So... It looks very much like everything I thought I was was mistaken. There was no reincarnation. I'm not the person I believed I was. I am just someone... something with that person's memories. The problem isn't that I have no idea what is going on though. I have plenty of ideas.

Like, it could be there was nothing before and I'm simply a new soul who randomly got someone's personality right before being born as a demon. Or, there never was anyone else and I just randomly generated a fully formed personal history from nothingness. That may seem almost impossible, but since there appear to be multiple universes with possibly eternal time for random freak happenstances to happen, any weird thing may - and sooner or later will - happen. Monkeys with typewriters etc.

And if we assume that I did exist before, there are even more insane amount of possibilities. It could be some weird curse that reset me with random personality, or another soul, or even turn me insane enough to believe I am someone else. It could have been something I did on purpose or by accident. Hell, there could be more than one layer here. I think I played a game like that once, the one with scarred immorta-- Ngh! Except that 'I' didn't do that. Well, not unless there is alternative reason for the duplicate memory and my identity crisis was therefore mistaken.

And add the possibility that I misinterpreted the druid tampering in my dream and any number of other supernatural bullshit things that could have caused this, and you get completely useless amount of hypotheses. There simply aren't enough concrete facts to get useful knowledge.

"Haaah. ... Hey, Celica..."

We're staying at my house she has been maintaining some kind of equipment while I loitered around. She's polishing leather and metal unusually prudently, now that I think about it. They look like riding equipment, but I have a bad feeling they are not for horses... I dispel the image of dominatrix Celica from my mind and continue.

"The more you know, the more you know you don't know."

She looks at me with mouth half open.

"Ah-a. Sounds bad~."

Don't worry Celica, that won't ever be your problem. Although Celica can surprise... well, sometimes. On the off chance she has some insight onto this, I ask away.

"This may sound weird, but... do you know who I really am?"

Celica puts on an unusual tired half-smile, one which normally would be preceded by a sigh.

"Ais~... First you said you think you're from another world. Then you were unsure if you are even a succubus. And now this."

I think this is as dry an answer she has ever given. Usual Celica is more... bubbly.

"...It's not like I ponder about these things without good reasons--"

"Shhhh~."

She puts her finger on my lips and makes hushing sound.

"How about~... you stop aching about who you may be~ and start heading towards who you want to be~."

Huh.

What can I say? The patronizing way she said that with annoys the hell out of me, but I have to admit she has a point there. Even if it did sound like ripped off from one of those cheesy inspirational books...

My latest revelation came pretty much unasked and unexpected, so I guess I can just continue doing my thing and I may run into the answers regardless. Or rather... even if I try to search for them, it'll most likely fail, so why bother. Yeah, can't go too wrong with apathy. I'll just lightly poke around whenever it's convenient, and that's it. It's not like I have time limit for this endeavor anyway.

***

Leaving Celica to her own devices, I decide to go bother Holoster the demonologist next. You never know, he might have heard of something about my possible former self. And I will try to cash in a reward for defeating those Dwarven suicide bombers too in form of an enchantment. Maybe he could make something similar to that magical explosive that dwarves used.

It seemed more aflaming than concussive, too much so to replace gun powder, but if that could be fixed... It'll be special kind of pleasure to whip out a magic powered hand cannon when the next set of assholes - be it adventurers, druids or dwarves - shows up. I can't help but smirk malevolently, evoking some worried looks from the castle personnel, as I make my way to the demonologist's chamber.

Stepping in I notice he is in process of summoning a demon though, so I stay and watch. I've never actually seen the summoning from outside after all, what with always being on the receiving end. Holoster seems to have been just about to finish his spell.

He makes a gesture and a small dark cloud appears in the middle. It then materializes as a demon, which is... not very impressive, really. He - I assume, though this demon is androgynous kind - is a scrawny humanoid with standard demon tail, slightly pointed ears, and dark green eyes with octagonal pupils. It could be the filmy grey skin or average averageness facial features, but he just oozes unremarkableness, so much that it is almost remarkable in a way.

"Thou hath summoned me, the great demon Azara?"

His speech doesn't really match the crummy look he has going on. And he arrived complete with a cheesy pose too. Mid-level trash mobs don't get to pose! His overt act only serves to make the dullness more visible by contrast.

"(What is it with thees and thous anyway? Pointless...)"

I wasn't really trying too hard not to be heard, and he jerks my way irritably.

"Oi! Why's there another demon here?"

"I felt like it."

"Well stop feeling like it then. You're ruining my entrance."

Demons may not be the Machiavellian schemers you'd expect, but that doesn't mean they-- we get along either.

"Unless you were aiming for pretentious and annoying, it was already ruined."

"You-- Grrr! Damned succubi, always doing whatever they want!"

I can already tell this demon isn't gracing any parties with his flawless wit. Holoster wryly looks at our dialogue.

"Ahem. If I may interrupt...? The empire needs your... special skills for an upcoming operation."

The demonologist glances at me, but doesn't elaborate further.

"Operation, huh?"

"We'll go through details later. You'd be compensated fittingly, of course."

He seems somewhat interested, and relapses on the pose he had earlier.

"The bitter green of jealousy and resentment doth nourish me. My fare is committing acts of envy. Like, starting a poisonous rumor of your rival--"

"I'm afraid I'm quite unrivaled."

Ho ho Holoster.

"Not pride! Envy!"

"...I'll think of something sufficient."

Azara gives me a peeved look.

"And let me out of the circle while you do, since she's running around free too!"

"That's envy for you... Fine. But only until the meeting."

They finish the deal and Holoster asks him few questions about matters I'm not interested in. I haven't talked with many demons really, but he seems unfriendly and a bit annoying. I generally prefer to avoid people I don't like, so I leave.

I walk around aimlessly as I often have done during my stay here. Stopping in an empty hallway, I look at a painting which has peculiar swirly brushes. There aren't really many paintings around in this world, so this is rather peculiar. It reminds me of something... A cut ear? My musings are interrupted when I hear someone approaching.

"He hee, nice body. And it's mine now..."

A clone of myself walks into the hallway. A naked clone. A naked clone squishing my - her - breasts energetically.

... Just what?

Both of us freeze when our eyes meet. There's a moment of absolute silence and stillness. Then...

"Oh... Ah... An impostor! How dare you copy me like that?"

The doppelgänger acts as if I were the fake. Were there people around it might cause a problem - if she weren't suspiciously naked, that is. But there's no-one else here, so that kind of thing would just serve to piss off the victim.

I grapple the impostor and after brief scuffle end up pinning her completely with myself on the top. You walked into the wrong hallway, mother fucker.

"Iiih! Let me go!"

Hmm... All the mirrors here are just polished bronze, so I haven't seen my body quite as clearly as I'd have wanted to. But now there's a perfect copy of it. Interesting.

"Aaah! *gasp* What are you doing!?"

I decide that I like this body. Really, really like it.

"Ah! S-Stop!"

More.

"EEEEEEEEEEEE!"

Then the moment is over. The doppelgänger reverts back to his shitty original form, still continuing to scream like a girl for a while. Not surprisingly it's the envy demon Azara - he probably wanted little revenge on me via shape-shifting. With my suspension of disbelief gone I quickly make distance as he cradles his head while sobbing.

"Nnnhh... Who reacts like THAT when seeing herself?! I know you're a succubus and all, but... that's just plain wrong!"

"Does that mean you wouldn't agree to permanently stay as my clone?"

"No!"

"Tch."

This is so disappointing. But... What if I charmed him and--

"Don't even think about it!"

"Tch!"

Then Celica finds her way here too. Does she have some kind of radar to find the most troublesome timings?

"It's Fakezara~! Hullo~!"

"Another lust filled monster appears!"

"Another...? What are you talking about~? Celica proudly agrees, but Ais is a prude~, through and through~."

He shakes his head.

"You know not what you speak of..."

"Oh~? Tell me all~ about it~!"

"I want never to even think about it again!"

Alright, I'm starting to feel cross with him. That was one in billion chance which many people would literally murder to have. So you don't need to dislike it quite that much! Besides, he was the one who started mucking around in my form. He should be happy I didn't respond to violation of my copyrights in a truly demonic manner - like a music corporation!

Azara storms out after that - I think he was sobbing, though I may have imagined that. I'm left with a very intrigued Celica.

"Uhhuh~. Ais, just what form stroke your fancy~?"

"I'm leaving."

"Aiiiiss~! Tell~ me~!"