Chapter 307 – Re: Vised

Day 51 (Cont)

Argh! Why...

"So what you're saying is by inverting these parts of the glyph, and then rotating these four ida points six degrees clockwise, the portal will become more stable?" Returner said. She was sitting on Pande's shoulder, staring at the magical design in front of her intently.

"Certe! This is so. At this point, you can connect spring to rotae dentatae within the duodecim ball-" Pande replied, modifying the symbols in the air in front of her with a half-eaten carrot.

"Which will feed a constant loop of mana through the entire circuit, with almost no parasitic loss! This is amazing."

This is just...

"I got a little lost on the technical aspects, but does this mean I can leave my spiritwalk gates open now?" Riana added, the very pregnant Dorian seated beside them, just as intently listening to Pande as Returner was.

"If you chose to, yes. It works the same for my portal magic. If my former master were still alive, he would have been thrilled at such a discovery. Thank you, Loquaxpuellaineptiaspatiumtempus."

Kill me now...

"I'm glad to aid my dominus harem with their otium, though I beg his indulgence with my old actions. Headwife, what else does this concubina candidatus need to act to make the lord aid my return to... Headwife? Are you fallen? Do you need medicus?"

"Huh? What?" Sui said, not expecting to be addressed.

She had been busy with all the new hobgoblins today, as the rest of the goblins had evolved. Chi also evolved into a Half Saint Lord like her, so now they had yet another healer on staff. So, after she was done with the hobgoblins, she had brought Chi into the mana pool and taught him as much healing magic as she could, using his... girlfriend? lover? wife? The Provisioner, as the guinea pig for his training. That was another issue she was going to have to deal with soon, building them a home, but she just didn't have a lot of time during the day.

"Are you ill?"

"No, Pande... I just thought we could relax in the hot tub and get to know each other better... I didn't expect a two-hour lesson on space-time magic, chrono theory, and temporal mechanics. Nor did I expect the lesson to be laced with commentary about different types of cakes, why chickens are evil, and how to win a man's heart through barbecue."

"Not just chickens, but all fowl. What is to know? I am me. And those are all important subjects. My father taught me everything I know about the barbecue. Just ask Rou what the best food he ever ate was, and if it isn't my father's burgers, I will wash and worship your feet every day for a milleannum."

"Please... no more feet. I thought I wanted that, and I was wrong. So very wrong."

Maybe a foot massage by Rou... but I don't need a dragon trying to suck my toes again... that was bloody weird.

"Then what would you like to know about me?"

"I don't even know anymore... my brain is still spinning from your explanation of how to twist a regular portal to break through the fabric of reality to enter another universe, or to slip through the bubble of the multiverse into other bubbles."

And it doesn't help that you have broken Latin mixed in with your English. How in the hell are Returner and Riana able to follow what you’re even saying?!?

"Here is a question: why do you look like you're Japanese, speak like a Roman, wear black lingerie with a pair of katanas over your shoulder, and have tattoos over a third of your body?" 

"Ahh magna beatitudinem. That is easy. My father had me train with Jupiter for many decennium, and I collapsed in love with the words and culture of Roma. I look Japanese because I want to; I think this body is perfectio. I wear this garment because it doesn't break when I transform, and I have the swords because they are imbued to cut certain magics that could ensnare me."

"You are gorgeous..." She admitted, looking over at the cool, black-haired beauty. She didn't like other women that way, but could easily see the appeal of one who looked like Pande.

And those flower and vine tattoos just seem to work for her. I still can't believe I have a cross tattoo on my back now.

"Thank you, head wife."

"I'm not... ahh, whatever. And the tattoos? Are they magical as well?"

"No. Just to help cause my father to form more grey hairs, maybe even a bald patch. I actually didn't respect them at first, but now they are as part of me as my nipple piercings." 

"Your... oh me, how didn't I notice those before." She said, glancing at Pande's full, perky breasts. Her nipples were just at the surface of the water, both pierced with what looked to be emerald hoops with some runes inscribed on them. 

"You have head too far in snow to see what is in front of you. Here, have carrot, make you see better." Pande said, offering her a carrot.

"You are really an odd duck, Pande." She replied, reaching for the carrot. When Pande didn't let go, she looked over and realized the woman was glaring at her. 

"I am not a duck. Ducks are fowl, evil beings intent on dominion over all. I am just me. Not duck. Take that back."

"What?" She replied, still awkwardly holding onto the carrot.

"Take that back or no carrot for you!"

"It's just a saying. Like you are a very... unique person."

"So you won't take it back? Fine. No more carrots."

"Wait... where did you even get that carrot anyway?" She asked. They didn't have any vegetables left that came with the house, and most of those didn't have seeds to grow new plants. Rou probably didn’t notice, but their diet consisted almost exclusively of meat, berries and the nuts that Riana’s plants were producing. The fruit trees could be accelerated for a harvest, but that didn’t change the fact that they had no potatoes, tomatoes, or other varieties of fruits and vegetables. 

"Take back words first."

Sui sighed. "I'm sorry, Pande. You're not a duck. You are a very attractive dragon."

"Aww, thank you, Headwife. Do you think the Lord thinks I am a good fit for his harem?"

"I'm not his headwife! And he looks for more than beauty in the women he sleeps with. Now, where did you even get a carrot?"

"My hoard. See?" She replied, pulling out a bunch of them from thin air.

A pocket dimension like mine... I wonder.

"Do you have other vegetables in there, or maybe plants and seeds?"

"Huh, you want seeds? Seeds are not good for getting head out of snow."

"I want seeds to grow a larger variety of food here. Do you have any?"

"Yes."

"Can we have them?"

"You want stuff from my hoard? What will you trade for them?"

"What do you want?"

"I want the Headwife's help to get the Lord to bring me home and become his concubina."

"Is making your dad disappointed that big of a deal for you?"

"I want to be home, but I don't want to be bred by the fire draco he is trying to force on me. This will give me best option to be beside the enigma and give father more grey hair."

"I can't promise anything. His concubina are his choice, not mine. However, if we do this, if I... try to help him warm up to you, I want more than some seeds. What else do you have in that pocket… err, hoard of yours that could help us out around here?"

For the love of me. I hope you forgive me for doing this to you, Rou, but we need to get a larger variety of food. The pantry is almost empty, leaving us with little extra and nothing that will last a few months over the winter. Get back here soon so you can deal with this chaotic woman, please!

Day 52

"Why are there humans this close to our village?" Mi asked, looking down at her three companions from her perch in a tree overlooking the valley below. They had been waiting to ambush another pack of wolves when the sounds of something crashing through the woods diverted their attention here.

"Why are you looking at me? I've been with you for weeks now." Ruby said, mistaking her stare for an accusation.

"I wasn't really looking for an answer. I know you have nothing to do with them." She replied, dropping down from the branch and landing in front of the woman she was considering as much of a sister as Ee now. She wrapped her arms around her in a gentle hug and spoke softly in her ear. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make it sound like you're at fault just because you're human too."

"I'm sorry too. I don't know why I got so defensive. I think I'm just worried."

"Worried about what?"

"That you three will leave me behind because I'm so much weaker than you."

"Weaker? Are you crazy? You slashed the head off that snake from the inside without getting a scratch on you. I couldn't have done that!" She replied, surprised that Ruby was feeling this way.

Did we do something to make her feel unwanted?

"Yeah, Ruby. Just because you can't lift as much as I do doesn't mean you're actually weaker. You have your strengths just as much as we have ours." Ee said, placing a meaty paw on their human sister's shoulder.

"She is right. I'm faster than you, Ee is stronger, and Mi has more magic, but you have been blessed by something to make you tough. Tougher than any human I've met so far." Sato added, placing a hand on Ruby's other shoulder. 

"It was Rou. Rou blessed me. I prayed to him, and he answered my call." 

"Is that what happened?"

"Yes... I... didn't want to say anything, as I was still trying to figure it out myself. But when I was in the air, I thought I was going to die, so I prayed. Then I felt his warm embrace, and after a moment, his power flowed through me." Ruby said, sounding almost embarrassed about it.

Mi pulled back and smiled at her. "That's wonderful. I'm not going to lie, I'm a little jealous, but that doesn't mean I don't want you with us. Family is an odd concept for me, but... I think you are part of our family just as much as the rest of the clan. So don't think I will ever leave you behind. Because I won't. You are part of Clan Wayne now, and will be for the rest of your life if you want to be."

"Really... you mean it?"

"I do." She replied, hugging her again.

"We do too, Ruby. Just because you're not a hobgoblin like us doesn't mean we care for you any less." Ee said, wrapping her arms around both of them. Sato didn't add anything further, but joined the group hug as well, nearly crushing her into the redhead.

"And I'm jealous of all that magic you can just cast by pointing that staff," Ruby said after a few moments. 

"Those are the rings. No incantation required, just a thought and kaboom." She replied, waggling the set of four silver rings she had on her right hand. Rou had given them all rings from the Velvet's treasury, and one night in the bath, Sui had mentioned that it was a custom in his world to offer rings to the women he intended to marry. Which made his explosion and then disappearance the other day confusing, and hurt even more.

I'm not his daughter! I will be his mate and wife!

"So... not to ruin the moment, but there are a dozen humans rushing through the woods. Should we follow them?" Ee said, picking up her pickaxes again. Her eyes had started to shift from black to a beautiful shade of purple now, which was making her eager to finally hit level 100. 

They were all eager. Sato's eyes were blood red now, shining like emeralds, while her own were turning a different, lighter shade of red, and she could see golden flecks dotting her pupils when she looked at her reflection in the lake. If Rou's hypothesis was true, they should be evolving any day now. 

"Yes. Let's save this mushy stuff for when we are camping later. If they are hostile, are you okay if we kill them, Ruby?" Sato asked, bringing them back to reality. Mi knew that Sato had no problem just attacking them now and asking questions later, but she was being nice for Ruby's sake.

"If they are hostile... I don't have a problem with that. It's for the safety of the clan."

"It is twelve men in armour, with swords and axes at their waist and crossbows strapped to their backs. I don't think it's just a hunting party lost in the woods; they are moving too quickly and with intent for that." She replied, picking up her staff and heading off in the direction the humans were running. 

Whatever they were doing, she didn't think they were up to any good, and she would be damned before letting them try to approach the village without being challenged first.