The Villainess Will Not Bring Dishonor To Her Family

8 - Lake Lumere - Part 2

I cried my heart out.

I think an entire lifetime of tears came out.

My head feels fuzzy from crying so much, but I can feel the cold pond water around me. Lumere is still hugging me.

"Thank you, I apologize for showing such an appearance after waking you up," I get out in a hoarse voice.

Lumere finally pulls back and then nods. It stands at attention again as it did before I started crying.

I can't help but to give a weak smile at its polite behavior as it seems to try to let me save face.

I bow before it. I have two questions to ask Lumere before it would make its request in return.

"I wish to know why the gods in this land are all asleep."

When I used sense I was only looking for Lumere, but all the other gods were asleep as well. For a bountiful area as this, it was unusual. All the gods had looked quite powerful. Even the smallest ones were actually averagely bigger than the ones from home.

Lumere made a mirror like form from the surface of the water and in a second it filled with the colorful reflection of faeries using magic.

"Ugh." I heard a sound from where the faeries were watching. They're apparently paying attention, but have hid themselves away in the bushes. I guess they figured that if I could see Lumere then I can probably see them as well.

They aren't wrong.

I nod and bow to thank Lumere for its answer.

Still, because of the faeries? What did they do that made all the gods fall asleep?

"I would like to know how you attain your power."

My guess was that the people of the land prayed to the elements... since they seemed to specifically target the faeries I hypothesized that some of the leftover energy probably goes to the gods.

The official religion only has a single god, but that hasn't stopped people before.

The water mirror's reflection changes. Beasts I had never seen before were shown, and the cycle of life. Then, by the end it showed the gods wrapping themselves around the dead beasts and then the growth of those gods.

I don't really understand why eating these weird looking beasts would do anything though... is it because of mana perhaps?

I bow again to thank it for its answer and then straighten up to let it make its request.

Lumere changes the reflection again while its knight form moves to where the stream meets the outer wall. The reflection shows a large rock stuck in front of the bars that lead outside to the lake.

It is simpler than I expected, and a very standard request. Water gods are gods of journeys and enjoy the movement, so they would often request that you move obstacles.

---*---

I got up and began to take off the stupidly expensive dress. You'd be surprised to find out how much struggle it took to get the horrid thing off, but if I wore it into the water I'd end up drowning. As for being mostly undressed?

There is only the stupid faeries nearby anyway, and they seem to have gotten awfully quiet since Lumere woke up.

When I finally manage to get it off, it leaves me in my long white frilly knickers and a short white chemise. I'm sure this would have been more fun for peepers if I'd been 10 years older, but right now there wasn't really anything worth seeing.