История Королевы Эльфов / The story of the Elf Queen: Глава Третья. Кирилл. Начало совместных тренировок с соратницами Героя Королевы Эльфов

Chapter Three. Cyril. The beginning of joint training with the companions of the Hero of the Elf Queen.

Camrad_RIP 20.07.25 в 14:30

* * *

Camrad_RIP 20.07.25 в 14:31

A Protected Grove somewhere in the Forest...

Camrad_RIP 20.07.25 в 14:31

Although the preparations were very rushed, they still took longer than Cyril would have liked. Much longer. First, he had to wake up Gata and Armina, then explain the situation to them, then tidy up the kitchen a little (he couldn't leave it in complete disarray after yesterday's debauchery!), and then get himself ready. At the same time, both maids and Cyril's associates looked extremely depressed and embarrassed. And the reason was not the culinary debauchery that had taken place, but the fact that both Gata and Armina knew that chimneys, wells, air ducts, and other such communications had to be blocked off at the very first opportunity.

Camrad_RIP 20.07.25 в 15:23

As they would say in Cyril's homeland, this is basic knowledge! You have to know this! And they did know, but, according to them, they were so used to the fact that these areas, as the most obvious ones, are covered first when building serious housing, that it didn't even occur to them to pay attention to this. Well, as they say, you learn from your mistakes, especially since they had a very fun and lively evening. At least, the young man's two companions did, since he did not achieve the logical conclusion of their bed and kitchen antics. Which didn't add much to the joy either. Of course, it would have been possible to correct this omission in the bathhouse, where Gata and Armina had checked the water ahead of him with scanning amulets. But Cyril really didn't want to make Diantrel wait any longer. And he felt very clearly that his mentor was waiting for him, thanks to their connection.

Camrad_RIP 20.07.25 в 15:27

So they just had to carefully wash off the flour residue and tidy themselves up. Fortunately, they had spare clothes to change into. Gata and Armina didn't wear their usual black and white dresses, but “work” suits, similar to the one Armina wore when she and Cyril ran across the Steppe and the Underworld. When the consequences of yesterday's mistake were completely dealt with, the trio hurried to the basement of the mansion. There, Cyril froze in front of the portal arch, mentally connecting with Diantrel. The mentor instructed him on how to awaken the arch using the key given to Cyril, how to tune it to the desired receiving circuit, and how to make sure that after they passed through, it would not simply go off, but “close.”

Camrad_RIP 20.07.25 в 15:41

Thanks to his existing knowledge and Diantrel's clear instructions, Cyril had no trouble figuring out how to control the weaves of the portal arch. After all, they were already set up and ready to go. But using a portal made by the masters of his school and creating a passage in space from scratch are two very different things. When the arch came to life, Cyril made sure that the weaves were stable and passed through it together with Gata and Armina. But just in case, he first covered himself and his companions with a dense protective barrier that surrounded them like a second skin so as not to touch the edges of the portal and disrupt its stability. It wasn't that he thought an attack was possible. Just in case, because you never know what kind of exercises they had in store for him.

Camrad_RIP 20.07.25 в 15:43

The portal led him to a small but well-protected room located somewhere in the middle of the Forest. In any case, it was quite far from the Royal Palace and White Harbor. There, Cyril and his companions were met by Fiorel and a silent agent of the Secret Guard. After greeting the young man, the queen's trusted assistant led him outside from what turned out to be a basement room in a small stone building on the edge of a wide, flat field. Which was not really a field at all, but another training ground, only, as Fiorel explained, it was under the jurisdiction of the Secret Guard, not the Forest Guard.

Camrad_RIP 20.07.25 в 15:43

At the edge of this training ground, under a special canopy, sitting at a wide, long table, Diantrel was already waiting for the young man. The mentor was dressed in her usual military uniform. Alatrell, sitting next to her, was dressed in an impeccable dark blue closed dress. Between the elven beauties stood a silver platter with fruit, a pair of silver goblets, and a silver jug with some kind of drink. A little to the side of them, various types of amulets were laid out in neat rows on the table. There was also a selection of new wands and tiaras to replace those Cyril had sacrificed in order to deceive the red-eyed bitch.

Camrad_RIP 20.07.25 в 15:44

When the young man approached the table, Fiorel bowed politely, and Diantrel, nodding briefly, greeted her apprentice:

Camrad_RIP 20.07.25 в 15:44

"Hello, Cirial."

Camrad_RIP 20.07.25 в 16:18

"Greetings, honorable ones."

Camrad_RIP 20.07.25 в 16:48

"How are you feeling?" Alatrell asked, looking at the young man with undisguised interest.

Camrad_RIP 20.07.25 в 16:49

Turning to his new mentor, Cyril was silent for a moment, holding back the urge to respond with something like “awesome, thank you very much,” but then almost immediately gave himself a mental slap. After all, he wasn't here to play games, but to do serious work:

Camrad_RIP 20.07.25 в 17:38

"Right after waking up, I felt extremely lousy, but then I came to my senses. Thank you for your concern, honourable one. No problems. Neither physical nor with subtle bodies."

Camrad_RIP 20.07.25 в 17:40

Alatrell nodded contentedly and said:

Camrad_RIP 20.07.25 в 17:40

"It's good to hear that. I took the creation of the mixture very seriously, calculating it precisely for you, but there is always a small risk of individual intolerance to certain components."

Camrad_RIP 20.07.25 в 17:41

"Thank you very much for your kindness, honored lady. May I ask what kind of mixture it was, and how exactly did I taste it?"

Camrad_RIP 20.07.25 в 17:42

A slight smile touched Alatrell's lips:

Camrad_RIP 20.07.25 в 17:42

"Of course."

Camrad_RIP 20.07.25 в 17:42

The elf made a smooth pass with her hand, and a small wooden sphere covered with fine carvings forming a leafy floral ornament flew through the air from the table to her. It was slightly larger than an average apple. Landing on Alatrell's palm, the sphere immediately opened, splitting into two equal parts. Inside, it was hollow and empty. Handing it to Cyril, she said:

Camrad_RIP 20.07.25 в 17:45

"Here you go. This type of amulet is called, for obvious reasons, “Shell.” It is quite inconspicuous and capable of moving over limited distances, including through the air, both along pre-programmed routes and under direct remote control. At the same time, the “nut” inside it can be of various flavors and types. Whole, composite, honey, poisonous, or even healing. It all depends on the specific goal and task."

Camrad_RIP 20.07.25 в 17:49

Listening to Alatrell, Cyrill carefully examined the small wooden sphere, switching to magical vision. The filigree weaving embedded in this small amulet evoked involuntary admiration. Moreover, he could clearly see that its camouflage had been completely removed, which allowed the young man to examine this “Shell” so easily. If it had been active... it is very possible that he would not have noticed it, especially if it had been lying somewhere out of sight, in a corner or under a table. Carefully closing the amulet, Cyril handed it back to Alatrell while she continued to explain the young man's mistake yesterday:

Camrad_RIP 20.07.25 в 17:50

"When you and your companions began preparing food and lit the fire, “Shell” entered your mansion through the chimney and poured out the mixture I had prepared, which reacted with the fire."

Camrad_RIP 20.07.25 в 17:51

"But shouldn't all the smell and smoke have gone back up the chimney?" Cyrill suddenly realized.

Camrad_RIP 20.07.25 в 17:51

The corners of Alatrell's lips shifted slightly upward, and she shook her head:

Camrad_RIP 20.07.25 в 17:54

"And the impact did not come through the air, Cirial, it was energetic."

Camrad_RIP 20.07.25 в 17:55

"What? How is that possible?"

Camrad_RIP 20.07.25 в 17:56

"Let me demonstrate. Don't worry, it will only be a demonstration, in the smallest and absolutely harmless doses."

Camrad_RIP 20.07.25 в 17:56

Under the watchful gaze of the tense Kirill, Alatre made a smooth gesture with her hand, and a small metal bowl flew toward her, which had been standing on the table along with various amulets. Thin wooden sticks were neatly stacked inside it. With a snap of her fingers, the elf set them alight.

Camrad_RIP 20.07.25 в 17:57

"Pay attention to the fire, Cirial. Right now, it's completely normal. But now..."

Camrad_RIP 20.07.25 в 17:57

Taking out a tiny sealed vial from somewhere, Alatrell elegantly poured its contents, which turned out to be a brown powder, onto the twigs that had begun to crackle merrily. The powder burned instantly with a quiet hiss, and the fire became noticeably brighter, even though it was a clear and sunny day outside. The effect was even more noticeable in magical vision: its color changed, acquiring scarlet hues and becoming noticeably more... saturated. And in all directions from the small fire, something like a translucent haze began to spread, with the same barely noticeable scarlet hue. As it moved away from the fire, it quickly faded and dissipated.

Camrad_RIP 20.07.25 в 17:58

"Do you see, Cirial?"

Camrad_RIP 20.07.25 в 17:58

"Yes, I see it now..."

Camrad_RIP 20.07.25 в 17:58

Squinting, the young man stared intently at the scarlet haze. Carefully extending his hand, he ran his palm through it. And part of that haze seemed to be absorbed into his slender body, settling on it like pollen on skin. Hmm...

Camrad_RIP 20.07.25 в 17:59

"In small concentrations, this mixture has virtually no effect, but in a closed room, as the concentration increases, it begins to have a cumulative effect, gradually changing the surrounding magical background. And, importantly, it can be contained by the simplest and most inconspicuous barrier, which will allow the same smoke to pass through. And which can be easily set up using “Shell” if the appropriate weave is incorporated into it."

Camrad_RIP 20.07.25 в 18:00

"But why didn't I notice this mirage with my magical vision? It stands out so much against the general background, doesn't it?"

Camrad_RIP 20.07.25 в 18:00

Shaking her head, Alatrell smoothly took another vial from somewhere around her waist:

Camrad_RIP 20.07.25 в 18:01

"It is noticeable now, Cirial, because this wood has been treated with a special developer. In the case of ordinary firewood, the effect would be much less noticeable. Please."

Camrad_RIP 20.07.25 в 18:05

Uncorking another vial containing yet another powder, this time white in colour, the elf poured it into the fire. It burned up immediately with a slight crackle, and the flame became completely normal. And in her magical vision, the haze emanating from the fire rapidly lost its colour, becoming almost invisible.

Camrad_RIP 20.07.25 в 18:06

"Impressive," was all Cyrill could say.

Camrad_RIP 20.07.25 в 18:08

"Thank you for your high praise. I have already prepared a detailed list of various developers of similar compositions, as well as a description of the methods for their correct placement in rooms. Be sure to familiarise yourself with it and choose several options for yourself. If you have any questions, please contact either me or Diantrel."

Camrad_RIP 20.07.25 в 18:10

"Of course."

Camrad_RIP 20.07.25 в 18:10

After running several waves of reserve energy through his hand, Cyrill cleared away the remnants of the mirage's influence, while Alatrell extinguished the fire and covered the bowl with a lid. Hmm, what an alchemical nuisance... It's practically imperceptible; if you don't know about it, you won't even feel the onset of its effects. And it penetrated him despite the ‘Filtering Aura’! In theory, it should have protected him from such things...

Camrad_RIP 20.07.25 в 19:14

Ah, that's what it is! The system help file kindly and clearly explained that this property is directed against harmful and aggressive energies. But the mixture prepared by Alatrell is completely harmless and does not cause any harm to subtle bodies. It only affects the consciousness. And if that's the case... Cyrill surrounded his palm with a reinforced and extremely dense barrier and passed it through the remnants of the dissipating haze. It worked, and it could not ‘absorb’ into the young man's subtle bodies. But you can't walk around in such armour all the time... Hmm... Cyrill mentally calculated the output of the tiny vial's contents and compared it to the effect that a full ‘Shell’ would have, especially in a closed room. No wonder it had such an effect on him, Gata, and Armina... And how inconspicuous it was, the damn thing!

Camrad_RIP 20.07.25 в 19:16

"Is something wrong, Cirial?"

Camrad_RIP 20.07.25 в 20:04

Realising that he had failed to keep the face, the young man shook his head and replied to Alatrell, who was looking at him intently:

Camrad_RIP 20.07.25 в 20:06

"No, everything is fine, honourable, thank you for your lesson. I was just thinking about how easy and inconspicuous it is to confuse those around you."

Camrad_RIP 20.07.25 в 20:07

In response, Alatrell suddenly burst into quiet but melodious laughter. Shaking her head, she explained to the puzzled Cyrill:

Camrad_RIP 20.07.25 в 20:07

"Indeed, from the outside, it may seem that for a specialist in matters related to other people's minds and hearts, it is not difficult to subjugate them to his will. But fortunately for all of us, this simplicity is very deceptive, Kirial. Take the same ‘Shell’ - to make such an amulet, you need a skilled specialist in the field of artefactology, one who has chosen this particular field as their calling. And they, in turn, need materials and tools that are far from cheap and cannot be obtained out of thin air. The ‘Nut’ that I treated you to yesterday required a whole range of fairly expensive alchemical components and, without false modesty, solid experience in processing and mixing them correctly. Selecting the optimal components and calculating their proportions is far from simple and requires a great deal of experience."

Camrad_RIP 20.07.25 в 20:09