Chapter 5 The Guardian's reactions

The first one to come to his office after Mare's success had been Cocytus.

He had feared the pensieve would break when Cocytus practically gave it a headbutt instead of diving in slowly. He resolved to add runes that would make it indestructible after that particular display.

Once the memory ended, Cocytus fell to his knees with a loud thud breathing heavily, making the floor in front of him start freezing. His tail moved from side to side, so uncontrolled that he actually hit a few pieces of furniture in his office, breaking them instantly. Nothing a reparo wouldn't fix, but that seemed to take him out of his stupor.

"I. apologize. Hadrian-sama." the insectoid whispered in his characteristic rough voice "I. was. too. happy. my. control. slipped."

"It's alright Cocytus, I can fix them easily" he said, making a dismissive gesture at the broken objects "I'm glad you liked your reward".

Any loyal person in Nazarik would love this memory… that was Cocytu's opinion at least. Truth be told, he had conflicting emotions regarding this reward, mostly because he didn't feel like he deserved it.

Albedo, Demiurge, Aura, Mare… the other guardians shined daily in their contributions for Nazarik, helping their Master with their assigned tasks.

As per Demiurge's request, he was in charge of Nazarik's defense in case an invasion occurred, and while he knew that it was an important task, he couldn't help but wish he could prove himself by actually doing something. It was heretic, to wish for enemies strong enough to invade Nazarik so he could prove his worth… he didn't deserve such a high reward at all.

"Cocytus?"

"Hadrian-sama. may. I. ask. something?" his Lord nodded in acceptance, watching him with interest.

"Is. there. anything. else. I. can. do. to. serve. Nazarik?" he said before he lost his courage. He had always considered himself as a sword, one that would obey whatever his Master ordered without a second thought. To ask for something else was… but he couldn't help but wish for more, to be useful.

"Other than the defense I take?" his Lord hummed thoughtfully for a moment before he snapped his fingers and looked at him with something akin to excitement

"Actually, you can. This is not the first world I live in, nor will it be the last. I have a collection of weapons that should cause certain effects, but have yet to test them in this world. Would you help me with that?"

He thought that the fact his Master had conquered other worlds was to be expected, he was a Supreme Being after all, but he tensed up when he heard this world would not be the last. Did this mean he would leave too? A feeling of dread descended on him, making him shiver.

Nazarik would be helpless if his Master left, the moral of all the members would be nonexistent if they failed Hadrian-sama in such a way that made him want to leave. They wouldn't be able to stop him either, if he really decided that…. they were his faithful servants, and would obey their Master's wish even when they knew it would mean their end. No, actually, it would be much more merciful to just die than to continue living without anyone left to serve and swear loyalty to—

"Cocytus?"

"Understood. Hadrian-sama!" He said louder than he intended to.

"…very well. Then I will give them to you, along with a list that describes the way they're supposed to work. I expect a report with your observations for each weapon. Any doubts?"

"No. Hadrian-sama. I. will. do. as. ordered"

"I'll be counting on you" his Lord said with a nod, gaze contemplative. Understanding he was being dismissed, he stood up slowly, walking carefully so he didn't break anything else. How could he have lost control like that?

Stepping out of the office with his head down in shame, he decided to mention what Hadrian-sama had said in the Guardian's next weekly reunion.

Aurahad been the second to go, knocking on their Master's office half an hour after Cocytus left. She had seen him on the way here actually, but he seemed to be deep in thought and hadn't answered her salute.

She balanced from one foot to the other in excitement outside the office before going inside with Hadrian-sama's permission. He didn't seem surprised at all when she asked for the bowl, but chuckled when she drank the flavorless liquid.

Thinking it over, she took a deep breath and immersed her face carefully on the bowl once she emptied the vial on it.

After the memory ended, she stood with watery eyes in the office. Bukubukuchagama-sama had been so cool! Her creator had been on Hadrian-sama's team, so she could admire the perfect team work they displayed in the battle, and the way they confided in one another with their lives.

"Thank you so much, Hadrian-sama!" She exclaimed happily, looking brightly at him with tears running down her cheeks. His gaze softened, and came closer to her offering a handkerchief to clean her face.

She took it gratefully, giggling when she felt Hadrian-sama pat her head in a comforting manner. After hesitating for a moment, she raised her arms, silently requesting for him to pick her up. Her Lord seemed surprised for a moment before complying with a small smile.

One arm was under her knees while the other one rested on her back, carrying her steadily. She placed one hand on the upper part of his arm, close to the shoulder, grasping the cloth strongly. Her other hand held the handkerchief as she hid her face in his shoulder, crying happy tears once again; which only got worse when she felt warm pats on her back.

This really was the best reward ever.

Sometime later, Albedowas on her way to her beloved's room, having received a [Message] from Aura saying it was her turn. Albedo had been irritated at first, when she had seen the number 3 on her piece of paper, but her mood got better when Demiurge commented she would have more than enough time to prepare and be in pristine form.

Finally arriving to his office, she breathed slowly to calm down. It had been 18 hours since the last time she had seen her precious Master, and wasn't that way too long? Her wings flapped impatiently as she knocked, receiving an immediate "Enter" in response.

He seemed to have been expecting the visit; his desk was unusually free of any reports and books, occupied only with the blasted little Basilisk he had chosen to privilege with his affection. She refrained from grinding her teeth and focused instead on her beloved.

He nodded once when she asked for the bowl, making it appear on the table with a snap of his fingers. She had no way of knowing it had always been there, since Harry had deduced he would be doing this all day, and had simply placed a notice-me-not charm on it after cleaning everything on the desk.

She got it right on her second attempt, immersing her face slowly on the bowl and watching the memory play in front of her.

Once it was over she stood silently in the office, staring at the floor, her hair coming down to hide her face from view.

"Albedo?"

She was aware that her form was slightly trembling, she was trying very hard not to-

"What's wrong Albedo?" she heard his worried tone from very close, his warm hand touching her shoulder slightly.

"Ahh!" Unable to resist her succubus instincts anymore, she tackled her beloved with enough force to make him fall backwards, with her body lying on top of him.

Beautiful emerald eyes looked at her with shock, his form tense underneath her. He stayed still for a moment before placing his hands on her shoulders to try to put some distance between them.

"Control yourself, Albedo!"

"Hadrian-sama, I can't- anymore!" she exclaimed at the same time she lowered herself on him, her wings flapping persistently.

Shit, shit, shit…! He had made the maid and assassins leave, since he wanted his guardians to have some privacy, having expected an emotional response. Which meant he was on his own now.

"Get off of me this instant, it's an order!" he yelled. As a Djinn, he wasn't strong enough to forcefully push her away, so he tried to ignore Albedo's provoking movements and think of a magical way out of this.

It's not like he didn't like her. She was easy on the eyes, intelligent and loyal, but the fact he couldn't ignore was that she was… well, intense. Her creator had been Tabula-san, and, having read her description, he was aware that everything she felt, she did strongly. Shalltear was similar in that aspect, with a tendency to act by impulse.

Having any sort of romantic relationship with any of them would be asking for trouble.

He thought about casting petrifying charms on her, but then remembered that she had an item that protected her from any sort of negative status, paralysis included. Cursing, he tried to think of something else.

"Just a little…!"

"Stop!"

"Then please let me be your pet! So I can hug you, rest on your lap and at your side at night…!"

He swore not to get close to the Basilisk while she was present ever again. He really should have stopped the teasing when Shalltear cried.

Merlin's baggy sweatpants she was trying to undress him now!

Panicking for the first time in the last half-century, he did the first thing he could think of and apparated out of his office, taking her with him since they were in contact.

He was used to the odd feeling of apparition, having perfected it to the point where he didn't have to take any steps to do it. But Albedo was slightly disoriented, so he took advantage of that and slipped away from her, taking off the tunic he wore over his usual clothes since she had a very strong grasp of the fabric.

"Hadrian-sama!" turning, he sighed in relief when he saw his assassins, who had been standing on the hallway as he had ordered.

Looking at the now restrained Albedo, he used his hand to massage his brows tiredly.

"Take her to her room. I'll decide on a punishment later" he said as he took back the tunic from Albedo's hands, the fabric slipping easily from her unresponsive fingers. He didn't put it on again though, and simply bended it on his arm as he made his way back to the office.

Turning to the left, he didn't stop until reaching the bedroom, where he dropped gracelessly on the king-size bed. Using his wand to place privacy and locking wards, he closed his eyes and tried to sleep, ignoring the whisper of laughter that sounded remarkably like Death's.

Shalltear in the meanwhilewas fuming in her room. Albedo must had taken too much time, because she didn't receive any [Message] from her saying it was her turn, and when she contacted the maid that followed Hadrian-sama today she told her that he had retired for the day.

She had taken three hours to be ready, making sure her chest was adequate and steady so she would be able to move without problems, and now she would have to wait for tomorrow's morning. Being an undead, she didn't sleep so it was a very long night for her, waiting for the sunrise impatiently in her room.

Once morning finally came, she requested an audience with her Lord, and got permission to see him. Using the ring her precious Master had given her, she teleported outside his office and knocked.

Going in, her eyes delighted with her loved one's beautiful form standing behind his desk. The fact that he wasn't overly tall never failed to make her happy, since she considered it made them fit better as a couple.

After they exchanged greetings, she asked for the bowl and her Lord made it appear on the desk with a snap of the fingers. Carefully coming closer to the desk, she gracefully emptied the liquid and drank it.

Cheeks reddening at the amused eyes of her Master, she was given another copy and this time she tried to immerse her face into it.

Once the memory ended, she blinked a couple of times before admitting defeat and crying freely, her hands coming to her eyes as if to hide them. She stood like this for a moment before she felt something soft graze her hand, and saw a handkerchief floating in front of her face.

Smiling at the offer, she took it thanking him, using it to delicately dry her tears. She would have preferred it if Hadrian-sama had come closer to give it, but he hadn't moved from his position behind the desk, oddly tense as if expecting an attack.

Her creator Peroroncino-sama hadn't been present in Hadrian-sama's team, but she could see him before they separated and after everything ended, and she was happy that she got to know more about him.

"Thank you Hadrian-sama" she said bowing her head and bending slightly her knees, her hands raising the long skirt of her dress a little.

"I'm glad you liked it."

Walking around the desk, she came closer to return the handkerchief, emerald eyes following her every move closely. Why was her Master on guard around her? Had she done something?

"Hadrian-sama? What's wrong?"

He blinked and seemed to consider something, before finally relaxing with a sigh.

"I'm sorry Shalltear. I was worried about something, but it seems I was being paranoid. Come closer"

Happily obeying his command, she was ecstatic at the apologetic pats she received on the head.

"Good work, I know it must have been difficult"

"N-not at all! I'll always do as Hadrian-sama wishes!"

Her Lord didn't say anything, but gave her an understanding smile; so she knew he had seen right through her.

"Thank you. I'll be counting on you then."

Harry watched Shalltear leave with cautious eyes. The only guardians left were Demiurge and Sebas. Even when the butler wasn't an official guardian, he considered him as such because he and the pleyades were the protection assigned to the 9th floor. That should count for something, right?

The next one to knock on his door was Demiurge. He really couldn't help but chuckle, trying to cover it with a cough, at the troubled expression the demon made after drinking from the pensieve.

Giving him another copy, his guardian did the right thing, so Harry waited patiently standing behind his desk. After Albedo's unexpected attack, he had placed protective runes in the area surrounding his desk, not really sure what to expect when Shalltear had been the next one to visit. The runes would only activate if he said the code but his preparations hadn't been necessary. He was about to take down the protection circle when Demiurge called, so he ended up postponing it for a later date.

Demiurge's reaction was the most controlled by far, standing a little bit shakily and cleaning the corner of his diamond-like eyes. Considering his description, he should have guessed it would be something like this, since Ulbert had programmed him to be a Master manipulator and leader strategist; he had a very strong grip on the emotions he showed in the surface.

The only thing that indicated just how much the memory had affected him was the traitorous tail, moving a little from side to side. Well, Ulbert had been part of his team so he had been present all the time in the memory, it was logical that he would be affected by it.

Quickly recovering the composure, the demon knelt and placed a hand above his heart, a genuine happy smile on his face. He then proceeded to give a short speech to formally thank him and swear undying loyalty to him once more.

A little overwhelmed by the intensity of Demiurge's voice, he just nodded, silently accepting his pledge of loyalty.

Early in the afternoon, Sebas knocked on the office's door. Following the actions of the other guardians, he got it right on the second attempt and was currently watching the memory play.

Sebas failed attempts, or lack of them, were interesting. He was the one that asked the minor quantity of copies, with an amazing total number of 4, counting the one he just drank from the pensieve.

Dragonoid magic didn't seem to react with the memory at all, not modifying it in the slightest. Now he was curious what would happen if he tried to use magic of his original world on Sebas or vice versa. Would the magic react as intended? Maybe the memories were the only exception?

His line of thought was interrupted by Sebas choked gasp; it seemed the memory had ended. Sebas took a step back, looking slightly disoriented and blinking repeatedly, avoiding Harry's curious gaze. Once the butler calmed down, he bowed by the waist deeply, thanking him profusely.

"You all have worked hard for Nazarik. This is the least I could do to show you my appreciation"

"We were created to serve the Supreme beings; to follow your orders is already a reward as it gives us a reason for existing. Thank you for your consideration, please allow us to stay by your side." Sebas only had the knowledge his creator had blessed him with in the moment of his creation. He had a few blurry memories of snippets of conversations or certain situations regarding the Supreme beings but he couldn't understand most of it. As such, he was more than happy to learn more about them.

"Thank you Sebas. In that case, there's something I need your help with- ah, no, there's no need to kneel. Please stand up."

Following the command, he stood perfectly still in the middle of the office. Hadrian-sama, who had been behind the desk since his arrival, walked around it until he came to be in front of him, the unique wand that always came out of nowhere in his right hand.

"I would like to test a spell I learned in my original world. Don't worry, it's not going to hurt you."

Sebas nodded once to show his acceptance, not sure if he was supposed to speak.

His Master waved his wand around him and Sebas could feel something covering the top of his head like an invisible blanket before he felt it slip. This situation was repeated several times and he could tell they were supposed to be different spells, but the end result was the same.

"Unexpected. Thank you Sebas, these are very interesting results." He didn't know how to answer to that and was relieved that he didn't need to when his Lord continued "Now, since the game has ended, please inform the guardians that I'll expect them here in an hour"

Bowing in agreement, he left the office wondering what the test had been about.

First, Harry had tried to transfigurate Sebas appearance, like the length and color of his hair and facial features. When that didn't work he had sent a silent Tarantallegra, the dancing feet spell but it hadn't done anything either. A confundus charm, a clumsy hex, no matter what kind of magic he tried Sebas remained the same. He had tried everything except a potion and harmful dark magic.

He was glad he discovered this with Sebas and not in the middle of a fight with a Dragonoid.

AUTHOR NOTE:

Well, now I actually managed to include everyone. Yay!

Obviously, poor Cocytus misunderstood. As defined in chapter 1, Harry has never conquered any world. Also, writing Albedo's scene was difficult since I'm pretty bad with everything even remotely related to romance. So no, no romantic pairing for Harry, sorry! It's not like I'm against it, I just can't write it.

So this is a prelude for the end of the last chapter, but don't worry, the story will actually move forward on the next one!

Thanks for reading. I've started to work though, so I may not update as frequently as I have done previously.

See you around!