Lith Verhen/History/Volume 13

## Chapters 1461 - 1574

### Royal Gala

Lith reunites with Nindra Luce, one of his patients during the Kandria plague. She becomes embarrassed when she learns he was her doctor and that she had hit on a 12 year old. After Lith introduces Faluel, Nindra gives him her contact rune before running away in embarrassment. The recently appointed Marchioness Brinja Distar greets him with her newly wedded husband Ainz Flemstar Distar, who is soon to become Headmaster of the Black Griffon. Archmage Deirus, Headmistress Onia, and Archmage Kwart approach and provoke them by insulting the late Mirim, but Brinja manipulates the situation to her advantage. Queen Sylpha physically incapacitates Deirus before renewing his social ban.

King Meron summons Lith, Jirni, Kwart, and Onia for a private questioning of Lith's solo mission history as Deirus' faction's last ditch political attack. They reference his impossible feats and accuse him of being a double agent for the beasts. To resolve the issue, Meron arranges a magical duel using chore magic between Lith and Kwart to dispel any rumors or suspicions. Thanks to body casting, Lith brutally bests Kwart. Meron has Lith reveal his mana glare as a display of his magical talent.

Meron rewards Lith by publicly announcing the Verhen Mansion, bestowing the title Protector of the Lustria County that grants him full authority over it, and a block of Adamant. Tista decline a feudal lordship but instead asks for the records that led to Nana becoming a fallen mage. Sylpha acquiesces and also grants Tista an additional block of Adamant. Sylpha officially declares the end of Phloria's trial and she is promoted to both Lieutenant Colonel in the army and Great Mage. Ainz is appointed the new Headmaster of the Black Griffon to replace Onia.

During the dance, Phloria expresses regret over breaking up with Lith and offers to talk to Kamila since she understands her position. Lith declines, but asks her to speak the truth if Kamila ever approaches her. Quylla attempts to cheer Lith up from his slump, encouraging him to allow himself to be happy rather than be hindered by his past. Reflecting on his past behavior, Lith realizes she is right and that he has never considered the feelings of those he cares about, only their safety. He starts with rectifying his shortcomings with Tista and the Ernas sisters.

At the end of the gala Quylla insists on visiting the Gardens of Saefel before they leave Valeron. They are suddenly ambushed and Quylla is killed by an assassin revealed to be Tiennon Zavra, one of the Lost Magi. A grief-stricken Lith and Orion attack Zavra. Lith manages to kill Zavra despite the capital's arrays. Lith grieves for the following several days until her funeral.

Quylla's funeral is held in Valeron's Royal Cemetery. Kamila attends, comforting Lith and urging him not to do anything reckless against Deirus who is mocking the grievers. A beast form Morok attacks Deirus out of rage before escaping. Kamila keeps Lith company while Solus stays behind with Elina, to not let their negative feelings overflow into each other. Kamila brings him to see the Yehvals to recuperate. Zinya comforts Lith over the loss and Lith introduces ice cream to the family. Lith gives Kamila Ilthin the Banshee's contact as an option to dispel her doubts about his fidelity.

Jirni reveals her plot, having put the Ernas sisters in stasis pods at the end of the gala and replaced them with meat puppets. Lith celebrates Quylla's return. Tista shares the records of Nana's past, learning her background as a Mage Assassin and how she took the fall for Headmistress Linnea. She suddenly undergoes a breakthrough to the deep blue core and evolves into a Red Demon. After Lith teaches her to shapeshift back into a human, Raaz and Elina congratulate her. Tista informs Lenanna and Salaark as well. The siblings make plans to visit the Desert.

### Urgamakka Trial

Salaark tells Lith about the upcoming Council apprentice expedition to the newly discovered ruins of Urgamakka and offers Forgemastering pointers and the use of her Forge to Lith when he visits. Faluel explains the Council is sending their best apprentices to learn how to work together and test if they are trustworthy amidst the threat of Thrud's new army of loyal Awakened. Faluel sends Phloria and Lith. Upon arriving at the test site, they are greeted by Athung Soranot. They following Athung's lead and share their contacts with the other Awakened. Solus discovers she can split the Eyes of Menadion between multiple users.

While exploring the city, the apprentices are attacked by swarms of Gargoyles. Lith and Phloria manage to track down the golems' energy source and neutralize and secure it with Solus' help. The Council legacy heirs use a Spirit array to let everyone study the energy core, though the apprentices split into two factions afterwards after some decide to continue exploring separately to monopolize their discoveries. They organize a common safe house to assemble to fight together and everyone contributes to fortify it. Trevan the Nightwalker invites Lith to join the undead group, and Aalejah the elf offers her expertise as an apprentice of the World Tree. She thanks Lith for having foiled the Laruel World Sapling's plans to forcibly assimilate the World Tree as it neared the end of its lifespan, which would have led to the Fringe elves to be enslaved. She explains her mission to study Lith.

Lith shares the Gargoyle energy core with Faluel while inquiring about the World Tree. She assures him the World Tree and its associates are trustworthy, leading Lith to accept Aalejah's offer to study him. Aalejah teaches Lith to manifest the other sides of his life force, discovering his Voidfeather Dragon and Abomination forms. She theorizes that he can train the other forms while being in his Tiamat form since they are all part of the same whole. The elf and the others warn him away from practicing Chaos magic due to its dangerous nature.

Lith asks about what happened to the First Ruler of the Flames Ripha Menadion but the World Tree is unable to give an answer. Lith and Phloria agree to join Aalejah in the undead group. In the following days Lith, Phloria, and Solus explore the city using the Eyes or study Lith using Aalejah's staff and knowledge. Lith learns his Dragon form lacks Dragon Eyes but has a lesser form of Living Flames.[*Reference needed*] When he summons the Demons of Darkness in his Abomination form, the souls nearly overwhelm him but Aalejah manages to help him recover. The elf apologizes for pushing him into the experiment, revealing that the World Tree is near the end of its lifespan and is insane as a result.

Lith relates to Aalejah's struggles with being a slave to her master and advises her to think about what matters to her. He shows her the natural treasures he had received from Ryssa for saving Lyta years ago in the White Griffon forest, and she helps identify some of them which are useful in golem crafting. He recommends the elf find a new Awakened mentor or become Empress Milea's apprentice to avoid being exploited for her race and knowledge.

The expedition members are beset by a group of Hordes as the final test. Lith and Phloria bring Aalejah and the undead to rendezvous at the allied camp and coordinate to resist the fungi. However, most apprentices make the mistake of fighting on their own, leaving the Horde to converge on Lith and the others. Eventually, the Hordes succeed in overwhelming the apprentices. A Horde reveals the existence of the test and introduces itself to Lith as Loma, the fungal creature he had freed back in Kulah who later evolved.

Suddenly, the city is attacked by Vareen the Plaguespreader, who had mistaken the replica city for the original and arrived to erase any knowledge from the city he had originally founded. After taking care of the Hordes, Vareen confronts Lith's group believing that Lith had found the secret to the white core. Zolgrish appears to confront Vareen, but is quickly eliminated. Lith uses Aalejah's Yggdrasill staff to help his Abomination form use his Possession bloodline ability, summoning one of Vareen's old enemies Renkar. After the staff is damaged, Renkar attempts to take over Lith but is expelled into a detached part of Lith's body and devoured by Chaos.

Inxialot Nagaar Warps the remaining apprentices outside the city and ambushes Vareen, but is interrupted by the arrival of the white cored Lich Aylen Nagaar. Lith and the others take shelter under Athung's arrays while Aylen kills the Eldritch using Mirror Magic and Silverwing's spells. Aalejah learns that the Yggdrasill had lured Vareen to the fake Urgamakka to force Lith into revealing his true potential and abilities and informs the Council. She removes the Yggdrasill's essence from her staff and gifts a second one to Lith as compensation. Lith learns from Faluel that he and Phloria passed the test with flying colors, and that once he learns the knowledge gained from Urgamakka, he will be released from his apprenticeship.

### Visiting Grandma

Salaark invites the Verhens to the Blood Desert to get him acquainted with the Phoenix side of the family and show him what her nest has to offer. With the three Phoenixes returning as well, Lutia is left solely under Tezka's protection. Lith tells the Fylgja about the encounter with his clone in Maekosh and to call for Captain Locrias in an emergency. They cross the Gate in the barn to the Sparkwater Oasis where Salaark introduces them to her palace and the Desert's customs. Lith and Solus give Salaark a tour of the tower, learning that the Guardian had been Menadion's apprentice in the past. Salaark declines to teach him any of her techniques unless he joins the Nest, but decides to teach him Menadion's Mana Well technique.

Lith and Solus work on the Davross they own, using Salaark's Creation Magic to recycle any failures, though Salaark only lets him practice for a few hours a day and forces him to relax the rest of the time. Once banned from his own lab, Lith either uses Abyssal Gaze to refine his mana core or train in the use of the Eyes of Menadion in-between naps. For the first time in his three lives, Lith is able to finally relax and put his worries aside, even being freed from the effects of Death Vision thanks to Salaark's presence. Lith vouches for Friya's visit to the Desert as well.

She also arranges a blind date with the daughter of her friend Mimeria, though she and other Phoenixes whom Salaark introduces lack interest in Lith due to being too young. Most only treat him more like a science project than as a potential partner.

Lith meets with Xenagrosh to practice Origin Flames and get acquainted with other Eldritches of the Master's Organization. She brings him to meet their half-sister Sinmara, a white cored Phoenix and Salaark's right hand, who lives in a volcano. They share a meal and a drink, and after the two sisters warn Lith away from practicing Chaos magic, Sinmara promises to bring the pair along her next mission. Lith discusses with Tista her hybrid state. She decides to try to turn into a pure Phoenix, but the attempt backfires and she barely manages to stabilize the balance between life forces with the help of Salaark's Rebirth Magic.

Lith decides to create a suitable weapon for Solus: the Sage Staff, to which Salaark generously agrees to help recycle any failed attempts. He also shares his idea for golems with the Guardian, who hints at memory crystals. Elina and Raaz scold the siblings for their foolish experiment. Lith checks up on the situation with the copycat and makes a courtesy call to Marth, who informs him of several break-ins at the White Griffon.

## References

1. ↑ Chapter 1463: Feints and Traps (Part 1)
2. ↑ Chapter 1469: Award Ceremony (Part 1)
3. ↑ Chapter 1471: Dance Partners (Part 1)
4. ↑ Chapter 1473: Lights Out (Part 1)
5. ↑ Chapter 1477: Lost Magus (Part 3)
6. ↑ Chapter 1482: Motherly Duties (Part 2)
7. ↑ Chapter 1491: Changes and Moving (Part 1)
8. ↑ Chapter 1497: Old but Gold (Part 1)
9. ↑ Chapter 1502: Divided They Fall (Part 2)
10. ↑ Chapter 1504: Early Rankings (Part 2)
11. ↑ Chapter 1506: Back in Black (Part 2)
12. ↑ Chapter 1513: Trees and Fallen (Part 1)
13. ↑ Chapter 1516: Seeds of Knowledge (Part 2)
14. ↑ Chapter 1527: Chaos Unleashed (Part 1)
15. ↑ Chapter 1533: Two Sides of the Same Pain (Part 1)
16. ↑ Chapter 1538: Menadion's Apprentice (Part 2)
17. ↑ Chapter 1544: Quality Time (Part 2)
18. ↑ Chapter 1590: Give and Take (Part 2)
19. ↑ Chapter 1550: Fire and Metal (Part 2)
20. ↑ Chapter 1563: Discoveries and Plans (Part 1)
21. ↑ Chapter 1565: Awakened Madness (Part 1)
22. ↑ Chapter 1569: Calling Card (Part 1)