The village had begun to return to normalcy, as one does after surviving a monster wave.
People mourned of course, with 10 people dead as a result of the attempted assassination, but ultimately time passes, and people must move on.
Reconstruction began as multiple landmarks in the village had been damaged, including the adventurer's guild and the orphanage.
Elves could be seen rushing back busily as they set to gathering the necessary resources to fix it all up.
As for the kids? I was distracting them, acting as a makeshift playground in place for the current one which was unfortunately destroyed in the attack, for some reason.
We were still here of course, as Lenore and Servante had to restock before moving on from here, and that would take a while thanks to a number of factors, including a deficit of available produce, and the distance from the nearest town, which was going to be a good while away.
The kids were an excitable bunch, led by the kid wearing the red bandana he had played with earlier.
Leon was apparently his name, and from what he could tell, the kid served as the leader of the kids in the village.
During their play sessions, he would lead the group in any game they sought to play, from tag to make believe or even hide and seek, it was Leon who made the choices, watching out for the kids.
It was also him who included Holly in play the most.
Holly seemed isolated from the rest of the group, albeit unintentionally.
For some reason, kids seemed to instinctively distance themselves from her.
All but little Leon, who always made an active effort to involve the high elf child in their activities.
He seemed able to push over this distance and always invited her to play tag, to hide and seek, and any game they played, and it was heartwarming to see her giggle and play like she did with me during the fight.
[He just has higher mental resistance than the rest. Otherwise, he'd be like the rest.] Grumbled Stolidus.
Doesn't matter to me. Either way, the fact remains that he alone made that improved effort.
So I gave him more fruit during snack time.
The skill that produced fruit went up a level after I paid 2 skill points. A bit expensive, sure, but it was worthwhile if you ask me, to see the faces of the happy children Now I can grow cherries, bananas, apples, berries, and something called "lychee". No clue what that is.
Speaking of snacks, I decided to offer lord Anubis some more sacrifices after the battle, and with my new variety of fruits, I've offered him a variety of monsters and fruits.
It didn't take much for them to let me leave thankfully, though I am a bit worried that someone might follow me. I am a suspicious turtle after all, so I've decided to venture into the rabbit tunnels to create an altar and pray.
And praying...
It is good to see you're doing well my child.
Once more, the presence of Anubis made its appearance before Earl, a vague yet definite presence in the air.
Earl bowed his head in respect before lifting it once more.
Lord Anubis, I wanted to offer some fruit that I've made to you. There are a variety of fruits and something called a lychee.
A lychee? I haven't had those in a long time, not since that monkey came from the east.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
Ah, so the lychee is an eastern fruit then?
Indeed. Some crazy demigod monkey brought them with him last time hoping to bribe me into allowing him a dip into the river styx.
Something about "8th way of being invincible?" Whatever. Lychees are delicious my child.
Try peeling off the skin and you'll find under the harsh exterior is a delectable inside.
Following lord Anubis' instructions I peel off the skin, and indeed, a clear yet milky interior greets me.
nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom
Oh, those are good.
indeed
Well my lord I just wanted to offer you some fruits and a quick thank you and-
Wait
A tense feeling enters the area, as a silence spreads for a quick second.
The lord seems a bit... anxious.
Indeed, Anubis was fidgeting a bit, unsure how to break the news, as it was.
I have something that I must confess.
What? The way his voice wavers slightly makes me anxious, as I go through the reasons that a god would hesitate.
Dilucius... survived the explosion
What?
Dilucius... survived?!
How! I used a mana circle designed by a 9th circle magician purely made to detonate the whole mansion, powered by 4 s class crystals! How could he survive!
Oh no.
If he's alive, then who knows what he'll do to any one of my subordinates that survived.
Did I fail to protect them!?
Maria, what about-
Stop
Calm down.
He was alive.
I force myself to calm down, as my thoughts race up and down.
Was?
Was!?
Well, I was planning to send an assassin, but ah, someone else got to him first.
Oh thank whichever god I should thank for that then.
I can feel that anxiety all washing out.
Unfortunately, it's not all finished yet.
Don't be happy to soon kid.
Was it one of my subordinates? They didn't try to kamikaze themselves right? They should know I would never want themselves to do something like that, right?
It wasn't one of your subordinates.
Oh ok, good.
It was your fiancé.
My fiancé! You told me she didn't kill herself!
She didn't.
BUT YOU SAID-
Hear me out here. It is a very interesting situation to say the least.
Interesting?
Well, you see-
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"OPEN UP IN THERE!"
"You should listen to him you know! I am going to be your fiancé soon. If you release me know, I'll forgive your impertinence and-"
"Gag him!"
"Yes, my lady!"
"Mhmmph! M hmm hhmmph!"
Inside a blockaded room, the bound-up body of one Dilucius can be seen squirming as it struggles to free itself of its bindings, only to be slapped hard over the head by the maid holding him underslung.
The maid stood next to a crouched over lady, who had beautiful bronze skin, contrasting with her deep blue eyes, dressed in stealth wear that she'd never be caught in otherwise, were it not for the fact that they snuck into the mansion of her new "fiancé".
The pounding can be heard as the room shakes violently, the magic circle on the door wavering.
"Lady Maria, are you sure about this? Once you do this, there is no coming back from this!"
Maria swept back her curly brown hair as she furiously scribbled the incantation circle down around the whole room. "Too late to worry about that. We've snuck into the room of the new heir to my fiancé's position. There's nowhere to go but down!"
"Finished!" she exclaims.
The magic circle opens in an explosion of energy and divinity, exposing a damp and dark staircase as an ominous air leaks out.
Pause
BANG BANG BANG BANG!
The banging intensified, pushing Maria further into action.
"Let's go!" she grabs the maid, who in spite of her hesitancy, followed without question, both walking into the underworldly tunnel.
Finally, the door breaks open, and the guards rush in, only to discover no one there. The room empty, with no sign of the former heir.
They no longer existed in the overworld.
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The walk was a silent walk, as the spiraling staircase seemed to go on endlessly, forever and ever.
And ever.
And ever.
It was a long and seemingly endless walk.
Eventually the staircase ended, leading into a barren land, plagued by hordes of spirits.
Misshapen bodies, the elderly, bodies depicted in mangled and horrid states, all in transparent unnatural forms.
A headless dog passed by them, following a young spirit.
The spirits stood in line after line, seemingly waiting for something.
OOOoooooohhhhhm
An ominous wind flew by, as the spirits all stood to attention, ranging in their expressions from anxious to excited, hopeful to hopeless.
Maria was amongst the former, excited while her maid anxious, and Dilucius struggled harder than ever.
A boat sailed along the winding river before stopping in front of the hordes of the dead.
Upon the boat loomed an ominous entity in a cloak, slowing down the boat in front of them.
Without hesitation Maria strode forward as her maid helplessly followed.
The hooded figure stared at them quietly as they approached.
"Dilucius" Charon noted. "you are here sooner than I expected. But not by much." He added that last part jeeringly.
Turning to face Maria, the hooded figure paused, it's aura becoming chaotic, as if the entity was conflicted.
For her, he bowed in respect.
"Lady Maria of house Sobile. You are here... much earlier than I expected."
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YOU TOLD ME SHE WASN'T DEAD!
SHE ISN'T! NOT TECNICALLY