Saintess Summons Skeletons

Saria had brought some food and drinks with her, hoping to share a nice breakfast with Sofia, so now she was eating some crescent-shaped pastries on Sofias bed. So this ones part of your class? With all the flashing lights and all, right? Shes good, she only lost once I think. Probably got more tokens than I do.

Shaily did not strike me as the very combative type, honestly. That will make my job easier. What about En? Shes about this tall, covered in orange fur, three tails. She fights with totems.

Ah! Yes. I didnt pay too much attention to this one but Ive definitely seen her fighting some rounds too.

Was everyone so eager to lose their tokens? Im shocked so many even agreed to fight you after you knocked a few out.

Saria stored her pastry and sat up on the bed. She faked a slow, maniacal laughter.

Oh, oh, oh. My sweet, naive little sister. Do you think Id show the full extent of my power so fast? Noooo, first you do your best to look weak, then you play with them a little, let a few of the weaker hits land, and finally win by luck after a few minutes of struggle. The hardest part was faking being tired.

Sofia looked at her sister like she was a crazy person. So much effort for a handful of tokens? You do know they are only worth one gold each, right? Im pretty sure the later events will award them in much larger quantities. Did you level up your Shenanigans at least?

It did level up once, yeah. I know these few tokens likely arent a big deal, but progress is progress. And speaking of, I reviewed the rules and found an interesting loophole.

Honestly the rules were quite vague, so thats not too surprising. You can bet they will keep adding on new ones as they please just like they changed this tower into a safe zone. Whats your loophole then?

Saria adjusted her position on the bed. You may not seek or use outside help of any kind. Outside help. You know whos not outside? Teachers.

Sofia narrowed her eyes. Thats a very ambiguous thing to risk your tokens on. But if you have to try bending the rules like this, it is better to do it now while you dont have many tokens that could disappear for cheating What do you expect me to do?

Not much, even like this, we still have to abide by the no trading and such rules. Just keep an eye out for teachers who could be good targets to steal from. I think if anyones going to get one of the pouches, it will have to be a well-planned out long con. Weve all seen what happens to those who attack with lousy strategies.

Right. Sofia untied her pouch from her waist, looking at the small bones inside. Should I really make a dice set out of them? Or maybe a necklace? I just want them to stop targeting me, I can already tell this is going to get exhausting fast otherwise.

I still cant believe you stole these guys hands.

They deserved it for putting my students in danger.

Dont you know people under level 100 are protected by the schools barrier?

And for pissing me off, Sofia added, pretending to examine one of the phalanges she had picked up from the bunch.

So you didnt know. Did you at least read the Academy rules?

I did! That wasnt anywhere in there. And, they really did piss me off.

Saria giggled. Well, theyre sure not to piss you off again And for the hands, I have an idea.

Sofia and Saria admired the creation coming straight ouf of Sarias mind. She had suggested that Sofias decoration for her entrance be a wall of bone, with the stolen hands slotted inside around the door. This by itself was a bit lacking, there were only six hands for now, but what really sold the artistic piece were the hundreds of empty hand-shaped slots in the wall.

Anyone who sees this and whos heard of what you did to these guys will have to think twice about trying anything, Sofia commented, happy with her chef doeuvre.

Once for each hand, Sofia deadpanned.

Saria snorted, then walked a few steps back, looking at the stairwell going down the numerous floors of the tower. I have to wonder whether a lot of students will even see it, though.

You know, I have a feeling that once word gets out about this and this mornings events, quite a few people will come check out my door.

Just what I needed to catapult my artistic career.

The sisters were back inside Sofias room, actually playing a game with brand-new bone dice, made from Sofias wings. Although now she could use the entire armor to refill her stock, she had taken to the habit of cutting off her wings, so she usually did that whenever she had some free time.

Pareth threw the dice.

Triple six again! No way! Hes cheating I tell you! Saria stood up from the table, accusing the mute skeleton.

You also got triple sixes twice in a row! I dont even know how youre both doing that. Im the one whos supposed to control bones here

Saria visibly gave up playing, instead going back to observe the small bone statues Sofia had already made of a few people. She stopped before one of the display cases which was filled with random miniatures of Sofias stuff. There was a small bone crown, staff, and Bookie, among other things, Saria picked up some kind of flat bone ring.

Whats this one supposed to be?

Uh? Oh, thats Dopple.

Oh? Oh Not the most impressive thing to make a sculpture of.

I also realized that after making it, but I still threw it into the pile, it looks better the more things there are, like your gold pile. Ah! It was Dopple who screamed during the ceremony, right? What was that all about?

I forgot to tell you! Saria exclaimed, her brow furrowing as she felt a wave of embarrassment wash over her for not mentioning this earlier. That was a whole thing It was hard to get it to talk, but as it turns out, it shared the same owner as the sword at one point! It explicitly said it was not one of the admins, but wouldnt explain anything more. I think it knows perfectly well who the system admins were.

We barely talked about that but do you not have any idea who they were either?

I dont, Saria whispered as she sat back down at the table, Zephir doesnt know either, he tried to ask around but everyone in the know seems to be avoiding the subject. I think its a subject almost as taboo as our new name.

Sofia took a second to recall all the information she had. Three admins, all gone. According to Zerrei they disappeared sometime in the first few hundred years of the system, long before she was born. The artifacts from the ranking towers 99th floor were all discovered or made by them, but on both mine and Sarias the names are |REDACTED|.

The lich I met did mention them when Alith asked about it. He said he was the one to provide the jewels for my crown. Which Im surprised isnt getting censored, by the way, and when Alith asked if he was an admin himself, he answered Lords, no; Id rather die.

Saria didnt answer for a while, the silence of the room only broken by the sound of her nails rhythmically tapping on the table. Finally she stopped and opened her mouth.

I think I figured out a few things. A few very worrying things..

Go on, I have a few ideas myself.

Right. First of all, the identity of the Admins. Its pretty obvious that one of them was a human Hero, Saria started.

And one of them was a Dragon, Sofia completed.

That only makes sense as to why the system references so many things from the human heroes world, just like my class. And it also explains why the system would have a special section for Dragons, when it doesnt have one for other strong entities like the Kleptras.

Kleptra? Sofia asked. I think Erredis mentioned a Kleptras nest at some point?

Ill explain later. Just know theyre as strong as the Dragons and just as smart.

Noted. That leaves the third admin unaccounted for.

My guess is, it was probably a God, Saria blurted out, as if scared that she would get censored.

That would explain why they set up the whole thing with Saints and Oracles on one side while leaving the Recessed completely unaccounted for.

Right? But if the Dragon argument was a bit inconclusive, this one is just a wild guess

Best we have now, Sofia said with a shrug.

I have one more thread to follow, this lich you mentioned must know a lot about the Deep. Or he wouldnt be swearing on their name.

This I can confirm, he alluded to us having a lot to talk about on the subject when it came up again later in the discussion, but he had places to go and I havent seen him since.

And he knows the admins too. For a lich to say they would rather die, is quite something, considering only those most afraid of death would go to such lengths to avoid it, even back before the system. Zephir knows a lot about pre-system magic, and becoming a lich really didnt sound like an easy option, Saria explained.

But then what, the admins suffered a fate worse than death? Wait I have learned at one point that the system was investigating the Deep, sacrificing numerous scribes in the process

Youre thinking what Im thinking, Sofia?

Theres no way Erredis avoided the subject too, when I asked No one ever speaks about them in any detail and their names are always missing Could they really-

Have been erased? Saria finished, her voice changing to one that was decidedly not hers halfway through the sentence.