The entire area of the Pocket Castle is now dark from the cloud that now covers the entirety of the artificial sky above the castle, creating a much-needed gloom for the inhabitant to rest and recover from the blinding light above. The cloud takes the place of the moon in this pocket dimension. Even then, it proves itself worthy of being the night's replacement.
Now would be the time where the diurnal creatures rest, for it is equivalent to midnight for the castle inhabitant. As the castle morning upkeep checks out in the evening, the night sentinel watches the night.
One of them, a creature of morning but a night owl by habit sat comfortably in the castle's library. The light from the lamp on the oak wood table shined upon the open tome which Alex has been busy perusing. He was all alone except an eldritch abomination that stood behind the library counter just a few metres away from him. He now wears a simple shirt and trouser, but over the shirt is a thick vest woven from leather and chainmail. At his hip is a belt that holds his ammunition as well as his pistol.
He quietly yawns as the finger on the clock crawls slowly forward. He slowly reaches for the cup of coffee at its side and then decided against it. He has found an interesting passage in the tome so the hand grasped the pen instead.
The sharp fountain pen scratches the surface of the thick black book at his side, slowly filling up the dirty yet strong paper inside with almost unintelligible handwriting. Finding old allies proved to be very difficult indeed. He was glad that the noble's culture was obsessive on tracing ancestry for trying to find the great-granddaughter of a duke close to Lord Espen would be next to impossible in a land devoid of internet.
Even then, his effort seems to be of no use in the end. Most of the lords are fighting in Grangold, thus leaving their wife and viziers to handle their state. Most of them lost their life during the war. Hell, some of them has lost their noble lineage due to strife and instability, becoming adventurers on the road.
At least adventurers are easier to persuade. The one who still held land under their grips, the one who kept their master's land under their protection are the one with the most to lose, and very little to gain. He cannot appeal to them via bloodline, so what can he offer to gain their loyalty?
His pen stopped as he heard another pair of boots on the carpet. It was lighter than the boot that his beloved rifle usually wore, so he deduced that it was somebody else. His hand then crept toward the weapon at his hip, wondering if the newcomer has ill-intention for him. After all, he's surrounded by them.
"Haven't slept yet?"
The voice, it tickles his memory. It was almost bored, flat and monotone. The voice, which he has sought out for months in this maddening world. The voice, which he promised that he will rescue from this world. Yet, it didn't really belong to the one whom he searches for.
"Got some work to do here" Alex replied softly.
"uhuh" Hito replied with a deadpan tone.
Hito didn't change much in his eyes. His eyes are still emerald green, his hair is a messy bramble of fresh grass, his skin still the same pale canvas that has captivated someone's heart a long time ago. Yet, he knows that this one is not him. A doppelganger masquerading as his protégé.
The air was so thick between the men that one can cut it with a knife and made fresh butter from its carcass. Alex was wary of him. He knew that this fake Hito is his key to finding his old friend, hence making him valuable to him. Yet he knows that his allegiance lies on Luka and not him. He still doesn't trust that midget enough. This Hito felt the same thing too.
The green-haired adventurer looked at the tomes which Alex has been perusing for hours now. tomes of ancestry, business laws, land owners, the likes. Hito noticed the book which he appears to be writing a complex formula or even pure garbage hidden behind chicken scratch.
"What are you doing?" he asked, not in an interrogative way mind you, but in a throwaway sentence, an ice-breaker to break the awkward artic between them.
"Looking for my buddy" Alex replied. "These are names that I think knows where he resides"
"On what basis?" Hito asked again.
"Not much" Alex confessed. "I figured out that he probably seeks asylum under a lordship or barons like what I'm doing now for protection against the element. Unlike me, he doesn't have the expertise to craft weapons or the skills to survive long enough on his own. I have lots of helps along the way, from the notes I gather beforehand, he doesn't have the same luxury"
Hito nodded at his reasoning. It does make sense. Lords and barons are by tradition must be expert fighters for they are the one who will provide protection to their subordinate, the servants merely do the work that are beneath him/her. If he is a terrified man who are living in a hostile land all alone with ammo running out and the only prospect of work is to either becomes a villager (forget about travelling all together) or becomes an adventurer (jumps into the very situation he wanted to escape) he would've chosen the former.
By serving underneath a baron, he will automatically have food and shelter, protection from the local MGs element, and able to collect information from the locals about the surrounding area. It is by far, a very lucrative deal for someone who is alone and in danger of everything around him.
"I see" Hito replied. "But Alex, most of the lords are fighting in Grangold. How are you going to ask them where your friend might live?"
"they probably have their own secretaries or bean-counters doing the paperwork. I'll just ask them that"
Hito nodded at his reply. In a way, he is actually impressed by his dedication to find his counterpart. If what his Centaur companion said was true, he actually explored the entire Ilias Continent as well as its hidden parts inaccessible by normal adventurers just for one man. It reminded him of Luka and his dedication to find his long-lost father.
This also becomes a hot speculation for the inhabitant of the castle. Who is Hito to him? Some says that Alex is simply a good friend of him, some says that he is his son, some says the he is the father, but as because there is no similarity between him and Alex (they used Luka's Hito as benchmark) that rumour lost its power.
The one strong rumour is that Hito is actually his lover, which implies that Alex is gay as fuck. Considering the demographic of this castle, that rumour gained traction. But there are some sects from the pious follower of Ilias who believed that Hito may simply be his wife. After all, what's the evidence that this Hito is a boy?
But then again, his usage of pronouns disproved the church once more and laid their rumours to rest, leaving only one atop the pedestal.
"Have you seen anything on your journey out there?" Alex asked.
"I've seen many things during my travel Alex, please be more specific" Hito replied.
Alex sighed again and thus replied. "Have you seen my buddy Hito? Or any clues where he might be?"
"Perhaps" Hito replied. Alex perked up at his reply and stared at him with anticipation. What news does he carry? "Before that, I need to ask you something"
"Shoot" Alex replied curtly.
"You still don't trust Luka, didn't you?"
Alex's face was impassive, yet internally he was alarmed by his words. "On what basis?"
"Just a hunch"
Alex groaned at his noncommittal reply. "A hunch ain't enough for a verdict"
"Yes. But it was enough for a further investigation" Hito countered. "There are some alarming situations unfolding outside the world which may or may not point in our favour, so I have to ensure that nothing jeopardize our quest at our part"
"What makes you think I'm a goddamn liability?" Alex asked gruffly. "I was even destined by this Rabbit to help you all out"
"And that makes it much more suspicious" Hito replied gravely. "We still didn't know the full extent of her power, let alone her full motive considering that she's the one who manages to shrink Alice down to her child state. As far as we concerned, your quest has nothing to do with our own" He then sighed again. "However, Luka made a bad habit of just accepting anybody and their mother joins our party regardless of their previous allegiance"
"I can see your point" Alex replied. "Luka kept accepting people into his castle without even checking their background out. I'm surprised that this castle wasn't sabotaged by an inside man at this point"
"See my problem?" Hito replied. "Our quests brought us from the highest of the sky to the lowest depth of earth, we made enemies from both stations and we have witnessed one world died in front of our eyes. Yet it falls on me to ensure that no traitors or spies enter our midst"
"So, you're on spy-catching duty" Alex replied off-hand. "Anything I can help you with? I can keep an eye out for some men"
"No need for that" Hito replied curtly. "However, I just wanted to tell you that in this tumultuous time, we all gotta play our parts. We cannot work alone, considering the odds that are stacked against us. As an outsider, I believe that you can help me out a little bit"
"Depends on the help" Alex replied gravely. He doesn't like where this is going.
"We cannot just invite everybody to join us, that is true. However, we still need capable people to achieve our objectives. Scientist, blacksmiths, heroes, the likes. Luka unfortunately, uses his penis to choose his companions rather than his mind"
Alex chuckled softly at Hito's answer. It sounded idiotic, but by the scarlet devil it makes sense. Why the hell there are so many Monster Girls that serves no other purpose than being decoration in the castle to begin with? Then again, he's still a kid. Chosen by the gods or not, only experience can change a man's mind.
"Who do you have in mind?" Alex asked with a smile. From little he saw on Luka's Hito, he can see that this man is a good judge of character. Makes sense why he disliked Luka's style of choosing companions.
Hito frowned deeply, his expression grew serious. "Do you know the Goddess Ilias?"
"Never met her. Why you ask?" Alex asked sombrely.
"She's the creator of this world, or this dimension if you want to be technical. I've heard that she lost her power due to the White Rabbit's intervention" Hito said to him. Alex's face darkened as he heard the name of the bitch that made his life difficult at first. He made a mental note to himself to never anger Alex, as he seems to hold grudge for a long time and he doesn't want to know what he'll make to take him down.
"So?" He asked Hito, wondering what he was on about.
"We need to find her again, and let her join our crew"
Silence, that was it. Alex have a blank stare on his face as he processed the word that came from Hito's mouth. He can't be serious, is he? Alex wondered to himself as he looked at the green-haired man's face, looking for a sign of deceit. No such luck. "Oh fuck, you're serious?"
Hito nodded at his question and replied "Look, I don't like this at all, but she's important. We are dealing with possibly multiverse-breaking threats looming behind the veil, and we can't afford to have conflict with each other anymore. That monster Adramalech, whatever she is, even Ilias doesn't know who she is"
Alex frowned deeply at his word. "You do know what's that purple snake girl's opinion on her, don't you?"
"I know very well that Alipheese and Ilias doesn't see eye-to-eye, but we cannot waste our energy fighting the angels and the forces in Grangold" Hito replied gravely. "I've been to the void, I've been to another dimension, I've been through hell and back. I know that something is lurking beyond this veil, just waiting for the right moment to consume us. In order for us to have a slim chance of winning, Angels and monsters must unite once again"
Alex frowned deeply at his words. He understands where Hito is going on. From little Hito and Luka told him of their adventures, Alex can deduce the danger that the world is facing right now. After all, two villages have been consumed by the void. What's stopping the corruption or whatever that inhabits it from suddenly invading? If not, the invading, what's stopping the corruption from teleporting some eldritch abomination from H.P Lovecraft's wet dream to this world?
Having the literal creator of the world at their side will not only gain support from both the human and the divine population, her intellect and power are useful for understanding beyond the veil of nothingness we have. If they find a way to restore her power, she and her angels could've been a powerful vanguard against the corruption.
"why are you telling me all this?" Alex asked him.
"if I grab anybody from this world, they surely will side with Ilias" Hito replied. He then raised his hands; his right hand was an open palm representing Ilias. "This in turn will create a very biased meeting against the Monsterkind, which will anger Alipheese greatly and the humans will mock the power of Monsterkind due to the presence of the goddess"
Hito then raised his left hand in the shape of a claw signifying the Monster races. "if I chose somebody from the Monster race, they either a follower of Ilias or still respect Ilias as their gods even though she'll be rude to them in the past and future. In worst case scenario, they might probably attack the goddess, considering her affront to the Monster Lord"
He then pointed his finger at Alex. "You on the other hand, don't give a damn about them, don't you? You're an outsider, you don't even know who Ilias's angel are, don't you?"
Alex nodded in reply. "You want me there, because I won't be biased during the negotiation?"
"Pretty much" Hito said. "Now, I'm not a religious man, but I'm sure that I'll end up taking Alice's side. Your job is to make us remain neutral or else the discussion wouldn't work."
"Why do you think I'll help you in that case?" Alex asked. "I'm only one man. They won't be intimidated by a nobody like me"
"I'll help you out in this case" Hito replied truthfully. "Promestein have no love for Ilias, but her integrity as a scientist will not allow her to be biased in the upcoming negotiation. I'll also have a friend outside that I can call for help" Hito then leans forward and whispered softly. "If all else fail, Holy magic hurts monsters very well, and dark magic hurts divine being even more, and you seem to have some energy that wasn't classified as any of them. I'm sure you and Promestein can build something"
"You're outta your damn mind" Alex said with a shake of his head. "I may not be from this dimension, but I know that goddess and lords ain't some pushover. I gotta need more than that to actually pose a threat to them" Alex then raised his right hand, shaping a pistol with his fingers and aiming the finger gun at the man. "Besides, why the hell do you think Ilias would accept your invitation? I've read her bible. That bitch ain't gonna come to a fucking Monster convention all alone. Hell, do you even know where she is?"
Hito sighed quietly to himself. "better have more friends than foes" He said, his eyes gesturing toward the eldritch librarian behind the desk. Cornelia is now reading a book under the lamp light, her deep blue eyes flitted across the papers and her many tentacles undulating underneath the table, doing unspeakable eldritch things to her…thing.
"fuck it" Alex said to himself quietly. "If we're gonna pull this shit off, we better put these girls to work"
"I don't think prostitution is a viable venue of fortune for these girls" Hito replied.
"I mean giving them orders and managing them ya daft fuck" Alex replied sharply. "As far as I see it, this place is nothing more than a large hotel for Monster Girls. Unless you charge them for food and lodging, they won't be of any use at all. Someone needs to stay here and manage them. Send them out for missions to gather materials that can't be made or grown in this castle"
"I don't think they'll be happy with that" Hito replied curtly. The monster girls that lived here is happy because they weren't truly at work. All they have to do is to stay here and look pretty. The magical yet almost robotic army of maids catered for all of their needs. Some would argue that the plant-based monsters are the one providing the food, but in reality, they simply helped the production of food using their magic. They didn't actively tend the crops nor the animals that was inside the castle.
Hito knows that one of the main reasons why people joined Luka is not for his dick, but for his kindness. What's the risk? Endure a beating of a lifetime and in return you'll live in a castle with an army of maids to cater to your need while you spend your days chasing after the remaining men on the castle and entertaining yourself with whatever this castle has. It's like a freaking vacation compared to their daily wild life outside.
"Fuck off" Alex replied gruffly. "If the world is in deep shit like you claimed earlier, no price is too high. If they felt like they can't take it anymore, they can fuck off. We need soldiers, not some dumb eldritch abomination masquerading as succubus"
Hito pondered at his answer. That is true, he can feel it in his bones, a looming sense of dread that kept poking inside the marrow and whispering at the back of his mind. However, who would be the one who can lead them? Luka's too busy running around at the outside adventuring and-
Hito wanted to slap himself for not thinking this earlier. That guy even has the title 'King' in his name! "We could ask the King of San Ilia to help us administrate this castle. Medal Queen's a good candidate too"
"And you have that princess from Sabasa who's an accomplished swordsman" Alex replied. "She can be their instructors"
Hito nodded, agreeing with him. This is actually a logical course of action to be fair. Would make things easier for Luka and the gang when shit hit the proverbial fan. Then again, there's still the same glaring problem of recruiting Ilias to the fold. "This is good idea. However, we still need Ilia's support in our adventure"
"I can't build a holy cannon out of sticks and stones" Alex replied. "Unless, I have full cooperation and free range for all the equipment this castle has. Better have a dedicated squad to subdue Ilias than relying on me alone"
"I'll see what I can do" Hito replied. "But then again, this is not under my jurisdiction. We need to ask Luka's permission for this"
Unseen to anyone's eyes, Alex groaned inwardly at the new layer of bureaucracy he has to pass. "Next time then. You know when he'll come back again? Can't have a big discussion like this if the owner himself ain't here"
Hito averted his gaze, setting his sight upon a picture on a wall nearby. He appears to be lost in thought for a moment, then his eyes refocused into the present day. "Maybe next week. He's been fighting for a long time. He'll probably needed rest soon"
Next week, 7 days before he can speak with Luka. 7 days for him to prepare a proper argument in his part. Alex can't believe his luck. If this little negotiation worked, he will be allowed access to more resources than he currently has as a sell sword for hire. If not, he can still make himself a power player in the castle, making his job easier in the future.
Alex suppresses the urge to grin. There's so much shit that could go wrong. But then again, you miss 100% of the shot you didn't take. Besides, he really needed a better supply of cash and equipment than his normal source (bounties and fighting random MGs). What better source than an organization with hundreds of unique soldiers under your employ?
"Alright"
