After replenishing his credits and somewhat winning over the Grand Coven with his might, it was time for him to attend the dinner that would be served on the third floor of the Castle.
A large chamber that had an open balcony overlooking the mountainous region and allowed the fresh breeze of cold air to refresh themselves–mainly Irwin and Katja–from the earlier duel.
There were seven people seated at the rectangular table.
Olivette was atop a gilded throne on the main end of the table, her back to the kitchen area guarded by four witches. To her left was Katja and the other Grand Witch whose name Irwin refused to know, while, to her right, was the current owner of the Castle Of Endless Agony and the handful of male witches within the history of the Grand Coven, Aeneas, The Warlock.
Hephaestus, meanwhile, sat on the other end, overlooking the balcony and getting fresh air blown to his back. His left was occupied by Brunhilde and Thrudgelmir, who were miserably stuffed in plain clothing, grumbling under their breath. On the pagan god's right, however, was Irwin, delicately but ravenously munching on the roasted duck and seven different soups that bedecked the large ashen table.
Seeing as Irwin was enjoying the meal, the others continued their small talk. The witches talked about rumors of demons moving towards the New World, the newest alchemical concoction their spare potioneers had concocted, and even talked about a child-eating pagan stalking the forest west of the Castle.
The trio, on the other hand, seemed meek and curt with their answers. Only Thrudgelmir was joyful enough to entertain the others of tales from his homeland, although from what Irwin could tell, the giant had probably told all of them more than once.
As such, there was a sudden breath of relief that was released into the room when Irwin wiped away the last morsel of food from his mouth and asked his question.
"The food is delicious." He said, not minding the tense awkwardness. "Pray tell, what is it with you witches that… gave your confidence to spy upon me?"
"Pardon?" Olivette had a quizzical look on his face and so did the other witches.
One thing Irwin loved about his Enhanced Physique was that it also enhances his senses–particularly, his eyesight. As such, Irwin clearly saw every minuscule reaction that occurred between his words and as if he had been inspecting them with a magnifying glass.
As such, Aeneas' locked jaw and unfocused eyes were all laid bare to Irwin. Of course, such a feat could not be done at will, as the concentration needed was on-par with his strongest spell.
He gave the warlock a smile. "I know I am merely a guest in your home, but do refrain from doing so next time. My powers, although not versatile, pale in comparison to whomever cast the spell."
Olivette gazed at Aeneas, a hint of recognition in her eyes. "I see. Well, on behalf of the Grand Coven, such impropriety will no longer happen. Especially to someone who, dare I say, is a Legacy of a Coven."
Shocked gasps erupted out of the five people seated on the table. Katja, in particular, had a violent reaction.
"This is improper, High Priestess," She said, her voice gaining a thick German accent. "I would sooner feed myself to the bowels of hell before I let this nimrod into our circle."
"I agree, High Priestess." The nameless Grand Witch doubled down with what appears to Irwin as a French accent, but of a different period. "Legacies are for those who have made significant contributions to the Grand Coven. We are not the same coven as that of Lady Anastasia and you have joined."
Before the two Grand Witches could get further heated, Irwin clapped his hands together and garnered their attention.
"I apologize for misleading you. While I do not have any… intention of joining your Coven, I do hope for a beneficial cooperation to happen between us," He said, steepling his fingers together as he gave the witches his most charming smile.
Katja had a devious grin on her face, clearly still not over the death of Hansel. "What can you offer the Grand Coven that we do not have? You are merely a bug to us."
Irwin said nothing to her, merely gazing towards Olivette. "You've recently lost a sizable force, haven't you? Raiding some nerd group's bunker."
"How did you know…" THe High Priestess' gaze widened as it turned towards Hephaestus, who was fully listening to the conversation.
The pagan god grunted gruffly. "The boy speaks with us."
"T-this is treason!" The nameless Grand Witch blurted out, her eyes erratically fleeting, between Hephaestus to Olivette.
Brunhilde chortled as she responded to her, "We are not part of your Coven, witch."
"Nonsense," Katja rammed her fist against the table, her eyes sparkling with a dangerous light. "You have a contract–"
"Which clearly states that we will not harm the interest of the Coven so long as we live upon its domain." Brunhilde recited.
"Enough." Olivette glared at the two witches before turning towards Irwin, fixing her frizzy blonde hair with a smile on her face. "It appears you have me at a disadvantage. What do you wish to propose, then?"
"Another raid, although, this time, it won't end in the pseudo-annihilation of your organization." Irwin japed.
Olivette ignored the jab as she tilted her head and played with her ear. "A raid, you say? What purpose would that bring?"
"We, alongside my forces, the trio, and what remains of your witches, will raid an island owned, operated, and inhabited by the Prince of Hell, Dagon." He held up a finger, preemptively nullifying the violent reactions from the witches and the trio. "I have personal experience with their forces, which are composed of a dozen demons. 20-30 witches, which maybe more. They used their familiars and hellhounds to attack. A handful of monster groups, including but not limited to vampires, werewolves, and I think I killed all of them, but a clan of Strigoi. We'll just add it since we're being careful. Then, Dagon herself and, oh, I forgot, an angel that is bound to a singular area. I will draw a vague map of areas and foot traffic later, if you like. Now, unto the traps which may surprise given that Dagon is so powerful, but…"
Irwin went on for four minutes and twenty-seven seconds.
Recounting the tales of his escape, his blunders, Charlotte's timely yet futile sacrifice, his battle against the angel Barchiel, and his captivity.
Although he had no time to sightsee around the island, his experience of running around and trying to find the best route out was enough to translate into something tangible and useful enough for the raid team to use.
He also added in an incentive for the witches, exemplifying the spells used by the Borrower witches and the might and grandeur of the Aegis. He knew how they were ransacked and pillaged by the Men Of Letters, so giving them a dozen or so spell books and a whole slew of ingredients that Dagon's witches should be using would be sufficient honey for them to work with him.
By the end of it, everyone was slacked-jawed–even the servants and guards–by the sheer impossibility of his tale. It was as if he had been granted the blessing of a deity of luck, albeit even that was not enough to escape Dagon.
"So…" He steadied his breath with a glass of water before asking the audience for their questions.
Hephaestus cleared his throat, earning Irwin's attention. "Uh, you implied that, uh, your mission would be dangerous… you, however, did not say that it would also be deranged. You barely came out of there unscathed–burnt and falling apart like a damn jelly."
"I know, but this time, it's different." Irwin said, gazing at Hephaestus with burning confidence.
"How so?" Olivette asked.
"Because of Barchiel, the trapped angel." Irwin's eyes swirled with madness. "The Host of Heaven would not stay put when one of them is in the hands of their archenemy."
Astounded gasps and murmurs of how mad he was extended past those who sat on the table. It was ludicrous for him to raid the sanctuary of a Prince of Hell, more so to gain the help of Heaven who deemed them as blasphemous cretins.
Olivette stood from her seat, earning the attention of all. "Shall we take this somewhere private?"
Irwin nodded. "Yes, just the two of us?"
Olivette grinned. "Just the two of us."
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