>>2403067
>>Tell him about your run in with the resistance

>>2403067
>>The Baron's place was about the same...
>>Still concerned about sealed door.

>>2403067
>Ask if he'd like a hand

>writing

"I ran into the resistance when I first got here" You say. "One of their members helped me destroy that big cannon, and then he left Madelaine and I with no escape route in a building crawling with Legionnaires"

"I thought it might be like this..." Derrick says.
"What do you mean?" You ask.
"I hate to say this, but keep your guard up around them" He says. "I'm sure there are some Antolians who would want to fight the legion together with us, but there are bound to be far more who would rather see us crush each other so they can mop up what remains"

"So they're not friendly?" You ask.

"I didn't say that" He says. "I was advising caution. They'll help when it comes to taking back their homeland from the Legion, but expect nothing from them beyond that"

"Gotcha" You say.

Derrick sighs. "I'll have to talk to the Commander about this... we'll need to set up some kind of doctrine for our people to follow when we deal with them" He says.

Velma and her children come out with the promised food.

"Thank you" You say.
"My pleasure. It's the least we can do" Velma says.

"I hear you threw the Baron in a cell" Derrick says, taking his first bite as Velma leaves you to your business.

"Yup" You say. "I threw him in because he's crazy, but he'll be staying in there until we execute him for what I found in his lab"

"Do I want to know?" He asks.
"Probably not. But just to put it in perspective, I had to bury some... altered skeletons in his yard" You say.
"Altered before, or after they were skeletons?" Derrick asks.

"Before" You say.

"You're right. I don't wanna know" He says. "Seems like everybody's finding something horrible in this town"
"I feel better knowing that we're putting an end to all the horrible stuff" You say.

"I know... but it sounds like it'll get worse as we go" He says. "Morale will be hard to keep up at this rate. I'm worried that our troops will lose their spirit if this drags out...

>We'll just have to keep them motivated

>Then we can't let it drag out

>We get any info on the rest of the country?

>Other

>>2403179
>>We get any info on the rest of the country?

>>2403179
>>We get any info on the rest of the country?

>writing

"We get any info on the rest of the country?" You ask.

"Reports have come in from some of ours who've spoken with the Antolians here" He says, throwing his hands up as he sits back. "Apparently surrendering the town was the right idea. Every other city saw mass bloodshed, and what's worse is that no one is allowed to clean it up"

"So the cities have just been bloody messes all this time?" You ask. "Wouldn't that have other issues? Like diseases, infections, stench, rats..."

"Yep" Derrick says. "The Legion doesn't care. They see it as a reprisal for trying to deny them"

"Makes me glad we could push them out of Locke" You say.
"Does it ever" He says. "We'll be sending an order back to Leon before the day is done. Have them send the washer airboats they use to keep the city clean. We'll have to give the next city we take a good scrubbing anyway, might as well have the best tools for the job..."

"What about the disease?" You ask.

"That I'm less sure about" He says. "I don't know if you know this, but a healer can't cure an infection. Most of the time they can't even ease the symptoms..."

"Why not?" You ask.

"Well for one thing you'd risk strengthening the infection to the point where the body can't fight it" He says. "And healing magic also takes a lot of energy from the person being healed. If their condition is bad, you just make it worse by healing them, not better"

>Y'all guys don't have antibiotics?

>I didn't know healing magic had those limitations...

>Remind me never to get sick...

>Other

>>2403280
>>I didn't know healing magic had those limitations...
>>I wonder if soul magic has the same problem. I've been told I don't exactly fit the definition of life.

>>2403280
>>Y'all guys don't have antibiotics?

>writing

"I didn't know healing magic worked like that..." You say.

Derrick nods ad takes another bite. "The magic only accelerates your body's natural healing to the point of almost instant regeneration. Thing is, the body itself has to supply all the flesh being generated. That's why you feel tired after getting a particularly large wound fixed" He says. "This is really good, by the way"

"Thank you. I found this place with my nose" Lyvia says.

You think back to all the times you've been healed. The only time you felt sluggish at all was after destroying Mortifas. At the time you just chalked it up to being able to snuggle up with Stella after being stuck underground for 2 days, but looking back this makes more sense...

"With your nose?" Derrick asks. "Did you sniff it out?"

"Mmhmm!" Lyvia says.
"Huh... so yeah, that's why healing doesn't work on diseases and such" Derrick says.

"You guys don't have antibiotics?" You ask.
"Anti what now?" He asks.
"You know, stuff made from mold that kills off bacteria" You say.
"Never heard of it" He says. "Must be something else from where you came from, I guess"

"Must be" You reply. "But it's worth looking into. Could help a lot of people"
"I think putting mold into infections would only make things worse..." Derrick says.
"Not just any mold. Mold that kills bacteria" You say. "You wouldn't just scrape it off an old loaf of bread and slap it on a festering wound..."

Derrick shrugs. "If you say it works, then it's worth tasking the bio guys at the archive with studying it" He says. "Who knows? Maybe they'll find something"

>1/2

You finish eating quickly after that, and decide to pay Velma for the food even though she insists it's on the house.

"Are you sure?" She asks as you hand her the coins.
"I have plenty of money" You say. "Pay it forward to the next hungry person who comes by"
"That I can do" Velma says. "You kids take care now"

"We will" Derrick says. "Now, I've gotta get these guys moving again. Still plenty of buildings to secure"

"Need a hand?" You ask.

"We've got it covered unless you really want to help" He says.

>Let's go

>I'm gonna see if that big meeting is over yet

>I'm gonna find Pip and open up the Baron's vault

>Other

>>2403385
>I'm gonna see if that big meeting is over yet

>>2403385
>>I'm gonna find Pip and open up the Baron's vault

>>2403385
>>I'm gonna see if that big meeting is over yet

>writing

"I'm gonna go find Pip and see if she can help me crack open the Baron's vault" You say. "Afte what he had laying around in the lab, I'm curious as to what he'd keep locked away"

"Money, or things that are worth money, most likely" Derrick says. "But Pip is probably in that big meeting with the Commander. She wanted someone who the Northerners had been working with there, to at least try to keep things civil"

"And yet I wasn't invited..." You say.
Derrick shrugs. "Neither was I" He says. "But let's face it: there's a good chance that they're getting nothing done for the time being while they work out their differences. It's the later meetings that we'll want to be present for"

"I guess so" You say.

"But anyways man, there's still work to be done" He says.
"Give 'em hell" You say.
"It's what they ask for" He replies.

You bump fists with Derrick as he goes to rally up his people, leaving you with Lyvia.

"So that was Derrick" You say.
"I like him. He has good eyes" She says.
"Uh-oh. Should I let him know he has a fan?" You say.

"Not like that" She says. "He is a Gallant by blood, yes?"
"Yeah" You reply.
"That line has not changed much" She says. "I can see it in your mother, and in him"

>They were around in your time?

>How so?

>What does that have to do with his eyes?

>Other

>>2403425
>>They were around in your time?
>>What does that have to do with his eyes?

>writing

"They were around in your time?" You ask, as the two of you get moving.

"His ancestors were quite possibly the only humans to oppose me and the other great beasts" She says. "The dragon kings and queens were infuriatingly capable of such, to a point where I'd allow them to reside in my territory unharrassed for a generation or two..."

"I thought you buried your opposition in endless winter?" You ask.

"And they would put their powers together to make their own spring" She says. "As I said: infuriatingly capable"

"What does that have to do with his eyes?" You ask.
"He looks very much like a younger Rukhu" She says. "He was their prince at the time, second in power only to his mother"

"Rukhu... the one who sealed the Deviant Soul of Existence?" You ask.

She nods. "The same" Lyvia says.

"Neat" You say, as you pull out the wind emblem. "I wonder if Calist has any living ancestors..."

"It's highly likely. I recall her having a fairly large number of children" She says.

>Ask what Calist was like

>How many kids we talkin' here?

>Other

>>2403480
>>How many kids we talkin' here?

>>2403480
>>How many kids we talkin' here?

>writing

"How many kids we talkin' here?" You ask.
"Exactly ten" She replies. "That number was very important to her"

"Why?" You ask.

"Because her sixth child ended up being twins" She says.

...

"It actually makes less sense now" You say.
"It didn't make much sense to me either" She says. "But the concept of procreation still eludes me..."
"She didn't say anything else?" You ask.

"Something about a pyramid..." She says.

...

"A human pyramid?" You ask.
"That! Yes! I still have no idea what she meant" she says.

>Explain it to her

>Let it be

>It actually makes even less sense now...

>Other

>>2403547
>>Explain it to her
>>If leviathans don't procreate, where did you come from?

>writing

>>2403560
this

"A human pyramid is where you stack people on top of each other" You say. "So with ten people, you'd have 4 on the bottom, 3 on the second row, 2 on the third, and one on top"

"That is a strange reason to want ten children" She says.
"Well when the sixth came out as twins, then she had 7. Can't make a pyramid with seven kids" You say.

"Why are you justifying this?" She asks.

"Stella once told me the same thing" You say. "I think... it was the last time I saw her, when we all went out for a night in Locke after taking down Raligos"

"This Stella also wants to build a pyramid from her offspring?" She asks.
"I think she was joking" You say.

"Women are strange creatures..." She says.

"Like it or not, you're one of them now" You say.

She does not seem happy about this fact. You chuckle and put her up on your shoulders.

"So if Leviathans don't procreate, how were you born?" You ask.

"The same way all monsters are" She says. "The mana in the northern icefields pooled together, crystalizing and giving form to a new life"

"Oh yeah..." You say. "What was that like?"

"It was interesting" She says. "I have little scale for such things, but I was around the size of those dastardly white rabbits at the time"

>What was so dastardly about them?

>How long ago was that?

>How'd you go from that, to a massive leviathan?

>Other

>>2403596
>>What was so dastardly about them?
>>How'd you go from that, to a massive leviathan?
>>That sounds cute.

>>2403596
>>What was so dastardly about them?

>>How long ago was that?

>writing

"Oh? And what was so dastardly about them?" You ask.

"Well they were white so I couldn't see them in the snow, and I'd be sniffing around trying to find food and I'd think I was getting really close to something but they would just run away every time" She says. "And they were faster than me so I couldn't even chase them and I was really hungry..."

"How'd you get so big if you couldn't catch your food?" You ask.

"I started eating birds" She says. "I was really slow on my legs, but I could glide real fast. So I'd make myself a nice big ice thing to jump off of and I'd snap them out of the air and then swallow them whole"

"Did you ever catch one of those dastardly rabbits?" You ask.

"Many times, but only after I had become too large for them to sate my hunger" She says. "The first time was when I was about as big as that house. I saw one trying to run past me so I popped it into the air with an ice pillar and chomped it... it tasted like sweet revenge"

You chuckle. "How long ago was this?" You ask, looking up to see her face.

She shrugs. "I know you humans weren't around yet when I was formed" She says. "The first time I came across one of you I was already quite large"

"What did you do when you first encountered a person?" You ask.
"I ate him" She says. "I had not yet formed a real consciousness by then, so the human was just more prey to be devoured, it was after I started to think that I realized they could serve me better outside my stomach than inside"

"Well I for one am glad that you aren't the type to eat people anymore" You say. "Although the itty bitty baby leviathan sounds adorable"

"Adorable things don't make for good predators" She says. "And I was not cute, I was fearsome!"

>Of course you were

>What stopped other monsters from becoming huge?

>Well you're cute now

>Other

>>2403636
>Well you're cute now
>What stopped other monsters from becoming huge?

>>2403636
>>Well you're cute now

>writing

"Well you're cute now" You say, reaching up and gently pinching her cheek.
"I don't wanna be cute, I wanna be fearsome..." She says.

"You're pretty fearsome too, especially when you're flying around raining icy death on your enemies" You say. "Better?"

"A little..." She says, looking away bashfully while her wings give a little flutter.

"So what was stopping all the other monsters from becoming as big as you?" You ask.

"I was" You say. "They couldn't grow large like me, since I was always on the hunt and big prey meant a big meal"

"So you became the unchallenged ruler of the north by eating all of your competition" You say.

"Yes" She says.
"And I thought democracy could be cut throat..." You say.

Up ahead, you spot the big building where the meeting is taking place. There are lots of people leaving the building, including several who you recognize as northern lords.

"I guess the meeting must be over" You say.

A few of them approach when they spot you and the Queen, so you...

>Leave Lyvia to speak with them and head inside

>Stick around

>Other

>>2403672
>>Stick around

>>2403672
>>Stick around

>writing

You head up to the lords and wave. One of them is lord moustache, whose name you still don't know. Another is Wilfred, the old commander of the Garhan guard who almost dated your mother that one time.

The other two you recognize but can't recall the names of.

"Your majesty, Prince Yuu" Lord Moustache says.

"My lords" You reply. "How did it go in there?"

"About as well as could be expected" Lord Moustache says.
"He jests. It was like a debate class for twelve year olds" Wilfred says. "We got nothing done, and several threats were levied against people's mothers..."

"Hopefully none of them were mine" You say.
"Give us some credit, my boy. None of us are stupid enough to threaten Commander Altea, even behind her back" Moustache says. "But if we can't work together, then coordinating our forces will be a difficult task"

"You seem willing" Lyvia says. "And I am sure there are similar people among the Lubrians. Why not make a smaller council of all the people who aren't hostile to the other nation?"

"We'd have to discuss it among ourselves, but since the idea came from you personally I could see it getting some traction" Wilfred says.

"What if I just ordered you to find all the Dunere willing to be civil with the Lubrians so we could make this council?" Lyvia says, looking down at you. "I can do that, right?"

Lord Moustache bows. "Then your wish would be my command" He says. "Would you like us to start on that now?"
"Yes please. The sooner we can put aside our differences the sooner we can wipe the stench of the black God from this country" Lyvia says.

The lords nod to each other, and bid farewell.

...

>I don't smell anything

>Look at you, flexing those queen muscles

>I suppose we'll have to do the same for my side

>Other

>>2403713
>>Look at you, flexing those queen muscles

>>I suppose we'll have to do the same for my side

>>2403713
>>See, you can still be fearsome.
>>I suppose we'll have to do the same for my side

>writing

"Look at you, flexing those queen muscles" You say. "See? You can still be fearsome, it just takes some work"

"Interesting..." She says. "They weren't afraid of me, but they still did what I told them to"
"Because you're the queen... and also because your request was quite sensible" You say. "In fact, we should do the same thing for my side. Get all of us together and then we can get stuff done"

"Lead the way" She says.

You look up and raise an eyebrow at her. She licks your nose and flutters her wings.

Then you head inside, walking past the crowds currently exiting the building.

Coral leads you through the building to Altea. You find her with Pip, looking tired.

"Heyo" You say as you enter the room.

"Hell-ow!" Lyvia says, as she bangs her head off the doorframe as you forgot to duck this time...

"You really have to start ducking..." You say.
"Ducking is your job!" She says.
"I'm not the one at eye level with the doorframe" You say, as you take her off your shoulders. "Come here, let's see"

Lyvia is clutching her head where she hit it, and you have to pry her hands away.

"There's not even a bump. You'll be fine" You say.
"It hurts..." She says.
"Want me to kiss it better?" You ask.

She nods, and you plant a kiss on her head.

"Mmmmmwah. There, better?" You ask.
"A little..." She says.

You hear Altea chuckle. "If only we could all get along as well as you two..." She says.
"Yeah, I heard" You say.
"All that fighting over such a trivial matter..." She says.

>What was the fighting about?

>Tell her about Lyvia's idea

>Did they really start threatening people's moms?

>Other

>>2403739
>>Tell her about Lyvia's idea
>>Did they really start threatening people's moms?

>writing

>>2403739
>>Tell her about Lyvia's idea

>>Did they really start threatening people's moms?

"Did they really start threatening people's moms?" You ask.

"Oh it didn't stop there" Pip says. "I heard every Noric slur I know, and even a few I don't. Heck, even the Lubrians threw out a few insults and threats"
"Which is part of the reason why I wanted to spare you from this" Altea says.

"On the upside, Lyvia had a great idea about how to solve this whole 'working together' issue" You say. "Go on, tell her about your plan"

Lyvia looks surprised to be put on the spot and shuffles around nervously before speaking. "I was just thinking that since there are lords on my side who do want to work together, that we could get the agreeable leaders from both sides together, instead of just getting everone in a room and fighting about everything" She says.

"A good plan" Altea says. "I admit that I thought of doing something similar, but I wasn't certain how to approach the northerners with it"

"Well you don't have to worry about that. She's already tasked them with putting together their group" You say.

"Very good" Altea says. "I'll do the same on my side, and perhaps we can all meet up tomorrow morning"

Lyvia smiles, looking happy that her idea was accepted.

"But enough about that, if I have to hear the word 'meeting' one more time I might just cry" Altea says as she stands up. "What have you been doing since Cheska left to find me?"

>Meeting

>I found this bowtie

>Did you know that Lyvia used to hate your ancestors?

>Other

>>2403764
>>Did you know that Lyvia used to hate your ancestors?
>>Discussing how many children you need to make a pyramid.

>writing

"Did you know that Lyvia used to hate your ancestors?" You ask.

Lyvia's head whips around, and she looks panicked.

"You're not supposed to tell her that!" She says.
"Oh? And what did they do to earn the ire of the great leviathan?" Altea asks.

"Stubbornly refuse to give her their allegiance, and use a ton of fire magic to counter the winter storms she'd send their way" You say.

Altea laughs. "Yes that certainly sounds like my family" She says. "Perhaps it's ingrained in us. As a girl I used to clear away the snow in winter by blowing fire on it... and the stubbornness... well Yuu can attest to that"

"No comment" You say.

Altea smiles. "So what brought that topic on?" She asks.
"We met with Derrick" You say. "Apparently you guys are related to Rukhu"

"From the old tales?" Altea asks. "Interesting... I was always more of a fan of Calist Windrunner myself, but to know that my line goes all the way back to then..."

"Well you'll be interested to know that Lyvia knew Calist personally" You say. "And apparently she wanted to make a human pyramid with her children..."

"Very strange..." Altea says. "But while we're on the subject I've always been curious: Why was she called Windrunner. As far as I know there are no Elven clans by that name, so..."

Lyvia tilts her head. "It's because she was fast" She says.
"She was named for being... fast?" Altea asks.
"Really fast" Lyvia replies.

"How fast?" You ask.

"Fast enough to shoot you with an arrow, then run up and stab you before the arrow could hit" She replies.

"That's... not possible, is it?" Altea asks.
"I saw her do it many times" Lyvia replies.

>Kind of overkill don't you think?

>She ever tell you how she did it?

>That's a good reason to call someone Windrunner...

>Other

>>2403796
>>She ever tell you how she did it?

>writing

"She ever tell you how she did it?" You ask.

"I was present when she was describing it to someone else. I listened to maybe a quarter of what she said" Lyvia says. "Something about stepping on air while also cutting air..."

"That's... not very helpful" You say.

"What? It was dinner time and I was very hungry" She says. "Plus I wasn't used to eating with this tiny little mouth, and spoons are hard!"

Lyvia pouts, and you rub her head to comfort her.

"Alright. As much as I'd love to stick around, if we're to put this new council together I'm going to have to pick a few of ours to be on it" Altea says. "Maybe then we can actually figure out who will be running this place..."

"Is that what the big argument was over?" You ask.
"It is indeed" She says. "I should have known better than to start off with something that either side could covet or use as a powerplay... once it was on the table there was no further discussion"

"Lesson learned?" You ask.
"Lesson learned" She replies. "Let's go, Pip. I've got a few people in mind..."

"Actually, I was wondering if I could borrow Pip for a bit" You say. "There's a vault in the manor that I'm interested in cracking..."

That's all for tonight!

Next thread will be on Wednesday.

As always I'll be sticking around for question/suggestion time!

I can't believe it's been two years already. Time sure flies. Here's to another two.

"So this is the safe, huh?" Pip asks.
"Yep. I figured you'd want to see what's inside" You say.

"You know me so well" Pip says. "Sit back for a bit. I'll have this puppy opened in no time"

"Alright" You say, as you head to a different part of the lab.

You look over some of the tools while you wait. It looks like a surgeon's kit, which is strange because actual healers wouldn't need tools like this. So where did he get these? Did he have them specially made? Are they torture tools of some sort?

"Dangit, are you kiddin' me?" Pip asks.

"What?" You ask.
"This thing's too thick" She says. "I can't hear the tumblers"

"That's... bad?" You ask.

"If you wanna get this thing open anytime soon, yeah" She says. "6 turners, 10 numbers per means 1 million combinations... so this might take a while"

"You're just going to try every one?" You ask.
"Starting from 000000..." She says. "000001... 000002... 000003..."

...

>Well keep at it

>Maybe I can convince the Baron to give it up

>Perhaps Belladonna knows?

>Other

>>2408072
>*stay silent for a while*
>after 0100
>Maybe I can convince the Baron to give it up?

>>2408072
>>I take it we can't just melt through it either?
>>Maybe I can convince the Baron to give it up

>>2408072
>>Perhaps Belladonna knows?

>>2408072
>Other
Try 123456

>writing

You sit down and start fooling around with your bucklers, trying to shape them and make them sharp.

...

But there is something distracting you...

"000059... 000060...000061..."

"Do you have to count out loud?" You ask.
"Helps me focus so I don't lose count" She says. "Now where was I..."

"61" You say.
"Thanks Yuuster" She says. "000062..."

You sit out for a bit longer, but it quickly becomes unbearable.

"000100..." Pip say.
"Maybe I could try to squeeze the combination off the Baron?" You ask.
"You really think he'd give it to you?" She asks.
"I said squeeze, not ask politely" You reply.

Pip shrugs. "Think you could bring me somethin' to drink maybe?" She asks. "This is thirsty work"

"I'll see what I can do" You say.
"Don't take too long, or I'll have this cracked before you get back" She says. "000101..."

>1/2

You head out to the yard, where you last saw Belladonna and find that she's still there.

There are a few Lubrian and Northern soldiers posted around the castle now, and they seem to be guarding the entrance to the yard itself.

Of course, they recognize you immediately and let you through.

"Back so soon?" She asks.
"Didn't think you'd still be out here" You say.
"I am uncertain if I am allowed to leave" She says. "I believe I am being detained for questioning"

"Why not just not let you leave the Manor?" You ask.
"One hidden passage usually hints at others" She says. "Even though we did not make the tunnel... but I wouldn't put it past the Baron to put in a few for himself"

"Speaking of the Baron, you wouldn't happen to know what the combination for the safe in his lab might be would you?" You ask.

"6 numbers?" She asks.

You nod.

"Try 555553" She says.

>I thought you'd never been in the lab

>Any chance that we can get some drinks?

>Why that number?

>Other

>>2408305
>>Why that number?

>>2408305
>>Any chance that we can get some drinks?
>>Why that number?

>writing

"Why that number?" You ask.

"Because it's easy to remember, and it's far enough from the highs and the lows that someone going number to number wouldn't crack it so easily" She says. "But the last number is different so someone trying all of the same numbers wouldn't find it"

"How do you know all this?" You ask.

"Because the baron keeps the same codes for all of his locks" She says. "He has quite a few"

"What else would he keep locked?" You ask.

"The cabinets, his room, the pantry, the kitchens... I only know the code because I must get into these places for work, but the rest of the girls do not" She says.

"Huh..." You say. "Well, I'll go try it"

"If it does, would you mind doing me a favor and perhaps asking if the guards outside could let me in and perhaps keep me confined in another room?" She asks. "It is a bit chilly out here..."

>I'll do that now

>Lemme see if the code works

>I could just ask them not to confine you...

>Other

>>2408440
>>I'll do that now
>>If you continue to cooperate like you have been, then there shouldn't be a need soon.

>>2408440
>>I'll do that now

>writing

"I'll do that now, I suppose" You say. "No sense in leaving you out here..."

You head out and talk to the guards, convincing them pretty quickly. They had out and bring Belladonna inside with all of her papers.

"Oh, by the way, has there been any word on who will be taking over?" She asks.
"Nothing yet. It's been a bit of a rough topic for the coalition" You say.

"Try to keep me posted. I have the books all ready for when the new lord takes over. Once you know who it is, I will try to ensure the manor is to their liking as well" She says.

"Thanks" You say.

Belladonna bows politely, and then allows herself to be escorted off, while you head back to Pip.

You find her sitting in a chair in front of the vault, right where you left her. Only now she seems to be talking to someone...

"Who's here?" You ask.

Pip turns to face you, and Robin peers around her from Pip's lap.

"Heya Yuuster" Pip says. "This little gal was nice enough to bring me a drink, so I was teachin' her how to count to one million"

>And how's that going?

>You won't make it that high

>Did she bring one for me?

>Other

>>2408552
>>You won't make it that high
>>Confirm what species of girl Robin is.

>writing

"You won't make it that high" You say, stepping past her and fiddling with the combination yourself. "555553... there"

The lock clicks open, and Pip stares at you.

"How the fuck... did you actually get the Baron to tell you the combination?" She asks.
"No. The head maid Belladonna knew it" You say. "She's much easier to get information out of"

"You didn't interrogate the head maid, did you? We kinda still need her" Pip says.

"Of course not. She's friendly. I just asked nicely" You say.

Robin sits quietly in Pip's lap, while her tail wags excitedly. She's definitely a Canid, though the hair on her tail is longer and shaggier than you're used to...

"What do you say, Robin? Wanna crack this thing open?" You ask.

"Fuck" She replies happily.

...

>See what you did, Pip?

>No swearing

>I'll take that as a yes

>Other

>>2408634
>>See what you did, Pip?
>>No swearing
Bad Pip BAD! we shouldnt corrupt our dynamic duo

>>2408634
>>See what you did, Pip?

>>2408634
>>See what you did, Pip?
>>Now I'm forced to add another daughter to my pyramid...

>writing

"See what you did?" You ask.

"Whoops... forgot that I had to watch my language 'round the chilluns" Pip says.

"Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck..." Robin continues in a cheerful tone.

"Heyyyy kiddo. Just to let you know that's not a good word" Pip says.
"No fuck?" Robin asks.

"For now. Once you're older you can cuss like a sailor" She says.

"Those are not the kinds of life lessons you should be teaching her..." You say.

Pip shrugs and stands up, moving her chair out of the way so you can get into the vault.

You open it up, and...

"Not quite what I was expecting" Pip says.
"What were you expecting?" You ask.
"Gold or other valuables" She says. "Not books. Definitely not books"

You step up and examine the rather large stash. These are all very old.

"I don't recognize this writing" You say, as you pick one off the top and read the cover. You don't open it, as the time you spent at the archive included a few lessons on handling old books.

"Looks like old Kazu to me" Pip says, as she peers over your shoulder. "It's close enough to Lubrian that you could probably understand enough of it to get by"

>We should let someone know about this

>Why would he keep a stash of books?

>Get your proper book handling equipment

>Other

>>2408741
>>Get your proper book handling equipment

>writing

You look around the lab, and find that Graumer had many of the tools you'd need... masks, gloves, lighting...

"Let's see what we've got here" You say.
"Is all that really necessary?" Pip asks.

"Of course" You reply. "These things are ancient. We can't afford to mess them up before we can get someone to copy them onto new paper"

"You seem to be the expert here. I'll just give you the crash course on old Kazui and then get out of your hair" She says.

Pip does just that, and you find that she was right about the two languages being similar.

"How do you know old Kazui anyway?" You ask.
"Antolian spies used to use it to send notes in" She says. "You good here?"

"I should be good, yeah. I'll send Coral to you if I need a hand" You say. "And Robin, no swearing"

"No fuck" Robin says, giving you a proud salute.

"We'll work on that" Pip says. "Come on, kiddo. I bet you know all the fun little hidey holes in this place"
"Nope" Robin replies.

"Really?" Pip asks. "Well then, let's go find them. Shall we?"

>1/2

That was part of the trade-off for Altea letting Pip join you on this. She wanted her to give the Manor a good sweep for hidden passages and compartments.

The other part was that she wanted to borrow Lyvia to teach her a few things about being a leader.

Probably a good thing she's not here... that girl would have been bored to tears right now.

"So catapults did exist..." You say.

These books are about as old as you'd hoped, though they're marked as having been rescribed a few times already. The originals are most likely dust by now.

The one you're reading now is about some kind of peasant uprising thousands of years ago. For the most part the peasantry lacked the time or knowledge to learn magic, and they lived outside the range of the fountains...

You've figured that these fountains were the ancient equivalent of the modern mana generator. Strange to hear that they lived outside the generator, as that would have meant no barrier...

Anyways, the peasants used machines to try and match the power of their rulers. It most likely didn't work, but you can't know for sure as this book conveniently leaves out how the uprising ended.

"Why leave out the best part?" You ask, as you shut the book.

You've gotten through three of these now, and thus far you haven't found anything truly useful. Most of what you have found useful is just conjecture, though you've definitely discovered how Graumer found out about how women used to be.

The books all have 1 thing in common: they predate the Black God. You only know this from a brief mention of the Tyrants, the monsters like Lyvia who ruled the land back then.

You sit back in your chair and put the book back in the vault, before removing one of your gloves to air out your hand.

This has taken a while. Your lack of experience with the language has made it slow going, and it'll be a while before you can get through all of this. So you-

>Keep going

>Send a message back to the Archive

>See if there are any scribes in town

>Other

>>2408907
>>See if there are any scribes in town

Also maybe skim a bit, check some random pages to see if we happen to come across something that jumps out at us.

>>2408907
>>Keep going
>>Send a message back to the Archive

>writing

You write up a quick note to send back to the Archive, then make one for Pip asking if the current Lubrian postmaster is the same mail-spider that it's always been.

After sending Coral off to Pip, you put your gloves back on and grab another book. This time it's one called the vanishing... or the disappearance... something along those lines.

It's got a similar theme to that one about the lost civilization that you read about at the Inquisition's stronghold, so it immediately catches your attention as a familiar topic.

As you read, Coral comes back with a 'yes' from Pip, so you feed her a bit and send her back off with your letter to the Archive for the mail-spider.

You briefly wonder how the mail-spider is doing, before getting back into your book.

This covers not only the disappearance of the Tyrants (which you already knew about) but also of a vast number of people.

"Strange... you'd think Lyvia would have mentioned that" You say.

Though she most likely had her own problems, so she could be forgiven for not noticing such things. Still it's worth asking...

>File that away for later and keep going

>Go find Lyvia

>Break for dinner

>Other

>>2408996
>>Go find Lyvia
>>Break for dinner
food

>>2408996
>>File that away for later and keep going

>writing

You're feeling somewhat lazy and kind of tired, so you figure you'll let Coral bring Lyvia to you once she's done with the mail-spider.

Which means you can keep reading...

Once you finish the Vanishing you move onto the next one, taking notes of your own about relevant information along the way.

It's only when your 'read' stack starts to get even with the 'unread' stack that you start to wonder what's taking Coral so long...

Then you turn and find that she's been sitting on your shoulder this entire time.

...

"I'm more observant than this..." You say. "Right?"

Coral nods.

You sigh and put away your current book, deciding to go over your notes before you do anything else.

"Alright... so the last entry in that one about the peasant uprising was from just before the timeline for the vanishing" You say out loud. "Following that, the first depiction of women as hybrids came several years after, with the only surviving depiction of a woman before that being basically just a man with breasts..."

"What does that all mean?" A voice from the doorway asks.

"It means there's a gap there, and the world was one way before, and another way after" You say. "I've gotten those blanks filled in by Lyvia, so now I've got a solid timeline. Maybe I should write my own... book..."

You turn to see Belladonna standing in the doorway to the lab with a plate of food in her hand. "Bonjour" She says. "Someone mentioned that you had been down here for quite some time, so I thought I would do you a favour and bring down some supper"

>... just how long is 'quite some time'?

>Why thank you

>You're not being confined anymore?

>Other

>>2409047
>>... just how long is 'quite some time'?
>>Why thank you

>>2409047
>>... just how long is 'quite some time'?
>>Why thank you

>writing

"Just how long is 'quite some time'?" You ask.
"From when you came up to find me, it has been 6 hours" She says.

...

"Huh" You say. "Guess I got caught up in my work. Thanks for the food"
"You are welcome" She says. "It would not do for my reputation if I were to let a prince go hungry under my roof"

You shrug, shut the vault and step out of the lab. "I'm pretty much always hungry, so that will be a hard thing to keep to" You say.

"I will strive for it, though the cooks might get a little overworked..." She says. "By the way, I should also inform you that your mother, Commander Altea, is here looking for you"

"Why didn't she just come in here?" You ask, as you take the plate and sit down at Graumer's desk. The food is good... not that you've ever had anything truly bad, though army rations came close.

"It is official business, apparently. She is with one of the Northern Dunere as well" She says. "Supposedly their new council has successfully chosen someone to take over the town"

"Huh... I wonder who it is" You say.

>Head to them now

>Finish eating

>Ask if Lyvia is with them

>Other

>>2409093
>>Finish eating

>>2409093
>>Head to them now
>>Ask if Lyvia is with them

>>2409093
>>Finish eating
FOOD!

>writing

You decide to finish eating first, as you are pretty darn hungry.

"So I guess you're not in confinement anymore?" You ask.

"I am still not allowed to leave the manor, but it is a large manor" She says. "I never really spent that much time out in the city in the first place, so it's not really much of a restriction"

"That's good to hear" You say. "Not that you're still restricted, but that you're not unhappy"

"I wasn't planning on changing my habits anytime soon" She says. "In fact, part of the reason why I've been so busy preparing for a new lord is that I am hoping that whoever it is will keep me on... I've been here so long I am uncertain what I would do were I to be let go"

"How long have you worked here?" You ask.

"My family has served the Graumers for a long time now" She says. "I didn't truly start working until I was a girl, but you could say I have been at it for my whole life"

"You aren't interested in anything else?" You ask.

"Well... I would hope that whoever replaces the old Baron is more open to giving the occasional vacation than he was..." She says. "Perhaps if they are not as particular I might find time to pick up a hobby..."

"I'm sure the council picked someone good" You say, as you finish up. "I'm surprised they didn't tell you who it is yet"

"She said she wanted your opinion" Belladonna says.
"Well, let's go find out, shall we?" You ask.

>1/2

Belladonna takes you to where Altea is waiting for you. Beside her is Lord Wilfred.

"Took you long enough" Altea says.
"I was eating" You say. "So you guys managed to pick someone to rule this place?"

"We did" Wilfred says.
"It was tough, we had to choose someone who neither side would object to, as well as someone who the remaining Antolians wouldn't view as an insult" Altea says.

"That meant no nobodies who just want land, no prominent Lubrians or Northerners" Wilfred says.

"So who is it?" You ask.

"You" Altea replies.

...

"Me?" You ask. "But-"

>That actually sounds pretty good...

>Don't I have a war to fight?

>I know literally nothing about leading a town

>Other

>>2409125
>>Don't I have a war to fight?

>>2409125
>>Don't I have a war to fight?

>writing

>>2409125
>>That actually sounds pretty good...

>>2409125
>>Don't I have a war to fight?
>>I know literally nothing about leading a town

"-don't I have a war to fight?" You ask.

"Of course" Altea says. "For the time being, you'll be delegating most of your duties. I'm given to understand that Miss Belladonna handled most of the town's political and financial affairs during Alex Graumer's time anyway so you've got good help. So you will continue to do what you do best, and then when the war is over and we've struck all the Legion banners from every wall from here to the western ocean you can return here and assume your post"

"What about the ruins?" You ask.

"I never said you'd have no free time whatsoever" Altea says. "But you're the only person who we could get either side to agree on..."

"I thought you said no prominent Lubrians?" You ask.
"And no prominent Northerners either" Wilfred replies. "The loophole there is that you're both: a prince of Lubars, and champion of the north"

"But if you don't want to do it, I won't force you" Altea says. "Just know that it would both make me very happy as a mother that you'll have a place to call your own, and very happy as a Commander that we'll be able to put the argument about who should lead Lutain behind us and move onto some actual business..."

You chuckle. "No pressure, right?" You ask.

Altea sways her head from side to side, then holds up her fingers. "Teeeeensy bit of pressure" She replies.

>I don't like this...

>Alright. I'll do it

>Other

>>2409168
>>Alright. I'll do it

>>2409168
>>Alright. I'll do it
>>But what happens with the rest of Antolia? Won't they be mad losing their city?
>>Is this an independent city-state now or something?

>>2409168
>>I don't like this...

>writing

"I'll do it" You say. "But what happens when we take the country back? Does this city become Lubrian? Do I become Antolian nobility?"

"I hate to say it, but Antolia as a country likely won't bounce back from this" Altea says. "There are too few Antolian leaders remaining, too much of its culture has been beaten into the dirt, and there are too few Antolians left to carry it on..."

"I wouldn't be so sure... what do you think, Belladonna? Is Antolia done for?" You ask.

The Elf looks nervous about suddenly being put on the spot. "I-I think you're not giving us enough credit" She says after stammering for a bit. "We have much in the way of perseverance"

You turn back to Altea and smile. Altea smiles as well.

"Perhaps it will be temporary then" She says. "When the Legion is gone, we'll see what the remaining Antolians have to say. But for now, Lutain belongs to you... if for no other reason than to keep our two nations from arguing over it"

"I will do my best to keep it in good shape... even though I have no clue what that entails" You say.

"I could give you some lessons if you'd like" She says, as she stands up. "Later, though. Now that there's a chance we might get things done, I'd very much like to go and get some things done"

You nod, and both Altea and Wilfred thank you and make their way out, leaving you with Belladonna.

"Did you know about this when you came to get me?" You ask.
"I had my suspicions, Master" She says. "Them coming all this way just for your opinion was a pretty big hint..."

>Apologize for putting her on the spot

>So this manor is mine now?

>... master?

>Other

>>2409211
>>Apologize for putting her on the spot
>>... master?

>writing

>>2409211
>Apologize for putting her on the spot
>"...Master? If you must insist on titles and formality, 'sir' will be enough."

>>2409211
>>Apologize for putting her on the spot
>>... master?

oh hey, maybe we can get her to call us batman.

>>2409232
Or Master Wayne.

"Sorry for putting you on the spot there" You say.

Belladonna lets out a nervous laugh. "I am just not used to nobility accepting contradiction from a commoner so calmly, master" She says.

"She's different" You say. "Sure she thought Antolia was done, but she'll always admit when she might be wrong"

"She is certainly gracious, master" Belladonna says.

"Why do you keep calling me that?" You ask.

"Master?" She asks. "Because you are now the master of the house, and therefore those of us who work here"

"I'm not really sure about that title..." You say.

"Would you prefer another?" She asks. "'Sir', perhaps... or 'my lord'... or maybe 'Seigneur'?""

"Yuu is fine for now, I think" You say. "If I come up with something better, I'll let you know"

"As you wish" She says, giving you a polite bow. "Shall I have the master bedroom prepared for you?'

"Is it huge?" You ask.

"Oui" She replies.

"I don't like huge rooms... are there any regular bedrooms?" You ask.
"Of course" She replies. "Though if you won't be sleeping in it, we'll have to find another use for the old master bedroom"

"I imagine I'll have to repurpose quite a bit" You say. "An 8 story manor is a bit much for one guy and a crew of maids..."

"Have something in mind?" She asks.

"Maybe" You say. "Why don't you show me around, and I'll see what I can come up with?"

"Very well. Why don't we start right here, and we can work our way up?" You ask.

"Sounds good. Lead on"

That's all for tonight!

I can't believe this quest has been going for 2 years now. It's been around through multiple moves on my end, and Quests getting the boot from /tg/. I don't know if it's got 2 more years to go, but I'll definitely be seeing it through to its end.

As for the next thread, I should actually be available for a run on Saturday which is a first since I started working again. Though that is subject to change depending on what my manager says.

As always I'll be sticking around for question/suggestion time!

What, no giant bed to cuddle fluffy tails?

>>2409265
You can still have a giant bed. It's giant rooms that Yuu doesn't like.

Did Graumer have a butler in his employ? If not we should consider hiring... because we should have an Alfred to our Batman.

>>2409260
>>2409265
Obviously the solution to fill the mansion is to invite all our snuggly girls and enjoy the chaos and mayhem from up close!

We /must/ also tell Belladonna that french maid uniforms must be acquired lest we become homesick

>>2409396
We should hire the best Guard A, Simon.

>>2409513
I wonder if it's considered deviant abuse of the servants to force them to allow you to fluff their tails.

>>2409396
We should just start calling Belladonna Elfred

I might have missed something but
Why not just ask Coral to lead us to Stella?

OK GUYS LETS RENAME THIS TOWN AS GOTHAM CITY

HAHAHAHA

>>2410669
Oh Yuu

>>2410645
Well it used to be that the distance and terrain and the demon army was in the way. You're right those aren't really obstacles anymore.

>>2410645
No matter what else, I vote we do this next time. Seriously, the thought should have occured to ONE of us before now, ever since we realized she might be held by the resistance.

"-and this is the rooftop garden" Belladonna says. "Not much in the way of plants up here now, but come spring I promise it will be bursting with colour!"

"You weren't kidding when you said Graumer had a room for everything..." You say. "Did he really need a separate dining room for each meal?"

"That is one flight of fancy he can be forgiven for..." She says. "The Graumer family was once quite large. When my mother was head maid, there were 3 branches of the family all living here at once"

"What happened?" You ask.

"Wars" She replies. "Wars to the east, wars to the south, wars to the north... those rooms were all bedrooms once"

"Doesn't really make up for what he's done, but I can see why he would want to make use of the rest of the house" You say.

"Have you given any thought to how you will be using it?" She asks. "The budget will be tight, but I believe there is enough for a bit of a remodeling..."

"Dunno yet" You say. "For now I guess I'll be staying here while we're in the city... and since I have a giant house it would be rude not to offer a bed or two to my friends"

"We have beds to spare" Belladonna says.

"Other than that... I'll be away most of the time until the war is over. I'm sure I can think of something..." You say.

"I have a suggestion, if you'd like to hear it" Belladonna says.

"Speak your mind" You reply.

"Well... many of the girls on staff here are orphans, their families killed in one of the wars I mentioned" She says. "There are many like them, and there will be many more before the war is through"

"You want to take them in here?" You ask.

"Just a suggestion" She says. "It will be up to you of course, and it wouldn't have to be permanent"

>I'll think on it

>I'm interested

>We can't set something up in the city?

>Other

Quick post up for the night since I didn't get to run today like I hoped. Voting ends at 10pm PST, and I'll be following up with a thread on Monday.

>>2417494
>>I'm interested

>>2417494
>Other
"Absolutely."

>>2417494
>I'm interested
We are gonna run a TIGHT fucking shift in this new orphanage.

>>2417494
>I'm interested

Considering we were technically an orphan until we got adopted, I feel like we should help others in a similar situation.

>>2417494
>Why don't we arrange to take a few in, and then spread some propaganda that it would be shameful if the native citizens couldn't do as well as the foreign lord? It's better to have families instead of orphanages.
>The staff isn't crammed in six to a room or anything, right? They should at least have their own rooms.

>>2417494
>>I'm interested

>>2417494

>>2418321
This

"I'm interested." You say. "We'll talk it over with the rest of the staff first... and I want to upgrade their accommodations before we do anything."

Belladonna blinks a few times. "You do?" She asks.

"Their rooms are tiny, and I have no idea how you crammed 3 of those triple decker bunk beds in there or how those rickety old things are held together, but I wouldn't throw my worst enemies into a cramped place like that. Nevermind my staff" You say. "Well... maybe I would. I have some pretty bad enemies. But then I usually just kill them instead of tossing them into cramped rooms with crappy beds"

Belladonna seems amused by your ramblings. "What do you suggest?" She asks.

"Well the only direction we can go is up." You say. "How many maids are there anyway?"
"27, including myself" She replies.

"You sleep in those rooms too?" You ask.

She nods.

"So 27... 28 if you include me..." You say. "There are enough guest rooms on the third floor for everyone if they double up, and that leaves some room for my friends, too"

"They will not mind that. Sharing one comfortable bed beats what they had before" She says. "Would you like to inform them of the change now?"

"Sure." You say. "We should also let them know that I'll be taking over here... I don't know why we didn't do that when we saw them all on the way up"
"They were preoccupied." She says. "Come this way."

You nod and follow Belladonna.

>... you really slept in those beds?

>So about this orphanage...

>Ask about Lutain itself

>Other

More quick post. Voting ends at noon PST and I'll be running a thread starting around 4pm

>>2420117
>... you really slept in those beds?

>So about this orphanage...

>>2420117
>So about this orphanage...

>>2418321
This is a good idea. Encouraging the people to help eachother and war-victims in particular will be a good first step toward recovery once the war is over.

I don't remember if Smiley ever described their maid uniforms but as any self-respecting master would do we should dress our servants in classy clothes befitting a true maid if our budget allows it. Maybe we could get a tailor to make custom uniforms depending on Yuu's taste or fetishes if he's developed any by now.

>>2420117
>>... you really slept in those beds?
We should make sure that any other issues like bad clothing and food is also resolved since they likely won't complain about it themselves.


>>So about this orphanage...

>>2421108
Yuu's taste is for fluffy tails etc. Outfits should be cute but not too flashy. The important thing is their natural attributes so we don't want to distract from that.

With that said, do we have a personal signet or coat of arms or anything yet? If not, perhaps this is a good time to come up with one. It would be good to include in the design. Also for some flags in the city (though we want to keep some local flags too).

"... you really slept in those beds?" You ask. "How do any of you still have backs?

Belladonna laughs nervously and presses on her lower back. "It has been difficult..." She says.

"Is there anything else I can do for you guys?" You ask. "Are the uniforms okay? How about the food?"

"The uniforms are fine now that they are not trying to cover up who we are" Belladonna says. "And the food has always been one of the only goo things about working here"

"Good" You say. "But feel free to tell me if there's anything you or the others need"
"I will" She replies.

"Now... about this orphanage" You say. "If the others are in, how soon do you think we can get it started?"
"We'll have to renovate some of the rooms to make space for more beds. That will take time" She says.

"You'll have time then" You say. "In the meantime, would there be any way to get the townspeople in on this?"

"You want the people of Lutain to accept orphans as well?" She asks.

"Orphans, refugees and the like, yes" You say.

"Many of them don't have the money to feed themselves, nevermind others" She replies. "The town has not been prospering of late..."

>So how do we make it prosper?

>It didn't seem so bad...

>The Lubrian occupation should change that

>Other

>>2421609
We've got loads of new airships, we should be able to use some to kick off trade again. Put aside some space for that while they run supplies to the front

Also both counties must have a relief fund and food stores for emergencies, and I am quite certain that this town qualifies to receive both

>>2421609
>>So how do we make it prosper?
>>Fund them if we have to. We are taking care of them one way or the other.

>>2421609
>So how do we make it prosper?
Well I imagine paying for the renovations will help with the local economy and like >>2421625 said we could try and start trade

>writing

"How do we change that?" You ask. "What did Lutain run on before all the wars?"

"It's degraded quite a bit, but all the land surrounding the city used to be farmland." She says. "The Legion didn't attack the farmers, but with the hunters gone the monsters grew too fierce"

"So if the hunters return, then you can start farming again." You say. "I can manage that... I just need to find Stella"

"Who is Stella?" She asks.

"A friend of mine, and the Huntmaster's daughter." You say. "The Legion captured her in Locke, but I'm pretty sure she escaped after they brought her here"
"So she was the prisoner they brought to the dungeons... and the tunnel-"

"Was used to get her out." You say. "Now that I think of it, I should probably get out there and rescue her since she won't be in a heavily guarded Legion stronghold"

"Do you know where she is?" Belladonna asks.
"Not really... I was gonna get Coral to show me the way" You say.

"Wandering through enemy territory like that could be dangerous... but if your sprite knows her, then I know how you can get a starting point" Belladonna says. "I can show you later, if you'd like"

>Can you show me now?

>Let's talk to the staff first

>How?

>Other

>>2421693
>>Let's talk to the staff first

>>2421693
>>Let's talk to the staff first
>>How?

>>2421693
>How?

Presumably the wartime economy (and using this place as the jumping-off point for air ships, other supply stuff) will keep this town afloat while we fuck off and finish this war.

I'm not sure the level of effort we need to be putting into hard-tracking Stella if we'd be giving the legion the breathing room it'd need to recoup and sent more people in with boons.

>writing

"Let's talk to the staff first" You say.

"As you wish" She replies.

You keep going down the stairs, and a thought occurs to you.

"Now that I think of it, Lutain's position as both the front line and our hub for getting supplies into Antolia might be the solution to our problem" You say. "Dozens of airships will be passing through here, and hundreds if not thousands of soldiers will be staying here"

"And?" She asks.

"Those airships are bound to have some extra cargo space for trade, and those soldiers all get paychecks" You say. "It's a temporary opportunity for trade and income that we shouldn't ignore"

"And when the war is over, we can use the farmland once more" She says.

"Heck, we might not even need to. Lutain is in a nice, central location. A sizeable airship dock and a strong market would sustain it long after the war is over" You say.

"A merchant airship dock would be quite costly..." She replies.

"If we pay for it, which we won't have to if I can convince the coalition that it would be worth the cost" You say. "Having a good, fortified place to unload supplies would make things easier on everyone"

"You are certainly diving headfirst into this" She says.

"Is there another way to dive?" You ask.

"No, I suppose not" She replies, as you reach the room where the maids have been hanging out. "Here we are. Girls, I have good news..."

>1/2

>>2421739
Do you have a map with Lutain on it? I'm getting a feeling it's somewhere in the midwest USA, but not quite sure where.

Also, you may want to put a link to a map in the pastebin, just as a thing to have handy.

>>2421799
You're basically around Iowa/Minnesota now. I'll have a version of the map with Lutain marked on it up soon.

"Good news?" One of the maids asks.

"Well, we've got some good news..." You say, giving a dramatic pause. "And some more good news"

Pip is here as well, along with Robin. Pip rolls her eyes.

"What's the good news?" Pip asks.
"Which good news?" You reply.
"The normal good news, not the more good news, obviously" Pip says.

"Alright. It was decided by the leaders of the coalition that I will be taking over as Lord here in Lutain" You say.

They look somewhat apprehensive about that, but then they don't know you that well.

"The more good news is that you're no longer going to be sleeping in the servant's quarters, because I'm giving you the guest rooms" You say. "You'll have to go 2 to a room, but I'm told that won't be a problem"

"You mean... we get to sleep in the good guest beds?" A girl with big floppy bunny ears asks.

"You'll have to share them, but yes" You say.

"Is... is there a catch?" A sheep girl asks.

>Other than sharing them? no...

>You have to enjoy it.

>Should there be?

>Other

>>2421835
>>You have to enjoy it.

>>2421826
I'm getting a bit lost now with where everything in general is. Also helpful if we knew some places we were going.

>>2421835
>>Sometimes, I get to fluff your tails.

>>2421835
>Other than sharing them? no..

>>2421835
>>Aside from potentially helping take care of orphans and refugees soon, no.

>writing

>>2421846
Noted. I'll work some of the major Antolian cities into that map as well.

>>2421872
Other point of interest - what's the practical amount of distance an airship can travel and how fast? I presume it's the primary means of long distance travel we'd use.

"You have to enjoy it, and I don't mean just forcing a smile when I'm around. I mean actually enjoy working for me" You say. "If there's something you don't like, I wanna know"

They all look to Belladonna, and the silver-haired Elf just smiles.

"I... think I can handle that" one of them says.

"Dibs on rooming with Robin!" The bunny girl calls out as she plucks the little Canid off Pip's lap.

You chuckle. "I'll let you guys figure out who's rooming with who right now" You say. "There's something else I want to discuss, but it can wait"

The girls do just that. You watch for a minute and notice all the alterations they've made to their uniforms. Tail holes have been made, you see discarded gloves in the trash bin that probably came from the girls with paws, and while some are still wearing their old headbands, they wear them behind or around their ears instead of over them now.

"So" Pip says. "Should I start calling you M'lord now?"
"You never did before, why start now?" You ask.

Pip giggles. "That's true... so how did this happen?" She asks.
"I was the only one they could agree on" You say.
"Thaaat makes sense" She says, as she looks back at the maids. "Not bad for a Lord's first act. You've now thoroughly endeared yourself to the staff. Any ideas on how to do the same with the people?"

"A few" You say. "We can talk about that later, though. I want to ask the Comomder a few things before I make any decisions"

>Ask how her search went

>Ask Belladonna about her Stella finding method

>Other

>>2421909
>>Ask Belladonna about her Stella finding method

>>2421909
>>Ask how her search went

>>2421900
Think of them like airplanes that can hover in place and refuel themselves by entering the field produced by a mana generator. Mid-sized airships can make it about halfway across the continent without refuelling if they're just running their engines. The cross ocean airships like the Archer's Pride are huge because they need huge storage to cross the atlantic.

They're also much slower than your average plane. You can outpace one on a straight road with the Rook, and most of the faster cart models are quicker than an airhsip as well.

>>2421909
>Ask how her search went

"But for now" You say, as you turn to Belladonna. "Think you can show me that thing now?"
"Of course" She says. "Just this way. We'll need a map..."

You and Pip follow Belladonna.

"How'd the search go?" You ask.
"Not too well. Other than the lab, this place is mind-numbingly free of hidden stuff" She says. "I did find a lot of paintings of the ex-baron though"

"Yes, he did enjoy his likeness quite a bit" Belladonna says. "I assume you'll want those taken down?"
"Yes please" You reply.

Belladonna nods. "You should sit for a painting of your own sometime" She says.
"Do I have to?" You ask.

"It's pretty standard" Pip says. "Even the Commander's had a few done of her. You should get it done by the same artist, too. She's very good at capturing that 'warrior essence' you two share"

"I'll think about it" You say.

Belladonna leads you into a room and pulls out a large map of Antolia along with a compass. She lays the map out on the table and aligns it using the compass.

"There. Now, have Coral stand right here" She says, pointing at Lutain on the map.
"You heard the lady" You say.

Coral flies out of your shirt, does a quick vertical loop, then plants herself over Lutain on the map.

"I get it" You say. "Coral, point me towads Stella"

Coral pauses, then points almost straight south. Belladonna places a wooden stick along the line.

"Only one city along that path" Belladonna says. "Assuming she's in a city, your friend is in Kirando"

You look at the map. Kirando sits right on the south coast of Antolia.

>Is there anyway to get a more exact location?

>That's kinda far...

>How come people don't use this method more often?

>Other

(For reference while I'm working on the new map, Kirando is around Houston. You're somewhere between Minnesota and Iowa)

>>2422001
>>That's kinda far...
damn, Stella hauled ass

>>2422001
>>Is there anyway to get a more exact location?
>>That's kinda far...

Time to triangulate!

>>2422001
>>That's kinda far...

>>How come people don't use this method more often?

>writing

"That's kinda far..." You say.
"Not really. Kirando is easy enough to get to if you take the river south" Pip says. "Then you can get a boat from Hedwind straight there"

"Okay, where is Hedwind?" You ask.

"At the head of the Locken river" Pip says. "Over here"

"Gotcha" You say. "Is there anyway to get a more exact location? Like right now she could be anywhere on this line..."

Belladonna nods. "You'd need to do some travelling, but if you get far enough from here then you can do this again and look for where the lines cross"

"That sounds like a lot of work" You say. "Plus if she moves then it throws the whole thing off"

"You could always send a sprite to someone and ask them to do it for you" Pip says. "But it doesn't really matter. I think Kirando is our next big target anyway"

"It is?" You ask.

Pip nods. "It's their only real seaport on this side of the continent. That makes it a good target" Pip says. "Now that doesn't mean we'll be going straight for it, but in the grand scheme of things it will probably be our next objective"

>I should go see Altea

>Let's go tell the staff our plan for this place

>Other

>>2422070
>>I should go see Altea

>>2422070
>>I should go see Altea

>writing

"I should go see Altea" You say. "I want to let her know about this, possibly get some pointers on running a town and then if I have time ask about building airship docks here in Lutain"

"Airship docks?" Pip asks.

"I have a plan" You say. "You coming with me?"

"Nah. I'm gonna stick around here and make sure the people guarding the manor are doing their jobs" Pip says.

"Alright. I'll be back in a bit" You say, stopping before you head out. "Oh, and Belladonna?"

"Oui?" She asks.

"Mind talking to the maids about the orphans for me?" You ask.
"It will be done" She says.

"Thanks. Let me know what they think" You say.

You head out, and Coral follows you.

"Alright Coral, where's the Comomder..."

>1/2

You decide to stop along the way to grab the Rook from where you left it, taking a minute to see how Velma and her children are doing before continuing on your way.

"I know I've only got a tiny sample size, but I think the people like me" You say to Coral. "So far, I mean. I've been Lord here for what... an hour?"

...

"Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself, making big sweeping plans for the town's future in my first hour" You say. "Or maybe I'm not getting ahead of myself enough... enough ahead of myself... ahead... enough... you get the point"

Coral gives you a thumb's up.

"Well at least I can always count on your support" You say.

You pull up to the building Coral's been pointing at, dismount, and head inside.

Altea is in a large meeting room with Lyvia and Marybell. Lyvia is reading something, while Altea is writing something and Marybell is standing guard.

"Hello" You say.

"I'm FREE" Lyvia shouts, as she jumps out of her chair and soars over to give you a flying tackle hug.

...

"Nice to see you too" You say.

>You're happier to see me than you usually are

>Ask Altea about running a town

>Ask Altea about possibly building some docks

>Other

>>2422177
>>You're happier to see me than you usually are
>>Ask Altea about possibly building some docks

>>2422177
>>You're happier to see me than you usually are
>Ask Altea about possibly building some docks

>>2422177
>>You're happier to see me than you usually are

>>Ask Altea about possibly building some docks

>writing

"You're happier to see me than usual" You say. "What's up"

Altea sighs. "You know if you didn't want to read that book all you had to do was say so..." She says.

Lyvia clings to you, and you pat her back reassuringly. "I think you're underestimating how intimidating you can be at times" You say.

"You've never found me intimidating" Altea says.

"I was completely clueless to that sort of thing when we first met, and by the time I figured it out I already knew you pretty well" You say.

Altea frowns. "I'll try to remember that, then" She says. "What brings you here?"

"Just trying to figure out what to do with this place" You say.
"You don't have to worry too much about that right now" She says.

"I actually wanted to ask you about something" You say. "There's going to be a lot of people and stuff coming in and out of this place, and I was wondering if you think building an airship dock might be a good investment"

"It would make moving supplies easier" Altea says, keeping her eyes fixed on you as she raises an eyebrow. "But what's in it for you?"

"Well obviously Lutain gets to keep using the docks after the war is over" You say with a smile. "It's in a good location for facilitating trade on all sides of the contenent, too"

Altea smiles. "Oh my goodness, I've awakened a monster" She says. "It's only been an hour and you've already started thinking that far ahead?"

>Is that not normal?

>Do trade and commerce monsters exist?

>Just trying to do my best

>Other

>>2422226
>>Is that not normal?
>>I don't have a lot of time now, so I need to do as much as I can.

>>2422226
>Do trade and commerce monsters exist?

>writing

>>2422226
>You didnt know but i played Trade Tycoon a lot in my childhood spawning megacorporations in matter of hours
>....
>Is that nornal?

>>2422226
>Do trade and commerce monsters exist?
Voting for Yuu the shekelmancer

"Do trade and commerce monsters exist?" You ask, leaning back so you can see Lyvia's face. "Are those a thing?"

Altea laughs. "I don't believe so" She says.

"I know. I was kidding" You say. "I'm just trying to set things up so the town's in good shape while I'm out stabbing bad guys"

"A responsible monster" She says. "I'll talk to the others about the dock. It's a good plan, and I'm sure they'll agree. Having a friendly port will prove quite useful, especially since the next closest port is fairly far behind enemy lines..."

"Alright... and one more thing" You say. "I was working on something with Belladonna, and we think we may have found out where Stella is"

"Oh?" She asks.

"Yeah. We put Coral on a map and had her point us in her direction. She pointed straight at Kirando" You say.

"Kirando, huh?" Altea says. "It's relatively farup on our list of places to take, but it's still far off right now"

>Can we at least try and get some spies in there?

>I was just mentioning it

>Any word from the Isles?

>Other

>>2422285
>>Can we at least try and get some spies in there?

>>Any word from the Isles?

>>2422285
>>Can we at least try and get some spies in there?
>>Any word from the Isles?

>writing

"Could we get some spies in there, at least?" You ask. 'Maybe find out what the situation in the city is, if nothing else"

"Working on that. People have been wary of outsiders" Altea replies. "We're hoping that once word gets out that we've started winning, the Antolians will be a little more willing to help our people out"

"If they hear about it" You say. "If they're not travelling, it'll make getting news pretty hard"

"But it still travels" Altea says. "You'd be amazed how quickly everyone can learn something you never wanted them to know"

"I guess we'll find out" You say. "Any word from the southern isles?"
"None... unfortunately" She replies. "But they're playing the waiting game, and again will probably start helping once a 'winning side' becomes clear"

"We'd be winning a lot more quickly if they joined us..." You say.

"The southerners aren't big on open warfare" She says. "Give them time. They might be skittish when it comes to combat, but they are a formidable fighting force. There's a good reason why the waterways of the continent's southern half all have names like 'raider's river' or 'marauder's creek'"

"Noted" You say.

"Now, if there's nothing else then the two of you should head home" Altea says. "I've notified your friends about your new position, so they should be at yur house shortly"

>Anything else?

>>2422324
>>Nope.
>>Introduce our daughter to the maids when we get back.

>writing

"I think I'm good" You say. "I'll see you tomorrow morning"

Altea nods. "Take care now" She says.

"Come on Lyvia" You say. "Oh, and see you later Marybell"

Marybell smiles and gives you a light bow, then you head out.

"So what was she making you read?" You ask Lyvia, placing her up on your shoulders as you head to the exit.

"Political stuff" She replies. "It's sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo boring"
"Well if it's sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo boring, why did you keep reading it?" You ask.

"I thought I was gonna get in trouble..." She replies.

"You know she can't actually punish you for anything at all, right?" You ask. "She might be leading this whole thing, but you do outrank her..."

...

You look up to see why she isn't responding, and she licks your nose.

"Alright, I'll let it go" You say. "I guess I'll stick around next time you're with her... for now, I can show you around my new house"

>1/2

"Mine's better" She says as you come up to your manor.

"Yours is gigantic and made of ice" You say. "Kinda hard to top that"

"It is, isn't it?" She says. You can't see it, but you know she's got that proud smile on... so you reach up and pinch her cheeks.

"My staff beats yours though" You say.
"Do you count as part of my staff?" She asks.
"No" You reply.
"Then that is most likely true" She says.

You step up to the front door, and one of the maids is there to greet you.

"Welcome back" She says. It's the bunny who called dibs on rooming with Robin. She has bushy black hair and dark-ish skin, her rabbit ears droop instead of standing up, and they're long enough that they nearly reach the little tufty tail poking out the abck of her dress.

"Why thank you... what's your name?" You ask.

"Lola" She says with a smile.

"Lola..." You say. "Not sure why, but I think that's a great name for a Leprid"

Lola smiles.

>Ask if Belladonna talked to them about the orphanage

>Ask why her ears don't stand up

>Ask if your friends are here yet

>Other

>>2422360
>Ask if Belladonna talked to them about the orphanage

>>2422360
>>Ask if Belladonna talked to them about the orphanage.
>>Introduce our daughter aka the Queen of the North.

>>2422360
>>Introduce our daughter.
>>Ask if your friends are here yet

>writing

>>2422360
>>Ask why her ears don't stand up

>>Ask if your friends are here yet

"Oh, this is Lyvia by the way" You say. "She's the queen of the northern realms"

Lola looks nervous, and immediately bows. "My apologies, your majesty" She says.
"Don't worry. Like me she's not big on that kind of thing" You say.

"Kneel before me!" Lyvia says.

Lola looks to you.

"She's kidding" You say, as you reach up and pinch Lyvia's cheeks. "Right?"
"Ow! Okay! I was kidding!" She says.
"See?" You ask.

Lola nods. "Oh! Miss Belladonna asked me to let you know she wished to speak with you when you arrived" She says.

"Cool. Where can I find her?" You ask.

"Up on the third floor, coordinating the room changes" Lola says. "I can take you to her, if you wish"

"Lead on" You say, following Lola as she heads off. "So did she talk to you guys about my possible plan for this place?"

"She did" Lola says.

"And what do you think?" You ask. "Be honest, please. You will all be doing most of the work, so I don't want to go ahead with this if the consensus is 'no'."

"I love kids, but it will be a lot of work..." She says. "More interesting work than what we were doing, but still difficult... especially given the kinds of children we'll be taking in"

"You have a point. We'll probably want to bring in some kind of trauma counselor..." You say. "But we can work on that later. For now I have one more question"

She looks slightly nervous. "What is it?" She asks.

"How come your ears don't stand up? I've seen Leprids with ears that don't go up all the way, but never ones that just go down like that... were you born that way?"

"I was" She says, as she pulls her ears up by the tips. "I'm just lop-eared. My whole family is like this"

>Can you still hear really good?

>Do your ears ever get in the way?

>Ask what she thinks of you

>Other

>>2422388
>>Can you still hear really good?

>>Ask what she thinks of you

>>2422388
>>Pet her.

>writing

"Can you still hear like other Leprids?" You ask.
"Not as well, but my hearing is still pretty good" She says. "You mostly find my kind in hotter places, since they're great for letting off heat"

"How does that work?" You ask.

"I... never asked. They can be kind of a pain sometimes..." She says, as she lets go of her ears and lets them drop. Instead of falling behind her, they come down in front of her face. "Like that..."

You help sweep them back for her.

"Thank you" She says.
"No problem" You reply. "May I?"
"May you...?"

"Pet them?" You ask.
"P-pet them?" She asks.

"Yeah" You say. "It's fine if you don't want me to, but-"
"Okay" She says.
"Really?" You ask.
"Sure" She replies.

You smile, reach out, and pet her head. Her ears are very soft, but her hair has a completely different texture.

After a second, Lola starts to giggle.

"What?" You ask.
"Nothing, sir" She says. "It's just, you look very happy for someone doing something like this..."
"To be fair, your ears are very soft" You say. "Do you brush them?"
"No. The fur is too short" She replies. "Still... this feels kinda nice"

You smile. "I think you and I are going to get along very well, Lola" You say. "Now, where was Belladonna again?"
"Oh right! This way..."

That's all for tonight!

Next thread will be on Wednesday.

As always I'll be sticking around for question/suggestion time!

>>2422414
thanks for running

File: 1494891516670.jpg (28 KB, 398x400)

28 KB JPG

>>2422411
>another added to the ranks of the Bun Supremacy
good shit

File: Border mep.png (244 KB, 2147x2215)

244 KB PNG

And here's a quick updated map. Johnston is the Antolian Capital. Kirando is where you believe Stella to be. I'll add more locations soon.

>>2422447
So what happened to those territories Altea was willing to give away as a bargaining chip? Did the northerners accept them or did Yuu manage convince them without giving them away?

>>2422464
Redrawn borders will be a part of the new map.

>>2422506
This is helpful, thanks. I see Johnston is relatively close to Treeborn Cradle.

we must visit not!japan

"So what do you do for fun around here?" You ask Lola.

"I don't really get much free time... but I do enjoy baking" She says.
"You get to do that often?" You ask.

"Not really..." She says.
"I should get you in touch with my friend Fran. She has the best cake recipe" You say. "And her daughters are the sweetest"

"Who's Fran again?" Lyvia asks.

"Fran's the Devil I escaped prison with" You say.
"Oh yeah..." Lyvia says. "Carry on"

"You escaped prison?" Lola asks.

"I did" you say. "It was actually one of the first things I did..."
"And now you're a prince?" She asks.

"That happened after" You say. "Although Derrick, who should be coming here at some point, also escaped prison with me. Only he was a prince going in"
"Why would they jail their own prince?" Lola asks.

"Complicated familial stuff... probably best not to ask him about it" You say.

"Hang on..." Lola says. She then closes her eyes, rubs her temples and hums for a moment. "Noted"

You decide not to ask why she did that...

"So what do you do for fun?" She asks. "If I'm gonna be workin' for ya, I might as well know"

"I like to read and practice my spells" You say. "Oh, and kids. I like playing with kids"
"No wonder you were on board with turning this place into an orphanage" Lola says.

"The more the merrier" You say.

You come up to where Belladonna is. She's currently coordinating a bit of a move. The maids are all moving around some of the furniture...

>Give them a hand

>Ask why they're moving all this stuff

>Ask Lola if she knew Ilica

>Other

>>2426534
>Give them a hand

>>2426534
>>Ask why they're moving all this stuff
>>Ask Lola if she knew Ilica

>writing

You get Lyvia to vacate your shoulders for the time being, then walk over to where a pair of maids are lifting a particularly heavy looking cabinet.

Well... it looks heavy for them. You get an arm under it and lift it over your shoulder with relative ease.

"Alright. Where are we taking this?" You ask.

Everyone is momentarily stunned. Belladonna is the first to break the silence. "That room over there" She says. "We're trying to make sure everyone has their own space for clothing"

"Gotcha" You say, adding a few bucklers to the bottom of the cabinet to keep it steady as you head for the room Belladonna pointed you to.

"That... isn't heavy?" Lola asks.

You shrug with your free shoulder. "I'm just really strong" You reply.

Lola blinks a few times. "Huh..." She says.

"Oh! I wanted to ask you something" You say. "Did you know Ilica, while she was here?"

"Ilica... not that well" Lola says. "Nobody really got to know her, before she got thrown-... well, I guess escaped is the word now. How is she?"

"She's doing fine. She's a hunter now, with a new family" You say.
"I'm glad to hear that" Lola says. "This place was no good for her... I mean, it wasn't good for anyone, but especially her..."

"Why's that?" You ask.

"She didn't have the best control over her animal nature. That meant she spent a lot of time in the... cell" She says. "She was always really nervous, and she wouldn't let anyone help her... she even destroyed her gloves baring her claws at us, which meant more time in the cell..."

>Where is the cell?

>That sounds like the old her, alright...

>Usually getting tossed out a window is a bad thing...

>Other

>>2426609
>>Where is the cell?

>writing

"Where is the cell?" You ask.

Lola tilts her head. "Belladonna didn't show you?" She asks. "It's down in the dungeons, underneath the stairs"

"That explains why she didn't show me" You say. "We didn't go down there. Mostly because neither of us wanted to deal with the old Baron"

"Ahh..." She says. "Out of curiosity, what is going to happen to him?"

"He'll stand trial for his crimes, and then he'll be punished accordingly" You say. "That means he'll either spend the rest of his life in a cell, or his head will go somewhere his body can't follow"

"You think he'll be executed? Just for what... for what he did to us?" She asks, shifting her voice into a whisper.

"Not just for that" You say. "Although I should make hiding something as cute as your ears a capital offense"

Lola turns her head away, but you can see her blushing.

"No, if he's executed it'll be for the things I found in his lab" You say. "Things that I'd rather not tell you guys about, so don't go digging up the yard. Okay?"

"Okay..." She replies. "Was... was the lab near his study?"

"Yes" You reply.

"Lena always said she could smell blood in there..." Lola says.
"Which one is Lena?" You ask.

Lola turns around to look back at the other maids. "She's... that one. With the brown hair and the floppy dog ears" She says.

Lena is easy enough to spot, with a pair of floppy dog ears that come down to her chin and a medium length, short haired tail. Her ears are almost hard to see against her hair.

"Lena's got a very good nose, even for a Canid" Lola says.

"Huh..." You say. "I'll have to ask her about the smell at some point. I'd like to get to know you all eventually"
"We'll always have time for you" Lola says with a smile.

>1/2

You finally reach the room and put the cabinet down, then you head back to continue helping.

With you doing two maids worth of hauling, the work goes quickly. You also take the oportunity to talk with a few other the other ones.

They tell you about some of the difficulties they faced under the old baron, from little things like chafed tails and bent ears, to more serious things like infections, or the slime girl who has been borderline malnourished for a long time because she could only eat things that were 'flesh coloured'...

The slime is now light purple. It's a good colour on her.

By the time you're finished, you have a better idea of who your staff is... though it'll probably be a while before you actually memorize their names.

With it done, a few of the younger ones decide to go to bed, while the rest stay up to finish some work or just spend some time hanging out,

You think you'll...

>Hang with your staff

>Find out where your friends are

>Hit the hay

>Other