In the Pocket Castle's armory, Mephisto, the magician yoma, was overseeing the registering and stocking of the new items acquired by Luka on his latest adventures. Using her wand like she was conducting an opera, she guided the different servants that decided to help and were moving the latest acquisitions. Looted items included food that needed to be enchanted to ensure it would remain edible for as long as needed, while equipment would need to be referenced to be later used by the active party. She could frequently hear whispers asking why there was food into abstract pocket dimensions, and whether it was truly edible or not. Mephisto smirked as she knew said food would invariably be gifted by the hero to a monster that would feel left alone, followed by a request for intimacy for a night.
After a few minutes of work, she could feel a magical signature approaching behind her that could be recognized as a wandering Morrigan. She did not turn back as she asked the incoming succubus:
"I heard the Sabasan princess suddenly wanted to do a full magic inquisition to know the whole truth about her genealogy. Am I correct in assuming the responsibility for this decision lie mostly on your shoulders?"
"Weeeell, she might not have taken well the fact that Lilith was possibly involved with her past parents… and that Astaroth is currently acquainting herself with her father."
"Good grief, I thought wrecking lives was more in the line of what the fox kin would do. You really like destroying people lives before killing them, don't you?"
"Hey! I'm not the one responsible for this one! It's not my fault my sisters cannot control their drives! We're succubi, after all!"
"I have succubi students that are more responsible than you while being several times younger. Maybe you should receive a new education from a more reliable source."
Morrigan burst into a laugh as if she heard the joke of the year.
"Don't make me laugh! You? Reliable? Pfwahahaha!"
"I fear I don't understand what you mean."
"Oh, please, remember when you betrayed Lilith and attacked Grangold? Ring any bell? Weren't you supposed to help us? I do remember the Monster Lord of this world forming one of those contract you seems to like so much with you."
Mephisto smiled at the succubus while fiddling with her wand.
"Where is the issue? I held up the end of any bargain I took. The monster lord asked me to help Grand Noah to the best of my ability and I did. She also asked me to inform your sister Lilith on what happened in the region and I did. What she did with the information was no longer my responsibility."
Morrigan suddenly got closer to Mephisto and smiled creepily.
"Riiight. And then the Grand Noah Queen told you to come up with a plan to help take down Lilith and Grangold, and you did. Then she told you to directly help Luka, and you did."
She then proceeded to shove her still smiling face into the yoma in an attempt to intimidate het. The latter did not visibly react to the intrusion into her personnal space.
"Where was the bargain with the Fifteenth in that?!"
Mephisto gave a nudge with her wand into Morrigan's face to push her back slightly.
"The contract with the now defunct monster lord lost its value once I was in the hero's custody, as it confirmed she could not uphold her end of the bargain which was to guarantee my safety. But of course, I don't hold it against her since she had other uses for the resources available at hand. As I accepted to be a disposable pawn, she had accepted that my loyalty goes first and foremost to the one I am in a contract with."
Morrigan was as surprised by the answer as she was by the wand in her face. She blurted out:
"And you didn't consider your loyalty to monsterkind at large?"
The yoma closed her eyes for a short moment as she was carefully choosing her words.
"By loyalty to monsterkind, I suppose you mean loyalty to the Founder, which by proxy would mean loyalty to you and your sisters."
"Yes!" Morrigan's tone became more sarcastic. "Or should we have formed another contract while asking you to leave the little hero?"
Mephisto declared solemnly.
"As I said, my loyalty goes to the ones I have a deal with. I would not be so crass as to sign up an agreement with someone when said agreement would compromise the original one. I choose to do so by my own volition. It is a part of what drives me as a monster, as some are driven by their desire to be stronger, some others by their raw lust, and even some by a desire to inflict pain on the ones they see as weaker. I noticed the latter ones are not always as smart as they think, as they have a tendency to notice too late when they pick on bigger than them."
Morrigan scowled for a moment before she looked down. "Touché."
Mephisto looked on her side as a scylla maid was handing her a clipboard. The task at hand was finally complete, and she did not have any more tasks for the evening. Maybe she would take a trip to Grandeur to enjoy the spectacles given there… The coliseum still left a bitter taste in her mouth after the incident with Alma Elma.
She took a long look at the items acquired. Of course, the document confirmed most were food items that would be managed by the hero or the cooks later on. However, there were also several useful accessories: A bracelet of strength named Giganto Wrist, a Shadow Cape of evasion, several ability boosting scrolls, and a vial containing…
Mephisto's eyes widened for a second. It was only when she saw Morrigan's surprised expression that she realized she swore several times. Of course, the succubus took notice and was already trying to take a peek at the list.
"Calm down, you can take a look. Yes, there are some items that will interest you."
The succubus snatched the list without a word and started browsing the items. As soon as she started showing her typical insane grin, Mephisto realized she might have made a big mistake.
The yoma magus pinched the bridge of her nose. It seemed that move became prominent in the castle those last weeks.
"Just don't do anything stupid such as using it on Luka… Are you even listening? No? Good grief…"
The succubus was already out of her line of sight before Mephisto ended her last sentence. A part of the magician did not want to admit that one of the reasons she did not make any effort toward getting back on the monster lord's side was the sheer exhaustion she suffered each time she had to deal with the Founder's representatives. Why, of all the people she had at hand, did she send those three succubi? They were as impulsive as one could be, as proud as they were powerful, and had a sex drive to match. On their own, they were the mistresses of "didn't think that one through," and it was clear nobody in this world had a leash on them. She had reached the point where she preferred taking a chance and cross the sisters path than having to deal daily with them any longer. Until the day Luka somehow managed to recruit one. Then she both had to deal daily with one of them and the fear of crossing the others' path.
"Is something wrong?"
She didn't even notice the small monster lord that approached her, her arms crossed in her usual posture.
"Nothing more than the usual mixed feelings of fear and exhaustion one suffers after having dealt with Morrigan".
Alice sighed heavily.
"Well, it's not like we wanted her to join us. I trust her even less than you. What is she actually doing?"
Mephisto's tone tried to remain as neutral as possible.
"I do not know yet, but she took one of the items recently acquired, and, going by her insane expression, I do not think she is up to anything good."
"What item did she took?"
"Minagi's vaginal fluids."
Alipheese remained dumbfounded for several moments, only emitting inarticulate sounds, until Mephisto clarified the situation.
"I am not sure if the liquid actually is what its namesake designs it as, but it apparently incapacitates anyone who would lose itself in its sex drive. It would be very effective against anyone weak to pleasure, such as beast monsters, the hero…"
"Or the angels in the chapel?"
Mephisto and Alice looked at each other with fear in their eyes.
"Should we at least warn them?"
"No, they wouldn't trust what we have to say anyway."
Alice grinned evilly.
"We can as well enjoy the show for once."
