The Adventurers in the village of the Giants sat around together relaxing after the dinner feast and the entertainment. Most of the Giants had already gone off to bed, having had a long day with their usual work, and having another day of work the next day.

Anna had also dragged Emiline off to make her young child get enough of her own rest. Isuzu had nodded her agreement. "Rest is important. Unlike those of us who came at the Awakening, the only way for you to recover your health and magic points is through spell, potion, or proper sleep. If you want to really learn and grow, you need to take care of yourself right." The others had agreed soberly with Isuzu and Emiline had gone with her mother, if still a bit reluctantly.

Shiroe and Akatsuki were enjoying the quiet outdoors and sitting next to each other. Demikas had been bribed to stick around with some of William's wine, although he claimed to like the Giant's ale better. They figured he was just wanting drinking company that was from Earth. It had been a long time for him to have that. Since he wasn't being too grouchy, they didn't mind.

William turned to Isuzu and took a silent breath. "Isuzu, I have a request for you, if you'll hear it."

Isuzu raised an eyebrow at him as she looked over her glass of wine at him. "Sure, I'll hear it," she said as the cup left her lips.

"I've got one last requirement to meet in order to win the trust of the Elves of Theldesia, so I can get even a few to come help out at the winery. I'd like to have it done before we head for the World Tree, so that we can keep making our promised quotas to our customers. Without an elf overseeing the process, it isn't technically 'elvin' wine."

Isuzu's brow furrowed in concern. William pressed on. "I need a Bard, and because you've created new music this world hasn't known before, you're the best option I have, if you'd come help me. They'll need that gift to answer me positively." He took another silent breath and watched her, like he'd been watching her since she'd first stepped into Susukino.

Her right hand clenched, and her left hand fell into a relaxed position on her lap. That wasn't a good sign. He tried to not let it get him down just yet. She took her time to think about it. She shook her head. "I've been thinking that I need to stay with Emiline, to make sure she really gets her legs under her." Her eyes looked at William. "You're sure there isn't -?"

William was shaking his head. "There's really not. I've looked, knowing you're a busy person hard to tie down. I was hoping you might still be interested in Adventuring? It would be the last time to do so."

"I'm sending Emiline down with Shiroe," Demikas interposed. "She does need more contact with others closer to her age, and the training she'll get at the Academy. Anna will be going with her."

Isuzu's brow creased in worry. "That might make it even more important that I go then." Her eyes went to Shiroe. "I'm concerned that when MeowLi's brand of pride crosses with Emiline's, we might have more than just sparks. And there's history to worry about."

That didn't make any sense to the outsiders of Log Horizon, but that wasn't too new. William watched Shiroe. William was still relying on him a lot in this mess.

Shiroe thought about that, then gave a side look to Akatsuki, to get a second opinion. Akatsuki considered it, then looked a bit sad. "The AIs might just want to test that."

Shiroe's face fell a little. "Well, I'd hope they wouldn't, since I agree that would be a forest fire rather than sparks." He looked away, then sighed. "It's going to be hard even if they don't remember each other. MeowLi wants to be an Adventurer just as badly, without knowing it. Even without trying it could very well be having her nose rubbed into it. If her siblings are the same..."

His look went a little scolded. "And it's not like I need to have another scolding in that arena. The last one was rather bad, and I'm already going to get one when I get home as it is." He closed his eyes and stretched his legs out in front of him, considering it more seriously.

When he looked up a visual appeared in front of them all. It was the common room of the Log Horizon guild hall. It was late enough it looked like some had already gone to bed and others were getting close. "Naotsugu, Tetorō, Purrcy, Nyanta, ...Minori. I need a conference call with just you five. It should be brief."

As those five rose to their feet and excused themselves from the common room to file into his office, he continued, "I've got Demikas, William, Akatsuki, and Isuzu here with me. ...Have your children settled in well enough?" He asked Nyanta and Purrcy as they settled on his couch together, letting Naotsugu and Tetorō take the loveseat. Minori took one of the side chairs.

"Yes, thank you. They'll be quite ready to explore Akiba before the city's ready for them," Purrcy answered in her usual calm way, with a slight smile. "We've planned we'll be meeting with Ains before we let them loose. We'll be taking that to the Round Table as a whole first, I suspect. It's a bit of a complex question that we'll be discussing with Crusty and Rieze tomorrow, since none of us have anything in us at this point, after today's busy."

Shiroe nodded, understanding. William could see they were all looking back at them, so Shiroe had made it a two-way chat on that end by now. It was rather impressive to see it for the first time in person.

"Demikas has asked if we'll bring Emiline and Anna back with us so Emiline can get what little training at the Academy she can before we're off to our last dungeon. Likely they'll want her in lessons at the university after that.

"I've said they can stay with us in the guild hall, since they also need to have their story protected, and we've got a good mix for Emiline to start getting some idea of what both Adventurers and People of the Land are like. With your four, she'll also get in the Gate of Time residents, if to a slightly smaller degree until she's at the university." The people in the room were looking at Shiroe in silence, waiting to hear the full story.

"We've learned fairly well MeowLi's pride, that can get her into some slight troubles. I'm going to assume that it's a combination of the pride of the Gate of Time residents, and her own personality from before, plus a little bit of training from watching you two there. She's learned to hide it well under nobility, but it's the same pride of the nobility of the People of the Land, really, so doesn't help her case when she gets under the skin of other Adventurers."

Purrcy gave a tip of an ear. Demikas slumped just a little. That combination wasn't a good sign either, in William's book. Shiroe's eyes went to Isuzu. "Isuzu's worked with Emiline enough now to be concerned that the pride of the two will clash. Emiline has the pride of strength and knowing that she and her dad were leaps and bounds more capable than her mother. She hasn't had the tempering of having others with her. I'm inclined to agree that there will be some transition troubles between the two.

"How will that affect your other three? We don't know about them yet," Shiroe asked.

Nyanta glanced at Purrcy, but it was Tetorō who raised his hand. "I've interacted with them today, since they got here. Yes, they all three have the Gate of Time scholar's pride. They also have to one degree or other the pride of any Adventurer. I actually was finding that a little odd, that they'd have carried that minor detail with them. That pride that's the same as the nobles have of knowing their station on Theldesia, even if none of the four know they were born with Adventurer psyche."

William's eyebrow rose just a little at that. It was surprising. Tetorō continued, "Setsubou is calm, much like Nyanta-san. I don't think there will be much conflict there, but likely he could be pushed to a sudden snap. Particularly if his silent warnings went unheeded. That could go bad with someone who has no idea how to read them.

"Meiki is an Adventurer in everything but status and capacity. She wanted everything she could get right away. She might not even notice Emiline, except to get out of her everything she could teach about being an Adventurer, then never talk to her again in her own jealousy as she heads out on her own adventures regardless.

"Miru is going to be trouble in the background, constantly. He doesn't care so much when it comes to Adventurer stuff, it looks like to me. At the same time, he's the sort that would soak it up, then use it to rob the bank blind and disappear without anyone knowing it was him."

Shiroe slumped a little, then drew in a breath and sat upright again. "Yeah, it sounds like it's going to be fighting fires for a while to bring Emiline back home, but it's a reasonable request for Demikas to make. Isuzu was thinking she might be needed back home to help put out some of those fires. She wants to keep Emiline in hand, since she started with her."

He ran his hand over his head. "Hahaue, we'd like to know, too, if bringing Emiline home will make the past blow up in our faces. Will those two's history become a problem for us?" Purrcy sat back and her tail bounced a bit as she thought about the question.

"Ah, can I know what that past is, exactly?" Demikas interrupted.

Shiroe waited until he got positive responses from both Purrcy and Nyanta, although Nyanta's permission was a bit reluctant. Shiroe looked back at Demikas. "I can tell you, but you can't let it cloud your own judgement, nor change how you relate to either one. If their history does interrupt, it won't be their fault, really."

Demikas gave a signature scowl that meant he'd heard properly, but didn't like being told it. "You already know Emiline is Indicus." William stiffened. He hadn't known. Demikas gave a curt nod. "Meiki is Nureha."

William's blood chilled. Even Demikas paled and froze for a bit. It was no wonder Isuzu was concerned enough to go home and help. William wasn't sure he could in good conscience ask her to change that opinion. It was one more grand complication to go along with all of his other complications and he felt a bit like throwing a temper tantrum.

He leaned forward, "If I could throw in my own problems into the mix," he said and got eyes. "It's come up because I asked Isuzu if she'd be willing to join me in the final step of the Elvin quest I'm on, so I can get elves at the winery before the World Tree dungeon starts. Otherwise, I'll sit it out and keep making the wine we've promised." He was that testy about it now.

That made both Purrcy and Shiroe a bit unhappy, to hear that much, but he really was quite serious about meeting his obligations. They and the AIs had just put too much on his shoulders and backed him into this corner. They needed to step in and help fix it.

Purrcy slumped and Nyanta's ears fell apologetically. They looked at each other, talking without words for a bit. "Alright, lets call it two quests, shall we?" Purrcy finally said. "Shiroe ask me for your preferred blessing or outcome."

Shiroe sat up and pushed up his glasses. "Caretaker, High Priestess of Izanami, please keep the memories of the two ever having known each other from returning to them. Let the experiment be that we'll just see how they relate from this point on, based on the training they've received since their re-births to their current parents."

Purrcy was still for about a minute, then she returned to the room and gave a nod. "Okay. Done." Her eyes turned to William. "William ask Nyanta for your request."

William folded his arms and thought it through, then gave a nod. "Because the Elvin realm is a separate space, with a variable time, make it so that the time we leave Faldil is only a few short minutes after we've entered it, in this realm's time. That way we can complete everything that needs to be done there but don't have to pay the worse cost of time here."

William stared at Nyanta until he received positive confirmation that it would happen. Then his eyes went to Isuzu. "I'm willing to wait and go on your schedule, but I will still need time to then train the elves who are willing to come with me. I can do some of the initial training there before we leave, but the People of the Land who are helping out here will have to get used to them, too."

Shiroe put his eyes on Isuzu. "If it's like that, you could even go with him in the morning and be back before we leave. We can wait that long."

Isuzu's head tipped and her confusion was understandable. "Is Faldil's entrance that close to here, really?"

Demikas gave a snort. "As a Giant you can be there in about an hour." He pointed back towards Susukino. "It's between here and there at one of the most predictable places to find it. They may as well drop out of the time-space and plant themselves."

William shook his head. "Well, it is game obvious, but to bring that large a space here is a bit much. It's almost moon-sized you know, since they wanted to make it another world to explore in the game."

Demikas shrugged. "Yeah, well, whatever. Good luck finding anything fun there."

William slowly smiled at him. "Oh, I think Isuzu will surprise them even more than I did." Demikas' eyebrow raised at him. "I was the first Awakened Adventurer to walk in there. To have Isuzu show up and sing ...well, that will be something to see, I'm sure."

Shiroe smiled. "I'm sure it will be. Your best audience yet, Isuzu," he teased her gently.

Isuzu's eyes were opened wide, indicating that she had, indeed, not been on that quest before. William was rather relieved, actually. He wasn't going to tell her about the truth of it for a very long time. Not until he was sure, and that would be years later on Earth he was quite sure.

-:-:-:-:-

Minori clasped her hands tightly together around a knee and tried to think clearly. She was already very tired from the busy, stressful day. It looked like things would stay a headache for a while. When she drew in her breath to speak, she had everyone's attention, as if she really was the equal to the rest of them now. She was glad they did, or she would have had a melt-down tantrum.

"I think it will be essential to have Isuzu come if Emiline is going to. She can be the trainer and put out the fires before they start. MeowLi was hard enough at the beginning all by herself with all of us, for all she was calm. Rudy already knows how to handle her, but I think we need to move him over to Setsubou. Perhaps MeowLi can stay with them?" she raised an eyebrow at Purrcy and Nyanta.

They both nodded. "Of all the siblings, they are closest to each other. It would be a good matching," Nyanta agreed.

Minori was relieved for small favors. "I'll stick Touya to Miru, then. Since Touya's grown up, nothing gets past him, and he no longer lets them slide, either. He'll be able to call Miru on everything that he's trying to hide until he gets it into his head that he can't get away with just anything. That will be a big job, though. I'll have to see what he'll want to do about work and handling Miru."

"Make him work at the restaurant while Touya's on shift," Purrcy said coolly, folding her arms. "He'll do it because then he'll be able to observe those who go in. If we tell them that as part of being adults in their own rooms, they get to pay for them, there will be that reason to earn the coin, too." Nyanta gave an agreeing flick of an ear, just as stern about it as Purrcy.

Minori nodded, "And Touya will be able to keep an ear on him, as well." That helped a lot, actually, although Touya would still likely have to take some extra time off at the beginning. She sighed. "And I guess that leaves me with Meiki. I'm not sure I'm energetic enough for her, though."

Nyanta's whiskers turned in thought. "Actually, Minorichi, it might be best for mew to be her guide at the first. That will give mew the oppurrtunity to get to know her better, and keep her lessons slow enough to not overwhelm her. She doesn't understand her own limitations and doesn't watch herself enough. Once mew're sure, mew can decide who might be better to continue the lessons.

"Meiki-chan's had fighting training. When mew can't stand to be with her, mew can send her out with Meowtsugu and Tetorō-kun. They can teach her just what it means to survive on Theldesia." Nyanta's look was a bit wicked. Naotsugu and Tetorō both relaxed back into positions of willingness to "teach" that hard lesson.

Demikas nodded on his side. "Emiline will need that, too, to get a real feel. She's still got too much of a romanticized idea of what Adventurers are and what they do with their strength. Comes of not being able to walk out of the hundred foot radius around the house. Nothing to fight to understand how tough it is. It might calm her down to get that taste of reality."

Minori gave a tired nod. "Alright. I'll pass it around in the morning meeting. You're still going to be home on Friday, then?"

Shiroe gave a nod. "That's the plan we're working to."

"Thank you," Minori said firmly. He winced slightly. She ignored it. She was quite glad to find her bed shortly after that, as glad as she was she'd been part of the meeting. She really would have walked out the door if he'd left her out of it.

-:-:-:-:-

Isuzu was waking William up early the next morning. She was anxious to go, get the deed done, and get back. She wasn't too happy with leaving Emiline even that long, but Shiroe had promised to work with her on Enchanter things to keep her lessons going while Isuzu wasn't there. Akatsuki had promised to "be very much herself, and then some" - Isuzu's words and requirement, not Akatsuki's. Akatsuki had given her an odd look, then shrugged and nodded. It would have to be enough.

"Thank you, Isuzu," William said as serious and polite as ever as they pinned their Giant friendship pins onto their shirts. They'd slept in tents as smalls since there weren't enough houses for even all the Giant's yet in their village.

Isuzu waved her hand. "Well, I can understand wanting to keep your promises, and one more adventure is probably good for me to get it out of my system. I hadn't really considered it, even on the PC. But I wasn't high enough level to try regardless, when the catastrophe happened."

William gave a bit of a nod and they separated far enough to become Giant. Isuzu smiled at him to get him to lighten up just a little once they were done changing size. "Besides, it will be bragging rights, right? I'll have gotten to do something the rest of my young guildmates haven't gotten to do either."

William did give a little smile at that. "Well, that's true." He looked around for his bearing, then got them started walking east. "I've run the quest both places now. You'll have to run the early part since you're going in for your first time. That's the quest that gets you permission to be in Faldil in the first place. They'll toss you out into a random place and time - not fun in the real Theldesia - if you're not on that quest or don't have the proper credentials for having passed it."

Isuzu rolled her eyes and blew a breath out that lifted her bangs lightly. "Right. One of those. Are you allowed to walk me through it, and help out if necessary?"

William thought about that a little. "I can walk you through it, and would prefer to, since I'd also like that to be as short as possible since it will be my third time," he glanced at her and she made a face at him, perfectly understanding it. "I'm not sure if I can help out, though. That would be a new thing to learn."

Isuzu gave a determined nod. "Right. We'll do our best then. Shorter is better in my book. I want to get back."

William looked away. "Well, don't take on too much anxiety. I did ask for us to get out as quickly as we could. The actual activities may take a while." He looked back. "It was made to be a fun challenge after all."

Isuzu blinked and considered that as their strides ate up the miles. It took a bit, but she finally slumped. "Right. Days is it?"

"Yes, I'd expect so," William answered, almost as morosely as she'd given in to. That slowed their footsteps a little, but it was right now that they could shave off time, so it didn't slow them down too much. Besides, it was fun to walk with a companion while at Giant size. Almost better than ten-league boots.

-:-:-:-:-

Isuzu wasn't sure she could stay awake any longer and she was hoping a night at the inn would be next. The Elf at the desk in the guard's station was walking down the checklist. "Cleared the Wargs from the orchard?"

"Yes," Isuzu answered, showing him the medallion from that quest request. She'd done fine until the boss showed up. Then William had to get out his bow and keep back the smaller ones while she'd fought the boss. His assisting attacks had been rather essential to getting said boss down the final points.

Having an even tougher boss show up after that one had gone down had made even his eyes go wide. Then he'd slumped in dejection. "Sorry. I guess having me along is going to make this a little tougher. We'll likely have this happen every time." He'd been rather unhappy.

Isuzu could only sigh. "Because you've been here before already."

William had only nodded and they'd got to work taking it down together. William hadn't held back that time, and she'd been able to play her supporting role, which helped them get it done sooner than otherwise. They'd held to that pattern each time so she got the credit for the first lower-level boss, since that was required for her to even get the permission to stay.

"Uncovered the missing information to help the failing student?" Isuzu pulled out the thank you note from the student and the guard made another mark in his book.

Three, four, five, ...seven, ...nine side quests with their required items. William had just walked her to the elves that requested the help, skipping returning to the guard station every time in between. It was faster to just answer for them all at once at the end. She was glad for even that much shortening of the requirements.

They'd only managed to get two and a half (on average) side quests completed per day. She'd fallen asleep quickly at the camp fire every night to his promise to keep her safe for most of it. He'd waken her up after five hours, then only slept for three, each of them giving up one hour of their usual minimum hours of sleep, resting while on watch the rest of the time to make up for it.

As the guard handed Isuzu her pass (yet another medallion - this one with a Fairy Flower embossed on it), he said to her, "You'll need to report at the Lord's court next."

Isuzu blinked at him, then turned to William, her eyes rather wide. "Um, do we have to? Right now?"

William turned away from the guard's desk to lead her out of the station. "No. I take it you'd like to rest?"

"A soft bed in an inn and food that I didn't have to pull out of my list or make over a campfire, yes, please," she tried to make it polite and humble. She wasn't sure it didn't come out commanding instead.

She was relieved when William only smiled his small kind smile, understanding. As they walked down the street of the full but lazily moving city towards a specific inn that looked more like a fairy castle tucked among other fairy castles, William looked at her with a warning look. "From here on out, it's extremely important that you imitate everything I do, and even more, what I say. We have to give the exact right answers to questions, or we start all over again."

"At the very beginning?" Isuzu asked horrified.

Her heart settled a little when William shook his head. "From here."

She let out a deep breath. "Right. How many this time?"

He looked at her a long time, then shook his head as he put his hand on the inn door. "You don't want to know. Not as tired as you are right now."

Isuzu blinked at him, then realized she'd blinked back tears. Yeah, she was too tired. Food, bed, sleep, then think about it. She'd walk out, but she'd promised him she'd help, and this was the part he'd been waiting for the help to do. All the long, horrific preliminaries had only been so she could catch up. Even the fact she'd gone up two levels wasn't much consolation at this point. The feather pillow and soft bed waiting for her were, though.

-:-:-:-:-

Isuzu grabbed William's arm and dragged him far enough away from the Elf he'd just talked to. "I have to say that, too?" she demanded, glaring at him.

William sighed slightly. "Yes, and we have to listen to the half-hour lecture again, too."

"Not only is it rude, but what's the point?"

William pulled her down to sit next to him, pulled out a potion, and made her drink it before he answered. "The point is to learn that this particular Elf is supposed to be an advisor. When we take his advice to heart, having given a prideful answer, he becomes a staunch ally in the court of Elves. He's actually one that we'll really need, for all we all wished we could skip it the most."

"It's got to be the most boring, pointless lecture I've ever had to sit through!" Isuzu exclaimed, waving her right hand in the air wildly.

William nodded sympathetically. "And thus you get the greatest 'benefit' out of it in the end ...except we'll have to sit through yet another long-winded cut-scene with him in it as he pledges himself to each of us."

Isuzu slumped, completely defeated. "Really," she muttered, "just why did the developers think this kind of stuff up? It wasn't fun really in the game, and it's horrible to live it."

William could only agree. "Sadly, it still has to be done," he said quietly. "We're close to the end, now. I wish I could say it was the end. I'm sorry I can't." His eyes pled with Isuzu. "Please, don't talk to any other Elf than him."

Isuzu's eyes were wide, looking at him in shock and dismay. "William. You are an Elf."

William's face went pale. "I am an Adventurer. I will hope with all my being that is sufficient to not meet that requirement, or yes, we will have to start all over."

Isuzu put her head down on her arms, propped up on her knees. She really wouldn't survive if they had to live the last two days all over again. The minutia and elves they'd had to find in the worst sorts of places, or interrupt in the middle of their busy activities, had been more than she could stand by the end of the first day.

She'd barely made it through yesterday. To have started today with three brief visits with snotty girls and overly proud boys, then sit through the ghastly half-hour lecture was more than she could take already. Her stomach turned. "Hahaue," she pled quietly, "I can't. Please, if talking to William was a redo, can you erase it and let us keep going forward instead? Please?"

She wasn't at all surprised to hear William's stricken follow-on. "Yes, please. I'm very sorry I didn't even think of it. I was on the other side of the screen just walking through it all."

They didn't get much of an answer. Isuzu stayed put until she'd recovered enough. There was only one way to find out. She rose to her feet and walked over to the old Elf who was still feeding carrots to a thin, wild deer. Taking a deep breath, she said, "What do you think you're doing out here playing, while the city has need of you? Are you too old for the work you've been set to do? Perhaps you'd like to sleep a long time instead."

The old elf turned and looked at her and she hoped, willed, and intended with all her might. As his mouth opened, her heart fell. His expression wasn't the right one.

A person was by her side. William got his words in first. He gave her the entire half-hour lecture in behalf of the Elf standing next to them, not missing a word.

When he was done, and Isuzu had given him the proper humbly scolded response, the old Elf bowed to William. "Thank you for standing in my defense," the old Elf said, then turned to Isuzu, and gave her the proper final response: "Please be sure you remember it."

"I will," she promised, as was also proper to the quest. As they both escaped, William and Isuzu both slumped in relief. Honestly, Isuzu was trembling at the near fatality they'd had. "Thank you," she whispered to both Purrcy and William, but mostly Purrcy so she didn't officially talk to William again.

William looked at her, and didn't say anything. But he did wrap an arm around her until she was able to recover. When she was recovered enough she was able to look at him with a curious look, he looked back at her soberly and shook his head. From this point on, if she talked to him they would have to do it that way again. She looked at her feet and nodded.

That was going to be no fun, to not even be able to talk to her traveling companion, except to parrot what he said to everyone else he was going to talk to. She groaned and rolled her head, then reached for her recorder. She could at least keep them entertained that way. He smiled in response, happy to also have some solution that wasn't just walking in silence.

William technically could talk to her, and sometimes he did, but it was easier to remember she wasn't to talk to him if he stayed silent as well. He respected that until they were finally, ...finally back at the Lord's court again the next morning, having slept in the castle in separate rooms, but at least getting baths.

She'd nearly panicked at being left alone with a strange Elf, not knowing if she was going to say the wrong thing, but William had whispered to her then, "Don't tell the maid anything. Just nod or shake your head. Don't eat anything, nor drink anything. Bathe and go to bed. I'll see you in the morning, and we'll finish this the same way."

Isuzu had nodded and allowed herself to be led off to her room. She'd been quite happy to get clean and just sleep the night away. It hadn't been hard to skip the food and drink. She already wanted to be out of this place and back home again. Except...she still didn't know why he'd needed a Bard to come with him. So far the whole questing had been quite generic.

-:-:-:-:-

Isuzu's eyes widened as she entered the main throne room of Faldil's Lord's court. There were two empty thrones at the front of the gathered Elves. It looked like a majority of the Elves they'd helped on the quests or talked to in the last three days were present in the large hall. There was a buzz as they talked quietly amongst themselves while waiting.

She and William met on the stand the thrones were on, having both been escorted in at the same time. She blushed to see that William was in a fine, almost royal outfit. It didn't help that it matched her own, that she'd almost refused the maid from putting on her, then decided last minute she'd better just go along with it.

Since William had, she was glad she had as well. Still, it was a bit embarrassing to be next to a him that suddenly looked a lot more noble and beautiful than he'd looked before in his usual archer's outfit. She didn't usually dress up well, and she was human not Elf.

As they turned to face the waiting audience, there was a silence that fell over it, then one complaining voice said, "What reason is there that we shouldn't toss you out of the Elvin kingdom right now? Why should you stand before us at all?"

William stayed silent, so Isuzu did as well. Another voice, from one of the quests, gave their efforts in that Elf's behalf as a reason to let them stay. The voices for and against continued to bounce around the hall, with the one old Elf's voice being heard most frequently in their behalf as William had said. Isuzu wanted to slump again, or groan.

Here was yet another very long cut scene that the player would have had to sit through as "story" to the game. It was her first time to hear it, so perhaps it wasn't too terrible, but still. To know that's what it was from the beginning made it pale and wan in comparison to just living life, which was so full and vibrant in comparison. It made her listless.

There was a pause, then the voice that had complained the most said, "What gift do you have to give us, that makes it worthwhile to allow you to stay?"

William shifted and straightened up. "I am a vintner, and have learned to make the finest elvin wine on Theldesia. Who will taste of it to have it proven to them?"

A committee was chosen and arrived in front of them. William handed two wine bottles to paiges who arrived with glasses set upside-down on trays. The paige who took the bottle opened it and poured up the drinks. They were passed to the committee members and William held his breath.

Isuzu did a little, too, wondering if it really was good enough, or if that had been a boast. The committee was mixed, with some finding it delightful right away. Others took their time and considered it a little more harshly, but in the end William's wine passed and they gave their approval.

Then they turned and looked at Isuzu. She blinked and swallowed. Oh. This was the time she was supposed to use her Bard. Elves loved wine, beautifully crafted things ...and music. She carefully, but quickly, walked down her repertoire. Modern Earth music wasn't going to work. Common music wasn't going to either. They probably expected the usual Twenty-Four, like most People of the Land did, but William's wine was new.

It was more likely one of her new ones would be best, but which one? There was the one about the priest and priestess. That was good enough, but she wasn't sure the topic would have as large an impact as she would need in this place. There was the first song she'd written newly for Theldesia. That one had a good history, and a good message, but it wasn't really suited to the style of Elves. It was still likely a good possibility, regardless.

Then she shook her head and pulled out her recorder instead of her lute. She wasn't required to sing in this place. "I am a Bard. I have written a new song. Listen to it and see if it will be proof enough."

She'd been practicing the lullaby for the kokyū on her recorder, to get the notes stuck into her Adventurer brain, imagining the fingerings on the kokyū as she played it, even though the fingerings on the recorder were different. She still hadn't gotten the kokyū up high enough in points to play it, but this would be good enough. She hadn't technically written it, but it was new like the ones she had written, and the mermaids had liked it well enough.

She untuned the recorder so that it would play the minor notes of the lullaby, since the two instruments were from different cultures so thus tuned differently. William watched her closely, but didn't speak. Isuzu glanced at him, then took a breath and set the recorder to her lips and began.

The music filled the room. The minor tones brought a sorrow to the notes that made the listeners calm, and then slowly begin to cry silent tears that dripped down their faces. She ignored that reaction as best she could, focusing on playing her best solo concert yet.

When the last note's echo faded from the hall, she looked to William again to see tears dripping down his face as well. He only stared at her, then turned silently away to look at the Elves who stood to judge them.

As one, the entire assembly bowed themselves to the ground. Isuzu blinked. William turned to Isuzu, took her hand, and led her to the thrones behind them. He sat her down in one of the chairs, then sat down in the other. Two male Elves rose to their feet and were followed by two more from the other side.

Isuzu was quite confused as simple circlets of delicate silver leaves were set upon each of their heads. The four Elves bowed and removed themselves from the stand. The old Elf stood before them both and gave his last half-hour long soliloquy.

Isuzu paid attention to it. It was instructions as well as admonitions, and gratitude. Every time William nodded a "yes", Isuzu followed suit. Every time he promised a "no", Isuzu did the same, until they were finally released from the requirement of that particular Elf, who joined them on the stand in the position of advisor, on William's side. He was followed by one of the old woman Elves who they'd also helped, who had a shorter thing to say, then who moved to stand at the advisor's position on Isuzu's side.

"All rise," a herald was suddenly in position. His order was met immediately, and then the crowd began to meander off, not saying anything in particular.

Isuzu blinked at William. He gave an apologetic smile back. "Thank you, Isuzu," he said. "That's the end to the quest, although now we have to figure out how to handle the real-life part that comes next."

Isuzu leaned back in her chair. "I assume that means you find your vintners and start teaching them." William nodded. "What am I supposed to do, then?" Isuzu asked.

William shrugged and looked at the lady standing behind Isuzu. "Practice playing your songs?"

Isuzu sighed. He thought harder. "Explore the castle, talk to anyone you want." He looked away, "Figure out how to break the quest and programmed requirements, so we don't have to have programmed robots any more any time we come, and no one else has to live through that hell we just did?"

That one made Isuzu laugh. "You're supposed to break it in the middle, not after it's over."

"I'm not sure that's possible," William said soberly. "We'd have never made it here without it."

Isuzu sighed. "I'll go get all the programmed statements I can find and see what I can come up with."

"It's sufficient," the High Priest of Izanagi was standing in front of them, his tail waving in slow content. "Mew played the first quest as a party rather than solo, changed the head advisor's requirement, and meowr gifts were new, not expected. The combination was sufficient to break both quest's requirements." He bowed to William. "Thank mew."

William gave a terse nod, his lips pursing. "It's still not completed, what you want. The other half hasn't been decided."

The High Priest turned to Isuzu and looked at her a long time. Then he bowed. "Thank mew also, for meowr part. Please, accept our gift."

Isuzu blinked at him, finally only saying, "I'll think about it." She knew they were tricky. A straight answer would get her into trouble. An ear flicked at her and the High Priest disappeared.

William slumped and looked away, then rose to his feet. "I'll return in time for the dinner meal," he said to the old advisor standing near him. "I have requirements outside of Faldil for a time once I've finished my final requirement. Please continue to do as you already have until I return." The old Elf bowed and William walked out of the hall, two Elves following him out the door.

Isuzu watched him leave, quite suspicious now that William had left something out of what he'd told her about this quest. She said something close to what William had said to the old female Elf standing by her and escaped from the throne room, also picking up two Elvin guards who followed her everywhere. The more questions she asked around the palace, and then the town once she'd talked the maid into taking the gown off of her, the more worried she became.

"How many Adventurers became the Lord or Lady of Elves?" she demanded of William at the high court dinner that night, at which they were both dressed in even more extravagant clothing yet again.

"Lots," he shrugged at her. "If we've broken it now, just us here. I suspect if I'd just walked in and sat on the throne to begin with I'd have been just as accepted." His look was self incriminating. "I wasn't sure so I'd started over again, so I had to finish it out again. Once begun, they work that way."

He was focusing on his meal a little too much for Isuzu's taste. "And am I expected to return and keep being the Lady of Elves?"

William raised an eyebrow slightly at his plate as he cut another slice of meat. "You'll always be the Lady of Elves, yes. Do you have to return? I don't think so. A lot of Adventurers who ran the quest couldn't be bothered to come back very often as their levels got high enough to play other places. I expect them to be rather self-sufficient in the main." He wasn't happy as he said it, though.

Isuzu pursed her lips at him, but stayed quiet as she ate for a while and considered his words. Finally it clicked. Izanagi had a hand in it. "They're almost as dead as the Giants were," she said softly.

William gave her a surprised glance, then nodded at his plate, still focused on it. She sighed, "And you're an Elf. William!" she scolded him.

William shrugged. "I'll learn what it is he wants me to do with them eventually. Right now I get to focus on the winery, and then the World Tree."

"But to stay, William?" she persisted.

He finally looked up at her, gazing solemnly into her eyes with his silver-grey eyes. "I'm going home. If they give Shiroe-sempai the two-way door, I'll think harder about it."

Isuzu paused, then finally gave a nod. If he could put more pressure on the AIs with this one more thing they wanted, that could only be a good thing from the Adventurer perspective.

-:-:-:-:-

Isuzu was quiet when she arrived back with the others at the Giant's village. William with his company of Elves had apologized to her, but she'd refused escort, and they'd gone directly on to Susukino. Shiroe looked at her with compassion, and put his hand on her shoulder warmly, until she looked away from him. "Thank you, Isuzu," was all he said then.

She knew he knew how hard those quests were. He'd run every quest of the game, perhaps even several times. Even he could likely have walked in and sat on the thrones. He hated the one he was already on, so she wasn't surprised he hadn't.

Shiroe called for the gryphons and three came. This time Akatsuki sat as the main person on one. Shiroe took Emiline so they could talk on the way. Isuzu took Anna, who was just as petrified to be on a gryphon as she'd been to be on the Giant Isuzu. Isuzu didn't mind the company, and was glad Anna didn't mind the silence. It was going to take her a while to recover from that grueling week.

It was hard to turn her thoughts away from William. He'd been so sad since the quest had ended. He still wasn't telling her everything, but she didn't think she'd be able to pry it out of him.

As the sun was setting and Shiroe was looking for a place for them to land and camp for the night, not quite half-way back to Akiba, Isuzu finally looked back towards Susukino. She would have to go back and visit one more time, even if it was after the World Tree. If William had been lying about going home or not coming back, she wanted to know.


Much gratitude to William for helping me plan out this chapter. (I didn't tell him that he was helping with a chapter about William Massachusetts. I hope that naming parallel tickles his funny bone. :D)