you Kara Maou : The Trouble With Trolls
Summary: Wolfram's attempt to bypass Maou Wedding Curse with a small family ceremony, backfires when an uninvited relative arrives - the Troll Mother.
Disclaimer: I have no rights to Kyou Kara Maou, of course.
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Chapter 2 : Little Rickie
"'Bestiary'?" inquired Aldrich sweetly. He'd arrived around 9 pm the next day, a bit peckish. Sanguria in the kitchens promptly provided a heaping bowl of his favorite Tarkenburg purple new potatoes in the dining room, dripping in butter, which Aldrich was devouring with childlike glee. Aldrich's beautiful green eyes and face were pure von Bielenfeld, his blond hair underlain with a light shade of von Trondheim blue, his frame a slightly scaled down and much less muscle-bound version of his cousin Adelbert's, and his personality uniquely his own.
Efram's face screwed up into a pixie smile. "I think Yuuri's referring to Igor's book, cousin Aldrich. Good pictures."
"Hm? Oh, yes! Igor was rather a good artist, wasn't he? Though Troll Mother didn't care for that portrait." Aldrich turned back to Yuuri, explaining kindly, "The title is actually 'Besting Beasts', by Igor von Krist, if I'm thinking of the right book." Efram nodded. "It's a rather archaic form of literary pun, already fallen out of use several thousand years by the time Igor was writing. I don't blame you for misreading it. That's an… interesting… choice of book, Yuuri?"
"Good pictures," reiterated Efram, amused. "I believe Yuuri uses it as a picture dictionary." Aldrich looked enlightened and re-applied himself to his potatoes.
"Ah, Lord Bielenfeld," Günter asked self-effacingly, though one could see it pained him, "I fear I was the one who misled Yuuri heika. How was I misreading…?"
"Oh, the double diacritical mark and the curlicue," explained Aldrich. "Igor did love to hide things in plain sight – the entire book is in code. I just read it with my son Dietrich a few years back for practice deciphering those archaic forms. Though one has to wonder from whom Igor thought he was hiding things."
Not from the von Bielenfelds or von Wincotts, apparently, Yuuri thought. Both of those towering intellectual dynasties predated the founding of Shin Makoku by thousands of years. He could imagine both families snickering at the earnest academic efforts of upstart Igor von Krist, proud founder of the Krist domain 'only' three thousand years ago. Judging by Günter's expression, he had no trouble imagining it either, continuing into the present day, with darling little Dietrich von Bielenfeld, his mother a von Wincott, who was older than Yuuri, but looked about seven by human standards. Who could read Günter's illustrious ancestor's book more easily than Günter could.
"The symbols in the majutsu offensive defensive effectiveness tables, are they not used in the standard manner?" Günter pressed on, self-effacing but dogged.
"Well, half of them, perhaps. You have to rotate all the inherents one position about the element wheel, and the over-defense once the other way. Efram could show you." Efram nodded, accepting this charge from his liege lord. "But that's a simple symbol substitution, with the code key on the first page," Aldrich continued, dismissing Igor's scrambled symbol tables with a wave of his spork. "I was really more referring to the text." For that, Aldrich offered neither explanation nor his young vassal Efram, apparently suggesting Günter figure it out for himself.
"You're quite an expert on theoretical majutsu, then, Lord Aldrich?" Yuuri asked in polite appreciation.
"Oh, not at all. Efram's the theoreticist in the family," answered Aldrich, with a smile at Efram, completing Günter's mortified fall into academic dejection. "I'm more into politics and agriculture myself. And a distant third place at practical fire healing, of course," he added with a nod at Manfred, who held second place.
"More potatoes, M'Lord Bielenfeld?" Sanguria was at his elbow to ask, the very moment Aldrich finished swallowing the last of his first helping. Due to a paperwork mishap following her Bielenfeld trooper fiancé's death, it was several years before Aldrich realized no one had paid her widow's bonus. He'd apologized in person, paid in cash, and added 50 percent from his own pocket. Sanguria hadn't known the von Bielenfelds owed her a slice of bread. She split the bonus 50 percent with the other kitchen girls and Dorcas, kept the substantial principal for herself, and Yuuri's staff was entirely at Aldrich's beck and call forevermore.
"Mm, yes please, Sanguria! I love what you did with the herbed butter," said Aldrich with a warm personal smile.
"And, ah, my coffee, Sanguria?" Yuuri reminded her for the third time.
Sanguria curtsied fully to Aldrich, nodded at Yuuri, and scurried away.
"Efram, could I trouble you to go make sure 'Besting Beasts' is put away?" requested Aldrich. "Troll Mother would likely assume it was out for someone who couldread it," he said. Efram smiled, then abruptly unsmiled, indeed looked rather white, when Aldrich added, "It might hurt her feelings. Günter, perhaps you'd like to go along. Efram could show you the trick of those tables."
The room remained palpably tense as Günter and Efram departed. Yuuri tentatively asked, "Um, why would that hurt Troll Mother's feelings?"
"'Besting Beasts' is an arcane text on how to fight other Mazoku races, Sire," replied Aldrich. "And maybe hope to survive it. Now that our resident Krists are out on a quest, might I suggest a longer quest? Krist racism won't help matters here."
"Efram's your man, Aldrich," said Manfred softly. He'd been silently watching Aldrich ever since Aldrich arrived, with such intensity that a jealous Cecilie had stormed off to bed, Wolfram in her wake trying to calm her down. "You can trust him."
Wolfram chose that moment to return. As he sat down, he asked Yuuri, "Where are Günter and Efram off to?"
"Ah, Wolfram, glad you're back," said Aldrich. "I was just suggesting a little quest to keep our Krists busy. Let's say, oh… I'm concerned about leaving Dietrich alone in Bielenfeld. So I ask you and Efram to go check up on him. And bring Frieda and Grendel and Bertram as well, and Günter to help. And then, just for a treat, you take Dietrich and the others up to visit Brendan. Won't that be fun?"
The look Wolfram threw at his liege lord suggested that would not be fun, thank you very much. Yuuri was surprised nothing caught fire. But Gwendal beat him to responding. "Grendel? Aldrich, why are you concerned about my son's safety?"
"Oh, I'm not. It's just a plausible side quest to keep Günter and Efram out of our hair." As Manfred opened his mouth to deny that either of his sons would be a problem, Aldrich waived him to wait. "If you insist, Efram could come back after he's seen them to Castle Bielenfeld. And Chichi Aldrich's referring to his father Friedrich could go with Wolfram to Gratzberg, instead. Though it's been a few years since Efram or Wolfram visited Brendan."
Manfred held his peace at that. Gwendal and Wolfram weren't so well pleased. Gwendal said, "So it would be fine for me to keep my son here."
"Entirely up to you, of course. I'm not concerned about Grendel's safety here at Blood Pledge Castle. Trolls are the nicest people. And the von Walde and the von Khrennikov have a long and warm personal history with the trolls' closest allies."
Yuuri noted that these words seemed to have the exact opposite effect one might have expected on Gwendal. He turned kind of white and pinched looking, and said, "Fine. Wolfram will have to bring Annissina along, too. She's," Gwendal dropped his voice to an almost inaudible grumble through clenched teeth, "breast-feeding."
"We wouldn't want to disrupt that," agreed Aldrich. "Although, before she goes, I couldn't help wondering… Where is Troll Mother supposed to sit?" Gwendal blinked at him blankly. "It's only, if you don't have a good chair for, say, 1000 pounds without creaking, about yay wide, maybe five times the padding you'd use for a big man… perhaps Annissina and Dorcas could whip something up this evening before bed? Yuuri, I'm not sure your protocol officer is quite the man for this visit." Günter being said protocol officer, and nearly rabid on the topic of trolls.
Gwendal winced. "I'll go see to that now," he said, on his way out.
Wolfram, arms crossed in fury, said, "I haven't agreed to this, Aldrich. I'm not budging until you tell me why you need my children in Gratzberg. Besides, I'm getting married in a week." He winced, as he realized just a moment too late.
"Really? Congratulations, young cousin and Yuuri your majesty! Was my invitation… lost in the mail?"
Yuuri wasn't surprised when Wolfram instantly caved and agreed to depart with all the babies and Krists and von Khrennikov first thing in the morning. Failure to invite your thrice-related liege lord to your wedding whilst he's in your dining room, having dropped everything and arrived on urgent notice to do your fiancé a favor: minus 1000 aristocratic brownie points.
Wolfram slunk out of the room to go pack.
Wild horses couldn't have dragged Yuuri out of that room. He'd been king long enough to appreciate a people master. Whatever Aldrich was up to, he intended to watch every minute of it, and learn.
"How long has it been since you've seen Troll Mother, Aldrich?" Manfred asked quietly.
Gwendal and Conrad returned and sat while Aldrich was answering. Conrad had been stage-managing a bedroom and privy for Troll Mother in the ballroom, and a very large pavilion outside in case she brought anyone she didn't want in her bedroom.
"Oh, too long! I'm so looking forward to seeing her again!" Aldrich looked gleeful. "She came to my century party in Trondheim. She went to sleep not long after that. She promised to have someone wake her before my second century party. Oops, I wasn't supposed to repeat that. Oh, well, it doesn't matter anymore – she should have been woken up thirty-five years ago for that. I imagine Franklin got an earful for not having her woken up in time." Franklin, ruling Lord Trondheim, was Aldrich's best friend since childhood.
"Conrad! Good to see you!" Aldrich pressed on. "Say, I was wondering, is there any chance Adelbert will come back this week?"
"Good to see you, too, Aldrich. I expect Adelbert by tomorrow evening."
"Ah, that won't do. Could you possibly re-route him to Gratzberg? I'm afraid Adelbert may still have a thing about the trolls eating his father. And Wolfram's bringing Frieda to Gratzberg – it would be so nice for Adelbert to introduce his daughter to her grandmother, don't you think?"
Conrad nodded, giving Aldrich a searching glance. "Certainly, I'll send a rider."
And off went yet another of Yuuri's minions to do Aldrich's bidding. Damn, he's good, thought Yuuri.
"Wait – what?" said Yuuri. "Trolls ate Adelbert's father?"
"It's just their way, Yuuri. Adeldan knew it was coming. It's Adelbert and Brendan who had a problem with it." Aldrich dismissed this as narrow-mindedness.
While Yuuri's mouth was still gaping, Manfred asked quietly, "Adeldan was a quarter troll, wasn't he, Aldrich? And you are… also a quarter?"
Aldrich frowned. "One eighth, of course. As are Adelbert and Brendan, though they're not old enough yet, in any case."
Old enough for what? Being eaten Yuuri's head yammered. But something about Manfred and Gwendal's intent stillness made him hold his tongue.
"You're sure?" Manfred pressed him.
"Of course I'm sure. Troll Mother said," said Aldrich, as though that settled everything.
"One eighth," said Manfred. "So, one of your grandmothers was Troll Mother's daughter by a fullblood demon? Did you ever actually meet this half-troll grandmother?"
"Yes, of course. Well, I mean, I went to her death feast when I was around Dietrich's age. Chichiue brought me to Trondheim specially." That was special –Aldrich's mother had left the day Aldrich was born, and never set foot in Bielenfeld again. Ordinarily, the von Trondheims ferried young Aldrich back and forth for visits. "But Chichiue met her before he agreed to marry my mother."
"Did he confirm all of your other grandparents were demon purebloods, though? I imagine that would be rather hard to do, in Trondheim."
"She was the only living grandparent left. Anyway," Aldrich was clearly tired of the fun with fractions game, "Yuuri, everything's going to be really simple for Troll Mother's visit. Trolls are very sweet people – all you have to do is be nice. She'll love you, we'll all chat. You'll see. I'm sure you'll like her." This last was delivered with the bland disingenousness of a five-year-old.
"Do you have any idea what she wants, Aldrich?" asked Gwendal, clearly pained.
"Nope. But I'm sure she'll tell us. Don't worry. Well, I'm off to bed. Though it'll be hard to sleep for the excitement. I just can't wait to see her!"
"I'll be along in a minute, Aldrich," said Manfred.
Once Aldrich left, Gwendal murmured, "What do you think, Manfred?"
Manfred sighed and shook his head. "He's being… very trollish. But Aldrich always is. I guess we'll find out soon enough."
"Find out what?" said Yuuri.
"The goal," answered Gwendal, "was to breed a part-troll who could be fully accepted by troll society, yet be trusted as part of the Shin Makoku aristocracy by the non-trolls. The question is whether we succeeded, or added Bielenfeld to the roster of troll domains. And incidentally, whether Gratz is still under troll control or not. Although it may be a while yet before we can answer that part."
"Gwendal…" Yuuri said in frustration. "Aldrich and Brendan are Aldrich and Brendan. Whether they're full troll or part fish, they're what, 230 and 120 years old? Surely whether they're trustworthy or not is a question of their track record, not their ancestry. You say Adeldan von Gratz was a quarter troll. Well, fine. Weird, but fine. Was he a good domain lord?"
"Yeah," allowed Manfred slowly. His uncle Adeldan had been more a father to him than his own father Wolfred, who died before Manfred turned 30. "Adeldan was a good man. Until he was about 210. Then he left his family and domain and went to the trolls. Adelbert tried to get him back, but…"
"What happened?" asked Yuuri.
"We don't know," answered Gwendal. "Adelbert insists he was eaten. Lord Franklin's father insisted he was not, but refused further comment, and died soon after. Or so his sons say. Aldrich says he was probably eaten, but if so, it was by his own choice. A number of domain lords – myself included – felt Aldrich's attitude called into question whether he's any more reliable than any other part-troll. Friedrich insisted that Aldrich had been open and above-board, and was simply confirming that after age 200, a quarter-troll 'goes to the trolls', and there's nothing anyone can do about it."
"The real goal, Yuuri," added Manfred sadly, "is to prevent a repeat of the Great Troll and Goblin War. We have no idea whether we've succeeded. Or whether now that Troll Mother is awake again, if Aldrich is going to 'go to the trolls' as well. But in case he does, I'm going to spend one last night with him. Good night, gentlemen."
oOo
In the library, Efram did exactly as his liege lord Aldrich had bid him. That is to say, he showed Günter the two symbol swaps in Igor's book that Aldrich had specified, one correct and one not. The correct symbol transformation was the key to all the majutsu defense spells – without that key, Günter's defense against other Mazoku races would operate at a quarter power, at best. The incorrect symbol transformation would make his offensive spells no less effective than they would be from reading the tables literally, as Günter had been. But nor would they be improved. There were two other, less common but far more potent, symbol transformations needed to wholly master those tables. Aldrich hadn't mentioned them, so neither did Efram.
To ease his conscience and refresh his memory, Efram drilled his incorrect teaching with Günter, using the troll entry, wood nymphs, mermaids, and goblins, and carefully re-read the text of each entry as well, saying nothing about the keys to understanding that.
Günter narrowed his eyes at Efram's choosing to review the lesson four times over, but stayed silent and studied all the harder. Günter had a photographic memory. He intended to pour over those images in his mind until they gave up their secrets.
Before they left, Efram insisted on properly shelving every book from the reading tables. Günter's hands itched to leave out a book on the Great Troll and Goblin War. But he had to concede, that would be an insult to their guest. While Günter was in another aisle, Efram pulled out 'Besting Beasts' again and quickly refreshed his memory on two other entries. Though Günter saw him at it, he couldn't tell which entries, though he thought they might be in the fire section.
Efram whooshed out the lights as they left, still deeply unsure what Aldrich was up to. Wolfram had dropped by and told them they were headed for Bielenfeld in the morning. Efram couldn't figure out whether that meant Aldrich mistrusted him as a Krist and thus wanted him gone, or was entrusting his son to Efram and Günter's protection, and ensured they were both freshly armed. Could it be both? But… why?
oOo
"I will be back in time for our wedding in six days," hissed Wolfram, back in their bedroom. Yuuri had just put his pajamas on. Wolfram, already in his most comforting pink nightgown, was just tying up his pack, having already packed for all three babies he had to bring to Bielenfeld, since Annissina was busy building a troll chair. Under the circumstances, Yuuri thought his fiancé's mood was remarkably upbeat. Wolfram hadn't singed Yuuri's hair yet, for instance.
"Mm, all packed?" answered Yuuri, pointedly changing the subject. His interest and belief level in this wedding had never gotten much above twenty percent, and was now holding steady at zero. "Oh, decisions, decisions. Do I want my political advisor's wise counsel on how to handle his liege lord and Big Mama Troll? Or do I want to make love to my absolutely gorgeous fiancé before he goes away for a few days…" He snaked his hands around Wolfram's waist from behind to suggest he wasn't really all that torn on the issue.
Wolfram chuckled softly. "You think you can distract me this easily from being furious at Aldrich? Wimp."
Yuuri silently conceded he had a point, and tried a little harder, moving around to face Wolfram's side a bit, one hand still tracing on his far hip and the firmly curvaceous cheek below, the other tracing a finger up his abdomen, across a nipple, tracking a collarbone, the long muscle of his neck, his ear lobe, and there turning Wolfram's face to his for a kiss. "So tell me about," kiss, "being furious," kiss. "Mm, maybe after you get back from Gratz?" Yuuri pulled him into a full-body hug at that and kissed him deeply.
"Mm, alright, wimp, your plan might have its merits," Wolfram began, arms around Yuuri's neck, as they broke off the kiss. "EEEEEEEK!"
Yuuri whirled to see what Wolfram was suddenly pointing at behind him. The top half of a face was peering at them through their balcony railing. The face was over two feet wide. The eyes, around ten by six inches apiece, blinked, bright purple irises on a light scarlet background, with bright scarlet slit pupils. Her hair was thick and wavy and swept straight back from a high forehead, hairline curving lower in the middle, weirdly reminiscent of those cute little potbellied plastic toy trolls. Or, Yuuri realized with a start, the hairlines on the von Gratz brothers and Teodor von Trondheim. Though not Aldrich – Aldrich sported the unruly von Bielenfeld cowlicks and bangs on his forehead.
"Oh, my! I'm so sorry I startled you," the face said. "I saw your light on and was hoping you could help me." Yuuri's parents could have identified the round-lipped twangy way of pronouncing things, as an accent not unlike a neighbor from Minnesota who used to babysit while they lived in New York. Yuuri simply recognized it as oddly maternal and familiar, yet not from Japan or Shin Makoku – his family returned to Japan before he started gradeschool. The face was trying to whisper so as not to disturb anyone. However, the floor vibrated as it spoke.
"Ah, hello. Yes?" said Yuuri stupidly.
"Mind if I come in?" asked Aldrich, already in and quickly striding across the bedroom floor, in a simple cambric blue nightgown. Manfred trailed behind, in a matching nightgown clearly borrowed from Aldrich. "Troll Mother!" cried Aldrich in delight. "It's so good to see you!"
"Oh? Oh, yes? Who's this, now?" she replied, peering around the balcony bars.
"Aldrich von Bielenfeld, Troll Mother. Oh, please tell me you remember me!"
"All-da-riccck… Oh! Oh, my! Oh, Little Rickie! Come here so I can see you, dear!" Aldrich obediently threw the balcony doors open wide and went out to plant a kiss on her wide forehead.
"Oh, let me step up a bit here," Troll Mother said, and her chin rose to the top of the balcony railing. Yuuri couldn't imagine what she was stepping up on – that balcony was twenty feet in the air. Surely she couldn't be that big? "Oh! Oh, yes! Oh, dear Little Rickie! Of course I remember you! Oh, sweetie, you look so pretty in your blue dress! And those adorable little blond curls on your forehead! But sweetie, you haven't introduced the little girl and boys behind you. I'm afraid I may have interrupted them in something…"
"Oh, Troll Mother, this is my Manfred, and Manfred's son Wolfram – she's actually a boy in the pink nightgown – and Wolfram's Yuuri. Wolfram's Yuuri is the new Maou, Troll Mother."
"Ah…how do you do?" said Yuuri, stepping forward and gamely offering her his hand to shake.
Aldrich shook his head and just waved with his right hand. "Yuuri, trolls wave. Except, use your left hand."
"Now, why aren't you waving with your left, Little Rickie?" she chided gently.
Aldrich held up his left to show her. He'd lost his left arm at the elbow sometime before Wolfram was born. Though apparently more recently than he'd last seen Troll Mother. "I lost it, Troll Mother. I was silly one time in Suberia with the army. It was almost a hundred years ago. You've been asleep a long time! We've missed you!"
"Oh, my," she crooned sympathetically. "Now, what do you mean, you were silly, dear? I'm sure you did your best. You've always been such a good boy." She picked up his shortened arm to examine it, pulling it into the dark to see better.
"Mm, it's a 'small' thing, I guess, Troll Mother. I jumped into a river to help my sergeant and trainees, because they got into trouble, after they jumped in to help some women and children, who got caught in a flash flood. But I was commander and they were all trainees. So when my arm got hurt, and my sergeant got dead, everything just kind of fell apart. And I was the only healer, and I passed out. I'm sorry. I wasn't very good at 'army', Troll Mother." Aldrich looked thoroughly ashamed of himself.
Yuuri had never heard this story before. Although he supposed someone who was 'good at army' might agree Aldrich had screwed up, Yuuri tended to think even more highly of the man. Although the contrast between the genius who'd schooled Günter an hour ago, and the childish one standing here now, was a bit bizarre.
"Oh, my," crooned Troll Mather. "Such a shame your father – Feeder was it? that tiny little dear – couldn't fix this, he used to be so clever at fixing broken wings. But it seems to be growing back now. You'll be just fine soon." Aldrich's arm had started regenerating after their meeting with the phoenix during Manfred's wedding cruise – it was indeed about six inches longer already. Troll Mother patted him reassuringly and pulled him to her, back against the railing, palm on his shoulder and forefinger toying with his cowlicked bangs.
"Yes, 'army' is a very silly game the small play – running around in little packs killing each other with pigstickers, and then not even eating the fallen, it's all so terribly wasteful." She clucked her enormous tongue. "I do hope you ate your arm, Rickie?"
Aldrich grinned at this treatment of his devastating, career-ending, marriage-mangling accident. "I don't know where my arm got to. I guess it went downstream."
"Oh, that's a shame, dear. Oh, oh! I wanted to thank whoever for putting up the pretty little tent in the yard for us. So thoughtful!"
"Oh, that's just for your trolls, Troll Mother – there aren't any bedrooms big enough inside. But Yuuri has a room ready for you! And your small can have rooms inside too. Did you bring any small?"
"Oh, you don't need to trouble with that! Smalls can sleep in the pretty tent with my trolls. But oh, that's so sweet! You made up a little room for me inside! Why, thank you,Wolfram's Yuuri!" She screwed her face into maximum smile, which made her face about three and a half feet wide and only two and a half feet tall, folds or wrinkles rearranging themselves accordingly. Her huge smile showed off equally huge dimples. She did look rather like those cute potbellied plastic trolls, except the nose was quite straight. And the potbelly trolls didn't have pointed front teeth the size of postcards, and wickedly sharp canine fangs around ten inches long. But it was a very sweet smile.
Aldrich's idiotic grin showed off similar dimples, if nothing else. "Well, Troll-Mother, you must be hungry. Though we may only have one chair inside big enough for you. Did you walk all the way from Trondheim since sunset? I wasn't expecting you so early!" Trondheim lay beyond Krist – a good three day's ride, Yuuri rather thought. Of course, horse's legs were… shorter.
"Oh, yes, it's a lovely night for walking! But I am rather hungry. And I brought sausages for everybody!" She reached down and brought up a small red burlap bag which she'd apparently been carrying on her person, which couldn't have held more than a few pounds of sausage. "Oh, but please, could you have these cooked up separately? These are special, just for Rickie and Dorie and me." She placed them on the balcony. "The rest are in the main packs…"
"Hand me down, and I'll go with you, Troll Mother, and show you the way," said Aldrich. Troll Mother fondly obliged, plucking up the broad-shouldered six-footer with ease, like a mother picking up a small child.
Yuuri went to the railing and looked down as they walked away, Aldrich hand in hand with his great-grandmother. Troll Mother was certainly less than twice his height, though not by much. Yuuri looked straight down. There was nothing there she could have been standing on. He turned back to Manfred and Wolfram, who'd said nothing the whole time.
"Um, who's Dorie?" Yuuri asked.
In Aldrich's big cambric nightgown with the sleeves rolled up, his father-in-law-to-be looked very small and forlorn. He was staring at the little red sack of sausages. "Ted," Manfred whispered, then cleared his throat. "Teodor von Trondheim, is Dorie."
oOo
Note: if you're not familiar with German, a –ch at the end of a word is kind of a hissed hard -ck. (Like the 'ch' in the Hebrew toast 'LeChaim'.) Point being, "Aldrich" is pronounced all-drick-h. Similarly, Friedrich (Free-drick-h) and Dietrich (Dee-trick-h).
And in case you missed it in the intro, I do have drawings of Aldrich, Teodor, Adelbert, and Brendan (and Efram and Manfred, etc.) on the "homepage" link on my author profile. Just their faces on the main page, but the troll-kin's upper torsos are included on the "Men Who Are Not Tame" illustration.
Reviews so far seem interested in the question, "What if any Mazoku beast went into Wolfram?" More suggestions / requests / theories? For Wolfram or others?
Remember, if you're getting lost, there is a summary on my homepage.
Please review?