Author's Note: Day 7, and the last.
Mylene Rapha Holfort: So the Lafan's were dead on arrival then?
James Fia Marmoria: The Offreys had already finished off Marie's father, a strike on their family home, only her mother and sister were left alive but they seem either unwilling or unable to testify against the Offreys.
Mylene: Both already shipped off I take it?
James: The Rochelle front, until they have paid their debts in full mother and daughter will be working as prostitutes to our brave soldiers on the front-lines, Leaving Marie in the clear.
Mylene: And their lingering connection to our 'Saintess?'
James: Their familial ties have been officially severed, in the unlikely event that they do pay off their insurmountable debt neither of them will carry either their former noble rank or their Last name. They will be simple nameless Sex Slaves.
Mylene: And what of the Saintess?
Pope Alexandria XVI: To be quite honest, she's quite lack luster. I dare say that if one of the searchers had found her she would've been dismissed on the spot. In fact if I'm not mistaken Miss Olivia used to live near or in the Lafan's territory, it would not surprise me to learn they are related.
Mylene: Meaning that Lafan likely was met by Master Lucas, and dismissed as a candidate?
*Alexandria nods in the affirmative*
Alexandria: The situation is not completely un-salvageable. In truth Young Miss Olivia's talent in biomancy is extremely developed.
Mylene: Biomancy? Not healing?
Alexandria: Correct, Master Lucas reported that in addition to her ability to heal she can also directly control the processes that happens up here.
*Alexandria indicates the side of her head*
Alexandria: An ability that she was seen using to control all the animals at the farm she was working at. I would say she is a once in a century talent.
Mylene: Which means that you've come up with a lot of substitutes?
Alexandria: Correct.
Mylene: And Marie doesn't possess this power of control? She's just that good at manipulating people? I refuse to believe my son could be deceived so easily.
Transcript from the Meeting Between the Crown and the Church Following the 'Five Fools Incident'
In some ways Marie was over qualified for the Saintess role. In the past when the church was lacking access to Olivia's they would prepare substitutes, people with the weakest affinity for healing who had other affinities that could be used to help manipulate biological tissue, water and Earth respectively. The Rest of Marie's family had Water and Earth affinities so she should too. That though didn't explain why she was strapped down to this ritual circle stripped down to her birthday suit surrounded by people in robes, one of them had already attached a hose of suspect fluid to her stomach which was now slowly filling.
"Excuse me!" Marie shouted and the nearest monk looked at her questioningly. "Hi, would you mind telling me who you people are and why I'm here?"
"To answer your first question, we are the relatives of the various saints of the past. Our power pales in comparison to our cousins but we do our best." The monk pulled down his hood to reveal blue eyes and blond hair, much like Marie herself. "To answer your second question: You are a cripple. Your power is at a tenth of the average to a peer of your age, your body has ceased maturing, and thanks to your stupid boyfriend you are now the face of the church. We are here to correct two of these issues." Marie audibly gulped at that. "Now would you prefer leather or rope?"
"Excuse me?" Marie squeaked in fear. "For your gag, we have to reconstruct your entire body now and it would be inconvenient for us if you bite your tongue off during the process. Leather or Rope?"
"Shouldn't I be asleep for this?" Marie asked fearfully.
"You're getting rope." The Rope did nothing to muffle the sounds of Marie Screaming.
"Guys, I don't remember the rest of the Dorm building being like this." Brad, Greg, Chris, Jilk and Julius were dressed in rubber boots, aprons, gloves and hair nets carrying with them detergent, scrub brushes and buckets of water as they stared ahead at the carnage laid out before them. The Tuquoise carpet was turned a dark brown, the walls were covered in profanities and racial slurs, the hall stunk of garbage and horse manure, with all the garbage bags were piled up in front of one of the doors until it could no longer be seen, and flies were buzzing everywhere. "I think I understand why Clarice was looking at us like that now."
Each Platinum coin was worth 1000 Dia, of which Leon bet five hundred, multiplied by 2000 to 1 odds and he now had 1 000 000 platinum coins or 1 billion Dia.
Divided five ways the five fools now had a debt of two hundred million each that they had to pay off, and for the next year they couldn't dungeon dive to pay it off, worse yet after this mess is cleaned up and their classes for the term finished they would be shipped off to boot camp for the next month to be turned into 'acceptable men' before returning to school again. And they had no one they could blame but themselves, the road to Paradiso is paved with good intentions as the saying goes.
Classes for the most part went relatively smoothly, bar one little incident.
Leon walked into his home room class to the sight of the room in question having been converted into a makeshift court room, with both the judge and jury all wearing black bags over their heads.
"When did you guys even have the time to set this up?"
"Sit down!" The 'Judge' demanded, indicating for Leon to sit in the chair that they had all the desks surrounding. Letting out a sigh Leon walked over and sat in the chair. "Leon Fou Blackmore You are charged with hogging all the girls in order to build a Harem of beautiful girls for yourself!" The 'Judge' hissed angrily. "How do you plead!?"
"I'm doing what now?" Leon asked, his face confused. "Bring in the Evidence!" The 'Prosecuter' proceeded to stick pictures onto the black board, very well done pictures for people without access to cameras. "Olivia the Scholarship Student! Angelica Rapha Redgrave! Clarice Fia Atlee! Sarah Fia Winchester! Jillian Fou Patton! And the Demi-human Maid Twins!"
"Why does any of this concern you idiots?" Leon asked after looking at the board in question.
"Why does it concern us!?" The 'Judge's' voice cracked that time. "Our livelihoods depends on our ability to find good marriage partners that won't abuse us, steal all our money, or make us buy them Slaves! And here you are chilling with five beautiful girls and two Demi-human Whores!"
"You guys are seriously reading this situation the wrong way." Leon's face twitched with annoyance.
"Silence! You will be sentenced to be tossed off the rooftop of the school building into a cart full of horse manure for your crimes against the men of the school!" The Judge shouted indicating Leon with a mallet.
"Were you guys the ones who smeared horse-" Leon cut himself off with a deep breathe, mentally reciting 'Diplomacy' over and over again in his mind. Diplomacy and the promise of Revenge. "Instead of that very smelly and unpleasant sounding fate I propose an alternative." The fewer of these fools that he has to shove up each other's anus's the more likely it is he won't get into trouble with Rodin and the rest of his family. "For the student festival come the new term I will arrange a get together of the unmarried men of the school and the most desirable of the school's women, plus any unmarried young ladies of good repute that have already graduated from the academy. What do you say?" Immediately the Courtroom was dismantled, the desks and chairs returned the way they were, on one side one of the men were doing Leon's nails and on the other one was holding a mug of soda with a straw lodged in it for Leon to take a sip from, at least one of them took a large exaggerated fan out from somewhere and was now fanning Leon with it. "What's wrong with you people?"
Angelica was sitting in on a meeting with her father and brother, here to discuss her future, or in another way her lack of it. Weeks ago Angelica's life was set in stone, Graduate, Marry Julius, Become Queen. Now? Now Angelica simply didn't know what she was going to do.
"Your Champion is an impressive lad I'll give him that much." Vincent took a deep breath of the black brew that Angelica had prepared for him as their meeting began. "The royal Family is weary of him. As are we."
"Yes I know it was improper to go against the royal Family." Angelica stated as she let out a sigh.
"Our family's duty is to go against the royal family when they start acting the fool." Vincent stated bluntly.
"Your Fiance is not only being a fool, but he was also treating you as dirt beneath his feet. You were completely within your rights to defend yourself in the duel that he started." With that said, the Prince's foolishness was not Vincent's original point. "You're aware that your Champion can't pilot the Winchester armour, a armour that to my knowledge was functioning properly." Which means that there is no reason why it would reject Leon, bar one. "He has the features of neither Elves or Beast men. What is he? Do you know?"
"I don't." Angelica shrugged her shoulders dismissively. "Maybe he's a demon, it seems to be the usual answer with him. You could just ask him yourself you know. Quite frankly, I don't care. These past few months he has been the best friend I could ever ask for."
"We intend to." Vincent stated as he looked at the door, behind which was the next topic of conversation. "We require vassals who are proven loyal to our family, the ones who are proven disloyal?" Vincent quirked his eye, some amusement with his seriousness. "I trust your decision in regards to them. You will have to select your own followers from now on." Angelica nodded and stood up to leave for the door to the office.
As Angelica left she saw a young man to the left of her, kneeling on the ground with his head hung low. And Another, and Another. Almost every person Angelica had ever considered to be a friend was on their hands and knees begging for forgiveness for abandoning her in her time of need.
"You have until the end of the winter vacation to think about how you are going to make it up to my family for what you have done. You've not only failed them, but you've also failed the royal family." And so Angelica walked away her mood instantly brightening as she saw someone approaching. "You're late." Angelica greeted the much taller boy in front of her.
"I was in court." Leon stated bluntly looking ahead of Angelica. "What does your dad want?"
"To have his concerns allayed." Angelica replied bluntly. "He may think you're a monster."
"He's not wrong." Leon stated bluntly as he entered the room.
Less Talked about concerning the First Game's possible Capture Targets is the Secret Route Target Leon Fou Blackmore. He's not as handsome looking as the main Five, nor is he as traditionally heroic either. He is however one of the last of a clan of Demon summoners known as the Umbran Witches, or Warlock in his case, and his power vastly outstrips that of the five main Targets. In some ways he can be thought of as a reward for the players. I admit after a few weeks of dealing with the five's various routes having someone as competent as the five were made out to be in their bio's is a rather considerable reward, which is probably why he is only a New Game Plus unlock. He doubts himself, and he is under a lot of pressure, but allowed to reach his full potential? I don't believe there is a single force in what is left of this world that could stop him.
Excerpt from Diary 1
In simple terms, Leon was completely human, both of his parents are human, though he'd likely only be able to introduce them at the end of the summer break. It was also a fact that both of the individuals in question were female, so Leon showed the Duke what they did with a demonstration of his umbran magic.
"Most of the time, you don't wanna summon the whole demon." Leon explained as a pair of black arms next to him made him a coffee, his hair dancing behind him like it was infested with static electricity. "Honestly? It's dangerous. If you lose control over them then you got demons running wild in the area. So that's why you wanna summon only part of the demon." The owner of the black hands did a curtsy before vanishing, Vincent imagined that if he could see the rest of the person who did it would've been quite elegant. "In my case? They only summoned the part that they needed." Vincent imagined a spell like that would be extremely popular among the female populace of the school. "Mum used her hair as the medium for the magic, as a result..." Leon gestured to himself with his hands.
"Is that why you're so tall?" Vincent asked looking Leon up and down. "Demonic sorcery messing with your bloodline?"
"I get that a lot but no, both of my parents are just freakishly tall people." Leon stated with a grin.
"Why'd you volunteer as Angelica's champion?" Vincent was dead serious with his question.
"Because she's my friend, and I am uncomfortable with the idea of innocent people getting group bullied." Leon spat the second half of the sentence like it owed him money.
"Yes. Your clock's relationship with your mother." Vincent stated letting out a sigh. "Do you have any idea how utterly mad you sound when you get into an argument with a cuckoo clock? Worse yet, the clock argues back if what I'm told is to be believed!" This young man's life sounds like an asylum patient's fever dream.
"I can't help your narrow world view Mr. Redgrave." Leon stated as he steepled his hands together.
"Your opinion of the prince?" Vincent asked his eyes narrowed in on Leon.
"Where's that coming from?" Leon asked cocking a suspicious brow.
"Humour me." Vincent ordered gesturing lightly.
"I think his country is falling apart at the seams." Leon replied bluntly as he prepared to count points off of his finger tips. "The Low Ranking nobles are too poor to do anything, the mid ranking nobles are as loyal as Angelica's former retainers, the high ranking nobility use to have a rather lucrative series of deals in place to keep this country functioning. But Marie went through the red tape like a hot knife through butter, this situation would be bad enough under any circumstances, you on the other hand are surrounded by enemies. Alzer picks fights for shits and giggles, Fanoss hates you, Rochelle thinks what you have is rightfully theirs." Leon gave a humourless chuckle. "The real person who's been screwed over here is me though! Because my family expects me to set up a functioning business here, which means I have to pull your tails out of the fire!" Leon let out an actual laugh at that. "And I have no idea what I have to do to accomplish that!" Vincent actually winced at that. Everything Leon said he either knew to be accurate or strongly suspected as much, Julius's generation was meant to cover decades worth of damage control, not incur it. "As for my opinion of the prince? I think the Prince is the final bloody nail in the coffin of the Holfort Kingdom."
"The prince has been disinherited." Vincent stated bluntly. "By the rumours floating around the castle permanently, less the efforts to rehabilitate him bear some serious fruit." Vincent just let out a loud sigh at that. "Honestly where did they go wrong with that boy?"
"The issue here is that he doesn't know how to figure stuff out on his own." Leon stated bluntly. "He was always told what he should do if he ever got into a situation that his parents could think of instead of letting him come to an answer on his own. Oh sure it would mean that he wouldn't always act in the manner their highness expect-" Like breaking off his engagement with Angelica in favour of some random Viscount's daughter. "-but the upside is that he'll be able to figure out what to do in a situation that they didn't plan for."
Vincent quirked a brow in interest.
"Thank you for your opinions young man, we will take them into consideration going forward. One last matter." Leon looked at Vincent suspiciously. "Recent events have clearly proven that life in the capital is too stressful for Angelica. Some time away to get some fresh air is what's best for her at this time. And what a coincidence. One of Angelica's friends happens to have an island in the countryside where she can recover stress free."
"Why not?" Leon shrugged his shoulders. "I'd love to have her over." Leon bowed and left the room. A few moments later Vincent spoke up.
"He was able to accurately grasp the Kingdom's political climate just from observing the other students at the school and the Prince's character and upbringing."
"Lucas's lessons in etiquette have paid off." Gilbert stated as if it was obvious.
"He's only been taking Lucas's lessons for a few months, if he was able to figure all of that out within a few months then he is even more remarkable than we initially gave him credit for." Here's hoping that he doesn't turn into another enemy, dying in one's sleep choking on their own vomit would be a horrible way to end such a promising talent.
Midterms came and went, Leon did better than he gave himself credit for, Olivia had been bound and determined to pay Leon back for the magic lessons, and she some how managed to match the intensity of constantly having baseballs hurled at your head. As such the Winter Ball came, Angelica stole the show of course looking stunning in her black on red dress that hugged her hourglass figure. Of course the real eye catcher here was her seven foot tall date, dressed as a knight in bright neon orange armour, he wore neither the arm blaster or the helmet, in their place a pitch black cape reaching his ankles held together with a golden clasp.
"You dance well, for a giant dressed in armour." Angelica commented with a touch of snark.
"I've been dancing since I was eight years old." Leon stated bluntly, he was almost insulted.
"Demons again?" Angelica snorted in amusement.
"You'd be surprised how much a demon summoning ritual looks like a lap dance." Leon stated amused.
"Is there anything about you that doesn't answer with 'demons?'" Angelica asked legitimately amused.
"I make a mean cup of coffee?" Leon tried hopefully.
"That you grew using demon magic." Angelica stated her logic infallible as she let out a giggle at Leon's expense.
After Angelica came Olivia, she of course looked stunning in the battle mage armour that Jenna had made for her, the dark colours helping to highlight her bright features.
"This is really fun!" Olivia shouted as Leon twirled her around. "Do you really dance when you cast magic?"
"Gestures can help focus magic, partly why people make them with their arms when they cast, physical activity also makes you spit out more energy too." Purple and blue energy began to swirl around the duo as they danced. "More power and more control makes a bigger spell, considering the size of the creatures I tend to call on both are needed to pull off the spell." Small black birds came from the magical mist, their head crests resembling a purple crescent moon, flying around the duo as they danced.
"They're beautiful!" Olivia cooed as one of the birds landed on her shoulder.
"They'd tear you apart anywhere else, luckily I can control the ones I summon."
Off to the side three girls were enjoying watching them dance, well Sarah and Jillian were watching Leon with his dance Partners, Clarice was just hammered. Sarah could tell that Clarice wanted to join in and get the next dance, but she was also on her third bottle of courage and drunk dancing with a guy two feet taller than you and dressed to go on a adventure was a recipe for disaster and broken feet.
The night of the Ball was over and the next day everyone was on their way back to their respective homes and a familiar ship appeared in the docks of the school.
"How does this thing keep appearing like this?" Once again the ship that Leon used to transport his armour into the arena had made itself known and everyone was staring. The Redgraves of course had sent their own ship ahead to Leon's island, full of staff suitable to tend to Angelica's needs. In the Meantime Angelica and the girls would be arriving at the island via this ship.
"So, Leon invited all of you then?" Jenna was already getting her belongings loaded onto the ship, in addition to it's capacity to transport armours and disappear and reappear at will the ship also had a giant mechanical arm that looked like it could move several tonnes of Cargo in a single bound, and in fact was doing exactly that.
"Yes. My father is hoping that the fresh air of the countryside will be good for me." Angelica stated as she gave a curtsy to Jenna.
"I'm coming along to support Angie!" Olivia had simply pumped her fist enthusiastically. Getting access to more knowledge on magic was good too, according to Leon the books on Magical lore from his family home were more detailed than the ones in the library or the ones they gave them for the class.
"We have matters to discuss too." Jillian stated as she adjusted her glasses. "Coffee is a potent stimulant, it'll be good to have it on the front lines for our soldiers to help them stay awake during the long nights, it also keeps very well, which puts it ahead of our current main stimulant, that being tea and sugar."
"And I just want to have a better look at the armour he used during the duel so that I can rip it off." Sarah stated shrugging her shoulders. Nimble, Fast and Long shooting armours were fantastic, maximum chance for offensive potential, minimum risk to the wielder, but this also created a niche in the army's that could potentially be filled, a huge tanky armour housing the commanders of the battlefield carrying massive AOE type guns, lesser enemies would have to group up on it to take it down, thus allowing the AOE type ammunition to work to it's full potential, allowing smaller units to go around to wreak havoc. It would be a niche armour, but while mass production would make her money for her custom jobs would get people's attention. "Clarice I think just has a crush on you." Sarah stated prompting Clarice to turn pink with a blush.
"I do not!" Clarice snapped adjusting the ledger in her hands. "My father is the minister of Finance! If a new business is opening then it needs to be registered properly! And that means conducting a survey!"
"Sure. Sure." Sarah had a shit eating grin as she lightly patted Clarice on her back before she got onto the ship, the girls soon being greeted by a grand father clock sitting next to the ramp like a post for a railing, it's time stuck at 11:25.
"Is this what I think it is?" Angelica extended her arm out, defensively moving Olivia behind her as she looked at the clock.
"We have not been formally introduced Lady Redgrave." Hundreds of voices said at the same time. "You may call me Umbra."
"I've heard of you." Angelica's tone was full of hostility. "What are you doing here?"
"I am both this ship's power source and it's controlling consciousness." Umbra stated bluntly, Angelica and the girls looked wide, to the huge clock that made up the ship's centre piece. "I am the ship and the ship is me."
"That's not what I meant." Angelica stated as she circled around the smaller clock. "Why are you the one helping Leon?"
"Because as much as I despise his existence I need him both alive and to reach his true potential." The Clock stated bluntly. "Beyond that? My reasons why are beyond you little girl, and I have neither the time nor the interest to explain my reasoning to you. I'm sure Leon will give the five of you full permission to use and treat me like a slave though until such time I'd appreciate not being bothered." The clock disappeared into the floor of the ship.
Cordelia Fou Easton was the personal maid to Angelica Rapha Redgrave, the daughter of a Baron family. Cordelia has served the Redgrave family for close to two decades, having originally been sent to the Redgraves for her etiquette training and basically never left, so naturally she was extremely close to her mistress, something like her elder sister. So you can imagine the sheer unbridled rage that has been burning deeply inside of Cordelia's chest ever since she learned that Angie's fiance Julius has been cheating on her. And now she's learned that someone is taking advantage of her while she is emotionally vulnerable? Not on her watch, Cordelia was personally leading the advance team sent to the little punk's home with the singular intention of ensuring that no one takes advantage of her Angie.
The Blackmore's compound was unusual, as far as sky islands went. There was a central island that the Maid couldn't see right now, surrounded by rings of other smaller islands that had been stacked on top of each other each with gothic style buildings built on them with chains connecting all of them together. However what made the compound Leon grew up in a fortress instead of a mere island was the duo of huge metal manta ray-like creatures that was towing the entire place forward.
The Compound, for lack of a better term, is far more than any mere Island or Island chain. When the Trinity of Realities was being broken down the last of the Umbran Witches, your parents, Cereza and Jeanne travelled around what use to be Europe gathering together the pieces of what use to be the Cities of Vigrid, Fimbulventr, Thule, the Isla De Sol and others from around the world, methodically restored to a peak habitable state this is more than merely the last fortress of the clans, it is every one of their bases that they've ever had put together. Each of the cities in question were built where the barriers between Purgatorio, Inferno and Paradiso were at their thinnest forming portals between the realms.
The architect's of the cities both took advantage of portals and took steps to ensure the they would do their people no harm, each building was carefully constructed to act as a gate for the portals in question allowing their builders to limit the flow of demons and angels as they enter the mortal world. The Central Island is the world's first Dungeon, Avalon Forest, the Fairy Kingdom. When your parents were your age they entered this forest, your Mummy with Cheshire first and your Mommy chasing after her, where they met the Fairy prince Lukaon. Then the three of them met again when the Trinity started to break down, and they forged the New Pact to limit how much Paradiso and Inferno crosses over into the human world, thus forming the dungeons.
The Fairies magic has them extract memories from the people that they encounter, forming illusions and projections to harass and attack the people who mean them harm, Demons and Angels are born from the negative and positive emotions produced by humanity, after the devastation wreaked on Paradiso and Inferno both of the realms were in complete chaos, the Fairies took advantage of this. The emotions that give form to Demons and Angels are trapped in the dungeons by the Fairy's magic, while humans go into the dungeons proper to kill the monsters in question thus ensuring they cannot break out to threaten either party.
Rodin to the Blackmore Children
While the sight of the Unusual compound pulled by demons massive enough to be airships were impressive an object big enough to be an armour flew past the Redgrave ship so fast it was just a blur. The Object slowed down significantly as it looped back around to the front of the Redgrave ship where it parked itself. It wasn't an armour, though it was no less confusing for the revelation, it was closer to an air ship with two pointed blue engines attached to the third main pointed body, which was white. The White main body opened up and man stood up inside of it, wearing a green pilot's suit with a helmet with two points on top resembling foxes ears. The man jumped down from the ship, looming over Cordelia with an eight foot tall stature as he removed his helmet revealing a head of black hair and white eyes.
"Who the bloody hell are you?" The eight foot tall man asked with a glare.
"Cordelia Fou Easton, Maid of the Redgrave family, here on invite from your brother Leon." The woman in question adjusted her glasses with a glare. "Are you going to remove your..." Cordelia looked around the pilot and at the vehicle that he came out of. "To be quite honest I don't know what you call this thing."
"One, Nicks Blackmore." The Man in question thumbed himself. "Two, Arwing model XJ-9, an experimental craft that nearly crashed into your ship that wasn't authorised to be here. So one of us has a problem."
"A letter from my Master explaining the situation." Nicks took the letter and examined it. "I trust that we can at least be civil about this yes?"
Review Section:
RonaldM40196867: Tell me about it, that place is filthy. I don't plan to no.
RedRat8: There's always the mini-tournament arc I have planned after the festival. And while physical scars may fade the emotional ones are forever.
MogtheGnome: Sunk Fallacy cost and desperation will push her through anyway.
Demolia85: I liked it.
Rodvek97: I have no idea who or what manh is but I'll take your word for it.