An impossible task for everyone but the most skilled of thieves… That precious item was extremely valuable simply thanks to its rarity. Its owner only occasionally walked the world, and never remained around for long.
She always came from the same place. Only one time out of three was she the one to come here though, complicating his own plan. An immeasurable amount of time had been spent watching that black hole and observing the movements around to understand the causes of those back and forths. Then eventually, he made sure that one event would attract their attention. He knew where they came from. He made sure of their next destination. Now he only had to be patient, and, more importantly, slightly lucky.
Then the smallest of changes happened. A black vortex appeared and revealed an angel in a military garb wielding a large flag and a mechanical fist. The thief exulted and quickly pulled out a harpy feather and teleported to his target's destination.
The thief was now in a green clearing, near a large altar surrounded by six stone pillars. Every effort was deployed to hide himself from any sense. After so much time spent hunted for his work, he had mastered the art of concealment on a level that had nothing to envy to the best-trained kunoichi. Given the unsavory treatment he regularly endured when caught, that training had been a necessity… and its own reward.
The angel landed close to the altar and examined it, a frown on her face. Good, it looked like she had fallen for his bait...
"Hurgh, those damn succubi… did they take the risk of damaging this altar for their fun? They're supposed to know that it's a necessity for the hero Luka, no matter how unholy it is! With a little luck, they're still around… I could use some exercise!"
The eyes of the thief locked on the angel's mechanical fist as she swung it around. Being exposed would certainly lead to a painful death involving this very weapon ending in an unpleasant place.
Magic circles appeared around as the angel started scanning her surroundings. Just as he expected, that spell only searched for monsters. He could approach his target without alarming her. She had temporarily stopped relying on her other senses to warn her of any threat. Each step was bringing him closer to his goal, as well as an unnamable, thrilling danger. Then he was barely at arm's reach of his target. His eyes were locked on his goal. Successfully grabbing it without startling its owner was impossible. He would have to be fast, precise and as dexterous as ever.
Then faster than it could be said, he was successful. The angel turned around with a surprised cry, but it was too late. He was already proudly spinning his trophy above his head, running away as fast as his legs carried him.
"WOOPOOPOOPoopoopoooo!"
Behind him, the angel was frozen in pure stupor. Her mind could simply not apprehend the possibility of what had just happened. She didn't react during the man's parade or when he disappeared after using a harpy feather. She placed that event on a mind game created by a monster and shrugged it off…
…Until she noticed the smallest difference when she moved. This hadn't been an illusion. She had really been robbed of one of her most prized possession.
The angel's scream reached Succubus Village.
A few days earlier
The morning following her introduction, Eri woke up with extreme difficulty. She had spent a full night in a bed even more comfortable than her own house in Iliasburg, but she had endured vivid dreams involving several succubi draining her energy in unmentionable ways. The strangely comforting sensation was still permeating her body. The new recruit got up with difficulty, stumbling around a few times as she got up from her comfortable bed before groggily opening her bag to check for spare clothing. She frowned when she checked for her underwear.
"I was sure I had one more pair… Whatever, I'm changing myself, and save for a miracle I'm out of here. Maybe I can get a free breakfast before leaving."
After changing herself in a mostly identical set of clothes, Eri carefully opened the door leading outside her room, expecting a stray magic bolt to hit her in the face. To her surprise, the hallway was calm, and mostly empty. An assortment of monsters was discussing here and there and moving on with their daily lives. Although she carefully closed the door, the noise was enough to attract everyone's attention. An elf in a regal dress approached her and bowed.
"Greetings… I've never seen you here before. Did you join us recently?"
"Yes…" Eri timidly answered. "The hero and a powerful succubus invited me to join them."
"Hah. Of course, she forgot about you afterward. Typical…" the elf grimaced before bowing down. "But where are my manners? I'm Freya, the current queen elf. Nice to meet you."
"N-nice to meet you too. I'm honored to meet a queen monster so informally."
"Don't mention it." While the queen elf had a stern expression on her face, Eri felt an aura of benevolence emanating from her. "May I invite you over for breakfast?"
"Gladly!"
Maybe yesterday was just a bad day after all…
As she accompanied the queen for a bite, Eri started reconsidering her opinion of the place. The monsters around her were surprisingly civil, and the dining room had meals that could be compared to the food offered in the Sutherland Inn. Eri herself got to enjoy a luxurious omelet with rice and chicken with soy sauce. As they dug in their meals, the queen elf started questioning her.
"If I may ask, do you have any particular reason for joining us? I know most people simply do so out of a desire to strengthen themselves, but I'm curious in your case."
"Oh, I'm just travelling and looking for an occasion to learn how to defend myself."
"Mmh." The Elf Queen was examining her. Eri felt stupid after giving such a basic, straightforward answer. Who wouldn't want to be better at defending themselves? There were likely hundreds of better ways than disturbing the legendary hero for that.
"I apologize, but I'm not sure I could personally help you… I'm sure someone else would gladly teach you though. You should ask around."
"I… do you have any recommendation?"
"No. But don't you worry." Freya smiled reassuringly. "For how rough they look, nobody will attack you. You have nothing to worry about."
I wouldn't be so sure about that…
"However, getting acquainted with you is another issue entirely." A harsh but childish voice echoed from somewhere behind her. The Elf Queen groaned.
"Morrigan..." Eri recognized the blue-haired succubus she saw yesterday. "This girl joined us yesterday. Please can you try not traumatizing her?"
"What?" The succubus was genuinely surprised at the accusation as she grabbed an apple. "I'm talking about the impression she got from Est and her nightmares. They visited you last night, didn't they? Actually you don't need to answer that. Their scent is all over you."
Eri felt uncomfortably hot as blood rushed to her head. She wanted to strangle the life out of that succubus even if she stood no chance. The latter had read her obvious intention and was taking it in stride.
"Oh, please, chill out, they pulled out the same on everyone else at least once! You're not really a part of the Pocket Castle until you got it on with a succubus, threatened to slap Amira or another unfortunate monster for pissing you off, terrified some outsider, and got involved in a brawl with someone else from the castle. As for you, lady…" Morrigan took a bite from her fruit. "You don't have remarkable abilities, but I can tell that you're smart, and you got a solid survival instinct in the face of danger. You wouldn't make it safely on any Sentoran road right now though sooooo… Why don't you go ask that little angel scientist to give you a boost? I'm sure Fatima wouldn't mind training you afterward."
As Eri looked down with confused shame while Freya scowled at the succubus, Morrigan disintegrated the stem of the apple. "Anyway, I'm out. I need to check on Nuruko before getting on with some ass-kicking. I promised to give Mephisto a hand with that panties pervert investigation. See ya!"
When the succubus disappeared, Eri felt discouraged. Was there even a chance to be as powerful as any companion of the hero? The elf queen sighed.
"Please forgive us for her bluntness… However I would indeed advise a solid training regimen."
"What's that about an angel scientist?"
The Elf Queen grimaced. "Promestein… She's skilled. Although I wouldn't recommend meeting her for now, she... often makes a negative strong first impression, particularly when she's interrupted in her work."
What should I do? One hour ago, I was ready to quit. Ten minutes ago, I was given all the opportunities in the world to train, and now I feel like I got impaled and roasted over a campfire.
Oh Ilias, please give me a sign.
As if to answer her, a white-winged angel in armor arrived from the hallway. The newcomer's crystal blue eyes quickly locked onto the queen elf.
"Greetings Freya. Did you happen to see Mephisto recently? I may require her assistance regarding an issue in Iliasburg."
"She left this morning to deal with... the aftermath of our small issue in Port Natalia and will move on to Grand Noah to assist the queen today, why?"
The valkyrie frowned. "Iliasburg has fallen victim to chaos following a raid. While the order got quickly re-established, a few items were missing. Given their nature, I think it might have to do with our latest… thief." As if to address Eri specifically, the valkyrie finished under her breath. "We had nobody there at the time…"
"I see. I'll pass the word. We'll make sure the matter is investigated in depths before throwing accusations around. Now, where were we?"
I need to get stronger. At any cost.
A few minutes later, Eri was carefully navigating the laboratory at the top floor of the Pocket Castle. Even if she barely remembered the place from her visit, she understood why they hadn't remained around for long. Different scientists were enthusiastically experimenting over smoking glassware, and the whole room looked like it was one false move away from exploding. Freya was even using a spell to keep toxic fumes at bay. They quickly ended in front of a red-haired young girl who was writing down notes with both hands at the same time. Freya called her in an attempt to attract her attention.
"Greetings Promestein." The scientist didn't react. "Eri has recently joined us, and she wants to know more about your race changes."
When Freya uttered racial changes, the scientist's eyes lit up and a smile appeared on her face.
"Ah! Finally someone interested in my science amongst those profanes… and a human girl at that! You make for the best potential… Mmmmhmhh..."
I understand what she meant by a negative strong first impression.
"I can make you a vampire, or a yokai like an oni… unless you prefer the might of the yoma?"
"Do as you wish… It is no concern to me as long as we don't get any incident like that damn fox again…" Freya shivered.
"Considering the base personality of her species, I can certify that turning her into an elf didn't make her lewder. She was just looking for an excuse to jump Hakunen. Magatsu herself did confirm it. Now, what will it be?" Promestein's glasses eerily shined as she repositioned them. Eri hesitated for a moment. Even beyond the question of how she would be after becoming a monster, there also was the question of the treatment itself. As if reading her mind, Promestein continued. "Don't worry, this won't hurt one bit… It's just a little sting."
Should I do it...? What will become of me? Will I keep my mind and body, or will I completely transform into something else?
I said I needed to get stronger. Let's do it.
Eri extended her arm toward Promestein as the latter checked the content of a black syringe. She indeed only felt the sting of the needle as the scientist injected the product in her vein. To her surprise, her arm didn't turned black to fall off, she didn't completely lost her mind in a torrent of pain, nor did she feel an extreme rush of energy powerful enough to make her drunk. Instead, she simply had a desire to drink someone's blood, but she could control that new impulse with only minimal effort.
That was easier than I expected… what now?
A haughty voice echoed from down the hallway. "Ah! It appears I need to welcome a new member amongst our kin!"
Eri turned toward the voice's source to see a tall blond woman wearing a black bikini with matching thigh-high boots and gloves. If it wasn't for her red and black cape, she could have passed herself as a street worker. She also could also have passed for a human if it wasn't for her glowing red eyes and fangs. Eri was compelled to bow down to her. Her mind instinctively recognized her as a queen. She gulped.
"Please, look up and call me lady Fatima." Even if the vampire could easily kill her in a heartbeat, Eri felt surprisingly reassured by her presence as the monster grabbed her by the shoulders. "You currently are weak, but such potential… I will make sure that you're worthy of standing amongst us, that all monsters are gnats that you will be able to swat away… let us begin your training!"
Eri felt elated. Right now, she was riding a wave of confidence that largely compensated the setbacks from those last days. She didn't imagine that she would so quickly found a patron so readily support her. She could feel her eyes watering up as it finally looked like her dream was within reach.
"What must I do?"
This is not what I had in mind as an introduction training…
Eri was completely dumbfounded. Fatima had accompanied her to the armory to make sure she was more properly equipped, and the recruit had been caught off-guard by the sheer power of the equipment that was available. Weapons that she only heard hushed legends about were sharing their rack with dresses and armors that didn't even consider could exist, while powerful trinkets had been put on full on display on a table. Eri herself had taken a magically-infused dagger, a richly decorated dress that was just as comfortable as it looked, and a white veil to cover her head.
Then she had been sent with Carmilla, the queen's left arm, and two additional vampires in the forest near Esta to take care of a few troublemakers. Reportedly, a quintet of tiger girls had raided Grand Noah and were spreading chaos in the surrounding countryside. She was now trudging in a forest to look for monsters whose presence could be enough to terrify most of the Ilias Continent while accompanied by creatures of the night. While the pink-haired vampire that was leading the group was always enthusiastically smiling, her two other companions were more on the gloomy side. The first one had a wooly sweater and short skirt with a black and red cape while a rainbow sword was hanging from her hip, making her look like a scholarly warrior, but the other one was wearing a full top connected to her cave but only fishnets were covering her legs, incidentally reminding Eri of the queen.
The two of them were discussing like old friends about the events of the last day, uncomfortably reminding Eri that the chaos she had witnessed wasn't just a bad dream but really happened. Occasionally, they were checking on her, but they mostly remained focused on their surroundings.
"I can say they're close!" Carmilla's smile turned slightly predatory as her eyes narrowed. "The tiger girls that have been plundering Grand Noah are right in this direction. Evita. Angela. Eri. Get ready!"
Eri slowly breathed in and out as she prepared herself, her hands slightly trembling. She didn't know how she could make a difference in this fight. Tiger Girls were monsters that were leagues above her own power… And yet, her current partners and the queen vampire herself seemed to think that she would be fine against them.
Evita cleared her throat. "I apologize, lady Carmilla, but didn't the Grand Noah Queen also talk about alraunes?"
"Heh? I don't remember it…"
"I do remember her advisor consider that they were striking from the forests specifically because they had support from a few local plant monsters… which may be the same ones surrounding us right now."
Eri yelped in surprise when she noticed that a large number of plant monsters were indeed standing in the treeline, silently watching at them. While they hadn't acted hostile yet, Eri had no doubt that it was only a question of time before they jumped on them and took them out… or, barring that, took her out. Her companions were more than likely able to take on any assault that unexpected opponent would throw at them, and she was even more certain that she would fall after their first attack.
A nondescript alraune approached the group. While she had no weapon in her hands, her eyes were narrowed in a perpetual frown, which was unusual and concerning for a carefree plant monster. She rooted herself a few meters away from Carmilla's party.
"I suppose you're here because of the latest mess the tiger girls created… aren't you?"
"Eeeh… I don't know. What have they done after raiding Grand Noah?"
"Are you really…" The alraune stopped herself and sighed. "Nothing for now. Look… We only tolerate them because we can't fight them on our own. We don't want trouble with anyone, and particularly not with the partners of the hero. If only because you would burn the whole forest otherwise."
Is this why the region south of Iliasport is a wasteland? Nevermind… I shouldn't be surprised by now.
"We can guide you to them, but you have to promise to take care of them without destroying the whole forest."
"Yes! We'll follow you." Carmilla proudly turned around to face her followers. "This is going to be easy."
It's too easy… It reeks of a trap.
As the vampire lieutenant started walking forward without looking back, the two vampires patiently waited for Eri. The girl felt slightly more at ease when she noticed that they were guarding her back.
"Stay on your guard." She felt Evita's whisper in her ear. "The alraunes may not be going to attack us, but they won't help us either."
Eri nervously nodded as she felt her heart beating faster and faster. Soon, she would come face to face with dangerous monsters able to kill her… her best hope relied on monsters that would only help her out of obligation, and some equipment she didn't quite master herself.
Eventually, a scream echoed ahead. Her partners prepared their weapons while a large group of centaur tigers jumped on Carmilla even as the vampire was still readying her sword. Her two companions quickly rushed to her side while Eri prepared to call on the power of her weapon when, to her horror, she realized that there were only four monsters attacking the vampires trio.
Eri quickly turned around to see the fifth tiger girl charging at her, a katana at the ready. She hurriedly released a small blade of energy that was barely enough to slow down her assailant, and she could see her reflection on her opponent's blade as the latter prepared a deadly attack. Letting her instinct take over, she quickly dodged the assault by jumping sideways at the last second and stabbed her opponent in her bestial body. The monster screamed profanities at her and kicked her down. Eri felt a sharp pain through her body as she slid on the ground for a few meters. Her assailant was preparing another assault when Angela came from behind and released a cold wave, trapping the monster in a block of ice. The vampire haughtily huffed at her handicraft before she extended a hand to Eri. The girl accepted it and was back on her feet in a heartbeat. To her surprise, all the tiger girls were already unconscious or identically imprisoned.
"Well that was rather fast…" Carmilla sheathed her sword with her usual cheeriness. "We're going to even be back before dinner!"
Eri didn't answer, still in shock at the all-too-close call.
The remainder of the day was a blur for Eri. She only passably remembered the vampires claiming the bounty, Carmilla and the Vampire queen patting her on the back for a job well done, and then ending in her Pocket Castle's room, sitting on the bed with her gaze vacant. The young woman was in shock after her close brush with death.
She barely reacted when someone knocked at the door, only answering with the shortest of whisper. Even seeing Alma Elma's head peeking through the entrance didn't bring any emotion up. She just felt empty.
"Sorry for leaving you yesterday, we had an emergency… and it really looks like you could use my company right now. Are you doing alright?"
Eri didn't answer as Alma Elma sat closely by her side, one of the succubus's wing wrapping around her back.
"The first time is always scary, isn't it?"
"What?" Eri turned her face to see the succubus queen sympathetically smiling at her. It wouldn't hurt to share a piece of her mind with her.
"…This isn't what I expected… I thought I would have a chance to become powerful. Instead, I've been thrown to the tigers without any training and…" She shivered. "It was way too close for my taste. I felt like I survived only thanks to a miracle."
"And what about your partners? The vampire clan is a bit gloomy, but they're reliable." Alma Elma rubbed Eri's shoulders, an action which the latter thoroughly welcomed.
"Yes, they… jumped at my assistance as soon as I was really threatened actually. And they helped me up afterward."
"So this went pretty well after all~."
Alma Elma's sing-song conclusion seriously grated Eri's nerves. She wanted to shout her down for taking her close call to an ignominious end so lightly.
I nearly died! I nearly got killed by a monster several times as powerful as I am! Of course she doesn't care! She's at the top of the food chain! There are… not many monsters as powerful as her… and they're the ones who cause trouble and that she's facing… and that I will be going to face one day.
"Is every fight like that? With the feeling of the threat of death ever looming at each instant?" When she asked the question, Eri's anger had left her place to a desire to understand.
Alma Elma chuckled and once again affectionately patted her on the back. "No, of course not. You were thrown in a harsh situation, and I would lie if I said it was an accident or unconscious. With the equipment you have, you could easily take down monster in the Sabasa desert." The expression of the succubus queen turned serious. "However, training against small fry doesn't help one improve themselves, and, more importantly, it will never prepare you against the feeling of powerlessness you can suffer against a real threat like those we face." Alma Elma wistfully sighed. "And no matter how hard you train, how well-equipped and prepared you are, sooner or later you will find someone that will make you feel overpowered. In that case, you either panic and lose control of everything, or stand up and do your best even as the feeling of futility threatens to overwhelm you. As corny as it sounds, being prepared to face your death and the link you share with your companions at that precise moment are the two things that will make the difference between victory and death. We all found ourselves in that spot at least once, and we'll probably find ourselves in that one again. As clumsy as it is, forcing people to face that is the best we can do to prepare them."
"And how do you deal with the stress? How are you supposed to build a bond with everyone when you're all afraid of death?!" Eri remembered her first impression she got when she entered the Pocket Castle. She got her own answer. "…This is why this place feels like a mess, isn't it? Everyone knows their next fight could be their last…"
Alma Elma nodded. "It's a bit strong, but you have the gist of it. Fighting against the threats surrounding the world can be tense, and people are encouraged to let steam any way they can as long as it doesn't affect the world negatively and strengthen our bond. There are still those that abuse their privileges, but…" Alma Elma's smile reappeared. "We get them back in line as well."
Eri sighed. "I don't know if I'm cut to be one of the companions of the heroes."
Alma Elma hugged her. Even beyond the indubitable magnetism emanating from the monster, Eri enjoyed the surprisingly tame display of affection.
"Awww… I'll be a bit sad, but I would understand. You're free to leave if you wish. However, if you don't, we'll really work toward training you as you should." Alma Elma released her, the expression of the succubus serious once again. "But know that it won't always be easy. Training to our level will be hard. And we will expect you to support us in the defense of the world. With great power come great responsibilities… something that a few of our recent recruits fail to understand."
Eri was frozen. Right now she was at a crossroad. The dream of her life wasn't the shining rainbow she expected, but… did she want to return to Iliasburg and her forgettable life?
"It looks like you need some time alone… Don't hurry your decision, take your time. And if you need me, I'll be at the bar." Alma Elma blew a kiss in Eri's direction before leaving her room.
Once alone, the girl from Iliasburg carefully weighed her options. On the one hand, that life was promising to be even more exciting than she expected. Too exciting, in fact. She wouldn't merely be a traveler on the road, but someone bound to defend the world in potentially deadly fights.
Then she remembered all the faces she saw, the threats she heard about. This world was under threat. Would she really live longer if she stayed in Iliasburg?
I understand now… I will die. The choice I have to make is not whether I'll live a long calm life or a short exciting one. It's whether I train hard for a chance to make a change in the world or stay in my little corner and try to ignore it.
…I made my decision. Now let's follow on it.
A newfound determination filled Eri. The girl from Iliasburg straightened herself and opened her door. Even if it was now the early hours of the night, nothing would stop her from reaching her goals. She quickly made her way to the library, spotting the vampire queen and her two lieutenants who were drinking a dubious red liquid while reading books. Fatima greeted her with a smile.
"Aaah, if it isn't our new kin… Carmilla told me how much she appreciated your support. Did you come here to ask for anything?"
"Teach me more about the skills used by vampires now please."
The queen haughtily scoffed. "Now, I do not wish to put you down… but do you really think you have what you have to learn those?"
"I can't say if I don't try." Eri remained confident when she answered. The smile of the vampire queen widened into a grin.
"Elizabeth? Demonstrate her the skills she covets so much in the arena."
"Certainly, my liege."
Eri followed the right hand of the queen as they made their way to the barracks. The place was mostly empty, with only a duo of kitsunes discussing at a table. The vampire invited Eri to step up on the platform used as an arena.
"So you actually wish to continue your training… very well. Start by showing me the power of your will!"
Elizabeth's eyes glowed, and Eri felt supernaturally compelled to lay her weapons down and embrace her before quickly clearing her mind through raw determination and charged the vampire. The latter quickly produced a lightning bolt that Eri couldn't avoid and endured. The girl gritted her teeth and kept pushing forward, ending at arm's length of the vampire who stopped her attack to summon a spear. She rapidly thrusted her weapon at Eri, but the latter dodged her attack to her surprise and counter-attacked with a dagger strike aimed at the face of her opponent. A small trail of blood appeared on her face, and Eri prepared another attack when she felt something pull her back, making her lose her footing.
Isn't a vampire's cloak part of her arsenal? Oh crap.
Eri was slammed on the ground at high strength. The pain of the assault was enough to stun her as she felt her bones break. The pain disappeared just as quickly as it happened, as Elizabeth was now towering over her, a hand extended.
"Kukuku! Most impressive! I understand why you attracted the attention of the queen! You show a lot of determination for someone who just joined us!"
Eri groaned, but accepted the help to get up. Understanding why her new allies were rough with her lessened the pain, but it was now becoming annoying. She had her own goal in mind, after all.
"Can you actually teach me those skills now?"
"Of course! Let's start with calling the power of lightning… You won't summon a thunderstorm as soon as you start, but with a little training…"
Eri patiently waited hidden behind a rock, both daggers at the ready. She checked the forest around her, and could only see the smallest movement indicating their presence. If the information they had received was right, a small group of spider girls would pass close by to raid the farms near Grangold. For all of her partners, it was routine, but for her, it would finally be an occasion to put her new skills to the test. That training had better be worth it given how painful it had been…
After a while, she heard the skittering noise made by tens of small chitinous legs hitting the ground repeatedly. They were getting closer and closer, and may be more numerous than what they had heard from their source… She couldn't count them herself and kept waiting as they passed by her. Her allies were the ones who would trigger the trap.
She heard one of the arachne stop close to her own hiding spot, even as all the others continued.
Is she only one whose spider sense tingled?
"Hey-"
The spider didn't even start her sentence before a rain of rock shard echoed around her. Eri jumped from her hideout and quickly engaged one of the stunned spider with a lightning bolt. The already confused monster wavered before she collapsed when Eri struck her in the head. Another one fell down when she quickly struck her in the head. Sensing danger behind her, Eri quickly dodged a talisman and turned around to face a spider in an oriental garb. She summoned another lightning bolt, but the monster tanked it and launched another talisman in her direction, summoning a toxic river that threatened to drown Eri. She gritted her teeth and counter-attacked with a rapid strike from her dagger, scratching the monster's face. The latter riposted, and struck Eri with all of her eight legs, throwing the girl away on the ground. As she used the momentum to roll further away, Eri dodged another talisman while grabbing an herb to heal her wounds. Her aggressor was thrown away by a blade of water, and she felt a soft cushion grab her up to get her up. She nodded in thanks to Izuna, and the kitsune samurai slashed away an Arachne lord that was getting uncomfortably close.
Right afterward, the battle was already over. The few kitsunes and harpies that she was accompanying had defeated the remaining spider monsters, even as they were at an obvious numerical disadvantage, without taking a loss, and in less than a few minutes.
"I hope the lesson will stick this time… although I doubt it. The spider clan isn't known for its quick learning."
Eri started calming down as the adrenaline of the fight gradually wore off. "If you say so… still, thank you for helping me."
"You're welcome. And you would have ultimately won this fight on your own."
Eri shrugged. She felt that she was getting stronger, but she was still getting beaten each time she challenged another monster from the Pocket Castle.
Granted, they're all either naturally powerful monsters, or have been accompanying the hero for months… Maybe I'll become as strong as them one day, but it's only a maybe.
Izuna pulled a harpy feather from her bag. "Let's get back home… drinks are on me tonight."
The whole group disappeared from the rocky plains to show up in front of the Pocket Castle. Eri was starting to take a liking for the bustling activity around the place. She was still giving several of the residents a wide berth, but she had quickly made friend with several of the more reasonable monsters, including the young four bandits, several of the harpies and kitsunes, and the vampires themselves who considered her bloodkin.
Still, it's already been a week since I left Iliasburg, and it happened so fast I didn't even take the time to say everyone goodbye… Maybe I should return to the city and see how they've been faring since then… Or I could just ask Amira for their news.
After enjoying a long evening of relaxation, Eri decided to settle for the latter. Even if it would only take a few hours at most, she first and foremost wanted to become stronger now. She had no emergency to see them. And besides, she was now competent enough to help the numerous parties hunting down more dangerous troublemakers. She wanted to stay around in case someone needed her help.
The Unfortunate Lamia was a curiosity even amongst the extremely heteroclite population of the Pocket Castle. She was one of the keystones of the informant network, but most people preferred avoiding her altogether. At first, Eri thought that it was because of her unusual appearance, but in reality… the lamia was THAT grating. From her mannerisms to her not so subtle attempts at extorting people in obvious attempts to curry favors with other ones, she was often treated as a necessary annoyance. Eri hesitated to approach her, but she considered that she could still give her some credit for now. She approached the reverse lamia with a small smile.
"Greetings Amira. What are the news from Iliasburg?"
"Alas! The reverse lamia dramatically threw her head backward. "I am afraid no noteworthy rumor has escaped from the confines of this city… I can only offer the word that they've taken to intensify their trading with Iliasport and Happiness Village."
Eri slowly exhaled, relieved. It looked like her hometown was recovering from the recent raids and chaos. After the incidents involving that Nightflower pub and the mass burglary reported by that angel, the place deserved some tranquility.
"It's… good to know. Do you have any information otherwise?"
Amira clicked her tongue. "Rumors are that an angel identified as the Seraph Zion was sighted near the Holy Wings Shrine… She's been heard screaming after one of her possession got stolen and will undoubtedly be out for the responsible's blood… On a possibly related note, several discreet packages have been stored using the Yssiessin."
Ississin… does she mean the ICSN, the Iliasburg Continental Shipping Network? It's true they expanded quite a bit recently thanks to Gob and Vanilla helping them….
Wait… wouldn't that mean that all this stolen stuff would sooner or later end up in the main warehouse of Iliasburg? If that seraph is able to track her possession, then… she would raze the whole city in retaliation! And, and-
"You found where the thief is storing all his valuables and didn't tell anyone? Why?!"
"Because… nobody asked?" Amira sheepishly answered. "I can't be held responsible if people are too busy dealing with the consequences of Meia and Nemea's latest antics to ask little old me for this oh-so-precious information. Maybe if I had been more generously paid off…"
Amira stopped herself when Eri got in her face with an uncanny smile.
"Please don't keep me in the dark. Next time you pull that one, I'll punch you across the room."
A childish voice echoed in Eri's back. "And that will be deserved. Now, can we talk about what passes through my warehouses?"