Maybe it was because Etar was treating the situation with such seriousness, but I couldn't help but tense up as I watched Florian accept the Edict even though I already knew exactly what would happen when he did. Though it was knowledge in an instinctual form—more akin to the abstract awareness that 'looking left' would let me see the things that were on my left, rather than the more acquired knowledge that those things I was now seeing were 'rocks'—And so I wouldn't have been able to describe it to Etar even if he'd asked. When it was all laid out though nothing came as a surprise.

  Of course he'd lose the Skill slots he'd gained for reaching higher Tiers, how else could the Edict have done what it was supposed to do? Of course his attributes would drop down to Tier 1 levels, otherwise what would have been the point?

  Almost every aspect of Florian as represented by the System was brought down to Tier 1 levels, with the singular exception of his Glyph. Which I hadn't thought about, but now that I did it staying where it was made sense. A Glyph was the core aspect that made Florian who he was, and as such was beyond manipulation by outside forces, even ones like my [Edict].

  I hadn't considered any of that consciously before, but now that it was happening it didn't feel like anything else could have possibly been true. The knowledge had always been there, I'd just never actually looked in the corner of my mind it occupied.

  Etar however sounded surprised that it had actually worked as intended, judging by his mutterings to himself I kept overhearing.

  ...It's actually managing to affect every aspect properly... ..It's all still working the way it should... ...The only thing I can't see is the reason the System's listening...

  And he wasn't the only one that was confused.

  "...How can this be?" Florian was saying as he moved back to the rest of the group after his quest was completed. "It goes against everything we know of how Dungeons interface with the System... They must be able to control it on a much deeper level than we believed."

  "No that doesn't make sense", his scholarly companion shook his head in reply. "If that was the case we should have seen it before. The fact that we haven't means that this isn't something Dungeons typically do."

  "But is it something they can do but typically choose not to, or is it something they are typically unable to do?" Florian asked, and they both fell into silent contemplation.

  "...Isn't this something we should report to the Hallmaster?" A hesitant Emmalia spoke up, causing both scholars to turn to face her and blink.

  "Ah right, yes you're correct." They both said at the same time. They both glanced towards the center of the portal room, where the Edict had just taken place, then sighed and turned to begin the walk back up the tunnel towards the entrance.

  ...Good people, that. Etar muttered after them. Reasonable, and with a thinking head on their shoulders... I should probably also...

  I couldn't help but chuckle mentally at how similar the two parties were acting, irrespective of their large differences in both perspective and power. It made me feel proud, in a way, to have stumped everyone to this degree. Now that I knew that I hadn't done something wrong... aberrant cough cough... on accident, at least.

  ...Actually, thinking about the aberrant, I should probably ask Etar what to do about the thrice-damned shard I had stashed down on the fifth before he left. I was also curious as to why he hadn't actually brought it up himself already; it seemed like something he should have had an opinion on.

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  Excuse me, I have a question before you go. I sent, along with a mental image of the shard and where it was within my Dungeon. How should I deal with this piece of...

  WHERE DID YOU GET THAT!? I flinch mentally at the sheer volume of Etar's voice, laced with equal amounts panic and anger.

  A Challenger had it implanted within them. I sent quickly. I don't want it here, but felt it might be best to hold off on destroying it outright, despite Morrígan's suggestion. I thought maybe I could use it as a bargaining chip in case the one who did the planting came looking. ...Now that I'm saying that out loud it doesn't really sound like that good of a reason...

  ...No, you made the right choice not listening to that Morrígan person. Etar interrupted in a somewhat calmer tone. With how closely tied you seem to be to the system, there's no telling what might have happened if that thing had fractured within your domain... Thank the Lady...

  I got the vague feeling of him shaking his head and sighing. Leave it where it is for now. He said eventually. I will send someone to remove it as soon as possible.

  Alright... I sent, feeling a bit overwhelmed at both the sudden outburst as well as the revelation that destroying it might have doomed me. Etar didn't say it would have outright, but I could read between the lines well enough to tell it couldn't possibly be good. I thought back to my initial discussion with Morrígan about the shard. Even initially I'd been hesitant to destroy it, let alone absorb it, despite her suggestions of just smashing it to pieces. At the time I'd rationalized it to having been due to the man of light maybe returning for it, or it maybe being useful as a bargaining tool against someone more powerful. Which was true, to be fair, but had that really been the reason, or had my instincts steered me away from something that may have had disastrous consequences, and my mind had just come up with any kind of logical explanation to explain an instinctual repulsion? I couldn't tell, which was beyond frustrating. I'd like to say that my instincts hadn't had anything to do with it, since they're not usually subtle at all and I can usually distinguish their impressions from my own. But keeping me from destroying something a Deva said would be bad to destroy seemed something they should have done, and since they hadn't done so in an obvious manner I couldn't quite shake the feeling they had done so subtly instead. Which opened the door for an uncomfortable series of questions regarding what other choices I'd made due to their more subtle influences, and which had truly been my own.

  ...No, I was distracting myself. And it wasn't like my instincts weren't on my side anyway, so it really shouldn't be that big of a deal.... Even if it was, I shouldn't be obsessing over this stuff right now. Not when there were so many questions I could, so should, be asking while I had the chance.

  You'll send for someone? There are people right outside, why can't one of them just take it?

  This isn't something I want to hand off to just anyone. It has to be disposed of carefully, so I don't want to give it to someone I don't trust.

  That was fair enough, I supposed, though it was curious that a Deva like Etar even had people he knew enough to be able to say he 'trusted' them. He must interact with the mortal world more than Morrígan had assumed. Or maybe he just watched it in a similar way to how I did my Challengers. There were definitely some of them where I felt I could trust in the strength of their character more than others. Noracin for example felt much more trustworthy than that horrible man Trald. Though I still wouldn't trust either with something as sensitive as the shard... Okay yeah I got what Etar was getting at.

  It sucked that the shard would have to remain where it was. I had successfully been managing to ignore it being here, but now that I had brought it up it was at the forefront of my mind again, and it brought the nagging, gnawing, aura of wrongness it emanated along with it. If anything it was more distracting now than when it had first arrived, though exactly what caused that specific change in my awareness I wasn't sure about. I could only hope it would fade back down to tolerable levels with time, once I had other things to focus my attention on.

  I understand. I sent.

  With that said I should get going. Your edict's stable, nothing about it's dangerous or out of the ordinary. Unusual it may be, but I won't be declaring it unsafe or unsuitable. Do with it what you wish. An emissary will be in touch about the shard. Be well.

  ...What do you mean about declaring it unsuitable? I sent hesitantly, but Etar's presence had already vanished from my mind.

  ...Hello?

  Veos, The Story of a Dungeon