Chapter 24: Visitors from the North
The trio of god-like entities continued the discussion while Garfield, Chrissy, Hannah, and Solana looked on.
“Col, even I think you meddle too much.”
“Come now, Pandora, we must light the way to enlightenment and ascension."
“Your idea of enlightenment is laughable,” said She’Sin.
“You must embrace diversity of ideas,” Col countered.
“Oh, enough. Garfield is performing experiments on your behalf, so give up on Thoron,” Pandora insisted.
“First you expect me to turn a blind eye to She’Sin’s interference with dark-affinity vampires, now you want me to waste Thoron’s potential? You ask too much.”
“He even created a new candidate,” said Pandora. “She looks like she’s on the cusp of ascending just like Garfield.”
“Yes,” Col acknowledged. “But that’s just a fluke, isn’t it?”
“Hardly. Even without producing divinity, Garfield can apparently create magical items that convert mortals into demigods within days. They need only use the items to cast certain commonplace spells a number of times, or so it seems.”
In response to Pandora’s explanation, Col and She’Sin both turned to look at Garfield. “He can?” they asked in unison.
“Yes. We need to proceed cautiously.”
“Garfield, how many of those items can you make?” Col asked.
“I haven’t tested that.”
“Guess.” Col wasn’t going to let this go apparently.
“Probably enough to fully enclose the planet.”
“What!?”
“You would be wise not to erect barriers between this world and the sun,” She’Sin warned.
“I’m not planning on creating any more to begin with! This was a mistake, and not one I want to repeat.”
“I don’t regret it at all,” Chrissy asserted, apparently willing to speak up in the presence of all these divine beings.
“Garfield, the vampires in your service represent two pathways to ascension. Such efforts are slow and methodical with only a small chance for success. In addition, the range of possible divine aspects is narrow. If you possess a way to do what you did with her repeatedly, this changes everything.”
“In this case, Col speaks the truth,” She’Sin admitted. “We gain kin only very slowly, after all.”
“Is that a problem?” Garfield asked.
“I’ve never thought so,” said Pandora. “She’Sin is more particular about the methods than Col, but they both want to expand our order, so to speak.”
“I won’t allow people to suffer while I oversee the day.”
There was something Garfield didn’t understand. “If some of you want to create more god-like entities, why didn’t one of you guide Thoron so that he can get past whatever is preventing him from ascending?”
“I would if I could,” Col offered. “We cannot directly intervene in ascension like that, normally.”
“I still don’t know how that guy did it.”
“Hm?” Col turned to Pandora for an explanation.
“You know who I mean. He granted Garfield his unusual powers.”
“I see. Garfield, do you know how He did it?”
“I think he allowed me to describe my powers and granted them, as described, rather than detailing them Himself. Somehow, that got around whatever prohibition you all are talking about.”
“Fascinating…”
“For some reason, He couldn’t originally grant them, so he had me modify my request slightly, but it was of little consequence.”
“I will visit Him,” Col decided. “Since She’Sin is so deadset on blocking Thoron, eliminate him. Use whatever method you want.” After giving Garfield a questionable order, Col disappeared into a cloud of black which quickly dissipated.
“Do not make him suffer.” She’Sin then disappeared.
“They’re all so confident in me for some reason…”
“Don’t worry about it, Garfield. In the meantime, I have a suggestion.”
“What is it?”
“Have someone start preparing a new shrine in your home.”
“…May I ask why?”
“You destroyed Col’s temple, didn’t you?”
“Yes, although it was actually his idea.”
“He’s very interested in all the vampire experiments, right?”
“He seems to be.”
“He’s very interested in the item you used on that girl, right?”
“Apparently.”
“He’ll be back.”
“You’ve already got the tropical resort ambiance locked down, so maybe he’ll set up some type of a ski resort? That would make the whole thing worth it.”
--
With Pandora now gone, the two vampires calmed down and rejoined Garfield and Chrissy.
“That was quite an experience…”
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
“Yes…” Even Chrissy was somewhat exhausted from witnessing that exchange. “I’m not sure what I should do now…”
“Why don’t you rest a bit more, for now? You may need more time to come to terms with your magic and any other changes.”
“All right. I can monitor you from here, anyway.”
“You can?”
Before answering Garfield’s question, Chrissy placed a hand over one of her eyes. “It seems, part of assisting you is knowing where you are and what you’re doing at all times.”
“Uh, can you somehow turn that ability off?”
Chrissy giggled but didn’t agree or disagree. “Brooke must be so worried about me.”
“Yes. Are you able to meet with your family and friends now?”
“I should be fine. I’ll keep the details vague and just say that the magic item you gave me affected my mana, but I’m recovered now.”
“I’m not sure how you would break the news to your mother that you became a demigod and are one step shy of being a god-like entity anyway, so that’s probably best. Hannah, Solana, being near her doesn’t bother you?”
“No,” Hannah answered. “She’s not scary. Even Pandora isn’t scary anymore.” Solana nodded along. “It’s probably because she’s not a goddess yet, and maybe because she’s so supportive of you…”
“Hm, I’ll take your word for it.”
--
Back at the estate, Garfield was greeted by his butler.
“Master, you have some very insistent and unusual guests.”
“What now?”
“I believe they are beast-people from the north.”
“Beast-people? Well, I’ll meet them I guess.”
--
“Garfield!” Sitting in his foyer were two cat-girls and two rabbit-girls. “You really are a Duke!”
“I don’t generally lie about things like that, you know. I didn’t think I’d be seeing you four again so soon.”
“Yeah… After you left, we returned to our villages. Things are really boring now, though. We got permission to come visit you!”
“Glossing over how you made it all the way from the Tribal Lands to my foyer, why are you visiting? What do you want?”
The four girls looked at each other. “We didn’t really think it through that far. We just thought it would be fun to see what your home is like and visit you.”
“Hm…” Garfield was trying to think of what he should do in this situation. When the lightbulb illuminated he rushed into a seat opposite the four girls, startling them slightly. “What do you think of setting up a business arrangement between Fenwick and the Tribal Lands? Do you want to try out a job?”
“A job?”
“People around here generally like the girls from the beast-people tribes up north, right?”
“Y-Yeah, it seems that way…”
“And you’re all strong warriors who can defend yourselves and your coworkers if you ever need to, right?”
“Of course!”
“How would you like to open up a special shop in my provincial capital, Fork’s Crossing?”
“A shop? What type?”
--
Garfield worked out the initial details with his four newest friends and then traveled north to discuss the details with the Chiefs of the four Tribes he was acquainted with. All four were amenable. He summoned a couple of riding wyverns to repeatedly make transportation hops between the villages of the Tribal Lands and Fork’s Crossing, with a stopover in Bretten due to the long distance.
After returning to the capital, he worked out more of the details with Assistant Duke and then reached out to an old friend. She arrived the same day.
“Garfield, it’s been a while!”
“Lilah, how have you been?”
“Quite well, ever since your… assistance on that evening.”
“I’m happy to hear it. I have a proposition for you if you’re interested. Your expertise may be very helpful.”
--
Garfield and Lilah teleported to Fork’s Crossing to discuss the plan with Eleha.
“Duke, that is an absolutely outrageous idea.”
“And?”
“If… If it is your decision, I will do everything I can to support you in the endeavor.”
“Good. Lilah here will head up the project and teach the new hires everything they need to know. The business will be entirely legitimate.”
--
Word spread of a café in Fork’s Crossing that was staffed almost entirely by cat-girls, rabbit-girls, fox-girls, and dog-girls. The employees would take turns working for a few weeks, then journey back to their villages in the Tribal Lands for some time off. The arrangement was an economic boon for the tribes which normally engaged only in light trade with neighboring nations.
The café didn’t require much aid in the way of security personnel. The majority of the cute employees were actually capable warriors who could easily defend themselves, if needed. Their appeal quickly drew larger quantities of visitors to Fork’s Crossing who would sometimes go well out of their way to stop over on their journeys.
Garfield only encountered one problem with this new arrangement. He set aside some rooms at his estate for employees of the café to spend the night while traveling between the Tribal Lands and Fork’s Crossing. Some of them, including especially the ones who had a prior history with Garfield, would attempt to sneak into his bedroom.
Hannah and Solana were useless. They wouldn’t lift a finger to block other women from entering the bedroom provided they themselves weren’t getting displaced. Garfield turned to his other vampire crew to guard him.
“Keep the guests, especially the crafty cat-girls and rabbit-girls, out of my bedroom while I sleep.”
“Of course, Master.”
At first, the vampires seemed to be successful. They were difficult to sneak past, or so Garfield thought. After a few evenings, he found some of the cat-girls in particular were finding their way through the net of guards and slipping into Garfield’s bed while he slept. He started to question the vampires’ competence, but eventually wondered about their uncertain loyalty.
“Are they doing it on purpose…?”
--
Eleha hired a few humans to work in Garfield’s café as well. Solana insisted she should return to her home in the forest and scout out a few elves who may want to join the fun. At first, Garfield thought that would be disrespectful, but his desire to round out the café with elves won out and he allowed it. Surprisingly, the elves were happy to send some participants. Garfield interviewed them and, best as he could tell, they were joining the cause because they wanted to, rather than because they were pressured into it.
“Duke, we have a bit of a problem.”
“What is it, Eleha?”
“As soon as we solidified our plans for the café, I sent a routine update to my people.”
“So?”
“I just received a reply. They claim to have multiple dark elves who want to participate in your café.”
“Oh…”
“I’ll decline, of course.”
“No, hold on a moment…”
“Duke! I’m sure at least some of them have ulterior motives! It’s too risky to have them work at the café!”
“I agree it’s risky, but we need to balance that against… No, forget I said anything. Perhaps having some potential spies in our midst could actually be used against the more underhanded members of your homeland.”
“I see… Perhaps you are right.”
“Will these dark elves and the elves we already hired be able to coexist?”
“I was up front about the fact that you were recruiting elves from the forest, so I don’t think my kin will complain. I don’t know how Solana’s acquaintances will react, though.”
--
Garfield questioned the elves, who said they didn’t mind working alongside a few dark elves so long as the dark elves behaved themselves. It didn’t seem like there would be a problem.
He then received a recommendation from Assistant Duke to hire a few people in Bretten who had originally requested to work at the estate. Eleha reported they could still manage more employees, so he allowed it.
--
“My King, it wasn’t easy, but I pieced together what is going on at Fork’s Crossing.”
“Finally. Good job Captain. Thank you for being discreet about this. Please, tell me.”
“As you heard, Duke Garfield established a new shop in Fork’s Crossing, a café, which serves food and drink to travelers.”
“And?”
“The main attraction of this new café is that almost all of the employees are beautiful women.”
“I see. But I heard something about fox-girls from Bretten… Did he hire a couple of beast-people as well?”
“You could say that.”
“Hm?”
“The staff is a roughly-equal mixture of humans, fox-girls, dog-girls, cat-girls, bunny-girls, elves, and dark elves.”
The King stared blankly at his Captain.
--
“Master, you received a few more letters today.”
“Jeez, they won’t stop lately. Do they all say what I think they do?”
“Yes, without exception, they’re all requests from around Bretten for you to open up a second shop in this city.”