Chapter 12

Taylor covers her mouth as she yawned and tried to get up from a comfortable bed with the rooster's noise echoed from a chicken farm on the town's outskirts wake her from slumber. As she put on her maid uniform, her mind was reminiscing.

The cold of winter and spring has long passed and the warmth of summer begun to creep in a week prior, too fast for Taylor's taste especially when her life has been looking up for months now.

True to Shinki's and Yang's promise; Yang has provided her with lodging in his house and she could stay there on the condition of alternating between studying medical art with Yang, doing her duty in the Pandemonium castle, and studying magic under Shinki without failing any subject.

It was tedious and demanding, but Taylor wasn't going to let such hardship stop her. Even when Shinki asked if she wanted to drop the magic lesson for a while.

Taylor refused, she felt that she was getting by just fine, and didn't want to give that bloody white fox another ammunition to use on her.

Speaking of the fox, Taylor didn't know or had any idea what Haku was thinking now since she one-upped her by avoid living in the castle and subject to her daily scrutiny. She expected revenge in form of impersonating people in the castle to mess with her during work or physical confrontation as soon as she started the new routine of come and go between Yang's home and the castle once every two days.

But none of them come, which surprised her to no end given the experience in her previous life and knowledge that Haku has far better tools to mess someone up than those three bitches could have dreamed of and experiences to back it up. Not to mention being high in authority should've let her get away with it as well.

Thankfully, Yang addressed the issue a week after the new living arrangement, stopping Tarlor's paranoia and suspicion in its track;

"I persuaded my sister to trusted me to educate you on the matter of the castle security." Yang explained during the dinner "It's nothing extreme like what my sister did. It'll be just another class. I promise that it won't cut into the study time for other subjects at all."

Taylor was surprised yet again that there weren't any extra classes add to the timetable at all. Instead, life goes on normally after that conversation and Yang never brought up the subject again.

For a time, Taylor thought the old man was jesting as nothing came out of it for the time being. But two days after, when she returned from purchasing meat from Uncle Orthog the insect-butcher. Just as she was passing through the front door and greeted Yang as usual;

"So, how's Orthog's faceplate?"

The question that came out of nowhere caught her off-guarded and Taylor could only utter nonsensical words in befuddlement "Wha… hah? Mister?"

Yang's smile didn't fade as he repeated his question with slightly more elaboration "Taylor, I'm asking if Orthog's face gained a scar or changed its coloring since he never visits me for almost a month now. And on that topic, how's his antenna?"

Taylor blinked several times, clearly reeling from the questions from the old man before she finally admits defeat by shaking her head "I… didn't pay attention then."

Yang hummed at the answer. Taylor expected the old man to be upset, but there was none of that when he finally spoke up "I'd wager that you didn't talk with him more than a greeting, place an order, and say thanks and goodbye too?"

Taylor knew that the man didn't have any power, but his intuition still scared her sometimes due to how accurate his guesses were so far. With no reason to deny the truth, Taylor can only nod.

Yang seemed satisfied with the answer and promptly explained afterward like a grandfather passing down a lesson to a child "Safety and security are a lot simpler than people imagine you know? One of them is being observant of one's surroundings and people during everyday life, even some minor things like this can clue you into something profound."

Taylor couldn't help but comment back "Is it truly that simple?"

"Simple is what makes it practical, my dear." Yang replied sagely "Overcomplicating things only make it difficult for people to follow through on the given task. Make it unnecessarily complicate also means it's easier to fail as well."

When he put it like that, Taylor felt like she lost the argument already, and then the old man sealed the deal with the next sentence "Besides of knowing when your associates are being impersonated because you know him or her well or realize that something happened to them, being observant also means that you have topics to talk with them. You cannot build a friendship without interactions after all."

If Shinki was like another mother, then Yang would be comparable to a stern yet wise and caring grandfather that she never had, Taylor thought. Perhaps that's why she couldn't get angry with him for long. Despite she felt that there was something he didn't tell her, especially his past. But considered that he didn't pry hers and respect her privacy, she didn't think she has the right to pry his. That awkward moment when she learned about his wife was bad enough and she does not wish to repeat it any time soon.

His daughter was also helpful since she became a resident here. Her quirk still creeps Taylor out, but after a couple of months, she could somewhat chalk it up as a way Mao use to pump herself up for whatever task she's doing.

It also motivated Taylor too, even if she doesn't want to admit it.

Bringing her mind back to the present, Taylor made her way downstairs and straight to the kitchen, it was her turn to cook breakfast today. She looked over the stored ingredients and decided on a simple porridge with stir-fried pork and vegetable. It was a novel experience for Taylor to cook recipes not involve an instant meal, lasagna, sandwich or any type of fast food that she and her birth father seem to be fond of in the last years after her birth mother died.

The new recipes she learned so far were relatively simple however, as the studies and works take up most of the day, but Taylor hoped that she'd have more free time when she learned how to use magic to make taking care of the castle faster as Yumeko can do.

But reality rarely that merciful, as the magic lesson has become harder to learn and Taylor began to struggle, not from the lack of effort, but the lack of imagination. The warning from Shinki reared its ugly head more than Taylor would like when part of her mind struggled to accept that any given lesson was possible for a human being.

Part of her mind told her that the being like Shinki, Yuuka, and whoever created the Eastern Wonderland she heard about are way too powerful to understand how puny the Earthlings are, but that once again squashed down as it was clear that Shinki tried her best to teach Taylor no matter how bad she struggled, and Taylor shared part of the blame too when she refused to be taught by others, either by private tutor or by the local public school which has the equivalent of "Magic 101" in their curriculum.

It wasn't about the public class being bland and boring, but to Taylor, it was too soon as it reminds her of the two-years hell she experienced in such an institution that wouldn't go away so easily at this time. And Shinki understood that.

Yumeko pitched in here and there whenever the two crossed paths during her time in the castle, but her senior wasn't the best at teaching magic and her new timetable and living arrangement doesn't leave much time to converse, but the gesture was welcome nonetheless.

Seeing Yumeko taking care of the majority of the castle also reminded Taylor of the promise she made to Shinki which make her feel bad a little that she hasn't done anything worthwhile yet, no matter how many times Shinki said that it takes time to learn before she could do something like Yumeko.

A smell of fried pork brought Taylor back from her musing as the meal is ready. She cut the gas, prepared the dishes, and then put them on the tray to the table right when Yang and Mao came through the backyard door with smudges of dirt on their hands, obviously tending to their small herb garden during her cooking. After a greeting, they all sat down and enjoy the meal.

As the breakfast finished, it was also Taylor's and Mao's duty to wash the dishes before going back to work. Despite the delegates from other countries had left and with them the rather violent adventurers they hired as guards long ago, there're still injuries and illnesses that require attention from clinics all around this town.

This proved to Taylor that despite their inhuman appearance, the beings inhabiting this world are still mortals and not that much different than human saves for their anatomy and their cultures.

Fortunately for Taylor that Yang forbids her from treating any non-human and has her focus on humans first, as she admits that she was approaching the limit of what she can study simultaneously already.

As the dishes were done, the two ladies went their separate ways. Mao bids Taylor good luck and headed to the front clinic while Taylor climbed upstairs back to her room. After she closed the door, she went for the drawer and pushed it aside to reveal a white magic circle grafted on the floor aligned with glyphs and symbols she could barely discern the purpose of.

When she stepped on the center of the circle, it started glowing brightly, before a flash obscuring her vision for a moment, and then she found herself on the tower used to studied magic with Shinki during the winter months.

This was a temporary solution to Haku's gripes about her traveling to and from the castle being a security risk; a teleportation circle keyed specifically to Taylor with no way for anyone or anything to tag along for the ride.

Despite Taylor's low faith in security measures due to her direct experience from keeping her belongings away from the Three Bitches, and the many crimes she heard over the TV and internet back on Earth Bet, the measure employed still managed to impress her.

She couldn't see a way for anyone to fool a soul scanning like a fingerprint or retinal scanning, after all, each person's soul is unique and cannot replicate, even clones and the alternate version of themselves in alternate worlds/universes have unique souls, if they have one at all, right?

Taylor walked briskly down the tower to the cleaning appliances storage to start today's work. Along the way she passed a few groups of guards who greeted her, which she replied with a small nod and smile each time.

At first, it was irritating as she could not ignore them when they started calling her name by the third week after she came back to work. Not that they treated her badly like those students and school staff back in her previous life, but part of her mind still nervous about interacting with others at the time.

"Of course, they must remember you and at least call you out to check if it was you. Else they'd be a failure to let strangers wander around in the castle doing who knows what, no?"

Yang's explanation left no room for argument when she complained. She wasn't sure if she should be relieved that the guards are doing their jobs properly or should she be annoyed that they did not leave her alone for even a single day. Luckily, Shinki addressed the reason the next day;

"Each word you say, each expression you make in response to their call carried your intent and will. Some species can sense rudimentarily analyze to see if you're you. Spells that work as a lie detector also exist and they perform the same way as their technological counterpart. As for mind-reading spell, well, if it's that easy to learn and exploit, then they wouldn't bother with greeting you and get you to react to read your intent, right?"

Taylor heard of those machines sparingly during her previous life, of course. But to think that the magical equivalent was invented decades in advance was surprising for her. Hearing Shinki pre-empted her worries lifted a lot of paranoias out of her mind too.

Taylor's musing was cut short and her walk slowed to a stop when her sight laid upon the person walking down from the opposite end of the corridor, the person that, despite months have passed without incidents and assurance from Yang, still instilling dread and anxiety in her heart without fail.

Haku's blue eyes twitched slightly at the sight of Taylor, and then her pace quickened as she approached the girl who rooted to the spot by her stare.

Only when Haku was right in her face that Taylor reacted by greeting her out of reflex with no small amount of discomfort, anger, and disdain laced in her voice before she could control herself. And then she panicked with her action finally registered that she just maybe gave that fox a real opening to kick her out for real!

Haku, however, only stared at Taylor with an unreadable expression on her face for a moment, before she speaks up "Lady Shinki requires your presence at her office. Please follow me."

Taylor's suspicion took over right there, her eyes narrowed while planting her feet down and demanded answers from Haku "What's the matter regarding me?"

If Haku was incensed by her disobedience she didn't show it, her answer still came out in a neutral matter-of-fact tone as usual "The official from Ministry of Right and Wrong has arrived and requested your presence regarding your transmigration status."

It took Taylor a couple of seconds for the words to sink in before blood drained from her face "You mean… people from the Afterlife?"

"The Judge of the Dead, yes." Haku answered, and then she elaborated like it was an afterthought "You're not in trouble, that much is certain."

For some reason, that explanation only increased Taylor's worries instead of calming her down.

"You should follow me to Shinki's office now, they are waiting."

Once she finished, Taylor followed Haku down the corridor toward Shinki's office. While she still harbored suspicion and paranoia of the fox woman, she still trusted Shinki's words enough that the fox was loyal enough to not use her name to cause her troubles.

As they reached the door behind the Council chamber, Haku turned to face Taylor once more before they could get into the room.

"I'll have to warn you; the Judge of the Afterlife is impartial toward worldly affair, their duty demanded such, so while they will not hate you, it'd do you well to not to expect any favor from them, nor did try to curry it. For in many cultures and beliefs viewed it as a grave sin, so the Judge will regard your action accordingly."

Taylor nodded. Although she was confident that she didn't sin as much during her short life, her resurrection by Shinki could still be seen as disrupting the natural cycle of life and death, hence she doubted that the governor of the afterlife will like her.

'Wait, isn't there a lot of religions out there? How can these Judges reach suitable verdicts for everyone then?'

Haku didn't seem to notice Taylor's inner thought as she knocked lightly on the door. A voice rang out from behind it "They seem to have arrived. Come in!"

Taylor expected an imposing, muscular devil-like humanoid with red skin and horn holding a wicked-looking scythe, something along the line of the description of Satan in the Bible, that or skeleton dressed in black robe wielding scythe as long as it's tall. Instead, she was dumbfounded when she saw only a small woman standing next to Shinki's desk. Her dark blue-black and white dress with white sleeves, knee-length black skirt, black shoes, and matching blue and white hat probably wouldn't look out of place in a modern society if she discounted the assortment of decorations on her clothing like those frills, gold emblem, or ribbons. But the most distinct feature in Taylor's eyes was the short, dark green hair that seems unnaturally fit with the woman.

'Is this slip of a girl supposed to be the Judge of the Afterlife?'

Shinki who was sitting behind the desk ushered everyone to take a seat next to her desk the moment Taylor entered, all except for Haku who opted to remain outside the office by an excuse of "Have no right to intrude on the personal matter." which Taylor wasn't sure whether to call bluff on the fox or thankful that she has manner for once.

As the door clicked shut, the green-haired woman frowned at the closed door but didn't say anything while Shinki hid her smile with her hand as if Haku's action was funny to her. However, Taylor didn't dare to ask that in front of a woman who governs the afterlife, as far as she knows.

The supposed Judge of the Afterlife shook her head lightly before turning all her attention to Taylor. "So, this's the soul you mentioned about, Shinki." The woman murmured, and then summoned a plain hand mirror which captured the reflection of Taylor in it briefly before she turned it around to look at herself "Indeed, the date and time of her deeds matched with what you described to me."

As if she noticed Taylor's confusion, the woman explained her action to Taylor while showing her the mirror "This's the tool that all Yama - Judge of the Afterlife – use to see a soul's deeds throughout their life, whether it's private or public, good or evil." and then she paused slightly "Ah, apologies, I'm one of the Judge of the Afterlife, name is Eiki, a pleasure to meet you, Taylor Hebert."

Taylor however, was focused on the explanation instead of the greeting offered by the Yama, and she was quite incensed about it "You spy on people?"

"No." Was the reply from the Yama, who quickly elaborated further "We are given a 'tool' to see the present and the past deeds of a deceased soul. We cannot reach a fair verdict without knowing exactly what transpired in one's life after all." and then she added "Your circumstance fit, hence the Mirror can view yours up until the day you're adopted by Shinki, which validate her claim of your origin."

One on hand, Taylor wanted to get angry at the woman for her nonchalant and inconsiderate reply and invasion of privacy. But on the other hand, the mythologies she once read with her birth mother painted most of the Judges or Rulers of the Afterlife as impartial entity that never play favorite with anyone except perhaps the hero of the story, who were inevitably a spawn of gods or some such, and then not without doing them a huge favor befitting of the request beforehand. In her eyes, Taylor felt that she's not that special, discount being an illegal immigrant from the other universe/world, which probably be seen as a bad kind of special by the Judge instead.

Taylor by this point didn't doubt the petite woman's claim of being the Judge of the Afterlife like she was during the first few months of rebirth anymore; After many things she experienced, she doubted that Shinki would try to lie to her for no conceivable gain now.

Eiki's feature looked softened a bit as if noticing Taylor's thought, as she spoke in a softer tone instead of the nonchalant one earlier "Your circumstance which landed you here was not of your fault. I can speak for the other Judges that they will find that you're not in the wrong in this regard."

She paused for a moment and continued "Also, you're hardly the first one in this predicament in the infinite multiverses out there."

Taylor let out a sigh she didn't notice she was holding, before she quickly apologized for unsightly display, to which the Judge simply waved it off as inconsequential. That piqued Taylor's curiosity, but she held it back, determined not to make a fool of herself again.

However, it was Shinki who struck a conversation instead "So, my child, I thought that you'd have a lot of questions to ask? Not many people can get to see the Judge of the Afterlife or Grim Reaper while they're still alive and live to tell the tale afterward you know?"

She was stroking Taylor's curiosity, but she has to admits that it was succeeding. And soon enough her curiosity won and she asked the patiently waiting Judge "How do you pass verdict for people of different cultures? Are there not those deeds that one viewed as sin while others do not?"

The Judge's blue eyes widened slightly before her lips tugged upward a little "You're indeed interesting. Most mortals' question always be 'Where do I go when I died?' 'Am I going to heaven or hell?' 'What awaits us in the afterlife'… Rarely do they ask what you asked… hmm…"

Eiki pondered for a few minutes before answering "This's difficult to explain indeed. While the easiest explanation would be that our position as a Judge comes with the power that instantly categorizes every deed into good and evil, I doubt that will suffice."

She didn't wait for Taylor's response before continuing "Many factors affecting our decision and verdicts given to any person actually, from their cultures, beliefs, natures, and common sense of those cultures. And then you have to consider the common morality of sapient species coexisting within one region or worlds as well."

"How can nature have anything to do with sins and punishment?" Taylor questioned.

"If the sapient species diet consisted of only meat from other sapient species with no alternative, can you fault them for hunting and killing the other for their survival?" Eiki asked, which gave Taylor a pause "Not just species' nature that affecting their morals, the nature of the world they live in also plays a part in their perception of what considered sins and justice as well. And we have to sort them out appropriately when they move on in the cycle of life and death."

"What she's saying is that something that you considered evil acts may not consider evil in the eye of the Judge of the Afterlife depending on the circumstances." Shinki elaborated "While many religions and beliefs see the law of celestial as strict and unbending, it's only because they do not take different sapient species that coexist with them into account, or never had one at all, like your Earth Bet for example."

Taylor nodded, with Shinki's explanation she could see where the Judge was coming from; it wouldn't be fair or just otherwise.

After a moment, she looked at Eiki and said "I'm… surprised that you explained things. I thought that someone of your occupation will keep it secret to not… I don't know… disrupting the cycle of life and death, or something?"

"The rule dictated that I cannot tell you if you or your tormentors and murderers in your previous life will go to hell or not if you're wondering about it." Eiki casually replied, "But there's nothing prevent me from interacting with mortals and try guiding them."

Taylor looked at the judge incredulously "I find it hard to believe that you have time to do this."

"The 'me' that's talking to you now is just a form of projection if I'm using words from your world." Eiki replied, "I'm still doing my duty in the Afterlife even as we speak here." Eiki stated as the mirror in her hand fade away from view "Else how can we oversee the trial and judgment of millions of souls coming down to the Afterlife every day from a single planet?"

"I see…"

"Though Eiki here has a somewhat easier time as she only oversees souls from a single pocket dimension with a population in the range of... thousands I suppose?"

Shinki suddenly spoke up but then tapered off as she asked the judge for confirmation, which Eiki nodded and added "I'm not exactly that free as you implied, with the ongoing war in the human world and the aftermaths of the so-called World War Two not a decade ago still trickling in, I've to pitch in and help other Judges in charge of the Earth as well." then she leveled a glare at Shinki "And your Makai as well."

Taylor briefly wondered if the Judges of Afterlife has their limit on splitting themselves considered that someone in charge of normal Earth in this universe seems to need help from the Judges in charge of other worlds to sort out the death of the human in the wake of World War Two and the Korean War like this.

But then, the Judge stood up and addressed both Shinki and Taylor calmly "Well, all that I wanted to discuss with both of you are done. I think I will have to take my leave now. I have duties to attend."

The statement practically answered Taylor's unasked question. It seems that doing this exhaust the Judge too.

However, as Eiki was about to leave, she then turned to look at Taylor then gave her parting words "Before I leave, l hope, for your sake, that you will understand that there're many good deeds that don't involve violence for you to pursue out there. I hated to see you in hell in a literal sense when the time comes."

And then Eiki faded away in a mote of light before Taylor could demand what she meant by that.

The office fell into silence once more as Taylor was lost in thought until Shinki broke the silence first "So, what's your thought about the Judge who sentences the decreased to Heaven or Hell?"

After a moment of avoiding eye contact with Shinki, Taylor gathered her courage to looked up and replied "She's not what I'm expecting. Just finding time to speak with a normal mortal like me is surprising enough already."

"It's because the 'Eiki' wasn't 'on duty' when she's speaking with you." Shinki replied sagely "Like everyone, she has multiple facades. When she's on the mortal world, she's wearing the mask of teacher, not the mask of Judge, and teacher must guide others onto the right path."

"Isn't that a conflict of interest?"

"What interest?"

Shinki asked back, which put a furrow on Taylor's brows as she struggled for an answer. And after a while, she offered lamely "She wants to lessen her workload then?"

At the sight of Shinki's raised eyebrows questioningly, Taylor quickly elaborates "I mean, she has to split herself into multiple avatars to handle more dead people, isn't she? With me…"

"The Judge of the Afterlife's duty is to decide where the dead should be sent in the cycle of life and death." Shinki interrupted Taylor's explanation "The dead, whether they're good or evil, doesn't matter, they have to pass through the trial regardless. Also, she wasn't exhausted because of multitasking Taylor, she just used it as an excuse to leave because she's taking our time."

Taylor opened her mount and then shut, didn't know what to say, letting Shinki continued "While she has to stay impartial during the trial, it doesn't mean that she likes sending people to Hell. That's why she tries to warn you or anyone she came across in the mortal worlds to not committing something they'll regret later."

The surprised look on Taylor's face hasn't fully formed yet when Shinki spoke up again "But that's only Eiki's though. Other Judges wouldn't care about trying to get people to become a good person. She's an exception, probably because she's normally in charge of the Eastern Wonderland."

That information reminded Taylor of the question she never got the chance to ask, and it seems that she must have made a face because Shinki was staring at her from across her desk in anticipation of something, probably waiting for her to start a conversation, or rather, questions.

After a few breathes, Taylor decided that the Judge's words regarding her thought about a certain subject were more important, thus the question became "Why did she oppose my dream of being a hero? I know that Eiki wanted to prevent people from going to Hell, but why this subject in particular?"

Shinki closed her eyes, briefly considering what to say, before looking at Taylor and replied "From her perspective, it is easy to solve everything with violence, which for your birthplace - the Earth Bet – it's the usual definition of 'Hero', and it is what influences your idea and dream regarding that words. But as it is easy to choose this path, it's also tempting. As time goes by, there will be a point where you'll resort to this option as soon as you are able, and that's when Hero stops being the hero."

Taylor frowned, feeling mutinous and wanted to argue, but Shinki held out her hand to stop her first, to let her continue without interruption "Eiki has seen more than a fair share of Heroes who she has to personally sentenced to Hell despite the deeds they had done to the world precisely because of this slippery slope. She warned you to not repeat their mistake, not to dissuade you from becoming one. After all, people choose their destiny and the Judges of Afterlife always respect that rule without exception."

Silence reigned as Taylor slowly processing Shinki's words. Part of her wanted to believe that this wasn't real, Shinki just conspired with Eiki the conman trying to deceive her and destroy her childhood dream. But deep down her gut feeling told her that Eiki was a genuine Judge of the Afterlife and what she said was true.

"It sounds like even the Afterlife are bent on wanting heroes to disappear." She sounded dejected when she finally spoke up, but Taylor didn't have a mind to care, she has to vent her frustration somehow.

"Hero who gains fame through violence, not all types of heroes." Shinki chided lightly without a trace of anger or disappointment, patiently explained to the fuming girl "And must I remind you that Eiki never said anything about stopping you from being that kind of heroes too, she only warned you to not blind to other solutions to any problems."

It took another moment for Taylor to let the words sink in. Her rash teenager mind that ready to latched on any slight against her belief and dream grind to a halt, her simmering temper slowly disappeared, yet her voice still sounds dejected "… I see."

Shinki smiled at the sight before she walked over to Taylor and gently touched her shoulder, trying to comfort her "While I have a distaste to heroism through violence, be assured that I will not object anyone's choice in life, so long as they know and accept responsibility for their actions. You are not the exception to this, my child."

The image of a clergyman who lost his hand to the overzealous adventurers and multitude of victims who came to Yang's clinic during the early spring flashed before Taylor's mind instantly. But her rebellious thought still smoldering and it tried to find purchase one last time "I won't fall to that, Ma'am."

Her words didn't impress Shinki at all, but neither did it disappoint her, she shook her head and turned to look at the sky outside of the windows, her back facing Taylor before answers "The phrase 'the future never set in stone' applies to people too."

She turned back and saw a disturbed look on Taylor's face which elicited a gentle smile at the sight "But think of it positively; not many mortals get a warning from Celestial, let alone Judge of the Afterlife, that they'll go to Hell if they do not behave, no?"

"Well, when you put it that way…" Taylor hesitated a bit, and then "…I guess it's as you say."

She wanted to speak more, but a dry cough escaped her lips which she hurriedly apologized.

Shinki waved it off like always "Oh my, we've been talking for quite some time weren't we?" she then looked at Taylor with a motherly smile "Would you be a dear and go brew something for me? Getting yourself a drink to quench your thirst too. No need to hurry though, after such a conversation, I think it'd be best for you to have some alone time to think."

Taylor took that as a sign to leave. She stood up, bowed slightly and made for the door. But when she opened it and saw that Haku was nowhere to be found, a thought struck her and she turned around to Shinki who tilted her head slightly in question at her action.

"…"

The two met each other's gazes before Shinki smiled knowingly without Taylor speaking any word, but for some reason, there was a hint of sadness in that smile too.

"Haku is never a fan of getting lectured by Eiki. Her past still lived through the Judge of the Afterlife after all this time."

It didn't take long for Taylor to deciphered Shinki's cryptic reply that the Judge learned of Haku's past through someone she knew who died, and thus take it upon herself to try and redeem the white fox woman from falling down the dark path.

But still…

"I doubt that she listened to her."

Sarcastic remark escaped Taylor's mouth before she could stop it.

Shinki giggled a bit before replies "Well, after getting lectured on the same topic for so many times over the years, will you not bored and want to get away?"

Taylor couldn't help but giggle at the image of the petite woman chasing Haku who was more than a head taller than her around the castle like a kid running away from a teacher or parent. It was quite comical, but she doubts she will get the chance to see it happen.

After minutes has passed, and with a smile on her lips, Taylor asked Shinki in a slightly happier tone "So, Ma'am, any special blend you want in your tea?"

Shinki returned the smile as she waved her hand toward the door and verbally jabbed her light-heartedly "Anything is fine, but it's been five minutes already you know. Will I have to wait for another hour to get my tea?"

"No, Ma'am, I'm going to fetch it at once."

As the door quietly shut and the echoes of footsteps quieted down, Shinki felt her worries eased up a little when thinking to that earlier display. She mentally thanked Eiki for showing up and went back to work.

Author's Note: Now this finally catch up with the Spacebattles version of the story, from this point forward it won't lag behind the SB version.

Criticism is welcome as always, but do try to be polite about it.