《Reincarnated as a… Completely Average Person?》 Chapter 1: Re:incarnation Kiri first felt pain. A rippling pain across his nonexistent body as if someone was poking needles into every part of his body. A pain that felt like his very existence was being stretched and thinned. And then it stopped. His vision faded back. [I feel lower?] The first thing Kiri noticed was that his perspective was ¡°lower¡±. Kiri had not been a particularly tall person, but he was sure he was taller than this. In the paddies, he was in it felt like he should''ve be slightly taller than this [Hmm, Gabriel said I would be able to do this?] He quickly yelled ¡°Status!¡± and a stereotypical game screen appeared in front of him. Sato Kotori Race: [Human] Age: 5 HP: 10 Mana: 5 Agility: 6 Strength: 3 Defense: 2 Karma: -100,000,000 Skills: none Traits: [Spirit Seer] [Wait a moment] Kiri was now realizing that ¡°he¡± was in fact a ¡°she¡± [That damn angel didn¡¯t even bother to make the sex match] she thought. Kiri now ¡°Kotori¡± was caught in a conundrum. To make a long story short, she had a mission in this life. To recoup the massive amount of negative karma she accumulated in the afterlife. Kotori was what one could be called an extraordinary case. 10 Million negative Karma was akin to a whole world population accrual of negative Karma. It was a herculean task no doubt, but unless she did something regarding it, she would restart her reincarnation cycle as a bug and probably squashed underneath the foot of somebody. Kotori shuddered to think of the thought. Why was her karma so low you may ask? Well, she spent it all lazing around heaven instead of reincarnation to reaccumulate it... [Well, first things first I should assess my situation no?] She looked around seeing the fields around her she could only make one remark. [Yep, That''s a paddy] Honestly, she didn¡¯t know what she was expecting. That Angel did say it was going to be an average life. "Oi Kotori, The day''s work is done." A voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts, Turning her head in the direction of the voice she saw a muscled tanned man walking towards her. "Status" she whispered to herself. To her surprise, another screen showed up Sato Hikki Race: [Human] Age: 30 HP: 34 Mana: 5 Agility: 10 Strength: 17 Defense: 16 Karma: 1,465 Skills: none Traits: none [I guess this is my "Father"] she deduced. The man, who was her father came up to her. "Where did you run off too," He scolded her with a scowl on his face. "you were supposed to help me dig the new paddies" Kotori frowned. [I''ve just been reincarnated and I''m already getting yelled at] She immediately felt her karmic value drop by 1. [well that''s an issue.] To be quite fair, the small drop in karma she received was nothing in comparison to the debt she had already built up, but it was still demoralizing in a way. She wanted to start this life off right and it seemed she was already failing before she had even started earnestly living it. Kotori tried to remedy the situation. She immediately looked down and appeared to be ashamed of the fact, "I''m sorry, daddy," She made use of her high-pitched childlike voice to pretend as if she was extremely remorseful. Her father''s face softened. It was the face of a man who doted on his daughter and couldn''t stay angry at her for very long. "A''ight I forgive you¡­" he said begrudgingly he scowl upturning into a smile. Kotori quickly raised her head and gave a beaming smile in response. "Yay! I love you daddy" and jumped into her father''s arms proving she had reformed her behavior as much a child could at this age. Sato Hikki adored his daughter to the point of almost spoiling her and easily accepted the hug from her. Kotori hugged the man, feeling the rugged muscle and callous on his arms and hands. [This isn''t so bad] she thought. In truth, she was not regretful at all. But she acted as if she was thinking that it would be better for her if she continued to act like "Kotori" would in this world. Although she had saved no karma for the sake of reincarnation it seems the angel took pity on her. In contrast, Kotori who had no attachment to this world was already starting to feel a bit of familial connection to the man who she now called her ¡°father¡±. [At the very least I can tell he cares about me quite a bit.] Sato Hikki now offered to give Kotori a piggyback ride, a proposal which she happily accepted. As she sat upon her father''s tanned shoulders, she could see the farmlands with a much better view. The paddies they were working in were surrounded by a light forest. The paddies seemed to coalesce around a small wooden house which they were walking towards. Kotori assumed that this was her family''s home. [Even for farmers, it''s quite small, isn''t it?] she thought Her suspicions were confirmed when they approached the house. It was just as modest a dwelling as she thought. The roof was lined with straw that seemed quite flimsy. It looked like it would not insulate heat very well and would leak during rain. Both these observations were things she later found out were true. Kotori herself was lost in thought, [It seems Gabriel was nice enough to make sure I wasn''t suffering too bad from the start so what''s the catch here? This seems like an average life.] Gabriel had told her to not get her hopes up, but Kotori was unsure why he would say that based on her experience so far. With a cautious heart, she watched as they steadily approached the house. Kitsura For advanced chapters please consider subbing to my Patreon. https://www.patreon.com/user?u=55244626 Chapter 2: My New Family The house was small. It was so small it felt more like a 4.5 tatami room. The floor consisted of hard-packed dirt and there was a cold fire pit in corner. In another corner, there was a moderately sized straw matt which Kotori assumed was the bed. There were a few ratty blankets on it, but the living conditions were quite plebian. Kotori''s father gently set her down and began to start a fire. He went outside to grab some firewood from the pile outside and once he brought a few logs back inside. He pulled out a small knife and a piece of flint. Her father had little difficulty in starting the fire and eventually turned a cold lifeless firepit into a roaring flame. Kotori scooched closer to the flame. The heat was nice, especially since the house was very cold. The dirt sucked the heat from Kotori¡¯s body. There was a slight chill in the air, and the warmth that came from the flame was a welcome pushback. Kotori sat by the fire and warmed her hands. Her thoughts drifted [well this sucks]. It was rather apparent that in this world farmers were not particularly wealthy based on her observations. [Not that I could''ve expected that much] She thought Kotori once again cursed the fact that she had not saved any karma for her reincarnation. If she had even saved a little, she would''ve been able to have a more comfortable life. She could¡¯ve reincarnated as a hero again instead of this miserable experience. [How am I supposed to resolves this] She began to reflect on her negative karma stat. She had to do something to get it back up to at least 0 Karma or else she would be squashed. "Is something wrong Kotori?" a masculine voice interrupted her thoughts. Kotori was snapped out of her rumination by her father who was giving her an extremely concerned look. "Just tired I guess," She said absentmindedly replying. She couldn¡¯t really tell him about the thoughts she was having. Kotori was a unique case among souls. She somehow managed to keep her memories. Her father, on the other hand, wouldn''t even understand what she was talking about is she tried to explain it. "If you''re so tired you should rest on the bed," he said trying to be helpful. Sato Hikki didn¡¯t know what was causing his daughter to be so glum. Kotori, who wasn''t tired at all went to bed and pretended to sleep. At the very least it would give her an excuse to think more about how to regain her karma back. [How do I get more people to love me] She thought Kotori had to think big, really BIG. For most people, living a life of virtue and honesty would be enough karma for their next reincarnation, but in Kotori''s case just living a virtuous life wasn''t enough. She had to do something massive that would benefit the whole world. In her previous life, she had managed to solve a cancer-like disease and resolve most of the world''s hunger issues with brilliant inventions and knowledge. But based on the technology she''s seen so far, she didn''t believe that recreating those technologies in this world would be feasible. Plus, she wasn''t even sure if the laws of physics would work in the same way, or if the biologies of humans in this world were the same. [Man, this is really going to be difficult] She began to wrack her head. For one, she didn''t even know how karma accumulation works. Based on the small drop she had earlier it seems to be a linear system. But she didn''t understand how certain actions were judged. For example, if by helping one person she hurt another would that still rewarded with a karma increase? Or would the net gain be zero? What if she ordered someone to help another. Would her karma value go up? Or the person she ordered to do the act be the one to gain the karma instead? As she laid on the scratchy straw bed, Piles of questions began to swirl in her head. So many questions that she almost felt like her head was overheating from all the thinking she had to do. She put a hand to her forehead, and it felt feverish, but she soon realized that it was just the side effect of the small house being warmed up by the fire. "I''m back dear" Her thoughts were interrupted by another voice and she turned her head towards the doorway and saw a rather plain woman holding a small boy. The woman''s hair was the same dirty blonde as Kotori''s and her facial features were western. She wasn¡¯t a beauty by any stretch of the imagination, but she was also not ugly. By a simple process of elimination, Kotori assumed that this woman was her "Mother" "Welcome back dear!" Her father walked up to the woman and gave her an enthusiastic hug. "Papa you''re squishing me" the boy who was now trapped in their embrace was protesting while trying to escape. "Oh, sorry about that Ryuji" Father said and tousled the boy''s hair before letting him go. Once free of his father''s embrace the boy scampered up to me. "Oneechan! look what I found today" He outstretched a dirty hand Kotori looking into her brother''s hand and saw what could only be described as a pile of dirt "Dirt?" She said confused "It''s not dirt!" He said moving his hand agitating the pile "Hey wake up!" he said poking the pile of dirt with his fingers Kotori watched in amazement as she saw the dirt shudder and move. Eventually, the pile shaped itself into what resembled a mouse. "It''s a dirt spirit!" he said excitedly "You can talk to spirits right!" I can? She thought back to the [Spirit Seer Skill she had]. [Is this a spirit] She didn''t even know what a spirit was, and watching a pile of dirt shape itself into a mouse and begin to move was already defying her typical human understandings of what was possible in the first place. [I guess I might as well test my skill] She thought "Hello?" Kotori was surprised to realize that when she tried to speak to the spirit, the message didn''t come out of her mouth but instead felt more like she was mentally projecting words from her mind. The dirt mouse looked at her and she suddenly felt a strong feeling of ravenous hunger mixed with slight fear. She was confused for a moment before realizing the feeling was coming from the mouse. Apparently, it was communicating through feeling rather than words. "Are you hungry?" she asked The mouse stared her in the eyes and once again Kotori was awash with that same feeling of ravenous hunger again "What you want to eat," she asked again the mouse gestured to the pile of ashes near the fire. Gently taking the mouse from her brother''s hand she brought the mouse over to the fire. It began to chew on the piece of charred wood ash. After several bites, it stopped and then looked at her again. Kotori felt awash with a sense of fullness and contentment. She took this to assume the now full mouse was happy. "Status" she whispered testing the skill once more Simple Dirt Spirit Race: [Spirit] Age: 1 HP: 5 Mana: 1 Agility: 1 Strength: 1 Defense: 1 Karma: 10 Skills: none Traits: [Minor Earth Spirit] Kotori realized that this spirit was a little more than a child. And thus, which probably explained why it communicated more like a baby. Although, Kotori was also unsure if that was the correct assumption to make since she had never really met an adult spirit anyway. "Look the spirit is eating!" Her brother exclaimed Startled by this, the spirit jumped into the dirt near the fire pit and disappeared "Hey! where''d he go!" Watching the dirt spirit he had worked so hard to catch suddenly disappear greatly upset her ¡°brother¡± "Oneechan, you scared it away!" his eyes began to water "When I worked so hard to catch it too..." and then he started to wail. Kotori was unsure what to do, in her past life she was bad at dealing with children and this situation was no different. He mother saved her from this impending tantrum "Hey hey, Ryuji, no need to be mad you''ll have plenty of time to catch more, come here let mama hug you," Her mother said, opening her arms inviting her brother into an embrace. Kotori sighed in relief. Ryuji ran over to his mother and began to cry into her arms "Baka-Oneechan," he said crying into his mother''s arms "No need to be like that I''m sure your sister didn''t mean to let it go, and besides you weren''t really expecting to keep that little spirit forever were you?" Her mother comforted Ryuji Kotori who had been an only child in her previous life was now learning the meaning of having siblings. [Gabriel, I now can''t complain but couldn''t you have given me a less bratty little brother] She pleaded internally She sighed, knowing that her path to a happy reincarnation was going to be a long one indeed. Kitsura Chapter 3: More Meat and Music Please… The disappearance of the mouse spirit had upset Kotori¡¯s brother greatly, but like most young children his emotions waned and waxed like the moon, and soon after being soothed by my mother he was fast asleep on the mattress next to me. Her brother had the same brown hair as her father, overall looked much more like him. Kotori did not know what exactly she looked like since this family did not own a mirror. His soft breathing lulled Kotori into a meditative stance. [I guess brothers can be cute like this] While this was happening, her mother began to prepare dinner with a small pot. It seems to be a thin rice gruel filled with mostly vegetables. There was a little salt added to flavor it. Although the gruel was simple, there must have been a little ginger inside because it greatly warmed Kotori''s stomach and she was grateful for eating anything at all. Her brother had woken up in time to eat and was enjoying dinner with the family. Kotori watched as he balanced a small wooden bowl in his hands and tried to use the wooden hewn utensils. He seemed to pick at his food while avoiding the major chunks of vegetables that were in it. ¡°Ryuji eat your vegetables¡± Her mother chided ¡°I don¡¯t wanna!¡± Ryuji protest Her mother flashed him a glare ¡°Don¡¯t make me force it down your throat¡± ¡°Eep!¡± Ryuji yelped and began to obediently eat his vegetables. Kotori seeing the scene was reminiscing [Ah reminds me of my old mother] she thought Kotori also hated vegetables when she was younger and was often scolded for it. She had never really grown out of her dislike of them but had learned to endure it for the sake of her health. Kotori was a thorough carnivore and thus still felt a bit of longing towards being able to eat meat right now. The image of a juicy steak flashed in her mind. Though she was aware that it was unlikely she was even going to get it. She tried to ask anyway ¡°Hey, when do we get to eat meat¡± ¡°Meat? How do you know about that?¡± her mother asked ¡°No meat!¡± she exclaimed [This really is hell!] Kotori panicked internally. Thinking that this was a world full of vegetarians. ¡°Hush, you¡¯ll be able to eat meat soon enough when you find a nice man to marry, or when you become 16¡± [Oh] It was through this conversation that Kotori realized that meat just a rare commodity. [Though 16 to be considered an adult? that seems a little young.] she thought In the world, Kotori had come from people would become legal adults at 18 years of age. Become an adult at 16 seemed quite literally ¡°juvenile¡± Once again, she was stuck with the reality of how utterly hopeless her life had become. Everybody else had also finished eating and seemed to be waiting for something to happen. She quickly finished her food and set the bowl down patiently waiting with them. Kotori had no clue what was going on and simply went with the flow here. She was trying to fit in and hide the fact that she wasn¡¯t really the original ¡°Kotori¡± anymore. Her father pulled out a small reed he places the end of the reed against his mouth and began to blow on it. Kotori¡¯s face lit up in surprise when she realized the reed was in fact a flute. Her father¡¯s hands which were thick and calloused deftly played a small tune. The tune he played was a light and jovial song which made the heavy atmosphere of the small house seemed to light up. [So, we at least have some entertainment] ¡°What song is that papa!¡± She asked Sato Hikki looked at his cute daughter ¡°Oh I don¡¯t know¡± ¡°Wow!¡± Kotori looked at her father in amazement ¡°Who taught you?¡± Her mother butted in ¡°Kotori, didn¡¯t we tell you that your father was accepted to train at the Atlea royal music academy,¡± Her mother said ¡°Well¡­¡± Her father started ¡°I was only there for a couple of years since I couldn¡¯t pay tuition,¡± he said sheepishly ¡°As for the song, I just make them up as I go¡± her father explained. It was then Kotori realized her father was quite talented. Being able to simply make up a song on the fly rather difficult for any normal musicians ¡°Can you teach me!¡± She asked In truth, Kotori had always wanted to learn an instrument but had never gotten the chance too. Her father was a musical genius and she saw this as an exciting opportunity to finally do something she always wanted to in her past life. ¡°Hmm, I guess I can,¡± Her father said. ¡°Your father even plays for the Baron Derkin sometimes,¡± her mother said ¡°Baron?¡± Kotori said confused ¡°I guess you¡¯ve never met him before, don¡¯t worry a Baron is a nice man his taxes are fair and he rarely bothers the peasants, although I¡¯m not sure you want to meet him¡± Her father explained [I see, so this world is under some kind of feudal system] Kotori wondered why her father showed hesitancy toward letting her see the Baron especially when he just described the Baron as a nice man. Her father played a few more tunes Until eventually her brother said, ¡°Papa, play the one!¡± Her father who was still in the middle of a song stopped playing, lowering his flute. He asked ¡°Ryuji you aren¡¯t tired of that song yet? you ask me to play it every time¡± ¡°It¡¯s my favorite. I want to hear it again!¡± he said Her father sighed and then smiled. He once again picked up his flute to begin playing a different song. This one was much different than the others, it almost seemed to hum in the air. [Hmm? What¡¯s this] Kotori knew something was immediately different in this song from others and once her father finished the song, she quickly asked him about it. ¡°Hey papa what was that,¡± she asked ¡°Ah, that was a song with magic,¡± Kotori thought back to her father''s status. He did indeed have some mana in it. Although, it didn¡¯t seem like much. ¡°Can you teach me that?¡± She asked, ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s not something you can learn really easily it took me two years at the academy to just do that little¡± he said he seemed very hesitant to teach her how to use mana melodies despite the fact that he accepted her previous request. Kotori was saddened it seemed like she would be stuck playing normal tunes unless she put in a large amount of effort and she wasn¡¯t willing to put in the time to do it. Her father played a few more tunes. Although, it seemed that playing the short song infused with mana had made him quite tired and soon, he stopped. Afterwards, everybody piled onto the same straw mat to settle down for the night. This was apparently a culture where everybody slept together instead of separately. Not that there was any space to sleep separately in the small cramped house anyway¡­ Chapter 4: Working is Hard! The day started early. The sun wasn''t even quite up yet, and her father had already gently woken her up to work in the field. Kotori quickly readied herself and soon they set off along the dirt roads through the multiple paddies. During this time, she started taking serious note of her surroundings and began to ask her father about them. From what she learned to the north of the house, there was a large thicket, which was where much of the firewood was gathered. The south of the house had a small road that apparently if you walked for a bit would lead to a nearby village. Incidentally, Kotori''s family was a little different insofar as they didn''t live near the village like most people. Most villagers lived within a 15 to 30 minute walk to the village, but her family instead preferred to live closer to the forest. The soil was a little better here they had more to eat than their village-living counterparts. On the other hand, it also meant they were more isolated if anything happened. Kotori soon found what it meant to be a farmer. [This is exhausting!] She thought, Kotori was a person who had never done any manual labor in her life. In her past life, she was a famous scientist who solved cancer and hid at home. She had never once gotten close to a shovel. [Can I get a break please!] Stabbing her stone shovel into the ground once again, she noticed a curious phenomenon. The soil around her shovel seemed to ripple. "Ahh!" She jumped back in surprise and soon the dirt formed itself into a rabbit shape and scampered off. She heard her father¡¯s baritone laughing behind her. "What''s so funny¡± she said indignantly "Well, you¡¯ve never been scared of a dirt spirit before" He father said "Don''t worry," he said leaning his own shovel grinning "it''s good luck, it means the soil is healthy." [I don''t want luck I want karma] Kotori muttered as she stabbed the dirt again with a renewed vigor. As the sun approached midday her father told her it was time for a break. Which Kotori accepted gratefully. The break was well-timed, and the rays of the midday sun were very comfortable when paired with the slight spring chill in the air. As she laid in a nearby grass field, she felt something crawl on her leg. Sitting up she saw a dirt mouse carefully skittering along her leg. Just as she was about to swat it away, she felt a wave of friendliness that made her stop. She wondered if this was the same earth spirit her brother had caught yesterday, [Are you from yesterday] She projected her thoughts onto the mouse. The Mouse began to nod vigorously nod its head; She then felt a feeling of comfort as if she was in the presence of her parents. [Don''t tell me this damn thing imprinted on me like I''m its mom] As she looked at the mouse and her suspicions were confirmed when it began to nuzzle her leg. [Looks like I''ve made a pet] She thought. She didn¡¯t really want one to begin with, but she thought it would be a shame if it didn¡¯t have a name After thinking for a while, she decided to name the spirit "Shu" [Your name is Shu now] She told the mouse. The mouse gave her a knowing nod and she was filled with a feeling of acceptance and happiness [I guess it likes the name] She thought Quickly, she called out "Status" to see the mouse''s stat again Simple Dirt Spirit (Shu) Race: [Spirit] Age: 1 HP: 5 Mana: 2 (+1)! Agility: 1 Strength: 1 Defense: 1 Karma: 10 Skills: none Traits: [Minor Earth Spirit] "Hey, Kotori is time to get back to work. Don¡¯t let me find you slacking again!" her father called out to her Kotori groaned and grabbing the shovel near her to go back to the exhausting work of digging a new paddy. Interestingly, after observing for a while the Shu started helping her. Although the spirit was small, it seemed able to move dirt at about the same speed as Kotori. The mouse didn''t need to touch the dirt. Shu appeared to control the dirt with something like magic. This greatly increases her pace and together with the spirit Kotori soon found herself digging at a very similar rate to her father. When the day''s work was done, she saw that the pit they had dug together was larger than what her father had made. Holding the mouse in her hand she petted it. [Good job!] she projected onto ti The mouse rolled over and exposed its dirt belly, which she took as an invitation to pet it. She gently rubbed her finger on its underbelly the feeling was weird and felt more like rubbing a pile of soil than petting a mouse, but she seemed to enjoy it, so she kept on doing it. [At least this thing likes me] Kotori thought. Her father interrupted her petting session "Good work today¡­" he said looking in surprise at the hole Kotori was able to dig As soon as she heard those words she felt her karma value go up slightly She quickly whispered "status" to see it Sato Kotori Race: [Human] Age: 5 HP: 10 Mana: 5 Agility: 6 Strength: 4 (+1)! Defense: 2 Karma: -99,999,999 (+2)! Skills: none Traits: [Spirit Seer] Her karma had seemed to go up a little bit after helping with the paddies. Although Kotori was unsure whether the "+2" was a result of having both her and the mouse work together or if the value of the action she did was worth 2 karma. Kotori was happy that she was the only person who was able to see this interface. It would be rather hard to explain to her father what it was if he could see it. [I really must test this more] She thought to herself as she walked back to the house with her father. Their brother and mother were already done with their work in their side of the field and were settled down in the house by the time they got home. Her brother was overjoyed at the fact that she had managed to "catch" an earth spirit and constantly asked her if he could play with it. When she asked Shu for permission it outright refused and thus she rejected her brother. Ryuji of course threw a tantrum and once again her brother had to be comforted by her mother. She took the opportunity to see both of their stats in this time period Sato Ryuji Race: [Human] Age: 3 HP: 10 Mana: 0 Agility: 6 Strength: 3 Defense: 2 Karma: 114 Skills: none Traits: none -- Sato Hana Race: [Human] Age: 25 HP: 28 Mana: 0 Agility: 11 Strength: 14 Defense: 10 Karma: 1,344 Skills: none Traits: none Evidently, it seemed both her mother and brother had no talent for magic as they both had a mana stat of 0. That night, they once again had the same thin rice gruel and listened to her father play beautiful songs on his reed flute. Kotori was beginning to feel a little impatient. She only had this life to work with and she still had a massive debt to overcome. Although it was only her second day of being reincarnated, she was once again struck with the feeling of impossibility regarding her task of overcoming her nearly negative 100 million karma deficit. With a heavy heart, Kotori earnestly began her life as an average farmer girl Chapter 5: Visiting the Village Kotori had been living with her new family for months now and the days were beginning to blend together. Wake up. Work on the field. Go home and eat. The only brief moments of respite were when her father taught her the flute during their breaks and when he played for the family at night. Her father on Kotori''s birthday had given her a hand-carved reed flute much like his. Consequently, she picked up the flute rather quickly and was able to play simple tunes. Of course, her skills were quite literally "child''s play" in comparison to her father but it made her proud to know she was learning something. Every week or so they would visit the village and go to the market to pick up supplies. The people of the village were relatively nice and would sometimes pat Kotori''s head when they saw her. She had also met the count. Her father was right when he said that the Baron was a difficult person. If he could be described in one word it would be "eccentric". The Baron was an old man with wispy hair who rarely left the house. Apparently, he spent most of his time researching local history and other things that caught his fancy. And despite sounding like an interesting person with many stories to tell, the Baron was a rather dry person. He spent most of his time talking about his research and rarely cared about whether the listener cared to hear it. As a person who was once also a science researcher in her past life Kotori was sympathetic to him. She herself, had often gotten caught up in rambling about her research for long periods without noticing the other person had long since stopped paying attention. The Baron was rather amicable to them. He even gave Kotori a small honey-sweet when they met. Kotori had also learned quite a bit about how karma generation worked. Karma worked on a utilitarian system that would modify the amount of karma you gained in relation to how much of a direct impact you had on a good deed happening. In other words, it would reward her based on the total "good" that her actions did and would also "modify" the reward based on how directly she caused the action. It took her several tests to do this. The utilitarian system was figured out when she had tried to help her father start the fire and ended up burning the straw mat they slept on accident. When she later checked her karma value, she found that she actually lost karma in that incident. The attribution mechanic was found out when she had Shu dig help holes for her. If he did it on his own, she would not gain karma, but if she directly ordered the spirit to do it, she would gain karma. Unfortunately, all this testing meant that over this time period she had gained very little karma. [Not that it would be possible for me to do this alone.] Kotori thought grimly The massive negative karma number still loomed over her head and She wracked her brain every night to think of ways to resolve it. At the very least, it was impossible for her to do it on her own. The attribution system gave her some way of envisioning how to surpass her negative value through having other people do the work for her. If it was possible for her to get a lot of subordinates to do good deeds, then it may be possible to overcome the negative karma number. Kotori finally had a plan Step 1. Get a lot of subordinates Step 2. Do a lot of good deeds. Unfortunately, step one was the hard part. Today, Kotori was accompanying her father to the village. She needed to meet people and convince them to follow her. But even she was aware that it was unlikely that anyone would want to follow a young girl. [It should be easy right!] She was a human with over 30 years of part experience it should be a simple matter to charm these villagers, right? As they walked along the rough dirt road towards the village, Kotori saw a small pile of dirt moving with them. This was Shu, he had grown a little bit under Kotori and now looked more akin to a rat than the field mouse shape he used to be. He seemed quite proud of this fact and regularly told his "mother" Kotori about it. [I can''t believe this thing is still following me] Kotori would often think. Although, she couldn''t complain much since the little spirit often helped her with her work. The visage of the village was soon approaching. The village itself was small, essentially a few buildings huddled around a clearing. Most of them were rather simple. The village had a general store, a blacksmith, and of course, the Baron¡¯s house, which was larger than all the other buildings there. There seemed to be something going on in the clearing, so she and her father ended up going to investigate. The villagers seemed to be huddled around a pole with a piece of paper on it. Kotori herself had no clue how to read the text of the world. Although, speaking seemed to be done automatically for her, the letters of this world made no sense and didn''t look anything like the words in her past life, and thus she could not read them. This rarely became an issue for her, since most of the villagers couldn''t read either, and it was not like reading was something she needed to do often as a farmer. Her father was asking around and she learned why there was such a commotion. In short, the old Baron was going on a long trip and his grandson was coming to take over the responsibility of the village for the time being. According to the villagers, the son of Baron Derkin had left home the moment he came of age and traveled to the capital to seek his fortunes by courting royalty. He was a big shot in the capital and was an advisor to the royal family and now one of those kids was coming down to manage the village. The news made Kotori excited. Since he would be coming from the capital, making good relations with him would give her an inroad into the wider political sphere of the world. [All according to plan] Kotori thought Although, she was unsure whether he would be willing to listen to a small little village girl. If he was anything like his grandfather, he would likely be willing to hear her out or at least humor her. If she got on his good side, she would likely be able to use him as a connection in the capital. Chapter 6: The New Baron and Magical Melodies Kotori regretted ever thinking that she would be able to make good relationships with the new Baron. The stories she heard about him led her to believe he wanted nothing to do with her or any of the villagers. From the villager''s accounts, he came in a lascivious carriage and he was accompanied by a small retinue of followers and guards. The moment he exited his carriage he started bellowing for alcohol. This was a difficult request to fulfill for the villagers. There were few people who brewed alcohol in this village, and nobody sold it. Any alcohol was made from the autumn rice surplus and was only taken out during special occasions. The new Baron apparently threw a fit after the villagers could not honor his request. Kotori was told he had a very disagreeable personality. He lashed out at any villager that made him the slightest bit inconvenienced. His retainers were not much better and protected by the Baron¡¯s authority strutted around as if they owned the place. Her family had decided to avoid the village for now. ** ** ** "Kotori your hand posture is slipping again" "Yes, papa" She had started calling her father papa because he was giving her weird looks if she wasn¡¯t. Kotori adjusted the grip on the flute and started again. Since her mana reserves were not very big she just practicing normal songs for now and would only start to infuse them with mana towards the end of her practice session. Her father listens to her play and smiled "There you go, much better." He said with a satisfied expression on his face. Kotori was filled with a sense of pride. Her father rarely complimented her and this one of the rare occasions where he acknowledged her work. "Try a mana melody," he said. Kotori nodded and then began to play one of the specific mana songs that her father taught her. [But uhhh how did it go again?] She thought. Kotori had forgotten the melody, which was no surprise, considering she only learned it yesterday. Halfway through she started to improvise a bit, and let her instinct do the work. Suddenly, she felt an abnormal outpouring of mana, a flow which caught her by surprise and she wasn''t able to suppress in time. Her vision started to go dark and then she heard a feminine voice. "Potential Skill Acquired [Mana Musician]!" She promptly lost consciousness right after. ** ** *** "Kotori! Wake up!" Kotori felt a small thing rubbing her face, when she opened her eyes she saw Shu nuzzling her cheek. Kotori saw a very concerned father looking over her. Rubbing her eyes, she began to stand up and then immediately staggered as a wave of dizziness and fatigue washed over her. Her father caught and supported her. "Are you alright?" he asked "I think? I just feel really tired," she replied Her father sighed "That''s mana exhaustion, it happens when you use too much mana." He explains "How is that possible?" Kotori asked. Her father had told her that this melody was so low cost even a child like her would be able to play it. Her father smiled wearily "Kotori, didn''t I tell you to not get overeager with your mana usage" He must¡¯ve thought she was trying to exert herself to impress him. "But I wasn''t overusing my mana!" Kotori protested. She was just playing the song as intended. Sato Hikki looked at his cute daughter and simply chided her. "Kotori, I understand you want to play like daddy, but you have to take it slow." He saw the way his daughter looked up to him and knew she was overexerting herself to try and match him. "Don''t worry you''ll be able to play like me one day if you work hard" He assured her "I really wasn''t overexerting myself! Why won''t you believe me!" Kotori protested again. He gave her a knowing smile and decided to drop the issue. "It''s fine Kotori-chan. It''s Papa''s fault for not watching you more carefully" Kotori furrowed her brow. [It seems he¡¯s completely mistaken] She thought. It was obvious her father didn''t believe her, but she didn''t know how to convince him that she wasn''t trying to impress him. But it seemed he had dropped the issue and seeing as the conversation was going nowhere, she decided that she would drop the issue as well. Her father then told her that they would be going home early today, which was rare. He also offered her a piggyback ride. Kotori then realized he was trying to take it easy with her after she had collapsed from mana exhaustion. While riding her father''s sturdy back. She quickly checked her status screen to see if anything had changed and noticed a new skill in her skills section Sato Kotori Race: [Human] Age: 5 HP: 11 Mana: 7 (+3)! Agility: 6 Strength: 4 Defense: 2 Karma: -99,999,977 (+22)! Skills: [Mana Musician] (potential)! Traits: [Spirit Seer] Apparently, she had gained new skills but she didn¡¯t know why the skill had the word "potential" attached to it. If she had to guess, it probably means something like having the "chance" to acquire the [Mana Musician] skill. Though, she wasn''t exactly sure what that ¡°chance¡± would entail. That night when they got home her father made Kotori sit out of that night''s music session. Her father didn''t want to risk her using mana again. His caution was still not enough, that night Kotori waited for the soft snores of her family before sneaking out to play her flute. Despite her best efforts that night she was unable to remove the "potential" from the [Mana Musician] skill. Even when she played to the absolute limit of her mana pool. To the point where her vision would darken nothing changed in the status. She decided that she would continue to sneak out to investigate this matter further. Chapter 7: Visiting the (new) Village Kotori and her family had avoided entering the village since the arrival of the new Baron but after a month they could no longer avoid it. They were in desperate need of materials and to get some tools repaired. So, Kotori and her father, with heavy knapsacks, traveled over to the village When they arrived, it looked much the same as they had left it. Fewer people were out on the street but overall, it seems like her family''s concerns of the new Baron were unfounded. It wasn''t very long when they got closer than they realized their original assumption was terribly wrong. The main clearing in the village had the same pole in the middle of it, but unlike the previous time where there was a notice attached, this time there was a man tied to it. He was tied in such a way that he couldn''t sit or else the ropes that bound him to the pole would lift his arms above his head and chafe against his wrists. Despite this, nobody seems to try to help the man. Many of them walking past and averting their eyes as if they didn''t see anything. Kotori looked at her father''s face and saw that he held a grim expression. Upon seeing the man he gripped Kotori''s hand tightly. Kotori noticed that the people in the village spoke in hushed tones. This was a far cry from the liveliness that once went on the village and was unnerving. Although Kotori and her father were not very familiar with the inhabitants of the village, she had been to the village enough times to know that this hushed speaking was highly unusual. Going about their business in the village, her father tried to get the store owners to explain what happened but none of them seemed willing to talk. Their final stop was the blacksmith shop. This was a shop that Kotori liked to be at. The blacksmith was a nice man that they were on good terms with and frequently patted Kotori''s head with his charcoal-stained hand. Kotori watched as they started the transaction to replace a few shoveled heads and to buy a new knife. There was tension in the air. Then suddenly, like a splash of cold water, her father finally quietly asked the blacksmith. "So, what happened?" The blacksmith looked at him, gave thousand-yard stare, and then sighed. "Even if you live farther away Hikki, you¡¯re still part of this village, you ought to know" In an even more hushed tone, the blacksmith explained what had happened in their absence After the Baron arrived most of the villagers tried to go about business as usual. But a few issues began to arise. The new Baron would make unreasonable demands on the villagers and although they would try to grant them, he would punish them heavily if they failed. Claiming it was ¡°insubordination¡±. This steadily escalated into even more unreasonable demands. One day the Baron tried to take a village girl for his own. Her father quickly defended her mouthed off the new Baron angered by this the Baron his retinue bind the man to a pole. If anyone tried to unbind him the Baron¡¯s retinue would pull out their swords. [What an unpleasant man] Kotori thought while listening to the story. He sounded like the politicians that that would often try to curry her favor in her past life. She surprised and horrified at the new Baron¡¯s conduct. She thought the contrast in personality from the old Baron to his grandson was too great. The Baron¡¯s conduct led Kotori to worry about nobles in this world it seems that they were stuck up, and elitist, doubts still began to spread in her mind. [Time to think of a plan B] she thought Her options were closing in on her. Social mobility in this world was painfully low. She and her father finished the rest of their business and thankfully left the village without any hassle. That night as Kotori laid in bed and waited for the family to go to sleep so she could practice her flute all she could hear was the soft whispering of her parents discussing what to do. They ultimately decided to use what low amount of savings they had to stock up on materials for the year and completely avoid the village until then. The very next day, Kotori and her entire family went to the village to pick up essential supplies. They quickly went about their business and as they were about to leave. She saw the still bound man attach to the pole. Feeling pangs of sympathy and wanting to gain a bit of karma she quickly grabbed some hardtack from the supplies and ran over to him. The man stood there motionless. She saw that his feet were raw, cracked, and bleeding and his legs trembled. She quickly put the food in his mouth. He coughed then in a pained voice spoke "Thank... you." She nodded A voice rang out "Hey! Who''s feeding the prisoner!" Kotori felt her karma drop heavily Kotori quickly scampered away to her family upon hearing the voice Upon regrouping with her family, her mother berated her "The whole point of this trip was to avoid getting involved! How could you do something so dangerous!" What really blindsided her was when her father also began to scold her as well. ¡°Your mother is right,¡± he said with a conflicted look on his face. It was bad enough that Kotori had lost a heavy amount of karma when she checked the amount she saw that she had lost 7,500 karma points [Still, that amount of karma seems a little harsh] Kotori only fed the man. Although it was dangerous she didn¡¯t really understand why it would be treated so harshly under the karma system. That night Kotori got her first real punishment ever. Her parents didn''t allow her to eat. As Kotori laid on the straw mat her thoughts of karma were quickly overtaken by the sounds of her stomach grumbling. Chapter 8: Men in the Night That night, Kotori¡¯s family was awoken by heavy knocking at their doors. Her father rubbing his eyes walked to the door grumbling about the type of person who would visit at this hour. When he opened the door, his body stiffened. Standing at the door was the Baron¡¯s Retainers, a group of men with swords at their hips. He audibly gulped "Hello¡­ Do you need anything?¡± he asked meekly The leader of the group smirked and spoke "It''s tax time" Her father looked confused at this response "Taxes at this hour? You must be mistaken" The man looked bored by her father¡¯s reply. "No mistakes here, it''s tax time, unless of course, you aren''t going to pay" He said while waving his sword hilt at Kotori''s father Her father balked at the threatening gesture. "O... Of... Course we''ll pay, how much?" Kotori¡¯s father was trying to hide it but his face was filled with worry. Their family had spent much of the money they had on supplies yesterday and were waiting for the spring harvest. This sudden need for taxes was out of season since it was usually collected in autumn. "Ten gold" The man said. Her father''s face which was already unsteady went completely white in shock. "C-can we take some time to gather that amount." he stammered Kotori knew that her father was trying to buy time. Her family usually only used copper coins in basically all transactions. The most money she ever saw was the one silver coin her father used to buy a cow. She knew that her family had nowhere near enough money to akin to gold coin levels of value. Let alone the ten gold coins the man was asking for. "M-Might I ask what the new Baron would need this money for" Her father asked. "Restitution, A small little bird hurt our plaything. If you can¡¯t pay there¡¯s going to be punishment" The man answered with a sadistic grin creeping up on his face. "You must be mistaken; We didn''t do anything that man" her father protested. "You''re calling me a liar! That man escaped tonight" The man said. "We promise we didn''t touch him!" Her father argued "You sent your spawn to loosen the bindings! All of you trash are in on it!" The man snarled. Something didn¡¯t line up here. Kotori didn¡¯t touch the man¡¯s binding at all. [How¡­ Did he escape?] she thought Her thoughts were interrupted by her father thrown to the floor. Her mother screamed in response. "Please!" Her father pleaded trying to stand up "just give us time" The man scoffed "I don¡¯t care" Her father went silent. He realized that the men had not intention of letting them go for free. The rest of the Baron¡¯s retainers pulled out their swords. "Filthy peasants who can''t pay deserve to be punished." The leader said stepping towards Kotori¡¯s father quickly threw himself at the man to push him away. "Hana, take the kids and run!" he said The leader grunted pushing away Kotori¡¯s father and then slashed at him. Kotori¡¯s father gave a pained groan and then collapses in a heap next to Kotori. A wicked crimson gash laid across his chest, from his nape to his waist. Rivulets of blood began flowing from the wound. "Run" he whispered, right before life flickered from his eyes. Kotori watched this senseless scene of violence with horror. She watched as the life of the man who taught her the flute and the man who often gave her piggyback rides was extinguished so easily. Like a pig to slaughter. Her body felt paralyzed as the Baron¡¯s retainers approached them. She had to do something fast. Kotori grabbed the small reed flute her father gave her and began to play. She didn''t know what she would be able to do, but this was the only way she could fight. She began to play a song, a song she didn''t understand quite yet but a song, nonetheless. It was a song with no rhyme or reason. A song that she was never taught, but still she played it. She felt her mana explode out from her and a discordant shrieking tone was played from the flute The men kneeled and held their ears in pain upon hearing Kotori¡¯s music. The tone only lasted for a few seconds before Kotori''s mana reserves were completely exhausted. A voice resonated in her head ¡°Skill acquired [Magic Musician] has become permanent!¡± Once it ended, the men slowly removed their hands from their ears in bewilderment. For a moment they were stunned in surprise. Only for a moment though¡­ They approached Kotori again at which point her mother push her out of the way to stood in front of Kotori and Ryuji. She was cut down in much the same way. The men kicked her body away and they got even closer. Kotori feebly raised the flute to her mouth again. This gave the men some pause. But once they her trembling they carefully approached again. Kotori, feeling her body screaming at her, used every ounce of will to once again play her flute, She was able to make a note for a split second before she felt all strength leaving her. She felt her legs give out under her felt herself being grabbed by the men. Her vision began to darken as a result of extreme mana exhaustion. She was only able to get a glimpse of her dying parents before her vision grew to blurry to see them. A sense of great regret overcame her Although Kotori had done great things in her past life. She was in truth, a lazy person. She had only solved the world hunger because she was tired of wasting time cooking her own meals. Not out of any sense of altruism. Kotori thought she was a genius like people told her. She had built so many plans, all assuming that she could do no wrong, but now she was confront with the consequences of that thought process. She had killed her new family. There was no excuse. and then she heard a voice. "Potential Skill gained [Desire of Monte Cristo]" [I don''t care about my skills] She thought choking back tears. Her hand gripped the reed-flute her father gave her There would be no more flute lessons, The only thought in her mind was the image of her parent''s bodies. She cursed the world. She cursed the new Baron. She cursed herself for not being strong enough. She felt her heart boil with anger, as her consciousness slipped away from her. "Potential Skill [Desire of Monte Cristo] removed!" "Trait gained! [Monte Cristo]!" --- Sato Kotori Race: [Human] Age: 5 HP: 10 Mana: 10 (+5) Agility: 6 Strength: 5! Defense: 2 Karma: -100,007,472 (-7,500)! Skills: [Magic Musician] (New)!, [Desire of Monte Cristo](Removed) Traits: [Spirit Seer], [Monte Cristo](New)! Chapter 9: The Pole Kotori awoke, parched and tied to a pole. When she looked around, she saw that she was in the village clearing. And she was now bound to the pole. [I hope the other guy is doing better than me] Kotori thought. It was unlikely that he was able to get away unscathed. The village her family was a part of was on the southern border between the northern countries of Faramouth and the southern country of Atlea. Their village was rather isolated. Anyone who tried to leave would likely have to navigate through hordes of bandits and wildland that hasn''t been settled by anyone. A pain shot through Kotori¡¯s arm [My arms hurt] She thought Her hands were bound with a tough fiber robe. The rope had rubbed her wrists raw she stood up to relieve the pressure that was chaffing them Kotori¡¯s arms were raised as a result being bound. Unless she held them up, they would hang against the rough fiber. Her wrists were already getting raw and red. She tried to raise her hands to alleviate the pain, but that would mean that her arms would also get sore. Kotori only did the bare minimum to avoid the pain. Her thoughts were filled with the image of her parent¡¯s bodies. The mere thought filled her heart with grief and anger. It was so unfair! Her family had done nothing wrong and were punished for her own stupid actions. Kotori regretted ever helping the man. She now realized why the karma cost to help the man was so high. She repeatedly cursed herself. Kotori had finally understood what it meant when people said "the world is cruel" While she had not realized it, Kotori had grown up rather spoiled. She never understood the sort of people who would bemoan that the "the system" was unfair". Kotori spent the rest of the day hanging on the pole and ruminating. The villager who still walked the street hurried along finishing their business. No one passed her a glance. Kotori didn¡¯t care anyway. She viewed this as self-punishment for her own actions and had no complaint. The day grew long and soon the sun began to set. The Baron¡¯s men who came with him all began to retire to their respective homes. People began to disperse and go home. It would''ve been a calming scene if Kotori had a family left to go back to, but she didn''t. The night came and she was still tied to the pole. Kotori didn''t have any hope. She resigned herself to death and hoped it wouldn''t hurt when her soul was eviscerated by Gabriel. She closed her eyes and waited for death. ** ** ** "Hey, are you still awake" Kotori jolted at the sound of a voice. Opened her eyes and saw the man she had fed earlier looking at her. She was surprised, she thought he had already run away. "Why are you¡­" Sher coughed and was unable to speak. She hadn''t drunk anything all day. The man quickly put a water skin to her mouth, and she drank greedily the cool water invigorating her. He handed her a small rucksack; his wrists were scarred from the ropes. "I''m Roland. I heard what happened to your family. I would offer to shelter you but if the count heard we would be in trouble." He then bowed deeply "Thank you for the food, consider this payment for the kindness you showed me when no one else would" Roland said Kotori coughed "What¡­ About¡­ You" He smiled, "Ah that, I''m currently hiding in the basement of my house with my daughter Suzie. I can''t go out but it''s not like the count''s men know where to look for me." Kotori understood what he meant. The only information the count''s men had was that he had run away. They didn''t know where he would go too. It makes sense for him to stay in town when the new count would only be here for another year. She felt another pang of sadness at the fact she had no one left to go to. There was no one here to shelter her. He quickly cut her bindings and pushed her along. "Run, away towards Faramouth. I wish I could help you more, but I''ve already got a target on my back, and we can''t support another person" "Isn''t that the longer route?" She asked "They won''t chase you across the border it would be an international incident" he explained. He hurried her along and put a long thin package in her hand, "I know you haven''t eaten yet. Once you get away far enough that you are safe, open this" he said handing her a package. Kotori who was still shocked by this turn in events began to run away in the direction that Roland mentioned. She had no clue how far she would get, or if she couldn''t even get away at all but for now, she had a chance for her to live to enact her revenge. She ran through the forest without care for her body. Branched whipped her arms and scratched her legs. There were no trails to follow and she could only use the waning moonlight to guide her way. Although, Kotori was stronger than the average child from doing farm work she was still physically, a 6-year-old kid. Kotori didn''t know how long she ran for. She kept waiting for pursuers, but nobody seemed to come for her. It seemed that her 4-7 hour head start was enough to make pursuers easily gave up. As the sun began to rise, and she could no longer run any longer. She took a small break. Her stomach grumbled and she was beginning to feel faint. She had not eaten since the night her family was killed which was two days ago. She quickly opened the package Roland gave her and found a rice bun along with a small reed flute. Tears came to her eyes. It was her father''s flute, Roland must''ve somehow known that her father was a musician and retrieved it from their house before he rescued her. She played the flute softly, She didn''t know a sad song, her father only taught her happy and joyful ones. Despite this, she still began to play. Almost, without effort, she saw that her flute began to play a mournful tone. A beautiful song began to erupt from her father''s flute. The sound was much better than her old flute. It was her father''s flute after all still, Kotori had surprised herself. She was playing a song that she had never learned or heard before and yet it was a beautiful song. She only played for a bit before she realized that her mana was depleting. That was when Kotori realized that she was using [Magic Musician] She quickly stopped the song. Since she had not been playing for long, she hadn''t used much mana. She quickly ate the rice bun and kept running. To where? She did not know but she knew that it was her only lifeline. She had to escape Chapter 10: Chance Encounter Kotori had been running for a while. She was unsure of the distance she had run. She wasn''t completely sure she wasn''t running in a straight line and could only use the sun as a general marker for the correct direction. She was small so it was unlikely she had moved as much as she would have liked. It was approaching midday and Kotori took the time to assess the contents of the sack that Roland had given her. Inside was a small knife, a few pieces of bread, a small water skin, and a tinderbox. Kotori appreciated the tinderbox but she didn¡¯t know how to use it. She quickly finished with her small break and began to move again. Although, she could slow down her pace Kotori didn''t want to stop until she felt she was in a safe position. While she was palming her father¡¯s flute, she noticed something at her feet, a small pile of dirt had suddenly appeared; She poked it. [That wasn''t there before, right?] She thought The dirt formed itself into a rat shape. [Oh you] Kotori had been so preoccupied that she didn''t realize that Shu had following her the entire time. She lifted the small spirit and nuzzled it. Now she had two reminders of the home she once had. She finished her break and began her journey with a renewed vigor. Shu seemed to like perching on her shoulder, so she let him stay there. ** ** ** Kotori and Shu had been walking for a while. Kotori felt something. A feeling like she was being watched. "Where''s there" She called out cautiously As soon as she spoke the presence vanished again. Kotori began to quicken her pace and the presence appeared me again. It was unnerving, she couldn''t see anyone nearby, The undergrowth was definitely empty. The presence kept getting closer and her quickened pace began to turn into a run. She began to hear the rustling of leaves behind her and was unable to ascertain the existence of what was causing them. Not wanting to look back Kotori had Shu tell her if he could see anything. He wasn¡¯t able to pinpoint the sounds. It grew unbearably close. [I must fight!] Kotori thought Kotori pulled out her flute and stood her ground. Raising the flute to her mouth she played a shrill tone that caused people to seize up and was Kotori''s only offensive tool. She heard a small yelp and the sound of something falling. She heard an object falling above her and quickly moved out of the way. A little while after a person collapses in a small pile in front of her. Kotori instantly took several steps back and readied herself to play another tone. The body on the ground groaned [Karma -50] [I''m really going to lose karma for defending myself? Wait, did this person mean me no harm!] Kotori thought Thinking this, Kotori lowered her guard a little to see who the body was and was surprised to see that her pursuer was a young teen girl. Her face which was scrunched in pain, was lightly tanned and speckled with freckles. Her hair was a burnt orange. And she wore a mottled green suit that probably served as camouflage in the verdant forest. The girl had pointed ears, [An elf?] Kotori thought. This was now starting to feel like a fantasy world for once. She stood there cautiously watching the girl who continued to lay on the ground and groan "I think you broke my arm!" She yelled Kotori was equally startled and confused by the statement. [Wasn''t this girl the one chasing me] she instantly thought "Are¡­ you okay?" She asked carefully. The Girl didn''t seem to radiate any hostile intent. "Here I was trying to follow a small little girl who¡¯s running desperately in the jungle, and she pulled out a flute and nearly BLOWS out my eardrums!" The girl said "You weren''t trying to kill me?" Kotori asked move her flute away from her mouth The girl who had stopped groaning, stood up. Grimacing and holding her arm the girl looked at Kotori in surprise and said "No? Who would try and kill a small child walking in the forest" "But you were chasing me" Kotori explains The girl sighed "Look, I was trying to watch out for you. You''re way too young to be walking around this deep in the forest" She looked at Kotori "I don''t even know how you got here in the first place. The closest village is a day''s walk from here and across the border." Kotori was instinctively about to say that''s where she was from but bit her tongue before she spoke. She didn''t want to reveal too much about herself. "Why are you here in the forest little girl? Where your family?" the girl asked. Kotori felt grief welling up but didn''t say anything, but it was obvious enough that the girl had noticed her change in mood. Her face softened "Ah, I guess you don¡¯t have to tell me¡± The girl said. "Am I in Faramouth?" Kotori asked "Kinda? The border changes every year. Not like it matters since it''s all forest anyway." The girl explains The girl then looked at Kotori concerningly "Look, a little girl like you shouldn''t be walking around a forest there are wild animals roaming about and you could get hurt." "I have to get away from Atlea" Kotori said. The burnt orange haired girl stared at her testing resolve and finally said. "Okay, Okay I get it. Can you at least come with me for a little bit and we''ll get you patched up." Kotori took some time to consider the proposal If she took it and it was a trap she could be in a much worse situation. On the flip side, it was not like she had much choice. The girl was right that she couldn''t possibly survive in this deep forest on her own. "I''ll go" She said curtly The girl smiled, obviously relieved. "Great!" We should probably introduce ourselves. My name is Amelie, yours?" "Kotori" She avoided saying her last name in the small chance that Amelie knew who she was. "Follow me then" Amelie began to trudge along the forest gripping her arm obviously in pain. "Wait," Kotori said Amelie stopped obviously confused "What? Is there an issue?" Kotori looked at Shu on her shoulder and sent him a mental image of a cast and asked him if could make one. Shu looked a little confused, but then manipulated some clay nearby to form around Amelie''s arm. She looked in surprise upon seeing a pile of clay float and wrap around her arm "There, it should be better to walk now" Kotori murmured Amelie softly tapped the cast on her arm and it made a hollow sound. "How''d you do that," she asked "I didn''t do it, Shu did," Kototi said, gesturing to Shu who sat on her shoulder. "Are you friends with that dirt spirit?" Amelie asked "More like it¡¯s adoptive mom¡± She said dryly To be quite honest, Kotori didn''t know how important she was to Shu. It seemed the little spirit just liked to follow her around. Amelie laughed, a bell-like tone that rung around the forest clearing they were win. "Well then, thank you for the cast. I''ll make sure to let the Boss know you''re alright" Amelie said "Wait!" Kotori stopped Amelie remembering something Roland told her, "What about the bandits around here?" She asked Amelie laughed again "Ah that, well that''s us." She explained Kotori looked at Amelie who had just dropped a bombshell of information on her. "I promise we''re not that bad¡­¡± Amelie said smiling. "I didn''t kill you right?" she finish Kotori, her surprise fading, couldn''t argue with that and began to silently follow Amelie into the bandit¡¯s nest. Chapter 11: The Boss Whilst walking with Amelie, Kotori had noticed the undergrowth was getting less thick and trails were beginning to show. Soon, the steady sound of human activity began to grow louder and louder until Kotori realized that they were in fact inside a village. She didn''t notice earlier when walking in but the houses seemed to be carved out of the trees and it wasn''t until she smack dab the middle of the village did she realize that she was in fact, surrounded by buildings. Despite this, the village was quiet. Unlike the other villages that Kotori had lived in. This one seemed to not have that many people inside of it. "So where is everybody," She asked Amelie "Well, they''re probably all out working?" she said scratching her head. "Working?" Kotori asked with a suspicious look on her face. If they were bandits, then that would mean their work was harassing innocent people for money Realizing Kotori''s intention Amelie immediately backtracked "No No No, not like that!" She quickly said "I was joking earlier, we are not really bandits. People just call us that" Amelie said sighing Kotori looked at her quizzically "Well, there must be some reason why they call you bandits" She asked "Look," Amelie said "people, call us that because we look scary. We just live here. We''ve always been nice to people that come by, but whenever they see us, they throw down their stuff and run away before we can get a chance to explain ourselves." "We''re really not all that bad." She said glumly "So, what does everybody do for¡­ Work?" Kotori asked. To be quite honest, she wasn¡¯t even sure if people had to work in this village. "Ah that, most are probably dungeon diving" Amelie explained. "Dungeons?" Kotori asked Kotori who had been in a small village for her entire life so far had never heard of such thing. This was the first time Kotori has heard about anything like a ¡°dungeon¡± in this world. "Well, we''ll just wait here for now" Amelie said after leading to a small gazebo that seemed to be made for public use. There was a well-worn table and chairs already set up, so Kotori obliged her and sat down. Shu, who was on her shoulder, jumped down and took a nap in a sunbeam that shone on the table. While they waited there. It was to Kotori''s annoyance that Amelie was a very talkative person. She talked at a great length on many topics. In the beginning, Kotori humored her and kept up the conversation with her but eventually, her responses grew in her nodding and saying "hmmm" and "yes, that seems interesting" Amelie herself, didn''t seem to notice Kotori''s disinterest and kept talking. It seems she didn''t have very many people to talk to in her village and the arrival of Kotori had unleashed a torrent of words that she had kept pent up inside her. She talked about her life, about her favorite food and least favorite foods, her dreams, and even waxed on about her favorite way to tie her shoes. A subject that she seemed to be especially interested in. As the day grew long and the sun started to set, people began to slowly trickle into the village. Amelie was right when she said that most of them looked quite scary. They mostly wore green mottle suits like Amelie. When they passed by Amelie, She would give them a cheerful wave and they would wave back respectfully. As soon as their eyes drew to Kotori who was next to her many of them raised their eyes but didn''t comment further. Incidentally, most of them were men which made Kotori surprised. "Where are the women," she asked "Oh, you noticed that?" Amelie said, "They''re with the Boss." "You keep talking about "the Boss", who are they" Kotori asked Amelie. Much of the things Amelie had talked about involved a mysterious person call ¡°The Boss¡± from what Kotori could glean, the Boss was quite an impressive person. Amelie seemed confused at the question. "Well¡­ They''re the Boss?" she tried to explain "What''s the Boss like?" Kotori questioned further. "They Boss us around?" Amelie said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Her face had a puzzled expression, as if she wasn¡¯t quite sure what kind of answer Kotori was looking for. Kotori was beginning to get exasperated and tried to reframe her question in a different way. "I mean, what are they like as a person" Amelie gave a look like she figured out what Kotori was asking. "Oh, The Boss let''s see¡­ They''re big and they''re strong" She explained "Anything else?" Kotori asked "Umm" Amelie looked uncomfortable Kotori was surprised "Do you not know anything about the person who leads you" she asked Amelie instantly protested "No, I know a lot! The Boss is ummm tall and muscly" "That''s just the same thing you said earlier!" Kotori nearly shouted. Kotori was starting to feel like the straight man in a comedy skit. Amelie tried to give more descriptions that were synonyms of what she just said [I guess, I just gotta learn who this person is for myself] Kotori thought Amelie was thoroughly unhelpful in demystifying this ¡°Boss¡± character. They waited there in uncomfortable silence as even more people streamed in. Soon there became a visible change in emotion among the men when a group of women appeared from a path in the undergrowth They were an imposing group. They seemed verifiably amazoness in appearance. All of them were near two meters tall and their bodies were filled with rippling muscles. The way they moved was almost cat-like; their bodies seemed filled with energy. Kotori noted that their ears all had pointed tips like Amelie. They mostly wore black cloaks and they carried a wide array of haphazard weapons. It took a moment for Kotori to realize that they were dressed as honest to god delinquents. Amelie ran over to them and Kotori followed with Shu on her shoulder "Welcome back guys!" She shouted towards the group The imposing feeling the group gave off lessened as they began to happily greet Amelie. They gave her a lot of pats on the back. Many of them seemed concerned about her broken arm but Amelie explained that she hurt it in a fall. They seemed like quite a nice group of people. Kotori smirked [That''s technically true I guess, but she is not mentioning I''m the one that caused it.] Noticing Kotori one of them asked "Amelie who''s this?" "Ah this is a girl I found wandering the forest, I felt bad for her and picked her up," Amelie replied "Weren''t you supposed to be watching the border side of the forest?" the person said "I uh¡­ had to bring her back" Amelie said absentmindedly shuffling her feet slightly The tall woman sighed "You really shouldn''t drop your duties that much, it''s not good." She said. Amelie looked apologetically toward the woman and then spoke "By the way where is the boss?" Amelie asked The tall woman pointed towards the back of the group. "She back there" "Thanks!" Amelies used her free arm to grab mine and drag Kotori over As they got towards the back of the group. Kotori found them walking towards a particularly tall and imposing woman with burnt orange hair. Standing over two meters tall she had a metal club slung over her tanned shoulder. Her face was incredibly scary, and Kotori instinctively shirked away from her until she realized that Amelie was leading her to that woman. The Boss seemed to be in a conversation with another one of the elves until she notices Amelie and Kotori approaching them. "Amelie!" The Boss said, she had a very harsh tone for a voice. "Yes!" Amelie yelped "Who is with you! And what happened your arm" the Boss barked Amelie quickly gave an answer "Ah, it''s a girl I found she was wandering the forest and I followed her to make sure she didn''t get her, then I brought her back to the village. About my arm, I uh fell out of a tree." "Amelie! You are a ranger how did you fall out of a tree!" The Boss said scolding Amelie. Amelies eyes became downcast she looked away in shame "Well... I" "Hmm! I don''t care anymore get out of my sight" The Boss ordered. Amelie meekly began to walk away, shoulder hung in defeat. Kotori began to follow until she heard a voice behind her "You there! I''m not done with you." Kotori stopped and then backtracked and brought herself to the foot of the amazoness. Because of the difference in size, Kotori had to look up at the woman looming over her. "What your name" The Boss asked "Kotori" She replied strongly, not wanting to show a sign of weakness "Why are you here?" she asked "To get stronger" Kotori replied with no hesitation Kotori had decided that it would be her plan to get as strong as possible. She never wanted anybody important to be taken from her again. The Boss nodded obviously happy with her answer "Good answer! If only that pup Amelie would be like you." "Ummm, Boss?" Kotori said hesitantly "What" "You shouldn''t be so mad at Amelie. I was the one who caused her to fall out of the tree" "What! That girl was taken down by you" The Boss put extra emphasis on the "you" obviously shocked that Kotori was able to knock Amelie down The boss gave a thoughtful expression and then spoke "She''s even weaker than I thought," "Well I used this" Kotori pulled out her flute and showed it to the Boss The Boss looked confused, "you took her out with this reed?" she asked "No, I did something like this" Kotori said bring the flute to her mouth. Kotori began to play the flute and used her only attack move [I should really give this a name] she thought as a discordant note rang out into the forest Many of the women in the bosses covered their ears in annoyance, some in pain The Boss herself didn''t move at all and listened intently "Hmm, I see. It seems I underestimated you. You do have some teeth little girl" She said nodding, it seemed Kotori had gained her respect. The Boss then turned her head towards Amelie who was trudging away. "I just wish she was stronger" she whispered. In an instant the Boss''s expression had changed the tough scowl she had on her face was gone and replaced with worry "That girl gets herself into so much trouble and I can''t watch her," she softly spoke to herself. "Umm," Kotori asked "are you alright" The boss''s expression instantly reverted to its tough look. "Of course, I am!¡±* She said gruffly, trying to regain her composure. [I''m starting to think this Boss isn''t so tough at all] Kotori thought after noticing how the Boss just looked at Amelie, "Do you have any other business with me?" Kotori asked "Not in particular," The Boss said trying to avoid eye contact, it seemed she was slightly embarrassed that she showed her soft side to Kotori. It was at that moment that Kotori realized This woman is an absolute TSUN Chapter 12: Family Ties (1) Kotori had stayed in the village for about 3 months now Frankly, it felt odd living here to her, nobody was forcing her to do anything which was a big difference from her life living on the farm. Where she would be dragged to go work in the fields every day. Incidentally, she lived with Amelie who was considered an adult by this world standards, and thus lived alone. Kotori herself was also getting closer to adulthood and passed her birthday quietly without anybody to celebrate with. She herself only knew her birthday had passed after she checked her status one day and realized her age had gone from five to six. Every day, she would generally stay at Amelie''s house and wait for the people of the village to get back. She did try to make herself useful sometimes by playing her flute for the villagers when they came back but it seems her presence wasn''t particularly important to anybody. In all honesty, she felt like a pet. She also learned that although the Boss was a scary person, she was actually quite nice. When Kotori asked her for something, she would often be rudely told off by the boss, and somehow Kotori would still receive the item later through one of her henchwomen. For example, once Kotori asked for some new clothes since her own clothes were tattered and worn. And the Boss responded very harshly "What am I? your mother!" She said. Then the next day Amelie came to her with a large package and said that one of the Boss''s warriors had gifted it to her. When Kotori looked inside, she saw a large swath different from the mottled green clothing that Amelie wore. They all seemed to fit her reasonably well too. Kotori would often watch the Bosses face when talking to her. When the Boss was talking directly to her she had a constant scowl on her face and an unapproachable atmosphere. Despite that, the moment she thought Kotori wasn''t looking that expression would turn into one of worry and concern, and then immediately flip back to her normal combative expression when she notices Kotori looking. Kotori began to conclude that the Boss was actually a very nice person. And although she had a hard exterior, she actually wasn''t very mean at all. Still, Kotori was beginning to feel restless. When she asked if she could help with anything around the village the Boss only said "Small fry like you would only bring others down!" After knowing the Boss a bit more, Kotori didn¡¯t think the boss hated her but rather was trying to protect her in her obtuse own way. [She really is a soft person.] Kotori would often think. But that didn''t mean the boss was a weak person. It was quite the opposite. The few times Kotori saw the boss fight, which was whenever she sparred with the other warriors in the village. It was quite an impressive sight. She swung her metal club like it was a wooden switch and with frightening accuracy. Her swings whistled in the air and Kotori felt like they would crush her head if they hit her. Kotori had also begun to learn the nature of the village from Amelie. Apparently, this was a village of "Wood Elves" which led Kotori to be surprised. Typically, Wood Elves in fantasy settings seemed to be a very kind and gentle race. This world seemed to flip it on its head. When Kotori asked Amelie about why the Wood Elves were such meat heads Amelie explained that Wood Elves had to be strong. They live in a forest filled with dangerous beasts after all. Still, that didn''t explain why most of the warriors happened to be women which Kotori accepted as a quirk of wood elf society. When Kotori asked why Amelie wasn''t a part of the warrior group. Amelie only gave her a sad smile. "I''m not actually a pure-blood wood elf." This surprised Kotori. She had assumed that since Amelie had pointed ears she was one of them. "You aren¡¯t?¡± Kotori asked looking at Amelie¡¯s ears Amelie rubbed her ears sheepishly. "You see, I''m only half. My mother left the village when she was younger to become an adventurer and married another human adventurer outside the village." Amelie explained Apparently, Adventuring is a very dangerous job and thus she was orphaned when she was young as a result. "But the Boss has been very nice to me," Amelie said instantly defending the Boss. Kotori gave her a side-eye "Honestly, I know she looks mean, but she is really nice, believe me" Amelie said Kotori didn''t speak; she was aware of the fact the Boss had a secret soft side. She was no stranger to it herself and often a recipient of it. Amelie sighed and started speaking to herself. "I just wished she''d let me join them, we''re family after all" They did share the same burnt orange hair color but Kotori assumed that was a coincidence. She didn''t see any resemblance in their faces. Amelie, noticing Kotori''s confusion, tried to explain. "I take after my father, My mother was the Boss''s sister. That''s why she lets me stay in the village." [ahh that why] Kotori now realized why Amelie was not allowed to do any dangerous tasks. It was that overprotectiveness of the boss showing up again. She wanted to make sure her niece didn''t hurt herself. "Have you ever talked to the Boss in private?" she asked What, No! The Boss is too important a person to take the time to talk to me alone" Amelie said. Kotori internally sighed "Look Amelie I''m sure the Boss would be willing to listen to you." Amelie looked hesitant. She was listening to advise from a 6-year-old after all. "You really think she would take the time to listen to me" "Look," Kotori said sternly "you need to let the boss know what you want." Amelie still looked on edge about asking the boss for anything Kotori wanted to get stronger and train and took this as an opportunity to help and friend and achieve that goal "If you''re so concerned about doing it yourself, I''ll help you talk to the boss." Amelie seemed to like the proposal "I guess¡­ Would she really accept" she asked hesitantly. "Yes," Kotori said without a doubt in her heart. This seemed to give confidence to Amelie and she hardened her resolve "Okay! We''ll talk to the Boss tonight." That night when the warriors streamed in from finishing their day''s work. Amelie didn''t relax. In fact, she was very tense. It was her first time asking something from the boss and she was very anxious. The groups of people began to grow numerous and pile in. Soon a group of Amazonesses appeared. Amelie appeared to balk when they showed up. But a shove from Kotori forced her to move forward. When she walked towards the group Kotori could hear Amelie audibly gulp. Amelie asked a warrior where the boss was and quickly got an answer. The warriors all seemed to treat Amelie quite well which lent to Kotori''s theory that the Boss was actually just trying to protect Amelie by keeping her near the village and safe. As they approached the Boss Kotori could see Amelie trembling. The boss herself appeared to be having a serious conversation with one of her warriors. Kotori was bad with names, but she remembered this one since she was the Boss''s, right-hand woman. Her name was Mari and she led one of the main warbands. The boss noticing them quickly barked "Watcha want!" Amelie shrunk back "I Umm.." "Spit it out!" She regained her confidence "I want to speak to you privately today!" Then immediately shrank back "What! You think I have time to waste with you." The boss said and immediately shooed them away Amelie sunk her shoulders. It seemed her one moment of confidence was rejected in an instant Kotori who was standing beside Amelie quickly blurted "You should listen to Amelie more! She''s your family!" The boss immediately trained her gaze on Kotori "What business do you have with me freeloader" Kotori instinctively took a step back. The boss''s glare was like a predator looking at prey. [This woman really is scary when she wants to be] she thought "Amelie has something really important to tell you!" her voice slightly trembling intimidate by the Boss. The Boss looked away with and Harrumphed. She seemed to have no more interest in keeping the conversation open. Kotori and Amelie, noticing this, decided to leave. Amelie held tears walking back. Kotori only comforted her by patting her back. "It was a good try," she said softly "Mhmm" Amelie said, choking back tears. They retired back to the cabin in defeat ... That night there was a visitor. When Kotori opened the door to the house she saw Mari standing outside the doorway She only said one sentence "The Boss is waiting at her house for you," then nodded and left. Chapter 13: Family Ties(2) Kotori and Amelie made their way over to the Bosses house. Despite being the leader of the village. The Boss lived in quite a modest dwelling. Carved into the stump of a large tree. Her abode was a small hut and had a thatched roof. It''s was nestled in between two larges trees and would easily be missed if one wasn''t paying attention. The house was quiet, which felt surprising considering the average volume of the person who dwelled within. Kotori and Amelie approached it carefully. While Kotori was feeling quite relaxed; Amelie seemed to quake in her boots. As they knocked on the door they heard a curt "enter" from a voice inside They opened the door to see the Boss at a dinner table. It was enough food for three people. That was when Kotori realized that they hadn''t eaten yet and the Boss had prepared for this fact. The Boss gestured for them to eat and they settled down to have a quiet dinner. The food was very simple, fresh vegetables mixed in a salad and meat from a wild boar that the Boss had slain earlier that day. The silence was unbearable. One could cut the tension in the air with a knife. Part of the reason was that the Boss was watching them eat. It was an unnerving feeling, especially when her face did not have its typical scowl. Her face in contrast to its usual appearance had quite a neutral emotion as if she was waiting for something. Once they finished the meal, they stared at each other; Both parties sat on opposite sides of the table and neither side felt willing to move "If ya wanna say somethin'' just say it," the Boss said looking annoyed being the first to budge [C''mon Amelie you gotta say something] Kotori thought She gave Amelie a small nudge to encourage her. Amalie began to tentatively speak. "Look, Aunt Isabelle¡± The Boss raised her eyebrows. Obviously surprised that Amelie wasn''t calling her ¡®the Boss¡¯ and talking to her like a family member." "I want to learn to fight," Amelie said "Denied" the Boss replied instantly "But all the other women in the village learn to fight why can''t I?" "You''re too weak," the Boss said flattly "I don''t care if I''m too weak. I want to learn to get stronger!" Amelie said her voice rising "You''ll hold the others back, what if someone gets hurt because of you" The Boss said "I won''t hold them back, I''ll be very careful. I''ve been spending time in the scouting corps and I know how to avoid trouble." Amelie argued back. "Not happening" [well this conversation is going nowhere] Kotori commented internally She interrupted their quibbling "Why not let Amelie learn to fight? She obviously has the determination to do it" The Boss glared at her "You''re not a part of this conversation!" she growled Kotori bit her tongue and held her peace. Then Amelie said "That attitude is why mother left the village" That statement seemed to strike a chord with the Boss. Her face turned into a snarl "Asha was weak, that''s why she died." Kotori assumed Asha was Amelie''s mother. Amelie began to tear up. This response upset her greatly "How can you say that! Don''t you care about your family? All you care about is strength! Does being weak make us mean nothing to you!" For the first time, the Boss appeared to falter. [There''s that softness of hers creeping up again] Kotori thought Kotori decided to press the advantage while the Boss was troubled. "What happens if Amelie needs to defend herself" "I''ll protect her," the Boss said resolutely "What about me?" Kotori asked "I''ll protect you" she also said "What if you can''t protect us" "I''ll protect you harder" [This woman is a meathead] Kotori thought "Is this what Asha would''ve wanted? For you to keep Amelie holed up in the village." She asked the boss "How would you know what Asha wanted," The Boss asked accusingly "I would at least know a mother would want her kid to grow up strong" Kotori herself reminisced about her own mother. Although the time they spent together was short, the gentle way she let Kotori grow left a lasting impression. The Boss''s tight expression softened "Sister¡­ Would''ve wanted you to be safe. She wasn''t strong enough to protect you, and I wasn''t strong enough to protect her." she said Amelie herself was now crying "Mama always said you were the strongest in her hometown¡­ That I should try to be like you!" She said choking through her tears The Boss finally hesitated "Asha said that about me?" "Yes! Mama always said you were the kindest and nicest in the village and cared about everybody. She said that your body is covered in scars because you would always get hurt making sure others didn''t get hurt." Amelie sobbed "So why is it when I get to the village you do nothing like that? All you do is look at me with disdain like I''m a burden" Amelie no longer cared that the woman in front of her was the toughest warrior in the village and instead launched into a scathing critique of her. "You don''t listen to me! When I get hurt you tell me I should''ve been more careful instead of worrying about me!" [Ah, is she finally having one of those "teenage tantrums" I guess 16 years old is still pretty young after all] Kotori mused Amelie must''ve been holding these thoughts in for a while. Amelie continued to critique the Boss on every aspect. Even for things she couldn''t control, like her big muscles or how loud her voice was. Once she was done she slumped into her chair. Her grievances were all let out and her emotions had run their course. *** [Boss''s perspective] [She looks so much like Asha] The crying Amelie in front of the Boss looked so much like her departed sister. Asha was a massive crybaby and would often come crying to the Boss when something went wrong. The Boss was very overprotective and would always beat up whoever made her younger sister cry. Since she was the strongest in the village and most likely to be the next chief people learned very quickly not to mess with the Boss''s sister The Boss recalled the day she heard the news. That her sister had died while adventuring. At that moment, all she felt was anger, not sadness. She remembered cursing her sister for leaving the village and marrying that silly man. She remembered cursing herself for letting her sister leave in the first place. She remembered when her heart dropped she heard that her sister''s child, Amelie, had been sold into slavery. When the Boss heard the news, she immediately hunted Amelie down, destroying several crime syndicates in the process. To this day, the kingdom of Faramouth still knows her as the "Wolf of the Woods". It contributed greatly to why the people of Faramouth think the wood elves were all bandits. When she brought Amelie back she resolved herself to never let Amelie follow Asha''s path. She thought she could keep Amelie in the village forever. Nice and safe, where the Boss can still protect her. And thus Amelie grew up safely, the Boss treated her harshly but secretly was delighted to see Amelie every day. Now as looked at the exhausted figure of Amelie did she realize how much hurt her actions had caused her niece. [Asha, what should I do?] She wondered The Bosses remembered something her sister often did when the Boss herself was hurt. The Bosses wasn''t''t sure if she could do it like her sister but she wanted to comfort the crying Amelie That was when the Boss did something she had never done before. She walked over to Amlie and hugged her. *** [Kotori''s Perspective] Kotori noticed a strange scene. She saw the Boss take on the soft face she usually keeps hidden. She then stood up walked over to Amelie and began to embrace her. Amelie resisted, she began to cry once more and beat upon the Boss''s body rejecting the hug. In response, the Boss only hugged her tighter. The Boss had taken much worse hits in the past, but it was unlikely that being punched so much didn''t hurt. Despite this, she kept hugging Amelie. This continued for a while Amelie''s breathing was growing ragged. Her blows became weak and slowly her resistance to being hugged by the Boss began to weaken. Amelie soon found herself crying into the Boss''s arms. *** [Amelie''s Perspective] I felt a presence hug me Noticing it was my aunt I began to screech like a banshee. [I don''t want your damn hug!] I began to beat her, my fists flailing wildly. Amelie saw the Boss barely flinch at her blows. [Look at her, she thinks I''m weak, my punches don''t hurt her at all] Amelie was wrong. Even if her punches were unable to cause much damage physically to the Boss, each blow struck her heart. Watching Amelie reject her shook her to her core. Amelie grew tired. She looked up and saw the Boss''s face again. Which was as stony as ever. Amelie screamed in her heart. [Just show some weakness for once!] Right then, Amelie saw a single tear roll down the Boss''s eye. The glistening droplet created a shiny line on the Bosses usually flat face [Ah, so she can cry] She thought [She does care?] It was at that moment that she began to cry into the Boss''s arms. Her final sobs racking her body into a soft whimper. The Boss continued hugging her without regard. There were no words exchanged. There wasn''t any needed. Chapter 14: Spartan Training?(1) [Does training while tired really make me stronger] Kotori thought as the sun steadily crept across the sky into the early morning. While she would normally be okay waking up this early the events of last night made her sleep later than usual. Amelie and Kotori went back to the house quite late that night. Amelie, herself seemed to be in a very good mood after having her heart to heart with the boss. Kotori on the other hand was not amused. "The Boss is a really nice person isn''t she," Amelie said "Mhmm" Kotori mumbled To be quite honest, Kotori was really tired. They had spent a long at the boss''s house and she wanted to go home. Amelie kept talking on and on with the boss about many topics. The Boss tried to listen intently and connect with Amelie. Kotori herself spent most of the time sitting there wishing for the ordeal to be over Her inner monologue was screaming "You''ve made up already! Let me go home and sleep!" Unfortunately, Amelie brushed off her pleas and kept spending more time with the Boss. Thus they got home and retired to their beds very late last night. The same morning they were awoken by a rude knock at their door. "Oi! Time to get up" a muffled female voice said "Who is here this early?" Amelie mumbled dragging her body to the door. Amelie sleepily opened the door to find Mari standing in front of it. There were several women behind her. Kotori recognized them as Zenovia and Kali, they were some of Mari''s friends in the Bosses party. "Oh it''s you, Mari, why are you here so early," Amelie asked "It''s time for training!" Mari said cheerfully Amelie immediately stiffened "Training! This early." Amelie said. She was surprised to say the least. "When else are you supposed to train," Mari said as if Amelie asked the dumbest question in the world "I guess that right," Amelie said standing there dumbfounded. Mari looked impatient "Well, what are you waiting for get ready! Just letting you know I''m not waking you up tomorrow!" Her voice snapped Amelie into reality "Yes ma''am!" She squeaked Amelie hurriedly ran back into her house to prepare. That was when Mari took a look at the sleepy Kotori and also barked "You too! The boss said that you weren''t exempt either." The gaze Mari gave was quite frightening and Kotori hurriedly began to get ready as well. Less than 10 minutes later they were running laps around the village under a very strict timer kept with a water clock. [This is spartan training] Kotori thought while panting. The time in the village had made her soft. She hadn''t been moving very much and thus the lean farmer constitution she once had was replaced by the typical baby fat of a child. Although Kotori was not running as many laps as Amelie on account of her age it was still enough to make her want to cough blood* *Sorry this is Chinese expression I use a lot IRL. Many of the remaining villagers in the village looked at them with bemused expressions. All of them were old and unable to work and thus stayed in the village. Many of them gave words of encouragement. Amelie herself seemed to have a smile plastered on her face. Despite her face being red and gasping for air, the happy smile never left her face. "Whatcha smiling for Amelie! Think the run is too easy!" Mari barked "Drop and give me 20!" Amelie quickly wiped her smile off her face. And quickly began to do pushups [What is this? A military movie?] Kotori was grinning slightly "Do you have something to say Kotori!" Kotori quickly cleared her face of any emotion. "Drop and give me 20 as well!" Any humor Kotori found in the training was quickly eliminated with a strong hatred for the training itself and Mari who gave the commands. After running they were given a small break to eat. It was very short and they had to eat quickly. "Did you enjoy your warm-up? you hunks of fat!" Mari gave a devious smile then said "Get ready for hell" Kotori only dread what that could mean She soon found that hell was very simple. They were told to stand and hold a water pail above their heads without spilling it. Despite being very simple it was brutal. The water pail itself had a constantly shifting balance which meant the hold had to be very still. Occasionally, Mari would use a light switch to whip you and if you didn''t avoid the hit or accidentally spilled some water you would be forced to do more pushups. After one''s arms would already ache from holding the pail, doing push-ups makes your arms lose feeling. This training would go until the sunset. Kotori would be let go early since she was still a child but she would apologetically look back at Amelie who still held her pail. Kotori would limp back to Amelie''s house and Amelie would arrive about an hour and a half later. Their arms and legs would feel leaden. They would eat simple meals their arms too weak to make anything else. Afterward, they would collapse in bed and sleep until they were woken up the next morning to start all over again. [This woman is a devil] Kotori would begin to think Mari seemed to delight in giving them training their gasping facing and pained expression made her expression grow even better. [Don''t tell me she is a sadist] Indeed, did Mari enjoy giving training to newbies. So much so that she often volunteered for it. But there was also another reason why she enjoyed this training so much. Mari had been the boss''s right-hand woman for years and is one of the few warriors in the village who remembers when the boss had brought back Amelie. She watched the women she admired so much come back to the village. Her muscle rippled arms were covered in scars and ghastly wounds holding a small child with the gentlest of embraces. The moment she entered the village she collapsed. Her gaze was filled with a determination that scared Mari. The Boss looked as if she hadn''t relaxed until the moment she reached the village boundaries. The girl that was brought back always fascinated Mari. What kind of girl would make the boss travel into the capital of Faramouth and disappear for a month. She was disappointed to realize that the girl was fairly average, but still, the girl enticed her. Her squirrely personality and the way she got along with the other warriors made Mari inextricably like her and wanted to root for her. So when she saw the boss accept Amelie''s request for a conference and was subsequently told to train Amelie and Kotori by the boss she was overjoyed to see the little girl she watched grow up and finally get her wish to learn how to fight. Kotori herself was beginning to feel a change in her body. Over the course of the 9 months, the training was beginning to get easier. She felt her muscle turn back into the lean farmer physique she once had but the wiry muscles she developed and acquired were harder than her previous fitness. Amelie was also having changes herself, the baby fat melted away from her face and her face had become angular and wolfish like the other hunters in the village. Dodging the switch became easier and Mari steadily had to get faster to hit them. The week Kotori noticed these changes Mari had made a sudden announcement. They were going to be entering a dungeon. Sato Kotori Race: [Human] Age: 6 HP: 15 (+5!!) Mana: 10 (+5!) Agility: 11 (+5!) Strength: 9 (+4!) Defense: 5(+3!) Karma: -100,009,668 (+304!) Skills: [Magic Musician], [Desire of Monte Cristo](Removed) Traits: [Spirit Seer], [Monte Cristo] Kitsura proof edited 4/19 I hate editing~ Chapter 15: Spartan Training?(2) The very next morning Kotori and Amelie began to follow Mari and the other warriors to an area in the forest. They walked for several miles and by the time they reach the dungeon, it was already midday. It was already a dungeon unlike any that Kotori had seen in video games. They reached a small forest clearing and then stopped. "Why are we stopping," Amelie asked "We''ve arrived," Mari said curtly [This is a dungeon?] Kotori thought The clearing they were in looked like any other clearing they had passed through. Mari turned towards them and said "Your job today is to survive." [Survive?] At that moment Kotori heard a massive roar in the distance Mari gave a devilish smile. "Zenobia should be leading it over. She should be here soon¡­. I would recommend you run fast" she said [Run?] Kotori thought panicking. Kotori and Amelie''s faces paled as they heard thundering footsteps get closer. "We''ll be back in three days to pick you up!" Mari yelled as she started moving. Mari gave another smile and quickly ran off leaping away like a gazelle. Amelie and Kotori stood there in surprise at the sudden bombshell that was dropped on them. They looked at each other while the sounds of footsteps got closer. They heard a rustling in the bush and Zenobia bounded past them. She gave a quick nod to them and ran off like Mari. Chasing behind her was huge lizard-like figure. Its eyes were red and filled with bloodlust, it looked like a spikier T-rex and in any other situation would''ve looked quite comedic as it loped through the forest towards Kotori and Amelie. Unfortunately, for Kotori she had no time to laugh as the lizard bore down on them. "Status!" Kotori quickly shouted King Lizard Race: [Dungeon beast] Age: 0 HP: 102 Mana: 0 Agility: 24 Strength: 68 Defense: 36 Karma: [N/A] Skills: None Traits: None [These stats are no joke!] She thought The King lizard was not able to use magic, but its raw stats were much higher than Kotori''s. She and Amelie started to run away from the monster. They didn''t know what direction they were running in but all they could do was pick the direction that would give them the farthest distance from the monster. Normally, the lizard beast would''ve been able to catch up to them easily but on account of the fact they were in a forest, it had to slow itself down tremendously to not trip and fall. [Still, why would a beast like this be in a forest.] Kotori pondered Amelie and Kotori kept running. They tried many different ways of getting away from the beast. From trying to split up to even Kotori ordering Shu to throw dirt at the King Lizard''s face. There were several close calls. When the Lizard got close enough to try and snap at Kotori and Amelie thanks to Mari''s training, they were able to get away with a few scratches [Still isn''t this a little ridiculous!] Kotori thought She knew that Mari was a ruthless trainer but even this felt like she was going a little far. This lizard wasn''t something that Amelie and she could handle alone. They had been running for the better part of the hour before Amelie finally panted "We.. gotta... shake it off... our trail" Kotori nodded they would both be caught at this rate Then Amelie said "I''ll distract it you run in another direction" [What! That''s suicide] Kotori panicked "Look¡­ I know¡­ it sounds stupid... But if I can get on a tree the stupid lizard will give up. Plus, you''re a just kid you must be getting tired right?" Amelie said flashing a knowing smile [Don''t try and look so cool after you came up with such a dangerous plan!] Kotori thought looking at her Kotori remember back to their first meeting when she made Amelie fall out of a tree. She prayed that Amelie was that fast at climbing a tree. Kotori quickly split off from Amelie. The lizard seems indecisive on who to follow but decided to follow Amelie after she threw a few sticks at it to grab its attention. As the beast lumbered off in Amelie''s direction, Kotori kept running in the opposite direction. When she confirmed the lizard was not nearby. She finally relaxed for a bit and hid inside the knotted roots of a large tree and took a well-deserved break. Soon the night grew late and Kotori began to worry for Amelie. When the Lizard began roaming around the area again she could only hope that Amelie had gotten away and now the lizard was simply patrolling around with no set pattern. As Kotori could only sleep in short bursts that night. The sound of the lumbering lizard keeping her up and unable to sleep deeply. The slightest sound would wake her up in a panic. [Well this sucks.] the sleep-deprived Kotori thought as the sun began to turn to the morning. Shu who had been hiding in her pocket the whole time had been masking her scent by covering the tree root with dirt. Still, Kotori had to survive another day, and she didn''t have any supplies. Her stomach was rumbling and signaling to Kotori that she needed to eat. Of course, she could just ignore it, but if the lizard caught her again while she was weak from not eating Kotori was unsure if she would be able to run away. Another issue was water; Her small water skin was now empty, and Kotori was beginning to get a headache from the lack of it. Kotori decided that she had to move and find something to eat and drink even if it meant running from the lizard. Chapter 16: Lizard (and Plant) hunting Kotori hurried to leave her short alcove and began to search for a source of food. The forest was quiet. The lizard was unlikely to be near. She was still very tense. At any moment, she could once again be running for her life. [What Am I going to eat though] She wondered When she was in the village Kotori would often eat assorted food that was foraged from the forest by the men of the village. When she moved through the forest, she saw some similar-looking plants. But was unable to ascertain if they were the same as the ones that she ate. Kotor was especially wary of the mushrooms since she knew if she ate a poisonous mushroom it would likely doom her. She gave a few plant tentative bites and once she thought it tasted close enough, she began to gather them. She tried to avoid moving too much as to not alert the monster. Collecting a few different plants, she began to have enough and started to prepare to find water. She found a gurgling stream nearby and also filled her small waterskin. As she was beginning to head back, she heard a rustling and stiffen. Kotori grabbed her father¡¯s flutes and prepared herself [This feels familiar] She thought as she looked around [wait wasn''t it like this with Amelie before?] "Amelie is that you?" she asked into the still forest She heard another rustling and soon an orange haired head poked out of the bush. "Hi," Amelie said She sounded very enthusiastic but looked very tired. There were bags under her eyes. And her clothes had rips in them. Amelie had a nice figure and Kotori was finally seeing it for the first time. Kotori tried to avoid any indecent thoughts and mentally pushed them away. Amelie ignored Kotori''s wandering eyes and was looking over at the food in Kotori''s hands. Kotori noticed her longing gaze. Amelie probably hadn''t had time to eat either. "Wanna uhh¡­ eat?" She had foraged enough plants for dinner later, but if she split the portion it would be enough for two people. Kotori herself was only 6 years of age and thus didn''t eat much anyway. Kotori led Amelie to the tree alcove she had been hiding in earlier. When Kotori was hiding in it she felt there was plenty of room. Now with Amelie hiding in it with her, it was starting to feel unbearably cramped. Kotori and Amelie began to crunch on the plants Kotori had collected. But she soon realized that although she had collected the plants, eating them was quite boring. So she had Shu make them mud bowls and she began breaking the plants down and making a simple salad. She used the leafier vegetable coupled with a fruit that was exclusive to this world. It was like a cross between an avocado and a tomato. The fatty flesh was surprisingly sour but it made a decent dressing all things considered. They used a few small sticks as makeshift forks and began to eat. Munching on her salad Amelie began to recount what had happened when they split up. She was chased by the lizard for quite a bit and found out that the lizard was quite slow at making turns. She began to zig-zag to gain distance and with that distance, she found the time to climb up a tree. The lizard tried to jump up but was unable to and soon gave up, and that''s how she got away. [This girl is a damn monkey.] The fact that Amelie had managed to climb a tree while being chased by a lizard was impressive. [Wait doesn''t that mean the lizard is actually quite easy to get away from] If it was true the lizard had a slow turning radius then that would mean enough zigzags and a person would be able to get away from the lizard quite easily. This gave Kotori a thought. What if they tried to kill the lizard. She herself was unsure how this world worked in terms of monster kills. She knew that basic stats could be trained if one worked hard enough at them. She also knew that as a child she was still maturing physically and that her stats were also going up as a result of that. But she still didn''t know what killing monsters would do. She wasn''t even sure if this world had an EXP system in the first place. But for some reason she felt like killing the monster would bring good things for her. "Maybe we should kill the lizard" Amelie looked at Kotori in shock. "Are you sure you didn''t eat any funny mushrooms Kotori?" She asked incredulously "Mari''s going to be here tomorrow we don''t have to try anything risky" Amelie was right. Killing the lizard would be an unnecessary risk but for some reason, Kotori felt compelled to do it. It didn''t make sense but she instinctively knew that killing the lizard would help her in some way. It was unnatural and unnerved her but she still believed it was the right choice. Amelie looked at her expression and sighed. "I guess I can''t help it. You look like you''ll do it regardless of it I help or not" she said defeatedly Indeed, Kotori was prepared to kill the lizard regardless of whether Amelie agreed to help or not. "So how are we going to do it" Amelie asked? Kotori had managed to think of a plan while eating. The lizard had high stats but no defensive capabilities. With the new information, they learned Kotori thought it would be possible for her to simply run and kite* the lizard with her [Magic Musician] skill. Kotori knew that her mana pool had expanded enough that she could likely be able to harry the lizard until it eventually died. She knew Amelie was also capable of using a small sling and thought that if she and Amelie worked together they could probably manage it. *"Kite" is a gaming term that refers to attacking an enemy target while also running away. Ideally, this keeps them at a perfect distance away from you and looks similar to as if you were keeping them held like a "kite" She told Amelie the plan and she slowly nodded. "This seems stupid but I''ll trust you" Amelie gave her a grim expression that told Kotori she wasn''t really ready to trust Kotori and only want to make sure Kotori didn''t get hurt. [This plan makes enough sense. I played enough games to know you can kill big slow targets like this] Kotori was finally beginning to get a sense like this world was a game for the first time. "Skill potential acquired: [Hunter!]" Chapter 17: Killing the Beast Kotori and Amelie set out soon after eating. The first thing they had to do was confirm the location of the lizard monster and make sure they could set up a path to accurately run away from it without getting caught. Kotori soon found an area of the forest where vines hung rather low and thus would hamper the lizard if it tried to chase them through it. The lizard itself was easy to find as well. It was lazily roaming the forest. Each step it took shook the ground and made it rather easy to find. Additionally, the area around it was quiet, likely due to the fact that it was scaring away all the nearby fauna. [The hunter has become the hunted] Kotori thought in bemusement. Watching the lizard that had once terrorized her gave her a sense of satisfaction, especially when she knew that she was going to eventually hunt it. The plan was simple. Amelie would lead the lizard around and Kotori would hide in the underbrush and shoot it with occasional waves of magic. If something went wrong Amelie could just climb a nearby tree and the lizard would likely give up. Now, if Kotori was caught it would be a completely different story. But Kotori was confident the lizard wasn''t going to notice her. The underbrush was deep, and she would even have Shu cover her in a light layer of dirt to hide her scent. The trap was set. Amelie led the beast over, and Kotori began to blast it with her sound attack. The first time she hit the lizard it looked shocked, looking around in surprise it gave a roar of anger, but soon located Amelie who was nearby. The Lizard began to chase Amelie who darted around the clearing like a scared rabbit. Often zig-zagging around and doubling back so that they stayed in the small clearing. To an outsider, it would probably look bizarre even to the denizens of this world. All while this was happening Kotori started hitting the lizard. It was going well. The lizard appeared to be taking damage. When Kotori used "Status'''' she saw that it was indeed taking damage. The small HP bar it had was starting to lower at a steady rate. [Wow, this is simple I guess it''s just a dumb beast at the end of the day] She thought She hadn¡¯t realized it yet but Kotori had made a critical error. Kotori and Amelie had been fighting the lizard for quite a while. It had reached around 25% HP and nothing had changed. Kotori was in a good mood awaiting the death of the lizard. That was, until the lizard suddenly swung its head towards Kotori and walked in her direction. In the beginning, Kotori thought it was a fluke. [There''s no way this lizard knows where I am] She thought confident in herself. The Lizard still kept walking towards her. [Right?] She thought as the lizard continue to walk over to her. She quickly looked around to see if anything else had caught its attention. But there was nothing in the area besides trees and vegetation. Amelie tried to get the Lizard¡¯s attention again but the lizard ignored her. [I caught its attention?] Kotori began to realize. Kotori now learned that just like video games the monsters had an aggro system and she had done enough damage that it was going to start targeting her instead of Amelie who posed no danger. Kotori began to run She had once again become prey. The lizard barreled towards her giving a roar. Its red-stained eyes looking even more malicious than before. [He doesn''t seem very happy] she thought in a grim bemusement watching the scene She frantically had Shu cast several mud spots on the ground which made the lizard slip and slow its pace a little. During this time, she kept tossing a few more discordant sounds towards the lizard. It''s HP was continuing to decrease even more slowly. [Can my mana keep this up?] she panicked as she felt herself grow slightly weaker. Kotori had been managing her mana under the assumption she would be having a long-drawn-out fight with the lizard with Amelie. Now that it was chasing her, she was unsure if she would be able to do enough damage with her pain melodies that the lizard would die in time. Each shot of mana dealt around 5% of its hp and she only had 3 more shots left. The lizard itself was around 20% HP. This meant she could only deal around 15% more damage. If she collapsed due to mana exhaustion here she would most definitely die. [It¡¯s not like I got any other choice!] she thought And thus, a deadly game of cat and mouse began Kotori kept running with no direction. She tried to take paths that would be easy for a human to cross and difficult for the lizard, but this only slowed the lizard slightly. It appeared to be filled with rage. "WRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH" It roared as it trampled the small obstacles in its wake. Kotori put her flute to her mouth and landed another shot. 15% HP left The Lizard got close enough and attempt to snap at Kotori. She quickly ducked and heard a whish of air above her head as the lizard''s mouths snapped shut over where her head use to be. Kotori began running faster. If she had been a little slower she would¡¯ve been decapitated. Using the brief pause, she once again gained some distance from the lizard. Shu cast a mud bolt at the lizard. While it didn''t really do any damage, it did momentarily blind the lizard. Kotori shot at it again with her flute. 10% HP left [One left] she thought She hadn''t managed to spend enough time running around to save her mana. And since she was running around, much of her energy was being spent on running instead of being focused toward mana regeneration. Despite this, she still kept running. Leaping through a few bushes she thought she had lost the lizard, but soon its pounding footstep grew closer once again and crashed through the bushes Kotori had come through. She gave another tired trill and the lizard once again took a hit 5% Kotori''s vision grew hazy as she reached the limit of her mana and she stumbled for a moment. This time the lizard ran up and snapped at her again. She tiredly dodged away but this time her reactions were slowed, and the lizard''s teeth grazed her arm which lagged behind slightly. The teeth of the lizard were like knife blades and left a long gash on her arm. Kotori froze for a moment blinded by the pain. She hadn''t been majorly hurt in this world yet and this injury left her gasping in pain. The training she did with Mari and the muscle pain of farm work was nothing compared to this. What was worse was that the injury was on the arm she used to hold her flute. [I have to try!] She thought As blood dripped down her arm, she wrenched it up and used the last dregs of mana within her to land one more flute shot. It wasn''t at full power, but it was an act of desperation. 1% Hp [Not enough!] Kotori thought It was over. Her plan had failed, and her vision was falling to darkness. [I wonder what bug I''m going to be reincarnated as] She thought as she started losing consciousness awaiting her death In the corner of her eye, she saw Shu begin casting a spell. A small compressed piece of dirt appeared at its feet and darted towards the lizard. A small rock bullet sped towards the lizard and by some act of god, it manages to hit the lizard in the eye. The Lizard roared in pain and began to fall to the ground disappearing into light ¡°[Hunter] activated!¡± As Kotori''s vision finally blackened, she once again heard the system voice "Skill Acquired [Hunter]!" "Follower [Shu] has evolved!" Chapter 18: New Skills? Kotori awoke in a bed painfully. Her body felt heavy and it reminded her of the time when she''d awoke in heaven after her death [Am I dead again?] She thought She quickly dismissed the thought since it was so unlikely. She would''ve instantly reincarnated as a bug if she had died. She tried to move and felt a stabbing pain in her arm. She saw her arm was bandaged up. There was a bit of blood on the cloth but otherwise, it was clean. Looking around further she found herself in an unfamiliar place. She was pretty sure she was still in the elf village since the architecture looked similar but this was not her bed in Amelie''s house. She tried to move out of her bed, but her body didn''t want to budge and she was unable to move. She tried to speak but her throat could only croak a soft sound. There was a pile of dirt on her. Upon hearing her attempt to speak, the dirt immediately shaped itself into the size of a dog and gave a bark. [What is this?] She thought the dirt dog reminded her of Shu but in her mind Shu was only the size of a rat. she heard footsteps then the door to her room swung open in the doorway she saw a very tired-looking Amelie. "Oh Kotori you''re awake!" Amelie said cheerfully Kotori looked in surprise. "The¡­ lizard¡­" she said then tried to move "Shhhh¡­ It''s okay you killed it" Amelie said This surprised Kotori even further. She remembered hitting the lizard and bringing it down to 1% but was sure she didn''t kill it with her last blow. Suddenly a thought popped into her mind [Wait! What did Shu do!] She remembered seeing Shu launch a bullet of stone towards the lizard. "S...Shu" she said softly "Ah him, He wouldn''t leave your side. He''s here" Amelie said. Amelie gestured to the dog who had initially alerted Amelie of Kotori''s awakening [This is Shu?] She thought incredulously It seemed impossible but she quickly did a status check Dirt Spirit (Shu) Race: [Spirit] Age: 2 HP: 15 (+10) Mana: 10 (+8)! Agility: 7 (+6)! Strength: 5 (+4)! Defense: 5 (+4)! Karma: 10 Skills: [Rock Bullet](New!) Traits: [Earth Spirit] (Evolved!) The spirit was indeed Shu, and his stats had grown massively! [Is this what it means to evolve?] Kotori thought The status of Shu''s had grown. Enough to be on par with a human. Shu had even learned a new skill [Rock Bullet] which seemed to be how Shu killed the original lizard in the first place. [That bastard kill stole me] Kotori thought in bemused frustration. She was grateful for Shu saving her, but she wanted to have the same sort of growth herself. Still, Kotori herself was unsure of what had happened when she passed out. Once again and the game announcer''s voice had told her she had gained new skills. Now, she had both a skill and a trait she was unsure of what the difference between them was. Her [Magic Musician] was self-explanatory since it let her cast spells through playing her flute. "Status," she said to herself Sato Kotori Race: [Human] Age: 6 HP: 21 (+6!) Mana: 20 (+10!) Agility: 13 (+2!) Strength: 10 (+1!) Defense: 7(+2!) Karma: -100,009,647 (+21!) Skills: [Magic Musician], [Hunter], [Status] [Desire of Monte Cristo](Removed) Traits: [Spirit Seer], [Monte Cristo] [I didn''t grow that much.] Kotori thought The hunter skill was something that Kotori didn¡¯t know much about. It seemed like it was another version of the [Adventurer] skill that the people in the village had. To her knowledge, it was a skill that would increase the stats of the user every time they killed a monster. "How long was I out?" Kotori asked "About three days," Amelie said Kotori was shocked she only felt like she slept for a few hours at most. But that would explain why she had felt so groggy. She must''ve heavily overused her mana in this instance. [I must be more careful about my mana usage. If I keep going further, it could kill me.] She chided herself Each time she had over-exerted herself she kept blacking out for longer and longer. She had already had 3 mana blackouts in the span of a year. Kotori resolved herself to avoid overexerting herself mana-wise. "Do you need anything?" Amelie asked her concerningly "Water" Kotori croaked. Her throat felt like sandpaper and she was barely able to speak at all. "Right away!" Amelie scampered off like a rabbit. The scene reminded Kotori of her movement when she was running from the lizard. When Amelie came back, she was followed by a large tan woman. Kotori instantly recognized her as Mari "Howdy welp!" Mari said with a scowl on her face "Hello¡­" Kotori said as she shied away hiding under her blanket. "Who said you had to kill the lizard?" Mari said. Kotori stayed silent. Mari was right; Indeed, nobody had told Kotori she needed to kill the lizard creature. [Why did I want to kill it in the first place?] Kotori wondered At the moment, it felt like the right thing to do. She was unsure of what caused her to act to irrationally. "We told you to "survive" not "kill" but your dumb brain thought it would be a good idea!" Mari berated her "When the Boss heard you nearly died, she almost killed me!" Mari said exasperated Kotori remained silent. Everything Mari said was true and she had no excuse. She should''ve stayed in the alcove with Amelie but decided to kill the lizard instead and took a needless risk. Mari''s face softened "Anyway, now that''s out of the way. Good job little bird" Mari said Kotori was surprised. Just one second ago she was being scolded. Now she was being praised "Oh don''t look surprised. Even if you did something stupid killing a beast like that is impressive, especially at your age" Mari said. "mmm," Kotori said it was the only word she could say. Her throat was still extremely dry. Amelie brought a cup to Kotori''s mouth. She drank it and her throat felt a little better "Thank.. You¡­" She said "Hmm! Don''t mention it," Mari said then strutted off "Training starts again once you can stand again!" She ordered right before she left [Ever the drill sergeant, not even giving me much of a break for getting hurt] Kotori thought smiling She slowly lied back in bed and drifted off to sleep. Chapter 19: Anxious Hearts It had been a year and a half since Kotori had killed the lizards and she was cresting her 8th birthday. She had spent the time "dungeon diving" with Mari and Amelie. Apparently, Dungeons were just areas where mana would accumulate and become dense which gave rise to "monsters" that would spawn from said mana. The more mana there was in an area the stronger the monster that was spawned. The monster spawns were on a natural timer and was easy to time visits with their spawn time. The thought reminded Kotori of how players would camp boss spawns in MMOs for farming. Kotori learned that there wasn¡¯t much of a difference between a spirit and a monster. Both were beings that were made of mana and the only difference was whether they were hostile. The lizard they fought was a type of beast spirit. Areas with a high amount of life would have a lot of mana and thus would become breeding grounds for dungeons. Therefore, dungeons popped up in forest quite often. Though, Kotori had heard from the few elves in the village who had left the village before that cave dungeons existed and that they were in caves with a high density of mana crystals. She was unsure of what mana crystals were, but the name seemed self-explanatory that they were crystals that could store mana. While fighting in the dungeon Kotori had spent a lot of time developing her flute skills. She wasn¡¯t like the elves and was bad at close combat. Her stats were low and her only real offensive skill was the discordant song. She was much better at hanging around and letting her allies do most of the work. Kotori had also finally learned the difference between [Magic Musician] and the musical songs her father taught. [Magic Musician] let her cast spells using the music as a conduit. This meant the amount of mana she could use was unlimited. On the other hand, the songs her father taught her had set effects and a maximum amount of mana that could be imbued within them. The more complex the song the stronger the effect but also takes more skills to cast. Kotori spent much of the time using [Hunter] and leeching of the kills of other warriors. She had already contributed by raising their stats, so they didn¡¯t bother her for taking a back seat during fighting. Amelie had grown as well. She had lost much of the baby fat that gave her the cute "girl next door look" and she was starting to gain the wolf-like face of the other warriors in the village. Amelie fought differently than the other warriors in the village. She was not as strong as the other warriors on account of her only being half-elf. So, she developed a roguelike fighting style. Slowly whittling down monsters and then landing a killing blow. Evidently, it seemed that Shu didn''t need to do anything and the gains that Kotori made from [Hunter] would partially apply to him as well. [Hunter] was a useless skill overall. It could only be activated once a monster was killed and the amount of ¡°EXP¡± she gained was low. Kotori still resolved herself to make as much ¡°EXP¡± as possible by defeating any monster she could even the small ones. Hopefully the [Hunter] skill would get better after a time. To be fair, she wasn''t even sure if EXP was a system in this world, to begin with... She was beginning to get a little bit of hay fever. Killing monsters was trivial while she was with Mari and others. She tried to ask if she could go alone but after the lizard incident, the Boss had zero intention of letting her do anything alone. Kotori was beginning to think it was time to leave the village. Honestly, it was about time since she was 8 years old she was basically an adult right? She couldn''t just keep being a freeloader right? ¡°What?¡± ¡°16 is the age of adulthood here?¡± ¡°8 is basically the new 16 right?¡± ¡°Right?¡± ** ** ** "Denied!" The Boss had immediately denied Kotori''s request "But I''m old enough" The Boss glared at her "Last I checked you become an adult at 16," she said "But I''m pretty strong" Kotori protested Indeed, Kotori had grown quite a bit and would be an even match for an average human fighter but otherwise, she was still rather weak in comparison to the truly strong in this world. The Boss had also taken to seeing Kotori as a surrogate child and thus protected her fiercely. Apparently, the Boss had strung up Mari as a punishment after she heard that Kotori got hurt while training. Of course, Kotori had grown quite a bit since then, but the Boss was completely right in her assessment that Kotori had no right to leave the village and set out on her own. It was only a year and a half ago she was a desperate child running through the forest after all. Still, the way Kotori asked her to allow her to leave reminded the Boss of her sister, Asha when she wanted to leave. Kotori had the same steely determination. It was often hard to see Kotori as a child since her demeanor made her seem a lot older than she really was. "But¡­" She tried to protest again "DENIED!" the Boss said with no room for response Kotori slumped her shoulder and left the room. The Boss relaxed once she saw the figure of Kotori leave her house. For a small child, her determination was very troubling to deal with and thus the Boss often had issues with trying to say no to Kotori. Her inner self knew that Kotori was stagnating, but she was unable to allow herself to let Kotori get herself into any more dangerous situations. Even though she had made up with Amelie on the same issue she was still reluctant to let Kotori, who was basically a small child, do anything dangerous. [Still] the Boss thought as she recalled Mari''s report about Kotori''s lack of growth [She needs to grow] Chapter 20: Magical Musician? Kotori was sleeping in today "Why?" you ask? Because Mari won''t dungeon dive with her "Weird right?" Kotori was equally confused as well. It all started a week ago. It had been a month since Kotori asked the boss if she could leave the village. She would still go on dungeon diving trips with Mari and Amelie but there was no difference in her situation. She was beginning to worry about whether or not the boss had actually taken her request to heart. That was until one day when she went to meet up with Mari and Amelie as usual. Mari only told her "We''re not assigned together anymore" "What does that mean?" Kotori asked confused. "It means I''m no longer responsible for you," Mari explained; Despite her curt tone, Mari seemed a bit sad over this fact. "Who decided this?" Kotori asked "The Boss, don''t ask me why I don''t know either" Mari answered "What am I supposed to do then?" Kotori asked even more confused Mari shrugged her shoulders "Not my problem," she said walking off with Amelie and others. Kotori was unsure of what the Boss''s intentions were with this order [Is she trying to push me away?] She thought Upon thinking further Kotori didn''t think it made much sense She decided to use this time as a well-earned break. Hence, why Kotori is currently sleeping in right now. Kotori herself knew she was a lazy person and she happily took her free break. Still, there was a bit of anxiety in her heart. Ever since the order that she couldn''t dungeon dive with Mari, the Boss was looking at her with an expectant eye, but Kotori didn''t know what she wanted. She tried asking the Boss if she could leave the village but the Boss still denied her request. Kotori''s life had returned to her pre-training lifestyle every day she lazed about and waiting for Amelie to get back. It was rather comfy. Kotori felt as if something was off. This order was obviously meant to teach Kotori something but she was not sure what it was meant to teach. Although Kotori was physically 8 years old she is mentally around 40 years old. She was technically quite mature, but at this moment she felt more like the child she physically looked like. [For someone who''s so simple-minded she''s rather abstract in her thinking] Kotori thought about the Boss. Still, Kotori was getting bored and started roaming the forest herself. With Shu, there wasn''t much danger of running into beasts. She also had a general idea of where all the main dungeon spots were and thus could avoid many of the different dungeons herself. Still, she went to the smaller dungeons and would occasionally kill the few beasts that spawned out of them. Shu now was aware of Kotori''s need to get the last hit on monsters and would leave them in a half-dead state for her to kill. Since he followed her roaming in the forest Shu''s stats had grown a little, but it was still slower than Kotori''s. She decided to challenge larger monsters. . . . Bad idea. She still wasn''t strong enough to kill King Lizard from previously without help. To be quite honest, the thought frustrated Kotori quite a bit. Once again the strange urge to kill the beast arose in her again and she resolved herself that she would kill it. This time she didn''t have help. The only one who would help her was Shu but even then he didn''t have much offensive power. Shu noticed her resolve and gave her pleading eyes to not try it again. Kotori could only sigh and devote herself to trying to get stronger. The first thing she had to do was develop her [Magical Musician skill]. Honestly, Kotori had been developing skills at a rate that was unusual for most of the people of this world. Most people only developed around 1-2 Skills and that was only over the course of their entire lives. Kotori''s case was unusual since she had already developed 2 skills at such a tender age. When she asked the Boss what her skills meant. The Boss was unsure of what they did. Incidentally, the Boss had a very simple skill called [Heavy Strike]. It''s very self-explanatory but it let the Boss hit things VERY HARD. Quite, an apt skill for someone with the Boss''s predilection towards brute-forcing obstacles. Thus Kotori began to develop her skills. Here''s what she knew about [Magical Musician] It would allow her to essentially use mana to cast spells through song. Yep, that was basically it. Kotori didn''t know the nature of the songs that were cast or what it would allow her besides things she had already done before. Like using it for entertainment or a simple damage spell. [I guess now''s a good time as any to test it] she thought The first thing that came to Kotori''s thought was fire, and thus she tried to cast a "fireball" like a stereotypical wizard, but when she tried to blow her flute nothing came out and no mana was channeled despite her best efforts. [That''s weird?] So maybe [Magical Musician] was not omnipotent skill? This time Kotori tried something different. [Maybe shooting an icicle?] Once again she raised her flute to her mouth and nothing happened. It seems Kotori''s dreams of being an all-powerful wizard were destroyed as quickly as they came. She looked at Shu who was looking at her with puzzled eyes. From Shu''s perspective, all it looked like was her playing the flute and it doing nothing. [Well what do you want me to do?] She asked Shu sent an image from when Kotori still lived in the village and she played melodies for her family. [Ah you miss those?] It had been a while since Kotori had played for recreation, since arriving in the wood elf village most of her life had been a struggle. She began to play one of the songs her father often played for them. Apparently, this was a battle song used long ago. It was a fairy tale about rings and an evil king. The song was a very rousing song and her father would often play it while telling the fairy tale. Kotori quite liked it. So she began to play it. As Kotori played the song she began to remember the tale. A tale of a small group who was able to overcome insurmountable odds. The tune changed and it became a song that was different from the song her father had taught her. The sound grew deeper and an irregular orchestral sound began to come from her flute. Mana began to outpour from her at a large rate. Kotori knew that her [Magical Musician] skill was activating but she was very careful. Once she reached the limits of her mana she stopped the song. The rolling orchestra came to a stop and she finished the song panting. She felt a strange surge within her. She felt¡­ Energized. She quickly said "status!" Sato Kotori Race: [Human] Age: 8 HP: 40 (+19!) Mana: 1/20 Agility: 32 (+19!) Strength: 29 (+19!) Defense: 26(+19!) Karma: -100,009,647 (+21!) Skills: [Magic Musician], [Hunter], [Desire of Monte Cristo](Removed) Traits: [Spirit Seer], [Monte Cristo] [MANA BUFF] (TEMPORARY 5:59) [Wow!] Her stats had grown massively [Hey isn''t this a little overpowered?] She spent 19 points on mana and turned it into a massive buff! Shu gave a happy bark and she quickly checked his status Dirt Spirit (Shu) Race: [Spirit] Age: 2 HP: 34 (+19) Mana: 10 (+0)! Agility: 26 (+19)! Strength: 24 (+19)! Defense: 24 (+19)! Karma: 10 Skills: [Rock Bullet](New!) Traits: [Earth Spirit] (Evolved!) [MANA BUFF] (TEMPORARY 5:59) Shu who was listening had also gained the buff. Kotori now realized that her original usage of [Magic Musician] was all wrong. Her time spent with Mari and others just meant all she had to do was last hit monsters and she didn''t think about developing her skills further. [Wait isn''t this almost enough] With these stats, it was almost possible for her to kill the King Lizard alone. All she had to do was work on her mana pool. Kotori licked her lips in anticipation [Get ready to die shitty lizard!] Kitsura Chapter 21: Umi Kotori who now had a new idea of how her flute skill worked had also realized something. She was incredibly gated by her mana. Although her mana stat had nearly doubled after the encounter with the lizard it was still quite low. Although she had no frame of reference to evaluate her mana she was quite sure it couldn''t be very high. She had checked the mana stats of the boss and Amelie and although her''s was nearly double theirs they rarely used mana in the first place. It was akin to using a warrior''s mana pool in a JRPG and comparing it to a Mage. Of course, her mana stat was higher relative to theirs but in comparison to other mana users, Kotori didn''t feel like she was much better. The village didn''t have any Mages though, So Kotori didn''t know if she was correct in that assumption. She tried to increase her mana stat by using her mana pool to its limits and although it did increase by 1 the mental strain left her tired for three days. It seems the limit of her innate mana pool had been just about reached. This left her in a conundrum. Kotori was a very healthy child and it seemed that her status hadn''t grown much at all in these past two years. Although she had killed monsters with Mari and others she had essentially wasted two years of trainingng. She thought she could feel herself getting EXP from last hitting monsters but since it wasn''t a stat that was shown by "status" she didn''t know how much she had. For one, Kotori knew that the concept of "levels" didn''t even exist in this world. The only thing that she knew gave large increases in stats was when Shu killed the lizard and evolved from a [Minor Earth Spirit] to a normal [Earth Spirit]. [This really is a troublesome system] Kotori felt like she had to constantly test this world to learn anything about it. So now Kotori with her free time spent much of her time roaming the forest. She felt like a wild child, spending much of her free time playing in the forest. Making forts and hanging out with Shu. It was childish but it wasn''t like she had anything to do. Until one day. Kotori had gone to the spot where she would often practice try and stretch her mana There was a small pond here which she often used to wipe the sweat from her face after exerting herself. This time she noticed a curious phenomenon. There was a splashing sound. Kotori stayed on guard. It wouldn''t be unusual if animals came here to drink but if it was something dangerous Kotori would have to be ready to fight back. That was what Kotori thought until she realized that there wasn''t anything near the pond. In fact, the splashing seemed to come from the pond itself. [That''s odd?] She thought There wasn''t anything that could be causing the water''s surface to be splashing and yet something was agitating the surface enough to cause it to splash. She walked closer to the water''s edge to see what could be causing the sound and was immediately blasted with a gallon of cold pond water. "Pftftft" She sputtered in surprise. The cold water had caught her off guard. She braced herself expecting another attack but all she could hear was a gurgly "Kukukuku" sound like something was laughing. She looked around to find the source of the sound and all she could hear was the sound coming from the pond Kotori thought she was going crazy [A pond is laughing at me] she thought It seemed that Shu had noticed it as well so Kotori wasn''t mistaken at all She felt shot with a sense of playfulness. It felt familiar. Almost like the first time she met Shu. [Wait, is it a spirit?] As if almost on cue a small shape jumped out of the pond and dived back in, splashing Kotori and Shu. Once again Kotori was blasted with another wave of playfulness This time she looked at the pool and saw an otter-like creature lazing upon the surface. Its body was shimmery and made of liquid which made it hard to track Kotori was now sure that she was dealing with a spirit. Still, it confused her as to why there was a spirit here of all places. This wasn''t a spot where mana could coalesce. [Unless?] Kotori had realized something. She had often used this spot to try and raise her mana pool. In doing this she would just use all of her mana pool on mana buffing. [Does that have something to do with it?] Kotori knew that fundamentally dungeons monsters and spirits were the same things. They were creatures created out of high mana density. What didn''t make sense was that dungeons monsters would dissipate while spirits were much more permanent. It seemed that Kotori had accidentally created spirit. All of the mana she put into the surrounding land was enough to birth this one little spirit. "Status," she said Water Spirit Race: [Spirit] Age: 0 HP: 10 Mana: 20 Agility: 6 Strength: 2 Defense: 5 Karma: 0 Skills: [Splash] Traits: [Minor Water Spirit] Her suspicion was correct and it was indeed a spirit. It seemed she was also right about its cause of birth being Kotori''s constant usage of mana in the area. The little otter hit her with a wave of friendliness [Don''t tell me...] Kotori had already had shu trailing now it seemed she had made another spirit imprint on her The otter seemed very happy to see her; It approached the shoreline and rolled upon its belly for her to pet it. It radiated a sense of friendliness to Kotori, Indeed, her assumption was correct and it had imprinted on her. She gave the otter creature a pat on the belly. It felt like rubbing her hand on watery jelly. When she pulled back her hand it was very wet. Shu seemed very jealous. She could almost feel his rocky eyes bearing down on her shoulders. [Sorry Shu] she thought Since it was summer the cool belly of the spirit was quite nice to touch. The otter seemed to squirm in delight. Shu''s glare grew even more intense [Ah, I guess you need a name] Kotori realized. She quickly thought of a name that fit this water spirit How about, "Umi"? The Spirit seemed to nod. She checked its status again Water Spirit (Umi) Race: [Spirit] Age: 0 HP: 10 Mana: 20 Agility: 6 Strength: 2 Defense: 5 Karma: 0 Skills: [Splash] Traits: [Minor Water Spirit] It seemed that the name was now attached to the Spirit''s status Kotori internally sighed [I guess I have a new pet] Kitsura Chapter 22: Mananananana! Umi, like Shu, was a very low maintenance pet. For one, since Umi was a spirit she didn''t have to eat and would naturally absorb mana from her surroundings or dungeon monster kills. Kotori thought it was weird to use "she" since spirits didn''t really have a gender in the first place but Umi didn''t seem to mind much. She seemed to like being viewed as feminine so Kotori just kept with it. What was interesting was that although Umi constantly dripped water from her body it didn''t seem like she needed to be near a water source to refill. It was actually quite nice for Kotori and she was basically a portable water bottle. Thus Kotori didn''t really spend time near the pond where she was born anymore. Not that she was going to keep staying there since Kotori wanted to avoid making any more spirits. It would be troublesome to have so many following her around. Kotori''s major goal was still to kill the King Lizard herself and Umi unfortunately, was not very useful in that regard. Her combat stats were quite low and even with a mana buff, she wouldn''t be able to hold up to the dragon very well. The three of them might be able to kill the lizard but they would likely be 50/50 on whether they would win in the first place. Incidentally, Shu seemed to have gotten over the jealousy of Kotori picking up a new spirit and started treating Umi like he was a "Spirit Senpai". He seemed to be trying to teach her the proper etiquette required to follow Kotori around. Kotori herself didn''t understand why there had to be any sort of etiquette in the first place and usually left Shu to his own devices. [Not like he follows any of these in the first place.] she thought as she watches Shu teach Umi Despite the fact that Shu had no authority to tell Umi how to act, she listened to him intently and seemed to ask him questions as well. [What a diligent student] Kotori thought Although Kotori could not glean the meaning of their conversation it was pretty obvious that he was teaching her something. When she asked Shu he confirmed that he was doing his due diligence as her "Senpai" Still, Umi seemed to have drastically changed her behavior as a result of Shu''s lectures. Kotori tried to tell Umi that she didn''t have to listen to Shu but she seemed resolute in her resolve to follow "proper spirit etiquette". Umi was still young and didn''t seem to talk much, but it seemed like spirits had their own way of communication that Kotori didn''t really understand. Although she had the [Spirit Seer] trait all it did was allow her to talk to spirits. She still didn''t understand how they communicated with each other in the first place. Kotori kept practicing her flute and trying to extend her mana. Umi who had stayed by Kotori''s side often watched this scene. It was something that was becoming a common occurrence for her. She was puzzled at why Kotor would do this all the time and noticed her annoyance when the mana pool would run low so Umi tried to do something about it. Kotori felt something trickle into her. [Odd?] She thought It felt strangely invigorating like when she cast mana buff she checked her status Sato Kotori Race: [Human] Age: 8 HP: 40 (+19!) Mana: 5/21 Agility: 33 (+20!) Strength: 30 (+20!) Defense: 27(+20!) Karma: -100,009,647 (+21!) Skills: [Magic Musician], [Hunter], [Desire of Monte Cristo](Removed) Traits: [Spirit Seer], [Monte Cristo] [MANA BUFF] (TEMPORARY 5:59) [Hmm that''s odd?] She was sure she used all of her mana when she played the last flute song. She looked at Umi who gave her a bored expression as if saying "Watcha looking at me for?" [Did you do something?] She asked Umi Umi blinked and looked at Kotori as if she was asking the most obvious question in the world Kotori checked her status for good measure. Water Spirit (Umi) Race: [Spirit] Age: 0 HP: 10 Mana: 15/20 Agility: 6 Strength: 2 Defense: 5 Karma: 0 Skills: [Water blade] [Mana Flow](adapted from [splash]!) Traits: [Minor Water Spirit] [Umu? It seems that Umi had learned a new skill?] This was the first time Kotori had seen a skill change before. Umi didn''t seem to think anything of it. This would make sense since Umi had only been recently born and didn''t understand much of how this world works Still, Kotori had realized that her little pet had now gone from a water bottle to a battery. She gave a head pat Umi who seemed very proud of herself. In her mind she made a little name for Umi "Battery-Chan" Umi didn''t think anything of it [Not that anyone in this world knows what a battery is] Kotori thought. She could feel Shu''s eyes once again staring daggers into her back so as a good measure she gave Shu some pets as well. This time it was Umi''s turn to be jealous. She gave Shu a splash with her water. He growled in response. And they began to circle each other as if they were about to fight [Stop!] Kotori said, sending a mental message out with a lot of threat. After hearing Kotori''s admonishment. They both immediately stopped and went back to their respective spots as if nothing had happened. Still, even though the potential fight was over they were glaring at each other [Pets really are troublesome] Kotori thought While sighing internally. Kotori was now very excited. With Umi''s [Mana Flow] skill Kotori effectively had a mana pool of 41 points. This would translate into a 40 point stat boost for all her allies. More than enough points for her to take on the lizard. Even to the point where it would be trivial. The time limit seems pointless since she was sure the lizard would be able to kill it in time. Kotori would kill the lizard and bring its head as proof to the Boss that she was able to leave the village on her own. Kitsura Chapter 23: [Hunter] Skill Activated Kotori who had waited a week for a lizard to spawn had gone off to kill it with Shu and Umi in tow She cast a mana buff with the help of Umi''s mana flow. Sato Kotori Race: [Human] Age: 8 HP: 60 (+39!) Mana: 1/ 21 Agility: 52 (+39!) Strength: 49 (+39!) Defense: 46 (+39!) Karma: -100,009,647 Skills: [Magic Musician], [Hunter], [Desire of Monte Cristo](Removed) Traits: [Spirit Seer], [Monte Cristo] [MANA BUFF] (TEMPORARY 5:59) ... Dirt Spirit (Shu) Race: [Spirit] Age: 2 HP: 54 (+39!) Mana: 10 Agility: 46 (+39!) Strength: 44 (+39!) Defense: 44 (+39!) Karma: 10 Skills: [Rock Bullet] Traits: [Earth Spirit] [MANA BUFF] (TEMPORARY 5:59) ... Water Spirit (Umi) Race: [Spirit] Age: 0 HP: 49 (+39!) Mana: 1/20 Agility: 45 (+39!) Strength: 41 (+39!) Defense: 44 (+39!) Karma: 0 Skills: [Water blade] [Mana Flow] Traits: [Minor Water Spirit] [MANA BUFF] (TEMPORARY 5:59) After playing her flute, which once again played the stirring orchestral theme Kotori''s body seemed to hum with energy and she felt extremely powerful. Shu and Umi had changed appearance. Shu''s body had thickened, become rocky, and grown larger than his previous appearance; He looked more like a turtle than the dog he once was. Umi had elongated. Her slippery fur melting away into shimmery scales. She looked like a large great teal snake. Evidently, both spirits seemed very happy with their appearance. Umi excitedly showed Kotori her beautiful scales and Shu seemed to enjoy his newfound durability. Then they began to seek out the King Lizard from before. It wasn''t very hard. They only had to look at areas where the animals had run from and follow the source. It wasn''t long before they found the king lizard plodding along. Dungeon monsters had no set purpose and many simple attacks on anything on site. Thus they tended to roam until their mana expired or they were killed. She quickly checked its status King Lizard Race: [Dungeon beast] Age: 0 HP: 102 Mana: 0 Agility: 24 Strength: 68 Defense: 36 Karma: [N/A] Skills: None Traits: None [Nothing seems to be different] The King Lizard was no different. It plodded around with no rhyme or reason. Kotori chucked a nearby stone at it. She was surprised to see the stone go rather far and hit the King Lizard squarely on the head. It even seemed to do a little damage based on her observation. Its eyes immediately turned blood red like all dungeon monsters when it aggroed and began to charge Kotori. Although the beast was fast it only had an agility stat of [24] and thus Kotori with a buffed agility stat of [52] easily dodged out of the way. She felt her head whip to the side and the lizard rumbled past her. Her body almost seemed to glide away as she misjudged the strength she needed to dodge. She ended up finding herself flying several feet farther than she anticipated. She had completely missed a chance to land a counterattack. [Whoops, Gotta be careful of my own strength] she thought This was the first time Kotori had buffed herself to such an extent and was not sure of her own strength. The lizard ended its charge and clumsily ran around to charge again. Its gangly legs barely manage to stay upright after unexpectedly missing its initial charge. The forest shook with each heavy step. Roaring, the lizard barreled towards Kotori again. Kotori leaped away again but this time her timing was slightly late. [I''m going to get hit!] cursing herself Indeed Kotory would''ve been hit except Shu unexpectedly ran in front of Kotori and blocked the charge. Shu''s large Turtle-like body took the full brunt of the lizard''s charge. His legs dug into the ground. Sliding, he absorbed the charge with no hesitation. Unfortunately, Shu was still blown away by the overwhelming strength of the lizard. With a strength stat of [68]; the lizard still could easily overcome Shu''s defensive stats of [44]. He took a solid chunk of damage and slammed into a nearby tree stunned and dazed. The tree itself was left with a Shu shaped crater marred its bark and had several cracks appearing in it as if it was about to break. [Sheesh, this lizard is still no joke] Kotori thought The action Shu took was extremely reckless. It seemed he overestimated his new capabilities and sought to protect Kotori. Still, Kotori put more of the blame on herself; she should''ve just dodged out of the way faster. [No more playing] She resolved herself The lizard ignored Shu and ran at Kotori again. This time as the lizard ran towards her she landed an overhand punch on its head, smashing it to the ground. Without the buff, this hit would feel like a soft breeze to the lizard, but now that Kotori was in her mana buffed state her hit did a solid amount of damage. The lizard who was struck down slipped on the forest floor and landed on the ground with a thud. Watching it struggling to stand up again, Kotori readied another hit on its head. Just as the lizard''s legs gained purchase on the ground and began to stand up. Its head went tumbling down into the dirt with a satisfying crunch sound along the way. Its skull was cracked and its horns were snapped off upon impact. Leaping back Kotori took a few breaths. The heavy blows were quite tiring to land. She put her whole weight into them and her strength stat still wasn''t high enough to be able to land the blows consistently. Even though they would normally snap off her arms it seems in her current state her defensive stats protected her and thus she only felt a dull throb from her knuckles to her elbow. The lizard screeched in anguished pain. It was shocked at this sudden downturn in its luck, and the realization that its prey was much stronger than it was. It scrambled along the ground and began to use the downtime between Kotori''s punched to run away. As it ran with blood streaming down its head. Umi quickly slithered beside it and using her body, whipped its legs causing it to trip again. The lizard fell to the ground leaving a small pile of dust in its wake. Kotori jumped forward and landed another blow to its head. The lizard once again roared in blind rage and pain. Right before she landed the killing blow Kotori paused. [What happens if I give it to Umi] It seemed that Kotori stats had stagnated recently and even killing the lizard again wouldn''t give her anything meaningful. She quickly directed Umi to land the killing blow. Umi seemed to be delighted in the opportunity and quickly used the last bit of her mana to cast as a water blade that gouged the lizard. The bleeding lizard gave one more pathetic roar and collapsed into a heap on the ground Kotori looked at the dead lizard. She was proud of how far she had come and felt an extreme sense of purpose. She heard a voice in her head and a console prompt appearing "[Hunter] skill activated, begin absorption of unstable mana element?" [Yes/No] Bewildered by the voice Kotori selected Yes [What could this mean?] she thought as the skill began to take effect Chapter 24: Tastes like Cotton Candy? The Lizard''s body quickly glowed and the light from its body began to coalesce into a ball on top of it. The ball condensed further and further until it became a golf ball sphere that floated over to Kotori and dropped into her palm. It was a cute little thing. The ball felt hard and glowed softly in a pulsating manner, both Shu and Umi tilted their heads in curiosity. Honestly, Kotori thought the little ball of light was confusing as well. She didn''t know what to do with it. She did what any human would do, And licked it. "What?" "Don''t tell me when confronted with an unknown small object you wouldn''t want to taste it too?" Surprisingly the orb tasted rather good. It had the flavor and texture of cotton candy. Kotori greedily ate it up. She checked her status Sato Kotori Race: [Human] Age: 9 HP: 25(+4!) Mana: 25(+4!) Agility: 17(+4!) Strength: 11(+1!) Defense: 10(+3!) Karma: -100,009,604 (+43!) Skills: [Magic Musician], [Hunter], [Desire of Monte Cristo](Removed) Traits: [Spirit Seer], [Monte Cristo]* *For the reader''s sake, I calculated this using her unbuffed state. She is still buffed right now. [Ah, my stats grew!] It seemed whatever Kotori just ate was enough to cause her stats to grow. Kotori herself didn''t know why all her previous attempts at killing dungeon monsters didn''t cause her stats to grow but this one did. Additionally, her stats manages to grow much more this time than the previous time she killed the lizard [Maybe I have to kill things that are stronger than me?] She thought Shu and Umi looked quite disappointed, it seemed they wanted to try tasting the magical ball as well. [I''m sorry I''ll save some for you two next time] she promised. She took a look at the lizard''s body. Its crumpled form was slumped against the ground. She considering dragging the whole thing to the village but she was unsure if she could drag the carcass all the way over the village. [Still, I need proof I killed it] she thought. Kotori decided that she would bring a part of the lizards proof she killed it. The head made the most sense. Except, for the fact that Kotori didn''t have a knife that could cut its head. Thus, she began to look around for a large wedge-shaped rock. Upon finding it she took it and dropped it upon the thick neck of the lizard. It dropped with a sickening crunch as the neck of the lizard was immediately broken. Still, the neck was not quite severed and Kotori had to rip it off with her bare hands. She was thankful her mana buff was still active because she still had quite a lot of difficulty trying to rip off the neck even after it had already been partially severed by the rock. It was grisly work but after wrenching the head several times Kotori finally had ripped off the head of the Lizard. There were a few dangly pieces of scaly skin attached to it which Kotori ignored. Surprisingly, it wasn''t very bloody at all. Using a few leather straps she had prepared beforehand she hefted the head upon her back. It was about the size of a large backpack except much heavier. It was still much more manageable than bringing a whole body with her. She bounded through the forest. Although the lizard spawn point was quite far from her current location. She would be traveling much quicker than usual. She wasn''t going her full speed though, since Umi and Shu would struggle to keep up. She must''ve been quite the sight when she reached the village. A small girl carrying a bloodied severed King Lizard head on her back was not something you see every day, but many also paid her no mind. Most had heard that she had killed one previously before and as a result, many thought it was rather normal that she had killed it. Most of them were more surprised over the fact that she did it alone rather than the fact she had killed the lizard in the first place. Kotori waited at the Boss''s house with her trophy. Soon the sun began to set and the warriors came back and began to retire to their respective houses. The group with the Boss came. Once the Boss had finished greeting the people who came up to her she retired to her house as well. Kotori had stood at the Boss''s house the entire time. Her mana was still active and thus Shu, and Umi were still in their temporary buffed forms. Kotori threw the severed Lizard head at the Boss''s feet. "Strong enough?" She asked defiantly The Boss took a look at Kotori and her spirits. Then looked at the lizard head and back at Kotori. She gave a silent nod and then entered her house ignoring Kotori''s disheveled state. [Boss''s perspective] I was about to go home when I saw the girl. She looked at me with eyes glinting with determination and and threw a King lizard head at my feet Her eyes were blazing. "Strong enough?" She asked as if she knew the answer already It was quite a change from the girl who once came to the village with her clothing in tatters and helplessly running from some unknown threat. The girl who was in front of the Boss now had the eyes of a predator. She really looked like a wild child. [Not a surprise since she spends so much time in the forest] she thought Her spirits had grown as well. And their appearance was fiercely protective. When the Boss had given the order for Mari to stop accompanying Kotori she wanted to stifle Kotori in hopes that she would give up on trying to leave the village. The Boss now realized that it was futile to make such an order. This was a girl who, if she had the motivation, could kill gods. When looking at the eyes of that girl, the Boss knew that she could no longer protect her within the village. Much like Amelie, Kotori had grown beyond the protective walls the Boss could place upon her. [Look like it''s time to let the little bird leave the nest*] The Boss looked at Kotori and nodded. She didn''t feel like she needed to say anything else. Kotori would leave the village whether the boss wanted her to or not. [Kotori''s perspective] [Does this mean she''ll let me leave?] Kotori saw the Boss nod before she entered the house. Frankly, her heart was burning. She wanted to leave the village. It seemed the Boss had accepted her request. [Did I do it?] Regardless, Kotori began to make preparations to leave. *Kotori or more specifically, "tori" means bird in Japanese which makes this statement more poetic. The "Ko" in feminine names like "Naruko" or "Haruko" is actually a character that means "child" but now is more akin to "daughter" since it is typically attached to female names. Kitsura Chapter 25: The Departure Kotori spent the next day preparing to leave. No one stopped her and Amelie seemed to be supportive even going as far as to recommending things for Kotori to bring. "Don''t you think you need a raincoat? What if it rains?" Amelie said, holding a salamander skin coat. "Amelie I told you I''m fine," Kotori said "But if it rains you''ll get wet¡­" she said, her face looking glum Although, Amelie enthusiastically helped Kotori prepare she seemed quite sad about Kotori leaving. It felt like she was trying to use these preparations as a coping mechanism Kotori looked empathetically at Amelie "Look Amelie it''s fine" "Ok, I guess." Amelie said, her mood not improving in the slightest. The rest of the evening went smoothly, and Kotori finished her preparation. She would be leaving the next day for the kingdom of Faramouth. ** ** ** The sun wasn''t quite up yet but Kotori had already left Amelie''s house. Amelie herself had woken up at the same time as Kotori and insisted that she see Kotori off. As they approached the village edge Kotori saw the figure of the Boss. Evidently, she also knew that Kotori was leaving as well. The Boss had the softest expression Kotori had ever seen her with. Almost on the verge of crying. "Leaving welp?" she said hardening her face once they go closer. Kotori nodded, a brief flash of fear over the fact that the Boss would try and stop her overcame her but she realized that if that were true the boss could''ve stopped her much earlier. [What business does she have now] The Boss held a sword in her hand and had a small sack in the other and gestured for Kotori to take the sack. Kotori took it and opened up the contents of it inside there were a few Faramouth coins along with a horn made from the spikes of the lizard Kotori had killed. The outside of it was decorated with the scales of the lizard which gave it a shimmering exterior. The craftsmanship was exquisite and she was surprised the Boss had made her such a beautiful parting gift in such a short amount of time. Tears welled up in Kotori''s eyes. Her time in the village may have been less than the time she spent with her original family, but the love given was no less. This gift was proof of that She jumped into the Boss''s arms for an embrace. The Boss stiffened in surprise but accepted the hug, gently patting Kotori''s head. Her hard knotted muscles which should''ve made an uncomfortable embrace still gave Kotori a great sense of safety. Sniffling she broke off the embrace, the Boss''s expression was soft. She herself was likely about to cry as well but wouldn''t let herself show such a weak expression in front of Kotori and Amelie. The Boss looked at Amelie and asked her "Amelie, do you want Kotori to leave?" Amelie replied quickly "Of course not!" Then said defeatededly "But I know Kotori wants to leave" The Boss nodded and then said "Then go with her" Amelie looked shocked "Eh?" The boss looked wistfully into the forest boughs which were being illuminated by the steadily rising sun. "You know, Asha loved the village" "What?" Amelie said bewildered about the sudden change in topic "She loved it so much she actually told me that she didn''t want to leave right before the day she left," The Boss said with her eyes growing tearful. "It was me who gave her the strength to leave, The night before when she came crying to me about how she lost her will to leave the village it was me who told Asha that she should follow her dreams. Even if we fought up until the day she left, she still went to her older sister for strength" The Boss said with a pained expression. "Amelie, You want to follow Kotori don''t you?" Indeed the Boss had guessed correctly, Amelie had wanted to go with Kotori from the moment Kotori said she wanted to leave the village, but she didn''t want to worry the Boss and thus didn''t say anything. Still, she was planning on sneaking out and catching up to Kotori and already had a bag packed to go leave as well. The Boss now extended the sword she held in her hand towards Amelie. "This is... Asha''s sword. I managed to find it in a pawn shop before I rescued you" "What''s this for?" Amelie asked she took the sword into her hand. The blade was in an eastern style with a hilt that was a purple lacquered wood with an intricate golden handguard. Amelie was confused, she didn''t know why the boss was giving her as a gift as well. "Go..." the boss said, saying nothing more. The word almost seemed to hang in the air as Amelie realized the meaning of it. "You-You''re allowing me to fo with Kotori?" Amelie asked incredulously The Boss nodded, then said "I will take my leave" Then without warning, began to walk back towards the village leaving Kotori and Amelie standing alone at the village clearing. Kotori and Amelie stood there for a while. Both of them were emotionally shocked at the sudden encounter. Both of them were still silent and processing the events that had just happened. That was when Kotori rubbing her eyes, her voice trembling said "We better leave then" Amelie nodded and began to run back and collect the bag she had already packed and caught up with Kotori. They left the wood elf village silently. Not taking a single look back. Chapter 26: Travel Despite being within Faramouth the village was still quite deep within the forest and thus it took the better part of the day to leave the forest. By the time they had left the confines of the forest, the sun had already crested past its midway point and Amelie and Kotori broke for lunch. The Faramouth kingdom was in the northern hemisphere of this world and thus, even though the sun was shining, it was still rather chilly. They ate a simple meal of bread along with hazelnut butter and a few strips of dried meat. "Do you know what''s the Faramouth Kingdom like?" Kotori asked in between bites. "Hmmm, I don''t know much. I just know they are pretty isolated as a result of the Atlea forest." Amelie said thoughtfully "Your mom was an adventurer do you know anything about that?" Kotori continued asking "Well, I was brought to the village when I was barely able to walk so I don''t really have much memories of Faramouth in general" Amelie said absentmindedly [I guess that''s right] Kotori realized that asking Amelie about the Faramouth Kingdom was pointless. Still, She wanted to know what adventurers did and what kind of purpose they held. [I guess I''ll have to find out when I get there] The city they were heading for wasn''t the capital, but rather a frontier city. Despite the fact it was a smaller city on the frontier it was still likely that they still had adventurers. Kotori was very excited at the thought of becoming an adventurer. It was the quintessential fantasy job and she couldn''t wait until she was able to go on quests or kill powerful monsters. Her experience with killing the King Lizard had made her want to test her [Hunter] skill even further. [Plus it was tasty] Kotori who hadn''t tasted sugar ever since she entered the elf village greatly craved to eat something sweet. It greatly saddened her when she found out that when she used her [Hunter] skill on smaller weaker monsters it would make a glowing ball only about the size of a bean. When Kotori tried one, and it tastes exactly like a sugar tablet. The flavor wasn''t as in-depth as the lizard''s ball and thus she didn''t feel a strong need to eat them She fed these to Shu and Umi who greedily ate them up. It seemed that eating the small orbs had diminishing returns. The bonuses to stats for Shu and Umi started to plateau after the first few glowing beans. Kotori''s journey with Amelie continued, soon the trails they were walking on turned into dirt paths, and eventually, they came across a few sparsely populated villages. The scene was nostalgic to Kotori. She used to live in one of these villages and seeing the life of the villagers made her reminisce. In truth, Kotori had wanted to go south to exact her revenge on Count Derkin who had killed her family, but over three years had passed since Kotori had last been at the village and it was likely he had already left back to the Atlea capital. Kotori decided very early on that she would go to the Faramouth kingdom and grow even stronger. [That bastard will get it!] Kotori thought, palming the flute that hung at her side. Despite her outwardly easygoing manner, Kotori was still enraged by her encounter with the count and his men that night. She would have nightmares about the night. Amelie had even woken her up a couple of times when they were particularly bad. The scene of her father''s bloodstained chest always stuck out in these moments. This is why Kotori would exact her retribution with no hesitation. The evening quickly approached and Kotori and Amelie began to settle down for the night. They were staying at a small village inn. Since people rarely stayed at it they were given an especially cheap rate. Frankly, the man who ran the inn was quite nice and wanted to even let them stay for free. His name was Brom and when they asked about the room fees he just waved his hands and said "Ahh, we don''t get many travelers around her feel free to use these empty rooms, it''s not like we are running out any time soon" Kotori, still insisted they pay, and eventually, the man relented and let them pay. He still gave them a heavily reduced rate that was basically, like giving the rooms away but Kotori couldn''t bully him to raise the price any further. "You two want anything to eat?" He asked. "We have some leftover rabbit stew. My wife made it so it''s quite good!" He paused then said "Oh, It''s on the house don''t worry about paying for it." Kotori who didn''t eat much during lunch gratefully took the offer. She ate dinner with the man and his family. He had a young son named Wally who seemed to have developed a bit of a kid crush on Kotori. He spent a lot of time staring at Kotori while she ate. This was the first time Kotori had felt herself being leered at and it was an unusual experience. Since she was male in her past life she felt very out of place. She tried to ignore it and focus on her food. The man wasn''t lying, the stew was quite good. It had a bit of gamey flavor that was wonderfully covered and accented by a floral spice that made it very appealing. That night they slept in straw mattresses with warm blankets. Amelie fell asleep very quickly Kotori herself spent much of the night preparing for the next day then fell into a dreamless sleep Chapter 27: Bandits! (this time for real!) Kotori awoke to Shu barking. Looking outside the gap and in the wall that served as a window, she saw there was a fire going on in the village. Since most houses in the village were made of straw and wood, they were very susceptible to fire. Initially, she thought it was just an average fire and was ready to have Umi put it out with her water blades until she heard the sounds of screaming and clanging metal. Amelie was also awakening and quickly put on some spare clothes Kotori did as well and they exited their rooms. Brom and His wife and kids were huddled in their room "What''s going on," Kotori asked "Bandit! Hide!" Brom yelled [Bandit?] Kotori thought She felt surprised even though she shouldn''t have been. Since she was in another world it would make sense that people would turn to a less savory way of making money. She recalled the time she initially ran into the wood elves'' forest and was told to be wary of bandits. [I guess they really do exist] she thought further She didn''t want to let the villagers die and wanting to save some karma she decided to save the village "Stay here" she ordered Brom. He nodded then said "Wait, you''re not going out there are you?" "Tch" Kotori said, Although she was mentally an adult she was still a child physically. Amelie saved Kotori from explaining herself and quickly lied, "Don''t worry, she won''t be doing the fighting" Brom expression seemed to relax slightly but he still looked concerned for Kotori Brom stood up and then said "Then, I''ll go too, A man shouldn''t let a child enter a battlefield" [Yare, Yare This guy can''t be serious] she thought Apparently, Brom felt responsible for Kotori and resolved himself to going out and keeping her safe [Well, looks like he has resolved himself, not like I can do anything about it] Kotori thought Amelie and Kotori were quite strong, and thus it would be unlikely that Brom would get hurt. Exasperated, Kotori left the inn with Shu, Umi, Amelie, and Brom and began to head out to face the bandits Kotori quickly pulled out her flute and did a mana buff. She didn''t use Umi''s [Mana Flow] because she wanted Umi to have some mana for her water blades. Both Shu and Umi''s bodies grew from their cute forms into their battle forms. They looked less intimidating since last time as a result of the fact that Kotori wasn''t using a full power [Magic Musician], but they were still plenty able to take down a normal human bandit. She ordered Shu and Umi to go help the villagers and set off on her own to take down some bandits of her own. Sato Kotori Race: [Human] Age: 9 HP: 49 (+24) Mana: 1/25 Agility: 41 (+24) Strength: 35 (+24) Defense: 34 (+24) Karma: -100,009,604 Skills: [Magic Musician], [Hunter], [Desire of Monte Cristo](Removed) Traits: [Spirit Seer], [Monte Cristo] There was a lot of chaos in the village, but the bandits all had a red bandana on their heads which made them easy to identify. Many of them ran around with mostly wooden clubs but a few had chipped pig iron swords. Kotori quickly checked the status of a nearby bandit. Zagan Salle Race: [Human] Age: 23 HP: 20 Mana: 0 Agility: 11 Strength: 12 Defense: 9 Karma: -4,321 Skills: None Traits: None [Kind of a trash mob isn''t it?] Kotori thought She knew that as a result of her training with the wood elves she was stronger than the average human, but still, she was surprised that there was such a gap. The bandit who she was appraising with status took a look at her and his face gave a lecherous stare [Pervert] Kotori thought and realized exactly what that gaze meant. Obviously, bandits would also have the lowest common denominator among them. He walked towards her menacingly. "Hey little girlie," he said licking his lips "where''s your mommy," he asked The man instantly struck a nerve with Kotori She quickly raised a fist and knocked him down. "Dead" she replied angrily Now that Kotori was in a bad mood she didn''t feel like enjoying herself. She walked around the village smashing any bandit that tried to approach her. Soon the bandits began to realize something was wrong when their numbers began to thin and they saw a spirit taking down their comrades. They began to gather in the village center naturally and in a few minutes, Kotori had them cornered. Realizing they were surrounded the bandits began to quake in their shoes. They didn''t expect any resistance especially from a village that was so far away from the capital. But now they were under attack from two extremely powerful spirits and two girls. Their attack had been turned on its head and they were now the ones who were under attack. The bandits looked fearfully at Kotori who approached them flanked by Shu and Umi. with Amelie following closely behind them One of them who appeared to be a leader threw his weapon down and jumped into a dogeza* towards Amelie who he thought was the leader of their group *Look it up if you don''t know what a dogeza is "We surrender!" Amelie looked sheepishly at the man and pointed a finger at Kotori "Ask her first" He turned towards Kotori in surprise and lowered his dogeza further "Much apologies! We''ll never attack again! Lets us go" Kotori was in a bad mood. [Surrendering?] She looked around at the village and saw a girl who was weeping over a mother. The image reminded Kotori of her own mother''s death [Like hell I''m going to let you surrender] she thought, Kotori wasn''t thinking straight, she was being emotional but even if she was aware of this fact it wouldn''t have matered. Kotori looked at Shu and Umi and gave an order. "Kill them" The bandit''s face instantly paled "Hiiiii! We surrender, we''ll give you anything!" he said, begging for his life. Kotori looked at the man "Can you give that child her mother back?" she said pointing to the wailing girl. The man''s face paled realizing that Kotori had no intention of letting him go He began to run until one of Umi''s blades whipped through the air and decapitated him. The cut was so clean his neck took a while to bleed, the man''s head sailed through the air, still alive, his face locked in an expression of surprise. His mouth gaped for a few moments before he realized he had been decapitated. The other bandits realizing they were not able to get out this easily began to run as well and they were all cut down by Kotori. Amelie was strangely absent. When Kotori looked at Amelie she was stiff as a rod watching the scene She looked at Kotori "Why" She whispered softly "They were surrendering!" She said her voice gaining volume Kotori looked at her with a dead fish stare "Because trash deserves to die," she said matter of factly. Kotori felt hurt that her friend was scolding her like this. Amelie looked horrified "They gave up!" The words dug into Kotori''s heart. She was a gentle person. Truly, but she wasn''t thinking straight right now. The scars from watching her parent be killed still dug too deep. Amelie began to speak again then bit her tongue. She looked at the young girl in front of her. The young girl she rescued from the forest and realized that she was not a girl but rather a merciless machiavellian who would crush people underfoot if they were inconvenient. In Amelie''s mind Kotori was being unnecessarily brutal. Kotori looked at the scene with little interest. Despite her orders, she didn''t actually enjoy the act of killing, and she felt a tinge of regret. Now that her anger had abated, she was realizing what it meant to take a life. "Activate [Hunter]" The bodies of bandits began to coalesce into a shiny ball that Kotori ate. At the very least the lives of the bandit were not going to waste. [Tastes like roast pork] she thought as her stats once again grew. Chapter 28: I visit a city The aftermath of the bandit''s raid on the village had left it in shambles. Although Umi and Kotori had managed to put out the fires the lost lives were not something she could easily return. She did go up to the girl who had lost her mother and said a few words of comfort. The girl''s name was Mera and incidentally, she was also a spirit seer. Mera seemed to really enjoy playing with Shu and Umi so Kotori let Mera play with them for a whole day. Despite her best effort, Kotori had found another dirt spirit where she had originally buffed her party. She gave it to Mera who evidently needed a friend in the trying times. She had heard about EMT giving teddy bears to kids whose parents had died from car crashes in her previous world and it seemed right to give it to Mera. Still, even though Mera seemed to like Kotori the other villagers had changed how they viewed her. Initially, Kotori thought she had sacred them but she soon realized they were watching her with a sense of awe. It was quite awkward but at least Kotori''s Karma value had gone up. Kotori and Amelie stayed in the village for a couple of days and then continued their journey. Many of the villagers tried to give her gifts but she declined them all. Kotori didn''t really care about money and frankly, the extra things they were trying to give her would only be a hassle to bring along on the trip. The villagers insisted they did something and Kotori just told them to be nice to each other hoping that she would be able to pick up some spare karma by the good acts the villagers did as a result of her missive. "You sure you wanna go?" Brom asked. He had sheltered Kotori and Amelie during their entire short stay in the village and hadn''t once asked for extra compensation excluding their first night, "I really need to get to the city my aunt is waiting for me" Kotori and Amelie had made up an alibi which was that she was the daughter of an adventurer who was moving to her aunt''s house for a more stable life. It would explain why she was coming in the direction of the forest as well and explain why she could fight. It was a useful little lie. "Ah, well I guess you have a family as well," Brom said looking at his wife and his son, Wally. Wally''s crush on Kotori had developed even more and now he would go stiff at seeing Kotori. [Well kids are cute in their own way] Kotori thought, not recognizing the fact she looked like a kid herself. Amelie and Kotori left that morning and continued their journey. It was more peaceful the closer they got to the frontier city. Of course, the seeing bandits was going to decrease the closer they got to it, so they quietly walked along the dirt road. Occasionally, waving to carriage drivers who passed by. [I wish I had a car] Kotori was beginning to realize how inconvenient this world was. Amelie and Kotori seemed to be moving at a snails paces and she desperately wished for faster transportation [Why can''t there be a bullet train or something] Unfortunately they were stuck taking bus 11* *Chinese expression it means walking to a destination since 11 looks like two legs. Still they managed to reach the frontier city right before dusk. The city was surrounded by a low stone wall that was meant to serve as protection against invaders. Although, Kotori was unsure of what kind of invaders would attack this city in the first place especially since Faramouth and Atlea rarely had any issues and there hadn''t even been a major invasion from both sides. As they approached the gates Kotori saw that the gates had some lettering on them. Back in her home village Kotori was unable to read. But Amelie had taught her and Kotori read the letters on the gates that said "Feran" She assumed that was the name of the city. All travelers had to be inspected and obviously, Kotori and Amelie were no different. So they waited in the queue as well. The guards were very diligent, it seemed they didn''t accept any bribes from any travelers and carefully inspect every person going through the gates Soon it was Kotori''s and Amelie''s turn to be inspected. They were rather lucky considering they were in the last batch of people to enter the city before they closed the gates. Anyone who didn''t make it in time would have to camp outside and wait for the next day to requeue. "Purpose for visit" The guard asked. He seemed very ready to finish his shift and go home "Just visiting this girl''s aunt" Amelie said For convenience Kotori let Amelie appear to be the leader of their little travel group since it would make more sense for strangers. His eyes looked suspiciously over at Shu and Umi who follow Kotori. "And what are those?" "My pets I''m a spirit seer" Kotori answered The guard sighed, obviously not caring. Kotori and Amelie looked harmless enough to him, plus it was late so he let them pass. And before they were let through they were told some basic rules which basically amounted to if you make a commotion and ruined the peace you will be expelled, more serious crimes would be punished with execution With that small explanation out of the way, Kotori and Amelie entered the village, Chapter 29: Wait I thought we were Adventuring! The city of Feran was a European style city. Whereas Atlea took a more eastern style, Faramouth was very European in general. They asked a nearby passerby and learned that the adventurers guild was along the main road. As they followed the main road Kotori saw many stalls selling produce and various weapons. Kotori wanted to buy some very juicy-looking fruit but was unsure of how valuable the goods were and thus decided to save her money. As they approached the adventurers guild Kotori noted how it looked more like an inn than a guild. They entered it and found it was sparsely populated with a few patrons lounging around on worn chairs. At the desk was an older woman who had a frown. [Aren''t adventure guild receptionists supposed to be cute?] Kotori and Amelie approached the receptionist counter and asked to be registered The woman eyed them suspiciously "Adventurers?" "Yes" Kotori answered "Hmmm, Don''t have many of those here. Lemme see if I can find the forms" She bent down and rummaged around on the bottom of the counter. And soon grabbed some stained papers. Written on them were the forms for registering as an adventurer [That''s odd?] Kotori once again was confronted with something that didn''t seem very game-like. She would''ve expected the adventurers guild to have a lot of great warriors or something. Kotori decided to ask the lady "Isn''t the adventurers guild supposed to be more lively?" The lady gave Kotori a confused look "Whatcha mean?" "I don''t know, I thought adventurers would be a more lively lot" Kotori said looking around at the rundown building "Ahh, you''re one of those kinds of people. Those days are behind us" The lady said waving her hands. "Adventurers? Who needs them, the kingdom will hire all the good fighters anyway. All the adventures left are hopeful kids like you who were raised on tales of them" "But who does the adventuring?" The lady laughed "The kingdom collectivized all the good dungeons if you want to get access to them you''d have better luck proving your worth to the local earl or if you''re lucky the king." Kotori almost took a step back in shock over the revelation [My happy adventure life!] Her dreams of becoming an adventurer like in fantasy mangas were dashed instantly. Adventures were irrelevant now? "Then what do adventurers do now?" The lady scratched her head "Well, to be honest, we used to do monster subjugation requests or material collections requests but that''s really fallen by the wayside since the kingdom took control of all the dungeons. We''re mostly fixer uppers at this point." She pointed to a billboard with several pieces of paper posted on it. "Take a look at them while you finish your applications I guess" Seeing as the conversation Kotori and Amelie walked over and took a look at the billboard {Request: Teacher} I need someone to teach me how to cook! I''m newlywed and I can''t even cook anything nice for my spouse! {Request: Carpenter} My grandfather''s old deck broke and I need someone to help me fix it! {Request: Girlfriend} I''m lonely okay... [AS IF!] Kotori once again felt her world collapsing around her [Adventurers are really like this?] She thought despairingly. [Wait, wasn''t Amelie''s mom a real adventurer? That means the kingdom couldn''t have collectivize the dungeons for that long] Kotori began to converse with Amelie who was also equally disappointed "So now what?" Amelie asked. She was in no mood to be someone''s girlfriend like the request asked "I guess we have to go see if we can get recognized?" Amelie suggested [Rejected] Kotori thought The idea of having to work with nobles, even if from another country disgusted her. [Still, collectivizing dungeons is pretty smart.] It makes sense that a country would want to control all the dungeons on their border; they held rare materials after all. Still, the thought was unsettling for Kotori, what happened to "life liberty and the pursuit of property"? Kotori was still left with a conundrum even if she wanted to get stronger by fighting in the dungeons she would have to get recognized by leadership to get access in the first place. That was until a man who sat in the corner of the bar walk over and sat at their table He was a lanky person, who had greased-back blond hair. "New here right?" He asked He had obviously seen Kotori''s hopes get dashed by the receptionist. Kotori nodded in response He looked around making sure no one was listening and then asked them in a whisper "How would you like you go dungeon diving without permission" Kotori''s must''ve expressed her shock very visibly because the man smiled "Interested" he asked Kotori and Amelie both nodded their heads vigorously. "Alright, but I need payment" Kotori internally sighed, she knew that this was obviously very suspicious but she wanted to keep up the act as if she was interested. Indeed, she was very intrigued but she also knew that what this man was dealing with was likely very illegal. Still her gut was telling her that listening to this man was the right idea. "Go on" she said in a whisper herself "Let''s just say, I got¡­ goods that need to be brought into the city" he explained "Help me bring them in and I will show you a secret dungeon" He then added "You''ll also get a cut of the goods as well" Kotori wasn''t completely naive and didn''t fully believe this man "How can you prove to me you have an actual dungeon and you''re not lying" The man pulled out a horn. The horn itself was still very fresh and thus the moisture on it hadn''t fully dried* *for the unaware fresh horns are actually a little moist on the inside since they are still a part of the body "Minotaur horn, freshly cut this morning," He said "You won''t find this kinda stuff unless you have access to a dungeon" Kotori was now very invested, on her walk to the adventurers guild she saw similar horns being sold but many of them had been harvested quite a while ago. She looked at the man and asked one thing "When?" Chapter 30: I’m a smuggler! Kotori and Amelie stayed at an inn nearby. The inn was much more expensive and the owner was also not as nice as Brom was. It was in some seedy part of the town but the beds were warm and free of bugs so Kotori didn''t complain that much The man, whose name was Georgio had told them they would be helping in three days. The plan was rather simple, they would help him bring in contraband and Georgio would lead them to a dungeon the next day. Since they had nothing really to do all day they spent it exploring the city and getting information from the adventurers guild. The receptionist lady was right when she said that the adventurers guild was full of idealists. Just about every adventurer at the guild was new and didn''t really understand that adventuring was a dying profession. Apparently, most of them would quit within their first year. Still, they ended up meeting the few people who still wanted to be adventurers regardless and hoped that conditions would get better. Most of them were quite young as well, only about 16 years old which meant they just barely qualified as adults in this world. "So what are you planning on doing once you become famous," The boy and girl asked Kotori. Their names were Shun and Anya respectively and they were at a party in the same village who came to the city on a dream that they would someday become big adventures. They seemed disappointed in the lack of adventuring jobs but kept a useful optimism that they would someday grow famous. [Still, anyone that grows even a little bit famous just gets hired by the kingdom anyway] Kotori had learned this from the lady at the desk. Adventurers were on the decline as a result of the fact that anyone worth their salt would just be hired by the kingdom. Apparently, the benefits were quite good and you would get access to any dungeons you wanted. Thus, for the most part the adventure''s guild was about to close as a result of the kingdom''s policies These kids though seemed to have naive optimism and thought that adventurers would come back eventually [Like that''ll happen] Kotori thought while listening to them "I want to be like the Gildron Legue! He smote down two dragons with 1 blow of his hammer." Shun said a shining look in his eyes "Well, that sounds impressive," Kotori said absentmindedly Kotori was listening to their tales about adventurers. She was unsure of the truthiness of these claims but if they were true then Gildron Legue did sound like a formidable opponent indeed. [I wonder how he tastes?] Now that Kotori had gotten to eat a vast assortment of humans since the bandit attacked the village she had grown a bit of an appetite for the human balls. She began to call them "Ningmochi" and "MonMochi"* *"Ning" is the japanese romanji for human hence "Ningmochi" is "human mochi" Monmochis is a shorter version of "monster Mochi" She thought about calling them "mofumofu mochi" but it was a bit of a mouthful. Thus, she settle on "ningmochi" Amelie had listened to these tales with a lot of intrigue. Which was likely due to the fact her mother was an adventurer back when adventurers still exist. [Still, She can almost be like a kid when it comes to things like this] Kotori thought watching Amelie was listening to the stories with a childlike enthusiasm. Apparently, Shun and Anya were also a part of this "illicit" activity that Kotori and Amelie had agreed to do. Thus, as a result, they were technically "associates" which was also the only reason they were talking in the first place. They themselves thought it would only be a small little stunt and they would go back to finding someone''s cat the next day and hoping that they would get hired by the kingdom. [Dontcha know smuggling is highly illegal.] Kotori thought while smirking. Indeed, among many of the rules that Kotori was taught before entering the city, smuggling was a very big problem. There were many things banned by the city and thus having them brought in would be automatic grounds for expulsion or even legal ramifications. Among some of them were the obvious illegal drugs and other similar contraband. But also some interesting things like "monster drops." Apparently raw and unprocessed monster drops had to be separately marked and noted. Upon entry to the city, this is how the city makes sure that no one is hiding a dungeon. Since adventurers would''ve made money off selling these drops then meticulously marking them down and tracking them ensures you have a monopoly over the dungeons. While they could still hide the dungeon by not selling any drops it would essentially be pointless to do so [Though, not for me] Kotori didn''t really care about money that much and she was more interested in killing strong monsters. The MonMochi she would get would be pretty tasty as well. Shu and Umi seemed to be very ravenous. Even in the forest, they would greedily beg Kotori for more of the MonMochi. She gave them what she could kill but honestly, it felt like being a mother bird. Ever since reaching the city both Shu and Umi seemed a sulk a little every since they haven''t been able to eat anything. It was a little weird especially considering Shu and Umi didn''t need to eat much in the first place. Occasionally, Kotori would have to give Umi some water or grab some dirt/biodegradable material for Shu''s body but overall they were low maintenance pets. Apparently, Kotori and Amelie would be helping transport monster materials into the city. It was a pretty simple job but she wasn''t sure how they were going to have it happen in the first place. Giorgio had told them a location to meet and a time but didn''t specify much else besides what material they were going to be transporting. Still, the three days passed very quickly and Kotori and Amelie found their way to the building that Giorgio had directed them to. It was in another seedy street to the north of the city. The buildings were ramshackle and many beggars sleeping out in the streets. Overall it was a dismal place. The place they were directed to was a bar in this city. It was called the "bubbly elf" it had a worn sign with a rather voluptuous elf as the mascot. "This is the place right?" Amelie asked "I hope?" Kotori said before knocking on the door. Author Note: If you''ve been reading and following this point I will let you all know one little thing. These 5 chapter releases are not going to be the norm past chapter 40 since there is where I am still writing. From there on I will be posting 1 chapter a day. Sorry if I''ve been spoiling you all on the 5 chapters per day train >.<. It was how I struck a middle ground between release all my chapters at once and trying to get new readers each day with new chapters :p Chapter 31: Sewers… Yuck The bar then entered a very simple place. There were several chairs and tables set up around the place and a bar counter. The only thing that didn''t make sense was the complete lack of patrons. Of course, Kotori and Amelie had been briefed on this. The building was only a front for Giorgio''s smuggling business. A way to "clean the books" so to speak. Amelie and Kotori sat at the empty counter and waited. They were slightly early so they avoided ringing the bell that was on the counter. The wooden counter itself was a rough piece of wood. Uneven in many sections but sturdy nonetheless. The door opened and Shun and Anya walked in. They seemed nervous. Very obviously out of their element. [Newbies] This was Kotori''s first time as well but considering she already has a previous lifetime of experience she was very calm. Amelie on the other hand was bouncing her leg nervously and looking around. [She does have a strong sense of justice after all] Amelie''s and Kotori''s relationship had become a little strained after Kotori had murdered the whole bandit group in the village they stayed at. Although Amelie still listened to Kotori she often asked Kotori what the intentions of her action were to attempt to make sure she wasn''t being lured into any sort of morally dubious actions. This smuggling business itself was something that Amelie also had qualms about but kept her peace since it was the only way for them to get access to dungeons in the first place. Shun and Anya quickly took a seat at the counter and rung the bell themselves [How annoying] Kotori was actually enjoying the quiet of the bar. Since there were no patrons it was relatively secluded and quiet she had entered a sort of meditative stance that was quite pleasant. A burly man came out. He was dressed in a leather vest and had a stern expression on his face. "Order!" Typically, this man would never come out from behind the counter. Since this business was only a front anyway. But today he was expecting visitors and thus went out to greet them. "Uhhhh, Goblin Goop" Shun and Anya said. This was likely the codeword they had agreed upon before. The man nodded and looked at Kotori and Amelie "Yours?" "Minotaur horns" Kotori answered "The pets?" He asked looking at Shu and Umi who had come with Kotori "They''re with us" The man nodded and then said "Follow me" He opened a door behind the counter and they all rose from their seats to follow the man. The door opened into a long corridor. Longer than what would normally be expected it snaked downward and through several flights of stairs. They walked through several hallways which seemed to intersect and cross like a maze. [Giorgio must''ve been in the business for a while to have built this sort of infrastructure.] Kotori tried to ask for the name of the man but he wouldn''t give them any information. They eventually entered what looked and smelled like a sewer. The man walked to a nearby sconce and grabbed a prepared torch he lit and quickly handed it to them. The man stopped and began to speak "Here''s the drill, walk down the sewers here and you will find another man. He will lead you to the drop zone outside the city. The party of Kotori, Amelie, and her spirits were trailed by Shun and Anya. They walked down the murky sewers with nothing but silence and the sound of the torch flame. The torch actually helped make the smell go away slightly so it was a welcome addition to the party. They had been walking for a while and based on Kotori''s mental map they had walked to the northernmost edge of the city which led down to a river. They approached a broken grate where another man stood. This one was dress in plain clothes and seemed rather pleasant. "Here are the goods," he said as he handed each of them a sack of materials that weigh about 30 pounds each. Apparently, preparations had been made by Giorgio, and Kotori''s bag was made slightly lighter. Despite his demeanor, the man seemed eager to get rid of them and send them back where they came. He told them to follow the sewer back and the previous man at the bar would bring them back. Kotori and their group dutifully hefted their bags and started walking back [This seems odd] Kotori thought All of the work they had done so far seemed very simple. Nothing that would be something they had to be specially selected for. Shun and Anya had no such concerns and were excitedly chattering about how they were going to spend their time in the secret dungeon. They walked for a while back into the sewers And kept walking And kept walking [Where was that entrance again] They had backtracked several times, Kotori was now lost. She knew there was an entrance. It didn''t seem possible they had missed it. They walked in a straight line to the city edge after all. Why would the door be hard to find. There wasn''t any possibility that they made a wrong turn. Kotori and the group looked around for the entrance they came from in a confused manner. She heard a sound A light pattering She stopped Evidently, Amelie had heard it too and had also stopped. Shun and Anya seemed confused. "Shhh" she motioned with her hand The footsteps were getting louder Kotori and her group were trapped in one direction by the footsteps the other was the secret exit to the city. They stood in place bracing themselves there was no place to hide at this point if they tried to run they would heared anyway A group of people in armor came into view "Who goes there" "Are you with Georgio!" Kotori yelled out "No this is the city guard!" They replied back [That''s not good] Kotori thought Chapter 32: Yooma of a thousand blades The city guard approached. It was a group that appeared to be led by a man in samurai armor. Interestingly enough he held no weapons. The rest of the guard wore generic leather armor that looked quite cheap. "Halt! Who''s there" The man with the samurai armor asked. Again approaching Kotori and Her group Kotori had no response. There was no way they could lie about what they were doing. Obviously walking in sewers carrying large sacks would look suspicious to anyone. Kotori looked at Amelie and nodded. It seemed they already knew themselves what they had to do. They had no other option but to eliminate these guards and hide the evidence. Kotori quickly cast a half-power mana buff. Both Shu and Umi grew to their turtle and snake forms respectively. Umi struck first, shooting two water blades at the two guards flanking the samurai. The blades whirled through the air with a whistle and instantly decapitated them. Their heads fell to the ground with a soft thump before their bodies crumpled. The man in the middle seemed to have blocked the water blade with a glowing Katana. "Hmmm, Not very talkative are we" He looked at the people who had just struck down his comrades. With the air of a trained warrior, he didn''t seem unsettled in the slightest over the fact the people he was patrolling with were killed in an instant.'' Another blade materialized in his other hand this time it was a Tachi. "Name yourself!" Kotori who had zero intention of negotiating with the man directed Shu and Umi to throw their ranged spells. A mass of rock and another blade of water shot towards the man. His blade shifted imperceptibly, and the projectiles were instantly cut down. [This guy seems a little strong] "I am Yooma of the thousand blades! Name yourself and surrender yourself, you can still be taken and given fair trial!" "And what will happen once the trial is prosecuted," Kotori asked "You will be executed for disturbing the peace!" "Then we don''t have much incentive to surrender" "No," Yooma said "You will be executed with honor and I will make an effort to send your remains back to your relatives!" [This guy is really annoying] Kotori thought, It seemed this man named Yooma was one of those lawful honorable type. Kotori had a sneaking suspicion that this man was a former adventurer. It made sense, considering the fact that she knew that adventures were now hired by the kingdom. [Why are they here though?] Kotori thought, It seemed very odd that there were guards here considering it was the sewer. Shun and Anya seemed petrified They had entered this arrangement wanting a simple smuggling job for access to a dungeon and now they were fighting someone. It was very obvious they didn''t have any battle experience. During this entire sequence, they had been slowly stepping away. Still, it wasn''t like they were getting away. The only way they could run was if they went back through the sewer they came from. Still, it wasn''t like Kotori expected them to be able to fight in the first place. Although they wanted to be adventurers they were still essentially a bunch of teens with no experience in the first place. It was likely they were to type to think about it and say "Well I''ll figure it out eventually" Kotori held a little disdain for them, but also couldn''t be bothered to care about them so she just ignored them. The man leaped forward, going a distance that didn''t seem possible for a human to cover. He obviously had higher stats than most of the people that Kotori had dealt with earlier. Shu lept in the way to block the hit. The blades slid harmlessly on his body dealing no damage to his rocky exterior. Umi quickly reacted as well, by using her body like a whip and trying to hit Yooma. He quickly twisted away and moved back several paces. They both assessed each other. Yooma obviously was giving Kotori and her Spirits a great amount of respect. He smiled then dropped both his blades. They fell to the ground with a clang. Kotori was baffled until she saw the blades disappeared into shimmering light and a new set of weapons appear in his hands. He now holds a wooden club studded with iron spikes* and a small dagger that seemed to have an icy mist coming off it. *Look up Kanabo if you want to know exactly what he is using. [So much for being a thousand "blades"] Kotori thought noting how a club was very much NOT a blade He leaped forward again. This time his club was bearing down on Shu. Shu attempted to block the hit with his body but this time the wooden club crushed his rock armor. Flecks of his rocky skin crackled and it seemed like he had broken several bones. Although spirits didn''t have a "physical form" they maintain it via mana and thus hits against their body will still damage them. Although it wouldn''t kill Shu he still suffered quite a bit of damage. Umi jumped into cover and Yooma slid the dagger across her scales. Instantly that section of her body began to freeze up. Umi tried to move away but her viscious body was already half destroyed by the blade. Kotori looked at her spirits. Both of them now had damages to sizable chunks of their bodies. Although they could still fight it was obvious that the man they were fighting was much stronger than he looked. "Give up!" The man said "I am a "Pawn" of the king" The man seemed to place particular emphasis on the "pawn" part of the sentence [Is that a title] Kotori thought in puzzlement Kotori quickly directed Umi to use mana flow to her entire body. "Hold him off" She told Amelie. This wasn''t a person that Kotori could beat using her own mana pool. Amelie ran into the fray to fight the man. She was using her mother''s sword. Yooma swung downward with the club, Amelie gracefully lept out of the way. The club came crashing down hit the ground. It was now very obvious that this man was using some kind of body enhancement magic. The club slammed into the ground and made a crater. There were tendrils of cracks that emanated from the impact location. Kotori was now impressed that Shu had managed to take a hit like that at all. She felt Umi''s mana flow into her and began to cast a song. Chapter 33: Yooma and Chains The spell Kotori was casting was slightly different. She knew that [mana buff] would individually raise the stats of the uses but what would happen if she tried to direct it. Kotori has done some experimentation to find that she could direct the kind of buff she wished to receive at the cost of other stats. It wasn''t a 1:1 mana conversion but she could in theory put all her mana into agility or defense. In this instance she put all her points into agility. Kotori was the type to play speedy characters in MMOs and thus always tried to max out her agility stats. She was a strong subscriber of the "best defense is not getting hit" School of thought. Sato Kotori Race: [Human] Age: 9 HP: 50 (+25!) Mana: 1/25 Agility: 57 (+40!) Strength: 36 (+25!) Defense: 35 (+25!) Karma: -100,009,534 Skills: [Magic Musician], [Hunter], [Desire of Monte Cristo](Removed) Traits: [Spirit Seer], [Monte Cristo] She leaped forward, to try and punch Yooma. She felt her fist smack into his face with a satisfying "smack!" Or at least that was what was supposed to happen. Instead, Yooma gracefully leaped out of the way and Kotori''s punch sailed past him. He hit her with the shaft of his magic knife. Kotori gasped as pain spread from her side. [What!?!] Kotori had yet to face someone who was able to dodge her max speed hit "Status" She quickly shouted Yooma Race: [Human] Age: 46 HP: 124 Mana: 50 Agility: 86 Strength: 75 Defense: 42 Karma: [N/A] Skills: [Sword Smith] Traits: [Pawn] [That''s too high!] Kotori was no stranger to fighting people with her stats than her. But that was limited to dumb beasts and monsters. Against a real human, she wouldn''t be able to try any cheap tactics. While she was in the middle of thought, Yooma quickly beat down Kotori and she was knocked to the ground in a daze She gasped in pain this was the first time she had been hit in such a manner. Amelie leaped into action Yooma flicked his wrist and Amelie noticing she wasn''t going to be able to dodge in time and managed to at least slide out of the way. She wasn''t unscathed though and a long gash laid across her left arm. She gripped it obviously in a lot of pain. Gritting her teeth she tried once again to desperately slash Yooma. He also struck her down in the same way he struck down Kotori. Shun and Anya looked terrified. They had expected a simple mission and now they were in a life and death situation that neither of them had predicted. Yooma glanced at them immediately ascertaining that they weren''t a threat. Kotori''s vision faded as away as she saw the figure of Yooma''s figure approaching her. . . . Kotori awoke She tried to move her arms and they were bound. She looked around to find herself in an inky cloudy darkness that seemed to stretch onward for several miles. She desperately struggled and called out to no avail. Looking around she noticed something rather weird. She didn''t feel anything. Despite her movements, there was a distinct lack of "feeling". It didn''t feel quite real. Her body itself wasn''t quite real either. It was a cloudy image that almost made her look like a ghost. Incidentally. This body wasn''t very well developed and simply looked like a human-shaped blob. She examined the chains that held her in place and saw that they were made of light. She seemed to be attached to stone pillars. Figures moved in the distance, they spoke in low muffled murmurs. It didn''t make much sense and wasn''t something she could discern. Next to her were two small glimmering animal-shaped lights, they were unmoving and simply gave off a steady glow, but somehow their presence seemed to assure Kotori. She struggled again. The chain despite being made of light clacked and sounded exactly like metal would. A figure appeared in front of her. This time with full visibility. Enough that Kotori could fully grasp what she was looking at. The figure was the form of a beautiful woman. Almost ethereal, her platinum blonde hair, perfect pale skin, and delicate features betrayed an almost otherworldly figure. Like a raging tide hidden by human skin. The feeling was very familiar, Kotori had felt the same way when she first met Gabriel in the afterlife. Although this woman''s aura was an order of magnitude stronger than Gabriels. The woman looked at Kotori and the lights next to her and chortled. "How silly" Kotori was baffled "Who are you" Kotori''s voice was echoey and quite garbled She ignored Kotori Walking closer she caressed Kotori''s face. "Cute" She said, licking her lips. Giving off the air of a trained predator. Kotori instinctively pulled back. The woman''s beauty twisted into an expression of sadness. Her expression suddenly turned so pitiful that Kotori instinctively said "sorry" in response even though it was a perfectly normal response. It was truly quite a shift. The woman''s face although inhuman. Seemed perfectly able to capture the hearts of those that watched it. She perked up. "Do well" she said Giving Kotori a pat on the head before walking off and disappearing into the murky darkness. Kotori suddenly felt herself being pulled. Mentally, it seemed, she was not meant to be here. Her consciousness drifted and her vision faded to black again. Chapter 34: Yooma’s offer Kotori awoke in a cell with Amelie. It seemed she had been transported here after the incident with Yooma. Amelie was sitting in a corner with a sad expression "Awake?" Kotori nodded It seemed that Yooma was at least nice enough to not section them off into separate cells. Amelie had a sad expression "It seems we won''t be going home for a while," she said Indeed Yooma had told them there was a high likelihood they would be executed. Kotori still felt that it was rather excessive. The ban on the smuggling of monster materials made sense but why would they make the punishment death for such a petty crime. Amelie who had come to the city for a fun adventurer life like her mother was now facing capital punishment far from home. For a person who was likely homesick in some manner she was probably not dealing with it very well. Kotori pated her head empathetically. She herself was concerned about their situation as well but kept a naive hope that it would work out somehow. Incidentally, Shun and Anya who was with them in the sewers were nowhere to be found. Not that it particularly bothered Kotori. They were mostly an annoyance anyway. Still, she wondered about their situation. Unlike Kotori and Amelie they were essentially small fry. Kotori could not find her spirit and they were not in the cell with her. Their absence was sorely missed. She hadn''t been without them for a while now and it was unsettling even if she loathed their presence in the beginning. The celled was barren absent the cot Kotori was in. Though, there was a small chamber pot for excrement. There was a wooden door that was reinforced with iron strips Kotori didn''t need to test it to know that it was locked. There was a small window that was filled with iron bars that filled the stone cell with a modicum of light. [From one prison to another] Kotori who had woken up from the bizarre dream now mused grimly about her situation. [Still who was that women] Kotori was unsettled by the content of her recent dream. To call it a dream was an understatement. It felt too real to be a dream. The feeling of the shackles and chains and the warm hand of the beautiful woman were still burned into her memory and didn''t fade with time. Although Kotori was sure she was physically present in the cell with Amelie. It also felt like the location in her dream was deeply and intimately familiar with her. She was simultaneously both here and "there" Based on the amount of sunlight coming into the cell it was just about midday which meant that Kotori and Amelie had been in this cell for around half a day A small knock came at the door and a small slit underneath was opened. Two trays of food were brought in. The trays were wooden and on them, they held two loaves of tough bread and a small bowl of thin stew. It was surprisingly decent fare considering the fact they were prisoners. They silently ate their meal, both of them knowing that there wasn''t much they could do. Kotori was thinking about ways of getting out of the cage but with her spirits missing she didn''t want to do anything rash. More time passed and eventually, they heard a shuffling at the door. A sound of a pair of keys jingling and then the sounds of two heavy locks being opened. The door opened shortly after and a figure walked in. Kotori instantly was on edge. She looked to her right to see that Amelie was also equally on edge after seeing the man. The man that had walked in was the one who had taken them down in the sewers, Yooma. "What do you want?" Kotori said. Her still childlike voice betraying any sort of hostile intent she could''ve transmitted [Curse this girl body] she thought Despite being quite cute and able to gain sympathy, it was at times like that that Kotori wished for a more mature body. Yooma was wearing plain clothes and unarmed. Though, being unarmed meant nothing anyway since he could materialize weapons via magics. He still held up his arms anyway in a show of good faith. "Kotori Amelie calm down" Kotori was briefly confused at why he knew their names until she remembered that she and Amelie had written their names in a visitor registry. Yooma likely figured it out from there. "Why are you here!" Kotori spat "Coming to gloat?" Yooma respectfully bowed and said "I mean no offense Hiki-Sama"* *Author Note Small cultural explanation here! The "sama" honorific here is used to sort of emulate the way a samurai would sound(Stereotypically humble). Sama is a respectful version of "san" used for someone who you think is above you in social status, it''s closest English equivalent is the English "Sir" or "Madam", but Sama is gender-neutral. Hiki is Kotori''s last name and since using first names is considered impolite except among friends/lovers. [This guy,] Kotori thought The tone he was using was excessively respectful all things considered. She was sure this was just his normal pattern of speaking and it pissed her off even more. "I am deeply sorry for the conditions we have put you under. I am to blame" He said bowing deeply "Don''t you think it''s rude to visit the people you are about to put to death?" Kotori said sneering Yooma this time changed expression, looking a little indignant. "I''m here for the exact reason" "Why, you want to gloat?" Kotori asked He sighed, "I have an offer for you." "One where you don''t die" Chapter 35: Collared, Shackled, Chained [An offer?] A common negotiating strategy means that two parties can only agree to an "offer" if both sides have something to give. In the situation she was in she didn''t have anything of "worth" to give Yooma. Naturally, she was very suspicious. "What kind of offer," she asked very plainly, trying to betray none of her emotions. Yooma sighed "Look, I know it doesn''t make sense, but you don''t have to be so tense" Apparently, her efforts to hide her emotions had failed "I don''t like to see woman and children be killed" Kotori was shocked, she would''ve taken Yooma to be someone who had a blind adherence to the law instead of this old fashion value system [So he does have a soft side] "A girl as young as you shouldn''t try and act so old" he added For once Kotori was happy she looked so young. It apparently had allowed her to garner sympathy. "I assume you are all aware of the decline of adventurers," Yooma said Kotori nodded. "Well, we need more" "What do you mean," Kotori asked "Look," Yooma said "We don''t have enough adventurers the collapse of guilds means that the kingdom is desperate for young blood" [Ahh that''s the problem] Kotori had realized what Yooma was alluding to. It seemed that although the kingdom now had control over adventurers it also was hard for them to hire them. [Well, that''s self-inflicted anyway] It would make sense that with a lack of guilds, collectivization of dungeons, and lack of support structure for new adventurers the kingdom would have a hard time finding new ones. [How are you supposed to find promising talent if you can''t even develop it] Kotori thought about a certain sport in her past life. It was a very expensive sport and the best teams would only hire those who had already proven themselves. The sport declined because they could find any new recruits. Kotori nodded knowingly [Talent development is very important indeed umu*] *thinking sound use in Japanese light novels Yooma walked over and quickly knocked on the door. The door opened once again and two shapes barged in. Shu and Umi who were once separated from Kotori now desperately ran to her side once again. "A token of goodwill" Yooma said, [wait is he balding?] Kotori thought in an unrelated manner Despite his movement in the sewers Yooma actually looked quite old. Kotori who had been unable to get a look at Yooma earlier now saw the visage of a tired old vaguely Asian looking man. He was starting to look and sound like a used car salesman. It seemed despite his dislike of killing women and children the Faramouth kingdom really DID need new adventurers to fill out their rank and he was quite intent on getting them to join. He really looks like an old Japanese salaryman. Although Yooma was a brave person on the battlefield it seemed he was also quite a timid person outside of it. [No wonder they hired a person like him in the first place] Honest adventurers would likely be indignant over the fact that the profession was on the decline but Yooma honestly just seemed like he wanted a comfortable life. [Ah I used to be like that] Kotori thought reflecting on her time in the afterlife [It would be nice to go back one day.] Yooma seemed uncomfortable with the silence that was caused by Kotori''s reflecting. "If... you become an adventurer you become above the law in some aspects so we can ignore some of the laws you may have broken before. I can smooth things over with the earl here." Kotori knew that this was not going to come free "What do you want from me" Now, Yooma''s expression had changed from the timid man to back to the sleazy car salesman. "Loyalty," He said "you will swear fealty to the kingdom, we will put a slave collar on your partner over there to keep you in line." [How bold] Kotori thought. It seemed they had already thought of ways to keep her loyal "In addition" Yooma continued "You will help our dungeons teams with your song skill" [So that''s why] It seemed Yooma had discerned that Kotori''s [Magical Musician] skill was distinct from the magical songs of most of the people. This was something she had noticed already. The magical melodies her father taught her would allow her to imbue a spell with magic and it would perform a fixed outcome. Her magical musician skill would attempt to make her "will" into reality. It was a much more flexible skill than just memorizing songs. Kotori could in essence be the bard for an entire party instead of need 2-3 for music diversity. She nodded half-heartedly knowing that she didn''t have much choice in the matter. She was still concerned about Amelie though "Ahh don''t worry!" Yooma said realizing Kotori''s hesitation "we won''t do anything to your companion" [Well that settles it.] Yooma quickly pulled out a thin metal collar with a small magic crystal embedded on it and installed it on Amelie. Amelie didn''t struggle as the collar was put on her and activated. At first glance, it just looked like a silver choker but obviously, it was a tool meant to keep Kotori in line. "There," Yooma said "You are free to go, I will send you your assignments in a couple of days" He knocked on the door once again and the door opened. Yooma gestured for them to leave. Kotori and Amelie quickly shuffled out of the room they had spent the greater part of the day in. A man who they assumed was their jailer gave them two sacks that contained their items and they left the prison building. Taking the first breath of the fresh air after leaving the stuffy cell was bittersweet although they had avoided being executed they were now metaphorically shackled to this city. In an ironic twist of fate, Kotori and Amelie had become de facto adventurers at the cost of their freedom. It was quite literally golden handcuffs They quickly made their way back to the inn. The innkeeper paid them no heed as their rooms were paid for the rest of the week. Once they got back Amelie flopped onto the bed and became unresponsive. [This must be tough] Kotori thought Her first visit to the city had gone drastically worse than she had expected. Despite all the tribulations, Amelie had never voiced any complaints to Kotori even after they got caught smuggling which was initially Kotori''s idea in the first place. [I have to do something to make up with her] Kotori resolved. She would get stronger and would free Amelie from the slave collar and get back at the kingdom that had chained her to them. [Be careful not to wake the sleeping dragon] She thought Random Author thoughts 3/16/21 ish Hello! Usually, I put something silly here but I''ve been feeling rather pensive recently. I''ve been thinking about the nature of stories and why we tell them. In some aspects, it feels like generational memory and stuff but then why would we tell fun stories. I read quite a bit and I''m always disappointed I can''t be transported to the amazing worlds the author constructs and wish I could know more. In some respects writing this novel has been extremely fun since I know what''s going to happen. Still, it saddens me knowing I am creating rather than consuming and I wonder how my albeit small amount of readers when they see Kotori''s journey. Anyway, this is dragging a bit. Thanks for keeping up with me and I hope you will be here for the hundreds of chapters to come. Chapter 36: Is this a Retirement home? Kotori and Amelie stayed at the inn for a while. Apparently, since they were "adventurers" the kingdom was subsidizing their stay so they could lounge around all they wanted. Despite this free lodging, their mood was overall very low. Amelie still had the slave collar on her and Kotori had been unable to figure out how it works. Attempts to take it off would cause Amelie to screech in pain. Kotori herself was still unsure of how it works. It didn''t seem to do anything. All it seemed to be was a slender metal collar with a blueish jewel embedded in it. Kotori knew that Yooma had told her the collar would kill Amelie if she tried to rebel but she didn''t even know the method by which it could kill in the first place. She could deduce that the jewel was some form of magic crystal found in a dungeon but she didn''t know how magic crystals worked at all. In the doom and gloom, Kotori was able to at least gain a parcel of hope that she would be able to figure out the mystery of the collar. They had been given their first assignment which was to help the local adventures clear out a cave-type dungeon nearby. The message which this assignment came with also had two metallic cards. These were meant to be their passes. Which they could use to sell goods. But since Kotori and Amelie were technically being "punished" Their drops were going to be confiscated by the kingdom and they wouldn''t be able to sell anything. As a result, they would have to survive off the meager salary that all hired adventurers got. It wasn''t much and basically amounted to ***** *Kotori does not come from earth but in dollars, it would be around 500$ a month per person. Adventurers were supposed to supplement their income by selling monsters drops and thus their salaries were quite low. Even though, free adventurers could sell their spoils from the dungeon the kingdom still took a commission on it, so they could still profit. Kotori''s impressions of the kingdom were already bad but learning this piece of information from Yooma made her impression of the kingdom even worse, it seemed the royalty of the kingdom were exceedingly greedy. As for Giorgio, the person who had hired them to smuggle in the first place he was nowhere to be found. She and Amelie went back to the adventurers guild and were unable to find him. Kotori mentally put him on the list of people who would get the [Reincarnator Harassment punishment] Kotori and her spirit were now walking towards the dungeon with Amelie in tow where they were going to be grouping with their "party" Apparently, The kingdom would decide your adventuring party. It would change quite frequently and although the stated reason was to help adventurers foster a "sense of community among a wider range of adventurers" she couldn''t help but feel that it was meant to keep the adventurers from getting to know each other too well. The dungeon itself looked like a simple cave. Which was very normal, as Kotori already learned in the wood elf village. She had spent their small break learning about dungeons at the adventurer''s guilds. She already knew that dungeons were simply areas where mana accumulated particularly fast. But she also learned that in areas like a dungeon, they would be littered with Mana crystals and monsters to be killed and farmed. The monsters found in the dungeons would vary according to location and no one quite understood why it was like that. Kotori realized that people here didn''t realize that Mana would accumulate in elements. Umi was created from her repeatedly expelling mana near a pool. If monsters were just spirits with unstable mana then it was obvious they would be created in relation to the environment as well. As they approach the dungeon Kotori saw several men loitering around near the entrance. She had been told that they would be the only party in the dungeon and thus she assumed that this was her and Amelie''s assigned "party". The men who had noticed Kotori and Amelie''s waved them over. There were three men there. One wore heavy metal armor and leaned on a great shield. He seemed to be quite muscular based on the size of his armor; He looked like he was once very handsome but now he looked like a crackly-skinned man with grey light stubble, He held a very lax expression as if he was half asleep. Another wore robes and seemed to be a magical caster type. His face was slightly hidden by his robes but he had quite a sharp expression and angular feature. The last was a lightly armored rogue-like man with a mousy face that had a knowing look. [Aren''t they quite¡­ old?] Kotori thought. As she got a closer look at them she realized that all the men here looked to be quite old. If she had to guess they would be around 50-60 years old. Apparently, her deduction that adventurers were aging out of service was right. "Oi Oi the newbies are here," the old man said that despite his appearance his voice still sound quite boisterous and full of energy. "Hello, My name is Kotori and this is Amelie," She said, doing a slight respectful bow. "We will be in your care" "Ohoho, Quite a polite one I see." He eyed Amelie "And a pretty one" Amelie gave him a glare and he quickly laughed "Mou Jou-chan*, I''m too old to be chasing girls anymore. I can barely get it up anymore!" He said laughing at his own crass joke. *Translation "Cmon princess" Jou-chan is a less formal way of saying princess, meant to be slightly ironic He stuck out his gloved hand for a handshake, but Amelie didn''t take it The man didn''t seem to mind and refocused his attention on Kotori. "I had heard that you would be young but aren''t you still too young" "I can fight and that is all" Kotori said. "Good response! I like the confidence" he said "Name''s Gavin," He said introducing himself "The guys in robes over there is Delvin and that mousy-looking rogue over there is Norbert." Both men nodded in agreement. "We''ll be your party for today," Gavin said "Usually we go as a group of 3 but Yooma asked a favor of us and now we''re working with you" Gavin said "We mostly play it slowly so you all can sit in the back or something. Frankly, we don''t really need help." "Great, I didn''t want to work with you anyway" Kotori internally retorted Chapter 37: Spelunking "HA!" A multitude of skeletons that were crowding around Garvin''s shield were all pushed away with the heft of his arm. Gavin himself was unscathed as a result of the heavy leather armor he wore. Even though adventurers were relatively well off compared to average citizens that still didn''t mean they could afford full metal armor. Gavin himself didn''t seem to care that much about getting new armor. He said that metal was a hassle to take care of. Kotori could see that his leather armor was well maintain despite it''s worn look. A pig-sized ball of fire roared past and struck another throng of a skeleton near them. The explosion instantly shattered their fragile bodies. Bones flew everywhere and clattered against the ground echoing throughout the ruins they were in. Norbert would flit around the battlefield and pick up the occasional coin or rusty sword the skeletons would leave behind before they turned to dust and their mana dissipated. Kotori had observed the loot Norbert was picking up and saw that the coins were old and faded with no semblance of any marking. The swords themselves were sold for scrap metal. Kotori watched their trio and their surprising teamwork. Although it was unlikely that they had worked together for that long it didn''t seem like they had any trouble meshing together. She herself was standing at the sidelines with Amelie and her Spirits. Although she could also fight she wasn''t really in the mood to do so and also didn''t feel like giving the kingdom any her of labor if she had to. The skeletons were actually quite weak in comparison to her but they could be dangerous in large groups which is how they spawned in this dungeon. Skeleton Race: [Dungeon beast] Age: 0 HP: 10 Mana: 0 Agility: 2 Strength: 10 Defense: 7 Karma: [N/A] Skills: None Traits: None She still thought it was interesting that skeletons would spawn in the first place. The process as to how dungeons monsters spawned and what determined it was still lost on her. Skeletons would seem apt in these ruins but they were completely artificial. Incidentally, the dungeon they were in was a "cave ruins" type which meant that the main enemies would be these skeletons, cave rats, and higher ranking undead. They had already run into a few skeletons captains who were higher stated and able to control other skeletons to some extent. Not that it mattered since the orders they gave were very rudimentary. All of it amounted to "Run in and hit invaders" Which wasn''t much different from the skeleton''s base behavior in the first place... Amelie and Kotori continued to watch the adventurers make quick work of the Skeletons in the section of the ruin they were in. They themselves were chatting while eating small snacks. Shu had made a small table and chairs and they were relaxing while the others were doing their work. Since Kotori and Amelie wouldn''t be able to profit off this dungeon run they simply told Gavin and Co to take all the loot for themselves. This was why the other adventurers didn''t bother them while they sat in the corner. Kotori would occasionally activate [Hunter] and give some MonMochi to Shu and Umi. The amount of mana the Skeleton had was pitiful and thus she didn''t bother trying to eat them herself. "They''ve got good coordination," Kotori remarked "Mhmm" Amelie said as she crunched down on a small biscuit. The ruin had a very symmetrical layout with a steadily descending floor and each time they descended another floor Kotori would have Shu set up their table and chairs in a corner and they would watch. [Dungeons exploring is quite relaxing when you don''t have to work] Kotori thought. She herself was a lazy person and quite liked this arrangement. Shu and Umi seemed to take the role of manservant and maid like this and would often hold their bags and fill the small clay plate they had with more snacks. If Kotori was thirsty Umi would use some of the water in her body to pour a cup for her. Kotori had not ordered them to do this. It seemed that both of the spirits insisted on doing. [Well, it''s not hurting anybody and they seem to enjoy it so I guess I''ll let them keep doing this] She thought The adventurers had finally finished up this section and floor of the ruin and were now moving on. They were chatting amongst themselves. Kotori eavesdropped a bit of their conversation and learned that they were talking about the bar they were going to frequent that night. Apparently, Norbert was quite partial to a waitress by the name of Yulia there. The next few floors were rather simple and straightforward like the other ones and they continued deeper. Eventually, they reached a dead end. Well, to call it a "Dead end" would be incorrect. They had finished their room and walked into a large hallway. The Hallway was markedly different than the stone caverns and rooms they were in. The Hallway had an extremely high ceiling and tiled floors. The floor was very clean which was unusual considering the fact that there was no one who would bother to clean a dungeon in the first place. At the end of the hallway was a large double door. The door had several inscriptions on it and depictions of armies and monsters locked in heated battles. Gavin and the other immediately turned back upon seeing the hallway and the doors; Now, the floors in a dungeon would get steadily harder as the mana concentration in the area increased, and thus the deeper you went the harder monsters you would find. Although Gavin, Delvin, and Norbert seemed able to take on their current floor they still didn''t seem to want anything to do with the hallway and the door. "Wait wait wait" Kotori called out "Why aren''t we taking on this part of the dungeons" Gavin looked at them with a knowing glance. "You young''un don''t know about this room" He tapped the ground with his shield. "Past this hallway is the boss room, it can be considered the source of the dungeon. For one, it''s bad manners to take it since the dungeon stops existing, and second, the boss in there is insanely strong. Don''t let the skeletons fool you. The boss in there is a real handful, not even that Yooma was able to take it down." The other adventurers nodded their heads. "I was there and I can say that monster is strong enough that the King''s Queen would not be able to take it down" Delvin added [Queen?] Kotori thought? This was a thought that was quickly followed by another [Sounds tasty!] Chapter 38: Frustrating! Kotori had been working with this group of adventurers for over a month now. It was a little boring. She was happy that she didn''t have to do work but she still wanted to take out the boss room. Her assignment with this current group would be done soon and she wanted to take the boss out while it was still possible to. It seemed very difficult though. If that damned Yooma had a hard time with the boss then it was likely that she would have an even harder time considering the fact that she couldn''t even beat Yooma in the first place. She wanted to get stronger but she didn''t really have an opportunity to. And thus her time with Gavin, Norbert and Delvin passed just like that without even getting a chance to take on the boss. Amelie who had gotten bored sitting with Kotori and eating snacks participated in the dungeon diving sometimes and spent her time happily bashing and slashing skeletons to bits. She was beginning to turn into a meathead like the boss was. Speaking of the boss, Kotori spent a lot of time reminiscing about her stay in the wood elf village and her old village before that. In her memories, they were warm places. Despite the harsh training, and the farm work she greatly missed them and was feeling a little "homesick". Not that they were her original homes in the first place, but it was not like her past life was particularly "loving" in comparison. She was considered a boy genius in her past life and often spent time away from home whether it was going to advanced classes or cooped up in the lab developing tech. When she became an adult it wasn''t much different she lived away from home and lived a NEET lifestyle, even if she was technically employed. Talking with people was a pain so she didn''t do it. On their last day, she once again tried to persuade the other adventurers to take on the boss room and still was unable to get their participation. They waved their hands and told Kotori things like they were too old and that they had wives to get back to. [These damn Oyaji!*] Kotori thought *Oyaji is a term for an older man That night as they got back to the inn they have been living in since they got to the city Kotori resolved herself. "We''re going to take down the boss!" "Ehh?" Amelie said "Kotori what are you going on about" She asked "I''m done doing nothing!" Kotori said Shu and Umi seemed to cheer in the background. Though, to be fair they would praise anything Kotori did. Amelie looked at Kotori empathetically and said "Look I know you aren''t happy about where we are but can''t we just go on like this for now it''s not like we are suffering" "I want to be stronger!" Kotori said "You are already plenty strong¡­" Amelie said her voice trailing off Indeed, she wasn''t wrong in the slightest. What a 9 year old could compare to Kotori? She was already a verifiable monster combat strength-wise even compared to other adventurers. She had met a couple of other salaried adventurers in the city and was surprised to find that many of them were weaker than her. Kotori herself, had impossible standards of strength and thus her feeling of weakness was just her own sense of inadequacy. Once again, like in the case of the lizard, she felt like she now HAD to kill the boss in the room. [Why do I feel this way in the first place?] Kotori questioned herself but mentally slid the question away as quickly as it came Amelie looked exasperated at Kotori "You''re always like this. Can''t you consider other people when you do things? I know you''re still young but despite all your maturity your still a child" She said [Ah that''s right she was there that time too] "Ummm" Kotori said not sure how to respond to being chided by her friend. Amelie sighed "Look it''s not like I''m willing to take out the boss, but promise me that we will leave at the first sign of trouble. Mari''s not here to bail us out." "Ok Ok" Kotori said, accepting Amelie''s conditions. They decided to take on the boss the next day on one of their off days. Without the help of adventurers The next day Kotori and her party set out to take out the dungeon boss. Luckily it seemed that no one else wanted to take on the dungeon themselves. They showed their adventurer cards to the government minder at the entrance and walked into it. They passed through the several rooms of skeletons avoiding taking too many fights to conserve energy and soon reached the Lower floor They once again reached the mysterious hallway with the imposing door. Kotori didn''t immediately cast a buff before entering the room. She didn''t want to use all her mana up yet and wanted to wait and see what the boss was like before investing it into a buff. She slowly pushed open the door which was well oiled and lighter than it seemed. She did a status on it and was surprised to find it was actually part of the dungeon itself which meant it was made of mana. They opened the door into a vast throne room. The room was circular in nature. With milky marbled floors. Solid gold pillars filled the room and held up the ceiling. Kotori would be extremely excited to see them if it weren''t for the fact that they were mana. This entire room seemed created by the dungeon for the sake of holding the boss. At the end of the room was a large throne made of a greenish stone. On it sat a jet black skeleton that was slumped over a small jeweled crown sat on its head. It was armored like a knight with several pieces of rusty metal strapped to it. It had hollow eyes with no signs of light and didn''t seem to make a move. [Is this the boss] Kotori thought "Status!" she said Grave lore Nero Race: [Dungeon beast] Age: 143 HP: 200 Mana: 0 Agility: 86 Strength: 165 Defense: 184 Karma: [N/A] Skills: [Overlord] Traits: [Shinigami] Author note: Next two chapters for today are side chapters that are optional to read you can if you want but they are not necessary for the plot if you just want to railroad the mainline story. Also, you all have finally caught up to where I am still writing so the 5 chapters party time is up :( Side Story: The Afterlife(1) Author Note: Once again this is just a fun little story to explain how Kotori came to be reincarnated. No need to read this if you just care about the main story. Kiri* awoke on a bed. *For those unaware of who Kiri is, reread chapter 1. It was very comfortable, so he went right back to sleep. Two hours passed and he awoke again. This time Kiri nearly jumped out of the bed in shock. There was a man staring over him with a very bored expression. He was more beautiful than handsome but his features still looked like they were chiseled from stone. Any woman would swoon upon looking at him. Thankfully Kiri was a red-blooded het male or else he felt he would''ve been enraptured by his face. "Ack! Who are you!" The man continued to look at him with a blank stare. Kiri tried to get back at the man by also staring at him but found himself intimidated by the man''s unflinching glare. [Is he even blinking?] Indeed, the man hadn''t blinked since he started watching Kiri. There was something inhumane about the man. Like it was a beast wearing the skin of a man. Kiri felt very scared for no apparent reason "Hello?" He squeaked The man blinks, then imperceptibly seemed to shift slightly. "Hello" Kiri felt his fear subside slightly. "So uhh where am I" This was not Kiri''s room. In fact, it was much more luxurious than his room. The bed he was sleeping in felt like he was laying upon clouds. The man blinked again then spoke carefully "Heaven" "Then am I dead?" "Yes" "So what happens now?" "Up to you" "Can you respond with more than ten words" "I can but I don''t think I have to answer you" [11 words] "Please" he pleaded with the man The man blinked again, then sighed and loosened his stance. "Fine, I will explain this once so listen carefully. You are dead D E A D. You were run over by a truck after drunkenly leaving a bar. This is heaven H E A V E N, you can think of it as a train stop for souls. In heaven, we use karma K A R M A. Which you can exchange for goods and services from the angels A N G E L S or you can reincarnate." Kiri felt like he was being babied. The man spelled out every word very carefully like he was talking to a child. "So how much Karma do I have?" "A little over 10 million" "Is that a lot?" "Abnormally large for a human" "Who are you anyway" "Your karma manager, Gabriel" [At least I know his name... wait isn''t Gabriel an archangel?] "Do I have to reincarnate" "Not until you run out of karma" "No tricks?" Kiri felt like this was a dream. He would finally be able to laze about. Nobody to tell him what to do and even more, he was rich! He thought for a while "Do you need any other questions answered?" Gabriel asked "Uhhh no" "Ok, Thus concludes your afterlife orientation if you need anything please ring this" Gabriel handed Kiri a stick with some bells on it (Suzu). "What happens if I lose it," Kiri asked Gabriel looked exasperated "You won''t," he said bluntly and then disappeared After confirming that Gabriel was gone Kiri looked around the luxurious room with a smile [Now begins my happy afterlife!] Side Story: The Afterlife(2) Heaven is pretty great! It''s basically like staying in a luxury resort. Every day I sleep in and get awoken by a beautiful angel maid then eat a sumptuous breakfast. I can order basically anything to eat and the chef will even create new foods for me. Kiri ate things that didn''t exist in the world he used to live in. There were meats and spices that he had never seen before. It was quite a good life. If it weren''t for that pesky Gabriel Every time Kiri wanted to relax or do anything Gabriel would be watching him. It really ruined the mood considering the fact his dead eyes would bore holes through Kiri''s (fake) body. It was rather annoying. Apparently, Gabriel was Kiri''s "afterlife manager" Although Gabriel didn''t seem to do much managing and mostly just kept an eye on Kiri. It was still annoying. The few times Kiri tried to speak to Gabriel he was brushed off and ignored. Gabriel seemed to find Kiri''s existence troublesome and would avoid him. Even when Kiri called for him Gabriel would resolve the issue as quickly as possible and leave. It was indeed a very weird relationship. Despite this Kiri still enjoyed his happy afterlife. He spent a lot of time catching up on all the Manga and Anime that he missed. There wasn''t any real conception of time and thus Kiri could enjoy every single creative pursuit ever created by humans. On the other hand, it also meant that if anything was cancelled and never continued Kiri would still be out of luck. He was shocked to find that quite a few of the Anime''s he liked never got a second season. [Curse these studios!] Unfortunately, even with his vast wealth Kiri still didn''t have the ability to make more seasons on his own. Still, he enjoyed his (after)life. Even if some anime were canceled he spent many long hours cooped up inside his hotel-like room simply watching anime all day. He could also play any video game he wanted. Only single-player games though! This greatly saddened Kiri since he was quite fond of MMO games. Kiri even had a personal maid. Her name was Maxine and apparently, she was an angel as well. Unfortunately, Kiri learned very quickly she was not the "ecchi" kind of maid and a regular old maid. This was a shame and a little bit of a disappointment since Maxine was quite cute. Not beautiful, but she had a girl next door feel that make Kiri very fond of her. Every time he asked her to do something she would bow and say "yes master" She seemed able to do nearly everything. From playing board games to sewing, and even setting tables. Kiri felt like a wealthy playboy and had quite a lot of fun in the afterlife thus Kiri spent nearly 1,000 years doing just that. Chapter 39: Nero [That is too hard!] Kotori thought She balked at the stats of the Dungeon boss which far exceeded her expectations of strength. A monster that was only slightly stronger than Yooma would be fine, but this was absurd levels of strength. [Why is such a strong monster here in the first place!] She thought. It felt as though a switch had gone off in her brain and the need to kill the monster vanished instantly. The rational side of her was now working full steam. It was the same sort of feeling cornered prey. She instantly motioned for Amelie to leave. Surprisingly it was Amelie who was now questioning her in surprise ¡°What¡¯s up Kotori? Aren¡¯t we going to fight it?¡± [As if!] Kotori thought To Amelie who didn¡¯t have the ¡°status¡± ability. It just looked like a slightly weird skeleton. She had no clue of the actual strength of it. Kotori motioned her head to say no, and Amelie¡¯s expression softened ¡°I see,¡± She said. Amelie lowered her weapon and headed out. At the very least this wasn¡¯t some sort of roguelike dungeon that would lock you in the boss room even if you haven¡¯t aggroed the boss. This game-like world was at least kind in that respect. They quickly left the room and the dungeon. Kotori gritted her teeth the entire time. [That was truly strength] She now understood what it meant to be strong in this world. Despite it being an unthinking monster she was jealous of the imposing skeleton. [Nero, You have my respect] Kotori thought in reverence. She was quite confused as to why Nero had a name. This was the first time she had seen it on a monster before. It would be easy to say that ¡°boss monsters have names so what?¡± but that explanation seemed¡­ Lacking in her opinion. For one dungeon monsters were just aberrant mana which means that although they had a form they couldn¡¯t possibly have a name. Nero not only had a name he was not just a ball of stats like other monsters. He had a skill and a trait. [Shinigami] meant death god which makes sense for the Skeleton, but the [Overlord] skill baffled her. Although she could see skills she didn¡¯t have the ability to see what skills did. Hell, even her own [Monte Cristo] trait was a mystery to her. [Overlord of what?] Kotori thought The question racked her mind until they reached Feran and retired to the inn. The next day they were reassigned. The person who they were assigned to surprised Kotori even more than Nero¡¯s stats ¡°YOU!¡± Kotori said, looking at the man in front of the dungeon. Yooma nervously scratched his head ¡°Well this is awkward,¡± he said ¡°Why are we assigned together you jerk!¡± Umi hissed and Shu barked at him in the background Yooma looked tired ¡°Look I dislike this arrangement as much as you, it¡¯s not like I decide the adventurer''s pairings. Blame the kingdom for that, those bureaucrats don¡¯t care about whether or not adventurers had an issue with each other.¡± He looked at Kotori¡¯s spirits ¡°Can you quiet those spirits down please that water spirit, in particular, is staring daggers at me.¡± [Ah whatever, not like I can do anything about it] Kotori thought, and quickly sent a mental message to Shu and Umi to quiet down. They began to protest, essentially saying things like ¡°Kotori-sama shouldn¡¯t have to endure this dishonor!¡± and things like ¡°Waaa Kotori is so beautiful!¡± [wait ¡°cute¡±?] She looked suspiciously at her spirits who were now surprisingly quiet. Umi was averting her gaze even more than Shu. ¡°Ah mou, I don¡¯t care anymore,¡± Kotori said Amelie had much less issue with being paired with Yooma and looked apologetically to Yooma. ¡°I¡¯m sorry she¡¯s a little sensitive after seeing the dungeon boss yesterday¡± She explains ¡°The dungeon boss! Don¡¯t tell me you all tried to take it on¡± ¡°No we left after we saw it,¡± she said Yooma gave them a discerning gaze ¡°Smarter than most, that thing is an absolute monster. Its [Overlord] skill is particularly annoying. It looks pretty weak but that thing is basically impossible to kill.¡± Kotori perked up [That¡¯s right! Yooma fought it before she would know what it does] ¡°¡®Overlord¡¯ what does it do¡± she quickly asked ¡°It¡¯s a mana sucking skill it will make skills dissipate¡± I went through so many blades before giving up. Yooma said [Then I absolutely can¡¯t beat it] Kotori thought in frustration Kotori¡¯s entire strategy revolved around buffing her party. If she was unable to maintain that buff then it would be extremely difficult to beat the boss in the first place. [It appears I''ve been hard countered] She mused ¡°Hmm, Interesting so what dungeon are we taking down today,¡± she said changing the subject ¡°A simple forest type outside the city nothing much to handle,¡± Yooma said ¡°Frankly, I don¡¯t need the money so I just go dungeon hunting to stay active. The old bones gotta stay warmed up somehow" he said [Ugh he sounds like an old man] Kotori was reminded of the old fisherman in her past who lived near her house who refused to retire for the exact same reason ¡°I gotta keep moving or else I¡¯ll slow down!¡± he always used to say while passing her on his morning run. Looking at Yooma, Kotori was reminded of this man Chapter 40: What is mana anyway? Apparently, Yooma is a pretty nice guy. Ever since taking Kotori¡¯s party under his wing, he¡¯d (it''s the abbreviation of he had) been surprisingly helpful, and while Kotori had declined, he had been training Amelie quite a bit. Amelie had even started calling Yooma ¡°Shishou¡±*. He was apparently teaching her a fighting style from his hometown. *teacher/master in Japanese typically used in martial arts as a way to refer to one''s teacher [Wait isn¡¯t this just Ninjitstu!] Kotori thought as she watched the black-clad Amelie jump from tree to tree in the dungeon. Her movements were quite graceful, but Kotori was surprised to find that Amelie was just learning a fighting style from her old world. Amelie, although she was a battle idiot, was a poor fit for the wood elf¡¯s style of bashing and slashing their opponents. She couldn¡¯t really be blamed for this though, as she was only half wood elf since her father was a human. Although she was bulkier than the average human she could not compare to the Amazoness builds of wood elves. This ninja style suited her much better. Incidentally, the dungeon they were in was a perfect training ground for her, the heavy trees cover and the multitude of monsters to ambush made it a great fit for her. She also already had climbing skills from her time as a scout and thus it was even more of a good fit for her. It was a heavily forested dungeon much like the ones near the wood elf village. The monsters in this dungeon were different though. Unlike the various lizard-like creature this dungeon only had monkeys. Great Ape Race: [Dungeon beast] Age: 0 HP: 79 Mana: 0 Agility: 43 Strength: 56 Defense: 35 Karma: [N/A] Skills: [Roar] Traits: None Lower Chimp Race: [Dungeon beast] Age: 0 HP: 34 Mana: 0 Agility: 37 Strength: 23 Defense: 12 Karma: [N/A] Skills: None Traits: None [These damn apes!] Kotori thought as she brained another monkey monster with her fist. Kotori was frankly tired of it. All the monsters in this dungeon were some variety of apes. There were troops of chimps who would attack you in groups. Although their individual stats were low they were small and frankly very annoying to kill since they were relatively fast. There were also King Kong-like gorillas that would have ear-piercing screech which would lead the Chimp groups. In combination with the troop of chimps was a particularly annoying group of monsters to kill. This was already the third group of apes they¡¯ve run across and Kotori was at her wit''s end. Amelie had an easy time taking them out but Kotori who had no such dexterity or agility was stuck chasing them around. In addition, she couldn¡¯t use her mana buff or else it would run out so she was weaker than she usually was when doing encounters with monsters. She was taking this time to eat some MonMochi though, even if they tasted disgusting. The MonMochi from the apes tasted like old licorice and made her retch. Shu and Umi didn¡¯t seem to mind and happily ate them up. Incidentally, Shu and Umi seemed to be working very hard. It seems they were competing to show off to Kotori and were busy trying to kill as many monsters as possible. Umi had her [Water blades] and could snipe monsters in the bushes but Shu also had his [Rock Bullets] while Shu was slower at killing the chimps he was able to take on the Apes with some help from Kotori. The amount of MonMochi they made was about the same, but Umi seemed to declare it her victory as she had killed ¡°more¡± monsters. [These pets are a handful] Kotori would think Yooma himself didn¡¯t really do much and said things like ¡°Killing monsters is for the youngsters¡± He spent most of his time coaching Amelie and giving her pointers on how to move with better agility. It seemed like he felt bad for putting the slave collar on her and wanted to make up for it by helping her get stronger. Kotori took this time to ask something that had been bothering her ever since they met Yooma in the sewer. ¡°Yooma why were you patrolling the sewer that night¡± He looked at them and scratched his head ¡°Well, we got a tip?¡± ¡°A tip?¡± Kotori asked ¡°Yeah we were told that there would be some smugglers there¡± So I took some guards and went to check [That¡¯s odd?] The only person who knew what they were doing was Giorgio and his associates. And the two other adventurers. Kotori was beginning to feel like something was off. Giorgio had also disappeared after the smuggling incident and she was still unsure about the fate of the Shun and Anya who were with them that night. Yooma said they had also been recruited but she hadn¡¯t seen them anywhere in the city. It wasn¡¯t completely unlikely that they could¡¯ve been assigned somewhere else but still, the whole situation made her feel uneasy. At the very least she was steadily growing. Kotori had also begun to investigate further on the nature of dungeons. She was initially confused as to why there was a random forest in the middle of nowhere but soon found out that the forest itself was made of mana much like Nero¡¯s boss room. Kotori began to formulate a theory on mana. ¡°Mana¡± was a resource that could make anything. The effects and powers it could create dungeons and monsters. If monsters were localized instances of mana then what was a dungeon that was also an unstable pool of mana? Could, Kotori in fact .... Eat it? Author note: On another food-related note, I made Oyakodon(mother-son rice bowl) today. It was quite good. Chapter 41: Kotori’s dungeon cooking show! Kotori¡¯s dungeon cooking show! ¤Ï¤¤¤Ï¤¤£¡ [Hello Hello] ¤ß¤Ê¤µ¤ó¤²¤ó¤­£¡ [How¡¯s everyone doing!] Welcome to Kotori¡¯s dungeon cooking show! Today¡¯s menu! Forest Ape with a Forest Tree reduction What? It doesn¡¯t look good? Well please try it It doesn¡¯t taste good either? ¡­ It¡¯s not supposed to! Kotori had found that the [Hunter] skill is very poorly named. Although it would allow Kotori to feed on the defeated dungeon monsters it also allowed her to eat the dungeons themselves. Not that it was easy to do it in the first place. If she were to describe it, the feeling was similar to trying to gather water from a steam vent. With enough time if she concentrated enough she could gather a decent amount to eat but it wasn¡¯t very efficient. Killing monsters was still more efficient in general. It wasn¡¯t so much that the mana contained within a dungeon was a low amount but rather it would swirl and dissipate however it pleased which meant that ¡°grasping¡± it was quite hard. It was a similar feeling to casting [Magical Musician]. When casting [Magical Musician] it was like she was taking a torrent of mana and turning it into an organized form. But when casting [Hunter] the mana was outside her body and thus all she could do was try and pull it towards her with [Hunter] the closer she was to the target the easier it was to pull. Kotori found it quite amusing when she would put her hand on a tree, activate [Hunter], and then a section of the tree would instantly disappear into a small MonMochi. Their time with Yooma was almost up and Kotori was ready to be done with the Monkey dungeon. If she had to deal with another screech skill she would be the one screeching herself. Through this new application of the [Hunter] skill, Kotori had found out something from Amelie¡¯s slave collar. She could take it off. [Hunter] was a skill that would suck up mana from something. When she tested to see if it would activate on Amelie¡¯s collars she was surprised to find it did indeed work. While it would¡¯ve been nice to simply remove it Kotori didn¡¯t for the sake of being able to continue being an adventurer. She also learned partially what the collar did based on the [Hunter] skill. Her guess that it was a mana crystal was in fact correct. Yooma was also likely not lying when he said it was a slave collar, the collar was attached to an unknown mana signature and would respond to only that mana signature. Who it was attached to Kotori didn¡¯t know but it could probably induce the victim to action if the owner of the collar infused it with a command and a bit of their mana. The mana stone itself acted as a battery and held quite a bit of mana inside it. It really was a clever piece of equipment. Still, Kotori assumed that it had to have been created from a skill. There was no way something like this could appear naturally. And since the collar was still connected she assumed the owner was somewhere in the city. But the connection was so light she couldn¡¯t really trace it without accidentally eating the mana stone. She had already accidentally eaten a small part of it trying to analyze it so she didn¡¯t want to accidentally eat the entire thing. A closer inspection would see the mana stone in Amelie¡¯s collar was slightly deformed but that was only to someone who was trying to observe the stone. It was small but Yooma didn¡¯t notice and Kotori was grateful for that fact. Though, she wondered if it would matter if Yooma noticed. The worst that would happen is Amelie would get another slave collar and it wasn¡¯t like Kotori couldn¡¯t take a second slave collar off. With this issue out of the way, Kotori and Amelie began to develop their adventurer life further. They spent a lot of time in dungeons killing monsters. Not that it really mattered that much since they would be giving their profit to the kingdom, but it was at least a good amount of exercise. Kotori began to earnestly try and collect the MonMochi. Her experience with Nero still painted all her actions. Once their assignment with Yooma was up they were assigned to another adventurers group. Kotori didn¡¯t bother to learn who they were. Frankly, they didn¡¯t even bother to show up for their assignment. No one seemed to bother them so they continued to visit the various dungeons around the area. There was an ice climate dungeon with assorted wooly mammoths and dire wolves-type monsters. There was also a Mangrove dungeon with walking mangrove trees and piranha swarms. The difficulty of the dungeons overall was very similar to each other and frankly, it seemed like a matter of preference as to what adventurers liked to run. Of course, some were harder than others but they were very consistent in their construction. This was what made Nero¡¯s dungeon so bizarre. Not only was Nero a dungeon monster with age his dungeon had a vastly different difficulty curve. The beginning floors were rather easy but Nero himself was extremely difficult. It almost felt like it was bait to get adventurers to challenge Nero. Kotori once again was beginning to feel that buzzing feeling to kill him. She was distinctly aware of it this time and took a more objective lens. Every time she was faced with a stronger opponent she felt like¡­ beating them. It was very bizarre. She felt it was unusual and almost a little scary. Something was influencing her and she didn¡¯t know what. Still, she was strong enough right? All this time eating MonMochi must¡¯ve raised her stats enough. And she could use [Hunter] to restore mana to counter Nero¡¯s [Overlord]¡¯s mana drain. Umi and Shu seemed to egg her on of their own volition even though Amelie didn¡¯t really mind as long as she was willing to run if things got hairy. Kotori was suspicious of the feeling but didn¡¯t really see a reason why they couldn¡¯t at least try to at least kill Nero. ¡­ As Kotori started bedding down for the night in their now familiar inn. She did her weekly check of stats and was shocked to find something new Sato Kotori Race: [Human] Age: 9 HP: 29(+4!) Mana: 27(+2!) Agility: 20(+3) Strength: 16 (+5) Defense: 15 (+5) Karma: -100,008,304 Skills: [Magic Musician], [Hunter], [Desire of Monte Cristo](Removed) Traits: [Spirit Seer], [Monte Cristo], [£ª£ª©`¤«£ª](NEW!) [What the heck is a [£ª£ª©`¤«£ª]!] Kitsura I bought a Ring Fit the other day and I feel pain everywhere. Please enjoy my small chapter offering O'' viewer gods. Minor Announcement Hello readers! I have started a new novel exclusive to web novel(for the time being) for a contest It''s titled "Tempted by a Goddess of Fate I was Reincarnated as the Hero''s Sidekick " I will be updating both novels concurrently so don''t worry about my productivity going down! Please support my endeavor if you can! https://www.webnovel.com/book/tempted-by-a-goddess-of-fate-i-was-reincarnated-as-the-hero''s-sidekick_19768936105186005 Chapter 42: Nero 2.0 Hello readers! I have started a new novel exclusive to web novel(for the time being) for a contest It''s titled "Tempted by a Goddess of Fate I was Reincarnated as the Hero''s Sidekick " I will be updating both novels concurrently so don''t worry about my productivity going down! Please support my endeavor if you can! https://www.webnovel.com/book/tempted-by-a-goddess-of-fate-i-was-reincarnated-as-the-hero''s-sidekick_19768936105186005 Kotori and Amelie once again entered the dungeon. They quickly cleared the skeletons floors and then made their way to Nero¡¯s Throne room As they approached the imposing doors Kotori felt a shred of danger and had Amelie push it aside while she casted a Umi bonused level mana buff and prepared to fight Sato Kotori Race: [Human] Age: 9 HP: 83 (+54!) Mana: 1/27 Agility: 74 (+54) Strength: 70 (+54) Defense: 69 (+54) Karma: -100,008,304 Skills: [Magic Musician], [Hunter], [Desire of Monte Cristo](Removed) Traits: [Spirit Seer], [Monte Cristo], [£ª*©`¤«£ª](NEW!) Dirt Spirit (Shu) Race: [Spirit] Age: 2 HP: 63 (+54!) Mana: 14 Agility: 63 (+54!) Strength: 67 (+54!) Defense: 72(+54!) Skills: [Rock Bullet] Traits: [Earth Spirit] Water Spirit (Umi) Race: [Spirit] Age: 0 HP: 69 (+54!) Mana: 1/28 Agility: 71 (+54!) Strength: 62 (+54!) Defense: 66 (+54!) Skills: [Water blade] [Mana Flow] Traits: [Water Spirit] Amelie Race: [Half Wood Elf] Age: 18 HP: 84 (+54!) Mana: 0 Agility: 78 (+54!) Strength: 79 (+54!) Defense: 76 (+54!) Skills: [Ninjistu] Traits: [Wood Elf''s Blessing] She once again checked the stats of Nero who sat in the room Grave Lord Nero Race: [Dungeon beast] Age: 144 HP: 200 Mana: 0 Agility: 86 Strength: 165 Defense: 184 Karma: [N/A] Skills: [Overlord] Traits: [Shinigami] [Happy birthday] she thought as she noticed Nero had gained another year in age. It had been three months since they last showed up here and it seemed like Nero¡¯s birthday had passed during that time. Aa they walked slightly closer, his eyes seemed to flare and the once dark pockets became lit with a red light. Steam came off Nero¡¯s body as he slowly stood from the throne. Kotori felt a rumbling in the room as Nero came to life. The skeleton tar colors limbs began to move and grip the great sword hanging near it. When Kotori saw Nero stand up she realized that Nero was not a human skeleton. He stood over 10 feet tall and had lanky looks as a result of his skeletal appearance. Despite having a humanoid appearance Nero was definitely not human in the slightest. As Nero lumbered towards them Kotori and her party executed their plan. Shu and Umi ran forward as a front liner. Amelie and Kotori would play as flankers to draw attention and take aggro. It was a very simple strategy that would ensure no one had the full attention of the boss. Despite having lower stats Kotori had a feeling they would win based on a simple concept. ¡°Action economy¡± Although they were 4 fighters with lower stats. They had enough actions that they could overwhelm Nero with numbers. While one party member distracted Nero the rest would land hits on the back of Nero It was a sufficient strategy to kill Nero and was very similar to the strategy they used to kill the Lizard monster in the forest. It should¡¯ve been sufficient. Right? After fighting Nero for a while although their strategy was working in the beginning. It was getting hard? They were having a harder time fighting Nero. She couldn¡¯t find as many angles and it seemed like Nero was becoming smarter? This didn¡¯t make sense, dungeon monsters couldn¡¯t learn they were masses of mana after all. The skeletons Nero¡¯s dungeons lacked any sort of intelligence. And would just run into their deaths. Kotori once again looked into Nero¡¯s eyes and she saw it. Within the light of Nero¡¯s eye¡¯s there was a faint glint of intelligence. Nero the ¡°Dungeon Monster¡± had a sense of self. Kotori¡¯s heart was painted with shock. ¡°Back off!¡± She said As if sensing her realization Nero instantly swung his sword at Shu. Shu who was not ready to dodge was hit and the greatsword crashed against him. Fortunately, in his spirit buffed form he was not cut but the sword essentially acted like a club and his tortoise-like shell was cracked with shards breaking away from it. He was leaking mana which made Kotori realize that the hit was strong enough to damage Shu¡¯s spiritual form. ¡°Shu!¡± She yelled out of concern. Shu quickly lept out of the way rumbling in pain. He was still slow and Nero swung back his sword and hit him again. The hit blasted Shu who was already unsteady on his feet flying across the room and left sprawling. Amelie quickly slashed at Nero who had created an opening by over-focusing on Shu. Nero didn¡¯t seem to mind and took the hit. In his mind he had taken out one of the bees who had been buzzing near his ear. Nero greatly increased fervor began to bear down on them. His speed picked up and he swings grew faster. Instead of fighting slowly like earlier, Nero now seemed to want to take out these invaders quickly. His movements which were simple swings turned into trained swipes that only a professional who had studied the blade for years could make. Amelie who was now also taking the brunt of Nero¡¯s focus was beginning to be overwhelmed under a flurry of strikes that cracked the ground and whistled through the air. She had the highest physical stats out of all of them but was quickly being outmatched by Nero¡¯s skill and raw stats. Kotori tried to land hits on Nero but he would always quickly move out of the way and avoided taking any more damage. And that was when she felt it. [Overlord] Kitsura Author note: Will Kotori beat Nero? Find out next time on Dragon Ball Z wait? wrong story! Chapter 43: Dying scream of a heroic spirit At first, Kotori was aware the [Overlord] Skill was active based on the fact that she felt her mana buff slowly decreasing. It wasn¡¯t particularly annoying and she would occasionally take the time to eat parts of the floor in Nero¡¯s room to regain the mana and keep herself topped off. Now though? It was overwhelming she felt like her mana was being sucked out of her at a rate she couldn¡¯t understand or comprehend. She almost gasped as she suddenly felt all her strength leaving her limbs. She backed off and staggered slightly. It seems Amelie and Umi both felt it too. She saw Umi¡¯s figure begging to shrink and Amelie held a similarly weakened expression. Kotori leaned against one of the golden pillars in the room and activate [Hunter] [What!] She felt a small energizing jolt pass through her. It was almost as if the pillar was made out of extremely dense mana. Nero, noticing Kotori going near the pillar, instantly turned his full attention to her and ferociously attacked her. The onslaught was surprising and almost unwarranted. She instantly retreated almost getting slashed in the process. Once again she felt the power of [Overlord] sucking her mana this time even more aggressively Kotori looked towards the pillars in the room. If they were anything like the other pillars then Nero must be using them as batteries. It seemed he had squirreled away all the mana he had leached from other adventurers inside the pillar. It must be why his dungeon was so easy. Nero was never meant to be defeated. This was a trap dungeon. ¡°Cover me!¡± Kotori said as she ran to another pillar If she could just use them to recharge more she could keep layering her mana buff. Nero of course, was not about to let this happen and jumped. While in the air he crashed down with a thud cracking the floor and slashing towards Kotori. The now rebuffed Kotori nimble slid out of the way and put her hand on the pillar. She greedily lapped mana contained within with [Hunter] Kotori pulled out her Lizard horn and blasted a note rebuffing herself and her allies in the process. This came at a cost though as Kotori''s Magical Musician Skill would buff anything in the surrounding and Nero was buffed as well. Kotori had a plan now though. It had to do with how her Mana buff worked. Despite giving Nero an equal amount of stats to the Mana she gained she was essentially gaining 4x the normal stats because the buff would be distributed across all her allies. This meant that their stats would not grow equally and soon she and her Allies would be even with Nero. Still, that required her to be able to outlast the Mana buffed Nero in the first place. She conveyed the concept to Shu and Umi who were able to instantly grasp her intent based on her [Spirit Seer] Skill. All she told Amelie was ¡°Cover me!¡± once again and thus began her mad dash towards other pillars while also dodging and running from a Nero that was not only stealing her Stats but also trying to hamper her every move. She cut across the room using her small body to slide in between Nero¡¯s legs to her allies who were behind him. This was a calculated move. Nero who had an extremely long reach with his greatsword would have a hard time swinging it in close quarters. She reached another pillar and began to suck it while constantly tooting her horn The sound of her horn reverberated across the room and gave her allies renewed energy. Shu¡¯s body was repaired and he seemed to be in good shape now. Overlord was cast once again and she felt her mana being drained by Nero who used it to buff himself. It became a battle of her ability to drain with [Hunter] and Nero¡¯s ability to drain with [Overlord]. Whoever was faster would win this battle. Unfortunately, Nero could only drain Kotori and her allies. She could drain from the highly condensed mana within the pillars. A game of cat and mouse began. 19 pillars left. Kotori would run and Nero would bear down on her while being attacked by allies. Still¡­ The fight grew easier. 15 pillars left Nero¡¯s onslaught grew even fiercer and faster, but soon Shu was not only able to block for her but also able to act as a shield. Tanking entire hits. 10 pillars lefts Shu and Umi who were now overcharged on mana began to change forms once again. Steadily they grew in size. Shu, who was approaching the size of a small truck, looked like a lizard with a rocky carapace. The carapace itself was much stronger than his tortoise form and could take a full hit now from Nero¡¯s sword with only a few scratches on his shell. 7 pillars left Umi¡¯s form now approached new levels of elegance he lithe snakelike form grew even larger and she was beginning to look like an eastern dragon simplified pure white eastern dragon The fight continued 2 pillars left Nero who saw another one of his pillars disappear began to move his skull into what appeared to be a silent scream of agony. This greatly confused Kotori, who had no reason to believe why Nero would be in such pain. He had taken some damage, yes, but overall was still pretty hale and healthy Kotori assumed it must be related to the pillars. She once again made a mad dash for another pillar and greedily lapped it up. She cast one more mana buff. Shu and Umi once again changed form. Except for this time, they shrunk. Shu who was in his large lizard form shrunk down into the size of a tanned skin faintly exotic-looking young man. His shell turned into a suit of rocky plate armor that covered his body.. Umi¡¯s scales partially dissolved and turned into soft creamy skin. She became a young woman with soft delicate features and ebony hair.* *Lookup "Yamato Nadeshiko" The moment they both transformed they yelled ¡°Ojou-sama!¡±* *it means ¡°Young lady¡± in Japanese. It¡¯s a polite way to refer to a woman in higher social standing than you In surprise. Umi¡¯s soft voice overlapped with Shu¡¯s rough tone. In response to this Nero switch tactics almost out of desperation. He went to destroy his own pillar in the room hacking at it with her greatsword His swings were desperate and sloppy lacking the sort of trained fervor he once had. The pillar broke and dissipated into light. Then Nero kneeled Not towards Kotori, but the pillar that he destroyed Any hostile intent vanished. In fact, a cold sadness permeated the room. Nero¡¯s skull once again made another silent wail. He stood and simply charged Kotori and her party, It was a simple charge with no strategy behind it. In fact, it felt like he was trying to die with such a charge. And like a soldier at Nagashino* *famous Japanese battle where samurai suicidally charged into guns Nero attacked with no purpose in mind. No longer with the moves of the trained soldier And thus Nero was quickly defeated and fell to the floor. ¡°Hunter¡± Kotori silently said Looking at the crumpled form of the skeleton in the room. She saw the pitch black coloring in the bones fade into a plaster the skeleton shrunk and turned into a normal sized skeleton-like in the dungeon. The greatsword Nero once held dissipated into light which turned into a basketball-sized MonMochi that gently drifted into her hand. She took a bite Unlike other MonMochi Kotori could only taste a deep sadness and anger within it. And she then heard a voice, an old rumbling voice that sounded like a tired old man. ¡°You...have been¡­ Tricked¡± There was a brief silence and then she heard the same voice again ¡°Ah, Isla I¡¯ve come home¡± Kitsura Chapter 44: A Pathetic Death Nero had been in that throne room for over a century. His memories of the time before he was in the throne room were beginning to fade. Ever since that damn angel had placed him in here he burned with a growing rage. Nero, who was known as ¡°Roran¡± in a past life was a person who was simultaneously called the ¡°executioner¡± by his enemies and was also known as the ¡°Savior¡± by others. He had united the world under his own banner and ushered in a period of peace. It was a path laid out in blood and Roran did not mind. He was a singularly determined individual and would ensure that he did what he felt was right. When the world was united. It was finally peaceful. But that did not mean Roran was not met with scorn. He ruled with an iron fist, prepared to do what was needed to ensure the unity of the world. But, people grow to love their chains. And he was deposed. The world who had once praised him had eliminated him and once again became peaceful free from their ¡°tyrant¡± Roran¡¯s allies who had helped unite the world with him were slowly killed, hunted, and routed. His precious allies who had shed blood for his sake, and his lover, Isla were all cut down like cattle. And then once again the world fell into chaos. As if Roran¡¯s rule had never existed. Roran found himself in front of a mysterious angel. Begging to be left to rest in peace with his companions the angel allowed Roran to be granted his wish. The wicked angel tricked him, and cast him down to another mortal world, as a dungeon monster. The souls of his allies were diffused and given to Roran as mana. Their pained voices swirling in his head as their souls were broken into pieces. The angel had cursed Roran and locked him in endless solitude. Roran who was left alone in the dungeon was filled with anger. To get the chance to strike down the angel who had cursed him. He created a dungeon using his vast mana reserves and set up pillars filled with the fragments of his allies'' souls. If he could kill enough humans on this planet he would recover enough mana to restore them. And thus he waited. A steady trickle of adventurers came in over the years. Roran deliberately conserved mana to bait them in. Soon the pillars began to speak and Roran felt his power grow once more. Due to his nature as a dungeon beast, he could not possibly leave the dungeon, but he was still the ruler of it. Roran began to notice the number of adventurers coming into his room lower even further. He had killed too many, they became wary. Fewer and fewer came to challenge him Roran laid low and locked his gates. Waiting for adventurers to forget who he was. He could wait, he had time. His plan worked and when he flung his gates open again adventurers once more began to trickle in. That was until the man came. The man who could make blades appear out of nowhere. The man was a much harder fight than Roran had anticipated, and although he used his special skill [Overlord] to weaken the man several times, he was unable to land a decisive blow, and thus the man escaped with his life. As a person who rarely felt defeat, this was painful for Roran, although he had won the fight and forced his opponent to retreat he was unable to secure the large amount of mana the man had. Roran cursed himself and hoped that another would come along. And she did. There was a curious girl and her party who came. A girl who was younger than any adventurer he had seen. A girl that was young enough to be Roran¡¯s granddaughter when he had died. Roran didn¡¯t move, not wanting to scare them away but the girl looked at him as if she was looking straight into his soul and instantly retreated in fear. Roran internally praised her intuition but felt as if this was not the last time he would see her. It was not long before she arrived again with a determined look on her face. This time Roran knew that this girl came to fight. Based on his assumption he knew that she had cast some sort of buff, it was still a meager amount and he toyed with the girl and her party. The taller girl with them seemed to be able to match him the best but he was unconcerned and waited for them to play their trump cards as he slowly raised the pressure of the fight. That¡¯s how it was supposed to go, and how Roran had killed many adventurers previously. That was until the girl who had noticed Roran¡¯s eyes lean against a pillar. He instantly felt the consciousness of one of his allies lessen and weaken. The spot where the girl had touched was now marred. Roran was horrified. This girl was no longer food, but rather an existential threat. She was an existence that could destroy everything Roran had been building for. He fought desperately, but every time he tried to get close he was hampered by her allies. They grew stronger, faster and soon Roran was having trouble dealing with them. The girl devoured pillar after pillar. Roran starting judiciously casting [Overlord] [Give them back! Give them back! GIVE THEM BACK!] His body began to steam with mana his body leaking and unable to hold all his allies together. He felt streams of consciousness that had started to blossom over the years. Begin to fade away. [GIVE THEM BACK!] 2 pillars left [GIVE THEM BACK!] The girl ate another and Roran screamed soundlessly in despair [GIVE THEM BACK!] Roran ran over to his last pillar. He could see his end, this was Isla¡¯s pillar. He wanted her to go peaceful¡­ He struck at it, again and again. Cracks formed in it and he could hear the confused voice of his lover. Crack! The pillar broke and her stream of consciousness faded. Roran with mana leaking across his body kneeled in front of the dissolving pillar. His body, no longer human, was sobbing, despite not being able to sob physically. He stood up and turned towards the girl and her party who looked at him baffled. Roran charged halfheartedly wanting to be put out of his misery. He felt his hp fall but he did not mind, for why would a dying animal complain in the manner that they were going to be killed. He saw his HP reach 0 and his body crumpled; He was no longer in control of it. He felt something eat at him. The girl could control mana as he could. Was she related to the angel? She had to know. ¡°You...have been¡­ Tricked¡± he said with dying breaths As his vision faded dark he saw her. In the beautiful azure dress she wore at his wedding she took his hand. And they walked. To where? Roran did not know, but in his mind, it did not matter. ¡°Ah, Isla I¡¯ve come home¡± And that is the story of how a man who once united the world died. Kitsura Some of you might be asking, why is this relevant? And all I have to say is that this is the most plot-heavy chapter in the whole series excluding chapter one Chapter 45: Tricked? Kotori lazily watched Shu and Umi kill the dungeon monsters with the new adventurers they had been assigned. She waved her hand and a soft slightly wet presence began to massage her head. [Ahh this is nice] She thought as water manipulated by Umi started to massage her temples. Now, Kotori actually didn¡¯t move that much, so a massage was quite pointless but still she was beginning to feel like a Japanese salaryman and she FELT like she was over-stressed despite not being so. She felt herself lean back slightly as Shu adjusted the chair she was sitting in. It was quite a comfy existence. Incidentally, Shu and Umi looked very happy to make her feel as comfortable as possible. Despite being in the middle of a fight They had evolved after eating the Monmochi is seemed into [Greater Spirits] which is why they could afford to split their attention between fighting and making sure Kotori was comfortable. Ever since the fight with Nero, they seemed to be even more loyal to Kotori. And increasingly more insistent on getting stronger. It seems experiencing their human forms from a temporary evolution made them want to get to that point as soon as possible to better serve her. Kotori thought it was troublesome and told them they didn¡¯t have to work that hard but they insisted on it. She still remembers their shocked faces as the fight with Nero ended and they could converse with her using speech. Shu immediately knelt down and swore fealty in a very knightly way After Kotori accepted baffled Shu started crying tears of joy and saying things like ¡°Mother we can finally speak as equals¡± while choking back tears and things like ¡°I will follow you through life and death!" Umi was also crying and saying things like ¡°Goshujin-sama, my body belongs to you.¡± Kotori was awkwardly watching the affair said something along the lines of ¡°Err I¡¯m happy for you?¡± Of course, this was a little more muffled as Umi had covered Kotori in an embrace but due to the height difference Kotori was smothered by Umi¡¯s newfound ¡°chest armor¡±. Since Kotori, herself was now a girl. She was distinctly aware of the way women ¡°fought¡±. Kotori knew now that Umi was a woman who had quite a powerful chest armor and she felt a twinge of jealousy despite not being still a child. It was quite dramatic, at the moment but Kotori honestly had trouble taking them seriously. After the mana dissipated from their bodies they once again went back to their new evolved forms. Both spirits started crying afterward but this time over the loss of their temporary form. Kotori could only pat their heads and tell them she would look forward to the day where they could converse like humans again. Still, Umi was in a sullen mood for three days. Shu was much more aloof and tried to hide it when Kotori wasn¡¯t looking. [Mou, these pets are troublesome] Kotori thought, it was a thought that had started becoming increasingly common. Dirt Spirit (Shu) Race: [Greater Spirit] Age: 2 HP: 25 Mana: 17 Agility:12 Strength: 19 Defense: 27 Skills: [Rock Bullet] Traits: [Earth Spirit] [Stone Skin](New!) [Form Manifestation](Locked) Water Spirit (Umi) Race: [Greater Spirit] Age: 0 HP: 19 Mana: 36 Agility: 20 Strength: 11 Defense: 14 Skills: [Water blade] [Mana Flow] Traits: [Water Spirit] [Form Manifestation](Locked) Kotori had also grown as well and her stats were beginning to become even stronger than Amelie in some regard. Which of course she didn¡¯t tell her about. Sato Kotori Race: [Human] Age: 9 HP: 33 Mana: 32 Agility: 26 Strength: 17 Defense: 15 Karma: -100,009,604 Skills: [Magic Musician], [Hunter], [Desire of Monte Cristo](Removed) Traits: [Spirit Seer], [Monte Cristo] Incidentally, it seemed that Kotori had even grown slightly from her stats raising. Although she was 9 years of age was beginning to look like a middle schooler. It wasn¡¯t instant but she began to notice she was growing at a rapid pace. It was quite annoying since she was buying new clothes every day for a week until she realized that her growth was abnormal. Kotori then bought a larger set of clothes and waited for her to grow into them. The clothes were still a little big and seemed to hang off slightly which gave her an almost priestly aura. Kotori herself had begun to shed the baby fat from her face and she had reached the point of pre-adolescence where one could see the potential beauty of a child when they grew up. By her calculation, she would be rather comely once she grew larger. She and Amelie hadn¡¯t told anyone that they had killed Nero. Obviously, though, it was still too difficult to hide the fact a dungeon boss had been killed. The kingdom tried to investigate but it¡¯s not like in this day and age people would be able to figure such a thing out. In the end, it was ruled a mana anomaly and the dungeon had naturally dissipated. Dungeons dissipating was a rare occurrence in this world but it was common enough that it served as the simplest explanation for the baffled kingdom government officials. And thus Kotori and her party killed Nero without much trouble. Besides the fight itself of course. They had quickly settled back into the monotony of adventurer life. Still, It had been over two weeks since Kotori and Amelie had taken down Nero. The words that he said in her mind still echoed [Tricked how? Does it have something to do with Yooma] Kotori didn¡¯t know what the dungeon beast and Yooma would have in common. It was not like she could ask Yooma either. If he was indeed trying to trick her he obviously wouldn¡¯t tell her. Kitsura Chapter 46: Meeting the Earl With the Nero debacle out of the way, Kotori began to spend much of her time thinking about the nature of his statement. For one, Nero being able to speak already baffled her. She had yet to encounter a dungeon monster that could speak. Second, the sheer amount of Mana Nero had was unusual. It was enough to make Kotori¡¯s head spin at the amount of Mana that was in the boss room and those pillars. It was a shame she couldn¡¯t convert that mana into more stats for herself. Not like she could in the first place, The amount of mana was so large that she would¡¯ve had trouble controlling it. It would be like trying to drink from a fire hydrant instead of a faucet. This was a puzzling development for Kotori who had never been in a situation where her growth was stunted as a result of her own body. Unlike the spirits who were simply just masses of mana, Kotori was limited by her own physical body. It seemed that it had started growing abnormally fast in response, but that was still not enough. She envied Shu and Umi who could grow as much as they wanted and not be limited by a physical form. Since killing Nero, Kotori felt her growth slow to a snail''s pace. Besides the amount of stats that she gained, it seemed even larger monsters in the dungeons surrounding the city were not enough to satiate her. Kotori¡¯s interest in eating monsters had slightly waned after eating Nero¡¯s verifiable feast of mana. It didn¡¯t taste very good. Shu and Umi happily ate their portions but after finishing her portion all Kotori could feel was regret. She resolved herself to be more careful. Proper nutrition is very important, no? She¡¯s a growing girl of course she needs to eat properly. So Kotori started practicing using her [Hunter] skill. Ever since her encounter with Nero She¡¯d been practicing using her [Hunter] skill. The conditions were the same as always but her control over it had gotten better. While [Hunter] could be used to eat defeated dungeon monsters with relatively good efficiency, she had gotten better at eating dungeons. It was now around even with farming smaller monsters in terms of efficiency but couldn¡¯t match simply killing monsters. Recently Kotori had actually been called to meet Earl Parth. She had gotten good reviews from other adventurers and he wanted to personally know about the girl who had decided to become an adventurer at such a tender young age. So Kotori with Amelie, Shu, and Umi in tow dragged themselves to the high-class residential district where the Earl lived. As she reached the district she was surprised by the architecture. If she would describe the rest of the city with one word she would use the word ¡°dirty¡± in this sort of world there wasn¡¯t much money put towards ¡°city beautification¡±. This is why when she entered the gated community that was the nobles district she was astounded at how clean it was. The streets were well maintained and the roads were lined with cut stone. The buildings didn¡¯t sag and even had slight architectural oddities that made them almost artistic. Her only experience in the past had been with the old count in her village and she now realized that he lived a very modest living style compared to these people. She could only imagine what it would be like in the capital of Faramouth. They reached the Parth estate which was the largest building in the district and were surprised to see that he even had a well-manicured garden. There were no gardeners but seeing a beautiful garden was quite a disconnect from the ramshackle frontier city. They were allowed entrance into the estate after showing the guard at the gate their adventurer card which showed their identity. As they walked through the manicured Kotori was reminded of the politician houses she would visit in her past life. If the Earl was anything like them she would probably be asked to do a favor for them. Something like ¡°Oh you¡¯re so talented please help this country by inventing more¡± Or ¡°You must be associated and come to our group with us we will happily fund your endeavors¡± It was quite annoying and part of the reason why Kotori secluded herself so much in her past life. They entered the manor. There was an intricate rug and they were met with a miserly butler who introduced himself as Zee and led them to the waiting parlor. The parlor had assorted furniture including a couch and a couple of monster leather seats. All of it looked very expensive. Kotori sat down on the couch while Amelie sat on one of the chairs. The butler gave a look of disdain as he saw Shu and Umi trailing water and dirt into the manor but held his tongue. Kotori internally smirked [At least these pets are good for something] Soon a maid came by and served Tea and drinks. Kotori watched her in puzzlement. A pair of cat ears adorned her brown-haired head. ¡°Cosplay?¡± Kotori said accidentally She then saw them twitch in response to the sound [They¡¯re real!] ¡°Cos¡­ play?¡± The girl asked. Kotori stifled a ¡°kyaa¡± as she saw the ears twitch again [I want to pet those ears!] She thought. ¡°Umm excuse me, Kotori asked ¡°Can I touch your ears¡± ¡°Eep!¡± the girl said, nearly dropping her teapot in surprise. ¡°Please don¡¯t make such jokes,¡± she said very primly ¡°You must be young so you might not know, but it¡¯s very disrespectful to ask such questions to a beast person¡± ¡°Our ears and tails are the most precious part of our bodies because they are what define us. Letting someone touch them is something we only let those we are married touch. Touching them without permission is akin to rape¡± [Tch!] Kotori thought, her dreams of Fuwa Fuwa time instantly dashed. [Still, beast people exist] She began to think of all the variations that might exist. Kotori was a person that greatly enjoyed fantasy anime and although her hopes of finding a cute demure elf were put on hold after she saw the wood elf village she now realized that beast people existed. A lecherous grin slowly crept up her face ¡°Please stop making that face-honored guest. It marres your pretty face¡± The beast girl maid said. ¡°Ahem!¡± Kotori said instantly reverting her face to normal. Kitsura It''s probably chapters, right? Chapter 47: Earl Parth As they drank their stuffy tea and dry biscuits the butler once again came into the waiting room and told them that the earl was ready to meet them. They were led to a small library and saw the Earl sitting at the desk. Upon entering the room the Earl stood up and stuck his hand out for a handshake while giving a happy expression. Kotori gave the hand of the man who was much larger than her a handshake and thought about the fact that the Earls''s hand was very soft. The Earl was a person who likely had not done manual work in his life. Kotori who had once done farmwork in her old village still had calluses on her hand. It wasn¡¯t very ¡°girly¡± but she didn¡¯t really care about it. The Earl¡¯s library seemed like it doubled as an office and was made of intricately carved wood. Kotori recognized the wood as the type of wood that the tree had in the wood elf village. Which was a lighter-colored oak. It was covered with a varnish to make it darker and looked almost like lighter mahogany. Upon the wall were rows of books, many of them were covered in dust. Evidently, the Earl didn¡¯t seem to be a heavy reader either. Earl Parth himself was middle-aged. He couldn¡¯t be more than 40. He had a head of thinning blonde hair, and the pasty complexion of someone who was a homebody. His face was slightly pudgy and almost gave him a pig-like appearance. ¡°Hello! Adventurer Kotori and Amelie!¡± He said enthusiastically. Based on her first impression the Earl seemed rather harmless. ¡°Apologies for the wait, I was working on some paperwork¡± ¡°Hello, a pleasure to meet you,¡± Kotori said politely in response. ¡°No, No, No The pleasure is mine,¡± He said genuflecting [Alright, what vase do you want me to buy] Kotori said being reminded of the wandering salesman in her past life who would come to her door every day to sell vases. ¡°So to what do we own the pleasure of being invited to your uhhh¡­ house,¡± Kotori said, unsure if this vast estate could be called a ¡°house¡± in the first place. ¡°Oh, yes!¡± Earl Parth said ¡°I¡¯ve invited you here to talk about an opportunity to join the military¡± [ugh] Kotori thought Earl Parth continued obviously aware of Kotori¡¯s shift in expression ¡°It would be a great opportunity for someone as talented as you!¡± [There¡¯s the vase] Kotori thought. ¡°Just tell me why you are recommending me,¡± Kotori said in a tired voice. She wanted to quickly reject the Earl and make an exit. ¡°Oh your abilities have been of great interest to the kingdom,¡± The earl said putting extra emphasis on ¡°great¡± [I see, they want me as a tool] Kotori thought ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m going to have to humbly reject,¡± Kotori said The Earl flustered ¡°I...I¡¯m sorry?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to join the Military,¡± Kotori said flatly ¡°But it would be a great honor!¡± The earl said almost shouting ¡°Not in the mood,¡± Kotori said, gesturing to Amelie, Shu, and Umi that they were leaving. ¡°Please!¡± The Earl said, ¡°It would¡­¡± The Earl''s voice was cut off by a chuckle from the doorway. ¡°It seems negotiations have broken down,¡± a familiar voice said Amelie looked back and saw a familiar man. A thin man with grease blonde hair and pasty skin ¡°You!¡± Kotori said as she saw the figure of Giorgio in the doorway. Giorgio raised his hands in fake surprise ¡°Wow! Pleasure meeting you here¡± He said sarcastically ¡°Small world right?¡± he said shrugging his shoulders Kotori grabbed her horn and instantly Amelie shouted in pain. ¡°Ta ta ta¡± Giorgio said ¡°We wouldn¡¯t want that little slave collar on your friend activating would we?¡± he asked Kotori quickly activated the hunter and saw a line of mana from Amelie''s collar to Giorgio¡¯s ring. She also saw another line of mana from Giorgio¡¯s ring to a ring on the Earl''s hand. All of them had a purple mana crystal attached to them. Giorgio smirked thinking he had won. ¡°Now, just play nice¡­¡± ¡°[Hunter]¡± Kotori said In an instant, the mana crystal in Amelie¡¯s collar and Giorgio¡¯s ring turned to dust. Giorgio looked in shock as the gem on the silvery ring in his hand disappeared. ¡°Hmm, It seems you are a lot more than you seem, I had felt the mana bond ¡± He gestured and another familiar figure entered through the doorway. Kotori once again looked in shock. She saw Yooma took up a stance. ¡°Shishou!¡± Amelie said in surprise and pain. ¡°A master should not strike down his student,¡± He said, his face almost looking sad. ¡°But also a samurai should not disobey his master¡± Kotori quickly cast a targeted [Mana Buff] on her party. Her lizard horn blaring a mournful note. She had gotten much better at her control now and wouldn¡¯t accidentally cast it on enemies. Shu and Umi instantly grew to their battle forms ¡°Please not in the house!¡± Earl Parth yelped And thus a battle began in the Earls house Kitsura Don''t worry Kotori will get Mofu Mofu in the future, just not yet. Chapter 48: Smooth Criminal Kotori watched Yooma leap forward and try to land a hit on the turtlelike Shu with his club. unlike last time where Yooma¡¯s attack left Shu damaged and near broke. His club struck Shu¡¯s armor and bounced off. Dirt Spirit (Shu) Race: [Greater Spirit] Age: 2 HP: 91 (+66) Mana: 17 Agility: 78 (+66) Strength: 85 (+66) Defense: 93 (+66) Skills: [Rock Bullet] Traits: [Earth Spirit] [Stone Skin](New!) [Form Manifestation](Locked) Yooma looked shocked ¡°It seems you¡¯ve all grown stronger¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± Kotori said as Shu shrugged off the blow. The roomed was extremely cramped as a result of Shu¡¯s and Umi¡¯s size. Kotori gestured and Shu jumped backed smashing a large hole in the Earl''s house and falling into the garden. Kotori, Umi, and Amelie followed along jumping out of the house as well. Kotori felt her karma go down as a result of the property destruction and realized that the earl was likely not an enemy towards her. ¡°Sorry¡± She said looking apologetically at the Earl whose face was not pale after this sequence of events. She once again checked Yooma¡¯s stats Yooma Race: [Human] Age: 46 HP: 124 Mana: 50 Agility: 86 Strength: 75 Defense: 42 Karma: [N/A] Skills: [Sword Smith] Traits: [Pawn] [Alright same as before] She thought. They were mush stronger now and her mana pool had grown. Before then they could barely keep up but now, they were likely an even fight if not able to completely overpower Yooma. Yooma leaped out of the hole to trail after them in his hands two silvery katanas that shimmered. ¡°This doesn¡¯t have to end this way he said as he entered a readied stance.¡± Yooma gave off the air of a trained warrior compared to when that fought in the sewer Kotori could tell he was much more serious than before. He didn¡¯t move. His blades were steady not trembling. The area around the earl¡¯s house was in a commotion as the nobles who were out on walks quickly left the area. Yooma was silent amidst this. ¡°Do you know what it means to be a pawn of the king?¡± Yooma asked calmly Kotori gave a confused looked He continued ¡°We are hand-selected warriors ¡°Above me is the queen, the Bishops, the Rooks, and the knights.¡± ¡°But I am the leader of the Pawns,¡± he said [Well, he¡¯s just a pawn] Kotori mused [I wonder what the [pawn] trait does] ¡°Don¡¯t give me that look¡± Yooma said ¡°Even if you defeat me, you will have the other warriors hunting you down,¡± he said ¡°A criminal as dangerous as you would not be given mercy¡± Kotori was slightly intimidated but felt as though she and her party would be able to work it out. ¡°However¡­¡± he continued ¡°Let¡¯s not get ahead of ourselves. You still have to defeat me first¡± He finished He slashed toward them Kotori immediately didn¡¯t dodge, but somehow, she felt something was off and took a step back. Something whipped past her face. If it weren¡¯t for her small step back her head would¡¯ve been cleaved in half. She looked at Yooma and saw his blade elongated. They were slowly slivering back to their original form. He smirked, ¡°the nice part about magical blades, is that I make whatever I want.¡± Amelie held Kotori back. ¡°I will take this,¡± She said her face giving a determined look She walked forward with her mother¡¯s saber in her hand. ¡°Shishou, will you not let us go¡± Yooma''s expression soften ¡°Unfortunately, my loyalties were defined long before you were born¡± Race: [Half Wood Elf] Age: 18 HP: 96 (+66!) Mana: 0 Agility: 90 (+66!) Strength: 91 (+66!) Defense: 86 (+66!) Skills: [Ninjistu] Traits: [Wood Elf''s Blessing] Amelie jumped towards him. Her kick against the ground leaving a cloud of dirt. Smashing gouging the perfectly manicured lawn of the Earls garden Yooma defended, due to the nature of his blade the mana that made them were quickly broken. The swords broke and he instantly materialized a no-dachi sword in his hand. He defends his blade going vertical. Shu shot a [Rock Bullet] towards Yooma but he quickly cut down the rock with the dachi. ¡°No¡± Amelie said ¡°Just me¡± Shu nodded understanding her. Kotori began to see people approaching. It seemed the city guard was coming to investigate the commotion. They had been fighting for less than 10 minutes but the guards were already showing up. It was just the difference between being rich and poor it seemed. The district guard was weak. They were well equipped, but ultimately, they were normal humans who had not activated skills yet. Kotori let Shu and Umi deal with them. She gave explicit orders to not kill them since she was not willing to let her karma drop too low. Shu lowered the power of his [Rock Bullet] and Umi fought to incapacitate them. [Hmm] Kotori thought She was getting an idea. It had been a while since she feasted on humans and although she had never really tried to eat something that was still alive. Bodies would leak mana once they died since the soul¡¯s physicals connection to the world is cut. That was how [Hunter] worked it would simply suck up existing mana. This is why Kotori thought the skill was weirdly named. She wanted to try eating something that was alive. She walked over to one of the unconscious guards. [Just a little taste right?] She slowly activated [Hunter] and felt around the guard''s mana. There was a thin cloudy layer surrounding a hard wall. [Hmm] Kotori thought While she could eat the thin layer it was more difficult to try and break past the mana layer [is that the soul?] The thin layer tasted like the residual mana that monsters would leave what she was going to tentatively call the ¡°soul¡± which was much more difficult to try and break. It almost felt like trying to bite in a walnut. ¡°Urgh!¡± The soldier made a pained expression That when Kotori realized if she ate the ¡°soul¡± she would probably kill the man She deactivated [Hunter] ¡°Sorry!¡± She said giving an apologetic bow to the man who was unconscious. Kitsura Chapter 49: Amelie’s fight Amelie looked at the man who she called ¡°master¡±. There were few people who she would call that name. Kotori was unaware but she would train with Yooma on their off days. It was regrettable that it had to end like this. Amelie had grown quite a bit from the girl who used to be in the wood elf village. She was often seen as an accessory to Kotori but she didn¡¯t mind. Kotori was a fine leader and even though she sometimes made some harebrained scheme they all had worked out so far. She trusted Kotori¡¯s decisions. It was odd she would give Kotori so much respect especially since Kotori was still a child but she didn¡¯t feel like Kotori was a child at all. Maybe when she was trailing Kotori in the forest but ever since then Kotori had not carried herself in a way that a child her age would. Amelie herself had spent much of her time being dragged along. She wasn¡¯t a very assertive girl at all really. She enjoyed being a follower. Kotori had given her a bit of confidence. Ever since the encounter with the Boss she had learned that to get anywhere she had to speak up. She was strong enough to admonish Kotori for killing the bandits in the village they visited. Even though she understood why Kotori wanted to kill the bandits. She still couldn¡¯t morally accept it. Still, she couldn¡¯t say that she felt completely satisfied. Amelie was still human, and she was still prone to the jealousy that people are wont to have*. *this grammar is kinda weird, but I¡¯m using ¡°wont¡± in a old-timey way Watching Kotori grow at this blitzing sped while she tagged along for the ride didn¡¯t sit well with her. And how that that she was looking at the man who gave her, the first sense of strength since leaving the village. She looked at Yooma, no longer their slaver but her teacher. She watched him hold up the sword the way he always did. Yooma always said he was not attached to any particular style and was a student to fighting in general. But she knew he had his weakness. The way he would slightly drop his guard during an attack or how he was uncomfortable on heavier weapons. She knows he was more comfortable using the whip Katana¡¯s he was using right now. When she leaped towards Yooma to combat him she left up a pile of a cloud of dirt. This was to slightly conceal her movement and get in close. Yooma must¡¯ve seen her intention and dropped his no-dachi which dissipated into light instead of combatting her he retreated into the nearby hedge garden while slashing at Amelie with a new pair of whip katanas. Despite seemingly being out of range of the blades Amelie stopped, the blade whipped past her face and clipped a nearby hedge in half. Yooma¡¯s range was deceptively long with those swords and she had to get in closer where the range matter less. She once again charged into his range. Dodging the snaking blades that slipped past her. She was using the nearby hedges as cover as she slowly made progress towards Yooma. When she was about 5 feet away Yooma dropped his Katana¡¯s and materialized a tanto and Katana in his hand. Amelie was well aware that this was Yooma¡¯s default fighting style and the one he was most comfortable with it. With the offensive Katana in his right hand and the defensive tanto in the left, it would be difficult to land a hit in with her singular blade. She slashed at Yooma testing his guard. As her sword was dropping down to cut Yooma she saw a glint of silver from the edge of her right periphery vision. She quickly stopped attacking and moved out of the way. She then felt a searing pain in her right side. [ah¡­ I need to be more careful] Her right side was burning. She looked at Yooma again. The position of his Katana and Tanto were switch. The Katana was now on his left hand. [He¡¯s ambidextrous?] She had always sparred with Yooma using his right hand. She had underestimated the power of Yooma¡¯s [Sword Smith] Skill. Yooma was a person who used it to the greatest extent. Unlike a normal person who would simply use it to switch weapons, Yooma used it as a surprise tactic. [He must¡¯ve changed the sword in his hand as I was slashing towards him.] Such a thought was helpful but it was too late to make this realization. She had already sustained an injury. Thankfully she could still fight. The cut was large but mostly superficial her ribs taking most of the brunt of the blow she had manages to slip away before Yooma could land a heavier hit. Still, it now hurt to breathe. Each time her chest expanded to take a breath the wound would flare. Yooma took a readied stance again ¡°Remember what I told you, never underestimate your opponent, the most learned warriors will still find themselves surprised in the heat of battle,¡± He said a small conceited smile on his face. He launched into a blistering offensive. Amelie was now put on the back foot. [He¡¯s left-handed?] Yooma¡¯s offensive was much stronger than when they sparred with his bokken* *Japanese wooden practice swords She now realized that he had handicapped himself by not using his main hand in their sparring sessions. Yooma had taught himself to be ambidextrous but obvious one would feel most comfortable on their main hand. She retreated while blocking the flurry of blades entered her vision. Despite his laid-back attitude, Yooma was no pushover when he fought seriously. Typically, in any offensive engagement, one could be considered the attacked and another could be considered the defender. The goal of the attacker is to keep up ¡°tempo¡± and overpower or chip away at the defender. The goal of the defender would be to wear out the attacker or bait the attacker to lose tempo while not losing themselves These are the rules of war and Amelie had such concepts drilled into her head by Yooma. Her [ninjistu] was a martial art that attempted to bait the attacker into losing their tempo. But Yooma gave her no such openings. Each attack was well defended and stuck into the breaks in Amelie¡¯s guard. [I need to find an angle!] Kitsura Amelie rn: "No senpai this is our fight!" bonus points if you get this reference Happy reading~ Might start building a chapter backlog by writing more than 1 chapter a day. No peaking pervert! :p Chapter 50: Inches ¡°The inches we need are everywhere¡± Kotori was aware of such a phrase from a rather famous man. Watching Amelie gave her newfound respect. She was outclassed and bleeding heavily, and still trying to fight Yooma. She carefully watched them as they traded blows. The clink of their swords gave a haunting melody. Amelie was on the backfoot. Yooma''s sword struck from all sort of angles and she was holding on. Kotori was ready to give the orders for Shu and Umi to intervene but out of respect for her friend didn¡¯t attempt to force her way into the fight. [Ahh, she¡¯s still outclassed] It was such a slight shift. A small little shift. Amelie moved her weight to another foot as she adjusted her stance and her guard fell ever so slightly. Yooma was not one to let such a small error past him. He jabbed with his tanto. The blade dug deep into Amelie chest. She gave a small pained yelp. Kotori instantly jumped in forcing Yooma to pull back. ¡°That¡¯s enough Amelie,¡± Kotori said Her Hp was dangerously low. Kotori knew that she was not going to beat Yooma. She wanted to respect her friends wishes but, at this point it would put Amelie¡¯s life at risk. ¡°P..Please¡± Amelie said ¡°Rest!¡± Kotori said forcefully her face softening ¡°You¡¯ve done well.¡± Amelie¡¯s face slackened and she conceded to Kotori. She motions to Shu who quickly put Amelie on her back. He instantly covered her wound with a cast made of mud. At the very least it should staunch the bleeding. Kotori would have to use any left-over mana to accelerate the healing of the wound. Amelie would likely still be bed ridden for a week. Yooma readied his blades again. Amelie¡¯s blood was slowly dripping off them. Staining the grass in the garden with crimson paint. ¡°You still believe you can beat me?¡± Yooma said Kotori had waited for this day for a while. She had a theory about Yooma. They didn¡¯t move. Gauging each other. Kotori''s guard was open. In fact, she had not readied herself at all. Umi may have stood at her side but with Yooma¡¯s speed, Umi would not be able to block a slash in time. ¡°Trying to die girl?¡± ¡°I know you don¡¯t kill women and children¡± Kotori said ¡°That strike on Amelie wasn¡¯t lethal and you know it¡± ¡°Heh¡± Yooma laughed ¡°You are correct, but if you think that I will let you leave unscathed you are poorly mistaken!¡± He yelled while slashing at Kotori. Kotori still didn¡¯t ready her guard. Initially, Umi and Shu tried to protect her but they were quickly pacified by an order by Kotori. As Yooma¡¯s blade snaked towards Kotori''s arms. Shu and Umi watch with heavy concern for their master. It was a concern that was unfounded. As Yooma¡¯s blade slashes Kotori¡¯s arm ¡°[Hunter]¡± The blade instantly disappeared. A thin line of blood appeared where the blade wouldn¡¯t hit but it was a little more than a paper cut ¡°Tch, I was a little slow Kotori said noticing the thin line of blood.¡± Yooma looked surprised He dropped the hilt of the half-dissolved Katana he held and created a new one slashing towards Kotori. Once again, the blade disappeared. ¡°What is this!¡± He said confused ¡°Ha, You aren¡¯t the only one with tricks. Those blades are made of mana, aren¡¯t they?¡± Indeed, Kotori now had a better grasp on Yooma¡¯s [Sword Smith] ability. He would use mana to materialize blades and use mana to hold their forms. If that were true then Kotori realized. [I can just eat them right?] As Yooma¡¯s blade bore down on Kotori she activated a mana sucking field around her. The mana within the blades was highly condensed and thus easy to dissolve. Though, they tasted like rusty coins [Bleh] The moment the blade came in contact with her skin they would immediately be eaten. Each time Yooma tried to attack her it was the same thing. he tried multiple different blades and they all turned to food for Kotori. Eventually, Yooma stopped attacking. ¡°What? Tired?¡± Kotori said taunting Yooma ¡°Hmm! Don¡¯t think you are going to waste my mana like this!¡± [Ah, he figured out my plan] She thought Kotori was initially going to let Yooma waste his mana trying to land a hit on her but he was obviously smarter than that. ¡°So what are you going to do?¡± Kotori said smirking ¡°I bet those are the last pair of blades you can make¡± She had been tracking his mana consumption, and if Yooma was not at his limit he was most definitely close to it. This was likely the last pair of blades he could fully materialize. Yooma¡¯s stance relaxed ¡°I¡¯m done here,¡± He said walking off Kotori was stunned ¡°Hey! Wait! Weren¡¯t you trying to stop us?¡± She asked6 Yooma waved his hand ¡°No point fighting to the death when I know I can¡¯t beat you, My orders were to stop you from rebelling if possible. It is not possible so I shall concede for now¡± He gave them a glare ¡°Do not expect the kingdom to let you go so freely, There are many, many more warriors who are stronger than me, Many who value their lives less than me, and many who will die for those royals¡± Despite Yooma seemingly being their enemy, it almost felt like he was trying to warn them as a friend. Giorgio peaked out from the hole in the Earl¡¯s manor they had made earlier ¡°Yooma! Why are you stopping!¡± his shrill voice coming from the hole. Yooma looked towards Giorgio and sighed ¡°I didn¡¯t pledge allegiance to you¡± he muttered. He turned back towards Kotori and her party ¡°Leave,¡± He said shooing them away like an old man trying to get children off his property ¡°You will never again enter this city, and are effectively outcasts, as long as you stay in this country we WILL hunt you down,¡± He said Yooma then slumped his shoulders and walked towards Giorgio leaving Kotori and her party dumbstruck. Kitsura Halfway to triple digits! Up next "I''m a smuggler again!" Chapter 51: Wanted Kotori and her party quickly made an escape from the city. The city guard tried to stop them several times but were quickly defeated by Kotori and Umi despite causing a commotion at the Earl¡¯s manor. Information passed slowly and many guards hadn¡¯t been mobilized yet. They forced their way through the gate. And past the guards, several arrows were shot at them, but Shu used several rock formations to block them. And thus, they quickly left the frontier city of Faramouth. They were not pursued. Apparently, Yooma told them not to chase her down. The average guard and soldier would not be able to kill her anyway. ¡­ Amelie groaned She was in a stabilized condition after Kotori poured [Magical Musician] into boosting her body''s natural regeneration. Still, there was a limit to her ability to boosting healing. Kotori would not be able to regrow limbs and there was a limit to how much she could boost their healings. The wounds that Yooma inflicted on Amelie looked quite gruesome but they were ultimately shallow. The gash on her side was mostly superficial. The stab wound into her chest had missed all her vital organs but still, there was a problem of internal bleeding and staunching the wound which Kotori tried to do when casting [Magical Musician]. She focused on closing the wounds and stabilizing Amelie but outside of that it was a waiting game. Kotori had taken shelter in an abandoned village to the east of the city. There were no residents but the ramshackle buildings were enough to provide a modicum amount of shelter. Every single building was leaning in one way or another, but Kotori was in the building in the best condition which looked like the mayor¡¯s house. Shu and Umi were on the lookout so Kotori spent a lot of time helping Amelie. Thankfully, they could hunt and forage for food because of the training in their village. Amelie gave another pained moan [This battle idiot] Kotori thought She wanted to scold Amelie for trying to fight Yooma. She knew she wanted to respect Amelie¡¯s wishes but Amelie had gotten seriously injured trying to beat him. It was a bad match-up, Yooma was a technique type. And there was the dungeon issue. Kotori knew that she would not be given access to dungeons anymore.. At the very least she was going to be stopped by someone. Dungeons in the kingdom were controlled by two factors. One, the kingdom tried to keep their locations hidden. Of course, this was difficult since citizens would run across them. They would pay off these citizens and try to suppress the information but that was still difficult. So, the kingdom had a unique approach. They would keep several adventurers to guard the popular and well-known dungeons. The adventurers would be able to farm the dungeon as well as guarding them. The lesser-known dungeons that still had their information and locations hidden were typically left alone and their anonymity would protect them, so the kingdom didn¡¯t spend resources to protect them These dungeons were typically newer and had weaker monsters, so Kotori and most adventurers didn¡¯t use them. She had luckily memorized most of their locations before they left the city. Now, Kotori would have to use them. She could of course overpower the adventurers in the popular dungeons, but that was tedious and would make it easier for the kingdom to find them. It seems that she would have to make use of her dungeon eating skills to the fullest. The mana within these dungeons was extremely unstable and even harder to grasp than more establish dungeons. Kotori had no choice though. This village was nearby one of such dungeons and she spent every day since then trying to use [Hunter] to eat it. She was slowly getting even better. She realized that she was leaving too much to the skill itself. She started imagining a vacuum in her hand and the mana swirling in the dungeon would slowly accumulate towards her hand it was like trying to drain a pool and was very very slow. => She started imagining a vacuum in her hand and the mana swirling in the dungeon would slowly accumulate towards her hand. It was like trying to drain a pool and was very very slow. She also experimented more with taking mana from monsters without having to defeat them. Unlike humans who had the hard ¡°nut¡± of mana within them. Which Kotori was calling the ¡°soul¡±. Dungeon monsters were just condensed masses of mana. Kotori was able to eat them as well. Of course, it was more difficult to take their mana when they were trying to kill her though. So she just found it easier to defeat them. She began feeding the small MonMochi to Amelie. SShe hoped that Amelie would be able to grow as a result and the extra mana would help her recovery. It seemed to help, as a week after leaving the city, Amelie had begun to walk around with some light exercise. ¡°Please take it easy¡± Kotori chided Amelie who was making practice swings with her sword. Amelie pouted. ¡°Kotori a girl as young as you shouldn¡¯t nag like an old maid¡± [Not like I was originally a girl in the first place] Kotori thought It was odd that she was so concerned for Amelie. In her past life, she hadn¡¯t really cared for anybody. Kotori felt like she had to protect this girl from the elf village. [Ah, is this what it''s like to have someone precious to you?] She thought. They lived quietly for a month before the troubles began. Kitsura Chapter 52: This is Harassment! It started with adventurers, Kotori and her party found themselves being harassed by kingdom adventurers. They were relatively weak and didn¡¯t pose much of a problem but eventually, the attacks were becoming constant. Amelie had fully recovered by now was able to fight so they were able to keep moving to avoid being a sitting duck but every time they were able to settle down, they were attacked by some roaming party who found them. It was very troublesome. The overall skill of them was quite low. Even worse, almost every single one of them had crap gear. [Why haven¡¯t they given up] Kotori thought This was the third party she had taken out today. She looked at the crumpled bodies of the adventurers. ¡°[Hunter]¡± Kotori hadn¡¯t killed them, but she found that she could weaken the adventurers by using the [Hunter] ability. She avoided damaging their soul too much, but she would shave around it. It had the helpful effect of weakening them for the short term. Soul damage would prevent a person from using their skills. They would naturally heal back over time if the damage was small. Which was exactly what Kotori did to them. The stronger adventurers would be able to endure it. But the weaker ones would cry out sometimes ¡­ ¡°Why are you two here!¡± Kotori said as she saw the two figures before her. The cowering figures of Shun and Anya were standing before her. ¡°You two should know you can¡¯t beat us!¡± She was exasperated and taking it out on these two. She hadn¡¯t been able to get much sleep recently since the adventurer bands would attack in the night and she needed to be awake to buff them. ¡°You two are outlaws!¡± Shun said indignantly Kotori sighed. ¡°Aren¡¯t there other outlaws you can chase!¡± Shun and Anya looked shocked. ¡°But you¡¯re so valuable!¡± ¡°What?¡± Kotori was confused ¡°Don¡¯t you know?¡± They asked her ¡°Know what?¡± ¡°You are the most wanted criminal in the country! Your bounty is enough to make a person live in luxury for life! Plus, you¡¯re only a small girl right? You look like easy pickings!¡± [Seriously!] Things were starting to fall into place in Kotori¡¯s mind now. The vast number of adventurers coming to her. Their complete lack of good gear, and the general sense of noobishness among them. [That still doesn¡¯t explain why they came] ¡°Why are you here then?¡± Both averted their gaze from Kotori¡¯s piercing stare ¡°Well Umm,¡± They mumbled shuffling their feet ¡°Well?¡± Kotori asked them, getting rather impatient with this conversation. ¡°We thought since we knew you¡­ We might have a better chance¡± [Are these two idiots?] Kotori had a suspicion that they might¡¯ve been after seeing their naivete in the sewers, but now she was almost sure of it. [Ahh, these dumbasses] She didn¡¯t even feel she had to take them out. Shun and Anya seemed terrified of her. Which wasn¡¯t surprising considering they knew what she could do. [It¡¯s still quite reckless for the kingdom to do this] She thought Even if they put a high bounty on her it seemed like they intentionally wanted to bait adventurers into chasing after her. The lack of any warning for her power level seemed almost intentional. Like they had something to gain by sending so many adventurers after her. ¡°Please go home¡± she pleaded with them They looked stricken. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t tell me you can¡¯t,¡± she said exasperated. They chuckled nervously in response to her question. Kotori rubbed her temples in frustration. ¡°Please explain,¡± she asked them This time Anya spoke up ¡°Well, we¡¯re broke¡± Kotori sighed. She should¡¯ve known, Shun and Anya obviously weren¡¯t very strong at all. They probably didn¡¯t make much money at all working as adventurers, even if they were assigned to party with other adventurer groups any money they made would be charity given to them. They looked at her nervously. ¡°Please forgive us! We haven¡¯t eaten in two days." He said bowing down into a dogeza [Are they that incompetent?] Kotori slumped her shoulders in defeat ¡°Fine follow me¡± She said gesturing to them. She brought them to her temporary camp. Which was hidden in a clearing near one of the newer dungeons. Monsters didn¡¯t come out of this area but it was the best location. ¡°So how did you find us?¡± She asked ¡°We uhh just kinda walked around¡± Shun explained Shun and Anya were the most profoundly lucky blunderers she had seen in her life. She quickly handed them two meat skewers. Kotori happily realized that her old family was wrong about her never getting the chance to eat meat. They were just poor. She had Shu and Umi hunt down many of the animals in the area which they did with glee but now it seemed like animals were avoiding them now. Kotori told Shu and Umi to stop their hunting even if her stomach was seemingly impenetrable. Still, the thought of her family saddened her. She missed them. [I have to work hard to preserve their memory!] She resolved herself. Shun and Anya made quick work of the skewers and another 4 more each ¡°Ahhh thanks, Kotori,¡± they said patting their stomachs in satisfaction ¡°Don¡¯t mention it¡± She said gruffly Shun and Anya looked at each other and then back at her and then back at each other ¡°C-can we stay with you¡± Shun asked, Anya was at his side nodding vigorously. [Freeloaders!] Kotori thought, facepalming ¡°W-we can help tend to camp and scout for you!¡± Anya said following up. [Well, that kind of helpful I guess] Kotori said. Having colluders help her would indeed make it easier to hideout. ¡°Aren¡¯t you too afraid of getting caught helping me?¡± Kotori asked them They shook their heads. ¡°You¡¯ll protect us right! Please teach us to be strong like you¡± [No thank you!] She instantly thought Kotori honestly felt bad for them. It was like watching a lost kitten on the street try to gain your affection. It also felt awkward watching people older than her beg for her help. [I guess I am partially responsible for these idiots] If she didn¡¯t lose to Yooma in the sewers, they likely wouldn¡¯t have been forced into being adventurers. Of course, she wasn¡¯t fully to blame since they accepted the smuggling job anyway. But still, Kotori felt partially responsible for their current predicament. They couldn¡¯t even go home because the kingdom had them under lock and key since they were caught smuggling with her. Kotori gave a defeated noise and Shun and Anya celebrated. ¡°There goes what little free time I had left,¡± she thought. If she now had to train these two she would be stuck with no time to actually grow stronger herself. Yooma did warn them that they would only find stronger people from here on out and she wanted to be able to prepare for them. That¡¯s when Kotori had an idea. ¡°Ah I am a little busy right now though, ask Amelie to teach you,¡± She said smirking. ¡°Thank you Kotori!¡± they said excitedly [You won¡¯t be thanking me tomorrow] Kotori thought [Wood elf secret training technique #3 is a go!] Kitsura Shun and Anya don''t know what they''re getting themselves into... Chapter 1-3 now updated there''s been a very very slight change in the plot but it''s rather minor and actually improves the story. Kotori keeping her memories is now a mistake on Gabriels part, enjoy theorycrafting that one :) Chapter 53: Golden Goose [How did it come to this?] Kotori watched the two prone figures in front of her. They were so still, almost seemed dead. If one paid closer attention they would see that they were slightly breathing. Even so, they looked like dying animals. Their clothes were stained with sweat and covered in dirt. A small clay pail laid next to both of them, their content spilled pitifully on the ground. [Are those vultures in the air?] Kotori thought as she saw a couple of birds circling them She shuddered slightly listening to the familiar moans of pain coming from the bodies. They remind her of her time training in the elf village. Amelie was standing next to them grinning. Her face showing none of the exhaustion that Shun and Anya had. ¡°Break time is over!¡± she said cheerfully Amelie had leaned into her trainer role quite well. She was quite scary. Looking at her Kotori was reminded of Mari. She was less harsh but much more enthusiastic about making someone suffer. Amelie was enjoying herself greatly it seemed. [I¡¯m starting to think that Mari¡¯s S&M side may have rubbed off on Amelie a bit.] She thought as she looked at Amelie¡¯s devilish smile. [Maybe she¡¯s taking out steam?] It seemed losing to Yooma had put Amelie in a dour mood. Perhaps she was this harsh on them because she wanted to be harsh on herself. Shu, who was with Kotori, nudged the prone Anya with his paw. ¡°No moreeeee¡± Anya said as she moved away from the touch. [Her muscles probably hurt so much that touching them was enough to make them sting.] Kotori felt bad for them and pulled out her flute to play them a small regeneration song to speed along the process of healing. Shun slowly sat up with a grimace. ¡°Please Anee!* Let us rest! We¡¯ve been running nonstop for three days¡± He pleaded *Anee means sister like how Aniki means brother [¡°Anee?¡± When did that happen?] Kotori wondered when they started calling Amelie ¡°sister¡± but she avoided paying it too much mind. Kotori still thought Amelie was going too hard on them ¡°Amelie please remember that they are humans not wood elves¡± ¡°Oh right! Sorry ¡¯bout that¡± Amelie said ¡°You can take the rest of today off¡± [Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve been training them like elves] Kotori thought, she now pitied Shun and Anya who were prone against the dirt. This time she cast her healing song in full. Shun and Anya breathed a sigh of relief as their sore muscles knit themselves back together. The healing spell didn¡¯t give them their energy back though. It just healed their sore muscles and they would still have to rest before they got back their strength again. ¡°Go rest,¡± Kotori said. They gave her thankful looks and slowly trudged off to camp. Amelie gave her a shrug and walked off. Kotori slumped into the dirt chair Shu made her. The adventurers trying to actively hunt Kotori down had been slowly getting lower. Apparently, it was becoming well known that she was much harder to take down than appearance would give her. She would still get the occasionally adventurer coming to challenge her, but it was much less frequent. As a result, though, stronger people kept coming. She was beginning to feel like a walking dungeon boss. It seemed that some adventurers were testing themselves against her. As always, she would beat them and shave off their souls for an easy lunch. The other day she faces a party of adventurers who had unique skills. They didn¡¯t even bother to attack her they stumbled across her while she was out on her daily scouting walks. She was even more shocked when they thanked her. This shock was made even worse by the fact that adventurers kept thanking her. ¡°Why are you thanking me?¡± she asked as she began to question groups she defeat for more information From what she learned apparently; Kotori had created an ecosystem all by herself. The kingdom was paying for information on her or her party. So, the few adventurer guilds that were left put on bounty on her information to sell to the kingdom. This caused a rise in adventurer applications as people went to go search her out. Since she never actually defeated her opponent ¡°Kotori¡¯s party hunting¡± was a rather safe endeavor for any person to start their career. The guild was paying good money for any speck of information. Finding her was akin to a years¡¯ worth of salary. Of course, you could go through the kingdom directly but they had much higher standards on what information you could sell. Eventually, adventurers had an implicit agreement that they would intentionally give vague information on her. They didn¡¯t want to kill the golden goose of course. People were making livings on selling the tiniest specks of information to the guild. Being defeated by Kotori was now considered a good luck charm. Since finding her would give you a good amount of information you could sell and sometimes you would be scouted by the kingdom to become an adventurer. This came with a caveat though, being defeated by Kotori was good luck, attacking her was bad luck since it was like killing the golden goose. Of course, some people would still try to attack her, tempted by the huge bounty on her head. These people were almost universally shunned by the other adventurers. [I underestimate people¡­] Kotori thought She was somehow being protected by a misinformation network. Kotori and her party had become a walking force of nature. Something you don¡¯t disturb but respectfully watch from a distance. Kitsura Does anyone want to write my 10-page final paper on Russian foreign policy for me? pls Chapter 54: Flame Dungeon? ¡°ha ¡­ ha¡­.¡± Kotori watched as Shun and Anya did their daily runs. They over the course of three months they had gotten better at managing their training. Not that it was easy but that they were mentally better at handling it. They were coming to Kotori less and less for help. That didn¡¯t mean Amelie was going easy on them. She was steadily ratcheting up the pressure to force them to keep working at their limit. Shun and Anya were taking it in stride. They were becoming frustratingly competent to the point where both of them even activated new traits. [Dreamer] The trait gave them a bonus to all their stats. Which also helped in making sure they would be able to keep up with Amelie. Incidentally, Amelie also had a similar trait [Wood Elf¡¯s Blessing] which was a racial trait of hers. Kotori was still not quite sure what caused traits and what they did, but she kept trying to figure it out. She was beginning to suspect her [Monte Cristo] Skill had something to do with her random feeling to do idiotic schemes. Skills were equally puzzling. [Hunter] had recently changed to [Gourmet]. She had noticed some new abilities attached to it that were strangely like Nero¡¯s. The ability to eat live dungeon monsters was something she was not able to do before defeating him. She assumed it had something to do with her [Hunter] skill. [Skill steal?] She thought. It was odd especially considering she was not able to take the skill of other dungeon monsters, but Nero was a unique existence among dungeon monsters so perhaps it was related to that. Shun and Anya¡¯s training was nearly done, and they had asked to join Kotori¡¯s party once they were done. She immediately declined and told them to go home. Kotori didn¡¯t want to have to take care of more people. She was already dealing with Shu and Umi, plus Kotori was sure if she added them to her party that Shun and Anya would be found dead the next day pummeled by rocks and covered water blades. They protest and kept asking to join her party. Of course, since they were technically outlaws it was hard for them to make a living so Kotori took the time to note down all the hidden dungeons they could farm for materials nearby. [The troublesome spirits] Umi and Shu were very dedicated to Kotori. Their ability to read her mind was impressive it seemed like they knew what she wanted. She would only need to gesture and they would try to make her wish come true. Apparently, there was an unspoked ¡°Kotori Etiquette¡± among them. The adventurer¡¯s situation had been just about resolved. Kotori found herself moving steadily northward because of having to move around and through questioning nearby adventurers she found out that she was in the eastern part of the peninsula of Faramouth near a mountain range. That was when Kotori ran across it. It had been a week since Shun and Anya had left Kotori and their party. She had recently turned ten although she looked about 2-3 years older than that. That day she came across an oddity. [That¡¯s interesting?] She thought. She had come across a small unassuming metal door carved into a nearby rock face. This was unusual and the next day she called Umi and Shu over. She had them back her up while she opened the door. [Ouch!] She thought the moment she touched it. Her hand was slightly burnt but she had managed to pull it back in time. The door was hot. Despite looking perfectly normal there must¡¯ve been something hot behind it. She asked Shu to open the door. His earth magic should be able to prevent anyone from getting hurt. Shu had a tendril of rock open the latch on the door and slowly pull it open. Upon opening the door, a wave of heat emanated from the opening. It opened into a passage that cut deep into the earth. A narrow staircase descended downwards. Kotori felt mana washing over her emanating from the hole. [A dungeon?] It was not a dungeon in the archive of dungeon locations in her head. What was even odder was that this dungeon was not like other dungeons. Where it was surrounded and filled by monsters. Its mana was surprisingly¡­ organized. [Remind me of Nero she thought] Kotori felt that same urge to go explore it again. She held herself back. If it was her skill forcing her to do these sorts of things then she was going to be smarter about whether or not to listen to it. The next day she called a small party meeting and asked for people¡¯s decision on whether or not they should explore ¡°Why not? Not like we have anything better to do¡± Amelie said lazily ¡°I don¡¯t have those two idiots here to teach anymore anyway.¡± Kotori was shocked ¡°Wasn¡¯t it you who always told me to think things through more?¡± Amelie yawned ¡°Ehhh, maybe? but it seems to work out most of them so I¡¯m not going to bother trying to caution against it.¡± It seems Kotori¡¯s concern was unfounded. What was more concerning was that Amelie had gotten used to her schemes. [Am I a bad influence?] Kotori thought Amelie¡¯s face smiled slightly ¡°Plus I want to fight something¡± [Ahh that why] Kotori thought She had lost to Yooma and was still trying to get stronger. Her training had slowed down while she helped Shun and Anya get stronger. Kotori now felt bad for pushing the job of training them onto her. [Alright we¡¯ll explore the weird dungeon!] Sato Kotori Race: [Human] Age: 10 HP: 35(+2!) Mana: 33(+1!) Agility: 28(+2!) Strength: 20(+3!) Defense: 16(+1!) Karma: -100,007,561 (+2043!) Skills: [Magic Musician], [Gourmet](Evolved!), [Desire of Monte Cristo](Removed) Traits: [Spirit Seer], [Monte Cristo] Kitsura Signed up for Japanese courses in the summer. Want to eventually post on syosetu one day. It''s good to have goals no? 4/20 update We hit trending... Again! Chapter 55: (Kit)sune 1 Kotori and her party steadily walked down the narrow corridor. It was hot. Almost unbearably so Umi had noticed Kotori''s discomfort and had covered Kotori¡¯s head in a thin cool blanket of water. Kotori told her to stop once she noticed Umi was using mana to keep the water cool. She wanted her little battery to stay full in case they had to fight. [What a troublesome spirit] she thought The descending deeper the passage seemed to go on forever. Kotori felt as if she was diving into the earth. It was quite claustrophobic walking so deep with very little light and a constantly descending staircase. At times the staircase would widen and narrow. Kotori had been descending for an hour before she noticed that their path was flattening. Soon they came across a cavern. This cavern was much less decorated than Nero¡¯s chamber. In the middle laid an enormous collard fox. Its orange fur appeared to blaze as if it was on fire Kotori noted how the fox had 9 tails. The fox appeared to be sleeping and guarding a door. Kotori checked her stats Okaterasu Race: [Heavenly Spirit] Age: 4,648 HP: N/A Mana: 3,759 Agility: N/A Strength: N/A Defense: N/A Karma: N/A Skills: [Flames of Amaterasu], [Form Manifestation], [God¡¯s Guidance](Removed!) Traits: [Angelic Spirit] [Too weird! What are these stats!] were her first thoughts For once Kotori¡¯s ¡°Status¡± had failed her. This had never happened before. The screen that came in front of her was filled with missing information. [What is this thing] She thought looking at the enormous fox in the cavern. It was nearly the size of a suburban house and gently snored as it slept. It had a name like Nero, and frankly, she wanted to keep watching the fox sleep. It was very peaceful to watch. Kotori was not present with a dilemma. Fight the fox or not. Unlike, other dungeon bosses this one seemed non-hostile. The fox was held down with a collar and if Kotori woke it here, she didn¡¯t think it would be able to reach her. Kotori decided to have Shu gently nudge the fox while they stayed close to the entrance. The fox awoke with a startle. Noticing Kotori and her party it immediately snarled. Kotori felt a wave of hostility radiated towards her through her [Spirit Seer] Skill The fox began to prepare to cast something Before it could Kotori quickly relayed her non-hostile intentions to the fox The fox stopped casting and looked at them quizzically. Kotori could not lie with the [Spirit Seer] Skill. Any hidden hostile intention she had would be laid bare through her contact with the fox. The fox watched them scanning their reaction. Then it transformed. The fox shrunk down her chain shrunk in tandem and still collared it. Soon the form of a fox beast woman wearing a Yukata was in front of them. She gave off a mature sort of beauty. Her facial feature was well defined and strong. Despite this, on her face, she gave a mournful expression The woman gestured for Kotori to come forward. When Shu and Umi tried to walk up the woman gave them a glare. Amelie tried to caution Kotori against it but Kotori didn¡¯t feel like the fox lady meant her any harm. Kotori strode forward into the chamber her shoes echoing in the air. She walked closer to the beast lady who gave her a knowing look. She gestured for Kotori to touch her chain. Kotori followed in instructions and touched it. The chain felt hard and metallic. She pulled her hand off The woman looked impatient and gestured for Kotori to do it again. [Can she not speak?] Kotori thought [What does she want me to do anyway]¡¯ Kotori touched the chain again and that¡¯s when she felt it. A soft mana signature. [Can I cast [Gourmet] on this] she thought. Kotori looked towards the fox lady for confirmation who then nodded. Kotori cast [Gourmet] and then an icy pain shot into her arm from the point of contact with the chain. She immediately stopped casting [Gourmet]. Okateratsu looked at her with a sad expression. Kotori could only shake her head. She couldn¡¯t get rid of the chain. It seemed that the fox spirit was locked here intentionally. The chain reminded Kotori of the chain that bound her in the dream the night she lost to Yooma. IS this chain connected to that? Kotori tried to ask Okateratsu why she was bound. She became awash with feelings of regret and sadness, but within that feeling, there was an intense love. Okateratsu didn¡¯t speak and seemed to be a spirit who spoke through feelings. Okateratsu gestured to the door behind her ¡°Do you want me to enter?¡± Kotori asked her She nodded ¡°Kotori walked to the door a pushed it open¡± The first thing she noticed was the lack of heat. Okateratsu¡¯s body gave of immense heat but this room was quite nice. Perhaps a little warm, but nothing uncomfortable. Inside it almost looked like a room. There was a bed but otherwise, it was empty. Kotori noticed that a beast girl was sleeping inside the bed. She was slowly breathing in and out. Her orange-reddish hair slowly bobbed as she slept. ¡°Status¡± Flame Spirit Race: [Greater Spirit] Age: 1,783 HP: 35 Mana: 27 Agility: 32 Strength: 12 Defense: 17 Skills: [Flame], [Flame Cloak], [Heavenly Descent] Traits: [Fire Spirit], [Heavenly], [Form Manifestation] [So this is a spirit?] Kotori didn¡¯t bother the girl and left her alone. She went back to Okateratsu. Okateratsu looked very proud. The feelings she sent were very maternal. ¡°Was that your daughter?¡± Kotori asked Okateratsu nodded. Looking back Kotori could see the resemblance between her and Okateratsu. ¡°She¡¯s very pretty,¡± Kotori said Okateratsu also nodded again. Okateratsu began to motion to the door and to Kotori''s party. This confused Kotori greatly who did not know what she was implying. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I don¡¯t know,¡± Kotori said She was suddenly giving a mental image of a young bird leaving a nest ¡°You want us to take her with us?¡± Kotori asked Okateratsu nodded once again Kitsura So we are trending today! Wow! That''s twice now! Recently I applied to 6 internships! for security studies so I''m trying my best here. I tried to think of a reward for you all here''s I came up with it. One, I''m going to commission a new book cover because the current one is something I made on a whim and I would really like to have a professional book cover especially if I plan on monetizing in the future(Not that anyone would pay me) Two, you are all getting an extra chapter today! It''s purely fanservice and not canonical(Unless you want it to be) Not lewd but I''m sure you will all like it. Lastly, Q&A Idk drop a comment and I will try to answer it. It can be personal or story-related. I might even be willing to drop hints about where the plot is going if I''m in a good mood. Omake: Mofu Souji Kitsura [Haaaaaa...] Kotori thought as she gently rubbed her hand down the tail of Okateratsu. Kotori was laying on an Okateratsu lap pillow while slowly stroking her tail Okateratsu''s tail was extremely fluffy. So incredibly fluffy it was otherworldly. [Mofu Mofu] It had taken Kotori a long time but she had managed to convince Okateratsu to let her pet her tail. Since Okateratsu was actually a spirit she didn¡¯t have many misgivings about someone petting her tail. Of course, she was initially resistant but accepted Kotori¡¯s pleading after Kotori gave her a particularly nice piece of pheasant meat. Okateratsu was giving Kotori a head massage while Kotori rubbed her tail. [Am I in heaven again?] Kotori thought [No this is even better, the angels never let me do this] Okateratsu¡¯s lap was supremely plump and comfy. The sort of softness that only a mature woman could have. Okateratsu bent down, Kotori heard the rustling of her fox ears. Kotori felt something warm and wet on her ear. Okateratsu bent back up again. Something thin entered her ear. [Hmm?] Kotori thought Kotori tensed then relaxed as Okateratsu used her hand to gently hold Kotori¡¯s head down. A small mimikaki had entered Kotori¡¯s ear. (Skritch... Skritch...Skritch...) Kotori felt her ear being softly massaged while Okateratsu cleaned them. [Feels good...] Okateratsu slowly blew on Kotori¡¯s ears. [Haaaa¡­..] She was extremely skillful at this. This was definitely not her first time. Kotori¡¯s body began to splay and relax. Her entire being was offered up to Okateratsu¡¯s Fuwa Fuwa time. Kotori felt like she could sit there for years without moving as Okateratsu cleaned her ears, She suddenly noticed that Okateratsu stopped [Are we done already!] she panicked Okateratsu gently motioned for Kotori to turn over. [Oh I see]Kotori realized. Kotori turned her body over and flipped to look at Okateratsu''s stomach. She once again bent down and began to work on Kotori¡¯s other ear. Her body got very close to Kotori¡¯s face. Kotori breathed in. Okateratsu smelled very sweet, like honey. She felt like a child. Kotori felt the stress of the past few years wash away under the overpowering strength of Okateratsu mimi souji skills. Kotori had been laying there for a while She felt her consciousness drift. [Ahh what a good time for a nap] . . . Kotori woke to a softness. She was still laying on Okateratsu''s lap. She felt herself being slowly patted on the head. [This is too dangerous!] Kotori thought Okateratsu¡¯s charm was so irresistible that she would be laying there until her death if she was not careful. [She¡¯s too strong!] Kotori tried to pull away but Okateratsu¡¯s sad expression made Kotori set her head down once again on Okateratsu¡¯s lap Kotori was once again charmed by Okateratsu. ¡°Goshujin-sama¡­¡± Kotori heard a familiar voice around She turned away from looking at Okateratsu¡¯s stomach to see the source of the sound. Umi in her human form was standing there watching her [How is she in her human form!] Kotori thought ¡°Why are you in Okateratsu''s lap?¡± Umi asked a thin smile on her face ¡°Ummmm¡± Kotori said. She felt like a husband who had been caught cheating. ¡°Okateratsu offered to give me a lap pillow...¡± She said slightly lying Umi started to tear up her delicate face scrunching into a crying expression ¡°Am I being rejected? Am I not good enough?¡± She asked [Oh no!] Kotori thought ¡°It¡¯s not like tha¡­.Mfhhhh¡± Kotori started to say before she was smothered by Okateratsu. Okateratsu began to hold Kotori even closer. Umi teared up even further ¡°Goshujin-sama only likes mature women! It¡¯s okay Umi will leave you alone enjoy yourself!¡± and ran off crying Kotori managed to pull herself out of Okateratsu''s seductive embrace. ¡°Umi wait!¡± Kitsura Chapter 56: (Kit)sune 2 Kotori entered the room with the girl once again She gently shook her awake. "Mmmmm, 2 more hours" She mumbled and then turned away. Kotori got a closer look at the girl''s face. She had very refined features. Almost as if she was a girl who had come from high-class birth. She was wearing a Miko outfit though, it seemed a little shorter than a typical Miko outfit Her tail poked out from underneath the blanket she was using. [I want to pet it!] Kotori thought. She began to touch the fluffy tail. It had an excellent fluffiness [Yep yep 10/10!] She thought "Okaaaa-sannnn, Don''t tease me mmmm," The girl said "Kotori felt like she was venturing into dangerous territory but kept petting the tail. [Mofu Mofu] "Oka-sannn" The girl said steadily awakening. Her face then turned into shock. She looked at her tail which Kotori was touching, and then Kotori. "KYAAA!" she screamed then ran out of the room. She noticed the figure of her mother and then proceeded to run up to her "Oka-san there''s a pervert in my room!" She noticed the presence of other people in the room and proceeded to hide even further behind her mother clutching her mother''s tail with her ears twitching [Too cute!] Kotori thought "Who are these people," She asked watching Kotori''s party who was standing awkwardly in the room where this was happening. Kotori walked out to an Amelie with a bad expression on her face "Kotori, what did you do to that girl," She asked "I just pet her tail¡­" Kotori said Amelie looked shocked "Kotori!" Kotori could only look sheepishly. "She''s a spirit ok!" While it may have been highly taboo to touch a beast person''s tail. Kotori had touched the girl''s tail under the assumption that she was a spirit. In this case, touching her tail without her permission was akin to touching someone''s head or holding their hand without their permission. Amelie''s face changed slightly, but she still looked at Kotori with disgust. Kotori tried to give a pleading gaze [I''m not guilty!] She thought. Okateratsu seemed to laugh slightly. Though she had changed back to her fox form and it was a little hard to tell. Okateratsu snout moved in such a way that Kotori inferred it at least. The girl continued to hide behind the imposing figure of her mother. Her mother seemed to speak to her. The girl gave a troubled expression and then whispered to her mother again. After their conversation was done, she carefully walked out. She quickly bowed. "H¡­Hello, welcome, Hahaue* said I will be going with you," She said her ears twitching slightly. [Too cute!] Kotori thought. "What''s your name," Kotori said her voice echoing in the cavern. "A name?" The girl asked quizzically. "Like what does Okateratsu call you?" Amelie asked trying to be helpful The Fox Girl tilted her head in confusion "She doesn''t call me anything but ''daughter''" [That won''t do] Kotori thought She began to think of a name "How about Layla?" Kotori asked The girl nodded hesitantly "I don''t really see the purpose, but I guess you can call me that," Layla said Okateratsu gently nudged Layla towards them. Layla walked over to them and moved closer to the figures of Amelie and Kotori''s spirits than Kotori. She stuck her tongue out at Kotori [This Ojou-sama] Kotori thought Layla acted a bit like a sheltered princess. The way she talked was very formal all things considered. She seemed to glare at Kotori. [Ah, I think she doesn''t like me] "How do you know how to speak," Kotori said In this room with only two people, Kotori didn''t understand how this girl could speak to eloquently when she was alone with a spirit who didn''t seem to speak at all. "Hahaue taught me of course!" Layla said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world "Then why doesn''t your mother speak?" Kotori asked "She only speaks to papa," Layla said "Who is your papa then?" Kotori asked her curiosity piqued. For one, this dungeon was already vastly different from the other dungeons. She had been in before. It seemed more like a place to keep Okateratsu than a dungeon proper. "Papa is gone," Layla said flatly "I''m sorry for asking" Kotori immediately backtracked. She shook her head "It''s not your fault, the bad angel took him away from us." "Bad Angel?" Kotori asked. The only angel she knew was Gabriel who had overseen her reincarnation and afterlife. "Mother used to work for him and then she fell in love with Papa, and Mr. Angel didn''t like that and split them apart and put Hahaue down here," Layla said "Do you know the name of this Angel?" Kotori asked "You with the ''names'' again," Layla said "I don''t know, Ok?" Kotori was even more confused [So Okateratsu taught this girl to speak perfectly, but never taught her the concepts of "names"?] Kotori looked pleadingly at Okateratsu She felt the mental image of a handsome angel in her head [That looks similar to him] The man in the mental image looked like Gabriel but Kotori could not ascertain it. The image was a little blurry and dyed with hatred. "Why do you want us to take her," Kotori asked Okateratsu She was shown a mental sequence¡­ *Hahaue means "mother" in a formal way Kitsura I fell asleep yesterday and ended up not posting. I will post another chapter today to compensate. This webnovel was always meant to be the first draft for a book I plan to write one day. I hope you all stick with me and one day I can say. "We''re getting an adaption!" But for now, I will focus on improving to bring the best writing I can for you all. Chapter 57: (Kit)sune 3 Kotori found her vision painted in a rainbow of colors [Is this what spirits see?] The views constantly shifted One moment, she was in a world that looked very much like her own with skyscrapers all around. And other times she was in very primitive worlds where the humans wore animals¡¯ skins. Only one thing remained consistent. Something was dying. The vision always found her sucking the mana out of a dying creature in much the same way that she used [Gourmet]. Sometimes it was a human, other times it was the tiniest creatures. This went on for quite a while. Often, she would see a figure that looked like Gabriel but it was always brief and he was always scowling. The emotions that rose when seeing him were not pleasant. She found herself in front of a man. A dying man. From her snout, she saw the dying man whisper ¡°Beautiful¡± She felt disgusted at this mortal who would attempt to speak to her. She was especially brutal with his soul-sucking. More images. She found herself on a battlefield. The same man again, his body covered in wounds [It looks like he was trying to die] The man looked her in the eyes again ¡°Beautiful¡± He whispered softly Again. Again, Again. She was a proud spirit. How many lifetimes had this man gone through? Each time he spoke the same thing. He shouldn¡¯t even remember this process. Every time she met him. It was the same thing. She became curious about this man. He probably said this to her sisters as well. [That womanizer!] She asked her sisters about a curious soul that would say ¡°beautiful¡± every time they met. None of them had encounters such a soul. She began to wonder about the soul. She would go out and seek him. The man who would call her ¡°beautiful¡±. On the battlefields, his body riddled in holes. On the deathbed as he died from cancer. Even the few times he committed suicides. She once tried to ask the soul why he would say such a thing but he died before she could get an answer. She felt flustered. A proud spirit shouldn¡¯t be this involved with a mortal. But still, It was just to pique her curiosity right? When she sucked the soul from the man, she secretly gave it sentience again. A move that would get her punished if caught. As she saw the glowing soul it only looked at her in wonder. She forced it to answer her. ¡°Why are trying to die mortal?¡± The soul glowed softly, ¡°So, the fox can take me away¡± She was confused, even more. Soul¡¯s shouldn¡¯t remember anything. She removed the sentience. And checked the memory core of this curious soul. All she could see were images of her. Each time she had appeared the soul had remembered. She tried to scrub the soul of such memories but it was impossible without destroying the soul entirely. [Does it exist for the purpose of me?] Souls could often attach themselves to purposes, but this was odd. She quickly gave the soul back to the angels. She was a proud spirit after all. And still, she kept running into the man. He was getting even bolder. Actively finding ways to die in the most spectacular fashions keeping enough karma to reincarnate as a human but not staying much longer after that. [Enough is enough!] She was tired of seeing the man. She found a small gap in heaven and hid the man in there. Souls were low maintenance after all. She stuffed the soul in the hole and left it. Things were quiet for a while. But she began to miss the man [A proud spirit shouldn¡¯t care about a mortal soul] she would think Still¡­ She checked on the soul and was shocked. Somehow it had gained sentience through sheer force of will and was talking to her ogling her. [Gross] She left the soul to its own devices and told it to stay put or else it would be caught. Still.. She felt bad The soul was stuck there because of her own selfishness after all. So, she checked on it. Her sisters would often ask her where she was going and she would brush it off. The soul would always cheer every time she came. He began to call her ¡°Okateratsu¡± She dismissed the name. Proud spirits don¡¯t need names after all. She began to enjoy her little visits. The little soul always tried to cheer her up even if she wasn¡¯t in a bad mood. [What a persistent soul] She kept visiting the soul. What? She needed to take care of it right? She began to enjoy her visits. Look forward to them, A spirit doesn¡¯t fall in love, right? Right? Her sisters asked her why she was working less and less. She told them she was tired. They didn¡¯t believe her, spirits don¡¯t get tired. She turned the little hole in heaven into a quaint home. Bringing a bed, chair, and a table so the little soul would have a place to sit and lie down. Not that it needed it, but souls are often attached to their mortal comforts. She moved from her designated nest to living with the soul. Her sisters asked where she was going, and she would say that she was doing work. Her work suffered but Okateratsu didn¡¯t mind. She was happy. A proud spirit must be happy right? The little soul gave her comfort. It had grown, being supported by her spiritual presence. Soon she saw the man who had always called her ¡°beautiful¡± in his image. That day it proposed. A proud spirit should be married right? Okateratsu would rush to finish the minimum amount of work and come to the ¡°home¡± she had built. She didn¡¯t use her fox form very much at home and preferred to use her human form. The soul seemed to like it. They lived quietly Happily. A child was born. She looked much more like Okateratsu than the soul. The soul didn¡¯t mind. They lived in bliss. Until. That wretched day. Okateratsu came back to her hole. The entirety of it smashed to bits. She looked frantically for the soul and her child. That¡¯s when ¡°he¡± appeared. That evil angel. She was scolded. Punished. Her sister didn¡¯t come to her aid They told her ¡°A proud spirit follows the rules¡± The angel cast her and her child down. She watched the soul of the man ripped to bits. He would never again say she was beautiful. She was chained to a world in which she had never visited. Using her mana, she hid away. She felt shame, she didn¡¯t want to see her sisters who had laughed and jeered at her for selling her divinity for the sake of the soul. She fell into grief. She had one blessing, and that was that she was able to keep her child. She built a hollow. Much like the one she was originally in heaven. She told her child to sleep. That one day they would meet her father. And so she waited. Kitsura Enjoy this brief offering. I do love writing these plot hint chapters. Chapter 58: Layla Part 1 Kotori stumbled as the sequenced ended. She felt tears in her eyes. She looked at Okateratsu who was giving her a knowing expression. What she saw was likely Okateratsu¡¯s life. ¡°Kotori?¡± Amelie asked her a concerned look on her face. ¡°How long¡­ was I standing there¡± Kotori gasped Amelie gave a puzzled expression ¡°What do you mean? You looked at Okateratsu and then staggered¡± Kotori realized the sequence she had seen had passed in an instant. She had seen why Okateratsu was trapped down here. [The angels don¡¯t act like that right?] When Kotori was in heaven, she didn¡¯t pay much attention to the other angels. [Wait did I even see any angels working?] She was currently rifling through her memories. Kotori had spent most of her time in heaven playing around she didn¡¯t remember much from the time there. The face of the angel though, there was some resemblance. The angel in Okateratsu''s memory was Gabriel even if it did not look like it. That same inhuman expression. The emotionless wolfish smile. [That¡­ was him.] Even if it did not look like him. [Why though?] The Gabriel she knew was a lazy angel who didn¡¯t care about her existence. Not the evil man she saw in the memory. [Could he have been lying?] The words of Nero echoed in her head. Kotori asked Okateratsu if she knew anything about Nero. Okateratsu had no clue. Kotori was now very confused about the nature of this world. The game-like elements and Mana which made no sense. [Just where am I in the first place] The multiple worlds that Okateratsu was in when she collected souls had similar sorts of mana and gam systems but this world had an abundance of mana. No other world had as near as much mana as this one did. Kotori tried to ask Okateratsu about this world and she was unable to explain anything. Okateratsu was just as clueless about this world in her despair she didn¡¯t bother to learn about it. Still, this was the first time Kotori had met anybody who was directly connected to the angel. Okateratsu was unable to help Kotori any further and she nudged Layla closer to them. ¡°Oka-san, do I really have to?¡± Okateratsu angrily nipped at her. ¡°Eek!¡± Layla yelped jumping away Okateratsu motioned for them to leave. Kotori looked as Amelie who had also noticed that this meeting was done. Although their meeting was brief Okateratsu had no intention of attacking them. They quickly left the deep cave. Making their way back up the long staircase. ¡°Ahhhh mou!¡± Layla said the moment they finished walking up the staircase. ¡°No more walking!¡± Layla said frustrated ¡°hmmm?¡± Kotori asked ¡°I¡¯m done walking! Carry me!¡± Layla said [A so she¡¯s one of these types] It seems that Okateratsu¡¯s pride had rubbed off on Layla. She had already gained an Ojou-sama personality. ¡°You are all lower life forms! You should bow down to me!¡± She loudly proclaimed her arms cross in front of her. Kotori rolled her eyes ¡°You know these two are the same as you right?¡± Kotori said pointing to Shu and Umi. Both of them were staring daggers at Layla. It seems they didn¡¯t like her disrespect of their master Kotori. ¡°Waaaaa?¡± Layla quickly cast status on them [So she had ¡°status¡± too?] ¡°No way!¡± She said ¡°Why do you two stay like that?¡± She said looking at them Shu and Umi¡¯s expression changed from anger to puzzlement. It seemed like they were having a spirit conversation with Layla now. Kotori could activate her [Spirit Seer] Skill and eavesdrop but decided against it. Shu and Umi¡¯s eyes seemed to widen as the conversation went on further. Their bodies began to glow. And the Kotori saw them in their human forms. ¡°Kotori-Sama!¡± Umi said hugging her. Kotori once again felt her face buried in Umi¡¯s ¡°mountains¡± ¡°What?¡± Suddenly Umi and Shu had transformed without having Kotori cast a buff on them. ¡°Umi¡­ please let go of me,¡± Kotori said. She was being suffocated. ¡°Ahh my bad¡± [Ah these troublesome spirits] Kotori thought once again. Kitsura 12 pages of pure political science drivel is now done tho. Chapter 59: Layla Part 2 Apparently, Layla had told them something that would allow them to activate their [Form Manifestation] ¡°Ummmm¡± Kotori mumbled. She was confused as to how they had managed this. ¡°How did you two transform?¡¯ She asked puzzled ¡°Layla told us how too!¡± [It was that easy!] ¡°Can you please explain¡± Kotori asked them ¡°We combined the traits!¡± ¡°Pardon me?¡± Kotori said ¡°Well, I have [Water Spirit] I combined it with [Form Manifestation]!¡± Umi explained, Shu nodded in agreement Kotori checked their status Water Spirit (Umi) Race: [Greater Spirit] Age: 0 HP: 19 Mana: 36 Agility: 20 Strength: 11 Defense: 14 Skills: [Water blade] [Mana Flow] Traits: [Water Spirit Manifestation]. ¡°It¡¯s not perfect but look!¡± Umi said gesturing at her body. Kotori looked closer and could see that Umi¡¯s body was not solid. In fact, it was slightly shimmery. As if she had used water to make. Kotori inspected Shu¡¯s body and saw that it was the same way except, he was cover in a slightly rough rocky layers. [Oh I see, they are using their elements to imitate their forms] Kotori thought It was indeed a nice workaround although it wasn¡¯t perfect unless someone was looking very carefully they looked like ¡°Humans¡± although Umi and her scale would make her look more like a beastperson anyway. [Are there Lizard beast people?] in the first place Kotori wondered. [Wait¡¯s doesn¡¯t that mean I can combine my skill and traits?] Kotori was unsure how it worked but it seemed like a temping prospect perhaps she would be able to figure out what the [Monte Cristo] and [£ª£ª©`¤«£ª] trait did after all. ¡°So how do you do it?¡± Kotori asked ¡°Ehhhh?¡± Umi said she looked down and shuffled her feet ¡°Umm, I don¡¯t know it just made sense for them to work together¡± Umi said. [Hmm, this is unhelpful¡­ perhaps?] Kotori tried something Kotori felt something in her mind click. It was like she had suddenly righted a gear in a machine, and it was finally working. She looked at her status again Sato Kotori Race: [Human] Age: 9 HP: 33 Mana: 32 Agility: 26 Strength: 17 Defense: 15 Karma: -100,008,248 Skills: [Magic Musician], [Gourmet], [Desire of Monte Cristo](Removed) Traits: [Spirit Seer], [£ª£ª©`¤«£ª-?O?] [What is this!] She thought Kotori¡¯s [Monte Cristo] skill had disappeared but in return is had made her mysterious skill grow even larger. [Now this is annoying] Kotori thought [Is this even a game system? Why doesn¡¯t it explain anything! Where¡¯s the strategy guides? How am I supposed to min-max like this!] Multiple thoughts rifled through Kotori¡¯s head, but unfortunately, she was not able to get an easy answer. [That damn angel¡­] Kotori thought. It always came back Gabriel. The mysterious angel who had forced her to reincarnate on this world. ¡°Goshujin-sama?¡± Umi¡¯s words snapped Kotori out of her ruminated ¡°Ah! Sorry¡± Kotori said ¡°Are you really ok? You been spacing out an awful lot since meeting Okateratsu¡± Amelie asked ¡°It¡¯s fine really¡± Kotori said Amelie gave her a concerned expression and then dropped the issue. [Ah I can¡¯t tell them] Kotori was once again wracked by the guilt of her lie. She couldn¡¯t tell Amelie about her past life. If Amelie knew that she had been putting them in danger because of her own selfish reasons she didn¡¯t know how Amelie would react. [Well for now we have to deal with this] Kotori thought Their current situation hadn¡¯t changed much despite having a new member they were still currently on the run. [What do I do with this] She thought further Now that Shu and Umi had physical human forms she wanted to use them to an extent. [Still¡­] She thought [Why are they so good looking!] Shu and Umi¡¯s human were abnormally good looking. Kotori was being hypocritical here. She herself, was still a child and it was difficult to say for certain how she would turn out looking but she was at least becoming quite good looking in some capacity. But Shu and Umi looked positively otherworldly. [That¡¯s noble face! Are you trying to sleep around you male giggolo!] She said looking at Shu¡¯s profile. His features looked chiseled out of rock. It was a mature and responsible look with an irresistible boyishness that would make women swoon. [Are you trying to seduce me!] Umi was much the same way. Her almond-shaped eyes were milky white slightly wet as if she was on the verge of crying. She was positively an ethereal beauty, the kind that grabs your heart and makes you want to protect her. ¡°Is something wrong¡± Umi asked Kotori [Kyun!] Kotori nearly swooned as Umi said that [These damn spirits] ¡°Kotori-sama do you need anything!¡± Shu said Kotori moved closer to Amelie ¡°Ahh this feels more natural¡± she sighed. Amelie¡¯s wasn¡¯t a bad looking person, but she was only slightly above average all things considered. Standing next to her made Kotori feel better. ¡°I feel like I¡¯m being insulted right now¡­¡± Amelie said Layla watched this scene with bemusement. ¡°Fufufufufu¡± She giggled ¡°Perhaps I can stick around you shomin*¡± It seems amusing. Kotori gave her a look, ¡°Layla you will have to work with us. Don¡¯t expect to get away with doing nothing¡± ¡°Hmm! You should all listen to my commands!¡± She retorted. ¡°Umuuu¡­ I guess if it¡¯s like that we don¡¯t have to let you join our party¡­¡± Kotori said her voice trailing off to let Layla considering the consequences of such an action. Although, Layla was a spirit it was still unsafe for her to walk around alone in the wilderness. Especially in the girl-form she had now. ¡°Wait! Please reconsider!¡± Layla said quickly her ojou -sama expression dropping in a pitiful look ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ join¡± She said very quietly ¡°Oh?¡± Kotori said ¡°I couldn¡¯t quite catch that¡± She said teasing Layla ¡°I said¡­ I¡¯ll join¡± Layla said again a little louder ¡°Hmm I still can¡¯t hear anything¡± Kotori said ¡°Do you hear anything Umi?¡± She asked Umi quickly understood Kotori¡¯s intention and replied ¡°Nope, nothing at all!¡± ¡°I said I¡¯ll join!¡± Layla said practically yelling her face was red from embarrassment ¡°Fufufufuf¡± This time it was Kotori laughing. *low class person/peasant Kitsura Happy reading. I will try and post earlier from now on as I get back into the schedule. Fun fact: Layla was originally supposed to be a boy fire spirit named ShangYun Chapter 60: Bishounen! Kotori looked in puzzlement at the two men in front of her. They were carrying a wooden large cart with a curious pack animal pulling the carts. The cart was covered with a tarp so she couldn¡¯t really see the contents of it The men looked shocked to see Kotori and her party out here. This wasn¡¯t a surprise considering the fact that Kotori and her party had hidden out near the eastern part of the Kingdom of Faramouth. The entire peninsula had a peculiar geography where all the coasts were covered by mountains. Making the country itself nearly landlocked. There was a port on the western side of the peninsula which was the only port the country had. Kotori had hid here since people rarely lived near the mountains. This was why Okateratsu¡¯s prison/den had never been found. She now looked at the two men in front of her with puzzlement. They were slightly shorter than the average person. But they had very feminine appearances. [Bishounen?] Kotori thought. They were slender in appearance and were frankly quite androgynous. One of them was darker skin with black hair and almost looked like a tomgirl. Another had tousled blond hair and brilliant blue eyes with freckles. ¡°W-Who are you?¡± The blond one asked [Hmm] Kotori thought. His voice was very high pitched almost girlish. She realized she had to respond ¡°Ah, we¡¯re travelling¡± Kotori said ¡°Travelers I see!¡± The blond boy said his face looking relieved. It seemed like he thought they might¡¯ve been bandits. [Not completely incorrect assumption though¡­] Kotori thought, Looking at Amelie, she was technically a ¡°bandit¡± depending on who you ask. Their assumption was still correct if you looked at Kotori¡¯s party. The constant moving had made them quite disheveled and they honestly looked like ne¡¯er do wells to an unassuming person. She introduced herself to them making up a story about how they were looking for a village nearby. It was an obvious lie, but she was sure these people posed no threat to her anyway. ¡°Are you perhaps looking for the Dweyer village?¡± The dark skin boy asked ¡°Ah¡­ Yes¡± Kotori said. In truth, she was just lying but it would be difficult for them to ascertain if she was. ¡°We¡¯re going right there want to come with?¡± The boys asked [Shoot!] What had started as an innocent lie to hide their identity had turned into an invitation. If she denied them here she would definitely look suspicious. ¡°Sure.¡± She said defeatedly. Amelie gave her an upturned look as if she was judging how Kotori had handled this situation [I¡¯m sorry!] She apologized internally They began to follow the boys back to their village. Apparently, the Tan boy¡¯s name was Horatio and the blond boy was names Nick. The creme-colored beast pulling their wagon was called a Felter and named Tina. It looked like a cross between a llama and horse. They were heading back to their village after selling their wares. When Kotori had asked them what they were selling they showed her their left-over goods in the wagon. Apparently, they were smiths and they sold weapons and other such tools. Nick had a very easy-going personality, whereas Horatio was much more reserved and looked at them suspiciously. He seemed to be one of those serious types. [Ah please don¡¯t look at me like] Horatio had been eyeing them suspiciously ever since they started walking together. [I¡¯m a cute harmless little girl see!] This gaze seemed to change when he looked at Umi. Noticing his gaze, she gave him a small polite smile. Horatio blushed and then looked away. [Ah cute.] Kotori thought, It seems Horatio had developed a bit of puppy crush for Umi. It was too bad it was one-directional. If he ever tried to make a move on Umi she would likely turn him down and loudly proclaims things like ¡°My heart belongs to my master!¡± Kotori internally giggled when she thought about the scene. On the other hand, she could see Nick sneaking glances at Layla. Kotori pitied him. He didn¡¯t know how abrasive her personality was. [Good luck little boy!] Kotori was not quite right in saying that. Apparently, both Nick and Horatio were around the same age as Amelie which means that they were around 20. Kotori was shocked when she heard that fact. They looked like slightly older middles schoolers. Though, it made more sense that they were walking around and traveling like this if they were that old. She would have serious concerns for whatever parent would let their children stray so far from home. [Yep, Yep Children shouldn¡¯t leave home too early] Kotori thought, without considering the irony of her statement. Apparently, the boys lived in a village deep in the mountain range. Kotori herself didn¡¯t mind following them. She was already trying to hide from the Faramouth Kingdom so going into the mountain ranges surrounding them seemed like a good idea anyway. In fact, she likely would¡¯ve gone into hiding there whether these boys came along or not. The path they were walking on steady became less and less tread until eventually, it was a little more than a hunter path. The boys didn¡¯t seem to mind and walked with a purpose like they had a perfect idea of where they were going. Kotori diligently followed along. Soon they came upon a small village. There were several plumes of smoke coming from multiple houses and it looked like a nostalgic scene that reminded Kotori of other villages she had been in. Several people were walking about. When they got closer Kotori was surprised at the nature of the villagers [Why are they all Bishounen!] Kitsura Don''t question it :) Chapter 61: Dwarves! Excluding its residents the Dweyer village was fairly normal. To be quite honest the weirdest thing about it was the fact that it was this deep inside the mountains. Most people would think it was too dangerous but they seemed to cope perfectly fine. Apparently the weapons they make were strong enough to defend themselves with. The village seemed to be based around smithing and mining and all the residents seem to be some sort of mix of either of them. Kotori¡¯s initial assumption that they were all bishounen was also wrong. Although it was difficult to tell the difference several tomboyish looking girls were walking around as well. It was more easy to tell the difference in gender based on their clothes than actually looking at them. Apparently this was a dwarven village which shattered Kotori¡¯s conceptions of what dwarves could be. Horatio and Nick were one of the few traders in the villages. They were childhood friends and although they were decent smiths, they couldn¡¯t compare to some of the best in the village. They had decided to become traders with the human kingdom after that. Incidentally, they were offering their homes to Kotori party as a thank you. She didn¡¯t think they did all that much but apparently, Horatio and Nick insisted on it. Thus, they split the party between their houses. The dwarf houses were a modicum smaller than normal human homes, which made it slightly uncomfortable for them. But for Kotori who hadn¡¯t grown fully yet, it was perfect. [They just want to flirt!] Kotori thought The moment Kotori got to Horatio¡¯s house he instantly started trying to make a move on Umi. Despite his cautious personality, he was quite brazen with it too. Even going as far as to ask Umi to go out on a lunch date with him. Apparently, Horatio didn¡¯t know that Umi wasn¡¯t really a lizard girl but Kotori didn¡¯t have the heart to tell him. Umi was surprisingly tactful and politely turned him down with a light smile on her face. When Horatio asked for the reason why Umi just told him that she had to stay with her master [Rather diligent this spirit is] Kotori thought That¡¯s when she heard Umi mutter under her breath, ¡°Besides, I¡¯m waiting for someone else to ask me to go.¡± She finished glancing at Kotori [I change my mind this is a troublesome spirit] Kotori thought. She was wondering how Shu and Layla were doing over at the other house but imagined it couldn¡¯t be much better. Kotori was happy to learn that the dwarves ate meals of meat hunted from the mountain and freshwater fish that was caught in the river nearby. They also ate wild mountain vegetables and mushrooms. [Is this what they call a paleo diet?] Kotori thought as she pecked at her food. The next day Kotori explored the village. She talked to the few shop owners and look at the goods that were being sold. Most of the things the dwarves made were jewelry which made sense considering their size and lean builds. Small fingers were better for doing the delicate work that they did. Incidentally, the few dwarves that did make weapons were slightly bulkier than their counterparts but not by much. The weapons they made were delicate and magical. They were inlaid with magical stones that they trade from the kingdom. The larger the stone the more valuable the sword. ¡°How much for this sword¡± Kotori asked. She was holding a thin rapier that had an ornate handle. She really wanted a weapon ever since the fight with Nero but had been unable to find something that she could hold without it feeling awkward. The thin and small dwarven swords felt like a good fit. She didn¡¯t really have any money but she considering bartering. The shop owner gave a price that made Kotori balk. She learned that dwarven-made goods were highly prized, even among humans and thus they were quite expensive. Most dwarves made their own weapons so they rarely bought them. The ones that did usually made their money elsewhere. [This is a village of rich people!] Kotori thought. Although the dwarves lived modestly they were actually quite rich relatively speaking. Still, Kotori really wanted a weapon. She asked the shop owner if there were any cheaper weapons and the shop owner said that it was impossible ¡°You really can¡¯t find anything cheap around here,¡± She said. Kotori had almost mistaken the shop owner for a boy and was happy to infer from the tone of her voice. ¡°Ah wait..¡± The shop owner said ¡°I guess you could commission a weapon with a smith and get a lower price.¡± The owner said ¡°But I don¡¯t think people really do commission anymore..." ¡°Why is that?¡± Kotori asked ¡°Adventurers have been going down for a while now, nobody really wants commissions anymore. It¡¯s a shame those pieces always looked the nicest.¡± [Hmm, that might be possible] Kotori thought. She thanked the shop owner and then looked around for smiths who were willing to do commissioned work for her. [Impossible!] Kotori still realized that commissioned smiths were doing mass produced work now. Barely anybody was doing commissions Chapter 62: The Manasteel Smith (1) [Ahh what to do?] It had been a day and Kotori was still stumped on how to find a smith to work on commission. She had asked every smith in town and they were all prohibitively expensive or didn¡¯t do it. Kotori really wanted a weapon. Fighting Yooma had taught her that she couldn¡¯t afford to be careless with how she had been fighting now. Up to now, she had been able to brute force her way through encounters but that would come to an end if Yooma still existed. She was alone in a shop looking for more clues before a voice interrupted her. ¡°Hello, are you looking for a smith?¡± She turned around; a small girl was in front of her. The girl¡¯s face was covered in soot and a little dirty but otherwise she was average looking and had the same androgenous look as all the other dwarves in the village. Kotori had gotten much better at telling them apart after living with them for a couple of days. ¡°Yes¡­ Who are you?¡± Kotori asked. This girl had suddenly asked her such a simple questions. [Has it already gotten around that I¡¯m looking for a smith that is willing to do commissions for me?] She thought The girls face perked up her, light bluish hair swaying as she bobbed her head. ¡°I¡¯ll make you a weapon!¡± She said [Ehh?] Kotori thought ¡°I don¡¯t think I can pay the price you want¡± Kotori said sadly The girl shook her head ¡°I¡¯ll do it for free!¡± She stated The shop owner that Kotori was originally talking to suddenly interrupted them. ¡°Winry don¡¯t tell me you are bothering another person again¡± The smith said. The girl pouted ¡°No I¡¯m not, I¡¯m offering my services like a respectable smith!¡± She answered indignantly The shop owner looking meaningfully at Kotori ¡°That girl there is a problem child it¡¯s best if you don¡¯t bother yourself with her.¡± Winry pouted even further. ¡°That¡¯s because all you codgers only want to make magic weapons with filled mana crystals!¡± She said Kotori was confused about all this. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m a bit lost in this conversation¡± She asked ¡°We make magic weapons that use mana crystals, the stronger the crystal the more powerful the sword The smith explains. ¡°That girl over there only takes used magical weapons and make their output better. The magic is gone! There¡¯s nothing there anyway!¡± He said glaring at Winry ¡°The power of a weapon should be relative to the power of user not the power of the crystal!¡± Winrey shouted ¡°All you smiths do is let people buy power ups¡± She finished This altercation went on for a while with no end. Until eventually the smith kicked Winry and Kotori out of his shop. [Why did I get kicked out?] Kotori thought. She had only been an observer in the argument Winry was dourly standing off and kicking rocks. Kotori was intrigued in Winry¡¯s approach Kotori felt bad for her, since she was responsible for Winry getting kicked out of a shop. [If it¡¯s an issue with charging the weapon my [Magical Musician] skill should be able to charge it right?] Kotori thought ¡°Hey Winry¡± she said ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Do you mind showing me some of the stuff you made¡± Kotori asked Winry perked up once again ¡°Of course, follow me!¡± [This girl is surprisingly easy to please] Kotori was led by winery to the outskirts of the village to a small hut. The claim that Winry didn¡¯t sell much seemed to be true. The hut that Winry was living was leaning to one side and looked like it would leak if it rained. There was a small forge in the corner. But what Caught Kotori¡¯s eye was the vast amount of weapon in the hut. An assortment of swords, spears, daggers, were all lying around the hut. Every single one of them was inlaid with a mana crystal and some of them even looked quite expensive. Kotori assumed that every single one of them had be thoroughly deprived of mana. ¡°It should be over here¡­¡± Winry said rummaged in a pile of weapons ¡°Isn¡¯t that dangerous?¡± Kotori asked ¡°Won¡¯t you cut yourself.¡± Winry waved her hand ¡°Nah, magical weapons aren¡¯t sharp until they are charged¡± Winry explains She ran her finger across the blade of a particularly fancy-looking scimitar. When she showed Kotori her finger it was unscathed. ¡°The metal used in these is a type of metal called Mana Steel. It absorbs mana but it¡¯s very soft. Most smiths use a combination of Mana Steel and normal steel to improve mana efficiency and make sure the mana crystal doesn¡¯t get spent keeping the sword in shape. It makes the sword weaker though, which is pretty ridiculous right?¡± Winry explained She lazily tossed the scimitar into a corner and true to her explanation it bent in half after it landed on its tip. She rummaged further into a pile of weapons and eventually pulled out bizarre spear. The spear was silvery and fully metal it seemed to bend in Winry¡¯s grasp as if the metal made up of it was barely able to hold its form. Inlaid upon the entirety of the shaft was glittery mana crystals. A quick check with [Gourmet] told Kotori that they were all empty. ¡°Here it is!¡± Winry said handing the spear to Kotori and looking proud of her creation Kotori gave the spear a worrying glance ¡°Are you sure this isn¡¯t just going to fall apart¡± She asked wobbling the spear in her hand. It seemed like it would bend at the slightest touch. ¡°wait don¡¯t do that!¡± Winry said as Kotori wobbled it again The spear procced to droop in half in Kotori¡¯s hand ¡°Ahh!¡± She said in surprise dropping the spear. The spear fell to the stone floor with little clatter as if it wasn¡¯t very solid and the mana crystals inlaid in it all popped out creating a splash of glittering gems. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± Kotori instantly apologized thinking that she had destroyed something Winry worked very hard on. Winry only gave a sad look. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine,¡± She said her face looking glum ¡°That happens to all of them¡± Kitsura We also got trending again! Apparently, the algorithm gods want me to keep writing chapters. Send help. Chapter 63: The Manasteel Smith (2) Winry who had watched the spear she made break into pieces gave a pained expression ¡°It¡¯s fine, everything I make is junk anyway, Just like the other smith said,¡± she said walking over to a corner and looking at a pile of weapons that looked like the spear that Kotori had just broke. Her eyes shined with tears. Watching her Kotori was given the impression of a small animal that deserved to be protected. ¡°I think it was promising,¡± Kotori said trying to be helpful. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be nice¡± Winry interrupted her. I¡¯m sure you can find a smith who makes something better than me. I¡¯m sorry for dragging you here to show you how much of a failure I am.¡± She finished. Winry was sitting into a corner and dejectedly poking at the vast amounts of weapons that were piled there. Trembling in anger, she grabbed a delicately made sword inlaid with mana crystals and with threw it, it bounced against the wall and clattered against the floor with a soft jangle. Kotori pitied Winry, although Kotori had not known her for long, she could see the care that Winry put into these weapons even if they were technically duds. Kotori took out her flute and started to play a song for her to lighten the mood. She picked a song her father taught her. A song that was very light and cheery. She felt mana leaving her, signaling that she was activating [Magic Musician]. Kotori didn¡¯t mind she let the mana flow. The room seemed to hum. ¡°What are you doing,¡± Winry asked Kotori ignored her and continued to play. A curious thing happened. The magical sword that Winry had thrown began to ripple. Like water, its surface had waves going through it. The sword seemed to hum in response to Kotori¡¯s music. It molded itself into the shape of a sun. Winry¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What are you doing!¡± she exclaimed ¡°Trying to make you feel better of course,¡± Kotori said. ¡°No, No, No like are you activating a skill there?¡± Winry asked ¡°Yes?¡± Kotori answered. ¡°tell me please¡± Winry asked Kotori hesitated for a moment. She was under the assumption that skills were something anybody could see. The [Status] skill was something everybody had. Evidently, it was not that simple. ¡°Can¡¯t you see my skills with status?¡± Kotori asked. Winry looked dumbfounded at Kotori statements giving an expression similar to if Kotori had told Winry to stand on one toe ¡°Looked at skills with status? All I can see is your mana total.¡± She said [She can¡¯t do it?] It seemed that Kotori had a particularly advanced version of the status skill. [Odd? didn¡¯t Gabriel say I would be average?] Kotori thought. She had always been able to see extremely detailed statuses of others. She thought everybody had the exact same sort of screen that she saw. It seemed that it was not the case here. ¡°I was using a skill called [Magic Musician]¡± Kotori said explaining how it worked. After hearing Kotori¡¯s explanation Winry put her finger to her chin, evidently thinking deeply about something. Finally, she spoke ¡°I don¡¯t remember ever hearing about a skill like that, is it unique?¡± Winry asked Kotori ¡°Unique?¡± Kotori hadn¡¯t even heard about the possibility of unique skill. She knew skills were something that people got after training. The idea of a unique skill was a profoundly new concept to her. ¡°Did you get it by training, or did it suddenly appear?¡± Winry asked Kotori explained how it had appeared when she was young. She left out the details about her family. ¡°I see, well then it¡¯s probably unique! That¡¯s so cool!¡± Winry said the fire was returning bak to her eyes and Kotori was glad to see Winry so happy even though Kotori had no clue what she was thinking. ¡°I can work with this¡± Winry muttered giving another thoughtful expression. ¡°Kotori can you direct your skill¡± She asked Kotori holding up the saber which had since turned into a ball of metal. ¡°I can¡± Kotori said ¡°Then please direct it to this ball and can you try to imagine a shape this time¡± Kotori raised her flute to her mouth and activated [Magic Musician] She thought about Winry, her soft features and generally boyish look. The ball once again rippled and distorted, and eventually forming itself into a perfect bust of Winry. ¡°Wow!¡± Winry said. Her voice went low ¡°This is going to revolutionize weapons!¡± She said Winry turned to Kotori and asked her a question. ¡°Hey Kotori, If I make you a weapon will you use it¡± ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I?¡± Kotori said smiling. Winry¡¯s face completely lit up ¡°Okay! I promise to make you the best weapon ever. A weapon like no other! Just for you!¡± she said ¡°Oh yeah, Don¡¯t worry about payment, just tell people I made it¡± She said To be quite honest the look on Winry¡¯s face was so intense that Kotori was slightly intimidated but Kotori was so happy that she was going to get a weapon that she ignored it. Winry¡¯s face then dulled for a bit, as if she had realized something ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Kotori asked, the sudden change in mood made her scared that Winry wasn¡¯t going to make her a weapon anymore. ¡°I don¡¯t have the materials,¡± Winry said ¡°What do you mean?¡± Kotori said looking at the vast amounts of weapons here. Couldn¡¯t Winry just repurpose them by melting them down? ¡°The materials I want aren¡¯t here, I could make you a mana steel sword but I can do even better. If I just had Manatanium I would be able to make something that rivals the weapons of legends¡± The thought was enticing to Kotori. She imagined herself with a legendary sword, looking quite gallant [Eheheh, sounds good] She was ready to do whatever it took to get this sword from Winry ¡°What do I need to do?¡± she asked hardening her resolve. Kitsura I''m so goddamn tired. On the plus side, I won a 1.2k scholarship. Chapter 64: Quiggles ¡°What do I need to do?¡± Those were the words that Kotori had said in response to Winry¡¯s material shortage. Winry took a step back. She waved her hands in front of her trying to calm down the fired up Kotori ¡°Please don¡¯t act so serious, It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to ask you to kill some dungeon boss¡± [Oh!] Kotori toned herself down a bit. She was not realizing how skewed her worldview was. She had been fighting all this time and now she approached every problem like it was going to be a fight. [Am I becoming a battle idiot?] Kotori had the image of Amelie in her mind as she thought this. She was horrified at the fact she had ben so ready to fight just now. [Ok, Ok, we¡¯ll have to deal with this later, what does Winry need then?] Kotori thought ¡°So how do I mine this Manatanium¡± Kotori asked. Winry¡¯s face grimaced ¡°That¡¯s the hard part, you don¡¯t mine¡¯ Manatanium¡± You farm for it. ¡°Farm?¡± Kotori asked [Does it grow from the ground] She thought ¡°Manatanium is acquired from killing Guiggles¡± Winry said ¡°Quiggles?¡± Kotori had no issue with killing monster for loot. That what she had been doing before she had gone to the village anyway. The problem was that she hadn¡¯t heard of a ¡°Guiggles¡± monster before. ¡°Is killing a Quiggle hard?¡± Kotori asked. She was imagine some sort of impressive beast that require multiple strong party members to take down. ¡°Not really¡­ They¡¯re actually pretty easy to kill¡± Winry said. ¡°Then why are you acting like this is such a difficult task¡± Kotori asked she was getting fed up with how opaque Winry was being. ¡°The problem¡­ is catching them.¡± Winry explained [Catching Them?] Kotori thought She asked Winry to describe the monster in question After hearing Winry¡¯s description of the monster Kotori only had one thought [Isn¡¯t that just a metal slime! Isn¡¯t this world a little too much like an RPG!] Kotori thought as her eyes widened. The humble metal slime, a staple in games like D***** Q**** was a monster that gave an extremely large amount of XP but would often run at every encounter making it extremely difficult for the player to kill them unless they had the correct party composition. [That will be¡­ Difficult] Winry told Kotori about the nearby dungeon which held them, and she was on her way. ** ** ** *Squish* *Squish* Kotori¡¯s foot took another plod into a wet pile of mud. [Yuck Yuck Yuck] Kotori thought She was currently in the Metal Slime dungeon which was, unfortunately, a swamp forest type dungeon. Apparently the mana concentration was quite good around here which made this swap exist. ¡°Kotori-sama are you alright¡± The soft voice of Umi asked. On her face was a concerned expression. She must¡¯ve seen Kotori ''s discomfort navigating the swamp. ¡°Umi is right, you shouldn¡¯t force yourself this much¡± Amelie said Kotori had brought her party to the swamp to help her farm the Metal Slimes. They were initially quite confused but once Kotori explained that she want help gathering materials for a weapon they dutifully followed her along. They really were a loyal party, even going as far as to help Kotori with this tedious task. Layla had rejected the offer stating that she wasn''t interest in roaming a swamp ["That damn ojou-sama" Kotori muttered thinking back to the memory. Despite roaming the swamp dungeon for over an hour Kotori was unable to find any traces of metals slimes. She was almost sure that Winry had given her the wrong direction until she had found some distinctly metallic droplets on the ground nearby. [Farming is hard] Kotori thought She was dreading encountering one. Not because it was going to wipe her party but because she was sure it wasn¡¯t going to be easy to kill. Her party composition was just bad. She had two melee fighter who were middling in agility, a spell caster, and herself. There was no way they would be able to catch one like this. They search another hour before Kotori saw a glint of metal from her eye. ¡°Over here!¡± She said She saw a small blob zipping across the forest floor it was only there for an instant before it disappeared from Kotori¡¯s field of view [So fast!] Kotori thought This was not a game world, Kotori would not be able to force slimes to encounter her. They would run away at first sight. They decided to spread out and make their chances better. The day soon grew long and the sun began to set. Kotori had fruitlessly searched around and although she saw a few more blobs she was not able to catch any of them. Their agility stat was hopelessly large. Quiggle Race: [Metal Slime] Age: N/a HP: 5 Mana: 2 Agility: 156 Strength: 1 Defense: 1 Skills: [Dodge] Traits: [Magic Absorption] Kotori trudged her way back to the spot her party agreed to meet up at. She was sweaty, muddy and overall, quite tired. She expected that nobody else was going to have anything to show for it. Soon the figures of Umi and Shu appeared. They shook their head indicating they were not able to catch anything. Amelie appeared soon after a smile on her face./ ¡°Did you get anything Amelie?¡± Kotori asked ¡°Mhmm!¡± She said holding out her hand. In it sat a small dowel of metal. Barely the size of Kotori¡¯s pinky finger. Kotori looked at Amelie she was impressed that Amelie had been able to catch a slime. ¡°How?¡± ¡°Kotori, I have the [Ninjitsu] remember?¡± Amelie said [Oh, that makes sense] Kotori had forgotten that Amelie had the [Ninistu] among the people in their party she was probably the closeted suited to hunt metal slimes. [Ninjitsu] would let her conceal her presence and launch a surprise attack. ¡°So you only got one,¡± Kotori asked ¡°Actually I kill about 10¡± Amelie explained Kotori made a harrowing realization upon hearing Amelie say that [This shitty game! The drop rate isn¡¯t even 100%!] Kitsura Also, if any of you have play DQ games you will know the pain of grinding metal slimes. Chapter 65: Charm [This is really difficult] Kotori thought while washing in a nearby river. After three days they had managed to kill 5 quiggles which was not nearly enough to make a weapon for Kotori. All of the kills had been by Amelie. Kotori had spent those days sweaty and muddy slipping on the puddles in the swap and failing at her task. The Metal Slimes(Quiggles) were simply too hard to catch. She didn¡¯t know how anybody would¡¯ve managed to catch them. When she asked Winry how smith¡¯s got Manatanium. All she was told that they usually waited for the Metal Slimes to die naturally and would pick up the Manatanium from the ground. Nobody actually tried to catch them like Kotori was doing. Kotori took that as a challenge. She tried all sorts of methods. From trying to ambush the slimes like Amelie(Which she failed horribly at) to trying to snipe them from a long distance with a sound bolt using [Magic Musician](Turns out they were immune to magic) Kotori was honestly ready to give up and ask Winry to make a normal Magisteel weapon for her. But Kotori¡¯s pride wouldn¡¯t let her. [I wish they just came to me!] Kotori thought after another failed attempt on a Metal Slimes life¡¯s She sat down and began to play her flute. It was a relaxing exercise for Kotori since it reminded her of her family. [Just come here¡­] She mentally pleaded while playing. A song began to play and mana leaked out of her as she unconsciously activated [Magic Musician] ¡°Potential Charm Attribute learned!¡± [Ehh?] Kotori stopped playing ¡°Who said that?¡± She called out, but nobody responded. [What that the system?] she thought She checked her stats Sato Kotori Race: [Human] Age: 9 HP: 33 Mana: 30/32 Agility: 26 Strength: 17 Defense: 15 Charm: N/a Karma: -100,008,248 Skills: [Magic Musician], [Gourmet], [Desire of Monte Cristo](Removed) Traits: [Spirit Seer], [£ª£ª©`¤«£ª-?O?] Kotori had gained a new stat ¡°Charm?¡± She said unconsciously It seemed pretty self-explanatory, it likely was a stat that charmed entities akin to ¡°charisma. The N/a portion of it left her baffled though. For one, she had never seen this stat on anybody before. The fact that she was unable to know what the exact number on it was frustrating to say the least. Kotori began to play again activating [Magic Musician] [What was I thinking about again? Oh right, She played again while thinking about attracting metal slimes. ¡°Charm Attribute Learned!¡± [Aha! It works like a skill] Kotori had been steadily figuring out how skills work in this world and it seems that her experimentation was coming to fruition. Skill were the result of being ¡°proficient¡± in something. If you trained it enough you might get a skill. Skills had activation conditions that must be done twice before it is made permanent. She apparently had figured out an activation condition to gain a ¡°Charm¡± Attribute. She saw something at the edge of her vision. A small blob shape that was steadily getting closer. [Yes!] Kotori thought The blob was getting closer. Closer, Closer ¡°Gotcha!¡± *SQUISH!* Kotori stepped on the slime. Since metal slimes had such low defenseive stats it instantly died turning to light unfortunately for Kotori the Metal Slime didn¡¯t drop any Manatanium. Kotori activated [Gourmet]. The slime made a larger than average MonMochi that pooled in Kotori¡¯s hand. Kotori took a bite [Mmm?] It was delicious! It tasted fruity and refreshing. Like she was eating a ripe lychee. [Another bite!] Kotori thought as she open her mouth for another taste. [Ehhhh? It¡¯s gone?] Kotori could¡¯ve sworn all she ate was a small bite. But it seemed that she had eaten the entire thing accidently. [I need to find more!] Diligently taking out her flute she began to play slimes began to plod out of the nearby trees. Kotori heard another voice in her head ¡°[Magic Musician] has become [Magic Minstrel]¡± Kotori was stepping on the slimes as they came. [More!] Slimes were appearing at a rapid pace. [More!] Kotori stepped on the slimes until there was no more. [Gourmet] Strewn around her body were several small dowels of metal. [This should be enough right?] Kotori had killed quite a few Metal slimes. She had defeated so many that she felt the mana concentration of the dungeon feel slightly less than before. Activating [Gourmet] she began to prepare Monmochi that dropped from the Metal Slimes. They were all in a small pile in front on her and she started eating them. Soon she was stuffing handfuls of Monmochi down her mouth. [So tasty!] Her thoughts were interrupted by a voice ¡°¡­Kotori-sama?¡± Kotori jumped in surprise. Looking over, Kotori saw Umi standing in a corner she looked embarrassed for having interrupted Kotori. Kotori quickly composed herself. She must¡¯ve look quite wild, while eating the Monmochi rivulets of mana where dripped down her mouth. ¡°Umm, How long were you standing there¡± Kotori said her face reddening ¡°the entire time, I¡¯m sorry for not telling you¡± Umi apologized. She had seen a shameful side of Kotori and felt bad. ¡°You¡¯re dancing was quite pretty though,¡± Umi said trying to be polite [Dancing?] Kotori ponder for a moment not knowing what Umi meant when she said Kotori¡¯s dancing was quite pretty [Oh, that!] From an outsider¡¯s perspective, her frantic steps on the slimes probably looked like a dance. ¡°Eheheh, yeah,¡± Kotori said unsure of how to respond. ¡°Kotori-sama did you do something to yourself?¡± Umi asked she was looking at Kotori her face slightly blushing. ¡°Do what?¡± Kotori asked giving Umi a puzzled expression ¡°Well¡­ you seen a little prettier than before.¡± Umi explained Kitsura Kotori after eating the first metal slime "You took my only food and now I''m going to starve" We also hit 100K views! Chapter 66: I’m Pretty, No? [Pretty?] Kotori thought Of course, Kotori understood Umi¡¯s weird obsession with her, but even still, she though Umi was acting quite weird right now. Her face seemed flush and she seemed to be holding herself back ¡°Kotori-sama is just so cute right now¡± Her face was flushed. [Is something wrong?] Kotori used [Status] Water Spirit (Umi) Race: [Greater Spirit] Age: 0 HP: 19 Mana: 36 Agility: 20 Strength: 11 Defense: 14 Skills: [Water blade] [Mana Flow] Traits: [Water Spirit Manifestation] [CHARMED](Temporary 1:59) [I see] Kotori thought. Apparently since Umi had been watching Kotori had accidently charmed her. [Do I splash cold water on her?] Kotori thought, Umi was a water spirit and honestly, that wouldn¡¯t make much sense. [This troublesome spirit] Kotori told Umi to go cooldown. The temporary nature of the charm condition led her to believe that with some time Umi would leave her alone. ¡°I can¡¯t leave you like this¡± Umi said her face turning down cast ¡°Not when you¡¯re so cute right now!¡± ¡°Umi you¡¯re under my Charm right now, it will pass please go cool off¡± ¡°I refuse!¡± ¡°Ehh?¡± Kotori was in shock at being so flatly refused. The normal Umi was quite docile, but she was being rather assertive right now. Umi¡¯s natural instincts took over slightly and she began to apologize ¡°I¡¯m sorry Kotori-sama but I can¡¯t do that¡± She was panting heavily [I¡¯m starting to feel like I¡¯m in danger here¡­ Where¡¯s the police?] Kotori thought slowly backing away from Umi. Suddenly Umi charged Kotori like a wolf. [Someone call 110!] Kotori suddenly felt herself being swept up and put into a embrace. Her head was firmly place in between Umi¡¯s chest. Kotori was not that small anymore she had grown quite a bit. She looked older than her age and she attributed that to the fact that mana was accelerating her growth. Despite that, she was still around the size 13-year-old. She still found herself being held up as Umi ran around holding her saying ¡°Kyaa!¡± Umi was treat Kotori like a doll. [Well, not like I can do much] Kotori decided to let Umi keep playing with her until their time was up. She had already collected enough Manatanium to make whatever weapon she wanted. The time to meet up soon came and the charm effect eventually wore off on Umi. Umi apologized profusely. Saying that her behavior was shameful and that she didn¡¯t know what came over her. Kotori merely nodded. She didn¡¯t scold Umi that much since it was partially her fault Umi had gotten charmed. Umi was a in a downcast mood and avoiding eye contact with Kotori and the other party members noticed. ¡°Umi is something wrong?¡± Amelie asked noticing Umi¡¯s mood. She had noticed Umi was trying to not look at Kotori ¡°No¡± Umi said trying to avoid the subject ¡°Kotori do you know anything?¡± Amelie asked ¡°Not really¡± Kotori said although she wasn¡¯t really mad at Umi she wanted to let Umi reflect on her actions a bit. Even if Umi was charmed Kotori was sure that she should have the self-control to hold it down. Kotori was sure that Umi was using the charm effect as an excuse to play with Kotori with no reservation. ¡°I see¡­¡± Amelie reading the mood dropped the issue. ** ** ** ¡°HOW DID YOU GET SO MANY!¡± Winry scream as she looked into the large canvas sack that Kotori had handed her. It was filled to the brim with small chunks of Mantanium Winry was staring at the metal like it was a delicious meal [Wait is she drooling?] Kotori thought A small line of saliva was dripping from Winry¡¯s mouth ¡°Winry are you alright?¡± Kotori asked Winry instantly changed her expression ¡°Ahem! Yes, I¡¯m perfectly fine.¡± Winry said hurriedly [You say that but you¡¯re holding that bag like it¡¯s your firstborn child] Kotori noted while seeing Winry¡¯s grip on the sack of Manatanium ¡°You are going to make me a weapon right¡± Kotori said ¡°Of course!¡± Winry said starting to get defensive ¡°As a smith I would never steal materials a customer gave it would ruin my reputation!¡± Winry said ¡°It¡¯s just this is the most beautiful thing I¡¯ve seen.¡± She said stroking the bag and giving a lecherous gaze. ¡°Okay¡­¡± Kotori said [This girl is really weird] Kotori thought while watching the scene. Kotori trusted Winry to make the weapon she knew that Winry was an honest person even if she was acting very suspiciously right now. ¡°Give me three days! I¡¯ll make the best weapon ever seen on this world. A weapon to rival god¡± Winry said [She seems very fired up] Kotori thought [A weapon to rival god? We¡¯ll see about that] Kitsura *Bonk* Send Umi and Winry to horni jail Sorry about the lack of a chapter yesterday. I am currently in a finals season death march and dying inside everyday. Pain Peko Chapter 67: I’m a Magical Girl! ¡°This is my weapon?¡± Kotori asked holding the item Winry just gave her. ¡°Yep!¡± Winry said her eyes had heavy bags under them as if she had forgoed any sleep for the sake of finishing the weapon. She was holding a long baton. On both ends were inlaid with larger mana crystals. The grip was also inlaid with mana crystals they gave a slightly ridged texture which made holding the baton feel more ergonomic. One of the sides was inlaid with three in the shape of a heart. The baton was about the size of Kotori¡¯s forearm. Unlike Manasteel it felt quite solid actually and very light. According to Winry the benefit of Manatanium was that it would hold it¡¯s form better. But it was still quite soft compared to other metals. It had a much better mana efficiency which meant that it would be able to hold the charge of the mana crystal better. The weapon gave Kotori a feeling like a certain sailor should¡¯ve been using. ¡°Winry are you sure you used all the metal for this?¡± Kotori asked. The sack she gave Winry to make the Baton was filled with more material the Baton was using. ¡°Of course!¡± Winry said pouting. ¡°It just looks small because I made it that way. Please charge it and you will see¡± Winry said motioning for Kotori to use [Mana Minstrel] Kotori set the baton down on a nearby table. Then, Kotori took her flute out and started to play it. She felt a steady flow of magic out of her. Noticing that her magic was being drained at an excessive rate she motioned for Umi who was nearby to help. The baton glowed and then vibrated as it absorbed the mana being used. Kotori felt all her mana leave her as well as Umi¡¯s mana run dry and she ended the song before mana exhaustion overtook her. She took a look at the Baton, the shape hadn¡¯t changed at all but. One of the crystals on the baton glowed dimly. Winry looked at it with no surprise ¡°Well I guess that much would happen, the mana crystals I uses were very pure after all¡± She commented ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Kotori asked ¡°Well since the mana crystals I used were of a particularly pure variety it means that you need a lot of mana to charge it.¡± Winry explained. ¡°It should still have enough juice in it¡­¡± Winry said holding the baton. The surface rippled and then elongated. The area Winry was holding turned into a hilt and the Baton grew into a basic long sword. ¡°Ehh?¡± Kotori said watching the bizarre scene. ¡°Manatanium doesn¡¯t really have a set form you see? So, it¡¯s size is very deceiving there¡¯s a reason why it¡¯s sometimes called ¡°spirit metal.¡±¡± Winry said. ¡°I see¡± Kotori said. She took the sword out of Winry¡¯s hand. It felt very light. As if she was holding a light switch. The moment she took the sword out Winry¡¯s hand it transformed back into it¡¯s baton form. ¡°Ehh?¡± Kotori said The sword had suddenly transformed back into it¡¯s original form. ¡°Hmmm¡± Winry said ¡°That¡¯s odd? It shouldn¡¯t do that, try changing it back¡± she said Kotori imagine the weapon she was envisioning when Winry had said that she would make a weapon. The baton seemed to morph and shorten and grew into a conductors stick. [It¡¯s not listening?] Kotori thought ¡°Very weird, maybe it¡¯s because of the metal purity?¡± Winry said Kotori was in fear that her weapon was now a dud. The conductor stick in Kotori¡¯s hand seem to vibrate ¡°Kukukuku¡± a metallic noise rung out from the baton almost like it was laughing. ¡°Ah!¡± Kotori said nearly dropping the stick in surprise. The weapon then split itself and put itself back into the form of the baton and a small tiara. The tiara floated in the air and then alighted itself on Kotori¡¯s head Kotori tried to pull the tiara off. It was stubbornly stuck to her head. ¡°Kukukuku¡± The metal rung [It¡¯s alive? Wait! what did Winry call the material again wasn¡¯t something like ¡°Spirit Metal¡± don¡¯t tell me¡­ ] Kotori thought Her thoughts were interrupted by more laughing from the Tiara atop her head. Kotori had made the stunning realization that her effort had accidentally created a new spirit. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Winry asked a concerned look on her face. It seemed she did not know what had occurred. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine it¡¯s perfect¡­¡± Kotori said. ¡°The tiara seemed to vibrate as if it was in a good mood.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be taking these then¡­¡± She said picking up the wand that was part of the tiara. ¡°I see, are you really fine with this. I can make you a new one if that is defective¡± Winry asked she looked like she felt bad for the situation that Kotori was in. ¡°Look, it¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll figure it out,¡± Kotori said. She motioned to Umi and they left Winry¡¯s small shack with the tiara still stuck upon Kotori¡¯s head. Kitsura My name is magical girl Kotori! By the power of... Eating I will smite you down! Guess who finished their chapter at a reasonable time today? Also according to the new stats apparently most of you are from the U.S. and then... Germany? Chapter 68: Lady Layla The tiara was quite annoying. For one, it wouldn¡¯t leave Kotori¡¯s head even if she tried to pull it off. It would stay stubbornly stuck to her head. Despite being technically a spirit, Kotori couldn¡¯t use [Status] on it. She assumed that was because the tiara and wand weren¡¯t exactly ¡°alive¡±. Their stats were determined by the amount of mana in them so it didn¡¯t make sense for it to have a stat page in the first place. Despite this they still did have a personality, the tiara was quite mischievous and also proud. Kotori was able to get the tiara off her head while she slept or took a bath. She did this by use reverse psychology using phrases such as ¡°Such a beautiful tiara like you wouldn¡¯t want to be on my dirty hair right?¡± Or ¡°I toss and turn quite a bit in my sleep and this pillow might be quite dirty¡± She gave a name ¡°Hikari-chan¡± she thought that it would be a fitting name for a wand that a magical girl would use. It was actually quite loyal to Kotori. She didn¡¯t quite understand its motivations, but the tiara actually was quite useful in battle. When she went hunting with it she found that the tiara had quite a few uses. For example, the wand could grow in into a massive shield that would float in front of her and protect her from attacks. It would also be able to split itself into multiple small bullets and shoot itself at it¡¯s enemies. The bullets would recollect themselves back into wand form. Thanks to this Kotori rarely had to do any fighting anymore. Kotori found that she should keep feeding the tiara Manatanium and it wouldn¡¯t lower in size. In fact, it was a good thing because the more Manatanium she fed it the larger the tiara and wand could grow. It had gotten to the point where it would make itself into a floating palanquin and carry her around. With Shu and Umi walking near her she felt like a princess followed by her attendants. There was one more thing the tiara did that was its best feature It could become a mirror. What? This is very important for a growing girl. I need to see myself [I didn¡¯t realize it now but I¡¯m a little too pretty for my age right?] Kotori hadn¡¯t often seen her own image and rarely was there in any mirrors in this world. Most of them were polished metal which would blur her feature. Kotori looking at her face now realized that she had a doll-like appearance. She wasn¡¯t a beauty but something that felt otherworldly? Perhaps inhuman would be a better way to describe it. She still looked like a mix between her parent but there was almost another factor added. As if she had another thing influencing her appearance. She also had a face that was nothing like her 9 years of age would suggest. If anything she looked liked she was in her early teens. [Kotori didn¡¯t think too deeply on it since her appearance was mostly irrelevant to her goals after all, but she still felt satisfaction knowing that she was at least prettier than the average girl.] On another note, the tiara was very vain and cared about it¡¯s appearance a lot Incidentally, this reminded Kotori of one of her other party members. Layla had been thoroughly unhelpful in the search for metal slimes and although Kotori could forgive her for not participating considering it was something for Kotori¡¯s use only. Now Layla was ordering Kotori to make her a tiara as well. ¡°You are all my servants so when I say make me a tiara you make me a tiara!¡± Layla had been asking Kotori to make her a tiara all week and to be quite honest Kotori was fed up with her. Kotori looked at the spirit girl in front of her who was radiating a posh attitude. ¡°I refuse¡± Kotori answered ¡°Why?¡± Layla said indignantly her face scrunched up in anger. ¡°You won¡¯t even help me collect materials,¡± Kotori said. When Layla had initially asked Kotori had she would be willing to do so if Layla would help her collect materials. Of course, Kotori knew she would be doing most of the work but she had ask Layla to participated to teach her some element of humility. Layla of course, reject the offer and continued to ask for Kotori to do this. Kotori realized it would be troublesome if Layla kept this attitude so she called. A her other party members together for the ¡°Make Layla less lady-like conference¡± which she convened at Winry¡¯s house ¡°Why are you holding this here¡± Winry asked her face give an unsure expression ¡°I felt like it¡± Kotori answered ¡°Please don¡¯t use my house whenever you want!¡± Winry said flustered. Winry had become q little bit more popular after making Kotori¡¯s weapon the other smiths were very impressed with its capabilities after Kotori showed it to the whole village. They offer Winry more smithing jobs. Winry initially refused, stating that she wanted to keep making her own type of weapons but after Kotori scolded her, she diligently began to take other jobs in addition to her own experimentation. Incidentally, Kotori had been using the dwarf village as a base of operations. She had Shu make a rock hut nearby the village and Kotori and her party were farming the nearby dungeons. The villagers didn¡¯t really bother them and Kotori would occasionally sell them the small chunks of manatanium she farmed from the dungeon. Kitsura That awk feeling when you read another isekai that is suspiciously similar to the one you are writing. I''m better okay! I gotta have some pride right? Chapter 69: Less Lady-like Layla ***BRRRRRTTTTT*** The sound of Hikari was mesmerizing. Kotori was using the newfound ¡°Machine gun¡± mode to mow down monsters in front of her. Kotori used [Spirit Seer] to ask her to take the shape of a certain gun. Currently, Kotori had 2 MP5s in both hands and she was shooting them wildly. In truth, she didn¡¯t really need to hold the weapons since Hikari would usually aim the bullets in the right direction regardless of whether Kotori hit her or not but it was more for Kotori¡¯s enjoyment than actually hitting anything. The feeling of shooting a ¡°gun¡± was quite satisfying. Kotori was currently able to crush monsters at a rate that was simply unfathomable to normal adventurers. To be honest, it was a little overpowered. She was currently trying out a one-wave strategy that involved aggroing all the monsters in a dungeon and then shooting them all down as they chased her in one mob. Afterward she would cast [Gourmet] and split the Monmochi between her party members. Kotori herself was secretly farming Quiggles. They were only for her! So tasty¡­ Kotori felt her mouth slightly drool as she thought about eating more metal slimes. She was killing two birds with one stone with farming the metal slimes. She was slowly becoming stronger and she was farming for Hikari and for Layla¡¯s weapon. In terms of Layla, after the ¡°Make Layla less lady-like¡± conference. It was decided that they needed to make her do more work and being more considerate of others. Currently, Layla was being deprived of Monmochi rations unless she helped clean and cook. Well¡­ not cook. Layla was an utterly awful cook and had no natural talent. Although Kotori and Amelie tried to teach her, she was utterly unable to understand the concept. To be fair, Layla was a spirit and thus didn¡¯t need to eat. She would absorb mana from the surroundings naturally it made sense that she wouldn¡¯t understand it. Kotori had been applying what she knew from Shu and Umi onto her and even Kotori thought it was an unfair expectation after thinking about it. Shu and Umi were not obligated to cook for Kotori and Amelie Kotori didn¡¯t force them to do it but both of them seemed to want to do it. They also somehow managed to become respectable cooks and would cook for Amelie and Kotori. Shu usually made very simple meals by grilling and roasting meat with some bread bought from the village. Umi¡¯s cooking was¡­ utterly divine. She perfectly understood how to use ingredients and make perfect dishes. They were so good Kotori felt spoiled eating them. The only issue with Umi¡¯s cooking was that Kotori just wished she was less weird about it. For example, Umi once made a soup just for Kotori and as Kotori was about to sip it Umi started blushing and saying things like ¡°Ah I¡¯m going to be one with Kotori-sama¡± Kotori politely declined to drink the soup. She could only guess what Umi put inside of it. Umi looked sad after that but Kotori didn¡¯t pay her any mind. In terms of getting Layla to clean. Well, that was extremely difficult. ¡°Why should I have to clean I don¡¯t make a mess¡± Layla protested after being told she had to help clean up around the house. ¡°Because we all live here, and you need to help out around the house¡± Kotori said exasperated. While it was true that Layla wasn¡¯t a very messy spirit she did occasionally track dirt into the house or fail to clean up after herself. Kotori was trying to teach her the value of selflessness and to stop being so spoiled. ¡°That mess isn¡¯t mine¡± Layla said pointing the unclean dinner table. ¡°It¡¯s about caring for other.¡± Kotori said ¡°Why should I care about others?¡± Layla said [This selfish girl]¡¯ In a way, Layla reminded Kotori of herself slightly. When she reincarnated, she was more concerned with raising her karma numbers than the people around her. It was this sort of mentality that ended up hurting the people she cared about. ¡°Layla, do you like anybody?¡± ¡°What kind of question is that!¡± Layla said blushing [Oh, she¡¯s misinterpreted the question] Kotori thought ¡°I mean, is there anybody you care about?¡± Kotori asked rephrasing her question Layla¡¯s expression changed ¡°Oh you mean that? I guess I care about Mama¡± Layla said ¡°Then would you help clean for Okateratsu?¡± Kotori asked ¡°Of course!¡± Layla said cheerfully ¡°What about Mama¡¯s friends?¡± Kotori asked This question made Layla think for a moment. She pondered for a moment and then spoke. ¡°hmmm, if Mama told me then I would¡± Layla said. ¡°Then what if they weren¡¯t Mama¡¯s friends and just strangers?¡± Kotori asked ¡°I wouldn¡¯t help them. They are strangers¡± Layla said ¡°But wouldn¡¯t there be a reason Okateratsu would ask you to do something even if you didn¡¯t understand it?¡± Kotori asked ¡°Mama wouldn¡¯t do something like that¡± Layla said ¡°But what if it was true? What if the strangers were someone important to Mama and you didn¡¯t know, and you hurt Okateratsu¡¯s feelings?¡± Kotori asked ¡°I.. uhm¡­¡± Layla started to speak after she realized the error in her logic ¡°Layla, sometimes you can hurt people by being selfish like this, even if you don¡¯t think you should be concerned with it¡± Kotori said Kotori knew that Layla was a good girl deep down. Layla cared about the party in her own way. She was always willing to listen to them and her rivalry with Umi was more friendly than hostile. She hoped Layla would listen to reason. ¡°I.. will¡­¡± Layla started to speak ¡°Hmm?¡± Kotori asked ¡°I will clean¡­ just this once though!¡± Layla said ¡°Good Girl!¡± Kotori said patting her head ¡°Eh!¡± Layla squeaked the moment Kotori started touching her head. She didn¡¯t pull away though and continued to let Kotori pat her head. Kitsura It''s really weird how you can fall in love with a character the more you write about them. I try to imagine myself have a date with them to better understand how I would see their personalities. Is that weird? Probably not as weird as what Umi puts in her soup though.... Chapter 70: The Big Decision Ever since Layla had taken up cleaning the time in the dwarf village had been peaceful. Layla had even started to treat other people as equals. She hadn¡¯t dropped her haughty attitude or way of speaking but overall, she was much more pleasant to be around. Nick who they had come to the village with was currently trying to court Layla. His offers had steadily increasing in size. At first, he was offering Layla a home to raise a family. Then he started promising a mansion. Then he started promising outrageous things like the whole world or all the gold in the world. Nick was very inexperienced with love. He also had quite a few competitors. Unlike Umi who would harshly turn down every person who came to request her hand in marriage. Layla was much more muted. She mostly turned suitor down by telling them she was still considering offers Making it seems as if she was genuinely considering her. As a result of this the offers Layla was getting were steadily growing to an unsustainable rate. Layla was a premier potential bride among all the men in the village. ¡°Layla you know you can reject them, right?¡± Kotori asked her as she politely turned away another boy. ¡°Eh? Aren¡¯t I supposed to treat them nicely.¡± Layla asked her face turning into an expression of confusion. [It seems I¡¯ve given her the wrong idea] Kotori thought. When she had taught Layla to be more considerate of her actions towards other she didn¡¯t expect Layla to follow the advice so diligently. Layla was truly an honest girl when it came to these sort of things. ¡°Layla¡± Kotori began to say ¡°It¡¯s better to reject the offer outright. You know it will hurt them more if you continue to lead them on. You aren¡¯t truly considering their offers are you?¡± Layla shook her head ¡°Not in particular¡± She said ¡°What do you mean by hurting their feelings more.¡± She asked cocking her head to the side. [This dumb fox!] Kotori thought Layla who had never interacted with mortals before had no conception of proper etiquette and being considerate of other¡¯s feeling would obviously not understand what would happen if she continued to get the men¡¯s hopes up. ¡°Layla it¡¯s better if you reject them sooner because it will only make their disappointment worse if they believe they have a chance.¡± Kotori explained ¡°I see¡± Layla said her face bunching up into a thoughtful expression. ¡°I reject their offers¡± She said ¡°Good girl¡± Kotori said patting Layla¡¯s head. ¡°Eek!¡± Layla yelped in surprise. She started blushing her fox ears twitching slightly. Kotori had been Petting Layla¡¯s head more and more. Although Layla was taller than Kotori, Layla would pull her head down so Kotori could pet it. It always seemed to surprise Layla but she seemed to like it. Kotori also had a motive for patting Layla¡¯s head. [Her ears are soft!] Layla took after her mother and looked very much like a fox beast person. Since Kotori was unable to get permission to pet Layla¡¯s tail. Kotori would take every opportunity to pat her head for Mofu Mofu times. Umi would stare daggers at Layla afterwards but Kotori didn¡¯t pay it any mind. ¡°Kotori please¡­¡± Layla said softly ** ** ** The very next day Layla went into the village courtyard and announced that she was going to give her final decision. It was an uproarious affair. Almost every villager had come out to see the news. In all honesty, it was a little difficult to take seriously especially since all the dwarves all looked like bishounen. Apparently, several Dwarf girls had also asked for Layla to marry them. Kotori herself thought it was interesting that same-sex marriage was not look that down upon in the village. In the human kingdoms it was taboo but it seemed in this secluded dwarf village no one seemed to mind all that much. There were several betting stands set up. Kotori was not allowed to participate since she already knew the decision. Apparently, it was a toss up between Nick who was first met Layla and Gottfried who was the son of the most successful blacksmith in town. The total amount offered up to Layla included enough money to raise a castle with plenty of servants. The dwarves were apparently very rich but liked to live modestly. Kotori saw Winry frantically placing bets. She was a strong believer that Nick was going to win. Many people took her advising considering the fact that she worked with Kotori who was the ¡°master¡± of Layla. Kotori was standing off from the crowd with Amelie by her side. Both of them had not gone to the dungeon today to witness the spectacle. Both were smirking in smug satisfaction. ¡°Amelie did you get a chance to bet?¡± Kotori asked lazily ¡°Of course, they banned me from it¡± Amelie said sighing. Their party wasn¡¯t really in need of money selling Manatanium, but Amelie enjoy having extra pocket change. It seemed she was looking for a new sword to duel wield with her current one which was an heirloom from her mother The time for Layla to give her decision had been reached. And everybody was waiting with bated breaths. Layla slowly took a deep breath Collecting herself she then shouted. ¡°I REJECT ALL OFFERS. I LOVE KOTORI!¡± The clearing was silent. Which was then followed by another sound ¡°EHHHHHH?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?¡± Kitsura I feel like I''m starting to sound like a broken record when I say this but we hit trending again! Right as I post chapter 69 ( ?¡ã ?? ?¡ã) I recently learned my web novel will likely never get traditionally published. Apparently, I''m "used goods" the moment I post on here :( I''m sorry. Looks like my dreams of an adaptation are crushed. Thank you for still being my readers. My chapters have been coming out late because I''m basically nocturnal at this point, but I do sincerely love you all. I don''t ask for payment because I don''t feel comfortable asking for any money of you all when you already happily read this story I write. Chapter 71: Rivalry ¡°Kotori is mine I won¡¯t let you have heeeeeerrrrrrrr!¡± Umi roared ¡°She pets my head! She must like me!¡± Layla roared back. [Ah that a little bit of the wrong assumption. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t Mofu Mofu as much?] Kotori thought listening to Layla frowning. Layla was thoroughly inexperienced with love and probably mistook her feelings for Kotori as feelings of love. It wasn¡¯t as if Kotori didn¡¯t like Layla. She was just afraid Layla didn¡¯t understand what she was saying when she said she ¡°loved¡± Kotori. Layla¡¯s rejection of all the marriage requests had caused an uproar in the village. Quite a few people were annoyed with Kotori¡¯s party. Mostly because they were sore losers for having lost their bets. Still, many people seemed to enjoy it and they even considered doing it each year there was a highly anticipated bride. Kotori was under the impression she had accidentally created a new holiday. Winry¡¯s mood was also quite dour. She was sure that Nick was going to win. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me¡± She would often complain to Kotori as if it was Kotori¡¯s fault for not spoiling her and what Layla was going to decide. Kotori would only half-heartedly apologize. It hadn¡¯t really affected her business relationship with Winry. To cheer her up Kotori let Winry use some extra chunk of a Manatanium for her own use. Winry¡¯s mood seemed to increase quite a bit after this. Kotori gave her request for a Manatanium tool for Layla. Kotori was beginning to call the ¡°tools¡± since the Manatanium was more like a tool than a weapon. Although Hikaru could take many forms it was limited to just weapons. On the other hand, Kotori was not caught in the middle of a lover''s quarrels. [Why is Umi acting like I¡¯m cheating with her?] Kotori thought. [Don¡¯t tell me that Umi thinks we are already a couple?] Kotori had known that Umi had weird thoughts about their current relationship and it seemed Layla was also having similar feelings. Unlike Layla Kotori decided to resolve this misunderstand at the moment. ¡°To be quite honest¡± Kotori said. ¡°I¡¯m still a child you know? I¡¯m not attached to either of you¡± Both Layla and Umi looked hurt. ¡°Kotori-sama that was a little insensitive¡± Umi said ¡°Yeah, Umi¡¯s right!¡± Layla said Both seemed to agree. They looked at each other. As if they had found a mutual point of respect. ¡°If Kotori doesn¡¯t like either of us yet then doesn¡¯t that mean ¡°first wife¡± is still up for grabs?¡± Layla asked? ¡°No, I was here first!¡± Umi said pouting. While Kotori found amusement in seeing two cute girls fighting over her. It was still a difficult situation. In terms of mental maturity, she was older than these girls. This was a situation that could cause quite a few hurt feelings. For now, Kotori chose to deflect. ¡°Why not compete now while I¡¯m still too young to marry?¡± Kotori suggested ¡°Compete?¡± Layla and Umi said. ¡°Well,¡± Kotori said scratching her head. ¡°You still need to win my heart right? As I said, I only see you all as friends right now.¡± Both Layla and Umi seemed to think deeply. This was the solution that Kotori had thought up of. Kotori hoped that with time Layla would get a better understanding of her feelings and perhaps she would grow less attached to Kotori. On the other hand, it would be easier for Umi to justify her position if she won against Layla. [Killing two birds with one stone] ¡°I see, I will agree to these terms,¡± Umi said ¡°Okay!¡± Layla said Both of their tails were moving as if they were happy about the terms. Umi¡¯s scaled tail was patting on the ground and Layla¡¯s fox tail was swishing in the air. [These spirits are too simple¡­] Kotori thought as her scheme seemed to work She felt a bad feeling. As if she had only created more headaches for herself. Kitsura I feel like crap. Dunno why. Vaccinated tho Chapter 72: Time to collect some Karma A week after Layla had expressed her feelings to Kotori she had called a meeting with her whole party,. ¡°We¡¯re leaving¡± Kotori told her group ¡°Ehhh?¡± Everybody said It seems they had gotten comfortable with their living space in the current dwarf village. It wasn¡¯t like they had to move. Amelie had complained about there not being enough strong monsters to defeat but she was happy to enjoy her temporarily peaceful life. She was even talking about going back to the village and meeting the Boss. In truth, Kotori also wanted to live peacefully. But she was truly unable too. Her Karma number wouldn¡¯t allow her. She was thankful that her party was loyal enough that that they would be following her. ¡°But why are we going back the kingdom don¡¯t they have a search warrant out for our arrest?¡¯ Amelie asked. ¡°That¡¯s true but we still have to resolve the issue, even if we¡¯ve been able to hide in the dwarf village, we won¡¯t be able to hide here forever they still are in contact with the kingdom as a result of smithing contrast,¡± Kotori explained Horatio and Nick had been coming back with tales of a group fugitives from the kingdom it didn¡¯t seem like they were suspicious of Kotori and her party yet. Kotori Still made sure to feign ignorance in case they were trying to get a reaction out of her. Kotori relayed the story. Amelie gave a toubled expression. ¡°So you don¡¯t think it¡¯s feasible to stay here?¡± She asked, ¡°The dwarves have been quite nice to us but we won¡¯t be able to stay here¡± Kotori said. Amelie pursed her lips. It was obvious that she was split on whether they had to leave the village. ¡°Kotori are you sure this is the way¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid so¡± Kotori lied slightly. In truth they could probably stay in the village for a little while longer. But she wasn¡¯t exaggerating the fact that they would likely still be caught. They were simply too valuable and although they had a good relationship with the dwarf village it only took one greedy dwarf to compromise their whole operation. ¡°Still, going to the kingdom seems dangerous. What about going over to the Atlea Republic?¡± Amelie suggested ¡°Denied!¡± Kotori vehemently wanted to avoid Atlea where she had grown up. She would rather be hunted down in Faramouth than go south the Atlea. She hated the country and it''s nobility even if it was technically safer she''d rather take her chances in Faramouth. Amelie looked taken aback ¡°What wrong with Atlea?¡± She asked shocked by Kotori¡¯s reaction Kotori explained the situation. The story was still a little bit emotional for her, but she had gotten better about handling it. ¡°How horrible!¡± Umi said ¡°Truly barabaric¡­¡± Layla said soft. Umi and Layla were sniffling. Shu had a difficult expression on his face. Shu had witnessed the even firsthand and it seemed like he felt bad for not being able to protect Kotori at that time. Ever since Shu had transformed into this humanoid form he had gotten much more knightly with each passing day. He was also pursued by the girls in the village, but he politely turned them down. [Ah, please don¡¯t look like that I¡¯m not that bother by it. I just want to make sure that Mr. Derkin dies a very horrible death] Kotori thought. ¡°I see, then we won¡¯t go to Atlea¡± Amelie said. She had always wondered why Kotori was running in the forest of wood elves alone but now that she heard the explanation, she pitied Kotori. ¡°So what do we do when we get caught in the kingdom¡± Amelie asked It was a good question and one that Kotori had thought about. ¡°We¡¯ll pretend to be travelling nobles¡± Kotori¡¯s Hikaru could transform into a carriage. And since Shu and Umi and Layla were not with their party and not recognizable by tother adventurers and they pose as attendants. Kotori herself had grown much faster than a normal human and thus it would be difficult to recognize her unless the person knew her personally before. Only Amelie had to completely hide her face. Kotori also had her [Charm] Skill. To make sure any straggling gazes were blocked. To be quite honest, they were rich. Kotori had sold so much Manatanium she could easily buy a plot of land and buy nobility status with plenty to spare. Her plan was to do exactly that. She would then use her status to act as secluded nobility to fund public works and gain karma. It should be slow working but with enough time it should be enough. The only problem was that Kotori had to go to the kingdom capital to buy nobility status. Amelie was not happy with the idea of going to the kingdom capital. ¡°Isn¡¯t that just walking into a den of wolves?¡± Amelie asked ¡°Do you have any better ideas?¡± Kotori asked. They were eventually going to get found out. Their other option was going back to the wood elf village, but Kotori knew that Amelie wanted to avoid that as much as possible. The ribbing they would get from the Boss would be too heavy to bear and Amelie¡¯s pride wouldn¡¯t allow it. Amelie stayed silent after Kotori¡¯s question. ¡°Is this really the only way?¡± Amelie asked ¡°I can¡¯t think of anything else¡± Kotori said. Kitsura Turns out the crap feeling yesterday was chronic sleep deprivation. I slept 16 hours and felt much better. Currently working on a new novel. I can''t say too much since I plan on getting it trad publishing instead of as a web serial but I hope that you all can say one day. "Well, I knew her before she got famous." Chapter 73: The Capital (1) Kotori and her party quickly made their goodbyes and left the village. Before Kotori and her party left she made one last visit to Winry''s place and to personally say goodbye. Winry seemed sad to see them go. Kotori had also gone to pick up a few things. She personally commissioned before she left. ¡°Are you sure we can have this?¡± Layla asked The things Kotori had gone pick up from Winry were several items that she was sure would help them on their trip and she promptly gifted them to her party as an apology for her making them leave the village. For Umi she gave her a necklace studded with mana crystals. The necklace was covered in glittering crystals and was meant to hold extra mana for Umi. For Layla she gave two small rings which Layla instantly interpreted as a marriage proposal. When activated the rings would cover her hands in fire. The fire would something akin to ¡°paws¡± to be honest it was quite cute and almost looked like cosplay. Despite her high-class tone, Layla was actually a close-ranged fighter which meant these were perfect for her Shu received a breastplate that when activated would turn into a full suit of armor. It was a rather simple item but the armor was probably strong enough to withstand a tank shot. Lastly for Amelie Kotori gave her a new sword that she personally filled herself. Kotori had drained herself dry the past few days filling these items so she wouldn¡¯t have to recharge them for a while. The sword was ironically very similar to Yooma¡¯s [Sword Smith] skill and was able to transform itself into whatever Amelie desired. Of course, all the items were made of manatanium which Kotori had farmed herself. The metal slime population of the dungeon nearby had dropped dangerously low and Kotori stopped herself just before the dungeon collapsed on itself. She didn¡¯t know any other place where metal slimes spawned and she was damned if the best food source for gourmet was going to just disappear due to her over-consuming it. Kotori set out in her palanquin frankly it was big enough to hold everybody, so they took turn walking and sitting inside it. The only exception was that Amelie stayed firmly inside since she was the most recognizable of their group. The path to the capital was quite a way away and would take over two weeks of travel. For now, they followed the main roads since they were mostly unrecognizable now. They still avoid the major cities since it was easier to make an escape on the roads instead of inside walled cities People only recognized Shu and Umi in their animal spirit forms. Layla was completely new, and Kotori had grown quite a bit over the year they had spent in the dwarf village. She was around 11 now but she looked like a girl in her early teens. Their group caught several stares, but most seemed to assume they were traveling nobility. Most of the stares were people gawking at Umi and Layla, but Kotori caught several men looking her way [Lolicon!] She often thought. The roads slowly began to get better as they got closer to the capital. Dirt turned to cobblestone then turned to paved stone. The number of travelers was slowly starting to increase, and Kotori could notice quite a bit of people looking at them. She began to wonder if she should be less inconspicuous. She eventually decided that Amelie would wait outside the city while Kotori, Shu, Umi and Layla would sneak their way in and buy a title for nobility. It would be easier to avoid getting caught that way. Amelie was good at hiding and had her [Ninjitsu] skill so it should be fine. The first Kotori noticed when she reaches the capital was the sheer size of it. It was an oblong shape surrounded by increasingly taller walls. The walls were made of solid stone and encapsulated a towering citadel covered in white stone it was so tall Kotori could see the citadel from quite far away [This seems excessive] Kotori thought The reason she thought this was because it was unnecessary. The kingdom of Faramouth had only one country bordering them which was Atlea. Although both squabbled over the border near the great forest neither side could launch a clear attack due to how it was to traverse the forest. Having such a fancy castle for the capital seemed more like a display of strength than anything borne out of necessity. They waited until nightfall and then Kotori used Hikari to raise them above the castle walls. As for the guards? Who would expect a metal blob to sneak people OVER the wall? Most of the guards scanned the ground and the area near the walls. Nobody was looking above to the skies of course. Kotori and her party alighted down and waited for the sun to rise. The city was well protected of course but Kotori knew based of her visit to the frontier city that the guards only kept track of the people who entered the moment her party entered the city it was extremely unlikely they would be found out to be trespassers unless they got in trouble which was something Kotori was taking extra care to avoid. Buying nobility was a rather easy process. In the Faramouth kingdom, there were two types of nobility. Hereditary and bought titles. Hereditary titles were self-explanatory they were ¡°true¡± nobility their children will have nobility status and they were usually quite rich. Bought titles were a little different. They were usually reserved for merchants and the rich. It allowed for them to buy audiences with the king and they would be treated like nobility. Most merchants did it to own land and build factories. [Is this what they call bourgeoisie?] Kotori thought as she briefly considering the concept of BUYING nobility. [Maybe Marx was onto something] Kitsura Alright, I bit the bullet. I''ve had people ask me about this so I now have a Patreon. There is only 1 tier for now. More to come as I start filling up more advanced chapters and setting up other rewards. For a small tip, you can read 1 advanced chapter. This doesn''t affect my normal post schedule but if you want to read an extra chapter today please consider it. Also, please consider this a gift to support my work rather than a transaction. Of course, I will make every effort to make sure the exclusivity of the extra chapter is maintained. https://www.patreon.com/user?u=55244626 Chapter 74: King’s audience The kingdom of Faramouth was a monarchy. For over 400 years the same dynasty had ruled. Rigurd Andschlatt, was the 24th of this dynasty and had ruled over a peaceful kingdom since his ascendence 27 years ago The only problem? He was forgettable. Indeed, King Andschlatt was a man who had received an impeccable royal upbringing. Taught in all sorts of subjects such as mathematics, economics, and science. He was a man completely capable to rule his peaceful kingdom with nary a hiccup. Despite that, he had one misgiving, and that was his need for fame. He had a dream upon ascending to the throne. He would not be a forgettable ruler like his father and grandfather. King Andschlatt despised them. Their ¡°achievements¡± were often touted to him. ¡°Your father secures an extra 10 square mile of land on the Atlea border¡± or ¡°your grandfather made several improvements to the tax code that increase revenue by 10%¡±. That¡¯s forgettable! Who cares! Plenty of bureaucrats who had similar training could do the exact same thing! Andschlatt who listened to the praise of his forefather couldn¡¯t stand it. He wanted to be like his namesake. The Andschlatts who had overthrown the previous monarchy, the Andschlatts who aggressively pursued land domination and force Atlea to bow down. He didn¡¯t want to be the Andschlatt that quietly did nothing. Andschlatt was a person who didn¡¯t particularly care about having to ensure hardship. That was why when he ascended the throne, he soon made a proclamation. Dungeons were now owned by the kingdom. It was a simple ploy. To make the adventurers of an arm of the kingdom. Andschlatt had a goal. To finally force Atlea under their control. Not just gaining land around the forest, Andschlatt wanted to be a conquerer. Enough to be written in the history books as a ¡°notable Andschlatt¡± Long had Andschlatt admired the adventurers and their power He desperately wanted them to join him. Soon they join his ranks. Andschlatt skillfully diverted money to the military and began to develop magical technologies for war. He recruited the most talented adventurers to be his personal task force. Always having a flair for theatrics he named them after a common game in Faramouth. Today Andschlatt was having an audience with one of these adventurers. A man by the name of Yooma who he had sent to recruit new promising talent. Early on Andshclatt realized his plans were going to take longer than expected he had to overcome hundreds of years of inertia in the government. The people were complacent they didn¡¯t desire change and it came slowly. He was slowly working to change that, but he knew that his proclamation was going to stifle the growth of new adventurers. This is why he had been ramping up recruitment efforts recently. There were a pair of adventurers that had caught his eye. They went by the name of Shun Barrows and Anya Merryweather. They were very promising, and he had managed to recruit them through Yooma. Despite his interest in these two, there was another adventurer who had caught his eye even more. Her name was Kotori Hikki and she had a peculier skill that Andschlatt desperately wanted. According to Yooma, it was a group enhancement skill. It was also something that Andschlatt instantly saw the value of. If he got his hands on such a skill, he would be able to boost his armies to incredible levels. The thought of being able to make the average foot soldier the strength of a strong adventurer was an incredibly attractive prospect. Not only that she was a powerful spirit tamer in her own right and her companion apparently had ties to the wood elves. He was sure he could recruit her. Yooma¡¯s report had told him she was a child after all, and Andschlatt was sure he could bring to his side. Children were easily tricked. Many thoughts broiled in his head as he fantasized about all the ways he would use her. ¡°Prepare for the entrance of the king!¡± his attendant heralded ¡°We welcome King Andschlatt 24th of line! The supreme generalissimo of the Faramouth army, The chronicler of the words, Conquerer of Kings, Lord of the Grey, Minister of the good¡­¡± Andschlatt waited while the attendant called out all his ¡°titles¡± just about every one of them was hereditary. None of them were anything he had earned. It was a troublesome formality, but he bore with it. He highly anticipating the visitor today. It was Yooma and he was coming with another report on the girl. Andschlatt had spent some time putting a plot to get her indebted to the kingdom. He was planning on using this indebtedness to slowly tie her closer. Today Yooma appeared to be nervous. Something that displeased Andschlatt since he knew this meant bad news. He could only hope that it was something that could easily be smoothed over with some rewards. [What do children like? Candy? Maybe I will send a cartful of honey sweets and bait her into the capital] Andschlatt pondered ¡°Your report Yooma!¡± He said with a commanding tone. Andschlatt braced himself for bad news ¡°Yes!¡± Yooma said then began to give his report Andschlatt listening to the report growing more and more displeased According to Yooma the girl had run away, and they were unable to find her. ¡°What about the slave collar! Shouldn¡¯t your associate have tied her to the kingdom through her companion!¡± ¡°Well¡­ She broke it¡± ¡°She WHAT!¡± Andschlatts voice was turning into a roar ¡°We don¡¯t know how she did it either,¡± Yooma said ¡°it seems like she developed a new skill¡± Andschlatt was furious. He was about to have Yooma¡¯s head lopped off but stopped himself before he could. ¡°Quickly!¡± he orders his ministers nearby ¡°Put a bounty on her head! I don¡¯t care what it costs any scrap of information we will pay for!¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± His financial minister paled. Andschlatt had thankfully saved up plenty of money for future military affairs. He was happy to dip into that surplus if it meant he could get the girl. In his mind, it was a military investment anyway. Kitsura As always tip to my Patreon to read 1 advanced chapter. All hail Rigurd Andschlatt mother of dragons! Breakers of chains! Queen of the Andals and the First Men... Wait wrong story... Chapter 75: Guildmaster Tiefa The Adventurer¡¯s Guildmaster¡¯s office was small. Well, the whole office was small. It was a small room for a small person. Tiefa had always been short, and blond hair was tied up in a bun to avoid it from blocking her vision. She was busy working over several pieces of paperwork. Not that there was much to do anyway. Tiefa Ord had been the Adventurer¡¯s guild master ever since the old one resigned. The decline of the adventurer¡¯s guild had been too much, and he now lives a quiet life in a city as a retiree. The only one who was willing to take up the mantle was Tiefa and she has worked as the guild master in his place. Ever since the dungeon proclamation by the kingdom, Tiefa had slowly seen the number of new adventurers dwindle She sighed as she signed off on another guild closure notice. This one was particularly hard to sign off on. Tiefa was a former adventurer herself. The closure notice was for the guild she had originally started her career as an adventurer at. Tiefa had tried to use what little influence she had to keep that guild open, but she was no longer able to keep it afloat. The rent was simply too expensive. The guild¡¯s receptionist had been working there for a long time and Tiefa was trying to keep the guild around to wait until she retired, but even then, it seems like that was impossible. She heard a knock on her door. ¡°You have a visitor Guildmaster Tiefa¡± the soft voice of her secretary passed through the door. ¡°Let them in¡± Tiefa called out. Her door opened with a creak and a tall woman walked through. Tiefa¡¯s face lit up ¡°Eve!¡± The figure of her friend was standing in the doorway Evelynn gave a grin. ¡°It¡¯s been a while¡± They gave each other a strong embrace. Tiefa nuzzled Evelynn slightly she¡¯d been touch starved recently. ¡°What the kingdom work like?¡± Tiefa asked. Evelynn was one of Tiefa¡¯s former party members and had gone to work for the kingdom once the dungeon proclamation was made. Tiefa had been buried by work at that time and didn¡¯t have much time to see her. Soon the years slipped by and she¡¯d realized she hadn¡¯t seen Evelynn in over a decade. ¡°Oh so and so, I don¡¯t do that much nowadays,¡± Evelynn said. ¡°Why¡¯d you not visit!¡± Tiefa said pouting. ¡°Well, that¡¯s only recently I had some free time previously I was managing people¡± Evelynn explained ¡°That¡¯s such a shame! You didn¡¯t go dungeon roaming?¡± Tiefa asked. ¡°Not like I have any time, do you know how much work it is to be the managers of the Bishops,¡± Evelynn said. ¡°I can guess it¡¯s probably more than what I have to deal with now,¡± Tiefa said grimacing. Evelynn was a strong spell caster she had the skills [Lightning], [Wind blades], and even a [Barrier] Skill. She was the perfect combat mage. It was no surprise she was chosen to lead the mage division of the kingdom¡¯s recruited adventurers. ¡°Hey Tiefa, let go adventuring,¡± Evelynn asked? ¡°Eh?¡± Tiefa said in surprise at Evelynn¡¯s sudden proposal. ¡°I found a dungeon nearby newly formed and it even has some pretty strong monsters!¡± Evelynn said ¡°A dungeon? don¡¯t you have to report it?¡± Tiefa asked ¡°Shhhh don¡¯t speak so loud. It¡¯ll be a secret between you and me¡± Evelynn said smiling. ¡°Just explore it for old times¡¯ sake and then I¡¯ll report it once we¡¯re done¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Tiefa was concerned. There was a large punishment for not reporting dungeons and if she was caught as the adventurers guildmaster it would cause a scandal. Their already low reputation would fall even further. ¡°What, too old to explore dungeons with a friend anymore?¡± Evelynn teased Tiefa. ¡°You¡¯re calling me old! Aren¡¯t you getting wrinkly yourself Eve!¡± Evelynn seemed taken aback. ¡°Me? Old? Dear, in comparison to me you look practically ancient. You need a break from work you look like a skeleton!¡± Evelynn said Despite the harsh conversation Tiefa was not offended in the slightest. She would often squabble with Evelynn like this. In fact, she was enjoying herself quite a bit. ¡°Ok, Ok we can go to the dungeon, when are you free?¡± Tiefa asked ¡°Hmm, next week Wyrday should be fine¡± Evelynn said Tiefa grimaced ¡°That a little inconvenient but I¡¯ll make adjustments¡± ¡°Is there something wrong with the day?¡± Evelynn asked ¡°No, I just have a meeting, I can reschedule it¡¯s fine,¡± Tiefa said ¡°Besides how can I say no to a friend!¡± ¡°Ah by the way do you know anything about that girl the king put a bounty on,¡± Evelynn asked. Tiefa put on a trouble expression ¡°That girl? We haven¡¯t heard anything about her for months the trail went cold near the mountains¡± In truth, Tiefa hopes she would be able to show up again. Once they started selling information on the girl the guild was able to pay off a small portion of the massive debt the adventurer¡¯s guild was in. ¡°Hmm, the king has been in a panic over it. I thought you might know something, but I guess not. Don¡¯t worry about it I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll turn up.¡± ¡°I see..¡± Tiefa honestly felt bad for the poor girl. She was currently being hunted down and it was no way to treat someone so young [Good Luck] Kitsura So we are getting close to 1k readers. Thoughts on rewards? Chapter 76: The Capital (2) Kotori and her spirits hung around and avoid the guards that roamed the streets until the sun rose. They avoided running into any guards since it would be suspicious to be roaming the streets at that hour. Soon the sun rose, and people began to disperse into the streets, and Kotori after asking a few people found her way to the merchants guild. The merchant¡¯s guild handled all the private land purchases in the kingdom and incidentally, nobility could be bought there. Many merchants would buy nobility, so the merchants guild always had a few extra titles on hand for anyone with the money. The Merchants guild was a large building with a white stone exterior not too dissimilar to the stone on the palace. The guild was one of the more opulent buildings in the city which was likely due to the nature of their profession. Of course, the practice that made the most money would have the nicest buildings. [Damn Capitalist!] Kotori thought Kotori had Umi and Shu walk up the desk. Buying nobility was a rather public process and Kotori wanted to avoid having too much attention placed on her. Umi approached the desk. In the spirit manifestation form, she was mostly indistinguishable from a normal human. At worst she would look like lizard kin which was only slightly unusual in the human-dominated kingdom. With the armored Shu next to her she looked like a noble lady who had come to commission art or buy some new goods. The counter was empty. The merchant¡¯s guild was a place for the rich and thus didn¡¯t have many people milling about. Kotori and Layla watched from a corner while Umi and Shu walked up to the counter and politely asked to buy some land with nobility status. The young male receptionist seemed to freeze for a moment. ¡°Um, excuse me did you say you wanted to buy nobility¡± he looked confused. It was obvious she already thought Umi was nobility. ¡°Yes, if you could give us your cheapest title that would be great¡± Umi said smiling The male receptionist blushed ¡°I see¡­ can you please wait a moment?¡± He asked ¡°Of course¡± Umi said politely The man quickly ran into the area behind the counter his face red as a tomato [Umi you virgin killer!] Kotori thought watching the scene. Umi was a level above other noblewoman in terms of her beauty so it was no surprise the male receptionist was flustered upon seeing such a beautiful woman smile at him. Umi was beginning to attract the attention of the few other merchants who were waiting around. Although the merchants guild¡¯s building was sparsely populated there were still a few merchants milling around. ¡°Hello, miss who are you¡± A male merchant asked. He had styled brown hair and well-defined features. He was definitely a comely man but not excessively attractive. ¡°Ah, I am from the north, my merchant father sent me to the capital to buy nobility for myself¡± Umi answered It was a fabricated story that they had decided to make. Umi was a merchant¡¯s daughter who was buying Nobility for herself. Since Kotori had come from the southern end of the country, she had Umi come from the north to deflect any possibility they were associated. ¡°Might I ask for the name of your respected father?¡± The merchant asked ¡°You would not have heard of him. He sells armors and weapons he¡¯s not very prominent. He saved up money so that I would become nobility. He hopes to marry me to a noble house¡± Umi answered [Good answer Umi!] Kotori thought watching the conversation. The merchant was obviously trying to hit on Umi and she had indirectly turned him down by saying that she was destined to be married off. ¡°I see¡­ have you toured the city yet? I can show you around the city and let you see all the best sights¡± the merchant said giving a gentlemanly smile. I would love to talk about your father [Hey buddy back off! She¡¯s mine!] this merchant was being surprisingly persistent. It almost seemed like he didn¡¯t care that Umi had other marriage plans ¡°unfortunately I have other plans today and I can¡¯t accept that offer¡± Umi said ¡°What a shame, well if you need anything let me know. He handed Umi a small wooden card which Kotori assumed was some type of business card and then walked off. The receptionist came back. With a few large rolls of paper when he unfurled them it appeared to be a map of the kingdom with a few area¡¯s dotted that showed land that could be bought. ¡°Well we have these plots of lands you can buy. I would recommend this one over here it has an old estate that can be renovated and serve you perfectly¡± He said. The receptionist seemed nervous. They were both hunched over the map and Umi¡¯s head was quite close to his. ¡°I have no need for an estate¡± Umi said ¡°Then how about this plot right here, it¡¯s located near a small village¡± He offered [Near a village that sounds good!] Kotori thought She tried to signal to Umi to say yes. Umi thankfully caught the signal and accepted the offer. ¡°Okay that will be 100 gold coins 50 for the land and 50 for nobility. With a deposit of 20 gold coins and yearly installments of 10 coins each¡­¡± The receptionist started to explain ¡°That won¡¯t be an issue I¡¯ll pay in full¡± Umi pulled a small sack from her dress and dropped it on the table. The sack made a heavy thump as it fell on the table. The receptionist opened the sack. Inside was many glittering golden coins. He was wide-eyed ¡°O-Okay I will just process this,¡± He said stammering. It was obvious he had not expected Umi to pay in full. Umi had now caught the gaze of other merchants who were now staring at her. It seemed nobody paid for nobility in full. [Oh dear, we still caused a scene] Kotori thought Kitsura Umi too cute Cute is justice Umi = Justice That is all. Chapter 77: Meetings(1) Kotori and her spirit quickly left the merchants guild with the deed to their land and a title. They hung around and waited for the sun to disappear. Before once again hopping over the wall with Hikari. The process was surprisingly easy, and Kotori was happy they didn¡¯t stay in the capital for longer than needed. They quickly met up with Amelie who was hiding in a nearby forest. Amelie was busy drawing in the dirt with a stick when they approached. ¡°Very busy over here¡± Kotori teased Amelie smirking ¡°What do you want me to do? Go kill a massive dungeon monster like some kind of idiot¡± Amelie said. Kotori grimaced ¡°Cmon, It¡¯s not that bad, we¡¯ve beaten them every time¡± ¡°I don¡¯t enjoy nearly dying,¡± Amelie said dryly. She looked at the roll of paper in Kotori¡¯s hand ¡°There was no issue I assume,¡± She asked ¡°Yep!¡± Kotori said cheerfully ¡°Good,¡± Amelie said looking relieved. ¡°Also I found a dungeon nearby,¡± Amelie said ¡°Hmm?¡± Kotori said in response [That¡¯s odd I don¡¯t remember there being a dungeon around here] She thought. It must¡¯ve been a newly formed dungeon so Kotori probably didn¡¯t know about it. ¡°Do you want to explore it?¡± Amelie asked. It would be a pretty low-risk proposition and there was always a chance that the dungeon could be filled with valuable materials which Kotori and her party could sell. ¡°I don¡¯t see why not,¡± Kotori said ¡°Sure let me lead you all to it¡± ** ** ** Apparently, the dungeon had formed in the woods that Amelie was hiding in. Kotori nearly had some trauma after thinking about the monkey dungeon. [Please no monkeys!] Kotori thought Incidentally, the dungeon was very average. There were a few decently strong monsters but nothing to write home about. Shu, Umi, and Amelie killed some monsters for sport. They had been traveling for a while so they decided to kill some dungeon monsters for sport. The monsters in this dungeon were an assortment of big cats like panthers, leopards, and lions. They were easy to kill for Kotori¡¯s party who were much stronger from eating the monmochi of the metal slimes and their new weapons. In fact, it was very likely that Amelie on her own could beat Yoom at this point. Kotori on the other hand was lounging on a handmade chair by Shu. She wasn¡¯t a big fan of killing monsters in dungeons anyway and rarely found the activity any fun. She was mostly trying to eat the dungeon itself. It had a spicy gamey taste like curried meat. Which was a flavor she hadn¡¯t had before. That was until Kotori heard voices nearby. She froze. Although most of the party was unrecognizable Amelie was still easily the most recognizable of the people here. If passing adventurers saw her, she was unsure of what would happen especially so close to the capital. ¡°Amelie there¡¯s people!¡± She called out Amelie stopped what she was doing. She looked at Kotori and nodded and quickly hiding into the underbrush Soon two women passed by. They seemed to be adventurers. One of them was tall and regal looking. She wore a robe that suggested she was a spell-casting type. The other woman was shorter. She had green tinged hair which was normal in this world. She wore bulky armor and had a large hammer slung over her back. Both of them looked around middle-aged which was pretty normal considering adventurers were starting to become geriatric. Both the women seemed slightly surprised to see Kotori and her party here. They stared at each other neither saying a thing. The silence was broken by the taller regal looking lady. ¡°I think we both know what we¡¯re doing here is illegal,¡± The woman said smiling Kotori nodded. She was technically trespassing in a new dungeon. Something that should be reported to the kingdom. The taller woman sighed scratching her head. ¡°Agree to keep this secret?¡± Kotori nodded again. ¡°Alright!¡± The woman said cheerfully. ¡°By the way, you can tell your associate to stop hiding in the bush,¡± She said. Kotori stiffened. This woman was surprisingly astute. Amelie was good at hiding in forests on account of her ranger work in the elf village and now that she had the [Ninjitsu] skill she was virtually undetectable to even veteran adventurers [Who is this woman] She thought The lady laughed ¡°She¡¯s hidden quite well; I can tell why you were surprised, but your friend is going to need to work a little harder to be able to hide from someone like me,¡± She said Kotori instantly used [Status] Evelynn Barans Race: Human Age: 45 HP: 83 Mana: 462 Agility: 86 Strength: 53 Defense: 67 Karma: 10,434 Skills: [Lightning] [Wind Blades] [Barrier] [Golem Conjuring] Traits: [Bishop] [Bureaucrat] [What are those stats!] Kotori was right that the woman was a spell-casting type. Her mana stat was far above anything Kotori had ever seen. This woman could likely fight Nero with Mana to spare. And if she was this strong Kotori didn¡¯t want to see how strong her partner was. Kotori wanted to avoid causing a scene as much as possible ¡°I¡¯m sorry but my friend is very shy,¡± she said. ¡°Hmm, I see¡± Evelynn seemed disappointed. Her partner on the other hand seemed to be dumbstruck She tried to whisper something in Evelynn¡¯s ear. Evelynn batted her away. ¡°Shhh remember? We¡¯re just normal adventurers today¡± She said [So it seems like they are hiding something as well] Kotori thought She could tell from the [Bishop] trait on Evelynn that she was likely important to the kingdom. Kitsura 1K readers woot! Thanks for the support friends. My semester just ended so I will see what I can do :) Chapter 78: Meetings(2) Tiefa met up with Evelynn at the city gate. She was wearing a large cloak to hide and prevent people from recognizing her. Tiefa herself was also wearing something similar but she looked much bulkier on account of her armor. Her hammer of course was much harder to hide and she didn¡¯t bother trying to hide it They quickly left through the gate and walk to the outskirts of the city taking off their cloaks as soon as they got sufficiently far enough away. Evelynn led her to one of the forests nears the cities. She wasn¡¯t lying she said that the dungeon was new. Although Tiefa was a guild master of the adventurer¡¯s guild she was also an adventurer herself. She had a special exemption from the kingdom and wasn¡¯t obligated to go on the kingdom¡¯s dungeon parties. She still took note of the dungeons that popped up in case there were any that could line her pockets. Old habits die hard. They walked into the dungeon killing a few monsters along the way. Suddenly Evelynn called Tiefa over ¡°We¡¯re not alone¡± Evelynn whispers into Tiefa¡¯s ear ¡°Ehhh?¡± [Someone got here first?] Tiefa thought It wasn¡¯t surprising, this dungeon was quite close to the capital after all. Still, it would be an issue if Tiefa and Evelynn were seen. ¡°Let¡¯s meet them!¡± Evelynn said cheerfully ¡°Excuse me?¡± Teifa said in surprise Not only was Evelynn not trying to hide but she wanted to be seen. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like they can tattle on us¡± Evelynn explained ¡°I guess¡­¡± Tiefa responded. Since both of them were exploring an unknown dungeon it would only hurt them to report each other for exploring. Evelynn didn¡¯t wait for Tiefa to agree and began to saunter over to the sounds of fighting. The other party was slightly hidden by trees. Once they passed through the trees both Tiefa and Evelynn froze in surprise. [It¡¯s her!] Teifa thought It was a girl with pale skin and dirty blond hair. She had a tiara atop her head. She looked very similar to the girl who the kingdom had placed a bounty. Still, she looked quite a bit older than the reports. It had been a little over six months since her last appearance so she shouldn¡¯t have grown this much. The reports placed her age at around a 10-year-old girl but she looked closer to 12-14 years old right now. She had an unearthly feeling around her. She wasn¡¯t particularly beautiful only above average but she gave a feeling like she was not of this world. The girl was with two other women. One of them looked like lizard kin and the other looked like a beastkin. Both were quite beautiful Along them with them was a knightly-looking tanned man. The reports didn¡¯t say that she had such companions. They did say that she was a spirit tamer but spirts couldn¡¯t manifest human forms like this. There had been no such accounts. Additionally, the reports said she only had two spirits which meant that one of these companions were new. Her half-elf partner was missing as well. [What did the adventurers say? Something about how she was a good luck charm] Tiefa thought. Evelynn also looked like she recognized who the girl was. She suddenly spoke adopting a casual attitude. ¡°Agree to keep this secret?¡± she said [Ehhhhh!] Teifa thought. Evelynn was a person who worked for the kingdom. Tiefa didn¡¯t understand why she wasn¡¯t apprehending the girl right now. Teifa herself didn¡¯t mind whether or not the girl was caught. In fact, she slightly wished that the girl continued to stay uncaught buying and selling information on her was quite profitable for the adventurer¡¯s guild after all. The girl nodded. The way she moved was surprisingly refined as if she had been taught like nobility. This was unlikely since if she¡¯s was a Faramouth noble''s daughter she would¡¯ve been found out instantly. ¡°Alright!¡± Evelynn said cheerfully she was giving the same simpleton smile she gives Tiefa. Evelynn was surprisingly good at defusing these sorts of situations. ¡°By the way, you can tell your associate to stop hiding in the bush¡± Evelynn added. The girl looked surprised. [Associate? Is that the half-elf girl!] ¡°She¡¯s hidden quite well; I can tell why you were surprised, but your friend is going to need to work a little harder to be able to hide from someone like me¡± Evelynn spoke. Tiefa knew she was lying. Evelynn only knew that the elf girl was hiding through the process of deduction. She didn¡¯t actually know if the elf girl here or not. Evelynn didn¡¯t have any detection skills after all. [That woman! She¡¯s always like this !] Tiefa thought Even back when they were adventurers Evelynn had very good situational awareness. Almost bordering on inhuman levels of processing power. It was a result of the fact that she had the [Barrier] Skill. It was a skill that would deflect an attack but cost an extremely large amount of mana to maintain. Evelynn was the leader of the bishops because she had the uncanny ability to activate [Barrier] at the right times. Almost to the tenth of a second before something hit her. Her awareness and reaction time were just that good. Kitsura It''s really weird, how some days I really don''t wanna write and then once I get into the flow, words come pouring out like water. I guess discipline really is more important than motivation. I also think it''s quite interesting to write about what Kotori is like from the POV of other characters. Chapter 79: Meetings (3) ¡°I¡¯m sorry but my friend is very shy¡± The girl said. ¡°Hmm, I see¡± Evelynn seemed disappointed in her response but didn¡¯t push the issue further./ Tiefa was dumbstruck. [Are you seriously going to just let that slide!] she thought She tried to whisper something in Evelynn¡¯s ear. ¡°Eve, shouldn¡¯t we figure out who she¡­¡± Evelynn batted her away. ¡°Shhh remember? We¡¯re just normal adventurers today¡± She scolded Tiefa. Tiefa immediately stopped talking. Evelynn was right that on all accounts they were just normal adventurers today. The girl raised her eyebrow as if she had already discerned their identities. This wasn¡¯t possible, even under the strongest of [status] skills but Tiefa still felt like the girl knew. ¡°We¡¯ll be on our way then! Don¡¯t worry we¡¯ll make sure to hunt farther away so we don¡¯t get in the way.¡± Evelynn said with a carefree smile. The girl gave a curt nod Tiefa and Evelynn quickly left the clearing. The whole way the girl was watching them as if she wanted to make sure they had no other moves. When they were a far enough distance away. Tiefa finally spoke. ¡°I assume you and me both recognized that girl, right?¡± Tiefa asked Evelynn nodded ¡°She¡¯s much older than I expected. Don¡¯t tell me the adventurer¡¯s guild has been supplying false reports.¡± She said thoughtfully Tiefa gave a dry laugh. ¡°That¡¯s not possible,¡± She said The adventurer¡¯s guild took great care to corroborate the account of the girl before sending them as information. They would give extra rewards for correct information but would still pay for even false information because it helps them find out what was true. Of course, they had to do the work themselves but Tiefa could say with a 99.9% accuracy that all the reports they sold to the kingdom were true. At worst a few pieces of information could be slightly incorrect but anything important like her true appearance was most definitely true. Tiefa had even managed to put all the accounts together and commission a picture of the girl based on the accounts. She was most definitely supposed to be much younger. ¡°Perhaps she has an older sister?¡± Evelynn thought Tiefa furrowed her brow at Evelynn¡¯s suggestion. It would make sense but if the girl had an older sister she would¡¯ve been found quickly. An investigation into her backstory said that she was from the south of Feran but a deeper investigation had told them that it was a false background she had made up. They had to ask nearly all the villages south of Feran if they knew the girl and none could say they did. There was a village that had seen the girl, but she only stayed the night as a traveler and also apparently took down a bandit raid by herself. Her background was a mystery. [Is she from the great forest?] Tiefa thought It would make sense. If she had lived in a wood elf village she wouldn¡¯t have been known about from the kingdom. But even so, why would a human girl be living in a wood elf village. Tiefa knew that despite the claims the elves were ¡°bandits¡± they didn¡¯t actually do any kidnapping of the sort. [Then is she from Atlea?] it seemed unlikely, but it would make more sense. The people of Atlea and Faramouth look quite similar so there wasn¡¯t a way to physically notice if she was from Atlea or not. It would make more sense why such a mysterious girl was in Faramouth in the first place. [If she came from Atlea then there must be a reason] Atlea was also a monarchy like Faramouth [Disgraced royalty? It would make sense then¡­] Tiefa pondered If Kotori was disgraced royalty or nobility that was running from the capital, she would obviously come to the kingdom of Faramouth where she would be unrecognizable. The south of Atlea was filled with assorted smaller countries were always at war with each other. The peaceful kingdom of Faramouth would make more sense to run to. Since Kotori was quite good-looking. Tiefa could only assume that she was some form of nobility. The average commoner rarely had such looks. Her companions made more sense. The knightly refined man next to her would probably be her guardian knight who ran with her. The other women were handmaiden? Though, Tiefa didn¡¯t quite know why they knew how to fight. Her half wood elf companion was probably a guide of some sort that help her get across the forest. Tiefa told her theory to Evelynn who place her finger on her chin and considered it. ¡°It makes sense, but it still has holes,¡± She said after thinking for a moment ¡°Do you have a better explanation as to her origins?¡± Tiefa said Evelynn shook her head. ¡°No, you¡¯re assumption is better than mine. I guess you do have some gears in that head of yours.¡± Evelynn teased Tiefa Tiefa pouted. ¡°I am the guildmaster of the adventurer¡¯s guild after all.¡± She said Evelynn didn¡¯t respond and instead was adopting a thinking pose. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Tiefa asked ¡°No, I was just wondering, if it were true that the girl was disgraced royalty what did she do to get rejected from Atlea. Her skills should be valuable enough that they would keep her as an asset and a breeding sow.¡± Evelynn explained Tiefa grimaced. Some skills could be passed hereditarily, so it was highly likely the girl would be used as free genetic material for high-ranking noble. She felt even worse for the girl. She was in an unknown country with only a single guard knight being hunted by two kingdoms. Kitsura Sorry, no chapter yesterday. My sleep schedule is all kinds of mess up rn. Patreon chapter coming out soon of course. Chapter 80: I’m the noble now! Kotori watched the two mysterious women leave. She was sure that they had figured out who she was was. As they walked away, she stared at their backs until they were out of her vision. She quickly motioned to her party that they were leaving the dungeon. Once they left the dungeon, Kotori assessed her options. If they were a passing group of adventurers tasked by the guild to explore the dungeon it would be perfectly fine. Kotori knew that she was currently being protected by the weaker adventurers. But if that was a strong group directly under the control of the king it would be troublesome. They would, of course, report directly to the king himself Kotori cursed herself for not using status on the other woman. It would¡¯ve been wise to figure out what her affiliation was as well. For now, it might be best for Kotori to begin her noble life away from the capital. She opened the deed that offered them nobility. Signed at the bottom was Umi¡¯s signature. She was the person who bought nobility after all. ¡°So what¡¯s the plan,¡± Amelie asked ¡°We might as well go to the village we now own,¡± Kotori said. It was still likely their best option. It would be hard to associate the new noble with Kotori unless they tried extremely hard. Nobility typically referred to anybody who owned land officially through the kingdom. In this case, Kotori had bought a small village to be her steppingstone. It was near the east of a country where there was a port. It wasn¡¯t a village directly under the ownership of the port so Kotori as the ¡°noble¡± of the region would be responsible for the taxes. [Maybe I¡¯ll get the opportunity to eat fish!] She thought her mouthwatering. Kotori didn¡¯t have many plans for taxes. She still had over 100 gold coins left after buying nobility in the land. It was a sizable sum all things considered. When she thought back to her original village it was a sum that would make her head dizzy. It would take over a week to get there but Kotori was going to avoid the main road to avoid being spotted. She was thankful the rush to find her had died down after they secluded themselves in the dwarf village. It seems after the trail ran cold, adventurers had lost interest. With the roundabout method, the trip would still likely take 2 weeks. ** ** ** The footpaths were extremely bad. Kotori quickly learned that their trip was likely going to take longer than two weeks from the halfway point. By the time they reached the outskirts of the village. It had taken them 2 and a half weeks to reach their land. They avoided visiting the village for now. Kotori had Shu build another mud house nearby. The outside had the appearance of brick on the account of the red dirt and it looked sufficiently well done to the point where Kotori thought it looked like a normal noble mansion. She had Umi cut down several trees with her [Water blade] to lay as flooring. Soon they had a nice enough place set up. The house even had a brick fireplace which Kotori was grateful for. The kingdom of Faramouth was located quite far north and the winters could be quite cold. Unfortunately, the house was still barebones with little furniture. After much talk, they decided to have Layla pose as the noble. Obviously, most villagers couldn¡¯t read so it wasn¡¯t like they could tell who actually signed the deed. Kotori and her party had thankfully learned how to read in the dwarf village. When Winry learned that they were illiterate she got all up in a huff. ¡°No patron of mine is going to be illiterate!¡± She said Over the course of a month, she taught them all the letters of the language that was spoken in Faramouth. Faramouth and Atlea used the same language so this knowledge would be helpful if Kotori ever went there too. The language was called Aria and apparently originated in Atlea. Faramouth was the younger kingdom on the continent. They broke off from Atlea a long time ago. The written form was like Asian languages and used several symbols that were similar to hiragana, and kanji. Thankfully the numbering system was still in log 10 Kotori was planning on having Layla enter the village and buy some supplies. Even if they had to sleep on straw mats it was still better than what Kotori was currently sleeping on. Umi once offered something along the lines of ¡°Please sleep on my body Kotori-Sama!¡± Which Kotori quickly refused. Eventually, she had Umi make something akin to a waterbed. It was comfortable enough, but Kotori was tired of being drenched when she woke up. It would also not be possible to sleep on something like that in the winter months without dying of hypothermia. [I never thought I¡¯d say this, But I miss straw mats!] Kotori often thought Kitsura We hit trending once again! I am working on new Patreon tiers so sit tight! Chapter 81: Meeting villagers Kotori, who was unable to leave the house spent her days thinking? Thinking about what you ask? Thinking how to gain Karma. Although she knew in the abstract how karma worked she was spending more and more time questioning whether the system had a purpose. The number she had would often fluctuate based on certain principles. She had noticed the number was slowly going up again. This was the result of her lowering taxes on the village nearby. Layla was also visiting the village as it¡¯s ¡°Noble¡±. The villagers seemed to quite like her and the kids were now calling her ¡°older sister¡± it seemed the old noble of this land was an old man who had passed away with no family who could inherit the land. It would naturally go back to the kingdom and they resold the title. The villagers were scared the new noble would be a bad person, but their fears were assuaged when they saw Layla who seemed to be a haughty but nice girl. Layla even came home one day after visiting the village with some watermelons. Apparently, they had given it to her for free. [I¡¯m glad to see that she¡¯s at least making friends] Kotori thought Layla, who had a slightly abrasive personality due to being sheltered by her mother, was slowly warming up to people. Kotori had begun to transfer some helpful tips to the villagers. Apparently, they couldn¡¯t understand why their crops would fail if they kept planting in the same spot year after year. She taught them to alternate their fields by planting clovers in their exhausted fields in a simple form of crop rotation. She was a biological scientist in her past life after all. Kotori didn¡¯t have any of her equipment from the past, so she was planning on progressing the village slowly with technology from her non-magical world. Apparently, she could also bless the fields with mana, but it wasn¡¯t sustainable for her to bless the fields every time. Also, it took extremely fine mana control. If she wanted to bless the entire field she would have to fine-tune her magic in a large net to spread it evenly such a process was extremely mentally exhausting. By teaching the villager''s crop rotation she could keep reaping Karma without having to do any work! Regardless [Why are you here!] While Kotori was lazing in the yard on the rare warm sunny days a couple of boys from the village had found their way to the manor. Apparently, there were rumors among the children of a ¡°fairy princess¡± living in the manor with Lady Layla. Of course, this fairy was Kotori and she assumed that the ¡°princess¡± portion was because of Hikari which wouldn¡¯t leave Kotori¡¯s head. It was troublesome that Kotori had to wear a large hat the entire time there were in the capital or else the tiara would make her stand out. They were trying very hard to conceal themselves, but Kotori was still able to sense them with [Gourmet]. In truth [Gourmet] was more like a skill that let Kotori absorb and sense mana than just being a skill that let her control mana. Every living thing had a mana signature even if they could not use mana themselves. Which was why 0 mana stats were deceptive. It wasn¡¯t like a person had no mana in them if they had 0 mana stats it just meant that they couldn¡¯t utilize the mana inside them. The mana stat was more like an assessment of how much mana a person could use at any given moment. The boys continued to ogle Kotori. She didn¡¯t really mind; it wasn¡¯t like they were doing anything to her. She considering hiding herself since she was a wanted criminal after all but that would be more suspicious. She was planning on ignoring them until one of the boys in the group goaded another. ¡°Hey, touch her!¡± Kotori twitched her eyebrow at the words. [I¡¯m not an art piece!] she thought. If they really were going to bother her, she was planning on scaring them away. Umi was currently doing housework so Kotori probably couldn¡¯t call her over to shoo away the children. She watched them out of the corner of her eye while she continued to bask in the sun. [Ahh this is quite nice¡­] She thought as the warm rays made her feel sluggish. Kotori felt herself getting drowsy. She wasn¡¯t afraid of getting bothered by the children while she was sleeping because Hikari would protect her automatically. [Ahhh I guess I can take nap¡­] ¡°AIEE!!¡± Kotori awoke suddenly to the sound of a scream very close to her. She was slowly waking up and felt that Hikari had moved off her head and transformed morphed into a long thin bands that were currently wrapping themselves around a boy. He was quite close to Kotori so she could only assume what had happened. Apparently, this was the poor sod who had tried to interrupt her sleep by poking her. Well, he was partially successful, unfortunately, Hikari was probably one of the strongest weapons on the continent and his chance of touching Kotori was slightly lower than his chance of ever catching a Quiggle. The boy struggled against Hikari. His eyes were filled with fear as he saw Kotori walk over to him. ¡°Please have mercy fairy queen!¡± He cried Kotori sighed She felt a rock thrown at her. Which Hikari split a piece from herself to block. ¡°Let him go!¡± The boys were currently trying to distract Kotori and help their friends [Ah, don¡¯t do that, you¡¯ll make her mad] Kotori thought before several pieces of metal split from Hikari and bound the boys who had thrown rocks at her. Realizing their folly the rest of the boys ran away presumable to call their parents. Kotori stared at the three boys who were now in front of her. All of them were bound. They gave strong looks but she could see they were slightly trembling. She had no intention of doing anything with them. Until a stray thought entered her mind [They look kinda tasty¡­ No! bad Kotori!]] she started thinking before her rational mind scolded herself for having such a thought. Kitsura Glutton Kotori strikes again! The next Patreon tier will be 5 advanced chapters. I am working on them expect to see them within a week. Chapter 82: Shota-kun… The boy''s moods seemed to improve after they realized that Kotori was not doing anything with them. They were no longer trembling at her, but they still were watching her like vultures. [Please don¡¯t be like that, you¡¯re the one who tried to touch me in the first place!] She thought. To be honest, Kotori could¡¯ve released them a while ago, but she felt like letting them stew for a while. She liked the feeling of seeing the boys in front of her being bound. They looked like a perfectly prepared meal¡­ [Shit!] The moment Kotori had that thought she felt her karma drop slightly. [I guess I need to let them go.] She thought [Hikari-chan if you would please let them go] She told her tiara using [Spirit Seer] The tiara seemed to grumble as if it didn¡¯t want the let the boys who had attacked her master go. [Please¡­] Kotori pleaded Hikari seemed to acquiesce to Kotori¡¯s request and soon the metal around the boys began to loosen and dissolve. It collected itself into a large mass before being absorbed back into Kotori¡¯s tiara. The boys rubbed their arms and legs grimacing slightly. Their limbs must¡¯ve fell asleep after being bound. They were still giving Kotori looks that could cut daggers. [I let you go didn¡¯t I?] she thought feeling indignant over the fact they were still mad with her. Kotori hadn¡¯t interacted with many children her age before and was hopeless around them. They scampered off with one of the boys stuck their tongue out at her as he ran out of view. Soon a group of townspeople came over [They must¡¯ve been called by the boys, Ah I¡¯ll get recognized like this...] Kotori thought she deiced to ignore that fact for now and deal with the problem on hand, which was this group of angry villagers. Watching the group, Kotori commended them for sticking up for their own people unlike the villagers in Kotori¡¯s original village. It wasn¡¯t like she was mad at the people in her original village though; they were trying to live in their own way. It wouldn¡¯t make sense for her to be mad at people who lived selfishly she has as well. One of the town¡¯s people a broad-shouldered man came to speak to her. He was a typical farmer type. A strong body with callouses on his hand. He has a stern expression on his face. ¡°Hello missy, My name is Uldricht. One of my boys over here said that you tied them up and attacked them for no reason¡± Kotori¡¯s eyebrow twitched. [No reason? They were the ones who bother my sleep!] She thought. [Attacking villagers would be more hassle than it was worth!] She decided to explain herself. ¡°I believe you¡¯re mistaken, these boys tried to touch me, and my weapon activated in response.¡± Kotori had Hikari move to show the villagers. They instantly backed away in surprise Well any person would be surprised if they saw Hikari elongated and grow into the form of carriage. ¡°Do you think Lady Layla would let me attack you all?¡± Kotori said Layla had made some good relations with the villagers and it was paying off now. The man pursed his lips and gave a troubled expression. ¡°I still can¡¯t trust you like this.¡± He said. The villagers knew that she was one of Layla¡¯s guests and thus had a bit more trust of Kotori than if she was some random noble but it seems that was still not enough." Kotori sighed ¡°Okay here follow me¡± She walked over to a patch of dirt and pointed to it. In the dirt there were footsteps, leading to her chair and then the footprints became shuffled as if there was a scuffle. ¡°If you bring your boy¡¯s foot over here you¡¯ll see these are his tracks. The man seeing the tracks understood Kotori¡¯s intentions ¡°Oi! Raymond get over here! One of the boys who came to bother Kotori walked out from the crowd he looked nervous. As if he realized his blunder about lying to the villagers¡± He placed his foot down in one of the tracks that didn¡¯t belong to him. ¡°See it¡¯s not mine!¡± he said lying once again ¡°There were three of them¡± Kotori calmly explained ¡°This is your track,¡± Kotori said pointing to one of the other tracks. ¡°Raymond put your foot in the track¡± Uldricht ordered ¡°Pa, do I have too?¡± Raymond said trying to get out of the situation ¡°Of course, you fool!¡± Uldricht scold Raymond ¡°Raymond hesitantly put his foot in the track and of course it was a perfect fit. Uldricht looked annoyed ¡°Boy! You lied you went and bothered this lass¡± he shouted. Raymond shrunk into himself, his deceit had failed. ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°WELL WHAT! You kids wasted everybody''s time!¡± Uldritch yelled He put his hand to his head ¡°I apologize, missy, my boy seemed to have bothered you¡± He said to Kotori [This man is surprisingly honest] Kotori thought ¡°Who were the other boys who bother you?¡± Kotori looked at the crown of villagers although they were trying to hide behind others Kotori could see them with her mana sensing abilities. ¡°Him and Him,¡± She said pointing to two boys One of the boy''s mothers looked very angry ¡°Ferd! I¡¯m going to tan your ass!¡± Kitsura Had some nasty writer''s block today, worked my way through it. Chapter 83: Shiromuku Kotori spent several days very peacefully after the hiccup with the village boys. No one had come to bother her. In fact, the boys had even come up to her and apologized after their parents forced them to. She was busy thinking of ways to gain more karma. Crop rotation was helpful but it wasn¡¯t really a ¡°heavy¡± hitter in terms of what was needed to gain large amount of karma. [Hmm, save slaves?] Kotori had considered the thought of doing random acts of altruism, but she had already learned that such acts may have unintended consequences. It would be better for her to avoid getting involved in too many things and work to be a force for good. She thought back to one of the first plans she once had. [Gain followers¡­] While Kotori¡¯s party could be ¡°considered¡± followers she saw them more like close friends and traveling companions. [If it¡¯s gaining followers then wouldn¡¯t it be better to make an organization for those sorts of things¡­ Maybe a religion?] She thought A Religion was an attractive proposal. If Kotori designated herself as a high-level official in one she would have a lot of power to direct actions and get lots of karma from the indirect actions of her followers. She didn¡¯t want to be a pope character though, that was too conspicuous. She spent the better part of the day thinking of scripture. She wanted to make sure her teachings were at least internally consistent. She made up an origin story about a fairy goddess who asks people to do good work. Those who were diligent in her teachings would become a fairy as well and work with the beautiful goddess. [Who¡¯s going to be my pope?] She needed someone who was able to talk eloquently and passionately about a single subject. Incidentally, at that moment, Umi came walking by. ¡°Hey Umi¡± Kotori casually said ¡°Yes?¡± Umi answered ¡°What exactly do you like about me?¡± Umi¡¯s face lit up ¡°Of course, Well I love Kotori-sama very much, she¡¯s my goddess. Her dainty hands must¡¯ve been sculpted by the gods themselves, she is the most supreme being on this earth. Her benevolence knows no bounds and her fashion sense in impeccable. Kotori-sama hair must¡¯ve been sculpted from the gods themselves and her voice drawn from the muse¡­.¡± [What did I get myself into!] Kotori listened to Umi rattle off compliment after compliment extolling her virtue, her perfect looks, and even the length and smell of her hair? [Why does Umi even know that¡­] Kotori decided that Umi would be her pope for her new religion. Kotori stopped Umi who was still listing off the virtues of Kotori and explained her scheme. Umi gave a puzzled expression ¡°Why must I act like there¡¯s any other supreme being in this world other than you?¡± She said tilting her head. It seemed like the concept of a ¡°god¡± was muddled for her. ¡°Just pretend it¡¯s me you¡¯re talking about when you talk about the god¡± Kotori explained. ¡°I see,¡± Umi said a slightly confused expression on her face. It was helpful that Umi had the bearing of a high-class lady. The way she carried herself made people think she was much more important than she was. Still, the way she was dress right now would work for the kind of Pope, Kotori was envisioning.¡± ¡°Hey, Umi can you change your clothes?¡± She asked ¡°Why of course!¡± Umi said with a large smile. Her form seemed to blur and then instantly Kotori was met with a fully naked Umi in front of her. ¡°AH!¡± Kotori shielded her eyes instantly out of shame. Although she was technically a girl herself she was still a bit uncomfortable seeing a naked women in front of her. ¡°Put your original clothes back on!¡± Kotori said still covering her eyes with her hands. She could see Umi¡¯s face but everything else was covered with her fingers. Umi gave a devious smile ¡°Oh? Do you like this Kotori-sama?¡± she said walking closer trying to show off her body. ¡°Please just put your clothes back on.¡± Kotori pleaded Umi sighed Her form shifted again, and she was once again wearing her normal Kimono looks. ¡°What did you mean by that question then?¡± She asked ¡°I meant if you could change the types of clothes you wore.¡± Kotori explained. ¡°Hmmm, I never tried that but I don¡¯t see why not? This form is not really real anyway¡± Umi said ¡°Then can you wear something like that Kimono except make it pure white and make the robe portion?¡± Kotori asked. Her image of a pope was of an elderly man wearing white robes but she would have to adjust for Umi. Plus, Umi had to look cute in it after all! [Cute is very important] Kotori thought Umi change her form and soon she was wearing something similar to the robes Kotori had envisioned. Kotori looked at it and frowned [Not quite right?] It looked closer to what Kotori had envisioned. But not quite, it seemed Kotori would have to make her design different from what she had in mind ¡°Umi trim this portion here and tighten this one here.¡± Kotori said pointing to several portions of the robes. Umi quickly made adjustments according to Kotori¡¯s specifications. ¡°Is this right?¡± Umi asked The clothing that Umi currently wore looked more like Shiromuku* than papal robes but it seemed to fit her quite nicely. *Traditional Japanese wedding dress Umi can you try a hat as well. Kotori tried to explain the concept of a Mitre to Umi and she diligently tried to make a hat according to the description Kotori gave. [This is just a Shiromuku isn¡¯t it¡­] Kotori thought looking at the clothes Umi was wearing. Even the hat she made looked just like Wataboshi. Umi seemed quite pleased ¡°Kotori-sama, I quite like these clothes,¡± she said ¡°Umi you don¡¯t have to push yourself to please me you can change back¡± Kotori said. ¡°No I don¡¯t want to!¡± Umi pouted. Kitsura What I imagine Umi wearing, except slightly more scaley and a different hat. Chapter 84: My First Miracle! Kotori was finally able to get Umi to change out of the Shiromuku after about an hour of convincing. Unfortunately, she was not quick enough to get Umi to change before Layla got back. Upon seeing Umi wearing the Shiromuku Layla also changed her form to wearing one. [We can¡¯t really have two popes¡­ Can we?] Kotori began to think it wasn¡¯t like there was a precedent against having two popes. [This could work?] Kotori thought after she realized that it didn¡¯t really matter. Layla also had the same sort of haughty attitude that would make her good for being a pope too. Kotori then decided to have Umi as the preacher pope and Layla as the leader pope. Layla seemed receptive to the idea especially after she learned that she would be wearing the Shiromuku too. ¡°Fufu now I¡¯m just like Umi¡± She muttered to herself after Kotori explained her plan./ [Now how do I spread this?] Kotori thought A religion was useless without followers. She decided that she would first start converting the villagers. It was helpful that there was no real religion in the kingdom of Faramouth or Atlea. Villagers kept to their folk traditions but there was no sort of massive centralized religion like in her old world. [Religions need miracles right?] She thought Unfortunately, in a world where there was magic, Kotori had to be a bit more creative with how she performed miracles. It was not enough to do magic but do something that seemed inhuman. The very next day, Kotori went to the villagers and asked if she could bless their fields. They looked baffled at the idea. It was a good sign for Kotori since it meant they would be surprised when she did it. Uldricht the father of the boy who originally bothers Kotori was scratching his head. He was like a village head and made a lot of decisions for them. ¡°I don¡¯ know missy, I¡¯ve never heard of blessing soil before,¡± he said a tinge of doubt in his voice Kotori who knew mana was a form of life energy concluded that it was possible. ¡°let me try it,¡± she told him Uldricht shrugged ¡°Alright, you can do what you want as long as you don¡¯t mess with the crops¡± Kotori knew the crops were beginning to sprout right now and it was a sensitive time for farmers. Crops were very delicate around this time. Since she had lived on a farm when she first reincarnated, she knew exactly what it was like. Kotori who had the blessing of the village leader found a place that was centralized from all the fields. Umi was with her to help fill the fields with mana. Kotori pulled out her king lizard horn which hung from her belt. She had two instruments right now. Her father¡¯s flute had a lower range but better for fine-tuned spells like the sound attack, and the horn would make it easier to make wider range magic. In return was it harder to control the amount of mana she used when using the horn. Right as she was about to blow her lizard horn she felt something push it away. She instantly looked at Umi who was watching her with a confused expression ¡°Umi?¡± she asked Umi looked confused her Wataboshi was swaying in the wind. ¡°Is something wrong Kotori-sama¡± She asked [No that doesn¡¯t make sense why would Umi stop me? Hikari?] The moment she thought about Hikari she felt a grumble atop her head. Despite the cute name she gave it Hikari had the temperament of an oji-san [Hikari-chan do you have an issue?] Kotori spoke to it with [Spirit Seer] Hikari grumbled further and then a small thing rod popped out from Kotori¡¯s tiara. It looks like the conductor baton. At the handle portion was a small gem that Hikari used. [You want me to use this?] Kotori asked Hikari vibrated in contentment. Kotori gently took hold of the baton. It fit her hand quite nicely. She started activating [Magic Minstrel] and mana began to pour into her. She imagined a thin sheet of mana covering the fields making them grow. It was hard to control in the beginning, but Kotori steadily go used to it. She hadn¡¯t actually channeled any mana yet, she was just trying to shape and control the mana. She was steadily getting better. The conductor baton was surprisingly good for letting Kotori channel a large amount of mana and fine-tuning it at the same time. She felt a flow of mana from her body that soon began to turn into a torrent. ¡°Umi!¡± She called out Umi quickly started activating [Mana flow] in response to Kotori¡¯s shout. Kotori felt Umi¡¯s mana flow into her, but it was not enough. [Ah I¡¯ve been too ambitious once again] Kotori thought Although Kotori had good mana control she was not used to controlling so much at the same time. She was losing control, the mana was flowing out of her at a rapid pace. Her efforts to slow it were futile; It was like trying to control a river with just her bare hand. She felt her vision darkening. It had been a while since Kotori had overextended herself on mana, but she could recognize when it was about to happen ¡°Umi catch me!¡± she said as she quickly cast the magic before she couldn¡¯t control it anymore. Kotori felt her legs buckle under her. Umi quickly grabbed Kotori as she began collapsing. ¡°Kotori-sama!¡± She called out as Kotori¡¯s visions faded to black. Kitsura Yawn... lazy weekend and I didn''t sleep enough last night. Happy reading. Chapter 85: The Darkness Kotori awoke in murky darkness. It felt warm and familiar, almost womb-like frankly [Haven¡¯t I been here before?] She thought realizing that this scenery was something she had seen before. [It¡¯s like that time after Yooma!] She thought. She felt slightly different, but this was the same place as before. Unlike last time where there were two lights next to her now there were three of them. [Curious?] Kotori thought The chains that bound her were still there and dragging against her wrists. Well, not wrists. She didn¡¯t really have a human form she was more like a vaguely gaseous human-shaped cloud. Kotori saw figures in the darkness once again. Like the last time, she was unable to interact with anything. Soon a form appeared from the figures. It was a man wearing a grey suit with a pale face and complexion, his features were well defined and chiseled. He was beautiful, almost handsome. His platinum blond hair was expertly styled. A ravishing man by all account, but inhuman. He looked more akin to a sculpture that had come to life instead of a real human. [Him!] Kotori thought Gabriel was standing right in front of Kotori. [Why am I here!] Kotori thought, panicking that she had died Gabriel¡¯s face was scowling. His perfectly chiseled face was scrunched up like he was just asked to do something unpleasant. When Kotori was in heaven, she didn¡¯t ever see Gabriel¡¯s expression change so this was a surprise for her. Kotori had assumed that Gabriel couldn¡¯t show emotions on his face so he must be particularly annoyed. She tried to speak but her form was unable to do anything [Eh?] She thought Kotori had always been able to speak in heaven Perhaps she wasn¡¯t dead? Gabriel grumbled while checking Kotori¡¯s chains. [Just where am I?] Kotori thought Gabriel was talking absentmindedly to himself. ¡°Another light? Good grief, she¡¯s being productive. My aid told me something was off, but this is excessive¡± he muttered He seemed to fiddle with the chains that bound Kotori. The more he looked at the chain the worse his expression got until finally, he reached a tipping point. ¡°This fucking bitch!¡± He yelled throwing the chains down in anger. They clattered on the vaporous ground as if it was solid. If Kotori could move, she would¡¯ve jumped back in surprise. Gabriel gave an expression like he was deep in thought. He started examining the chains again this time light began to flow from his hands. The chains seemed to morph, becoming longer and less solid. ¡°That''ll have to do¡­¡± he said grimacing it seems that he was unhappy with the result. Kotori felt her form solidify slightly. Gabriel looks up from the chain and looked into her eyes. Her heart froze. Throughout this entire ordeal, Kotori had a feeling like she wasn¡¯t supposed to watch this. She was terrified of the thought of Gabriel realizing that she was aware of him. She had no clue what this place was, but now that she knew he as related to it she didn¡¯t want him to know she knew about it. His eyes pierced into Kotori. The steely pupils not making a single movement. It was a glare that made Kotori feel infinitesimally small. He pulled a small knife from his pocket. It was an extremely ornate-looking knife. Something that looked like it belonged in a jewel coffer instead of being a normal knife someone would carry around. Gabriel held the knife to where her throat would be. And began to push it. Kotori then felt a sharp pain. One that felt very similar to her reincarnation. [OUCH OUCH!] she thought Kotori wanted to scream but was unable to. She was firmly stuck as an observer in this scene. Gabriel began to push harder The knife started to dig into Kotori¡¯s neck. The pain was near unbearable and she nearly passed out from the pain His face morphed into a wide devilish grin. ¡°Feel that?¡± He whispered his voice sounded choked as if he was the one in pain instead of Kotori. For a moment, Kotori thought he had noticed her, but it seems like he was just talking to himself. Gabriel continued to hold the knife to her throat for a little while before he eventually stopped. ¡°If only it was that simple¡­¡± he said while twirling the knife in his hand, the jewels in it seems to glint and glow as if they were alive. He looked wistfully off in the distance seemingly reminiscing of a scene. His face morphed into a gentle expression like a mother looking at their newborn child. ¡°Ah Celstine-sama, I miss you.¡± He started to say ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will take care of the trash in this world for you until you come back.¡± He said whole glancing at Kotori He began to walk off. The sound of his shiny dress shoes echoing into space until his form disappeared into another one of the black figures. Kotori was gasping from the pain. She couldn¡¯t gasp but was somehow able to. His vision darkened once again and soon became black as her consciousness drifted once again. Kitsura Gabriel''s kinda an ass, if only I could spoil his character motivation... Unfortunately for you all, You gotta wait a while to learn that... Chapter 86: More Dirt Spirits Kotori awoke grasping her throat. [Ow!] Her hand grappled her throat feeling for a wound that should¡¯ve been there but all she could feel was smooth unblemished skin. Despite there being no wound, she was feeling some sort of phantom pain as if the damage from Gabriel had somehow transferred to this world. She was suddenly aware of a soft surface under her. In the dream, she had there was no such feeling as if the body there wasn¡¯t hers. Her back felt wet. Her muscle felt sluggish. It appeared she was once again back in her normal body. At the edge of her bed was Umi who was looking at her with a concerned expression. ¡°Kotori-sama are you alright? You collapsed out in the fields, did you hurt your neck?¡± she asked looking at Kotori¡¯s hand which was grasping her neck. Kotori who was still rubbing her neck, stopped touching it. It seemed that the pain she was feeling had gone away. [It¡¯s gone?] she thought, she was sure she felt it earlier, but it seemed like the feeling left as quickly as it came. Kotori tried to stand up but quickly realized that she was still weak from overexerting her mana. Despite this, she still felt energized, as if she was filled with mana. Although she was physically exhausted, she still felt like she could cast much stronger songs if she tried. Sato Kotori Race: [Human] Age: 10 HP: 46 Mana: 211 (+184!) Agility: 55 Strength: 32 Defense: 30 Karma: -100,008,204 Skills: [Magic Minstrel], [Gourmet], [Charm, ][Desire of Monte Cristo](Removed) Traits: [Spirit Seer], [Monte Cristo], [£ª£ª¤¤©`¤«£ª] [Ehh?] Kotori thought¡¯ She looked at her status again [EHHHHHHH?!?!?!?!?!] Her mana stat had gone up considerably. In fact, it was already nearly half of what the mage lady she met in the forest dungeon had. If she wasn¡¯t laying in Umi¡¯s waterbed. Kotori would¡¯ve jumped in shock. The energized feeling must¡¯ve been her mana increasing so much. She was so surprised at her mana raising she barely noticed how one characters on the mysterious trait she had became visible. Kotori started to struggle to get up. She wanted to test out her new mana, but Umi held her down. ¡°Don¡¯t move so quickly after you just collapsed¡± Umi said firmly ¡°But my mana!¡± Kotori said trying to move her leaden limbs. ¡°Please¡­ Don¡¯t¡± Umi said her face softening. Kotori stopped. Umi looked like she was about to cry. ¡°Don¡¯t ¡­ hurt yourself anymore¡± Umi said her voice trembling. [Ah, Umi don¡¯t be like that¡­] Kotori thought. She realized that she was being selfish. It must¡¯ve worried Umi greatly to see her collapse like this. The last time something like this had happened, was when Kotori fought Yooma, and even then Yooma wasn¡¯t fighting them to kill. This must¡¯ve been the first time Umi had seen Kotori at death''s door. Kotori diligently laid back down. Kotori was currently being held down by Umi. In a way, it looks more like Umi was hugging Kotori. ¡°Okay¡­¡± Kotori said defeatedly. Umi was surprisingly warm. For a water spirit, she felt very much like, a real human. She also smelled slightly sweet, like berries. ¡°Umm, Umi?¡± Kotori said ¡°Yes?¡± Umi responded ¡°You don¡¯t have to hold me down, I promise I won¡¯t move anymore,¡± Kotori said ¡°Let me, stay like this for a while¡­¡± Umi whispered holding Kotori. ¡°You really don¡¯t have to hold me,¡± Kotori said ¡°Just a little longer¡­¡± she said even more softly in such a small voice that Kotori didn''t think Umi intended for her to hear. [Well, I guess this is nice as well] Kotori thought, while letting Umi continue to embrace her. ** ** ** [How did it end up like this] Kotori thought as she stood in the fields. It had been a day since Kotori had blessed the fields. According to the farmers, the plants hadn¡¯t grown much since her blessing. From her observation that was true and the sprouts hadn¡¯t changed that much. She was disappointed over the fact that the fields didn¡¯t grow but it seemed like she was now facing a different problem. She was surrounded by several piles of dirt¡­ Well, to call them piles of dirt would be disingenuous. Kotori was currently being surround by several mouse-like dirt spirits. They all seemed very happy to see her. [Not again!] She thought The spirits crowded around her legs apparently all clambering to get a better look at her. Kotori left them to their dismay and went to get Shu who she thought could deal with this situation better. Shu upon seeing the spirits nodded ¡°I will teach them.¡± He had a very determined expression on his face. Kotori had no clue what ¡°I will teach them¡± meant but Shu was her most reliable spirit, so she let him do what he wanted. Shu once again began his ¡°how to treat Kotori lecture to the little mice who appeared enraptured by him¡± Kotori remembered something her father said. [Didn¡¯t he talk about dirt spirits meaning the soil is healthy or something?] she thought Perhaps she had blessed the soil, but not in the way she had intended. In a way dirt spirits constantly shed mana which would likely help crops grow. Kotori told Shu to order the little dirt spirits to burrow in the fields. He gave a small salute and relayed the orders. The little spirits seemed confused as to why Kotori wanted them to stay in the fields but they didn¡¯t complain. It wasn¡¯t like they could deny an order from their mother after all. Kitsura Umi too precious! Chapter 87: Wheat(1) Shu was quite a good teacher it seems. Apparently, Shu was teaching them his personal ¡°Kotori handbook¡± Which contained a large amount of information regarding how to address her and her mannerisms. How Shu came to these conclusions about her behavior and why he decided to note them down was beyond Kotori¡¯s understanding, but she was happy with the fact that the spirits looked at her with awe. There was now a rotation system among them. They would occasionally come and observe Kotori. Apparently looking at her was enough for them to be happy. She thought it was odd but let it continue. They were very cute in a way. They had large round eyes with small bodies and that just made you want to protect them. Kotori ordered them to burrow into the dirt in the fields and enrich the soil. If her hypothesis was correct. Then the spirits had the ability to enrich the soil naturally. The mana they emitted probably was low enough to make the soil healthier but not enough to birth new spirits. Kotori on the other hand didn¡¯t have the fine mana control to do such a trick. Although she could spread out mana thinly it was a matter of density. Her mana was especially dense and thus it was ill-suited for this light work. The crops grew quickly after that. They seemed to grow from the ground and if once watched closely enough they would notice that the slacks were visibly becoming taller. The villagers seemed quite pleased with this ¡°Nice job missy!¡± Uldricht said slapping her back he¡¯d been quite happy to see the plants grow so fast. ¡°With this growth speed, we could even make another harvest!¡± He said excitedly. He suddenly had a fearful look as if realizing something [Hmmm?] Kotori thought ¡°What¡¯s wrong Uldricht?¡± She asked ¡°About those taxes¡­¡± he started to say It seems these farmers feared tax season. It made sense, often during seasons where there are good harvest less scrupulous nobles would tax at the higher rate. They would then keep a portion of those taxes for themselves and send the rest to the kingdom under the pretense that the harvest was normal that year. Even more unscrupulous nobles would simple do that every year and lie about the true numbers it wasn¡¯t like the kingdom was going to audit every village after all. Kotori had no intention of doing such things. She was once a farmer herself and sympathetic to their plight. Besides, she already hated nobility and wanted to avoid acting like one as much as possible. ¡°Ah, no worries, I¡¯ll tax a normal rate¡± Kotori said. For some reason, Uldricht had been treating her as the noble instead of Layla he was surprisingly perceptive to these sorts of things. ¡°Ah thank you, Missy. You¡¯ve been a real help for us.¡± Uldricht said relief evident on his face. He had good reason to be excited being able to plant another crop meant that the villagers would essentially have double the income for the year. Of course, since many were subsistence farmers their first crop would go towards feeding themselves, but the next crop could just be sold after this crop was done. Kotori smiled bittersweetly at the words. She felt a taste of defeat. For one, her plans for making a religion had failed in the small village they all just thought she was a talented mage. She even had Shu make a small chapel near their mansion, but it now sat unused and empty. Additionally, teaching the villagers here crop rotation was also useless now that the dirt spirits were enriching the soil for Kotori. They would never need to rotate their crops if they had the spirits making the soil better. She also had other plans for her taxes. She was still going to only send in taxes to the kingdom of course, but she was going to lie about the amount truly collected and sell the rest for herself. Yes, it was going to make her lose some karma, but it was a piddling amount. It wasn¡¯t as if the taxes of the kingdom of Faramouth were going towards social services. The taxes of the kingdom were basically there to line the pockets of the kingdom and fund their army and infrastructure. Nothing that was particularly important for the people of the kingdom. In fact, most villages could function perfectly fine without the kingdom. The harvest soon came, and the villagers went into a frenzy to collect the crops. Kotori happily joined them. The harvest season was a happy time and she wants to join in on the fun. The other villagers seemed hesitant to let her help out, but soon their fears were abated when they saw that she was quite adept at the work. Threshing wheat and pulling daikon was very relaxing work [Umu, wholesome work is good for the mind and heart] she thought to herself while pulling a radish from the ground. Kotori was much stronger than the average human because of her unnatural stat gains and thus could collect much more than the average farmer. The villagers had a small contest every year toward who could collect the harvest the fastest and the winner would be able to take a small cask of beer home. Kotori won without much contest. When she saw the runner up she was surprised to see it was Raymond, the boy who had bothered her before. He had far outpaced the other villagers and he seemed quite mad that he lost to Kotori. [It seems like he is good for something after all] she thought Kitsura Always nice to have more pets. Also I watched redo of a healer and I need some bleach for my eyes. Chapter 88: Wheat(2) Kotori hadn¡¯t eaten for three days. It might be odd because the villagers had just finished a harvest. But in fact, it was quite normal. The wheat they farmed was great. Really great. Frustratingly great, It was the reason why Kotori hadn¡¯t eaten in three days. The wheat was magic! [Magic wheat!] Kotori internally screamed when she realized what she had cultivated. The magic wheat was extremely nutritious. So nutritious that eating a loaf of bread made from wheat would be enough to sustain a small girl like Kotori for three days! It was also very tasty, and the wheat would naturally make a loaf of very white and fluffy bread, unlike the rough and coarse whole grain bread that the people of this world ate. [Those damn spirits are too dedicated!] She started thinking while eating another loaf the delicious bread of course eating too much would be unhealthy but for Kotori who had the [Gourmet] skill, she could eat as much as she wanted with no problem. There was still a problem. None of the wheat that had been cultivated could be sent to the kingdom as taxes. It would be too troublesome if the kingdom realized that they were able to cultivate such a valuable ingredient. But Kotori still had to manage the taxes of the region. If she didn¡¯t send any goods in as taxes she would be investigated. She had the villagers give her their crops in return for promising that she would triple the amount of wheat she gave them back. The villagers now trusted Kotori so they happily gave her a large portion of their crops and accepted the deal. Kotori was now sitting with several thousand bushels of magic wheat. She had to sell it off. Her best options would likely be the large port city of Flare which was to the west of the village. Thankfully, it was quite close so she wouldn¡¯t have to transport the wheat herself and only must commission a few carriages to carry it once the wheat was actually sold. She quickly told her party of her plans and they agree to take a week to go to the city. Despite being a hunted criminal Amelie would still be coming because Kotori didn¡¯t feel comfortable going anywhere without. If she hid her ears it would be fine. Amelie looked very similar to any girl within the kingdom on account of human heritage and the search for Kotori had died down. From what she could tell based on her travels to the village, the women who saw them in the dungeon hadn¡¯t reported their existence which was odd. [Wasn¡¯t that lady a bishop of the kingdom] Kotori thought. If she worked for the kingdom there shouldn¡¯t be a reason why she would avoid reporting her existence. Kotori tried to avoid the thought. The idea that there were people in the kingdom who could be sympathetic to her was too confusing to try and parse. There was no reason to be sympathetic. Regardless they quickly prepared and brought a few small sacks of flour to show off to foreign merchants. Kotori had hoped that by selling to foreign merchants she would avoid the kingdom recognizing that she had gotten ahold of magic wheat. Ideally, she would find someone who rarely visited the kingdom and discretely sell the magic wheat to them. ** ** ** The City of Flare was about a three days travel from the village. Kotori and Co took the main roads with Amelie in the Hikari carriage. The city itself was the one port city in the entire country of Faramouth. Since the entire kingdom was enclosed by mountains it was the one part of the shore that was accessible by flat land and thus was an important lifeline of the kingdom. It allowed the kingdom to trade with other countries like the desert kingdom of Eris and the southern war states. Kotori was pleasantly surprised to find out the city had no walls. And that they could just walk it. There was a steady stream of carriages and people entering the city so Kotori and her party blended right in. Kotori absorbed Hikari and had Amelie wear a large hat that would cover her ears. It looked like a larger beret. They had arrived at around midday and the city was lively, even more lively than the capital city, and although it did have nearly as many people as the capital the city itself felt like it had much more vitality than other cities Kotori had been too. There were many temporary storefronts set up to sell goods. Merchants who had simply set up mats and laid out their goods. The slightly more affluent would have stalls or tables instead. There was also a large variety of food hawkers selling, all sorts of goods. The smell of many foreign spices permeated the air giving a mouthwatering scent that whets the appetite. Kotori bought a meat skewer from one of the hawkers. It seemed to be some sort of land that had a pungent spice added to it. There was a slight acidic taste to overcome the gaminess and greasiness of the lamb. Kotori thought it was a shame that they had to finish their business in the city so quickly because otherwise she would¡¯ve like to spend several days in the city roaming and exploring. Kitsura Today I went plus ultra and wrote 4 chapters. WRYYYYYYY! Chapter 89: The Docks Kotori and her party quickly made their way to the merchants¡¯ quarters and docks after asking nearby passersby. The smells of the food in the air soon turned into the salty bite of the sea. It was a nostalgic smell for Kotori. She used to live near an ocean in her past life and it was something she quite enjoyed She wanted to go to a fish market that was nearby but unfortunately, they had other plans. Before Kotori went to the merchant¡¯s quarters, She actually wanted to visit the docks first. The answer was simple, only sailors would know what most of the merchants were trying to buy. They would have much better information than the average person. They would know what the buying habits of the merchants were since they were the ones that shipped the goods in the first place. There were several burly men walking around the docks and the smell of tar and wood was not mixed with the fish smell of the sea. Several treadmill cranes were scattered around the area and all the ships were quite large for the sake of blue ocean waters and carrying cargo. Kotori and her party went up to one of the burly men walking around who seemed like he didn¡¯t have much to do. ¡°Hello!¡± she said The man looked at her and then proceeded to ignore her. The man kept walking this time looking more irritated. To him, Kotori was an obnoxious brat that wanted to talk to him. He probably thought she was some rich merchant girl that had become enamored with stories about sailors and wanted to talk to one. Since he had glanced at her Kotori and her party she assumed that he was intentionally ignoring her. ¡°Hello! Excuse me sir.¡± She said again, she was going to bother him until he responded Kotori frowned as he kept ignoring her and walking away. [This is harder than I thought] Kotori thought ¡°Would you like me to bring that rude man back for punishment Kotori?¡± Shu asked. It seemed he wasn¡¯t ready to tolerate the man being so rude to his master. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine Shu¡± Kotori said she didn¡¯t want to cause a ruckus ¡°Hey!¡± Kotori heard another voice behind them. She looked around the see the voice belonged to a young man calling out to them The man had fairly dark skin and had a vaguely Indian look to him. He wore light clothing and seemed to have a very easy-going attitude. ¡°Yes?¡± Kotori asked ¡°My lady what are you bothering Grendle for. Everybody knows he¡¯s one of the grumpiest sailors around her.¡± The man said ¡°I am trying to find a sailor to talk too,¡± Kotori said ¡°Well, you¡¯ve got one right here, so what do you want to talk about? My dastardly deeds or my adventures out at sea! Anything for such a beauty like you¡± He said giving a charming smile. [LOLICON!] Kotori internally screamed. Although she mentally and physically older than her actual age the man was still trying to hit on her. [He must think, I¡¯m one of those girls who are in love with the concept of sailors. Well, he seems nice enough at least] Kotori thought Besides his obvious attempts to flirt with her, he seemed like a nice enough guy ¡°No, I am looking for a merchant to sell some wheat to do you know anybody who could help with that¡± Kotori said. The man frowned, surprised to learn that Kotori was here for business instead of personal reasons. ¡°I see¡­¡± he said giving a thoughtful expression. ¡°Go down to the Merchants quarters and look for a merchant named Fawks Nahari. He should be able to help you out.¡± He gave another charming smile ¡°Tell him Doran sent him,¡± He said. He explained the process to find Fawks and then sauntered of. Information in hand Kotori left the lolicon mana and began making their way to the merchant quarters near the ships. The merchant questers were basically an area specially made for merchants or sailors who didn¡¯t want to stay near the city and wanted to be closer to their wares. The rooms in the area varied from extravagant to extremely cheap. The extremely cheap rooms would be little more than straw mat and a room without a lock. The extremely expensive rooms would be luxurious enough to house a king There were a wide array of merchants moving around the area. Since they all came from an assortment of different countries the style of clothing they wore. What was helpful for Kotori was the fact that the location of all the merchants in the quarters were kept in a public registry that she could access at any of the larger inns. She went to the closest inn and asked the receptionist for the location of Fawks Nahari. The receptionist pulled out a large leatherbound book and began scanning it. She quickly told Kotori the location of the inn he was staying at. Kotori and her party made their way to the inn. It was an inn of middling quality. It was a fine enough establishment that the beds were clean, and rooms had locks, but it was not something that an extremely wealthy merchant would patron. Kotori asked the receptionist of that inn if Fawks was currently residing, but the receptionist said that he was out for business at the moment. Kotori frowned, it would be difficult to try and chase Fawks around the city so she decided to wait at the inn until he came back. Kitsura Bleb, Bleb, Bleb That is all Chapter 90: Fawks(1) Thankfully the inn had a restaurant attached and Kotori who hadn¡¯t eaten that day yet was happy to have a meal. Amelie likewise looked quite hungry. It was already about midafternoon and they hadn¡¯t eaten since breakfast, so it made sense that she was so hungry. ¡°What do you want to order?¡± Kotori asked her. Out of the 5 people there, only two of them could eat Shu, Umi, and Layla were spirits and thus didn¡¯t need to eat ¡°Hmm,¡± Amelie said. The food in the inn was quite different than what they were used to eating. There was a large assortment of seafood-based dishes that Kotori had never heard of. She decided to order off the menu at random. A young server girl took their order and Kotori and her party chatted until the food arrived ¡°Hey, do you think this Fawks guy is going to be a good guy?¡± Amelie asked It seemed like the interaction with the sailor Doran gave her the impression that Fawks was going to be a sleazy sort of guy as well. ¡°Doran seemed like a nice enough guy I think Fawks is going to be alright.¡± Kotori said ¡°I guess, hopefully, we can finish with enough time to explore a bit¡± Amelie said The food soon arrived. There were several dishes. One of them was seafood stew very similar to bouillabaisse. The broth was rich and hearty with a strong tomatoey flavor. There was an assortment of shellfish and tender whitefish in the stew itself. Another seemed to be a sort of carpaccio sort of dish. The acrid flavor of the dressing greatly cut down on the overbearing fattiness of the fish which made it a refreshing dish overall. Lastly, was a roast fish dish. Well, it was a little more complicated than that. The piece of the fish that was being roasted was the bloodline which was typically tossed out. The chef had roasted the bloodline as if it was a piece of roast beef and the meat was actually quite well prepared in this way. All the food was meant to be paired with bread at the table. Unlike bread made from the magic wheat that Kotori had. The bread was a whole grain rustic type. It paired quite well with the dishes but the server girl also brought a small bottle of oil which was mean to serve as something to top the bread. This restaurant was not fancy enough to be able to give butter and thus gave a simple seasoned e oil to top the bread with. Kotori could eat quite a bit. Her stomach capacity was larger than the average human¡¯s, so she waited until Amelie ate her fill then she scarfed down the rest of the food. Once they finished their meal they waited in the inn restaurant for Fawks to come back. It soon became evening and people began to trickle into the inn. A large portion went straight to the restaurant and started to have their dinners. The room quickly became quite boisterous. Soon a man came to Kotori and her party¡¯s table. He was a handsome sort of guy with thick-styled gelled hair. He radiated a very suave atmosphere. He wore several gold piercings on his nose and ears. The man radiated an air of suaveness. He looked quite similar to Doran actually. [Siblings?] Kotori thought ¡°Hello,¡± he said. He was looking at Kotori¡¯s tiara and raising an eyebrow. ¡°I was told you were looking for me?¡± He said He seemed to be in a good mood after seeing the table was filled with beauties. Kotori decided she might as well use this goodwill. She gave a charming smile much like the one that Doran gave her earlier. ¡°We are trying to sell some wheat, Doran told us you could help us¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± The man said. Could you follow me for a bit, a place like this is not suitable for a business talk like this. He quickly led them out of the restaurant towards the reception area of the inn. ¡°Prepare us a room,¡± He told the receptionist. The receptionist nodded and led them to a room. It seems that since the merchant''s quarters were filled with merchants every inn had several conference rooms that were for anybody to use. They were quickly led to a room with a large table and several chairs around. The room had a door that could be locked, and the door was thick enough to no transmit any noise as long as the participants weren¡¯t shouting. Kotori seated herself and Fawks likewise pulled a chair out and sat in it. He leaned back and put his boots on the table. Since he was a merchant his boots were quite high quality and had a nice sheen on them. Despite this, Kotori only had one thought. [Bad manners¡­] She was a person who was taught that putting your feet on the table in a business negotiation was taboo. ¡°Mind introducing yourself?¡± Fawks said ¡°Don¡¯t want to¡± Kotori said. Revealing their identities could be an issue if Fawks knew about the bounty. ¡°it¡¯s a little difficult to buy something from someone I don¡¯t even know the name of.¡± He said smirking Fawks was right to be suspicious of them. He was a merchant, after all, he had to be careful of scams. ¡°Doran sent us¡± Kotori said laying down her trump card. ¡°Him? I see, then we¡¯ll hold off the identity portions for now.¡± Fawks said raising his eyebrow Kotori was surprised to see that Fawks dropped the issue of their identity so quickly. ¡°Now what did my dear half-brother send you for?¡± [So I was half right] Kotori thought. The resemblance was not a coincidence and they were indeed related in some way. ¡°We want to sell some wheat that is all¡± Kotori said ¡°Can I see it?¡± Fawkes said ¡°We don¡¯t have the product on hand, but we have some samples,¡± Kotori said. To be continued next chapter Kitsura Alright, buckos we got trending again here are the rewards for your pleasure. New Patreon tier. 5 advanced chapters for 5$ very simple, don''t worry if they aren''t up yet I will post them soon. Omake chapter focusing on Shu coming out today as well, it will be the second chapter release for today. Omake: Shu’s perspective My name is Shu. It''s a name that mother gave me. My mother is a great woman. She fed me and even made me strong, I am her shield, nothing will hurt mother when I''m around. At least, I wish. Mother gets hurt, a lot. I don''t like to see mother get hurt so I make sure to get as strong as possible, so mother doesn¡¯t get hurt anymore. So I¡¯ve become strong. Sometimes I get sad, and that¡¯s because I wasn¡¯t strong enough to protect mother when she got hurt by the bad men in the village. Thinking about them fills me with rage. Disgusting humans who hurt Mother deserve to die! ** ** ** Mother also has other spirits like me. There¡¯s Umi who she made accidentally. Me and her are comrades in arms. Of course, I am the oldest and most important since I¡¯ve been with mother since the beginning. I am her senpai. I taught her about the glories of mother and how to treat mother. In a way, Umi is like my sister. I am special, only I should be allowed to refer to mother by her name, but Umi keeps using mother''s name haphazardly. How disrespectful I¡¯ve seen everything Mother had to go through. I should be the one to protect mother. Mother even picked up a new spirit. Her name is Layla. She is annoying and disrespectful too. Mother was asked to take care of her so I tolerate her presence. She used to be much more annoying but now, she¡¯s gotten much better. Her attitude towards us doesn¡¯t change much though. Although, I wish I could get closer to mother. She spend a lot of time with Umi Layla and even the half wood elf name Amelie. I wish mother would spoil me sometimes as well. ** ** ** Today mother asked me to take care of more spirits. Normally, I would be jealous but since these spirits are new, so I must make sure to teach them about mother. They are dirt spirits like me although, they don¡¯t seem to have the ability to change their forms yet. Their mana is not nearly dense enough to do so. Maintain a human form requires the spirit to use their mana to create a form. Spirits without adequate mana will fail. I teach the spirits about how to talk to mother and her exploits. Of course, the things I tell them are embellishments, but mother is simply too amazing. Her actions are humble but she is truly the best person in the world. I chose this form because mother seems to like it. Whenever I change into something else, mother seems to be confused. My form is generally something I pick and choose myself but I tried something that seemed most pleasing to her eyes. Mother seemed very please after seeing the spirits after I taught them. ¡°Good Job Shu!¡± she said I lowered my head ¡°Thank you!¡± I am happy when Mother is happy. I felt something on my head. It was Mother¡¯s soft hand She was gently patting my head ¡°Good boy Shu!¡± I feel very happy. Thank you Mother. Kitsura Sometimes I feel like the spirits don''t get enough screen time, so here''s a small chapter of the inner workings of Shu''s mind. Hint: He''s a Momcon! Chapter 91: Fawks (2) ¡°Can I see those samples¡± Fawks said Kotori had Umi pulled out a few small sacks of the flour made from the magic wheat from her bag. She gave Fawks a few sacks. Fawks open one of the sacks and grabbed a pinch of flour. He rubbed the flour in between his fingers He looked at it quite intensely before finally speaking ¡°Seems good enough¡­ I¡¯ll buy it, how much do you got?¡± he said. ¡°We have several thousand bushels that can be transported over a couple of days.¡± Kotori said ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll pay for it at the normal market price¡± It seems like Fawks was treating this like a normal transaction ¡°I don¡¯t want payment in gold. I want payment in wheat three times the amount of wheat we are selling you¡± Kotori said Fawks furrowed his brown ¡°That doesn¡¯t make sense for me to give you three times the product you want to sell me.¡± He said Kotori pointed to the flour in Fawks hand. ¡°That isn¡¯t normal flour, it¡¯s flour made from magical wheat. It has three times the nutrition of normal flour¡± she explained. ¡°Magic flour?¡± Fawks said his eyebrows raising. It seemed like he had never heard of the concept. ¡°Yes, it is exactly like I said. The flour has more nutrition than normal flour and tastes better.¡± Kotori explained. ¡°Hmm, if that were true than I wouldn¡¯t have much issue selling you the wheat¡­¡± Fawks started saying ¡°How do I know you aren¡¯t selling me snake oil¡± he said giving them an suspicious look. ¡°You can have that bag, make some bread from it then you will see.¡± Kotori said. ¡°So, you don¡¯t mind me taking this?¡± Fawks asked ¡°Of course, go ahead¡± Kotori happily agreed. Free samples were how you got someone hooked on a product after all, she would be happy to part ways with a few small bags of flour if it meant she could get rid of all the magic flour she had. ¡°Just one more thing¡± Kotori said ¡°Yes?¡± Fawks said ¡°You can¡¯t sell it to anybody from the kingdom¡± Kotori said. Fawks chuckled ¡°I didn¡¯t have any intention of doing so! You must be new around here. Do you know where I¡¯m from?¡± He said Kotori shook her head. ¡°I come from Eris, a country across the sea. All we have are deserts and gold mines, everybody here knows that Eris merchants will buy every scrap of food¡± Fawk entered a thoughtful pose. ¡°A magic wheat, huh,¡± He said talking to himself He looked up at Kotori ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want more? If this wheat is as good as you say you could be selling it for much more¡± He said Despite having a sleezy sort of attitude Fawks was surprisingly nice. He wasn¡¯t going to just try and scam Kotori and wanted to make sure she was getting a fair deal. Thus, Kotori didn''t try to use [Charm] on Fawks it would be troublesome if he was charmed and then got mad at her once the charm wore off. ¡°Should you be telling me this?¡± Kotori said suspiciously Fawks laughed ¡°Surprisingly perceptive are you!¡± The reason Fawks wasn¡¯t trying to scam Kotori was simple. He wanted her to sell to him again. If he gave her a fair deal, she would likely come back to him to sell this wheat. Fawks could see the wheat being extremely profitable. Since the country of Eris was all desert they couldn¡¯t grow much and thus they had to import much of their food. Magic wheat that had triple the nutrition content of normal wheat would mean that Fawks could transport essentially three times the amount of wheat on a single ship! Not only that, Fawks could sell the wheat for more than just three times the price on account of the value that was added by the wheat being so transportable. All in all, the wheat could probably sell for 5-6 times the normal price of wheat. Kotori selling it to him for triple the amount she was giving him in normal wheat. This meant she was only selling the wheat for three times its normal price. It would be a little difficult to procure so much wheat in return but Fawks could do it if he had too. If it turned out the wheat was as good as Kotori said it was it would an extremely profitable endeavor. So Fawks was willing to sacrifice a little. Kotori felt lucky that the merchant she was talking too was foreign and thus didn¡¯t have much attachment to the kingdom itself. ¡°We want to get rid of this wheat to be honest¡­¡± Kotori said truthfully, there was no point lying to Fawks about this fact. As long as both of them knew the value of the wheat Fawks couldn¡¯t lower the price that Kotori had just offered him. She was already giving him a good deal anyway so there was no reason to try and cheat her either. ¡°I see¡­¡± Fawks said He thought for a moment. ¡°Can you give me a couple of days?¡± I¡¯ll have the receptionist prepare some rooms for you as my guests.¡± Fawks said Apparently, you needed an invitation to stay in the merchant¡¯s quarters. Since the price for a room was cheaper over here the inn¡¯s her would easily outcompete the other inns. Fawk¡¯s hesitation made sense. Suddenly asking a merchant to prepare three villages worth of wheat instantly was a little ambitious. ¡°Can I pay in other grains or do you want it all in wheat?¡± Fawks asked ¡°What are you thinking about replacing the wheat for?¡± Kotori asked him ¡°Well I can procure some Atlean rice quite quickly¡± Fawks said ¡°Yes!¡± Kotori said instantly It had been over four years since Kotori had eaten rice. She longed for it every day, and although the food in the Faramouth kingdom was not bad, it was not the sort of cuisine that she was used to. Kotori mouse salivated at the thought of being able to eat white rice again. ¡°Well, then I¡¯ll only need three days. I¡¯ll send for you all once I am done.¡± ¡°Okay¡± Kotori said This worked out for Kotori anyway. She wanted some time to explore the city and was happy that she now had the opportunity to. Fawks stood up and led them to the door. ¡°No handshake?¡± Kotori said ¡°Not yet, I still need to test that wheat after all. We¡¯ll have a true deal once I see if you are telling the truth and I finish preparing the goods¡± He said smiling. [This man is surprisingly shrewd] Kotori thought. Kitsura Number 1 trending! Maybe I should finish my other stories too... TBH this was a fun couple of chapters to write dialogue for. Can''t wait for you all to see more of Fawks. Chapter 92: The City of Flare (1) ¡°Ah Kotori-sama please try this¡± Umi said holding up a small berry to Kotori¡¯s mouth ¡°No try this!¡± Layla said bringing a different fruit to Kotori¡¯s mouth. Umi swatted the fruit that Layla was holding in her hand. ¡°Umi!¡± Layla said Soon they began to quibble amongst themselves over who could hand feed Kotori. Amelie was busy ignoring them and looking at all the different fruit on display. Since the deal with Fawks was mostly finalized, they had a lot more time to explore the city and look around. Currently, Kotori and her party were in a bazaar where produce from other nations was being sold. Kotori was busy looking for fish that she could eat raw with her rice [Rice, Rice, Rice!] Kotori cheerfully chanted in her mind. Both Layla and Umi seemed to be treating this like a date, Kotori was oblivious to this fact, lost in daydreams about rice. Shu only sighed as he saw the behavior of both the women. ¡°Please restrain yourself in front of Kotori¡± he said. Kotori and her party had no problem walking around the city like this. In fact, having Shu as a bodyguard was mostly pointless. One, because he had taken up the role without asking for Kotori and, and two because every single person in Kotori¡¯s party was enough to hold their own in a fight. The port city of Flare was a safe city. There was a robust security system. With so many merchants around if the city was not safe there would be too many problems and it would be bad for business. Despite being such a safe city, the city of Flare still had all the problems that other cities had namely, poverty. It was one of the first things Kotori noticed when she was exploring and entering the city. Quite a few people were sitting around in either alleyways or the streets. There were also quite a few orphans. Many of them the disown children of brothels or orphaned sailor children whose fathers had died at sea and mothers of other causes. There were several street urchins who would try and pickpocket you if you looked rich enough and had loose enough pockets. So far nobody had tried to pickpocket Kotori yet. There were several of them eyeing Kotori and her tiara. It was easy to grab off Kotori¡¯s head and quickly run away. Well, it wasn¡¯t like it was that easy. If they tried to swipe Hikari-chan they would instantly activate her defensive measure. Kotori had told Hikari to be non-lethal so they would probably just be bound in metal just like the village boys who tried to bother Kotori. One of the boys who was eying her tiara rushed her. He jumped up into the air and tried to grab her tiara. Hikari instantly responded by shooting several silver blobs that stopped the boy in his tracks. The nearby passersby looked away. It was a scene that had played out many times. A desperate orphan boy tries to steal something off a relatively well-off-looking person hoping to pawn a large sell and live happy for a while. Unfortunately, for this boy, he was not that lucky. The boy gave her a defiant look and spat at her feet. Despite being bound and caught he had no intentions of apologizing. It would¡¯ve looked more imposing if the boy was a little older but with his scrawny frame, it looked more like a child¡¯s poor attempt to show strength amidst fear. [Why does this keep happening] Kotori thought The boy reminded her of another bothersome boy in a different village. [What was his name again? Raymond?] Now, since Umi was technically nobility she could kill the boy right here and nobody would bat and eyes, but Kotori was not willing to lose karma for this. The boy was scrawny looking as if he had not eaten in several days. Kotori remembered the magic flour in her bag. [It should be harmless enough to feed him right?] She ordered Umi to pull out another flour sample. They had brought around 4 small sacks to the city and already gave two away. She slipped a small piece of Hikari inside. Kotori undid his bindings the bands of metal thinned and then loosened. Umi offered the boy the bag of flour. He swiped the bag of flour eyeing them. The moment he felt like he was in the clear he ran away. Kotori felt her karma rise. She could feel a collective sigh from the crowd that was watching them. It seemed the orphans in this town have quite a bit of sympathy from the people. Kotori felt a smug satisfaction at her attempt at philanthropy. Still, she was curious as to why the boy would try something so risky, most of the other children kept their distance from Kotori and although they eyed her tiara all of them correctly guessed that trying to steal it was more trouble than it was worth. She felt a faint trail of mana as Hikari¡¯s connection grew thin. If it grew too thin the piece of metal in the sack would revert to raw Manatanium. For now, she decided to follow the trail. Kitsura FBI: Kotori please stop tying up young boys Kotori: It''s not my fault! Chapter 93: The City of Flare (2) The trail led Kotori through several alleys and parts of the city. Soon the rocks that lined the road became dirtier, indicating that they were moving towards a poorer part of the city. They were eventually led into what appeared to be a sort of slums of the city. Beggars lined the streets many of them with empty cups. Kotori had wondered where the beggars of the city went and it seemed like they were hidden from the general public. It must¡¯ve been an intentional policy by the government of the city. A sweet smell wafted in this area which was not prevalent in the richer parts of the city. The mana trailed snaked through several more alleys in this area until Kotori was not quite sure where they were anymore. She decided to still follow the trail more if she became truly lost she would simply use Hikari to raise them above the building and reorient themselves. The trail eventually thickened indicating they were getting closer to the sack of flour that Kotori had given away. Soon Kotori found herself in front of a large ramshackle building. The slightly sweet scent in the air was off-putting, especially when mixed with the general smell of human feces in the area. She wonders what could cause such as sweet smell and realized it was coming from the building itself. [Perfume?] She thought She watched the boy run into the building locking the door behind him. Kotori wanted to enter the building but decided against it. She already felt like she was meddling too much by following the boy to this building already. Still, Kotori was curious and wanted to investigate why the sweet smell existed in the first place. She also wanted to enter the building to retrieve her piece of Hikari. In truth, it was such a small piece that it didn¡¯t really matter if she lost it, but now ¡°Kotori I thought we should stop¡± Amelie said as if reading her intentions and interrupting her thoughts. ¡°Yeah, Yeah, I know,¡± Kotori said. ¡°I think this is unwise as well,¡± Shu said. It was a rare display of restraint. Shu would follow Kotori through thick and thin so she was surprised to see even he hesitated to enter the building. Amelie and Shu were right. She shouldn¡¯t cause any issues while they were just here to sell magic flour after all. Kotori sighed. She called back the portion of Hikari, a small ball of metal ricocheted outside the building shattering the window and connected itself back to her tiara. Kotori heard several angry voices from the shattered window. [Whoops] she thought She probably should¡¯ve asked Hikari to be more subtle with how she got that part of herself out of the building. ¡°BOY! what did you bring back!¡± an angry voice rang out from the now broken window She couldn¡¯t hear the rest of the conversation but there appeared to be an angry male voice yelling at a young boy¡¯s voice. [Sorry!] Kotori thought, her karma dropped slightly. But it wasn¡¯t enough to overcome the amount she just got. Thankfully, that meant that the boy wouldn¡¯t be punished too hard after what she just did. Kotori with her piece of Hikari collected turned around and left the mysterious building. ** ** ** The next few days were peaceful with Kotori forgetting about the orphan incident. That was until one day the same orphan came to her again. He seemed quite apprehensive. His fingers were nervously pawing at each other. ¡°Yes?¡± Kotori asked him politely. Anything that happened between was water under the bridge. She didn¡¯t really hold a grudge against the orphan boy. ¡°Mr. Gerard invites you to a party¡± He said holding out a letter. It was high-quality paper, a creamy white that that was stamped with ink seal. The letter made a start contract with the dirty orphan who gave it to Kotori. Kotori took the letter from the boy and he scampered off without a second look. She opened the letter which offered her to visit a party hosted by a mysterious man named Gerard. The invitation gave instructions on how to get to the venue and instructions for Kotori to procure a dress. Kotori herself wore fairly average commoner clothes built for traveling. They were drab and Gerard seemed to know this and made it very clear this was a formal function and that she needed to wear fancy clothing. The invitation even specified that Kotori¡¯s companions could come. Kotori considered not going to the venue she didn¡¯t have to reciprocate the invitation after all. That was until she read the words at the bottom of the invitation. ¡°I know about the half elf, don¡¯t worry she can come.¡± [It seems like this is more of an order¡­] Kotori realized. Although the invitation was polite that line was a thinly veiled threat. She showed the rest of the people the invitation. ¡°I don¡¯t really think we have a choice,¡± Amelie said. Umi and Layal gave difficult expression while Shu seemed to be annoyed [Maybe he¡¯ll be nice?] Kotori thought She had never heard the name of Gerard before in the city but the way the invitation was sent to him made her suspicious of whether he could be as classy a man as the invitation suggested. She didn¡¯t have much of a choice but to attend the meeting and see for herself what this ¡°Mr. Gerard¡± really wanted. Kitsura Chapter 94: Proper Manners Kotori went to the dress shop that was recommended by Mr. Gerard. It was a high-class establishment that rather quiet as a result. It made sense considering the fact that it wasn¡¯t like the store had many customers to begin with. Anybody who went to such a store would be someone with a large amount of wealth, The moment they entered the store they were ushered into a parlor room where they were served some tea and snacks. Umi seemed to be taking notes on the movement of the maids that were serving them. It seemed like she wanted to refine her own movements. Soon a large buxom woman appeared The woman gave Kotori a discerning look and then spoke ¡°this will not do¡± [Eh?] Kotori thought The woman had a refined attitude, but she was a little unpleasant. Heavy chalk makeup was plastered over her face and giving her face pale and pasty-looking skin. She wore a cloying heavy perfume that appeared to be made from some sort of flowers. She walked over and grabbed Kotori¡¯s chin, holding it closer so she could get a better look. Kotori tried to pull away but the woman was much stronger than she looked. ¡°You have good bone structure, we could fix this¡­¡± [What is this lady talking about?] Kotori thought ¡°M¡¯am¡­¡± Kotori started to say before the lady cut her off. ¡°My name is Madame Dupont but you will call me ¡°Madame¡± and only that,¡± The women said. [Wasn¡¯t I supposed to come here to just get a dress?] Kotori thought Apparently, Madame Dupont had other ideas ¡°That Gerard! Sending me such an unrefined girl, you act like you grew up in a village!¡± [Well I kinda did¡ª] Kotori began thinking before the Madame Dupont grabbed her arm and started pulling her ¡°Look at your companion over there,¡± She said pointing to Layla. ¡°She has such class! What marvelous posture.¡± The Madame Dupont said with a joyful expression on her face Layla seemed quite smug at the compliment ¡°Kotori, I like this lady,¡± Layla said grinning [You just like getting complimented!] Kotori thought ¡°And your companion over here! What a demure and proper expression befitting of a lady¡± Madame Dupont said pointing to Umi. ¡°You, on the other hand, no refineries or class. We must begin from the beginning!¡± Madame Dupont cried out ¡°Miss Dupont I don¡¯t think this is necessary¡ª¡± Kotori started to say before Madame Dupont pulled her arm. ¡°I told you to call me MADAME!¡± Madame Dupont said she started pulling on Kotori arm ¡°Come! I will fix you to be a respectable noble lady before the week is done.¡± She said [A week!] Kotori thought as she was dragged away Kotori looked back at Amelie and the others ¡°Don¡¯t worry about your companions they will also be refined!¡± Madame Dupont said before dragging Kotori into the dress building. ** ** ** Kotori had spent the better part of the week visiting the dress shop and being educated in all manner of behavior befitting of a ¡°lady¡±. Madame Dupont didn¡¯t really seem to care whether Kotori was a noble lady or not declaring that true nobility came from a person¡¯s actions rather than their birth. Unfortunately for Kotori Madame Dupont¡¯s interpretation of true nobility require Kotori to learn extensively on how to carry herself. Everything Kotori did was apparently unrefined and Madame Dupont went through great efforts to make Kotori¡¯s mannerism suitable for polite society. Despite being criticized so harshly Kotori was able to impress Madame Dupont just once. Madame Dupont had Kotori walk around with a cup of water on her head to refine her posture. Kotori was able to do this quite easily on account of her wood elf training. Madame Dupont herself seemed quite surprised to see Kotori able to walk so easily. Kotori already had a warrior''s sense of balance. For once Kotori felt thankful to Mari for teaching her. [Mari, I¡¯ll buy you something nice when I go back to the village again!] Kotori thought while doing the exercise. Apparently, Layla and Umi were getting lessons in basic fashion and how to treat a noble lady, they were being treated as Kotori¡¯s ¡°handmaidens¡± by Madame Dupont, and although their behavior and the way they held themselves passed Madame Dupont¡¯s discerning eye they were still ignorant in the ways of noble trends and other things. Amelie surprisingly was also dragged into the nobility manners course with Kotori. Kotori was given a crash course in manners and was educated in all sorts of things from the way she should talk to the way she ate her food. The concepts were drilled in her head and Madame Dupont gave no quarter. Anybody who slipped in their training would be slapped with a ruler that mysteriously appeared in her hand whenever they made a mistake. Shu was also told how to control his charge and how to not dishonor his lord when defending her. At the end of the week and a day before, the party Madame Dupont finally gave a nod ¡°It will have to do,¡± She said ¡°I would¡¯ve liked at least a year to teach you further, but it seems like we are out of time, at the very least you all will not embarrass yourself.¡± Kotori who spent this whole time in a whirlwind of lessons was shocked at the sudden change she suddenly realized that this whole process was likely not free ¡°Wait what about payment!¡± Kotori said Madame Dupont gave a rare laugh, something she herself said was unseemly for a woman to do. ¡°Payment? I¡¯ll send the bill to Mr. Gerard no worries.¡± Madame Dupont said. ¡°You dress has finished as well, my lady,¡± she said [Dress?] Kotori thought. Throughout this whole process, she had completely forgotten that she was here for a dress, and not manner lessons. Kitsura Good news and bad news. It was a bad review... It''s kinda true tho, this is my first webnovel so I''m still learning and I have a long way to go it seems. Lose is Improve. Omake: Shu meets Kotori Kitsura So, I had to put down my dog today. I''m not really in the mood to write a chapter. Much of the inspiration for Shu came from him. My dumb dorky dog. The gentlest dog you''ve ever seen. The loudest bark you''ve ever heard. 140 pounds of fluff and love. ÎҵĴ󱿹· I''m sorry for getting mad at you all the time when you would block doors. You''re a good boy Gator. Dirt! Delicious! Me eat dirt. NomNomNom Mhmmm tasty. Wait, Where am I? Dirt. NomNomNom It¡¯s everywhere it¡¯s tasty I love it. Dirt! Dirt! Dirt! ** ** ** There¡¯s a monster that stomps around. It chases me. Very scary! I hide in the dirt, but it sometimes find me. I¡¯m fast. Dirt! Dirt! Dirt! ** ** ** The monster caught me! Scary! I can¡¯t run! Where¡¯s the tasty dirt! Oh! Girl! ¡°I¡¯m hungry!¡± ¡°Are you hungry?¡± She understands me ¡°Yes! Yes! Put me down! I NEED dirt!¡± Mmmmm Ash? It¡¯s alright I guess Thank you, girl! Pets are nice¡­. Oh no the monster again! Run! Sorry girl, you seem nice I¡¯ll be back! Chapter 95: Dress Kotori was led back to the parlor room where they were first met the Madame Dupont. They were served tea once again with Kotori using the proper manner for such an occasion. Umi and Layla were absent for some reason. Dress, were not just fashion statements but were supposed to reflect the personality of their wearer. Madame Dupont was insistent on this and said that dresses were the weapon of women and that there were many complicated layers to how to wear a dress. Kotori thought it was rather ridiculous, but the concepts were still beaten into her head. She gracefully bit at a biscuit while waiting for her dress to arrive. Eventually, mannequin was wheeled in, and Kotori finally got to see her dress, The dress was a corset time. The back of the corset was held together with white satin ribbons. The skirt portion laid flat, although Madame Dupont told her it would be held up by a skirt frame. The dress had exposed shoulders as well. Kotori wondered if the dress was even suitable for winter. On the dress, there was a large gem embedded inside it. Kotori was about to enter the dressing room. Madame Dupont¡¯s attitude seemed to change. ¡°Stop.¡± She said She quickly ordered all the maids to leave the room and soon room Kotori was alone in the room with Madame Dupont. Once all the maids had left, Madame Dupont gave a disdainful expression. ¡°Normally, I let this client do what he wants, but I¡¯ve taken a liking to you.¡± She said smiling. Kotori was very confused. ¡°What do you mean?¡± She asked Madame Dupont ¡°This dress is inlaid with a slave collar,¡± Madame Dupont said pointing to the large gem. ¡°That Mr. Gerard was planning on enslaving you.¡± Madame Dupont said. Kotori was shocked. ¡°Why would he do that?¡± She asked. ¡°I have no clue; my only orders were to make sure to install that slave collar on the dress¡± Madame Dupont said [How bold] She thought looked at the dress. If Mr. Gerard wanted to capture her it would be much easier to just report her to the kingdom and reap the benefit that way. This collar suggested that he want to control her for his own benefit. [Well not like that¡¯s much of an issue, still it¡¯s such a shame to lose such a pretty dress.] Kotori said She walked over to the dress and touched the magic crystal. She activated [Gourmet] and the slave magic in the collar disappeared. The gem still glowed brightly, but there was no sort of connection between the gem and the original owner now. Kotori could safely wear the dress with no issue. ¡°There should be no issues now,¡± Kotori said ¡°Can I still have the dress?¡± Kotori asked. Madame Dupont raised her eyebrow. Madame Dupont was very reserved emotional, which meant that this was enough emotion for Kotori to realize that she was quite surprised. ¡°I see, I was planning on tossing the dress but I guess, it¡¯s okay if you take it now that the slave collar is neutralized.¡± Kotori was led to another dressing room where there were instead of ladies in waiting Umi and Layla were both there. Their hands were politely folded in front of them as if they Kotori¡¯s maids. They began to help her into her dress as if they had been doing it their entire life. The moment they brought out the dress frame though Kotori had to stop them. The dress frame was a wicked abomination of iron that looked like it would give Kotori tetanus and probably a rash. The iron looked like it was hammered together and pound with mallets with portions of it jutting out where it looked like it was cut improperly. [No way!] Kotori thought upon looking at it Layla and Umi both protested the decision. ¡°Kotori you have to wear this or else the dress will look bad,¡± Layla said. Layla was right and it was not like Kotori was trying to be a petulant child. She was fully aware of the sort of fashion nobles wore. When she was in the capital city and the border city of Feran she had seen many nobles and the kinds of clothing they wore. Elaborate dresses were popular and the dress that Kotori was given to wear was no different. [This is troublesome] Kotori thought before she had an idea. After relaying her message. Hikari extended out from the tiara on her head. Hikari wrapped herself around Kotori¡¯s waist and extended her form into something like a skirt frame. Kotori slipped herself into the dress and was pleased to see it was a perfect fit. It seemed like Madame Dupont had secretly taken her measurement at some point. Kotori observed herself in the polished metal mirror. The dress was quite good-looking on her. Her exposed shoulders made her figure look more mature, but the styling on the dress still gave off a girlish feeling. Without warning, another portion of Hikari broke off and began to style herself on Kotori¡¯s dress. Hikari seemed to accentuate the dress even further making it even prettier. Since Kotori was originally male she felt slightly off seeing herself as a woman but it was quite nice in a way. [I could get used to this] She thought. Kitsura I''m still not in a great mood. I spent all of yesterday crying and my face is kinda puffy and gross rn... at least we got trending again... I sat staring at his food bowl for 20 minutes, he never got to finish it. The pack of cheese I bought for him is going to rot :( Patreon Author note: I totally didn¡¯t get this idea of a mind-controlling dress from an asanagi doujinshi¡­ Chapter 96: Warning The day before the party Fawks sent a messenger to Kotori that he had finished the preparation for the deal they met later that day. Kotori once again met Fawks in the business room that they met in previously. when they arrived at the room, Fawks was sitting with his feet on the table Kotori gave a annoyed look but he paid it no heed. ¡°That wheat is pretty good! You weren¡¯t lying about it''s power I¡¯ll be happy to buy it¡± Fawks said cheerfully. Kotori was relieved to be working with such an honest person after the whole fiasco with Mr. Gerard and the slave dress. ¡°By the way¡­¡± Fawk started to say ¡°A little bird told me you were invited to a party by Mr. Gerard,¡± He said grinning. Kotori was surprised to hear that Fawks knew this. It wasn¡¯t like either of the merchants were related in her mind. Fawks gave a smirk as if reading her thoughts ¡°Merchants have to have their own intelligence networks you know,¡± he said [True] Kotori thought. ¡°This is still troublesome though, to think that that man is getting involved. You are quite a handful.¡± Fawks said. [Fawks know Gerard?] Kotori thought, ¡°Do you plan on going to the party?¡± Fawks asked her. ¡°No, he tried to put a slave collar on the dress he gave me¡± Kotori explained. She went to get the dress since Gerard was going to pay for it, but Kotori had no intention of going to such a party. ¡°A slave collar? How bold,¡± Fawks said, a difficult expression going on his face. ¡°Can you still go anyway?¡± He asked. ¡°What?¡± Kotori said incredulously. Fawks looked at her sheepishly. ¡°I¡¯ll be honest, I dislike Gerard for¡­ personal reasons. You and I might be strangers, but the enemy of my enemy is my friend no?¡± Fawks said. ¡°Besides, I¡¯ve been wanting to get rid of Gerard for a while,¡± Fawks said. While Kotori disliked the thought of working with someone who was hiding things from her she felt like Fawks wasn¡¯t telling the complete truth. ¡°Fawks, I like you but I¡¯m not going to go to a party just because you told me too,¡± she said ¡°I see, I wanted to avoid this method, but would you trust me more if I did this?¡± Fawk started to say. He pulled out a small bracelet with a gem from a bag near him. Kotori was quickly able to recognize that the bracelet that Fawks pulled out had slave magic in it. Kotori looked at Fawks suspiciously, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you plan on putting that on me¡± she said ¡°Heavens no!¡± Fawks said shocked, his expression then changed ¡°This bracelet¡­ Is for me¡± he said putting it on his wrist. He pulled another ring out of his bag and handed it to Kotori. ¡°This is the control ring. Here, take it¡± [What?] Kotori thought, shocked at the sudden turn of events. When Fawks pulled out the slave bracelet she thought he was going to force it on her, but now he was putting it on himself and giving her the control ring. ¡°Are you saying that I now control you?¡± Kotori said Fawks smiled, and then gave a sarcastic bow ¡°Your wish is my command, Milady¡± ¡°So could I ask you to kill yourself?¡± Kotori asked. Fawks grimaced, ¡°Please don¡¯t, I still have things would like to do.¡± He said Fawks looked a little nervous. Kotori quite liked this feeling of power over a person. It was strangely satisfying. ¡°So it¡¯s impossible for you to betray me?¡± Kotori said ¡°Pretty much,¡± Fawk said. ¡°will you go to the party now?¡± he asked ¡°Maybe, I¡¯ll consider it.¡± Kotori said Fawks looked exasperated ¡°Come on, you just put a slave bracelet on me and you still don¡¯t trust me,¡± He said ¡°Well, I¡¯ve learned to be a bit more cautious around suspicious people,¡± Kotori said. ¡°Ok Ok, I¡¯ll go to the party with you alright,¡± He said relenting. ¡°You can? You don¡¯t have an invitation¡± Kotori said. The invitation was very clear that only invited people may go to the party. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that, I¡¯ll arrange one for myself¡± Fawks said. ¡°But if I¡¯m going to the venue with you, You''re going to be going in my carriage,¡± he said. ¡°Your carriage?¡± Kotori asked confused couldn¡¯t she just walk to the venue ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you were planning on walking to the party?¡± Fawks asked her ¡°I, uhh¡± Kotori started to say Fawks rubbed his temples with his fingers ¡°You really are troublesome, the nuances of high-class society are lost on you aren''t they.¡± He said Kotori could only nervously chuckled, Madame Dupont only had a week to teach her after all. ¡°You have a dress at least?¡± Fawks asked Kotori nodded "I removed the magic in the one Gerard gave me I can just wear that." she explained. ¡°Good,¡± Fawks said relieved "Stay at this inn, I will come to pick you up tomorrow night." Kitsura I like Fawks Chapter 97: Party(1) The next evening, Kotori wait in her room with the other party members for Fawks to pick them up. They were all going since they were considered Kotori¡¯s ¡°attendants¡±. She was waiting in her dress, and Kotori was realizing how uncomfortable these dresses could be. Umi and Layla seemed to think she looked absolutely lovely, but the dress was stuffy and Kotori didn¡¯t like it. [If I ever become a trendsetter, I¡¯m getting rid of stuffy dresses. Down with the patriarchy!] Kotori internally screamed. Soon a knock came at their room door. Umi went to open it and a man walked in. It took Kotori a little bit to realize it was Fawks. Although he had always worn good clothing, he was more casually dressed than many people who lived in the merchant questers. The Fawks that was in front of Kotori, was looked much more ¡°milder¡± than the Fawks who would usually deal with Kotori. He was dressed in a plain tailored white suit that contrasted well with his dark skin. Unlike the previous times where Kotori had met him and he had wild sort of hair, this time his hair was neatly pulled back into a thin neat ponytail. She noted that the slave bracelet still hung on his wrist. He gave a polite bow. ¡°I am here to escort you, my lady,¡± Fawks said smiling ¡°Oh please, save me from your jokes,¡± Kotori said. Fawks frowned slightly, ¡°Normally, most women swoon for that,¡± He said ¡°Well, you¡¯re going to have to try harder,¡± Kotori said. ¡°If I buy more magic flour will you at least be a little less prickly,¡± Fawks asked. ¡°Hmmm, ten times the normal price, and I might treat you like a normal human¡± Kotori said Fawks grimaced, ¡°that will be a little difficult to accept, I guess I can¡¯t buy you off¡± Fawks joked. He gestured towards the doorway. ¡°Shall set off?¡± Kotori motioned to her party and they gracefully exited the inn and walked toward the two carriages that were prepared by Fawks. They were high-class carriages that Kotori had seen around the city, something that Kotori didn¡¯t expect a mid-level merchant like Fawks to be able to prepare. A well-dressed carriage driver helped her into the carriage. Kotori currently didn¡¯t have Hikari be her dress frame right now so the dress laid flat against her side. Kotori and Fawks sat in the forward carriage while the rest of her party sat in the other carriage. The driver seemed especially respectful to Fawks. ¡°Right this way Nahari-Sama, I¡¯ve prepared some of your favorite refreshments as well they are in the cooler,¡± he said letting Fawks onto the carriage. ¡°Thank you, Jervis¡± [They know each other?] Kotori thought Kotori was beginning to get suspicious of the man named Fawks, why was he able to procure such a fancy carriage in the first place? Why did the driver speak to Fawks as if they were familiar with each other? The way Fawks was carrying himself belied a higher upbringing than what a normal merchant would have. Unfortunately for Kotori, although the carriage they rode in was quite luxurious the suspension wasn¡¯t as good as Hikari¡¯s carriage form suspension. The ride was still extremely smooth, but she wished for the perfectly smooth ride that Hikari would offer. Fawks reached into a box on the side panels of the carriage and pulled out a small bottle and two glasses. Once he opened the bottle Kotori could get a faint whiff of fruity alcohol coming from it. ¡°Want a drink?¡± He asked her In this world, there was no sort of thing as a legal drinking age so Fawks had no issue offering a minor, like Kotori, some drinks. Kotori was never much of a wine drinker and declined the offer ¡°No thank you, I should be fine¡± Fawks shrugged and pour himself a glass. He leaned against the window panel and looking out. Sipping his glass every so often, he ignored Kotori for the rest of the ride. Seemingly lost in thought. ** ** ** The carriage soon came to a stop in front of a large mansion. They were let off, and after showing an attendant their invitations they were led into a large banquet room. The room was large and already filled with other attendees. Several waiters walked around holding platters of hor d''oeuvres and other snacks. Many of them appeared to be conversing amongst themselves and holding sparkly drinks in their hands. The moment they entered the room a voice rang out, heralding their arrival ¡°Announcing the entry of the Lord Fawks Sea lord of Flare and the third prince of the kingdom of Eris!¡± [Wait, did he just say prince?!?!] She looked at Fawks who was currently smirking. ¡°Weren¡¯t you a mid-level merchant!¡± she asked him shocked ¡°When did I ever say that?¡± Fawks said giving an innocent smile. Kitsura Trending again... Is the algorithm trying to seduce me? I''ve recently started a translation project for Kakuriyo no yadomeshi, I will be picking up the untranslated books. Chapter 98: Party(2) The announcement of Fawks to the party seemed to cause a stir. Many of the people there seemed to be even more surprised to see Kotori at her side. The room seemed to be filled with merchants and nobles with their retainers following them like ducklings. Kotori was no different and Shu stood at her side, while Amelie, Layla, and Umi trailed behind. Although it was taboo Amelie was wearing a hat to cover her ears. ¡°You¡¯re a prince?¡± Kotori asked Fawks said he was a merchant from Eris, he said nothing about being crown princes. ¡°Well yes,¡± he said smiling. ¡°Are you impressed? Want to marry me now?¡± He asked ¡°Keep waiting,¡± Kotori said at his joke ¡°What a shame,¡± Fawks said in response he seemed slightly disappointed as if he was expecting her to say yes ¡°What does being a ¡°Sea Lord¡± mean anyway?" Kotori asked Fawks. ¡°Well, The merchant here, don¡¯t like the kingdom very much, so we made our own government. The Sea Lords are the people chosen among the merchants to lead and represent them when we talk to the kingdom.¡± ¡°I guess you¡¯re pretty important¡± Kotori snorted. Fawks gave a pained smile, ¡°Couldn¡¯t you at least be a little impressed with me?¡± [Wait, isn¡¯t he a prince or something? Why is he part of a foreign government?] ¡°Can you be a prince and be part of the sea lord?¡± She asked him ¡°Well, I¡¯m only third in line and my brother is going to take the throne anyway, I¡¯m free to do as I please¡± Fawks explained. ¡°Besides, the Sea Lords are independent and just represent the merchants and govern the surrounding area, we are not the main governing arm of the Kingdom anyway. We still have to give a portion of our taxes to them anyway¡± Several people and their attendants came up to Fawks to talk and Kotori took the time to chat with her party members Amelie seemed oblivious to the situations and announcement ¡°Kotori, don¡¯t lose pastries look delicious?¡± Amelie asked pointing to some custard sweets on a table nearby ¡°Mhmm, would like to try some?¡± Kotori asked Since Amelie was here as Kotori¡¯s retainer, she couldn¡¯t just grab food from the table herself. ¡°Yes please!¡± Amelie said Kotori walked over to the table ignoring the stares of the other party-goers and grabbed two of the custard pastries off the table. She walked back to her group it appeared well-dressed a man was busy trying to talk to Layla. ¡°You are positively gorgeous my dear, don¡¯t tell me you are simply just a retainer.¡± He said to her Layla looked annoyed, She had been hit on quite a lot in the dwarf village and she looked on humans trying to do so even more disdainfully than the dwarves. [Hey buddy, back off she¡¯s mine] Kotori thought ¡°Excuse me¡ª¡± Before Layla was about to say something rude on accident Kotori butt into the conversation ¡°Hello is something wrong here?¡± Kotori asked. The man turned toward Kotori, ¡°Oh my! You must be her lord, I¡¯ll be willing to hire her off you for a reasonable price¡± He said According to Madame Dupont, nobles would often sell the contracts of their retainer on a whim. It was rather normal and since changing bosses rarely causes a change in the living conditions of the retainer they didn¡¯t complain that much about it. Retainers were of course free people and could reject the contract once it was transferred but it was considered rude and would make finding further employment difficult. The look the man was giving Layla gave Kotori the feeling he wasn¡¯t simply just trying to get Layla to be a maid for him. Besides, Layla was one of Kotori¡¯s treasured companions. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m going to have to decline the offer,¡± Kotori said ¡°Oh, I see, if it¡¯s an issue with the price I¡¯m sure I can give you a price that you would be extremely satisfied by,¡± The man said putting extra emphasis on the word ¡°extremely¡± [He¡¯s trying to buy me off!] Kotori thought The man seemed to have misunderstood why Kotori was rejecting his offer. He must¡¯ve thought Layla was just a particularly expensive retainer. [Typical merchant type, thinking they can solve everything with money] Kotori thought Through living in the city and the inn Kotori had seen the attitude that merchants would adopt. The only god they worshiped was the coin and they believe their god could solve all their problems. ¡°I¡¯m still going to have to deny your offer,¡± Kotori said loudly Several Male merchants were eyeing Layla, Umi, and even Amelie so Kotori was intentionally loud to dissuade them. She heard several people click their tongues nearby in frustration. Kotori was aware that her appearance at this party had caused a commotion, but she couldn¡¯t do anything about it. The only thing she could do was pass the time and avoid as much attention as possible until she could leave. Another person began to walk towards them which annoyed Kotori she thought she had managed to get most of them to leave but this one seemed quite brazen. As the man got closer Kotori got a better look at him. He looked like a large obese toad. He suit was ill-fitting, with flabs of fat bulging out of sleeves. He was followed by his retainers which was a cadre of beautiful women. ¡°Hello¡± he said in a deep voice. ¡°I hope you enjoyed my invitation,¡± he said. Kitsura Hitting on Layla is a no no Chapter 99: Mr. Gerard [Mr. Gerard!] Kotori thought upon hearing the man¡¯s greeting. ¡°Hello¡­ You¡¯re Mr. Gerard I presume¡± she said maintaining a polite tone. The rest of the people near her seemed to be on guard as well. It seemed like Mr. Gerard was an unpleasant man to them. ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure,¡± Mr. Gerard said bending over into a bow. It was a funny scene on account of his fat and looked more like a rolling bowling ball. Kotori stifled a laugh. She caught a whiff of a sweet scent. [This is familiar?] The scent that came off Mr. Gerard was something that Kotori was sure she had smelled before but couldn¡¯t quite pinpoint it. ¡°Thanks for the invite¡± Kotori said tentatively ¡°You¡¯re very welcome,¡± Mr. Gerard said [What does this man want from me?] Kotori thought. ¡°Was there any reason for this invitation, I¡¯m sure you had reason asking a girl like me to a party¡± Kotori asked him ¡°Oh, you wish to talk business so early?¡± Mr. Gerard said chuckling. ¡°My dear, weren¡¯t you taught that was impolite, I did buy you that dress and paid for your manner training Kotori curtsied ¡°it¡¯s a beautiful dress,¡± she said The polite expression on Mr. Gerard''s face turned lecherous went she bent down and part of her exposed chest was shown to him. He was staring at Kotori¡¯s chest. Kotori wasn¡¯t very old and there wasn¡¯t much ¡°chest armor¡± to speak of. [He¡¯s after my body?] Kotori thought, If he was just after her body it didn¡¯t make sense that Mr. Gerard was going to go through all the trouble of trying to put a slave collar on Kotori and teaching her manners. ¡°Of course, it complements you well, your looks are as bountiful as the goods you sell¡± Mr. Gerard said praising Kotori. [He¡¯s after the wheat!] She thought Fawks had told Kotori that he was keeping the deal secret since other merchants would naturally try to jump on Kotori. Kotori herself was fine with the arrangement since she trusted Fawks and didn¡¯t want to let other merchants know about her goods. Especially those who were associated with the kingdom. The less the kingdom knew about her magic wheat the better. She didn¡¯t think Fawks betray her so if Mr. Gerard knew about the wheat then he probably had many spies around. ¡°Oh? What kinds of goods are you talking about¡± Kotori said, feigning innocence. This had become a battle of information and Kotori now needed to know Mr. Gerards methods. ¡°The magic flour of course!¡± [Flour?] Kotori thought, [He doesn¡¯t know about the wheat? Wait, didn¡¯t I give a bag of flour to that boy!] The pieces of the puzzle were beginning to slide into place. The boy was the one who gave her the invitation after all. Mr. Gerard must¡¯ve found out about the flour from him. Kotori cursed her slip-up. She thought it was fine giving the flour since her karma increased after the action, but it seemed like it was coming back to bite her. At least Mr. Gerard only knew that she sold magic flour and not the fact that she also grew the wheat that it was made from herself. ¡°I see¡­¡± Kotori said ¡°that flour had already been bought by a different merchant.¡± She added trying to get Mr. Gerard to give up. It was unlikely but maybe she was simply a passing business opportunity in his mind. ¡°You must tell me your supplier; I would love to make a deal with them as well¡± Mr. Gerard said smiling. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s a trade secret unfortunately¡± Kotori said ¡°What a shame¡± Mr. Gerard said pretend to act disappointed. ¡°I¡¯m sure we could ¡°trade¡± for the secret¡± Kotori spotted Mr. Gerard palming a ring in his hand. She secretly used [Gourmet] and realized that the ring had slave magic. [He¡¯s was planning on forcing it out of me!] She thought. ¡°I¡¯m sorry my supplier is very secretive about their methods,¡± Kotori said rejecting Mr. Gerards offer once again. Kotori felt Mr. Gerard activate the magic inside the ring ¡°Not even a hint?¡± He said a sadistic smile on his face. ¡°Nope!¡± Kotori said nearly shouting Mr. Gerard seemed dumbfounded. He tried to activate the ring again Kotori felt very smug internally [I took the slave magic out, bozo!] Mr. Gerard''s face seemed flustered. ¡°That woman!¡± He muttered under his breath ¡°Oh, Is something wrong Mr. Gerard¡± Kotori asked innocently ¡°You found out!¡± He spat out. He had lost the polite demeanor from before and he now looked like a child who had his toy taken away. He was still restraining himself since they were currently in the middle of a party. ¡°Found out what?¡± Kotori said tilting her head in confusion, pretend to be oblivious. ¡°Hmm!¡± Mr. Gerard said before stomping off. Kitsura I''ve been feeling uninspired lately and I''m not sure why. Think staying at home all day makes it hard to want to do anything. Chapter 100: Party chat There almost seemed to be a collective sigh from Kotori¡¯s group as Gerard walked away. Fawk who had spent his time chatting with the other party-goers seemed to be amused and walked over Kotori. ¡°Unpleasant man am I right?¡± He said smirking. ¡°Very unpleasant,¡± Kotori said. ¡°He¡¯s the reason why I don¡¯t like dealing with Atlean merchants,¡± Fawks said casually [Mr. Gerard is from Atlea?] Kotori thought. Her already low impression of him fell even lower. ¡°By the way, he¡¯s a Sea Lord like me,¡± Fawks added. [That explains the attitude] Kotori thought ¡°He¡¯s quite troublesome to deal with. He leads the Atlean merchant faction and always tries to twist the system to hurt other merchants, He even deals with illicit goods as well.¡± Fawks explained [Is that what that smell was? And did he say Atlean merchant faction?] Kotori thought ¡°Like selling drugs?¡± Kotori asked ¡°He does?¡± Fawks asked. [For once I know something Fawks doesn¡¯t know] Kotori thought-feeling smug in her heart ¡°He smelled slightly sweet,¡± Kotori said. Fawks frowned, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Kotori explained the sequence of events from chasing the orphan to receiving the invitation from him. She deliberately left out the information about giving the orphan magic wheat to make sure Fawks didn¡¯t get mad at her. ¡°Hmm really?¡± Fawks said upon hearing the story He palmed his chin pondering. For a moment, Fawks almost looked like an intellectual past his playboy look. ¡°Hey Kotori, how would you feel about taking out a crime syndicate,¡± Fawks asked ¡°Eh?¡± Kotori said at the sudden proposal ¡°This information you gave me is pretty good stuff. I would¡¯ve paid top dollar for it but you gave it to me for free!¡± Fawks said laughing ¡°Pay for it?¡± Kotori asked ¡°Don¡¯t you know to a merchant, information is the most powerful weapon?¡± Fawks said Kotori internally grumbled. ¡°Well, now I¡¯ve been wanting to take those Atlean merchants down a peg, knowing that Mr. Gerard is part of ¡°that¡± industry makes it much easier.¡± Fawks said ¡°Can you please explain from the beginning?¡± Kotori said Kotori was having trouble following Fawks logic and his scheme was difficult for her to understand. ¡°Well, it seems our little Gerard is a part of some highly illegal activities. That sweet scent combined with the slum house you mention gives me the impression he¡¯s dealing in Sweet Leaf.¡± Fawks said ¡°What¡¯s sweet leaf¡± Kotori asked. ¡°It¡¯s a drug that was banned years ago, It¡¯s highly addictive and also a powerful aphrodisiac,¡± Fawks explained. [That explains the women] The women who were all following Gerard were quite beautiful, but when looking at them, one could see that their eyes were glazed over. As if they weren''t quite ¡°alive¡± or even aware of their surroundings. They didn¡¯t seem to do anything besides follow Gerard like ornaments. ¡°I seemed like you noticed as well,¡± Fawks said ¡°So those women were drugged. It makes more sense¡± Kotori said. Fawks gave a dry laugh. ¡°That Gerard likes to collect women like pieces of art. He keeps them docile with slave magic and drugs and eventually tosses them when he¡¯s bored. I¡¯m sure he would¡¯ve done the same to you if the slave collar went through.¡± Kotori gave Fawks a suspicious look. ¡°And so what? Don¡¯t you do the exact same thing¡± Kotori had often seen Fawks bring home several women and keep around him for the night. It seemed like every week he had a new girl hanging on his arm. ¡°Please don¡¯t lump me with him,¡± Fawks said giving a pained expression ¡°I enjoy the hunt, I don¡¯t make the sport of seducing women easier by resorting to silly things like slave collars or drugs,¡± Fawks said puffing his chest in pride [This guy is the enemy of women everywhere] Kotori thought, after hearing Fawks. She started moving away from Fawks, no longer feeling safe around him. The rest of her party which consisted of women also gave him deadly glares. ¡°Wait! Don¡¯t leave me!¡± Fawks said. ¡°You are a disgusting man, I knew you were after my body the whole time,¡± Kotori said Fawks sighed ¡°Please don¡¯t be like that, if anything I want to protect you. You¡¯re my new business partner after all I can¡¯t let you fall into that Gerard¡¯s hands¡± he added. Kotori looked at Fawks still not trusting him. ¡°You have a slave bracelet on me¡± He said noticing her expression and gesturing with his wrist. [I guess he¡¯s right about that] Kotori thought ¡°So, what do you want me to do?¡± She asked him Fawks said he wanted to take down a criminal enterprise and was acting like Kotori was going to be the one to do it. Fawks stopped Kotori holding his finger in a ¡°shush¡± motion ¡°We¡¯re at a party my child, now¡¯s not the time to talk business. We can save it for another time. Please enjoy yourself.¡± He said smiling [All of this scheming and now you want to stop talking!] Kotori thought. ¡°Why is this party being held anyway and who¡¯s hosting it?¡± Kotori asked. ¡°Oh, this?¡± Fawks said ¡°This is a party held by some random noble for socializing. We hold it every month. It¡¯s nothing special really.¡± He explains [All this, just to SOCIALIZE!] Kotori thought She was shocked. From the way, the party was being held she thought it was going to be some sort of important event instead it was simply just a small get-together. Kitsura 100 chapters! And another review, I actually quite liked it. It was very well written and had good points... even if the score is a little disapointing Chapter 101: Scheming The party soon ended and with a few toast by the host there was little else to talk about, Kotori and her party went home without much issue. ¡°My stomach!¡± Currently Amelie was clutching her belly. She wasn¡¯t sick or anything. In fact, she hadn¡¯t eaten anything out of the ordinary. The reason why Amelie was currently in pain right now was simple. She had eaten too much! Kotori watched Amelie stuff her face at the party with all sorts of foods. Kotori herself, also ate quite a bit, but she rarely felt full anymore. In fact, she left the party feeling slightly peckish. The horrified looks of the servants as they saw Kotori pack away inhuman amounts of food into her stomach was fun to watch at least. Kotori tried to restrain herself or else she was sure she would eat the host out of house and home. Amelie on the other hand, had no ability that would let her eat such a copious amount of food. ¡°Shu do you mind watching Amelie?¡± Kotori asked Shu nodded. Kotori had another meeting with Fawk today apparently, she was going to meet the other Eris merchants. The merchants in the city were split into three factions Faramouth Merchants, Atlean Merchants, and Eris Merchants. The Eris merchants were the weakest faction among the Sea lord. They only had one representative on the council. The Atlean had three, and Faramouth had four. Although the City of Flare could self-govern if they paid their taxes. They had a majority on the Sea Lord council and thus were de facto controlled by the kingdom. The Eris Merchants were led by Fawks, he was royalty after all. Incidentally, they were coming to the in Fawks stayed in. Kotori learned soon after the party that Fawks was the person who owned the inn in the first place. She had wondered why royalty would live in such a dinky place and was told that Fawks like to stay at the inn because it was the safest place for him. The restaurant in the bottom of the inn was repurposed into a meeting hall and soon people began to file in. Upon arriving many of them seemed to perform some sort of greeting with Fawks. They would kiss the palm of their hand and then shake hands with Fawks. Kotori assumed it was some sort of greeting that was exclusive to Eris. Once the merchant had all arrived Fawks began to start the meeting. ¡°Ahem! All right, meeting time lads, tell me what issues you have¡± Soon a flood of voices began to fill the room. ¡°The spice import tax is too high!¡± ¡°My shipments are having trouble getting into port!¡± ¡°The girls at the brothels here are too boring!¡± [What kind of complaint is that!] Kotori thought upon hearing it. Fawks began to slowly work through all the merchant complaints. Although he couldn¡¯t comply with every complaint many of the merchants seemed quite happy with the way he was dealing with their problems. [Is Fawks actually competent at something?] Kotori thought. The lackadaisical attitude that Fawks had given her the impression he was lazy and just a rich kid, but Fawks was actually diligently taking each and every merchant''s request with utmost care. ¡°All of the them seemed to put a lot of trust in him.¡± Umi commented. ¡°It seems so¡± Layla said. Kotori and was sitting with Layla and Umi in a corner of the room trying not to draw attention. The roomed slowly quieted down as Fawks finished up with the Eris Merchants. ¡°Okay Okay, no more complaints?¡± Fawks said. The room was silent all the merchant seemed quite content. ¡°Normally, we spend the rest of the time chatting, but today¡¯s meeting is going to be a little different¡± Fawks said. The mood of the merchants in the room seemed to change. ¡°I¡¯ve got a plan for you all, but I need your help. How would you all like to win a majority on the Sea Lord council?¡± There seemed to be a collective murmur in the room after Fawks statement. Kotori who had better hearing than a normal human was able to pick up snippets of the conversation. ¡°Is that even possible?¡± ¡°He¡¯s just going to ask us for money again¡± ¡°Did the queen approve this?¡± It seemed like most of them were apprehensive and that that the proposal was too good to be true. ¡°Fear not my country men! For I have received some information from a pretty little bird.¡± Fawks proclaimed gesturing to Kotori. All the eyes in the room instantly fell on Kotori who was trying to remain inconspicuous. [Why could he just say it himself!] Kotori thought panicking. Kotori had a big fear of public speaking. Ever since her days as a famous scientist in her previous life she was deathly scare of going out in public. She couldn¡¯t even give a thank you speech. And now it seemed like in front of all these merchants she was going to be asked to speak in front of the group. *Gulp* Kitsura Someone tell the guy complaining about brothels to move his vore fetish somewhere else. Chapter 102: Public Speaking The eyes of many expectant Merchants were trained on Kotori, [Why are you making me do this Fawk!] She panicked She noticed him smirking in a corner [He¡¯s teasing me!] The answer was quite simple. Fawks had long suspected that Kotori was bad at dealing with large groups of people. He was having her speak to test her ability to speak to a crowd. ¡°Hello¡­¡± Kotori managed to finally squeak out. ¡°The information about Gerard is that¡­ he¡¯s involved with the sweet leaf trade¡­¡± Once Kotori was done speaking she instantly shrunk behind Layla and Umi. The merchant seemed confused. ¡°So what? Those Atlean merchants haven¡¯t ever been clean. Even if we know he¡¯s dealing illegal goods it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± A merchant said ¡°Ahh, but we have proof,¡± Fawks said ¡°This girl over here brought me information that I can say with a strong certainty is true. I will need to investigate the matter further but we have a lead to bringing down those Atlean merchants.¡± Fawks explained. A low murmur went through the crowd ¡°But how does this get us a majority on the sea lord council!¡± One of the Eris merchant¡¯s yell Fawks smiled, ¡°We¡¯re going to steal their market share!¡± The merchants gave a confused look ¡°What do you mean?¡± Another asked ¡°If we get rid of all the Atlean seats we can use their resources to take control of 50% of the commerce in the city. Once that happens, we¡¯ll have parity on the seating.¡± ¡°That still isn¡¯t a majority!¡± a voice called out from the crowd ¡°Ah, but it is¡± Fawks said The merchants looked like they were lost. ¡°My countrymen, we are the smallest faction, but you know what we have that the Faramouth and Atlean merchants do not?¡± Fawks said Several voices shouted out giving answers. ¡°We have a majority stake in the spice trade¡± ¡°I guess, our boats are better equipped at long trade?¡± ¡°We have cuter girls!¡± ¡°No!¡± Fawks shouted at all the suggestions ¡°We are united! The Atlean and Faramouth merchants¡¯ scheme against each other, but we do not squabble the success of our business in this city relies on our small amount of merchants to stay together! We will let the wolves eat each other and the sheep will rise!¡± Fawks said ¡°When we are equal in seating the Faramouth Merchants will still be infighting, but we will be coordinating with each other!¡± The sound of the crowd seemed to grow in excitement as Fawks explain his scheme. Kotori watch in bemusement. Fawks was quite good at controlling a crowd and the way he was manipulating their emotions was perfect. Kotori was beginning to realized Fawks was much more than he appeared [If this guy really the third prince, he acts like he should be the king. I wonder why he¡¯s not trying to gain the throne.] Kotori thought. Fawks had told her that he wasn¡¯t really interested in the throne and that he would let his brothers figure it out. The scheme he had made wasn¡¯t bad either. The Eris merchants only had one representative which was Fawks which mean they had to stick together. They also respected him which means that any new representatives would likely follow in his footsteps. If they could get some information on Mr. Gerard then they could blackmail him into giving them information on another Faramouth sea lord. By slowly turning all the merchants against each other the seats would grow empty as the merchants got caught in scandals or were imprisoned. Seats in the council were determined by market share, so if the Eris merchants could fill in the gaps created by the loss of the Atlean Sea Lords fast enough then they would gain those seats. Of course, this requires the Atlean merchants to work extremely hard to get that stake in market share to begin with. This was why Fawks was spending the time to tell the merchants now so that they could continue to coordinate in the future. The merchants seemed to be satisfied with the plan. ¡°Umu, this sounds good I will begin to make preparations¡± ¡°I will begin preparing capital as well¡± It was almost like the merchants were getting ready for war. Which in a sense, they kind of were. This was the battleground of the merchants. Trying to gain the most money was how they operated. ¡°Oh and of course, we must keep this secret,¡± Fawks said The merchants all nodded. They had no reason to betray Fawks, if he was able to get them a majority on the sea lord council nothing would be able to sway them. The merchants soon filed out of the building all of them excitedly chattering about what they were going to do. As soon as the last merchant left Fawks seemed to deflate. ¡°Ah, so tiresome.¡± He said to himself ¡°Did I mess up? What if they were just trying to be nice? Mother would do so much better than me¡± He said still talking to himself [Wait,] Kotori thought [Don¡¯t tell me he has public speaking anxiety too!] Kitsura Ironically, despite being mostly a shut-in, I don''t have any public speaking anxiety. It''s never really been something that bothered me. Chapter 103: Boy Hunting Kotori was currently on the prowl for a young boy. What? Not like that! The reason she was currently looking for young boys was that she was looking for the boy who gave her the initial invitation to the party. Kotori who was currently lugging a bag of silver around was planning on paying for information on the boy. She was paying them a piece of silver for anything they knew. Unfortunately, for Kotori, the orphans were quite tight-lipped. They were all comrades in arms after all. None of them wanted to spill the beans on the orphan boy Kotori was looking for. Kotori sighed, it seemed she would have to use [Charm] To be honest, she disliked the skill. It didn¡¯t just make the affected user like user. It was a skill that made the affected person madly fall in love with the user. Of course, it was a temporary effect that would wear off after a few hours, but it was troublesome to deal with. She located an orphan who seemed hesitant to answer the question and cornered him in an alleyway. The boy was olive-skinned on account of the sunny nature of the city and his unkempt brown hair hung loosely on his head ¡°I¡¯m not talking no matter what you pay me!¡± He said [How brave] Kotori thought Her party kept a lookout while Kotori cast [Charm] She made sure to tell them not to look at her while interrogating the boy. The boy¡¯s expression slowly changed from one of defiance¡¯s to hesitation, to one of nervousness. ¡°Hey¡­¡± He said. His earlier prickliness seemed to have all but disappeared and it looked like he was blushing. Kotori put on her best smile. ¡°I know you don¡¯t want to talk but you don¡¯t mind telling a little to onee-san right?¡± The boy shuffled his feet blushing even harder than before. ¡°I can¡¯t betray Yukio like that¡­¡± Kotori prepared her shota seduction trump card. ¡°My, oh my, I don¡¯t like boys who hide things from me.¡± Kotori said faking a disappointed look The boy looked extremely troubled. ¡°Ok, maybe a little¡­¡± Kotori put on a beaming smile. ¡°Thank you! I like you!¡± The boy almost looked like he was about to pass out after hearing Kotori say ¡°I like you¡±. [Whoops gotta be a little careful around boys inexperienced in love] Kotori though. ¡°His name is Yukio, he works in the slums and works under Mr. Gerard¡­¡± [Well, I already knew that] Kotori thought She gave the boy an expectant look. ¡°Yukio processes¡­ sweet leaf¡± The boy said [Oh?] ¡°And?¡± ¡°Do you know where he works?¡± Kotori asked. The directions the boy gave were to the place where she had tracked the orphan earlier ¡°Thank you dear, You¡¯ve been absolutely lovely~¡± The orphan was giving a slack-jawed smile. [I feel a little bad but this was the only way.] ¡°Ok, onee-san is going to go do something real quick please sit her and wait ok~¡± The boy nodded vigorously. In truth, Kotori was never going to come back the alleyway the purpose of this was to let the orphan sit there until the [Charm] slowly wore off. Hopefully, the orphan wouldn¡¯t get too mad over the fact that Kotori charmed him. The information Kotori got confirmed the fact that Gerard was dealing in sweet leaf. All she had to do was capture him, and bring him back to Fawks inn. Since it would soon be known that she was investigating the orphan she had to act fast. Kotori told her party her plan It was time for kidnapping. ** ** ** Dim dusk had covered the night and there was a sweet smell in the air. Kotori and her party was waiting outside of the house that they had initially followed the orphan boy. She was planning to capture the boy as he was getting back to the building. They were waiting in a nearby alleyway. The cloying scent of sweet leaf hung in the air and it was extremely unpleasant. Kotori wanted to capture the boy as soon as possible, but it seemed like he didn¡¯t get back to the sweet leaf facility until late in the evening. As for why this facility could stay here and be never raided or found out. Well, the town guards didn¡¯t really patrol these areas their only purpose was to keep them safe, the main tourist areas and areas where merchants would go to. Slums were not really a place the town guard would frequent and they didn¡¯t care to go either. If a person was murdered in the slums it was highly unlikely they would be found out. The same could also be said for kidnapping. They waited even longer and soon their target appeared. A boy was sneaking across the road as if he didn¡¯t want to be spotted. Unfortunately for him, Kotori could sense his mana the moment he entered the area. Three pieces from Kotori¡¯s tiara instantly shot out and bound the boy Two bound the boy around his arms and legs and the other, covered his mouth gagging him. The boy froze in shock before instantly struggling against the bonds. ¡°Shu grab him!¡± Shu dashed forward and grabbed the bound boy. [Target secured!] Kotori thought as they dashed away with the boy in tow. Kitsura She can''t keep getting away with it! Chapter 104: Interrogation [This is an issue] Kotori thought The boy wasn¡¯t talking despite dragging him back to a private room at Fawks¡¯s inn he wasn''t speaking. Frankly, Kotori was stumped. His name was apparently Yukio and he was a youth around 10 years old. He had a slim build and tanned skin like many of the people in the city. Unlike the orphan that Kotori charmed earlier Yukio had long unkempt dirty blond hair that looked like it was roughed cut in several places for convenience and so that it didn¡¯t cover his eyes. At first, she thought he was just exceptionally loyal but she soon found out that the boy disliked Mr. Gerard even as much as she did The mere mention of the name turned the boy''s face into one of disgust. She had already tried to [Charm] the boy as well so whatever was preventing him from talking was exceptionally important to him. She knew the charm worked from the way the boy was blushing at her but the moment she started asking about Gerard, it was like the boy''s lips were suddenly sealed shut. She was caught in a conundrum. Kotori wasn¡¯t really in the mood to take a karma hit from torturing the poor child and the thought of it left a poor taste in her mouth. [Is he being blackmailed?] Kotori wouldn¡¯t know why an orphan would be attached to anything but she decided to ask anyway. She shifted her line of questioning from Gerard to something else ¡°Is there something preventing you from talking?¡± The boy nodded ¡°Can you talk about that?¡± He shook his head Kotori frowned she was getting closer to the truth but still needed to prod deeper, if he was being blackmailed in some capacity it would make sense that something was being held, hostage ¡°Do you have a family?¡± Kotori asked. The boy''s eyes teared up. ¡°My Onee-san¡­¡± He started to say [Oh? So he does have some family] Kotori thought ¡°Tell me about her¡± Kotori said encouraging him. ¡°Onee-san used to take care of me, she took care of us all¡­ and that that stupid Mr. Gerard took her away! He told me I could work to buy her back but she keeps getting more and more expensive¡± he said getting visibly upset. [I see] Kotori''s original assumption that ¡°Onee-san¡± was his sister was wrong. It seemed like she was an older girl that was taking care of the orphans. The city didn¡¯t have an orphanage. The concept was apparently foreign. Flare was very much a city with no real social welfare programs, the concept itself is not very developed yet in this world. Kotori herself thought, it was a little backward, but she didn¡¯t want to comment on the natural political development on this world. Still, from the way the boy was skirting this concept it seemed like this Onee-san was the main reason he wasn¡¯t talking. Based on what Kotori knew she was probably taken to be one of Gerard¡¯s ¡°toys¡±. At worst she was probably addicted to sweet leaf and had lost most of her mental faculties. With enough time she would be able to rehabilitate, but once again this city had no social welfare programs. The fact that the boy was being tricked, to work for Mr. Gerard was a shame as well. Kotori wanted to use the boy, finding other people in Gerard''s enterprise to give information would be difficult. This boy already seemed to dislike Gerard so it would be wise to use him. If she wanted to get the boy to talk it would be best to save this Onee-san ¡°Do you want us to save her?¡± Kotori said The boy looked awestruck ¡°You can!¡± Kotori nodded. ¡°Of course, if we save here will you talk¡± The boys nodded vigorously. ¡°I¡¯m not talking before then though!¡± He said crossing his arms [How shrewd] The orphan must be used to being betrayed. He was going to wait until Kotori and the others fulfilled their part of the deal before speaking. ¡°Ok, Ok, Do you mind telling us where she is?¡± Kotori asked Kotori was annoyed that she had to be this conspicuous, but even though, she made the deal with the boy she would have still had to consult with Fawks before making a move. If Fawks had another idea to getting dirt on Gerard they could get rid of the boy. Kotori probably wouldn¡¯t kill him, but she try and find a way to hide him at least until their scheme was done. Kitsura Up next, Infiltration! Chapter 105: Infiltration Kotori stared at the building in front of them. To an observer, it would look like another warehouse on the docks, but according to Yukio this was where Gerard would hold his ¡°toys¡± The building was made of stacked brick and wood. It was quite a normal building, nothing gave any indication that it was holding contraband. These buildings were contracted out and rarely searched. The goods being held by merchants were their own business after all. Kotori was told that the basement of the building held cellars where the women were held. They only had one target. If they found any other women being held their they would ignore them Kotori brought her whole party along. She didn¡¯t know what they would run into and wanted to be sure. Hopefully, security was low. In truth, Kotori was surprised that Fawks even approved entering the building in the first place. All he said was ¡°It¡¯s not like we have any option, try to keep it discreet¡± before waving them off. Kotori and her party made their way past the main door and moved to the side door. Yukio told them this was how they could avoid most of the overnight guards. They were covering their faces so it would be difficult for Kotori to use her [Charm] skill which requires face-to-face contact. Umi sliced the lock with a water blade and it fell to the ground with a clink. Kotori briefly considered whether kicking in the door would be the best option but she decided against it. If there was anybody on the other side of the door she would have Hikari deal with them. She slowly pushed the door open and was relieved to find it was empty. In front of her were shelves upon shelves of tightly sealed jars. Kotori assumed that they were Sweet Leaf jars. According to Fawks, to activate the drug properties in Sweet Leaf the leaves of the plant had to be first mixed with a solution made from it¡¯s roots and then put in a jar to ferment. The plant to make Sweet Leaf was a common weed. Kotori could tell based on how tightly the jars were sealed that they were holding sweet leaf. Since this was near the dock¡¯s guards would patrol this area and the scent of the fermenting plant would easily tip them off if the jars were not sealed. There seemed to be no immediate guards in the area which was helpful. Kotori could hear the sound of footsteps and she sent out shards or Hikari to scout further. The shard would creep on the ground and alert Kotori if a Guard was getting close. [This kinda feels like a video game stealth mission no?] While Kotori was creeping around she could almost feel like an ¡°!¡± marker would appear above the guard''s heads. The stairs toward the basement were at the back of the warehouse so Kotori and her party moved along. Shards of Hikari were slowly floating around the factory incapacitating any guards they came across. Kotori found several slumped bodies along the path they were taking. Their chests were still rising indicating they were still alive. Kotori was avoiding trying to kill any of the guards since although they worked for Mr. Gerard it wasn¡¯t like they were all bad people. [Really, I gotta thank Winry for making me this.] Kotori thought touching Hikari. It was really a useful tool. Even if Hikari wouldn¡¯t kill gods it had already paid herself back in how much it had help Kotori along her journey. The entrance to the basement was a locked trapdoor. Kotori had Umi cut the lock again and they ventured even deeper inside. A steep ladder led down in dark hallway. Kotori walked down first. The room was a long hallway. Since it was underground it felt slightly chilly. Walking deeper into the hallway several cells lined the walls. Inside them were several women slumped against the wall. Many of them were unresponsive or looked at Kotori in fear. Kotori had her party start searching for the girl that was mentioned by Yukio. According to him, she was a pale freckled girl with greenish hair. ¡°Kotori!¡± Amelie called out near a cell farther to the back. Kotori walked over to a cell. Inside was a young girl around 18 years of age huddled against the wall. Like many of the women in basement, she was quite pretty, but not beautiful. Her green eyes were glazed over. [It seems like she¡¯s already addicted] Kotori thought. Kotori had her group remove the girl from the cell. Shu who was the strongest among them was holding the girl in a firefighter carry. She was thin, likely a result of malnutrition. Kotori spotted a desk nearby with several logbooks. [This could be useful..] Kotori didn¡¯t know what the books could contain but if they were being held in the basement of this building it was likely it would contain even more information. She grabbed a few volumes and they walked past the unconscious guard bodies. Kotori also grabbed a jar of the sweet leaf. Since the girl was likely addicted to it. She would have to have some on hand for her, rehabilitation. She didn¡¯t know how drugs worked in this world, but if it was anything like the world she came from, rehab would be a tough process for this girl. Kitsura Trending again! I''ve been spending a lot of time writing another novel. If I can''t get it traditionally publish I''ll probably just upload it in installments here or something... Also patreon 5$ tier now actually had 5 advanced chapters. So if you want to read 5 chapters further, you know where to go. Chapter 106: Rehab After getting the girl from the warehouse Kotori had Umi look after her. Kotori had denied Yukio¡¯s attempts to see her. If Yukio saw the state the girl was in it would likely upset him quite a bit. This was Kotori¡¯s way of trying to be considerate. ¡°So how the girl?¡± She asked Umi ¡°She¡¯s a little thin, and underfed but otherwise she physically alright. She is however¡­ unresponsive. The entire time I was examining her she didn¡¯t respond or react once.¡± Umi reported. Kotori pursed her lips. Although they saved the girl she was already near catatonic after becoming addicted to the sweet leaf. She had never tried the drug herself, but apparently in low doses the drug would give a mild high and only in higher doses would the victim act like this. This was why it was so difficult for the kingdom to control it. Frankly, if used responsibly and carefully there was no issue but the drug was still very addictive and even the strongest of wills could succumb to it. Ironically, Fawks actually didn¡¯t mind if Gerard was dealing the drug. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Fawks was going to use it to take out the Atlean merchants he said that he would even consider joining the business [Those merchants only think about money don¡¯t they¡­] Kotori thought upon hear Fawks remarks. The issue remained with the girl. At the very least after forcing some soup down her throat some color had returned to her cheeks, but she was still in a sorry state. Kotori could only wait until the current drug left her system and start working from there. This country had no sort of ¡°Rehab¡± system, so Kotori was going to have to work from the ground up. Thankfully, she still had some knowledge of human biology from her past life. While, she wasn¡¯t a doctor she would at least be able to make sure the girl was able to get over a simple drug addiction. Kotori left the room where a concerned Yukio was waiting outside. He was being held back by Shu. ¡°Let me see her!¡± He shouted. Kotori had unbound him after she made a deal with him. Kotori shook her head ¡°The girl in your memory and the girl now are going to be two different people.¡± Kotori said. ¡°I don¡¯t care let me see her!¡± Yukio demanded. ¡°She¡¯s healthy enough alright? We¡¯re not going to do anything to her. I just need sometime to fix her up.¡± Kotori explained ¡°She doesn¡¯t need fixing, I saw you bring her in she looked fine!¡± Kotori sighed, [Kids are troublesome] She thought, completely ignoring the fact that she was one herself The people in the world didn¡¯t understand the concept of ¡°addiction¡± to them it was an issue of personal mental self-control rather than a physiological condition that needed to be treated. If Yukio saw Kotori micro dosing the girl he would be furious and not understand the purpose behind Kotori¡¯s actions. Kotori had no clue what the withdrawal symptoms were for sweet leaf but when it came to other drugs in her old world, forcing a person to go cold turkey could cause death or seizures She could only slowly wean the girl off the drug. Whether the girl would be strong enough to deal with lingering withdrawal symptoms were not her issue, but at the very least she was not going to let a girl she had just rescued die just because the medicinal practices in this world were too primitive Kotori felt her karma go up slightly [Oh?] It seemed like the system registered this as a good action. Kotori shifted her strategy and tried to explain the problem in a different way. ¡°Look the girl is¡­ sick only I know the cure ok? So let me take care of her for now. I know she looked fine but I promise you she might die if she gets left alone¡± Yukio stopped struggling against Shu after hearing Kotori¡¯s explanation. Shu let him go, and he dusted off his body. ¡°Can you at least explain what she is sick with?¡± He said pleading. Yukio evidently cared quite a bit about this girl. Kotori shook her head. Yukio¡¯s eyes seemed to sadden, ¡°Can you at least promise me that you¡¯ll make her better then?¡± He said mournfully ¡°Of course,¡± Kotori said nodding, and giving a reassuring smile. Kotori was sympathetic to him after all. He was finally getting the chance to see the girl who took care of him, and Kotori was blocking him from her. He was already used to being young and helpless and it was obvious why he was upset. She had already kidnapped him; it was the least she could do. [Still, it almost feels like he had a crush on her] Kotori could see why the boy would fall in love with the girl. She was pretty enough, being taken care of by such a girl would make a kid fall in love easy. She probably was the one point of warmth in his life. He was still a bit young to understand the feeling, but Kotori could see him growing into it in the future. Looking at the pitiful figure in front of her Kotori could only hope for the boy. [Grow big and strong ok! Girls like it when guys can protect them!] She thought, rooting for the boy Kitsura Chapter 107: The visitor ¡°Leaf¡­Leaf¡­¡± The girl in front of Kotori was truly in a sorry state. Ever since waking up a week ago, all she had talked about nothing was nothing but getting more sweet leaf. Kotori had been putting a little bit of sweet leaf in her food to make sure she would eat it. Otherwise, she would ignore the food and beg for more of the drug. Her eyes looked hollowed and she clung to anybody who came near her begging for the drug. She spent most of her days huddled on her bed, whimpering and trembling. Likely, working through the withdrawal symptoms she was experiencing. Kotori felt bad for her. It was obvious she wasn¡¯t thinking straight. She was likely in a great deal of pain. Yukio wasn¡¯t helpful either, begging Kotori to see her every day. The girl seemed to be making not much effort to get over her addiction. Although Kotori could be sympathetic to her, getting over a drug addiction is still an action that requires the requisite will to get over it. Kotori had wondered if seeing Yukio would help the girl, but she was not thinking as all and still in a drug addled stupor despite being awake. Kotori was carefully managing the dose of sweet leaf she was giving the girl based on the amount that was in the jar. She would run out in about a month and after that it was up to the girl to work through it herself. Kotori would¡¯ve liked to have more sweet leaf to work with, but opted for a fast cleanse. It was a little dangerous but Kotori was cure if she waited any longer. Yukio might get angry and not want to work with them. The inn had been quiet while Fawks worked on preparations for the market takeover. Yukio had been a great help and managed to enlist the help of several orphans who would also be able to speak out against Mr. Gerard. Now the only thing to do was to turn the Atlean merchants against each other. Fawks was planning on target a merchant by the name of Bellmont Dirgle. Bellmont was one of Gerard¡¯s underlings and also a sea lord, but was a highly ambitious man. Bellmont helped manage most of the affairs of the other Atlean sea lord who was another one of Gerard¡¯s puppets. They would be meeting with one of Bellmont¡¯s associates to pretend like they wanted to work together to remove Gerard. In truth, Fawks was planning on turning both the merchants against each other and then collapsing the entire faction. Because the Atlean merchants were all more prosperous than the Eris merchants they were still orders of magnitude more important than Fawks. Fawks would have to grovel a bit to make Bellmont trust him. Thus, Fawks was currently treating Bellmont to several fancy restaurants and building a business relationship. Eventually, Fawks would drop the bomb of Gerard¡¯s illicit activities. Bellmont was probably quite aware of it but likely didn¡¯t want to make a move for fear of threatening the entire faction. By using his own ambition Fawks would pretend to be a helpful conspirator. Doing so would eliminate Gerard''s factions. Kotori heard a knock on the door. ¡°Come in,¡± She said Umi entered being a washbasin full of warm water and a hand towel, the girl was quite dirty and Kotori planned on cleaning her up to make her at least presentable. Umi set the basin down on the night table next to the best the girl was huddled in. ¡°You have a visitor¡± Umi said as she took the towel and wet it in the basin. ¡°Eh? Who?¡± Kotori said ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Umi said shrugging Kotori walked down to the reception desk where the receptionist prepared a room for her. Since this inn was Fawks ¡°territory¡± She didn¡¯t mind seeing a visitor. Walking into the meeting room where she met Fawks, Kotori saw a large cloaked figure in the room. Their face was shrouded, but Kotori had no issue looking up their identity with Status Hatake Dawn Race: [Human] Age: 57 HP: 179 Mana: 116 Agility: 68 Strength: 143 Defense: 338 Skills: [Bulwark], [Stone Skin], [Impact Absorption] Traits: [Rook] [A rook? An envoy of the king?] Kotori though seeing the stats. The figure pulled off the hood of his cloak to reveal a large scarred face man. He had light stubble and a slight grin on his face. ¡°Hello, Kotori, I am Hatake Dawn. I was sent here by Mr. Gerard¡± ¡°Hello¡­¡± Kotori said in response [So, he¡¯s working for Gerard] Kotori thought Even though adventurers were technically hired by the kingdom it wasn¡¯t like they couldn¡¯t hold other jobs if it didn¡¯t interfere with their normal work. Hatake leaned forward into his chair, his large frame making it creak slightly. He gave a strong glare that would make a normal person take a step back. Kotori was unfazed. ¡°You don¡¯t seem surprised to see me?¡± He said ¡°Not in particular, I¡¯ve seen worse,¡± Kotori said flatly The Hatake gave a hearty laugh. ¡°Ah, when that Mr. Gerard told me to meet up with a girl that was barely out of the womb, I was expecting a typical intimidation job, but it seems like you have a bit more backbone than the average person,¡± He said. ¡°So what does Mr. Gerard want?¡± Kotori asked him. Hatake smiled ¡°Betrayal¡± Kitsura Sorry, Y''all get left on a cliffhanger today! Trending again! Chapter 108: Hatake ¡°Betrayal?¡± Kotori said ¡°Mr. Gerard knows about your¡­ nightly activities. In fact, you can keep the boy and the girl we don¡¯t mind¡± Hatake said [They know it was us?] Kotori thought Hatake grinned, Kotori must¡¯ve slipped in hiding her emotions ¡°Don¡¯t think we¡¯re not aware of what you and your merry gang are trying to accomplish¡± Hatake said. [How much do they know!] Kotori was panicking internally but kept a poker face to avoid giving information away. ¡°Mr. Gerard is a generous man; he thinks there has just been a misunderstanding. To make it up to you he¡¯s even willing to buy your wheat at 15 times the normal market prices¡± [15 times! How is he possibly going to make money on that?] Kotori thought ¡°That just doesn¡¯t make sense,¡± Kotori said ¡°Mr. Gerard said it was an exquisite product and he wishes to buy all your wheat for that price¡± Hatake explained Kotori could read between the lines and realized that Mr. Gerard wasn¡¯t trying to buy Kotori¡¯s wheat to sell it. [He¡¯s trying to buy me off!] Kotori thought Mr. Gerard was trying to bribe Kotori. This tactic might¡¯ve worked when she was just entering the city and selling her wheat, but at this point, Kotori quite liked Fawks as a person and had no intentions of betraying him. ¡°All you have to do is supply us some¡­ Information¡± Hatake said Kotori almost sighed in relief. If Mr. Gerard was asking her for information, it meant that their scheme was safe. From Mr. Gerard¡¯s perspective, he might know that something was going on, but he likely couldn¡¯t pinpoint what exactly was happening. Which is why he was trying to use outside actors like Kotori to mess up the Eris merchant plans. ¡°If Mr. Gerard wants to discuss such sensitive matters he¡¯s going to have to come in person and not send in some grunt,¡± Kotori said haughtily Kotori deliberately insulted Hatake by calling him a "grunt" to try and agitate him. If he did something to displease her, she would have an easier time rejecting the offer. Hatake only laughed ¡°I assume you don¡¯t know who I am,¡± He said ¡°Why should I?¡± Kotori said feigning arrogance ¡°I am Hatake Dawn, a rook of the king. Do you know what that means?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Kotori said [I can see it on your damn [Status] page!] Kotori thought ¡°That doesn¡¯t explain why you are working for Atlean merchants¡± Kotori retorted Hatake winced ¡°Cmon, a guy¡¯s gotta make some extra cash when he can right? Besides, Mr. Gerard has very deep pockets¡± Hatake said putting extra emphasis on the ¡°deep¡± [Still, trying to buy me off? This guy sure is persistent] Kotori thought ¡°I¡¯m still going to have to respectfully decline,¡± Kotori said Hatake sighed, ¡°Looks like the carrot didn¡¯t work,¡± he said ¡°Time for the stick,¡± He said his face hardening Kotori tensed expecting a fight, but Hatake only leaned back into his chair. ¡°Mr. Gerard knows who you are. You¡¯re a wanted criminal, You and that half-elf girl, one tip-off, and the kingdom will be hunting you down again. Give us information or live a life on the run again. Your choice.¡± Hatake said ¡°Tch,¡± Kotori said. She shouldn¡¯t have brought Amelie to the party. Even though Amelie¡¯s ears were covered it makes sense that Mr. Gerard would still do a background check on everybody she brought to the party. Even so, hiding Amelie probably would¡¯ve only delayed the inevitable if a person like Mr. Gerard was trying to find their identities. This whole criminal thing had been haunting them the entire time they were in this city. Frankly, Kotori was tired of being chased. She was done with this game of cat and mouse. Kotori decided to take a stand. ¡°Sorry, but that still won¡¯t sway me¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Hatake said ¡°Are you prepared to deal with the consequences of this? What about your companions, won¡¯t they be displeased with you?¡± He said ¡°I don¡¯t care, get out,¡± Kotori said coldly. In truth, if their scheme with Fawks worked it would be much harder for the kingdom to operate in Flare. With Eris merchants in charge, they could deny requests from the kingdom for extradition. Hatake shrugged his shoulders as if saying ¡°your funeral¡± ¡°The next time we meet will likely be on the battlefield,¡± Hatake was a rook after all, once the kingdom gave the order, he would likely hunt Kotori down. For now, he was likely restraining himself on account of working for Mr. Gerard. ¡°I advise running,¡± He said as if he was trying to be helpful Kotori scoffed ¡°I would say the same to you.¡± Hatake gave a deep barrel-chested laugh, despite looking like he was quite calm it looked like a vein was bulging on his head. ¡°My! Do you amuse me, I hope you don¡¯t regret those words, little girl!¡± Hatake exited the room slamming the door behind him as he left. Despite being, such an imposing figure it seemed like Kotori had still struck a chord with him. Kotori sat in the now quiet meeting room recomposing herself. She looked at the door that Hatake had slammed shut. The sturdy wooden door now had fractures on it and was barely hanging on its hinges. [What an annoying man] She thought. Kitsura Chapter 109: Shifting tides ¡°Ah, That Mr. Gerard sure is troublesome,¡± Fawk said palming his chin. ¡°So you¡¯re not surprised to hear I¡¯m an outlaw?¡± Kotori asked After Hatake left, Kotori informed Fawks of the events that had transpired. ¡°I already knew,¡± Fawks said shrugging his shoulders ¡°And you didn¡¯t report me?¡± Kotori said ¡°I¡¯m a prince, I don¡¯t need the money. The wheat you were selling was more valuable anyway.¡± Fawks said smiling It was true, Fawks probably had no need for money. He was a prince of the kingdom or Eris. Though, this led Kotori to wonder. Fawks was the ¡°third prince¡± she assumed that meant he had at least two brothers above him. Fawks was a very competent person she wondered why he was not pursuing the crown. Were his brothers truly that much more competent than he was? Fawks assured her that he would protect her once the scheme was over. Flare was technically a ¡°free city¡± after all to promote economic commerce. The kingdom enjoyed a monopoly over the political decisions but once Fawks evened up the Sea Lord council they would be stonewalled by an Eris coalition. ¡°By the way, do you know where we can pick up that wheat?¡± Fawks said casually [Oh right, we still have a deal¡­] Kotori thought. She gave him the instruction and told him where to send the excess wheat and rice. ¡°Do you need me to commission the carriages?¡± Kotori asked him. Fawks waved her off. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with it, don¡¯t worry about it.¡± He bent forward in his chair. ¡°This Gerard still is quite annoying though, to think he would try and buy you off, it seems I need to hurry up and finish my preparations¡± He muttered to himself ¡°How goes the business with Bellmont¡± Kotori asked. Fawks gave a lukewarm expression, ¡°So, So, He¡¯s an ambitious man but it¡¯s a little difficult to get him to trust me. Do you have any ideas?¡± ¡°Well, I could charm him¡­¡± Kotori thought The problem with that plan was a result of her charm skill being only a temporary status effect. They would still remember that they were charmed afterward. [Wait, can¡¯t I use that?] Kotori thought Perhaps they didn¡¯t even need to trick Bellmont to get what they wanted. Even though, the effect of charm would wear off after use. If the charmed person still remembered what the experience felt like, Kotori could perhaps condition him. [It¡¯s called ¡°positive conditioning¡± right?] If Kotori could meet with Bellmont and charm him each time, she could perhaps have him dancing in the palm of her hand. Even if the effects wore off it might be possible to make him fall in love with her. It was a classic honeypot tactic. Well, Kotori didn¡¯t much like the idea of being a honeypot but it was only temporary anyway. She would get rid of Bellmont afterwards. All Atleans were scum in her mind anyway. Kotori explained her new plan to Fawks. Upon hearing her idea he stroked his chin. Fawks looked like he had neglected to take care of himself recently, there was a small bit of stubble on his and dark bags under his eyes. Kotori felt bad she had been pushing quite a bit of work onto Fawks and he didn¡¯t complain once. ¡°That¡­ would be helpful¡± Fawks said Even though, Fawks was trying to hide it Kotori could see a bit of relief on his face. In some way, Kotori felt like helping him out at least. Fawks explained the next time that he was planning on meeting with Fawks. Bellmont likely knew about Kotori and she would have to plan their encounter accordingly. ¡°Actually, don¡¯t let him know. Make it a surprise¡± Kotori said ¡°Eh?¡± Fawks said in response ¡°Mind telling me your reasoning?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll be willing to meet with me, I¡¯m not a sea lord, it¡¯s too suspicious for him¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Fawks said Fawks could regularly meet with Bellmont on account of their social position despite being members of different factions they would still need to discuss things like administration of the city among other bureaucratic things. Kotori was an outside. Since Mr. Gerard already knew that she was associated with Fawks it would be too suspicious to have her meet with Bellmont intentionally. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll tell you where we were supposed to meet. You can go in lieu of me.¡± Fawks said. ¡°Sounds good¡± Kotori said. Operation seduction is a go! Kitsura Bleb bleb ble Chapter 110: Bellmont Kotori entered the restaurant that Fawks was going to meet Bellmont at. It was a quiet place with soft low ambient lighting with the soft murmur of the high-class establishment. The waiters all wore clean and press clothing and the patrons seemed to all be wealthy merchants. It was a restaurant that was unlike the one at Fawk¡¯s inn. It was a place where Kotori could almost smell the money reeking from the people inside. She made her way to a table where a man who met the description of Bellmont that Fawks gave her sat. Bellmont was a slim person in contrast to Gerard. His face had thin bony quality and his green eyes were angled in a way that made them look like they were giving a sharp glare. He had a simple bowl cut that almost made Kotori laugh when she saw him. [Mushroom head!] ¡°Hello?¡± He said obviously confused as Kotori took a seat next to him and started looking at the menu. It seemed like he recognized Kotori which meant that Gerard must¡¯ve told him about her. Kotori ignore Bellmont and continued to look at the menu. Fawks told her this would be on his tab so she was ready to eat her fill. [Big mistake!] She thought, grinning while looking at the wide assortment of food the restaurant offered. [Oooh this, fish pie sounds good, and this surf and turf] ¡°Hello?¡± Bellmont said this time more forcefully Kotori gave him an annoyed look he had interrupted her while she was looking at the menu. ¡°Howdy,¡± She said ¡°Fawks sent me, he got too busy today and told me to let you know, he felt bad about missing out so he told me that this lunch is on him¡± She explained. ¡°Did he now?¡± Bellmont said raising his eyebrows in suspicion Bellmont flagged over a waiter ¡°Would you like anything, sir?¡± The waiter said ¡°I will have the Caprese salad, go light on the dressing please¡± Bellmont ordered ¡°Very well, and for the lady¡± [Oh no!] since Bellmont had disrupted her she hadn¡¯t finished figuring out what she wanted to order ¡°Oh umm, I¡¯ll have the Caprese salad, the fish pie, an uhh, the roast fish, and the surf and turf, and of course the cream soup¡­¡± Kotori started just listing off everything she wanted from the menu Bellmont¡¯s already upturned eyebrows raised even further once he heard all the items that Kotori was ordering. ¡°You have quite an appetite I see¡± He commented ¡°Well, I¡¯m hungry,¡± Kotori said In truth, Madame Dupont had taught her that ladies should eat very little in the presence of others. It was considered immodest. Although Kotori greatly respected the etiquette lessons that Madame Dupont gave, this was the one lesson she ignored. Kotori was going to eat as much as she wanted whether Madame Dupont approved it or not. Bellmont was giving Kotori a stare. She could tell he was surprised but trying to hide it. Bellmont was a surprisingly serious person in [Oh right, can¡¯t forget why I¡¯m here] Kotori started to activate [Charm] She had gotten a little better at it now and it was no longer a skill that was an all-or-nothing skill. She could adjust the strength of the effect. From the perspective of Bellmont, she probably looked like a charming young girl. Bellmont seemed to not react. [Hmm, Maybe I didn¡¯t make it strong enough?] Kotor thought until she saw several of the other patrons who had ignored her earlier were starting to sneak glances at her. She looked back at the Bellmont who still hadn¡¯t change facial expressions [Is he gay? Wait no, [Charm] would work regardless.] Kotori thought. Since the charm would work on women as well, it didn¡¯t matter what the persons¡¯ sexual orientation was. She was beginning to realize that this Bellmont was going to be a tough nut to crack. She increased the level of her Charm and now several patrons in the restaurant were staring at her with love-struck looks. She looked back at Bellmont and now a thin line of sweat fell down his face. He gracefully dabbed it away with a handkerchief. ¡°Do you mind me joining you for lunch?¡± Kotori said looking into Bellmont¡¯s eyes He looked away his face slightly reddening. ¡°Not in particular,¡± He said [So he¡¯s a bit of tsun?] Kotori thought. Bellmont was quite good at hiding his emotions. They sat for a while chatting about random things. Bellmont seemed to loosen up the longer he was with her and he became looser when talking about business. It was nothing that was particularly important, but Kotori learned several important tidbits about the kinds of business the Atleans did. Soon the food arrived. The waiter first brought out Bellmont¡¯s salad which he picked at like a bird. The way Bellmont ate food was almost robotic as if eating was a chore rather than something to be enjoyed. The waiter soon started bringing Kotori¡¯s food out. He had to take several trips on account of Kotori ordering so much to begin with. Soon enough the table was out of space, and the waiter pushed another empty table to have enough table space for Kotori¡¯s food. The other restaurant patrons were now staring at the huge amount of food instead of Kotori. Kotori, herself was licking her lips [Food!] Kitsura I was a little hungry writing this chapter. Chapter 111: Plan Start! Kotori was looking at the vast amount of gifts that had been given to her. Various pieces of jewelry, several old wilted flowers, and a new dress were all stuffed into Kotori¡¯s room. When she finished meeting with Bellmont she had assumed her charm had not worked as well as she thought, but Fawks insisted she keep trying. Apparently, Bellmont had a tendency to hide his emotions. Bellmont had become less reserved at the lunch dates and was actively giving Kotori information that she was relaying to Fawks. In truth she felt bad, Bellmont wasn¡¯t a bad person he was just a useful person to trick. She was losing Karma tricking Bellmont in the first place. [I gotta get it back at some point] Soon enough after about a month of eating lunch with Bellmont, the gifts start rolling in. Kotori learned that Bellmont¡¯s way of doing romance was akin to a teenage boy who had never been in love with a girl before. She was initially thinking of rejecting the gifts but Fawks apparently told her to take them. ¡°I mean they are for you right? It would be rude to not take them¡± Fawks said. Kotori who had no use for all the fineries had Fawks arrange for a room for her to put all the gifts. Bellmont was not a particularly charming man, but Kotori was at least able to tolerate his presence. He was polite enough that he wasn¡¯t particularly offending, but he was simply not Kotori¡¯s type. She didn¡¯t have any plans of dating or marrying anyone at the moment. Thankfully, since [Charm] was active every time she saw him, she didn¡¯t have to do anything to make him like her. She simply ate vast amount of food on Fawk¡¯s tab which he had already complained about on several occasions ¡°How does a girl eat that much food!¡± was a phrase had had said many times while looking at his balance sheets It was a phrase which Kotori always responded with, ¡°Think of it as a business expense¡± Kotori had already tried everything in the restaurant and was getting bored of the menu but thankfully, Fawk¡¯s scheme was nearly done. Bellmont was already dancing in the palm of Kotori¡¯s hand. After showing some crocodile tears about Mr. Gerard bulling her, Bellmont had agreed to help them take out Gerard. He was so angry that Gerard tried to put a slave collar on Kotori that Kotori had to physically stop him from running out of the restaurant to confront him. They would be denouncing him in front of the Sea Lord council. It was a monthly meeting where the Sea lords would bicker over things like Tariffs and city management. Apparently, it was quite boring. After Gerard was taken out. The Atlean Merchants would lose their main base of power. It would be a relatively simple task to destabilize Bellmont and the other Atlean merchants in the city. Kotori who felt bad for Bellmont, had Fawks adjust their plans slightly. They would take out Gerard and the other Atlean Sea lord but keep Bellmont on the council. Bellmont was already dancing in the palm of Kotori¡¯s hand. It would also help to ensure the other Atlean Merchants in the city were not completely disgruntled. [What is this called again? A ¡°simp¡± right?] Bellmont was persistent but wholly inexperienced in love. With Bellmont, Kotori felt more like an idol than an actual human that Bellmont was trying to court He had even started a Kotori fan club, of which he was the president. Kotori was not able to direct her charm so the other patrons of the restaurant she would eat at with Bellmont were also infatuated with her. They were doing things like hosting Kotori discussion clubs and other things. She was steadily becoming a niche interest among the merchants. Kotori didn¡¯t really mind it all. She wasn¡¯t expected to attend their ¡°meetings¡± and it seemed like Bellmont was quite smug in knowing that he was the only one allowed to eat with Kotori. Apparently, according to him among the merchants in the fan club, there were several people who had come up to him with exorbitant amounts of money to eat with her but Bellmont turned them all down. Kitsura It''s okay Bellmont, I''m a shrimp anyway. Chapter 112: Sea Lord meeting(1) Kotori was currently outside a large merchant¡¯s guildhall. It was a white-domed stone building much like the stone that made up the castle of the capital city. The inside was paved with Marble, and there were several wealthy-looking merchants walking about. The guild was where the sea lords would converse and meet, and the building was even more decorated than the Merchants guild in the capital. It was a city of merchants after all it wouldn¡¯t make sense for their guild to be even worse. Kotori was flanked by Shu and Umi with Layla and Amelie on the other side. They strode with a purpose and several of the merchants in the guild were look at Kotori with wonder. It seemed like quite a few of the merchants here were Kotori stans. It was uncomfortable but she endured it while they strode to the meeting room. Fawks was waiting at the grand doors with them. He was wearing traditional Eris robes and a large amount of gold jewelry. Apparently, he avoided dressing like this normally because it helped him make business deals with other merchants, but today he was representing the Eris Merchants as their prince and Sea Lord and thus had to play the part. Kotori noted he was still wearing the slave bracelet. She had never actually given Fawks an order and she wondered why he never asks her to take it off. She honestly didn¡¯t need it anymore to trust him. [Maybe he likes it?] Kotori thought Fawks pushed open the large oaken double doors with both his hands and the doors opened into a large circular room. The middle of the room was a large stone table which was surrounded by 8 seats. Each of the seats was labeled. Kotori could see the 4 Faramouth Merchants huddled next to each other. And Gerard and Bellmont in another side of the table with their Atlean merchant underling. Standing behind Gerard was Hatake who adopted a stern pose. All the factions appeared to be whispering amongst themselves and Kotori could see that even Bellmont was hiding his emotions. One of the Atlean Merchants spoke. ¡°Sea Lord Fawks, you¡¯re late¡± The old man who spoke appeared to be disgruntled and unamused. Fawks had a lax smile on his face. ¡°Sorry Sorry! A thing came up!¡± The Faramouth Merchants looked at Kotori and her group ¡°Who are they?¡± ¡°Oh they¡¯re my bodyguards,¡± Fawks said The Faramouth Merchant raised an eyebrow but didn¡¯t comment on it. Out of Kotori¡¯s group the only person who even looked like a bodyguard was Shu, and maybe Yukio the rest of them looked like a bunch of women. The Faramouth merchant must¡¯ve thought that Kotori¡¯s group was Fawk¡¯s mistresses. The retinue behind the Faramouth Merchants was a group of imposing-looking soldiers. Kotori didn¡¯t bother using [Status] because Fawks had told her that it was unlikely Gerard would lash out. The Faramouth Merchant sighed ¡°Now, that all the Sea Lords are here we will begin the business, of assessing Market shares and addressing complaints¡ª¡± He began to say until Fawks cut him off ¡°Actually, if I might interrupt, May we start with complaints first?¡± Fawks said The Faramouth Merchant vein seemed to bulge in his head. ¡°Sea lord Fawks, I¡¯m sure you have some pressing drivel you want to talk about but there is an order to these meetings and I must ask you to follow them or I will hold a vote to expel you from this session¡± The merchant said gritting his teeth. It seemed like Fawks and this Merchant didn¡¯t get along. Fawks smiled, ¡°Oh, then I guess I won¡¯t talk about the Sweet Leaf cartel in the city¡± Mr. Gerard seemed to twitch slightly after hearing Fawk¡¯s statement The Atlean merchant seemed mildly shocked but was hiding his emotions ¡°I see, then we can skip with formalities for now, do you have evidence to share?¡± The merchant said. ¡°Yep!¡± Fawks said cheerfully ¡°Bring him up!¡± He said gesturing to Kotori. Kotori brought Yukio forward. Yukio seemed to nervously shuffle his feet. She gave him a slight shove and he walked forward. For a moment, Yukio didn¡¯t speak until Fawks put a hand on his shoulder and whispered in his ear. A fire seemed to flare in Yukio¡¯s eyes and he regained confidence. ¡°Sweet Leaf is being sold in the city¡­ By Mr. Gerard¡± After Yukio made the statement none of the merchants in the room seemed to respond. It seemed like it was already known that Mr. Gerard dealt in illicit goods. Fawks had always told Kotori the issue wasn¡¯t knowing that Gerard was doing Illegal activities, but rather proving causality. Mr. Gerard was cool as a cucumber and was also unperturbed. [Merchants are quite good at hiding emotions] Kotori noted, it didn¡¯t feel as if the mood in the room had changed at all. Chapter 113: Sea Lord meeting(2) The Faramouth merchants sat there with a steely gaze at Fawks. The old merchants once again spoke ¡°I see, these are serious allegations, do you have a defense Sea Lord Gerard?¡± The elderly merchant said looking in Gerard''s direction. Gerard was wickedly smiling. ¡°I do!¡± He said The Faramouth merchant nodded allowing Gerard to speak. ¡°You see, Sea Lord Gunter, a week ago, one of my servants was kidnapped from me¡­¡± He said looking at Fawks and Kotori¡¯s group. [So that merchant¡¯s name is Gunter got it.] Kotori thought. ¡°She was such a lovely girl and she was quite close to the boy who just testified against me. Sea Lord Fawks kidnapped her and is using her to blackmail this poor boy into testifying against me¡± Gerard ¡°That¡¯s not true! You were the one who kidnapped her¡± Yukio shouted ¡°What a shame, you¡¯re still trying to protect her, don¡¯t worry I will save her!¡± Gerard proclaimed making a sad expression. [This bastard!] Kotori thought. ¡°Sea Lord Gunter, I¡¯m sure you can see how this is a misunderstanding, besides why would you even trust the word of a criminal.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Gunter said he seemed to think for a moment ¡°Do you mind explain what you mean by criminal?¡± Mr. Gerard pulled out a wanted poster with Kotori and Amelie¡¯s face on it. On it was a younger image of Kotori. [They got my nose wrong.] Kotori thought looking at it. ¡°That young girl behind Fawks is the one on this poster,¡± Gerard said pointing to the image on the sheet in his hand. ¡°Make¡¯s a sense,¡± Gunter said. He gestured to the guards behind him, ¡°Arrest her and her companions.¡± he stated flattly ¡°Excuse me?¡± Fawks said, ¡°What about a tribunal, or even a rebuttal?¡± Fawks asked Gunter ¡°I agree as well, this is not following procedure!¡± Bellmont also interupted to defend Kotori as well. Gunter only shook his head ¡°That won¡¯t be needed, Gerard already provided me with more than enough evidence before the meeting.¡± Fawks who should¡¯ve been surprised had an expression of anger on his face ¡°You sold us out!¡± he shouted toward Sea Lord Gunter. Gunter only shrugged his shoulders and quietly shuffled behinds his guards while they stepped forwards. Fawks look back towards Kotori and her group. ¡°You need to get out right now, my protection won¡¯t mean anything, these bastards are colluding with each other!¡± He said looking at Gunter and Gerard who were holding a bored expression. [So it looks like the scheme didn¡¯t matter in the end¡­] Kotori thought. Fawks'' scheme assumed that the Sea Lord council would play fair, but it seems like it was only fair when it came to small matters, it truly was never meant to be anything but an arm of the Faramouth kingdom. He looked at Gunter who was hiding behind his guards. ¡°You don¡¯t care about losing the business of every Eris Merchant in the city?¡± Fawks said. Although, the Eric Merchants were the smallest faction they were still enough of them that the City of Flare would take quite an economic hit losing all their business. ¡°I don¡¯t mind, you Eris merchants are troublesome to deal with anyway, plus I get rid of you,¡± Gunter said smiling. While Gunter was speaking Hatake began to walk forward. ¡°This an act of war! Don¡¯t act like the country of Eris will not have their retribution!¡± Fawks shouted. Gunter lazily waved them away, "As if a prince with no claim can actually declare war." Gunter said smiling. This time it was Kotori¡¯s turn to speak ¡°Fawks we have to move now!¡± Fawks seemed to make no indication he was planning on moving. Kotori sighed in frustration. [Cmon pretty boy now¡¯s not the time to act cool!] She pulled out her flute and cast a Mana buff on the entire group, even Fawks and Yukio had it. Shu, Umi, and Layla walked forwards, to match the guards in front of them. ¡°You¡¯re surrounded give up now and you will have a fair trial by the kingdom!¡± Gunter said while being shuffled out of the room. Kotori used status on people in the room. Fawks looked surprised as he felt the power of the mana buff. ¡°I always thought you were hiding something from me, You¡¯re not just a pretty face after all¡± Fawks said. Sato Kotori Race: [Human] Age: 10 HP: 256 (+210) Mana: 1/211 Agility: 265 (+210) Strength: 242 (210) Defense: 240 (+210) Karma: -100,006,981 (+1223) Skills: [Magic Minstrel], [Gourmet], [Charm][Desire of Monte Cristo](Removed) Traits: [Spirit Seer], [Monte Cristo], [£ª£ª¤¤©`¤«£ª] [MANA BUFF 5:59] Flame Spirit (Layla) Race: [Greater Spirit] Age: 1,783 HP: 256 (+210) Mana: 30 Agility: 255 (+210) Strength: 235 (+210) Defense: 237 (+210) Skills: [Flame], [Flame Cloak], [Heavenly Descent] Traits: [Fire Spirit], [Heavenly], [Form Manifestation], [MANA BUFF 5:59] Water Spirit (Umi) Race: [Greater Spirit] Age: 1 HP: 242 (+210) Mana: 62 Agility: 234 (+210) Strength: 227 (+210) Defense: 228 (+210) Skills: [Water blade] [Mana Flow] Traits: [Water Spirit Manifestation], [MANA BUFF 5:59] Dirt Spirit (Shu) Race: [Greater Spirit] Age: 2 HP: 253 (+210) Mana: 20 Agility: 228 (+210) Strength: 242 (+210) Defense: 259 (+210) Skills: [Rock Bullet] Traits: [Earth Spirit] [Stone Skin], [Dirt Spirit Form Manifestation], [MANA BUFF 5:59] Amelie Race: [Half Wood Elf] Age: 17 HP: 276 (+210) Mana: 0 Agility: 275 (+210) Strength: 248 (210) Defense: 243 (+210) Karma: 2,439 Skills: [Ninjistu] Traits: [Wood Elf''s Blessing], [MANA BUFF 5:59] Kitsura You would not know how long it took me to remake these character sheets. Chapter 114: A Merchant’s Perspective Kitsura Gerard would consider himself a magnanimous man. Not only did he give employment to orphans he would also take care of women. He had been a Sea Lord for over 20 years, succeeding the previous one, who was his Mentor. He had even voted for the Eric merchants to get their first seat on the council. Gerard only had two misgivings. His love of coin and women. The coin was all-powerful, it was why Gerard became a merchant. He loved it¡¯s glint. The way the gold would sheen in candlelight. It was always so hard for Gerard to choose the best woman in comparison. Every one of them was a mistress compared to his love. And that was how much he loved women. Beautiful women. Gerard wasn¡¯t satisfied with one, he wanted all the beautiful women in the world. But they didn¡¯t like him, Gerard tried to woo them with money and gifts. He couldn¡¯t understand why they wouldn¡¯t love the most beautiful thing in the world. Gerard live unsatisfied until one day he was introduced to the sweet leaf. An acquaintance brought some to a private business meeting for some casual use, but Gerard could immediately see how it could be used. He poured money into the industry, it allowed him to get both the things he wanted. The drug sold well and made him money, it also could be used to get him whatever ¡°toy¡± he wanted. Gerard lived a happy life. Until he found the flour, the managers had been talking about how one of the orphan boys had come back with a bag of flour and how the children hadn¡¯t eaten in three days. They thought it was odd until they investigated one of the kitchens and found the flour. Gerard investigated the flour and the boy. The boy was easy to get an answer out of. He was attached to one of Gerard¡¯s toys after all. At first, it was simply business as usual. He was surprised to find that the flour didn¡¯t come from some merchant but rather was being sold by a young girl. He licked his lips at the thought. He sent an invitation to the girl and instructions for her to obtain a dress from as store Gerard would patron. The Madame who ran the shop was always willing to accept his request for¡­ Dress modifications. It was a simple trick, something Gerard had always done with female merchants. They would always beg to have the slave collar taken off. When it was time to come to the party Gerard had to excuse himself for a moment. He had seen a fairy. A girl, unlike the women he had escorting him. Her bright eyes and charming little smile made his loins quiver. Pure pale unmarked limbs, a beautiful nymphet. It was that day, Gerard wanted to make her his. But she was a smart little bird. She had managed to remove the slave collar that he order to be installed, an action that displeased him greatly. He suspected foul play and would deal with the Madame later. Still, That night Gerard spent with his ¡°toys¡± none of them could satisfying the fire in his loins. He beat them black and blue and he was still flustered. When he left the room and looked at his handiwork, he had them replaced. There were still plenty of them to spare. Every time he thought of her, he would feel his ¡°son¡± harden. Oh, how he wanted to bruise and mar those limbs. To ruin that little charming smile, see a sweat-stained face scrunched up filled with pain. Oh how it aroused him! He had her investigated and learned something interesting. The little bird was a criminal. He sent his guard, the best adventurer from the kingdom that money could buy, to bully her and get information on her scheming She turned him down. Why couldn¡¯t she recognize his greatness! His charm! His coin! The next week he heard an interesting report. One of his toys was stolen. The guards were incapacitated. [Bitch!] Oh, how he loathed and loved her. Bellmont had recently been infatuated with her as well. He would get rid of that fool soon enough. Bellmont spent all day talking about her and the ¡°fan club¡± he had created. Useless shit! Sharing her? Basking in her greatness? The fuck! But he had enough information. That elf girl and the girl were both on the run. He could coordinate with the Faramouth merchants. They disliked the Eris factions and would be happy to cooperate with Gerard. He had to wipe the drool off his chin when he thought of the idea of capturing her. Gerard didn¡¯t like the Faramouth Merchants, but they were useful to work with at least. Fawks would be a pain in his side no longer. Gerard once tried to work with Fawks to create a combined Atlean and Eric faction to counter the Faramouth majority but Fawks didn¡¯t want to serve under Gerard. His loss. The girl would be his! Kitsura Sorry for no chapter yesterday. I fell asleep. This chapter was kinda hard to write, Gerard is a yucky dude. I had to pull open my copy of Lolita to get a sense of what I wanted Gerard to sound like Chapter 115: No More Running The first to move were the Faramouth Guards who stood behind Gunter. Kotori used [Status] on them. They were all well-trained adventurers with stats in the 60s. They lunged at Kotori¡¯s group. It seemed like they were unaware of how strong Kotori was. Shu stepped forward. A wall of rock appeared between Kotori¡¯s group and one of the guards with a mace smashed it. The wall shattered and Shu stepped forward to take the punch. The guard looked in shock as Shu took the blow head-on and it clattered against his manatamium armor. ¡°What the hell!¡± The guard pulled back his weapon. The flanges on it were slightly bent after it hit Shu¡¯s armor. Shu gave a thin smile ¡°I¡¯ve longed for this day,¡± He said She was a straightforward type. He had held his tongue out of respect for Kotori but all this scheming and sneaking was not his style. Shu wanted to gallantly charge forward and protect his master, but he was always told to restrain himself. For once he was finally allowed to let off a bit of steam. He was relishing the opportunity. Another guard walked forward slashing with his sword. Shu deftly blocked it with an arm covered in rock and then retaliated by shooting a basketball-sized [Rock Bullet] with his other arm. It slammed against the metal armor the guard wore on his chest denting it and blasting the guard against the wall. The guard slump over and a low groan could be heard from his body. Evidently, he was still alive. It made sense considering the stats on these guards were about as strong as the adventurers Kotori used to work with at the frontier city of Feran. In fact, Kotori wouldn¡¯t be surprised if these guards were adventurers to begin with. The other guards were now on guard. It seemed like they realized that Shu was a formidable combatant. Two more guards began to step forward with their swords held out and a thin slicing sound could be heard. The blades of their swords instantly fell. Cut from Umi¡¯s [Water Blade]. The men looked dumbfound at the empty hilts in their hand, before they were instantly knocked down by Layla who rushed forward and struck at them. Her hands were covered in mana which looked like flames. Her tail swished in the air. [I wanna fluff it!] Kotori thought. Now that Layla was fighting the tail was fluffed up like a cat¡¯s tail would. [Don¡¯t cats do that to look bigger or something?] Kotori¡¯s thought drifted. She was honestly having trouble think that there would be any problem. The guards seemed to be taken care of quickly enough. Fawks and Yukio watched as Kotori¡¯s companions quickly dealt with the Guards. ¡°Are all of you fighters!¡± He said incredulously ¡°Mostly,¡± Kotori said a little embarrassed. ¡°It¡¯s hard to be an outlaw if we couldn¡¯t even defend ourselves.¡± She said. Although, Kotori was considered a sort of urban legend among the adventurers she was woefully unknown among other people. The legend of Kotori had only started in the frontier city after all it would make sense that not much has traveled to the port city far to the northwest of Feran. Fawks nodded. Despite the ease to which Kotori¡¯s group was able to take out the guards of the Faramouth Merchants, she was still eyeing Hatake in the corner. Although she was maintaining a relaxed demeanor she hadn¡¯t lowered her guard. Hatake was smarter than the guards. He was observing them, trying to learn the capability of each and every one of Kotori¡¯s companions by using the Faramouth guards as bait. He also had a relaxed expression. ¡°We¡¯re leaving!¡± Kotori said She didn¡¯t want to fight Hatake, his stats were on par with theirs while buffed and she didn¡¯t know what his abilities did. [Status] could only see them but wouldn¡¯t ever explain them to her. Umi, Shu, and Layla all leaped back in unison. ¡°Why?¡± They asked collectively ¡°You don¡¯t plan on fighting the entire city right?¡± Kotori said ¡°Well¡­¡± Layla said, shuffling her feet. Shu and Umi were similarly flustered. [Don¡¯t tell me they were seriously planning on fighting the entire city] Kotori thought. Her mana buff was only a 6-hour buff and they would be vulnerable once it was done. It was not feasible to keep fighting. ¡°Fawks, do we have a safe place to run to?¡± Fawks was essentially an outlaw with Kotori at this point. The partial coup by Gerard had removed him from his seat. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Eh? What do you mean?¡± Fawks genuinely seemed puzzled. ¡°Running? I¡¯m a prince of Eris. I have no need to run from a political squabble. I¡¯ve already done it enough times¡± Fawks said [Enough times?] Kotori thought. [Is perhaps Fawks in Eris out of necessity and not choice] Kotori thought. Kitsura We''re starting to move into the end of act 1 of this webnovel in general. Chapter 116: The Chase(1) Fawks stood with lazy expression. ¡°Just get me to the docks.¡± He said [What is this prince prattling on about] Kotori didn¡¯t have time to argue with Fawks. Hatake had stood up and was beginning to move towards them. He was cracking his knuckled and stretching himself off. Kotori could see that under his normal cloak there was a faint sheen of metal. As if his entire body was covered in metal. She used [Status] on him Hatake Dawn Race: [Human] Age: 57 HP: 179 Mana: 116 Agility: 68 Strength: 143 Defense: 338 Skills: [Bulwark], [Stone Skin], [Impact Absorption] Traits: [Rook] [Good his stats haven¡¯t changed.] She thought. [Wait.] There seemed to be a marked shift in Hatake¡¯s stats. They were changing before her eyes. His defense stat grew while his mana stat fell. [400, 450, over 500! He had had a mana buff skill too!] Kotori was watching the stat rise. Hatake was converting all his mana into extra defensive stats. Shu launched a [Rock Bullet] towards Hatake. The bullet sped straight towards Hatake''s head and upon impact shattered into dust. Once the dust had settled Hatake smiled, in contrast to the last soldier that Shu had hit his face was unblemished ¡°Only kids throw rocks,¡± He said He walked towards them with a relaxed gait. It didn¡¯t seem like Hatake had much fear of them. Kotori gritted her teeth. She wasn¡¯t sure they would able to beat him. They were stat checked. Unless they found a way to get past that massive defense number any attack they landed on him would only be a small fly buzzing in his ear. Kotori¡¯s party didn¡¯t know that though. They likely had a clue about his defense number but they wouldn¡¯t know exactly. ¡°We have to retreat,¡± Kotori told them. Shu, Umi, Layla all gave a disappointed gaze Fighting Hatake would be something to revisit another time. ¡°Is there something at the docks?¡± Kotori said. ¡°Just take me there,¡± Fawks said with a Steely gaze. Kotori nodded. She trusted Fawks had a plan for them. ¡°Yukio come!¡± Kotori said Although Yukio was not part of their group she was still responsible. Shu punched a nearby wall their party ran out. Hatake was slower than them, and he wouldn¡¯t be able to catch up if they ran right now. They ran in a straight line, smashing through the guild walls. She had no reason to be sentimental about it. The people who controlled it had just tried to arrest her after all. Once they entered the large reception hall the receptionist gave a screech. The other Sea Lord had long since left the premise. Kotori sighed. It would be much easier to take them hostage and enact her demands. They sprinted through the building doors and made their way into the main street. It was surprisingly peaceful. It would make sense. It wasn¡¯t like the high political affairs of the kingdom were something the common folk care about. Taking Fawks they rushed through the streets. Kotori could hear a boom behind her. The entrance of the Merchants Guild was a broken hole, and in the hole was a standing lone figure. [Why is he so fast!] She watched Hatake bend down, and take a large jump. [The hell!] The way Hatake was moving was quite bizarre, he wasn¡¯t walking but rather leapfrogging towards them. It was still quite fast. Hatake was using his superior strength stat to make jumps instead of running towards them. Now that they were out in the open he had much more space to jump. [That¡¯s not good] Kotori thought watching the figure rapidly approaching them. Layle shot out two fireballs which blazed past Hatake. He ignored them and continued to move forward. Kotori and her group ran with the sound of thuds behind them. It felt oddly similar to Kotori¡¯s fight with King Lizard. But Kotori would not be able to kite the fight like the King Lizard she could only hope that Fawks had something at the Docks that would make Hatake stop chasing them. They ran through the streets pushing aside the people on the streets. Kotori felt her Karma stat fall while doing it. It seemed like she was injuring a few innocent bystanders. [Sorry!] She thought. Several of the normal town guards tried to stop them, but they were easily blasted aside by her party. Soon the smell of the sea began to approach. And they approached the docks. The sound of thundering jumps getting closer. Fawks led them past several ships and soon they reached a behemoth of a sailing ship. Something that Kotori would expect Zeng He to pilot. It was a large ship for the purpose of sailing deep into the ocean. The man where the ship was docked was also dark-skinned like Fawks. ¡°Fawks! What the hell is going on¡± He shouted [He looks familiar?] Kotori thought before she realized the man was Doran, Fawk¡¯s half-brother. ¡°Call the royal guard out from the ship,¡± Fawks said ¡°Fawks, you know I can¡¯t do that! They are only here once you find her.¡± Doran said. ¡°Yes, you can!¡± Fawks grabbed Kotori¡¯s arm and showed Doran the ring in her hand. It was the slave ring that Fawks gave Kotori. Doran¡¯s eyes widened and narrowed ¡°Fawks you know what this means?¡± He said glaring at him ¡°Absolutely,¡± Fawks said. Kitsura Chapter 117: The Chase(2) Doran hurried onto the ship. His back disappearing into a doorway on the side of the ship, The moment his back entered the monstrous ship Kotori heard a large thud next to them. Hatake had finally caught up to them. ¡°Why can¡¯t we get on this ship!¡± Kotori said ¡°It¡¯s not my ship¡± Fawks said ¡°For now, hold off Hatake until they arrive,¡± He said. [Hold off! This guy?] Kotori still had quite a bit of time before her stat buff would run out. The problem was making sure not to get rolled by Hatake. Umi shot out some water blades that harmlessly bounced off Hatake¡¯s metal armor. [Manatanium?] Kotori thought. It seemed like the metal that comprised Hatake¡¯s armor was strong than normal Magic Steel. Amelie walked forward. As their two forward combatants, she would be the one to take on Hatake¡¯s blows. Hatake seemed bored. As if he was playing with them. ¡°Mou, you guys are so boring.¡± He said flicking his eyes between the members of Kotori¡¯s party. Hatake¡¯s pulled out the large shield that hung on his back. It was a kite shaped shield that was 2/3rds as tall as Hatake was. Despite, the size of the shield he was able to hold it with just his left arm. He pulled a small mace that hung on the right of his belt and adopted a defensive stance. Kotori and her group could no longer retreat. The other end of the docks was the ocean after all. ¡°Stand behind us¡± She told Fawk and Yukio. Hatake swung his mace toward Amelie who wisely moved out of the way. She was unlikely to block it with just her sword. In the small gap in his defense, Layla lunged into the punch him, her fists ablaze with mana. Amelie seemed to sense something ¡°Layla no!¡± She yelled out Just before Layla was about to lunge in she backed off and the large kite shield came crashing down like a guillotine in the place where Layla¡¯s neck would¡¯ve been. Layla paled in response to nearly being decapitated. Hatake was grinning. ¡°Aww, almost had the fox girl!¡± [He¡¯s strong] Kotor thought. Not only, was Hatake a strong fighter he also had an excellent sense of fighting. He was a grizzled adventuring veteran, after all, no one could get strong unless they were smart, and knew how to fight. Hatake was creating fake gaps in his defense to bait Kotori¡¯s party in. It was difficult, they had to assess whether a hole in his guard was created intentionally or rather a bait for them to attack into. [This is going to be difficult to deal with] Kotori thought. Hatake was like a crumbling brick wall. Even if they manage to break down the wall they weren¡¯t sure if the wall would come crashing down on them. [For now, we have to stall] Kotori thought. A long drawn-out fight began. Hatake was unable to land a hit on either of them but they could only desperately fight. The few blows that landed only glanced off Hatake. Hatake seemed to be enjoying himself, a manic smile was creeping upon his face. ¡°BWAHAHA! HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN, COME! SPLINTER YOUR BONES AGAINST THE ROOK OF THE KING!¡± He suddenly shouted Hatake fought with a renewed vigor pushing back all of Kotori¡¯s party. It was still impossible to land a blow on him. Although Hatake was ¡°slow¡± with a low agility stat he had an amazing perception. Hatake may not be able to ward off a sudden strike but he was able to correctly predict what movements Kotori¡¯s party was about to do. Despite being surround by 5 people he had no trouble dealing with any of them, and was still able to occasionally parry a blow, while still pushing them back. [A perfect tank player] Kotori thought in bemused frustration. Hatake was able to make up slow speed with perfect control and understanding of the battlefield. [We have to switch strategies.] Kotori thought as Hatake push away Shu with his shield while nearly braining Amelie with his mace. ¡°Move back!¡± Kotori shouted. Everybody from Kotori¡¯s party instantly leaped behind her. [Hikari-Chan I need some help] Kotori could feel the tiara grumble as if it was annoyed at being disturbed. Two pieces of metal popped out from the Tiara and morphed into 2 MP5s in Kotori¡¯s hands. She pulled the trigger shooting a storm of bullets onto Hatake. Hatake raised his shield in response to the heavy downpour bullets. The loud sound of manatanium bullets echoing against the shield filled the dockyard. The bullets would automatically fly up and return to the weapon in Kotori¡¯s hand once they shot out and hit their target. Kotori could feel the mana in Hikaru getting lower. She could only put so much mana in Hikari and shooting this much manatanium in rapid-fire would make it difficult to maintain. By her calculations, she could only suppress Hatake for another 10 minutes before Hikari ran out of bullets. Kitsura I enjoy writing Hatake, he''s kinda a meathead. So it is kinda the end of the current anime season. Fun fact about myself, I don''t watch anime as they are airing. Rather, I will compile a list of the anime I want to watch and then binge them on the next season once they are finished. In other words. I''m about to watch a lot of anime. Chapter 118: Pierce through! ¡°BRRT!¡± The sound of gunfire ran through the air. Kotori was beginning to feel the consciousness of Hikari feel faint. [Hold on a little longer!] The bullets shooting out began to move faster. And soon it stopped. Hatakes shield was strong. It was battered beyond recognition, the surface of it was covered in pocket marks. It must¡¯ve been made of manatanium as well. Hatake peeked out from the shield. Realizing that there were no more gunshots he stood up from his hunched position. He looked at the great shield in his hand it was little more than a battered piece of metal and tossed it away. To a normal person tossing away such an expensive piece of equipment that could still be repaired would be wasteful but it didn¡¯t seem like Hatake had those concerns. He cracked his neck ¡°Nice arrows? First time I¡¯ve seen something like that to be honest.¡± Kotori could only grimly smile, Her firepower was simply not enough to get past Hatake. He started walking over to them again with a relaxed gait. ¡°The King is going to be very happy when he gets his hand on you little girl¡± She didn¡¯t have another trump card, [Charm] would not work if a person was actively trying to fight her it was not able to overwrite a conscience like that. Kotori put up a stance again. She wouldn¡¯t be able to get through the tank that was Hatake the way she was now. There was no finesse that could be done with her current skills. She would have to overpower him. She did have one option left, but she was sure the people involved would not be happy about it. ¡°Shu, Umi, Layla to me! Amelie cover!¡± The spirits, and dutifully leaped over ¡°Yes, Ojou?¡± ¡°Yes, goushujin-sama¡± ¡°What do you need Kotori¡± Kotori could only grimace ¡°I have a plan,¡± she said while transferring the idea with [Spirit Seer]. The spirits upon learning the plan nodded, their faces resolving themselves. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± Kotori said her voice pained, she didn¡¯t want to hurt the ones who had been following her the entire time. She activated [Hunter] on them all. She felt mana surging into her. The spirits groaned and gave a pained moan. Spirits were creatures made of mana, after all, Kotori taking their mana buff away would be akin to flaying the skin off a human. ¡°Ohoho? Sacrificing your companions? I didn¡¯t take you for a cold-hearted person.¡± Hatake said slightly surprised. Umi, Layla, and Shu all began to shrink, their forms flickering, they kneeled on the ground, and Kotori heard a pained scream from Layla. Amelie desperately tried to ward off Hatake and soon was knocked prone. [I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry! Please hold on!] Kotori thought. They shrunk down even further until the pitiful figure of a watery otter, a small rat, and a fox cub on the ground. Their mana not even enough to maintain their forms. Kotori poured the mana into Hikari and activated [Magic Minstrel]. Hikari seemed to roar to life from her slow drowsy state, and soon a blob of metal popped out and turned into a spear in Kotori¡¯s hand. Kotori was doing a specific kind of buff. She would have Hikari turn into a spear and pierce through Hatake. She would overpower him, and rush through his defense. She was putting all her mana into Strength and Agility. Both stats were now over 700, higher than Hatake¡¯s 500 defense. She felt power pouring into her and a slight glow emanated from the spear that was now in her hands. [Ah, I feel so light] Kotori thought Kotori dashed forward, stabbing at Hatake, her movement so fast it left an afterimage. She felt resistance. And a grunt from Hatake ¡°GAH!¡± She had hit her target! She looked up to confirm her hit and all she was an arm in front of her. Hatake had used his arm to block the blow. The spear had pierced through his arm and stuck him on the chest. Hatake jumped back while pulling Kotori¡¯s spear out of his arm. Hatake had a pain expression, his left arm now hung limply on his side. The wound, which was no longer being plugged by the spear was gushing blood staining the pavement below them and dripping into the ocean. ¡°Grrr, how long has it been since someone has pierced my skin, what a troublesome job,¡± Hatake said. [It wasn¡¯t enough!] Kotori thought. She had poured as much mana as she could into strengthening Hikari, and it was still not enough. Hikari would not be able to maintain such hardness again on such a short notice. Kotori didn¡¯t have the mana for it. ¡°Hatake gave a pained smile, ¡°Out of options? Good, this was a little¡­ more difficult than I would¡¯ve liked¡± He grunted He was right. Kotori was out of options her companions landed on the pavement beside her and she was running low on mana. She lowered her guard, starting to resign herself to her fate. [Ah, maybe the King won¡¯t be so bad.] She thought to herself. Suddenly, a light appeared from the Eris ship behind her. It arced towards the sky and bent towards the sea. For a moment, everybody paused looking at the light. [What was that!] Kotori thought Hatake didn¡¯t seem perturbed by it and continued to make a pained step forward. Kotori heard a voice behind her, it was Fawks who had been standing behind her the entire time. ¡°Took him long enough¡± Fawks muttered. Kitsura Starting to watch Tokyo revenger, hope it''s good. Chapter 119: Candidate After the light finished, Hatake moved closer he had little concern for it. Kotori looked behind her at Fawks who was not standing with a smirk on his face. [What¡¯s he smiling about!] Kotori thought looking at the grin on Fawk¡¯s face. Hatake was bearing down on them, and they had no way of stopping him. Kotori saw Shu in his rat form desperately try crawl toward her. [Oh Shu¡­] Despite being in such a pitiful form Shu was still trying to protect his master. [Please stay still¡­ You¡¯ve done enough] She said using [Spirit Seer] begging him to stop moving. Shu ignored her and continued to move closer. Layla and Umi stayed motionless against the ground. Just as Hatake began to take another step. A sword was thrown at his feet. The sword had a slight shimmer, and a slight transparent look that gave the impression it was not a physical object. Kotori looked in the direction to where the rapier was thrown and saw lightly armored man standing on the gang plank of that led into the ship. Standing next to him was Doran waving frantically. ¡°Halt! Take another step and I will retaliate¡± The lightly armored man said Hatake ignored him and walked forward again, this time another sword was thrown out Hatake blocked it with his uninjured arm. Then, Kotori saw a curious scene. The sword went through, it didn¡¯t do any damage, it simply passed ¡°through him¡± as if it was a cloud of smoke, despite looking unharmed Hatake gave a scream bending over in pain. ¡°I¡¯m going to ask you to stop.¡± The mysterious man said frowning. Hatake seemed to not hear him as he was laying on the ground clutching himself. The mysterious man seemed to be oblivious to this fact. Kotori used [Status] on him Amah Ro Race: [Human] Age: 28 HP: 179 Mana: 364 Agility: 173 Strength: 79 Defense: 59 Skills: [Sword Smith] Traits: [Queensguard] [Low stats?] Kotori thought. The man wasn¡¯t particularly strong and yet, he was able to bring a person like Hatake to his knees. He had the same [Sword Smith] skill that Yooma had although, he seemed to be using it in a different way. [Does it have something to do with that sword?] Kotori thought reaching out to the shimmery sword in front of her. ¡°Ah my lady, I wouldn¡¯t do that,¡± The lightly armored man said Kotori instantly pulled back her hand. The man leaped into the air and lightly dropped down next to Kotori. ¡°Are you unharmed, my lady?¡± He asked holding Kotori. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine,¡± Kotori said still in shock over the event. [The spirits!] She thought. Kotori deactivated her mana buff, pulling it inside of her with [Gourmet], and then using her flute to send it back to Umi, Shu, and Layla. The pain expressions on their faces seemed to lessen, but their forms remained the same. She checked on Amelie who was also slumped on the ground. ¡°Amelie!¡± She said holding her up. Amelie had been thrown onto the pavement and was taking short and jagged breaths. [her ribs are broken] Kotori thought. She pulled out her flute and using the last remnants of mana used her healing song to accelerate the healing. Amelie¡¯s breathing slowed down and the labored nature of it also lessened. [Good¡­] Kotori thought. Her limbs felt deadened. She had used some of her own energy instead of Amelie¡¯s to heal her ribs. Amelie was in such a poor state that forcing Amelie to take the brunt of the healing would¡¯ve likely killed her. Kotori laid against the pavement holding Amelie in her arms. She felt something hold her up. It was the man from earlier. ¡°it¡¯s okay you may sleep now.¡± He said gently. Her eyes lids lowered, and she felt herself being lifted away and moved. ** ** ** Kotori awoke on a swaying hammock. Her stomach lurched due to the movement. Huddled next to her were three small animals. A fox, a rat, an otter were all cuddled up against her. She assumed that they were Shu, Layla, and Umi. [Oh] When Kotori took their mana from them, it must¡¯ve stopped them from regaining their forms. Kotori hugged them a little tighter. Like a girl holding her stuffed animals. [Thank you all] She thought. They really were some troublesome spirits, going so far as to indulge her. She rubbed their heads nuzzling them. The hammock lurched again [Where are we?] Kotori thought. She appeared to be in the hull of a ship, and the sound of splashing water could be heard from the wooden walls. Kitsura Bleb Bleb Ble Chapter 120: Big Ship(1) Kotori who had woken up in such an unfamiliar place was orienting herself to her surroundings. She was in a room with the hammock she was currently laying, and there was a nightstand and a desk bolted down to the ground, the nightstand had her belongings on it. There was also another hammock next to her with a figure that was partially hidden by the upturned sides of it. The was also a port hole that peered out into the open sea. The room swayed again which made her stomach turn. They were likely in the hull of a ship of some kind. She looked at the other hammock and saw the sleeping figure of Amelie in it. Her sides were bandaged up and she was snoring softly. It seems like Kotori¡¯s healing was able to take the edge of her broken ribs. Kotori stepped out of the hammock. She walked to the door and found it was unlocked. The door opened with a click and she moved out. It was then, Kotori realized that she was wearing only a nightdress, Someone must¡¯ve put it on her, at least she still felt the familiar weight of Hikari on her head. Although, Hikari appeared to be uncharged and dormant. Kotori had used every once of her mana to try and land a hit on Hatake after all. She decided to wait in her room. She spent the time looking out the porthole. It''s scenery didn¡¯t appear to change. [Are we still in Flare?] She thought. If they were in the Eris ship it would make sense why it was insulating sounds. The ship was so large that it wouldn¡¯t be a surprise if she didn¡¯t hear anything. Kotori waited around for a few hours. She felt groggy but her mana was actually in a good spot. She was gently playing her flute infusing Shu, Umi, and Layla with mana. Their spiritual forms had taken damage which was why they were in such a small state. Maintain anything larger would be extremely difficult for them. They huddled against her. Shu trying his best to squeak in happiness. Kotori felt a little wet where Umi was huddled against her, but she endured it. Umi¡¯s form was currently a result of her own selfishness after all. She was holding the flute and playing with one hand while sofly stroking Layla. It was one of the few times where she could pet Layla and she was making full use of it. Layla was supremely fluffy like her mother. Kotori when activating [Magic Minstrel] didn¡¯t need to play the flute. Rather it was an automatic effect that activated when she used it. The song Kotori was playing was a lullaby from her mother. Something that dwelt in her mind somewhere. The soft melody permeated the room, a melody that gave a warm feeling, like sitting at the edge of a campfire. [Perhaps a past memory of the original Kotori?] She thought. The person who Kotori had taken over was someone she had never really thought much about. She thought it was odd she took over a body rather than being born. [Reincarnation huh¡­] She thought. She was beginning to wonder why she was placed on this world. Based on what Gabriel told her she could¡¯ve been placed in a world much like the world she came from. A world with no monsters and dungeons, with humans who would use technology to advance. Instead, she got placed in this world. She gently cooed, stroking her spirits. They had worked very hard for her sake. [Rest well] She thought. She heard a knock on the door which she ignored and kept playing her flute. A man who was likely a sailor walked in. Upon seeing her play her flute and petting her spirits, he froze. ¡°umm,¡± he mumbled Kotori stopped playing. ¡°Yes?¡± She said, They were obviously surprised to see Kotori awake. What Kotori didn¡¯t realize was that she had accidentally added a new fan to the Kotori fan club. The sight of Kotori playing her flute, for her spirits was something that looked ephemeral. ¡°Kyun!¡± The man suddenly said [Kyun?] Kotori thought ¡°I will get Fawks!¡± he suddenly said and dashed out of the room [What an odd man] Kotori thought. Fawks soon came in. ¡°Kotori?¡± He said ¡°Yes?¡± Kotori replied ¡°Did you do something to that sailor? He was babbling like a fool, it took me time to even figure out what he was trying to say¡± Fawks said rubbing his temples. His face looked even more haggard than before. He must¡¯ve been under a lot of stress. ¡°I don¡¯t believe I did anything¡± Kotori said. ¡°I see, well I¡¯m glad to see you awake¡± Fawks said ¡°Thank you, by the way where am I?¡± Kotori asked Fawks grinned, ¡°Well, your on the biggest ship over by the desert kingdom of Eris, the Daimaru. [¡°Big ship¡± huh, not very creative are they] Kotori thought ¡°Why am I on here then?¡± Kotori asked. If they were still in Flare wouldn¡¯t it be better for her to remain at the inn. Kitsura Chapter 121: Big Ship(2) Fawks was giving a big grin. ¡°Well, you¡¯ve been very helpful to my plans. Because of you, that man was willing to help us out.¡± ¡°Who?¡± Kotori said bewildered at what Fawks was alluding to. ¡°The man who saved you, Amah¡± Fawks said. ¡°Who¡­ is Amah?¡± Kotori asked. ¡°He¡¯s one of the Queensguard. Sworn to protect the Queen of Eris, my mother¡± Fawks said grimacing while talking about his mother. [Eris is a¡­ Queendom?] Kotori thought. She had always heard it referred to as a kingdom, so thus she assumed it had a male ruler as well. ¡°Why would he protect me, I¡¯m not a queen?¡± Kotori asked. ¡°Well¡­¡± Fawks said shuffling his feet. He had lost the proud demeanor he had before. He then clasped his hands together and bowed his head as if he was about to beg forgiveness. ¡°You¡¯ve been chosen as a queen¡¯s candidate! Please forgive me!¡± Fawks said. ¡°Queens candidate?¡± Kotori said. She was getting even more confused by each of the statements that Fawks was making. ¡°The Kingdom of Eris doesn¡¯t have hereditary royalty. Rather, the heirs of the current ruling family are tasked to find a suitable female candidate, often the female heirs will nominate themselves, but male candidates will be forced to find someone else. It¡¯s a troublesome thing, I came to Flare to avoid it all. It seems despite all my efforts, I still couldn¡¯t run from my heritage after all.¡± Fawks explained He then jumped down into a dogeza ¡°I apologize for tricking you, that ring was actually the ring that royalty carries to identify their choice. The light you saw was confirmation to the kingdom I had made my choices¡± [Candidates? Does that mean we are tested or something?] Kotori thought. She had been a good test taker in her past life, so if the test to become a queen was anything like the university examinations she would be in a good spot. Regardless she didn¡¯t really want to be a queen anyway, it was too much publicity for her. ¡°Umm¡­ I don¡¯t really mind, I¡¯ll just recede my claim and we¡¯ll be fine right?¡± Fawks shook his head. ¡°There is no backing out. The losing sides will be executed along with their candidates, otherwise, there would be too many challenges to the throne.¡± Fawks explained ¡°I held off for so long, I would¡¯ve really like to not get my head chopped off. I even kept the confirmation tool on the ship¡± Fawks said sighing. ¡°Why did Amah protect me if I¡¯m not the queen,¡± Kotori asked. ¡°The queensguard are sworn to protect the candidates until there are done competing with each other. It would be foul play for a candidate to be taken out prematurely due to subterfuge.¡± Fawks said ¡°I see¡± Kotori said she it was quite a bit to take in. She didn¡¯t really want to be a queen, but it seemed like it would be troublesome if she didn¡¯t at least try to compete. ¡°What happens if I don¡¯t go?¡± Kotori said Fawks gave a thin smile. ¡°Please don¡¯t entertain the thought, the new royalty would be crown and they would make an order to hunt us down and eliminate us, since we could still be challengers to the throne.¡± Fawks said. [Looks Like I¡¯m not getting out of this] Kotori would much rather fight on an even playing field to become the queen than have to deal with pursuers. ¡°You currently have sanctuary on this ship, Amah is protecting you.¡± Fawks said ¡°So, you lost your seat,¡± Kotori asked ¡°Unfortunately, that is the case, we haven¡¯t been able to leave the ship.¡± ¡°I see, then can we enter the city¡± Kotori asked. ¡°I¡¯m sure that you can, Amah will protect you regardless, but I¡¯m not afforded the same protection, unfortunately,¡± Fawks said. He turned toward the porthole looking out of it. ¡°I¡¯m having a few associates prepare for us to voyage back¡± ¡°Wait, now?¡± Kotori said she was surprised to find out that they were leaving now. ¡°What about my rice and the wheat!¡± Kotori said. She had taken the villager''s wheat without returning it. ¡°Oh, that has been taken care of, I¡¯m having the same associate do the deal in my stead.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Kotori said relaxing. ¡°I¡¯m the last of my siblings to chose a candidate they were about to start without me, but now that I¡¯ve chosen one they will wait, fate does work in mysterious ways.¡± [Didn¡¯t he also put the ring on me quite early? What he planning this all along] Kotori asked Fawks about this. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t say I planned for this. I put the ring on you in case there was an emergency but I didn¡¯t think I would ever have to use it.¡± ¡°So it wasn¡¯t a slave ring after all?¡± Kotori asked ¡°No, it is, the male heir is considered the first subordinate of the candidate, you still own me¡± Fawks said. ¡°Let¡¯s test that, jump of the ship and drown as an apology for tricking me¡± Kotori said ¡°Aiee!¡± Fawks started walking as if compelled by an unnatural force ¡°Cancel, that¡± Kotori ordered. She was just testing the collar after all. Fawks turned back around. ¡°Please don¡¯t make jokes¡± she said, his face was still pale after being compelled to nearly kill himself. ¡°I deserve a little teasing after the trouble you put me through,¡± Kotori said indignantly ¡°Must you be so vindictive?¡± Fawks asked exasperated. Kitsura Going on vacation so my releases may be a bit erratic, until july 4th ok~ Also I''ve realized that at the pace I''''m currently writing it will take me over a year to finish this story. So I''ve made a few adjustments. I am going to accelerate the plot and probably remove an arc and add it to the afterstory. It''s a little painful, but tbh I really only have 2-3* more major arcs planned out once this arc is finishing up. Chapter 122: Aftermath Kotori spent the next two weeks on the ship. No one could get on, it almost felt like she was sheltering in an embassy in a foreign country. Kotori spent her time slowly building up Umi, Shu and Layla with her [Magic ministrel]. They had taken a lot of damage to their spiritual bodies after Kotori used [Gourmet] on them and she was making the effort to restore their forms. Despite this Kotori only really had one thought. [These spirits are too deredere!] Umi, Shu, and Layla followed her around like a pack of ducklings and would fight for a spot in her lap. Kotori could understand why Shu would follow her around since she had essentially raised him, but it seemed like Layla and Umi were in much the same way. Felt more like she was taking care of several kittens rather than full grown spirits. [Well, they deserve it though] Kotori thought She let the spirits indulge themselves and spend more time with her. It wasn¡¯t like she was doing anything anyway. Amelie was also still injured; her ribs were nearly healed up thanks to Kotori¡¯s healing song, and she had little trouble moving around. Although, she was still not quite at full form. They had short conversations while Amelie was still bedridden. ¡°Why do I keep breaking bones!¡± She remarked ¡°Drink more milk¡± Kotori quipped smiling. Amelie pouted. "Can¡¯t you make that mana buff stronger?" She said. Kotori shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Sorry need my mana pool to increase for that¡± ¡°Pfft!¡± Amelie said. Still, what Kotori didn¡¯t tell Amelie was that she was unhappy. The entire ordeal with the Flare merchants had left a bad taste in her mouth. In all honesty, she felt cheated [Why can they just do that!] Kotori thought. She thought it was rather arbitrary to have a ¡°Sea Lord council¡± if the Faramouth merchants always had the last laugh. Fawks had told her they would be voyaging to the kingdom soon. It wouldn¡¯t be long before the kingdom was sending tougher people after her again. Hatake was already a verifiable monster when they tried to fight her. She still didn¡¯t understand why Amah was able to defeat him in the first place. [He had the same skill as Yooma right? Why did his weapons look different] Kotori thought. Yooma¡¯s weapons were physical weapons that would deal physical damage. Amah¡¯s weapons seemed to pass through Hatake. [Do they attack the mana of the target?] Kotori thought. All people in this world had some form of mana. In fact, it could be said that humans were fleshy spirits in a way. She did plenty of ¡°mana attacks¡± when she was skimming the mana off adventurers when they attack her. She had never thought to directly attack the hard core of mana that lied beneath the soft covering of mana the core had. Dungeon monsters were different. They were completely soft, no core like humans. Spirits on the other hand were all core which is why Shu, Umi and Layla were damaged so much when Kotori siphoned mana from them. If Amah was directly attacked the core of Hatake it made sense why he wouldn¡¯t be able to defend against it. Hatake¡¯s defensive stats were all tied up in ¡°physical¡± defense. He wouldn¡¯t have been able to defend against such an attack. Kotori was scheming for herself now. She wasn¡¯t just going to let these merchants get what they want. They thought that money and influence would protect them. A nagging feeling was felt in her again. A feeling that was compelling her. It welled deep inside her soul. ¡°Those fucking merchants!¡± she spat before composing herself. Shu, Umi, and Layla all upturned their heads. Kotori was currently laying in her hammock with her spirits. They were busy having their comfy time but Kotori¡¯s mind had drifted ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± She said. She must¡¯ve startled them with her sudden outburst. [That was odd?] for a moment Kotori felt not herself. The feeling of revenge had overwhelmed her common sense. It had been a while since she had felt so compelled. Kotori wondered what was causing it. She stroke the heads of her spirits to assure them. Regardless. She was going to take her revenge on these nobles who had thought they could get away with this. It would help out Fawks after all. She would need Amah to help her. Kotori couldn¡¯t deal with the Merchants if they still had Hatake protecting them. Kotori stopped petting her spirits. She got up and started walking towards the mysterious man who had protected. The ship was massive, almost the size of a cruise ship, and she was having trouble navigating it. It was a royal vessel after all. She asked a nearby sailor where Amah was at and she was directed towards a secluded portion of the ship. Apparently, Amah was a bit of a recluse and didn¡¯t leave the ship. [A shut-in] Kotori thought about hearing the tib bit. She wondered what kind of person Amah was until she reached his door. He was residing in quarters on the ship that were relatively mid level. It wasn¡¯t a fancier cabin-like Kotori was staying in. With an anxious heart, she opened the door to meet her savior. Kitsura So I''m curently in chicago rn, and I went to this pretty highbrow Japanese resturant and there were like two people wearing maid outfits with cat ears and I was empatheticlly cringing for the weeblets, until I looked and found out that anime midwest is going on RN. I was thinking of going until I realized that the entry fee was 40$ Fuck. that. So anyway, that''s my life. Though, I guess I''m also a weeb for writing isekai webnovels in my free time. Duality of man I guess. Chapter 123: Amah When Kotori opened the door she saw an unfamiliar sight. Amah was sitting on a matt on the ground cross-legged with his eyes closed. He was wearing light-fitted clothing that allowed for movement which was odd since he was sitting completely still. [Meditating?] Kotori thought. His room was very barebones. There was only a dresser for clothing, and a hammock but otherwise it was empty. [He travels very light no?] Amah didn¡¯t seem like a person with very many items. He was almost monk-like in a way. Amah ignored Kotori who had entered the room and was still meditating. Shu walked up to sniff him, and Layla proceeded to curl up in his lap, yawn as if she was about to sleep in it. It was an odd sight. [Warm] Layla said. [Layla!] She scolded her. Kotori felt like she was already intruding but it didn¡¯t even seem like Amah had noticed their presence. ¡°Hello?¡± She called out. Amah didn¡¯t respond obviously lost in the process of his meditations ¡°Excuse me?¡± Kotori called out again. This time she saw a slight twitch from Amah. He must¡¯ve heard her this time. His eyes flickered open. ¡°Yes? His eyes flickered open. He looked around the room and his eyes immediately trained on Kotori. ¡°Yes?¡± He said expectantly. He didn¡¯t seem annoyed which Kotori was grateful for. ¡°Umm hello¡­ Amah¡± Kotori hadn¡¯t really talked to Amah before and she was realizing how awkward it would be to just ask Amah to follow her. She had been used to people doing that for her not having to ask for it. ¡°Hello do you need something?¡± Amah answered back. ¡°Will¡­ you escort me?¡± she stammered out. Kotori cursed herself, she was nervous and felt like a young girl asking for her father to spoil her. Amah nodded ¡°Very well, give me a moment to prepare.¡± He went to the sole dresser in the room and began to pick out several pieces of battle wear that he wore the day he fought Hatake. Kotori was busy slapping her face. She was surprisingly nervous around this man. Amah didn¡¯t take off any of his current clothing and instead was layering the battle wear atop the thin tunic that he wore. So he was dressed in a few layers of light-fitting clothing that seemed to sway. They seemed very breezy and refreshing. Something that Kotori wouldn¡¯t wear in the kingdom of Faramouth which had a cooler climate on account of being in the north. Amah stood there for a moment before Kotori realized that he was waiting for her. [Whoops] she thought as she set off to leave the ship and enter the city of Flare. ** ** ** Kotori had spent a lot of her time holed up in the ship thinking. She didn¡¯t have much time before someone stronger than Hatake was sent after her, and although her spirits were currently stuck in weakened forms she would have to move quickly. Kotori had not told Amelie she was doing things, or else she was sure she would¡¯ve been scolded. While they were walking towards Kotori¡¯s first destination she chatted with Amah. He was a many that spoke very little, and Kotori wanted to learn how Amah could damage Hatake. Kotori noticed that like Yooma Amah didn¡¯t carry any weapons. She suspected his [Sword Smith] skill was the reason. ¡°Do you not have a weapon?¡± Kotori asked Amah grunted and a wispy transparent sword appeared in his hand. Kotori took the opportunity to use [Gourmet] to examine it. It was unlike the Mana swords that Yooma used. Yooma used mana to create physical swords in the case of Amah Kotori could see that Amah¡¯s swords weren¡¯t physical in the slightest. In fact, they felt almost prickly, like the mana in them was rough and coarse. Like a shark¡¯s skin. She could now see why being pierced by that sword would hurt so much. Kotori had never really thought it was possible to change the composition of mana. In a way, her mana shock from her flute was similar but it was still basically an extra-strong sound wave. While walking she pulled out her flute and tried to emulate the mana that was in the sword, Amah was using. It was difficult, she hadn¡¯t ever attempted to change the nature of the mana she used. She managed to play a few tunes that seemed to grate on the ears. Many of the bystanders were giving her a stink eye. Eventually, she was able to make a mana type that was similar to what Amah was able to make. Upon making the mana, Amah seemed to raise his eyebrow ¡°Oh? You¡¯ve learned it?¡± Kitsura Finally off vacation. For my Patreon readers, I will be writing a lot to compensate for the missing chappies. Chapter 124: Unfinished business [Learned it? What is he talking about.] Amah was now apparently finally taking an interest in her. He looked towards her for the first time His eyes were large and hooded, giving him an almost owl-like appearance. ¡°Mana dying, is something that would take a disciple their 4th year to learn.¡± Kotori was not following what Amah was saying [4th year? This can be taught?] Amah was making quite a few statements that let Kotori wonder what exactly his background was. She decided to ignore him for now. At the very least she could now make the sort of mana that would be able to go past physical defense strengthening magic. Kotori moved deeper into the city. She only had one destination at this moment. The merchant''s quarters. It had been around a week since the incident where they were chased and Kotori only had this time period to enact her revenge so she had to move fast. She made her way to Fawk¡¯s inn. The receptionist seemed to recognize Kotori. ¡°Show me the merchant register,¡± Kotori ordered. She was going to see what inns Gerard was staying at. The Faramouth Merchant Gunter would have to wait but she had unfinished business with that man. The receptionist brought out a large leather-bound book and handed it to Kotori. Kotori scanned the pages, thankfully they were ordered alphabetically. She soon found Gerard¡¯s name. She smirked. He was staying at the most expensive inn in the Merchant¡¯s district. Just as she was about to leave she asked the receptionist something. ¡°Is the girl still here?¡± The receptionist nodded. Kotori had been stuck on the ship for a while and thus wasn¡¯t able to microdose the girl during the time period. Her treatment was nearly done so it was unlikely that she wouldn¡¯t have died but it was most likely one of the most unpleasant experiences of the girl''s life. Even if they were there the girl would¡¯ve still had meals sent to her room so she was probably fine. Probably. Kotori opened the door to find a room that was a whirlwind The bed was upturned and the blankets were thrown across the ground. There was several tray of untouched and moldy food on the floor. In the corner was huddled a green hair figure in the fetal position with a pitcher of water sitting next to them. Kotori moved over to the girl. She was huddled with a haggard look on her face. Near her was a plate of food that was half-eaten. [So she was able to eat after all?] Kotori thought. She felt bad. It was her fault the girl was like this. All things considered, the drug should be out of her body. The girl was looking at the floor so Kotori couldn¡¯t see her face and she bent down to get a closer look. When she looked into the girl''s eyes she saw a fire within them. [So she¡¯s back to her senses] Kotori thought. The girl had a look of steely determination on her face. Her eyes were zeroed on the ground and it looked as if she was try to divert her focus elsewhere. At the moment the girl hadn¡¯t even noticed Kotori¡¯s presence. [She a lot stronger than I gave her credit for] Kotori thought. She waved a hand in front of the girl. The girl seemed to snap back to reality. ¡°Wha-¡± the girl said ¡°Hello, Did yah miss me?¡± Kotori said smiling ¡°You!¡± The girl said. Kotori kept up her devilish smile. ¡°I assumed you¡¯re over your addiction.¡± She said The girl was surprisingly clear headed. Kotori was starting to see why Yukio like her so much. She had a strong spirit. [Would be tasty¡­ No, bad thoughts!] Kotori started thinking. The girl seemed to falter upon hearing Kotori¡¯s question. ¡°Sweet leaf¡­¡± She said her voice trailing off ¡°Oh?¡± Kotori said. She moved to a corner of the room. The girl had done a good job trying to find where Kotori had hid it but unfortunately she was too shallow. Kotori pulled open a loose floorboard and retrieved a small jar from the alcove under it. She opened it. Inside was a dose of sweet leaf. Kotori offered it to the girl. This would be her final test. Rehab would do no good unless the addicted individual was strong enough to resist cravings. The girl seemed to outstretch her right arm for a moment her eyes caught in a trance before she suddenly grabbed it back with her left arm. [Ohoho? She was strong enough to resist] Kotori thought. ¡°Very good¡± Kotori said praising the girl, before she ordered Layla to burn the remaining drug left in the jar. Kotori closed the jar before any of the fumes escaped and set it on a nearby desk. ¡°Yukio is waiting for you¡± she said. Kitsura Yeet Chapter 125: Insect "Yukio" the girl said her voice trembling slightly. It seemed like she was remembering something. ¡°Do you recall him?¡± Kotori said. ¡°Yes¡­¡± The girl said as if she was searching her mind. Her eyes grew distant. [they must¡¯ve not known each other for very long] Kotori concluded by the way the girl acted. ¡°Do you mind telling me your name?¡± Kotori asked her ¡°Arene,¡± the girl replied. ¡°I see. Then Arene, you have two choices. Either I give you some cash and I leave you in this city, or you come with us.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± Arene said. [Oops, she¡¯s been cooped up in this room she likely doesn¡¯t know much of what has gone on] Kotori thought, she then explained the situation to Arene. From how Kotori was a wanted criminal to how Arene was rescued in the first place. ¡°Do you understand?¡± Kotori told Arene. ¡°I¡¯m not quite clear on some details but I get the general points,¡± Arene said slightly bewildered at the explanation Kotori gave her. Arene had spent most of the time in a catatonic state under the influence of Sweet Leaf and thus didn¡¯t have much impression of the time before she was taken to be one of Gerard¡¯s playthings. At least it didn¡¯t seem like Gerard had ever used her as entertainment yet. Kotori then asked Arene another question. Something that would be much easier for her to answer. ¡°I¡¯m going to put that man down, would you like to come?¡± Kotori said ¡°Absolutely¡± Arene said. There was a shred of doubt on her face. [This girl really does have a strong will] Kotori thought Although Arene hesitated on whether to follow them, She was determined to get her revenge on Gerard. ¡°Then that makes things easy, You can decide while following ok?¡± Kotori said. ¡°Agreed¡± Arene said ** ** ** Kotori with Amah, her Spirits and Arene looked at the large building. It was much more opulent than the buildings around it and the eves were made of elegantly carved wood. It was a building that oozed class. There were very few visitors and those that entered usually came by carriage. Rich people didn¡¯t need to walk after all. Kotori was waiting for a certain person to arrive. Gerard had had gotten overconfident. He was under the impression that Kotori was stuck on the ship. They may have been able to fend off Hatake but they couldn¡¯t leave the ship. At least that¡¯s what he thought. There was a fatal mistake in he thought process. And that was his impression that Kotori had the sensibility of young teen girl. He thought she would meekly wait in the ship and eventually leave. Unfortunately for Gerard, Kotori had the sensibility of Leeroy Jenkins. Two lives and a multitude of close encounters had given her an attitude that trended towards risky gambits. It was an attitude that would either be the death of her, or something that harden her. She watched a horse drawn carriage pull towards them. [Bingo] She thought The carriage stopped and a figure walked out. It was Hatake, his arm was bandaged but otherwise he seemed in fit condition. [Fucking tanks] Kotori thought. She was once again feeling that sort of welling feeling in her chest again. She was almost overwhelmed by it before she had to mentally remind herself that he was not the target of this operation. Layla, Shu, and Umi all gave a low growl upon seeing him. [I guess they are mortal enemies now?] Kotori thought. Hatake sensing the killing intent turned in their direction. ¡°Now!¡± Kotori ordered, and Amah tossed a glowing spear at Hatake. Kotori watched as Hatake responded to the sudden attack by instinctually raising his defense stat. It was useless, Amah¡¯s spear pierced right through his chest with no resistance. Kotori watched his HP drop dangerously low. She was not planning on killing Hatake her, but she couldn¡¯t say that she would be opposed to the idea. [Wait can¡¯t I get rid of him now?] She thought Upon being struck, Hatake keeled over and gave a pained moan. ¡°Get Gerard out of here! It¡¯s the blasted girl!¡± He barked at the carriage driver. Kotori saw a head peep out of the carriage window. It was indeed Gerard. Kotori wasn¡¯t so stupid as to let them get away that easily, Shu blasted the carriage wheels with [Rock Bullet] and Umi slashed the ropes binding the horses to the carriage with [Water Blade] The carriage crashed to the ground tipping over while the horses, now unbound, ran off frighten by the sudden attack and sounds. The bystanders ran off, obviously not wanting to be involved in the commotion She heard a screech from the carriage. [Did I hurt the goods?] She thought. In her mind, Gerard was no longer a person rather a troublesome insect. A man came crawling out of the window at the top of the carriage. Gerard was clutching his right arm which hung limply to his side. [He must¡¯ve broken it] Kotori thought upon seeing Gerard¡¯s mangled arm. For a moment Gerard looked dazed shocked at the sudden actions that had occurred. Kotori walked over to the man who had trampled her and Fawk¡¯s plan. ¡°Sup, insect¡± She said grinning Kitsura Chapter 126: Hurts ¡°Aiee!¡± Gerard said upon seeing Kotori. He was in a pitiful state. His arm was hung at a weird angle which gave Kotori the impression that it was not a simple fracture and just a clean break. His fancy clothing were all ruffled and disordered after being tossed from the carriage. ¡°You¡¯ve been a naughty boy,¡± Kotori told him Gerard was in a state of pain and it took him a moment to recognize Kotori ¡°You!¡± He said in pained breaths. Gerard was watching the girl who had eluded him now be launching a surprise attack. It was the sort of tactic that would be expected of Gerard to use except now, he was on the receiving end. Gerard knew the girl was smarter than he gave her credit for and he decided to reason with her. ¡°Girl, you know killing me will only draw the ire of the city, if you get rid of me you will be expelled from this city and barred from ever coming back,¡± He said calmly. It was true, Gerard had the backing of the entire Sea Lord council behind him and if Kotori dared to lay a hand on him it would be difficult for her to avoid punishment. Additionally, he knew he was protected by the Atlean Kingdom. Gerard was one of their main ties to the economic market of Faramouth and if he was taken out Kotori would also be at risk of drawing backlash from them as well. A rock bullet shot out of Shu and shattered next to his face. Gerard instantly jumped in shock. He had a weak heart that was not meant for combat and even the slightest hint of danger was enough to trigger defensive reflexes. He looks back at Kotori who was looking at him with no hesitation in her face. She didn¡¯t seem to be fazed by his thinly veiled threat He realized that Kotori had no qualms about the protections that Gerard had put in place. She was a person who didn¡¯t particularly care about the laws of this world if they got in the way of her goals. Gerard panicked. He valued his life after all. ¡°Look! I can help you! You want Fawks back on the council I can do that!¡± ¡°You want a girl like her?¡± He said gesturing towards Arene ¡°I¡¯ve gotten plenty more, many of them even prettier than her!¡± Gerard shouted. In his mind, women were property after all and could be given as gifts. He had plenty of girls that were even prettier than Arene. If Kotori was such a cold heart person to do this she would be appeased by such a gift right? Gerard felt a pain in his left wrist. He looked at his left hand to find it falling off his wrist. Umi had just amputated his hand with a [Water Blade] A ¡°kukukuku¡± Sound could be heard from Umi. She had gotten bored and cut off Gerard¡¯s hand. She disliked him immensely. The way he looked at her in her human form was a look that she would only let Kotori use when looking at her. ¡°AHHHH!¡± Gerard screamed upon seeing the severed stump on his wrist. The wound seemed to not bleed for a moment. As if Gerar¡¯s body hadn¡¯t realized it had been cut. Then a fountain of crimson blood began to gush from the wound. Kotori instantly used her Healing song to close the wound. It would do no good if Gerard was to die of blood loss before she was done with him after all. Gerard started to crawl away from Kotori. He was trying to get away now. Whatever Kotori had planned for him, was not something he wanted to be a part of. [No, you¡¯re not getting away from me.] Kotori thought while smiling wryly She pulled out a toy she had found on the ship. A small thin metallic collar showed itself in Kotori¡¯s hands. Gerard instantly realized what it was. ¡°No! not that!¡± Kotori gave a devilish smile as she wagged the slave collar in her hand ¡°You are very familiar with this item right?¡± she said. Gerard had often used the slave collar to enslave women and make them his ¡°toys¡± Arene would¡¯ve been another one of those targets if she didn¡¯t get rescued by Kotori. Gerar couldn¡¯t resist as Kotori put the slave collar on him. Despite her looks, she was much stronger than the average man even when not mana buffed. He was in a pitiful state, sniveling like a child, his eyes filled with fear. ¡°Take it off!¡± he said while scratching at his neck trying to pull it off. [Gross¡­] Kotori thought. Gerard was squirming on the ground like a worm and Kotori hadn¡¯t even given him an order yet. [Well, first thing¡¯s first I want an apology] Kotori thought. She now had full control over his actions and he would experience pain if he tried to resist her. ¡°Give me a heartfelt apology¡± she ordered Gerard seemed to resist for a moment before the pain of the collar began to overwhelm him. ¡°I¡¯m shorry!¡± he said slurring his words through the pain and splaying on the ground in a crappy dogeza. It was obviously a stance he had never used before and thus was unused to. Kotori was gaining a sadistic satisfaction after seeing the man who had tormented her beg on the ground. Kitsura Chapter 127: Sucks to suck Kotori tossed a kick at the begging man on the ground and he made a yelp. Gerard was still in his dogeza pose. Well, it wasn¡¯t like he was able to stop sitting in that pose. Kotori was activating the slave collar to force him into that pose in the first place. ¡°Lay on your back.¡± Kotori said. ¡°Eh?¡± Gerard said. ¡°Are you deaf? Lay on your back¡± Kotori said kicking him again After a small struggle as Gerard tried to resist the slave collar he obediently began to lay on his back. Kotori could see a small ¡°tent¡± in between his legs. [Gross¡­He¡¯s a pervert] It seems like Mr. Gerard was enjoying this. Kotori had met her fair share of men that lusted after her body. Some were intentional and others were unintentional. If anything she was very tired of it. Kotori pulled Arene who was with them closer. She whispered something into Arene¡¯s ears. Arene didn¡¯t say anything but smiled in response to what Kotori had just asked her. She walked over to Gerard who was still on the ground. ¡°Arene! Help me, I¡¯ll give you all the sweet leaf you want!¡± Gerard cried out. [He¡¯s still begging really?] Kotori thought. Gerard should¡¯ve realized by now that there was no exiting this situation. She really had no intention of letting Gerard go. She would teach Gerard to lead a nice and virtuous life But first, she had to get rid of a few things. Two small things in particular. Arene walked over to Gerard who was giving a relieved expression. He must¡¯ve thought she was walking into to relieve him of this humility. Kotori made no move to stop her. She knew what Arene was about to do. Arene walked towards Gerard with an expressionless face. As she got closer she raised her leg and a Gerard gaze a lecherous gaze as he stole a peek under her skirt. In an instant, the leg came crashing down and Gerard was soon howling in pain. Arene was not trying to seduce Gerard. Rather she was obliging the requests Kotori had made to her. Arene was stomping on the ¡°tent¡± in-between Gerard''s legs. Some would say she was trying to destroy the two things that the tent existed for. Kotori had gotten the idea from her old world. Sexual predators could be chemically castrated and they would have a lighter sentence if they agreed to it. The only difference between what Kotori was doing and her old world was that she wasn¡¯t giving Gerard a choice. That, and her method was a little more¡­ violent. Arene seemed to enjoy herself as she stomped on Gerard¡¯s manhood and Kotori watched with an impassioned look. To be honest, she wasn¡¯t a person who particularly enjoyed torture but she would be lying if she said she didn¡¯t enjoy seeing Gerard¡¯s pained screams. Eventually, Arene stopped. Not out of pity but rather physical limitation. She was taking deep and heavy breaths. Although she was no longer addicted to sweet leaf she still wasn¡¯t in peak physical condition as a result of being cooped up for so long. [Now¡¯s my turn] Kotori thought smiling. She walked over to Gerard who was clutching himself in between his legs and moaning. She raised her own foot and stomped down with all her might. As her foot collapsed the last bit of manhood left in Gerard she felt two slight ¡°pops¡± underneath her heel. [It seems like Arene was not able to break them] Kotori thought wryly Gerard¡¯s pants soon began to drip blood, and he howled in pain once more, his voice growing ragged. It must¡¯ve been a serious wound as Gerard soon rolled over whimpering. He had perspired quite a bit and the droplets were peppered across his roiling fat coils. As she did earlier with his arm Kotori instantly healed the wound and closed it with her healing magic. Despite the wound being healed, he was still screeching like a banshee. He was in pain, but a type of "emotional" pain rather than a physical one. [Is it really that bad?] Kotori thought. She had long accepted the loss of her own ¡°son¡± a long time ago when she reincarnated as a girl. Kotori gave her final set of orders to Gerard while infusing the mana crystal inside the collar. While it would not last forever it would stop Gerard from seeking retribution for at least a month. "One, release all your girls and give them compensation to go back home. Two, You will never cross me and my companions, and Three, you will restore Fawk''s spot on the council." Kotori said. Gerard didn''t seem to be listening, he was still whimpering holding his crotch. Kotori didn''t mind, regardless of whether he heard or not the collar would compel him to act. Hatake still was keeled over on the ground in pain as well and Kotori walked over to give him a kick while he was down. She was not the kind of person to care if her opponent was incapable of fighting back after all. It was also unlikely her kick did any damage either since Hatake still had a defensive buff activated. He probably didn¡¯t feel anything, but it still made Kotori feel vindicated, so she did it anyway. Shu, Umi and Layla also took cheap shots at Hatake, but they similarly did no damage. While getting close to Hatake she noticed something. [Odd?] She felt mana leaking slightly from him. It seems like his mana ¡°core¡± had been pierced by Amah¡¯s weapon. She took a metaphorical lick with [Gourmet] ¡°Skill potential acquired [Stone Skin]!¡± A voice resounded in her head. [Eh?] She thought. It had been a while since she had heard the skills announcer and it threw her off for a moment She checked her status to find the [Stone Skin] skill in her skills sections and the word [Potential] next to it. Bewildered Kotori walked back to Amah who watched the scene with a disimpassioned gaze. ¡°Are you done?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes,¡± Kotori said quite contently She walked back towards the docks towards Fawk¡¯s ship with Amah dutifully followed behind her. Kitsura Chapter 128: Scolding Kotori had made quite a mess of things after her business with Gerard. Several people on the streets look in horror at the punishment she inflicted on him and many of them shied away when she walked past. A trail of blood came from her right shoe, staining the ground. Kotori didn¡¯t mind. In fact, her heart felt quite light. She hummed a chirpy tune as she walked back to the DaiMaru. She had gotten rid of the thorn in her side for the past month. She had plans for Gunter but that would have to wait another day. [He¡¯s going to get it anyway] Kotori thought as she trotted back. ** ** ** Kotori was currently watching a mixture of expressions on Fawk¡¯s face. She had just reported her actions to him. She was sure that he would¡¯ve found out sooner or later but she wanted to paint the story in a good light. Fawks was holding his head in his hands. ¡°You went out, alone? Do you understand how dangerous that is?¡± Fawks asked her. ¡°I wasn¡¯t alone, I had Amah with me,¡± Kotori said pouting. She did technically leave the ship very undefended but in her mind Amah was enough. For once, Kotori was indulging her childish side. ¡°You can¡¯t just waltz in and turn a sea lord into a eunuch on a whim.¡± Fawks said shaking his head [Well, I just did] Kotori thought. ¡°How am I going to do business here now¡± He muttered under his breath. In truth, Kotori could¡¯ve stopped Fawk¡¯s scolding with her slavering, but she enjoyed it as well. It was nice having someone reprimand her for once. While Amelie was a decent enough substitute Kotori rarely got reprimanded for anything. It was strangely comforting. ¡°Anyway, we¡¯re leaving tomorrow,¡± Fawk said ¡°Eh?¡± Kotori replied. She was surprised by the sudden news. She had planned her revenge on Gunter for later that week but apparently, Fawks was having them take a voyage. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? You¡¯re a queen¡¯s candidate now, I have to bring back to the kingdom. I would recommend you get your act together. It would be wise for you to gain the love of the populace, and not act out like you did today¡± Fawks said. ¡°Oh¡­ I see¡± Kotori said her voice trailing off. To be honest, this whole ¡°queen¡¯s candidate¡± business was a bit over her head. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that she would be hunted down if she didn¡¯t participate she wanted to avoid it entirely. Being forced to address crowds as a queen would only trigger her social anxiety further. On a deeper level, she still didn¡¯t know what the trials to become a queen entailed. Fawks had been very vague on the details and she had the impression even he wasn¡¯t quite sure. She had once asked him, but he avoided the question. Apparently, the trials were chosen by the current ruler and thus the candidate would have to adjust themselves on the fly. The only thing that all trials shared would be that they would test some aspect of being a queen. [A queen huh?] Kotori thought. Although she was hesitant at the thought of being a queen she could see the appeal of it. For one, having a bunch of servants lining up to do her every bidding was a very attractive proposal. She could also leverage the resources of the kingdom to enact her revenge on Atlea. The thought of it made her quite fired up. If she failed the trials Kotori also still had one idea. Something that she was sure would work. It would just take some time to prepare. Still, Kotori realized that despite all her thinking she still didn¡¯t know anything about the country of Eris. ¡°So, what is the queendom of Eris like,¡± Kotori asked Fawks suddenly changing the topic. ¡°Hmm? Well, I guess if you can¡¯t tell based on the name it¡¯s a country built on the desert. Though, in all honesty, the whole island is a desert. The mana density is pretty good though, so there¡¯s quite a few dungeons. We sell the materials from the dungeon monsters overseas and import the rest of the materials we need. Incidentally the capital, Xernos is built on an oasis and one of the few places where there is decent farmlands. Xernos is also home to the biggest dungeon in the world. It¡¯s mostly unexplored and it¡¯s why Eris has the most adventurers out of any country. [Biggest dungeon?] Kotori thought her interest was piqued. She had fully stopped listening to Fawks after he said that. Kotori was not a fan of dungeon diving for the sake of profit, but the thought of exploring a dungeon was something that she could get behind. The ¡°biggest dungeon in the world¡± would probably also have insane mana density which some that Kotori wanted to sample. She had become quite a bit of a ¡°gourmet¡± and the thought of tasting the biggest dungeon in the world sounded excellent for her hunger pangs. Kotori could feel her stomach rumbling at the thought. Kitsura Alright my main League of Legends account got 14 day banned for toxicity so I guess I have to post more now instead of play like a degen. Chapter 129: Kraken The ship departed the next day. There was surprisingly little fanfare. Kotori was expecting a scene like out of a movie where people tossed handkerchiefs and other things as they left, but it seems like the Eris camp wasn¡¯t very welcome in the city and they left without much trouble or celebration. At the very least no one came to see them off. Kotori was confined to her room. For some reason, Fawks had managed to convince Amah that he shouldn¡¯t listen to her every time and have a little more prudence with guarding her. Amah was surprisingly dense about these sorts of things. He didn¡¯t realize how bad it could¡¯ve been for Kotori to leave the ship alone. He was a good fighter but lacked a bit of common sense. Of course, if Kotori wanted to leave the ship again she probably could easily overpower him, but since they would leave in a day she didn¡¯t bother. Layla, Shu, and Umi had also started to grow back into their normal human forms. There was only one problem. ¡­ They looked like kids. Although they had enough mana to maintain human forms again through [Spirit Manifestation] it seems like they couldn¡¯t maintain a a fully grown form. Thus, they took more childish and younger looks. ¡°More music!¡± Layla said pouting. Layla had a tomboyish look and wild face. Her features were childish, and she wanted to be back in her main form as soon as possible. She was the spirit who was most against being in this prepubescent form. ¡°Layla, don¡¯t bother Kotori so much. Didn¡¯t she just play music for us? She must be tired.¡± Shu said. Shu looked like the cross between a Shota and a Shounen. He had a tough expression on his face but due to his young look it looked more cute than imposing. It was a look that made Kotori want to spoil him. She had already given him quite a few head pats. Though, Shu seemed to be especially affectionate in this younger form. Umi was as elegant as she was when in her older form although she was technically a loli, she exuded a graceful aura. To be quite honest, Kotori still found herself acting like Umi was quite the same after all. Kotori did have to deal with one problem, Seasickness. You see, Kotori had never actually ridden on a ship before. Why would she? She lived in a world with planes. She hadn¡¯t ever gotten on a ship, and she never found the thought of riding on a ship particularly interesting. Kotori had gotten a little cocky thinking that she was safer considering she had high defense stats, but those didn¡¯t really make her sense of balance get any better. Seasickness was caused by an imbalance in the ear and eyes which triggers a nausea response. No amount of defense would change that. Thankfully they had no problems with a loss of fluids since Umi could use water magic to give a makeshift IV to Kotori. It was something that Kotori had to explain several times before Umi got the point and even then Umi was acting as if Kotori had just ask for Umi to kill her. ¡°It¡¯s just a small prick don¡¯t worry¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t want to Marr Kotori-sama''s beautiful skin.¡± ¡°Umi look it¡¯s a pretty normal procedure¡± ¡°I refuuuseee¡± Or at least that¡¯s how the conversation went. Eventually, after much reassurance, Umi started giving Kotori IV¡¯s much to her relief. Kotori felt much better after that, the extra fluid helped stave off some of the nausea symptoms. She was finally able to walk after an hour of getting IVs She spent most of her days still cooped up in her room. Initially, she went out on the ship for walks, but after pacing around on it for a week she realized she didn¡¯t have much in common with the sailors. Even worse it seemed like sailors were even starting a Kotori fan club. So she had Fawks send her meals and she stayed mostly inside her room. It suited her, she liked spending time with her spirits after all. Thus, she kept herself hidden once again. It was smooth sailing for a while until Kotori¡¯s felt a rocking on their ship. A rocking that was unlike the normal rocking of a ship. Then suddenly she heard a loud boom. Kotori stood up [Eh? Are we being attacked? But there shouldn¡¯t be any pirates after all?] She thought. They should¡¯ve been far enough from shore that there were no more pirates and even then, Amah could deal with most people easily. She decided to leave her room for the first time in a week to check what was going on. Kitsura I took a long nap and still woke up tired. Chapter 130: Takoyaki Kotori rushed out of the ship to find sunny chaos. There were several tentacle-looking things on holding onto the edge of the ship and they were being attacked by multiple sailors. [Eh?] Kotori had inadvertently stumbled into an all-out brawl. The ship was being rocked back and forth on account of those tentacles. Kotori could see the area where the tentacles were holding the railing was becoming bent and cracked from the tentacles. The sailors were using long tin knives that looked like smaller scimitars to cut the tentacle away. Despite the chaos it the sailors had an expression as if this was a common occurrence. Kotori spotted Amelie also cutting down the tentacles. Amelie was in good coordination with the other sailors which made Kotori extremely confused. She saw Fawks running towards her waving his hand. ¡°Get down! You shouldn¡¯t be up here!¡± He shouted Kotori elected to ignore that advice. She used status on the tentacles. Newborn Kraken Race: [Dungeon beast] Age: 0 HP: 973 Mana: 0 Agility: 18 Strength: 71 Defense: 32 Karma: [N/A] Skills: [Water Navigation], [Tremendous Size] Traits: None [Dungeon Beast?] Kotori thought. Based on the status page she was reading this was a dungeon monster. [Then if that is a dungeon monster aren¡¯t we in a dungeon?] Kotori had never considered the fact that mana clustering to create dungeons was not exclusively a phenomenon that happened on land. In all truth, she should¡¯ve realized that it was possible from the fact that she made Umi from the water after all. The stats on the Kraken were quite low actually and while it¡¯s attack was decently high it was something that Kotori would have no trouble dealing with. She would only need a small buff to be on even footing. It was basically a giant meatball. Lots of HP but no real meaningful stats to back it up. The Kraken had extremely low agility which meant that the tentacles mostly seemed to sway and roll without much attempts to dodge. Though, it wasn¡¯t like the Kraken could see who was attacking the tentacles when they were on board. Kotori ran to the side of the ship and looked over the side. She saw a bulbous-looking eye along with slimy skin. Fawks instantly pushed her down and a tentacle came flying over her head. ¡°Are you insane!¡± He said. [Whoops] Kotori thought. She didn¡¯t expect to see the Kraken looking straight at her from the edge of the ship. ¡°Please just get inside,¡± Fawks said with a tired expression. [Kinda looks tasty though¡­] Kotori thought. The Kraken really looked just like a giant squid octopus hybrid. ¡°I wanna make roast squid and Takoyaki¡± Kotori said absentmindedly. ¡°Kotori, it¡¯s dangerous please just go back inside the ship, we¡¯ll handle it,¡± Fawks said. ¡°No¡± She pulled the flute from her side and played a small tune. Umi instantly regrew back to her normal form. The other spirits looked at her in jealousy. [Do you need something?] Layla said using [Spirit Seer] ¡°Can you get me some pieces?¡± Kotori asked. [Very well.] Two water blades shot out from Umi¡¯s side and severed one of the tentacles. It flopped to the ground and dissolved into light. Kotori frowned. Dungeons monsters were made of mana, after all, the chance of them physically dropping something was small. Umi also frowned. She summoned even more blades and cut down even more tentacles. The tentacles on the deck of the ship were easy to cut and after being cut would wriggle on the ground for a moment before dissolving back into mana. [Still no meat] Kotori was beginning to get sad. She was looking forward to making some Takoyaki but it seems like the Kraken didn¡¯t have any physical drops. The deck which was once covered in tentacles was soon thinning and becoming clear. Fawks and the other Sailors watched in amazement as Umi cleared the deck with ease. Eventually, Umi cut down enough tentacles to the point where the Kraken started retreating. It pulled its tentacles away from the railing and began to swim off. Kotori could see a dark shape moving away from the ship. She spotted one last tentacle. A small one compared to the others. ¡°Umi there!¡± she shouted pointing to it. A water blade whizzed pasted and severed the tentacle. Just like the others, it wriggled on the ground, but this time something curious happened. It didn¡¯t dissolve. Kotori ran over to pick it up. The texture was slimy and it had the diameter of an oak tree. She had trouble holding it but she was satisfied. ¡°Tako Tuesday!¡± Kitsura Chapter 131: NEET It was a curious lump of flesh and Kotori after getting the piece of the kraken soon realized that the meat didn¡¯t spoil. There was no sort of refrigeration in this world, so it took Kotori some time to collect the ingredients needed to make her Takoyaki. The ship was massive and carried an assortment of food. There was a cafeteria on it but Kotori was busy trying to get into the hull of the ship where the goods were being transported. Fawks had begrudgingly given her some wheat flour which helped but now she was missing green onions and Takoyaki sauce. She would probably be able to procure some green onions if she got access to the hull storage but Takoyaki sauce was more difficult. She had yet to see Worcestershire sauce on this world and similarly, ketchup would also be difficult to find. She distinctly remembered an avocado-tomato-like fruit in the elf forest but hadn¡¯t seen it in the Faramouth kingdom. Ever since she had helped with the Young Kraken the sea had been generally smooth sailing. Occasionally she would hear the sounds of fighting, but it never seemed serious. Kotori had later found out that the whole time while she was holed up in her room. Amelie was busy helping the sailors fight off the monsters. Kotori didn¡¯t really care for that sort of thing, so she mostly stayed inside her room. In fact, the last time she left her room was when she fought the Kraken. Which was an issue considering she needed to use the kitchen and the fact that she needed to get the rest of her ingredients. So, for the first time in over two weeks, Kotori finally left her room. In all honesty, she was kind of acting like a NEET right now. Spending her time playing music for her spirits and never leaving. Well, it was not like she had to do anything. She was important cargo after all! Shu, Umi, and Layla tagged along and while they were able to use their human forms it seemed like they had grown to enjoy their smaller Chibi forms. It was much more convenient. Kotori would hold Layla in her arms while Shu sat on her shoulder and Umi draped around her neck which was nice and cooling. It would leave her with full hands but in return, she would get to fluff Layla so she was happy with the arrangement. Shu and Umi were light so she didn¡¯t really feel it. To some Kotori would look like a girl carrying around multiple stuffed plushies. Even if the plushies could become strong enough to take out the average adventurer with ease. The inside of the ship consisted of a large main hallway that ran along the middle of the ship above the bottom of the hull. The hallway was large enough to fit two trucks side by side with ease. It was double-layered, and it led to the cafeteria in the center of the ship where most of the sailors and other occupants sat and hung out while they were off their shift. Kotori of course, had never joined them. The ship was mostly made of a light type of wood. Apparently, according to Fawks the kingdom of Eris may be a desert but it had a surprising amount of trees that required very little water to grow. From Fawk¡¯s description, it sounded like an extra-strong balsa or palm tree wood. The Daimaru was technically considered a royal ship owned by the queen, but Fawks mostly used it as government-subsidized transport while also lease extra space out to other merchants. And although the amenities were top-notch and befitting royalty it really was a glorified cargo ship in a way. Kotori sneaked her way through the ship. Since it had already left port Kotori could actually walk around like normal if she wanted too. The reason she was sneaking around was apparently because of the Kotori idol fanclub on the ship. Amelie had told her about it. The sailors would sometimes go to the entrance of her room and listen to her music. [Mou, so annoying.] She thought upon hearing the news. It was true she enjoyed being liked for her music but it was troublesome. If she was spotted outside her room now by one of its members she would be mobbed instantly. Like a blood clot they would converge on her. She wanted to avoid that situation at all costs. Thus, she was hiding behind pillars and sneaky past sailors trying to avoid their attention. She was probably the only girl on the ship and thus was very conspicuous. [it¡¯s really like a video game no?] She thought. It was kind of fun in a way. The way she was sneaking around was reminiscent of the M*tel G*er. She almost felt like an exclamation point would be above her head if she got caught. Kitsura Chapter 132: Sneak! Kotori made her way across the hallway. She had been spotted by a few sailors but luckily none of them cared. She¡¯d been lucky so far. The end of the hallway would contain a stairway to the hull. Kotori was sure that she could take a few things from the cargo with little repercussion. She eventually made her way past the cafeteria zone. She heard the sound of chatter long before she even reached it. Sailors were not known for being quiet after all. Despite it not being mealtime it seemed like there were plenty of people in the room already. Kotori didn¡¯t think this through. To get to the other side of the ship she would have to pass through the cafeteria. There was no way around it. She had to let herself be spotted. The Cafeteria was a wide room. The largest in the ship. Most of the sailors were congregated around a table and playing dice. A few noticed her but didn¡¯t say anything. Kotori gave a sigh of relief it seemed like nobody really cared about her. Suddenly she heard a shout. ¡°Oi! It¡¯s the little princess, she¡¯s finally left her nest¡± [Ah shoot] Kotori thought. It seemed like her relief was unfounded. There was murmuring and then a crowd of people came up to her. It was a dizzying amount of burly men that suddenly came up to her. Many of them had a smile on their face and seemed friendly enough. They started asking her questions about her life. It made sense considering she could eventually become the queen. ¡°Where you from girl?¡± ¡°How¡¯d you meet Fawks? You one of his women?¡± ¡°Where¡¯s the spirits from? You a spirit seer¡± Kotori¡¯s anxiety was kicking into full gear. She had completely frozen and was unable to answer after being suddenly surrounded. She didn¡¯t want to be near these people even if they were nice. She could feel Shu, Umi, and Layla being influence by her discomfort. They were getting agitated and Layla¡¯s fur was beginning to rise as if she was about to lash out. ¡°Hey! Hey! Hey! stop crowding her lads!¡± Kotori saw familiar face waving and pushing through the crowd. It was Fawk¡¯s half-brother Doran. He eventually pushed his way through the throng of men and stood between her and the sailors. ¡°I get you all are excited to meet the girl, I know I wasn¡¯t sure if Fawks would ever pick one up, but give her some space aight¡¯?¡± The sailors nodded, it looked like they respected Doran and soon began to disperse. ¡°You alright Jou-chan?¡± Doran asked her looking. Kotori¡¯s anxiety had gone down now that there were fewer people crowding her [Whew, that was close] She thought. Layla was getting to the point Kotori half expected her to lash out if the sailors got any closer. ¡°Yes¡­ Your name is Doran right?¡± Kotori asked¡¯ Doran gave an exaggerated salute, with a smile. ¡°At your service! Anything you need?¡± Kotori smiled, he had a better sense of humor of Fawks which made her seem easier to talk too. ¡°I would like to get to the hull storage,¡± She said taking the opportunity. ¡°Hmm, anything you need in particular? I can just have it sent to your room like normal.¡± Doran said. ¡°I just want to look,¡± Kotori said, lying through her teeth. She was planning on filching some ingredients after all. ¡°I see, then follow me I¡¯ll bring you there.¡± Doran said while gesturing to the opposite side of the cafeteria.¡± ¡°Thank you¡± Doran began to turn his back and walk to the other end of the cafeteria and Kotori followed along. Even with his back turned Doran was much more talkative than Fawks ¡°So Fawks picked you huh? What a weird guy, he told you I¡¯m his half-brother right?¡± Kotori nodded ¡°You share a mother?¡± Kotori asked. ¡°Oh my mother? She some random brothel whore, we share a father¡± [That makes more sense] Kotori thought. She had thought it was odd that Doran didn¡¯t have to pick a queen''s candidate but it seems like he wasn¡¯t even royalty. [Still, Fawks mother wasn¡¯t angered by that?] Typically, based on Kotori¡¯s understanding of the kingdom of Faramouth. Bastards were not looked favorably upon. She didn¡¯t understand why Fawk¡¯s mother, the queen, would let the product of unfaithfulness be allowed to live, much less interact with her own children. ¡°Those sailors seemed to respect you¡± Kotori said framing it as a slight question. ¡°Oh those boys? I guess I¡¯m their captain or something.¡± [Eh?] Kotori thought. The whole time she thought Doran was a low-level sailor, but apparently, he was the captain of this entire ship. [So he¡¯s pretty important on this ship] Kotori thought She would¡¯ve thought he had low social status but being allowed to captain a royal vessel must mean that the crown puts pretty good trust in him. [Fawk¡¯s mother seems like an odd woman] Kotori thought. Kitsura Chapter 133: The Hull Storage Eventually, Doran led her to a large steel-bound door. The door was bound in several heavy chains and seemed to be extremely durable. He pulled out a ring of keys from his pocket and began to undo the three locks on the door. Each of the locks gave a heavy clank as they came undone. The door was so heavy it took Doran both hands to lift open. Beneath Kotori could feel a slight chill. As if the hull storage was refrigerated. She soon realized that the hull storage sat below the water and thus the cool seawater was chilling the bottom portion of the ship. Doran led her down and she was greeted with a bountiful sight. Fresh fruit neatly plucked and organized into wooden crates, Racks of salted hams and meats that were meant to endure the long journey. Sacks upon sacks of flour, many of which were from Kotori¡¯s village, It was a verifiable buffest of food and Kotori could feel herself salivating at the thought. [No, we are just here for the ingredients.] Kotori walked over to a row of vegetables and picked out some spring onion that looked like it was about to wilt. She felt bad taking anything fresher and didn¡¯t want to anger Fawks too much. She could feel her karma dropping slightly but it was a negligible amount. [Very good, looks like this doesn¡¯t have too much consequence.] She thought. Spring onion in hand she walked back to the entrance, shuddering slightly at the chill in the hull to spot Doran scanning a rack of bottles. She could see deep amber liquid swishing inside. [Don¡¯t tell me he¡¯s here to filch something too.] Kotori thought. Kotori saw Doran quickly grabbed one of the smaller bottles and securely wrapping it in his loose-fitting clothing. To an unsuspecting person, the existence of the bottle would be almost unnoticeable. She realized now, why Doran was willing to bring her to the hull storages. [He was looking for an excuse to filtch a drink!] She thought. ¡°You ready?¡± He called out, while walking over he had a wide grin on his face. ¡°We¡¯ll keep this our little secret alright? Consider it the cost to me bringing you down here ok?¡± Doran said while making a ¡°shushing¡± motion with his mouth. ¡°How much does that bottle cost?¡± Kotori asked. ¡°Oh about a month¡¯s salary for me¡± Kotori frowned. A month''s salary for a sailor was a piddling amount, but Doran was the captain of the whole ship. She was sure that it was quite a sizable sum. She could feel her karma dropping more than she cared to accept. She reached into her pocket and felt for a gold coin. Although Kotori had not been able to bring much onto the ship since being attacked by Hatake she at least had some pocket changes. Although, the gold coin probably couldn¡¯t be considered pocket change since it had the buying power of about 1 Million yen in her old world. It was the last of her money but she hoped that she would be able to scam Fawks out of some money later. ¡°Take this and put the bottle back,¡± she said holding out the coin ¡°Doran looked surprised but upon seeing her insistence shrugged his shoulders and set the bottle back. She felt her Karma raise back to its the normal level [Good.] She thought. Kotori had become much more conscious of her Karma number in recent days. It loomed over her head and she had to resolve it sooner rather than later. While in her room Kotori had realized that if she became a queen her plans on gaining Karma would be much easier. She could much more easily fund public works, do good deeds, and even start her religion proper. Having a whole kingdom helping her do good would be sure to raise her Karma back to normal values and ensure her another cozy afterlife. Though, Kotori had been wondering. What exactly was the point of Karma? To her, it didn¡¯t seem like a stat that was particularly precise. In fact, she was sure the system was almost completely arbitrary. She thought back the experience in the cloudy room with Gabriel. Being tied up in the room and having a knife to her throat felt incredibly real. She was sure that wasn¡¯t just a particularly vivid dream. The encounter with Nero and Okateratsu also gave her further suspicion on the angel named ¡°Gabriel¡±. She wasn¡¯t even sure she wanted to die in this world. Well, of course, she didn¡¯t want to die before her Karma issues were resolved but she didn¡¯t want to die AT ALL. She had a feeling in her gut that meeting Gabriel again in the afterlife, would not bode well for her. [Does immortality for humans exist in this world?] She though. Okateratsu and Layla both had very high age numbers. Even if Layla didn¡¯t act the part. She was wondering if old age was something exclusive to spirits. Kitsura The chapter from this morning was meant to be posted yesterday so this chapter is your due chapter. Chapter 134: I made a (temporary) food stall! The last day of the voyage was soon approaching. Kotori had been able to see specks of land in the distance from the porthole in her room. She had yet to make her dish but that was because she ran into a problem. She didn¡¯t have a Takoyaki griddle. There was no sort of thing in this world. When she requested one, the sailor in charge of taking her request only scratched his head and said ¡°I don¡¯t think we have such a thing¡± It was greatly upsetting news. Kotori¡¯s dreams of making Takoyaki had been shattered in an instant. The sailor could only bring her a small griddle set. It was far from what Kotori needed. Still, determined to make a similar dish she eventually went onto the deck to begin her creation. The reason was that it would get extremely hot and stuffy if she tried to cook in her own room. At the very least she didn¡¯t have to burn firewood since Layla would be able to help with her foxfire. It felt odd using a spirit for something as simple as cooking, but it seemed like Layla didn¡¯t mind. She brought along Amelie because she had enough to make several portions. Although Kotori could probably eat them all herself she still felt it would be nice to at least share some with a friend. Food is tastes better when eaten with someone else after all. ¡°Kotori are you sure you want to eat this?¡± Amelie said poking at the Kraken meat. She was giving a slightly disgusted expression. [Figures] Kotori thought. To the average person the Kraken meat likely looked quite unappetizing. Its slimy skin and rubbery texture would turn anyone off if they ate it raw. But Kotori knew better. She knew how delicious Kraken(Tako) meat could be It was a sunny day. Quite refreshing after being in her room the whole day. Across the deck, Kotori could sea the coast of the Eris kingdom on the horizon. Fawks had told her they would be reaching it by midday. She had Umi cut the spring onions Kraken meat into small pieces, about the side of the finger joint. She then mixed flour, water, and an egg she filched from the kitchen into the batter before mixing it around with a fork she had also stolen from the cafeteria. The mixture soon thickened and turned into a runny batter, not unlike a pancake batter. She then mixed spring onions and some of the Kraken meat into the batter. Next, she had Layla heat up the griddle while she poured a bit of oil onto it to grease it. Once Layla got the griddle warm enough Kotori poured the mixture onto the griddle. The batter made a sizzling sound and Kotori could smell the hot oil and batter coming together to make savory smell. Once one side had finished cooking Kotori expertly flipped it revealing a crackly golden-brown crust Kotori¡¯s actions had attracted the attention of the other sailors. While they were doing their work onboard, she could see several of them sneaking looks at what she was doing. Eventually, the other side finished, and she pulled the piece of food of the griddle. Kotori cut a piece with a fork and ate it. It was delicious. The crust was perfectly done and tasted excellent due to it being made out of magic wheat. It was hot and crispy. The tako meat inside was perfectly tender and had a little bite to them which contrasted perfectly with the crunchy batter. It was an amazing dish in its own right, but¡­ it wasn¡¯t Takoyaki. [mhmmm this tastes more like pajeon no?] Kotori thought while munching on her creation. The food looked more like a crispy pancake and it was more akin to the Korean dish than the Takoyaki she had envisioned. ¡°So tasty!¡± Amelie exclaimed after having a taste. It seems like she liked the dish quite a bit. In fact, Amelie ate the entire pancake before Kotori could take another bite. Kotori cooked another and it was equally tasty as the first. While munching on the second pancake Kotori realized there was a problem. She didn¡¯t have any sauce. While the dish could be eaten on its own quite fine Kotori wished for a bit of acidity to cut through the oil. She ran back into the ship and to the cafeteria kitchen where she stole three more ingredients. A few heads of garlic, some vinegar, and a fish sauce. Ideally, she would¡¯ve like to have rice vinegar, and some soy sauce but this would have to do. Once she got back out on deck she saw a large group of sailors crowding around her stall with Amelie trying to ward them off. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Kotori asked while walking over with ingredients in hand. ¡°They want to try some¡± Amelie said sheepishly The sailors all had a hungry expression. Kotori had eaten the ship''s food and it left a lot to be desired. So she understood why they were acting the way they were. Kotori sighed it seemed like she couldn¡¯t get herself out of this situation ¡°Alright tell them to line up¡± She finally said. The sailors looked extremely happy to be given food. ¡°Finally some good grub!¡± ¡°I thought the girl was weird but she seems pretty alright if she¡¯s feeding us¡± ¡°I¡¯ve gotta tell the fan club about this!¡± [Please no] Kotori thought Kitsura I love pajeon. Chapter 135: We could sell this Kotori¡¯s temporary and accidental food stall had whipped up a storm among the sailors. The line steadily seemed to get longer, and she was running out of materials. Namely her flour and green onions. Kotori had her long blonde hair tied up and was busying cooking as many she could. The small griddle wasn¡¯t equipped to dealing with such a large crown but the sailors seemed to be rather patient. Likely because Amelie was the person who was taking orders and noting them down. Amelie didn¡¯t need to write them down since there was only one dish, but she did have to keep track of the sailors and make sure they got their orders in the order that that came. In the aspect, Amelie was quite good. Kotori''s face was slightly beaded with sweat on account of the heat. But she was grateful for Amelie taking up the ¡°front¡± of the stall so she didn¡¯t have to interact with the large crowd. Kotori would¡¯ve definitely screwed up if she tried to manage the orders and her anxiety would¡¯ve likely peaked. If anybody complained Amelie would instantly move them to the bottom of her mental queue and the sailors were quite patient after they realized complaining would make their orders be placed on the bottom Eventually Fawks came up to her completely skipping the line. ¡°I heard you made some pretty interesting food.¡± Fawks said He seemed to have an intrigued look as he watched the food on Kotori¡¯s griddle. ¡°You¡¯re using Kraken meat?¡± Fawks said. ¡°Mhmm it¡¯s tasty, try some.¡± Kotori said holding out a plate she had made earlier. The pancake was a little cold and had long gone soft, but it also had a small bit of garlic vinegar sauce poured on it. Fawks hesitantly took a bite. Kotori could see him tentatively take a few chews. ¡°This is delicious!¡± Fawks said. Kotori rolled her eyes. [Of course, it is, Does nobody eat tako meat here?] Fawks stared at the piece of pancake in his fork. ¡°Could you not look at it like that it¡¯s gross¡± Kotori said. ¡°Ah sorry, I was thinking about how profitable it would be to sell this. It contains flour and green onions no? those should be be easy enough to procure, the Kraken meat is another story, the dungeon is pretty far from shore and could be hard to get. Maybe if I sell it as a noble delicacy it might take more hold than being street food?¡± Fawks began to mutter as he considered the logistics of selling the pajeon. [Merchants so annoying] Kotori thought. Fawks through and through had a merchant¡¯s sensibility. He was always ready to try and make a profit of something. Kotori ignored him and continued to make more pajeon. Fawks was observing her processing and occasionally taking notes on a small note pad muttering to himself. ¡°Hmm, maybe a larger griddle. Oil will be a problem, perhaps I set up a supply line for it. The stench could be overwhelming.¡± Eventually, Kotori had gotten to the point where she ran out of ingredients which began to cause a ruckus among the sailors. [I need more, but I don¡¯t know if Fawks will let me get more] Kotori thought. She decided to go with a time-honored tradition among children, puppies, and girlfriends alike. A strategy known as¡­ Look cute and beg. ¡°We ran out...¡± Kotori said looking at Fawks with doe eyes. Fawks looked at her. ¡°Bah! Just go get more¡± He finally said after seeing her expression. Kotori didn¡¯t wait for Fawks to change his mind and had Amelie go find Doran. Eventually, Amelie came up holding a bundle of green onions and a sack of flour. It looked quite heavy but Amelie was perfectly able to hold it up. She was half wood elf after all. Kotori took the bundle and had Umi prepare the ingredients. There seemed to be a cheer among the sailors as Kotori began to make more. [Is the line getting longer!] Kotori had come to the conclusion that based on the amount of Pajeon she had made and the amount of people in the line it was getting longer. Even if some of the people had come back for seconds it still didn¡¯t make sense. [They¡¯re multiplying!] Kotori panicked. The line was growing even further, and she saw sailors coming up from below deck to eat. If she was correct the ship had over 300 or so sailors on board along with another 50 or so guests and travelers. [Too many!] Kitsura Reincarnated into a new world and accidentally becoming a food sensation. Chapter 136: Hot and Cold [So tired¡­] Eventually, after several hours, Kotori had finally fed the crowd. Her body was covered in a light sheen of oil that gave her skin and face a glossy look. She was drench in sweat on account of the hot sun and being forced to work near the griddle. Eventually, Kotori was forced to stop because she realized the only customers, she was getting were repeat customers. Well, to call them customers was not correct. It was not like the sailors were paying her anything to make the pajeon. Kotori stopped once she could see no more new people coming to eat. What had been a small trip to the deck to make some food had become a massive undertaking to feed the whole crew. The crew also had to stop because they needed to prepare for docking so the number of sailors had thinned out considerably. Many of the sailors seemed to have a happy expression and Kotori¡¯s karma had gone up so she couldn¡¯t complain about the sequence of events that had happened. Kotori felt something cold and soothing on her forehead. She thought it was odd until she realized that Umi was using her water skills to cool her down. A water bundle was planted directly on her forehead. Umi was sitting on a bench nearby beckoning with arms towards her lap. It was the first time she had taken her full form in a while. Kotori gratefully took the offer. Umi¡¯s lap was delightfully cool. Since it was made from water a lap pillow from Umi was the perfect way to cool down. Kotori heard a voice behind them ¡°Hey! Who said you were allowed to pamper Kotori!" She sat up to see a pouting Layla in the background. Suddenly she felt her head being swept up and held by Layla. Her face was nestled in between Layla¡¯s chest and it was unbearably warm. Layla was a fire spirit after all. She had naturally quite a high body temperature. [So stuffy] Kotori thought ¡°Kotori¡¯s took my offer to give her back!" Suddenly Kotori felt herself being snatched by Umi and clutched to Umi¡¯s chest. Umi of course, was a water spirit and thus very cool and refreshing. [That¡¯s nice, so coooool] She thought while melting into Umi¡¯s embrace She suddenly felt herself being pulled in two directions. It was painful and felt like her joints were being separated. ¡°OW!¡± She said, and suddenly the pulled sensation stopped. Layla and Umi were quite strong spirits after all. Although, Kotori was quite sturdy herself if she was suddenly pulled on both ends by them it would hurt quite a bit. Kotori looked up at both Layla and Umi who seemed to be glaring at each other. ¡°Can¡¯t you see Kotori-sama prefers me!¡± Umi said ¡°You¡¯re absolutely wrong! You dumb otter!¡± Layla shouted ¡°Dumb otter? You¡¯re an idiot fox!¡± Umi shouted back. Kotori could see several sailors gathering around and exchanging money between it seems like they were making bets on which of the spirits would win in a catfight. [Ah Mou, this is going to turn into trouble] Kotori thought. She did make them compete for her affection after all this was the result. She did it initially to take the heat of her but now she wanted to nip the problem in the bud. ¡°You both can be the first wife ok!¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Umi and Layla both looked at her with a surprised expression Both of suddenly started blushing ¡°The first wife, that means I¡¯m a fianc¨¦¡± Umi said looking down and shuffling her feet. Layla similarly was also doing the same motion while holding her face which was beet red ¡°First wife ufufufu, is this a proposal?¡± She said. ¡°I¡¯m tired of you two fighting. If you¡¯re both the first wife that solves it no?¡± Kotori said. For one, there was no reason why she had to have a first, second, third wife. Or even if spirits could be wives after all. Regardless Kotori didn¡¯t mind the thought of staying with Umi, and Layla for the rest of her life in this world. The word ¡°wife¡± maybe a little more serious than she intended but she wouldn¡¯t have much intention of cheating on them after all. Both of them turned towards her ¡°I don¡¯t accept this!¡± They said in unison It was now Kotori¡¯s turn to be shocked. She thought she had elegantly resolved the issue. ¡°Why?¡± Umi spoke first. ¡°Well, this is a woman¡¯s battle you need to respect it! You can¡¯t just brush it away, you need to take responsibility!¡± ¡°Umu!¡± Layla agreed to nod her head and crossing her arms. [Don¡¯t tell me the one time they agree on something it¡¯s this!] Kotori thought. Layla and Umi were like water and oil, but for some reason this seemed to be an area where they were particularly adamant about and agreed upon. This time Layla spoke. ¡°I will fight a fair battle with Umi for first wife, I don¡¯t want to share it!¡± Umi nodded along this time. Both suddenly shook hands in a sudden truce. Kotori watched the scene with ever-increasing dread. On one hand, she was happy that the rivalry was less venomous than she thought, but on the other hand, she wasn¡¯t sure if she would be able to physically survive being fought over by these two Oujo-samas. [Someone save me!] She internally pleaded Kitsura Romantic development, in my novel? Preposterous! Chapter 137: The Capital of Xernos It only took a few hours between Kotori closing her impromptu stall before the ship was soon approaching the Eris harbor. It had been a long journey, taking around a month, but Kotori was of course, in her room for most of it. The city was hard to see on the horizon. It wasn¡¯t until they got closer did Kotori realized that much of the buildings in the city appeared to be made of a sandy kind of dirt like pueblos. The building were quite tall and cast shadows along the streets. Kotori could tell this was an intentional architectural choice. The shade would make it cooler to walk around. It was of course extremely hot outside. ¡°Umi¡± Kotori called out. She instantly felt a cold soothing feeling on her neck and forehead. [Ahhh] Umi had read Kotori¡¯s intentions perfectly and was now helping cool her with her water. What? Kotori was a girl after all. She had to protect her delicate constitution (Not really). [I wish I had some anmitsu right now. Or even an ice pop] Kotori thought. The heat would be much more bearable with some cooler treats. [Is there ice magic? I want to learn it.] Kotori thought. Having magic that could cool her down would be excellent for this weather, and she wouldn¡¯t have to rely on Umi¡¯s water to cool her down. The weather really was quite hot. The sun was relentless and bore down on it¡¯s victims regardless of whether they wanted it or not. Kotori could see a large oasis in the middle of the city with a palace behind it. [So that¡¯s where they get their water at least] She thought. It would be impossible for such a large city to exist without a water source to sustain it. The oasis was large enough that Kotori could even see several small rafts on it. Despite the lack of water, she could see a grove of palm-like trees nears the water. [Those must¡¯ve been the tree that were used to make the Daimaru] Kotori thought The palace itself was around the building. It looks like a large flower bulb surrounded by smaller similar-looking buildings on the side. The petals of the bulbs were made of glass and colored in a myriad of pastels. ¡°It¡¯s a pretty city right?¡± Fawks said with a look of longing on his face. ¡°Yes,¡± Kotori said absentmindedly. Kotori was currently standing on the deck with Fawks, the higher vantage point on top of the ship was the only reason why she was able to see so much in the first place. It was indeed quite a pretty city. The sandy-colored buildings were also draped in colorful fabrics that made the city have a mosaic-like look. The fabrics also covered some of the largest streets providing even more shade The ship soon pulled into harbor and Kotori could see how much the Daimaru dwarfed the other vessels. It was at least twice as big as the other ships in the harbor and it even had a special extra-large docking area for it. A crowd had soon approached the docking area. And Kotori was beginning to panic. Her fears were soon abated when a gold carriage pulled up and several soldiers came through to open up an area for them to walk past. The carriage was being pulled by salamander-like creatures that had bronze colors scales. [Are those dungeon monsters?] Kotori thought upon seeing them Kotori waited below deck by the door until the door that led out onto the dock was opened. The door was soon flung open and she carefully walked down with Fawks following behind. The carriage that was prepared was a work of art. It was made of white wood that was accented with gold engravings and decorations. It was something out of a fairy tale. Kotori almost felt like she should be wearing glass shoes right now. The people looked at her with awe. Many of them had tanned skins and dark hair like Fawks. All of them wore loose-fitting clothing that gave plenty of space for circulation. Kotori could hear several of them talking ¡°Is she a princess from Faramouth? Wonder how that Fawks managed to pull that off¡± ¡°Are those her handmaidens? Surprising that some of them are more beautiful than her¡± ¡°Ah, Fawks is as dreamy as his brother.¡± ¡°Is she being forced to do this? Her expression is not very good¡± Despite her urge to correct these conversations, Kotori held her tongue. She felt like it would be difficult to stop all the rumors that would now start from this first impression. She still managed to try and put on a half heart smile and wave to the crowd. It would do her no favors if she was somehow viewed disfavorably by the population. She did this until Fawks helped her up into the carriage. This time her party could sit with her unlike the party as the capital. The carriage was large and the inside was luxurious. The seats were made of soft leather and the interior was surprisingly cool as if it had an ac. Kotori wondered what the cause could be so she used [Gourmet] and located a small mana crystal in the ceiling of the carriage [Is this Air Con?] She thought poking it curiously. Kitsura Sorry for the erratic posting quality, I have been so unmotivated, I''ve been working on my two other novels and I''m becoming increasingly aware of how much my writing quality lacks in comparison to other authors. It''s been hard to want to write knowing that anything I write will have to take 3-4 rounds of revision to even get to a readable state. The worst part is knowing that I can tell when I get bored with my own stories and it always happens around the 15k word mark. I can''t tell if it''s because I''ve spent too much time thinking about it or the story is actually boring. This web novel is slightly different since I spent a lot more time plotting than usually and it''s the place where I test things but writing with the idea of wanting a finished product in my mind just causes a detriment to my motivation and quality of writing. Love you all thanks for keeping up. Newfypuppie. Chapter 138: Mama’s boy The carriage was very smooth. Almost as smooth as Hikari. Which led Kotori to realize how much money the kingdom had. The roads must¡¯ve been very well maintaining and thus there was not much debris to roughen the ride. Amelie was looking out of the window in wonder ¡°Kotori look at that!¡± She said pointing at a particularly fancy fountain. She was acting like a kid but Kotori understood why. Amelie had never really traveled in her life and despite it being outside the elf village the Faramouth kingdom was still familiar territory for her. This was the first time where she was a fish out of water. ¡°mhmm,¡± Kotori said absentmindedly. She was mentally preparing herself for meeting with the current queen, or Fawks mother. ¡°So what¡¯s your mom like?¡± Kotori asked Fawks. He seemed quite nervous, which was making her nervous. The way Fawks was acting gave her the impression that his mother was quite a scary woman. ¡°She¡¯s uh, a personality I guess? ¡°Should I be afraid of her then?¡± Kotori asked probing more. ¡°No!¡± Fawks said quite suddenly in response to Kotori¡¯s questions ¡°Not at all. In fact, I am sure you all would like her. She just tends to be a little odd¡­¡± He explained with his voice trailing off. ¡°How so?¡± Kotori asked probing further. Fawk¡¯s mother was starting to sound like quite an enigmatic figure in her mind. ¡°Well, one time when I was being bullied by another company as a new merchant she sent the company head to be executed and financially ruined his company by royal decree.¡± ¡°So she¡¯s a helicopter parent¡± ¡°What¡¯s a helicopter¡± Fawks suddenly asked [Shoot, can¡¯t use that word it hasn¡¯t been invented yet!] ¡°I mean¡­ Is she over-protective then?¡± Kotori asked rephrasing her question. ¡°Gods no, she once threw me in the middle desert with no help and told me to find my way back home.¡± ¡°She did? How did you live that¡± Kotori asked him intrigued by how a soft person like Fawks would survive being thrown into the harsh desert. ¡°I got found by a passing tribe and managed to convince them to help me back in exchange for being their water boy. It was miserable, the tribe chief tried to marry me off to his daughter!¡± [I like this lady] Kotori thought. In her mind, Fawk¡¯s mother seemed like quite a fun person to be around. They soon approached the palace. The entrance of the palace was an arch that was made of a brilliant clear crystal. It was a dazzling sight that made Kotori look in awe. She could see how much money the kingdom of Eris had based on the architecture used in the palace. She could also see that that kingdom was not exhorting its citizens to fund it. The people on the street seemed quite lively and poverty was relatively normal. This was proof the kingdom was plain rich. Several soldiers help escort Fawks and Kotori¡¯s party of the carriage. ¡°This way Queen¡¯s candidate,¡± One of them said while respectfully gesturing with his hand. Kotori noted that it seemed like she was more important than Fawks in this situation. [So the prince¡¯s really are just a tool to find candidates.] she thought. Kotori walked through the archway and into the palace. Despite the layers of stained glass petals that composed of the outside palace structure, the inside was quite normal and the light was not dyed in any color. It was quite open and there were several fountains around. Unlike the buildings of the Faramouth kingdom, the Kingdom of Eris seemed to prefer quite open floorplans with plenty of sunlight. They were led to the west side of the palace where several rooms were prepare for them. ¡°The women can stay in this room and the men in the other.¡± The soldier who was leading them said while pointing to two doors. [Ah gender-segregated rooms? That won¡¯t do] Kotori didn¡¯t like being separated from Shu. It seemed like they were under the impression that Shu was a normal human. ¡°Actually this man is my spirit can he stay in my room,¡± Kotori said Shu turned into his dog form and barked. The man seemed shocked and then composed himself for a moment ¡°I see¡­ then it should be fine,¡± He said. The man then turned to Fawks, ¡°Prince Fawks your living quarters have been maintained as per the order of the queen so you can use them.¡± ¡°Sheesh, that old lady kept them for me,¡± Fawks muttered. ¡°Okay, I know my way there you don¡¯t have to bother leading me,¡± He said. The guard nodded and then walked off. Kitsura Today I tried to be productive and applied to 12 internships and also sent in a journal article for review. Give me your energy. Chapter 139: A Minor Skirmish Once the man left Fawks immediately walked into Kotori¡¯s room ¡°Hey! don¡¯t you have your own room!¡± She started protesting Fawks gave a smile without an inch of shame. ¡°I¡¯m not going to that place.¡± ¡°It¡¯s your room what could be so bad?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to sleep there, too many bad memories.¡± Kotori could only sigh, ¡°Ugh, fine.¡± Fawks walked in without a second glance. Shu was currently giving Kotori a look that gave the impression he was saying¡°want me to deal with him?¡± ¡°Shu it¡¯s fine, you can room with Fawks.¡± Kotori walked into the room as well. It was much larger than she expected. In fact, it was almost the size of their mansion back at the village. There was a shallow hollowed hole in the ground that served the living area with a table, and several pillows placed around it. The walls of the hole were cut into couch-like shapes and they were covered in cushions. Several closed doors lined the wall. There were more than enough rooms in this rea to house everybody with even a few to spare. Kotori opened the doors to one of the rooms to find a plush bed with folded blankets. Just like the carriage, it felt like the room was being cooled by an AC. Kotori activated [Gourmet] and located a mana crystal which was hidden in the ceiling [I need to figure out this AC tech] Kotori thought. The heat was unbearable she wanted to make a portable mana crystal to stave off the heat and keep her cool. The bed was supremely soft and of high quality. She noticed a hole in the wall where several blankets were neatly folded for use. [No bath?] She thought. The entire complex lacked any sort of indication that there was an area for bathing. It was odd considering that it would be extremely uncomfortable to have to endure the sun and not be able to wash off your body once it was covered in sweat. [Well, I¡¯ll just have Umi clean my body I guess.] It seems that the spirits had gotten settled in but there appeared to be an argument brewing among Layla and Umi. ¡°It is my role as the future first wife to share a room with Kotori.¡± Layla said crossing her arms. ¡°fufu oh Layla dear, I believe you are mistaken. It is MY role as the future first wife to stay with Kotori-sama.¡± The two of them were now standing so close Kotori could imagine sparks coming from between the two spirits'' foreheads. ¡°Can we not do this?¡± Kotori asked them. ¡°Of course, not this is very important to discuss!¡± Layla said. [Discuss? Does it look like you two are about to fight to wait? Is Layla preparing her fox fire] Kotori panicked. Indeed Layla¡¯s hands were beginning to smolder slightly indicating that she was preparing to fight. Umi likewise was preparing several balls of water that were beginning to float near her. [This is bad! They¡¯ll ruin my room!] Kotori didn¡¯t mind them fighting, but she would be annoyed if her lodgings were disrupted or destroyed as a result. ¡°Stop, Stop Stop!¡± She said. ¡°You can both stay with me, Okay!¡± ¡°Really!¡± Layla and Umi said in unison Kotori sighed, ¡°Yes¡­¡± The bed in the room was plenty large enough to fit the two spirits. She would be able to sleep with both at the same time. Although it would be a little snug so Kotori came up with another solution. ¡°But¡± Kotori said suddenly ¡°You can only use your chibi forms in the bed¡± A low ¡°Tch¡± sound could be heard from both Layla and Umi. It seems like both of them had plans that were suddenly ruined. [Don¡¯t tell me they were thinking of ¡°attacking¡± me in the night.] Kotori had hoped that by making them sleep in their Chibi forms there would be more space for her. But it seems like Umi and Layla both had other ideas. Kotori could see Shu watching in the corner with a slightly disappointed look. [Don¡¯t tell me he wants to sleep with me as well!] Kotori didn¡¯t have any fear that Shu would attempt anything with her, but she did feel odd sharing a bed with another man. Even if that man was really a spirit. She resolved herself to give a reward to Shu in the future. Kitsura Pokemon Unite is taking over my life. Chapter 140: Meeting Mama(1) They had only settled in their room for a short while before a soldier came to their room saying that the queen wanted to see them. Fawks upon hearing the soldier tried to run but Kotori had Hikari bind him and forcefully dragged over to the throne room where the queen was waiting. The throne room was a large domed room. The floor was a creamy colored marble and the throne was upon a dais made of the same material. The throne was unlike any Kotori had seen. Instead of being a highback chair, it was a large gold ottoman. Atop laid a chubby lady. Who had tanned skin like Fawks, and dark hair? Two large muscular handsome men were flapping her with fans and another was hand-feeding her some sort of fruit. [She¡¯s doing quite well for herself] Kotori smirking while watching the scene, While the men were not her type Kotori thought being attended to by people like that would be great. A herald announced the presence ¡°Prince Fawks and his queen''s candidate have arrived! You are graced by the presence of Queen Nepherta¡± The woman noticing their presence got off her throne to greet them. Her movements were surprisingly graceful considering her chubby appearance. Her next action surprised Kotori. ¡°My wittle Fawksy!¡± She suddenly shouted running towards toward and smothering him in an embrace. ¡°Mo-¡± was all Fawks could squeak out before he was crushed in the embrace of the queen. ¡°Mou, Fawks you¡¯ve gotten so thin, are you eating well? Is everything alright? Are people bullying you again? I won¡¯t hesitate to send the queens guard you know?¡± [Eh?] Kotori thought seeing the scene. Her impression of the queen was of an imposing and draconian woman, but rather all she saw here was an overly doting mother. The woman notices Kotori presence broke off from Fawks and walked over to her. Kotori could see Fawks collapsing to the ground gasping for air as he was released from her embrace. ¡°Oh is this the girl you chose Fawks? She is quite cute, a little young though, Don¡¯t tell me you are into little girls! Umu I¡¯m sure she will turn into quite a beauty in a few years. She better be smart you know! The trials are pretty tough, Mhmm nice hips, I wonder when I will see grandkids.¡± [Hold it lady, that ain¡¯t happening.] Kotori thought upon hearing that last line. Even though the woman was bizarre Kotori still decided to be respectful. She gave a curtsy, ¡°Hello, Queen Nepherta, my name is Sato Kotori I am here to attempt the trials.¡± The lady smiled ¡°Oh my how polite, I like this girl Fawks,¡± She said pinch Kotori¡¯s cheek [Ouch!] Despite her appearance, the lady was quite strong. Her pinch felt like it was about to rip Kotori¡¯s cheek off. ¡°Mother,¡± Fawks started saying with an official tone. ¡°I would like to give my report¡± ¡°Oh! Yes, that let¡¯s hear it then¡± The queen went back to her throne and listened intently to the report Fawks gave. Which explained how he met Kotori and the events that led to them getting kicked and then reinstated into the Sea Lord council. Once Fawks finished Kotori could see a vein bulging in the Queen''s forehead. Her face had changed from the previously soft and approachable expression ¡°Fawks!¡± The queen yelled out ¡°Yes?¡± Fawks said sighing. ¡°What did I tell you about plotting? You are only as powerful as your worst-case scenario! Jeez, I thought I taught you better¡± ¡°I understand mother,¡± Fawks said his face looking away in shame. ¡°Anyway,¡± the queen started saying. ¡°Send those two over to Eric and have them bring me the heads of these merchants¡± She ordered to the attendant near her. Fawk instantly panicked ¡°Mother you can¡¯t do that it would be an international incident if you directly ordered it!¡± he said his voice rising in pitch ¡°Why can¡¯t I?¡± the queen said innocently ¡°They bullied you no?¡± Fawks gestured to Kotori, ¡°She already dealt with it¡± ¡°Really?¡± The queen said narrowing her eyes on Kotori. Her eyes had changed once again to a cunning look, a far cry from her previous lackadaisical and angry attitude. It was here Kotori could see how this woman eventually became queen. ¡°Take back those orders then,¡± She told the other attendant near her, who then ran off to catch the previous one. ¡°My, My, this girl is a little more interesting than the others at least. Maybe she will be able to match your sister.¡± The queen said smiling. [Sister?] Kotori thought upon hearing the words. She had thought that Fawks only had brothers but it seemed like that was not the case. Kitsura Sorry for being a bit late, Pokemon Unite is still taking over my life. Chapter 141: Meeting Mama(2) The queen now turned her attention to Kotori¡¯s party. ¡°An elf? We don¡¯t have many of those around here, she¡¯s a bit tall for my liking but she will serve fine as handmaiden I guess¡± The queen said looking at Amelie. Amelie gave a slightly pained smile after hearing the passive-aggressive comments from the Queen. The queen was only half correct considering Amelie was a half-elf. ¡°These other two are fabulous. Oh my, what delicate features, why did you pick this one Fawks? Look at her lovely demeanor what a queenly appearance.¡± The queen noted while gesturing towards Umi. Umi seemed to enjoy herself. [I quite like this lady] Umi said using [Spirit Seer] It was useful a tool, that most normal people couldn¡¯t hear unless they had the skills [You only like her because she complimented you!] Suddenly Kotori¡¯s thoughts were interrupted. ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad to hear you like me it would do no good if I made a bad impression,¡± The queen said. [Eh? She had [Spirit Seer] too?] Kotori thought. The only way the Queen could¡¯ve heard that was if she had that skill. The queen cackled. ¡°Dear, don¡¯t play your cards so soon. So these are spirits then? Their form manifestation is quite good.¡± She said [This lady is too smart for her own good.] Kotori thought dryly. The queen gave off the impression of an easygoing person but based on this reception she could tell the queen was an extremely perceptive person. The easygoing attitude was likely a ruse to lull the other party into a more relaxed attitude. The queen had the [Spirit Seer] skill and she could¡¯ve pretended that she didn¡¯t hear the conversation between Kotori and Umi. The fact she decided to comment on it must¡¯ve been an intentional choice on her part. She was showing off, letting Kotori know not to treat her lightly. [How terrifying.] Kotori thought The queen was an excellent manipulator. She didn¡¯t seem like a good fighter but she was very smart. ¡°This other lady I assume is a spirit as well? Her form manifestation is even harder to notice than the other spirits. In fact, it doesn¡¯t look like an imitation rather it looks real.¡± The queen started pinching Layla¡¯s cheeks. Layla who had the social tact now to not protest was giving Kotori a look like ¡°Save me¡± Kotori gave her a look back that said ¡°Endure it please!¡± Thus, Layla continued to endure the cheek onslaught by Fawk¡¯s mother. Kotori grimaced empathetically, the Queen had quite a cheek pinch. Once the queen was done pinching Layla¡¯s cheeks, she spoke again. ¡°You two are lovely, but I¡¯m going to have to have you both wear something more appropriate, something that accentuates your¡­ features.¡± [More appropriate?] Kotori thought. Layla who wore a Miko outfit and Umi who wore Yukata did look odd among the people here but Kotori didn¡¯t think it was much of an issue. Apparently, the queen was unhappy with their appearance. It felt like a mother chiding her children though, so Kotori was unsure of how serious the queen was being. ¡°That style of clothing may sit well from whatever country this little lady comes from, but it will not do here.¡± The queen said. ¡°I will have some clothing sent to your rooms¡± She clapped her hands, and another attendant ran off to complete the orders. ¡°Mother, you don¡¯t have too-¡± Fawks started to say before a clap interrupted him. ¡°My My, would you look at the time,¡± The queen said looking at a Water clock that was placed in the room. ¡°It¡¯s been great catching up dear, but I am a busy woman and I have other matters to attend too. We are holding a banquet with your siblings and the others nobles please don¡¯t miss it. It would be a shame for you to miss your social debut¡± The queen said, putting extra emphasis on the words ¡°Social Debut¡± [So this is an order rather than an invitation.] Kotori could tell that the feast was not meant to be a celebratory affair and rather a wy for her to size up the competition. In other words, it was a trial before a trial. She knew that Fawks had two other brothers but the addition of a sister threw a wrench in her plans. She also didn¡¯t know any of the other queen''s candidates. Fawks had also been unhelpful in giving her information as well. He wasn¡¯t ever planning on fielding a candidate and thus didn¡¯t keep up to date with his siblings and their candidates. Kotori would have to use this ¡°feast¡± to learn as much as she could before the actual trials had begun. Based on Fawk¡¯s reaction to the mention of his sister she seemed like the most dangerous person. Kitsura Bleb Bleb Ble Chapter 142: Clothes… Ugh After the bizarre audience with the queen, they retired back to their rooms. Kotori was left baffled at the events that had occurred. Once they got back to their room, Fawks heaved a sigh of relief and collapsed onto the sunken couch in the ground. ¡°Haaaaa-¡± He sighed. ¡°She was¡­ quite a character¡± Kotori noted trying to make small talk to defuse the awkward mood in the room. Fawks look exasperated. ¡°You see what I mean? She¡¯s insane¡± [Well, I wouldn¡¯t say that] Kotori thought. Although, Fawk¡¯s mother was quite the character she reminded Kotori of the helicopter parent in her old world. In fact, Kotori quite liked Fawk¡¯s mom. Though, Kotori could see why it would be difficult to live with a mother like that. She could see now why Fawks wanted to be a merchant and live a full continent away from her. [It¡¯s kind of like a college student going far away from home no?] She thought. Fawks didn¡¯t seem to dislike his mother rather he seemed to have a troubled relationship with her. Kotori could see Amelie giving him back rub saying ¡°there, there¡± It seemed like she was sympathetic to Fawk¡¯s plight [Well, she¡¯s pretty used to having troubled familial relationships too.] Kotori thought smirking. It seemed like ages ago that Kotori had been in the elf village around 3 years had passed since then and she wondered if it would soon be the time to visit the village and say hi to the Boss and Mari. [Well to get that chance I have to win this thing in the first place] Kotori thought grimly. The trials still hung on her mind. She had to win them. A small knock came at their door. Kotori went to go answered it and a girl wearing a purple veil handing Kotori a wrapped package. She bowed and nodded and then walked off without a word. [Odd?] Kotori thought. The package was very light. It felt like there was something soft inside. ¡°who was it?¡± Amelie called out. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, it was a girl who left me a package and then walked away.¡± Kotori said. The girl said nothing she only handed Kotori a package and then left. ¡°Well? Open it up¡± Amelie said while lazing on the couch Kotori peeled back the cloth covering the package to find thin sheer cloth. [No, not cloth, it¡¯s clothing] She thought. The thin fabric appeared to be part of something kind of outfit. Folded in the cloth were several gold necklaces and other assorted gold accessories. [Is this the clothing that the queen wanted to give us? Gold too?] Evidently, the queen must¡¯ve been quite wealthy if she was willing to give such expensive jewelry for free. Kotori used [Gourmet] in the clothing just in case there was slave magic on it. She was pretty sure there wasn¡¯t anything on it, but her encounter with Gerard had made her wary of gifts in general. The clothing was thankfully, fairly vanilla and didn¡¯t have any sort of enchantments on them. Still, Kotori felt unsure about taking the gift. There was no such thing as a free gift from a stranger after all. ¡°It¡¯s the clothes the queen gave us¡± Kotori said with a slightly unsure tone. ¡°Oh! Then have Umi and Layla try it on¡± Amelie said Both Umi and Layla seemed like there were receptive to the idea. ¡°Is there two outfits?¡± Umi asked ¡°Yes,¡± Kotori said as she handed Umi the Package. Umi picked out one of the outfits and a few pieces of clothing and handed the rest too Layla. ¡°Then would you like us to change into this now?¡± Layla asked ¡°Do it when you want I guess.¡± Kotori said half-heartedly. Amelie on the other hand seemed to disappoint. ¡°Amelie, did you want them to change now?¡± Kotori asked her. ¡°Well¡­ I kinda wanted to see Umi and Layla in new outfits.¡± Amelie said Kotori shrugged ¡°Do as you wish¡± In a snap Umi suddenly became naked ¡°HOLD IT!¡± Kotori said, Hikari instantly knocked down Fawks and covered his eyes right as he was about to look over Kotori shook her head. She should¡¯ve known, Umi was a spirit after all. She didn¡¯t have human concepts of ¡°modesty¡±. This coupled with the fact that Umi¡¯s clothes were even real in the first place meant Kotori didn¡¯t have time to react. Kotori averted her eyes for a moment before realized that she was a woman as well. [Well, just one little peak could hurt¡­] She thought. Kotori looked at Umi. !!! [Bad idea]. She could feel herself starting to get a nosebleed. Umi had a rather seductive body. One that would make men and women alike bend over. ¡°Umi,¡± Kotori started to say making sure to place her eyes firmly on Umi¡¯s face and not the rest of Umi¡¯s body. ¡°Please change in a room away from our eyes¡± ¡°Umi was smiling, Oh? Do you like this Kotori sama?¡± Her voice turning into a sultry tone. ¡°Just change somewhere else,¡± Kotori said exasperated. ¡°Umi no fair!¡± Layla said. And suddenly she became naked as well. [Guh!] Kotori thought. ¡°Both of you! Stopppppppppp¡± She pleaded Kitsura Silly chapter before we go into the more serious stuff. On a side note, I think I''ve gotten out of my depressive funk, I seem to wax and wane with how much my writers block acts up. This arc is plotted out now and hopefully, I''ll be updating more regularly than the shitshow that''s been my upload schedule recently. It might be too early say but I''m going to set myself a goal of 10 forward chapters to give me wiggle room to be depressed and not write. Chapter 143: Challengers approaching! With the clothing debacle out of the way and sorted out. Kotori finally got to see Layla and Umi wearing the outfits they were given. The clothing was sheer and light and gave an airy effect. To be honest, it looked like a more modest belly dancer outfit. It was still quite, exposing but not to the level where Kotori would think that someone would get the wrong idea. There was actually an extra outfit in addition to the two other outfits that Layla and Umi wore. Kotori assumed it was for Amelie. ¡°Kotori, do you know what this is for?¡± Layla said with a puzzled expression holding up a small piece of cloth. Kotori took the cloth in her hand and was equally confused. It was a square piece of cloth that seemed to have some sort of clasp mechanism. ¡°Fawks so do you know what this is?¡± Kotori walked over to the couch where Fawks was laying and shook him. ¡°Mmmph!¡± Fawks had fallen asleep on the couch and was currently taking a midday nap [He¡¯s very relaxed, for someone who must fight to the death soon] Kotori thought. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Tell me what this is,¡± Kotori said, pushing the cloth into Fawk¡¯s hand Fawks looked at it. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s meant to be put on this.¡± He wrapped the cloth around his face and clasped it. That¡¯s when Kotori realized it was a veil that would cover the bottom half of the face. ¡°Ah, thanks!¡± She took the cloth from Fawks hand and handed it back to Layla ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, it¡¯s only for married women anyway,¡± Fawks said, waving them off with his hand Umi and Layla seemed to perk up after hearing it. ¡°Oh?¡± They both said. ¡°Then I guess I won¡¯t wear it,¡± Umi said ¡°Umu¡± Layla responded nodding. Another knock came on their door. ¡°Yes?¡± Kotori called out ¡°It¡¯s time for the feast¡± a familiar voice called through the door. It sounded like Amah. ¡°Tch¡± Kotori thought, ¡°We¡¯ll be right out.¡± [Ah, I don¡¯t have anything to wear. Did the queen think I had something already?] Kotori thought, as soon she she finishing thinking, a sudden whirlwind of metal folded itself around Kotori. [Seriously?] Hikari for some reason, had heard her thoughts and transformed itself into a dress, Of course, there was a single issue. [Stop trying to make me a magical girl!] Kotori shouted using [Spirit Seer] To put on the dress, Kotori had to hold a wand in her hand, She tried to hide the wand but Hikari would rumble in a displeased manner. With a sigh, Kotori went to the feast in her magical girl outfit. ** ** ** They were led to outside to the inner part of the castle where there was an outdoor clearing. The sun had long since set, and the night was cool. Several lanterns with Mana crystals were set up in the clearing giving light and Kotori could see many people milling about and talking. Along the edge of the clearing, there was a row of tables with many silvery platters filled to the brim with food. The food in Eris was varied, despite not having much land to farm on they still did have their own cuisine. Much of it was spiced and roasted meats, with assortments of lighter salads and fish dishes. Kotori could feel her mouth salivating at the thought of eating. She felt Fawks nudge her arm. He had adopted his dignified merchant look. ¡°Stay aware¡± He whispered in a low voice. Kotori didn¡¯t know what Fawks meant by that but she decided to stay cautious just in case. Several of the party-goers had noticed the presence of Kotori¡¯s group but none dare approach her. [Odd?] Kotori wondered why nobody wanted to talk to her. She wasn¡¯t so conceited a person to think that people would actually want to talk to her. But at the very least she was a Queen¡¯s candidate and thus a pretty important person. Suddenly the crowd part and Kotori could see a thin man walking towards them. He was tan and looked like a skinnier taller Fawks. His facial features were long and hawkish with a large hooked nose that was pierced with a gold ring. At his side was a platinum blond, pale-skinned woman Kotori first thought of the women were filled with one thought [Elf?] Indeed, the woman standing next to the man was shockingly beautiful. Almost doll-like, with features so perfect that Kotori couldn¡¯t believe that she was an actual person. Her ears were also pointed, which gave Kotori further proof that this was an elf. Kotori¡¯s only experience with elves in this world was wood elves so she was shocked to find something that actually represents a stereotypical elf. Kitsura Erofu... Jk I wrote 5k words yesterday and ouch my wrists Chapter 144: Moon elves The man came forward and the woman and gave a small curtsy. Kotori saw Fawks nod. ¡°Hello¡­ Zachariah¡± He said carefully The man smiled ¡°Oh, Fawks why so cold, we haven¡¯t talk in so long. Can¡¯t you be a little happier to see me¡± The man said with a large smile while putting a hand on Fawks shoulders Kotori could see Fawks stiffen at the touch. [Hmm?] Fawks was usually a confident person so seeing him act this jumpy around someone else seemed odd. Based on this observation Kotori assumed that this was one of Fawk¡¯s brothers. They looked kinda similar but Kotori assumed that this one had a different father. Zacariah maintained his smile ¡°I see you¡¯ve finally chosen a queen¡¯s candidate. I never thought that was going to happen. I would¡¯ve bet on you hiding Faramouth with your tail between your legs. Though, the girl you¡¯ve chosen seems a little underwhelming¡± [Tch, annoying] Kotori thought. Zacariah had a haughty overconfident sort of attitude. ¡°She¡¯s perfectly fine,¡± Fawks said defensively. [Umu good answer Fawks!] ¡°Oh you might¡¯ve been able to trick some second-rate princess whose retainers are prettier than her, but I assure you that it won¡¯t be enough. ¡± Kotori could feel a vein popping in her forehead [Second rate!] She could feel Layla and Umi ready their mana [Be still,] She told them with [Spirit Seer] ¡°Besides, have you seen my candidate? She¡¯s a pure-blooded elf! Don¡¯t get to see many of those anymore.¡± The elf lady , in contrast to Zacariah¡¯s brash attitude she seemed quite meek in comparison ¡°Hello, my name is Delia¡± she said bowing. Her voice was low, almost a whisper. Kotori used [Status] on her. Delia Age: 19 Race: Moon Elf HP: 15 Mana: 2,780 Agility: 10 Strength: 3 Defense: 8 Karma: 4,839 Skills: none Traits: [Moon Elf¡¯s Grace] [Luck] [Holy mother of mana] The girl had a dizzyingly high amount mana. An amount that almost rivaled Okateratsu. The rest of her stats were fairly average and even on the weak side, but the mana was ridiculous. ¡°Heh stupid elf, I found her roaming around the warring kingdoms to the south cost a pretty penny too. Once she¡¯s queen I¡¯ll be taking the throne for myself.¡± Zacariah boasted loudly to the crowd. [He¡¯s so insufferable] Kotori thought. She now understood why Fawks disliked his siblings so much Fawks instead gave a polite smile. ¡°We shall see¡± Zacariah gave a loud ¡°Hmm!¡± and walked off with Delia trailing behind him. Right before he left their vision Kotori could see Delia turn around and give an apologetic bow, as if saying ¡°sorry for his behavior¡± ¡°My, he hasn¡¯t changed much,¡± Fawks said scratching his head watching the figure of Zacariah disappear into the crowd. ¡°He¡¯s always been like that?¡± Kotori asked ¡°Unfortunately, yes, He¡¯s the firstborn after all. They generally win since they can monopolize early resources and have the most time to do their search.¡± Fawks explained ¡°Still, an elf? That¡¯s unusual I wonder where he found her, he said the southern kingdoms, but even that sounds unlikely¡± Fawks was muttering to himself. ¡°Elves? I used to live in a wood elf village¡± Kotori said. She honestly didn¡¯t understand what the hype around elves was. She lived with them for two years. ¡°I¡¯m half wood elf myself,¡± Amelie said ¡°There¡¯s a difference between wood elves and that one, she was a moon elf. Beings closer to divinity rather, than mortality the elves in the world are all derivatives of her kind¡± Fawks said. [Divinity?] Kotori thought. Divinity did not seem like an apt comparison. The women had none of the presence that Gabriel had. In fact, she was quite invisible, Kotori barely registered her a person. She didn¡¯t appear to be controlled by anything, if anything she just looked like she lacked a sense of free will. [Odd girl] Never before had Kotori seen such lifeless eyes on a person who looked so normal. ¡°Why are moon elves so hard to find?¡± Kotori asked. ¡°Their bodies¡± ¡°excuse me?¡± Kotori said flustered she didn¡¯t realize that Delia was an E(ro)lf ¡°Ah it seems like you are getting weird ideas. I meant their bodies insofar as they make good materials?¡± Fawks said ¡°I still don¡¯t understand,¡± Amelie said ¡°Moon elf''s bodies are naturally filled with mana; their bones are purer than any mana crystal. Their blood makes potions that will restore any amount of mana. Their brains and organs make potent healing salves. The reason you don¡¯t see many is because¡­ they are hunted and slaughtered like animals¡± Fawks said his voice adopting a low tone. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m so shocked that he chose one to be his queen¡¯s candidate. Poor girl she probably won¡¯t last long.¡± Fawks said his voice filled with pity. All Kotori could do was stand there in stunned silence. [Hunted¡­ like an animal] She had seen plenty of races in this world but they were all treated quite well, now Kotori was confronted with such a reality that they were not all treated equally. The thought of hunting an elf sickened her to her stomach. She imagined the wood elves being slaughtered for materials. Fawk¡¯s could see Kotori¡¯s suspicious expression ¡°Ah I don¡¯t deal in that stuff it¡¯s shady and distasteful, especially the breeders. I¡¯m not a fan of selling lives. Plus, I usually only buy foodstuff anyway.¡± He said defending himself. Kotori wasn¡¯t displeased with Fawks. It was just the information upset her greatly. Kotori was a solid defender of the justice call ¡°cute¡±. Delia was cute and thus she was naturally under Kotori jurisdiction. ¡°Cute is justice!¡± Kitsura Cute is justice! Chapter 145: Mathias The banquet had quite a few people there. Several of them also came to greet Fawks. Kotori was having trouble remembering all the names. [That was Daljhin of Ethas? Or was it Tyet? Man, this is hard.] She did however notice a curious development. The partier goers seem to be converged in three main camps. One of them was surrounding Zacariah and Delia. The other two were surrounding two other people but it was so packed that Kotori could not make out the other people. Zachariah had the largest group. In contrast, there were no people surround Kotori. ¡°So you¡¯ve noticed?¡± Fawks said. ¡°Mhmm I guess,¡± Kotori said. She had shifted her focus and was busy eyeing a nice rack of lamb that was sitting at a table. ¡°Can you pay a bit more attention?¡± Fawks said [Boring] ¡°Ok, what?¡± ¡°People in the country have already chosen a side, it happens every time. People are naturally going to cluster around the ones with the highest chance of winning¡± Fawks explained. ¡°So? We just gotta beat them no?¡± Kotori said. ¡°That¡¯s going to be hard. Those people are some of the richest merchants in Eris. They¡¯ll be backing their candidates with zeal.¡± Fawks explained. ¡°I guess since I don¡¯t really know what these trials deal with so I can¡¯t really feel any tension you know,¡± Kotori said Fawks sighed ¡°Look, the trials are handpicked by the queen, we don¡¯t know what they are. Generally, there will be a combat and dungeon trial, but the others are a mystery. ¡± [Well, I¡¯m good at those things.] Kotori had quite a bit of experience with dungeons and fighting already, one could even say that it was all she did. ¡°Umu, seems like it¡¯ll be pretty easy,¡± Kotori said nodding knowingly. ¡°Please be a little more serious,¡± Fawks said a pained expression on his face [But I am!] Kotori thought The small group seemed to have some movement and this time short but pudgy man, came walking through. He had lighter skin than most but still had the dark hair that most of the people of Eris had. He looked shockingly similar to the queen, which meant that he must¡¯ve been one of Fawk¡¯s brothers. Next to the man was an Eris woman. She seemed to be wearing a light sundress dress, but it didn¡¯t fit her well. Not because the dress was ill-fitting size-wise but rather because the body of the women completely didn¡¯t match the dress. She had a strong muscular-toned physique. Something that didn¡¯t fit at all with the light and airy sundress. The man started waving at Kotori and her group. ¡°Ah Fawks it¡¯s been so long!¡± He said with a beaming smile while walking over. ¡°Mattie! How¡¯s it been?¡± Fawks was giving a genuine smile this time. [They seem to be on good terms] Kotori thought. Fawks didn¡¯t seem to dislike this man. ¡°So, So I guess. You found a candidate? That small girl? Or is it one of these women?¡± the man said gesturing to Kotori¡¯s spirits. ¡°Ah yes, I forgot introductions, Kotori this is my younger brother Mathias, the woman next to him is Yenoba, his wife. Mathias this young girl here is Kotori and She¡¯s my queen''s candidate the others are her comrades¡± Fawks said. Mathius and the women next to him gave a bow. ¡°Pleased to make your acquaintance,¡± Kotori said with a polite tone. These people seemed nice enough, so she didn¡¯t want to make a bad impression. ¡°Man, Fawks, it''s rough out here, Zachariah is walking around acting like he¡¯s won already, and Ryla isn¡¯t any better, want to go into hiding with me?¡± ¡°Cmon Mattie, you know that impossible¡± Fawks said. ¡°Well, with your connection we might have a chance, we could go hide out in the warring states or maybe on the far end of Atlea?¡± ¡°Mhmmm, I¡¯m going to take a chance by competing. This girl is more than she seems¡± Fawks said. ¡°Oh really¡­¡± The conversation between the two men was like two old friends meeting each other there didn¡¯t seem to be any animosity between them. Unfortunately, for Kotori, it didn¡¯t seem like she had any space in the conversation. [Odd?] Kotori thought She was thankful that Mathias seemed like a nice enough guy, but she didn¡¯t know why he was so nice. Kotori saw Yenoba standing next to Mathius silently, so Kotori¡¯s decided to make some light small talk. ¡°Your muscles are quite large¡± [Dummy!] Kotori instantly cursed herself. [What kind of idiot starts a conversation like that!] She thought. Yenoba on the other hand seemed flattered. ¡°Yes, I train them daily. Though, this dress is a little too¡­ frilly for my tastes. The clothing choices here are not ideal¡± ¡°Mhmm¡± Kotori agreed, she thought the Eris clothing was a little weird as well. Especially after seeing the clothes that were given to her companions. [Clothes are annoying] Kotori thought before she suddenly had an idea. [Wait, would wood elf clothing work on her?] The woods elves wore practical clothing(and delinquent styles). It would be a good fit for someone like Yenoba. ¡°I know some styles that might work for you, I¡¯ll see if I can commission them,¡± Kotori said. ¡°Really? I would love to see them¡± Yenoba said. Based on her expression she was obviously interested in Kotori¡¯s proposal. ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡± ¡°That would be lovely¡± Yenoba said her face breaking into a light grin. Kitsura Another brother! This one seems nice? Omake: Yukio Ganbatte! It had been a little over a month since that girl had left. The girl who had saved Arene and tried to seduce him. ¡°Damn succubi girl!¡± He unconsciously shouted. ¡°Eh? Yukio is something wrong.¡± A voice asked nearby. It was Arene, the girl who that seductress had saved. She had since regained the color in her cheeks and was back to her normal self. Initially in the beginning she dealt with intense sweet lead cravings but those had mostly mellowed out by now. Yukio was grateful for the girl for at least doing that much. The girl had left as quickly as she had come into Yukio¡¯s life. A whirlwind of illegal activity and fighting. He stilled remembering hearing the news about how she had castrated one of the Sea Lord, the one who had captured Arene. It had caused quite a ruckus and she didn¡¯t even bother cleaning up the aftermath, leaving on her ship the very next day. She did clean up one loose end, and that was the business with Yukio and Arene. For one, they were protected from retaliation since they were being sheltered by the Eris Merchants in the city. Apparently, the inn that the girl was staying at, was own by her friend and she had made a deal with the inn to house them indefinitely. There was only one problem. She only reserved one room! Yukio might be young, but he was still a boy approaching puberty, and the thought of sharing a room with a girl as pretty as Arene made him panicky. Arene didn¡¯t seem to mind. When Yukio asked her about it she only said it¡¯s okay ¡°I see you as a brother!¡± That hurt. Even though. They were being taken care of, Yukio still wanted to live on his own two feet, and Arene shared similar concerns. Arene had managed to pick up a job as a waitress a the inn. Yukio was still too young to do anything, a fact he cursed daily. Once he was big enough, he was going to be a sailor traveling the world, and make tons of money. Or at least that used to be his dream. He eventually realized that such a dream would force him to leave Flare for extended periods of time. Something that would force him to leave Arene a thought, that made Yukio increasingly uncomfortable. To be honest, Yukio had seen Arene as a mother figure for most of his life. She was an orphan herself but she was always taking care of the street orphans. Even now she was saving up money to open an orphanage. A dream that Yukio wanted to support as well. When he thought about his street life and the cozy life he has now, it makes him a little sad. It wasn¡¯t as if he couldn¡¯t leave the inn, but it was still dangerous for him. He didn¡¯t know how long Gerard would wait before enacting his revenge. He missed his street friends. One day he received a letter it was from that damn girl ¡°Dear Yukio Here is some money, take Arene somewhere nice ( ?¡ã ?? ?¡ã)¡± Yukio didn¡¯t know what ¡°( ?¡ã ?? ?¡ã)¡± meant but there was a 5 silver coin folded into the paper. It was quite a sum of money for a brat like him. *approx 500$ usd. That was when Yukio decided. He was going to ask Arene on a date! Kitsura IDK I wrote this because I felt like I didn''t tie up the Yukio plotline as cleanly as I would''ve liked. Please enjoy this brief, POV shift and side chapter. Also, we hit trending a lot at some point and I didn''t keep up my promise on Omake Chapters for them. Chapter 146: Ryla(1) After Mathis and Fawk finished talking, Kotori had a satisfied expression on her face [I made a friend!] Fawks on the other hand was frowning. [Eh? It seemed like he and Mathias were good friends what happened?] Kotori thought. Based on the contents of their talk it seemed fairly light-hearted. ¡°Something wrong?¡± Kotori asked innocently. In response, Fawks flicked her head. ¡°Ow!¡± Kotori shouted holding her hand to the spot Fawks flicked ¡°What was that for?¡± ¡°You¡¯re still too loose, not only did you offer to help another candidate you¡¯ve also tied us to them¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Kotori said suddenly confused ¡°Weren¡¯t you two getting along great? You even talked about running away together¡± She asked Fawks gave another one of his trademarked sighs. ¡°You are really clueless, are you? After meeting the queen you still believe first impressions mean anything? Think harder.¡± Kotori did not follow Fawk''s line of logic. ¡°I still don¡¯t understand,¡± she said ¡°Mathias may be the nicest person among my brothers, but he is no less dangerous, he¡¯s better at hiding his emotions than that damn woman,¡± Fawks said gritting his teeth. [Damn woman? His mother?] Kotori now realized what Fawks meant when he said the first impressions didn''t mean anything. Mathias was one of those people who held their emotions close and didn¡¯t show their true colors. He only seemed nice because he was strategically nice to everybody. ¡°Then why were you so friendly with him, if you know it¡¯s all charade,¡± Kotori asked. ¡°Because it¡¯s better to feign friendliness than get on his bad side,¡± Fawks explained. He then switched his tone to the lecturing tone he used when scolding Kotori. ¡°You, on the other hand, are too friendly! Offering to make clothing for Yenoba? Are you daft? That¡¯s basically the same as saying we want to ally with them¡­ Man, you are a handful¡± Fawks said rubbing his temples. ¡°Ah, sorry¡± Kotori apologize. It seems like she still needed to consider the implication of her action. It didn¡¯t seem like her Karma dropped though, which led her to conclude that maybe offering to design clothes for Yenoba was not the worst idea¡­ Kotori took the lull in the conversation to leave Fawks and her group and walk towards the banquet table which was mostly untouched. [Their loss] She thought. Most of the people here seemed interested in buttering up to the candidates instead of eating. Kotori on the other hand was more than willing to eat the entire spread of the food if needed. She grabbed a plate and piled it high with assorted roast meats, and various fresh-baked bread. As she was walking back, she was blocked by a tall woman. The woman was tanned-skinned, and her face reminded Kotori of a cat. Her eyes had a piercing quality that made Kotori feel like she was being seen through. She had long purple hair that tumbled down her brown shoulders. The woman had a relaxed posture, but Kotori felt anything but relaxed in her presence. Sensing something was wrong Kotori instantly used [Status] Ryla Ghet Race: Human Age: 27 HP: 27 Mana: 89 Agility: 15 Strength: 12 Defense: 21 Karma: -3,275 Skills: [Status], [Charm], [Mime] Traits: [Conductor], [Connoisseur] [She can see me!] Kotori thought. Although being able to sense the mana of the average person and gauge their strength was a simple thing to do. But this was the first time Kotori had seen anybody with the same [Status] skill as her. This meant that Ryla could instantly see all of Kotori¡¯s skills. To be honest, it felt like being naked in front of a stranger. The fact that this woman was named Ryla let Kotori know that this was Fawk¡¯s dreaded sister. In contrast to her appearance, the women seemed interested in Kotori. ¡°My what a high mana stat, Oh you have ¡°Status¡± too? What¡¯s this ¡°Gourmet¡± are you a cook? And you have ¡°Charm¡± as well, you little vixen¡­¡± One by one Ryla went through all of Kotori¡¯s skills. Until she got to Kotori¡¯s traits ¡°Monte cristo? And what¡¯s this skill it¡¯s in a foreign language I can¡¯t read it.¡± She was referring to the mysterious skill that Kotori had that was greyed out. Compared to Ryla¡¯s lazy attitude, Kotori stood there paralyzed. She wanted to move but at this point, it was too late. She stood her ground. ¡°Can you not do that?¡± She said indignantly Ryla looked offended ¡°What? Why not? You do the same to everybody else I assume, I bet you¡¯ve seen my skills already¡± She said while grinning [Well, she¡¯s right about that] Kotori internally concede. ¡°Ah, Fawks did pick a cute one,¡± Ryla said, instantly pinching one of Kotori¡¯s cheeks. The action reminded Kotori of a certain queen... Kotori instantly swatted her hand away. Ryla didn¡¯t seem upset over Kotori¡¯s gestured and only seemed to smile more ¡°Oh a feisty one, didn¡¯t know Fawks was into those¡± ¡°Stop it,¡± Kotori said. ¡°The little princess is angry at me, I¡¯m terrified, What are you going to do, have me executed?¡± Ryla said feigning fear. Her expression switched again. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what little princess, let''s play a game¡± ¡°A game?¡± Kotori said confused. ¡°it¡¯s call two truths and a lie, I¡¯ll tell you three statements and you need to figure out which one is the lie.¡± Ryla said, she then spoke again not even pausing to let Kotori agree. ¡°Statement one, I will win this contest. Statement two, Once I win, I plan to have your corpse adorn my throne room, Statement three, I¡¯ll also be taking your beautiful handmaidens for myself.¡± [What?] Kotori thought. ¡°Think hard little princess,¡± Ryla said smiling. Suddenly a figure stood between Kotori and Ryla. It was a familiar back. [Shu!] Kotori thought. ¡°I would like to ask you to leave my master alone¡± Shu said his voice in a low growl. Kitsura Shu to the rescue! The dreaded sister has arrived! Chapter 147: Ryla(2) ¡°Oiya? Is this one of your boy toys? Not that I¡¯m surprised my mother has plenty after all, though, I must say that using spirits as your toys is a little¡­ unique¡± Ryla said ¡°Leave,¡± Shu said his voice leaving no room for further conversation ¡°What an overprotective mutt you have here, I¡¯m envious, those men over their desire only my body, and my potential for the crown.¡± While gesturing to her crowd of people, the fa?ade surround Ryla fell, and she almost looked vulnerable. [Hmm?] Kotori noticed a slight change in emotion, but for Ryla it left as quickly as it came. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to ask you to leave as well¡± ¡°Please stay away from my wife¡± ¡°If you have a problem with Kotori please direct them to me!¡± This time the ones who spoke were Umi, Amelie, and Layla. They had come in as well to defend Kotori. [Nice save guys!] Kotori thought. ¡°Hmm, seems like my time here is up,¡± Ryla said. she turned her head and walked away without a second glance. ¡°Wait!¡± Kotori yelled out stopping her. Ryla instantly turned around ¡°Oh, you want more of me? What a greedy child¡± ¡°No, I wanted to ask a question. What was the lie?¡± Kotori said. Ryla laughed a witch-like cackle. ¡°There was no lie, everything I said is true.¡± Ryla spoke again and Kotori nearly gasps. [Spirit Seer is also a nice skill to have] She gave a slim smile and walk off back to her group. Kotori stood there in mouth gaping. Ryla had no [Spirit Seer] skill in her status and yet she was able to do so. Something was wrong and Kotori could feel it. Watching Ryla walk away gave Kotori a profound sense of unease. ¡°Ah, Kotori are you alright?¡± Umi said hugging Kotori¡¯s close after Ryla had walked away. ¡°Mou, Umi not fair.¡± Layla protested. It was then, Kotori realized she was holding her large plate of food. She took a bite from a piece of meat only for the food to taste like dust in her mouth. Her appetite had all but disappeared after seeing Ryla. The food tasted extremely bland Kotori place the plate in a nearby waste basket. ¡°Is everything alright Kotori?¡± Umi said. ¡°Mhmm, I don¡¯t think so but I don¡¯t think I can do anything about it,¡± Kotori said. Ryla gave Kotori a bad feeling, she didn¡¯t know what to feel about her encounter with her. ¡°That¡¯s not very helpful, and also kinda concerning,¡± Amelie said. ¡°she didn¡¯t do anything to you right?¡± ¡°No nothing,¡± Kotori said. [Well, she did use [Status] but that isn¡¯t anything worth talking about] Kotori thought. Kotori located Fawks holding a drink and talking to a random merchant and she walked over to him along with her party. ¡°Oh, your back? Did you enjoy the food¡± Fawks said breaking off his conversation with the merchant? The Merchant who was talking to Fawks bowed and then walked off. ¡°Not really, I met your sister,¡± Kotori said absentmindedly. She was not in a partying mood anymore. ¡°You what!¡± Fawks said nearly dropping his drink ¡°You were right, she¡¯s terrifying,¡± Kotori said. ¡°Mhmm, that woman does have a way of looking into your soul. It¡¯s honestly impressive.¡± Fawks said staring off into the distance as if reminiscing about something. ¡°She used to be much nicer, that was until the reality of the queen contest situation set in for her. When we were young children we would often play together¡­ Good times¡± Fawks said. ¡°It seems like you don¡¯t really want to be here anymore?¡± He said looking at Kotori¡¯s expression ¡°Not in particular¡± Ryla had left a bad taste in Kotori¡¯s mouth. ¡°We can leave if you want¡± Fawks offered ¡°Eh? We can?¡± Kotori said surprised. ¡°Of course, we can it wasn¡¯t like this was a mandatory feast, my mother only forced us to go here to meet the opposition, now that we¡¯ve done that there¡¯s not much else to do. The other merchants here have already chosen aside¡± ¡°Then who was that person you were talking to earlier?¡± Kotori asked Fawks. ¡°Oh him? He¡¯s an old friend and business partner of mine, bloody bastard chose Zachariah. I guess gold runs thicker than the bonds of friendship¡± Fawks said bitterly ¡°Well, we can always find more allies,¡± Amelie said trying to stay positive. Fawks looked exasperated. ¡°We entered the game too late everybody had chosen aside all my old business partner and friends have gone off to my siblings¡± He sighed his shoulders slumping ¡°Not that I can blame them, I always told them I wasn¡¯t planning to compete.¡± Fawks said giving a defeated look. ¡°let¡¯s just go back, we¡¯ll think of something in the morning,¡± He said. ¡°mhmm¡± Kotori said agreeing with him. For some reason despite nothing happening at the party, she felt like she had already lost something. Her previous enthusiasm had been crushed in an instant. Kitsura Cheer up Kotori, don''t forget you have protagonist plot armor! Chapter 148: Visiting Xernos The next day after the banquet Kotori took a trip to visit the city. It was something that Fawks had initially protested but allowed it after Kotori explained that she likely wouldn¡¯t find the other candidates there. The other candidates were all royalty. They didn¡¯t mingle with commoners much less go into the city. Kotori had no sort of inhibitions and wanted to visit the city. If she was going to be queen, she might as well know and learn the people who she would be ruling. ** ** ** The city of Xernos was planned in a curious manner, the roads were small with the exception of the 8 mains roads which radiated from the center of the city in a spoke pattern. Ironically the city didn¡¯t have a palace in the center of the city. The palace was actually located towards the northern end of the city. The center of the city was reserved for the most important thing of all. The flagship dungeon of Xernos, the endless dungeon, is known as the ¡°Labyrinthos¡± or ¡°Lab¡± among the adventurers. As Fawks had explained, the entire country of Eris had the most dungeon out of all the countries in the world, as a result, the country also went by another name ¡°Adventurer¡¯s Paradise¡±, and it showed how many adventurers roamed the street. All sorts of adventurers were roaming the streets and much of the markets seem tailored to this audience. There was a wide assortment of weapons and armor shops on the streets. Merchants even had impromptu stands set up on the ground, stands that were little more than a wide mat laid on the ground. It was quite a sightseeing the various people walking around, and for once Kotori felt like she was in a fantasy landscape, the adventurers in Faramouth were disappointing to say the least. Kotori was having plenty of fun walking around and just taking in the atmosphere of the city. Many of the people were giving her odd looks. She was a Queens candidate after, none of them would leave the palace and if they did ever leave, they would be in a carriage. Watching Kotori walking around was akin to seeing a celebrity in the public. Thankfully, none of them bothered Kotori since she was accompanied by Amah who scared off any near ¡®do wells. Messing with the Queen¡¯s candidate while the Queen¡¯s guard was around was basically a death sentence. Not that it mattered that much, Kotori also had Amelie, Umi, and Lyla with her, all of them were people who would mop the floor with any second-rate adventurer. Kotori did have some experience with being higher status than commons, she was basically a noble in the Faramouth kingdom, but it didn¡¯t compare to the amount of attention she was currently getting. People were stopping in the street to gawk at her. When she first arrived, she had be mostly insulated from this behavior since she was basically placed in a carriage the moment she got off the DaiMaru but now she was put in the thick of humanity. Kotori¡¯s wanderings had led her to a large three-storied building. The building was make out of stone and had a blocky structure. She could see in large plain lettering on it that said ¡°Adventurers guild¡± Quite a few people were streaming in and out of it. Kotori, with her curious piqued decided to walk into the building. She wanted to see a true adventurers guild and this seemed like the perfect opportunity. As she walked into it, she almost had a nostalgic feeling, a feeling that felt like ¡°ah this is right¡± The adventurer¡¯s guild was a lively place but Kotori¡¯s arrival had caused a bit of a ruckus. [Shun and Anya would like this place] Kotori thought. This was the adventurers guild that they probably envisioned when they were in the frontier city of Feran. Just thinking about those two made Kotori realize how far away from home she had come. The guild was filled with all sorts of adventurers and towards the back of the building, there was a large counter with several cute receptionists at the desks. Along another wall was a large wooden board that was filled and covered with several paper notices and requests. Kotori could see various adventurers pulling the requests from the board and taking them to the desk. Despite the hustle and bustle the whole guild suddenly went silent at Kotori¡¯s arrival. Feeling very self-conscious Kotori could only squeak out a few words ¡°Um¡­ Hi?¡± Kitsura So yesterday was not a good day for me. I''m very thankful that one of my friends decided to discord message call me out of the blue. If any of you can''t tell I suffer from high functioning depression, or at least that''s what my therapist says. In truth, as a person, I derive a lot of my self-worth out of my achievements. Writing this web novel filled me with so much pride because for once I was actually decent at something, popular even. I''ve decided that I''m going to take a bit of time to enjoy myself more. Not necessarily in a mindful way, but hopefully in a way that is healthier than the way I approach my writing now. I put a lot of pressure on myself to succeed which sends me into negative thought spirals when I realize that my vision of success is unattainable/unrealistic. It''s a state of mind that leaves little room for moderation, either I''m succeeding or I''ve "failed" mentally. Regardless, that''s my personal ramblings and airing of dirty laundry Here''s some happier music. https://youtu.be/WWB01IuMvzA Thanks for reading -Newfypuppie Chapter 149: Adventurer’s guild (This time for real!) The Adventurers guild had turned into a ruckus when Kotori arrived but soon calmed down after a while. Kotori wasn¡¯t doing anything and exploring the multi-tier building. The first floor appeared to be a reception area and a small restaurant/bar where many adventurers mingled and ate food. A very typical adventurers guild set up. The second floor was a little more interesting. It had two sections, one section was filled with rooms, essentially dorms for new adventurers and the other section was a small library. Kotori realized their purpose instantly. The Adventurers Guild infrastructure in Eris, unlike the crumbling one in Faramouth actually had a support structure for new adventurers. The dorms were meant for new adventurers and they could stay free of charge until they got onto their feet. Since the guild was the one who was taking their requests and tracking their income, they could very easily see if the adventurer was freeloading and kick them out if needed. The library was filled with books on dungeon diving and monster bestiaries. It was a wealth of information that any adventurer could access at any time. There were even dedicated carrels along the wall for adventurers to sit down and read without having to take the book out of the library. Kotori didn¡¯t think adventurers would be very studious but there seemed to be quite a few of them in the library diligently studying books. Kotori herself had perused the shelves and skimmed a few of the books herself books with titles like ¡°The History of Labyrinthos¡± ¡°Your Party and You, How to Craft the Perfect Group, and not get Scammed¡± ¡°Adventurer Dating 101¡± [Really?] Kotori thought after seeing the last title. She didn¡¯t think that the volume she was holding in her hand was important information for adventurers, but it seemed quite worn and well-read. [So even they have a romantic problem, at least I don¡¯t have any, Mhmm!] Kotori naively thought. Layla and Umi suddenly sneezed. Still, reading the books gave Kotori an itch that she hadn¡¯t felt in a while. She did still want to be an adventurer at her heart. She consulted her group and they were fine with it. ¡°Sounds like fun!¡± Amelie said. ¡°Whatever Kotori would like to do I shall follow,¡± Umi said. Layla also nodded her head agreeing. Walking down the stairs to the first level she approached the desk. The receptionist at this portion of the desk was a Beast Person. They had cat ears on their head. It was a sight that Kotori had gotten used to. Apparently, more Beast People were associated with adventurers due to their naturally strong bodies. She was a cute little thing. Smaller than most of the other buff patrons and wore a uniform, there was a mop of brown hair on her head with two furry cat ears poking through them. On her uniform, there was a name card that read ¡°Jean¡± The receptionist seemed surprised that Kotori had come to the desk, but tried to hide it. ¡°Hello Nya!¡± She said with a cheerful expression [What a professional] Kotori thought. It seemed like the adventurers guild here had thoroughly taught their workers the ¡°customer service¡± in mind. The receptionist didn¡¯t even seem fazed after her initial surprise. The receptionist seemed to speak with a ¡°nya¡± tic. ¡°I would like to register some adventurers,¡± Kotori said. The receptionist had a confused expression, ¡°You would like to register nya¡­¡± She said looking and Kotori¡¯s companions. In her mind it must¡¯ve been quite a weird sight. Kotori¡¯s group look like a bunch of beauties, the idea that they could fight was probably something foreign. It didn¡¯t help that Kotori was quite young herself. Although she looked around 14 years of age she was in fact only 11, of course, her mental age was something else entirely. ¡°Yes, we would like to register as adventurers,¡± Kotori said repeating herself. The receptionist didn¡¯t question them further and only obediently retrieved the required document. She also pulled out a small light blue mana crystal. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going to need you to fill out these forms nya.¡± The forms that the receptionist gave Kotori were rather simple. They asked for her name, age, and a few demographic information. The crystal gave Kotori the most questions. Kotori saw the receptionist pull out several blank sheets of paper. Could you give me your hand nya.¡± The receptionist said to Amelie. Amelie obediently gave her hand to the receptionist and the receptionist place the crystal in her hand. The crystal seemed to flare the moment it touched Amelie¡¯s hand. Taking the crystal from Amelie¡¯s hand the receptionist scanned it over the blank sheet of paper. The crystal beamed a thin line of light and printed Amelie¡¯s general stats on the paper. Unlike, Kotori¡¯s [Status] the crystal could only rank based on certain grades instead of giving a numerical status. And it didn¡¯t show skills or mana either, it seemed like crystal only graded physical status. ¡°Mhmm, all A rank, I guess that makes sense for half wood elf¡± the receptionist said scanning the results. There seemed to be surprise among the adventurer''s guilds, Kotori hadn¡¯t realized it before but she was actually being watched by all the Patron. Every adventurer in the whole guild was observing the queen¡¯s candidate and watching what she did. Even if they pretended to ignore her presence they were still watching her. Kotori sighed, she was still being too conspicuous. [Looked like I have to do a little deception.] She thought. Chapter 150: Registered! ¡°Can I have your hand nyow?¡± The receptionist asked looking towards Kotori. [Mhmm, can I use Gourmet?] Kotori thought. The receptionist place the crystal in Kotori¡¯s hand, she instantly scanned it with [Gourmet] The crystal had some sort of magic that assess the body condition. It could vaguely sense mana which allowed it to account for people who were physically weak but could strengthen themselves passively with mana. In other words, it would sniff out Kotori¡¯s true strength if she let it scan her. While Kotori knew that her stats were already known to Ryla it would do no good making them public at the adventurers guild. Kotori adjusted the mana in her body. Instead of letting the crystal assess her, she used [Gourmet] to send a signal to the crystal that her body was weaker than what it truly assessed. If one were to put it as an analogy it would be like intercepting a radio message and sending a fake one. Still, Kotori was surprised by the level of sophistication in the Eris. The air conditioning crystals in the city and the level of magic just seemed ¡°higher¡± and it made Faramouth look like a backwater in comparison. The receptionist took the crystal from Kotori¡¯s hand. The crystal seemed to flare a bit, not printing out Kotori¡¯s stats. The receptionist shook it a bit, and eventually, it began to beam Kotori''s stats onto the paper. Kotori didn¡¯t want to look too weak so she made her stats reasonable at a ¡°D¡± level everywhere except agility where it was ¡°B¡± ¡°That seems odd¡­¡± Amelie began to say before Kotori stepped on her foot shutting her up. The receptionist did the same with Layla and Umi, and Kotori did the same thing with the crystal. She varied the stats slightly, but it was overall all around the same. The other adventurers had been paying attention to her stats, but once they realized that Kotori was fairly average they began to ignore her. ¡°The brat just wanted to play at being an adventurer¡­¡± One of them muttered under his breath. Kotori would be more offended if not for the fact that she intended for this to happen. ¡°Bet she just has the Queen''s guard do all the work for her.¡± Another said looking at Amah who had been following them whole time. Kotori ignored them. After processing their paperwork the reception went below the desk and grabbed a few metal plates. The plates looked like dog tags of assorted metals types. They were imprinted with the adventurers guild seal and nothing else. Amelie was given a silver plate, and Kotori, Umi, and Layla got bronze ones. ¡°These are your ranking plates Nya¡± The receptionist started to explain. ¡°The jobs on the wall had difficulties based on the ranking plates, if your ranking is too low you need to find anyother adventurers who had a high enough rank to work with you to do it. Don¡¯t lose your plate, the first one is free, but you will be forced to pay subsequent ones Nya¡± Kotori nodded at the explanation, it seemed like a simple enough system. ¡°Won¡¯t people lie to do higher-paying jobs?¡± Amelie asked the receptionist. The plates were indeed pretty simple and it seemed like it would be a trivial manner to make a forgery. A person easily lie and take higher-paying jobs The receptionist shrugged her shoulders. ¡°If you wannya die sure,¡± she said. That was when Kotori realized the ranking system was not meant to gatekeep adventurers, rather it was meant to keep them safe. If an adventurer took a job that was too hard they could be injured or even killed. There was not much value in counterfeiting the plates, ¡°If you feel like your current ranking is too low you can always ask for a free evaluation, you don¡¯t have to pay for a new plate if your rank raises.¡± The receptionist explained Kotori nodded again, taking her plate(Dogtag) she left the desk along with her party. She walked over to the board which was filled with requests. Unlike Faramouth the board was filled with requests befitting adventurers. There was still the errand request for beginner adventurers but now there was monster subjugation request and material quests. Each request had an accompanying code which Kotori assumed was for bookkeeping purposes. Sandworm subjugation 50 copper per carapace Requirement: Bronze rank Minotaur horns 10 silver per horn Requirement: Silver rank Be my Girlfriend No money reward, but I will treasure you. Requirement: None, Honestly, you could just be a cute femboy too¡­ [Seriously!] Kotori thought. She almost ripped the last request off the board but she saw it had been on there for a long time and decided against it. The sorry soul who posted it would have to stay lonely. ¡°Umm, Kotori are we doing these¡± Layla asked Kotori ¡°Nah,¡± Kotori said. To be honest, she wanted to do a quest just for the fun of it but decided against it. It was trivial and to be honest, she would be able to mow down most of the quests here anyway. Plus Kotori had a feeling that Fawks would kill her if she tried to play at being an adventurer here. As a result, Kotori left the adventurers guild and returned to the palace without much issue. Chapter 151: Exploration! When they got back to the palace it was a relaxing experience. Being among commoners put Kotori at ease, being able to set politics aside even if for a day was the best way to relax after all. Fawks had stayed cooped up in the room ever since they got to Eris. It seemed like he didn¡¯t have any inclination to do his usual woman hunting or socializing. It was a far cry from the Fawks that Kotori was used to seeing in the city of Flare. In fact, he seemed sort of slovenly, the look of his figure lazing around their complex gave Kotori the impression of a bored college student. One who hadn¡¯t gotten a job and stayed at their parents home doing nothing. To put it lightly, Fawks was a NEET. Kotori wondered what could cause such a change in attitude [Has he given up?] She often thought. Though she couldn¡¯t do much complained either it seemed like ever since seeing the Queen¡¯s candidates and Fawk¡¯s siblings the fervor in the city had died down. Nothing could happen unless a trial was given and thus Kotori had plenty of free time. Freetime that led her to ask Fawks a simple question. ¡°Can I go explore the Lab?¡± ¡°Yeah sure,¡± Fawks said waving her away [Eh?] Kotori thought, She had asked the question as a joke, she didn¡¯t have any hopes that he would ever say yes. Fawks frowned at her expression, obviously noticing her confusion ¡°It¡¯s very likely one of the trials is a dungeon exploration quest, so you should familiarize yourself with it.¡± He said. [Oh, I guess that makes sense.] Since she had permission to enter the dungeon she assumed that her entire party would be allowed to go. A thought that excited Amelie. Amelie was an active girl, living in the wood elf village where she lived a fairly active life made staying put extremely difficult. She had been fidgety the whole ship ride to Eris, even though she helped fight the ocean dungeons. This fidgety nature had gotten even worse the moment they arrived at the palace with nothing to Amelie had been walking around with an empty expression. Upon hearing she could explore the dungeon she nearly ran out the door to explore it herself. Kotori had to physically hold her back to prevent her from running off. Exploring a dungeon was dangerous business, and although Kotori¡¯s group was already well equipped to deal with most things, they didn¡¯t know anything about the Lab. Kotori suddenly had a use for her adventurer''s guild registration. The very next day she spent reading the various tomes in their library learning about the curious dungeon that made Eris so rich. It was indeed quite an interesting dungeon. The Labyrinthos was a multi-level dungeon. Each level got progressively harder the deeper one went and the monsters would also increase in ferocity, consequently, the monster drops would also increase in value the deeper one went. It was a very basic design, but the most interesting thing about the Labyrinthos was not its design though. It was the fact the vast majority of the dungeon was not explored. The thing about the Labyrinthos was that it was endless. Or at least that was the prevailing theory. Adventurers had spent centuries trying to map the dungeon. A task that was considered impossible. It was almost as if the dungeon was alive. Other than the main passageways in the beginning of the dungeon. The dungeon would constantly change its layout. A room that was a verdant forest, could eventually become a freezing tundra the week. Even worse, the room could be impossible to find after one had visited it. Over the years several adventurers¡¯ parties had created expeditions to try and map the deepest part of the dungeons. Few had ever returned alive. Those that came back, would tell fantastical tales of a shadow that hunted in the dark, being ejected from their bodies and the giggling of a girl that would haunt their sleep and dreams. Reading the accounts made Kotori more curious than anything, she even felt a slight tug to go explore the depths of the dungeon herself. It was a dangerous dungeon, but even so, plenty of novice adventurers entered with little harm. The reason was that the main passageways stay relatively similar, and the dungeon changed slowly. In fact, as long as your trip in the dungeon only took about a day there was very little unpredictability. Kotori was excited to go enter it. The previous dungeon had bored her, they were known quantities and the routes were all planned out in Faramouth. This was not the case in Eris, Kotori was so fired up she even took up a simple quest on the job board, an action that made the guild receptionist look at her with a very confused eye. [I¡¯m going to explore a dungeon!] Kitsura Good vibes https://youtu.be/p4vzp9MCg1w Chapter 152: Hatake’s Fate Hatake looked at the slumped figure on the throne. It would almost look tragic if not for the expression on the slumped figure''s face. An expression that on a petulant child would look obnoxious but, on this masculine-looking man in front of him it was terrifying. The expression was of intense anger. With an expression that made Hatake quake in his boots. Hatake had one of his arms bound at his side, it was still injured after the incident with the girl and the recovery had been slower than expected. Although he struck a pitiful figure like the man in front of him. He was still kowtowing on the ground. ¡°The girl left the country?¡± The figure asked with a low voice, hiding rage. ¡°Yes, it seems like she was taken away as an Eris queen¡¯s candidate¡± ¡°And you didn¡¯t stop her?¡± the voice said rising in volume Hatake was kotowing even lower. His body was nearly parallel to the floor. ¡°The moment she became a queen¡¯s candidate she was immediately protected by a stray queen¡¯s guard!¡± Hatake said quickly defending himself. ¡°YOU FOOL!¡± the voice roared the sound of the voice echoed throughout the throne room. Loud enough to make the various decorative armors that were laid out in the room ring in response. Hatake shook in fear. It would almost be a funny sight, seeing a man as large as Hatake shirking from the figure in front of him, but Hatake knew better than to show defiance. The man in front of him was a king after all ¡°Forgive me! I didn¡¯t know her importance!¡± He cried out. King Andschlatt rubbed his temples in frustration. He cursed himself for having such incompetent subordinates. He had a few choices now, either he could punish Hatake or he could accept that it was an honest mistake. Unfortunately for Hatake, King Andschlatt was not in a forgiving mood ¡°Take him outside, cut off that useless arm,¡± He said waving to his retainers. ¡°Your Majesty! anything but that!¡± Hatake said his face growing panicked. Adventurers were people who made a living off their bodies after all. Losing a limb was tantamount to losing one¡¯s livelihood. Not to mention the fact that the lost limb would also prevent the adventurer from getting more conventional jobs. A voice suddenly interrupted them ¡°Now, Now, ¡®Riggy¡¯ we don¡¯t need to punish poor Hatake with an amputation. The man is already half scared to death.¡± A woman appeared from behind the king. She was pale with silvery hair. The woman had a shapely figure and large breast, in terms of clothing she wore clothes that amount to little more than light pieces of fabric strung together. Their composition looking so haphazard that one would felt as if her clothes would slide right off if she moved the wrong way. She had a caring and even saintly smile on her face. One that would put even the most defensive person at ease. ¡°Lisetta save me!¡± Hatake cried out instinctively. The woman who had appeared behind Hatake was none other than the ¡°queen¡± of King Andschlatt¡¯s adventurer group. A mysterious woman she had appeared nearly 15 years ago, she rose quickly through the adventuring ranks and eventually became the top adventurers in the country. Despite her prominence, her identity had remained a mystery, as well as how she managed to stay unaging despite all that. She had been the first adventurer to join the King and it was through her power that he made the other adventurers bend the knee to him. Some wondered if it was a move out of romance, Hatake had been young then, nothing more than a novice working his way up, and even then, he had heard of her. Wielding two daggers she would cut a deadly swathe across anything foe she met. Although she had registered as an adventurer with the name ¡°Lisetta¡± due to her unageing face, and her mysterious power she was known by another name among most adventurers. ¡°The Saint¡± The woman walked towards the prone Hatake, she bent down caressed his face and bringing his face closer to hers. Hatake held his breath at the beauty who was looking at his face. It was a sight that would make any man tremble, and Hatake himself was also trembling. The problem wasn''t that he wasn¡¯t trembling in awe at the woman¡¯s beauty, rather he was trembling in fear. For those who knew more about ¡°Lisetta¡± outside her past achievements, there was another name for her. ¡°The Ice Witch¡± Lisetta was a solo worker, any adventurers who tried to steal her prey or intrude on her grounds would be hunted as well and cut down like a dungeon monster. Even more terrifying was the fact when confronted with the deaths she wouldn¡¯t even remember it. After all, who would remember a bug they had killed? Lisetta did not see other humans as ¡°human¡± rather, any life other than her own was meaningless. Hatake who was staring into the eyes of the woman who was giving such a caring expression, couldn¡¯t even speak, he was simply petrified. ¡°Well, what would you have me do Lisetta?¡± The king said with a bored expression on his face he was done with Hatake. He was going to expel Hatake once his arm was cut off anyway¡± ¡°I just think it would be more merciful to end his life, losing an arm would be painful after all¡± The woman said smiling. ¡°Do as you wish¡± Andschlatt said waving his hand away and turned away from Hatake ¡°Wait! Your Majesty, I¡¯ll go to Eris and bring them back myself! Yes, I¡¯ll even fund it myself! Let me redeem myself!¡± Hatake begged further Hatake¡¯s pitiful struggling was already too late. King Andschlatt had already finished the conversation and was ignoring Hatake. ¡°C¡¯mon on Hatakyun! It¡¯s time for some fun!¡± Lisetta said smiling gleefully while grabbing Hatake¡¯s ankle. ¡°No No No! My king, please amnesty!¡± Hatake screamed and begged. His fingers left deep marks in the stone floor as he was dragged away by Lisetta. Andschlatt¡¯s bored expression continued until the sound of Hatake¡¯s screaming left the room. Once he heard no more, he turned to his retainer next to him. ¡°Bring the next,¡± He said Kitsura A new character? Who could she be? Chapter 153: The Labyrinthos ¡°Hiya!¡± Amelie shouted out as she cut down a minotaur-looking monster. There was a smile plastered on her face that looked almost terrifying on her blood-splattered face. The monster screeched in pain before falling to the ground and dissolving into light [She¡¯s really into this¡­] Kotori thought. Currently, their group was taking on a monster material request for Minotaur horns which was a well sought-after ingredient. Minotaur horns were strong and made good handles for weapons and other tools, apparently, other people also used them as an aphrodisiac. When Kotori heard that last bit of information she almost laughed. In her past world, such a notion had almost led a species to extinction, but here it wasn¡¯t an issue since the minotaurs were an infinite resource. The look on the receptionist¡¯s face when Kotori had taken down the listing and brought it to the desk was also funny ¡°You want to take this quest?¡± She asked with a troubled expression ¡°Yes,¡± Kotori said. It was understandable, there really was no reason for a queen¡¯s candidate like Kotori to do quests in the first place. It was not like she needed money. Regardless, the professionalism of the receptionist won out over her concerns and she approved the quest for Kotori. It was a ¡°Silver¡± rated quest so Kotori normally couldn¡¯t do it but since they had Amelie with them who had a ¡°Silver¡± plate it was fine. Going back to now. This was their first visit to the Labyrinthos and Kotori was standing back as usual. She was more of the type to enjoy ¡°exploring¡± a dungeon rather than fighting the denizens. She watched her group happily cut down the monsters and she would occasionally use [Gourmet] on the defeated monster corpses and capture their mana before they were defeat. With the MonMochi she made she fed her spirits and herself. She expected the Minotaurs to taste like steak on account of them looking like cows but rather they had a slightly metallic bloody taste, a bit like blood sausage. Kotori didn¡¯t bother using [Gourmet] to make a mana buff it wasn¡¯t needed. They were in one of the side hallways that was connected to the main corridor. If it was quiet enough, they were close enough to other adventurers to hear them fighting as well. This meant the quest was relatively safe and there was little danger that they would lose their way back. The reason the quest was ¡°B¡± Rated was for a simple reason. The Minotaurs were tough opponents. This was relatively speaking of course, for Kotori¡¯s party they were simple to deal with but it would take a group of seasoned adventurers to take the quest themselves. A group with probably around 3-5 years of experience. Kotori¡¯s group simply defied the logic of most human bounds. Of course, even if she understood that fact there were still humans in this world that terrified her. Amah was one of them. The mana attacks that he was doing to damage the physically strong Hatake still baffled her. Even though, she could make the same attack she had no clue how to defend against it. She wanted to consult Amah on this, but he was often busy guarding the other queen¡¯s candidate. Apparently, it was a rotating system to prevent the Queen¡¯s guard from getting too attached to one candidate and preventing them from developing loyalties before the queen is selected. Currently, the one guarding her right now was a woman by the name of Tyrella. She was skilled a fighter and used a rapier that would shoot ice bolts. She wore a light leather bodice, and her blond hair was cut short to prevent it from getting in her face. She was a very typical warrior type. Her stats were on par with Hatake although Kotori would say that Hatake was slightly stronger than her. Though she was mostly useless since Kotori and her party could defend themselves. So she mostly stood on the side and watched them. At first, Kotori was quite self-conscious of being watched by someone all the time, but she soon learned to ignore it. Kotori watched as a minotaur was crushed between two earthen walls. She had entered the dungeon with fervor and was busy rampaging around and killing minotaurs left and right. Kotori had told him to take it easy, but Shu only said that he needed to get ¡°stronger¡± to protect Kotori from even gods. In response, Kotori could only shrug her shoulders and let him do as he wished. The reason she was here in the dungeon was not to take guild requests but rather because she wanted to do scouting. According to Fawks, a dungeon-related quest would typically be included in the Queen¡¯s trials so Kotori thought it was important to scout the dungeon herself. The mana in the dungeon was dense. So incredibly dense Kotori was surprised to feel that she couldn¡¯t even eat it with [Gourmet] it was akin to trying to eat hardened concrete with a metal spoon. She could scrape and some flecks would come off but overall, it was difficult to do. Though the dungeon didn¡¯t taste that good anyway. The few flecks she ate tasted minerally, like rocks. Kitsura I had a dream where I was back in high school again. It was very odd especially since I am finishing my bachelor''s in less than 4 months. I hated high school. Chapter 154: A Presence [Odd] Kotori thought. They had steadily progressed into the dungeon and it was beginning to be apparent that something was not quite ¡°right¡± Although Kotori couldn¡¯t pinpoint what was causing the feel, it was like they were being watched. It was odd considering there was nothing to give that impression. Even Tyrella their guard had no sort of feeling. Only Kotori was the one to notice this. She looked around and found nothing besides the monsters that there were currently fighting. The dungeon was made of hard rock, so there were likely no peepholes driven into the wall. Using the mana manipulation portion of [Gourmet] Kotori scouted the nearby area and all she could feel was the mana of the dungeon and the nearby monsters. [wait?] For a moment Kotori felt a presence. Still, Kotori could not shake the feeling like they were being watched at all. Umi, the most perceptive of the bunch seemed to notice Kotori¡¯s change in mood. She pulled back from the front like and asked Kotori ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know I just feel like something is odd.¡± ¡°Odd?¡± Umi asked a confused expression on her face. ¡°Yes, Like we¡¯re being watched¡± Umi frowned and looked around ¡°I don¡¯t see anyone¡± ¡°I know,¡± Kotori said exasperated. ¡°I just feel like something is watching us¡± A normal person would think that Kotori was going insane but Umi trust Kotori and thus didn¡¯t have such thoughts. ¡°Do you want me to scout the area? Perhaps there are some hidden adventurers nearby? Or would you rather leave¡± ¡°No it¡¯s fine, we can stay,¡± Kotori said. She didn¡¯t sense any hostile intent besides the presence for the moment she felt it. Rather, it just felt like it wanted to watch them. [Who are you?] ** ** ** The rest of the quest progressed smoothly, and they had bagged several minotaur horns. Kotori and her party took the horns to the counter to trade them in. Although Kotori didn¡¯t need the money it was still nice to be paid for their hard work. The clink of the coins in her pocket felt quite nice. Kotori was about to leave when large muscular man walked up to them. Tyrella immediately put her hand on her rapier readying herself in case the man decided to do anything. The man only laughed. ¡°Calm down, pup. I ain¡¯t got nothing bad. I just wanna see the girl.¡± He said. The man was tall and had broad shoulders. His skin was tan and slightly red, he had a rough sort of handsomeness to him, with feature that looked as if hewn from a rocky crag, and he wore leather armor that had metal plates to cover important part of him. Kotor took the time to use [Status] Hectaire Age: 34 Race: Human HP: 153 Mana: 0 Agility: 136 Strength: 156 Defense: 129 Karma: 5,506 Skills: [Denial],[Berserker] Traits: [Adventurer] [Hmm, Well rounded] Kotori thought. It had been a while since she had seen an adventurer with stats that were even across the board. Although, Hectaire''s stats were quite strong for a human. The lack of mana meant he was probably just a melee fighter. ¡°it¡¯s fine Tyrella,¡± Kotori said walking forward ¡°What do you want,¡± she asked the man. ¡°Oh, I just wanted to see yah, my employer is interested in you,¡± The man said [Employer? A merchant] Noticing Kotori¡¯s expression the man laughed again his voice was a loud boom that took up the space. ¡°Ah, by employer I guess I mean one of those Queen¡¯s Candidates¡± [I see] Kotori thought ¡°You mind telling me who?¡± Kotori said. ¡°It¡¯s that Zacariah fellow. He¡¯s an odd man, but he pays well so I don¡¯t complain¡± ¡°You¡¯re surprisingly honest,¡± Kotori said. She expected Hectaire to be hostile, but he seemed friendly, nice even. The man scratched his head. ¡°Ah I guess, this whole scheming business is not really my thing, I like to know who I might be fighting so I came to see you. I¡¯m an adventurer you see, but that guy told me that he wanted my services and it sounds like fun being able to fight stronger people¡± Hectaire explained with a sheepish expression ¡°Hmm, and what do you think of me?¡± Kotori asked ¡°Well, I guess I don¡¯t know girl, it¡¯s hard to put my finger on it but it feels like you will surprise me?¡± [He¡¯s perceptive] Kotori thought. Hectaire was one of the few people who could tell that Kotori was stronger than she looked. Unlike the other adventurers here he had a good sense of strength. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll leave you to your own devices.¡± Hectaire tipped an imaginary hat at them and walked past them deeper into the guild ¡°Oi boys! How¡¯s the haul!¡± Hectaire called out to the adventurers who were currently seated and eating at the guild A bunch of replies shot back at him and Hectaire instantly was a part of the conversation among the adventurers. He was walking around and even greeting some of them by name. [He¡¯s well liked] Kotori noted. Hectaire must¡¯ve been a regular at the guild which is why he was so familiar with the patrons. Kotori felt a bit of jealousy well up inside her but quickly cast it aside. She had her party, and that was all she needed Kitsura I started a new book! I Don¡¯t Know but it Seems Like I¡¯m a Deer! It''s going to be pretty similar to this novel so if you like this one check it out. The tentative release schedule is Tues/Thurs but for the first week, I will be releasing daily. Chapter 155: Delia (1) Having retired back to the palace Kotori spent much of their time thinking about the presence she had felt in the dungeon. She was currently walking with Tyrella and her spirits had already gone ahead back to their quarters. [I wonder if I go back and check it out]She thought. Kotori had a feeling that this wouldn¡¯t be the last time she confronted the presence. While walking back Kotori spotted a familiar figure. [Eh? Isn¡¯t that Delia.] Kotori thought. She had sometimes spotted the other candidates walking around the airy palace but she avoided them for obvious reasons. Especially, Ryla who always gave Kotori a sense of unease. Delia was of course including in this list but this was the first time that Kotori had seen her alone. Typically she would be accompanying Zacaraih but here she was alone with a sole Queen¡¯s guard. Kotori didn¡¯t actually have much ill will towards Delia. She was a figure that struck so little danger Kotori barely registered her as a threat. Besides, Kotori knew that Delia didn¡¯t really have much free will of her own. ¡°Hello, Delia!¡± Kotori said cheerfully. She could see the Queen¡¯s guard at Delia¡¯s side tense up. ¡°Don¡¯t worry bout¡¯ me I just wanna say hi¡± Kotori said assuaging the guard¡¯s fear. For a moment Kotori was struck with a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu [This feels familiar¡­] Kotori realized that she was doing the exact same thing that Hectaire had done to her earlier. [Mhmm, It would do no good to scare Delia like Hectaire did to me.] Kotori thought. She decided to be as inviting as possible. ¡°Would you like to have some tea?¡± Kotori asked. Delia looked shocked ¡°Umm, Uhhh¡± She started to say. [She really is polite] Kotori thought. ¡°Come it won¡¯t take long.¡± She said grabbing Delia¡¯s arm. ¡°Eh!¡± Delia squeaked as Kotori pulled Delia toward their rooms. While pulling Delia, Kotori suddenly had a thought. Delia initially resisted and then relented as Kotori pulled her towards their room. Kotori asked the maid at the entrance of their section to the palace to prepare some tea. It was something she had gotten used too. Having her needs met by the servants in the palace was quite nice. Although, Umi seemed to be taking notice of this fact and was busy observing the maids and miming their actions. Having declared that the only person to serve Kotori would be her. Once Kotori pulled Delia into their living area Delia sat down at the table looking quite uncomfortable. That was when Kotori realized. [Oh, I over imposed on her.] For a moment Kotori felt like one of those wandering salespeople who would force themselves into your house to do product demonstration. Although instead of forcing her way into a house she had forced a person into her house. Thankfully, Fawks was out of the palace right now, a rare sight especially considering his NEET behavior as of late. He had suddenly said that he needed some fresh air and left the palace. That free-flowing spirits of his didn¡¯t stay down for long it seemed. ¡°Kotori why is Delia here?¡± Amelie said noticing the fact that Kotori had brought a visitor. ¡°Don¡¯t sweat the small stuff!¡± Kotori said putting on a confident smile. It was a farce of course. [I can¡¯t tell Amelie I accidentally dragged her here!] ¡°Okay¡­¡± Amelie said her face still unsure. It was a reasonable reaction; Delia was technically one of their enemies. Soon a maid entered bringing a tea cart and some snacks. The tea snacks were piled on the tiered platter with the sweets in ascending order from sweetest to least sweet. This was to prevent one from eating something too sweet and then ruining their palate. Sugar was actually quite expensive in Eris since much of it had to be imported so Kotori was trying to mooch off the royal family as much as possible. The were also three teapots prepared which contained three different types of tea respectively. One, of them, was an earl grey sort of western-style tea, another was an eastern Sencha and the last one was filled with an herbal medical tea. Kotori chose the Sencha but Delia chose the earl grey. Delia didn¡¯t add any sugar to her tea and only a small amount of milk. She slowly stirred the contents of her cup looking downward without meeting Kotori¡¯s eyes. Kotori herself was silent. [What do I talk about!] She suddenly thought. Although she had invited Delia to tea she didn¡¯t prepare any conversation points beforehand. She could only sip her Sencha and smile invitingly. The high-quality sencha was pleasantly bitter, with floral notes, and warmed her throat. Delia only sipped her tea and didn¡¯t speak. There was a high amount of tension that even Amelie who was in the room could feel. [This isn¡¯t working!] Kotori thought. She wanted to create an inviting atmosphere and hopefully get Delia to speak but it was not working. [Um what was it? The four main pillars of small talk? Wasn¡¯t it like family, work, fun, and hopes?] Kotori thought to remember the things she learned in her past life. Kotori of course was a recluse who didn¡¯t talk much but she still had to occasionally make small talk for events that¡¯s she was invited to. [alright, let''s just ask something nice and open-ended!] Kotori decided. ¡°So, what was your family like?¡± Kotori suddenly asked breaking the silence. Kitsura ???? Hey there Delia what''s it like in Xernos city New novel seems to be doing well. Chapter 156: Delia (2) Delia looked up at Kotori and gave a sad smile. ¡°They are no longer around.¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry for asking¡± Kotori immediately apologized in response. Another awkward silence emerged [Idiot me! Of course, she doesn¡¯t know much about her family she probably has some sort of tragic background.] Then Delia spoke. ¡°My mother and father were born in the southern kingdoms in a small moon elf village. The southern kingdoms are a good place to hide. There¡¯s very little stability in the borders so people rarely explore the land. Still, that doesn¡¯t mean we were safe of course, we moved a lot to hide from people, but at least we were together¡± She said smiling softly, reminiscing about a memory it seemed. ¡°Were you happy?¡± Kotori asked ¡°Yes, it was a happy life,¡± Delia said smiling. ¡°Why are you in Eris then?¡± Kotori asked, it seemed like Delia had no reason to be here. ¡°Well, the village was discovered, they took my family, my mother hid me under our floorboard and by the time I broke out, the village was razed¡­¡± Delia said her smile breaking. [Oh] Kotori thought. She realized that Delia did in fact, have a painful backstory. Looking at the sad figure of the elf in front of her she wanted to hug her. ¡°I... can¡¯t really remember their face anymore. They just look distant and blurry even if the memories are happy¡± Delia said her eyes moistening. Suddenly, Layla, who was waiting on the side pulled up Delia into her arms in a hug. She shielded Delia with her body from Kotori. The figure of the delicate elf in Layla¡¯s arms was quite a sight ¡°Kotori! Don¡¯t bully Delia. She might be our enemy, but this is mean!¡± Kotori panicked. ¡°AH! I didn¡¯t mean it like that. I¡¯m sorry for prying so much¡± Kotori asked. It was truly rude of her to ask so much of Delia having just met her. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine, I shouldn¡¯t have spoken so much,¡± Delia said wiping her eyes. [She¡¯s just like me, isn¡¯t she] Kotori thought. Kotori had also grown up in a small village and due to powers outside her control also lost her family. Unlike Kotori though, it didn¡¯t seem like Delia had much power at all. Her stats were pitiful and she was not strong enough to defend herself. Kotori realized that she was quite lucky. Having found Amelie and the wood elf village. Delia in contrast didn¡¯t have the same sort of luck That¡¯s when Kotori instantly expelled that sort of pity. [No, she¡¯s strong, stronger than me,] Kotori thought. Despite going through such a tragedy Delia had managed to live. Managed to survive without the strength to defend herself. Kotori realized that although she was ¡°strong¡±, the weak elf in front of her had infinitely more force of will than she did., even if the elf didn''t realize it yet. ¡°There, There,¡± Layla said stroking Delia¡¯s head like a mother would to a child. Delia had pale white hair that was flat and tumbled down her neck and shoulders. She really was quite beautiful. With delicate doll-like features. ¡°I walked around for a while, hiding my ears¡­ and Zacariah found me. He said he would make me queen and I went with him¡± Delia said. [mhmm, makes sense] Kotori thought. Delia was powerless after all. At least going with Zacaraih would protect her. ¡°Aren¡¯t you scared? What if you lose?¡± Kotori asked. The impression that Zacaraih gave to Kotori was that Delia was just a pawn to him. Nothing more than a pretty face to accompany him to functions. Delia gave a weak smile in response ¡°At least I don¡¯t have to run anymore. I live in a big palace with maids to look after me. My life was already forfeit a long time ago.¡± Kotori realized that Delia had long since accepted her own death. Her anger at Zacariah only grew. Instead of saving this elf, she was just a toy to him. Nothing more than an exceptionally rare piece of art that he would toss at the moment''s notice. ¡°Once you''re queen you can protect yourself, you¡¯ll be strong you can get rid of Zacariah,¡± Kotori said encouraging Delia [Wait, why am I acting like I want her to win?] Kotori said. It was an odd thought especially since Delia was technically part of an enemy faction. ¡°I can¡¯t throw away the man who saved my life, I own him that much¡± Delia said. She took Kotori¡¯s hand into her own. ¡°Kotori, you are nice. Please run away, I don¡¯t want to hurt you. I¡¯ll try not to send guards after you as long as you keep a low profile.¡± Delia said. Delia¡¯s hands were cool but exceptionally soft. Kotori grasped Delia¡¯s hands in response. ¡°You can¡¯t just give up like that, you should find your own happiness,¡± Kotori said staring into Delia¡¯s large azure eyes. Delia looked away in shame. ¡°It¡¯s not that simple, I have nowhere else to go¡­¡± She suddenly stood up and dusted herself off. ¡°I really must go. Thank you for the company¡± she said politely. She began to walk towards the exit. ¡°Wait¡­¡± Kotori said her voice trailing of. ¡°Delia turned around and smiled ¡°It¡¯s been nice to reminisce, another time Kotori.¡± She said giving a genuine smile. Kotori could only watch as the figure of Delia walked off. [I will make her happy] Kotori resolved herself. Chapter 157: The Queen’s Announcement(1) Ever since Kotori had brought Delia in for tea, Delia had been ignoring her. When they met in the palace Delia would always avert her gaze and runoff. It didn¡¯t frustrate Kotori, rather she had a feeling Delia was trying to protect her. Delia seemed like the kind of girl who would cut off connections to others to make sure they didn¡¯t get involved. It had been two weeks since then and apparently, the queen was about to announce her first trial. The was much excitement in the adventurer¡¯s guild and the city as many were excited to see it play out. Apparently, this announcement was going to be important since the queen was making several changes to the current system. Several betting pods had been set up and most people had their money on Ryla and Zacaraih winning it all. Kotori had once checked one of these pods to see her own chances of winning and found that few people had any expectation of her winning. She wasn¡¯t even a dark horse candidate, but rather a nonsequeter in their calculation. Kotori didn¡¯t have any chance of winning in their minds. Though, she understood why they felt that way. There was no real reason for them to believe she could win of course. Kotori hadn¡¯t shown a single ounce of potential in front of them and most people knew that Fawks was just a merchant boy middle child who tried to run away from his responsibility. She didn¡¯t even have a power base or supporters so it was no surprise that they didn¡¯t bet on her. Kotori could only hope that by doing multiple trials and succeeding in them she would be able to swing some people to her side. ** ** ** It was the day of the announcement and a stage had been set up in the plaza in from the Labyrinthos. A large crowd had formed already, and several merchants and food vendors had set up stalls to sell to the crowd. It looked like a supremely profitable enterprise and Kotori wondered how much money she would make if she could¡¯ve set up her Pajeon stand here. Although, it would be difficult to acquire Kraken meat on such short notice, so maybe it wasn¡¯t the best idea. The queen herself was dress in full regalia and sat on the large chair in front of the pedestal that had a large gem attached. The other queen candidates and their key retainers were sitting behind her. For once Kotori could see the other candidates all together. Delia had a meek expression with Fawk¡¯s older brother Zacaraih holding a confident smile displaying strength. Yenoba and Fawk¡¯s younger brother sat with easy going expression as if they were ready to shrug off any sort of obstacle. In contrast to them, Ryla had a very intense expression as if she was going to war. In another life Kotori¡¯s might¡¯ve respected Ryla. She was a strong woman no doubt, it was only circumstance that had led them to become enemies. Still, Kotori felt awkward sitting with just Fawks and her companions. Fawks was looking extremely nervous shaking his legs and saying prayers under his breath. Kotori gave an exasperated sigh. [He really is a useless person in these situations.] The confident Fawks had long since disappeared ever since their arrival in Eris. Queen Nepherta, had a cheery smile and posture on her plump and plum figure. The amount of people in the Plaza grew to a dizzying amount and Kotori gained a sense of how many people truly lived in Eris. It felt like the entire city was here in addition to visitors from the other cities in the country. The plaza was overfilled, and several people were sitting on the shoulders of other to get a good view. Those who had not make it into the plaza in time were peaking from the streets that led into it and trying to push their way in. There was no sort of class distinctions in the plaza. Rich merchant and street urchin alike, clumped together to hear the queen¡¯s announcement. The queen suddenly stood up and approach the podium. The once loud crowd grew quiet as their queen readied herself to speak. She truly had a regal posture like this and for once. Kotori understood what a ¡°queen¡± looked like. ¡°Ahem¡± She said clearing her throat. It seemed like the clear crystal on the pedestal was some kind of voice amplification crystal and her voice echoed throughout the plaza into the city. The people all suddenly seemed to lean forward as if they didn¡¯t want to miss a single syllable of what the queen was about to say. ¡°My fellow people!¡± The queen started to say spreading her arms wide and gesturing to the crowd. ¡°Today begins the start of a momentous occasion, the picking of the new queen!¡± The crowd cheered at the statement. The sound of the cheering was a loud roar that manages to nearly push Kotori into her chair. [So it begins she thought] Kitsura This used to be one chapter but then I realized it had to be two. Surprisingly this was a long scene to write Chapter 158: The Queen’s Announcement(2) ¡°Of course, as the queen, it is my job to make sure my successor is chosen properly. We people of Eris have our pride. A pride that we will pick the right person to rule us and as a queen I have decided to exercise my right to chose the trials and change the rules slightly.¡± The queen said. The crowd remained silent. This was nothing new it was just the queen confirming the rumors that had been floating around for a while. ¡°That is why¡± The queen began to say The crowd was waiting with bated breath to hear the change and Kotori could feel the tension ¡°There will only be one trial this year,¡± The queen said to the crowd A loud murmur suddenly went up in the crowd. It was unheard of completely unheard of, what the queen was going. Usually, there were several queen trials, and the one who managed to win the most would win the throne. Surprisingly there were few that voiced their complaint. It seems like the queen was a respected ruler and people trusted her judgment. ¡°The trial this year will be to see who can bring back the most valuable object from the Labyrinthos.¡± The murmur in the crowd seemed to get even louder. It was pretty public knowledge among the people that the Labyrinthos was a dangerous place and that entering too deeply might cost one¡¯s life. The fact that this was the trial means it was sufficiently difficult. Kotori was looking at the other candidate to judge their reaction. Zacariah¡¯s confident smile had faltered slightly but he quickly regained it. Mathias and Yenoba were pursing their lips and had a difficult expression. Ryla¡¯s expression had no change and was still the intense look she had earlier. ¡°But!¡± The queen said. The crowd quieted down once again to see what the queen had to say. ¡°This trial will be different than the other. The candidates will be allowed to sabotage each other¡­ by what ever means necessary¡± The queen said giving a devious smile. [Wait. Does she mean we can attack each other?] Kotori thought ¡°It is as you think!¡± The queen said as if reading Kotori¡¯s mind ¡°The candidates can do whatever is necessary to win the crown once the trial begins. There will be a truce for the first day so that they can space from each other, but after that, anything goes. If a candidate somehow dies in those tunnels, well, then they were not fit to rule¡± The queen said coldly. An icy mood filled the audience as they realized what the queen was implying. The ¡°goal¡± of bringing back the most valuable item from the dungeon was a misnomer. What this trial truly should be called was a ¡°battle royale¡± The queen suddenly clapped her hands breaking the tension in the audience. ¡°Of course, candidates will still be protected until one day after the trial starts. It will begin in one week so candidates prepare themselves¡± The queen said. She then bowed and walked off flank by several queens guards. The murmur in the plaza grew once again as people began to wildly speculate about the outcome of the trials. Kotori I realized that the podium and the voice amplifying crystal were still there. As if the queen had expected the candidates to say some parting words after her. Kotori watched Zacariah walk up the Crystal. ¡°To my future people, I have nothing much to say other than the fact that I will win.¡± Zacariah then smiled and bowed, followed closely behind by Delia. [Seriously that it?] Kotori thought after hearing Zacariah speak. It seemed like the crowd didn¡¯t particularly care about the brevity of speech and was acting like it was common behavior. In contrast, Mathias and Yenoba began to walk off apparently having no words that needed to be said. Ryla on the other hand strode forward towards the crystal ¡°To ¡°my¡± future people,¡± She started to say ¡°I will lead this country to higher heights than it has ever seen. Watch me and see for yourself who deserves to rule¡± She said boldly before walking off. Suddenly Kotori realized she was the only one left on the podium and people were watching to see if she was going to speak. The crowd was already beginning to disperse and Kotori had to act fast. [I¡¯m not a public speaker!] Although Kotori could handle herself in front of a small group of people speaking to such a large crowd was something that she wasn¡¯t sure she was going to do. [Still, I have to do something!] She resolved herself. Kotori walked up the crystal, her heart filled with anxiety, and began to speak. ¡°Hello,¡± She said softly. The people who were leaving stopped and suddenly all the eyes on the plaza were on her. People were curious about Kotori who was a newcomer so there was even more attention placed on her than the other candidates. ¡°I know I don¡¯t seem like much but I hope you all will be able to accept me. I come from a small village in Atlea, but I would say I am stronger than I look.¡± [This is just like a job interview no?] Kotori realize. This was the first time the public would be getting a good look at her and they would be judging her based on her speech here. Kotori had done plenty of job interviews in her past life when she was starting her career and she imagined herself doing it once again. ¡°I¡¯m not a royal-like the others so I¡¯m not very good with the public speaking thing.¡± Kotori professed to the crowd. ¡°But, I have hopes dreams and aspirations like any other,¡± she said her voice gaining confidence. ¡°I want to create a country where everybody can smile, A country where children can play and not worry about their lives,¡± Kotori said her voice twinged in sadness and she thought about Delia¡¯s life and her own. Several people in the crowd seemed to agree and nodded along. Suddenly Hikari who was atop Kotori¡¯s head began to move. Hikari once again put Kotori into her shiny magical girl outfit. The outfit sparkled in the midday sun and the mana crystals on the dress were dazzling to the eyes. ¡°So please, even if you don¡¯t right now. I¡¯m not noble or regal like the others, but at the very least I hope you understand that I wouldn¡¯t be a bad ruler as well.¡± ¡°Thank you¡± Kotori finished while bowing deeply and walking back to her group. She heard only silence as she walked back to her party. [Did I mess up?] She thought. Then suddenly she heard a lone clapping, it was soon followed by another, and then another until she heard a loud clapping sound behind her. [Ah, It seems like I reached them] Kotori thought. Kitsura It''s been a since I''ve done a longer chapter like this and by that I mean ~1200 words. ironically my older chapters used to be around this long but I found that writing 700-1000 words daily were a more reasonable pace than the daily 2,500-3000 word pace I gave myself when I first started writing this webnovel (At least it was good for churning out chapters). Now I''m writing 3k daily. Youch Chapter 159: Preparations The week leading up to the trial was a busy time for Kotori she spent much of the time holed up in the adventurer¡¯s guild reading as much as she could on the deeper dives into the dungeons. Although the material was sparse she still managed to learn some things. For one, the dungeon was fairly non-linear in its structure. One could be walking up or down and still be ¡°progressing¡± into the dungeon. It also seemed like the power of the monsters in the dungeon did not scale linearly. For example, sometimes the groups would come across rooms and hallways filled with basic tier monsters, and other times they would come up against monstrously strong monsters. There was a trend though, and that was the fact that the lower one went the strong the monsters became This led Kotori to hypothesize something. That although the paths in the dungeon would twist and turn and go upward. It seemed like the true path was being obscured. Either the dungeon was sentient, or someone was trying to hide something in the dungeon. The fact that the dungeon was constantly changed in size, shape, and layout made this theory even more likely in Kotori¡¯s eyes. In truth, Kotori had a suspicion that this dungeon had a dungeon boss similar to Nero, but it was difficult to find. [Perhaps the dungeon boss is a treasure itself?] Kotori thought while reading the accounts. It was an interesting thought, but the Labyrinthos was simply a dungeon that defied Kotori¡¯s understanding of dungeons. Eventually, after thinking for a while she decided. [Umu! I¡¯m going to dig.] Kotori was planning on digging her way to the core of the dungeon. She of course, didn¡¯t have to follow the set paths that were given to her. Unlike the other groups, Kotori had [Gourmet] and could eat her way through the dungeon. Although, the thought of having to bite on that minerally rock wasn¡¯t a pleasant thought. It seems the adventurer¡¯s guild was also becoming quite busy. All the candidates had post requests for adventurers to become their party members. Since they no longer had the protection of the Queen¡¯s guard for the trial. The reward amounts were dizzyingly high and Kotori was surprised the Candidates had that much money to give out. It seemed like Zacariah had the highest reward followed closely by Mathias and Yenoba. Interestingly, enough Ryla¡¯s posting had a modest amount. As if she wasn¡¯t trying to compete with her siblings. At the current rate the parties were shaping up it seems like Zacariah was receiving the lion''s share of requests while Mathias and Yenoba picked up the scraps. Eventually, though Mathias and Yenoba would likely get the rejected adventurers who tried to join Zacariah. The ranking of adventurers in the guild went from Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze, Copper. For reference, Hectaire was a platinum-ranked adventurer. As it stood now, Zacariah would be getting the cream of the crop in platinum adventurers for his party. Mathias and Yenoba would likely get the overflow from that pool and hire the remaining platinum-ranked adventurers as well as swiping the strongest gold-ranked adventurers for himself. Ryla on the other hand was on the side of quantity over quality and was receiving requests from the silver-tiered adventurers. Kotori of course had no such luck. Her and Fawks did not have the monetary backing of major merchants and thus didn¡¯t have the fund to put out a request. Not that she minded. Kotori¡¯s party would already be considered as strong or stronger than the platinum tiered adventurer with her Mana buff from [Gourmet] All she had to do was research the dungeon and prepare the materials for herself. She would be taking her party but leaving Fawks to his own devices in the city. Fawks didn¡¯t seem to mind being left behind but Kotori didn¡¯t like his attitude. ¡°Ah, I need to prepare a runaway ship¡± He would mutter under his breath. Kotori would flick him on his forehead ¡°Do you not trust us? You know we¡¯re strong¡± She would say indignantly. ¡°Ah but, you see I need to prepare for eventualities.¡± Fawks would say. At the very least he seemed to still be on their side even if a little weak-hearted. Kotori renewed her efforts to figure out how to eat the dungeon although it was still difficult to understand why the mana within the dungeon was so dense that she was not able to eat it. It wasn¡¯t even particularly rich. It just felt like low-quality mana that had been condensed in a thick wall like Styrofoam. Kotori decided that she would have to figure it out as she travels in the dungeon. Hopefully, she would be able to dig down. Kitsura posting a bit earlier today. I can''t wait for you all to read the next ten or so chapters. Chapter 160: The Day Arrives The week passed by quickly and Kotori soon found herself in front of the massive dungeon entrance along with her companion. Next to her was Fawks who was busy fussing over them like a mother to a child. ¡°Did you pack everything? You have enough food, right? You¡¯ll come back right?¡± To be quite honest it felt more like he was trying to assure himself rather than assuring Kotori and her party. There was a large crowf gathered at the Plaza and Kotori could see the other contestants They were too far to use [Status] so would have to wait. Zachariah and Delia were standing with Hectaire and several other imposing figures all of whom were wearing top-tier gear and glittering armor. His party consisted of the top platinum-ranked adventurers and it seemed like he even funded their equipment. Mathias and Yenoba had a larger party but the quality of adventurers among them was markedly lower. It seems like they were going for a numbers approach rather than a quality approach. Although, their groups paled in comparison to the size of Ryla¡¯s groups. Ryla¡¯s group consisted of silver-ranked adventurers exclusively. While, silver-ranked adventurers were actually pretty strong, just a little weaker than Yooma, it was a pitiful sight compared to Zacariah¡¯s and Mathia¡¯s groups. Still, there was an old man standing next to her who was wearing golden armor. He gave off a different aura than the other adventurers that gave Kotori the impression that he shouldn¡¯t be taken lightly. Kotori in contrast to the others only had her group. It was a sight that was less than pitiful and simply laughable. The people in the crowd were murmuring and making last-minute bets on who would win. She smiled grimly as people looked at her and scoffed. [Tough crowd] She thought. Each group was accompanied by a cadre queen¡¯s guard who was there to make sure contestants didn¡¯t fight each other on the first day. Any fighting was grounds for instant disqualification. Attacking the queen¡¯s guard to prevent them from coming back would also not work. If any of the queen¡¯s guards failed to make it back after the first day or were reported to have been attacked the candidate would also be disqualified. Kotori¡¯s group was followed by Amah, and Tyrella, something that assured her greatly. A voice crystal podium had been set up and the Kotori saw the queen walk forward She outstretched her arms. ¡°My people!¡± The entire crowd cheered in response ¡°The day you have waited for has long arrived! We will begin the trial for the picking of the new queen shortly!¡± The queen shouted. The entire crowd roared in response. A deafening sound, that could be felt in one¡¯s bones [Is this what it means to lead a country?] Kotori thought. The queen pulled out a small wand. Projected onto the sky was a shining number. ¡°60¡± ¡°As soon as this time reaches ¡°0¡± the trial shall start!¡± The queen proclaimed. The crowd instantly quieted down and soon the numbers began to tick down. [It¡¯s time] Kotori thought She took her lizard horn, and rung a mana buff on her party, along with the Queen¡¯s guard. The low note resounded across the plaza, capturing the attention of the people [More,] Kotori cast gesturing to Umi who also cast [Mana Flow] empowering Kotori¡¯s mana buff even further. The total amount of stats that was raised was over 300 points. Kotori grinned as the familiar sensation of mana washed over her. Amah and Tyrella look surprised at the sense of power that filled them. The forms of Umi and Shu grew and folded on themselves evidently it seemed like their [Spirit Form Manifestation] weakened when power up to such an extent. Soon two large beasts were next to Kotori¡¯s each one the size of the house. Shu¡¯s body was brown like dirt and covered in rocky scales that pepper his back and arms. He looked like a more lizard-like Pangolin. Each movement would shower dirt across the floor. Shu gave a menacing roar that echoes across the plaza. Umi in contrast was a little smaller but had a lithe snake-like form. She had small delicate pale blue scales that covered her entire body and tufts of white downy fur around her neck. The people of the crowd gasped in shocked as they saw Kotori¡¯s spirits. She could see several people making panicked bets in her favor, and the queen seemed to be smirking slightly as if saying ¡°So you had that up your sleeve?¡± Layla in contrast was still in her human form. It seemed like she was more adept at controlling her form. ¡°Mou, they are getting hyped up, I wanna play too,¡± Layla said grinning. Her body morphed and soon she was two-tailed white kitsune with pointed red rings*. There were several spirit fires surround her body that seemed to radiate mana. It was a form that almost seemed like a mini Okateratsu. Amelie seemed sheepish ¡°Do you think they¡¯ve grown a bit?¡± She asked Kotori. ¡°Mhmmm, probably,¡± Kotori said. It had been a while since she had seen the forms of her spirits and her mana capacity had grown since then, it was no surprise that they would grow in tandem. *pointed is a term that referred to a certain animal pattern. The number in the sky was soon approaching zero and Kotori¡¯s party began to tense themselves 5 4 3 2 1 "Let the trial begin!" Kitsura Went to play pokemon go today. Chapter 161: Let’s Run! Kotori and her party made a mad dash inside the dungeon blazing forward farther than the other groups in an instant. This was very intentional Kotori was planning on creating as much distance as she could on the first day otherwise it would be difficult to survive the second day. Her mana buff would only last her 6 hours and she needed time to rest and regain it. If she timed it correctly, she would be able to have her mana back for a second round at the end of the day. Although Shu, Umi, and Layla had quite a fearsome appearance she had no plans of ever fighting during this trial. She would rather the other queen¡¯s candidates get in the way of each other. [Beat each other up please!] She thought as she and her party winded through the corridors. Although they had similar stats they couldn¡¯t go as fast since Shu who had the lowest speed of them all would struggle to keep up. The Queen¡¯s Guard followed closely behind, their impassioned faces showing how little of a struggle this was for them. [Dumb talented people.] Kotori thought. Amah and Tyrella had higher base stats than Kotori and her party and thus out of all the people here they were actually struggling the least after being buffed by Kotori. Kotori had already memorized the corridors for the beginning part of the dungeon, and she was taking a route that was rarely traveled in hopes of minimizing encounters with the other candidates. The dungeon consisted of an extremely large main passageway that steadily got lower until it reached fake ¡°dungeon boss¡±. Snaking paths would occasionally come out from the passageway. They led deeper into the dungeon and were shallowly mapped. The reason was simple. If one went down the small pathways would change regularly and there were little rhymes or reasons for their appearance. They changed slowly which meant it was still safe for normal adventurers to go into them for a short trip, but it was not wise to go too deeply. Kotori on the other hand was heading straight for one of these passageways. She wanted to reach an area that was unmapped. She wasn¡¯t going to settle with defeating the fake ¡°dungeon boss¡± and calling it a day. This dungeon was hiding something more valuable. She could feel it, her research had led her to this conclusion, and Kotori trusted her own deduction skills in this regard. Her party ran 1/3 of the way down the main passageway before Kotori suddenly dived into a small passageway. She had already scouted this one earlier and communicated it to her party. Although there were monsters, she and her party ignored them, their current stats were high enough that they could outrun them. They had already been running for a little over 5 hours and Kotori realized that their mana buff would be The passageway snaked for a while, and Kotori eventually slowed to take not of her surroundings. [Yep yep I¡¯m lost] She thought. They had passed several split passageways and offshoots and Kotori didn¡¯t know where she was anymore. She wasn¡¯t worried, this was intentional. The queen¡¯s guard on the other hand had long since left her. They were not willing to do so far, and they were only there to protect Kotori. The moment they recognized that Kotori would not be easily found they stopped the party and told her that they would not follow any further. Kotori only nodded and let them go. The other parties must¡¯ve thought she was a fool for delving so deeply. Even if she found something amazing, they would be under the impression that it would be impossible for her to find her way back. Though perhaps they had just as many guts as her and she would find them later. Kotori truly had no way of gauging their ¡°guts¡± Still, now that their mana buff was fading Kotori took a small break with her group. ¡°You have a plan I assume since we¡¯re not going for the fake boss,¡± Amelie asked her ¡°Mhmm,¡± Kotori said. It was true she could fight for the fake boss, but she had a feeling that it wouldn¡¯t be enough. The fake boss of the dungeon was just a name adventurer gave to the large monster at the end of the main passageway. It usually dropped large and valuable mana crystals along with valuable materials. Only one would spawn per day and people would clamor to fight over it. The candidates were fortunate though since there were no adventurers in these tunnels right now. Due to the trial, the dungeon was under lockdown for the duration of the trial. It was helpful, but that meant there were no obstacles for the other candidates to do as they wished. Kotori put her hand on the dungeon wall. She had already felt the elevation rise and fall already and she knew that they were being led away from ¡°something¡±. The fake dungeon boss was too ¡°convenient¡± it was almost as if someone was saying ¡°take this¡± instead. [I¡¯m going to figure you out] She thought as she ran her finger down the length of the wall. Kitsura Early posting once again. Chapter 162: Leadership After stopping Kotori and her party began to walk through the passages. Kotori was taking the time to analyze the mana in the passages. Just as she thought the walls were the physical manifestation of particularly non-dense mana. It was akin to Styrofoam in terms of quality and density. What Kotori didn¡¯t understand was that¡¯s how the walls could remain so ¡°hard¡± while the mana was so light. The fact the dungeon didn¡¯t have much mana density at all, made it even more confusing. Why did strong monsters spawn then? Kotori wracked her head to find an answer but was unable to. In a bout of frustration, she even shot out a ¡°sound bolt¡± towards the wall. The bolt hit the wall, and for a moment the wall seemed to ripple. [Eh?] Kotori thought. [That doesn¡¯t seem right?] The wall shouldn¡¯t ripple like that, it was extremely hard after all. She couldn¡¯t force the mana to bend with gourmet after all. But somehow she was able to dent the wall slightly. [Maybe this will work?] Kotori thought as she launched another bolt and the wall deformed even more. She launched even more bolts [This isn¡¯t working] Kotori thought frowning. The wall was indeed moving slightly but it was not deforming enough to coming close to what Kotori wanted. ¡°Umm Kotori I know you¡¯re frustrated but you don¡¯t have to take it out on the wall,¡± Amelie said trying to cheer her up. Kotori sighed. Nobody, in her party, was willing to fault her for running in with her half-baked plan, her spirits were too loyal and Amelie trusted Kotori far too much to have such thoughts. They all had a feeling like ¡°Kotori will figure it our right?¡± [I guess I have to tell them the truth] Kotori thought. Kotori resigned herself to explaining to her party the conundrum that she was facing. To her surprise, they didn¡¯t chide her or even scold her. ¡°You know you can rely on us a bit more, right?¡± Amelie said. ¡°Eh?¡± Kotori said. ¡°We¡¯re as much a part of this party, as you are¡± ¡°Umu¡± the other spirits said in response to Amelie¡¯s statement. ¡°You can rely on us more,¡± Layla said sympathetically. ¡°Yeah, I guess¡­¡± Kotori said sadly. She had been charging forward this entire time without thinking about the companions beside her. Kotori really was thankful she could rely on them in these moments. ¡°So then what do you think we should do?¡± Kotori asked. For once she was handing over leadership to Amelie in this regard. ¡°Mhmm, since you think this is basically a giant maze our location is irrelevant, we might as well move right, maybe we¡¯ll find something?¡± Amelie said. ¡°That doesn¡¯t really matter, we might be led in a circle,¡± Kotori said regardless of where they walked. ¡°something¡± would lead them away. ¡°Well, that doesn¡¯t matter the chance is still there. For now, can you scout the wall with your skill?¡± Amelie asked her ¡°I can do that¡± Kotori said nodding ¡°Shu, Umi. And Layla watch out for monsters¡± Amelie said. And thus, with those instructions, they began walking. Kotori¡¯s cheeks burned a little. It was her first time not being the leader and seeing Amelie handle everybody with ease made her feel embarrassed for her lack of leadership skills. [Ah, Amelie would¡¯ve made a better queen than me] Kotori thought. Still, she trusted her friend and began to scan the walls even more closely with [gourmet]. The mana in the walls was not dense at all of course, but she hoped to find something more important within the walls. Suddenly Kotori felt a blob of denser mana across the wall. It raced across the wall next to them and into the floor. From the spot, the mana coalesces a monster spawn. It was a simple lizard mana monster and her spirits instantly defeat them. [Odd?] Kotori thought. She had felt monsters spawn before and in no way did it happen in the way she just experiences. In the other dungeons she had been in, the mana in the dungeon was constantly swirling and would naturally birth a monster through random effects. The way this dungeon had spawned a monster was completely artificial. Kotori''s suspicions were confirmed. This dungeon was truely not ¡°real¡± Kitsura Early posting because I have a chapter done Chapter 163: Will Kotori and her party walked even further. At this point, all of Kotori¡¯s mana had fully regenerated and she could even cast another mana buff. Although, it was pointless. It should¡¯ve been about late afternoon but since Kotori was underground and couldn¡¯t see the sun she didn¡¯t have any clue what the actual time. It was just based on her internal clock. Kotori was beginning to think a bit more scientifically about the wall. [Ok, so mana-based attacks works? Wait didn¡¯t Amah do something with mana dyeing?] Kotori began to cast [Gourmet] again, holding her flute, she launched a magical bolt using the mana dyeing method that Amah has used. The bolt shattered the wall of the dungeon. [Woah!] The entire party stopped the see the hole that Kotori had made. It was much larger than the hole made from the sound-based attack that she had launched earlier. That was when Kotori realized [Wait, the walls are made of mana, of course, I need to use mana to destroy them!] It was the same sort of principle that hardness scales worked on. If one wanted to cut a diamond they needed to use another diamond or an even harder material to do so. Kotori launched another bolt at the wall and the hole grew larger. ¡°This damn wall!¡± She thought. It was hard! So incredibly hard. Even though she was doing much more damage she needed to hit it even harder. Kotori lobbed another mana bolt, this one filled with her frustration. [Eh? isn¡¯t it bigger than the other hits] she thought. Indeed the last mana bolt she shot did seem to have done more damage than the other shots. [Do my feelings matter?] Kotori took the frustration of the past few hours and threw it at the wall. ¡°BAM!¡± The wall shattered and on the other side was another corridor. Kotori¡¯s party looked awestruck. ¡°Impressive, I assume you figured it out then?¡± Amelie said. ¡°I think so¡­¡± Kotori said. This ¡°imbuing mana with feelings¡± business didn¡¯t make that much sense to her. Kotori had always been able to achieve the results she wanted just by using her skills, but somehow these walls took more damage based on that theory. It was very odd. Kotori dismissed think about it too hard. ¡°So what do we do now?¡± She asked Amelie ¡°We could dig down, but I assume you¡¯re not at full mana?¡± Amelie told her. Kotori had used about half her mana testing the various method of digging and thus. Although she could dig down even further they would simply be stuck in a passageway. ¡°It would probably better to dig once I am full mana,¡± Kotori said, Amelie nodded; she clapped her hands together. ¡°We might as well take a small break then?¡± Amelie said smiling. ¡°Mhmm¡± Kotori said. The party sat down and had a small lunch consisting of the rations in their packs. The rations were simply a mixture of dried meat, lard, and flour, and rather similar to pemmican in their appearance. Kotori gnawed on her piece of ration. It didn¡¯t taste particularly good, but she couldn¡¯t complain. Kotori fantasized about what she would eat if she was queen. As if reading her mind, Amelie suddenly asked Kotori. ¡°So, Kotori what are you going to do if you become queen?¡± Kotori froze. To be honest, she hadn¡¯t really thought about that at all. It wasn¡¯t as if the thought had never crossed her mind but she had been preoccupied with thinking about winning instead of her own policies. [I don¡¯t really know how to rule¡­] Kotori thought. She did have thoughts though, on what she wanted to do. [That dumb Kingdom of Faramouth...] Kotori did have a bit of a grudge vs the kingdom, between being snubbed by the Faramouth merchants and the bounty that was on her head it would be nice to put the kingdom in their place. Still, Kotori first had to manage her domestic affairs first. It didn¡¯t seem like she would last long if her first order of business was starting a war. Although, Kotori did a plan up her sleeve in case revolt were to occur. She did hope that she would never have to execute on that plan but at least it was there. Kitsura I''m going to keep a list of books I read over the weeks. This week, 5 volumes White Cat''s Revenge 2 Volumes Villainess Reloaded Chapter 164: Ikemen ¡°BOOM!¡± Kotori¡¯s party was moving through the dungeon at a breakneck speed. Currently, she was digging in a slant line downward. By casting attack-dyed mana with the intent of breaking the wall it seemed like Kotori was able to move deeper into the dungeon. Kotori would cast as much as she could and then take a break. Still, somehow even in their artificial tunnel monsters would spawn. The attack had gotten more frequent and their progress had slowed to a crawl. [Fustrating¡­] Kotori began to think The dungeon was trying to stop them from moving forward. [Just like games at least¡­ If I see enemies I¡¯m going the right way] She tried to positively spin their current situation. Kotori and her party had plenty of food, but the constant fighting, it was going to wear down their wills and make them careless. They couldn¡¯t take breaks very easily since they would get interrupted by monsters fighting. [I have to find the core of this dungeon soon,] Kotori thought and renewed her efforts. Her dungeon smashing intensified and she was working as hard as she could. The mana was beginning to get denser, but it still wasn¡¯t like the mana of a normal dungeon. This mana was very structured and organized as if it had been made intentionally. Kotori frustrating was still not able to eat it with [Gourmet] so she had to rely on Umi¡¯s [Mana Flow] and her own natural mana regeneration to get to the job done. [Eh?] Suddenly Kotori had smashed her way into a dungeon passageway Well to call it a dungeon passageway was incorrect. It was more like the hallway in an opulent mansion. ¡°What is this?¡± Amelie said unconsciously as she saw the hallway as well. Kotori and her party walked inside it. The hallway was large enough so that Kotori and her party could walk abreast with no issue but the bigger problem was the fact that such a hallway existed in the dungeon in the first place. The walks were decorated with various pieces of art and even had some gold highlighted on them. The hallways were lit with sconces that seemed to contain mana crystals that lit the hallway in a pleasant natural glow. [This is bizarre] Kotori thought. For a moment she thought she had somehow dug her way back to the Eris Palace but a further investigation with [Gourmet] told her that this was still a dungeon. Everything in the hallway was mana of mana, which means that none of it was ¡°physical¡± in a sense. It was strangely silent, and Kotori¡¯s party was on guard. At the very least it seemed like digging wouldn¡¯t do anymore use. Kotori had a feeling that this hallway was connected to the bizarre actions of the dungeon. Their steps echoed through the hallway as they moved through it. There was little talking all of them knew that they needed to hear enemies approaching. Suddenly another sound pierced their ears. It was the sound of another¡¯s footsteps. Kotori and Amelie looked at each other and nodded. They didn¡¯t move and instead kept their guard up. The footsteps got closer and loud and soon Kotori saw a figure at the edge of the long hallway. [Sebastian?] She instinctively thought. The figure was a tall pale man who wore a butler outfit. He had dark, almost fully black hair that felt like it was cut from the night sky. His walking was graceful and clipped with very little wasted movement. He looked like the pinnacle of what a butler should look like. The man got even closer and Kotori could feel Amelie tensing next to her. The man stopped a fair distance away from them and suddenly spoke. ¡°My, My we have visitors. The lady did tell me about your arrival so I will ignore the fact you entered uninvited.¡± The man''s voice was a low baritone and a little sexy. A voice that Kotori was sure would make women swoon if they heard it. [Damn Ikemen!] Kotori thought upon hearing the voice. The man seemed to be making light of them. [Status] (Dark Spirit) Bartholomew Race: [Upper Spirit] Age: 27,364 HP: 974 Mana: 2,389 Agility: 461 Strength: 589 Karma: N/a Skills: [Tea Making], [Swordsman], [Appendages], [Black Young], [Status] Traits: [Butler], [Loyal Dog] [Who is this guy!] Kotori thought. The man was in fact a spirit, he was far stronger than anybody in Kotori¡¯s party, and the way they were now there was no chance they could beat him. She was almost out of mana and could not cast any more mana buffs. [This doesn¡¯t seem good¡­] Kotori thought Kitsura Chapter 165: Tea Kotori and her party tensed, ready for the spirit in front of them to attack. ¡°We can¡¯t win¡± Kotori whispered to Amelie. This only made Amelie¡¯s expression stiffen further. The man gave them a discerning gaze. ¡°Hmm, you wouldn¡¯t even be fun to play with. Come, the lady wants to see you.¡± He turned around and started walking down the hallway. Kotori and her party lowered their guard [Eh? He¡¯s not going to fight us. He even called us weak!] Although Kotori was relieved that they were not going to fight the imposing man she was unsure of how to feel about the fact that he was dismissing them did sting a little. He spoke in a polite but passive-aggressive tone that got on Kotori¡¯s nerves. ¡°Umm, Kotori should we be following him?¡± Amelie asked. ¡°I don¡¯t think we have much of a choice,¡± Kotori said grimly Amelie nodded in agreement and they began to follow the man. They walked down the quiet hallways following the butler. It was a pretty long hallway Kotori realized and she was seeing how the mana was getting denser the closer they got. The hallway grew even more opulent almost like the mansions of billionaires in her past world [Whoever built this place has no taste] Kotori thought upon seeing it Eventually, they approached a large double door. The door was made of white wood that was gilded with gold coloring. Of course, this was all fake and made from mana but it was indeed an impressive set of doors. The butler pushed open the two doors with both his arms. Inside, Kotori could see what was a fairly average girls¡¯ room. Inside the room was a small table for tea, along with a dresser and makeup table with a large mirror. There was a large bed with an overhang. Kotori could see the sheets softly rising and falling. ¡°Ojou-sama the guests have arrived.¡± ¡°Mmph!¡± The figure on the bed began to move. Since it was obscured by the fluffy comforter Kotori couldn¡¯t see who was on the bed. The butler seemed to have a vein pop on his forehead. He walked over to the cover and pulled them off. ¡°Mou Sebastian!¡± The girl yelled out. She was a small figure. Practically the size of the dwarves in Faramouth. With dark skin and black hair she looked fairly similar to the people in Eris. Although she still looked slightly foreign. She was wearing a white nightdress and nothing else. The girl noticing their presence suddenly sat up from the bed and walked towards them. ¡°Tch, So annoying¡± She snapped her fingers and suddenly she was in a black dress. [goth loli?] Kotori thought. It was a lacy Victorian-style dress that Kotori had not seen in this world. ¡°Sebastian prepares some tea!¡± She said ¡°As you wish¡± The butler left the room presumably to prepare some tea. [She calls him Sebastian too!] Kotori thought. Kotori and her party stood there awkwardly as the girl gracefully sat down at the small table. ¡°Well? come sit.¡± She said, the girl snapped her fingers again and suddenly there were enough chairs for everybody in Kotori¡¯s party to sit down at the table. Kotori obediently took a seat opposite the girl. There was silence for a while, neither party speaking. ¡°So? You¡¯ve got nothing to say?¡± The girl said. ¡°Me?¡± Kotori asked ¡°Yes, you! You come breaking into my home, obviously, you have something you want to tell me right?¡± The girl said with an annoyed look on her face. Kotori used [Status] on her Lala Race: N/A Age: N/A HP: 9,373 Mana: N/A Agility: N/A Strength: N/A Defense: N/A Karma: N/A Skills: N/A Traits: N/A [What the hell?] Kotori thought upon seeing those stats. ¡°You didn¡¯t possibly think that would work right?¡± The girl said exasperated. ¡°Kotori, what is this girl referring to?¡± Amelie asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Kotori said. ¡°Oh, stop playing innocent you have that dumb fox¡¯s girl with you, no?¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t know what you are referring to,¡± Kotori said her voice wavering. This girl was odd, and she talked about things expecting Kotori to know about them. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me? You know nothing?¡± The girl said with her arms crossed and raising her eyebrows in surprise. ¡°I really don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about¡± ¡°Tch, he got smarter about it.¡± The girl said biting her thumb in frustration. ¡°Can you explain to me what you''re talking about?¡± Kotori said politely. The girl looked at them and sighed. ¡°You poor fools, but perhaps that is for the best.¡± She said. The butler entered again this time with a small tea set. He poured a cup for everybody in Kotori¡¯s party ¡°Milk, or sugar?¡± He asked her. ¡°None please,¡± Kotori said. He placed a warm cup of tea in front of Kotori and she took a sip. The tea was very warm and also had a gentle floral note. It was a supremely excellent tea. The girl was also quietly sipping the tea. In contrast to Kotori, she put an almost excessive amount of sugar and milk in the tea. Kitsura Been adjusting my sleep schedule for the past three-ish days for the upcoming semester. Moving back from being a nocturnal gremlin to a diurnal functioning member of society. Will hopefully be working back on a consistent writing schedule so I can finish this damn webnovel and my other projects. Patreon chapters have taken a hit during this time so I will work hard to restore them. Really annoying since I had like 3 extra chapters stocked up and then I stopped writing for like a week. This stuff really depends on the momentum it seems, the moment I take a break it gets harder to write again. Chapter 166: Who are you? The girl silent sipped her tea and Kotori who was beginning to feel uncomfortable spoke to her again ¡°Umm¡­¡± The girl put a finger to mouth in a ¡°shushing¡± motion ¡°We can talk after,¡± she said. The girl silently enjoyed her tea, and Kotori and her party looked at her uncomfortably. At the very least it didn¡¯t seem like they were going to be attacked but Kotori was still unsure where exactly they were at. At the very least she thought this was still part of the dungeon. It took the girl a little while to drink her entire cup of tea. Once she was done, she slowly set the teacup down with a light clinking sound. ¡°The tea was excellent as always Sebastian¡± The butler bowed. ¡°I¡¯m happy you say that, but my name is Bartholomew Ojou-same.¡± The girl waved him away ¡°Yes, Yes, whatever you say Sebastian.¡± Ignoring her, the butler cleaned up their tea and bowed before politely standing to the side. ¡°So¡­ Who are you,¡± Kotori asked the girl The girl gave a wry smile. ¡°Asking the hard-hitting questions to start huh? The answer to that question is simple, I am like you¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry I don¡¯t know what that means,¡± Kotori said. Since she didn¡¯t want to offend the girl she was currently using polite language(Keigo). ¡°So tell me, do you remember who you were before you got here¡± ¡°Eh¡± ¡°You¡¯re reincarnated no?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± Kotori said glancing at Amelie and the other. Suddenly the girl had revealed her secret in front of Amelie. ¡°Kotori what is this girl talking about?¡± Amelie asked innocently. The girl gave an annoyed expression ¡°They don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you''re talking about!¡± Kotori said panicking. ¡°Is everything alright Kotori-sama?¡± Umi asked her with a concerned expression ¡°It¡¯s nothing!¡± Kotori shouted. The girl sighed watching the interaction ¡°I see, well, they¡¯ll have to learn sooner or later. This girl right in front of you is a reincarnated individual. In other words, she came from another world, well I guess you all did at some point or another¡± The girl said. ¡°Eh? Kotori¡­ is from another world¡± Amelie said widening her eyes in shock. ¡°Is this true?¡± She asked turning to Kotori Kotori only looked away in shame. She had been friends with Amelie for over 3 years and had never told her the important fact about herself. It wasn¡¯t as if she didn¡¯t think about it, but Kotori now felt guilty for hiding such a fact. ¡°That makes sense, to be honest¡± [Eh?] Kotori thought. She looked back to Amelie who was smiling. ¡°You always were too smart. I had a hard time believing you were just a young girl¡± Amelie said. ¡°So what were you in your past life?¡± Amelie asked her [Ah shoot] ¡°A guy¡­¡± Kotori said sheepishly. *Slap* Suddenly Kotori felt the hot sting of a hand across her face. [Yep, deserved] Kotori had seen Amelie change plenty of times in front of her with Amelie under the impression that Kotori was a girl. ¡°You perv!¡± ¡°Sorry¡­¡± Kotori said. ¡°You¡¯re such a troublesome friend. So what? Ms. Mysterious girl. Why did you want to meet Kotori¡± Amelie said suddenly changing the topic. ¡°My name is Lala, I have the same question. You all come barging into my nice little dungeon and then have the gall to ask me to explain things to you.¡± The girl said with an indignant tone. ¡°Ok ok,¡± Kotori said ¡°Why do you hide the main path of the entrances to this dungeon,¡± Kotori asked the girl. ¡°Because I don¡¯t want adventurers to bother me¡± ¡°But why even have them come into the dungeon in the first place then,¡± Kotori said. Lala sighed ¡°You really know nothing, do you? I need to survive. I eat the mana of people who die here. Otherwise, I will fade¡± ¡°Fade?¡± Kotori said. ¡°You can¡¯t possibly not understand right?¡± Lala stared at Kotori a little further. ¡°Oh, I see¡­¡± She said after looking intently at Kotori¡¯s body. ¡°That clever man, she doesn¡¯t even know,¡± She said even more softly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I don¡¯t follow,¡± Kotori said smiling politely. ¡°Mou! This is so hard where do I start. The worst part is I don¡¯t even understand it all¡± Lala said scratching her head. ¡°I guess we¡¯ll start at the beginning,¡± Lala said seemingly deciding on something ¡°The beginning?¡± Kotori asked. ¡°This world¡­ is for lost souls,¡± Lala said solemnly. Kitsura Who am I? None of your business! Bonus points if you get that reference. Chapter 167: Lost Souls ¡°Lost souls?¡± Kotori said Kotori thought the phrasing was odd. She didn¡¯t feel like a lost soul in the slightest, in fact, she could even say she was enjoying herself in this world. ¡°That¡¯s a nicer way of saying this place is Gabriel¡¯s dumping ground,¡± Lala said. [Trash can?] Kotori thought. She was under the assumption this was just another world. ¡°You ever wonder why there¡¯s no religion in this world?¡± Lala asked. ¡°No¡­¡± Kotori said. It was odd. She hadn¡¯t seen any major religions in this world. She always thought it was s quirk of the world. ¡°This is a godless world, well, it probably isn¡¯t even a world¡­¡± Lala said. ¡°I don¡¯t quite follow,¡± Kotori said. The rest of Kotori¡¯s party looked equally confused. ¡°I don¡¯t understand either¡± Amelie said shaking her head. ¡°Shut-up NPC, I¡¯m not talking to you.¡± Lala bit at Amelie. Amelie frowned. ¡°NPC?¡± She said looking even more confused. Lala turned back to Kotori. ¡°I¡¯m doing you a favor here. This is some serious stuff here ok? You seem to be under the impression that you were ¡®reincarnated¡¯ like all the good little souls.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t I?¡± Kotori said. Sure, she had kept her memories, but she assumed that was a mistake on Gabriel¡¯s part. ¡°Look, I can¡¯t tell you everything. To be honest, I don¡¯t quite understand why you aren¡¯t a dungeon master like me. Frankly, the fact you are even human right now has me scratching my head.¡± The girl said. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I be human¡± Kotori asked. Questions were beginning to pile in her head. Who was this girl? What was a ¡°dungeon master?¡±. Why did this girl even know that Kotori was reincarnated? ¡°You really are quite an airhead. Did you not even try to think about this world a little?¡± Lala asked her incredulously. ¡°No, not, in particular, I just have to solve this Karma debt right?¡± Kotori said. Lala put her face in her hands and sighed in frustration. ¡°You really don¡¯t get it to do you, you¡¯re trapped here! You¡¯ve been duped by that damn angel¡± ¡°Angel? You mean Gabriel?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Kotori thought back to the angel that greeted her in the afterlife he was an unpleasant man, but Kotori didn¡¯t really think he was malicious just really annoying Kotori furrowed her brow. It wasn¡¯t as if she hadn¡¯t thought this world a little odd. The experience with Okateratsu did lead her to believe there was more to this world than it seemed, but it felt like she was missing critical information. ¡°Do you know what a god is?¡± The girl said carefully ¡°Of course, are you one?¡± Kotori said. Lala scratched her head ¡°Kinda? Since you tried to read my status, I assume you saw my stats, they were probably unreadable right?¡± ¡°Basically,¡± Kotori said ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m partially a god,¡± Lala said nonchalantly. ¡°Eh?¡± Kotori cleaned out her ear thinking she had misheard Lala. ¡°I¡¯m sorry could you repeat that¡± ¡°I¡¯m partially a god, well more like my deification was stopped.¡± ¡°How is that even possible?¡± Kotori asked [A god? Like a real living god? Do they exist? Does that mean she¡¯s stronger than me?] Kotori¡¯s head began to race with thoughts. ¡°I assumed you understand some of the principles behind mana in this world right?¡± Lala asked her. ¡°Yes.¡± Kotori recalled her earlier experiments when she was younger. Mana was a tool that powered other forms of magics. The monsters in a dungeon and spirits were forms of mana made into life. ¡°What if I told you that everything is a spirit?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you mean,¡± Kotori said frowning at the statement. ¡°You, Me, that half-elf girl over there we are all spirits.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t make sense,¡± Kotori said looking over at Shu, Layla, and Umi. Spirits had a very specific mana signature that made them alive. Their forms were made from mana coalescing. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it seem odd to you? How mana sometimes creates a spirit and how it doesn¡¯t?¡± Lala asked Kotori. Kotori furrowed her brow in response. It was indeed weird. She didn¡¯t understand why mana could create life. She had done it herself by making dirt spirits and Umi. But the process didn¡¯t make any sense she had accepted it as a quirk of the world. Lala saw Kotori¡¯s reaction. ¡°I see you¡¯re starting to think now, the difference between spirits and us is ¡®will¡¯¡± ¡°Will?¡± Kotori said. ¡°Mana doesn¡¯t form into life naturally, Rather, something is keeping us alive. I don¡¯t know what, but this world is artificial.¡± ¡°Alive?¡± Kotori said. She had been reduced to a blithering mess right now after Lala had dropped bombshell after bombshell of information. [Ah I don¡¯t understand! This world is somehow Gabriel¡¯s ¡°dumping ground¡± if that¡¯s true that means I¡¯m trash? But why? I know my Karma debt was high but he did say he was giving me one chance? Was that also a lie?] Kotori thought glumly Lala¡¯s expression softened seeing Kotori¡¯s confusion. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s a lot. I¡¯ve been here so long without seeing another like me that I forget you don¡¯t know anything¡±¡¯ ¡°I¡¯ll have Sebastian prepare some rooms for you. And we can talk tomorrow¡± Kitsura Side Story: Bartholemew’s day off. Today is my day off according to the lady, although I don¡¯t understand the concept of a ¡°day off¡± she tells me it is important. When I tried to wake her that day, she shooed me out of the room and told me to relax. Afterwards she fell back into her bed to sleep further. Almost giving me the impression, she gave me a day off just to sleep more. Really, what a curious girl. Though, I wished she would call me by my real name instead of ¡°Sebastian¡± Where did she get that name in the first place. Still, I can¡¯t complain. She made me after all. I must admit though, as I wander the empty halls, I do feel a bit¡­ Restless. The halls, of course, are artificially made by the young lady, but still, I started to think about my time attending to her. The place we live in is the bottom layer of a dungeon the humans call ¡°lab¡± Of course, they¡¯ve never come into our dwellings before. Despite her lazy attitude, the young lady is quite good at manipulating the tunnels to make sure none of them get close. Still, I tend to hide within the walls and run patrols. At least this much is fine? The dungeon is a large structure and it would be difficult for me to patrol the entirety of it so usually just wander through a few tunnels for fun. I try not the let adventurers know of my presence. The ones who live above us, are the young lady¡¯s food source after all. If I were to scare them all away it would be troublesome. Today I went to check up on the ¡°dungeon boss¡± a type of monster called the ¡°platinum dragon¡±, really, I think it¡¯s a waste of mana but the young lady insists on it. Saying that humans need a ¡°goal¡± to strive for. It is by far the strongest monster in the dungeon and even I would have trouble dealing with it. The only reason why I let the young lady keep it around is because the dragon itself is rarely killed so although it cost quite of bit of mana for its upkeep it¡¯s not that much. Today the dragon has no visitors and is lazing around its ¡°boss room¡± The dragon is a bit unique insofar as it has some amount of consciousness but nothing more than delusions of grandeur and the cunning of beast lay in its brain. I leave the dragon to continue resting and explore further towards the entrance. It is about early morning so adventurers have begun to stream into the dungeon and thus the entrance was beginning to get crowded.; I spotted a group of humans. They looked relatively new, and their armor was old. It was obvious they were novices. The group consisted of three boys who all seemed to be friends. One of them seemed to have a wild looked with yellow hair, another had sleepy-looking eyes with green hair, and the last was a mousy-looking boy with messy grey hair. I listened to their conversation ¡°Hey, let¡¯s go deeper today!¡± The yellow-haired one said he appeared to be the leader of sorts. ¡°Eh? I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea, you know what the older adventurers say right? We shouldn¡¯t go too deep or else weird things happen¡± The mousy-looking boy said. ¡°I agree, the dungeon is dangerous we should stay in the main paths¡± The green haired one said ¡°Aww but I wanted to get strong enough to beat the platinum dragon,¡± the yellow one said, raising his weapon, a chipped pig iron sword ¡°Still we should listen to the older adventurers¡­ they know better than us.¡± The mousy boy said. ¡°Tch, alright we¡¯ll farm goblins today, let go!¡± The yellow-haired one said relenting, ¡°I¡¯m going to get the most,¡± The green one said his mood improving. ¡°Ha! In your dreams¡± The yellow-haired one said. The mousy looked boy seemed to smile upon hearing the conversation. The group seemed quite lively as they ran into the dungeon and I smiled [Perhaps the young lady was right about the platinum dragon] Kitsura It''s my 21st birthday today so I don''t have that much time to write this evening since I went out. Here is a small side chapter I wrote for fun. Chapter 168: Who am I? Kotori and her party were escorted out of Lala¡¯s room by Sebastian and were now being led to some guest rooms. It was still odd seeing the decorated and ornate walls in the dungeon but Kotori didn¡¯t pay it any heed. Instead, she was focused on the man in front of her. Well, Spirit. Kotori¡¯s assumption was that Lala had made Bartholomew, but it wasn¡¯t like the [Status] page showed it. To be honest, he reminded her of a certain angel that Lala had mentioned earlier. They were led to simple a large room much like the one at the Eris palace. There were doors along the wall and overall, the place was more akin to a suite than anything. It had several couches laid about and a small coffee table. The designs looked strangely different as if they had come from another world. Kotori scanned it with [Gourmet] and found that the furniture was made of the same styrofoam mana just like everything else in the dungeon. ¡°I will take my leave then,¡± Bartholomew said bowing and then leaving the room. Now alone, Kotori finally had time to process what had just happened. She had just confronted what she could only assume was another ¡°reincarnator¡± like her, not only that, this person somehow seemed to know she was reincarnated as well. [Odd¡­] Kotori thought, it was quite a coincidence for her to have met her first reincarnator in this world. Amelie was sitting on the couch staring at Kotori with an intense gaze. [Ah, that¡¯s right I guess she¡¯s just learning now] Kotori thought. She had been hiding the fact she was reincarnated from Amelie. While it would be easy to say there was no reason to tell Amelie there was plenty of opportunities too in their travels together. Kotori had held this fact in despite being with Amelie for so long. Amelie may have said that she was fine with it but Kotori was sure she probably had quite a few thoughts on the matter. Kotori walked over to Amelie who was on the mana couch and bent down. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± She said bowing into a dogeza. Amelie¡¯s eyes rose in shock. ¡°Eh? Kotori? What¡¯s the matter?¡± She said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for not telling you.¡± ¡°Not telling me what?¡± ¡°Not telling you I¡¯m reincarnated,¡± Kotori said. ¡°Oh,¡± Amelie said pursing her lips. ¡°I really don¡¯t mind that much, it¡¯s just a shock.¡± She suddenly glared at Kotori. ¡°You¡¯re off-limits from watching me change though!¡± ¡°Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!¡± Kotori said repeatedly apologizing. ¡°Tell me about your world sometimes ok? I would love to hear about it¡± Amelie said her expression softening. ¡°Kotori, even if Amelie refuses you. It¡¯s fine if you want to watch me change¡± Umi suddenly butt in pulling the collar of her clothes down seductively. ¡°Me too!¡± Layla said miming Umi¡¯s actions. *BONK* Kotori walked over and Karate chopped both the girls on their heads. ¡°That girl''s name was was ¡®Lala¡¯ right? She seems odd.¡± Amelie said. ¡°Mhmm,¡± Kotori said In truth, it felt like Lala was hiding something from them but since she was already being so candid it was hard to tell what was being hidden. Lala had an understanding of this world that was far deeper than Kotori knew and even if she was hiding something Kotori didn¡¯t feel like Lala held any malicious energy towards them. ¡°Still how are we going to get back for the queen¡¯s trial¡­¡± Amelie mumbled. [Right! We still need to find something valuable!] Kotori suddenly thought. She scanned her memory to see if there was anything of note that hat dungeon had. Although Lala¡¯s living area was ornate enough it seemed like there wasn¡¯t really anything ¡°valuable¡± that Kotori could take. [Maybe I can tell her to make something?] Kotori thought. The dragon that served as the fake ¡°dungeon boss¡± was probably made by Lala. Kotori was sure that she could maybe finagle something out of her in exchange for something. Though, that would require Kotori to get into her good graces to start with. Shu was standing in a corner with a troubled expression on his face. ¡°Is something wrong Shu?¡± Kotori asked walking up to him. Shu took a step back in surprise his face blushing slightly Kotori was nearly face to face with him. ¡°Ah, no I just thought that Bartholomew was surprisingly polite.¡± ¡°Polite?¡± Kotori said. Shu scratched his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know kinda think he¡¯s cool?¡± [Cool? Does Shu swing that way] Kotori thought. She didn¡¯t really think that Shu was particularly romantically inclined towards anyone. Kotori thought of herself as Shu¡¯s caretaker so she wanted to support him in his endeavors. Kotori put a hand on Shu¡¯s shoulder ¡°Don¡¯t worry Shu! I¡¯m rooting for you¡± She said smiling and giving a thumbs up. She sighed. Kotori had completely misunderstood his intention. ¡°I think you''re getting the wrong idea¡­¡± He started to say ¡°Don¡¯t worry! You have time I need to talk to Lala more anyway¡± Kotori said ignoring Shu¡¯s protests. Shu slumped his shoulders in resignation that Kotori was not going to listen to him. Behind him, he could hear Umi and Layla giggling in the background. Kitsura I ate a lot today and now feel bloated as all hell. I''m going to go lay down. Chapter 169: Meeting again The room they were given had a few modest bedrooms, despite this area of the dungeon being so opulent the guest rooms were surprisingly modest. [Well, It¡¯s not like she had a large number of guests anyway.] Kotori thought upon seeing the rooms. Lala lived in the bottom of the seeming less ¡°bottomless¡± dungeon. It would make sense she didn¡¯t really place heavy emphasis on visitor comfort. Still, they were given a modest dinner. Little more than a stew and a few pieces of bread. Later though, Kotori had encountered a slight problem. There was no way to tell the time! The room didn¡¯t have a clock and although Kotori knew they would be meeting Lala the next day it wasn¡¯t like she knew when ¡°the next day¡± happened. Since they were underground there was no way to use sunlight to gauge how much time had passed. Kotori resigned herself to sleeping when she was tired and once she woke up waiting in the living room of their suite until Bartholomew arrived again. Due to her uncertainty and perhaps some residual stress she ended up sleeping very little. In fact, Amelie was still asleep. The spirits didn¡¯t need to sleep so they simply milled about the room. Thankfully Kotori hadn¡¯t waited long. Eventually, a knock came on their door and Kotori opened their door to see Bartholomew standing there. The spirit frown upon seeing the other spirits in the room. ¡°You come, the rest of you stay¡± He said pointing to Kotori. ¡°Eh just me?¡± Kotori said pointing to herself. ¡°That won¡¯t do, I am not leaving Kotori alone¡± Shu said instantly becoming defensive and standing in front of Kotori. ¡°I concur¡± Umi said. ¡°You can¡¯t let Kotori go alone I¡¯ll follow her¡± Layla said. ¡°The lady ordered it, or would you rather try and fight me to protest her decision¡± As Bartholomew said that he let out an impressive aura. One that seemed to envelope the room and was even enough to make Kotori unconsciously gasp ¡°Grr¡± Shu growled as he was suppressed by the aura unable to say anything Bartholomew let go of the aura. ¡°I thought, you were cool now you¡¯re just a fiend!¡± Shu said. ¡°Shu, it¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll go alone¡± Kotori said walking past him. ¡°But¡­¡± Shu started to protest. Kotori pat him on his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think Lala has any bad intentions it¡¯s ok¡± Shu relented and let Kotori walk past Bartholomew. She gave a slight bow to the spirits. ¡°I will be back, fill Amelie in on what happened¡± They all gave a nod and Kotori went with Bartholomew. ** ** ** Kotori was led back to Lala¡¯s room and when she entered, she found Lala sitting at the same table as before. ¡°Come sit,¡± Lala said pointing to a chair opposite her. Kotori obediently sat down opposite Lala. ¡°So tell me, how did you get to this world.¡± She suddenly asked. ¡°Erm¡± Kotori said. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be shy, spit it out. I¡¯ll tell you what, I¡¯ll tell my story if you tell me yours.¡± Lala said an annoyed look on her face [I guess, there¡¯s no point hiding it] Kotori thought. Kotori explained her journey from her death, in her past world to make it to heaven. Then her subsequent reincarnation and life in this new world. It had taken quite a long time to explain, and Lala would only nod or raise her eyebrows in certain parts. Once Kotori was done crossed her arms and Lala closed her eyes, obviously deep in thought. Kotori took the time to sip at the cup of water that had been placed in front of her. ¡°Umu, I see,¡± She said mumbling to herself. She suddenly opened her eyes and looked at Kotori. ¡°Say, Kotori do you know what ¡®life¡¯ is?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Kotori asked, not quite sure the intention of the question. ¡°Just tell me, what do you think it is?¡± Lala Kotori in response gave a half-hearted response she had been a scientist in her past life so her definition of ¡°life¡± was quite technical. Lala shook her head ¡°That¡¯s not correct at all.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Kotori said with a slightly surprised expression. ¡°Perhaps that was what the people in your past life deduced what life ¡®was¡¯ but that is not what life ¡®is¡¯ I¡¯m asking you for what the meaning of being ¡®alive¡¯ is¡± Lala said. She held out a hand and a glob of light mana appeared. Kotori watched as the mana formed itself into a small rodent in her hand. ¡°The reason I ask is the reason why we exist in the first place. Mana creates live creatures and even spirits I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve been able to notice that at least.¡± Kotori nodded, She thought back to Umi and the earth spirits that she made in the village in Faramouth. ¡°That¡¯s the simple explanation, there¡¯s an even deeper explanation. Do you know what the difference is?¡± Lala asked Kotori. Kotori shook her head indicating she didn¡¯t know the answer to Lala¡¯s question. Lala suddenly clenched her hand into a small fist, crushing the mouse that had appeared in it. The mouse gave a pained squeak as its life was suddenly ended crushed between Lala¡¯s fingers. ¡°The difference is will,¡± Lala said. Kitsura Im going to write three chapters tonight for patreon. End of month is coming up and I refuse to not get people''s money''s worth Chapter 170: System Kotori gulped as she suddenly saw the expression that Lala was giving. It was a far cry from her previously young ojou-sama look. It was the mature look of someone who had seen lifetimes pass before their eyes. ¡°Will?¡± Kotori said softly. Lala leaned back into her chair. ¡°Yes, all life is created from the expression of ¡®will¡¯. But do you know where this ¡®will¡¯ come from?¡± ¡°No¡± Kotori said. ¡°I¡¯m sure you know the answer.¡± Kotori furrowed her brow to think about what Lala was trying to imply. She thought back to the time she created Umi. During that period she had spent much of time training and aiming to improve her mana. Eventually Umi appeared which had just the right ability to do so. [Was I the cause of Umi?] Kotori thought. She had always assumed that she had accidently let off too much mana which created Umi but perhaps she had ¡°wanted¡± Umi to appear in the first place. ¡°It comes from us?¡± Kotori said. Lala¡¯s lips upturned into a slight smile. ¡°Close enough, will creates will that much is simple. Though, despite all this none of us are truly alive¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± Kotori asked in response to the last part of Lala¡¯s question. Lala had suddenly said that they weren¡¯t alive, which didn¡¯t make sense considering that fact that Kotori was sitting living and breathing right in front of Lala right now. ¡°This world, my world, your past world it¡¯s all artificial¡± [what is this red pill stuff!] Kotori suddenly thought listening to Lala speak. ¡°So what? We¡¯re all in a simulation?¡± Kotori said. Lala suddenly laughed. It was a laugh that was unlike any laugh Kotori had heard coming from a girl who looked the same age as Lala. It was a deep hag-like cackle that wracked her body. ¡°What¡¯s so funny!¡± Kotori said pouting ¡°I¡¯m sorry but that has got to be the worst deduction I¡¯ve seen in a while¡± Lala said wiping away a tear from her eye. ¡°When I say artificial, I mean that something is creating the ¡®will¡¯ for us to live. Just like you created the ¡®will¡¯ for your spirits something is keeping us alive as well.¡± Lala explained ¡°Why though? Why would this ¡®something¡¯ want to make us¡± Kotori asked. She was confused if her life was artificial then something probably wanted her alive. For once Kotori was surprised to see Lala shrug her shoulders. ¡°Your answer is as good as mine¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re telling me all this stuff about ¡®will¡¯ and ¡®artificial worlds¡¯ and you don¡¯t even know why it¡¯s like that!¡± Kotori said her voice rising in pitch. ¡°Don¡¯t act like I have all the answers! Go figure it out for yourself if you¡¯re so curious!¡± Lala bit back. Kotori calmed herself down [Okay if she¡¯s telling me this it must be important] ¡°So what does this have to do with me or you?¡± Kotori asked tampering down her frustration with the conversation. So far Lala had been teaching Kotori about interesting but rather esoteric topics. She wasn¡¯t even sure why Lala was talking about them in the first place. ¡°It has everything to do with you and me! That ¡®man¡¯ doesn¡¯t want us to be alive.¡± Lala said insulted ¡°What man?¡± Kotori asked. ¡°That damn angel¡± Lala said irritated [Eh? Angel? I only know one angel] Kotori thought ¡°Gabriel?¡± Kotori said the name unconsciously ¡°Yes! That¡¯s the one!¡± Lala said. She was practically frothing, looking filled with rage. ¡°Him? He¡¯s just a dumb angel right?¡± Kotori said. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯ve been telling you! You¡¯ve been fooled!¡± Lala said exasperated. ¡°This Karma you keep talking about? It¡¯s just another system he tacked onto trick you!¡± Lala said [Trick me?] Kotori thought. Lala seemed to calm herself down. ¡°Look Gabriel is a conniving bastard; This world is a world where he tossed the souls that got the closest to being alive¡± Lala said. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say we weren¡¯t alive?¡± Kotori asked Lala. ¡°No, that¡¯s still right, none of us here are alive but we¡¯re ¡®close¡¯ and that¡¯s the difference.¡± Lala started to say ¡°Think of it like this. Being truly ¡®alive¡¯ is a lot like standing. None of us have the ability to stand, so ¡®something¡¯ is giving us crutches to use. Gabriel tries to get rid of anybody who gets close to ¡®standing¡¯¡± ¡°Why would he do that though?¡± Kotori asked. It seemed like an odd reason for Gabriel to single souls out for. Lala threw her hands up in the air. ¡°I haven¡¯t got a single clue!¡± She leaned forward onto the table. ¡°Here¡¯s what I do know, this world is a prison and executioners block.¡± She whispered softly. Kotori gave a gulp upon hearing those words ¡°Executioner¡¯s block?¡± Lala leaned back into her chair again. ¡°Yes, the reason you and me are in this world is for one simple reason¡± ¡°And what is that?¡± Kotori asked already suspecting the answer herself ¡°To die¡± Lala said in a casual tone Kitsura Nothing much, I''m just vibing. Chapter 171: Closed [Did she seriously just say ¡°to die¡±] Kotori thought Lala was grinning slightly, ¡°Oh don¡¯t give me that expression it¡¯s not that bad, I just mean to say that this world is a closed system. We¡¯re stuck here until we give up¡± She said clarifying herself. ¡°Give up?¡± Kotori asked Lala. Kotori didn¡¯t understand why ¡°give up¡± mean anything. ¡°Well Gabriel can¡¯t really kill us, right? So he can only hope that we get bored of living and fade. Remember what I said about will? We¡¯re being propped up by that ¡®will¡¯ right now, unlike the other things in this world we have enough of it to remain independent.¡± Kotori listened carefully, not sure what to say in response. The fact this world was made for the expressed purpose of people didn¡¯t sit well with here. ¡°So what am I supposed to?¡± Kotori asked. She didn¡¯t want to be a sitting duck stuck in this world. She valued her freedom. ¡°So, That¡¯s what I don¡¯t understand, every reincarnater on this world has been made a dungeon master, but for you, it just seems like you came as normal human.¡± Lala said frowning. ¡°Does that mean I¡¯m special and extra strong?¡± Kotori asked an excited expression on her face. She felt a stabbing pain in her forehead, when she looked to see the cause she saw that Lala had flicked her on the forehead. ¡°No, it means you are weaker than the rest of us, frankly I¡¯m surprised you managed to survive in this world.¡± Lala instantly shot her down. [I feel insulted somehow, what¡¯s ¡°I¡¯m surprised you managed to survive this long¡± supposed to mean!] Kotori thought ¡°So why are you telling me this then?¡± Kotori said. Lala shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Consider it a courtesy, and you would keep tramping around and destroying my house if I didn¡¯t tell you¡± She said. ¡°¡­ Plus I¡¯m bored¡± Lala added. ¡°Is that seriously the only reason why? Just so that you can get me to leave?¡± Kotori asked. ¡°Of course, I¡¯ve got nothing better to do and you¡¯re at least a new conversation partner,¡± Lala said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. ¡°You aren¡¯t going to train me to fight Gabriel, or do anything like that?¡± Kotori asked. Lala gave a confused expression ¡°Why would I do that?¡± She asked Kotori. ¡°Aren¡¯t we comrades at arms, don¡¯t you want to rebel vs that Gabriel?¡± Kotori said. Lala seemed to despise Gabriel and Kotori was having trouble seeing why Lala was content being in this world. ¡°And do what? You don¡¯t even know how to get off this world, everybody here is shackled here, it¡¯s a closed system you see. We can¡¯t die unless we chose to do so.¡± Kotori suddenly had a realization. ¡°Wait, are all dungeon masters reincarnated individuals?¡± She asked Lala ¡°Well, all of them except that dumb fox girl¡¯s mother, why do you ask?¡± Lala asked. [He¡­ was one of them] Kotori thought. Nero had been a reincarnated individual the whole time. Kotori was under the impression that he was some sort of fancy dungeon monster. Now she realized he was an individual like her, with hopes dreams, and aspirations. She thought back to the words he had told her. [What was it again ¡°You have been tricked¡± right? So he was trying to warn me the whole time¡­] Kotori realized. A wave of guilt washed over Kotori. She wasn¡¯t opposed to killing. She had done it before, but the fact she had killed someone who was completely innocent dug into her consciousness. Nero didn¡¯t have to die. There was no reason she had to kill him, the only reason she did it was for her own avarice. ¡°I killed a person,¡± Kotori said softly, in almost a whisper. Lala¡¯s haughty expression changed and soften into one of sympathy. ¡°Don¡¯t dwell on it too much, you didn¡¯t know after all.¡± She said comforting Kotori. ¡°Why do you know so much¡± Kotori suddenly, asked Lala. In response to Kotori¡¯s question, Lala appeared to pause for a moment, as if she was picking her next words carefully. Finally, she spoke. ¡°I¡¯ve been here the longest, in truth, you could consider this a prison made for me.¡± [So she was the first?] Kotori thought. There was a pause, and then a silence that dragged on for several moments ¡°How long had that been?¡± Kotori asked. Lala gazed at the wall behind Kotori. ¡°Long¡­ Far too long to count.¡±\ Kitsura Next, 5 or so chapters are a POV change. Guess who it is :) Chapter 172: The Girl (1) The girl looked out the window sill, past the estate gardens, and towards the walls where a crowd of people had formed. They pawed and crowed at the gates and guards were approaching the walls pushing them back and arresting those that tried to climb over. The girl was young, barely 5 years of age. She looked akin to a doll, in a carefully made expensive-looking dress with olive skin and long hair that sheened and tumbled down her neck. ¡°Sebastian, why are the people angry?¡± She asked the butler near her. ¡°Because they are hungry.¡± ¡°If they are hungry why don¡¯t they eat?¡± ¡°Because there is no food, Ojou-sama¡± ¡°But the prime minister told me that people are happy and healthy.¡± The girl said. For once, the butler gave a pained expression. He was a young man, hand-picked from among the royal guard for his looks and his demeanor to guard the girl in front of him. Though, instead of being her servant, he was more akin to a prison warden. Here to make sure she didn¡¯t leave the estate. ¡°Why is there no food?¡± The girl asked. Sebastian remained silent. Unable to answer her question. Rather, it was impossible for him to answer in a satisfactory way. ¡°Ojou-sama you don¡¯t need to concern yourself with such matters,¡± Sebastian said attempting to brush it away. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I though? Isn¡¯t the princess supposed to make sure her people are happy?¡± The girl asked again pressing her face to the glass as if she was trying to get closer to hear the people outside the gates. ¡°Not everybody can be happy, it¡¯s okay if some people are discontent. You shouldn¡¯t take it to heart Ojou-sama¡± Sebastian said smoothly. [I should ask that man to move the girl somewhere farther away. Perhaps a mansion in the countryside?] Sebastian thought. He pulled a small watch from his pocket, the gold chain on it glinting on a sunbeam. Checking the time Sebastian spoke. ¡°Regardless, it is almost time for your afternoon coffee,¡± ¡°Let me stay here a little longer,¡± the girl said looking out towards the gate at the crowd of people. ¡°As you wish,¡± Sebastian said bowing and leaving the girl and the room alone. ** ** ** ¡°Let me go to the castle¡± The girl spoke ¡°That won¡¯t do princess¡± The Prime Minister spoke. A rotund-looking person with large jowls and balding red hair. ¡°Why can¡¯t you let me go to the castle?¡± ¡°It¡¯s currently being renovated; it would do no good to have you there,¡± the man said softly smiling ¡°Renovated? Who authorized that? Isn¡¯t it my castle why was I not informed?¡± The girl bit back. ¡°Yes of course, but the castle is old and there was some crumbling architecture, we needed to take some time to fix it.¡± The man spoke keeping up his smile. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to trouble you with the details,¡± The man said. ¡°I see, once the renovations are done please let me go to the castle.¡± ¡°Of course, princess¡± ** ** ** ¡°Prime Minister I demand you to let me go to the castle, It¡¯s been two years since you told me ¡®renovations¡¯ were being done and they should be finished by now.¡± ¡°Of course, my princess, I will need some time to prepare, will you wait a month?¡± ¡°Fine, but make it quick.¡± ** ** ** Sebastian watched the glum-looking girl in front of him. The once doll-like girl had grown into a young woman. Approaching 14 years of age one could already tell that she would be quite beautiful once she grew up. The girl was huddled in the corner of her room, knees bent and folded to her chest as she clutched them. ¡°Sebastian, I didn¡¯t like the castle,¡± The girl said. ¡°Oh really? How so?¡± ¡°The people there didn¡¯t let me do anything. All I did was have lunch and then I was asked to leave and let people work¡± ¡°I see¡± ¡°I¡¯m a princess, right? Shouldn¡¯t I be working as well? Father told me that I would be the one to inherit the kingdom I should be doing more than staying at the mansion all day¡± The girl said looking up at her butler. ¡°I¡¯m sure they are handling the boring work, anything important they would tell you about,¡± Sebastian said. ¡°But why hasn¡¯t anyone updated me, or told me about anything?¡± ¡°I assumed it¡¯s because nothing important has happened that is deserving of your attention. The princess of a country can¡¯t be micromanaging every little thing.¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be true, the crowd at the gate keeps getting bigger. As a princess, I should hear what the people have to say.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just been a bad harvest year, Ojou-sama. It will change back to normal soon enough. Besides, didn¡¯t you do a charity fundraising event. You even doubled your goal I heard. I¡¯m sure the money went to a good cause¡± Sebastian said cheerfully. Sebastian felt a pain in his heart. The prime minister had recently bought a new estate. Sebastian was not sure where the money came from, but he could only guess. ¡°Besides it is time for your afternoon coffee,¡± Sebastian said trying to cheer the girl up. ¡°I don¡¯t want coffee,¡± The girl said flatly. ¡°I¡¯m sure you are simply in a sour mood because you are too anxious, having something to drink might calm you down¡± Sebastian offered ¡°I said, I don¡¯t want coffee,¡± The girl said again ¡°As you wish,¡± Sebastian said leaving the room. Kitsura Chapter 173: The Girl (2) ¡°Sebastian, I want to see the castle town.¡± The girl said one day ¡°Ojou-sama you know that isn¡¯t possible, you shouldn¡¯t associate with commoners,¡± Sebastian said. ¡°I still want to see them,¡± She said. There was a firm expression on her face that gave in impression she was not going to back down. It only took Sebastian one look before he realized that he would not be able to deflect the girl this time. She was resolute in her desire. [The prime minister would kill me if I let her out though.] He thought. There was no feasible way of getting the princess out of the manor without the other servants knowing. [Wait, I¡¯m the manager of the servants in this manor after all?] Sebastian was the one put in charge of taking care of the princess after all. ** ** ** ¡°The princess is ill today, I¡¯ve already called a doctor so you can go home,¡± Sebastian told the maid from the doorsteps of the manor. ¡°Are you sure?¡± She asked ¡°Yes, I will be enough to handle her,¡± Sebastian said smiling a little. The maid blushed. Sebastian was quite a handsome man after all because of guard training he had a good physique as well. She then turn back down the path back to the garden stealing glances at the smiling Sebastian. Once the maid had passed the gate, he sighed in relief. ¡°That¡¯s the last of them¡± he whispered to himself. He had spent the better part of the morning standing at the doorway and warding away the servants who came in the morning. Despite the princess and manor having quite a few servants just about all of them didn¡¯t live onsite. The only people who did were the gardener and Sebastian. He went back inside the mansion to the princess''s room. Inside was a hooded figure who appeared to be giggling. Once he arrived in the room the figure looked up at him. He could see dark bags under the girl''s eyes, as if she hadn¡¯t slept [Did she seriously not sleep at all?] Sebastian thought. The princess yawned. ¡°I¡¯m tired,¡± she said. ¡°Then you can sleep and we won¡¯t go out¡± ¡°No!¡± The princess yelled suddenly frightened. ¡°I¡¯m perfectly awake see!¡± She suddenly stood up with her back ramrod straight trying to show that she was fully awake and ready to go. Sebastian chuckled to himself. [Why am I doing this?] he wondered. If the prime minister found out he was taking the princess out of the manor he could be executed. Sebastian observed the girl in front of him. She was as energetic as a squirrel her head bobbing up and down in anticipation. When he saw her face he couldn¡¯t help but want to accede to her desires. ¡°Shall we go my princess?¡± Sebastian said outstretching his hand. The princess gave a gentle smile and took it into his. They exited the manor through the backdoor away from the guards and Sebastian took her through the servant''s entrance. ¡°Remember what I told you?¡± Sebastian told the girl. ¡°Yep Yep, keep my hood on and cover my face all the time.¡± The princess said cheerfully. Upon looking at the princess¡¯s face he had a feeling that she was going to slip up. ¡°I better get this over with¡± Sebastian led the girl through the streets of the capital. The capital could be divided into roughly 3 sections. The noble section which was where the capital was located, the craftsman and artisan section, and the slums. Sebastian was, of course, taking the princess to the craftsman and artisan section. She would be recognized in the noble''s quarters and there was nothing of note in the slums. While walking through the streets the princess looked around in awe. Although she had lived in the capital her whole life and likely had seen the streets, being there in person was obviously much different. ¡°Sebastian, what¡¯s that, it smells good?¡± She excited asked pointing at the stall that sold meat buns. ¡°It¡¯s a food stall, they sell food if you give them money¡± ¡°Can you buy me some?¡± The princess asked him. ¡°I don¡¯t want to interact with people to much-¡° Sebastians statement was cut short by the puppy dog look in the princess¡¯s eyes. He sighed in defeat. [I can¡¯t beat that] ¡°Wait here, don¡¯t wander,¡± He said. The girl nodded obediently, and he went to the food stall. Making a quick exchange with the vendor he bought a single bun and walked back towards the girl. The girl was busy petting a stray cat who appeared to enjoy the petting. Once Sebastian approached though, the cat ran off, likely frightened by Sebastian¡¯s imposing aura. ¡°Aww you scared mr. kitty away.¡± The princess said. Sebastian ignored the princesses¡¯ complaint and thrust the meat bun in his hand towards her. The girl pouted for a moment before taking the meat bun into her hands and biting into it. The was a small puff of steam that emerged from the that wafted into the cool autumn air. It was a mouthwatering scent, but Sebastian was focused on protecting the princess right now and shielding her from the gaze of the common folk. [I should¡¯ve bought two] he thought. He palmed his money pouch. Sebastian had brought the funds meant to maintain to princess to this outing. He had more than enough to buy a meat bun. In fact, he had enough to buy an entire house in this district if he needed to. ¡°So delicious!¡± The princess said taking another bite. She looked at Sebastian who hadn¡¯t eaten yet. ¡°You didn¡¯t get one for yourself?¡± She asked. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t be eating while on duty,¡± Sebastian said smiling. Suddenly a sound pierced the air. The sound of a stomach rumbling. The princess gave a mischievous smile and tore the meat bun in half and offered it to him. ¡°Try some!¡± She said. Sebastian took the meat bun and scarfed it down in one bite. Although he had eaten it quickly he was still able to taste it. The bun was spiced perfectly and the juicy salted meat contrasted well with the mildly sweet springy bun. The girl giggled a little upon seeing him eat it so quickly. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Sebastian asked. ¡°Well, you ate it so fast. It looked funny¡± The girl said smiling. Kitsura You know, I''ve been hitting some major writers block on my side novel (not talking about deer), it''s kinda wrecking my vibe a little. Because I know there reason why I''m having writer''s block is because I don''t think I can write the scenes I want to write. I sorta powered my way through 24k words and while I know what I wanted to write I''m scared I''m going to fuck it up. Well, that''s my diary entry for today, enjoy this chapters. Chapter 174: The Girl (3) Sebastian and the girl were currently browsing the multiple stands that were set up. Since winter was soon approaching the number of vendors was lower than it would be in the summer and springs months but there was still a sizable amount of goods that could be perused. The princess seemed to be having a jolly time humming a tune while looking around. The princess didn¡¯t really want to buy anything but she at the very least wanted to look around. It was beginning to approach mid-afternoon and Sebastian wanted to get back to the manor before the evening cleaning servants came. He gently nudged the princess. ¡°We have to go soon¡± he said. The princes gave a shocked look ¡°That short! We¡¯ve only been out for a few hours at most.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we really must get back soon¡± Sebastian said. The girl nodded and Sebastian began to walk toward the manor with the girl walking behind him. They had walked for a bit and the girl had been silent ever since they started walking back. [I should apologize for making this such a short outing.¡± Sebastian looking behind himself to apologize. His heart leapt out of his chest as he saw that the princess was no behind him. ¡°Princ-!¡± nearly yelled out before he bit his tongue back. [I can¡¯t yell out or else we¡¯ll be found out.¡± He thought. Sebastian frantically looked around. There was no princess nearby. He began to backtrack the way he came. When he heard a muffled scream from a nearby alley. Dashing into the alley, he saw the princess being approached by three thugs. ¡°You lost girly? That cloak looks pretty expensive, I¡¯m sure someone would pay good ransom money for you¡± One of them said stepping towards the princess. The princess took a step back but tripped and fell on her rump. She looked at the men in front of her, with fear plastered on her face. Sebastian roared as he unsheathed his sword cutting down all three thugs in an instant. They were no match for one of the top warriors of the kingdom after all. The thugs all surprised looks as they were cut down. From there vision all they saw was a glint of steel and their bodies collapsing. ¡°Princess, are you alright!¡± Sebastian said holding the girl in his hands. The once energetic figure now looked shaken and slightly pale. He brought her to the main road away from the thugs. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine¡­¡± The princess said. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t run off like that¡± he said ¡°Why¡­ would people do that?¡± She suddenly asked hugging her body. Sebastian was taken aback by the sudden question ¡°Pardon?¡± he said. ¡°Take people ransom, ask for money¡± The princess asked him. ¡°Because you¡¯re valuable of course, people would pay good money to take you away.¡± ¡°But why would they do that?¡± The girl asked. Sebastian didn¡¯t quite understand the meaning behind the princess¡¯s question ¡°So, they can get money?¡± He said. ¡°Money?¡± The girl asked. Sebastian sighed once again; It was too much to expect this girl to understand the concept of money. She lived a sheltered life with all her needs attended too after all. ¡°It¡¯s what people need to survive. It can be used to exchange for things. The more expensive the object the more money it costs.¡± Sebastian said explaining the concept to the princess. ¡°Those meat buns¡­ did they cost money?¡± The girl asked. ¡°Of course,¡± Sebastian said. ¡°Did they cost a lot?¡± The girl asked. ¡°Not in particular,¡± Sebastian said. ¡°What about my cloak, they said it was expensive right?¡± The princess asked. The cloak the princess was wearing was made of mink skin and lined with fox fur. It was an expensive piece of clothing that commoners would only dream of having. ¡°It¡¯s quite expensive, ojou-sama¡± Sebastian said. ¡°How expensive,¡± the girl asked. ¡°It would probably take 5,000 or so meat buns before that vendor could buy a single one of these cloaks¡± The princess look taken aback. ¡°It¡¯s that expensive?¡± She said. ¡°Yes¡± Sebastian said. ¡°Where does that money come from?¡± She asked. ¡°From the taxes, people pay, of course, you are the princess.¡± ¡°Why should something I own, be so expensive?¡± The girl asked, ¡°You are the princess, of course, you should own the best¡± Sebastian said. ¡°Why? I haven¡¯t done anything¡­ The people at the gate are hungry aren¡¯t they? Don¡¯t they need the money more? Why am I taking money from my people to buy this stupid cloak!¡± The princess took the cloak she was wearing and threw it to the ground in a fit of anger Sebastian instantly moved to shield the girl from vision with his body. Picking up the cloak from the ground he gently patted the dirt off it and offered it to the girl ¡°Because you¡¯re the princess¡± He said. Sebastian¡¯s heart burned. What else could he say? [maybe it was a bad idea to take her out.] ¡°I don¡¯t want to be the princess anymore! I do nothing! All I do is stay inside the manor all day while people starve!¡± The girl said. Sebastian took the cloak and wrapped the girl in it. Pulling the hood over her head wrapped her close into a hug. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, oujo-sama¡± He said. This girl was little more than a beautiful bird in a cage. ¡°Why?¡± The girl said softly. The princess began to cry into Sebastian¡¯s arms her small body heaving slightly. They stood there. Near the alley, as people walked by. Many of them gave Sebastian weird looks, but one gaze from him was enough to ward them away. Once the princess had finished crying, she busily tried to wipe away the tears that had formed on her face. ¡°Ah, I¡¯ve made you dirty¡± She said. The entire front of Sebastian¡¯s clothing was covered in her snot and tears. She pulled a hankerchief from her pocket and began wiping it. Sebastian gently brushed the girl¡¯s arm away. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Oujo-sama¡± I will clean it later. He took her hand into his. ¡°Shall we go back?¡± He said The princess gave a small nod and they both began to walk towards to manor together. Kitsura man chapter 177 kicked my ass it was hard to write finally wrote it though. Chapter 175: The Girl (4) There was once a kingdom, ruled by a wise king. The kingdom had been small when the king ascended but through, careful leadership and several gambles the king had grown it from a backwater state to the largest in the world. One would think that such a king would be a vicious ruler, rather, it was quite the opposite. The king was neither kind nor cruel and praised for his fairness. In just about all aspects, one could consider him a good king. There was one failing though, a failing that could be considered a weakness of the human body instead of a weakness of the king himself he died too young. He had a daughter. Born of a political marriage with the queen of another country, the king loved his daughter dearly. The queen had passed in childbirth and the child was left alone with the king as the sole parent. The king doted on his daughter, anybody could tell that although he may not have loved the woman who bore his child he very much loved the child. Right of succession dictated that the girl would become the queen once she came of age, but the control of the kingdom would be put in the hand of a minister. The king was competent, perhaps too competent. The ministers below him were lazy and let the king manage most of the country. Sloth bred sloth and once the king passed the kingdom began to fall into ruin. Rising taxation, poor governance, and greed had turned the kingdom from prosperity to near ruin. The princess laid helpless as she was trapped on the king¡¯s personal estate. Under the watchful gaze of the ministers who assured her that everything was alright. Now, the princess was not coddled, nor was she stupid. She had the finest teachers and was given a right education for a noblewoman of the time. Rather, the princess lack will. The will to rule. And who could blame her? She had been too young to understand what it means to move the hearts of men. And thus, she stayed. A prisoner in her own country. ** ** ** ¡°Sebastian?¡± The girl asked her butler ¡°Yes, Ojou-sama¡± Sebastian answered her. ¡°Can we go out again, to the castle town?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Sebastian said pursing his lips. ¡°But you were able to bring me out that other time.¡± The princess said. ¡°That time¡­ was an exception,¡± Sebastian told the princess. The princess went silent for a moment, obviously thinking about something. ¡°Sebastian?¡± The princess said. ¡°yes, Oujo-sama¡± ¡°Will you take me to the palace?¡± Sebastian gave a difficult expression. It would be ¡°easier¡± to take the princess to the palace, but he was not sure if it would be possible now that the prime minister had the castle under his control. Rather, Sebastian was making preparation to spirit the princess away to her mother¡¯s countries to be sheltered. Her own kingdom was about ready to get rid of her. He was sure the royal family over there would at least give her sanctuary since they were of the same blood. Still, Sebastian didn¡¯t know why he went so far for the girl in front of him. [I¡¯m simply doing my duty as a retainer] He assured himself. He looked into the face of the princess. Her golden iris seemed to reflect into his eyes. Feeling ashamed he looked away. ¡°Is something wrong Sebastian?¡± The princess said. Sebastian looked at the innocent expression of the princess in front of him. [I can¡¯t tell her] He thought, resigning himself. He was weak. Unable to tell the princess her own country was being stolen under her nose. All he could do was make sure she was safe once it happened. Sebastian still valued his own life more than the princess. If he was caught helping her too overtly the prime minster would have his head. ¡°I must go, there is something to do. I will see what I can do about the palace visit.¡± Sebastian said quickly and moved to leave the room and the uncomfortable atmosphere. The princess seemed to give him a sad look, noticing his discomfort. ¡°I see¡± She said. Chapter 176: The Girl (5) ¡°Good news princess! The prime minister is letting you visit the castle again!¡± Sebastian said cheerily. It had taken him months of begging but the prime minister was finally allowing the princess to have one last visit to the castle. He had already consolidated control but apparently, he had enough goodwill to let her visit again. It was a rare moment of charity that Sebastian was surprised to see out of the prime minister. The princess put her hands together and smiled. ¡°Sebastian that sounds wonderful.¡± Sebastian was happy to see the princess smile. She had been in a dour mood recently and he finally had good news to share with her. Their budget had steadily been getting smaller over the years and Sebastian had to let go of a few of the princess¡¯s favorite servants. Now the only people in the manor were himself and the cook. The princess, although slightly distraught, seemed to be taking it well though. Saying ¡°As long as I have Sebastian it¡¯s alright¡±. Still, Sebastian hoped that her standard of living would improve once his preparation to send her to her mother¡¯s country were finalized. He was nearly done and all he needed was the princess¡¯s permission. ¡°Hey princess,¡± He spoke he had started adopting a more casual tone with the princess as of late. ¡°Yes, Sebastian¡± ¡°Would it be okay if you moved somewhere else to live?¡± The princess put her finger to her chin in a thinking pose. She finally spoke after a brief pause ¡°As long as Sebastian is with me it should be alright,¡± she said. Sebastian sighed in relief. ¡°Okay,¡± ¡°Why do you asked?¡± The princess asked. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, just probing your mind,¡± Sebastian said giving a gentle smile. ** ** ** ¡°Prime Minister-sama why are you here?¡± Sebastian said to the man in front of him. The man in front of him seemed to be quite amused with himself in response to the question. ¡°Why I¡¯ve decided to give the princess a personal tour of her castle,¡± the prime minister said. Today was the day that Sebastian had been told he could bring the princess to the castle, it was to his surprise when he saw the person greeting them at the gate was not a servant but rather the prime minister himself. Sebastian swiftly stood in between the princess and the prime minister. ¡°And why did you decide to personally give a tour this time?¡± Sebastian asked suspiciously ¡°Why? Wouldn¡¯t I? It¡¯s a minster¡¯s duty to tend to the princess after all¡± The prime minister said while innocently smiling. ¡°Sebastian it¡¯s alright,¡± The princess said sensing the tense mood. Sebastian relenting, letting the princess greet the prime minister. ¡°I would be happy to let you guide me today prime minster-sama¡± She said curtseying ¡°It would be my pleasure,¡± The man said bowing in response, his jowls swinging in the air. ** ** ** The princess was led through all the main portions of the palace and was even given an opportunity to visit the throne room. While in the room she was even allowed to sit on the throne. The whole time Sebastian had his guard up. [Something is wrong] The prime minister was being too amicable. Previously he had always acted like the princess was a nuisance and cutting their living budget. Today he seemed nice, almost jolly to see the princess. The princess looked quite apt on the throne she was sitting and Sebastian felt a twinge of sadness as he realized she would never get the rule of the kingdom she was born in. [She would make a good ruler] Sebastian thought, the princess was thoughtful and kind, at the very least she would care about the people if she was surrounded by competent people she would do well. Once the tour concluded they had a light dinner and were brought to the royal quarters, an odd moving considering the fact this was not meant to be an overnight stay Once they arrived the prime minister turned to the princess. ¡°My princess, would you like to live in the castle again?¡± The princess looked in shock at the sudden question. ¡°Of¡­ course¡± She stammered in surprise. Sebastian on the other hand was more on guard ¡°Prime minister-sama, what is the meaning of this¡± ¡°My, it would be a shame for my future wife to live away from me?¡± The prime minister said. [Future wife?] Sebastian thought, alarm bells were ticking in his head and he nearly reached towards his sword before realizing he was in the presence of the prime minister. ¡°I was thinking of asking the princess to marry me?¡± The prime minister said smiling deviously. ¡°I¡¯m sorry prime minister-san I can¡¯t do that, I have someone in my heart already¡± The princess said innocently. [Princess, It¡¯s not a request!] Sebastian thought in panic. The prime minister had brought them to the palace to force the princess to marry him. That must¡¯ve been why he was so cordial today. It would make him king and legitimate him as the ruler. The prime minister''s face stiffened. ¡°It seemed like you don¡¯t understand. You ¡®will¡¯ marry me whether you want to or not¡± He said. ¡°I refuse,¡± The princess said coldly. ¡°Hmm! Fine, we can do this the hard way.¡± He snapped his finger to the guards who were standing nearby. ¡°Apprehend her.¡± He said. The men began to walk towards Sebastian and the princess. Kitsura Chapter 177: The Girl (6) As the men walked towards Sebastian and the princess. he turned back to see a frightened expression on the princess¡¯s head. His head was racing. [I¡¯m just a hired sword, why do I feel so frustrated right now.] The men drew closer and Sebastian clutched his sword ¡°Sebastian move aside!¡± The prime minister ordered him. [Why? Why is it so hard?] Sebastian thought to himself. The girl behind should¡¯ve meant nothing to him. He was just hired to watch her after all. The men drew closer, and Sebastian made a choice in his heart. One that he knew was foolish. Drawing his sword, in a flash, he cut down the two men in front of him. Grabbing the princess¡¯s hand, he pulled her running to escape down a nearby hallway. The princess gave a small yelp as she was suddenly pulled by Sebastian. Behind him, he could hear the prime minister''s shrill screaming. ¡°Get her and that traitor!¡± Sebastian dragged the princess behind him as they ran through the hall. The orders to capture them seemed to move slowly from the castle and they passed several guards who were giving them bewildered expressions. The royal quarters in which they were just in, were located in the deepest part of the castle. Sebastian had to move quickly before the castle knew they were fugitives. He palmed his pocket with his free hand [Okay I have some money] He thought. He was initially planning on having the princess leave the kingdom in the dead of night and having the princess¡¯s maternal kingdom spirit her away. But now it was too late for such plans. Sebastian would have to hire a caravan to take them and he needed enough that they would be willing to harbor the criminals. His thoughts raced as he ran through the halls. He heard a yelp behind him to see that the princess had tripped on her own skirt. ¡°I can¡¯t run so fast!¡± The princess cried out. [Curse this blasted thing!] Sebastian thought, for a moment he thought to cut the skirt of the dress the princess was wearing but they didn¡¯t have time for him to be making wardrobe adjustments. He swept the princess up off the ground. The princess was light, lighter than he expected. She did have a delicate constitution so it made sense. ¡°Eh? Sebastian¡± The princess said, blushing slightly. Sebastian didn¡¯t pay this any mind and kept running forward blindly. He wasn¡¯t particularly well versed in the castle layout and thus could only run in the general direction towards the exit. Even though the princess was light he was still slowed down carrying her, at the very least it was fast than having her run behind him. ¡°Sebastian¡­¡± The princess said looking at him with a sad expression. ¡°What princess?¡± he said as politely as he could Sebastian was running while carrying her and his face was red with exertion. ¡°Why are you going so far for me?¡± She asked him. It was a simple question. One that he could not answer in a satisfactory manner. The princess had asked it quite a few times him and each time he had brushed it off, but now he could not run off and pretend to be busy. Sebastian¡¯s face burned as he saw the curious expression of the princess. She looked as if she didn¡¯t understand the gravity of the situation, but Sebastian knew better than to think that. The princess was not some sort of na?ve girl. In fact, she probably knew his original purpose of serving her. She probably knew the reason why she was not allowed into the castle, and she knew why their budget was being cut year after year. The princess still had a sad expression. She knew the truth better than Sebastian. Sebastian was clinging to false hope. One that was built on something other than blind loyalty. The moment they got to the gate was when the futility of their situation grew apparent. The news had already passed through the castle and a line of men were guarding the exit. Once they approached Sebastian¡¯s heart sunk. The princess gently nudged Sebastian. ¡°Let me down¡± She said gently. ¡°Princess we need to find another way!¡± He said, but still, obediently let the princess stand. The princess only looked at Sebastian with glossy wet eyes. The lively golden iris that he had seen so many times only seemed dim. The princess in response only raised her hand to caress Sebastian¡¯s cheek. Her hand was warm and soft, a contrast to Sebastian''s rough stubbled cheek. ¡°It¡¯s okay¡± She said. Sebastian collapsed to his knees. ¡°Princess¡­¡± he said softly. With a face as gentle as an angel, the princess knelt with him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for making you indulge me this whole time, I¡¯m a silly weak girl right?¡± She said her eyes tearing up and starting to cry [Princess,] Sebastian thought. In truth, he had never seen the girl cry once. Pout perhaps, but not once had she been crying. She had just simply endured, a person stronger than he ever could be. Sebastian pulled out his sword. ¡°Wait here princess, I will clear the way.¡± He said showing a cool face. ¡°Sebastian it¡¯s fine, you don¡¯t have too I¡¯m sure if I relent to the prime minster-sama he¡¯ll forgive this incident¡­¡± She said ¡°I¡¯m sorry but ah¡­ I can¡¯t accept that¡± He said flashing a cheery smile. With a loud yell, Sebastian charged forward. The palace guards were among some of the strongest warriors in the kingdom and although Sebastian was once one of them taking on ten was already impossible. Despite that Sebastian cut down one man in a flash. Then another. The guards seemed to back off slightly at the unhinged man in front of them. ¡°Make way for your princess you cowards!¡± Sebastian roared Another man came forward and was cut down in instant like the two men before him. The princess watched in horror at the scene. ¡°Sebastian¡­ stop¡± she whispered tears coming out of her eyes. More men came rushing through the hallway and Sebastian fought them. She saw him hold off three men before taking a deep slash to his arm. Switching his sword to his other arm he continued to charge forward, his other arm hanging loosely on his side and was soon cut down by the other guards. ¡°Sebastian!¡± The princess cried out once she saw his body crashed to the ground. She crawled towards him, the other guards making no moves to stop her. They probably thought she couldn¡¯t do anything anyway. Sebastian''s face seemed to have a regretful expression ¡°I¡¯m sorry, princess, I disobeyed you.¡± he said in a quiet voice. ¡°Sebastian you idiot! You didn¡¯t have to do that¡± The princess cried out pounding his chest. He only smiled weakly ¡°Ah, I guess I don¡¯t know, I¡¯m sorry princess I will try harder next time, those bastards are strong¡­ As an apology, I¡¯ll bring you to the town again sometime okay?¡± He said bringing a hand to gently pat the princess¡¯s head. ¡°You idiot! You idiot! You idiot! You idiot!¡± The princess said angrily pounding on his chest further, her arms were stained in blood in the blood that Sebastian¡¯s wounds were pouring out. Sebastian didn¡¯t respond instead his body heaved one last breath, and his eyes glazed over. His arm which was patting the princess¡¯s head slump to the ground with a thump. As she watched Sebastian breathed out one final time, the princess spoke quietly, in a volume that none of the nearby knights would hear. ¡°I loved you¡± And then her tears began to fall once more. Kitsura It was actually surprisingly hard to write this chapter. Landing the notes on emotional scenes is hard, took me rewriting a few sections to get right. But also, damn I was writing quite a few sad stories the past few weeks. Also, Patreon chapters are missing uhh quite a bit will get on that tomorrow I have some free time. Chapter 178: The Girl(7) Lala felt like she was floating. She couldn¡¯t quite pinpoint the feeling, rather it was the first time she had felt something in a long time. She felt like she had awoken from a long slumber. In truth, she couldn¡¯t remember much of what happened once she was caught. She remembered a trial and a prison cell. Lala spent much of her time ruminating. [If only, I was stronger then¡­ Sebastian wouldn¡¯t have¡­] She thought over and over again. Still, the current situation Lala was in was too bizarre to be considered normal [Did the prime minister move me again?] She thought, the rumbling in her stomach was gone, rather she didn¡¯t feel much at all [Am I dead?] Thinking further, she probably died at some point probably of starvation or something similar, but Lala didn¡¯t particularly care. The world she had been born into, had nothing left for her anyway, rather She tried to move her limbs only, to find that they had been bound by some sort of ethereal chain. She pulled on the chain and it seemed like it would be impossible for her to leave them. In her world, there were a few religions that dealt with the afterlife plenty of them would describe as an afterlife, where the good would be blessed with heavenly relief, and sinners would be punished with imprisonment or torture. Lala was beginning to think she was in the latter camp. ¡°Ow¡± Lala whispered She felt a throbbing pain on her head, not unlike a migraine. It was like a nail embedding itself deep into her head. Suddenly a voice called out. ¡°What a troublesome little thing. Please be wiped and move one¡± The man in front of Lala was a terrifying figure, with slicked-backed grey hair and golden eyes that seemed to pierce her. She felt another pain in her head and gave a groan. ¡°Please stop making this more difficult, these memories are difficult enough already to remove.¡± The man had a slightly annoyed expression on his face still, his face was inhuman as if he was merely mimicking the act of annoyance rather than actually feeling it. [Memories? What is this man talking about?] Lala said. Another piercing pain went through her head. She felt something leave her. ¡°Ah I¡¯m getting closer, the image of that troublesome man is gone now.¡± The man was starting to look relieved. [Image?] It was then that Lala was struck with the horrifying realization that she could no longer remember what Sebastian looked like. The man in front of her, through some sort of mysterious method, was trying to make her forget Sebastian. ¡°I refuse!¡± She shouted. A vein bulged in the man¡¯s neck, ¡°Just. Be. Erased.¡± He said coldly ¡°Suck it!¡± Lala bit back. Lala continued to feel the piercing pains in her head. Each time she desperately held on. The memories of Sebastian slipped in the beginning. [Where did we go when we left the palace again? Ah mou! This guy I have to hold on] Lala stubbornly held on, and as she grew more used to the pain, it soon softened into a dull throb something that had become laughably manageable. The man in front of her was sweating slighting and the bulging vein on his forehead had grown larger. ¡°Annoying,¡± he said speaking to himself. He stopped whatever he was doing and stared at Lala. ¡°You are more trouble than it¡¯s worth I¡¯m already bored of you, Enjoy eternity rotting alone, you miserable piece of mana.¡± The man flicked his fingers and the chains binding Lala vanished. The ground underneath her disappeared as well and suddenly she felt herself being stuck in a free fall into a pitch-black abyss. She felt a feeling like being squeezed and a pinching pain and suddenly a thud as her body came crashing down into a hard rock surface. Lala looked around her peering into the dark caverns around her. [Where am I?] She thought. She stood up and dusted herself off. [I miss Sebastian] she thought She felt a piece of her, disappear into the cavern walls around her, and a small shadow puff appeared on the ground. The puff seemed happy to see her. [Odd. What are you?] She thought. To her surprise, a small screen appeared in front of her. Simple Dark Spirit Race: [Spirit] Age: 1 HP: 4 Mana: 2 Agility: 1 Strength: 1 Defense: 1 Skills: none Traits: [Minor Dark Spirit] Another prompt appeared in front of her. ¡°Name this spirit¡± Y/N At that moment, Lala, who had closed her heart opened it slightly once again. Kitsura So, I apologize in advance, but I guess I''m no longer doing daily updates and switching my schedule. I am sorry for the daily readers, I don''t take this decision lightly, there has been a lot of thought(Going on hiatus or thoughts of dropping the novel entirely...), but I still want to finish this story even if it takes me longer. It''s the first piece of fiction I feel proud of and I want to give it a fitting end rather than letting it die. I just simply don''t have the time or energy to keep up with daily updates. For context, I am literally busy 8am to 8pm most days right now and while I''ve usually been good at fitting time into my schedule to write during my downtime between classes and weekends, I don''t even have weekends anymore with how busy I am. I will plan for Mon, Wed, Fri released which leaves my weekends open and coincides with deer on Tues, Thurs, and bring my weekly writing count to ~4.5k words with extra time to spare. Chapters take me between 1-2 hours to write and it''s just too hard to fit it into my schedule without sacrificing sleep, social life, or grades at this point. Patreon readers may have noticed a decline in chapters with slow updates and this is the reason why. Last month, was the first time in five months, I was missing a chapter at the end of the month, and I was very close to refunding all my patrons for not holding up my end of the deal. Honestly, I hate myself for having to do this, but I hope this explains my decision-making a little more. Once, we''re past December 9th(Finals) I may have a bit more time but for now, this will be the schedule going forward. I will try to post extra chapters when I can. Love you all, Newfypuppie. Chapter 179: Test Lala seemed to pause in the conversation and Kotori stop talking as well, not wanting to interrupt the moment. Lala had been talking about how long she had been in this world. Kotori watched as a singular tear trailed down her eye. ¡°Is everything alright?¡± She asked the girl in front of her Lala quickly wiped the tear from her eye. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just a happy dream.¡± She said in a quiet voice, nearly a whisper. ¡°Was it really that happy? You were crying¡± Kotori said. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business,¡± Lala said defensively. Kotori shut up after that and another long pause passed. Lala seemed to be thinking deeply about something and she didn''t want to bother the girl Finally, after a long period Lala, spoke again. ¡°Look, I know I¡¯ve kept you here for a while, and I apologize, I was indulging myself with your company.¡± Lala¡¯s face seemed to soften. ¡°Despite what I¡¯ve said, this is quite a fun world, I don¡¯t mind what you do with it. If you want to be a demon queen go ahead, I¡¯m sue the people of Eris would enjoy that¡± Lala seemed to chuckle a little at the thought.¡± ¡°Just indulge me a little more,¡± Lala said. ¡°Eh?¡± Kotori said. It seemed like Lala was asking her for a favor. She outstretched her hand and a large crystal appeared in her hand. ¡°To be honest, I¡¯ve taken a liking to you, at the very least enough you were quiet enough to let me rant. Tell me what you think this cystal is?¡± Lala asked holding out the crystal. The crystal glowed and seemed to have something embedded inside it. Kotori cautiously used [gourmet] to probe the nature of the crystal in front of her. There was a dizzying amount of mana contain within the crystal, so much that Kotori wanted to eat it herself¡­ It looked delicious. Still, Kotori didn¡¯t know what the crystal was so she answered as honestly as possible ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Kotori said slightly ashamed of herself ¡°This is a dungeon, well an artificial one at least¡± Lala said. Kotori¡¯s immediate reaction was to look with confusion. Her impression of dungeons was a large expanse of mana that created monsters the thing in front of her didn¡¯t look anything like a dungeon she was aware off. ¡°I¡¯m sure it is unlike any dungeon you¡¯ve ever seen. This is still a dungeon despite appearance. The reason is simple, it collects mana¡± Lala explained. ¡°I see,¡± Kotori understood what Lala meant. Dungeons were simply places where mana tended to collect together. They were often seen in areas with a lot of life, but Kotori guess that if something could collect mana together on it¡¯s on then it was possible that object could also be called a ¡°dungeon¡± Still, Kotori didn¡¯t quite understand mana in natural dungeons collected simply due to proximity and large size, such a small crystal even though it was filled with mana shouldn¡¯t be large enough to attract mana to it. Lala seemed to guess Kotori¡¯s thought process ¡°it doesn¡¯t make sense right, well, remember what I told you about will? I¡¯ve filled this crystal with the ¡®will¡¯ to collect mana¡± ¡°I see¡± Kotori said she suddenly realized something. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that make this an infinite mana source¡± Kotori asked, if the crystal truly collected mana all on it¡¯s own then that meant it would be able to function as a energy source and since it collected mana it would never run out. It was an engine and a battery all in one. Lala nodded Kotori suddenly realized that the object was incredible valuable, more valuable than any crystal the dragon at the bottom of the dungeon. Kotori reached for the crystal assuming that Lala was going to grab it. The instant her hand was about the grab the crystal it instantly shattered and the mana inside was immediately absorbed by Lala. Lala wagged her fingers. ¡°Not so fast, I want you to do something for me first.¡± ¡°Eh? What do you want¡± Kotori said ready to do nearly anything to get her hands on the crystal that Lala could make. ¡°Get rid of the people trying to take down the platinum dragon¡± Lala said. ¡°Why?¡± It was Kotori¡¯s immediate thought and she blurted it out on accident. Lala didn¡¯t need the mana from the platinum dragon to live and there was no harm in letting the other candidates take it down. ¡°Because it makes me tired,¡± Lala said nonchalantly. ¡°Seriously!¡± Kotori nearly shouted. Lala pouted slightly. ¡°Look, I¡¯m not being lazy here, Making that dragon costs a lot of mana and if all three of those goons are gunning for I¡¯ll be put in a world of hurt. I¡¯ve been able to slow them down by winding the hallways but it¡¯s a hassle to manage three parties at the same time and even worse they don¡¯t give up!¡± Kotori listen to Lala¡¯s reasoning and although it made more sense after Lala explained herself, the point still stood. Lala was being lazy and wanted Kotori to fix her problems. ¡°Just have Bartholomew deal with it!¡± Kotori said ¡°Sebastian takes care of me, how am I supposed to live if he spends a few days away,¡± Lala said ¡°Tch, fine I¡¯ll do it¡± Kotori wanted to crystal more than she was worried about spoiling Lala. ¡°Why, thank you!¡± Lala said putting on an innocent smile [This damn princess!] Kotori screamed internally. Chapter 180: Hello there Her conversation with Lala finished Kotori was led by Bartholomew back to the guest room where she relayed the new task to her party members. ¡°This Lala girl do you trust her?¡± Amelie said. After hearing her. Kotori frowned. It was a difficult question to answer, although Lala was treating her relatively cordially she did have her own reservations. Still, at the current moment, going along with Lala was the right option anyway. They would¡¯ve run into the other candidates eventually and Kotori was sure it would end in a confrontation anyway. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but at the very least we would have to do this¡± Kotori said. Amelie seemed to purse her lips. ¡°Alright, but keep on guard¡± She said hesitantly agreeing to go along with Kotori. ** ** ** Kotori was currently walking through a hallway in the dungeon. The ground was red packed dirt and the walls were made of ¡°rock¡± it was a tunnel created specifically for them to go hunt down the other candidates. Lala seemed delighted to hear that they wanted to help her and she made them a tunnel so that they could find the other candidates easier. Kotori had trouble understanding how Lala was able to pinpoint the candidates so accurately but decided to trust her. The tunnel would apparently shift on its own to find them. Still, Kotori was planning for what she was going to do once she got to the candidates. According to Lala, it was fine if the platinum dragon died once, but any more and she would be forced to go dormant. In other words, Kotori wouldn¡¯t be able to get her dungeon crystal. Lala didn¡¯t bother to ask Kotori who she wanted to meet first so she could only hope that she ran into Mathias first. According to Lala the tunnels could only be manipulated so much and it took quite a bit of mana to move them around, so at a certain point, the cost of moving around tunnels would exceed the cost of making another dragon. Regardless Kotori and co walked through the hallway, it was dim only faintly lit by a will o wisp created by Layla. After walking forward Kotori heard sounds ahead she and Amelie nodded to each other and she took Hikari to cast her Mana buff on the party. Shu, Umi, and Layla ll immediately changed into their battle forms. Which immediately made the hallway feel quite cramped in comparison due to their large size. Amelie in turn drew her swords and Hikari also switched to battle mode(Magical girl). They charged forward into the hallway to find a group of adventurers who looked quite shocked to see them. Kotori scanned the group and saw two familiar faces among them. She breathed a sigh of relief as she saw was Mathias and Yenoba. In contrast to the stunned adventurers, the couple seemed to be annoyed to see her, but then immediately changed their expression to one of friendliness, ¡°Woah, Woah Woah stand down folks we don¡¯t have to start fighting,¡± Mathias said as the two groups faced off. He gave a gentle amicable smile. [He¡¯s still trying this?] Kotori thought, she had smartened up a little and was sure this was an act. Most likely Mathias didn¡¯t want to fight them if he was trying to deflect like this. ¡°Now, Now, we don¡¯t have to be so hostile, why don¡¯t we work together Kotori,¡± Mathias said. [Annoying] Kotori thought, now that she was looking closer she realized how fake the smile on Mathias¡¯s face was. She could even see a vein slightly bulging on his head and a line of sweat beading down his forehead. The adventurers with Mathias were strong no doubt, but the lion share of strong platinum ranked adventurers were with Zacariah, not Mathias. Kotori flicked her fingers and in an instant, her party were attacking Mathias¡¯s group. Since Kotori didn¡¯t particularly hold much animosity vs Mathias she just had the group incapacitate Mathias and co. While there was a little bit of trouble it seemed simple enough to take out Mathias and his crew. Kotori left the defeated group on the group apparently Lala would move them to the entrance on her own so Kotori didn¡¯t have to do anything. Kitsura Da Chapter 181: We meet again. After dealing with Mathias¡¯s group and leaving their splayed bodies to be sent back to the entrance Kotori delved back into the tunnel that was made for them by Lala. They walked for a while, and Kotori could tell they were going deeper in fact, it seemed like they were near the platinum dragon [So, they are this close already?] Kotori thought. It wasn¡¯t a surprise; Lala had told her that moving tunnels was a hassle. The tunnel was continuously lengthening in front of them and Kotori could see it visibly growing in front of her. When she used [Gourmet] to scan the tunnel she saw a steady amount of mana pouring through the walls to push through the ground, the amount of mana was a dizzying amount and Kotori could see why Lala wanted to be rid of the queen¡¯s candidates. The dungeon mana ecosystem was delicate and if it was anything like Nero¡¯s dungeons then the mana expenditure was probably quite intense. The tunnel eventually opened up into a large clearing and Kotori could see two large groups facing off against each other. Lala had told her that she would try and put the groups closer together so Kotori didn¡¯t have to move as much but Kotori didn¡¯t expect Lala to simply put them right next to each other. The groups were split between the small group of elite adventurers which included Zacariah, Hectaire, and Delia and the much large group of weaker adventurers which contained Ryla and that old man that Kotori had saw with her earlier. The old man seemed to wear, quite ornate gold armor that gave Kotori the impression he was not to be trifled with. Even so, Kotori had trouble seeing Ryla¡¯s group beating the group in front of them. ¡°Should we do something?¡± Amelie asked Kotori with an unsure expression. Kotori and her party were a little ways away and were blocked by a few boulders so they hadn¡¯t been noticed yet, Kotori thought for a moment, [It¡¯s probably no good to get in between them and it would be especially annoying if they combined forced against us.] There was no reason to intervene at the moment, and it would be ideal if the two groups could wear each other out ¡°Mhmm, let¡¯s just see how this ends up.¡± Kotori told Amelie. Amelie nodded and the party took a few steps back to hide and observe the commotion in front of them. ¡°Back off, Zacariah let us pass!¡± Ryla shouted out, her voice echoing in the chamber ¡°Hmmph! Know your place, you should let the eldest take the throne¡± Zacariah responded. ¡°I don¡¯t wish to fight for no reason, let us finish this trial peacefully and let mother decide,¡± Ryla said Zacariah smiled in response [So she¡¯s not a warmonger] Kotori thought raising her eyebrow, Ryla was surprisingly tempered, though it made sense considering the fact her group probably couldn¡¯t beat Zacariah [Honestly, I don¡¯t know why her group is so weak in the first place] Ryla was an ambitious woman, Kotori was sure she probably could¡¯ve found plenty of strong adventurers from outside the country to help her. ¡°You know Ryla, the observers are no longer here. Whatever happens in these tunnels won¡¯t ever be found out¡± Zacariah said Ryla seemed to narrow her eyes in response to Zacariah¡¯s statement. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you plan on fighting us¡± She said her voice low. Zachariah shrugged his shoulder. ¡°Maybe not, but it would be a ¡®shame¡¯ if you suddenly disappeared in this dungeon.¡± He said. Ryla adopting a fighting pose and the adventurers with her also adopted a fighting pose in response to Zacariah¡¯s response. ¡°You overestimate yourself,¡± Ryla said. ¡°Oh really? Those second-rate people you have with you are weaklings, I¡¯m honestly disappointed in you Ryla I expected more¡± Ryla gave an annoyed looked ¡°Fine, do as you wish¡± Kotori could feel mana emitting from Ryla and suddenly shoot out of her towards all the adventurers around her. Kotori wondered what sort of Ryla mana was doing. To her knowledge, she didn¡¯t think Ryla had any sort of eye-popping abilities. It wasn¡¯t until she saw the nature of the mana that Kotori realized what Ryla was casting. [Hey, isn¡¯t that sort of mana strangely familiar, wait¡­ isn¡¯t that the same mana I use!] Kotori saw mana from Ryla bleeding into the adventurers near here. They were being mana buffed. In the exact same way that Kotori would do so. Kitsura Bit late sorry bout that. Chapter 182: Muscles The adventurers on Ryla¡¯s side all seemed to swell with power. Kotori was realizing how strong the mana buff was in large group. If she remembered correctly Ryla had 88 mana points on her status page so that meant that all the adventurers around her consisted of around 100 or so. Now had 88 points of stats boosts on them. Although they were not as strong as the adventurers in front of them the gap had been closed immensely. Zacariah didn¡¯t seem to notice the change in the stats of the adventurers in front of him. His confident expression didn¡¯t seem to change. Hectaire on the other hand seemed to notice that something was amiss. He leaned over to whisper into Zachariah¡¯s ear, Kotori couldn¡¯t tell what it was but she was sure it sound advice. Zachariah¡¯s face seemed to grow upset as he listened to Hectaire¡¯s suggestion. ¡°I refuse¡± He said flatly. Hectaire rubbed his temples. ¡°Zacariah, you know if we spend all our energy here fight we won¡¯t be able to defeat the platinum dragon right.¡± ¡°I want to punish my insolent sister who doesn¡¯t know her place.¡± Hectaire sighed in resignation. He turned towards Ryla, ¡°Ryla, I¡¯m going to have to ask you to back off, or else there will be issues¡± Hectaire told her while walking towards their group. He was giving off an intense bloodlust that was enough to make the mana boosted adventurers in front of him take a step back. ¡°Not a chance¡± Ryla said simply, in response to Hectaires threat. The group of adventurers accompanying Zacraih numbered only 20 at most but Kotori was sure that they would still be able to manage the group of adventurers in front of them. Then, Kotori notices a curious development Hectaires took a deep breath, and then his muscles seemed to bulge and grow. The veins on them became visible and popped out. His breathing grew short and heavy, and his face turned a deep shade of crimson. Hectaire pulled the large broad sword from his back and held it effortlessly with a single hand. [Guan Yu?] Kotori thought looking at the scene. She didn¡¯t have much time to think deeply about that though, the man in front of her was imposing. His clothing was ripping in the place where is muscles had outgrown them, and his body was covered in a light sheen a sweat now. Hectaire took a step and dashed forward, his movement was so abrupt that is left a visible shockwave and created a large boom, leaving Kotori and her party were slightly staggered in shock. In an instant Hectaire had closed the distance between him and Ryla and his sword was bearing down on her. There was a large clanging sound and Kotori saw blade blocking Hectaire¡¯s slash. The owner of the blade was the curious old man with golden armor that was always with Ryla. Kotori had always wanted to check his stats but he was always too far. Hectaire had a moment of shock on his face but it quickly subsided as he leaped back creating distance from the man who had blocked his slash. Hectaire grinned slighty ¡°Ohoho? Who is this interesting fellow?¡± He said. The old man kept a neutral expression and Ryla didn¡¯t speak as well. ¡°Ignoring me? Perhaps I will have to beat the answer out of you!¡± Hectaire roared as he charged forward and started trading blows with the man in the golden armor. The other adventurers watched as the two men traded blows. Eventually, Hectaire was forced back after taking a shallow cut to his arm. ¡°Tch¡± He said as he looked at the wound on his bicep. ¡°Uncough¡­¡± The man in golden armor finally spoke, looking towards Hectaire with disdain. ¡°What did you say?¡± Hectairee shouted out ¡°Such a fighting style¡­ Perhaps it would be good enough for a child, but you are simply overpowering your opponent no?¡± The old man seemed to strike a nerve with Hectaire. Who had a veined bulging in his head. Ryla outstretched an arm in front of her. ¡°Make way for you future queen¡± She ordered to the adventurers in front of her. The adventurers who had seen Hectaire pushed back had their confidence restored and charged forward giving a battlecry. Zacariah¡¯s adventurers likewise also ran forward to meet the group in front of them. Kotori watch the scene in hiding with mild interest. [Despite all this pomp¡­ it really just looks like a fight between siblings no?] Kotori thought internally. ¡°Umm, Kotori should we intervene yet.¡± A voice interrupted Kotori¡¯s thought. Amelie¡¯s face looked slightly anxious, as if she wanted to fight too. ¡°Umu, I would like some training as well¡± Shu said in agreement [These battle idiots] Kotori thought as she looked at the two figures. She could only sigh in response, ¡°Just wait a little longer, we¡¯ll intervene once they play a bit more of their cards.¡± She said. Kotori still didn¡¯t know what the ability of the old man was. She assumed that Hectaire¡¯s physical changes were caused by his [Berserker] skill but she still didn¡¯t know what kind of ace the old man might hold up his sleeve. Shu and Amelie nodded and they turned their heads to watch the scene further. Kitsura Chapter 183: Blood Zacariah seemed annoyed with the current state of things. His arms were crossed and a vein was bulging in his head. ¡°What¡¯s the matter! Defeat them!¡± He shouted towards the adventurers in front of him. Zacariah was still woefully unaware of the mana buff that was cast over Ryla¡¯s troops. [He¡¯s useless in battle isn¡¯t he¡­] Kotori thought. Although she had not used [Status] on Zacariah, she was sure he was not a fighter in any capacity. In fact, Kotori didn¡¯t even think he had an ability. Not that it mattered particularly much, in the event that he won the queen¡¯s trials it would be Delia who was placed on the throne. Still, to Kotori, he was pretty incompetent at leading people over all. She could only imagine his ability to gather people was a result of the momentum he had gotten from being a firstborn. Zacariah looked quite a bit older than his sibling. [Gathering people is a skill as welll] Kotori thought. Hectaire was trading blows with the old man in front of him. Kotori still really wanted to know the identity of the old man. He obviously wasn¡¯t an adventurer or it was likely that Zacariah would¡¯ve hired him. He seemed quite competent. [Maybe he doesn¡¯t work for money?] Kotori thought. It was possible the man was an adventurer but wasn¡¯t motivated by money. In which case it made sense that he would be helping Ryla. The armor the old man was wearing must¡¯ve been some sort of Manasteel armor. A large gem was embedded in the chest and Kotori could see the crystal glowing softly indicated it was filled with mana. Hectaire had grown to nearly double the size of the old man and was feverishly hacking and slashing at him attempting to land a blow. Although the armor the man was wearing was quite good Kotori doubts it would be able to hold vs many blows from Hectaire. Watching the scene she touched Hikari, and felt the cool metal. The two combats traded blows further and then leaped back again creating distance. ¡°So unrefined, You lack the ability to fight. Your blows are powerful but sloppy, is this what adventurers have been reduced to?¡± The old man said. ¡°Shut yer¡¯ trap old man¡± Hectaire said breathing heavily. Hectaire had grown increasingly irate in his fight with the old man. It seemed like the [Beserker] ability had a drawback. Kotori could see that Hectaires physical condition was deteriorating he had taken multiple small cuts that cover his body in streams of red. His sweat and blood was hot enough to give off steam in the cold tunnel air. Hectaire wasn¡¯t suited to long battles and the old man¡¯s evasive clean fighting style made it difficult to land a clear blow. Each second the battle dragged on he would be put even more at a disadvantage. ¡°You know nothin¡¯ about me, don¡¯t lecture me!¡± Hectaire roared out. He pulled a small red bottle from a bag at his waist. Flicking off the cap, he downed it in a single gulp. Kotori watched in surprise as the wounds on his body slowly closed over themselves and Hectaire¡¯s physical condition return to peak form. The old man¡¯s face widened seeing the scene in front of him. ¡°I see so that¡¯s how you managed to climb so high¡­ to use the elf like that¡­ despicable,¡± he muttered under his breath. Kotori knew the healing that came out of Hectaire was abnormal. Although she could heal similarly with her flute by increasing regenerative ability, it would still cost the vitality of the person being healed and they would need to rest afterward. In Hectaire¡¯s case, it didn¡¯t seem like he needed any resting position. She remember what Fawk¡¯s had said about moon elves. [Something about their blood being potent healing salves] Kotori looked towards Delia who was standing next to Zacariah to see her arms which Kotori thought were covered by cloth, was in fact, covered in bandages. Delia¡¯s face seemed even paler than usual. [I see¡­] Kotori thought. Delia was being used as a panacea. Kotori had always thought it was odd for her to come into the dungeon when she was technically not obligated to, but it seemed like Zacariah brought her for this reason. The old man breathed out as if readying himself for a long battle ahead. ¡°Come then!¡± He shouted adopting a kendo pose. Hectaire charged forward and gave a blistering offensive to the man. His previous condition and fatigue shook off. This time the old man was pushed back and he took the first blow the entire fight. A light slash against his armor was easily deflected. Hectaire gave a smile he felt hit the old man for the first time. Chapter 184: Rage Hectaire seemed to have a mile long grin on his face as he finally felt his sword hit something tangible. The old man who he was fighting wasn¡¯t even phased. ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ve gotten a bit rusty in my retirement¡± He said confidently [Stop trying to act cool old man!] Kotori said. It was obvious the old man was in trouble, she didn¡¯t know how many times Hectaire had the red potion made from Delia near him. In fact, Kotori felt like she had deduced something. [Hectaire¡¯s ability must put a big strain on the body no? In that case is the reason why he follows Zacariah for this reason.] Kotori had heard that among the adventurers in the guild. Hectaire was mostly low platinum ranked adventurers who had shot up to become the strongest among them. She could only assume that the potion made from Delia¡¯s blood was the cause. Kotori saw Delia shift once again and she watched as the bandages on her arm¡¯s loosened. Delia had often worn long sleeves in the palace which is why Kotori didn¡¯t notice earlier she was being used as a walking pharmaceutical. Hectaire and the old man traded blows again and Kotori could see him being pushed back. Although, the older man had a superior technique he was still being suppressed through the sheer flurry of blows that was placed upon him by Hectaire. Hectaire¡¯s sword was a blur as he rained down blow after blow on the small man in front of him. His body was coated in a thin glossy sheen of sweat and each step kicked up dust. The old man''s sword answered equally as fast deflecting each of Hectaire¡¯s slashes with finesse. Surprisingly the old man, through a particularly delicate maneuver managed to land a light scratch on Hectaire¡¯s arm again. Kotori watched the two of them mesmerized. She wasn¡¯t a particularly agile fighter and fell more into the Hectaire¡¯s camp of ¡°bash opponent until they are defeat¡± but she could see how the technique was closing the gap in the fight in front of her. Ryla seemed to have a slightly concerned expression as she saw the old man get beaten back. [So, he was their trump card?] Kotori thought The old man was indeed a strong fighter and Kotori could see why Ryla thought she would be able to overcome Hectaire with him. That was of course assuming Hectaire didn¡¯t have the Moon elf blood with him. The fight was reaching a climax. It seemed like Ryla¡¯s groups of adventurers had been able to overpower Zacariah¡¯s group. But the old man was being held back. Hectaire was being increasingly belligerent. It seemed like [Berserker] title for is skill wasn¡¯t for show. He moves grew increasingly sloppy but even more ferocious. Hatake was not particularly caring about his defense but since he had the blood elixir he would shrug off any damage the old man was putting on him. It was a situation where Kotori felt like it was early time to intervene. The remaining adventurers on Ryla¡¯s side started to assist the old man and were instantly swatted away like flies. Kotori felt uneasy. Even though his ability might mess with his mind, Kotori didn¡¯t believe that Hectaire would be this out of control. His face was red and puffy and his muscle continued to grow and bulge. He had grown to three times his size already. Kotori had a suspicion that Hectaire¡¯s current condition was a result of him pushing himself and drinking too many of the blood elixirs. He really didn¡¯t look normal, his eyes were filled with rage, and grunted like a beast. [Men who can¡¯t control themselves, gross¡­] In her past life, Kotori had met all sorts of people including athletes, for the most part, they were respectable and polite people. Still, Kotori had run into the sort who some could say ¡°cheated¡± their way to the top. The ones who had won were based on the power of their needles and not their own muscles. The way Hectaire was acting gave her the impression of these sorts of people. [Junkie] Kotori thought. He was obviously no longer in control of himself and now Zacariah was telling him to back off to no avail. ¡°Hectaire! We¡¯re moving back¡± Hectaire only roared in response, ignoring the orders that Zacariah had given him. [This will turn into a problem.] Kotori thought looking at the rampaging man. Both Ryla and Zacariah¡¯s adventurers were now working together to suppress the raging man in front of them. They were easily blown away and now Hectaire was bearing down on Zacariah. [It seemed like the time to intervene had arrived] Kotori thought. Kitsura Chapter 185: Intervention Hectaire¡¯s mental state was growing increasingly unstable. Originally he had only targeted the old man but now he was an uncontrollable ball of rage. He seemed blind to the world as he hacked and slashed the other adventurers around him. The adventurers had begun to work together to try and suppress him. Although they had different employers, they were still adventurers and were held together by that bond. Hectaire roared and swung his sword towards a lone adventurer who had managed to get himself caught out of the group. In that moment, Shu, in his mana-powered spirit form jumped in front of the adventurer and blocked the blow with his limb crossed in front of him. Shu grunt as he took the full brunt of Hectaires blow. His long lizard limbs which were covered in earth rumbled and cracked as he managed to block the blow. Despite his stance, he was still push back slightly, his feet digging into the dungeon floor and leaving marks. Shu¡¯s Hp bar had dropped a quarter from a single direct hit from the raged Hectaire. [Impressive] Kotori thought in her mind. Hectaire was able to do so much damage to Shu who was the most defensively oriented among them. There were few people in the entire country who would be able to do so much damage to Shu in a single blow. Kotori¡¯s mana buff had become more sophisticated since the fight with Hatake and now she was able to amplify certain stats on her spirits that matched their fighting style. In Shu¡¯s case, he was given a kit of stats that maximized defense and offense. Despite all that Hectaire¡¯s attack still rocked him. As if on cue two water blades shot forward and cut toward Hectaire and he deflected them with his broadsword using the flat of the blade like a shield. [Troublesome] Kotori thought. Although Hectare was out of control he still had the fighting instinct to defend himself. [Isn¡¯t skill called [Berserker]! Why can¡¯t he just be completely unhinged? It would make this so much easier] Kotori thought. The word ¡°Berseker¡± gave the impression of a warrior who forgoes all defensive options in favor of pure offense. But in Hectaire¡¯s case, it seemed like all the skill did was give him a blanket buff in return for mental corruption and a heavy strain on the body. Although the strain on the body could be solved with the blood elixir the mental corruption would be another story. In fact, Hectaire probably had excellent self-control being able to manage such a skill. Just fighting the old man forced him to push himself a limit he probably hadn¡¯t been forced to take in a long time. At the very least Kotori and her group would have to suppress him and incapacitate him for the skill to wear off. Far more easily said than done. Although she wished to leave the adventurers alone with hectaire and call it a day, Kotori wasn¡¯t sure if Lala would be willing to give her the mana orb if she took such an approach. A golden orange fox ran into to assist Shu. It was Layla who was also a frontline fighter. She summoned 8 fireballs that circled around her for a brief moment before launching at Hectaire. Hectaire took the blow head-on, and once the blast was over Kotori could see only a few burns on his body and singed clothing. [He can just tank that!] Kotori thought. Ryla shock to see Kotori''s group sudden appearance. ¡°You! Why are you helping up¡± Ryla said confusion and shock evident on her face. Kotori only gave a small grin in response ¡°Just having a little fun¡± She said. ¡°Get out! This isn¡¯t your fight I don¡¯t need your help!¡± Ryla¡¯s shouted ordering Kotori to back off. ¡°Oh, can you really deal with him alone?¡± Kotori goaded the woman. Ryla¡¯s adventurers were already tired after brawling with Zacariah¡¯s adventurers and she was out of mana for sure. The old man who seemed to be her trump card probably couldn¡¯t last much longer either. Ryla looked down for a moment her calm stern expression dropping ¡°This is my battle. I will fight it alone and retrieve my crown. I don¡¯t need an outsider to help me on my path. It¡¯s mine alone to follow¡± She said. Despite her strong words, Kotori could hear her tone wavering slightly. ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± Kotori said as Hectaire launched one of Ryla¡¯s adventures into a wall kicking up a cloud of dust. Ryla hesitated at the scene. She didn¡¯t speak. Kotori ignored her and planned on how to deal with the man in front of her. She didn¡¯t have time to converse with Ryla. Ryla stood behind Kotori. Her shoulders slumped as she realized she needed Kotori¡¯s help. Her demeanor had changed completely. ¡°Mou, just do what you want. I¡¯m done with it all¡­¡± Ryla finally said softly. Kitsura Ryla time! Chapter 186: The Young Princess ¡°Your mother is busy¡± ¡°She is?¡± Ryla gave a frown. Mother was always busy with the crowd of men surrounding her. She would pluck one to spend the night and then toss them away. Yet, the next day they still kept coming. ¡°Come, the children¡¯s place is over there¡± ¡°I want to see my mother.¡± The guard who was watching Ryla gave a light smile. The kind of gentle smile an adult gives a child who doesn¡¯t understand the world yet. ¡°That can¡¯t be done. Please come with me¡± he said as he lightly shepherded Ryla with his arm. Ryla stopped for a moment looking behind her. Those golden doors which led to the queen¡¯s throne room never feeling emptier than she remembered. The children¡¯s place was a warm place filled with caretakers. Ryla¡¯s memories were filled with the place. She felt a closer connection to the old woman who once changed her diapers to her own mother. There were other children in there, the kids of the servants and other retainers who lived in the castle, but they always gave Ryla a wide berth. A small figure was crawling across the tile floor. A little baby with a mischievous smile and dark hair with a cowlick on his head. She saw the baby walk over to a small block that had been left on the ground, grabbing it and started to suck on it. In a rush, Ryla ran over to the boy and preventing him from sucking further in fear that he might choke on the small block. ¡°Fawks you can¡¯t be doing that!¡± Ryla said scolding the baby while picked it up and pulling the block out of it¡¯s hand. Fawks who was too young to understand words yet, only gave a toothy smile in response to his sister. ¡°Rwyla!¡± He said cheerfully. Ryla gently stroked his head while he cooed. ¡°Hmm, Should¡¯ve let him choke on it. Would¡¯ve made everything easier.¡± A voice interjected. Ryla looked in the direction and saw a long-nosed boy standing in the corner. Since she was a girl, they were around the same height due to her faster development, but the boy in front of her was in fact, a year older than her. ¡°Zacariah! How can you say that? He¡¯s your bother¡± Ryla bit back, still holding Fawks in her arms The boy shrugged his shoulders. ¡°He¡¯ll only be a problem down the line. Might as well get rid of problems when they are still easy to deal with¡± ¡°Besides I heard mother¡¯s pregnant again.¡± He said, He clicked his tongue looking away with a sour expression on his face. ¡°More problems to deal with¡­¡± Ryla only glared at Zacariah. ¡°We¡¯re still siblings you know.¡± She said protesting him. The boy only looked at her the same way one would look at a bird dropping on their car. ¡°It¡¯s not very complicated. Family relations means nothing when we¡¯re going to be forced to fight anyway.¡± Zacariah said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. ¡°Who said you had to fight¡± Ryla said setting Fawks down and turning to Zachariah. ¡°I mean unless you plan on leaving the country and going into hiding, but let it be known¡± Zacariah looked her straight in the face and Ryla faltered slightly at the intense gaze. ¡°I will hunt you. And I will protect my right to succession if I win the trials.¡± Ryla grit her teeth at the statement. She wanted to scream internally. [Why does it have to be this way!] Zacariah seemed to have completely bought into the idea. That they would have to fight to the death. She clenched her fist. ¡°I will win.¡±¡¯ Zacariah only shrugged his shoulders again. ¡°A cry baby like you? You¡¯re too soft.¡± He said. To that Ryla had no words. Zacariah was right that she was soft. Unlike him she viewed her siblings as family members, and yet despite knowing this she didn¡¯t feel like there was anything wrong. Why did she have to fight at all? It¡¯s was completely ridiculous, an outdated tradition. Ryla cursed the fact she had to be born a girl. Unlike her brothers, she was forced to compete from the beginning. She looked towards the boy that was crawling around on the floor. The little baby was blissfully unaware of the interaction that had just gone on. She took one look at the boy and then stormed off. Kitsura Time for some character development~ Chapter 187: The Golden Man ¡°A gift for you my lady¡± The man in front of Ryla was a curious figure. He was around middle aged. With his dark brown hair peppered with flecks of white. Ryla, who was being held a birthday service was told this man was an important guest from the kingdom they traded with across the sea. Apparently, he was a well-known adventurer. He was attending the party to pay his respects an to offer a gift to royalty. Ryla looked at the small package in the mans outstretched hand. It was an oblong ornate wooden box which was around as long as her forearm. She took the box from the man¡¯s hand and pried the latch open. What she saw shocked her. Inside the box was a plain dagger. Ryla blinked and looked further, but all she could see laying upon a velvet that lined the box was a plain and simple dagger, and unlike the jeweled ornamental daggers that she had seen a few nobles carried this was a dagger with no decorations, a dagger that was meant to be used for its intended purpose as a weapon of war rather than as a work of art. She looked at the bowing man. The man looked up at her smiled. It was the sort of smile that was unlike the other. People would genuflect and work their way into her interests especially as the second eldest child of the queen, but the man in front of her almost seemed amused. His smile carried none of the brownnosing intent that other smiles carried. ¡°I felt that you would enjoy a gift that had some¡­ practical use.¡± He said. For a moment, Ryla was curious about the man in front of her. And once he left she was left stunned holding the box containing the dagger. A maid quickly moved near her, ¡°What a brutish gift, you don¡¯t need such things my lady let me take this away from you¡± She said as she reached towards the box in Ryla¡¯s hand. Ryla instantly pulled the box away. Despite the fact that the man had given her such a simple gift, she didn¡¯t feel offended rather she felt as if the man had seen through her, the lies and fa?ade that made up her outward appearance. It was a frustrating feeling. Still, she quickly removed him from her mind and focused on the task at hand. The man was an oddity for sure, but she chalked his behavior to a quirk of the kingdom he came from. The maid seemed slightly surprised at Ryla¡¯s response. ¡°My lady, you really don¡¯t need such trifling things¡± The maid took a look in the direction of the adventurers who had walked off. ¡°Really, giving such a gift to royalty, and a child no less. The people of Faramouth are truly uncouth. I will send a notice to ask for an official apology¡± The maid said with a slightly disgruntled expression. ¡°I don¡¯t mind the gift,¡± Ryla said staring off into the distance ¡°Who was that man?¡± She asked looking towards the maid. ¡°Why that¡¯s Gildron Legue, he¡¯s was apparently top adventurers over in Faramouth, though I heard his spot has since been taken by a new upstart.¡± The maid explained. [Gildron¡­] Ryla thought. The fact he was an adventurers made sense. She could tell from his stance and the way he walked that he had the trappings of a warrior. There was a certain grace in the way he carried himself. Ryla could not understand why the maid would call him ¡°uncouth¡±. She opened the box again and took out the dagger, holding it in her hand. The leather handle was warmed and fit her hand well. She felt the edge of her hand brush up against the small cross guard and felt the slight sting of the smooth cool metal. The dagger was heavy, heavier than Ryla expected. [So this is what a weapon feels like] She thought giving the dagger a few small lifts, testing it¡¯s weight. Holding the dagger gave Ryla an indescribable feeling. It didn¡¯t feel good, rather it felt¡­ cold. [To kill my siblings I need to hold something like this one day.] Ryla thought. She thought back the small tottering toddler she had seen that morning. The small child named Fawks who excited jumped into her arms. Ryla could feel her hand clenching the dagger in front of her, trembling slightly. ¡°My lady are you alright¡± The maid asked giving a concerned expression. Ryla relaxed her tense body. Despite that, she felt something within her harden. ¡°Yes, I am alright¡± She said. She would meet that man again. Kitsura Do we remember Gildron? Very old reference that I''ve been planning for literalllllyyyy months. Chapter 188: New members Ryla felt the jangle of the dagger on her hip. The maids called it unsightly, but the existence of the dagger was a reminder to her. No matter how ugly the dagger was it, she needed it. It had been a long time since Ryla had seen her sibling. She had been too caught up in meeting benefactors to do that. Zacariah had gone off on a journey across the ocean, apparently, he was seeking out strong talent. He had already established his base so now it¡¯s was up to Ryla to seize the opportunity and undermine him in this time period. Her mind paused. [Why¡­] Ryla was struck by a sense of discontent which she pushed aside. She didn¡¯t have time to slow down with unneeded thoughts. People relied on her now. She was still too soft, the vast majority of the people who followed her were those who she picked up from the streets or the downtrodden. She wasn¡¯t like Zacariah who had the social clout to attract donors, and she wasn¡¯t like Mathias who could charm people with a smile. She had no particular skills, no abilities that would make her stand out. She was only fortunate enough to be the first-born daughter and second-born child overall which gave her some legitimacy. Still, the people in her camp were pushing her to be ever firmer in her resolves. She had already lost supporters based on her lack of conviction. The other week one of the largest water barons had been enticed over to Mathias¡¯s camp from her side. That hurt. She palmed the pommel of the dagger on her belt. Technically, nobody wasn¡¯t allowed to carry weapons in the palace but since she was royalty nobody admonished her. Whenever she held the pommel, she always felt her pace quicken. ¡°Something wrong my dear?¡± Ryla looked behind her to see Gildron, he had become a permanent guest for some reason, Ryla did not know. ¡°Don¡¯t you have better things to do?¡± Ryla bit at the man. Gildon only seemed to shrug his shoulders. His armor clinking lightly. ¡°You tell me¡± He said smiling slightly. At first Ryla thought, Gildron was someone she might want to recruit to her cause, but she soon realized he was a pompous and annoying man. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just go back!¡± She shouted at him. ¡°Ah, but that would be too boring,¡± Gildron said lazily. ¡°Boring? All you do is laze about the palace. Are you even here on official duty any more?¡± Ryla accused Gildron. He had originally come to escort a diplomat but the diplomat as long since returned the kingdom and he had remained in Eris. Gildron seemed to feign offense. ¡°Why, I¡¯m the ambassador of the Faramouth Kingdom, you can¡¯t treat me like that¡± he said sarcastically ¡°The person you were watching went home a long time ago, don¡¯t you have better places to be?¡± Ryla said. ¡°Why? This place has the perfect conditions for my hobbies.¡± ¡°Hobbies? What do you mean¡± Ryla said now confused, she didn¡¯t even know what hobbies Gildron had which meant he needed to stay in Eris to do. Gildron bent down to Ryla¡¯s eye level and gave a grin. ¡°Collecting stories,¡± he said ¡°Collecting¡­ Stories?¡± Ryla said repeating Gildrons statement. Gildron suddenly stood back up. ¡°Stories! Wonderful stories, the world is too boring unless we have a rousing story! I used to think making my own would be fun, but I realized that experiencing someone¡¯s story is much better than that. Reading it would be much too boring. I want to die knowing that I was a part of as many stories as possible¡± Gildron ranted his eyes growing feverish. Ryla took a step back in surprise. Gildron noticed Ryla¡¯s change in emotion and calmed himself down. ¡°Ahem! I apologize, that was bad conduct in front of lady¡± It was indeed quite a shock to Ryla, Gildron was typically a reserved and clever-looking man, but the face she saw was one that was in stark contrast from that voice. ¡°Stories¡­ So why stay here?¡± Ryla asked Gildron. ¡°Are you daft? This place is going to be a hotbed of stories I can feel it. Something is building up here. The world is going to change and it will start here. I might be getting old, but I can feel it my fibers.¡± Gildron said looking off into the distance as if he was thinking of something. ¡°Still¡­ you can¡¯t possibly stay that long, you¡¯re a foreigner and without a proper visa we¡¯re going to kick you out eventually,¡± Ryla stated. Gildron seemed to put a hand on his chin, ¡°Ah, that is indeed true.¡± He thought for another moment. After a little while, it looked like he had a sudden realization. ¡°I¡¯ll join you then!¡± he said. ¡°Eh?¡± Ryla replied. It was a response she was completely not expecting. ¡°I¡¯m a good fighter, you know that, I should be a good fit for you faction no?¡± Gildron said. Ryla was speechless, she was suddenly asked by this legendary man if he could join her party. Gildron seemed to take her silence poorly. ¡°You don¡¯t want me?¡± He asked. ¡°No!¡± Ryla said suddenly shouting. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ just very sudden¡­ are you sure?¡± She asked Gildron. Gildron shrugged his shoulder. ¡°I don¡¯t particularly care who I join as long as I¡¯m a part of the actions. If I went back to Faramouth I¡¯ll just have to deal with that troublesome woman again.¡± Gildron said. [Woman?] Ryla thought. Kitsura Ok I go sleep now, Enjoy chappy Chapter 189: How to make a Queen(1) ¡°My lady it¡¯s no good, if you let those men do that¡± Gildron chided Ryla. ¡°Who gave you the right to lecture me all the time?¡± Ryla bit back. She had just undergone a meeting with her major stakeholders and had to endure the criticisms they threw her way. It was her obligation, as their ¡°patron¡± and chosen candidate to make sure they felt like they were heard and that their strategies to undermine the other candidates were consistent with each other. Despite that fact, Ryla spent most of the meetings being criticized and complained about. It felt like she could do no good in front of those people. The majority of her backers were rich merchants who had chosen her, since their rivals had gone over to Zacariah. Although, it seemed to feel like they were having their doubts, many of them were handing her ultimatums. ¡°Take this more seriously¡­ Or else¡± Ryla felt it was extremely unfair, it was utterly ridiculous to make a girl like her have to make such decisions, it was even more unnerving that the decisions she was making was for the sake of killing her siblings. [Who decided this!] Ryla wanted to scream, unfortunately for her there was no one to listen. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to do this¡­¡± She whispered quietly in her resting room. The only other people in the room with her was Gildron who seemed to follow her around everywhere for the sake of observing her and a stray queensguard Ryla at her core was still too gentle, she didn¡¯t have the conviction to give the necessary orders. She could only halfheartedly try to put up airs. Gildron seemed to look at her with a bored expression. As if he didn¡¯t want to hear what she had to say. ¡°What?¡± Ryla said angered his nonresponse. ¡°If you think I¡¯m weak just leave me!¡± She shouted at his face. Gildron¡¯s face remained unchanging finally he spoke. ¡°Is that the depth of your will?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Ryla said. ¡°You think you can sit here and act like a victim?¡± Gildron said. ¡°I¡¯m being forced to fight my own siblings when I don¡¯t even want too. Go find someone else to make your ¡®story¡¯ I¡¯m a failure, who can¡¯t make a choice in their own life.¡± Ryla bit back a Gildron annoyed with his attitude. ¡°And? That is charity you give yourself. You think you have the right to not make a decision? You are responsible for people; they are reliant on you. Some of them are horrible yes, but there are plenty of them who believe in you because they think you can make a change¡± Gildron responded. ¡°Then leave me then¡± Ryla said bitterly ¡°I¡¯m sure my brothers would be happy to take you. You have the skills to be hired by anyone else, and you said it yourself you just need someone to renew your Visa.¡± ¡°I¡¯m will not accept your lazy thinking.¡± Gildron suddenly grabbed Ryla¡¯s face. The queen¡¯s guard in the room immediately moved to defend her. ¡°Stop!¡± Ryla said. Despite the rough treatment she didn¡¯t want Gildron to be punished for her own petulance. The queensgaurd moved back and instead stared at Gildron, ready to move at a moment¡¯s notice if her went farther. ¡°You will listen to me closely, I am here to experience stories, and right now the story I am seeing is one of a pitiful and boring girl. Perhaps, I could go find one of your brothers yes, but that still doesn¡¯t change the fact you are ruining it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about your story, I don¡¯t care about this crown, I want to leave!¡± Ryla said ¡°Do you now? I could send you a boat in exile to the southern kingdoms in an instant right now. You could even do it yourself you have the means and capital to do so.¡± Gildron said. Ryla stayed quiet and instead glared at Gildron. ¡°Ah, but it¡¯s not so simple right? You ¡®know¡¯ people rely on you. In your heart, even if you wish to run you can¡¯t.¡± Gildron said. He let Ryla go, throwing her to the ground. Her body fell to the ground with a thump. Ryla laid there for a moment, she didn¡¯t mind the rough treatment so much as Gildron¡¯s words cut to her soul. Her face felt hot and wet and she felt humiliated, even more so than being criticized by her supporters. [I want to run¡­] She thought. Many times, Ryla had made plans to run away. Even getting close enough to chartering a boat, but when push came to shove, she was unable too. For some reason, she felt unable to leave, all she could do was endure the abuse hurled at her week after week. ¡°I¡¯ll declare this now; I am not leaving your faction¡± Gildron said looking down on her. Ryla felt confusion, if Gildron stayed with her, it was almost a guarantee that he would die fighting for her he was a strong fighter yes, but he couldn¡¯t compete alone. Gildron smiled, it was the same pompous smile that he always gave. ¡°You are taking the cowards method, deep down you want to push everybody away so you can die a pitiful death no?¡± Gildron said. Ryla bowed her head slightly, Gildron was right. Even if she couldn¡¯t say it, she knew it her heart he was right. ¡°I¡¯m weak, you¡¯ll just kill yourself trying to save me¡± She said softly in barely a whisper. Kitsura So this is a chapter that is quite literally split in half. It was originally one long scene and it still is, but it''s just too long to post as one chapter under my word count average. Chapter 190: How to make a Queen(2) ¡°And?¡± Gildron said, his face grew feverish again like he was going to talk about stories. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be a good story if you were strong, no¡­ it would be even worse. Nobody likes blowouts, but everybody loves a good underdog tale. If I die in such a situation, I will be considered it a life well-lived, but what about you? Are you happy pathetically dying like that, to the hands of your siblings?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to kill anybody,¡± Ryla said. She didn¡¯t have the conviction to give such orders, Ryla would rather let them backstab her than make that decision. ¡°Who said you have to? Your doners? No¡­ You will be queen one day and when that happens you can decide your own fate, until then, your life is not only your own¡± Gildron said. ¡°You can¡¯t possibly expect me to lead, I¡¯m not like my siblings. I don¡¯t have a charming smile, nor do I have Zacariah¡¯s arrogance.¡± ¡°Then steal it¡± Gildron said simply. ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°You are weak, yes, You lack will even, I will be honest watching you infuriated me,¡± Gildron said. The words dug deep and Ryla turned away in shame again. ¡°But I can see the potential, you have the ability to shake this queendom to its core, I can¡¯t tell yet, but my sense of finding interesting stories is rather refined,¡± Gildron said. ¡°If you don¡¯t have the ability, steal it. If you lack power, take it. If you lack resolve, then fake it. It may be a farce and built on lies, but at least that power is built on your own will.¡± He continued. His face was feverish once again, but once he finished the last statement, he collected himself. Ryla sat there on the ground, for a long while. She felt bruised from being tossed on the ground but it didn¡¯t hurt. Ryla palmed the dagger on her side, it had been digging into her side ever since she hit the ground but she didn¡¯t bother to adjust it. She felt something within her harder. Ryla was weak, she didn¡¯t have the natural talent of her siblings that much was true, she didn¡¯t even have the resolve to use the dagger she wore at her side to stab them in the back. Gildron was right, Ryla had no obligation to execute her own siblings, but unless she was queen she couldn¡¯t put an end to the barbaric practice. Ryla would have to cut her own path for herself, she didn¡¯t have time to feel pity for herself. She made a decision at that point. One that marked itself in her soul, a new conviction that seemed to rock her being. She stood up slowly. Ryla unsheathed the dagger that Gildron had gifted her from her side. For a moment it looked like she was about to attack Gildron, but instead, Ryla only took the dagger and cut a small half circle into her arm. It was an old Eris tribal ritual before the cities were built. Tribe chiefs would often quarrel and make grudged with each other. To remind themselves of the wrongs that had been committed against them they would cut a half-circle into their arm, only once the grudge had been resolved would they complete the circle. Ryla cut the circle, not as a grudge against her siblings, but rather against the queendom that forced them to fight. Ryla felt her blood pool and then drip from the cut in her arm. It splattered on the floor, staining the white marble with red. Despite the gruesome scene, she didn¡¯t feel any pain, rather she felt lighter. As if a great burden had been lifted off her shoulders. Despite this, Ryla knew that she had put an even greater responsibility on herself. [I will take this queendom for myself. For the sake of my siblings. I will become a proper queen¡¯s candidate even if I must lie to myself to do so.] She thought. A voice rang out in her head. One that seemed vaguely feminine, it was a voice that adventurers had often talked about but one that Ryla never expect to hear herself. It was that voice that herald the arrival of skill, those bombastic abilities that made adventurers such fearsome fighters in the first place. ¡°Potential Skill gained [Mimic]!¡± Chapter 191: The New Girl Ryla had heard the news faster than anyone else, her information network was formidable with how many people lived in the slums that she had saved. Still, the news surprised her. Her brother Fawks had come back with a girl. [Tch, so annoying] She thought Ryla had planned for Fawks to stay out of the race and in the city of Flare. She had tried to scare Fawks away, but it seemed like he was more persistent than she thought. It was another externality she had to control and now she knew her mother was going to get involved in the queen¡¯s candidate race. For some reason, she seemed to dote on Fawks. Although it was strictly forbidden for the acting ruler to give preferential treatment Ryla, had no doubt that the queen would meddle to get him on even footing with the other. What concerned Ryla, even more, was the girl who Fawks had brought along as his queen¡¯s candidate. She was a fairly good-looking girl, but nothing extraordinary. Ryla had no information on her background or who she was. All she knew was that the girl was someone that Fawks picked up in Flare. And what bothered Ryla further was the three figures that tailed her. It was two women and a man. Although, from what she could tell they weren¡¯t human. Although higher-level spirits with humans forms weren¡¯t impossible to find, it was still an extraordinary coincidence that the girl had three of them acting as her followers. She bit her thumb, a bad habit of her when she was stressed, the skin on it had already become calloused and she gnawed on it while scheming in her head. At the very least, her scouts had told her that the girl had a fairly weak disposition. Ryla wished to use [Status] to gauge how strong she was. It was a useful skill, something she had picked up after spending quite a long amount of time evaluating people and their relative strength. Her brothers would¡¯ve had the skill if it weren¡¯t for the fact that they were practically handed willing doners. Ryla had been able to keep up in political capital, but just barely. [At the very least I get to see Fawks again] She thought. The last time she had seen Fawks he had a scared expression on his face, it was the day he set to travel for Flare and make his name as a merchant which was over three years ago. She hadn¡¯t seen him ever since, although she had seen the foodstuffs laden ships he had sent back he had never once come back to visit. The faint glimpse of Fawks that she saw from the palace terrace showed a very similar expression. He still had that scared look. [Well, he¡¯s always been a scaredy-cat like me] Ryla thought fondly. She did feel bad for Fawks all of the siblings have consolidated their power bases now, there would be very few people willing to support Fawks at this point. [I doesn¡¯t matter, I will win this sit tight please] Ryla pleaded internally. ** ** ** Ryla stared around the party. The girl that Fawks brought being being ¡°debuted¡± today. Although, it was still difficult for Ryla to get close. The girl had talked to Mathias and Zacariah. Based on her demeanor Ryla could tell that she was being insulated and protect by the spirits. [Why did he pick such a weak girl¡­] Ryla thought. The girl was pretty enough, but not exceptionally beautiful. [He couldn¡¯t have been seduced by her right?] Ryla¡¯s spy had told her of Fawk¡¯s ¡°female companions¡± in Flare. She highly doubts such an unassuming girl would be able to capture his heart. Still, a slight fear gripped her heart. [Get away from my little brother!] She thought. Ryla¡¯s expression soured, and she walked up to the girl to meet her. The girl was stuffing her face at the banquet table. [She too carefree!] Ryla thought. The girl seemed to shy away upon seeing her. [Mou, I scared her] Ryla thought. Her face had grown to have a scary appearance that made it looked like it was constantly scowling. Gildron told her it was because she was always furrowing her brow while deep in thought. Ryla used [Status] on the girl. [! What are these stats!] Ryla thought. The girl had quite an unusually high mana stats and another skill that she hadn¡¯t seen before. The skill called ¡°Gourmet¡± and ¡°Magical Musician¡± Ryla felt a buzzing sensation like she was being scanned with [Status]. [Ecchi!] She thought. Status was a skill that a few people had but only the users of it could tell when it was being used against each other. Kitsura Sorry late! Chapter 192: Surprises The day that the queen was going to announce the trials had arrived. Ryla had long prepared for this day. She was prepared for every possibility. She had sent scribes to read through the country archives and figure out every possible trial from every possible queen. While the country of Eris was an old country the queen system was only in place for about half of the countries history. It was made as a result of the royalty being done with wars of succession. It was easier to create a system where the next ruler would be chosen easily and also fairly bloodlessly. As a result, they enacted the trials. Based on her research they fell mainly into three types. Leadership, Strength, and Charisma Trials. Ryla had been training for each of them ever since she decided she was going to make an effort to win. Leadership was easy, she could do it very simply. She already managed a vast organization among the common folk and she trusted her ability to beat out her other siblings in that regard. Charisma was also something she had worked on. Ryla had transformed herself from the quiet and meek girl that she was to someone else. Her mask was flawless, it took a long time of practice with Gildron, but eventually, she was able to portray herself as an extremely charismatic leader at the very least one that people would be willing to listen to. She watched other leaders and famous merchants to copy them and eventually found herself with the [Mimic] skill. It was an unfortunate side effect, she had to scare her siblings with her new mask. The fa?ade would not work if she only made a halfhearted attempt at it. Strength trails were the most concerning. Ryla was not much of a fighter, she didn¡¯t have the physique or the natural talents for war. It was far more difficult for her to hold her own in a fight, although [Mimic] was useful for evening the playing field she could only copy skills with it. She would not be able to copy the expertise needed to use it and she could only copy 1 skill at a time. She trained so that she could at least hold off someone like Gildron but she felt like he was pulling his punches. The one bright side for her was that one vs one strength trials rarely happened. Typical leaders made from such trials were ineffective warmongers. Most modern strength Trials were fought with willing ¡°champions¡± chosen to represent the candidate. It was a charisma test masking itself as a strength test. Something that Ryla was confident in doing. At the very least she could rely on Gildron. Ryla trusted her mother more than that. She knew her mother was far smarter than that, but she also knew that studying previous trials was not going to be a complete fix for her. Her mother was far more creative than copying a prior trial. At most all Ryla could do was prepare for every eventuality. As Ryla watch her mother ascended the platform to the voice amplifying crystal. She internally crossed her fingers. After saying a few words she eventually explained the trail she was giving, and Ryla felt a vein in her head bulge. [What is this!] The queen had announced there would only be one trial, and that it was simply to bring back the most valuable item from the labyrinthos. It was a simple request, but also one laced with snake venom. The dungeon was the lifeblood of the city and thus it was well known. The most valuable item in the dungeon was the crystal dropped by the platinum dragon in the deepest parts of it. The problem with such a request is that only 1 person would be able to claim the treasure since there will only be one dragon that spawns during the time period she had given. By saying that she wants the most valuable thing, she was implying a lot of things. First and foremost, it was a race to the dragon, but also it was also a test with how well the candidates could assemble teams to take it down. The Platinum dragon was no joke and defeating it would take some of the strongest adventurers in the city to do so. Lastly, there was the sabotage component. If they could hamper each other it would mean that they could also kill each other in the dungeon. In essence, the queen had subtly made this trial a strength trial as well. [This damn woman] Ryla resisted the urge to scream in frustration and maintained her calm demeanor. Eventually, the queen left the cheering crowd, and Ryla and the other candidates were stuck with the empty podium in front of them. [Damnit, I have to fill this gap] Based on the schedule she was given the queen was supposed to speak longer but it seemed like she wasn¡¯t in the mood to do so. From the corner of her eye, Ryla could see the queen arm in arm with a particularly handsome young man and she internally sighed. Her mother often did this, leaving events to do her own thing. Since she was the queen people rarely made a fuss and since she was still an effective ruler regardless most of her schedulers turned a blind eye to such actions. Ryla still found it extremely distasteful. Kitsura Wait, I have a webnovel? In all seriousness, Hello, the hiatus is over, I never forgot you all, and thanks for sticking around. Chapter 193: A Speech After the queen left the stage, a silence seemed to descend on the crowd. People shuffled in their feet, as if they expect something more. Ryla¡¯s face was smooth and unmoved but her mind was a mess. [This wasn¡¯t on the schedule!] While, Ryla was not opposed to giving a public speech she was terrible at giving them off the cuff. She needed to prepare to give remarks. [Shit, He¡¯s walking up already] Ryla saw the figure of Zacariah walking up the podium. Her brother was a well of self-confidence and arrogance. Taking the crystal he began to speak. ¡°To my future people, I have nothing much to say other than the fact that I will win.¡± Zacariah gave a smile while bowing and walked off the stage. [Sounds just like him¡­] The speech was short, if not simple. She knew that Zacariah had upmost confidence in himself and only decided to fill the space as a formality. Looking at the empty crystal on the podium once again. Ryla was struck by the realization that she would have to speak. [There¡¯s nothing I can do to get out of this, I have to do it] She walked up to the crystal and clear her throat. ¡°To my future people¡± She said mirroring the words of Zacariah¡¯s speech. She paused for dramatic effect but more so because she had to collect her thoughts. [What did Gildron say about public speaking again? Keeping a strong front right?] Ryla quickly decided on her next words and then spoke again. ¡°I will lead this country to higher heights than it has ever seen. Watch me and see for yourself who deserves to rule¡± It was a bold statement, something that was expect of her. While Ryla looked cool on stage her heart was pounding while she gauged the reaction of the crowd. They seemed bored, something that was to expected. After all, neither of the candidates had said anything noteworthy the crowd was already beginning to disperse and she herself walked off the podium. She controlled pace, making a strong exit, making sure nobody saw that she was panicking internally. The extra time on the stage made her cheeks burn in embarrassment. As she got of the stage she was greet by a familiar face. ¡°That¡¯s was a boring speech¡± Gildron said smiling wryly ¡°Shut it¡± Ryla retorted. She wasn¡¯t in the mood for him to tease her. In a way Gildron had become like an annoying grandfather to her. ¡°Ah, the new girl is going up¡± Gildron said as he looked to the stage [New girl¡­ He can¡¯t possibly mean ¡°her¡± right?] The girl in question was Fawk¡¯s candidate. She was a mild-mannered girl but lacked the gravitas necessary to give a speech. Ryla looked to the stage in surprise as she saw the girl standing by the crystal. She heard the girl speak. ¡°I know I don¡¯t seem like much but I hope you all will be able to accept me. I come from a small village in Atlea, but I would say I am stronger than I look. I¡¯m not a royal-like the others so I¡¯m not very good with the public speaking thing. But, I have hopes dreams and aspirations like any other, I want to create a country where everybody can smile, A country where children can play and not worry about their lives, So please, even if you don¡¯t right now. I¡¯m not noble or regal like the others, but at the very least I hope you understand that I wouldn¡¯t be a bad ruler as well.¡± It was a good speech. Far better than Ryla expected. She was pleasantly surprise. What interested her more, was the face on the girl. She had a strong expression, her eyes hardened. [Ah, I see.] Ryla¡¯s respect for the girl grew, not only because she realize their goals aligned but also because in the girl¡¯s eyes she saw someone who was stronger than she looked. ¡°Fawk picked up and interesting one did he?¡± Gildron said commenting on the speech. His reaction was much more muted but he looked at the girl with interest. It was proof enough that the girl was worth caring about. Gildron rarely gave anybody attention. He seemed to treat everybody like a nuisance unless it was related to Ryla. ¡°Mhmm, I guess it was good¡± Ryla felt a small glimmery burning in her heart. [Damn you new girl] The words were average but Ryla heard something in the speech. [When children can play and not worry about their lives? That¡¯s my dream too] Ryla thought, as she looked at the nervous Fawks. Chapter 194: Surprise! Days passed quickly after, the queen¡¯s announcement, there was very little interference from the other competitors. They were all busy doing their own preparations for the trial ahead. In terms of the trial, Ryla was having trouble finding good personnel. While she was well-liked among the adventurers guild she didn¡¯t have connections to the high-ranked platinum ones. She was only able to scrape together a band of gold-ranked adventures and silver ranks. While they were strong comparatively, they wouldn¡¯t compare to adventurers like Hectaire. While, Ryla could have Gildron pick up the slack she was sure that taking down the Platinum drake without casualties would be difficult. It was in her best interest to more slowly and methodically, perhaps even steal it from her siblings. She didn¡¯t have any delusions that should be able to defeat the platinum drake and transport the mana crystal from the lower depths to the entrance of the Lab intact. Although it was unsavory she had to play a little dirtier than that to secure her crown. ** ** ** The Day arrive quickly, with Ryla¡¯s expectations of her parties mostly confirmed. Zachariah had the strongest among them with Mathias at a close second. Ryla herself had a larger group but she was sure that they were all strong enough to at least compete with either of her brothers. The only thing that was unknown was the girl that Fawks had brought. She didn¡¯t have anybody with her besides the retainers she had initially brought to Eris. [Is she giving up?] Ryla thought incredulously. Even if the girl didn¡¯t have much to work with she should¡¯ve still been able to make a respectable party with the dregs of adventurers left in the city. [No, she¡¯s¡­ not.] The expression on the girl¡¯s face was much more serious than Ryla expected. Like she was expecting to win. While Ryla knew the girl¡¯s retainers were not human, and in fact spirits. Using [Status] gave her the impression that they weren¡¯t particularly strong. While they might be rare, it wasn¡¯t like they were an exceptional fighter. The half-elf girl was a little stronger but she was also rather weak in comparison to Platinum ranked adventurers. That was until she felt a burst of mana from the girl in front of her. [!!!] It had happened in an instant, Ryla felt a torrent of Mana far stronger than anything she had experienced before coming from the girl and entering her spirits. The body of spirits began to glow, and their figures began to grow. In a few mere moments, the retainers next to Kotori had grown into monsters. The woman with dark hair had turned into a white snake-like creature, the strong wild-looking boy had become a large armored lizard the size of the house, and the girl wearing a Miko outfit had turned into a fiery-looking Fox creature. Ryla had to stop her jaw from dropping. While she was aware that Kotori had higher than average mana she didn¡¯t know that meant that Kotori was able to transform her spirits into such forms. Ryla heard a voice in her heart. ¡°[Mimic] Activated [Mana Buff] is now usable at weakened capacity.¡± [Is this what she was using?] Ryla thought She assumed the skill was some sort of mana transferring skill. She assumed it was a simple body augmentation skill but it seems like she was mistaken. While she could now use the skill she wasn¡¯t sure how it worked. [I need to test this.] Ryla thought. Her head was racing, and she was making all sorts of calculations. The girl had thrown a wrench in her plans. The monsters with her were now as strong or even stronger than platinum-ranked adventurers. [Damn it! What is this?] Ryla screamed internally Her plans which had already grown tenuous over the past week were now fraying at the edges. She didn¡¯t have any time to lollygag, the temporary truce she would be offered by the queen only lasted a day and she need to make distance from the other candidate. Ryla felt wind rushing past her. [They¡¯re fast too] Kotori didn¡¯t spare anytime and she and the monsters dove into the tunnel Ryla could see Zacariah and Mathias¡¯s group following close behind. She knew that with a larger group she would be slower but not wanting to be seen as weak Ryla motioned for her group to dash into the tunnel after them. Kitsura So uhhh I got busy again right as I said I was coming out of hiatus. I graduated college, and I also went on a vacation with the Family. I''ve been looking forward to updating more and it actually stresses me out that I don''t post. My fingers get itchy to write. Some other things. I have an author twitter now. Yes, this is a face reveal I guess, so go wild. I will probably post updates on the webnovels/real projects and other things going forward into the future. Want to practice having more of a social media presence so fingers crossed that this works out. Also made a youtube channel for some voice practice/silly meme stuff so enjoy that as well. Been trying to get more creative with me so hopefully these can be as successful as my books. Chapter 195: Done with it all. [How did it come to this.] Ryla thought. It was supposed to be a simple trial, she was at the very least a better tactician than both Zacariah and Mathias. The girl was the only X factor and Ryla deemed her to be a weakling. Even so, Ryla had an ace up her sleeve. The skill she had managed to copy from Kotori. [Mana Musician] While it wasn¡¯t as strong as Kotori¡¯s nor did she have as large a mana pool Ryla still found the skill immensely useful. An assessment that was soon proven wrong but not to the point where Ryla was concerned about it. It was only going to be a minor twist in her plan. What she didn¡¯t plan for was a tri-way confrontation between her, the girl, and Zacariah, and now the hulking man in front of them. Ryla now on her knees was struck with a sudden sensation of loss. After running into Zacariah she had planned to fight with him long enough to make an escape. If it weren¡¯t for that damnable Hectaire that was. Ryla had suspected that something was going on with Hectaire that had propelled him from a strong gold-ranked adventurer to the strongest platinum-ranked adventurer in the city. She was sure that Zacariah was the cause but she could never pinpoint it. Still, Hectaire had exceeded all expectations. As Gildron desperately tried to hold on versus the beast of a man. It was not enough and soon he was pushed back. Ryla who thought it was all over found that too her surprise that Fawk¡¯s candidate, Kotori was giving her aid. [Why are you helping me!] She screamed internally. It was not in Kotori¡¯s interest to help her, and there was a good chance that she could get away right now with Hectaire distracted by Ryla¡¯s adventuring party. Despite her urge to cry out, she held it in. Looking stubbornly at the girl. ¡°Get out! This isn¡¯t your fight I don¡¯t need your help!¡± She said instead to the girl. To her surprise, the girl only grinned at her. ¡°¡°Oh, can you really deal with him alone?¡± Kotori goaded her. Ryla found herself gritting her teeth. ¡°This is my battle. I will fight it alone and retrieve my crown. I don¡¯t need an outsider to help me on my path. It¡¯s mine alone to follow¡± She said. Her pride refused to allow Kotori to help her. To do so would be accepting that Ryla was weak. Something that she would only accept with her own death. ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± Kotori asked that. It was at that moment that Ryla saw Gildron tossed into a wall as Hectaire manage to overcome him. She felt herself gritting her teeth so hard, it felt that they would shatter. Despite his supremely punchable face, Ryla realized that her life was tied to that man. Ryla had never been close to her father. He was one of hundreds of concubines that her mother had. In all honesty, she was closer to the male caretaker that took care of her in her earlier years than that man. Though, it seems that Gildron had managed to worm his way into that spot in her heart. As she saw the figure of Gildron groaning in the wall where he had been thrown she realized how old he looked now. He had already been old when they first met but his smile always carried some amount of youthful exuberance that seemed to offset this. Now that Ryla was looking at him she realized something. [He¡¯s old] She hadn¡¯t noticed the wrinkles on his face growing deeper or the way his graceful movements appeared to have slowed. Despite the fact that he was an elf, their aging was nonlinear. Staying youthful for many years but aging as fast as any other human in their twilight years. She looked back at the man, and then back at Kotori, and Ryla¡¯s pride shattered in that instant. She didn¡¯t want Gildron to die. That was an unacceptable outcome, even more, unacceptable than her crown. Ryla¡¯s thoughts raced as she thought of a way out of her situation. Her brain kicked into overdrive rifling through possibilities only to come up with nothing. She felt her legs give out under her, perhaps a result of mental strain. Her brain worked beyond capacity or even simply a wish for freedom. Ryla¡¯s lips trembled and then she spoke. ¡°Mou, just do what you want. I¡¯m done with it all¡­¡± [Kotori POV] Kotori saw the proud-looking woman collapse on the ground her face looking downcast and heard her speak in resignation. She found herself internally beaming at besting the woman. Still, she would feel Amelie¡¯s glare beside her. ¡°What?¡± Kotori said shocked. She had finally gotten the better of that devil woman. Amelie gave her a dead fish stare. ¡°Kotori it¡¯s no good to bully girls,¡± Amelie said flatly before jumping into to fight Hectaire. Kotori could only look at her with a dumbfounded expression. ¡°But¡­ But¡­¡± She looked at the figure collapsed figure of Ryla on the ground and suddenly was aware of the fact that Ryla was a woman. Ryla¡¯s pitiful state suddenly made Kotori very uncomfortable and she shifted in her feet. [I guess Amelie is right¡­] Kotori thought. She shook her head as if to rid herself of the thought and then yelled out her order to her spirits and Amelie. ¡°Suppress Hectaire!¡± She said, in an attempt to ignore the fact that she bullied Ryla. Kitsura I stream chapter writing stuff now. If you ever want to watch me write a chapter you now can! Also, I use a VDroid model bc I hate my face. https://www.twitch.tv/kitsurapls Chapter 196: Rampage Kitsura Plot summary for those who have forgotten since I haven¡¯t updated in a while, Kotori is now currently locked in the queen¡¯s trial, after meeting Lala who promised her the infinite mana crystal in exchange for removing the ¡°invaders¡± from the Eris Lab, she is now busying fighting off the other queen¡¯s candidates Kotori who was now facing off with the rampaging man in front of her was struck with a dilemma although she could get rid of him with [Gourmet] it was a lot more difficult than she thought. Since the activation simply stole mana, as long as Hectaire had the ability to chug down Moon Elf blood elixirs he would have a large enough supply to counter her ability to suck. It also tasted terrible. The first time Kotori took a taste of it she had to hold back her own bile which started to climb up her throat. It tasted like copper and sweat. She had to stifle gags as she ate the disgusting mana. And even though Kotori was filled with Mana, she didn¡¯t have the ability to cast a Mana buff with the excess mana. Hectaire was smarter than that. Although he was little more than a rampaging beast, at the moment, he could still correctly deduce that Kotori was the one who was slowly taking his mana. Regardless, it was now a battle of attrition. Hectaire was not strong nor smart enough to break past the coordination of Kotori¡¯s Companions who were attempting to restrict his movements while also making sure that he did not break through their blockage. Still, it was much easier said than done. Hectaire was strong enough individually to overpower any single one of them. This meant that at a minimum it took two people/spirits to stop and push him back. By necessity, there was a power imbalance. It seemed like for a short while it was going well, that was until Hectaire suddenly dashed off. It seemed that the beast of man had realized his movements were being constricted and now was attempting to break through the blockade. [I¡¯ve been lax!] Kotori thought as she realized that Hectaire had completely given up the idea of overpowering them and was now focused on escaping. Since he was little more than an animal with a little bit of intelligence with [Berserk] active he was not actively trying to escape a situation that was impossible for him to win. Kotori and her group had not expected this, she briefly recalled the teaching of Sun Tzu, to always leave an exit for an enemy or else they will fight like devils to the death as there is nothing less to do. Umi who was in the path of Hectaire had the worst defensive capabilities among them all and unluckily Hectaire was now charging towards her at a speed that meant that Shu, who was closest to her was too slow to assist her. Since Hectaire was barreling towards her like a bowling ball with nothing to stop him Kotori could only make sure that Umi stayed intact. ¡°Umi move out of the way!¡± She managed to cry out. Umi who heard Kotori¡¯s orders diligently moved out of the way, This was still not ideal. Since they hadn¡¯t planned an escape route for Hectaire, looking back if Kotori was more aware she would¡¯ve forced him to escape through an empty passageway. She didn¡¯t have much time, to ponder these thoughts as Kotori saw the two figures that were directly in the path of Hectaire. Zacariah and Deliah who had not moved since the fight had started were now frozen in shock as they realized the man was now charging toward them. [Move out of the way!] Kotori internally screamed. Since Zacariah and Deliah were not fighters they didn¡¯t have the ability to maintain their composure when in the line of attack. While Kotori didn¡¯t care about the fate of Zacariah she cared a lot more about Deliah who was completely innocent. It was Zacariah who moved first, shoving the frozen Deliah in front of him and dashing out of the way. Kotori could here him muttering under his breath, ¡°Die for me you worthless bitch¡± Kotori was powerless as she watched Hectaire blithely charge forward wildly swinging his sword, upon finding a new target Deliah who was now in the crossfire was slashed across her chest. The girl collapse crumpled instantly her pale skin now flushed and her dress now stained in crimson. ¡°Layla, Amelie!¡± Kotori yelled out. ¡°Yes!¡± Layla, Amelie rushed forward, they were the two fastest frontline fighters and quickly caught up to Hectaire, now that he was fleeing his back was exposed, they landed two blows on his back staggering him. Seeing Deliah on the ground bleeding out on the ground, a rage welled up in Kotori. The same kind of feeling she had from watching the Baron¡¯s men cut down her parents raised up in her. She heard a voice raise in her head ¡°[Gourmet] is being modified by trait [Desire of Montecristo]¡± ¡°[Gourmet] has been removed¡± ¡°Authority Level has been added¡± ¡°Authority Level has been set to [Neglible]¡± ¡°Host System connection weakening, please check your connection.¡± Kotori found herself frowning at the sudden string of commands that rung in her head. She felt herself furrowing her brow at the things that were said. ¡°Authority Level?¡± ¡°System connection?¡± She didn¡¯t understand the meaning of these terms. Regardless she felt a new power welling up inside her. She noticed Hectaire suddenly stop, although she had wished in her heart for him to stop she didn¡¯t think he would actually stop. It was a bizarre sight, the man in front of her simply.. froze. Kitsura "Honey! I came back with the milk and cigarette." Err.. Mostly writer''s block and getting caught up in reading web novels again. High recommend Release that Witch, Memorize, Man-eating Dungeon, FFF class hero... basically, if I''m not writing, I''m reading usually. Will probably be releasing more regularly as I sorta figured out this arc and we start moving into the second half of the story. Chapter 197: Soul bond Kotori watched as the man in front of her froze. In another world it would seem almost funny, the hulking figure of Hectaire was standing with not a single movement coming out of his body. In fact, it was even difficult to see if he was breathing, at all. It looked as if someone had pressed the pause button on a T.V. remote and not Hectaire was stuck in that position. Seeing that Hectaire was currently frozen in place Kotori quickly ran over to bleeding Deliah. Kotori quickly created a flute with Hikari to heal the wound with [Gourmet]. Still, Kotori could only accelerate the healing of a wound using a person¡¯s own vitality, if someone did not even have enough vitality to heal the wound her ability would be useless. The gash on Delia¡¯s chest was deep, and Kotori could see exposed organs from it. Shockingly the girl still appeared to be alive. Panting with sweat on her face. Not wasting any time, Kotori began to blow on Hikari and attempt to heal Deliah¡¯s wounds. The elf¡¯s face only began to get paler as flesh began to knit together and close the wound. Still, that was not enough it was likely Deliah had internal injuries, that would take even more effort to fix it was only a few seconds of this before Kotori realized the nature of her task. [She¡¯s too weak¡­] Kotori thought looking at the girl in front of her. From the start, Deliah had never trained in any sort of combat and thus has a low physical sturdiness from the beginning, coupled with the fact that much of her blood had been siphoned for the purpose of Hectaire¡¯s potions and the fact that she took a full blow from Hectaire, Kotori didn¡¯t feel like it was possible to save the girl. Kotori slowly pulled the flute from her mouth and knelt down next to the girl, laying her in her lap. Despite being physically younger than Deliah, Kotori still felt a sense of obligation to the girl. She didn¡¯t have any intentions of her getting caught in the crossfire and wanted her to simply move on after Kotori had won the queen¡¯s trials. [This is¡­ too cruel] Kotori thought as she looked at the girl. Deliah¡¯s lips quivered and she could see each breath was becoming strained. Despite that, Deliah still had a thin smile on her face. ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­ I enjoyed having tea with you at least¡± She whispered. Kotori felt herself gritting her teeth at the girl¡¯s statement. ¡°Don¡¯t you feel any resentment?¡± Kotori thought. Deliah only gently smiled in response. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to resent, this is the way things were meant to be, I¡¯ve lived longer than I should¡¯ve already,¡± she said, as the light began to fade from her eyes. [No, this is not enough, you deserved better than that.] Kotori thought as she closed the girl''s eyes before she realize something. Delia¡¯s ¡°soul¡± was lingering for longer than she expected. A person¡¯s soul was similar in a way to a gumball surrounded by cotton candy. The cotton candy was the accumulated experience, memories, and power that a person had gained over their lifetime, and the ¡°gumball¡± was the true essence of a soul. Deliah¡¯s soul remained even though the cotton candy had dissipated. [I have Authority right? Is this enough?] Kotori felt herself grabbing the soul in front of her, there was a slight tug on the soul like something was trying to pull it away. [I won¡¯t let you, at least I don¡¯t want you to meet that unpleasant] Kotori thought. This ¡°tug¡± was likely the soul¡¯s natural urge to leave for the afterlife. While it wasn¡¯t difficult to hold the soul still it still took some amount of mental energy. Kotori kept looking for something to tether the soul only to realize that everything was simply too weak. [This isn¡¯t going to work] Kotori thought frowning. [Wait? Can I do this?] Kotori kept trying to tether Deliah''s soul to an object, but since the objects were alive nor tethered to the world it was like trying to tie a known around thin air. Kotori looped a small strand of mana from her soul around Delia¡¯s soul. [That should do it] She thought. It seemed like Deliah''s soul was now firmly attached to her and was no longer moving. ¡°[Soulbond] with entity established, breaking away from Celestine¡¯s system, privileges now authorized by Kotori¡± A voice called out. The soul that Kotori had bound to herself had begun to glow, and Kotori could feel a steady stream of energy leaving her body. It was a shocking amount, enough that edges of her vision grew dark. In front of her, she began to see a wavering image that began to form and eventually solidify. ¡°Deliah!¡± Kotori called out in relief as she looked at the girl in front her. The girl only looked confused ¡°Deliah? Who¡¯s that?" Kitsura it''s been a good day today, got an interview offer and I also started querying agents. Going to see how much I can blitz write for the rest of the week since I want to get back in form. On a side note... if any of you are secretly literary agents pls DM me I''m desperate :( Chapter 198: New Follower Kotori frowned at the girl¡¯s response. ¡°You¡­ Don¡¯t know me,¡± She asked. Deliah only tilted her head and put a finger on her chin. ¡°Mhmm, I don¡¯t believe so¡± She eventually said after thing for a moment. ¡°Kotori¡­ I don¡¯t think she¡¯s lying¡± Amelie said, nudging Kotori out of her shock. ¡°I agree,¡± Umi said butting. ¡°Ah! I know¡± Deliah said her face lighting up ¡°Yes?¡± Kotori asked ¡°You¡¯re my mother!¡± Kotori felt herself making a Tsukkomi face at Deliah¡¯s response. ¡°No¡­ I¡¯m not your mother¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Deliah said as disappointment shadowed her face. ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry, but I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve ever met in my life.¡± [This doesn¡¯t seem right] Kotori thought. While the figure in front of her looked like Deliah it was a much younger figure, she looked like an aged-down version of Deliah who was around the same age as Kotori. [Status] Nameless Race: [Moon Elf Spirit] Age: 0 HP: 80 Mana: 80 Agility: 80 Strength: 80 Defense: 80 Skills: [8 Trigram], [Form Manifestation] [This.. isn¡¯t Deliah] Kotori thought Based on the stats of the spirit in front of her, she had begun to realize that the figure in front of her could not be called ¡°Deliah¡±. ¡°Excuse me miss, who are you? also, I apologize but do you mind telling me who I am?¡± Kotori¡¯s thoughts were interrupted by spirit. [I see, This isn¡¯t Deliah anymore] Kotori thought. It seemed like although she was able to preserve Deliah¡¯s spirit it had fundamentally changed her being. She was no longer a moon elf and hadn¡¯t retained any of her memory. Kotori quickly made up a backstory in her mind for the spirit. ¡°I¡¯m your sister, and your name is¡­ Byaku¡± Kotori used the character for ¡°white¡± as a result of Deliah¡¯s hair color and her skin. Byaku gave a large smile ¡°That sounds right! Thanks for reminding Onee-chan!¡± ¡°Err Kotori-¡± Umi said uncertainly [Shut up] Kotori mentally told her, Umi instantly closed her mouth in response ¡°Why did it sound right?¡± Kotori asked the girl. ¡°Well, when I looked at you it felt familiar¡­ and a little comfy¡± Deliah said her pale face turning slightly red. [So, she hasn¡¯t forgotten everything] Kotori thought. While she was under the impression that Byaku had forgotten everything from her past life it seemed like Kotori had made an impression on her soul. [Actually¡­ that¡¯s what happened to Lala¡¯s father no?] Kotori thought being reminded of the memory sequence she was shown by Okateratsu. Lala¡¯s father had been so struck by Okateratsu that his soul was still reminded of her despite reincarnating. [But I didn¡¯t cause her to reincarnate¡­ right?] Kotori thought. She scanned the spirit in front of her. Kotori had managed to use [Authority] to link Deliah¡¯s soul to herself but she didn¡¯t believe that was enough to trigger reincarnation. Such a thing was only something angelic or godly spirits could do. Kitsura Honey, it''s time for your monthly update. Chapter 199: The Others Kotori turned her attention to the remaining queen¡¯s candidate, Zacariah had been locked in a stone prison created by Shu. Kotori walked over to him, although she had to look up at him due to his height she was the one wearing a haughty expression. ¡°Surrender?¡± She asked him. The man spit on the ground in front of her. ¡°I¡¯d rather die¡± Kotori rolled her eyes at Zacariah¡¯s statement. She had no intention of killing Zacariah, now that he didn¡¯t have Hectaire or his influence he was nothing. Out of the corner of Kotori¡¯s eyes, she could see Ryla watching with concern in her eye. She felt her lips turn into a wry sort of smile. ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m not really in the mood. Regardless, you¡¯re coming with us.¡± Kotori said. She turned her attention toward Ryla who had heaved a sigh of relief after seeing the scene. ¡°And you?¡± she asked the woman. Over the course of the battle the aura Ryla gave had deflated somewhat. Still after asking Ryla the question the woman¡¯s expression sharpened. ¡°What happened to Mathias?¡± ¡°We beat him and he was transported to the front of the tunnel¡± Kotori told her honestly. After hearing her response Ryla gave a difficult expression. Still, she reluctantly bowed her head towards Kotori. ¡°I see¡­ This one¡­ accepts your rule¡± Ryla slowly said, she did not have much choice, either way, but upon hearing Kotori¡¯s explanation she realized that Kotori was willing to spare them. If Kotori had said that she killed Mathias with no remorse then Ryla would¡¯ve tried to fight her regardless of if she could win or not. Kotori nodded and then snapped her fingers, the stone cage around Ryla instantly disappeared. The woman seemed shocked. ¡°You¡¯re letting me go?¡± She asked incredulously. Kotori shrugged her shoulder. ¡°Go home, take a rest.¡± She grinned slightly. ¡°I¡¯ll handle it.¡± A strange expression filled Ryla¡¯s face after seeing Kotori¡¯s expression. After looking at it she realized that perhaps the winds of fate had shifted ever so slightly, and relief filled her chest. She Harrumphed ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll take my leave¡­ My queen¡± She said before walking down the tunnels with Gildron who had appeared by her side. The man had a slight limp and his gait belied his age, but there was a youthful expression of giddiness on his face. ¡°Did you see that Ryla dear! That girl! She¡¯s exactly what I¡¯ve been looking for! A story for the ages.¡± ¡°Shut up old man, did you get hit on the head too hard and grow senile?¡± Ryla said. The pair began to quip at each other, each more vicious than the last but despite that Kotori saw no ill intent behind the words. In a way, she felt like she was looking at a father-daughter duo and another smile crept up her face as she watched the amusing scene. As she watched the two figures disappear into the tunnel, another familiar figure entered the clearing they were in. ¡°Sebastian!¡± Kotori called out. The spirit gave a wince. ¡°My name is Bartholomew,¡± He said, although his tone was polite Kotori could sense a hint of defeated frustration in his voice. ¡°So what are you here for?¡± She asked him. The man pulled a small crystal from his sleeve. ¡°This is the self-refilling mana crystal that you were promised for clearing the dungeon. The lady is currently napping and told me to deliver it to you upon completion. Kotori felt herself frowning as she took the crystal. It was smaller than the one that Lala had made back when they first met. The crystal itself took the shape and appearance of a chunk of quartz with a dazzling sparkle inside of it. Despite the smaller size, Kotori could tell that the quartz had even more capacity than the one Lala had made previously. The crystal was about twice as powerful as the previous. ¡°Thank you¡± Kotori told the spirit. Upon receiving confirmation that Kotori had received the crystal, Bartholomew disappeared into a nearby tunnel, rather it was more like he walked into the darkness of a tunnel and disappeared. It was then the realization of her current situation now hit her. [We¡­ won?] Kotori thought. Once she left the lab, she would be crowned the winner of the queen¡¯s trial. Although Kotori had experienced quite a bit of renown in her past life she had never been put in a position of power. The realization washed over her in waves and she felt a cold sweat begin to appear on her back. [I¡¯m a scientist! I didn¡¯t study political science!] She thought. She thought for a moment and suddenly paused as a lightbulb went off in her head. [Wait? I¡¯m going to have a ton of retainers and stuff like that to manage my affairs right? And I¡¯ve got Fawks, I can just toss it all to him, no?] She felt her head unconsciously nodding as she began to imagine her royal life. Kitsura Hey folks, did you know I can update more than one time in a month? Chapter 200: WOOT! I have a new book When Gods Fall, this is my first attempt at Wuxia style novel, please lend me your support! ? ¤Ä ?_? ?¤Ä ? ¤Ä ?_? ?¤Ä I want to be on Wuxia World! Fawks watched with bated breath as he saw the figures emerging from the Lab, while arriving sooner was not necessarily good it meant that the people who had entered had at least retrieved something. The first figure he saw emerge was his younger brother Mathias¡¯s group. The adventurers who were in the group looked around in daze as if they weren¡¯t quite sure what had happened. When asked to present an object of value the group was unable to do so. Such an event was odd, but many had assumed that it was because Mathias had failed in his mission. Initially, Fawks was not particularly surprised that Mathias has failed, but when he inquired to the adventurers that had exited with Mathias they all were unable to describe the second half of their trip at all. All of them mentioned being ambushed and placed at the entrance of the lab, the figure who had ambushed them has struck so deeply in their hearts that they had given up immediately instead of proceeding further. Fawks had never heard of such a thing occurring in a lab, if someone was ambushed and attacked by monsters it was unlikely, they would be able to survive, but the adventurers were still alive and even transported to the entrance. It was a rare show of mercy that was highly unusual. The next person to exit was Hectaire, Zacariah¡¯s hired adventurer. The man was inconsolable and wailed as he left the lab, it took over 10 gold-ranked adventurers to restrain him alone. While the queen had instigated a gag order about the event, the lab was in a public place and it was witnessed by several onlookers. While restrained all he did was babble about a terrifying monster in the lab, who had control over life and death. This greatly shocked all who heard the news, combining the accounts of Hectaire and Mathias¡¯s group, there was some sort of terrifying monster that had emerged in the lab, one far stronger than the platinum dragon. The queen began to consider prematurely ending the trial. While it was meant to be difficult and dangerous it would do no good to have all the candidates die. Now, the fates of Kotori, Deliah, and Ryla all uncertain. Still, the day before the queen order the Queen¡¯s guard to enter the lab and search for survivors the entrance of the lab was finally exited by two groups. Zacariah and Ryla¡¯s groups. Both parties were immediately questioned upon exiting. Zacariah only gave cold snorts when asked anything and the next day he had mysteriously disappeared, the chamber where he had been placed was empty and the ship was missing from the harbor. Ryla was able to explain more, based on her accounts Fawks had been able to paint a more clear picture of what had happened in the lab, and it shocked him. ¡°You must be joking me, Kotori is not that powerful¡± Fawks said as he heard Ryla¡¯s account for himself. Ever since she had left the lab, her figure had deflated somewhat, the previously proud woman had only half the presence she once had. Ryla gave a look at her younger brother. He had grown up quite a bit since she last saw him. When he first left Eris there was still a little bit of baby fat lining the edge of his chin, now it was a masculine-looking face. Still, she ruffled his tousled hair, as she had always done when they were younger. She gave a soft chuckled and looked at him with warm eyes. The first time she had looked at Fawks with such eyes in a long time. ¡°That girl you found¡­ is quite something.¡± She said before walking off. Fawks could only watch the figure of his sister moving away, it had been a long time since he had felt a familial connection to his sibling, but now he began to feel something kindle inside of him. ** ** ** In a few days, Kotori and her party had exited the lab. When asked to produce an item of value she meekly showed the crystal she had received from Lala. Upon inspection, the crystal was found to be a curious object that was a self-filling mana crystal. Such an object was unheard of and immensely valuable. It also had a capacity that was a little weaker than Platinum Dragon crystal. Such crystal was powerful enough to fill and run all the magical items in the palace with extra to spare. It was quickly dubbed a national treasure and Kotori was declared the winner of the Queen¡¯s trial. Fawks spent the next few days in the daze, one that had the palace servants nervous. Many of them asked if was ill but Fawks waved them off, No, there was nothing wrong. For he had won! Kitsura Chapter 200! We made it! Also started a new book, When Gods Fall, this is my first attempt at Wuxia style novel, please lend me your support! ? ¤Ä ?_? ?¤Ä ? ¤Ä ?_? ?¤Ä I want to be on Wuxia World! Chapter 201: Eris In contrast to the ceremony for the queen¡¯s trial, the coronation event was much more muted than Kotori expected. Fewer people came and all she had to do was give a few words before the event was done and dusted. The crown of Eris was a cumbersome thing, The first problem that was immediately apparent was that it seemed to be designed for an adult¡¯s skull. Kotori was already quite small physically, but with the crown on her head, she looked more like a lost child trying to play at a ruler rather than a ruler herself. She quickly did away with the clunky crown and instead kept wearing Hikari, the tiara would always fit on her head and due to the crystals inside it was far more useful as an ornament. Still, it was only upon thinking further that Kotori realized that the crystal that Lala had given her could be merged with Hikari. No longer would Kotori have to manually recharge the crown with her own mana, it would simply charge on its own. The tiara seemed quite content with the new upgrade, and it gave a content mumble on her head. In her mind, Kotori could see the image of an old man getting massaged. It seemed like the tiara had quite an old soul which is ironic considering that it was younger than Kotori. [Perhaps being old is a state of mind rather than a physical attribute] Kotori thought. Still, even though, the coronation was finished without many issues she still had to deal with the running of the nation. Kotori was grateful for the fact that, for the most part, the affairs of the country would be managed by the various ministers. She had only met with them once or twice when they came to offer her respects, but she mostly waved them off. In all honesty, she had Fawks managing most of the internal affairs of the country. Ever since she had come back from the Lab he had looked at her with some sort of reverence, like she was a god of sorts. At this point, he would do whatever task she told him, though truth is told, once she saw how overburdened he looked one day she decided to help out with the affairs of the countries a bit herself. The former queen seemed to enjoy much the same life she had before she abdicated the throne, a fact that wasn¡¯t lost on Kotori who began to realize how pointless monarchies were. Still, there was a sliver in Kotori¡¯s heart that told her not the underestimate the former queen. Even with that in mind, Kotori had a hard time believing the woman could be anything but a simpleton who liked to indulge in life. Based on the accounts from the maids, there had been reports of¡­ very odd orgies that happened in the palace on occasion. At one point Kotori had found a room filled with ¡°instruments¡± for the purpose of self-pleasure. She had the contents moved to the new detached palace where the old queen stayed. The queen was truly a mysterious figure. Currently, she was listening to the various ministers brief her on the events happening in the broader kingdom. Most of it was useless information, the ministers of the kingdom managed most of the affairs anyway, and if there was anything serious she threw it towards Fawks. He had become rather docile since she won. Almost like he was apologetic for putting her in this position the first. It wasn¡¯t like she didn¡¯t try to help, but really she made more of a mess than being productive. In fact, other than ceremonial procedures and a few administrative things Kotori didn¡¯t have to do much at all. ¡°The Eris kingdom has declared war on the Faramouth kingdom¡± Upon hearing this news Kotori instantly stiffened. It had been a long time since she had heard Eris being brought up in a conversation. Eris was where she had been born in this world. ¡°Papa¡± She whispered. Since the news that Eris received was across the sea it would be about a month old. This means that a war between Faramouth and Eris had started over a month ago. The minister didn¡¯t notice her expression and continued to read the news. Kotori raised her hand, indicating for the minister to stop speaking. ¡°Yes. My queen?¡± He said noticing her movement. ¡°Declare war on Eris,¡± Kotori said with a chilling tone. The man looked confused as if he misheard Kotori. ¡°Excuse¡­ me?¡± ¡°I said, I want to declare war on Eris, do I make myself clear?¡± Kotori said, repeating herself. At that moment, the man paled. Kitsura Life Updoot Recently started a new job, don''t worry it probably won''t affect my already dismal release schedule, in fact, it might improve it to be honest... But anyway, thank you for reading, and hope you can keep reading in the future! Chapter 202: Flick ¡°You can¡¯t just declare war the moment you become a queen!¡± Currently, Fawks was busy pacing the Eris throne room, he was rubbing his temples and looking at Kotori with an exasperated expression. ¡°But I want to,¡± Kotori said. At that moment, She felt a sharp pain on her forehead. ¡°Ow!¡± Fawks had suddenly flicked her on the head. She looked up to see Fawks preparing to flick her on the head again. Although Fawks had been pretty meek these past few days, he had stormed into the throne room the moment he got the news she wanted to declare war on Eris. ¡°Look, I get wanting to declare war on Faramouth and Eris, but doing that as a new queen? Are you out of your mind?¡± ¡°War, now,¡± Kotori said. She felt a buzzing in her head but elected to ignore it, focusing on the feeling of cold rage that she had inside her. ¡°You sure are obstinate aren¡¯t you.¡± At that moment a messenger came through the door. ¡°Your highness a message from the previous queen!¡± Fawks looked relieved at the news. ¡°Thank goodness, someone, to bring her to her senses. Please, tell us what the message is?¡± The messenger walked up to the throne and bowed to Kotori. While bowing he began to speak. ¡°The queen asks you to meet your friend in the Labyrinth¡± ¡°Friend in the Labyrinth? What in the hell is referring too?¡± Fawks looked confused at the news, in contrast, Kotori narrowed her eyes at the messages. [She knows about Lala?] Although she had suspicions the former queen was more than she seemed Kotori was surprised to learn that she even knew about Lala. [To what extent does she know about her? And why does she want me to meet Layla.] Kotori thought. ¡°You are dismissed,¡± Kotori said, waving her hand. The messenger nodded and then left the room. She then stood up and began to leave the throne room. ¡°Where are you going? I¡¯m not done talking to you¡± Fawks said as he watched her disappearing figure. ¡°To fulfill the old queen¡¯s orders,¡± Kotori said simply. Fawks could only watch blankly as she left. ¡°Maybe making her a queen¡¯s candidate was a mistake¡± he muttered rubbing his temples once again. ** ** ** Now that Kotori knew how to manipulate the Labyrinth with [Authority] it was a trivial matter to meet Lala. Although she did regret leaving so hastily. She was a queen, after all, she couldn¡¯t just walk around in the public anymore. Using Hikari to cover herself Kotori snuck to the Labyrinth, due to all the sneaking around it had taken her, twice the amount of time it took normally. [Being a queen is a pain] Kotori thought. Approaching the Labyrinth, she quickly dug a small hole in the side and began to dive deeper, closing the door behind her. Although Kotori didn¡¯t know if she was going in the right direction she knew that someone would be coming to meet her soon. Suddenly she heard a voice behind her. ¡°You know, you could¡¯ve just knocked¡± Looking behind her, Kotori saw a dark figure walking out the wall of the tunnel she had dug. That imposing figure wearing a dark butler outfit. ¡°Hello, Sebastian, sorry about the method of entry I didn¡¯t want to be seen.¡± Bartholomew gave an exasperated sigh at her response. ¡°For one, my name is Bartholomew, also take a left here.¡± Kotori nodded at Bartholomew and then began to direct herself toward Lala¡¯s home in the Labyrinth based on Bartholomew¡¯s instructions. Soon they arrived in the glitzy halls of Lala¡¯s adobe where Bartholomew led Kotori to a waiting room. Bartholomew then turned to Kotori and bowed ¡°I will let the lady know you are¡± He then left the room, the sound of his footsteps clicking in the halls. After a few moments, Kotori saw someone walk through the door. ¡°Lala!¡± She said cheerfully as if she was greeting an old friend. In contrast to Kotori, Lala had a sour expression on her face. Kotori assumed this was because she had woken Lala from a nap. ¡°Sorry about waking yo-¡± Kotori started to say. Before she could finish her sentence, Lala march up to her and flicked her forehead. This pain was orders of magnitude worse than the flick that Fawks had given her, and she actually felt her HP decrease slightly. ¡°Ow! What was that for¡± Since Lala had helped her in the past, Kotori didn¡¯t immediately counterattack but she was surprised at the sudden flick. ¡°Mou, I teach you about authority and elected to ignore it.¡± ¡°Authority? What do you mean?¡± Kotori asked. ¡°You¡¯re being influenced by a damn trait and you aren¡¯t even paying attention to it.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Kotori said giving a dumbstruck expression. Suddenly she felt another flick on her head. [Can people please stop flicking my head!] ¡°That little [Monte Cristo] trait you got there, I can¡¯t believe you damaged yourself just to make a little thing like that¡± Kotori felt herself frowning at Lala¡¯s statement [What does [Monte Cristo] have anything to do with this?] She thought. [Monte Cristo] was a trait that Kotori had gained very early on, in her time in this world and now Lala was telling her it was actually damage she had taken. Kitsura Keeping it real, although I will probably finish this webnovel... I''ve been pretty unmotivated recently. My first "true" novel is kinda shit ngl. Idk, I want to be a published author but I kinda suck. Sorry for being so depressing in this author note, it''s not been a good couple of days for me. Don''t feel like I''m succeeding at anything in life rn, and just wanted to vent. It feels really frustrating to put your all into something and it''s just never really good enough... Chapter 203: Purple Hydrean ¡°Here I was thinking you were some chunni girl with that skill, but it turns out you actually have no clue what it does,¡± Lala said while shaking her head. ¡°What does Monte Cristo have anything to do with this at all,¡± Kotori asked. Lala rolled her eyes even further. ¡°Please, get it into your skull before I hammer it into your head myself¡­¡± Lala seemed to pause after that sentence as if she was reminiscing on something, for the briefest of moments her eyes, the emotion looked like it left as quickly as it came and she was back to her normal face. ¡°You have [Authority] your emotions are strong enough to influence the whole damn world now. So I need to ask you to kindly control yourself and look to heal that self-inflicted ¡®wound¡¯ as soon as possible.¡± Kotori remained silent and only frowned at Lala¡¯s words. While she understood the concept of [Authority] vaguely, it was still something she didn¡¯t quite grasp. ¡°This world, is all made on a whim, you know that right? And it¡¯s with a whim that we can change it, you¡¯re not strong enough to fight ¡®him¡¯ yet, but you¡¯re a bit slow aren¡¯t you?¡± The sensation of being lectured by a girl who looked younger than her made Kotori¡¯s cheeks burn. [I¡¯m a perfectly rational person, who is this loud-mouth girl to tell me what to do] TAP! Kotori felt a sharp pain on her forehead. She jumped back clutching it, realizing that a small welt had formed. Lala looked even more annoyed. ¡°I bet you were thinking something like, this girl is so annoying, she¡¯s such a pain,¡± Lala said. Kotori grit her teeth at Lala¡¯s statement. She was indeed right, Kotori was thinking those thoughts right before Lala flicked her. ¡°So what do I do then?¡± She asked Lala. Lala gave a grin, ¡°It¡¯s simple, learn to control your emotions.¡± Kotori felt herself raising an eyebrow at that statement. ¡°Control¡­ My emotions?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s that simple. Here¡¯s a small exercise. What do you think of when you think of Eris.¡± Upon hearing the name of her homeland Kotori began to feel a white-hot fury well up inside her, her face twisted into a snarl. Lala¡¯s expression in contrast looked concerned. ¡°It¡¯s getting worse, you¡¯ll tear your own soul apart at this rate.¡± She flicked her fingers and then suddenly a large mirror appeared in her hand, she showed the mirror to Kotori. The face that Kotori saw in the mirror, was one that was wholly unlike her. Her normally delicate girlish features were twisted into a devilish scowl that furrowed her brows and made her look like someone prone to wanton anger. Realizing this she instantly righted her expression, returning to her previous appearance. ¡°I have a hard time believing that you aren¡¯t just a small child instead of a person who used to be an adult¡± Lala¡¯s words bit into Kotori¡¯s ego. ¡°Please instruct me,¡± Kotori said gritting her words through her teeth. Lala gave a smile at her response. She pulled a vial from her pocket. The vial was a purple-looking liquid surrounded by glowing crystal glass. ¡°This is an extract from Sweet Leaf.¡± Lala said. Kotori¡¯s eyes instantly narrowed, she remembered her experience with sweet leaf back in the city of Flare in Faramouth. ¡°So my training is drugging myself up?¡± Lala rolled her eyes at Kotori¡¯s statement. ¡°Just because this comes from Sweet Leaf extract doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s a drug. Here¡¯s a little fact for you, the reason why sweet leaf is so addictive is that it ¡®amplifies¡¯ emotions. The way modern humans use it is extremely crude, just to amplify pleasure, but in the past, before the Kingdom of Eris was ever a thing, tribe leaders would use this to train themselves.¡± Lala waved the vial, causing the liquid inside to slosh around. ¡°The leaders believed a calm mind created the best leaders and thus they bred this a specific variant of Sweet Leaf, a new species of plant, the purple Hydrean. A drop of this stuff normally amplifies all emotions.¡± Lala gave a grin that reminded Kotori of a certain sadist that used to train her. ¡°This is imbued with my will, so it¡¯s extra potent. Your job is to endure it.¡± She tossed the bottle towards Kotori who caught it with ease. ¡°Take a single drop each day, when the bottle is gone you may come back and we shall see how well you can control yourself.¡± "If you improve, then you will not need to take anymore, but if not" Layla snapped her fingers and ten more vials of purple liquid appeared in front of her. Kitsura Did you know I can update three times a month? Man, wouldn''t it be crazy if I wrote a chapter every day? Chapter 204: Emotions [It¡¯s just a small drug, how bad could it be] Swirling the flask around in front of her Kotori thought back to the girl that Yukio had been enamored with back in the city of Flare. [What was her name again? Adrienne right?] Although it had been not that long ago Kiyoko began to wonder if Yukio had ever made progress in his relationship with Adrienne. She did leave him a small gift to help him with that but the onus was put on him to make it work. Umi who was standing next to Kotori looked concerned as she swirled the vial of purple hydrean extract and sighed. ¡°You don¡¯t have to take that mysterious drug, if you don¡¯t want to,¡± Umi said. Kotori shook her head. ¡°No, out of respect for Lala it¡¯s probably for the best that I at least try it once. Just a single dose shouldn¡¯t be that bad¡­¡± She said her voice trailing off. Umi did not know what the nature of the purple Hydrean extract was, Kotori had not yet told her. For a moment, Kotori considers having Umi test it for her. But she rejected the idea, it was unfair, and this was her own trial anyway. [Well, there¡¯s no time like the present.] Not waiting another moment Kotori flicked open the top of the bottle and dripped a single drop on her tongue. The moment the drop of liquid touched her tongue she felt a burning sensation. It was only until it began to dissolve did she realize the burning sensation was because the liquid was so *sweet*, it was the same as drinking hyper condensed sugar water, and Kotori nearly gagged as it traveled down her throat. [so that¡¯s why they call it sweet leaf] Kotori thought. Umi was shocked at Kotori¡¯s sudden action and this led her to only watch as Kotori quickly consumed the drop of liquid. ¡°Kotori is that alright!¡± She said flustered. Kotori noticed that Umi was not using the ¡°sama¡± in her name anymore, from what it seemed, Umi tended to forget to use her formal language when she was concerned about Kotori¡¯s well-being. [Ahh Umi is too cute.] Kotori thought as she saw the spirit¡¯s reaction. ¡°Come here Umi¡± Kotori said beckoning toward her. The spirit looked surprised, but she quickly walked over to the throne where Kotori was sitting, as she approached Kotori she gave a slight bow. Looking at Umi¡¯s exposed head Kotori began to [I wanna pet her.] Kotori outstretched her hand and began to pat the top of Umi¡¯s head. Since Umi still didn¡¯t have a true human form her hair felt like less hair and more like watery silk. [that¡¯s nice¡­] Kotori thought. Umi began to tremble underneath Kotori¡¯s hand. From what Kotori could see she was blushing slightly. ¡°Mofu Mofu¡± Kotori murmured. For some reason she felt like something was off but she could not place her head on it. As she was trying to think about what had changed, she realized that she place Umi¡¯s heard in her lap and was patting Umi¡¯s head even more fiercely. She instantly pushed Umi¡¯s head away in surprise. Something was very wrong. Kotori always tried to keep some distance from Umi and now she had unconsciously brought her close for a lap pillow. Kotori stared at her hands, like they had betrayed her in some way. [What¡¯s getting over me!] She thought. Umi in contrast looked crestfallen. ¡°Umm Kotori-sama what is wrong.¡± A certain kind of feeling began to well up inside Kotori as she looked at Umi¡¯s face. [I want to pinch those cheeks] Kotori found herself shaking her head once again. She stood up and began to leave the throne room. ¡°Kotori, is everything alright¡­ you can pet my head more,¡± Umi said, her face reddened and she began to shuffle her feet. Kotori only waved her off. ¡°I need to cool my head, leave me¡± ¡°Are you sure¡± ¡°Leave me!¡± Kotori roared before storming off. After leaving the throne room Kotori¡¯s thoughts began to clear slightly now that she wasn¡¯t looking at Umi anymore. [What is going on¡­] After taking the drug that Lala had given her, Kotori found that she wasn¡¯t as in control of her action as she wished. Before when she had taken the drug she didn¡¯t have any feelings toward Umi at all. Now she wanted to rush back into the throne room and pamper her. Walking past a fountain Kotori immediately dunked her head into the cool water. The nearby maid which saw her quickly scurried away leaving Kotori to her devices. Kotori, now drenched, pulled her head out of the fountain gasping. The thoughts of wanting to Pamper Umi hadn¡¯t left. She slapped herself on the side of the head, leaving red welts but it still didn¡¯t allay the thoughts at all. As she stormed off towards her room she did have a single thought that managed to cut through the rest of them. [That damn Lala!] Kitsura I would pamper Umi tbh. Chapter 205: Endure ¡°Layla come he-¡± Kotori instantly bit her tongue. Ever since she had started taking the purple hydrean extract she had been unconsciously speaking and acting. Even when she was being careful, she would sometimes find herself patting Umi¡¯s head or ¡°Mofu Mofu¡±ing Layla¡¯s tail. She did not know what would happen if her attention lapsed. On darker notes, the mere thought of Eris sent her on rage-filled rampages. Her vision turning a cold white before eventually finding herself exhausted in the middle of a shattered room. [This is not something sustainable] Kotori thought as she listened to his latest budget report The costs of maintaining the palace had skyrocketed according to Fawks, even though they had gotten better at locking her into a room before an episode happened. She briefly considered stopping taking the extract but she didn¡¯t like that line of thinking. Quitting would be an insult to her own pride. Thus she could only endure. ¡°Holding up Kotori?¡± Fawks said, his voice trembling. He looked tense, ready to order the nearby soldier to stick her in a room to cool down as soon as possible. Kotori waved him off, ¡°I¡¯m fine, continue.¡± Fawks remained tense and continued to give his report. Once he finished, he quickly scurried off, likely not wanting to draw the ire of the already sensitive Kotori. ¡°Your highness, you have a visitor?¡± Kotori felt herself raise an eyebrow at the news given by the attendant who had snuck into the room while she was being briefed ¡°And? Why are they still here, your job is to turn them away,¡± She had restricted the number of visitors who could see her since taking the drug, it was too dangerous for her them to be in front of her if she was needlessly triggered in some way. ¡°They insisted to see you and refused to leave¡± The attendant¡¯s face was visibly sweating as he gave this information. He had stories of the new queen¡¯s temper and he didn¡¯t want to be on the receiving end. Kotori was not annoyed at all, rather she was a little intrigued. Who would be the person who came to the palace and needed to see her so desperately? ¡°Who is it?¡± She asked the attendant. ¡°The man at the door is ¡®Hectaire¡¯¡± The attendant said. [Oh?] Kotori thought as her eyebrows raised at the news. She was surprised that he would come over to the palace after being humiliated by Kotori, still, with her [authority] skill it wouldn¡¯t pose many problems to talk to him, she could shut him up before anything triggering came out of his mouth. ¡°Let him in¡± Kotori said. The nervous attendant quickly bowed and then sprinted out of the room, no doubt trying to avoid Kotori. Kotori slumped into her throne and sighed, as much as she tried to institute a gag order on her new behavior, it was impossible. News had spread that the new queen was temperamental and prone to fits of rage, and while that wasn¡¯t wrong Kotori still slightly bother by the drop in public approval. Normally, she would not be that bothered by it, but the feeling was exacerbated by the drug and had turned into a gnawing anxiety in her heart. [This drug is truly troublesome] she thought while sighing internally. ** ** ** Hectaire was silent as he walked into the hall and likewise, Kotori was silent as well. Their positions were now calcified, she was his queen and he was technically her subject. Hectaire walked towards the throne before giving a deep bow. It was Kotori who spoke first. Common Eris court etiquette that she was taught by Fawks, a ruler had a duty to greet their guests. ¡°Speak¡± ¡°it is nice to see you again my queen, I thank you for your¡­ graciousness in letting me stay in Eris¡­¡± Hectaire seemed nervous. Kotori felt herself sighing once more. The reason for his nervousness was rather evident. Since Kotori had ascended as the queen, common tradition dictated that she should hunt down the allies and other queen candidates. Of course, Kotori didn¡¯t care for that sort of quibbling and avoided passing the order once she had been coronated. In all honestly, she never had the intention of ever passing the order, but it seemed like Hectaire was still anxious about it. [Ah, this isn¡¯t going to work] She thought. ¡°Spit it out,¡± Kotori said. Her patience had also become more difficult to control with the drug, the slightest bit of frustration would make it difficult to be patient in the first place. ¡°I know how you can control the drug better!¡± This time it was Kotori¡¯s turn to be surprised. ¡°How¡­ Do you know about that! That practice is archaic now.¡± She said, her outburst more potent than usual. Hectaire''s eyes flicked about like he was looking to run ¡°From the stories I¡¯ve heard¡­ it sounded like you have been sweetleaf extract¡± ¡°And how do you know about that?¡± Kotori asked. ¡°My father was a tribe leader and I was the next in line, he forced me to take it. I became an adventurer¡­ it¡¯s also how I gained my berserk skill.¡± Kitsura Wake up Kitsura posted a new chapter. By the way, I''m a vtuber as you can tell by the recent profile changes. Here is my Twitch and my Twitter I spend most of my time malding in league of legend or being down bad on Twitter but you can go bother me for more chapters there. Feel free to call me out for more chapters. I should honestly be writing more. ¡°So, what do you want?¡± Kotori asked, if Hectaire was coming to tell this information he obviously wanted something out it. Chapter 206: A Deal Hectaire nervously swallowed. ¡°I want two things¡± ¡°Speak,¡± Kotori said. ¡°I want to know how you stopped me in the queen¡¯s trial¡± ¡°Denied¡± Kotori instantly said. The power she used to stop hectaire was the ace in her hole. And she didn¡¯t have any intention of reveal that information. ¡°ok,¡± Hectaire said. Despite the rejection, his expression did not drop. Evidently, he did not expect to get an answer to this question. He face turned more nervous as he began to speak about his second request. ¡°May you pardon me?¡± ¡°Sure¡± Kotori said, lazily. She didn¡¯t have any intention of pursuing the former candidates, even Zacariah who had fled not long after the trial finished. ¡°I promise you I won¡¯t seek reveng-¡± Hectaire began to speak until Kotori interrupted him. ¡°Sure¡± ¡°eh?¡± Hectaire said, his face suddenly colored in surprise. Kotori shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Should I care?¡± She asked. ¡°But¡­ don¡¯t you want to seek revenge?¡± ¡°Not in particular.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°THAT SCUMBAG LIED TO ME¡± Hectaire suddenly screamed. Hectaire who was already a large man had an even larger bellow which echoed throughout the palace, there was the sound of a few shattering windows as the sound echoed. [I¡¯m certain that was enough to knock some earwax out of my ears] Kotori thought. Kotori could only stare at him. ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Zacariah told me you were going to hunt down the candidates once you consolidated rule,¡± Hectaire explained. [Oh] Kotori suddenly realized as she heard the explanation. Due to the multiple gag orders from the palace, there had been little to no information that had left the palace, and the only information that had left the palace were the tales of Kotori¡¯s rage-fuel fits. At that moment, Hectaire started to tear up. ¡°Nobody wants to work with me anymore. They all call me the coward who ran away from a queen¡¯s trial.¡± Tear began to fall and then he started to bawl. ¡°They also say that since I¡¯m a loser I¡¯m too dangerous to work with¡­ I¡¯m three months behind on rent, I can¡¯t leave¡­ My daughter lives here you know¡± Watching the crying Hectaire, an uncomfortable sensation began to rise up in Kotori¡¯s chest. ¡°Hic!¡± [This is partially my fault] Kotori began to think, while a sense of awkwardness began to grow inside her. She began to pity Hectaire heavily and wanted to do anything to make him feel better. [No, control it.] She said as she realized she was being influenced by Lala¡¯s drug again. ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­ I¡¯ll forgive you¡± Kotori said. ¡°if you tell me how to deal with this drug¡± She added. Hectaire began to wipe away his tears. ¡°Ok, the secret is to indulge the emotion,¡± Hectaire said. ¡°Eh?¡± it was now Kotori turned to be confused. ¡°Yes, leaders need to be confident and decisive in their decisions. The point of the drug is not to suppress your emotions, but to be honest with them. A leader who is internally troubled will never be able to make proper decisions.¡± As Kotori heard Hectaire¡¯s explanation cogwheels began to turn in her head. [That damn girl¡­] Kotori realized that Lala had expected her to figure this out on her own. She began to wonder if the solution was really as simple as Hectaire made it out to be. ¡°Ok¡­ You may leave then.¡± Kotori said. As Hectaire began to walk away Kotori realized something [I should try to put this into practice] Taking the feeling of pity that welled up inside her. ¡°Give Hectaire some gold pieces,¡± Kotori said to a nearby attendant. Hectaire froze and turned to look towards Kotori with an extremely grateful expression. ¡°Thank you¡­ My queen¡± He said. Kotori gave him a small nod and watched his slowly disappearing back in as he left the throne room. After the doors closed behind, him Kotori felt herself sink back into the throne and give a sigh. The throne of Eris was a gaudy thing, cushioned in fine leather and made of solid gold, adorned with various gems. It was something that the previous queen has built for herself. Thinking back on the monetary struggle that Hectaire had, Kotori looked at it with some amount of disgust. She stood up from the chair and the attendants near her rose to follow. ¡°Replace this chair, have it melted down and sold, take the money and donated to all the local orphanages,¡± Kotori told them. The attendants only meekly nodded their heads not willing to enrage Kotori. ¡°As you wish my queen.¡± Grabbing Kotori also grabbed Layla who was busy lounging on a nearby ottoman. ¡°Ah! Kotori What are you doing?¡± Layla said, her face turning into a blush. ¡°Mofu Mofu¡± Kotori said gritting through her teeth. The sight of Layla¡¯s always sitting in the throne room annoyed her and watching her singular fluffy tail whip around always gave Kotori a sense of longing. An unresolved urge ever since she saw the giant tail of Okateratsu. [I wonder how it feels to fluff that tail¡­] She would often think. Still, if Hectaire was right that she should indulge herself more, that a true leader is honest with their feelings. Then Kotori was going to do just that. Kitsura Ah, it''s been a while, hasn''t it? I considered naming this chapter "Milk and Cigarettes:, but I actually wrote half of it over a month ago and decided to leave the original title. Don''t worry I haven''t forgotten about this webnovel yet. I tend to use this area as a place to blogpost, but I''ve been thinking about things lately and I decided that if I hiatus any longer this webnovel will never get finished. I will try my best to finish it by the end of the year. There are only a few more arcs left and it''s all plotted out it''s mostly a matter of writing it at this. Cheers and I hope that we can maybe reach 1 million views on this one day. I don''t make any promises that I''ll be able to keep up the quality but I do want to have a finished webnovel and get to work on my other creative projects(vtubing mostly). A lot has happened since I started this webnovel, and I''ve grown a lot as a person since I started writing, my writing not so much(lmao). This is getting long but expect regular chapter updates as long as I can manage it before my IRL jobs kills me from stress(It''s ok the term is ending in November). I might be a publishing reject but at least I''m not a loser girl. Once again follow my Twitter/Twitch for chapter updates or if you want to hear me pretend to be an anime girl online https://twitter.com/KitsuraPls https://www.twitch.tv/kitsurapls Best, Kitsura