Capítulo 25: Chapter 25 - Out of the Comfort Zone
{A/N: Hello everyone! Happy October! I hope you are all well, and that the atmosphere of terror enters deep into your hearts, as excellent Overlord readers!!
And speaking of which... incredible! A movie about the Holy Kingdom arc recently premiered only in Japan, and it will still take a while for an official translation from what I've heard!
I'm happy to see the kingdom that I see as having the greatest potential, now being shown in anime form. Especially since the main cast of characters from New World in this fanfic are mostly from that kingdom!
One last question before starting the chapter. What did you think of Pabel Baraja's appearance? I simply saw a teaser of his design and was shocked! Is Letyan and Neia's father an NPC from BloodBorne, with the charisma of Joker from Persona 5? I laugh more and more since he looks like an edge and short hair version of what I vision Letyan's design to look like when he gets older.
But without further ado, stay well and enjoy reading!}
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It was morning, a few hours after Letyan had returned to Carne Village, in order to begin the journey back home. The huts of the Holy Kingdom's paladins had been dismantled and everyone seemed ready to leave according to plan. In fact, there were 2 groups of paladins that had been separated this whole time on this adventure, one of them was with Kelart, in which they had continued their journey in search of information related to the katana, until they reach Carne Village, the other had been left in one of the villages that had been attacked a month ago, as a way of investigating the situation, since they had found traces of amateur pieces from their kingdom and could not let even a single piece of evidence pass by. This second group was the one that had the carriages necessary for longer journeys.
But they were not going alone…
"So… are you sure it's okay for us to take it…?" The paladin of Nazarick questioned his friend, Tabula.
"Of course it's okay… you'll need an extra horse since you're going with them… and we don't want to show off your extremely high stamina, it might scare them." The Brain Eater replied, even laughing.
They were near the entrance to Nazarick, talking about the fact that, given the number of horses the Holy Kingdom group had, there would be no space for the World Champion to go with them, and due to the nature of his attributes, he could not simply walk the entire journey without stopping, until they reached the first stopping point. Because of this, they decided to borrow one of the mounts that existed in the Great Tomb.
The most obvious answer would be for him to use Aura's pets, right? Yes, but they were very large and could be considered divine beasts...
The only mount-type animal, which seemed the most normal, and which was available, was a horse, an interesting species of horse...
"Albedo! You can summon it."
From that order, The Overseer blushed, with a perverted smile that disgusted the paladin and the human, but not her creator. "Of course, Father!~ I will bring the best of the best for Touch_Me-sama, even if I don't think it will be great enough."
"The idea is that it doesn't look great, anyway." Masato commented, watching the succubus summoning that being.
It was a fairly large and robust horse, with a dark body along with the fur, having attractive and respectable armor. But the obvious characteristic of that horse were the two horns on the sides of its head, which pointed directly forward. That type of horse was called Bicorn.
"War Bicorn Lord… You have been chosen as a temporary mount for a Supreme Being! Be honored!!" Albedo called her horse, which… strangely seemed to refuse, not moving…
"Eh…. did something got wrong?" Masato asked as he saw the animal slowly move to eat some grass, ignoring its owner.
Tabula stared at that situation for a few seconds, until he noticed a small detail, which made him hit one of the tentacles hard against his own face. "Impressive… this can only be a joke…"
"What happened?" Letyan's voice showed curiosity.
"Weeeeeell… an impressive problem happened that I had forgotten…" Tabula said and then looked at the paladin. "Get on the Bicorn."
A little confused, the World Champion in shining armor just did as he was asked, but when he touched the animal, it used both of its back legs to hit him. The paladin didn't seem to have taken any damage, thanks to his armor being a World Class Item, but it only raised more questions, which were answered by Tabula soon after.
"I had forgotten about that... Bicorns are beings that are related to Unicorns, they feel purity. But they only accept impure beings to climb on them."
"Impure?" Letyan said, observing the scene.
"Yes, normally it would be impurity in the sense of not being a virgin and such…"
". . . But I'm not a virgin, I even had a daughter." Masato spoke facts, being quite confused.
"On Earth you weren't a virgin… But on YGGDRASIL and in this New World… yeah, this body of yours is a virgin." Tabula said that with a long sigh. "That's why it doesn't seem to be obeying Albedo. She might have on her flavor text the fact that she's a prostitute and thirsty succubus. But she would still need to actually lose her virginity."
Letyan raised another possibility while staring at the animal. "Is there any chance it could be because of the extremely positive karma? I mean… isn't Masato at the maximum possible for a Player?"
That also made a lot of sense.
"It looks like we'll have to look for some other animal option… that's going to take a long time…"
"Nope, no it won't. You can use my horse." Letyan answered the paladin.
"But the horses you have are the kind that can only support one person, since they are focused on speed instead of carrying a lot of weight…"
"Well, you use mine, and I'll use this one."
"Watch out there, you idiot! Didn't you notice that this animal attac-" Tabula exclaimed, but soon fell silent when he saw something he hadn't even believed.
The human boy had climbed on top of the bicorn, and it didn't even seem to stop him, in fact the horse seemed to neigh happily.
'What the hell?' Was everyone's thought there, even Albedo.
"Have you lost your virginity, man? Aren't you only 21 years old in this world?" Tabula questioned.
"N o p e, I haven't. And anyway, if I had had sex, there wouldn't be a problem, since in this world, you're considered an adult when you reach 12."
"Then how the hell are you riding that?" Touch_Me was the next to question.
"Hm… Well, you guys mentioned impurity and such. So I thought… Since I get along well with an element that represents absolute impurity, maybe I would get along well with a being that likes impurity… and it seems I was right."
"War Bicorn Lord… being used by a human… who is also a virgin…" Albedo said those things with an obvious tone of disgust, but soon she received a whip from tentacles on the back of her neck.
"Albedo! Have you forgotten who that human is? Don't talk to him like that! I thought I raised you well to be a loyal servant of us, Supreme Beings!" Tabula spoke, with his classic roleplay voice.
The succubus seemed to remain very silent after that, looking down so that her bangs made it impossible to see her large yellow eyes.
'So there are still those who absolutely do not trust…? Well… it was to be expected after they came to life.' Masato questioned himself mentally, now looking back at the human. "Okay, you'll use the bicorn until we reach the meeting point with the other group. Then you'll use the collect ability to turn it into a temporary item in your inventory."
"Okay, I was planning on doing that. It would be dangerous to ask it to run back to Nazarick after we arrive at the meeting point. You never know if it could be intercepted by someone." Letyan said, petting the bicorn, who seemed to be enjoying it quite a bit.
Albedo was still incredibly in disbelief in the scene, even though her expression was not exposed, her body language revealed her deep emotions.
Tabula watched all of this, remembering something and taking some small sticks from his pockets, handing them to Letyan. "Let's take advantage of the fact that you came here. I think you need to have these items back."
The boy looked confused, still on top of the bicorn. Picking up those sticks, he noticed a kind of ribbon on them and pulled one of them, creating a great light that was almost blinding. However, when that light disappeared, in place of a stick, there was another, reddish and longer like a staff. The boy recognized it immediately.
"Laevatein… Wait... if you're giving me this back..." The boy gave a mischievous smile and pulled the other ribbons, making new items take shape.
In front of him were things that were quite nostalgic to him in a way...
A pair of gauntlets, both containing small round shields near the wrist areas...
A very beautiful longbow, with accessories and crystalline parts, changing color like a rainbow…
A golden halo, a complete cosmetic that worked as a headset to listen to music...
Several of the equipment that were in his inventory before his fateful death... including...
"Man... I don't think it's a good idea for me to have this right now..." Letyan said with Yamato-Kowaidasai floating beside him, as if begging to have his hands.
"It's in case of emergencies… We already obtained many powerful items during the period you were away from us. So you can keep it." Tabula said with a light laugh.
The innate power of that item seemed to cause some kind of "error" in that human's body, with his hair floating towards the katana, and his right hand seemed to deform, as if it was trying to forcefully touch the item. Before that could happen, he managed to open his inventory and put that world item inside.
After seeing that, Tabula seemed a little worried, swallowing hard. "True… it's better if you keep this inside your inventory and only use it when it's absolutely necessary."
"How bizarre… why were you affected like this…?" The paladin asked.
"This item is alive, if we interpret the description very well… and due to my special case of a player in a 'non-player' body… I think it's really dangerous.."
Everyone accepted that and decided that they would now leave, but unexpectedly, another person appeared from within Nazarick and ran towards both of them. That being was CZ2128-Delta.
"What are you doing here, little robot?" Letyan was the one to ask.
"Bukubukuchagama-sama and Ulbert Alain Odle-Sama asked me to accompany you." The robot maid said that in her neutral voice.
"Why exactly…?" This question was said at the same time by the 3 players there.
"They told me that my duties would be essential to be able to remain as a traveling companion, and they also said something about needing to bring more things to thank Touch_Me-sama for being there for the trip."
"But we can easily achieve that if we use teleportati- Oh… I see!" Tabula was saying that with a slight laugh. "We don't know how far the guild's teleport system can work. So it really is best to take the gifts there right away."
"What…? What gifts? You didn't tell me anything about that." Letyan asked with a serious look on his face.
"They are things like some potions considered extremely basic, some gold and some of our food, since we discovered that Yggdrasil's food is infinitely tastier than the food produced here." Tabula explained the situation. "Masato, for example, only has gold stored in the extra item slot, right?" Touch_Me agreed with the statement.
"Argh… let's pray that Kelart doesn't get angry with the fact that there is another person coming with us…" Those were Letyan's last words before they definitively left the outskirts of Nazarick.
The situation was even stranger, having to explain to the paladins that another person would be going with them, in addition to the appearance of that bicorn. Luckily for the boy, his boss seemed to be in a good enough mood to accept the conditions, but of course she would have to know what this new addition to the special group was about.
"Oh… I have a Maid role, but I can also work in long-range defense." CZ replied to Kelart as they were already riding their horses.
The formation of the journey to the meeting point was simple. Kelart was in the middle, Letyan and CZ were sharing the bicorn, both on the right side of the high priestess. Touch_Me was on the left side, and the rest of the paladins were a little behind.
"A maid and long-range defense?" Kelart asked curiously, without taking her eyes off the path they were taking.
"She has some variations of Hand Cannons, I was thinking about taking advantage of the fact that she's coming with us to maybe try to recreate them using glyphs." Letyan butted into the conversation.
"Oooh… Hand Cannons…? They're a very expensive type of equipment, both to obtain and to have ammunition. And to think that your role is to be a maid…" She said that and then looked at the paladin of justice. "You and your group really seem to live in some kind of luxurious place beyond any common sense… I would never see someone like that being a maid."
"It's complicated… Her father was an enthusiast of weapons like these." He replied trying to find excuses. "I've never seen anyone as fanatical as him."
"Oh! Yes! From Hikari's memories, Garnet really was quite fanatical about this… He even tried to create twin pistols, with the excuse being that each member of the group had a pair." Letyan commented with a smile on his face.
"Hm… to say 'was', it means that he is currently no longer in the world with us… correct?" Kelart questioned and they both agreed, making her look again at the girl behind her disciple. "What a situation… I hope this conversation isn't getting you down… Shizu? Is that your name?"
CZ just nodded at what was said, it was a pronunciation close enough to accept. "Garnet-Sama was an extremely addicted being, he always made upgrades so that I could become better at every moment."
"Upgrades?"
"Eh… sorry about that, Miss Custodio. It's just that her father talked so much in technical terms regarding equipment, that she ends up saying it that way when she actually means that she was trained by him." Touch_Me once again made up an excuse, which apparently was easily believed.
The midday sun had already set for an hour or two, the group continued to ride their horses at full speed, but they soon noticed something strange in the surroundings, due to some fallen trees in front, which forced the horses to slow down. And to confirm the situation, CZ's eyes began to glow between green and red repeatedly.
"There are some beings with intentions to hurt us nearby… on the other hand, their level of danger seems irrelevant." She commented, still lightly holding Letyan so as not to fall off the bicorn.
"I know you're saying that in comparison to the people of Nazarick, but please say that kind of thing in comparison to the average power of everyone here." Touch_Me commented on that while appearing to break out in a cold sweat.
He was surprised by that, he could feel that there was a little danger nearby, but only because of the fallen trees. It seems that his power level made weak monsters go unnoticed by his own unconscious senses.
"I'd say the danger level is average, if we don't count Hikari-Sama's abilities." CZ replied without delay.
The boy just turned around, lightly tapping the automaton's head, luckily there was no noise related to metal to destroy her disguise. "Shizu! I already told you! I'm not Hikari! My name is Letyan! And you don't need to use 'Sama' with me, my personal guards are enough!"
"Alright, Hikari-Sama" Letyan facepalmed after hearing her saying that once again.
Ignoring that part of the conversation, Kelart began to give orders for everyone to prepare for what might be coming. A surprise arrow appeared from the middle of the trees from the forest to their right.
Thanks to a silent enchantment by her disciple, a medium shield with religious symbols had appeared, protecting her from the attack that would hit her shoulder. The boy then exclaimed, going a little further ahead, accelerating with the bicorn, so that everyone would follow him and move in the green fields to the left, as it was a more open area.
They did so, with the horses accelerating, following the path a little to the outside to get away from that forest. When they finally saw a smoke signal ahead. As they got closer, it was a wooden wagon that had derailed, with fire coming out of it and some horses killed by arrows. They could see some people fallen from the accident, with their uniforms drawing attention.
"Let's see if any of them are alive, the rest stay prepared and with your shields raised!" Touch_Me was the one to give the command as he approached the place, with his shield raised and activating a skill so that both he and the horse would have temporary immunity to arrows.
"Damn… Masato…" Letyan complained to himself in a low voice and followed the paladin, speaking again at an acceptable volume. "Is anyone alive there??"
"No! But it seems they were from Baharuth Empire!" When he said this, Kelart rode closer to them, incredulous at his words, wanting to see the proof of it.
"Shizu! Point in the direction of any enemy and attack! Prioritize those with a bow and arrow, if you finish them all, you can start shooting at the closest ones!" With Letyan's orders, CZ immediately jumped out of the bicorn, taking out from under her skirt a set of three items that easily assembled into something that looked like a sniper rifle.
Luckily, everyone else was focusing more on protecting Kelart, so none of them seemed to notice the pink-haired girl setting up her gun right there and firing a few shots in the direction of the woods. Apparently the gun had a built-in silencer.
As they got closer, the situation became much clearer. The carriage was a bit burned, but it was possible to see the symbol of the Baharuth Empire on the inside of one of the doors. When identifying the bodies, they all had symbols carved into their waists, a symbol that was known to be the mark used to identify slaves of nobles from that place.
"What madness is going on here? What would a carriage carrying Baharuth's luxury slaves be doing in these areas?" Neia asked, her shield raised as other soldiers went to attack the enemies, who were ogres and some goblin archers.
"Knowing how rotten Re-Estize is. I bet 900 credits that they were means of communication between corrupt nobles." Letyan said now, looking in the direction of the monsters. "Let's continue with the maximum performance formation, you guys will only help if you see that an ally has fallen!"
The personal guards and Neia understood the message and so the boy jumped over the carriage, going to face the monsters together with the other paladins who were on standby there. Touch_Me just watched the way they were organized, with improved ease, as CZ was killing most of the goblin archers before they even left the trees.
It didn't take long for the situation to be over, with all the enemies dead, and the journey continued to a ruined village with a few tents made, all marked with the symbol of the Holy Kingdom. Some of the paladins there got off their horses, greeting and hugging the companions who had remained in that region.
Masato analyzed everything, still impressed. It was the first time he had actually been outside the regions of Nazarick, so to see that battle, and then a reunion between acquaintances? It was as if subtle battles like that were the most normal thing in that world.
Slowly his mind returned to memories that happened on Earth, thoughts of his old job as a police officer, being called to solve problems, occasionally getting into dangerous situations requiring a firearm. All of this to later receive a pat on the shoulder, a 'thank you very much for your service' from his boss, and finally, a hug from his daughter, kisses from his wife and a warm bed to sleep in.
If he were to delve deeper into that thought, it was as if the ordinary life of a traveler in this world was the same as a busy day, back when he was still doing field work.
The player's thoughts were soon scattered when he heard fingers snapping close to his face. It was that same boy, his old acquaintance.
"We won't take long, we've already told everyone about our trip and everything, the plan is that you, me, Neia and CZ will go inside one of the carriages. From the moment the moon reaches its highest point, that's when we'll stop to rest. When everyone wakes up, we'll have training on odd days, while another part will train on even days, we'll continue like this with the exception of possible rainy days, for breakfast we'll have fruit and some freshly heated coffee." He explained how the trip would be. "And if any soldier needs to rest more than usual, random carriages will be chosen for this soldier to switch places."
"You're talking like it's a very long journey, aren't you?" Touch_Me asked, curious.
"If we don't stop too much, we eat most of our necessary meals while we're walking, the horses don't get too tired while we're awake, and there are no problems with the weather or monster ambushes… I'd say we'll reach the edge of the Holy Kingdom in two weeks." He replied, soon laughing. "That's being very optimistic."
"Wow… seriously? I mean, Sebas and Solution were able to reach the capital of Re-Estize in just 1 day." Touch_Me said this, looking around to see if anyone else was listening to the conversation.
"That's probably because Sebas used some draconic ability to propel himself there, even taking into account that the mission you gave them was supposed to be hidden, getting to that place from where Nazarick is… is an absurd speed."
"That situation makes me wonder… how fast did your katana have to fly to get to where you were?"
"Well… it created a large crater and a sonic boom effect when it hit the battlefield… So I'd say it was an extremely violent speed."
"Guys! Let's go!" Kelart called their attention, being a little far away and inside her own carriage.
"What do we do during this time of travel?" Touch_me asked again, he had never had to travel for so long.
"You can stay with the guys and tell some of your interesting stories… or decide to sleep so that when the others go to sleep, you can stay awake for our protection." The boy just said facts as he walked to a wagon where Neia and CZ were already waiting.
The paladin player, before getting into the wagon, tried to look for the bicorn, but when he remembered that it had possibly been transformed into an item inside Letyan's inventory, he just facepalmed.
In this way, a long journey was really about to begin.
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Dark, terror, fear...
These were three of the first words that a being, in the midst of the void, could think...
But who could this being be?
The being could not remember its own name, its own form, its own thoughts, its own desires.
The being could not feel touch, it did not seem to see anything, it did not hear anything and it did not feel any feelings.
But little by little the being could actually see something, a distorted light, it could barely be considered a light because it was so dark. It was some kind of darkness that was different from the void's one, but it was impossible to tell the difference with the eyes, it was more of a sensation.
Slowly, from that new darkness, something else emerged. This something held the being firmly in that floating space, revealing to it the true form of its body. And along with this, it was possible to see something really coming out of the darkness, something visible, something with shape, color and sensation.
The being soon began to remember things as it saw that thing taking more and more shape. The sadistic smile, the violet eyes, the attractive curves that would make any woman envious, the pale skin, and finally, the blond hair, which floated in the darkness, being very messy.
"W-What?... No... N-No!!! NO!!!!!" The being finally remembered what had happened, its last seconds before arriving in the world of emptiness.
The pain in its ribs and vertebrae, the teeth and nose that had broken, the blood gushing from its forehead, the anger mixed with fear of having finally met death...
But if she had met death... why could she feel something like this?
The natural thing in the world would be for a person to demonstrate choice in deciding whether or not to fight for a second chance. She didn't know this naturally, but she could feel in every millimeter of her body that this should be the true natural path.
But what was happening now wasn't natural, not even in the divine sense…
It was aggressive... Manipulative... Absolute…
Finally, that copy of her naked body, without any apparent imperfections, began to laugh. She knew that laugh well, she always laughed like that when she saw someone in despair.
Vibrant violet eyes appeared everywhere she could see, with smiles made of pure blood being made, all producing that same sadistic laughter sound.
That copy held her shoulders tightly, laughing louder and louder, with a blood-red slime coming out of its eyes, nose and mouth.
The fear only increased, but it didn't seem like it would stop easily…
Soon the face of that Clementine was above her soul, laughing, with the slime forcibly entering her body. It was terrible. It was as if her entire being was being invaded, violated and dismantled.
Finally… she managed to open her eyes… but perhaps she wished she had never opened them.
It took a few seconds for the assassin to feel something real. The sensation was an extreme burning sensation on her back, as if that place was pure without skin, exposed to the strangely humid air of the place. But what was that place?
She was handcuffed at the wrists and ankles, hanging from the ceiling. Beside her, she could see a small table with equipment that would normally be seen in the rooms of the most orthodox healers of her home kingdom, Slane Theocracy. Immediately making her scream in fear, it brought back memories that she hoped she would never relive.
"Oooh! She's awake, my son! How impressive!" The voice was strong, powerful, and slowly it was possible to see a kind of demon with a goat's head that wore strange clothes, but that suited an aristocrat. "She can scream and move after a situation like that."
"AH?! W-WHAT IS THAT?!? D-DEMON!!!" Clementine seemed to still be in complete panic.
In a situation against any human, she is extremely confident, but when it comes to demihumans, her confidence begins to fade just a little. That being said, seeing a demon in front of her that had an aura that made her shiver was enough to fill her with fear and with the wish to be saved like a stupid, dumb and weak princess.
"Shut up. The great Ulbert-Sama was speaking just now, don't interrupt with your screams, insect." Another being appeared in her vision, it was a man with a red suit and a metallic tail…? No, that was definitely another demon.
She tried to scream, but it seemed that the demon's order had an effect on her, managing to open her mouth, but no noise was produced…
"Don't treat her like that, my son… After all, our great friend brought her here to get some information~" The goat-headed demon said with a mischievous smile, his bright eyes staring Clementine up and down. "Hm… I noticed something interesting…"
"What would be interesting, father?" The demon in the suit asked.
"The craziest women have several qualities… They can be the most beautiful, or they can also be the most resilient." The malicious smile seemed to become more evident. "Before the interrogation, I would like you to remove more of her skin, just to be sure."
When she heard those words, Clementine tried to scream and beg them not to do it, but her voice still wouldn't come out of her throat. And slowly, she watched that other demon holding her naked body tightly, using an extremely sharp knife for the skinning process.
She began to cry a lot with the pain, lifting her face and screaming without being heard. After a few minutes, she felt the goat-faced demon's clawed hand firmly holding her chin and ordering her to speak again. At that exact moment, her voice could be heard, but he slapped her cheek hard, leaving a mark and blood running down her face.
"Now, let's get to the interrogation… But we can't leave you like this during our conversation~" He smiled sadistically, pouring a blood-red potion over her body.
Her body burned when it came into contact with the potion, the raw areas being regenerated with the skin. She ended up not being able to bear it and fainted from the pain…
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While the terrors were happening in the depths of Nazarick, something much more interesting and friendly was happening outside the Great Tomb. Two hours after Touch_Me left, Tabula was setting up an interesting area a little inside the forest.
With the help of 3 of his NPCs, Citrinitas, Rubedo and Nigredo, a simple rustic wooden hut was built. Around it was a garden composed of various flowers, in a way to show the 4 main colors of alchemy, being red, black, white and yellow. In addition to the flowers, there were some decorative totems, which referenced alchemical symbols and space beings from Lovecraft's stories, and a path of compacted earth that connected the entrance of the place with the area that had been configured to be a teleport destination. And this was necessary, because apart from everything that had been mentioned, the place was surrounded by a dense forest, not being physically connected to any other place.
"What a beautiful landscape…" Tabula admired the new area he had created.
"It looks just like I would imagine a well-kept cabin in the middle of the forest. But something is still missing…" He stared at the entrance to the cabin, until he remembered what was missing: a sign!
That area was actually being made for when the human alchemist, Nfirea, would willing to become the Brain Eater's disciple. There was no reason for there to be a sign to inform what the place was, but he wanted to give it some charm.
But why was he doing all this, even though the boy hadn't actually confirmed it? Because it was impossible for him not to take advantage of that opportunity!
It was extremely obvious how much the alchemy from this new world was inferior compared to the knowledge from Earth and Yggdrasil combined, and from the conversations Momonga had with the boy, it was a fact that he really wanted to improve in the profession. Even though he had only seen the boy once, and had yet to actually interact with him, the Brain Eater was extremely excited to have someone as an apprentice! Of course, he would continue with the roleplay of the situation he found himself in, and, most likely, would take advantage of the boy's ignorance to talk about cosmic horrors, as if they were otherworldly truths. And all of this made the context more fun, with the various tentacles on his face constantly moving to reflect his emotions.
"Father, I've finished fixing the inside." Someone came out of the hut, it was Rubedo, her golem automaton body, being almost a living furnace, made her perfect for carrying several things at the same time.
"Perfect!!!! And what about the door frame?"
"I finished fixing this a few minutes ago after a conversation with Aureole Omega!" Another person came out of the cabin. It was a woman with orange hair, very thin and with an attractive figure, but who wore a shirt like a madhouse uniform. Her name? Citrinitas.
"Very good! I think we're done for today. Until the boy comes, we can use this place for tea parties!" Tabula said happily, approaching two of her daughters and caressing the tops of their heads with his tentacles. They seemed extremely happy and pleased with their creator's reaction.
The "Door Frame" that Citrinitas was referring to was a kind of portal. It was impossible to put so many things related to alchemy in that cabin, and it would also be irresponsible to leave advanced equipment outside of Nazarick. Therefore, a portal was created that connected that place with the 9th floor, more specifically, with the alchemy laboratory. In other words, the cabin itself would be just a facade, a place where Nfirea, or any other guest, could use to have a period of rest, away from anything else that would get in the way of their studies.
Even with his daughters saying those things, Tabula decided to enter the cabin to check if everything was according to the plan he had with Ulbert's help. That place had a living room with just a sofa and a bookshelf; a simple kitchen, having taken as a reference the kitchens of Carne Village so as not to overdo it with technology; two small bedrooms with each one having a bed, closet and study table; a room in the back, with a large table in the center, where they could practice more basic alchemy; and that was where the portal was, having been in the shape of a simple door, with the difference of having a golden handle and a lock.
"This is so stupid." He said this while looking at the lock, seeming to hold himself back from laughing.
That was actually a trap in case someone broke in and tried to break down the door. The real way to open it was by having a special ring on your hand that touched the doorknob. The trap itself was a spell of spontaneous combustion, which would turn the victim into a barbecue, with the limbs being the only thing that had a chance of remaining. There was the idea of possibly taking advantage of the poor and stupid souls that activated such a mechanism, to feed some of the NPCs who hunger for cremated meat.
While he was watching the door, it opened. Coming out of it was Nigredo, the ghoul among the daughters of Tabula. Unlike the huge scissors that she normally carried at all times, she was hugging a brown teddy bear, quite adorable and full of ribbons. Her hair, as always, covered her face of exposed muscles, her beautiful blue eyes were the only thing visible.
"Father, Tabula-Sama." Nigredo said, approaching the brain eater. "We received a message using a scroll… Apparently, the human who was seen as being important. He said that he wants to participate."
The brain eater stood still for a few seconds, until he exploded with excitement, with his tentacles moving frantically. "That's great! Right at the moment we finished the cabin of my 'school'!!! That's perfect!!"
"I would like to add, Father, Tabula-Sama. He also wrote that he would like to initially have a period of conversation, so that he could get to know better the one who will be his teacher." Nigredo continued to speak, but only after her creator had calmed down.
He completely understood the boy's logic. After all, the only thing he had possibly heard about the brain eater was the fact that he was trustworthy, that he was an alchemist, and that he knew how to make potions considered divine in that world. But now the essential question arose…
"Do I show myself with a disguise? Or do I show my true form?" He wondered aloud.
Of course! He could always be in disguise, but he had also seen the reaction of one or another human who had seen his real form, and neither of them seemed to despair upon learning that the "monster" was a good person inside.
He soon thought of a perfect answer to that, but before he could complete that thought, Rubedo spoke, not having realized that her father's question was rhetorical. "Father, you are a Supreme Being, if you are really teaching an inferior being like a human, and you want him to learn your grand thoughts, the best way would be to show the truth and understand if the inferior being is really willing to learn looking at the pure wisdom."
'You saying that makes me feel embarrassed…' he thought, but in theory that was part of the logic he could use… In fact, that excuse could be used by all Supreme Beings, if the heteromorphic appearance was really a problem.
'We were once human, but we ended up achieving so much power that our bodies changed.'
Yes! That would be a super acceptable excuse! Because it was also true!!! So if there was someone in that world with the power to detect lies, that would be the best choice!
'Maybe I should start by showing myself in disguise, ask him if he'd be willing to see what happens when he reaches the absolute level of an alchemist, and finally, use that excuse to no longer need to be in disguise… BRILLIANT!!!' Tabula thought, with his tentacles agitated again.
Realizing that he had ended up not answering Rubedo, he spoke again. "I understand, I think I know methods of doing this without my absolute appearance scaring him. That way, we'll see if he'll be willing to learn my pure power, without my appearance being a factor in distancing him. Since, honestly, I'm a little ugly." His final words made the NPCs get agitated.
"You would never be ugly! You are a Supreme Being!" Nigredo spoke on impulse.
"Those who do not understand the true beauty of a being like you, Father, are just ignorant of a majestic existence!" Citrinitas exclaimed as he waved his arms around, with the excessively long sleeves of his straitjacket making the situation even comical.
"Human beings are just foolish inferiors who see beauty in strange things, honestly." Rubedo commented as she pointed at Nigredo. "Look at our older sister, only her face is beautiful, her body only serves to attract stupid human prey."
"H-hey! Don't talk about your sister like that!" Tabula exclaimed as well. "I know I created her like that to attract unsuspecting players. But human beauty is also seen as charming by us." He sighed, cringing at the phrase he was going to say. "Because the true beauty of a person lies in their intentions and motivations. Your motivations are related to pleasing me, a supreme being, so you are all beautiful!"
Their creator's words made them blush extremely, with Rubedo making a three-charcoal noise, smoke coming out of her ears. "T-Thank you, father!!" They said at the same time.
"Now enough talking about beauty! Send the human a message to go to an empty place in 10 minutes, so I can teleport and get him personally!" Tabula ordered and Nigredo bowed slightly, returning inside Nazarick to arrange this.
"As for you two… if you want to see the whole scene after I bring him, or if you want to come with me to keep me company…" He stared at Rubedo for a moment. "Rubedo, my dear, due to the fact that you are a golem automaton, I think you might scare him at first sight, so please remain hidden or return to Nazarick."
The grand redhead accepted the idea and walked through the door to return to the base, but as for Citrinitas. "Your appearance is human enough that there should be no questions about your race. You can stay here, come with me, or go to Nazarick."
"I'll go with you, Father! I'm eager to know what this human who has caught the attention of the great Supreme Beings is like." She replied happily.
Before teleporting, Tabula began to get ready. All the tentacles on his body wrapped around each other and around his limbs, so that he wouldn't look extremely thin. He wore clothes with very long sleeves and pants that went to the ends inside boots, so that nothing was exposed, and to be on the safe side, he put on a large cloak, before finally putting on an illusion mask over his face.
When the time came, Tabula received the scroll that was being used to maintain contact. With the item in hand, he managed to use the union of the [Ring of Ainz Ooal Gown] and his large amount of mana to create a portal to where the messages were being sent. Aureole Omega played a big role in this situation, because of her connection to the portals of Nazarick and the rings of the guild members, she was able to keep that temporary portal open long enough for them to go and bring the human in.
Stepping on the other side, the brain eater noticed that he was inside what seemed to be a warehouse, full of ingredients and various things. He seemed happy to enter another alchemist's workplace, but soon a thought arose, a thought that all the products there were of the worst quality and rotten…
'Wait... Did my character setting make me have this kind of thought?' It was the first time that this had occurred to him, perhaps due to his job class together with the fact that he almost never left Nazarick during all the time. Anyway, he looked around to see the human, his blond hair hiding part of his face.
Nfirea was astonished to see that being appear through a portal, but not only that, he had been accompanied by a woman with an appearance that made him want to take a few steps back. It wasn't like that, but that look reminded him of the adventurer killer, Clementine, who had kidnapped him not even two days ago. Other than that, she just seemed to be a woman who wore belts on all parts of her body.
The human soon came out of his thoughts when he heard the voice of who would be his new mentor, it was a voice that sounded like a man in his prime. "Baeare... Nfirea Bareare... Did I get your name right, young boy?"
"A-Ah!! Y-Yes! Excuse my surprise, sir-"
"Oh! No need to start with the honorifics, boy. We are alchemists, beings hungry for the pleasure of discovery from nature..." He said with a laugh, but soon approached the boy, speaking softly. "I'll introduce myself later, but for now…"
He walked away, speaking normally again, laughing a little. "My name is Harry Pandemonium Lovecraft! But you can just call me Harry, Lovecraft, or Mr. H.P.~"
It took a while for the human to process the situation, until the thought arose. 'Oh! Just like The Black Warrior Momon is a separate identity from Spellcaster Momonga, his friends must also be wanting to do the same… to do something like that… Do they really not want to be identified?'
After realizing that he didn't answer anything, he finally spoke. "O-Of course! Thank you very much, Mr. H.P.! I'm happy that you accepted me as your disciple."
"Alright, kid, I came here to pick you up, but from the little conversations I had with my colleague… You only live with your grandmother here in the city… right?" with the confirmation of Nfirea, the being who at the moment called himself Harry, continued. "Okay, I'll go and talk to her first. If she questions me, just say that you heard about me back in Carne Village… which isn't a lie."
So the two of them left the basement to have a chat with Nfirea's grandmother, who luckily wasn't serving any customers at the moment, leaving the orange-haired woman there next to the portal. The conversation was slightly defensive, as Lizzie was still a little affected by the fact that her grandson had been kidnapped recently, but after mentioning that Harry was an acquaintance of Momon, that they would be staying near the Carne Village, and especially that he was the person who gave Momon that special healing potion, she seemed to relax a little and accept the idea.
Maybe because he owes the Black Warrior Momon a huge debt…
But when she asked how the man got there…
"W-What?! A portal??" The old woman said that in astonishment as she walked to the basement, she saw that woman in strange clothes, next to what seemed to be a small floating sphere.
"Yes, I made this portal with the help of my daughters. It's just a few alchemical runes on a magic scroll… many may find it complex, but after doing it at least 4 times, it becomes something that any experienced alchemist can do. Of course, it requires a large amount of Mana to create the item itself…" Harry said that with a slightly embarrassed voice at the end, but continued. "If you want, I'll leave another one of those magic scrolls with you in case he wants to visit you before the time."
It takes a few seconds for Lizzie to be able to reason what she was hearing. "So… actually… If I accept this Magic Scroll… would it be as if he were still here?"
"More or less like that." Harry said, handing her the magic scroll he was talking about. "You can write with any type of ink on this item, and that way Nfirea will be able to receive your messages. If you have used too much of the paper, just do the command, [Limpusty], so that the scroll becomes empty and you can write more. Drawings and drawn figures will also be transmitted."
The woman soon sighed and seemed to accept those conditions, with cold sweat running down her face as she returned to the main area of the establishment. Nfirea knew that his grandmother was still very worried, but he promised himself that he would at least send her a message a day, so that she would know how he was.
After packing some of the things he would need in a backpack, the human said he was ready to go. Thus, the brain eater in disguise touched that floating sphere, causing the portal to reopen. They both passed through it, with Citrinitas being the last to enter and also close the portal.
"Woah…" Nfirea looked surprised, but not in the way he expected.
He thought the place he was going to was extremely fancy, like a small nobleman's house. That was the image that came to him, due to how impressive that potion was. However, he was now inside a wooden hut, with very simple items that one would normally see in a rural village.
"Welcome, Young Nfirea! You are in a place where you can rest during your studies! My daughter, Citrinitas, will show you around. Since I am free most of the time, you can call me whenever you want for help, from the moment the sun rises, until the moon is at its peak!" He spoke happily. "So that you don't end up saying my real name by accident, I recommend that you use my 'adventurer' name. But if u are curious, the real is Tabula."
"Y-Yes, Mr. Lovecraft!" the young disciple said, holding tightly to his backpack. But he soon looked at Citrinitas, who just chuckled and began to take the young man with her so he could get used to the 'dorm'.
Entering the room, Nfirea put his things on the bed, still observing all that architecture, it was too simple, but there was something that left him slightly intrigued. However, he could not identify what it was.
"So... Miss Citrinitas... Mr. Lovecraft called you his daughter...?" He questioned the girl, out of pure curiosity.
"Oh yes! I am one of my father's newest creations!" She said proudly.
"Creations?" He was confused by the choice of words, until he thought about it a little more. 'Harry-sama... or rather, Tabula-sama, is a great alchemist who can make blood-colored potions. Could it be...'
"Yes! I was created from the great powers of my great father!" Her answer confirmed the human's suspicions.
'A being great enough in alchemy to create other living beings???? Never heard of it!! Maybe it's some forgotten knowledge? I should question him about it as soon as possible…' It was one of her many thoughts, her eyes wide as she spoke, trying her best not to show the internal panic she was having. "Are there more beings created by him…?"
"Oh yes!" She smiled, very excited. "There are 4 of us in total! Me, Rubedo who is the youngest, and the oldests, Nigredo and Albedo!"
That last name made the alchemist astonished to the point of taking a few steps back. "Excuse me for asking… but… would Albedo be a woman who wears black armor?"
"Yeah! She has beautiful armor, black as night!" Citrinitas said excitedly. "She is very lucky to have received that armor! It is very special, as it can nullify any damage 3 times before breaking."
"Impressive! So one of Mr. Lovecraft's daughters helped defend Carne Vill— Wait what?" He heard the second thing mentioned. "… Nullification of any damage?" The orange-haired girl nodded.
'W-Wouldn't that kind of equipment be something to be placed on the Royal Treasure…?' Nfirea wondered, his eyes still wide with astonishment.
That group… Ainz Ooal Gown… had an alchemist who could create living beings, equipment considered treasures for kingdoms, and potions the color of sin that had only been heard of in religious texts…
Nfirea was… getting scared…
No… he was already scared, he was already terrified by the intensity of the situation he found himself in… He only realized now… His happiness at having a mentor above the level of a Wise Sage had made his conscious mind blind and ignorant to the primordial feeling of all human beings…
F E A R…
"That… is impressive… I would like to know more about it by asking him…" Nfirea tried his best not to show that feeling, but it seemed he was failing.
The woman with messy hair had a smug face, which soon spread, becoming a smile, in which sharp teeth stained with something green were clearly visible. "You're not going to chicken out now, are you? The Alchemy Supreme Being accepted you… do you want to miss this opportunity?" Her voice became empty, an incredible contrast to before.
He stared at her for a few seconds, feeling a tremendous cold filling his body, as if his instincts were telling him to run away from there, but he was so scared that he ended up paralyzed.
It was even difficult to think about that situation… The young Nfirea was getting confused, unable to understand why his body was like that… How had the situation gotten like that in such a short time…
"HEY! STOP DOING THIS TO THE BOY!" A voice came, making him wake up from that strange trance.
It was Tabula, still disguised. He approached and slapped Citrinitas on the back of her head. "I could feel you releasing that aura of yours from the other room!! Don't scare my disciple!! He barely arrived and you're acting like this with him!"
"Ha?! B-But father! I didn't do anything! I was just-"
"You were using your distortion aura!" Tabula interrupted her. "Beings like him can't handle this at all! You're AT LEAST 30 levels higher! This could cause after-effects!!"
"B-But-"
"NO BUT! I've been waiting sooo long for this! And you want to ruin it like this?! Get out of here, now!!! Until further notice, you are forbidden from entering in this hut or in my laboratory when he is there! The one who will be allowed to help me in here instead will be Rubedo or Nigredo!" Tabula's voice ended up unintentionally affecting the human alchemist a little, who seemed to be shaking a little more.
The woman with messy hair had a sad look on her face, her expression having completely changed. She ran away from there, heading straight for the door that connected the cabin to Nazarick.
Tabula sighed, putting a hand on his head and then looked at Nfirea. "Kid... breathe a little... and... take this..." He handed him a small white sphere. "It will help repel the aura she left in the room... just bite it."
With that item in his hands, and still shaking, Nfirea slowly put it in his mouth, still trusting the player. It was an item with a sugary taste, which when bitten, released a kind of viscous liquid with an extremely bitter flavor. Even with the expression of disgust at the sudden change in flavor, it seemed that the moment he felt that taste, the dizziness and confusion disappeared almost instantly. The boy was still staring at the great alchemist, who, even wearing a mask, managed to show concern by the way he was moving, as if he was careful not to do something that could make the situation worse.
"She… why did she do that?" Those were the first words he said after calming down.
"I'm sorry about that… She's not used to people like you…"
"She's not used to real people?" The boy asked, sitting up in bed.
Tabula's expression changed slightly for a few seconds, until he spoke again in a calm voice. "What do you mean by that?"
"She ended up accidentally talking about the fact that she was fabricated." He answered honestly, but looked at the floor. "I ended up getting curious and thinking I heard wrong… but she started saying how you managed to raise her and your other daughters, as if they were experiments and not living beings…"
'Damn… she was more open to questions than I thought… Maybe she didn't like his curiosity and started doing this…?' Tabula thought, but ended up saying what was on her mind. "That only gives me more reason to punish her…"
"Punish her for talking too much?" Nfirea asked. "Was that… some kind of secret, like the fact that Momonga can use high-level spells?"
"No, kid… I was going to reveal some secrets to you, due to the nature of our work… and it's because of that very nature that I was going to punish her more."
"Nature?" He questioned again.
Tabula then sat beside him, his gloved fingers intertwined on his lap. "Nfirea, do you know what the nature of an alchemist is?"
"Nature…? You mean things like creating potions for any possible occasion? The bottle holder…"
He liked the answer, but that wasn't it. "I mean the feeling of searching for something more, for the truth."
Nfirea was a little confused, so he spoke again. "Kid… The true nature of an alchemist is the search for the truth of the world, of how things work in the most detailed way possible… it's the search for more and more until it's impossible, not in practice, but in theory, for anything beyond that to exist. It's the path taken to understand your real and individual Magnum Opus, the masterpiece that is destined to be found by each alchemist, which will represent all of their skill and creativity to the world."
"So, I didn't do anything wrong?" He raised his face again, now staring at Tabula's mask.
"Of course you didn't do anything wrong, boy! In fact, you were expected to question non-stop, until you felt satisfied with your answers that day, than you would have enough to organize your thoughts, and thus have more questions to be asked the next day." The mentor said that with his voice showing excitement.
There seemed to be no lie, not even exaggeration, in those words.
"Tell me, what else did you discover with your questions today?" He spoke while adjusting his mask a little.
"That one of your daughters was one of the people who were with Momonga to save Carne Village… I would like to send something, to show how grateful I am."
"Hehe! No need, boy. Unfortunately, only one of my daughters seems to be friendly with living beings outside of Ainz Ooal Gown's base, while another is neutral. And the one who helped your friend's village is one of the ones that don't like so much." The answer he received made Nfirea understand, the Albedo had only followed orders.
"I see… Another thing I discovered is that you're called the 'Alchemy Supreme Being'… or something like that."
"Oh… that detail…" Tabula seemed to cough lightly, as if he was embarrassed. "It's just that my guild is located inside a dungeon, in which we have many, many servants, servants who we save from strange and bizarre situations, and there are cases of servants who were created… Because of that, and a few other things… They call all of us, original guild members, as 'Supreme Beings'… It's embarrassing, but I can't say I don't understand why they act like that."
"So, they're so grateful that they've become fanatics?" Nfirea tried to gather his thoughts, and his new mentor only confirmed it by nodding his head. "Okay, I think… I can understand the situation better… But… wait… If you have four daughters, and only one is friendly with people outside the guild, why didn't you bring her?"
"Oh! That's right! It's just… she doesn't have a very nice appearance… I mean, she's very pretty and all, the problem is that she… can easily scare people if her face is exposed."
"In what sense?"
"Well… when I 'made' her… There ended up being a miscalculation, which caused her… to have no skin on her face…" He said those things while scratching the back of his neck. "Her face is practically exposed muscles, and since she was 'born' like that, at least they aren't covered in blood or anything of this level, but it doesn't change the fact that it could make someone run in fear, if they're not used to that kind of sight."
"Then why didn't you try to help her?"
"Because her job is to help defend the guild." He was direct. "Most of the servants of Ainz Ooal Gown are tasked with defending our home… It's a large dungeon, full of floors, but we only use the last two as a base. Her appearance even helps to deceive people who are invading, so that she can scare them later. It was a case of 'Failing Successfully'."
"When the mistake becomes a greater advantage compared if there had been no mistake." Nifrea said that calmly, Tabula confirmed that this was the case, snapping her fingers. "I understand, since you warned me about this, I think I'm prepared if your daughter shows up here."
"Great, I'll let her know about it… and… well… I was thinking that if you do well in your activities here, you might be rewarded with a tea party. What do you think? Is there a specific tea you like?"
"Tea… huh?..." Nfirea thought for a bit, before finally answering. "I don't have a preference, but I do like drinks that are a little bitter."
"Perfect! I'll ask the kitchen staff to start checking if we have anything like that in stock." Tabula stood up and walked to the door. "I'll ask one of my daughters to bring you some books that are appropriate for starting your alchemical journey, as well as perhaps some stories and mythological tales from my native land, so that you can be inspired in your search for knowledge!"
"Tales?"
"Yes, strangely enough, even though they are stories in books, most of them have been proven to be true since ancient times, well beyond the time recorded in other places!!! They are considered mythological, due to the level of surrealism you need to have, to understand them! But I warn you! There is a rule in alchemy that not only alchemists must follow, but any Scholar must be aware of it!!"
Nfirea was taken aback by the last sentence, listening attentively. "Even if you are searching for the absolute truth, you have to know your own limit and how much you can improve in a given time. If you exaggerate too much… something about you can change…"
He was going to question what he meant by that, but soon saw Tabula remove his glove, revealing smooth, rubbery skin, with suction cups along the fingers. "I say this from experience, boy. And so, I will guide you so that you do not end up like me." He put the glove back on.
"Did your body change…?" Nfirea asked in fright.
"...'One should never fly too high… the sun may burn you or incinerate you'… This can be translated to, 'Do not seek the light of knowledge in an exaggerated way, you may blind yourself, and this blindness may be permanent'..." His voice was serious at that moment. "I was…. but I am no longer considered a human… None of us are…"
He stared at his mentor in a frightened manner, swallowing hard to question. "What do you mean 'None of us'?"
"All the original members of the guild ended up doing experiments, tests, trying to improve themselves as much as possible, all to achieve our desire for knowledge, whether it was out of pure greed, pride, or even the feeling of wanting to protect others, without caring about yourself." He kept his voice serious. "Most died trying to achieve their own goals, disappearing… If you want, we can talk more about this later, but right now… I feel like you really need to rest, maybe sleep or sink your mind into books, so you can absorb the circumstances you find yourself in. If you want something to eat, the kitchen already has some appropriate foods, everything is in jars and boxes, but they all have labels that tell you the contents."
"O-Okay, Mr. Lovecraft… I understand… I'll… get some sleep and wait for your daughter to bring the books."
"Very well! Oh! And you can leave the cabin if you want, for now, you can only stay as far as the flowers in the garden, and also with my permission, okay?" Nfirea agreed with the requirements. "Great… I wish you have a good time with us, Mr. Bareare."
Nfirea was now left completely alone in that cabin, breathing deeply, using that time to calm down and organize things… But it was unsettling… To the point that he got up after a few minutes and went straight to the kitchen, taking with him his notepad and one of the ink pens that were in the room.
He sat at the kitchen table and began to write down the things he discovered about those people there, initially making it as if it were a family tree, but giving up and putting only specific names and main points of each. It might seem absurd, but it really helped him. But it didn't stop there, because he noticed a pot that was on top of one of the shelves, it was an adorable wooden pot with a lid decorated with bows, with a piece of paper stuck to the front that said "Chocolate powder".
"Chocolate…? My god, these people must be really rich…" He said that, but then immediately gave a facepalm. "Of course they are rich, they can get ingredients to create living beings… argh… Well… if they left this in the cabin that only I am staying in… maybe I can try it?"
Standing up, Nfirea approached that pot, opening it and seeing an extremely fine brown powder. He passed it on the tip of his index finger, curious about the flavor, and put it in his mouth. His eyes widened, it was very sweet! No! It wasn't just sweet, there was something more! But the human couldn't decipher it.
The boy had tasted chocolate before, but it was only once, on a day when he had to make an exhausting trip to the capital of Re-Estize Kingdom. He remembered the taste of that extremely expensive and exotic item…
'That was great… but compared to this…' Nfirea thought, completely dumbfounded. "It's like the chocolate of the nobility was the worst dirt… H-How is that possible?!? M-Magic also makes something like that?! O-Or maybe it's alchemy???? I-If it's alchemy, and I can reproduce it… M-My god!!!"
It didn't take long for him to notice that there was another pot there, identical to the one with the chocolate, but with the label "Milk powder". If this wasn't real life, Nfirea would have a giant question mark over his head.
"Milk? Powdered?? Is that possible?" He picked up the pot, noticing that there was another piece of paper behind it, and read what was written. "A small spoon for medium cup of water… Eh?? I-Is that serious?" The day was already completely strange, scary, and awesome all at the same time, so there was no harm in blindly following the instructions.
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{3 Hours Later . . . }
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Nigredo was leaving Ashurbanipal, the Grand Library located at the 10th Floor. She had a cart full of books with her. The vast majority of them were part of her father's personal collection, consisting of stories about cosmic horror, players' novels that mix alchemy and the world of YGGDRASIL, and of course, copies of books about alchemical research both from Earth and other fictional worlds, most of which came directly from the virtual library of Fuyuki Yamamoto (aka. Tabula IRL Name), since he worked as a restorer of books of this kind.
"Nigredo-chan!" Someone caught her attention, it was Bukubukuchagama, who was heading towards the library, followed by Mare Bello Fiore.
"A-Ah! B-Bukubuku-sama! Lord Mare!"
"H-Hello." The dark elf said in a timid voice, with one of his arms wrapped around a tentacle created by his creator.
"What are you doing with so many books?" The slime asked, picking one up to see what it was about.
"I'm going to take it to my father's disciple.. The books were handpicked."
"I see… Cthulhu… that's just like that brain eater…" Bukubuku said, putting the book back in the cart. "I heard that this boy has an innate ability to use any item without class restrictions. I don't want to hear about him being mistreated or anything like that, a being like that is extremely unique and could cause us trouble if he sees us as hostile."
"O-Of course, Bukubuku-Sama. I understand that… As Tabula-Sama's firstborn, I will represent him in that dormitory, when he can't be there." Nigredo said that way, hiding her face under her long hair.
"Okay, sorry to bother you, but I would like to know something. While you were there looking for those books, did you see any of my hidden data-videos? I came here to show little Mare how cute he was in our old presentations!" The slime said excitedly, while the dark elf's face and even ears turned extremely red.
"Hm… actually, I think I almost accidentally grabbed one of those data-videos, because It was very close to one of the books… I think it's in area E, corridor 3." Nigredo replied and watched the slime drag the dark elf with her.
With no one in the way, she went back to carrying the books, having to go up to the 9th Floor, to get to the wooden hut using the portal that connected the two places. When she arrived, she slowly tidied up the place of the books, until she noticed the disciple. He was face down on the table, with a wooden mug in his hands and with the area around his mouth completely dirty, by the smell in the air, it was easy to identify the chocolate drink.
"Oh… How interesting… he even looks like Lady Aura when she finishes eating her dinner…"
Having finished putting the books in the requested areas, she returned to the kitchen and tried to gently shake the boy's shoulder so he would wake up. And when he woke up, he seemed to be drunk with the sleep sensation, looking around, until his eyes met the beautiful blue eyes of Nigredo, who had his face completely hidden in the middle of that big hair.
"AAAH!?" He was startled by the undead's sudden and close presence, causing him to jump out of his chair. And only after a few seconds, he managed to make the connection. "Oh… I-I'm sorry… I was having such a good sleep… uh… You're Nigredo, right?"
"Yes, I heard about the trouble my younger sister caused… I'll be responsible as the cabin's caretaker… I just took the books to the shelves in your bedroom and living room…" She handed him a book.
The book in particular was gray, with a central figure of a man being embraced by several tentacles, skull decorations around it and on the bottom of the cover it said "The Classic Fears, Collection n.1". And curiously, he opened it just to see the summary, with the first story being called "The Alchemist".
"Oh.. Thank you… I assume this is one of the stories my mentor had mentioned… to keep me creative and open-minded…"
"Correct… If you need anything, don't be afraid to call. The laboratory next door has an ornate door, next to it there's a kind of bell, click on it to call me." Nigredo answered that, while her hair swayed a little, revealing white teeth with valuable pearls and some red muscle fibers.
That scared the boy a little, but he just looked away, thanking her again. He decided to go read that book to occupy his mind a little. Giving a light and somewhat shy wave to that woman, who soon disappeared from his sight.
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