Memoirs of Your Local Small-time Villainess
Chapter 346 - Beld Thylelion

The space around Scarlett twisted into a web of tangled hues, a lattice of colour and awareness collapsing into a marine void of shifting black. Then, after a weightless beat of silence and absence, light welled back into the world, spilling across her vision as the [Sphere of Serendipity] pulsed gently in her palm.

She stood now in a dimly lit sub-chamber of pale, ivory stone. The walls—pristine and ancient—arched overhead like frozen waves cresting into shadow.

The surfaces were etched with impossibly fine lines, almost too perfect to be crafted by hand, forming vast networks of looping glyphs and intricate arcane arrays. A low hum filled the air—not quite sound, not quite sensation—as if magic itself had been braided into the stone. At the heart of the chamber, a raised panel shimmered with the slow beating of blue-white light, its glow dancing in rhythmic waves across the carved floor, illuminating the room with cold clarity.

Around her, the quiet exhalations and murmurs of her companions broke the hush. They took in the surroundings with a mix of awe and caution.

“Wow…” Allyssa breathed, reaching out as if to grasp the air itself. “Is it just me, or does this place feel…special somehow? Like there’s this weight surrounding us?”

“No, you’re right,” Rosa said, her voice echoing softly through the chamber. “There’s definitely something unusual here. In more ways than one, I’d wager. Isn’t that right, Scarlett?”

Scarlett didn’t respond. She only half-registered their words, her focus fixed on the glowing panels. That, and the flickering windows of text that floated before her.

[Main questline “Rising action” has been completed]

[Objective completed: Enter the ruins of Beld Thylelion before all others]

[Reward: Additional Skills Menu privileges]

[Bonus Objective Result: 67 Skill Points]

[Skill Menu Access Expanded]

[Skills Menu:

Upgrades

[Major Pyromancy] (50 points)

[Argent Pyrokinesis] (100 points | Spark of Divinity 0/1)

[Major Hydromancy] (50 points)

[Argent Hydrokinesis] (100 points | Spark of Divinity 0/1)

[Argent Mana Control] (100 points | Spark of Divinity 0/1)

New skills - Echoes

[Echo of Shattered Glass](150 points | Available)

[Echo of the Smouldering Crown] (200 points | Dormant)

[Echo of a Distant Tide] (200 points | Dormant)

[…]]

[Main questline Updated: Day of reckoning]

{Conflicts erupt across Tanrelia, centred on the Graenal Empire. Beld Thylelion awakens and begins to open, becoming the fulcrum of the growing war. The Tribute of Dominion lies within, along with its secrets and powers}

[Objective: Reach the Chamber of Sovereignty]

[Reward: Dominion’s Claim]

(Optional rewards: Spark of Divinity)

[Failure: Demise]

“Scarlett…?” Allyssa’s voice reached her from the side, tinged with concern.

Rosa raised a calming hand toward Allyssa, eyes on Scarlett. “Give her a moment.”

Scarlett’s gaze swept over the system windows, reading them twice, then a third time.

She’d done it. She’d completed the only quest the system had forced on her all those months ago. And of course it immediately replaced it. She couldn’t even pretend to be surprised.

Now, it demanded she reach the Chamber of Sovereigns—deep within the ruins—to claim what awaited there. While the system gave no explicit deadline this time, the very nature of Beld Thylelion served as a ticking clock, since it wouldn’t stick around forever.

Worse, if the quest’s description could be taken literally—

Beld Thylelion was now opening.

Whether it was her early entry that triggered something, or some mechanism entirely unknown to her, it didn’t matter. If the ancient structure was truly awakening, others would soon follow.

That wasn’t ideal for Scarlett. But it was a possibility she had been mindful of. It was one of the reasons she’d suspected that leaving Beld Thylelion wouldn’t be an option once inside.

It was fine. She had prepared for this day for months. The odds might not be entirely in her favour, depending on the unknown challenges ahead, but they weren’t necessarily stacked against her either.

Still…

Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully at the system window in front of her.

[Skill Menu Access Expanded]

[Skills Menu:

Upgrades

[Major Pyromancy] (50 points)

[Argent Pyrokinesis] (100 points | Spark of Divinity 0/1)

[Major Hydromancy] (50 points)

[Argent Hydrokinesis] (100 points | Spark of Divinity 0/1)

[Argent Mana Control] (100 points | Spark of Divinity 0/1)

New skills - Echoes

[Echo of Shattered Glass](150 points | Available)

[Echo of the Smouldering Crown] (200 points | Dormant)

[Echo of a Distant Tide] (200 points | Dormant)

[…]]

She couldn’t describe how much she had been waiting for this moment — the instant she would finally gain full access to the system’s skill menu. And yet, the reality was…if not underwhelming, then more unclear than she would have hoped.

She’d saved up so many skill points in anticipation of today, aiming to upgrade her pyrokinesis or hydrokinesis to better equip herself for whatever lurked in Beld Thylelion. But the system, in its usual opaque way, had to throw up another obstacle.

Apparently, reaching the final Argent tier in a skill required more than just skill points — it demanded a ‘Spark of Divinity’.

What even was that? Scarlett had never heard the term before. Not in the game. Not from Thainnith’s legacy. The phrase itself offered vague implications, but it was open to too many interpretations. However, the updated quest mentioned a Spark of Divinity as an optional reward, meaning it might be found somewhere here, in Beld Thylelion. If so, she might learn more soon.

Surprisingly, the prospect excited her.

But the most intriguing section of the new skill menu wasn’t the upgrades — it was the final category.

New skills - Echoes

The title alone drew her back to the Hall of Echoes and the Memories she’d experienced there. Was it safe to assume this was connected? Maybe something akin to reliving old memories to learn new skills? It seemed a plausible enough explanation, at the very least.

But Blazes, these things were expensive.

The cheapest, [Echo of Shattered Glass], cost 150 points — and it didn’t even explain what it did. The description was vague to the point of uselessness. The other two—[Echo of the Smouldering Crown] and [Echo of a Distant Tide]—at least hinted at skills related to pyromancy and hydromancy, but they were marked ‘Dormant’. Whatever that meant.

Did that mean they were locked for now? That she couldn’t purchase them yet? Was there some hidden requirement she had already met for the first Echo but not the others?

And why were there only three available in the first place?

When Scarlett had originally seen the locked New Skills category, she’d imagined it would unlock the rest of the skill trees she knew from the game. But this wasn’t that. Not at all. The placeholder row at the bottom—just a line of brackets and ellipses—suggested there were more Echoes out there, but no matter how hard she focused, the system refused to show anything beyond these three.

Maybe there was another condition to even seeing an Echo — something personal she had to possess or understand. Given the options and the skills she already had, that seemed likely. But how [Echo of Shattered Glass] tied to her current stats, she couldn’t say. Perhaps it wasn’t strictly based on traits or skills, but also on experiences or something of the sort.

It was hard to tell.

Still, just knowing that she could unlock new skills now—even if the specifics were unclear—sparked a flicker of anticipation in her. She wanted to uncover what lay behind those cryptic names.

And considering their cost, they had to be powerful.

Actually, in theory…

[Name: Scarlett Hartford]

[Skills:

[Major Mana Control]

[Superior Pyromancy]

[Major Pyrokinesis]

[Superior Hydromancy]

[Major Hydrokinesis]

[̼̭̬̋̈́̒͜ ̧̘̜́ͣ͛͛ͅ ͚̜̓͜ͅ ̢̰͚̾̏ͅ ̿͆̒͠ a ̢̾̏ͅ tt ̢̰̾̏ͅ ͚̜̓͜ͅ ̢̰̾̏ͅ ̧̘̜́ͣ͛͛ͅ ͚̜̓͜ͅ ̧̘̜́ͣ͛͛ͅ]

[Traits:

[Dignified August]

[Supercilious]

[Cavalier]

[Callous]

[Overbearing]

[Conceited]

[Third-rate Mana Veins]]

[Mana: 12641/12644]

[Points: 163]

She technically could afford the first Echo right now, thanks to the skill points rewarded for completing the first part of the main quest.

Tempting.

But she held back. There was no telling what would happen when she purchased the Echo, and now wasn’t the time to gamble away hard-earned points. Not when what she needed in the immediate future was raw, reliable power. Upgrading an existing skill to the final tier was a much safer and more practical investment.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

From the corner of her eye, she caught the others watching her.

Arnaud stood with arms loosely crossed, his expression unreadable. But his eyes—sharp and probing—were fixed on her with a kind of silent calculation. Rosa was giving her a thoughtful look, almost faintly expectant. Allyssa, in contrast, looked openly worried. Kat, too, seemed unsettled for some reason.

“Are you alright, Scarlett?” Allyssa was the one to finally speak, her voice somewhat quiet but sincere.

“…I am,” Scarlett replied after a brief pause, her gaze lingering on each of them in turn. Then, finally, she looked around—truly looked—taking in the chamber fully for the first time.

So this was Beld Thylelion proper.

It resembled the game’s version…but being here in person was definitely different. Tangible. Impactful.

Was it Allyssa who’d said something about it feeling special? Scarlett hadn’t paid much attention before, but now…yes. There was something in the air. A presence. The atmosphere felt weighted, even layered, like the very stones remembered something ancient and refused to let it go.

And the carvings—those impossibly fine lines—were those made by hand? Or fashioned through magic somehow?

For that matter, she wondered where exactly in Beld Thylelion they were.

Her eyes drifted downward to the stone floor, where a golden orb lay waiting — a perfect replica of the [Sphere of Serendipity] in her hand.

She crouched, fingers curling gently around the orb’s cool metal surface.

Whatever her issues with The Gentleman, she was grateful he’d agreed to deliver the Sphere here. In the game, the twin artifacts had mainly served as a fast-travel mechanic back to base. But Scarlett had conceived of this plan to enter Beld Thylelion using them not long after arriving in this world. She’d known even then that early access to the ruins would matter. She also knew The Gentleman had ways of reaching the ruins others lacked. From there, it had only been a matter of connecting the right pieces at the right time.

Though obtaining both Spheres had, admittedly, been anything but easy.

Infiltrating the Sanctuary of Ittar for the first sphere had been more complex and messy than expected. Completing Arlene’s questline for the second took even more effort — and far more patience. Both tasks had been…draining. But they were done. And while they had come with costs, she couldn’t deny she’d emerged from each one sharper and more prepared.

She slipped both artifacts into her [Pouch of Holding], casting a thoughtful glance around the chamber. Why had The Gentleman left the Sphere here specifically? She didn’t recognise this particular room from the game, but she doubted that man did anything without reason.

“Baroness,” Arnaud’s voice broke the quiet. He was still watching her closely. “Am I correct in assuming we stand within a Zuverian ruin?”

Scarlett turned to him, offering a small nod. “Astute observation. That is indeed the case.”

He studied her, a faint crease forming between his brows. “Where exactly are these ruins?”

“I suspect you already know.”

The man was silent for several long seconds. Then, slowly, he scanned the chamber. The walls. The glyphwork. The glowing panel at its centre. His gaze lingered, as though weighing every detail. Then he returned his eyes to her.

“Who are you?” he asked.

Scarlett arched an eyebrow. “That is a question I find myself asked quite often.”

“And your answer?”

She paused, considering. Her response, when it came, was quiet but firm. “For now, I am simply a woman seeking to prevent disaster.”

Arnaud regarded her. A taut silence stretched between them, an unspoken tension threading the air as they locked eyes. Scarlett waited, wary of his reaction — until Allyssa touched his arm.

“…Dad.”

His eyes lingered on Scarlett a moment longer, then shifted to his daughter.

“You can trust her,” Allyssa said. Her expression was open, honest. Arnaud’s brow creased even further as he looked at her, and his moustache seemed to twitch slightly in skeptical disapproval.

“You knew about this?” he asked.

Allyssa glanced over at Scarlett, as though asking permission. Scarlett gave a slight nod. The girl turned back to her father, resolve hardening her features. “I did. Scarlett told us before we left.”

Arnaud frowned deeply. “Are you also aware of what’s happening in Elystead right now?”

“I am,” Allyssa said with a small nod.

He studied her for a while. “…Why do you trust her so?”

“Because she’s done right by us. And because…” Allyssa hesitated. “Because she knows the future.”

Arnaud’s eyes narrowed.

“It’s true,” Allyssa said. “You just have to trust me on this.”

“And me,” Shin added.

Kat raised a hand in slight agreement. “If it makes any difference, I’ll vouch for her as well. And I’ve never known Scarlett to take unnecessary risks with people’s lives.”

Arnaud looked at them all, then back to Scarlett, silent once more. He watched her closely, the chamber still as everyone waited for his response. Scarlett stayed outwardly composed, but inwardly, her mind was moving. She had prepared several lines of reasoning, several potential angles of persuasion, to convince him when the time came. But unlike many of the people she’d dealt with, Arnaud wasn’t someone she could sway by need or pressure. He didn’t have anything to gain from her directly.

His moustache twitched again as he seemed to reach a decision. Slowly, he moved.

For a moment, Scarlett almost thought he was reaching for his sword. But instead, he pulled a folded slip of paper from a small pouch at his side. He opened it, glanced at the contents, folded it again, and extended it towards her without a word.

Scarlett accepted it cautiously, unsure what to expect.

“I suppose,” Arnaud said, “for now, I will simply have to accept things as they are.”

She unfolded the note.

It held just two words.

‘Trust her’

Scarlett looked up. “…Who gave you this? Yamina Ward?”

He nodded. “She told me that if I ever found myself uncertain…I should refer to that note. Just once.”

Scarlett frowned. Who exactly was Yamina?

Her eyes returned to the slip, tracing the careful handwriting. The woman’s actions—and her knowledge—continued to defy simple explanation. Howcould someone so apparently steeped in foresight, so skirting of the boundaries of Fate, ever have sparked such a weak reaction from the [Orrery of Dissonant Convergence]? She couldn’t make sense of it.

Scarlett reached into her [Pouch of Holding] and pulled out the Orrery.

The bracelet sat cool and heavy in her palm. Copper framing curled around a small metal globe, two delicate pointers stretching from its centre. One long, one short.

Her frown tightened into a small scowl.

The shorter pointer flickered violently, spinning in erratic rotations all across the face. Spasming between extremes, like it was simultaneously detecting a catastrophic divergence from Fate and…nothing at all.

She angled the Orrery’s longer pointer towards the note. No change. Then towards Arnaud. Still no difference. No matter how she turned it, the reaction stayed the same. Wildly unreadable.

That wasn’t how it had behaved before. The first time she’d checked Arnaud—back during his initial visit—the Orrery had barely reacted at all.

Was this interference from Beld Thylelion itself? Or something else?

As usual, the others barely seemed to register the artifact in her hands. Their eyes passed over it without comment, though Rosa’s expression shifted slightly after a few seconds, her brow furrowing in vague recognition. Scarlett assumed Allyssa and the others would take note eventually.

For now, she simply fastened the bracelet to her wrist.

The Orrery had been created by Thainnith. Just like Beld Thylelion. It might be wise to keep it close while navigating the ruins.

“I’d like to ask,” Arnaud said after a moment, still eyeing Scarlett before motioning around the chamber. “Is there a way for us to leave this place?”

“Eventually, yes. Unfortunately, not at the present moment.”

The [Sphere of Serendipity], while powerful, only travelled to its linked location. Since it followed the user, that meant the twin artifacts couldn’t be used to return the way they came. Not that it mattered much. With the updated main quest, her priority now was reaching the heart of Beld Thylelion.

“Where to from here?” Shin asked, eyes flicking to a number of darkened hallways branching off the chamber. There were no signs or markings suggesting where they led. “Do you know where our goal is, Scarlett?”

“I do not,” she answered. “We will have to explore the ruins and find it ourselves.”

It would’ve been nice if Thainnith’s legacy had insight into this place, but Beld Thylelion was supposedly constructed after the legacy’s creation. It didn’t have any usable info.

Scarlett’s attention returned to the raised panel at the chamber’s centre. The blue-white light emanating from it came from a dense array of intricate etchings. Arcane lines arranged in concentric formations, pulsing faintly beneath the stone. Thankfully, at least those were something the legacy could help her partially decipher.

She stepped closer to study the engravings.

From what she could interpret, it resembled a leyline chart of sorts. Not quite a map, but something that traced the leylines weaving through sections of Beld Thylelion. Artificial leylines. Most modern mages would scoff at the very concept.

She folded her arms, thoughtful as the legacy helped her work through the glyphs. The purpose of the device wasn’t entirely clear, but the closest comparison she could draw was something like a fuse box or circuit breaker panel — some kind of central node managing flow and structure.

While it didn’t pinpoint their location, it offered some clues at least. Judging by the positioning, she would guess they were somewhere near the mid-levels of Beld Thylelion.

That made her wonder how far below the lowest levels might be. In the game, Beld Thylelion had been one of the largest dungeons. Here, she had no doubt it was even larger. How big did that translate to, though? Were they looking at hours, or maybe even days, of exploration before reaching their objective?

It was fortunate they had prepared extensively, stocked with potions, provisions, and other necessities. Still, Scarlett hardly relished the thought of spending days wandering these halls. There were certain luxuries that she had a hard time doing without.

While she pondered the panel, Rosa stepped beside her, one hand placed against her chin as she examined the glowing surface with an overly scholarly expression.

“Hmm. Yes, quite. This all makes perfect sense to me,” she said solemnly. “But what’s your read on it, Red?” She gestured vaguely towards one symbol near the corner. “Personally, I think this bit looks a little like a very smug goose, which clearly means we avoid it entirely. But I figured I’d check we’re on the same page.”

Scarlett gave her a flat stare, then returned to the panel. “I think we have a lengthy trek ahead of us.”

Rosa chuckled softly. “Figured as much. Guess we better get started, then. Yeah?”

“Can you seriously read that stuff?” Kat asked from behind, sounding skeptical.

Scarlett turned. Arnaud was eyeing her with quiet interest.

“I can, in part,” she said.

Kat raised her brows. “I don’t get how. Looks like gibberish to me.”

Rosa tapped a finger to her forehead. “Scarlett’s got a little something extra in her noggin. Thought her ego wasn’t quite enough, so she crammed a whole dead civilisation’s knowledge in there to balance things out.”

Scarlett shot her an exasperated look this time. Kat, meanwhile, looked unsure how seriously she should take the bard.

“To clarify,” Scarlett said, “I possess a repository of Zuverian knowledge within my mind, courtesy of a legacy left by a Zuver arch mage. It assists in deciphering artifacts such as this.”

She’d shared some details about the legacy with her party members before, but never in full. Some of the details surrounding Thainnith and Beld Thylelion had also come up during the talk the other day, but the deeper connections between that, the legacy, and the Rising Isle hadn’t been covered much yet.

Kat stared at her. “Have you…always had that? Is that how you knew where all the traps and stuff were in those old ruins we explored?”

Scarlett shook her head. “No. The repository is a more recent acquisition. At that time, I relied on more conventional methods.”

“Ah, yes,” Rosa said mock-seriously. “More ‘conventional methods’. Like good, old-fashioned omniscience.”

Scarlett didn’t dignify the comment with a response. Instead, she turned her attention to the chamber’s exits, scanning each of the connecting passages and the etchings along the walls and floors, comparing their patterns to those on the leyline panel.

After a moment’s consideration, she withdrew a large, empty notebook from her pouch. With a flick of her fingers and a precise burst of her pyrokinesis, the panel’s intricate patterns were copied onto its blank pages. Satisfied, she closed the book with a snap and tucked it away.

She turned decisively to a specific passage. “We will begin our journey this way. Be prepared for what lies ahead. It will not be easy.”

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