Like with most SSS Rank Quests, Kieran couldn't receive the rewards right away as they were distributed by the issuer of the quest. For him to bypass this limitation, he'd have to receive rewards from a quest that an NPC did not administer.
In other words, it had to be from a quest that the game system alone generated.
According to Kieran's knowledge, those kinds of quests were extremely limited in number.
After all, the sole presence of the game system meant that the quest in mention could potentially change Zenith Online for everyone.
Of course, there was also the possibility of it being a minute quest, but the odds of that were simply too low to count upon.
Once Kieran placed the five Heart of Nature in his inventory, he looked at Vitalia with a complex expression. "Since you're in contact with Gaea, has she alerted you of my circumstances?"
"She has and you're free to leave. I have no intention to keep you here in the Forest of Gardenia. You may meet with the Mystic Heiress to decide upon your next course of action," Vitalia replied, giving Kieran a faint yet amicable smile.
"I appreciate your understanding, Queen Vitalia." Kieran showed the respect that was due and nodded faintly as it wasn't within his character to bow to anyone.
Afterward, he turned toward Ayduin, giving him the same respectful courtesy.
Since he could foresee another meeting with the Elves in the future, Kieran decided that it would be best to maintain a certain level of respect between them.
Though, this decision was irrespective of Gaea's generous acts. Above all, Kieran kept the pretense of the Calamity Quest in mind.
'Weathering the calamity will require the unity of the races, but they never said how I had to go about doing it. That's where my freedom to act comes into play,' Kieran thought.
As he did so, he took his leave from the queen's parlor.
Ayduin offered to lead him back to whence he came, but Kieran decided against it. Kieran was quite confident in his memory and the layout of this area wasn't too complex, so he found his way back to the path that led to the Eternal Oasis' gateway with ease.
…
Roughly fifteen minutes after his departure…
Crossing over the inhabitable expanse that linked the Eternal Oasis and the gateway, Kieran arrived inside the projection of the Almighty Tree of Provenance.
The first thing that met his sight upon his return was Agatha's somewhat judgemental gaze.
"I have half a mind to scold you for missing out on some key practice, but I won't do that. I can tell at a glance that you have benefited greatly from meeting with the elven royalty," Agatha said.
From her initially tense expression, Agatha's expression shifted into a smile. "You'll tell me all about it on our way back to your property, right?"
In response to her question, Kieran smiled bitterly. "Actually… I won't be returning there. Instead, I'll be heading directly to the Hero's Sanctuary. I doubt Isadora will be pleased with how long the completion of the quest took."
"Won't be pleased? Who cares about her? The moment she sees that you've honored her request, she'll hold you in high regard," Agatha scoffed, recalling Isadora's personality.
Though she was the type to chase perfection in terms of her craft, when it came to interaction, Isadora was quite easy to please. If not, Scar would have long since faced her wrath with all the debt she shouldered in the past because of his asinine decisions.
Learning about the little bits of Isadora's personality astonished Kieran as he didn't expect someone in her position to be so easily delighted. As Kieran and Agatha began their departure from the Forest of Gardenia, she began to question him to ascertain his gains both from the Elves and the time he spent beside her.
The recount of events fell within Agatha's expectations, aside from the mention of quintessence. Agatha didn't expect that Isadora would be so slick, even asking him to receive droplets from the Peripheral Aether Pool.
'What a sneaky sneaky girl you are. We both know very well there was nothing that you could have consumed that equates to the value of Quintessential Aether. If you did… his body should have exploded,' Agatha thought.
Though she wanted to mock Kieran for being had, Agatha chose not to do so. After all, she wasn't 100% certain that her speculations were true.
Moreover, she also didn't know the motive behind Isadora's actions.
What if they stemmed from the nature of Kieran's state at the time?
If one looked at the matter from a logical standpoint, Quintessential Aether was an incredible neutralizing agent against Argexes' Blood, or rather the effects of it.
While Kieran was in the presence of the pool, he felt relaxed and in control. That atmosphere was saturated with the aether's essence, so it was safe to assume that it was responsible for the temporary serenity Kieran felt.
After returning to the outside of the Forest of Gardenia, namely the Veiled Celestial Arboretum, Kieran found that the veil no longer targeted him, which he naturally understood was related to Civala's words.
A portion of his aura resembled a Highborn, so the veil didn't view him as a threat.
A few seconds later, Kieran waited for Agatha to prepare a portal up to the Hero's Sanctuary. While he could use the Bloody Hero's Symbol to create one, he decided against doing so.
The portal it created was somewhat uncomfortable to traverse.
Soon, the space between Agatha and Kieran began to shatter like glass under an immense amount of pressure, collapsing on itself until a stable pathway formed.
Naturally, after its formation, they ventured inside, leaving the territory of the Elves.
…
Within the Hero's Sanctuary…
Zaragosa swiftly detected spatial activity from within the Teleportation Gate. Though, upon recognizing the signature of this energy, he assisted in the creation of the pathway.
"Bloody Inheritor, Mystic Mistress," Zaragosa greeted.
A few moments later, Agatha's velvety voice sounded from within the portal. "How kind of you, Zaragosa! You didn't have to be such a dear and help out like that."
"Nonsense. It's my duty to ensure that the gate is used properly," Zaragosa rebutted.
"Sure it is," Agatha said, using an intonation that clearly doubted Zaragosa.
Because of this tone, however, Zaragosa chose to remain silent and not engage in further banter with Agatha. Instead, he looked at Kieran and arched his brow. 'Oh? Can he even be considered a mere Bloody Inheritor anymore? I wonder how the Blood Fiend will react.'
Despite having these questions, Zaragosa kept them to himself. In any case, his curiosity would be answered soon enough.
After bidding farewell to Zaragosa, Kieran and Agatha ventured to Isadora's place of stay within the sanctuary.
Unlike Kieran's polite knock, Agatha was quite unreserved, banging on the door in a way that revealed her identity without Isadora having to ask.
As a result, the door opened a second later, revealing Isadora seated with a frown on her face. "Tch, girl… where is your decorum? How many times have I told you not to bang on the door like that? You could have disturbed me."
"If your concentration is that fragile, perhaps you should further engross yourself in your work," Agatha scoffed.
Despite their attitudes, however, once they stood before each other, they revealed charming smiles and hugged one another.
"I missed you, Aggy." Isadora sighed, continuing to embrace Agatha.
"I did as well, Izzy," Agatha said in a similarly yearning tone.
However, that's not all she said. In a voice only they could hear, Agatha asked: "Now, tell me… have you taken advantage of that poor boy?"
"Not at all," Isadora denied. "I know Scar isn't the best Master, so I had the boy procure safety precautions."
"I see…" Agatha nodded in response. "So that's how it is."
In the meantime, Kieran remained at a loss.
It appeared that Agatha and Isadora's relationship was deeper than he could have imagined.
Now that they were beside one another, the feeling they gave off was similar to a meeting between dear sisters that had not seen each other for quite some time.
Nevertheless, Kieran didn't come here to watch their reunion. As per the quest objectives, he retrieved two Heart of Natures and the container of Quintessential Aether.
Gaea had warned him to open the lid sparingly to avoid ruining the efficacy of the aether. With that, he retrieved the entire container. Something told him that Isadora should possess the means to handle it properly.
As soon as Kieran retrieved the items, Isadora's lair was filled with a vibrant energy.
Unsurprisingly, the appearance of this energy prompted Isadora to quickly release Agatha and cautiously approach the items.
"You… succeeded," Isadora muttered in disbelief.
In truth, part of her expected Kieran to fail the quest. After all, she had attempted to mediate with the Elves several times, only for them to turn her away without listening to her words.
The vitality found in the items she had Kieran retrieve was inimitable, so she didn't doubt the authenticity of it.
With a simple wave of her hand, a small chest appeared before Kieran. When the lid opened, it revealed piles upon piles of Gold.
〈System: You have completed the SSS Rank Quest: «Isadora's Repayment»!〉
〈System: You have received 100,000 Gold.〉
〈System: You have reached max Favorability with Isadora.〉
〈System: You have received a special opportunity.〉
Isadora struggled to speak for quite some time as she analyzed the Heart of Nature in her hand, imagining the potions and elixirs she could concoct. But when it came to the aether, she nearly fainted while considering the possibilities.
Eventually, after regaining some of her wits, Isadora urged Kieran to peruse the collection of alchemy recipes present. "As long as you don't go overboard, you may choose what you like. However, you may not take anything above a Rank V recipe, is that understood?"
"Understood." Kieran nodded.
Though, for some reason, he felt like something was off. The quest details said he may pick 3 recipes, yet Isadora invited him to choose whatever he liked.
