I felt like I was floating in an endless void. The only thing near me was a full-length mirror that held no reflection.
'Can you hear me yet?'
'…'
'I guess it's still not time….'
'I'll be waiting until you need me.'
'Soon.'
Once again, my eyes shot open as I thought I heard a voice whispering in my ear. It sounded foreign, yet so very familiar for some reason.
"Ddraig?" I called out, looking around the room.
[I'm here, what's wrong?]
"Did you hear anything?" I rubbed my tired eyes.
[Like anything happening around you while you slept or any noises?]
"No…I thought I heard a voice again, but when I try to think about it, it feels like a dream…" I wasn't an idiot, I could take a guess at the source. "Anything new with my spirit?"
[It settled down and hasn't moved since a while ago. You think it's trying to reach out?]
"Maybe." I let out a tired yawn.
Not much I could do to force the issue. It's probably best to let things unravel organically if that's the case.
I rolled out of bed, catching myself before I fell onto the ground and opened the curtain to let the morning twilight fill the room. While the outside light doesn't really change, there was the slightest difference it seemed, between night and day.
I made my way over towards the empty table on the other side of the room. And I stared blankly, tapping my fingers against the wood as I mentally searched through my personal space for some items.
"Let's see….Ebony is a must." I muttered, taking out a chunk about the size of a golf ball. "Moonstone? It would accent it well. And some Malachite would really make it pop." I stacked them next to the Ebony. Maybe some Rubies too? Nothing extravagant, but something with a tasteful elegance.
I mentally mulled it over and thought up a design and then plopped down my own Enchanting Table.
I stretched my fingers and yawned one more time, forcing myself to concentrate.
I woke up this early for a reason, let's get started.
[***]
"You are finally awake." Salem eyed me from behind the pages of her book as I entered the library.
"Sorry, I got lost in something and didn't see the time." I politely apologized, taking a seat near her. "Did you sleep well?"
"I had many things on my mind which made it difficult to sleep." She said without much emotion before the faintest smile broke through. "However, many of them were not unpleasant."
"Mmm, I haven't seen Cinder and the others. Are they around or out?"
"They are off doing something or another." Salem said rather dismissively. "I believe they are trying to chase down some man who was experimenting on Grimm and causing some concern for the Kingdoms."
"….Merlot?" I felt my eye twitch
"Yes, I believe that was the name. Is something the matter?"
"Just had to clean up a mess left behind by him. I think I'm going to have nightmares after dealing with so many Apathys…"
Salem giggled at my comment. "Did they scare you? I recall when I first created that breed of Grimm."
"My first reaction was to turn the area within a hundred miles into a smoking crater." I deadpanned. "Did you make the Chills too?"
"Those predated me." Salem shook her head. "Or rather, they came about before I mastered the Grimm Pools myself. I believe they spawned in one of the smaller pools located in the north."
"There are more Grimm Pools?" I tilted my head.
"Of course, how else do Grimm keep appearing on other Continents?" She said as if it was common sense. "It's not as if they all swim away from my domain."
"I guess I never gave it much thought."
"You are new to this world, so it is understandable."
"Wow, so they really wouldn't have a chance if you actually wanted to harm any of the Kingdoms. Just out of curiosity, how easy would it be for you to bring them down?" I said it to Ozpin before, and I was pretty confident that Salem could genuinely roll any Kingdom If she wanted, but I was a little curious about the specifics.
"Of course not." Salem scoffed, slamming her book shut. "If I desired to end those pathetic Kingdoms, I would have done so centuries ago. Ozma is foolish if he believes that he is 'holding me back' or some other nonsense. I would not even have to gather a tide of Grimm to wash over any. I could merely awaken one of the slumbering Titans and there is very little they could do to stop one of them."
"…Titans?" I raised an eyebrow.
"Hmm? Yes, you would probably be unfamiliar with them as well. It's more of an old term, not one I coined. Beyond Normal Grimm are Alphas of some species. And Beyond Alphas are Ancient Grimm. And there are a handful that exist beyond those that have been called Titans, for good reason."
"Now I'm morbidly curious. Tell me of your greatest monsters, oh great Grimm Queen."
"I have my Mastra sleeping in the depths of the ocean north from here. It is the largest Grimm I have, as it is essentially a whale, if you desire a picture."
"A big whale?"
"It's more of a mobile fortress than a meaningful combatant. It sleeps within an underwater Dust Mine primarily of Gravity. It has taken in the Gravity Dust over the years and possesses the ability to fly. Its other most notable feature is that it can spew a liquid similar to the Grimm Pools to produce lesser Grimm. Something common among the Titans."
Ignoring the horrifying implications of that for the people here… "That's kind of neat. Tell me more."
She smiled faintly and continued. "Off the coast of the Mistral Kingdom is another Titan – my Leviathan sleeps in the ocean's depths. It is a bipedal Aquatic Grimm that can make land fall. Under the sands of Vacuo my Ouroboros also slumbers. It is a snake without a tail but a head on each end. In the north ice sheets, my Jotun – a two headed and four-armed behemoth waits. And Vale had a run in with my Wyvern years ago and thought it vanquished, yet it only slumbers under a mountain near the city. Amusingly those Faunus settled down near my last Titan, meaning I have one near every major settlement. My hydra lays beneath the earth near Menagerie in the south east."
"That's a mix of terrifying and awesome at the same time." I loved giant monsters, granted, the purpose of them was not something I….agreed with, which probably should be the next thing we talked about. "Salem…."
"Hmm?"
"We were both a bit emotionally drained yesterday, so there's still plenty we need to talk about. You told me some things, some boundaries of yours. I want to add some of my own too."
"Very well." She said evenly. "Tell me what you wish to say."
"I don't claim to be a good person, Salem. I've killed many people. I've done illegal things, admittedly some for stupid reasons. But, I do have morals, Salem. My other girls too…other than Jinn, we all have blood on our hands, some more than others. I know you don't care about the people around you, that you don't even see them as people. But I can't be with someone who willfully slaughters and harms innocent people to achieve their goals."
I would be a hypocrite to deny Salem because of that outright. Even Artoria, someone I would respect as having the moral fortitude that I could only envy, had killed innocents and done other morally dubious acts in the past during her reign. None of us were without sin, but I like to think that everyone was trying to be better.
I didn't know what I would do if she didn't agree. But I know that a further relationship would be impossible.
If need be, I would kill every Grimm in the world and stop their continued creation.
And I know that she personally hadn't made a move in a long time, but I wanted a promise from her for the future.
"If that is your desire, I will oblige by it." Salem responded emotionlessly. "I will not pretend to care about those people you speak of, but I will not intentionally cause them any more harm nor will I have a hand in it."
"Thank you."
"There is no need to thank me." She gave one of her cute little huffs. "I have nothing to gain by doing so any longer regardless of your request."
"Um….I have something – " I fiddled around in my pockets until I found what I was looking for. "I have made a unique one for each of the others too…" I held out my hand to show her a bracelet storage space like what everyone else had.
Salem's eyes focused on it and she hesitantly accepted it from my hand. "It's beautiful." She said softly. "You made this for me?"
"Yeah, I woke up early so I could get it done in time. If you channel some Magical Energy into it, you can access the folded space attached to it to keep things inside."
"It's wonderful." Her expression was soft as she continued to stare at it. "I don't know how long it's been since I've received a gift like this…."
"I tried to make it match you. I know you said that your favorite color was black, so I used ebony as a base. And I added rubies because I thought they would match your beautiful eyes – "
Salem abruptly got up from her seat and walked a few steps over to mine and promptly sat right down into my lap and leaned against me. "Your gift is greatly appreciated." She whispered, giving me a light kiss on the cheek. "Thank you."
I happily wrapped my arms around her as she fiddled with the bracelet, getting it around her wrist. The beautiful smile she had as she held it up to the light was breathtaking.
She was….somewhat stiff in my arms, obviously she was unused to this kind of thing, but she was obviously trying so I didn't say anything. I admit that the sudden bluntness to her trying to be affectionate had its own cute charm to it.
"Tell me about the others." She said, still enthralled by her bracelet. "I wish to know about the ones with whom I will be sharing your affection."
"Well, you already met Scáthach. I assume she introduced herself a bit?"
"Yes, she explained her origins and what she is. I admit that some of the terms and explanations were unknown to me."
"I'll gladly fill you in on the details later. And you'll have all the access to anything you want. If you want to study any of the world's Magecraft that I have been too, you're free to do so."
She paused, turning to look at me. She leaned in and gave me another quick kiss on the lips. "Continue."
I guess she was happy about that. It's probably her way of expressing herself. As much as I wanted to tease her about it, I didn't think it was really a good idea at this particular point. I was happy she was making the effort as it was. "Artoria Pendragon would be the next. She's a Knight and a former king. She's not a Magus, but she has a phenomenal amount of Magical Energy due to a Dragon Core implanted inside her when she was young. She's very straightforward and a kind and honorable woman. She's also Like Scáthach, a Servant and she's the Servant of Rin Tohsaka, my Grandfather's student and a close friend of mine."
"I always found it strange in the past. The idea of Knight isn't foreign to me, nor are people who don't utilize their Magic. However, the combination of both never made sense to me. It was something even when I was a young girl."
"She has her own reservations about casting spells and what-not. But she does use it in a basic sense to make herself stronger and to do other things."
"It's not my place, so I won't speak ill. Merely voicing my confusion at the logic of such decisions."
I nodded and continued. "For Servants, next we have Minamoto-no-Raikou. Or just Raikou." I paused, realizing something obvious. I took out my Kaleidophone and messed with it until a picture of Artoria appeared. "This is Artoria."
"She is….shorter than I had imagined." Salem nudged my phone closer to her face. "She is very beautiful."
"Through certain circumstances, her physical aging was halted when she was alive." I didn't elaborate as that was more her story to tell, but this much should be okay. "And this is Raikou." I said, moving the picture along.
"…..I see why you like her." Salem muttered, glancing down at her own chest for the briefest of moments.
"She's a swordswoman and a Demi-God. However, her Godly heritage manifested in the form of a type of 'demon' from my homeland. I won't divulge too much as it's personal, but she suffered a lot in her life and has a sort of warped mentality in some places. She refers to herself as my mom, and I won't ever correct her."
"I will not claim to understand it, but I will respect it nonetheless." Salem acknowledged. "And I do not believe I have the context available to quite understand everything else. Your Lover – Scáthach, said that these Servants were once famous individuals, I assume there are stories written down to accompany them that I can procure?"
"Of course. Whatever you want or need, I'll help you."
"A Demi-God….what a fantastical existence….."
"…Don't hold your breath quite yet."
Salem stared at me. "I assume you're going to tell me something that will make me question my own existence again. Proceed…" She let out a tired sigh. "I have already accepted that my life is different than it was merely a week ago."
"Alright, we'll get through the easy ones first."
"The Demi-God was one of the easy ones, is it?"
"…..you want me to answer that?"
"Proceed." She sighed again.
"This is Yasaka." I changed pictures again.
"A faunus?" Salem looked at it curiously. "No she has multiple traits.."
"She's a Youkai. Which….is a hard term to explain without context. It's an umbrella term for a lot of different types of 'creatures' and beings from my homeland. It can include ghosts, demons, and other things. Specifically, Yasaka is a Nine-Tailed Fox, one of the strongest types of Youkai. She's also a Miko – a Priestess, for Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess from my home."
"She certainly has impressive proportions." Salem muttered.
"Oh, and a small detour – here's our Daughter, Kunou." I happily showed off my little fox. "She adopted me a while ago, and then Yasaka and I sort of got together."
"…cute." Salem said very quietly.
"And you apparently know Jinn – "
"Yes, the Spirit of the Relic of Knowledge who apparently is a deviant of the highest order." Salem huffed.
Well, that's not untrue.
"And here's Venelana Gremory." I changed the picture once more. "She's a full blooded Devil…."
"…and?" Venelana raised an eyebrow. "You stopped."
"….Don't judge me."
"Do you wish me to lie and say I won't?"
"She's my Grandmother."
"…that is not what I expected to come out of your mouth." Salem stared blankly for a moment. "And you care about her in this way?"
"I never knew her as a Grandmother. Which is a story I haven't really told yet. Suffice to say, I'm a bastard and was essentially tossed away at some point. I only recently met her and, well….I like her which led to things happening."
"It's not the strangest thing I've seen." Salem simply said. "And next?"
"Right, next." I cleared my throat. "This is Izzy." I changed the picture once more. "Her full name is Izanami."
"She seems pleasant."
"She's a Goddess of Death and Creation and one of two Gods responsible for the creation of my home country."
Salem opened her mouth briefly and closed it again.
"She's very sweet and I've been friends with her for awhile before we got together, which was rather recently."
"…I will take your word for it." Salem forced out. "I do not have any understanding of Gods beyond the Brothers, and I am hesitant to consort with any after what happened to me. Compared to the Brothers….how powerful is this Goddess of yours?"
"That's a difficult question to answer. She's never been a fighter and she isn't actively worshiped due to certain reasons you can figure out after reading the myths. But….your Brother Gods would probably be stronger; however, they would not want to tangle with her if they could help it."
"This will require time to come to terms with. When I think of Divine beings, only hate and anger remain instead of reverence."
"We can move at any pace you feel comfortable with." I reached for her hand, giving it a squeeze. "Though, the next and last is a bit…."
"Another Goddess?" Salem asked.
"Sort of."
"I question how one can be only 'sort of' a Goddess." She gestured for me to continue.
I flicked the screen again, finally moving to the last on the list, but my first love. "This is Meridia Daedric Lord of Life and Light. The world she's from, that's basically the equivalent of being called a Goddess, however…..if we use the comparison of your Brother Gods again." I tapped my chin thinking about how to word this. "Meridia is to your Gods what your Gods are to Mortals."
"….could you please elaborate?"
"Meridia, if she brought her entire strength to bear, could destroy the Brother Gods with ease. She's the Universal concept of Light and Life that was created near the dawn of her Universe. She's older than Remnant by such a large number that counting it is pointless. She could crush this planet between her fingers if she chose to. However, she's mostly limited to her realm of existence, otherwise others of her kind would make a move on it and usurp her domain."
"….I see." Salem said evenly. "And how…..I wish to word this politely, but I don't know how to phrase it."
"Just say it, I won't take offense."
"Why is such a being with you?"
"Funny story actually…." I chuckled remembering it. "So I cleansed a temple of hers from a Necromancer – she absolutely despises things that overturn the natural order of life and death such as necromancy. I cleanse it, right, and she sends some tiny part of her attention my way, asking me what I wanted for a reward."
"Please tell me this isn't going where I think it is." Salem covered her face with her hand.
"….After some talking, and with a promise of a reward, I asked her to be my woman."
"How are you alive?"
"Quick thinking, a bit of charm, and lots of luck." I offered. "I fully admit it wasn't my brightest moment and I wasn't exactly the bastion of maturity at the time."
"Clearly." She drawled. "Any others I should know about?"
"That's it for my harem. If we're talking about friends and family, well. My Grandfather is the most immediate. And there's more of a story there that starts off with my birth and everything that comes with that."
"It will be a long story, I presume."
"Yeah, but I wanted to talk to you about a couple other things before that."
"Very well, what do you wish to discuss?" She looked at me curiously.
"Um…this may sound weird since we just started…dating, but I didn't know if you were happy here or not or if you would like to come live with me…or rather in my world?"
"You are asking me to live in your world? A world with Magic still alive and other wonders that I have craved for since my people perished thousands of years ago?" She asked, though it was mostly rhetorical. "I nearly agreed without a mere thought to the contrary. But I find myself in a weird state of mind. The fact that I would be leaving my…..home. It feels strange and I don't know how to feel about abandoning it."
"There's no pressure, and I just wanted to offer in case you were unhappy here. There's no need to decide now or any time soon, we have a long time together." I squeezed her hand again. "You're welcome to come with me and explore any time too. I can set it up so you can come and go as you want."
"I would like that very much." She smiled peacefully.
It's hard to guess Salem's thoughts on the matter. On one hand, people are sentimental about their homes. On the other hand, everything she knew and loved about her home was gone.
"There is something else." I scratched my cheek a little awkwardly. "Would….you like to go on a date with me?" I don't know why I felt a little flustered asking her that outright.
"A date?" She tilted her head. "What sort of outing did you have in mind?"
"The Clock Tower – the Mage's Association that is from my home. It's having a sort of soiree for a bunch of the younger generation. My Grandfather is someone of status and he asked me to attend under the family name and I'm allowed a date for the affair."
"A get together with prominent families of what sounds like an aristocratic society based around Magic." The corners of Salem's lips tugged upwards. "I assume there will be political rivalries, backstabbing, attempts at subterfuge and all manner of deal making."
"At a minimum. If someone doesn't die, it will be a boring evening."
She raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps I underestimated this association of yours then."
"You did. I don't think you quite understand what kind of place it is, but that's fine. Consider the worst sort, those kinds of people that would do anything to progress their own means."
"And it's filled with that sort?"
"That's the norm." I said honestly. "If you walked up into the place and told everyone you were immortal, they would do anything they could to put you on a table and dissect you to learn your secrets."
"They can try." Salme scowled.
"Peace, Salem." I squeezed her hand again. "I'm just giving you an example. You wouldn't even have to do anything because I would kill anyone who tried to harm you."
Her expression softened and she gave me another kiss on the cheek. "Having someone be protective of me is odd yet satisfying." I could feel her relax in my arms. "Will it be a problem that I do not know much of your Magical Society?"
"Unfortunately…yes." I pursed my lips in thought. "But I just had a thought."
"Hmm?"
"I did have an errand I was going to run before I headed back home from Remnant. Would….you like to come with me and see another world? I'm going to check in on a Magic Family that is working under me for various things and I think that may be the answer to this little dilemma as well."
"That sounds…delightful." She smiled warmly.
[***]
I held my hand out and Salem gracefully took it, stepping out from the portal that connected Remnant to just outside the Yggdmillennia families' castle.
She immediately began looking around the surroundings. And then her eyes turned upwards at the starry sky. "Your moon is whole."
"Right, I forgot you would probably notice that right away."
"It's fairly hard to miss. Did no God throw a tantrum and destroy yours?" Salem grunted.
"No Gods would be able to destroy the moon here. It's a bit…different compared to Remnant. It's hard to explain, but that's why we're here."
"Mmm, your stars are different too. I spent too long memorizing the constellations back home that these look utterly out of place." Salem snapped her fingers and red eyes glowed in her shadow. A small Nevermore emerged and landed on her arm. "Surveil the area." She commanded, and it flew off.
"I almost forgot that you had the Grimm in your shadow." I looked down at the ground, many red eyes flashed back at me. "Did you want to get a look around the area?"
"Yes, I wished to see from the sky." Salem nodded. "And your lover helped me correct a few mistakes with my spell. She also gave me the idea to instead inscribe the Runes directly into my shadow as opposed to creating a spell to interact with it."
"That's….a fascinating train of thought." I tapped my chin. "You'll have to show me when you get somewhere with it. How many Grimm do you have in your Shadow now?"
"About Six thousand of various types." She smiled proudly.
"So you're carrying a veritable army with you."
"Of course, I am the Grimm Queen." She said haughtily.
"Scary."
"Quite." She still looked rather proud of herself. "Is this the place?"
"Yup, good ol' Yggdmillennia Castle." I confirmed as we approached the large gate. We didn't even need to stop as it opened up to welcome us.
"Lord Schweinorg, we welcome your return." Darnic politely bowed in greeting.
"Darnic, a pleasure." I nodded to him. "And this is Salem." I gestured to my lovely companion. "She is to be treated the same as me. Her word is my word. And answer any questions she may have, regardless of how 'common sense' they may be in your eyes."
Darnic's eyes flashed as he inspected Salem, no doubt noticing her uniqueness. "I will make sure to relay your words to everyone."
"Thank you Darnic."
"May I ask the purpose of your visit, Lord Schweinorg, and Lady Salem?"
"I've come to inspect your progress and procure some other supplies." I stated.
"Your defenses here are impressive." Salem noted, looking around. "I lost count at how many types of Barriers you had around this castle."
Darnic didn't react to her verbiage. "Your words honor us, Lady Salem. We have a rather unique method to establish the Bounded Fields around the castle. We use an ancient sundial Mystic Code as a focal point and tie twelve different Bounded Fields that correspond to each hour and rotate accordingly. This makes it nearly impossible to break through without resorting to overpowering it in its entirety as they change enough that someone attempting to undermine one will not have enough time before it changes to something completely different."
"Why are there so many active then?" Salem inquired, taking a rather odd tone. Perhaps because she recognized him as an 'equal' in that he was a Magic User as she was.
"We have had unwanted guests the past few days so we have been on alert. In times of crisis, we can activate the Mystic Code to produce all twelve Bounded Fields simultaneously."
"Fascinating." Salem whispered.
"Trouble with unwanted guests?" I asked.
"Nothing that you need to be concerned with, Lord Schweinorg. They have been dealt with accordingly." Darnic said simply.
"What are those?" Salem tugged on my sleeve and whispered in my ear as a group of white-haired people in uniforms passed by.
"Those are Homunculi. You can think of them as artificially created beings that don't require a womb to be birthed. Mostly created through the use of certain Alchemy practices. They're basically Magic Circuits in the forms of humans rather than humans." At least those specific ones were.
Salem was silent as she digested that information. I guess she didn't have the equivalent back on Remnant.
She could guess what Magic Circuits were at the very least.
Darnic led us through the castle corridors as Salem looked at everything in wonder. And it was genuinely enjoyable to see her like this. It was as if she wasn't the Grimm Queen, or the Old Witch she called herself. No, her eyes were filled with genuine curiosity and intrigue.
"Here we are." Darnic announced, pushing open the door. "This is the fourth Green house we've created as the yields have been improving."
"And what are the yields like?" I asked.
"One moment." Darnic asked, walking to the side and rummaging through a few books. "The records have not been tallied since last week, but this should give a rough estimate." He handed the book over. "Overall, we have seen a 40% increase on nearly every plant bar the more temperamental ones."
Salem leaned over my shoulder to look as I opened it up. "Magical Plants for making potions." I explained quietly. "Darnic and his family have been producing them for me as per an agreement we have." I looked up at Darnic. "Would you please fetch my quota, Darnic?"
"Immediately, Lord Schweinorg." He bowed and left the room with haste.
"Nearly everything Magical has died off on Remnant. There were such things in the bygone age, but to see it flourishing so openly…" Salem whispered, taking a hesitant step towards one of the potted plants. She gently touched a leaf on a Blue Mountain Flower. "I can feel the Magic coursing through it with a mere touch…"
"Are you okay?" I put a hand on her shoulder as she was acting uncharacteristically.
'It's beautiful." She whispered again, gently letting it go. "I didn't think I would ever see something like this again."
"Would you like some?" I asked, as the thought randomly came to my mind.
"…you would give me my own?" She looked at me in surprise.
"Salem, I would carve out my heart if you asked me to."
"Foolish." She huffed, blushing ever so slightly, contrasting her pale cheeks. "If it would not be detrimental. I can provide some form of payment –"
"No." I cut her off. "Salem, we're not bargaining. If you want it, I would gladly give it to you if it makes you happy."
"….very well, I know a losing battle when I see one." She once more barely spoke loud enough for me to hear. "Thank you."
"That does raise an interesting question. Would Dust help facilitate the growth of magical plants as it's basically crystallized Magical Energy?"
Salem snapped out of her mood and looked thoughtful as well. "That depends, the element needs to correlate positively to the plants. If you try to use Fire Dust, it'll probably stymy the growth and perhaps even dry it out and tarnish the soil. Earth Dust is the most obvious choice, but there might be some argument made for Water Dust and maybe even Light dust depending on how these plants conduct their version of photosynthesis."
"Have I ever told you I love it when you talk about Magic?"
"Yes, and as I have said before, due praise is welcomed." She preened. "I will enjoy experimenting with these."
"Do you need other things, like good Soil or such?"
"The soil of the Grimm Lands isn't unusable. I had a regular Garden some centuries ago that I grew bored of at some point." She replied.
"Perhaps we should locate a leyline?"
"Hmm, that is a thought as well. However, the nature of Remnant's leylines after the Brothers departed caused them to become unstable, hence our Dust came about. It may be detrimental to plant them directly on top of one. Too much Magic can be dangerous or lethal to certain types of life."
"What about –"
"I have returned, Lord Schweinorg." Darnic entered the room again, carrying a small crate. "I bring a sample of the products we created and the remaining ones are ready for you to retrieve at your leisure."
Salem's curiosity was piqued once more as she walked over and started inspecting the various vials and bottles inside, taking them out one by one to get a good look at.
"Thank you Darnic, your work is excellent as always. I have….two more requests for you."
"I am at your command, Lord Schweinorg." He bowed slightly.
"I would like two sets of Ten samples of each plant, along with the notes you've compiled on their growth process."
One for Salme obviously, but I felt like it was a good time to expand on my own end now. Or rather, what if Yasaka expanded for the Youkai? I didn't really have the patience to grow my own garden that can support my needs, but Yasaka on the other hand would thrive with such a new resource.
"That is an easy enough request, however, it will delay the next Greenhouse expansion, if that is acceptable?"
"It is." I nodded. "Next, I would like something a bit more….unique. I would like you to gather any books you have on the basics of Magus Society. From early magical learning, to the history of the Mage's Association."
"I….will follow your order, Lord Schweinorg. But I am a little confused about what you're looking for."
"Let me rephrase…" I tapped my chin. "Imagine that you're introducing someone completely new to our world and you're expecting them to go to a party with the scions of the most notable families. Get everything they would need to prepare."
Darnic glanced at Salem then back at me. "I believe I know what you're asking for, Lord Schweinorg. I will prepare the materials for your purview shortly." He bowed his head again and departed once more.
"Could you be any more obvious?" Salem said dryly.
"Salem, I could tell them that you're a white platypus and they wouldn't bat an eye and agree with me. I said they work for me, but that was being very polite. They're alive because I showed them mercy and they are aware of this face."
"Hmm, I retract my words then. If they are your underlings, merely issue the commands then." Salem changed her tune fairly quickly. "These are interesting. I am tempted to try them."
"….don't randomly drink things."
"I am Immortal, what could possibly harm me?" She rolled her eyes. "However, I am not a child that will put anything inside of my body on a whim. When is this soiree of yours so I know how long I have to prepare."
"A few days, but we can tweak that to give you some more time."
"Hmm, hopefully that will be enough time to learn the basics of this world. I do not wish to appear a fool in front of your peers."
"I barely even stay in the Clock Tower." I waived it off. "I'd rather you enjoy yourself and we just have a good time. I would have gotten you everything to know about my home regardless and I know you like looking into this sort of stuff."
"That is true." Salem found a chair to sit down in at the side. "We have time at this moment. Would you begin your story?"
I suppose I had no reason to refuse. I walked over and joined her, sitting at the seat to the side. "First, let me tell you about who Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg is."
[***]
I stretched my arms and yawned.
A late night study session, I hadn't had one of those in awhile. But it's always pleasant to spend time with Salem.
She seemed content with where she was with her 'studies' and I didn't want to overly disturb her while she was getting familiar with my world.
And thus, the monochromatic light of Yomi greeted me as I stepped out of another portal.
I wanted to see my Izzy.
Though, the taste of Lightning and Storms filled my mouth as soon as I stepped out. The feeling of divinity pressing down on the surroundings filled up this usually desolated place.
Izzy stood on her porch with Susanoo standing protectively in front of her, his Storm raging around him creating an actual atmospheric reaction above us.
I would normally assume that Susanoo was throwing a fit or some other nonsense, but no, there was a third person present.
A few dozen yards away stood a man in a Hawaiian shirt with prayer beads around his neck and sunglasses on his face.
Purple Lightning danced across his skin in response to Susanoo flexing his Storm.
Was that….Indra!?"
"Well, well, if it isn't the Devil Bastard." His head turned and his eyes narrowed at me. "Saves me the trouble of finding you myself."
What the fuck did I just walk in on?
[***]
Non-Canon (Maybe?) Omake - Girls only chat.
Grimm_Queen has Joined the chat!
I'm_Not_Actually_Blue: Hey, Salem finally joined!
Foxy_Momma: Welcome! I'm glad you finally came around.
She_Who_Invites: Welcome.
Spear_Witch: Good to see you join.
Oni_A_Mother: Hello!
Loyal_Knight: Greetings.
Mother_of_the_Devil: Welcome to our secret group chat!
Legs_For_Days: Welcome.
Legs_For_Days: Dammit Wilhelm.
Legs_For_Days has left the chat!
Lady_of_Light has joined the chat!
Lady_of_Light: There.
I'm_Not_Actually_Blue: Did Wilhelm change your username again?
Lady_of_Light: Of course, who else would do so? I foolishly believed him when he said he wished to 'update' my device.
Grimm_Queen: Thank you for the invitation. I admit, I am still surprised by the acceptance into this group. I did not think that a group of women vying for the attention of one man would be so welcoming.
Mother_of_The_Devil: For a lot of us, it's not strange for a powerful person to have a harem. Though I was the only one with previous experience and it wasn't nearly as open and welcoming as this one has been.
I'm_Not_Actually_Blue: I just like having a big family!
Foxy_Momma: You're so adorable! Whoever is closest to her, give her a big hug for me.
Oni_A_Mother: Will do!
Grimm_Queen: I noticed you said 'person' when mentioning harems. Is that intentionally?
Mother_of_The_Devil: Oh yes. While most supernatural societies reflect human society in that they're male dominated, there are certainly predominant women with their own harems. If I wanted to, I could have my own without anyone even raising an eyebrow down in the underworld.
Loyal_Knight: Would it not be more difficult to have relations with a large group of men as opposed to the opposite?
Mother_of_The_Devil: Who said they all have to be men?
Loyal_Knight: How….lewd.
Spear_Witch: Little lass is blushing now.
Loyal_Knight: Don't tell everyone that!
Foxy_Momma: Now I'm curious. How many of us here swing both ways?
Mother_of_The_Devil: Is this your subtle way of trying to confirm for yourself?
Foxy_Momma: Oh dear, if I was asking for myself, I would not be subtle~
Mother_of_The_Devil: Fair enough. As much as I enjoy a man in bed, a woman just scratches a different kind of ich."
Spear_Witch: I have laid with women in the past. I would not mind the occasional tryst as long as our shared interest is involved. However, I prefer a man inside of me over a woman."
I'm_not_Actually_Blue: I don't know! I've never had sex with a girl before!
Oni_A_Mother: I believe I am the same, preferring Master's touch only. But the idea to share on occasion is not repulsive.
Loyal_Knight: I have come to understand that I find both genders attractive, but prefer a relationship with a man.
Lady_of_Light: I have not given any consideration to anyone beyond Wilhelm for relations. However, if such a thing were to change in the future, I believe the ones present would be acceptable.
Foxy_Momma: If you ever want to experiment, feel free to let me know~ Wilhelm isn't the only one to admire those long legs of yours.
She_Who_Invites: Down, you horny fox.
Foxy_Momma: That invitation is extended to you too Lady Izanami. And everyone else for that matter. I think Wilhelm has excellent taste and I would absolutely love to get better acquainted.
She_Who_Invites: Noted. And I am the same as most of us, it seems. I don't mind either gender, but I prefer a man in most situations.
Grimm_Queen: This is not what I expected when I joined this group.
Foxy_Momma: What did you expect?
Grimm_Queen: The subtle backhanded insults, the attempts at subterfuge and trying to gain advantage over other members of the Harem. Perhaps vying and competing for Wilhelm's affection at every opportunity.
Mother_of_The_Devil: Take it from someone who did experience that for centuries. It's much too exhausting and this is much more fun.
Spear_Witch: I would not have accepted such a situation.
Foxy_Momma: Double for me. I would not have allowed Kunou to be raised around that kind of unhealthy environment. I don't know how you handled it, Venelana.
Mother_of_The_Devil: Oh, everyone learned very quickly that my children were not part of their games. Some had to learn the lesson the hard way.
Loyal_Knight: I believe I am of a similar sentiment. I would stepped away from this relationship if there was consistent infighting.
Lady_of_Light: I would have simply removed any volatile elements.
I'm_Not_Actually_Blue: That sounds so sad. I like it better when we all get along and I don't mind sharing with everyone!
Grimm_Queen: I see….
Grimm_Queen: And what is the purpose of this 'chat' then?
I'm_Not_Actually_Blue: To keep in touch!
Foxy_Momma: Or really talk about anything. An hour ago, we were talking about our favorite songs. And the other day it was about vacation spots this summer.
Loyal_Knight: It is also a good method to ask for assistance if required.
Foxy_Momma: But honestly, it was created for one original purpose in mind.
Grimm_Queen: And what would that be?
She_Who_Invites: Wilhelm.
Grimm_Queen: Yes? That is the reason we have gathered, is it not?
Loyal_Knight: No. She means it's to look after Wilhelm.
Spear_Witch: Our lover has a habit of finding trouble.
Lady_of_Light: Either by his hand or not.
I'm_Not_Actually_Blue: If there's something happening, he's either the cause of it or involved in some way.
Mother_Of_The_Devil: Never a dull moment with my precious Grandson. Like the time he tracked down Jack the Ripper in another world just so he could have a climatic sword fight at night on the rooftops of London? It turned out that he was a demon in disguise…..
She_Who_Invites: I will still point out the time he facilitated multiple invasions of the local afterlife of another world he took me to.
Loyal_Knight: Or the time he found an alternate version of me participating in the Fourth Grail War and proceeded to get into a fist fight with Lancelot after removing his Mad Enhancement while proclaiming himself the Rightful Queen of Camelotand elaborating in detail by what that actually means. Explicit detail.
Oni_A_Mother: Master also found another Grail War that had a despicable Oni participating. He took me there for our anniversary. It did not end well, but it was a lovely date.
Spear_Witch: If I recall, was that the one where his Grandfather kicked him out of the world-line?
Oni_A_Mother: No that was….another one.
Grimm_Queen: …
Spear_Witch: Yes, and the time he brought me to see that 'Chaldea'. He mistook the local version of myself as his and proceeded to grope her without regard. It caused a large brawl in the kitchens that escalated to involve the majority of the Heroic Spirits summoned.
Foxy_Momma: Didn't that also end with both of you in his bed?
Spear_Witch: Yes it did.
Grimm_Queen: I am starting to understand the necessity.
I'm_Not_Actually_Blue: Oh, tell her about the Dragons!
Lady_Of_Light: I was asked by Akatosh that we not mention that anymore.
Grimm_Queen: And this Akatosh is….?
Lady_Of_Light: Similar to me, but his sphere is over the domain of Time and older than the concept itself. Also the creator of all Dragons as they are parts of his soul.
Grimm_Queen: What could possible cause such a being to make that request?
Foxy_Momma: I only heard bits and pieces, but something about forced Dragon fighting pits?
I'm_Not_Actually_Blue: We learned that 47 Trolls can take down a dragon if it can't fly away.
Loyal_Knight: And the spiders…..Rin still has nightmares.
I'm_Not_Actually_Blue: Yeah, the spiders. That poor dragon. I think that's when everyone realized they went too far….
Grimm_Queen: I am genuinely horrified to even begin questing this and I make horrendous monsters for entertainment.
Lady_Of_Light: As I said, do not mention it anymore.
Grimm_Queen: What exactly did I sign up for?
Mother_Of_The_Devil: Unconditional love and affection with an unhealthy dose of madness and mayhem?
Foxy_Momma: Sounds about right.
Loyal_Knight: Very accurate.
Oni_A_Mother: Master is very mischievous.
Spear_Witch: It makes life interesting.
Lady_Of_Light Continuous Exasperation.
Grimm_Queen: And there are no regrets with how things turned out?
I'm_Not_Actually_Blue: Nope!
She_Who_Invites: No.
Foxy_Momma: Absolutely not.
Oni_A_Mother: I am happy beyond words.
Loyal_Knight: I have no complaints.
Spear_Witch: This Scáthach is content.
Lady_Of_Light: I would not have him any other way.
Grimm_Queen: It seems I have much to look forward to then.
Spear_Witch: Speaking of, where is my student now? He's due for some instance of trouble any day.
Lady_Of_Light: He visited some hours ago, but I know not where he went.
Foxy_Momma: Don't worry I got him here. He fell asleep with his head on my lap.
I'm_Not_Actually_Blue: Awww, send a picture.
Foxy_Momma: [Picture]
Oni_A_Mother: I'm saving that one.
Mother_Of_The_Devil: So cute~
Grimm_Queen: He has asked me for this before. Is it a common occurrence?
Spear_Witch: Yes, I let him lay his head upon my thigh as a reward.
Loyal_Knight: He also asks me often.
Oni_A_Mother: Master loves a lap pillow~
Grimm_Queen: I will make a note of it then. Is there anything else I should be aware of? What does he enjoy?
Foxy_Momma: This [Picture]
Loyal_Knight: Yasaka!
Spear_Witch: I suppose he is awake now.
She_Who_Invites: Is it another lewd picture?
I'm_not_Actually_Blue: lewd.
She_Who_Invites: Must you post these? I haven't done anything like that yet and now I already know what he looks like down there.
Oni_A_Mother: She's giving Master a 'hand'.
Lady_Of_Light: I have already learned not to view any pictures she sends without waiting for everyone else.
Mother_Of_The_Devil: I almost opened it up. I'm a charity function. That would have been an awkward conversation to have with those around me.
Foxy_Momma: Ufufufu
Grimm_Queen: ….should I assume this is normal behavior?
I'm_Not_Actually_Blue: Oh, I forgot about Salem. She only just joined, woops.
Foxy_Momma: I forgot we had someone new here. Sorry for not giving you a warning.
She_Who_Invites: And I don't get this supposed warning?
Foxy_Momma: You already know what I'm about.
She_Who_Invites: …..I'm annoyed that this is a valid answer.
Grimm_Queen: I'm not upset. It's not as if it's my first time seeing his member.
Loyal_Knight: Oh my…
I'm_Not_Actually_Blue: Damn Salem!
Spear_Witch: I believe you will fit in around here well.
[***]
A/N
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