Sorry for the delay on getting this out. It took a little bit longer than expected to get organized after travelling last month, and I wasn't able to write anything while I was travelling.
The Shepherd/Necessary Risk/Journey Home
I led the pirate captain to my stateroom, flanked by a pair of security droids armed with shotguns as I tried to process the events of the last few hours. My helmet was back on since I didn't want to necessarily give away what I was thinking and feeling around the captain just yet, even if it was becoming increasingly obvious that he was hardly the monster that the rumors suggested. Carla was waiting for them in the stateroom itself, and I could see that she was just as unsettled as I was, even with only hearing the comm chatter of the battle.
"Lord Leon, what the hell happened out there?!" asked Carla emphatically as she leapt to her feet. "I tried to follow along from in here, but everything happened so fast-"
"...Did you know?" I demanded, my voice flat as I tried to maintain control.
"...What?" stammered Carla, severely perturbed.
"Did you know?" I repeated again.
"Know what, Lord Leon?!" exclaimed Carla. "You're not making any sense!"
"Lad, she couldn't have known-" interjected the captain.
"Did you know that they had children in the Armors?!" I hissed as the day's frustration finally boiled over.
"They what?!" shrieked Carla, absolutely horrified. "Are they hurt?!"
"...No, they're fine," I sighed, collapsing into my chair as relief flooded my tone. "You didn't know, then… Sorry for snapping, but I'm glad that I still have some grasp of reality after the world has been turned on its head-"
"I told ye, Lad, she couldn't have known," sighed the captain. "No one outside of me crew knew. Not the Offreys, the Lafans, that Frampton bastard, or even that damnable Forest of Ladies-"
"Stop," I ordered flatly. "I'm not hearing this explanation piecemeal, so sit down and start from the beginning before I lose my temper. Who are you and how the hell did you start employing Holfortian and Fanossian kids as pirates?"
"Alright, keep yer lid on; like I told ye, name's Kane, lad," replied the captain. "Captain Jakob Kane of the Winged Sharks. From Lepart, originally, until I was disinherited by me family for- …well, indiscretions is what they called 'em-"
"Captain Kane, what the fucking hell are children doing in Pirate Armor units?" I asked bluntly, not caring to hear the sordid details of a pirate's love life.
"Better than them dyin' in your feckin' wars, if you forgive me sayin' so, milord…" snapped Kane.
"...The Forest of Ladies…" I snarled as the pieces fell into place, my anger immediately redirected at the mention of that damned organization.
"Sharp as knives you are, Lad," nodded Kane in confirmation before taking a seat at the end of the conference table near us. "That be how it started. Ten years ago, me crew was doin' some salvagin' on the Fanossian border of Holfort, where a skirmish had taken place the night before. I'm reaching for an ammo pouch of a fallen soldier when I hears a voice like sand in a bottle call out for his Mam."
"Gods above…" gasped Carla.
"Aye, 'Gods above', for they damn sure weren't on that battlefield, Miss," nodded Kane as his blue eyes took on a slightly more haunted quality. "I damn near jump out of me skin at that voice, and that's when I noticed the faces of the Holfortian soldiers ain't just looking young as I've gotten older; they were young. Twas merely a boy, no older than twelve years, callin' out for his Mam, his Pa, or anyone to help him and his friends. I call me men over and order 'em to find whatever Holfortian survivors they can find, and bring 'em with us."
"...While I can appreciate the human kindness you displayed, that seems an odd move for a pirate group with limited resources," I commented once I found my voice again.
"Code of the Outcasts, lad," explained Kane as if it were obvious. "Outcasts help each other to their feet, and no less. Yer army had long left the field behind, so what else were those boys but outcasts like us?"
"...How many did you find that day?" I asked, wincing as I knew I wouldn't like the answer.
"...Not near enough, but we brought twenty lads aboard with us that day," replied Kane sadly. "Four didn' last the night, and three more lost limbs or eyes, an' the rest all have wicked scars that ache to this day."
"You did so much when you could have turned away," I countered, starting to really respect the man in front of me. "And make no mistake: You could have turned away. The fact that you truly believe that you couldn't speaks volumes to me, Captain Kane."
"...Who exactly are ye, lad?" frowned Kane. "No regular noble would ever speak to a scallywag the likes of me like this, but yer clearly in charge of this crew if the actions of those Founding Heirs are any indication."
"Forgive our delayed introduction, Captain," I apologized as I removed my helmet once again. "Baron Leon Fou Bartfort of the Kingdom of Holfort."
Kane blinked for a moment before bursting out into a hearty laugh. "I'll be damned, boy!" exclaimed the pirate. "You're really the Scoundrel Knight that's been the scuttlebutt in every port across the Kingdom?! Ye've got guts for sure, lad, ain't no mistaking that! No doubt facing down a vicious pirate crew was child's play compared to staring down the Crown Prince himself!"
"Not as much as you might think," I smirked as I offered a glass of whiskey to Kane. "Julius is actually rather down-to-earth, once you take a moment to actually talk to the man, but I digress. Why did you keep the survivors aboard your ship? Surely it would have been easier to set them up with new and peaceful lives in another country."
"We tried to, but the lads were having none of it," chuckled Kane ruefully. "All of 'em insisted on staying with us as we started movin' our career of piracy to something a little more legitimate. Our targets became the corrupt nobility on both sides of the Holfortian border with Fanoss, and better yet, the bastard Marquis Frampton was paying us to do it. Anyone who was dealin' under the table but not under Frampton's bloodless and withered thumb was a target. Meanwhile, we saved as many lads and even lasses as we could, fakin' their deaths with pig's blood and sheep's blood, and bringing them aboard. Once we bring 'em to their feet, we gives them a choice: a new life in another country or they can sail on with us: Not a one has picked that first option."
"Fair enough," I conceded, actually grinning now. "I can't say that I'd have done any differently in their shoes, which I almost was."
"Forgive me for sayin' and hopin' ye don't take offense, but I wish you had been," replied Kane with a grin. "The lads woulda liked ya, for sure, to say nothin' of the lasses."
"Alright, no need to bullshit me," I chuckled wryly. "I know I'm many things, and 'heartthrob' isn't one of them-"
"Leon, you basically act like a Knight that just walked out of pages of the bedtime storybook that we grew up with as little girls," interrupted Carla, finally having enough of my eccentricities. "Please shut up."
Kane and I stared, dumbfounded, as Carla concluded her statement with a healthy swig from the whiskey bottle like an experienced drunkard, which she was not, and so she began choking on it. Kane roared with laughter as Carla tried to recover from her first foray into hard liquor while I looked on, bemused. Finally, I decided to take control of the conversation again by pouring out a glass of water and mixing up two Old Fashioned cocktails, taking the water and one of the cocktails and presenting them to Carla.
"First, sip this slowly," I said, offering her the water. "Once you've done that, you can try a sip of this to see if you prefer it better, and then perhaps you can elaborate on what you mean?"
Carla took the water gratefully, sipping to clear the alcohol burn from her throat, and then taking a moment to speak.
"Well, look at it this way," began Carla. "You showed up to the dungeon in that very impressive armor suit and knelt before Lady Angelica like her own personal Knight, you challenged the five most powerful heirs in the Kingdom for her sake, hopped onto an airbike and solidly won a race to preserve her reputation on the Student Council: let me just say that there are quite a few girls in the General class that look at you quite favorably for your 'acts of chivalry and devotion' and they wish they had a man half as devoted as you."
"…Fair enough, but you have to concede that my looks are average, at best," I argued.
"While I personally prefer your friend Raymond, I'll be frank and say that I wouldn't be displeased to wake up next to a face like yours every morning for the rest of my days," countered Carla, taking a sip of the Old Fashioned and nodding appreciatively.
"The lasses of the Lost Children certainly thought ya were handsome from your image in the newspapers," chuckled Kane before his expression darkened. "…Lord Bartfort, I asked ya before to spare the Lost Children, since they ain't pirates-"
"Captain Kane, you haven't been a pirate for over ten years, regardless of what the letter of law says," I argued. "If I have my way, I'll see you and your crew Knighted for what you've done."
"Get the lads and lasses safe, and I'll see that as reward enough," replied Kane as he raised his glass in an informal toast.
"I swear on everything I hold dear that they'll be made safe," I agreed as I raised my own glass. "...As will you, Captain."
"Gods above," whispered Brad. "Is the Forest of Ladies truly that evil?"
After my meeting with Kane and Carla, I decided to have a discussion with Brad and Greg on our next moves, specifically in regards to the Winged Sharks and their "Lost Children". Naturally, the two Founding Heirs had been horrified to find out about the lower ranking noble sons and the extent to which they suffered under the Forest of Ladies, which gave me hope that they might be willing to turn a blind eye to me saving the captain and his crew.
"Worse," I grimaced. "Like I said before, there's a reason I had to make a name for myself the way I did, although I might have been safe thanks to Captain Kane."
"The man's definitely a hero," agreed Greg. "Problem is the laws don't leave much leeway for his actions prior, outside of a royal pardon."
"I was afraid of that," I frowned. "…I don't suppose I can ask you to look the other way-"
"Only 'look the other way'?" asked Brad with a scoff. " For their actions, we'd help you in whatever you need to help them escape."
"Question is how to do it and what do we say after?" mused Greg. "We can probably tell the Queen the truth, but what do we say in the official report?"
"That the pirates were completely wiped out," I suggested. "There's enough room aboard the Razor's Crest for all of them, and I have no need for the airships, aside from salvage money, and I'd forgo that in a heartbeat for their lives."
"So we take them all aboard and scuttle the ships?" asked Greg. "Could work, but what about the older pirates? Do we just have them hide below-deck?"
"All it would take is for Marquess Frampton to order a search of the Razor's Crest for that to fall apart," countered Brad. "You might be able to spin the younger ones as hostages, but the older ones would definitely be considered pirates under the law."
"...You know, the armor suits that my androids wear were originally meant for human soldiers…" I suggested with a mischievous grin.
"...That… actually might work to cover us from an inspection, but what about after that?" asked Brad.
"The Queen can grant a royal pardon under the circumstances for the long-term, so that way they'll be on the right side of the law," I continued. "Until then, they can live and train with the Bastards, since I'm going to try recruiting them anyway."
"That would be prudent, I think," nodded Brad. "I'm still concerned about how you have your 'Bastards' set up as a 'private security company', but I will defer to Her Majesty's judgment on the matter."
A brief silence descended as I became lost in thought. Now that the hassle of the Winged Sharks had been dealt with properly, my mind drifted back to the situation with Livia, and I could feel my gut clench at the prospect of our future conversation. There were only two options to explain the utterly out-of-character recklessness of Livia earlier; either our conversation about her being the Saintess made her feel like she had something to prove, or there was some top-tier magic bullshit with the Necklace, and I had more faith in Livia than I did in some shiny necklace. Still, until I could determine which was which, I'd instructed the drone I passed it to to store it in a vault in my cabin and resolved to keep Livia as far away from it as possible. The guys seemed to sense what was bothering me, because Greg cleared his throat.
"...Hey, Leon?" began Greg hesitantly. "...Don't be too mad at Livia, alright? She really did save our asses out there. Granted, I don't think Captain Kane would have actually hurt us, knowing what we know now, but without taking that into account? He was seconds from cracking our Armors open like tea tins. If Livia hadn't blasted him back and set up the barriers, he'd have had us dead to rights."
"...I know, but still, Livia could have used the BMG rifle from the hall to back you up," I observed with a sigh. "It just makes little sense, and… well, it makes me wonder if the Saintess's Relics were split up for a reason…"
"...You mean a reason other than hostile action from Fanoss?" blinked Brad.
"Think about it: It would be so easy to drop one of the Relics into the Endless Oceans below us, and the Saintess would be severely handicapped as a result without a damn thing that we could do about it," I replied, finally giving voice to my earlier suspicions. "Instead, we found one safeguarded by a group of honorable privateers and Marie's group went after another in the Holfort Dungeon, both locations that would be accessible if absolutely necessary while still acting as a deterrent."
"Maybe it was a test of skill to ensure that she was worthy of the role of Saintess?" suggested Greg. "You did say that Marie and the others found the Bracelet in the dungeon."
"Then why was the Necklace in the hands of an honorable band of sky pirates?" I argued. "Why wasn't in a similar dungeon like the Bracelet? And before you suggest that the Sharks raided the dungeon and picked it up, a dungeon like the one that Marie's group faced would have been nigh impossible to clear without Saintess Powers or Lost Tech, of which the Sharks had neither."
"...So you're thinking that the Relics are somehow dangerous when grouped together, and that the Saintess would only be able to use them as a last resort?" asked Brad with concern.
"In my mind, it's the only thing that makes sense," I nodded. "I think there may be some interaction with the Relics that could potentially be as dangerous as it is powerful. Robbing Livia of her reason and yet allowing her to conjure three barriers strong enough to halt an Armor-"
"Five barriers, actually," interjected Greg. "The other two broke shortly before you arrived."
"Come to think of it, prior to your voice calling out over the comms, Livia seemed to be moving as though in a trance…" mused Brad. "The other two barriers broke shortly after."
"...I actually called out over the comms?" I blinked briefly. "I thought that was just in my head-"
"Nope, you called out for Livia, and flew in like a bat out of Hell to get to her," smirked Greg. "So here's my question: why the hell are you still talking with us?"
"...An excellent point, Greg," I replied. "I'll trust you and Brad to help Kane get the rest of the Sharks and their belongings aboard before scuttling the other ships?"
"You got it, Leon," confirmed Greg.
Of course, even though Greg had an excellent point, that didn't stop the proverbial "elephant in the room" from being just as suffocating to deal with. Livia had removed her armor plates, but she'd kept her jumpsuit on, as though she'd collapsed from exhaustion after barely managing to remove her armor safely. In the intervening hours, it appeared she'd woken up and spent all that time worrying and fixating upon her misstep until I arrived. For a moment, we said nothing to each other, until Livia broke the silence.
"...Hey, Leon…" whispered Livia.
"Hey…" I replied softly. "...What happened today?"
"...I don't know…" choked Livia, close to tears.
I said nothing; no judgements, no exclamations of frustration, not a single word. I simply pulled her into my arms and held her close, taking comfort in her just as I tried to be comforting to her. Livia sobbed quietly into my shoulder as she held me tightly. As I considered the matter on my way to Livia's cabin, I was already sincerely doubting that Livia chose to make such a reckless decision, and her reaction was confirming my thoughts that there was some outside influence involved here.
"Leon, I swear I didn't try and run out there without-" rambled Livia briefly.
"I know, Liv, it's okay," I comforted, stroking her hair.
"...You do?" asked Livia in confusion.
"I know you, for one thing," I chuckled. "You are anything but reckless, and I doubted that you'd think you needed to prove something after finding out you were the Saintess. Plus, I had other reasons to be suspicious of what happened…"
"...Does this have to do with the part about the journals that we haven't discussed yet?" asked Livia with a frown as she caught the slight guilty tone in my voice.
"...Yeah, yeah it does, actually, and honestly it's my fault for not considering it further," I admitted, rubbing the back of my neck nervously. "...Please allow me to explain in full before you try to absolve me of my failures. Livia, because of my lack of foresight, you were put at risk today, because I failed to consider that this world is not a story. You see, the potential futures that Marie and I saw were from a… Well, basically a simulation; similar to the one you used for Armor Training, only this one was used solely for entertainment."
"...A simulation for entertainment?" blinked Livia. "That… honestly sounds quite lovely, to live through the events of a novel or short story."
"They were a lot of fun, and I always enjoyed them," I smiled briefly, before returning back to the topic. "Unfortunately, considering the events that have unfolded thus far, simply dismissing certain things as 'simulation logic' has led me to fail to consider why certain events play out the way that they do. The fact that the Relics were separated from each other in the way that they were only makes sense if there's a risk of them being all together in one place, and I think that we got a taste of that today."
"...What kind of risk do you mean?" asked Livia apprehensively.
"...I'll be honest; I'm not really sure," I admitted uneasily. "Perhaps some form of compulsion enchantment from the items themselves? We'll need to look into it more, but for right now, I'm just so glad that you're still alive and well."
Livia held me close, letting out a shaky sigh as she rested her head against my shoulder taking comfort in the embrace. I returned the embrace, letting the scent of vanilla and the warmth of her body against mine take me away. After a moment, Livia pulled back a little from my arms, and a look came into her eyes that I was coming to know very well; a look of determination, when she'd made up her mind about something and there would be no talking her out of it.
"...Leon… What happened today was terrifying in a way that made me realize…" began Livia as she slowly reached for the zipper of her jumpsuit. "Our lives are not guaranteed out here, especially with what is yet to come with the invasion of Holfort. There's so much that I want us all to live for, but there's one thing that I would regret if… if something happens…"
"Livia…" I began, but my voice trailed off as the sound of Livia's zipper was the only thing to break the silence..
"...Please, Leon?" asked Livia softly as she pulled open her jumpsuit, revealing a plain white bra beneath. "Make me yours… Make love to me tonight."
I knew that I should've told her that we could wait. I should've told her that we should wait for Angie and Clarice at the very least. I didn't want her leaping into such a huge decision out of a knee-jerk response in fear. Hell, part of me was against leaping to that decision for the same reason. But as I looked into Livia's eyes, I could see the desire, the need, that I felt in my heart reflected back at me. We both had clearly decided that any regrets we'd have later about leaping into bed with each other now, be they with leaving Angie and Clarice behind or letting our first time be tainted by the shadow of fear, they couldn't compare to the regret at the unthinkable happening before we could share in this moment. And so, I stepped forward to take Livia in my arms, kissing her desperately as though she might vanish with the morning dew at sunrise.
Livia squeaked in surprise at the sudden ardor of my kiss, but soon sank into it with a contented sigh as she returned my passion, slipping her arms out of her jumpsuit and allowing it to fall to the floor as she wrapped her arms around my neck. Wordlessly, I helped her finish stepping out of the offending garment before she leapt into my arms, wrapping her legs around my waist as I supported her with one hand at the small of her back and one beneath her. We made our way to the bed before losing balance and collapsing, the two of us laughing briefly as we took a moment to catch our breath. Livia recovered first, quickly shrugging out of her bra and panties before rolling on top of me to resume our kissing from before. Almost on instinct, I cupped her breasts, and I relished in the moan she let out against my lips as I fondled her, just as I had for the last two nights. For a minute or so, Livia seemed to be content, but when I didn't "press forward", she gave a frustrated little growl against my lips.
"Leon… I want you to touch me, not just fondle," grumbled Livia as she grabbed my wrist and pulled my hand lower toward her sex.
"...Alright, but I'm going to be careful with the pace," I conceded, allowing my hand to drift lower-
"Come on, dammit!" swore Marie. "Will you just frigging pick up?! I'm trying to save your future baby-mama from getting body-jacked, dammit!"
Twenty calls made. Twenty calls unanswered. For the twentieth time in as many minutes, Marie cursed the fact that she didn't have the ability to Override the comm like Leon did. Still, there was one option she did have… Even though it might mean hell to pay later, she did have one setting on her communicator that could get a call to ring through even when Leon's comm was turned off or silenced. Leon had told her never to use it unless she was in a "life-or-death" situation, but… surely the circumstances could justify it? Marie called for the twenty-first time, this time pressing the "Priority One" option…
-My comm unit sounded off a Priority One message as Marie called in.
"Gods damn it!" swore Livia in frustration as the sound of my comm unit signaled an end to our activities proceeding to the main event.
"...I know," I consoled as best as I could, pulling my pants on even as part of me screamed in frustration. "I'll get her to call back in the morning if it isn't something life-threatening."
"Two minutes, Leon," pouted Livia as she threw on her bra and pulled the bedsheets over her lower half to preserve her modesty during the call. "Two minutes and, whether you're off the call or still on, we'll pick up right where we left off…"
I quickly stole a kiss before answering the call from Marie, allowing some of the frustration to seep into my voice.
"Marie, unless someone is dying or at risk of dying, I would request that you delay this update until morning-" I began tiredly.
"Don't let Livia near the Saintess's Necklace-urk!" blabbered Marie as soon as the call connected, clearly frantic to convey this news, but she stopped dead in her tracks as soon as she caught sight of our state of undress quickly covering her eyes. "Fuck!"
"-That was the idea, Miss Marie, and I would very much like to get back to it since I've finally managed to convince Leon…" sighed Livia with a hint of exasperation. "So if all that you have to report is that we should keep the Necklace away from me-"
"The Relics are possessed!" blurted Marie suddenly.
The silence following Marie's declaration was deafening as Livia and I exchanged a look. While I'd suspected that the Relics had been separated for a reason having to do with their magic not interacting well with Livia unless absolutely necessary, I'd never even thought that anything like "possession" could be involved. A chill ran down my spine as Livia's description of events started to make a horrifying amount of sense. I turned back to Marie, my attention fully focused now even as Livia leaned in to get a better view as well.
"...Marie, start from the beginning and explain exactly what you mean when you say that the Relics are 'possessed'," I asked slowly, attempting to keep myself from rushing to the Necklace to hurl it into the Great Unknown. "Are you talking like ghosts and vengeful spirits, or are the Relics themselves alive?"
"...Goddamn loaded weapons...All the frigging luck, I swear…" muttered Marie enviously, briefly distracted by Livia's bust. "...Gotta be 'E-cups' if not 'F-cups'...Why couldn't I be a 'B'-"
"Focus, Marie," I redirected, finding my own patience wearing thin. "What happened in the Dungeon today? How did you figure it out?"
"Okay, so after reaching the hidden passageway on Level Four, we found ourselves on Level Nineteen, which I'm so glad you gave us an anti material rifle for, because it was swarming with Cave Trolls," explained Marie. "After we cleared them out, we were able to make it to the hidden room where the Bracelet was located, but we also found… a temple priestess…"
"Wait, how the hell did a priestess survive getting to that level of the dungeon, much less past the horde of Cave Trolls you described?" I asked, frowning.
"She… didn't…" sighed Marie. "She was the priestess who separated the Relics in the first place… Judging from the missing left arm and right leg of her remains, she would have bled out moments after placing the Bracelet in the room…"
"Damn...I'm sorry…" I winced.
"Yeah… definitely a fucked-up thing to find waiting for us…" admitted Marie. "Well, as I was busy puking my guts out, Angelica found her journal, which basically outlined the whole thing. Apparently this priestess, Sister Liana, discovered that each Relic possessed a part of the soul of the First Saintess, who was betrayed by the Founding Families to be separated from her lover-"
"-Lea Bartfort…" I concluded, thinking back to what I'd read about the first Bartfort patriarch from Journal Three that my father wrote. "...Dammit, that's… complicated. My family history always said that Lea retired from adventuring to the quiet life of the countryside, but if he was betrayed by his comrades-"
"At this point there's no way to know, and it honestly doesn't matter," argued Marie. "Point is that Saintess Anne split her soul into three pieces and hid the pieces inside her Relics so that she could enact her vengeance when a new 'vessel' with sufficient power and youth was born since she'd been too old and weakened by the time she'd gotten around to it. Any one of those pieces could potentially start a partial possession, and if all three were in the same room as Livia-"
I let Marie's words wash over me as I became lost in my own thoughts. The events of the past twelve hours suddenly fell into place with horrifying clarity. The ace in the hole that we'd been searching for had now turned out to be a proverbial poisoned apple. Every moment that the Necklace stayed aboard the Razor's Crest was another moment that risked Livia's ancestor turning her, the woman I loved and wanted to grow old and raise kids with, into some sort of flesh puppet for a millenia-old quest for revenge. Well… there really was only one thing to do here, wasn't there?
"So… They're all alive and well?" asked Carla for the third time as Greg dealt the next hand. "All of my friends that Steph sent away?"
"Aye, lass, they are," chuckled Kane. "Miss Sienna an' her missus are back at our hideout at the moment, but every one of them is doing just fine."
Greg would have laughed at the situation, but there was something that seemed… off… in the way that Carla wavered between disbelief, relief, shock, and… silence. They'd gotten to know the Captain fairly well in the past hour, playing poker in the Observation Deck of the Razor's Crest since it would be near to Livia's assigned stateroom where she would emerge with Leon so that the five of them could discuss their next move. Truthfully, Greg didn't think they'd see either one of them until breakfast tomorrow morning, and he'd put fifty dia behind his words. Carla then expressed concerns about what sounds might be overheard if they stayed in the Observation Deck, but Luxion assured them that the soundproofing on the room combined with his Privacy Filter tech would prevent anything from being overheard.
"Wait, Sienna is with a woman?" blinked Carla. "That… actually, that makes a shocking amount of sense, in hindsight. Still, why couldn't she have taken her lover quietly and stayed in society-"
"Well, society tends to frown on having a relationship with a demihuman other than a purely sexual one," groused Kane, his expression turning darker. "We helped get her and her lover out of there, actually-"
"Wait… Sienna is with her personal maid Jane?!" exclaimed Carla. "That's wonderful-"
Before Carla could ask anything more about her friend, the door to Livia's stateroom slammed open, signaling Greg's loss of fifty dia. However, Greg was more concerned at the fact that Leon seemed to be quite upset, especially for a man leaving his lover's bedchamber. Livia was barely buttoned-in the blouse she wore, clearly having hastily-thrown the garment on to pursue after Leon with any amount of decency. Realizing quickly that there would be no further answers to be gained from visual observation, Greg turned his attention to the conversation between the two lovers, instantly taking a little relief at Leon's first statement.
"-throwing the damned thing overboard!" growled Leon. "You mean too much to me to risk it-"
"Leon, no you can't!" protested Livia as she tried to catch up to Leon while buttoning her blouse. "The fate of the kingdom-"
"-The fate of the kingdom can go suck a cock!" snarled Leon. "I'll be damned before I let your ancestor wear you like some sort of skinsuit just because it might save the kingdom! I'm throwing the damned thing into the Endless Sea and there's nothing you can say to change my mind…"
Greg quickly exchanged a look with Brad as they both thought back to their conversation with Leon from earlier. They'd thought there was something bad about the Relic, but to throw it into the sea?! What exactly had Leon figured out since they'd left off their conversation?! What did he mean by "skinsuit"?! The answer came quickly from a very unexpected source…
"Leon, don't be an idiot! I agree we need to get Livia away from the Relic, but we need to think this through-" interjected…was that Marie? How the hell did she get aboard the Razor's Crest-
"I've thought about it plenty, and there's no benefit that would outweigh the risk of the woman I love becoming a flesh puppet, so-" argued Leon.
"Leon, I will stop you with force if I have to! I'll… I'll smother you in my breasts until you pass out!" threatened Livia, lifting her aforementioned bust to illustrate her point.
"Oi! Don't you threaten me with a good time!" snapped Leon. "Leave your perfect boobs out of this-"
"Yes Livia! Use those Gods-given boobies to take him down!" encouraged Marie from wherever she was on the ship. "And if that doesn't work, you can always trap his head between your thighs-"
"Don't you start giving her ideas, you little gremlin!" interjected Leon. "She can seduce me perfectly fine without your help-"
"Damn and blast ye all to the Open Sky, will ye shut yer gobs for a moment!" shouted Captain Kane over the squabble.
Silence fell over the room at Captain Kane's outburst, cutting through the frankly ridiculous argument that Leon was having with his lover. Now that things had calmed, Greg could finally locate where Marie's voice was coming from; a holographic display above Livia's wrist. A brief jolt of envy flowed through Greg at the revelation of a way to communicate with Marie, regardless of the distance, but he put it from his mind. It was something to ask Leon later once they'd settled matters with the Necklace. Kane cleared his throat, addressing Leon directly.
"...Now, I take it that ye've figured out the truth behind the necklace, lad?" asked Kane as Leon nodded in confirmation. "...And yer lady be the next Saintess, aye?"
"...Does everyone have to make that assumption immediately?" lamented Livia.
"...Five bloody Barrier spells, lass…" deadpanned Kane. "Ye can't deny that a bit…"
Livia simply pouted petulantly, even as Leon pulled her into a side-arm hug and kissed her head. Even with the seriousness of the situation around them, Greg couldn't help but smile at the bond between Leon and Livia, and he couldn't help but feel another pang of longing as he caught sight of the hologram of Marie. It had only been a few days, but the separation had been difficult to deal with even still. Perhaps he could ask a favor of Leon, when the time actually came for him and the others-
Not the time for that, Greg. Besides, you'll need to toughen up your spirit if you and the others are going to last the years that it'll take for Marie and Julius to produce heirs…
"...Well, it seems that we've got a bit to discuss, then," commented Leon nonchalantly, in spite of the hint of worry in his voice.
"Aye, that we do," agreed Kane as he cleared away the poker game. "Reckon we'll need another bottle or two, though…"
It took an hour to fully go over everything that Kane had for us about the Necklace. Sister Liana had instructed him to not allow the next Saintess candidate to use her powers near the Necklace if possible, because it could trigger a partial possession if the candidate didn't maintain proper mental discipline. Apparently, my shouted words were enough of a grounding influence to shake Livia from her stupor and regain control, acting as a sort of "anchor" to reality. The possession effect would only increase as the Relics were gathered together in a single place, and the moment that Livia came in contact with all three, it would take one hell of an "anchor point" to keep her in the present. In that instance, it made sense why the "True Ending" of the game was the 100% Harem Route: the more love interests, the more "anchor points" to keep Livia from being possessed.
I sighed as I stared out into the night. We'd loaded the Necklace onto the Arroganz and sent it to the Kingdom ahead of us in order to get it away from Livia as quickly and securely as we could. Marie would then consolidate the Necklace and Bracelet in a secure location with Luxion's assistance. Having thoroughly exhausted my tolerance for nonsense for today and having had the mood thoroughly spoiled with Livia, I decided to take a brief stroll along the deck tonight before I retired to Livia's cabin. As I followed along the starboard railing, I could see Carla staring out into the Endless Sea, clearly trying to let the stillness of the water calm the storm of thoughts in her mind. I leaned against the railing without a word as I stood next to her, staring out at the water.
"...Lord Leon," nodded Carla briefly, still attempting to clear her thoughts. "Shouldn't you…be with Lady Livia?"
"We'll spend the night in her cabin later, but I would say that the moment for anything like you're thinking has decidedly passed…" I chuckled. "...You seem out of sorts, Carla. Something on your mind?"
"...To be honest, I was wondering if I was really worthy of serving as a Follower to anyone, given what I've learned about Steph tonight from Captain Kane," sighed Carla.
"...Okay, that's going to need a little more explanation for me to follow that line of thought," I frowned.
"You remember what I told you about Steph sending those who disobeyed or failed her to pirates to 'meet their fate'?" began Carla. "According to Captain Kane, every single one of those girls had good reason to leave their families, and all of them are alive and well with the Sharks."
"...Okay? Certainly, that's good news, but I'm not seeing how that makes you a terrible Follower…" I replied.
"According to Captain Kane, Steph didn't tell them that she'd be using the Sharks to help them escape, but… that's basically what she's done for them, and I cannot help but wonder whether it was an intentional ploy on her part…" fretted Carla. "I guess… I'm just starting to doubt whether my betrayal of Steph was truly justified or not…"
"...Carla, did Steph give any indication to you that she was anything other than what she portrayed?" I asked.
"...No, no she never did," admitted Carla.
"Was there anyone that was closer to Carla than you were?" I asked.
"No, I knew her the best out of all of her Followers…" sighed Carla. "I see your point, but I'm just concerned that I'll end up betraying you-"
"Good, please do," I smirked.
"My Lord?!" exclaimed Carla in shock.
"Carla, if I start acting in a way that goes against your moral compass and I will not hear any word to the contrary, I want you to sell me out for as little as a half-eaten shortbread cookie," I explained. "Part of the reason why I'm going so far to help you and accept your oath of fealty so readily is that unwavering moral compass of yours. I know that you'll keep me on course, morally-speaking, regardless of what happens."
"...I see…" smiled Carla. "Then I shall do so to the best of my ability, Lord Leon."
With that, Carla made her way back below deck, leaving me to my thoughts. I could see Carla's concerns were valid, so I planned to temper my response to the Offreys when the Queen inevitably gave me the task of bringing them in. The same could not be said of any members of the Forest of Ladies, should I be tasked with handling them as well, but that would be a task for another day. After a moment, I realized that I was no longer alone as Greg leaned against the railing with me.
"So, today was certainly one hell of a day, wasn't it?" asked Greg with a smirk.
"...Yeah, sure was," I nodded. "At least we're on our way home again."
"Thank the Gods for that," agreed Greg. "Seeing Marie on that holoscreen thing was really damn nice, but I'm looking forward to having her in my arms again."
"Oh?" I smirked, to which Greg punched me in the shoulder.
"Not like that, you ass," chuckled Greg in spite of himself. "You know damn well what I'm talking about."
"Yeah, I definitely do," I laughed. "Believe me, I'm looking forward to fulfilling my promise with Clarice as soon as I step onto the docks."
"What promise would that be?" asked Greg as he turned to me, intrigued.
"To 'make sure I don't miss' the next time I kiss her," I chuckled.
"...I swear to the Gods, you could make a fortune writing romance novels with lines like that," commented Greg with a laugh.
"I've already got a fortune from Belmont, and besides, I'd rather have a quiet life raising a family than a life of fame and fortune," I grumbled good-naturedly.
"...You know, Leon, I do envy you a little bit," sighed Greg as he looked out at the stars. "You'll never have to be separated from the women you love after you're married-"
"Wait, what do you mean by that?" I frowned at Greg. "Why would you need to be separated from Marie?"
"Succession and bloodlines," replied Greg simply, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "The Kingdom needs to be sure that their future King is the one to sire the new Crown Prince, right? They can't be if me and the others are intimate with Marie during that time. It's not like there's a spell that'll show a baby's lineage, after all."
I blinked briefly, before the full implications of what Greg had just told me sank in, and I found myself shocked that I'd failed to consider the matter. As Old Humans, Marie and I never considered the political implications of how a reverse-harem would work in the absence of reliable paternity testing. I knew for a fact that Marie and Julius hadn't considered this yet either, because this sort of development would have triggered an emotional meltdown of truly nuclear proportions. For a moment, I wondered if Greg really was the "meathead" that he appeared to be, or if there was some other explanation for his poor scholastic performance and general lack of knowledge. However, now wasn't the time to address that.
"...Greg, have you talked with any of the others about this?" I asked carefully.
"Well, Brad and I had a chat about it, and we were hoping to ask if we could join your adventuring party after the Academy," elaborated Greg. "You know, just to keep ourselves busy while we're separated from Marie."
"But you've not talked with anyone else?" I pressed further. "Not even Marie or Julius?"
"Well, I was going to wait until things had warmed up between you and Chris to bring it up with him, and I figured that things would still be too tense between Clarice and Jilk for that to ever be an option," shrugged Greg. "But I'm sure they've considered it, right?"
"...Greg, if Marie and Julius had considered it, I'm sure they'd have ranted to me about it by now…" I frowned. "...Look, there's an Old Human technique for determining paternity of a child, so let me talk with the Queen to see how we can best introduce it to the Kingdom at large. That way, we can sidestep the issue entirely-"
"You think that the Kingdom is going to trust a technique so quickly after its reintroduction?" chuckled Greg mirthlessly. "No, maybe in fifty years, the technique you speak of may help our grandchildren or perhaps even great grandchildren, but even if it is possible, there's no way that it'll be believed so quickly."
"...At the very least, I'll have comm units prepared for you and the other five, and I'll do everything in my power to make sure that the five of you aren't separated," I promised, knowing that Greg was spot-on in his assessment of the issue.
"...Thanks, Leon…" smiled Greg, truly grateful for the gesture, even if he had little hope for it himself, but after a moment another thought came to him. "...The Nightmare Scenario is real, isn't it?"
"...Yeah…" I replied, letting the word hang for a moment. "How'd you figure it out?"
"You'd never have recruited Alice otherwise," answered Greg. "And you would have simply adopted the Lost Children into your territory rather than recruited them to the Bastards…"
"...True enough…" I shrugged. "Are you going to ask how I know that it's real?"
"Nah, you'll tell us when we need to know," grinned Greg, before his face sobered up. "...So, you're going to be Livia's 'anchor point', then…"
"...Yeah, and I'm worried whether I'll be enough on my own to keep her with us-" I worried, finally giving voice to the concerns that had led me to pace the deck of the Razor's Crest in the middle of the night.
"Dude, if anyone would be the anchor she needs, it'd be you, hands down," snorted Greg. "You've been there for her ever since you met her, and you will clearly love her until the end of time. And besides, if I understand the situation correctly, Livia has Angelica and Clarice in her life as well to act as anchor points, right?"
"...You have a point, but you can't tell me you wouldn't still worry if Marie was in Livia's position and you were in mine," I sighed.
"And you'd be in my position, reassuring me that everything will turn out just fine," smiled Greg as he clapped me on the shoulder in a friendly gesture of support.
I quietly prayed that he was right, but I allowed the matter to drift from my mind for the moment as I instead turned my thoughts to what I would say to Angie and Clarice when I saw them again. It was a long overdue conversation, and while I had reassurances that things would turn out the way that I'd hoped, Livia's analogy to a leap of faith from a cliff to a lake below came to mind. In just a few days, it would be time to take the plunge, whether I was ready or not.
So another shorter chapter this time as we tie up a few more loose threads before we finally have "the Talk". Most everyone caught on with where the Winged Sharks were going last chapter, but there are still a few reveals coming that I'm slowly laying the groundwork for.
Other than that, not a whole lot else to say, other than I'm looking forward to finally writing the Talk, as well as settling things with the Offreys.
June 21 to July 5 are the dates I'm aiming to have the next chapter done by. Hope you all are well!