"What do you mean a World Item!?" Black Abyss exclaimed, surprised and fearful as she slammed her hand on the desk in front of Dont.
"... Yeah… It didn't do anything to me, luckily... I had Big Ben in my inventory..." Dont said, disturbed. Her hair was a bit disheveled, though her beauty remained intact.
Black Abyss quickly checked her inventory and retrieved an Easter Egg from it, sighing with relief.
"This changes absolutely everything... Even though the information from those men of the Theocracy placed us at the pinnacle of power in this world, now that we know people in this world have World Items... Anyone could surpass us..." Black Abyss said with fear as she returned the Easter egg to her inventory. "Just like when that level 12 guy who found the Trumpet of the End of the World in a bush beat Jamon..." Dont could see Black Abyss's hand trembling as she said this.
She seemed to be in a state of restlessness, nervousness... And now, anger,
"Why didn't you call me!? You were about to die!" The queen scolded.
"I-I didn't want to risk you... And I wasn't in a very clear-thinking state... By the time I realized, the old woman was about to activate the item..."
"But it shouldn't be possible..." Black Abyss said, thinking. "This isn't Yggdrasil, there shouldn't be World Items wandering around the world... It only means one thing... There are more Players..." Black Abyss growled at the thought.
"...Yes... Or at least... That there were... In the best case scenario..." Dont said as she held her head, very stressed. "Bachelory... Go and get me a coffee..."
"Verily, my queen. Straightway shall I attend to thy request. Doth inform me if thou dost require aught else..." He responded instantly with a bow, and elegantly exiting the room, but from the slight trembling of his thumb, a small thingy that Dont put on her NPC, she could tell he was uneasy. He was worried...
Well, his creator, practically his mother, was attacked with something as terrible as a World Class Item...
"By any chance, did you hear the name of the World Item? Were you able to recognize it?"
"... No... No idea. All I know is that it was a white dress with a Golden Dragon with 5 legs embroidered on it... Even with all the data I have on the World Items, I barely know about 67 out of the 200, and of those 67, I could only confidently describe about 35..."
"And not even all 200 were fully discovered on any server... Although among all the servers, the 200 were found... It's problematic… If we knew the name, we could take it away with the Valentine's Card... Tch." Black Abyss was quite irritated, but not anymore with Dont for making her wait for nothing, but now there was a real danger to Titania...
Such an attitude from her friend made Dont feel somewhat guilty... She could understand that Black Abyss was quite annoyed and... Worried... And Dont was the reason for it.
Dont alone could hardly imagine dealing with Black Abyss dying. She didn't want to imagine how Black Abyss would react if Dont died or something because of the World Item...
"We'll have to deploy the World Items if we go out again... Even if it's done by a Commander, we don't know what that dress is capable of..."
"...Yes... Although I think I killed the old woman and a tank guy... But I don't know... I didn't see her... If I killed her, they probably can't easily revive her... With my skills, especially [Mark of The Beast], I can negate low-level resurrections on my killed targets..."
Black Abyss nodded and sighed. "At least that will prevent them from using that World Item... If that old woman is the only one capable of using it, of course... Anyway, we shouldn't stray too far from Titania from now on, at least not without being together or with a Commander..."
"Mm... My Lady Nyx's Doppelgänger should already be in the capital... She will send a daily report to Bachelory about her actions and receive instructions... I also brought several corpses... A martial artist got away from me... These guys had Legendary-level equipment more or less in addition to the World Item, and I found a human over level 60 minimum among this last group..." Dont explained...
Black Abyss blinked, starting to process all the information, sighing at the end.
"Hm... There is or was definitely a Player here... Those items aren't possible to obtain easily and they even rival my main lance and shield... I'll have to start wearing my Radiant Armor more consistently..." Black Abyss let out another worried sigh.
"No... At least have it always ready to be equipped... Let's not leave Titania for a while... I've ordered reinforcements to enhance the measures to conceal Titania... I had Wanda go and create a taller forest around to at least hide the walls, so the illusionists can prioritize only hiding the palace instead of all of Titania, though I'm considering building some sort of hollow mountain around Titania. Several POPs are patrolling the forest for security..."
"And the Border Bridge? Although we used to have the privilege that it connected two maps because of its length, now it's on land, and it will need to extend about 10 km..."
"... I'm going to order it to be demolished beyond the walls... It's no longer useful to us..." sighed the Demon Queen. She wasn't excited about the idea of destroying part of Titania... But there was no other choice...
"It would be better to dismantle it, we could use its materials for another construction. It will take longer, but it would be more productive in the long run, and we wouldn't lose many resources from the bridge." Black Abyss offered a good solution to ease Dont's annoyance.
"Yeah, that... I don't know. Maybe reinforcing the houses in the village or something like that... SatinMan will oversee the construction. Din Mandalore will help him along with other construction NPCs and such..." Dont said more calmly. "... And you? Do you have anything to share?" Dont asked with a slight curious smile, resting her cheek on her palm, trying to change the subject for a moment.
"Ah, em… Not much. We got two Skeleton Dragons, we reached Mithril Rank, also brought you the corpse of that woman named Clementine, discovered a few martial arts, although the only really interesting thing is Nfirea Bareare's talent, whom we saved, and little else." Black Abyss explained.
"Ah, yes. The one who could use any Magic Item. Did you recruit him or something in the end?"
"Not on my team, but apparently he'll be quite available from now on, mainly in the village of Carne. I want to do some tests with him. I'll see if he can use magic items of a higher level than that crown to control Undead." Black Abyss explained.
"Crown, you say... Did you bring it?"
"I broke it, it had a major flaw, caused severe mental damage if removed according to Alicia's analysis, so to keep Nfirea from becoming silly and crazy, I had to destroy it."
"Oh... Well, that's a shame... Just don't give the human an item that causes nuclear explosions..." Dont sighed somewhat disappointed.
"Of course not... Also, we brought some sort of dark orb, it's an item that a necromancer named Cagil or something had. With that, he summoned the Dragons, which are like legendary monsters in this world. It seems the item has its own consciousness, so Alicia is inspecting it now. And besides..." From her inventory, Black Abyss pulled out three daggers, placing them on the table in front of Dont.
"Oh~?" Dont grabbed one and examined it.
"These are the weapons from that woman. They seem to be enchanted, I didn't inspect them much, was about to leave them lying around, but it's better to see what they're about."
"Hm... They might be level 40 or so. Nothing too strong really. I only detect magic from two of the daggers. Well, I'll give them to Cecilion later for inspection. And about the orb, I'll look into it myself later." Dont hummed as she left the daggers on the table.
"I also found out that there are beings of high power in terms of this world in the forest near Carne. One of them is the Virtuous Forest King, a hamster... But it has a 20-meter tail and I believe it measures over 2 meters in height. Must be a creature around level 30 or 40."
"Uh... A giant rat...? And even though it's literally a rat for us... For this world, it will be a creature of great power... But any of the humans I encountered could kill it... We also don't know if they are part of a nation or if they are an individual group..."
"It seemed to be quite respected, I decided not to kill it, but I gave it a beating. Seems to rule a part of the forest, keeping the monsters in check." Black Abyss explained with a smile.
"Huh... Well, I'll send some Shadow Demons, Hanzos, and Ranger NPCs to map out the entire forest later. After all, they're our surroundings~" Dont nodded to herself. She would discuss the details with Bachelory.
Someone knocked on the door, and Dont said 'come in'. And speaking of the devil, Bachelory entered with a cup of coffee in his hands to Dont's delight.
"Fufu~ Well~ Send a more detailed report to Bachelory later~ For now, I'm going to rest a bit. In the meantime, do as you please." Dont bid her farewell as she took the cup into Bachelory's careful hands.
"Woman, I'm not an employee..." Black Abyss sighed as a drop of sweat trickled down her forehead.
"But I want to sleep. And I was the one who was almost affected by a World Item, so shut up!"
"Eso no es excusa… Ugh. Bien, adiós entonces. {That's no excuse... Ugh. Well, bye then.}" Black Abyss said, turning around and grabbing her medal.
"Chau chau~ {Bye bye~}" Dont waved cheerfully as she took a sip of the bitter drink.
…
Black Abyss walked while eating a sandwich. The food of Titania was undoubtedly superior to anything she had ever eaten, far superior, the palace's cooks were highly competent.
She had walked through the Palace of Titania and was entering one of the rooms she had not visited, passing through a door.
Passing through a vast jungle, easily navigating the maze of giant trees, bushes, and flowers, she walked until she reached a section where the flora typical of a tropical environment disappeared, quickly transitioning into a more oriental environment, with cherry trees, enormous bonsai trees, and more flora one would see if they checked photos and information about Japan before pollution killed almost all vegetation on Earth.
Black Abyss, State-Your-Business, Sasagae~, and MichiXMichi were deeply into the oriental style, which is why they created this section of the Seelie Forest. Dont later joined the project upon finding it attractive and even helped create some of the NPCs inhabiting this area, but she didn't want to hog all the work from the others.
The Paladin saw the vast mountains and inactive volcanoes based on Mount Fuji in the distance, feeling a bit sorry that she couldn't really go to those mountains since they were just aesthetic for the walls, no matter how real they seemed, so on the way there, she would only encounter an indestructible barrier.
She walked until she finally found the official entrance to the area she was entering.
A large red torii gate, with kanji symbols on the two columns on the sides, surrounded by cherry blossom trees. The gate itself was a small trap for intruders, as it was the only 'open' entrance to the area.
If someone entered, they would be affected by debuffs such as mana and stamina loss, illusions, reduced detection, etc., as well as stealing part of the HP from any hostile spiritual entity that entered or exited, using it to damage another physical entity passing through the gate. If one did not attempt to enter through the door, they would be obstructed by a barrier with effects like [Anti-Life Cocoon], [Projectile Protection], as well as considerable absorption of HP and MP, and massive amounts of spiritual damage, positive or negative based on the race of the being touching the barrier.
Black Abyss had to praise MichiXMichi for making such a gate... It truly was a marvel and prevented many intruders from entering or causing much damage inside. Coupled with the creatures roaming the area as protectors, it was a very well-protected zone.
Once inside, the stone path split into different directions with kanji at each one, aiming to confuse enemies and lead them into alleys and traps. Only one of those paths led to the indicated place.
She followed the path where a kanji meaning something like "sleeping cat" or something similar was written. Black Abyss had no idea about Japanese or kanji, and she didn't remember well the things Michi said about it.
Following the path, Black Abyss came across a small oriental garden altar after a small stone staircase surrounded by beautiful plants.
It was just a lookout, although there was an object there that summoned Yokai if an intruder approached the area, with several traps in case someone entered to deactivate or destroy the object. Going there was tempting for the Paladin. Simply appreciating the view. But she had another objective.
On the way, she found where the river of this area began, which was by crossing a bridge next to a pagoda. Again, these were not the main buildings, but simply points of interest to look at where more creatures emerged to attack intruders. Although in the pagoda, there were some rooms and equipment for some handicrafts. A detail from State-Your-Business out of sheer indulgence.
Crossing the bridge and knowing she only had to reach the end, Black Abyss continued walking, enjoying the view of temples, pagodas, and shrines of oriental nature. She even saw some Yokai and Oni along the way, which played around, but kneeled in the presence of the Paladin.
And eventually, Black Abyss finally reached her destination.
Climbing up some long perfectly geometric stairs, she reached another set of stairs after a red carpet with golden embroidery. The stairs were lined with more red fabric, and there were several columns with small temples on their tips along the staircase.
At the end of the final staircase stood a huge Japanese palace. With curved black tiles, white walls, small rooms protruding with more tiles cascading down the sides in a curved fashion, even decorations like a head of an Oriental Dragon carved in red and gold stone.
It was such an incredible marvel that Black Abyss took some time to appreciate just its exterior.
She contented herself with admiring the magnificent structure and began walking again. Being under the building's roofs, she walked towards the door, but then a doubt crept in. Here, in this place, lived 6 moderately high-level NPCs, made in an oriental style by her, State, Michi, and Dont, but... Was their lifestyle also oriental?
If the description of them had become reality, then it should be, although she shuddered at the thought of the NPC that Dont made almost entirely. She hadn't even seen her configuration because... basically lacked the desire to, and only helped a little with the design and race. She only knew that she was the most evil NPC in the area, followed by the NPC mainly made by State.
She sighed and simply approached the door, knocking on it three times. She usually wasn't here, and although she could be considered as an owner of this area, she couldn't just enter, more out of courtesy than anything else.
The doors opened, with Black Abyss seeing the pair of Yokai acting as Geishas welcoming her. She wasn't sure what level they were, or what class, or those things, as she left all the Yokai stuff to Sasagae, but she knew they were Geishas, much as she only knew them superficially.
The pair of Geishas, upon seeing Black Abyss through their white veils, made a deep oriental-style bow, stepping aside from Black Abyss's path to allow her to advance at her discretion. They never abandoned the bow.
"It's okay. You can raise your heads. I'm just visiting." Black Abyss said in a friendly tone, passing through the door into the immaculately clean interior of the building, wondering if she should take off her boots as Asians usually did... "Ah... Should I take these off?" She asked one of the Geishas while pointing downwards, to her boots.
The Geisha just shook her head hurriedly in a gesture of negation, unable to speak really. But Black Abyss could more or less guess what she meant.
Something like 'It's not necessary for Lady Black Abyss to remove her footwear. If she's a Supreme Lord, she can do as she pleases.'
Still, she felt a little sorry, she had some dirt after passing through the forest so that should be cleaned later.
She sighed and unequipped her boots, which disappeared instantly, now stepping with her bare feet, and although it was nothing out of the ordinary, it felt somewhat strange, as if her armor were her skin, so to speak.
"Is Mishirifus available?" Black Abyss asked, looking at the same girl, who nodded, and then made a slight bow, indicating for her to follow, turning around and walking down a hallway, followed by Black Abyss as the other Geisha closed the door and quickly joined the walk.
They passed through different corridors, with various Yokais and creatures of oriental nature going about their business. From static Oni and Tengu guards in their places, watching over the area, to Yokais and Spirits cleaning as maids or carrying things from one place to another.
Eventually, they reached what seemed to be a hallway ending in a sliding door like the ones throughout the building, although a bit more decorated with drawings of Oriental Dragons. Black Abyss had to praise Sasagae again for implementing the Yokai that hid behind every door, ready to attack any intruder. Not even she could easily detect them.
The Geisha leading Black Abyss stopped on one side and bowed, with the other one behind them doing the same, indicating that this was the end of the tour.
"Thank you, girls." Black Abyss said to both Geishas with a smile.
They both gave a deeper bow, unable to respond, but the slight tremor in them for a second let her know that they were happy to be praised by her.
A slight bump, as if someone had fallen, was heard inside the room, followed by whoever it was quickly getting up. Black Abyss blinked a few times and knocked on the door three times as best as she could.
A few seconds later, the door was opened.
"A-Ah~ My Lady Black Abyss~ What a delightful pleasure to see you on this beautiful morning~"
The woman who opened the door was extremely beautiful, with similar tones to Black Abyss, white skin, long white hair down to her waist, and golden eyes with vertical pupils, but with a clear distinction—she had cat ears on her head.
She wore a loose black kimono, revealing her shoulders and ample bust, with red engravings of different types of flowers and oriental plants, and with some white bands protruding from her bust like an improvised bra, more colloquial. She wore a kind of necklace made of pearls, red and white in a ratio of three to one.
Her face was clearly beautiful, although there was a curious mark on her cheeks, almost resembling a drawing of a red lightning bolt or an allegory to a cat-like nature, as Michi had heard, since she also had similar characteristics.
She wore black and red sandals with black socks, her legs fully covered by the kimono. She might have been around 175 cm tall, not very tall for Black Abyss or someone like Dont, but taller than the average of the New World and slightly higher than the average of Titania.
"Good morning, Mishirifus. I'm touring Titania, and now I'm, of course, touring the temple. I hope it's not a bother." With a smile, Black Abyss explained.
"Ah~ Of course not, my lady~ Your presence would never be a bother to anyone in Titania~" Mishirifus said with a confident smile at her own words, both elegant and regal. She truly exuded an aura of oriental royalty. It's not like Black Abyss had ever met someone of royalty before, at all.
"That's good to hear. Has there been any trouble lately? If there has, I'm all ears."
"Not at all, my lady~ We've only received a call from Queen Dont-Say-My-Name summoning Mochi and Tamamo for important matters~" Mishirifus said with a pleased smile. As if she were proud that they were called in the first place.
Black Abyss vaguely remembered the pair of NPCs.
Mochi was an Oni that Dont made with the help of State and hers, although Dont did most of it, and Black Abyss didn't really have much knowledge of the NPC. On the other hand, Tamamo was another Oni that, unlike Mochi, was made in total collaboration between State, Dont, and Black Abyss, agreeing on how they would make her, how she would look, among other things.
"I see... I'll look into it later, although it's possible it's just to test out some spells." Black Abyss murmured, looking around, a very well-ordered room.
Well, everything in Titania was very well ordered, but he was used to his previous life seeing nothing but things everywhere with no order at all, even a common piece of furniture was extremely expensive due to the scarcity of wood and materials like iron.
"I'll continue exploring the other places in the Temple, I hope I haven't interrupted you too much in your work, Princess Mishirifus." Black Abyss said with a smile to the cat girl, who shook her head before speaking.
"Not at all~ Lady Black Abyss can do as she pleases~ I would never have a problem with that~" She said with a bow to the Paladin, who sighed for a moment.
"Well then, I hope we meet again soon. Until then." Black Abyss said, turning around. And although her purpose was to tour all of Titania, it was also to meet the important NPCs that the guild had created, each with a different personality and unique background.
"I wish the same~ Enjoy your stay in the Temple, Lady Black Abyss~" The cat girl said, bowing again behind the Supreme as she walked away down the hallway, and although she wanted to meet all the NPCs in the temple, two were missing, she couldn't help but wonder what Dont was about to ask of them.
…
"Greetings, my queen! I'm so glad you called us! What do you desire from us!?" A voice, almost squeaky, very cheerful, but with a mischievous tone, resonated through Dont-Say-My-Name's office.
"M-Mochi! Show some respect to Queen Dont!" A more educated, mature, and almost peaceful voice called attention to the called Mochi.
Dont just smiled amusedly at the duo.
The first, the most cheerful, was a girl about 1.7 meters tall. She was dressed in clearly oriental clothing. However, they were... Quite indecent.
Black leather straps visibly crisscrossed her almost naked skin, in thin strips that wrapped around her neck, chest, hips, and sides of her torso, accentuating every curve more than necessary and highlighting her fair and tender skin.
The straps ended halfway down her thigh, connecting with long black stockings that covered from the middle of her thighs to her feet completely. She wore red sandals with white straps.
Dont had to admit that she was a little bothered by the fact that she was wearing sandals with stockings, but it was oriental, so she let it slide.
Her body was practically almost naked, with only a white rectangular piece of fabric with red edges covering from the middle of her chest down, leaving the skin on the sides exposed, and continuing to cover her navel and crotch by very little. Even so, the fabric was very tight against the skin, almost showing two slight bulges in its scant coverage on the chest and a slit at the navel.
On her shoulders, she had two black symbols, with long leather gloves that only covered her forearms and reached around the middle finger, leaving her hands delicate and fine.
Hanging over her forearms was a large, heavy coat more like a cloak, with wide red fabric embroideries, white fabric in the middle, and cloud engravings in an oriental style. The cloak stretched down to the ground and trailed behind her, and in some places, white feathers with reddish tips protruded, giving her a majestic and regal appearance.
In addition to her curvaceous and well-proportioned body that would easily make her the best model on Earth in any period, her face was a marvel. A cheerful and mischievous smile, with a light pink transparent lipstick, only to give shine and highlight her lips. Her wide smile showed her sharp teeth. A small nose, feminine lines emphasized, and beautiful golden eyes with tiny black pupils.
Her hair almost seemed to be made of feathers by the way it was styled, with a bluish-silver tone, and with slight red strands mainly at the tips and in the strands that fell on the sides of her face, with a small bangs covering her forehead, and her hair falling to the middle of her thighs.
Around her head, like a crown, horns of the same skin tone sprouted. They were small, but they really seemed to act like a crown, twisting slightly towards the center.
Dont couldn't feel angry at all about Mochi's condescending attitude.
After all, it was she who programmed her like that.
Among the 5 Mikos of the Spiritual Temple of the Foxes, Mochi was the NPC mostly made by Dont herself when she joined the project along with Black Abyss and State.
Dont had taken care of most of Mochi's construction with fervent excitement, and there wasn't a detail she didn't remember about her.
"Oh, come on~ Don't be such a party pooper, Tamamo~" Mochi said playfully to the side. "I'm sure Queen Dont doesn't mind~"
The aforementioned Tamamo was an NPC created in perfect conjunction between Dont, Black Abyss, and State-Your-Business, so Dont also remembered much about her. Although there were probably several details from Black Abyss and State that she didn't know or remember.
While Mochi wore indecent clothes, in a fun conspiracy between Dont and State, Tamamo was just a bit more decent.
Standing about 10 centimeters taller than Mochi, her smooth white skin contrasted with the black qipao she wore. The long leather collar with embroideries and golden cords in a bun followed with an almost transparent black fabric, leaving her shoulders, armpits, and a window that showed a considerable amount of cleavage exposed, practically being just a bra with light golden details and patterns like empty spots.
The qipao continued with a more opaque fabric, with the front section below the navel having a diamond-shaped window that, precisely, revealed the bare navel, with golden embroideries at the top of the 'diamond'. The fabric seemed independent from the lower one, extending to one side still with golden embroideries, and joining the back fabric that covered the lower back with light golden cords. The fabric that followed on both sides was lighter, but clung more to her body, covering the crotch down to the ankles, but still showing the sides of her naked legs.
Due to the almost exposed hips, the slight line of golden fabric could be seen. Dont remembered how Black Abyss had given the NPC a golden thong with some embarrassment, but she dismissed the feeling. The black fabric with white interior covering her inner thighs had a golden Oriental Dragon engraved along it, with clouds in the background. Dont almost had a panic attack remembering the World Item that almost hit her not long ago.
Two black ribbons could be seen along both thighs, as well as black ankle bracelets and small black Chinese shoes with a slight flap and a golden sole.
A pair of golden fabrics fell from the lower part of her qipao. Meanwhile, a pair of golden bracelets were on both her biceps and wrists, with black leather gloves underneath the wristbands covering the back of her hands and surrounding her middle fingers with a golden ring, almost the same as Mochi's.
Finally, her face. She was a beauty unparalleled, like almost all the women in Titania. A face with Chinese features, but not too many by Dont's request. Dark golden irises, with pupils of a darker gold. Her lips pursed with disapproval as she looked at Mochi with a slight furrowed brow with her thin eyebrows.
Her brown hair was tied in two 'ox horns' on the sides tied with golden ribbons, with a slight strand sticking out from the center of her head in a cute way. A pair of large strands fell over her face, one between her eyes, and the other on the side of her right eye.
Tamamo, named as such at Dont's insistence in reference to a Kitsune Miko Goddess from Japanese mythology, was clearly concerned about Dont's opinion on the matter, which only elicited a slight laugh from her.
"Don't worry too much, Tamamo. I don't mind Mochi being who she is~ I made her like that for a reason~" Dont said playfully.
Mochi grinned triumphantly while Tamamo looked somewhat embarrassed to the side.
"M-My apologies then, my queen..."
Dont simply dismissed the need for an apology with a wave of her hand.
"Well, returning to Mochi's question, the reason I brought you both here is to try out some things. More specifically, resurrection." At this, both Mochi and Tamamo looked confused. "Black Abyss has been somewhat bothered by this resurrection business and nonsense lately, and I'm curious about it myself." Dont explained with false professionalism in her voice. Although she wasn't really lying.
Upon the explanation, both Mochi and Tamamo seemed almost impressed by the depth of their queen's thoughts. Neither of them was particularly intelligent.
Wise, surely, due to their configuration as Oriental Princesses, but not especially intelligent in academic or strategic senses. Although their two sisters, Amasu and Saku, were smarter in that sense.
Someone knocked on the door, and Dont didn't really want to raise her voice to say they could come in... Hmm... There were literally 50 main servants in all of Titania, made between her and many other members... She could make a rotating schedule where one or a couple of them served directly under Black Abyss and Dont's time in Titania based on the Paladin's suggestion some time ago...
Amidst the silence, the door swung open directly, with a lower-level servant, a demon, entering with a corpse in their hands.
Dont hummed as she looked at the corpse. It was a slightly curvaceous blonde woman, with a good chest, light armor covered with what appeared to be adventurer plates, and well, clear signs of violence.
"Hm... Looks like Black Abyss had a bit of fun with this one." Dont hummed with a raised eyebrow at the state of the body, but she didn't care who Black Abyss killed as long as it wasn't someone important to her plans.
Mochi looked almost mocking at the corpse, while Tamamo appeared somewhat uncomfortable.
"M-My queen... I don't want to question your incredible intellect and wisdom but... Among us, the 5 Mikos, I don't have abilities or spells that allow me to revive someone..." Tamamo said, uncomfortable with the corpse, and nervous about her own words.
"Ah, yes. I know. I just want you here for security." Dont didn't want to get her hands dirty with the human if she got violent, and with Tamamo here, a physical combatant with positive karma, she would have things sorted out.
Upon the explanation, Tamamo only let out a surprised and impressed 'Oh!' and relaxed a bit, nodding determinedly. "Of course! My apologies for questioning your intentions, my queen. I will make sure to protect you with all my being!" She said with confidence and a smile.
Although in reality, there were better options than Tamamo for this, like Alucard or Bulldoger. But Dont also wanted to take a look at the Miko now that she was real. She didn't complain in the slightest as she gave slight glances at the window of her qipao.
"Ah~! And I'll be the one to revive the human! Right, my queen?" Mochi said excitedly, with stars in her eyes almost.
"Indeed, Mochi~ You can use level 7 resurrection spells thanks to your classes, and I want to avoid using basic level 5 or 6 Resurrection. It would be a waste if the human can't handle the level loss, and I see using consumables as a waste." Dont explained easily. She could have called Princess Mishirifus, who could use level 8 or 9 resurrection spells instead, but she also wanted to see Mochi, her own creation, and her cute... Outfit~
Putting aside her thoughts, Dont gestured to the demon to drop the corpse, and it just let it fall carelessly to the floor, bowing and leaving the room.
Dont would have to talk to the Head of the Maids to fix the issue with the maids... She actually remembered Juliana or Maria talking to her about it, or she read it somewhere, or it was Bachelory, but something about Black Abyss came to mind... Surely the woman denied such things and made the maids cry.
"Well~ Go ahead then, Mochi~ Tamamo, be ready to immobilize her. Supposedly, she's around level 50, so it shouldn't be a problem for you." Dont ordered, to which the respective Mikos nodded and positioned themselves.
Mochi approached the corpse with a smile, and extended a hand towards the woman.
"[Resurrection]" With the spell, a light surrounded the woman's body, and she began to convulse as her arm healed, and the bruises and marks on her body disappeared.
The woman then woke up taking a deep, agitated breath. She sat up still in her place and began to cough as she grabbed her throat.
Mochi only chuckled under her breath, practically mocking the woman for her reaction, while Tamamo tensed, ready to jump towards the woman at any moment. On the other hand, Dont only looked at her with curiosity.
The woman stopped coughing and finally felt able to look around.
She blinked, confused by the sudden change from a gloomy cemetery to a luxurious, no, a divinely high-quality office, with three incredibly beautiful women who easily outshone her own beauty, staring at her intently. One with a smile, another with a serious look, and the 3rd, the one sitting behind a desk, looking at her as if she were a lab rat, as if she were nothing more than an object to experiment with.
"W-What is this!?" She said hoarsely and with difficulty speaking.
"Mm~ Welcome back to the world of the living, human." Dont said with amusement. It seemed that the level loss had affected the woman considerably. "Your current situation is... complicated~ But in short, after my companion, Black Abyss•White Flower, or as you may know her, Titania, killed you, I asked her to bring you here for some resurrection experiments~ You're lucky~ You could have simply turned to dust instead of being revived~" Dont said, almost amused.
The blonde blinked in confusion, then her expression turned furious.
"T-That wretch!? Yes! S-She humiliated me and killed me... When I find her, I'll torture her until she begs for mer-!" Clementine's declaration was cut short when an incredibly strong pressure hit her like a truck.
Mochi had a wide grin, showing her sharp teeth, while Tamamo had a more serious and angry expression.
"How dare you speak like that about Lady Black Abyss, foolish human?" Tamamo said intimidatingly.
"Do you want to experience firsthand what true suffering is for such offensive words?" Mochi chimed in with a mischievous and malicious tone.
But Dont interrupted them.
"Calm down, girls~ Let's say she's new~ So have a little patience with her~" Dont chuckled, amused by the reactions of the two NPCs.
Both of them extinguished their murderous intentions as they apologized to Dont with a bow, but they kept their attention on the blonde, who crawled back in terror. The level difference between her and Mochi, the lowest-level Miko present, was probably about 10 levels, especially with the level loss upon resurrection.
"Be that as it may~ Right now, you're nothing more than a slave insect of this place~ The Palace of the Pact of Titania~ You'll be interrogated until the last drop of knowledge you have about this world, used as a test subject for experiments~" Dont explained with a smile full of sharp teeth. "I don't care about your name, who you claim to be, your strength, or anything you can offer me. Because, again, you're nothing but an insect here~ For now~ I declare the resurrection experiment concluded~" Dont said with a clap. "Tamamo~ Take this yellow rat to Carmellitian. Let her be at first, but if she doesn't speak nicely, then Carmellitian is free to do whatever it takes to make her talk the hard way~" Dont ordered the Miko.
"Yes, my queen." Tamamo gave a bow with her hands clasped in front of Dont and turned to the blonde.
The human grimaced hostilely at Tamamo, standing up and trying to appear intimidating.
"Y-You..." She took on a somewhat confident and crazy smile. "D-Don't think just because I'm a bit weak from the resurrection, I'll be easy to handle~ I-I, Lady Clementine, can easily get rid of you and your little q-queen~" The blonde said, much to Dont's annoyance, who already despised the unpleasant odor she left in her office.
Tamamo, clearly affected by the comments, charged at an impressive speed towards the so-called 'Clementine', hitting her in the stomach and leaving her breathless, only to elbow her in the back to knock her to the ground, making her groan in pain, and grabbing her hair firmly without difficulty.
Clementine groaned in pain as she tried to catch her breath and loosen the grip on her hair, writhing as she was dragged effortlessly out of the room. She gave a nod in the form of a greeting to Dont, unable to make a proper bow due to the rat in her hand, and closed the doors behind her.
Dont, once again, hummed to herself.
"Hm~ What an annoying human~ Don't you think so, Mochi~?"
"Of course, my queen~ How dare she insult your majestic figure like that? I should go and punish her myself!" The Oni said with almost sadistic excitement.
Dont chuckled at Mochi's comment. She found her very endearing and cute.
"Don't worry about her now~ Come here~" Dont called her as she moved her chair away from her desk and patted her lap.
At this, Mochi looked expressionless between Dont's face and her lap, only to snap out of her surprise and practically run excitedly.
Thanks to her abilities, she could easily pass through the desk like a Ghost without any problem, and she gently sat on the lap of the Queen of Titania, adjusting herself slightly, not wanting to disturb her queen, who was so kind as to call her to such a sacred place.
And Dont did what she had wanted to do for a long time...
…
Black Abyss drank from a pot that one of the Geishas had left for her alongside a bottle. She had never tried this before, and upon seeing it on one of the walls among other bottles, she couldn't resist the curiosity to know how it tasted.
"So, this is sake... I prefer juice." she said, though she knew very well, she wasn't a fan of alcoholic beverages. Although it was probably one of the best there ever was.
She also inquired about what the girls from the Temple ate, and although apparently they didn't even have the need to eat, they could cook some things, among them she heard something that had sounded many times in Japanese magazines and animations.
She looked to her left when she heard someone approaching and saw the wooden tray that she was carrying, bringing it to the table and placing it delicately in front of Black Abyss.
They were chubby rice triangles with a piece of seaweed that allowed grabbing it from below.
"Oh? So, this is an Onigiri?" Black Abyss asked the Geisha, after all, it was the first time she had seen one in person, and it looked much better than in cartoons. In fact, she believed it was the first time she had seen white rice that was really white outside of images and old videos.
The girl nodded enthusiastically, seeming expectant for Black Abyss to try it, after all, the cuisine of the Temple was unique in Titania, and not many Supreme Lords had come to try it.
The paladin took the Onigiri and inspected it for a moment, then opened her mouth and took a bite. True rice, without chemicals or plastic, was delicious, but she tasted many more flavors.
She looked at the bite and could see that it contained a type of orange meat, perhaps... For her time on Earth, salmon had already been declared extinct, known as one of the most delicious fishes that had ever existed. And this... It was undoubtedly as she had seen it in the images, and as rich as the stories declared, or perhaps even more so. It was definitely something she could repeat several times.
"Waah~ Incredible~" Black Abyss said, to which the Geisha bowed to her, looking greatly pleased.
She sat on the floor in front of the small table for several minutes, trying dishes from the Temple and both alcoholic beverages and fruit juices that she didn't know could be found there.
By the time she was finishing, she heard a series of steps heading towards the room, while the sliding door was opened. Black Abyss looked at the woman who entered and was surprised to see her there.
"M-Miss Black Abyss!?" She almost squealed upon seeing her there. No one had told her that she was here, and it was certainly a big surprise for a Supreme Lord to be in the Temple.
The woman was wearing a kimono like everyone else in the temple, although hers was a bit much more revealing... Showing a lot of her chest and her pale skin.
Her kimono was mostly red, with golden embroideries, and instead of a single white fabric with golden lines, it seemed to use a wide leather belt that kept the lower white fabric and the braided ribbon of the belt itself pressing the kimono against her abdomen, keeping everything in place.
As the kimono descended, it displayed colorful engravings shifting between dark gold, blue, and red, forming very intricate figures that were difficult to achieve for a garment, indicating the high quality of craftsmanship of such attire.
Her legs were mostly hidden by the kimono, although her right leg, if moved slightly to the right, would be fully visible through the opening the kimono had in that area, revealing her black stocking with perfect engravings of golden metallic threads stacked, forming patterns along her legs up to her thigh.
Her arms were covered from a little below her shoulders by the same kimono, although it had a cut intersection, divided to facilitate combat by removing the lower part that hid the rest of her arm, although it was kept together by woven cords in a triangular structure.
Further up, above her ample and visible bust, her neck could be seen, which had a metal piece covering it composed of horizontal plates, without hindering her mobility as it ascended from the base of her neck to under her chin and slightly reaching her cheeks, while a small white collar emerged from below such piece.
Her face was fascinating, beautiful to behold with pale skin, bright red eyes, and slight locks passing through her face, with what seemed to be the prow of small boats holding a flag on the sides of her head.
Such locks were of a creamy white color, just like all her hair that descended to her waist, which was quite long considering she must have measured around 171 cm in height. However, what stood out the most after her beautiful appearance and highly enticing body were the fox ears and tails she had. Two fox ears on the top of her head and 9 tails behind them, quite chubby and presumably soft.
"Oh. Hello, Mikon~" Black Abyss greeted the surprised Kitsune, who quickly composed herself and bowed.
"Good morning to you, Lady Black Abyss•White Flower." Mikon said as she slowly straightened up, looking at Black Abyss with a wide smile. Though she had been surprised by Black Abyss's presence, it was a more than welcome surprise.
"Do you want to join? I'm trying out the food and drinks of the Temple." Black Abyss said with a smile towards Mikon, who hesitated for a moment. Although she definitely wanted to, it would be disrespectful from her perspective to sit next to a Supreme Lord, a place that only another Supreme Lord would have the right to occupy. "Come on. Don't be shy." Black Abyss insisted to the hesitant Mikon, who with a smile relented.
"Y-Yes! It's a great honor for me..." Mikon exclaimed, approaching and sitting next to Black Abyss with a wide smile. From her perspective, it was like being able to spend time with a beloved father whom she could hardly see regularly.
Black Abyss took one of the Onigiris and handed it to Mikon, who took it with a smile. But then she saw Black Abyss's gaze, it wasn't directed at her face, she was looking at something else, or rather, somethings, she was looking at two parts of Mikon's body as if she wanted to caress them.
"A-Ah, if you want to touch them, there's no problem at all, Lady Black Abyss." Mikon said with a slight blush, to which Black Abyss smiled.
"Really~? Thank you~" The Paladin said, extending her hand and removing her gauntlet...
And grabbed one of Mikon's ears, which was extremely soft, causing it to move involuntarily as if it wanted to escape.
"Wah~ I've never touched this kind of ears before." Black Abyss said, patting her on the head.
On Earth, there were no longer any animals, or if there were, they were so scarce or hidden that the chances of seeing one were negligible for most people.
Few could even pet a cat or a dog, despite the fact that such animals were once considered humanity's brothers or best friends. And while there were synthetic operations to have 'ears' and animal characteristics, they were expensive and of little value really... And they felt fake, like leather with wool rather than real fur.
So it was the first time she had seen this kind of animalistic characteristics so real and soft in person.
"Eh? Really...?" Mikon looked somewhat surprised. She had forgotten that everything that had happened in Yggdrasil was the real world for her and all the NPCs... So she had undoubtedly seen animal features in many beings. From the anthropomorphic, to the not-so-furry, like the traditional Kitsune like Mikon.
"Uh, well, I've never touched this kind of ears without them wanting to eat me..." Black Abyss said with a small laugh as she scratched her cheek. After all, there were hardly many Kitsune mobs that didn't attack at the first nonsense, considering that they generally had Negative Karma in the areas where Black Abyss used to go...
"I understand, Lady Black Abyss... But you need never worry, I would end my own life before even considering harming a Supreme Lord." Mikon said proudly and with firm conviction.
Black Abyss smiled at this, taking a sip of juice before speaking again.
"Fascinating, all of this. I'm glad we created it, not just the Temple, but you all too." Black Abyss said, recalling when they were selecting such an area for this temple, especially when they created the Mikos.
Moreover, this Kitsune by her side had been mainly created by her with the help of her companions, so she felt a deeper kind of connection. Although she would kill to ensure the safety of any of them, even the weakest of the Geishas.
She felt nostalgic, and quite happy nevertheless. She had been quite angry earlier about all the things that had happened, but this had brought her inner peace, although she didn't know she would soon become angry again.
…
"W-Wah~ Y-You don't have to rush so much, my queen~" Mochi said with a deep blush as she trembled slightly, sporting a sheepish smile on her face.
On the other hand, Dont had Mochi in her lap. The difference in height allowed the Demon Queen to do as she pleased without any trouble.
And she limited herself to satisfying her brutal need to do this for a long time with someone...
Dont had a very focused expression as she gently tousled Mochi's hair, or rather, with intensity. Sometimes she simply patted her, other times she toyed with Oni's horns, or played with her ears.
It wouldn't be the first time Dont did this. Just not with Mochi. Back in the Earth of 2138, she used to do it to her sister several times, mainly to tease her or relax her. As time went on, such opportunities were lost. And Dont couldn't say she wasn't eager to do something like that again.
So she unleashed those repressed desires on Mochi. Her own NPC mostly. A cute and tender Oni who was more than willing to let Dont do whatever she wanted.
She pushed any concerns from her mind as she relaxed, stroking Mochi. Sleeping and taking hot baths, as well as taking the elixir of the Gods, relaxed her, but this wasn't bad at all. She really needed to unwind between her time in E-Rantel and the matter of the World Item.
Of course, it's not like Dont was wasting time.
In her mind, she was thinking about what to do with the blonde girl, Klenentain or something like that.
The possibilities of what she could do were fresh in her mind. So many experiments, so useful... Not to mention the corpses she collected on her mission with those bandits. She wanted to try many summons. In fact, she wanted to try it with Superbia, Alicia, and other NPCs capable of summoning creatures.
If they really could maintain any kind of summon permanently, Titania's power could increase indefinitely.
Just remembering the armies Superbia could summon, she was more than willing to grab several humans and raise them as livestock just for their corpses.
She didn't reject the idea at all, after all, she didn't care about humans in the slightest.
However, there were still significant risks in this weak world.
Like the World Item.
Just because of that, she had to chat with Bachelory to reinforce all the information networks. Now there is at least 1 Hanzo in every group of Shadow Demons, despite the expenses, with all the Shadow Demons and Hanzos having a Message Scroll in case something happened.
Fortunately, there were more than enough Scrolls so that the reserves were hardly depleted at all. Still, Dont wanted to find a way to have a practically infinite source of Scrolls, which is why she left the mission to Carmellitian, Bachelory, Manuelita, and Don Pulpon to find a way.
Supposedly they already found one, but it was still in the testing stage, and Dont said to let her know if it worked. Although the method was disturbing, and probably half of Titania wouldn't approve of it because of their positive karma, Dont was willing to do it without a doubt, even if she had to... Hide it.
Anyway, Dont was even considering giving World Items to the Commanders.
The problem was that one of them would be without a World Item, and even then, it implied the risk of losing a World Item if they were killed in some way. But losing a Commander to a World Item was also worrying.
However, if she had to choose which Commanders to give World Items to, she would have to give one to Superbia, Achernar, Alucard, and Bachelory, although the latter was not a Commander. Why? They were the most important Commanders.
Superbia could summon entire armies with a single skill, in addition to enhancing her summons with her commander abilities. If they lost her, Titania's power would be massively reduced, especially with the theoretical ability to have those armies permanently with the idea of the corpses.
Achernar was Titania's greatest stealth and information gathering asset. If they lost him, their ability to gather information would be reduced, and so would their anti-espionage measures. Not to mention that it could have a great negative impact on Black Abyss as her creator.
Alucard was probably the strongest Commander of the 5. Ham didn't skimp on him. And losing such strength would be fatal, much as Dont would have some relief from losing someone with completely positive karma practically judging her every second.
And lastly, Bachelory. He wasn't a Commander per se, but he could be considered their leader as the Prime Minister. Bachelory was vital to Titania's operation because of his administrative abilities and duties. Not to mention that Dont clearly didn't want to lose her strongest NPC.
And lastly, the NPC was also incredibly strong and adaptable. He could take the form of any of the members of the G.O.D.S. Guild, as well as the forms of the 5 Commanders and a few more, making him incredibly adaptable.
Of course, it didn't mean that Dont was willing to lose Miia or Bulldoger, but in comparison to the others, considering pros and cons, they were the ones who would have the least impact if they died.
Dealing with the existence of World Items in this world was giving the Queen of Titania an irritating headache, which she relieved by scratching Mochi's chin in her lap.
Returning to her thoughts, Dont thought about Operation Nyx.
The Doppelgänger she sent with her appearance as Nyx was already in the capital of Re-Estize, settled in a rented mansion according to her report from 20 minutes ago. His mission was the same as before. Infiltrate Re-Estize's bureaucracy, and such.
She could take advantage of that to basically become a parasite of Re-Estize and be able to take resources and individuals from the country relatively quietly.
A knock on the door interrupted her, stopping her caresses towards Mochi, who pouted annoyed by the interruption.
A few seconds later, Tamamo entered again, without the blonde girl. And she froze halfway upon seeing Mochi on Dont's lap.
An awkward silence followed the scene, with Dont looking expressionlessly at Tamamo.
Then she lifted Mochi by the armpits like a cat and placed her on just one of her legs, and Dont patted the other leg while looking at Tamamo.
She enjoyed seeing her embarrassed blush.
…
"Mh~ That was truly delicious." Black Abyss said as she wiped her mouth with a napkin after finishing her juice and all the tastings the Temple had to offer, at least on that day. "I'll continue exploring the temple then. Would you like to join, Mikon~?" She asked, to which the kitsune's ears perked up instantly.
"Yes! It would be an honor, Lady Black Abyss~" Mikon exclaimed with a bow, standing up after Black Abyss.
"Thank you for the food and drinks." The Supreme said to the Geishas who had served her, who bowed their heads in reverence while trembling slightly with clear joy.
Walking through the corridors, they reached an outdoor area where they could see a watchtower in the distance, of the same style as the main building, with a stream and a small arched bridge below.
Black Abyss headed there, walking across the grass until entering the area with a slight presence of trees, until reaching the small bridge, stopping in the middle of it and looking at the flowing water, which emitted a soothing sound... She was sure a place like this didn't exist on Earth, perhaps it was too perfect to have ever existed in all of human history...
"Oh~? What a pleasant surprise." a feminine voice was heard from the side, along with another voice.
"Wow~ Black Abyss!" A voice a bit softer than the previous one and less seductive was heard.
The first speaker was seen by Black Abyss, a woman of similar height to Mikon, with white skin but with intensely black hair reaching her waist.
She had what looked like a red and gold box between her ears, with a golden emblem on the front atop a thin red rod.
Her kimono was similar to Mikon's, but with significant differences. Firstly, its main color was black with a yellow interior, red borders, and a red fabric and interwoven fiber sash under a metal belt with a wooden buckle and a circular yellow symbol below her ample chest, with a small white fabric decoration between her breasts and the belt buckle acting as an obi around her abdomen.
She had a wide exposed bust, with a kind of collar with a red fabric bow under an extensive metal choker at the edges of a yellow fabric. She wore transparent fishnet gloves from mid-biceps to the elbows, where they extended into black fabric gloves covering only the backs and surrounding the lower area of her index fingers.
The rest of her fingers had golden rings, and she had long pointed nails painted red. Her kimono had gray cherry blossom engravings. In her hand, she held a fan, a red one with golden flower patterns.
She shared the same race characteristics as Mikon, with a pair of fox ears of the same color, adorned with two red piercings in each ear, and a golden bell hanging from the left one. She also had nine black fox tails protruding from beneath her short kimono. Her golden eyes were a bit more mischievous, with two irises divided by thin black rings, playful, with three red lines on her cheeks, resembling cat whiskers almost, along with a mole on the outer edge of her left eye.
Another difference lay further down, her legs were much more exposed. The entire front of her thighs downwards was uncovered, with a red ribbon on her right thigh, showcasing her long legs down to her feet, where she wore golden platform sandals with a back extension of the same length as the sandal.
The other woman was shorter in stature, although not by much. But she bore certain differences, her skin was darker, and her hair was as white as Black Abyss's, though styled into two complex ox horns on her sides held by a red cord or fabric, while leaving a part loose at the back of her head.
Her kimono was somewhat more... Westernized. Perhaps some might even call it cosplay, combining the characteristics of a kimono with a schoolgirl outfit.
Its upper part resembled mostly that of a kimono, with an outer white layer and an inner black garment, providing about the same amount of bust coverage as the other two women in the temple, although not reaching their level of 'volume'.
She wore a white obi with red embroidery, and a brown fabric belt encased in black, with another metal belt above it and a symbol resembling a golden flower on one side. Two golden fabrics cascaded from this symbol, and golden chains hung between the belt and the symbol, keeping the kimono in place without coming undone. However, unlike the previous ones, her sleeves were shorter, revealing gloves extending to the elbows, made of a black material attached to her skin that did not cover the entirety of her hand, only the middle finger, and not entirely, but only halfway.
She wore a collar similar to her companion's, made of black metal with gold underneath and a yellow tie with two headbands, one black and one red.
Further down, her legs were exposed by the presence of a short skirt, showing part of her thighs and revealing long stockings with golden embroidery extending just below her thighs. She was barefoot, unlike the other two who wore sandals, she had nothing on her feet except a metal plate on top of her foot and an ankle bracelet of the same material, with a yellow gem in the center.
Her face was no less beautiful than the others present, with eyes as silvery-gray as silver in comparison to the others. Her forehead was covered by her white hair, which was adorned with a golden clasp with two red ribbons, and atop her head was a raised white tuft falling to one side. She had a pair of side locks styled almost like drooping ears, and other locks styled more softly, while a last lock at the top of her head protruded endearingly.
"Oh, Amasu, Saku, it's good to see you both~" Black Abyss said with a smile towards the two women who approached from the opposite direction of Black Abyss and Mikon.
The Mikos smiled and made a deep bow towards the Supreme.
"The pleasure of seeing you is ours, Lady Black Abyss•White Flower~" Amasu, the black-haired kitsune, said with a more daring and mischievous tone.
"Indeed~! It's not very often that our Gods visit us~ E-Eto... T-This is not a complaint! I-I just wanted to express that when the Supremes visit us, it's very special~" Saku exclaimed, correcting her words with nerves to avoid being misunderstood.
"I see, I'll try to visit you more often if that's the case~" Black Abyss said to Saku, who was momentarily taken aback, as if she didn't expect that response.
"Oh, my Goddess, Black Abyss•White Flower~ It's not necessary for you to commit to visiting us. With this visit, we feel more than happy~" Amasu said in her daring tone, while Saku nodded quickly.
Just how much had she and her guildmates neglected this place? Despite its strategic importance, they usually didn't come here...
"You are both very good girls. And this is an incredibly beautiful place, I'll definitely come back~" Black Abyss exclaimed, looking towards the stream of water, prompting the present girls to bow, as if they were more than grateful to even know that they would see a Supreme in person.
After all, to them, they were their Gods.
"As you can see, I'm exploring the temple. I see you both came from a direction I haven't gone yet. Would you accompany me?" Black Abyss asked the two who had recently appeared.
"Of course~!" Saku exclaimed excitedly.
"It would be an honor~" Amasu said more relaxedly, stepping aside as Black Abyss crossed the bridge and set foot on the other side.
Walking through the lands that comprised the domain of the Temple, Black Abyss felt at one with the beautiful nature that surrounded her…
It was a damn paradise. Everything in Titania was, but she never grew tired of seeing it...
After several dozen minutes, they returned to the temple.
"For now, I have finished exploring the temple." Black Abyss exclaimed with a smile, satisfied with her curiosity about how this place was now.
"Eh... Are you leaving already, Lady Black Abyss...?" Saku asked somewhat downcast, to which Amasu spoke up.
"Saku. Lady Black Abyss•White Flower is one of the 34 Supreme Lords~ It's clear that she must be busy~" Amasu explained, causing Saku to sigh again, feeling dejected.
But then she looked up as she felt a pat on her head, seeing Black Abyss's hand giving her gentle headpats.
"It's okay, Saku. I've already told you, I'll come back sometime." the Supreme said with a smile, eliciting a happy smile from Saku at her words, and then she looked at Amasu.
"Ara~?" The black kitsune was surprised when Black Abyss also petted her head, as well as her ears.
"I thank the three of you for this nice moment." Black Abyss exclaimed, prompting the three women to bow in unison with pleased smiles.
"We are the ones grateful. Lady Black Abyss•White Flower's visit is a cause for total rejoicing throughout the Temple~" Mikon spoke, and the other two nodded in agreement, affirming the words of the light brown kitsune.
Black Abyss smiled and waved her hand towards the three girls, then turned around and pulled out her medallion, disappearing in an instant.
…
Dont hummed contentedly. The pair of Mikos had already left after a lovely series of caresses.
Right now, she was alone. Well, alone in a subjective sense too, with Bachelory by her side as always.
There were several invisible units on the ceiling and others submerged in the walls.
She hummed as she superficially skimmed through one of the reports. Something about a farm in a part of the city being expanded. Truth be told, she wasn't that interested, so she set the report aside and picked up another, feeling rather bored now.
"Bachelory..."
"Aye, my queen?"
"I want there to be shifts with the main maids on a rotating basis. One dedicated to me, and one to Black Abyss, one per day, and the next day it switches to the next in line, and so on~ It was Black Abyss's idea, so talk to her about it~" She said simply, reading somewhat interested in Carmellitian proposing an experiment on regeneration and human flesh and skin from the few prisoners and corpses.
"I shall apprise Maria and Juliana, my queen. I shall tarry to receive the particulars from Lady Black Abyss." He said no more, causing Dont to hum as she finished the report.
"Umu... And about this... Proposal from Carmellitian regarding regeneration..."
"Yea! Carmellitian doth propose to hath an almost unlimited fount of resources by seizing all that living prisoners possess, and when they art about to depart this life, healing magic shall be wielded upon them to repeat the process. An endless farm. Eyesight did converse with her thereafter, and she did conceive the notion of attempting to use human skin to craft scrolls. Though 'twould be requisite to experiment with how useful their skin may be, what manner of spells they can uphold, and other variables." the Doppelganger replied elegantly, greatly intriguing the Queen of Titania.
She had certainly thought of having a human farm, but only for corpses and short-term food. But with that method, they would have resources in the form of food, materials, and scrolls if it worked. Then she could make a corpse farm later.
The problem was if Black Abyss found out.
She didn't know what she would think... So she made a decision.
"Alright. I approve it. Let it be on a small scale for now and we'll see how it develops. Try not to mention a word to Black Abyss. It could annoy her and canceling the project is not in my interests. I don't tolerate interruptions in progress for Titania."
"As you command, my queen," Bachelory acquiesced after a moment with a nod. "I shall convey this to Carmellitian and her subordinates."
Dont smiled satisfied, leaving Carmellitian's report alongside her proposal.
She finally finished the paperwork for today, and she was certainly more relaxed.
Now~ What to do~? Speaking of Black Abyss, she could tease her a bit.
Like in the old days in Yggdrasil, when she could still laugh at her jokes without having coughing fits. Therefore, she dismissed Bachelory, ordering him to go talk to whoever he needed to and do his duties in the palace as Prime Minister.
Then, after a few minutes of Bachelory leaving, the door opened, revealing Black Abyss, although she wasn't wearing her Divine Class dress, but the one she used for those adventures.
"Dont~!" Black Abyss said loudly, approaching.
"Wah!... Ejem. What do you want?" Dont said after being surprised by the tone and having regained her composure.
"Shoot me in the chest." Black Abyss said, tapping her chest with a smile.
Dont blinked. Then blinked again. She looked to the side, then back at Black Abyss, blinking once more.
"¿Cómo? {Come again.}" Dont said, blinking once more.
"Dispárame. Aquí, en el pecho. {Shoot me. Here, in the chest.}" Black Abyss said, pointing to her chest with a finger.
At the reaffirmed words of Black Abyss, Dont's rifle appeared in her hands and she fired without hesitation at her companion's chest with level 8 power by default.
The impact pushed Black Abyss against a wall, crashing into it as she rose after the blow, letting out a somewhat pained sigh as she held her chest.
"Uf... 32 HP even with my defense." Black Abyss murmured, then her attire changed completely, possessing her white dress and a white shield with a black flower. "Again." she said to Dont.
The Queen of Titania didn't hesitate and fired again.
This time the shot didn't even move Black Abyss from her place due to the properties of her equipment, watching the projectile's impact dissipate through the Paladin's body.
"12 HP. Yes, it's a good equivalent. I'll explain." Black Abyss said, dismissing her shield but keeping her usual attire. "When I fought that human, Clementine, I threw a blow that initially would have been fatal for her, but she used a martial art... Something like '[Indomitable Fortress]' or something like that, which had a defensive effect equivalent to what you just saw. Do you know what that means?" After explaining, she asked.
"Uh... That these Martial Arts are pretty fucked up? And that I wouldn't mind shooting you at least once a day?"
"... Yes… And no. These martial arts aren't something that existed in Yggdrasil, but despite coming from a generally weak world, they show good capabilities. Perhaps even if someone of higher power were to use them, they would be even more effective. If I were to learn 'Indomitable Fortress' and use it, how much would it reduce the damage from one of your shots? Would the martial art become stronger if used by a Level 100 like me?" Black Abyss seemed very excited as she spoke more, which made Dont smile faintly. The Demon Queen was supposed to be the paranoid one, after all. "Although... We'd also have to see if these martial arts can be learned by us..."
"... The Level Cap of 100 is still in effect for the moment. I have enough experience to theoretically level up to 101, as I had max experience within Level 100, and still no news about it. So we should think that we're at the peak of our strength and development in non-mental terms. Because we can still, you know, learn. But if I try to forge something, I can't do it at all, not even level 10 equipment, only basic things that even a servant could do. While a Level 1 Blacksmith could make stronger things than me, even though I'm level 100." Dont sighed, after all, the Demon was also very interested in these Martial Arts, and in the idea of increasing Titania's strength using what this world seemed to offer.
The Shooter got up from her seat lazily as she put away her rifle, and proceeded to sit on her desk, facing Black Abyss closer and at a similar height, well, almost.
"We still don't know if learning techniques from this world will require the same means as in Yggdrasil. In itself, they don't even have the ability to create low-level potions. And they do it differently, while low-level potions in Yggdrasil could be bought or obtained from mobs, or created instantly with the necessary classes in an automatic 'creation.' And they make them using herbs and medicines. Things are very different, we can't overlook the possibility that the learning mechanics have also changed, as if it were the use of a World Item." Black Abyss sighed, adding to the conversation as the pair sat on one of the couches at the side of the office.
"Ugh... I have zero desire to think about those things... For now, we have to see if someone from Titania, like the recruit knights, can learn Martial Arts. They should theoretically be able to gain independent levels, maybe even special classes and races from this world. For that... We'll need a martial artist, or a training regimen or something like that... Oh, yes, the resurrection was a success by the way. Lovely blonde, by the way." Dont said with a mischievous smile.
"... We can use her to see the use of martial arts. She claimed to be someone who was only below Stronoff and a guy named Unglaus, but one of them is the strongest in E-Rantel, he must know many Martial Arts."
"... Unglaus, you say... Well... No, it doesn't matter. Right now, she's being interrogated by Carmellitian, so all the information she has will be extracted. Then I'll see what to do with her." Dont sighed. "For the time being, if you want to keep messing with Alicia, you can continue with your adventurer stuff and advance your rank to who knows what. Or you could take a Doppelgänger too." Dont shrugged. "I have no desire to play Nyx again, but if necessary, I guess I could do it a few times for certain matters."
"Alicia has already sent Doppelgängers to continue with the Titania performance, I managed to reach the Oricald rank before returning, so I should be Adamantite now, the highest among adventurers. It will allow me to access many more places in the area." Black Abyss explained, then asked, "So. Any news in Titania?"
"Ah, nothing really new. Titania is well hidden. Reinforced protections. The entire forest under our total control and surveillance. Meat is fine, I guess, I don't know. It's your concern. You handle it. Carmellitian has new toys. And I had many interesting ideas. Oh, and starting tomorrow, you'll have a designated servant each day while you're in Titania~ Talk to Bachelory about the details if I forgot anything~ You're welcome~"
"... Do you know how nervous you made the servants...? We're practically their Gods, having to serve us will leave them... Quite tired."
"You sure? I'm pretty sure they'll actually enjoy it more than anyone~ If we're their Goddesses, then there's no greater honor than serving us directly~" Dont said confidently, amused by Black Abyss's doubts. "What good would the servants be if they couldn't even serve as servants?" Dont chuckled again.
"They're 50 girls who keep clean a space larger than a small city, like the Palace... But it's fine, if they enjoy it, I'll approve it." Black Abyss said with a resigned sigh, resting her head against one of the sofa's armrests.
Dont chuckled and quickly slid next to Black Abyss, wrapping an arm around her and pressing her against her side.
"Don't worry~! I've got everything under control~" She said proudly, looking ahead even though there was nothing there, with Black Abyss pressed against her side.
"Hm... Alright... But don't make such big decisions so easily... We'll have to fill the two spots those servants leave uncovered with other summons..."
"Not such a big deal~ Anyway~ We need to review our plans to conquer the world~ I've got some ideas to bring to the table~" Dont said as she walked back to her desk with a cheerful smile about the topic. "I even have ideas for geno- cleaning included~" She said cheerfully and chirpily.
"Aja...?"
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Name: Tamamo (Look at Author's Comment~)
Creators: State-Your-Business, Dont-Say-My-Name, Black Abyss•White Flower
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Name: Mochi (Look at Author's Comment~)
Creators: Dont-Say-My-Name, (State-Your-Business, Black Abyss•White Flower)
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