The next morning, Hera got herself ready and left together with Insomniac and Valera. They went back to Boothudurn in order to take the Kobold Road, as that was the easiest way for them to get to Valera's home. The trio didn't even bother asking the alliance if they could use the Underground Babel. After all, what was the point of having a secret passage in the MAZE if they were going to tell everybody about it? Even if Insomniac and Hera knew about the place, that wasn't the same for Valera. So instead, they were taking the scenic route, so to speak.
Unlike what the Empress was expecting, Valera was very fit for her age. The woman could move around without much of a problem, and despite the presence of the cane, she really didn't need to use something like that. It was pretty obvious that the cane was more a tool to make people see her a certain way than something that she actually needed to use.
The trip was uncomfortable, to say the least. The older woman was no longer treating Hera extremely poorly, but at the same time, she was far from being nice. While they were crossing the Wailing Valley, Hera was riding Nimbus while the two humans were on top of a self-driving carriage, something that Insomniac had gained a long time ago and was still able to keep up with the speed he needed in certain circumstances.
The man smiled and said to her, "This is just the mount I use when I have to bring someone along. I have another one for when I'm traveling on my own, one that's faster."
There was some pride in his voice, and Hera couldn't really blame the man. After all, she had a similar feeling when thinking about Nimbus.
They were not rushing, although they were not being too cavalier with the speed either. There were some points of their journey that they would need to speed up in order to make good time. Otherwise, they could end up having to wait around for either a doorway to open or a boat to arrive. It was a bit annoying to have to deal with things like that. Hera didn't want to waste any more time than she was already going to, especially since she was going out of her way to help these people when she wanted to be doing something else entirely.
Still, the Wailing Valley ended up being a good room for her to ask a few questions since it was a place private enough so that no one would hear. After all, it seemed like what she wanted to know wasn't information freely available to everyone.
"If you don't mind me asking, what are the clans?"
Insomniac turned to the side to look at Valera as if asking for permission to speak, but the woman was the one who started talking.
"You must have heard about how there are some legacies that are passed on from one person to the next, right?"
The Empress nodded. "Yeah. I assume that Azure Chain was like that."
"Correct. But still, the clans, or as we call them clans, are families that have done so for generations. They have built their influence and grown their power all on the backs of one specific legacy. Azure Chain is one. Another famous clan used to be the Golden Army, Cyrus' legacy. But it's been a long time since they vanished."
"What do you mean, vanished?" Hera asked.
"Exactly what it sounds like. There was a minor war a couple thousand years back, and by the end of it, the clan was gone. No one was left to say they were descendants of Cyrus, and people eventually just moved on, believing them to be casualties of war. Some even say that they are hiding somewhere in the MAZE, waiting for a chance to regain their influence. But honestly, at this point, I don't believe in that. It's been too long for them to not have shown up."
The Empress nodded, but there were still questions in her mind. "But what's the point of having a clan? Wouldn't it be easier to have an organization? Or is the clan just about making sure the legacy always stays in the family?"
"That is one of the reasons, yes. If we were to let others receive the legacy, our family would lose their influence, and organizations are under a different type of scrutiny."
"So being a clan is about not having to worry about paying taxes?"
Valera chuckled. "Oh no, we pay a large amount of taxes. But we don't need to make sure that everybody is treated the same. We can funnel our resources a the single individual without having to worry about any kind of legal problem later on."
Hera shook her head, realizing that this was all about self-benefit, and being part of the clan was just like being part of an abusive company that was going to try to bleed you dry.
Yet, Valera didn't let the topic die out. "You're still not thinking this is a good idea, are you?"
Hera shook her head. "Not really. It sounds like you're just exploiting people with more steps. And I know how toxic families can be. I can only imagine that in a clan, that toxicity is turned up to eleven, if not more."
"But you're not seeing the bigger picture. Imagine an entire group of people working to help you develop your abilities. Imagine if you had dozens, if not hundreds, of warriors training in hopes of getting a skill similar to what you have and being able to use their experience to improve what you yourself have already accomplished."
Stolen novel; please report.
Hera sighed. "I can only imagine how awful it must be to spend my entire life living for someone else. I get that legacies are things that very few people are able to say they got. And I did. Still, no legacy is worth living a life like that."
Understanding that there was no way to convince the Empress, Valera just sighed and slumped back into her chair. Insomniac spent most of the time really quiet, not really wanting to join in the conversation.
They still arrived at the outpost where they spent the night, and another day more, they were back in Boothudurn. Now that they were in a more civilized place, Valera was able to get her own hotel room, and so did Insomniac, which allowed the man to have a more private conversation with Hera, who was clearly unsure of the relationship between the strongest man in the MAZE and this older woman.
They were in his hotel room, a couple floors down from Valera, since they didn't have rooms that were side by side, and Hera was sitting across from him with her arms folded with an annoyed expression. All of her goodwill had vanished during this small leg of the trip, and they still had several more days left before she was free to go.
"I know that Valera can be difficult, and I am sorry for that."
Hera stared at Insomniac and said, "I'm also waiting for your apology for ambushing me ."
"That's fair. I am also sorry for not talking to you beforehand. But I owe her a lot."
"What? What can you possibly owe her?"
"My life," the man replied. "She saved my life twice. The first time when I was a kid and had nowhere to go and no one to help, and she took me in, giving me a chance to work and to survive. And another after I got the legacy, when she took me under her wing to make sure that no one was going to try to steal it from me. She taught me how to use some aspects of the legacy and even helped me manage my lack of sleep, as in the early days, before a couple of skills came to play. My legacy didn't just make me stronger when I wasn't sleeping, but stopped me from sleeping altogether."
Hera frowned and turned to the man. "Wasn't that supposed to kill you?"
"Very much so. To be fair, it wasn't for lack of trying that it failed. But the legacy wasn't able to finish me off, and that's thanks to Valera. Without the spells that she used to forcibly put me to sleep until I managed to get a handle on things, I wouldn't be able to survive."
"Couldn't you have used those spells on your own? Or get some potions," Hera asked.
Insomniac sighed. "Because of my legacy, I can't use any sort of sleep-inducing spells. No matter what, it doesn't work. So I need someone else to help me with that part. And while I wasn't as strong as I am today when I first got it, I was still much higher level than most people, and finding someone with sleeping spells at that level that could penetrate my defenses was not an easy task. She spent a lot of money to accomplish that."
"So she didn't save you herself."
Insomniac nodded. "Yes, she paid someone to do that. But that doesn't detract from the fact that if she wasn't there, I wouldn't have gotten help."
"And are you going to say that if you had a clan, that wouldn't be a problem?"
"I wouldn't say a clan, but if I had a mentor, then I might be able to solve those issues beforehand. But my legacy was one that I gained from a test, not from a monster or someone."
"Fine. But are you honestly telling me that you don't see anything wrong with the whole clan idea? I mean, there are countless stories about how people were abused in places like that, and you grew up in one of those places. I'm sure you have your own share of horror stories."
Insomniac leaned back on his chair, staring at the cup of soda in front of him, "I do. But at the same time, I understand where Valera is coming from. Yes, a clan can have many problems, and even hers has them. When I was growing up, I saw the relentless bullying and the abuse that some people suffered just because they were not from the main branch of the family or something like that. I've seen how much pressure those who are expected to succeed are under and how much they struggle if they fail to accomplish something that the adults seem to think is adequate."
He shifted his eyes to look at Hera, "But the view you have about clans feels a bit like a fantasy. A bad fantasy at that. It feels like you only learned what it's like to be part of a big family with specific goals from novels and other stories. Because yes, there are issues. But there's also a lot of good that comes from living in a community who are all dedicated to the same goal."
Insomniac took a sip of his soda, "As an example, no one who is part of the clan needs to worry about not being able to join the MAZE to become an explorer. They are allowed and even motivated to do so once they reach of age. And if you don't want to, that's fine. The clan will have places for you to work or jobs that you can take. They will even help you with any fees from university so you can do what you want." He sighed and put the empty cup on the table in front of them.
"While I do understand your comment about making an organization, places like that can't really help the lives of those who are born in it, not directly at least. And while the main branch and those who are expected to be the next wielder of their legacy may be under a lot of pressure, those who do not have that aspiration can find comfort and support."
Hera listened to what Insomniac was saying, but she still shook her head at the end. "I get what you're saying. But it still feels like a cult."
"Maybe cult-adjacent," Insomniac admitted.
"Anyway, how long will it take us to reach their estate?" the Empress asked.
"I have talked to Valera about that. We will get there in four days. If we were going to take the regular route, it would likely take a week and a half. But there is a shortcut we can take as long as everybody is strong enough to survive a higher layer."
Hera frowned. "How high are we talking?"
"Twenty-three. So monsters should be from level seventy to seventy-two. Valera and I can take them without much of an issue, and with your legacy, I believe you won't be in too much danger as we pass by. I also promise you that I'll stay with you for as long as you need in the Azure estate, and we'll take you back at least until we pass that room so you can go back to what you were doing. Unless, of course, you're going to use one of the shortcuts that the Alliance has. I have no clue if there is any easier path for you."
Hera nodded. "Thank you. But that's not going to be enough."
"What do you mean?" Insomniac crossed his arms.
"I want one more thing. When we reach that high-level room, let me fight one of the monsters and see if you can help me figure out any type of combat style I could use. I'm still thinking about what we talked during the party."
The frown on the face of Insomniac changed into a smile, one of a kid who just got a new toy. "Oh, of course. I'm going to love to see you in action."