Assimilate All Talents

Sol asked, "But doesn’t it say ’variant human’ on your status page? Couldn’t they have known that way?"

Lazuli shook her head. "Everyone in our family is a variant human. Its just that the differences between them and normal humans are almost nonexistent."

"The only ways to identify the traits of a Scale Born are through physical changes or if we, for some reason, level up before our leveling ceremony, where we usually unlock a poison or serpent related talent," Lapis elaborated. "Since they knew we had the traits, we grew up hearing a lot of stories and myths about those like us. Later, when Lazuli died to a Gust Talon that blew her own attack back at her, I recalled one of the myths that said it was possible to revive a dead Scale Born. I didn’t know all the details, but I knew our blood was the key, so I stored some of hers before burying her body."

"Wait, where did you bury me?"

Lapis didn’t answer her sister’s question. Lazuli stood up and positioned herself between Lapis and Sol, demanding an answer.

"Where. Was. I. Buried?"

The usually prideful Lapis found it difficult to meet her twin sister’s intense gaze. She looked away, focusing on the wall as she answered, "At the nearby village’s communal grave… It saved me the time of digging a hole."

"YOU BURIED ME WITH A BUNCH OF STRANGERS?!"

Lazuli raised her hands, ready to strangle her sister in blind rage but managed to restrain herself back just in time. She didn’t want to kill her sister just after she was brought back from the dead after all.

"I didn’t think much of it at the time… I was going to revive you, so it didn’t matter where you were buried as long as it didn’t turn you into an undead. It’s fine, right?"

"IT’S NOT!" Lazuli screamed.

Lapis’ squad members shook their heads, disagreeing with her logic. Sure, it was practical, but it couldn’t have taken that much effort to dig a small grave somewhere nicer. Even they had given Lapis a proper burial, and though they hadn’t known at the time that they could revive her, they still would have done so.

After hearing Lazuli rant for a while, Sol felt bad for Lapis, even though she was in the wrong, and tried to help her out by changing the subject. "I get why you had your sister’s blood, but when did you store a vial of your own? Did you do it soon after?"

Lapis took the opportunity to evade Lazuli’s wrath and replied, "No, after all, who would revive me if I died? The first three months, I spent searching for information. Besides a few rumors and folklore I had already known, I got a lead from a black market contact that pointed me to the Royal Library. Since there was no easy way to get inside without being part of the royal family, my only option was to join as a knight. Until the selection, I spent the rest of my time training. After that, you all know the rest. I was planning to save my merits and climb up the ranks to get the resurrection method, but before I could even finish my first mission, I died…"

Lazuli, who was still itching to admonish her sister further, sat back down, mellowed by hearing her story. Her explanation gave Lazuli more insight into how hard her sister had worked to revive her and how she had died in the process. Lazuli decided to leave the matter of her horrible grave for another time.

"So, when did you store a vial of your blood?" Duncan asked.

"After we freed the people in the fort from the bandits," Lapis answered, turning to Sol. "When you offered to help. I was going to tell you then, but I hesitated. By the time I found the resolve to tell you, we were in a blizzard, and after that, we had an A-Ranker after us."

When Lapis said it was because of him that she had prepared a second vial just in case, Sol couldn’t help but feel a bit embarrassed, but he was glad nonetheless. At the time, he had just been trying to hear her out, but it had indirectly led to Lapis having a chance at being revived.

After hearing her story, Sol asked, "Now that we know how we got here, what do you plan to do now?"

It was a question on everyone’s mind. After all, now that Lapis had achieved her goal of bringing her sister back to life, what reason did she have to stay? Sure, there was a minimum time one had to serve as a knight before retiring, but it wasn’t out of the question to simply run away. The issue was that those who did were almost always caught and prosecuted.

Luckily, Lapis had no such thoughts.

"For now, I plan to stay. The merits I earn can be used to improve myself rather than wasting them on reviving my sister."

"It’s a waste to revive me…" Though the two had been together since the day they were born, Lapis’ blunt words never failed to shock Lazuli.

Sol turned to the bummed out Lazuli and asked, "What about you? Any plans now that you’re back among the living?"

Asked such an important question, Lazuli straightened her back and seriously contemplated it. After a moment of silence, she said, "I’d rather stay with Lapis than go back home… Can I join the Royal Knights?"