Hello Scrolls and Nazarins, Mr.Bones bringing another chapter of this arc with Zesshi from my fanfic The One Who Came Back.
TW is questioned and Zesshi learns more about her hosts and herself.
With you
The One Who Came Back
Chapter 54: Understanding
The guardians were leaving the hall; some were not pleased with how the meeting unfolded, but only Demiurge maintained a smile.
"Hello, Mr. TW."
"Hello, Demiurge. I'll accompany Zesshi to the sixth floor, would you like something?"
"I know what you did."
"I don't know what you're talking about," TW replied.
"I think you do."
"I think not... if you imagine that I am like Lord Ainz, you are mistaken, and half-truths make no sense to me."
"Riight, that's true logically; you can't lie, can you?" The smile persisted.
"No, I can't, I guess that's pretty much established."
"So you can only speak the truth."
"Is that so?" TW said, already intrigued.
"But from what I see, there's the truth and The true truth."
"I'm not sure I understand."
"Allow me to explain, without beating around the bush. When you said you hated the Theocracy and that 'most of them deserve to die for what they do' - Demiurge makes air quotes with his fingers - that's true, but I think you have other motives, like saving a minority, that's The truth. When you said using the attack on Shalltear as a reason for war was a mistake and offered an alternative, that was true, even though Lord Ainz probably had considered other alternatives, you still got what you wanted, saving your elf friend, that's The truth."
"Where are you going with this, Mr. Demiurge?"
"To two questions: are you manipulating the truth to get what you want? Have you figured out how to lie by only telling the truth?"
TW stared at Demiurge and seemed to ponder something until...
"Well, Demiurge... there's a big difference between not being able to lie and being obligated to answer every question asked of me. So, if you'll excuse me, goodbye, Master Strategist."
"Goodbye, Lord of Luck and Truth," Demiurge said, smiling.
The human wanted to leave badly. Of all the residents of the Great Tomb, the archdemon was the one who gave him the creeps. He would never do anything good if he could achieve the same goal with death and torture; he would only do something outside of that sense if ordered, and even then, he would twist every word to his liking.
Exiting the hall were Mare, Aura, and Zesshi following behind.
"Miss Aura, Mr. Mare, I would like to thank you for your generosity towards Zesshi. I hope we can demonstrate value and repayment for your understanding."
"You talk in circles, Mr. Wild, especially when you want something."
"Sorry, Mr. Mare, I just wanted to have a little chat with Zesshi."
"All right, don't take too long."
"Thank you, Lord Mare. Zesshi, be careful. I'll try to visit you during the week, but for now, I have to be away. So, obey, learn, and, by the Supreme, if possible, don't die in the meantime," both felt the stern gaze of the dark elf upon them.
Zesshi nodded in agreement and followed Mare to the teleporter.
"Mare, go ahead, show your new SERVANT where she will be staying."
"Y-yes, onee-chan."
As they disappeared, TW was pressed against the wall by Aura's fist.
"What are you up to, Wild?"
"I have... a vague... idea of what it's about... but could you... be more specific?" TW struggled to speak with the little air he had left.
"You come to our home and suddenly start changing things," Aura said, dragging TW down to eye level.
"I'm sorry, Aura, but this is also my home. If it weren't for the circumstances, I might be with Ainz-Sama in the end."
"My brother and I don't like changes around here. If you do something that hurts him, I'll take care of you myself. And if I can't touch you, your little friend will suffer."
"All I do is for the good of Nazarick, I swear by Santa. But changes are inevitable. You will grow up, your brother will become independent someday. What will you do when that happens?"
"I'll decide when the time comes."
"Maybe the time has already come."
"What do you mean?"
"He doesn't stutter when talking to me."
"So what?"
"I think your brother is more confident than he seems."
"Bukubukuchagama made him like that as a trap, to underestimate him as an enemy."
"Yes, and it seems to deceive even those closest to him." Aura took a step back and let go of TW.
"Thank you. I think you've already noticed that. You're siblings after all. You would try to protect him even if this hadn't been created by Bukubukuchagama, and he can pretend to be shy, but I know he already has more confidence than we expect. Trying to inhibit him can break that self-esteem, Aura. Let him make his decisions, advise him, but let him make mistakes, let him grow."
"I didn't ask for your advice, Wild. I don't want you meddling. I'll keep an eye on him. If anything happens, only Ainz-Sama will stop me."
"Threat noted and added to the end of this looong list."
Aura walked away stomping towards the teleporter.
"I think I broke some ribs," groaned the human as he crawled to the bar.
Upon reaching the sixth floor, Mare headed towards the treehouse where he lived, with Zesshi following closely.
"I'm sorry, lad... Lord Mare, where are we going?"
"T-to my home."
"Don't you live in that palace?"
"Wh-what palace?"
"Where we were before, with the throne room of the Sorcerer King."
"That is just one of the floors of the Great Tomb of Nazarick; this is my floor, mine and my sister's."
"Floor? Like in a building? AREN'T WE OUTSIDE?!" Zesshi screamed, seeing the vastness, mountains in the distance, and what seemed like an endless forest.
"No, w-we are not outside. Y-you talk quite a lot."
"Shouldn't I? I'm sorry."
"N-no, it's okay, the others don't talk much."
"Others?"
"Other elves, they were slaves, brought here b-by a thief, now they live with us."
"Lord Mare is forming a harem." Zesshi said provocatively.
Mare turned completely flushed and waved his hands in denial.
"N-NO! No, no! I'm too young, Ainz-Sama says we need to make friends, but they only respond and keep trying to do everything."
"You seem not to like it."
"I don't want them trying to give me a bath," Mare said embarrassed.
The half-elf smiled at that.
'HOW CUTE HE IS!!' she shouted internally. "If you want, I can talk to them."
"Yes, that will be one of your services, talking to the other maids," Aura said coming from behind.
"I'm sorry, Lady Aura, I didn't see you arrive."
"Remember that then, I can be where you least expect," she emphasized with a tone threatening enough for Zesshi to feel intimidated.
Until a few days ago, Zesshi had never been intimidated, not even her father seemed like a great adversary to her, but after meeting the twins and their master, she realized she was no longer at the top of her personal pyramid, so rare that someone could face her, here almost everything could kill her.
Upon reaching the treehouse, the three elves came out to greet them, but when they saw Zesshi, they stopped abruptly and knelt.
"I thought they had stopped doing this? Hey, you! Stop that!"
The embarrassed and bowed elves stood up, one looking at the other until the oldest one spoke.
"Forgive us, Lady Aura, we can't help it, in our village, we were taught to do this at the sign of royalty."
"B-but we've asked you not to do it for us."
"But my lord, what about her?"
"The w-what about her?"
"She is the daughter of the Elven King."
"How do you know?"
"The eyes, she has the eyes of royalty," This was the first time the elves really spoke about such a thing.
"Eyes of a different color?" questioned Zesshi.
"Indeed, some of the Elven King's children have different eyes, only the strongest ones."
"And does he have many children?" she asked in a mix of a mocking and displeased tone.
"My Lady?! Half the population of Crescent Lake must be his sons, your brothers."
It was like taking a punch to the stomach; suddenly, her vision seemed to tunnel, and then things around her started spinning. Zesshi fell to her knees and vomited.
She despised the Elven King and anyone in her path. She hated her elven heritage, indoctrinated into it by the Theocracy. But now it seemed like her world had crumbled. In this moment, she finally realized that she had been fighting against her own family—thousands of brothers and sisters whose mothers had met the same fate at the hands of that depraved king. Then she couldn't take it anymore and passed out.
...
Author's Note
Hello, here I wanted to give some background to Zeshi, his lack of empathy towards those who are his relatives.