It is finally Sunday, and the next day our group meets.

Lucia and I checked earlier, but we both kept the same classes on offer through the Joker Core despite it being a new day.

Maybe that's just pure chance? There should be a finite number of classes so the chance to get the same option twice in a row is non-zero. But why did we both keep the same options? Is it because we're 'linked'? Wouldn't that also mean that only one of us can use a Joker Core in our lifetime? Not that we have the items yet for a second core but it would still be yet another setback.

I just hope it doesn't mean that we both get forced into the class that is on offer the day either of us takes it. The odds for one of us to get a decent class already seem pretty low, both at the same time would be too close to zero for my liking. Also between both of us, we already have three classes we didn't really want; Survivor and Blood Mage for me and Fallen Saint for Lucia. Or maybe it is four? I feel like she took Blood Witch just to match my Blood Mage... I hope she won't regret it.

Before the party meeting, I make my trip to the gate as usual. Aside from ruining the weather for the flood mobs, I have Elly use them as target practice for her bow skills - Lucia now pays her upkeep full-time. Elly's damage output isn't anything to write home about but it gives us a few extra exp.

Despite that, I'm still 170 exp short of the seventh Summoner level. That will be solved after the meeting. With that my mana regeneration should be high enough that I can go grinding every eight hours, provided I don't need the time in the sun for other duties. With all my protections I can last a total of three hours in the sun per day and a single trip from here to the gate is already almost half an hour.

I really need a way to block out sun damage without any duration limitations or at least more than I already have...

Elly, did you keep one method a secret from me? You haven't bothered me with titles in ages and I doubt that all my achievements since the double dungeon amounted to no new title options. Conquering this fortress, gathering a few familiars, taking slaves, adopting a potential hero ...getting the Holy Maiden to fall... That should amount to something.

...yeah, there are new options and one of them looks potentially good. We certainly need to talk later, Elly. We really do.

Shortly before noon, the guests start arriving. First Geoffrey and Marca, and last Therese and Chloe.

Wait... Therese?

"Hi, Therese. I assume that Chloe invited you?"

"That she did. I wanted to check in person what has occurred to our Holy Maiden, is that a problem?"

"Apart from two wrong assumptions, no."

"What do you mean?"

"Eh, never mind. You'll see it in a few minutes. Come, everyone else is waiting. Or did you invite anyone else, Chloe?"

"No, only Therese."

We gather in the meeting room. Carl and Anna are present as well.

"I think we're complete then?"

"That we are", agrees Geoffrey.

"Alright, so let's begin then. How to start... well, contrary to what I expected last time, Lucia will be joining our group."

"It is just as my husband said, please take good care of me."

Therese demands clarification, "Can I get an explanation of what is going on exactly?"

"We found out the hard way what the main purpose of her [Undead Bait] was. It is... to turn her into an undead. So she is now a vampire like me."

"But... why? Why is such a curse on the Holy Maiden?"

Lucia shrugs, "That's something we want to know as well."

"Fine, that happened", says Therese, "but I thought you wanted to keep your distance from her? How did that come to be?"

My wife pouts, "Let's just say the church head is an ass and leave it at that."

"Lucia!"

"Sorry..."

"No, that won't do. What exactly has the high priest said or done?"

"He basically sent Lucia to me as a sacrifice to appease me or something. I don't really understand it myself, the lord works in murky ways."

"Don't you... mean mysterious?", asks Therese.

"No, not really. Well, long story short, she is no longer a Holy Maiden, that's now wrong on two accounts, instead she's now a vampire similar to me and also joining this group. Any questions on that front?"

"Actually, yes", says Marca, "how do you hold up, Lucia? Are you still the 'you' you were before or... what has this done to you?"

"I... don't know. I think I'm still the same 'me' as I was before but... I don't know. Circumstances always forced me to be who other people wanted me to be and not who I really was."

"I... see."

"You shouldn't need to worry about her. As compensation for the loss of the Holy Maiden class, she got a skill that negates all effects of becoming an undead being."

"Alright, that's a relief."

"Anyone else?"

"No."

"Okay, topic number two. Anna, we talked a way back about if you wanted to join us and try to become a full-fledged hero and you also trained a bit with Geoffrey the last two days. Have you made a decision?"

"Yeah, I think... no, I'm certain that I want to do that. I want to aid you and do my best to become a hero."

"Great, that sounds convincing enough for me. Has anyone any objections to that?"

Well, technically I have since she's so young, but this world or situation doesn't seem to care.

"I might have", Chloe objects, "Anna, how old are you exactly?"

"Ummm... twelve."

"I would've guessed around ten since you're a bit short for twelve. Is that a catfolk thing?"

"Hn, not really. One of my titles delays my physical growth a bit. I'll catch up though, promise."

"Eh, alright by me then."

Therese writes some notes.

"Alright, then we're up to six party members, two more spots left."

Geoffrey objects, "Eh, shouldn't it be only one? The party limit is seven, not eight."

"True, but Lucia has a skill that makes her not count towards the party limit. Sorry, should've mentioned that earlier."

"Ah, alright."

"Therese, I take it you're still against joining us?"

"Yeah. As I've said I have a history with nobles and vampires, and I don't want to be reminded at a bad moment. Sorry."

"No, it is fine. And I couldn't even ask you to train Anna, you're only around level twenty, not twenty-five as we would need."

"Yeah, I'm still a few years away from reaching that threshold. Though I could take her as an apprentice and show her a few hand-to-hand tricks from time to time if that helps."

"Sounds fine by me. Anna, are you okay with that?"

"Uh-huh."

"I've never heard of a hero that fights unarmed though", objects Geoffrey.

This world really is missing out...

"Then she'll be the first. She has already unarmed skills from her class and claws from her race, starting over with for example a sword sounds like a waste to me."

"Sorry, I don't think that will work", adds Marca, "As far as I know, claws don't count as unarmed."

"Is that so? Elly, do you know something about that?"

"Hmm... let me quickly check..."

For a moment, Elly seems lost in thought.

"That seems to be true, though there is a race-specific class called 'Wild Fang' that can fix that."

"Then she should take that when she has the opportunity."

"Will do!"

"Maybe we could ask Jack?", suggests Chloe.

Therese answers, "Sorry to tell you, but he died in the dungeon last week."

Chloe is disappointed, "Oh..."

"Considering what I've heard about his work ethic", interjects Lucia, "I'd have objected anyway."

So we just brush off that a person we knew is dead?

Marca asks, "What exactly are we looking for in the two remaining party members, Jared?"

"Good question. At a minimum, I'd like to have one healer. I have a healing skill but can't use it. And there's only so much you can do with passive HP regeneration."

Therese crushes my hopes, "No chance, the few medics and nurses we have are all needed full-time in the hospital. And don't even think about casters capable of using healing magic. You should know how rare mages are in general."

"Then how about raising one ourselves?"

"And how exactly would you go about doing that?"

"We need a Class Core and a volunteer with sufficiently high FTH, I guess. How about..."

Lucia had the nun class before... the incident. That one had decent FTH, even as a production-type class.

If I hadn't taken the 'Vampire Progenitor' title ages ago, we would have an alternative method. Maybe there's a way to delete or replace it? Yet another reason to ask Elly...

"Lucia, was there anyone at the church you'd be willing to take along? From my understanding, anyone with the nun class should have the needed stats."

"Could we please not? I... don't want to have a constant reminder of my past."

"Not even if I ask you?"

"Urgh, fine... let me think."

Why did Chloe roll her eyes just now?

"Therese, can we reserve the next Class Core that gets found?"

"We... could but... do you really want to do that?"

"Because it would be an abuse of power?"

"Yes."

"Fine, what channels do I need to go through then? Which one did Darius use to retrieve the Banishment Crystal?"

"...you got me there. Well... We could officially enroll them into the military like you were and then invoke some edge case because they have currently no class that any of our trainers can train? Something like that. *sigh* I'll work something out by then."

"Thank you, Therese."

"Yeah, yeah", she looks even less happy than usual.

Chloe asks, "What would we do with that person in the meantime? I doubt a nun has any suitable combat skills."

"Then train her. Just because you don't have the relevant training skill doesn't mean you can't use a weapon. It would just be less effective. That should still suffice for self-defense. And if we're honest, Anna won't contribute much for quite some time either. She's a few levels below where adults start and unarmed combat lacks the headstart in attack power regular weapons give."

"Fine. You've thought all of this through already?"

"Not even close."

Therese inquires, "And the last spot?"

"We'll leave it open for now in case we get a nun who wants to bring their significant other along."

"Sounds reasonable."

Lucia finally finishes, "...Iris, I'd like to ask Iris."

"A friend of yours?"

"I'd say so, she's one of the few I got along quite well."

"Alright, Carl? Can you rush over to the church and check if Iris is available? If possible bring her over or invite her for tomorrow."

"Sure, can do."

"Can you wait for me?", asks Therese, "I'm done here for today and I have business in the church as well. We can go there together."

"Sure", Carl sounds happy that he doesn't have to go alone.

"What business do you have there, Therese?"

"Sorry, that's a state secret."

"Um, as lord of this fortress this gives me then even more the right to know. So what gives?"

"Ah, I'm still not used to that, it slipped my mind, sorry. I just want to question the head of the church about what has transpired with Lucia. As the... now former Holy Maiden she should've been too important to just throw away like that."

"Makes sense. Guess I should've ordered an investigation on this earlier."

"That you should have. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an investigation to conduct."

"Good, and I demand at least an intermediate report from you by Tuesday."

"Alright, see you then. Come, Carl."

"Yes, ma'am."

Carl and Therese leave the room and the remaining group just has meaningless small talk while we wait.

Most get along fine but the tone between Lucia and Chloe is a bit different, I'm not sure if they are teasing each other or truly don't get along. Time will tell.