It was a festive air at the fortress, the hobgoblins and kobolds all wildly celebrating Bex’s unlikely victory over her imposing opponent. Gero had lifted the girl up onto her shoulder at some point, the assembled pack members roaring their approval as Hilde hefted the spear that did the deed like some sort of all-conquering standard. For her part, Bex seemed as though it was a coin toss whether she would ignite her own head with the fierceness of her blush or self-decapitate with the wideness of her grin. Maybe both at once, if the raucous applause that had seized everyone present didn’t let up soon.

Everyone, that is, with three exceptions.

Shin didn’t miss for one second the expression on Galwenlas’s face. And while she may have lacked the System-granted insight of a Schemer, Bittercup’s harrowing experiences as a Repast Girl made her well acquainted with the myriad expressions of men with nothing good on their minds. It all just proved the truth Shin had known ever since he was a mongrel: No matter how many leaps forward one takes in Magica, catastrophic defeat is always just a single wrong step away.

There was no value in getting mad about it. When confronted with calamity, no matter how uninvited or unfair, you could either give up or get to work.

“You don’t have to do anything that makes you uncomfortable,” Shin kept his voice low as he spoke to Bittercup even as he kept his face cordial for the approaching Galwenlas, “But if you’re willing to play along, I know I can kick this conflict further down the road.”

The Oaken Elf woman nodded almost imperceptibly, her own face enveloped by an agreeable mask that could have only been developed through endless exposure to disagreeable situations. Okay then. Time to deal with the final member of the envoy trio.

JD, for all his bluster and edge, had been a lightweight. Shin almost wanted him to come back, just for another opportunity to screw with his mind. And a straight on fight was always going to be the only way to deal with Naotodate. But Galwenlas was a different beast entirely. Sometimes you can’t simply yank the fish in, even after it’s hooked. Some fish have to be coaxed. Have to be given line with which to wear themselves out first.

Shin would give Galwenlas line, alright. He’d give him enough line to hang himself with.

The Grand Elf was opening his mouth before he had even fully reached Shin, his finger raised to make some dramatic statement. The kobold didn’t know what that statement would be, and frankly, he didn’t care. Maybe he would demand for Bittercup to be handed over, maybe he would declare that he was returning to King Glandem to report on what had happened. Whatever it was, it was certain to be bad.

So Shin simply didn’t let him say anything at all, raising his voice over the din of excitement. “So it looks like the cream has risen to the top, eh?”

Galwenlas’s finger drooped as he stared at Shin, simultaneously annoyed at being interrupted and confused by the kobold’s choice of interruption. “I don’t…you mean the girl?”

“What? No.” Shin clapped an amiable hand to the Player’s shoulder. “I mean you.”

The Grand Elf was, if it was possible, even more confused now. “I…what? Me?”

“Of course!” Shin winked at the Grand Elf, tapping a finger to the side of his nose with his free hand. “I simply can’t abide group negotiations, and when I asked which of her three suitors she preferred?” He glanced towards Bittercup, a knowing smile playing at his lips. “Well. Let’s just say it didn’t seem like a difficult decision.”

For her part, Bittercup remained silent. But when she blushed prettily and averted her eyes, the only clue Shin had that she wasn’t merely shy about her own feelings for this loathsome Player was the fact that the Schemer had asked her to play along. She was damn good at this.

“So, wait.” Despite his continuing confusion, Galwenlas couldn’t resist perking up in growing interest. “So, JD and Date were–”

“A bore and a brute.” Shin sniffed in displeasure, as if the mere mention of the missing Players’ names left a lingering stench. “What King Glandem saw in them, I’ll never know. If it wasn’t for his excellent taste in choosing you, I’d have to question the man’s wits.”

“Ahem, yes, well.” Galwenlas coughed haughtily, his ears wobbling in pleased superiority. “The human was simply available at the right time. And as for Naotodate, well, I suppose he thought sending a brute would be prudent in the case you turned out to be brutes. Though I suppose that idea didn’t pan out.” The Grand Elf blinked as he recalled the events of the last few minutes. “Speaking of which, how did she do that? She cast some sort of buff, but I missed it under the Bless spell? What was–”

Shin cut him off again, steering the conversation away from topics he’d prefer remaining cloudy. “Let’s just say that the Alliance knows how to treat its friends. Particularly its important friends.”

The implication wasn’t lost on Galwenlas, the elf leaning forward with eyebrows raised. “Is that so? And how might you treat a friend as important as oh, me? Just as an example?”

Before Shin could respond, he felt a tug on the sleeve of his robe. He turned his head to find the still-blushing Bittercup beckoning him closer, charmingly biting her lower lip. He leaned in and she cupped her hands around his ear, carefully whispering to him. “I’m not actually saying anything. This is just for show.”

“Really?” Shin’s ears shot up dramatically. “That’s what you want?”

“You’d better have something good cooked up for his guy,” Bittercup continued to whisper, sneaking a purposefully unsubtle peek at the preening Grand Elf before intensifying her flush. “If I wind up in his hands I fucking swear I’ll come back to haunt you.

“Well well well~” Shin chuckled, straightening back up. “I suppose the Lady’s preferences are no mystery.” He cocked an eyebrow at Galwenlas. “You ask how I’d treat a guest as important as you? That begs the question, sir: What is it that you want?”

The Player stared at Shin for a long moment, distractedly sucking on his teeth in a manner entirely at odds with his courtly facade. At length, he slowly began to regurgitate the safe response. “I…simply want to return Lady Bittercup to her home, to the court of Quercus. What else would I possibly want?” Despite his careful tone, however, it didn’t take long for a gleam of desire to shine through his sapphire blue eyes. “Hm? What else?”

Shin knew an opening when he saw one, spreading his hands out magnanimously. “I wouldn’t dream of guessing. For myself, I only want what’s best for you...and for Bittercup…and for you and Bittercup…”

That lit a fire under the Player, his eyes practically bursting from his skull. “Wait, are you saying–? Do you mean you’d be willing to sell–”

“Shh, not here!” Shin made a show of looking around, dramatically searching out any potential eavesdroppers. “Not everyone here is as enlightened as we are. They might hear talk like that and decide something unseemly is going on.”

Bittercup pouted. “Meanies.”

“As if I could ever!” Galwenlas huffed, immediately in full agreement with the other two’s feigned affront. “There is nothing perverse about a special girl and her oppa! How dare they? How dare they.”

“My thoughts exactly.” Shin shook his head, mock offended by the distrust theoretical onlookers correctly held for Galwenlas’s intent. “So why don’t we continue this discussion in a quieter setting?”

“Hmm. Perhaps.” The Player was clearly intrigued, but decided to give a bit of push back all the same. “Perhaps your home village would suffice?”

Blah, Shin did not want to bring Galwenlas back to Shinki Itten. Until they were a Level Three Tribe and had gained the Sanctuary status, a Player could wreck an endless amount of havoc in his home and in the lives of his innocent neighbors. If they’d reached that level, then definitely, but it would be at least another–

Conquest Node Repaired

Conquest Node Claimed!

(The Grand Alliance) Has Reached Level Three! (awaiting progression selection)

The entire fortress fell silent as the prompts flashed above their heads, only to explode in redoubled excitement as the final message declaring that they had reached the promised land of Level Three burned its way across the sky

Galwenlas read and reread the messages, at first in disbelief, but then with growing fascination. When he finally turned his eyes back to Shin, it was with an entirely ungrudging admiration. “You actually timed this to happen at the precise end of our conversation, didn’t you?”

Shin did not. He had no freaking idea why this had happened. There was no way that they should be Level Three yet. But he was absolutely not about to tell Galwenlas that. Instead, he gave the Player another wink. “I do what I can. And I agree whole-heartedly with your idea; let’s finish this discussion in Shinki Itten. There, we’ll find all the privacy we need for…certain delicate discussions.”

Despite his inability to keep his eyes from running lasciviously up and down Bittercup’s body, Galwenlas still attempted one final feint. “That would add at least two, three days to my timeline. His Majesty won’t be happy to wait.”

Bittercup clutched her hands to her heart, bashfully peering up at the Grand Elf. “Um, I can wait if you can…” She blushed again, turning her eyes shyly away. “...oppa.”

“I will go and message King Glandem immediately that I am undertaking a vital diplomatic mission to the charming village of Shinki Itten.” Galwenlas turned on his heels, sprinting away to throw together his communique. “Wait for me, my Lady! Wait for meeee~!”

Woof. Galwenlas was in such a rush that Shin was almost surprised that he didn’t leave a Grand Elf-shaped dust cloud behind him. The moment he was out of eyesight, Bittercup let out the breath she had been apparently holding the entire time. “Gods. Okay. Did you need more from me? Because if I have to call him that again I'll probably vomit out all of my organs in a stream of blood.”

Shin shook his head. “No no, the opposite actually. Now you’ve got him on the line, I can sink the hook in even deeper if you’re out of sight but very much on his mind.” He waved his hand towards the crowd. “Make yourself as scarce as you like. Hopefully it won’t be long before you never have to see him again.”

It may have been his imagination, but Shin thought he spied a look of gratitude on Bittercup’s face before she evaporated into the exuberant crowd. It may have just been a trick of the eyes, though; some sort of optical illusion caused by the sheer speed at which she vanished. Not that he blamed her for that. Shin could barely stand playing nice with Galwenlas, so he could only imagine how upsetting it was for Bittercup.

For the moment, however, Shin’s imagination was otherwise occupied. He was the proud member of a Level Three Tribe now, and that meant it was time to begin truly considering his pack’s emergence into the world. Because even with the welcome defense of Sanctuary, the Schemer knew they weren’t far off from totally losing the anonymity that had been their strongest shield up until this point.

They wouldn’t be able to hide from the world for much longer.

Shin was knocked out of his pondergins by the sudden realization that Mimasu was staring at him, scribbling away even as the rest of the pack continued their celebration. “Mimi, have you been here this whole time?”

“Yep!” The peppy scribe beamed. “I’m trying to decide how to best notate the difference between when you imply something and let the listener make the incorrect assumption, and when you just straight up lie to people.”

“Uh, what’ve you got so far?”

“Innuendo is in all capital letters!”

“And lies?”

“All caps and also underlined!”

Well it was good that they were headed back to Shinki Itten soon, then. Because Mimi was going to need a lot more ink to keep up with all the underlining and capitalization Shin was preparing to make him do.