Lot City, Satovia…
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Melody took another sip of her latte as she watched people went on about their lives, outside of the window of the maid café . The tightness in her heart continued to ache . She pictured him, selfishly fighting a creature with a power level of four hundred five just for her, despite how she acted . He was a prince—she just knew it . The Stone of legend, except that Clyde is something entirely better .
Some claimed of only a single other who was born as the Stone . What many don't know—not even the ent.i.ties—is that this other is the being who created the bloodline . The Stone Father . Long dead now, but he apparently loved some dimension called Earth . He made it obvious, carelessly being the indirect start of the stone-viper games, living almost a lecherous life . Clyde, the Stone Son…and he didn't know it . Why did Tear insist on keeping this from him? And the succubus wanted to have his babies? Over Melody's dead body . She actually loved him…wanted a string of romances with him, with hopeful marriage and soul-oaths . Deities always made soul-oaths a year before marrying . Maybe she could convince Clyde to take one with her .
But the two must get to know one another afterward . She'd have to live with him . Melody blushed .
She decided not to postpone her thoughts of the terrible orders, Alice's sc.u.mmy father bestowed upon her . Kill the adventurer responsible for defeating the Ashfall family . How ungrateful could one get? Melody didn't care how many orders he barked, she wouldn't carry this one out . Her bond to him can't force this . Not against Clyde .
She called him twice, but the young man didn't answer . He also didn't reply to her text messages . She couldn't even force a summon because the man didn't bother to open her note . Perhaps that one hurt a little . Not that it was his fault . She's barely around him to show any affection . How will he ever know how she felt?
Maybe a confession . She was part trickster demon, part deity . Despite what they said about dark G.o.ds, they were still cla.s.sified as they are . Melody thought of herself as a demiG.o.ddess, though a lot of her natural power revolved around the trickster abilities . That included a disguised power level—learned from the rogues . Even that rogue girl she hated, Chika, knew this ability . Harumi too, though she wasn't sure how a healer and lightning user could learn such a thing . In fact, something was off about Harumi . Could she be more than what she let on? Perhaps too modest .
Melody couldn't learn much about her past other than the fact that she was a kind girl with a sister . Her family died in a tragic monster attack . Some old friend named Airi taught her everything she needed to know about using her gift . The gifted, adventurers . Technically not the same, as true adventurers didn't stay in towns or cities very long . Maybe Airi was an adventurer and saw her calling .
Clyde wouldn't be able to just stay rooted in the city long . His power level is at the point where he had to push out . The watchers would be infuriated if he missed school, so it would be up to him to plan according . Or just rebelled . Melody hoped for the latter .
The redhead waved for the waitress .
"I'd like to pay for my order . "
When she left the café, she set a mental resolve . She'd be patient, see if he'd respond to her texts . Then when Melody got him alone…somehow muster the courage to confess . Maybe she'd have his child . She'd certainly be a better wife than Tear .
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Ashen City…
Lady Mei Ashfall nodded at the news . At last, all of them were dead . Her late closet lolicon husband and his illegitimate son, as well as four others of the true Ashfall bloodline . She wished someone would destroy the family on her mother's side too . To think they'd marry her off at thirteen to Nezerath Sr . of all people .
She forced away the thoughts of his aggression during her adolescent years . When she turned seventeen, they finally stopped, and he ignored her since, leaving the young woman to piles of paperwork and finances . Finally, he was dead . Dead, dead, dead, dead! DEAD! Mei laughed and cheered, tears falling from her eyes .
"Lady Mei," the maid said . "I'm leaving . "
Mei hugged her .
"Good luck," Mei said . "I'm so glad it's over . "
She pulled the former maid back to look at her . "You're only fourteen . Ripped from your family and forced to be a slave to disgusting Ashfall trash . I want you to live free for me, but especially yourself . And never take anyone's c.r.a.p again . "
Mei gave the girl all of the money in her purse . Five thousand dollars . She also handed her a gold coin with a volcano on it .
"Flash this and you'll get free admittance and meals at any hotel . You'll be treated like royalty . "
"What about you, Lady Mei," said the former maid .
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"Call me Mei . And I'm going back to the mansion . I may take all the valuables and blow it up if all the maids fled as you did . "
"It…belongs to the adventurer who killed the Ashfall," the former maid said . "An adventurer that was with Alice Hades, ironically . "
Mei laughed .
"Well, I suppose I have nowhere else to go but back home . "
"He hasn't been back since yesterday," the former maid continued . "But deeds and family accounts are somehow all his . "
Mei nodded .
"How is he, as a person?"
"I don't know him that well," the maid said . "He's mysterious . Doesn't seem like he's from around here or…anywhere I know . But my guess is that Alice Hades brought him in to destroy the Ashfalls and I always did like her . "
Mei grinned .
"Agreed . If I could, I'd marry her . "
She laughed . The former maid chuckled nervously, allowing a trickle of sweat to fall from the back of her head .
"I'll go survey the house and then find this hero . If anything, Tear or Maki should know where he's at . "
"Maki…" the former maid gulped . "That human scares me . A human, scaring a demoness . "
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Mei's grinned widened .
"She may be human, know nothing of what we are, but when it comes to reliability, she's one of my go-to girls . I don't know why she bothers attending that stupid academy when she could have anything she wants . "
"Rumors say she's growing an obsession with some boy . "
"I didn't see her with any boy when I visited her a couple of days ago," Mei said . "And…she sort of came onto me . That girl has some magic fingers—oh!"
The young, former maid took a step back, uncomfortable . "Sorry, I forgot that you've managed to keep your innocence despite living in that h.e.l.l house . Go ahead and catch the train . I'll call your family to let them know you're on the way . And if they don't give you a warm welcome, they'll pay . "
"Lady Mei, I can't thank you enough," the former maid said, tears streaming .
"Live," Mei said then strolled off to face the estate that once held her prisoner .
Labido Gra.s.slands . Hot springs inn . Time: Late Afternoon…
Clamp-clamp! Clamp-clamp!
Clyde's skill, Binder's hand failed, unable to overcome Alice's ridiculous magical resistance . In the end, he decided that a tactical retreat was the best idea . Arms pulled him into a side closet .
"Ssh . "
He waited with the a.s.sailant in dim lighting, his head resting on soft…large b.r.e.a.s.t.s . Alice pa.s.sed by without looking . A few minutes later, the clamping faded off in the background . He hoped Natalia or Tear caught up to her before it was too late .
"I don't know what happened to her after she left Chika's room," Harumi said, "but she's acting like a bunny in heat . "
Clyde let out a breath of relief . Lady Luck must've smiled on him—because there was n.o.body who'd shower the young man with more compa.s.sion than Harumi .
"You don't know how happy I am to see you," he said softly . "Do you want to grab some lunch? Well, after changing out of…"
Harumi in her robe . He forced himself not to let this mind fall into the gutters just yet . Lunch and some water—that didn't sound too bad right about now .
"That sounds like a good idea actually," Harumi said . "There's a picnic table near the forest's edge . We could get away from the others and eat in peace . "
She gave him a mischievous smile . Clyde returned it, though he had no idea the pink-haired girl had two meals planned for him . "It's a cloudy day . Let's just eat in our robes . "
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