A Few Hours Later:
I had finally finished all of the work that needed to be done, and I was currently heading to Market Street, just to see if that ramen vendor was still selling his holy bowls of soup.
So, dressed up in an outfit that I hadn't worn in such a long time, the purple witch's hat combined with the purple witch's cloak from the old cover of this novel, I headed out.
But, halfway there, I was stopped by a voice that I hadn't heard in a long time.
//Daddy!
Knowing that this voice that had just entered my mind was definitely not Bella's, there was only one other possibility.
'It's the fucking crow.'
(A/N: Yes, I haven't forgotten about the crow, nor about his twin sisters. They're all just doing there thing in the background of the plot.)
//You're back!
//Yes, I'm back, now get off my head.
//But it's comfortable up here on Daddy's head inside this hat.
I already knew this, as I knew where he was at all times after all, with him being my spirit beast, so instead, I inquired about what brought him here today.
//So Daddy, that girl, the one that you spent 4 days with, she went up this mountain and started smashing some rocks, before crying and then launching herself at the dormitories.
After hearing this, I felt a vial enter my hands.
Only taking a cursory glance at it, I then palmed it and put it in my inventory, before continuing on my way.
//Follow her, make sure she doesn't do anything stupid.
//Okay Daddy!
Then, Esper, my raven, somehow phased through my hat with a new power she had obtained, from "growing up", and immediately headed to where Marabelle, no, Namida was.
I mean, was it considered growing up if your raven started addressing you as "Daddy" instead of "Papa"?
Thinking about this, I then realized that I was doing something stupid, so I threw those thoughts to the back of my mind.
//It seems like your sister is about to do some very dangerous things.
//I know that, but it's not like I can actively change her mind. Her mental state is already messed up enough.
//So why can't you just tell her that you would never fall in love with her?
//Because, she's my everything, I can't hurt her now, can I?
//Just a warning, but this will probably end badly. You've read enough books to know this, right?
//Yeah, but, you know I'm different. I'll make it all work out in the end.
//Sure... but what if your plan fails? What if you're hit with some information that you don't know?
//Then, I'll accept whatever karma comes my way, as it will be the retribution of the heavens that will fall on me, I won't accept any other punishment. I'm doing what's best for us, I truly believe that.
//If you say so, but don't come crying to me when you destroy all your relationships.
//That won't happen.
"So, Namida, please don't do anything stupid." I muttered to myself, out loud, as I prayed for everything to work out in the end.
...
It was like a sign that said, "Hiring personnel to protect baby bears."
First, you didn't know what you were protecting the baby bears from, and second, you didn't know if the bears would turn on you and bite you, giving you rabies.
And if they momma bear came back, well, you'd be screwed.
That was the situation I was faced with right now.
A real life catch-22.
I was stuck between a rock and a hard place.
I never actually thought that that was possible.
And so, I cursed myself for making the dumb decision of going to see the Empress first.
"You've been gone for one month, and yet you dare show your face here?"
Her voice was actually pretty mellow, but those undercurrents, I didn't even want to try and describe them.
"Well, I need to fulfill my duties as stated in our contract."
"And how are you going to do that? Sure, you've taught me a lot with those paper messages that somehow keep appearing in my room, but how are you going to cure my illness?"
"There's the contract. If I fail, we both die, if I don't fail, we're both happy."
"Hmph! This better work." She said, before walking over to her bed and laying down on it, getting comfortable before the operation.
Also, if y'all were wondering about why I had also sent her parchments of paper with stuff that could make her more powerful on them, it was exactly to make it so that she wasn't as mad as she could be when I came back.
I mean, feeling her rank, she had already jumped from (S) rank to (S+) rank with my help.
At least, I hoped it was due to my help, if not...
//Well, let's just keep ourselves in the right mindset so that we don't mess this up? Now, shall we?
Hearing Bella's voice, I calmed down again.
Taking out "some" anesthesia, I quickly injected all of it into her body.
I felt bad for tricking her, but I needed the time.
You see, I had injected a little under 3 days worth of anesthesia into her body, and so, extrapolating from this information, you could probably guess what I was about to do.
Yes, I was going to try and fully cure her before I left for SLMR.
And with Bella's help, well, she said that there would be a 99% chance of us succeeding, so, well, we were good!
So, I started, all pumped up to do my part.
...
//You're a bitch you know that?
//What? I succeeded in curing the Empress, with 3 hours left by the way.
//But you didn't let me do anything!
//Because you would have messed it up!
//I wouldn't have!
//Then you would have been too slow!
"..."
I mean, I could only agree with her, as all the things she was saying were true.
But still, it hurt that I didn't have anything to do with the promise that I had to keep.
Well, it wasn't like it was a serious promise for me in the first place, but still, I needed to keep it, for my plans.
Sitting there glumly, I waited, as I watched the Empress wake up.
You see, somehow, well, not really somehow, but you get what I mean. Somehow, Bella had calculated the exact amount of time that it would take her to completely heal the Empress, so, she had used the exact amount of anesthesia needed.
With this, we now had a little under three hours before we would be forced to go into the world of SLMR.
4/10 for today.
Thanks for reading!