Surrounded by beautiful oak walls that were covered in beautiful tapestries and shelves full of books that contained various religious paraphernalia, Mother Mary's cozy and well-decorated quarters was illuminated by the gentle orange light shining from the crackling-fires dancing around within her cobblestone hearth, and by the majestic moon-light that shined through the large bay-side window that resided above the carved headboard that was a part of the buxom nun's king-sized bed. From what Goblin Slayer could tell as he took his seat on the silky-red velvet sofa that was positioned to face toward the calm flames of the hearth, the wealthy villagers' donations were funding Mother Mary's comfortable lifestyle quite well.
Unable to tell the reason as to not Fairy Knight was choosing to remaining standing by the armrest he was using to lean up against instead of just taking a seat beside him, Goblin Slayer felt comforted knowing that she appeared to be relaxed with the way he could see her staring peacefully at the dancing flames that were only less than two meters away from them; the cobblestone chimney above the hearth venting the smoke away from the room, leaving only the tranquil aroma of burning logs behind in its wake.
'I wonder if dad ever got to live like this at some point in his life… Vivi mentioned that we used to go on family holidays all the time, implying that we were at least more well-off than most. Makes me wonder how much of the donations actually go towards worthy causes, and how much of it goes into their purses,' Goblin Slayer pondered to himself, as stared up at the small golden-statue of Earth Goddess displayed on one particular shelf, next to a complete collection of arcane encyclopedias.
Upon hearing the sound of gentle humming and footsteps coming from behind him, Goblin Slayer looked over his shoulder and over the backrest of the comfortable sofa to see Mother Mary walking toward him in nothing but a white-silky nightgown; her large and immaculate breasts covered in a lacy bra, while her somewhat chubby belly was covered by a see-through veil that draped down all the way to her naval cavity. Eyeing down past her child-bearing hips to take notice of her white-silky panties that fit snuggly to her chubby thighs that were larger than his entire head, Goblin Slayer found that even though the older woman had visible cellulite and stretch marks that covered her voluptuous legs, she was by all means more sexually appealing than he thought she had any right being.
Barefoot and feeling extremely comfortable in the warm room with the blushing child, Mother Mary adjusted her reading glasses with her delicate fingers before combing her aged fingers through her thick strands of blond-and-silver hair that covered her forehead and went just past her muscular shoulders; decades of involving herself with the physical chores needed to be done in her church gave the thick nun a strong-physique that was hidden underneath the cellulite and tasteful amount of fat she carried on her matured body. With how breathtakingly gorgeous the six-foot tall woman looked as she smiled down at him while tracing her affectionate fingers behind the back of his hair, Goblin Slayer found himself pitching a tent in his trousers as he locked eyes with Mother Mary.
As she made her way around the sofa to take her seat beside the flustered boy, the large woman raised her left arm up to rest it behind Goblin Slayer's upper back; scooting him closer to her, so that the right-side of his body was pressed up against her plump thigh. Gently wrapping her fingers around his shoulder while feeling the boy using her large-wide thigh to rest his forearm on like an armrest, Mother Mary smiled alluringly at the red-faced adolescent; her piercing blue-eyes behind her glasses staring fondly into his dusty-rose gaze. "Ashta, why are you tense? I understand that my presence can be slightly intimidating, but rest assured that you can be your… Oh, I see why you're so warm," Mother Mary trailed off, after noticing the large-throbbing erection that the boy was sporting underneath his trousers.
Upon realizing what the buxom nun had been referring to, Goblin Slayer felt a wave of panic wash over him that caused him to immediately cross one leg over the other while his head was still resting against the side of Mother Mary's pillowy-soft bosom. "I… I don't know what came over me, Mother; please, uh… P-Please forgive me," Goblin Slayer asked with an anxious tone in his quiet voice, as he took in a trembling breath while beginning to wallow in shame.
Noticing the dismay that the young child was feeling, Mother Mary swallowed the lump in her throat as she finally pried her eyes away from the boy's obstructed crotch. "It's… It's n-nothing to be ashamed about, Ashta… Every boy goes through certain stages throughout adolescence… If anything, I'm… I'm flattered that someone as young and handsome as yourself would be attracted to someone who's… Well… Who's got this sort of old and worn-out body," Mother Mary said with a sense of self-deprecation in her voice, as gestured down toward her overweight body with a nod of her head.
With the sense of chivalry that had been instilled into him by his older sister outweighing the embarrassment he felt in that moment, Goblin Slayer turned his body around underneath Mother Mary's arm to face toward her, so as to look up into her pale-blue eyes. "Don't say that about yourself, Mother Mary: you're extremely beautiful, and that's something that the test of time could never take away from you," Goblin Slayer protested in a sincere voice, while furrowing his eyebrows slightly up at her to display just how serious he was.
Looking down into Goblin Slayer's dusty-red eyes, Mother Mary had a thoughtful look on her slightly wrinkled face as she found herself entranced by the boy's determined gaze. 'That's odd… Usually every boy or even girl who's going through puberty fixates their growing lust onto the younger nuns; those who are fresh out of college, and who are blessed to still have their youth and perfect perky-bodies. Ashta is either trying to show me his sympathy, or… Or perhaps he's genuinely attracted to this old body of mine?' Mother Mary thought to herself; smiling slightly at the idea of someone like him having the hots for her, as she usually looked as being undesirable to those younger than her.
Raising a hand over his head, Mother Mary affectionately ran her fingers through his strands of light-brown hair before lowering his chin down on the top of her soft breast, so that she could plant a kiss onto his forehead. "Hmhm~! My, my~! You're the first to call me beautiful in over three decades, child! I'd say you just made my evening all that much more sweeter than it was," Mother Mary admitted with a smittened smile forming over her red lipstick-matte lips, as she raised her hand up from his shoulder to lower the side of his head deeper against to top of her melon-sized boob; gently caressing other side of his cheek, while feeling him beginning to nervously sink deeper against her plump body.
Unsure whether or not it was his hormones speaking, or the fact that the buxom nun was beginning to fill the hole within him that had been left behind by his mother, Goblin Slayer could feel his heart racing inside his small chest as he boldly rolled his head downward, so that he could muffle his face into the top of her juicy tit. "… Is it a sin to find myself feeling content with being the only one who gets to call you beautiful…?" Goblin Slayer asked with a slightly muffled voice; his lips brushing up against the soft-silky fabric of her white lacy bra, as his nose remained pressed into her bare skin.
Widening her eyes as she began to realize where the conversation was heading, Mother Mary had managed to stifle in a soft whimper after having felt Goblin Slayer's mouth move against her thin-layered bra; her fat nipples hardening, as the buxom nun felt a sinful sensation stimulating throughout her mature body. "I… I would say "no" to such an inquiry, Ashta; as Earth Mother is the goddess of love and fertility," Mother Mary said softly, as she allowed Goblin Slayer to lay with his face pressed down into her breast while beginning to relax her body against the backrest of the sofa; her pale eyes glancing up at Fairy Knight, who seemed to not be paying any mind to what to what they were doing or even saying.
Listening to the crackling embers that the servant was so fixated on watching in silence, Mother Mary gently lowered the side of her cheek against the top of the boy's head; letting out a sigh of comfort, as the two of them embraced behind the warmth of the hearth's dancing flames. "You're very mature for your age, Ashta… I wonder if you've always been like that, or… Or is it because of what you went through?" Mother Mary mused, after finally breaking their relaxing duration of silence with a solemn voice.
Although it felt like a lifetime ago when he and his best friend would their imagination and sticks to play pretend with one another during the day when her family came to his old village to barter with the locals, the truth of the matter was that it had only been less than two days since Goblin Slayer still had his childhood innocence intact. Feeling more at ease in the mature woman's motherly presence, the ten year-old proceeded to open up to her about how differently he felt after that fateful night; going into detail about how the sights of mutilation, rape, burning corpses had caused should have had a more deeper impact on his psyche, but for whatever reason his sanity was still mostly intact.
"I… I haven't told this to anyone else— not even my sister— but… I feel as though there's something… Wrong with me… I… I haven't felt like myself ever since… Ever since I first met her," Goblin Slayer said quietly, while knowing fully well that Fairy Knight had turned her head slightly in his direction upon hearing him speaking of her. "Before she came to me, I… I was petrified with fear; just like any other kid would have been… Now? Now I… I want to destroy the ones who would wish to bring me harm… Mother Mary, have I… Have I gone insane?" Goblin Slayer asked with a pleasing look in his dusty-rose eyes that lacked any fear in them, as he rolled over and repositioned himself so that the back of his head was laying against the buxom nun's bare thigh.
Knowing what she knew about him as well as having been around a plethora of traumatized children— all of which had displayed varying symptoms of mental illnesses— Mother Mary stared down thoughtfully at Goblin Slayer, with an empathic glimmer behind her wise eyes. "Ashta… I would be lying if I were to tell you that you're perfectly sane. I mean, for Heaven's sake child, what sort of boy your age willingly runs towards an army of rapists and murderers that outnumber him about four-hundred to one?!" Mother Mary asked rhetorically with a dry laugh coming from her, which actually caused Goblin Slayer's lips to curl into an amused smirk.
"Heh, hehe… W-Well, if you put it that way then… Yeah, I guess that pretty much answers that inquiry, doesn't it?" Goblin Slayer quipped back half-sarcastically, as part of him felt an ounce of dread spreading throughout his stomach; the thought of coming to terms with the fact that he didn't come out unphased from the incident saddened him. "I guess… I guess I'm crazy then… That explains a lot, actually; now that I think about it."
Shrugging her shoulders softly while flashing him an endearing smile, Mother Mary chuckled quietly as she leaned her head down to plant another kiss on the boy's forehead. "Maybe so, Ashta; maybe so… But then again, what sort of sane person could ever hope to thrive in a world that's as cruel and beautiful as the one you and I were born into?" The mature woman mused, while feeling a spark of joy in her heart the moment she saw Goblin Slayer's smile fade, as a look of realization came over his youthful face. "If you weren't supposedly "crazy" enough to have gone up against overwhelming odds in the first place, then you and your sister wouldn't have survived that night…"
"… The truth of the matter is that this world needs crazy people to protect the rest of us from the evil that no sane person would ever have the courage to willingly go up against. That's why Earth Mother must have chosen you to be Her champion, Ashta; because you're the only one who's absolutely insane enough to accomplish the impossible tasks that She needs done," Mother Mary teased playfully half-seriously, as she continued to giggle softly alongside Goblin Slayer, as she brought out the inner child within him by peppering his forehead with gentle kisses.
Knowing that she couldn't have him over for long, Mother Mary raised her head up from Goblin Slayer's face so that she could look up at the large hanging clock that was mounted onto the wall near her reading nook. "I enjoyed our private conversation and getting to know you more personally, Ashta… Before I send you back downstairs to your dear sister, I'd love it if you were to give me a few minutes to search through my closet… I'd like to bestow to you a parting gift; just something for you to remember me, and the love Earth Mother has for you!" Mother Mary said excitedly, as she helped the boy off of her lap; giving him a small peck on his lips, before carefully getting herself up from the sofa to make her way over to her bedroom.
Still sporting an affectionate erection that never went away while he was within the buxom nun's hold, Goblin Slayer turned around on the soft-comfortable sofa to admire Mother Mary's bombastic backside, as he noticed her swaying her hips with each step she took forward. 'I… I've got to keep coming back up here after supper! She's so nice, sweet and so-so soft! Her breasts and thighs felt like pillows! And her body…! I just… I just want to- Hey, what the hell?!' Goblin Slayer cursed mentally to himself, after getting his lustful thoughts knocked out of his head by a rolled up bundle of paper that Fairy Knight decided to smack the back of his head with.
Not even bothering to wait for Goblin Slayer to voice out his disapproval for her actions, Fairy Knight practically shoved the rolled-up parchment paper she had taken from Mother Mary's private desk into his chest, the moment the adolescent spun around on the sofa to face her. "Focus, child; this is more important than you ogling an overweight middle-aged woman who's past her prime," Fairy Knight said bluntly, and remained unphased as Goblin Slayer stared up at her with an offended look on his face.
"… You need to stop looking down on people so much; the only person who's making you miserable is yourself," Goblin Slayer scolded with a scowl on his face, before rolling his dusty-red eyes as he unrolled the parchment paper in his hands. "Whatever… Hey wait… W-What am I even looking-"
"-Did you not read the top of the paper, child? It's clearly a notice from the Adventurer's Guild, as written within the header," Fairy Knight interrupted with her own scolding voice, as she waved her hand forward to gesture for her master to continue reading the body paragraphs of the notice letter.
'Dear Mother Mary of Londobell, it is with a heavy heart that we at the Frontier Branch must inform you of the current status of your outgoing quest. We have sent our last willing party of adventurers out to the Mythril Mountains to clear out the goblin stronghold that have been not only attacking Londobell's supply chain, but have been pillaging neighboring villages as well. As of the labeled date stamped below, we have received no response from the gold-ranked party that we had dispatched two days ago. Like the others who had gone missing before them, we here at the Adventurer's Guild can only assume that the worst fate had fallen upon them…'
'… We have already sent a courier to Londobell to provide you with a fully enclosed refund, as well as an extra twenty-percent difference, as our way of providing our most sincere apologies. King Amon Mangastar has been made aware of our inability to complete your quest, and will be sending an army of soldiers to clear out the goblin fortress. Expect to hear more from his liaison within two-to-three months. Again, we are deeply sorry for not being able to satisfactorily provide a better solution to your village's dilemma; please exercise extreme caution while heading East-bound…'
'… We hope to do business with you in the future: The Adventurer's Guild, Galahad Frontier Outpost,' Goblin Slayer finished reading to himself, and flinched as the parchment paper was quickly swiped from him by Fairy Knight, who proceeded to roll it back up before stuffing it into her suit of sleek-glowing armor.
"You told her that you've changed since you've met me… And now, I shall tell you what I noticed when I came to you," Fairy Knight said quietly, while keeping track of Mother Mary, who she sensed was still buried deep into her old storage containers that had been collecting dust on top of the shelves of her closet. "What I saw before I came to accept you as my master was a weak, sniveling little-coward, who absolutely deserved to die in that barn. Too weak to do anything else, but just stand there indecisively; sobbing pathetically, while he despairingly waited for his sister to be defiled and murdered before his very eyes," Fairy Knight quickly vented to the gobsmacked boy, who wasn't expecting to hear such toxicity coming from the white-haired servant's small mouth.
"As a Knight of the Round Table, I shall see to it personally that these child-raping degenerates are sent back to the nine circles of hell where they belong. The only question that I have for you is this: what are you going to do, child? Try to live a normal life with every other weakling who's content with their pavilion lifestyle? Or are you going to back up everything you told her about being insanely fearless, by rising up above the rest of those failures who were all too weak to finish that mission?" Fairy Knight asked rhetorically with as much passion and hype in her stoic voice that she could portray; her facial expression never once changing beneath her armored mask, as she took a step forward until she was about an inch away from the tip of Goblin Slayer's nose.
"It's… It's so blindingly white here; an infinite vast nothingness that's swallowed me whole. I can't help but to think back to the Abrahamic story of God's reluctant messenger being swallowed whole by a sea creature that He Himself commanded…"
"Just like Jonah, I've been praying for forgiveness for… For however long I've been here— time seems so absent here, to the point where I can't even keep track of the passing seconds without second guessing myself when I reach approximately around "twelve"…"
"Absolved of mercy it would seem, I can't help but to wonder what I've done to deserve this damnation. Is this Hell? It must be— absent of stimulation of any kind, and left with only my own fragmented memories… Left to forever question my own sanity, and never be comforted with the knowledge of the outcomes that followed my sacrifice…"
"… It feels like I've died for nothing, and I must keep telling myself that isn't the case— no matter how hard that's been thus far."
"…"
"… If… If anyone's listening to my woeful voice, then… Then please, I beg of you… Give me the peace of knowing that I'm not alone, and that this isn't my eternal punishment."
"…"
"Help me… Please… Please God, somebody help me."
Awakening from the a deep slumber, Goblin Slayer had been getting cuddled from behind by his older sister when all of a sudden the both of them jolted out of the bed the moment they heard the loud sound of feet shuffling into place beside them, followed by the distinctive sound of blades clashing together. "What the hell…?!" Goblin Slayer murmured in a bewildered and panicked voice, as he looked over at the edge of the bed to see the back of Fairy Knight's head full of white hair, as the servant stood between him and where the mysterious woman from the market was, in front of the door to their rented room.
Pressing her back to the headboard of their mattress, Vivi lowered her gaze down at Fairy Knight with confusion and anxiety coursing through her veins, before looking up in the general direction of where the lavender haired woman was standing before their only exit. "W… What's going on, Fairy Knight? What are you… What are you doing?" Vivi asked with an uncertain tone in her voice, as her brown eyes began to scan the room; unable to see the young woman wearing an incredibly short black skirt that revealed the white panties she wore over her partially exposed crotch.
Keeping her eyes narrowed behind her armored mask, Fairy Knight kept one of her forearm swords raised up towards the amused girl standing across from her, preparing for anything, as she kept on guard. "This anomaly isn't from your world, human: she teleported her while you two were fast asleep, and attempted to sneak up on the your brother when I stopped her in her tracks," Fairy Knight explained, while frowning the moment she heard the lavender-haired woman beginning to snicker to herself. "Do you find your own failure amusing, trespasser? Tell me, what's so funny about this situation?"
Shrugging her shoulders while catching a glance at Goblin Slayer turning around to whisper into his sister's ear about the selectively invisible woman that Fairy Knight had been referring to, the lavender-haired woman's lips curled upward as she finished laughing to herself. "Heh, hehe…! Oh, it's nothing, it's nothing… Except, it's just that you're so hilariously short! You look like a spoiled child who's read too many science-fantasy novels, who's trying to LARP their way into intimidating me! I mean, give me a break: it's difficult to take you seriously, especially when it looks like you're only one twenty-sided dice away from trying to roleplay me to death," the lavender-haired woman sassily roasted back with a huge grin across her pink lips; sticking her tongue out at the servant, just to really get on the other female's nerves.
Not taking so kindly to the sheer amount of blatant disrespect, Fairy Knight looked as though she wasn't about to dignify anything that had come out of the young woman's mouth with anything less than a sword to her jugular. Within less than a microsecond, Fairy Knight had attempted to chop the mysterious woman into gorey chunks, but was met with a sneering grin from the smug woman as the blades phased through her holographic body without so much as harming her. "Marvelous attempt, you angry little elf; you ALMOST jump-scared me to death~!" The woman taunted, and just before Fairy Knight could try another attack that might do the trick against her photon-particle created form, Goblin Slayer immediately sprung into action.
"W-Wait, wait, wait! J-Just hold on, alright?! T-There's no need for things to get ugly!" Goblin Slayer stuttered out with a sobering voice, as he nervously stumbled out of bed before placing himself between Fairy Knight and the mysterious woman; no longer feeling groggy, now that the whole integrity of the tavern itself, and those who were still in it were all on the line.
"… If this ingrad didn't wish for things to get ugly, then she wouldn't have gotten out of the Moon-Cell looking like that," Fairy Knight insulted back; smirking subtly as she saw the woman's large smile immediately disappearing, as an annoyed look came over her face. "And just for the record, you have the gull to cast judgment on my appearance, yet you look like a filthy whore attempting to dress like a magus."
Huffing her breath as she took a step closer and felt Goblin Slayer's outstretched hand sinking slightly into her breasts, the mysterious woman became flustered as a challenging smirk emerged from her lips. "Oh?! And that's rich coming from you, you bare-legged loli! And besides, at least I'm attractive enough to make this outfit work for me. You, on the other hand, possess the frail-malnourished body of some improvised child from a third-world country-"
"-Please, none of this is getting us anywhere… Can you just… T-Tell us why you're here, ma'am?" Goblin Slayer interrupted with a pleasing look in his dusty-rose colored eyes, as he slowly lowered his hand from the lavender-haired woman's massive covered-breasts, as he looked up at the way she was glancing down at him with a bothered expression on her beautiful face.
Crossing her love-sleeved covered arms over her robust chest, the mysterious woman let out a quiet scoff as she raised a brow at Goblin Slayer. "If you're attempting to play the role of the ignorant fool who's clueless, then allow me to stop you while you're ahead. I know you have a connection to her— been seeing her in your dreams, huh? Or at least, I imagine that's what you've been interpreting those fragmented memories as: merely just dreams, right?" The woman asked rhetorically in an accusing tone, as she didn't seem very interested in hearing the ten year-old trying to argue against her.
Narrowing his eyes at her, Goblin Slayer became perplexed as he lowered his softened gaze from her violet eyes, to down at the floor where her black dress shoes were. "… If you're talking about that girl with the brown hair and outfit on, then… Yeah, I guess so? What about her?" Goblin Slayer asked with narrowed eyes, while looking over his shoulder to glance back at the bewildered and concerned expression that was staring back at him on his older sister's face.
Awaiting for Goblin Slayer to give his attention back to her, all while she was receiving a death glare from the masked white-haired knight, who was fully prepared to strike at her at less than a moment's notice, the mysterious woman tapped her foot impatiently as the boy looked back into her furrowed eyes. "I'm not in the mood to banter on about this… Now kid, why don't you be a good boy and tell me what you REALLY know? The sooner you tell me, the sooner I can get back to the Moon-Cell to continue my investigation," the woman said with a forced smile across her face, as though she was trying really hard to coax an easy explanation out of the child.
Although Goblin Slayer wanted to be left alone to prepare for his journey, the frustrated part of him that had been growing sick of the covert nature of both his own servant and of the lavender-haired woman was preventing him from complying as easily as he did when he was approached by the mysterious woman the other day. "… No, I don't think I will," Goblin Slayer responded with a stern voice; receiving a shocked look from not only the busty woman and his sister, but even from his usually stoic servant who didn't expect for her master to be so bold.
Remaining silent for a brief moment, the mysterious woman slowly nodded her head while taking in a deep breath into her artificial lungs; slowly exhaling her breath while forcing herself to smile once again, as she swallowed back the lump in her throat before speaking again in a restrained voice. "That's… Very defiant of you to say, kid; and I can honestly respect the courage it took for you to say that… However, given how dire the circumstances are that you aren't aware of, I'm going to have to INSIST that you tell me… Otherwise, I'll have no other choice than to begin using far more "persuasive" methods of extracting information out of you; and don't think that I'll go easy on you, just because of your age," the woman threatened in a cold voice, as her fake smile suddenly disappeared; leaving behind a murderous glare on her face that caused Fairy Knight to step in.
"Bite your tongue, whore; or else I'll cut it out of your mouth," the white-haired knight threatened back defensively, as she pulled Goblin Slayer away from the intimidating woman before pushing him behind her with her sword raised up once again; despite knowing that physical attacks alone wouldn't inflict any damage to her holographic body. "As a Knight of the Round Table, you shall not-"
"-That's enough from both of you— you two clearly know far more than you're letting on, and I'm getting tired of being expected to be an open book," Goblin Slayer interrupted with a stern expression on his youthful face, as he moved underneath Fairy Knight's arm before once again separating the opposing females by placing himself in the middle of them. "I've been able to excuse it for this long, due to it not directly involving anyone else other than myself… But now that this whole situation is going to affect everyone else here, I won't let this stand any longer; not if I can do anything about it."
With right arm still raised up to aim the tip of her forearm-sword towards the mysterious woman's throat, Fairy Knight shot a disapproving glare at her master as she tightened her frown. "You're speaking out of line, child… This doesn't involve yo-"
"-Clearly, it does," Goblin Slayer interrupted once again without so much as flinching underneath the servant's intimidating stare, as he stood his ground despite knowing how easily both females could put him into his place. "You two have had your turns to get your questions answered, now it's my turn… First of all, what's going to happen if the Moon-Cell comes here? What is that going to mean for the rest of us? And also, who the hell do I keep seeing every time I sleep— who is she?" Goblin Slayer asked with concern in his voice, as he turned his attention over to the lavender-haired woman.
Dropping her scowl as an expression of confusion crossed over her face, the mysterious woman blinked a few times before furrowing her brows at him. "… Are you insinuating that the Moon-Cell is capable of crossing over to your universe? Not making a projection of itself like how I'm able to do here, mind you, but… Inserting itself into this planet's orbit?!" The woman asked with a tone of disbelief in her voice, as she placed her hands onto her curvy hips. "Now, how did you get that idea into your head?"
Refusing to answer her question, Goblin Slayer remained firm in his stance as he stared back at her silently before speaking again calmly, yet assertively. "I'll answer your questions once you've answered mine," the boy stated, and watched as the lavender-haired woman rolled her eyes at him before sighing.
"Tch, fine… Okay— hypothetically speaking of course— if the Moon-Cell were to somehow bypass its own security system and perform a protocol that it would NEVER do, even WITH third-party hacking… Then the answer would be "no": it wouldn't necessarily be a threat on its own to you, or anybody else on this planet. All it would do is just record your planet's data into its archive files every twelve nano-seconds, and MAYBE, just MAYBE those with the aptitude and knowledge would be able to create contracts with the servants who reside within it. But that's HIGHLY unlikely," the woman replied thoroughly without half-assing her explanation, and waited for the boy and his servant to digest her response before waiting for what she knew to be another question from him.
"Okay… But then why is it that Earth Mother apparently told the church that "a moon" is coming in four days from now?" Goblin Slayer asked, as he gestured to both Fairy Knight and the mysterious woman to answer his inquiry.
Having been the one who had been told originally about how Mother Mary had been supposedly spoken to directly by the same goddess that had never uttered a word to her, nor any other known mortal for that matter, Fairy Knight was the first to speak as she gave a side eye glance over to the woman from behind her sleek-glowing mask. "I believe that the voice who spoke to the nun isn't the goddess who she believes it to be. Since I'm able to be here without there being a Holy Grail to go to war over, I wouldn't easily dismiss the notion that the voice that actually spoke to her truly belonged to a servant trying to deceive her. Maybe whoever's posing as this "Earth Mother" is the one responsible for this whole mess?"
Still feeling petty over the heated words that they exchanged with one another, and of the fact that the white-haired knight had tried to end her life, the lavender-haired woman shot a dirty glance over to the servant before responding. "Tch! As if! That hypothesis you pulled out of your fairy ass is as bold as it is wrong, elf," the woman smuggly stated, and chuckled softly to herself as she noticed Fairy Knight tightening her jaw after being once again called an "elf".
"Ngh… Is that so…?! And on what sacred grounds do you stand on that allow you to dismiss my theory so rudely?" Fairy Knight asked in a low voice; her stoic voice carrying an annoyed undertone to it.
"Sacred grounds? How about logic and fact? Are those grounds sacred enough for you, you pint-sized Lancelot-wannabe?" The woman shot back tauntingly, and stuck her tongue out while still smiling as Fairy Knight tried once again to cut her holographic body into pieces. "Since we're unraveling this mystery together through FULL cooperation— because we're all "best-friends" now, apparently— allow me to shed some light on the situation for you, kid," the woman said with an almost cynical look in her violet-colored eyes, as she glanced away from Fairy Knight to lock eyes with Goblin Slayer. "My name is "BB": I am an advanced AI that was created from another artificial AI that lived within one particular reality marble that served an important role during the "Holy Grail War"…"
"… A tournament-esqe battle, where masters fought with their summoned servants to fight their way to the core of the Moon-Cell: willing to be erased, both body, mind and soul, all for the chance to earn the right to have their wish fulfilled," BB explained, before momentarily pausing as her lips curled into another smile, as she raised her hand up to gently press her fingertip against Goblin Slayer's forehead. "And as fate would have it, the winner of the Holy Grail War was fragmented into photon particles that got transferred over to the ONLY other compatible host that was capable of receiving not only her crest, but ALL of her data as well…"
"… That girl you've been seeing every time you've slept, Ashta-Kun? Her name is "Kishinami Hakuno", and you have fragmented remnants of her floating around inside you; bits and pieces of her "soul", if that's easier for you to understand," BB declared with a wink, as she playfully flicked Goblin Slayer's forehead before lowering her hand back down to her hip. "According to my findings within the Moon-Cell's records of your archived brainwave activity, whenever you're unconscious there's a… Minor shift in photon activity within your subconscious. Meaning that only ONE of you can be conscious at a time; if you're awake, she's asleep and— you know— vice-versa."
Trying his best to process everything that the sassy computer AI had spat out at him, Goblin Slayer needed a moment to think hard to himself; allowing BB a chance to casually flip Fairy Knight off, before the boy could catch her in the act. "I see… And so that's the reason why you're here. You don't actually don't care about what the Moon-Cell will do here; you only care about whoever I keep seeing in my sleep."
"Yeah, pretty much," BB answered truthfully, as she gave Goblin Slayer a half-cocked smirk before shrugging her shoulders at him. "My apathy towards you and the rest of your world doesn't stem from any sort of cynicism; it's just that I really don't have any genuine reason to care about any of this," BB added, before gesturing with her hands towards the room around her. "But contrary to whatever sense of righteousness you may be feeling from casting your judgment upon me, just realize that you're no different than me in that regard: the Moon-Cell could explode and annihilate every single one of us who come from that timeline— including your own servant— and you wouldn't lose a wink of sleep over it, would you?"
The way BB spoke to him while making her point made Goblin Slayer realize that she didn't need his validation to prove what she knew to be true; the silence emitting from the speechless boy spoke enough volumes to her. "I… I see your point… And if I were to assist with your efforts of restoring this "Hakuno" girl back to her true form, then… Then what happens to me?"
"Heheh, heh, hehe…! You know what? For the first time in my life, I genuinely don't think I have an answer for that," BB replied with a quiet chuckle. "I'm not going to sugarcoat it for you, kid: this hasn't ever happened before in any archived incident within the Moon-Cell's record; and believe me, I've looked. So honestly, I don't know what will happen to you once Hakuno-Chan is revived; all I know is that if you help me, I'll help you by doing my best to ensure that you survive the process," BB admitted, before raising her arms up from her sides to cross them over her busty chest. "But that's enough talking from me. I think I've answered more than my fair share of your questions, so now it's about time for you to start answering mine."
What came next was Goblin Slayer doing his best to retell the vision he had of Hakuno. The entire retelling of what he vividly remembered seeing and hearing while he had been sleeping would have been far less hectic, had it not been for the fact that Vivi was getting ready for work, in the midst of his conversation he was having with the woman who was invisible to her, and who she couldn't even feel for when she blindly started to reach out to where she thought BB was standing within the middle of their rented room.
Kissing Goblin Slayer on cheek and telling him how much she loved him, and how he needed to keep drinking water throughout the remainder of the day, Vivi waved at Fairy Knight and to where she figured BB was still standing before finally leaving the rented room; making sure to tell Tavern Keeper that her little brother and his "interdimensional friends" were still up there, talking.
Once he knew that his older sister had left the vicinity of the tavern, Goblin Slayer and Fairy Knight both immediately began confusing BB as she watched the two of them begin performing various acts with her still in the bedroom. "… Now listen, I am fully self-aware of the fact that I've already let slip that I personally couldn't care about whatever goal you two are invested in… But from the way you're writing that "I'll be back" note, to the way she's stuffing that blanket into that pillowcase… I can't help but feel concerned right now over Hakuno-Chan's safety," BB said with an uneasy look on her face, as she managed to use her advanced algorithm to successfully predict the comforting lie that Goblin Slayer wrote for his sister to read, which involved going on a safe camping trip with his friends from the church.
Making her way over to Goblin Slayer, Fairy Knight nonchalantly tossed the stuffed pillowcase over to him the moment he got done writing out his false letter before turning her head to address what BB had said. "As a knight of the Roundtable, both my master and this "Hakuno" maiden will be under the safety of my watchful eye. You have nothing to concern yourself with," Fairy Knight said factually, as she turned the tables on BB's inability to be harmed by walking straight through the lavender-haired woman.
Furrowing her eyebrows into a scowl, BB looked over her shoulder to shoot a dirty look at the back of Fairy Knight's head full of white hair, before looking back forward to stare down at the dusty-rose colored eyes of the boy looking back up at her. "Despite me being unable to stop her even if I wanted to, I know sure as hell that I'm more than capable of stopping you from stepping foot outside the boundaries of this tavern… So unless you can reassure me that I won't have anything to worry, I'm not letting you go anywhere, Ashta-Kun," BB said with a cocky smirk across her lips, as she crossed her arms over chest smugly; feeling confident, as she felt as though she had complete and utter control of the situation.
Considering the idea of lying to BB's face, in order to prevent her from inevitably denying him the opportunity to begin his journey up to the Mythril Mountains, Goblin Slayer decided right then-and-there to explain in detail to the advanced AI about how he and Fairy Knight were going to single-handedly clear out an entire stronghold of goblin; reassuring to her that the small enchanted amulet he was wearing underneath the collar of his his long-sleeved shirt would be able to indefinitely allow him to use his servant within a six-meter range.
Although BB had to admit to herself that was impressed that a ten year-old was able to figure out on his own how to exploit a piece of magical jewelry into becoming an infinite low-supply of mana for him to overcome his biggest weakness, the lavender-haired woman still couldn't with a good conscience allow for Goblin Slayer to leave Londobell; stating that it was still too dangerous for him to embark on such a dangerous quest by himself.
Knowing better than to attempt to dissuade BB by continuing to insist that he would be back before nightfall like how he and Fairy Knight planned to be— just like how both he and his servant had been doing for the past twenty minutes since Vivi had left to begin her first day at work— it was then that Goblin Slayer decided to bring up the very same person who the advanced AI was so dead set on saving. "And what about Hakuno? If she were in my position right now, wouldn't she do everything in her power to save those whose lives could be saved by her hands? Would the fear of death itself be strong enough to ward her away from danger, or would that only give her all the more reason to run head-first into it?"
It was in that moment that the confidence within BB's eyes vanished, as Goblin Slayer's argumentative questions began to resonate a feeling of sadness and longing from deep within her digital heart. Doing her best to hide her emotions as she silently thought back to an important event that had happened in her life, BB softly closed her eyelids shut while frowning; appearing to be arguing with herself within the confines of her artificial mind, before slowly opening her eyelids back open.
"… Hakuno-Chan was… "Is" the epitome of selflessness, and is a shining example of unrelenting determination and righteousness that every human should be striving to become for themselves… So no; Hakuno-Chan would more than certainly be following in your footsteps if she could," BB muttered to herself with a saddened smile forming across her pink-lips; one that immediately became neutral, as a sudden thought appeared within the genius mind of the wide-eyed woman. "… That only begs the question, doesn't it…? Are your actions even your own, or… Or are you nothing more than a p-puppet…?!" BB asked quietly with a sudden look of absolute excitement and joy forming on her brightened-up face, as the artificial AI's mood took a turn for the better.
Caught off guard just as much as Fairy Knight had been upon the two of them hearing what had come out of BB's mouth, Goblin Slayer held the pillowcase close to his chest as he gave the lavender-haired woman an utterly confused stare. "… What?" Was all Goblin Slayer had within him to say, which in turn caused BB to realize just how awkward she had made things become.
Forcefully clearing her throat into her hand, BB had to make an effort to mask the sheer amount of hopefully relief she had bubbling inside of her data, as she relaxed her posture and facial expressions; smiling confidently with a bit of mystique in her violet eyes, and appearing just as she had when Goblin Slayer first ran into her in the market. "Oh, nothing! That was just a figure of speech, was all; a metaphor for how strikingly similar you and Hakuno-Chan are," BB said with a convincing tone that more-or-less was able to allow for her to successfully play off how literal she actual meant it when she had called Goblin Slayer a "puppet".
With Fairy Knight quickly losing interest as she simply waited to begin their journey out of Londobell, the white-haired servant impatiently let out an annoyed sigh as she asked BB directly "Did you make your mind up, or not? I'm beginning to grow tired of hearing you two talk so much, when there's plenty of action that needs doing."
"Eh…? Uh…?! Y-Yes! Yes, I've decided that Ashta-Kun is in the right here: this is something that Hakuno-Chan would absolutely do, and as the one who cherished her the most above all else, it's my duty to ensure that her will is done… Which is why I'm coming with you, Ashta-Kun~!" BB said with a smitten look written all over her blushing face; her eyes becoming literal depictions of hearts, as the artificial AI became filled with flustering joy at the thought of being reunited with the very girl that she had been made to love and to protect at all costs.
Once again surprised by the manic nature of the confident and enigmatic AI before him, Goblin Slayer simply stared back at her cartoonish display of emotions with a blank expression on his face; slowing raising his finger up to protest, and only managing to open his mouth before immediately being silenced by BB, when she muffled his mouth with the palm of her hand. "That's my final offer, kid; take it, or leave it," BB sassed, while being completely sincere about how Goblin Slayer wouldn't really have a say in the matter.
Seeing no other option available to him that would allow him to leave Londobell to accomplish the quest that Fairy Knight and his new inner voice wanted him to see through, Goblin Slayer couldn't help but to silently think to himself about how BB had called him a puppet. Hoping that it truly was just a backhanded metaphor to describe him and how Hakuno used to be, Goblin Slayer begrudgingly agreed to BB's terms and conditions before he and Fairy Knight left the room to go downstairs; getting permission from the encouraging Tavern Keeper about being able to borrow a heavy blanket from him.