Chapter 2: Yggdrasil

[Lord's bedroom, in the morning]

Lord: Hmm...morning already? What? Why are there several maidens sleeping around here in my bedroom, some in plant form, some in human form? There are like 30 other rooms in this castle where they could be able to sleep in.

Lord: Don't tell me they don't know the concept of men-women segregation? Hmm, come to think of it, from what they said "My lord" , ""You are a king of this castle", "We were born to serve you" , "We are bound by yggdrasil's magic" or my most favorite phrase "My body and soul belong to you alone, my lord", perhaps in fact they are, more or less, my concubines?!

Lord: I didn't truly realize the meaning of these words when I heard them yesterday. But now I just realized it. If this is true then my life is so good, isn't it?

Lord: Oh? There is a cool looking sword hanging on the wall above my bed. I don't have the skill to use it anyway. Let just leave it there.

A girl with long jet-black hair at a length of her waist, wearing weird white clothing and a white lotus on her head, emerges from an earthen jar full of water nearby.

Lotus girl: What are you mumbling about, my lord. Let me sleep a little more. My name is Lily, by the way.

Lord: Hmm...she dives back into the water? Oh, she is a water-based plant, I guess. After what I have seen during the past 2 days, nothing can really surprise me anymore.

Lord: OK, let check who are sleeping in my bedroom. Hmm...Peony isn't here. Sola and iris is sleeping in human form. This is Violet, perhaps? I remember her inflorescence. She is so full of flowers. Purple has been sent for the mission. Mythril, hmm.. I haven't seen her plant form yet but I don't see any dark blue flower around here. Probably sleeping on treetops somewhere?

Lord: Primrose ain't here too I guess, or otherwise I must have seen her bright orange flowers already. What kind of duty she is doing, I wonder? This thorny vine thing, the thorn is so sharp, better stay away from it for now.

Lord: Hmm..this plant has a small flower with weird red and white pattern.

Lord: Ah! I found a good source of food. This orange-sized grape is surely edible. Munch..munch... What the...This taste is HEAVEN, a hundred, no a thousand times better than kyo..umm.. just forget about it.

Lord: This one is pretty cute too. A sakura? There is also a bunch of purple gerbera on the foot side of my bed. Probably a real plant? Because it is always there the entire time.

Lord: This small thing looks like a mascot, not a trent, but not a maiden either, overfilled with some sort of syrup on its head.

Lord: Oh, this pure red flower are the cutest I have seen in flower form, with sweetest scent too.

Lord: OK, next one...ah...I know what this white flower is. It's jasmine. Flowers with a strong cool calming scent. I know if you put them in water it can make ordinary water smells good. Let sniff it a bit. Hmm...refreshing.

Puff! Oops, she wake up and turn into maiden from. She seems like a pale fragile little girl with short black hair and 3 oversized jasmine flowers on her head, wearing a short white skirt that look like it is made from jasmine petals.

Lord: Hi, your name must be Jasmine right?

Jasmine: ........

Lord: Uh, I am sorry if I make you mad, I just want to sniff your flower a bit.

Jasmine: ........

Lord thinks: [...sob.....How should I deal with this T_T, not only doesn't she say anything, but she is also emotionless, too]

Sola: My lord, what are you doing to her? Don't lie!

Lord: I didn't do anything.

Sola: Didn't do anything, huh? Isn't it the kind of answer often used by who just did something wrong.

Lord: T_T Sola, you are too clever. Forgive me please.

Sola: [giggle] I'm joking, my lord. Just want to have a little fun with you.

Lord: Grr....

Sola: She is mute. That's why she didn't reply you. She lacks facial expression too. Originally she wasn't like this until she.. uh...

Lord: She what, Sola?

Sola: DIED

Lord: Uh..are you saying that she is a corpse. This joke is way too dark you know. Fortunately this is 7 a.m. in the morning, even that, there is a little chill in my spine right now.

Sola: No, she is alive now, more or less, but she used to die once, and when reborn she became like this.

Lord: Really.

Sola: After we buried her, a few weeks later a seed from yggdrasil grew into new her.

Lord: Oh, an interesting story. It seems the rebirth cycle isn't perfect, am I right?

Sola: Yes, there seem to be a limitation, but this is better than she dying permanently, I guess.

Lord: But some time has passed since then, right? Now the rebirth cycle might have improved?

Lily, emerging from the clear water in the jar: If you really want to know for sure, I have to DIE for you.

Lily tries to kill herself by using a ruler.

Sola: Please don't mind her unusual sense of humor.

Lord: No, no, it's funny. I like her already, by the way, do you have a pencil or any sharper stationery.

Lily: My lord. Stop trying to help me. [giggle]

Sola: So? Do you want to sniff her more?

Lord: Uhh...that sounds a little pervert.

Sola: If you don't, she will be sad. She will think she is unworthy of being smelled on.

Lord: Hey, you made that up. She hasn't said a word since you were here.

Sola: OK, watch her head carefully, my lord.

Sola: Jasmine, do you want the lord to sniff you?

Jasmine nods.

Sola: See? Do you want to do it or not?

The lord gets closer and takes a few sniffs.

Sola: Sniff more, my lord. Scents can't run out no matter how many times you sniff them, right?

Sola, touching one of Jasmine's flowers on her head: Sometimes when I touch her flowers, her face makes a little expression. Although this is quite far-fetched, but it is possible that this is a way to cure her silence you know?

Sola, starting to massage the flower: She seems to like it, right, my lord?

Lord: No, I don't see any changes in her facial expression.

Sola: Help me do it, or do you think she is too disgusting to touch?

Lord: Uh....

Sola: Who would want to touch a squishy lifeless girl that looks like a pale white corpse, right?

Lord: OK...ok.. [Sola is manipulating me again!] I will massage this flower then.

Sola: Do it a little longer. I think we are going somewhere.

Lord: Is it my imagination or her scent seems to be stronger.

Even though her face still shows no expression, she breathes a little stronger and half a drop of tear is oozing in her eyes.

Jasmine moves back a little, with a little uneasy face.

Lord: Are you sure you should keep doing it? She seems to move back.

Sola: But she is still sitting here and let me do it.

Lord: Jasmine, if you don't want to do it, you can walk away anytime, OK?

Sola: You keep doing it too. Do it just like I'm doing. Don't stop.

Lord: OK.

Sola and the lord keep touching her flowers.

Jasmine fingernails dig deep into her soft white legs.

Sola: Did we do something wrong? Keep doing it for a while.

Jasmine trembles a little.

Sola: I will just try licking it, my lord.

Jasmine flinches back a little but still sit there and everything continues for a while. A drop of tear falls from her eyes.

Sola: Hmm...even with all of these, she still doesn't make a sound. I think we fail, my lord.

Jasmine is too tired to sit, she lies flat on the floor.

Lord: Hmm...is she OK?

Sola: She is a bit tired, that's all.

A very small drop of clear liquid flows from Jasmine's flower.

Sola: Oh, at least she is giving us a bit of her nectar. Taste it, my lord. It is very delicious.

Lord: Hmm...it tastes like highly concentrated jasmine water, brimming with her scent.

Sola: Maybe next time we can get more juice from her.

Sola: Maiden's flowers can sometimes produce nectar if you stimulate them. Sunflowers can't produce nectar though, if you are wondering.

Jasmine turns into her flower form. Today her pure white flower seems to shine a little brighter than yesterday.

Iris, waking up: You guys are having some fun without me?

Peony, walking in: You can smell her all you want, my lord. She is just a piece of your property.

Lord, feeling a little guilty: Good morning, Peony. Uh... let smell her more some other time then, I guess.

Peony: My lord, there is some diplomacy mission I think you should carry out. Let go to the yggdrasil tree itself and meet Rosa the yggdrasil's guardian who lives there. Since she too was born from yggdrasil, she should at least be friendly towards you.

Peony walks away before the lord can say anything.

Lord: She is angry with me again, isn't she?

Iris: I think she is just jealous of Jasmine. Try sniffing Peony sometimes when you have a chance OK? Also, as far as I know, Peony, as a flower, does not produce any nectar. Sola: Just don't lose control of yourself when you sniff Peony alright? [giggle]

Lord: What about your scent then, iris?

Iris, smiling: Here, smell my flowers. Iris holds one flower attached to the end of her double pigtails and shove it into the lord's face.

Iris: Not much scent, right? Not much nectar too, but I might have other kinds of feminine charm instead. [giggle]

Iris: You can smell me all you want. I am just a piece of your PROPERTY.

Iris pretends to cry and dashes out of the room.

The lord and Sola giggle.

Sola: Better go today I guess, it's not very far. Or you can stay here and enjoy yourself with all the girls, but Peony might.....

Lord: Ok....ok. I will go right now. Prepare for the journey, Sola.

A small trent, just waking up: My lord, are you going somewhere? My name is Wevil. I go too. I am one of the maiden born to serve you. My body and soul belong to you alone.

She looks like a one-foot-tall plump rocking doll with one oversized greenish flower full of nectar meld onto her head.

Lord thinks: [You looks more like a talking trent].

Iris: Reciting the rhyme perfectly......

Wevil smiles happily.

Iris continues: ....doesn't make trent a maiden.

Wevil headbutts Iris.

Iris: She splashed her nectar all over me. My lord..... LICK IT

Lord: Thank you. I'm not that hungry.

Wevil: Here, drink from the source, my lord. Who know how dirty it is when it's on her

Iris: Grrr...

The lord lifts Wevil up and drinks her nectar.

Lord: Hmm...It's surprisingly delicious again, up to the standard of practically everything around here.

Lord: You're very useful, Wevil.

Iris: That's practically the only thing she can do. If it's not good, then I don't know what to say.

Wevil: Grrr....

Wevil: You can drink more whenever it refills. Best nectar in the world.

Iris: In quantity, but probably not quality.

Wevil: Better than having almost no nectar at all.

Iris: Grrr...

Sola: Ladies, stop bickering, let's go.

Iris, knocking on the jar: Lily, do you want to go too?

Lily, emerging from the water: Sorry, too much trouble. I'm a home person.

Sola: I think she's just lazy. No problem. Me and Iris would be enough. Everyone on the path is our ally.

Wevil: You forgot me.

Sola thinks: [I'm not counting her as a fighting force]

[The path to yggdrasil]

Sola: It's less than 20 minutes of your walk to the south. Before your slumber, you told us you specifically chose this location to plant the tree because it's near an abandoned castle, a hot spring and a river. Also, there is a large freshwater lake connecting to the sea, lying further to the south about an hour of walk. I think you are very clever to choose such a great location like this.

Lord: Thank for your compliment, I guess, whoa...Jasmine. I absolutely did not expect you here. Have fun travel with us.

Jasmine nods.

Iris, whispering: She has addicted to your juicing session, I guess.

Lord: Whoa, whoa...I don't know what you are talking about.

Sola: Even Jasmine's fighting skill is far below me and Iris, she can still take care of herself, my lord. You don't need to worry about her safety at all.

Iris: In other words, she can beat your ass in 3 seconds.

Lord: All right....all right.... I'm a weak man... T_T

Sola: If anything bad happens, always save yourself first and stay behind us.

Lord: As we have come to this topic, could you tell me about fighting power of all maidens?

Sola: Sure, you have seen Primrose fought, right? Let use her as a reference. If she is 7, from the strongest to the weakest, Peony would be 15, Me and Iris about 12, Ruby 8, Lily 8, Almond 7, Violet 7, Purple 6, Mythril 6, Holly 5, Jasmine 5, Astille are almost 2 if she doesn't cower in fear all the time.

Sola: About Petunia, I have never seen her fight. In fact, I have never seen her even set foot on the ground. Grapefruit and Gerbera can't really fight, but they might still be able to closely beat an unarmed male civilian like you. Is that everyone?

Lord: I always like your answers. Honest and comprehensive.

Wevil: You guys forgot me.

Sola: .....

Lord: What about my power at the moment?

Sola: I'm not well versed with decimal numbers that have too many zeros in it, so...

Lord: .....

Lord: Oh, wait. That grape girl is named Grapefruit? You know grapefruit and grape are.....

Sola: Yes, she said it's cuter this way.

Lord: Well, tell me about Rosa.

Sola: Her full name is Rosalia, people also call her Queen of Rose, since she was born from a rose, and more or less, a queen of yggdrasil. Don't tell Peony I said the last part. She has a waist-long jet-black hair with a slender body and several roses on her head, wearing a red dress made of rose petals.

Sola: She is magically created directly by the tree, as opposed to indirectly from the seed. Oh, other than by seeds, Yggdrasil can convert natural flowering plant in its area of influence into maidens too, for example, Ruby.

Lord: Hmm....

Sola: In other words, Rosa was created out of thin air by Yggdrasil, not from seed like Peony, and not from flower like Ruby. As far as I know, except Rosa who is bound to stay within the tree, the ways we were born are insignificant.

Sola: There are some others who were born from natural flowers too but I don't keep a record of that. I don't even know how I was born. Probably from a seed because I have no memory of the time I was normal flower at all. Hey, my lord, are you listening?

Lord: Yeah..yeah...

Sola: I'm not sure about Rosa's power but if I have to guess, I think her power is about 14. She controls a lot of trents as well as several maidens on yggdrasil's side too, but she is a also maiden, so, ultimately, all of these are your PROPERTY [giggle], like our princess in pink dress said.

Lord: Oh my deity, the tree is so big.

Sola: It has grown into a size of a small village now. Just like your old self predicted.

Lord: How can we find Rosa in a big tree like this?

Iris: She usually resides at the center of the tree, which is called the [Heart of yggdrasil]. It seems she can talk with the tree from this area.

Sola: Just follow us. We have been here a few times.

Lord: Wow, is that a goblin, Sola?

Goblin: We heard that. Don't call us goblin without prefix. We are engineer goblin. Do not associate us with forest goblin. Even all goblins are the same species, engineer goblin are hardworking people.

Lord: Sure. Sorry, I didn't know.

Goblin: Thank you for your understanding, sir.

Lord, whispering: Hmm...ultimately he seems to be a polite guy. What was that all about, Sola?

Sola: Forest goblins generally are troublemakers, rob, kill, vandalize, harass, you name it. The segregation of their gene pools.....

Lord, interrupting: Stop! I have a hunch where all this will lead to. Let's never talk about it again.

Sola: You wish is my command, my lord [giggle]

Lord: How much longer to the center?

Iris: It takes around 20 minutes from our castle to the outermost border of the tree, then another 20 minutes to the center.

Lord: Wow it's that big. I'm a little tired.

Iris: Come to think of it. Should we get some kind of trents that the lord can ride on, for when he wants to go to places?

Sola: Nah, I think we better let him has some exercise from walking, or else he might be even weaker than he is now.

Lord: Yeah, yeah you girls stop attacking my weak point.

Lord: Hmm, there seems to be all sort of living organism around here.

Sola: Apart from goblins employed by Rosa to build engineering structures like bridges, platforms and elevators, most them are yggdrasil's creation, my lord. The tree's power seems to expand compared to my last visit. Now it seems to be creating a lot more talking insects and talking animals too, which does not surprise me, because if it can create advanced being like us maidens, it surely can create these lesser creatures.

Two-foot-tall creature that looks like a fairy approaches them.

Fairy: Talking insects? That's probably me because I am a talking butterfly. My name is Dewdrop. You girls are interesting, with flowers on your head like that. Butterflies like nectar you know?

Sola: I get it. You want our nectar, right? I really want to give it to you, but too bad, none of us here is good at producing nectar.

Wevil: ......me....me...

Sola: Oops. I totally forgot about you. Let give Dewdrop some, will you?

Iris: You can drink it all. The quality is too low for our own consumption anyway.

Wevil: Grr...

Dewdrop: Thank you. This nectar is the best in the world.

Wevil smiles happily.

Iris: You don't have a chance to try much nectar, do you? This is the lowest grade.

Wevil stops smiling.

Lord: How is your life around here? Are you happy?

Dewdrop: There are some conflicts with other species, but I think I can handle them.

Sola: Even seemingly carefree butterflies have problems, right, my lord? Such is life.

Wevil: We live 20 minutes of walking distance north of you. You can fly to us and drink my nectar any time.

Dewdrop: Thank you. You girls are so kind.

Iris: Wevil wants you to fly there so she can boast about her nectar's quality to everyone....... Hey, even fairy flies to get my nectar from so far away....

Wevil: Grr...

Sola: Good bye, Dewdrop.

[In the grand hall leading to the Heart of Yggdrasil]

Lord: It might take some time. This queue is so long. A lot of people is lining up in the queue to meet the queen.

Iris: Pretty sure we don't need to get in the queue, let walk in.

Trent1: Hey, you guys over there. What are you doing?

Trent2: I have been here for 3 hours. Who do think you are?

Trent3: Get in the queue! Even my 3-days-old trentling knows how to get in the queue!

Sola: These trents need serious re-disciplining. I'm not sure what factors can affect maiden's control strength against these trents. Would they listen to Peony if she was here?

Iris: It seems we have zero control over them.

Sola: Less than zero.

Queen of Rose, rushing in and kneeling: My lord, please forgive me. White Rose just informed me a few seconds ago that you are here. I can't visit you at your castle after I heard the news of your awakening because I am bound to this tree by its magic. I am merely one of the maiden. My body and soul belong to you alone, my lord.

Trent1: Beautiful butterfly is so beautifully beautiful. I am a beautiful butterfly, beautifully flying away, so far away.

Trent2: I am an old piece of furniture. I am not living. I'm not talking. I'm dead...dead...dead...

Trent3: [Literally dies, soul flying away]

Lord: Thank you for coming out for us. You seem to have a lot of tasks to deal with.

Iris: Let get Trent3 back to our castle and make a table out of him. He is such a fine piece of wood.

Rosa: I will burn the other two into charcoal and feed them to the worms.

Lord: Easy, easy. I don't want anything or anyone to die or hurt just because of little things.

Rosa: Understood, my lord. I shall reform all my policies according to your wish.

Lord: We just come to say hello. It seems you are really busy. I won't take anymore of your time. If you really need us in the future, please don't hesitate to send a messenger and we will be here for you. I fully understand that you can't leave this place. Thank you again for all your hard work here. I know you do it for me.

Rosa: Will you come here and rule this place as Lord of Yggdrasil? I have prepared the construction of your new residence here, and of course, you can bring any maidens you want from the old castle.

Lord: No, no, no. I don't want to strip any power from you. You shall continue to have the same authority as you had while I was in my slumber.

Iris thinks: [I think you misunderstood her intention, my lord]

Rosa, pausing for a second: Then it shall be as you wish, my lord. You're always welcome here.

[On their way back]

Trent4: Why is the queue so long? All my trentling will be dead at this rate.

Lord: Is it OK if we....

Sola: Yes, su...

Iris: What is your problem? Tell us we can help.

Trent4: Worms. They are eating all my babies even as we speak. Our young baby's leaves, trunks, roots... nothing is left.

Iris: Aha. You have come to the right person. We are professional worm eradicators. Today we kill 20 worms for free. Just lead the way.

Trent4 thinks: [Sound like a charlatan, but I don't have any better choice]

[Somewhere on the yggdrasil]

Iris: Wow. There are a lot of worms, my lord. Eeek...disgusting.

One of the black worms, with the size of a small cow, screeches menacingly.

Iris, with tears in eyes: Help me my lord. Their teeth are sharper than I thought.

Sola: Moreover, their number and their size are far beyond what I had in mind.

Iris, in a frightened voice: What should we do, Sola?

Sola: We need plan 4B.

Lord: What is plan 4B?

Iris: Jasmine, are you OK with plan 4B?

Jasmine nods.

Sola: Yes! Problem solved.

Lord: What??

Iris, with a cute voice: Come sit here with me, my lord. Protect me please.

Jasmine commences plan 4B.

Jasmine slashes several worms in one strike with her basic attack [Petal slash]

Sola, sitting comfortably on the floor: Want a roasted seed, my lord? Here, let divide the snack with me.

Iris, sitting with the lord on the floor: I'm so scared. Would you mind if I hold you a little bit more tightly?

Wevil: Give me some snack, Sola.

Lord: Oh yeah, I get it now.

Sola: Hey, Jasmine. Why don't you show us that move of yours?

Jasmine positions herself in the middle of the remaining worms and uses [White Rain]

Thousands of white petal emanates from Jasmine, shooting up into the sky, and falling on the ground around her.

All worms in the area are dead.

Sola: Their bodies are so squishy, my lord, no matter how scary it looks. Sometimes appearance can mislead you..... just sometimes.

Lord: Hmm... insect, egg, worm, pupa...I have a hunch that I'm missing something really obvious.

Sola: What is it, my lord?

Dewdrop: What! Why? My children!! All my family!! Everyone has turned into a black pulp of minced meat.

Wevil: Please don't kill her. Please Iris. Please Sola. Please my lord.

Lord thinks: [Hmm...Wevil is much smarter than she looks, knowing what will happen even before it starts]

Iris: Jasmine, let me handle this. You are a little tired.

Jasmine jumps back to where the group are in an instant, doesn't seem tired.

Iris, jumping to the frontline: Dewdrop, please calm down. We didn't know those bloodthirsty worms are your family.

Dewdrop: Shut up [Thousand needle]

Dewdrop thrusts her small rapier. Several waves of sword energy propagate towards where Iris stands. Iris evades them with ease.

Iris: Please, Dewdrop. These worms were eating the trentlings. We will do everything we can to repay for your loss.

Dewdrop: Repayment? Good. I want your life. DIE! [Lightning Strike]!

Iris jumps to evade the lightning that flashes down to where she stands. The surface of yggdrasil branch where she was standing is burned into charcoal.

Iris: Please stop, Dewdrop. We will talk with the Queen of Rose personally to find a good solution for the remaining worms and butterfly.

Dewdrop: You, Queen of Rose, Lord of Yggdrasil. Everyone must DIE!!

Iris, turning her face to the group: You guys are witnesses, OK? That I have attempted a peaceful solution.

Dewdrop: You can't evade this forever. [Lightning Strike]!

A blindingly bright lightning strike hit Iris directly, burning a few strands of her hair.

Dewdrop: Please god, at least just one of them. [Lightning Strike]

Iris: Hmm? Where did you aim this time? That's not even close.

Sola used [Solar Shield], protecting the lord.

Dewdrop: DIE! Any of you. I don't care who...DIE... just DIE! [Lightning Strike]

Sola: Let finish her, Iris. Lightning like this can vaporize someone like our lord in an instant.

Iris: Really? Lightning like this?

Lord: [Sobbing]....sorry girls, my HP and MDEF are so low. In fact everything is abysmal.

Sola, in a serious voice: Now, Iris!

Iris throws four petals towards Dewdrop in one strike, clipping all four wings she has. Dewdrop falls onto the ground. Iris immediately throws another petal at Dewdrop's rapier, breaking it into small pieces.

Iris: Better stop now. I don't wa...

Rosa: [Rose Wind]

A storm of rose petals is released, very powerful but strictly confined to the small area where Dewdrop are, in literally one second no trace of her is left.

Rosa, kneeling: My lord, I deserve your punishment for my intervention, but I can't spare the life of anyone who intentionally harms the Lord of Yggdrasil.

White Rose: The good news is, butterflies like Dewdrop are going die on its own anyway in a few days. Their lifecycle is very short.

Sola: Seems a lot of things have exception. Even they are all Yggdrasil's offspring, yet they harm our lord.

Rosa: I shall order an extermination of all worms and butterflies immediately.

Lord: Uh...wait. Let me think. I don't want anymore bloodshed.

Rosa: I will stay put on this matter and wait for your next command, my lord.

Wevil walks to where Dewdrop were, sweeping her little hands to gather some dust and pieces of rose petals lying around. Her tears are trickling down her cheeks.

[Lord's bedroom, in the evening of the same day]

Sola: Are you still thinking about what happened, my lord?

Lord: Yes, if we hadn't been there, Dewdrop must still have been alive.

Sola: That's life, my lord. We can't control everything. What we can do is try to do our best. Moreover, if we had relived this day again, other worse things might have happened instead.

Lord: What do you mean, Sola?

Sola: For example, if we rewind time back to this morning and relive this day again one more time, in the end of the day Wevil might fall into a hole and die, resulting in a more loss to us than the death of some butterfly we don't even know. However, in reality, we can't rewind time, so we usually don't realize how lucky we are today.

Lord: That's quite enlightening, Sola.

Wevil: Is there a small deep hole around here where I can...

Iris: Come on. Let me eat the best nectar in the world. Lily, come enjoy free nectar.

Lily resurfaces, makes a bored face, and dives back down to where she was.

Wevil: Iris, now I realize how bad it is to lose someone. How can I go on with my life if I lose you?

Iris: Cheer up! I am much tougher than butterflies, trust me. Today let us live happily as if it is the last day of our life.

Wevil: Iris, hug me and don't die fast.

Iris: My lord, do you want to live happily with me as if it is the last day of our life in some dark corners of the old castle?

Lord: .....

[A while later]

Violet: Primrose came back today. She brought back this weird item from some ruin. She has gone now, to resume her duty as our ruin explorer.

Iris: My lord, are you disappointed that she has gone so soon? Do you want me to send a message to her that you want her to drop all her duty and come meet you as soon as possible? [giggle]

Lord: Uh.....no...no. Let she do her duty. But what item? May I see it?

Violet: Our body and soul are your property, as well as any.....

Lord: Stop. I already have some idea of you will say next.

Iris: Hmm...really weird item. A screen to display numbers and a button.

Lily: Press it, my lord.

Lord: Oh, this is the first time I see you out of the water jar.

Lily: I come out only when there is something interesting. I am a plant, so I can stay in the jar as long as I want if I have sunlight and water, which are abundant around here.

Lord: Hmm...good to be plants, right?

Lily: [giggle]

Lord: Oh, yeah. Now I know why my bedroom is so bright. You girls have stripped my bedroom of all windows and curtains for sunlight to pass through.

Lily: I will sacrifice myself by pressing this button for our lord. Good bye forever, everyone.

Lord: Nope, you just want to play with it.

Lily points the device towards Sola and presses the button.

Violet: The numbers have changed to 1 and 2. Hmm.. what does it mean, my lord.

Iris: Try it on me.

Lily: Now it's 1 and 1

Iris: No, not my cup size. My lord, please don't look at them.

Lord: ....

Iris: OK, now it's your turn, Lily. Hmm, it's 0 and 9. For Violet, it's 1 and 1 like me. That means we have the same cup size? But how? I'm sure I...

Lord: Don't tell me you really thinks it's cup size.

Iris: Wevil got 1 and 3. Noooooo. This thing is broken. Let go play something else, my lord.

Sola: It's our maiden age, in year and month, respectively. Yes, Wevil was born before us, and I'm sure this is her fully grown form. However, due to the effect of.....

Lord: Let explain that some other time, would you. For now let concentrate on the device, or else things might get too complicated for some dumb guys out there.

Sola: I'm not sure whom you are talking about but...

Lily: Nice, let go play this on other victims, no, I mean our lovely sisters.

Wevil: Yeah, let's go. I will lead the way.

Sola: You guys go on and have some fun.

....This is rather silly. Besides, I already know the age of practically everyone.

[Somewhere in the castle grounds]

Lily: Help me search for a target, my lord.

Lord: I remember that sakura shrub. It was in my room earlier.

Iris: That's Almond, my lord. Yes, as a plant, she is closely related and looks similar to a sakura.

Lord: What is her maiden form look like?

Violet: She is a small girl, about jasmine size, with pale grey hair. Her dress is mostly dull white with pink patterns here and there. Fair complexion like most of us. She sports a big braid in the back with a bunch of white sakura-like flower at the end of it, with some petals and black seeds inserted along the braid itself. She has a rather 'calm' and 'neat' personality.

Iris: Wow. That's quite a lengthy description. In retrospect, it would be easier if we just wake her up.

Lord: Nah, same effort. Someone has to type in the same length of description anyway.

Iris: Huh?

Lord: Never mind.

Lily: 0 and 5. It starts to get boring.

Violet: She is sleeping. Let us not disrupt her sleep, unless you want to talk with her, in that case...

Iris: ... or unless you want to do something with her flower while she is sleeping, in that case...

Lord: Let her sleep for now.

Lily: What is that flower over there, red and white flower in weird pattern. Is that even a maiden?

Iris: Silly, you sleep in the jar all the time. That's our new member, Astille. She is still a small girl in maiden form. Oh, she got 0 and 2. This device is very accurate.

A girl with slightly dark complexion, with several long thorny vine in her hair and some thorns all over her body is approaching.

Holly: Hello, my lord, My name is Holly. I am one of the maiden born to serve you. My body and sou...

Lord: Stop, everyone please stop saying that line. I have heard it like 10 times.

Lily: She got 0 and 7, boring.

Iris: What range of number did you expect, huh?

Holly, with some tears filling her eyes: .....

Violet: My lord, she cries easily. Please don't..... and don't approach her too. Her thorn is dangerously sharp.

Lord: I'm very sorry Holly. Walk with us. We are playing some interesting...

Holly runs away in tears.

Violet: Don't worry about it, my lord. She is always like this.

Iris: If you feel guilty, you can kiss her on the cheek some time later. Not many thorns there.

Lily: Oh that's Grapefruit, she is almost always in her plant form, photosynthesizing all days. But that's probably the reason why she can produce a lot of grapes.

Iris: Don't ask me how her maiden form looks like. I don't want to describe it to you.

Wevil: Food time. Dig in!

Wevil is eating the grapes.

Lily: 0 and 6. I'm done. You guys play on. See you later.

Iris: Did she expect 199 or something. Let go to the main hall in the castle, my lord, if you still want to play. There might be someone in the main hall.

[In the main hall]

A slender girl that looks like 20 years old if she was a human, with slightly wavy long blonde hair, wearing frilly white dress with the slightest shade of pink. She has bunch of small flowers of various color on her head.. Her skin is quite pale as if she stays indoors all the time. The fabric of her dress looks a little different than that of the other maidens.

Violet: We have found aunt Petunia. Oops, better drop the word aunt. Not my fault, right? Somehow the word Aunt and Petunia seem to rhyme with each other. I think we will get about 1 and 4, as she is one of the first.

Iris: Press it already.

Violet, shouting: What! She is 9999 years 11 months old?

Petunia: You girls are making fun of me or something?

Iris: Huh? It's not possible that she was long born before the yggdrasil tree itself. Press it one more time, Violet.

The device is not working anymore.

Lord: Too bad it's broken.

Wevil: Aunt Petunia, our device is broken because you are too old.

Petunia sighs and walks away.