A/N: *Me reading the last volume of Mobuseka.
Sees that it's in fact "Alte Liebe: The Saint's Tale" "Alte" with an "E".
Me: Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu
In all seriousness, although I can acknowledge the shortcomings of the series I can thoroughly say I loved it. Especially the stuff with Arcadia and the demonic armors. I feel like some knowledge over what the demon diabolos was actually like is needed, but I could make it work. Maybe for Co-op? Meh.
Last time we had finished all the events of The Eminence in Shadow Season 1 and Mobuseka Volumes 1-3. What comes next could be summed up as such:
Mobuseka Volume 4/5 (I'll be honest I'm not sure I need to keep the events of volume 4) - Mobuseka Volume 6/ The Red Moon Arc - John Smith / Mobuseka Volume 7.
I'm still planning the things after, and I do want to wait for the new part of the Apocrypha chapter in Master of Garden before I go back to the Cid side story. I do need to do the other two rooms in the helmet before the John Smith arc, but I kind of want to get some more detail on what the time was like then before I plan out things.
Essentially though, the plan is this.
After John Smith / Mobuseka Volume 7 - Oriana - Earth Arc.
Like I said before, I might end things with the Earth arc because of the lack of information when it comes to The Eminence in Shadow. I could see crossing over Mobuseka Volume 8 with The Jack the Ripper Arc. However, that's the events of the latest novel in The Eminence in Shadow, where as Mobuseka still has Volumes 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13. So I feel like I should maybe wait for The Eminence in Shadow to have a couple of more volumes, but who knows when that's going to come out.
I guess I could also make up some stuff… but I don't really like fics that make up new villains, so I can't see myself writing them either, and having a crossover fic go through 5 volumes worth of content from only one series…? Well that sounds pretty boring.
If you guys have suggestions I'll listen to them at least. But the current plan is that I might end things with the Earth Arc, at least given the potential time travel things I could do.
Anyway, glad to be back, and I'll be honest part of writing this first part's difficulty was how much I wanted to cut out.
Leon Fou [now Rapha] Barfort: Renowned adventurer and current crown prince. / previously: Hiro (pre:isekai)—Lea of Bart's Fort (The true founder of Holfort and lover to the Saintess Ann and Mary)—JOU_MOU_ (someone who used to work in Luxion's facility.)
Angelica Rapha Redgrave: Daughter of Duke Redgrave and ex-fiancé to Julius/ Previously: Ann of Bart's Fort (aka Saintess Ann and lover of Lea of Bart's fort). / Also goes by Angie to close friends and loved ones.
Olivia: Commoner from the Kagenou Barony. / previously: Mary lover and companion to Ann and Lea. When they had returned from their adventures in ancient Midgar, all three had been attacked by the founding heirs as they all wanted Ann. To save Lea and Ann from such a fate, she teleported them away, and swapped bodies with Ann. / Is also known as Livia by her close friends and loved ones.
Cid Kagenou: fiancé to several famous elves but just a regular mob you'd find anywhere / previously: Minoru Kagenou boy from Earth that would be transported to the ancient times of the current before dying at the hands of his friends due to becoming demonically possessed out of grief. / Also dons the secret identity of "Lord Shadow." Leader and founder of The Shadow Garden. / Mundane Mann, a pathetic looking sword wielder that disappeared many years ago and has returned for the Bushin festival. / Kageno of Mitsugoshi, after an argument with his parents, Cid decides to go by Kageno for a while. / Herlock Sholmes. During the trial of Leon v Holfort, Cid disguised himself as the famous detective.
Alice [Kagenou: Cid's personal elf servant, lover, and childhood friend / previously: Beatrice (this is non canon, but all of Shadow Garden had identities before joining so I made a name up for her.) / Dons the secret identity of "Alpha" or "Lady Shade." Co-leader and second founder of The Shadow Garden, first of the Seven Shades. The name "Alpha" is only used by those in Shadow Garden.
Other Shadow Garden Members: All of the seven shades have secret identities. They see their Shadow Garden names as their true names and will use that in their own thoughts. But to everyone not in Shadow Garden that sees them as their secret identities will use those names.
Beta: Natsume Kafka, renowned writer.
Gamma: Luna of Mitsugoshi, owner of said store and many others, richest Woman in the world. Xianyun, Swordmaster of the fareastern kingdoms.
Delta: Sara, certified good girl.
Epsilon: Shiron, amazing musician known internationally.
Zeta: Zetan. Previously known as Lilim, named after the therianthrope hero, Lili.
Eta: Goes by Eta Lloyd Wright, renowned Architect.
Charlie: Known previously as Carla Fou Wayne.
Yankee: Known previously as Stephanie Fou Offrey
Foxtrot: Sherry's mother, real name Lukreia.
Aurora: Called Violet by Cid, and now camps out in his soul/brain. Known as the Witch of Calamity, and the Demon Diabolos.
Disclaimer: I don't own Trapped in a Dating Sim: The World of Otome Games is Tough for Mobs nor The Eminence in Shadow. The only Beta reader here is the elf.
-Leon-
Relationships are funny things. They're difficult to cultivate when you want them, and they fall apart so easily. Then there are the relationships you can't escape even if you want to. And there's even the relationships that you want to cultivate but have to leave on the back burner due to stupid stuff like having to save the world.
My name is Leon Rapha Barfort, and I was standing on the Einhorn's deck, holding a scrubbing brush under the blinding sun with my sleeves and pant legs rolled up.
As you might have guessed from the vessel's name, the Einhorn's most eye-catching feature was the horn protruding from its bow. The ship was wine-red, accented with gold and silver plating, and it measured about two hundred meters long. Angie, Iris, and Claire, all loved it, while the others grumbled about me playing favorites.
I'll be honest, it was an accident that I made a ship that so very clearly matched their aesthetics. Apparently given my status as the new crown prince I needed something that would match my status. However, despite its aristocratic exterior, it had been built by my partner, Luxion. As such, the inside couldn't have been more different from most ships in this world.
It's no Partner… or well, scratch that, it really is. See, the Einhorn was made from the wreckage of the Partner. We couldn't exactly risk anyone getting their hands on the technology. So, with the help of our Mitsugoshi friends we scavenged the wreckage and that of The Weiss. That's probably also why Luxion and Cleare managed to get their hands on the love test now that I think about it.
Anyway, despite the fact that I had gotten married to Angie and Livia, even if it was legally just an engagement to the rest of the world, I needed to take care of the issues that the next game in Alto Liebe would bring about.
Especially since they're pregnant.
Heh.
I still can't believe it.
I'm going to be a dad.
Which means that I absolutely can't let some world ending threat go. It was one thing to potentially threaten my loved ones, but my kids?
[Master, you are beginning to generate electricity again.]
Sigh*
"Right, sorry." I said as I took a breath and went back to scrubbing.
I'm headed towards the Alzer Republic currently. Because apparently that's where the second game would take place. Not to mention that it happens concurrently to the story of the first game.
It's nothing but unfortunate that I had to go now, but at least there was the idea that even though I might miss most of Livia and Angie's pregnancy, I would likely be able fix everything pretty soon. According to Marie, the first year barely has you interact with the love interests, it's mainly dedicated to you grinding stats with some interactions thrown in to help tide you over.
If I had to guess the shitty devs had given the first year such a emphasis on grinding early on due to how difficult their game was to play last time. You know, instead of balancing the damn thing. According to Marie the gameplay basically didn't change after all, but it was less Pay to Win.
This is also why I don't know anything about whether or not the second game has an equivalent to Luxion. Marie assured me that this just meant I didn't have to worry about going all pay to win on the country.
Silly Marie though, Life's a Pay to Win Game.
"Leon!" shouted one of the few people I could stand. "We finished with our work but those five aren't doing jack shit again!"
"Ask their girlfriend to handle it!" I shouted back.
"They aren't listening to her!"
I sighed and marched over to the part of the deck where those idiots were. Cid, my best friend, joined me.
Cid Kagenou… how would I describe the guy…? I mean he's cool and all, but I guess he's always just kinda there? Like, he does have a harem of 7 or so cool girls, but as far as I care he's just my buddy. He does have that mana sickness thing but he seems to have it figured out for the most part. From what I can tell the familiar in his bracelet is helping him out a bit.
I do remember that some stuff in the cash shop would allow you to get a pet that could aid you in the dungeon crawl, so I imagine it's something similar. He did say he got in Lindwurm, which makes me suspicious as to what is in his bracelet, but I guess it's fine.
Cid also has two pregnant fiancés right now; Alice, his main wife / childhood friend / personal maid that always accompanied him everywhere and Luna, the richest woman in the world thanks to her business Mitsugoshi, which I can only describe as a store selling things from modern day Earth to the middle age setting we're in. Needless to say that Luna, and by extension everyone in Cid's harem, never had to worry about ever running out of money. If anything they'd need to worry about making too much money.
"Hey, you better listen up, you morons!" I yelled from the deck.
A group of people stood in front of me, including the wicked witch herself, Marie Fou Lafan. Marie looked dainty, but she was surprisingly resilient. The wind blew through her golden hair, and she reached up to pin it back with her hand.
In my previously life she had been my little sister, Hanabi. Since I met her in this one, she's been the same annoying sister that causes problems I'd need to clean up.
"This is against my will," I complained, "Entirely against my will! But since I have no choice, I'll be looking after you all. Having said that, don't expect to get fed if you can't work for yourselves!"
Julius Rapha Holfort and his friends glowered at me, cleaning utensils in hand. Still, he didn't have much right to whine. Since I beat them in the duel, I was their superior as the new Crown Prince.
"It's not as though we're pleased with this situation either," Julius complained, the wind whipping through his navy-blue hair.
He and his four friends were the love interests of the first game, all ensnared by Marie thanks to her knowledge of said game's events. And a mind control device, although she didn't use that until they started to deviate from the game thanks to my machinations.
To their credit, despite her trying to get rid of them by revealing what she had done and her reincarnation based knowledge, they still loved her.
Perhaps even a bit too much.
"If you dumbasses want to complain about stuff then complain to Miss Mylene." Shouted Claire, causing the five boys to flinch while Cid and I smirked. "Or wait, no, you can't since she's still pissed with what you did with all the money you guys were given!"
Claire Kagenou, Cid's hot older sister and one of my fiancés. If I were to sum her up, I'd say cute tsundere tomboy with some bro-con tendencies for flavor. Well, I say that, but in actuality she's actually pretty feminine with her long black hair that reaches her knees when down. She totally is a bro-con though. If it wasn't for me dating her and the girls she shares me with to distract her she'd probably be spending time with Cid 24/7.
"Ohohoho!" laughed Deirdre behind her hand like the ojou-sama she is. "I still can't believe that you all wasted that on a golden statue! Ohohoho! My father had a similar statue made for my mother last year, and yet he didn't spend even half the amount! Ohohoho!"
As my fiancé laughed adorably (causing her chest to move rather enticingly) I took in her appearance. Deirdre Fou Roseblade, daughter to a count and the picture of Noblesse Oblige. Powerful, Beautiful, and Prideful because of it, yet she is also one of the few noblewomen of Holfort that wasn't a piece of trash. Aside from Angie and Clarice, her and her followers were probably the best Holfort had to offer.
Jilk, the green haired conniving bastard, spoke up, "…Perhaps we were a bit swept in our devotion to Marie, but Julius is correct. We have no desire to be 'looked after,' and least of all by you. Respect for you as Marie's brother aside, I have only joined you because Her Majesty ordered me to do so."
"Which she did because you guys were a pain in the ass," shot back Cid.
Greg Fou Serberg, a muscular man with spiky short hair, lost his composure for a moment and shouted out, "It's not as though we wanted to be here! Much less with you Barfort!"
I laughed dryly, "What a coincidence, because I don't want to go either. On top of that, I have to deal with you jerks! What kind of nightmare is this?"
Chris Fia Arclight was the next to complain. He pushed his glasses up his nose under side-parted blue hair. This guy was a genius with a sword. Some even said he could be the next Sword Saint. While Greg tended to be hotheaded, Chris was more calm and analytical, "If you're so against studying abroad, you could have simply stayed in Holfort. I know there's something you and Marie wish to take care of in Alzer, but we would have been more than enough."
"…So you guys are going to forget that I'm the only one who could take on The Black Knight and Lord Shadow?" I asked, causing them all to flinch. "No more complaints, loser patrol. This is my ship, so you'd better do as I say. Just get that through your thick skulls, all right?"
"Do you suppose it goes in one ear, rolls off their smooth brains, and then goes back out?" snarked Cid.
"Ooh, nice one." Said Natsume, "You mind if I use that in my next book?"
As I laughed, Natsume took out the notebook she hides in her chest to take notes. Natsume Kafka is one of Cid's many fiancés. A silver-blueish hair elf woman who kinda reminds me of my own fiancé Livia. Both in their love for stories, although with Livia it's reading while Natsume it's writing, and in their figures. They're about the same height and have similar hair styles… and are… nice to hug looking.
Originally, I planned on going to Alzer alone. Maybe I'd drag Cid with me for back up, and maybe Claire too. I've learned that it's best to have some people you can rely on after all, and they're the least likely to cause any problems going somewhere. Unfortunately, the scumbag that is our current king, King Roland, had put me on babysitting duty. Even then, I'd only gone along with it because Mylene asked for my help. She was just too adorable to resist.
They were worried now that the war was over the boys would get up to something stupid, and them buying a giant gold statue of Marie to display in the school was just about the biggest warning sign they could make. Apparently, I'm the only person that wrangle these five idiots besides Marie, and they never listen to her when it matters, so when they heard I was leaving for Alzer they decided to make me take them.
It's the hope of Mylene that if they go somewhere where they won't be waited on hand and foot the boys would mature. Even despite the boys having to work for me to pay back Marie's debt, something they did manage to accomplish before buying the statue, they hadn't really started to realize how much a Dia is really worth.
The last member of the idiot brigade was the narcissistic Brad Fou Field. He shrugged and shook his head. His long purple hair was pulled over his shoulders in a low ponytail. This spoiled brat was known for his excellent grades and skill with magic, but beyond that, he was pretty useless. "Who would have dreamed we would be studying together?" he said, "It would appear that the bond between us is as unbreakable as it is undesirable. *Sigh* Perhaps there was a time we looked up to you as our brother-in-law, but the more time we spend with you the more we realize how misplaced that was."
"You took the words right out of my mouth!" I agreed, "I'm busy enough as it is. I don't have time to play nanny to you creeps!"
They exchanged looks and muttered to each other..
Meanwhile, Kyle, Marie's elf boy slave, gave the love interests a chilly look. "I do envy their ignorance a little." He told Marie. "At least we won't need to worry about where our next meal is coming from."
Marie nodded. "Good point. We won't go hungry so as long as we're with bubby."
"Bubby…?" asked a certain black haired and red-eyed ex-princess.
Marie looked back to the woman in question, "Oh, uh, Leon. He's… he's like an older brother to me! So I, uh, I call him bubby. That way my boys don't get the wrong idea about my relationship with him, y'know?"
"Bubby… *giggle* Perhaps I should begin calling Rude Sissy!" cheered Hertrauda.
Her guard nodded, "She'd probably love that."
The last members of our group were a bit of a surprise last minute addition. The day before I left, Hertrude and Hertrauda had asked for a meeting. I had some of the girls accompany me of course, but basically what it boiled down to is that Hertrauda had wanted to experience the outside world for herself. Even if Hertrude did spend a good amount of time on board the Partner as a prisoner of war, she was let loose in Midgar to enjoy her time with Sherry.
Relatedly, once we left Hertrauda also told me that she kind of wanted to avoid the love triangle between Sherry, Stephanie, and Hertrude. The castle was empty and certain noises echoed through the halls, she said. It wasn't just a three-way argument, she said.
She was accompanied by a girl known as Carla Fou Wayne, someone who used to serve Stephanie way back when, and as such kinda didn't want to be around with all the hostility still around Fanoss. Apparently, she also worked for Mitsugoshi for a time as a part of the division that dealt with foreign affairs, so she's familiar with Cid and his harem. Carla had a slender build and long, straight, navy-blue hair.
"It certainly is a relief not to worry about the food." She agreed, while munching on some snacks she pulled out of nowhere.
The four of them have some weird friendship forming, one that's mostly based on food. I don't get it, but as long as they don't cause trouble I guess it's fine.
"Until we arrive in the Alzer Republic, you lot are in charge of cleaning the ship. You'll earn three hundred dia a day. Once we dock, I'll convert the total into local currency and pay you in full."
Julius' eyes went wide. "Such a pitiful sum—are you trying to insult us?"
What was this guy talking about, that was about the equivalent of three hundred U.S. dollars a day just for cleaning! Yet they all looked shocked!
"You're a tyrant!" Jilk stepped back as though he couldn't stand to be near me.
"You intend to force us to clean for that pittance?" Brad's face contorted with confusion. "This is absurd!"
My shoulders slumped in exasperation.
"I say," Deirdre snapped her fan shut and pointed it in the direction of the boys, "Just how much do you think the servants of your households are paid? Considering the free room and board this is rather standard fair, even for those who work in the capital."
Cid shook his head, "Not to mention that Luxion and his robots do about most the work around here, you're basically being given an allowance to clean your room and a little bit of the deck."
The boys, faced with something they could never hope to possess: facts and logic, all grew angry.
"Barfort!" Greg declared, taking up a battle stance with his deck brush. "I challenge you to a duel! If I win, you shall treat us with more dignity!"
Was he serious? I was actually starting to pity these guys.
"Save the jokes for after you've finished working." I said. "And make it more obvious that you're messing around next time, I almost took you seriously."
"I am deadly serious."
I sighed and covered my face. I felt Cid pat me on the back. I also heard him snickering since he knew that this was more my problem than his.
Asshole.
"How can anyone be allowed to treat another person like this?" Chris demanded, clenching his jaw.
"You lot really are useless," bemoaned Claire, "All we're asking you to do is work a normal day. You even get a two hour break in the middle. The way you're acting one would think you were turned into slaves!"
The five tried shooting Claire angry looks but Cid and I shot even angrier looks their way and the begrudgingly went back to work.
Marie, meanwhile, was already heading inside with a bucket and mop. "Come on Kyle. Let's get this over with."
"Sounds good!" Kyle agreed. "This place is already pretty clean. I guess we just need to tidy the hallway and scrub the toilets?"
"Oh, I'll help with the lady's restroom" cheered Hertrauda, happy to do anything that wasn't what she did back home, "…Er, if you show me how first."
"I'll help too then." Said Carla as she crumpled up the food bag and stuffed it into her pocket, "Those who don't work, don't eat—as they say."
"I still can't believe that bubby would offer them so much just for cleaning though," said Marie with a snicker as she walked inside, "what a sucker."
You'd think as someone as manipulative as her she'd know to keep things to herself, but then again if it weren't for that habit of always screwing things over for herself in the end we wouldn't be where we are now.
"Barfort!" shouted Greg as he charged in my direction.
I just sighed and then hit him in the face with my broom, knocking him flat on his back. Comically, he slid on the wet floor all the way to where the other boys were standing and knocked them over like bowling pins. Humiliated, the boys decided to pick themselves up and got back to work.
Sigh*
Just my luck that I'd be hit with a job transfer before I had a proper honeymoon! I'm a stereotype! Why me!?
Gah! It's like being forced to take care of my old boss again! What's next? My ex shows up and gets me in trouble with my current partners?!
-Alpha-
I had imagined that on the light side of things, everything would be largely solved. That we'd still have to worry about the cult of Diabolos, but that we could rest assured that it was the only world ending threat in front of us. And at the very least we'd have the technology that was given to us by His Highness.
The access to armors and top of the line ships, something we previously had no hope of acquiring… well I can't exactly say how much of a boon it'd be in the future, especially with the 'baby AI' each ship had monitoring what we did with said ships, but I can't say that nothing would be gained from it.
I can't exactly blame his highness for locking some of the features each ship had, such as the mana drain web, given he knows we're associated with The Shadow Garden in some regard.
In any case, after a day of rest, his highness had summoned all of us, his little family and ours, to discuss what was going to happen in the future. He also gathered Marie and her five lovers. Since that meant Kyle was likely to attend I decided to seek out Yumeria.
She was still rather jealous of how much easier of a time I and the other would have when it comes to giving birth thanks to the technology of Old Humanity. However, after buying her forgiveness with a cake and a promise to let her see her son more often when available she was placated.
"Okay." Said Leon with a clap once all of us had settled in. "Everyone here is in on the secret right?"
I glanced towards Yumeria and Kyle.
"Kyle, you mind going outside with your mom for a bit?" asked Marie.
"W-what? Why?" asked Kyle.
Leon glanced in his direction, causing the boy to flinch, "We're going to discuss some secret stuff. I don't want to risk you two accidentally telling anybody."
Kyle pointed to the five heirs, "Then why do they get to stay!?"
At this most of us began to ponder things for a moment. This was prior to us knowing that Leon would be forced to take the five, so that wasn't a factor at the point.
"If Marie's going to be a part of this conversation, then we deserve to know!" shouted Julius, who was clearly flustered at how all of us must have been staring at the titular 'five idiots.'
"Let's go Kyle, I'll buy you ice cream." Said Yumeria.
Kyle's ears immediately perked up but like a boy his age he attempted to hide that immediately as he followed her out. "F-fine! But only because you're paying!"
"Say," said Clarice, "At what point did those two meet again? Surely Kyle would have had questions about his mom working for you guys after she used to be a nun at a church."
"Oh, I think it was during the Bushin Festival." Said Marie "He wouldn't want me to say this, but he was actually super worried about whether or not she was okay after Lord Shadow leveled Lindwurm. So when we saw her by accident he ended up spending an entire day catching up with her."
Marie then turned to Cid and I.
"Thanks again for taking her in, I'm not sure where else she could have gone after everything." Marie bowed to us on behalf of Kyle and Yumeria. I didn't have the heart to say we took her in because we'd otherwise would've had to kill her, and I'd feel bad if we killed her thanks to her adorable looks.
She cries whenever she steps on a flower, how could I just get rid of her? I'm no monster, I rid the world of them.
"Well, that's cool and all but it's not why we're here." Said Leon, "We're meeting because Marie told me some interesting news the other day that she really should have brought up sooner."
Marie shrank back and hid behind Julius, shouting from behind his waist, "You should have been able to figure it out on your own!"
"What are you talking about?" asked Angie, her eyes already narrowed in Marie's direction, causing Julius to move himself and Marie behind Jilk.
"So like… you know how for me and Leon everything that happened, happened in a video game right?" asked Marie.
"Er, yes, Leon had explained to us that nearly everything that happened in Holfort this past year happened over the course of an interactable story you both read in your past lives." Said Iris.
Marie began to twiddle her fingers.
"Well… despite how bad the experience of playing the game was… it was still kinda popular… so… it had two sequels." Admitted Marie.
Everyone in the room aside from Marie's group collectively began to groan, realizing what that meant.
"Could…" said Livia, "Could you clarify what exactly happens in each sequel. Is it just as bad as what was going to happen to us in Holfort?"
"W-well we did kinda handle what was going to happen in the third game for the most part actually!" Marie cheered halfheartedly. "See, Princess Hertrauda was the main villain there, and it took case during what would be our third year. The love interests there consisted of Julius' younger brother and some other kids his age. The villainess, or at least the Angelica equivalent, was actually Erica."
"Younger brother?" asked Julius, "Do you mean Jake? And wait, Erica, as in my father's favorite child, Erica?"
Marie nodded.
"Wait, none of that showed up in the original game which covered our third year." Pointed out Leon.
Marie shrugged, "It was added in after the fact, y'know, retconned?"
Beta and Livia both groan at the word.
"Okay, but what about the second game?" asked Claire. "Does it like, happen in your second year? Clarice and I are months away from graduating, so we wouldn't be able to help you guys keep an eye on things."
Deidre nodded, "And I'm in my final year of studies as well. Not to mention how Livia and Angie are currently with child."
"Oh, well thankfully it doesn't happen here." Said Marie, starting to come out from behind her lovers. "So you guys should be stress-free for the most part."
"Wait," said Iris, "Does it happen in our kingdom then? The school is close to being finished with its repairs."
Marie shook her head, "Nope. The events of the second game happen in a place called The Republic of Alzer."
"Alzer…" I mumbled, "As I recall it's a republic ruled by an aristocracy. They're relatively more progressive than the kingdom given commoners can attend their academy… well, at least legally."
"Yup. And that's where you meet the love interests." Marie nodded, "The protagonist of the second game is a girl descended in a line of high-ranking nobility that had supposedly died off. She'd eventually get with her love interest and restore her house."
Beta took out her notebook and flipped through it, as she does, I do my best to recall what I know about Alzer.
The Alzer Republic's religion was centered around their Sacred Tree. As an elf I suppose I can understand the sentiment, especially given the fact that it's supposed to be as big as a mountain. I've always wanted to see it in person at least once.
In any case, it was the symbol of their control and sat in the middle of their territory. Its roots extended beneath the six different lands, tying them together. Each land was ruled by one of the Six Great Houses, who came together to make any important decisions, making the country an aristocratic republic.
As for the land by the tree itself, it was ruled by three towers. The first tower was that of crimson. It was said to be once ruled by the queen of vampires, Elisabeth. Currently, it's something of a historical sight visited during winter festivals and the like. There is the tower of black, an industrial area ruled by the infamous Juggernaut. Despite his section being known for technological advances it's said he rules by strength and strength alone. The final tower is a bit more civil, but that does not make it weak. The white tower, ruled by the Fox Therianthrope Yukime. From the reports it's said that she controls the… nightlife of Alzer.
Alzer itself gets most of its money from selling suspension stones. Thanks to the Sacred Tree's power, Alzer had almost no need for them and sold them to other countries. As I recall Holfort once tried to invade but suffered a humiliating defeat, and since then the two countries have been at peace.
Holfort wasn't alone its lust for Alzer's resources. Over the years, other countries had set their eyes on the republic, only for them to face defeat as well. While it is accurate to describe the Alzer Republic as a resource powerhouse, it would be remiss to not mention the history of their nation. They'd never lost a defensive battle.
Interrupting my thoughts, Beta would finally find the page she was looking for and ask, "Do you mean the fallen seventh house of Lespinasse? As I recall there were two daughters that would be the age of our prospective protagonist would be, assuming one of them survived."
"Survived?!" exclaimed Livia.
Iris nodded. "As I recall, and this happened when I was still in the academy mind you, the other households and two of the three towers had teamed up to get rid of the house of Lespinasse. It made worldwide news, father didn't even allow me and Alexia to go to school for three months when it occurred."
"… I don't suppose the only thing we have to worry about is some geopolitical nonsense from Alzer?" asked Clarice.
Marie rubbed the back of her head. "Er… no. You know the giant tree in Alzer?"
Most of us had nodded.
"If the protagonist fails to romance anyone… well, in some endings at least, er, I mean, it's just…" stumbled Marie.
"Just spit it out already." Growled Claire.
Marie then hastily blurted, "thetreekindagoesberserkanddestroystheworld!"
…
…
…
"The tree… You mean the sacred tree. The one the size of a mountain? That tree?" I asked.
Marie nodded. "Right, so like, the main villain will fuse with the tree and then turns into this giant monster thing that lifts itself out of the ground. The protagonist does replace it with a sapling in the good ending for what it's worth. After that she's chosen as a sort of priestess and her lover the new tree's guardian."
I put my hands protectively over my stomach. My Darling, Cid, who was either focusing on something else or zoned out (despite learning he does the latter I can never tell when he does) mirrored my actions.
Our baby, feeling their father's presence, kicks in response. It's likely that they wanted him to dote on them.
"Well, if things come to that we can handle it then." Said Darling. "For now, let's focus on the protagonist. What do you know about her?"
"Right. Well, her first name could be changed by the person playing, but her last name was set as Beltre. Er, it was an alias of course. But anyway, she has pink twin tails and tends to be candid. I remember her dialogue choices being pretty lively." Said Marie. "As for the main villains, that'd be House Rault. They're the ones who ruined the protagonist's family. According to the lore, the head of House Rault was once rejected by the protagonist's mother. That's why he ruined their family."
"Hm…" hummed Cid. "Are we sure that's the case?"
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"Are you calling Marie a liar?" growled Greg.
Darling shook his head. He then pointed to Angie and Livia, "Well I mean, look at those two. Based on what I've seen in Leon's journals before he destroyed them two days ago, they basically act nothing like their game counterparts, and the game had been missing a lot of the finer details. So…"
"We might be missing some important details this time as well!" concluded Beta, to which she received a head pat from Darling as thanks.
"Not only that." Said Jilk, "But what of the possibility that there is more people like our dear Marie and her brother Leon?"
At this everyone paused.
"Well," said Leon, "I can tell you at least one other person I think is, but they aren't from Alzer."
"Who?" asked a great number of us.
"Princess Erica. I haven't been able to get into contact with her, even through Mylene, due to the fact that her sickness had been acting up again. However, before she's given me a bunch of hints that she might have been from the same place as me and Marie." Revealed Leon.
At this the five heirs scratched their chins.
"Erica did always seem a bit mature…" noted Julius.
Jilk and Chris nodded at this.
"Quite, as I recall our tutors said that if it weren't for her sickness she'd have had the highest grades out of everyone."
"Princess Erica was also quite talented at getting all of us to calm down whenever we'd squabble."
Greg nodded with his arms folded behind his head. "Yeah, like my granny."
Brad smacked Greg's back and then winced due to one of them having muscles and the other not, "Could you be any more uncouth!"
"What I'd say?" protested Greg.
Marie simply pinched both of their sides to get them to stop.
"Well, we're not going to get any information out of her for now then. All that we can do is send someone to Alzer to handle the situation." Pointed out Iris.
"Well, I assume that you plan on going to Alzer then Leon?" asked Deirdre. "I'll be lonely, but I suppose I can rely on Claire-"
Claire raised her hand, "Actually, I was planning on going too. Since I've basically graduated, I don't have much else to do so-"
"Then I'm going too." Said Deirdre.
"Huh? But your third year is one of the most important isn't it? Are you sure you want to just switch countries like that? I have Luxion to help me translate, but even then I still have to learn the language. I can't imagine doing that with the amount of work a third year would have." Said Leon.
"I'm going!" said Deidre as she began to stomp her feet, "If a Roseblade says they will do something they will!"
"And the actual reason?" asked Clarice.
Deirdre's lip trembled as she rushed over to hold Claire, "I can't bear to be away from both of you! How cruel! I love you both so much and you say that you're going to that lawless city without me!? Not only will you deny me of your affection but of the chance of adventure?!"
Claire just halfheartedly rubbed her hand through Deirdre's hair.
"Right… Cid, do you think you could come too?" asked Leon.
Cid blinked and then pointed at himself, "Me?"
Leon smiled, "I mean, we've always been adventuring buddies, right? Livia and Alice might be out of things since they're pregnant right now, but if you and Claire are with me then I'm sure everything will turn out okay."
[Oh? Am I unnecessary then?]
"You're less of a party member and more equipment. Still necessary." Rebutted Leon.
[Equipment, eh? Perhaps I should offer what I'm capable of then. If you'd prefer, I could use my main canon to take out the tree and forgo the need to visit Alzer.]
"Wait, your main canon can do that? Why didn't you use it during the fight in Fanoss?" demanded Julius.
[I see no reason to answer an ape's inquiries.]
"Luxy." Said Livia, "Even if they don't really deserve it, they did help us. You can be a little nice."
[I certainly can, but unlike Clarice's followers I see no purpose in explaining anything given how they never learn. It wouldn't be worth the breath. Although I lack any.]
(Oh you, in any case. Given the calculations we've made we should be able to completely destroy the tree if we angle it right. And as for your inquiry: Leon just ordered us to not sink Fanoss.)
The conversation between the silver and red orb with a sassy mouth is Luxion. His, assuming he is male, wife, assuming she is female, is a silver and blue orb. Both of them have rather… genocidal tendencies. I'd assume it's a joke given how Leon always brushes them aside, but something tells me it's not.
"I'd… rather avoid doing that. I know that Lafan said something about the tree turning into a monster, but destroying the tree could have disastrous consequences. After all the Sacred Tree is the very foundation of the nation. If we were to get rid of it… well we'd might as well just destroy the islands." Pointed out Angie.
[I could do that too.]
"Luxion, no." said Leon.
(Pretty please Master?)
"Cleare, no, bad." Leon rolled up a newspaper and smacked each of the orbs.
[Very well. But the option is on the table.]
"Luxy, no!" admonished Livia, "That's a big no-no!"
[Mistress Angelica? Master did register you and Mistress Olivia with the power to overturn a decision in an emergency.]
"No, Luxion." Said Angie.
(Oh phooey.)
Despite being nothing more than an orb, I could swear that I saw Cleare kicking her foot and pouting.
"Okay, so maybe we should find this sapling? Because it sounds like either way we'd have to deal with the original tree turning into a monster. But if we can have the sapling grow sooner we shouldn't have to worry about screwing over an entire country." Said Claire.
"Make that multiple countries." Said Beta. "After all, Holfort, Midgar, and several other countries rely on Alzer's selling of theirs."
"It'd probably be best to do this undercover then." Said Darling.
"You're right Cid." Agreed Angie, "If Leon and you go as you are, you'd likely be too swamped with political and financial burdens to make any kind of headway in your investigations."
Right, as the new crown prince of Holfort and current hero of said country, Leon's title would have a certain amount of weight to it. Darling is also known as the owner of Mitsugoshi, if not the husband of the owner.
From there we made all the preparations we could for the coming journey. Darling did leave most of it to me and Beta, but he swore it was because he had something important to do. He seemed adorably apologetic about it, but I assured him that if there was something important then he could leave it to me.
If anything, I was happy to have something to do for him.
-Lukreia/Foxtrot-
It's a strange life that I'm living, I'll admit. I'm finally back with my daughter, but she's an adult now and is equally focused on her two love interests as she is connecting with me.
Hertrude and Stephanie (Yankee) are fine, I suppose. I may have my own grievances with the circumstances that led to them being a part of Sherry's life, but I can tell they only have her best interests in mind.
I was worried that Hertrauda and Charlie would be a part of said relationship, but apparently Hertrauda has no interest in women in such a way and Charlie has more interest in food than a partner.
Currently, we're having dinner. I cooked it myself, and I'm rather fond of the sight of the girls trying to fight over it for one reason or another. Sherry is sitting in between Hertrude and Stephanie, each of them feeding her. Honestly, Sherry was being fed so much that the food she had on her plate was being neglected.
Charlie and Hertrauda meanwhile are competing over eating more of the desert. I would scold them about it, but they both did make sure to shovel down the salad before jumping to eating the cake, so I suppose it's fine.
However, as I move to start serving myself once I've had my fill of viewing the girls' antics, the torches go out. They then come back on immediately, but now glow with a violet-blue flame.
I stand at the ready, and see Stephanie and Hertrude have immediately moved to protect Sherry. What's more is that Stephanie, Charlie, and I are now all back into our Shadow Garden uniforms.
I only know one person who could cause our slime suits to move like this.
The door to the dining room opens, and I see two more torches light up. The message clear: "This way."
"M-m-miss Lukreia…? What's with the outfits? I saw Stephanie wear hers before but…" stuttered Hertauda.
I exchanged looks with my fellow members of The Shadow Garden. We all nodded.
"It's him." I said.
Stephanie and Carla nodded, both clearly nervous.
"We should follow the torches." I said, as I walked—or rather slithered I suppose given that I use slime to walk as I lack actual legs—over to Sherry and took her hand. "I know you have a lot to ask. But I promise that I will protect you."
"Shouldn't we hide or try to run?" questioned Hertrude.
I shook my head, "Given whom is likely waiting for us, if we tried to run all we'd accomplish is dying tired."
Hertrude blanched at my words, and Sherry gripped my hand tightly. We all began to follow the torches. As we did, we began to hear piano music. I recognize this piece. It's Lord Shadow's favorite.
The Moonlit Sonata. A piece that when played by Lord Shadow, evokes the feeling of being surrounded by the darkness of the night with only the moon to guide you.
I've heard several of the girls practice it, both the numbers and several of the Shades. Strangely, Lady Shade could never play the piano without it making strange sounds, but then again not even Lady Epsilon could hope to mimic the mastery of Lord Shadow's performance.
Practically enchanted, we all followed the sound of the piano until we got to the room it was in. I found my heart pounding at the captivating sight of Lord Shadow's silhouette before the moon. All I could do was kneel before him, although it's more that I allowed the slime to melt to the level that I'd be at the height of kneeling. Stephanie walked so that she'd be before us but knelt as well.
I heard Hertrude and Hertrauda also kneel beside me, and Charlie was in front of them.
We listened to Lord Shadow's performance raptly. It was only when it finally ended that I realized I didn't even bother breathing for the most part, as though it'd be a sin to while he was playing.
"Raise your heads." Commanded Lord Shadow.
And so we did.
Lord Shadow's figure was just about the only thing we could see of him in the dark room. From what I could tell he wasn't in his slime outfit, perhaps it was damaged in some regard from his fight with His Highness Leon and himself… I never did figure out how he accomplished that, to be honest.
All I can say is: As expected of Lord Shadow.
Lord Shadow extends two hands. One is bathed in his signature violet-blue flame, and the other is surrounded by black smoke.
"Lukreia…" said Lord Shadow, causing me to gulp nervously as I gazed into where I assumed his eyes to be, given how I could feel them peering into my very soul. "Choose."
"Choose…?" I parroted.
"Your journey is at a crossroads. The game you have been playing has finally been won. Vandel is gone. Your daughter has returned to your side. Your future is bright… but what of your past? Will you discard it to continue living in the light?" Lord Shadow raised his hand with smoke. "Or will you return to the shadows?" Lord Shadow raised the hand with the light that saved me all those years ago.
"Mama…?" whispered Sherry.
…
What…
What do I do…?
I've finally reunited with Shirley, er, Sherry. We've begun to somewhat settle into a family despite it being about a month and a half since.
Now.
Now my savior.
Now the world's secret savior comes and asks the cruelest question.
Would I choose to remain with my family? Or would I choose to continue protect my family?
I swallowed the bile that threatened to leave my mouth and made the only decision I could.
I forced all the slime to leave my body. Leaving me a woman with only the top half and severely scarred given I could no longer hide my true appearance. I hear Sherry and the girls gasp in shock. But I pay it no mind as I fall forward, and beg.
"Lord Shadow… please… please forgive my insolence!" I shouted, as though he could not hear me from where he sat. As though I was shouting to a god from atop a mountain. "Please, do not force me to separate from my daughter once more! I would do anything, anything. If you need me to research for you, if you wish for me to warm your bed, if you wish for me to sacrifice my other limbs, I'll do it! But please…" I was sobbing, "Please do not take me back to the Shadows… Please…"
I hear the sound of footsteps and raise my head in shock to see both Stephanie and Charlie in front of me. They're trembling more than a newborn deer, but they both stretch out their limbs—AND THEN SUMMON THEIR WEAPONS!?
"WHAT ARE YOU GIRLS DOING!?" I shout as I do my best to get up.
"Lord Shadow…" starts Stephanie, "If… if you try to ruin Sherry's life… I won't let you."
"I… I don't know what a happy family is like." Admitted Charlie, "If it weren't for you saving me, I'd never would've had the opportunity to learn… It's… It's strange to say, but during the past 10 years when I worked with Foxtrot, I felt as though I had a second mother, one who did care about me. Even if it's you, Lord Shadow, I won't allow anything to ruin her happiness."
"Charlie…" I whispered.
In truth, I had doted on Charlie as much as I could. She's the same age as Sherry, and honestly just as petite. I took the brunt of dealing with Lady Eta's whims and experiments during I time was with her so that she wouldn't. I always thought that Charlie had never caught on, or simply didn't care…
For a moment, the room fell silent. Both of Lord Shadow's hands retreated back into the darkness. Everything was tense. But then…
"Heh…"
Lord Shadow began to laugh. It started as a small chuckle before turning into a laugh that shook the room.
"FWUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA!"
We all trembled in fear as the room began to be covered in the same strings that I've seen Lord Shadow do in his training whenever practicing his most powerful spell.
"I can see you've made your choice. Very well. Then this is what I choose."
Lord Shadow bathes the room in the light, blinding all of us. I can't even bring myself to scream.
But then I feel something. Or rather, I feel something I hadn't felt in ten years. My legs.
I have my legs again. And my scars. They're gone. It's as though I'm ten years younger.
"Mama!" Sherry runs up to me and hugs me, and I'm able to feel her even more vividly than before. I hadn't realized, but the accident must have damaged my spine and nervous system. Every breath I take in, it all feels so fresh!
"Lord Shadow…?" I say as I feel myself begin to cry.
Although I can't see him, I can practically hear the magnanimous smile on his face.
"I'm sorry." Said Lord Shadow, shocking me even more than when I learned of my past life with Vandel. "I'm sorry that I haven't done this until now."
Lord Shadow then stands, going up to the window and opening it. Despite the moonlight framing him, I can't make out his face.
"You do know that just because your story is over, it doesn't mean that everyone's is, yes?" Asked Lord Shadow.
I nodded.
Yes, even though Vandel was killed the organization he worked for was still around. The Cult of Diabolos.
"Strengthen this territory. Research anything we give you. Then spend time with your family." Commanded Lord Shadow. I nodded fervently, even as I fell due to not knowing how to use my legs.
"Thank you! Thank you Lord Shadow! Thank you so much!" I said with tears in my eyes.
Sherry, who was holding me up alongside Hertrude, echoed my sentiments. "Thank you Mister Lord Shadow! Please, if there's anything I can do to help please let me know!"
"I'll be sure to remember that. Until we meet again." With the end of Lord Shadow's sentence, the curtains for the window flew open with the wind. When they fell again, he was gone without a trace, and the torches that lit the castle were their normal color.
Lord Shadow…
I'll never be able to repay you…
But I'll do my best to try.
-Cid/Minoru/Shadow-
I was pretty sad to be separated from Alpha and Gamma, but I trust that everyone will take care of them. Besides, as soon as they give birth I won't have time to do all my Eminence in Shadow stuff.
I suddenly feel the familiar weight of a buxom woman that never asks for permission for anything.
"Ara~ You make it seem as though you don't want to have kids yet~" teased the woman that only I could see.
Aurora, or my dear Violet as I called her, was my familiar and soul roommate.
Violet began to titter, "How about we cut out the 'room' and just say soul mate~? Fufufu…"
From what I remember her Lore is that she's the ancient witch of calamity. I turned her arm into a piece of jewelry and now she's able to follow me around. This does also mean she can read all my thoughts. Also that I can feel her as though she was next to me. Something she takes advantage of.
"It could be worse." Warned Violet. "I could try to tease that sword you keep under your pants."
Please don't.
"Okay cutie." Said Violet.
Violet is one to tease me often, usually physically by pulling at my hair and face, but two can play at this game. For you see Violet is an exceptionally beautiful and exquisite woman of unparalleled elegance, radiates a class that distinguishes her. Her striking features epitomize her captivating charm. She boasts a stunning face framed by long, violet-black hair. Her eyes are a captivating shade of violet, and a beauty mark the right side of her mouth. With a tall and slender figure, she embodies the quintessential image of a beautiful woman, complete with an ample chest, gracefully curved legs, and nearly translucent skin.
"Hawawa"
This is all to say she is best described as a woman of unparalleled beauty, akin to a work of art brought to life.
"S…Stop it…"
As I tease Violet back, I hear Luxion's familiar robotic yet masculine voice.
[Master, we are now reaching the dock. Now is our last chance to blast those men out of the sky.]
On our way here we were hazed by some random military ship. I think they pissed of Luxion because the captain had put his cigarette out on Arroganz Mk II's leg. He's been asking Leon to blow up the ship for the past five minutes. I can't blame him, honestly.
"Just let it go, Luxion. We're supposed to be laying low, remember?" said Leon.
[Tsk.]
Something tells me Luxion's going to not let this go.
Leon turns to all of us.
"Okay, do you all remember what to call me and Cid?" he asked.
Julius and the other four idiots nodded.
"You're Hiro, and Cid is Kageno." They said in unison, having been forced to repeat it several times. "Claire is Nonna and Deirdre is Rogue."
Leon nodded in satisfaction. "Good. Remember, you guys be yourselves and keep the attention off of us while we check things out. Don't cause any trouble though, or Claire will get you again."
The five shivered, probably remembering how Claire had beaten them all up and then thrown them in the prison on The Partner during the Goddess trials.
"Now then, Hiro, let's go meet our sponsor, yes?" asked Deirdre as she looped her arm around Leon's.
Right, so because we were going to be here undercover, we couldn't just meet up with the Holfort or Midgar embassies, instead we had paid one of the owners of the three towers to allow us to stay in their district. Who was it again?
Ring*
Huh? That sounds like one of those ceremonial bells.
I look up to see a palanquin be set down in front of us. Rows of therianthrope women and some others in kimonos bow as a fox therianthrope emerges from the palanquin and slowly makes their way towards us.
"Woah… look at those tails…" marveled Violet.
Indeed, from what I could see this wasn't any fox therianthrope. I don't know if it's exactly the same as how I've heard it worked, but legend says that kitsune gain a tail every hundred years. Supposedly due to the magic that they store or something.
I couldn't make out her face thanks to the uchikatsugi she was wearing.
"The what now?" asked Violet.
The hat with the veil.
"Honored guests…" said the woman with a voice I felt just had to be practiced. "Which one of you men is Cid Kagenou?"
Sensing danger, I immediately pointed at Leon.
However, he and the five idiots all pointed at me.
The woman turned around.
"Please join me in the palanquin, yes? I have much to discuss with you about business." As I was not moving due to how Beta was reacting already the woman laughed, making things worse. "Come now, I won't bite… unless you pay the right price~"
"…If Olivier's reincarnation kills you, I'll make sure to hold onto your soul."
.
.
.
A/N: Okay, ending things here.
I'll be honest, part of me thought about starting a new fic/thread for the next part of this. That's part of the reason this chapter had so many descriptions. I also had a new 'writer's room' here with Alpha's section to cover the lore. Honestly that's the main purpose of Mobuseka Volume 4 anyway. Well that and giving some, not a lot, but some growth for the five. Same with Volume 5, but that one is the one that has Noelle fall in love with Leon too.
So I feel like I can probably pull the Pierre skip and save us a whole lot of time, then get into the stuff with Leila, Loic, and Noelle. I also do have plans to help Emille, as he did not deserve what happened to him.
I did wrap up with Lukreia, as I figured people would ask what was her deal if I didn't. I probably could have given it a couple more chapters but I wasn't sure what to do with her anyway.
Also, an early appearance by Yukime. Why? Because I have a thing for Kitsune monster girls. Even the OC I've had since middle school is part Kitsune.
Now let's answer the comments:
Epilogue Comments:
Someoneani: Glad you liked the chapter. Adding the game's content is always fun. I wish I didn't get tired in the middle of writing it, otherwise I would've written more for the events.
Pieman1994: Thank you so much! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and those to come.
Rendfire: I enjoyed reading this comment. It reminded me of those old react fics you'd find all the time.
Alpha probably doesn't spend a lot of time with kids actually, at least none that aren't heavily traumatized.
I mean, Leon would beat himself up. If not, then Luxion and/or Lea would take his place. Because they are also bros. Or in Lea's case, ancestral bro.
In Mobuseka they do kick him out of his room together at one point if I remember correctly, so Abe's pretty much on the mark.
That's a unique way to look at it. I feel like it makes a lot of sense too.
SB
MWKillKenny84: Murphy is the Shadowbroker character in this series.
You know? In both series that's true. Livia, Sherry, Beta…
Especially considering how the mobuseka series ended yeah, Leon's on the ride with no end in sight.
Yup, Noelle and Louise are the last two editions… and maybe Yumeria.
Ao3
Dawnwatch: Thanks. I figured I should include either the Christmas event or the new years, and the new years seemed more feasible given everything that was going on.
What does Hollow Shade mean?
There will be emotions.
Evil trees you say… https/watch?v=OGtoXp2OReE
I almost forgot about Noelle (the dog) I would've forgotten about the true best girl of the Alzer arc. Thank you.
With how the Alzer arc is basically devoted to the growth of the five whenever Leon isn't doing anything, I can't just sideline them. So, yeah, I forced the five to go to Alzer. It was less Leon being vindictive and more Mylene realizing they'd make the recovering nation go through a lot if they stayed.
DivineDemonDragon: Yup. Hiro's ex is both Louise and a vampire, but more on that next time… or the chapter after. Also, a bit of spoilers I guess, but think of Alzer, at least the main island, as like New York City or Tokyo. It's mostly nice and seems super advanced, but if you aren't from there it's also ridiculously dangerous.
Wolfpaladin: As your edit pointed out, yeah Sherry is the top. Because it'd be funny. Hertrude's escaped the friendzone too, albeit offscreen.
I'm not done with the past lives just yet. So look forward to that.
Mylene and Leon aren't aware of their past lives, that's why it isn't as high.
I can see why, but Noelle has a past life that seems much more interesting to explore come the John Smith arc… because that's when Ideal's going to be a problem. Noelle is still going with Leon, as is Louise. I feel like I should clarify that.
Totntotbt: I'm glad you liked the Vandel reveal, I was worried some people wouldn't. That's a good idea for an AU, and it's cool to see that multiple people want that what if to exist. I'll definitely consider it.
Oh yeah, it could've been Livia with how much I didn't reveal. But yeah, angst either way. As for how Louise felt about Leon Sara Rault, well she was still kinda a bro-con before and after his death. But more on that later.
I'll probably have Sherry be brought up again during the events of Volume 7. But Lukreia might be brought up sooner… I mean, having her join the harem sounds fun, right?
Showing up during the Oriana arc is a really good idea though.
BOY4_GOW:
Glad I could deliver.
Lmao, yeah, just about the last outfit to wear on such a reunion.
It's funny this was just at the bottom of the chapter.
It's a decent idea, although I'd debate happy ending.
Yeah, which reminds me that I have plans for Juggernaut thanks to some… artwork… I've seen. Plans that make the offscreen omake death seem nice. (Btw what does "but not only he wasn't he's also a protagonist" mean?)
Yup. The first time I saw it in the manga it was surprising to me too.
Oh no, Louise still hates Serge. She was asking if he was there because she wanted to avoid him. Glad the twist was well done though.
Co-op Game Ch. 2 Comments:
Havefeith: You know? I see why you have that note underneath all your posts. "Ham fisted" isn't wrong but surely there was a nicer way to say that.
Also, Co-op game is almost all original, that's probably why it's more enjoyable. Remember that in the first chapter I said this is my first fic written in like, 10-14 years?
P2W is practice done by mashing the two things together. Co-op is me showing the results of said practice.
Someoneani: Glad to see you're a man of culture as always.
Darkbored: Thanks for reading! Glad you enjoyed it and I hope I can continue to deliver.
Rendfire: Thanks for the long comment as always. Love to see it.
Leon just gives big brother vibes I guess, it makes the most sense to give him that dynamic. He does protest, but like always it changes nothing and his little siblings get away with everything.
Yup. There's more to it but even in co-op the two support each other. For practical reasons, and because they want to see each other go through funny shit.
I'll admit you spoiled volume 13 for me. I didn't know that happened. I do see the way you read it, because yeah they keep shortchanging Leon whenever they can. They don't need to praise him like the shadow garden does Cid, but damn Leon's biggest sin seems to be the lack of the ability to read minds considering how everyone just wants him to figure things out. Even when it makes no sense for him to.
SB
MWKillKenny84: That was indeed the moment Cid's fate was sealed in that timeline.
Ao3
Dawnwatch: I assume the reasoning is from my rant? Thanks if so.
I mean I had to switch someone, Clarice seemed to make the most sense.
Hey if you have ideas on how to flesh it out more I'm willing to listen. Or heck, if you'd want to try writing it I'd welcome it.
Wolfpaladin: The Shadow Garden is so overpowered thanks to Luxion and Leon it's ridiculous. That's why they felt it was safe enough to have babies much earlier on.
Leon's imposter syndrome is so much worse when he has Cid/Minoru to compare himself to.
I mean, I'll admit I was second guessing switching Clarice. But damn, really? No other fic? Damn, maybe when I write it properly I'll probably switch her back. Also the reason I went with Effie and Goldmary is because I felt their personalities and backstories made the most sense as to why they never come up again. They also didn't clash with anyone else's designs.
They also had unique body/personality types. Effie has a muscular body that would set her apart from all the other girls. Goldmary is busty, sure, but her personality is wholly unique I feel. It blends in well with Holfort too.
Hinoka is a Japanese name that doesn't fit in Holfort, and Citrinne's hair and eyes mimick Angelica's too much. Like I thought about using Hinoka too, but I wanted the expies to feel more natural. Citrinne could work, but again, she's too similar to Angelica to excuse bringing her in.
BOY4_GOW:
On the way to Alexandria Cid was also describing how pretty they were. If you've seen his descriptions of the girls you'd know it's not subtle how he feels about them. He's just oblivious to it, lol.
Nah, he's just dense. He genuinely believed that.
Yup!
Minato is a favorite of mine. I've gotta draw him at some point. And the baby that Alpha's going to have in this timeline.
"Leon-sexual" lol. Accurate though. Especially considering the possession.
Marcin: Had to google translate this, so sorry if I don't answer you correctly.
From Volumes 1-3 and basically all of the Marie Route, yeah Julius and his friends are that bad. The parents do share some of the responsibility, sure, but the thing is Julius almost never listens to Mylene.
For Julius and friends to be better than they are in canon, they'd have to be new people. Yes, in some part they are the product of their environment. However, it can't be ignored how selfish they all are.
Think about it: Angie and Clarice are in the exact if not worse situation as the boys. Yet they turned out kind. In the Marie route we see how in the game it's because they were pushed to the brink that they finally acted out, while Julius and friends were just like that and only got worse.
In Brad's defense though, he had canon Stephanie as a fiancé. He gets a small pass.
Dynamic_Kaleidoscope_sensei: I feel like the fact Leon was in his twenties is part of the reason he's fun to read. He falls into a lot of the same pitfalls as 15 year old isekai protagonists but is more cynical.
I could see it as problematic, yeah. Like you agree, that was the point. However, it was mainly played for comedy based on one thing: in fanon Livia is usually presented as like, a super masochistic Leon-sexual booktok girly. Take that information as you will.
In terms of power levels, this Leon could rival Lea. Who is stronger than Olivier. Who was stronger than the seven shades in the apocrypha chapters of Master of Garden. I didn't write the section due to it not being something I felt was necessary for the chapter, but Co-op Leon trains like Cid does. With Mana Overload. He's still weaker than Cid though. Best way I can put it is that Cid can do standing pushups with a single finger, Leon still needs both hands.
Totntotbt: lmao, I mean basically yeah.
I can't either honestly. I wasn't sure if I should use a name generator or expies because of that.
I got the name Minato from the Persona 3 protag, so yeah lot's of potential there. I'll admit seeing Alexia take center stage in every other fic, even when it makes no sense, is why I treat her like this in mine. I like her, but she would not be the main girl if Cid's with the others, lol.
The possession would have to wait till Lindwurm, but have consequences before then.
Nonna. It's the name of Claire's ancestor. I wonder if that's where the author got the name from though, considering Noona means big sister and it's a letter off.
Hope you enjoyed the world building for Alzer this chapter. Still more to do, obviously, but the basics were introduced here.
MrOblivion: When I'm done with the earth Arc I'll probably write Co-op properly.