and turned toward Sam.

"Hold on. How are there businesses thriving in this town if the tax rate is so high?"

"I'm unsure of the details on contracts like that, Your Grace," he replied with his head bowed.

"That makes sense," Chelsea said as she considered the problem.

"All right, I'm going to need to speak to whoever is in charge of the records for everyone in the dungeon. Until then, one last thing I need from you. Sam, please go collect this Miss Rose. She has a full pardon from the Empress. Bring her back here." Sam couldn't hold back a small smile.

"At once, Your Grace." He turned and headed back toward the oval doorway.

"I'm kind of liking having people to do my bidding. I should've made thralls months ago." Chelsea saw Ivy twitch beside her.

"Joking. Just joking," Chelsea said quickly.

"I still haven't used that, which I'm very proud of myself for. Talking to pretty much anyone while wearing a dress now always gives me the option." Ivy lowered her eyes toward the floor. She still held the platter of fruit, though she had slowed her eating.

"Chelsea, now may not be the best time, but I'm sorry for everything that happened between us."

"It wasn't awesome. No." Chelsea shifted her weight and looked at her… now ex-girlfriend.

"But Bodarex admitted to playing a part. He said he gave a woman in every town between Junstruce and Leaf Village a thing for blonde elf women. He couldn't control your actions, but he could throw obstacles in your way. Also, he may have taken part in the plan that your brother hatched."

"Why?"

"It's what he does." Chelsea sighed.

"Care to ask him yourself? I can summon him now."

"No!" Ivy and Freya said at the same time. Chelsea looked between them.

"Though Sophiana is probably wondering why you haven't summoned her," Freya added.

"Really?" Chelsea asked.

"Okay." She activated Call for Aid again and spoke the name.

"Sophiana." The goddess appeared in front of Chelsea with her back turned. Unlike Freya's orange glow, Sophiana shone with a deep red light. The moment Chelsea saw her wings, her vision shifted. She still wanted to touch. Sophiana spun on the ball of her right foot.

"The mortal world!" she said excitedly, clapping several times.

"Thanks, Chelsea. Congratulations on your class. Let's see." Her attention fixed on Chelsea, and she let out a huge gasp.

"You're a unique!" Chelsea turned toward Freya. Freya shrugged.

"Really, Freya?" Sophiana asked, openly disappointed in her.

"Unique concepts. Concepts where there's no god, and they've never been held by another person before. It means you have a clear path to godhood. If you were slightly different, you could've ended up as something like motherhood, which already has a god." Chelsea remained confused. If she wasn't connected to motherhood itself, then she had no idea what concept her class represented. She glanced toward Ivy, who avoided looking directly at the at the bright newly arrived goddess, then turned back to Sophiana.

"What concept am I exactly?"

"Depends on how you want to interpret it. The gist is orphans. It could be looked at as the mother of unchosen orphans or the guardian of unloved children. All of them lead back to orphans, though." Sophiana turned toward Ivy, who still hadn't managed to look at her.

"Sorry, this is how mortals usually react to me in this ridiculous city. You both are emanating love for each other." She immediately looked toward Freya and raised both hands.

"Not romantic love!"

"Yes, Sophiana, this is Ivy Leaf. Ivy, this is Sophiana, the Goddess of Love." Sophiana gave another excited clap.

"You're the other Chelsea!" Ivy startled at the declaration and looked toward Chelsea. Chelsea smirked back at her. She knew exactly what Sophiana meant.

"You helped out a bunch of orphans, and they pray for you. They love you, Ivy," Sophiana explained.

"I see you already have the Sorcery God's blessing. Would you care for mine as well?" Ivy drew in a sharp breath. Her eyes widened, and for a moment she appeared unable to answer.

"Y-yes?"

"Ivy? Why are you freaking out?" Chelsea asked.

"You have no problem talking to Freya, and she's a god." Ivy gave Chelsea a look that made it clear she wanted her to shut up in front of this god. Freya began laughing.

"I love how naïve you still are about this world. You're now the gatekeeper to the gods and still know next to nothing about us."

"I have a Banish Minor Gods skill. Don't make me test it out," Chelsea said with a pout. Freya only laughed harder.

"Sophiana is one of the Big Six," she explained.

"She's kind of a big deal."

"And I've never gotten to be the patron of a Holy Empress or Emperor before. Rmier usually hogs them all and picks the worst people." The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

"He's also one of the Big Six," Freya explained again.

"God of Light and Shadow."

"Your Gra…" An exasperated cough interrupted the voice from the doorway.

"Your Grace," Sam said. He entered while supporting a an elf woman who was filthy and appeared to have more difficulty walking than Ivy had. His attention, however, remained fixed on Sophiana.

"Oh, great job, Sam!" Chelsea hurried across the room to help support the woman.

"That was so fast." The elf squinted as Chelsea approached, turning her face away from the white light surrounding her.

"Sorry about the light. I wish there were some way I could turn it off." Chelsea reached out and took hold of Rose's arm. The older woman recoiled on instinct, then immediately seemed to realize what she had done. Fear crossed her face as she went rigid beneath Chelsea's hand.

"Please. Don't be afraid," Chelsea said. Ivy moved to Rose's other side.

"She's been down there for years."

"Ivy?" Rose asked in a small, raspy voice.

"Yes, Miss Rose. It's me. This is the new Holy Empress. She's more kind than you can imagine." Rose tried to lower herself to the floor, but Chelsea and Sam kept firm hold of her arms before she could bow.

"No, please. I should be the one bowing to you, Miss Rose," Chelsea explained.

"The Church has wronged you. I'm so sorry for that. I'll do everything I can to make it up to you."

"It's okay," Rose replied. The quiet acceptance made Chelsea's throat tighten.

"Please, come with us," Chelsea said.

"They're about to take us to my room. Surely I have a place to bathe."

"I couldn't, Your Grace."

"I insist," Chelsea replied.

"Do it for me." Rose hesitated before slowly nodding.

"Good. Please, don't feel like you have to look at me. Ivy explained that the light hurt her eyes. Look wherever you need to." Chelsea glanced toward the platter in Ivy's hands.

"Oh! Ivy, do you mind sharing some of the food they brought up? I can have more brought." Chelsea looked over and found Sam smiling at her. She wasn't entirely sure what the smile meant, but it seemed friendly enough. She gave him a small nod in return and hoped it worked as a suitable acknowledgment. Two voices sounded from beyond the doorway.

"Your Grace." Chelsea turned. Erik and another knight were kneeling just outside the chamber. She recognized Erik immediately, but the second man was unfamiliar. He wore armor made from her dragon scales as well, though his set was far larger than any she had seen so far. He wasn't einherin-sized, but he was a massive man.

"Your Grace, may I introduce your personal guard, Lord Commander Liam." Neither man moved.

"Uh, yeah, sure. One second, though. Sam and Ivy, do you mind helping Miss Rose over to one of the seats?" She gestured to the seats nobles had been sitting.

"Of course, Your Grace." Sam and Ivy carefully guided Rose toward the nearest bench. Chelsea was already beginning to tire of hearing Your Grace every few seconds. She turned back toward the doorway. Erik and Liam still hadn't moved a muscle.

"Uh, so… rise?" she asked. Both men stood. Liam was even larger than Chelsea had first thought. He was quite a bit shorter than Dewey, but his frame was broader and packed tightly beneath the oversized armor.

"Sir Erik, thank you for fetching him. Sir Liam, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I'm the new Holy Empress of the Forgotten Children, Chelsea Wixx." Chelsea gave her best curtsy despite the armor restricting the movement.

"I live to serve, Your Grace. My station is to be the right hand and the hammer of the Holy Empress. Like my mentor, who held my station before me, I've vowed to live by your side until death." Chelsea activated Blessed Travel and rose until she was closer to Liam's eye level. She drifted toward him while taking in the massive suit of armor. It had to be at least an XXXL. She found herself wondering whether larger armor required more dragon scales or whether the smith simply spread them farther apart.

She activated The Eyes before the question distracted her further. Liam, the Lord Commander of the Holy Knights"How do you feel about sparring?" she asked.

"I'm happy to give you an exhibition of my skills with Sir Erik."

"No, I mean with me. Not right this second, since I have things to do first, but maybe later today?"

"Your Grace, while I'm not comfortable with the idea, I'll abide by your command."

"No. Not a command. I'm asking if you'd be willing to do it." Liam studied her for a moment before answering.

"I fear it would be a bit one-sided, Your Grace, but if you'd like to test yourself against me, I'll be happy to comply." Chelsea turned toward Erik.

"Do I stand a chance?"

"I don't know your mother personally, but I'd say Sir Liam is close to her level." Chelsea's eyes lit up. Adriane was still far beyond her in skill, but fighting someone close to her mother's level would give Chelsea a much better idea of how far she had come.

"Now I'm dying to see how I do against him." She turned back toward the others. Ivy and Rose had settled near one another while Freya and Sophiana spoke with them.

"For now, can you take us to where I'll be staying?"

"Of course. I do need to inform you that the two gods won't be able to join us. Your room doesn't allow nonmortal beings into it," Liam explained. Nonmortal was a strange way to say immortal, but Chelsea didn't question it. She floated back over to the others and explained the restriction. Sophiana decided to remain in the city. She wanted to explore and take in the sights, since it had apparently been centuries since she had last left her domain. Freya chose to return to Valhalla and check on Amber.

To Chelsea's surprise, she had to dismiss her so Call for Aid would send her back.

"Your Grace," Liam said once the goddesses were gone, "I advise against allowing prisoners to accompany you to your room."

"Former prisoners," Chelsea corrected. She wrapped both arms around Ivy and pulled her close.

"And thank you so much for worrying about me. I assure you, Miss Ivy and I go way back, and she vouches for Miss Rose. I trust her." Liam stared at Chelsea, then shifted his attention toward the two elves. His expression remained firm, but he eventually relented.

"Of course. Shall I take you there now? The other knights will need to stay behind. Only the Lord Commander is to know its location."

"Yeah. That sounds good." Chelsea looked back toward the elves.

"Hey, Ivy, can you help… what… the…" Something brushed against her arm. Chelsea stretched out one wing and stared at it. The rich white color remained, but everything else had changed.

"No, no, no, no." She reached out and plucked a feather. Tears began gathering in her eyes.

"My fur." Chelsea ran her fingers along it. The quill and central shaft were hard, while the vane remained soft. Her wings were no longer covered in the warm fur she had grown used to. They also wouldn't wrap around her the same way anymore. Her soft blankets were gone. Chelsea began checking the rest of herself in sudden concern. Her tail was still there and remained furry. Her fangs remained as well, though they didn't feel as long when she ran her tongue over them. Her tiara-shaped horns had disappeared.

She still had horns, but their shape had changed entirely. They began near the crown of her head before rising behind it and curling down beneath her ears. Each horn ended beside one of her cheeks. They were more ram-like than anything else. Chelsea couldn't deny that she loved the possibilities. The old tiara shape had been difficult to decorate, but these horns could hold jewelry, ribbons, chains, or anything else she could fasten around them. She wished she had a mirror.

Then she noticed something that excited her far more than the horns. Chelsea gasped and grabbed a handful of her hair. After nearly a year, it was finally blonde again. The texture felt the same, and the shade wasn't exactly what she had possessed on Earth, but it was undeniably blonde. Chelsea held a thick lock in front of her face and giggled.

"Ivy!" she called.

"I look like you now!" She waved the handful of blonde hair toward the elf. Ivy smiled back at her.

"Your Grace," Liam said.

"Please follow me to your room." Chelsea released her hair and followed him out into the corridor. Ivy helped Rose along, giving the weakened woman time to manage each step. Chelsea finally got a proper look at Rose. The elf appeared to be in her early twenties, with pale skin and ashen hair. Ivy had called her an old woman, but Chelsea had no idea how old an elf could be while still looking so young. They reached the elevator, and Liam ordered the operator to step outside and wait until the lift was sent back up.

The four of them entered. Once the doors closed, Liam took hold of the crank and began lowering the elevator himself. The chamber descended in relative silence before Ivy looked toward Chelsea.

"So, Chels…ea. How is your family doing?" Chelsea didn't miss her starting to call her Chels and correcting it.

"So good. I don't know if you knew, but Fiona was pregnant. She had her baby on my birthday. Beautiful baby girl."

"I knew she was pregnant, but I didn't realize she would have her so soon. It feels like I just left." Ivy hesitated. Her eyes stayed lowered as she shifted her weight beside Rose.

"So, um… are you… al… uh… with anyone new?" There it was. The question Chelsea had been dreading.

"I, um, yes." She had no reason to be embarrassed. She didn't have to justify what had happened after the Ivy fiasco. She should be proud.

"Freya and I are betrothed." Ivy gave a small nod.

"Ah." Liam turned toward Chelsea with wide eyes.

"Your Grace," Liam said, "you were betrothed before you became the Empress?"

"Yeah," Chelsea replied simply. She looked down through the metal grate beneath her boots. Ivy's reaction hurt more than she wanted it to.

"It's new. She proposed two days ago."

"Then congratulations, Your Grace. I've never heard of a mortal and nonmortal being married." Ivy remained silent and didn't look up. The mood inside the elevator changed. The enclosed space suddenly felt much smaller, with only the turning mechanism and the faint scrape of the lift breaking the silence. The elevator reached a floor. He opened the grate smoothly and stepped into darkness with confidence. Then he offered Chelsea his hand. She accepted it and stepped out.

Chelsea noticed that he didn't offer the same courtesy to Ivy or Rose. Once all four of them were in the hallway, Liam leaned back into the elevator and adjusted the dial. He closed the grate, sending the lift back toward the upper levels.

"This way." The large space ahead was strangely dark. Chelsea's white glow was the only source of light, revealing the floor and walls as they moved.

"This floor is abandoned, as it's impossible to see where you're going without the Empress. No light exists here but hers. Torches and light globes don't work." Liam continued several steps before stopping beside an unassuming door.

"And, ah, here we are." He gestured toward it.

"I've never actually seen it before," he explained.

"This also only opens in your light, Your Grace." Liam turned the handle and pushed the door open. Light shone from within. The group stepped into what Chelsea first took for an enormous bedroom. A large bed and several pieces of furniture occupied the nearest section, but beyond them, the space opened into a vast garden. Flowers spread across gently rolling ground, trees stood in the distance, and the entire place appeared to continue for miles.

"How is this in the cathedral?" Ivy asked.

"It's a domain," Chelsea answered in awe.

"Yes. That's almost exactly right," Liam said.

"Emperors and empresses have the ability to make their own small domain, much like a minor god can in the world. Most of them choose to make this room their domain, giving them full control over it. This adds to the size and power of the room. This was the configuration the previous empress left. Feel free to add your domain here, Your Grace."

"Yeah, pass. I have better plans for it," Chelsea said. She looked farther into the garden and noticed steam rising from a stone grotto.

"It looks like that grotto is steaming. I'm guessing it's supposed to be used as a bath. Ivy, you and Miss Rose can feel free to use it." Chelsea reached into her pouch and withdrew a cylindrical bottle.

"This is my new favorite shampoo. Use as much as you like." She turned toward Liam.

"You'll turn away while they're bathing, correct?"

"Yes, Your Grace." Liam stepped between Chelsea and the grotto. He positioned himself so he could continue watching her while keeping his back to the two elves. Chelsea turned her attention to the furnished portion of the room. Her eyes immediately settled on several dressers and a large armoire. She approached the armoire first and pulled open its oversized doors. Clothing filled the inside. She pulled out a skirt and held it to the front of her. The size was off but that didn't matter.

Chelsea settled at the tea table while Ivy and Rose bathed in the grotto. Liam remained nearby with his back turned toward them, leaving Chelsea free to examine the flood of new information waiting in The Eyes. She opened her status.

Status Name: Chelsea Wixx ▸ Race: Blessed Demon Class: The Holy Empress of the Forgotten Children Profession: Holy Empress Chosen Title: The Valkyr of Havoc, Called by Agony and Torment, The Greater Dragonslayer, The Defender of Love, The Breaker of Armies Level: 1 (Fixed) Attributes Physical • Strength: 1130 • Dexterity: 1 • Constitution: 468 • Stamina: 94 Mental • Intelligence: 3 • Wisdom: 2 • Psyche: 48 Social • Charisma: 51 • Luck: 2 Free Attribute Points: 1, 374 Titles: 27 Blessings: 4 Abilities Passive • Fireproof (Racial) • Attract (Racial) • Bloodlust Active • Shield Bash • Shield Slam • Auto-Shielding • Havoc Spear (Evolved) • Spectral Javelin • Spectral Scythe (Evolved) • Spectral Sky Lance (Evolved) • Spectral Bulwark (Evolved) • Havoc Axe (Evolved) • Call for Aid • Commune with a God • Minor God Banishment • Impose Will • Blessed Travel • Detect Unloved Free Skill Points: 641* Enhancements • The Perfect Outfit (Soul-Marked — Cannot be removed) Ailments • Forever Young and Beautiful (Soul-Marked — Cannot be removed) System Notice: User progression has been restricted.

*Only usable on Havoc abilities. Chelsea stared at the line naming her race. A Blessed Demon? She finally evolved her race. Seemed a bit on the nose. Was she some sort of an angel demon now? Apparently, evolving her class had changed more than her appearance. She would need to look through her race later, but the new class, titles, and abilities felt more urgent. She opened the description for her class first.

The Holy Empress of the Forgotten Children The highest power in the Holy Empire, the Empress is the only means by which mortals can communicate directly with the higher gods. Her word is law. Her power is absolute. [Error: Concept undefined.]"Concept undefined?" Chelsea whispered to herself. Did that refer to the Forgotten Children portion of the class? She reread the description, searching for anything that explained the title, but it didn't mention children or orphans at all.

It only described the authority of the Holy Empress. Chelsea moved on to her new title. The Holy Empress of the Forgotten Children Acquired by evolving a class to the Divine stage and fulfilling the prerequisites required to ascend to the head of the Holy Empire. While active, grants: +10 skill levels to all previously unlocked skills and abilities. +0. 9% to all attributes for each child you have.

Holy Empire Imperial Interface unlocks: -Gain bonus Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Psyche, Intelligence, and Charisma equal to the highest respective stat possessed by a citizen of the Holy Empire.

"Whoa!" Chelsea said aloud. She immediately replaced The Breaker of Armies with the new title. Her attributes surged. Chelsea checked whether the strength received the multiplier from The Valkyr of Havoc. For some reason they didn't. That was seriously disappointing, though it was difficult to remain upset while looking at numbers that large. Her Charisma had risen to 3, 051 without any additional effort. Then she slapped her forehead. Chelsea reached for her shield.

The moment her fingers closed around the handle, her Strength climbed to 10, 590. She stared at the number. It barely felt possible. Chelsea tried to estimate Adriane's Strength based on everything she had witnessed. She didn't know the exact number. Her mother had never actually let her see her stats while she had her Champion Slayer title on but Chelsea had a guess at the number. And if she was right… Chelsea was pretty sure she was stronger than her mother now. At least in raw strength.