After Ash bled Ferdinand dry, he asked around where Kirsten's office was. And now, he is meeting up with Saria and the Perro.
"Ahem, have you finished your business?" Kirsten smiled at him. Though her face was twitching a bit from the blatant disregard he did earlier.
"Yes, I just had a little talk with my cute subordinate Shining here." Ash grinned at Shining and she almost sputtered at his words.
"Ash..." Shining smacked his shoulder lightly and Kirsten looked like she would have a stroke from their flirting. Even Saria's eyes were twitching like mad because they treated them like a third wheel.
"So, what seems to be your purpose here oh chairman of Asmodeus enterprise?" Kirsten clasped her fingers together and gave him a meaningful look.
"Hmmm, I don't quite know. Maybe I'll find out once you explain to me what you want?" Ash chuckled and Saria frowned. They were playing mind games with each other.
And the vouivre didn't like that at all. She is a punch first and ask questions later kind of gal.
"I see, I am honored that you are interested in my personal projects I assume?" Kirsten was pleased that he seemed to be baited to what her cause was.
'His sister Adele Naumann is a genius researcher... Maybe he is one as well? Dr. Adele focuses on originium and catastrophes. Not engineering, so that begs the question of who made the AOS?' Kirsten was calculating her chances of having his support.
"Your project eh? I think it would be interesting, if I know what it is." He shrugged and Kirsten almost clicked her tongue.
It was a great risk to inform someone else besides her benefactor and informant in Maylander. But based on reports that trickle. No doubt controlled by them. Paradiso has technology that is mysterious.
"I see, that is a fair point. I do need to tell you what my little pet project is about. Have you heard of the Wright couple?" She squinted her eyes and still couldn't forget the loss of her parents.
After they died, they were ridiculed as reckless idiots that gave their life for a useless experiment. Then when Rhine labs soared. The scientific community started to lick their boot like a dog.
So she decided to aim higher, much higher. To prove them wrong, to explore a place that has never been before. Beyond the fake sky and to the stars.
"I know of them yes, it was quite a good project. But calculations always go wrong. I guess they were too excited and failed. Safety first should be number one priority." Ash sighed.
He was being hypocritical, but Kirsten's parents really were stupid. Flying around without extensive testing first was just asking to die like an idiot.
Kirsten's breath hitched and Saria frowned. But they controlled themselves. They didn't build Rhine labs from the ground up for nothing.
"That is so, but what if I told you... That we can explore places further beyond Terra? Where originium doesn't exist? Where the discoveries could be limitless?" Kirsten had a proud look on her face.
"Ahhh? Space? So you're trying to make a space program?" Ash thought that was a really grand plan. Stupid, but grand nonetheless.
Based on the literature he read from his spare time. Nobody here knows anything about space. There was something covering the atmosphere. A barrier of sorts.
The Wrights saw the border because of their experiment. But the atmosphere of the planet is exceedingly hard to penetrate and they died due to impacting this said border.
Saria was surprised that Kirsten was secretly trying to fulfill her parents' dreams. While Kirsten thought that Ash was disinterested in leaving the planet. To find the truth of the universe.
"I see, it seems you are not interested." Kirsten gave him a cold look. But Ash shrugged and tapped his finger on the table.
"Hmmm, not interested? Now what made you think that Kirsten? I know a lot about space, far more than you can ever imagine." He smirked and Kirsten furrowed her brows.
"What do you mean?" She squinted her eyes and felt that he was ridiculing her.
"No offense, but I know more about space than anyone on Terra. At least I believe so, unless whoever created that little film on the atmosphere is still alive somewhere." Hook, line, and sinker.
Kirsten widened her eyes and gaped like a fish. Her mind was running a mile a minute.
'Does he know about the ancestors? But how? That is not possible! Preservator, does he know Preservator? It is the only conclusion... But he would tell me about it.' Kirsten was having a crisis.
"Hmm, not convinced? How about I tell you a little secret about space yeah?" Ash chuckled. He wasn't an astrophysicist or something.
But being knowledgeable about it was enough. He read a lot about all the different branches of science. Though a human has their limits in the more advanced side of things.
As a man of science, understanding the universe and its enigma was something any of them worth their salt would try to unveil.
"Astrophysics and Aerophysics is barely known in Terra. Did you know? That space is the most inhospitable environment in the whole universe? It's a vacuum, radiation is all over the place, a small piece of rice can travel for thousands of kilometers per hour and would kill you if it hits you somewhere soft." Ash started to tell the wonders of space.
Saria is a scientist too, so she was listening intently. But Kirsten was panting, basically drooling from the information he is giving.
"A vacuum, ahhh! That's why something can travel that fast? No friction! How about temperature? The gravity? What makes everything work? What lies beyond the final frontier?" Kirsten was like a child that found their favorite toy.
"Easy, easy, one question at a time." Ash laughed. Shining, Margaret, and Degenbrecher gave him a look and sighed. 'This guy doesn't really know what he does to women eh?'
They looked at Kirsten who is basically looking at him like he was the most important thing in the world. And they had no doubt what would come when the Perro gets attached.
Though they couldn't do anything about it. This is what they chose and it was already obvious that he would rope in people left and right.
'But why does it have to be women though?' They all had the question in their heads and shook their heads. Thinking that it is just a coincidence.
"Hmm, how about I tell you about the very beginning of the universe?" Ash started to explain the big bang and why it is the most definite theory of the universe's existence.
Cosmic background radiation. Saria sat down to get comfortable and the two best friends with a shaky relationship listened to him like he was the messiah.
The duo were scientists, and the ultimate pursuit of science. Is to understand everything and anything in the universe.
After a lengthy discussion, in which Kirsten and Saria were asking him about things. Especially the more complicated ones like quantum physics, Margaret coughed and pointed at a clock.
They were talking for at least an hour now and the nerds ignored the three people behind Ash that wasn't interested in their talk.
"Ahhh, it seems that the time is up ladies. You know me, I'm a businessman. Time is precious, I will see you at a later date." He smiled and was actually quite pleased talking with one of his people.
Margaret, Degenbrecher, and Shining were pleasant to be around sure. But their interests will never cross together. Talking to Gnosis and Adele would always lead to originium. Kirsten was interested elsewhere.
"Do... Do you have to go?" Kirsten frowned heavily and Saria chuckled. It was like her friend was seeing their favorite cousin go after Christmas.
"Yes, but we'll maybe meet again?" He chuckled and Kirsten looked actually depressed when they left.
Saria put a hand on her shoulder and has never seen her friend like that for years. It was like back then when they were in college.
Where Kirsten would sit her down and talk to her about how she was going to fulfill her parents' legacy.
"Kirsten, it was nice seeing you like that again... So animated, so interested. Human..." Saria frowned and remembered her state in the past few years.
She was like a robot, holed in her office. With anything not mattering to her.
"Is that so? I guess, it has been that long Saria..." They got quiet and the two noticed the awkwardness after they left.
Saria was about to stand up and leave too. But she didn't expect Kirsten's next words.
"Forgive me Saria, it seems I have ignored you and what was happening in Rhine labs for far too long." Kirsten looked at her in the eye and the vouivre went wide eyed.
"Yes, yes you did." Saria uttered and sighed. Kirsten winced at that and she gave a wry smile.
"Ash... He made me remember Saria. It felt like time passed in just a few minutes. That feeling, the desire for knowledge. Why we created Rhine labs in our apartment all those years ago." Kirsten smiled softly.
Saria blinked and didn't know what to do with what was presented to her. She then chuckled and thought she had to thank the large man.
"Did you now? You're acting weird Kirsten. I've never seen an expression like that on you unless it was about research." Saria snorted and Kirsten had a small dusting of pink on her cheeks.
"What? Ash is knowledgeable and he answered our questions patiently. Concisely, while making us understand the wonders beyond the fake sky." Kirsten bobbed her head left and right. Obviously in a good mood.
"I see, invite me to your wedding then?" Saria can only conclude that her friend was head over heels. She was like a maiden in love talking about a knight in shining armor.
Though in his case, he looked like a demon that was responsible for kidnapping the princesses. A hot one, but a demon nonetheless.
"Saria!" Kirsten glared at her and Saria ran away from her office, she would definitely thank him later. She didn't know exactly how he did it, but Kirsten was gaining back her humanity.
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At Rhine lab's lounge, Ash was sitting on a sofa while Margaret and Degenbrecher were standing in front of him, clearly in an unpleasant mood.
"Hmph, so you like those kinds eh? Those nerdy types?" Degenbrecher squinted her eyes and Margaret was just staring holes through him.
"What? We were just discussing things about space? How did our conversation lead to me being interrogated?" He raised a brow and sipped on his can of coffee without budging against a woman's wrath.
"Is that so? She was this ready to pounce on you and strip you so she could make sweet love to you." Margaret wasn't the jealous type, but him being oblivious in seducing someone is different.
Especially when they were in enemy territory. It wasn't like with Gertrude at all. He dominated her with his desires spilling out. That was fine, she knew men had needs. But seducing people with his smooth talk and charisma was another.
"Even you Margaret? What did I do wrong Shining?" He looked at his last ally because Liz was just reading, in her own world. Making herself invisible.
"It is your fault." Shining shrugged and she was a tad bit jealous too. Not that she would admit it. She wanted him to whisper and talk to her about his interests too, even though she didn't understand it.
She wanted to know his likes, desires, and just generally learn more about him. And seeing him enjoy talking with Kirsten and Saria definitely made her upset.
"I see, I'm at a disadvantage here. Let us even out the playing field yeah?" He raised his hand and the three floated.
With a small yelp, the trio were now seated precariously against him. Degenbrecher and Margaret on his large thighs while he hugged them with his strong arms.
Shining got seated right between his legs and she unconsciously leaned against his chest.
"Now that we're on equal grounds. How would you ladies like for me to make up it up to you? Tell me why you're jealous. You know you guys are important to me." He whispered into their ears.
"T-that's... This is cheating." Margaret furrowed her brows. She couldn't stay upset with him when he sweet talks them like that.
"Tch, you philandering bastard. You looked to be having fun with that Perro. Imagine how would we feel?" Degenbrecher puffed her cheeks.
Ash then realized that it was a mistake on his part. "Hmmm~ I was having fun. But you know that's different. Why would I keep you with me at all times if I didn't like having you girls besides me?" He rubbed their abdomens kissed them.
"Ugh, you smooth bastard." Degenbrecher hugged him tightly and couldn't stay mad at him.
"Fine, seduce them as you like." Margaret rolled her eyes.
"You too Shining, don't get jealous now. You're my very competent Sarkaz healer right?" Ash chuckled and Shining just stayed still and slightly banged her head on his chest.
"Hoh? You've got some nerves flirting around with all these sad, virgin researchers around." A small woman walked up to them with obvious annoyance.
Her eyes were twitching and would like to see them explode. They were definitely normies. A hot guy with smoking babes on him flirting without a care in the world.
"Hmm? Wanna join then?" Ash raised a brow and looked at her ID. She was an administrator just like Saria and Kirsten.
"You haven't even invited me to dinner. You ravenous beast!" She pointed an incriminating finger at him and Ash snorted.
He stood up and his girls shook their heads at her mistake. That is confronting him. They knew that Ash didn't back down from anyone. He was a petty bastard, and he also does anything he wants. With his bloodline as a Feranmut and all.
"W-what are you going to do to me you beast? I'm Muelsyse! The administrator of the ecological section ya know? You'll be in hot water!" She huffed and Ash put his hands on her arms, raising them as he pinned her on a wall. (pic)
'Wha!? Why can't I turn into water?' Muelsyse was shocked as she couldn't use her arts.
"I wonder, what am I going to do indeed." Ash saw her pointy ears and he went wide eyed.
He might not be versed in fictional works. But an elf was different. Everybody knows them, the lithe and slender Erofu's who are captured by orcs.
'An erofu! This means that her ears are sensitive.' He grinned at her and nibbled on her pointy ears with his lips.
"Hahn~" Muelsyse went wide eyed and went atomic red at her lewd moan. Her ears were really sensitive after all.
"Hmm, I expected your ears to have more cartilage. With it being pointy and all, but the tips are really soft and sensitive instead." Ash licked her ear.
"Y-you beast!" Muelsyse screeched. He then turned her into a panting mess by messing with her ears. The scientists around just watched and knew better not to interfere.
"Muelsyse?" The elf looked at the side and saw a certain vouivre who is in charge of defense. "S-Saria... This isn't what it looks like!" Muelsyse panicked.
"Ohh, this is exactly what it looks like Saria. Did you know? She really likes to be stimulated here?" Ash bit the tip of her ear lightly and Muelsyse's eyes rolled back as she moaned loudly.
"W-wha?" Saria was confused as hell and she just stared at them while frozen in place like a deer caught by headlights.
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Thanks for reading everyone, ciao.