Hello Scrolls and Followers of Justice, Mr.Bones with chapter 13 of my Fanfic.
In this part we will know a little more about Tuare and we will have a special participation.
If there are errors help me to improve, comments and corrections are welcome. Thanks.
With you
The One Who Came Back
Chapter 13: What is love?
The entire time Sebas was in audience with the Queen, Tuare remained by the door with the valet, waiting. Many servants passed along the corridor and it was sometimes possible to hear them talking about the ambassador.
People tend not to notice what is happening around them, as the common and harmless environment leads to the point of relaxation. In turn, adventurers have a much higher level of attention due to the nature of their work – the risk of death from inattention is great. Likewise, in the Great Tomb of Nazarick, the most dangerous place in the New World for a human, any slip could mean death, but Tuare was already used to it, not only because of exposure to such dangers, but also because of her training.
One of the most cherished qualities at the Tomb is excellence, that is, doing your best service at all times as much as possible. Tuare was trained for this, and even a human being can be taught to be 100% efficient with the right tools and motivation.
Here in this human palace, where the greatest dangers were mundane machinations, Tuare's senses could sense conversations dozens of feet away: she could hear the maids whispering about how handsome the ambassador was, whether he was married or about which family could get his attention with one of his daughters.
In E-Rantel, while walking with Sebas, Tuare also noticed these conversations, but in a more respectful tone. Because they were always in each other's company in their spare time, people knew that there was a relationship between them, moreover, Tuare held an important position in the Sorcerer King's mansion. But here… here she was just a maid accompanying her master.
Master and servant, companions, lovers, after all what were they? Tuare sometimes found herself thinking about it, what was her relationship with Sebas?
Was she his girlfriend? Because they went on missions together, ate together, walked hand in hand around the city and sometimes kissed in discreet places, but there was never a conversation about it, it simply came up after she was saved, twice, by Sebas. In fact, she was the one who took the initiative to kiss him. Did he feel the same way as she did, or did he just feel obliged to live up to an illusion she created?
Was she his companion? For they shared their time together and many things led to conversations where Sebas' decisions were weighed against her ideas. That's fellowship, isn't it? Is there any love in it?
Was she the servant who followed her master? She was a maid, but would she be just that, someone who was there to serve Sebas in his every wish, after all, for having her life saved by him, she was in his debt. Why then not enjoy it as much as possible, even if they might never become intimate in a bed?
Looking at herself, Tuare realized how deficient she was in terms of attractiveness compared to other women. The homunculus maids could be described as perfect, they were all different from each other, but the charm of each one was undeniable. In E-Rantel, noble women with far more prestige on their little finger roamed the streets. Here, the most voluptuous daughters in the kingdom made themselves available, and now even the queen was in private conversation with Sebas.
On the other hand, Tuare was not so young anymore, her manner was simple, although her ways had been refined to perfection by the human standard, and her past was horrible. Who could want anything from her?
These intrusive thoughts would pop up from time to time, thinking it wasn't enough or that they just pitied her, even questioning her love for Sebas. Did she really love him? Maybe it was all just admiration or some kind of mental obligation to serve the one who had saved her.
So, was she in love, or was she just really admiring her savior? When those thoughts popped up, she remembered the best answer she could get from herself, and that answer came with help from an unexpected place, from Lord Demiurge.
A few weeks after passing the minimum training required by Mistress Yuri Alpha and beginning to work at the Great Tomb, Tuare was summoned to clean the archdemon's floor. The maids were in an uproar, as rarely anyone went there, since all the domestic services were performed by the summons of the Lord Demiurge. Several maids had gathered to prepare Tuare, bringing her rings of sustenance and resistance – this was the first time the homunculi maids had seemed to sympathize with the human, showing a visible level of concern.
Upon reaching the floor that looked like a volcanic cave, Tuare was escorted by a demon with the appearance of an extremely beautiful man, with horns and bat wings. They passed creatures coming from abyssal places, the horrors cast glances at the human, and when they arrived at a huge building, she was received by another demon: this one had the form of a woman who screamed, in every way, lust – lips that would make a man melt, huge breasts, seductive hips and minimal clothes. The demonic being took her through labyrinthine corridors, where in each room they passed something indescribable was being performed, then followed to what would be the floor keeper's office.
The archdemon was sitting behind his desk, seeming to await the arrival of the maid. With a wide smile, he greeted her.
"Welcome. I would like you to clean this room".
"Good morning to you, Lord Demiurge. I will start immediately".
The cleaning equipment was already there at the disposal of the human, and strangely, the place looked immaculate, which didn't stop Tuare from doing all the dusting work again. As she worked, the guardian kept his eyes on her, until the question came.
"How have you been, enjoying your stay?"
"V-Very well, thank you, Lord Demiurge. The days are busy and everyone is being very courteous, but I believe I will still have to work hard to get close to the skills of the other maids".
"Of course you do, after all there are limits to what a human can accomplish, aren't there?", Demiurge pressed on, his eyes never leaving Tuare.
"Precisely. But even so, I will do my best to serve you here".
"That is a commendable attitude, for there is no greater honor than serving the Sorcerer King".
"I agree, but-… I'm sorry, Lord Demiurge, I shouldn't express my thoughts without your permission", Tuare quickly tried to change the subject.
"Please don't stop now. I would love to know your opinion about us".
Tuare swallowed hard. She had her back to the archdemon, but she could sense a mixture of hostility and malice coming from him, in fact, from everyone on this floor. Most of the time in the Tomb, what she felt was indifference, but here it felt like they wanted her for dinner, and not in the good way.
She pondered her words, took a deep breath, and spoke.
"I-I think everyone in the Great Tomb of Nazarick is in love".
"In love?" – that was strange even for Demiurge. Love, coming from a demon! – "Explain".
"I think everyone who lives here loves the Great Tomb of Nazarick and the Sorcerer King".
Tuare was a simple woman, never studied much, her thoughts and way of speaking were only now developing, thanks to the lessons of Sebas and Yuri Alfa, but it was still difficult to put into words what she wanted to say.
"Isn't it normal to love your supreme ruler?"
"Not on the level of the inhabitants here, Lord Demiurge. If I may explain, I think the dedication seen here cannot be found anywhere and can only be considered as love, pure and unconditional" – Tuare was nervous, but couldn't back down now – "If someone dedicates themselves to a job out of mere obligation, that would be servitude. If they followed someone for their power, it would only be out of interest. If its meaning is personal, like worshiping a god, it would be devotion. And if you sacrifice everything for that person all the time, it would be martyrdom".
"But that's not what happens here. Everyone dedicates themselves all the time to doing their best for the prosperity of the Great Tomb and the Sorcerer King, competing with each other, but also supporting each other for the common good", said Tuare, trying to use as much politeness and new words she had learned recently.
"Then we wouldn't be different from the options you said before, we'd just be fanatics", the archdemon pointed out with obvious disgust.
"T-That would be true if the Sorcerer King wasn't who he is. In the few weeks I've been working here, I've seen how he greets the maids as they pass down the hall, how demons are treated with respect when they meet him, and how the fragile creatures of the sixth floor are protected by their lord's hand." Tuare took a deep breath before uttering the next words.
"Here's the difference: everyone receives love and gratitude from the Sorcerer King in return for their dedication. I'm not yet ready to serve him directly in his office, but the biggest complaint that seems to come from the maids is that I'll take from them an infinitesimal part of their time and attention with the Sorcerer King. If this isn't love, what can I call it?"
"A love that is dedicated to our Lord, including Sebas", Demiurge said.
"Yes, Lord Sebas love for the Great Tomb is unquestionable. That's why I need to strive to be accepted as part of Nazarick, so I will also be part of that love".
"You said I'm only human, and it's true, I can never compare myself to the other maids of Nazarick, but that's not what matters, it doesn't matter if you're just a summon or a great guardian, as long as we do our best, our Lord will love us all the same".
Tuare hadn't even realized that she'd mentioned the Great Tomb so casually or that she'd referred to the Sorcerer King as her master, but Demiurge did.
He also realized that Tuare hadn't shown any interest in the Incubus or Succubus that had accompanied her, or that she had prejudiced thoughts for any demon she passed through. Fear, perhaps. She didn't even flinch as she passed the rooms where torture was being applied to other humans. Her will and resolve were focused on being accepted into the Tomb.
The archdemon was looking for a flaw that would justify the withdraw of his Lord's protection, but all he received was an unexpected gift: the notion that they were loved by their master, as this was perceptible even to the human.
Demiurge thanked her for the service and dismissed Tuare to leave. On the way back, the feeling of contempt she felt upon entering had diminished to the point of almost disappearing. In fact, she was even greeted as she passed demons who used pitchforks to shove something into a smoldering crater. Apparently, they were all summons from Lord Demiurge, so they shared his opinion, which for Tuare meant that she had passed the guardian's test.
She never told Sebas this, but perhaps she would share what happened someday, as she remembered it fondly. It was there that she realized that the servants of the Great Tomb could love and that they could change their minds about certain things. Maybe Sebas never loved her like he loved Nazarick, but she hoped he could someday love her as a woman.
As soon as Sebas left the audience with the Queen, the three made their way to their accommodations. Tuare and the imp's bedrooms were on opposite sides, connected by inner doors to Sebas'. When they got there, they went straight to their chambers.
"Tuare, please stay. I'd like you to keep me company a little longer".
"Of course, Lord Sebas, the Lord probably wants to discuss… that matter".
"No, not at all. I would just like to stay with you a little longer".
Tuare then opened a genuine smile of happiness.