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A heavy mood had settled amongst the girls; Vilma emotional storm combined with Sieglinde harsh reality had been something of a whiplash, leaving them all into a languid state

This really won’t do.

‘’There’s something important happening tonight.’’ You spoke loudly, hoping to break the heavy atmosphere. ‘’Sieglinde is going to invite us into her royal chamber and make certain we get to relax comfortably for the evening.’’

‘’I will?’’ The princess immediately asked, blinking in surprise.

‘’Absolutely.’’ You continued, getting on your feet and pressuring the redhead by placing your hands on her shoulders. ‘’Not only is her highness magnanimous in rule but she’s also friend with two of the three people here and recent events marked the beginning of a new camaraderie with Vilma. Milady is wise indeed to invite us all to commemorate this happy event.’’

‘’Mweh?’’ The lich caught herself upon hearing your mention and Elina chuckled, definitely understanding your admittedly poor ploy.

Sieglinde tapped the table, lazily tracing one of her scratch marks, doing her best to pretend she wasn’t feeling shy. ‘’You’re bold to impose on me’’ She smirked and scratching the wood, sending a chill down your spine from the admittedly eerie noise.

When Vilma’s hands went to cover her cheeks and she maneuvered to hide her expression with that fancy hood, you understood that now wasn’t the time to be intimidated by royal blood.
‘’It’s not bad to insist when it’s the right and honorable things to do.’’ You heard Elina snickers when Sieglinde eyebrows rose.

‘’Enjoying my hospitality is chivalrous?’’ The redhead asked in genuine surprise.

‘’Absolutely’’ You gently pushed her forward, worming into her good grace with a little physical imposition; she wasn't against your idea anyway. ‘’Don’t let yourself be held back by stuffy common sense or fear of rumormongering because people would see us all accompany you into the shrine.’’

‘’That’s not what I was thinking about.’’ She answers fast, wedging into your speech but still complying with your physical demands by getting up and accomplishing a little revenge when her tail boldly pushed you away, nearly tripping you back into the seat. She had enough grace to use the flat end of her spear-tip to avoid causing any injuries. ‘’I’ve been thinking if it’d be better for the girls to go fetch some of their clothes because I'd prefer to have you all away from your dorm for tonight. As for you…’’ She huffed, looking you up and down. ‘’…You can continue to make do with what you have unless you want me to continue acting as your mom by-‘’

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‘’It’s great that you’re accepting Vilma’s honest friendship and allowed Elina to peek into your inner circle, my friendly princess!’’ This discussion was veering into a thoroughly unenjoyable direction and not even your stoic nature could repress a surge of shame. ‘’You heard the lady, you two go back into your rooms…’’ You did your best to ignore the snickering angel while Vilma observed with suitable confusion. ‘’…and pick your clothes for tomorrow. I and Sieglinde will stay here, so don’t tarry too much.’’

‘’Will do, pops.’’ Elina expressed, having forced the small undead girl out of her seat who promptly bowed to Sieglinde.

‘’T-thank you for allowing this one such a valuable opportunity, your highness! I’m sorry her ladyship had to help and witness such a-‘’

‘’It’s fine, it’s fine.’’ Sieglinde gave the girl head a pat. ‘’My family doesn't demand anything unreasonable. You don't need to kowtow, I'm my own woman.’’

‘’Yeah, worst we’ll earn is gossips.’’ Elina was quick to chime in, pinching the hood off Vilma's head to force her upright. ‘’Let’s make our way back and prep up.’’

‘’Y-yes, okay.’’ Seeing the angel casually walking off forced Vilma to jog to reach her side, bending without losing momentum to dextrously dodge under the angel deployed wing.

Yeah, that'll do nicely.

‘’I wonder if you’re like that naturally or if it’s because of your memories…’’ Sieglinde mused in a whisper as she watched the girls disappear into the large manorial school. ‘’…I don’t mind, it’s refreshing to have you involve yourself like that.’’

‘’Refreshing?’’ You had to repeat that word and for a brief moment your breath caught in your throat as the demoness observed you from her profile, keeping a hand into her vivacious blood red hair, your proximity was almost enough for those curved horns to scratch your face; only now did you noticed your touching shoulders.

‘’You’re bringing good trouble; men tend to make themselves small inside this fortress and while I’ve heard a few complaints about you -namely that you’ve somehow become Teruko third students- I might have overlooked this trouble with Vilma had you not been… active I guess?’’

‘’Wouldn’t Elina have been with the girl three days ago if she hadn’t pulled me out?’’ Perhaps you were a tad too pragmatic, you could tell Sieglinde had considered this angle because she forced herself to smile. ''Girls would have pulled through together and I'm sure you'd have come to running once you heard our angelic friend was in trouble.''

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‘’I’m not sure.’’ You answered vaguely because those were your honest feelings. ‘’There might be a little of that, I also think she’s an interesting person who’s shown me a glimpse of this world mysteries, she’s friend with Elina and she's Teruko second students. Knowing people have been mean to her like that, understanding how much she endured and that attempted kidnapping… It was my first taste of injustice.’’ A grimace leaked out of your control but the peaceful smile Sieglinde gave you managed to pinch your heart, you had to recenter yourself to avoid stuttering. ‘’Didn’t like it.’’ You mumbled at the end hopefully keeping the charisma you had shown earlier.

‘’Hmm…’’ Sieglinde smiled, observing you with a shine to her eyes, her tail audibly clacked behind her. ‘’Neither did I.’’ Her lips broke into a grin, showing white teeth as she forgot herself by gently rubbing your head. ‘’I won’t say no to another lively night.’’

Such a perfect innuendo demanded a few moments of silence for you to continue pretending to be a pillar of emotional stability and the missing girls came back without incident.

--

Experiencing a strong feeling of familiarity by coming back into the shrine was quite a novelty. Your group trod the long path of white cobblestone in silence, quickly reaching big metal doors guarded by the usual lamia, then came spiraling stairs ending with an alchemical security door to be unlocked by Sieglinde.

‘’There’s a lot of corridors so follow me.’’ The demoness explained, turning for the two girls with a smile when the big door opened by itself. Elina and Vilma were holding similar brownish bags, the purplish-skinned girl also sported an eye-catching addition of a pretty amulet of gold around her neck of simple design that held a large onyx in its center; her fingers kept busying themselves with caressing it.

‘’Fancy place, all alchemical huh?’’ Elina invited herself even before Sieglinde stepped inside and you silently gestured for Vilma to follow as she absentmindedly stared forward.

‘’Yeah, my aunt is obsessed with living the easy, modern life but is also too lazy to create a second laboratory for experiments, so everything became a jumbled mess with thick, soundproof walls to prevent us from tearing each other apart. It's a mixture of general facilities and genuine living rooms with some ritual spots near the Throne but those remain concentrated on the floor above us.’’

She walked to the front after being satisfied with everyone positions.

‘’My room is also near the Throne.’’ The lady demon gestured for circular road and your group set off in silence; things quickly changed once you approached the princess living space because…

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Something was causing light shakes in the floor, concerts of hurried thumps made it obvious that a big and heavy presence was hiding behind those heavy wooden doors. ‘’That sound pretty bad.’’ Elina commented, frowning in confusion when Sieglinde palmed her face, muttering a choked-out plaint that somehow led her to kick open her doors with the kind of urgency you’d expect of a worried guard; leaving everyone (yourself included) suitably speechless.

Inside was, undeniably, the weirdest thing you’ve laid your eyes upon since your awakening. A familiar small girl of metamorphosed feet and backward curving roundish horn was chasing a pair of rocks giants who were somehow dextrously avoiding colliding with any furniture despite their height and girth while keeping a healthy distance from their tiny tormentor, only to veer off course and head toward your group as if Sieglinde interruption had provoked some kind of stampede.

‘’Wha…what?’’ You heard the Lillm croak while Elina embraced Focus, which thankfully proved unneeded because both creatures earth trembling steps were brought to a stop well before they could cause a dramatic collision; Belphegor strange mixtures of glowing symbols covering her arm showed that she used some kind of alchemical craft.

Both of the golems were wearing some kind of rosy clothes tatters and you swore something in those dead glass eyes projected a kind of agony that could only belong to beings of true sapience, they were simply unable to change expressions.

‘’Belph…? What?’’ Sieglinde asked with reasonable astonishment.
Elina wasn’t so keen to let go of her magic while Vilma's mouth was open in complete awe, undeniably overwhelmed by this spectacle. The girl or rather woman in question moved between both constructs who noticeably twitched at this proximity.

‘’Experiment.’’ She stated in a breathless voice, chest rising up an down and cheeks colored from efforts. ‘’Trying to instill some kind of individualism in these drones.’’ She waved for the construct who, again, twitched in response, completely cowed by that goat Mamono who barely reached your shoulders.

‘’And you’re doing it in my room because…?’’ Sieglinde tone came out uneven, her sentence ended with a worrying feline hissing that somehow convinced Belphegor to grin.

‘’Cause they’re big guys and I wanted to see how well they’d maneuver around obstacles. Pretty impressive right?’’ She patted one of the golem's legs and everyone braced for some kind of reaction but the construct had somehow already calmed down despite its previous display. ‘’Didn’t expect a sleepover, sorry gal.’’

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The Lilim projection of righteous anger came undone with a sigh and her hands, previously on her hips to display dangerous authoritative displeasure born from years of being an older sister, went to cross themselves under her bust. ‘’Get these guys out of my room and place them back into a lab, you’ll be coming with me to prepare some foods because we’ve got a few more mouth to feed. I’ll make sure to finish your plate last.’’

‘’Aw man do you seriously gotta do that? Nothing bad happened.’’ Belphegor tone was close to a whine but her niece wasn’t swayable; Sieglinde hand struck out with impressive speed to grab one of those goatish horns, eliciting a sharp bray and many clomping protests.

‘’Yes, I do. My friends will make themselves comfortable as they wait.’’ She gestured for your trio closely lumped together and maneuvered herself out of the doorway; a curious examination of the door revealed no damage, making you wonder if that was a common occurrence.

It would seem the small Jawahir dynasty is a little... eccentric.

She dragged a supplicating Belphegor and the huge golems of rocks followed, their steps booming across the corridor to continuously reveal the princess presence as she disappeared out of sight and, eventually, out of earshot.

''T-that was... her, she... that day...'' Vilma's voice echoed lightly, staring at the empty path.

''Yeah,'' Elina stated flatly then slowly turned into the room. ''And this is where her ladyship spends her nights, she could easily fit twenty people here.'' She followed Sieglinde advice and boldly stepped inside, lazily throwing her package under a table. You wondered briefly if you should reveal how your benefactor was fond of sleeping (platonically) with people when you saw Elina sit on that unreasonably big bed, gesturing for the hesitating lich to follow; Vilma eventually did, unable to relax but keeping a strong front.

Another silence followed as neither girl could find anything to say, their eyes wandered to examine all the wonders of Sieglinde sleeping chamber, a bedroom that somehow mixed itself with a living one and a small laboratory.

>Should you ask Vilma about her amulet? Or perhaps you'd like to breach the subject of her bully, Elenore, inevitably challenging her to a duel? Or maybe ask something else (Specify)

>Strike a conversation with Elina. (Ask about her homeland of Zipangu? Perhaps her past as a child? Or something else?)

>Free Choice.

>>2276248
Talk with Elina about her homeland and the drones. The drones are a Zipangu invention, aren’t they?

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‘’Hey, Halo girl.’’ You invite yourself next to your second benefactor, prompting a questioning glance out of her.

‘’What’s up, Knife boy?’’ She retorts as you make yourself comfortable, glancing at Vilma who began to peruse Sieglinde filled bookshelf next to her bed and, finding a particularly interesting title, summoned her courage to extract it.

‘’Those golems, weren’t they from your homeland?’’ Your question was met with raised eyebrows and a curious glance from the lich who gently trotted toward the bed and jumped to sit on it.

‘’Pretty sharp.’’ Elina acquiesced, wings stretching out to cover your and Vilma’s back. ‘’Those things are from that big island yeah. Half-sentients beings.’’

‘’Really?’’ hadn’t even cracked open her book and her prompt caused her to stiffen. ‘’Ah… S-sorry.’’

‘’No, no. It’s good.’’ She waves with a good-natured smile for her friend who was using her newly acquired book to hide half of her face. ‘’Those things are little wonders of alchemy, I don’t know the details but the royal family of central Zipangu managed to get a genius from the crusaders to defect during that armed fiasco a decade ago and, well… it led to some serious change for their military.’’

‘’Your homeland use golems as soldiers?’’ Those big rock-men were certainly built for damage and endurance, now imagining a squad of them rampaging through an infantry line… made things bleak indeed for the opposing army.

‘’They’re more like a different branch of the overall military; golems are also used for labors but overall numbers remain low because operating them can get laborious and it’s difficult to coordinate a large number of them.’’ Elina stopped. Pinching her chin while frowning in momentary silence. ‘’I didn’t spend much time learning because I didn’t have the knack for manipulating them. The royal family and their retainers created a small miracle though, they’ve been able to replicate some type of sentience into those entities.’’ Vilma noticeably twitched at the angel statement. ‘’By using a genuine awakened golem – a puppet that somehow grew its own soul- and throughout the years the slowly expanding population of golems has been giving these hints of humanity, you saw how the giant acted around Belph right?’’

So, Elina knew the identity of Sieglinde adopted aunt. You nodded at her question and smiled as you observed Vilma absorbing this information with near raptured attention.

‘’They haven’t been able to create truly artificial souls or sapience but these hints had the queen give golems actual right; not quite enough to be citizens but it’s illegal to break them for fun, serious funds have been sunk into streamlining designs for warfare.’’

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‘’W-wow… your, your homeland sound amazing.’’ You could only mirror Vilma statement with a nod, it was amazing indeed to hear how another nation of Mamonos was operating, doubly so from the perspective of someone who seemed to personally know their ruler.

Yet Elina glanced away silently, caught in the middle of a melancholic expression that she tried to hide with a wistful smile. ‘’Yeah, it’s not a bad place.’’ She spoke firmly interlocking her fingers together and staring at her legs. ‘’I’m just… I have something I really need to accomplish there, I’m not sure what I’ll do after that.’’
The angel had been rather listless during her talks about Zipangu and it seemed to be a rather touchy subject, you exchanged a glance with Vilma who was pursing her lips together silently, taken aback by her friend unusual mood.

‘’Don’t like your home?’’ You broke the newly formed ice and earned a shrug.

‘’Doesn’t feel like it to be honest.’’

That was...blunt and bleak.

>Ask her what she has to do, is it related to her coming into this academy?

>Drop the subject as it looks sensitive. Perhaps you could ask something from Vilma? (Specify)

>Free Choice

>>2276553
Ask her what it is she needs to do, if her studies here are to finish that, and if she is going to let her friends help her.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSYrgkWfvuc

‘’You have a duty to your homeland?’’ An easy question to ask yet definitely harder to answer for your angelic friend, she winced and seemed genuinely hesitant and guilty. It was surprising to see sweet, bold and good-natured Elina agonizing like that so you quickly tried to recover your mishap. ‘’Is it related to your studies here?’’

‘’Yeah.’’ She nodded, flapping her wing with graceful care, patting yours and Vilma’s back; the small undead girl was staring forward in silence, nervously fingering her borrowed book.

‘’Zipangu studies into souls are…remarkable.’’ Elina was slowly warming up, shedding her sadness to show positive nostalgia. Or at least trying to, it looked forced to your eyes. ‘’But it wasn’t enough for what I need to do, I figured that… since relationships are good between both monstrous nations I could try to come here and study how demons handle souls, it turned out they possess an unrivaled mastery of summoning so I decided to try developing skills in that area, witness if I could accomplish some kind of breakthrough. I needed… no, I need skills with manipulating souls, healing them. I want to see if summons could be used as a healing balm. That's been the crux of my studies.’’ She was deliberately looking away from you, keeping an even forward stare into the large room. ‘’I thought summoning would be perfect training but I can’t manage anything because of what I am.’’

‘’B-but…’’ Vilma's voice was almost a squeak, a mouse-like objection of concern for her first friend that rekindled a flame of emotion into her eyes who drifted toward you. ‘’Arawn… his magic… isn’t he exactly what you need?’’

She didn’t answer and you found that your heart was beating with abnormal strength, the knowledge that you might actually be able to help her, returning grace for your eternal debt of gratitude was… a selfish prospect yet you couldn’t reject this feeling of trepidation. It wasn’t right to feel inadequate with a friend, part of you wondered if you were just seeing this as an opportunity to make things even.

Elina has her reason to have kept quiet so far and when her silence to Vilma question increased, the girl sat down listlessly and voiced a heartfelt apology.

‘’Don’t, you had a hell of a day Vilma. I don’t want to make you feel even worse.’’ A forced smile, one of acceptance, endurance, graced the blond lovely feature. ‘’I…I’ve talked about myself only once, it’s been a while so I can’t help being a little awkward.’’ A gentle twitch from her wings had one caress your back.

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‘’I have a mentor, she’s like an older sister.’’ The revelation was quiet, heartfelt, like a gentle breeze coming through an open window. ‘’Her name is Hadraniel.’’ This name provoked a loud intake of breath from Vilma. ‘’She’s the angelic Embodiment of Love.’’ Elina turns to you, waiting for your acknowledgment. ‘’And she has been horrifically wounded during Zipangu crusade, enough to plunge her into an unending coma. Had she been anything else but an Embodiment, it is undeniable that she’d have died.’’ A long-discouraged sigh flowed out. ‘’She’s the lover of Zipangu prince, they spared no expense of efforts and money to find a cure, a solution; all of it for naught. It’s been twelve years that she’s been stuck in this non-existence, I feel like I’m the only one still trying to do anything.’’

She was looking up into the ceiling, smiling yet… her expression of peace and acceptance twisted your guts and gave rise to a fiery emotion of rebellion, it was as if Elina had found some kind of harmony with this sorrow.

‘’T-that’s… I have a master too…’’ Vilma was at a complete loss and so were you. This small angel has been stuck on a decade-long quest without progress and came here into Throne Town -alone- to try and master something impossible, scrapping the bottom of the possibilities barrel all this while unafraid to make friends and invest herself into other someone else plight.

Now here you are, out of the Throne, a mage of soul, a raw manipulator…

‘’Elina…’’ Words fail you when both girls turn to you and the angel smile, closed her eyes and jumped to her feet. Wings phasing through your and the lich bodies.

‘’It’s fine.’’ She speaks firmly while faraway echoes of steps herald the princess arrival. Elina fingers interlocked each other behind her back as she made a quick turn of heel to you and Vilma with a broad grin. ‘’We have other things to think about, reality is pressuring us so there’s no need to get fixated on my little worries.’’ She nods at her lady friend who can’t keep an even stare.

It was in this climate that Sieglinde stepped inside with enough plates between her, Belphegor and the drones to feed your little group. With a satisfied smile of a job well done after finishing cooking what looked to be a mixture of fish, vegetables, and rice.

‘’Oh, good timing I’m starving!’’ Elina expressed loudly, fetching a plate from the silent redhead who's eyebrows raised in silent interrogation, evidently sensing something off.

‘’Being hungry make the mind sad.’’ She stated while directing her troupe to the closest table, Belphegor looking adorably sulky. ‘’Come on, let’s have at it.’’

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>Should you ask about Sieglinde family, see if she know what her sister and mother are up to? (Something else?)
>Perhaps speak with Belphegor? Learn more about her? (Specify question)
>As the atmosphere is serious, perhaps you should speak with Vilma about Elenore, gauge the lich willingness to a duel.
>Or stay silent and witness how this supper will organically develop between the girls.
>Free choice

Getting a bit too late to continue, I'll see if I can push out one more answer if more players are here tonight. Otherwise, tomorrow it'll be.

>>2277053
Ask Belphegor what she's currently researching. Also ask her what she knows about magitech. She needs some screentime and I wanna try and get in good with her because of my stealth elf plans.

Sad to hear what happened to Haddy, reviving her is definitely a long term goal. For me it's three reasons: A comatose Embodiment of *love* simply won't do, she was one of my favorites back in the day and, well, the interpersonal, diplomatic, and other such benefits are darn near impossible to overstate should we actually succeed. Glad to hear Emeth apparently made it through OK though. Gotta look on the bright side of life!

>>2277062
>>As the atmosphere is serious, perhaps you should speak with Vilma about Elenore, gauge the lich willingness to a duel.
Get this out of the way.

>>2278882
this

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For a man without past, you couldn’t help but wonder if the angel felt shackled by hers. Her short story had been sobering… there was a small joy to take from the fact she trusted you enough to share something about herself, knowing full well you couldn’t reciprocate.

That wasn’t entirely accurate, there is that ritual of soul that could cure your amnesia.

As you resolved yourself to move on, it was obvious that Vilma’s didn’t share your skill at keeping a social mask but she managed to force a smile and graciously accept the princess plate, reddening cheeks proving that she was undeniably touched to be offered food from one of royal blood and with enough self-control to avoid asking more from her haloed friend.

‘’Can I assume you’ve gotten good at cooking because you’re the elder sister?’’ Elina asked without any traces of melancholy. Witnessing how much of an effort she was putting into moving on was enough to convince you to dig into your plate and swallow your gloominess with a helping of delicious fish mixed with rice.

‘’Absolutely.’’ Sieglinde answered in pride. ‘’Throne Town is a center of trade and many long-lived Mamonos brought back all kind of foods from around the world. Case in point with this rice; these long grains are from the empire of Zen, imported more than 100 years ago by adventurous demonic merchants at significant risk for hefty bags of coins until we managed to understand how to grow them in good quantity. We proceeded to export those into the Allied Kingdom so humanity could enjoy something other than wheat.’’

‘’Don’t remember any tutors being so proud of teaching food history.’’ Elina retorted and silenced herself with a mouthful.

‘’I’ll have you know that -I’m- the one who sent out to steal secrets of the orient.’’ Sieglinde fork clicked on her ceramic plate as she pointed at herself with a thumb. ‘’Alchemy prevented mass famines in the past but enjoying delicious food was a whole other endeavor.’’

‘’Speaking of alchemy.’’ This time you wedge in, observing the small Belphegor who had already gone through most of the plate. How fast is this little one eating? Her long ears twitched at your voice and she looked to you with upturned eyes and cheek full of fishes and vegetables. ‘’What are you researching, Belphegor?’’

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‘’Mh.’’ One of her claw gently clinked against her plate as she swallowed the food ballooning her cheeks like a squirrel. ‘’Something on the philosophical side since I don’t have anything else to do right now; I’ve sorta petered myself out with bigger project so I wanted to see how Zipangu half-sentients golems would react away from their home. Those guys are sorta linked together and kept organized by special alchemists called operators, I wanted to see how the beings of lowest intelligence would do when left relatively loose.’’ She cast an idle glance toward the giants that had completely recovered from their emotional turmoil with scraps of rose clothes as vestiges of their weird… suffering. ‘’Also, I figured I could practice being an operator too, I never delved too deep into golemcraft.’’

‘’Oh? Are those creatures magitek?’’ That was a term you remember seeing in one of the books Elina gave you after your awakening and this mention had the small she-goat raise her eyebrows.

‘’Nah, not those guys. Maybe some of the more sophisticated golems would fall under that category but magitek isn’t something to be shown casually.’’ She tried to put some emphasis to her words by waving around, the gesture coming off as genuinely cute because of her appearance. ‘’Combining magic and technology has been around for twenty or so years but it’s still really, really hard to accomplish.’’

‘’The Seekers of the library would be purely alchemical then?’’ Your question was answered with a nod.

‘’Yeah, see magitek is a bit of a black sheep for alchemists because people only found ways to create weapons. Maybe I could show you some stuff, though we’d require going into a secure place to actually exercise with a few things.’’ Belphegor brought this discussion to an end by stuffing herself with the rest of her supper.

Hm, this could be an interesting thing to do.

‘’Hey Vilma.’’ Elina took this opportunity to speak, prompting a curious glance from the quiet undead. ‘’Do you know why Treant are giants perverts?’’

‘’E-eh? They are?’’ She asked, incredulous.

‘’Yeah, it’s because they always have woods.’’

‘’Pfft’’ Sieglinde used one of her deformed hands to cover her mouth as she juggled between amusement and disgust. ‘’Terrible’’ she whispered out while Vilma tilted her head in confusion… only to frown when the pun finally dawned on her.

‘’O-oh. That’s terrible, Elina.’’ The lady angel was proud of that one because she leaned back on her chair with an unearned sense of smug satisfaction.

And that marked another silence that was enough for supper to ends as plates after plates ended and the giant of rocks proved themselves delicate indeed by flawlessly picking up leftovers and, once fully loaded, disappeared out of Sieglinde room in booming, earthquake causing steps

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‘’There’s something I’d like to ask you, Vilma.’’ You decided to speak your mind after gauging the girls. ‘’It’s about Elenore.’’

That brought an obvious twitch out of the small girl with Sieglinde and Elina throwing out accusatory glares for your complete lack of delicacy. ‘’After today, you understand that she’s going to attempt something rather… crude right?’’

‘’I…yeah, p-probably.’’ Vilma’s hand went to finger the old, faded out golden chain around her neck. ‘’I’m…I knew what confronting her meant.’’

‘’A duel.’’ You concluded and she nodded silently. ‘’I’m not saying you should be forced into it, it’s always possible to refuse; I want to know how you feel about it and see if you’re willing to share your thoughts with everyone here.’’

‘’I’m ah… I-I never got into anything like that before.’’ She muttered, fidgeting from the pressure you suddenly put her under. ‘’To be honest I’m… still very angry with her’’ She massed her knuckles and brought her hands under the table. ‘’If I had some preparation, I’d be willing to face her.’’

‘’You could always request a champion to fight for your honor.’’ Sieglinde wedged in gently.

‘’Yeah.’’ Elina immediately agreed only to be interrupted by a yawn. It was rather soon to look tired. ‘’I can do just that, in fact let me do that; it’d be some mighty fun.’’

‘’I-I… I think I should still at least… try to…try to solve my own p-problems.’’ Her smile to the ladies was thoroughly awkward and forced, part of you wondered how much strength of will she had to summon to refuse them. O-only if I can… prepare. Yeah. Otherwise, I’ll ask for your help, Elina.’’

‘’I can accept that.’’ The angel agreed, settling back on her seat.

‘’Sound more serious than your average student drama.’’ Belphegor commented, her statement prompted a nod out of the redhead.

‘’Yes, it’s linked to my own crude intervention today. It’d take a while to explain.’’

‘’Eh, no need for details. It was amazed hearing you took out with a hundred succubus to strongarm the Javed.’’ The she-goat hands small claws scratched the wooden table. ‘’Your mom wanted me to pass the message she’ll drop by soon because of that, words of your antic spread pretty fast.’’

You couldn’t help imitate Vilma’s with having your entire body stiffen upon hearing this while the redhead sank one of her big hands into her curly bed of hair with obvious displeasure. ‘’I’d prefer a casual visit instead of hearing reprimands, tell her that.’’

‘’Will do.’’ Belphegor chuckled.

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>Should you ask Vilma to go into details about these ‘’preparations’’ of hers? She mentioned needing corpses and seems to have a way to get them.
>Ask about the Demon Lord. What is she up to these days?
>Elina seem to be about to fall asleep, should you try speaking to her? (Specify what)
>Free Choice

>>2279230
>Should you ask Vilma to go into details about these ‘’preparations’’ of hers? She mentioned needing corpses and seems to have a way to get them.

>>2279230
Ask about the Demon Lord. What's she up to and how does she "reprimand" those who displease her?

>>2279230
>>Should you ask Vilma to go into details about these ‘’preparations’’ of hers? She mentioned needing corpses and seems to have a way to get them.

She asked for help getting the ingredients or whatever didn't she?
We could probably do that

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‘’What does earning a reprimand from the liege lord of demons entail?’’ You couldn’t help this surge of curiosity and it prompted the two kin to look at each other with various amount of amusement.

‘’Family enjoy a few privileges.’’ Belphegor started with a snicker, tapping her small claws against each other. ‘’Like being congratulated behind closed doors.’’

‘’Mother is a soft woman.’’ Sieglinde continued, levering an index with a thorough lack of guilt for talking behind her parent back. ‘’Perhaps too much, I might have to hear some kind of public admonition if I truly stepped out of line as her figurehead in Throne Town, otherwise, there’s nothing to worry about.’’

‘’And if one crosses her without being family?’’ You asked and the two women exchanged another glance.

‘’Depend on who you are and what you did, if it’s serious enough for her intervention then… I reckon you’d be in a bad spot.’’ The redhead explained, rubbing her chin. ‘’But honestly? She’s gentle. Mother knows she doesn’t have the best of judgment for rulership, it’s why she entrusts many responsibilities to her family so your punishment will be doled out after consulting her advisers. Meaning, my, my sisters, Belph and a few friends if they are present.’’

‘’Unless you harm one of her kin.’’ Belphegor adds with gravity. ‘’You’ll be in for an ass beating in the best of scenario.’’

‘’Hm, yes…’’ Sieglinde agreed, growing silent for a few moments as her mind wandered into the past. ‘’Mother is protective.’’

‘’Good thing she’s on our side.’’ You finished and joined your hands together for a light stretching, feeling today fatigue settling into your bones. ‘’Vilma, could I ask you something else, related to this duel?’’

‘’O-oh?’’ She had opened her book to start reading, a curious examination revealed it to be about antiquity. ‘’Y-yes. Of course.’’ Her hand wants to pinch her amulet.

‘’I’d like to know some details about your preparation, you said earlier that you needed corpses and had a way to get them.’’ She nodded and opened her mouth to respond.

‘’Y-yes. Specifically, corpses that haven’t received burial rites, or at least without Holy enchantment as you see throughout the Old World and Allied Kingdoms. Mother Earth funerary rituals work amazingly well to prevent angry spirits from filtering through the veil to influence our plane of existence.’’

‘’You have a way to find something so specific?’’ Again, Vilma nodded but hesitated to respond. She cast a worried glance into the small assembly.

‘’No need to feel pressured, lass.’’ Belphegor smiled gently, showing an expression of mature empathy that clashed somewhat with her youthful feature.

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‘’N-no I… I wanted to ask you guys for help, I’m too scared to go on my own.’’ Taking a long breath to summon some courage, Vilma nails audibly scratched into the hard onyx of her stone. ‘’I hail from one of the seven islands of Arnbjorg far in the north of the Wildlands.’’

All the women nearly did a doubletake. ‘’Whoa! D’you come here by your lonesome, on foot!?’’ Belphegor asked before slapping her small hand over her mouth.

‘’N-no it… it’s my master, druid Harold who sent me here into Throne Town by using a mighty sorcery to bridge the distance.’’

‘’A portal?’’ Elina asked, confirmed by a nod from the lich. ‘’Those aren’t easy to do, that’s a mighty master you’ve got.’’

‘’Y-yes he’s… harsh. Lacking in fairness but he took care of me all my life, my earliest of memories are with him. He… Harold practiced the taboo of Necromancy and wished to impart it, t-though um…I’m getting off topic.’’ An awkward giggle had her move on from this glimpse of her past, it’d take some more time for her to be comfortable about this… and that’s fine.

‘’People of the isles embalms their dead and place them into mighty barrows that can count up to two hundred common folks. My master… granted me this amulet as a way to go back to our secluded home near one of the burrows we used as a training ground. He told me that… it was a gift, I could come back there to claim these uneasy souls for any purpose I choose.’’ Nervousness and myriad of emotions clashing within her small frame demanded a pause, Vilma took a few gentle breaths to settle down. ‘’By consuming this magical memento, I’d be able to get what I need.’’

‘’Very dangerous.’’ Sieglinde took this moment to intervene. ‘’It’d be possible for us to create a portal back into that place so you wouldn’t need to consume your item but the isles of Arnbjorg… Possess an incredibly powerful guardian. Supreme Monster Fáfnir The Old has rejected all attempt at politics and affirmed that he would slaughter any creatures of the night, blood or strong enough to challenge his authority if they were to step into his territory.’’

‘’He’s a stubborn old coot.’’ Belphegor added, arms crossing together. ‘’Fact you somehow managed to slip under his nose with your fa… em, master is pretty odd. Guy must be pretty damn good, or he somehow set up a magical territory to slip through that dragon net.’’

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Vilma wasn’t deterred, she observed Sieglinde and Belphegor then turned her gaze to Elina who proceeded to gesture with a thumb up then finally settled on you. ‘’I don’t have any other choices.’’ She affirmed firmly, showing a rare countenance that brought a smile to your face, Teruko really had a good eye. ‘’B-but…’’ A shame it didn’t last, she glanced down at her amulet to finger it gently. ‘’…I’d be nice not having to use this.’’

It would seem that Vilma is resolved to fight -if- she can prepare. Without that, her confidence will definitely fail her.

>Should you settle on this as quickly as possible or, instead, see if Vilma would like to inform Teruko of this problem?
>Ask Belphegor and Sieglinde to end the night by informing everyone of this grumpy dragon policies?
>See if Vilma would be willing to speak of her homeland?
>Open up about yourself, reveal your amnesia to Belphegor and Vilma?
>Free Choice

>>2279692
We should probably ask Teruko about this. Who knows, maybe she can help somehow.

>>2279692
definitely get teruko involved in this.
Theres gotta be an alternative though
Like attending executions in a small town or visiting a morgue before the rites get done.

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‘’I believe we should inform Teruko of everything that transpired this afternoon.’’ You speak firmly, changing the subject. ‘’I’d be good to get her perspective and she -is- your tutor, Vilma. I’m sure she’d like to help, at this point Elenore is forcing her to get involved.’’

That succubus entire ambition was to become one of lady Gunji students after all.

‘’I’m… a little hesitant.’’ Vilma answered, letting go of her jewelry with a guilty smile. ‘’It’s true that…E-Elle… she’s not being reasonable.’’

‘’It’s good to get the opinions of people with problems like that.’’ Elina spoke, only to be interrupted by a yawn. ‘’Wew, sorry. I think meeting her tomorrow and informing her of everything is important.’’

‘’I concur, that’s why I’ll be tagging along.’’ Came a remark from the red-haired demoness who had crossed her arms under her busts and settled lazily into her chair. ‘’I prefer relying on Vilma’s memory and create a portal instead of using an item holding. No offense, friend.’’ Her gaze was unwavering. ‘’It is much safer to use our means of transportation, and quieter too; with luck, Fafnir won’t react.’’

‘’T-that’s fine… milady.’’ Vilma made an awkward bow, smiling with sincerity at the princess. ‘’I cannot… express how grateful I am for your magnanimity.’’

‘’Friend of a friend is my friend, I’m curious to witness how you practice your craft so think of it as fulfilling my own curiosity.’’

‘’Guess I’ll keep myself near the shrine roof and prep up that ritual.’’ Belphegor added, lazily scratching the table. It would seem Mamonos with claws were quite fond of using them.

‘’I do wonder about one thing’’ You speak as an idea spring to mind, earning everyone attention. ‘’Could we not collect corpses that haven’t received rites without provoking the dragon? Could we attend towns executions or rob recent corpses from a morgue?’’ You noticed Elina and the lich sharing a grimace.

‘’Kinda morbid.’’ Belphegor commented, only to snicker. ‘’Pragmatic, I like your style..’’

‘’In theory yes.’’ Sieglinde was completely stone-faced by your suggestion. ‘’Incredibly impractical to pull off since we’ll need to deploy a significant number of agents throughout the Allied Kingdoms or the Old World to find these opportunities, or maybe see if the Wildlands had any recent battles between the clans. I suspect it would take a few weeks to get a possible lead, then comes the matter of collecting, it will require another deployment of skilled manpower. Throne Town isn’t a lethal place however we could still get a few corpses here… but it’s bound to create rumors. That’s without even mentioning how much bodies she’ll need to be confident with a fight against Elenore.’’

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‘’I-I could reduce them to bone powders…’’ Vilma takes this chance to speak. ‘’…I would need about thirty corpses to truly be effective.’’

‘’It’d be much faster and less of a headache to get into that barrow then.’’ You conclude, doing your best to swallow your dislike of this situation. It’s true you have time on your side but once Elenore demands a duel, she will need a quick answer; Elina could serve as champion in the worst of circumstances.

‘’Quite, I didn’t even mention how things could easily go wrong if we try to steal human corpses. Necromancy is a taboo and people don’t take kindly to others fiddling around the deceased.’’ Sieglinde tone held a sense of finality you couldn’t argue against. Unless you could think of an ironclad argument, there would be no dissuading anyone from this course.

‘’Getting a tad late for you youngsters.’’ Belphegor interrupted her niece, jumped to her feet in a surprisingly smooth motion, immediately creating a concert of clomps. ‘’Ought to find some rooms nearby, shouldn’t be too hard. Unless you guys wanna tag along longer?’’

‘’I’m not sleepy.’’ Elina spoke while yawning, earning a few stares of disbelief. ‘’What?’’ She immediately argued and huffed, leaning back enough to fall of her chair… if it hadn’t been for a suddenly appearing gold screen that kept her lazy posture upright. ‘’I’m prone to food comas, ate too much so I’m sluggish. It’ll pass.’’

‘’Huh-uh…’’ Sieglinde was the second to get up and stretch, forcing you to look away to keep your gentlemanly pretense.

This does give you an idea…

>Should you reveal that Sieglinde has a particular fondness for sleeping with people inside that massive bed? It’ll make a fantastic way to end this busy day!

>Don’t tease the princess. Perhaps something else sprung to mind? (Specify)

>>2280290
"Tag along together, as in, all of us sharing a large room? That sounds like a fun idea. What do you think everyone?"

We must tease Sieg whilst also maintaining our innocence. Brute forcing this won't do (and it may be a secret she wants kept) so we must subtly coax reactions out of her and skillfully guide this course of events. We play this right we'll be in a sleepover situation again and nobody will hate our guts or be *too* embarrassed.

Alright, will answer tomorrow.

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‘’Tag along?’’ You ask, trying your best to avoid grinning when your question brings you under the scrutiny of the girls. ‘’You mean staying here together for the night?’’

You don’t know how you managed to sound so sincere, your remark earned a fantastic silence where Elina and Vilma looked genuinely stupefied by your words, Sieglinde eyes narrowed into a dangerous slit and her big hands went to rest on her hips in an ominous pair of fists, tail swishing dangerously low behind her long legs. Belphegor… it took a genuine effort for you to avoid laughing because she went through an extreme of open-mouthed confusion that shifted into a wide grin after you exchanged one, meaningful short eye-to-eye silence; something instinctive was exchanged because she quickly whirled around, feet clomping the ground.

‘’Yeah!’’ She voiced, extending an arm for that massive bed. ‘’This thing can easily hold us all, I was thinking of showing girls the privy so they won’t need to ask later.’’

‘’U-um… what? Do you um…’’ Gentle Vilma found enough courage to voice her opposition and thankfully didn’t look back to observe the princess who was now glaring in the general direction of yourself and her aunt with furrowed brows and a tight enough jaw to look genuinely dangerous, an expression that somehow cause mirth in Elina because she had to repress a laugh after peeking at her demonic friend.

‘’Sharing this room sound fun.’’ Belphegor spiritedly nods to your argument. ‘’What do you think, everyone?’’

‘’W-what? I’ve never… I-I mean you’re a man and such a big…’’

‘’Fine by me.’’ Elina suddenly interrupt her friend whose purple skin showed an obvious red tint. ‘’Sleeping in group is kinda the norm where I’m from.’’ She added in complete, casual confidence and moved to fetch her bag then sit on the bed.

‘’Wait, it is?’’ Sieglinde was the one to ask and she quickly covered her mouth while you exchanged a victorious smirk with the little goat.

‘’Yeah.’’ Elina continued without any hints of lies. ‘’The queen and her mother are… eccentric.’’ Her fingers mark a pointed gesture at this word. ‘’Sleeping in a pile is almost law for their retainers, which also translated for the crown princess making a home into each family dormitories…’’ She pointed her sentence with an awkward laugh and extracted a pretty white dress out of her package.

‘’No objections then?’’ Belphegor fluffy ears perked up, eyeing her niece and the red lich holding onto her cheeks.

‘’You’re asking for a sleepover, Belph?’’ Sieglinde asked with a chilling smile and closed eyes, somehow dexterous or confident enough to take a few forward steps without tripping.

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‘’Well yeah, Arawn was right to make things clear and Elina got a strong argument, this is platonic kinship to make close-knit bonds’’ The she-goat imitated the taller red demons by placing her hands on her hips and then, in a minacious tone of quiet whispery wind she voiced. ‘’Don’t pretend you don't like this idea, nest lizard’’

For one all too short moment Sieglinde decorum broke completely into a horrified look of abject embarrassment, her gaze immediately flew to you and, no matter your control, there was no hiding the fact she was desperately hoping to deny.

Nest lizard?

‘’Ahem. You want to be friend with them, Belph?’’ Sieglinde recovery was flawless and fast. She pretended nothing happened and gave her hair it’s usual swoosh while maneuvering to finish her motion by gesturing at the two girls.

‘’Yeah!’’ The small goat jumped in place. ‘’I aint trying to impose though, lich girl over there… Vilma, right? You aren’t comfortable with that?’’

Said girl was pushing her index together while keeping her eyes firmly planted on the warm stone ground. ‘’I-I’ll be fine!’’ She answered with an uneven tone, starting quietly only to end loudly in a few syllables.

‘’Is it proper for a man to be sleeping amongst women?’’ The redhead asks, earning a wince out of her aunt that was gratified by a victorious sneer. ‘’I’m more than happy to celebrate my new friendship with Vilma.’’ An adorably embarrassed ‘’au’’ came floating from the background. ‘’But it could, perhaps, be a little too much excitement for a young man like him.’’

Now that’s a different tune compared to yesterday, red princess might have a little too much pride. ‘’It’s fine, it’s fine.’’ Belphegor waved. ‘’He’s their friend, he deserves a spot.’’

Sieglinde resistance was nothing more than an evident mask and you could tell that she was struggling to find an adequate excuse, hints of colors on her pale cheeks and sweat on her face had strand of red curls stick to her forehead as she, definitely, was trying very, very hard to keep her peculiar fondness a secret. ''But is it proper, Belphegor? Arawn?''

>’’You weren’t so resistant yesterday when you and I slept with your sister. You understand you can trust me right, Sieglinde? There’s nothing wrong with making ourselves comfortable as a group before starting something important.’’ There's no need to tiptoe around any issues, going in hard and bold will definitely make the princess give up!

>It might be best if the girls sleep together without you. Sad? Nah, you can take it, their happiness matter, right? Belphegor had your back but it might be best to avoid… displeasing Sieglinde.

>Free Choice

>>2282844
>It might be best if the girls sleep together without you. Sad? Nah, you can take it, their happiness matter, right? Belphegor had your back but it might be best to avoid… displeasing Sieglinde.
We've had our turn, let the girls have it alone, to ease vilma into it.
We're definetly getting in on this next time though

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‘’Probably not.’’ In the end, you decided to yield and with a guilty smile you did your best to conceal your embarrassment. ‘’Vilma should be eased into it so letting you girls enjoy yourselves is a better idea.’’

‘’Ah…’’ Surprisingly, Sieglinde countenance broke in seconds and she extended an arm in your direction as if afraid you’d walk away or run. ‘’…Alright.’’ She recovered swiftly, closing her mouth to clear her throat as a hint of heat spread to your cheeks and a smile settled on your lips, giving the redhead a reassuring nod. ‘’I guess, us girls can have a sleepover.’’ The princess concluded to which Belphegor whined and angrily clomped her feet.

A bold flame had enlivened your chest so you decided to step closer so as to whisper more easily. ‘’I’ll fully grasp my next opportunity to enjoy your bed, Nest Lizard.’’

Sieglinde reaction was absurdly rewarding; her entire upper body nearly bent outward as if sucker punched in the stomach. ‘’Y-you…’’ she croaked between clenched teeth warped by an adorable smile of raw, unmitigated embarrassed anger that would, undeniably, sign some kind of death warrant. Thus you took a tactical retreat, walking near the she-goat who hadn’t missed this little exchange and was covering her mouth with those small deformed hands while calming down the shaking of her shoulders.

‘’Show me my room later alright?’’ You tapped one of her horn, earning a strangely hollow thunk that made her stiffen.

‘’Sure, careful with those horns.’’ She flicked a clawed finger your way, eyes trailing for her niece who, thankfully, had completely recovered aside from a particularly a spirited glare fixated on you. Vilma was pretending to read her book while glancing to observe this spectacle while Elina was unashamedly observing everything that happened with a satisfied smirk.

>Should you retreat early and tuck in for the night?

>Or see if you can enjoy this evening a little longer? (Specify. Want to talk to someone? About something in particular?)
>Free Choice

(Sorry for my delay. Had a tiring weekend so I'll operate slower tonight)

>>2283156
Ask Elina about the men of Zipang; we've heard much of the women of royalty, so let's hear about the men.
Fafnir is the only powerful man we've really heard about.

>>2283156
Forgot to make the precision that you have time for one last action before moving on.

Tomorrow is a busy day after all.

Unless you guys agree on something else, I'll go with >>2283235

>>2283235
this is fine.

The next day at some point we should probably tell vilma we were really impressed with how she handled her bully.

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Your false nonchalance carried you on the angel side whose wings twitched in acknowledgment. She silently hugged the garment crumpled in a ball resting on her legs and you two cast a lazy glance into the room, your attention briefly staying on those strange pipes that had carried tasty alcohol yesterday, you had to repress the urge to get a glass of it. You heard Sieglinde cough, managing to fully recover from your remark and she decided to sit in front of Vilma who stiffened in response, while Belphegor disappeared outside the room.

‘’Say, Elina.’’ Things had gotten cozy, you heard Sieglinde begin a conversation with the lich, asking her about necromancy; a subject that immediately broke the ice between them. ‘’Can I ask you something about Zipangu?’’ You didn’t know how touchy this subject truly was.

She lazily turns to observe you and nodded. ‘’Sure, I don’t have anything I want to hide.’’

Good. She’s a straightforward woman. ‘’I’m wondering about the men.’’ You begin, causing her eyebrows to raise. ‘’I haven’t met another male so far…’’ You speak in a whisper, putting a little emphasis on your situation. ‘’…Fafnir is the only powerful man I’ve heard about and he doesn’t seem like good company, have you met some of the island nations stronger men?’’

‘’Yeah, often in fact.’’ Elina delicately put her sleepwear beside her and inches deeper into the mattress, folding her wings to rest them near her shoulders as she gazes on the roof of stone. ‘’There’s three of them. All of them good people, if… stubborn and often misguided, they’ve got a whole lot of spirit -too much at times- and they all share this camaraderie over their duties in keeping their families safe.’’ Her tone was one of fondness and politeness, her mind drifted into remembrance of good memories.

‘’First one is a man named Kyorn.’’ She observes you carefully at the name, and you can only shake your shoulders. ‘’He’s one of the thirteen, the past Heroes who killed Daiyu predecessor. He’s a bit of a weirdo, which isn’t exactly unique I guess. He was born able to manipulate a strange magic of glass and share his ancestry with an angel -his mother was one- and his skills in combats are… undoubtedly on par with Supreme Monsters. He’s been my trainer ever since I decided to reside with Zipangu royals.’’ She goes back to craning her neck upward, wings stretching out enough to touch you’re the skin of your arm. ‘’He’s a bit of an extreme when it comes to emotions.’’ A giggle interrupts her. ‘’He doesn’t handle surprise well. Often during training, he’d get angry when I land a good blow, but he can keep himself from blowing up by calling a pause and taking time to calm down. But say when it come to those he’s close?’’ She tilts her head in your direction with a broad grin.

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‘’Zipangu crown princess once disappeared into the capital at night and the guy took off in with flesh-ripping speed screaming in the night sky for the girl well into the hours of the morning; Kin was so thoroughly embarrassed she never attempted anything like that again.’’

Hearing a lunatic screaming for a royal child in the middle of the night sky must have been quite the experience.

‘’Next one that comes to mind is a man called Zechariah, a swordsman.’’ Her face changes expression, turning pensive. ‘’We haven’t talked much but we did spar quite a few times; he’s damn good, better than I am. He wields a fancy magical sword and is always accompanied by an incredibly rare sentient slime who pretty much became his wife, alongside Zipangu queen.’’

‘’He’s the prince you mentioned?’’ You ask, only to be met with a shake of her head.

‘’Nah, not him. Zechariah is an old friend of Ame-no-Uzume, going back more than thirty years; both of them fought against the demonic invasion of Zipangu and, well, they had their share of drama that I can’t exactly understand. He’s a good guy, genuinely nice person who stumbled a little bit through life until the Crusade forced him out of isolation. He’s got an adult kid, an Oni, and became grand commander of Zipangu order of knights. Now he’s married to Ame and his slime called Aurore. He’s rather mysterious, there’s something about him I can’t quite place… but I suppose I’m curious about his storied past.’’

A grand commander of a monstrous order of knights? Interesting.

‘’Last man is… harder to define.’’ Elina closed her mouth and frowned as she slowly pieced her words, granting you an opportunity to observe the pair on the table now hanging onto the angel every words. ‘’His name is Siegfried-no-Mikoto, prince of Zipangu and officially married to three women; Queen Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto. Queen-Mother Tsukiyomi-no-Mikoto and Athena-no-Mikoto, of whom last two bore him a daughter and he’s involved with a few other women. Namely his bodyguard -who’s incredibly good in a fight and rarely leave his side- and…’’ Her voice drops to a noticeable whisper. ‘’…Haddy.’’ She clears her throat with clear discomfort, hints of enmity lingering in her tone.

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Elina shakes her head, sigh and continues. ‘’He’s an elemental mage on paper but his nature is esoteric; he’s able to manipulate fluids with a focus on creating ice and attacking from a distance, he also became Zipangu spymaster and often act as a link between his homeland of Gwynedd and the monstrous island; his marriage to Ame was key in making it all fit politically and create the Commonwealth. Anyway, as for the man he is…’’ Another frown come to shadow her pretty face.

‘’I'm not too sure.’’ Elina begins. ‘’He’s a pragmatic man, perhaps too much whose ultimately motivated by the people around him, making them happy is his ambition and that means taking care of a nation because those he loves are responsible for Zipangu. He’s got a certain magnetism, an inherent charisma that has people listen to his words when he musters his spirit, he’s one of Zipangu three ‘’treasures’’ I’ve had the least interaction with.’’ She gives you an apologetic smile. ‘’Unlike Kyorn and Zechariah, Siegfried is almost always a closed book. Very stoic and withdrawn, kind of like you actually.’’

‘’Me?’’ you repeat, genuinely surprised.

‘’You’re not one to express yourself too much, You do remind me of him, yeah.’’ She clears her throat and jumps off the bed, heading for the table to grab a pitcher of water while giving her undead friend a head pat.

Interesting to know how other men seem to occupy themselves. All of them with multiple wives, possessing the strength and will to protect them...

>Should you inquire further? (Specify)
>Or did Elina satisfy you? (Retreat for the night and move on)
>Free Choice.

As I'm getting the onset of a cold, I'll be ending here for tonight. However, I fully plan to continue during the week, I'd like to write one answer for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday to keep things going (aiming to post around 5 or 6 pm), then concentrate on making a new session for Friday.

I believe the thread will easily last until then.

>>2283648
Turn to Sieglinde and Belphegor and ask about men in Throne Town and here in the academy.

>>2283648
>>2283653
this if we can, otherwise
>>Or did Elina satisfy you? (Retreat for the night and move on)

So ame, the fox daughter of the fox milf is married to zechariah and siegfried?
I thought aurore was a plant girl.
Poor mantis and that shy girl that we escorted while athena was on the mission that got her arm cut off didn't win the siegfried bowl.

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>>2283680
>So ame, the fox daughter of the fox milf is married to zechariah and siegfried?

Yes.

>I thought aurore was a plant girl.
No no, she's Zechariah precious other half. A slime girl, I didn't have the opportunity to delve into her deeply in the previous quest.

>Poor mantis and that shy girl that we escorted while athena was on the mission that got her arm cut off didn't win the siegfried bowl.

Are you perhaps thinking of Sylphis and Bletsia? I can't exactly go and reveal everything now, you'll get to learn more in the future.

>>2283648
>>2283653
This. More info about the world is always good.

So it looks like Elina blames Siggy for Haddy's fate. Well ya can't win em' all over. That fluffy daughteru is a thing and that Kyorn made it makes me happy as well.

Also, the whole being grabby with the exotic bits is probably what clinched it for us reminding her of Siggy. It's a shared fascination/compulsion. If we ever meet up with him perhaps we could compare notes sometime on the wonders of horns, tails both fluffy and not, wings of various types and textures... So many exotic bits, so little time.

oh gosh, i forgot all about the centepide to.
I meant the cat queen though.

Guess we will have to find out later in character, i got ya, qm

I've underestimated how much I need to write for this update, I'll post tomorrow.

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‘’Say, Sieg, Vilma.’’ You turn for the girls who blink in surprise upon becoming targets of your attention. ‘’Since we are on this subject, are there any men of notes in Throne Town and this academy?’’

‘’I-I wonder…’’ Vilma mused, quiet tone adding to your own. ‘’…I-I…I haven’t seen any other men so far.’’

Now that was a surprise. All that open space with the three manors had you believe this inner fortress to house up to a thousand people, with perhaps half of them staying in dorms.

‘’There are no men to be found in the academy.’’ Sieglinde bluntly stated while straightening her back to correct her lazy stance. ‘’Mainly because this grand academy has a focus on understanding problems that affect Mamonos exclusively. Safe purging of corruption, mastery of summoning and understanding the elemental masteries inherent to a few monstrous races aren’t something we can easily study alongside humanity.’’ Her gaze is directed to you, marking a friendly pause with a complicit glint of amusement dwelling inside those red orbs; this really made you understand how… odd your presence here truly was. There was also another angle to consider: prestige, perhaps this place was one of the few ones they didn’t want mankind to snoop around.

‘’Throne Town has a fair amount of men.’’ The princess continued. ‘’I can’t name anybody of notes since Mamonos hold all the position of powers. Men are treated on a case by case basis, some want to make a name for themselves and try to strike out as adventurers, others try to take advantage of their… rarity.’’ She grimaces at the word. ‘’And live an easy life, you’ll find that most males in Throne Town to be surprisingly ambitious unless they’ve been forced here by their Mamonos mistress. It’s a different existence compared to the human lands, where they aren’t outnumbered five to one.’’


‘’There is one particular individual deserving special attention.’’ She changed the subject, causing your eyebrows to raise as this apparent contradiction. ‘’Does the name Zazawu ring any bells?’’

‘’O-Oh, I heard of him!’’ Vilma was quick to answer. ‘’General of the Traverse, Shield against the Old World… He’s… he’s kind of a boogeyman.’’ Noticing her outburst earned everyone scrutiny, the small lich confidence flattened, inevitably growing diminutive. ‘’T-that’s how humanity sees him…’’

‘’Indeed.’’ Sieglinde agreed with a nod. ‘’He’s a living relic, born well before my mother and outside the Throne influence, one look at him is to observe what Monsters were like in past eras.’’ The demoness eyed you and Elina curiously. ‘’He’s a big softie at heart but he is probably strong enough to have a fair chance of winning against the Demon Lord or an angelic Embodiment on his own.’’

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‘’How important of a Supreme Monster is he?’’ It was evident this old demon held significant clout yet Sieglinde shook her head.

‘’He’s not even one, he rejected being part of any political elite and swore fealty to serve those representing the Throne instead.’’ There’s a clear hint of fondness inside the Lilim voice. ‘’He’s an interesting monster, who somehow managed to be innocent and mature.’’

Similar to this Fafnir yet cast into a much more positive light. ‘’He’s in town right now?’’ You asked and met by a nod from the redhead.

‘’Recruiting some folks for his army, he should be here all month.’’ A new voice chimed in from the room entrance. Belphegor had returned without her usual clomping that surrounded her movements.

‘’Zazawu can be considered an arm of Daiyu’s authority.’’ The little goat explains to you and the other two girls. ‘’He’s a pretty simple guy at the end of the day, does his own thing without bothering us and always willing to help when we need it.’’ A small yawn comes to interrupt her mid-speech and the goat fluffy ears droop as she loses interest on this topic.

‘’Anyhow, went and prepared your room, big guy.’’ She waves at you, prompting you to rise on your feet. You would have loved to catch a glimpse of the girl's pajamas… but a man of gentlemanly purpose cannot impose in order to fulfill adolescent lusts.

‘’Thank, I think I’d better go because my curiosity will have me ask enough things to last us until morning.’’

‘’Mh, a boundless well of curiosity.’’ Sieglinde is the second one to get up, Elina waved lazily and Vilma whispered a gentle goodbye after mimicking the demoness movements.

One thing is certain, you will not miss another sleepover.

--

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Your next hour consisted of calming down after Belphegor left you alone inside a medium-sized guest room on the very same corridor of Sieglinde chamber and while you couldn’t help but agonize over the cold loneliness of a big empty bed, sleep was no hard prey and you drifted with your mind reviewing today’s packed events; hopefully things would calm down soon!

It was because you so cleanly remembered what led you to sleep that you understood that you just awoke from a fever dream. Amnesia was a harsh mistress, but she taught you to treasure all memories and, as a result, you gained a near paranoid need to keep mastery over your mind and control your consciousness; this new experience was certainly new and far from welcome.

‘’Ah…’’ You breathed out, clutching your beating heart. Your entire body was drenched in sweat, making your beddings incredibly uncomfortable. ‘’…what the hell?’’ You could only whisper to yourself, standing up and getting out of your sleepwear to dry out.

You don’t know when it started but you dreamt of imageries, uncoordinated events showing themselves with no regard for a consistent timeline. First was something like an underground network of tunnels, sickly gray stones extended into twisted corridors of mirror-like proportion that always found a way to provide an intersection or curvature to confuse orientation. It was a place that had you scared witless because you remember running at a nearly panicked pace, throwing a few backward glances into the endless gray paths illuminated by a white luminescence; something brilliant was following you and was evidently leaving you scared.

You recall seeing a skeleton smashed against a wall after, what you can only assume, enough time had passed for you to lose your pursuers and regain enough momentum to swallow your terror…

Things changed afterward as if drawn into a canvas what meager colors there were in this fever dream blended together to create a new event. Into the outside world was a night sky glowing with wonderful stars alongside a full moon. There was a long prairie down the perch you had been observing from, your attention focused into an amalgam of buildings that were the obvious sign of civilization; a picturesque little village subsided here, in a place that, logically, could only be next of that unreal underground complex.

Logically, this part of your dream could only be happening after the episode of the tunnels.

There was, finally, one last thing. A sudden occurrence, an image that managed to burn into your mind and provide enough emotions to truly stir you awake. The end of your dream was marked by another shift, a sudden end to this prologue of things to come. As if grown suddenly blind, the entire world grew to pitch darkness in a sudden moment and you witnessed a silhouette, a creature closing in slowly while your limbs grew numbs, unable to summon momentum to flee.

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When it got close enough you could only describe it as a monster with none of the grace and friendliness that had you warm up to Mamonos despite witnessing their prideful flaws. A goat-like humanoid... thing was levitating off the ground, legs crossed together with deformed clawed hands outstretched toward the sky. Its head emitted a concert of short impish brays that sounded like laughing, flapping dark wings seemingly kept it afloat with, you noticed, many eyes somehow opening inside the feathers to observe you.

Had you been able to keep your wits you would have thrown many choice words for that barbaric entity that dared to corrupt Belphegor adorable appearance but whoever you were in that dream did not take kindly for this entity and you awoke in a panic, nearly throwing yourself off your bed.

‘’…Damn.’’ You grunted, pouring yourself a cup of water from a pitcher Belphegor generously left you. Amnesia was a disease of the soul, you had taken to reading about it during some of your free time and one important hint to recovering memories were dreams. Body and soul are nearly perfectly synchronized during deep sleep, it is believed most dreams are pieces of soul influencing the mind and thus, for someone like you, they could be important hints to an outright vision of your past.

This was extremely troubling. No way could you go back to sleep now. There was a general sense of sluggishness in your body as, undoubtedly, you hadn’t slept enough but you decided you needed some fresh air or, at least, a visit to the bathroom. Your door opened silently to your careful grip and you were greeted by a creepier vision of the Jawahir household; with light off, the alchemical hallway projected an eerie glow of silvery radiance that somehow reminded you of your dream tunnels; all the stones surrounding you made for an… inevitable comparison.

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When you spotted movement, however, your mind was rendered a complete blank.

‘’Elina…?’’ You whispered. The angel was strolling along the high-tech floor, having exited Sieglinde room to proceed on its leftward curvature that continued north, rounding up her highness chamber. Clad in nothing more than a thin white sundress that brought a warm memory of Deruella, you witnessed for the second time her magical beauty. Her halo illuminated her path, casting away darkness like a true holy maiden and her short, thin dress displayed a feminine, firm body that combined purity and healthiness. Naked shoulders showed a rare diminutiveness that brought Elina natural elegance, the generous curves of her waist gave you a sense of guilt, yet still, Elina remained a woman and you didn’t know if you should chastise yourself for feeling primal instincts for such an unreachable holy girl.

Yet something about your haloed benefactor struck you as odd. Her physique was… off. While you could only watch her back, her wings red wings were folded yet moving; it took a moment to realize her feathers seemed caught in some invisible current that also extended to her semi-long hair. Her pale legs were barely moving yet on she went, slowly disappearing up the stony path, sashaying skirt proving that she wasn’t gliding.

What is she doing…?

>Should you accompany her silently?
>Call out to her?
>Free Choice

>>2288438
Is she headed for the upper levels of the throne? We've been informed that it's not a place for anyone who doesn't know exactly what they're doing up there.

>>2288621
You don't know where that upper level is, so it's possible. The Throne itself is to the north of Sieglinde room

>>2288438
>Should you accompany her silently?

>>2288438
I say we observe/follow for a bit, but if she gets close to the throne or looks like she's gonna go up a level we call out. If that don't work we tackle her.

I got a bad feeling about what may happen if she goes into the danger zone or touches the throne in this state.

>>2288438
>>Call out to her?

Unless another anon vote to make a majority I'll go with this compromise. >>2288938

Planning to post tomorrow if my energy hasn't been drained by my day of course.

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No Tsu no buy

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>>2295136
All in due time.

Gonna start the session in an hour or two.

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>>2295174
>tfw lost the homework after pressuring you for months to do it
It's a bad feel

>>2295190
Ah hell, I lost it too. Been years and I changed computer since then, lost a chunk of notes despite my best efforts.

Well, it's alright. You'll have the chance the old cast again if you decide to go visit Zipangu, as it is one solution to your amnesia.

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Elina continued to stroll further up the corridor, her natural luminescence created a similar picture to one of your dreams, where a strange entity stalked similar floors of stones.

You weren’t about to turn tail and abandon your friend because of some spooky dream. You set out in silence trying your best to match steps with hers to avoid being found out, a prospect you soon realized to be impossible as her feet were naked and soundless while yours were covered by your usual boots and produced the odd squeak because of your inexperience at keeping yourself silent… At first, you almost took them off but you quickly understood ploy had no hope of logical success, yet she never looked back.

You knew that Elina possessed sharp instincts. She always noticed your presence as you strolled down the academy busy common roads or glancing in your direction when you quietly approached her during daylight without succeeding once in surprising her, you came to understand that she kept her guard up. Now… your attempts at stalking, while suitably competent for a neophyte, shouldn’t escape her ears and she never once turned to acknowledge you.

That was yet another motivation to convince yourself Elina wasn’t acting normally.

With the angel as a torch in the darkness of these labyrinthine stone corridors you followed without trouble, clinging to the light of her halo whilst doing your best to tiptoe at a respectable distance.

‘’Have you done it?’’ At first you nearly stopped dead in your track as the angel soft tone came out in an echoing whisper brought to your ears only because of the sheer silence of your surroundings.

‘’I don’t know, I haven’t… I’m not sure if I can see by myself.’’ She responded to herself while continuing her advance with the confident gait of someone treading a familiar path, her red wings went to fold around her shoulders yet their breezy oddness played with your eyes, often giving you mistaken impressions they were genuinely moving.

‘’I need him to be adequate, I can’t fix his mistake by myself.’’ A sense of urgency in her muffled voice carried to her even pace and she set out in an brisk walk that forced you to imitate her. I don’t know…’’ She murmured, suddenly gasping and bringing those meandering whispers to an end. She had stopped after the path finished rounding up to create an intersection going left or right and for a moment you wondered if she was going to look back, as there was nothing obstruction to use as cover aside from a nearby room whose doors were closed; opening them to rush would undeniably get you busted.

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‘’The Sabbath is over that way.’’ With that ominous sentence the glowing girl made her decision, put a stop to her lingering and set out leftward, forcing you to follow again else get swallowed by the thick darkness of this floor that could really use windows; alas you were venturing far too deep to see anything of the sort. ‘’She brought an end to it but still it lingers, I can’t afford to care; someone else… where’s my guardian?’’ Your heart squeezed and your lips curled into a grimace as your mind drifted into dark thoughts as you kept hearing the angels confusing sentences. You didn’t want to describe them as lunacy, to plaster your benefactor – the very first woman you laid eyes upon- as crazy gave rise to a potent surge of anger and self-hatred that had you bite your lips in anger to keep control but you never looked away from any truth since your awakening, it was undeniable Elina might be in the middle of some… episode.

As time went on you discarded worries about being found out as she roamed and rambled throughout the floor for the better part of an hour, your role changing from concerned friend to a watchful guardian ready to intervene if she was to step somewhere dangerous or particularly sensitive for Sieglinde family. The angel didn’t quite seem to know where she was going because you rethreaded old grounds during this strange exploration but after a while, she stopped before a pair of closed doors of familiar black woods built into a particularly thicker piece of the wall built into a cul-de-sac of this big, confusing floor.

‘’Here’s is the endless festival of flesh and burning rebirth under He That Brings Fertility.’’ Unlike you, Elina didn’t had time to be awed, her hands went for the heavy knobs.

‘’Elina!’’ Your voice echoed in a yell born from an hour of tension and she twitched, releasing the knobs with a sudden backward yank of her hands akin to having burnt her palms. She whirled on her heels and faced you, only now discovering your presence; her hair that always brought images of prosperity was clinging to a sweaty reddened forehead and those sky-blue eyes didn’t hold any hints of her usual friendliness. Her expression managed to combine vacancy and anger but she relaxed quickly as she connected the dots of your identity after taking her time to observe your face.

‘’Aaah?’’ Now her tone had regained vitality and her pale lips curled into a sneer, a dirty smile that almost came off perverted. ‘’That’s the devil on my shoulder.’’ Her halo of white-gold brightened and she, thankfully, took a backward step away from those doors that led into the Demonic Throne. Her stance was swaying and she’d often twitch with wings flapping oddly, sending refreshing gusts toward you, almost breaking her balance.

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’Devil, devil without a place. I don’t know where we're supposed to belong, that’s why you’re my devil, I couldn’t stay with my angel.’’ Her ramblings came to an end with a self-depreciating chuckle as she brought her palm to her face to clean her sticky forehead while venturing closer by means of a few steps, making you inevitably tense up from the increasing proximity of your near-naked beloved friend. Being referred to a devil felt much more confusing than insulting, it was obvious indeed you shouldn’t be taking any of her current words personally.

‘’Elina…’’ You tried your best to murmur a gentle tone. ‘’…Come back with me, we have a very important day and will need all of our energy.’’ You didn’t’ dare to step closer for fear of triggering some kind of strong reaction so instead, you extended a hand that was met by a curious glance that turned into a hostile glare.

‘’How do you do it?’’ She asked with dripping, shaking anger that forced you into silence, Elina didn’t wait for an answer because a sigh loudly escaped her as she brought her hands to rub her eyes. ‘’I like entertaining this farce.’’ She took another tiny step closer forcing you to summon your courage to avoid a prudent backward response and it seemed she liked your bravery because a smile of ephemeral gentleness graced her fair features before melting into resolution.

‘’Say, my devil. What is it that you love?’’ There was something different about her after this question. No twitches, no derisive chuckles; as if enlightened by a shine of sunlight, a sentiment of resolve nestled inside those vacant blue eyes, giving them weak presence.

‘’What…do I love?’’ You couldn’t help but repeat, your amnesia made such a question difficult indeed because your instinct was to answer with old-fashioned obliviousness.

‘’You’re human. Strange ears, immortal… but no less odd than Monsters. Both can’t function without love; beings beyond instincts are you all and I like it. What do you love, my tall devil?’’ Elina stood straight with interlocked fingers resting on her belly and a smile so gentle, so inviting, that your blood quickened with raw instinct because of her pale, silky dress; perhaps you merely misunderstanding something fundamental but right now, Elina was seductive and inviting. Even her halo had dimmed to a comfortable luster of white-gold, awaiting an answer inside the eye of the storm of her lunacy...

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>‘’What I’ve learned to love…’’ (Specify)
>‘’What do YOU love, Elina? Aren’t you someone of absolute? A creature of belief? Mankind can survive despair and heartbreaks but what about angels? Are you sad right now, Elina?’’ (Return the question and inquire about her instead. Don’t show weakness)
> ‘’I don’t know, Elina. I need to find out too.’’ (Be truthful.)
>Grab her hand and insist on coming back into a room to rest, you’re far too close to the Throne; it’d be awkward to explain yourself to Sieglinde.
>Free Choice

>>2295350
>>‘’What do YOU love, Elina? Aren’t you someone of absolute? A creature of belief? Mankind can survive despair and heartbreaks but what about angels? Are you sad right now, Elina?’’ (Return the question and inquire about her instead. Don’t show weakness)

Let's go with this one and be nosy.

>>2295860
>being nosy in an INH story
oof

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>>2295869
Have I scarred my old players that badly?
So far this quest hasn't shown that being curious is bad, right?

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‘’What do you love?’’ Emotions briefly betrayed you when pointed at the angel, prompting her to blink in genuine astonishment, as if waking from a dream. ‘’Aren’t angels creature of absolute? Beings whose souls and beliefs affect their bodies?’’ Your precision was needed because Elina seemed to have forgot her race, the creature she was and couldn’t escape from.

‘’Mankind can survive despair and heartbreak but does this extend to your, Elina? Are you sad? Is this why you are asking me such thing? Why you’ve decided to venture into the Throne again?’’ What was it that seemed to torture her enough to walk in her sleep? Were you speaking to the woman that was first to welcome your existence with fairness and boundless concern?

‘’Ah…um…’’ Elina body swayed, working her heels to force sideway movements while her neck craned back and forth as if her thoughts made it impossible for the usually stoic girl to keep herself calm. ‘’…What do I love? My shoulder devil asks me the obvious, I keep forgetting it. Bad, bad girl.’’ Then her interlocked fingers freed themselves only for her palms to come together into a hollow clap that resonated into the dark corridor.

‘’Love… It’s obvious I have to love things because that’s what I was supposed to be.’’ She rambled, grinning at your confusion. ‘’I love peace.’’ She quickly admitted, momentarily stunning you by this sudden mood swing into genuine honesty, or at least something close. ‘’Harmony however ephemeral really has been what I’ve loved; it’s hard to admit because I was supposed to think of duties and families before everything but… I love harmony. Elina the apprentice of love was fundamentally flawed; unfit to learn, a poor choice.’’

‘’Was?’’ How you’d like to ask more, to delve deeper into all these cracks and understand the enigma that was this short, blond red-winged girl. ‘’Don’t go speaking like the dead.’’

‘’Who remembers me?’’ She retorted with closed eyes and a peaceful smile.

‘’I do.’’ You understood very well how important it was to treasures one memories. ‘’Sieglinde is your friend, Vilma treasure you, Teruko invested her time because she believes in you and today, Belphegor opened new doors of friendships. None of them… none of us are about to forget you.’’ That brought a pinch to your heart as you keenly remembered the price to recover from your amnesia; perhaps this night will disappear from your memories forever…

‘’That so?’’ She asked, closing her eyes and leaning forward. ‘’This group, is it the beginning of harmony?’’ A break in her voice betrayed a naked vulnerability that was quickly concealed by a broad grin and manic eyes reduced to two blue lines from a cute, pouting frown.

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‘’Only you can find an answer.’’ You retorted, concealing your lack of confidence with a smile. There was no easy path to take for any ambitions and trying to communicate with her in this state was… difficult and potentially dangerous. She's prone to easily misunderstand anything.

‘’You know that you have no place in this world, right?’’ These words, this sentence delivered with a joyful grin and a lively tone cut straight into your heart with such masterful efficiency that it took all of you’re learned control to avoid lashing out and deny her.

‘’I…’’ You couldn’t argue her simple truth.

‘’I’m the same.’’ She admitted with quiet, guilty resolve. ‘’Born into this world yet still an outsider, Mother Earth usually doesn’t tolerate creatures like us.’’

‘’…I don’t think it’s that simple.’’ Your retort liked vigor but your mind went back, reviewing those last three days, your entire existence was less than a week old.

‘’This is just a bad dream; there’s nothing wrong with clinging to a few harmless lies if they make you happy.’’ Slowly, you realized you were losing the angel; her lucidity was giving ground to that previous curious lunacy, hence those bouncing subjects; soon you might be unable to keep a proper conversation.

‘’Am I speaking to you, Elina? Are you awake?’’ She didn’t respond, instead her body offered a silent answer by whirling around, making her silky white dress flutter because of an increasing amount of wind created by her wings and it’d be on you to interpret it.

>‘’Why not try to create your little piece of harmony here, with Sieglinde, Vilma and Teruko?’’ (What is Harmony, but something you build? Surely, she understands)

>‘’Do you not wish to return to Zipangu? Is it because you’re afraid of failing, Elina? That you’ll never be able to awaken your mentor, Hadraniel?’’ (Didn’t she set out on here of her own admission? Has she lost heart?)

>‘’Have you been dreaming of the Sabbath, Elina?’’ (There is something wrong here, an impromptu heart-to-heart caused by your awakening from bad dreams. Those couldn’t be memories of yours, your name came back with a sense of certainty, an instinctive affirmation that it was -yours-. You shouldn’t be having such an important discussion when she isn’t…entirely lucid.)

>Bring her back now, it could be possible the Throne is influencing her thoughts somehow.

>Free Choice

>>2296352
>‘’Have you been dreaming of the Sabbath, Elina?’’ (There is something wrong here, an impromptu heart-to-heart caused by your awakening from bad dreams. Those couldn’t be memories of yours, your name came back with a sense of certainty, an instinctive affirmation that it was -yours-. You shouldn’t be having such an important discussion when she isn’t…entirely lucid.)

Hm, a strange lack of activity compared to usual Friday's. Perhaps it wasn't wise to continue the autosaging thread.

Anyhow, I'll go with the current vote.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuIisHc4nf0 [Embed]

‘’Have you been dreaming of the Sabbath, Elina?’’ She had uttered this word during her rambling before beginning her exploration to find the Throne and while you held no illusion that you had no position of strength to ask anything, now wasn’t the time to care about logic.

At least, not too much.

‘’Oh?’’ Her whimsiness was anchored by your words and she regarded you with newfound interest, taking a small step closer, smiling softly to, perhaps, disarm you because it came out forced. ‘’It is a dangerous word, one that shouldn’t be uttered after speaking of love, not when my mind was filled with Hadraniel… although I suppose the devil on my shoulder would know how to make things stings.’’ Her hand, diminutive and feminine, went up to rub her eyes.

‘’Elina…’’ You began, feeling a familiar warmth of sympathy. ‘’…You’ve had some nightmares tonight didn’t you?’’ Perhaps you’ve somehow shared these dreams with the angel and today might not have been the first because you distinctively remember waking to passionate dreams without remembering them. It was certainly a first to be struck with so much negativity.

‘’It has been removed.’’ She answered with a grimace, bringing a hand to her chest, clutching her heart, nearly sliding a string off her shoulder. ‘’She’s… She took care of it and they helped me, my friend was there and… we got lucky.’’ She murmured, eyes lost into old memories, reaching out for your torso with her other hand and, perhaps against better judgment, you allowed her feeble touch to land whereupon she clutched at your linen shirt.

‘’It’s gone, burnt but even now I carry it with me. I don’t know why I should only care about love but it’s… not enough.’’ Elina was surrounding in defeatism. Her voice was a cracked shell, her naked shoulders slumped in discouragement and her face couldn’t lift itself to look you in the eyes, instead, her hair had come forward to cover most of her features that were already obscured by her angle.

‘’Maegan saved me, Mana burnt it all.’’ You could only guess those names to be people precious to her, like Hadraniel. ‘’But I still carry it all with me. Time has erased some many precious things but the Sabbath? It stayed, always. A lump in my throat, a pang in my guts, it changed things… I didn’t want it, I… I’m a weak, weak girl.’’

‘’Elina, that’s…’’ Could you truly affirm it wasn’t true from your sincerest heart? You’ve stood with her for less than a week yet it is undeniable that she never bent to pressures, like you this angel was someone who valued control over herself. ‘’…not true.’’ Yeah, Teruko saw something in her, you can certainly respect the tutor eye for potential.

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‘’I wonder, I wonder…’’ Elina lifted her head like one would a miserably heavy stone. Her mouth opened, proximity increased and a fresh breath exited her mouth to finish on your face, sending a cascade of goosebumps up your spine. ‘’…I want to love what little harmony I have left.’’

Then… then something changed. Elina hand moved to rest on your forehead, displacing your hair while a beatific smile graced her absent-minded visage. ‘’For now… we are kindred. Time won’t allow that but at least I can continue knowing I won’t be alone for a few more days.’’

Your perspective changed, a sense of vertigo assailed you, forcing you to step back and away from the glowing girl of red wings; images invaded your head, feelings blossomed within your heart, infecting you with foreign influences and in less than a minute your balance failed you, falling flat on your butt as you slid down the wall.

You saw things, horrible things.

A young woman with blond hair and white wings slamming her head against hard rocks, cracking open her skull. A young woman with blond hair and white wings skewered by some unexplainable beast of chitinous consistency and six limbs, glowing a strange red light, ripping apart her ribcage. A large hall of wood and stone with torches planted upon makeshift pillars where an assembly of people sit and surrounded a long table adorned with food; a young woman of blond hair and white wings was attached to a pole, with villagers excitedly breaking nearby furniture for fuel. A goat headed humanoid winged beast with hands long enough to cover your entire head was gently caressing the face of a young woman of blond hair and white wings, two men behind her tearing off the gorgeous appendages by hands. A young woman with blond hair and white wing bereft of clothing, running into the night.

A young woman… An angel stuck in the Sabbath.

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--
Dawn of the 4th day

‘’Ellraa!?’’

It was a dying gurgle, a pathetic whine of protest that had you trash out of your blankets, awakening anew into a bed damp with sweat – a familiar experience.

‘’Ah?’’ Your surroundings had shifted dramatically. Gone was the claustrophobic darkness of the corridor, you were back into the room Belphegor had lent you; a comfortable spot to call your own for a night with a large bed, library, desk and even its own inner bathroom. Lights were spawning from the weird cracks traveling the walls and roof, projecting a comfortable and quiet aura of sunlight in low enough intensity to keep you snoozing, had you been having normal dreams.

‘’Elina…?’’ You whispered to nobody in particular. Shaking grounds revealed the golems were up and about and muffled voices also hinted at some kind of activity into Sieglinde room, the girls were awake.

‘’Aah… was it even real?’’ Fatigue in your bones affirmed it. You were far from genuinely rested, although still healthy enough to carry your purposes.

Elina, who are you?

Your task today is to go see Teruko with Elina, Sieglinde, and Vilma to inform her of everything that happened with the academy ace, Elenore. You will proceed to help the lich with preparing corpses for her necromantic magic.

>Free Choice.

Ending here for today. Here is what you decide to do. Confront Elina about yesterday? Pretend nothing happened? See if you can talk to the angel alone? Concentrate on helping Vilma?

The choice is yours, I'll continue tomorrow. Would you guys prefer I make a new thread instead?

>>2297215
Get information from Belphegor, then Sieglinde, privately, about the Sabbath. Also ascertain what is known about its destruction, and if there's a chance parts of it still exist.

>>2297182
>Mana burnt it all
That the Mana I'm remembering? The mommy that liked to kill things with magma blasts? Maegan ain't ringin' a bell though...

>>2297215
For now, after we see Teruko, we try and find a way to get to that pile of corpses without pissing off Fafnir or making her burn her memento. We also try and do >>2297355 if/when we get a chance. We do, after all, have a whole day to fill with activities.

I was wondering which one of the girls would have Mylen-tier/type trauma or if we'd ever meet one. Gotta admit I didn't see the Angel being the one coming.

As for thread, do whatever you feel would work out best for ya. Ya might get more activity if you start a new one though...

>>2297419
>That the Mana I'm remembering? The mommy that liked to kill things with magma blasts? Maegan ain't ringin' a bell though...

Kinda glad you don't remember, that'll make for a nice surprise.

I'm glad that newcomers aren't feeling intimidated by this old history at least, I think I'm doing an adequate job introducing things.

>As for thread, do whatever you feel would work out best for ya. Ya might get more activity if you start a new one though...

True but this one still has plenty of life in it and we haven't touched 100 messages. I'm thinking of sticking to it for the next two days, nobody seems unsatisfied with actions taken thus far so you guys have proven pretty wise in general.

>>2297424
Old history only affects those of us who were there from the beginning. We old hats know you, and other new players know enough about TTRPG's and GM's to get the point.

For instance, you're a GM I'd fully trust to be able to capture the true feel and atmosphere of a "Shadowrun" if anyone reading this catches my meaning...

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Splashing lukewarm water on your face helped wondrously to instill a sense of reality into your groggy mind and while you desired nothing more than rushing outside to see how Elina truly fared in the morning, hearing the muffled voices of chatting girls was enough comfort to make you understand you’d only embarrass yourself in doing that; it wasn’t your style to get carried away. ‘’Sabbath, huh?’’ You murmured to yourself, looking in the standing mirror of your personal bathroom. You weren’t showing any shabbiness despite your rocky night and outside a constant desire to yawn, you wouldn’t be showing any hints of the bad sleep you suffered.

Thus, you took some of the new clothes Sieglinde somehow managed to prepare for you despite a distinct lack of maids anywhere to be seen (quite the busybody, that woman) and set out into a familiar corridor that somehow managed to create an impression of sunlight despite lacking windows; those were all situated on the right flank so they made do with these strange lights traveling throughout the floor.

You also happened immediately upon the Lilim large chamber as your guest room was directly across. The girls were happily chatting around warm meals on the princess round table, your arrival immediately caused curious eyes to peer your way. ‘’Oh? Up and about?’’ Came a first greeting from the redhead, flanked by Vilma and Elina and you forgot to respond as you observed the red-winged angel who didn’t show any hints of awkwardness or indeed, effects from what happened a few hours ago. Your passing out had been sudden, there’s no doubt she must have been the one who brought you back yet when your eyes crossed she gave her usual aloof-yet-friendly gesture of an upward curl of her lips and a nod.

‘’Hm, yeah.’’ Sieglinde had raised her eyebrows at your evident delay and you strolled down the pathway. Stepping into her room revealed the last missing woman, Belphegor, taking her mean while lying on the bed and silently gesturing her welcome when your gaze crossed.

‘’Hard night?’’ The princess continued as you made your way near the group, all of their breakfast came from a bigger serving of eggs, pastries, and meats coupled with apple juices that came across as a mini buffet and looked absurdly appetizing.

‘’Had some trouble staying asleep.'' You admitted while taking yourself a plate and filling it, your belly had awakened fiercely after witnessing this wondrous combination because of your previous light supper. Your gesture brought a satisfied smile on Sieglinde and a curious glance toward Elina revealed that she remained completely neutral. ‘’Maybe I was a little too excited.’’ You decide to offer some excuse.

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‘’Y-yeah I was… too… It was my first… it was an experience.’’ Vilma tone, as always, sounded like a diminutive mouse without being grating or annoying. She had a book open on the table, the same one as yesterday about antiquity.

‘’Lots and lots of girl talk, it’s quite sad you had to miss it.’’ Sieglinde chimed in, oozing smug satisfaction. ‘’ Sometimes women have to be together, don’t feel left out Arawn.’’

Oh, you have no intention of missing the next one. ‘’Don’t worry, I know what to do next time.’’ You winked confidently at the redhead, earning a surprised glance from the princess that soon changed into a defiant sneer. ‘’Ho ho?’’ She announced, leaning forward, leathery tail stretching upward. ‘’You’re a lively one in the morning.’’

‘’Mh, I might have had an animated dream.’’ You throw a bait, keeping a careful eye on Elina whose head tilted in confusion as this attention. ‘’I’d like to ask Belph something while I’m at it.’’ You quickly continued for fear of having to explain yourself; you hadn’t lied once to the girls and now wasn’t the time to start. Better move onto another subject quickly.

‘’Rrgh?’’ The little girl asked upon hearing her name, hooved feet swinging.

‘’Take the time to swallow at least.’’ You retort, feeling a smile; this morning with the group did wonders to exorcise your negative mood. ‘’It’s a little something I’d like to ask in private actually.’’ You smirk at Sieglinde, whose curiosity had definitely been picked.

‘’Sure!’’ The little she-goat responded before her niece who grunted something about impertinence and went back to her food, projecting a marked pout by making a point of ignoring you and reading Vilma book over her shoulder.

‘’Let’s go back to my room.’’ You say, hoping to the Holy Mother it wouldn’t’ be twisted into perversion. A thought that undeniably crossed Belphegor because a hearty chuckle escaped her childish frame but, thankfully, she didn’t tease any further and accompanied you, leaving her meal behind whilst you refused to relinquish yours.

--

‘’So? Wanna share some secrets huh?’’ She was full of pep when you closed your door, not even waiting for you to sit at your desk. ‘’Bit of a shame you gave up yesterday, Siggy is a little paper tiger with a bit too much pride when it comes to friendly shenanigans.’’

Deruella had described her similarly, but you’ve caught glimpse of the Lilim maturity here and there, especially that precious discussion in the courtyard… Wait, now wasn’t the time to think about that.

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‘’Feeling a little shy?’’ Belphegor continued as you munched slowly on your food. ‘’Tomorrow is the weekly day for the maids to come here and clean everything.’’ A dirty grin spread on her childish face. ‘’I know a few gals who’d love it if you were to touch em for an hour then bend them over a nearby desk, being all aggressive and possessive make Mamonos wiiiild.’’

Now that’s downright improper coming from a little girl. Especially those wiggling eyebrows.

‘’Maybe you’re the submissive type? Well that work too, asks me before trying anything though, cause not all the maids are willing preys or predators.’’

‘’That huh…’’ Your genuine excitement was making you far more awkward than Belphegor confident perverseness

‘’What, is it true that elves have no libido?’’ She asked, interrupted by a chuckle that had you convince she was taking you for a wild ride.

‘’I’m a healthy young man.’’ You retorted, turning your chair around to face her, crossing your arms on your belly. ‘’A bit of a romantic one.’’ You didn’t know for certain if that was true, it felt like Belphegor might have opened a dangerous box of ideas that could carry you away dangerously fast. ‘’I do want to ask you something serious.’’ You continue before she could wedge some other remark, else she’d easily dominate the conversation and impose her pace.

It wasn’t’ a bad thing really, Belphegor certainly made for good, friendly company. You’d almost describe her as boyish.

‘’Aight, shoot.’’ The small she-goat crossed her deformed arms and you took the plunge.

‘’Do you know anything about something called Sabbath?’’ That changed her expression like a slap on the face. Her youthful energetic good mood shifted into an expression of seriousness that befitted all the years piled on her diminutive shoulders.

‘’Who told you that?’’ She asked in return, glaring, then looked away to observe the door, trying to spare you this rise of wroth.

‘’Let’s say I’ve heard about it.’’ You’ll apologize later if you decide it wiser to reveal Elina… episode.

‘’Yeah, that’s possible. Daiyu made a point to avoid hiding history so students could study public record.’’ The little aunt sighed, audibly scratching the fur of her arm. ‘’It’s a bit of a touchy subject, would you mind not bringing it up to Sieglinde? All the bad memories surrounding that sect will kill her good mood, I haven’t seen her this motivated in years.’’

A sect? Belphegor wasn’t’ about to say more until you agreed so, in the end, you decided to drop your idea of discussing it with Sieglinde afterward; at least for the near future. ‘’Alright, I’d just like some perspective.’’

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‘’Did you come across someone claiming to be part of it?’’ This was a dangerous question, for all of Belphegor friendliness and harmless appearance, the truth remained that she was older than Sieglinde and for a brief moment you felt a chill, a sense of dread that provoked a trembling of your shoulders.

‘’No.’’ You affirmed firmly. Elina wasn’t part of whatever this sect was. Absolutely not.

‘’Aight. Sorry for my hostility, it’s… bad memories, taking it out on you a little.’’ Her apology was genuine, with one eye closed and an expression of shame on her face, Belphegor deformed hand audibly scratched the back of her head this time.

‘’No worries, I should have been a little delicate.’’

‘’Eh, you can’t be when it comes to this mess.’’ Galvanized by your good mood, Belphegor clopped to your side and boldly stole one of your sausages.

Rude. You were saving that.

‘’The Sabbath is an old sect of Mamonos that’s been purged from Throne Town, it’s practice is illegal today but they caused heaps of troubles back in the day, especially after the tragedy of your people. It’s similar to Épanouissement -which is another sect- insofar they share a message about living happily but while one tries to be genuinely good and make its adherent into better people, the Sabbath was about hedonism.’’ It felt like a familiar tale, you’d likely see similar things in humanity past. ‘’They preyed on the confusion of Daiyu early reign where Mamonos gained true sentience, so they offered people purpose by making them into drugged out, sex addicted animals. Daiyu, I and her husband all made the mistake of underestimating them, thinking it was just growing pain from a blossoming civilization but man, we got fucked in the ass. Aint no better way to say it.’’

She invited herself to pierce a piece of your eggs with her claw and lazily bring it into her mouth.

‘’Strong monsters skilled in manipulating corruption began to gather in their halls, a few skilled merchants increased their economic presence in Throne Town and they began to have designs on Supreme Monsters politics and the Throne itself. Making a long story short, civil war happened in Throne Town fifty or so years after Daiyu ascension. It was triggered by somebody kidnapping Martha; that’s Sieglinde first little sisters. We found out the culprit belonged to the sect, they wanted to indoctrinate Daiyu family into their belief and you bet your ass none of us took it kindly.’’

You wanted to ask about a demonic goat but wisely decided to still your tongue; your instinct told you this was dangerous knowledge.

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‘’I’ll be vague here, I’m sure you can imagine that it was a messy bloodbath. A long one too, took 20 years to oust the bastards, it’s obvious they were supported by some Supreme Monsters that wanted to weaken Daiyu but I suppose you can think of that as usual business.’’ She made a quick wave, perhaps an attempt at a rude gesture? ‘’In the end, they left when Daiyu was pregnant with Deruella and retreated from the world since our faction kept hunting them down; being adherent of the Sabbath was a death penalty plain and simple and I suppose it still is. Law hasn’t changed.’’

With a sigh her explanation came to an end, eyes of amethysts dulling into remembrance of past hardships. Gone was the friendly atmosphere, you realized that you began to miss it dearly.

>‘’Has that sect made any moves in recent years?’’ (Delve deeper into this subject.)

>You’ve heard enough, you have important things to do today. Go back to the girls

>Free Choice

>>2298909

>You’ve heard enough, you have important things to do today. Go back to the girls

>>2298909
Kinda wanna delve deeper into this but we can do that later at a more fitting time. Get back to the girls for now, but we should schedule an appointment with Belph for later regarding this subject.

Also, we need to see what we can do with magitech so maybe we can kill two birds with one stone with the appointment. I need my tools of the trade for the future stealth elf!

>>2299319
>>‘’Has that sect made any moves in recent years?’’ (Delve deeper into this subject.)

shits important, gotta find out all we can now.

Wew sorry for taking so long, having to write a bunch again. It'll be done soon.

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‘’Thanks.’’ You conclude, saving what’s left of your breakfast. ‘’I’ll make sure to avoid speaking about it around Sieglinde.’’ Your friend treasured her family above everything else, it’s obvious remembering enemies that hurt them would ruin her mood.

‘’Can’t fault your curiosity.’’ Belphegor replied with renewed vigor. What she told you was, perhaps, public knowledge and available in the library if you were to research long enough and while you’d dearly love to acquire more information (something you felt was becoming your defining personality trait). Belphegor was a prudent monster and trying to extract deeper meanings from her is likely to backfire.

‘’Think we could meet sometime?’’ You add, prompting her to stop moving. ‘’I’d like to ask you all kind of things, like magitech and alchemy in general.’’

‘’Sure.’’ She answered with an honest smile. ‘’There some subjects I might not be able to talk about but alchemy, in general, is a safe bet. Youngster these days don’t often see the merit in it. Drop by whenever you have free time.’’

--

‘’I hope nothing malicious has been planned.’’ Sieglinde announced, throwing you and her aunt a suspicious look that resulted in a complicit grin being shared between yourself and the much smaller she-goat.

‘’Instructing a lad, nothing bad in that.’’ Answered the carefree Belphegor, clomping her way for the table to grab more pieces of food.

What would happen if you mentioned that tidbit about tumbling maids?

‘’I suppose it’s revenge for yesterday.’’ Sieglinde wrongful assumption had her grow silent in face of your quiet smile; you may be amnesiac but you’ll show her that you are a patient man.

‘’A-anyway we should go see Teruko, are you two ready?’’ She turned for her female companions and Vilma answered by loudly closing her book shut.

‘’Ah!’’ She tensed under everyone gaze. ‘’Y-yeah we… I-I think it’ll be fine.’’

‘’No reason to keep her in the dark, it’s a bit early but we got nothing better to do.’’ Elina got up, wearing a boyish shirt with pants that, you noticed, seemed to be shared by the others girls. Gone were the girly and pretty clothes, they sported functional vestment that truly made you understand you were about to do something potentially dangerous.

‘’You got things on your end Belph?’’ The redhead asked her aunt who lazily waved in turn, too busy stuffing herself with remnants of breakfast to utter a full sentence. ‘’Alright, let’s prepare to venture forth.’’

With Sieglinde accompanying your trio, you can at least be secure knowing Elenore or those Javed aren’t going to attempt anything stupid. After a few moments for the girls (and yourself, admittedly) to ready upm the group set out down the long, long flight of stairs…

--

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Having woken up considerably later because of your rough night meant that students of Internalisation and Summoning were lingering around the courtyard with a few even inside the shrine itself, each offered marked greeting when the royal Lilim happened to step closer. Familiar sceneries blended with equally usual paths and you began to recognize a few of the many, many faces sharing spaces between the two manors; it was a little thing you found to be remarkably poignant and despite the oddness of Sieglinde presence causing a stir, your mind was settled on a good mood and you led your group for the usual pavilion.

‘’Is it really that unusual for you to be around here?’’ Elina asked as she boldly stared back at the many Mamonos curiously observing your group.

‘’Not really, I’m usually alone, since I’m with a group that came out of the demonic shrine I suppose it’s making people curious.’’ The redhead answered with an equal amount of nonchalance. ‘’Maybe that woman has already been hard at work, not that it’s important.’’

There wasn’t any other exchange, Vilma was far too tense for a chat and you still had to put your night behind you, knowledge of the Sabbath wasn’t pertinent to this coming situation.

The public pavilion that your group has unceremoniously claimed was thankfully free. ‘’This is where you two usually meet Teruko?’’ You asked the girls.

‘’Y-yeah.’’ Vilma answered, scampering for cover and sitting on the furthest bench.

‘’She’s already coming.’’ Elina pointed out and indeed, your group hadn’t even fully settled down that Teruko marked silhouette came in plain sight. Long straight white hair combined with a long scaled tail and unusual facial horns made her that much more striking against a backdrop of equally various ladies with unusual monstrous appendages, her pregnant belly barely seemed to phase her stride, making you wonder if she was unusually lively and enduring or if Monster Girls handled pregnancy much more easily.

Wait, why are you thinking about that?

‘’My? Her ladyship firstborn of the Jawahir herself coming to greet me while mingling with my students?’’ Were the teacher first words as your group greeted her politely. Teruko stopped before the filled bench and you quickly got out of your seat before Sieglinde could do it first, earning a grateful nod from the professor. ‘’Aye do forgive mine impertinence by forgetting returning thee greetings, such a heartening thing it is after overhearing strange rumors from all these busybody students.’’

Already? Elenore can’t be working this fast.

‘’Talking about yesterday confrontation, yes?’’ Sieglinde spoke without care. ‘’It’s a bit of a long story.’’

‘’Reason of your coming?’’ Teruko asked, red eyes drifting for Elina and Vilma. ''A few witnessed violence of some kind, it shouldn't be so important; a few slaps is a healthy thing to settle grudges.''

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‘’Not entirely.’’ The redhead pointed out. ‘’I’ll explain, I’m afraid we won’t have much time for lessons today.’’

Sieglinde proceeded to deliver a competent summary of last afternoon without delving too deeply into Vilma emotional outburst, you keenly understood that Teruko had read between the lines when staring at her first student after hearing the princess mentioning an ‘’outburst’’ that was definitely the biggest understatement you've heard since your awakening.

‘’Hrm, that girl.’’ The foreign lizard woman growled once Sieglinde explanation came to its conclusion. Her relaxed traits had stiffened into a frown and the professor was staring holes at the table. ‘’A bigger headache that I’d believe she’d turn out. My fault for underestimating her resolve.’’

‘’What’s done is done, don’t go feeling guilty because you cared for her feeling, teach.’’ Elina added leaning forward while resting her palm on the table. ‘’A duel is inevitable at this point and Vilma can do it.’’

That prompted a concerned expression to settle on the pale tutor who immediately settled her attention on the quiet lich that had yet to speak up; Vilma purplish eyes were firmly stuck downward. ‘’Is that true, little one?’’ Teruko tone was a gentle breeze to coax her shy student away from her shell. ‘’Choosing a champion is not cowardice, despite all of her faults, Elenore is not to be taken lightly. Her title is not one of hot hair.’’

‘’I-I…I…I haven’t shown… I can do it.’’ Vilma's voice was far, far from convincing but you her resolve at least, was growing despite remaining shaky. ‘’I can do something, I can prepare that’ll… that’ll be what I need. My edge.’’ Her hand went to cradle her amulet. ‘’Sieglinde even proposed to help me without using my memento…’’

‘’Memento, hm?’’ Teruko leaned back, resting her hands on the table while taking care to avoid bumping her belly.

‘’I need corpses,’’ Vilma admitted in a quiet whisper that caused the pale lizard to narrow her eyes with furrowed brows. ‘’And I know where to get them. In Arnbjorg.’’

‘’Necromancy inside Fafnir territory?’’ For the first time you witnessed Teruko losing her cool, she leaned forward far enough for her long pale hair to fall on the table. ‘’Preposterous. If you believe Elenore as a lunatic then that godforsaken dragon is nothing short of a total sociopath, I can’t stand here and let a group of youngsters earn an eternal grudge from that old, cold lizard.’’

‘’That’s fine.’’ Vilma didn’t waver or retreat, she faced Teruko head on, even adding a glare of her own. ‘’We’ll be gone quickly, there’s no other way. I need to prepare for this, I just… I wanted to let you know, I-I um… you taught me so many things.’’

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‘’I am thankful for your faith, little one.’’ Teruko answer was cold and left you uncomfortable, of course, she’d be against the idea; you weren’t warm with the prospect of potentially angering a Supreme Monster. ‘’And I will yield to thine spirit if there is no other way than stepping into Fafnir realm. But…’’ Teruko made a point of gently slamming a hand on the table, her second one going to cover her belly. ‘’…I can think of an alternative. It is corpses you need, right? Not fresh ones?’’

‘’Ones that haven’t received Mother Earth blessings, where spirits kept their grudges and infested an area. It’s why northern barrows are perfect for necromancer because they remain relatively safe.’’

''In which case I do know of an area that befits thine requirement, little one. Albeit without a tomb benefit and safety but, with the princess and Elina with us I reckon that makes ample protection.''

In her eyes, you were still an apprentice so of course, you wouldn't be mentioned...still, that was a punch to your pride. Well, Teruko is a proud woman, you'll have to prove yourself.

''My aunt will also be accompanying us.'' Sieglinde wedged herself in the discussion between master and apprentice. ''You remember Belphegor right?''

''That I do, it'll make this venture that much more secure. I can safely assume you intended to use my student memory to go into Arnbjorg with a portal, yes?'' A silent nod answered the tutor query. ''Then same can be done for mineself, thereby avoiding Fafnir existence altogether.''

>Inquire for more details?
>See if you can use this momentum to convince everyone Teruko solution is right? Avoiding Fafnir altogether is an excellent thing.
>Insist on going into Arnbjor. It is familiar ground for Vilma, she'll be able to easily handle spirits there.
>Free Choice.

>>2299770
>>Inquire for more details?

>>2299770
>Inquire for more details?

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‘’What place is it?’’ You asked next, shifting the momentum of this conversation into Teruko favor. For a moment, a shadowy emotion cast a cloud of negativity on her sharp features, cutely creasing the strange white patch on her nose that couldn’t possibly be a scale if it was showing such flexibility.

‘’It is far into the East.’’ Teruko began and ended in a single breath, looking forlorn, pensive. This shift in temperament had you wonder if you made a mistake.

‘’I come from the empire of Zen’’ Teruko continued, rubbing her belly gently and summoning her pep to speak with her usual teaching grace. ‘’It took two entire years on the road to arrive into the Allied Kingdoms, there has been… many hardships. Much of that land Mamonos had to flee and I was part of these sprawling caravans delving into lands unknowns out of pure desperation.’’ She gently tapped her fingers on the table as all the women around you had grown silent. ‘’Back then, Zen was in the middle of a purge, it’s Supreme Monsters disagreed on some politic whilst the Heavenly Emperor and his court retaliated to keep their authority supreme, so war erupted between humans while monstrous factions battled each other; refugees fled the country in droves and I was part of the biggest group, the place I want us to go into is a forest.’’

She observed her assembly with a proud smile, having apparently moved on or settled with those past hardships. ‘’A large contingent of the emperor cavalry caught up to our group and massacred score of mine people, we had to leave them behind to rot. Perhaps the soldiers gathered them into a makeshift grave but I highly doubt they distributed any grave right given the circumstances of their attack.’’

‘’A forest…’’ You heard Vilma murmur. ‘’…A-and you survived all… all of that?’’

Teruko nodded, slowly but surely growing comfortable. ‘’Aye that is so. I’m sitting here aren’t I?’’ She laughed. ‘’Mine sire warned about Fafnir before I left the empire, he told me he was a belligerent jerk that I shouldn’t bother interacting with. It is mine belief this creature is to be left rotting on it’s frozen island, so I would offer this alternative… one I cannot promise anything but such is the onus of adventuring; nothing is ever certain.’’

‘’A forest infected by death is dangerous.’’ Vilma voice was clear, without her usual stutter. ‘’Trees are particularly susceptible to possession and animals could be mutated and even killed to feed the lingering grudges, thereby giving them bodies. It might even lead to walking dead if the veil separating Mother Earth realm from the domain of spirits is particularly thin, in fact since a massacred occurred… We could even step into the Red World if entities gnawing at the barrier of reality without magical supervision.’’

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Red World? Glances from Elina and Sieglinde reminded you to keep your curiosity in check. So many things to learn!

‘’Defeatism my dear, will do you no good. Even if we were to step into the spirit realm, wouldn’t it be safer to handle that parasitic dimension instead of making Fafnir angry?’’ Quite honestly you agreed with her, between a spooky ghost dimension or the very real threat of a dragon… the choice wasn’t so difficult.

‘’It might be too dangerous for you, Teruko.’’ Elina chimed in, trying her best to be gentle with a forced smile.

‘’Due to mine pregnancy?’’ The tutor retorted, resting both hands on her belly now. ‘’Yes, a fair point.’’ She admitted in a quiet tone. ‘’Yet I do need to insist on having to come, can any of you understand the speech of the Orient?’’ Her red eyes were directed on Sieglinde whose shoulders straightened upon being targeted so successfully and, ultimately, had to answer with graceful negativity. ‘’It is always possible to meet someone from a nearby tribe, it has been a long while… but I do remember dialects and speeches, wouldn’t it be incredibly sad to harm a curious busybody because of a misunderstanding born from different languages? And will you be able to find the area of carnage?’’

‘’I think we’ll manage.’’ Elina retorted, shaking her head. ‘’Look, maybe we can scout the place and come back for you if we find nothing?’’

‘’It’d be faster to bring me along from the get-go. Don’t worry, I am a durable woman and I fully understand the limits little Lisbeth has imposed upon mine person’’ It’d likely take a unanimous refusal to get the teacher to back, a stubborn lizard indeed.

>Take Teruko side, she knows the place, understands the language, is an accomplished magical scholar and can use healing magic. Her pregnancy means having to protect her… something Belphegor, her golems, Sieglinde and even yourself can accomplish.

>Agree with Elina and insist Teruko should remain behind. It is far too risky with her pregnancy; you’re going into a forest, what if she trips?

>Should you still go for Arnbjorg? (Place an argument here, Teruko presence aside, the girls are leaning to go into the forest)

>Free Choice

Continuing tomorrow.

>>2300176
>>Take Teruko side, she knows the place, understands the language, is an accomplished magical scholar and can use healing magic. Her pregnancy means having to protect her… something Belphegor, her golems, Sieglinde and even yourself can accomplish.

>>2300176
>Red World
Crap, I sorta remember a situation involving a tome and us ending up in a red hued hellscape spawning straight outta Lovecraft Country but I forget when exactly we did. Or at least when I was in on it, I've been with you for a long time.

So far as I see it we get to pick our poison here in regards to "worst case" scenarios. The "easy way" involves Vilma burning the memento to damn near risk free net us the pile of skulls at a significant cost to her mental health and/or that option in a much more dire situation later down the line (max power Vilma seems to need corpses and by the looks of it it may be one of those "trump cards" us murderhobos are loathe to spend on anything less than avoiding TPK's).

The other two options are what hell we're gonna be praying to the dice gods to avoid. If we piss off Fafnir we *might* be able to talk our way out of it. If we don't It'll be up to Elina, Belph, and Seig to take out a fucking berserk Elder Class Dragon with hella major political shitstorms ensuing if they succeed. IF they succeed that is.

The other is us praying combat doesn't ensue with a preggers Teruko or us ending up in the red world with said Teruko as we're almost dead weight if that happens. I'd elaborate, but I've made it standard policy to not share my dark side's ideas with you after what happened to a certain raven haired maiden...

>>2300594
Now now, no need to be so afraid. This is your first adventure, things won't end up too badly. Yes-yes.

Don't forget to make a vote.

>>2300609
Forgive me for not believing a word that comes out of your suffering addicted mouth. That said, given the EX rank team we potentially have, if forced to pick I'd say go with Teruko's option.

On two conditions. One, do portals still trip every magic alarm within five counties and two, preggers Teruko can still do most any of her summoning magic (sans God-Tier Tsu level summons of course) risk free to the baby/herself and/or her mastery of it prevents the worst case scenario of vengeful spirits screwing with her child so long as we keep her from taking lethal damage?

Tertiary concern: How mad will her hubby be if he finds out about the stunt we pulled with her? I'd imagine he'd be more than a tad bit irritated...

>>2300635
>One, do portals still trip every magic alarm within five counties

The range is nowhere near that significant but it'll still get picked up at a certain radius, one cannot conceal portals. (Think of this as common knowledge so I'm freely giving this info away)

>preggers Teruko can still do most any of her summoning magic (sans God-Tier Tsu level summons of course) risk free to the baby/herself and/or her mastery of it prevents the worst case scenario of vengeful spirits screwing with her child so long as we keep her from taking lethal damage?

Yeah, while perhaps a little too eager she wouldn't insist on coming if it was super dangerous for her baby like that time she refused to become your host for discovering your magic and she's competent enough to protect herself. Summoners are very, very good at preventing spirits from influencing them.

>Tertiary concern: How mad will her hubby be if he finds out about the stunt we pulled with her? I'd imagine he'd be more than a tad bit irritated...

Well she's the one insisting...

>>2300654
Well then, I vote for Teruko as I pray her hubby is understanding of his wife's idiosyncrasies (bet her archaic speech patterns really rev his engines for instance). Hopefully we get to prepare some gear before we venture out.

Arwan needs a sap, a dagger, and a bow at minimum. Since Belph is coming I'm expecting a choice on at least one tool of the trade. Rope/Water Arrows, Flash/Smoke bomb, Tazer wand with a single shot, active camouflage device that'll work so long as we feed some pasty soul mana into it (i.e. it only works for us for some reason), c'mon she's gotta have at least one wonderful toy we can use if magitech is real!

>>2300688
Now now, don't get your hope up too much. You aren't going into a warzone.

>>2300699
If I was getting my hopes up I'd be trying to get you to give us a briefcase full of wonderful toys that'd make 007 green with envy for this mission.

I get that we must slowly ascend the ladder of power, but a single tool for now given how weak we still are can't be too much right? A single shot taser, one flash/smoke bomb, etc. Surely Belph has a spare one of something hanging around for us to use...

Could we do the blood magic ritual to fix our memory before going on the trip?
Being fully powered would help a lot.

Also, if we're picking items, especially if we're gonna try for a thief type build, we need some knives and daggers first.

>>2300723
>Could we do the blood magic ritual to fix our memory before going on the trip?

No, absolutely not. That's something that'll require significant preparation for the sisters and you'll be in it for a while.

Items will come later, Belph is a good girl. You'll see.

>>2300730
Good, but not pure.

I gotta admit I do like her now given what we've seen. I Wouldn't be adverse to making her our waifu. Though it'd probably take a lot of work as I feel she's married to her own. We *could* woo her, but it'd take a great deal of effort. Oh well, nothing worthwhile is ever easy.

Don't take this as a vote or anything, more storylines and character arch's must unfold before we can truly decide on who to wife up. Just saying she's now officially an option for me.

>>2300176
>>Take Teruko side, she knows the place, understands the language, is an accomplished magical scholar and can use healing magic. Her pregnancy means having to protect her… something Belphegor, her golems, Sieglinde and even yourself can accomplish.

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‘’I am afeared of a nasty root making you fall instead our group being overrun by risen dead.’’ You decide to add your opinion, earning a momentary grateful look from Elina. ‘’I know you’ll be careful but it’s impossible to be absolutely certain, right?’’

‘’Fret not, I can prepare for such eventuality.’’ Teruko reply wasn’t forced or disingenuous, already working to dispel your insecurities. ‘’Mine magic share a boon Holy cannot replicate; my own personage does benefit from it’s uses and so will little Lisbeth if it does happen that I was to take a fall. I can show you all once we are away from prying eyes. It was more than plain luck that allowed mineself and what remains of mine comrades to survive that terrible voyage between Zen and the Kingdoms.’’

It was plainly undeniable how bad of an idea it was to bring a pregnant woman into a potentially cursed place but the benefits honestly outweighed the negatives; perhaps Teruko was a little overzealous in tagging along this ‘’adventure’’ as she put it but she hadn’t suggested it without using that good head on her shoulders.

‘’I don’t like it, teach.’’ Elina grumbled, looking around the table. ‘’You’ve convinced everyone so I’ll cave but don’t feel upset if I get a bit protective of you, alright? You’re not responsible for your own health right now.’’

‘’Oh, I do know but one cannot deny it’ll be far more efficient to have me by thine side, my dear heavenly student.’’ Something of an embarrassed grunt escaped the blond who pouted silently by crossing her arms under her breasts. ‘’I look forward to witnessing thine angelic gallantry. Shall we be away, then? Onward for the shrine?’’

Teruko hands clapped together gently as she minded her tone against the increasing brouhaha of a swelling crowd of students and their mentors, most were already claiming arenas. Sieglinde presence made things awkward as the usually laid-back Mamonos kept themselves fiercely ‘’proper’’ by attempting to project forced discipline.

‘’Yes, let’s.’’ Sieglinde spoke after a while, observing the group with a more careful, analytic eye. For a brief moment everyone attention had focused on Vilma who was to be the linchpin of this operation. ‘’Will you handle the stairs well, Teruko?’’

‘’This lady still keep herself in shape! What kind of woman would I be if I yielded to a three-story climb while insisting on accompanying all of thee into this venture? Go! Let’s go!’’

--

The trial of the stairs revealed themselves a difficult climb indeed for the pale lizard who, despite her slow progress, never complained. If anything, she grew increasingly ashamed of imposing an additional ten minutes to this usual ascend. For a moment you wondered if you’d go right past the fourth floor as Sieglinde living area felt much too homely for handing dangerous undertakings.

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Alas your curiosity for uncovering more demonic secret will have to wait as your group set out into the usual corridor of this lightly claustrophobic floor with a particularly chatty white-haired lizard woman commenting about this and that, then entering a discussion with the princess as you and the other two girls silently listened on.

Your attention drifted toward Elina as you threaded familiar grounds without the previous night detours; Sieglinde flawlessly guided you into the same cul-de-sac leading into the demonic throne in less than ten minutes and your angelic benefactor didn’t show any hints that could betray knowledge of this early morning stunts.

You couldn’t deny feeling particularly tense when the princess went to open those doors. ‘’Nothing to be afraid of.’’ She announced with a confident smile as you and the girls encircled Teruko, causing the lizard no end of dismay.

The big black wooden doors opened with a surprising lack of sounds, revealing a big circular room that immediately reminded you of your awakening. A spacious circular floor made of gray stone with one thick, massive pillar of ashen material jutting out and disappearing into an identical roof of slick stones.

Though this time, there was some noticeable difference. First was a group of strange man-sized rocks covered in runes forming a large circle near the big Throne oozing some type of energy. They were linked by an ominous dark force nestling into hollow circles carved into each pillars tip. A few tables had also been dropped near the entrance, lined up side by sides with a fair share of cold iron weapons resting on them. Swords, maces, daggers, even a crossbow and a bow, all fairly decent, normal equipment.

‘’Whoa already? That’s fast!’’ Belphegor voice echoed toward your group, whose steps also produced an unusually large reverberation. The small goat-girl managed to instill a sentiment of familiarity that dispelled the awing intimidation of the Throne, although Vilma wouldn’t be so easily comforted. She was hiding her face with her usual hood and you began to understand that she’d only need a little time to absorb this situation and get used to it.

Or maybe the massive stones humanoids flanking their tiny goatling mistress clashed a little too much, they certainly felt out of place here.

‘’Our topmost floor is where we’ve invested capitals for sophisticated alchemical experiments and magical rituals.’’ Sieglinde explained while craning her hack to observe the group. ‘’These pillars are made specifically for portals and my family use them all the time.’’ She gestured forward and walked near the tables her small aunt must have transferred in here.

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‘’I figured we shouldn’t bring anything too intimidating if we might run into Fafnir.’’ Belphegor spoke, walking away from her golems who, you noticed, had lost that tiny ember of humanity; they always showed little twitched or an incentive to look around them and gestures at each other without prompt from anybody but now? Those entities could only be described as statues and… it bothered you.

Though now wasn't the time for assumptions.

‘’Ah, we’ve only met once haven’t we, little madame?’’ Teruko words had Belphegor clomping stop as she threw the lizard a thoroughly confused stare and stood shock still in total stupefaction.

‘’Hooold on…Teruko? You ballooned that much?’’

‘’Rude!’’ The white lizard sharply slapped the air and stomped forward, immediately causing the she-goat to retreat. ‘’You know why I came here! What kind of remark is this, to greet mineself under such terms!?’’

‘’Oi, oi oi! Slow down!’’ Belphegor easily maintained distance with the insulted tutor. ‘’I know they’d be telling you everything but why are you here? It aint safe to go walking in the snow with a six months belly!’’

‘’Actually…’’ Sieglinde began with a forced smile. ‘’…you probably won’t like this.’’

--

‘’Your hubby is going to chew you out and probably attempt to murder me for letting you go into a spooky haunted forest.’’

‘’I fully understand that.’’

‘’Aren’t you being a little too desperate for some action?’’

‘’It is the most logical course, we’ve only great things to gain from my presence.’’

It hadn’t taken long for Belphegor to be convinced, in no small part because all of your group agreed, earning yourselves a moniker of ‘’lunacy’’ that she ironically adopted by agreeing with Teruko logic. It was clear, in your opinion at least, the girls main motivation for allowing Teruko was to prevent the worst case scenario of harming innocents because of communication failures. Teruko familiarity with the terrain was only a plus.

‘’Just…’’ And as the argument died down, Teruko grew endearingly diminutive. ‘’…He does not need to know, aye? I’m only helping one of my darlings apprentices, no need to go into details when the time comes to finally meet with him again.’’

‘’Huh-uh.’’ Belphegor clearly didn’t share the foreign Mamono logic. ‘’Guess we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.’’ Then she snapped her attention to you. ''Hey, hey dude!'' She waved in your direction then pointed at the assembled tables full of mundane equipment. ''I had no idea what kind of items you're skilled with so I made this tiny bazaar.''

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The impressive array that had caught the girls attention with, you noticed, Vilma, handling the kickback of a crossbow (empty of bolts) while Sieglinde observed everything in complete indecision. There was some satchel as well, full of potions and healing balms.

Belphegor really has been hard at work.

>Stick to mundane equipment. (Sword, shields, axes, machetes, dagger, bows, crossbow... all the usual stuff you can think off with alchemical remedies like healing potions and stimulants.)

>See if Belphegor has something a little more... sophisticated. ensuring Teruko safety should trump any research budget right? (Alchemical weapons and/or Magitek require a certain degree of skills, surely she will agree?)

>Stick to your magic while only bringing support items. No need to make a fool of yourself
>Free Choice

>>2302535
>>See if Belphegor has something a little more... sophisticated. ensuring Teruko safety should trump any research budget right? (Alchemical weapons and/or Magitek require a certain degree of skills, surely she will agree?)
Might as well see if this body has any affinity for magitech weapons.

>>2302535
We ask if we can look at something more sophisticated, but if it'll take too much time or she warns us it's more than a wee bit finicky we stick to normal stuff. Dagger and bow would be good, plus all the healing items and stims we can carry. A special arrow or two wouldn't hurt either.

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You could tell she had pride with this impressive collection but your attention wasn’t being held by swords, axes or knives; instead, your gaze drifted for the golems who dully stared forward.

‘’Arawn got something in mind.’’ Belphegor stated as you noticed Teruko walking near the girls, then sitting on a makeshift chair of golden shields conjured by Elina.

‘’Yep.’’ You answered, rubbing your chin as you continued your inspection of the golems. ‘’Alchemy, specifically, Magitek.’’ You carefully observed the small goat barely reaching your elbow and her frown made you fear that you might be treading dangerous grounds.

‘’Getting fancy ideas because we're heading somewhere scary?’’ Thankfully her good mood returned and you let out a mental sigh, easing your tension.

‘’A bit of that, I also want to make certain Teruko will be safe. And, honestly? I’m curious, very curious, about Magitek. I'd like to check if I have an affinity with it.’’

‘’Now that’s a passion after my own heart.’’ Belphegor tiny clawed hand poked your covered arm and her adorable fluffy ears had perked up atop her head, creating a marked addition of small fluffy strings near her curved horns. ‘’People tend to be wary of that tech because it can have nasty side effects and, well, the research is focused for mundane people so they can use stuff to equalize the playing fields against mages, though…’’ With a pensive stare, Belphegor small hand went to rub her small chin. ‘’…There is stuff that combines with a mage natural ability. It’s the earliest type of magitek, alchemists found it possible to use a mage battery for tools and weapons.’’

‘’You have something like that?’’

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‘’Yeah, a few things though we’ve also got some weapons that work on their own. Kinda overkill for this sortie, our group is gonna stick with finding a grave and unearth its corpses, right? We’ll mostly stick to being mobile so bringing something bulky could be counterproductive in a forest.’’

A fair argument, one that left you silent as you pondered your options. Keeping yourself light on your feet would indeed be better in a forest, if things get truly dangerous you have no doubt the two veteran demons are going to impose a retreat.

‘’We’ll have to move to my floor, there’s an elevator nearby that’ll make it easier.’’ Belphegor adorable feet made echoing clomp as she maneuvered to stand in front of you, hands on her furry hips. ‘’I don’t think the girls are gonna begrudge waiting for half an hour but you gotta know if you want a glimpse of true magitek or alchemical weapons. I don’t mind lending a little something honestly, but don’t go insisting on bringing my treasured items; we ain't going to war here, so we’ll stick to stuff that works instead of prototypes.’’

While excited a cautious expression settled on her youthful face to calm her elevated emotions. ''Maybe it'd be best to skip on it since you have no experience with the stuff, I'll trust your judgment though, I won't let you pick anything too dangerous.''

>Inform her you intend to arm yourself with something wholly alchemical, a self-contained weapon not unlike a sword.

>Insist on getting a taste of magitek, specifically things that interact with magic.

>Agree that you were overzealous and go prepare yourself with all the arrays of tools she put forward. You'll have to schedule a practice session with Belph to properly master Magitek.

>Free Choice

I'll have to end here, as I'll need to prepare an array of weapons if you guys choose to go TECHNOLOGY or move onto the next scene after agreeing on all the equipment you want, which doesn't need a story post to be accomplished.

>>2302916
>>Insist on getting a taste of magitek, specifically things that interact with magic.

>>2302916
>>Insist on getting a taste of magitek, specifically things that interact with magic.

As the thread is over, if you guys have any questions, don't be afraid to ask. Not everything has to be delivered in character.

>>2302916
Go for tech! We need those tools of the trade I keep harping on about baby!

>>2303541
This is probably an in character thing to have revealed but one does wonder why Teruko was so utterly eager to join us. Are both she and her hubby an adventuring duo? He very understandably told her to stay safe until the baby was out of the oven but if she's used to being an adventuring murderhobo well... that'd explain this pretty handily.

>>2303935
>This is probably an in character thing to have revealed but one does wonder why Teruko was so utterly eager to join us.

That is indeed something to learn in character, my statement was more in reference to general things like tech levels and stuff like that. Throne Town is clearly not medieval as you've seen.

You'll get to know Teruko by asking her things, like everyone else.