Questionable Life Choices

Chapter 105

Mira looked at the gathering and felt a strange heaviness. She’d consigned the other girls to a miserable death in the dungeon, but now they sat across the table from her. After the initial tears and apologies, they all felt awkward and turned to eating rather than talking. It was easier.

“So 42 had you both locked up this entire time?” Hetcha asked, tone biting.

“Yeah. She wouldn’t let us out until we agreed to the pact to keep her secrets. We did that just before we showed up,” Mina supplied. As usual, she was the most chipper of the group, now that her mind was in working order again. Andrea, by contrast, was sullen instead of brash.

“I hope she didn’t harm either of you after the fight,” Mira offered. She wouldn’t put anything past anyone, she’d seen too much, but torture didn’t seem like something 42 would indulge in. A certain squeamishness had come across in their prior conversations.

“No, actually she gave us potions, though we didn’t use them. I mean, they appraised as safe according to my skill but neither of us trusted them or her at the time,” Mina replied.

“How exactly did you two get free of your pendants?” Hetcha asked. They weren’t like the slave collar with a killing curse on them, but none of them had been able to help each other before, despite trying.

“They were gone when we woke up,” Andrea said flatly.

“Yeah, I don’t really remember what happened after Reiner used Andrea as a shield. Like, I think most of the fight is fairly clear but… a lot of stuff is fucked up in my head because of that necklace,” Mina added and sighed.

“My memories are clear, but my collar wasn’t the same,” Hetcha said unhappily.

“Mira… not to be a dick but… Why didn’t Ula warn you about any of this? Like since before the chaining. The whole kingdom became a total shitshow,” Mina asked. Hetcha bristled, but Mira restrained her with a hand on her leg. It was a fair question.

“It probably wouldn’t have helped,” Mira began. Andrea snorted at that, but didn’t otherwise speak.

“Ula isn’t a god of destiny but of possibilities. They don’t hand out revelations that might make things worse or cause something specific to happen, they only speak to give a guiding suggestion. Like your story about Death in the market, they wish to avoid causing undesirable things,” Mira continued.

“Death in a market?” Hetcha asked, looking at Mina curiously.

“So imagine if death were like a physical person. So a guy goes to a market and see’s Death who looks at him strangely,” Mina began.

“Thinking his time is up and wanting to avoid it, he borrows a horse from a friend and rides all night to a distant city. The next day when the friend he borrowed the horse from sees Death at the market, he asks what it was all about. Death says they were just surprised because they had an appointment with the guy in the morning in that distant city,” Mina finished.

“Okay,” Hetcha said solemnly. Mira knew that meant she didn’t quite get it but didn’t want an explanation. Being a guardian of the tower did involve a basic education in the teachings of Ula, but didn’t require faith, per se. It was enough to take the job and the safety of the tower's inhabitants seriously, which Hetcha always had.

“Hetcha and I only found out 42 was the Dungeon Master shortly before you both appeared along with the feast,” Mira offered.

“The farewell feast,” Hetcha muttered. Mira socked her in the ribs lightly to remind her to watch her words. They were still in the valley which appeared to be part of 42’s domain. It wouldn’t be wise to “talk shit” as Mina would call it.

“Also that boy at the bar set us up,” Hetcha said, not bothering to be quiet this time.

“Seriously? Why are all the hot guys full of murder lately!?” Mina demanded of no one in particular. She scrubbed her face with her hands before helping herself to more cider.

“Plural?” Andrea asked, a brow quirking up.

“My brain was broken, not my eyes. I was aware Reiner wasn’t the king of hotness even if I couldn’t do anything about fawning on him,” Mina replied despondently. Andrea shivered at that along with Mira and Hetcha. Nothing had ever come of it but everyone but Hetcha had felt compelled to do the same thing.

“42 said the man in the bar chose us because he felt we were a threat to his lady companion,” Mira offered. They all exchanged looks, then sighed. It was part of the compulsion from what little they knew. Something would attract Reiner to a girl and unless one of them drove her off quickly he’d try and give her a pendant.

Why they could act like jealous morons but nothing more productive was a question none of them knew how to answer. Rather like why the pendants made them act strangely or the church of Strom insisted Reiner become a heavy swordsman rather than the archer he started as. The magic involved had to have been a massive undertaking to create but the execution was beyond bizarre.

“Well, he wasn’t wrong,” Mina grumbled.

“He chose us… so he works for her? Why?” Andrea asked.

“I didn’t ask,” Mira said honestly. It hadn’t occurred to her to question that part at the time. Really she’d been rather busy trying to keep herself and Hetcha calm as they spoke. 42 was a strange being to converse with at best.

“Maybe she grants wishes like a genie,” Mina said with a shrug.

“I doubt it,” Andrea growled.

“We could ask her,” Mina said, giving a desultory little chuckle. She held up what looked like a rock but Mira recognized as one of the communication stones.

“Mina! Those-”

“Start working when you pick them up,” 42 chimed in through the stone, cutting Mira off.

“Ah!” Mina shrilled and dropped the stone. Andrea socked Mina on the shoulder none too lightly in rebuke.

“Sorry!” Mina said quickly, slapping the stone away from herself. Mira caught it, her poor vision irrelevant as she had a sudden flash of insight. They weren’t quite like visions but a kind of foresight translated through the body. Why Ula wanted her to catch the cursed thing was not revealed even as it fell off the edge of the table into her hand. Strangely two more appeared on the table.

“What?” Hetcha asked, voice hushed now.

“They work in pairs,” 42 said. Her voice wasn’t coming from the stone but somewhere beyond the half circle of lantern light. Andrea and Mina both bolted over the table to Mira and Hetcha’s side since the strange dual-tone voice had come from behind them. A pair of pale green flames appeared in the moonless darkness.

“You said we could leave!” Andrea shouted.

“The offer stands,” 42 replied, apparently unruffled.

“Then why are you here?” Hetcha demanded. Mira wanted to strangle her, adding fuel to the fire would not help.

“I thought I should leave you all alone and let you make your decision among yourself. Really, until a few minutes ago that was the plan,” 42 said. The flames were moving in the darkness and something near them, a deeper darkness, did as well. It gave the nauseating impression of a serpent that couldn’t quite be seen, the eyes trying too hard to find what they could not.

“What changed?” Mira asked, trying to keep her voice even.

“It occurred to me that I’d offered you a deal, but I hadn’t really demonstrated my abilities to any of you,” 42 replied. Mira’s mind spun for a moment, she hadn’t actually looked at the contract yet. She had no idea what she’d been offered nor what a demonstration would entail.

“T-Thats quite alright, we don’t require proof,” Mira managed to get out weakly. It felt like her heart had lodged in her throat.

“I doubt it. You asked for a town,” 42 said.

“We don’t need-” Hetcha was starting to yell but fell silent as an ominous rumble began. The ground began to split open and a weak light spilled out as a building, lit from within, began to rise up out of the earth.

“Buildings are easy enough for me but you’d also want security I assume. A safe place for people to live,” 42 continued. People exited the house, all kited in a variety of armor from different classes. Their eyes glowed eerily in the dark but they appeared human.

“Supplies, opportunities for growth, a chance to build something and have more than a meager living granted at the whim of some inbred asshole with a fancy title,” she said as goods rained down from nowhere in front of the table. Fabric, leather, foodstuffs, armor, weapons, dishes, and too much else for them to identify. Delicate things broke as they landed and coins glittered among the mess.

“All of this is trash to me. I don’t have a use for it nor do I covet it. I’d happily give anyone who came here whatever they needed to get started building a new life.”

“You're not the first monster to line its nest with riches,” Mina said. Mira glanced at her and found the other girl had gone rather pale and wide-eyed. Those eyes fixed on the floating flames.

“True, I’m sure. But I am a monster that will make deals and is bound by contracts. You don’t need to trust me, you just have to be careful and you can have what you want,” 42 countered.

“We understand,” Mira said, voice coming out louder if not stronger than before.

“Probably not, but possibly as well as you can. The dungeon, this valley included, is my domain. It’s mine to bend into whatever shape I desire,” 42 countered. Without warning the ground behind them rose up, the house suddenly atop a small hill rather than flat land as shallow stone steps were cut into it leading down to the table.

“What did you give the boy? What did he sell himself for?” Andrea asked.

“Boy?” 42 asked.

“From the bar, the one who sent us here to die,” Andrea replied. There was no rebuke in her tone. She was strangely calm despite her earlier fear and anger.

“He chose to become my employee, primarily to save his mother from Bloody Mana fever. Beyond the potions needed for that, I’ve been able to change his class and buy him a few blessings in addition to giving him a wage for services rendered,” 42 said simply, as if anything coming from her mouth was. Artifacts were needed to edit one's class and blessings were the business of saints and popes.

“Then I want to make a deal too,” Andrea said flatly.

“Andrea, what the fuck?” Mina asked urgently. There was a flutter in the dark, the green flames almost seeming to twinkle for a moment. Mira and Hetcha both looked at Andrea in open mouthed surprise.

“Yeah, Andrea. What the fuck?” 42 asked, sounding as astonished as everyone else felt.