Melissa says “Yes, everything stayed the same as it is here. Otherwise I probably wouldn’t have survived. The world is a very dangerous place now.”

  Sarah says “That means everyone is going to have to seriously consider if they still want to go back!”

  Melissa says “Yes, they will, but I will be going back. There are still people there that I want to help!”

  Bella says “I don’t understand something, I was summoned much later than you, but there was no war going on before I was summoned!”

  “What year was it when you were summoned?”

  Melissa says “It was 2024.”

  Bella says “It was 2025.”

  Melissa says “That explains it. This time when I went back it was 2029. The war must have started around the time you were summoned and you just didn’t hear about it.”

  Bella says “That could be, but why is the flow of time so strange?”

  “I have no idea! Lin?”

  Lin says “Sorry, I have no idea either. I can’t even be sure that the spell I use is the same one the king used.”

  “I doubt it. The one the goddesses taught you is probably a better spell. Also, the fact that they summoned fifty people at once might have something to do with it. Although, it is even more weird than that.”

  Lin says “What do you mean?”

  “Well, Melissa said it was 2024 when she was summoned, but I was summoned at the same time, but I died in 2022.”

  Lin says “Your summoning was quite a bit different than theirs!”

  “Yes, it was. Honestly, we can’t even be sure we were all summoned from the same world. Did any of you compare notes about the world you came from?”

  My question sparks a noisy conversation amongst all of the summoned in the room. They quickly figure out that while they are all from the same year, they were summoned from different months. After determining that, they start discussing the recent history before they were summoned.

  This takes a bit longer, but small differences are discovered, it seems they are not all from the same Earth. However, Lin’s spell should return each of them to the same world they came from. That means that they have no way of knowing if their world is the one Melissa visited.

  Now they will have to decide if they want to take the risk, because Lin won’t be summoning them back. However, from the conversations I am hearing most of them plan to take the chance. It really doesn’t have anything to do with me, I won’t be going back no matter what.

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  Bella says “Melissa, did the new tattoos work?”

  Melissa says “Yes, they were perfect!”

  Bella says “In that case, everyone should be able to protect themselves, at least until the stored mana is used up. I will do the full set of tattoos on anyone who wants them.”

  Everyone who has decided to return raises their hand to indicate they want the tattoos. The offer also sways a few more to decide that they want to take the chance and go home. It looks like only one or two will be changing their minds and staying in this world.

  It is going to take at least a few days for Bella to do tattoos on this many people. That means that they shouldn’t need Lin for a while and they shouldn’t need me at all. However, just as I am getting ready to leave, Isabella waves me down and leads me into a private room.

  “Hi, Isabella, what’s up?”

  Isabella says “Hello, Ash. I wanted to talk to you about Ruby. I plan to take my chances and go home, but I don’t want to take Ruby to a world where there probably won’t be any mana.”

  “What does Ruby have to say about it?”

  Isabella says “She says that she wants to go with me no matter what.”

  “Then you should take her with you.”

  Isabella says “That could doom her to a slow death by mana starvation!”

  “No, it won’t. If there is no mana in your Earth, all you have to do is release the contract. Ruby would return to the plane of fire and be just fine.”

  Isabella says “That is true, but I am not sure that Ruby would accept that!”

  “It isn’t like she can force you to keep the contract. She wouldn’t be able to do anything to stop you from ending the contract. She could stick around until she runs out of mana, but that is it.”

  Isabella says “I am worried about what she might do before running out of mana. Once I release the contract there will be nothing I can do to stop her.”

  “Well, what other option is there? What is it that you want me to do?”

  Isabella says “I want to transfer Ruby’s contract back to you!”

  “Are you insane?! As jealous as Ruby is, you want me to take her contract before my wedding?!”

  Isabella says “It won’t be that bad! Ruby has matured a lot in her time with me. She knows that she wasn’t really in love with you, she was just obsessed because you saved her. You can’t really blame her, she was alone for a really long time.”

  “I never really blamed her, I just couldn’t return her feelings. That doesn’t mean I am willing to take her contract back. Having her in my head when I am with my wives would just be cruel.”

  Isabella says “That’s true, I didn’t think of that. Then what are we going to do? Is taking her with me really my only option?”

  “The way I see it, you have two options. One, release her contract now and send her home. Two, find someone else who can take her contract from you. Or I suppose you could change your mind and not go home.”

  Isabella says “No, I can’t do that, I have to go back!”

  “Then I suggest you sit Ruby down and have a long chat with her. If you can’t get her to agree, then you will have to release the contract. It would probably be best to have someone standing by who can banish her back to the plane of fire.”

  Isabella says “That would really piss her off! If she ever managed to find her way back there would be hell to pay!”

  “You wouldn't be around, so you don’t need to worry about that. If it bothers you, then work hard and convince her.”

  Isabella says “I will try, but if it doesn’t work I am coming back to you for help.”

  “At least try and figure out why she is so set on going with you. You need to understand her reasons in order to convince her.”

  Isabella says “Alright. I will do my best.”

  I walk back into the common room and look around for Lin, but it looks like she has already left. Bella also seems to have left, but she is probably busy starting to do tattoos for people. I head back to the castle, but when I don’t find Lin there I gate myself back to the elven capital.