The stomping of armored boots and the creaking of wooden wheels broke the late morning bustling of Axel. It wasn't often Lord Ignis came to town personally, let alone twice in about as many months and especially with a face like thunder. He led the procession guards, fewer in number than when he'd come for Gerald, but more heavily-armed. His daughter rode beside him, looking shamefaced and bereft of her usual armor, instead wearing a simple, dark-brown riding jacket, tight white pants and shiny black boots, complete with a fashionable hat. She'd been permitted to keep her sword, but her father was making a statement with her appearance, tht she was very much in disgrace. Locked in the back of the secure, wooden-walled wagon, Missy was spared the prying eyes of the townsfolk, but she had plenty of time to stew in her despair, manacled to the walls. The talk with Lord Ignis hadn't gone over well. His rage was insurmountable when he'd found out that the bright young lad with a great future ahead of him had apparently set this whole series of events in motion.
He'd had a bright future at least.
Spying the party heading to the guildhall, a pretty young woman groaned and turned, leaving the market at a pace just unhurried enough to not attract attention, making a bee-line for a certain back-alley cafe. Madame Marigold was going to be absolutely apoplectic.
Once in front of the guild, Lord Ignis dismounted, motioning for his men to grab the succubus and for them to follow him in. The soldiers saluted and one stepped forward to unlock the heavy door, while others lowered their spears at the opening, just in case the demon had worked her way free during the journey. The last of the guards did their best to clear the onlookers, as two soldiers brought out a slight, hooded figure in a heavy cloak. Whoever they were, they must be exceedingly dangerous, to merit this kind of security, so what did they have to do with the guild?
The adventurers quickly turned silent as the Dustinesses entered, confused at their unannounced arrival. More clued-in than most, Dust immediately began cursing Kazuma under his breath, vowing that if this meant the end of his favorite 'cafe' then the pen-pusher would suffer.
Kazuma started sweating the second he saw Darkness and Lord Ignis enter the hall. Of course, he knew Darkness's real name was Lalatina, having seen it on her card enough times and having familiarized himself with Lord Dustiness during the strike, it wasn't hard to put two and two together. Things had clearly not gone well, but it remained to be seen just how deep of shit he was in right now. Putting on his best customer service face, he tried to play it off casually, as the noble strode purposefully to the desk. "Lord Ignis! Such a pleasure to see you! How may I help you today? If you're here to see Luna, I can-"
Ignis's glare could have peeled paint off the wall as he looked down on Kazuma. "Oh, not much," he hissed. "I just thought I'd pay a small social visit and share the most interesting story I heard from my daughter. See, she told me about a special cafe that you took her to. One ran by demons, of all things. The things young ladies dream up, right?"
Alright, so he was in up to his knees, at the very least. "That ah, is certainly quite a story, your lordship!" Kazuma gulped. "Aha, a-and it may have just a sliver of truth to it?"
"Indeed! Just a sliver, you say?" Lord Ignis replied through gritted teeth, his hands almost snapping the head off his cane. The brat didn't even bother trying to deny his complicity! "And what measure of that sliver would you say she is?!" He reached over to the shackled succubus and pulled the hood back from her face, revealing Missy's silver hair, from which her bat-wing adornments popped up. There wasn't any point in hiding them anyway.
Okay, slight correction - he was in the cesspool up to his neck! Kazuma was drenched in sweat, furious that Darkness had managed to screw even this up. " Uhm, a not-insignificant amount, your lordship. Di-did she happen to mention that they follow a 'good' goddess at all?" he asked, hoping that it might be enough to keep the older man from just flat-out executing him.
Ignis couldn't help but let loose a bark of laughter at that tale. "What? Young man, are you trying to tell me that this beast is a worshiper of Eris?"
Missy, thoroughly tired of being treated like an animal, finally spoke up from the guards grip. "No, of course not Eris. We follow Aqua. She came and offered us the chance to join the Axis Order herself."
Kazuma could only nod in agreement, wiping his forehead as the guards exchanged a confused look at that tidbit of information. It was hardly surprising, given how the girls themselves hadn't been sure if pledging to serve a 'good' goddess would just straight-up immolate them. Ignis certainly shared the confusion, but had clearly processed the implication faster than his men. "So not only was a demon inside my daughter's head, but that demon is an Axis Cutlist? And that's supposed to make me feel better? If anything I'm even more worried now!"
"Hey, they're not all that bad! Aqua is an Arch Priestess for the Axis Order!" Kazuma tried to argue, only for his defense to be shot to piecesut fully as Aqua's shouting could be heard getting closer to the guild.
"Unhand me already, you damn heathens! How dare you treat a goddess this way? Kazumaaa!" Two Eris priests shouldered the door open wearily, frog-marching the screeching goddess inside,with Father Royce following close behind, clearly exhausted from dealing with Aqua's latest nonsense.
Royce, upon seeing the soldiers, Lord Ignis, and the succubus, came up short and gave a small smile of weary acceptance. "Is this a bad time?" he asked, acknowledging the wisdom that when it rains, it tends to pour.
Ignis turned to him, honestly glad that somebody sane had shown up. "Yes, perhaps you'd like to weigh in on the fact that several adventurers actively and knowingly deal with demons, right under your nose?"
Royce could only sigh, having had a feeling this wasn't going to be a quick or simple discussion. Before he could say anything though, Aqua decided to butt in, "Yeah, but they're my demons though! They're willing and accepted members of the Axis Order."
"Oh dear Eris, you were serious?" Ignis gaped, glancing at Kazuma. "How did she not burst into flames the moment she joined? Has Aqua truly fallen so far that she is allowing demons to worship her now?" His sneer contained a combination of disgust and shock, while he processed what this might mean. Axis cultists might be the butt of numerous jokes, but when angered, they could raise a disturbing amount of trouble.
Luckily, Luna made her appearance at that point, effectively doubling the number of level heads in the room and clearing her throat to catch the attention of the dignitaries. "Perhaps this is a conversation that would be best had in private? You may borrow one of the meeting rooms we reserve for clients, if you wish."
Lord Dustiness nodded, motioning for his men to follow him. "Would you care to join us, Father?" He asked the priest, as Darkness, the two guards and the interrogator proceeded to the back room with Missy.
Royce nodded, having a feeling that he might be needed to mediate this discussion. "I feel that might be for the best. Luna, would you be a dear and take Aqua to calm down?" It would have been even better, if Luna could have sat in on the discussion, but she couldn't be in two places at once and someone had to help Aqua out of the temper she was in. "I swear that we won't do anything drastic without letting her know first. Is that acceptable, your Lordship?"
Ignis looked like he'd swallowed a lemon, but still begrudgingly conceded the point. "I suppose I can allow that much. Sena, did you bring the lie detector?"
A sharply dressed official in a blue uniform with gold trim nodded, tapping a case she was holding. "Yes, sir, right here." She was the royal prosecutor based in Axel and while this wasn't technically within the remit of her duties, but given the severity of Lord Dustiness's accusations, the dark-haired, bespectacled beauty was quick to answer his call.
"Excellent. Come along then."
The mismatched group made their way to the meeting room, with Luna peeling off to take a complaining Aqua up to her room to cool her heels. It was slightly cramped with two guards along the wall and Kazuma, Royce, Sena, and Ignis all seated around the table. Missy herself was sandwiched between the two guards, their hands firmly gripping her chains. The atmosphere was tense, but the room was at least large enough to keep it from being stifling.
Sena unpacked the lie-detector and set it on the table. It was a simple, enchanted bell that would ring whenever a lie was spoken in its presence. Once all set up, she nodded to Lord Ignis, ceding the interrogation to him. She may be a prosecutor, but this wasn't yet an official trial.
"Kazuma Satou, do you know what this device is?"
Kazuma nodded uncertainly. "I can take a guess at least?"
Ignis grunted and explained for the sake of formality. "It is a lie detector. Its shape should make it self-explanatory what will happen if anyone in this room attempts to utter a falsehood. No noise; no lie. So, let us begin: Is your name Kazuma Satou?"
"It is," Kazuma nodded, assuming that this was either to show the bell was properly working, or else to calibrate it.
"Good. Have you met this succubus before?" Ignis asked, motioning towards Missy.
"Um yes and no? I have seen her before, but we have never been introduced." Sena watched the bell, nodding her head when it didn't ring.
"And how did you meet her?"
"She was the succubus that came to fulfill my dream request." Kazuma answered, glad the questions aren't too demanding yet; that gave him time to wonder how in the hell he was going to get out of this with his head (and preferably the petite succubus's) still attached to his body.
Another nod from Sena confirmed his words to be true. Now it was time for the meat of the matter: Lord Ignis fixed him with a look that sent a shiver down Kazuma's spine and prodded deeper. "Are you in league with, or otherwise working with or for the Demon King in any capacity, either directly, or via an intermediary or intermediaries?"
"Absolutely not!" Kazuma declared in a clear and firm voice. Sure, he'd never met the guy, but it was hard to consider ever aligning with someone who was currently waging an unrelenting war on innocents.
All eyes turned to the bell and its resolute silence. As it became clear it wasn't about to ring, the tension that had been building in the room dropped perceptibly. Ignis allowed his shoulders to relax slightly. There was still the possibility that Kazuma was under a spell, or simply ignorant that he was being used, but at least he wasn't willingly working for the enemy. "Well then, I think that's a relief for everyone. At least now I don't need to charge you with high treason. Now then, Sena. Does the device work on devils as well?"
"Yes, my lord," she answered with a nod, impressed with how he had conducted the interrogation thus far - she honestly couldn't have done a much better job herself. Sena cast a prosecutor's appraising eye over the young man sitting opposite her. Kazuma looked like he understood the severity of his situation at least and his glances toward Lady Lalatina seemed to convey both concern and frustration, which honestly spoke more of irresponsibility than guilt.
"Excellent." He gestured to Sena and the lie detector was moved in front of the chained succubus. Once it had come to a stop, he began the questioning. "Succubus, state your name for the record."
Missy looked at the bell nervously. She'd just been doing her job and with such a device right in front of her, now she'd be forced to reveal her friends-! She choked back a frightened sob and tried to compose herself, sitting upright and thinking what Madame Marigold would do in her situation. "My name is Missy. We succubi don't create bloodlines the way humans do, so I don't have a last name," she explained, adding her explanation a bit bashfully when she could tell they were waiting for a last name.
"I see. Now, both Kazuma and my daughter believe you not to be the enemy, so let me ask clearly: Do you serve the Demon King, either directly or indirectly?" Ignis felt his mouth go dry. This single question was possibly the most momentous of this whole affair, beyond what the hell were you doing with my daughter, which he had already received an answer to that didn't really bear thinking about.
"Well, no. I mean think about it: The Demon King wants to exterminate you humans, or at least wipe out most of you and we kind of need you guys to survive." Sena's eyes never left the bell that effectively controlled her life and death, even after it remained silent for several seconds.
"Avoid answering questions with multiple statements, if you please," Ignis frowned. If someone made several statements in a row like that, a ring could indicate any part of it was a lie. The bell, after all, wasn't foolproof. "Still,that is certainly a novel take on the idea. I suppose there are several types of demons that feed on humans to survive. Continuing; why have you succubi set up this 'cafe' of yours?" He hadn't really wanted to believe his daughter at first, but that work order didn't leave much to the imagination.
Oh boy… This was a delicate question and she couldn't be anything but honest. "We need to feed on life force and adventurers need a way to relieve their lust, not that our clients have to be adventurers, but they were our first customers and remain our most numerous. We provide them the dream they desire, down to the last detail and in exchange, they lose a few minutes off the end of their life. We get fed and they get to have the happy experience they need. We are fairly upfront about that cost too, before you ask." The fact that the bell had not rang a single time was starting to worry both Sena and Lord Ignis.
"Sena, would you kindly test that the device is functioning properly?" Ignis directed, chewing his lip and hoping against hope that it was just broken.
Sena cleared her throat, using a control lie. "My name is not Sena." The bell rang immediately, a clear, tinkling chime showing that it was in fact, working perfectly, much to the consternation of the prosecutor and the lord.
Lord Ignis sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes. When he'd found the succubus in his daughter's room, he'd been ready to throw her and any of her ilk that he could find onto a bonfire, but now such an action was looking less and less justifiable. Before he could voice another question however, Father Royce cleared his throat and cut in. "Do you and your fellow succubi truly worship the goddess Aqua?" He'd been on pins and needles to find the answer to that question since they'd mentioned it. They may not be in Aracanlatia, but he had a sense that this affair was somehow tied into the schism within the Axis Cult.
"Yes! The Goddess Aqua came herself and offered us all the choice of joining her church. Well, more like gave us a choice between that or being purified on the spot," Missy admitted, adding the last bit for full disclosure, as she glanced nervously at the bell.
Royce chuckled sympathetically, a small smile on his face. "Ah. That does sound somewhat more likely than a simple offer of salvation. Even among the gods of good, Aqua's intolerance of devils is noteworthy, from what I know of her scripture." He turned towards Ignis, his expression becoming solemn once more. "My Lord, if I may? In my capacity as a Bishop of Our Lady of Benevolent Fortune, I believe this woman's intentions to be honest and good. As affairs stand, they have done nothing truly appalling, beyond that which is required to survive being born as devils. While the goddess Eris also hates such beasts, forgiveness and mercy for those who seek redemption for sin is a virtue she praises." He smiled gently, his pacifistic nature shining through. "It would only be fair to offer a first chance, if we grant others a second, surely?"
Lord Ignis grunted thoughtfully, crossing his arms in frustration. "If only it were so simple, your excellency. By royal decree, all demons, undead and those who side with them, are enemies of the crown. 'Missy' here may prove that not every demon is necessarily evil, or the enemy, but that doesn't change the law. Strictly speaking, if it weren't for the fact that it seems I'd need to arrest half the population of Axel, that would include every single person that knew of them and didn't report it to the authorities." It went without saying that such an act would have included his own daughter as well as likely several minor nobles and nearly every prominent adventurer in the city. Justified or not, merely the attempt to enforce such a law would result in an outright revolt!
Kazuma had been sitting and listening as the conversation unfolded. He could feel his mind starting to overheat as he tried to find a way to mollify Lord Dustiniess's anger; keep Aqua happy; prevent Dust just murdering him; and to protect the 'precious girls' of the cafe. A memory of something he'd seen while flipping through information on the Kingdom of Belzerg in his spare time tugged at him. "Isn't there a provision in regards to demons that are being used for research purposes?" He ventured, remembering that there were certain demons that had been kept alive, albeit in cages.
Lord Ignis thought for a moment before shaking his head, "Technically, yes, but they'd still all need to be rounded up and confined still. The law is quite clear that they can't simply be allowed to roam free, even if they're allowed to live."
Kazuma tsked through his teeth. It made sense though - it was easy to forget with the succubi looking so disarming, but many demons were effectively living weapons, or were at the very least enemy soldiers. He hummed again, furrowing his forehead and idly wondering if the demons had anything like a civilian population, while trying to find a loophole, "And what exactly makes them a 'demon' exactly? Like, what sets them apart from, say, beastfolk, just for curiosity's sake."
"Any entity that innately can or does feed off of life force is defined legally as a demon," Sena helpfully supplied, the relevant law almost to the letter. "Such statute includes entities such as subservient undead, who are sustained and commanded by the will of a necromancer, who themselves feed in like manner."
"Tch. Thanks, but unfortunately, that's not exactly helpful. With how public this has gotten, there's no way to just conceal their presence either. Is there any way we could legitimize them? Surely there is a precedent for allowing an otherwise illegal group to live?" Kazuma ventured, desperately fishing for help on this.
Sena shook her head, but to Kazuma's surprise, help arrived from an unexpected quarter.
"There is one way that might work. It's ancient history now, but centuries ago, before the precise nature of demons was understood, there was a royal hearing to determine the status of beastfolk within the kingdom." Lord Ignis spoke up, fixing Kazuma with a serious look and clasping his hands on the table. "We- That is to say, you could petition the throne for clemency on their behalf. Since their conditions of birth are obviously outside of their own control and their actions prove their purity of intention, all it would take would be the support of a noble in good standing, to have your case heard. That said, times have changed since those days and it would now involve convincing not only His Majesty, but a court of nobles to agree. And of course, given the nature of the request, should you be turned down, it would be a matter of treason."
"So we have a chance, is what you're saying?" Kazuma asked, refusing to hesitate, in order to fake a confidence he didn't have. He caught the twitch of an approving smile in Ignis's face, as he stood up. "Well then, I guess I best start reading up on how to help them. It's my fault they are in this situation in the first place, so I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I just abandoned them." After all, if he hadn't brought Darkness into the whole mess, Ignis never would have found out and it would still be a secret.
"Hmm… Has anyone ever told you that you have an overdeveloped sense of responsibility, Kazuma Satou?" Ignis sighed. "Still, if your conviction is that strong, how can I refuse? In that case, with Guildmaster Luna's permission, this succubus will be your responsibility then. If she attempts to flee or cause any problems whilst under your care,the consequences shall fall upon your shoulders. Do you understand?" Lord Ignis stood, looking down on Kazuma and trying to appear suitably stern. In reality, he was a surprisingly soft-hearted man, for a feudal lord, taking slight pity on the girl. His qualms about what she had been doing in Lalatina's head aside, it had been informed and consensual and probably as safe as his daughter could be, given the circumstances. Missy hadn't truly done anything wrong, so her staying in the relative comfort of the guild hall would be better for the delicate-looking thing than if he was forced to hold onto her and keep her in a cell.
"I don't think Luna will have an issue with it. At worst, I'll use my own money and buy a room for her. Missy, you can hide your features when out and about, right?" Kazuma asked, vaguely remembering something along those lines when he'd visited the cafe with Aqua.
"Mhm! Not a problem. It's how we usually go out to buy stuff for the cafe anyway" Missy nodded, demonstrating by retracting her tail and the batlike wings on her head to prove the point.
"Alright, if you're not in private, please keep them hidden? I know nearly every man in the guild knows about the cafe, but I don't want to cause a panic if we can avoid it" Kazuma pleaded, the young succubus eagerly agreeing not to cause trouble. After all, she actually knew and liked several guild members already, even if they didn't exactly know her.
Lord Ignis nodded, motioning for his men and Sena to leave. "It is agreed then. I will draft a letter of support for your petition in the meantime. Take care, Mister Satou. I wasn't lying before when I said you could have a bright future ahead of you. It would truly be a shame for it to be brought to an end over something like this." An unspoken understanding passed between them, as he met Kazuma's eyes, causing a cold bead of sweat to make its way down the younger man's back. By adding official support to the petition, Lord Dustiness was placing his own and his family's necks on the line alongside Kazuma's. The amount of trust the lord was extending to him was honestly staggering and a part of Kazuma's brain started cursing at yet another debt that some day, would have to be repaid.
Royce remained seated as the guards removed Missy's shackles, looking curiously at the succubus while waiting for the Lord and his entourage to leave. Once they were gone, he could only smile, letting out a heartfelt chuckle. "Well-! I didn't expect this to be the way Axel's biggest secret came to light, much less how it would be resolved."
Kazuma's jaw dropped, staring at the laughing priest. "Wait, Father Royce, you knew?!"
"Of course I knew!" he laughed, waving it aside. "I have been in this city for more years than this guild hall has stood. I have had several men approach me in confidence during a crisis of faith and inevitably, Missy's kin and their cafe would emerge. I didn't do anything much for the same reasons you yourself laid out, as well as Lord Dustiness's concerns: They weren't doing anyone undue harm and were simply trying to live their lives." Smiling to Missy, he continued on, "I am fairly certain this girl has even helped a certain, unremarkable old man who certainly couldn't be anything as grand as a bishop, carry his groceries a few times. I don't think a creature of darkness would do that, do you, Kazuma?"
Kazuma slumped in his chair and smiled, surprised, but relieved to have found such strong allies in Lord Dustiness and the old priest. "Thank you, Father Royce. Would you mind if I left Missy with you for just a moment while I explain things to Luna and get some more discreet clothing for her?"
"Not at all," he nodded. "I was honestly hoping to talk to her without the looming threat of execution over her head anyway. If that would be okay with you, dear?"
Before Missy could answer, the door opened, revealing a woman in a cheap, but fancy, low-cut dress and a cigarette pinched between her teeth. She may have been hiding her demonic features, but Kazuma still couldn't mistake her for anyone else, even if Missy hadn't immediately shot up to hug her with a cry of, "Marigold!"
The succubus matron took one last, long drag and flicked her cigarette away, bouncing it off a delighted Darkness's neck and embracing the relieved and apologetic succubus, all while fixing first Kazuma, then the Bishop with a tired glare. "You know, Kazuma, you've got a real talent for bringing disasters down on my head. I think, your excellency, that I might be better suited to answer those questions of yours."
