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90.81% A Nascent Kaleidoscope. / Chapter 534: Chapter 483

Chapter 534: Chapter 483

Mordred Pendragon POV

 

Sucked that the Adulterer and the Bitch ran away, but at least they left behind some neat things. And I took her arm, that felt great.

Would have been more annoying to fight if Father's…..person wasn't helping.

I'm keeping the arm.

The Lance and Shield were mine too. I can't wait to show father my spoils when things are done.

I hope he isn't pissed though, I don't' know how he'd feel if we tried to beat up the Adulterer and his former wife...or whatever she was. The Gods here were fucking confusing and I was just happy to cut up the assholes if they were wearing the names of people I knew.

Dammit, I didn't get the chance to make any French jokes.

The Adulterer always got pissed when we threw those at him back in the day.

But this Lance and Shield are pretty fucking cool. I should find a good horse now that I got proper equipment for it. Don't even know if I could be summoned as a Rider, but I miss my horse. It wasn't really famous enough like Father's, so it's unlikely that it could happen.

Shame I couldn't grab that fake Excalibur, even if it was a pale comparison, it was a pretty good sword. I could just rename it and no one would have to know.

I looked up to the sky and shit was probably getting serious because the hurricane went away but thunder clouds started rolling in and I could practically taste the magic being thrown around from wherever the bastard was.

He got punched pretty hard, should be pretty far. But he's Father's lover, so he should be fine.

Said he wanted to handle it himself, so he gets it.

Today was a good day.

I can't wait to tell Father about it.

"Are thou going to simply stand there!?" The small Goddess yelled, and I think she was talking to me?

Ah, right, she was fighting the Valkyrie.

Well, her and the annoying blonde.

Huh, she wasn't all talk afterall.

The Blonde girl was using her rapier properly to attack the gaps that the Goddess was opening while they both fought the Valkyrie. Even if she was noticeably weaker than them, she didn't get in the way at all.

Guess she had some experience and wasn't just full of crap. But still, pretty damn far away from some grandiose title like 'Great knight'. I give her credit cause she's obviously some noble, she's got the steel to not hide behind a real knight in her dress.

Actually, her dress was gone.

Huh.

Don't know where the sword came from either, and it looked pretty good. I mean, Rapiers were trash, but it still looked pretty strong. Probably some kind of magical sword.

"Nah, you got it." I stabbed Clarent into the ground and leaned on it as I watched.

"Insufferable!" She shrieked, slashing that scythe of hers and cutting a building in half after she missed the Valkyrie.

"Well, I guess I could help ya a bit. How about some advice, yeah? A scythe is a farming tool, try using a real weapon ya bint."

She just shrieked louder.

Seriously, who the hell uses a scythe as a real weapon?

"Hey, you good?" I looked at probably the weirdest one out of the bunch and that was saying something considering who was around. Well, one of two actually, but the second girl was apparently an underling of the old dude we were coming to meet originally, so I didn't really care about her that much.

The poor girl who seemed to be very far out of her depth.

"Y-yes?"

What was her name, Yuri or something? I was barely listening when it was said before. First impression is that she kinda reminded me of that other girl that the Death Goddess brought around the other day.

She was what, a priestess or something? Even Mother said to be respectful to holders of religious positions. Never know when a Divine Spirit would get pissed off, so best leave them be if you could help it.

"I am fine, thank you….S-sir Mordred…?" She stammered out.

"What did you call me?"

"Uh….S-sir Mordred?"

"Well alright then." I smiled happily. Been awhile since I got the proper respect I deserve. "Just stick around me, girl, I'll keep ya safe, alright?" It was a knight's duty to protect maidens afterall.

Actually…

"Hey ya daft, idiot, why aint ya protecting her like yer supposed to?" I called out to the lanky boy who apparently killed a God.

"Huh, what? Me?"

"Who else would I be talkin to ya cunt?" Moron. "You call yourself a man? Get over here and protect the Maiden like ya supposed to!"

Jeez, why are people in this era so stupid?

"But I can't…!?" He looked at the one-eyed bastard.

"He said you can't fight." I deadpanned. "Not that you couldn't fuckin walk over here and keep this chick that has no combat ability safe."

"That is true." The God nodded.

"I swear, it's like I need to fucking write him instructions on how to woo maidens." I sighed.

"Aye, the kids these days. Back in my time, men would fight to the death just so a beautiful girl would look there way." The God shook his head.

"Are ya sure he's a Godkiller?" I asked the Old Man.

"As I can be."

"Fucking ridiculous." I threw my hands up.

The Witch, she was a real one. She would fucking smile while dripping head to toe in blood. And even the Bastard, he knows how to shut up and throw down when he needs to. I've seen him get serious and really fight. I respect that about him even if I wanna kick him between the legs every now and then.

But this kid?

Ugh, I hate even looking at him.

"Hey old man, why are they still fighting? Seems kind of pointless now?" I jerked my thumb at the small Goddess and the Valkyrie and the noble girl.

Didn't take a genius to know that things were practically over. Don't think the fight with the Bastard was gonna be much longer.

"They looked like they were enjoying themselves, so I wanted to let them have their fun."

"All of mine hate!" The tiny Goddess yelled.

"Um…Sir Mordred, aren't you worried about His Majesty?" The Priestess asked.

"Pfft, I can't even take it seriously with that title." It nearly made me laugh every time someone called him 'his Majesty'. "But nah, the Bastard's got it covered. Believe me, you would know if he was struggling."

I don't doubt the asshole is gonna have to put work into winning, but I'm confident he's gonna win.

"But I suppose you are right. The Campione is finished and should be returning soon, so I believe it's time to finish here." The Old Man tapped his cane against the ground. "That's enough Brynhildr."

"Yes, Lord Odin." She ignored the scythe scraping her shoulder in order to return to his side, kneeling down infront of him.

"Go ahead and return back to Asgard."

"As you command." She shot up into the air and disappeared from view.

"Thou art one of the most vile and despicable men this one has ever had the displeasure of meeting!" The Small Goddess growled, pointing her weapon at the Old Man.

"Hoh, rare praise indeed." He stroked his beard. "I do believe this is where we should part ways. Little Goddess…" He looked at the scrawny kid. "Campione. And…." He looked at me. "The interesting lass. I'm sure we'll meet again at some point."

"Wait, what about Voban!?" The scrawny kid called out.

"Oh, him? He got around my trick awhile ago and decided not to come back. Goodbye!" He turned and walked a few steps, but a hand reached out from nothingness and grabbed him.

"And where do you think you're going?" The Bastard said, reappearing, hand on his shoulder.

 

[***]

 

Wilhelm POV

"You wouldn't hurt an old man, would you?" Odin looked up at me.

"Yes, yes I would."

"He would. He's done it before." Mordred added.

"…thanks Mordred." I internally groaned. "I think you're forgetting something, hmm?"

"Ah, you're right." He snapped his fingers and the city returned to normal as the Runic Spells shined and enveloped the city, its pristine state revealed once more. "Well, I shall be on my way." He tipped his hat.

"Yeah, no." I said dryly. "So, where's Voban?"

"Hmm, tricky fellow decided not to come back it seems."

"Right."

"Alrighty, Godou, it's your turn. Since I took the last fight, you get to beat up the old man." I gestured.

"Wah!?"

"Bring it on boy." Odin swung his stick around.

"Wait, why do I have to fight!?"

"Actually, I think the blonde over there still owes you a fight, Mordred."

"Oh right, she does." Mordred grinned maliciously towards Erica.

"Meep!" She quickly hid behind Godou.

"Come on, you were talking that good shit earlier. What was this about a 'Great Knight'? Come on, show me what that means."

Odin turned and was about to step away but I quickly snapped my fingers and had a bolt of lightning drop infront of him. "I'm rather pissed right now, Old Man. I just got punched quite a few times by that God and my ribs are probably cracked, and my Shoulder most likely dislocated. Not to mention the bruises I'm going to have."

Truthful, it was mostly my fault. Was it smart to fight a god so martially focused in combat like I did initially? No it was not, but I can't deny it was a good learning experience. He was far from the strongest I've fought, even if I had to put in the work to win. It really did remind me of how far I've come. If it was months ago, well, a few of his punches would have had me on the floor crying for Avalon.

Now? Now, I can just say 'ow' and move on after winning.

"Well, I suppose you want some answers then." He casually stroked his beard. "Unfortunately, I already left." He smiled humorously.

I just stared at him for a moment.

Mordred, however, knelt down and picked up a rock, tossing it at Odin.

It hit him with a small thump.

Odin looked at it then back at us.

"….."

"…..ya didn't really leave, huh Old Man?" Mordred looked at him.

"I had thought that would work." He replied.

I let out a sigh. "Give me a reason."

As much as I was willing to look the other way, he did set me up quite readily for his own goals. Even if he believed I would 100% win the fights he tossed my way, I hated people using me like that.

"Why don't I stick around and teach the boy a thing or two, eh?" He pointed at Godou.

"Absolutely not." Athena refused.

"Does this really matter to you that much?" I crossed my arms, really looking at him.

Odin's jovial expression changed and his lips thinned. "Do not underestimate what I would do to obtain more wisdom, boy. The short one there is content to wallow in mediocrity thinking she is beyond the masses. But I refuse to let my questions go unanswered."

I narrowed my eyes at his tone, letting my power seep out. "I suppose it's inevitable then."

Very quickly, Odin's serious expression dissipated and his lackadaisical tone reappeared. "But I'd rather not descend as a Heretic God proper. It'd make me look like a right fool for how much I mocked the others. I'm content right now to just sit on the sidelines and watch from afar. I am patient."

But what went left unsaid was how long his patience would last.

He wanted answers to quite a few questions he undeniably has. Most of them relating to me I would assume.

And he's basically telling me that right at this moment, he doesn't want to fight so it puts me in an awkward spot.

I would much rather fight multiple Hanumans than one Odin.

"No, do not accept! I do not allow this!" Athena immediately protested again.

"….swear on your name that you'll bring no harm to them."

"I'll swear as your Brother." He stated and oddly, I felt my blood stir as it was laced with his Divine intent.

It was enough to send a shudder through my body.

"So…..training him?"

"Aye." Odin nodded. "Seems like the brat could use some help."

"No!"

"Wait, don't I get a say in this?" Godou whined.

"No."

"Nope."

"Nay!"

We all seemed to agree with that much. Truthfully, I felt and continued to feel bad for Godou, but I would rather he keep living. He needs a bit of a kick in the rear to get going. He's….better than when I left, but I would honestly hate for him to die, he doesn't deserve that kind of fate.

"If you want, I could always call Brynhildr back, she's quite the looker." Odin grinned, looking at Godou.

"W-what!? Why would that matter!"

"How treacherous, exploiting thy host's uncontrollable lusts for thy own gain." Athena snorted.

Well, this is a motley crew gathered around Godou.

At the very least, I trusted Odin to keep his word. If need be…..I would remove him if he became a threat….a bigger threat that is.

Bit of a messy situation, but at least it was….somewhat resolved to a satisfaction. I would keep an eye on things, but for now….well, I think it was time to leave.

Mostly because I didn't want to deal with the clean up!

Without saying a word, I grabbed Mordred and pushed her through a Portal, giving us quite a bit of distance from them as it deposited us on the other side of Japan.

"The fuck was that far?" Mordred huffed in annoyance.

"Sorry wanted to ask you a question and I didn't want to say it infront of them." And I wanted to sneak away.

"Whatcha want?"

"Do you want to go back home or do you want to go see Pandora with me?" I asked.

"The Goddess Chick that Father saw, right?"

"That's the one. Though technically, she may be your Grandmother in the future, considering…."

"What do you mean 'may'?" Mordred narrowed her eyes with an underlying growl. "Are you saying you're not going to Marry Father? Cause if that's what you're saying, I'm gonna cut off your dick right here."

"I think….you're making a few assumptions here." I quickly put my hands up backing away. "Artoria and I aren't really at that point yet –"

Mordred scoffed. "Of course you ain't. A proper Maiden needs time to court and my Father is the best so you have to put more effort into it! I'm not stupid." She huffed again. "But you better not talk like you ain't gonna treat Father properly." She warned me one last time.

Actually, it was kind of cute how protective she was of Artoria even if she was….misunderstanding some things. I couldn't completely fault her, her knowledge on this sort of thing was probably severely lacking.

"Just out of curiosity…..you wouldn't be against me marrying Artoria?" Not that this is anywhere close to being a reality at the moment, our lives are simply too chaotic to settle down like that.

"…..you make Father happy, so It's fine." She said quietly, crossing her arms, pursing her lips. "Could be worse I guess. Atleast you try to do right by Father, I can appreciate that."

…..I didn't know how to respond to that but I felt a warm sensation in my chest.

"Speaking of appreciating things, so….what happened to the loot, hmm?" I changed the subject because I think it was just a tad awkward for both of us.

"Uh….I don't know what you're talking about." She looked away. "They're mine…." She whispered under her breath.

[It's her first hoard.] Ddraig sounded…proud. [Let her keep them!]

Ugh, fine, whatever.

I knew Lancelot dropped some stuff in her haste, but whatever. If it makes Mordred happy, she can keep them.

"Come on, let's go meet Pandora. I have some technical support questions regarding my Authority."

I happily opened a portal to Momma Pandora's place but as soon as we entered, I caught a breath of that same aura that I felt multiple times at this point. It wasn't….dense like with Gabriel, but it was enough that it floated around in what should have been her Divine Abode.

Nearly immediately, I found Pandora lying on her couch, unconscious. But most drastically, were three numbers haphazardly and ruggedly carved into the wall right next to her.

'666'.

And then I heard her snoring.

[***]

A/N

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Chapter 535: Chapter 484 + HSR omake

I admit, I immediately assumed the worst. And I don't think anyone would fault me either. Pandora laid there unmoving, the Box was opened right by her, and there was literally something carved menacingly in the wall.

My knee jerk reaction was to immediately call up Artoria so I could get my hands on Avalon or something, but all that came screeching to a halt when I heard her snore.

Mordred gave me the most deadpanned look and I felt very similar.

I walked over and poked her once and she barely budged.

I searched through my ring for a bucket and made sure it was filled with water before I dumped it on her.

"AHHH!?" She shot up screaming, throwing her hands into the air and tumbling off the couch in a panic. "What's going on, why am I wet, where did you come from!"

There was a little bit of water left so I splashed it on her again.

"Ah!? Stop throwing water at me!" She whined.

"It's what you get for making me worry!" I found a water bottle unopened in my ring thrown to some corner and started swinging it at her, splashing more at her.

At this point she was soaked and throwing her small fists at me with a fury. "Don't bully your mother!"

I finally stopped and instead pulled on her small cheeks. "I brought someone with me. And since you're apparently okay, introductions." I gestured to Mordred.

"I'm Mordred, sup." Mordred casually introduced herself.

Pandora, despite dripping wet smiled happily towards Mordred, walking up to her and getting a good look at her. "You're just like my new daughter, aren't you?" Almost immediately, there was nothing but affection in her gaze.

"Y-yeah." Mordred seemed stunned just as well and looked away at Pandora gently putting a hand on her cheek.

Mordred always liked being compared to Artoria so that hit her right in her weak spot.

"I'm Pandora, the All Giving Mother. You must be her child, so you can call me Grandmother if you want, or whatever is comfortable with you." She smiled.

"Alright, now that introductions are out of the way, why this!?" I pointed to, well, the fact that there was something carved into her wall.

And I purposely did it to give Mordred an out. I noticed the blank look and her uncertainty of how to properly reply to Pandora, so I didn't want her to feel like she was put on the spot.

"Oh that, teheh~"

"Don't just laugh it off." I pulled on her two pigtails, gently of course. She was my momma Pandora, so I wasn't going to hurt her.

"I panicked!" She whined.

"What happened?" I let her go because that sounded concerning.

Pandora huffed cutely, fixing her hair. "I looked into the….box." Her tone shifted. "Well….I probably shouldn't have looked as deep as I did. I notice the anomalous additions considering its….origin and connection that I seemingly had to it. I tried to use my power to divine it and I delved too deep." She said sheepishly.

"Are you okay?" I jumped to the most important question.

She let out a breath. "I'll be fine." She casually waived her hand. "It's just…..I didn't expect to get that kind of feedback. I got hit by a surge of backlash for delving into 'essence' too deeply. It wasn't pleasant by any means, and my head went all dizzy and I wasn't thinking straight. I think I did that.." She pointed to the wall. "Because I was afraid I was going to forget what I learned."

"Then you passed out?"

"More or less."

"Even though you're a True Goddess right now in the middle of what could be called your Divine Domain."

Her smile stiffened. Not embarrassment but more…concern. "That's right."

"If that isn't the biggest hint." I snorted, looking at the big 666 still etched into her wall. "But…..?"

Pandora flipped her hand and the wall mended itself. With a sigh, her eyes glowed and she picked up the box. "And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is 666."

The passage of the bible was not unfamiliar with me, nor was the number 666 something unknown to even mundane people.

But confirmation from Pandora was appreciated with her divination.

I rubbed the bridge of my nose. "Thank you for your help."

"It's dangerous." Pandora said softly. "It was just a tiny spark of the thing inside. I squashed it easily enough so the Box is….safe now. But I could see it for a brief moment, you know? It looked back at me, and I felt frightened."

That sounds bad that a True Goddess like Pandora felt scared.

"Anything else you learned?"

Pandora shook her head. "Be happy that I know this much considering the origin."

Right, it was from a different world, I really am thankful she was able to help me this much.

"But as I said, the box should be safe now." She pushed it towards me. "Truthfully, it's not mine, but I can feel the bad memories it holds for someone else. Would you please take it away from here?"

I just nodded, making sure to properly seal it regardless and putting it back inside my storage. Even though I completely trusted Pandora, I was not going to take any chances with that thing.

Settling that inside my Ring, I quickly grabbed Pandora, wrapping her up in a big hug. "Thank you."

"Aww~ I'm happy to help." Pandora happily accepted the hug.

"Good, then give me my Authority!"

"Bwah!?"

"I killed a God." I huffed. " I want my Authority!"

Pandora looked confused and surprised, she then took out a large circular object with the picture of a dragon on it. There were symbols on it, swords and letters of unknown origin.

The Divine power on it was palpable.

The sheer divine power of it eclipsed almost every other Divine Item I've ever come in contact with. I think only the Bow of Auriel or the Spear could compete or surpass it, atleast at its full state.

"You did!? Ah, I didn't notice…." Pandora squawked. "There's a God's Authority held here and it does show you beat him fair and square…."

Well, it makes sense I suppose, she was indisposed which was not a normal occurrence considering what happened.

Pandora paused and she looked at me and Modred. "Oh, you've never seen this in person, huh? This is my Circle of Usurpation. It's what lets me reproduce and distribute the Authority of Gods to Campione. Of course it requires a sacrifice in order to activate – that of a God's soul."

"It looks like a golden frisbee." Mordred snorted.

"yoink." I snatched it.

"Wah!?" Pandora's eyes widened. "No, give it back!"

"What happens if I use it?" I flipped it over, inspecting it closely.

"You can't!" She practically climbed on top of me as I held it in the air out of her reach. "Only I can use it or give permission to other people… Wait! Don't lick it, no!" I eventually stopped teasing her and let her reclaim her frisbee.

She held it protectively in her arms, not letting me anywhere near it at this point.

"What happened while you were out? I thought my children were going to start fighting, but here you killed a Heretic God?" Pandora looked like she was cleaning her frisbee for some reason.

"Funny story actually. I popped in on Godou while Voban was playing games with him. We went to confront Voban together, I may or may not have sent Voban to the other side of the world. Then Odin appeared, making things more complicated. He brought with him Guinevere and Lancelot – do you know them?"

Pandora's face scrunched up. "I am aware of them."

"And I cut off the Adulterer's arm." Mordred said rather proudly.

"Good job!" Pandora beamed happily.

"Mordred also stole her Lance and Shield. That shouldn't be a problem, right?"

Pandora blinked. "Can I see them real quick?"

"….alright, but they're mine." Mordred took them out for her to see.

Pandora hummed looking over them. "Theoretically, Lancelot should be able to retrieve them if she's nearby…."

Mordred, rather cutely, hugged her new toys. "I'll just keep them at home then."

Yeah, good luck getting them back then, Lancelot.

"Right, so yeah. Me and Mordred double teamed Lancelot – Mordred cut her arm off like she said. They ran away, but not before Guinevere used her….Grail?"

Pandora's expression shifted ever so slightly.

"You know something." I stopped, looking at her.

"I can't say! It's against the rules." She pouted. "No matter how much I want to strangle that trumpet."

….odd.

"Does it have anything to do this with mysterious 'master' that both Guinevere and Hanuman spoke about?"

"So you figured out the Heretic God was Hanuman?" She seemed happy that I knew that tidbit, particularly so. 

"Hard to miss it when his Authority named himself."

In the Myths, Hanuman was friends and or servant to Rama, but how does that tie in with King Arthur?

I swear, the myths and legends here are so freaking complicated.

Pandora let out a sigh. "I really can't say anything. Honestly, you being here is…..not against the 'rules' but walking a very fine line. If I do anything, even brush against the line myself, they wouldn't sit still."

Ominous.

"Hanuman was pretty strong. Strong enough to hurt me, I feel like my ribs are cracked….and other things." My shoulder in particular, I wanted to get Artoria for some healing even if I was relatively fine otherwise.

"Yes, yes, I can take your hint." Pandora rolled her eyes. "This isn't usually how I give Authorities, but then again, there's nothing normal about you."

"I feel like there was a hidden insult in there."

"You're imagining things. Now, what's that on your face?"

"What's what – "

"My Circle."

My vision filled with gold as the world around me spun and I found myself staring up at the ceiling, dizzy and disorientated.

It didn't hurt, oddly enough, but at the same time, I tried to push myself up and found my legs weak and fell back over.

Eventually, I just laid sprawled on the ground as my head wound back into place and the world stopped existing in a perpetual state of upside-down.

"….did you hit me with your divine artifact?'

"That's for dumping water on me!" Pandora pursed her lips. "You should have your new Authority now."

I sat up slightly, still sitting on the ground but new information flooded my mind and I felt a new strength fill my body. Somewhat literally in the latter case as physically, I could feel my strength increase.

It wasn't a drastic amount, I wasn't going to be throwing punches like Hanuman was, but it was a noticeable and passive improvement, so I wasn't be upset about it.

I'll need to test with this Scáthach to figure out where my new 'base' was at for future reference.

The bit of strength increase however, was only a minor aspect of it.

Nearly giggling to myself, I realized I definitely needed to get some sparring in because this Authority was quite interesting.

The happiness did offset the foreboding feeling from finding out what it was I was doing with regards to the 'thing' that was hiding inside the box.

Frankly, I am not looking forward to that at all. I would need to put some feelers out and see what others know about that thing.

Thankfully, I have a few Godly relationships I can leverage for just this.

 

[***]

 

Scáthach POV

 

"This is your homeland?"

"Yes." I looked out at the sea. The nostalgic way the waves crashed against the cliffs. Despite being worlds apart, and centuries later, this was a place I found familiar with very few changes. "The Isle of Skye was not far enough. I visited this spot, these shores when I was still alive."

"It is…charming." My Student's Servant replied.

I let out a bark of laughter. "The weather here is shite. It's murky and damp, and it rains nearly every day. The land is full of rocks that make for poor farming, and nothing is flat. But….it is home."

Perhaps my old home, I should say.

Now my new home is wherever my lover resides.

"I don't dislike it."

"I suppose it has its own charm." I found myself agreeing.

Every true born Scottish man and woman would say the lands of their forefathers were utter shite, but they'd all still call it home with a warm smile.

"We should proceed. I have a feeling our mutual lover will return after causing some sort of problems and I wish to be there when he does." I turned around, letting the nostalgia fade.

"You would have gone with him. I wouldn't have minded doing this on my own." Raikou stated.

"It's alright." I shook my head. I admit I was tempted, I do so love fighting opponents of that level. A world full of Gods and Godslayers did spark a competitive spirit inside of me. However, this new perspective of life….it allowed me to view it through the lens of patience. "There will be many fights in the future, I feel no regret for missing a few that our lover inevitably causes."

She laughed. "Yes, that is most certain."

"Just as well, I wished to share this time together."

"That makes me happy to hear." She smiled.

"I am curious as to why you did not ask our lover to join you. It is something he would have no qualms about participating in."

"Ah….I did not wish for Master to see me doing work such as this." She said softly.

"He has seen you fight before. I would reckon he would find it enticing if anything." I snorted, thinking about how he acts normally. "What difference does it make?"

"Yes, Master knows me when I fight. However, he has never seen me during an extermination."

I merely shook my head and offered no argument, as it was not my place. Even though I knew for certain that our lover would not think any different from her.

But I understood her sentiment. Perhaps my student wouldn't or doesn't understand the implications of our past merely from stories and legends. Myself, the warrior next to me, the small knight…..we have a great deal of blood on our hands, and the source of it is not always pleasant to speak about.

We both walked for a few minutes back to where we were earlier.

"I do not know the customs of these lands. Would it be impolite for me to offer my condolences and say a silent prayer?" She asked.

I looked down into the large pit, bodies peeking through, half buried and somewhat decayed as we recently dug up this several days old mass grave to verify certain information.

"I believe they would appreciate the sentiment." I cast a quick spell to push the dirt back over, burning the faces of the corpses into my mind. The Old Ways mostly died out, I believe these lands worship the Biblical God now, thus I fashioned a wooden Cross and planted it at the side.

My student's Servant knelt one a knee, giving her silent prayers and I didn't speak as she finished, pushing herself back up with a frown.

No more words needed to be spoken here as we turned on our heals and walked away. There was a village not far, a genuine village in this modern world.

Perhaps not but a fifteen minute walk.

It appeared to have modern conveniences, but they still worked off the land as villagers looked up at our arrival. I saw familiar crops being tended to, farm animals making noise and even the same smells that came from such.

The houses, while made of stone and cobble, they had modern glass fixtures and those lines above that supplied electricity for light and heat.

Maybe two dozen houses in total, with some form of storefronts, a bakery I could notice, a butcher not far away as well. I even saw a woodworker practicing his craft at such a time.

It was serene and almost peaceful.

The villagers looked at us curiously, as one would assume. We did not exactly fit into the area and we were outsiders.

One child in particular walked up at us.

Before he could utter a word, my student's Servant summoned her blade and beheaded him. Blood splashed across her face as the head rolled across the ground.

She had quite the bloodthirsty and malicious smile on her face and I then understood her words from earlier.

For me, my spear sailed through the air, pinning a man to the side of a house and I matched her own smile. It was oddly pleasant to know that my Harem Sister shared…..peculiarities such as this with me.

I picked up the severed head of the child just slain, inspecting it before tossing it away. For it matched exactly to the face of the child we had just found in the grave outside.

All around us, feral screams resounded, inhuman language erupted and bodies transformed.

I called back my spear into my hand and slammed the butt of it onto the ground, casting a large spell to seal off the village and revealing the true forms of the residents.

Wings, non-human appendages, fur or animalistic features.

Not a single Human resides within these streets any longer.

The Fae were something abhorred even in my time. I have killed many myself and regret not a single one of their deaths by my hand.

Yes, I believe she was correct in her naming.

Extermination is the proper description.

 

[***]

Non-Canon Omake: The Foolish Genius (Honkai Star Rail) Part 1

I looked out the window as the stars passed by.

I was riding a train through space, I don't think I would ever forget this memory despite the fantastical sights I've witnessed in my long life.

"Thank you again. Honestly, when I asked, I really wasn't expecting much." I looked at the other 'riders' of the train.

"Did you think we don't backtrack?" The Red-head, Himeko, the Astral Express's navigator looked at me and chuckled.

"Well, I always hear how the Astral Express never stops going forward in the tales. Always pushing forward, trailblazing the paths that no one else will."

That merely got a chuckle from them. "It's hard to keep Trailblazing without supplies. We were getting ready to move on to our next Trailblaze as it were with a stop to Penacony. But we wanted to stock up before making a proper jump forward. Herta's Space Station just so happened to be our destination for that, so it was no trouble taking a passenger along."

"The money helps too." The one named March nodded sagely.

"March!" Himeko covered her face.

"Well, one is expected to pay a fare when chartering a ride on a train." I didn't take offense. "Honestly, I'm grateful. This is a wonderful experience, and I've heard much about the Nameless and their recent journey through the stars."

"Really, you've heard of me too?" The Silver haired girl looked intrigued.

"Of course. The tales of bludgeoned individuals and scoured trash cans are well known." I nodded.

"Sweet!" She held up a peace sign while the others groaned and sighed. "Then you can call me by my official title, the Galactic Baseballer."

"That's not her title, ignore her." Himeko sighed, running her hand down her face. "However, I suppose we should properly introduce ourselves. "I'm Himeko, here we have Stelle, March, Dan Heng and Welt. And of course Pom-Pom is the conductor, but they're busy at the moment."

They all gave a polite nod my way.

"Charmed." I politely bowed my head. "I am Wilhelm Henry Schweinorg, though you probably already knew that after doing a background check."

"Actually, there was very little information I could find even with the services of Luofu. I only was able to retrieve some passing mentions of you working with the Genius Society." Welt stated. "If you don't mind me asking, where are you from, Mr. Schweinorg?"

"Oh, I'm from a small planet you probably never heard of. Funny enough people look at me and are like 'you named your planet dirt', but it was named Earth and –"

Welt's cane scraped across the floor. "Come again?"

"Did I say something wrong?" Everyone was looking at me strangely.

"Your home planet….Earth?" Himeko repeated. "That is surprising to hear."

"Why – "

"I am from Earth." Welt stated bluntly.

"Oh?" I was genuinely surprised because…well, I didn't really take the simple way to this universe. "Color me surprised, a fellow countryman. Though, I was born in Japan, where were you from?"

Welt clamped up clearing my throat. "Excuse me, I apologize. I was skeptical for a moment, but unless you have knowledge of Earth, you wouldn't know the term 'Japanese' without prompt. This is….odd for me, I never thought I would mean someone from my home. Do….do you have the coordinates?"

"I apologize, I didn't leave through….traditional methods. I have no idea how to get there through the paths." I said helplessly.

I wasn't even sure there was an Earth in this universe until now.

Apparently, Welt here didn't leave through traditional methods either.

"I see…..I thank you regardless. Knowing that there is someone else from my home here among us….it fills me with a sense of happiness." He smiled rather grandfatherly. "If you don't mind, I would like to speak later about home, it has been a long time since I have had someone to share those memories with."

"I would be delighted." Well, as a fellow Earther, I felt sympathy, so It wasn't difficult for me to accept his request. "I'm curious about that Black Hole You're carrying around in the form of a Cane just as well." I chuckled.

He raised an eyebrow. "…not many people are able to see through it. Curious."

Well, the atmosphere got a little awkward.

"So you're with the Genius Society?" Himeko seemingly changed the subject. 

"Well, it's a little nuanced. The Genius Society is only the main members that are rather well known….but some of them have quite a few people working directly under them that while aren't 'members' are ... .co-workers?"

"That's impressive. We've met Madam Herta, Screwllum, Ruan Mei!" Stella excitedly relayed. "They're all…."

"Anti-social, lacking common sense, a bit crazy?" I offered.

"….unique." She snorted.

"What was your job then?" March asked. "Madam Herta has a lot of people under her in the space station, but they're always doing a bunch of other stuff."

"Oh, I was a retrieval specialist. Basically, I went out and obtained precious or difficult to acquire resources that they requested." I summarized.

It was fun, if a lot less glamorous than they probably thought.

"That sounds interesting! I bet you've gone to and seen a lot of places! Is that why you're going to Herta's Space Station, to drop something off for her?" March asked.

"….something like that."

"Should we give them a heads up about your arrival then?" Welt asked.

"Uh, there's no need." I quickly waved it off. "I'll just….surprise them with my visit." I forced a smile.

"oh…..was I not supposed to say anything?" Stelle went blank and I noticed she was holding up her phone…and it started vibrating like crazy. "….why is Herta getting mad at me? And….why is she saying you're not allowed within 100 quadrants of her space station?"

They all stared at me and I awkwardly cleared my throat. "Well….it's complicated."

Himeko let out a sigh, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "Please don't tell me we let a wanted criminal onto the Astral Express, or that you intended to use us to smuggle you aboard her space station."

They all looked like they were about to restrain me.

"It's complicated!"

"Un-complicate it."

"Technically, I'm not banned from her space station."

Stelle held up her phone with quite a few…..interesting choice of words directed her way by Herta for which she described me. None of which were pleasant.

"I was never officially banned. While Herta founded it, named it, and well…everyone acknowledges it as hers, it's actually Asta's since she paid for it and continues to pay for everything." I quickly stated.

"Sophistry won't help you, Mr.Schweinorg." Welt replied. "We are more than willing to listen to your explanation, but we are friends with Madam Herta and the Space Station as a whole. Not only that, but they provide us with significant donations and resources to continue our Trailblazing mission. We can't turn a blind eye to something like this. So please give us a reason to not lock you up for the continuation of our journey and alert the security at the Space Station upon our arrival."

I let out a sigh knowing I was backed into a corner here. I really didn't want to become hostile with either the Astral Express crew or the Space Station considering the reason I'm going there.

"Herta and I...are married."

That was apparently enough because the overt tension dissipated immediately as they merely looked at me with bewilderment and confusion.

….this was going to be a long train ride.

[***]

A/N

Random HSR Omake that popped into my head, starts similar to the Chaldea omake, but goes in a different direction.

Second part of this omake, Kunou's first part Side Story, and next part of the Looking Glass Omake are all up on the p.a.t.r.e.o.n

If you want to read 10 chapters ahead or support me, visit my p.a.t.r.e.o.n.c.o.m / astoryforone

I also have a boosty under the same name if you can't use the above.

 

 


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