Our time at the cafe passed pleasantly without any interruptions. I almost expected another disaster but so far it remained peaceful. Lilastheria returned carrying a suitcase. I wondered if she had a magical storage and this was just for show? I saw her summon armour when we raided the lab. But that could have been a special feature.

“I am ready, my ladies.” She said with a small bow.

“There is no need for that.” I said.

“Apologies, but I have to disagree. As your maid, a certain decorum is expected.”

“Ok, just don’t overdo it. Anyway, what do you need in terms of supply? Should we get some clothing? Armour? Weapons? I suspect being our maid comes with a certain amount of combat.” I was working hard to suppress a grin. A combat maid. The anime lover inside me was really looking forward to that.

“I could need more uniforms, especially if we go into combat. My armour is decent but not visually fitting for my role. A weapon that I could hide in my uniform might be good but I do have magic to fight. Also, what form would my ladies prefer? I can shapeshift into many things.”

“Oh, you could be a dragon kin!” Lucy suggested. “They can have horns and a tail, so you would be closer to your natural form. They also tend to have magic. It would be quite fitting.”

“We should probably go to a more private area before you shapeshift.” I pointed out. I liked the idea though.

“An excellent suggestion, my lady. I would love to have a tail again.”

“How about storage?” I asked. “I know you have a way to summon your armour, but you really need something to store your clothes and other things as well.”

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

“I can only summon my infernal gear, but carrying things is no hardship my lady. I have a lot of strength compared to most people.”

“No no, that won’t do. We need to go shopping!” I declared.

“Hm.” Was Lucy’s response. She stared at me with a mischievous smile. “Why don’t you wait here and work on the bond. Maybe have some more cake. I will take her shopping.”

I was simultaneously concerned, excited and curious about the idea. What had Lucy planned? I did remember the catnip incident. Was she planning another prank? Then again, we were a lot closer now. And she would go shopping with a succubus. Wait! Did she want Lilastheria’s advice on things to buy for herself? Or for me? I started blushing as my mind conjured all sorts of things that Lucy could acquire.

“Uh yeah sure.” I managed to say. I also gave her 50000 gold. Way too much for her shopping trip but I wanted to share my wealth with her anyway. She gave me a quick kiss and then left. Lilastheria watched the exchange curiously. She gave me a respectful nod and followed Lucy.

I sat there wondering what I got myself into. But I had no doubt that I would enjoy whatever Lucy had planned. There was a slight concern about our safety. Splitting the party was usually a bad idea. But this was not a movie. And we could not stick together all the time. Also, not many things could defeat Lucy.

So I settled down and ordered some dwarven coffee. It was a strong black brew with a dash of whisky. I calmed myself once more and explored the bond we shared. My idea was to compare my connection with Lucy to that of Lilastheria. Maybe it would give me some insight into the differences, and how to change them. Lucy was like a bright star. I felt a lot of warmth and love. A lot of familiarity.

Lilastheria felt different. I could sense uncertainty, respect and a hint of… hope? I also realised that I would have to somehow not only change my connection, but that between Lucy and Lilastheria as well. We were a triangle, the masters at the top and the servant at the bottom.

Maybe… I could create a ritual? Hm. With the right runes I could change the bond. But I needed a good mental image. I needed something the original construct would accept, without shattering it. What if I looked at her like a sworn knight? Swearing an oath to a liege lord was a possibility. It would not result in magical slavery. People could break their vows. A mental image formed in my head. Lucy and myself standing there, each of us with a sword in our hand, gently placing it on Lilastheria’s shoulders as she was kneeling before us. Yeah, that would work. I still had a lot of weapons from the game in my inventory, I could use two swords as material components.

If things worked as intended, it would leave Lilastheria in a position where she could disobey us. Where she could choose to break the bond herself, although it would give her a giant headache. But nothing permanent. She would swear herself to our service willingly, her oath would be her bond. It was a new and experimental ritual. A demon binding was never meant to be twisted like that. But I felt rather confident.

I decided I had done well coming up with the idea and deserved a treat. So I ordered some chocolate cake.