Lot City, Satovia…
Melody took another sip of her latte as she watched people went on about their lives, outside of the window of the maid café. The tightness in her heart continued to ache. She pictured him, selfishly fighting a creature with a power level of four hundred five just for her, despite how she acted. He was a prince—she just knew it. The Stone of legend, except that Clyde is something entirely better.
Some claimed of only a single other who was born as the Stone. What many don't know—not even the entities—is that this other is the being who created the bloodline. The Stone Father. Long dead now, but he apparently loved some dimension called Earth. He made it obvious, carelessly being the indirect start of the stone-viper games, living almost a lecherous life. Clyde, the Stone Son…and he didn't know it. Why did Tear insist on keeping this from him? And the succubus wanted to have his babies? Over Melody's dead body. She actually loved him…wanted a string of romances with him, with hopeful marriage and soul-oaths. Deities always made soul-oaths a year before marrying. Maybe she could convince Clyde to take one with her.
But the two must get to know one another afterward. She'd have to live with him. Melody blushed.
She decided not to postpone her thoughts of the terrible orders, Alice's scummy father bestowed upon her. Kill the adventurer responsible for defeating the Ashfall family. How ungrateful could one get? Melody didn't care how many orders he barked, she wouldn't carry this one out. Her bond to him can't force this. Not against Clyde.
She called him twice, but the young man didn't answer. He also didn't reply to her text messages. She couldn't even force a summon because the man didn't bother to open her note. Perhaps that one hurt a little. Not that it was his fault. She's barely around him to show any affection. How will he ever know how she felt?
Maybe a confession. She was part trickster demon, part deity. Despite what they said about dark gods, they were still classified as they are. Melody thought of herself as a demigoddess, though a lot of her natural power revolved around the trickster abilities. That included a disguised power level—learned from the rogues. Even that rogue girl she hated, Chika, knew this ability. Harumi too, though she wasn't sure how a healer and lightning user could learn such a thing. In fact, something was off about Harumi. Could she be more than what she let on? Perhaps too modest.
Melody couldn't learn much about her past other than the fact that she was a kind girl with a sister. Her family died in a tragic monster attack. Some old friend named Airi taught her everything she needed to know about using her gift. The gifted, adventurers. Technically not the same, as true adventurers didn't stay in towns or cities very long. Maybe Airi was an adventurer and saw her calling.
Clyde wouldn't be able to just stay rooted in the city long. His power level is at the point where he had to push out. The watchers would be infuriated if he missed school, so it would be up to him to plan according. Or just rebelled. Melody hoped for the latter.
The redhead waved for the waitress.
"I'd like to pay for my order."
When she left the café, she set a mental resolve. She'd be patient, see if he'd respond to her texts. Then when Melody got him alone…somehow muster the courage to confess. Maybe she'd have his child. She'd certainly be a better wife than Tear.
Ashen City…
Lady Mei Ashfall nodded at the news. At last, all of them were dead. Her late closet lolicon husband and his illegitimate son, as well as four others of the true Ashfall bloodline. She wished someone would destroy the family on her mother's side too. To think they'd marry her off at thirteen to Nezerath Sr. of all people.
She forced away the thoughts of his aggression during her adolescent years. When she turned seventeen, they finally stopped, and he ignored her since, leaving the young woman to piles of paperwork and finances. Finally, he was dead. Dead, dead, dead, dead! DEAD! Mei laughed and cheered, tears falling from her eyes.
"Lady Mei," the maid said. "I'm leaving."
Mei hugged her.
"Good luck," Mei said. "I'm so glad it's over."
She pulled the former maid back to look at her. "You're only fourteen. Ripped from your family and forced to be a slave to disgusting Ashfall trash. I want you to live free for me, but especially yourself. And never take anyone's crap again."
Mei gave the girl all of the money in her purse. Five thousand dollars. She also handed her a gold coin with a volcano on it.
"Flash this and you'll get free admittance and meals at any hotel. You'll be treated like royalty."
"What about you, Lady Mei," said the former maid.
"Call me Mei. And I'm going back to the mansion. I may take all the valuables and blow it up if all the maids fled as you did."
"It…belongs to the adventurer who killed the Ashfall," the former maid said. "An adventurer that was with Alice Hades, ironically."
Mei laughed.
"Well, I suppose I have nowhere else to go but back home."
"He hasn't been back since yesterday," the former maid continued. "But deeds and family accounts are somehow all his."
Mei nodded.
"How is he, as a person?"
"I don't know him that well," the maid said. "He's mysterious. Doesn't seem like he's from around here or…anywhere I know. But my guess is that Alice Hades brought him in to destroy the Ashfalls and I always did like her."
Mei grinned.
"Agreed. If I could, I'd marry her."
She laughed. The former maid chuckled nervously, allowing a trickle of sweat to fall from the back of her head.
"I'll go survey the house and then find this hero. If anything, Tear or Maki should know where he's at."
"Maki…" the former maid gulped. "That human scares me. A human, scaring a demoness."
Mei's grinned widened.
"She may be human, know nothing of what we are, but when it comes to reliability, she's one of my go-to girls. I don't know why she bothers attending that stupid academy when she could have anything she wants."
"Rumors say she's growing an obsession with some boy."
"I didn't see her with any boy when I visited her a couple of days ago," Mei said. "And…she sort of came onto me. That girl has some magic fingers—oh!"
The young, former maid took a step back, uncomfortable. "Sorry, I forgot that you've managed to keep your innocence despite living in that hell house. Go ahead and catch the train. I'll call your family to let them know you're on the way. And if they don't give you a warm welcome, they'll pay."
"Lady Mei, I can't thank you enough," the former maid said, tears streaming.
"Live," Mei said then strolled off to face the estate that once held her prisoner.
Labido Grasslands. Hot springs inn. Time: Late Afternoon…
Clamp-clamp! Clamp-clamp!
Clyde's skill, Binder's hand failed, unable to overcome Alice's ridiculous magical resistance. In the end, he decided that a tactical retreat was the best idea. Arms pulled him into a side closet.
"Ssh."
He waited with the assailant in dim lighting, his head resting on soft…large breasts. Alice passed by without looking. A few minutes later, the clamping faded off in the background. He hoped Natalia or Tear caught up to her before it was too late.
"I don't know what happened to her after she left Chika's room," Harumi said, "but she's acting like a bunny in heat."
Clyde let out a breath of relief. Lady Luck must've smiled on him—because there was nobody who'd shower the young man with more compassion than Harumi.
"You don't know how happy I am to see you," he said softly. "Do you want to grab some lunch? Well, after changing out of…"
Harumi in her robe. He forced himself not to let this mind fall into the gutters just yet. Lunch and some water—that didn't sound too bad right about now.
"That sounds like a good idea actually," Harumi said. "There's a picnic table near the forest's edge. We could get away from the others and eat in peace."
She gave him a mischievous smile. Clyde returned it, though he had no idea the pink-haired girl had two meals planned for him. "It's a cloudy day. Let's just eat in our robes."
Lot City, Satovia…
Melody took another sip of her latte as she watched people went on about their lives, outside of the window of the maid café. The tightness in her heart continued to ache. She pictured him, selfishly fighting a creature with a power level of four hundred five just for her, despite how she acted. He was a prince—she just knew it. The Stone of legend, except that Clyde is something entirely better.
Some claimed of only a single other who was born as the Stone. What many don't know—not even the entities—is that this other is the being who created the bloodline. The Stone Father. Long dead now, but he apparently loved some dimension called Earth. He made it obvious, carelessly being the indirect start of the stone-viper games, living almost a lecherous life. Clyde, the Stone Son…and he didn't know it. Why did Tear insist on keeping this from him? And the succubus wanted to have his babies? Over Melody's dead body. She actually loved him…wanted a string of romances with him, with hopeful marriage and soul-oaths. Deities always made soul-oaths a year before marrying. Maybe she could convince Clyde to take one with her.
But the two must get to know one another afterward. She'd have to live with him. Melody blushed.
She decided not to postpone her thoughts of the terrible orders, Alice's scummy father bestowed upon her. Kill the adventurer responsible for defeating the Ashfall family. How ungrateful could one get? Melody didn't care how many orders he barked, she wouldn't carry this one out. Her bond to him can't force this. Not against Clyde.
She called him twice, but the young man didn't answer. He also didn't reply to her text messages. She couldn't even force a summon because the man didn't bother to open her note. Perhaps that one hurt a little. Not that it was his fault. She's barely around him to show any affection. How will he ever know how she felt?
Maybe a confession. She was part trickster demon, part deity. Despite what they said about dark gods, they were still classified as they are. Melody thought of herself as a demigoddess, though a lot of her natural power revolved around the trickster abilities. That included a disguised power level—learned from the rogues. Even that rogue girl she hated, Chika, knew this ability. Harumi too, though she wasn't sure how a healer and lightning user could learn such a thing. In fact, something was off about Harumi. Could she be more than what she let on? Perhaps too modest.
Melody couldn't learn much about her past other than the fact that she was a kind girl with a sister. Her family died in a tragic monster attack. Some old friend named Airi taught her everything she needed to know about using her gift. The gifted, adventurers. Technically not the same, as true adventurers didn't stay in towns or cities very long. Maybe Airi was an adventurer and saw her calling.
Clyde wouldn't be able to just stay rooted in the city long. His power level is at the point where he had to push out. The watchers would be infuriated if he missed school, so it would be up to him to plan according. Or just rebelled. Melody hoped for the latter.
The redhead waved for the waitress.
"I'd like to pay for my order."
When she left the café, she set a mental resolve. She'd be patient, see if he'd respond to her texts. Then when Melody got him alone…somehow muster the courage to confess. Maybe she'd have his child. She'd certainly be a better wife than Tear.
Ashen City…
Lady Mei Ashfall nodded at the news. At last, all of them were dead. Her late closet lolicon husband and his illegitimate son, as well as four others of the true Ashfall bloodline. She wished someone would destroy the family on her mother's side too. To think they'd marry her off at thirteen to Nezerath Sr. of all people.
She forced away the thoughts of his aggression during her adolescent years. When she turned seventeen, they finally stopped, and he ignored her since, leaving the young woman to piles of paperwork and finances. Finally, he was dead. Dead, dead, dead, dead! DEAD! Mei laughed and cheered, tears falling from her eyes.
"Lady Mei," the maid said. "I'm leaving."
Mei hugged her.
"Good luck," Mei said. "I'm so glad it's over."
She pulled the former maid back to look at her. "You're only fourteen. Ripped from your family and forced to be a slave to disgusting Ashfall trash. I want you to live free for me, but especially yourself. And never take anyone's crap again."
Mei gave the girl all of the money in her purse. Five thousand dollars. She also handed her a gold coin with a volcano on it.
"Flash this and you'll get free admittance and meals at any hotel. You'll be treated like royalty."
"What about you, Lady Mei," said the former maid.
"Call me Mei. And I'm going back to the mansion. I may take all the valuables and blow it up if all the maids fled as you did."
"It…belongs to the adventurer who killed the Ashfall," the former maid said. "An adventurer that was with Alice Hades, ironically."
Mei laughed.
"Well, I suppose I have nowhere else to go but back home."
"He hasn't been back since yesterday," the former maid continued. "But deeds and family accounts are somehow all his."
Mei nodded.
"How is he, as a person?"
"I don't know him that well," the maid said. "He's mysterious. Doesn't seem like he's from around here or…anywhere I know. But my guess is that Alice Hades brought him in to destroy the Ashfalls and I always did like her."
Mei grinned.
"Agreed. If I could, I'd marry her."
She laughed. The former maid chuckled nervously, allowing a trickle of sweat to fall from the back of her head.
"I'll go survey the house and then find this hero. If anything, Tear or Maki should know where he's at."
"Maki…" the former maid gulped. "That human scares me. A human, scaring a demoness."
Mei's grinned widened.
"She may be human, know nothing of what we are, but when it comes to reliability, she's one of my go-to girls. I don't know why she bothers attending that stupid academy when she could have anything she wants."
"Rumors say she's growing an obsession with some boy."
"I didn't see her with any boy when I visited her a couple of days ago," Mei said. "And…she sort of came onto me. That girl has some magic fingers—oh!"
The young, former maid took a step back, uncomfortable. "Sorry, I forgot that you've managed to keep your innocence despite living in that hell house. Go ahead and catch the train. I'll call your family to let them know you're on the way. And if they don't give you a warm welcome, they'll pay."
"Lady Mei, I can't thank you enough," the former maid said, tears streaming.
"Live," Mei said then strolled off to face the estate that once held her prisoner.
Labido Grasslands. Hot springs inn. Time: Late Afternoon…
Clamp-clamp! Clamp-clamp!
Clyde's skill, Binder's hand failed, unable to overcome Alice's ridiculous magical resistance. In the end, he decided that a tactical retreat was the best idea. Arms pulled him into a side closet.
"Ssh."
He waited with the assailant in dim lighting, his head resting on soft…large breasts. Alice passed by without looking. A few minutes later, the clamping faded off in the background. He hoped Natalia or Tear caught up to her before it was too late.
"I don't know what happened to her after she left Chika's room," Harumi said, "but she's acting like a bunny in heat."
Clyde let out a breath of relief. Lady Luck must've smiled on him—because there was nobody who'd shower the young man with more compassion than Harumi.
"You don't know how happy I am to see you," he said softly. "Do you want to grab some lunch? Well, after changing out of…"
Harumi in her robe. He forced himself not to let this mind fall into the gutters just yet. Lunch and some water—that didn't sound too bad right about now.
"That sounds like a good idea actually," Harumi said. "There's a picnic table near the forest's edge. We could get away from the others and eat in peace."
She gave him a mischievous smile. Clyde returned it, though he had no idea the pink-haired girl had two meals planned for him. "It's a cloudy day. Let's just eat in our robes."
