Monster Girl Saga

CHAPTER 9

 

A brave heart does not fear the unknown

 

It took Luka nearly a full day of complete rest before he found himself able to walk without being plagued by muscle pains at every step, and even after the pain subsided to more tolerable levels, he still felt rather weak. In consideration of his weakened state, he decided to remain in Harpy Village for a few more days to make a full recovery.

 

Truthfully, the weakness was largely an excuse. In fact, the reason for the prolonged stay was much simpler, and at the same time more complicated. Luka felt uneasy about leaving so soon. Queen Sophie had yet to lay her eggs, and while he realized it’d take a long time before they hatched, he felt the need to at least remain in the village until they were laid. Thus, when he realized his physical shape left a lot to be desired, he jumped at the chance to delay his departure.

 

That was not his only cause for concern, however. He was also aware that Thermidor was waiting for him back in Iliasburg, and he could not stall indefinitely - in large part because she would be very worried if he ran late, and also because the longer he took, the more terrible her wrath would likely be upon being told what transpired in Harpy Village.

 

As always, Luka’s life refused to be simple - but just this once, he didn’t mind the complications. All of this, he felt, was a small price to pay for what he’d gain in return.

 

----

 

“Come on, sleepyhead, wake up!”

 

Luka groaned as a familiar voice roused him from his sleep. Sitting up slowly, he rubbed his eyes and looked at Alice, who was peeking in through the closest window to the bed he was resting on.

 

“Mmnrfgh,” he grumbled. “What time is it?”

 

“The sun rose about two hours ago,” the Echidna replied, watching him with an amused smile. “It’s unusual for you to sleep this late so many days in a row, so I thought I’d drop by and wake you up. The Queen could’ve done it herself, but she said you looked so peaceful while sleeping she didn’t have the heart to disturb you.”

 

“Nrgh,” Luka grumbled again. “Still a little drowsy, but you’re right. Can’t let bad habits take hold. Too troublesome.”

 

“The Harpy chicks are playing again, in case you’re interested,” Alice informed him with a knowing look. “Given how intently you were observing them last time, I thought letting you know would be a good idea. In fact, why don’t you play with them a bit? It’ll help you wake up, and besides, you should get used to that,” she concluded with a giggle.

 

“Mmm... where’s Sophie?” Luka asked. “She left early yesterday, too...”

 

“She’s at the Aerie. By the way, you’re getting pretty familiar with the Queen if you’re on a first-name basis already,” Alice commented. “Most humans would remain intimidated for quite a while when talking about her.”

 

“She asked me to call her by name, and I see no reason to refuse,” the boy Hero said with a shrug. “And besides, wouldn’t it be even more awkward if I called her ‘Your Highness’ or ‘Queen’, after all we did the other night?”

 

“True,” Alice nodded thoughtfully. “I still find it strange that you warmed up to her enough to consider starting a family with her in a couple weeks or so. Don’t humans prefer long courtships?”

 

“Well... you have a point, actually,” Luka replied, frowning. “But that’s how it went. I’m not sure how to explain it, but... somehow it felt like I was doing the right thing. I suppose you could chalk it up to instinct, maybe?”

 

“...that’s the kind of instinct monsters have, not humans,” Alice muttered, eyeing him speculatively. “Perhaps your time with Thermidor slightly warped your mindset?”

 

“I’d prefer if you didn’t call me ‘warped’, if it’s all the same with you,” the young man replied, feeling a little bit insulted. “I find it perfectly normal, and if it really is monster instinct, shouldn’t you find it perfectly fine and acceptable, as well? But never mind that. You mentioned something called ‘Aerie’. What’s that?”

 

“The Harpies’ Aerie,” Alice explained. “It’s the place where their eggs are laid and taken care of in preparation for hatching time. It’s the single most heavily guarded place in the village, even more so than the Queen’s house. Queen Sophie is having a space reserved for her eggs.”

 

“Eh? So she’s going to lay them soon?” Luka asked, his drowsiness vanishing completely as the news caught his attention. “Do you have any idea when?”

 

“I imagined that’d be a subject of interest for you,” she said. “To answer your question, egg-laying doesn’t take very long - only three to five days after mating, for most Harpies. However, don’t think you can simply wait until the eggs hatch; that’ll take a lot longer. A little over four months on average, I believe.”

 

“Ugh... I imagined that’d be the case,” he grumbled dejectedly. He then looked at her with apprehension. “Your offer... it’s still valid, right?”

 

“Of course, you idiot,” the Echidna scolded him with an angry glare. “Who do you take me for? I promised, and I’m not going to back down from that promise. That’s how you do things, too, right?”

 

“Yeah...” he nodded, smiling at her. “Thanks, Alice. I really appreciate it.”

 

“Yes, yes, I know,” she muttered, blushing slightly at his sincere thanks. “Don’t worry, I’ll think of some way for you to repay me. Now get up and get dressed. The little Harpies outside will be done playing if you keep dallying.”

 

With that, Alice slithered off, leaving a thoughtful Luka alone. Slowly, the boy got up and began to get dressed, pondering the situation the whole time.

 

He had quite a lot to plan ahead for.

 

----

 

A few minutes later, Luka climbed down from his cabin and walked over to the group of small Harpies. As before, the adult Harpies eyed him curiously, but made no move to stop him, even when he stepped closer to the children.

 

The Harpy chicks were intimidated by the unfamiliar presence at first, and scuttled away to hide behind the adults. As they eyed him warily from behind the older Harpies, much to the latter’s amusement, one of them seemed to recognize him and left her hiding spot, hopping towards him with a smile and a happy ‘kyuu’ sound. Luka recognized her as the tiny Harpy who’d fallen down face first and whom he’d helped, and he knelt down to ruffle her hair.

 

“Why, hello there. So you remember me? That’s nice,” he said with a small laugh as he patted the tiny Harpy’s head. She responded with a cooing noise as she closed her eyes and let him rub her hair, still smiling.

 

Seeing the scene, a few more of the Harpy chicks slowly came out of hiding and approached him cautiously, curious. He remained still, careful not to startle them with sudden movements. Before long, the chicks lost their hesitation and began to crowd around Luka, who sat down cross-legged and allowed the little Harpies to poke around. Soon, he found himself having to be mindful of a few Harpy chicks clumsily climbing over him, and ended up having to catch a couple as they lost their footing and fell off. One managed to somehow climb all the way to his head and happily perched herself on his hair, looking proud of her accomplishment. Luka couldn’t help but wonder how they managed to climb over people and things without hands.

 

“The children seem to like you, Hero,” one of the older Harpies said as she approached him and helped him keep the excited chicks under control. She was an attractive woman with long red hair, green eyes and red-and-yellow feathers. “They aren’t usually this friendly with humans.”

 

“Hahaha, maybe it’s because I like kids, too,” Luka replied. “Maybe they can feel that and it reassures them?”

 

“That may be the case, yes,” another Harpy, this one sporting green hair, blue eyes and green-and-blue feathers, chimed in as she sat nearby and took a few of the playing Harpies off him. A chirp of what sounded like obvious protest even to Luka was heard from the chicks as they were peeled off him. The Harpy gave the angry chicks a stern glare. “Hey now, behave. Don’t bother the Hero so much!”

 

“It’s no bother, really. I don’t mind,” Luka said with a reassuring smile. “Besides, Alice may be right. I should probably get used to this.”

 

“That would be the snake monster who’s with you, right?” the first Harpy inquired. “Is she also your mate?”

 

“Wh-- no, no, nothing like that,” he replied after choking slightly at the bird monster’s words. “She’s a traveling companion, but there isn’t anything going on between me and her.”

 

“But you’d prefer that’d be the case?” the second Harpy asked with a knowing look. “She’s certainly attractive, after all...”

 

“Admittedly, I wouldn’t mind that, but I don’t think she’s interested in me that way,” Luka replied in a low tone. “That said, could we please change the subject? If she overheard any of this kind of talk, I don't know if I'd ever get a moment's peace again!”

 

“As you wish, Hero,” the Harpies replied in unison, giggling. Then one of them perked up. “But, should you ever feel like having more mates...”

 

“Ah, I’ll pass right about now,” Luka immediately replied, drawing a disappointed look from the two Harpies. “Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the offer, but... I’m still kind of wrapping my head around the situation I’m currently in. I'd like to take things one at a time.”

 

“Of course, that’s reasonable,” the green-haired Harpy nodded, her look of disappointment turning to understanding. “But our offer stands! We’re hoping you’ll consider it once you’ve worked things out.”

 

“Hmmm... I can’t make promises,” was Luka’s vague reply. “I’d rather not get anyone’s hopes up and then have to shoot them down. Sorry about that.”

 

“I see... oh well, I tried,” the red-haired Harpy said, shrugging and sticking her tongue out with a half-smile. She then watched with amusement as the chicks her green-haired friend had been holding suddenly escaped her grip, startling her, and hopped over to Luka, climbing over him again with happy chirps. Luka laughed as he poked and tickled the climbing children, causing them to erupt into fits of giggles. After a few seconds, the two Harpies also began laughing, and joined in the playing.

 

Off to the side, high up on a platform, Queen Sophie and Alice watched the scene below with amused smiles.

 

“It seems that Luka’s endearing himself to all the children of Harpy Village,” the Echidna commented, shaking her head. The Queen Harpy’s smile widened a bit as she nodded in agreement. She then turned serious and looked at the other monster.

 

“If you don’t mind me asking, Monster Lord, why are you traveling with him and what plans do you have for him?” she inquired with an unreadable expression. Alice shot her a speculative look.

 

“Hmm? Are you perhaps getting a little defensive of your mate?” she asked with a raised eyebrow, then shrugged. “Don’t worry, though. I don’t plan to do anything bad to him... I won’t do anything good either, though. If he ends up caught by a monster, I won’t interfere. It’s their right to do with him as they see fit should they defeat him, after all. You understand, don’t you?”

 

“I do... although I can’t say I like it,” the Queen nodded, frowning. Alice waved a hand at her dismissively.

 

“You worry too much. He’s not going to lose to some random monster,” she said. At the Queen’s questioning look, she crossed her arms, looking at the boy Hero playing with the Harpy children. “You haven’t seen him fight. I have. He nearly scored a direct hit on Granberia, and when he was attacked by a Bee Girl shortly before we reached Happiness Village, he more or less crushed her with minimal effort. He only knows the basics and one advanced move, but he’s amazingly good with what he has. His teacher is even more skilled, and taught him proper discipline, even if he’s still rough around the edges. He’ll be fine.”

 

“He... nearly hit the Dragon Knight?” Sophie murmured, wide eyed. “But, isn’t she the one who nearly defeated you back when...?”

 

“Mmmm,” Alice hummed. “Now you see why I decided to follow him. He has enough power to slay almost any monster on this continent, yet he refuses to use lethal force and instead prefers to negotiate with them. He’s just... different. Speaking of which,” she added as she looked back at the Queen, “I’ll have to talk with him about his approach to monsters. He obviously never considered the reproduction aspect of indulging monsters’ requests, and with the kind of mindset he has towards family, he’ll have to start thinking about what he’s doing.”

 

“That’s normal, seeing how the majority of his experiences were with a monster who can’t reproduce normally,” the avian queen pointed out. “I’m sure he’s already thinking about it.”

 

“Doesn’t it disturb you that he’ll likely allow other monsters to use his body, even though the two of you are essentially married?” Alice inquired, curious. “I would be very aggravated by it if I were in your position, to be honest. It’s in the genes of all snake monsters to be possessive, after all. Then again, as a Harpy, you may think otherwise.”

 

“I’d rather he share his body and be safe than refuse to and be killed, honestly,” the Queen answered truthfully. She then looked at Alice. “I know I’m asking much, but... would you consider, as a favor to me, making sure he won’t jump into a dangerous situation if it could be avoided?”

 

“Such a troublesome request... but I suppose I can,” Alice said with a sigh and a nod. “The First knows he can be muleheaded and stubborn enough to dive straight into messy situations without much care for his own well-being. He was willing to start a fight with an entire town for the sake of a few monster kids, after all. That said, I don’t think I’ll have to keep much of a leash on him from now on. I doubt he’s the type who’d die on his unborn children. If anything, this new development may make him more cautious.”

 

“I certainly hope so,” the Queen murmured as she watched the Hero and the chicks play down below. “I’d rather have him back alive and whole.”

 

----

 

The following day saw Luka back to his habit of waking up early. As before, he found that quite a few Harpies were already up and about. Getting dressed, he decided it was time to get some morning training in. He’d been unable to practice since he got to Happiness Village, and he was beginning to feel restless from the lack of training.

 

Climbing down to the ground, he tracked down some of the guard Harpies and informed them of his intentions so as not to cause a misunderstanding by being seen with weapon drawn. He then found a secluded spot, drew Angel Halo and, under the curious eye of a couple of the guards, began practicing.

 

As he went through the warm-up motions, a few more Harpies stopped to watch the unusual sight, intrigued. The vast majority of them had never seen a human actually wield a weapon, and it was a novelty to them. Before long, a small crowd had formed.

 

After a few minutes, Luka finished his warm-up and took a brief glance around. He’d suspected his activity would draw attention, but the size of the gathered crowd was somewhat distracting. He shrugged, deciding it’d be good training in itself. The ability to tune out distractions was also a crucial part of a warrior’s skills.

 

Focusing on his sword, he began practicing his moves, beginning with the basic stances and attacks, and working his way up to alternating attack combinations. Finally, he began practicing Demon Decapitation. That got a reaction from the guards watching his practice; some of them apparently recognized the Cursed Sword skill, and appeared suitably impressed, drawing a little closer - but still at a safe distance - and taking note of the way he moved and struck.

 

Eventually, Luka felt satisfied with his training, and slowly wound down, letting his accelerated breathing return to normal. As he did, a few of the Harpies made appreciative noises at his display of skill, while the guards nodded at him, giving him an approving look. The crowd then began to disperse, although a few Harpies lingered around. One of the guard Harpies, whom Luka recognized as one of those who normally looked over Queen Sophie’s residence, approached him and raised a wing in greeting.

 

“That was an impressive display, Hero Luka,” she said with a smile. “But if you keep showing off like this, you may find yourself besieged by Harpies determined to persuade you to mate with them. You should be more careful.”

 

“I know that,” Luka grumbled. “But it’s been way too long since I got a good morning’s training in, and the lack of activity was driving me insane. Hm... I wonder if it’s normal to feel like this?”

 

“I would say so. A warrior’s mindset is such that they find being inactive distasteful,” the Harpy replied. “I myself have to practice at least once per day, or I start feeling uncomfortable. I suppose you were so focused on important things you didn’t feel the restlessness before, but now that you have free time again, it’s making itself known.”

 

“Mmm. I guess Thermidor taught me well,” he mused. “Anyway, I need to get refreshed now. I’m sweaty. And I should also take some time to walk around this village and see what it’s like. With all that happened so far, I never properly visited it. To think that all I had come here for was some of Happiness Village’s honey! Things certainly became a bit messier than I had expected.”

 

“Hahaha, I guess you got more than you bargained for,” the Harpy said with a laugh. She then gave him a courteous nod. “Well then, I wish you a good day. I too should return to my duties. I’m not really supposed to stand around talking. But, it was nice to exchange a few words with you, and nicer still to see you train. Goodbye, Hero.”

 

With that, the guard took off and flew away, headed towards the Queen’s house. Luka watched her for a few moments, wondering how it felt to be able to fly freely. He blinked as he experienced a brief pang of envy for the Harpies, and shoved the unpleasant feeling away. He had other things to focus on, and bad thoughts were best left out of his mind.

 

----

 

Over the next two days, Luka returned to his usual schedule of early rising and training in the morning, practicing more intensely than usual. Part of the reason for his overzealous training was because he hadn’t gotten any practice at all since he first got to Happiness Village, having been very busy with the negotiations and his role as messenger and mediator. Additionally, he’d been bedridden from exhaustion after his encounter with the Queen Harpy, and so much lack of activity made him restless.

 

The other part, of course, was that he simply wanted something to do to take his mind off the imminent laying of the Queen’s eggs. While he was aware that everything was being taken care of, he couldn’t help but be unnerved by the situation, and so he threw himself into practicing his sword skills to ease some of the tension.

 

His practice kept drawing quite a bit of attention, as well. Most Harpies in the village had never seen a human train, or even use a sword with any sort of competence at all, and his training routine drew quite a few interested stares from the Harpies who chanced upon it - particularly the guards protecting the village, who seemed intrigued by the human style of combat.

 

The rest of his days were filled with wandering around Harpy Village, exploring it and taking in the sights. He found that the Harpies didn’t really have shops, though they had a small stock of handmade items, local food and other such things for trading with outsider monsters. Among their stock, he found quite a few aromatic herbs that would make his dishes much tastier, and after getting permission, he took a few and ground them up to make a flavor mix out of them. The Harpies were intrigued by the smell and taste of the herbal mix, and before long, they took to making some for themselves. That made Luka somewhat happy: a bit of him had become part of the village.

 

This routine continued until the third day, when the moment he’d been both dreading and anticipating came...

 

----

 

“Hey.”

 

“Mmngh? Alice? What do you want? The sun isn’t even fully up yet,” Luka grumbled as he shifted in his bed, roused by the Echidna’s voice. He was right; there was barely enough light to see outside, although he could hear the rustling of feathers all around, signaling the Harpies were already up and active.

 

“I know that, but you should get up anyway,” the Echidna insisted. Luka’s reply was a snort as he turned the other way.

 

“I’ll get up when the sun does,” he answered in a sleepy tone. “Now leave me alone.”

 

“Fine, I’ll just tell the Queen that you don’t care she’s laid her eggs,” Alice retorted in an exasperated tone. A couple seconds went by without any reaction from Luka, then the boy suddenly sat up, eyes open and completely awake.

 

“What?!”

 

Less than two minutes later, a fully dressed Luka quickly slid down the ladder leading to his cabin and hit the ground running. He then stopped and looked around, unsure of where to go next. Alice slithered up to him from behind and patted him on the back, shaking her head as if talking to a small child.

 

“You can’t reach the Aerie without wings, you idiot,” she explained. “The Harpies made very sure it’d be difficult to reach for anything incapable of flight. Come with me, I’ll show you where it is.”

 

With that she slithered off towards the village’s center. Luka followed her, thinking. He knew now why he’d never been able to locate the Aerie’s entrance: there wasn’t one to be found at ground level.

 

When the pair reached the center of the village, Alice pointed towards the top of the solitary tree standing in the middle of the plaza. Luka looked up, and for the first time he noticed a structure built near the very top of the giant tree. He’d never looked closely before, since Harpies usually built their houses closer to the ground, and the structure was partially covered by the foliage as well. Additionally, the branches around it grew in such a way that approaching the Aerie would be hard even for flying creatures, unless they knew what they were doing.

 

As he looked up and wondered how to get to the Aerie, two of the guards he’d seen alternate outside Queen Sophie’s house flew down and landed before him. The bigger one - a statuesque brown-haired Harpy, nearly seven feet tall - advanced towards him and gave him a courteous nod.

 

“Greetings, Hero Luka,” she said. “The Queen instructed us to lead you to the Aerie. Please understand that it is very rare for humans to be allowed in it for any reason. You are expected to behave and watch your step, and should you cause any damage, you will be punished, even if you’re the Queen’s mate. When you are ready, let us know and we will fly you up.”

 

“I’m as ready as I’ll ever be,” Luka replied, before looking with apprehension at the Harpy’s huge talons. “Just, uh... mind your grip, please?”

 

“You don’t need to worry,” she reassured him with a half smile. “I will be very careful. Besides, I doubt you’re that fragile, Hero. I’ve seen you train. You’re well built. It’d take a lot more than a strong grip to injure you.”

 

“Thanks, I guess,” Luka said, dubious. He then shrugged and held his arms open. “Well, let’s go then.”

 

With a nod, the large Harpy took off, then closed in and grasped him by his outstretched arms. Gripping him firmly, but without exerting too much force, she then began to fly upwards. Luka looked up, impressed. While it was true he was pretty slim and didn’t weigh much, it appeared that carrying him was an effortless task for the powerfully built guard, who flew up at the same speed with which she glided down, gracefully weaving her way through the branches.

 

Before long, he and the two Harpies escorting him reached the Aerie’s landing pad. As they set foot on the wooden platform, Luka looked at the building before him. It had barred windows, so as to let sunlight and air in without allowing unwanted guests to break in, as well, and at least half a dozen Harpies - among the largest and strongest-looking he’d ever seen - were patrolling the area. These Harpies wore peculiar battle equipment: a light harness with mounted blades on it was applied to their wings, and their talons were similarly armed - and armored as well. It was very light equipment, so as to not impede flight, but he could see that fighting a Harpy equipped in such a way would be a nightmare for anyone.

 

Luka’s curious observation was interrupted by a nudge, and he looked behind him to see the Harpy that had carried him point towards the only door to the building’s interior.

 

“The Queen is inside,” she reminded him. “With all due respect, you should not keep her waiting. You will have time to examine the guards’ equipment when you are done, if you so wish.”

 

“You’re right. Sorry,” Luka apologized. “It’s just that I never saw a Harpy in full battle gear before.”

 

“That’s because you will never see this wargear outside of a Harpy village, unless a truly dire situation is afoot,” the Harpy explained. “This is specialized battle gear reserved for Aerie guards, the most lethal and skilled warriors in the village. But enough talking. Please go on in.”

 

“Thank you for flying me up,” Luka said as he waved his hand and began walking towards the entrance. The Harpy nodded, then spread her wings and took off, apparently having more tasks to fulfill elsewhere.

 

As Luka reached the building’s double doors, the Harpies standing guard next to them pushed them open. Luka quickly walked in, and the doors closed behind him as soon as he’d entered. Looking behind him, he spotted two more Harpies standing guard inside. These weren’t geared up; he presumed it was to safeguard the eggs. He then turned around and stopped in his tracks, awestruck.

 

Looking at it from the outside hadn’t quite made clear how huge the Aerie was, but now that he was standing in it, he could see that it was by far the largest building in the village, and possibly the largest out of both Harpy and Happiness Villages. It was an enormous, well-aired and illuminated chamber, with lanterns posted on the walls, presumably so that the guards could keep an eye on the interior even during nighttime. Nest-like boxes littered its floor, made with carefully-disposed hay and straw, and several of the boxes housed eggs of various colors and sizes, though even the smallest was the size of a melon. Quite a few Harpies were walking from one egg to the other, carefully checking them out and occasionally adjusting their position in their boxes.

 

As he looked around at the bustling activity in the Aerie, he spotted Queen Sophie to the side, sitting near a larger-than-usual box. As he approached her, his gaze was drawn to the box’s contents, and he stopped, surprised, as he saw that there were three brown-and-purple mottled eggs in it, all of them about the size of his head. He suddenly felt a bit intimidated. Three eggs? He hadn’t expected that many.

 

His approach hadn’t gone unnoticed by the Queen, who rose up from her seat and smiled at him, beckoning for him to come closer. He slowly did so, looking at the eggs near her with a mix of pride and worry.

 

“Ah, Luka. I’m glad you could join me so soon,” she greeted him. "As you can see, you’ll have three children to look forward to. I honestly expected more, but I suppose I shouldn't be greedy.”

 

“Uh... three’s already a lot for me, if you don’t mind me saying so,” he replied, somewhat subdued. “I didn’t expect this much from just one night... then again, Alice did say Harpies increase in numbers very fast. Now I see why she suggested a limit on breeding.”

 

“You seem concerned. Don’t be,” Sophie chided him gently. “I’m sure everything will work out well for everyone. Do you want to touch them? I don’t mind... go ahead.”

 

“Is it really all right?” he said, fidgeting. “I’ve been sort of terrified of tripping and breaking all these eggs or something...”

 

“I noticed. You have been walking very stiffly and slowly ever since you entered the Aerie,” Sophie commented with a small giggle. “Harpy eggs aren’t that fragile, though. You should be careful, of course, but not as much as if you were handling regular bird eggs.”

 

“I see... well, if it’s all right...” Luka murmured as he approached the eggs’ box. Reaching out slowly, he lightly brushed the mottled eggs’ surface, and blinked. “Hmm? They’re a little warm...”

 

“Of course. They’re always somewhat warm,” Sophie pointed out. “If anything, their being cold would be cause of alarm. And aside from that, I did lay them only a short while ago.”

 

“All three...? That can’t have been easy,” Luka muttered, eyeing the Queen’s slim figure. Sophie laughed in return.

 

“Women’s bodies are a lot sturdier and more flexible than you’d think,” she told him with a slight smile. “That’s true of both humans and Harpies. Admittedly, I had to stay here for the last few days in preparation to lay these eggs, and I did find myself unable to move around freely in the meanwhile... but all things said, we Harpies go through a lot less grief than your human women do when it comes to mating. I’m still amazed some human women can carry two or three children inside themselves for months on end and still recover.”

 

“Uh... if you don’t mind, this subject is a little awkward for me...” Luka said with a grimace. “Could we please talk of something else?”

 

“If it disturbs you, I won’t bring it up anymore,” Sophie nodded. “I can see why a male would be uncomfortable with this particular subject. Now then... if you like, do touch these eggs as much as you want. After all, they are yours as much as mine.”

 

“Mmmm,” Luka hummed. Sitting on the box’s edge, he reached out with both hands and gently grasped one of the eggs. Setting it in his lap, he ran his fingers on the smooth surface, and idly wondered what the Harpy that would be born from it would look like. Would she resemble him or Sophie?

 

“You know,” the Queen chimed in, as if reading his mind, “there is a small chance that a human with monster powers will be born from these, rather than a Harpy. It is very rare, but occasionally, monsters have human children, and those children have a tendency to inherit their monster parent’s abilities. It is something to consider, although I have no idea what kind of ability a human child of mine would inherit from me. I have little magic, after all.”

 

“That’s an interesting thought, isn’t it?” Luka nodded at her as he carefully set the egg he was holding back down with the others. Straightening up, he looked at the Queen Harpy. “Would it disturb you if that was the case?”

 

“Why would it? Children are children. If anything, I would be worried he might be unable to fit in,” Sophie replied. “Or rather, I would have been, before we reached an understanding with the human village. Now, I am sure any child of mine will be fine, be it a Harpy or a human.”

 

“That’s true, too,” Luka agreed. “I’m glad everything went well. I suppose there’ll be some issues still, but...”

 

“Don’t worry about that. The rest is up to us,” the Queen said. Looking at him, she then grew thoughtful. “I assume you will be leaving soon, then?”

 

“I should. Thermidor is probably worried sick about me,” he confirmed. “I’ll be back, though. Although, how will you let Alice know the eggs are about to hatch?”

 

“I have little magic, but I am not completely without it,” she reassured him. “Contacting her will not be difficult, so do not worry. Focus on your journey, instead. Do remember you have something to come back to. Don’t die.”

 

“I know, and I don’t plan to,” Luka replied as he got up. “Well then, I’ll probably leave tomorrow. No offense, but I get the feeling that if I stay any longer, leaving will just be even more difficult. I still have to make a stop in Happiness Village before leaving, to get the honey I originally came here for. I suppose I got a lot more than what I expected, eh?”

 

“None taken. And so you did. Such is life,” Sophie said with a smile. “Then, I will leave the rest of the day to you. I will see you tomorrow at the human village. I have business of my own there, as well.”

 

“Tomorrow, then,” Luka nodded. As he turned around, he gave one last look to the mottled eggs resting in the box, then looked at the Harpies nearby. A few nodded at him with a kind smile, as if to reassure him that there was nothing to worry about. Sighing, he decided that he was worrying too much: the Harpies had been doing things this way for a long time, and it always worked.

 

Turning around, he left the Aerie, lost in his thoughts. He just knew he wouldn’t be able to get those eggs out of his mind.

 

----

 

The next day, after getting refreshed, changing clothes and packing up, Luka said his farewell to the Harpies and set out for Happiness Village. Queen Sophie had apparently left already, and he planned to meet her at the human settlement. Alice had also left earlier, muttering something about ‘delicious filled dango’, and he had no trouble imagining what she had gone off looking for.

 

The trek there was uneventful: if there were monsters in the area, they apparently either left him alone or were scared of the Harpies. Luka briefly pondered the convenience of having a village of strong, fairly territorial monsters near one’s own hometown. It certainly made attacks from other monsters less frequent.

 

Walking at a brisk pace, he soon reached Happiness Village. The guards posted at the village’s gates, a local woman and one of the returned men, greeted him warmly as he stepped in. He briefly stopped to ask them where to purchase Happiness Honey, and after getting directions to the beekeepers, he excused himself and left.

 

As he walked around, he noticed that humans and Harpies were mingling together everywhere, working all around the village. A couple of large, strong-looking Harpies were watching over a group of kids playing, and their posture made it clear that anyone who messed with the children they were protecting would regret it in very short order.

 

Human and Harpy kids played together, as well, and Luka got the distinct impression that some of the Harpy girls weren't so much having fun as they were fishing for future husbands. That impression was confirmed when he overheard a human boy claim he’d marry a nearby Harpy girl when he grew up, and the Harpy in question claim that she’d want at least a dozen children when she grew up herself. Luka winced. That boy had his work cut out for himself when the time came.

 

As Luka walked past a narrow alley between two houses, he abruptly felt a pair of hands close around his left arm and strongly pull him to the side. Startled by the suddenness of the event, he was unable to offer resistance as the unknown assailant dragged him off to a secluded spot behind some nearby trees, off the village grounds proper.

 

As he finally recovered from the surprise, he sharply ground his heels in the soil and twisted his arm free. The sudden action drew a surprised cry from the unknown person dragging him, and Luka paused. He was fairly sure he’d heard that voice before.

 

Turning around, his suspicions were confirmed as he found himself face to face with Silvina, the red-haired girl who escorted him to the Harpies’ village. He blinked, unsure of the reason for the young girl’s unexpected actions, and remained still, waiting for an explanation. Privately, however, he couldn’t help but be amazed at how strong the seemingly fragile girl was, and he was surprised by how quiet she had been in sneaking up to him and dragging him off.

 

“Um...” Silvina began, causing Luka’s attention to focus back on her. She was frowning, and seemed upset about something. The boy hero cocked his head, perplexed.

 

“You’re Silvina, right?” he said. “Is something wrong?”

 

“Er...” the girl muttered, seemingly struggling with words. She then took a deep breath and looked straight at him. “Is it true you’ve become the Queen Harpy’s mate?”

 

“Huh? Well, yes. I thought it was common knowledge by now,” he replied. “It’s not like the Harpies are keeping it a secret or anything...”

 

“I-I see,” she murmured, looking dejected. “So it was true. I thought...”

 

“You thought what?” Luka asked, looking at her. The red-haired girl shook her head.

 

“It doesn’t matter anymore now, does it?” she said in a depressed tone. “The others were right. I should’ve spoken up sooner...”

 

Luka suddenly had a flash of understanding as he observed her reaction to the news. This girl had to have a crush on him, and wasn’t taking the whole ‘Queen’s mate’ thing very well. He frowned, trying to think of what words to use in this situation.

 

Before he could decide what to say, however, a sound of flapping wings was heard, and he looked up to see a familiar-looking Harpy descend towards them. He raised an eyebrow, trying to remember where he’d seen this particular Harpy before, and then it struck him.

 

“You... aren’t you that Harpy I met when I first got here?” he asked, sure that it had to be the same one. “Let me see... Sophie said your name is Elyse, right?”

 

“Oh, I was mentioned? How flattering!” the Harpy replied with a crooked grin, confirming Luka’s suspicions. This had to be the Elyse that Sophie had spoken of when they first met. The Harpy continued to talk, drawing his attention again. “Sorry for following you out of nowhere, but when I saw this girl kidnap you, I got curious. Are you, by chance, fishing around for a human mate?”

 

“What? No! Silvina just pulled me away to ask some questions...” Luka protested as the girl beside him blushed heavily. Elyse shot her a knowing look.

 

“Yes, I can imagine which questions,” she quipped. “Is she proposing herself instead, then? After all, part of the village agreement stated that each male should also take one or more human women as mates...”

 

“I’m telling you that’s not-” Luka began, but trailed off as he saw an odd light appear in Silvina’s eyes. The red-haired girl peeked up at him, suddenly looking hopeful, and bowed in an apologetic fashion.

 

“Um-- Excuse me!” she said in a rush, blushing. “I’ve got something to do! I’m sorry for dragging you away like this!”

 

Before Luka could say or do anything, the red-haired girl ran off. Luka stared at her, mouth open and with a sinking feeling of dread in his stomach. Turning to the Harpy, he glared at her.



“What was that for, just now?!” he complained. “You’ve given her ideas! I just know she got the wrong message from all of this!”

 

“Hmm? I don’t think I did anything wrong,” the Harpy replied, confused. “That human girl’s intentions towards you were plain as day. She does seem receptive towards you - why not make her your human mate?”

 

“Ugh, this discussion is going nowhere,” Luka said, throwing his hands up in exasperation. “Look, I just... am not looking for another mate right now, period. Maybe later on, but for the time being, I’m not interested.”

 

“I don’t get it, but if you say so,” Elyse shrugged. “Either way, I think that girl would’ve thought about the arrangement sooner or later. I don’t think she’s going to be deterred that easily, either. You’d be better off saving time and taking her... she is unlikely to change her mind.”

 

“Argh! Whatever. Let’s just stop this conversation here,” Luka shook his head. Looking at the Harpy, he raised an eyebrow. “So what have you been up to? No more kidnappings, I hope?”

 

“Oh, no! Of course not,” she said, waving a wing. “In fact, I found myself a mate just the other day. That same boy I was trying to kidnap, in fact. Funny how things work out.”

 

“Wait, what?” Luka blinked, surprised. “Isn’t he a little too young for you? He’s what, thirteen?”

 

“Hey! I’m only fifteen myself!” Elyse replied, sounding offended. “Don’t talk about me like I’m some old maid! Besides, he’s actually fourteen, and I'm going wait until he’s ready, anyway. There’s no hurry anymore now that our villages get along.”

 

“Are you serious? So I saved him for nothing?” Luka muttered inaudibly. At the Harpy’s puzzled look, he shook his head. “Never mind, just talking to myself. Well, I’ll be going now. I still have to finish my errands here, and then it’s time for me to return to Iliasburg.”

 

“Ah, so you’re finally leaving to continue that quest of yours. I guess it was time,” Elyse replied with a nod as she began to take off. “I have errands of my own to run, so I guess this is farewell for now. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you again when hatching time comes, Hero. And good luck with that girl!”

 

“I said I’m not-- gah!” Luka protested again, but Elyse had already departed. Looking at her retreating form, he grumbled before he turned around and walked back towards the village. “Every time I meet that Harpy, trouble follows. Is she bad luck or something?”

 

Shortly afterwards, he reached the beekeepers’ workshop. Keeping an apprehensive eye on the large amount of bees flying around, he quickly ducked into the closest door. He’d been stung once in the past, and he wasn’t interested in repeating the experience.

 

Inside, the sweet scent of honey assaulted him, and he involuntarily licked his lips as his stomach growled, reminding him he hadn’t eaten breakfast yet. His reaction didn’t go unnoticed, as a plump, matron-like woman near a table motioned for him to approach her. Luka complied, and upon reaching the woman, he blinked as he was offered a huge plate full of what appeared to be freshly toasted bread slices with butter and honey spread on them.

 

“Uhh... is it alright if I eat some of this?” he asked hesitantly, looking at the pile of honeyed bread with obvious hunger. The other humans in the area laughed out loud at his reaction.

 

“Of course, Hero. You’ve done so much for our village. Feel free to take as much as you want,” one of the working men in the area reassured him. “If you want more, just ask.”

 

“In that case, thank you very much,” the boy replied before digging in. Within seconds, half a dozen pieces of honeyed bread disappeared, voraciously wolfed down by him. Privately, Luka had to admit Alice had good reason in wanting this honey. It was truly delicious.

 

As he munched on the toasted bread, he looked around the workshop’s interior, and noticed a few Harpies helping out. In particular, he noted that they were the only ones to wear little to no protection. It made sense: their feathered bodies made them a lot less prone to getting stung than humans.

 

Finishing the remaining honey bread, he approached one of the beekeepers, recognizing her as the one who’d spoken when he first started the negotiations between Harpies and humans. Seeing him, the woman stopped her work and removed her protective gear, waving at him with a smile.

 

“Greetings, young Hero,” she said. “I heard you became the Queen Harpy’s mate. You know, that made a lot of women in this village angry. Several of us had our eyes on you. Of course, we then realized that with the whole polygamy thing going, you aren’t exactly out of reach just yet. It’ll take awhile for us to get used to the thought that just because a man already has a woman, he’s not necessarily unavailable.”

 

“Ahahahaha... er, I don’t think I’m going to be available for the time being,” Luka replied. “It’s already tough getting used to the situation as it is now.”

 

“Heh. Well, hang in there,” she told him. “Children may be a lot of trouble at first, but if you really want them, then the trouble is so very worth it. Although, I’m kind of surprised you didn’t pick a human instead.”

 

“To be honest, I was kind of scared by how forcefully the human women came on to me,” Luka confessed. “The same thing happened with most of the Harpies. The Queen’s the only one who simply made a request and then backed off, letting me take some time to think it over.”

 

“Hah. I told them that coming on too strongly would put you off,” the beekeeper said with a snort. “Looks like I was right. I did notice you ducking out whenever a woman was too forward and insistent with her offer, be it Harpy or human. On the other hand, some didn’t try hard enough...”

 

“Well, what’s done is done,” Luka shrugged. "Anyway, I came here because I’m about to leave and return to Iliasburg, and I wanted to place an order for some Happiness Honey on behalf of Ilsa Sutherland, of the Sutherland Hotel. She’s completely run out of it, and now she can’t make her Happiness Honey-Filled Ama-Ama Dango anymore. In fact, I came here at her request. She was worried because there was no word from Happiness Village recently.”

 

“Ah, Ilsa. Such a kind soul,” the beekeeper commented. “I’ll have to send an extra large shipment to her as thanks for sending you. Had she not done so, who knows what would’ve happened. I’ll have the honey prepared and shipped right away. Also, I’ll have some set aside for you as well. Consider it a gift, since you seem to enjoy its taste. It’s very nutritious, too,” she added. “Some local legends say that all the bees around here have a bit of monster in them, and that’s why their honey’s so energizing. Some of our bees even produce honey with aphrodisiac effects. We set those apart so as to not accidentally cause an orgy somewhere with our products, hahaha.”

 

“Aphrodisiac honey...? That does sound like something a bee monster would have,” Luka muttered, eyebrows raised. “Please don’t give me any of that. I might not survive if I accidentally ate some.”

 

“Pity, I was hoping to sneak a jar or two in along with the normal stuff and get you to eat it before you left,” the beekeeper said in a playful tone. Luka felt a slight chill run down his spine. He got the distinct impression that the woman wasn’t entirely joking about it. The last thing he needed was to get horny out of nowhere because he ate some honey, possibly when facing a monster. Or worse, when alone with Alice. He just knew the Echidna would never let him live it down.

 

“By the way, your traveling companion was here earlier, and placed a large order of Happiness Honey for herself. You know, I was surprised to find out you’re traveling with a monster, and to promote peace between humans and monsters, no less,” the beekeeper commented, snapping him out of his worried thoughts. At his shocked look, she laughed. “Oh, she didn’t tell you yet? She revealed herself to us a few days back. She seemed to think we’d get scared or something, but, well... the general reaction was ‘Eh, well, another monster’. After all, we’re going to have to get used to living with the Harpies, so why be worried about something like that?”

 

“S-seriously? There were no problems?” Luka asked, concerned. The beekeeper shook her head.

 

“Nope, not particularly,” she confirmed. “Granted, when some of us saw she was a snake monster, they got worried. Stories about them eating humans abound, after all. But she doesn’t seem aggressive - although, she certainly is hungry. Can’t believe someone with a slim figure like hers can put away so much honeyed bread.”

 

“Nrgh... Alice, I’m going to kill you,” Luka growled in frustration. “I can’t believe she just went and told everyone ‘Hey, I’m a monster too!’, just like that. What was she thinking?”

 

“Don’t be so angry,” the woman chided him. “It worked out, didn’t it?”

 

“I... suppose so,” Luka begrudgingly admitted. “It’s just... ah, what the hell. No use crying over spilt milk. If you’re fine with her, then that’s all right, too.”

 

“Of course. She did help us, too. Well, then,” she concluded as she started putting her protective gear on again. “I need to go get the honey ready for shipment. And I must collect and prepare yours, as well.”

 

“Ah... please, only the normal stuff,” Luka pled, alarmed by her earlier comments. The woman flashed him a mischievous smile before donning her protective mask.

 

“Fufufu... can’t promise anything,” she said teasingly. “You’ll just have to try and see, so be sure to be with a lady you like when you eat it, just in case. Now, then, have a safe trip back!”

 

“H-hey!” Luka protested. The beekeeper waved at him with a laugh as she left. Luka shook his head, grumbling as he left the building. He was fairly sure the last thing he needed right now was get another woman pregnant.

 

----

 

While Luka was busy in the honey workshop, Silvina was slowly walking through Happiness Village, lost in thoughts. Elyse’s words were repeating insistently in her mind, and for the first time since she heard Luka and the Queen Harpy had become mates, she felt hopeful that she still had a chance to worm her way in the Hero’s heart. After all, he’d been the one to advocate polygamy as a solution to the village, had he not? Now all she needed was to find enough courage to step forward - and she had to hurry, as he was apparently leaving that same day.

 

As she wandered around, a flapping of wings was heard behind her, signaling a Harpy’s approach. Silvina turned around, hoping that it was Elyse so she could ask her more questions, but froze in shock when she saw that the Harpy who’d just landed before her was Queen Sophie in person. Suddenly, she felt very nervous; if the Queen didn’t find her to her liking, that would probably be the end of her dreams.

 

Sophie smiled gently as she approached the fidgeting girl. She’d seen her tense up when she spotted her, and it was obvious her presence was making her extremely uncomfortable. And, having seen her dragging Luka away earlier from a distance, she had a good idea of why the human girl was so agitated.

 

As she stopped before the young girl, the Queen Harpy cocked her head, looking closely at her. At first glance, she looked like a fragile, unassuming girl, but she had a solid frame under her clothes, and her budding curves looked as though she'd develop into quite a lovely young woman soon. She also seemed to possess unsuspecting strength, having been able to easily drag away Luka by force.

 

“Um...” Silvina finally spoke up, causing Sophie to stop examining her. The Harpy blinked, and saw that the young girl was fidgeting, unnerved by her continued look.

 

“Ah! I apologize for staring,” the Queen said with a smile. “I saw you pulling Luka aside earlier, and decided to have a chat with you out of curiosity. I don’t suppose we have been properly introduced? I am Sophie, Queen of the Harpies. And you are...?”

 

“Er, ah, my name is Silvina, Your Highness,” the girl replied, feeling her panic rise. The Queen had seen her? That couldn’t be good, could it? “Um, I’m sorry for my earlier actions. It’s just... how can I put it...”

 

“I think I understand why you did that,” Sophie chuckled, hiding her mouth behind a wing. “But you seem awfully shy to me. It must have taken a lot of courage for you to walk up to Luka and drag him away like that.”

 

“Ohh, this is so mortifying,” Silvina muttered, looking ready to cry. Sophie smiled again, then suddenly wrapped a wing around the human girl’s shoulders and motioned towards some nearby benches.

 

“Come, let us sit down,” she invited the girl. “You are an intriguing young woman, and I would like to talk with you for a bit.”

 

“Eh? R-really? I-I mean, of course, Your Highness!” Silvina hastily replied, her mind racing. If the Queen likes me, then my chances will be much greater, she thought. I must not annoy her. Come on, Silvina, you can do it!

 

Sophie chuckled lightly as she saw the red-haired girl mutter inaudibly to herself with a determined light in her eyes while they walked towards the benches. Her thoughts were written all over her face, and somehow the Harpy found that endearing. She privately decided she would encourage this girl to pursue Luka. She wouldn’t object to her being his human mate.

 

As Harpy and human sat down, Sophie looked at Silvina with a small smile and cocked her head, as if to invite her to speak up. The girl fidgeted again, unsure, then gathered her courage and decided to ask the Queen directly.

 

“Um, Your Highness?” she began. “As far as you know... I mean, uh... does the Hero, er... already have a human lover?”

 

“No, not that I know of,” Sophie responded with a negative headshake. “Were you thinking of approaching him about it? I would actually advise against being too forceful. Luka seems to need time to get used to the idea that he will be a father, and he’s inclined towards refusing any outright requests for the moment.”

 

“Eh? Then...” Silvina muttered, looking down. Sophie shook her head again.

 

“I’m not saying to give up,” she told the human girl. “I will be blunt - I rather like you, and I would not object if Luka were to take you as mate. But for the time being, I recommend just letting him know that you do have interest in him, and that you will wait for however long it takes. I have no doubt he will be back - he wants to be here for the hatching of our eggs - and when that time comes, I think he will have come to terms with his situation enough to be receptive towards you.”

 

“Um, wow. That’s a little... manipulative?” Silvina said, impressed by how the Queen had already thought things out in advance for her. “But it does sound like it would work...”

 

“Of course it’s manipulative, dear!” Sophie smiled at her. “You’re a woman. Seduction and manipulation are your weapons. But be aware that once Luka returns, you’ll have to take matters in your hands. You can’t simply wait and expect him to invite you in his chambers. He’s not the type to play around with women, even if he does use his body to avoid conflicts with monsters.”

 

“He... he what?” Silvina blinked, surprised.

 

“You didn’t know? Well, I suppose he would not advertise that, so keep it to yourself,” Sophie asked her. “But since you are pursuing him, I think you have a right to know. Luka detests causing unnecessary harm to others, and would rather feed a hungry monster who sought out semen than drive her off with his sword.”

 

“Really?” Silvina murmured, wide-eyed. Sophie nodded.

 

“Indeed,” she confirmed. “He has no ulterior motives, as far as I have been able to ascertain. He certainly doesn’t deny that indulging a monster’s request is pleasant, but he primarily does so because he hates the idea of having to kill or wound a monster who is just acting out of desperate hunger.” Looking at the girl with narrowed eyes, the Queen asked, “Does that thought disturb or repel you? Do remember you are pursuing a man who has already mated with me. Even if he was not like that, you would have to accept this.”

 

“I... No, I don’t mind,” Silvina replied with decision after a brief moment, blushing slightly at the Queen’s bluntness. “So long as I can be a part of his life, I’ll accept whatever fate throws at me.”

 

“Hahaha! Yes, I have no objection to you. You’d make a fine human mate for him,” Sophie exclaimed with mirth. “Well then, do let him know your feelings, and that you’ll wait for him, before he leaves the village. I have no doubt you’ll be fine. You’re stronger than you think. And, I see you’re still untouched. That would certainly be a fine gift to give him.”

 

“U-untouched?! How... how did you know?!” Silvina choked, blushing horribly in embarrassment. Sophie chuckled.

 

“A virgin’s scent is different from that of an experienced man or woman,” she explained. “A monster can tell. And besides, you act very much like a virgin. It is endearing. I think he will like that.”

 

“Eek! I can’t stop blushing!” the freckled girl shook her head in embarrassment as she grinned, hands on her cheeks. Regaining her composure, she looked up to Queen Sophie. “Um... so it’s alright for me to...”

 

“Of course,” the Queen confirmed. “I look forward to the day when your dreams come true, my dear.”

 

“T-thank you!” the girl said gratefully. “I’m indebted to you! I won’t forget your kindness, Your Highness! Um, by your leave?”

 

“Yes, you have to think about what to say, don’t you?” the Harpy nodded with a smile. “Run along, and don’t lose your resolve now. I am on your side.”

 

“Yes!” Silvina bowed deeply before running off, giggling happily. The Queen watched her leave, then sighed, shaking her head.

 

“Ah, the exuberance of youth,” she commented as she took off and flew away. “I envy her. It must be nice to be so optimistic about love.”

 

----

 

It was noon when Luka finally finished handling his business in Happiness Village and prepared to leave. As he began heading towards the village’s gates, he saw Alice approach him while holding a huge jar of honey in her hands. Luka changed direction and walked towards her, still weirded out at seeing her wander around a human settlement in her natural form.

 

“Does it taste good?” he asked her dryly as he reached her. The Echidna smiled and waved her tail happily.

 

“It’s sweet ♪” she replied with a smile as she licked the honey off her fingers and fished in the jar for more. “The Ama-Ama Dango are good, but the honey itself is just as tasty!”

 

“I’m happy for you,” he replied, a vein throbbing on his forehead. “Now would you tell me what the big idea was, revealing to everyone that you’re a monster?!”

 

“Hmm? I don’t see what the problem is,” she replied, still happily licking away at her honey-covered fingers. “After all, these humans will have to live with monsters from now on, so one more hardly makes a difference, right?”

 

“That’s true, but it was still careless!” Luka protested, trying not to get distracted by the sight of Alice licking her fingers clean. He wasn’t sure if she was doing it on purpose, but the way she was eating the honey was extremely distracting, and was beginning to have an effect on him.

 

“I don’t see anyone running away screaming from me,” the Echidna retorted smoothly. At the same time, her licking motions became more pronounced, and by that point Luka was sure she was provoking him.

 

“Gah! I give up! And stop eating that honey like that!” he said as he threw his hands up in the air in exasperation and began to walk off towards the village’s entrance. “It’s time to leave. Are you done with your own business?”

 

“It’s still too easy to mess with you,” Alice chuckled as she finally stopped overexaggerating her licking motions. “But to answer your question, yes, I am done. We can leave anytime. Although, I definitely need to return here. This honey is just delicious ♪”

 

“For once I agree with you,” Luka admitted. “I ate some honeyed bread earlier, and it was the tastiest I’ve ever tried. I don’t know what’s in the flowers around here, but it lets these bees make amazing honey.”

 

“I think it’s - slurp - the bees themselves,” Alice mused as she kept eating. “I’ve felt - nom - a faint trace of monster power in most of them. Some have quite a bit of it, and I’m told their honey has aphrodisiac properties. Very curious.”

 

“That’s normal honey, isn’t it?” Luka asked nervously as he stared at the jar Alice was eating from. The Echidna gave him an amused look.

 

“And what if it wasn’t?” she replied provocatively. “But relax. The aphrodisiac variant only works on humans and the more humanoid varieties of monsters, such as Elves, much like Bee Girl honey. It has no effect on monsters such as me.”

 

“That’s a relief,” Luka said with a sigh. Alice suddenly grinned evilly.

 

“Or maybe I’m lying through my teeth, and am only waiting until we are out of earshot and eyesight before I have my wicked way with you,” she continued, causing Luka to choke and stumble. At his alarmed look, she giggled. “Hahaha, you should’ve seen the look on your face! I’m joking. That honey really has no effect on me. On you, though... you should be careful. Two tablespoons of it would be enough to make a normal human lose all restraint, and more than that would make them so debilitatingly aroused they’d have to have sex right away, or go insane from arousal. And it works on both genders, from what I gathered.”

 

“Uh,” Luka muttered as he swallowed loudly. “I’ll keep that in mind. Why do they sell that honey if it can be so dangerous, anyway?”

 

“Because it also increases sexual potency,” Alice said. “It is especially popular among older men, although I suspect that if monsters caught wind of this, they’d flock to this village to buy as much as possible. Most monsters never really meet men capable of fully satisfying them, but this village’s aphrodisiac honey would allow their mates to be active and participating for much longer. It might even be potent enough to nullify Critical Ecstasy.”

 

“Huh... that stuff’s a lot more powerful than I thought,” Luka muttered as the two wandered towards the exit. Raising his eyes, he stopped and blinked at the sight before him. A crowd of humans and Harpies, including Queen Sophie and the village’s Elder, had gathered at the gates, and their eyes were all pointed at him. “Wow, that’s a lot of people having come to say farewell.”

 

As he waded through the gathered crowd, several men and women approached him, shaking his hands and slapping him across his back, wishing him a safe travel and inviting him to visit the village again soon. Reaching the gates, he came to a stop before the Queen Harpy, who had been waiting for him there.

 

“Well then, I’ll be back,” Luka told her after a brief silence. “I wish you good luck with the new arrangements, Sophie.”

 

“And I wish you a safe travel, Luka,” she replied. “We all look forward to your next visit to our villages. Do come whenever you feel the urge to, or simply want to rest and relax.”

 

“I’m afraid I’ll have little time for that, unfortunately,” Luka shook his head with a smile. “But I'll take you up on the offer if I get the chance.” He then turned towards Happiness Village’s Elder, who was standing near the gate as well. “I wish you the best of luck, too, Elder. I hope you can make this village into an example for all to follow.”

 

“That will be hard. We’d be seen as heretics most everywhere else,” the old woman replied with a crooked grin. “But we’ll try to make a good thing for ourselves here.”

 

“That’s a good goal, too,” Luka agreed. He then looked around and nodded. “Well, it’s time for me to go. All of you, good luck!”

 

“Before you go, young Hero, take these,” the beekeeper from the workshop stopped him as she handed him a small sack containing several jars of honey. Luka looked at her cautiously as he took the sack.

 

“Uh, these aren’t...?” he asked, trailing off. The beekeeper flashed him an impish smile.

 

“Noooooot telling,” she replied in a teasing tone. “Find out yourself. Preferably in good company.”

 

“Come on, now...” Luka protested. The only answer he got was a smile and a wink. He sighed. “Fine, I’ll take it, but if something happens, I’ll hold you responsible.”

 

The woman’s answer was a chuckle. Luka sighed. He had the distinct feeling he was going to regret accepting the jars, but the Happiness Honey was good enough that he couldn’t refuse. He’d just have to figure out a way to tell if any of the jars contained aphrodisiac honey, and avoid those.

 

“Well then, goodbye for now,” he nodded as he adjusted the honey’s sack so that it wouldn’t interfere with the backpack he was already carrying. Behind him, the crowd erupted in farewells and wishes of good fortune and safe travel.

 

As he walked off, Silvina looked anxiously at him from the crowd, fidgeting. She’d been struggling to find the courage to approach him, but the amount of people near him had discouraged her every time. Hesitantly moving to the front of the gathering, she felt a presence next to her and turned to her side to find Queen Sophie standing beside her. The older Harpy gently smiled at the girl.

 

“You should do it,” she encouraged her in a low tone. “Don’t you humans say ‘He who dares, wins’? Remember, you have my support.”

 

Silvina swallowed, doing her best to rein in her agitation, then looked at the Queen with a determined light in her eyes and nodded. She then rushed forward, taking several steps towards Luka’s retreating form, and took a deep breath, lifting her hands up.

 

“Hero! Hero Luka!” she shouted, cupping her fingers around her mouth. The boy Hero looked back, recognizing her voice, and waved at her with a smile. Encouraged, Silvina took another deep breath and continued. “Come back soon! I’ll be waiting for you! And... I’ll keep my virginity safe only for you!”

 

In the distance, Luka stumbled and nearly fell flat on his face, while Alice swayed to the side, leaned against a tree and began to pound her fist against it and her tail on the ground. The wind carried the sound of her howls of hysterical laughter all the way to the village.

 

For a few seconds the crowd stood there unmoving, staring at Silvina, who had turned an interesting shade of red at her final declaration. To the side, the Queen Harpy sighed, covering her eyes with a wing. The effort she put into her confession is admirable - she’s a good girl, after all - but what on earth happened to being subtle? she wondered.

 

As she thought to herself, the crowd suddenly reacted and gathered around Silvina, laughing and complimenting her. A few approving noises also came from the Harpies, several of whom floated around her and congratulated her on her daring proclamation. The girl blushed even harder, then slipped out of the crowd surrounding her and fled to her house’s safety, giggling happily in spite of her embarrassment. The village Elder shook her head, then approached Queen Sophie.

 

“You knew she was going to do that, didn’t you?” she asked her with a shrewd look. It was obviously not a question. Sophie smiled faintly.

 

“I knew she was going to do something,” she admitted as she watched Luka and Alice, having recovered from the shock, disappear in the distance. “But admittedly, I didn’t quite expect her to be so... direct.”

 

“Well, I can’t say I'm surprised,” the Elder sighed. “Anyone could see Silvina was completely smitten with the Hero, and if he’d just asked, she’d have offered herself to him in a flash. I’m just impressed that she worked up the courage to actually tell him. We’ve all been worried about her... she’s always been so very, very shy.”

 

“The quiet ones are always those who offer the most surprises,” Sophie replied. “That said, I rather like her. I’m hoping Luka will take her as mate when he returns. Her courage should be rewarded.”

 

“Hmm,” the Elder nodded as she stared at the direction the young Hero had disappeared in. “I hope so, too. She could do much worse than young Luka... and they would be so cute together!”

 

----

 

The road back to Iliasburg was clear and without obstacles, and even when he and Alice camped for the night, there were no incidents, but Luka distinctly felt as if it was the calm before the storm. Each step he took, he felt his anxiety grow, knowing full well that Thermidor would not be amused at all by the news and would very likely have some scathing words for his actions.

 

In addition to his fear of the swordswoman’s wrath, his mind was also occupied with other critical thoughts. During his days in Harpy Village, he’d come to realize the fundamental issue in his way of dealing with monsters: not all of them merely sought food. While Luka did not mind a large family, he had no wish to leave a trail of illegitimate children behind, but refusing a request from a monster could - and usually did - lead to an unwanted fight. He had to find some sort of compromise, or else resign himself to the fact that some conflicts would be inevitable.

 

He was still preoccupied and lost in thought when Iliasburg’s walls became visible in the distance. As the city came into view, Alice shifted to her human form, to which he replied with a grateful nod. The Echidna seemed to have picked up on his mood, and for once was refraining from teasing him.

 

As he entered town, he gave a distracted greeting to the guards posted at the gates, and immediately made a beeline for the Sutherland Inn. It was time to face the music, and he might as well get it done sooner than later.

 

As the familiar shape of the Sutherland Inn came into view, Luka began thinking of how best to break the news to Thermidor. He very much doubted she’d be accommodating upon finding out he’d become a monster’s mate, and the part where he was to become a parent sometime soon would most likely be received even worse by the overprotective swordswoman. There had to be a way to lessen the impact and possibly calm her down when she would inevitably explode.

 

Still lost in thought as he climbed the steps to the inn’s door, Luka didn’t see it open, nor did he hear the warning call from Alice, thus, he ended up walking straight into Thermidor’s armored midsection as she came out of the building. He stumbled backwards in surprise, nearly letting the sack containing the honey jars fall in the process as he struggled to keep his balance.

 

“Huh...? Luka!” Thermidor’s voice reached him as he recovered from the sudden impact. Looking up, he saw a mix of surprise, anger, and great relief on the monster fencer’s face as she looked down at him.

 

“Hahaha... I’m back, big sis,” Luka greeted her awkwardly, scratching his head. Thermidor shot an annoyed glare at him.

 

“‘I’m back’?! Is that all you can say after being away for over two weeks?!” she chastised him. “Do you have any idea how worried I was? What took you so long anyway?”

 

“Well, uh... that’s a long story. Can we get inside so I can sit down and have something to drink?” Luka asked her as he began to sweat slightly. The beginning wasn’t very promising. “I’ll tell you everything once I’ve settled in and dropped all this stuff I'm carrying, all right?”

 

“Fine... hm? Is that Happiness Honey you’re carrying?” she inquired, curious. “So, the village was alright, after all?”

 

“Not quite, but let’s go inside first,” Luka shook his head. “As I said, it’s a long story.”

 

As the trio walked inside the Inn, Ilsa chose that moment to come out of a side door, attracted by the commotion in the hall. Seeing him, she lit up and approached the small group.

 

“Ah, young Hero, you’re back!” she greeted him. “Your companion here got very restless due to your prolonged absence, and she was about to come after you. I tried to tell her she should stay in bed and rest, but she wouldn’t listen--”

 

“I appreciate your concern, but I’m fully recovered now,” Thermidor interrupted her sternly. “As I’m sure I told you many times already. I would have been fine.”

 

“Maybe so, but it’d have been my head on the choppin’ block if the Hero came back and found out I’d let you wander off,” Ilsa retorted with a glare. “And I don’t think ‘She felt fine’ would’ve been an excuse this young man would’ve taken as valid. But never mind, good thing he stopped you on the way. That said,” she changed the subject as she turned towards Luka. “I see you’ve got Happiness Honey with you. Is that for me? How’s the village doin’?”

 

“Ah, actually, this honey’s for me - a gift from the village,” Luka replied. “Your shipment is on the way and should be here soon - it’ll be a large one, too, so you shouldn’t run out of it anytime soon. As for the village... I’ll explain everything once I’ve settled in. I’m tired, and Thermidor is upset, so I’m afraid you’ll have to wait.”

 

“Well, I assume the village is fine, since you’re back safe and sound,” Ilsa commented. “Although, there’s a bit of a different air about you. Dunno what, but I get this impression...”

 

“Ahahaha, don’t think too hard about it,” Luka replied as he began sweating again. “I’m sure you’re just imagining things.”

 

“Somehow, I don’t think I’m imaginin’ things, but if you don’t want to share, I won’t pry,” Ilsa shrugged. “The important thing is that, whatever was goin’ on over there, you seem to have fixed it. Well then, go get comfortable. I’ll have the water for the bath ready soon.”

 

“Thank you,” Luka nodded in gratitude. Turning to Thermidor, he motioned for the stairs. “Well then, let’s go upstairs and talk, shall we?”

 

Half an hour later, the trio sat down in Thermidor and Luka’s room. Luka had taken a bath and changed out of his dusty clothes, and he’d also handed his Enrikan shirt over to Ilsa when she’d offered to wash it, citing how she’d handled a few such pieces from the southern village in the past.

 

Having made himself comfortable on his favorite couch, he sighed, then looked up at Thermidor, who had changed in a white silk tunic he’d never seen her wear before. It wrapped tightly around her chest, emphasizing her generous bosom, and made a stark contrast with her gauntlets and steel boots, and Luka privately had to admit the look the attire gave her was very pleasing to his eyes.

 

“If you’re done gawking at me, would you mind telling me what happened that kept you in Happiness Village for sixteen days straight?” Thermidor finally spoke up, snapping him out of his admiration. “Don’t think I’m letting you off the hook with a few compliments about my looks.”

 

“Ahahahah, er, how did you guess I was considering that?” Luka replied awkwardly. “But I suppose you’re right. I should explain my lateness. Just... can you promise you won’t get mad?”

 

“No,” she replied flatly. Luka winced.

 

“Didn’t think it’d be that easy,” he muttered. “Alright, then. First off, Ilsa was right. Happiness Village was indeed in trouble. There was a tribe of Harpies living nearby, and they’d taken to kidnapping their men en masse. With no men left in the village, the women of Happiness couldn’t handle all the tasks connected to preparing and shipping out honey, or even send out news, and that’s why contacts stopped.”

 

“Hm, that does sound pretty serious,” Thermidor nodded. “So, what did you do? I presume that you cooked up a reckless plan to get the men back, perhaps by sneaking into the Harpies’ village at night and defeating their leader so that you could take the kidnapped men and flee in the confusion?”

 

“Actually, he handled the crisis very responsibly,” Alice spoke up, drawing a surprised look from both Luka and Thermidor. “He decided to take the direct approach, and simply ask the Queen Harpy for the reason behind the kidnappings. He did know Harpies are largely vegetarian, so he guessed they weren’t simply eating all the men they kidnapped.”

 

“That’s right,” Luka continued, still surprised that Alice had spoken up in his favor instead of saying something that’d get him in trouble. “So I went there and managed to get an audience with the Queen. Admittedly, simply walking in the village was a bit reckless, but I could see no other way to talk with Queen Sophie.”

 

“Hm. So the Queen’s name is Sophie,” Thermidor nodded as she processed the information. “And you managed to speak with her. What then?”

 

“Well... I had been wondering up until then why the Harpies would kidnap so many men,” Luka admitted. “It never really occurred to me that they were doing so to reproduce. That was the whole point behind their taking the nearby village’s men. I’d completely forgotten that monsters need men to reproduce, because, well...”

 

“Because his experiences with monsters never included sex for breeding, in short,” Alice helpfully finished for him. “He’s always viewed his indulging monsters’ requests as satisfying their hunger.”

 

“Yeah... I suppose it was pretty stupid of me to forget about something like that,” Luka admitted, feeling slightly embarrassed. “Which reminds me, I’ll have to talk to you about my current approach towards monsters...”

 

“Later. First, tell me everything that happened,” Thermidor said dismissively as she looked intently at him. “I assume you did something to resolve the crisis?”

 

“Yes. I suggested that Harpies and humans strike a deal that’d let both sides enjoy the men’s services,” he resumed his narration as Thermidor listened carefully. “There were some difficulties at first, such as getting the Harpies to limit their breeding and having to talk the human village’s women into accepting polygamy, but...”

 

“Wait. Did you just say what I think you said?” Thermidor asked him incredulously. “You actually talked the women of Happiness Village into letting their husbands have multiple wives?”

 

“It kind of was necessary,” Luka explained. “Harpies breed fast, and unless the human side increased their men’s numbers to match the Harpy population, they’d have been overwhelmed by the sheer amount of requests. Even then, the village will have to find a way to get more people, especially men, to go live there.”

 

“That won’t be a problem,” Thermidor snorted. “Even here in Ilias, there’s more than enough perverts who’d sell their grandmother for the chance to have their own personal wife stash. I’m more surprised your proposal passed at all.”

 

“That was thanks to the village Elder,” Luka admitted. “She did all the talking, and fortunately she brought up how polygamy and polyandry are common in Sabasa. Is that true, by the way? You lived there, right?”

 

“I did, and yes, Sabasa does indeed practice both,” Thermidor nodded. “But it’s a hostile region in the middle of the desert. It makes sense that it would encourage its population to increase. Although, I guess that having to sustain a whole tribe of monsters is equally good reason to encourage humans to breed.”

 

“Yes, well, anyway,” Luka continued. “The deal was formally signed by both Sophie and the Elder, and as part of the agreement, the men were allowed to go back and forth between the two villages as they pleased, since basically all of them had a family in the Harpies’ village in addition to their human one. There were a few incidents - I think one woman left her husband over it and abandoned the village, declaring she'd be moving to the mainland and seeking a man more fit for her - but all in all, things went very smoothly. Now Harpies help out around the village, even watching over human children as they play, and the humans are recovering nicely.”

 

“I see. I must admit, you did well this time,” Thermidor nodded. Her eyes then narrowed dangerously. “So what is it that you aren’t telling me? I know you well enough to be able to tell when you’re keeping something to yourself.”

 

“Ah, er, that’s...” Luka began stammering. The moment he’d dreaded had come. He didn’t really want to keep the truth from Thermidor, but he was honestly terrified at the thought of what her reaction would be.

 

As he fished around for a good way to break the news to the fencer, Alice grinned evilly, adjusted herself on the couch she was resting on, and steepled her fingers together in front of her.

 

“Oh, it’s nothing important,” she chimed in. It was at that moment that Luka began to understand the meaning of the phrase ‘dawning horror’. “He just got himself a cute Harpy wife and has cute Harpy babies on the way. Royal babies, no less - the Queen apparently liked him enough to want him.”

 

Total silence fell in the room as Luka paled visibly and slowly turned to face Thermidor, who had gone very still, an expression somewhere between shock and incredulity on her face. The silence stretched on for nearly a full minute as Thermidor slowly turned her head back and forth between Alice and Luka, her mouth moving without any sounds coming from it. Then, anger replaced shock and disbelief as she closed her eyes, clenched her hands into fists and took a deep breath.

 

----

 

Outside the inn, Ilsa and Serine dropped the clothes they were washing in fright as an inhumanly high-pitched shriek erupted from the building’s upper floor.

 

“He WHAT?!”

 

----

 

Later that evening, Thermidor stood on the balcony to her and Luka’s room, still frowning in obvious anger. She’d spent most of the day yelling at Luka and berating him, and while her temper was beginning to cool off, she was still far from calming down, muttering darkly about irresponsible young men and their tendency to jump into trouble at the first chance they got.

 

As she looked at the darkening sky, where the first stars were beginning to be visible, she felt a presence close by, and turned to her side to see Alice, still in her human form, come out on her own room’s balcony. The white-haired monster leaned on the parapet, looking out at the city sprawling before them.

 

“Have you calmed down, now?” the Echidna asked the fencer after a while, still looking at the town as the first signs of evening activities appeared. Thermidor gave her an irritated look in response.

 

“What do you think?” she muttered angrily. “I let him go alone the first time, and he uses himself as bait to draw a bunch of monster bandits out in the open. I let him go alone the second time, and he gets himself hitched to a Queen of monsters, and gets kids on the way at the same time. I’m not so sure this journey is a good idea anymore, or that I can trust him to adventure on his own...”

 

“Stop complaining and nagging him,” was Alice’s flat reply. At Thermidor’s surprised look, she continued. “Right now, you’re overstepping your boundaries. All teasing aside, I think you’re being unfair to him by acting this way. He’s performed admirably, solving without violence a crisis that would’ve probably ended in a bloodbath had anyone else been involved. Even I was impressed by how he handled that situation, and I am notoriously hard to please.”

 

“I know that, but...” Thermidor protested, only to be cut off by a wave of the Monster Lord’s hand.

 

“And you shouldn’t get upset at his choice to take the Queen up on her offer, either,” Alice continued. “I was there, and I can assure you, he wasn’t coerced. He made that choice of his own free will, after expressing his doubts and hesitations and deciding that even with his doubts, he didn’t think he’d regret it in the long run. Rather, shouldn’t you be happy that he’s building himself a larger family?”

 

“I... know that I’m being unfair,” Thermidor admitted after a pause. “But I can’t help but be angry at this whole situation. I just...”

 

“You’re jealous because there’s something he wants really badly that you can’t give him, is that it?” Alice interrupted her again with a knowing look. Thermidor blinked, and the Echidna scoffed. “That idiot is the only one who wouldn’t realize the real reason for your anger. Any woman would be able to tell right away. And I do understand your frustration. If I were in your place, I’d be angry or depressed, too. But you also seem to miss a simple fact: this changes nothing for you.”

 

“How does it change nothing? He’s building his own life, and that’s a good thing,” Thermidor retorted. “But... I don’t want him to stop needing me. If at all possible, I’d like to stay by his side forever.”

 

“I can’t believe you’re turning into a scared little girl over this,” Alice stated harshly. “And I can’t believe you think so little of his feelings for you. I’ve only known Luka for a short time, but even I can tell that you’ll always be the most important person in his life, aside maybe from his deceased mother. I repeat: this changes nothing for you. But if you’re so unsettled by the possibility, why don’t you ask him yourself? I already know what he’s going to say, but you apparently don’t. Or maybe you do, but you’re too busy doubting yourself and finding an excuse for your jealousy to see it.”

 

“And if you’re wrong, then what? What am I going to do?” Thermidor protested. Alice snorted disdainfully.

 

“What will you do if the Moon falls on us tonight? Start asking yourself that,” she said dismissively. “Because from where I stand, that event has about the same chances of happening as Luka growing distant from you. You’re being stupid. Talk with him. And I mean talk, not yell at him. Then sleep on it and you’ll wake up tomorrow and laugh at how stupid you were being, doubting the strength of his feelings for you even for a moment.”

 

With those words, the Echidna turned around and returned to her room, closing the door behind herself. Leaning on the nearby wall, she sighed, closing her eyes.

 

“What in the First’s name am I doing, playing peacemaker in a lovers’ spat?” she murmured to no one in particular. “But at least now I’ve made up to Luka for the trick I played on him earlier. I never intended for things to become so heated. Ah well, now it’s up to them. Here’s hoping they’ll talk it out...”

 

----

 

As Thermidor reentered her own room, thinking, she spotted Luka sitting on the edge of his bed, looking at her. After a brief moment of hesitation, she decided that Alice was right, and the best thing to do was to talk things out.

 

“Luka, I think we should talk,” she began as she seated herself next to him. Turning towards him, she blinked as she saw him smile and shake his head.

 

“Is that really what you were worried about? That I might become distant?” he asked her gently. Thermidor froze up at those words.

 

“You heard...?” she asked him, looking slightly mortified. He nodded.

 

“All of it,” he confirmed. “You know, Alice’s right. You’re being stupid. There’s no way I’d think any different of you just because you can’t have children. After all, what you give me, no one else can provide. I only have one sister, and that’s you. That will never change, so stop worrying.”

 

“Even if you say that...” Thermidor began, but Luka cut her off with another headshake.

 

“You’re overthinking things,” he restated. “It’s true that I like Sophie well enough, and that I do look forward to being a parent... But what I’m doing here is making my family larger, not replacing it. You’ll always be part of it, no matter what, so stop thinking silly thoughts like ‘Luka might drift away from me’. The only way that might happen is if I’m dead - and who knows, given what happened to you, even that may not be enough.”

 

“...Thank you. I feel a little better now,” she said with a warm smile. “And, I apologize for shouting at you. I was very upset, and may have said some unpleasant things in the heat of the moment.”

 

“Nah, you had every right to yell at me,” he admitted, scratching his head. “I did kind of go and make a small mess of my private life behind your back, and all that after promising I’d be more careful. Come to think of it...” he suddenly pondered. “Since I’m going to have children, doesn’t that make you an aunt-to-be?”

 

“You’d better not call me ‘aunt’ in public, or I’ll have to hurt you,” she half-threatened with a laugh. “But I guess you’re right. I suddenly feel old now.”

 

“Well, at least you’re in good spirits again,” Luka said, smiling as he nodded at the fencer. “Well then, shall we turn in for the-- gah?!”

 

Luka’s final exclamation was prompted by Thermidor suddenly leaning into him and pushing him down on the bed, her gauntleted hands slipping under his shirt and lightly running across his stomach and chest. He looked at her, uncertain, and she returned his look with a seductive smile.

 

“I’ve missed you,” she stated simply. “Keep me company for a while.”

 

Saying no more, Thermidor straightened up, quickly discarded her gauntlets and crawled on the bed, pushing Luka down as she straddled him. Slipping her hands under his shirt again, she quickly removed it and tossed it aside, then slightly repositioned herself so that she could get easy access to his naked torso and began to lightly caress and nibble his exposed skin. Luka sighed and closed his eyes as her hands and lips explored his chest. While he was taken off guard by Thermidor’s sudden desire for intimacy, he wasn’t about to say no to her, especially in light of how worried and angry he’d made her. He decided to simply lie back and let her do what she wanted.

 

The monster fencer gave an approving hum as she felt him relax under her, and she eagerly continued to taste and tease him. Stopping at his nipples, she began to lightly suck and prod at one with her tongue, while her hand lightly stroked and caressed the other. Luka moaned under her ministrations: he wasn’t sure if he was supposed to enjoy this sort of treatment, but it did feel pleasant, and his dick began to stir and harden in response.

 

Thermidor did notice his arousal, but pointedly ignored it, instead focusing on tasting every inch of his upper body. Trailing up from his nipples, she began to lick and suck at his neck, resting her body against his in the process. Luka moaned again, feeling her silk-wrapped breasts press against his chest. The thin fabric gave him a unique sensation, but at the same time allowed him to feel all their softness and warmth.

 

His moans of pleasure drew a smile from the swordswoman, who lightly nibbled on his earlobe for a few seconds before suddenly shifting right before his face and pressing her lips against his. Luka’s eyes shot open as the fencer kissed him, taking advantage of his surprise to slip her tongue in between his lips and intertwine it with his own. She kept kissing him for a few seconds, her tongue dancing in his mouth, then drew back and began to slowly retrace her steps and move downwards, slowly licking him over his chin and down his neck as he gasped for air.

 

Shifting her body, she traced the middle of his chest with her tongue, and as she moved down, her breasts pressed against his erect penis, still trapped in his pants. Luka squirmed in response, dissatisfied. He’d rather have preferred to feel them against his naked flesh.

 

His reaction was once again noticed by Thermidor, who smiled slightly as she moved downwards. The fact she still had an effect on him pleased her, and somewhat reassured her that he did still find her desirable. She stopped her descent, this time at his bellybutton, and began playing with it, poking at it with her tongue and lightly biting the flesh all around. Luka moaned again, restless, and Thermidor decided the teasing she’d done so far was enough punishment for having made her worry. Moving on, she reached his waist, and began to unfasten and pull off his pants.

 

It wasn't long before she had freed his throbbing shaft, exposing it to the room’s slightly warm air. Grasping it gently with her fingers, she licked her lips as she began to slowly stroke it, admiring it. Luka might not have been hugely endowed - though he was fairly gifted for his age and build - but he was nice and hard, and she found his size perfectly to her tastes.

 

Closing in, she inhaled, catching Luka’s scent over the smell of soap from his earlier bath, and finally took a taste, slowly running her tongue over his underside all the way to his tip. Once there, she flicked her tongue over his sensitive head for a while before slipping it between her lips. Slowly, she began to take more and more of his hard cock in her mouth, working it with her tongue in the process.

 

Luka sighed in pleasure as Thermidor slowly devoured his penis, savoring the pleasure from her skilled mouth as the familiar flowing sensation from her energy drain kicked in. The flowing feel had become much weaker over the years, although it was still a very pleasant sensation; Luka couldn’t help but wonder whether it was him growing resistant to the energy drain, or the drain was growing weaker, or both.

 

Feeling his distraction, Thermidor suddenly intensified her sucking motions to draw his attention again, and he focused back on her, leaving his questions for another time. Instinctively, he reached up with one hand and began stroking her blonde hair as she swallowed his length. The action caused the fencer to hum, pleased, and as it always happened when she did so, her tongue began to ripple against Luka’s shaft in tune with her humming, intensifying the pleasure and drawing a gasp from him.

 

Thermidor kept humming as she took more of him in, and eventually, she fit his entire length in her mouth and throat, drawing another gasp of pleasure from Luka. She then began to withdraw as slowly as she’d swallowed him, still licking all over his shaft, and intensifying her sucking. Luka let out a long, deep groan at the intense suction, biting the inside of his cheek as his cock slowly slid out of the monster’s tightly pursed lips.

 

The fencer withdrew until only his tip remained between her lips, then once again began to slide his shaft in, still slowly but at a slightly quicker pace than before. Similarly, when she reached bottom, she withdrew a little bit faster. She continued to alternate between nearly letting him slip out and deepthroating him, going a bit faster each time, drawing gasps and moans of pleasure with every movement. Slowly but surely, Luka felt himself build towards an orgasm.

 

Thermidor continued her activity for a few minutes, until Luka warned her that he’d be coming soon. That made her stop, letting his cock slip out of her mouth and stroking it softly as she licked her lips. Then, she slowly crawled over his body, straddling him, and began rocking slowly, grinding her silk-covered pussy against his throbbing shaft. Luka groaned again, drawing a slight smile from her as he thrust his hips up.

 

Deciding she’d played enough, she lifted herself up, grasping his hard cock, and pulled aside the silk fabric covering her pussy. Slowly, she lowered herself down, engulfing his length little by little. Luka moaned as he felt himself part her soft, inviting flesh and sink deeper into her, her walls gripping him tightlly. Finally, her groin met his own, and she stopped for a moment, sighing in satisfaction as she savored the feel of his full length inside of her, before she started moving up and down.

 

Luka gritted his teeth as Thermidor began to ride him, reaching up to take hold of her hips and thrusting up in time with her. He had already been close, and there was no way he could last very long inside her, so he decided to be active and do something instead of lying back and letting her do all the work.

 

It only took a short time for him to reach his limit, and as he climaxed, he grasped the fencer’s sides tightly and thrust up into her hard, emptying his seed into her. The swordswoman moaned happily as she felt him release his semen deep inside her body, and placed her hands on his chest, pressing him down as she ground her groin against his, her soft pussy squeezing him and milking him dry.

 

Thermidor kept grinding herself against him until his orgasm subsided, making sure to draw every drop of semen out of him, then she let him slip out of her and lowered herself by his side, draping an arm and a leg over him with a content hum. Luka breathed in and out until his heartbeat slowed down to its normal rhythm, then looked to his side and saw the monster look at him with a smile.

 

“Thank you,” she breathed, looking satisfied and happy. “You have no idea how much I needed this.”

 

“For you, I’m always here,” Luka replied with a smile, then a mischievous look appeared on his face. “But, my lady, that was my first kiss. Will you take responsibility like a gentlewoman?”

 

“Oh, you!” Thermidor laughed, punching him playfully in the chest. She then hugged him a little tighter, eyes half-closed. “Mmmm... I will need to thank Alice tomorrow. She helped me so much today.”

 

“Even though she also played that cruel trick on the two of us earlier?” Luka asked her. Thermidor made an affirmative noise.

 

“I think she was feeling guilty about making us argue so violently,” she murmured sleepily. “I don’t think she meant for things to get so out of hand. Either way, she made it up to us both, didn’t she? And she had words of great praise for you...”

 

“True. Alice is such a mystery... I can’t understand her character at all,” Luka said. “I can’t shake this impression I have that she’s much more than she appears to be. Ah, well, this is not the time to think about that... let’s sleep for now. Today was tiring for us both. Good night, sis.”

 

“Mmn... g'dnight... Luka...” was Thermidor’s murmured answer. Then, she fell fast asleep. Luka smiled at her sleeping face, then moved himself to the side a bit so that he could slip the both of them under the covers, and closed his eyes. Before long he, too, fell into a deep sleep, still grasping Thermidor’s hand in his own.

 

----

 

“...ka. Luka! Wake up, Luka!”

 

Luka was jolted awake by Thermidor’s voice as she urgently called out to him, shaking his shoulder. Blinking, he yawned and rubbed his eyes tiredly as he sat up, confused, and looked at her.

 

“Mmmm? What’s wrong, Thermidor?” he muttered, taking a look out of the window. It seemed as if the sun was just now beginning to come up. The fencer didn’t reply, instead looking closely at him, then sighed in what appeared to be relief. He gave her a puzzled look. “Hm? What’s going on? You looked like you were scared of something.”

 

“How do you feel?” she asked him, sitting on the bed beside him. “Weak? Woozy? Can you move?”

 

“Um? I’m a little sleepy, but besides that I feel fine,” he answered, still confused. “Why do you ask?”

 

“Because you held my hand the whole night,” she told him, relief and a tinge of anger creeping into her voice. “You know that my energy draining effect is always on, don’t you? What were you thinking?!”

 

“Mmmm...? That’s true... strange, though,” he murmured as he looked at his hands and then back at the fencer. “Yesterday, when I fell asleep, I couldn’t feel anything at all when holding your hand. Not even a trace of the sensation that your draining ability usually gives me.”

 

“Nothing? You must have imagined things. That ability is part of me,” she said, frowning. “It doesn’t just go away like that, and I can’t control it while sleeping.”

 

“Well, while we were, um, being intimate, I could feel it,” he told her. “But before and after... nothing. Come to think of it, in recent times I got the impression that your energy drain was steadily becoming less and less intense... perhaps I’ve built up a resistance to it?”

 

“Even if that was the case, being in contact with me all night should’ve left you debilitated,” she murmured, puzzled. “This makes no sense, unless...”

 

“Unless what?” Luka asked, curious. Thermidor looked at him briefly, then shook her head.

 

“Never mind, it’s something I’d have to ask an expert in undead monsters, and honestly, you aren’t one, so I’d just confuse you even more,” she said, waving her hand dismissively. She then got up and looked down at him. “I’d like it if you got up and went about your daily routine, if you don’t mind. I know it’s earlier than usual, but it’d be reassuring to see you being active for now.” She then frowned. “Seriously, Luka, you’re making it a habit of scaring me half to death.”

 

“Sorry,” he muttered. “I just felt like holding your hand...”

 

“I appreciate it, but it was very careless nonetheless,” she chided him. “Don’t forget that I am dangerous by nature. Now... why don’t you take a quick shower and then go practice a bit? I’ll observe you from the balcony.”

 

“Right. I’m already up, might as well get something done,” Luka nodded, taking his clothes and a few dry towels. As he disappeared in the bathroom, Thermidor shook her head, then grasped the hand Luka had held throughout the night as she allowed a small smile to crease her lips.

 

Dangerous and irresponsible as it was, she’d have lied if she said she’d been displeased at waking up that way.

 

----

 

A few minutes later, Thermidor stood on the balcony of her room, watching Luka as he practiced in the Inn’s courtyard. He’d been training for a while now, and as worried as she still was over his careless slip, she had to admit he didn’t seem to be mistaken about feeling fine. He was as energetic as ever, perhaps even slightly moreso than usual, and his movements showed no sign of sluggishness as he smoothly transitioned from one attack to the next.

 

She shook her head as she watched him, lost in thought. It was odd, to say the least, that he had suffered no ill effect from the prolonged contact with her. Not for the first time, she wished Liese had still been alive. Perhaps she’d have known more about this strange effect than she did, having been a witch for a time.

 

As she watched Luka continue his morning practice, Thermidor heard a door open and then close at her side. She didn’t need to look to know that Alice had come out on her own balcony, as well, and simply kept observing the boy.

 

“I know you’ve heard me come out, so stop pretending I’m not here,” Alice’s voice reached her, sounding slightly annoyed. “I assume that the two of you made up, then?”

 

“We did, although I’m curious as to what would make you think so,” Thermidor nodded, looking at her with a sideways glance. Alice shrugged.

 

“Luka’s scent is all over you again,” she replied matter-of-factly. “So, either you expressed your anger at him by raping him, or you talked it out and ended up in bed afterwards. Seeing how you’re not yelling at him from up here, I’ll assume it’s the latter.”

 

“I always forget how sharp some monsters’ sense of smell is,” the monster fencer commented with a smile. “By the way, I must thank you for yesterday. Had you not berated me, there might still be a fracture between us.”

 

“Well, I suppose I was feeling just a little bit guilty,” Alice muttered, ostensibly refusing to look towards Thermidor as her cheeks colored slightly. She then quickly changed the subject. “But never mind that. I heard a small commotion this morning. What was that all about?”

 

“Mmmm... that is why I’m out here watching over Luka’s practice,” the swordswoman commented as she resumed watching Luka. “When I woke up this morning, he was holding my hand. And before you say something like, ‘How cute!’, the reason why I panicked was because he’d been doing that all night.”

 

“Wait... what?” Alice blinked. “He held on to your hand all night?” At the fencer’s nod, she looked at the boy practicing down below, incredulous. “That’s ridiculous. How is he still alive, let alone so vital and fresh that he can practice as hard as always? Even assuming he’s gained resistance to your energy draining effect, he should still have been too weak to move from it if he remained in contact with you all night...”

 

“That’s what I’m wondering myself,” Thermidor agreed. “He’s such a mystery... I may have a theory about how he managed to do this, but...”

 

“I’d like to hear that theory,” Alice stated. Thermidor gave her a flat stare.

 

“No,” was her curt answer. The Echidna huffed, frustrated.

 

“What if I order you as the Monster Lord?” she threatened in a low tone. Thermidor shook her head again.

 

“The answer is still no,” she stated. “Please do not pry any further.”

 

“I’m amazed by how loyal to him you are,” Alice muttered, torn between irritation and admiration. “Not many monsters would oppose me for a human’s sake. I’ll admit it’s something worthy of respect.”

 

“Sooner or later, I’ll have to tell him everything about his heritage,” Thermidor said, sighing. “But now may be too soon. His mother hid these facts from him for a reason; she wanted him to lead a normal life. But I don’t think it will be possible for much longer... once he knows, if he wants to, he will share the truth with you. Until then...”

 

“...Hmm. His heritage, eh? Very intriguing,” Alice murmured. “Very well. I’ll let the argument drop for now. But I intend to find out his secret someday.”

 

That said, the Echidna returned to her room, the door closing behind her with a click. Thermidor briefly looked at the door’s glass, then sighed again as she looked down at Luka.

 

“I worry for you, little brother,” she murmured, thoughtful. “I’m not sure if having the Monster Lord so taken with you is a good thing or not.”

 

----

 

A short while later, having finished his training, Luka headed upstairs to get refreshed and change his clothes. Thermidor gave him a questioning look as she saw him head for the door again afterwards, while Alice lazily lounged on the nearby couch, enjoying what was left of the Happiness Honey she’d brought with herself.

 

“And where are you going, now?” she asked, curious. “I was thinking we could sit down and talk for a bit. We hardly ever had the chance since we left Ilias Village...”

 

“I’ll gladly do that when I return,” the boy replied. “But first, I want to visit Po at the smithy. I’d like to know if my sword has been repaired yet. And while I’m at it, I’d like to see how the girls are doing. I saw Serine, and she seems to have gotten used to the routine around here, but I’m a little concerned about Viran...”

 

“I think Ilsa mentioned the dragon girl dropping by a couple days ago, looking for you,” Thermidor nodded. “That probably means your sword is ready.”

 

“Great! I’m off, then,” Luka said as he left, shutting the door behind him.

 

Before long, Luka stood in front of Po’s shop. Checking to make sure there were no warnings of forging going on, he pushed the door open and walked in.

 

“Hello? Is anyone here?” he called out. Immediately, shuffling noises were heard from the back, then Tyris ran out, making a beeline for Luka, and tackle-hugged him with a happy shout.

 

“Yay! Luka’s back!” she exclaimed happily as Po’s huge frame came out from the forge’s area. He was holding one of the large red metal gauntlets Luka remembered seeing exposed along with other trophies in his hand, and the boy couldn’t help but stare at it, puzzled.

 

“These? They’re my old pals from my adventuring days,” Po explained, seeing where he was looking as he set the massive red gauntlet down. “Used to adventure, fight and hunt for treasures with ‘em. Last I wore them was, oh, ten years ago? Had to hunt down two rabid bears in the nearby forest. Damn things had been attacking everyone who strayed near, monsters included. Couple Elf lasses helped me out. Tough girls, those. One carried a sword far too large for her without effort, the other used twin swords an’ moved like an assassin. Offered to spend the night with me, but I passed. Too old for that kind of stuff.”

 

Luka blinked. He’s not talking about Milia and Wriph, is he? he wondered. The description certainly matches... I should ask them when I next see them.

 

“So, um, why are you checking over your weapons?” he asked, curious. “Are you planning on returning to activity soon?”

 

“Nah, I’m way past my prime,” he shook his head. “But I’ll be honest. Lately, I’ve had a bad feeling all around, like something very nasty’ll happen sometime soon. It’s made me real nervous. So, I’m takin' these babies out and makin’ sure they’re in working order.”

 

“Hm... these look really strange,” Luka commented as he examined the gauntlets. “They’re not just for punching, are they?”

 

“Good guess, lad,” Po nodded as he patted the giant gloves. “They can cause explosions on contact, as well. Truth be told, I’m not too sure how they work. I know how to maintain them and how to use them, but wouldn’t know how to build one from scratch to save my life. These were built by this woman I met once in Remina, ‘fore the whole place went down in flames. Funny name, too. Prostein, or somethin’ like that? Anyway, she taught me how to keep it in working condition, and that’s when I started being curious about the smithing arts, I guess. Saved my life more times ‘n I can count, they did.”

 

“I see... Say, is my sword ready?” Luka changed the subject, getting straight to the point. “I was told Tyris dropped by the inn a few days back and asked for me...”

 

“Yeah, about that...” Po began, and Luka saw Tyris fidget nervously to the side. “We’re done with it, but... well, it’s faster if I just show ya.”

 

With those words, Po walked behind the counter, rummaged under it for a while, and came up holding what was obviously a sword wrapped in cloth. Setting it down, he nodded at Luka.

 

“Here it is, lad. Take a look at it,” he said. “And keep in mind, this lass over here put her body and soul in this job. She did her level best just for you, so be lenient in your judgment.”

 

Slightly anxious due to Po’s words, Luka approached the counter and laid a hand on the cloth-wrapped sword. It felt solid under his finger. Taking a deep breath, he reached with both hands for it and unveiled it, then stood still, staring at it in awe.

 

The sword had changed. No longer appearing to be a common iron sword, it looked completely different from before. Its blade had a slight azure hue and was polished to the point it reflected light off it in bright beams. There were no ornaments or any such things, only a straight, sharp blade, patiently forged into the perfect shape. The handle was also spartan, made of a mix of metal and wood, and similarly polished. It didn’t even look like it was made of iron anymore.

 

“The lass accidentally got overzealous and melted the whole thing down while we were working,” Po explained as Luka took hold of the sword and held it up, admiring it. “With the damage being done, we decided to use the melted iron to completely reforge it from the ground up. Since that melted the bits of that Dragon Knight's armor that were stuck in it, too, we decided to throw in a few other elements to make a steel alloy instead of simple iron, and then Tyris used her dragonfire to help in the forging process until she was almost out of breath. This is the result. It’s not the repair job we promised, but we hope you’ll forgive our screw-up and accept it anyway.”

 

“...It feels familiar,” Luka murmured. Po gave him a questioning look. Glancing back at the older man, Luka continued. “Nothing was lost. I don’t know how to explain it, but... when I hold this sword, I know what I’m holding. Even if it looks different, it’s still the same precious sword my mother had done for me.”

 

“The metal remembers, and the memory calls out,” Po nodded. “I’ve heard of it happening with some particularly sensitive people and objects that hold a particularly intense sentimental value for them. Even if an accident happens and the object no longer looks like what it used to, those people instinctively know it’s their beloved property.” Looking at Luka with a thoughtful expression, Po nodded. “I think I find myself agreeing with the lass now, my boy. If that sword is so precious to you that you can perceive the metal’s memory, then you should place it somewhere that will be safe. But, do make sure to place it in a spot that has meaning. The sword’s spirit does demand its pride be kept intact. If it cannot be used in a fight, at the very least let it stand guard in a place of great importance to you. That way, it will protect that place, and keep other, more malignant spirits away.”

 

“I already have the perfect place in mind,” Luka smiled as he held the sword up, its polished blade reflecting light throughout the shop. “Yes, that is where it should be. Thank you, Po. And you too, Tyris,” he added as he looked at the still-fidgeting Dragon pup. “I can feel your presence in this sword, as well. You truly worked as hard as you could to create something I’d appreciate. And you succeeded. This is beautiful.”

 

With a radiant smile and a cry of joy, Tyris jumped up and hugged Luka tightly, swelling with pride at his words of praise. The boy Hero gently ruffled her hair, letting her hug him as much as she pleased. Looking at Po, he nodded.

 

“I think living here with you will be good for Tyris,” he told him. “I believe she was meant for this life. This sword she made with you is amazing. Take good care of her, will you?”

 

“Who do you take me for, lad?” Po retorted in a mock-offended tone. “Of course I’ll watch out for her. I’m not some lazy layabout who just pays lip service to promises. I said I’d take her in as apprentice and teach her all I know, and I’ll do it, no matter what. And that includes how to live. That, too, is important for a respectable blacksmith.”

 

“Well then,” Luka said, taking the sword. “I’ll be leaving Iliasburg soon and head back south to visit Enrika Village, if at all possible, and after that I’ll likely move on to Iliasport, so I guess we won’t be seeing each other for a while. So... goodbye for now.”

 

“Before you go, take this,” Po said as he tossed a sheath at him. “I made that one for your sword. It’ll fit it. Although, Dragonfire-forged swords aren’t subject to issues like rust, so you could easily leave it unsheathed. I’d recommend that, myself. The sword’s spirit will be better able to defend the place you leave it at if it’s free from constraints.”

 

“I never did hear any of these beliefs about sword spirits before, to be honest,” Luka commented as he sheathed the sword. As expected, the sheath fit it perfectly.

 

“And it’s unlikely you ever will, lad,” Po said wistfully. “Those beliefs are all I have left of Remina, my place of birth. We followed those beliefs there, and took them very seriously. Why, there was even a small temple with an ancient Monster Lord’s sword enshrined in it, believed to house a particularly potent spirit within its blade. Stories have it that warriors and royalty alike would come and pay homage to it in the distant past, I’m told, although I don’t quite remember why, only that it was a very important treasure for the town. Wonder if it’s still there...”

 

“I’ll take a look if I ever visit Remina, and let you know,” Luka promised. “Well, it’s time for me to go. Be a good girl now, Tyris.”

 

“Aw... do you have to go, Luka?” the little Dragon complained, pouting, as she let him go. “I’ll be lonely...”

 

“I’ll be returning in this area sometime in the near future,” he reassured her. “And when I do, I’ll be sure to drop by here and pay you a visit. I look forward to seeing your creations become even more amazing.”

 

“Yeah!” she smiled, looking up at him. “Maybe next time I can make you some armor! It’ll be super awesome, too, you’ll see.”

 

“Haha, we’ll see,” Luka laughed as he turned around to leave. “Armor’s not my style, but I’m sure you’d make something that’d fit me just right.”

 

“Have a safe trip, lad,” Po called out to him as he walked out of the shop. “Don’t get in over your head when you fight, either. There’s no shame in living to fight another day. A Hero is better off alive than dead... that way you will be able to help more people.”

 

“But if someone’s really bad, make sure to beat them up!” Tyris added. Luka waved at her.

 

“Sure, I’ll beat up all the bad guys,” he shouted back as he walked off. “And when I come back I’ll tell you all about it. Be good, now!”

 

As Luka left, Po scratched his chin, lost in thought. Tyris looked up to him, curious.

 

“Hm? What’re you thinking about, Uncle Po?” she asked him. “You always have something in your mind when you look like that.”

 

“Nothing particular, lass,” Po replied, grinning slightly as he led the Dragon girl back in the shop. “Just, I have the feeling that boy will go places. Wouldn’t be surprised if his fame surpassed my own one day.”

 

----

 

Having retrieved his sword and said his farewells to Po and Tyris, Luka decided to check on Viran next, and headed for the apothecary. As he opened the door, he froze upon seeing Jean, the apothecary, lying on the floor, looking pale, and Viran holding his head on her knees. The little vampire looked up, saw Luka and waved at him, appearing panicked.

 

“Hey! Hey, big bro! Boss Jean passed out all of a sudden!” she said, looking extremely agitated. Luka promptly ran up to the thin man, knelt beside him and checked him over, and after a while straightened up, sighing in relief.

 

“He’s just tired,” he explained to the Vampire girl. “I’ve seen this kind of fatigue before - on myself, in fact. Did he overexert himself lately?”

 

“Well, he spent most of yesterday yelling at some guys from Iliasport,” she said, thinking with a finger on her lips. “Something about ‘worthless sacks of worm food’ and ‘breaking a shipment again’. He then spent the rest of the day and most of today cleaning in the back, and moving lots of bags of herbs, spices, and some kind of funky smelling powder mix around. Then he started breathing funny, and a while ago he just dropped right here.”

 

“He probably breathed in too much of whatever that powder was, and between the exertion and the trouble breathing, he passed out,” Luka mused. “Let’s bring him closer to the window.”

 

The pair set about moving the apothecary near the window, and Luka opened it as Viran propped him up against the wall. The effect was immediate, as a bit of color returned to the lanky man’s face, and a handful of seconds later, he slowly opened his eyes.

 

“Huh...? Where am I?” he asked, confused. Viran smiled happily.

 

“You’re all right, Boss Jean!” she said. “You fell down all of a sudden, and I didn’t know what to do, and then Luka came in...”

 

“She was worried about you,” Luka summed up for him. “How do you feel? I’m not sure if you hit your head, but...”

 

“Ah, this is nothing. Happens every now and then, usually I wake up a couple hours later,” Jean waved away the concerns. “Although, fresh air did help. Thanks, boy.”

 

“...’happens every now and then’? Don’t you think this is something your new assistant should be warned about before it happens?” Luka chastised him, annoyed. “Viran was really worried about you!”

 

“Ahahah... sorry, little lady,” he apologized to the Vampire girl. “I’m so used to having to do things alone that it’s difficult for me to adjust to someone helping me out for a change. I’ll be more careful in the future.”

 

“Boss Jean is a dummy!” Viran huffed, looking irritated. “That was really scary! Plus, what if someone thought I’d attacked you? I could’ve been kicked out of here! I like it here! Be more careful!”

 

“Heh, I doubt that’d have happened,” Jean chuckled as he scratched his head in embarrassment. “People here know about my fainting spells, and if anything, I’d been overdue for one. But, I apologize for causing trouble. Seems like I’m the one who misbehaved this time.”

 

“What is it that causes all these problems, anyway?” Luka asked, curious. “I doubt it’s an illness. If it were, you’d probably know how to cure it. So what’s the problem with your health?”

 

“I was born with a fragile physique, is all,” Jean shrugged. “It happens, unfortunately, and I drew the short end of the stick at birth. Nothing else. But people around here tend to blow things out of proportions, and the plague a few years back did nothing to improve things. I think they rationally know that I’m not sick or anything, but it keeps their imagination going, or something like that.”

 

“Rumors like these are hardly pleasant, though,” Luka pointed out. Jean laughed.

 

“Ha! The most well known rumor in this town is, ‘If you’re ailing, go to Jean. He made a pact with otherworldly spirits to exchange his health for unmatched medical skills, and while he can’t heal himself, there’s no illness he can’t cure in others.’” he said with a crooked grin. “It’s all baloney, of course, but people flock to me in spite of the alarm my sickly appearance causes. And strangely enough, the local Church doesn’t bother me over the supposed ‘pact with spirits’ one bit. Maybe cuz I saved most of their skins in the past, one way or the other. Then again, they don’t even have enough influence here to force these girls out, so it’s probably cuz they can’t do a damn thing regardless.”

 

“...They say THAT of you?” Luka goggled at him, incredulous. “And it seriously is OK with you?”

 

“Sure it is. Previous town I was at, port up north called Gold Port, they outright called me a witch doctor... and still came to me for medicines, cuz I was that damn good,” he said. “Only left when Ilias Kreuz started stinking up the air there. Normal folks were fine with me, but those psychos were another matter. Left them a nice thank-you for running me out of town, though. High-power itching powder bomb. Bet they wish it was only fleas that were itchin’ them up, the mangy curs.”

 

“Heh... hahahahahaha!!” Luka began laughing as Jean recounted his tale. “Itch bomb? Hahahahahahaha! Pretty fitting parting gift, I agree! Wish I’d been here to see it.”

 

“I hear it took ‘em a week of jumping in the ocean to get rid of the itch,” Jean smiled. “Pity I had to skip town without seeing it. Must’ve been the most hilarious sight ever. But anyway, I assume you came here for a reason? Seems strange to me you’d just happen to walk in at random when the girl needed you.”

 

“I actually came to say my goodbyes,” Luka explained. “I’ll be leaving Iliasburg for good in the near future. I’ll drop by again in a few months’ time, probably, but we won’t see each other for a bit.”

 

“Ah, I see,” Jean nodded. “Viran will miss you. Girl only ever talks about how she’ll grow up and be your bride one day.”

“Ahhh! Stupid Boss! Don’t tell him!” the Vampire girl shouted as she began hitting the apothecary on the shoulder with her tiny fists. “It was supposed to be a secret!”

 

“Er, hahaha,” Luka laughed somewhat awkwardly. “That’s flattering, but... if you become my bride, you’d have to leave your friends. That’s bad, right?”

 

“Huh? What’d you mean? Of course we’d all share!” Viran said matter-of-factly, drawing a stare from Luka. “We all agreed already. Soon as we’re old enough, we’re all marrying you and coming with you wherever you go!”

 

“Wh-- what?!” Luka croaked in disbelief. Viran nodded with a smile.

 

“Yeah! It’ll be fun, you know!” she said. “We’ll all go on adventures together, and find treasure and beat bad guys up and stuff, and then we can play at night too!”

 

“...seems like you got a problem on your hands, boy,” Jean whispered to Luka as Viran looked at empty space, lost in her imagination. The boy sighed.

 

“I’m resigned to the fact that my life will never be simple,” he murmured, feeling a headache coming on. “Well, I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it.”

 

Getting up, he dusted himself off, took hold of his new Dragonfire sword and headed for the exit. The sudden move caused Viran to snap out of her daydreaming and run up to him.

 

“Hey, you’ll be coming back soon, right?” she asked him. Not waiting for an answer, she continued. “Bring me back something when you return, okay? I’d like something pretty. And don’t get caught by other monsters! If you do, I’ll get really mad!”

 

“Ah... ahahahahah... okay, I’ll bring something back,” Luka agreed, overwhelmed by the little Vampire’s rapidfire talking. “Be a good girl now, and keep an eye on Jean. I suspect he’ll be needing you a lot from now on, and you’re the only one I can trust with keeping him in one piece.”

 

“Hey!” the apothecary protested, before being caught by a coughing fit. Viran smiled at Luka, looking eager.

 

“Sure, I’ll keep him safe for you,” she nodded. “Remember, find me something cute!”

 

“Yes, yes,” Luka waved at her as he left the shop. “See you soon!”

 

With that, the young Hero left, leaving the giddy Vampire girl to her daydreaming.

 

----

 

Having completed two of his programmed visits, Luka walked to the town plaza and then stopped, looking around. He still had to see Sawako and Serine, and while the tiny Lamia was easy enough to track, due to working at the Sutherland Hotel, he had no idea where the hyperactive Goblin girl was. He decided to ask around for directions to the town militia’s headquarters, as they were the ones who took her in.

 

As he began to advance towards a group of citizens, he felt a screeching sound behind him, as if something had been dragged against the cobblestones of the plaza’s floor, and then he felt someone pull on the sleeve of his shirt. Turning around, he blinked in surprise and then smiled as he saw the grinning face of the very person he’d been looking for.

 

“Hiya, Luka!” the Goblin girl cheerfully greeted him. “You’re back from your adventure, huh? How long will you be staying?”

 

“Actually, I’ll be leaving for good soon,” he told her as he ruffled her hair. “I’ll be back in a few months, but it’s time I move on. I won’t get anything worthwhile done by just staying here forever, don’t you think?”

 

“Yeah, I guess that’s true,” Sawako muttered, her expression clouding over. “But we’re all gonna miss you, you know. You promise you’re really gonna come back?”

 

“Of course. I wouldn’t lie to any of you girls,” he smiled at her with a nod. The Goblin girl’s expression brightened.

 

“Okay then! We’ll all wait for you to come back,” she said, in a good mood. “Then, when you return, we can all become your brides and go live together!”

 

“Geh?! Not you, too? I was hoping that was just Viran’s idea...” Luka said, feeling his headache return. Sawako blinked at him, confused.

 

“Huh? Whaddya mean? We like you, and you like us, right?” she asked. “Isn’t that all that’s needed?”

 

“Er... maybe that’s simplifying it too much...” Luka muttered. Privately, he had to admit she had a point. It had certainly been enough for him and Queen Sophie, and he realized he couldn’t talk the girls out of their decision without becoming a huge hypocrite in the process. He groaned as his headache intensified.

 

“Then it’s settled! We’ll be waiting, so hurry up and beat all the bad guys up so you can come back soon!” the Goblin smiled happily. She then took a look at the city’s clock tower and gasped. “Ahhh! I’m late with my deliveries! I gotta run! Good luck with your trip, Luka!”

 

Quickly running up to him, Sawako pulled him down all of a sudden, and planted a kiss on his cheek. Then she turned around and ran off at a speed that made Luka’s head spin, waving at him as she disappeared between the town’s houses.

 

Luka blinked, standing in the middle of the street with a dumbfounded expression on his face as he cupped the cheek the little Goblin had kissed with his hand. He then heard some giggling from the side, and snapped out of his daze as he saw a small group of attractive young women looking at him with sly and - dare he say - rather perverted looks on their faces.

 

Feeling a sudden chill run down his spine, he hurried off, the ladies’ giggles and stares following him. Somehow, he got the impression that remaining near those particular women would have been more trouble than it was worth.

 

----

 

A short while later, Luka climbed the stairs to the Sutherland Inn, thinking about his next move. Things were largely going well. He had his sword back, albeit in a different form than before, and Thermidor had recovered from the violent thrashing she’d suffered at Granberia’s hands. The only snag was the sudden amorous interest the four bandit girls were displaying towards him, but he hoped he could talk some sense into them during his next visit.

 

He looked up at the clear sky. There were no clouds in sight, and it seemed as if the next day would be warm and sunny, as well. He decided it’d be a good time to finally leave Iliasburg and take the next step in his journey. While he was satisfied with what he’d accomplished in Ilias Continent, he looked forward to taking a ship in Iliasport and traveling to the mainland of Sentora. He was sure more adventures and learning experiences awaited him there, although he also felt worried about future battles. He didn’t relish the thought of having to fight monsters off, but he was even less attracted by the idea of leaving a trail of fatherless children that he may never see, and that unfortunately meant he had to seriously reconsider his strategy of indulging monsters’ requests in lieu of fighting them off. He decided to talk about it with Thermidor. She’d surely be able to offer him advice.

 

As he walked into the building, lost in his thoughts, he heard a slithering sound and turned around, seeing Serine rapidly approach him. He frowned; Thermidor was with her, looking somewhat worried, and the tiny Lamia appeared very upset for some reason.

 

“Hi, Serine,” he greeted her with a smile as she stopped before him. His smile vanished as she glared at him, clearly angry. He fidgeted under the heated stare. “Uh... what’s wrong? Did something happen?”

 

“Is it true you got married to some Harpy out there?” the small Lamia asked him without preamble. Luka winced, then shot a glance at Thermidor, who returned an apologetic look.

 

“I’m sorry... I let it slip as we were talking, and she got really angry all of a sudden,” the fencer murmured, looking mortified. The boy groaned. He could already see where this conversation was headed, and while he didn’t like it one bit, he had no choice but to endure. He was awful at lying, and he refused to run away like a coward just to avoid an unpleasant confrontation.

 

“Uh... yeah, but keep your voice down,” he confirmed to the small Lamia with a sigh. “Humans aren’t supposed to do things like these of their own free will, and as much as the people here in Iliasburg may have been open-minded with the four of you, I’m not sure they’d react to this bit of information as well as they reacted to you living here.”

 

“But that’s not fair!” Serine complained, beating her tiny tail in frustration against the ground. “We saw Luka first! Why does a bird-woman from nowhere get to marry you first?”

 

“Well, er...” Luka began hesitantly, looking to Thermidor for help. The fencer shook her head, and the boy sighed. He really didn’t like it when girls got upset with him, and it looked as if he was on his own here. Serine’s frown deepened.

 

“We were supposed to be Luka’s brides!” she continued, shaking her head. “But now that you’re married already, how can we do that? Stupid Harpy!” The tiny Lamia’s eyes teared up, and Luka felt a rock drop in his stomach. No, no, no, he begged inwardly. Please, don’t cry. I’ll lose all my resolve if you do.

 

“Ah! Wait, I just...” he cringed, kneeling before the Lamia girl and patting her shoulders awkwardly as he tried to stave off the tears of doom. His attempt failed miserably as Serine began to cry quietly, sniffling.

 

“Uguuu... we all had everything planned out, and this happens...” she bawled. “This is just not fair! I hate that Harpy!”

 

“Wait... please, stop crying...” Luka begged her, wincing. He really hated it when he made girls cry. As he tried to calm her down, an idea dawned in his mind. He groaned inwardly as he considered it: it’d make things worse in the long run, but he saw no other way to make Serine stop crying and smile again. He inhaled deeply, then started talking in a soothing tone.

 

“Hey... listen. It’s not like nothing can be done anymore,” he began. “Harpies don’t mind sharing husbands, and the one I married supported a deal to let her tribe’s men have more than one wife. So, if you want, I’m sure something can still be arranged...”

 

“Luka...” Thermidor began in a warning tone, knowing full well that what he was trying to do would only fan the flames. Luka gave her a look, and she sighed, backing off. It was obvious that he too was aware he was digging himself deeper, but he was still going to do it. Shaking her head, she became quiet, letting Luka handle the situation.

 

“Eh...? Really?” Serine looking up with a hopeful expression, still sniffling but having stopped crying. Luka nodded.

 

“Yes, really. I could talk with her, see if she’d be willing to share with you,” Luka continued. “If that was OK with her, then you can still be my brides, if you like. How does that sound?”

 

“Really really? You’re not lying to make me stop bothering you, right?” Serine asked, frowning as she dried her tears up. Luka sighed, then shook his head.

 

“Really. I’ll talk with her next time I see her, I promise,” he confirmed, giving up his attempts to find a way out. At this point, he had no choice but to see things through to their end.

 

“Cross your heart and hope to die?” the small Lamia insisted. Luka nodded once more.

 

“Cross my heart and hope to die,” he repeated. “I’m a terrible liar, anyway. I couldn’t lie to any of you, or anyone really, even if I wanted to.”

 

“Yaaay!” Serine shouted happily as she hugged him tightly. “Thank you, Luka! You won’t regret letting us become your brides!”

 

The boy sighed as he let the tiny monster hug him. He had a distinct feeling that Sophie wouldn’t say no even if he tried to influence her, and he doubted the four girls would change their minds easily, if at all. He realized that a new problem had just added itself to the many, many worries he had for the future.

 

“Um, I gotta go,” Serine spoke up as she let him go, smiling happily at him. “I have a lot of rooms to clean. You’re leaving soon, right? Don’t forget to let me know when. I wanna say bye to you before you go. And come back soon so we can marry you!”

 

“Yes, yes,” Luka winced, rubbing his temples as he nodded. The Lamia nodded, still smiling.

 

“Okay, then! Bye!” she waved at him before turning around and slithering off, humming an upbeat tune as she disappeared in a side door. The boy Hero sighed deeply, closing his eyes and continuing to slowly rub his temples. Thermidor walked up beside him.

 

“You do know you all but assured they will insist in becoming your wives as well, right?” she asked him. Luka nodded slowly.

 

“Yeah, I do. But it was the only way to make her stop crying that I could think of,” he replied, shaking his head. “In a way, I’m flattered. Sawako and Viran also told me they want to marry me, and while Tyris said nothing about it, when I think about how much effort Po said she put into reforging my sword, I think that was probably her way of telling me. Even so...”

 

“Those girls adore you, you know,” the fencer told him. “You’re like one of those gallant Prince types from fairy tales to them. I suppose it was inevitable that they’d end up attracted to you. Are you really going to talk to Queen Sophie about it?”

 

“Yeah. As I said, I’m a terrible liar, and besides it’d be very low of me to take my word back now,” he nodded as he opened his eyes and looked at her. “I’m hoping Sophie will object to it, which would at least let me turn them down with reason.”

 

“And if she doesn’t?” Thermidor asked. “Would you go through with it?”

 

“Well... Yes, I would. I promised, didn’t I?” Luka nodded slowly after a moment of silence. “And if I have to be honest, I don’t think it’d be too bad, after all.”

 

“I imagined you’d say that,” she sighed as she shook her head. “The moment I saw that girl start crying, I knew you’d cave in. You’re too soft, Luka. Girls’ tears turn you from steel to putty.” She looked at the door Serine had disappeared through, thoughtful. “But I suppose I agree with you. A promise is a promise... and besides, as I said, those girls adore you. I don’t think they’d look at anyone else but you as a prospective mate.”

 

“Uhhh... let’s leave mating out of this,” Luka muttered awkwardly. “They’re still young, after all...”

 

“They’re monsters, Luka. They mature far faster than humans, and their instinct is already sharp,” she patiently pointed out. “You’d better start thinking of them in those terms if you’re seriously going through with this, because otherwise they’ll take it upon themselves to make you do so. Anyway, I’m going back to our room. When you’re done standing there looking shocked, come upstairs, as well.”

 

With those words, the monster swordswoman headed upstairs, leaving a dumbfounded Luka behind. The boy looked up at the ceiling with a suffering expression. All of a sudden he wasn’t so eager to see what the future had in hold for him.

 

----

 

Minutes later, Luka sat in his room along with Alice and Thermidor, sighing tiredly as he slowly sipped some hot tea sweetened with Happiness Honey. He’d been hesitant in using the honey he’d brought from Happiness Village, but Alice assured him the jar he’d opened didn’t contain any of the aphrodisiac honey he feared had been slipped in among his stash, and Thermidor didn’t detect anything strange either, so he decided to take a chance and try some of it.

 

As he drank the honeyed tea, Thermidor examined his newly reforged sword with a critical eye. Both she and Alice had been impressed with how exquisitely designed the reforged sword was, but as the fencer wisely pointed out, a beautiful sword would not be of much use unless it was well balanced as well. Luka didn’t think the sword had any issues, as he felt just as comfortable wielding it as he did his old iron sword, and didn’t plan on using it in battle anymore anyway, but he handed the blade to Thermidor nonetheless, deferring to her greater experience in such things.

 

Finishing his tea, he set the empty cup down just as the swordswoman finished her examination of the blade. He looked at her with a questioning expression, and she nodded in return, looking satisfied.

 

“You were right,” she told him as she handed the Dragonforged sword back to him. “This sword has no issues that I can detect. Po and Tyris clearly forged it with you in mind from start to finish... it’s a little heavier than your old one, but has been rebalanced so that its weight is distributed evenly, and there should be no relevant differences between using it and the old iron sword. At most, you may need a couple days to gauge the new weight, but that’s it.”

 

“I didn’t expect you to find any problems,” Luka said as he took the blade and sheathed it. “Po and Tyris clearly worked themselves to the bone to make this. And besides, it felt right when I took it the first time. I just knew it would be perfect for me if I ever wished to use it in combat.”

 

“That blacksmith is amazing,” Alice admitted. “Even taking into account the fact he had the good fortune to have a Dragon lending him her fire for forging, his wares are top quality. If given the right materials, I have no doubt he could forge a weapon fit for a Monster Lord. Granberia would be smacking herself if she knew how close she went to ruining the forging arm of such a talented weaponsmith.”

 

“I don’t think Po resents her for it,” Luka commented. “He’s just not the type. I bet if she came back and asked him in a calm, civilized fashion, he’d do his best to forge her just the right weapon for someone of her skill.”

 

“Hm... she just might do it,” the white-haired monster nodded. “It may not look like it, but she has a great deal of respect for those who mastered the art of forging. I think she’d go as far as to apologize for wounding him. People with his skill are rare even among monsters.”

 

“Come to think of it, he did mention he learned his trade from a Fire Spirit inside a volcano...” Luka mused. “Could that have been a monster?”

 

“Fire Spirit...? Wait, he learned from Salamander?!”Alice asked, shocked. “No wonder he’s so good, then. Salamander only teaches those with the greatest talent, and her pupils invariably become known as the best of the best. Granberia was her pupil, too... in fact, Salamander practically raised her.”

 

“Who’s Salamander?” Luka asked, curious. Alice gave him a look as if that were something he should know already.

 

“You want to be a Hero and haven’t heard of her? Geez...” she chastised him. Sighing, she began explaining. “There are four Spirits who control the elements in this world. They’re akin to us monsters, though not quite the same. Their mastery over their element is exceptional, something which other monsters can only dream of. Salamander is one of them - the Spirit of Fire, specifically. She is skilled in both forging and war arts, and probably the fiercest of the four Spirits in combat. Like all Spirits, she can be persuaded to lend her power to someone if they are worthy... but she has high standards, and talking her into lending her powers is no easy feat.”

 

“I see... interesting,” Luka murmured. “So Po is as skilled as he is because Salamander taught him?”

 

“That’s part of the reason, but Salamander only teaches those who have incredible talent to begin with,” Alice stated. “She certainly made him better, but he had to be highly skilled from the start for her to bother teaching him at all.”

 

“I understand,” Luka nodded. His respect for the blacksmith went up a few notches. He’d managed something few could brag of, human or otherwise.

 

“Come to think of it...” Thermidor spoke up as she got up from her chair and walked over to her bed. Bending down, she picked a familiar-looking bundle from the floor, and Luka realized it was the mysterious sword she’d been carrying all this time.

 

“This talk about weapons reminds me that I still haven’t kept my promise to tell you about this, Luka,” the fencer continued as she walked back and sat down again, placing the bundle on the table before her. “We finally have some peace and quiet, and I’ve recovered from the fight with the Dragon Knight. We have the rest to the day to ourselves before we start packing in preparation to leave tomorrow, so why not take the opportunity to tell you what little I know about it?”

 

Saying so, she began to unravel the cloth wrapping. It took only a few seconds for her to remove the few layers of cloth protecting the enigmatic sword inside, and when she finished, she deposited the weapon back on the table, allowing her companions to take a good look at it for the first time.

 

The sword was held inside a high quality leather sheath reinforced with steel, so the blade was concealed from view, but the sheath itself was finely crafted, hinting at the sword being meant for a high ranking individual. The hilt was likewise exquisitely decorated, with a sturdy handle made of what seemed to be mahogany and a pommel shaped like a dragon’s head. Luka blinked as he noticed the sword’s metal looked awfully familiar.

 

“Hey... this sword’s metal looks like mine,” he said, curious. “It’s polished to a shine and has the same bluish tint and light-reflecting properties... or am I imagining things?”

 

“No, you are correct,” Alice nodded, examining the sword with interest. “This sword is definitely Dragonforged. Only metal heated in dragonfire has that tint and shine to it. Mind if I take a look at the blade?”

 

“You can’t,” Thermidor shook her head. At Alice’s frown, she quickly explained. “It’s not that I don’t want you to, but that you can’t. Nobody can. That sword has been with me since my first memories, when I was wandering outside Sabasa. From then until now, it’s never been unsheathed by anyone as far as I can remember. Not by me, not by the King of Sabasa, not by monsters... it refuses to let itself be drawn. It’s magic, there’s no doubt about it.”

 

“Are you sure it’s not just stuck?” the Echidna asked, skeptical, reaching out for the sword. As she tried to lift it, she cried out in surprise, and the sheathed blade slipped through her fingers, hitting the floor with a sound of metal scraping against stone.

 

“Huh?! Wha-what was that?” she blinked, confused. “That sword’s really heavy. It slipped from my hand before I could grasp it firmly...”

 

“Don’t bother. I’m the only one who can lift it,” Thermidor explained as she bent down and picked the sword up, seemingly not troubled by the weight Alice claimed it had. “Look closely at the hilt.”

 

She held out the sword for all to see, pointing at a spot on its exposed parts. Alice and Luka drew closer, watching, and blinked in surprise as they saw what appeared to be some sort of symbol faintly glow on the decorated hilt.

 

“Hm? It seems to be... some sort of rune?” Luka murmured, intrigued. “So that’s the magic? What does it do?”

 

“How should I know?” Thermidor replied, shaking her head. “I am no runemaster. All I know is that this rune lights up only when I am holding the sword, and I am the only one who can lift it. Whenever anyone else tries to hold it, it becomes unbearably heavy, according to them, and they are forced to drop it.”

 

“That’s odd. Let me try again,” Alice demanded, frowning. “Maybe I can figure something out.”

 

“I am taking no responsibility for any damage you will do to yourself in the attempt,” Thermidor stated as she offered the sword’s handle to the Echidna, inching back cautiously. “If you get hurt, it’s your fault.”

 

“Fine, I understand. Now hand it over,” Alice nodded. As she grasped the sword, Thermidor let it go, and the rune on the hilt immediately stopped glowing. A second later, Alice cried out again and grasped the sword with both hands, hunching over. Straining, she struggled to try and hold the blade, but it quickly proved impossible even for her and she was forced to let the weapon go, groaning in frustration as she did so. The sword hit the floor with a tremendous clanking sound, and a crack appeared on the stone tiles making up the pavement. Luka winced. Ilsa won’t be happy about this, he thought.

 

“I told you so,” Thermidor said as she bent over again and picked the sword up again. The rune on it lit up once more, and she lifted it with little effort. Luka shook his head, amazed.

 

“Wow... it’s like this sword chooses who can and cannot hold it,” he murmured. “Is it alive? Maybe Po is right, and swords do indeed have spirits within... Say, Thermidor, can I touch it?”

 

“Of course, go ahead,” she nodded, holding the sword before her with both hands. Luka hesitantly reached out, somewhat intimidated, and lightly brushed his fingers on the sword’s handle.

 

The rune shined brighter.

 

The boy immediately drew his hand back, startled by the sudden flash. He paused, watching the sword warily, as if expecting the dragon’s head-shaped pommel to come to life and bite him. He then looked at Thermidor, confused.

 

“What was that?” he asked her. “The rune... it just sort of lit up like a lantern. Is it supposed to do that?”

 

“No... no, it isn’t,” Thermidor said, looking just as surprised and puzzled as he was. “I’ve never seen it do that before, in fact. This rune only ever lit up for me before, and even when others touched the sword along with me, it never blazed like this.”

 

“Never, eh...?” Alice said, looking thoughtful. She then looked at Luka and motioned towards the sword. “Luka, try taking it in your hand.”

 

“What? No!” Luka protested. “You saw what happened when you did, right? If that happens to me, I’ll get my arms ripped off!”

 

“What kind of Hero are you, getting scared of a sheathed sword?” Alice replied with a glare. “Stop whining like a little girl and take it. I’ve got an idea as to why it did that, and need to confirm it.”

 

“I’m not your guinea pig!” Luka retorted, annoyed. “I don’t want to get hurt just to satisfy your curiosity!”

 

“If it’s too heavy, just let it go immediately!” Alice said, throwing her hands up in exasperation. “You don’t have to hold it up. Just take it and see what happens. Now get to it! What happened to all the bravery of the young man who walked in a village of monsters alone and without fear?”

 

“Those are different things, you know,” Luka muttered, still annoyed. Nonetheless, he reached out for the sword. Cautiously, he grasped its handle, making sure his legs and feet were out of the way in case of a fall. The rune on the hilt blazed again. Thermidor looked at him, waiting for him to signal he was ready. Taking a deep breath, he looked at her and nodded with decision. The fencer nodded back, and let go of the sword.

 

As Thermidor’s hands let go of the sheathed blade, Luka shut his eyes and tensed up, preparing to let go of it as soon as he felt it get heavier. He waited some more, the blade slightly pulling his hands downward as he held it, then slowly opened first one eye, then both, looking at the sheathed weapon in confusion.

 

The rune was still shining brightly - brighter, in fact, than when Thermidor alone had been holding it. And the sword showed no sign of getting heavier. In fact, it was surprisingly light for its size. Hesitantly, Luka pulled the mysterious sword closer to him, examining it. The rune kept shining, showing no sign of growing dimmer. He looked up to his companions with a puzzled expression.

 

“I knew it,” Alice murmured, drawing his attention. “The rune is indeed what influences whatever spell is on this sword. When it shines, it means it’s recognizing the holder as someone who has the right to handle it. Everyone else, however, it treats as unworthy, and it becomes too heavy for them to carry.”

 

“Wait... so this sword has accepted me as its owner?” he asked, still confused. Alice shot him a quizzical look.



“That’s a good question,” she said, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. “There’s a simple way to find out, though. Try drawing the sword.”

 

“Eh? But Thermidor said...” Luka objected. Alice waved his concerns aside.

 

“She said no one has been able to draw it so far, yes,” she argued. “But she also said that no one but her lifted it before, did she not? And yet you did. The rune reacts to you, as well, and it even shines more brightly than it does for her. So, try drawing it. It’s worth an attempt. If you can do it, then it means the sword has accepted you as its master.”

 

“That’s true, but...” Luka murmured uncertainly. He then shook his head and looked up, giving Alice a determined look. “Ah, why not? You were right about telling me to take it in my hands, so I’ll give this a try, too. At least, I don’t think anything bad should happen. At most, it’ll refuse to budge.”

 

His decision made, Luka set himself on the floor, legs slightly apart, and firmly grasped the sword with both hands. Taking a deep breath, he focused his eyes on the rune shining brightly on the blade’s hilt. He then closed his eyes, clenched his teeth, tried to keep his trepidation under control, and pulled on the handle.

 

Nothing happened.

 

Opening his eyes slightly, Luka peered at the sword, giving it a few tentative pulls to be sure, then sighed and deflated slightly, shaking his head.

 

“Looks like I’m not its owner, after all,” he said, unable to conceal his disappointment as he looked at the sword. “I can lift it, same as Thermidor, but... that’s it. Oh well, that’d have been too good to be true. Like a fairytale or something...”

 

“If you had been able to draw it, I’d have begun to suspect you were the Dark Hero Zack reborn, to be honest,” Alice commented, looking a little relieved. “Whatever spell is keeping that sword sealed in its sheath is a very potent one. I don’t think there’s anyone alive on this world capable of weaving such a powerful enchantment, and in the whole history of the world, there’s probably been only a handful of people, men or monsters, who had the power necessary to do such a thing.”

 

“Even if he can’t draw it, the fact remains he can lift it,” Thermidor chimed in, having remained silent up until then. “And it reacts more strongly to him than it does to me. I wonder if there are any differences...” Looking at Luka thoughtfully, the fencer picked up the boy’s recently reforged sword, unsheathed it and held it out to him. “Take this sword. Tell me about how heavy they are compared to each other. Which weighs more?”

 

Luka took the offered sword and then held both blades up, concentrating to spot the differences. He immediately became aware of an incongruity: Thermidor’s mysterious sheathed blade weighed less than his own did, in spite of being longer, thicker and having the added weight from its sheath. He blinked, focusing more closely, but the initial expression was confirmed: the mystery blade was undoubtedly the lighter one of the two.

 

“Huh... this is odd. Your sword is lighter than mine, even though it has a sheath and all,” he mused, confused. “Is it supposed to be like that?”

 

“No. In fact, to me your sword is much lighter than that one, even when sheathed,” Thermidor shook her head. “It seems the sword does have a preference. It makes itself purposely lighter and easier to carry for you than for me. That’s also consistent with how the rune on it glows more brightly when you hold it than when I do.”

 

Silence fell in the room as the fencer regarded Luka with a thoughtful gaze. The boy fidgeted under the intense scrutiny, unsure of what was going on in the monster’s mind. Finally, Thermidor appeared to reach a decision, and looked up to him, a serious expression on her face.

 

“I have decided,” she announced. “Luka, from this point onward, I want you to have this sword. I always thought there had to be a reason why I could lift it when no one else could. And now, seeing how you can also lift it, and how it reacts even more strongly to you than me, I am convinced that I was always meant to pass it on to you. I think that sword wants you to hold it. Why it wants that, I cannot say. But it made its will manifest, and there has to be a meaning behind it.”

 

“Eh? But I already have Angel Halo--” Luka began to protest. Thermidor cut him off with a gesture, causing him to fall silent, then looked at him.

 

“I am aware of that,” she nodded. “And you should rely on Angel Halo regardless, since you cannot draw this sword. But I believe you should keep it close to you in the future. Perhaps your purpose is simply to hand it over to someone else, as I did to you. Or perhaps, you’re simply not ready yet. Either way, I think it’s meant to stay with you.”

 

“I... see,” Luka murmured, looking down at the sword still in his hand. He then raised his eyes and nodded to Thermidor. “Very well, if you think I should hold it, I’ll trust your judgment. And... thank you for entrusting me with it.”

 

“I’m sure it was meant to be,” the fencer smiled gently at him. “You must be tired now. Today was rather exciting for you, was it not? Let us prepare our bags, so that we can turn in early and get some well-deserved rest. Tomorrow will be a new day, and a new step in your journey.”

 

“Before we do that, I have a question,” Luka said as he set the mystery blade back down on the table and sheathed his Dragonforged sword again. “This sword you gave me... does it have a name, or something like that?”

 

“I have no idea,” she said apologetically. “As I said, it was already with me when I was found outside Sabasa, wandering with no memory of how or why I got there. If it has a name, it is as lost as the rest of my past. I’d tell you more, but... as I mentioned before, I myself know very little about that sword. All I know is that it’s very important, even if I don’t know why.”

 

“Hmmm,” Luka nodded, thinking. “Well, I hope that I’ll find out more as I travel. Perhaps I should seek out powerful wizards and see what they can tell me. But I’ll worry about that when the time comes. For now, let’s pack up. I’m curious to see what kind of place Enrika is... and to be honest, I’ll be glad to stop by the forest ruins one last time before I leave Ilias Continent.”

 

“I’ll return to my room, then,” Alice announced as she got up and walked to the door. “I may as well eat dinner early. Good night.”

 

As the Echidna left, the boy Hero and the monster fencer busied themselves with packing up their belongings in preparation for next day’s trip. Left behind on the table, the mysterious sword briefly glowed, as if satisfied, then went dark again.

 

----

 

Luka awoke with a start to complete darkness. He blinked, confused. His room faced Iliasburg, and at night, lanterns were lit up in the streets. There should have been light coming in from the windows, rather than the blackness surrounding him.

 

As he tried to get his bearings in the dark, he suddenly realized that he couldn’t feel the fabric of his bedsheets on his body, under his hands or anywhere at all. His eyes widened in alarm as he sat up, trying to understand what was going on. In doing so, he noticed that his earlier impression was mistaken: there was a very, very dim glow coming out from under him. It was not enough to illuminate his surroundings, but it was enough for him to just barely see his own body if he looked very hard.

 

Luka glanced around, nervous. Did Ilias manage to read his mind and decide to inflict some sort of torture on him? This lightless void certainly looked like a place where a human could go insane, simply from the total lack of any discernible object.

 

Looking at the impenetrable darkness surrounding him with rising panic, he noticed another weak glow to his side. Deciding to investigate, he approached it. As he did so, he noticed that the glow under him followed him, and wondered if something - or someone - was also in the center of the other mysterious glow.

 

As he drew near the glow, his suspicions were confirmed as he began to perceive the vague outline of a figure shrouded in darkness standing in the middle of it. The glow was too weak for him to make out anything but a dark outline, but the figure appeared to be humanoid.

 

Looking up, he froze as he realized that one thing of the shadowy being could be clearly seen: a pair of golden, faintly glowing eyes with slitted pupils were regarding him quietly in the spot where he presumed the figure’s head would be. From the eyes’ height, he deduced the unknown being observing him was very tall, taller than even Alice.

 

As his eyes gazed into the golden orbs before him, he felt himself relax. The figure before him radiated an unmistakable aura of power, and yet he did not detect malice in those eyes and the presence behind them. Rather, he felt interest, and even some expectation. He was not sure who or what the figure was, but somehow, he was certain it meant no harm to him.

 

Feeling reassured by the lack of hostile intent in the being standing in front of him, Luka squinted in the darkness, looking up and down in an attempt to discern the figure’s shape through the shadows. As he did so, his eyes looked down at the place its feet were, and he suddenly realized he could vaguely make out a shape in the glow below it. He took a half step forward, his eyes narrowing as he tried to make out the image’s shape, and then gasped as he abruptly realized what he was looking at: it was the glowing rune etched into the mysterious sword Thermidor had entrusted to him!

 

With that realization, his head shot up and his eyes widened as he finally understood what he was looking at: the shadowy figure had to be the sword’s spirit. Po had been right all along in claiming such beings existed.

 

As Luka opened his mouth, both the glow under the figure and the one under him went out. Disoriented by the sudden darkness, he abruptly felt himself fall backwards into the darkness, losing sight of the shrouded shape before him. As his body drifted downwards and his consciousness slipped, he thought he could faintly hear two words, whispered in the black void.

 

“Not yet.”

 

----

 

“Ah!!”

 

Luka woke up once more, gasping as he sat upright with wide eyes, drenched in sweat. His breathing was accelerated, and his heart pounded violently in his chest. Looking around, he realized he was back in his room, and the first lights of dawn were creeping in from the window.

 

“Luka? Is something wrong?” he heard Thermidor’s voice call out to him. Looking up, he saw the swordswoman’s face peeking out from the bathroom’s door, looking worried. He paused briefly, then shook his head negatively, wiping the sweat off his brow.

 

“N... nothing. Just a dream. I think... Although it was very vivid,” he murmured. “There was a... figure, a human-like one, shrouded in darkness, and it was just... looking at me. Nothing else. Not a word or a sound.”

 

Thermidor frowned at those words, then came out of the bathroom and walked up to him, sitting on the edge of his bed.

 

“Was it Ilias again?” she asked, concerned. Luka looked up at her, shaking his head negatively once more.

 

“No. I’m sure it wasn’t Ilias,” he told her. “I remember how her presence felt, and this dream was nothing like it. Plus, when Ilias came to me, everything was so bright, while this time, it was all dark. And more importantly, I didn’t feel threatened. The presence I felt had power, but I somehow knew it meant no harm to me.” He lowered his gaze, looking thoughtful. “I... think that sword you gave me does have a spirit within it, and it made its presence known. There were just two sources of light - under me and under the figure before me - and the glow under the figure had the same runic symbol that illuminated when I touched the sword.”

 

“Really,” Thermidor murmured, quietly contemplating the information she’d been given. Looking at Luka, she nodded. “Now, more than ever, I am sure you are meant to hold that sword. That figure - that spirit - never manifested itself to me in such a fashion. If it instead contacted you, then there must be meaning behind it. Are you sure it didn’t say anything?”

 

“Well... it just stood there, looking at me with glowing golden eyes, and didn’t really talk, or even make noise at all,” Luka replied, concentrating. “Although... when I realized what it was, the lights under us suddenly went out, and I felt myself fall backwards, as if the floor I was on suddenly disappeared. And when that happened, I could’ve sworn I heard the words, ‘Not yet’ being whispered in the darkness.”

 

“Perhaps you’re simply not ready to hear its words, then,” Thermidor murmured. “I had briefly considered the possibility of a curse, but you said you didn’t feel threatened, so that’s unlikely. Plus, I’d have been cursed as well. Curses don’t care who they hit, they only care about spreading misery.” She sighed, looking at him. “I really don’t know what to recommend. All I can say is, wait and see. Hopefully, you will receive a clearer message before long.”

 

“I guess so. Well, what will be, will be,” the boy Hero sighed as he got up off his bed. “For now, let’s get ready for our trip to Enrika Village. I’m already awake, and there’s no point in going back to sleep for a few minutes longer.”

 

Standing up and stretching, Luka began to prepare himself for the day. As he did, however, he couldn’t help but wonder at the odd sensation the presence had given him.

 

Somehow, it had reminded him of Alice.

 

----

 

A few hours later, Luka, Alice and Thermidor found themselves on Iliasburg’s main road, ready to depart town for good. Rousing Alice from her sleep had proved a little difficult, as the Echidna was rather uncooperative. In the end, Luka bribed her out of bed with one of his own jars of Happiness Honey, an offer which caused her to promptly spring out from under the covers, eagerly waiting with an extended hand. The boy made careful note of the event: the promise of good food was seemingly enough to make Alice do things she normally wouldn’t. Luka was sure that information would be of use to him in the future.

 

Having said his farewells to Ilsa - who had gifted him with a small bag full of homemade food - and Serine - who had clung to him with tearful eyes until he promised upon his life and honor to return and visit her again soon - he and his companions had finally left the inn afterwards.

 

As he walked on the town’s stone road, Luka breathed in the fresh air. He was curious to see what kind of place Enrika Village was, and admittedly, he was also happy that going there would give him an excuse to visit the forest ruins again. He felt just a little anxious about leaving Ilias Continent without visiting his mother’s crypt one last time.

 

The trio shortly reached the main gate, and Luka stopped to exchange a few words with the soldiers standing guard there. As it turned out, those soldiers were not the local Church’s recruits, but rather part of the town’s own self-defense militia; the Church’s guards only ever protected the Church grounds themselves and the clergymen inside, and never bothered to help out in the event of monster attacks. They hadn’t helped when Granberia had suddenly invaded, either. The town’s young men had to train themselves in order to keep the citizens safe.

 

Intrigued, Luka investigated more, and the soldiers gladly told him the story of Iliasburg’s militia. According to the young men he was speaking with, the idea of a town militia had been started seventeen years earlier by Ilsa’s late husband, who had been a Church knight before being dismissed after he received an incapacitating wound in battle. The crippled knight had subsequently been all but forgotten by the Church, an act which caused Mr. Sutherland to feel a great deal of bitterness, as he felt he’d wasted his life serving people who only valued his sword, rather than his worth as a human being.

 

Realizing that the Church couldn’t be relied on, Mr. Sutherland gathered the most promising young men he could find in Iliasburg, and laid the foundations for what would become the current town militia. Then, fifteen years earlier, Po had settled in Iliasburg, and upon hearing of the militia idea, he’d lent his considerable expertise as a seasoned adventurer, as well as his smithing skills, to train and equip the militiamen.

 

In the following years, the Iliasburg militia’s ranks increased as it became the career of choice for the brave youths of the town. The Church’s influence diminished, while the Sutherland family - and Po as well - saw their own influence grow immensely. Mr. Sutherland’s untimely death from a sudden fever did nothing to diminish that influence, with the town looking to Ilsa in the old knight’s stead. It wouldn’t have been wrong to call Po and Ilsa the King and Queen of Iliasburg: nominally, they were just an innkeeper and a blacksmith, but the simple truth was that when either of them spoke, the town listened. And the Church knew better than to challenge their authority.

 

Having heard all he needed to, Luka excused himself and bade the young men farewell. He then rejoined his waiting companions and started walking down the road leading back south. As he walked, he thought about what he’d heard, and began to understand why the townspeople seemed to hold the local Church in contempt: it did nothing to protect the common folk, instead focusing on keeping its own safe and leaving the citizens to fend for themselves. I can relate to that sentiment, Luka thought, recalling the memory of a priest refusing to even consider granting aid to his sick mother.

 

The aloofness of the clergy of the Church also explained why, in spite of being so close to Ilias Temple, the people's faith in the Goddess was thin enough in Iliasburg to let them accept monsters in their midst. Simply put, the Church’s actions did not reflect well on the Goddess, and that had negative repercussions on the faith people had in her.

 

After a while of traveling down the road, Thermidor approached Luka, having noticed his thoughtful, distracted mood. Curious about what was in his mind, she addressed him, rousing him from his contemplation.

 

“Luka? You’ve been distracted since we left Iliasburg,” she called out, causing him to cast a glance at her. “Is the story those soldiers told you this interesting to you?”

 

“Well, yes,” he nodded after a brief pause, slowing his walking pace down. “For one thing, it explains why Tyris and the others were accepted so readily in the village. I had no idea Po and Ilsa’s influence extended that far, and the Church’s was so weak. That town is ‘Iliasburg’ in name only. I get the feeling that if not for the Temple down south, the militia would’ve run the Church’s staff out of town a long time ago. They merely tolerate them, for the most part.”

 

“Open hostility towards the Church could cause a small war to break out,” Alice nodded sagely. “Thus, they let them stay in town, but at the same time, the Church has no real say in how the town is run. The militia are probably hoping they start something, so they’d have a valid excuse to give them the boot.”

 

“To be honest, in a war between the Temple down south and the Iliasburg militia, I’d place my money on the militia,” Thermidor mused. “They may not look like it, but they are very well trained. They still amount to nothing in the face of monsters like Granberia, and even I could probably rough them up with relatively little effort, but they are actually very competent for a privately organized force. They’re a far cry from the Temple’s knights. I spied the knights’ training from afar once, and most of what I saw made me cringe. They wouldn’t last an hour in Sabasa’s desert.”

 

“But the knights have the better equipment, don’t they?” Alice argued. Thermidor gave her an amused look.

 

“The militia has Po forging their weapons, and you think the Temple has better equipment?” she asked the Echidna with a smirk. “Somehow, I doubt you thought that all the way through.”

 

“Point taken,” Alice nodded with a shrug. “I had completely forgotten that detail. So, in essence... the Iliasburg militia is superior in every way to Ilias’ chosen Temple knights? That’s... rather humiliating.”

 

“You need to have self-esteem in order to feel humiliation,” Thermidor replied with a snort. “I doubt those who work for the Church have a clue what self esteem is to begin with, let alone possess enough to feel humiliated. With that said, there’s two things the Church is superior in, compared to the militia.”

 

“And those would be...?” the Echidna asked.

 

“Numbers, and funds,” was the fencer’s reply. “San Irias is wealthy, and very populous. If the militia of Iliasburg actually rebelled, the Church could send a larger army in from Sentora, which would likely be better armed and trained than the fools here, and on top of that, they could hire experienced adventurers and mercenaries to bolster their ranks. The sheer advantage of numbers the Church have at their disposal could easily spell the end of any rebellion in this continent. So, you see, Iliasburg’s citizens have to tolerate the Church, because doing otherwise could be disastrous. The Church, after all, isn’t known for being patient towards heretics and rebels.”

 

“So why don’t they just do it?” Alice asked, curious. Thermidor shook her head.

 

“Two reasons,” she explained. “First, moving such a large army from Sentora to here would be a logistics nightmare. They just won’t be able to sail from Port Natalia, since it’s a town where monsters and humans coexist. It would cause a huge problem, and they’d have to either solve it, or pretend they saw nothing. Officially, the Church doesn’t recognize the presence of monsters in Port Natalia, because having a monster town right next their capital would be a slap in the face. So they’d have to sail from Gold Port... which is far to the north, and inaccessible without taking the long way around the mountains. To make matters worse, the sea route from Gold Port to Iliasport is incredibly dangerous, as you know.”



“Ah, yes, the sea monsters,” Alice nodded. “And the second reason?”

 

“Status quo,” Thermidor stated simply. “No one wants to threaten the current state of things. No one that matters, anyway. The clergy have grown complacent, secure in their wealth and prosperity, and are fine with just leading a decadent life. There’s still some radical individuals who occasionally rain down curses and promise doom to all sinners, but the majority of the clergy just wants to live comfortable, luxurious lives. Iliasburg is a prosperous town in part thanks to their trading deals with San Irias, and trading is a large chunk of what makes the Church prosperous, as well... so it’s in their interest to just look the other way and pretend nothing happens.”

 

“I see. That’s very interesting. You’re well versed in human politics, Thermidor,” Alice chuckled. “You know, if we chanced upon a Temple patrol right about now, we’d probably be declared heretics and attacked on the spot just based on what we’re saying, nevermind that you and I are monsters.”

 

“And then we’d have to waste time beating them down, and Alice’d have to erase their memory or something with her magic,” Luka interjected in the two women’s banter. “It all sounds like a pain in the ass to deal with, so let’s not get ourselves declared heretics in the first place, shall we?”

 

Alice threw her head back and laughed at that, a crystalline sound that Luka found to be rather pleasing. Privately, he decided he didn’t mind it when she genuinely laughed out of mirth rather than cruel teasing. It was an enjoyable sound.

 

“Say, Luka, what do you intend to do about monsters from now on?” Thermidor asked the boy Hero as Alice kept laughing. “As you surely realize by now, not all of them will just want food... and from what I gathered of the incident at Happiness Village, leaving illegitimate children that you’ll never see behind isn’t something you are willing to do.”

 

Luka sighed at that, his good mood evaporating. Shaking his head, he looked at the fencer as he kept walking.

 

“I’ll keep doing what I have been doing so far,” he told her. “I’ll try to solve things with words, and offer to indulge monsters’ requests... to an extent. But if they insist on mating, I’m afraid I’ll have to refuse by force. It makes me feel bad, using violence to solve problems like that, but the thought of just randomly leaving children of mine behind, likely never meeting them...”

 

“I see,” the fencer murmured. “It’d be really convenient if you could simply turn your fertility off on command, so that if you meet a monster who insists on having children, you could honestly tell her you can’t. Monsters can tell if a man isn’t fertile from their semen. They’d take one taste, realize it’s the truth, and go away. Well, most of them, at least.”

 

“That’s true,” Alice spoke up, having stopped laughing and having listened to the conversation with interest. “Monsters tend to let infertile men go out of pity. We see them as not even being men anymore, having lost what defines their gender. That said, I’m pleased to hear that you won’t be refusing requests outright. Your open-mindedness is what defines you. You should remain that way.”

 

“I’m just worried that I may find myself with more unexpected children out of nowhere,” Luka sighed. “I hope I’ll find a solution. In the meanwhile, I’ll just have to do my best.”

 

“Hmmm. Well, for the time being, let’s make haste for the forest ruins,” Thermidor concluded as she picked up the pace. “Once we’re there, we can talk about this to our heart’s content. Who knows, maybe Milia and Wriph could offer some insight, too.”

 

Nodding in agreement, Luka began to walk faster, falling in line behind the swordswoman. His thoughts, however, remained on that subject. He had no way of knowing what the future had in store for him, and it worried him. Even so, he’d keep walking the path he’d chosen, and meet any hardships head-on. That was all he could do.

 

----

 

“I don’t see what the problem is. Just knock 'em up.”

 

Luka’s head met the table with a soft thump as he groaned. I should’ve expected this kind of ‘advice’ from Wriph, he thought dejectedly.

 

“You do realize I’m trying to find an alternative to that, right?” he muttered, looking up at the Elf warrior as she sat opposite him at a small table the group had seated themselves at. The woman shot him a lazy look.

 

“Yeah,” she answered curtly. Luka waited for her to say more, but once it became evident she wasn’t going to say anything else, he felt his irritation rise.

 

“Then why are you...” he began to ask, unable to keep his frustration from showing through. The Elf gave him another look, but this time she seemed to be annoyed as well.

 

“You’re being selfish now,” she stated flatly. Luka blinked, staring at her.

 

“Wait. Selfish?” he asked, incredulous. “How am I--”

 

“Shut up and listen,” she interrupted him, leaning in and setting her hands on the table. “You keep saying you don’t want to leave any children of yours behind, and that’s fine. You also say you’d like to have a big family. That’s also fine. But has it occurred to you that most monsters would ask you for that because they have no other way of having children themselves? Saying no on principle because you want to be able to see your children is admirable, and it means you're probably going to be a good father... but it’s hardly fair to those monsters who want a family themselves!”

 

Wriph paused to take a breath, then continued. “You can sympathize with that desire, can’t you? That’s why I’m saying - if a monster’s polite enough to ask you first - you should really consider accepting such requests. It’s rare for monsters to be that polite nowadays, what with how hard it is to find men willing to mate. Such politeness should at least be rewarded. Now, if they just decide to rape you out of nowhere without even asking, then feel free to beat them back for it. But if they actually stop and ask you, rather than trying to force you, then at least consider accepting! For many monsters you’ll meet, you might be their best chance to fulfill that wish without resorting to violence!”

 

“I... see your point,” Luka nodded slowly. “And I suppose you’re right. I only considered my side of things. It’s just that I feel very uneasy simply, well...”

 

“...being all ‘Wham, bam, thank you ma’am’?” Wriph asked him with a raised eyebrow. “That’s more or less what you’d be doing anyway, if you indulged monsters at all. The only difference is that the monster would be getting something more out of the bargain - something they want very badly.” The Elf leaned back, sighing. “Well, it’s your life, so do what you think is best for you, but keep what I said in mind. At the very least, if you know you can track the monster down easily, give her request some serious consideration. The issue is being unable to see your kids, right? If you can find her, then it’s no problem. Right?”

 

“True, I guess,” Luka nodded again. “I'll think on it carefully. I really don’t think I can be as carefree as you’re telling me to be, but you’re right in saying that I should consider all variables before deciding. Thanks, Wriph.”

 

“Just... do what you want,” the Elf sighed. “But don’t outright deny such requests just because of personal misgivings. Sometimes, the best thing you could do for a monster is simply to leave a part of yourself with her. Some races out there do desperately need offspring.”

 

“Hmmm. I hadn’t thought of it that way,” Luka murmured. “I have a few things to think about, now. Thank you.”

 

“Yeah, sure, whatever,” Wriph waved at him lazily as she got up off the chair and walked towards the room’s exit. “I still think you’d be better off just following your instincts, but then again, you aren’t a monster. Just do what you can.”

 

With those words, the Elf berserker left. For a brief period, no one spoke. Then, Milia sighed and shook her head, casting an apologetic glance at Luka.

 

“I’m sorry for Wriph’s behavior,” she said, smiling. “We don’t really remember our parents, but the subject of parenthood has always been touchy with her. She finds it a little hard to understand most family ties and such, even though she tries, but being a parent seems to be the one exception. And she’s very live-in-the-moment, as you can plainly see.”

 

“She has a point, though,” Luka nodded. “I should probably reach a compromise. There may be times when refusing outright would arguably be just as bad as killing the monster I’m facing.”

 

“Don’t do anything you don’t feel like doing, though,” Milia told him. “It’s true that sometimes being selfless is the right answer, but in cases such as these, it's alright to be selfish. If you find yourself sympathizing with someone, then by all means, do consider indulging such requests; otherwise, it’s your right to refuse, even if it may not be the nice thing to do.”

 

“Balance in all things, eh?” Luka smiled at her. Milia nodded.

 

“It’s how Wriph and I live,” she said simply. “We balance each other. You should find your own balance in life, Luka. Think on it. The best advice I can give you for the time being is to evaluate things on a case by case basis. I wish you good luck with whatever you decide to do.”

 

With a courteous bow, the Elf fencer left the room, as well. Luka stared at the door the Elf twins had left through, then lowered his head with a sigh.

 

“Well, now I have more stuff to think about, instead of less,” he muttered glumly. “Then again, I should’ve known this wouldn’t be an easy matter to resolve.”

 

“Both Milia and Wriph have a valid point,” Thermidor nodded. “Milia is right in that you should only do what you feel like doing, but Wriph is correct in that sometimes you might want to push your misgivings aside and indulge those requests. It all depends on you, though. I think Milia’s final advice was the most sound. Consider these requests on a case by case basis. There may well be times where you may want to make an exception. If and when that time comes, then just do what you think is best.”

 

“I guess so... Yeah, that sounds like the best plan,” Luka nodded. “And Wriph also had a good point, in that I could always see if the monster is easily tracked down. I mean, let’s take Sophie. She’s always in the same place - the Harpy village. I could very easily just find her again. I guess availability is also a factor.”

 

“Hmph... that Elf acts like she’s all instincts and not much else, but she’s got a sharp mind,” Alice muttered. “Just look at how she got you thinking about relenting on your stance so easily. And make no mistake, she has her eyes on you. They both do.”

 

“I'm not really surprised at that. I was thinking maybe they had some ulterior motive for being so friendly towards me,” Luka nodded. “The suspicion’s been on my mind for a while now.”

 

“Well, you’ve gotten more perceptive since a few weeks ago,” Alice said with a sardonic grin. The boy glared at her.

 

“What kind of backhanded compliment was that?” he asked her. Not waiting for an answer to his rhetorical question, he continued. “Never mind that. Let’s go to sleep for now. And Alice, please don’t snore.”

 

“Wh-- I don’t snore!” the Echidna replied, indignant. Both Thermidor and Luka gave her a skeptical look, and she blushed, looking even more offended. “I do not!”

 

“Well... I guess it was Thermidor, then,” Luka said with a shrug, not really wanting to start an argument that’d likely end poorly for him. The fencer made a noncommittal noise, but the boy caught a flash of amusement in her eyes.

 

As they turned in for the night, Alice could still be heard muttering: “Snoring... the nerve...!”

 

----

 

The next day saw Luka up early and practicing in the ruins’ courtyard. To the side, the Elf twins watched, interested in seeing the young Hero’s progress since he’d left. As Luka went through his basic routine, the Elves occasionally nodded in approval, apparently satisfied with his improvements.

 

Eventually, Luka finished his routine, and began to practice Demon Decapitation. That drew the twins’ undivided attention as they began to observe him closely, intrigued. Luka hadn’t mentioned his battle with Granberia to either of them yet, and because of that, the Elves had no idea he’d gained knowledge of a Cursed Sword skill.

 

The training continued and finished without incident. As Luka wound down and began to relax, however, the twins approached him, eyeing him speculatively. He gave them a questioning glance, curious about what they wanted.

 

“Say, Luka. That move you practiced just now...” Wriph began. “It’s Demon Decapitation, isn’t it? I’m surprised you managed to learn a Cursed Sword skill in such a short time. And you’re pretty good at using it, too.”

 

“Thank you, for your praise,” Luka said with a smile. “Alice taught it to me in her free time. It helped me out a lot; without it, Thermidor and I would’ve died against Granberia. And I--”

 

“Wait. Did you just say ‘Granberia’?” Milia interrupted him, her eyes widening in surprise. “As in, the Heavenly Knight of Fire who serves the Monster Lord? Are you saying you fought her and survived?”

 

“Well... to be honest, we only survived because Alice stopped the fight, and Thermidor was in very bad shape afterwards,” Luka admitted. “But that skill did allow me to catch Granberia off guard. She probably didn’t expect me to use a skill that’s supposed to be exclusive to monster champions. I doubt it’ll work again.”

 

“Even if the fight was stopped, the fact remains you faced one of the five most powerful monsters in the world and lived to tell the tale,” Milia replied, shaking her head. “That’s an enormous accomplishment in and of itself.”

 

“He didn’t just survive,” Alice chimed in, appearing out of nowhere and slithering up to them. Stopping, she gave him an approving look. “He scored a hit on her and damaged her armor. In fact, had she not reacted to his attack in a timely fashion, he might have taken her head right then and there.”

 

“He what...?!” Wriph muttered, staring at Luka as if he’d grown a second head and extra arms. “You’re kidding, right? He actually landed a hit on the Dragon Knight?! He couldn’t even hit us when we last sparred!”

 

“W-well... I was desperate, and gave it my all,” Luka replied, somewhat embarrassed by the amazed looks his Elf friends were giving him. “I didn’t really stop and think. I... think I did what Wriph always told me to do. I focused on doing my best and fought with all my strength. ‘If you can fight like a demon, then you should fight like a demon’... that’s what you told me, right?”

 

“...You...” Wriph said, at a loss for words. Then her eyes narrowed and she walked a few steps off to the side, drawing her greatsword. “Come over here. Let’s fight. I want to see for myself what you can do when you don’t hold back.”

 

“Eh?! B-but...” Luka protested. Wriph flashed him an angry look.

 

“Don’t you dare refuse,” she growled. “If you can face a Heavenly Knight without backing down, then fleeing with your tail between your legs before me is completely unacceptable. Come here and let’s fight.”

 

“But... this sword I use can seal monsters!” Luka insisted, holding up Angel Halo. “I don’t want to accidentally seal you! You’re my friend!”

 

“I can unseal her, should that happen,” Alice chimed in. “I have sufficient power to break this kind of seal. You can fight to your heart’s content. Besides, she’s not giving you a choice, I suspect.”

 

“Still...” Luka murmured dubiously. Wriph glared at him again. The boy sighed, taking a fighting stance. “Fine... I don’t really have any say in the matter anyway, do I? Just... try not to kill me, please. That sword of yours is perfectly capable of chopping me in half.”

 

“Don’t be a wimp,” Wriph said as she began circling him. “Just fight me with all your strength and you’ll be fine. Of course, if you half-ass it, you’re gonna get thumped, but consider that incentive to take this seriously. I want to see the real you, not the hesitant newbie you were before.”

 

With those words, Wriph darted forward, swinging her blade at Luka in a wide arc. Almost without thinking, Luka reacted by bringing his sword up and deflected the greatsword. He blinked as he felt the blow in his arms. He could have sworn Wriph normally hit harder than that.

 

With an approving noise, Wriph began to assault Luka in earnest. Focusing on her, the boy found, to his surprise, that he was able to somewhat anticipate her actions and act accordingly, meeting her offense with a sturdy defense. He briefly wondered if Wriph was purposefully pulling her punches, but looking at her, it seemed that all she was doing was refraining from using lethal force.

 

The boy and the Elf kept sparring for a few minutes, with Wriph testing for holes in Luka’s defense, and Luka promptly responding to her attempts appropriately. At one point, he failed to respond to her attack with the correct counter, and he found himself knocked off balance by the weight of her sword, but he quickly brought his sword up to deflect her followup and allowed the blow to push him back, reestabilishing distance between the two.

 

After yet another exchange of blows, the two combatants backed off, watching each other warily. As they did, Milia, who had so far been observing off to the side, smiled, drawing her own blades and running up to the pair.

 

“If you don’t mind, I’ll join the festivities, as well,” she explained cheerfully as she went over to Wriph’s side. “You seem to be handling yourself well against one opponent, but how about two?”

 

“Wha--? Wait a minute!” Luka protested, feeling himself beginning to panic. “I never did well against you both! Are you trying to kill me?!”

 

“You really do protest too much,” Milia sighed as she moved slightly to Luka’s side. “Just keep doing what you have been doing so far. Come on, now!”

 

“Ugh...” Luka gulped nervously as he watched the Elves observe his movements. In the past, he’d never really been able to fight off two opponents at once, and his sparring sessions with the Elves had always ended with him in a bruised heap. As he watched them circle him, he tried to decide what to do.

 

So far, Wriph had backed off quickly when he pressured her, preferring to keep her distance and go on the offensive when she could find an opening. He knew from experience that Milia was the opposite, preferring close-range quick attacks to slow, powerful midrange swings. Perhaps if I keep pressuring Wriph, I can lure Milia into attacking me and counter at that point? he thought. I should probably keep one of them constantly off-balance. Milia’s the one I have the most trouble fighting, though. Hmmm... It’s worth a shot.

 

Deciding on a battle plan, Luka went on the offensive. Making a feint towards Wriph, he caused her to once again back off. Then, he abruptly changed direction and closed in on Milia, lashing out twice in rapid succession with Angel Halo. The Elf fencer grunted in surprise as she brought up her swords to block the sudden attack, staggering slightly under the blows.

 

Seeing Luka occupied with his twin, Wriph moved in and attempted to strike while he was focused elsewhere, but to her surprise, Luka pivoted around and swung his sword in an upward arc, causing her own swing to go high and harmlessly sail far above his head. Not stopping for an instant, he lashed out at Milia again with his sword, then changed direction once more and shoulder tackled Wriph in her midsection as she brought her greatsword around for another swing. The Elf berserker shouted as she lost her balance and was knocked down by the sudden charge.

 

Spotting a window of opportunity for an attack, Luka decided to take a risk and try something new. Recalling the fight with Granberia in Iliasburg, he changed direction once more, moving to Milia’s right rather than charging at her. The Elf watched him, confused, as he ran at a nearby dead tree, whose trunk was tilted at an angle. Then, her eyes went wide as Luka used his momentum to partially run up the tree’s trunk, gaining height, and propelled himself off it, grasping his sword with both hands as he sailed through the air towards her.

 

“Ya-ha!” Luka cried as he swung downward with his sword, imitating the skill he’d seen Thermidor use against Granberia - Demon Skull Beheading. Unfortunately, he realized almost immediately he hadn’t gained enough height, and as he swung down, he felt his balance shift to the side. The end result was that his swing ended up harmlessly sailing to Milia’s side and impacting the ground, where it nonetheless carved a nicely sized rift in the soil.

 

As Luka stumbled and slid to a halt, pulling his sword out of the ground, he felt a chill against his throat and cursed inwardly, realizing Wriph had taken advantage of his botched assault on Milia to recover and get to his side, and was now holding her blade to his neck. After a moment, he sighed and shook his head.

 

“I yield,” he murmured. “And here I thought I was doing well...”

 

“Hey, don’t look so glum,” Wriph cheerfully told him as she lowered her greatsword. “You knocked me on my ass pretty well back there, and I’d never seen anyone pressure Milia in a defensive position before. Good job!”

 

“Was that skill you attempted to use just now Demon Skull Beheading?” Milia asked him with curiosity as she sheathed her swords. “It certainly looked like it, even if it was poorly executed. Did Lady Alice also teach you that?”

 

“Hm? No, she didn’t. I saw Thermidor use it against Granberia, and it’s been on my mind since then,” Luka shook his head, mentally making note of how Milia had referred to Alice as ‘Lady’. It appeared as if he’d been right in suspecting she was a high ranking monster. He doubted the twins would refer to another monster with a honorific unless they were truly important individuals.

 

“So... you improvised? Then I take what I said back,” Milia said, looking impressed. “For an improvisation, it was fairly good. It caught me by surprise, and had you aimed well, you’d probably have knocked me out of the fight, as well. Very nice.”

 

“I gotta admit, I’m impressed too,” Wriph agreed, sticking her sword in the soft soil and leaning on it as she looked at the small rift Luka carved in the ground with his attack. “You got so much stronger in such a short time. 'Course, part of it is because you stopped half-assing it and started fighting with all your strength. I’m happy to see you’re living up to your potential.”

 

“Then you weren’t...” Luka began asking, trailing off without finishing the phrase. Milia shook her head.

 

“Wriph was definitely fighting you seriously, only being careful to not kill you,” she told him. “When I joined the battle, I admittedly didn’t fight to my best, largely because I’m used to fighting to the death and am not too good at nonlethal attacks, but also because you genuinely caught me off guard with your assault, and I don’t handle pressure well without Wriph’s support. It was a good idea of you to take her out of the picture and then aggressively attack me.”

 

“Well... thank you,” Luka scratched his head, slightly embarrassed at the praise. “I still messed up at the end, though.”

 

“Yeah, but what you got there is good,” Wriph said, winking at him. “I’m pretty sure you’ll have that skill down pat soon enough if you keep at it.”

 

“That’d be pretty amazing,” Milia added. “I can’t think of any human in recent history who managed to learn even one Cursed Sword skill, let alone two. I think you’ll exceed us both soon if you keep your training up.”

 

“Heh, well, I’ll do my best,” Luka replied, grinning. He then winced as he felt a slight pain in his right leg. “Ow. I may have asked a little too much of my body just now... my legs hurt. Let’s call it a day and go eat breakfast, shall we?”

 

“Sure, we’ll go ahead and get something good ready,” Wriph nodded as she picked her sword up and headed for the ruins, followed by her twin. “See you in a few. Go take a bath at the spring nearby while you’re at it. You’re drenched, you know.”

 

Luka blinked as the Elf twins left, realizing only then that the heat of the fight had caused him to sweat profusely - enough for his clothes to become almost transparent. He winced as he felt the fabric stick unpleasantly to his skin, and walked off towards the small spring which he typically used to rinse after training sessions. Taking a dip in it would do his jangled nerves a world of good.

 

----

 

“You actually held your own against the twins? Impressive,” Thermidor commented as she sat at the common table everyone was gathered around, sipping her favorite herbal tea. “You used to struggle to even block their attacks, and now all of a sudden you can gain the upper hand on them. When did you become so strong?”

 

“I’ve been wondering the same thing,” Alice interjected, raising an eyebrow as she looked at him. “He grows at an abnormal rate. It’s true that he’s now fighting to the full extent of his abilities, which does make a huge difference from before, but...”

 

“I don’t understand it myself,” Luka shook his head as he thought about his friends’ words. “The best way in which I can explain it is that since the fight with Granberia I seem to, how can I put it... perceive things with more clarity. I can read the flow of battle more easily, and I can guess what my opponent’s next move will be more often. Does that make sense?”

 

“I think I understand what happened,” Milia spoke up, nodding at him. “Before that fight, you never really found yourself face to face with death. Most people, when put in that situation, are frozen in terror. You, on the other hand, focused your whole being into overcoming the danger. That experience probably awakened your warrior’s spirit... I’ve heard stories of great warriors who had modest beginnings, but reached a higher level when faced with their first true challenge.”

 

“Ah, yes, I remember one such tale,” Alice commented. “The Dark Elf champion, Zack - the one whose skill I taught you - started out as just another nameless rank-and-file warrior in the Monster Lord’s army - up until the day when her unit was ambushed and wiped out by a superior enemy force. Zack single-handedly turned the tide of the battle by engaging the enemy alone and slaying more than a hundred opponents, causing the opposing forces to flee from her in terror, thinking they had angered a goddess of war. She was never the same afterwards, going from a simple recruit to one of the deadliest, most skilled warriors the world had ever seen.”

 

“Um... that’s interesting, but I don’t think I’m a ‘great warrior’ or anything,” Luka said, shaking his head. “Aren’t you all giving me too much credit?”

 

“You know, Luka, I like you. I really do,” Wriph replied, sounding exasperated. “But when you downplay your own achievements like that, I get an overwhelming urge to punch you until you stop. You’re a lot stronger than you think. It’s good that you don’t let that go to your head, but being proud of what you accomplished is fine, too. And facing Granberia like you did, nevermind actually hitting her, is something you should be proud of.”

 

“I agree with Wriph,” Thermidor nodded. “Particularly since Granberia bothered to remember your name, and acknowledged you before she departed. From what I know of her, that’s something she only does for people who truly impressed her.”

 

“That only worries me more, though,” Luka shook his head. “I’m pretty sure she’s a warrior through and through. If she were to appear before me and fight me again, there’s no way I’d survive.”

 

“I think she knows that,” Alice said, looking thoughtful. “I’m sure she will appear before you again, but I think she sees you more as a promise for the future than as a certainty. She’s been very bored and, dare I say, frustrated by how feeble human warriors are. You, however, made a positive impression. I think she’s likely to give you the time to grow into a strong warrior.”

 

“No pressure at all, eh?” Luka muttered, clearly not reassured. He then sighed, shaking his head. “Well, it’s not like I planned to slack off on my training, but... if Granberia is really going to show up again, then I’ll have to put even more effort in it than before. Nothing less than my absolute best will be enough.”

 

“That’s the spirit!” Wriph exclaimed, smiling at him in approval. “Always do your best, all the time! If something’s worth doing, then it’s worth doing well!”

 

“Heh... yeah. Well, I’m full,” Luka declared as he got up from his seat. “I’ll go take a nap, then get ready to leave for Enrika Village tomorrow. Speaking of which, do you two know where it is?”

 

“We do, but we don’t think they’ll let you in,” Milia told him. “They only ever let select traders from Iliasburg in, and those traders are confined to their lodgings for their stay. It’s all very mysterious. Even monsters don’t know much about Enrika Village.”

 

“Even so, I’d like to take a look at it,” Luka said. “Would you two please show me the way?”

 

“Of course. Anything for you, Luka,” the Elf twins replied in unison, smiling at him. To the side, Thermidor sighed as she rubbed her temples. The twins weren’t being very subtle, and judging from his rather anxious expression, even Luka realized that.

 

It seemed as if Luka’s troubles with women were only destined to increase.

 

----

 

The rest of the day was filled with even more training for Luka, as he decided to practice the new skill in his arsenal in an attempt to perfect it. Thermidor, as someone who knew the move already, oversaw his training, giving him a few pointers every now and then.

 

Practice lasted until shortly before dusk, at which point Luka decided to stop and take another bath in the nearby spring. Following that, he took his newly-reforged Dragonfire sword and descended into the crypt where Liese’s body was preserved. His lips briefly curved in an affectionate smile as he stopped briefly beside his mother’s resting place, then he began looking around, searching for the right place to set down his sword in. After a few seconds, he spotted what seemed to be the perfect location and walked up to a section of wall from which two thick hanging brackets protruded. He blinked, surprised; the spot seemed to be tailor-made for holding a weapon.

 

Grabbing a box nearby, he climbed on it, unsheathed his sword and placed it on the brackets, being careful to balance it so that it wouldn’t slip off. He then got off the box, set the sword’s sheath at the base of the wall and took a few steps back to admire the result.

 

He nodded, satisfied: from that position, the sword dominated the whole room, with very few dead angles left. Surely the sword’s spirit will be pleased by this spot, he thought. No intruder shall escape its watchful gaze now.

 

Nodding once more, he turned around to leave. He stopped briefly at his mother’s side to lightly brush her hand with the tip of his fingers, then took one last look to the crypt and stepped out, past the limit of the magic wall. The stone silently closed behind him, reforming into what appeared to be a solid, but otherwise unremarkable wall. With one last look, Luka appeared satisfied with his handiwork and left the cellar, heading back up in the ruins.

 

He was tired, and it was time to get ready for the next day’s trip.

 

----

 

Morning came, and Luka’s group set out for Enrika Village, led by the Elf twins. The first leg of the trip was uneventful; it had been already fairly late in the morning when the small band departed, and if any monsters lurked nearby, they kept their distance from the travelers. Thermidor, Milia, and Luka chatted along the way, with Wriph and Alice occasionally intervening.

 

Around noon, the group stopped for lunch, and Luka set about preparing meals for everyone. The twins quickly prepared a small campfire, being careful to keep it contained and to not harm any trees in the process. They were already in Elf territory at that point, and causing damage to the forest was a sure way to invite their wrath.

 

As Luka cooked Milia and Wriph drew closer, attracted by the delicious scent of food. Curious, they inquired what Luka was cooking, to which he replied that it was vegetable stew made with some supplies he brought from Iliasburg, cereal bread and preserved meat spiced up with the herbs he collected in Harpy Village. Nodding in appreciation, the Elves sat down and patiently waited for the food to be ready, looking rather hungry.

 

Before long, the food was ready, and the group sat down to eat. Wriph and Alice voraciously wolfed down their portions and promptly asked for more, drawing a chuckle from Luka and a sigh from Milia and Thermidor. As they ate, the twins asked Luka for pointers on how to cook, curious as to why his food always tasted so good. Luka replied to the best of his abilities, but also warned them that for the most part, his food tasted good because he liked to cook. Enjoyment, he believed, was a large part of the secret to being a good cook.

 

Finishing the meal, the group put away the cooking implements, carefully disposed of the leftovers, and set out again.

 

That, unfortunately, was also when the relative peace they enjoyed up until then ended.

 

----

 

“I think we’re being watched,” Luka spoke up quietly. To his side, Thermidor nodded.

 

“We are,” she confirmed. “And whoever it is, our observer has decided to approach us. They’re closing in as we speak.”

 

“Alice is gone, too,” Luka remarked, noticing the Echidna was nowhere to be seen. “That means it’s almost certainly a monster. Did we do anything to anger the Elves in the area?”

 

“No. We were careful to not cause damage to the environment,” the fencer shook her head as the Elf twins approached her and Luka. “I see no reason why our actions would provoke them.”

 

“It’s a Dark Elf,” Milia spoke up at that point. “They have a... peculiar air about them. Other Elves can detect their presence just from that.”

 

“If it’s a Dark One, that may pose a problem for you, Luka,” Wriph added. “They have a tendency to not care about anything except their lustful needs, and going along with their requests is a terrible idea - they can corrupt and enslave men they have sex with. Don’t fall for her charms.”

 

“Dark Elf... like Zack, you mean?” Luka murmured, interested. Milia shook her head.

 

“I very much doubt it,” she replied. “Zack was a rarity - a Dark Elf with enough control over her sexual urges to do something other than rape every man in sight. Dark Elves usually lack that kind of restraint. Although, they are admittedly formidable fighters in general.”

 

“I see... I was hoping I could request a duel,” Luka said, disappointed. Wriph shrugged.

 

“If it’s just a fight you want, then go ahead and fight her,” she commented, crossing her arms. “But don’t expect her to do anything besides try to rape you. She’ll most likely just try to break your resistance with pleasure attacks. Forget any fancy fencing duel you may be dreaming of. She might even be a mage, for all we know, rather than a fighter.”

 

“Mage...?” Luka asked, interested. Before he could ask more, however, the bushes in front of the group began to rustle, and the mysterious observer emerged, watching them with an unfriendly look on her face. It was a tall woman - not as tall as Thermidor, but slightly taller than the Elf twins. She had ebony skin and long white hair that reached about halfway down her back. Her clothing could barely be construed as such; it was really just small pieces of green cloth concealing her breasts and a green loincloth hanging off her waist and barely covering tiny black slips under it. A sword hung from her waist, although it did not appear as if it had seen much use.

 

The Dark Elf stopped before the group, eyeing it curiously. She was clearly not used to seeing monsters and humans traveling together. After a few instants, her gaze hardened again, and she addressed Thermidor with barely-concealed hostility.

 

“I’m not familiar with your face, stranger,” she said, her eyes narrowing as she spoke. “But you and your human toy aren’t welcome here. Turn back now.”

 

Thermidor regarded the Dark Elf for a moment, then turned her head to Luka and nodded slightly, as if to invite him to speak up if so he wished. The boy frowned; the Elf’s animosity was evident, and her posture made it clear she wasn’t going to let them progress without a fight. Annoyed, he took a step forward and looked straight in the Dark Elf’s eyes.

 

“I am not anyone’s toy, and I am not here to cause any trouble to you and your kind,” he stated, speaking slowly and clearly to prevent misunderstandings. “I am merely passing through on my way to Enrika Village. I heard about the fine quality of its wares, and would like to see the place myself, and perhaps purchase something.”

 

“I am aware you’re headed towards Enrika Village, human,” the Elf shot back, her expression darkening. “And you aren’t welcome. Leave now.”

 

“May I at least ask why I am not welcome?” Luka said, feeling his irritation rise. This Elf was starting to try his patience with the almost tangible hostility she radiated, and he didn’t feel he’d done anything to warrant such treatment.

 

“Because you’re human,” the Elf stated flatly. “Leave now, or you will force me to take action.”

 

“Is that so...?” Luka said, his temper flaring up. “Just so you know, I didn’t choose to be born human. It simply happened that way. Why are you holding something I had no control over against me?”

 

“I don’t need to explain myself to you, human. Go away. Or,” she continued, her expression changing into a sadistic smile, “would you prefer to join me in darkness and corruption?”

 

“I have a better idea,” Luka replied as his eyes narrowed. “Fight me. One on one, just you and I. If I win, you’re letting me through. If you win, you can do whatever you want. How does that sound?”

 

“Are you so anxious to fall into corruption?” the Dark Elf replied mockingly as she drew her sword. “A human challenging me... I never thought something like this would happen. Very well, then, I’ll entertain myself with you for a bit.”

 

Taking a stance, the Elf began circling Luka, her sword arm lazily hanging to her side. Luka drew Angel Halo, prompting a look of disgust from the Elf at the sword’s grotesque appearance. Rather than circle the Elf, he simply stood his ground, merely being content with occasionally moving to face her as he watched her movements. As the Elf took another step, he sighed.

 

“That stance is a feint,” he commented as he looked the Dark Elf in the eyes. “You’re going to use the sword as a distraction, then use a pleasure attack of some sort.”

 

The Dark Elf blinked, then a wicked smile slowly spread on her lips as she regarded Luka with a new light in her eyes.

 

“My, so you know something about fencing,” she murmured as she changed her stance. “Now more than ever I want to see what you’ll be like once you’re lost to darkness...”

 

“I guess Wriph was right,” Luka frowned as he raised Angel Halo. “You’re no Zack. You’re a slave to your own instincts. Very well then - if you won’t let me through without a fight, then you leave me with no choice. Have at you!”

 

Without further hesitation, Luka darted forward, swinging Angel Halo low at the Dark Elf’s midsection. The woman cried out in shock at the boy’s surprising speed, and brought her own sword around to deflect the hit. However, her reaction was late, and Angel Halo cut deeply into her side. As always, the wound vanished as energy dispersed from it. The Elf wobbled for a second, confused, then her eyes narrowed.

 

“That sword... A sealing enchantment? Don’t think that’s enough to defeat me!” she muttered as she began her own assault. Taking a few quick steps forward, she batted Luka’s sword aside and brushed past him. Luka blinked as he felt her free hand lightly caress his groin, then gritted his teeth as he realized the Elf was attempting to distract him through lust and swung his weapon in an arc. However, the dark-skinned Elf sidestepped deftly, putting herself out of his counterattack’s range.

 

Following the brief exchange, the two began to lash out at each other in earnest. Having become defensive due to Luka’s sword, the Elf began to evade and counter whenever possible, but - much to Luka’s rising frustration - she stubbornly refused to use her sword, instead electing to provoke him through intimate contact: light touches, brushing her taut body against him, fleeting kisses. Luka became especially wary of the kisses after a near miss from one of them caused him to feel woozy. He quickly realized her kisses had some sort of aphrodisiac property to them, likely magical in nature, and he felt fairly sure that if she ever connected fully with one, he’d be left powerless against her assault.

 

While he felt confident Thermidor, who was watching to the side along with the twins, would step in if he were to fall in battle, he also knew she wasn’t likely to let him proceed in his trip if he lost to such an opponent. Therefore, defeat was not an option. Both his mission and his pride required that he win the battle.

 

As he and the Dark Elf kept dancing around each other and launching attack after attack, Luka suddenly became aware of a new, aggressive presence focusing on him. Alarmed by the predatory feeling he detected, he dived to the side as he felt a movement behind him, and watched as a mass of writhing tentacles shot past the spot he was standing on moments before. He quickly rolled away and jumped to his feet, his sword held up in defense.

 

The newcomer who attacked him was another Dark Elf, but this one had a much more sinister feel to her. Her skin was greyish-blue, and she had blonde hair and red eyes. A black evening gown covered her body, ironically leaving very little skin exposed compared to her fencer colleague. A mass of tentacles emerged from under a side of her gown which she delicately held up, and from the way they moved Luka guessed they were actually part of her body. A shiver ran down his spine as he watched this new Elf; waves of lust rolled off her, so intense he could feel it on his skin. This Dark Elf, he felt, was much more dangerous than the one he’d been fighting so far. There was a distinct air of malevolence to her, and an unsettling, mad light shone in her red eyes.

 

“What a pity,” she murmured in a low, seductive tone as she fixated a predatory gaze on Luka. “You dodged my tentacles. I could have made you feel so good if you’d just stood still.”

 

“Hey! What are you trying to pull here?!” the Dark Elf fencer shouted at the newcomer. “I saw this human first! Go find your own! This is why I hate you mages...”

 

“Fufufu,” the new Dark Elf giggled mockingly at the angry fencer. “You can’t even force one boy into submission! You should be ashamed of yourself. If you can’t catch this prize, then I will.”

 

A mage? Luka thought, instantly going alert. If she starts using magic, things could get very ugly, very fast. But... they don’t look like they get along very well. Perhaps I could use the hostility towards each other to my advantage...?

 

“Just go away, you old hag,” the Elf fencer yelled at the mage as Luka observed them, thinking. “I’m not letting you get your hands on this human. He’s mine!”

 

“Why not make it a contest, then?” the mage smiled faintly with an air of superiority. “Whoever pins him down and rapes him first gets him. Unless you don’t feel up to the challenge?”

 

“Oh, is that so?” the Elf fencer replied, a vein throbbing on her temple as she gritted her teeth in anger at the mage’s smugness. “Anything goes? You’re not going to cry foul and throw a hissy fit if you lose?”

 

“Goodness, no! Not that I’d ever lose to you,” the mage replied, the smugness still on her face as she waved her arm. “Well then, may the best Elf win! Which, naturally, would be me.”

 

“I have something even better in mind,” Luka spoke up, having formulated an action plan. “What if I settle this for you ladies? How about you both get - nothing?”

 

“My, such a deliciously defiant spirit,” the mage murmured, a wicked light shining in her eyes as she and the fencer approached the boy. “I’ll greatly enjoy breaking and corrupting you...”

 

To the side, Thermidor began to move to interfere, but Milia grasped her arm in a surprisingly powerful hold, stopping her. At the monster swordswoman’s infuriated look, the Elf rogue shook her head.

 

“Luka can handle this,” she told her. “He’s got a plan. I can tell, and I think I know what it is. Let him take care of this one. He can do it.”

 

“But--” Thermidor protested. Milia gave him an annoyed look.

 

“Do you think either of us want to see Luka fall to corruption?” she said in a low tone. “If things get out of hand, both I and Wriph will step in and chase those two off. But we are confident that Luka can handle this. I know you’re worried, but have faith in him.”

 

“...All right,” the fencer reluctantly nodded as she took a step back and watched the battle unfold. The twins positioned themselves at her side, their hands close to their weapons, and watched as well.

 

Meanwhile, Luka set his plan in action. The animosity between the two Dark Elves was evident, and he was fairly sure that if he maneuvered himself in such a way as to cause them to attack each other, they’d start bickering among themselves mid-fight, taking a lot of pressure off him. With that in mind, he began to move, watching the Elves’ movements as they stalked him like hungry wolves.

 

The boy’s plan worked even better than he hoped. As he began to weave and dance around the Elves’ assaults, occasionally lashing out to keep them from noticing his intentions, a series of near-misses caused them to shoot dirty looks at each other. Finally, the Dark Elf mage took advantage of a brief instant of distraction to seize Luka’s sword arm with her tentacles and began to drag him in. Moments later, she let go and retracted her appendages with a shout as the Dark Elf fencer’s sword cut the air where the tentacles had been moments before. The mage cast a hateful glare at the fencer.

 

“You...! You did that on purpose!” she accused. The fencer acted innocent, though a twinkle of mischievous mirth could be seen in her eyes.

 

“I have no idea what you mean,” she replied in a studied clueless tone. “I was trying to hit him, and you just happened to be in the way.”

 

“Oh, so that’s how it is, then?” the mage hissed, her eyes narrowing into red slits. “Two can play this game...”

 

From that point on, the fight degenerated into a brawl, and Luka found himself a secondary target as the two Elves began taking potshots at each other whenever possible. Capitalizing on the advantage, he whittled them both down without attracting attention to himself with quick slashes and pokes, and when he judged he’d worn them down enough, he moved in for the kill. Aiming for the Dark Elf mage, whom he deemed the most dangerous due to being a spellcaster, he quickly leapt from the ground to a large rock, then to a low tree branch, and propelled himself in the air, coming crashing down on her blade-first with a war cry.

 

“Demon Skull Beheading!”

 

The blow solidly connected with the Elf mage’s shoulder, cutting along her side and causing a burst of magical energy to escape from her and disperse into thin air. The Dark Elf cried in panic as her tentacles crumbled into dust, then her form began shrinking rapidly, until all that was left was a tiny Elf only about the size of a fairy. Looking up to Luka with a frightened expression, the shrunken Dark Elf backed away, then turned around and fled.

 

As Luka pivoted around to face the remaining Elf, she too backed away, visibly alarmed. Then, she sheathed her sword and broke into a run, disappearing in the undergrowth as well. Luka stood on guard for a few more seconds, then exhaled slowly, relaxing as the feeling of menace from the two Elves dissipated, and sheathed his sword, wiping the sweat off his brow with the back of his hand. Moments later, he was surrounded by Thermidor and the Elves, who smiled at him in approval. Wriph jovially slapped him across the back, grinning.

 

“Awesome job, Luka!” she told him. “Two on one, and you worked them over big time! I knew those two would be nothing to you if you fought seriously. No teamwork at all. Hahaha! The way you set them at each other’s throats was just great!”

 

“Yes, you were very impressive,” Milia nodded. “You identified your enemies’ weaknesses and exploited them. And you seem to have grasped the execution of Demon Skull Beheading, as well. Truly well done. Always fight like this and you’ll have nothing to fear in the future.”

 

Luka scratched his head, embarrassed by the praise, then looked at Thermidor, who had an unreadable expression on her face. The fencer hesitated for a moment, then closed her eyes and sighed, deflating slightly.

 

“I’m sorry,” she murmured, looking ashamed. “I didn’t think you could do it, and was about to interfere. I should’ve had more faith in you.”

 

“I don’t mind,” Luka smiled at her. “You worry because you care. That’s all right. It’s nice to see I mean so much to you. Thank you.”

 

“No, thank you,” Thermidor smiled back. “Now I know for sure that you can take care of yourself. It’s a weight off my shoulders, to be honest. I’ll have more faith in you from now on.”

 

“I have to congratulate myself with you, as well,” Alice’s voice interjected as the Echidna popped out of nowhere. “That was masterfully done, I will admit as much. Setting your opponents against each other, so that you could take advantage of their infighting. Very nice. Not only that, but you also seem to have sufficiently mastered Demon Skull Beheading. A human capable of using two Cursed Sword skills... I can honestly say you exceeded my expectations.”

 

“Thank you for your praise, Alice. As for the Dark Elves... ‘The enemy of my enemy is not my ally, but they may be useful’,” Luka recited. “Milia told me that once, after one of our training sessions, but I never understood what she meant until I saw those Dark Elf women bicker. I’ll certainly keep it in mind for the future, although this isn’t going to work against people who know the value of teamwork.”

 

“I imagined that was what you had in mind,” Milia said. “You seemed to be having ideas while watching them argue. I’m glad to see my advice was of use to you.”

 

“Yes. Both you and Wriph offered me invaluable advice,” Luka nodded. “I’m indebted to you.”

 

“Aren’t you worried we might cash in that debt?” Wriph asked cheekily. Luka gave the wild Elf a lopsided smile.

 

“A debt is a debt. If and when the time comes, I won’t say no to whatever you ask of me,” he shook his head. “I owe you a lot. The least I can do is repay that debt in any way you see fit.”

 

“Those are words of commitment, you know,” Milia warned him with an odd smile. “We’re going to hold you to them.”

 

“I’m aware of that,” Luka nodded. “All I ask is that you wait until my journey’s over, and be reasonable with your requests.”

 

“Heh. So you knew all along,” Wriph chuckled. The boy nodded.

 

“About your interest in me? You didn't exactly try to hide it,” he replied. “I may not be the most perceptive man in the world, but even I can notice things like these.”

 

“I see. Well, yours is a reasonable condition,” Milia said, smiling. “We’ll wait until your journey comes to an end. Until then, don’t die, and don’t get caught by another monster.”

 

“I have no intention of becoming a slave or dying, so don’t worry,” Luka said with a grin. “Well then, shall we go on to Enrika Village?”

 

“Of course. It shouldn’t be much farther now,” Milia agreed as she pointed to the southwest. “Just a few more minutes of walking and we should reach its outskirts. That said, I’m not sure what kind of welcome we’ll receive, so stay on your guard.”

 

“Well then, let’s go,” Alice spoke up, taking point. “I’m curious to see this mysterious village, myself.”

 

With one last look at the small clearing he’d faced the Dark Elves in, Luka fell in line behind the women, following them with a happy smile on his face. He too was curious to see Enrika, but most of all, he felt proud at his victory against the odds, and especially at having been able to execute Demon Skull Beheading without mistakes.

 

Battles like these made him feel as if all the sweat and pain of his training were finally paying off.

 

----

 

It didn’t take long before the group made visual contact with Enrika Village. Ahead of them, an opening in the trees revealed a few rustic houses connected by dirt paths. A well had been built in the village’s middle, and while no trees grew within its perimeter, there was a lot of vegetation thriving along its paths. Off to Luka’s left side, he spotted what appeared to be a small fort. Apparently, the village had its own defenses. All things said, however, it looked like a fairly normal rural settlement.

 

As Luka took a few steps forward, examining the mysterious village with curiosity, he suddenly perceived a movement ahead of him, and a woman walked out from behind a house, marching towards them with a stern look on her face. Luka couldn’t help but admire the newcomer: she was a truly beautiful woman, with long blond hair, deep blue eyes and fair skin. She wore a forest green dress which, in spite of evidencing her generous bosom, was actually rather conservative, almost completely covering her body, arms included. A beautiful golden necklace with a deep red ruby embedded in it adorned her slim neck.

 

Luka blinked as the woman approached. There was an odd sense of familiarity about her, as if he should have known who she was, but didn’t. He watched the blonde woman walk until she stopped before him, giving him a severe frown.

 

“A human and four monsters... I am not familiar with your faces, and you do not seem to be merchants or traders,” she addressed him formally. “I must ask you to leave this village’s premises at once. Only select individuals are allowed in this village. Everyone else is forbidden from entering, be they human or monster. Please, do not cause any trouble.”

 

“Ah-- I’m not here to cause any trouble, milady,” Luka replied politely. “I simply heard about this village from a blacksmith up north in Iliasburg, and having been very impressed by its fine wares, one of which I am wearing as we speak. I decided to visit this village in hopes of being able to purchase more of your quality goods. I mean no harm... although, I will admit I had an unfortunate divergence of opinions with two Dark Elves earlier. It was not intended as an act of hostility. You have my apologies for that.”

 

“I see. You are a strange young human, keeping company with monsters and being so polite and honest. And I can see you do indeed wear an Enrikan shirt,” she nodded at him, her severe expression softening a little. “Even so, I must ask you to leave. As you may have guessed, this village is... not precisely in line with the Church of Ilias’ teachings, and as such, the locals are understandably unnerved by humans. Even if you seem to be a decent individual, I am afraid I can make no exception for you. Please, leave.”

 

“I see,” Luka murmured as he scratched his chin. “I suppose there’s no helping it, then. I don’t want to cause any trouble, and I can see why the residents would be so reluctant to have contact with the outside, being so close to the Temple of Ilias and all. I will leave--”

 

While Luka spoke, the woman’s attention was suddenly drawn to his hand, and her eyes widened in apparent shock. As he moved to leave, she abruptly stepped forward and gently grasped him by his wrist, stopping him. He gave her a questioning look, and she let go of his arm after a brief moment of hesitation, looking up into his eyes.

 

“Please, wait a moment. That ring you have...” the woman spoke quietly, indicating Luka’s keepsake ring as it shone in the sun. Looking up to his face again, she cocked her head, curious. “Are you, by any chance... Luka?”

 

“Eh? You know my name?” Luka asked, surprised by the sudden question. “Do I know you? You seem familiar, somehow...”

 

“You were too little to remember me, but we've met before,” the woman replied, losing the last traces of severity as she broke out in a solar smile. “I knew your mother well. So you are little Luka... My, how you’ve grown. You have the look of a strong, confident young man. You must have made Liese proud.”

 

“Ah... Mother is no longer with us,” Luka informed her quietly with a pained expression. The woman’s expression became somber as she nodded.

 

“I was informed of it,” she told him in an equally quiet tone. “I considered visiting Ilias Village and taking you in, but then you started living in the village again... and besides, Liese seemed to trust the monster whose care she left you in.”

 

“Y-you know that, too?” Luka stammered, unsure of what to say. The woman nodded amicably.

 

“Of course. Lady Thermidor made quite an impression in this area, assisting man and monster alike in their hour of need,” she nodded. “It would have been hard to not take note of her, or notice the young boy who was constantly by her side during the days of the plague. But I am forgetting my manners. I should introduce myself. My name is Micaela. You could call me this small settlement’s leader.”

 

“I’m glad to meet a friend of my mother, Lady Micaela,” Luka said with a smile as he bowed courteously before the woman. “Although I am surprised that she never told me anything about you.”

 

“Believe me, she had her reasons,” Micaela replied. “In fact, I could tell you a great many things about yourself, things that she was unfortunately never able to tell you herself. But, you probably are not ready to hear them just yet. Soon, but not now. When the time is ripe, I am sure all will be revealed to you,” she finished, casting a quick glance at Thermidor. The swordswoman didn’t miss the sudden look, but chose to remain quiet for the time being.

 

“Then, will you allow us to...?” Luka asked, hopeful that the woman’s familiarity with his mother would persuade her to let him through. Micaela, however, shook her head with an apologetic look.

 

“I am truly sorry. If it was my decision to make - and mine alone - I would gladly welcome you in, but my people will strongly object to that,” she told him. “However, I can at least make it so that your journey here was not fruitless. I will select a few choice articles of Enrikan manufacture for you, so that your journey may be more comfortable. You will surely be more at ease when wearing those than you are with human-made products.”

 

“That would be very generous of you, Lady Micaela,” Luka told her with a grateful smile. “It’s true I am a little disappointed that I can’t visit your village, but I understand you must look out for your people’s interests and protect them. I will not insist.”

 

“Thank you for your understanding. And please, just call me Micaela,” she said, returning a gentle smile at him. She then cast a quizzical look towards Thermidor, seemingly confused. “Hmmm... If it is not too much trouble, Lady Thermidor, may I speak with you privately for a moment?”

 

“I see no reason to refuse your request, Lady Micaela. Lead the way,” Thermidor replied with a nod. The other woman motioned for her to follow, and the two walked off towards a nearby shed. Opening the shed’s door, Micaela wordlessly invited the fencer to step in, and Thermidor complied. Stepping in behind her, Micaela shut the shed’s door. The two women stood before each other, exchanging looks. Finally, Micaela spoke.

 

“I will try to be brief, so pardon my bluntness,” she began with an unreadable expression on her face. “How long have you been having sex with Luka?”

 

“That is a rather private question,” Thermidor replied, raising an eyebrow. “May I ask what makes you think we did have sex?”

 

“Your body. You are brimming with divine power,” Micaela stated flatly. Thermidor blinked, and the other woman chuckled at her apparent surprise. “Why, yes, I do know about Luka’s heritage. As I said, I knew Liese very well. But to return to your own question, that same heritage is also how I know you were intimate with him. There is a pool of divine power within your body. The only way in which it could have gotten there is if you took his lifeforce in. There are other ways than sex, of course, but most of them have the unpleasant tendency to result in death, and Luka is very much alive.”

 

“Fair enough,” Thermidor nodded. “It’s true. We had sex. The first time was a little under three years ago. I was starving, you see - I had not fed in a very, very long time - and I collapsed in Luka and Liese’s house. Liese, merciful soul that she was, persuaded Luka to have sex with me to save my life, although in all fairness, he didn’t really need any convincing. He saw me as the sister he never had, and would never have let me die if he could help it. After that time... we grew closer. You can probably imagine the rest.”

 

“I see. You speak very fondly of him,” Micaela smiled. “He must mean as much to you as you mean to him.”

 

“I’d do anything for him,” the fencer nodded. “If you had worries about him being in my company, you can rest easy. No harm will befall him so long as I am standing. Certainly not by my hands.”

 

“That does make me feel better, but it is not what I wanted to speak with you about,” Micaela shook her head. “First off - Luka’s ring. He never took it off in his time with you, did he?”

 

“Not once, as far as I know,” Thermidor confirmed. “He always wears it, even when sleeping. I assume it is important?”

 

“It is. Make sure he never takes it off for any reason,” the other woman nodded seriously. “It is very important. His life may depend on it. Is that clear?”

 

“This has to do with his heritage, does it not?” the monster swordswoman inquired. Micaela nodded again.

 

“Yes. Suffice it to say, that ring is vital protection for him,” she confirmed. “If he ever takes it off, his safety cannot be guaranteed. I am sure Liese confided her theories about his heritage to you. Surely you understand what he may need protection from?”

 

“That may be a problem,” Thermidor stated. “Ilias has recently spoken to him.”

 

“I was afraid something like that would happen,” Micaela grimaced. “But the fact she did not smite him immediately points to the ring working. She was unaware of his bloodline. See to it that things stay that way.”

 

“So it suppresses his power...?” Thermidor asked. Micaela gave her a quizzical smile.

 

“Among other things. You need not know any more,” she replied. The fencer nodded. Knowing the ring was needed to keep Luka safe was all the information she truly needed.

 

“With that said,” the other woman continued, drawing Thermidor’s attention again, “I must also warn you of the more immediate danger both you and Luka are in.”

 

“Immediate danger...?” the fencer asked, perplexed. “What would that be?”

 

“The divine power within you two, itself,” Micaela replied. “It is... not a good power, in spite of being holy in nature. It can cause both of you to lose your mind, should either of you overuse it. In Luka’s case, it would slowly change him into a being of holy energy - a form closer to that of an Angel. But in the process, he would lose his humanity and his free will, and would become nothing more than a pawn, forced to do Ilias’ bidding.”

 

“What...?!” Thermidor gasped, horrified. “Are... are you sure?”

 

“I am,” Micaela nodded. “Which is why he must not take that ring off. It suppresses his holy power - although it can still activate in response to certain situations - and makes it so he cannot consciously use it. That will keep him safe from the power’s effects.”

 

“I-I see...” the monster nodded. “And... what about me?”

 

“Your situation is... more complicated,” Micaela said slowly. “You already are a being of pure energy, even if it is a different type. You are a monster, as well. The holy power, if actively used, will not change you like it would Luka... but it can cause you to lose your sanity and become aggressive and bestial. Fortunately, since you feed on energy, you will eventually slowly consume that power, as well, so even if that happens, you’ll return to normal. But there is no telling what you would do in the meanwhile. If your willpower is incredibly strong, you might be able to control yourself to an extent even in that state, but I would not count on it if I were you.”

 

“I see. That could be dangerous, yes,” Thermidor replied, thinking. “I will have to be careful.”

 

“Well, that would only happen if you consciously drew upon the power deep within you,” Micaela specified. “Unlike Luka, you were not born with it. To your body, it is just another form of fuel, so you would not instinctively use it like Luka would if he had free access to it. If you just keep living as you have until now, it will just be a novelty... and might even be useful, too.”

 

“Useful... how?” the fencer asked, curious. The other woman gave her a mysterious smile.

 

“Bodies infused with holy power are... special,” she replied simply. “If and when it happens, you will immediately realize how it changed you. It is nothing dangerous, just... an interesting innate property that, should things take a turn for the worst, will surely serve you well.”

 

“I’m not sure I understand, but I will trust you,” Thermidor nodded. “Hopefully, I won’t have to discover the details in an unpleasant fashion. Thank you for your warnings... although, I do admit I’m curious as to how you can detect holy power. Are you also a witch?”

 

“Well... let us just say I am intimately familiar with both light and darkness, and leave it at that,” the blonde woman said, wearing another enigmatic smile. “Again, if and when the time comes, then you will find out. Personally, I pray that time never comes. It would mean nothing good for this world.”

 

“Very well, I will not pry,” Thermidor conceded. “I do not detect any malice within you, at any rate. I will trust you. What you told me does worry me, though. I hope Luka will be all right. The possible outcome you spoke of is too horrible for me to contemplate.”

 

“There... is another path he could take,” Micaela spoke up after a brief hesitation. She bit her lip for an instant, then shook her head. “No. Forget I said anything. It would be best for him to simply never use his powers. And that alternative... could bring quite a lot of grief to him, as well, even if it would spare his mind and soul.”

 

“If you say so,” the fencer said, dropping the subject. She then crossed her arms, a serious expression appearing on her face. “You do realize I will have to tell him about his heritage soon, right? Now more than ever, it is important that he understand what that ring is for and why he should never remove it. I doubt the idea of becoming a slave to Ilias would appeal to him any more than it appeals to us, so I have no doubt he will take great care not to do inconsiderate things without need if he’s told the truth.”

 

“I agree,” Micaela nodded. “And it would be best if you told him. Something like that is important enough that he should hear it from someone he trusts implicitly. If you are the one to explain it to him, surely he will believe you.”

 

“Then, I will bring it up the next time he is in a serene mood,” the fencer stated. “He doesn’t need to hear any of this when he’s upset or tired. Hopefully, I’ll have the chance to talk with him soon.”

 

“By the way, that serpentine monster with you...” the other woman said. “Are you aware of who she is?”

 

“Don’t worry about her,” Thermidor shook her head reassuringly. “She’s too interested in Luka’s character - and his cooking - to mean him any harm. Although, I do find the amount of interest she displays towards him a little unsettling...”

 

“I hope you are right,” Micaela murmured. “Of all monsters, I would not have expected her to become involved with Luka...”

 

“It’s more the rest of his private life that worries me,” the monster muttered darkly, drawing a questioning glance from the blonde woman before her. Noticing her look, she shook her head. “Never you mind. Just talking to myself. Well, we’ve spent enough time chatting. Shall we go back to where Luka and the others are waiting?”

 

“Yes, you should return to them,” Micaela nodded. “I will gather some wares for Luka, as promised, and join you shortly.” She bowed at Thermidor, smiling warmly. “I am glad I was able to speak with you, Lady Thermidor. You are a woman of rare virtue. Thank you for helping Luka become the fine young man he is.”

 

“You don’t need to thank me,” the fencer waved as she left the shed. “He, too, made me a better person. We both learned from each other, and I, for one, regret nothing.”

 

Micaela didn’t move for a while afterwards, watching the door the monster swordswoman had disappeared through with a thoughtful look on her face. She then smiled, seemingly satisfied, and left the building as well.

 

----

 

A few minutes later, Luka and his group began their trek back home, carrying with them several parting gifts from Micaela. Wriph had received a new leather outfit, which she seemed enthusiastic about as it was, according to her, much sturdier and lighter than her old one. Personally, Luka only saw it as even more revealing, showing off even more of the Elf’s curves than the old one.

 

Milia and Luka had each received a pair of leather gloves, manufactured in such a way as to ensure a firm grip on the weapons they held. Luka also received a second Enrikan shirt and a pair of leather boots, which Micaela claimed were lightly enchanted so that they would always be the most comfortable fit for the wearer. Luka had tried them on immediately and, to his delight, found Micaela’s claims to be true: the boots fit him just right, and unlike what he’d expect from brand-new footwear, they weren’t the slightest bit uncomfortable to walk in.

 

Micaela had also attempted to gift Alice with a pair of black satin gloves with white laces, of such fine manufacture that they would have been fit for royalty. Alice politely declined the gift, stating she was comfortable with her current clothing, but Micaela had insisted she take them anyway, and the Echidna graciously accepted, seemingly happy with the item in spite of her earlier refusal.

 

Finally, Micaela gifted Thermidor with a ring much like Luka’s in manufacture, though hers was red compared to Luka’s light blue. She had taken her aside upon giving her the gift, and told her that unlike Luka’s ring, hers was meant to allow for better control over the holy power within her, in the event she did decide to use it. It wouldn’t prevent the side effects from making extensive use of holy power, but would make her much less likely to lose control if the amount used was very small. Thermidor had accepted the gift, though she had confessed she had no idea how she could use that power, much less abuse it. Micaela smiled at that, and replied that if anyone could figure it out, she had no doubt it was her.

 

With that, the group said their farewells, and left Enrika Village and all its secrets behind. But, as Luka looked behind him one last time, seeing Micaela’s figure wave at them in the distance, a sudden certainty welled up within him.

 

He couldn’t say why, but he just knew that he would come back here one day.

 

----

 

At the same time, someplace far to the north along Ilias Continent’s shoreline, the air shimmered briefly, and two figures suddenly appeared out of nowhere with a sharp cracking sound. The two were clearly nonhuman in appearance.

 

The taller of the two had long purple hair that reached nearly to her feet, and the purple bat wings, tail, horns, and red eyes of a Succubus. A dark blue cape loosely hung from her shoulder, neatly framing her curvaceous, seductive body, and not at all concealing the row of stylized markings running up her left side. The smaller figure seemed to be the exact opposite to her companion: her frame was small and petite, and her blonde hair only reached to the base of her back. Nine fluffy tails swished behind her, identifying her as a powerful Kitsune from the eastern lands. An elegant white-and-purple kimono was worn loose around her body, baring a mark similar to her companion’s around her collarbone. Her big, round, green eyes observed her surroundings with curiosity.

 

Both figures emanated an undeniable feeling of power.

 

“So... this is Ilias Continent,” the Kitsune commented as she tapped her lower lip with a small folded paper fan. “It doesn’t look too bad, all things considered. I wonder what the countryside is like?”

 

“Remember why we’re here, Little Tamamo,” the Succubus chided her, her voice rich and sensual. “You’re supposed to fetch that thing from Poseidon’s Cave. Don’t get distracted by sightseeing.”

 

“I know what you want me to do, Alma,” the Kitsune nodded with a sigh. “Don’t worry, I’ll get it. Shouldn’t you be returning to messing with the weather, now?”

 

“I don’t really want to,” the Succubus named Alma replied, her face scrunching up in displeasure. “It’s boring and nothing new ever happens. I’d much rather have some fun in Grand Noah’s arena. There are always a lot of nice young men gathering there this time of the year...”

 

“Now who is it that’s not focusing?” Tamamo said with a chuckle. “We both have a job to do, and neither of us really wants to do it. Let’s try to be professional for once.”

 

“Fine, whatever,” Alma replied, still sounding unhappy. “I’ll go back to being bored out of my mind, then. Who knows, maybe I’ll meet a young fisherman braving the storms in the night... that would be nice.”

 

With those words, the Succubus disappeared with another cracking sound, leaving the Kitsune alone. Tamamo sighed, shaking her head.

 

“Leave it to Alma Elma to tell others to focus and then let her own mind wander,” she commented. “I don’t even know why I bother. Oh well... let’s start working. Nanabi! Ako! Are you here?”

 

Responding to the nine-tailed Kitsune’s call, two more Kitsune emerged from behind a nearby rock and walked up to Tamamo, bowing deeply before her. One had short dark blonde hair and orange eyes, and unlike Tamamo, her body was only female from the waist up. The rest of it was a giant fox’s body, covered by soft golden fur. Seven tails could be seen swishing slowly behind her, identifying her as a Kitsune of great power, though inferior to Tamamo.

 

The other was a petite, white-haired, red-eyed girl with two tails, smaller than even Tamamo. She was wearing what appeared to be a kunoichi outfit, and was clearly very young by Kitsune standards.

 

“We are here, Lady Tamamo,” the two spoke in unison. “What are your orders?”

 

“Well... first, let’s disguise ourselves and find something to eat,” the nine-tailed Kitsune replied with a grin. “I’m famished, and Alma’s little errand can wait. After that’s done, we can start looking into this Poseidon’s Cave that we need to explore to find the item we’re after.”

 

“There seems to be a small port town not too far from here,” Nanabi spoke up. “But please, Lady Tamamo, let’s be careful. This is Ilias territory, after all. It would be best to avoid attracting unwanted attention...”

 

“Don’t worry, it’ll be all right!” Tamamo waved her concerns away as her appearance shifted to a tail-less, taller version of herself. “Come on, let’s go eat and rest a bit. We can’t work on an empty stomach! I wonder if they have thin fried tofu here...?”

 

With that, the elder Kitsune began walking towards nearby Iliasport, followed by her underlings as they disguised themselves as well. And just like that, a fated meeting began to draw near.