"…Yes! I did save Morrigan back then! But Saja or even Kanade could have done the same, so I don't see why it matters!"
Tamamo had difficulties bearing with Lilith as the succubus was looking down on her. So far, that conversation had been as unpleasant as she expected, but not for the reasons she had initially thought of. The succubus had shown a surprisingly good memory of the Great Monster War, and was using the kitsune's actions back then as so many levers to support her own narrative.
"Because you're the one who did. That was your plan that got thrown out the window when she recklessly stepped in, and even if the other Ancestors could have saved her, you're the one who made the effort to protect my sister from Lucifina when you could have just let her die. And before you try to weasel out by saying it was pure pragmatism, I want to point out that you used those same words to justify abandoning the village of Mersa to an assault that could have been countered. However, you did highlight that the location was strategically uninteresting, and any resource spent there was a waste. It was pretty much the same situation for Morrigan, and yet, you still saved her even when it meant facing Lucifina."
Tamamo sighed. Lilith had cornered her on that one. She remembered perfectly that day, and she only saved Morrigan because…
"I saved her because she was a monster that I still considered part of my kin in a way."
Lilith smiled more gently. "Yes. You've always been protective of those you consider family. And while you mellowed out and came to include even more people in this definition, you always cared enough about them to become the closest advisor of the Dark Goddess."
"I did exploit the position to further my own end though."
Lilith leaned back. "We all exploited any power and authority we got as much as we could to further our own end back then. The single fact that the kitsune race remained on the same level as the other ones after you took on your new duties proves that you didn't abuse it that much. You did share your knowledge to allow us to thrive while Kanon and even mother's mismanagement would have drawn us straight into the ground." She raised a finger as Tamamo prepared to interrupt her. "Now, now, I would be a fool to say or even think that nobody suffered from your ploys, as even you saw humans as so many future meals. But even back then, you still showed some care for your cattle."
This time, Tamamo was the one to look down on Lilith. "In that case, it was pure pragmatism. People lived longer and were less prone to rebel that way. With some additional care, they also made for better meals."
"On that I always agreed… But we're getting off topic, and I'm talking too much… let's focus on the times you unsealed yourself after the Great Monster War, shall we? I didn't keep following what you were doing save for a few times when you were busy with a lover -oh don't make that face, you would have done the same-, and I didn't see the first times you successfully used your word of dispel."
"I had hidden myself anyway. I couldn't take the risk to be seen, and took every measure possible to test the spell far from any prying eyes that could report to Heaven. At first, I could only use it for three seconds and Lucifina would step in and kill me right afterward."
"A wise choice in all regards. Now, when was the first time you did make use of it?"
"That was immediately after the whole Black Alice fiasco, five hundred years ago." The image of that day was seared in Tamamo's mind. If she knew Ilias role behind the scene and her plan at the time, she would have taken more drastic measures. If only she had taken a moment to ask Lucifina…
No, she might have become the tender mother Luka got to know over the course of several centuries, but she was still as ruthless as ever and she was extremely angry back then, all while still being at her apex. It would have ended extremely poorly for the both of us.
Lilith sighed at the sight of the kitsune obviously trying to gauge what she could have done. "Please try not judging your decision from back then and focus on the facts. We didn't get to see what happened since Black Alice started siphoning energy for the sake of Ilias, but I guess it had to do with the moment you stepped up and showed up at the Monster Lord's castle to take a more active role, correct?"
Tamamo nodded. "Do I really have to talk about it?"
"Yes. And please, I insist, give me the facts. You're always the first to say so to your pupils that there's a difference between taking responsibilities and castigating yourself for everything. You should really apply your own advices to yourself."
"In that case…" Tamamo leaned back on her chair and looked at the succubus with a passable disdain. "After the fall of Black Alice, not everybody was ready to follow her sister, and some of her opponents were very vocal. The most powerful monster among them was a colossal dragon girl who said that she would raze the city of Remina as retribution. She refused to listen to any of my arguments. People found her body mysteriously impaled on the peak of a mountain before she could put her threat to execution."
"So you did use your powers as a last resort to protect a city. I wouldn't call that being evil."
"That's twisting it. I still horribly killed someone and made an example of them to get the other ones in line through fear. I wouldn't call that being heroic either."
"Of course it isn't." Lilith leaned forward, aggravating Tamamo who didn't enjoy the breath of the succubus, even if it naturally smelled sweet. "But you didn't capture her, mind break her in submission, then had her used as your enforcer to actually rule by fear."
"That's…" Tamamo tried to find a counter-argument, but actually couldn't. While Lucifina was still a threat, she was trying to hide herself and would only have reacted if Tamamo came for her. Conditioning her target would have been easy, and while Alice the ninth wouldn't have approved… well, she would have had a big dragon under her thumb, invalidating any counter-argument. The kitsune felt surprisingly ashamed when she answered. "That's true actually. I also didn't use it much afterward until Ilias finally decided to go on an all-out offensive, during which I destroyed a chimera artificially created to counter me before I moved on to step against Ilias. I couldn't afford the time to wallow in my cruelty. The world was at stake."
"That didn't stop the old you quite a few times back then…" Lilith repositioned herself, freeing some much-appreciated room. "Now, let's move on to after the war. I only know the outcome of what happened, so if you would kindly provide the details, I'm sure I could further help you."
Tamamo carefully gauged Lilith. No matter what she said, the succubus certainly knew of the events that transpired in this cavern since she was indirectly involved. However, Astaroth hadn't shared any detail, likely out of a mix of pride and fear. She decided to present the event the most brutal way possible.
"I was one thought ahead of tearing your sister's throat. It took some effort to not end her life on the spot."
Lilith remained immobile, her ever present smirk still on her face as she was seemingly waiting. "What else?"
"What…" Tamamo glared at Lilith. She was tiring of the succubus' attempts to lead her on the path she wanted. "I wanted to kill her and didn't do it because I wanted to interrogate her. That's it. I've not been tender with her, and a lesser monster would have been reduced to a red stain on a rock after the treatment I inflicted on her. What do you expect me to say? That I acted out of sympathy? I didn't!"
"If that's the case, why were you transformed in the first place?"
"I just needed more power to take on your sister in the first place as she was…" Her sentence died out in her throat
She was pummeling Alma Elma and trying to kill her. I just wanted to protect Alma Elma and the others. That's really it. And I had just learned that my sisters were going to run amok and enjoy killing everyone. I was just furious. It wasn't that dark side of me resurfacing as I've been thinking recently.
Even when I played out Hiruko's prank and nearly killed Luka, it was an accident. An accident I made worse because I lost control of my emotion and knocked myself out. I was just stressed, angry, tired of all of this and thought it could help me find some measure of tranquility once again.
And also… I did use my sealed form for some unquestionably dark deeds. I had killed quite a few angels or even a few monsters I simply disliked in the years that followed my escape. I didn't need my full power to be ruthless back then.
My real form is only related to the me of old by its appearance, and that's it. Using it does not automatically make me closer to her. It's another issue entirely.
"It looks like you came to a conclusion." Lilith softly ruffled an unresponsive Tamamo's hair and ears while giggling. "People may remember the Ancestor Tamamo No Mae by her looks, but she's remembered for the wanton cruelty that you're lacking. What you did recently… it was just lashing out because you were afraid for the ones you love. And if anything, you at least mostly lashed toward the people responsible."
"Which includes you." Tamamo nervously chuckled. "Are you actually helping me out of guilt?"
Lilith shrugged. "Probably more than I want to admit myself. I admit I did play an ugly part in the events by showing a total lack of reliability."
"Still… Thank you Lilith. I mean it. In hindsight, I feel like an idiot for all of this."
"You needed an outside ear, and maybe even my queen could have helped you… although I feel you will still need to talk about a loooot of things. If only because you're going to feel like a bigger screw up as soon as you're going to reassess our latest conversation."
Tamamo grimaced. "I didn't quite make all the right decisions recently."
"Oooh, yes!" The succubus' tone became deliberately extremely sarcastic. "Because clearly I have been the perfect mastermind since my return!" Tamamo snorted. "Attacking the most fortified place in the world head-on, challenging the current generation without knowing anything about them, rushing head-on to save my sisters and switching loyalty like some sort of perverted pendulum were clearly well-thought plans worthy of the keenest minds that ever existed, weren't they?"
When Lilith finished her sentence, Tamamo exploded into laughter, even nearly falling of her chair as her tails flailed wildly for a small minute before she started calming down.
"Sorry Lilith, I… sorry. I guess I really needed that."
"You're welcome. I expect that you will want to keep on with our little sessions?"
Tamamo nodded affirmatively. Her gaze was once attracted to the painting of her adult form hanging. She didn't look quite as cruel as she initially thought. Alma Elma had done a good job capturing her personality through her art.
Lilith got up and talked in a sing-song voice that reminded Tamamo of her. "Let's get back out then. With Kanade's and Saja's intervention, I'm sure that little puppeteer has been dispatched and everyone's already back, waiting for us."
"Mmh." The kitsune tried to convince herself that Lilith's words were true, although there was still that small doubt that always lingered. She felt apprehension rise when she made her way through the hallways. Even if she had always been wary of Kagetsumugi since her bloodline had been acknowledged by Black Alice, the puppeteer was less dangerous on her own than any monster queen. There was no way she could have dealt serious damage to one and even less two of the Six Ancestors.
Even so, I should have taken her out earlier… or not? As creepy as she was, that puppeteer was only playing in her own corner before that whole mess. We accepted worse in our own ranks.
"Again… please stop trying to judge what you did in hindsight."
Tamamo nodded and kept up with Lilith's striding pace. Eventually, they reached the hobby and noticed Saja discussing with a few other guards. She felt her heart sink when she saw the unconscious Alma Elma and Granberia carried away by healers, and unconsciously picked up the pace to reach the group faster. Saja herself visibly wasn't showing the haughty smirk she usually displayed when she was victorious. Before Tamamo could ask her for further information, Saja opened a pocket dimension and revealed the unconscious Luka wrapped in a slightly familiar green ribbon. The kitsune's face lost all of her color before her hearing picked on the hero's breathing. He was in a worse state than what she wished for, but… a better one than what she feared.
"…What happened?"
Erubetie's wobbling form popped up from a tray nearby, surprising her. Her fellow Heavenly Knight wasn't looking much better than the hero. "It's… been unpleasant."
The queen slime recounted their investigation and the fight that followed until Saja's arrival, at which point Saja took over the narration. When she heard about Luka's fate, Tamamo became utterly mortified. She felt both surprised and relieved that Micaela stepped in and helped them out against Kagetsumugi without further incident. If anything, it was the sign that maybe her sisters could accept working with Heaven.
...Or at least, maybe Saja can work with Micaela. There's hope for the future.
"I ordered a group to secure the place and I shall have Hiruko take care of Kagetsumugi. We can't afford to risk having her around should she have kept another trap in reserve."
Tamamo nodded affirmatively. "Thank you Saja."
She fully turned her attention to Luka. She did barely recognize the faint scent of Micaela's ribbon and another metallic one, likely from Kagetsumugi's work. However, both of them were utterly overpowered by Alice's own smell.
Even after so much time, it's still the most prevalent one? How often did they go at it? How much did she drain from him?! Most people would have died after less effort than that! At least nobody else molested him. Speaking of which…
Tamamo glanced sideway at Lilith to see her not so discreetly wipe a small trail of drool from the corner of her mouth. To her credit, the succubus quickly recovered her composure.
"Well, it looks like we have our answer as to how did Kagetsumugi get him. As well as to why the Monster Lord is utterly exhausted without her favorite food source…" She gave out Tamamo a gentle smile, bowing out before walking back. "I will leave you to your work, I do not think the Monster Lord would appreciate my presence here given our history. Take care of yourself as much as you took care of her."
Tamamo kept an eye on Lilith's back as the latter strutted toward the exit. Her feelings towards the succubus were more and more mixed. On the one hand, she appreciated her repeated helpfulness and her display of self-awareness. On the other hand... she remained a dangerous predator, and she had still left a trail of chaos behind her.
She's making a lot of effort to help us. Maybe there's still a chance with Minagi's daughters… I'll have to take a look after them as well now that Alma Elma is out of commission for a while. But first…
"Let's bring him to the healing ward with the others. And keep guards at the ready, I don't want anyone to give anyone a second chance at exploiting him while he's still vulnerable."
Tamamo moved a loose stone from a wall and pulled out a package containing a set of clothes identical to the ones Luka usually wore. When she had bought them, she easily understood why he liked those so much: they weren't fashionable, but hardy and befitting of someone who would travel all over the world. This was the least she could do for him after the others nearly lost their lives saving him.
She always kept her eyed locked on him while they were escorting him, letting her other senses warn her of every danger that could be present in their surroundings. The guards were standing tall, ready to jump on any unwanted intruder.
Saja and Granberia did a lot of good for the guard's discipline… although I hope we won't really need it ever again.
Tamamo entered the healing ward to see alraunes and mermaids already taking care of the Heavenly Knights. A feeling of failure filled her once again for sending them out without support while she hanged back in the castle to take care of her own personnal problems.
She quickly pushed that feeling back in a corner of her mind. Lilith had a point. She had to move on from that self-blaming to properly resume her duty as a Heavenly Knight, the ward of the Monster Lord and the queen of the kitsunes.
"Huuh…" Tamamo stopped breathing when she heard Luka groan. The hero shook his head a few times before opening his eyes by rapidly blinking. He remained oddly silent, visibly surprised as he looked in front of him before Tamamo realized that she was staring at him intently with Saja and Erubetie on the side.
"Wha –oompf!"
Letting her emotion overwhelm her, Tamamo tightly hugged Luka and started inelegantly sniffling, her head pressed against his chest. Saja decided to discreetly slip away to stand guard at the entrance and let them have their moment. After several minutes, Luka uncomfortably wiggled a bit.
"Huuh… Tamamo? Is… something wrong?"
"No..."
"Then… wait, why am I wrapped in a ribbon? Is this aunt Micaela's? What happened?"
Tamamo looked up at Luka's face. Her eyes were slightly reddish."…You don't remember what happened?"
"Huuuh… I was just wandering in the castle because I was tired after Alice…" Luka started blushing. "Alice had been very hungry. She said she wanted to enjoy the hot spring with me but… I wanted a small moment of tranquility and ended up taking a nap in the conference room. Can I get my clothes please?"
As Luka kept shuffling awkwardly, Tamamo handed him his new set of clothes before turning away and using her tails as a curtain to protect the hero's privacy. With Erubetie, they looked at everyone as if to challenge them to gawk. The various healers busied themselves with any work, not taking a chance for a glance in their direction. She even felt a small surge of energy as Luka used his mediation skills to recover energy.
"My clothes feel weird… did someone wash them?"
Tamamo lowered her tails and turned back as Luka was finishing adjusting himself. The hero frowned as he massaged his tattooed arm.
"You really don't remember anything about what happened?"
"No." Luka kept his attention on his arm before looking at Tamamo, then at Erubetie with a confused expression. "I mean… what happened exactly? I'm not in a good shape, and somehow… I can feel that I used some energy to fight. Did I fought someone in my sleep?"
Tamamo and Erubetie looked at each other. The kitsune hesitated to tell Luka the full truth of the recent events.
On the one hand, telling him everything won't do him much good… even after all the adventure he went through, I'm afraid he would react very badly. Learning he was used to attack his friends and that Alice went in a coma in his absence might send him over the edge.
On the other hand… He will end up discovering everything soon enough. Trying to hide it would just make things worse.
Tamamo confidently nodded. Erubetie sighed but accepted that the task of recounting the recent events would fall to her again.
"Sit yourself. You'll need it."
Luka frowned. "Wait… Where's Alice?"
"She's right in the room on the other side, but we need to tell you what happened since… you took your break."
Luka frowned, but decided to obey and sit himself none the less. Tamamo noticed him nervously fidgeting with his hands.
He's so used to have Angel Halo around to defend himself just in case that even in the middle of the safest place in the world and surrounded by friends, he's still looking for it like a child would look for his teddy bear… And he's going to need one.
Tamamo quickly disappeared to grab the weapon located amongst Granberia's possessions as a mermaid was working her art on the unconscious dragonkin. When she handed the sword to Luka, the hero was looking at her with a large amount of apprehension, and she felt him tightly grip around his sword. Tamamo hesitated a bit more to tell him the full story before deciding to give in. There was no point in torturing him by making him wait.
"You had been captured by Kagetsumugi when you were weak. Nobody stopped her because Minagi had put her own plan to get you during the chaos. To be more accurate…"
As Tamamo and then Erubetie told once again the full story of the recent events, Luka's face decomposed. After a while, he even accidentally dropped his sword on the ground in a loud metallic clang.
"You want to take a break?" Tamamo sympathetically wrapped her tails around him. "Sorry, that's a lot to drop on you."
"No, no, it's okay." Luka slowly breathed in and out. "I need to hear everything anyway. I want to know. I need to know. What happened after those… controlled angels got pushed back out of the castle?"
Tamamo grimaced. "There has been a violent scuffle between Saja and Micaela -they're both fine and I think they'r even starting to get along, so don't worry about it.- Then I took a moment to put back… that walking disaster that makes for Minagi in her place…"
The explanation continued and Erubetie eventually took over when their narration reached their last battle against Kagetsumugi. Luka remained strictly immobile when she told about his appearance, his eyes vaguely fixed in front of him. When she ended her story, Erubetie reassuringly grabbed a still unresponsive Luka's shoulder.
"I want to say that we don't hold anything about what happened against you. You will forever remain our friend, and you were just a puppet of Kagetsumugi. I'm sure Tamamo and everyone else already has plans to make sure it doesn't happen ever again."
Tamamo nodded affirmatively. When Luka still remained unresponsive, she wondered if they had taken the correct decision. Erubetie and herself backed away a bit, and she tried to gauge any of his reaction. His head was slightly shaking left and right, but otherwise he was completely still.
"I can't believe it."
"This is exactly what happened. I promise you that we didn't omit anything or lie."
Luka snapped up. "No! No! I believe you! We… I mean I know you wouldn't lie to me like that after what we went through together. It's just…" He looked down, confused. "I have difficulties accepting everything that happened… And you tell me it all happened in a week?"
"Yes. It's been a chaotic week."
"Mmh." Luka nodded reflexively like a broken puppet before he sprang on his feet. "Where's Alice?!"
"Calm down, we'll take her to you… You sure you don't want to rest more first?"
"No. I need to see her! …Sorry, that's rude of me."
Tamamo shrugged off Luka's behavior and led him to the room where Alice was taken care of. The guards standing at the entrance made way, and Tamamo slowly calmed her breath before she opened the door. Luka gasped in shock.
Alice's unconscious form was laid on a large bed, surrounded by a few alraunes and Kanade on her side. Her face was surprisingly serene, as if she was just asleep. As Tamamo felt her breathing pick up again, she understood what Lilith meant when she said that she'd have to talk about her feelings of failure: right now, the vision in front of her only weighed on her shoulders as the sum of all the mistakes that she had been making for the past months.
Even if Kanade is helping her, even if she's alive… I know that all of this could have been avoided and I should be seeing her happily smiling hand in hand with her husband. If only I had been more careful with the castle's security.
Tamamo took a look in Luka's direction. His mouth was open agape in shock at the spectacle in front of him. She had no doubt that he was sharing her feeling of failure.
"Alice…"
"She's doing mostly fine. She will undoubtedly appreciate your return."
Luka ignored Kanade as the slime Ancestor removed herself. Luka seemed hypnotized by her form. Tamamo could only barely guess what was passing through his mind as he was staring at Alice's silhouette, her round belly getting more predominant.
She looks terribly vulnerable... She might be the most powerful Monster Lord since the Dark Goddess, but she looks so frail right now… Is he seeing the same thing? That even if she's a monster that could destroy a town, she's vulnerable without him?
Please Luka, you're not responsible for her coma.
Luka took a chair and sat himself near his wife. The picture reminded Tamamo of a few months ago, when the situation was reversed as Alice was watching over a comatose hero. She felt a tear rise in her eye.
Kanade cleared her non-existent throat. "My apologies for disturbing everyone… this may sound like a cliché, but her senses picked up the proximity of her lover for his…qualities and are kicking up the rest of her organism up in action."
Luka smiled. "Great, so… she's going to be waking up soon, right?"
Tamamo connected the dots and gulped. She pulled out her fan and started rapidly refreshing herself before signaling a healer who quickly picked up on the meaning and disappeared in the doorway.
"What Kanade meant is that Alice's definitively going to jump you when she wakes up." The kitsune's eyes looked at the tip of the lamia's tail as the latter was opening and closing sporadically, revealing a purple tentacles-filled inside. "And I wouldn't give it more than a few minutes since she smelled you. Although maybe if the guards are back with food before she gets up, she'll just eat that instead…"
"Oh." Luka's face turned slightly reddish. "Thanks but… I'll just stay by her side. She'd have done the same for me. After what happened, I want to be here for her."
"You're not responsible for what happened in the slightest but… I understand you." Two behemoths carried in a large multi-levels table covered with a gargantuan amount of food with an impressive dexterity, bowed and left just as fast. The two slimes and the last healers followed out of the room, while Alice seemed to stir. Tamamo took one last look behind her as she turned. She hesitated to say something, but didn't have the courage. Instead, she just waved one last time before wordlessly stepping away.
Once the doors were closed, Tamamo placed a few silence and alarm seals on the door. They could easily be broken from the inside, but hardly the other way around. As she made her way outside, she stopped in front of the two unconsciously Heavenly Knights. With only the smallest thought, she transformed into her Ancestral form, her dignified body and tails growing to occupy a large amount of space. She channeled a large amount of energy in her two unconscious friends, only stopping herself when she made sure that their wounds were fully healed.
I can thank them as well. They did more than their share of work, I can reward them a little.
Tamamo shared her energy with her companions, surprising Saja who slightly recoiled in shock with a small smirk. Once the kitsune considered her job done, she closed her eyes and returned to her smaller form.
"That was surprisingly generous of you… I wish you had always been that charitable in the past!" Saja's bemused tone betrayed her harsh words.
"I would agree for once."
Tamamo just shrugged as Erubetie was looking at her quizzically. "I just want everyone to clear their mind for tomorrow. Don't forget to drop Kagetsumugi at Hiruko's laboratory." Tamamo hid her face with her fan, her voice becoming a threatening growl. "And tell her that I want every single bit of information from Kagetsumugi first hand."
Saja bowed and quickly slithered toward the castle's rooftop. Kanade was the next to query Tamamo's attention.
"Can you teleport me to Grangold please? That would simplify my recover a great deal, and I shall keep an eye on the spider clan as well while Granberia recovers."
Tamamo nodded and prepared her spell: her sister had been more than supportive, and was even making an effort to be polite and helpful right now. Once the slime Ancestor had disappeared in a vortex of darkness, Tamamo's shoulders slumped in exhaustion. All of her close ones were now safe without a doubt, but even staying behind had left her weakened. And of course, numerous questions kept running in her head, most of them surrounding Kagetsumugi's resources and motivations.
That damn puppeteer had told us that she was afraid we would abuse our power to force down coexistence on monsters. Is it the whole truth? And where did she get all those resources? Did someone influence and support her from the shadows? At least, if she dies in Hiruko's hands, I'll know who to suspect. It would be really unpleasant though.
"…I'm going to fix myself some tea. I need it right now."
"I second that… if you don't mind my company."
Tamamo and Erubetie ended in one of the castle's smaller lounges. The kitsune served tea in a silence only occasionally interrupted by the crackling of a magical fire. Erubetie gratefully nodded back. As Tamamo was ruminating over the day, Erubetie's whispering voice reached her ears.
"I feel like Kanade is getting better socially adjusted. Do you think the same?"
Tamamo smirked. "You have no idea how much she is. Even if she's still a bit taciturn, I can tell that you really help her opening up and fitting in. I can't remember the last time she showed even basic courtesy before today. It certainly wasn't during the Great War."
Erubetie shrugged. "I had very good teachers. You gave me a lot of helpful information, and I suppose that she reminded me of myself enough to quickly sympathize with her. I remembered my darker days when I considered slaughtering any opposition a solution." She looked down, visibly ashamed. "I would have never have realized how wrong this was if Luka had never shown up."
Also if that idiot follower of Black Alice hadn't betrayed you… Although if it wasn't her, it would have been someone else.
Tamamo sympathetically patted Erubetie in the back. "It's sure. He did a lot of efforts for us, and we just did a lot of effort to save him. Now that everyone is safe, maybe we can finally appreciate the tranquility we worked so much to create all together..."
Erubetie nodded and finished her cup of tea. "I shall go rest then. I want to make sure that Alma Elma and Granberia don't feel lonely once they wake up."
"I'll keep you informed of any development. Sleep well!"
Once left alone, Tamamo started ruminating on her own thoughts again.
I really hope Alice won't take a reckless decision when she wakes up. Even if she wizened up quite a bit, she's still young and a bit impulsive. Also, how will she react to my decision concerning Kanon and Minagi? I feel that I've overstepped my authority a bit, but something needed to be done right here and there back then. And should I talk to her about my confidences to Lilith? On that matter, what was that report involving Astaroth and the San Ilia King? I really hope I won't have another crisis on my hands.
…I need to get some sleep myself. Tomorrow will be a long day.
When Micaela returned to Haven, she expected to find either the settlement in utmost chaos or an army preparing an assault on the Forest of Spirits. To her surprise, she couldn't see traces of either. Most angels were going about with their daily lives, sharing the usual gossip about how that explosion was the sign of barbarism from monsters killing themselves, and a few others were kneeling and praying in front of a large statue of the Goddess Ilias located on the center of the plaza.
Wait… That one wasn't there when I left.
They did that in less than an hour. I don't know if I should be impressed or disappointed.
She landed on the balcony of her temple. The door quickly opened to reveal Herja in her full armor. The Valkyrie quickly kneeled in front of her.
"My liege…"
"Please get up. What are the news?"
"As her highness certainly already noticed, a few angels needed an additional way to prove their loyalty to the Goddess of Light." The Valkyrie got up and looked at the statue.
"Their intentions are commendable." Micaela took a better look at the statue. It was made of pure white marble, showing the goddess gently smiling with her arms opened. The detail was as high as any other angelic craft, and the statue itself was actually slightly higher than the temple.
Even after her death and her attempted genocide, even if it's by a hair's breadth, they think that the Goddess must stand above all the others.
"I do not wish to emit any judgment that could devalue the respect they give to the goddess, but I suspect that a few of them had hidden unsavory purposes."
Micaela raised an eyebrow. "Keep going."
"Several angels disappeared in a closed house as the works visually and acoustically impaired any possible surveillance. I didn't judge adequate to directly investigate, but I wish to report you the information. They did show neither physical nor magical anomalous sign afterwards. I can only guess as to what they did."
It looks like some angels are now conspiring… Great. I don't know what their goals are or even what they hope to accomplish. I really need to promote archangels fast… Which I could do if I hadn't just spent a large amount of energy. Maybe I can ask Tamamo if she knows additional recovery skills... Or, barring that, ask her to sneak me some rejunevating slime.
"Good. Please keep a careful watch at any time."
"Your wish will be done. Last, I shall also inform you that a strange device hit the barrier from the outside. I placed it on your desk after ensuring it was safe to manipulate."
Micaela frowned. Were Hiruko's experiments already out of control, or was it another card straight from Kagetsumugi's sleeve? The seraph let her lieutenant guide her to her desk, where a charred metallic bird was laying.
"Thank you for your service. You are dismissed."
"As my liege wishes."
Once she was sure Herja was back at her post, Micaela examined the mechanical bird in more details. The item was definitively Kagetsumugi's work. While its quality and the level of detail were exquisite, she understood that the small box on the side was more worthy of her attention. She quickly identified a more sensitive relief in a corner, and pushed it. The box opened, revealing a shining disc with a hole at its center. Micaela placed the disc around her finger and started spinning it with her free hand while looking at its bottom.
Once she was finished, she crushed the disc in utter mortification.