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DAY 05

Yesterday successful clandestine operation was no excuse for your companions to continue skipping their daily schedule, they were already up and about before you woke up, walking around the princess floor and happily chattering with each other. You barely managed to hide your newly established journal when Elina boldly opened your door and casually stepped aside your room (which, admittedly, was a dark one given its total lack of windows).

‘’I-I could have been changing!’’ You protested at the glowing heavenly girl, throwing your pillow on her face.

‘’Food’s ready. The foreign girl still asleep so come on, invite yourself into Siggy room.’’ Her only movements were to replace a few strands of hair and smile at you smugly, standing still aside from a few twitches of feathery nature. You tried to spy some kind of hint about a possible repeat of her sleepwalking but Elina was a closed book since you didn't hear anything yesterday, she probably had a good night of sleep.

It’d be depressing thinking otherwise.

‘’Sleeping in?’’ She asked, placing a hand on her hip, making you notice her practical attire of dull blue trousers and a white short-sleeved shirt.

‘’I wouldn’t mind if you entered my room unannounced while wearing something feminine.’’ This is one of those moments where thoughts and speech get confused.

At least you managed to completely break Elina satisfaction, the angel took a stunned step back and immediately wrapped her arms under her bust, radiating a stern disproval that made your lack of tack all the more obvious. ‘’You’d have preferred a maid?’’ She asked with a graver timbre to her soft tone.

‘’If you wore the uniform.’’ You admitted, having shaken off sleep. ‘’I’m not presentable to an angel right now so perhaps you could leave a gentleman in peace? Or you can stay, I’m getting tempted to use my privilege ticket.’’

Her presence in your room made her natural glows a magnificent sight of golden-red colors that made for a mighty temptation to place a few rubs on those long appendages of puffy feathers, or maybe furs, you hadn’t managed to get confirmation yet.

Elina chuckled, a genuine rare instance of a gorgeous laugh that, perhaps… no it was definitely a perfect way to start to day. ‘’Almost inclined to stay and have you commit on that, Treeman.’’ Was that an elven slang or some kind of nickname for being the impromptu creator of a corrupted Treant? ‘’Almost’’ Elina continued, bending forward to grab your discarded pillow and throwing it right in your face. Pomf. ‘’Figure what you want to do today and come eat, maids will be cleaning the floor so there’s no staying here this morning.’’

Busy little bees, these Mamonos.

--

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Your wish to improve your magical talents resulted in the group splitting up: Sieglinde remained inside the shrine to overseer some kind of administrative action and her little aunt announced that she had to go into Throne Town, likely to be unavailable for the entire day, leading to your present situation.

‘’Don’t think the rumor mill started spinning.’’ Elina muttered, trying her best to avoid looking intimidating. Instead, she projected the sort of confrontationist aura that made a few students glance away in pretend curiosity.

The courtyard that also acted as communal arena had its fill of cadets summoners already engaged in duels supervised by instructors. Elenor was an easy sight, a tall blonde of red demonic horn and a pair of tenebrous wings stood out, doubly so when she was in the middle of the biggest square speaking with a pair of tutors while flanked by three apprentices.

‘’Mh, lingering here isn’t our purpose.’’ Teruko face was an honest pathway to her mind as she observed this assembly in disdain.

‘’Haven’t you wanted to reserve an arena for a while?’’ Elina asked, sparing a glance for Vilma whose face was concealed by her hood. She was sagely standing put, her usual attitude near strangers.

‘’Back then, aye, priorities changed and that demanded a shift in mine designs. Us four shall practice in the forest, I’ve already informed Sieglinde, we won’t be disturbed.’’

‘’Forest again?’’ A rare complaint from you, it was your turn to grimace and the rotund lizard professor giggled.

‘’Mistress Nature shall remain our companion, do hope she doesn’t hold a grudge against our action of the last two days.’’ She flicked her hand in the familiar direction of the forest. ‘’Hop hop, let’s not collect more stares.’’

As you glanced one last time at the succubus, she took this moment to look over her shoulder and witnessed your stare. Red eyes immediately hardened and her fair features sharpened in an enraged scowl that had her look down silently to compose herself.

…Yeah, this drama will only end one way.

--

This sea of trees near the school was, thankfully, a much more comfortable place with enough spaced vegetation to make yesterday jaunt a delirious nightmare or, if you wanted to be prideful, you could also describe the relaxing forest as a place tamed by civilization and lacking energy.

How would the elven forest fare in comparison?

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‘’Phew.’’ Teruko exhaled in satisfaction, sitting into a certain elaborate chair of wood as your group had arrived at the familiar park, with a few gourds and dry food placed on a table. Sieglinde thoughtful gesture?

‘’Girls, mysir. Given recent development, I would like for Vilma to practice actual combat away from prying eyes.’’ Akin to a queen speaking to vassals, Teruko certainty enjoyed sitting before your trio. ‘’Before we do begin there is a little… something weighting mine mind, the result of this girly talks of ours yesterday night you’ve been chased away from, mysir.’’

‘’You guys talked about me?’’ You didn’t know if that was dreadful or flattering, a newfound stiffness in Elina and Vilma (who had thrown back her hood) made you believe the former.

‘’Aye, about thine situation.’’ That elicited an awkward feeling in your guts. You only possessed two secrets, none of them belonged entirely to you, if someone went and let one slip… your gaze drifted for Elina who made a point of looking away in guilt, lips pursing together to make a fine line.

An exchange that hadn’t been missed by your pregnant teacher, she leaned forward while putting a hand on her belly.

‘’Pray do not nurse a grudge for our darling angel and wonderfully awkward Lilim for it is mine stubbornness that led to revelation, hence why I am coming forward now to inform thee and ask of thine opinions and thoughts.’’ Taking a large breath, the white lizard reclined on her seat, only to move forward again.

‘’Yesterday mysir when you generously fed mine summon, our souls came to a brief interaction aye? Remember thine impression?’’

‘’Your symbiosis.’’ You answered immediately, earning a nod. ‘’Three souls inside a body… incidentally, where’s little Titania?’’

‘’Sleeping.’’ Teruko answered with a calm, motherly smile. ‘’Arawn, this soul of yours… thee created a pathway that allowed mineself to feel you.’’

She paused studying you carefully. Your mind was already working full speed; it was an obvious logical conclusion that your bio battery spell would create a link of a sort, if you felt others… so could they, with important implications it seems.

‘’Thusly did I spy a magnificently warm and pure emptiness that could roar with passion with naught but a tiny spark of emotion. It was a confusing duality of bleakness and overflowing fervor.’’ She paused to gauge your reaction, your neutrality encouraged her to continue. ‘’Mysir is a special man, only young children souls can pretend being so immaculate. Yet that cannot explain thine illogical barrenness.’’

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‘’I…’’ Vilma wormed herself into the conversation, not stepping forward, only finding a moment to make her voice heard. ‘’I also…also sensed it, w-when we… practiced two days ago.’’ She put on an awkwardly forced smile that made it seem like she was about to burst into tears. ‘’I-I’m sorry I didn’t say anything.’’ She quickly blurted out then promptly pulled her hood over her head.

Without even giving a single hint, huh? Or maybe she did and you hadn’t noticed anything.

‘’Aye, thus this led to our talks yesterday.’’ Your eyes drifted for Elina who stood unmoving, resolved with closed eyes. ‘’Mysir, are thee a man without memories?’’

Teruko certainly was a smart woman, by only catching a single hint she managed to figure out the truth of one of your secrets. After all, if a soul like yours is pure and empty like a child… was it not a logical conclusion you didn’t have any weight -any marks- of memories that came with years of existence? Your spell was an uneven one, you only caught the briefest of hints of your anchor souls while they... well felt your entire presence.

Teruko has been delicate about this, you can appreciate that… Myriad of feelings were churning into a sea of emotion, Elina and Sieglinde had admitted to one half of your situation without your consent, although Teruko definitely hadn’t left any choices on the matter, logic and emotions aren’t kept so easily tuned.

>Deny everything. You never wanted for more people to know about your vulnerability.

>Admit your amnesia to Teruko and Vilma… without mentioning your origin.

>Don’t hold anything back, not only are you amnesiac but you came right out of the Throne as Elina summoned entity. You have no need for secrets with friends.

>Free Choice

>>2411687
>Admit your amnesia to Teruko and Vilma… without mentioning your origin.
Tough choice... but ultimately I think leaving out the 'summoned from the Throne' bit is best until we understand more of the situation.

If memory servers right, didn't Sieg say something about letting her family or someone else know about it?

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>>2411716
>If memory servers right, didn't Sieg say something about letting her family or someone else know about it?

Only her family, her little sister Deruella already knows.

>>2411687
>>Admit your amnesia to Teruko and Vilma… without mentioning your origin.

>>2411687
>Admit your amnesia to Teruko and Vilma… without mentioning your origin.

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Teruko question drifted into an awkward and oppressive silence as everyone eyes were on you once again, giving birth to a new experience; this wasn’t the type of attention you liked at all, flashes of guilts and regrets appeared briefly on the girls faces.

You’re so fond of being in control that you’re making them misunderstand your intention, they were obviously thinking you were angry.

No, you were merely exploring options, wondering if… it’d be safe to tell them about the Throne and ultimately settled on avoiding the subject.

‘’Yes, that’s true.’’ You finally break this uncomfortable tension. ‘’Elina and Sieglinde were the ones who found me and they’ve graciously allowed me to stay here and learn about myself, discover my talents and improve them.’’

‘’Mmhm.’’ Teruko agreed with a smile.

‘’I… well I should have come forward and revealed myself.’’ Little beads of sweat appeared as you realize this emotion was shame, creating an instinctive urge to rub the back of your head… something that made Teruko eyes widen.

Odd.

‘’I suppose it was pride keeping me, really.’’ You grimace, you’ve gotten to trust those two quickly but… yeah, it was your ego that had you holding back; ultimately culminating in this situation, you had to set thing straight.

‘’Men.’’ Teruko relaxes on her seat with a giggle, being the only one who understood your mindset. That’s what it takes to make a good wife huh? ‘’Always so willing to absorb troubles within themselves and give onto others.’’ Really was that how you were? Her amused glint had you bashful so you decided to walk for Elina and Vilma who straightened at your approach.

‘’Girls.’’ You get their attention and put your palms on their heads, taking careful consideration to avoid touching Elina halo; their expression turns into a mixture of apprehension and relief, with Elina closing one eye, stubbornly clinging to illusions of composure. ‘’I’m not mad.’’ You rub their heads, taking this moment poke Vilma hood down. ‘’Not holding any grudges.’’

‘’R-really?’’ Vilma interrupts you, quiet sound of creasing leather revealing her gloved hands balling into fists. She may be introverted but this shorty emotions are intense.

‘’Yep’’ You wink and let both of them go, stepping back to offer a thumb up (hearing a noticeably relieved sigh from Elina). ‘’It’s not that bad, we’ve faced death together, I’ll share my past once I earn it.’’ It was true, in the end. You couldn’t nurse a grudge over something like that if you tried; everyone around you know you’re an amnesiac, and that’s that. It’ll only explain your attitude and situation that much better.

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‘’That’s fine, thanks for being candid.’’ You nodded to your professor and she blossomed into a lovely, satisfied smile that’d definitely make any man fall for her; no wonder she’s married.

‘’With awkward shackles cast off, now’s the time for training. Vilma shall face Elina or some of mine summons depending on thine own activity, Arawn.’’

And so began a small preparation to help your undead friend and your neophyte self.

>Training will be spent in two actions each consuming 2 hours of daytime with noon acting as a break/discussion time.

>You can spend time trying to improve one of your perks.
>Try to discover new ones (Difficult - high DC)
>Improving your mastery of one of your spells
>Discover new ones based on already known spells (essentially experimenting by having a tangible base of knowledge.)
>Try to discover new spells at random. (Difficult - high DC)

I'll post again to inform what kind of dices you need to roll once we reach a majority decision. Do refer to your character sheet, it's small but important.

>>2411838
>>Improving your mastery of one of your spells
>>Discover new ones based on already known spells (essentially experimenting by having a tangible base of knowledge.)

Improve Body enhancement spell

>>2411854
Ah, forgot to mention you can only concentrate on a single thing for training.

It'll either have to be improving mastery or discovering something new.

>>2411838
>You can spend time trying to improve one of your perks. (Aprentice Measurer)
If we're more efficient with our spells it means we can experiment more right? If so that means we can find more spells that way.

>>2411838
>Discover new ones based on already known spells (essentially experimenting by having a tangible base of knowledge.)

>>2411860
That's true, as every experiment will inevitably drain your reserves, being efficient in measuring spells will always be helpful.

>>2411838
Go for increased mana efficiency.

Two votes for improving measurement.

I'll need 1d100 to see how well you do. Though the roll itself isn't 100% of your training, you'll have to make a decision.

Rolled 26 (1d100)

>>2411909
Dice don't fail me now i beg you.

Rolled 81 (1d100)

>>2411909

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>26 - Good roll. (No dc, roll was for performance)

Measuring a spell quantity was an exercise very similar to meditation and so, after stating your intention, Teruko suggest for you to retreat on in a secluded spot between two oaks while the active trio would delve deeper into the park for ‘’active training’’ that resulted in worrying echoing clash of metals and otherworldly screams echoing your way.

Those arenas back at the school definitely absorbed sounds. At least Elina wasn’t laying waste to more innocent trees.

Straightening your back, you closed your eyes and embraced Focus to thread familiar grounds with this exercise. You only knew a single spell – Body Reinforcement – and understood it functions on an instinctive level, making weak spells incredibly easy to make and so you took your teacher advice.

‘’Concentrate not on thine spell, mysir, but its feelings. Tis a subtle thing to measure magic because it is close to emotions’’

You imagined a river without beginning or end, it’s many branches coming together into a single eternal circle. Your Flow was this water, this fuel, extending your hand forward was to feel a subtle forward current, a momentum that couldn’t be stopped, only reinforced and calmed into this near-activity like a beating heart.

There you began to create small reinforcements… and unmake them.

Cast. Dispel. Cast. Dispel. Cast. Dispel. Cast. Dispel.

Your flow moved and stopped every time without troubles even as you tried being quick or long with your spells, this round river was eternally stable but ultimately weak; you were only making a feeble increase but like water on your skin and blood in your veins, this volume of spiritual liquid had a weight to it…

You had to experiment in order to better understand this measurement.

>Strong spells mean an increased current, they should be incorporated into your round river, it’s flow, it’s movements will allow you to instinctively count its volumes.

>Strong spells aren’t eternal or tied to your magical reserve; in the end, you only imagined this river, it doesn’t exist. In order to better measure future spells, you should imagine creating a branch, a pathway for your flow to immerse itself in and cut it off from your central stream. Make a container and then fill it with your fuel, not the other way around.

>>2411991
>Strong spells mean an increased current, they should be incorporated into your round river, it’s flow, it’s movements will allow you to instinctively count its volumes.
Lizard lady said it was about emotions and feelings. Seems like this option is more of a 'feeling' option compared to the other one.

>>2411991
>Strong spells mean an increased current, they should be incorporated into your round river, it’s flow, it’s movements will allow you to instinctively count its volumes.

I somehow failed to realize this was a vote :/
Perhaps I should consider going to sleep

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>>2412109
It's fine anon, no pressure. Nobody is in danger.

Let's see if you earned that medium perk.

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Since your awakening you’ve always shown an affinity toward logic and pragmatism, inserting these beliefs into magic isn’t entirely wrong, assuming it functioned by known laws or normal cause and effect, however, was a misconception because every mage is the master of their own little world. This river of yours, your imagery of Ouroboros was nothing more than that, pure fantasy and could not be imposed into this comfortable forest constantly interrupted by echoes of combat.

No, your current, your flow may look similar to crystalline water but it was fuel and if you wanted it, all particles that made its whole could be used to examine, measure and remember.

Cast

A medium strength reinforcement came crashing like a rock to be carried and disintegrated by your flow. Without splashes or waves, it sank into your watery soul, your concentration fixed on understanding the volume of this rock, this ‘’medium’’ thing was an addition to the reality of your tiny, personal universe. This is what a spell is, even after manifesting it, a small amount of fuel needs to keep its existence whole.

Measuring isn’t about creating a path for your flow to spread into, it’s about introducing a known variable into your eternal current.

Dispel. Cast

Another rock disappearing with your wished effect, toughening your body like iron. Scratching your skin yielded an awkward sound of grating metal. This was a medium spell…

…not perfect but you’re on a good track. Magic is a complicated beast because you need to know yourself, a difficult prospect for an amnesiac.

>You’ve upgraded your measuring perk!

>[Journeyman Measurer] grants a permanent -2 modifiers to all D6s and grants you better knowledge with the state of your internal battery, you no longer need to inspect your body for changes or sign of discomfort, you can get a vague ‘’impression’’ of your remaining mana.

>This doesn’t grant you immunity to the usual side effects of low fuel.

You have one more training action available, refer to this post >>2411838

>>2412226
>Try to discover new ones (Difficult - high DC)
I don't like how limited our current selection is - only one castable spell and what amounts to a support passive ability.
Let's try to alleviate this.

>>2412240
It's also easier to research a new spell based on another one (ie, using Body Reinforcement as a base to find something new.)

Still, finding something new is a bit of a wildcard. I'll wait 10 or so minutes for potential votes then ask for a roll

Alright, finding something new it'll be.

Roll me 1d100

Rolled 81 (1d100)

>>2412345

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Rolled 73 (1d100)

>>2412345
Rolling to discover new monster bits to molest.

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>>2412455
>>2412446

>Low rolls when you need to for measurement.
>High rolls when needed for discovery.

W-what is this. I'll probably answer tomorrow since I gotta think this through.

>>2412459
>Good dice rolls threw GM for a loop
Aaah, feels oddly satisfying.
Iove being able to participate on weekends.

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>>2412459
I don't know if you're being nice and handing us a win or if you tried to juke the dice gods and got blown out. If you did the latter it serves you right, for the dice gods are wise and terrible.

>>2412796
I didn't try anything, honest!

Wait, low rolls for measurement are good?

Does one need small amounts of magic to observe them and pick them apart without being overwhelmed by the raw quantity? More like how droplets of water can be observed better by ooking at them drip from an almost closed faucet than by looking at a river flow or a lake stay still?

Well, I don't kow if I got close, but this is an interesting imagery this talk has conjured.

Now all we have to do is to drop a magical, imaginary mermaid into that ouroboros eternal river flowing into a circle, and let her swim and splash around. She can coach us as we train! Or, she can be a meanie and drink the water/fuel. >:3

So. Not necessarily an immediate concern but should we think of an alias for Arawn?
It's just... if we go around introducing ourselves as a Loukanos - one who supposedly died as an infant - well there will be questions if the wrong/right set of ears hear about it.

>>2413454
Knife Ears

>>2413697
Rude

>>2413454

Arawr.

Because he be a tiger with them ladies. :3c

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You didn’t rest on your laurels. With a refreshing gulp of cool water, you went over this exercise again, conjuring one last medium-sized spell for good measure, finding it considerably easier by applying your new logic.

‘’Just like figuring out a mathematical problem.’’ You muttered and opened your eyes, allowing yourself to stop your meditation and gaze at, admittedly, a boring scenery. It was a paradoxical way of thinking given the methods you’ve used to solve this problem, you could even summarize it without being abstruse.

All you’ve done is create a universal template to judge the strengths of all future spells, although it doesn’t count for mishaps and miscalculation in a battlefield you could still pat on yourself on the back for a job well done.

‘’Now for something else.’’ It felt lonely being on your own as you worked tirelessly to apply your nature but echoes of Vilma struggles motivated you to keep on going, she was being coached by a veteran angel and a tutor who survived the genocide of her people, you might need to show something a little more… tangible after this training session, if only to keep your pride intact.

Getting up on your feet, you walked further into the forest, spotting a few running squirrels and birds chanting in the trees, a few old rotted pieces of logs lingered as beds of mushrooms and lichen-covered rocks create an amiable atmosphere during your aimless walking, no oppressive spirits anywhere despite the proximity with a hundred summoners in training.

You were lacking in spells, that much was obvious. Reinforcement was instinctive and your Battery has been a lucky streak, your esoteric nature made further prospect a puzzle in of itself; it’d be easy enough to figure out manipulation of fire like wreathing yourself in flames or maybe conjuring a fire sword, but to manifest something on your own when, from what you’ve gathered so far, your talent was adapted for interaction with others made this mystery particularly difficult.

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Hold on, fire sword? Your short walk stopped as this line of thinking brought images of Elina to mind, specifically her armor and halberd; she hadn’t demonstrated anything obvious but this equipment always appeared from the ether, manifesting into the world in a way you've hand-waved as ‘’angelic stuff’’ could the truth be simpler?

Angels are creatures of bodies and souls, able to alter their biology with belief alone but did that necessarily stop there? She has shown aptitudes for Holy and a type of wind magic but that armor of blue metal, her halberd of similar material slicing through bark and flesh… could the consistency behind these phenomena be akin to your own nature, a projection of Elina soul?

It’d be worth a try, but that’s not everything; manifesting your soul doesn’t need to happen in a physical way. If a mage internal logic is about conquering reality, what could stop you from reaching out into the world with your mind and… subdue an inanimate object? Make it a part of your tiny, personal reality? Living beings possess an inherent resistance so you shouldn't try to affect trees, but that doesn't extend to rock or hell, a piece of dirt.

It wouldn't be so easy, you'll need to pour a serious amount of energy into these experiments, at least its better than meandering mindlessly.

Next time you should try having a partner given the inherent interactiveness of your magic.

>Spend the rest of your training trying to manifest your soul as a weapon, a physical thing tied to yourself.

>Do the opposite. Try to affect the world with your magic, not concentrate on your own body; it's time to try and conquer a reality this isn't yours.

>>2414260
>Do the opposite. Try to affect the world with your magic, not concentrate on your own body; it's time to try and conquer a reality this isn't yours.

>Do the opposite. Try to affect the world with your magic, not concentrate on your own body; it's time to try and conquer a reality this isn't yours.

While the prospect of havig a magical weapon is cool, I like the idea of some sort of telekinesis or posession/golem making deirection the second path seems to offer.

>>2414260
>Spend the rest of your training trying to manifest your soul as a weapon, a physical thing tied to yourself.

Alright, writing the second option.

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You decided to take a nearby rock (the size of your head) as subject to concentrate on. Plopping down on the dirt and going back to your cross-legged sitting, your mental imagery of a round river had to be erased off in favor of a desire to reach out, immersing yourself into magic inherent emotional chaos.

At first, you tried something literal by sticking to your idea of a fireball; essentially throwing a type of ‘’force’’ inherent to your magical nature that should manifest like a punch created entirely from your emotions, made possible by your soul; a jab of frustration. Magic was poured into this idea and puttered out uselessly each time, even when you attempted to concentrate your flow on your forehead or using your palm to ‘’launch’’ an invisible ball amounted to wasted mana. You’ve heard of Mamonos being able to use telepathy and their very minds as magic but you quickly realized you were wasting your efforts.

Formlessness was a mistake. Conquering this reality laws with your mind couldn’t happen without a tangible phenomenon, you needed a bridge… something that went from your personal universe into this wide, stubborn world. Meaning you needed to imagine a body for the intangible thing that was your soul, not unlike a weapon; you can’t impose your will by simply wanting it, at least not yet.

A new idea came to mind when you gazed at your hand. Watching your skin and fingers bend when you tightened it into a fist and letting go, then your wrist connected to your arm. Bones, sinews, muscle, flesh; all of it making a symbiotic whole, a natural way to interact with the world… That was your bridge.

Imagining an arm of soul, an empty container into your mind was easy and you poured a small amount of mana avoid further wastes, your river of fuel quickly filled your experiment.

‘’Hm!?’’ Focus inherent sedation wasn’t enough to completely calm you down because, straight out of your heart, an arm of grayish near-transparence had expended forward, lazily swaying in an invisible breeze while being attached to your body like some kind of parasite. As if you've just transposed a badly drawn limb on paper, this…thing was a pure copy of your own arm and as you observed it, experience in moving your limbs flawlessly transferred, allowing it to bend despite a complete lack of elbow and its hand to crane downward without any wrists.

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Amazing. You promptly aimed it at the rock with a desire to grasp it; this spiritual arm shot forward and clawed into the moss, scratching some plants off and imposing itself on that gray body with, unfortunately, not enough strength to lift it. This fortunately translated as information, there wasn’t any strain similar to lifting something genuinely heavy for yourself.

Feeding it enough mana to transform it into a genuine medium spell changed solved this problem. Clawing into the mass of that rock, you lifted it without trouble and threw it, sending it rolling into a nearby oak with enough momentum to tear off a piece of bark, twisting its flight from the impact into a loud crashing thud.

Nice…! Nice! Now for experimentation!

You have discovered your first non-core spell: Soul Arm.

This manifestation of your nature and will act as a 2 meters arm that can be used like a regular limb with varying strength depending on the mana you’ve put into it. A small strength spell is almost useless, creating a wet noddle that can do little else than flop around uselessly. Medium strength spell is your bread and butter, able to lift thing and punch at reliable strength, going well into the average of what is naturally possible for any man.

>Working on next post as a new development happened during your training.

>>2414779
>>2414790
D-did we just open a path for Bigby's Hand spells?
I'm loving this development!

>>2414815
It'll be up to you to increased mastery and see what can be done, for now, it's just like a regular arm in term of physical capabilities.

Punch, grab, throw etc with some nifty addition to claw into objects.

Can it caress monster bits?

An extra hand to poke our lady monster friends when the time comes. Postponing the rewards of the dice-rolling games was an outstanding idea!

>>2414858
>Can it caress monster bits?
It most certainly can. Better question is, can we feel with the Soul Arm?

There's no point if we can't tell what the monster bits feel like!

>>2414873
>Better question is, can we feel with the Soul Arm?

An unfortunate negative on that.

>>2414873
>>2414879

How about... can we alter the texture, temperature and overall feel of the arm? Or drain/pour magic through it?

It'd give our lewd touches an unexpected edge~

Also, we could use it to poke without anyone being able to know who was it that poked... oh. That reminds me, is this arm visible only to us, or can people see it too?

>>2414914
>How about... can we alter the texture, temperature and overall feel of the arm? Or drain/pour magic through it?

You'll need to dedicate time for experimentation to see if those traits are possible.

>That reminds me, is this arm visible only to us, or can people see it too?

Everyone can see it, it comes out as an arm-like pattern with a single hand of near-transparent gray, it's a bit difficult to see at first glance but its something that literally worms out of your heart, so you can't hide it. It's also an enchantment insofar that you don't need to recast it after accomplishing something.

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>>2414790
This sounds familiar. This sound very, *very* familiar. Pic related familiar to be exact. I am most pleased with this development. Now we only need to master it and fuse it with soul weaponization and we are off to the races!

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Your gurgling stomach was your first revelation that it’s been a long while indeed since you began this hermit-like practice and a keen hearing brought further discovery. An absence of echoing confrontations coupled with sounds of clicking metals and rustled leaves heralded an angelic arrival, so you got up to your feet, scrubbed yourself as best you could, and extracted your mind out of Focus after an observation of your veins, which thankfully remained nicely glowing despite your lengthy experimentations.

‘’Oh? Already done?’’ Elina casually greeted you, having circumvented the pair of oaks that led into your comfortable natural abode. Your attention was momentarily caught by her greaves and chest piece of blue metal before a new pang of hunger answered her query.

‘’I’ve been productive.’’ You answered with pride, you could definitely feel some fatigue from all of this thinking and casting.

‘’Vilma isn’t used to battles.’’ Elina answered back with an awkward smile. ‘’She got mad at us for being merciless but… she’s getting the hang of it; a maid came by with food so let’s go.’’ She waved in the park direction and you witnessed the gorgeous dispel of her armor disappearing into a shower of tiny blue firefly that swooped in a spiral and filtered into her heart.

Interesting, very interesting... it has to be related to her soul.

‘’What have you guys been doing?’’ You asked your friend, now back into boyish clothes, and set to follow her.

‘’Have her use necromancy under pressures, quick domination of nearby spirits to raise interruption and create breathing room for her to unleash stronger summons.’’ Mercilessly was aptly put. ‘’Her fight with Elenor won’t be to death, that succubus remains a genuine threat; she’s really good so we figured Vilma should learn how to handle battle tension.’’ A worryingly sadistic smirk came to rest on Elina features as she turned to observe. ‘’It was straight up bullying.’’

Scary.

Arriving at the park revealed the last two persons of the group and a new addition; a monstrous woman of fluffy triangular blond ears and a bushy tail had arrived and solemnly nodded to you and Elina appearance, garbed in a long black and white long dress. Teruko had been forced out of her fancy wooden throne to sit at the table while Vilma… poor girl had discarded her cloak that now lied uselessly on the ground, her breathing came out constant and dragged as she nursed a gourd in hand, sweat pouring down her purple face, making her pale hair cling to her cheeks and neck. Her constant heaves also created pleasing movements for her generous chest so you decided to look away, only to earn a mocking smirk from Elina.

You’ll pretend nothing happened.

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‘’Hm, so here's stand our merry band.’’ Teruko announced, prompting Vilma to open her eyes.

‘’Egh.’’ She complained, taking a small gulp. ‘’I think I’ve learned to hate you both.’’

‘’Friendship my dear.’’ Teruko corrected with smug satisfaction, extending her index. ‘’You’ve been put through this trial for our feelings for you are strong and warm.’’

Evidently not fond of physical exertion, Vilma showed a rare side of brashness by rolling her eyes but was too occupied by settling her breathings to argue.

‘’It mustn’t have been easy to practice alone mysir.’’ Teruko spoke to you as you arrived at the table holding scores of freshly delivered food in the form of rice, chicken vegetables.

‘’I’ve made good progress.’’ You were genuinely tempted to pull out that ghostly arm of yours but decided to relent, your smile earned a set of questioning stare from Teruko and Elina with a background of puffing Vilma.

‘’I’ll want to hear your result.’’ Elina commented while digging into her food.

‘’Mmhm but now’s time for something else.’’ Teruko leaned for the rigid woman sagely standing put near the table and upon witnessing this attention -which soon had under everyone else gazes- she bowed gracefully.

‘’Her highness Sieglinde Jawahir sent me to inform all of you that your foreign guest has awakened. She requests Teruko Gunji presence and extends invitations to her students.’’ Direct, apt and somehow delivered with a mixture of elegance and cuteness. Probably the frilly clothes giving this last impression.

‘’Ooh? So, this exile is up and about, any problems?’’ Teruko asked with a satisfied smile.

‘’The girl is sagely staying put, eating and observing everything around her. I doubt there’ll be any problems, so think her highness as well.’’ The maid answered curtly.

‘’I’ll… I’ll go.’’ Vilma puffing had finally started to lessen, she gladly took this option to escape further torments.

‘’Mh, so shall I.’’ A twinkle of amusement in Teruko eyes as she gazed at her student made it obvious she had more in store.

‘’What about you, Arawn?’’ Elina asked, slowly but surely finishing her wooden plate. ‘’I’ll stick around if you want to train more… though I’ll admit being intrigued by this tribal girl.’’

It’s true you’ve been on a damn good roll today but this girl who survived the forest is an intriguing one.

>Should you meet her?
>Stay and train some more?
>Free Choice

>>2415264
>Stay and train some more?
GAINS

>>2415264
Let's go meet her.

>>2415264
Hmm. How much energy do we have in the tank?
I'm inclined to stay and train but only if doesn't completely drain us.

>Should you meet her?

Of course! We don't ditch our friends to train on our lonesome. We have to show off our grabby soul arm!

>>2415264
>>Should you meet her?
Acquire horns with the magic touching.

>>2415348
>Hmm. How much energy do we have in the tank?

Arawn is feeling confident he's got plenty of fuel left.

The majority seem to be voting for the newcomer though.

>>2415373
Alright then, let's go meet her.

We can always train later... and hopefully without interruptions.

>>2415264
>>Should you meet her?


>>2414973
I thought the same thing.
I hope we get our arms that strong if we level up the mastery. totally worth it

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‘’So, here is our renegade…’’ Teruko murmured after recovering her endurance, the steps leading into Sieglinde living spaces weren’t an easy climb for the pregnant lizard.

The nearby maids busying themselves with replacing sheets told you of your destination, namely Sieglinde familiar massive room and you came upon the Lilim sitting with this newcomer as both ate together in what seemed to be a slow conversation.

Correction, only one of them was eating and wasn’t the horned redhead. A closer look revealed this person as a Mamonos similar to Teruko, undeniably a creature of complementary ancestry that hailed from someplace close to your professor homeland because this girl possessed an almost identical set of pointed forward horns with scales black color covering patches of skin (especially her neck) and spots on her forehead, alongside her arms and monstrous black feet. Her only divergence was fat scaly tail compared to Teruko pale monstrous bits. This girl hair was a wild blanket of black that seemed to part organically into several long strands (another similarity to Teruko three-way hairstyle) and your arrival made her turn nervously for your group, whereupon you witnessed a pair of gorgeous light green eyes. Pale tribal tattoos on her mocha skin also managed to make her stand out and something about her demeanor had her mightily nervous because she kept a hand firmly planted on her knees, as if trying to squirm out of the gray shepherd dress she had been put in.

The wooden table that had hosted your triumphant dice game yesterday was now occupied by numerous empty dishes and tankard.

‘’Oh oh, a true descendant of dragons indeed.’’

‘’Dragons?’’ Now you had to ask, your impromptu conversation made this unknown girl tilt her head in confusion while Sieglinde waved for everyone to sit.
‘’Long story. Zen saw many scaly migrations in the past.’’ Teruko explained, slowly rounding the girl flank as you accompanied her; she sat beside this dark scaled lizard-girl and you took her second side, making her shoulders rise nervously. ‘’Do not believe us able to breathe flames.’’

‘’She’s an amicable one.’’ Sieglinde spoke as Teruko leaned forward, presenting herself in her native language which caused an adorable illumination in the girls eyes.

‘’Endless hole for food?’’ Elina remarked as maids silently came to take the empty plates.

‘’Filled the table twice.’’ Sieglinde responded, interlocking her big fingers together with a chuckle. ‘’Can’t blame that on her long sleep, girl will cost a small fortune in a year or two I’ll bet. She has some grasp of our language too, knew a few words and could make a few awkward sentences here and there.’’

She had no difficulty speaking to Teruko now, both women were in a deep conversation in a flowery exchange of words that seemed utterly absent of aggression and, you notice, an absence of the letter r.

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‘’Vilma’’ Teruko suddenly pointed at her student, making the girl jump. ‘’Elina.’’ She pointed at the angel, then the girl interrupted by chaining ‘’Sieglinde!’’ in a cheery accent, gaining a gentle smile in return. Last came yourself ‘’Arawn’’ Teruko markedly pointed and you earned a particularly poignant stare from this newcomer, she had definitely never seen someone like you before; you heard a whisper of ‘’Eld’’ that made you feel rather bashful…and uncomfortable.
Impressing somebody because of your race didn’t feel right.

‘’Alright.’’ Teruko cleared her throat, the dark-scaled maiden beside her smile politely, nodding and waving to everyone she crossed eyes with. ‘’Allow mineself to summarize this one predicament.’’

‘’Her name is Hao of a tribe she has rejected, thereby throwing her last name away. She escaped her people and sought refuge in that forest as a way to escape hunters and pursuers, though as we’ve discovered ourselves, it wasn’t enough. She was forced to defend her life and flee deeper into that haunted, murderous place. Ours presence yesterday was a complete fluke, yet it saved her life for she was too exhausted for survival.’’

‘’T-thank you! Bringing to sleep, food!’’ The girl, Hao, spiritedly bowed and stabbed her horns into the wood, prompting a sharp remark out of Teruko and a few headpats to pull herself free without busting this table open.

Vilma was trying her best to avoid openly giggling, earning a complicit smile from Hao.

‘’A tale that’s undoubtedly more complicated than it seems.’’ Elina commented, earning a nod from Sieglinde.

‘’Aye, she’s been vague and hasn’t mentioned her magical axe yet.’’ Teruko rubbed her stomach with an awkward grimace.

‘’She hasn’t tried to seek it out either.’’ Sieglinde pointed out, breaking her stance to tap the wood with her big, pointy index. ‘’Doesn’t strike me as aggressive.’’
That axe of crag looked to be a mighty magical artifact, how many warriors would be red with rage at having lost it?

‘’Hao is requesting… asylum.’’ Teruko was careful with her words, casting her gaze for Hao who, by now, had become a cheerful girl slapping the air with her tail and balancing herself back and forth with a smile, often looking at you over her shoulder. She was terrible at being subtle, you were definitely subject to some kind of avid curiosity.

‘’This one describes herself as an excellent warrior and an accomplished hunter and tracker. Good with a bow, excellent with weapons and endurant. She has no intention of returning to her home and offer her axe as payment alongside her services.’’

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‘’Had I no scruple, it’d be far too easy to take it and kick her out.’’ The fact you thought similarly was probably depressing. Being pragmatic is sad, isn’t it?

‘’Aye but milady Jawahir is no such crone.’’ Teruko answered with a firm, unwavering and… hold on, Hao waved at you just now, so you returned the gesture and earned a thumb up.

Alright, she’s cute.

‘’Well, I was thinking we could return her back home in a week or so.’’ Sieglinde cleared her throat, observing everyone at the table only for Vilma to come forward.

‘’N-not in that forest I hope!’’ She exclaimed in honest outrage, to which Sieglinde immediately shook her head.

‘’No, no! Not at all! I didn’t think she’d want to stay like that!’’ Your attention now was focused on this foreign girl, she had observed this exchange with intense concentration and apparently misunderstood something because her head drooped, making her long hair fall around her and from this angle, you noticed her closed eyes and balling fists.

…she was agonizing over something; closest guess would be fear of being sent back.

‘’Anyhow, let’s ask her a few things.’’ Nobody else seemed to have noticed Hao woes, she managed to swallow her emotional bile and look away in guilt.

>Anything to ask, Arawn?
>Free Choice

>>2415958
Show off our new spell be acquiring barbarian horns.

>>2415967
So tempted to go with that for hilarity sake.

>>2415958
Only question i can think to ask is why she left her tribe or about her axe i suppose.

We wouldn't be able to feel the horns anyway

>>2415979
Not with that attitude. We just acquired a magic spell that allows us to acquire horns from a distance.

Let's ask her:

* If she is alright. We have noticed she seems to be bothered by something.

* About her tribe (what tribe is it, why she ran, how strong they are on average, if wwe should be worried about them going against us for sheltering her)

*About her axe (where she got it, what it's properties are, and what she knows/can tell us about it)

Got myself a headache so I'll be stopping now and come back fresh tomorrow.

Feel free to post everything you want to ask her.

>>2415958
Ask her if anything's wrong and if she has any questions or requests of us.

>>2415982
But we get no sensory feedback from that spell yet. What's the point of touching the exotic bits if we can't feel them?

>>2416078
You mean besides training her for future horn grabbing?

>>2416019
These sound like good questions to me. Supporting.

>>2416092
Now Anon, while I am not generally against touching monster bits, there is a time and place for it. This is not one of those times and places.

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With Sieglinde and Vilma spirited exchange swiftly coming to a close (and the lich nearly choking on her saliva after realizing she talked so frankly with a princess), the foreign girl had grown shy and diminutive, stopping clutching her long skirt to hug her self awkwardly with an honest expression of awkward pain. ‘’Say, Teruko, could you ask her to talk about her tribe?’’ You were wondering about her health, too, but you’ll see about getting her to talk of other subjects first, she seemed a cheerful one up until your friend’s harmless banter.

‘’Mh, yes, I’ve been wondering about this. Do give me a moment.’’ The pregnant lizard leaned forward again, prompting Hao soft green hues to look up from their stubborn stare on the wooden ground and a visible wince made it obvious the professor was touching a sensitive topic.

‘’Do you know much about that place, Sieglinde? It’s called Zen right?’’ Elina asks as both scaled ladies engaged in a soft-sounding conversation, Hao slowly but surely regained her pep by smiling sadly, as if resolved to some kind of reality that brought an unhappy scowl on Teruko features.

‘’I’ve been there in the past, brought back how to cultivate rice, I mentioned that a few days ago right?’’ The demonic redhead responded, lighting a glint of realization in Elina eyes. ‘’It’s a human empire equal in size to the Allied Kingdom I’d say, ruled by a single emperor and their fief separated into clans with their own bloodlines, each of them giving favors to resident Supreme Monsters and their overlord for influence.’’

‘’And that place has been embroiled in a recent purge.’’ Elina continued with a noticeable scowl.

‘’Yeah, Teruko has been the only news of Zen we’ve had in well over 20 years.’’ Sieglinde relaxed in her chair. ‘’Can’t expect the Demon Lord to do everything.’’ She commented absentmindedly; it was a sensitive discussion.

A sad smile on the rotund lizard sharp features revealed she had heard everything, her conversation with Hao came to a close and she gently patted the girl palm before facing the group. You could tell Vilma was completely overwhelmed by everything that was happening as she sat in silence, fiddling with her gloves.

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‘’Do allow mineself to begin.’’ Reaching for a wooden pint, the white lizard refreshed her mouth with a welcome gulp of water dutifully brought by the busy maids. ‘’Her people call themselves Datyun and make a living traveling the wide plains surrounding on the western outskirts of Zen, taming native fire lizards to use in their portable forges and keep them as mounts for defense and raids against other tribes.’’ Your eyes drifted once more for the newcomer of dark scales and unusual tan, her tail had to trail sideways to exit some confine of her chair and you notice that she’d often peek at you in cautious curiosity, a fixation that also extended to Elina because Hao often pretended she wasn’t observing you when you crossed eyes with her soft green hues.

‘’Hao doesn’t consider her people weak or fearsome, they are artisans soldiers surviving by hunting and honoring their creator gods with ritualistic conflicts against their Mamonos peers; we shouldn’t’ be expecting reprisal, none of these nomads possess enough magical knowhow to create a portal… and it so happens that they are more than a year away on foot.’’

You and the girls exchanged silent stares with each other, Elina being the most satisfied with the news; unless helped by some rogue Supreme Monsters, you shouldn’t expect Hao tribe to barge in this academy. Your presence in the forest really has been a total fluke for that strange dark lizardwoman.

‘’Why’d she run?’’ Elina asked, stealing your question.

Teruko nodded and leaned near Hao who jumped in surprise, so tense was her state of mind. Beads of sweat dotted her face and upon hearing the professor soft-spoken question Hao immediately showed an honest mirror of agonizing pain that made her close her eyes and shake her head at another sentence, she ran a scale-covered hand through one of her organic tresses and spoke without spirit.

‘’The Datyun killed her mother.’’ Teruko answered firmly, brows and scales twisting in a scowl. ‘’She left and took her tribe prized axe as revenge; Hao learned about it last month and been living as a hunted fugitive up until she came upon the haunted forest.’’

Rest is history huh? It was certainly rash to lash out this way but is she really to blame? Her tribe – her people and kin- somehow coming to a decision with murdering her parent?

>>2418354
Unless other Anons come up with a good question or two;
>Should you talk with the girls about her fate, her request for asylum?
The faster we get that out of the way the better.

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‘’This axe, do you think she could explain to us what it is?’’ Belphegor had taken it for examination, you clearly remember it’s odd appearance; a big piece of carved out rock with yellowish red fissures all over, the thing probably shone in the dark.

Your question was met with a nod from the professor and she translated it swiftly and like a lit candle energy came back into the tall tribal girl. She shifted in her seat, going back to put a fist on her skirt to keep it down (despite its total lack of movements) and explained her possession in excitement.

‘’Mmhm, it’s a magical artifact.’’ Teruko summarizes, leaning back to put a hand on her stomach. ‘’They intended to pass it down from matriarch to matriarch, you could say that weapon became a piece of identity for the Datyun; it was forged by a stranger in their midst before Hao birth and gifted as thank for their year-long hospitality, this weapon… gentle Hao said it can mimic the earth rage.’’ A quick look to Hao had her nod at these lack words, apparently understanding them. ‘’It imposes a concept of fissures with each strikes and could even create magma after damaging a specific piece of soil. It’s a weapon that can also act as a tool for the Datyun portable forges.’’

Heavy silence came, Elina and Sieglinde shared an almost sisterly expression of studious thinking, Hao energy flew away as quickly as it came as she observed angel and demon, murmuring a little something in her foreign tongue that made Teruko eyes closes.

>Should you talk with the girls about her fate, her request for asylum?
>Ask some more question? (Specify)
>Free Choice

>>2418376
Thought I could be sneaky and correct a few sentences. It's fine, don't worry about being quick.

>>2418378
>Should you talk with the girls about her fate, her request for asylum?
Might aswell deal with the hard stuff first

>>2418378
>>Should you talk with the girls about her fate, her request for asylum?

I never notice any typos

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‘’She’s got quite a story.’’ Sieglinde tone was a gentle one, she observed the awkward lizard with friendly prudence.

‘’Yes, sending her back is a death sentence.’’ Elina nodded at the demonic princess, tall wings flapping softly, feature strained in deep thoughts.

‘’She requested asylum, she has clearly no intention going back.’’ Hao expression as you spoke was a sad resolution, perhaps she was imagining the worst or maybe she was intimidated for being in an unknown land amongst a company of strangers; lizards here were green or purple and showed pronounced monstrous features, only Teruko possessed these strange ear-horns and patches of scales dotted across her body.

‘’Hm… saving a life isn’t an easy thing.’’ Sieglinde attention shifted for you and Elina, putting her deformed hands on the table, something in her demeanor changed, she had shed off her usual endearing personality to reveal a rare, honest, expression of maturity. ‘’We’ve brought her amongst us and spared her an abhorrent fate but we can’t expect Hao to survive if we set her loose into Throne Town or the Allied Kingdoms; she'd have a chance if we dump her off into the Commonwealth. I believe we still have a responsibility until she can find stability on her own.’’ She nodded at Hao, making her blink in confusion while Teruko smiled broadly, almost like the proud mother she’ll be in a month or two.

‘’Meaning we’ve no choices in accepting her request, right?’’ Elina chuckled at Sieglinde embarrassed nod. ‘’Always holding your heart in your hands, Siggy. This is your place and she’s seem a good sort.’’ Elina waved at Hao who timidly returned the gesture. ‘’What I’m wondering is what we can do concretely with her situation.''

‘’She… she has skills right? M-maybe we… can learn from each other’s?’’ Vilma timidly wedged in the conversation, earning a set of nods from blonde angel and redheaded Lilim.

‘’Aye, tis why I do proclaim mine intention to have her sojourn into mine room of the teacher lounge.’’ Teruko proclaimed, almost boasting, as she rose to her feet while holding her stomach, earning an adorable confused head tilt from the tribal girl she chooses to protect.

‘’Everyone believes you have Arawn as a student, Teruko.’’ Sieglinde wasn’t so enthralled by emotions. ‘’I’m sure you’ve already been warned by the school administration.’’ This earned a growl from the white lizard; a quick look to Hao revealed that she was now concentrating on this exchange of words enough to be still as a statue, filled with enough concentration to rival a mage in Focus.

‘’Let these cunts whines.’’ Teruko huffed in response, earning a laugh from the demoness.

‘’I wish it was that simple, having her tag along might work for a few days but you understand your reputation here in the capital, many nobles want you to teach their progeny for prestige.’’

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‘’My fame shall sink and be rendered useless, for Mamonos worldwide shall swallow mine stubbornness if need be.’’ Teruko really was going all in on that, was it some kind of overwhelming motherly feeling?

Sieglinde still shook her head. ‘’Arawn has been allowed to stay with you so far because of his special status as an elf and your own accomplishment with Internalization, a fourth student from a completely unknown race, tattooed in visible tribals pattern will have people accuse you of despotism, a tutor who refuse to accept her role here in the academy.’’

Really? Are monster girls that vain? 4 students for a single teacher doesn’t seem odd, but these damnable women are going to harass Teruko honest wish for nothing more than jealousy? She hasn’t even partaken in any politic.

‘’Such unbending pragmatism is hidden under the warmest of heart.’’ Teruko had also calmed down and sat back in her chair. ‘’I’ve no knowledge of any other tutors who speak Zen dialect, would it not be possible to stall for a month or two?’’ There she rubbed her stomach. ‘’Once little Lisbeth is born, mine husband should have settled his pressing matters, I’ve taught him a few things, he could take care of gentle Hao.’’

Hearing her name made the tanned lizard twitch and she repeated a few words of Teruko sentence.

‘’I can stop being your student.’’ That was not a statement you wanted to hear.
‘’E-Elina!?’’ Vilma was also suitably outraged but the angel wasn’t easily swayed.

‘’Not now, but once nobles start breathing down your neck you can say that I’m pulling out of the academy and remaining as Sieglinde retainer.’’ She smiled at the lich whose lips formed a tight emotional line. ‘’That way you’ll be free to choose a new student since Arawn privileged existence doesn’t really count.’’

‘’B-but…’’

‘’It’s fine.’’ She shook her head. ‘’I’m not a summoner, I’ve tried; Teruko graciously invested two months of her time to find an answer to this question. Now, Hao needs her more than I do and it’s not like I’ll be going away tomorrow or something.’’ There she leaned for her short undead friend, giving her pale head a pat. ‘’You’ve got a duel to win and I’ll make sure to help you prepare.’’

Vilma didn’t say anything, she slouched in her chair and crossed her arm under her bust.

‘’I hate this stratagem, my darling heavenly student, for it shall undeniably work.’’ Teruko pouted, imitating Vilma expression and sending Hao into a poignant grimace of guilt.
‘’What do you think, Arawn?’’ Sieglinde had shifted her stare at you now. ‘’Think you could become friend with this girl from the other side of the world?’’

Putting it like that was unfair.

>Will you try to accept Hao into your circle of friends?
>Or reject Elina solution? You’ve saved Hao life – no need to change this relation.
>Free Choice.

>>2418620
>new plan, we stop being her student
We've honestly invested almost no time into magic so it's not such a loss

>>2418649
This, it actually works better since we're gonna get our skills back, especially if we go royal blood ritual route. right now we just need to come up with new out of the box ideas to add to our past selfs probably standard spell repertoire.
If we get a few months with teruko then thats really all we need.
Our angel friend can't give up, shes got something special going on if she can pull an elf out of the demon throne.

>>2418620
Hmmm... couldn't we say that Teruko hired her as a maid? It would justify her being around us while skirting the damnable nobility's concerns that she took on another student. Plus she's already a warrior. Combat maids are best maids!

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You clear your throat under this collective attention. ‘’I’m the newcomer.’’ You begin, words failing to find something eloquent. ‘’Wouldn’t it be better if I stopped being Teruko student?’’

Your answer was met by a collective expression of disapproval that had Hao thoroughly confused and stares at you in wide, puzzled eyes.

‘’Mysir you’ve no memories, mine belief is that you ought to truly endeavor in thine trainings of magic… was it not thine own resolution?’’

‘’I suppose, yeah… haven’t quite committed to be honest.’’ You might have a natural affinity with your magical Nature given how well today went… or you were rethreading old paths, who knows how many years you’ve spent mastering yourself?

‘’Your position makes your presence with Teruko unassailable.’’ Sieglinde spoke while interlocking her shiny dark fingers. ‘’There’s no need for you to walk away, at all.’’

‘’I still count as one of her students.’’ You retorted, imitating her past gestures by extending your index. ‘’Not officially, I don’t have papers but I’ve still spent 3 days visibly with her so that’s how nobles have seen it. You’ve said it yourself that my presence made their grumbles useless but a tutor can’t have more than 3 students; removing myself to let Hao in will work because Teruko is more than stubborn enough to defend her stance.’’

Your statement earned a proud chuckle from the pregnant teacher, Sieglinde silence told you more than enough; your logic as sound, three was the magic number of apprentices. Not one more, even for an elf.

‘’I’m not making a rash decision here, Arawn.’’ Elina took her turn, looking strangely peaceful with even a resolute smile on her features. ‘’Angels aren’t summoners, I’ve tried to find out if it was possible… I’ve discussed it with Teruko at length.’’ She nodded at her professor who reluctantly agreed.

‘’I still believe it’s too soon to give up.’’ You retorted, trying your best to let you message across; she’s the one who summoned you out of the Demonic Throne itself. There has to be something she could do!

‘’Learning when to back down isn’t a bad thing.’’ She stated calmly with an unwavering stare; staunch will made it obvious she wasn’t going to back down quite yet.

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‘’W-why should we…’’ A quiet voice snuck into the fleeting silence of the conversation as Vilma, from her chair, spoke in honest rancor. ‘’…do we really need to bend over a-and… Why do we h-have to… accommodate her like that? We don’t need…’’ She bit her lip upon finding herself under the table collective attention, her purple gaze looked at Hao with piercing accusation and was met with an honest, naïve friendly smile. ‘’…we don’t have to… there’s no need…’’ Her stiff speech briefly ended as she searched her words while holding onto her dress with trembling hands. ‘’We don’t have to sacrifice ourselves for her!’’ She declared, failing to mind her voice; coming off loud enough to make Hao jump.

‘’Darling…’’ Teruko began but Vilma shook her head.

‘’She could just stay here!’’ Vilma continued, face twisting into a bitterly honest expression. ‘’Sieglinde could find someone to take care of her! There’s no need to… change anything.’’

The last part of her sentence was an agonizing whisper and her outburst ending petered out of existence, promptly motivating her to pull her hood on her head out of shame.

‘’Fru…?’’ There came a gentle sound from the tribal girl struggling with a common word, her face twisted in confusion, fear, and pain as Hao pointed to herself. ‘’Suff?’’ She asked fruitlessly, earning a protective pat from Teruko.

‘’We don’t have to decide right now.’’ Sieglinde uttered gently, breaking the tension before it had a chance to truly settle. ''Vilma has a point, I've assumed you guys would want Hao company, nothing behold any of you to improve her situation.''

''I've no intention of abandoning this lost dragon.'' Teruko firmly stated eyes narrowed into a worrying red line directed at Vilma.

''I've been trying to find a good opportunity to tell you guys about my resolution.'' Elina imposed herself on the silence, wings flapping awkwardly, her attention was on her undead friend who had thoroughly retreated within herself with crossed arms, raised hood and a gaze firmly locked on the floor. ''...Guess I chose poorly.'' She muttered, dejected.

Droplets of tears were visible on Hao's face as she, too, had gone into a mental retreat that was making her tremble and sniffles quietly.

Aah, dammit. Conflict huh?

>Free Choice

>>2418920
I still say we should propose the maid option. She could be a maid to anybody in our group really. Hell, we could make her our maid if it comes down to it. Make her into glorious combat maid!

>>2418959
worth a shot i suppose.

jeeez, is summoning an elf not enough for that girl?

Gonna vote lock in about 20 minutes, need to go do something then I'll write one last update for tonight.

I vote for maid, too. With a chance of accepting her as a student of Teruko at a later date. We could se the return of her husband as a deadline time for Elina to do her summons

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Such a heavy, choking atmosphere ill-befitted this newly formed circle of friends, everyone sought to escape the choking pressure of the table, silence brought no solace or solutions for this predicament; you haven't experienced any pressures from these invisible ‘’nobles’’ and yet here you were, already having to satisfy them.

An idle look for the open exit revealed a pair of beastwomen maids peeking out from an open room, intimidated by the oppressive ambiance surrounding the girls, ah those dresses were soothing. Long, dark with white apron and adorable frilly headdresses, it felt almost like staring at a universal message of…

Hold on a minute.

Just like your training earlier today, a flash of illumination made you jump out of your seat… only to loudly slam your knee onto the table, making Hao yelp in fear and Elina nearly take off in the air from bewilderment. ‘’W-what the hell!? Arawn!?’’ The haloing woman asked in reasonable alarm.

‘’I got it!’’ You slammed your fist on the table, making Hao wince and earned yourself a set of shocked stares, even Vilma couldn’t pout under your attitude.

‘’Mysir…?’’ Teruko tentatively asked, maybe wondering if you had gone postal.

‘’Maid!’’ You pointed to Hao who imitated the gesture, attitude already shifting from fear to genuine curiosity. ‘’Let’s make our refugee a maid!’’

Your resolution was met by silent, slack-jawed stares.

‘’Think about it!’’ You took a large breath to calm down, else you’d come across as downright desperate. ‘’Teruko is expecting a child within the next two months yet she’s keeping to her duties as a tutor admirably, however, it doesn’t change the reality that, as her delivery date approach, she is having difficulty with day-to-day activities and, perish the thought, what if she were to fall one day? Having a maidenly helper isn’t out of the question, even during lectures with her apprentices. After all, isn’t the inventor of Internalization entitled to a little luxury?’’

Sieglinde promptly roared with laughter while Elina and Vilma shared a similar expression of disbelief.

‘’Why yes!’’ Teruko clapped. ‘’Little Lisbeth is growing and I’ve been far too prideful to recognize it until now.’’ Going with your charade, the professor rubbed her belly once more in affection. ‘’So today mineself decided to ask her highness Jawahir for an adequate helper.’’

‘’It was my pleasure to provide.’’ The redhead responded after a few breaths of recovery. ‘’This girl has no idea of our language but remains a dutiful person who’ll be able to help Teruko during her daily schedule, who will dare complain about this? Removing Teruko helper could put her unborn child in danger! I won’t stand for any argument!’’ Sieglinde chuckled again, leveling an index while Hao rubbed her eyes and smiled, being much more at ease in this bright ambiance.

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Meanwhile, Elina had both of her hands covering her face, it wasn’t enough to fully cover her reddening cheek and you heard a soft muttering escape her lips. ’’To think it was this simple.’’ She murmured to herself, halo showing faint uneven flashes of gold. You’ll have to talk to her a little more when you’ve got the time.

The noise of a scratching chair revealed Teruko ascend, slowly making her way toward Vilma who was stubbornly sitting in silence, now radiating gloomy shame. ‘’Really takes a male mind to solve a few things.’’ Sieglinde winked at you, all tension out of her shoulders now.

‘’Maids are cute and Hao would look fantastic in a dress like that.’’ You answered proudly and grew quiet once Teruko reached Vilma.

‘’Darling.’’ She spoke firmly, worming one of her scaled hand into the pale hair of her emotional student.

‘’I-Im…I’m so…’’ She muttered, only to be interrupted when the short teacher pulled her into a soft hug.

‘’Ssh, don’t be, Vilma.’’ Her voice reduced to a benevolent croon, Teruko ran her fingers through the lich hair, waiting for her emotions to settle while smiling to the assembly. Hao, in particular, look touched by this scene, a sad yet courageous expression non-her face had her stare diligently at this motherly scene.

‘’Twas thine honest opinion and you’ve expressed it, you’ve no reason to excuse thyself, my dear.’’

‘’B-but I’ve… It was so simple…’’

‘’Tutu.’’ Teruko squeezed her head tighter. ‘’Myself will only ask one thing of thee, darling.’’ Unfurling her closed arm, the soon-to-be lizard mom allowed the lich head to be freed and Vilma stepped back, eyes closed tenaciously. ‘’Do give our wayward dragon a chance. Tis all I want.’’

‘’Y-yeah…’’ This woman really is a good mom huh? A sad pang in your guts made you stop to wonder why you’d feel such an emotion. Was it nostalgia?

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‘’Now, why not find a fitting maidenly uniform for our tribal comrade?’’ Teruko clapped her hand together, earning a laugh from the angel who rose to her feet. ‘’Sure, let’s see what we can do.’’ Elina agreed and boy, you’d love nothing else than pampering this dark lizard…!

‘’Say, Arawn.’’ Sieglinde whispered in your direction, glossy hand reaching for yours to catch your attention while Teruko had a firm grip on Hao's shoulders who realized something was going on and grew suitably afraid, even when Teruko whispered something in her native tongue.

Tribal girl doesn’t like frilly things? Come on! She'd be beautiful in one of those classic set of clothes, why you could even hear her whisper an awkward ''Masta'' with a curtsy!

‘’I’d like to speak to you about something important.’’ Your friend smiled awkwardly. ‘’It can wait if you want to have some fun.’’ She winked at you, observing Elina, Teruko, and Vilma surrounding a very nervous Hao.

Was her highness thinking of sitting this one out?

>Drag her into this impromptu dressing session. You'll talk later tonight.
>Stay and talk with her, she said it was important.
>Go with the girls and enjoy yourself.
>Free choice

Ending here for tonight. This coming week is looking fairly light so I might be able to start updating Wednesday, thread should still be able to get bumped then.

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>>2419330
We're dragging Sieg into this. Her unbalanced reactions are very endearing and hey, gotta grab some joy while we can before you plunge us into the depths of despair.

>>2419330
>>Stay and talk with her, she said it was important.

Depending on how it goes we can cash in our favor with her after we finish talking

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>>2419414
It'll be fine.

The plot is slowly but steadily being built, I'm operating on a different line than ToM 1 where you were always pressed for time, I'm mostly curious what solution will be chosen to recover your memories.

>>2419419
But anon, she said it could wait. Surely you wouldn't throw away a chance to have fun with the girls, see embarrassed Sieg, and behold a dragon girl in a maid outfit would you?

>>2419434
Personally I'd go for soul link. A past is a terrible thing to hide from close friends/potential waifus.

>>2419518
Dragon girls in maid outfits don't do it for me.
If it was the angel, or necromancer though, hell yeah.

>>2419434
Gimme blood magic.
It'd be perfect. siegfried takes to his new lease on life and arawan returns to his old life.
Plus being an elf, we can do shit for elf kind by remembering instead of living an average life as an amnesic nobody.

>>2419603
You seem to think that the possibility for getting the other girls in maid outfits is zero in this situation. It isn't. Hao may well demand it (especially if we nudge her in that direction and appeal to Teruko's latent sadism towards everyone around her on top of that), and who would we be to disagree with our wonderful maid refugee?

Still, I'd rather not lose these new memories so I'm still against the blood ritual. Besides, our magic nature is souls. Aren't you curious about what potential the links might have for us?

Well now, that certainly changes things.
If we get to see the others in dresses then i'll switch my vote.
Aww man, this is a perfect chance to call in our favor with siggy though, all alone together.

While that would be interesting, I'd rather focus on elf shit. especially if we were around before the genocide event.
Plus we have the journal now, we're gonna still have everything we had before the memories switch

>Tell them to come bring her to Sieglinde and you after she is ready! We want to see her, even if briefly, as a maid! Aside from that, Stay and talk with Sieglinde, she said it was important.

Let's have them bring her back to us once she has become a proper maid! In fact, before they leave, let's remind them to come back with the final result!

I want to get this important thing off the way now.

And, I vote for soul link. More chances for feels and compassionate scenes and monstergirls comforting us, that way. Plus, mighty monstergirl powers as a bonus!

>>2420044
Bah! The important thing can wait. We can enjoy fun times right now. Hell, if we play it right we may even be able to rope Sieglinde and all the other girls into wearing a maid outfit. We may never get this chance again. We must take what we can!

>>2419330
>Stay and talk with her, she said it was important.
I figure it'll be easier for Hao if there are fewer people involved in getting her into a maid uniform.
Besides I wonder what Sieg could possibly want to speak about... mayhaps the Demon Lord is coming back home soon?

>>2420256
I would like to bring to light the possibilty that the girls - especially Teruko, that lovable sadist - might very well try get US into a maid outfit!

>>2419330
>Stay and talk with her, she said it was important.

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2 votes for a talk, one for maido. Something like >>2420044 work too.

I won't update today or tomorrow so there's no rush.

>>2420297
>- especially Teruko, that lovable sadist - might very well try get US into a maid outfit!

>>2420314
Is that May Greenfield?
Are you a Mecha boi OP?

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>>2420346
More of an Armored Core/Muvluv boi. Not that big of an /m/an

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>>2420297
And that's a bad thing? To obtain, something must be lost. If getting all the girls into a maid outfit costs us some dignity and putting one on ourselves I'd say it's a great deal!

>>2420352
MY FUCKING NIG

>>2420398
>We end up getting dragged into putting on an uniform anyways.
>By some dark miracle we wear it better than any of the girls do.

Seem like we've got a majority vote to speak with the redhead.

I'll be updating tomorrow so a last-minute swing is always possible, we won't be needing a now thread quite yet.

>>2422535
Just realised, is it possible elina’s equipment is a summon? I would find it beyond hilarious if the reason that our angel couldn’t summon was because she was trying to “do something she hasen’t before”, when she does what she’s been aiming for constantly.
Someone would have thought of that though, right? If not we might have a good way to explore the possibility with our focus, so long as someone else summons something as a reference.
Once we do a quick check, if such has not been looked at before, we could continue as we were planning to.

>>2422561
It's an experiment you could attempt with her, I won't be able to give a concrete answer until you get the information ic.

The general info/belief about the angels ability to literally create armaments out of thin air is handwaved into a ''just want angels do'' acceptance. They are a secretive lot, rarely known to cooperate with humanity and monsters in groups.

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I might have overestimated my abilities a little, I'll make a new thread tomorrow instead, feeling woozy today so I'll take it easy.

This one has been archived.

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Migrate
>>2438291