>>38405380

You smile slightly at her behavior. “How did you manage to get her out of there?”

Matthias scratches at his temple while looking at her too. “She followed me.”

You never heard of an inhabitant of the other realm visiting this one. In fact, you considered it to be impossible given how much you’ve read about the matter, but you do suppose that strange things have been happening as of late.

“Did she say why? Or how?” You press on.

Matthias scoffs at your question. “She doesn’t speak, but she can sure as hell understand us just fine.” He leans toward her. “Right?”
She nods happily and then takes a sip from her cup finding the temperature to be to her liking.

You can’t help but laugh at their dynamic. You’d never imagine that Matthias would ever take care of a living being other than himself, but here she is, eating his food, and wearing his clothes.

Just talking like this reminds you of simpler times. There’s many things that you want to ask him, but perhaps you ought to let him know how you’ve been doing.

>Ask him about… (Write in question.)

>Tell him what you’ve been up to. (Vague about your discoveries.)

>Tell him what you’ve been up to. (The truth about your discoveries.)

>Write in

>>38405422
>Tell him what you’ve been up to. (Vague about your discoveries.)

>>38405422
>Tell him what you've been up to. (The truth about your discoveries.)
The truth will set us free. Also, heya Auri!

>>38405422
>>Tell him what you’ve been up to. (The truth about your discoveries.)
Ask the girl if she knows how to write.

Hello everyone!

>>38405543
>>38405618
One question and the truth, got it.
>Writing.

>>38405697

You do find it a bit strange that she can’t talk. Perhaps there’s another way she can communicate.
“Aya.” You say gently to get her attention.

She looks up at you with her amber eyes shining brightly. Seems like she’s a lot less scared of you now that she knows that you’re Matthias’s friend.

“Do you know how to write?” You imitate writing something with your hand.

She takes a moment to think about what you’re asking and then finally gives an enthusiastic nod.

Matthias chuckles lightly. “Go get the pencil and paper and show Sophia here what you can write.”

Aya sets her cup down and rushes off to complete Matthias’s order. Within a few seconds she’s back at the table and arranges the paper and pencil in front of her neatly as she has been taught.

She clutches the pencil tightly and laboriously writes a single, slightly messy word on the paper.
Matthias.

“Two full days.” Matthias exclaims while holding up two of his fingers. “Two whole days and she only learned how to write one thing.” He sighs and looks at her beam about her accomplishment. “Good job.” He praises her genuinely.

She laughs a melodious and pleasant laugh and begins to write his name over and over again.
“That’s terribly cute.” You say both honestly and to instigate Matthias’s anger. “But let me be fair, and tell you what I’ve been up to.”

[1/2]

>>38406606

Firstly, you start off by letting him know how Ellie is doing, inform him that you have yet another apprentice, and give him a summary of what the three of you have been up to.

You then pour over the details of your delves, telling him everything about what happened, what you saw, and what you brought back. Finally you finish off by letting him know how your dabbling in Necromancy has been going.

By the end of it all he looks completely awestruck, and doesn’t even know where to begin.

He leans forward excitedly. “You’ll let me take a look through your journal, right!?”

“Whoa now.” You poke him back with a finger to his forehead. “I might be convinced to let you take a look at part of it…if you share something interesting that I don’t know.”

Matthias smiles widely “Something interesting?” He pulls a cigarette pack out of his pocket, pulls out a single one, and holds the end between two of his fingers. “Perhaps I may have learned something along the way.” He says as the cigarette lights suddenly.

Matthias goes to take a puff from it, but then takes a quick look at Aya and then snuffs it out.

He sighs sadly. “Well, how about you let me copy that Necromancy tome you have and I’ll teach you a bit about what I learned?” The tips of his fingers ignite in a small orange flame, that doesn’t seem to bother him at all.

A deal between old friends?

>Accept.

>Decline.

>Write in.

>>38406649
>Accept.
Do be careful delving like I did attracts attention.

>>38406649
>Accept.

>>38406649
>Accept.
We want to get as strong as we can right?

>>38406691
>>38406862
>>38406864
The deal is done.
>Writing~

>>38406940

What you’ve done so far in Necromancy isn’t all that much, so maybe with the two of you studying it from different perspectives you’ll advance faster. Also it doesn’t hurt that you hate having people know something about the Occult that you don’t know.

You nod your head once. “Alright, deal. I’ll even throw in a little piece of advice about delving.” You continue. “If you’re considering going about it the way I do, be careful. It seems to attract a lot of attention.”

Matthias takes a sip from his mug. “From this realm or the others?” He throws up an eyebrow.

You settle more comfortably into your seat. “Both.”

“About that…” Matthias glances outside. “Seems like this area might be getting some trouble.” He says with a serious tone of voice.

Matthias isn’t the type to joke around about that sort of thing, so your attention perks up. “I’m not a fan, it gets in the way of my work. What kind of trouble do you mean?”

He leans forward. “Rumor is that something very important was stolen from an Occultist group quite a ways from here. Seems like they suspect it to be the work of someone from the guild.”

“Another Occultist group? You mean like a guild?” You ask, with curiosity growing.

Matthias shakes his hand vigorously at the notion. “Not at all. As much as I hate the word, I’d say that they’re more of a cult. A very zealous one at that too, from what I’ve heard. ”

You sigh. Just when you’re research just really started to get interesting, now you have to deal with these sorts of matters. “What do you suggest?”

[1/2]

>>38408070

Matthias sets his mug down. “Keep a low profile until this all over. If not, then you’re going to have to be more flexible in where you set up shop, or get some protection.”

Doing your work elsewhere other than your grandfather’s home has never crossed your mind before, and you can’t say that you find the notion very pleasant to think about.

“What do you mean by protection?” You keenly ask.

“Well, the Pyromancy might be enough, but if you want to continue as you are…” He takes a long moment before finishing his sentence. “You might want to enlist his help.” He nods toward the window.

The idea of getting anymore help from an Occultist hunter bothers you on a primal level.

“Why would he even want to help me?” You ask, annoyed.

Matthias stands and walks over to the window. “Seems like he wants to start over fresh. Maybe he wants repent for something in his past.”

He turns back to you. “He offered me protection, but I refused since Aya seems terrified of him. And she’s dangerous when she’s afraid.”

You shake your head. “It still doesn’t add up. There’s clearly something that he’s hiding.” You stand from your seat and walk over to the window yourself.
Laurent just finishes putting away a large crate into a storage shed in the backyard. He notices the two of you and then waves.

Matthias puts a hand on your shoulder. “Look I’ll make no assumptions about how you feel about your past. But, for your future safety, I’d say to let him.”
You sigh deeply and rub your temples in thought.

“Look, just think of him as a tool. A weapon to meet your goals.” He shakes your shoulder slightly. “Just another thing for you to use to achieve your goals.”

Matthias goes over to attend to Aya and you ruminate over the prospect for a long time, simply staring at Laurent do his work.

Just a weapon?

>Use him for protection.

>Forget the prospect.

>Write in.

>>38408102
>Get to know him before you decide.

>>38408173
>>38408102
I'll second this. You can learn a lot about a persons motives through talking to them.

>>38408173
>>38408232
>Writing

>>38408102
>Write in.
Can we ask him about other cultist hunters, and if he knew anything about our family?

>>38408526
The first part will be included. The second will not since Sophia is very unlikely to bring that up.

>>38408350

Why can’t the world just let you perform your research in peace?

You walk away from the window. “I suppose I can talk to him before I decide.”

Both Matthias and Aya look up from their writing practice. He was guiding her hand with his own to write out a few letters.

“Can’t say I was expecting that at all, but I’m glad you’re considering it.” He looks back down at the paper. “Come on, we just did wrote that letter five times, how come you can’t do it by yourself?”

You laugh softly at their interaction. “I suppose I could give you two back your privacy, but remember that I’ll only be gone for a moment.”

Matthias chases you out of the kitchen. “Why don’t you leave my life!?” He call after you, exasperated.

Good to know that some things never change.

You walk around to the back of the house where Laurent is lugging a small fallen tree out of the Matthias’s yard. He’s strong at the very least, so he’ll be more than capable of protecting you, as you’ve already seen. But that’s not enough for you to risk everything that you’ve done so far.

You clear your throat to get his attention, causing him to drop the tree and go stumbling backwards. Shouldn’t you be the one afraid of him?

[1/3]

>>38409812

“Listen.” You walk over to help him up, but do little other than take one of his hands away from the task. “I’ve been unfair to you by judging you before I got to know you.”
He rubs the back of his head. “No problem at all. I understand why.”

You wipe the dirt off that was exchanged to your hand “Anyway, let me be frank. I hate Hunters, for many reasons.” You point up at him. “Now you say that you were a hunter, just what made you quit and why do you want to help us Occultists now?”

He takes a small step back from your raised hand and his eyes look down to his feet. He remains silent long enough for you to get tired of holding your hand in the air.

His breathing becomes heavier. “I made a mistake…Or actually my whole life was a mistake.” His finger go to the mask that’s hanging around his neck. “From when I was much younger, I was trained and told to kill people I never knew, but to absolutely make sure that I was always wearing this mask when I was doing it.”

You sigh, immediately knowing what’s to come.

He pulls the mask off his body. “They never told me why, and I never questioned it…until it came off during.” His large hand tightens around the mask. “My work became real, those innocent people and their children, it was more than just an event I was taking part it, and real emotions became attached.”

[2/3]

>>38409862

He shakes his head sadly. “That caused everything to become part of that reality I was hidden from, and it was awful.”

Laurent motions to throw the mask on the ground, but then quietly restrings it around his neck. “I thought to kill myself, but decided against it. Now this is where I am, and I can safely say that this what I truly want to be doing.”

His story seems to be genuine, or at least he’s convinced of its truth.

“Those other Hunters just let you go?” You press on.

“Not at all.” He motions to his hand, where a large fresh scar is healing. “Some of them are honestly convinced what they’re doing is right, but most of them are just like how I was, blind to the reality.”

He rubs his scar gently. “Since I was trying to let the others know the truth, I was banished, and given this wound as a permanent sign of my betrayal. I had friends there and many good memories, but now they're...tainted."

His words swim in your mind as you judge the legitimacy of them. What could he gain from lying right now? Surely if he wanted to kill you, he had many opportunities to do so.

So what to do with this weapon that stands before you.

>Say your good-bye and go back inside.

>Ask that he serves as your guardian.

>Question him further about…(Write in what.)

>Write in.

>>38409899
>>Question him further about…(Could that mask be magic? I know off a way to check, though it is rather onerous. Will your former brethren come after you? I can understand why you grew disillusioned with your order, but why guard occultists?)

>>38409899

>Ask that he serves as your guardian
>and husband

>>38409899
>>38409958
Ask this then go see if the mask is legit, if so then I'd say he's good to guard us.

>>38409958
>>38410076
Good to be safe.
>Writing

>>38410138
Not quite enough information to make a decision just yet.

You point to his scar. “Since you’re brethren let go with just that, is it safe to say that they won’t be coming after you, even now that you’re helping Occultists?”

He shakes his head firmly. “They don’t consider me worthy enough to kill, and I made sure to travel a bit so that I’d be far from their eyes.”

Laurent picks up the tree and continues to haul it away from the property. You walk after him.

You shake your head in confusion. “I can understand why you grew disillusioned with your order, but I can’t understand why you would choose to help Occultists.”

He throws down the log. “I can’t say that I really know why…” He looks directly into your eyes. “But this is what I want to do now, and that’s all there is to it.”

You reach for his mask causing him to jump in alarm.

“Listen, you do realize that you’re much bigger and stronger than I am, right?” You pull off the mask with no opposition from him.

He pulls the mask’s band off the back of his head. “Sorry about that…”

You closely look over the mask. Judging from its weight and sturdiness, you’d say that it’s made out of some type of bone.

Wait.

You elegantly pull the hairpin from your hair and compare the two objects. Based purely on how they look, you’d say that they’re made out of the same thing. Strange, since they have completely different uses.

You look back up at him to find him observing you observe his mask. “They didn’t tell you anything about this, did they?”

He shakes his disappointedly. “Only that I should wear it always on a job to protect my life.”

[1/3]

>>38411680

“Well they weren’t absolutely wrong about that.” You reply. “But, I want to know just how strong this mask really is. Come on.” You motion for him to follow you back to the house, but leave him at the door remembering what Matthias said.

“Matt!” You call out from the entrance.

“What?” He calls back sounding busy.

“Head over to my place and copy the Necromancy tome. ONLY the Necromancy tome, I will know if you look throw my delving journal.” You shout back.
Matthias walks into view, drying a mug with a towel. “Got it. You’re not coming with?”

You shake your head. “Guild business. I’ll be over there as soon as I’m done.”

“Right. I’ll meet you there.” Matthias heads back for the kitchen.

Just as you move to leave you remember something important. “Remember, you’re responsible for any damages done to my house!”

You take his silence as a perfectly fine answer and head off to the guild with Laurent in tow.

The entrance has a few young students talking among themselves before their lessons begin. They pay you nor your large companion any mind.

“If anyone asks, you’re my bodyguard, and that’s the job you’ve always had.” You instruct your companion as you walk through the halls of the guild toward your destination.

“Yes, ma’am.” He replies quickly.

“Just call me Sophia.” You tell him, feeling a bit of déjà vu.

[2/3]

>>38411707

You make your way quickly into the restricted section of the guild building and slowly approach your goal. You peek around the corner like you did your first time.

A familiar guard stands in front of it sleepily, yawning every few moments, and struggling to stay alert.

If he was scared of Sayuline, then he’s in for a treat.

“Get him out of the way.” You instruct Laurent impatiently.

Without any argument, Laurent swiftly approaches the guard and thoroughly knocks him unconscious with a single punch. The guard goes tumbling down to the ground with hardly a sound.

You can’t say that’s exactly how you wanted it to happen, but you don’t argue with its effectiveness. You’ll be gone soon anyway.

The imprisoned creature stands where it always does, its breath visible from far away.

You walk over to it and waft the mask in front of it as you did the hairpin.

It in return chomps, and struggles to free itself, but not nearly to the extent that it did with your hairpin. Given what you’ve learned from said hairpin, you can’t say that you disagree with its logic. The mask is a legitimate other realm item.

With that knowledge the two of you leave the guild building as quickly as you came.

You wonder how long this light security will be in place for with the rumors floating around.

The beginning of the walk back home is a quiet one. If you don’t want him to join you, then this is where you should tell him. He’s proven his effectiveness as a weapon, but do you have enough trust in this weapon not to harm you?

>Ask that he serves as your guardian.

>Bid him farewell.

>Write in.

>>38411736
>Ask that he serves as your guardian.

>>38411736
>Ask that he serves as your guardian.
>With benefits.

>>38411772
adding flirt a little with him to this.

>>38411736
>Ask that he serves as your guardian.
No flirting since it seems a bit early for that.

>>38411836
It's never too early for flirting.

Even marriage is only a maybe on the too soon.


I mean, have you seen his pic?

>>38411906
Marriage is far far too soon, flirting isn't, considering we seem to be one anyways.

>>38411926
One what?

>>38411772
>>38411803
>>38411836
Guardian for sure. Flirting will be minimal considering how you felt about him not to long ago.
>Writing

>>38411955
a flirt.

>>38411985
>>38411985
>>38411985
I'd say we're more of a perv than a flirt. But overall we are prideful the most so, I don't think we'd flirt or do anything that would risk our reputation so hastily.
I mean it's not that I don't want her to flirt with him, I just think its a bit early for her character to do so.

>>38412169
I can't really accept that when we lifted someone's leg in their sleep to peek at them, and then told them about it. In addition to the whole admitting how Moriana? makes us feel. We've always been pretty upfront.

>>38412284
Alright I guess your right. But you did make me laugh by getting her name wrong like how her earlier boss did.

>>38412332
I didn't remember it exactly, she hasn't been mentioned this thread, and I don't want to archive dive when I can just use a question mark.

>>38411984
It seems that you do.

You clear your throat. “Do you wish to repent for your past?”

He stares at the path ahead of his feet. “More than anything.”

“Then serve as my guardian.” You continue. “I’m about the most steeped in the Occult a person can get while retaining their sanity and I swear that by serving under me you’ll work so hard that you have even a moment to think about your past.”

You look up at him, his eyes are already lightened by your words. “You will be my weapon, the one that helps me carve out the future that I want. Now…Is that what you want?” You stop walking.

He stops just a step ahead of you, and weighs your offer. He looks down at the mask, rubbing the exterior of its face with a single thumb. “Yes, that’s exactly what I want, Sophia.”

Somehow a weight is lifted off your shoulders, the strength of your cause grows, and hopefully through him, it will be safe in the near future.

You begin walking again with him rushing to catch up. “Listen to all my orders exactly as I tell you and protect me always.” You look back and smile slightly at him. “Protect yourself too.” You turn your head back forward. “You can’t do anything if you’re dead after all. Got it?”

[1/2]

>>38412804

At this point he’s practically running to keep up with your excitement. “Yes, I understand completely” He laughs for the first time without a dampening note of sadness.

“Good.” You stop, huffing at the amount you ran. “Your first order is to carry me home, I’m tired.” You rest your hands heavily on your knees.

His smile disappears from sheer shock. “But we barely ran…” He stops at a glare from you and then obediently approaches you. “Umm, how do you want to be carried?”

You sigh and motion for him to turn around. With a great amount of help from him, you manage to position yourself hanging off his back, arms clutching his shoulders, and legs wrapped around his torso securely.

From your position so close to him you can see him reddening from your close touch, but also a never before seen amount of distance ahead of you appears.

“Come on!” You exclaim while rocking his shoulders. “You’re going to have to get used to this.”

Finally a small smile reappears on his face, and with a firm nod the two of you rush ahead back for home, and to the “great things” planned for you.

~

>>38412866
>not princess carry
I'm disappointed

>>38412866

Okay, that's where I'm ending it for tonight. It was a bit quieter than usual, but that's all right. I want to thank everyone that played today, as always. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to post them in the thread and I will do my best to respond to them.

If not, then I wish you a good day/night, and hope to see you again next time!

>(Twitter)
https://twitter.com/QM_Auri

>>38412905
Thanks for running!

>>38412905
So Magical items are more common than they seem at first glance in this setting huh? How did Matthias react to our apprentices and vice versa?

>>38412888
Gotta save something right?
>>38412930
You're very welcome!
>>38412940
I wouldn't say that they're overall more common, it's just that you're meeting more people who have "great things" planned for them. Those items are valued by their owners as yours are, and the more powerful they are, the more they are sought after.
The meeting between Matthias, Aya, and your apprentices will take place next thread.

>>38413109
Ok then, thanks for running!

>>38412905
Thanks for running Auri!

>>38413119
>>38413136
You're both very welcome!

>>38412905
Thank you for running!