Inside of the Grand Hall of the Garden of Blood

Ava Carter – otherwise known as the Bloody Valkyrie – stands just meters in front of the center of the Grand Hall as the most powerful seer of the Garden performs a divination. And she can’t help but tap her foot in anticipation of the result, because she needs to get the child – Scarlet Asger – on her side.

Highest capabilities known to man, powerful blood magic skills, and a temperament honed and directed towards battle. She would be an absolutely perfect fit in the Garden.

It was the only reason she bothered to lower her head to make a request to the Class IV Guardian currently in charge of the girl’s Association. Something she would never do otherwise.

Ava recognizes that she has a big ego. That her pride often gets the best of her. But this time she didn’t let it. And still, it didn’t work. The man rejected her without a second thought.

Her fist clenches at that understanding before she relaxes again and looks around the Grand Hall to find dozens of women of all types. Most of whom are beautiful, but some – those being the few Class Is in the Association who haven’t ascended yet – aren’t.

All of them regardless of appearance, however, are powerful. The one thing the Garden of Blood requires as an absolute. Besides that the Association members be female, a stipulation made by the Valkyrie due to her… troubled past with men.

Ava doesn’t dislike men as a whole, she simply doesn’t feel comfortable around them. A significant improvement from when she felt terrified just being in their presence. And no one thinks less of her due to that, despite it being public knowledge. Even the Guardians in her Association respect her enough to not allow any men on the floating Garden of Blood.

The woman lets out a sigh before smiling a little at the women around the Grand Hall, each of whom appears rather excited at the thought of a new member joining their tight-knit Association. After all, it’s not a very common occurrence.

Even Ava admits that her requirements for joining may be a little strict.

But if I were anything other than strict, then the Garden wouldn’t have anywhere near as much respect from the world at large. And it certainly wouldn’t be one of the most powerful Associations in the world as it is now.

Ava’s thoughts are interrupted when a flash of white light shines from the woman sitting cross-legged in the center of the hall wearing a simple robe. But then the light suddenly fades, making Ava and the other women around the hall frown.

That… wasn’t supposed to happen.

“Did something go wrong?” Ava asks her seer the moment she opens her eyes, only to find the seer frowning soon after.

Sofia Rossi continues frowning for a few seconds before lifting her head, showing her completely white, pupilless eyes to Ava as she says, “I failed to connect.”

“But how?!” “Isn’t her divination supposed to work on anyone?!” “Maybe the new girl has some sort of resistance skill?” “But would that skill be able to resist the Pale Seer? When the girl’s only recently become Class II?”

“Do you know what happened?” Ava softly asks while kneeling down next to the blind seer. And the seer stares in her direction for a few seconds before eventually answering, “We appear to not have her full name.”

Ava blinks in surprise at that, only to stand up straight with a frown.

“You’re saying Scarlet Asger isn’t her true name then?” Ava asks, seeking clarification.

Sofia nods her head, briefly looking around at the women around her who are like family as she answers, “Yes. But it was… odd. It was like it was her name but wasn’t. Like something had hidden her true name from both us and the girl herself.”

The Bloody Valkyrie frowns at that.

But why… is it some sort of defensive measure White put into her daughter to defend against divination? Why would she need to defend against divination though? It’s not like the demons can accurately divine happenings on Earth from Tartarus… or can they? But even then they’d need to know her true name for it to matter. Did her name get leaked to the demons and made into a weakness for the Knight?

Ava looks down at the ground as the other women talk amongst themselves about their interesting new potential recruit. After several seconds of silence though, Ava finally looks at Sofia again, giving her a gentle smile as she helps her to her feet and says, “Thank you for your help, as always, Sofia.”

She then begins to lead her through the hall towards a more comfortable location while seriously pondering what to do with the girl if divining what it would take for her to accept a mentorship isn’t possible.

This is going to be much harder than I thought.

Scarlet

Before I walk through the doors of the building’s entry way into the cold outdoors, I shift around rather awkwardly to take off my coat, leaving me in just my short sleeved shirt. Then I cover Aria with my coat, still awkwardly shifting her around until I have her bundled up, the girl somehow having slept through all that movement as I begin moving outside of the building. All while ignoring the glances coming our way by both students and faculty, along with the shuttering sounds of a couple photos being taken. Something I’ve grown used to at this point.

Although I think this might be one of the few pictures outside of the annoying modeling pictures I had to take that I’m actually not covering up my arms with long sleeves.

Fortunately, the cold from being outside doesn’t really bother me at all even without my coat. Not since I became Class II at least. Before that it may have bothered me a little bit. But it goes to show the benefits of ascending are more than just the visible benefits.

I briefly look around outside for Aria’s butler, only to feel my terminal buzz, so I raise it to find a message from him stating that he won’t be able to pick her up. It also asks me if I can look after her for a bit, so I answer in the positive before lowering my terminal and beginning the trek back to my suite.

Out of nowhere though, I feel a strange tingling sensation in the back of my head. Something I’ve felt quite a few times since reaching Class II. Almost like someone is trying to look at me from far away but fails.

An odd feeling.

Tar mentioned that it was probably a failed divination when I first felt it, but why are there so many failed divinations on me? It’s like there’s been at least two a week…

Whoever’s doing the divining must be a terrible seer if they’re failing that badly.

I can’t help but wonder who it is though?

My first guess is probably my grandfather on my father’s side that Tar mentioned cares about me and has no idea where I am. But I could be wrong.

Also, this time the sensation felt a little weaker. As if it were someone else doing it. A weaker person.

Either way, I continue walking through the snow with Aria in my arms, heading towards my suite to go play some more Hunter XI and put Aria to bed.