It was the morning of the day following Iris’ and Steinar’s secret meeting. Their whole group was now gathered for breakfast, sitting at a large wooden table in the Inn’s tavern. Steinar and Bruna were sitting across from each other, their eyes practically sending off sparks as they faced off. Alice sat by Steinar’s left side, hugging his arm with both of hers, playfully poking out her tongue at Bruna. Iris sat by his right side, elegantly sipping from a cup of tea. Leila and Annie were standing up behind them, like servants waiting on their master. Though this time, the two were not wearing revealing clothes, but instead fully dressed in some sort of classical maid outfit— with hair neatly tied back in a braided bun. Camille sat by the corner of the table in a daze, her mouth hanging open as she couldn’t believe what she had just heard.

Bruna tapped her fingers nervously against the table— her head resting on her left hand as she knitted her cute little eyebrows. “Care to repeat that once more?”

“I’m taking them.” Steinar declared, with his usual stern tone and cold gaze.

“We’re marrying your brother.” Iris followed him, a hint of smugness showing on her face.

“Yes~♥” Alice added, still hugging Steinar’s muscular arm— now even rubbing her cheeks against it.

“Pray tell, how did you come to such a decision in a single day?” Bruna asked, her crimson eyes staring daggers at her brother.

“We had a little chat last night.” Steinar paused and took a bite of a salami sandwich before continuing. “I had Annie disrupt your little meeting, so that I could have a personal talk with Iris.”

“I see…” Bruna stared threateningly at Annie, who flinched back in response. “Marriage does not sound like something you would come up with… So I can only assume that—“

“It was my idea.” Iris cut in. “I intend to use this marriage as a means to help rebuild our family”

“Brother...” Bruna muttered, staring straight into Steinar’s eyes “This goes against the wishes of the clan.”

“I know.” He answered.

“Do you intend to betray the clan, brother!?” Bruna punched at the table. “Do you intend to betray your own family!?”

“I’m not betraying my family.” Steinar’s shook his head. “The reason that mother sent us to bring them back is because she wants to keep them safe. They are her best friend’s daughters, after all.”

“The only way to keep them safe is to take them back to the Islands of Winter— to the clan.” Bruna argued, her pupils morphing into slits.

“Stop bullshitting me, Bruna.” Steinar let out a fair bit of killing intent in response. “You know very well what will happen once the elders get a feel of these girls’ mana.”

“It is the way of the clan.” Bruna declared, not recoiling before Steinar’s opressive killing intent. “I can allow you to have them, if that is what you really want, so long as you come back home with me.”

“That won’t be happening.” Steinar shook his head. “And you’re not going back home either.”

“Hoo...?” It felt like the temperature of the room had dropped several degrees as Bruna stood up from her seat, ready to start a fight. “And why is that, brother?”

“Because you’re my sister, and I love you.” Steinar’s uncharacteristic words blew away Bruna’s anger, as she now stood still— stupefied, with a blushing face. “Some unexpected circumstances presented themselves, the clan won’t be able to send anyone to interfere with us.”

“I-I see…” Still blushing, Bruna returned to her seat. “Then explain those circumstances to me. Depending on what they are, I may well forgive your transgressions.”

“A reliable source has given me some information about what happened at the Holy See.” Steinar paused to take another bite of his sandwich, while explaining things to Bruna. “It’s bad, really bad. Even the saintess has died. It seems the church was hiding a harbinger, for some reason.”

“This… Certainly sounds like a tall tale. Care to enlighten me as to who is that ‘reliable’ source of yours?” Bruna probed.

“Orianna Vermillion.” Steinar told her, as if it were but a simple matter.

“The Bloody Marchioness!?” Her face pale, Bruna practically jumped out of her seat again. “She’s here in Alcara!?”

“Who’s that?” Alice asked innocently, still losing herself in the feeling of Steinar’s muscles.

“A witch.” Steinar answred, not really giving much of an explanation.

“She is an elder witch…” Bruna continued for her brother. “An extremely dangerous elder witch who also happens to be a higher vampire— and one over ten thousand years old, at that.”

“You don’t have to worry about her.” Steinar assured her. “It seems she’s running with the circle now, and I’m on good terms with them.”

“This is bad…” Bruna muttered, her gaze downcast. “I have to return home… They will need my alchemical expertise.”

As Bruna was about to get up from her seat, Steinar grabbed her thin left arm, holding her in place. “Don’t go.” He said.

“But brother, I—“ Bruna’s words were cut short.

“I need you.” Steinar appealed. “Eirik and Lars will keep mother safe. They will certainly use this opportunity to get her and escape from the clan.”

“Brother…” Bruna’s beautiful crimson eyes became moist with tears. “I have dedicated my entire life to build a reputation for myself within the clan… All my friends— everyone I know, they are all there. I cannot simply abandon them.”

“You can.” Steinar asserted, getting up from his seat and walking to Bruna’s side— lifting her up in his sturdy arms. “Please, I don’t want to fight you, sister. Forget the clan, let’s find a new place for us to call home— let’s build it from scratch if we have to. Let’s leave behind all this hatred and resentment that has piled up for thousands of years and start anew.”

“Is it… Really possible?” Her thin, little arms wrapping themselves around his neck, Brunna buried her tear-moist face against her brother’s broad chest.

“It is.” Steinar gently kissed the top of her head. “I have made plans for a long time. I just had no idea that such an opportunity would present itself so soon… It’s as if fate itself was lending us a hand.”

“I’m not sure I really get what the two of you are talking about, but...” Iris called out to Steinar, interrupting his and Bruna’s moment. “Didn’t you say that Bruna was dangerous, that she was evil?”

“She is— every witch is.” Steinar nodded his head. “But so am I, Iris. I’m evil, very much so. No matter what we do from now on, ours shall be a story of villains— of cruelty and evil. You better prepare yourself.”

“I don’t really care.” Iris shook her head. “And I don’t think Alice cares either—“

“I don’t~♥” Alice shook her head enthusiastically.

“As long as Steinar marries into our family and helps us rebuild it, we don’t care if you’re evil or not.” Iris showed a wicked grin as she spoke. “Perhaps it’s for the better. We’re witches as well, so it’s only a matter of time until we become evil.”

“I am starting to think that you already are.” Bruna voiced her opinion, her face still buried in her brother’s chest.

“I might be.” Iris giggled. “Ever since we met, on that rainy day, when you told us we were witches— when we no longer had to fear for our future… It’s like there’s this weird feeling, this darkness slowly growing inside of me. My thoughts are changing… I’m starting to desire things— desire power.” She opened her right hand and gathered a bit of mana on it’s palm. “Even my mana feels weird lately, it feels like a dam that is about to burst.”

“It is the ‘devil’s temptation’.” Bruna remarked. “It means your brand should be about to awaken. Once it does, you will become a true witch. I just hope the power does not corrupt you too deeply.”

“Won’t happen” Steinar interjected. “My aura should be able to dampen the effects of their ‘devil’s temptation’. They’ll probably just… Become a little bit evil.”

“My, that certainly sounds interesting.” Alice chimed in, likewise extending her hand and gathering mana on her palm. “I think I’m at the same stage, right?”

“You are.” Bruna mumbled. “Perhaps even closer to an awakening than Iris. The two of you are just—”

“Incredibly talented.” Steinar spoke, while putting Bruna back on her seat. “That’s why I need them for my plans to work. The fact that we were able to meet… I can’t help but think of it as the work of fate.”

“But brother, marriage means...” Bruna’s face blushed once more. “You will tear them in half...”

Leila scoffed, and Annie tried her best to hold back her laughter. Even the two of them— at the same time— could barely handle Steinar in bed. The two tiny and underdeveloped twins would probably die if they tried taking his gargantuan member. Would it even fit? It would probably be easier for them to fist themselves— no, it would definitely be easier for them to fist themselves. Their tiny, delicate fists were smaller than the head of his phallus, after all.

“I’m sure we’ll figure something out~♥” Alice said, a wide grin on her face.

“You’re underestimating us far too much.” Iris followed her sister’s statement, shaking her head at Bruna.

“No, I am not.” Bruna stared at them with concern. “Those two serfs are only taking it so well because my concoctions changed their bodies into something between human and homunculi, otherwise… They could have died.”

“Excuse me!?” Leila went off like a firecracker. “What do you mean by us being homunculi!?”

“What? Did you think it was possible to change a human’s body that much in such a short period of time?” Bruna raised an eyebrow, as if she were asking the most obvious question in the world. “Those elixirs that reshaped your body— organs and all— are meant to artificially turn weak females into homunculi, thus improving their constitution. Didn’t I explain that to you yesterday?”

“You said nothing of the sort!” Leila stomped her way closer to Bruna. “What will happen to us now!?”

“Nothing, really.” Bruna shrugged. “Originally it would shorten your lifespan by a lot— since homunculi are disposable, short lived tools, but your aura kind of mitigates this issue. You are also not fully homunculi, because instead of being created you were modified to be like one. Which means you are half human, half homunculi. It should work like a… More durable human? Yes, something like that.” She then pointed at Annie and added. “Your friend seems like she already knew of this.”

“Yes, master told me of it a while ago.” Annie disclosed, offering Leila a sympathetic smile. “You don’t have to worry, it changes nothing.”

“But doing something like that to us is—” Leila flinched back as Annie’s smile turned into a murderous glare.

“Something like what?” Annie asked, real animosity dripping from her tone. “Like saving our lives from becoming cum-rags for a bunch of nobodies? Something like teaching us how to use aura and giving us hope for the future? Or is it something like treating us as important people— going as far as giving us everything that we ask for?”

“Annie, what—” Leila was cut short before she could finish her sentence.

“Shut up!” Annie shouted. “You’re my friend, but I’m really mad at you. Master asked only two things of us— loyalty and servitude. I’ve been serving him since the very moment he agreed to take us under his protection, even while still grieving for my family. But you—” She grabbed Leila by the collar of her maid uniform and pulled her closer. “You’ve been behaving like a mistress, not a servant! Show some respect, you damn slut!”

“Annie, that’s enough.” Steinar motioned for her to stop.

“I’m sorry master… It’s just...” Annie grimaced, letting go of Leila’s collar. “I’m a little mad that she dared question your decisions. Leila hasn’t actually put any effort into being a proper servant, yet you still treat her so nicely… It makes me jealous.”

“You’re free to beat her up during training, but now is not the time nor the place.” Steinar told her, while getting up from his chair and heading towards the stairs that lead to the rooms. “I’m going to rest for a bit, you come with me, Annie. Leila, you should finish packing up everyone’s luggage, we’ll be leaving for our new house in a few hours.”

“Yes, master!” Annie answered merrily, a wide grin on her face as she followed Steinar.

“Y-Yes…” Leila answered him while grimacing. At some point she had believed that she was Steinar’s favorite, but lately, it seems that Annie is trying to take over this role. “I will see to everyone’s luggage, master…”

“My…” Alice glanced at Leila while flashing her a contemptuous smile. “That’s not good, Leila. That man is my husband, you can’t catch feelings for him.”

“Indeed.” Iris smirked at Leila. “I may allow you to play the role of his fucktoy for now, but don’t go thinking that things will stay the same once we’re officially married. He’s ours.”

“That’s not fair… I found him first! I fell in love with him first!” With tears pooling in her eyes, Leila broke down. “If it was not for my help, the two of you would’ve ended up dead in the hands of Baron Braumen!”

Both Iris and Alice giggled in response. Somehow, they no longer resembled the sweet girls that Leila once served. They seemed more mature, of course, but also… More wicked.

“That is not true.” Bruna shook her head. “My familiars were already watching over the girls by the time you escaped the estate. I would have rescued them in time.”

“Then…” Camille finally jumped in on the conversation, her face pale like she had seen a ghost. “Was my father’s sacrifice… Pointless?”

“Your father…?” Bruna mused for a few seconds. “Ah, that old knight? No, it was not. Thanks to him killing a cursed ‘meat doll’ I was able to learn of the Mother of Maggots’ presence in the area, which ultimately led to me being able to intervene and save the three of you from becoming more of her ‘meat dolls’.”

Camille breathed out in relief, a few tears running down her face. “I’m glad… Father...”

“As for you, serf.” Bruna’s gaze went back to Leila. “You do not have to worry about your body. Right now it is more durable and will last longer than an average human’s. If anything, you should be grateful towards my brother.”

“I… I am grateful to him, but—”

“There is no but.” Bruna cut her short. “Just be grateful that my brother found you. This is a grim world that we live in, those who lack power are fated to either servitude or suffering.”

“I understand…” Leila bowed, her eyes moistened by tears. “I beg you to forgive my arrogance… I shall do my best to be a good servant from now on.”

Trying to hide her sadness, Leila left the tavern area and made her way up the stairs. She had work to do, for she had been told by her master to pack up everyone’s luggage. They would soon be moving into their new house, into their new life. In a way, she should be happy, because she would still be allowed to remain by Steinar’s side. But she had come to want more… Not exactly wanting him for herself, but more like wanting a higher position by his side. She wasn’t fully satisfied with just being a servant anymore, and she surely wasn’t happy with those two damn brats taking away her man… When did she come to dislike them again? Weren’t the twins precious to her— like family even? Something didn’t feel quite right… Was she too, perhaps, becoming a little bit evil?

End of Chapter 12: A Little Bit Evil.