Even though he was unable to recall where he had once heard the adage "Clothes maketh man", that didn't stop Goblin Slayer from trying to improve his mood through self-care; a suggestion that he had taken from Fairy Knight, once his allotment of time set aside for wallowing in existential despair had come to an end. Entering the private bathroom that was accessible through the bedroom that he was in, Goblin Slayer stood before the body-mirror to stare at his reflection; something he hadn't done for as long as he could remember.
Unable to shake off the feeling of body dysmorphia the longer he stared unsatisfactorily at his preteen body, Goblin Slayer found himself longing for a more mature appearance— one that would fit the maturity that he felt that he had. The longer Goblin Slayer stared at his barely scarred face, the more he found himself thinking about the boy who his other self had been the cruelest to— the ten year-old who was so sweet, and of his own flesh and blood.
' What is this that I'm feeling…? Guilt? Remorse? A longing for forgiveness and atonement? Was I… Was I truly that terrible of a person? ' Goblin Slayer wondered to himself with shame crawling down his back, as he cringed while the vivid memory of seeing who he felt to be his younger brother cowering underneath him with tears running down his face, as his other self berated and insulted him for the sake of letting out his frustrations onto him. " C… Chris… I'm… I'm sorry… " Goblin Slayer woefully apologized with his eyes beginning to well up with fresh hot-tears; halting himself from falling too deep into sorrow, before letting out an elongated breath as he wiped his tears away with his thumb.
The temptation was still very much present for Goblin Slayer to fall back into a pit of despair; as the uncertainty of who he was mixed in with the unraveled glimpses of the memory fragment were hurting almost as much as the thought of BB having abandoned him for horrible reasons that might be true. But even so, the boy did his best to upkeep his end of the bargain that he had made with Fairy Knight: and that would entail him genuinely trying to make an effort to carry on with his night the way she wanted him to do.
'Clothes… Clothes maketh the man, ' Goblin Slayer mentally repeated to himself— trying to keep his focus on anything that would distract him from the mental turmoil that was causing him such grief and internal anguish. With some mental numbness still lingering about, Goblin Slayer let out a quiet and elongated sigh, as he reached down by his hip to stretch his holographic interface over the glass of the rectangular-shaped body mirror. Looking down at the corner of the interface to see BBB looking back at him with her ever-present sassy-smiling, cartoon face, Goblin Slayer immediately felt a small improvement in his mood as he smiled softly back at the chibi AI.
Limited only by the materials he had to work with in his inventory, Goblin Slayer was able to have BBB create an algorithm to help decide what outfit would best fit him for an evening of laid-back activities. Through the overlay, Goblin Slayer was able to preview some of the picked outfits that BBB had suggested to him— trying on multiple styles and colors, it didn't take very much time for the preteen to select a choice that felt right to him. Outfitting himself in a white button-down dress shirt, a black slacks, a black formal vest, and a black tie that BBB needed to show him a video on how to tie it into a correct knot, the finishing pieces to Goblin Slayer's take on a new outfit that would broadcast his "maturity" would be a pair of brown leather dress shoes that fit perfectly on his feet.
Admittedly, the formal outfit that he had on looked a bit off with the fact that he still had the body of an athletic ten year-old. But even so, the monochrome suit and its overall serious design expressed the kind of person who Goblin Slayer felt like being, so after brushing his unkempt hair to straighten out his graying locks of light-brown hair, the preteen gave his reflection a once over before exiting the bathroom; Fairy Knight who had been waiting in the bedroom for him dispersed into a cloud of photon particles, before entering her master's soul to rest and to give him privacy.
Opening the bedroom door and closing it behind him, Goblin Slayer stood in the hallway of the fifth floor with the sound of smooth late-night jazz playing throughout the sound system that BBB had installed during its construction; the unfamiliar rhythm and blues playing was mystifying to those downstairs, while it sounded vaguely familiar to Goblin Slayer, even though he knew for a fact that he had never listened to such music before in that lifetime. Taking a deep breath to prepare himself to socialize and mingle with both the people who were spread throughout various rooms of the manor, Goblin Slayer reached up to pop his neck with one hand before beginning to walk down the hallway, toward the spiral staircase that led down to the fourth floor.
Not having to guess where who was in what room— thanks to the handiness of the three-dimensional layout map of the manor that BBB had displayed on his holographic interface—Goblin Slayer figured he would visit each member of his growing party, going by each floor down. Starting off his list by formally introducing himself to the young wizard twins who were amongst the party members who he never got to know personally, Goblin Slayer made his way into the library room that was built on the fourth floor.
Upon entering what was essential a beautifully decorated study room with several office spaces to do paperwork at, Goblin Slayer found the dark red-haired twins looking around at the book-filled oak shelves that lined the tall wall they were standing at— visible confusion and astonishment on their faces, as Goblin Slayer approached them while they were in a middle of a private conversation. "Apologies if you're unable to find anything recognizable in there… They're all imported from an archive of otherworldly information; hopefully they're to your liking," Goblin Slayer said calmly, while still being able to broadcast his voice loud enough to slightly startle the robed wizards, as each of them turned around fast toward his direction.
Both twins were instinctively adjusting the thin frames of their glasses over the bridge of their noses; attempting to recompose themselves, after having been snuck up on so easily. Holding her decorated wooden staff with one hand wrapped firmly around its shaft, the curvy fifteen year-old Wizard, along with her brother Wizard Boy, studied Goblin Slayer's remarkable appearance before finally opening her mouth to speak. "Ah, so we meet the mysterious mage for ourselves… I suppose a "thank you" is in order, isn't it?" Wizard asked; giving Goblin Slayer the impression that she had a hint of foul temperness behind the posh voice she spoke with.
"It's fine… So, has Relena mentioned anything about what's going on with your accepted quest? The one that your party all originally banded together for?" Goblin Slayer asked, figuring that if the news hadn't been broken yet, that he might as well be the one to be the bearer of it, no matter how unfavorable it may be.
Nodding her head with a heavy sigh escaping her lips, Wizard smacked her lips quietly and ran a gloved hand through her neck-length hair, before softly shrugging her shoulders, underneath the large brown-cloak she had over her dark-colored robes. "Unfortunately, yes she has. But even so, I do believe there's far better opportunities to be had for my brother and I; even without a monetary reward to be looking forward to," Wizard replied, while smiling hopefully, as Goblin Slayer tilted his head slightly to the side while looking back at her with a mildly confused expression on his face.
"… What are you insinuating by that?" Goblin Slayer asked with genuine curiosity in his stoic voice; coming off accidentally as disapproving, as he saw Wizard flinch slightly at his words.
Thinking that his sister's words might have come off as self-entitled and demanding, Wizard Boy became slightly flustered as he took a step forward with a defensive look on his excited face; immediately giving Goblin Slayer the impression that he was just as, if not more, quick-tempered than Wizard. "She's talking about what we can do for you if you'd let us, kid! We aren't interested in staying with Noble Fencer; we want to work for you instead— to learn from you on how to do all those crazy things you're capable of doing!" Wizard Boy explained; all without realizing just how much more arrogant he sounded, compared to his more sophisticated sister.
"… You're both under the impression that I'm able to provide you two with the same abilities that I've been granted. To simply put it, neither of you are what I am, nor could you ever be; and that's the unfortunate truth," Goblin Slayer said unapologetically; remaining unphased by the looks of outrage and disappointment that flashed over the twins' faces.
"B-But that shouldn't be so, Goblin Slayer! I-I was the top of my class; I-I am an accomplished mage who has potential for greatness…! I-I know that my brother and I c-can learn from you— please, j-just consider it!" Wizard stuttered out with her desperation breaking through the facade of her own ego; her green eyes behind the lenses of her glasses widened, as she stared pleading into the preteen's dusty-rose colored eyes.
Remaining calm and stoic, Goblin Slayer softly closed his eyelids as he slowly exhaled through his nostrils; feeling sympathy for the twins, before opening his eyes as he showed them the symbol engraved onto the back of his hand. "This is a "magic crest": it's composed of magical circuits that allow me to utilize magecraft abilities, through an advanced entity that's called the " Moon-Cell"," Goblin Slayer explained, before feeling a twinge of guilt and heartache creeping into his psyche, as he thought about the teenager who he had apparently once been best friends with in another life. "… This magic crest belongs to a friend of mine. I'm just… Keeping it safe for her, until she's well enough to have it returned to her."
Being more outspoken than his sister, the confused and irritated fifteen year-old bared his teeth and narrowed his eyelids at Goblin Slayer before abruptly asking, "What the hell even IS a "Moon-Cell"?! You're talking about it, like we're already supposed to know whatever it is that you're rambling on about…!"
Watching as Wizard punched her brother in the shoulder while glaring disapprovingly at him for potentially ruining their chances to work underneath the boy who had powers beyond their comprehension, Goblin Slayer couldn't help but to be reminded of the series of analogies told him by BB— back when the two of them first met in Londobell's marketplace. "I'll try to explain it the best I can… Imagine a ball of magic, capable of holding a near infinite amount of information inside of it, and it constantly adds more information inside of it, by constantly recording everything that takes place on Earth… It can send information out through particles of light; specifically, photon particles, which can be manifested into physical forms and carry information inside of them, given enough power…"
"… Now imagine that there's a multitude of worlds playing out within that ball of magic; where time never truly passes, and only other beings who are made up of magic can enter it. Sounds complex, doesn't it? Now, imagine all of that, and in the center of the magic, there's a core… A core that controls it all, and gives the magic and every being made of its information, sentience, and life… The core is capable of granting whoever is able to reach it through its own set of rules any wish they want… That's what the "Moon-Cell" essentially is— in all of its entirety," Goblin Slayer explained; making sure to use concepts such as magic to explain what the Moon-Cell was, since no one in that house other than himself knew what a computer was.
Needless to say, both Wizard and Wizard Boy were left speechless; the twins still processing the concept of what the Moon-Cell was like, while Goblin Slayer flashed a gentle smile at them before deciding to take his leave. "If you look hard enough, there should be some books on the third shelf that'll explain it a little bit more with diagrams and through synopsis of its different timelines… Oh, I've almost forgotten," Goblin Slayer mumbled quietly to himself, as he stopped himself from turning around to head out the door.
"In spite of whatever impression you've made of me so far, I genuinely am interested in getting to know you all… So with that being said, what are your names?" Goblin Slayer asked, while standing there calmly as he watched both twins trying to mentally scramble to answer his simple question.
"Uh…!?I-I am " Lunamaria Karn", and this is my younger twin brother, " Loran Karn"… Our aliases are " Wizard" and " Wizard Boy "— respectively in that order, G-Goblin Slayer; o-obviously…" Wizard stammered out with a wide-nervous smile across her lips, as her brother stood there nodding, while still feeling overwhelmed with the new concept of there being multiple realities and different universes.
Still smiling gently at them, Goblin Slayer let out a quietly throaty-chortle; easing Wizard's nerves, while Wizard Boy was still quietly murmuring to himself about the Moon-Cell. "Pleasure to meet you and your brother, Lunamaria… As you've already said, I'm usually referred to by strangers as "Goblin Slayer", but those who I'm close with call me by my actual name… Usually," Goblin Slayer said with a mildly amused look forming over his growing smile, as he thought about the way High Elf Archer would refer to him as " Orcblog".
Wanting to speak on behalf of her brother, who was just barely beginning to wrap up his thoughts to join in on their conversation, Wizard swallowed back the nervous lump in her throat before opening her parched lips. "T-The pleasure's all ours, Goblin S-l… ?! A… A-Are you not going to…?! Say what your real name is…?!" Wizard asked with a worried look in her green eyes; dreading the possibility that by not telling either of them his real name, Goblin Slayer was implying that he wasn't interested in getting close to them as she and her brother had hoped for.
Finding himself feeling especially playful in a harmless fashion, Goblin Slayer decided to teach the two teenagers a lesson as then proceeded to somewhat sassily turn his back toward them— eliciting them to both let out fearful whines which left them both comedically sweating up a storm. "… If you're both honest about your intentions for one day working for me, then you'll have to show me that you're both willing to go out of your way, in order to accomplish your goals… Go talk to your boss if you wish to know more," Goblin Slayer said with a soft chuckle escaping his lips, as he stuffed one hand into the side pocket of his slacks, before proceeding to leave the stunned twins behind in the library.
Once outside the library and inside the left wing dk the fourth floor, Goblin Slayer stood by the door to listen as Wizard and Wizard Boy began to immediately bicker amongst themselves; spending a few minutes blaming one another for each other's rudeness, before finally beginning to push aside their grievances to start working together to come up with a way to ask Noble Fencer for Goblin Slayer's real name. Discovering the allude that the twins might have said some less than pleasant things that would have gotten on Noble Fencer's bad side, after she had revealed to her party about how the official quest they joined together to accomplish had been voided, Goblin Slayer figured he did the right thing before finally walking away from the library door.
"Fwehehe…!Ah, take a gander at you: the begotten prodigal child, who's finally starting to carry himself the way he should have done since we met… It's about time you show others that you're to be respected as their superior, " Fairy Knight congratulated with an approving tone in her voice, as she spoke within Goblin Slayer's soul as he brought up his map of the manor. " I like it when you put others in their place… You should do it more often. "
Finding Fairy Knight's enthusiasm to be endearing, albeit misplaced, Goblin Slayer playfully rolled his eyes before beginning to head through the left wing of the fourth floor, toward the direction of where the bedroom that the next party member, who he wanted to touch bases down with was at. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves now; I only did that to them because they were coming off as undeservingly arrogant and self-deserving… If they're going to be staying here, then that kind of behavior is going to be corrected," Goblin Slayer replied to Fairy Knight, having not intended to sound as controlling as he did, when he left zero room for accepting unfavorable behavior within his land.
Coming to a stop once he had reached the door of the bedroom his minty-green haired companion was residing in, Goblin Slayer reached his fist up and kept it hovering over the white-painted door before proceeding to politely knock. From where he was at, the preteen could hear the sounds of the mattress springs shifting before the sound of footsteps growing closer became audible. "Who is it?" High Elf Archer asked with a voice that sounded neither bothered nor excited about having someone interrupt her privacy.
"It's me. Is this a good time, Artemis? Or should I-?" But before Goblin Slayer could finish asking whether or not she would have preferred to be left alone, the preteen was interrupted by the sound of the door handle unlocking. Had it not been for Fairy Knight's precognition, Goblin Slayer would have gotten smacked by the door with how quickly High Elf Archer flung it wide open, soon upon hearing his voice.
Dressed in only her brown-denim short-shorts, knee-high white socks, and her shoulderless green tunic, High Elf Archer's cheeks grew pinker by the second as her widen eyes took in Goblin Slayer's formal and put-together appearance. "I…?! I… I-I, uh…! N-Now's a good time, heh !" High Elf Archer stuttered out with an embarrassed grin forming on her face, before taking a step back while pushing the door outward toward the hallway. " Hehe, uh… C-Come on in! I was just relaxing; I was wondering when you'd come out of your room," High Elf Archer mused with her posture becoming more relaxed, while watching giddly as Goblin Slayer calmly entered her room with a soft-amused expression on his pale face.