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>>6023448
The construct has a gun built into her right arm. One arm. It was rather foolish of her to pick a closed-ranged fight against two combatants. Rather foolish indeed. You give a nod to your sidekick and she darts towards the female skeleton's right side, dodging out of the way of her blast but unable to fully close the distance. That’s fine she wasn’t supposed to do anything other than be a distraction. After all, now the enemy's entire focus is directed on one opponent rather than two.

At the same time as Marie dodges, you make for the skeletons left and fire a blast of electricity channeled through your trusty companion, the kriegsmesser Sturmfahrerin. The automaton is forced to vault in Marie’s direction to evade the blast thus opening her to a melee offensive from the woman. Marie’s radiant blade struck the steel of the automaton’s left forearm, creating enough sparks to blind a man caused by the robot’s riposte. Her form is unnatural and robotic, is that a word? Never mind what really matters is that you underestimated close-quarters skills. It’s such a shame that she knows as she matches Marie blow for blow. A shame for her anyway.

A shot from your pistol, Cinder, courtesy of a spark of flame magic, strikes true against the metallic form of the woman’s foot. She stumbles long enough to give Marie both an opening for a decisive slash against the torso of the woman and a chance to leap out of close quarters. As the golem goes to stand Marie poses and shows the blunt side of her sword to the machine. You wonder why for just a moment before a deafening explosion and a blinding radiance.

“Sorry, Lorina!” You hear Marie shout as your vision adjusts to normal. You see two things, The first is that the construct had the same reaction as you, needing time to adjust to the blinding light. Second, you see an explosion outside the building you are in, a few blocks away and apparently below the ground, and at least four blocks of the city are currently falling into a massive crater caused by the explosion. It must be another of your group, but who? Wait that doesn’t matter you're in a-

Shit! You mentally curse as the expressionless woman is upon you. One parry, two, a chamber, and a locking of blades/arm is what you get from now paying attention for just a few seconds. Marie seems to be trying to hit your opponent the same way you did for her but she doesn’t seem skilled enough with her ranged magic to be capable of being more than a hindrance during your duel. Eventually, you find your strength, magically reinforced as it is, faulting you, and Sturmfahrerin clatters to the ground some distance away. Thankfully not out the window and down stories to the streets below.

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>>6023449
Your silent opponent takes this as an opportunity to press her advance and engage you in a brawl. She is however not prepared for your third weapon of the fight, your nameless Stiletto, to make an appearance. It isn’t sharp enough to slice or dice the metal woman but it is enough to puncture multiple holes in her frame. You’re not exactly sure what color of liquid you were expecting to seep out of the woman, but it wasn’t red. It wasn’t blood.

Marie arrives soon enough to flank the woman as she stumbles backward after your blows. You take the necessary seconds to rush to your favorite sword while Marie picks up the slack. She tries that new blinding move again and thankfully you aren’t looking this time. When you turn back the frame of the automaton is looking worse for wear, bleeding out of serval wounds, yet her face doesn’t betray a hint of emotion. However, that is not the same for her fighting style, she’s nervous, you can tell.

The construct takes to retreating and trying to wear the two of you out for about the next minute. Her favorite tactic seems to be using the smoldering carcass of your flying car to her advantage seeing as she isn’t perturbed by the flames or smoke near it. Using this she unleashes many cheap shots that you’re forced to dodge and restart your chase against her You send blasts of many elements at her but it’s only electricity that seems to have any large effect, not even ice spikes did as much even if you hoped to the contrary. During this time you saw, through the rain outside, multiple flying vehicles with extremely bright lights start hovering over two areas outside, near the crater and near the buildings you saw explode earlier. You also hear the dampened sounds of gunfire coming from said vehicles.

For a second every screen on the floor you’re fighting on has the Stranger’s face appear on it like it did in your confiscated boat. He looks ready to taunt you before something is said to him you can’t hear over the sound of you catching up to the metallic woman and trading blows, “What do you mean they’re at the power batteries-” Is all he gets before another above ground explosion and all the lights go off. All the lights, in the entire city. His broadcast cut short your fight continues in the dark.

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>>6023450
You’re not exactly sure for how much longer your game of tag goes on but it becomes readily apparent you’re on the winning side. Especially so when Sturmfaherin is again locked with the arm cannon of your opponent while you fight next to the broken windows. With a few spells, heating your blade, reinforcing the power behind your strike, and channeling electricity through your blade and into your opponent, you’re able to make her falter enough to cleave her limb right off, sending it tumbling down to the streets below. Blood spurts from this wound like it would an actual arm and the construct falls to the ground clutching it with her skeletal hand. She doesn’t scream, but she does gasp, and glare at you from the floor.

Marie walks up a second later, just in time for you to

>Execute your opponent

>Sheath your sword, turn around and walk toward the stairs

>[Write-in]

>>6023451
>"You deserve a better leader than him."
>Sheath your sword, turn around and walk toward the stairs
Crossing fingers for Sana-Kan robo-maid...

>>6023451
>>Execute your opponent

>>6023451
>Execute your opponent
Not like we can really help her

>>6023451
>Stop the bloodloss
>Sheath your sword, turn around and walk toward the stairs
Blood means this might be an actual human transformed and forced to serve by the Stranger's foul magic.

>>6023451
>>Execute your opponent
Coup de Grace

>>6023451
>>Execute your opponent

>>6023451
>Execute your opponent

>>6023457
>>6023554
2 for mercy.

>>6023458
>>6023521
>>6023562
>>6023588
>>6023721
5 for blood.

At least it'll be quick. Writing.

>>6023451
>Sheath your sword, turn around and walk toward the stairs

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>>6024328
Your sword swings down with force. In an instant the metallic woman is decapitated, her glare the last expression she will ever have. From the open wound her head used to be connected to, blood and sparks spill out in force. You know what’s next, and so you take a step back as the lifeless body explodes. A hybridization of flesh and metal reduced to cinders and flame. You hope whoever that was is in a better place now, maybe with a Cheat Skill of their own.

Marie doesn’t say anything, she simply looks in the direction of the dying flames, looks at you, and nods. Her face however is uncharacteristically cold, like this whole experience has hardened her in a way she hasn’t been before. It’s probably nothing to worry about, you’re not the same person you were days ago either.

With the power down the “elevator” Marie should you in the other building is not functional so the two of you head to the stairs tucked into the corner of the building. You have to walk through a few doors and hallways to find it but when you finally do the lights turn back on. Well, they’re different, red, this time but regardless the Stranger’s face appears on monitors put throughout the stairwell. Why are there monitors here anyway? Was this a planned thing?

“So, you’ve dispatched my generation two noble unit. I’d applause but you should already know this won’t mean anything.”

There are a lot of stairs, you’re not sure you can either see the top while the bottom looks miles away. It’s not, you don’t think, but when you look over the edge a wave of vertigo hits you and it truly seems like it is. Worst part is that there’s at least one monitor on every level of this building.

“You’re other Inquisitors are already dead. My army made short work on them while you fumble in the dark,” Another explosion out the windows causes tremors beneath your feet. You end up grabbing the railing to steady yourself. You highly doubt the others are dead, they can’t be.

“What do you expect is going to happen? You’ll find me in a building I’m not in?” Another lie, this is the largest and most important building. He has to be here. “And even if you did, what then? You’ll kill me? Remove the one spark in this world that could raise it out of the Dark Ages?”

There sure are A. Lot. Of. Steps. Marie isn’t exactly looking so good and while this is nothing to you the excretion isn’t exactly comfortable. Maybe you should try the elevator again? Will it work now? You’ll have to ask Marie.

“In this city, I am a God. I have the power to bring about the end of the world at my fingertips. Your resistance is nothing compared to my power. Means nothing. You aren’t even prolonging the inevitable, your fighting data will only serve to enhance the next generation of Soldier and Noble Classes.”

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>>6024372
Marie says it’s not a good idea to try the elevator even if it is working. Apparently, you’re not supposed to use them in an emergency. Why? It would surely be faster than walking this many Goddess’ forsaken steps. Has the top even gotten any closers? You can’t tell. You really hope it has.

“I can tell you’re ignoring me,” Wow, he’s certainly a smart barbarian, only took him forever, “I would have offered you a final chance of surrender, even after butchering Iona. But so be it, I’ll grant you the deaths you so clearly desire. Then next all use your attack on my sovereign territory as a cause for war to take over this entire country.”

Oh, thank the Goddess, the screens finally turn back to a reflective black as his face disappears from them. Sure the stairs were perfectly manageable but his continued presence was getting rather grating. Even for you and you’re one of the most patient people you know. A complete foil to the man who couldn’t even deal with being annoyed for what? It's not a very long time at all. He’s so impatient and annoyed at your refusal to dialog with him that you’re now benign shot at by skeletons both above and below you. If this is all it takes to set him off then he does not have the makings of a monarch. If your father was like him Lindan wouldn’t have lasted a year into his reign.

Silver lining however is the fact that you and Marie get to retreat onto the nearest floor, destroy the weak constructs there, and stop climbing the stairs. Bad news is that a lot of combatants are now filing into the floor you're on. Marie says this place is called an “office space,” made up of a grid of cube spaces that are not very private. Least a room off to the side labeled “Manager” makes a good hiding spot for the seconds you need to plan. The chair behind the desk is rather comfortable as well. The room only has one window at the back which doesn’t show the nearest explosion you can feel so all you can do is hope that those aren’t going to end up compromising you.

Wait- that’s not important. Marie seems to be currently looking at you for guidance between nervous glances at the door. Ever since your disgrace at the Academy and subsequent seclusion you almost forgot what it feels like to be a leader. It’s rather nice, even if the circumstances here are a bit more pressing than the school politics back then.

>The answer is rather simple, fight your way to the top. It’s not like these things can stop you.

>Perhaps you can try and fool these constructs? You could save a lot of energy if you don’t need to fight.

>They can’t get to you in the elevator. Can you take that instead of the stairs now? Please?

>[Write-in]

>Your current weapons are Sturmfahrerin [Kriegmesser], Cinder [Flintlock Pistol], Bedelia [Mace], a half-mag [Assault-Rifle], And an unnamed dagger [Stiletto]

>>6024378
>>Perhaps you can try and fool these constructs? You could save a lot of energy if you don’t need to fight.
If there's pipes filled with water in the stairwell, bust one open and freeze the water to make the stairs slippery. I doubt he had installed crampons on his bots.

>>6024383
Wait, even better. He's probably has a fire alarm and sprinkler system. Set it off and the bots will ether short circuit or be easier to damage with lightning attacks if they're standing in water.

>>6024383
>>6024402
+1 make osha compliance his folly.
This guy's level of incel is even ticking me off, quite the achievement really

>>6024378
>Try and fool the constructs
RTS games don’t have subterfuge built in at a level comparable to real life. Welcome to a more complete reality dumbasses.

>>6024378
>>Perhaps you can try and fool these constructs? You could save a lot of energy if you don’t need to fight.

>>6024378
>Perhaps you can try and fool these constructs? You could save a lot of energy if you don’t need to fight.

>ll use your attack on my sovereign territory as a cause for war
Definitely a Paradox player.

>>6024378
>>The answer is rather simple, fight your way to the top. It’s not like these things can stop you.

>>6024545
>Definitely a Paradox player.
>"Dude stop justifying on my puppet you asshole. Stop trying to bypass the focus tree!"
>"We're on a ceasefire you can't declare war on the defensive ally I JUST got a pact with to get around it! Stop being a dick!"
>"STOP SEDUCING MY WIVES! REEEEEEEE"

>>6024942
Hopefully this and not "I will sell your own citizens back to you as food and they will like it" kind.

>>6024942
>Asher patches into the broadcast system and starts mocking Watanabe in a stereotypical “well, ackshually” nerd accent

>>6024378
>Perhaps you can try and fool these constructs? You could save a lot of energy if you don’t need to fight.

>>6024383
>>6024489
>>6024517
>>6024538
>>6024545
>>6024957
to sneak around

>>6024811
1 to fight

Writing. It looks like I succeeded in making this guy sound as cringe as possible.

>>6025222
Nah, I bet you can make him go cringier then that.

>>6025226
Twenty bucks says he kicks his feet and flails his arms against his desk when we kick in the door to his office.

>>6025233
What is the local currency, anyways? The kingdom of Lindan I mean, not here, double or nothing Akio went with either nuyen or credits.

>>6025237
>yfw he went eurodollars

>>6025237
Despite more advanced technology courtesy of Strangetech, Lindan is still largely a feudal agrarian economy even if that's rapidly changing to a mercantile/proto-industrial one. So bartering is still relatively common though officially the kingdom uses precious metals for coins. Of course, this being an anime world means that they're all given the basic name of copper/silver/gold coins and everyone is sufficiently shocked when a Stranger pulls out a gold coin to pay for something.

Probably won't come up but I'm stealing credits

>>6025248
>not gaining brozouf
Truly this Stranger is a lamentable existence.

>>6025248
We should be running into those Strangers who just want to chill. There's a trend to have isekai characters just go on interesting vacations or cooking delicious food after all

>>6025296
Well, Marie basically already counts as one. But there are a few more characters I created that you haven't met that are like this.

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>>6025277
>Not even developing a stock market where he can trade all the leftover organs from the victims he’s turning into cyborgs for money
>Not even fish, for that matter
Some people just never gonna have that CEO mindset… bet he doesn’t even have goals or a ten year plan.

>>6025309
mf prolly got broken legs, too.

>>6025222
>It looks like I succeeded in making this guy sound as cringe as possible.
He doesn't use enough zoomer lingo

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>>6025222
You don’t have long until the next fight is a necessity. But this one, instead of being a duel or quick skirmish, looks to be shaping up into a prolonged encounter. You can’t exactly see the faceless army of automata outside your door but you can surely hear their march. You grip your sword and make to stand on your weary legs but a glimmer of light catches your eye on the ceiling. A weird metal device is poking out of it, is it a trap? It looks like a cloudkill or something could spew out at any minute.

“Marie, what is that?”

“A sprinkler, why?”

“Sprinkler? Why is it called that? What does it do?”

“Oh, it sprinkles water around when there’s a fire… Oh my God, Lorina, you’re a genius!”

“H-huh, I am? W-wait- I mean of course I am,” You sputter out as Marie jumps from her seat, “Bub why exactly am I one at this moment?”

“Duh, because a sprinkler sets off when there’s a fire!”

“Oooh, that makes sense,” It doesn’t. What is she getting at? “And that matters because?”


“Because we’re fighting robots!”

“R-right, I knew that.”

“Come on, heat the sprinkler up then!”

“I”m, uh, already doing that! Just needed a bit of time to cast my spell,” You weren’t and you don’t but she doesn’t need to know that. You cast a fire right next to the strange metal gizmo and hear the sound of glass breaking before it feels like you’re once again back in the rain. How exactly is this supposed to help? And why didn’t this happen during your duel with the female construct? Did it have to do with the power?

“Awesome!” She picks up her sword and her face morphs to one of, almost cocky, confidence, “Do it a few more times and we’ll be the least of the robot’s concerns!”

Wow, there sure are a lot of the constructs when Marie opens the door. It’s almost like a sea of metal between the cubicles. In unison, they raise their rifles in your direction, but you are faster. A few spells in rapid succession cause multiple of these “sprinklers” to go off in rapid succession. You’re not exactly sure what the intended effect for this is supposed to be so you waste no time capitalizing on the newfound wet state of your opponents and send off a lightning spell from your messer. The results are catastrophic.

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>>6025321
You’re blasted back into your chair by the force of the first explosion, not even expecting the chain reaction that follows. However, you scramble to your feet to follow Marie who's already left the office, easily evading the army of robots as they instead focus on not immediately self-destructing. You’re forced to repeat the process a few times to keep the water, the explosions, and the damage, coming as the two of you return to your ascent. However, it is exhausting on your mana reserves. If it wasn’t for being in a highly dangerous place you’re certain you’d have already fallen asleep by now. Your body certainly cries out for it even if that’s a good way to wind up dead. Though you probably shouldn’t use magic much more today unless you want to risk some serious damage caused by mana exhaustion. That means it’s just you, your weapons, and your endless intelligence to finish the job.

As you make your way to the top you pass many strange floors, some seem dedicated to those little square spaces, others to housing, and some to weird labs home to equipment you can’t comprehend. The only similarity to many of these rooms is their complete lack of occupants save for the occasional squad of skeletons or two. You have to wonder how the layout of this building even goes, it doesn’t seem to have any rhyme or reason to it and you can’t imagine an actual architect constructing it. But none of that matters because eventually, you reach the summit, the highest floor, the peak.

You take a moment to catch your breath while Marie takes the initiative to slice and dice her way through the last flight of stairs behind you, rendering them that much less usable. You don’t question how her Cheat Skill sword can render through metal like it was butter without even a hint of superheating her blade with magic. That conversation can be for later because at the end of this floor, you find yourselves looking into a room fit for a duke. It has just the right amount of gaudiness to mean something about the owner's wealth but still doesn’t come close to the magnificent opulence of one of the Lindan family estates.

And there past the intricate wooden door and windows is the Stranger hovering over a large desk that overlooks the city. A desk that seems to hold many treasures and technologies such as a [BIG RED BUTTON]. Many large monitors show many scenes, on one you can see Asher- well you think that can count as fighting. He seems to be acting more like a savage or a beast than anything, trying to tear into the constructs like they’re beings of flesh instead of metal. You even see him try to take a bite out of one before tearing it apart. On another you see Abram holding onto- Goddess, oh no. You see Abram giving a final prayer over what can only be Silas’ corpse. Charred and mangled as it is.

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>>6025325
You don’t even bother to mask the steps of your approach. Your boots click and clack against the tile floor as you walk closer to the Stranger, “No, I don’t care that he’s already depleted the Generation One stock, I want every Noble Class Unit rerouted to the HQ. I can hear the fighting from outside, they’re almost here!”

His voice is desperate, “You’re all useless! I should’ve taken the actual nobles instead of your sorry hideout of that city! I Don’t care if you die to kill the old man and get the power back on! Just do it!”

Your gaze is hardened and your glare is fierce, you don’t turn around but you know Marie’s is the same, “Why is this all falling apart?! I did everything right! I followed what it showed me so why am I being punished? Wasn’t I sent here to fix this broken world?!”

He shouts in vain to some unseen God, clearly one not as merciful as the Goddess. Whatever, this farce has gone on long enough. The door flies open at your kick and the Stranger turns around in shock. For a few moments, you revel in his flopping around, much like a fish, before he desperately grabs at a rectangular device on his desk and rapidly taps at it. Seemingly from nowhere a few skeletons appear, though Marie is quick to take them out. It doesn’t stop your advance.

“W-wait get back!” The Stranger exclaims before he realizes it will do him no good, “I-i surrender!” He raises his hands but the device doesn’t leave his right one, “And I expect to be treated with the full rights of a POW, a captured sovereign,” He says. You can tell he’s trying to put on a straight, brave, face but the twitch of his lips and eyebrows, the sweat on his body, and the quiver in his voice betray his intentions.

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>>6025328
You go to speak to condemn this man but you are beaten to the punch, “What the hell are you talking about? Is this all a game to you?!” Maries screeches, her grip on her sword whitens.

“What? Of course, it isn’t-”

“People are dead! Do you even realize that? You killed innocent people! Do you even care?!”

“Sacrifices are necessary to bring-”

“Shut up! I’m not stupid no matter what anyone tells me! Iona was the name of one of the twins you kidnapped, I held her crying mother in my arms!” Are those tears? “All that wouldn’t have been necessary if you hadn’t used whatever the hell’s on that phone to butcher her and turn her into that!”

“You should know more than anything else that this world isn’t the same as Japan, our home. It needs to be lead-”

“You need to shut the fuck up! Okay?! This isn’t Japan, you’re right! But this is still real! Why would you ever think differently?! These are real people with real lives, real lives that you took from them! I died and you did too, yet we were given a chance to live again. I don’t understand why or how but understand even less how you could be given this opportunity and squander it by playing the role of a two-bit villain! Do you have no shame!”

During this “argument,” Marie has been steadily approaching the Stranger as you’ve been stunned watching the happy-go-lucky girl scream at levels you’ve never heard her before.

“Answer me, dammit!”

Marie’s grip on her sword has gone even past white. Drops of blood splatter to the ground from where her nails dig into her palm past the hilt. She’s going to kill him if you don’t do anything. But should you even try to stop her?

>Let Marie handle this, she deserves as much

>Step in, but why? [To speak to the Stranger, or to stop Marie?]

[Write-in]

>>6025331
>Step in, but why?
>”Is there a way to make your victims as they once were?”
>If yes, he lives for now, if only to get them back to normal.
>If no, well… it looks like a long fall from the top of here.

>>6025346
Oh, right, damnit, flying cars that he could probably summon… fuckit, just beat him to death with everyone else if he can’t turn the citizens back to humans, then chuck his body off the tower.

>>6025353
Have you considered cutting his phone arm off and pinning his other hand to the ground with a letter opener?

>>6025331
>Step in, but why? [To speak to the Stranger, or to stop Marie?]
A question for him: When he said "I followed what it showed me so why am I being punished?", what did he mean by that? What is "it"? What was he shown?

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>>6025366
Not really, although you’re giving me an idea… how about when we’re done questioning him, we break his hands, legs and knees, steal a flying car before we prepare to escape, and hit the big red button before leaving so he dies like the faux nazi did in Robocop 3?

>>6025346
supporting.
including>>6025366

>>6025331
>Step in, but why? [To speak to the Stranger, or to stop Marie?]
Maybe have the incel turn off the robots fighting Asher? Else Marie cuts his balls off

>>6025331
Seconding >>6025346
And >>6025366
Why did you kill Iona, anons?

>>6025331
>>Step in, but why? [To speak to the Stranger, or to stop Marie?]
kill him first. luv me warcrimes

>>6025431
1. No clue who she is
2. Don't want party bloating
3. Thought the incel would put at least a minimum of resistance and would be an insta kill, he is even more pathetic than estimated
4. This kind of thing doesn't really seem, you know; reversible so it seemed like a mercy to me

>>6025331
>Let Marie handle this, she deserves as much

>>6025331
>Step in, but why? [To speak to the Stranger, or to stop Marie?]

>>6025431
I would have voted to kill Iona if I was around at the time to vote because the process seemed irreversible. Even if we could reverse what had happened, that kid is going to be super messed. Even if we had the magical healing powers to restore every bit and piece of them back to normal...

You don't get over torture.

>>6025331

>Let Marie handle this, she deserves as much

>>6025930
Tortured people still don't deserve to die.

>>6025937
Are you sure? We'll have to do a study. Let's get a bunch of people to torture and a control group of untortured people. Then we'll have to ice em. If we don't find enough torture victims we can just make some.

>>6025942
This guy right here, Inquisitor

>>6025930
>You don't get over torture.
You do realize that governments, when doing prisoner exchanges during wars with the opposing government, don't just execute their soldiers that were returned, right? Even if they were interrogated, IE tortured? Because that'd be bad for military morale, troop retention, and citizen morale. And that there's programs to try to get people to some semblance of recovery? Admittedly with varying levels of success, but it's better for morale overall to help your soldiers and citizens recover from trauma rather than giving them two to the back of the head round the shed.

>>6025942
Do you play Bloober Team games, anon?

>>6025948
I'm not sure applying such logic would be appropriate for the quest.
We have a fantasy Kingdom with a clear social hierarchy and the place seems unlikely to have the necessary government programs to tend to a traumatized individuals.
Particularly a low born commoner kid forcefully transformed into a cyborg. I mean, I could be wrong and the Kingdom is very wealthy and progressive about tending to the long term care of psychologically distressed kids transformed by Strangers through government run social programs....

I suppose we could ask the QM to tell us what would have luckily happened if we had chosen to not kill the kid.

>>6025955
I'm just annoyed that apparently you're saying that we shouldn't bother helping victims of this guy, because being tortured is tantamount to brainwashing, which if you remember we had dealt with in the first mission. There's plenty of isekai that have people recover from both, it's a stereotypically positive genre, barring edgy shit like Redo of Healer or The Saga of Tanya the Evil (if we're allowing to drift to non-fantasy isekai). Not to mention there's a big bullshit cyberpunk city lifted from Cyberpunk 2077 that's been made in a few weeks that could hold the answers or tech that could help, as well as the secret society hidden behind the local religion that could help.

That's just what irked me, though. I fully admit I might be coming off a little touchy on the situation, I think it's due to residual bait from /tg/. I'll step back for a few hours, and come in when my jimmies aren't quite as rustled.

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>>6025942
dude wtf lmao

>>6025955
If you want some behind-the-scenes knowledge about this whole mission:
I originally had the twins/Noble Class Units planned to be minor reoccuring antagonists that you'd meet a few times but could have become allies against the Stranger should you do the fake surrender path and convince them to help you against Akio. Even without that though you ended up following the route that basically avoided this plot thread and instead learned more about Alice and Marie because of that. Asher's underground route would have dealt with the Noble Class Units more while Silas' was about the city's power. The duel was so you would face them at least once and while you feasibly could have recruited her it would have taken a lot of work after the mission's conclusion since Lindan doesn't exactly have government welfare programs and you haven't built a rapport with her yet. But this is a Quest and you have full freedom to try and recruit anyone you want to your little group anyway. You're basically at mission end so I feel okay giving this info away now, also the twins weren't little children if that matters to anyone's sense of morality. Spoiled image is the ripped-off property the other twin was turned into.

>>6026016
I'll admit myself my mood changes rapidly between whether I want to write something really edgy or something more positive since this genre has a plethora of both and the topic of this quest is admittedly pretty edgy itself. Thankfully, I have the will of the unseen anons to help me dictate what I write each day.

Voting is still open btw.

>>6025331
>Let Marie handle this, she deserves as much

>>6025346
>>6025353
>>6025366
>>6025367
>>6025385
>>6025407
>>6025431
>>6025441
>>6025508
>>6025862
>>6025930
>>6026385
Alright bunch of different votes but I think I can see a conscience here, kinda. Writing.

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>>6026786
>
“Wait Marie,” You step forward, your voice like ice splashing a raging inferno you can feel the temperature in the room drop as both Strangers look towards you, one with a firm glare, the other with a twisted hope. You are not deterred, “Call off your soldiers attacking the other Inquisitors-”

“And bring a skycar here!” Marie tacks on to the end of your command. You’re miffed but don’t say anything against it. It’s a sensible command at least.

“Right, alright. The Stranger turns around and messes with his console a bit and speaks into a fuzzy device before you see the skeletons that had been attacking Asher and encircling Abram back off. The first set in a desperate retreat, some slipping on the fiery oil that litters the ground around the crazed Inquisitor and the latter in a much more organized fashion. For a second you see Asher shutter and look around dazed before he darts in a random direction away from the cameras.

“It’s done, the others are safe. Should I call the car to the roof?”

“No leave it outside the window where we can see it,” Marie says.

“W-why? You wouldn’t be able to-”

“Do it!”

“Right,” The Stranger trails off as he makes another call.

Marie nods her head in your direction, it’s an awkward gesture, like a mix of annoyance at you and not wanting to actually be mean to you, “Well, you wanted to speak? So speak,” She grimaces when the words fall out from her mouth. Is she annoyed at you or herself? Still, she takes a step back letting you take center stage.

The male Stranger wipes off imaginary dust and looks much more composed as he looks towards you. It's a front, “If that is all done with,” He glares at Marie, “I believe we can have a much more civilized discussion with your dog leashed,” Marie glares back, “So, Your Majesty.”

Little does he know appealing to your rank hardly works on you anymore, “Earlier you said ‘I followed what it showed me so why am I being punished’ why? What does that mean?”

“A-apologies for the unsightly behavior, it was beneath me, but I was referring to my Cheat Skill as the Inquisitions calls it, my phone,” As he says that he brings a hand down to show you the black rectangle in it, he presses on the side and it lights up showing a painting of a strange device with a few little girls on top of it. Frankly, though you’d never admit it, you’ve given up on trying to make sense of these Earth gadgets and have just decided to believe whatever you’re told about them. Why can’t they just make stuff that’s easy to understand? Like a blade for instance.

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>>6026849
“It has everything you’d expect from a regular phone,” Not a clue what to expect here but you don’t say that, “but it also has an application called ‘Industry’ that allows me to edit the world around me by placing buildings and furniture granted I have the right materials nearby. With it, I’ve created this entire city and legions of self-replicating droids to further expand.”

“And how did that show you anything? Is there a guide to it?”

“Well not really, but the more I build the greater the things I can. It has a perk tree,” He taps the app and shows you a screen that has a bunch of orange squares with little white icons connected by white lines to other squares in a grid-like pattern. Some of the squares are attached to gray squares by similarly grayed-out lines. “I’ve been rushing the army focus recently since once I complete a full focus I get a perk that makes it so everything doesn't come with a self-destruction button and-”

“And one of those foci’ contains a requirement for humans and metal? Like you kidnapper said?”

He seems to be thinking carefully about how to say the words, “Yes- but I can assure you there’s no pain in the transaction. I had the sacrifices killed humanely.”

Marie lets out a strangled gasp before once again exploding, “Humanely? How do you kill someone humanely?! And you did it all for your Cheat Skill? What the Hell is wrong with you!” As she says this the Skycar finally reaches its destination. It floats behind the Stranger facing you through the window.

“So you wouldn’t be able to change them back?”

“What? Of course not. Sure their memories are similar and Industry said something about the corpse needing to be fresh ‘for the soul’ whatever that means but no I wouldn’t and I couldn’t if I did ever want to, not of the next focuses said anything about that.”

“So you willfully chose to follow a path that requires you to spill blood to sacrifice to your Skill?” Marie asks.

“I did not do so lightly, Its benefits far outweighed the downsides and-”

“Then you chose to take innocents and kill them for your petty ambition?”

“There is nothing petty about it! It’s not like I was really killing them anyways they came back and were more than happy to serve me!”

Marie looks at you, both resigned and absolved, “Lorina, I don’t think we’ll be learning anything else worth knowing from him.”

“What? Hey! I can still provide-”

“I agree Marie but what are you going to do about that?”

She nods at you and turns back to the Strange man, he gets a moment of confusion before he screams. His hand goes flying, having been severed by Marie’s blade. In a second she leaps forward, grabs the Stranger’s other hand, and forces him to press the giant red button. The entire city glows red and sirens begin to blare.

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>>6026851
[INDUSTRY WARHEAD EMERGENCY DETONATION SEQUENCE ENGAGED. THIS LOCATION WILL SELF-DESTRUCT IN T-MINUS 90 SECONDS. PLEASE EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY. THANK YOU FOR USING THE INDUSTRY APPLICATION, PLEASE REMEMBER TO RATE 5 STARS]

The woman’s voice is so loud you can barely make out what she says though if the Stranger wasn’t on the group writhing in pain you’d assume his face would be one of utter despair, if it isn’t already. Marie takes something from off the Stranger’s desk, a small blade? And pins the Stranger to the ground through the palm of his remaining hand. Perhaps his choice words at this time should be forever lost to history.

The skycar outside seems to be waiting in idle as you throw Watanabe's desk chair through his window and jump on after Marie. The skeleton falls a feels like stories to the ground as Marie presses a peddle to the floor. Then from the exploded builds you saw earlier a flare goes off and Marie speeds towards it. The wind is rough up here and the car’s journey is not a pleasant one, especially with the deafening roar of the sirens. But you barely have any time to comprehend it all before Marie touches down next to the three other Inquisitors, only two still drawing breath.

Asher doesn’t say anything, simply looks on with a crazed gaze while Abram carries Silas’s smoldering corpse into the back seat of the skycar. You’re unsure anyone else is happy with that decision but there’s too little time to complain about the smelly and disgusting thing before Marie takes to the skies again. Other skycars and airborne vehicles fly around in a panic but none seem to be leaving the city limits, was there an order against it? Perhaps that’s why there were no unorganized attacks or raids. But you suppose it doesn’t matter for none of them survive the blast when you’re safe over the loch.

It’s almost beautiful in a way, the mushroom-shaped cloud covers what used to be the Metal Castle. A blinding light of destruction, bright enough to be seen from miles away. You end up staring until your eyes hurt as Marie continues to silently drive back to Ivern. You feel as if you’ve managed to accomplish the impossible and yet why do you feel so empty? This should be a cause for celebration but the vehicle is unnaturally quiet. You shake your head and turn your gaze to the front only one statement seems to find its way to the front of your mind. Surely, it can’t get much worse than this.

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>>6026852
A half-hour later you sit on the beach outside of the city looking over the burning remains of Marie’s skycar over the backdrop of the still burning sky. The worst of the storm has died down, leaving only a drizzle that the trees above you mostly keep from reaching you. When you first set down and Asher clawed out of the Car ahead of everyone and threw up on the sand you weren’t expecting much from the frantic Inquisitor but over a few minutes, he gradually regained his earlier sanity. He instructed Abram to lay Silas’ body on top of the car before opening the front of the car, stabbing what must be the engine, and watching it explode. You wonder if this a good send-off for a noble but no one else seems to complain so you bite your tongue and keep any comments to yourself.

You end up watching the flames for quite a while, lost in it all, you don’t even record Marie sitting next to you, “Lorina,” She says.

“Hm?” You don’t reply with words only a hum as you continue to gaze at the flames.

“I got something for you,” When you do look over you see the Strange woman holding the ‘phone’ with her hand, idly shaking it back and forth. She reaches out and hands it over to you, “I think you should have it.”

“Why?” You ask, genuinely confused.

“I think-” She brings her knees to her chest and wraps her arms around them as if she were hugging herself, “I think you make the right choice.”

“What choice?”

“That’s for you to decide, I trust you.”

You sit there for a few more minutes with Marie at your side while Asher talks to Abram a ways off. Eventually, they part as Abram heads a bit deeper into the woods behind you, misty-eyed, and Asher takes a place standing behind the two of you. The fire crackles the only thing that can be heard between the three of you.

>You stand up and throw the phone into the fire

>You pocket the phone

>You raise the phone above you and let the Inquisitor take it

>[Write-in]

>>6026852
I hope we didn't explodify the clan village with this

>>6026853
>You raise the phone above you and let the Inquisitor take it

>>6026853
>You raise the phone above you and let the Inquisitor take it
>"...Asher? Do you know where is the nearest tavern?"

>>6026853
>Crush the phone with your bare hands
Nothing can rival our Wonderland

>>6026853
>You pocket the phone

>>6026853
>You raise the phone above you and let the Inquisitor take it
It is useful if you dont spec into human sacrifice

>>6026853
Oh no, Silas died. Anyway,
>You pocket the phone

>>6026853
>You stand up and throw the phone into the fire

>>6026853
>>You stand up and throw the phone into the fire

>>6026853
>>You stand up and throw the phone into the fire

>>6026853
>You raise the phone above you and let the Inquisitor take it

>>6026853
>>You stand up and throw the phone into the fire
tear it into pieces and toss the phone into the fire.

A fitting tribute to a fallen comrade, even if we didn't know much about him.

>>6026853
>You stand up and throw the phone into the fire

>>6026855
>>6026856
>>6026949
>>6027759
4 to give it to the Inquisition.

>>6026866
1 to be a baki character

>>6026878
>>6027205
2 to keep

>>6027237
>>6027318
>>6027696
>>6027771
>>6028017
5 to be rid of it

Writing

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>>6029331
The “phone” flies from your hand into the burning seats of the mangled gadget in front of you. You stand and wait, the heat of the wreck a comforting warmth as the phone’s case singes and crisps. It takes longer than you’d expect for the device to succumb to the flames and during this time thoughts race through your head, “it’s not too late,” they say, “you can take it back,” they continue, “this power could be yours or the Inquisitions. You’d be able to use it humanely and carefully.” Yet, even with the intrusive thoughts hounding you, there is no relent in your form. You stand and watch until the phone combusts in a miniature explosion before turning back to Asher and Marie.

There’s a relieved smile on Marie's face, more haggard than the usual one she wears. More real you find yourself thinking even if you’re not sure it’s true. Asher just looks inquisitive, “His Cheat Skill?”

“Yes.”

“That could’ve been a useful asset. Something to gain out of this whole debacle.”

“I think,” You pause to gather your words, “that some things shouldn’t be allowed to exist in this world,” You settle on saying.

The inquisitor blinks once, then twice, and looks down on himself with a shake of his head. He takes a breath, looks again at you, then nods, “Yeah, y-you’re right. Spoken like a true inquisitor.”

You stand tall and acknowledge the praise with a rise of your chin. It always feels nice when the more common among your peers recognize your noble superiority in all things. You do not squawk when something unexpectedly hits your gut and breaks you out of your pose. When you adjust you see Marie, the ungrateful brat, taking small twigs off the ground and throwing them at you. Why?! And why is her expression so cheerful now?

Tch. Whatever, not like you care. Such childish antics are above a mature person like yourself. You take the initiative and start walking back to Ivern to report your success. Then you’re going to bed and restore your majestic look that only a princess can-

“Lorina, where are you going? Cities that way,” Asher says while pointing his thumb over his shoulder. You knew that.

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>>6029369
There’s a sense of cold that you’re unable to place when you wank into the Ivern Abbey. The air is still warm even after the sunset and the storm winds have left, yet here, it feels as if everything is different. The grand hall is magnificent even in its dark and empty state. The caricatures in the stained glass windows look down upon you as you pass under finely carved arches. The pews hold the residual memory of thousands while you’re able to physically feel the reserves of holy magic in every inch of stonework. So why does this place feel so cold, reserved, empty? When everything else tells you that you should feel welcome here?

“Sister Amelia shouldn’t have gone to sleep, yet,” Asher says as he leads the ground to the back of the structure. You parted with Abram when you entered the City and walked straight here to report your success. It was a silent walk but not because the tension was uncomfortable, more because you were all too tired to speak. It’s been a long day.

“I remember her, she was so busy last time,” Marie pipes up to which the inquisitor nods.’

“She leads the clerical coven here, she’s always busy,” Idly, you notice a ginger woman covered head to toe in cloth replacing a few candles in the far side of the corner. She waves as you stare.

You shake your head and press on. You wonder if your parents would have been happy should you have chosen to join the ranks of the clergy and live a quiet and communal life in a structure like this. It’s been a precedent in the past to have female heirs who disgrace the family name shoved into a clerical coven, or even a normal witches coven, to remove them from the line of succession. You doubt you’d be content to clean and pray all day and while it isn’t unheard of for priestesses’ to take up arms or join the adventurers guild, you decided to forgo to middle steps and join a militant arm of the Church instead. As you look at Asher and Marie as you step into the restricted section of the Abbey you can’t bring yourself to regret it, even if it has made life rather difficult.

When you finally do find the person you’re looking for, this “Sister Amelia,” you’re brought into a little room without windows and with uncomfortable wooden seats. The priestess looks to be just reaching her 30s and wears clothes that don’t seem to match her high rank or show her prestige. That’s also something you’ve never truly gotten about the clergy or the Church. Why do they preach humbleness when the world is not set up to be an equal one? Nobles simply are better than commoners, they can read, have wealth, family traditions, and have choice in their life, so why should you pretend to be an equal of a commoner?

“Inquisitor, seeing from the state of you three I take it there have been complications?” She questions.

“Not really, no. We finished, the Stranger is dead.”

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>>6029370
The Priestess's eyes widen in shock, “It’s only been what, three days? Since you last came here?”

“Did you not see the explosion?”

“Explosion?” At the three nods she receives she continues, “I’ll admit I haven’t been outside much today, but the island?”

“Nothing but rubble reduced to the confines of history. Double many are even going to remember the Stranger come a decade or two.”

“That is- Well,” She looks at a loss for words, “Good work I suppose. I heard you were efficient in your work Inquisitor but-”

Asher cuts her off, “Wasn’t me actually, you have these two to thank,” He says with a gesture to you and Marie.

The priestess again looks taken back, “The Stranger and the princess? That is- Huh.”

“And that’s why I’d like to put my full recommendation that they both become full Inquisitors,” That one takes you back. Not what you were expecting to hear whatsoever, Seeing as when you joined you remember hearing that this process can take months even years. Inquisitors are given too much power to have a quick and easy vetting process. Not to say that this was easy or that you don’t deserve this, however.

“Inquisitor even if that is true-”

“Inquisitor Bartholomew would vouch for them as well,”

“And Inquisitor Silas?”

“Deceased,”

“A-ah, still are you sure making a Stranger an Inquisitor-”

“It wouldn’t be the first time.”

“I know there have been cases in the past where,” Asher exhales a breath like he’s hiding a laugh, “Strangers have been given the privilege-”

“I-i don’t need to be an Inquisitor yet,” Marie stutters out, “But Lorina deserves to be one,” She says with conviction.

“And that is still a delicate situation between the Church and the Monarchy-”

“I don’t see why not? Wouldn’t it be expected that she's put on a fast track to gaining the full title anyway?”

The priestess takes a calming breath at the Inquisitor's blunt and fast words. The man truly does not have a single diplomatic bone in his body. He’d make an awful noble, even still you find yourself liking him more than many of the nobles you have met in the past. Why is that?

“Even should that be the case, you should know I don’t have the authority to make this happen.”

“But you have the authority to write a letter of recommendation to someone who does.”

“That could take weeks for the letter to be drafted, much less sent and read.”

“Take all the time you need,” Asher smiles before abruptly standing, “Alright ladies I think it’s time to head out,” and leaving. The priestess stutters something before sighing, shaking her head, and pulling out a piece of paper.

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>>6029372
Once you’re walking through the Abbey you look to the inquisitor, “That was rather… brash,” You say.

“Hey, I got a reputation to uphold, you know.”

“And what would that be?”

“The brooding bad boy of the Inquisition with a heart of gold who always gets the job done,” He says with the utmost sincerity.

A hundred thoughts pass through your head but only one makes it out of your mouth, “Loser.”

The Inquisitor nearly falls over laughing.

But as you walk back to his “safehouse” You find yourself reflecting, do you truly want to be an Inquisitor so soon?

>Yes, you do.

>No. You need more time.

>[Write-in]

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>>6029374
[MISSION COMPLETE]

[THE STRANGER IS DEAD]

[THE WONDERLAND IS SECURE]

>Lorina took charge and made every decision on the hunt, she is a [LEADER]

>You did not negotiate or side with the Stranger at any point but chose to destroy his Cheat Skill leading to the [LORINA END]

>Midori [ADMIRES] you, Asher is [IMPRESSED], Abram is [MELANCHOLIC], Silas is [DEAD]

>Your [MENTAL CORRUPTION] rose by 4% to a total of 9% Nothing much has changed

Would you like to

>Resume the night

Or skip to

>Lorina’s mission epilogue [Girl's Night Out]

>Asher’s mission epilogue [Conservationist]

>Marie’s mission epilogue [A New World]

>Or all three

>>6029374
>No. You need more time.
If we're going to be an Inquisitor, it'll only be when Marie's ready to be one. As partners.

>>6029377
>Resume the night
>Or all three
Girl's Night Out first, please.

>>6029374
>Yes, you do.
That skank surely is a Stranger and we'll prove it!

>All three

>>6029374
>No. You need more time.
>Or all three

>>6029374
>No. You need more time.
>Lorina’s mission epilogue [Girl's Night Out]

>>6029374
>Yes
We’re invincible
>>6029376
>All three

>>6029374
>>No. You need more time.

>>6029376
>>Resume the night

>>6029376
>>6029377
>>6029379
Oh, I see. My mistake. Put my vote as...
>Or all three

>>6029376
>No. You need more time.
The paperwork takes time, anyways.
>Asher’s mission epilogue [Conservationist]

>>6029374
>No. You need more time.
Wow, after two missions a recommendation from Asher. don't know if our character feels ready yet though. There's so much to learn.


>Asher’s mission epilogue [Conservationist]

>>6029374
>No. You need more time.
>>6029376
>Or all three

>>6029764
It's technically 3, Keiji, Midori, and Akio

>>6029374
>Yes, you do.
>>6029376
>Or all three

>>6029374
>>No. You need more time.
Graduating means not seeing Asher nearly so much! But wait, Lorina, why do you care about that...?
>>6029376
>Or all three

>>6030745
>But wait, Lorina, why do you care about that...?
...forgive me for this.

>alternate phone timeline Lorina holds up the Stranger's phone while she's in her bed, an intense look on her face lit up by the glow
>playing on screen is Asher's fight with the robots
>at certain points, she pauses the video, eyes looking intently
> cutting back to the phone, the screen is stopped at the perfect moment, showing the Inquisitor's back while dodging a roundhouse kick
>two fingers point directly at his rear before spreading apart to zoom
>it fills up the screen, Lorina's eyes focusing hawklike, looking for details in an imitation of an art critic observing the debut painting of an upcoming artist
>"...Magnificent."

>>6029377
>>6029379
>>6029384
>>6029429
>>6029438
>>6029454
>>6029455
>>6029457
>>6029694
>>6029764
>>6029767
>>6030200
>>6030745
Looks like most people think Lorina wants to take more time and see all three. Going to go with Lorina's first, then Ashers, then Maries.

>>6030797
There's nothing to forgive, anon. Made me laugh at least.

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>>6030993
It’s been two days since the destruction of the Metal Castle. You’ve heard a lot has happened since then, teams being sent to survey the ruins, gold given to the families of the deceased, and messages being sent all over the country to tell of what almost happened here. Yet, you’ve been a part of none of it. You spent most of yesterday sleeping and lazying about the Inquisitor's house after writing extensive reports of what you saw and did during your mission. It was a very clinical report too, no embellishments or theorizing was allowed, and if you did not know what something did you were required to say so. You haven’t felt so stupid in a long time, forced to write “I don’t know” regarding almost everything you saw. You used to outmatch your entire class in grades, you were the head of the Student Council and now look at you. Writing reports that dull even the memory of that fantastical and alien place. When you were done Asher patted your back and told you never to transfer to the archives if you thought that was bad. You shudder to imagine what inhuman horrors the scribes must deal with there.

But those awful memories are in the past now, you’re in your happy place now and the papers cannot hurt you. Not here, in the blacksmith's store. Metalwork hangs all around you, from horseshoes to spears, while a burly man hammers an anvil in the back and his daughter talks with Marie about pricing. Catherine fans herself, uncomfortable with the excessive heat in this store as she looks at glass baubles. Both of them agreed to accompany you in the cities market today and it’s been quite a refreshing time, indeed. When was the last time you just had fun without any concerns at the back of your mind? You’re not sure.

“Lorina, how did they fit this little ship in the bottle?” Cathy draws your attention.

“I think they push it through the hole.”


“But that’s preposterous, the hole is far too small for the ship to fit!”

“Then maybe they use magic.”

“Ohoho, that would be your guess wouldn’t it? How predictable.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?”

“Hey! Do you think I should get the rapier or the saber?” Marie calls out to the two of you.

“Saber,” you say.

“Rapier,” Cathy says.

The two of you turn your heads and glare. Cathy covers her lower face with her fan as you grab your hilt. The tension in the room drops. The clerk sweats nervously and the blacksmith continues his craft. “...I think I’ll get the short sword,” Marie says.

Catherine looks affronted while you turn around in shock, “You can’t get another short sword, Asher already uses one!” You exclaim, “That wouldn’t be cool at all if two in our party used the same weapon!”

“Hmph, disregarding my advice, the nerve!” Cathy sulks.

“But I’m going to be using,” Marie summons her blade, “this one in actual combat anyway. Isn’t this one just for practice?”

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>>6031025
“Then why do you not buy a sword similar to the one you already have?” Catherine asks to which the clerk answers.

“An adventuring party recently came through and bought all our remaining longswords and it could be months until we refresh our stock,” she says with an apologetic smile and quirk of the head.

“I’ll give you five hundred gold if you can get one done by the end of the week,” You say.

“Deal!” The clerk says immediately before rushing to the back to let her father know the news. Jokes on her though, that barely eats into any of the money you received from this month's allowance combined with the Inquisitions money for probably saving the kingdom.

It’s not long after that the three of you travel to the next store, this one at Catherine’s insistence. A clothing store which is fine you suppose. Nothing wrong with it, Marie needs a few more outfits anyway, but you're used to having clothes tailored for you not going out shopping for them. It certainly is an experience, however, being treated like a doll by your friend who wants to see how different outfits look being trying them on herself. You believe she enjoys this a bit too much.

A few stores later, including the herbalist shop with the twins mother for Cathy’s gardening supplies which was admiralty a sad and awkward affair. The mother at least looked more content actually knowing what happened to her children. Regardless, you left rather quickly and went to an upper-class cafe near the water. Fine wine and fine food is had by the three of you as you talk about nothing in particular. It’s nice or it is until Catherine brings up a rather strange topic.

“I heard there’s been quite a few murders recently, all noblemen and woman, they’re saying it’s a serial killer,” She says out of the blue as your deserts are served.

“I’m sure it’s just unrelated coincidences,” You reply as your spoon carries your sweet food towards your mouth. Delicious.

“No really, I read it in the paper this morning it has to be true!”

“You don’t strike me as the type to read often,” Marie says causing real physical damage to grip Cathrine as he spews out, “W-what’s that supposed to mean, commoner!”

“Nothing, please continue.”

“The nerve,” Cathy mutters, “Anyways the paper said a bunch of nobles with estates near the capital have been found with bullet wounds but the thing is none of the bullets are from any design used by common rifles.”

Marie drops her head causing Cathrine to look over concerned, “What’s wrong?”

“I’m pretty sure we’re going to be having a lot more work in the future.”

“I don’t see how that is going to be our problem,” You say which causes her to give you a look.

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>>6031027
“Knowing your luck it’s going to be our problem whether we want it to or not,” Why is your luck under question? Is this because you failed to beat her at any card game yesterday or is it supposed to be a comment on your life? Whatever, it doesn’t matter.

“Whatever, that doesn’t matter.”

“Well other than the obvious of you heading to the capital soon why would that be your problem.”

“Catherine, we’re with the Inquisition,” You say.

“I don’t follow.”

“See? This is why I didn’t think she’d be the type to read the news.”

“Hey!”

Your conversation lasts long into the night, your good mood lasting until you reach your room past the slumbering Inquisiotor on the couch and find yourself secluded by yourself for practically the first time today. Yet, as you lay on your bed with only the very slightest buzz, your mind drifts off as it often does and

>You think you find yourself being happier here than you were back in the gilded cage of the MageKnight Academy

>You still yearn for when the world made sense, the peaceful days when you knew your place in the world. When you didn’t have to look inside yourself and question what everything means to you and the world.

You reflect on that for a long while as you look at the ceiling. Though much of that reflection is lost in the morning under the weight of your headache.

>>6031030
>You think you find yourself being happier here than you were back in the gilded cage of the MageKnight Academy
At least out here people say what they mean, not hide it under cruel gossip, veiled mockery and double meanings.

>>6031027
>“I heard there’s been quite a few murders recently, all noblemen and woman, they’re saying it’s a serial killer,” She says out of the blue as your deserts are served.
I wonder what the motive is here.

>You still yearn for when the world made sense, the peaceful days when you knew your place in the world. When you didn’t have to look inside yourself and question what everything means to you and the world.

>>6031030
>You still yearn for when the world made sense, the peaceful days when you knew your place in the world. When you didn’t have to look inside yourself and question what everything means to you and the world.

>>6031153
>I wonder what the motive is here.
Trying to bring about a communist revolution?

>>6031030
>You think you find yourself being happier here than you were back in the gilded cage of the MageKnight Academy

>>6031030
>>>You think you find yourself being happier here than you were back in the gilded cage of the MageKnight Academy

>>6031030
>>You think you find yourself being happier here than you were back in the gilded cage of the MageKnight Academy

>>6031030
>>You still yearn for when the world made sense, the peaceful days when you knew your place in the world. When you didn’t have to look inside yourself and question what everything means to you and the world.

>>6031030
>You think you find yourself being happier here than you were back in the gilded cage of the MageKnight Academy

>>6031030
>>You think you find yourself being happier here than you were back in the gilded cage of the MageKnight Academy

I just realized, we forgot to buy a gift for Asher for letting us stay in his safehouse and sleeping in his bed. I've got an idea or two on possible gifts...

This is basically just stuff to both make his safehouse feel more welcoming and annoy him.

>A new sword or falchion (obvious, but actually appreciated)
>A beautiful and expensive (and very large) oil painting hung in the sitting room of a nearby landscape
>Replace his second hand sleeping couch with a fancy plush new one, or have it reupholstered and recushioned
>Doilies. So many doilies, in so many designs. Everywhere...

Anyone else have possible gift ideas a princess might gift what she'd perceive as a commoner?

>>6031713
>Anyone else have possible gift ideas
A good bath. We know in our own experience how lacking it is.

>>6031716
>”That bucket of lukewarm water with holes in the bottom is not acceptable for cleaning yourself with, much less well heeled guests like myself.”
>”That is why I purchased the property next door and tore it down. In about a few days time, give or take finding the appropriate carpenters and enchanter, you should have a proper bathroom befitting your home, complete with a full tile bath, indoor sauna for up to twelve, and, should you merely require to wash off a hard day’s work, a clawed bathtub and shower head enchanted to teleport pure glacier snow from the nearby mountains, melt it, then either heat or chill it to your needs.”
>”You are most welcome.”

>>6031713
>Replace his second hand sleeping couch with a fancy plush new one, or have it reupholstered and recushioned
Best one imo

>>6031759
I like this one.

>>6031030
>You still yearn for when the world made sense, the peaceful days when you knew your place in the world. When you didn’t have to look inside yourself and question what everything means to you and the world

>>6031030
>You still yearn for when the world made sense, the peaceful days when you knew your place in the world. When you didn’t have to look inside yourself and question what everything means to you and the world.

>>6031716
Preferably with a broken door?

>>6031030
>>You think you find yourself being happier here than you were back in the gilded cage of the MageKnight Academy

>>6031030
>You think you find yourself being happier here than you were back in the gilded cage of the MageKnight Academy

Anons, anons… the question shouldn’t be which gift we should pick.

It should be, how much of a dent would buying all of them would cut into our monthly allowance?

>>6031039
>>6031167
>>6031171
>>6031386
>>6031508
>>6031541
>>6032565
>>6032763
8 to be happy as a murderhobo

>>6031153
>>6031164
>>6031416
>>6032218
>>6032265
5 to to be a hopeless drama addict

>>6032763
>>6032175
>>6031786
>>6031716
>>6031713
...These are good ideas.

>>6031759
Lorina would totally rationalize this as extending a helping hand to the peasantry and nothing else as Asher bluescreens.

Writing.

>>6032793
>Lorina would totally rationalize this as extending a helping hand to the peasantry and nothing else as Asher bluescreens.
I wonder if Lorina is the type to convince herself she is just helping someone with their medical condition. IYKYK

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>>6032793
You are Inquisitor Asher and you are bored out of your mind. Or at least you were until today. You see, everyone always fantasizes about getting a vacation when they’re working. Still, when the time comes to enjoy that vacation they find themselves overwhelmed with choice and thus not doing anything. Okay, maybe you can’t apply that to everyone but you certainly can to yourself, and since the Church hasn’t recalled you to go on another mission you’ve been staying in Ivern these past four days since the fall of the Metal Castle. Mostly because the girls seem to like it here and you have no real reason to leave just yet. To solve this issue you decided to dust off your adventurer's license and head to the local guild to see if you can do anything to pass the time. Should that fail, maybe you’ll see if that old contact of yours still lives in the region.

Adventuring is a decent hobby if nothing else and rather helpful for your career path. The local adventurer's tavern always has the best rumors around and it’s usually one of the first stops for many Strangers. Not all of course but take Midori for example, killed and transported to a new world that seems very much like those in generic anime along with overpowered skills. Who wouldn’t want to become a legend the same as their favorite black-haired protagonists? You’d be lying if a small part of you didn’t think it was awesome that you could go and fight monsters for a living. That part is usually quelled when you remember how you got so good at the profession. Unconsciously your hand rubs your throat as you walk into the tavern.

It’s early morning, right before the guild’s clerk posts quests received yesterday, so the place is packed with all sorts of people. Humans, demihumans, dwarves, and elves for the most part. Some enjoy breakfasts and talk with their parties while others brood in the corner with an alcoholic drink not even an hour after the sun rises. Not your place to question the average rogue’s life decisions, since you do much the same, the finding a seat-alone part not the morning-drinking part. You still remember the tortu- training Inquisitor Beneger put you through when he caught you drinking on the job. You wonder if there’s anyone who killed you more times than that man, maybe the Demon Lord?

“So what’s your deal, tough guy? Think you’re better than us?” You’re broken out of your thoughts as a blonde man in outrageously inefficient gold-plated armor walks up to you. Goddamnit, not this again.

“Dude, who starts a conversation like that? I literally just sat down,” You say as seemingly all eyes in the tavern turn towards your exchange. Sometimes it really does feel like this world functions on shitty anime logic.

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>>6032890
“And where’s your party, huh? Too good to work with the rest of us, old man,” Old?! Your body’s in its twenties! “Or the more likely option, you were kicked out of your last one for your shitty equipment and boorish looks!” He shares a laugh with his all-female party. Wait, when did those guys show up?

You don’t comment on how your sword, The Throngler, is probably more efficient than the unwieldy gilded thing at his side or how your plain tunic and pants hide a veritable armory. That you will definitely take better care of after Lorina’s tongue-lashing the other day. You do however feel rather uncomfortable under everyone's gazes, “Can you like go away? I just want to see what quests are posted today.”

“And why should I? It’s my duty as an Iron Rank to make sure shitty adventurers like yourself don’t go and get themselves, or their party, killed due to their incompetence!” He boasts as much of the tavern nods their head in agreement. He must be the local big shot around here, from the looks of his equipment, probably a second or third son, who decided that using family wealth to acquire good equipment would make an adventuring career an easy one, leading to quick popularity and power. Though unlike Silas, who had much the same situation, the body language, equipment, and stereotypical “anime bad guy” lines make it seem he’s trying to downplay his lack of skill by gaining a reputation. Wait why are you even thinking about this there’s a much more pressing concern-

“Wait, you're only Steel?” The words fall out of your mouth causing the man to reel back as if he was struck. Does this situation have to be so dramatic?

“What do you mean I’m only Steel?! I, Elric de Glori, am a Mageknight graduate and the highest-ranking adventurer in Ivern!”

“But that’s- You’re only level four?”

There are ten levels for adventures, each assigned a metal because of course they are. In order they are, Copper, Bronze, Iron, Steel, Silver, Gold, Diamond, Platinum, Mithril, and Adamantite. You yourself are level seven which is decent enough for doing this as a hobby, you probably could be higher but your actual job makes adventuring on the regular hard to do. Maybe it’s a good thing you don’t have access to the internet, Goddess knows you’d have never made it this far in the Guild if you could spend your time doom-scrolling instead of gaining fighting experience.

Elric goes to protest but is stunned when he sees you pull out your blue-tinted license, “You’re lying- there’s no way,” Then his eyes bulge and he starts to sweat as he sees what “class” you’re registered as, “I-i’m so sorry, Inquisitor! I swear I had no idea!” Shocked gasps echo across the tavern as the tables turn in this very serious social encounter. You want to groan and call the man in front of you an idiot but you know that would just escalate whatever this is.

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>>6032892
“New quests are now posted! Everyone, please go to the notice board to start picking them out!” The guild clerk shouts as her eyes nervously dart towards you and back to the board pretending she isn’t doing that. Does she think you’re going to make a scene? What the Hell? you haven’t even done anything!

Elric quickly retreats with his party to the board as other parties approach you and badger you for your assistance seeing as you’re of such a “high rank.” You’re given offers that include taking most of the share of the loot, helping to protect the innocent, and a witch even tries to seduce you with her body. You sigh and rub your temple, a headache coming on. Worst part is that situations like this aren’t even that uncommon when you enter a Guild. Sometimes you hate the world you ended up in.

…

“Um, sir? What’s a bark beetle?” The party priestess asks you after you finish your small lecture. Everyone in the four-person group looks confused. You decided to join as basically a chaperone to a young and inexperienced copper party, the Holy Hopefuls, for fear of their safety when monster fighting. You almost joined the copper party going after a Goblin Warren, though not to the extent that some anime show goblins are still rather dangerous, but you decided against it when you saw the warren wasn’t raiding but just causing a stink in the city. That party left with a goblin ambassador to most likely solve whatever issue the warren’s having before returning.

“Never mind,” You say as you divert your eyes in embarrassment, “This isn’t a sign the drake is around here, so we should probably look around some more.”

“Uh, okay, sir!” The party leader, a young “Hero” says before he leads the way deeper into the overgrown forest. You probably spend a bit too long explaining the habits of the particular insect that killed the trees in this region, but at least your degree in conservation and resource management still has some merit in your current life? You sigh. You shouldn't fool yourself, but hey at least you can tell what is and isn’t caused by drake fire.

You’ve been searching the temperate rainforest outside the city for a few hours now and you haven’t seen the hide or tail of the beast. Seems you need to work on your tracking skills sometime in the future. At least the journey has given you plenty of time to look at the beautiful forest around you, with magical anti-insect wards on your clothing of course, and appreciate what the world was like back in the Middle Ages. Pretty is the word you land on to describe it, the world was pretty back then.

“Everyone hold, I think I see something,” The party's elven ranger says as she shushes everyone after a bit of walking. She puts her long ear to the ground before whispering to the plants around her, “Yeah, the drake’s up ahead. We should charge-”

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>>6032895
You place a hand on her shoulder and raise your eyebrow causing her to correct herself, “I-i mean we should sneak up on it,” You nod and lead the way through the brush until you stumble upon a little creak going through the forest.

There a blue draconic creature drinks. It’s rather large and has plenty of scars along its body, a sign of age for this type of creature. Though it is rather strange that it’s gotten a fair share of them here, drakes are invasive in this area, having been brought by the noble house governing the region before Hyland and have faced little competition in the Highlands. Perhaps their population has gotten worse than initially recorded? You and your party watch the creature for a while before another, smaller one, comes through the brush and drinks with its mate? From their body language, they seem like a breeding pair though you aren’t certain. Nevertheless, you wait until they are both thoroughly distracted before you nod to the Hero and he gives the order to attack.

It would be foolish to describe what happens next as a battle. The party initially intended to simply rush the beast when they picked up the quest but after a stern lecture on why that’s a bad idea and a discussion on drake’s habits you managed to format a decent enough plan. It involves plenty of arrows, gunshots, magic, and a little swordplay. You left the smaller drake to the party while you took on the larger one yourself. It was kind of refreshing to fight such an easy battle.

The party however looks wide-eyed at you when you turn to them, you’d ask why before the priestess hands you a towel and points you in the direction of the nearby loch. Ah, it’d seem you’re covered in blood. You really need to develop a different fighting style one of these days instead of what just comes naturally. You instruct the hopefuls to search for an egg clutch nearby and to dispose of it as you go to wash off.

Though as you step out of the treeline and onto the beach you see a familiar cabin. It’s not even abandoned like you thought it would be. You wonder if he still lives there or if he even found what he wanted, the perverted bastard.

You decide to

>Walk towards the cabin, your curiosity overcoming you

>Wash off and return to the Holy Hopefuls

>[Write-in]

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>>6032793
>Lorina would totally rationalize this as extending a helping hand to the peasantry and nothing else as Asher bluescreens.
Meanwhile Midori's just standing in the background Anya smirking like nobody's business.

>>6032890
>“Dude, who starts a conversation like that? I literally just sat down,”
Pretty clever way of finding Strangers, there, Asher. Just quote well known memes and catchphrases and see who turns their head.

>>6032898
>Walk towards the cabin, your curiosity overcoming you

>>6032898
>Walk towards the cabin, your curiosity overcoming you

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>>6032912
Also, I can't wait for after Asher finally reveals his past, and has a chance to explain and show off modern knife design to Lorina as one professional who works with sharp tools to another.

>"So that little finger sized cutout on the blade just before the handle is called the finger choil. You use that to choke up on the blade for more precise cuts while skinning animals or doing detailed carving work."
>"Right, like how some greatswords have a leather wrapped section of the blade between the parrying hooks and the guard... Now, could you tell me a bit about this ridged section here on the back of the spine? It looks like it's where your thumb is supposed to go..."
>"Yeah, got it first try. That's called jimping, and..."
>Midori in the background again, still Anya smirking

>>6032892
>You don’t comment on how your sword, The Throngler
Dear god, what does The Throngler do to a man?

>>6032898
>Walk towards the cabin, your curiosity overcoming you
Eh knocking probably couldn't hurt
>>6033135
Dear God, that stereotypical bully was inches away from getting Throngled
As much as this qualifies as being a murderhobo, villainess are often portrayed as only really wanting the best for their countries, at least in the redemption/innocent villainess manga, so it seems fitting to me, besides we'll eventually get the heroine burned at the stake....or hanged? Whats a time period sensitive way to kill a witch?

>>6032898
>Walk towards the cabin, your curiosity overcoming you

>>6032898
>>Wash off and return to the Holy Hopefuls

>>6032898
>Wash off and return to the Holy Hopefuls

>>6032898
>Walk towards the cabin, your curiosity overcoming you

>>6032898
>Walk towards the cabin, your curiosity overcoming you

>>6034220
>>6033876
>>6033241
>>6033233
>>6032921
>>6032912
6 to go towards the cabin.

>>6033719
>>6033481
2 to leave the past in the past.

Come with me as we journey to a magical realm. Writing.

>>6032912
I'm having to debate if Midori shipping the other two would be a funny inclusion or not now, thanks for that.
>>6033064
I wish I knew what all this all meant.
>>6033135
Let's just say you FOR SURE don't want to end up on the wrong end of it

>>6034658
I dunno, if we're entering a "Magical" realm, there might be some types out there that might want a good Throngling.

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>>6034658
Your first steps are cautious and with great trepidation, you wonder if he even recognizes you after all this time. What has it been? More than half a decade? And he still lives in a shack in the middle of the woods? Or the Inquisition went back on its word and you were never informed, not like you would be anyway. The wooden steps leading up to the glass door creak under your weight as you press down any lingering anxiety. Maybe it would be better to remain in ignorance than to know to go back to the Hopefuls instead of to a piece of your past, but you don’t think you’d be satisfied with that outcome.

You’re taken off guard as you hear chittering off your side on the porch. Grasping the Throngler’s hilt you look over to see a spider demihuman, a very small spider demihuman. “Can I drink that?” She asks as she points to your blood-covered shirt and bares her fangs. It isn’t very threatening.

“Uh,” You find yourself speechless.

“Charlotte! What’d I say about- Wait who are you?” Cries a much larger, but similar-looking, demihuman as she skitters from behind the cabin. “Why are you covered in blood?” Is the next thing she asks.

“Wha-”

“Hey, what’s going on out here…” A familiar voice trails out as a blonde man wearing a very strange shirt opens the glass door. He looks at the same time shocked and fearful as he sees you, “Asher?” He says almost a whisper.

“Hey, Johan. How’s it going?” You say while attempting an awkward smile.

“W-what are you doing here? Is something wrong? Is the Inquisition-” He says rapidly, his face paler by the second.

“No! I, um,” This is very uncomfortable with the addition of four, eight, sixteen? Extra eyes on you, “I killed a couple of drakes over there,” Is what you end up on.

“Oh, I think I heard them rummaging around my trash the other night,” Johan says, “Was it for the Adventurer’s Guild.”

“Yeah, it was for the Adventurer’s Guild.”

The conversation lulls for a second, “...Do you want to use my shower?”

“I’d appreciate it.”

“C’mon sweetie, let’s go play by the water,” Johan’s wife(?) says as she scoops up what you can only presume is her daughter in her arachnid hands.

“But I want-”

“Shh, I’ll help you swim out to the island,”

“Yay!”

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>>6034730
A short shower and a gifted, bit too short, change of clothes later you find yourself facing an old contact. The first ever Stranger you hunted on your own. The man that you had to argue be left alone, A man lost in a strange world with no real ambitions and on the verge of dying. He would have if you didn’t help, but that’s a different story than the one you’re living with now. With a wave of his hand, the Stranger materializes two cups of coffee, one for each of you, “So, you’re a father now?”

“Yeah, best decision I ever made,” He says with conviction that you’ve never seen in him before, “You’re still an inquisitor?”

“Yeah, it’s fine.”

“That’s the same thing you told me last time.”

“Hasn’t really changed since then.”

“Last time you showed up covered in blood too.”

“Last time I had to cut through a cult to stop you from being sacrificed.”

“Eeh, thanks for that,” The man says as he scratches the back of his head.

“It was a long time ago,”

“No really thanks, I would be able to enjoy all of this,” He gestures to the shack around you, it looks well lived in, “If you hadn’t helped me there and with the Inquisition.”

You didn’t do as much as you could have, “So, you’re still living here? I’d have thought you’d move.”

“You know the stipulations of my contract with the Inquisition,”

“Run away then, didn’t take you one for enjoying life isolated from everything. Where was it you’re from, Berlin?”

“Bremen, and you’re right I probably would have tried if not for,” He gestures out the window to the lake, and you get the message.

“Right, and how did that happen?”

“You see when a man and a woman,” You did your finger in your burning coffee and flick it towards the man, “Hey! Fine, I got lucky meeting an adventurer one day who stumbled upon my cabin. She thought I was some sort of hermit wizard.”

“Were you?”

“I’m not thirty now and I wasn’t then!”

You share a small laugh, “So I guess your plan to be the protagonist of a monster girl harem isekai is out of the window?” He copies your move and flicks his drink at you.

“One out of two parts of the plan isn’t bad,” He says before thinking for a bit, “Hey, how come you never came back?” He questions all of a sudden, you aren’t prepared for the question.

You were scared, you want to say. Scared of connections to your previous life, scared of the Inquisition, scared of hurting one of the first people you could claim as your friend even more. You’re not strong enough to say that however and settle for an easy lie, one that’ll make him think less of you, “I’m so busy I guess I just forgot about you, sorry,” You say and watch as his smile dims. You coward.

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>>6034732
You are Midori Suzuki, now formally known as Marie Sarodieu, and it’s been almost a week since you killed the other Japanese citizen. You’re still not over that, you being a killer that is. You were so angry at the time and you wanted to vomit later when you went over it, you’re lucky your mask stays up so well. At least your father gave you something to carry onto your dream world other than your life. You’re even more thankful that the scene in front of you makes you genuinely laugh enough to cover your inner turmoil.

“I will accept your thanks in a verbal or written format,” Lorina-senpai says to a stunned Asher-kun as carpenters tear apart his house and refit it with all sorts of amenities that she went over with you the other night out with Hyland-chan. A new bath, couch, and some expensive memorabilia like a big painting, a decorative sword, and a lot of dollies the three of you picked out from a creepy old woman.

“Why?!”

“Hm? Because your home was clearly not built to support royalty as guests. I’ve made changes to fix that in the future.”

“What- This- I- I barely even come here! I told you it’s just a safehouse like I have in every major city!” He exclaims causing Lorina-senpai to look puzzled.

“Should I have gotten more for them,” She asks with a cute tilt of her head. She does look like a lot like a designated waifu even if she behaves more like a protagonist. A real genre-defying type of person.

“No!’ Asher-kun exclaims almost in a panic before rapidly trying to explain everything weird in this situation to a princess who doesn’t get it at all. They make a nice pair, maybe he’s the side character. You don’t much see him as waifu material, heh, but you knew a few people who were into that kind of thing. They played a lot more ootome games than you, though. Now that you mention it Lorina-senpai kinda reminds you of-

“Worthless,” A masculine voice says from the recess of your mind, ”You don’t need them,” It continues.

‘Shut up!’ You mentally chide and the voice recedes. You’re in a good mood now after getting your new sword finished and practicing a bit with Lorina-senpai. She beat you thoroughly, your cheated knowledge of how to use equipment no match for her honest skill and experience, but it was fun and you think you improved a lot from it. Still, a ways to go before you fulfill your dream of becoming a truly overpowered isekai protagonist, but you’re getting there. You think if you just follow Lorina-senpai’s example you’ll be getting there sooner rather than later though. What protagonist doesn’t have a good mentor? Asher-kun could count too, you suppose but he’s no warrior princess.

”You don’t need-” You thwack your sword a bit harder than you meant to.

>>6034733
“Marie, are you alright?” Lorina-senpai says expressing honest concern. When was the last time someone in your last life looked at you with that expression?

“Yep! Almost tripped though!” It’s so easy to lie, like an art form you perfected. No one questions the upbeat and optimistic girl.

“Oh, okay,” Lorina-senpai says before again trying to explain to Asher-kun why she’s right and he’s wrong. Sometimes she really is clueless but nobody is perfect.

”You can be-” Oh that is it! You’re going to march right up to.

”Wait! Don’t!” It calls, ” I can teach you more if you keep me a secret!” It begs. The first time it has since showing up the night you killed the Stranger. You felt compelled by some force to not immediately tell the others but it’s been annoying you for too long now! So you march up and

>Tell the Inquisitor the evolution of your Cheat Skill

>Walk past them and towards the area you and Lorina trained at. Maybe it’s a good idea to try and gain as much as you can from the voice before reporting it.

Is there anything else you'd like to see any of the three characters do before returning to the capital?

>>6034734
>Tell the Inquisitor the evolution of your Cheat Skill
>"You don't lie to allies, Sword-san. Besides, Lorina would like talking to you!"

>>6034736
>Is there anything else you'd like to see any of the three characters do before returning to the capital?
Maybe do some quick research into local legends of this area, particularly of famous magic swords? Perhaps Asher might have Johan over for coffee to ask if he can keep an eye on the safehouse while he's away. Y'know, water the plants, check for damage or break ins, make sure the doilies are arranged properly. Would be a good way to introduce him to the girls.

>>6034734
>Tell the Inquisitor the evolution of your Cheat Skill
Don't wanna see Dark Marie
I do want to see her suffix selection process though
Lorina gets the senpai while Asher just gets the kun?

>>6034780
Her suffix selection is solely in her head and mostly unconscious. Marie respects Lorina a hell of a lot even if they are actual friends. While Asher is technically her boss Marie feels close to him in a strange sorta family/kinship way than they may actually be in reality due to them both being from Earth. It doesn't make complete sense but it's not supposed to since emotions are messy like that.

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>>6034733
I just realized something… OP, did you accidentally put dollies, as in toy dolls, or do you not know what a doily is?

Picrel is a doily. It’s a lace mat old people or old money families put it on tables and furniture as decorations and shit. The plural is doilies.

oh christ, does this mean I’m old now??

>>6034798
Yeah, you're old. I always just call those table cloths never heard of them referred to as anything else. Asher's home is now filled with haunted porcelain dolls.

>>6034821
...oh. Fuck.
...Could it be both, though? Creepy old lady could be partially deaf and sent both her dollies and doilies. Like, enough of them to bury Asher if he opens a closet wrong.

>>6034826
I don’t see why not. That house is definitely the fanciest on the block since Lorina only provides the best! One can only imagine how many fancy/useless things are crowding it now.

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>>6034845
And yet no burglar or thief tries to steal anything from it, even when the doors and windows are unlocked… weird.

>>6034928
I've seen enough blank to know where this is going. Asher, DO NOT the doll.

>>6034732
How's the racial composition of the kingdom? I saw mentions of elves and now spider-people? How many non-humans are there, are they locals or immigrants? Are there catgirls?
Also how do spider-people look? Human torso on spider butt, or eight-limbed humanoids, or what?
>>6034734
>Tell the Inquisitor the evolution of your Cheat Skill

Is there anything else you'd like to see any of the three characters do before returning to the capital?

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>>6034928
Hey, I know where that image is from.

>>6035142
You know how some Isekai have a variety of fantasy raced mob characters but it’s never elaborated on other than making a demihuman (slave) join the protag’s harem and most important characters are all human? It’s kinda like that.

Earlier demihuman were described as coming from the people in this world before the Goddess came to it so they’ve always been around but that’s ancient history and elves/dwarves are a bit different in terms of their origin but I’m still making notes on that. Abhumans are a minority of people and some of their cultures tend to be isolationist inside kingdoms (A decent chunk of the Highland Clans are demihumans for example) and yes there are catgirls.
>picrel

>>6035175
>Hey, I know where that image is from.
Honest to god, I didn't, although I should have been informed by the artstyle...

I'm so sorry for this.

>Asher tries to get some sleep on his new (and admittedly very comfortable) couch. Unfortunately, all the new porcelain dolls all staring at him make it very difficult...
>One of them in particular makes him very nervous. For some reason it seems like it's smirking at him.
>...and looks like it inches closer every time his eyelids lower.
>Soon after his eyelids shut just before sleep... a whisper, followed by a small hand feeling his abs.
>"...so, a face like Ken, muscles like Joe... Let's see what you've got for accessories~."

I think playing A Lust For Adventure is affecting my judgement...

>>6034734
>Tell the Inquisitor the evolution of your Cheat Skill

>>6035301
Now I'm curious where is it from

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>>6035357
It’s from what Johan would call the Bible of all men who want a monster girl harem… the Monster Girl Encyclopedia.

Picrel is the original entry for the Living Doll.

>>6035399
I did not have to read that

>>6034734
>Walk past them and towards the area you and Lorina trained at. Maybe it’s a good idea to try and gain as much as you can from the voice before reporting it.

>Is there anything else you'd like to see any of the three characters do before returning to the capital?
Lorina dreaming of her prince]

>>6035399
>Lorina where did you get this doll? It keeps staring at me.
>Nonsense, it's just a -
>It watches me shower and waves at me.
>eh?

>>6035423
You're on 4chan. Being on a blue board here can only protect you from weird sex stuff for so long. I figured you were warned by that big block of spoiler-d lewd I wrote earlier, as well as the name of that other quest I mentioned.

>>6035489
...I think I just created a possible new Stranger for OP to pit against us out of a typo, a D&D creature I vaguely remember, and terminal hentai poisoning. Please send help.
>A gothic-lolita cosplayer gets reincarnated as a living porcelain doll, who needs to feed off of magical energy to gain enough mana for a spell to turn back into a living person. Let's keep it PG and say it's through ambient absorption, like with plants and sunlight... Although she could get it quicker through a mana/health leech touch spell, if we're going PG-13 and more villainous.
>Stuck absorbing the minor amounts of mana from commoners, thieves, and the occasional hedge mage isn't bringing in enough for the massive spell cost, especially if she casts certain spells necessary to keep from being found out as a Stranger.
>Thus, she used a spell to trick the grandmother they were living with to sell off her doll collection to an obviously heavily mana laden mage and her friends, not realizing that her planned victims are Inquisitors.
>Also, it's been literal decades since she's seen the type of guy she's into. Granny bought the doll well past her prime years, and her family lives too far for them to do more than send letters.
>Thus begins a game of cat-and-mouse...

>>6035533
I can see it now.

>"So when are you getting a promotion, Asher?"
>"Inquisitors don't get promotions they fill empty positions."
>[muffled screaming]
>"What the hell was that?"
>"Probably your house groaning in disrepair. When's the last time you had someone inspect the walls?"

Hijinks must ensue.

>>6035543
I think I've gone too far with this idea for it to be used in the quest now, but the hell with it. Here's different endings based on how the team solves the problem:
>Bad end: The cast breaks her into pieces, but it's a Ship of Theseus situation, and she gets sent to the Inquisition archives as a curio until she repairs herself, breaks out and becomes a minor antagonist akin to Naga the Serpent.
>Neutral end: Break her apart like the bad end, but return her to grandma and "recruit" her as an Inquisition contact like Johan.
>Good end: Negotiate with her and let her stay intact, then return her to grandma, who reveals that she knew about the doll being alive. Doll lives with grandma as a replacement grandchild and Inquisition contact/ally.
>Maid end: Discover her doll wardrobe and realize she's mostly leaving people unconscious, then when cornering her for the final battle, negotiate for her becoming Lorina's maid by mentioning the cute uniform and letting her customize it to her liking.
>Best end: Like Maid end, but allow her to absorb ambient magic and mana from Strangers to get back her normal form. Post transformation spell will act as both maid and damage caster.

>>6035948
The REAL best end is becoming human again except her cheat skill representative god/dess is actually a smarmy asshole and she instead just becomes a bigger doll. Being not-alive has its benefits, you know? Very amusing in a very dark way.

>>6036098
I'd actually think the more dick move would be to make her human, but have the goddess twist the spell for her to be a doll-sized one. All the sensory abilities she missed, but coupled with the inconvenience of being undersized for everything. Having to deal with housecats at her size would be like dealing with fluffy, spoiled cougars, without the benefit of a scratchproof porcelain shell.

Then have her realize there's a whole second page of spells she didn't notice. With the Normal Sized Human option costing thrice as much.

At least doll clothes are cheaper than normal clothes! And you save money on rations!

What the hell happened here?

>>6034736
>>6034743
>>6034780
>>6035142
>>6035325
>>6035436
Looks like most people want to confess. This will be the last post of the Ivern arc so it may take me a couple of hours to write.

>>6034734
>Tell the Inquisitor the evolution of your Cheat Skill

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>>6037060
“My sword talks to me,” You say after striding up to the arguing pair.

Lorina-senpai looks at you with a rather cute yet dumb expression, clearly not understanding the true meaning of your words “That’s not supposed to happen?” She doesn’t sound entirely sure of herself.

“What does it say?” Asher-kun says a bit more seriously.

“The whole evil sentient sword shtick. ‘You don’t need them, I can give you more power, kill feed me kill!’ Well, not really the last one but it’ll probably get there eventually,” You say.

”I do not sound like that-” You give it another thwack.

“Can I see it?” Asher-kun says and causing you to hand him the sword for all of a second before a static charge zaps him, “Shit!” Causing him to drop the sword to the ground before it dispels itself.

”Do not hand me to that man! I will not be summoned only to-” You can feel the sword trying to resist being brought back, but you control it, not the other way around so in a second it’s back in your grasp. ”W-what do you think you’re doing?!”

“Hold on, I’ll get a cloth to hold it with,” Asher-kun says before turning to the door and biting his lip as two workers are blocking the door with a mattress they thankfully don’t pay attention to your conversation. You don’t envy having to do hard labor in this heat. “One second,” Asher-kun mumbles.

”Ask what he intends to do with me, now!”

“The sword wants to know what you’re going to do with it.”

“Oh, probably bring it to the Abbey to get this issue solved.”

“And how are they going to fix my sword?”

“Torture it, probably,” Asher-kun says like he was commenting on the weather.

“How do you torture a sword?” Lorina-senpai asks, a bit perturbed, probably because it’s a weapon and not the torture part, “Make it dull?”

“That’s someone else's job not mine,” Asher-kun shrugs.

”Do not let him take me! Please! I’ll be good, I swear!”

“The sword is begging for its life,” You inform the two.

“Do you think we can trust it?” Asher-kun says causing you to bring it up and look at yourself in your reflection.

”Yes, you can! I’d never do anything that would bring you or your comrades harm!”

But not even five minutes ago you- ”That was before I saw what your comrade's friends are capable of inside his mind! I’ll be good, I swear!” Hm? What exactly is the Inquisition capable of? You mentally question both the sword and yourself. The radiant blade doesn’t respond but you get the mental image that it’s sweating, somehow.

You shrug, “Probably not but I’ll be careful?” You say, not entirely sure how you feel about this whole thing.

“Just so long as I don’t get my throat slit in the middle of the night- Did that doll just move?”

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>>6037222
“What?” You ask at the sudden change of the conversation.

“In the window, I swear I saw its head move.”

“None of them had any animate spells cast on them though,” Lorina-senpai says also confused, “Are you seeing things?”

“No, it really moved it was looking at the loch like a second ago!” The doll seems to be facing your group now.

“I was facing away from it so I wouldn’t know,” Lorina-senpai says.

“Yeah, I doubt we're about to genre shift into a horror movie,” You say.

“I-” he stutters, “I’m not scared of it! I fought off a robotic army just a week ago but I saw it move!”

“I can try any detect magic if you’d like?” Lorina-senpai is lost.

“No, no it’s fine whatever. Forget it,” Asher-kun says in defeat, the conversation about your sword forgotten. For now at least.

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>>6037224
You are Lorina de Lindan and everything is wrong and you can’t take it anymore. You’ve been at the Semesters End Ball for hours, even dealt with the hooligan who spiked the punch with alcohol, yet he still hasn’t approached you for a dance. In fact, Albrecht seems to be trying to not even look at you. You’ve tried to get his attention on multiple occasions yet each time one of his four friends, some the heirs to the highest positions in Lindan, has sabotaged you. Percival de Bloodgrave being the only one of them to at least have a short waltz with you, seemingly out of pity. You hated it.

No one else seems to have dared to try and ask for a dance either, the lower-rank nobles are too intimidated by your royal status while it almost seems like those of higher ranks are avoiding you. You expected to be flooded with men attempting to win your favor on this night, the same as Arthur’s stories of the event, but even the middle-rank nobles seem put off by you. Have your vassals the terrorized Anastasia sullied your reputation that much? You already made a show of disciplining them publicly so why does everyone's cheer seem to dissipate when they see you? Or worse act like they’re a part of a joke that you were not invited to.

You’re royalty, this room should be one that you have under solid control. The people here should be trying their hardest to appease you, making blubbering fools out of themselves during the attempt. Yet, instead, you feel as if you were a peasant who wandered into an unfamiliar land where she doesn’t belong. Even though your dress is the most magnificent here, your hair sparkles under the moonlight and your makeup is by far the most beautiful. You even have Albrecht’s dagger hidden under your outfit to give yourself confidence during the night. So why do you find yourself lacking it when the smiles of your peers turn mocking?

You find yourself forced to retreat to your lonesome on the balcony. Your only company is the brisk chills of the spring night. You can see the capital light up for seemingly miles from here. People go about their night unaware of the politicking happening in the halls above them. Two catch your attention, a tall rugged man and a short pretty woman who live in a seemingly different world than you, they wave to you from past the Academies gates, your heart pulls in their direction and you find yourself wishing to walk away from these gilded halls in their direction. But before you can the loud clacking of heels and shoes turns your attention away from them and back to the ball. A slow dance has started and one couple is being given center stage, Anastasia Lyndale and Albrecht Von Herrman. The world slows as you watch the two of them dance, smile, and cherish each other as you stand alone on the cold balcony. Then if only to add to your humiliation the night only gets worse. For your nightmares are made into reality, the impossible is made possible.

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>>6037225
Albrecht Von Herrman, prince and heir to a throne, locks his lips with Anastasia, the peasant.

Your heart races, your blood stills, you feel tears threaten to break from the corner of your eyes, and the crowd claps. The crowd gathered at the Mageknight academies ball, the academy funded by your family claps as their princess’ fiancé kisses another woman. All while she is in attendance. Anastasia looks to be the happiest woman in the world, she looks adoringly into the prince’s eyes as he looks back. You want to throw up, is this some kind of twisted joke?

Your body moves without you needing to command it, you march straight to the center of the ballroom as the audience gasps. “What is the meaning of this charade?!” You shout as the two-part from one another.

Against any of your inner wishes, Albrecht moves in front of Anastasia like he is defending her from you. Why? If anything he should be defending you against her, you’re his fiancé and she’s trying to break the bond between the two of you. “Lorina, it would do you well to not get any closer,” he says.

“What do you mean?! What do you think you’re doing with her?!”

“I’m choosing to live my life free of the contracts you’ve forced me into, free from your conniving ways.”

“C-conniving?! What in the Goddess’ name are you talking about?”

“Alby, I’m scared,” The pitiable voice of Lyndale whispers, if anyone is conniving it’s her-

“There is nothing to worry about, my dear,” Albrecht says as he takes her hand before looking to you, “I’ve seen your hate-filled glares, seen your attempts to undermine the love between me and Ana and I refuse to allow it a moment longer! Admit it Lorina, you’ve only been after my throne, you’ve never loved me for who I am, not like Anastasia has!” He says his voice filled with conviction. From the corner of your eyes, you see the crowd look upon him with respect and admiration as his four friends walk up behind him.

“That’s- no- I- that-” You stutter your emotions overwhelming you as tears do form, the crowd looks on, and mocking whispers present themselves. You’re being treated as some sort of villain and you cannot even muster the words to defend yourself.

“Do you have no rebuttal? So it is true then,” The prince glares at you, “Leave, Lorina, your schemes are through-” He is interrupted by the smacking sound of your glove hitting the floor. You didn’t even realize you threw it until it was on the ground, you don’t even know if it was intended for Lyndale or Herrman, you’re not sure if you even know now.

“Pick it up!” You shout finding yourself able to say nothing else. Just then his four friends, Percival de Bloodgrave, Cyrus de Atle, Felix de Gray, and Hugo Von Brandt, stand protectively at his side. No one steps up beside you, no one shouts in your defense, no one sides with you, the villain.

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>>6037230
“I thank you, my friends,” the prince says, “But I need no help in this, for when in defense of Anastasia’s honor I know I cannot lose,” The noblewomen swoon at his words as Lyndale looks to be looking at a hero.

“Alby, are you sure?” She says with that sickeningly sweet voice of hers.

“With you here I know there is no obstacle I cannot overcome, my dear.”

Lyndale nods before grasping onto the glove with her hand as well, “And with you by my side even something as scary as this seems doable,” Together they turn their confident gaze towards you, the sight feeling like a punch to your gut.

A punch hard enough to wake you from your slumber with an “Oof!” as a small little cretin lands on top of you. You’re forced into a sitting position as your eyes open wide to the sight of a curious six-eyed child on your lap. “You’re pretty,” The child says as another, much larger, spider demihuman barges into your now open room.

“Charlotte!” She shouts before seeing your unflattering, beheaded form, “Goddess, I’m so sorry! Please excuse me!” She says as she takes her child off you and quickly retreats out of the room, throwing the door closed behind her. Unluckily, Asher’s house is not that well put together and the door creaks open just a bit, enough for you to hear Asher’s voice outside.

“So yeah, that’s pretty much the house. The Abbey said you’d be allowed here and the surrounding area as long as you don’t use your powers.”

“What’s with the dolls everywhere?” An unfamiliar man's voice says.

“I wish I knew, pretty sure they’re stalking me. Least one is, woke up with it on top of me last night, unless one of the girls is playing a prank on me. Oh, speaking of-” Asher says before shouting, “Lorina I’m giving your keys away!” Through the barely open door.

“Uurgh!“ Is the only thing your groggy mind can respond with.

“Sweet, thanks!” He responds anyway.

Your last morning in Ivern isn’t a very nice one as you shamble like a zombie through greetings with Asher's friend and his wife. The child doesn’t stop leaving you alone throughout the entire morning and neither Asher, who is busy talking to the blond commoner, nor Marie, who is laughing at you, help! Both of them are completely ungrateful for everything you’ve done for them! You’re too out of it to even give a coherent response to the information Asher is letting a Stranger stay at his house! Goddess’ sake nominally you’d at least spit out your coffee or something! You mean you do, but that’s because the child tackles you again, much to the apologies of her mother, Khakigg.

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>>6037233
“I thank you, my friends,” the prince says, “But I need no help in this, for when in defense of Anastasia’s honor I know I cannot lose,” The noblewomen swoon at his words as Lyndale looks to be looking at a hero.

“Alby, are you sure?” She says with that sickeningly sweet voice of hers.

“With you here I know there is no obstacle I cannot overcome, my dear.”

Lyndale nods before grasping onto the glove with her hand as well, “And with you by my side even something as scary as this seems doable,” Together they turn their confident gaze towards you, the sight feeling like a punch to your gut.

A punch hard enough to wake you from your slumber with an “Oof!” as a small little cretin lands on top of you. You’re forced into a sitting position as your eyes open wide to the sight of a curious six-eyed child on your lap. “You’re pretty,” The child says as another, much larger, spider demihuman barges into your now open room.

“Charlotte!” She shouts before seeing your unflattering, beheaded form, “Goddess, I’m so sorry! Please excuse me!” She says as she takes her child off you and quickly retreats out of the room, throwing the door closed behind her. Unluckily, Asher’s house is not that well put together and the door creaks open just a bit, enough for you to hear Asher’s voice outside.

“So yeah, that’s pretty much the house. The Abbey said you’d be allowed here and the surrounding area as long as you don’t use your powers.”

“What’s with the dolls everywhere?” An unfamiliar man's voice says.

“I wish I knew, pretty sure they’re stalking me. Least one is, woke up with it on top of me last night, unless one of the girls is playing a prank on me. Oh, speaking of-” Asher says before shouting, “Lorina I’m giving your keys away!” Through the barely open door.

“Uurgh!“ Is the only thing your groggy mind can respond with.

“Sweet, thanks!” He responds anyway.

Your last morning in Ivern isn’t a very nice one as you shamble like a zombie through greetings with Asher's friend and his wife. The child doesn’t stop leaving you alone throughout the entire morning and neither Asher, who is busy talking to the blond commoner, nor Marie, who is laughing at you, help! Both of them are completely ungrateful for everything you’ve done for them! You’re too out of it to even give a coherent response to the information Asher is letting a Stranger stay at his house! Goddess’ sake nominally you’d at least spit out your coffee or something! You mean you do, but that’s because the child tackles you again, much to the apologies of her mother, Khakigg.

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>>6037237
“Sorry, little Khak’ll is usually an angel, I don’t know what’s gotten into her,” Is the only apology you get. At least the parent is a decent enough conversation partner when your mind isn’t at full capacity. You mean who knew some types of demihumans have their own language? Or that you look amazing before you’ve done your hair and in your nightclothes? Though you suspect the latter might be an embellishment of the truth by the kind woman.

Eventually, the three of you find yourself at the train station a good week or so after the destruction of the Metal Castle. It’s been a rather nice break from everything all things considered. But your break is brought to an end soon enough as a man wearing a brown cloak approaches your group waiting for the train while eating fish and chips, good thing he’s uncoordinated otherwise the knife in his hand might be deadly.

You

>Use your hands to disarm and apprehend him

>Quickly take out your Stiletto and stab him

>Shoot him with Cinder

>[Write-in]

>>6037233
>beheaded form
Lorina is secretly a dullahan, hear hear.
>>6037239
Wasn't the kid named Charlotte?

>[Write-in]
Cast Hold Person

>>6037242
The kid has two names. One in both languages.

>>6037239
>>Use your hands to disarm and apprehend him

>>6037239

>Use your hands to disarm and apprehend him
That asshole Silas is not dead yet.

>>6037239
>Shoot him with Cinder
Though if possible I would like to just hold him off with any of our longer weapons, why get in knife fight range?

>>6037239
>Use your hands to disarm and apprehend him

>>6037360
>Silas is not dead yet.
That would be a pleasant surprise

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>>6037239
>Use your hands to disarm and apprehend him
>And keep his knife for good measure, because hey, free knife!

>>6037225
>a tall rugged man and a short pretty woman who live in a seemingly different world than you
>they wave to you from past the Academies gates
>you find yourself wishing to walk away from these gilded halls in their direction.
Aww, guess we've got actual friends, since we're dreaming of them...

>>6037233
>>6037237
Uh, accidental double post?

>>6037239
>Use your hands to disarm and apprehend him
Seconding taking his knife, at least for now. Bonus points if we show genuine interest about it.

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>>6037060
>What the hell happened here?

>>6037615
>Uh, accidental double post?
Shit, you're right. Sorry about that I was kinda rushing when posting updates. Luckily, I didn't skip over anything, that would be really bad.

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>>6037636
No problem, happens to everyone at some point.

Also, goddamn, Lyndale is indeed a cutting board. So either Al's into that instead of what we got, or she's got a shelf under that skirt.

Also also, she looks hard to hate... which I will take as a challenge to hate her harder.

>>6037640
Luckily for me, my hatred does not come from reason. For I am a 100% certified pure hater. That bitch ain't SHIT. Her or her man or those beta hangers on. Fuck that hoe. Fuck that ballroom. Fuck them nobles. And fuck her shitty basic bitch ass getup.

Hey, I just realized something that might or might not be an actual plot point.

We're the Princess of the Unified Kingdom of Lindan, and we were betrothed to Prince Albrecht Von Herrman... but I looked through the last two threads, and I don't see any mention what country he's the prince of.

>>6037239
>>Use your hands to disarm and apprehend him

>>6037239
>>Use your hands to disarm and apprehend him

>>6037239
>Use your hands to disarm and apprehend him

>>6038110
The secret is that I'm awful at names and try not to give a specific one for as long as I can get away with. Thankfully, the generic anime setting helps me get away with this seeing as how I've yet to even name the capital.

>>6037242
1 to hold person

>>6037329
>>6037360
>>6037374
>>6037566
>>6037615
>>6038193
>>6038203
>>6038228
A lot to nonlethal takedown the man and a theory that the well-done corpse you saw is still alive.

>>6037366
1 to be Indiana Jones

Writing.

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>>6038110
And here I was thinking he's an incubus pretending to be the crown prince of the small, far-away kingdom Ob'vios-Buulshi'itostan, as some sort of demon scheme, who either roped in a dumb fujo isekai'd into her otome game, or made an agreement with a selfish, manipulative, soap opera evil fujo in a sexy-evil power sharing agreement, in order to destabilize the human kingdoms prior to an invasion.

I'm kinda hoping Anastasia will be evil, especially if we get this level of villainous breakdown when we stop her plans, next few pics very fucking related.

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>>6038498

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>>6038501

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>>6038460
The armed man charges so fast that you have plenty of time to react, that is to say, he isn’t very fast at all. Not to you at least. You’re up from your seat in the time it takes him to reach you, his attack is choreographed and easily avoided. You think for a second about using a close-range weapon such as your dagger to take the man out but decide against it. You instead hit his stomach with your elbow and spin around him using your other hand to grab the knife out of his weak grip. Your knee presses into his back and sends him to the floor where you waste no time in restraining him.

You spin the knife in your finger as you observe all the flaws and strengths of the improvised weapon as the man struggles, “A simple kitchen knife, hm? Not an ineffective weapon by any means but not an efficient one either but I’ve used worse,” It seems the commotion has attracted a small crowd, Asher and Marie move to help you restrain him. You run a finger down the blade, it doesn’t draw blood, “Dull and with plenty of chips are signs of heavy use, obviously not someone's first choice of weapon should they have the means to use otherwise. Which means you didn’t.”

“D-damn you!” The man cries as Asher removes the cloth from his face. Your attacker is an older man weathered from age and commoner life if his teeth and lack of grace are anything to go by.

You jam the knife into the ground causing the man to flinch. Seems he didn’t notice the crack you jammed the knife into, an illusion of strength that shouldn’t damage the weapon too much. “You obviously know who I am though I find it unlikely you’d choose to attack me in such a manner if you had any other options. Which means you’re either an idiot or someone is forcing your hand.”

The brigand struggles more but with three people holding him down he doesn’t stand a chance, “You don’t know a damn thing!” He calls out. The crowd gets larger.

“Who hired you and why? Or who threatened you and why?”

The man angles his head to look directly at you, he twitches and makes many unsightly faces as he glares. His face looks to be in some mix between trying to kill you with his mind and constipation. “Y-you don’t know anything about me! You w-won’t!” He looks to be psyching himself up for something, “Your blood will spill for everything you’ve done!” He screams in pain before the man explodes. There is no deafening ring or fiery show, one second the man is there, the next hot blood and gore are splattered across your body, and Asher’s cursing body, and Marie’s frightened body, and the crowd's terrified bodies. Oh Goddess, some of it got in your mouth!

>>6038525
You cough up the stray bits of the man as Marie goes to scream along with much of the gathered crowd, then the sword appears and her emotions calm to a frightening level. Many of the crowd run while guards race towards you. “This a common occurrence, princess?” Asher says unperturbed by the gore on his form.

“Not exactly…” You trail off. Assassins are not unheard of in your life but rarely do they ever actually reach you and even rarer do they command themselves to do- do whatever that was. You don’t know whether you want to shower or throw up, the metallic taste in your mouth isn’t exactly helping either. You set about brushing yourself off before your hands hit something of a weird texture, something that looks to be a translucent pouch containing a parchment.

“Shit, is that a plastic bag?” Asher says before taking it off your legs and opening it by pulling it apart. You’ve never seen a device like it before. Asher takes a moment to read it over and gains a conflicted expression before handing it over, “It’s for you,” He says.

There are a couple of red marks from the blood on its side where Asher held the letter but otherwise, it looks to be in pristine condition.

Dear, Lorina de Lindan

If you are reading this then that means my assassin has failed, as to be expected. Know that this will not be the last and that the ones sent after your family will be much more successful. I will make you pay for everything you’ve done. You will regret ever leaving your estate.

Sincerely,

Well, the parchment is left blank after that. You stare at it in an emotion you can’t describe as either horror or awe but something in between the two. The gall of whoever this is, the fact your family is being targeted, or that you seem to be the center of this conspiracy. Somehow you register yourself standing up and your mind processes what happened in the past minute or two only for a station guard to roughly turn you around.

“What the hell did you do?! Hey- hand that over!” The mustached man yells in your face.

“That won’t be necessary,” Asher presents his Inquisitor medal causing the three guards now surrendering you to step back.

“S-sorry sir, and, uh, ma’am. W-we’ll be out of your way.”

After what feels like an eternity of deliberation inside yourself you come to the realization

>You need to head to the capital. Immediately.

>Maybe you can learn more about your attacker in Ivern

>[Write-in]

>>6038498
What's this from? Looks like a fun read.

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>>6038528
>You need to head to the capital. Immediately.
Do we still have that rifle we took from the robots? And more importantly, the "spearhead-like" things in it's magazine?

>>6038532
A josei drama manga creatively titled "Fat Woman", by Kyouko Kai.

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>>6038542
Seriously, seek it out for overly dramatic soap opera nonsense. I can literally hear the drama organ stings with every reveal of the evil best friend's villainy, her fucking faces are great.

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>>6038525
>He screams in pain before the man explodes
uh. uh?

>>6038528
>Maybe you can learn more about your attacker in Ivern
Our family has professional guards. I am not too worried if THIS is the kind of help that have been hired to take them out.

>>6038542
...also, is it possible the person who wrote this pulled a National Treasure and wrote their signature in invisible ink? Are we going to have to put lemon juice on a letter and breathe on it standing next to Nicolas Cage in a scene filled with sexual tension?

>>6038551
I almost forgot the pencil trick from the Big Lebowski. Admittedly, it didn't exactly work there, but... It'd be fucking hilarious if it didn't here too, AND it would offer us a hint that the aggrieved is a Stranger.

>>6038631
The plastic bag didn't do that?

>>6038638
Fair, but it'll go from a possibility to a certainty.

>>6038528
>Maybe you can learn more about your attacker in Ivern
Our family lives in a castle with a royal guard
If this is the caliber of assassin they're sending I think they'll be fine.
Best to find them before they can up the quality.

>>6038656
I'd say plastic bag is pretty certain already

>>6038677
I mean, learning to use a modern rifle can be relatively easy, especially if you're leaving out the minutia of maintenance and repair because you're teaching peasants and criminals. That being said, even if they've not seen The Big Lebowski and did the little drawing joke for a reference to a person who has no context for it (which is probably the most likely case), we could still glean some information using the pencil trick if he was writing notes on what might be a notepad or a stack of printer paper.

>>6038528
>Maybe you can learn more about your attacker in Ivern
>But send a letter to the family. There's no point in not warning them.

>>6038528
>>You need to head to the capital. Immediately.

>>6038528
>Maybe you can learn more about your attacker in Ivern

>>6038528
>You need to head to the capital. Immediately

>>6038528
>>You need to head to the capital. Immediately.

>>6038528
>You need to head to the capital. Immediately.

>>6039145
>>6038962
>>6038828
>>6038758
>>6038542
5 to sacrifice information for speed

>>6038548
>>6038677
>>6038752
>>6038817
4 to sacrifice speed for information

Writing.

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>>6039900
Your head snaps to the station's guard at a frightening speed, “Get us on the next train to the capital. Now!”

“M-ma’am, the station will have to close for the day after this. We can try-”

“Did I stutter? I don’t care If I have to buy the damn train just get it running!”

“Please calm down, I’m sure-”

“Do you even know who I am?! I am Princess Lorina de Lindan and my order will be followed posthaste!”

Just then a more official-looking representative of the station runs over, though he does turn rather green when he sees the mess of what was once a man, well everywhere. Thankfully, he has the sense to not argue with the royal or inquisitor covered in blood and gets a few spare train cars hitched to an engine, and sends you off in about an hour. Though you did end up having to buy the damn thing and take over a few worker contracts, not that they minded the royal premium. Your father won’t mind, surely. It should probably come as a point of prestige that the Royal Family owns their own private train and employs the workers for it. You’ll need to get someone and somewhere to store it though, but you have two days to solve that problem. Though you can now consider three train cars, a sleeper, a dining, a lounge car, and a locomotive in your personal assets.

Soon after that mess is dealt with however your old clothes are disposed and a new pair is put on after a lengthy cleaning process with nothing but a few wet towers. Oh, the horror, you thought Asher's old shower was bad before but, ugh, you don’t even want to think about it. Luckily your large bags, hey! not those ones, had quite a few spare pairs of clothes. Though they are quite a bit heavier with your new spoils of war, you’ve still yet to name your rifle, perhaps you should get on that soon? It only has a few of the bronze-spearhead-looking things left but you’re certain you can get some use out of it still. You shake your head, that’s not what you should be worrying about, your families in danger and you need to think of what to say. Normally you’d write a letter but seeing as you’re currently speeding across the countryside on one of the fastest modes of transportation in the world, perhaps behind that engined boat you used, that option is rather pointless. You’ll see them soon but will that be enough?

A knock resounds on your door, you voice a simple, “Come in,” while on your bed causing both Asher and Marie to enter the room. It’s a room much similar to the one you had while traveling to Ivern though you doubt it’s the same carriage. Marie takes a seat at your desk while Asher closes the door and puts his back against the wall.

“So seems we got ourselves a Stranger problem,” Is the Inquisitor's first remark.

“You think? How can you be so sure it’s not just a normal assassination attempt?” You question.

“The plastic bag, right?” Marie questions and then smiles from the praise as Asher nods his head.

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>>6039927
“Yeah it’s the plastic bag,” He says before pulling out the translucent pouch from earlier, cleaned of gore. “Lorina, this is a material that can only be manufactured on Earth or through a Stranger’s abilities. My friend, Johan, could make some because of his Cheat Skill so I know it can be possible,” Johan? Should you have questioned him before leaving? No, it’s a moot point now no use in pondering the possibility.

“I see, so a Stranger must be the orchestrator?”

“Must be involved at least, even if it is through proxies. So we’re going to be picking up this mission immediately, I don’t need to tell you why.”

“Thank you,” You say and you mean it. Maybe you should consider yourself lucky that whoever ordered your would-be assassin decided to make this the Inquisition's problem as well.

“Do you think this could be related to the serial killer I read about in the paper?” Marie asks though this time all she receives is a shrug from you and her mentor.

“I wouldn’t rule it out seeing as the guy’s probably some sort of assassin and this could all be a bigger plot but it’s not a definite link. Until we get to the capital and contact the Royal Family and Lord Inquisitor all we’re going to be doing is grasping at straws.”

“Then what should we do in the meantime?” Marie asks, you’re curious as well. The train won’t be making many stops until it reaches the capital, only if food or fuel runs low, but it’s still going to be a journey of more than a day, close to two.

“Whatever you want, I guess. This train isn’t advertised as anything so it’s unlikely there’ll be bandits this time around so do whatever it is you do to entertain yourselves.”

Marie reaches for something in her pocket and makes a face when she doesn’t find whatever she is looking for. She looks at you and says, “Lorina, I’m bored.”

“Marie, a man exploded all over us not even two hours ago,” She just pouts. Unbelievable.

But as people shuffle out of your room and you think about the coming journey, you find time to

>Just relax [Skip to the capital]

>Pull Asher or Marie, or both, aside and ask them what Alice in Wonderland is

>Question one of your companions about something [What?]

>[Write-in]

>>6039928
>Pull Asher or Marie, or both, aside and ask them what Alice in Wonderland is
>Question one of your companions about something [What?]
What is a designated waifu?
Can a Stranger's Cheat Skill be used to control the minds of people, say, to seduce someone's fiance (asking for a friend?) What could be the signs that it's a Stranger's power?

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>>6039928
>Question one of your companions about something [What?]
>Talk about the rumor we heard with Catharine while having our Girls Night, about the assassinations of nobles with the strange bullets. How do they work, and what should we be on the lookout for?
>Talk with Marie and Asher about the possibility of having to deal with nobles again, including in the worst case scenario, your ex-fiancee and his new betrothed. Possibly over a glass or two of wine.
>Pull Asher or Marie, or both, aside and ask them what Alice in Wonderland is
Both. Again, when we've got a few more glasses of wine in us.
>What is a designated waifu?
THIS. ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE RED WINE DRUNK.

>>6039928
>Pull Asher or Marie, or both, aside and ask them what Alice in Wonderland is
>Question one of your companions about something [What?]
Are boys repulsed by big boobs?

>>6039928
>Pull Asher or Marie, or both, aside and ask them what Alice in Wonderland is

>>6039928
>Pull Asher or Marie, or both, aside and ask them what Alice in Wonderland is
>Question :
What is Johan's Cheat Skill?

>>6039928
>Pull Asher or Marie, or both, aside and ask them what Alice in Wonderland is
Since Marie is so bored she can tell us the whole story

>>6039940
These seem like good questions too

>>6040002
But not this one

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I just realized my ID changed... stupid router problems. I'm LmJBYDY0.
>>6039940
I should probably add an addendum onto what >>6040100 asked about Johan's cheat skill:
>"Can his Cheat Skill make more of these?" (holds up a bullet and magazine)
If he can, take note of it and put him down as our possible "Royal Stranger firearm ammunition supplier, by special dispensation of Princess Lorina de Lindan". Johan will never have to worry about being unable to afford a larger home for any unexpected family additions that might happen.

>>6040113
>But not this one
I mean, it's a good question to ask if Lorina's really, really drunk. As well as everyone else being drunk in the dining car.

>Lorina drunk as a skunk, moping about her "nursemaid" figure to Asher and constantly filling his glass while drinking straight from the same bottle
>Asher's face like Anakin's in picrel, fake sipping his wine and dumping it ASAP, trying not to think about what Beneger would do to him if he got drunk on the job with the princess he was supposed to protect with his lives
>Marie in the background yet again, this time plastered and singing Baka Mitai while using an empty bottle like a karaoke microphone
>Train bartender just wants to go back to the crew car and go to sleep, but can't because Lorina's tips are going to put his first child through the MageKnight Academy, and he needs more for his second child to afford his certification test in the Brewer's Guild

>>6040131
Oh, yeah, the rifle's name!

How about Furious Tirade? For the sound it makes firing on full auto?

Also, we really need to commission a secure case for this thing so it won't be stolen and start an arms race.