Wolf

As it turns out, finding the butler by sound is a lot easier than I’d expected. Considering the screech that echoes out the moment my claws land on it.

And I don’t give it any time to retaliate by freezing it solid the moment my gauntleted claws make contact, returning my eyesight right after it dies to reveal the exact same creature I had seen before. With no tentacles in sight for some reason.

I swear I was hit by tentacles…

Out of curiosity, I identify the corpse to find that its species is called a hidden watcher. So I look it up on the forums to find that it’s a monster similar to a creature from a video game back on Earth. In some ways at least.

If you look at the creature when it’s angered, then you go blind, and it attacks you in a frenzy. But if you aren’t looking at it when you aren’t blinded, it won’t be able to do anything to you and you won’t be able to do anything to it at all. Almost as if it were immortal.

What’s even stranger about the creature is its obsession towards being the perfect servant, only getting angry by words and not actions. So you can attack it all you want and it won’t leave a scratch. But if you insult it verbally in some way, then it’ll target you forever until either you’re dead or it is. Because it can apparently hold a grudge.

Such a strange creature.

I turn away from the frozen butler to look around at the frozen hallway around me.

Well, these mansions should be an incredibly nice source of EXP. Especially since I’m already getting EXP just rolling in from Sapphire’s escapades as well.

With that thought in mind, I immediately begin searching for the exit to the manor, just slaughtering every inhabitant of the building on my way there. What does manage to surprise me about this though is that all of the monsters are ones that I’ve seen on other floors before. Except that mud slime in the first room for some reason.

Certainly a throwback, I guess.

Although they aren’t that strong compared to me. Not considering that this is the floor immediately after a boss floor.

Once I eventually finish up with the mansion, I find that it – along with the EXP given to me by Sapphire – was enough to level me up one and a half times. So I immediately go to search for another mansion before finding one with a maid answering the front door this time, also with a veil over their face.

Okay, this floor is weird.

Not complaining though, since it gives me a lot of EXP with that weirdness.

Capital City of The Dread Empire

Leo looks out over the miasma-covered city, spanning several kilometers in length as he peacefully leans against the railing of his balcony next to Diane. The empress on the other hand can be seen with her head in her hands on the balcony’s edge while groaning.

“Why do you keep coming here?” the Dread Emperor asks without anything in his tone to suggest that he wished she would stop coming. “You have your own empire to govern after all.”

Diane just groans at that, making the emperor chuckle before he glances back behind them at an approaching vampire, who quickly bows and says, “Your imperial majesties, you have a visitor.” Then immediately after his words, a fairy wearing a fancy dress that is glittering with light despite the miasmic eternal night of the capital planet of the Dread Empire, Falmoore, appears out of a portal leading to Fae with her wand floating next to her.

“Introducing Shyla Nightmeadow, Marquess of the fae and bringer of nightly stars,” the vampire declares before quickly making his retreat, leaving the two rulers alone with the fae.

“You have questions, young ones?” the fae states while fluttering in the air at eye level with the two Administrators.

Both of the powerful beings’ faces twitch at being called young, but they ignore it as Diane answers, “Yes, we do.”

The fae nods her head and declares, “Then speak your mind. But be aware that not all answers are attainable or speakable by myself. Even with the favor owed.”

Diane and Leo both nod their heads before sharing a glance and then turning back to the fae again.

“What does the fae court want with my heir?” Diane asks rather bluntly, making the fae turn to look directly at her without a change in her expression.

“Is this what you wish to know using your favor?” Shyla asks.

Diane just nods her head, prompting the fae to state, “This marquess is unable to speak on this subject beyond giving a brief hint. Would that be acceptable?”

This has the two Administrators sharing a glance again before nodding their heads.

“Very well,” the fae says with a nod, “the agreement has been made, and the favor used.” She then flies up and grabs the wand floating before waving it once, sending a glittering black light around them all, turning the area around them into an illusion showing a small city from countless years back in a medieval era. “This is a planet known as Earth from a time called the twelfth century B.C, dated thousands of years ago.”

Both of the Administrator’s eyes widen in shock as they find several fae unrecognizable by the two watching despite a vague familiarity with them entering the world through a portal, following which they begin to live amongst the humans there. Some of them even take on a human-sized form and marry into families there, spreading their bloodlines throughout many families on the planet.

Then, just as quickly as the images had appeared, the marquess waves her wand again, making them disappear.

“You may take that as you will,” she declares before floating back into the portal with her wand once again floating by her side, making the portal vanish after she passes through.

Silence fills the balcony for a long time, broken only by the arrival of the same vampire as before.

“Your majesties, the Chairman of the Arcadian Magic Association has arrived to see you,” he declares, following which the water harbinger himself walks through the doors onto the balcony.

“Arianais,” Leo says with a nod, but Diane is too lost in her thoughts to even notice his entrance. And Arianais notices before asking, “Did the favor result in anything useful?”

Leo purses his lips for a second, only to eventually answer, “Yes. I believe it did.”

“Could it be…?” Diane mutters with a frown before finally looking up and seeing Arianais, just to ignore the man and focus on Leo as she asks, “Do you believe that Wolf could be…?”

The draugr nods his head and answers, “Yes, I do.”

His next words then shock the water harbinger into gaping at the two.

“The Reaper might not be the only non-human entity your heir is a descendant of.”