While the crowd disperses, I sit down and say, “Now I need to get into contact with that creepy old grandma Ai.”
Iancu asks, “Why would you do that?”
“Sparrow said he has been spreading a bunch of information about the village of Aplos around, and because of all of that now people are going start wandering into and around Fimbulwinter which is an issue for my plans going forward. I am going to use my favour from that old lady to spread a false rumour that there is no one from Fimbulwinter.”
“But didn’t some of your people get sold to Basileia, people would know they exist.”
“Basileia is in shambles and very few people can confirm that people from Aplos were even there. So the only question now is how to contact her?”
Suzuka says, “I know how to contact her.”
Turning our heads towards, Suzuka we say, “How?”
From her clothes, she pulls out a kaidenwa, then says, “I have this here, a special Kaidenwa that only connects to Ai.”
Confused, I say, “Why do you have that?”
“Ai gave it to me and told me to call her if I ever feel sad or lonely.”
That creepy old lady?”
Iancu says, “It’s pointless to use a kaidenwa to contact her, those things range is based on spirit energy and that old lady could literally be anywhere in the world right now.”
Suddenly all of Suzuka’s tails, vanish and she says, “It’s ringing.”
Iancu with a face of surprise says, “What!?”
“I can store huge amounts of spirit energy away Iancu, so the range isn’t an issue for me, did you forget something so simple idiot!!”
“Sorry about that, it is just whenever I learn anything about you my head immediately deletes it because of how insignificant you are.”
“HEY!”
Maple hugging Suzuka says with tears, “Where did the comfy tails go?”
“So-Sorry!!”
Rubbing her face against Suzuka’s, Maple says, “Then I will cosy up to you instead.”
Turning to me with an uncontrolled smile, Suzuka says, “Orb what should I do, she is so nice?”
Holding the Kaidenwa to my ear, I say, “Enjoy it while it lasts.”
From the Kaidenwa, I hear, “Oh my darling little Suzuka what do you want to discuss today!!!!!?”
With a cold voice, I say, “Hello you freaking pervert.”
“AHHHH, is it you my adorable little Orb? Have you finally awoken from your slumber? I thought I would have to come a lay a kiss on your lips to rouse you awake.”
“I AM FIFTEEN YEARS OLD!!!!”
Suddenly with a serious tone, Ai says, “In the past, due to that lack of health care upon reaching the age of sexual maturity you were classified as an adult so you could start breeding immediately making sure the population grows.
But due to the advances in medical knowledge, greater healthcare polices around the world, and the books of one of Seirei’s great shoguns Kokyū which stated that in our advanced society, we should see adulthood from physical age and both mental maturity that we now have a higher age of adulthood in many countries such as 20 or such.
STILL, in more recent years due to the constant surge of wars, many countries have lowered it back down to 14 and even lower so the kids can start many more soldiers for them, and if you factor in the dramatic decline in health care so that the militaries can bolster their strength it is almost as if the world is returning to that harsh and fierce battlefield; so by that logic shouldn’t we all accept the fact that we should view 14-year-olds as adults; AND THAT MEANS BOTH YOU AND SUZUKA SHOULD BE TREATED THE SAME AS 50 YEARS OLDS!!!”
As I stare at the kaidenwa in utter disgust, Ai says, “I can feel your disgust through the Kaidenwa!!!”
“I HOPE YOU CAN.”
With a perverse aura emanating from the Kaidenwa, Ai says, “But it sort of feels good coming from you.”
Feeling a shiver down my spine, I say, “Can we just get to business already?”
“O-.”
From the Kaidenwa, I hear some kids running around in the background saying, “Bath time, bath time, bath time!!”
Then I hear, Ai says, “Bath time already, let me join in with you guys.”
“No, no, no, no, no, no,” I say scared for the kids' safety.
But then I hear the sound of something snapping, and after a few seconds of quiet someone says through the Kaidenwa, “Who is this?”
“My name is Orb, sad to say I am an acquittance of this old lady. Who is this?”
“It’s me Sugiru, your guide from Skydust.”
“Oh, the bunny girl!”
“I would like if you would forget that piece of information.”
“What happened to Ai?”
“Oh, she took a nap for a bit.”
That sound was like the one of someone’s neck snapping.
“Now Orb what do you need?”
“I wanted to take the favour Ai promised me, I would like it if you guys would spread a rumour that all the talk about people living in Fimbulwinter is false.”
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“I see we can do that rather easily but are you sure you want that done?”
“Why do you ask?”
“It is because of something that happened recently enough in Cordum. Do you know of the adventurers guild?”
“Well, I do have some knowledge due to Capti being one. It is a place located in Cordum where anyone who joins can accept quests to do all across the world for financial reward.”
“That’s right, and said adventures guild has posted a rather hefty reward if anyone can bring them some form of verification regarding whether the Fimbulwinter rumours are true. So, I was I thought that instead of spreading that rumour you might want to claim the prize money yourself.”
“But wouldn’t that require me to put quite a bit of information about us into the public?”
“It was the scholars of Cordum that put up that request. They are all rather knowledge-hungry psychopaths so even the smallest piece of information would claim the reward, and if you really wanted you could spread more rumours about Aplos then when another request comes up you could simply claim that money.”
“All those ideas are rather amazing, so I would like to formally retract my request or if I were to put it in your tongue; I would super dupe like for you to totally forget what I said ლ(◉❥◉ ლ).”
“I thought I told you to forget!!!!”
“Sorry, sorry, but would I be able to ask you to spread another rumour instead.”
“What is it?”
“That the country of Jedidiah has fallen under the rule of the dragons!”
With a serious tone, she says, “Well I take it to believe this means you guys really did have something to do with the disappearing sandstorm?”
“Maybe, I am not really too sure why it happened but I’m pretty sure it involves me somehow, so I would like to secure the safety of the citizens.”
“How altruistic of you, but no matter what you do it won’t be a long-term solution for Jedidah.”
“I am aware they would eventually be put in danger, but my goal is to buy them time, not protect the kingdom by myself.”
“Still even if we were to spread a rumour it would be quickly found out, the gravity of saying the dragons have made a home of one of the human countries would be rather dire.”
“My thought process goes something like this; The sandstorm around Jedidiah has been going on for millennia at this point, so to many the sudden disappearance will be a big event that needs immediate reconnaissance.
But if people now think that dragons are involved, they will become quite a bit more cautious in their attempts to do reconnaissance, due to the fact that dragons rarely interact with humans and angering them will bring a ridiculous calamity to the human continents.
In such a situation most of the major countries would panic. They would be worried whether or not the dragons are going to use Jedidiah as a hub for a full-scale invasion.
It would put all the major countries in a situation where they need information but can’t access it. Then the incredibly trusted news source comes in and tells everyone a bunch of fabricated truths that will make them stay away from Jedidiah.”
“Wait right there Orb, spreading rumours is one thing but it seems like you're asking us to write news articles directly giving inaccurate information, and if that is what you’re asking I suggest you change your plan.”
“Hey, I am not asking you to spread inaccurate information, I am simply a source from Jedidiah who witnessed two dragons there. And to my knowledge, the king of Jedidiah was going to marry a dragon who may or may not have some royal blood. All you guys have to do is take these facts and creatively fill in the gaps. It isn’t your fault if your source lies a bit.”
“Orb the shinobi of Chronicle Nimbus constantly go all around the world, to find out the truth and spread it to the masses, doing something like fabricating something is the equivalent of spitting in the face of all the people who live and the legacy we have inherited from our forebearers!!!!”
“Hey Ai, me and Suzuka will give you a big kiss on your cheek if you do this for us.”
Grabbing the Kaidenwa, she says, “Anything you need, but would I be able to ask which cheeks specifically?”
I hear Sugiru say, “Do you not care for your history!”
“What is the point of morals that stand in the way of happiness?”
“You pervert!”
Over the kaidenwa, I hear quite a bit of fighting, then after a little while Sugiru says, “You're lucky she is crazy.”
“I sure am! But on that note are the kids I gave her doing well?”
“They are all still getting used to the environment, but I would say they are getting on well. Some of them have even expressed wanting to join us in our job, especially Fionna. Constantly saying they want to be like Ninjaman.”
“Yeah, that’s all well and good but it wasn’t what I was asking about, has Ai done anything towards them?”
“You don’t have to worry about such things, whenever that stupid ancient pervert tries anything, the older shinobi beat her into submission.”
“I am surprised you even let that pervert walk around.”
“Well for all her nonsense she is the one who found all of us in dire situations and raised us like her own children. So, we hope that this crazy might find some form of salvation in this life.”
Remember Capti, I say, “I sort of get what you mean.”
From the Kaidenwa, I hear Ai say, “I knew you loved me Sugiru, I still love you even if you are far past your prime.”
“Sorry Orb I have to go now; I need to go kill this fool.”
As the single cuts, I say, “Now I can go back to resting with Cyrus.”
Suddenly I am grabbed and dragged away, then after being placed in the middle of a large crowd of people, I hear all of them shout, “THE GRAND ARM-WRESTLING TOURNMENT BEGINS!!!!”
“I didn’t agree to this!!!!”
Banya announces, “And now in the semi-final round Alis and Orb!”
“You can’t just skip all the brackets!!!”
Banya says, “Oh no we already had all the other rounds, we just decided to allow you to already claim one of the 4 semifinal spots due to your legacy. Now the winner of this match will face Willow in the finals.”
“Wait, how is Buloke not in the finals?”
“He is over there betraying the brotherhood by showing affection to his woman.”
Looking over at Buloke and Jute, I see them passionately kissing. “Ewww.”
“Now to your positions.”
“I really don’t want to do that.”
Alis says “Orb are you scared?”
“Not even a litt-.” Suddenly I see in my peripheral that Maple, Suzuka, Mime and Elia are watching.
Waving at me, Mime says, “Orb don’t lose!” And holding her Elia just smiles.
Walking up to the table, I say, “I will take you up on that challenge!”
“LOOKS LIKE ORB HAS STEEPED UP! Now let us count down.”
“3!”
“You’re not going to use your legacy?”
“2!”
“I don’t need it.”
“1!!”
“Outside of Buloke and Willow, I have the best spirit energy control here!”
“GO!”
Immediately I use helix battle arts to take all his momentum and reverse it while shouting, “HELIX BATTLE ARTS; SPIRAL REVERSAL!” Then I slam Aea into the table.
“LOOKS LIKE ORB IS THE WINNER, AND NOW ONTO THE FINAL ROUND; ORB VERSUS WILLOW!”
As Willow steps up to the table, he says, “I have gotten quite competitive while you were away so come at me with full force.”
Putting my arm out, I say, “When I embarrass you, I won’t even let you live it down.”
As we smile and hold hands, Banya says, “NOW IT IS TIME TO GET THIS ROUND STARTED. 3! 2! 1! GO!”
Preparing to counter Willow, I wait for him to move but he doesn’t move, and just stares at me.
“You going to do something?”
“And get countered like Alis, not a chance.”
Banya says, “They are just holding each other’s hands staring into each other’s eyes, what the hell is going on!?”
Suddenly Willow says with a serious tone, “Orb.”
“What is it?”
With a dead serious expression, he says, “Willow the 2nd says he wants to be a princess.”
Picturing Willow the 2nd as a princess causes me to burst out in laughter, and in that moment Willow immediately starts to press me. “Hey, that was unfair!”
“Mind games are all part of warfare.”
As I am losing, I try my hardest to push back but Willow is strong. “Not only your physical strength but your use of spirit energy is great as well, even better than some of the enemies I fought.”
“Good to hear I am getting better. Now lose Orb.”
As we continue to struggle, I say, “You’re amazing, but I don’t plan on losing!!”
“Whoever plans on losing!!” Willow says pushing back.
Suddenly as the crowd shouts we start to get more and more intense, but then between all the shouts I hear one loud voice say, “Willow don’t lose in front of your newlywed wife.”
“Huh?” I say as all strength leaves my hands.
As my hand crashes into the table, I say, “Willow what is he talking about?”
Suddenly Willow starts to sweat, then sighs. Walking over to Maple, and giving her a hug, Willow says, “We thought you were dead which made all of us really sad, so to cheer everyone up.”
A drunken Maple says, “WE GOT MARRIED!!!”
“WHAT!!!!!!”