To cut the long story short, the Fairy King agreed to my offer.
We shook hands and entered into an agreement, just as I had planned. However, merely agreeing to do something, and then doing the thing, were two completely separate matters.
… We were really just getting started.
*********
After solidifying our agreement, the next step was relieving Oberon of the curse inflicted on him by the Elf Queen.
'Since we need to get this over with first before we can move on to our joint project, its best to resolve it quickly.'
In order to understand and ultimately break Oberon's curse, I knew I would need to delve deeply into the Fairy King's soul.
His curse was not some superficial enchantment; it was deeply intertwined with his very being, making it a complex and dangerous operation.
That was why even he, despite how skilled he was at Magic, could not help himself.
'That means the Elf Queen has a specialty in Soul magic. Interesting…'
Fortunately, I had some experience with Jane Ursula, my closest friend who loved Magic just as I did. She was an expert on Soul Magic, and I learned a thing or two from her.
'I also have Jared's memories intact. That's good…'
The first step was to enter a meditative state, not dissimilar to a trance. Afterward, the both of us would use Resonance to connect with each other.
This allowed us to sharpen our senses, attuning my magic to Oberon's.
As my awareness extended towards him, I could sense the immense power radiating from him, a testament to his status as the Fairy King.
'He's really strong…'
Far stronger than Aria, or any other person I had met in this realm.
Next, I reached out with my magic, delicately probing the Fairy King's soul.
This was a step that required the utmost care, as the soul was an intensely private and delicate thing. Too forceful an approach could cause serious harm.
Thankfully, my previous experiences with Soul Magic had given me a gentle touch. It was mostly theoretical, so I still had to be very careful.
Slowly, I began to feel the curse. It was like a dark cloud, an insidious presence lurking within Oberon's soul.
It was twisted and knotted tightly around his essence, weaving in and out of his soul's fabric.
The curse was horrifyingly complex, a testament to the Elf Queen's malevolent ingenuity.
'Not bad. Not bad…'
My first priority was to isolate the curse, preventing it from causing further harm to Oberon.
Using my magic, I wove a barrier around the cursed area. It was akin to containing a spreading infection, stopping the curse from further embedding itself.
Once the curse was isolated, the real work began. I started to unravel the curse, working my way from the outermost tendrils to its core.
This was a painstakingly slow process, much like untangling a knotted string. Any wrong move could cause the curse to tighten its grip, further endangering Oberon's soul.
As I worked, I began to understand the nature of the curse. It was a powerful bond, a type of magical contract, that bound Oberon to the Elf Queen's will.
It was fueled by the Fairy King's innate connection to his kingdom, and the more he resisted, the tighter it wound around his soul.
With this understanding, I started working on breaking the bond.
This required a very specific counter-spell that I had to sort of develop from scratch, utilizing various forms and techniques in order to apply to this specific condition.
I channeled my magic into the core of the curse, weaving the counter-spell into its structure.
Slowly, the curse began to loosen its grip, and bit by bit, it started to disintegrate.
Finally, after what felt like hours, the curse was broken.
Exhausted but elated, I withdrew my magic from Oberon's soul, disabling the Resonance.
"Haaa… haa…"
As I opened my eyes, I saw the Fairy King looking at me with a mix of awe and gratitude.
I felt exhausted, but contrary to me, he seemed to be full of energy.
"Ahh, Lewis… I sincerely thank you!"
Oberon, now grinning from ear to ear, folded his arms and floated above, brimming with excitement.
He was free, and we now had a fighting chance against the Triumvirate.
Looking at Oberon, his aura now significantly different after the removal of the curse, I gave a soft sigh.
"Now comes the next part of the plan," I began. "We need to disable the surveillance that the Elf Queen has on the Fairy Kingdom."
Oberon's brows furrowed, his tone heavy with concern, "That won't be easy. The Queen's eyes are everywhere. It's one of the reasons why I couldn't resist or plan against her."
"I have a few ideas," I assured him, leaning back in the chair and folding my arms across my chest.
"Your people have access to powerful, ancient magic, correct? What about using a magical shield, one that could hide your entire kingdom from external magical scrying?"
Oberon's eyes gleamed with interest. "That could work, but the scale of the magic... It would require a significant amount of energy. And once we invoke such a shield, the Triumvirate will notice it. They'll know something is amiss."
I nodded, expecting this. "Correct, which is why the moment we implement this, we must swiftly proceed with our plan. We have no time to waste. Once the shield is up, the construction of the Mecha Knights must commence immediately."
"And what about the Elf Queen?" Oberon asked, the worry evident in his voice. "How long before she intervenes?"
"I'll deal with that," I said, my voice filled with confidence.
'At the very least, I can buy a lot of time.'
*
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