Machina Arcanis: Two Worlds Collided
Chapter 162. The Cabin in the Woods

“And we will~yayaya, never perish! Never perish! No trees shall carry our body,” The obnoxious song carried on the wind, the verse continuing with ever-increasing intensity, “The lord of the underworld, and the gamble we play, well~we are the queenbie!”

“We are the queeeeeeenbie!” Steve joined in with his wannabe high pitch, but he did get one thing right, he nailed the vibe.

Those two whimsical blokes seemed to torment Astrid to her core. It was not so much trouble for Zetius, since he himself had gotten used to such experiences. Astrid, however, groaned loudly, trying to make sense of the nonsensical but happy songs that reverberated from their lips.

They were led to a two-storey wooden cabin near the main road, just on the outskirts of Eastern Dam city. At a quick glance, it was a simplistic structure, presumably created by Canis’s arcane abilities. It invoked cosiness, minimalism, and practicality over his trademark over-the-top design. Even the great mind needed a break from the exaggerated beauty of his own home. Its border was surrounded by pine trees native to the forests around the Eurian continent. This continent consisted of Germund, Porand, Vinveil, and Britainia, to name a few.

“Make yourself at home. It’s just me and Steve here, Jack,” Canis blurted as he pushed the door open, revealing a fireplace at the centre of the living room with the size that could sufficiently warm the entire house. The furniture and interior also followed the same concept. There was no grand chandelier or luxurious carpet.

Zetius raised his brows, feeling a foreign sensation after being called such a name again.

“Or would you like me to address you as Zetius?” Canis gestured for the guests to take a seat near the fireplace.

“Well, Zetius is preferable,” Zetius replied promptly, settling onto a wooden chair. Astrid took the one right next to him. She soon felt relaxed, crossed one leg over her knee and bobbed it lazily, one hand resting on the top of Zetius’s chair rest. He glared at her masculine posture, but she ignored him and instead sniffed the earthy, floral scent from the nearby humidifier.

“Sorry, boys and girls, only Earl Grey tea in this house,” Canis said as he placed cups of tea, one each, in front of them. Steve took the opposite seat after placing his bulky items back into the storage room, and Canis joined his side.

Canis blew on his hot tea a few times, and then he turned to Astrid. “This grumpy lady is, umm, your new mate?” he asked, eyes gleaming with mischief.

“Right,” Zetius blurted out without much thought.

“What?!” Astrid scoffed, then her nose visibly turned red. “Mate, as in a romantic partner, Zeta,” she scolded him in a hushed tone.

Then her mean gaze returned to a smiling Canis. “Stop treating me like a teenager!” she snarled, flicking her hair outwards in dismissal.

“Gaia, he got you!” Cubie whispered, rolling on his shoulders. “Damn it!” Zetius muttered, cupping his mouth.

Canis chuckled with Steve before returning to his well-composed demeanour. “Words. I don’t intend to take it that way. But the lady here does have a quick wit, am I correct, Lunarius?” he said, tapping his gold-ringed finger on the table.

Astrid responded, rubbing her ring involuntarily. “Um, I just got this title recently… I still feel unworthy compared to other Lunarius, such as yourself, Sir Canis,” Astrid spoke up, her words somewhat self-deprecating.

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“How so?” Canis asked, sipping his tea.

“When we first made our way through the city, flying above the radar, I saw your masterworks. Buildings were sprouting and flourishing as though they were never destroyed, the dam, and the statue. You’ve undone the war, sir.”

Canis closed his eyes in acknowledgement. “Then you are just going through the infancy stage of a newly acquired title. The impostor syndrome, the self-doubter, perhaps. But do you believe it? All Lunarius have encountered the same sentiment, some more, some less,” he explained, his tone firm.

“Really?” Astrid asked, looking at Zetius. “Have you?” she asked the former Lunarius.

Zetius shrugged. “I guess.”

The original Zetius never had to struggle. After his first epopteia ritual, the Primordial essences made it too easy for him to excel in his class. Now things had turned upside down, left to right. Everything he needed, he had to earn, just like any Novitcius mage.

“Knew it. You damn brat!” she grumbled and hit him on the shoulder with her fist, a light jab. In response, Zetius pretended to wince and rub it gently.

“Hmmmmmm… I wonder what… bratty Zetius would be like,” Cubie interjected cheekily. That cracked everyone in the room up. The firewood crackled in the background, providing a tranquil atmosphere.

Canis began, his voice softened, “Astrid, you might feel the gap between the new Lunarius and the old ones. That’s totally fine. You must know that you’re merely twenty—”

“Eighteen!” Astrid corrected, crossing her arms in annoyance. Her brows visibly twitched.

The shaggy man scratched his cheek. “Well, eighteen, and I was titled Lunarius at forty-five—”

“Bloody hell!” Steve cursed profoundly. Everyone turned in his direction. Then he raised his arms as if to stop, feeling humiliated.

“This is the accumulation of decades, even a century, of my arcane practice. Of course, the gap will always be there. And another problem is that all Lunarius have reached the end of their ranks, so the stark difference will also be there.”

Astrid took it in deeply. “Yes… You’re right. Taking it for example, more of an eggs-to-eggs comparison, the difference between Warmongering Lunarius Willhelm and me is night and day.”

“Precisely,” Canis nodded, placing his cup of tea on the table.

Cubie browsed through the library integrated inside the arc comm. “Is it because the Zodiac Council only allows one Celestius title per Zodiac sign?”

Canis’s eyes widened with surprise. The man chuckled and responded, “Correct, little Cubie.”

Then he turned towards the young ones. “Now you know why there’s a fundamental gap, a massive one, between Lunarius. So, don’t feel too disheartened.”

He leaned forward, stroking his invisible beard like a wise wizard. “Remember, you only need to be better than your yesterday. That’s all that matters.”

The room became like a meditation chamber as they went into deep contemplation.

Astrid turned towards Zetius and smiled. Her sudden warmth felt too alien to Zetius. It also made his skin crawl.

“Wait, you all, why are you guys here again?” Steve finally addressed the elephant in the room.

“Oh…” Zetius gasped, his expression turning serious. “We’re looking for Frain.”

Canis blinked questioningly at Steve, then back to Zetius. “Why are you looking for her?”

Zetius stammered, confused. “She’s been missing since the escort mission. Remember when I sent Lupus and Frain to check on Rhok?”

“Yes~yes,” Steve replied reluctantly.

“That’s why I tried to follow her trail. That’s why we scanned the forest using a high-res thermal sensor, and even an ultrasonic transducer,” Zetius said, and Astrid nodded in support. “Have you guys or any Hoffmanns tried to find her at all?” he questioned, his voice desperate.

“We haven’t…” Canis paused, wearing a puzzled expression, hands juggling. “Because she found her way back post-mission.” Steve nodded vigorously.

Like a thunder struck on Zetius.

“What!? What did you say!?” Zetius jumped out of his seat, his heart pounding. “Where is she!?”