They were keeping Shiroe out of the evening guild meetings while he was on vacation, to make sure he was really on vacation. Tetorō decided to call him anyway after the Round Table Council trial of Ains. He should know the results of that before he got home.
At the breakfast meeting the next morning Tetorō looked around the table. "Shiroe says not to join him up in Ezzo. He'll be back almost before we can get up there. Other than that, whatever we feel would best help us and MeowLi is fine."
Tetorō wrinkled his nose. "He also reminded me that the three year anniversary of our arrival is only three days from today." MeowLi sat up a little straighter, being interested in anything Adventurer.
Tetorō waved his hand at everyone else's frowns. "I know, it's not a day to celebrate, for us, and most of us would like to not remember it at all, but given other things going on, he thinks there's the potential for things to happen around that date this time. He wants us here in town in case they do. He and Akatsuki will be back in four days or so, so we'd only have a day or two to explore outside of town anyway."
Tetorō turned his pale purple eyes to MeowLi. "Do you have a preference?"
MeowLi sighed. "Not like I want to feel like a prisoner, but I still need at least today, and maybe tomorrow, to recover." Her eyes scanned her friends, who each had their own opinions and her ears went down a little. "I know I'll need to get out of the house and learn that it really is okay," she admitted.
"I'm sure I'd turn into a horrible creature to live with if I gave into the fear and didn't try to keep living a normal life. For all I'd rather sit in a chair and read a book, inactivity has never sat well with me for long periods of time." They all smiled, understanding - and already having lived it with her once.
"MeowLi, how much longer will your class run, do you think?" Tetorō asked. MeowLi blinked and considered the answer to that question. He hesitated, then continued, "There is the possibility that there will be an even bigger interruption to it very soon. Would it be possible to end it, soon?"
MeowLi was frozen in utter surprise and confusion. "You know we've barely been in session for two weeks? How can it be ended already?"
"Well," Tetorō said cautiously, "if not ended, then it may need a longer hiatus then, than a few days." He leaned forward and clasped his hands together, resting his elbows on his knees.
He took a breath, glancing at the others in the room that were trying to understand what he had to say, all of them confused now. "We've received the warning that Hahaue, Chichiue, and your siblings will be coming home soon. The city has agreed to allow it."
Everyone froze at that news. It was exciting for all of them, but also made them all just a little cautious, the same as it had made everyone else when they'd first heard it.
Tetorō kept his eye on MeowLi who was so stiff she was trembling just a little. "We think you'd like to have a few days with them, maybe even a week at least, to help your parents acclimate your siblings to this life. Your experiences would help them immensely."
MeowLi remembered to breathe. He kept going. "You'll need to have your class at a point it can wait for you to come back to it. Whether that's ending it and picking it back up later once life returns to a pattern again, or like a quarter- or mid-term exam and break that isn't a sudden stopping in the middle. You need to think about it and decide while you're recovering today and tomorrow."
He sat back up and crossed his arms. "We're very used to Purrcy's warnings by now. Often it means we see her within two days, so you may already be out of time, but the postponements and other things that have happened for us also means that it's rather unpredictable.
"From here on, we just live life, but leave an open space for her to walk into, making sure that things are ready for her to just jump into so she can start the running she's always doing from her arrival time. I'll be very busy today at least getting the initial preparations done, and then hope for three or more days to just be lazy still. As her secretary, I'll be massively busy once they do arrive."
"You? You're her secretary?" MeowLi asked. Tetorō nodded soberly.
"I'll help you clean the room and get it ready, MeowLi," Minori offered. "That's part of my job title. I know you keep it plenty clean and ordered, I just like to give the room a through washing to get the dust up before anyone comes back home."
She looked rather apologetic. "I guess, it's my comfort and way to deal with the over-excitement. It helps me calm back down, to know that things really are ready to receive them, if I've been busy with that work."
MeowLi blinked at her, then nodded. "I can understand that," she allowed. "I think I might need it, too." She was still stiff and everyone rather agreed with her. She took in a breath. "Perhaps I should only take today off of class, then. I'll need the effort of focusing on the class to keep me distracted if we can't know the exact time they'll arrive."
Tetorō smiled a gentle smile. "That part is difficult, true. If knowing it now can help you focus, then that's fine. If it only distracts you, then wrapping the class up might be rather essential."
MeowLi shivered and tried to focus. "Well, let me think through it today, maybe clean the room to get out the excitement and all," she lifted her whiskers in humor at Minori, "so I can do that even, and then I'll decide."
Tetorō gave a satisfied nod. "I think you'll also be very busy for a while once they get here. Shiroe was hinting that it might be more than just family coming back home." He rolled his eyes at Minori. "He said something like, 'They're going to hate me for coming home late'. I asked if it was Hahaue and Chichiue, and he said, 'No, the council'."
Minori's eyes went very wide, echoed by Touya and Rudy. "He's not telling us something, again?" Minori's lips pursed.
Tetorō slumped just a little. "Remember, he lets Purrcy run with her plans, even if it surprises the city, when he's trying to wiggle out of having to be the one who has to make the decisions and get the blame. His brain's too fried to want to take any more responsibilities. I think he's going to drop it into all of our laps - whatever it is." He was rather morose about it as well.
"Well...you could at least warn the Round Table," Minori said slowly and raised an eyebrow at him.
He looked away. "Like I want to take on the responsibility either, when it's Purrcy's to take. If she's going to be here anyway, she can handle it. If she wants me involved she'll contact me properly." He scowled slightly.
He was surprised into looking back by MeowLi's giggle. She smiled. "I think it would be fine to let Hahaue take her own responsibility. She should every once in a while, you know."
Everyone slumped. "Yeah, we know," Touya grumbled, "except it's always what makes everyone angry with her - Ains-san in particular."
MeowLi joined their slump. Still, they didn't let it get them down for too long. It really was exciting to know the father and mother of the guild would be returning home finally. They were all looking forward to it.
-:-:-:-:-
Minori was happy to have her sleeves rolled up and her hands in the warm soapy water of the wash bucket. It was nice that MeowLi was a good work partner. She wasn't so excited she wanted to talk the whole time, but if conversation happened, it was cheerful. Minori was glad Tetorō had carefully explained to the rest of them without MeowLi present that Shiroe had been very careful to set firm boundaries for the Inari or they wouldn't have been allowed home at all.
That wasn't what she was worried about, really. She paused to wipe the back of her arm across her forehead as she looked around the room to see just what was next. MeowLi had let her put the room items as a whole into her list. That was a lot faster than moving everything out and then back in again.
"Do you clean the kitchen like this before they come, too?" MeowLi asked, also sitting up to pause in her section of the room.
"If it's bad, yes," Minori answered, then thought she should clarify a little better. "That is, if my nerves are that bad. If I'm feeling better after the room, I just spot check it and make sure to clean a little deeper after each meal so that by the time they do come most of it's been touched at least once."
"That makes sense," MeowLi understood. She gave a wry look to Minori. "You'd probably understand why I thought of it, then."
Minori laughed a little. "Yes. Likely you have enough nervous energy to clean the entire first floor several times." MeowLi laughed in agreement and gave a shrug.
Minori sighed. "Well, actually, I'm thinking I might need to worry about if I should be having that much worry." MeowLi gave her a sympathetic ear. "Last time Shiroe didn't tell us things it didn't work well." Her expression helped MeowLi understand just which thing that was. "I think I really should contact him and make him tell me. I don't like those kinds of bad surprises, when it actually often falls on my shoulders as his Apprentice in the end."
MeowLi gave a sharp nod. "No, if you'll have to carry that, it would only be right for him to tell you so you can prepare."
Minori sat down on the floor and did it right then. It didn't make any sense to have her gut all tied up in knots longer than it had to be. "Shiroe-sempai."
"Yes, Minori-chan?" he answered. That meant he could talk.
"What didn't you tell Tetorō? What are you and Purrcy-san dumping in our laps - again?" she was firm to make her point she didn't want it the second time.
"Ahh," that was his yes, I should really tell you beforehand sound. "She's bringing the University of Administration with her. She's already purchased the northwest corner of Akiba to put it into."
Minori's mouth dropped open and she sat in complete stunned amazement for a full minute. Then she spluttered, "A-all the people, too?" She got a positive affirmation. "And you weren't going to warn anyone about that?! What did you expect the city do?"
"Go take a curious look, talk to people like usual to learn what had happened, and then work on getting along. Purrcy's going to handle bringing the university administration to meet with the Round Table to discuss the details."
"Before or after they arrive?"
"...Probably after."
"Shiroe!" Minori scolded, almost fuming now. "At least let Marielle-san know beforehand. She'll at least want to set up a welcoming committee to see that their transition is made a little easier."
"She's already on her way home," he answered.
"And she already knows?" Minori pushed for that detail.
"Well...no." Minori had to bite her lip to keep quiet.
She took a deep breath. "This is the last time I pick up something so large for you. From now on, you will contact me beforehand, and take proper responsibility." She was mad enough to close the chat as soon as she'd heard his very humble agreement.
MeowLi's ears were turning in concern, but she let Minori calm down and say it in her own time. Minori looked at her, then decided it would be as big as message to her as the first one of the morning. "Let's finish your room, then load up Shiroe's room with buckets full of mud, and then maybe halfway through deep cleaning the kitchen I'll be able to talk about it calmly."
MeowLi couldn't help the laugh. "Okay. If that helps you calm down, I'll help you. I need the action still, too. We can rearrange the things in this room after we're both calm enough to make realistic decisions."
Minori gave a sharp nod and got back to scrubbing. She had to work hard to not scrub the tatami flooring into splinters. It was better cleaning the kitchen. Hard surfaces weren't going to break under the hands of an angry Adventurer.
-:-:-:-:-
"It was good to get to cross paths with Shiroe and Akatsuki. I'm so relieved they're finally getting their vacation, too," Marielle sighed happily as she dropped to sit next to Naotsugu on the sand.
He'd brought her to a beach to relax, knowing it was her favorite. They were on their slow return home to Akiba now, the vacation for both couples being rather short, all considered. He would have loved another week at least.
He wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Yeah. I'm glad William's watching over them for this part. He knows the current Ezzo better than I do, particularly since he ordered which zones would be cleared and which wouldn't."
Marielle nodded. Her arms were wrapped around her knees, raised up in front of her. "It's nice to just relax, knowing that the final battle's next. It's going to be a tough dungeon in itself."
She put her chin down on her knees. "I'm sure I'm not looking forward to it, actually," she said a little morosely. "I'm really enjoying just getting to have fun in Akiba. I'd love to spend more time like this, just touring Yamato and relaxing. Being here has been a lot of hard work."
Naotsugu rubbed her back. "Hard work is often fun, but not forgetting to relax is also important." He frowned slightly as he looked away, up the beach towards the north. "I think we might get rain tonight. I'm going to go look for a place for the tent up under the trees. Hopefully that will keep us a little less wet." He smiled a small smile at her when she looked up at him. "Keep my spot warm. I'll be back shortly."
Marielle gave him a nod and picked up a driftwood stick. "I'll just sit here. I need to breathe a bit anyway. Open spaces like this are good for that."
Naotsugu agreed, but he knew she was saying for his sake, understanding he needed his breathing space. She'd be happier coming with him. He'd not been able to sit still very long since they'd left Susukino. He gnawed on it more as he hunted for a reasonable place to set up the tent.
Several times before they'd parted again after their fun day in Susukino, Shiroe had tried to say something to Naotsugu and not been able to. The first time, he'd opened his mouth, then gotten a very surprised look on his face that had turned into a frown, then he'd turned away almost in sorrow. Naotsugu hadn't liked that at all. He'd watched carefully after that. The other times, Shiroe had opened his mouth, then closed it firmly and turned the conversation, or just let it lie.
Naotsugu had tried to get him alone, just in case it was something Marielle or Akatsuki wasn't supposed to hear, but even then Shiroe hadn't been able to say it. He'd only shrugged back at Naotsugu's attempt to get it out of him.
Since then Naotsugu had been worrying at it, trying to understand. The best he'd been able to get to was a sense of a feeling that something had happened there in Susukino, maybe the night before, that had been important. There was only that sense of a feeling though. He couldn't for the life of him figure out what it might have been.
Still, it unsettled him and he couldn't let it go. He frowned at the rope he was tying down to the last stake of the tent. He checked his map to see Marielle was still on the beach where he'd left her.
He walked further into the woods, breathing deeply of the northern moist air until he felt in a secluded enough location. "Hahaue. Come talk to me. Please."
Purrcy appeared in front of him in her casual dress. It was a maroon one today. She didn't say anything, only looked at him soberly. He sighed to himself. "Why aren't we allowed to remember whatever it was?"
Purrcy shook her head. "You'll remember when it's important to remember it again, but she likely never will. It was too big, too dark, Naotsugu. It's not a burden she should have to carry. You both fulfilled your duties admirably and the result was the best and proper one, but the details...," she shook her head again.
"Shiroe is sad you can't, but it's because of her and her needs. Let it lie. He also doesn't need to dwell on it. Others that were there remember - mainly me," she wrinkled her nose at that. "He's got people he can talk to. Relax and love your wife for now. When he needs you to remember, you will."
Naotsugu mostly needed to hear that last sentence. "Alright. As long as I get to support him if it ever comes up again like that."
Purrcy gave him a promise nod. "You will. He'll need you if it does."
Naotsugu only needed one other thing to get rid of his dis-ease. He stepped up and wrapped his arms around Purrcy. She held him back, purring lightly until he could relax and let it go. "You're addicting, you know that?" he complained at her slightly. "It's going to be awfully hard to let you go when we go back."
Purrcy chuckled softly. "You'll still have Marie, though, to hold your hand and be your smiling beacon. Keep watching that light and you'll be fine." Naotsugu nodded into her shoulder, then somewhat reluctantly let her go. She faded from his view.
He stayed there for a moment, then took a deep breath and turned back for Marielle. She'd hold him until he could walk forward again. It was what she wanted to do anyway, to know that he was okay, too.
He knew he'd worried her because of his own worry. Maybe he'd chase her up and down the beach a few times. That would help her feel better, too, to be teased and see his own smile. She smiled better when he was smiling, and that was the smile he needed to see today.
-:-:-:-:-
Marielle doodled in the sand with her stick. After a bit, she sighed, hoping that Naotsugu had gone to finish working out his problem, or at least reach the point where he could talk about it. He usually didn't like to have things hanging over their heads during fun vacation times either, so likely he had. She could be patient long enough for him to do that, or decide what he could say to her so she could help him.
She clasped her hands around her knees again and looked up at the blue sky overhead. It did seem there might be a hint of rain to the air, actually. She wouldn't mind being shut up in a tent with him. Listening to rain on the canvas would be rather romantic, actually. She smiled to herself.
"Marielle-san, I hate to interrupt, but are you available?"
Marielle blinked. "I am right now, Minori," she answered. Just sitting there alone was a good time to be interrupted, actually.
Minori took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, but I'm likely going to be more intrusive than you'd like, and I'm already upset enough that I'd like to say it only once. Do you mind if I bring the rest of us here into the conversation?"
Marielle frowned a little, concerned. "It's not trouble there is it?" she asked. "I don't mind," she thought to answer the question as well.
"Well...not that kind of trouble. Just -" Minori cut it off and Marielle heard her calling for the others of Log Horizon for a conference chat. Likely they were already out on their daily scheduled activities. She wasn't sure she'd ever heard Minori this ...well flustered wasn't quite the word. She'd said she was upset. Was she angry about something?
Marielle settled down into a cross-legged sit and got focused and comfortable. It was right to help if she needed to be called in.
"Okay, everyone. Based on Tetorō's comments at this morning's meeting, I've contacted Shiroe myself." Marielle's eyes went wide. Minori had only just a short while ago dropped Shiroe's status. To do it again meant she was quite angry, really. "I made him tell me what's coming up that he's not telling us again." She stopped short and Marielle was sure she was taking a deep breath to calm down a little.
"Ah," Minori interrupted herself, "I'm here at home with MeowLi so she can hear it as well. It's not going to be good on her heart, to hear this on top of this morning's news that her family's given the warning, but she should hear it, too."
Marielle blinked. They'd been told today, so that meant they'd received permission from the Council yesterday, then. She'd been studiously not letting Henrietta talk to her about anything going on in Akiba - not until she got back home. But it had to do with MeowLi?
Minori took another breath and talked a little more calmly. "When they come, they are bringing the University of Administration with them...and all the staff and students as well. Purrcy's already purchased the northwest corner of Akiba, he said."
Marielle's mouth dropped open. "What?!" Touya exclaimed first.
Tetorō was second and his own displeasure dripped from his words. "And that wasn't important to let anyone know ahead of time because?"
Minori gave a hard noise of agreement. "His usual lame excuses, mostly being that we can all handle surprises like that because we're all Adventurers who've been through the same thing before so everyone will just get along, right?" The sarcasm was heavy. Marielle groaned.
"I told him it was the last thing he dropped and walked away from that I'd help him pick back up," Minori said angrily. Marielle could understand.
Minori wasn't slow to pass out orders next. "Tetorō, get to the Guild Hall and find out exactly which zones were purchased and how many of them are apartments. MeowLi I need a head count of the total numbers of students, faculty, and staff employed by the university as well as how much housing you might guess would be coming with them, if any. I'll use both sets of data to determine if we need to hunt down proper housing for the rest that might be sleeping in abandoned buildings otherwise.
"Marielle-san, please work on putting together a welcoming committee and get the word out to the city that we're expecting new residents who know absolutely nothing about being in the linear base time of this world. I'd like to sit in on at least one planning meeting so I can pass along what we found were problems for MeowLi and what helped her. We're going to have to help them all, and she's only a sample of one, so we'll have to work hard."
Marielle closed her mouth. "I'll contact Souji-kun, but I'd like to know the numbers of expected people also. That will help me plan the extent of who we need to have involved."
"Can do," Minori said firmly.
Marielle pondered a bit longer, putting her finger to the side of her mouth. "We should tell the Round Table Council as a whole. They won't be happy to be surprised either. Once you have the location data, Tetorō, they should see that map so they know.
"We might have to set up extra watch shifts there just to make sure everyone stays playing nicely, although I would think they would." She was frowning in concern now. "I'd like to catch the creepers early, if we can. They're what I'd be more worried about."
Minori explained to MeowLi, "Creepers are the term we gave to those who just couldn't handle living in the new way we'd been brought to live. They disappeared into the dark alleys and corners and wouldn't live, or be involved in life at all. We've worked hard to find all of ours and help them move forward again. Significant changes like that can cause people to fall into despair."
There was a bit of silence, then Minori passed along, "MeowLi thinks there won't be any, or if there are, they'll have friends and others already at the university who will support them. She says that from before her graduation they were already planning the move of the Universities out of the Gate of Time."
There was silence again for a bit, then she continued. "There were five and each one was to be taken and put onto the planet in a different location when her family came out."
"You already knew, MeowLi?" Tetorō asked.
"She says yes, but she's surprised we didn't." Minori sighed a frustrated sigh. Marielle could understand.
She took a minute more to think about that. "MeowLi, do you know how close we are now to when your graduation would have been?"
"She says no, Marielle-san," Minori said respectfully.
Marielle nodded. "Then we may just now be getting to a time synchronicity. We might actually know a little before they do, even. Remember she came back in time and we're having to catch back up. If Shiroe's just learned about it himself, we might not be too late."
"Well," Minori had to allow, "I don't know when he learned about it. I only know that we only learned about it today because he dropped clues that he was dropping responsibilities again as of yesterday."
Marielle gave a firm nod. "I think it will be okay, Minori-chan. Thank you for being proactive and pushing on him right away. Naotsugu and I are already scheduled to arrive by tomorrow evening. I think that should be soon enough if I give Souji-kun a heads-up today and we get the data collected by then. I'll let Crusty know we want to talk to everyone the next morning at the latest."
"Thank you, Marielle-san," Minori sighed in relief.
"No problem, Minori-chan!" Marielle said cheerfully. "I think it will be fun to have even more friends in town!"
"After all the hard work of learning to get along," Touya muttered in his usual morose pessimism. Marielle knew that was just him getting his complaints out.
Minori gave a soft chuckle. "Yeah, MeowLi. I agree. It's far better for you to understand just why you might be wanting to end your class early, if that's part of the things going on."
Marielle froze. "Surely not!" she protested. "MeowLi's class is very popular with her students."
"She can't very well teach, and take care of her siblings, and help a whole university adjust to their new lives with Adventurers, you know," Tetorō scolded her.
"Well, there is that, too," Minori said sympathetically. "She might have to give that class up to the university anyway. It's their main topic."
"No," Marielle was quite firm. "Her class is an introductory survey class. Those kinds of classes are part of the high school level, to help students learn if they have an aptitude or would even want to consider continuing on to the university level. Her class is probably even more critical now, if they're going to make their home in Akiba. It will be the launching point for those who really do want to do that."
Minori giggled. "Marielle-san, you've sent her completely over to the other side, from depression to panic."
"Ah...sorry, MeowLi," Marielle apologized. "Just get to the point you need to be at to take care of yourself. If that includes the teaching that's fine. Then when things settle down, you can take what you've learned so far from the teaching perspective and more seriously consider where to take the class from there.
"Likely being able to go and talk to your former professors will help, too. They'll be able to give you the subset that they feel would be most helpful to point people in the right direction while taking a survey or summary course."
"Thank you, Marielle-san. That's helped," Minori was smiling now.
Marielle slumped in relief. A warm arm wrapped around her shoulders and she smiled at Naotsugu. "I guess that's it for now, then," Minori said. "We'll be in touch again."
"Okay," Marielle said and let the chat close. She looked up into Naotsugu's face. "Things are never dull, are they?" she asked him. He shook his head and looked his question at her. She needed to check on him first. "Did you get your worry worked out?"
"Yes," he answered with a gentle smile and gave her a kiss. "Thanks for waiting."
She sighed. "Well, it wasn't hard. I was just given more work for having nothing to do again."
He groaned for her sake. She turned her head and smiled at him. "It's okay. I do like being the Duchess of Akiba, really. It's fun to be the hostess, when I get to see everyone smile."
He frowned at her. "Okay, but today, you aren't. Today, you are Marielle who loves to play on the beach." He picked her up and started walking for the water.
"Ah. Ah, what?" she nervously looked at the water, then at him. She wasn't sure she liked the look in his eyes. When he dropped her into the water with a very wet and cool splash, she jumped back up and ran at him, splashing up as much water towards him as she could. He took off, running away, his tease on his face.
She mock-growled and chased after him, enjoying feeling the sand under her feet and the freedom of being able to run without weariness. She was glad he was willing to distract her with fun while he could legally still give her a vacation. She'd call Soujirou later when they were resting and Naotsugu wanted quiet again.
-:-:-:-:-
Two small tents were set up and a fire was crackling nearby. Three people were lounging around that fire, stomachs warmly filled with meals they hadn't prepared, but which had been delicious nonetheless. William knew the other two really had wanted to have even more of a vacation than having him along, but by this point no one who knew Shiroe was comfortable having him wandering alone without some sort of shield with him and his ever-present sword.
Even if Shiroe hadn't seen it, William had seen how much Naotsugu had relaxed when William had insisted he would be going along as their "tour guide" to walking the zones of Ezzo so that it remained a vacation instead of turning into a random chance encounter adventure.
Ezzo didn't have the worst monster zones, if you didn't count the Giants, but it was still meant for middle-level adventurers with lots of Trolls, Orcs, and Wolves in all their varieties. The Giants were just the ending level monsters to help middle-level Adventurers cross over into middle-high level Adventurers.
William drew in a breath and decided it was time to break the silence. "Shiroe-sempai, ...your world AIs." He scowled slightly. "I wish to complain."
Shiroe's expression went from polite interested listening to sad comprehension. He sighed just slightly and relaxed back in his chair, his hand not letting go of Akatsuki's. "I'm listening." He was kind, understanding that anyone who had to interact with those creatures would need to complain. Even Akatsuki's expression was one of softly sad compassion and understanding.
William looked away. He didn't really want to say it, the whole thing, but he of necessity had to to this person. And he really did want to complain. His fingers lightly and slowly twisted together as he worked to say it.
"I told you I wished selfishly to find the Elves of the Land, in order to perhaps win two young curious ones to come and help at the winery." He looked back at Shiroe who gave a listening nod. "They'll be necessary while we're fighting at the World Tree and perhaps after when we go home, to keep up the promise to trade alcohols with the Giants." Shiroe blinked his understanding.
William blinked back. "I'd already begun the dull series of quests necessary to even find and get into Faldil, the realm of the Elves, even before you contacted me about the Giants, since Silver Sword had already begun winemaking even then. I thought I should take my time but find them regardless." Shiroe's look went wry. Even he understood how dull playing the game had become for them.
"Choosing to become an Elf even before the catastrophe, I'd already run the quest to enter. That wasn't hard," William admitted. Akatsuki gave a nod that it only made sense William would have done it before.
Shiroe raised an eyebrow and William let him ask. "Does that mean when you entered, you learned you already had the permissions to enter and leave?"
William felt sour. "I wasn't sure, so I played it out again regardless."
Shiroe gave an understanding nod, but his eyes went sharp. "So it keyed the next one?"
William sighed. "Yes." That came out more bitter and he paused to set it aside so he could continue. "I was about to leave the guard's station, having received the permissions to enter and leave, when I was told I was required to visit the Lord's court next." He looked away again. "I knew what that meant. Having received what I wanted, but not wanting to confuse what I wanted with what had been started, I left instead."
Shiroe nodded knowingly, but Akatsuki looked between them confused. Shiroe explained it to her, "If William had tried to talk to any of the Elves, even about trying to come here and work in the winery, he would have been walking the Lord of the Elves quest path regardless of if he wanted to or not.
"The two Elves he would have brought back out with him would have been his men-at-arms, sworn to follow him and protect him in all things. They wouldn't have been able to have just been left behind to mind the winery."
William nodded a frustrated nod. Akatsuki's face fell in understanding. Shiroe looked back at him. "And it's not like you want to wear that hat, either." Shiroe paused and frowned in thought. "Could you ask Marielle to do it for you?"
William shook his head. "She's also run the first quest. Perhaps if she didn't walk the quest, just entered their realm as if already having won the right to like I should have, perhaps she could convince a few for me." He paused. "It's my back-up plan," he admitted.
Shiroe raised his eyebrow again, but this time it was the invitation to tell the rest of the story. William took his time getting to it, not in a hurry and by now used to long pauses of silence. With these two, it wasn't too much of an imposition. They understood silences.
William's fingers tightened together. "I was half-way back to Susukino when Nyanta-san appeared in front of me. He started right out by telling me he wasn't Nyanta-san, but the High Priest of Inari-no-Izanagi." Shiroe slumped slightly. William looked away to not see the pity coming on his face.
William sighed a deep sigh out. "They've asked me to actually become the Lord of Elves for real." He glanced at Shiroe to see he'd closed his eyes.
William looked down at his hands. "The Elves of this place are also required to be changed to live properly. The Inari argue that it's necessary for an Adventurer to lead the Elves. One who knows the game, knows the new way of being on this Theldesia, one who can lead them forward into the future. They won't be able to do it on their own.
"Faldil will become a stagnant place that will either putrefy and eventually poison the planet, or it will whither and die. We've already not been there for three years to keep them remembering us and the outside world properly. I created some greater level of excitement than should have been present, when I entered."
Shiroe grimaced. "I can imagine. You weren't a nearly-mindless zombie."
William gave a dry half-smile. "Indeed. I barely made it out for all those who wanted to flock to me and either inspect me, experiment on me, or flirt with me in the case of the ladies."
Even Akatsuki's sour grimace matched the feeling of the those who'd been inside that realm when it had been a calmer place. It hadn't been easy to be Adventurers brought really to Theldesia, and it was no different in Faldil. "So it really isn't simple," Shiroe commiserated.
William shook his head. "And it might be just as difficult for Marielle-san. I'd rather not make you lose your Castle of Stone when he's so necessary to you."
Shiroe looked away in thought, then his brow creased and he looked back. "That ...they left that in? It's part of the quest?"
William nodded miserably. "Yes. If there is a Lord of Elves, there must of necessity be a Lady of Elves. And vice versa."
Shiroe gave a slight shiver. William was in agreement. It had been an equal-opportunity side quest add-on to interest more females players to stay in the game. Most Adventurers just considered it an okay side quest that let one have a title that was really only bragging rights. Since there were always a few Adventurers looking for something new to do, it had been played enough.
Still, to have left it in for the living Theldesia was a rather annoying trap. On the real Theldesia they would really live and rule together. In the game they didn't even have to know each other.
"What did you tell Izanagi?" Shiroe asked.
William looked away again. "I haven't yet. Not really. But I did tell him what it would take to win me." He looked down, "Perhaps I shouldn't have ...but even I've already changed too much here. Just like it was sorrowfully difficult to watch the Giants become nearly extinct, I already can't want to see it happen to the Elves either." He gave a crooked smile to Shiroe. "After all, I already wanted to be one."
Shiroe kept his face neutral this time, giving a nod of understanding. William understood that kind of compassion. It's what kept Shiroe walking the hard path he was already on. It's what made him understand it was a hard thing to do, a hard choice to make. "What did you ask for?" Shiroe gave William the small push he needed to keep going.
"The perfect wife," William answered. Shiroe's eyes came up at that and looked at him deeply. "I'd actually hoped at some level that it would be an impossible request, that on this planet they could find the perfect Lady of Elves at the same time as a woman who would be perfect for me - who will go home to Earth when it's time to go."
He'd caught Shiroe's attention now. "The permutations ...they're capable of calculating it, but actually finding one, yes, I would think that would be difficult," Shiroe agreed.
"It took him three seconds, and then he told me that I would have it. Two weeks after returning to Susukino he came to me in one of my visions and told me my wife would be entering the city the next day and showed me who it was." William shivered slightly and swallowed. "I told him I would test her and wouldn't commit unless I agreed with him. And forced that she would have to agree as well. She is also an Adventurer, after all."
Shiroe stiffened at that, but didn't look too surprised. William felt rather defeated and he looked Shiroe in the eye, relaxing into his feeling, not knowing where to go next. "It is going to be so difficult. I am going to have to wait, and wait again. With the patience of Elves, I perhaps can do it. With the understanding of my family, I would have to do it anyway at the beginning. I'm just not sure I want to do it for the rest of the eternity of this planet."
William took a deep breath. "Shiroe-sempai, may I please have your permission to court and perhaps win Isuzu-chan?" Shiroe nearly fell out of his chair and Akatsuki froze into stone. "Or perhaps," William finished miserably, "you can help me find a way back out of this hole I've dug myself into?"
-:-:-:-:-
"Taihen, William," were the first words out of Shiroe's mouth when he'd recovered enough for words to even be said. "She's not ready, and the most stubborn person I know, even more than Hahaue."
"I know," William nodded miserably. "Rather than ask for an impossible thing from the AI, I feel like he's turned it back on me and made things impossible for me.
"I can't gain any Elves to come help me in the winery at all unless I finish the quest and become the Lord of the Elves. I have to win over my perfect wife who will be perfectly stubborn about understanding even her own heart in the matter because she is focused on her own goals. And I don't really want to be it besides. I'm enjoying what I'm already doing."
As William closed his eyes in defeat, Shiroe could only feel sympathy. There was the obvious escape that the AIs could ask any Elf of the Adventurers to become the Lord or Lady of Elves. It was equally obvious for one who had worked closely with them this long that if they'd asked William they didn't want anyone else. They'd already calculated that he could do it - hold the Elves together properly for the eternity of this planet.
They might have a back-up plan in case William did really refuse, by the right of Adventurer Choice, but he wasn't wrong. It was probably Marielle, with her sunny disposition and capacity to hold any group together because of it. Shiroe selfishly didn't want to give up Naotsugu, nor could they be broken up now that they were married. He could warn them, though, and make Izanagi choose from the remainder of the thousands of Adventurer Elves present on the planet.
The problem was they'd hooked William with giving him his request - game-wise and really. To be presented with his perfect wife would be a hard thing to turn from, given they'd actually managed to include "perfect for Earth". William could still turn her down if he was firm with himself. It was highly likely Isuzu would turn him down at this point.
"There's a rather high chance she'll refuse and you can let the world find a different Elf to take Lord of Elves," Shiroe offered what slim hope he could. "Once it has, you could go back again then and find who you need for the winery."
William didn't look up at him for a long time. "Actually, ...I'm having the same difficulty with both issues. She is also going to need me on Earth as much as the Elves need me here, to keep going."
He looked up. "I'm from one of the music families also. I know what she's going to face there, trying to be a star musician. She has a lot of strength and determination, but even the strongest - mostly the strongest - need to have the best support possible or they break. I already know how to give that to her.
"Her current modern Earth works are sufficient to get her on stages for the minimum amount of time, but not the biggest stages. She'll have to work very hard, but I think she'll still be satisfied with what she can do. It's sufficient for what my family would accept in my wife."
He looked back down at the golden-red fire. "She also meets the other minor qualifications my family will look for, and that I've come to wish to have for myself. It's hard to not take the easy answer, in that regard."
Shiroe could understand that. It was hard to find anyone as a partner on Earth in modern Japan. To be handed one who could be a perfect partner without having to put that effort into it. ...Well, to win Isuzu, William would still have to work very hard.
"I guess I can't say your answer for you, William," he said softly. "If you want to try, to see what comes of it, I won't stand in your way. Even her we would wish to have happy and see a strong support by her side. If it could be you, I wouldn't complain.
"I do think the harder thing would be what they want you to do here. To live forever as an Elf? Are you sure? That's far too long. Hahaue complains that humans weren't made for it. Her only thought to any relief is that she might be able to sleep unsummoned for hundreds of years at a stretch, or more. An Elf doesn't have the option."
"Well, they do sometimes sleep long sleeps," William pointed out, "but yes, I am concerned about that. Except I know how they've already been changing me as they change everyone to match what they are here. I may be a young Elf, in that respect, so still moving at faster speeds with the capacity for change the old ones don't have so much, but it's in me. I'll be an old Elf looking at the world the way they do, eventually." He wasn't too happy, but he wasn't bitter about it.
"It's actually part of the perfect requirement as well. Inari understood that I also meant that I would need to have not only an Earth Adventurer who understood this part of our being here, but that I would need that companionship throughout the eternity in order to keep walking forward."
"You'll make Isuzu also be eternal?" Shiroe's brow furrowed in concern.
William shook his head. "That's part of the hard. The waiting. She won't be. She didn't pick Elf. I'll watch her die and I'll have to wait for her to be reborn again, time after time. But knowing that she'll be coming back will keep me moving forward, and will give me the breath of new life an old Elf will need to stay just young enough to keep his people going forward as well."
Shiroe relaxed back, shaking his head a little. "If you do want the out, to escape it, there is that one way, for both of you. They are excellent manipulators, but they must live by the law of Adventurer Choice.
"Do let me know if you've refused them, so I can protect Marie and Naotsugu. Otherwise, it's your decision, William." He could only feel sympathy. "I'll be here to complain to anytime, but we'll stay out of it so you can properly do what you want to do."
William gave a slightly sour nod. He wasn't happy to have to continue that hard path mostly alone, but he'd welcome their proper participation to his personal quest and would likely call Shiroe whenever it became overwhelming. Even that much helped, Shiroe knew. "Have you talked to Hahaue about it, yet?"
William raised an eyebrow at him. Shiroe shrugged. "She would be another support for you. She also understands, but won't stand in your way." William thought about that, then gave a brief nod. He'd call on her now when he needed to.
They lapsed back into companionable silence, keeping William company with his thoughts until Shiroe couldn't refuse his desire to be only with Akatsuki any longer. Then he wished William a good night and took his own perfect companion with him to their tent. He was very glad he'd been given his at the beginning, to help him walk through this most difficult of paths he'd had to walk.
He tried to bury his feelings of self-pity as they rose up again as he slipped towards sleep. He did wish that he could have reminded Marielle that she'd agreed to help get things ready for the University. He still wasn't sure why Inari wasn't letting her or Naotsugu remember anything at all about their time in the Gate of Time. She was likely to be just as mad at him as Minori was.
