《RE:Born – Necro》


 Ch 1 – The reincarnation spell

    *ha~* *ha~* *ha~*


    He could hear hurried footsteps closer and closed. Together with them, the ragged breath of his only companion.


    "They are here aren''t they?"


    "Yes..."


    "How many?"


    "80 thousand..."


    "Hoo... They seem to be serious this time."


    The girl approached him. Her looks were deceiving. Despite being quite tall at 1.75, she was rather slender, her silver hair matched her waxy skin and red eyes... One would''ve believed her to be 17, if not for her pointy ears. She was over 60 years old already.


    Lyara was a victim since the moment she was born... Not only was she a pariah to society, being an elf, but she was also despised among elves for her skin and eyes... A moonlight elf, the cursed being that would be born once every millennium only to bring chaos and misery to the world... She was mistreated for decades... Until she found him. The one willing to take her for what she was, the one who showed her that her Life Magic could stop even time itself. Soleir was not only her savior, but also her lover.


    She held his face in her hands and gave him a passionate kiss before pleading one last time.


    "Please give up on this madness! You may lose yourself!"


    "You know there''s no other way."


    "Just escape with me like we always do!"


    "They''ll just find us again and again... And this life of mine is almost over already..."


    "I can keep you alive as long as it''s necessary!"


    "At was cost Ly... I don''t want you to give your own life up for me!"


    He held her face in his hands while touching their foreheads.


    "You mean everything to me, and if I leave this behind, it''ll take decades before we can try it again."


    "I know but..."


    "Don''t worry... It may take some time, but I will definitely find you again. Please, just bear with me for a while okay?"


    "Yes... I love you... Please come find me."


    "I will... I promise".


    After giving her one last kiss, the middle-aged man bit the base of his thumb.


    His blood dripping to the floor as a magic circle activated.


    "I love you"


    She said one last time before being enveloped in the light of the magic circle, of which he''d just backed out of.


    Soon after, all traces of the magic circle vanished, together with her.


    Teleport.


    The plan they had carefully plotted over the last twenty years was finally coming to fruition.


    For three decades they fled. Country after country. Each time, the time before they were found diminished. Despite that, they managed to keep this last place secret. Not only this place. With great pains, Soleir managed to hide even Lyara''s existence from the church. She had already suffered enough. She didn''t deserve to live running anymore.


    There was no way he could fend off an attack from over 80 thousand soldiers. Some were bound to be magicians and experienced veterans... Last fight he had a tough time dealing with the commander of the Papal Army of Bizancyum... That guy was bold.


    Anyways... The past is in the past. Now he needed to think about the future. After he finished this magic, all they would find is his dead body.


    He went deeper into the cave. Ten dead bodies were positioned around a decagram.


    5 points of a pentagram; symbolizing humanity, power.


    5 points of an inverted pentagram; symbolizing the fall, death.


    The massive circle encompassed the whole room. A full 7 meters in radius. The most complex magic circle he''d ever made.


    Catalysts, candles, skulls and precious stones and metals. Everything was calculated to the very last speck of dust.


    The greatest Death Magic known to man. The knowledge that made him be hunted down by the church.


    Ascension Magic.


    Not only was it the only known kind of reincarnation magic. Ascension magic reincarnated the target into a superior form.


    An Undead.


    The creation of the desecrated creature known as the Plague Bringer. The Lich.


    This was the magic he''d prepared all this time. He would die and become something beyond mere mortals.


    Soleir sat in the middle of the magic circle. He took a sacrificial knife from his robes as he prepared himself for the greatest sacrifice.


    He could start to hear the boots of soldiers marching towards the entrance of the cave. His time was up.


    He slit his throat with the sacrificial knife. Falling to the ground as the circle started glowing in an ominous red. Dark miasma fluttered around him. His vision slowly becoming dark and blurry as he gurgled blood every time he attempted to breathe.


    His vision turned bright red before falling into darkness.


    Only to slowly come back elsewhere.


    ''Huh... Why am I in such a place?''


    He woke up in a luxurious bedroom.


    Woke up is not the right word as he was still half asleep.


    He was laid in a very luxurious bed. His body felt weird... A little too small to say the least.


    Two people were knelt near his bedding.


    A man and a woman. As soon as he looked at them their eyes glistened and they jumped atop of him, crying their lungs out.


    "It''s a miracle!"


    A woman''s voice could be heard in the back.


    "They said you were dead, but we never lost hope."


    The woman hugging him said while crying.


    "We love you so much, our little black iris."


    Tears flowed from the man''s eyes as he spoke.


    What surprised Soleir the most was not that he was crying... Instead, was that he recognized the man in front of him. Vladmir Drakulea, known as Vlad Tepes, the Impaler.


    ''What twisted fate for my magic to have failed me like this... At least I''m the child of a fellow...''


    His vision slowly darkened as he fell into slumber from the stress the body suffered with his reincarnation...


    Necronomia was four when the miracle happened, and she came back to life.


    She was a quiet girl with little to no expression who barely talked to anyone but her mother.


    It would be four more years before her memories from the past life awakened once more.

 Ch 2 – Who am I?

    "Who even am I..."


    A small girl sat on a ledge. Her legs dangling as she stared at the beautiful scenery of mountains covered in thick woodlands. The tips of the large trees poking through the dense fog as the sun rose in the background. Her purplish black hair falling over her shoulders as she played with a black ball of thick mana.


    ''I wish she was here to see the sunrise with me...''


    Earlier today, Necro was assaulted by a massive headache, and with it, all the memories she''d forgotten surfaced.


    Her earlier failure. Her ultimate loss.


    But one thought troubled her the most... Would she still be the same person even after remembering all that?


    The thought of losing herself over who she was previously haunted her the whole night. She couldn''t sleep at all. So, she jumped out from her window onto the roof and sat there, staring at the moon the whole night, until now.


    "Necky! It''s time for the morgenmete!"


    The call from the maid woke her up from her daydreaming. The ball of mana quickly dissipating.


    "Necky!"


    "Your father has already told you not to go to the roof! It''s dangerous!"


    Necro jumped back inside, and only nodded to the maid as she walked towards the door. The luxurious room she was in was already normal to her.


    "I wonder if I''ll ever hear your voice..."


    Necro turned herself back, leaning onto the door trim as she uttered a single word to her head-maid.


    "Sometime."


    The maid just stood there, aghast.


    She became completely entranced by the cuteness of her little master. Her face turned red as she held her face with both hands. She realized; she was the first person, apart from her Majesty, to hear her voice.


    Necro was the last one to arrive to the dining room, her parents and brothers were already waiting for her.


    "Sup Nec."


    Her middle brother was the first to talk to her.


    She nodded to him as she pulled her chair by his side.


    "Today''s a very important day. Mihnea is leaving to study in the Ungri''s royal capital school! He''s going to become a great Voivode one day."


    "But father-!"


    Her brother stood up to complain.


    "Mihnea!"


    A single word from his stepmother was enough to shut him up and make him sit back down.


    "Sorry... But you still haven''t taught me, father..."


    "Everything will come at its time. You are not ready yet to learn anything despite being 17."


    "There''s a chance you will never awaken, like your mother."


    "Sorry..."


    Their conversation piqued Necro''s attention... What were they talking about?


    "Awaken?"


    She asked. tilting her head.


    ""HAAAAAAAAA!?""


    All the men on the table stood like loose springs.


    "Since when!" (Mihnea)


    "How?!" (Middle brother)


    "Finally!"(Vlad)


    "Ara... It seems out little flower is finally blooming" Said her mother.


    Jusztina was a dazzling woman. Despite being way past her thirties her beauty had not yet faded. Her gorgeous facial features were complemented by her balanced figure and gorgeous black hair. She''d married Vlad for less than a year before the birth of little Vlad, Necro''s middle brother. Jusztina had inherited the Transylvanian Estates from her deceased first husband, Pongrac. Her marriage with Vlad was part of a peace treaty between her cousin, Corvinus, the King of Ungri and Vlad, once it came to light his innocence in the last war. Vlad was recognized as a hero by his people but demonized by his foes after he impaled thousands for the murder of his older brother. This dark side of him re-lit the fire in Jusztina''s heart.


    However, their happiness would be meek. After the birth of both their children, less than a year apart, Necronomia''s illness completely changed the dynamics of the family. For over a year, Jusztina never left the side of her 3-year-old daughter''s sickbed. Not even the legendary Life Attribute Healing Magic was able to cure the little girl... That is, until one day, when she was declared dead. That day, Necronomia was cured by a miracle. Her black hair gained a purple hue, and her Amethyst eyes turned a purplish red. And her illness was miraculously cured. From that day, Jusztina became a pious person. But above all, she loved her family.


    "This is a grown-up topic sweetie, when the time comes, you''ll learn about it." She followed.


    Necro sulled a bit at the answer. She was very curious as to what they were talking about. Her daily life hardly ever included these moments with her whole family.


    "One more thing" Her father started saying. "I''ll have to spend some time at the Cetadea... Sorry for not being a more present father. Some issues have come to light and foreign ambassadors are coming... I don''t want expose you to them."


    "We understand, Honey... Good luck with dealing with those." Jusztina showed an expression of disgust... She hated dealing with that kind of people. Especially after her first marriage.


    The family had an amazing meal. The food in this mansion was incredible. Necro enjoyed the meal, not knowing this was the last time she would see her father in years.


    ''Boring'' Is all she could think.


    Her education was based on the knowledge required for royalty... She already knew all of it from Soleir''s memories but had to spend whole days reading and memorizing the same stuff over and over... God was this boring.


    Years passed by without anything worth mentioning. As she grew, Necro became more aware of the political situation around Wallachia. Her father had cut all ties with the Sultanate to the south, making Wallachia an easy target. He was also not exactly friendly with the Papal States and its backed countries. Just like with Soleir in her previous life. His memories made clear he died somewhere in Burgundy and that his lover was waiting somewhere in the Small States. It would be a long journey from Wallachia... Reaching that far would require her becoming an adventurer... Not exactly the expected course of action for a princess... That it, until this day.


    "Now, please try putting your mana in this sphere."


    "Mana?"


    "Yes. Just imagine pouring something in here."


    "Okay"


    ''It''s not like this body''s mana-pool is large... I haven''t been able to use magic where people can see since nobody taught me...''


    As she poured mana into the crystal, many colors sprouted in the crystal.


    Red, yellow, green, blue...


    "Wow... You have some affinity to all attributes but light! that''s amazing!"


    In her last life, she was only able to use Dark magic and some Earth and Water...


    ''Fire and Wind magic should''ve come from this body''s former self...''


    ''But where''s my...''


    "Tomorrow we start your magical theory classes... I need to tell this to Her Highness..."


    As the royal mage chosen as tester and possible instructor turned around to leave the room.


    The sphere turned completely black.


    An evil smirk became plastered on Necro''s face as she realized the meaning of this.


    Her affinity towards dark magic had increased many-fold.

 Ch 3 – Dad’s back!

    "By channeling your mana, you can create structured formations. These take the form of Magic Circles. They are essential for the formation of magic and can be drawn in a medium for ease of use..."


    ''BORING!''


    The cute teen mustered all her willpower to pay attention at the boring lecture.


    It was not that the mage was bad or wrong... Just that she already knew everything he was saying.


    Based on his knowledge and the current Mana-pool and Mana Control of this body, he could probably already cast some intermediate level magic.


    "Master."


    "Yes, Princess"


    "What about skipping the Magic Circle and using your mana to take the form and cast the magic?"


    "Ah... That''s... Possible for very advanced magicians... It''s extremely hard though and takes decades to master a single spell. I can only cast one such magic."


    As he lifted his left hand while muttering some words to himself, a small flame burned on his fingertip.


    Match.


    One of the most basic magics of the Fire Attribute, second in simplicity only to the Spark fire-magic.


    Necro was positive she could do the same... But realizing the level of her Master, showing it to him would only bring her trouble.


    "Incredible!"


    Over the years, Necro slowly started talking more. Enough that one could forget it took almost a decade for even her relatives to hear her voice. She was, however, still very much a shy girl.


    Her learning of magic progressed smoothly albeit at a far quicker pace than expected. She easily learned and remembered all the circles for basic magics from all the attributes she was apt for. That is, that her master thought she was apt for. She would train Dark magic and Necromancy alone in her room at night. Sending undead insects outside to explore and trying to recover her former power.


    Magicians were evaluated in several fashions: Mana Quality, Quantity, Density and Casting efficiency. To simplify and standardize the leveling, the Magician Headquarters of the Divine Institute came up with a system. The Gem System. This system categorized magicians in Gemstones, those were based on the material necessary to contain the mana of a given magician.


    Glass, Quartz, Amethyst, Garnet, Peridot, Sapphire, Ruby, Emerald, Tourmaline, Diamond.


    The 10-class system made easy to measure a Magician''s potential and magic capacity.


    However, it''s not like it was very used. Only one in a hundred was able to use magic... and to most, that was limited to the most basic magic of a single element. Actual magicians where one in a thousand, and even those, would rarely ever reach the 4th class, Garnet.


    Soleir was a Tourmaline-Class Magician. Casting efficiency was not exactly the strongest point of dark magic, which required sacrifices, catalysts, and media. Him having reached this class was an evidence of his outstanding genius. The system was rigged from the beginning. dark magic was far less efficient than Elemental magic, which in turn was also less efficient than Light Magic.


    The system was made so that only Holy magicians were able to reach the highest classes. Even more so, it was rigged so that the only Diamond magician was the Pope himself.


    The use of ancient artifacts was able to boost the abilities and aptitude for magicians, adventurers, and soldiers. The church however, used its influence to gather and maintain under them all known artifacts. Only those rarely found in dungeons were available, and the church would pay unsurmountable amounts to take them, leading most who found artifacts to simply take the money and retire. One can easily guess who the church gave those artifacts to.


    Cardinals, Archbishops, the Pope himself. The high clergy was always above the ruby-class.


    Necro was currently in between the Garnet and Peridot classes. She had no way of exactly pointing out her results without tools. But his experience told him so. For humans, magic was military power. For Necro, it was freedom.


    When he first developed the theory of Non-Attribute magic, he was said to be a Genius... That was... Until the church realized Non-Attribute magic posed a serious threat to the system. The simpler the magic, the more efficient, the less mana necessary to cast it. Soleir''s theory stated that so long as one is able to realize the phenomena, any magic could become attribute neutral. The mere mention of Healing magic becoming something disconnected from the church was enough to shake the very foundations of the current political balance. Soleir, a previous researcher at the Divine Institute, was excommunicated and hunted down. His very existence was a danger to the church.


    Necro''s legend started spreading among the general populace after she went to the nearby town with her mother once.


    The princess with red eyes and a dark hair the color of night itself. Her image, wearing a renaissance black dress with white details and parasol, her dress fluttering together with her mantle with the cold breeze that came down the mountains, burned itself into the minds of the people who bore witness. As she and her family seldom left the mansion, many theories and gossip surfaced, trying to explain why the royal family was this reserved. A particularly strong conspiracy theory was that the royal family was composed of Vampires. Vlad Tepes was already known for his lack of humanity and piety. Stretching that with the fact that his wife and children had wax-like skin was already a pretty small flex... His daughter''s red eyes particularly strengthened that theory. It wouldn''t be long before his enemies would make their move based off of it.


    Unaware of the things happening in the background, Necro studied magic diligently on her own, while faking her progress so as to not be exposed.


    *knock*


    "Necky? Where''s my sweet Black Iris?"


    Her father''s voice scared her, making her dissipate the mana she was using to train.


    "Dad!? You''re back!"


    She ran towards him, jumping into his arms.


    "You''ve grown so much... But from what your mother told me; it seems you''ve already stopped growing right?"


    "Yeah... It''s been almost a year..."


    Vlad contemplated the figure of her cute little daughter, fiddling with her dress. She''d grown spectacularly, now a cute young woman.


    "haah~" He exhaled. "I never expected to age this quickly... It''s almost about time you get married."


    "Eh?!"


    Her reaction was priceless. Her head tilting sideways as she stared at him blankly.


    "Don''t worry, I''m not giving my baby-girl away... You can choose your partner with you mother soon enough.


    She''d completely forgotten for a second that she was the oldest daughter of someone comparable to a king.

 Ch 4 – The church again?

    "Father..."


    "You can call me daddy."


    "... Dad."


    "Aw... Didn''t get there..."


    The two walked down the large hallway from her room down to the dining room. Seven rooms where equally spaced along the right wall of corridor, making the walk quite long.


    "... How did the negotiations turn with the Sultanate?"


    "Oh... My girl''s interested in politics now? Good to see someone taking their father''s interests..." Despite the gleeful words, Vlad had a sour smile.


    "They broke down... Something caused the Sultan''s envoy to backpedal hard when we were about to sign the agreement..."


    "That''s... Bad... Have you prepared for some kind of retaliation?"


    "Hah? What''s a girl your age talking about? There''s no way they''d raise their swords against us when we have full support from Ungri and Lengyelor."


    ''I hope you are right, Father...''


    Even without her answer, Vlad realized she thought otherwise...


    They reached the dining room in silence. Each taking their seat. The table was already fully populated... That is, with the exception of her older brother Mihnea, who was still studying in Ungri.


    "Good morning night bats."


    ''Never heard that one before... Wasn''t it supposed to be night owls?"


    "Morning, Mom."


    Necro took her seat at the table.


    "Morning, love."


    Her father, on the other hand, took his sweet time kissing his wife before sitting down.


    "Ew."


    "You really need to grow up, Drac. It''s already time you get yourself a fianc¨¦e."


    "Cut it sis! This stuff is disgusting."


    "You are too old to behave like a child!" Necro''s eyes rolled as she spoke to her brother.


    "Kids... Don''t argue at the table."


    ""Sorry mom...""


    They started peacefully eating the meal, until loud footsteps called the family''s attention:


    "Hah, Hah, Hah, My lord!"


    "What is it! Couldn''t you wait after I take a meal with my family?"


    "Sorry my lord... It is..."


    The soldier looked obviously nervous and tired; He must''ve run a long way. Her gut feeling told made Necro already anticipate the fully armored soldier''s words.


    "There''s an army marching this way."


    "WHAT!?"


    Her father stood up in a jump, almost toppling his cup of wine over.


    "They are over 50 thousand, they just crossed the border from the Sultanate."


    "God damn it!" Vlad dropped his fist onto the table, scaring Drag. "What the fuck are these bastards thinking! That fucking Sultan!"


    "My Lord... They are not bearing the Sultan''s Colors..."


    "Who is it then..."


    Necro''s heart started beating hard on her ears... This tension was something she''d already experienced in her past life... She didn''t want to believe it. She refused to believe this was happening again. Not this time. Not now.


    "Their Halberds and Battle Flags bear the colors of the Royal Church, My Lord."


    "WHAT!" Necro raised to her feet, shouting.


    While Vlad fell back onto his seat, dejected.


    Despite her incredulity, Necro could realize the exchange of stares between her parents...


    For some unexplainable reason, they already expected it.


    Necro felt completely betrayed by their reaction. Why would the church be coming after them?


    What the hell was happening?


    A turmoil formed in her head. She only managed to usher a single sentence.


    "We can still call out allies help right, Father?"


    "I already told you to call me Daddy..." A wry smile appeared on his face, he looked down instead of towards her like he used to. "And no... We can''t... They would never make a move against the Church."


    "But..."


    "We have no time for talking... If this message arrived here, their first messenger will reach in just a couple hours... Glenda!?"


    "Yes, my Lord?" The head maid appeared to have materialized from a shadow in the corner of the dining room, making the soldier gulp.


    "Gather our belongings, we are leaving to the Cetadea Poenari at noon. Send messenger to our troops saying the time has come."


    "Yes, Master." Her facial expression changed completely, turning dark. Necro had never seen anything but a smile on her face. This sudden change amused her as the Maid left the room, heading towards the main corridor.


    nervousness


    "We thank you for your service and offer you our hospitality until our departure." Her mother said to the soldier.


    "That won''t be necessary, My Lady. My family is from the Town downhill. I''ll just go meet them."


    "Then take this as a token of our appreciation." She said as she tossed him a silver coin.


    This may not sound like much, but it was almost a year''s worth of his salary as an unranked soldier.


    "I-I deeply appreciate your kindness!" He said, bowing deeply. Before turning and leaving after he examined the coin with glistening eyes.


    Immediately after his departure, a trumpet announced a foreign visitor, prompting the whole family to leave the room and go meet him in the mansion''s front entryway, outside.


    As they passed through the main door, a single man stood in the middle of the path outside. A dozen soldiers from Wallachia''s army escorted him from both sides. The messenger looked to be a young knight. His brand new, polished, armor shone under the sunlight, white enamel decorating his chest and shoulders.


    He knelt for a second, before standing proudfully, opening a parchment.


    "I-IN THE NAME OF THE HOLY ROYAL CHURCH. WE, THE MEN OF GOD AND BEARER OF HIS WILL, DEMAND THE UNCONTIDIONAL SURRENDER OF THE SINNER VLADMIR DRAKULEA TEPES"


    His nervousness was clear in his voice. After opening the sealed parchment, as he read the words inside it, his fate became clearer by the word.


    "THE HOLY CHURCH DEMANDS YOU ATONE FOR YOUR SINS AGAINST GOD AND MANKIND, YOUR SENTENCE IS DEATH, FOR YOU AND ALL YOUR KIN, FOR THE CRIMES OF BLASPHEMY, VAMPIRISM, PROFANITY AND USE OF FORBIDDEN MAGIC."


    Necro was frozen in place, this was the same that happened to her as Soleir... Her family, however, had long died when it happened... Despite her calm facade, she was despairing inside.


    As the messenger shakingly lowered the parchment, he watched in anguish, waiting for Vlad''s reaction.


    An expression of pure relief could be seen as Vlad turned around, heading back inside, almost as if ignoring his words.


    Before turning into despair after hearing the words that followed.


    "Impale him alive, a mile before the town."


    "Let the church understand who they are messing with."


    His despair was palpable as two of the soldiers restrained him and dragged him.


    The man pleaded for mercy as he was dragged out of the front yard.


    Vlad, Necro and the rest headed back to the dining room to finish their meal.


    The room was immersed in silence for a couple minutes. As they ate, one could hear a pin drop.

 Ch 5 – They are so small…

    DarkGodEM


    "Dad... How many troops do we have...?"  Asked Necro, breaking the silence.


    "Officially?? Barely over a thousand..."


    "And unofficially?"


    "I think another thousand or so... buy they are worth tenfold."


    "I... I see..."


    ''... Was that supposed to be reassuring?''


    Vlad''s words further preoccupied Necro. The lack of manpower to fend off the attackers was obvious.


    Silence grew once more. Nobody said a thing until the end of the breakfast. A gloomy mood was obvious in all present. Each for their own reason.


    Vlad had already accepted his fate, but he needed to find a way to protect his family.


    Jusztina on the other hand was extremely worried about Vlad. So long as he was safe the whole family would also be. Despite his looks and reputation, he was a strong and kind man. And her only true love.


    She was well aware of the overwhelming power of her and her husband''s men... But that was only against normal humans, against the church the tables could potentially be completely turned.


    Necro was afraid she was gonna go through all that again...


    And Drac... Drac was an idiot to begin with.


    "Nec, Drac, please go take a bath, the maids will arrange clothes for you. You can go first Nec."


    "Okay, Father."


    As Necro left the room, Vlad continued.


    "Drac, come here, we need to talk."


    "Yes, Father."


    ------


    ''What is going to happen to me...''


    Necro was fiddled with her thoughts while soaking in the hot bath.


    The bathroom was amazing. Lined with polished marble, it gave a very clean impression. The bath was manually filled with hot clean water every water by the servants. The water was a little too lukewarm for her taste, so she heated it up with the use of fire magic before entering the bath. The hot water helped her relax and think things over.


    ''He said the maids would arrange clothes for us... This means they are not the ones we usually wear... It''s likely that we''ll leave to the Cetadea unannounced to bring less attention. Well... we officially live there anyways. What is he thinking? He said he needed to talk to Drac... I hope I could hear what they are talking about... Maybe something related to us escaping? I mean, he could do it... Is that really the case?''


    *Knock* *Knock*


    "YES!?"


    A knocking on the door awakened her from the brooding.


    "It''s almost time to go. You should hurry"


    A muffled voice answered from the other side.


    "Sorry!"


    She stood, quickly leaving the bath. As she grabbed the robe to dry herself, she looked at her figure in the silver mirror.


    ''They are so small...''


    She thought, holding her breasts with both hands, and pulling them together. The robe forgotten over the counter.


    ''They say men prefer larger ones...''


    She slowly turned to the side, watching her own body on the mirror.


    ''Ah... I wish I hadn''t stopped growing already...''


    Regardless of her doubts, she still thought her slim figure was very cute.


    Her low stature and low weight made her look fairly younger though, almost like an early teen. Her only redeeming feature as a woman was her ass.


    ''At least this is hot...''


    She thought as she rose her leg, caressing her thighs... Her body was spotless and almost free of any hair, with the exception of her nape, where the hairline went down a little further than usual.


    She knew for a fact she was a man in her last life, but she could not care less. She was far more worried about what kind of looks she would get as an adult with almost no female charm... The one thing she knew: There was a person out there who would love her regardless of her appearance, and she had promised to find her no matter how long it took.


    ''Haaah~... I hope I find someone who likes the way I look though...''


    Her insecurity was further fueled by her unusual looks... A Purplish black hair and Reddish eyes...


    ''My vibe is the very opposite of hers isn''t it...''


    It was true. While Necro had a dark, almost gloomy vibe, Lyara was light itself, as bright as a pure maiden.


    ''Nyaaa~''


    She released a cute sigh as she thought of the two of them...


    ''Oh shoot!''


    She slapped both her cheeks. It was not time to daydream! She needed to leave.


    She quickly grabbed the robe and wore it after drying her hair with it a little bit. The maids would do the rest.


    She hurriedly left, aiming for her room.


    As she arrived, two maids awaited her. On her bed, a plain unbleached dress was laid...


    ''This... I guess things are worse than I expected...''


    The simplicity of the dress was not the problem... The material was.


    This meant they were not only going to leave unannounced, but they were also going to sneak out as peasants. Her father was definitely trying to buy them extra time.


    ''Huh... this is...''


    As she was worn, she realized something. The dress was far more comfortable than one would expect. The interior was lined with high quality woven wool and cotton, making it feel incredibly cozy and smooth. It was pretty long, reaching a foot over her feet, like those used by commoners in the town nearby.


    The maid who was brushing her hair braided it. This was the first time she had her hair up. Previously she would at most have it brushed and used a tiara to stop it from falling on her eyes as she went horse-riding.


    It felt weird and heavier than usual... But it would make it easier to hide it with the hood... So, she wouldn''t complain.


    "Wow... Necky looks very cute in those..."


    "Yeah, right?! She looks like the most beautiful normal person ever!"


    "... Was I not a normal person to begin with?"


    "Eh."


    "Ah... I mean... You are royalty, not a commoner. So... I meant..."


    The maids froze. Stuttering to answer.


    "Relax... I meant it as a joke"


    ""Few...""


    Both let out a sigh of relief as they heard her answer... Despite their employers being quite understanding, offending Necro would never be forgiven by either of the Lords.


    "Should I get going then?"


    "Wait! Necky, His majesty told us to have you wear these."


    One of the maids turned around, grabbing a small jewelry box from the desk.


    As she opened it, a torrent of magical particles assaulted Necro.


    Those were not simple jewelry. Those were artifacts.


    "What are they?"


    "Our Majesty said it was a family heirloom."


    ''So, they can''t tell it''s an artifact...''


    The maid held a beautiful golden neckchain in her hands. There was a small symbol dangling. One Necro though she''d seen somewhere but couldn''t recognize clearly.


    She held her hair up as the maid arranged it around her neck.


    In the box, a couple more items were present, each emanating the same thick aura.


    Next was a couple of golden earrings. each had a beautiful small violet. As she wore them, Necro instantly felt her mana pool grow larger. The feeling was that of when you let go off of a water balloon, the water waving throughout its surface.


    And lastly, two rings.


    The maids were surprised as they shrunk when worn on Necro''s left middle and index fingers.


    The middle finger one was a larger gold ring, on it, a royal seal was present.


    "A... Are you sure I should be wearing this? Wouldn''t it be better to have it hung from the neckchain?"


    The maids looked at each other, comprehending her question.


    "Yeah... Makes sense."


    As she took out the golden ring, Necro focused on the other ring. It was far less attention grabbing, yet still equally as beautiful. It was very similar to the earrings, but it was silver instead. A single small amethyst was encrusted. This one was significantly smaller than those on the earrings. What grabbed her attention where the incredibly detailed inscriptions on the side. They were so small it would take her a magnifying glass to be able to discern the characters.


    ''Wonder what they do... I can''t use Identifying magic in front of the maids though... Such a bummer.''

 Ch 6 – It’s not your fault…

    "We done here?"


    Her father''s voice called her from outside of the room.


    "Yes!"


    Necro said happily. She thought she needed to sound happy to make her father less anxious.


    She bid farewell to the maids and left the room.


    Apparently, her idea worked.


    Her father''s face looked far more relaxed than previously.


    He wore clothes similar to her''s.


    They walked through the corridor as per usual... Necro felt something was off. Drac still never looked her in the eyes.


    "Is everything okay, Father? Is there anything you want to tell?"


    "Ah... I''m~--- Sorry..." He said, sheepishly


    She pulled on his hand, making him turn behind and look straight at her.


    She hugged him. Her face reaching only as high as his chest.


    "There''s no need for you to apologize, Father. I know this is not your fault."


    He hugged her back tightly, patting her head with one of his hands.


    "But... I failed both as a father and a ruler... You knew about this possibility before I had even considered it."


    "You did all you could to protect us, that''s more than enough for this daughter of yours." She said, looking up at him.


    "Please don''t feel bad. This was never your fault to begin with. I just hope we can go back to normal after this..."


    He looked straight at her before looking towards the horizon through one of the windows and answering.


    "Me too, my baby-girl... Me too..."


    They both stood there for a second, appreciating the scenery of the mountains and the clouds above them... unbeknownst to Necro, her father spotted a couple battle flags in the distance, passing through the meadows that preceded the mountains. He hugged her tighter for a second, before letting go.


    "Your mother''s earrings really suit you."


    "Thanks, Daddy."


    They walked through the remainder of the corridor, reaching the staircase. There, her mother, and brother awaited them. The gloomy atmosphere from the two changed both her and her father''s demeanor. They walked silently through the main hall into the servant''s hallway, as they passed by the arch that led into the kitchen, Necro noticed more than half of their servants were missing. When they left, the servants would remain in the mansion, they each had their own room and, in case they had a family, a fitting small house at the back of the property. Their own meals were also prepared in the main kitchen since there was no reason not to do so. Them not being there regardless of whether they leaving was very strange. As they left the back room the strangeness only increased for Necro. All the gardeners and outside workers were gone... There''d always be at least two of them roaming around the back of the mansion. Cleaning the animal manure and making sure everything was impeccable.


    Necro tried analyzing the situation but was unable to understand what was happening. She could guess the missing servants were probably part of the "unofficial forces" her father mentioned earlier... But more than half those missing were women. Even the Head Maid was nowhere to be seen... There''s no way they''d be part of a militia, right?


    While she struggled with her doubts, the four arrived at the stables.


    There, a plain looking horse drawn covered wagon awaited them.


    "What''s this? it looks shoddy..." Drac complained. Using these gnarky looking was already a lot for him, used to living with all comfort. But traveling on this? It was too much for the spoiled boy.


    "Shut up!"


    *Plop*


    "AWWWW!"


    Necro gave him a single slap to the nape, making him drop his head.


    "What was that for?"


    "For you to stop being stupid. Now listen to Father."


    "Thank you, Nec..."


    "Ahem. We''ll go to the Cetadea now... But there''s some things I need to tell you on the way.


    Vlad was the first to board the wagon, the rest followed him through the door on the back.


    To the side, a shady-looking man waited for them to board.


    *Snap*


    As soon as they boarded, Vlad snapped his fingers once. After just a couple seconds the wagon started moving. Slowly at first, but increasingly fast.


    Despite being drawn by just two horses, the wagon as moving at an amazing speed. Necro realized this in just a couple minutes. They were moving as fast as the horses would normally dash carrying a single person.


    Vlad started speaking a couple minutes after they reached the road that connected the town to the "Capital", where the Cetadea was located.


    The ride was generally a handful of hours long on a coach. But with their current speed, it would only take a couple of hours.


    "Now... I need to talk to the two of you. I''ve already explained a part of this to Drac earlier but..." (Vlad)


    "Me and your father though about this for a long time, we tried to protect you but... it¡¯s about time you know..." (Jusztina)


    "Our families are far older than you might expect, and we preceded the Church itself."(Jusztina)


    "We already knew the time would come where they''d realize who we are and come after us, so we made some arrangements... But we had no clue they would come this fast, so we won''t be able to follow our plan to the letter." (Vlad)


    A tense atmosphere hovered over them all. Necro was greatly confused by the meaning behind their words. She became even more confused seeing the serious expression on Drac''s face... He already knew it all, didn''t he?


    "First, we gave you two some of our families'' mementos. The ring you received, Drac, increases your strength, so that if it ever comes to the point where you need to fight, you can." (Vlad)


    "The Ring and earrings I gave you, Nec, will help you use your maximum potential as a mage. I don''t know for sure what they do since I''m not a magician myself and they never told me..." (Jusztina)


    "And lastly, Nec, I gave you two items from my personal items. A neckchain that belonged to my mother. If something ever happens to you, it will protect you. And my own seal. From now on, both of you must follow your own path together." (Vlad)


    "It''s very hard for us to say this while you are still this young but... This is your best chance." (Jusztina)


    Necro was on the brim of tears. She knew very well what their words meant. She knew at this point she would probably never see them again.


    "One last thing." Her father said, pulling a ring from his pinky finger. "This is a storage ring... We were never rich to begin with... We lived comfortably thanks to our people and their love, but taxes were always low, lest those very people would suffer. This ring contains all the potions and elixirs we had stored for ourselves, plus the little money we had around. Please take care of it and your brother, Nec."


    "Why her! I''m older!"


    "My son, there''s things in life that are more important than age, and you will learn them soon... Please protect your sister when we can''t." (Jusztina)


    "Yes, mom..."


    Tears started flowing from Necro''s eyes. She didn''t want to leave them. She didn''t want to let go of her family...


    "Please... Let me stay... I can fight! I''m a stronger magician than you think so... Please!"


    *PAF*


    Vlad and Drac froze, their mouths agape.


    Juzstina was also crying, her arm stretched. While Necro flinched, her hand on her now red cheek.


    This was the first and only time any of them ever hit Necro.


    "Don''t you realize how hard this is for us!" She shouted. "Don''t make it worse! We don''t want you to die!"


    "Jusz... You..." (Vlad)


    "I know, Vlad! But... She can understand what I am saying. You know that very well!"


    ''I know she''s not a normal kid... But still!'' He thought, but preferred not to say anything.


    He thought about saying something again, but before he had the chance, he looked at Necro''s now grave expression. Freezing.


    Those eyes.


    They were not those of a woman. Let alone those of a child.


    Those were the eyes of a demon. Just like himself.


    "Understood." (Necro)

 Ch 7 – You are not my daughter, are you?

    In silence, Necro put the ring on her right hand''s pinkie. She already knew how to use it from her first life, but her father explained it, nonetheless.


    "To find out what''s inside just think about what''s in the ring, it will show kind of a summarized list... But how it shows depends on the person."


    "Also, I''m sorry this money isn''t enough for much... but it should amount for a couple of years if you use it rationally."


    Vlad spoke in a tone he seldom used with his children... But the expression, better yet, the lack of expression on Necro''s face prompted him to act like addressing a fellow magician. There was something about her that was ticking him off...


    "Nec... You are not my daughter, are you?"


    "VLAD! What the fuck are you saying!"


    "Shut up for a second Jusz. Necronomia, answer my question."


    "He''s right mom... I''m not your daughter."


    Jusztina was left dumbfounded. Drac even more so.


    Vlad rose his hand to his face, looking down and squeezing his eyes lightly.


    "Since when?" He muttered; He got no answer.


    "SINCE WHEN?!" He yelled this time.


    "A long time ago... I think this body was four when I reincarnated in it."


    "Hahh~..." Vlad sighed hard.


    "Then you''ve been my daughter all along..."


    His answer confused Necro. But she decided not to say anything.


    "The miracle..." (Jusztina)


    "There was no such thing as a miracle... The person who inhabited this body before me really died that day... I just took over from there..."


    "It''s a miracle nonetheless." (Jusztina)


    Jusztina¡¯s answer only further confused Necro. What was she saying?!


    "Our daughter was gravely ill since she was born, and she go bedridden after only a couple years. We never even knew how she was and how she behaved... Necky, you are the only daughter we have known. Don''t say you are not my kid... It''s been you all along."


    Tears started flowing from Necro''s eyes once more... She thought for sure she would''ve been abandoned after they found this out. She''d hid that fact over so many years now. Instead, she was confronted with much love and affection. Even more so, she was recognized by them.


    Yet... She was about to leave them anyways. She was going to lose the family she now finally got entirely, regardless of her past.


    This was just too much for her, she started wailing as she threw herself onto her parents...


    They hugged her and remained there for a good while.


    After Necro calmed down, she looked up and repeated herself:


    "I can help you fight, can I? I was a great magician in my last life."


    "I don''t care who you used to be. You are now my sweet little child; We won''t let you fight a war that is not yours. Don''t make your mom slap you again."


    Jusztina and Necro laughed at the remark. soothing the atmosphere a little.


    Once again silence prevailed for a couple of hours, but this time, it felt cozy as Necro rested her head on her mother''s shoulders and held her father''s hand.


    "Necky, out of curiosity, what was your name before you reincarnated?" Drac''s question was something everybody wanted to know but decided not to ask out of consideration... Necro''s straight answer made her parents look at each other, surprised.


    "Oh... My name was Soleir Behangd."


    That name belonged to the most powerful necromancer of the last generation. One who managed to fool the church for over three decades.


    Drac nodded, satisfied, it was not like he was fond of studying.


    "Holy shit" Vlad let slip in a low voice.


    Vlad''s reaction, on the other hand, was far more energetic, despite him trying to contain himself.


    "If everything pans out, you have to promise me you''ll teach me as much as you can!"


    "Yes, Daddy. Until then I''ll train more so that I can try and make the spells I was able to before."


    "This body''s mana pool is far smaller than your previous'' right?"


    "Yeah.... but the earrings mom gave me already helped a huge bit."


    "Oh... So that''s what they do..."


    "Uhum."


    They continued making some small talk about magic for a couple minutes, until the wagon stopped.


    As it did so, Vlad''s expression became grave.


    "It''s time..." (Vlad)


    He jumped down from the wagon, calling his children.


    Necro and Drac bid farewell, hugging their mother, before jumping down from the wagon as well.


    "Take this." (Vlad)


    He gave each a dagger. Both were similar, forged masterpieces. But the one he gave Necro had golden details and a large garnet embedded on its pummel. At least that was what it looked to be, but Necro knew it was, in fact, a Middle Tier Manastone. It was clearly meant to be a magic weapon. but no enchantments were applied to it yet.


    "I haven''t had the chance to finish it... But I hope you''ll make good use of this hobby of mine."


    "Thank you, father. I''ll finish it as soon as possible."


    Necro was still unable to use engraving magic, but she knew how to do it... It may take her a couple of years, but she would not spare any effort into making this the best dagger. She put the dagger into the thigh strap she had under the dress. Given the length of the dress, it was not ideal to take it out, but it would be useful for hiding it.


    "Also, Daughter, a couple of your dresses and everyday clothes are in the ring. As soon as you reach somewhere safe, change into them... You need to register in a guild for protection. Any guild will do. You and your brother should head west from here. There''s a small town near the border with Ungri. Once you pass the border, send the letter in the ring to Corvinus through the Adventurer''s Guild or the Royal Courier. Drac... Take good care, your stuff is also on the ring. Nec, take the sword out of it please."


    Necro imagined taking it out and a single-handed short sword appeared on her hands. It was a very average looking sword but still a  pretty good one. it also came with a scabbard.


    Necro sheathed the sword and gave it to her brother, who attached it to his belt.


    "I''ll take my leave now, please be responsible."


    "Goodbye, Father." Necro bid farewell. Drac remained silent.


    As soon as her father climbed onto the wagon, it started moving again.


    They stood there, watching it go.


    "I''m going too"(Drac)


    "What? But Father said we needed to stay together."


    "I''m a man, I need to fight for my family."


    "But father-"


    "I don''t care what Father said. I''m an adult! And you already know better than to stay by my side. It''s better if we take our different paths."


    "Yes... Sorry..."


    "Don''t be, take this." Drac threw her a small leather pouch.


    The pouch made the clicking sound of coins when she grabbed it.


    "What is..."


    "Those are my savings... Since I may die today, it¡¯s better that they remain with you.  Don''t put it in the ring. Leave it out in case you need to pay for cheap stuff, or you find trouble with thugs. This way they won''t search you further.


    "Thank you, Drac..."


    "Don''t thank me... You are far more suited to rule after our parents than both me and Mihnea... I hope everything goes well but... Good luck sister."


    "Good luck on you fight..."


    Drac nodded and set running through the tracks the wagon left... From Necro''s approximations, it should be only an hour walk from here to the Cetadea... Maybe this was arranged beforehand...


    She couldn''t imagine her parents sending Drac to the fray... The probably knew he would go anyways and did this so that he could arrive there less tired or something...


    Anyhow. She needed to go...


    She looked around road. Dense forest surrounded her on every direction. How was she supposed to get anywhere...?


    Father told her to head west. That was through the forest... So, she headed into it, towards the unknown.

 Ch 8 – Am I dead…?

    ''Why did I do that?! I''m so stupid....''


    Necro slowly walked through the forest. Despite the tension, the scenery was very soothing. The large trees were spaced enough one could walk with no problem, she could hear the sound of squirrels and other small animals. Fungi grew on the base of trees and fallen trunks.


    ''I should''ve gone with him...''


    She was deeply troubled... On one hand, she regretted not heading to the capital with her brother. On the other, she knew it was against her parents'' will and would probably make them suffer. Wandering through the forest was very dangerous but not nearly as much as facing the church... Especially after they stated they wanted her head as well.


    ''No... Everything''s gonna me fine! They''ll be alright. Me being there would just be a bother... I''m was a necromancer, there''s little I can do without previous preparation.''


    Her soliloquy dragged for quite some time. Her arguments joggling her opinion back and forth between running away or going back to fight with them.


    Without her even realizing, she''d gone very deep into the forest, deviating from the direction she was supposed to go.


    The greenery slowly started withering around her as she ventured further and further south.


    When the forest was completely devoid of life, was when she realized her mistake.


    ''Fuck! I wasn''t supposed to be here.''


    South of the central road was a barren land known as the Death Valley. A part of the forest where all living things died from the intense miasma. Its source remained unknown, but occasionally, the thick fog from the region would slowly move across the mountains, reaching villages and towns.


    Now, the fog wasn''t that intense, making her not realize her mistake. However, its extension was massive. Necro realized it as she looked up to try to navigate using the sun''s position. A thick grey veil hid the sky, there was no way for her to grasp the direction.


    Noticing this, she turned around to the path she''d come through, only to find something blocking her path.


    An enormous wolf.


    The monstrosity was around her height, its body surrounded by thick grey fog. Blood dripped from its exposed fangs as it growled at her, slowly lowering its body.


    Necro was entranced by its slitted yellow eyes. Necro had never seen a demonic beast in this life. Her last experience with one dated more than a decade ago, while harvesting the materials for the reincarnation spell. But this monster was far larger than the ones she used to encounter back then. Lester would only hunt weak monsters, anything else he''d buy the products themselves either from the guilds or the black market.


    Being face to face with such an ominous creature was a first.


    Necro felt her heart beating hard in her chest, her arms felt cold while she started shivering, her legs tingling. She had to run.


    She knew she had to run. But something was stopping her, she felt strangely attracted to the eyes of the monster, her eyes shining in a deeper shade of red than usual.


    The monster gave stepped backwards a couple times, before dashing.


    ''FUCK!''


    She thought, as the massive creature opened its jaws, flying towards her in a single motion.


    She rolled sideways on the ground, the monster barely missing his target, as it''s gaping mouth passed an inch above her thigh.


    ''How?''


    She knew she was not supposed to be that agile...


    ''Maybe... ''


    She glanced at her Mother''s ring, the only accessory she did not know the effect yet.


    It had just saved her life.


    She kissed it as she dashed away from the giant wolf.


    The sound of dead branches breaking under her feet was dampened by her ragged breathing and heartbeat.


    She ran through the dead trees, trying to pass through the narrowest spaces possible.


    The sound of something sliding across the ground further increased her nervousness every time she made a sharp turn.


    She kept running for a while, making a turn every time she felt the warmth of the creature''s breath.


    She realized running was a bad idea... She was already getting tired while the monster showed no signs of slowing down at all.


    She was already back at the regular forest. Leaving the dead one far behind.


    Necro looked behind, trying to grasp the monster''s location.


    To find its face inches away from hers.


    The shock made her lose track of her feet, tripping and falling to the ground.


    A dull pain told her she had bruised her knees...


    She turned around, still on the ground, to see the monster sniffing her...


    Her expression froze in fear as she slowly tried to crawl backwards.


    The monster walking towards her in small steps, almost as if savoring her fear and despair.


    Her back hit something hard, she looked up to see she''d just hit a tree.


    There was nowhere to run.


    The monster was almost on top of her. Its fangs no longer dripping blood like when she first found it.


    She mustered all her courage and started concentrating mana on her hands for a desperate spell.


    She closed her eyes as the monster leaped for her throat, noticing the casting.


    *Clang*


    ''Am I dead...? No... What was that metallic sound?''


    She opened her eyes. There was a person in front of her in plate armor. It didn''t look to be a soldier... Probably an adventurer.


    "Are you okay?" He asked.


    "Yes..."


    "Why the hell is one of these around here?!"


    "The hell do we know!"


    "Calm down people! Instead use your mouths for something useful!"


    Necro heard a couple of women''s voices from behind her as well as another man''s.


    After a second, a woman in medium armor and a large shield passed running, hitting the monster with a mace.


    The monster growled, throwing the swordsmen away and turning to the paladin.


    The man managed to regain his balance without falling and hacked at the monster.


    As the giant wolf struggled to bite the paladin protected by her massive shield, the sword embedded itself into its neck, making it howl in pain.

 Ch 9 – The cute magician

    "Fuck! My sword is stuck!"


    Necro looked behind to see the others.


    Behind him, a cute looking boy in leather armor and a girl were preparing to join the fight.


    Despite the cute boy using a longbow almost his size being a weird combination overall, Necro''s attention was solely focused on the girl.


    She looked to be around her age, barely an adult. Her bobby light-blue hair was extremely cute. She was wearing a simple white dress under some brown robes with a hood.


    She looked very serious and reliable.


    But what called Necro''s attention was...


    She had almost the same body as her! No, no, more importantly. Necro had more breasts.


    Necro stared at her, putting her hands over her chest as she smiled sideways.


    ''I''m... not that small.''


    The girl noticed her gaze and blushed slightly, not batting an eyelid. As she looked straight back to the fight.


    ''Oh, right... The monster.''


    Necro looked back in a hurry, when she looked, the wolf had let go of the shield and turned, clawing the unarmed swordsman.


    Right before the claw hit.


    *Tuck*


    An arrow stuck itself into its leg. The monster pulled it back from the reflex... It looked down and pulled the arrow out with its mouth. After only a second it was already ready to attack once more.


    But before it could take the initiative, the Paladin went ahead and delivered a solid blow to its hock, making it lose its balance and growl once again.


    As it looked behind, limping from its broken joint, Necro''s attention once again returned to the cute girl, she was casting some sort of magic using a scroll as a medium.


    "Thin and quick, may the water cut though solid stone! Waterblade!"


    A thin chain of water assaulted the wolf. Cutting its front paw right off and making it fall to the ground while trying to bite at the Paladin.


    Her shield was taken. And since it was strapped to her arm, she was thrown to the ground.


    Right then, another arow flew from the boy''s bow, piercing in between the monster''s eyes. Killing it on the spot.


    "Pfew!" Spoke the swordsman. "I legit thought I would die there... Thank you Bid" (Hal)


    "I''ve already told you to stop calling me that!" (Bid)


    "Don''t bully the kid, Hal." (Margaery)


    "Come on Margaery, he''s cute." (Hal)


    "I''ve told you my name is Bordae." (Bid)


    "You... Shut up." (?)


    "What now iceheart?" (Hal)


    "You scaring the girl." (?)


    The cute looking girl walked towards Necro, reaching her hand to help her get up.


    Necro grabber her hand, blushing. The girl also blushed. Both avoiding to make any eye contact.


    "Thanks" (Necro)


    "Welcome"(?)


    "Hoo... So Laese found herself a likeminded fellow..." (Bid)


    "You should rather say, a wordless fellow..." (Hal)


    "Men are such jerks..." (Margaery)


    "I''m Margaery, you can call me Mary. What''s your name?"


    "Ah... Necronomia..."


    "Hmmm... So Necro innit?"


    "Yes..."


    "Don''t be that shy. See, Ace likes you."


    "Don''t say what you don''t know!" Ace responded with an annoyed voice, yet she had no expression at all.


    "Of course, I know... It''s the first time I''ve seen you blush since I met you."


    "..." (Ace)


    "..." (Necro)


    They blushed even more as they looked at each other.


    "The heck is wrong with you Mary! Stop embarrassing them." (Hal)


    "O~key" (Mary).


    "That thing was not supposed to show up around here... Are you really okay?" (Hal)


    Necro nodded at him, not saying anything.


    "Where are you heading? You shouldn''t be walking alone in the forest..."


    "East" (Necro)


    "God... Another one of the hard-to-understand ones..." (Bid)


    "Shut up Bid! I''m trying to understand where she''s going!"


    "So, you''re going to Helf?"


    Necro knew the name of that town, it was a small town a little ways south of the border.


    "Could be, yes"


    "Do you mind joining us? It would be a safer journey."


    "Stop simping, Hal! We just left town!" (Bid)


    "Yeah, idiot! You wanna carry this wolf while hunting more? This is much better that that shitty mission we took! And we can always get the herbs on the way back." (Mary)


    "Hey! You are the pious one here, shouldn''t you be respectful of something?" (Bid)


    "God doesn''t care for such subtleties."


    "I''m not sure about that..."


    Now that they mentioned, Necro realized her shield had a huge red cross on it, and her armor looked like that of the papal armies. Necro''s anger started to boil as killing intent became clear in her eyes.


    "Oy, oy, calm down ok." (Hal)


    "Ah... Sorry..." (Necro)


    "You scare the hell out of me... I thought you were gonna kill us for a second..."(Bid)


    "People have bad times with the Church" (Ace)


    "Oh... Sorry if this annoys you... Don''t worry about it. I was excommunicated anyways..." A bittersweet smile appeared on her face as she shrugged.


    "Sorry..." (Necro)


    "Don''t be. Church''s disgusting" (Ace)


    "Yeah... I refused to execute someone and got excommunicated for it... The Church does not represent God''s will." (Mary)


    "You know more about God than the Holy Church... We get it... Now stop that crap." (Hal)


    Necro sighed relieved... She''d almost screwed it up with them...


    "Don''t worry about it, we understand your hatred, but please don''t make those eyes again." (Hal)


    "Okay..." (Necro)


    The archer, Bid, grabbed a dagger from his belt and pried the sword free and threw it towards Hal, before cutting around the wolf''s throat.


    "This one is a high quality one... We''re gonna make a lot of money." (Bid)


    "The bidding has finally begun, ey!" (Hal)


    "Extra money..." (Ace)


    "I''ll finally have some nice drinks, ah..." (Mary)


    "Stop drooling and help me out here! This thing''s heavy!"


    Necro watched as the archer drained and dismantled the giant wolf. She was curious about what monster it was. She''d studied a little bit about monsters and demonic beasts but was not sure in which category this one would fit.


    DarkGodEM

 Ch 10 – Her first kiss

    "Excuse me, Bid?"


    "See! It''s you guys'' fault! Even the girl we just saved is calling me Bid..."


    "Yeah?"


    "Ah.. sorry... I was just wondering what monster this was..."


    "Oh, this? This is a Giant Fogwolf. It''s actually a Demonic Beast rather than a Monster. It has no Monster Core, see." Bid stopped skinning the wolf for a second, showing her it''s open carcass.


    "Ah, thank you... It was so large I thought it was a monster..."


    "Oh, this one is a high quality one. It''s very large and probably very close to evolving into a Storm Wolf. That one is a monster."


    "Hmmm... What''s the main difference between them?"


    "The monster version has harder fur that can actually deflect iron blades to some extent, and since it has a core, it can also use magic."


    ''Ah... I was lucky to not find one of those...''


    "Thank you for the information."


    "You''re welcome, I thought you didn''t talk like normal people like her over there..." He said, pointing at Ace.


    "Shut up. I can speak." (Ace)


    "See?" He said, turning to Necro.


    "Anyhow, It''s nice to see you are interested in monsters... Do you plan on becoming an Adventurer?"


    "Father said I needed to join a guild so... Could be."


    "Oh... That''s interesting... But you shouldn''t become an adventurer just for that reason... You''d probably die very quickly" He said, resuming the skinning.


    "My old party was made of newbies... They ignored me when I told them we shouldn''t go any further..."


    "They died right?"


    "Yeah... I think something along those lines happened to Ace too... That''s probably why she speaks so little."


    Necro looked at her worriedly... She hadn''t lost anyone like that but... It must''ve been hard...


    "Ignore him. This is my first party, I fled home." (Ace)


    "Ah..."


    "Phew.... this is done... Hal! Should we harvest the insides and whatnot?"


    "Do you wanna eat that? I don''t. And its gonna rot before we reach the town anyways."


    "Okay then" Bid started to roll the fur into an easier to transport shape.


    ''I should ask for the rest....''


    "Excuse me..." Necro said.


    "Yeah?"


    "Can I have the rest if you don''t want it?"


    "I mean... Sure... But what are you gonna do with it?"


    "Ah... Sorry..." Necro walked towards the carcass and touched it, absorbing the whole wolf into her ring.


    ''Oh... This ring has a very small capacity... It''s almost full...''


    "OH! YOU HAVE A STORAGE RING!?" (Hal)


    "Yeah... But it''s a small one."


    "Still... Those are very expensive." (Bid)


    The gorgeous small girl walked towards Necro as they spoke. Necro became a little anxious until the girl hugged her and stared at the men.


    "Leave her!" (Ace)


    Necro became tomato red.


    "You can''t have her!" (Ace)


    ''What is she saying? Why is she touching me? Why is her touch this soft?'' Necro felt dizzy as blood rushed through her head and her thoughts became a disorderly mess.


    "Wa"


    "... Sorry." The girl, Ace, whispered in her ears. Necro''s body started feeling hotter from the whispering. ''Maybe I''m getting sick...'' she thought. She was a man in her last life, and didn''t have that much experience regardless... She was a woman now... She was supposed to feel like this around men, right? Or so she thought.


    "They want to use your ring."


    "Ah..." Necro''s head quickly came back to normal...


    ''So that''s what she''s talking about.


    "Thank you..."


    "It''s nothing. You''re cute."


    Necro once again became very red. Why was this cute girl complimenting her?


    "We got it, we got it. Let''s go find a safe place to camp, Bid." (Hal)


    "Y-Yes..." For some reason, Bid also became embarrassed and left with him, glancing backwards as the two.


    Neither realized they were still hugging each other.


    "I think you girls should let go of each other before the misunderstandings become irreversible" Mary said, as she turned away to follow the boys.


    The girls let go of each other, looking embarrassed.


    "Thank you for helping me." (Necro)


    "It was nothing. We should go." The flustered Ace walked ahead while looking back, inviting Necro to come too.


    "Yes."


    The group walked for over an hour through the forest, always heading towards the direction of the town they talked about earlier. They were in silence most of the time, aware in case any other monster appeared.


    Ace and Necro kept exchanging


    "Necro." (Ace)


    "You can call me Nec..."


    "O-Okay..." Ace became a little red, maybe calling Necro by a nickname was a little too much.


    "Nec... You are a dark magician right?"


    "Huh!? How?" Necro became startled.


    "I''m a magician as well. You have a different aura... It''s so dense. When you looked at Mary that way it felt like I was being strangled..." For some reason, Ace''s breath became a little ragged, and her cheeks blushed as she said it.


    Necro could not avoid noticing it, and became a little flushed.


    "Ah... Thank you..."


    "Don''t worry. I won''t tell anyone."


    Necro became very confused at her statement... ''Why would she hide such an important thing from the others?'' She thought. Stopping walking for a second.


    In this time, Ace overtook her and stood in front of her. She looked around only to see the others a little ways further ahead, looking the other direction.


    She lost no time and approached Necro, holding her face and giving a quick peck on her lips before speaking to her ears.


    "Because I liked you, dummy."


    Necro stood there, her brain froze for a second as it''s gears started turning the other way.


    ''She said she likes me.''


    Necro felt as if her mind was locked up. She felt very happy. But also very confused.


    Why would that girl like her? Was it because of her looks? Or her magic? She didn''t know.


    And she couldn''t avoid thinking about Lyara. Would she feel like this around her too?


    Her memories from the time as Soleir gave her no clue at all.


    She''d never felt like this around a woman, even when she was a man. There was no such thing.


    What would her parents even think...


    She then remembered a conversation:


    "Sole... Are you never going to marry?"


    "What are you asking Ly? Of course not, why would I? I already have you.


    This conversation took place over two decades ago, back when he''d just been excommunicated.


    "But still... You are such a great man... and with our magic you can live for centuries..."


    "I''ve already told you no. I''m not letting you exchange your lifespan for increasing mine."


    "There''s gotta be a way around. You know it. And... I''ve heard that great humans have many wives and children..."


    "I have no interest in such things."


    "But... You ought to want children right?"


    This all took place while Soleir wrote a book about Essential Magic. A field of Non-Elemental magic that was deemed to be "Element-neutral based on God''s will", which he used as a basis for his Non-Elemental Magic Thesis.


    "I have no such leeway... I can''t have any more people to protect other than you right now... Maybe if we had one some day after getting rid of the church... But not now."


    "Okay... I wanted to imagine you one day surrounded by beautiful people who love you and many, many mini Soleirs running around us..."


    He''d shoved that memory deep inside his memory but for some reason her current situation pulled it to the surface.


    ''So she''d actually approve of it... Too bad I''m no longer a man... I wish she won''t feel bad we won''t be able to have any children... What am I thinking! I was supposed to have become a Lich. Those can''t have children either...''


    "Are you okay?" (Ace)


    "Kya! Ah! Yes! Sorry!" Necro got completely flushed as she stared at Ace embarrassed...


    "Maybe I went too far..."


    "No! That''s not it... It''s just... It was a first for me..."


    "A." Ace turned completely red realizing the implications... She didn''t think about it yet. But she lifted her hand to her mouth.


    This had also been her first kiss.

 Ch 11 – Ace’s choice

    The two, still very much embarrassed, hurried their steps to rejoin the rest of the group.


    They walked for longer than another hour, and sunset was almost upon them while they searched for a suitable place to rest.


    Much to Bid''s daze, Ace and Necro were avoiding eye contact for the whole time...


    "Hey, Ace. Did something happen between you and the Necro girl?"


    "Huh?" Ace blushed a lot, before stuttering. "N-No! W-Why would you think that?"


    "Oh boy... Ace actually has a heart..."


    "Stop!" Ace got a little angry. But she was way more embarrassed than angry. She had always known she also liked girls but... She never expected to feel like this.


    The moment she saw that girl her heart started racing and she couldn''t avoid staring at her. She had a gorgeous, delicate face and a dark hair that reminded her of the night sky.


    And her eyes. God, her eyes were so beautiful. A deep purple red that seemed to glister. Calling her.


    That alone was enough to make her legs feel weak.


    But when she got angry was when Ace lost herself. The power emanating from her eyes, the thickness of her aura. Her heart was almost jumping out of her chest. Ace had the gift of Aura Vision, an ability that allows one to see the flow of mana around them. It was a very hard skill to master, but for some inexplicable reason, Ace learned it on her own while still a child. And just the mana that escaped Necro when she got angry was enough to blind her completely. A thick and dark mana, the same color as her hair, but gleaming with different flashes of Red, Blue, Green and Orange. As well as an unexplainable and colorless light, that she could not even explain. She very well knew the implications of that.


    And those implications enthralled her, completely bewitching her mind and making her fall in love immediately.


    Not only was that girl able to make her heart race as a woman, she was able to enrapture her as a magician as well.


    This feeling was a lot for Ace to handle for the first time. She had met plenty of powerful mages by her father''s side, yet nobody''s mana was able to captivate her like this, even during a high level casting.


    She knew very well this girl was very special. She had fled from home exactly to find someone she would be able to look up to. Her parents wanted her to marry some disgusting prince of another country. She wanted to find herself someone she could actually love, so she let go of everything to venture and find that person. That''s also why she joined the Adventurers'' Guild. While the church was known to have the most powerful magicians, that was in reality just a facade, they were good at healing and purifying magic... but that''s it. Adventurers who actually used their magic every day in life and death situations had far more refined and powerful magic. But they were very few and far between...


    She actually had to hide she was a magician until she found a suitable party... Else the amount of invitations would be overwhelming. Not that that stopped the poachers... but far fewer parties were willing to stoop so low.


    Ace looked behind to see Necro was still blushing.


    She found her reactions incredibly cute.


    Meanwhile Necro was still thinking about what happened... But thinking about her father made her remember what''s going on there.


    ''I hope they are okay... By this time they should''ve already gotten there.''


    Necro was very worried about them... heading off against the church was not a good thing. And her parents'' words still haunted her a little... What did they mean with "Our families precede the church?"...


    The kiss she just got made her feel strange... Her body was yet to come back to normal, there was still some tingling in between her legs and she felt a little hot.


    ''Maybe I''m really getting a cold...''


    "Hey, Necro, you said you were considering joining the guild right?" (Mary)


    "Yes.."


    "What kind of weapons can you use? I mean... You should at least have some idea... Right?"


    "Oh... I was trained on swordsmanship and small blade combat."


    "Really?! Then what are you? A squire? Or a rogue?"


    "... Neither... I''m a magician..."


    "HUUUH?!"


    "What''s the matter, Mary?" (Hal)


    "This girl! She said she''s a magician!"


    Necro couldn''t really understand why she was that surprised, Magicians were not that uncommon among adventurers, instead, most of them became adventurers since it was a good source of income.


    "Huh! How come?" (Bid)


    "Already knew it..." (Ace)


    The rest of the party threw a sideways glance at Ace.


    "It''s a given, look at her clothes." (Ace)


    "Still! How can a magician move like that!" (Bid)


    "And have that much stamina to run away from that thing!" (Hal)


    "You mean... you guys were watching me run for a while before helping...?" (Necro)


    "Ah! It''s not like that! You guys were just a bit far and running pretty fast... It took us a while to reach you." (Hal)


    Necro became a little wary of them. However...


    "It''s true." As Ace held her hand while saying this, all her doubts vanished. If she was saying it was true then it probably is...


    "Why didn''t you tell us anything, Ace?" (Mary)


    "Unnecessary work" She shrugged.


    "Are you fucking real?" Snark Hal, shaking his head.


    Necro knew from before that this was Ace trying to protect her, and started to blush a little...


    "It''s late, where we camping?" Ace changed the course of the conversation to a more pressing matter/


    "We haven''t found a good spot yet..." (Hal)


    "Hey!" Started Bid. "There''s a clearing just a little far ahead!"


    "Well... Apparently we found a place." (Hal)


    "Thank goodness! I was getting tired..." (Mary)


    "This armor and shield of yours are too heavy..."


    "It''s not like I have the money to buy a Storage Ring that fits them..."


    "From this bad boy you''d probably have if you didn''t drink all your savings every single time." Said Bid, tapping the roll of Fur strapped to his back.


    "Leave my drinks! You shouldn''t meddle with a maiden''s private matters!"


    "Here they go again..." (Hal)


    "Are they always like this?" Asked Necro in a low voice.


    "Yeah..." Responded Ace softly whispering in her ear. "Most of the time."


    Necro flinched a little.


    "Please don''t talk to my ear like that... My body feels weird..."


    "Ah! Sorry!" Ace took a step away from Necro, embarrassed.


    Necro, on the other hand, gave her a side grin and spoke back in her ear, mischievously.


    "It''s not that I dislike it... But it''s hard to stand you know... My legs feel weak"


    While caressing her neck with her hand.


    Ace''s hair stood on end as she swayed, almost falling down.


    "I get it... Stop it..." Ace said, her breath ragged, her voice sounding funny...


    ''Oh my god. I''m so wet. How did she...''


    She stared back at Necro, wondering. She knew for sure right there and then. She''d made the right choice for a partner.

 Ch 12 – Don’t you want it?

    After a little over half an hour, they arrived at the clearing Bid had told them about.


    The setting sun giving the whole forest a reddish glint.


    "Girls! Can you gather some dried leaves and branches?" (Hal)


    "Sure."


    "Ok."


    "Yes..."


    "Not you Mary! You come with me to chop some wood" (Hal)


    "HAAAAAAAAAH?! Am I not a girl to you"


    "Not when you carry that bitch of a shield all day without getting tired. Now help me out here."


    "... Motherf-"


    Mary went with Hal to find a dead tree to chop while Bid stayed behind searching for stones to make a bonfire and clearing the ground for them to set up the camp.


    "..."


    The girls walked in silence trying to find some small branches... But for some reason the ground was a little wet.


    "Why is this all wet?" (Necro)


    "There''s probably a spring nearby... we need to go the other way." (Ace)


    Ace walked towards Necro and stood beside her.


    Necro''s heart once again started racing as she felt Ace''s hand running from her forearm towards her hand.


    Necro flinched when their fingers touched and interlaced.


    "Can we do this?" (Necro)


    "Are you okay with it?" (Ace)


    "I... Yes!"


    Necro smiled as the two walked, holding hands, through the forest.


    After just a handful of minutes they left the humid area and started finding dried sticks and leaves for starting a fire.


    "Do you think we really need these?" (Ace)


    "What do you mean?"


    "Like... You can use fire magic right? Couldn''t you just light up the fire?"


    "Ah... I... completely forgot it..."


    "Oh well.." Ace squeezed her hand a little. "At least we have some time together right?"


    "Y-Yeah..."


    "Now.. Why don''t we... Leave this behind."


    "Kya~"


    Ace dropped the dead branches and pinned Necro against a tree.


    "Don''t you want it?"


    Necro once again became very flustered. It was her first experience... But she was also really curious.


    "I... do..."


    With her answer, Ace went backwards a little, giving her a little more space, and holding her face once more with her hand.


    This time, however, Necro''s curiosity overcame her embarrassment, and she did the same, caressing Ace''s cheek with her hand.


    Her skin was very smooth and her greyish blue eyes gave her the impression of being seen right through. That sensation washed away all her doubts. She felt like her very self was completely naked in front of the girl, allowing her to feel relieved of all the constraints she would generally put on herself.


    This time, Necro took the initiative, leaning away from the tree. At first, they only lightly pecked each other''s lips. Over time, those pecks became increasingly longer, as they explored the feeling of their lips touching each other''s.


    After a couple seconds, Necro took things one step further, moving her other hand to Ace''s back.


    Necro realized Ace was incredibly slim. Most of her figure was hidden by the garments she wore, so getting to know her figure was an amazing reassurance of her first impressions. Ace felt prompted to do the same, letting go of Necro''s face and putting both hands on her waist.


    As Necro''s body heated up from feeling this girl''s hands on her hips, her hand slowly slid down from her back, reaching her ass. As her hand reached a rounded thing, Necro instinctively clasped it with her flattened hand.


    "Ah-"


    As Ace moaned not not only was Necro further excited by both the feeling of her buttock in her hand and the sound of her lovely moan. Ace''s mouth opened slightly, allowing their lips to connect in a different way, as Necro pressed her lower lip with hers.


    Ace''s eyes started to water a bit from the unexpected pleasure. Her body started feeling weird as she rubbed her thighs trying to soothe the strange sensation she felt in between her legs. She pressed their bodies together hard, as she gave herself space to get some air, panting a little.


    Something inside necro woke up as she saw her pink tongue slightly extended as she opened her mouth to breath in. After just a second, Necro went for seconds, this time, inserting her tongue into Ace''s mouth.


    Ace''s eyes began to water once again as her body became increasingly hot and excited from the strange new sensation. She moaned as Necro''s hand slid from her face to the nape of her neck, while the other gently squeezed her ass. The feeling of this other girl''s tongue sliding and coiling around hers was, simply put, amazing. As she pressed their bodies further she could feel something dripping from in between her legs. Her own tongue slowly joined the dance with Necro''s as her inebriated moans escaped her inadvertently.


    The long kiss only ended a couple minutes later, as Ace parted it and allowed herself to fall to the ground, breathless.


    "Hah~... What... Hah~ Are you...? Hah~ Wow..."


    "Hah~, What are you talking about?" Asked back Necro, who was leaning against the tree, panting.


    "This Hah~ Was amazing."


    "Thank you... Phew~" She suspired. "You were also amazing."


    Necro walked towards Ace and held her chin, raising it. She gave her a long but gentle kiss on the lips before picking her up in a princess carry.


    "We should get going... The sun''s almost out already."


    Ace became completely red, as she realized she was being carried back after what they just did.


    "Ah! Please let me down! I can walk... They''ll think something strange."


    "Oh... Yes... Sorry... Don''t know what got into my head." Necro blushed as she put her down, realizing this behaviour of hers, including the kissing, were not something she''d learned or experienced in this life... maybe?


    ''Am I getting influenced by my memories of Soleir?'' She thought.


    However, as she saw the cute ace walking in front of her, completely embarrassed, those thoughts completely vanished from her mind, at least for now...


    The girls walked for a couple of minutes before being able to see the others. As they approached the campsite, they realized the bonfire was already done, and four tents had been raised.


    "Finally~! We were starting to get worried about you."(Hal)


    "Sorry. We had a little problem finding the stuff..." (Necro)


    "Ground was wet. Stream nearby." (Ace)


    "Oh... Okay, but where''s the stuff?" (Bid)


    ''Shit! We forgot the sticks!'' Ace remembered.


    "Ah... We gave up midway... But I can help you light it up." (Necro)


    "Are you a fire magician?" (Bid)


    "Kinda..." She responded.


    "Well, at least we won''t have to worry about finding that stuff... It was pretty hard when it had just rained..." (Hal)


    "Yea..." Mary joined the conversation at last. Something in her eyes told Necro she was aware that something was happening between her and Ace...

 Ch 13 – Necro’s magic

    As Necro approached the bonfire, all the eyes focused on her. Despite having always been the center of all attention, this time Necro felt overly nervous...


    Today was the first time she was actually showing her magic to people. Of course, she''d shown some childish tricks to her "master" but today people were actually looking forward to seeing what she could do. She squatted a couple feet away from the wood, and started to channel her mana.


    For her it was a simple matter of gathering the mana and casting the magic. For the others, it was something magical as they saw red light gathering on her right hand and expanding into a gorgeous formation.


    For Ace, more than anyone, it was a fantastic sight. She was the only present who clearly grasped the grandiosity of what was taking place in front of her eyes. This time, differently from when Necro went berserk, she felt nothing. There was no pressure. Instead, she could see the gorgeous and calm flow of fire mana all around her body moving towards her hand. It wasn''t just something beautiful. It was magical. There was no waste, all the mana flowed majestically, in a single direction, laminarly. She had never seen anything that beautiful. What enchanted Ace the most though, was the realization that this was not Necro''s main element. She had reached such perfection at such a young age, and that was not her peak performance. Ace''s eyes shone in fervor as the mana took the form of the smallest Magic Circle she''d ever seen.


    A magic circle''s size is limited by two factors: The complexity of the magic, and the skill of the magician or artifice drawing it. Most magicians could not even draw their own circles in a feasible size due to the sheer level of detail. Even less were the ones able to cast magic without a medium, using their own mana to draw the circle in thin air. Yet, this girl in front of her was making the hardest thing possible, drawing the circle with her very mana, at a scale so small most magicians would call insanity. The circle was barely the size of the middle of her palm.


    To put that into perspective, Ace''s Water Whip, of which the circle was drawn in a piece of parchment by a professional artifice, was more than double that size. Mana-made circles were supposed to be huge, which caused the magic''s mana cost to increase manyfold since it increased the waste in the casting. Yet Necro''s casting was simply flawless. No mana was escaping...


    This realization startled her.


    This amount of mana, with no waste, corresponded to an insurmountable amount of magic power.


    ''What is this girl even...''


    Before she could finish her reasoning. The mana flow stopped, and the tiny casting circle was substituted by a blazing inferno.


    "Kya"


    Ace watched in awe Necro falling on her ass from the scary appearance of a massive flame in front of her.


    "Was that... A Flame spell...?" Ace murmured as she witnessed in shock the fire tongue pillaring almost 20 feet in the air, before contracting into a mere bonfire. The scale of the flames legit looked like an advanced fire magic... But she had recognized the magic circle as that of a basic Flame, which was still not as simple as it might appear.


    "ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL YOURSELF!?" Ace yelled at the fallen Necro, who was strangely frightened by her own magic.


    "..."


    All the others stood there, in complete and utter amazement.


    Tears started running on Necro''s eyes as she stared at the startled Ace. She thought Ace was pissed at her for showing off. Ace ran towards her and leaned down, hugging the crying Necro.


    "I''m so sorry! I was just nervous and used too much magic and-."


    "That''s not why I got angry, idiot"


    Ace, tightened her grip around Necro''s shoulders as she pressed her face against her chest, Drying her tears. She gave her a kiss to the head before pulling her up to stand on her feet.


    The confused necro raised her eyesight, looking at Ace with a pleading face, still scared about what just happened.


    "I got angry because you were reckless... I was worried about you..."


    A wide smile appeared on Necro''s face as she heard those words. She leaped forward, grabbing Ace''s head with both hands, as she gave her a deep passionate kiss right there, in front of the bonfire.


    For a second, she completely forgot about the others around them. Necro only realized what she''d done once she let go of ace, seeing her extremely embarrassed face, and looking around to see all others staring at them, their mouths wide open. She became as flushed as Ace once the coin dropped.


    In Bid and Hal''s case, they were just flabbergasted. Not only because of the kiss... But also of the sheer firepower of Necro''s magic, that was supposed to only light up the fire.


    In Mary''s case... She had already felt a hunch that they were strangely close... She just didn''t expect them to be together for real already...


    ''They are so cute...'' She was holding herself not to "Aww" at the pair


    ''NO! I shouldn''t. What they are doing is a sin... Why am I getting turned on by this?! ITS A SIN! GOD FORGIVE ME GOD''


    Mary failed to realize that, while in her head she was dealing with a battle against the sinful desire, in real life she was actually drooling...


    The boys, realizing the atmosphere started to take their leave.


    "I''m going to get the meat from the earlier hunt for us..." (Hal)


    "I''ll go with you!" (Bid)


    Bid poked at Mary who was still drooling.


    "Ha! What?"


    "Are... you coming?" (Bid)


    "Where to?"


    "Guess you''re staying behind then..."


    "Huh?!"


    Ace sighed... While Necro felt relieved. She was legit worried about what Mary was thinking... but it seems everything was gonna be just fine...


    The three sat around the bonfire. Necro and Ace snuggling close together holding hands as the night''s cold increased. Mary was a little aside, still somewhat embarrassed about her suppressed desires.


    "Necro, what magic was that that you just used? It looked amazing." She started talking, trying to break the ice.


    "Ah... That was just a flame spell..."


    "Eh?!" Mary was confused for a second, before truly comprehending what that meant "HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEH!

 Ch 14 – Lap pillow and small-talk

    "HOW!"


    "Hm?" Necro looked at Mary, confused. She had no idea what she was talking about.


    "She used too much mana in the casting, that''s all." (Ace)


    "What do you mean ¡®too much mana¡¯!? There''s no such thing!"


    "I believed that before but.." Ace was able to see every single thing that took place in that casting. And that enough was proof that everything she''d been taught was wrong.


    "That''s what happened."


    "..."


    Mary was increasingly confused, but she knew very well about Ace''s strange ability to see people''s aura and mana.  She fell into contemplation as she stared at the fire that burned in front of her, warming her body.


    Silence prevailed for another good minute as the other girls stared at the glowing stars and moons that illuminated the night sky.


    There were three moons, a white-is yellow one, and a smaller dark grey one that roamed around the first one.


    "They say those are where the Gods live..." (Necro)


    "But I''m not sure whether to believe..."


    "Why?" (Ace)


    "If you were such a powerful being and had control over the whole world... Would you still let things be the way they are?"


    "..." Ace contemplated the question... The world really was a harsh place but she didn''t think that it was God''s fault. "I''d rather believe they leave it to us humans to think what''s best for us..."


    "Do you...?" Necro recalled being persecuted by the church as Soleir... All the hardships Ly had gone through. And also, how she was now separated from her family for such a wild guess from the same assailants as in her previous life. "In that case, God has just forsaken us... I reckon."


    Ace realized Necro was about to cry and pulled her onto her lap, removing her hood.


    "Why do you have your hair like this? It looks so good..." Ace was very surprised at the way Necro¡¯s hair was combed¡­ Braids and Tresses were generally used by poor women to avoid dirtying it since they couldn''t wash it often.


    "Because it''s easier to cover..."


    "It''s so beautiful... It reminds me of the sky... You should leave it free."


    "Thank you... You can undo the tresses if you want..." Necro responded bashfully to the complement... She also thought her hair was beautiful. The surprise of the praise made her forget to cry, giving Ace a cute smile.


    She indulged as Ace undid her braids and started combing her hair with her fingers...


    The feeling of Ace''s small hand going through her hair was incredibly calming, almost sedative. Her eyes started feeling heavy as she comfortably laid on Ace''s thighs. She turned her head up, only to see Ace starting at her warmly.


    It beats her as to how the two became so close in a matter of just a feel hours... It felt almost as if they already knew each other. Ace reminded her of someone. Someone who was very dear to her... Or maybe to Soleir, she didn''t know it for sure... Yet she couldn''t recall where she knew this girl from.


    As she turned around, Ace''s other hand, that was previously on her waist, wound up on her belly. Despite her not having moved it at all, Necro felt increasingly wary of the feeling of her hand there. It was not bad, but it embarrassed her a great deal.


    She blushed a little as she thought about this, making Ace giggle at her cute atmosphere as she continued to run her fingers through Necro''s hair.


    After another peaceful pair of minutes, the boys returned.


    "The dinner''s here!"


    The pair of boys returned with some small animal. It looked to be a very small deer.


    "Ohhh! What''s that?" Asked Mary.


    "It''s a deer we caught after lunch. I was carrying it on my back." Hal answered proudly.


    "It''s just a baby though..."(Ace)


    "You don''t need to... The heck?" Bid tried to interject, but shut up as soon as he looked at Ace... There was a person with long dark hair on her lap.


    "Is that..."


    "Yes. Nec." Ace completed with a broad grin.


    " Wow... Her hair looks amazing..." Bid continued.


    Necro was... Silent. Red from head to toe.


    "Oh so there she is!" Hal started saying.


    "What was that spell?! It must''ve been a very powerful one."


    "Yeah! What was it?"


    "Flame" Answered Mary, dejected.


    "What? Flame pillar?! The advanced magic!?" (Hal)


    "No. Flame."


    "Flame what?" Asked once more Bid.


    "FLAME! JUST FLAME! THE BASIC TIER SPELL FLAME!" Mary yelled at the two, visibly frustrated.


    "WHAT!?"(Hal)


    "THE HELL?!"(Bid)


    "Sorry... I was nervous so... I used a little too much mana when casting..."


    ""THE HELL WITH THAT!"" They both answered at the same time, almost dropping the deer in the process.


    After a couple of seconds, the pair''s energetic response seemed to have died down somewhat...


    The reality was they were so scared after almost dropping the dinner that they felt like a bucket of cold water had fallen onto their heads.


    They had the whole carcass already strapped to a long wooden stick. On their hand that was not holding the meat, they each carried a somewhat tall metal pole.


    Hal went around the Pit, bringing the meat above the burning fire. Both of them positioned the poles on each side and laid their side of the stick on top of it. Hal sat down immediately, while Bid started turning the thing over the fire.


    "It''ll take like... Half an hour to cook. Mary, you should at least take your helmet off for once right?" (Hal)


    "... You know I hate taking it off in front of strangers..."


    "Look at Ace and her. Do you really think she''s gonna hit on you? Take it off already. And while you''re at it, you really should change into something more comfortable. I know you worry a lot but we are camping. Take the armor off."


    "... Okay... I''ll go change. Where''s the rest of the booze?"


    "Hah... It''s behind my tent, but don''t drink it before coming back."


    "Yeah, Yeah. I know." Mary stood up and walked towards the tents. She went around one and grabbed something before disappearing into one of the middle ones.


    "Why does she do that?" Asked Necro in a low voice.


    "Oh, she was harassed a lot when she joined the guild. She tries to hide her face and body quite a bit." (Ace)


    "Hm... I guess that makes sense..."

 Ch 15 – Dinner

    "So... Necro, what elements do you have affinity to?" (Bid)


    "Most."


    "Most?" He felt very confused by that answer. He himself had no affinity at all... Not really, he had some traces of fire affinity and a little mana, so he could conjure a Spark... but that would make him pass out, not exactly useful.


    "She can use anything but Holy magic." Ace interjected to make things clear.


    "SHE WHAT!" Screamed Hal, staring blankly at the cute girl on Ace''s lap.


    "..." Bid just stood there, frozen. While he had heard and understood that.... What the actual fuck did that even mean.


    "Do you mean you can cast any kind of magic but healing and purging?"


    "Not really... There''s healing magic of the water attribute and Purging magic of the fire attribute." Necro spoke nonchalantly.


    Both Bid, who was about to say something finally, and Hal, who was just... yeah... froze this time.


    "You made things worse" Said ace, looking down and patting her head.


    "Sorry."


    "What are you talking about?"


    Necro was taken aback by the sudden appearance of a gorgeous woman. She was tall and busty, her blonde hair reaching her waist. She was wearing a tight leather corset over a cotton shirt and padded chausses that were cut on her thighs, revealing cotton shorts.


    Necro recalled her voice but she only really recognized her after looking attentively at her face.


    "MARY?!"


    She spoke in surprise as she lifted her upper body, seating again, and staring intently at the person.


    "Yeah... What''s with that?"


    "I... Was just surprised... I never imagined you''d look like this..."


    "You expected a macho woman right? I also imagine that quite oft- GHAAAAAA~" Hal''s laughing comment was interrupted by a punch to the guts. Making him curl up in a ball on the floor, holding his belly.


    "Don''t you dare talk about me like that. I''m a lady." Mary said while sitting by Necro and Ace. She chugged down almost half of the large canteen she had carried back. Angrily swallowing the alcohol.


    Necro was honestly surprised by her appearance. She looked like one of those girls they hired to showcase clothes at the Holy Capital. Why would such a person... Oh yeah. Ace told her... It must''ve been hard. But still... Her drinking habits were a huge contrast to her otherwise pristine appearance.


    "Now I understand why you have to hide yourself under all that armor... People must jump on you as soon as you show up right?"


    "COF! Wa-wa-WHAT?!" Mary took the canteen from her mouth in a hurry, almost choking on the wine.


    "I mean... You are incredibly beautiful and have a killer body..."


    "T-t-thank you..." Mary blushed, It had been a while since she had been honestly complimented without any ulterior motives.


    "You two... Stop flirting in front of me..." (Ace)


    "I was not flirting though..." Necro said, realizing Ace''s angry demeanor. She was probably jealous.


    "You don''t have to get angry about such a thing you know? You are way more my type."


    "humpf. If you say so."


    Ace was a little angry at Necro. She didn''t like her complimenting other women in front of her.


    "I thought you only had eyes for this cute me."


    "Ah? I mean... We just met... You are cute but... I already have someone."


    """"WHAT?""""


    All four people retorted at once. What did she mean with that? Was she cheating?


    "Well... I don''t know where she is now though..."


    "Another woman?!" Asked Mary. Despite being surprised, she thought she had a fiancee... A man.


    "Yes..."


    "How does she look? Is she beautiful?"(Hal)


    "How old is she?"(Bid)


    The boys were surprisingly curious about this other woman who Necro had called ''her someone''.


    Ace, on the other hand, was dead silent, almost biting her own tongue... The person she had chosen already had someone else. What would that mean to her? Was she just a plaything? A side gig ready to be left behind?


    "Ah... She''s a lot older. She is cute and tall and has gorgeous white hair and her eyes glow when she talks about our future... I miss her a lot... We haven''t seen in over a decade..."


    "Huh?"


    "Decade?"


    "How old are you?"


    "D-Decade? I-I meant year. Yes, year. We haven''t met in over a year."


    Everybody swallowed her excuse. Everybody but Ace. She knew there was something fishy.


    "What about us then?"


    "Us? Me and you? Ah... I like you. You are cute and pretty."


    "... And her?"


    "Oh... She told me once that she wanted to see me surrounded by cute women so... I guess she doesn''t mind." Necro, once more, spoke something completely outrageous in a very nonchalant manner...


    "I see then..."


    "THATS! THATS! WRONG! ITS A SINFUL RELATIONSHIP!" Mary pointed at Necro. Her face showed that she didn''t really mind it though... It was almost as if she was just envious.


    "Girls. Calm down. The food''s ready." Bid interrupted the discussion, prompting Hal to finally stand up from the floor to help him take the meat out of the fire.


    While Hal held the large stick upwards, Bid cut large pieces of the deer and distributed them. Necro and Ace got each a large cut from the shank, while Mary was served a large portion of the ribs. How Bid managed to easily dismember the roasted deer that easily was a mystery to Necro. She had expected it to be much harder.


    But that wasn''t that important. The food was.


    "It''s missing something..." Necro bit into the shank. The taste was... Tasteless.


    "It''s salt." (Ace)


    "Huh?"


    "I missed it too in the beginning... You get used to it eventually."


    "Ah... Thanks..."


    ''So It has no salt... That''s probably it...'' She thought.


    After a couple seconds they started passing a metal canteen around. It had some sort of wine in it. Necro had never drunk aside from a couple times with her mother... But this was the day she would, since there was nothing else.


    She gobbled down a good amount before passing it to Ace. She hadn''t even realized how thirsty she was.


    She didn''t even realize how bitter the ''wine'' was, that is...


    Until she realized everyone was staring at her with a surprised expression... With the exception of Mary.


    Mary was very happy she had gotten a drinking partner.

 Ch 16 – Necro’s drunk friends

    *Cof*


    Necro''s throat started burning as soon as Ace grabbed the canteen.


    ''The hell did I just drink?''


    Her stomach growled and her insides felt weird.


    "Err.... What was that?" She asked. In retrospect, she should''ve asked it beforehand.


    "Spirits!" Answered Mary, cheerfully. "You like it too right?"


    "I mean... It''s not bad. I just never drank it before. My throat feels like it''s burning."


    "Yeah. I love it!"


    Necro looked to the side, to see Ace taking a very small sip with a serious fAce.


    "Why are you so reserved, Ace? Drink more!"


    "I''m... weak with alcohol... I will but you have to take responsibility."


    Ace and Mary blushed... Necro got a little curious as to what had happened. But she made the wise decision of not asking.


    After the initial surprise settled, the group started chatting about their day. The hunts and all that. It was pretty eventless as they passed the canteen around, and the second one, until almost empty.


    "And then, and then: PAHHH. There''s a huge motherfucking wolf right there and I''m like. Holy fuck, if it comes straight for us we are dead. But them, But then it goes and wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeezes past us and a tiny girl is running from it and she wabam! dodges the thing and I''m like holy fucking moly."


    "Bid... I think it''s about time for you to go iiiiiiieeen... uou, that almost diiidn''t come out. Aaaanyhow, Yoou seem to be dhurunk."


    "See those two goofers? They are as weak as it gets. Fucking wimps."


    Mary said to both Necro and Ace.


    Hald and bid were literally swaying around like leaves about to-.


    *PAF*


    "hehehe He fell..." Ace laughs with a shit eating grin that doesn''t suit her.


    "Hey, Hal! Take''im in will ya?"


    Mary says. Her and Ace laughing their asses off as they watch the pair scramble to their tents, almost falling countless times in the process.


    "Heeee that was fun."(Mary)


    "You two are brutal..."


    For some weird reason, Necro is the only one still somewhat sober.


    Ace stops laughing and throws a side smile at Necro, sliding her hand up her dress.


    "Hey! Ace. W-What are you..."


    "Boy, oh boy. Seems Ace is getting spicy... That''s my time to go before she comes this way."


    "Wait! Mary! Help me here!"


    "But you said you''d take responsibility for making me drink..."


    "I... did, didn''t I."


    Mary was already walking away when she noticed something. Turning around talking halfway to her tent.


    "Hey! You guys realized Necro doesn''t have a tent right?"


    "Huh?" (Necro)


    "No problem. She''ll sleep with me tonight." (Ace)


    ''Why am I not so sure about sleeping though?!''


    Ace''s hand slowly slid up her legs all the way to her thighs.


    "Your skin is so soft..."


    Necro blushed, bidding farewell to her own self control.


    "Kya!"


    Ace made a cute noise as Necro jumped on her, laying her on the grass and sitting on top of her.


    "You sure you don''t wanna take this inside?"


    "I-I... Carry me there..."


    Necro was taken aback by Ace''s incredibly cute expression. Seeing her blush while asking to be carried was like a thousand love arrows piercing straight through her heart. Drunk Ace was naughty but also so cute!


    Necro let go and started to stand.


    "Wa-!"


    But was thrown to the ground by Ace, their positions reversed.


    "Hehe... My turn now."


    Ace''s hand slid over her dress. Slowing down as the reached her small breasts.


    "Ahhh.."


    Necro moaned as Ace caressed them.


    "Let''s go in, please." She pleaded, embarrassed.


    "Ookei~!" Ace agreed much easier than she thought, with a huge smile or her fAce. It really didn''t feel like the Ace from earlier. She felt much warmer.


    ''She behaving like this reminds me of Nebby-girl...''


    Nebby was a small kid Soleir had known in his time. She was the daughter of a dear friend of his. Nelphta, a fellow student of the Royal Magician School in the Holy Capital. She was also an academic at the Divine Institute but she studied the use of Water Elemental Magic for first-aid magic. She was a genius in her own field, and taught Soleir the little he knew of Water magic. It''d been over three decades since the last time Necro had met her as Soleir...


    ''I wonder how Nelphy''s doing...''


    "... Are you not carrying me there?" Ace''s voice awakened Necro from her daydreaming. She''d been standing there in front of Necro, waiting for her.


    "Sorry... I was just thinking about something."


    Necro stood up, hitting her dress to get rid of any stuck up grass. She grabbed Ace''s face, giving her one more wet kiss.


    Ace''s body felt like it was burning. She''d been provoking Necro for a while now while pretending not to be, but she was so excited she was almost taking her clothes off right there and then. Necro''s kiss pushed her over her threshold, making her body burn with desire.


    Necro felt Ace''s legs shivering and rubbing against hers.


    Albeit not a hundred per cent comfortable with Ace''s drunk state, her own was not so pristine, so overthinking about that was simply impossible for her at the time.


    She parted the kiss and picked Ace up, who touched her face with affection.


    "Ah... What''s yours though?"


    "Hm?"


    "Your tent, which is it?"


    "The last one. Next to Mary''s."


    Necro carefully walked towards the tent in which they would "sleep". Occasionally stopping when Ace prompted her for a kiss. The cuteness of the two was heartwarming and made Necro completely forget her problems and the issues that plagued her family, bringing her back to a happy moment.


    As the couple arrived at the tent, Necro crouched down, still carrying Ace, and brought her inside.


    The tent was rather simple, and a thin straw mat covered the bottom of it, giving a little more comfort than the bare yet soft ground beneath. The tent was enough for one large person, but since the two were particularly mignon, it could fit the two rather nicely.


    Necro laid Ace in the mat, waiting for her to make a move.


    Her expectations were quickly exceeded by Ace''s words.


    "Are you not going to strip me down?" She said. A lascivious smile on her face.

 Ch 17 – Necro’s first orgasm (18+)

    "A..." Necro bit her lower lip.


    She was trying to hold herself back, but Ace was just so forthcoming her resistance was immediately broken. She dived into the mat, devouring Ace''s mouth.


    She had no idea what took over her as she saw Ace offering herself to her, but it was just so intense. Her heart beat like a drum in her chest and her whole body was set aflame every time her lips touched Ace''s. She began caressing Ace''s body over her clothes.


    Her hands slid over Ace''s lifted arms, the side of chest, waist, legs. They quickly made their way over the outer contours of her body all the way down to her feet. Necro let go of the kiss, leaving Ace breathing heavily, and moved herself down as her hands slid underneath her clothing.


    She slowly started sliding her hands up, upturning Ace''s skirt, while caressing her body with her mouth. Small kisses, hickeys, licking.


    She made use of all her options as she slowly made her way up. From her feet, to her calf, and slowly onto her inner thighs. Ace moaned as her hickeys became more passionate, and her hands explored the other parts of her body Necro wasn''t pleasing with her mouth. A wet moan escaped her mouth when Necro''s hands reached her hip. Her nose slightly touching the wet entrance to her most private area. A frightening smile plastered itself on Necro''s cute face. She was enjoying this. Far too much if that''s possible. She stared a little bit at Ace''s panty. She wore a plain and very thin one made out of silk. It''s color was a very light blue, matching her hair quite well.


    She moved her hands over, caressing and playing with Ace''s plump ass, while she stared at the ever increasing wet area on Ace''s panties. The slight transparency of the wet cloth gave it a mysterious and charming aura. Ace trembled every time she felt Necro''s breath on her ever more sensitive pussy.


    Necro''s hands made their way back, sliding their way under her ass and onto her inner thighs, making Ace spread her legs as she bent her knees. Necro was completely entranced.


    She used her thumbs to slightly pull both sides of Ace''s crotch, opening her pussy a very small bit, but assaulting Ace''s body with pleasure. She no longer held herself back after hearing the inebriated moan and fell, mouth first, onto the dripping wet pussy.


    As she sucked and licked the tiny protrusion over the wet zone, Ace''s body arched while holding onto Necro''s head.


    Ace had never felt anything like this before. Her whole body was contracting and twitching every single time Necro''s tongue moved. She felt like she was melting into her mouth. The intense pleasure making her forget any and every form of thought she might have been having prior. Her fluids dripped from her pussy, wetting her ass and making her feel ashamed. Her face became bright red, but even she didn''t know whether it was due to embarrassment or the mind blowing pleasure.


    "Haaaah~"


    Necro lifted her head for a split second, gasping for air. Ace promptly pulled her up. Kissing her passionately.


    "What did you do to me?" Ace asked. Her legs still trembling.


    "Not much" Necro responded with a smug expression.


    "Then don''t stop."


    Ace completed her remark by sliding her own hand under Necro''s dress, lightly caressing the very place Necro licked her with her fingertips.


    A sudden jolt rushed through Necro''s whole body as she felt Ace''s hand touching her, dropping her onto the girl, panting.


    She felt incredibly surprised at how sensitive she was. Ace''s small and gentle finger kept rubbing her excited pussy, making her drip. She did the same to her, kissing Ace''s neck while caressing her pussy with her fingers.


    The two spent some time exchanging touches and gentle kisses and hickeys.


    "Ahhhh~"


    Necro was the first one to cum from Ace''s quick fingers. Her whole body felt weak after she was assaulted by the unparalleled pleasure.


    Yet she felt something was lacking. Despite her cumming, she felt empty... She felt she needed something inside her, yet she didn''t know what that feeling was. It was also sad for her that Ace had never once touched her chest.


    Well... Neither did she do it to her though. Both were still dressed regardless.


    Necro took this as a matter of honor and quickly slid down, touching Ace''s chest and stomach on the way down.


    Ace flinched as Necro pulled her panty aside, licking her pussy directly.


    Her tongue dancing around, vibrating the small pink button above her slit. She took her time, sliding her tongue back and forth in between the soft lips of Ace''s pussy. From time to time she would pull it open, venturing herself into the soft and wet pink cavity between Ace''s legs. As she pushed her face against Ace''s crotch, unbeknownst to either, Necro''s eyes shone in a deeper red colour. A desire and hunger for sucking that delicious part of her grew inside Necro''s mind. Her tongue, becoming more and more flexible, as it reached further into Ace''s pussy.


    She took turns punishing Ace''s clit with her tongue and inserting it onto her pussy, while she massaged Ace''s lips with her thumbs, using her hands to pin her hips, which attempted to rise up, to the sleeping mat.


    Ace''s mind went completely blank mid-way, as a red glint appeared on her beautiful blue eyes, only to vanish as if it was an illusion. Her moans deafening Necro from anything else.


    All that mattered then and there was the pleasure they both were receiving. And Necro made it her objective to make Ace feel even more pleasure than she had when she came for the first time.


    It didn''t take long for her moans to become increasingly louder and her whole body to arch and convulse as she had an indescribable orgasm from Necro''s tongue.


    Necro felt accomplished as she let go of Ace''s thighs and slid herself up, taking off the whole of Ace''s clothes above her head.


    Ace''s whole body was still trembling, limp, as Necro undressed her. A happy smile on her face.


    Necro kissed her once more before taking a second to contemplate the beautiful body.

 Ch 18 – Nightmare

    Underneath the Robes and clothing, Ace only wore the silky panty.


    And now her whole body was visible to Necro.


    Necro already had an idea but seeing her naked in front of her was, to put it plainly, amazing.


    Ace blushed and covered her eyes in embarrassment at Necro''s gaze.


    Necro, however, was aghast.


    Ace was very gorgeous, and her body further increased her innocent charm.


    Her slim and slender figure had little to no body hair. Her thin waist was contrasted by cute and meaty thighs and her slightly broader hips gave her otherwise childish body a mature charm. Her slightly spread legs revealed tight and plump labia that almost completely hid her pussy. A thin rift revealed the pink and wet entrance beneath them, topped by a small, yet easily spottable, pink little knob, which Necro had skillfully used to make her reach nirvana. As Ace breathed roughly, her ragged breathing further emphasized the delicate nature of her underdeveloped breasts. The small, almost flat, mounds moved up and down, accompanying her shoulders as she breathed in and out with difficulty.


    The burning desire in Necro''s heart was reignited by the gratifying sight, further consuming her sanity, as she lusted over her new found lover.


    Necro''s thoughts spiraled, making her unable to leave the entranced state. That is, until Ace''s voice awakened her.


    "Strip for me."


    Ace''s request was like a bucket of cold water to Necro''s inebriated state, reminding her of her own shortcomings, and making her complete and utterly flushed.


    She turned around, pulling her dress over her head. This slowly revealed her gorgeous figure. Her small body was paired with great proportions,  and as she took her dress off, she slowly revealed the juicy ass she had always been proud of, dressed in black laced underwear.


    The sheer quality and price of that underwear proved her noble origin, but Necro did not care about such frivolities. As her dress slid up, her waist also became visible, together with her back. Her immaculate milky skin glistening with sweat.


    She finished removing her dress entirely before looking back to Ace. Her breasts were covered by an equally black brassiere that matched the laced panties she wore.


    She turned around.


    Only to find her sleeping.


    Necro was... disappointed to say the least. Even though she''d gone all this way, Ace had somewhat betrayed her expectation... She felt sad.


    But Ace''s calm and happy demeanor promptly erased her doubts.


    ''She must''ve been very tired...'' She thought.


    Necro snuggled behind Ace, spooning her.


    "Anyu~"


    Ace made a cute noise as Necro''s thighs touched the back of hers.


    "I love you~" Words drunkenly escaped the mouth of the still asleep Ace,piercing deeply into Necro''s heart and making her blush.


    Necro felt embraced as she hugged Ace tightly feeling the warmth of her naked body on her own.


    Little did she know these words would haunt her the whole night.


    *hah* *hah* *hah* *hah*


    He ran, panting, through a long and never ending corridor.


    To his left, uncountable rooms passed by, he stared deep into each of them, searching for someone.


    To the right, the imagery of a huge city, being consumed by raging fire as dar as the eye could see.


    The Sacred Capital.


    He knew this place very well.


    The Long corridors of the Divine Institute.


    He desperately ran until he spotted someone in the distance.


    The whole scenery faded to white as he approached Lyara.


    She turned around, raising her hand. Her words were supposed to mean something, but no sound came out, and he watched in dismay as a sword pierced through her heart all the way, poking through her back.


    "LYARA!" He screamed, desperately, but no sound came out from his mouth.


    He reached down as he finally arrived where she was, closing his eyes.


    As he opened them the person in front of him looked up, blood dripping through her lips.


    "I''m sorry for abandoning you."


    The words, however, did not come from Lyara''s lips, the person in his arms was no longer Ly.


    Regret painted her magenta eyes, as the red from her blood painted Nelphy''s light-blue hair.


    He slowly despaired, seeing his long time missed friend.


    Her eyes slowly turned blue, her hair shortened as she de-aged at least a decade, turning into someone else entirely, yet strangely still reminding of herself.


    "I love you~!"


    ''Why! Why are you also here!?'' He thought to herself.


    He felt his body shrink as she screamed towards the heavens, powerless.


    "Sorry, my daughter... It''s my fault."


    Her mind completely stalled as she looked down to now see her father, his life and soul escaping his body in front of her.


    She tried to speak but no sound would come out.


    She tried to scream but her mouth wouldn''t open.


    She tired to hold her father''s corpse but it was no longer there.


    And it all faded to black.


    *hah* *hah* *hah*


    Necro panted heavily, her whole body covered in cold sweat. She raised her upper body, sitting.


    ''A nightmare... It was just a nightmare''


    She tried to comfort herself with a thought.


    It was still very much the middle of the night.


    A small hand reached her naked shoulder, prompting her to lay back down.


    As she did, she was promptly embraced by her half-asleep companion. Her naked body soothing Necro''s doubts with its warmth, as her icy and flowery smell calmed her very soul.


    "Nelphy..." Necro drunkenly spoke,  almost asleep. Her companion''s embrace tightening.


    ¡°Sol¡­¡± The sleeping Ace answered.


    Necro fell back into deep slumber in Ace''s embrace. A calming smile plastered on Ace''s now sleeping face.


    Both completely unaware that the name that Necro called, and Ace reacted to, was the wrong one. And that somehow, Ace had answered with an unknown nickname.

 Ch 19 – The pillow moaned?

    "Haah~" Moans also filled the nearby tent.


    ''God what are they doing at a time like this...''


    Mary retorted in her own mind, but she could not avoid feeling horny from the moans that escaped the neighboring tent.


    At first she felt a little angry that she wasn''t able to grab some sleep... But now, she was overindulging herself in pleasure.


    Mary was a person that was a little hard to grasp. And as such, she was yet to find a lover.


    ''Men are always such pigs!'' Was her general thought before finding this party. Hal and Bid had slowly changed her impression on people but...


    ''Why are these girls so cute?!''


    Her impression on Necro and Ace was very strong.


    The only thing stopping her on hitting on them was her religion.


    ''God never said it was wrong...''


    She kept doublethinking her beliefs ever since she first met Ace... But now, with Necro''s appearance and her... doings with Ace tonight, her opinion slowly slanted to one side.


    "Uhhmm" Mary moaned as she kept touching herself, imagining what was taking place in the neighboring tent.


    "Aaaaah!"


    She lost control of her will, doing it until she came much later that night...


    ''It seems they are also done... I better try to sleep...''


    And as such, the silence was restored in the whole camp.


    Too bad for the guys that they were far too wasted to even hear a single thing.


    "Kunyu~"


    "Itatata... My head hurts..." She softly spoke as she woke up, maintaining her eyes closed.


    Ace was the first to wake up.


    ''soft...''


    She found herself sleeping very comfortably, almost as if she was using a body pillow.


    ''It smells so good...''


    She drowsed a little, her eyes still closed.


    She snuggled her legs, notching one of them between the two soft and warm things. Her crotch touching the side of one of them. The warmth and give were very pleasant.


    She ran her hand down, to scratch her thigh.


    ''Eh!?''


    The sensation of the pillow was off.


    She felt a small and fluffy mound on the way down, paired with a peachy and soft sensation. Ace moved her hand back up, her eyes still closed, and groped it.


    ''It''s so soft... and small... It fits so well in my hand...''


    "hihi~"


    She laughed as some pokey bit tickled the palm of her hand as she moved it slightly.


    She pinched on that pokey bit, it was warmer than the rest of the pillow and surprisingly stiff.


    "Haaah~"


    ''THE FUCK!? The pillow moaned?!''


    Ace opened her eyes in a hurry.


    ''Nec?''


    She was very surprised as the first thing that greeted her as she opened her eyes was Necro''s sleeping face.


    ''WA~!''


    At this moment Ace realized she was almost naked... And so was Necro.


    There was no such thing as a fluffy and warm pillow... She was camping in the middle of nowhere, how would there be one!? Necro was the pillow.


    The cuddly two fluffy things where she put her leg was her thighs, so was the comfy and warm place she was rubbing her crotch against. The good smell was coming from her hair, and the pokey thing was, in fact, a pink nipple.


    Ace turned bright red.


    ''Why am I naked?! Why is she naked?! WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY?!''


    Her mind was amiss. She had no memory of last night''s events. All she recalled was them drinking, and she touching Nec''s thighs, and the kiss, and Necro carrying her back... and...


    Flashes of the previous night slowly showed up in her mind.


    Necro touching her, and her touching necro.


    She slowly recalled all of it... Her whole face burning with shame as she recalled making her cum, and Necro licking her...


    ''What else happened? I can''t remember anything after her taking her clothes off... Her ass looked so good...''


    "Mornin~"


    "Kyu!" Ace twitched, taking her hand away from Necro''s breast.


    "Did you sleep well?"


    Necro''s cuteness further embarrassed Ace.


    "Yes... What happened yesterday?"


    "What do you mean? You can''t remember it?"


    "No... I remember everything until you started undressing..."


    "Haah~... Good grief...  I was afraid you wouldn''t remember..." Necro breathed a sigh of relief... She was honestly afraid she''d gone too far while Ace was tipsy... but if she remembers everything it should be fine.


    "Did you do anything to me?"


    "I mean... I did quite a bit and so did you right?"


    "No... I mean... After that..."


    "Oh..." Necro''s face soured a little.. "You mean after I undressed? No... You passed out so... I just went to sleep..."


    "Aw... Sorry..." Ace was honestly divided... She was happy Necro had not done anything after that but... A part of her also wanted Necro to have done a lot more to her.


    "Don''t be... We''ll have other chances if you still want this me..." Necro sounded a little sad as she said this... ''Is it because I slept???''


    "Huh? What do you even mean? You are perfect! Of course I do want more!" Ace hurried herself to retort, pulling Necro''s face for a kiss.


    Necro turned as they kissed, rubbing her thigh against Ace''s once again wet crotch, pulling a soft moan out of her. She hugged Ace, their bodies face to face while their legs intertwined.


    "Thank you..." Necro recalled the nightmare she had, and how Ace soothed her...


    "Ah... You''re welcome..." Ace, on the other hand, grew even more embarrassed as she recalled the words her drunken self muttered.


    Neither of them seemed to remember the other names they used to address each other at the time though, which saved them from any estrangement.


    After they parted the kiss, they remained there, in each other''s arms, staring at one another''s eyes.


    It was a soothing scene, one which both desperately needed. Necro, for the increasing worry about her family. Ace, for the alienation she had felt ever since she abandoned her position alongside her family.


    That lasted a handful of minutes, until they were interrupted by a loud voice outside.


    "Girls! It''s already time to come out! We gotta get on the move soon." Hal''s voice called for their attention.


    "I don''t wanna go..." Ace muttered, wanting to remain in Necro''s embrace...


    "Relax... We can do this again later... Let''s go now before they get angry."


    The two, then, hurried to grab their clothes that were shoved to the corner of the small tent, before moving outside, only to realize everyone else was almost done disassembling their own tents.

 Ch 20 – Decomposition Magic

    "Heyo, girls!"


    "Shut up Bid... You''re too loud!" Mary was seated in front of a small firepit. Her hand, pressed on her temples, clearly showed she had a bitch of a headache.


    "Next time don''t drink as much!" He thought something for a second before turning back to look at the girls who left the tent.


    Ace had a bit of a face that showed she had a bit of a hangover... But Necro was just the same as always.


    "How the fuck do you even manage to do that, Necro?!"


    "Huh?" She had no idea what he was talking about.


    "Don''t huh me! You drank more than Mary! How the hell did you manage to floor her?!"


    "... Dunno." Necro tilted her head sideways while answering, almost shrugging.


    "Bid, don''t pry too deep into their business! Hey, Ace, the fuck happened to your neck?"


    "Huh?" Ace was indeed confused. What was he talking about? Necro looked straight at her and turned red. Oh, boy. Ace knew very well what that meant.


    "Ah~! It was a bug! A bug!" She said hurriedly, pulling the collar of her clothes in an attempt to cover whatever it was, blushing.


    "And you tell me not to pry too deep into their business..." Bid satirically retorted. Visibly annoyed at Hal''s hypocrisy.


    Necro held Ace''s hand, almost as if saying "It''s ok." Pulling her towards the fire.


    It was still early morning, and the cold air from the mountains was still blowing. Their clothing was appropriate for the cool weather, but their hands still felt a little cold.


    As the two sat down, Ace realized Mary had dark circles around her eyes.


    "You had trouble sleeping?"


    "Yeah... Too much noise outside." Mary answered looking straight into Ace''s eyes, making her pale.


    Necro couldn''t care less though and pulled Ace into her lap.


    "We''ll be more careful next time, sorry."


    The boys only heard snippets of the conversation, they hadn''t heard anything during the night, sleeping like rocks, but Bid managed to piece together what was going on, blushing himself while imagining something. Hal on the other hand, was denser than lead.


    Atop the fire was a small keg, filled with something very fragrant.


    Bid walked towards the fire, while Hal finished disassembling Ace''s tent.


    He pulled some small metal cups and poured the liquid into them before handing it out for the girls.


    As Necro extended her arm to grab it, Ace spoke to her from her lap.


    "That''s spiced wine... Good to warm you up but tastes awful."


    She started sipping on her cup before Necro had a chance to grab hers.


    Bid showed an annoyed expression with what Ace had said... He personally liked it very much.


    Necro turned her head sideways, taking a small sip to try it out, then a large gulp.


    "Fuaaa~ This tastes amazing!"


    "WHAT"(Mary)


    "How"(Ace)


    "Finally a girl with a sense of taste for wine!" Bid was pleasantly surprised by Necro''s feedback.


    "The heck you found another weirdo that likes your concoction?!" Hal on the other hand was equally amused, but for a very different reason.


    "I told you it was good! It''s just not for everyone."


    "Yeah... Only for you and the girl who drinks spirits like it''s water..."


    "Leave us alone! You cannot fathom the depth of the intricate taste of my spiced wine."


    "I hope I never learn to like it..." Hal was in awe that someone actually enjoyed drinking that crap. The girls also shared the same impression...


    "Anyhow... I''ll pick some flowers and be right back." Necro interrupted the conversation saying she was going to take a trip elsewhere.


    Of course she was lying about the reason though.


    "Don''t go alone! It can be dangerous, take Mary with you." Hal interjected.


    "I''m... embarrassed to do it with her nearby... Can I take Ace instead?"


    "Me?! Ah... Okay... I''ll go."


    The two stood up and turned to leave into the woodlands, the remaining three looked at them leaving in amusement.


    "How did these two become so close?" Bid asked himself out loud.


    "I wish I knew how to do that..." Hal complemented.


    Mary became beet red as she recalled the things she heard and did last night as she gave one last retort.


    "I wish I didn''t know..."


    ""What?!"" The two stared at her, voicing their disbelief. Prompting her to tell them what she knew.


    Mary, of course, was not a person to disclose others'' intimacies...


    After a couple of minutes walking away from the camp, Necro stopped in a clearer area of the forest.


    "Huh... Why would you stop to go to the bathroom in a place like this?"


    "Of course that''s not what I''m doing right?"


    "Ah..."


    Ace stared blankly as Necro pulled the whole giant wolf from the storage ring, heavily dropping it to the ground.


    "You know you could just pull it onto the ground itself right?"


    "Ah... Didn''t know... Sorry..."


    "No problem... I was just saying. But what are you gonna do with this?"


    "Ah... just some preparations... I don''t ever wanna be in that position again."


    "You mean... When we found you?"


    "Yeah... Please don''t tell anyone what''s gonna happen okay? I''m trusting you."


    "Ah... Of course, I''ll never betray you like that."


    Necro nodded before turning back towards the giant wolf on the ground. Thick dark mana started to accumulate in both her hands, almost as if swallowing all the light around.


    Ace fell to her knees, her eyes glowing in a maddened worship and tears flowing from her eyes like a river as she watched the complex and disturbing magic formation take place.


    Necro''s mana flowed underneath the dead corpse. It was a rather simple magic to be honest, but the scale was pretty large. This magic required some media but Necro could manage to cast it, albeit with some lost, chanting it instead;


    "Rot, decay, become one with your future as it you shall become, Decomposition"


    A sickening stench encompassed the whole area, making Ace gag as the putrid smell of a decomposing body was multiplied by a thousand. She, however, did not take her eyes off of the magic for even a second, as she watched the flesh of the monster slowly turn into a fluid, liquefacting into nothing as it seeped through the ground, leaving nothing behind but clean white bones.


    The clarity of that mana, the density of the flow, every single thing about that casting turned Ace on. It wasn''t just some casting of a forbidden magic. It was much more. The amount of mana was more than that of her whole mana pool. The size of the magic circle was only a meter in diameter, but it was so detailed it wouldn''t sound strange for her if it were to be the size of a whole house. It was unbelievable that someone was able to cast intermediate-class magic like this.


    She didn''t collapse because the aura was overbearing, she collapsed because her knees became powerless as she saw something she could only dream of taking place right in front of her eyes.

 Ch 21 – You know alchemy too?

    DarkGodEM


    Necro turned around midway through the casting. She heard a weird sound and was surprised to see Ace kneeling on the floor. It seemed kind of strange but she decided it was wiser to just ignore it until finishing the casting.


    When she was done, a clean skeleton of the creature lied in front of her... And a weirdly panting Ace behind.


    ''Should I use it now...? It could be useful but there''s the others...''


    After a couple of moments thinking this through, she made her decision and pulled the whole skeleton back into the storage ring.


    "Are you okay?" She asked, looking back at Ace once more.


    "Yes... Sorry... It was a little too much."


    "Yeah... The smell is a bit overbearing."


    "I wasn''t talking about the smell though..." Ace grabbed her hand and stood up, mumbling something almost incomprehensible.


    Without saying much more, the pair set foot to go back to where the others were. Ace was still a little embarrassed but her resolve about the whole thing with Necro was renewed.


    Necro however, was quite a bit worried about having shown her magic to someone. While it was not strictly necessary, she felt incredibly vulnerable.


    "I thought you were gonna bring it back instead." Commented Ace. "Why would you do that?"


    "Zombies are a lot more difficult and unreliable than Skeletons... While also having many more weakness and smelling awful..."


    "Oh so you are gonna do it later?" Ace''s eyes glistened. Necro was surprised that she was that interested. Maybe she could even have some affinity towards it in the end.


    "Yeah, if we need it."


    Ace became more clingy after the fact, holding onto Necro''s arm until they arrived at the camp.


    "Finally!" Yelled Mary from afar as soon as she saw the couple coming back.


    "You two took too long, we were about to leave and go after you girls..."Hal waited until they were a little closer before actually speaking to them.


    "Ah, Sorry... I was searching for somewhere appropriate..." (Necro)


    "Nah, it''s fine, we were just starting to get worried... Next time try coming back sooner. We''re all ready to go."


    "Thank you."(Ace)


    "Don''t mind. Let''s get going then." Hal picked up a large rucksack. Necro hadn''t even noticed its existence before. During the fight, they had left it behind. And afterwards, she was too busy with Ace to notice that someone in the distance was carrying such an inconspicuous thing.


    The group set foot through the ample grove. The scenery barely changed at all, but the further they got from the Death Valley, the more animals they began spotting. Deer, birds, small rodents. There were all kinds of different ones. And Bid was extremely excited for the ample hunt. Even more so because they could store the dismantled meat into Necro''s ring, which now had much more space after getting rid of the useless flesh of the giant wolf.


    *ROOOOAR*


    "Shit, that''s a bear!" Hal yelled.


    *Pssssehw* *splup* *thump*


    For Necro, that was an impressive sight. In less than a second from hearing Hal''s alert, a single arrow flew through the air, embedding itself into the temple of the creature that fell with a thud.


    Bid was clearly a very skilled individual. She herself hadn''t even seen the bear until it came crashing onto the ground dead.


    Ace shrugged upon seeing the impressed Necro. For her this was pretty commonplace already.


    Necro continued watching in amazement as Bid quickly skinned the whole thing with Hal''s help.


    She slowly walked closer in order to get a better view, followed by Ace.


    "Excuse me... Why aren''t you taking the liver?" Necro asked as soon as she saw them standing up after rolling the fur.


    "Because it would... Oh, right, you have a ring... Yeah, we can take it too." Bid started talking as if certain of something, only to change midway upon realizing what was going on. He turned back, stabbing the dagger into the belly of the animal that was lying sideways.


    "Why did you ask that?" Ace stood by her side, having finally caught up.


    "See... A bear liver is a great catalyst for alchemy... It will net us a fair bit of money."


    "Then... Why wasn''t he taking it?"


    "Probably because it would go bad before reaching the city. But storage rings also slow down food and meat degradation by quite a bit, so it should still sell rather well even if it takes us a couple of days to reach there."


    "Ah... Got it..."


    "I didn''t know you were also versed in hunting." Hal, being done with helping Bid, who was still elbow deep into the bear, approached the pair.


    "I''m not... I just know some alchemy."


    "That..." Ace was very surprised.


    "That''s even more of a surprise...!" Said Hal.


    "Why so?"


    "Alchemy is not that common knowledge and since it takes a lot of practice and effort most alchemists are poor magicians..." Answered Ace.


    "And that''s not something we would expect from your firepower." Completed Hal.


    "Ah... so that''s it... Good to know. Thanks.."


    The two were rather confused by Necro''s answer but decided not to pry any further. That is... For now, at least in Ace''s case. She got curious since many Catalysts are used in some advanced magic. Especially Holy and Dark magic.


    After Bid delivered the liver to Necro, who stored it in the ring, the group got back moving. Mary was stupidly excited since the Fur would mean more drinking money. After noon, the group spotted a small dirt road that cut through the forest.


    "Finally!" Yelled Mary upon reaching it.


    This road meant they were slightly over a day and a half away from the town they were heading to.


    ''Ah... I forgot to check the contents of the ring...''


    Upon finally leaving the forest, Necro''s brain started going back to usual from panic mode. After this sudden wave of reasoning and logic overcame her, she realized one of the many oversights she committed since yesterday.


    As she thought about it, a tiny amount of mana concentrated in her eyes. It was impossible for everyone to notice, but Ace.


    On her eyes, a relatively long list of items slowly formed.


    Besides what she thought there would be, as in: the money, the clothes and the wolf''s skeleton. There was also a large amount of everyday items, foods, drinks, weapons and armor. Heck! There was even a whole ass tent in there.


    "Ah... I have one..."


    "What are you doing?" Ace asked upon noticing the mana disappear from her eyes.


    "Kya~!" And Necro, let off a small kitten-like scream, like a child being caught up doing something wrong.

 Ch 22 – New party member

    "I... Was checking the stuff in the ring."


    "Huh? Then why the scare?"


    "It''s just... I hadn''t seen it before and it turns out I have a ten-" Ace jumped, closing Necro''s mouth before she could finish talking.


    "Don''t say a word" She looked around attentively to check whether the rest was within hearing radius, before whispering into her ear.


    "Don''t tell this to anyone! If they know, they''ll protest us sleeping together." She let go of Necro''s mouth after saying that.


    "Okay..." It goes without saying Necro got stupidly embarrassed. Her world started spinning for a second after hearing Ace''s unintentional confession.


    ''She said she wants to sleep together with me...''


    "What else do you have in there?"


    "Hm... Some home stuffs, clothes, some ingredients and food and a couple of drinks."


    ''I probably shouldn''t tell her about the money just yet...''


    "Hmmm... If you have alcohol you could sell it when we get in town for some change. Oh, right, do you wanna join us?"


    "Huh? But aren''t you an established party?"


    "So what? You can if you want... And if they protest we can go on just the two of us. They need me more than I need them to be honest..."


    "The hell are you talking about Ace?" Mary overheard the last couple of sentences and decided to object. "While we do need you it''s not like you can just dump us right? We are a B-Rank party because of you, you know?"


    "Haah..." Ace just gave a sigh of frustration once Mary started speaking.


    ''There we go... She''s gonna start saying shit so I can''t say I''m important...''


    "What do you mean?" Necro, on the other hand, was pretty curious.


    "We are a B rank party... But both me and Bid are A rank... Hal was on the top of B rank and we were about to rise the party tier to A-rank. But we felt we needed a decent mage to help us if we ever wanted to pick actual A-rank missions. Unfortunately there are not that many mages around here and we stumbled across a D-Ranked newbie that was very promising a month ago."


    "Stop it!" Ace was pissed but Mary didn''t pay any heed.


    "She had never even taken a single mission but was a very powerful mage and we decided to take her, dropping our chances of getting to A-Rank."


    "But adding her didn''t increase your power?" Necro was confused. Ace was far more powerful than either Hal or Mary. Only Bid looked to be skilled enough to be able to defeat her, albeit with a lot of trouble. Ace was probably at least Garnet based on the quality of her magic. In the worst case, if she had a very small mana pool, she''d be an Amethyst Magician like she was. That is, only in general elements of magic, Ignoring her previous life knowledge, the Dark Magic and the recently acquired artifacts... If we were to consider all of these, Necro was way up into the Ruby class already. Just the fact that she could cast dozens of magical formulae without a pre-drawn circle already threw her into the Sapphire-tier. She, however, had no way to know that.


    "Of course it did, but the fact that she was a very recent addition to both the Guild and the party made them wary of her being a drag... So we can''t progress to A-Rank for a while..." Mary did not lie, that was the very reason, and one that made Ace very self-conscious.


    "Shut up! I''m C-Rank already and I''ve been here for less than a month! And you know my power is at least that of a lesser A-Rank."


    "Yeah... But it doesn''t matter if you don''t actually have that rank. You know?" Mary''s rebuttal was flawless, making Ace sulk.


    "But we do need you, don''t be a bitch and go leaving us behind. I''m sure nobody would question adding Necro... So long as she doesn''t burn us to a crisp accidentally..."


    "I''ll avoid doing that... Sorry... But I''m also not sure you''d allow me to join since I have a clear destination..."


    "Why! I don''t want you to leave m-, us! I don''t want you to leave us." Ace''s gaffe was pretty obvious, but Mary and Necro decided to pretend they didn''t hear what she said.


    "My father asked me to go to Ungri and deliver a letter..."


    ''Ungri? Why the hell would you be going there!?'' Ace was a little confused, hearing the name of the nation she recently escaped from.


    "Ace, aren''t you from there? This is a great opportunity for me and the boys to get to know another country. What do you say?"


    "I... I don''t care about going there..." Ace had a troubled expression but Mary went with whatever she said.


    "Then it''s decided. We''ll be taking missions towards there until we part with Necro."


    "Is it really okay? We haven''t asked the others." Necro thought they needed to consult Hal and Bid since they seemed to be leaders or something.


    "The boys? Chill, they do whatever I tell them to. I''m the one here who needs the money the most so it''s natural I''m the one who decides which missions we take based on how much we''ll earn."


    "I guess so..." Necro was.... not sure that that was the right way to go about that but... you do you, right?


    "What are you girls talking about?" Hal casually approached the girls, followed by Bid, they realized they were talking about something once they started to stay behind and decided to fall back and check on them.


    "Ah, Necro''s joining us!" Ace said in a very leisure tone.

 Ch 23 – Accidental Magical Development

    "Oh, that''s great news." Hal actually enjoyed a lot having an extra mage.


    "And we are going to Ungri with her since that''s where she''s heading." Mary completed, making Hal''s face sour.


    "You don''t plan to take one of those suicidal missions that awards a lot of money on the way do you?" Bid was the one to ask the question Hal had thought.


    "Haha... Why would you even think I would think about doing such a thing ha ha..." Mary tried...


    "You know it''s obvious right?" Ace pointed her flaw, coldly.


    "... Then there''s no good trying to hide it. We have another powerful magician, why don''t we just do it already!?" Mary''s facade fell to the ground immediately after being found out.


    "What are you talking about?" Necro had no clue as to what exactly they were talking. All she knew is that it was some dangerous stuff.


    "There''s a lot of bandits from here to the capital since it''s away from large cities... The Ungrian armies are not large enough to patrol the whole territory... The only country that doesn''t have that many problems with bandits is Wallachia... that''s why we are here. That being said, there are lots of them closer to the border." Mary started explaining what was the cause of the problem, while trying to avoid making the danger clear, but that didn''t stop Necro from asking the very point.


    "So the missions you are talking about are about thinning them out?"


    "Nah... Those are actually fun... The ones she wants to take are the ones about clearing hideouts of large groups of them..." Hal said, annoyed by Mary''s roundabout way.


    "... Then it''s not that hard right?"


    "Heh?" (Mary)


    "Are you serious?" (Hal)


    "Really" (Bid)


    "Oh boy..." (Ace)


    "Why are you all so surprised? If they don''t have magicians Ace alone could relieve 10 of them of their heads with a single spell... And I could probably deal with a small group of them alone if I have enough time to prepare..."


    "What do you mean by small...?" Hal asked, troubled.


    "Around 30 of 40 if no one interferes... why?"


    ''Yep... She''s very bad at hiding her strength'' Ace pressed her temples, hearing Necro''s speech.


    "Then it''s settled! We are taking them!" Mary was very pleased with the answer too... It meant more money.


    "Oi! Are you girls even serious?" Bid was incredulous.


    "Yeah right! You have no problem killing people?" And so was Hal.


    "Why would we?" Ace said, making their jaws drop.


    "They are Bandits, not people." Necro''s words were equally surprising.


    "If they live we can sell them as slaves so we get even more money!" Mary''s was... to be expected, and somehow managed to make both of the boys forget about the weirdness of the others.


    "Anyhow... We talk about it if it''s still available when we get there." Bid ended the topic, and the group continued walking towards Helf.


    The rest of the day was pretty eventless, the road they were taking hardly saw any movement from either carriages or pedestrians, so it was extremely calm. The group talked about many uninteresting and useless things, stopping only once to eat at lunch, the group went ahead unrelentless until the sun started to set.


    The setting sun above the road made it a beautiful scene. But walking the whole day under the sun tired Necro like never before. Walking among the trees was much nicer.


    "Can we please walk through the forest tomorrow? I''m dead here..."


    "Why are you saying this to yourself...? Also, while we can, It will take us an extra day to get there... We''ll arrive by nightfall tomorrow."


    "Just one more day okay?"


    "Yeah, yeah, just chill."


    Necro and Ace were talking to each other a little. Both spent almost the whole afternoon silent, with the exception of Necro''s complaints about the sun. Ace on the other hand, was already used to this way of living, so she just ignored the rambling.


    "Ace, Necro. We are searching for somewhere to set camp for tonight. Get closer." Bid''s voice was a happy call for Necro. She really just wanted to eat and plop herself into a tent to rest.


    "Yes!"


    "Why did you get so lively out of nowhere...?" Necro was happy once again. Ace, despite being very happy about getting in bed for obvious reasons, did not share her energy.


    After a little more than half an hour, the group set camp in a clearing to the side of the road. It seemed to be a regular camping spot, since there were still traces of human presence here and there. This made it a lot quicker to set camp. Necro was still divided as to whether to check her own tent. It''s not like there was an image in the list...


    "Ace... Can I ask you something?"


    "Sure, hit me up."


    "When we check the contents of a Magic Ring... Why does it always show up as a list?"


    "What? I mean.... That''s a given right?"


    "But why? Were you never curious as to whether it could be different?"


    "Now that you mention it... I always took it for granted that it was a list... Maybe because the mana usage is lower it became the standard..."


    ''That''s the answer I hoped for!''


    "Thanks Acey! I''mma try something."


    "What are you..." Ace just stood there, dumbfounded.


    As the mana concentrated into Necro''s eyes, Ace realized she was witnessing something she never imagined even in her wildest dreams... The birth of a new magic.


    Magical Rings worked by channeling the environmental mana through a magical stone and storing items, checking what was inside, however, dependent on the Mana of the user, and as such, was used in the most effective way so that anyone could use it. But Necro was now taking the roundabout method of infusing her own mana to see the contents in a different way, creating a new magic never before seen.


    DarkGodEM

 Ch 24 – Changing scenery = nausea

    As the mana concentrated, Necro sat down on the floor as the scenery around her changed completely. It was very nauseating.


    Ace kept watching in amusement as she could see the mana concentrate on Necro''s eyes, almost like a film. Not only was this a new magic, it was no-attribute magic.


    The greatest difference between no-attribute and normal magic, was that no-attribute had no clearly distinguishable Magic Circle. The whole magic formation was the Magic itself. Thus, developing no attribute magic was deemed impossible by even the Holy Church. Only once a magician dared to defy that and study new kinds of magic, but the world had not heard of him for decades now, except for a Crusade more than 10 years ago, that ended with his death. His very name was erased by the church and deemed ungodly.


    Necro opened her eyes in something akin to a box. Its walls were plain and brown, like paper, but completely flat and spotless. The room was about the size of a small servant''s room, with a little over 6 sqmts and an average height ceiling a little under 7ft tall. It was a perfect cube.


    In it, there were piles of items, some under others, and some protected by strange invisible barriers, separating them from others.


    ''Oh... So that''s how food and meat is stored...''


    In essence, every single item was surrounded by a kind of magical coating. It was almost as if the items were not there, but only there in essence.


    ''Makes sense that you can''t store living things... I don''t think anything can move in here...''


    There was also no source of light whatsoever, a bluish glint illuminated the place, but it came from necro''s face and ring. Probably magic was allowing her to see the items despite there being no light.


    A couple of dozens of coins were laid to the side, a few barrels full of water, beer, wine and other foodstuffs.


    "SALT!"


    Necro yelled, scaring Ace.


    "The heck! Necro?" Ace got kicked out of her trance-like state by her scream, and called Necro back, shaking her shoulder, inadvertently causing her to cancel the magic.


    *bleeerg*


    Necro vomited from the extreme nausea of having the whole world around her change at once.


    "Why the fuck did you do that?!" Necro yelled at ace.


    "OI! What''s going on he-... Necro? Are you ok?" Bid came back as he heard Necro''s scream and thought they were fighting.


    But the image of her sat on the floor and all the stuff in front of her made him think she was the victim of something...


    "Ace what did you do?"


    "Nothing! She yelled salt and I-"


    "You fucking forced me to cancel a vision magic! Do you understand how screwed up that is? I could''ve become blind!" Necro was furious, and yelling at Ace, who just cowered in fear and shame.


    "I... I didn''t know..." To be fair, she did know you are not supposed to pull a magician out of a Vision Magic, but she had no idea what magic Necro was using. She had a guess but got too afraid when she yelled and yanked on her instinctively.


    "Humpf! Never do it again!" Necro found the sulking Ace cute, but was too angry to give her much attention. Her head was still spinning.


    "Why did you scream salt though?" But that didn''t stop Bid''s curiosity.


    "See... I found some salt in my Storage Ring."


    "REALLY!? That''s awesome! It''s been almost a month since we last ate food with salt! Can you spare me some for tonight?"


    "Sure... But why don''t you pack some?"


    "Are you crazy? We are only B-Tier. There''s no way in hell we can afford salt. We only ate it once in a fancy place to commemorate Ace''s promotion."


    ''Is it that rare?'' Necro was very surprised at Bid''s answer. Her family was not so rich, but she always ate food with salt. She never imagined living without it.


    "Sure... Take some..." Necro pulled out a small soup bowl full of salt, giving it to Bid.


    "WHA-! THIS MUCH?! Are you sure?! We can live almost half a year off of selling this!"


    "Half a year?" Necro tilted her head to the side, completely reactionless.


    "YES! There are tens of gold coins worth of salt in here! This is pure clean salt! It''s worth a fortune." Bid was lowkey crying right now. Grabbing onto the salt bowl.


    "But weren''t you from a poor place that had to send you to the forest?!"


    "Hehe..." Necro scratched the back of her head.


    "Don''t pry too deep. She''s probably the same as me." Ace''s words both saved her and made her confused. The unweighted smile vanished from Bid''s face, changing into something grim and depressing.


    "I see... Sorry to ask too much... I''ll go set up the fire pit." He left with a depressed look on his face, but his eyes still glittering as he stared at the bowl of salt.


    "And you Necro, be careful. This world is completely different from that of royalty. Even things you took for granted can be riches. Never forget that."


    Necro realized what she had done out of ignorance. She had never been a normal person, both as Solaire and now as Necronomia, she was always a person akin to royalty. And the world was not as forgiving as one expects.


    "I''ll be careful from now on... Thank you... But does this mean you are also royalty?" Necro''s curiosity and the weight of the previous words managed to make her forget her anger for a second, and ask Ace about what she said.


    "Don''t pry into my life." With a dry answer, Ace turned her back on her and left towards the camp spot, leaving Necro pouting at her back, cursing inside her head.


    Ace however, was holding her tears while she tried to escape from a person who made her recall her past as a royal-blood.

 Ch 25 – Bid’s and Ace’s Past

    Flashes, Memories, Images.


    Thousands of them coursed through her mind in a mere second, turning her anger and frustration into fear and despair.


    "Stop! Please don''t go."


    Necro held Ace''s arm as she turned to leave.


    Flashes of her dream and Soleir''s life still passing like a movie inside her mind.


    She saw her go away as Soleir, She was seeing her go away as Necro.


    "Stay with me... I''ll be with you."


    Necro leaned forward as she hugged Ace from behind.


    She stood there in silence for a second before breaking from her hug and turning around, crying.


    "What do you know about me?! You know nothing, yet you behave as if you had known me for a long time!"


    "I... Know very little but... I''ve known you, I feel it! And I know you feel it too!"


    "YES! I DO! And that''s what pisses me off! Why do I know you!? Where do I know you from?! This is driving me insane!"


    Necro jumped forward into her arms, Ace holding her dearly.


    "The hell you think I know... But please don''t go... I feel like I''ve seen you go before and it hurts!"


    She held Necro''s face, once again giving her a short and heartwarming kiss. As she parted. Ace''s face and Nelphy''s overlapped in her vision, almost as if a dejavu had managed to embed itself onto reality.


    Her crying face broke her heart, but she wouldn''t let her go... Not again... Yet she was also unable to tell Ace the truth about them. She was afraid of her not believing it.


    "Thank you... For being there for me without expecting anything in return..."


    "That''s what friends are for right?"


    "Yeah..."


    This was a first for Ace. Her whole life was directed to feed others'' greed. Her childhood was a power-play where she was used as a measure of power for her beauty. Her late childhood she had to study non-stop to become a good and useful bride... And most of her teenage years were marked by ball after ball, trying to ascend her family''s influence among other kingdoms... Until she was promised as a wife to that disgusting prince!


    A couple of years ago she was sent to Ungri, to live with her Uncle and Aunt... The guise was that she was to study in the country''s Royal School as the 2nd in line for the throne... But the truth was that she had been sent to tighten the bond between her parent''s country and the southernmost country of the continent... Wallachia.


    She was meant to marry the first prince, who was studying at that very school. He was almost ten years older than her... And frankly disgusting.


    He was known for having a massive harem, full of young and naive girls, especially young servants. And aside from being a womanizer, he was disrespectful and biased. Thinking he was better than anyone else and only showing respect while in front of Ungri''s Royalty...


    A despicable man. He could not be called ugly though, his face was his biggest selling point for those naive girls who fell for him. But Ace only had eyes for one thing: Magic. And he was no magician.


    After months and months fighting her relatives over the marriage while visiting the Ivory Citadel many times, she decided it was best to run away. She let go of any of her ties with the Royalty the moment she discovered the worst truth.


    Her family was broke and the prince in question had bought her.


    The sheer disgust she felt for her relatives who knew about the whole ploy, especially her very own parents, was overbearing.


    She left everything behind, stole clothes from a maid, and went on to become an adventurer, in the hopes of finding someone right for her and living a free life for once.


    But now, she found that person, a person with overbearing magic, enough to blow the very foundations of her knowledge in magic... Yet that person was also from royalty, from the very thing she despised the most.


    How was she supposed to deal with that!?


    Ace sobbed as she rested her head on Necro''s shoulder. Necro held her with all the affection she had and a little more, born from her past life. She knew now for sure this girl in her arms had something to do with Nelphy... But she still didn''t know what. The mystery grew deeper at the same pace of their bonds. And in Ace''s eyes, a red light started to shine, as her eyes became swollen from shedding all those tears. And again vanished, almost as if it had never happened in the first place.


    After a couple of minutes Ace''s sobs calmed down.


    "Are you better now?"


    "Yeah... Sorry I was a bitch to you"


    "Don''t worry about that... It''s fine. Sorry for mistreating you earlier, but please never do that again."


    "Okay... I''ll tell you about what happened before later... It''s a long story but... You should know it."


    "Sure" Necro grabbed Ace''s hand and rested her head onto her shoulder, as the two somewhat happily made their way towards the rest of the camp. Necro doing her best and making Ace laugh a couple of times along the way.


    "Yo, salty girl!" Hal was the first to talk to necro as they arrived at the main camp. All the four tents were already set up.


    "Hey, Hal..."


    "You did a number on the little boy there... He''s been daydreaming ever since you gave him that bowl... I had to set everything up alone with Mary. All he thinks about is food..."


    Hal and the girls turned around to see a crazed Bid, seasoning a large deer with salt in front of a large campfire.


    "We not using the regular fire-pit?"


    "Nah... The prey is too large for it. But I''m not gonna chop trees down for a bonfire..."


    "I feel ya..." Ace responded to Hal''s depressed mutter... Apparently she had also had to cut trees down with magic before.


    "Yea... When Bid becomes like this because of good prey or salt, it seems, he doesn''t think of anything other than eating... The boy must have starved a lot before." Mary hopped in, giving some clarification to Bid''s behavior. In this case, it might be very understandable, or so Necro thought.


    Reality was much grimmer. Bid was an orphan, both his parents having died in a war when he was just a baby... Although the surviving soldiers managed to raise him until the war ended, he was left behind at a frontier town as soon as they scrammed back to their families...


    Bid was only 5 when that happened. There''s no such thing as orphanages in most countries. To avoid becoming a slave, which he almost did when he fell into a trader''s trap, he had to work every day in the market, only to get some scraps of food that couldn''t be sold. Money? There''s no such thing for a 6 year old. Who do you think would pay them in money? People are not that kind. And as such he survived for almost 7 years, until at the age of 12 he was allowed to enter the Adventurer''s Guild. Since he was still a minor, that only gave him the G-Rank, but hunting for food every single day made him rise surprisingly quickly. Not because he sold whatever he found, no, he ate every last bit he could lay his hands on. Bid killed so many monsters to secure his living without any money that only the proof of subjugation was enough to net him a substantial amount of money. Quests and Tasks? He barely made them until he reached F-Rank two years later. G rank tasks are generally herb-collection. Herbs are not food, so he wouldn''t do it. Anyhow, by the age of 16 he was already a D-Ranker, and by the age of 20, he had become the youngest C-Ranker in the country.


    How old is he now? I didn''t tell you? Oh, Bid is nearing his 30''s! Yeah right?! Hard to believe.


    Most of the party assumed one of his parents was an elf. Which, to be fair, is almost impossible, but not like even himself knows. So... His young looking appearance is yet another mystery.


    DarkGodEM

 Ch 26 – A meal full of memories

    The whole group sat around the fire. Necro was immersed in her thoughts about everything that just happened... The influence from Soleir''s memories was becoming stronger.


    Yet she still felt like she was herself. It was weird to say the least.


    ''Maybe I should try and find out about Ace''s relationship with Nelphy...''


    While thinking about such things, the food was ready. As always, Hal helped Bid cut apart and serve the food. This time however, everyone but Necro was anxiously awaiting for their piece. It had something extremely expensive that completely changed the flavor!


    Yes, I''m talking about salt.


    "Fwaaaa! This tastes so good!" The first person to experience it was Mary. She ate it so heartedly that it was over before Bid even cut everyone a piece. Of course, she waited anxiously for the next piece. Staring at Ace and Necro like a pleading puppy.


    ''Wow... Mary looks so cute like this... Doesn''t even resemble the normal her.'' Necro thought. In her head, Mary''s current behavior suited her appearance a lot more. Maybe, she thought, this was normal Mary when she wasn''t walling herself from others.


    After giving everyone a piece, and Mary another one, Bid sat down and bit into the meat. Tears started flowing from his eyes as he slowly bit into the cut from the ribs and tasted it slowly.


    "Is he always like that?" Necro asked in a soft voice.


    "Nah... Only when eating food with salt... He becomes very sentimental every time..."


    ------


    "Get out of here you lil piece of shit!"


    A fat man kicked a kid out from the building into the pouring rain.


    "The fuck you think you doing soiling this place!"


    The man kicked again, making the kid roll in the mud, holding his stomach...


    "But I-- I paid---" The kid managed to mutter a couple words while shriveling in pain.


    "I give no fucks! You piece of shit were soiling my place! I''ve lost customers!


    "Ghaaa!"


    The kid screamed as the man stomped his chest, his ribs cracking under the sudden pressure.


    "Veld! The fuck are you doing! You''re gonna kill the kid!"


    "The fuck are you complainin! He''s made me lose business! And nobody cares about these disgusting street-rats."


    The man kicked the side of the kid''s stomach, making him skip on the wet stone and fall face down on the soiled mud from the alley.


    "Awrrr.. My... Money..." The kid barely managed to growl something while staring at the man. He went down into the alley and spat on him, before turning around into the house, closing the door behind.


    The kid''s tears mixed with the rain water that flowed from the alley into the main street behind. And his mind went blank as his vision turned dark...


    ------


    Memories from his past filled his mind as he bit into the salted meat. Every single time he ate food like this, he remembered what happened before he became an adventurer.


    With the help of a generous and honest stall-owner, whom he helped for months, He''d managed to save a significant sum of money, and decided to get real food for the first time in his life. He didn''t spare a single copper, spending all of it on getting the best dish in the place... He indulged himself into the meal after paying. It was the first time in his life... That is... Until a fat man, accompanied by a large man, pulled him from the table into the back of the kitchen.


    That day, he was almost beaten to death...


    His luck was that the very merchant he helped was one of the restaurant suppliers, and rescued him in the morning... He was a very poor man, but a good hearted one... He lent him his own bed until he recovered.


    That was the day he decided to leave everything behind... This happened a long long time ago... More time than most of his party was alive... Yet it was still fresh in his memory.


    This very memory made him cry every time he had a seasoned meal... He never re-encountered that man. He honestly hoped he never would... The man who stole all his hard work, and denied him of even his humanity.


    The man who made him realize: Although everyone deserves a chance to live, some deserved to die a painful death.


    Anyhow, he delighted himself with the meal... His dark thoughts were quickly washed away by the joy and playfulness of the girls. Surrounding himself with young and cheerful people had been his best choice. He knew he was the old geezer of the group. Yet since he looked a lot younger, nobody would bat an eyelid at his presence.


    Dinner took quite a while, not only the animal was large, but most people, apart from Mary, ate pretty slowly to savor the food.


    Especially Necro. She had missed salt so bad that she almost cried when eating. One would think she''d been years without it, not barely over a day. She was quite a moody girl despite the serious face.


    Today, they washed the whole thing down with Wine. Not Bid''s seasoned wine, just plain wine, despite his protest, so long as they kept enough left for tomorrow morning, he couldn''t complain. They''d buy more the day after tomorrow anyways.


    "Hey, Ace."


    "Yeah?"


    "Sorry about earlier... I was strange..."


    "Don''t worry... You are my friend right? It''s okay..."


    Ace stood up from where she was, and moved closer to Necro. Mary''s mind started going in circles as she watched it. She had totally believed they had broken up or something.


    Yet, Ace sat right next to Necro, and pulled her into a kiss. It goes without saying Mary was flushed. The boys were... well... boys. I mean, who wouldn''t be happy upon seeing two cuties kissing? If you know what I mean.


    But it was a long, tender kiss. Not the passionate one from last night. Something had changed.


    After parting the kiss, the girls hugged.


    It was confusing to the onlookers, but only natural for them. This was not a kiss for pleasuring, it was for comforting. And both knew it pretty well.


    "We''re leaving now. Good night!" Necro said so, pulling Ace up with her and going towards their tent. Mary was left staring, her mouth almost dropping.


    "Night!"


    "See y''all tomorrow." The first to respond was Hal, followed by Bid.


    "Ah! Good night!" The last one, when they were almost turning to leave, was Mary, snapping out of her shocked state.


    Everyone looked at them, until they disappeared into their tent.

 Ch 27 – A busy night (16+)

    "Those girls... They are becoming very close aren''t they?" Bid asked as soon as they went in.


    "Yeah... At first I thought they were just playing around, but they genuinely look like a couple don''t they?" Hal voiced his thoughts, it was pretty clear their relationship was evolving at a quick pace.


    "Wha- What are you guys even saying! That''s a sin! An abomination in God''s eyes!"


    "Oh, come on Mary! We see how you look at them. Stop being that envious." Hal was very incisive on his reply to Mary''s hypocritical position.


    "I... I''m not! It''s not that I envy them or anything like that it''s just that in God''s teachings you should only have relations and a relationship with those from the other sex and strictly for the purpose of creating a family else it''s also a sin and... and.."


    "Oh for fucks sake! I''m patient but this is tiring." Bid snapped. "You wanna say something about it, say it to them, go on, get in that tent and tell them exactly what you told us and see where that leads. For fucks sake!"


    "I-I''m not getting in there! They might be doing the same as yesterday and I''m not sure how to behave!"


    "Yesterday~!?" Hal asked, surprised.


    "What happened yesterday!?": Bid followed up... Despite having a good idea of what had happened from Mary''s behavior.


    ''Oh snap! I spilled the beans... What do I do? What do I do?! This may lead to them finding out what I did. Oh my God! Is this a punishment for my sins yesterday?''


    Mary''s brain started running in circles as she drowned herself in stupid thoughts until springing onto her foot and darting away.


    "I''m gonna sleep! I feel drunk! See you tomorrow!"


    "That''s a lie..." Hal said, with an annoyed expression...


    "Yep... It''s clearly a lie. I wonder what exactly she was talking about..." Bid answered.


    "Well... You already have an idea don''t you?"


    "Of course... That''s the only thing that could soften that pig-head..."


    "It''s been a while since we had our share hasn''t it?" Hal asked, a little dejected to say the least.


    "Yeah... Ever since Ace joined us..."


    "Wanna hit that place whenever we arrive in town?"


    "Sure thing. We''ll have more money than last time... Wanna go for one of the new hires?"


    "That''s the best there is isn''t it?"


    "Indeed, my friend. Indeed."


    The pair of friends enjoyed the remaining wine, while talking about women like they hadn''t in a long long time. Enough for small discussions to spring about preferences and such...


    Well... At least the girls were far enough and couldn''t hear them.


    --


    "What do I do?!"


    The once brave paladin now rolled anxiously in her tent.


    "Maybe they''ll forget about it, right? Yeah, they are drunk! They won''t remember a thing tomorrow."


    She finally managed to calm herself down after a small soliloquy.


    ''Should I do as he said? Should I go there and talk to them? Maybe...'' She became flustered.


    ''No, no, no! What if they are naked?! What if they are doing lascivious things!? What do I do... I''ll just stay here! Yeah! I''ll just stay here and pretend I heard nothing!''


    And amidst her restlessness... She somehow ended up sleeping. Such a person...


    --


    "Are you okay?" Ace asked Necro, who was literally spread on the floor like a lizard under the sunlight.


    "No... I''m so fucking tired! My legs feel like they''re gonna fall right off!"


    "Oh, wow... I''m also tired, but not that much." Ace started taking off her clothes. She removed her dress and stood in front of Necro in underwear. "You should also take that off... It''s full of dust and dirt."


    "Ah! Sorry... I''m so tired I forgot..." Saying so, Necro sat on the sleeping mat, and pulled her dress over her head. In contrast with Ace''s plain underwear, hers was black and frilly. Full of beautiful details.


    Ace was entranced by the image in front of her. While one could claim she had seen her last night¡­ That''d be a lie. She was fast asleep before Necro finished undressing.


    But now, there she was, her gorgeous, unblemished, white skin glowing from the faint moon red light from the fire that passed throught the tent''s curtains. Her small yet beautiful body laid almost naked in front of her, and a sensual atmosphere enveloping the otherwise chaste image of the red-eyed beauty, who stared at her with eyes full of passion and anticipation. Her eyes, they were so beautiful. The red color, enhanced by the orange glint from the fire, made it look like a magic circle was being cast inside them.


    "Wow..."


    "What?" Necro promptly reacted to Ace''s unthought murmur.


    "Ah, nothing... It''s just that it''s beautiful?"


    "What is? Me, or this?" Necro asked sensually, pulling down the side of her underwear.


    "Holy fucking God... Both!" Ace jumped onto Necro, making her fall on top of the now laying girl. Both laughing hysterically.


    "You know... At times like this, you make me forget about everything out here, you know?" Necro had a broad smile on her face, one she hadn''t had for a handful of days.


    "You too... I completely forget everything else."


    While sitting on her thighs, Ace leans down in a passionate kiss. Necro could feel Ace''s legs twitching and their tongues squiggle around, making almost like a barrier around them, isolating the two in their own world, unregarded by everything but time.


    "I want you so bad... But I''m so tired..."


    "Me too... I can barely remain kneeling like this. Kya-!"


    Necro pulled her down with a hug, making Ace fall on top of her, her legs slipping on the mat and now pointing upwards.


    "If you are that tired, stop kneeling and forcing yourself. Your legs were almost giving up while we kissed weren''t they?"


    "How...? Oh, well... I can''t hide anything from you, can I?"


    "I hope you don''t want to..."


    Ace slowly slid from atop her, laying on her side, her leg and arm over Necro, as she caressed her neck.


    "You know... I really don''t wanna hide anything from you... Wanna hear my story?"


    "Oh... That one from before? Are you sure you''re okay telling me?"


    "Yeah... I hope you won''t hide anything from me later..."


    "I won''t... I promise."


    "Okay... I''ll trust you then. See, when I was younger..."

 Ch 28 – His sister!?

    Ace went on and on about her childhood, her disgust over them using her since she was little and all the balls and events she had to attend... Necro couldn''t relate though. Having been ill until the age of four, her parents seldom took her out of the house. She never attended any such event, in turn, one could say she was completely sheltered and hidden from curious eyes. Due to that, she wasn''t able to feel any harm on their actions, regardless of their ulterior motives. That is, until Ace started talking about how she was sold. Something inside Necro started burning. She didn''t know, but a small cinder was created, one that would lead to a catastrophycal inferno. And her rage continued to boil as Ace spoke about her family members, all they did, and how she was forced onto dozens of men until they settled the deal with the person in question. Ace paused the story to tell how she had gone around meeting every single powerful mage, searching for someone who could show her what Necro had shown. This acted as a brake, slowing down the cinder from glowing, and allowing Necro to cruise through the following discovery. Else, who knows what would''ve happened.


    "Then they made me move to Ungri! Only because they sold me to that disgusting prince!"


    "You hate him quite a bit don''t you?"


    "Of course I do! He''s the type of person who thinks everyone else is beneath them! That Commoners aren''t even people, and that every woman around is supposed to serve him just because he''s handsome."


    "Oh, well... But does he force himself upon them?"


    "No! At least not that I know of... But still! He takes advantage of their naivety and adds them to his shameless harem!"


    "Oh... well... So long as they are happy with that I see no problem but..."


    "Yeah! That''s the problem, why the fuck would a man surrounded by women BUY ME FROM MY FAMILY!? He''s a disgusting piece of garbage. He even tried to seduce me when I arrived."


    "That''s a huge oof..."


    "You tell me! Those fucking gorgeous black eyes. Those small lips and brown hair... If he hadn''t been such a disgusting and stuck up piece of garbage and had at least some magic potential I may have even given him a chance... He was still much better than the others..."


    Necro felt a little jealous over the way she described him... She was very emphatic on his beauty...


    "Who''s more beautiful? Him or me?"


    "What?! Are you stupid to even ask me that?" Ace responded with an incredulous face. "Of fucking course it''s you! You''re in another league, I can barely believe you''re even human."


    "I''ll take that as a compliment..."


    "You really should'''' Ace slid her hand over Necro''s chest and waist, while whispering in her ear. "I''d love to compliment every single part of you."


    Necro''s face started to flush, as she looked to the side, only to see Ace''s eyes staring straight at her.


    "Yet somehow... The two of you look a little similar..."


    "Similar?!" Necro was surprised by Ace''s unexpected comment.


    "Yeah... You do look alike somehow... You have the same eyebrows."


    ''The same eyebrows? The maids always commented that me and... No way right?''


    "Ace...? What''s the name of the prince in question?"


    "Huh? I dunno... But it was a girlish name, something with an M... Mihaya, Marea, Mihou..."


    "Mihnea?" Necro guessed, incredulous.


    "YEAH! THAT ONE! How did you guess?"


    Necro looked up towards the ceiling... She had to hold herself from facepalming. How could this be possible.


    "Oh, well... Who would''ve guessed that spoiled brat would grow up this twisted..."


    "You know him!?" Ace looked at her with widened eyes. Oh well... Of course she''d be surprised. But Necro still hadn''t dropped the bombshell.


    "Yeah... He''s... My brother. Sorry about him."


    "WHAT!? OW!" Ace jumped up. Hitting her head in the wooden shaft that held the top of the tent. "Ow... My head..." She laid right back down onto Necro, whimpering.


    "There, There... That was quite a jump." Necro patted Ace''s head.


    "Of course! How the hell do you want me to not react like that!? You''re that monster''s sister!"


    "Oh, well... He''s always thought he deserved everything... Mother always shut him down, including the day he left. I haven''t seen him in almost ten years you know?!"


    "Ah... That''s a long time... I met him like... Two years ago I think. The first year was awful... But the second one was even worse. He kept insisting I was in love with him and we needed to get engaged as soon as possible..."


    "Hm, so it''s been only a short time after you left Ungri right?"


    "Yeah. Six months I think?"


    "Wow... When I first saw you, I thought you''d been living this life for quite some time."


    "Um... Not that long, but I got quite used to it. Being able to use and improve my magic has been an amazing opportunity."


    "Oh, I think I should clarify. While he''s my brother, he''s from a different mother."


    "So, that''s why you don''t look alike that much... Makes sense..."


    "If we ever find him, I''ll teach him a lesson for you, okay?"


    "No need." Ace smiled devilishly. "For him to know that I became his little sister''s lover is gonna be a way better lesson."


    ''Oh, wow... When she becomes mean she''s so hot...''


    Instead of responding, Necro turned her head to the side and kissed her. She moaned as Ace slipped her leg in between her own.


    "Hah... wow... this one was amazing."


    "You''re welcome."


    As Necro laid back down she started thinking about other things.


    "It''s strange isn''t it?"


    "What?"


    "I mean... We''re both princesses... Yet we meet in such a weird way as adventurers."


    "Yeah, right! And both hiding their origins and stuff... Sounds like a weird joke from a twisted God doesn''t it?"


    "Yeah... I hope I get to meet your parents one day..."


    "Yeah... M- HOLD UP! If you''re that man''s sister, does that mean you''re the-!?"


    "Yep. I''m the First Princess of Wallachia."

 Ch 29 – I’ll serve you tonight (Part 1 – 18+)

    "You are... Then why the hell are you here!?"


    "It''s a long story but... The church''s accusing my father of some stuff and sent an inquisitorial army."


    "Oh wow... That''s..." Ace was surprised. Very much so. Inquisitorial armies were the Holy Church''s last resort when it came to punishing dissidents. She knew at least that far, despite her family having no direct ties to it. "But where are they?"


    "They... stayed behind to fight." Necro sulked a little. While she still had hope, she knew how bad the situation was. As Soleir, she had faced The Church multiple times, including their armies... It was no easy task.


    "Ah... I''m sorry... I didn''t know..." Ace felt bad hearing the way she spoke about it. It was almost as she was telling her they were most likely dead, which made her feel quite guilty... She always considered it was not okay to pry into others'' lives... Not because of courtesy or manners, but because she knew dark things would always end up being brought to light, and it would hurt both parties.


    "No, they should be fine, I hope. I miss them already"... After this, Necro''s air became distant, and lonely.


    The atmosphere seemed to gloom a little, and Ace had an idea on how to improve it. She was very embarrassed over what she was about to pull off but she hardened her resolve upon seeing Necro''s lips turning into a depressed duckface.


    "Oh... Okay... But hold up! You are way above me since I''m only a third princess! Shouldn''t I call you Your Royal Highness?!" She said in a scared tone, yet, with a playfulness in her eyes.


    Necro, brought back to reality, caught wind of her intention and suddenly focused on the girl, laid by her side. She fiddled with her short hair that looked like the water from a clean lake, and slowly rolled her finger down Ace''s nape, making her shiver while blushing. Ace''s cute reaction and effort made her push her idle preoccupations to the side.


    "Only if Thy Grace is willing to take responsibility and serve me tonight." She said, their lips almost touching. Her hand already gripping on Ace''s waist, pulling her body even closer to hers.


    Ace touched their noses, while moving her left hand to Necro''s Hip, pulling her body to face her, as she spoke. Before closing the gap between their lips with a kiss.


    "Yes Ma''am. I''m honored by Your Royal Highness'' proposal. For I shall heed."


    During the kiss, Ace started grabbing Necro''s butt, while Necro herself caressed her back with love. Despite being her the one who started this play, Ace was very nervous, after all, she said she''d serve her. And she had no idea on how to do that properly.


    Necro, however, did not care in the slightest.


    ''This feels so good... I may get addicted to this.'' She turned, pulling Ace on top of her, freeing her hand that was beneath her body.


    "You''re too tired... I can help it a bit."


    "You mean? Magic?"


    "Why not?"


    As they kissed again, Ace closed her eyes. Necro took the lead, holding Ace''s ass with both hands. Two magic circles forming on her skin.


    "Aaahhh~" Ace arched her body up and moaned loudly, as she felt Necro''s mana flowing into her body. "Haah~ What did you do to me?"


    "Hm? I mean, you''re supposed to serve me right? So I made you a little more sensitive... Just for us to have more fun." A wicked smile was painted on Necro''s face. She knew very well the implications of the magic she used. Of course this was not an original magic, but one The Church had used for a long time in torture. Sensing Wheel. A Water-Attribute magic that increased the target''s sensitivity to Touch, Mana and Heat by several-fold. Of course, this could be used for hundreds of things other than torture, right? Aside from this, the other magic she cast was a basic Exhaustion Relief. A magic that did exactly what it sounds like, relieving the target from exhaustion and making it feel ready for action. Of course, she used it on herself too.


    "You''re so mean..." Ace smiled, running her hand towards her own crotch as she lowered herself again towards Necro. Her legs felt lighter.


    "Hold up! Did you just cast two magics at the same time on me?!"


    "Yeah, why?"


    "You can do Simultaneous Casting?!"


    "Yeah, why?"


    Ace''s body started feeling hot. Even more so than before, every single time she breathed, her pussy would move slightly, sending a jolt of pleasure throughout her whole body. She could feel the wetness with her hands and she''d tremble every time, yet she somehow was managing to keep control of herself. Even she herself was surprised, she was able to hold onto her consciousness.


    "You know..." She said. "I hate how you always humiliate me with your talent... So... Only for tonight, I''mma make you surrender!"


    While saying so, she turned her hand around, holding Necro''s crotch while sitting on it, letting her own wet slit slide on her forearm. The pleasure was tremendous, yet she managed to lean down and hold Necro''s breast with her other hand.


    "Nyaah~" Necro let go a kitten-like moan as Ace''s fingers pinched her nipple and slid on top of her labia at the same time. She rolled her eyes as Ace kissed her mouth, increasing the pressure on her fingers.


    "Wait." Ace said, getting up a little. "I need to return you yesterday''s favor."


    Necro bit her lip as Ace slid down both her panties and her own. Showing her naked groin for the first time. Necro flushed as Ace spread her legs open.


    "Ah... It''s cute isn''t it?"


    "Hah?! What?"


    "Yours" She said.


    "Kyun!" Necro flinched as Ace quickly flicked her clit with her index.


    "It''s cute and tidy isn''t it. Are you sure you''re human?"


    "Where does that come from!??"


    "See..." Ace slowly brought her face closer to her crotch, her hot breath tickling Necro''s thighs. "Everything about you is perfect. Even if I search for it, there''s no way I can find any kind of flaw."


    "Haaaah~ hmm" Necro moaned lewdly, covering her mouth as soon as possible to soften her moans. Ace''s hot and small mouth covered her labia, while her small tongue slipped in between them.


    ''She''s so wet...'' Ace could feel a steady stream of warm liquid flowing onto her tongue. Her body burning every time she felt Necro''s thighs twitch.


    Necro could see and feel every time she breathed. Her body was slowly turning limp by her tongue. Of course she hadn''t left herself out of the Sensing Wheel spell... But the sensitivity boost was even more than she had expected. Even Ace''s hands on her inner thighs were incredibly pleasing. She could feel her insides contracting every time her thumbs rubbed her skin.


    "Hawmmmmmmmmm~!"

 Ch 30 – I’ll serve you tonight (Part 2 – 18+)

    She uttered a muffled and long moan as Ace''s hands slid further in and pulled her skin, opening her labia. While the opening of her slit wasn''t inherently pleasant, feeling Ace''s breath on her now exposed inner lips was very strange. It was very strange and different. Yet, she felt like it was the beginning of something much much better.


    "So pretty..." Ace was entranced. Opening her bigger labia, she could see the cute and pink contours of Necro''s pussy. Her clit was tiny. Hidden by the hood, only a tiny red bud was exposed. ''Hoo... If it''s like this then!''


    "AAAAAAAAAAAAH~!"


    A loud moan escaped Necro, who had a surprised face. Exactly as Ace predicted, her clit was incredibly sensitive. Only slightly pulling the hood and licking the exposed thing was enough to make her moan this loudly. Her instinct was right, by having it this small, she would hardly ever rub it inadvertently, making it so that she was very vulnerable to stimuli.


    Despite her loud moans, Ace didn''t stop, licking with glee while massaging her with her index that was pulling the hood. It didn''t take long for Necro to start gasping for air.


    ''Oh, God! I shouldn''t have used the spell on myself!'' It was a hypocritical regret though, she was definitely loving it.


    "Ah~" Ace slid her slender finger, with her other hand, shallowly into her pussy. She didn''t stop what she was doing before, making Necro prop her body up, gripping the mattress with both her hands.


    "What do you think you''re doing?" She asked.


    "What do you think?" Ace stopped licking her for a second, parting her head and other hand and slowly approaching Necro''s face. She pulled her finger out for a second, before inserting two of them back in a single thrust.


    "Haaaah~" Necro moaned loudly, her pussy contracting around her fingers.


    "I''m serving you. Just as you asked." Ace whispered in her ear, before kissing her mouth. She started moving her fingers in and out, at the same rhythm as Necro''s hips swayed side to side, further fueling her lust. She could feel Necro''s hand moving over her body, making its way down, as she attempted to moan while kissing.


    It wasn''t long at all before she felt her small hand rubbing her wet clit.


    Ace was dripping. A lot. But she tried to hold her own craving back in order to pleasure Necro as much as possible. But that hand... It was pulling her elsewhere. There''s no way she could concentrate at all! She put her other hand on Necro''s breast, holding it. Her breast was not as small as it seemed, fitting perfectly into her hand. She kept on kissing her empty minded. Her mind, attention and thought were completely elsewhere. As her body suddenly twitched she pushed her fingers deep into Necro, making her whole body arch, and, incidentally, her finger slipped right into her. The sudden pleasure from the sudden penetration, paired with the indescribable sensation of her palm rubbing against her clit, blew her mind away instantly. She turned her hand around and up in a split second, making Necro moan loudly, as she held her hand. Her legs started convulsing as she fell straight onto her bosom once more, breathing heavily.


    "Why the fuck did you do this!? It''s too much for us!" She asked, her ragger breath making pauses in between each word.


    "Haaa~ Hah! I didn''t know it''d be this powerful. Hah~ Shit... This is... You''re trying to kill me, aren''t you?" Necro asked, while hugging her head against her chest.


    "I''ll ask you the same." Ace moved up, kissing her lightly on the lips, before going back down and sliding her hands behind Necro''s back, removing the small pin that held it in place. "How the hell can you be this crooked?"


    "Huh?"


    "You tease me, you provoke me, you attack me with this unfair magic, you make me cum like I''m just a whore..."


    Necro stared intently at Ace''s face as she grabbed onto both her breasts.


    "Aaaah~" She moaned and arched as her body was assaulted from pleasure as Ace pulled on her nipples, lightly squeezing them between her thumb and index.


    "Yet you manage to still look completely composed even just after cumming this hard."


    Necro''s eyes were clouded in pleasure, yet she still managed to bite her lip and pull Ace down, reverting their position while still having her nipples grabbed by her lover.


    "HAAAH!" Ace gave a loud moan as Necro shoved two of her fingers deep into her pussy, touching her cervix, while firmly grasping her crotch. She endured as silently the pleasurable pain of Ace tightening the grip on her nipples, while still keeping a confident sideways smile on her flushed face. Her red eyes lightly glowing in the dark, as the fire from outside had just died.


    "You know why I''ll always be composed? Even when you make me like that?" She asked, vibrating her fingers inside Ace, making her eyes roll.


    "Why?" She asked back moaning, her whole body was on fire, she was sweating a lot. Letting go on Necro''s nipples to hold onto her groin with both hands, while opening her legs slightly.


    Necro lowered herself, and licked her neck all the way to her ear, pulling her fingers out halfway before shoving the back in and saying, while Ace moaned.


    "Because from now on, you belong to me, not the other way around."


    She went back down, kissing and sucking on Ace''s neck. Her finger danced as they slid in and out of her. Ace''s hands shifted. While one caressed Necro''s hair, the other, letting go of any modesty, rocked over her own clit, much to Necro''s delight. Seeing Ace let go of herself and indulge with her was amazing. Necro could feel something inside her. It was the same fire as before, when she  was angry, but it had a different feel to it. And as Ace''s body trembled and she heard her high pitched moan ringing on her ear as she came. Necro bit her neck without having even thought about doing so.

 Ch 31 – I’ll serve you tonight (Part 3 – 18+)

    ''Oh, shit!'' Necro got a hold of herself and pulled her face back, exposing a dark-red hickey.


    "Ahhhhhhhhhh~" Ace moaned loudly as she came, turning to the side to see a slightly startled Necro. "Is everything okay?"


    "... Yes. But I may have left a mark in your neck... Hyaaa~" Ace slapped her ass hard. "Why did you do that?!" She asked.


    "See... You marked me... How about I mark you back?"


    "Didn''t you hear what I said?" Necro said, holding Ace''s face with one hand. "You are mine! Not the other way around." She kissed her lips. "Wanna mark me? You can mark my pussy by licking it." She didn''t even wait for Ace''s answer, turning around and sitting on her face while kneeling. As soon as she sat, Ace''s hands wrapped around her thighs, pinning her down to her face.


    "Thanks for the meal then!"


    "Hmmmpf~" Necro tried to remain serious, but fell forward on her arms as Ace starting licking her from below. One of her hands unwrapped from her legs and was now caressing her boob as she leaned forward. Necro started drooling as she realized what laid in front of her eyes. She quickly rearranged her weight, putting more of it onto Ace''s face, as she unburdened her hands in order to change where she was holding.


    "Gh, haaaa~... Ahh~!" Ace gasped for air as Necro''s weight lifted from her face, allowing her to breathe once again. It was a little scary for a second as her mouth sucked in desperately, but drowning in pussy was a Happy Ending.


    Anyhow, just after managing to breathe, all her newly found breath was forced outwards in the shape of a moan, as Necro started to slowly savor her pussy with her extended tongue. She pulled her hand back from Necro''s breast, holding her ass with both her hands as she tried to outperform the pleasure given to her.


    "Kyun~!" In an attempt to breathe easier, Ace propped her face up, licking along the way. A cute and quick moan escaped Necro as soon as her tongue touched her ass.


    ''Interesting...'' Ace could see Necro''s asshole contract every time her tongue ever-so-slightly touched it. She decided to double-down, focusing on licking her butt while slowly fucking her pussy with her fingers.


    "Haaah~" Necro moaned as her legs started to twitch and feel weak from the newly-found pleasure. It didn''t feel the same as the other place, rather, it was way more sensitive. She could feel even her pussy contracting with the movements from Ace''s tongue over her butt.


    ''If she''s not going in...'' She stopped licking Ace for a second, sucking her own index finger instead. She took the opposite approach from Ace''s.


    "Hummmm~!"


    "Haah~"


    The reactions chained down.


    Ace was surprised and her mind went blank as Necro''s wet and slender finger slid right into her ass. She clenched her ass, which in turn only caused her more pleasure, combined with Necro licking her clit. Her whole body twitched, making her finger grip into a rugous region inside Necro, whose whole body went numb for a second, before burning up in pleasure. Her legs gave up, making her sit down hard on Ace''s face, whose extended tongue slid right into her.


    "Haaaaaah~!" With a finger rubbing her G-spot and a tongue wriggling inside her ass, it didn''t take for Necro to cum. Rather, Ace''s shin and neck became wet from a small amount of fluid that gushed out from her as soon as she did so.


    "Hah~! Hah~! Hah~! Holy shit! Hah~! That was good! Hah~!" Necro conceded, gasping for air. Her pussy was tingling, still with Ace''s finger inside. Her ass, once spread open by her tongue, now twitched in time with her breath. Ace''s tongue sliding around it thirstily.


    ''Fuck! I lost..'' While she didn''t feel wronged, since she had asked Ace to serve her, something deep inside her was trying to turn this into a competition of sorts... Maybe an influence from when she was a he? Who knows. The point is:


    ''I have to make her cum even more.'' She turned around, licking Ace from her pussy up towards her breasts. Meanwhile, her hands slipped up, from her thighs, moving up and around Ace''s curves. One of them slid right into Ace''s Brassiere, while the other slid right back down onto her slit.


    Ace''s nipples were hard, Necro played with the now exposed nipples. While pinching one with her left hand, she nibbled on the other with her teeth. She could feel Ace''s pussy twitch every time she increased the pressure on them.


    While letting go one from her mouth, Necro slid two fingers into Ace''s pussy, kissing her hard on the lips.


    Ace grabbed onto her head, devouring her mouth as wet moans escaped her.


    "Pour ~ it ~ in ~ me~!" Words came out in between the kisses.


    "Not yet!" Necro understood what she meant from her previous behavior. She wanted her mana. Pouring one''s mana into another was an extremely pleasurable practice, which used to be common among magicians before being outlawed. Some even called it "The path to Ascension''''. The problem was, apart from being incredibly pleasing, having mana poured straight into one''s body was also very dangerous. First, there was the most known problem: Addiction. Once they experienced it, most magicians would become addicted to the practice, and since the pleasure was directly connected to the purity and grade of the other magician''s mana, one would never be pleased with one of lower quality... You can see where this goes. Secondly: Toxicity. While mana itself is not bad, too much and too little in a body used to it is. Having too much mana can cause hallucinations, confusion, and if the Mana Heart overflows into the Mana Brain... Death.


    Well... not exactly, but death as a magician. And lastly, the reason why it was outlawed: The quality of the mana could be felt to such a degree, that the overall mana quality could be determined in a split second, bypassing all extraneous measures used to strengthen the user and its mana pool... In short:


    This bypassed the Church''s rating system, making obvious its shortcomings.


    There was also the fact that very powerful magicians used this to effectively enslave their subordinates and lovers but that''s another story that is completely irrelevant now.

 Ch 32 – A full-course meal (18+)

    "Pleee~ase!" Ace pulled her face down towards her chest while pleading. Necro''s mouth went back to sucking on her nipple while enjoying the sound of Ace''s moans. While curving her hand, Necro slid her thumb over Ace''s clit. As she moved her hand back and forth, she carefully rubbed her thumb against her. After a couple minutes, Ace''s moans started to become louder, as she propped her hips up and down with Necro''s hand. She raised the speed further, and using the juices that dripped down, Necro slid her pinky inside her soft asshole.


    Ace started to scratch her back, making Necro moan from the exciting pain. She could feel Ace''s body pressing up on hers in an attempt to arch. Anticipating her orgasm, Necro shut her mouth with a kiss, vibrating her fingers as she continued fucking both her pussy and ass.


    Ace''s mind turned completely blank, the pleasure was enormous. Necro''s fingers felt to her as entities with their own will, exploring her insides from both places, while still rubbing her clit. Not only that, her other hand never ceased to pinch and roll her sensitive nipple, and her tongue explored her mouth non-stop. It was overwhelming. Completely overwhelming.


    ''Do I even need that? Isn''t this already too much for me?'' As the thought started to cross her mind, it was washed away by pleasure as her body began convulsing in amazing orgasm.


    "AH~" She gasped for air as the pleasure began subsiding, only to have her mind blown away by another, way more powerful pleasure.


    Necro watched in amusement as Ace''s body arched completely. Her eyes rolling and hips convulsing, as she began pouring her mana from her fingertips.


    ''Oh shit! I''ve overdone it.'' It took her a second to realize Ace was almost convulsing, before kissing her mouth again and calming her body down.


    ''What even is this?'' Amidst the pleasure that blew her mind away, Ace''s consciousness drifted. Dark-blue mana stormed around her, sending shiver every time it touched her "body".


    Rather... This was herself. As time seemed to stop for a second, she felt Necro''s fingers inside her, and the torrent of mana flowing in from them.


    ''So this is what it really feels like... It''s nothing like that time.''


    As a feeling of fulfilment and peace roiled up, she could feel the mana accumulating inside her. Her eyes rolled as the power surged, and she lost herself.


    Only for a split second, before Necro''s lips touched her once again, and all the excess mana was pulled out in a fell swoop, bringing her back to reality.


    "Hah~! Hah~! Hah~! Hah~! God~!"


    "Are you okay?!" Necro asked. Worry was clear in her eyes. She knew she went too far, but not how much. She only had a rough idea of why she had gone too far from her almost lost memories.


    "Okay!?" Ace, still trembling, jumped on her, kissing. The warmth from her tongue and the passion in her lips slowly relaxed Necro''s tension. "Never, ever do that to me again! I thought I was gonna die from pleasure!" Ace started laughing on top of Necro, making her laugh too...


    "Hahaha! Shit... You scared the hell out of me. I thought I''d hurt you."


    "It was just too good... But please, never do that again. I might lose myself."


    "Yeshh~, sorry..." Necro apologized half moaning as Ace licked her earlobe.


    "Don''t be... That was fucking amazing! It was leagues apart from last time I tried it..."


    "Mana Pouring?"


    "Yeah... I''d done it once while searching for a powerful mage... He said he''d prove his worth. I mean... It felt good... But this was something else completely!"


    "Heeh... You mean you did it with someone else..."


    "Hah?! NO! Don''t get me wrong! It was just the mana! Just the mana!" Ace freaked out after seeing Necro''s jealous face.


    "I was joking, idiot." She patted Ace''s head. "I was just wondering... Am I really that different..."


    "YEAH!? I really felt like I was gonna die. The mana was so pure I felt it was diluting even my consciousness away. Let alone that! It felt like I was being assimilated with something much bigger... Are you sure you are human?"


    "Haha~... Don''t joke around... Of course I''m human!" ... ''I think.'' Necro felt a little weird with those words. She knew she wasn''t supposed to be human after the spell and didn''t know what went wrong and what were the implications of the failure... Maybe it wasn''t a complete failure?


    Anyhow, her whole body felt weak after all that exercise. Her hands were dulled and her legs still twitching occasionally.


    "Let''s do this again sometime, but the mana part. I''m worried about you."


    "Yeah..." Ace clung onto her chest harder. "If I were to become addicted to this mana I''d probably die without you." Necro was slightly shocked by her straightforwardness.


    "What do you mean?"


    "Ah... see... The person who tried to prove themselves was the Headmaster of the Magician Headquarters... He''s a big shot... If you are that far apart from him, I don''t expect to find anyone anywhere near your level."


    ''Oh shit... I might have overdone it this time...''


    "We should try and get some rest." While hugging Ace, who laid on her chest, Necro thought about what she should do about what Ace just told her and the implications of it... She''d already realized there was something wrong about her mana from yesterday''s fire spell, but for it to be this massive...


    ''She might be exaggerating, right?'' She considered the possibility, but thinking about how excited Ace became from seeing her use Liquefaction magic before... That''d hardly be the case


    ''This girl is not normal... Nor am I.'' She thought, combing the now asleep girl''s hair with her fingers, before she herself fell into slumber for the couple of hours that preceded the sunrise.


    "Are they done...?" A disheveled girl asked herself with a guilty consciousness. She stared down at her naked self as she realized what she had been doing for the best part of the last couple hours...


    "I''m a sinner! Uwaaa! God, please forgive me!" And she cried a couple minutes over her small slip in faith, before managing to sleep too.

 Ch 33 – I said too much!

    "Morning."


    "Morning..." Necro woke up to a mellow call. She found it hard to breathe and rubbed her eyes before remembering why. To her right, a cute naked girl laid, staring at her. Her gorgeous eyes looking up towards her. She had a leg and an arm over Necro''s also naked figure. Necro slowly combed her hair before running a finger down her spine.


    "Kyun~"


    "You are as cute as ever. Let''s go, it''s time to get up."


    "I know... I wanted to stay with you a little longer." Ace clung onto her, caressing her chest and belly with her hand.


    "Yeah, yeah... But we really need to go, right..." Necro combed Ace''s hair and kissed her head. The flowery smell coming from her hair was very relaxing and, especially for Ace, this was a very soothing moment.


    "Ace... I need you to let go so I can get up..."


    "Do you really?!" Ace gave out a spoiled complaint, before sitting on her lap and giving her a morning kiss to the lips. Necro bit her lips while holding onto Ace''s waist.


    "You know how hard it is to resist you... We gotta go..." Since she didn''t directly say anything, nor made any attempt to remove Ace from her, Ace leaned down once more and gave her another kiss.


    *Fwap*


    "Girls, wake up it''s......"


    Ace looked ahead, while Necro turned her head upwards to look at the source of the noise. Where the entrance should be, a deeply blushed Mary held the curtain open while opening and closing her mouth like a fish.


    "I- I- I''m so sorry!" She let go of the curtain, closing the tent again. She could be seen running in embarrassment as the curtain slowly slid back onto the other side.


    "ku...ku... ha..." Necro tried to hold the laughter for a second, but after seeing Ace holding her''s in she could no longer contain it.


    "Hahahaha~"


    "Iyaahahaha~"


    The girls started laughing hysterically. Necro laughed for a good while before melting while watching Ace laugh while almost tearing up. Ace laughed until she was out of breath, putting a hand in her chest while giggling to calm herself down...


    "We... Should pity her right?" Necro''s words made Ace start laughing once again, which in turn made her accompany her in laughter.


    The cycle repeated a couple times before both came back to normal.


    *Slap*


    Necro slapped the side of Ace''s butt.


    "Get up! We really gotta go now."


    "Yes!" Ace quickly got onto her knees, which allowed Necro to raise her trunk enough and give her another kiss, sitting Ace on her lap.


    "Didn''t you say we had to go?" Ace asked, catching her breath.


    "Did I?" Necro asked, holding Ace''s ass with both hands. "I guess I really did."


    "Kya~! You meanie!" Necro let go of her butt, making her tumble back onto the mattress. Ace pouted while voicing a small complaint and grabbing her clothes.


    "I know, I know... Let''s go before they get angry at us.


    "Uwahahahahaha"


    "Kkakakakaka"


    As soon as they left the tent, the girls were greeted with the image of Mary, sat on the floor with her shield almost crying, and the two boys laughing at her around the fire.


    "She''s the victim isn''t she..." Necro asked in a small voice.


    "Seems like it..." Ace retorted. The two sat down near the fire with the rest.


    "UNFAIR! THIS IS UNFAIR! YOU GUYS KNEW THEY WERE DOING SOMETHING NAUGHTY AND TOLD ME THEY WERE ASLEEP!" Mary was complaining with teary eyes.


    "But you didn''t see anything right!?" Asked Hal, jokingly.


    "I mean... We really weren''t doing anything..." Ace said in a small voice.


    "See! See! It was just a bland prank." Hal completed.


    "But... But... They were naked, and kissing, and she was on top of her." As Mary started to babble, Ace became flushed. While Necro just averted her eyes from the curious glances of the boys.


    "I mean... Had you been there before..." Said Bid, teasing her.


    "STOP IT! I know they were going down on each other last night I heard it!" Mary became flustered while fiddling with her fingers. She said in a low voice most of the sentence but not low enough that others couldn''t hear it.


    "Eh!?"


    "What!?"


    The boys froze hearing that.


    Ace and Necro stared at each other in disbelief.


    ''She heard it all!'' They both thought, blushing into a deep red.


    Confusion assaulted Mary for a second as she realized the boys had no idea what she was talking about.


    ''Oh crap! I said too much.'' She covered her mouth with her hand while blushing as hard as the two girls who were staring at each other.


    An uncomfortable atmosphere remained for the rest of the breakfast, which included the usual Bid-wine routine that everyone hated - But him and Necro.


    Mary quickly hid into her helmet as they finished dismantling the camp and set foot on the road for the last day of their trip to the nearest town, which was completely eventless apart from the weird atmosphere among the people, who were barely talking to each other... That is... Until it happened.


    "Surrender now and we''ll spare you! Drop the weapons and give us the girls!"


    The group encountered the clich¨¦ Bandit Group only a handful of hours away from the town.

 Ch 34 – It’s a trap!

    "Are you fucking deaf?! I SAID DROP YOUR WEAPONS!"


    The groups stood in front of the bandits. There was still quite some distance between them, and none of the ruffians seemed to be armed with bows. Their group, however, was rather large.


    "What do we do? There''s twelve of them ahead..." Hal asked in a small voice.


    "Twelve ahead, Ten more hidden behind and six in the forest." Bid corrected him, making all others widen their eyes.


    "We don''t have a chance... Have we?" Asked Hal.


    "No, it should be fine, the ones in the forest are using bows, but that''s it. if we get them then we can run if it gets scary."


    "Bid... Stop this... Why don''t we jus-" Mary started speaking but was quickly interrupted by Bid, shivers ran down her spine, as well as Necro and Ace''s as they heard his words.


    "If we surrender now, in the best case scenario, you three will be sold as slaves. Worst case scenario they''ll rape you until you die. Do you really wanna take the chances?"


    Necro gulped. She knew this was not an easy fight but she had no option.


    "WE DON''T HAVE TIME FOR THIS!" The bandit leader yelled, running ahead with the men.


    Before he could finish talking, Ace and Necro looked at each other, and turned to the side. As soon as he spoke, a water-blade and a fireball were cast from them, straight towards where Bid pointed out the enemies were. They couldn''t confirm the hits,  but from Bid''s demeanor they could see they hadn''t missed. He turned towards where Necro shot the fireball, shooting a single arrow that whistled amidst the flames, that was followed by a muffled moan. While to one side, a couple trees were felled from the water blade, to the other, the forest was on fire, but that was a problem they''d have to solve later.


    "Shit! Oi, Boss, They have two mages! This is bad, we shou- Gha!"


    "Parl!" The bandit leader turned around to see the man who was talking to him on the floor, dead, with an arrow through his head.


    "YOU!" He screamed, charging against the group with the rest of his men. Around this time, the remaining bandits showed up behind the group, charging towards them.


    "Hal, You take care of the back! Mary, cover the front. Girls, it''s showtime!" With his words, Bid started shooting two arrows at a time. Despite losing some aim with it, he still managed to hit more than one arrow on average. Necro and Ace began channeling their next magic. In Ace''s case, it was the same water-blade, but in Necro''s, realizing she set part of the forest ablaze, it was a windblade. Both magics flew towards the bandits coming from behind, rendering them unable to escape. One of the bandits tried to stop the water-blade with his sword, only to have it severed, together with his head. Two were directly hit by Ace''s attack. One died immediately, the other had a deep gouge on his chest, on the verge of death. Necro''s magic wasn''t so kind. While aiming at the bandits'' legs, she hit five of them. While water-blade was known as a clean magic that severed the target using high pressure water, air-blade made use of the dust particles in the air to slowly eat away the target. While the result was similar, the wounds were not. And it being close to the ground did not cause nearly as much awareness on the bandits than Ace''s. As a result, five of them were injured by the magic. From gouged ankles to severed legs, the five, although far from death, were unable to fight any further, some passing out from the pain on the spot.


    ''Shit!'' The bandit leader realized his underlings were falling like flies.


    "Are you fuckers gonna get your ass beaten by four girls!? Fight you pussies!"


    All the remaining bandits yelled, running towards them brandishing their weapons, infatuated. Before they could reach them, their numbers were culled to near half. Seven were struck by magic, four by Bid''s arrows. Bid was fuming. Yeah, they had mistook him for a girl once again. He thought the arrival of yet another cute girl would make the enemies more aware of him... But that was just blind hope. Two more bandits fell from his arrows as they engaged in close quarters. The bandits on the back were still trying to reach the five person group.


    ""Uwaaaa"" With another activation from Necro, the remaining mercenaries from the back collapsed. Some were stuck while others just face planted into the ground. Necro''s Magic this time was Ground-Shift. By compressing the ground and creating an unexpected divot, she opened the ground up beneath their feet. Some just fell into it, spraining their ankles, while others lost balance and fell to the ground. The magic was quickly followed up by Ace''s water-blade, which hit all the fallen targets.


    With the back group taken care of, mostly, the girls turned around to help the main fight. Hal ran towards the fallen bandits, finishing them off. While they were defeated, there was no way to know whether they had healing potions or scrolls. While he wasn''t fond of killing humans, he wouldn''t hesitate too much.


    "YOU FUCKERS!" The bandit''s leader was enraged as he saw the man run behind to kill the fallen ones. "You leave the women behind to get the glory of the kills! You should be ashamed!" He yelled towards Hal, unaware that every word he spouted pissed Bid even more.


    "I''m NoT a WOmAn!!!" Bid''s voice cracked as he yelled, jumping over Mary and stabbing the bandit leader with his arrow.


    "Eh!?"


    The Bandits froze for a second, including the leader.


    Mary froze from the shock of having a person literally jump over her.


    Bid was red! Really red!


    "I SAID I''M A MAN!" He yelled, pulling the arrow that was embedded into the leader''s leather armor. From the little blood that came out, it was a shallow wound. The bandits were still frozen for a second, before yelling back.


    """ IT''S A TRAP!!!! """

 Ch 35 – Start Talking

    "You..." Bid was boiling in rage.


    "Bid... Calm down... There''s no time for you to go berserk..."


    "BID!" Mary yelled as Bid jumped into the bandits, dropping his bow. He started slashing at them with the arrows, stabbing them with them as he passed by.


    Necro was in awe. This was a very strange way to fight.


    Mary, was still somewhat composed, and attacked the Bandit leader. He slashed at her shield, locking them in combat.


    "What the fuck is wrong with that crazy fella!?"


    "Ah... He has a trauma with being confused with a girl, go figure."


    "Holy shit!" He jumped back, distancing himself from the girl. ''FUCK!'' He thought, feeling a weird flow of air. He shifted his point of gravity, leaning back to avoid a flying Bid, that yeeted at him from behind with bloodshot eyes.


    "The fuck is this guy!" He yelled as Bid''s feet slid on the ground, turning around once again. Taking a peek behind, he realized all the men were already on the ground. Not all were dead but most had gruesome wounds to the neck. Sweat dripped down his spine as he realized the peril. All the others were dead. There was only him left.


    "Surrender now and we''ll spare you." A girl''s voice resounded from behind the Paladin-like girl in the front. He couldn''t see who it was.


    "What''s the point? I''ll fight here until the end."


    The paladin took a step back, preparing her mace.


    He lowered his stance, preparing to receive Mary''s blow.


    But it never came.


    "Huh!? Are you not coming at me!?"


    Not only her, Bid was also no longer looking like fighting anymore.


    "See... You don''t care about the others dying at all... And you don''t seem to intend to run either. Why would we fight you?"


    "Huh!? But I''m a bandit!"


    "See... I disagree with that." A small girl spoke, slowly walking forward. "See... Bandits tend to escape as soon as they feel they are losing and try again another time. Even more so, they have no sense of pride." The girl spoke in a monotonous tone without any resemblance of emotion. He looked straight as her red eyes and widened his own, he knew this appearance, there was no one who didn''t. What was she doing here!? "I think you are a soldier. Care to explain why you are here!?"


    It was true, he knew it was true, he wasn''t a bandit, he was a Soldier, none of them were bandits, they were forced to become so. He fell to the ground on his knees, dropping his sword.


    "Please, just kill me already."


    The man looked down dejected. He''d been seen through. His mission was a failure.


    "Why are you here? Who sent you?"


    Yet, instead of death, he was faced with questions.


    "Pardon me?" He looked up at the girl, confused.  "Gha!" Necro was angry, and stepped hard on his thigh, making him flinch.


    "I SAID: WHO SENT YOU?"


    "Hieee-'''' The man shrieked at the gaze. This girl was dangerous. Very dangerous. ''Why had I had to find the Vampire Princess of all people... They told me to avoid her at all costs... The church should be there already, did they fail!?'' His mind started running in circles as the pain increased. "I can''t, I can''t, I''m dead, I can''t" The man despaired.


    Necro looked behind and addressed the rest of the group.


    "You guys should try to put out that fire before it gets out of control."


    "What!?" Bid looked behind confused, only to see part of the forest set aflame, it hadn''t gotten out of hand yet since the forest was rather green, but it was just a matter of time. A handful of trees were still on fire and some bushes too. "ACE! HELP US!" He ran, pulling Ace and Mary with him. They needed to retrieve the proof from killing the bandits in the forest before they turned into ash. And well... Ace''s water magic could help with the fire.


    As the sound of the shield bashing against the fiery bushes and water magic began, Necro turned back to the soldier leader.


    "You know... You can help me out here and start speaking or I''ll be forced to use other methods."


    "Hiii-" The man shrieked again, this time grabbing his sword from the ground and trying to slash Necro. But as soon as he grabbed it, he could no longer move his arms.


    "You see... I''m pretty good at restraining people." Necro said, showing a tiny magic circle on the tip of her pinky.


    *fwosh*


    A small flame appeared atop of her index.


    "So, you may wanna start to talk."


    "HYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA~"


    "The fuck was that scream!?" Mary was confused, she heard a lout scream coming from where they had just come from. They could kinda see Necro and the man still in the same spot as before, they had barely moved, but Necro was now closer to him.


    "The hell do I know... Necro''s trying to get some answers I reckon." Bid responded.


    "WHAT! You mean, she''s using... She''s extracting..." Mary was scared. She couldn''t even say what she was thinking. It was scary to think that such a cute girl could do stuff like that.


    "Torturing him? Yeah, probably." Ace was blunt. Confirming her thoughts. After putting the fire down, they began searching for the bodies of the defeated bandits. According to Bid, there should be at least three here, and some on the other side of the road.


    "I found one!" Hal called them. "Not one... Two... but..."  When they arrived there, they realized what he meant. The bandits here were the ones hit head on by the fireball... Little remained.


    "Haah... Like this, we won''t be able to claim their reward..." Bid was a little saddened. The bodies were too burned to get the proof of extermination.


    "Such a shame..." Ace was also sad. Some bandits could rack up a large amount after committing crimes for a while.


    For humans, the proof was the left ring finger.

 Ch 36 – Oh, Crap!

    ''Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! What the hell is wrong with this girl!'' The bandit tried to move with all his might but his limbs were frozen solid.


    "Please! I can''t tell you! Please!" As Necro''s finger with the lit fireball came closer, he could slowly feel the heat intensifying. It started burning. Her finger slowly and steadily came closer to his face as he tried thrashing unable to move. As the pain intensified he realized she was not stopping.


    ''I''m gonna die! She''s gonna kill me!''


    "I''ll tell you! Please stop! It was... GHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA~!"


    After the sorrowful realization that they had lost those two, they searched for the others. After a couple seconds, they managed to locate the two other bandits on this side of the forest. After retrieving their proof, they moved on to remove that of the many bandits laid all over the road.


    "What''s she doing now..." Mary stared at Necro in the distance. She was standing in front of the bandit, almost like a statue, while some sporadic screams would come from him.


    "Extraction" Ace lightly threw an answer at her while ripping a bandit''s finger with a small knife.


    "I know but..."


    "If you really wanna know you could go there and see you know?" Bid said, passing behind Mary in his way to another bandit.


    "GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" A scream resounded in the distance.


    "Yeah... I think I''ll pass..."


    "Nice call." Bid was not that surprised but...


    "Aw man... Why are nobles always this... inhumane? Like..." Hal showed up between Mary and Bid. The three inadvertently stared at Ace a couple meters ahead slicing off another bandit''s finger. There was little to no blood on her blade and she held the to-be-severed finger with an air of disgust.


    "Why are you looking at me?!" She looked up, only to see all three staring at her.


    "N-Nothing!" Mary reacted like a small scared bunny, averting her gaze immediately. Ace went straight back to slicing proofs off of the corpses.


    "Who knows... Probably the raising... They''ve probably attended executions since they were small children..." Bid said, thinking.


    "I''d guess so... Or they just don''t see people as people..." Hal said while crouching and slicing off another finger.


    "Anyhow... Don''t overthink it too much, Mary. What matters is they are our companions. Better be on their side than on the opposite right?" Bid tried reassuring Mary.


    "I guess so..." Mary was not that assured but she tried to calm herself down a little more.


    "Well... It could also be that these two just so happen to be more tacless..." Hal spoke, after finishing taking all he could find around here.


    "That''s... Quite possibly the case" Bid did not want to agree... but after looking at Ace again...


    ''Yeah, right? There''s no way to deny these two are not exactly normal.''


    All and all, there was little merit to the bandits'' apparel... While some wore leather armor, it was old and ragged, so not much could be salvaged when selling. Actually... It was pretty much worthless. A couple of them had some coins, but most were rather plain. Their weapons were crude and low quality daggers, which could still fetch for a significant amount of money.


    Bid vanished into the forest across the road, only to come back almost empty-handed.


    "There were two more over here. Hal, Take this." He threw a piece of cloth to Hal, who collected the fingers from Ace, who had returned from her collecting trip. After packing the finger in the cloth, which seemed to be a ripped part of a shirt, They sat down and counted the stuff they found.


    "So... We got 14 proofs, 10 shitty daggers and a handful of cast short-swords."


    "This was a very unsuccessful bandit group wasn''t it..." Mary asked, still completely clueless.


    "Did you not hear Necro?" Ace asked, confused.


    "Bout him not giving up and all? Yeah, why?"


    "And you didn''t realize it?"


    "Huh?" Mary tilted her head, still wearing her full-helmet. It was a strange image to see someone in heavy-armor behave so naturally.


    "What she''s saying is... Necro said they were not bandits." Hal got into the conversation before Ace got annoyed at Mary''s halfhearted ways... This had happened quite a few times already.


    "Ah... That would make a lot of sense... I''ve never seen bandits with this little money on them. It''s almost like they didn''t rob people..."


    "Isn''t that the whole point..." Ace mumbled something that only Bid heard.


    "Pffft!" Laughing while Hal and Mary stared at him not understanding a thing. "It''s nothing... Anyhow, we still got some coins though." He changed the topic back.


    "Yeah, but..." Hal stared at the small pile of coins... There were a couple large copper and small silver coins here and there but... for the most part... it was small copper. "There''s only bout 246 kit here... That''s not even enough for a week''s worth of food."


    "A week!? I drink that in a single night!" Mary made a point as to how little money it was. "There''s no way this group only had this money, unless they were starving."


    "Or they just came back from buying it. There''s still-"


    "Ah! There''s still the leader and the ones on the front right?" Mary interrupted Bid, making him a little annoyed.


    "As I was saying. There''s still those, and Necro should get us their hideout too..."


    "Let''s go there then." Ace stood up, going ahead of them towards Necro.


    "Oi! Wait!" Mary jumped up and went after her.


    After quickly grabbing everything on the floor. Hal and Bid ran behind them, reaching them before they made their way to Necro.


    "Necro, is everything okay?"


    "Kya!"


    *thud*


    Necro jumped back a little and turned around to see the four approaching as soon as she heard Ace''s call from not too far. She was so concentrated she hadn''t noticed them approaching at all. As soon after she turned around though, the bandit rolled his eyes and fell back dead on the ground with a muffled thud.


    ''Shit...'' She thought, realizing he''d died from her pulling her finger out of his brain.

 Ch 37 – Next Stop

    DarkGodEM


    Necro turned back towards the guy in a hurry, Ace hopped by her side.


    "How was it? Did you get the stuff?"


    "Kinda... I accidentally killed him now..."


    "That''s... Oof!" Ace looked down at the body of the bandit leader. There was a small charred hole in the middle of his forehead... There was some liquid seeping out from it too, wetting the ground. It somehow seemed like vapor was coming out of it too... ''Poor thing...'' She thought, imagining what Necro had done.


    "It was my fault wasn''t it? Sorry..."


    "Yeah... Don''t worry though. I think I got most of it..." Necro was a little bummed by her mistake, but it didn''t mean much anyways.


    "Hey! Hope we''re not too late to the conversation. What did you get?" Hal reached them, with Mary and Bid by his side. Bid wrinkled his nose, feeling the smell of burnt flesh stronger than in the forest for some reason. Mary, on the other side, had a clear view of the corpse, and of the brains slowly seeping out from the hole.


    "Ble~!" She put a hand on her face, swallowing back the urge to throw up. Thankfully, she managed to put the urge down while avoiding to stare at the dead bandit leader any longer. It wouldn''t have been a good experience considering she''s wearing a helmet.


    "Mary!? You okay?!" Hal turned around to ask, seeing Mary holding their knees with both arms while swaying a bit.


    "Yeah... Sure... I just saw something I wish I hadn''t."


    "Huh? Ah..." Hal turned around and stared at the corpse for the first time... ''Yeah... That''s not pretty.'' He thought, before looking back to Necro, still not believing she had done that. "So, what did we get?"


    "Hm... Sorry, I killed him halfway through the questioning cus I got surprised... But, I still got some stuff... First, they were not Bandits... It seems a country sent them here to worsen the public safety and increase the discontent with the Voivode... They were a detachment from such country''s army."


    "Hm... Do we know where from?" Bid asked with a stern expression.


    "No... That''s the part we were at when you scared me and... You know."


    "That''s... Less than ideal..."


    "Yeah..."


    "What about the money though?" Mary asked, recovering her usual self.


    "Huh?" Necro tilted her head.


    "The what?" Same with Ace.


    "You know... The money, their money, they had nothing on them, where''s their stuff?"


    "Ah..."


    "Don''t tell me..."


    "No, no. I mean, I didn''t ask him specifically for that but..."


    "But!?" Mary got a little too energetic for a second, clearing her throat. "Ahem-. Sorry, please continue."


    "Oh yeah, Like I said, I didn''t ask about their stuff, but there must be a hideout nearby... The stuff will probably be there. There should also only be two people guarding it."


    "Let''s go, people!" Bid sprung into action, running towards the rest of the bodies, followed by Hal.


    "Huh?" Necro didn''t really understand what was happening.


    "We gotta gather the stuff fast! We need to get there before the two notice something happened!" Hal turned around, yelling the explanation to the girls.  Mary and Ace quickly followed him and began picking stuff from the bodies and cutting their fingers, while Necro just stared blankly without really knowing what to do.


    ''Guess I should get the stuff from this guy then...'' She knelt down, rummaging through his clothing in search for something usable. He had a small coin-pouch and nothing more. Necro opened it, there were quite a few coins and a small golden necklace, it looked like one made for children. She thought for a second and realized the origin of it could be traced back to this man''s country. In a hurry to tell the others, she grabbed the man''s sword and cut his finger off, walking hurriedly to meet the others.


    "Hah... In the end they had almost nothing..." Hal let out a sigh of frustration. The battle had been easier than he had originally expected, but still... there were very few items worth even carrying.


    "Necro, can you store this stuff in that ring of yours?" Bid asked. If she could, it''d be much easier to bring all that mattered to the town.


    "I mean... I think I can. But my space will become limited afterwards."


    "Thanks then... We should still arrive there today. I think there shouldn''t be any problem with it. We can pay you a little over your share since you''re bringing the stuff."


    "Ah, Thanks."


    "Now, all that is left is to deal with the bodies..."


    "Do we have to?" Necro was surprised they were supposed to deal with those.


    "Yeah, this is a major road... and if we leave them behind like this they will start to rot and attract monsters. Worst case scenario they may even turn into undead."


    ''Ah... There was that... Makes sense'' Necro thought. But taking care of them now would delay them, contradicting Bid''s previous point.


    "But don''t we have to get to their hideout as soon as possible?"


    "Yeah, I was expecting for you and Ace to somehow deal with them."


    "Impossible!" Ace began. "I''ve already spent almost all my mana... And so did Necro, I think. We still have to take over their hideout!"


    "Calm down! We can just pile them up and leave it for later." Hal tried calming Ace.


    "I can also use my magic so that they don''t turn into undead." Mary gave her support to his words.


    "Oh right, that''s an option." Bid acknowledged their ideas and moved to start pulling the bodies into the forest, while Necro stored everything into her ring. Everything but the money. She wasn''t sure whether that was because they didn''t trust her enough or just because it was only a small pouch. Regardless, Bid stored it in his own pack.


    ''I hope she doesn''t use that shitty magic from the church... I really wanna get the skeletons...''

 Ch 38 – Mary’s doubts

    After a few quick minutes, all the 28 bodies were piled up in a small clearing.


    "Good... Now let''s go." Bid thought his job was done and they needed to hurry.


    "Wait! I still have to bless them so they don''t turn into undead!"


    "Come on Mary! It''s just an hour. There''s no way they''re gonna turn into those that quickly. Let''s go!" Hal pressed her into going.


    "But they..."


    "Shut up and let''s go already! Jeez, that''s annoying." Necro jeered for the first time, making Mary pout inside her helmet, almost crying.


    "Oi, Necro!" Hal interjected. Despite agreeing with Necro, she was mean to Mary. "Anyways. Let''s get going. Where is the hideout?"


    Leaving behind the pile of corpses, the group marched through the forest towards the direction pointed by the dead bandit. His directions were not exactly clear, given that he was being tortured, but enough for Necro to recognize the trail and markings left by the very bandits. While Necro and Bid went ahead, leading the way, closely followed by Ace and Hal, Mary followed them a little ways behind, with her head low. It wasn''t that she was annoyed or angry. Rather, she was feeling a little down. Even Mary herself did not know why she was feeling so down. She barely avoided crying when she was spoken to by Necro that way. She didn''t consider herself the kind of girl who would sull over being sneered or looked down upon. In fact, she had experienced that a lot over the years, especially the ones she spent in the Papal Army. Necro, however, gave a solid hit to her heart, in a way even herself couldn''t have predicted.  All the while, she wondered why she felt like this, refusing to believe she cared this much about what this new girl thought of her.


    "Necro... I think you went a little too far..." Ace approached Necro, trying to talk sense into her.


    "What do you mean? I tried my best to not burn down the forest."


    "No, not that, rather. What the fuck? You were actually trying not to do it?! I can''t imagine what it''d be like if you wanted to... Anywho, I''m not talking about this. I''m talking about Mary."


    "Who? The blondie? She''s a Paladin from an army. She''ll be fine. Bid, the broken branch! We turn left there." Necro turned behind for a second to look at Ace, before spotting the landmark ahead and telling Bid, who was a little ways to the side of her.


    "Ah, Thanks" Bid responded.


    "Anyhow, she should be fine, right? Why would she care that much?"


    "I... I don''t know... She looks a little strange though..." Ace looked behind at Mary, and so did Necro.


    "Yeah... She looks a little sad... I''ll talk to her later okay? But I needed to do that."


    "What do you mean? Why?"


    "See... If she blessed those bodies it''d be a nuisance." Necro slowed down for a second, and turned behind to whisper in Ace''s ear.


    "Ah... That... Sorry... I didn''t notice..."


    "Not a problem. I wouldn''t have expected you to read into it that far either."


    "Is that so..." Ace felt a little embarrassed from Necro having such low expectations of her. But, it was to be expected to some extent. They''d met each other not long ago, and Ace was still grasping the scope of her magic. And while she was loyal to her simply from the fact that Necro had such advanced magic, it wasn''t strange that Necro still didn''t trust her entirely yet. Her magic, after all, was still a taboo. She let herself slow down a bit and fall behind. Enough to end up beside Mary.


    "Hey..."


    "Hi..."


    "So... Are you okay?" Ace asked, a little awkward but very nonchalant.


    "Huh? Yeah... I''m fine. Why?"


    "Nothing... It''s just that you look a little sad."


    "Do I? Haah... I do, right?" Mary let out a sigh.


    "I''m sure she didn''t mean it that way... You don''t have to feel sad, you know."


    "I''m not like that because of her... I think..."


    "Okay then... Wanna talk it through then?"


    "Uh... Sure. I guess. It''s just... I''m not that used to killing people. That''s all." Mary''s answer surprised Ace. While it''s true that for as long as she was here, they had never had to kill other people. Only animals and monsters. But one would''ve expected her, coming from the army, to be used to this kind of thing.


    "Really?! But weren''t you in the army and what not?"


    "... Yeah, but my division never fought in a war, we were mostly sent to deal with monster attacks on villages and dungeon spillages. We never fought a war per se. So... This is the first time I killed a person."


    "Oh... I don''t think you should worry about it that much. I mean, they were bandits, you know? It''s not like we were killing innocent people or selling them as slaves like they were..."


    "Is that so... Then... I guess it really was okay to kill them, wasn''t it..." The image of the pile of corpses resurged in Mary''s head for a second, making Mary doublethink her words.


    "You don''t sound like you believe what you''re saying though."


    "Yeah... Sorry... I''m not that convinced yet... We didn''t even give them a proper grave. It feels... Wrong. But I''m sure we can manage it on the way back."


    "Yes! If that''s the problem we can always properly bury them when we return, right? You shouldn''t feel bad about that, they attacked us, we just defended ourselves. In the end, that''s just the way the world is. If you wanna blame someone for it, blame God."


    "I..." Mary felt incredibly uncomfortable with that statement, but she could understand where it was coming from.


    "Ah... Sorry... I didn''t think that one through."


    "No... It''s fine... If that''s how you feel about him, I can''t say you''re wrong..." She put her hand up over the base of her neck, where a necklace with the symbol of the church remained, even after being excommunicated. "I want to believe he does all he does for the good of all of us but... The church is rotting from the inside. While I don''t want it to be true, I can''t deny the possibility that that''s just how it was supposed to be from the beginning... It''s said that his doings are beyond our understanding."


    While Ace did not believe her words a single bit when it came to God, her words were also applicable to someone else. She stared at the back of Necro, who was leading them through the forest, as she answered Ace one last time.


    "Yeah... He''s completely impossible to read... yet so amusing..." Mary looked at Ace''s face for a second, not believing her words, before following her sight all the way to Necro.

 Ch 39 – The Habsburgian army

    It goes without saying that what she just heard, all things considered, was a blasphemy. But Mary was unable to refuse those words with her heart. Rather, she became even more curious as to why Ace would say such a thing. The image of the small girl with dark hair etched itself in her min as she brooded over the words.


    As Ace saw her staring in the distance, she realized her plan had worked. With her job done, she went back ahead to her place, as the group continued through the forest. After a little over half an hour, they spotted a large wooden hut hidden among the trees. It was a large, crudely made one. It used raw, undried logs and was nowhere near the quality one would expect from a long-term building. The level of craftsmanship was also subpar, considering the large gaps between those very logs. Necro was a little saddened to realize the task that had been given to those men. Don''t get me wrong, they are thieves, bandits, the lowest of scum after treacherous adventurers and Mercenaries to betray their employer. However, these were men with families, men who enlisted in the army in order to provide food for their kids, for love for their country, and so on. And then were forced to fall this low in a suicidal mission, which even if they survived, if anyone recognized them after the fact, the country would claim acted on their own will and sell all as crime slaves. It''s rough.


    There was a single man guarding it from the outside, the other one shouldn''t be far. What called everyone else''s attention, however, was the fact that he was using plate armor. It was old, but clearly from an army.


    "So they weren''t lying..." Mary''s voice was the first to break the silence, as they all halted to a stop hidden, a couple dozen meters from the thing.


    "Yeah... That is definitely state issued armor. But it''s so tattered I don''t even know where it''s from. There''s patches all over the place."


    "Bid... I think I know where that armor is from..." It was Ace who broke everyone''s gaze and made them focus on her only. "That''s a set of Habsburgian armor. I''ve seen too many of them to not recognize one."


    "Habsburg... But why would they meddle with the situation all the way here?" Hal was genuinely confused. To him, meddling with a foreing country this far was too foreign of a thought.


    "Money." But not for Ace, in fact, she knew precisely what would make Habsburg move. "They''ll do anything for a handful of gold bars. Even if that means bringing shame to the name of their very own country."


    "Is that so..." Hal only half-heartedly accepted her explanation, while Bid nodded in silence. Necro was boiling in anger at the thought of a country using the lives of its own citizens as trading stock like this. But, there''s nothing she could do about it... Not anymore. She just hoped her father somehow managed to string a deal with the devil, or rather, the church.


    "We''d never have done such a thing." She murmured. Nobody heard her low voice though.


    "So, should we attack now? Or wait for the other guard to show up?" Bid asked for everyone''s opinion, but his intention was shown in his words.


    "I mean... He could be asleep inside. If you can kill this first one in silence, it should be fine." But Hal made a point of disagreeing with him. Rather than wait, killing this one guard first was a better deal for him. Whether they''d surprise the other one or have it show up later or even escape, it didn''t really matter to him. He just wanted to get this over with quickly.


    "I think we should do it already, Bid. I don''t really mind waiting a bit, but if they have setup a schedule and everything, it could be hours before they change positions, and we would only have a tiny window to shoot both down." Mary voiced her opinion, as she realized they both had hit a standstill as to whether to carry the talk swiftly or not.


    "Ok then." Bid answered, taking his bow off of his shoulder and pulling an arrow. The single arrow he shot slid right through the skull of the man, pinning him to the wall of the hut. The man, who was half asleep, died without a chance to defend himself.


    "Now we go in." He said as he set foot forward towards the hut. Everyone was taken aback for a second, before following him. Upon arriving, the  sentry was still hung on the wall by Bid''s arrow, so they decided to slowly enter. The hut was plain. dozens of straw mattresses, one for each soldier, covered the whole flooring. Hung on the wall over them, there were a couple full plate armors, presumably belonging to the dead soldiers they fought in the road, disguised as Bandits.


    In the end of the hall of beddings, a single large chest was flanked by multiple wooden barrels. The last soldier was nowhere to be seen.


    "Wow... They had many more plate armors... Why weren''t they using them?" Mary let her thoughts out aloud.


    "Their mission. First, they considered themselves more powerful than their opponents, and they were also greater in numbers. Using plate armors would only make others able to recognize them as part of an army. Especially that one over there." Bid pointed to an almost brand new set of plate armor. Although not nearly as decorated as a commander''s, the many small details in the same silvery metal as the rest of the armor made it clear that it belonged to someone somewhat powerful in the armor.


    "Why would they send someone that important to such a suicidal mission..." Mary wondered, but the answer was already known to all others.


    "Punishment." It was Ace who voiced out the bitter truth.


    "But why!?" An incredulous Mary rebutted her statement, only to be looked contemptuously by Ace and Necro, who furter answered her doubts.


    "Either treason or disobedience. When you piss off someone above you, it doesn''t matter who you are or what you did, what awaits you is death. And if they can''t just kill you at once for some reason... Well... this happens, and drags everyone under you together with you." Necro''s words were dark, but easy to understand. That was just how countries worked, and not just countries. Any institution with enough power bore the same inner mechanism, including the church.


    "... That''s..." Mary wanted to rebuke, but she knew that was probably spot on. She had seen it before while in the army. Whole divisions sent to death in the front lines just for their captain pissing the commander off for some reason. Unfortunately, Necro''s words were undeniably true.


    "Oi, people! There''s something over there!" Hal was the first to notice. One of the beds was occupied.


    DarkGodEM

 Commission incoming and Poll (News)

    YES! We have a commission on the way.


    I commissioned the artist @MyClaritye for a full body drawing of our cute and tiny Necromancer. It should be here somewhere around March. It will be first made available only for patrons and posted here together with a chapter after a week or two.


    With this in mind, please vote for which character you want portrayed in the next commissioned drawing.


    You are also free (and even encouraged) to comment or PM me small artists (<1500 Followers) that you want showcased here. I''ll be focusing on those whose rates fall under my budget of  R$100 (Around $20) regardless of type of drawing so long as I like their style and they have a reasonable ETA for their commissions.


    If you want more commissions make sure to check my Patreon where I have advanced chapters of all my novels available for $3 (Please bear in mind I''m unable to have advanced chapters for Necro that consistently and maintain the release rate, which may have them be 0 at times. My days are very full lately with Uni and work.)


    On a side note, today''s chapter in under-way and being worked on right now since it''s a crucial part to the development of the novel (It takes me much longer than usual to write those for some reason).


    Have a nice day people!

 Ch 40 – What the hell happened?

    "The hell!?" Ace was surprised, as well as everyone else. Not only by the fact that there was someone there, but that the person did not respond to them talking or anything like that.


    They moved slowly towards the occupied bed, only to see a head poking out from the covers, his eyes closed and thick bandages covering most of his face.


    "The hell happened to him..." Ace asked herself out loud.


    "We''ll see." Saying so, Bid pulled the blanket covering the man, showing the extent of his wounds. There were bloody bandages and rags all over his body. Three long rips reached from his shoulder all the way to his stomach on the other side. Necro''s eyes widened as she saw his state, the size and shape of his injuries were very familiar to a near-death experience she had a couple of days ago.


    "This... Is it that?" She asked, staring at Bid, who looked as puzzled as everyone else.


    "Yeah... Looks like that... But I''d never seen injuries like this before where the person didn''t die... Either he''s very lucky, or very unlucky."


    "I see..."


    "What are you talking about?" Mary was clueless, but she knew they were talking about something important. Especially seeing Necro''s sorrowful eyes.


    "Remember the wolf we fought back then? These would look like they were caused by something similar to that." Bid explained it plainly, but enough for Ace and Hal to become tense.


    "How the fuck would that thing be around here?" Hal asked. "Don''t these wolves only show up around the dead forest or something?"


    "That should be the case, but... This does look like one of them, or maybe the monster version."


    "Holy shit..." Ace was beyond surprised... If those monsters really left their territory, bad things would start happening pretty soon. "Necro, did you not know about this?"


    "Nah... Not only that, we never even got word about bandits... The church is probably pulling some strings, like you said before."


    "This... it''s bad isn''t it?" Ace asked once more, with a saddened face.


    "It is... But there''s nothing I can do so... Let''s just move on."


    "What about this guy?" Hal asked, changing the subject completely. "Do we leave him or what?" Bid stared at the person in the bed for a second. He was clearly unconscious and from the looks of it, wouldn''t be able to do anything alone anytime soon.


    "Finish him off." He said, looking Hal in the eyes, who just silently nodded and raised his sword above the man''s chest.


    "WAIT! Why are we killing him?! He can''t do anything to us." Mary, once again, hesitated to let them do anything. She was the most humane person of the whole group after all.


    "What do you think will happen if we leave him?"


    "Maybe he can recover!"


    "Alone? With no one to get him food or water? With these injuries that need to be cleaned and dressed?"


    "But..."


    "There''s no but Mary. Killing him now is called mercy. Let''s not have this man suffer anymore." After lecturing her, Bid once again nodded at Hal.


    His sword-tip slid straight into the man''s heart. Who inspired deeply once more, before dying without a single cry.


    "It''s done."


    With his words, Hal pulled his sword out and walked back towards the group from the side of the room. Bid started striding towards the stuff in the end of the shed. Necro and Ace averted their eyes from staring at the now depressed Mary, who walked while staring towards the rough wooden floor.


    "These seem to be preserved food." Hal said, banging onto a barrel.


    "Necro, you don''t have space to store these, have you?" Bid asked her, realizing they had no way to carry them.


    "Not really... I''d need a lot more space than I have right now, but I could carry it with an empty ring."


    "So.. We would need to go to the town first for you to sell the stuff in it and then come back?" Hal asked, lazily stating the obvious.


    "Shut up Hal, we know you don''t wanna walk another day. We''ll figure it out somehow." Ace jumped into the conversation too, trying to figure out what they were gonna do.


    "There''s another option too... but I''m not that sure about it." Necro said, she knew it would sound quite pretentious of her to say so, but...


    "Say it." Since Bid asked her to, she took the liberty.


    "We could have me and someone else guard this place while you and whomever would go to the town and get us a small cart to carry this stuff there."


    "We''d still have to carry all these barrels half an hour all the way to the road though... That''d take an entire day at least." Hal protested the method.


    "It''d be more fitting if you were to go with me first to empty the ring and then come back." Bid stated the obvious shortcoming of her strategy.


    Necro clicked her tongue. For Ace, her intentions were pretty obvious. She wanted to be left behind. But thankfully the flag hadn''t been raised to all present just yet, so she promptly found a way to save Necro from this peril.


    "Why don''t you just bring two hand-drawn carts we can carry all the way here? I''m also quite tired already and we still need to get rid of all those bodies. I highly doubt we''ll make it to the town before nightfall with me and Necro anyways."


    "Ace..." Bid murmured. "Okay... We''ll do that. But we''ll also leave Mary behind with the two of you. Try not to traumatize her too much."


    "Aye!" Ace happily agreed to what Bid said.


    While he was forced to agree with this plan begrudgingly, it did sound pretty solid. He and Hal were, undoubtedly, the fastest walkers in the group and would be able to reach the town before sunset. With this, they could reclaim the rewards from the bandits today, and return by the morning since small farm-carts were easy to find and very cheap to rent for a day. Ace had managed to guarantee what Necro wanted all along while not bringing any extra attention to Necro herself... Which in turn made her very excited. After all, being alone with Necro could only mean one thing. New Magic.


    "Anyhow, we better check the chest and the contents of these barrels before we go." Hal completely cut the uneasy mood by bringing up the loot, making all five of them ogle the chest with desire for its contents.

 Ch 41 – Counting coins

    "This is..."


    "Oh... Wow..."


    "Are you for real?"


    "Damn"


    Everyone was surprised as they opened the chest. Everyone but Necro, that is. Inside, aside from an average amount of small copper and silver coins that was to be expected, there was a small pile of expensive looking jewelry, a fistful of large gold coins and an expensive looking ornate dagger.


    To be honest, the amount of money was less than what Necro had in her ring, but still... It was a large amount of money that would allow one of them to live comfortably for almost a year... Too bad there were 5 people present. What piqued her interest was, rather, the jewelry. Although most of it seemed to be fake, there was at least a handful of proper pieces in there. From a quick glance, none seemed to be either valuable or an artifact, but she wanted to take a closer look after the fact.


    "So much alcohol..." Mary began daydreaming as soon as she saw the money.


    *thump*


    Which prompted Hal to shut the lid of the chest.


    "HEY!" She protested, but Hal wouldn''t take his hand off.


    "Let''s discuss what to do with this then." Bid started.


    "I think we should count all that is in there and on the pouch from earlier and leave it here until we all go together.


    "Pouch? Ah, you mean the coins from the bandits."


    "Yeah. That stuff. Also, you should hurry and get the finger from that last one over there." She pointed towards the bandit they killed inside.


    "There''s another outside too." Said Necro, complementing Ace.


    "Ah. True." She acknowledged, staring at Bid.


    "Okay, I''ll pull it out." He got out of his clothes a small pouch which he got from Necro with all the money from the bandits. And walked a couple steps closer to the chest, making Hal open it. "Now we count."


    All and all, together with the give or take 900 Kit they got from looting the bodies, They got 9000 kit from the 9 Large gold coins,  2500 kit from the 5 small gold coins, 750 kit from the 4 large and 7 small silver coins, and 137 kit from the 11 large and 27 small copper coins.


    "So... 12387 kit total. That''s quite a hefty sum. 3000 and a little for each right?" Mary said, after finishing accounting for all the coins.


    "Wrong!" Protested Ace. "You forgot Necro. "It''s a little under 2500 each."


    "Aw... So then... With this we have what? 2 months worth of food and shelter? Not bad." Mary thought out loud.


    "Aren''t you forgetting about something?" Hal asked, trying to tease her.


    "No, no. See. This money is for food and shelter. The reward money, the one from the wolf fur and the money from selling their stuff goes for drinking."


    "Ah... Yes, I completely forgot about that." Realizing he was bested by her, he just gave up at once. "Anyways, it''s gonna get late if we don''t hurry. We better get going at once, Bid."


    "Right. Let''s go." Bid agreed with him and moved to remove the finger from the, now dead, wounded mercenary.


    "Don''t forget to loot the guy outside, he''s probably got some money on him." Mary reminded him about the other one. While he and Hal bid them farewell.


    "Take the bodies with you! Dump them near the rest! We''ll pass there later." Ace yelled as they were almost at the door, making Hal hurry back and take the dead mercenary from inside with him.


    After the two left, the girls were sitting on the floor, thinking about what to do next.


    "Haah... It''s finally over. I really wanted to take a bath."


    "A bath? It''s been a long time I haven''t taken one of these." Ace responded to Necro''s mutter.


    "Huh? You guys take baths?!"


    "Hm?"


    "Yeah!?"


    They answered the surprised Mary with a little confusion.


    "What do you do to clean yourself then?" Necro asked.


    "Back in the army, we used to get a bucket of water and clean ourselves with a wet rag. Unless there was a river nearby we could wash into, that is."


    "So... The same we do as adventurers then?" Ace asked, halfheartedly.


    "I guess so... Although we have seen far fewer rivers around this area than back in the day."


    "We''ve been avoiding them, you know. But to get to the town we''ll need to cross one. There should be a bridge in this road though."


    "Sorry for interrupting you but... I don''t remember there being any bridge on the way to Helf."


    "Ah. See, they built it recently, the town name also changed to Cluj. But we still call it Helf."


    "Ah, I see... Sorry." It was a known fact that she had little knowledge about her mother''s former territory. And also that the local governments were rather strong. It was not a surprise that she didn''t know such a thing or that the stuff she knew was outdated.


    ''Father must have received a letter I didn''t get my hands on.'' She thought.


    While politically considered part of Wallachia by the people, in actuality, all this land belonged to Ungri. This area, called Transylvania, was far too difficult for Ungri to actually lay claim, so most of the public safety and cleaning was taken care of by her Father. But it did belong to her mother''s cousin, Corvinus, who was actually born in Helf, now Cluj. While said to be a Town, it was actually pretty large, among the 10 largest cities around Wallachia and Transylvania combined.


    "So... What are we doing now?" Ace asked.


    "Maybe carry the bloody straw mattress outside before it starts to reek." Ace and Mary stared at her like she killed someone. But soon Mary stood up and started dragging it out.


    "You girls not helping?" With her words, both stood up and helped her drag the whole thing outside.


    "Now what?" Mary asked, panting.


    "I guess we go check on the bodies, right?" Responded Necro, very nonchalantly.


    "You serious?!" Mary said, sitting on the ground.


    "Yeah... But you can rest, me and Ace can deal with them."


    "Hah... Thanks then." Mary said, looking up towards them.


    "It''s fine." Ace talked before Necro could say anything. "You can take the armor off, we''ll do something about cleaning up when we get back. Just pay attention around to see if there are any animals or monsters."


    "Sure thing!" Mary responded happily. "You two also take care! If you don''t come back before it gets dark I''ll go look for you."


    "We''ll make sure to come back soon." Necro said, pulling Ace by the hand towards the forest.

 HC 1 – Economy

    DarkGodEM


    HCs, Help Chapters, will take place in hindsight, exploring small events that happened during Necro''s education that help you understand the economic, political and tributary structure of the world this story is involved in. If you have interest in checking out, this whole story is based on Medieval Europe and while all the characters are of my own creation, Houses, Countries and Economy can be traced back as a parallel to real world ones.


    Hope you understand the Economy better now.


    Necro, bored with her lectures, started to read a heavy and large book. Her teacher tried to complain, but such book was related to what he was teaching, so he let her be.


    "Hmmm¡­" She murmured as she flipped through the pages, while in the background, her teacher gave a pointless explanation of how to sum. She had told him that she already knew how to do it, but he paid her no heed.


    The book contents were as follows:


    "During the rule of Vladislav II, due to the short supply of silver, Wallachia ceased the coinage of silver coins. Vlad III continued such practice due to the large influx of foreign coins, given the trade with Ungri. The now used standard was the Geld System, where the large gold coin had a value of 1000. Locals tend to name the value as Kit, the reason for it is not completely understood, since it''s only meant to be a number, but is likely a misinterpretation of the word Karat.


    A Large gold coin weighs 24 Karat, whereas the small version weighs half as much.


    Silver coins, Made of Electro, brought from Ungri, weigh a Trachy, comparable to roughly 2 Karat of gold. Due to the rarity of silver, it may be worth more in a couple years."


    ''Oh¡­ So that''s why now it''s 5 for a small coin instead of 6¡­'' Necro was fully concentrated on the reading, while the poor instructor kept explaining sums to Necro, who just blankly nodded from time to time, going back to the book.


    "Small silver coins are also made of Electro, but weigh in half as much. The last accepted foreign coin is the Copper Billon, Due to lack of proof of its composition, this coin has it''s value halved. In earlier days, 26 Billons were enough to equate a Karat, but due to this, 42 are now needed. To simplify the Geld System, a value of 10 is attributed to the Billon. At last, the coin used to pay the crops and taxes, the Copper. A single copper is worth 1. despite being called Small Copper, it has the same weight and size as a Copper Billon, its color is much darker and earthy."


    ''Oh, so we have 6 coins¡­ Interesting''


    "A Bullion of said material is equivalent to 200 of such coins both in value and weight."


    "Master, what is a Bullion?"


    "Bullion? That''s a metal bar we use in the treasury."


    "Thanks." She closed the book in her hand, leaving it by her side for later.


    Since he had helped her, paying attention to what he was saying for a handful of minutes was the best she could offer as a thanks.

 Ch 42 – Raise Greater Undead

    Necro kept pulling Ace, forcing her to keep up with her pace for a handful of minutes before letting go.


    *Haah* *Haah* *Haah*


    Ace was visibly tired, resting her hands on her knees.


    "Why did you do that? Hah! I''m fucking tired now."


    "We are almost there."


    "What!? Already?!"


    "Ye. But this path was more dangerous so it was wise to go quickly."


    Necro''s gaze wandered all over the place, as if searching for something.


    "What is it?" Ace asked, finally having caught her breath.


    "Nothing really, just making sure." With these words, the ring on her hand began emitting a small glint. And sure, after a second, a large skeleton materialized on the ground in front of her.


    "The wolf? Here? Why? You disposing of it?" As Ace asked this, Necro turned around, her mouth slightly raised in the corner and her eyes squinting as her eyebrows creased. Ace''s heart took a strong blow as he stared at those disappointed eyes. She had completely misinterpreted the situation. Ignoring her for a second, Necro turned around towards the skeleton and took a few steps forward. She took a small dagger from under her clothes, not the fancy one her father had given, no, the plain one she carried foo self-defense, and poked her thumb with its tip. Ace stared at her blankly, but with curiosity. She had no idea what Necro was doing right now, she had never heard of anything like this.


    After a few seconds waiting for the droplet to form, Necro pressed the bloody finger on the wolf''s skull and took a few steps back.


    Ace couldn''t avoid batting her eyelids as a massive amount of dark mana started flowing around Necro.


    It was nowhere near the size of last time. The sheer amount of mana was enough to make her flinch.


    "Unbelievable."


    She muttered in sheer amazement, before the feeling of awe took her over.


    ''She poured mana into me... If she wanted, she could''ve killed me without even trying.''


    The realization of how large Necro''s mana pool was, in comparison to hers, was overbearing, even more so than the wetness that began flowing from inside her.


    But the magic hadn''t even begun. Necro slowly raised her hands, forming a sphere of pure dark mana in between them. Before lowering them at once, dropping the mass of mana onto the bones, that instantly began rattling.


    Necro closed her eyes as the massive magic circle drew itself on the ground around the bones, using nothing other than her mana. A dark sludge slowly appeared in the middle of the circle and began to form a smaller version of the large magic circle.


    Minutes passed while the multi-layered magic circles formed one after the other, creating something that, if not pitch black, would be a gorgeous pattern of mana. Dark miasma started to emanate from the magic circles, forming a thick dark fog around the skeleton. Necro opened her eyes and looked at the magic for a second, before clapping her hands together.


    "Raise Greater Undead"


    Ace covered her mouth as her jaw dropped and her eyes widened, all the mass of mana imbued itself into the skeleton, making parts of it glow. Especially  the skull and front paws. In less than a second, the creature slowly raised itself from the ground. A strange membrane covered its clean bones, covering its empty interior. while it''s previously glowing skull showed signs of withered flesh. It''s whole body shook, like a wet dog getting rid of it''s water, before lowering its front legs, retracting the foot-long reddish black claws that protruded from it.


    Necro touched its head, imbuing her mana onto a small circle that formed in the middle of its now covered skull.


    "It seems I was very fortunate this time."


    "Wh-What is that?" The guttural fear Ace felt from the creature was far larger than the limbic pleasure from having seen such an otherworldly magic take place.


    "This boy?" Necro asked while petting its head. "This is a Boneclaw. A higher-tier skeleton. Isn''t he gorgeous? Aren''t you gorgeous, Atanase?" She asked.


    "I-It Is..." With her odd answer, Necro turned around to see Ace trembling in fear.


    "Atanase, she''s a friend, don''t scare her."


    "gyuuun"


    "Yes, yes, you didn''t know, it''s fine."


    The noise that came out of the monster''s gaping jaws was¡­ surprisingly tame. A pleading noise like that of a dog or wolf.


    "You can understand it?!" The menacing aura having strangely vanished, Ace was surprised beyond belief with the interaction of the two.


    "Of course I can, and he can understand me."


    "Wow... Also, you gave it a name?"


    "Not exactly... The name was kinda already there... I just said it. Not sure if it just came naturally or if it was already there to begin with."


    "Oh... I see... It''s a mystery then."


    "Yeah... Wanna ride him?"


    "WHAT?!"


    "Yeah, we''ll get there way quicker that way."


    "Sure then..."


    As soon as Necro turned her face towards it, the large monstrosity lowered its body, laying on the floor.


    Necro jumped up first, helping Ace up. Surprisingly for her, the membrane of the monster was actually very similar to rawhide. Not the fully processed leather, the animal''s skin which had been boiled to remove all fur. If not for its red bloodshot eyes and it''s exposed teeth with rotten flesh as muscles, one could actually believe it was just a fur-less giant wolf. Its skin was cool, not hot like that of a living being, but mounting it was surprisingly comfortable.


    "Hug me tight."


    "Ah, okay."


    As soon as Ace held her arms around Necro''s waist, the monster dashed forward without so much as a word from her.


    It took them only a couple minutes to reach to the pile of corpses left by the rest.


    "Hup!"


    Necro jumped off of the back of the monster, followed by Ace, who ,strangely, patted the side of it as she dropped down, thanking it for the ride. Necro watched with confusion the sudden change of attitude of Ace towards it, but decided there were more pressing matters to deal with. After all... She still hadn''t thought through what she was gonna do with all those corpses.

 Ch 43 – Mass Raise Undead

    "Such a shame... But I guess it is what it is..."


    "What?" Ace asked inquisitively after hearing Necro''s self-directed complaint.


    "Not much really... I think I''ll have to make do with zombies this time."


    "But why!?" Ace remembered vividly Necro''s explanation of the two subtypes of undead and thought she needed a reason. "Didn''t you tell me they were much worse?"


    "Haaah..." Necro sighed. "It''s not that I want it, you know...? I just don''t have enough mana to clean up all the bodies and then raise them. Anyhow, unless I use a plague zombie, I can''t guarantee no skeletons will come regardless.


    "Why don''t you just have me give you some mana?"


    "Ah... I didn''t consider that... Would you mind?"


    "Of course not! I''d only be returning the favor!"


    "I see..." Necro grabbed the hem of her dress and pulled it over her head at once, stripping herself almost naked in a mere second.


    "Heh." To say this was just unexpected for Ace would be a clear understatement. The image of the almost naked necromancer, dressed only by thin dark underwear, staring back at her in front of a pile of corpses was awe inspiring.


    "Come already... Or did you give up?" Necro embraced herself with her arms, caressing them as she looked down sheepishly. Her cute action flipped a switch in Ace, reminding her of what she was to do.


    "Ah, sorry." Ace walked forward, and hugged Necro from behind.


    As soon as she felt Ace''s reassuring embrace, Necro loosened her arms and grabbed Ace''s. She shivered as Ace kissed her nape.


    "I''ll begin." She whispered in Necro''s ear, who slightly nodded her head in silence.


    "Haaah!" Necro moaned as Ace''s mana began to pour inside her. Since her mana quality was inferior to hers the effects were quite mild, but still very pleasant nonetheless. It only lasted a couple minutes, but to both it felt like a long time. Necro''s mana pool was restored to a certain extent but not much. Just enough.


    Everything had been measured to a certain extent, which is why Necro had undressed. The more physical contact, the more efficient the mana transfer. Of course, had Ace also undressed it would''ve been much better... but in that case both would probably not hold back and they''d be way behind schedule for returning.


    "Thanks." Necro turned around, blushing, and kissed Ace''s mouth.


    Ace''s hands slid down from her back amidst the kiss, making her hairs stand on end. Necro melted as her hands grabbed her by the ass, pulling the two of them closer together.


    Unbeknownst to them, a Subjugation Class monster covered his eyes with his front paws while laying on the ground.


    "Time''s up." Necro said, teasing, as she parted their lips.


    "Okay..." Ace''s eyes rounded a little, like a pleading kitten, wanting more time with her.


    "Don''t be like that." Necro gave her a peck kiss on the lips. "We still have the whole night."


    "But!"


    "No buts." As Necro said this, she peeled herself away from Ace, grabbing her dress on the floor and giving it a good pounding to get rid of any leaves and dirt, before putting it on. She walked backwards, propping her ass up against Ace''s waist as she started dressing herself overhead.


    "You''re such a cocktease." Ace said, biting her lip, as she held Necro''s thighs around her waist.


    "Fwa~!" Necro looked back towards her, as her arms and head appeared from the holes in the dress, letting it fall down over her body and Ace''s hands. "Of course I a- Hah~!" She moaned, looking straight into Ace''s eyes as she grabbed her by the pussy.


    "I too know how to tease." Ace winked, letting go of her slowly, watching as the dress slid down to cover Necro''s round buttocks and panties.


    "Okay, okay, I get it. I''ll give you some later." Necro said, walking towards the pile of corpses.


    "But now, I have to deal with all of these." Once more, Necro gathered a large amount of mana. It wasn''t nearly as much as last time, but more than when she liquefied the Wolf''s body.


    "Liquefaction"


    The large magic circle once again formed beneath the pile of corpses. Ace covered her mouth and nose with her own dress, while looking intently at Necro. This was a fancy casting, but the shock from seeing the casting of Raise Greater Undead was so much that this now felt like any old magic.


    Again, the bodies of all soldiers, who pretended to be bandits, melted into a dark leachate. The smell of rotten flesh, although surprisingly tame, was completely different from that of the wolf''s corpse. It had a more potent undertone, that instead of nauseating, could be more described as dreadful. Even Necro had to cover her nose with her hand to avoid it as the wind wafted it in their direction, making Ace cough. Thankfully, the magic was not disturbed and was done in a few more seconds. Now, a pile of human bones could be seen.


    ''This could be a problem...'' Necro thought, as she stared at the intertwined mess of bones of all kinds. It was only not worse because the corpses were still wearing clothing, which helped keep the bones together. That and the fact that Necro tuned her magic not to completely dissolve connective tissue.


    "Now comes the hard part..." She muttered.


    "Ace, I''ll use almost all of my mana, so I may need your help to get back to the shed."


    "Okay."


    "Let''s get this going, Shall we?" She told herself, turning towards the pile of bones.


    Ace trembled as the wind from the massive amount of mana hit her. This was even more than that time. It was in another league. This was five, no, almost ten times the size of her own mana pool.


    ''Did my mana even make a difference?'' She thought, as she stared at the sheer mass of mana.


    Necro herself was sweating. She had never tried casting this magic in her last life without using any media. It would take an enormous quantity of mana to compensate, so she gathered almost all of her mana pool, leaving behind only enough as to not pass out. It was this kind of magic.


    Dozens of small magic circles formed on the skulls of the skeletons, making Necro smile a little. A Gigantic magic circle formed in the air above the pile of carcasses that were once people, and slowly made its way down to the bottom of it, seeping the same dark miasma as last time. This time, however, a lot of it stuck onto a single one of the skeletons on the way down.


    "Mass Raise Undead"

 Ch 44 – The Dark Captain

    The whole pile of carcasses, that once were people, began rattling. The sound of bone striking bone intensified as it seemed to sprawl, collapsing from the top. Actually... It wasn''t really collapsing. While it seemed like so at the first glance, a more attentive eye would see the bones tapping on each other and moving accordingly. the top went over, while the bottom also did so, creating a spectacle of flowing skeletons that moved freely over each other not getting entangled. Yes, the skeletons had sentience. The inner maddened necromancer inside Necro wanted to scream "IT''S ALIVE!", but she wasn''t that kind of crazy. Ace stared in awe and anticipation, until she realized the oddity.


    "Necro... There''s... One is..."


    "You see it too, right? Them."


    "... Yeah."


    As the sprawl of the bone mount ended, turning into something almost flat, skeletons slowly rose from the ground. 26 of them.


    "Glorious!" Necro rejoiced.


    "But what about that?" Ace was confused, how could Necro be rejoicing even though there were two of such different ones? Rather, one caught her attention from its mana, it was thicker and darker than all others, a touch like Necro''s, while the other one... was just an straight up aberration. The bones seemed to have melted and refused together in a strange shape. Three spines pointed in three directions, the back of them facing outwards. A monster whose rib cages had fused together, creating a large cell in its center. Three skulls rested atop the spines, rolling freely and facing towards the opposite direction of which they''d normally. Six bone arms drooped around the body connected to fused up scapulae. And six legs faced towards Necro, the same direction as one of it''s heads.


    "That, girl, is the second most successful skeleton I''ve seen in this life... A Bone Abomination." Her words seemed to alert, or rather, call the Skeletons. They seemed to have a hierarchy for some reason. The Abomination and the strange dark skeleton stood upfront, slowly walking towards Necro. while the remainder just stood behind them, waiting. Ace cowered behind her, hiding from the undead in fear of something going wrong. Her insecurity though, was proven unwarranted as soon as such monsters knelt in front of Necro, as she raised her hands, touching the skulls of them.


    "What!? How?!" Ace asked as she saw magic circles forming on the skulls of all skeletons, not just the one''s Necro touched. Necro lifted her hands, allowing the two undead to stand, before addressing Ace''s doubt.


    "Simple, they are all one."


    "One...?


    "They were all created from the same spell, and lived as a single group. The strength of such undead is born from their hatred, which is what made these become so much stronger. See that?" Necro pointed towards the dark skeleton''s skull, which bore a small hole that was slowly repairing itself.


    "This is the leader, he probably hated someone so much that, when reviving, the mana reacted to his will, concentrating much further. And this." She said, pointing towards the Abomination.


    "These had the same hatred and power, which not as much as his'' it was enough for them to unify their souls and forces, creating a much higher-tiered undead. This one is almost as powerful as our Wolf over there and bears great potential. While we are at it. Can you understand me?" She said, looking straight at the dark skeleton. To her dismay, it did not react.


    "Hah... I should''ve expected this much since it just got created." A large mace materialized in her hand. She threw it towards the dark skeleton. "Kill eleven of them with this, I''ll wait for you."


    Without a second thought, the dark skeleton turned around, and began mowing through the skeletons she had painstakingly created.


    "Why...?" Ace''s eyes started to water as she watched the dark skeleton destroy the skulls and spines of many others with the mace Necro herself had given him. She couldn''t understand this at all.


    "Power." Necro''s response was dry, but well thought-out. Ace blinked a couple times, her mouth agape, until Necro began speaking once again. "Too many gets too much attention, and I''d much rather have more powerful ones I can trust."


    The sounds of bone being crushed were earth-shattering and would certainly make one''s gears grind. The wreckage lasted a few more seconds, as the skeletons being returned did only as much as try to protect themselves with their hands, while the mace struck exactly eleven of them completely at random. The dark skeleton made sure to crush the moving bones on the floor that had been ejected from the main body, making sure of the skeletons'' death.


    Ace watched in awe as something akin to Necro''s mana seeped out of the dead skeleton''s skulls right into the empty eye-sockets of the dark skeleton.


    It slowly walked towards Necro as he finished his job, now with a thicker miasma around him. The Abomination''s skulls moved independently, staring at everything and everyone all this time.


    "Can you understand me now?" Necro asked, seemingly to no avail. At least, that''s what Ace thought as she saw the skull of the monster only drop a little.


    "yE-s M~Y LorD!" A broken and husky voice resounded in Necro''s mind.


    "Perfect, You''re still not there but this is a great accomplishment. And I don''t have to kill any more of the rest..." Somehow, relief could be felt from the remaining 13 skeletons. Their chest rising and retracting as if they''d just sighed. A shiver ran down Ace''s spine as she realized they were not just "alive", but quite possibly living.

 Character Sheet – Necro (+ Illustration)

    YEEEEY! this is the first commissioned art I''ve ever requested. Hope you guys like it too. Bear in mind these will not be necessarily the final and official illustration for the character. This is just a rereading of the character in the Artist''s view and style.


    This character illustration was gracefully done by  @MyClaritye. Make sure to show your support on her Twitter and see more of her content.


    Since I''m already here, here''s the Character Sheet for Necro (As of Ch 45):


    Name: Necronomia Vladya Drakul


    Race: Human*


    Age: Young Adult (muahahahahaha I''m not sayin it.)


    Height: 1.45 m


    Weight: 46 Kg


    Class: Magician


    Magical Tier:  Around Tourmaline(+-1)


    Magical Affinity: Earth, Fire, Water, Air, Dark


    Current Job: None


    Current Status: Alive


    Subordinates:


    Atanase - Boneclaw (Class A [Emergency] Undead)


    Bone Abomination (Class B- [High Alert] Undead)


    Dark Skeleton (Class C+ [Immediate Extermination] Undead)


    Titles: Daughter of Dracula, Princess, Vampire Princess, Miracle Child, The last Pureblood.

 Ch 45 – Skeleton says: NOICE

    "Now, Abo, absorb all those bones"


    Following Necro''s order, the Abomination turned its six legs towards the remains of the dead skeletons [I know all of them are dead, I meant dead for good this time. Leave me alone.] and began slowly making its way there.


    "Abo?" Ace asked Necro inquisitively.


    "Yeah! Abomination is too long, and I didn''t feel like naming it. So, Abo."


    "Ah... I see.."


    "Eek!" Ace flinched as she saw what happened when the abomination reached the closest set of broken bones. While Necro, on the other hand, watched with a smile on her face. Yeah, the growth of a high tier undead Soleir was unable to witness in his own lifetime. The fused ribs between two of the spines cracked apart like before, gaping open like a sinister and gigantic mouth. While some of its arms picked the bones from the ground and threw them inside, the others moved to the gaps in the exposed pelvis. A black miasma in the form of a dark goo spread from them, filling the gaps and stopping the smallest of the bone fragments from escaping. The remaining skeletons moved out of its way as it mauled the ground, throwing every last bit of bone into its gaping mouth.


    Ace watched in awe as the bones of the monster slowly morphed. Each skeleton he swallowed, his bones would thicken and change. The spinal process of his spines lengthened and drooped, creating a sort of armor in front of its spine. New bones sprouted from its hips, that now had a strangely round shape over the origin of its legs, that now had double the amount of bones attached to its knees, whose Femur had grown twice as thick as that of a human being.


    By the time it had consumed all the bones from all creatures, it barely resembled its original form. It''s necks'' vertebrae were so thick they reminded one of the muscles of a seasoned veteran. it''s now triple as thick ribs looked like those of an Ox.


    "Marvelous!" Necro was exhilarated at the change of the monster. It''s improvement had been measurably larger than that of the Dark Skeleton. Granted, this race was known for the quick increase in strength after defeating many individuals, which is why it was necessary to kill it as soon as one spotted its existence. Each undead class had its own way of gathering power and strengthening itself. The Bone Monstrosity took heavy strides back towards the girls. it''s body was still changing from the sheer amount of corpses it consumed.


    "Can you understand me?" Necro asked once more. But instead of an answer, in her mind came a murmur of multiple voices overlapping. It was impossible to decipher. "I''ll take that as a yes, but you three have to start thinking together, else I can''t understand anything."


    The monster froze. It''s three heads turned towards themselves inwards... It was frightening, to say the least, and after a few seconds, only one of them turned back towards Necro.


    "We''re sorry, our Lord."


    "Brilliant! You are even better than I anticipated!" Necro was on the verge of tears. This was amazing, almost unbelievable. That the first two undead conversions would lead to three sentient beings. How could it be that even without circles or media she was able to surpass the level of the 40 year master of Necromancy with ease. ''I''ve surpassed my former self by a huge margin... Maybe the spell wasn''t a failure after all...''


    With a grin on her face she turned around and gave Ace a long kiss. Ace froze at first, from the unexpected display of affection, but soon melted into Necro''s arms, under the gaze of over a dozen undead. It took them a good minute to stop kissing, as when Necro thought of stopping, Ace''s hands came into play, sliding over her curves and pulling her right back in.


    ''What is this!?'' Ace was beyond surprised. This gleeful mood from the generally cold Necro was like a splash of warmth on a cold day. Even her kissing felt completely different from usual. She was less harsh and way more pliable. The way she held her from her back and ass, the way her tongue caressed hers, even the almost unnoticeable moans she lightly let escape while they kissed. Everything felt much more different. Not in a bad way, it felt more... at home. That''s it! She felt homely. Like she had finally found her place, and it filled Ace with elation to be a part of that. More than anything. They''d both found a kind of Home in each other.


    Of course, Atanase was covering his eyes with his paws. Why wasn''t he just looking the other way? Be my guest and guess it. But from how it slowly lifted his paws to take a peek... well... you already know the drill.


    "Ac-... We... Go..." After a long time kissing, Necro tried, to no avail, to warn Ace about the time.


    "hm?" Yet,  Ace refused to let go of her. Instead, she snuck her hand under Necro''s dress and groped her way onto her crotch.


    "Aaah~!" After feeling the wetness dripping all the way from her thigh, Ace didn''t think twice before pulling Necro''s panties to the side, and sliding in two of her fingers all the way. She let go of the kiss for a second, as Necro stretched her neck up in pleasure, moaning hard. Despite her legs feeling weak and the chills from the pleasure Necro managed to recover a little bit.


    "Ace... Please stoo-Ahh~! We need to go. Humm~."


    "Aw... Now that it was getting good...? Okei!"


    "AHH~! Don''t pull it out like that!" Necro almost fell, clinging to Ace as she complained.


    "Bet it felt too good." Ace smirked.


    "Stop it! They are watching!"


    "They?" Ace felt confused for a second, before looking around to remind herself the small crowd of undead around them. "Eek!" She froze for a second, turning white, as she saw a dark skeleton with hand up, his thumb and index in a circle. For a second, she had the impression that it was smirking at her. ''No way! It''s a skeleton! Why is it making an OK sign!!!!!!!''


    "Told ya... Well, we better get going then." With this, Necro locked arms with the now beet red Ace, as started to walk on the way back. "Hey, you! Are you guys not coming?"


    She turned back, calling the skeletons, who quickly formed back in a group and started walking behind them, led by Abo and the Dark Skeleton.


    Atanase, of course, was walking by Necro''s side. Let''s not talk about how the others felt envious of him as of now.


    DarkGodEM

 Ch 46 – Ahem!

    "Walking feels so slow..." Ace voiced her complaint. She missed riding Atanase a lot.


    "I know, I know. But you can''t get too spoiled. You know we can''t ride him while with the others. And, he''ll also wait together with the rest when we get too close to the shed."


    "...Wait together?"


    "Kyunnn" As Ace asked, not understanding what she meant, Atanase made a whimpering sound. He wanted to stay with them.


    "Yeah. What did you think? There''s no way Mary would stay quiet about this. She still believes in the church." Necro''s point was sound. Regardless of anything else, Mary only met her for a couple of days, she wouldn''t think twice before denouncing her.


    "Ah... Yeah. Makes sense. Where do you plan to leave them though?"


    "Somewhere in the forest close enough. So long as it''s not in the path from the road to here it should be fine."


    "Hmm."


    "We are late... She must be worried." She didn''t really mind that, but it seemed like a good topic to tease Ace a little.


    "Sorry..."


    "Think about your actions then."


    "..." Ace pouted a little, making Necro smile.


    ''She looks so cute.'' She stared at her slightly bushed pouting face for a while, before turning back towards the path.


    All and all, it took them a little over half an hour before Necro began seeing the shed in the distance. As soon as that happened, she turned to the side, and began circling around it.


    "Oi! Necro! This is the wrong way! The shed is that way!" Ace called her attention.


    "Yeah, I know, I''m going to drop the boys off."


    "Drop the...? Ah..."


    "Yep."


    After reaching the other side of the shed, opposite of where they came from, Necro walked a handful of minutes away from it, rather, multiple handfuls, before telling the undead to remain around there.


    "So. I''ll come back tomorrow morning to pick you up. You won''t be able to come with us though, so I plan to have you protect that shed until I come back. For now, just wait here. If you realize there''s people around, hide from them. But if you think you were seen, make sure none of them make their way out of this forest. We clear?" After her explanation, a couple of the undead nodded. That is, the Dark Skeleton and Abo. Atanese just laid down on the ground like usual, but Necro somehow knew he would do exactly as she said.


    "Now, let''s go back." She complemented, grabbing Ace''s hand and turning towards the direction of the shed. Ace awkwardly turned back and bid farewell to the undead. Before turning back and hugging Necro''s arm.


    Behind her, Abo studied how to wave one of his arms next time. ''Would it be better to move these two at once? or one?'' Such thoughts crossed through his mind while one of his heads looked down and stared at a pair of his hands, waving them at himself as it stared at the girls disappearing among the trees in the horizon with his remaining pairs of eye sockets.


    Ace walked sheepishly while holding onto Necro''s arm.


    "Necro..."


    "Yeah?" She answered, looking sideways. She was biting her lip while slightly furrowing her brows.


    "What''s wrong? You looked so happy before."


    "I... didn''t really want to leave them behind you know... Waa-" Necro was suddenly pulled down from her arm.


    *kissu*


    Ace kissed her cheek, before letting go of her arm slightly. It was so quick Necro managed to recover her footing.


    "What was that!?"


    "My way to cheer you up." Necro''s ill mood suddenly vanished while looking at Ace''s heartwarming poker face. Huh? Of course there was a tiny smile and she was blushing... But for any normal person that''d still be a poker face.


    Ace slowly let go of her arm, holding her by the hand instead as they walked back to meet Mary. The whole walk turned out to take only twenty-odd minutes. It was surprisingly fast considering how long they had walked away from it. Both times, it was Necro who set the pace, so the culprit was clear. In fact, she had been matching the pace of the Skeletons all the way back, so it was a given.


    "We a-"


    "Oh God, you''re finally here! Are the two of you okay? I was starting to get worried... Did anything happen?"


    "Relax. We''re not running away. Catch your breath." Necro seated Mary in the closest bed to the door, since they barely got in when they were assaulted by her barrage.


    *Phew*


    Mary exhaled.


    "I really got worried about you when it got dark... Don''t do this to me..." Mary''s pleading face reflected the light from the small fireplace inside. Her blonde hair falling in bangs over her face as she stared down towards the floor.


    "Don''t worry, I promise you; It won''t happen again." Necro, who just sat her on the bed, leaned forwards slightly.


    "Eh." Mary''s eyes shone in a different light as her face was slowly brought up by Necro''s hand under her chin. Her gaze was slowly brought upon Necro. As soon as her eyesight reached her lips, Mary felt something strange. Her mind lost all focus but on what was ahead of her.


    *Thump*


    As soon as her eyes encountered the deep crimson of Necro''s, her heart began pounding on her chest.


    ''What is this... What is happening to me? Why am I...''


    "AHEM!" Ace''s interjection unceremoniously cut the mood that hovered over them. In less than a second. Necro stood back straight while Mary turned her head to the side, blushing.


    "Thank you..." Is all Mary could mutter in the awkward aftermath.


    DarkGodEM


    Secondly: Hope y''all liked this chapter. It got very overdue since I wanted it to be as good as possible.


    ;u; See ya next chappy.

 Ch 47 – Barrels and Jealousy

    "Ehh"


    The awkwardness continued, as Necro and Ace each sat on a bed nearby. They just stood there, gazing into random directions, mostly the floor in the case of Necro and Mary, for a good moment until Necro decided there was a pressing matter and made the first sound,


    *Growl*


    Followed by that of her stomach growling. Necro blushed in shame, as the eyes of both stared at her.


    "... Did the boys leave anything behind for us to eat?" She asked, making Ace and Mary stare at each other, their eyes opened wide.


    "I... I don''t think they did..." Mary said, almost stuttering. "Where''s your stuff Ace?"


    "Bid didn''t give me back any of it... What about yours?" Ace said, making it seem like an obvious thing, and asked for Mary whether she had anything to eat with her.


    "It''s here but... I have no food in there, only water and spirits."


    ''... Should I take food out?'' Necro considered the possibility of taking food out of her ring, but there was still Mary around, who she didn''t know whether to trust just yet. As she looked around, she noticed Ace and Mary staring onto the back of the room. She suddenly realized there were the barrels the bandits were using for storage.


    "You guys wanna check those for food?"


    Mary nodded with her head, and so did Ace. Apparently, the noise of her stomach reminded the two they had also not eaten since lunch. Out of nowhere, the two jumped up from the beds and quickly made their way to the back of the room, leaving Necro staring at their backs, unaware of what to do next.


    "Ey! Wait for me." She said, standing up and following the two.


    The girls helped each other unstack the heavy barrels, before checking what was stored in each one. As it turns out, the bandits were fond of drinking, as almost half of them were sealed and tapped.


    "Alright! Let''s check the tapped ones first~!" A happy response like this wasn''t what they expected, but Mary always seemed to surprise even Ace when it came to drinking. Out of the twelve barrels, eight were tapped. Mary slowly made her way to each of the taps, dripping a little bit of whatever was inside and tasting. Her reaction varied quite a bit, until the last one, which was a completely flat one.


    "This is water..."


    "So, which were what?" Ace asked her, since she hadn''t actually said what most of them were. Necro just looked at it from behind Ace.


    "The fist three were beer, one was wine, two more were some kind of mead. The rest were water."


    "Nice! These will sell for a good price when we get back in town."


    "We are selling them!?" It felt odd to everyone else, but apparently Mary thought they''d be drinking them all.


    "Of course we are! There''s no way we can carry those things around." Ace stated the obvious.


    "Aw..." While Mary sulked over the lost alcohol, Necro was thinking about the rest of the barrels.


    "We gotta check the non tapped ones now. I''m hungry."


    "Oh, sure." Mary stood up. "Do any of you have a dagger handy?"


    Ace and Necro tilted their heads, not understanding her request.


    "I''m serious. Those barrels are for long term storage. They don''t have the hole for opening. you have to pry them."


    "Ah, take mine then." Necro quickly understood what she was saying and pulled her dagger from under her dress. As she proceeded to hand it out, Mary was looking away from her. "Sorry..." She turned red once more, realizing why Mary was looking away. As she took the dagger out, she''d raised her dress almost all the way up to her thighs.


    "Thank you..." A blushed Mary looked back towards her, avoiding to look her in the face, as she took the borrowed blade and pried the barrels open.


    They took their time looking into them. As it turns out, there was one barrel of each food. Hard bread, dried meat, dried fruit and, surprisingly, vegetables.


    "These guys... They didn''t seem thoughtful enough to be bringing Vegetables all the way back here..." Ace let out a caustic remark.


    "It was probably because of that guy..." With Necro''s reply, Ace sulked a bit, looking towards the ground. They might have been shameless but, aside from caring for their colleagues as Necro stated, she shared something with them. In the end, she still had to hide her origin from all but Necro, whom she still hadn''t shared it with.


    "Well, this means we can have some decent food for a change!" Realizing the conversation took an uncomfortable turn for Ace, Mary changed the subject onto food. "There''s also a large pot over there."


    Thanks to her intrusion, Ace could breathe relieved, and moved on to help her place the large pot over the fire. The hut''s inside had been well thought out, leaving a small area made out of stone for the fire, which led all the fumes outside.


    "We having soup then, right?" Necro asked.


    "Yes! I just hope we had a little bit of salt..."


    "I can arrange that." Necro said, pulling a small pile of salt out of the storage ring onto her hand. Taking stuff like this was unthinkable before. But since she managed to see the inside of the storage ring, she had way more control over what to retrieve from it.


    "Ah~! Thank you so much!" Unaware of this fact, Mary thanked her, putting her palm off for Necro to give her the salt.


    "I''ll be getting the meat then." Ace, still weary of the two together, passed behind Necro and whispered into her ear "If you flirt with her again you won''t get anything from me tonight." before going her merry way to the other barrel.


    ''What have I gotten myself into...'' Necro though as she looked at Ace''s back.


    "Did she tell you anything?" Mary asked, curious.


    "Nothing important... I guess she''s jealous..."


    "Of you and... Me?!" Mary widened her eyes and was raising her hand.


    "The salt!"


    "Ah! Thank goodness it was in time... Sorry." She quickly closed her hand and threw the salt into the pot, just as a precaution. She stared at Necro once again and opened her mouth to say something, but decided to keep it to herself. ''There''s no reason for her to be jealous of me and you... right?...''

 Ch 48 – Temptation

    After putting all the ingredients in the cooking pot and closing the lid, the awkward atmosphere still remained. It troubled Necro that Ace, who was avoiding her just a few minutes back, was now even clingier than usual... Which was already very clingy. Necro let out a wry smile as she noticed Mary''s gaze, Ace staring daggers at her out of sheer jealousy.


    "Anyhow... You said before that you had a person, right?"


    "Yeah, what about it?" Necro answered half-heartedly at Mary''s attempt of starting a conversation.


    "No... But aren''t you doing... with Ace"


    "Huh? Yeah, I''m sleeping with her. I don''t think she''d think anything about it..."


    "Ah... It surely seems fine then..."


    "What are you aiming at? You wanna know if it''s okay for you to ensnare her with those big boings of yours?" Ace sneered at Mary, making her stand up.


    "WHAT!? What do you take me for?!" Mary yelled at her, visibly offended.


    "Ace! Stop it already! It''s not even like I promised you anything, let alone being yours and yours only."


    "What!?" Ace let go of her arm, her eyes opened wide. "What do you even mean with that? Do I mean nothing to you?"


    "Come on, I never said that. But I already have someone. And, above all, it''s not like I''m limited to only being with you right? Same goes for you."


    "But I want to be with you only!"


    "... Then be with me, but don''t try to force your visions on me."


    "I''ll be taking my leave then-"


    "SIT DOWN!"


    "SIT DOWN!"


    Both yelled at the same time at Mary''s attempt of escaping, pulling her down by both arms and seating her between them.


    "You said you agreed with me when I told you what happened with your brother!" As soon as they seized Mary''s means of escape, Ace began the barrage once again.


    "Yeah, I agreed with you that his methods were wrong and shady." Necro was confused by what was happening, she had no idea where the misunderstanding stemmed from.


    "You... are going to leave me behind at the first chance, aren''t you?"


    "Where the hell did you get that from!?" Necro''s stable demeanor cracked as she heard Ace''s depressive statement. She had never expected her jealousy to come from this kind of insecurity. "Of course I''m not! What makes you even think I''d just leave you behind?"


    "But... You already have Ly... And you are just so amazing you managed to make even Mary waver!" Ace continued


    "Hey! Why is my name in there!?" Mary just looked from side to side trying to understand what was happening as the two girls sitting at both her sides had a DTR, including herself for some reason. Her plea, however, was completely ignored by both.


    "And what? Why would I leave you behind just because I found another great woman? Can''t we all just be happy together?" Necro leaned towards Ace, slightly standing up from the bed. She caressed Ace''s cheek. "I''ll never let go of you. No matter how many great women I meet in my life. Not you, nor Ly, nor anyone I cherish. I love you." With her extended hand, she slightly pulled Ace''s chin towards her, making her also stand. Their faces slowly drew closer, before their lips connected with a passionate kiss. Small glimpses of their tongues could be seen from time to time as their lips ever so slightly separated.


    "Hah~!" Ace let off a pleasant and mild moan, before Necro pulled back from the kiss. Mary stared blankly at the scene taking place only a couple inches in front of her, her heart pounding hard inside of her chest. She bit her lip, trying to concentrate and resist the urge growing inside her. A certain place between her legs felt tingly.


    As Necro pulled back, a thin glistening thread of saliva connected her lip to Ace''s still extended tongue. Ace seemed to be in a state of trance for a second, before closing her mouth and sitting back down. Necro did not fail to notice Mary''s reddened face and unstable breathing.


    "Good." She said, before turning back do address the, now starring the floor, Mary. Her face was a distinct shade of pink that contrasted pretty nicely with her blonde hair. "Has anyone ever told you that you look surprisingly cute when you''re embarrassed?"


    "Me?!" Mary looked up in a hurry. Her cheeks dyed red. Her heart beating like a racing horse. She stared straight into Necro''s eyes.


    "Wow, your eyes are so gorgeous." Mary''s heart skipped a beat, hearing Necro''s inadverted murmur. Mary''s large round eyes were a jade-like green. But now, a slight red tint could be seen. Necro, ignorantly, thought this was just a reflection of the fire.


    "Thank you..." Something changed inside Mary''s heart. Her mind ruminated the past few days, and all that had happened, and all she''d heard. All she had done during the sleepless nights she spent hearing the moans coming from the neighboring tent. The conversation she had with Ace this morning also tickled her brain. And after all, she no longer cared about the rules which stated she should never touch another woman. ''The church is all wrong and corrupted anyways. They probably just changed this too to their interests.'' The thought floated inside her head for a second. Long enough for her to inch closer towards Necro.


    "A-" Necro was about to say something but a flowery smell tickled her nose as Mary inched closed towards her, her mouth just slightly open. Necro closed her eyes for a second, before something soft pressed against her lips.

 Ch 49 – Ace’s insecurity

    "Wha-!" Ace froze, she had never expected something like this to happen. ''Why is the "This is a sin!" girl kissing her?!'' She thought Necro was the one making a move on Mary, not the other way around. ''The heck!''. She just stared at them, motionless, her eyes open wide and mouth agape.


    It wasn''t a heated kiss like that of Ace. The subtle way their lips connected made Necro melt. Yes, there was no tongue involved. Yet, the affection and tenderness in the way Mary turned her head to the side a little was a newfound delight. Necro''s hand slid under Mary''s hair, contouring the side of her neck. Mary''s hairs stood on end as Necro''s grip became stronger and she felt her tongue invading her mouth.


    "Hmmm~!... Wait!" She moaned a little and suddenly put her hands on Necro''s chest, there was no strength whatsoever, but Necro let Mary distance herself by letting go of her, breaking the kiss. "I... I''m not sure about it yet. Please let me think a bit. Sorry." Mary sheepishly apologized as she shrunk in embarrassment, lowering her gaze. There was a slight feeling of guilt creeping up inside her, but in fact, she was just afraid.


    "It''s okay." Necro approached her lowered face, kissing her forehead. "There''s nothing wrong with feeling the way you are... It must be rough to go against something you believed in your entire life."


    ''What is she even talking about?'' Mary did not even remember what she was supposed to believe in. Rather, she was just afraid of how far she would go if that kiss continued. Her whole body was burning and she could feel a wet sensation between her legs.


    "Thank you. I... I should check the food." She gave a rushed excuse and stood up, walking towards the boiling pot of soup.


    "... She''s a box full of surprises ain''t she?" Said Ace, inching towards Necro and resting her head on her shoulder.


    "Yeah... I would never have expected that." Necro turned her body to the side, making Ace get back to normal. "And you!" She said, pinching Ace''s cheeks.


    "Ow! Ow! Ow!"


    "You are a jealous bun!" She kissed Ace''s mouth once more, before hugging her tightly. "You don''t have to worry about pointless things, you know?"


    "hehe... Sorry about that." Ace hugged her back. It felt liberating to know that Necro really felt this way about her. She''d always been used as a bargaining chip and, deep inside, had always felt like she was easily replaceable. She cried a little, while resting her head against Necro''s shoulder. Noticing what was happening, Necro allowed herself to remain in the hug for a long time. The fresh smell of Ace''s hair did help it a lot though. After a handful of minutes, the two sat back side to side, holding each other''s hand as they stared at Mary, who was fixing the taste of the soup by throwing in more ingredients.


    It took her almost half an hour to finish cooking. In the meantime, Ace took a nap on Necro''s lap, who combed her hair with her fingers every now and then. ''She does kinda look like a housewife doesn''t she...'' Necro''s mind wandered quite a bit while watching Mary tend to the pot. There wasn''t much she could do, and she''d much rather be outside experimenting with the undead but hey, there wasn''t really a choice.


    "It''s done~!" Mary''s bright call woke Ace, who slowly raised from Necro''s lap, rubbing her eyes.


    "The food''s ready?" She asked, still half asleep.


    "Seems like it." Responded Necro, standing up from the bed. Her legs numb from sitting for that long in such low beds. "Ow..."


    "Sorry... I was kinda heavy wasn''t I?"


    "No, it''s fine... It''s just the bed''s height." The crude "bed", if you could call them that by Necro''s standards, consisted of a few wooden planks connected with rope and a straw mattress, sewn from cheap hemp cloth. It ended a little under knee height, making it acceptable, but not great. It was still better than the one in the tents, at least in height. The two made their way to where the fireplace was, on the other side of the shed.


    "I found some wooden bowls and utensils but... Do you have any inside the ring of yours?" Mary was clearly not comfortable with using those she found. The cleaning was... not perfect to say the least.


    "Yeah, sure..." Necro quickly pulled up three bowls and spoons out of her ring, there were still a handful more inside.


    Mary proceeded to get some of the soup from the pot. It was mostly empty, so the long wooden ladle she''d found earlier and used to cook was a happy convenience. The three sat on the closest bed to eat.


    "Haaah. The salt makes it taste a whole lot better doesn''t it?" Ace asked.


    "..." Necro, however, still thought this was as bland as it could be. It was heaps better than plain soup without it, but yesterday''s meat was much better.


    "Yeah! I hope one day I''ll be able to eat salted food every day!" Mary, on the other hand, rejoiced on having salt.


    "Ace... Did you not eat food with salt back then?" Necro thought, curious.


    "Me?! You bet! We were too poor to afford salt. Unless it was a banquet or a party, we never had salt on the table."


    ''Heh... Her family sure looks to be a hell of a facade...'' Necro''s opinion on Ace''s family kept falling further and further. The previous talk about arranging her a marriage was a little rough, but to be expected of nobility. Necro was the fortunate one for having an understanding father.


    "What about you, Mary? What''s your past like?" Necro tried to change the subject, but seeing Mary''s face gloom, she realized it had been a poor choice.


    "I''d... rather not talk about my family... But back in the church we only had the regular troop rations..."


    "Sorry, I didn''t know."


    "No... It''s fine. My parents just died when I was pretty young so it was a bit rough."


    After Necro''s blunder, they ate silently, before going to bed. ''Haah... This is gonna be a nightmare...''


    "What is it?" Ace asked, seeing Necro''s troubled expression.


    "It''s just that... There''s straw poking through everywhere..." Necro responded...


    "Ah... I see what you mean..." Ace responded.


    "We don''t have anything to cover the beds with though... Unless you have something in that storage thing of yours." Mary complemented. She herself was also not that fond of sleeping on the raw mattresses either. She''d rather sleep on the floor had it not been so dirty.


    "AH!" Necro gasped, remembering she did have something inside her ring.

 Ch 50 – Royal Tent

    DarkGodEM


    "Why didn''t you tell me you had one of your own!?"


    "Because... Sleeping with you seemed like a much better alternative, right? Did you hate it or what?"


    "No... It''s not like that... But still!" Ace and Necro had a little bit of a discussion after Necro revealed she had a tent inside her ring.


    "Girls! Relax. It''s not like this will change anything, right?" Mary interrupted the two as they made their way outside.


    "Guess you''re right..." Ace grumbled. "Why did you say we should come outside though? Couldn''t we just take the bedding from it and lay it inside?" Ace''s argument was pretty solid, but Necro''s answer surprised her and Mary out of reason.


    "Ah... But it''s already assembled."


    "IT''S WHAT!?" Mary asked, surprised.


    "HOW!?" At the same time, Ace made a similar question. Knowing a bit about storage rings, she knew one able to store a tend assembled had to be pretty expensive. Moreover, fitting a tent and the bones used to make Atanase would make it massive.


    Necro, however, didn''t question the oddity since it was what her father had given her. She did, however, from Soleir''s memories, know he used to have one equally as large, based on how much he could fit inside it. So this should not have been something impossible to obtain.


    "It is how it is, I''mma take it out." Despite having seen it when she peeked inside the ring, she only had an idea of what it looked like from the outside, the inside was still a mystery.


    Going beyond everyone''s expectations, a massive square tent materialized in front of them. It was two meters wide in both directions and a meter and a half tall on the front. It''s roof did go a bit over that, since its A-frame style made it fairly tall on the center. The odd thing about it was its straight sidewalls.


    While Ace and Mary stood there, dumbfounded. Necro took a small hammer and began wedging the Straps that secured it to the ground. It was fairly windy, and there was a good chance a tent this large could just walk away on its own. By the time Necro finished wedging the tent to the ground. Ace and Mary had come out of their trance.


    "YOU HAD A THING LIKE THIS AROUND!?" Ace yelled at Necro, who just appeared from the side of the tent.


    "Yeah... I hadn''t realized it was this massive though."


    "But didn''t you use magic to see inside the ring?"


    "She did what!?" Mary was once again flabbergasted, but neither of them paid any heed for her.


    "I did! But it was hidden behind barrels and the skeleton. There''s no way I could''ve seen it clearly."


    "Barrels!?" Mary''s brain just completely locked up. There was too much information she could not comprehend in that single conversation. She sat on the ground with a blank look on her face.


    "I''ll let it pass this time but... We''re sleeping in that from now on! You hear me?!"


    "Sure... I mean, I''d much rather sleep in this larger one too. Oi! Mary!? Are you okay?!" Necro rushed to the dead-looking Mary, who mumbled some gibberish over and over.


    "Huge Tent. Barrels. Seeing inside ring. Huge tent..."


    "Mary! Hey! Mary!" Necro called her.


    "Wake the fuck up!" *Plaf*


    "Ow..."


    Ace, much less patient, slapped her once, which seemed to do the trick, since Mary slowly stood back to her feet rubbing her reddened cheek. Ace staring at the dumbfounded Necro with an air of superiority.


    "Should we go and see how it looks inside?" Ace said, prompting the rest to go towards the entrance of the large tent. "You can put out that hammer you''re holding you know?"


    "Oh, right, I completely forgot I was holding it." Necro put away the hammed that had appeared by the side of the tent with the wooden wedges that came with the tent. She wondered whether metal ones wouldn''t last longer, but she realized that would probably damage the woven straps, made out of the same fabric as most of the tent. Most being key, since the top and bottom of it were covered by a layer made out of dyed and waxed leather, making it pretty much waterproof.


    ''This thing must cost a fortune and half.'' Though Mary, as she followed Necro and Ace towards the tent.


    "Wow..." Ace exclaimed, as soon as Necro pulled open the entrance of the thing. The inside was lined with two linen-covered mattresses that looked very comfortable. There were also a couple pillows and a couple sets of different material blankets.


    A large emblem of the Draculesti family was embroidered on the back wall.


    "Drakul... HOLD UP! You''re a royalty?!" Mary was once again surprised at seeing the emblem of Wallachia''s royal family in the back of the tent. "No... This much is to be expected isn''t it. There''s no other way you''d have such a storage ring and this expensive of a tent." Oddly enough, she accepted the truth with little to no reaction, which was surprising for Necro.


    "Now we''ve seen it." Said Necro, closing the door-like curtain.


    "Ah..." Ace wanted to explore more the contents of the tent, but accepted the closing since she would sleep in there anyways.


    "Eer..." Mary seemed to want to say something, but was too embarrassed.


    Necro turned around to see her fumbling with her fingers.


    "What is it Mary?"


    "I know it''s asking a lot and that you''ve already helped me a lot today and that I did that earlier only to ask you to excuse me and that I had to think and..." She sounded extremely nervous, which made Necro think she looked even cuter. "What I want to ask is... May I-"


    "Of course. You can." Necro did not even wait for her to finish the question and interrupted her.


    "But you didn''t even hear her question!" Ace said, on the side.


    "Isn''t it obvious though? She was gonna ask if she could sleep inside with us."


    DarkGodEM

 Ch 51 – Dry wash

    "She was WHAT!?" Ace asked. ''THIS BITCH DID WHAT?'' Is what she thought, but Mary was still her friend, so she toned it down a notch. Turning around to see a blushed Mary still fumbling with her fingers.


    "Isn''t that right, Mary?" To add insult to injury, Necro asked her directly, and you could almost see smoke coming from Ace''s red ears as she tried to contain her rage.


    "Yes..." Mary answered, sheepishly.


    "NOW YOU''VE DONE IT! I-" Ace started to lose her mind, but a small hand held hers, making her look back towards Necro.


    "Do you want to sleep in the shitty straw?" A shiver went down Ace''s spine as she heard the coldness in Necro''s voice.


    "I... Sorry..."


    "Good." Suddenly, Necro''s expression loosened as if she''d flipped a switch. "You guys wanna go in now or is there something you wanna do before?"


    "Washing ourselves would be nice, I think..." Mary said, her face slowly returning to normal.


    "Sure thing then." Necro responded. Before she realized, Ace and Mary started walking towards the shed. "Hey. Where are you guys going?" She asked.


    "Inside to get the water and a rag." Ace answered, as if it were obvious.


    "Why don''t we just use magic instead?" Necro asked.


    "Magic?" Mary asked, confused.


    "Yeah... There''s cleaning magic."


    "Is there?" Mary asked Ace, who was by her side.


    "There is... But why would you waste mana on that? Isn''t it just magic for beginners to learn how to control their mana?" Ace responded to Mary first, before making her own question for Necro.


    "I mean... It is, but why not use it? It''s not like our mana won''t just refill overnight, right? And also... the rags in there looked disgusting."


    "That''s... a good point isn''t it?" Ace said, looking at Mary''s disgusted expression remembering the state of the rags the bandits had used.


    "Let''s get it started then~!"


    "Wait!" Mary stopped Necro who had just said she would start the magic and began undoing her leather corset.


    "What are you doing?" Necro asked.


    "I''m taking the leather off... You know, it can''t get wet."


    "Ah... You know cleaning magic doesn''t make things wet right?"


    "It doesn''t?!" The question, however, came from Ace.


    "Why would it? It''s just from the water element, but it doesn''t have to leave you wet."


    "How come!? Whenever I use it, I always have to dry myself with a cloth." Ace said, while Mary nodded in agreement."


    "I mean... If you cast it thinking it will wet you, of course it will. But it doesn''t have to." Necro said something that was obvious to her from Soleir''s memories, but she could understand Ace''s ignorance to this. It was actually part of Soleir''s taboo research. "Anyways, come here the two of you. If we are too far apart I''ll have to cast it multiple times."


    "You telling me you can clean multiple people at once?! Teach me later! PLEASE!" Ace asked once again.


    "Sure. It took me a while to learn, but it should be possible for you to learn it too."


    With Ace and Mary close to her, Necro began casting the spell. The circle, albeit fairly large, since it had to encompass the three of them, was much, much simpler than those she had cast previously. The amount of mana was also nothing to write home about, so she casted it nonchalantly. Ace, however, paid a lot of attention to the magic circle that was being created above herself. What she wanted to know was the change in Necro''s circle, that allowed her magic to clean without wetting the person. Her eyes moved with incredible speed and precision, accompanying every change in the magic circle. In just a few seconds, a significant amount of dark-blue mana had left Necro''s body and materialized in the form of a translucent blue circle, the color of clean water. "Cleansing." Contrary to Ace''s expectations, Necro''s circle came crashing down at tremendous speed, in contrast to the long execution of normal cleaning magic.


    Mary gasped as her head suddenly jolted forward as soon as a blue flash crossed her vision. The difference in the weight of her hair, that felt much lighter, made her head move forward from the sudden change in feedback. She looked down to the color of her unbleached cotton garments, now a shade lighter, almost white. Her leather corset still dry. She reached towards her hair, only to find it much brighter in color and moving with ease in between her fingers.


    "Wow... I''d pay someone to do this to me every single day..." She mumbled as she looked at her hair.


    "Not just you!" Ace exclaimed, looking down at the ring of dirt on the grass around them.


    "Do you think you understood the difference?" Necro asked her.


    "Yeah! You use a much cleaner circle than I''m used to seeing. And, there were also hints of wind magic in it, not just water. I didn''t know you could mix two elements in a single magic formation at once!" Ace was exhilarated, as she spoke about various elements of Necro''s magic.


    "Of course you can. Many common magics already do it, which is why some magics can only be done by some people. I, for one, will never be able to learn the Purifying Flame kind of magic, since those use the Holy element I have no affinity with, aside from the Fire element."


    "I see..." Ace took mental notes as she heard Necro''s explanation. She thanked the heavens for giving her the chance of meeting such a person who could help her fulfill her dream.


    "Now, we go inside." Necro said, walking towards the tent and opening it once again. Taking her sandals off before stepping inside, and looking back at the two girls who were following her.

 Ch 52 – Her initiation

    DarkGodEM


    "What are you doing?" Mary asked, blushing. Seeing both girls in front of her taking their clothes off was not something she would have minded just a few days ago, but something had changed inside her, now her heart began racing as soon as she saw the hem of Necro''s dress slide over her bare thighs.


    "Undressing, can''t you see?" Necro said, as if it were nothing. Ace could see a discreet smirk on her lips, that made her heart skip a beat. Necro was obviously teasing her, but Mary had no way of knowing that. In the short time this conversation took place, both Necro and Ace were already only in their underwear.


    Mary tried to avert her eyes, but there was no safe direction. Every time she tried looking in a different direction, she saw a flash of naked skin. Following Necro''s initiative, Ace too began untying the knot that held her bra.


    "A-" Mary stared in disbelief, her heart beating hard in the back of her throat. She hurriedly closed her gaping mouth, that had just begun drooling as she stared at their naked breasts. Her face was completely red, she could just feel, powerless, as her body began heating up. And to add insult to injury, Necro turned her back towards her, as she slowly slid her panties down her legs. Necro made sure to straighten herself, propping her ass up as she slid down her panties one side at a time. Ace''s mouth started to water, and that was not the only place getting wet, as she stared at the sexy appeal of Necro''s hind.


    Something that could move the heart of even the cold Ace, this was a lot of new for Mary''s innocent self to process.


    "Wha- What the hell are you doing!?" She asked, embarrassed.


    "Getting ready to go to bed? What else?" Ace responded, imitating Necro. She spun her pantie with her finger, before throwing it in Mary''s direction, rather, to the corner of the tent.


    Noticing her teasing had bore fruits, Necro laid sideways on the mattress, inviting Mary''s eyes to stare at her naked body. Just for a second, before Ace lied with her belly down just in between the two, her feet dangling in the air as she endured Necro''s reproachful stare.


    "What about you?" Ace asked.


    "I... I think it''d be the only one in full clothing..." Mary conceded, as she slowly undid the lace that held her corset. Of course, she didn''t intend to sleep completely naked, she would just remove the bulk of her clothes. "Eh. I... Can someone help me?" However, her plans started going downhill quickly as soon as she found herself unable to undo the knot on her back. And Necro would never miss the opportunity.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll help." She said, happily walking over Ace in her way across the tent.


    "Hey!" Ace protested, to no avail.


    Mary averted her gaze, but that didn''t stop her from having a quick glance of Necro''s slim features. Her mind spun in circles over the heart shape that could be seen in between Necro''s slim thighs and her crotch. She was once again taken aback as Necro did not encircle her, like she expected. Instead, Necro seemed to be hugging her. Her mind went blank when the sweet smell of lavender tickled her nostrils, and she found herself sniffing the hair of the girl, whose height made her head end just below Mary''s nose. Necro, took her sweet time unwinding the many turns that secured Mary''s corset. She knew she could''ve stopped with untying the finishing knot, but of course she wouldn''t.


    "It''s done." Necro said, slowly moving away from Mary, holding the heavy leather piece of attire. "Did you like the smell of my hair?" She asked, looking up. Mary''s heart skipped a beat as their eyes stared into each other. ''She noticed.'' She thought, embarrassed. Yet, instead of a taunt or reprimand like she expected, she saw Necro''s face growing closer to her''s. ''Ah.'' Was all she thought, before holding the girl in her arms and giving her a kiss.


    Ace just stared, bored, as Necro made her move on Mary. She didn''t exactly like it that now she had yet another concurrent, but risking angering Necro was far worse than bearing this. In the end, she knew Necro wouldn''t let her down.


    This kiss was nothing like the last one. Necro quickly dropped the corset to the ground and clung herself by hugging Mary''s neck. In the end, she was still on the tip of her toes to make up for their difference in height. After a few seconds, she dropped down and asked, still staring at her, "Are you not going to undress?" teasing Mary again. But this time, much more daringly. "Or would you rather have me undress you?" Necro''s fingers slid up on Mary''s naked thighs, uncovered by the chausses, as she rolled up her shorts, and back towards the middle of her legs, where a leather string pulled two side straps together. She stared at Mary''s face, measuring her reactions. Mary said nothing, only biting her lip, as Necro''s hands undid the knot that held her chausses around her hips. The heavy hemp chausses dropped to the floor, revealing the totality of her cotton shorts, that were tied on the side by a thin hemp rope.


    "I see... You are old school, right?" She asked as her hands slid over Mary''s firm abs underneath her cotton blouse.


    "Aah~!" A first, soft, moan escaped Mary''s lips as Necro''s hands made their way over her generous breasts.


    "I knew you''d like it." Necro smirked as her hands made their way beneath Mary''s armpits, raising her arms with no resistance and undressing her.


    Mary''s mind was in another place completely, thinking only about the multitude of new feelings given to her in the last few instants. Nothing else mattered. Her previous doubt seemed to her now just as insignificant as the teachings of the church about same sex relationships. Nothing mattered but now. And the girl she was holding in her arms.


    Mary''s hands slowly slid up and down Necro''s back, almost as if scanning the curves of her body. Surprised when Necro''s hair tickled her nipples, Mary held onto Necro''s waist. Her strong grip made Necro''s legs falter for a second, yet remain unmoved, while she dropped Mary''s blouse down towards the corner of the tent.


    "Wow..."

 Ch 53 – One, Two… Three? (18+)

    Necro''s heart wavered. Mary''s body was a sight to behold. Despite still having the finesse of a woman, her whole body was lined with well defined muscles, and her tight grip almost made Necro leak a moan.


    She ran her hand over Mary''s packed abs, and around her large breast. Mary was also surprised at the touch of Necro''s small hands, it felt entirely new.


    "Ahh~!" She moaned, as Necro sucked on her nipple. Her other hand slowly making its way inside her shorts.


    "I see..." Mary was confused by Necro''s murmur. She''d completely stopped what she was previously doing, and Mary''s body was almost yelling for her to continue.


    "Why did you stop?" She asked, visibly troubled. Truth was, she was holding herself from begging Necro to continue, but her pride wouldn''t allow her.


    "Because... Where''s the fun if I can''t see what I''m doing." Necro slowly articulated the sentence, while loosening the thin rope that tied the shorts. Slowly, she made her way down Mary''s body. She kissed the valley between Mary''s breasts, staring up at her flushed face. Her hands made a point of following her mouth down, as they made their way over the narrow waist of Mary. As Necro kissed her stomach and navel on her way down, Mary''s hairs stood on end, tickling her fingers that accompanied the descent. While sliding her shorts down a wee bit, Necro held her hips tightly, before extending her tongue, licking the sensitive area beneath her navel. A smile escaped Necro''s mouth as she felt Mary''s abs contract and her legs tremble. Her tongue drew a straight line down from Mary''s linea alba all the way down her crotch, while her hands contoured Mary''s wide hips and stout glutes.


    Mary held Necro''s head as her tongue made its way between her legs, that faltered.


    Ace, unable to hold herself back, began touching herself as she watched, in delight.


    Necro indulged herself, licking the slick slit crowned with short dark-blonde hair. Her hands were unable to hold the plentiful butt, slightly sinking instead. Much to Mary''s vex, Necro stopped once again, moving up to her tip-toes only to see Mary''s pouting face.


    "Don''t." She said, moving her hand between Mary''s legs while kissing her mouth.


    She could feel Mary''s attempts at moaning, silenced by her tongue. Her fingers slid back and forth over Mary''s outer labia and clit, pulling the slick fluid that dripped from its bottom back to the top of her pussy. She felt Mary''s legs'' trembling intensify, warning she was almost unable to remain standing.


    Mary asked herself what she was up to, as she felt Necro leave the kiss, and opened her eyes. Her heart skipped a beat as she saw Necro bring her fingers straight from her pussy and into her mouth, sucking on then lecherously.  She just stood there, her lust consuming her from the inside, unable to even comprehend her feelings. In the meantime, Necro made her way towards her touching their naked bodies as she spoke inside her ear.


    "There''s a lot more I still have to show you." With a swift motion, surprising even Ace who watched the spectacle, Necro swooped Mary''s footing. Yet, contrary to expectations, Ace watched in awe as Necro''s small arms carefully lowered Mary''s body onto the mattress below. As much like a succubus preying on her victims, she drew a side-smile towards Ace''s direction while sitting on top of Mary''s waist.


    "Do you really plan on just standing there on your own and pleasuring yourself? Or are you gonna join us?"


    Mary''s eyes widened hearing her words, but closed in just a second after Necro knelt over her, kissing her once more. She inadvertently opened her legs, as she felt Necro''s slim fingers make their way down her abdomen and over her dripping wet pussy.


    A wave of pleasure assaulted Necro, making her whole body shiver. She propped her waist up, as she felt Ace''s tongue invade her from behind. Ace''s tiny hands pulled her ass-cheeks open, while her tongue slowly made her way over her perineum and back. Knowing the impact of this, Ace teased Necro while conceding on pleasuring herself just for the sake of pushing her to her limits. And Necro was fully aware of it. Her hand curved as she inserted her fingers deep into Mary''s pussy, making her moan loudly.


    Necro moved slightly back, using her other hand to hold Mary''s breast and succking on it while making quick work off of her fingers. It wasn''t long before Mary''s body began convulsing while her hands scratched Necro''s back.


    "Haah~! Hah! Hah! What even are you!?" She asked, short of breath, as Necro held her face with both hands kissing her once more. Much contrary to her expectations, their kiss was soon interrupted by Necro arching her body up, as she moaned loudly, only to fall back onto her chest, panting. It was only then, that Mary saw what Ace had been doing this whole time. She bit her lip, realizing Necro had been holding herself back this whole time, while managing to please her. ''She''s leagues ahead of me, Isn''t she...'' The thought floated through her mind, as she combed Necro''s disheveled hair with her fingers, while Necro herself moaned softly on her chest.


    "Aahhh~!" Necro released a loud moan, startling her. Mary looked up, to see a twisted smirk in Ace''s face.


    Mary hugged Necro dearly, watching her cute face as she moaned more and more. Something about seeing her like this pleased Mary a huge deal. What she did next, surprised even Necro herself. Mary slid back, opening her legs wide as she pushed Necro''s face against her crotch. She tensed her muscles in pleasure, as Necro licked her pussy and clit, all while moaning from Ace''s assault on her pussy.


    DarkGodEM

 Ch 54 – I might have broken her (18+)

    Ace watched in amusement as Mary covered her mouth with one hand, in a vain attempt to muffle her moans, while holding Necro''s head with the other. This was a scene she couldn''t have dreamt of even in her wildest dreams. Yet, it was happening right in front of her. And, only to see how far she could push, she began licking Necro''s butt while fingering her pussy. Her other hand occupied pleasuring herself, since no one else was available to do that.


    "Hmmmmmmpf~!" Necro''s muffled moans sent waves of pleasure to Mary''s brain, her voice vibrating her clit as she sucked it. Soon enough, Necro shifted her weight, freeing one of her hands as she slowly put two of her fingers inside Mary''s slit. For necro, this was a tough task, as Ace''s fingers wouldn''t allow her to even breathe, let alone move properly. Her body swayed back and forth with the force of Ace''s thrusts.


    "Aaah~" Once more, Mary''s moans filled the room, while Necro''s slowly gained loudness as she tried to breathe. "AAAHHHH~!" Out of nowhere, a deafening moan escaped Mary''s mouth as her legs suddenly straightened out and her pussy contracted, almost as if attempting to trap Necro''s fingers inside. "Hah~! Hah! Hah!" She breathed heavily, letting go of Necro''s head, completely exhausted. Necro, who had been holding herself all this time, finally escaped Ace''s vicious attack, turning around.


    "It''s my turn now!" She said, a wicked smile on her face. A shiver went down Ace''s spine, just from seeing her expression. She knew something great was bound to happen. While Mary caught her breath, beneath Necro, the two enjoyed themselves in a long, wet, kiss. Occasionally, each of their hands would stroll over their bodies, caressing each other''s breasts, thighs, and crotches. Both were holding themselves back, almost as if tempting the other to press further, while not conceded. This cat and mouse game lasted a few minutes, while the exhausted Mary just watched their endeavor with the corner of her eyes. Rather, Mary was trying to control herself, as she stared at Necro''s ass, that wiggled about in front of her eyes with Ace''s occasional touches. Necro clenched, as she suddenly felt a pair of steady hands caressing the back of her thighs. The mere feeling of the two pairs of hands over her body was already surreal. Every time she closed her eyes, it felt as if she was being embraced by thousands of them, since Ace''s hands never stayed in the same place for long. And as soon as Ace conceded, laying down in front of her with her legs spread open, Necro went down on her, enjoying the feeling of being touched by Mary.


    The former situation had been reversed, but, while Mary''s hands were far rougher and steadier than Ace''s, she was also much calmer and delicate in her movements, and this difference was like night and day for Necro, who delighted herself as Mary''s hands took turns holding her ass and running between her legs, rubbing her clit and the entrance of her slit occasionally. This kind of teasing was something she would never expect from the hurried Ace, but that Mary took her sweet time doing as she delighted herself in pleasing Necro now that she felt satisfied with the pleasure she''d gotten.


    But as soon as Necro felt comfortable, licking Ace''s tight pussy while teasing her, by running her hands on the inside of her thighs and gently pulling her pussy open, she moaned, as a tongue made its way over her clit out of the blue. Mary''s tongue movements were far less skilled and agile than Ace''s, but saying they were just bolder was a severe understatement. Necro''s whole body trembled every single time Mary''s tongue moved up and inside her and back towards the front of her navel. But that was not the main thing, no. The main thing was when she stopped doing it and began putting her fingers inside. Necro suddenly felt like her body was melting. Her fingers slowly but steadily slid in and out of her pussy, giving her a steady influx of pleasure which was heaps different from what she''d been getting from Ace. It wasn''t a rapidly growing pleasure, no, but a steadily increasing one that lasted enough to make her mind go blank.


    "Aahh~!" Ace moaned while caressing her own breasts, inebriated from the pleasure she was getting. Necro continued to pleasure Ace with her mouth and hand as if nothing were happening, holding herself from submitting to the mind blowing pleasure she was getting from Mary''s fingers. Mary, behind her, touches herself with her free hand as she sees Necro''s body slowly but surely droop lower and lower, propping her ass up at a steadily increasing angle. What happened next was beyond everyone''s expectations.


    As Necro''s body changed the angle she was in, Mary''s fingers began touching a different spot inside her. And almost as if releasing all the pent up pleasure she''d been getting, Necro''s legs and pussy clenched, before convulsing into a violent orgasm. At the same time this happened, Necro lost control of herself, releasing a torrent of mana inside Ace''s body, who screamed in pleasure while holding onto her womb."


    ''FUCK!'' She thought, as she realized what had happened and hurriedly reabsorbed most of her mana. But, by this time, Ace had already passed out from the immense pleasure.


    "Necro? Is everything okay?" Mary asked, realizing something felt off, as an eerie silence took over the previously noisy tent.


    "No... I lost control of my mana..."


    "Huh? What do you mean?" She asked, pulling Necro behind, who immediately rested herself on Mary''s chest, holding her arms.


    "I... Might have broken her..." She said, emotionless, while looking at the unconscious Ace, whose body was still twitching from the indescribable pleasure.

 Ch 55 – Heaven and Bliss (16+)

    "AAAAAAAAAAAHHH~!" She screamed in pleasure while holding her womb.


    ''I''ll break!'' Was the only thing she could think while she orgasmed unceasingly. Her belly felt like it was burning from the influx of mana, but not in a bad way. And soon, Ace found herself in the same dark and bluish place she''d been last time. But this time, it was completely different. If last time she felt like she was being washed away by a river''s current, this time it felt like she was being drowned by rapids.


    The mana flowing inside her was not a laminar stream like last time, no, it was a torrential one, like that of when a dam bursts its flood gates open. And she felt bloated by all that thick mana. But soon, it ended. As abruptly as it began, the flow of mana stopped. She could slowly feel as a lot of it was absorbed back outside. But the pleasure didn''t stop.


    Rather, she continued feeling that bloatedness of her mana reserves. And trapped in that dark space, her body continued spasming in pleasure while the mana slowly permeated, becoming one with herself.


    "UWAAA~ Hah! Hah! Hah! Fuck! Wha-! Hah! God! Holy fuck. I never thought I''d say this but holy shit! I came until I thought I was gonna die. Heh...? Why are you looking at me like that?" She woke up breathless. And said everything in a torrent. On the other side of the tent, Mary was laid down on her side, looking straight at her. And by her side, Necro was lending her thighs as a pillow, while lightly stroking her head.


    "... You almost did." Breaking the silence, Mary said something scary with a plain face. She already knew Ace would be fine after Necro explained what had happened. Rather, if she was still breathing, she was gonna wake up soon enough. The question both she and Necro still had though... was whether she could still use magic.


    "I almost what?! Ah... Right... It sure felt like it... NECRO!?" Hearing sniffing, Ace turned around to see Necro silently crying while rubbing her eyes. "Ey, it''s okay. It''s fine, I''m fine. You don''t need to cry. What''s going on?" Ace hugged her, letting her rest her wet cheeks on her chest. Above all, this crying and heartfelt Necro was a cute version she had just seen for the first time. Her caring about her to this extent was enough to soften even the last smidge of anger she could have felt.


    "But... I almost killed you... And you could''ve stopped being able to use magic..." She said, looking up towards Ace''s eyes while holding back her tears.


    "Sure, it could''ve happened, but it didn''t. And if it ever were to happen, you''d just have to take responsibility and take care of me from then on, right?"


    "Sniff... Yeah... I guess..." With her answer, Necro looked down, only to have her chin pulled up and her mouth kissed. She tensed up for a second, before relaxing in Ace''s embrace.


    While all this happened, Mary just stared in awe at the interaction of the two... ''Wow...'' She thought. ''I hope someday she''ll love me that way...'' An unexpected thought popped up in her mind, making her face completely red. ''What am I even thinking... Why do I want her to love me? Aaaahhhh! This is so confusing! What''s even happening to me?! What have I done!?'' Out of nowhere, the brunt of the guilt for what had happened tonight assaulted Mary as if the previous daring woman was but an illusion. Having got a hold of herself, Necro noticed Mary''s now embarrassed behavior with a tiny smirk, while dying her tears with the back of her hand.


    "It''s very late already... We should sleep. We should put the tent away before the boys arrive in the morning." Necro said, standing up and heading towards the center of the tent.


    "Late? But it was barely night-time when we came in..."


    "How long do you think you were passed out? It was hours you know?!" Necro said, while stretching her arm far up while on the tip of her toes in order to put the damper over the oil lamp dangling from the top of the tent''s bell, almost two hole meters high, that illuminated the whole thing.


    "You... nursed me for all that time?" Ace asked, still sat on the mattress, with a soft pleading tone, that reminded Necro of a small kitten.


    "Of course you dummy!" Necro took a couple steps towards her, before leaning down and kissing her lips.


    "But... What if I hadn''t woken up until morning?!" Ace asked as soon as their lips parted.


    "Then, I would have nursed you the whole night." She answered the cheekiest thing, enough to make the average onlooker feel nauseated by the sweetness, kissing Ace''s forehead and making her giggle in delight.


    Necro laid down right in the middle of the tent, Ace quickly snuggling onto her and putting Necro''s arm between her legs. Necro, however, was looking towards the person laid all the way to the edge of the tent, staring at the two''s interaction.


    "Aren''t you coming? Tonight''s gonna be pretty cold I think."


    "How do you know?" Mary questioned, startled. There was no way Necro could know this.


    "Don''t ask me hard questions! Just come already."


    Still embarrassed, Mary crawled towards where Necro''s voice came from on all fours, until her hand touched something soft.


    "Ah~!" Necro moaned lightly as Mary inadvertently touched her sensitive nipple.


    "Sorry... I can''t see a thing." Mary apologized, laying by her side.


    "How come? I can see just fine in here..." Necro answered, startled.


    "Eh!? It''s pitch dark in here! How the hell can you see anything?" Ace answered in sheer amusement. She too couldn''t see a thing.


    "I guess I''m good with the darkness..."


    "Kya-!" Mary let a small cut-off scream as she felt her ass being suddenly pulled towards Necro.


    "Don''t be scared it''s just me." Necro said, while Mary adjusted herself to feel comfortable while lying closer to Necro.


    ''Ah... I must definitely have died too... I''m in heaven. I''m definitely in heaven!'' Necro thought to herself one last time. To one side, a cute small girl was already fast asleep while hugging her arm, her dead laid on Necro''s shoulder. To the other, the softness of Mary''s large breasts could be felt on her''s, while her hand rested over Necro''s heart.  Necro''s hands wrapped around her back from beneath Mary''s waist, grabbing her ass, while Mary''s leg rested over hers, the pubic hair and wet slit tickling her thigh. ''God... Ly would surely be proud... I wish I can meet her soon.'' She mused, before she too fell into slumber.

 April Fools – It’s all over (Bad Ending @Ch 56)

    Wake up!


    Necro heard a distant voice.


    "Wake up!"


    She knew this voice... It was Ace''s.


    "They''re here! We gotta go!"


    "What!?" She woke up startled. Ace threw her clothes at her, already dressed. The sounds of metal clashing could be heard coming from the outside. A single ray of sunlight illuminated the inside  of the tent as Necro rushed to dress herself with only the dress itself, shoving her underwear into her inside pockets."Let''s go."


    As soon as she got outside, a carnage was taking place. Hundreds of men of full armor clashing each other is a bloodbath. Some wore the green and red colors of the Ungrian empire, while others, the white and gold of the sacred army. In front of the tent, a single paladin fought people of both colors at once, her armor painted red with the blood of her fallen opponents.


    "Mary!" Ace yelled leaving the tent, using her paper circle to launch a water blade at the men sneaking onto her. The blade of water hit the side of their bodies, cutting their arms off and leaving a deep wound halfway into their chest. Ace and Necro ran towards Mary as they cast magic continuously, quickly depleting part of their mana pools.


    "You two! Take shelter, they haven''t made it into the cabin. I''ll hold them back until both sides are thinned out." Mary yelled as she bashed a soldier with her shield.


    "Where are the guys?" Ace asked, picking a sword from the ground and throwing it like a lance, stopping the movement of another soldier enough for Mary to finish him.


    "Hal should be fighting somewhere over there." She pointed with her face towards the side of the shack.


    "What about Bid?" Necro asked, after a fireball boiled a white knight alive.


    "No clue. He''s not here." Mary turned around, facing another incoming soldier who was charging towards her from the woods.


    *thud*


    A dull sound echoed, before Mary fell to her knees.


    "MARY!?" Ace yelled, ready to run towards her, but Necro held her by the arm, pulling her towards the tent.


    "It''s too late. Look." She pointed towards the fletching of an arrow that could be seen peeking from the front of Mary''s helmet. ''I know this arrow...'' She thought to herself, never ceasing to walk backwards towards the shed.


    "BID YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Ace was the one who yelled, recognizing the arrow, mustering all her remaining mana on a large water spell.


    "Ace! Stop!" Necro tried to stop her, but failed, as a large ice dart flew towards the forest, bringing a couple trees down before reaching its target. There, Necro could see him pierced through by the large dart, a hole the radius of her forearm gouged all the way through his chest.


    "Ace! Ace!" Necro called as she tried waking Ace up, who passed out from exhaustion having used up all of her mana on that single spell. "Ace!" Necro dragged her across the ground towards the entrance of the shed, until a cold sensation on her neck made her halt.


    "Why are you doing this?" She asked, as she felt Hal''s chest behind her back.


    "You see... The church offered a large premium on the head of our little vampire here and that desertor over there... There''s no way we could''ve refused it, right?" His hand tightened, drawing a droplet of blood from her neck. "Better yet, now that our princess made the favor, I don''t even have to split the rewards."


    "You motherfucker..."


    "Don''t worry, I won''t do anything to our majesty in your hands. See... Her family also offered a large sum for whoever managed to return her to the imperial capital."


    "Imperial capital?" Necro asked, surprised at his words.


    "Don''t you know? Her father just got crowned the Emperor of the Holy Empire. The church seems to have liked their ways after they defeated Burgundy."


    "Fuck..." Necro bit her lip, trying to find a way to get back and find the help she had.


    "Don''t even think about those sinful monstrosities of yours. We took care of them during the night."


    "How did you!?"


    "It wasn''t that easy to find out that you were hiding something you know?" He gave a long sniff on her hair, before talking again. "Now, if you excuse me, I have to deliver this princess."


    Before he could finish, she turned around, casting a ball of fire from point-blank, burning herself in the process. She didn''t even feel the blood dripping from her cut neck.


    But it was only for a second, before two swords pierced the sides of her abdomen upwards.


    "GHa... Ly..." She gasped, coughing blood, before her vision darkened once and for all.


    DarkGodEM

 HC 2 – Politics I

    "How can it be..." Necro''s tutor rubbed his eyes. In front of him, a large map was drawn with ink on canvas.


    "Hm?" The twelve year old Necro tilted her head to the side, trying to understand what was wrong.


    ''How can this girl know history so well!?'' He was embarrassed as she corrected him once again without even batting an eyelid.


    "Anyhow, as you know, the Royal Church has faced many problems with the control of the Stivale, and now, Napoli, under Ferrante is independent from the Kingdom d''Arag¨®e e Sicilae ruled by that faithless man... Juan."


    ''Heh... I guess Afonso really was necessary to keep that shit together after all...'' Necro wondered about some of the people she had seen as Soleir back in the day. Afonso had visited the Capital when Soleir was a student. One could see he was a bright king just by looking at how he interacted with the clergy.


    "Pavlus Secundus is now ruling over the Papal States. Frederick V of the Habsburgs is the crowned Emperor of the Holy Empire." He continued his rambling, only to be interrupted by her once again.


    "Heh... Isn''t he also the Friedrich IV of Te¨¹tschlans?"


    "Ah-!" He froze, with a lack of words, as yet another of his shortcomings was revealed by the girl, who didn''t even care to say it with caution. The old man held himself from crying as he continued his explanation with a straight face.


    "Indeed, that is him."


    "Heeh... If he didn''t try anything with the small states by now, he''ll probably focus somewhere else... He''s pretty much recovered the whole territory the Habs had split... I guess uncle Corvinus will have a hard time soon..." Necro mused her thoughts, letting them slip as words, without realizing the reddened face of her tutor.


    "NONSENSE!" He practically yelled, scaring Necro. "There''s no way our Divine Majesty would lay claim on the lands of Ungri!"


    "They used to say the same about the Sultanate taking over Konstantinopolis, and look at where we are."


    "You..." The tutor was fuming. Not only had she humiliated him, she dared to bring forth the largest defeat of the Holy Church to the Sarracens. "INSOLENT CHILD! Your father will know about such perjury!" He exploded, dashing out of the room in anger.


    "... I didn''t say any lies..." Necro just stood there, sat in front of the map as she stared blankly at the door of her room, opened wide. "I guess he''s a very pious man..." She rambled, looking down at the map.


    ''I hope I never have to deal with this kind of religious people again¡­'' She thought, remembering the tough times she had gone through when, as Soleir, she tried to bring sense onto those people.


    DarkGodEM

 Announcement! Necro is Expanding

    DarkGodEM


    At first, I thought about making a censored version of this novel to be able to get better reach on those platforms through their own contests... But after a lot of thought I realized that would be betraying what brought us all the way here after three extremely stressing and tiring months of hard work. Instead, I''ll use that time and effort to bring more chapters for you all while keeping this platform as the only one, aside from patreon, where I will make the illustrations available.


    Sorry for wasting your time with something like this while not posting a chapter, but I decided to take today off to focus on my new novel for the Webnovel WSA Contest that is going live in a bit. As my uni term exams, that lasted the last three weeks, are finally over, and I''m finally finishing the treatment for my knee (yeah... I''m that old [actually not really, I just have poor health]), I''ll have a LOT more free time over the next while until late May.


    Let''s use it to Make Necro Great Again!


    Hopefully, I''ll get to 10 adv. chapters on Patreon, like I did with Dungeon.


    One last thing. Necro chapters will from now on be released on Thursdays and Fridays ONLY! Be it one, two or more chapters per week. This is just to make it easier on me and make you able to somewhat predict my ridiculously unorthodox release schedule.


    Bear in mind that to leave a review and rating you need to read at least one chapter of the novel on that platform for a couple minutes.


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/41853/reborn-necro


    https://www.webnovel.com/book/re-born---necro_19732947406231005


    Thanks in advance. Sorry for the shameless advertisement.


    Chapter 57 is already available on Patreon for all tiers, expect Chapter 58 soon too. (Necro will use an average of 3 ch/week for Patreon Rewards.)

 Ch 56 – Wake up! (18+)

    ''So heavy...'' Necro woke up, but something was pinning her body down... She slowly opened her eyes but...


    ''Eh.'' What laid ahead wasn''t exactly what she expected. Rather... How come this has happened while she slept?'' She wondered.


    She could still feel Mary''s to her side, which was somehow more worrying. ''The fuck is she doing!? Is she awake?'' She held herself from making any weird noise, as a waft of hot air blew onto her slightly opened legs.


    ''Why is she on top of me?!'' Opening her eyes, what she saw was Ace''s ass hovering a little above her. Yeah, Ace was literally on top of her. ''This girl... Could it be that she''s actually asleep?'' She wondered, as a second waft of hot air touched her, in the same rhythm.


    ''I need to get out of here...'' She thought for a second, before doing the only thing she could. Necro stretched her free arm up as far as she could. but she could just barely touch the side of Ace''s belly. And Ace would clearly not wake up from just that.


    "Haaah." She sighed. But a reaction did occur. ''Ah, yeah... This is here right? I thing I can reach it.'' Giving up on using her hand to wake Ace up, and not wanting to wake Mary, since she didn''t really know what time it was, Necro raised her head and extended her tongue, licking Ace in between her legs.


    "Kya-!" Ace jumped forward a little, letting out a surprised scream, before rolling from atop of Necro''s legs. She turned around while squatting, her hand under her thighs and a pouting face. Necro shrugged. She went down on all fours, crawling beside Necro as she laid on her side with her belly facing down. "Why did you do that!?"


    "You were on top of me, and you had my shoulder pinned."


    "You... Meanie!" She pouted, before peeking towards the entrance of the tent. "It''s still dark outside!" She whispered not to wake Mary up, but still complainy.


    "Is it? It doesn''t matter either way, don''t go and climb one me as you sleep." Necro said, turning her head to the side and looking at Ace in the eyes. Ace''s pouting face melted away instantly, as she lowered her head and kissed Necro, laying down completely on her side, her feet dangling up like those of a kid. "You look cuter today."


    "Thanks..." Necro blushed, fixing her bangs that were obstructing her view. "How are you feeling?" She asked, still worried about last night.


    "Fine, I guess..." Ace turned to her side, resting her hand in the middle of Necro''s chest and caressing her. "My body still feels a bit weird, though."


    "Weird? How? Can you feel the mana?" Necro asked, apprehensive.


    "Calm down." Ace said, fiddling Necro''s nipple with her finger, before giving her a quick kiss. "I can feel it just fine." She said, activating a diminutive spell that produced a small amount of blue light at the tip of her finger. "Rather... It seems like I can feel it better, and have more mana in me."


    "I''m glad... Wait, did you just tell me-?!" Necro felt relieved, but she soon noticed there was something in Ace''s words that didn''t quite fit. ''How can it be that she''s gotten more?!'' She thought to herself, but still trying to remain somewhat serious.


    "Uhum. I got more than before... I felt like some of the mana you poured was being absorbed in me or something. It was trippy, but I loved it." Ace teased her, lowering her hand towards Necro''s crotch. But, surprising her a lot, Necro had no reaction, she just kept looking towards the ceiling, thinking. "What is it?" Ace asked, bringing her hand back and laying it where it was before.


    "Not much... This is just kinda surprising. If I ever get the chance, I want to run some experiments on it."


    "You sound like a completely different person when you talk like this, you know?" Ace made a strange comment, snuggling closer and resting her face on Necro''s bosom.


    "Sorry I''m this weird." Necro said, caressing Ace''s ass.


    "Don''t be. This "you" reminds me why I fell for you." Following Ace''s words, a sweet smile escaped Necro''s lips, while Ace closed her eyes to enjoy hearing her heartbeat. Their warm morning routine lasted a while, before some hustling sound called Necro''s attention.


    "Anyuuun~" A cute moan escaped Mary''s mouth as she stretched her spine, like a cat, still holding Necro''s arm.


    "Good morning, sunshine."


    "Morning, Mary." Ace''s teasing greeting was sounder than Necro''s bland one. But Mary suddenly opened her eyes wide and blushed, as she realized she slept hugging Necro''s arm.


    "Sorry for holding onto you this tight, it must''ve hurt, right?"


    "No, no. It''s okay. Rather, it felt very warm." Necro answered, caressing her cheek. This was enough to make Ace pout, while still laid on top of Necro''s chest.


    "Hey. No jealousy. You can''t be like that."


    "How did you-!" Ace turned around in shame, sitting up from her chest, astonished. She stood there confused as she saw Necro''s cheeks puff up. Until she opened her mouth and Ace''s face turned red.


    "You have fluffy cheeks. That''s how."


    "I''m gonna open the curtain a little so we can have some light." Mary crawled towards the direction of their feet, where a tiny ray of sun could be seen on the seam between the outermost curtain and the edge of the inner one.


    "Eh."


    She froze as soon as the light hit her face and her eyes got used to the brightness of the outside.


    "Kyaaaaaa~!"


    DarkGodEM


    Oh, I also forgot! The next illustration for this novel, an NSFW scene, has been commissioned.

 Ch 57 – Misdirection

    "What happened?!" Ace asked, hurriedly.


    "Mary?" Necro followed suit, both worried something had happened.


    At the entrance of the tent, still frozen, Mary stared in shock at Bid''s eyes, quickly closing the curtain as she covered her breasts with her hands.


    "They are here..." Mary stuttered.


    "Eh? But it should be early... right?" Ace wondered.


    "Well... If they are already here, there''s not much we can do but dress up right?" Necro stood up, and tip-toed her way to take the muffler off the lamp and light it up with a small flame. "Hey..." She knelt behind the teary eyed Mary, who was still sitting on the floor, and hugged her from behind. "Don''t worry about it. Your breasts are pretty. Even if he saw them, I would only be good luck of his, right?"


    "Y-Yeah-aah~" Mary relaxed and started agreeing, only to have a moan stolen out of her by a kiss to her nape, which made her blush.


    "Now... Let''s hurry and get dressed."


    "Ey, Bid, the heck happened? It looks like you saw a gho- Holy shit! Where did this come from!?" Just as the curtain closed again, Hal made his way into the clearing.


    "I-. The-. She-." Bid couldn''t avoid stuttering a lot as he recalled what he''d just see. It''s not like he''d never seen a naked woman but... It wasn''t any woman, it was Her.


    "Speak up."


    *thud*


    Hal slapped him in the back trying to make him blurt out whatever it was.


    "I saw Mary''s naked breasts when she opened the curtains of this rich-ass tent!" He blurted what happened out in a torrent of words, to which Hal''s response was just tilting his head to the side, confused.


    "Heh?" His brain took a second to process. "Hold on, step by step." He took a deep breath. "You saying you saw Mary."


    "Yes."


    "Naked."


    "Yes."


    "That Mary."


    "Yes."


    "You saw her breasts, naked."


    "Yes." Bid just said yes after nodding to each sentence Hal spoke, still trying to absorb the image burned onto his memory.


    "Coming out of this luxurious tent that came out of nowhere, while the shed over there is empty."


    "Yes."


    "I''m getting in there!"


    "Wait! No!" Bid grabbed Hal''s arm as he began striding towards the tent just a few meters ahead.


    "But this doesn''t sound like her at all! She must be being forced by someone Noble from that country''s army or something!" Hal retorted, trying to convince Bid to let go of him.


    "Didn''t look like that. Rather, she looked brighter than usual."


    "Heh!? Brighter? Like Ace?"


    "Yep..."


    The two stared at each other in silence and disbelief... Could it be that the little girl had managed to somehow crack through Mary''s thick shell? Their musing only lasted a second, before three people walked out of the tent behind Bid.


    The first to come out were Ace, who looked just normal, and Mary, her face dyed red and avoiding eye contact with both of the boys. Lastly, came Necro, immediately putting her hands around both of the girl''s waists, her face distorted onto a shit-eating grin.


    ''She did it!'' The immediate thought came through both of the boy''s minds as they watched in awe Mary hold onto Necro''s hand on her waist with her own, while still trying to avoid looking straight at them.


    Hal and bid looked straight at each other and, without a word, came to a consensus. ''This girl is our adversary.''


    Completely alien to their one-sided dispute, Necro started talking to them.


    "So... How was the trip back? Where are the carts?" She asked, prompting their answer. She didn''t wait for their answer, before addressing the embarrassed Mary in a honey-ish voice. "You should go and get your armor set."


    "Yes!" Mary responded like she would a general, quickly making her way to the shed, almost running.


    "Ahem!" Ace cleared her throat, prompting the boys, who were staring blankly at Mary''s back, to answer Necro''s question.


    ''Eh... Since when did she become the leader of our party...'' Bid thought to himself as he realized the major shift in the power structure of their group. "Yeah, we couldn''t manage to make them pass through the forest. It''d take too long, so we decided to just come and carry them towards the road ourselves. We left the drivers there waiting and taking care of them so it should be fine."


    ''Fuck!'' Necro thought to herself as she realized she wouldn''t have any free time to address the undead. "I''m guessing you didn''t manage to get the smaller ones we talked about, right?" She asked him about the carts. Completely unnecessary, but useful for buying time to think on how to lead this conversation forward.


    "Yeah... Those were hard since it''s wheat planting season. Even the large ones with horses we only managed getting two of them because we also brought drivers with us, else the guarantee was stupidly expensive." Bid explained the reasons but Necro couldn''t care less, she was more worried about how to buy enough time.


    "See... Since I pulled this tent out I think I''ll be able to take the barrels inside the ring and dump them on the carts."


    "Eh?" Bid didn''t quite get what she was saying. "You mean this huge ass tent is yours?!" Bid asked just to make sure, while turning around towards Hal, whose mouth had fallen enough to fit a full rabbit inside.


    "Yeah... I didn''t know the one I had in the ring was this big." While Necro said this, shrugging, she could barely hear Bid''s comment addressed to Hal.


    "Guess now you know who that Noble you talked about is." Is what he said, making Necro leak a wry laughter.


    "Why are you laughing like this?" Ace whispered into her ear, not understanding what was happening.


    "Nothing, I just heard something funny." She whispered back in Ace''s, waiting for Bid to turn back towards her.


    "So... I guess it''s gonna be much quicker then, right?" Mary asked, coming towards the group clad in full armor and holding her shield proudly. It was almost as if putting her helmet on turned the shy girl into someone else entirely.


    The whole group just looked at her in silence as she approached them, none had realized she was close enough to hear their conversation. Heck, they hadn''t even seen her come out of the shed... Come to think of it, ''how the fuck did she manage to put all that armor on this fast!?'' is the thought that crossed Necro''s mind as she realized the girl had worn full plate armor in less than a handful of minutes.


    "Yep." Ace confirmed, before anyone else came out of the trance.

 Ch 58 – Will all of it fit inside this tiny[…]

    "So... How are we doing this?" Bid asked, after a second of awkward silence.


    "It''ll take me two trips. One to bring the things, and another to bring the tent." Necro said nonchalantly.


    "So, we leave Ace behind, go and put everything into the wagons, you come back with someone to get the rest of the stuff in there and the tent, and return with everyone so we can go, Right?" Hal whipped out a full blown schedule out of nowhere, surprising even himself.


    "Why me!?" Ace asked immediately, before anyone even processed his words.


    "Since when do you have a brain?!" Mary snarked at him, making everyone laugh. Everyone but Hal, who stared at her with an annoyed face, smiling wryly.


    "It''s you because you get tired and we have no way to leave Necro behind, since she''s the one doing the heavy lifting," He began. "and also, I always had a brain." He somehow merged both completely unrelated things into a single sentence, making everyone laugh their lungs out. Oddly enough, this cleared the awkwardness from Mary''s whole ordeal and unified the group once more.


    Necro went into the shed with everyone and started putting all the barrels into her storage. By the end of that, her storage was almost as full as before she took the tent out. Almost, but not quite.


    "Guys," He called them, making everyone''s gaze get directed to her. For the first time, Necro blushed from seeing everyone looking at her with eyes of admiration. "I-I still have some space left, you guys wanna put in anything else?" She stuttered a bit, but managed to ask successfully. Aside from the plate armor of some of the soldiers, whom they guess were the leaders, there were also quite a fair share of swords and other slightly valuable materials. Including the large pot and the firepit made out of good copper.


    "After talking all of that!? That''s impressive. Sure, fill it to the brim!" Hal responded, overjoyed. Every single item they took there would be a little more money. So, anything and everything counts. Seeing Mary and Bid nod in agreement, Necro proceeded to shove all the sets of armor, weapons and metals into her ring. All but one last sword.


    "Eh. This one won''t go in." She scratched the back of her head. "Guess it''s full."


    "So there really is a bottom to it." Hal jokingly said, as he grabbed the last sword from the ground. "I can take this one by hand if that''s all it takes."


    Necro smirked at his benefic sarcasm, as she made her way to Ace, who was sitting on one of the beds, and whispered into her ear. "Wait for me, and think about how to get them without trouble." Ace''s eyes opened a bit for a second, before she completely understood the meaning of her words and nodded with an endearing smile. Necro bit her lips, containing her desire to kiss her right there and then, only kissing her cheek, before she skipped towards the rest of the group and made her way to the end of the room. Leaving Ace behind.


    Not for long though, since she too sprung up and followed them outside. Why would she stay inside the smelly shack when she had a full blown and luxurious tent to take a nap into.


    "Bai-bai!" She waved at the group as she entered the tent, closing the curtain behind her as she stripped herself and laid down to take a nap. It goes without saying Ace was still exhausted after yesterday''s night.


    With that taken care of, the group proceeded in their eventless march towards the road, almost an hour away.


    "Mary," Bid, curious, started probing her. "did anything happen while we were gone? You look more... Stunning."


    "Eh? What''s with that? You hitting on me, perchance?" Of course, she too wouldn''t let this pass without teasing the girlish Bid.


    "Ah?! No! It''s just that you really have a different aura or something."


    "Hmmm... I see, for a second, I thought you were trying to grow into a man." She snarked at him, jokingly.


    "What! No! Wait! I''m already a man!" Bid''s blunder made her and Hal, a little way''s ahead burst into loud laughter. Necro just silently chuckled behind them, taking care for Bid not to notice. After a second though, she could imagine Mary''s smirk as she saw her look back beneath her helmet, catching her red-handed. Necro quickly recomposed herself, before anyone else noticed her.


    "Anyways, did anything happen between you and the girls yesterday?" Catching Mary off guard, Bid''s question made Necro squint.


    "W-what!? Me and-?! No! Nothing! Nothing happened!" Mary instantly began stuttering and barely managed to squeeze out a hardly believable denial.


    "I see..." Not to push her into a corner, Bid pretended to accept her refusal, looking back ahead and walking silently. While him and Hal looked at each other with a mean smirk on their eyes. Mary looked away, ashamed. She could feel her face heat up as she got redder and redder. She was so embarrassed she legit thought she''d freak out. But having no further questions, she slowly got herself together and walked silently until they reached the road a handful of minutes later.


    As soon as they left the cover of the trees, a few meters ahead, Necro saw the pair of horse drawn carts they had gotten. ''Eh, he said those were wagons but they are tiny...'' Necro thought to herself as she saw that each was only pulled by a single horse. ''Will this stuff even fit?'' she thought to herself as she walked towards them, only addressing the boys when she reached the thing.


    "Boys..."


    "Yeah?" Hal was the one to ask her.


    "Do you really think off the stuff we got there will fit in those two little things?" She asked, emphasizing in the littleness of the carts.


    "Eh-?" Hal froze as his eyes widened, while Bid turned around to double check.


    "I don''t think so..." Mary muttered as she stared at the carts taking into account all the barrels, weapons and armor.


    "Can''t you keep some of it inside?" Hal asked Necro as despair slowly creeped up inside him, realizing he''d have to carry heavy stuff all the way to town, aside from the sword he''d already brought.


    "Nope, it won''t fit the tent if I do." Necro shrugged, as she made her way towards the carts and greeted the drivers. "But I guess we can deal with that when it comes to that." Immediately, she began emptying the ring into the carts, one barrel at a time.

 Ch 59 – The broken Paladin

    After emptying her ring of the barrels, necro stared at the carts... Each only comported the barrels themselves, leaving a little space that could fit a set of armor and the swords.


    "Yeah... it ain''t gonna cut it..." She muttered


    "Eh? What was it?" Bid asked, coming closer to the carts.


    "I still have three sets of armor and the swords, a lot of swords. I think only one of them will fit here."


    "Wait a second! How are we supposed to carry two sets of plate armor?" Hal''s desperate voice could be heard behind Necro, who was almost laughing imagining the scene.


    "Why don''t you just wear it?" The unexpected solution came from the most obvious person... The one clad in full plate armor. Mary.


    "Eh."


    "Huh?" Hal and Bid froze for a second as they failed to understand how that would work.


    "Did you guys seriously ignore the option of just wearing the armor?" Mary asked, with a tone of perplexity.


    "..."


    "I guess you did. Well... That''s just dumb." She shrugged, as she slowly made her way towards Necro, putting her hand on her shoulder as she softly muttered. "We are gonna laugh our asses at them trying to wear those all the way there." She chuckled before looking back at the boys who had a little bit of a dejected face for not realizing the obvious solution.


    What they didn''t know, however, is how hard it is to walk around in plate armor when you are not used to it, let alone one that isn''t perfectly suited for you.


    Necro dumped all the dozens of swords into the carts, spreading the set of armor around so that it would fit in between the barrels. After it was all said and done, the remaining two sets of armor were put on the ground next to the carts.


    "My job''s done." She said, walking towards Mary.


    "Oh, thank you. See you in an hour I guess?" Bid bid her farewell as he squatted to verify the armor pieces. "Hal? Who''s gonna take which?"


    "Eh?! What do you mean? I''ll take the larger one since you''re smaller."


    "What the fuck!? I''m not that small you son of a b-"


    "See you guys!" Necro took her leave as the pair''s bicker started to heat up. Mary followed her closely behind while giggling. The two, soon enough, found themselves walking through the woods. Slowly, Mary made her way to Necro''s side as she slowly snuggled herself cover despite the inconvenience of the armor.


    "What is it?" Necro asked as she noticed Mary''s creeping.


    "Eh? I... It is I... I mean..."


    "Hm... I see... Come here real quick." Necro suddenly stopped walking and turned behind while putting her hands herself.


    "Me?... Sure..." Mary, not understanding what was happening sheepishly walked in front of Necro. Her hands sweating as she awaited in anticipation. To her, Necro was still an almost complete mystery.


    "You see... I still can''t trust you completely."


    "Eh?!" Mary was confused by Necro''s words, almost to the point of crying. She''d given up on her own beliefs and given herself up to her. What else could there be? Her head in turmoil as Necro slowly walked towards her, putting her hands on both sides of Mary''s helmet.


    She just froze, confused, as Necro stood on the tip of her toes, lifting her helmet over her head and removing it. Necro''s hears skipped a beat as she saw the blonde hair fall over Mary''s blushed face as she slowly came back to naturally standing, Mary''s helmet under her arm.


    "Kneel." A single word. That''s all Necro said as her tone turned serious and imperious.


    "Eh? Me? Why?" Mary was startled. She had no idea of what was happening. What did she want with this? What did she mean?


    "KNEEL!" The domineering way Necro''s voice raised made a chill go down Mary''s spine. An unknown force subduing her and forcing her to kneel as a slight red glint appeared on her and Necro''s seyes. She immediately lowered her head as she knelt with a fist touching the ground.


    Only to have her face lifted up carefully by a pair of warm and affective hands. Before she melted as she found herself embraced in a heartened kiss. Necro leaned herself down a wee bit, as to reach her, as she gave the paladin a long and meaningful kiss. She herself was unaware of what made her do this, but there was something telling her this was of the utmost importance. That she needed to attain her loyalty there and then. Necro did not know why she was doing what she was doing, she just felt like doing it. The events of last night, still very much vivid in her mind.


    Necro took a step back, breathless. While Mary stared motionless at her, in awe and veneration.


    "Who do you serve?" Necro asked in the same superb tone, but now, a different aura was present around her. One of kindness and concern.


    "I... serve God."


    "Which god" Necro asked, once again sprouting a seed of intrigue in Mary''s own beliefs. "The god of the church, a god of your own, or a God you don''t even know?"


    "I..." Mary stalled, her eyes wide as she searched within herself for an answer which she did not have. She couldn''t say the god of the church, since she herself abandoned such beliefs when she indulged herself in Necro''s embrace last night. Not only that, she too was cast out and excommunicated. Yet, she could not say she had a god of her own, a god whose teachings were a mystery and whose identity was unknown... In the end, her only choice would be Necro''s latest mention... One she did not even know. Her long proven perception of the world cracked right there and then. Over a duodecenium of teachings and indoctrination. Rather, one could say her whole world collapsed on that moment. Despair painted Mary''s eyes as tears started to form. It''d dawned on her the ephemerality of her own beliefs. And she instantly returned to who she''d been prior to her adoption by the church.


    That broken and starving girl who was found beaten to the verge of death on the gully behind the church. The identity of her assailants erased from her memory by the violence of their doings.

 Ch 60 – Rise, My Knight!

    All those sealed memories resurfaced like a bursting dam, flooding her as tears rolled down her cheeks while she stared expressionless into nowhere in particular.


    That is, until a caring touch pulled back to reality. She closed her eyes, sobbing, as Necro rested her forehead on hers, wiping her tears with her thumb before giving her a gentle kiss to the lips and forehead.


    "I don''t know what you''ve been through, what they made you go through, or what they told you and made you forget. But I know one thing." Necro pulled her face up, making Mary open her eyes as she stared into the abyss of Necro''s eyes. " It won''t ever happen again as long as I''m by your side."


    ''I won''t ever let it happen again.'' Necro told herself inside her mind, struggling to not net any of it through.


    Mary failed to comprehend the meaning of those words, but she was drawn by those eyes. Something called for her from deep within them. Something drew her back from the depths of her despair.


    And she grabbed tightly onto that rope that could bring her out of it, as light slowly returned to her eyes. But now something had changed deep inside her. That broken girl had found a new thing to believe in, that one thing she needed to find meaning. But now it wasn''t some unknown ethereal entity. No. That "thing" was now touching her, comforting her. Mary sobbed once more, but now, it was not a disconsolate mourning. Rather, it was blissful weeping. Of someone whose faith had been renewed. Or rather, reformed.


    "Thank you."She muttered, between her silent sobs, as she tried drying her tears with her gauntleted hands, only to have them stopped by Necro. It surprised her, more than anything. Rather, it completely daunted her for a second, as she found herself unable to hold the hands which Necro held lightly.


    "No... I''m the one who thanks you. Rather, I have something to ask." Necro smiled softly as Mary''s current appearance reminded her of a stray dog, left behind on its own.


    "Yes...?" Mary forced herself to stop crying as she stared up into Necro''s eyes, with the eyes of a puppy.


    "The road ahead is going to be rough, and I fear for mine and Ace''s safety. For that, I''ll need strong and dependable allies. People who will be by my side no matter what."


    "I''ll be happy to serve under you!" Mary hurried herself to say with all her strength.


    "That''s not what I''m asking for." Only to be turned down coldy by Necro. She froze for a second as she imagined what she meant with this... Her mind calculating all possibilities and drowning itself in self-depreciation as she imagined herself as just a means to an end.


    "But I can-" She tried to force herself on her feet as she desperately pleaded. Only to be forced down by Necro''s hands on her shoulder. Pinning her to the ground against the brunt of the paladin''s unmeasured force. Mary once again began despairing, tears forming on her eyes as she imagined hurting Necro in her unthought attempts.


    "I don''t want you under me." Necro said, fueling Mary''s insecurity. "Rather, I don''t need you under me." Mary''s strength dwindled as the light on her eyes began dimming. She looked down, filled with sorrow, before she was thrown to the ground as Necro leaped onto her, holding the back of her head as she kissed her, stealing her breath and further fueling her confusion. Necro felt unhindered by the heavy and bulky set of armor Mary was wearing. Much to the contrary, it actually gave her a strange excitement as she kissed the armored paladin, whose shield laid on the floor to her side.


    "Fuaaah~! Necro sighed cutely as she parted their mouths after another long kiss. "This is the only way I want you under me, ever, you thickhead. I need you by my side. I need you to be my shield. My knight."


    "YES! YES!" Mary shouted as tears flowed from her eyes and she grabbed onto Necro''s shoulders, sitting down while kissing the cute black-haired girl. Their kiss lasted a long, long time, until Mary felt satisfied. Necro''s hands caressed her neck and hair while Mary''s danced, the thick gauntlet gently soothing her back and waist. "I''ll be whatever you tell me to be. So long as I can stand by your side." Necro kissed her as she heard those words. A short kiss, but that sealed their destinies as one.


    "Then raise, My Knight." Necro grabbed Mary''s face as she moved back and slowly stood up, bringing Mary with her.


    She hugged her as they stood in the middle of the dense forest.


    "Grab your shield too. I''ll need you to bear it for me in the future."


    "Eh-" Surprised by the sudden mention, Mary hurried to grab her shield from the ground. Meanwhile, Necro lowered herself and grabbed her helmet and began walking away carrying it. It took Mary a second to realize.


    "Wait! My helmet!" She ran behind Necro for a few seconds, until she saw Necro look behind right as she was reaching her.


    "You don''t need it for now. It''s not like we''re gonna fight anyone. I''d rather see your pretty face." Mary blushed at Necro''s bold flirt, but her attention was more focused on Necro''s free hand which extended towards her. Immediately, Mary grabbed Necro''s hand and stood by her side, grinning from ear to ear. Necro also smiled, seeing Mary''s reinvigorated behavior, despite her having deeply disturbed her with the previous talk. She didn''t know why, but she knew this conversation was extremely necessary, and more than anything, it would prove its worth far sooner than she would have expected.


    Unaware of such approaching probation, the couple walked happily through the forest as they made their way back to find the resting Ace. Necro''s mind working non-stop to find a way to solve the whole undead ordeal.

 Announcement! (Here we go again)

    As you all know, I have committed myself to keep all my successful novels free to read for as long as possible.


    To make that possible, changes are bound to be made, especially when it comes to platforms that allow me to keep it that way.


    If you like this novel, please consider reading up to 8Advanced Chapters that are now available on my Patreon.


    Else, I know we are all facing hard times and this is a worldwide issue. So, I''m happy to say that the future has a way to make all of us happy and to allow you, a reader who cannot afford to pay for the content, to read it for free while also helping me.


    Please bear in mind that this change is very important for you, who wants to read as many chapters as possible.


    I''ll be releasing further details about this change on my Discord, which you can join at:


    https://discord.gg/JsWnJMtvQJ


    I''m also happy to say that, next week, one more fitting Illustration for this novel will be made available on patreon (finally) and that, sometime this week, a WIP of the promised NSFW Illustration will be made available for Divine Realm ($12+) Patrons. All you have to do is stay tuned on Discord for news of the progress of both commissions.


    See ya later, and hope you enjoyed today''s chapter!

 Ch 61 – Double the girls, double the jealousy

    Mary bit her lip in embarrassment. Not only was she walking while holding hands with Necro, she also didn''t have her trusty helmet to protect her from the world.


    ''I feel like I''m being watched...'' Mary''s hair stood on end as they walked through the forest. They were almost getting there, but a strange sensation made her hairs stand on end. She felt a gaze onto herself, pushing her embarrassment over the edge, all the while Necro smirked side glanced at Mary''s blushed face while holding her hand. A small figure watching them from the shadows of the trees.


    Mary''s discomfort grew more and more as they drew closer to the shed. She threw seemingly random glances here and there, trying to locate the source of her discomfort. Meanwhile, Necro struggled to keep her laugh contained as she got glimpses of the silvery color of a certain person''s hair.


    "Ey!"


    "Kyaaa~!"


    Mary''s discomfort ended with a characteristic scream, making Necro smirk widen as she saw her cute shriek.


    "What do you think you''re doing?" But despite Necro''s lighthearted approach, Ace was all but happy about what she''d seen.


    "S-since when have you..."


    "Since you guys had a sweet lovely session of bonding in the middle of the woods!" Necro''s smirk widened into a full grin as she watched Mary grow red as a tomato while Ace pouted, walking towards her slowly as her grin morphed into a serious expression.


    "May I know what you are doing in the middle of the forest alone? While you were supposed to stay back and take care of our things?" Ace''s pout turned into a scared pleading face as she realized she was being reprimanded.


    "I... I woke up... and you guys were still not there, and I got bored... so I decided to walk into the forest a bit as see if I could find you on the way and surprise you," She fiddled with her fingers as she struggled to explain her reasoning to the inquisitive Necro who drew closer and closer. "I thought you''d like it..."


    Necro bought in on her explanation, partially bribed by her almost unparalleled cuteness. Ace struggled to breathe as Necro''s embrace drew her breath. Her tongue cautiously exploring and tying hers. Ace''s Legs faltered from the unexpected and vigorous kiss, and had it not been for Necro''s hads supporting her as they grabbed onto her ass and back, she''d fallen down as all strength left her lower limbs. The already embarrassed Mary bit her lip as she fought the tingling between her legs, which she could not fight due to her bulky and restricting armor. Knowing this was the kind of affection that also awaited her re-enlightened her mind of the eternal pledge she''d just made, a stream of liquid rolling down her thigh as her pussy cried its desire.


    As Necro stepped back, Ace put her hand on her knees, short of breath, while Mary stared at her biting her lip with lecherous eyes. Necro, unceremoniously, walked away from the two, walking towards her destinations disregarding the two who just watched her leave in silence. After a few seconds, Ace and Mary stared at each other, before both dashed behind Necro.


    After a handful more minutes, they arrived at the clearing, Necro going straight towards the tent and shoving it into her storage ring. Ace and Mary stood right behind her, Mary just waiting to leave, while Ace questioned herself what she had planned. Contrarying their original thoughts, Necro instead walked towards the shed, going inside and sitting onto one of the beds, waiting for the other two.


    Ace followed suit, sitting by her side. Mary was confused, but imitated her colleague, sitting on Necro''s other side.


    "I need to go to the forest for a bit now... Can you girls wait for me here?" Necro asked, insinuating she''d go to the bathroom or something similar.


    "Eh... Sure, I mean. We can wait." Ace promptly accepted. Making Mary frown.


    "No! It''s dangerous, you know it. You need someone to accompany you. I''ll go." She voiced her concerns while offering herself to accompany her, trying to steal a march on Ace yet again.


    "Huh!? That''s unfair, I came first! I''m the one who should go with her if it comes to it."


    "Why not the two of us then? Can''t we all just go together?" Ace and Mary''s bout started heating up, and a sound argument made Necro lose a bit of her composure, not knowing what to expect.


    "I... I''d be embarrassed if you go, I think, Mary... Sorry but... I''m not comfortable with you seeing me like that yet." Necro shied away, making Mary swallow her words instantly. It''s not like she''d be comfortable if that happened either, rather, she''d avoid being seen by all costs, especially by the one she liked. Necro, that is. Moreover, she had actively waited for them to sleep or go away whenever she needed to go to the bathroom just to make sure that would never happen. Mary was... reserved.


    "Okay..." She half agreed, looking down, as Necro stood up and started walking towards the door.


    "I''ll go too then." Ace said, springing onto her feet and following her.


    "Fine..." Necro rolled her eyes, but did not complain, as she continued walking out.


    The door closed behind them, while Mary sat in there, alone, contemplating.


    Reality was, she also wanted as much time as possible with Necro. She''d pledged to be her Knight, to stand by her side. And to her, that meant being with her all day long, every day. Seeing her walk away like this was bittersome. Moreover, she saw how Necro kissed Ace earlier. The way her hands grabbed onto Ace''s body filled with desire. She wanted to not think about that as if they were adversaries, but reality was, they were waging a war. A war for the limited time of Necro''s daily attention. And Mary was not willing to concede. Not now, nor ever. And only a minute or so after the girls left the tent, she too, now stripped of her noisy armor, left the room swiftly in pursuit of her lover, and of the girl with whom she split her time.

 Ch 62 – Our Army

    ''Where are we even going...?'' Mary thought to herself as she sneaked through the forest after the girls. It hadn''t been long, but she felt a shiver run down her spine as she walked deeper into the forest. Not only were they walking straight into it, the girls seemed to know very well where they were going.


    "Strange..." Mary muttered to herself as she followed them deeper, until the forest widened into a small clearing.


    She could see the two girls standing there. A strange coldness assaulted her as she watched from behind a tree.


    ''Who are they talking to?'' She asked herself, only able to see the two of them. Her curiosity was consuming her. ''Who are these two talking to in the middle of the forest, hidden from everyone else? Could it be they are plotting something?'' She wondered in silence, watching the two talk to someone she couldn''t see without exposing herself. While deciding whether to come out or go back, Mary felt a cold hand on her shoulder.


    She looked down towards it, only to see a hand comprised of human bones.


    "HYAAAAAAAAA!!" She creamed, jumping from behind the tree towards the floor, looking back towards where she came. A single skeleton stood there, behind the tree she was hiding a second back.


    "U-undead..." She whispered in fear, before turning herself towards Necro and Ace. Necro was normal, but Ace looked very surprised, but that''s not the most important thing... In front of the two, over a dozen undead stood. Among them, two such high tiered undead Mary wasn''t sure they could defeat even with the whole group together, let alone the three of them.


    Her eyes widened as she saw the gigantic Boneclaw in the shape of a wolf laid on the floor near the girls.


    Mary stood up, still in shock, and turned around to run away, but a small hand grabbed hers.


    "Let me go! I need to go call help!"


    "Mary, stop."


    "You don''t understand! We need help, we''re all gonna die!"


    "MARY, STOP!"


    "Eh?!" Mary suddenly paused as she heard Necro yelling at her from behind, holding her hand. "But these are dangerous! We need to call help from the guild and the church to-"


    "Mary, relax, it''s ok." Necro pulled her hand down, forcing her to lean, and gave Mary a kiss on the lips. "It''s ok. They are friends."


    "Friends?!" Necro''s kiss called her down enough to allow them to have a conversation, but not enough for her to simply swallow this. "They are undead! High-tier undead! They are an enemy of humanity! They''ll kill everything they see in their path!"


    "Does it really look like it?" Necro turns around as she says this, still holding Mary''s hand. Behind her, Ace was patting the head of the giant wolf-like undead. She turns back towards Mary, asking once again. "Do you still think so?"


    "I..." Mary freezes for a second, trying to understand what''s going on. "Are you guys..."


    "No, Ace has nothing to do with it, she just knew about it already." Necro anticipates Mary''s question. It didn''t really matter to have a bit of a misunderstanding here... But if she wasn''t able to calm her down, Necro would have no other choice.  Making sure she wouldn''t freak out and blace Ace was key to avoid a bad outcome.


    "So... It is you? You''re a dark magician!?" Mary asked, in shock.


    "Yes." And Necro only gave a dry response.


    "You mean, you are a Necromancer!?"


    "Yes, I am."


    "You mean, you are dealing with these monsters!?" Mary raised her tone.


    "Eh... Not really, I''m not exactly dealing with them."


    "What do you mean you''re not dealing with them!? Then what the hell is happening here?!" Mary was confused, Them dealing with undead was obvious from what she could see, they were clearly talking about something.


    "It''s not like I have to deal with them, they are mine."


    "Huh?!" Mary froze as she heard words that were impossible to believe. How could she "own'''' such powerful undead?! What kind of monster would she have to be to actually be that powerful? But rather, instead of that...


    Mary fell to her knees, crying.


    "Why didn''t you tell me? Why only her? Why didn''t you trust me?" The reason was something that left even Necro confused.  She just stared at her, dumbfounded, without knowing what to say or do. She had prepared herself to calm down an angry Mary, not a crying one.


    "Calm down, I had planned to tell you eventually. It was just too early."


    "Too early for what?! I already gave you everything! You even asked me to become your knight, yet you didn''t trust me!" Mary cried out loud in between sobs. It had never dawned on Necro that she''d have such deep feelings already.


    ''Ah... It''s probably because of earlier...'' Necro thought as she recalled her crying fit earlier today when she provoked her. ''It''s my fault then...''


    "Come here, I''m sorry..." Necro walked towards her, hugging her while pressing her face against her thighs. "It''s fine now, I was just afraid you''d not accept me if you knew..."


    "Heh." Hearing those words, Mary''s tears stopped as she looked up towards Necro. "Of course I would! I accept you no matter what!" Mary stood up, grabbing Necro''s face and giving her a long kiss.


    "I''m happy to hear that." Necro smiled as they parted the kiss, thinking of how cute Mary could be.


    "But are you sure this is safe? Like, they are really under you?"


    "Are you doubting me?" Necro teased her.


    "No! No, I''m just... It''s just I never thought someone could control such strong undead." Necro held herself from giggling as she stared at Mary quickly making up an excuse.


    "It''s fine." Necro snapped her fingers, making over a dozen skeletons emerge from behind the trees, including the one Mary hid behind. "These are our army."

 Ch 63 – Punishment for a jealous cutie (18+)

    "..." Mary watched in awe as the skeletons slowly poured into the clearing from the nearby trees. But the three who were already there when she showed up. were the ones who struck the most. A gigantic furless wolf, leathery, with bones poking through here and there, a monstrosity created by the fusion of multiple skeletons, and an otherwise common skeleton, but as dark as soot. All three were creatures known only in legends, feared for their hatred towards the living. Yet, the most scary of them was just laying on the ground, being pet by Ace.


    "Are you calmer now?" Necro asks, letting go of Mary''s hand.


    "Kinda..." She answers absentmindedly. It''s not that she has really accepted the situation... but more like she became desensitized by the sheer absurdity of all of it.


    "Pfew" Necro breathed out a sigh of relief, knowing everything was under control. "You almost freaked me out..."


    "Eh? Why?" Mary tilted her head, still bewildered.


    "You ask!?" Ace stood up, stopping petting Atanase. "Do you even understand what would happen if you''d ran and told everyone about this?"


    "Eh?" Mary batted her eyelids, not really understanding what she meant.


    "What she''s saying is... We''d have to hunt you down before you could tell anyone... Sorry." Necro told while looking down, still in front of her. "I''m so glad you remained by my side." She took a step forward towards Mary, making Ace, who was strolling towards them, halt with an anguished expression out of jealousy.


    Mary had still not digested the meaning behind those words, but the thought was wiped from her head as Necro''s sot lips encountered hers once more. Necro kissed her passionately, with a fervor she''d never seen before. Mary felt as if her breath was being stolen from her by the nimble movements of Necro''s tongue, and her hand that explored her curves, dipping into her trousers.


    Ace, on the other hand, waited, not patiently, but tapping her foot in frustration. Behind her, a certain dog-like entity wagged its bony tail while being pet by an even more bony hand...


    Over the last day, the undead followed their orders, keeping themselves completely unknown to anyone, and anything. Aside from doing nothing all day, they hunted every living creature that encroached upon them, leading to measurable improvements. Beyond all, the Dark Skeleton now was more humane, partially returning to his former self, while Abo managed to better coordinate its three souls and minds.


    Necro was rejoicing this gleeful outcome by unleashing his might against the helpless Mary. More than anything, she was enjoying the resistive sensation of Mary''s muscular ass. It was soft and jiggly, but every now and then, from a different movement of her tongue, Mary''s ass cheeks contracted, pushing her hands out as they stiffened.


    "Fuaaah~"


    "Haah~! Haa~"


    While Necro let go of her mouth, a string of saliva connected their lips. She took a second to appreciate Mary''s lecherous gasps, as her face pleaded for more. Her eyes went down, as her hand contoured Mary''s hips, and made her tremble as her fingers explored the wet area between her thighs. Necro smirked as Mary''s eyes rolled in pleasure, only to take her hand off of her pants, giving a kiss on her neck and hopping backwards.


    ''Already!?'' A plea emerged in Mary''s mind as her eyes widened like those of puppy whose treat was stolen, but seeing Ace''s angered demeanor... she got it why.


    "I know, I''m sorry... Wait for tonight okay?"


    "Yes!!" Mary answered with delight to Necro''s apology, who slightly bowed, before turning around and running towards the pouting Ace,clinging onto her neck.


    "And you, stop being this jealous!" She said, kissing Ace''s nape. "There''s"


    "enough"


    "of"


    "me"


    "for"


    "both of you." She whispered piece by piece, every word followed by a peck kiss, slowly relaxing Ace''s grumpy face into one of pleasure, before kissing her on the lips. But, differently from what she did with Mary, she had a perfectly comfortable surface to push her against. Of course I''m talking about Atanase. While kissing, Necro slowly but surely pushed Ace back, taking small steps, unnoticed, until Ace found herself leaning against Atanase''s flank.


    "Hah~! Necro, what- AAAHH~!"


    Without giving her time to make even a single question, Necro kissed her again, this time, with much more energy. Ace arched herself away from Necro''s kiss as she moaned loudly. A small hand had gone underneath her dress, and between her legs, but much to Necro''s surprise, she found not the resistance of her undergarments... Instead, her fingers slid right into Ace''s dripping wet pussy. Necro smirked at the lewdness of her partner.


    "I see you came ready for this..." She whispered in her ear, nibbling on it as she wobbled her index and middle fingers back and forth, making Ace''s hips thrust instinctively.


    "Yeeeeshh~!!" Ace let out a wet, almost inebriated, moan between her words. Necro used this as a reason to attack her even more salaciously, switching fingers into her middle and ring finger, as she pounded her hand against the flesh, while she kissed Ace''s mouth.


    "Ahh~! AAhh~! AAAAHHH~!" In a moment''s notice, a transparent liquid gushed from the depths of Ace''s slid, pouring onto Necro''s hand and the ground in front of them, as she slouched onto Atanase, panting.


    "Now, that was violent." Necro smirked while looking at Ace''s exhausted face. Her legs were still trembling as she tried to stand on her feet, despite most of her weight being supported by Atanase behind her.


    "Why..." She managed to voice out, in between the deep breaths that followed her orgasm.


    "Because you behaved well despite all." Necro said absentmindedly, kissing Ace on the forehead before covering her bashful nudity from the attentive eyes... or rather, sockets.


    "And you guys, stop staring so much!" Necro yelled towards the skeletons who scrambled about, pretending they were doing something else.


    ''Men...'' She thought to herself as she realized one particular creature was behaving even more bashfully.


    "Not you Nase... Rather, sorry for using you like this." Necro took two steps to the side, leaning down and patting Atanase''s head, who was hidden beneath his paws until a second ago. "I guess you are the only innocent one among all of us..." She muttered to herself, but loud enough for the boneclaw to listen.

 Ch 64 – A smooth ride

    "So..." After the dust settled a bit, Mary asked. "what are you guys doing here?"


    "Ah, I came to update the undead on what we are doing next and give them orders." Necro gave a plain explanation.


    "Like?" Mary tilted her head a little as she walked towards her and the large wolf undead.


    "Eh... I kinda wanted them to take care of that shed for us. It''d be nice to have a sleeping place whenever we come by." She began. "Also, they can hunt for animals and do some simple tasks. The problem is, they have to make sure nobody sees them."


    "I can see why... It''s also not like they can come with us, right?"


    "Precisely. I''ll take them with us whenever we are alone and it''s a long journey... But for going to towns and everything, they can''t even enter no matter what so... they are better off hunting for experience."


    "I see..."


    "Fuaaa~! What are you two up to?" Mary and Necro turned to the side, to see Ace stretching herself. She was still a little short of breath, but enough was enough.


    "Mary was asking why we came here. Now that it''s all said and done, let''s go back. Shall we?" *snap*


    "Eh? Why are you not moving?" Mary asked, realizing Necro and Ace hadn''t moved an inch. Only to then see the large wolf casually stroll in front of the two.


    "Hup!" Necro jumped onto the back of the beast, pulling Ace up. "What about you? Not coming?"


    "Eeeeehhhhh!? You want me to ride it?" Mary was stunned. Even the thought of riding such a powerful undead was something unearthly for her, let alone actually doing it.


    "Of course. It''s much faster." Necro explained, but what really drove it home was Ace''s taunt.


    "Don''t be a pussy! Come!"


    With Ace''s words, Mary clenched her fists and bit her lip. All it took was one incursion before extending her hand towards Necro, to be swiftly pulled up onto the beast.


    "I''ll hold onto you, please hold onto his neck, ok?" Mary wondered why Necro pulled her up in front of the two. But it was pretty obvious, now that she thought about it after Necro''s words. In silence she embraced the monster, while bearing the feeling of Necro''s hands around her waist, underneath her blouse.


    "Ky-" She let escape a faint bit of a moan, as she felt One of Necro''s hands slide into her chausses.


    "Make sure to hold on tight. We don''t want to fall." A Devil''s sweet voice echoed into hear ear, before Nase started to accelerate. By the time she had a chance to blink, they were already travelling at full speed towards the shed.


    "Amazing..." Mary muttered while looking back, to see the skeletons also running, but quickly falling behind. Above all, the ride was smooth, perfectly smooth. Comparing it to what she''d experienced on horseback and even the most luxurious carriages was like comparing a gold nugget to a piece of rock. And as a plus factor, she could feel Necro''s body against her back, her face lying between her shoulders. She could also kinda feel Ace''s arms that were wrapped around Necro, but very little.


    Around halfway there, she could feel Necro''s grip tighten around her waist, and her hand laid between her legs to start trembling.


    "Huumm~" Mary bit her lip as she held her moan inside, thinking this was just a teasing. She could still feel Necro behind her, but the faint sensation of Ace''s arms was stronger. ''Eh... She probably god squeezed of something.'' Mary thought as Necro''s hand found a comfortable position over her slit, and calmly stood there. More than anything, the warmth of her hand, and the feeling of her chest and face on her back made Mary feel embraced, or rather, loved.


    In the end, the over half-hour trip took them only slightly over ten minutes, not enough for much to happen. As soon as she felt Necro''s arms unwind from her waist, as the wolf laid down on the ground, she jumped down from the wolf''s back. Mary was still numb from the incredible experience... but not enough to not notice the strange atmosphere surrounding the blushing Necro, and the smug Ace.


    ''What were these two doing...'' She thought to herself, until she remembered what Necro had done back then. ''A sweet kind of revenge... I see.'' She starred in contemplation, until Necro hopped happily towards her, hugging.


    "You should go and get dressed, we''ll only wait for the rest of the undead to arrive and then set foot."


    "Huh? But I a-... Nevermind, I see..." Mary took a second to realize what she was talking about, but putting on her armor was an important thing.


    As Mary ran off to the shed, Necro''s gaze turned onto the forest, as she slowly started to see the shadows of the undead in the distance.


    "Don''t do this again." She said out loud.


    "You talking to me?" Ace asked, feigning ignorance.


    "Whom else could it be? It''s just the two of us here, and the wolf did nothing wrong." Necro spoke annoyedly, turning towards Ace with a serious expression.


    "But I didn''t-"


    "Cut the crap. You know what you did. Don''t."


    "I- ... Sorry..." Ace thought about continuing to play dumb, but Necro''s serious eyes told her now was not the time.


    "It''s fine..." Necro''s tone relaxed, "Just be careful, that was not the time for that." she just gave a vague reason for her complaint. "They are almost here."


    "Already?" Ace was honestly surprised. It hadn''t even been five minutes since they arrived.


    "They are pretty fast, faster than me and you at least." Necro began. "But it should take them a couple more minutes at least... They are still quite far."


    "Eh...  I see... But how do you know? Can you talk to them through telepathy or something?"


    "I mean... I probably could if I tried with magic. I can without it when they are really close, but... I can just see them over there, you know?" Necro pointed towards somewhere into the forest.


    "There? There''s just darkness." Ace squinted, trying to see something, but there really was nothing there, just a dark meadow.


    "I see... I guess I can see in dark places better than you..." Necro murmured, thinking about Mary and Ace''s comment last night.


    "Probably."


    DarkGodEM


    Sorry for the lack of chapters this week, moving was harder than anticipated and the accident with my foot made it even harder and rushed. I just couldn''t keep up. Today is the day, I''m leaving in a handful of minutes for my surgery. Wish me luck. And I hope later today I can come back home and start writing once again. Thanks for the patience and support. See you all later today.


    My surgery went well and I''m already back home. I''ll only know whether it worked for sure in a handful of days, but at least it didn''t go horribly wrong. I hope I can make up for the lack of chapters during this month and the next. See y''all Thursday with another release.

 Ch 65 – The f*ck is that!?

    "Also," Ace furrowed her brows as Necro began talking. "don''t you need this?"


    Ace was flabbergasted. Necro was smugly standing to her side, looking straight at her. She had a hand on her waist while, with the other, she spun a piece of clothing.


    Ace flushed red. What Necro was spinning on her hand was nothing other than her panties.


    "Give..." The red Ace murmured very softly.


    "I didn''t hear you~!" Necro jokingly sang while grinning.


    "Give me..." Ace murmured once again, a little bit louder.


    "Can''t hear you yet~!" Necro didn''t stop the prank, making her clench her fists in embarrassment.


    "I SAID GIVE ME!" Ace yelled, extending her fists downwards.


    "Hup!" Necro threw the panties towards Ace, who put her hands into a bowl to catch the perfectly thrown undergarment.


    "Jeez... You meanie!" She pouted before slowly wearing them and sliding the pair of panties up her legs, to Necro''s delight.


    After dressing herself, Ace''s face still remained a bright red, as she looked towards the forest trying to forget the embarrassment, while avoiding to look at Necro''s smug face.


    "Eh... What happened here?" A familiar voice called the two from behind as she saw Ace pouting while crossing her arms a few steps away from the happy Necro.


    "Nothing, I just had a little fun." Necro said with a wide grin.


    Mary stared at Ace''s pouting and reddened face while talking to Necro. She was already in full armor, including the helmet that covered her entire face.


    "What did you do to her? She looks a bit mad."


    "Oh? Nothing, I just played around returning the underwear our slutty friend left behind." Necro answered in a joking tone, teasing Ace.


    "I didn''t leave it behind! And I''m not slutty, okay!?" She turned around, completely red. "I.. just forgot to wear it when I woke up... that''s all..." She looked down, fiddling with her index fingers.


    "Kyaaa! You''re so cute!" Necro gave off a small scream as she leaped towards Ace, gently pinching her cheeks while giving her a warm kiss on the lips.


    Mary laughed wryly at the interaction of the two... realizing everything was just business as usual.


    "These two..." She muttered to herself, as she saw Ace uncross her arms and return Necro''s kiss, tuning it into a much more mature one.


    While this happened, a slight rattling of bones could be heard in the distance, and Mary looked up, to see the rest of the undead coming from the forest.


    Beyond that, Nase was no longer near the two. Mary looked back, searching for him, only to see him laid under the sun a little ways deeper into the clearing, closer to the shed.


    ''He does look a lot like a dog doesn''t he...?'' She thought, seeing him sprawl under the warmth of the sunlight, very different from the image of undead she had before.


    As the undead poured into the clearing, Necro''s foolish and playful attitude vanished almost instantly, turning into a serious one as she let go of Ace and turned around to address the fourteen undead.


    "You already know what to do, I look forward to the results of today by the time I come back in a handful of days." She spoke, making a thought cross towards Mary''s mind.


    ''She''d make a great ruler, wouldn''t she...?''


    "Nase." With a single word from her, the wolf dashed from the distance, reaching them in just a few seconds. "Let''s go?" She turned around with a warm smile, asking Ace and Mary to hop onto him.


    "Eh? Are we going on him?" Mary asked, standing still.


    "Yeah, it''s not all the way there though, we''ll still have to walk for a few minutes." Said Ace, casually walking towards the undead and passing her by.


    "Oh, I see..." With Ace''s explanation, Mary walked towards the wolf, and started to ride him.


    "Cain~!" Atanase let out a very small cry, that only Necro could listen to. The sliding plates of Mary''s gauntlet pinching his skin.


    "Mary, wait a second." She said, pulling a cloth from her ring onto atanase''s back.


    "Huh? But won''t that make me slide more?" Mary asked, confused.


    "Oh... Yeah... But... Okay. I''ll go on the front, you go in the middle."


    "Hey!" Ace tried to voice her complaint, but was quickly shut down.


    "You don''t have enough strength to go on the front, and Mary will need to hold onto one of us because of the sliding of the cloth."


    "..." Mary was thinking of refuting Necro, but the fact that she was much stronger than she looked was a clear fact. She remembered yesterday, where she couldn''t stand up under the force of a single hand. Necro was definitely stronger than Ace. But that still didn''t explain the whole cloth thing... Until she looked at where her hand was and saw a small reddened line on Atanase''s skin ''Oh... I see now.'' She thought.


    "I''m fine with it then."


    "But I want to hug her too..." Ace pouted a little, while whispering to herself, but realizing there was no hope.


    Due to Mary''s armor, it was not nearly as comfy as the last one... But complaining about not having a benefit while already having one was too much for Ace to voice out. Necro also didn''t seem particularly affected by Mary''s ferrous embrace. And in silence, the three made their way towards the road. After a handful of minutes, in the same place as last time, Nase stopped and lowered himself to the ground, allowing them to hop off. He waited for just a second, for Necro to retrieve the cloth, before darting away towards the shack.


    "Now we walk..." Necro muttered, before starting the march for the last few hundred meters towards the road.


    After roughly five to ten more minutes, they crossed the last row of trees, reaching the road. Mary and Ace held their laughter after seeing the two ill-armored figures next to the carts.


    "The fuck is that?!" Necro asked out loud while laughing, seeing the two.

 Ch 66 – Finally, the town

    "What are you laughing at!?"


    "Hal, stop... You''re gonna make it worse..."


    "Huh!? The hell are you saying Bid?! They need to Respect us. Respect!"


    "Hal... There''s no respect in this shit..."


    The two boys talked as the girls burst into laughter after seeing them.


    It was fun. It really was. Picture, a tall guy wearing an armor that is too short for him, ending a couple inches over the bottom, which also ends a handful of fingers above the end of the boots.


    The other one, the height seems okay... But the armor is bloated. As in, it''s just too wide for him, whose arms float to the side of the armor unable to be lowered.


    "Stop laughing and come here, let''s just go and end this before my arms become numb." Bid yells to the girls, making them hold back their laughter as they walk towards them, only to burst into laughter a second later.


    "Sorry... Bhahaha~" Ace tries to apologize before bursting once again as she stumbles towards the pair of armored nitwits. Behind them, the driver''s faces are tense... from trying to hold themselves from laughing at their hirers... Such professional gentlemen...


    It didn''t take long before all the laughing got old, rather, as Necro and Ace sat on the barrels and only Mary accompanied the two on foot, the image of them wearing such ill fitted armor became somewhat normal.


    "What are we doing when we get there?" And as such, Necro was far more worried about what she would do in an unknown town than about the funny armors.


    "Huh? I guess going to the Commerce Guild to try and sell all of this... Then, we''ll probably go to the Adventurers'' one to see the quests for tomorrow and for Mary to drink."


    "I see..."


    "Do you think we''ll get a lot of money?"


    "Eh?" Necro was confused by Ace''s sudden question.


    "I mean, there''s a lot of stuff, and we killed a lot of bandits. Our share must be pretty hefty, right?"


    "Ah, I see. I think so, but you''re the one who should know it. Like, it''s not like we were there when they got the rewards."


    "You don''t trust them?" Ace tilted her head as she asked Necro about it. It wasn''t that she trusted Bid and Hal, but more that it''d never happened that they tried to take an unfair advantage.


    "It''s not that... I just... I''ve never been with anyone other than my family, you know..."


    "It''s fine, don''t worry." Ace pulled Necro''s arm, lowering her head to her bosom, as she patted her head. "I''ll make sure we get our fair share."


    "Thank you." Necro closed her eyes, resting her head on Ace''s lap. Them being small was very convenient, else, they''d have a hard time fitting over the barrels on a single cart, which was narrower than a single bed.


    While combing Necro''s hair, enjoying the rocking of the cart, Ace looked up to the blue sky.


    ''I wonder how they''re doing without me...'' After a long time, Ace was reminded for the first time of her parents, whom she''d left behind a while back. ''They probably don''t even care...'' She thought, as she looked at the fluffy clouds in the distance.


    "What''s wrong?" Necro asked, looking up at her.


    "It''s nothing. I was just thinking about something pointless..." She looked down towards her, unaware of the tears that flowed down her face.


    "Nothing my ass!" Necro sat back up, pulling Ace down towards her lap. "What is it?" She asked. Now, their places had swapped at a moment''s notice. Necro had turned as she felt Ace''s hand stop,  but seeing her crying had worried her quite a bit.


    "It''s nothing, really... I just got reminded of my own family... That I had one at some point."


    "What are you talking about? Don''t you still have them?" Necro was confused, as she slowly felt her thighs getting wet from Ace''s silent tears. As far as she knew, Ace''s family was alive and kicking.


    "Not really... They didn''t even come after me when I left. In the end, I was just a means for diplomacy." Ace clenched her fist.


    "Forget about them if they only want to use you." Ace''s eyes widened and she looked up, hearing such heartfelt words from Necro. "After all, you already have a family that loves and cares about you right?"


    "..." Ace stared at Necro''s dark eyes. She understood what she meant, and her eyes felt like they were going to swallow her whole. Such penetrating eyes... "Yes... I have you, don''t I?"


    "Precisely." Necro leaned down, while Ace lifted her head just enough for the two of them to kiss.


    ''Yes, I have you... So long as I have you, I don''t need them at all.'' Such a dangerous thought crossed Ace''s mind, as she lowered herself down to Necro''s lap, succumbing to the gentle touch of her hands and falling asleep, despite the gritty sound of the cart-wheels on gravel.


    "Wake up."


    "huuu~?" A gentle voice called her, making her leak a small moan as she woke from a highly needed nap.


    "Did you sleep well?"


    "Uaaaah... What are you even asking? I just closed my... Eh?" As she opened her eyes, Ace was surprised to see completely different scenario. "Why didn''t you wake me up!?" She sprung up, sitting back besides Necro, who grinned.


    "Why would I? You looked incredibly cute while sleeping." Necro had kept combing her hair for the handful of hours it took them to reach the town. The forest was nowhere to be seen, instead, large fields spread around the sides of the cobblestone road. They were waiting at the town''s gates.


    While having someone sleep on her lap made her legs numb, it was a cheap price to pay. Moreover, Necro felt responsible for Ace''s tiredness. Letting her sleep as long as possible was a given.


    The two jumped from the stopped cart, as Hal, Bid and Mary made their way towards them from behind.


    "Morning Sleeping Beauty." Mary teased Ace as soon as she got to them. She and the boys had been following the carts from behind all morning and part of the afternoon. Behind her, the two dragged their feet along the road, taking a minute to arrive, with ragged breath.


    "We''re finally here!" Bid rejoiced, while Hal mumbled his grievance.


    "Thank God... I thought I was gonna die..."


    "You two are too delicate. Look at Mary, she looks like she barely walked." Ace teased them, taking out Mary''s joke on a weaker target.


    "Easy for you to say it, you slept the whole way here!" Bid snarled back at her.


    "It''s not my fault that I didn''t sleep tonight!" Ace retorted, making Necro smile wryly... While Mary flushed entirely beneath her armor.


    ''Thank God nobody can see me under this helmet... All I have to do is stay quiet and...''


    "Mary,-"


    "Kya-!"


    She raised her hand to her helmet inadvertently as she shut her mouth. Being called out scared the living shit out of her, revealing her embarrassment.

 Ch 67 – Cluj

    "..."


    "What!?"


    "Did you just scream?"


    "..."


    "I... did. You scared me!"


    "By asking you out? What are you, a child?"


    "Stop it!"


    An odd conversation took place between Bid and Mary. the rest of the group, oddly enough, just stared in silence. Including the guard that was reviewing the documents Ace had given just a second ago. No fucks given


    "Ahem!" Ace coughed, calling his attention back.


    "Oh, sorry. Here''s your documents."


    "Thanks."


    While Ace retrieved everything, Necro looked around.


    Large fields surrounded the walled town. Rather, one could call Cluj a small city by this point. The walls weren''t massive stone structures, but rather, pretty small. They were still quite tall though, around four meters. In the distance, Necro could see men atop a wooden structure, laying more stones.


    ''I guess they''re still fortifying it...'' She thought.


    The fields were large, but only enough to feed the town itself. Instead, what called Necro''s attention were the large buildings amidst them. Almost every field-patch had one such, where sheep were fenced in. Above all, Cluj was a town that grew from the shepherdry. The best wool, milk and cheese came from this region.


    "Who''s that girl though? You only provided documents for the six of you."


    "Ah, she''s a traveler we saved from wolves along the way. We''ll take her to the guild to get her proper documentation."


    "That''ll be 2 silvers, you know we don''t take undocumented people in town, little girl." The guard spoke in a soft voice, very close to Ace''s face. Necro was only barely able to hear it from where she stood.


    "I know, I know." Ace took a small pouch from her clothes, putting it back in with surprisingly fast movements, and laid two coins in the guard''s hand as she retrieved the Guild tags.


    "Come on people, move!"


    Necro turned around as soon as she heard Ace''s voice.


    "Okay!" She said while happily hopping to Ace''s side, holding her hand.


    "Where are we going though?" She asked, looking back at the carts full of loot.


    "Oh," Mary started talking as she approached the two. "we''re going to the Commerce Guild first, see if we can sell this stuff for better money than at the other one."


    "Things that are actually useful can be sold there, right?" Necro asked.


    "Yeah, some people along the way said there''s war approaching. Rations are probably on the rise." Mary''s answer did not inspire any good feelings, but that''s just how things are.


    "I see..."


    The gallop of a horse grew louder behind them. A fast paced one at that. There were few such animals in this region, let alone those who could go this fast. Necro turned back to see the horse, and his rider, dash through the open gates, unfazed by the people around.


    A loud murmur could be heard as the people on the line and around the street inside talked to each other...


    And Necro knew fairly well why.


    The horse, foaming from his mouth, as well as the rider, wore familiar colors, those of the Szil¨¢gyi family, her mother''s.


    "Are you okay?" Ace asked, seeing Necro''s expression darken.


    "Yeah, it''s nothing. Let''s go."c She brushed her off, quickly turning back to normal. And thus, the carts started rolling as the group set foot into the town after over a week of travel.


    Cluj, as it was now called, was a sprawling city with over six thousand residents. The cobblestone roads were reserved to the main paths, dirt alleys went deep into the sea of buildings. A church, in the very center, opened up to the central square, where the best shops and guilds were located. Near the walls, the less fortunate built with cheap materials, scraping for jobs and food every day. That''s the kind of city it was, grown from shepherds and husbandry, a central place that held most of the commerce between the Transylvanian States and Ungri. With rough winters and boiling hot summers, the little nobility that lived in this region was heavily dependent on the populace, and much like Wallachians, the people did not care about who actually ruled the place, so long as taxes were not abusive. With the death of Pongrac, the territory passed from hand to hand, including Necro''s Mother''s before Corvinus decided to make it part of Ungri indefinitely, by making the Wallachian Voivode rule it as a buffer zone. Truth be told, this was his hometown, so it was to be expected. The Corvin family still owned a lot of land, and ruled from the shadows.


    Necro watched in awe, as the streets bustled with people unlike anything she''d seen before. She had never gone to a large town, let alone a city. At the very most, she''d gone to the small village near her home, which already seemed pretty lively.


    To Ace however, this was a very small place. And, truth be told, if Necro were to scavenge her memories, she''d gone to places far larger than this one, but again, that was Soleir, not Necro.


    A myriad of styles of house were built very close the the streets themselves. The idea of sidewalks didn''t catch as much, since people would just walk alongside the carts and carriages. Those were reserved to places where people would stand outside and wait, like the church and guilds.


    And with the view of the city itself and all its people, the group arrived at the commerce guild after not so long.


    "Suckerhal! You''re back? Thought you died or something. What brings you here?"


    And as soon as they walked through the doors, a lively and overly familiar deep voice called them out.


    "Sup, pops. What''s with the yelling? Slow day?" Hal answered in the same tone to the buff and hardened man who welcomed them.


    "Ya bet. The sheps goinna take a full day more to bring the wool cause some asshat got their carts borrowed."


    "I see¡­ That asshat would be me, though."

 Ch 68 – Hefty Unloading

    "Huh?! The fuck you be doing with those carts you mother¡ª"


    "There ya go pal." A helper went through the door they just come our of, lowering a barrel with a thud.


    "The hell did you get those?!"


    "We found some thieves on the way here and looted their hideout..."


    Hal''s old man''s eyes widened as he stared blankly at the helpers coming in and out, dropping more and more barrels. Hal and Bid''s removed armors were also thrown over the barrels as they entered town, nobody likes being seen like that.


    "Oh, right. Pops, this girl here is Necro, she''s been travelling with us since we saved her from a wolf."


    Necro swallowed dry, her eyes and those of the old man crossed, and she knew one thing for a fact, he recognized her.


    "Long time no see, Lotus-girl."


    "Have we met?" Necro asked, her heart thumping in her chest.


    "Oh, we did. A long long time ago. You probably don''t remember me though. You were but a small kid back then."


    "Eh? You know her pops?" Hal was surprised. His mentor was not known for being overly familiar.


    "Yeah, she''s the daughter of an old old friend of mine who saved me as a child."


    "Oh, I see..." With his words, Hal decided he should leave it be. ''Is her father an old man? Pops is around his 50''s already...'' He couldn''t brush aside the oddness of this sentence, but he knew very well it was none of his business.


    "I''m Gabor, an old acquaintance of your father." Gabor cleared his throat, before addressing the rest of the group. "Now, why don''t we bring it all in at once so that we can assess what you have here?" And without as much as another word, he walked out the door.


    "Man that was a scary guy..." Necro murmured as she turned to face the now closed door.


    "Yeah... Hal''s old boss is wild."


    "Boss?" Necro was confused by Ace''s whisper coming from her side.


    "Ah, yeah, I guess you didn''t know. That guy was Hal''s mentor for quite some years before he quit to become an adventurer."


    "I guess I ain''t built for haggling and bargain." Hal shrugged.


    "I thought he was¡ª" Necro tried to say something,


    "My father? No way!" but Hal interrupted her. "My parents own a small shop in another town to the north, so they sent me here in hopes I''d give up on becoming an adventurer. Pops was the guy who took me in and raised me for a while. He''s kind of a father to all the helpers here."


    "I see..."


    "Y''all talking bout me?" And as if it was a joke, the large man barged through the doors, carrying two whole barrels on his arms. Truly a sight to behold. And as if they were as light as feathers, he laid them down on the floor without a sound.


    "This should be it." He said, as the pair of helpers come in again, carrying the pile of swords.


    "I guess we gotta unload." Bid said.


    "Jesus fucking christ! Did you guys raid a town or something?!" One of the assistants cried out as Hal, Bid and Necro unloaded all the stuff they were carying. Rather, Necro pretended to unload the items she was carrying on her ring. Showing the Commerce Guild that you had means to carry stuff was a no-no.


    "Dang..." Gabro scratched his head. "Good grief the villagers got delayed. Don''t think I''d have the money on hand to buy all of this." He walked around, prying the barrels open and taking a peek or sniff at the contents. "You got an almost full wine barrel, one of vegetables, one of dried meat... I think Orc, armors, swords, pelts... I''ll take a while sorting this crap and rating all of it... Can you come back later in the afternoon?" The old man looked at the group, surprised. It''s not that he couldn''t deal with the amount... But that the variety was way larger than he''d consider normal.


    "Sure thing. See ya later pops." Hal quickly turned around, taking Bid and Hal with him. Ace followed them slowly, taking a peek at Necro, who stayed behind. She nodded at her, and Ace followed the group outside, leaving only Necro, the bulky man, and his assistants, that quickly ran off to do something else.


    "Thanks old man."


    "What for?"


    "Not mentioning who my father is."


    "No need. I figured your situation. Your father sent us all a quick letter a day or two ago. You have friends even further than you imagine."


    "Thank you, regardless."


    "As I said, no need." The tone of their conversation was totally different from that before. Moreover, a thick atmosphere surrounded the two as they spoke. "If you need anything, just ask."


    "It''s all good thanks to those guys. But I do want a favor."


    "Speak."


    "I have some things I''d like you to relieve me of."


    "Come." Contrary to Necro''s expectations, the old man turned around and led her deeper into the guild.


    "Where''s Necro?" Bid asked as soon as he saw Ace leave the Guild alone.


    "She wanted to talk to the old man about something. I guess related to her parents."


    "I see... Probably about her family or something." Ace shrugged.


    "Yes." Bid''s expression turned a bid grim, as he thought about how they found her.


    "Anyhow, people. We gotta deliver these carts." Mary talked over them.


    "No need, I''ve already gotten them paid for." Hal spoke nonchalantly.


    "We know you dumbass! But didn''t you make a security deposit?!" Mary yelled at him.


    "Ah... I forgot that..." Hal gave off a dry laugh while turning his face away.


    "Come on, become more reliable! That''s my booze money!" Mary yelled once again, as they set foot to wherever they were going.


    "Ace, you not coming?" She asked, looking behind as she saw Ace stand still near the door.


    "Yeah... I''ll wait for her. She doesn''t know the town."


    "I see... See ya later then."


    "Yeah, see ya."


    "We meet at the guild at noon then." Hal yelled, as for her to listen, as they drew distant.


    "Sure." Ace nodded, almost silently. So long as it got the message across, she didn''t care for being heard. "I''ll wait a bit." She muttered to herself, ruminating over Necro excluding her from the conversation.

 Ch 69 – Hal’s realization

    "Hmmm..." Every now and then, despite there having only been a few minutes, Mary looked back in the direction they had come from.


    "Mary, what is it?"


    "Eh? Me?! Nothing!"


    "You don''t have to always act this flustered, you know?" Bid sighed, "Ever since you and the girls started... bonding, you''ve become more airheaded."


    "Is that so..." Mary subconsciously acknowledged it.


    "Let her alone, man. She''s just worried about leaving Ace alone with her friend, and getting a march stolen by our darting little daredevil."


    "..."


    The boys stop as they lose sight of her, only to see her frozen in place where a couple steps behind.


    "Oi... Mary, the heck?" Hal calls her out, only to see her wake up from the trance-like state and take hurried steps forward.


    "I guess she hadn''t thought of that yet. Didn''t expect that." Bid chuckles.


    "And I didn''t expect her to actually be into women..." Retorted him, still baffled.


    "You know how religious people are... They shift gears like a rosmolen."


    "Oh, well." Hal shrugged, trying to hide a smirk as Mary reached them.


    "What are we doing now, again?" She asked as soon as she reached the two.


    "Are you... Nevermind. We''re gonna check if there''s anything for us at the Guild and see if there''s anything good. Then, as usual, see if the inn rooms are good for the night and meet the girls at the usual place to grab some food."


    "Oh, right, thanks." Despite explaining to her, Hal did not fail to realize her attention was still somewhere else. ''Did that girl really manage to snatch the two of them this fast? What is this, witchcraft?!'' A random ass thought floated inside his mind. Little did he know he was damn right. At least half so.


    ------


    "Why did you bring me here?" Necro asked, taking a seat at a comfortable chair. The man, despite the familiarity of earlier, still seemed strictly professional. Necro studied his face, realizing this was not the eyes of the nice old man from before, but those of a seasoned merchant.


    Gabor crossed his legs, sitting in front of her, across from a small coffee table. The two quilted chairs and the small wooden table were the only furniture in this large room. Large enough to be used as a warehouse.


    "Of course, I would not let you use such a ring in front of the door, where everyone could see."


    "I¡ª How did you know!?" Necro was startled, but just for a split second, "Nevermind, it''s seems reasonable."


    "Precisely, what other way could you have carried anything else without any carriers and carts?  Also, I remember your father having at least a couple of them. It sounds reasonable to fit his daughter with one in such a peril."


    "I thank you for your subtlety. But I couldn''t expect less from a Branch Head."


    A subtle tension arose between the two. A slight battle of wits, if one could call it that way. Even the experienced merchant sweat, finding himself at even footing against one he sought to flatter and get a bargain. Time slowed down for a few minutes, before Necro broke the heavy silence.


    "May I take the goods out?" She asked, smirking.


    "But of course. I''ll proceed to make an inventory of it as you take everything out." The man smile wryly, pulling a piece of parchment from beneath the table, together with ink and a small fountain pen.


    ''What am I to even do...'' The man scratched his head as he read the contents of the never-ending list. ''What is up with this girl!?'' He thought to himself, as he double-checked the hundreds of items and their quantities. Aside from the obvious things, it felt to him like someone had dropped an entire warehouse in the room. The sheer amount of stuff was unreal. And not only that, the quality of some of this stuff was... amazing to say the least. But what was racking his nerves, was the single barrel that was almost worth its weight in gold.


    "So, here''s the items you''ve shown. I''ve calculated the prices so far and... we''re talking about sixteen bars of gold¡ª"


    "Huh? Where does that number even come from? We haven''t negotiated, or rather, even assessed the goods yet."


    "Gulp." He swallowed in silence as sweat started forming on his forehead. ''It can''t be that she expects us to go through all of that piece by piece, right?'' He thought, widening his eyes as he realized he''d have to deal with the abnormal girl in a serious negotiation.


    "Now, shall we start going over the list of items?" The girl sat back down on one of the chairs, grinning from ear to ear.


    ''Oh god, please have mercy on my poor soul and let me not lose any money.'' The battered man voiced a prayer inside his head, as he turned around to the girl, "Of course, dear. Let''s get started¡ª"


    "Before that," she interrupted him. "Why don''t we deal with the flies pestering our broth."


    "What do you..." The merchant tried hard to understand what she meant, until she turned towards the door. A couple pairs of feet could be seen from the small gap beneath. "You..." he muttered, before yelling. "Get inside already you damn fools! The heck are you thinking?!"


    With his words, the door swung open quickly, as two young boys stumbled inside.


    "It had to be you two... Go and get some snacks and drinks for me and our customer." He said, with a dead serious tone.


    "But pops! You said we were to never¡ª"


    "Did I stutter? I said go and get it. Don''t make me mad and just do as I say!" He raised his tone, making the boys tense up and turn, leaving the room in a hurry while voicing out loud,


    "YESSS"


    "Sorry you had to witness such a shameful display," he apologized to Necro. "The youth these days is very... unpredictable."


    "It''s fine. I''ve seen my share of bratty children lately." Necro answered to him frankly, not realizing she sounded most definitely like a middle aged man.

 Ch 70 – Bullionaire

    "God..." the old man murmured, as he sank onto the chair.


    "I guess this was the last item, wasn''t it?"


    "I hope so..."


    "Don''t be like that. I even left you a little bit of leeway for profiting off of most of the items." Necro smirked sadistically.


    "You sure did..." He agreed, while still having a defeated demeanor. ''The point is how you managed to lead me by the nose you cheeky¡ª''


    "How do you intend to pay for it, by the way?"


    "Huh?" After having his thoughts cut short, the man took a couple seconds to understand what she was asking. "Since you''re not a registered member of this guild, we can''t deal with credit. I can only pay you in metallic."


    "Oh, I see... Won''t you even try to make me a member?"


    "...I''m afraid that''d not be ideal for you. You''re walking around with adventurers, and you can''t join both at the same time."


    "Oh?! I kinda didn''t know that..."


    "You didn''t? Oh, right... I tend to forget whose child you are. Anyways, it''s also better for you to become an adventurer. There, you can hide your identity without a problem."


    "I imagine how that''d be hard as a merchant... Thank you for the advice and the opportunity. I hope we can negotiate again in the future."


    "Equally." He said, while thinking the complete opposite.''Like hell I''d want to be ripped like that again! Please never come over again!''


    Necro held herself from laughing as she saw his business smile almost crack. ''Maybe I went too far...'' She''d made sure to end all parts of the business with him earning at least some copper on the items he was buying from her... But that might have hurt his price even further.


    "You can wait here," he said. "I''ll get the money with the boys."


    "Thank you." Necro answered, as she saw him get up from the chair across and walk towards the door. She couldn''t avoid seeing his knees trembling, but hey, at least she managed to sell almost everything. Granted, she didn''t sell part of the salt, and most of the already cooked food. But either way, all the items in the thing earned her a pretty penny... Or so she was thinking, until she saw the three men get into the room carrying bulky bars of gold.


    She blinked a couple times, making some mental calculation.


    "Oh... right... all the spices and salt..." she murmured as she realized what she''d sold cost quite a lot. She didn''t sell all of it, keeping at least a couple bowls of pepper and salt... but there was a lot, of a lot of things.


    "Here''s everything." Gabro addressed the girl as he laid the bars on the ground. "27 gold bullions and 3 silver ones."


    "Yeah, it''s fine. You can keep the change."


    "The change?" One of the boys turned towards her, his eyes wide.


    "Yeah, yeah. She''s right, there''s a couple coins missing." the old man said, turning around to face the boys. "With that taken care of, I''ll ask you to please excuse us. We need to get some stuff done."


    "Of course. See you." Necro lowered her hand onto the pile of ingots, making them disappear.


    She could hear some discussion taking place behind her as the door closed, but she couldn''t care less. She quickly made her way out of the guild. As soon as she set foot outside though, she was surprised, as she saw a familiar figure sat on the stone ledge to the side of the porch, near the street.


    ''Poor girl...'' She thought to herself as she saw Ace swinging her feet, the slightly orange light of the sun shining on her hair. "Sorry for making you wait so much." she said, kissing her on the lips.


    "It''s fine." Ace hopped onto her feet. "You did take a long time."


    Necro looked up to the sky, only to see it was already a while past noon. Rather, it was almost mid afternoon.


    "Sorry... Did you... not move from here all this time?"


    "Of course. I told you I was waiting."


    "Ace... take better care of yourself." Necro hugged her. "Let''s go, we need to eat something."


    "Now that you mention it... I''m kinda hungry."


    "Of course you are." Necro held her by the hand as she pulled her onto the street.


    "Now... where can we go to eat?" Of course, Necro had no idea where anything was in this town.


    The pair walked together for a while, Ace leading her through town and telling her what went where.


    "And here''s the main square. That''s the church over there."


    "I see... Where are we eating, though?" Necro really appreciated her efforts, but now, eating was more important.


    "I guess there should be a nice bakery around the other side. Wanna go there? Or... we could go to a restaurant or something."


    "Whatever you choose. I''ll pay for it today, since I made you wait so much."


    "Really?! Ahem. Okay." Ace coughed to try and hide her enthusiasm, but Necro was already smiling as she held herself from kissing her right there and then.


    "Don''t need to be shy. Take me wherever you think is best."


    "Yes!"


    Ace kept humming as they made their way through the square. Necro made sure to look around, and try to learn at least some of the storefronts they went by. As the two made a turn to a street behind the church, Necro quickly realized this street was not the same as the ones they''d gone through.


    "Ace?"


    "Hm?"


    "Why are we going into the rich people''s part of town?"


    "... You said I could pick whatever was best."


    "Yeah... but I''m not dressed very well, remember?"


    "Ah... yeah..." Ace looked over and noticed that Necro was still wearing the shoddy peasant clothing. As she did so, a small pout formed on her lips while her whole expression grew sad.


    "Hey, don''t get sad. We can go there another time, ok?"


    "Um!" Ace nodded, a childish smile coming back to her gloomy face. "I''ll take you to the bakery then!"

 Ch 71 – Ace’s sweet tooth

    "... This place?" Necro looked up at the gorgeous storefront Ace had brought her to.


    "Yes~! It''s a nice bakery and they sell many sweet things."


    "I think I forgot to ask but... Ace, by any chance, do you spend all your money as an adventurer on sweet things?"


    "Not all of it~. I save some to buy myself another parchment one when this one breaks down."


    "That doesn''t make it much better..." Necro bit her lip realizing this wound turn out more expensive than she intended... but still, "Let''s forget about that stuff. Let''s enjoy the meal, right?"


    "Hai!" Beyond anything else, Ace''s gleeful smile was worth far more than she could ever spend at a single meal, or so she thought right there and then.


    The couple entered the place, immediately walking towards one of the empty tables. The place was not that fancy, but the people inside were all still dressed up pretty well. Necro pretended not to notice all the gossip among the occupied tables as they entered the room, and sat down.


    "What do you want?" She asked.


    "Hmmmm... There are many sweet things. The honey of this region is pretty famous. I want to try a new thing though."


    "New? Aren''t you usually coming here or something?"


    "Yes... but it''s not like I can afford to come every day. I wanted to try meggyleves."


    "Huh? The heck is that? Soup?"


    "Yeah, but it''s a cold sweet one! They serve it with some pastry too."


    "I see... I guess we can eat that."


    "Excuse me. Can you even afford to come to this place?" A well dressed middle aged woman turned around from the table behind them.


    "Excuse me?" Necro stood up, slamming the table with her fists and making the cutlery rattle.


    "Necky... It''s fine, just ignore her." Ace reached across the table and touched Necro''s hand. Necro started to back down, but the woman spoke again.


    "Back the fuck off and leave you street-rats!" Necro rose from her seat, almost going onto the table, her hand raised above her face ready to slap the shit out of the pig-looking fat woman.


    "The hell''s going on here!?" Until she was interrupted by a well dressed man.


    "This disgusting rat is spoiling the whole place! Kick them out!" The woman spouted something with a shit-eating grin, her nose rose up proudly.


    "Hey lil Acey, what''s up here?"


    "What¡ª?" The woman was flabbergasted as the man completely ignored her. Instead, addressing the small girl she couldn''t see.


    "This old woman was blabbering that we couldn''t afford being here. So my... friend got angry at her."


    "Are you not gonna kick them!?" The fat woman raised her voice as it cracked. She was almost yelling by this point. All other people around, looking towards the four people.


    "Why would I kick one of our best patrons? Rather, the hell are you even trying to pick a fight with other customers? Just please, end your meal and leave."


    "What!? I''m mortified! Do you know who I am?"


    "A one time customer that''s probably married to some rich merchant in town. You don''t seem to be royalty, and you also aren''t important enough for me to know your face. Please, just leave."


    "What!? Is this how you treat your paying customers?! I''m horrified! I''ll let all the people I know heat what that this place prefers as its customers!"


    "Be my guest. Now get the heck out before I kick you myself!" Necro sat back down as she heard the man yelling at the fat lady, her mouth gaping wide... until she saw Ace''s smirk. "Why you laughing?"


    "... The owner of this place."


    "Huh?"


    "He used to cook for my uncle."


    "Oh... I see."


    "Most people around know me too..."


    "I... see..."


    "What is it?"


    "No... It''s just why were they gossiping so much when we came in?"


    "Oh, probably cus I always come alone."


    "I see..." Necro''s eyes wandered around, where a few people covered their smirks with hands and hand fans. A smile onto her face.


    "What you laughing at, you street-rat! Humpf!" The fat woman walked past their table, she used colorful stamps all over, almost like a peacock.


    "Imagine if she knew you''re a princess..." Ace muttered while laughing.


    "I guess her not knowing it is a great sign."


    "I''m very very sorry for the inconvenience, young ladies."


    "You don''t have to be that courteous around me, Endre."


    "Is always good to see you around, milady." The man bowed down, his hand closed over his chest.


    "Don''t make this long. My friend here is treating me to a meal."


    "I see... If you allow me, I''d like to give you some amenities, as an apology."


    "No need, what was your name? Andre?"


    "Endre, ma''am."


    "Endre, sorry. It''s not your fault. Now, if you could, as an apology, tell me what you recommend us to eat. Ace here would love some... sour-cherry soup, I guess."


    "Ah, yes. That''s one of our specialties. It''d come well with some honeyed toast and for a drink, some Palinka. But I''d refrain from letting Ace drink too much of it."


    "I''m... well aware of her weakness to alcohol." The man nodded to Necro''s remark, while Ace herself pouted. "Can we get her something else to drink? I''ll take your advice fully."


    "Yes ma''am. I''d recommend honeywine."


    "That''s still got it in, doesn''t it?"


    "Yeah, I''m sorry. There''s been a water issue so we''re only allowed to sell that kind of beverage. I can guarantee the honey wine is far mellower and sweet."


    "I''ll take it, then."


    "Thank you. Your food shall arrive soon."


    "I liked this guy, what was his name again?"


    "Endre... I like him too. But what was that about the alcohol?"


    "... Do you remember what happened last time?"


    "Last time?"


    "Yeah, when you slept while I was stripping..." Necro whispered as she leaned towards Ace.


    "Ah... That happened? I can''t remember..."


    "And that''s why." Necro shrugged as she sunk on the chair, looking towards the door where the man went through.

 Ch 72 – A letter arrived

    "So... Why are we eating soup?"


    "Huh?! Haven''t you heard about it?"


    "No..."


    "It''s the best thing out there! Cold sweetened sour-cherry soup, weighted with cream. Ah... I wanted to try it for a while now."


    "Cold...?"


    "Yeah! They make it with wild cherries and cook in honeyed water before dunking it in cold milk from the nearby farms."


    "How do they get cold milk in mid summer?" Necro''s confusion was clear from her eyes. I mean, it was half a year after snowfall.


    "You know it still snows in the mountains all year long... right?"


    "Who the heck would haul a piece of ice down the mountains?!"


    "Someone... I guess," Ace shrugged. "why should I care about that though?


    "Why the heck would I know?"


    "Dunno. The annoyed you looks pretty cute though."


    "Did you just..." Necro bit her lip. "I wanna kiss you right now." she said, holding Ace''s chin.


    "I''d not recommend that. We can do that later."


    "Oh... right. I completely forgot we''re outside." Necro sat back down on her seat.


    "I hope someday we can just... do whatever we want, you know?"


    "I mean. What''s stopping us though?"


    "You know... The people, the church, the law... All that stuff."


    "Can''t we just change all of that, then?" Necro shrugged.


    "You..." Ace giggled. "I hope you can live up to all the dumb shit you say."


    "We''ll see." Necro smirked as she teased her. "Oh, here he comes." she said, turning around to face the waiter, bringing a small cart with their dishes and drinks.


    "Oh...! I had completely forgotten about the food already."


    "You''re not drunk already, are you?"


    "Stop it~..." Ace turned her face, cutely, as her cheeks turned red. "You''re making me embarrassed."


    "Okay, okay. I won''t tease you anymore. But later you''re gonna reward me."


    "Of course, honey." Ace bit her lip, and she was going to say something, but she turned to the side abruptly as the small bowl floated in front of her.


    Rather, the guy was so slick it seemed like it was floating. ''God, where did he learn to be this smooth?'' Necro asked herself in a fit of whatever the hell that was. Anyhow...


    "Kya~ It''s so good!" Ace giggled as she put a spoonful of the soup in her mouth.


    "I still don''t get it though..." Necro murmured, dunking a piece of toast into the bowl.


    *Crunch*


    Ace squinted with a smirk as Necro widened her eyes mid-bite.


    "See? I told you it was amazing."


    "The heck is this? Forbidden magic?" Necro said, looking down at the tick piece of toast, after swallowing and going for another dunk.


    "I told you it was worth it." Ace giggled.


    "But this is something else. It''s actually cold! but the warm toast and butter... So good!" Necro babbled while stuffing herself.


    "Hey! Leave some for me too~!" Ace complained about her, most of the toast was already gone.


    "Here, aaaa..." Necro put her hand forward, making Ace stand up and lean over, opening her mouth wide.


    "Silly, you let some of it get on your face."


    "Where?" Ace asked, licking her lips and trying to find the cream.


    "Here," She leaned forward, holding onto Ace''s face, and licking a tiny droplet of the sweet cream from the corner of her mouth. As she sat back down, one could almost see smoke coming out from Ace''s flushed face. "Thanks for the meal."


    Ace sat back onto her chair sheepishly. "W-why?" she asked, fiddling with her fingers.


    "Cus you looked cute. And cus I liked doing it." Necro shrugged off, passing the small plate of toast to Ace, and grabbing herself a spoon to drink her share of the soup. With the toast, it tasted very balanced, and delicious. The salty and fatty butter, combined with the warm bread, vut a lot of the excess sweet and sourness of the soup. But on its own, it was a terrific dessert. She put her hand forward, trying to grab her drink, only to have it taken in front of her by the girl in question.


    "OI! Ace."


    "No, you''re mean, I''ll drink it too." Ace puffed her cheeks, before swiping over and gulping half of Necro''s Palinka.


    Necro shrugged and took her cup, taking a sip of the honeywine. It was not a sweet beverage, but it was sweet enough for one not to feel discouraged by the acridness of the alcohol at all. It was probably diluted with some grape juice too.


    "Okay, okay, now give it back." she said, exchanging cups and taking a sip of the palinka. "AHEM! ARGH! Jesus Christ this is harsh!" She complained while coughing. The drink was very, very harsh, even more so than Mary''s spirits. She could still feel her throat burning. "How can you drink that like it''s nothing?!"


    "I mean... It''s Palinka, it''s great for cold nights, aye?"


    "I see..." Necro relaxed for a second as she ate a spoonful of the cherry soup. The waiter was right, the drink and the soup complemented each other amazingly. And it took no time for the two of them to finish sharing it.


    "Hehe... Necky... I want more!" Ace giggled with an inebriated expression.


    "What do you want?" She answered back with a question, watching Ace''s wandering gaze.


    "Youuuu!" Ace leaned over the table, stealing her a kiss. And sitting back down as if nothing had happened.


    "Ace!" Necro''s eyes widened. "You know it''s dangerous."


    "So what, I mean, who would lay a hand on me?" She shrugged, her head oscillating sideways from the alcohol.


    "The church! You know¡ª"


    "Excuse me, ma''am." The well dressed waiter surprised them, standing aside from the table.


    "What is it, oldy?" Ace grinned.


    "She stole your cup, didn''t she...?" The old man shrugged together with Necro as their gazes crossed. "You girls should be careful. We got a letter."


    "A letter? What could that have to do with us?" Necro asked, frowning.


    "It''s about the two of you... Also you particularly, and the church."


    "Huh? Me? What about me? You don''t even know who I am."


    "There''s no way I wouldn''t recognize you, Your Majesty."


    ''Oh, Fuck!'' Necro though, widening her eyes.

 Ch 73 – Ungro-Habsburgian War

    "No need to feel apprehensive." The man gave her a small dark piece of parchment. "Information is, after all, my specialty." Necro relaxed after hearing such reassuring words, but it only further deepened her worry.


    "What is it about us and me, then?" She asked, while Ace dozed off entirely, scraping the last bit of soup with a piece of toast.


    "Yes, I''d advise both of you to take extreme care when going deeper west, the church has issued an order."


    "An order? About what happened in Wallachia?"


    "No, worse." He cleared his throat. "His Holy Highness approved the creation of non-institutionalized inquisitorial armies."


    "HE WHAT!?" Necro hopped on her feet, only to realize her blunder and sit back down, clearing her throat. "Sorry, I got surprised. What is going on with that?" She asked, interlocking her fingers and putting them over her face as she rested her chin on her hands.


    "He~... Serious Necky is hot." Necro ignored Ace''s comment, but couldn''t avoid slipping a smile, before becoming serious and hearing the man''s explanation.


    "The King d''Arag¨®e e Sicilae requested the creation of a national inquisitorial army to drop the hammer on... enemies of god. His highness Innocentius issued the Summis Desiderantis Affectibus, and we have been warranted to pursue the acquiring of the Malleus Maleficarum for our small Lord over there." He said, looking over at Ace. "You should be extremely careful, and get yourself a form of identification as soon as possible. And always beware of the church. They have eyes everywhe¡ª"


    "Attention all populace!" A man barged through the door, yelling. "In the name of His Majesty, Cornelius, and the power bestowed upon him by the church, all men are thereby summoned to make a front against the invasion of Wallachia by the Heiliges R?misches Reich. Made public for thee on this date, His Majesty lays claim on his bloodline, as the Duke of ?sterreich, as per the law of God and Men." And, with the same haste as he came in, he left, leaving the two girls staring at each other, agape.


    "Did he just...?"


    "I guess so..."


    "Did my uncle just declare war against...?"


    "My father? Yeah..." Ace looked down, apprehensive, as she saw Necro put her hand on her temple. "Are you not angry at me?"


    "What for?" Necro looked up, confused.


    "I mean... It was my father who sent those people..."


    "Ah... I had already guessed that from those guys we fought on the way here... Rather, this only proves you told me the truth." Necro put her hand across the table, touching Ace''s hand.


    "Sorry..." Ace muttered, starting to cry.


    "Ma''am... should I...?"


    "Yes, please. How much did this amount to?" Necro asked, swallowing the rest of the strong drink while looking at the silently sobbing girl across from her.


    "There''s no¡ª"


    "How much was it?" The man gulped as Necro''s tone hardened.


    "37 silver coins."


    "Here." Necro pulled the coins from the ring covertly, laying 7 coins on the table.


    "Thank you for the patronage, please take care of my Lord."


    "I will." Necro nodded as she saw him take the coins. Six gold coins for a meal was very expensive by all standards, but she realized this was not any place. Aside from that, the piece of parchment he gave her was worth almost as much as the meal. ''An introduction letter, huh.'' she thought. ''Such an interesting person to meet.''


    Necro rose from her seat, sitting down beside Ace and kissing her wettened cheek. "It''s fine. Come, let''s go somewhere else."


    Necro left the restaurant, pulling Ace by the hand. She walked back the way they came from, without looking back. Until they reached a place Necro had spotted before. A small alley, hidden from most eyes.


    "What are we¡ª"


    "Shh!" Necro put her finger on Ace''s lips as she pushed her against the wall, only to change her finger''s place with her own lips. He felt Ace''s hands pressing on her waist for a second, only to relax right after. "Are you feeling better?"


    "Yeah..."


    "Don''t blame yourself for what they did, okay? I still love you, no matter what your parents did." Necro wiped Ace''s tears, making her blush.


    "Right..."


    "Now, wanna go to the Guild, get my stuff and find the boys?"


    "Sure." Ace shook her head, getting back to her usual self, and the two walked out from the alley and back into the street, unaware of three sets of eyes now following them.


    The Adventurers'' Guild was not much far from where they came. In fact, they had actually passed it on the way to the restaurant. Near the middle of the city, just one street away from the church, was a large two story building, bustling with people. There were all kinds of men and women, but most adventurers looked quite a bit dodgy. It was not a profession seen with kind eyes, being one that men and women were equal, aside from the whole travelling and abandonment of ties. Most adventurers either wanted to leave a dark past behind, or simply didn''t have one to begin with. The very least you could become before turning into a thug, thief or bandit, an adventurer. Yet, the world needed adventurers. As cities grew and expanded into wild territories, beasts and monsters began destroying crops and killing herd animals. Adventurers were those who were hired to fix the issues the army couldn''t, except when it came to warring, then, mercenaries were the norm, but only the Reisl?ufer were valued, the ones from Switzer, hired as the Pope''s personal guard. As such, adventurers were often paid better than cheap mercenaries.


    "We''re here." Ace said, as Necro stopped in front of the building she directed her to.


    "Can you see them?" Necro asked, searching for Mary and the boys.


    "No, should we go inside?"


    "Sure, if they''re not there, at least I can get myself registered.


    DarkGodEM

 Ch 74 – Registration

    Inside, the Adventurers'' Guild was little different than the outside. To the right, a wide staircase led a couple steps down, towards the bar. Aside from that, it was just as expected. Filling the hall, dozens of adventurers talked to each other in small groups of about ten people. Most, it seems, were composed of two parties, discussing joint missions or talking about their last one with friends. A large board was hung on the wall, filled with small pieces of cheap scrap paper, mentioning the contents and rewards of their missions. Necro looked around the room, both for their friends and for a receptionist. Though, after just a couple seconds, she felt someone pulling down on her sleeve.


    "Nec."


    "Huh?" Necro leaned towards her, trying to hear her soft voice over the loud chatter of the crowd inside.


    "They''re not here. Let''s go upstairs." She said, pulling Necro by the arm. The two walked across the room, attracting the eyes of many fellow adventurers. Ace was a known face around here already, but Necro wasn''t, and a beauty such as her was bound to attract the eyes.


    The couple walked up a spiral staircase on the corner of the room opposite from where they came from. Necro was surprised to see the atmosphere above was completely different from that beneath them.


    "This floor houses the reward and request desks as well as the general administration and resource rooms. Loitering around is not allowed, so people stay downstairs." Before she could ask, Ace explained some of the workings of this branch of the guild.


    "I see... There''s a third floor though, right?" Necro asked, following Ace towards one of the many desks


    "Yeah, third floor is reserved for the Guild Master and high profile adventurers, there''s a lobby there for them, and a separate missions'' board, with only High-profile or High-difficulty ones."


    "High-profile?" Necro asked, not understanding why they would need high class adventurers for anything other than the most dangerous tasks.


    "Sometimes, some very rich merchants and nobles will hire adventurers to accompany them as bodyguards in missions to other countries or for high-stake negotiations. Having a famous adventurer will help with your standing and also makes the other side understand you have more power."


    "I... don''t really wanna know why you know all of this, though."


    "No, no, don''t get this wrong. I already went upstairs once since I''m a noble. Having someone from a rich family join the guild is a huge thing for them, if they can use their identity for money."


    "I just hope they don''t realize who I am and just leave me alone then..." Necro muttered to herself, unaware of the massive flag she''d just raised.


    "What can I help you ladies with?" A young woman asked them from behind her desk. Her dark-blue eyes and light-blonde hair made Necro remind herself of some beautiful pottery she had seen long before who-knows-where. Her pale and spotless skin also helped, making herself look more like a piece of decorated porcelain than a person. This woman was clearly a westerner, from the likes of Galice. But her race was what raised Necro''s interest. Her pointed ears made it fairly clear that she was an elf, a very well-known one, Shore-elf, a race of elf known for living in mana-rich regions near the coastlines. And this one was from very far away.


    "My friend here wants to register as an adventurer. ¡ªShe also needs documentation." Before the clerk could answer her first sentence, Ace hurriedly added another one, putting a silver coin onto the desk as she did so.


    "Doe¡ª I see... I''ll proceed with her registration as an adventurer from the countryside. What class do you belong to?" She asked, looking towards Necro as she pocketed the coin as if nothing had ever happened.


    "I''m a Mage."


    "Huh?" The clerk tilted her head, as if she hadn''t understood what was just said.


    "She said she is a mage. Now let''s get this going with." Ace lightly rapped the desk, calling the woman''s attention and making her hurriedly grab a form, a quill and a small but chunky engraved stone tablet.


    "Sorry, I''ll now proceed with the Adventurer Data Assessment. They also call it the Sheet, or the Status. It takes a while for the Magic Tool to register the data, so we do it first, and then fill up your registration. Is that ok?" She asked.


    "Sure." Necro answered, allowing the woman to hold her hand and put it over the markings on the tool. She soon felt all but her ring finger being stinged, as her blood slowly flowed through the tool''s channels and began glowing blue. As soon as the glowing became stable, the clerk let go of her hand, proceeding with the registration.


    "Now, what''s your name?"


    "Necro."


    "Is that a nickname or¡ª"


    "Just Necro."


    "Okay, sorry. And how old are you."


    "18"


    "Alright. Necro, 18, Mage. I guess you are from..."


    "Transylvania"


    "Right. I think we are almost done." The clerk moved her hand forward, grabbing the hefty chunk of stone and metal that was used as a tool and turning it upside down. She lowered it onto the form, imprinting it with the glowing blue ink while she infused her mana into it. The mana necessary to generate the process was not so much, but both Ace and Necro were amazed at the amount that was required to circulate into the tool for it to activate. It was clearly a measure to stop unauthorized people from using it. Granted, both of them could if they wanted, but not knowing you could withdraw most of your mana from the tool once it was done would be a major problem. It would take away almost the entirety of Ace''s, and leave a fair dent on Necro''s unparalleled mana reserves.


    "We are done no¡ª" The clerk hummed happily, until she laid eyes on the squiggly lines left on the paper. She stared at it, blankly, watching the text go from a phosphorescent blue into a dull black, blinking. "I... Please wait for me right where you are. You two, make sure these girls do not leave this floor." she exclaimed to the nearby clerks, who promptly left their positions to accompany the two to a waiting room.


    DarkGodEM


    Boy oh boy! What a cliffhanger.


    Sorry, but this is an update on a whim. My exams are starting VERY soon and shit has started going insane. I have been writing a couple chapters here and there, but the next few weeks are gonna be TOUGH. Take these weeks to check some stuff if you will.


    I released 3 smut chapters on Patreon last week, and am finishing another one right now, please consider checking it out.


    See you all in Octobe

 Ch 75 – A cute little ferret

    "Ehto... Ace? Can you say something?" Necro fiddled with her fingers as she looked at Ace, sad by her side on an expensive couch.


    "What do you want me to say?!"


    "I don''t know?! Maybe why we are stuck in this room? Or what the heck is this all about?"


    "You say that as if I''d know! Hell, Why am I stuck here too?"


    "... What do we do?"


    "I don''t know... For now we wait, I guess..." Both girls stared at each other. Neither knew for sure what the heck was going on, but one thing was clear, it was not good.


    "I..."


    "What is it?" Necro asked Ace, her foot beating the floor like a rabbit''s.


    "I don''t know!" Ace yelled. "I don''t know... I just¡ª" Ace struggled to find words to express herself, the anxiety getting the best of her.


    *capuchuu~*


    "Huh?"


    "Chill... We''re in this together, right?" Necro kissed her, breaking through her own mood to grab her out of that uncomfortable place.


    "Thanks... I just¡ª"


    "Don''t talk. Just stay here." Necro silenced her once again with her finger, nestling together on the sofa. A faint smile could be seen on her lips, as Ace''s shoulders slowly dropped, relaxing under the warmth of her embrace. "See? Everything is gonna be fine." she whispered, before nibbling on Ace''s ear, drawing a held back moan."


    "Sto~p it... I''m getting embarrassed." Ace sheepishly claimed, her breath slowly ragging up as her ears grew red.


    "Is fine. At least you''re less nervous." Necro shrugged, using the excuse as a means to hide her own fears.


    "Who''s the girl?"


    ""Hiiiiie~""


    "I''m so sorry! I really didn''t mean to scare you, but I got too enthusiastic." Necro watched in awe as the woman in front of her bowed in apology. Out of nowhere, a couple of minutes ago, the door to the waiting room burst open, with a loud and powerful voice calling for whom she was. The owner of the voice was none other than the guildmaster, but contrary to her expectations, the person was but a mellow folk.


    Necro kept holding herself from putting her arm out to pat the small round and furry ears of this beastkin. The large dark circles around her eyes, despite being caused by clear sleep deprivation, only further enhanced the charm of the ferret-kin woman. Her skin was light, but a dark hue could be seen where her body hair changed colors like on the animal itself. Her tail was long and fluffy, and she was, to put it plainly, the first beastkin Necro ever talked to.


    "It''s okay, you got excited and burst in and we got scared, it''s fine, really fine." She stumbled with her words trying to make the small woman stand up normally, her cuteness taking over Necro''s self control.


    "No, but I¡ª squeeeeek!" As the beastkin bowed deeper, Necro lost her shit, immediately caressing the beastkin''s ears, and leaving both Ace and the clerk awed.


    As the oddness and surprise died down, the clerk sat across from the girls, but much to Ace''s dismay, the "normality" of the scene was still not quite there.


    "So... As you were saying, Fara, this girl here is a terrific Mage, is that so?" Asfett asked, as if it was completely natural, to the embarrassed clerk.


    "Yes, guildmaster. I''ve never seen anyone with this level, even among the A-tier adventurers."


    "Is that so... Skeeet¡ª I really love it when you do it there!" Yes, completely breaking the tense mood of the conversation, the beastkin guildmaster was... on Necro''s lap.


    "Amunyuuuuu~" And Ace herself was fuming in jealousy at how cuddly the two were. "Ahem! Do you intend to be like this until we leave?"


    "Huh? What are you talking about?" Necro countered, as if nothing was happening, completely ignoring the fact that both the clerk and Ace were completely flushed.


    "Hehe~ Your friend here is jealous~!" The guildmaster giggled, her feet dangling in front of Necro''s legs, unable to reach the floor. Ferret-kin were a tiny race, and this one was no exception. Despite her cute and small appearance, Asfett was a middle aged beastkin, although, much like elves, humans were seldom able to realize their aging. "I''ve been here for decades already, Icey. You should already know the person I am. I''m not gonna steal your friend from you... yet."


    "OI!" Ace jumped on her feet, shying back and sitting back down as she saw the smirk on the woman''s lips.


    "You are young and energetic. But you really need to learn when to chill out and fall back. We are just¡ªKyuuuuuuuuun~!" The ferret''s eyes rolled as she moaned with her mouth wide open. Out of a sudden, the powerful and teasing beastkin was rendered powerless, her knees bending inwards as a wave attacked her.


    "Please don''t tease her too much."


    "Tehee~ Sorry, I got carried away." Biting her lip and completely ignoring what just happened, the guildmaster turned back towards the flustered clerk, proceeding as if nobody had seen what just happened, and as if she was not holding herself back from jumping onto the girl behind her... That would''ve been quite problematic.


    "I''m happy to have you join us, but I can''t fear having such a powerful fellow that just showed up on my step out of nowhere... Are you certain you were never related to this guild to begin with?" After having hopped off of Necro''s lap, the guildmaster asked while sitting across from them, next to the clerk.


    "Yep, I was never an adventurer before." Necro nodded.


    "And you have never killed or betrayed any adventurers in your journey so far."


    "Nope, never." she said, ''At least not in this life...'' is what she was thinking though. But there was no way for her past life to be a problem.


    "Good then. Here''s your Adventurers'' Guild Card. Don''t worry if you lose it, we can get you another one for cheap. But since you can avoid lots of pains with identification, I recommend you take good care of it."


    "Thanks Asfy."


    "It''s fine, this but my job. Every time you come back to town or something please tell the girls downstairs I''m expecting you." She nodded, her ears twitching slightly teasing Necro''s instincts.


    "Okay. We''ll get going then, thank you for the hard work." Ace hopped up, heading to the door.


    "Guess you don''t want to hear about your promotion rewards then..." And froze, as the small voice called her from behind talking about something she yearned.


    "I... guess I can stay a bit more." She shied, making both Necro and the guildmaster giggle.


    DarkGodEM


    EYYY!


    I am officially back.


    Thank you all for waiting.

 Ch 76 – High Treason

    "Back to the matter at hand," The guildmaster shuffled on her seat, crossing her legs as she looked sternly at Ace. " I think we should address yesterday''s events with some care." The stern tone in her voice made her sound like a completely different person, the very opposite of the playful and flirtatious girl from a few minutes ago. Necro furrowed her brows, trying to understand why the sudden change, even when compared to how she felt talking about whether Necro had killed others... This her now felt way too serious, too much so.


    "The fact is... what you and this girl here," she winked at Necro, making her alertness crumble, and allowing her to relax again. "and all your companions, for that matter, did was not a small feat. A small B-rank party showed up in the middle of the night, carrying over 30 fingers, all registered to a foreign country''s military, and claiming they had gotten a hold of a month''s provision for all those people, and that they were acting as bandits. Do you even realize how insane that sounds?"


    Ace gulped. Necro, on the other hand, was relaxed, since the wink from earlier foreshadowed that nothing bad would come of this.


    "Moreover, tomorrow, the very last morning, they leave with two carts, in the middle of harvesting season, with drivers to boot, and come back the very same morning, bringing said supplies. Measures had already been taken for the case you guys were lying and had been conluing with bandits on the murder of foreign military, you know?" She sighed, taking a break. "Anyhow, you proved to be telling the truth, and we are very happy for it, but that doesn''t change the most important thing... There were over 30 foreign military in this region, acting as bandits, and ambushing people on the roads. I''m sorry, but we still haven''t really come to a closing on the monetary rewards and the importance of this feat. The king was notified, and is already working on securing the letters and funds."


    "Wait, the king?! What does he have anything to do with this?" Ace asked, widening her eyes.


    "Well, this is a matter of national security after all¡ª"


    "This is what today''s announcement was about, wasn''t it?" Necro interrupted Asfett, making the clerk stare at her coldly.


    "Precisely." the guildmaster confirmed.


    "Wait, wait! Today''s announcement? You mean the war?!" Ace raised her voice, her eyes bouncing back and forth between Necro and the guildmaster.


    "I''m afraid yes..." Necro nodded.


    "It is as you say, once the presence of the foreign soldiers and their doings was confirmed, as well as the confirmation of their identities, His Highness decided this was the last straw, and declared war. " She cleared her throat. "Now, the matter of promotion. It was already due that you took the exam for advancing to B class, but we have no such Mages in this region to make it happen. Due to this feat, however, it was deemed that it was unnecessary to go through all the formalities, and thus, you have been promoted." A broad smile started forming on Ace''s lips as she heard this, but contrary to her expectations, Necro''s following point was far more cunning.


    "So you pulled some strings in the back to protect her from the fallout, isn''t that so?"


    "Hey, you! Look at how y¡ª"


    "Leira, it''s fine."


    "I''m sorry."


    "That is indeed what happened." Ace widened her eyes once again, her mouth gaping, as she heard the guildmaster. "It was necessary to ensure I could do everything within my power to protect the autonomy of the Adventurers'' Guild and of the Adventurers under me."


    "Umu~!" Necro nodded.


    "What are you guys talking about?" Ace asked, not understanding much, if any, of this conversation.


    "I''m sorry, but I won''t be able to protect anyone but you."


    "Huh?" Ace stalled, not understanding what was happening, until the guildmaster let out the bitter reality.


    "I think I''ve made it good enough to avoid Public Execution, but you relatives in this country will probably all be arrested for suspected High Treason and taken to the Budai Var for questioning. As your wiser-than-thou friend here said, you being a part of the capture and subjugation of the invaders, and being publicly rewarded for it, is an important leverage for keeping yourself and the Adventurers'' Guild completely above any suspicion or doubt. With this, I was able to guarantee your freedom, and that you will not be bothered by the inquisitors. After all, the bula is still valid in this territory to some extent."


    "I see... Thank you for putting a word out for me." Ace sulked, despite voicing her gratitude.


    "I thought you hated them for trying to sell you..." Necro whispered in her ear.


    "I do, but... they are still my family, you know...? Even though I''m pretty sure they have to do with this. Sounds like something they would definitely do, for enough money." she whispered back in Necro''s ears.


    "Oh..." Necro nodded, looking back towards the guildmaster. "Thank you for protecting her. I know she doesn''t really look like it right now, but it''s just from the shock, she''s very thankful to you, and so am I."


    "But of course. Anyone would in her situation, I mean, we just waged war against, not only her country, but her father himself."


    "Exactly." The two nodded at each other, while Ace cleaned the corner of her eye with her finger, trying to get rid of the small droplet forming.


    "... Excuse me?" a ghastly white clerk interrupted the conversation, completely flabbergasted.


    "Yes, dear. What is it?" Asfett turned her head to the side, speaking in a motherly tone.


    "What does the silver-haired girl have to do with the war and...¡ª"


    "Dear, oh dear. You didn''t know?" the guildmaster giggled. "Helene Laese de Portucal and Lancaster of Habsburg, first princess of Habsburg and the Holy Empire."


    "I no longer go by any of those titles. Please, just call me Ace."

 Ch 77 – Forsaken people

    "The forsaken princess?!" The clerk asked once again.


    "That would be me, yes. Please just call me Ace though, I am just an adventurer now.


    "I''m sorry for bringing it up." the guildmaster apologized. "Also, Leira, you should''ve remembered it. It''s only been almost half a year since she registered here, as you were the one who did it.


    "Oh, that is right... I don''t remember you mentioning her past with me though..."


    "We literally came to this very room because she was too suspicious."


    "Oh..."


    "Huh, I guess bringing suspicious people to this room is a normal thing then." Necro jeered, making Asfett draw a smile.


    "Only if they are interesting enough Leira thinks I want to meet them. Else, we just throw them out."


    "I see... What made me interesting then?"


    "Aside from the fact that you literally have more mana than any S-rank mage I''ve ever met? Not much." she joked, smirking. "That is, only if we forget everything else, am I right?"


    "Stop flirting with her. jiiiiiiiii~!"


    "Okay, okay. You don''t need to stare daggers at me." Asfett raised her hands in surrender. "But, we still need to discuss one thing before leaving." She became serious again.


    "Oh, what would that be?" Necro asked, realizing her gaze was directed towards her.


    "Your rank, of course."


    "Eh? wouldn''t I just start at the F rank?"


    "But of course," the guildmaster began, "however, that would pose a lot of issues." Necro looked up to her, staring at her pretty yet serious eyes. "Firstly, having such a powerful individual as an F-rank would be a serious hierarchical problem. Secondly, you would wipe all subjugation requests for F-rank, which would make it rough on other F-rankers to make their living. And last but not least, it would lower the rank of your current party to C."


    "I see..." Necro hadn''t realized this at first, but now that she said it, she realized how much of an issue that would be.


    "Thankfully, since we were told you were involved, we can give you a way higher rank. We discussed that you were to start at rank C, since we''d been told you were at least equal as a mage as Ace over there." Necro and Ace smiled at each other, hearing such good news. "However," The two looked back at Asfett, hardening. "your power seems to be far beyond what was initially expected. Only your status alone would be enough for you to become S-rank already at this young age, but I''m afraid that''d be impossible without any further merits. To add insult to injury, we can only provide you with a Rank C until your magic is tested by an affiliated Mage at the national academy in Buda. That is also a requirement, so I hope you could go there as soon as possible, of course, as a nominal request for escorting some merchants."


    "No, it is just fine. Rather, I was going to ask you something along those lines as a favor anyways."


    "Is that so?" the guildmaster furrowed her brows, curious as to what she would have to do with any such favors.


    "Yes, I need to go to Buda anyways. Rather, I would also ask you to deliver a letter to His Highness in my stead." Necro started rummaging through the pockets of her dress, trying to find the aforementioned letter.


    "I''ll oversee and ensure that it is delivered in due time, together with the report on your trip."


    "No, rather, I would ask you for this to be delivered as soon as possible. I am prepared to bear some of the financial burden of expedited shipping." Asfett held her breath upon hearing said words, but widened her eyes even more so as she saw the small roll of paper on Necro''s hands. It was but a small roll of seemingly cheap parchment paper. But to Asfett''s eyes, this was nowhere near that. This roll was made from thinly woven papyrus, a far more costly paper when compared to parchment, and on the sealed carmesin ribbon laid a bright beautiful wax. It didn''t take her weathered eyes to recognize the seal in that paper, as she took the letter before the clerk could see it. That seal that was of a particular royal family. "Where did you¡ªno, rather, who are you?"


    "Me? I''m just a passing-by mage that was abandoned in the woods by my family. Nothing else."


    "Right... Well, it doesn''t matter, Necro, isn''t it. I''ll take care of it for you."


    "Yes, that is my name. And thank you."


    "It''s fine. You''ll owe me one from now on."


    "I look forward to the day you will ask me to pay that debt." Necro bowed her head a little, before standing up, followed by Ace.


    "Oh, wait, almost forgot. Here''s my card, just flash it at the girls below and you''ll be able to talk directly to me if any issue arises.


    "Oh, that''s convenient. Thank you."


    "See you soon."


    "See ya." Necro waved at Asfett as she walked towards the door, a gloomy Ace staring at her in dissatisfaction. "Come on Ace, what don''t you like about her?" she asked as soon as the door closed behind them.


    "Mary and that other girl you are looking for are already too many rivals."


    "Oh I see, you are afraid I''ll snatch her too..."


    "I''m sure you will eventually. I just hope I have consolidated my position a bit more by then."


    "You jealous bun!" Necro kissed her cheek, happily skipping. "There''s enough of me for everyone."


    "..."


    "Now, what do we do next?"


    "Let''s look for¡ª"


    "Eyyy! Look who''s finally showed up." A familiar voice called from the distance as they made their way down the stairs.


    "Sup Hal, did you guys do anything worthwhile?"

 Ch 78 – Saved by the bell

    [Sorry it took me this long to release this bad-boy... Time is flying by and I got a bit of a flu so I legit didn''t realize it had been this long since last chapter. Wow... Thank you all so much for the patience though, you guys are amazing <3]


    "Sup Hal, did you guys do anything worthwhile?"


    "... Why you gotta be this icy..?" Hal smirked as he answered Ace''s salty greeting. He felt a fairy die as he saw Ace shrug it off...


    "Anyhow, what have you girls been up to?" Bid interjected, asking about their day.


    "Not much really... I waited for Necro to get some stuff sold, ate something and came here to register."


    "Oh! Awesome, we gotta get some quests to rank her up before we r¡ª"


    "I don''t think we''ll need that..." Mary interrupted him. Her eyes staring daggers at how Ace was clinging to Necro, but her attention was clearly elsewhere. "I guess she skipped a couple ranks, right Nec?"


    "Ermm... Yeah, but how did you know?" she responded, surprised.


    "You still have your guild card in your hand."


    "Oh... right. Forgot to store it."


    ""EEEHHH C-RANK!?!?!?!?!"" both of the boys yelled in unison, as their gaze wandered to Necro''s hand, which was storing the guild card away, gathering the eyes of all other adventurers in the lounge. Necro blinked, not able to understand how they knew it from just a quick glance, but it should have something to do with the color of it or something.


    "Guys, tone it down before we gather too much attention!" Mary stepped forward, pulling both down by the ears. "The heck is wrong with you two?!"


    "OW~! Oi, what the heck is wrong with you today, did someone step on your toes or something?" Hal sneered, annoyed by the now aching ear.


    "I guess." She answered coldly, taking a single step back while the boys straightened themselves up.


    "Don''t be like this, I''ll make it up to you later." As a single hand touched her shoulder over the armor, and a single sentence was whispered, the mighty paladin''s stance melted. For the onlookers, it was almost as if a wild beast had been disabled by a spell of its tamer. Thankfully though, those were few and far between.


    "Yes~!" A happy nod that contrasted to the sternness left the helmet, letting shine the female charm of the feared warrior.


    "Come on... Since when did she become like this?"


    "Like hell do I know!" As the words were crossed again, almost like a dejavu, the helmet turned back towards the two who were speaking. "Hii~! Forget it, it was nothing!" Bid managed to squeeze out, calming Mary back down once again, as she turned to watch Necro and Ace walk towards the mission board.


    "... Why are we here?" Ace asked.


    "Huh? Didn''t we come here to see if there was anything good in the first place?"


    "I guess so..." She watched in awe as Necro went by the dozens of requests on the board.


    "Why is she reading all of them...?" While she waited, Mary made her way next to her, followed by the boys.


    "I don''t know... I guess she wants to know what kind of stuff is there."


    "Why is she reading them all?" Hal arrived, asking the same question as before, but before anyone cared to answer, Necro made her way back.


    "... There''s only trash..." she mumbled.


    "What did you expect... it''s very late in the day. If there was anything decent on the boards, make sure these people would''ve taken it." Ace turned her face around, making Necro look towards the large number of adventurers roaming inside the building.


    "I... see..." Necro thought out about something. "Then why the hell are they here anyways?"


    "Long story short," Hal started explaining. "these are the people that already finished the quests they got earlier today. Since they had to come back to deliver the proof and get rewards, they mostly hang around to talk to other adventurers and hear the latest rumors."


    "He always forgets this, but sometimes they add late-hour requests to the boards too. When that happens, they''re generally very urgent and have high rewards, so being around is very important so that you have a chance of taking them."


    "Interesting..." Necro thought about some of the things she''d heard. "But... why don''t take those up there? They seem to be pretty easy and would be a good source of extra income if they have the free time."


    "Oh, those are..." Hal smiled wryly.


    "Those are exclusive for F-Rank. As in... they are too easy and are there just for the sake of them being able to train."


    "Oh, those are the ones Asfy told us about."


    "Umu." Ace nodded.


    "Eh... Asfy? Who is that?"


    "Don''t" Ace rolled her eyes.


    "Huh?"


    "Please, just... don''t ask..." she responded again, annoyed.


    "Oh, she''s the guildmaster! She was very lovely and cute." Necro smiled, Mary staring in awe as Ace''s face soured further.


    "And a fucker that wants you naked..."


    "Excuse me, what the fuck?!" Mary blinked as she heard Ace''s murmur.


    "It is exactly what you h¡ª Ay!" Ace flinched while holding her head.


    "Don''t badmouth that kind of authority. Don''t get us all killed, please."


    "But she¡ª"


    "No buts, she''s a good person."


    "It''s your fault for being such a womanizer!"


    "Hai, hai. Now, let''s take this inside."


    "..." Mary just watched in shock as the conversation unfolded, all she could get is that Ace was jealous about a cute girl, who was also the guildmaster. ''Guildmaster... If I recall, she was a small animal-kin. There''s no way¡ªNo... wait...''


    "Necro... Did you just get another girl?"


    "Eh?! Y¡ªNo!"


    ""You stuttered!"" Being cornered by the two, Necro scratched her cheek, smiling as she looked at the boys for some sort of magical way out only they seem to find for this kind of issue... Only for her emancipation to come magically marching down the spiral stairs. "Look, the clerk!" The girls frowned, before realizing the murmur of the guild had died down, and turning back to see the clerk walk towards them, with a small piece of paper in hand.


    "H¡ªHi, I was told to give Ace and Necro this request. It says you may take as much as three others on your party, but that this quest will be shared with other parties. All further details are written down. The guildmaster said she''d already discussed the acceptance. Thank you."


    "It''s fine. I''m Ace." The clerk and girl nodded at each other, focusing on the two, before wandering off to the clerk, who was now sticking a quest to the mission board. She was, however, putting it on the lower left corner, where B+ rank quests are located, making some groups tension up.


    "What''s going on?! Where you two going?!"


    "Buda. Not us two, us three." Necro smiled innocently at Mary''s question, leaving the boys flabbergasted.

 Ch 79 – A Night in the tavern

    "Oi! Why you ignoring us here?!"


    "Huh?" Necro tilted her head, confused


    "Necro! Don''t brush it off!" Bid squeezed his temple with the tip of his fingers. "Do you not want us to go?"


    "No, no! It''s nothing like that..." Necro started fiddling her fingers, visibly flustered. "It''s just that them two already guaranteed we''ll be together from now on and you guys have not mentioned anything about being with me, so I can''t make sure you''re coming without asking beforehand, especially since it''s such an unexpected trip that happened so suddenly..."


    ''Oh.. I see... she''s nervous because it''s a named request.'' Bid thought to himself, realising Necro was way more wary than usual... "It''s okay... I get it."


    "You do?" Necro brightened up, something strange about her behavior.


    "Yes... you want some time alone with your girlfriends, right?" taking a step closer, bid whispered into her ear.


    "A¡ª eeeeeh! Ye¡ªWait, No! That''s not it!"


    Bid took a couple steps back, grinning while giving her a thumbs up. "Let''s go and get dinner somewhere... It''s late already." He said, changing the topic and leaving a flushed Necro to deal with the fallout.


    "What did he say?"


    "What did he whisper?"


    "N... Nyothing!" Necro held her reddened cheeks, while following Bid and Hal, leaving Ace and Mary staring at each other, suspicious.


    "She''s behaving a little oddly, isn''t she?" Mary asked, watching Necro''s back.


    "Yeah... I wonder why she''s so full of fluff..."


    "Strange..." Ace and Mary had some small talk, while watching Necro''s back.


    ''Geeeh... I wonder whether they noticed... Girlfriends... Hahhh~, having those is such an odd thing... Ly would love to be my girlfriend too, officially. I mean, I''d never understood her in my last life but she must''ve loved me quite a lot to hold herself back all those years...'' Meanwhile, Necro thought about a particular person. For some reason, Bid''s words had made quite a number on her.


    "Oh, that tavern is famous," Hal said aloud. "why don''t we go that have some food? You guys okay with that?"


    "Sure."


    "Okay."


    "You''re paying my drinks since it looks expensive."


    Mary gave her usual remark, contrasting with the other girls. The group made their way to the entrance, Necro looking carefully at the people around it.


    ''Heeh... Guess this is an information hub.'' She thought, seeing the shady-looking people standing to the sides of the entrance. However, she was unable to sense the gaze sent by two people from behind. Once inside though, the place looked very commonplace. Long tables with wooden benches on both sides, and a large bar-top with tall benches. Rather, this looked like a very friendly place, aside from the bouncers and some shady men in the edge-seats of the bar. Necro realized they were information dealers from their behavior, she''d seen such people many times with her father when she was younger. But there was something odd at their behavior, like they were anxious, like when a big thing was taking place. ''It''s probably related to the war and the messenger for this morning...'' She thought, brushing off her uneasiness.


    "Food..." ''Whis is he muttering this?''


    "Fancy tavern food..." ''... Hal''s the same.''


    "Famous alcohol." ''What are you? An old uncle?!''


    "Necro''s so cute..." ''Wait, wait! What does this even have to do with anything?!''


    Sat at the table, Necro heard the strange mutterings of her companions as she dealt with another issue.


    ''... Why are you...'' While having both of her hands occupied, being held by Ace and Mary respectively, she struggled, biting her lip as a foreign entity caressed her legs, slowly making her way under her dress. "Ace..."


    "Have you picked your food already?" Her bright smile, feigning ignorance, was refreshing. ''Wait, wait! Why are you so good at faking! Stop ii~t! I''m getting shivers!'' She thought to herself, staring her in the eyes, only for a small smirk to show up on Ace''s face for a second, and vanish like a mirage.


    ''Please. Do something! Notice it!'' Necro thought to herself, looking at Mary, as she felt Ace''s hand slowly creep up between her thighs. ''Mary!'' But contrary to her hopes, Mary just looked down, flushed, slightly tightening the grip on her hand.


    "Umm~"


    "Huh? Necro? Are you okay? Your face looks red." Bid asked.


    "It''s... Nyo~thing."


    ''Eh? What''s with that?'' he thought.


    "She''s just happy you guys are treating us to dinner." Ace smiled, making the boys blush a little.


    ''No way, you fox! Please stop! I''ll look weird.'' Necro thought to herself, squeezing her hand.


    "Ow! Don''t hold my hand that hard!" Ace asked, watching Necro shiver as she flicker her clit and indulging in her response.


    "Necro, what is... ACE! Stop it!" Feeling Necro''s hand tremble, Mary looked down towards it, getting a glimpse of Ace''s arm going down the table.


    "Hehe... You caught me."


    Breathing a sigh of relief, Necro finally managed to speak. "Did you guys already choose the food?"


    ""I want pork!""


    ''Eh... what''s with that answer...'' Necro thought to herself as all four answered the same thing at once.


    "The pork from here is famous for being delicious." Bid explained, seeing Necro''s confused face.


    "Oh.. I see. I''m looking forward to it then"


    ''... Tasteless...''


    After a few minutes, the food finally arrived. A large bowl of pork strips into some dark sauce and vegetables. But contrary to the hype, all of their reaction upon tasting it was meek...


    "It''s not as good as they make it sound like, isn''t it..." Hal cut off the silence.


    "I guess we''re becoming spoiled by using all that salt from Necro..." Bid answered him.


    "And we eat food we just hunted, so it tastes fresher than this..." Mary completed. "Well, at least the wine is amazing."


    "You only think about the drinks, don''t you?"


    "Why, of course! Alcohol is the seasoning for our lives!"


    "Come on now, drunkard."


    "Shut up, Hal!"


    "Bahahahaha!" The small talk and laughter lightened up the mood, as they all had some fun while drinking. Necro made sure to not let Ace drink too much.


    ''Hee, this is so goo~d!" Mary laid herself onto the table.


    "It''s always great to relax after such a long trip." Hal said, agreeing.


    "We need to do this more often." Ace spoke for the first time in a while, after being lectured by Necro for her... prank.


    "I''d love to... I hope we can get some good money from the Labyrinth while we stay in Buda..."


    "Oh... We can dive a little while we''re there. Buda''s Labyrinth is known for being quite hard though, isn''t it?" Bid started a longer conversation. Meanwhile, Necro slowly dozed off, not interested in their topic.


    "Did you hear it? They killed them."


    "Who?"


    "The vampires."


    Necro''s eyes widened, as her ears caught the conversation from the table behind them.


    DarkGodEM


    I''m so exited about this. It''s been almost a year, this novel already has 105 chapters written and over 100 THOUSAND words! That''s actually insane for me. Thank you all for reading this with me. And I have an important announcement to make. Actually, two.


    First is, THE REWRITE OF RE:BORN NECRO


    Oh shite, here we go.


    No, no, but seriously. The first chapters of this novel are REALLY BAD! They lack narration for dialogues and use lazy (name) tags from japanese TLs... I gotta fix that shit.


    So, this rewrite will be purely cosmetic, no plot will change, but I will add more extra chapters about Necro''s education and childhood, as well as some extras about Bid and Hal, because they''ve had very little screentime. However, the rewritten version will be made available both as a Rewrite in the websites later on and, beforehand, as an Amazon title.


    Exciting stuffs indeed.


    This is a long term project that will take place alongside everything, so NO DEADLINES YET. I learned from Dungeon''s rewrite and adaptation for LN that is taking me amost a full semester.


    On a side note, Dungeon''s progress has been slow because of all those things. Because of inflation money has been problematic and I''ve been working a lot more to compensate, so I have less time to write. BUT expect that fucking amazon book to come out Q1 2022! It will be amazon kindle exclusive, so the first arc of dungeon WILL get yeeted out of the internet.


    Welp. Hope you liked this chapter. This announcement will be posted for other novels.


    Cya!

 Ch 80 – An earth-shattering scream

    DarkGodEM


    Either way, I get a lot of coughing and a shitty headache every night, though it gets a lot better during the day. Since I was having exams and shit, and it only got worse over the week, I haven''t had that much mind to write, which is why I have nothing to show for these few days. I hope tomorrow morning and afternoon will be enough to make up for at least a couple days and whip up a couple chapters.


    "They did it?"


    "Yeah! They say the church lost over half of an entire army though."


    "God... Were they that strong?"


    "Sounds like it."


    "Did they really kill them?"


    "Yeah, all of them."


    "No way..."


    "They said the Pope requested for his head to be put on a stake outside of the capital like he did with the messenger."


    "The church is scary..."


    "Right."


    "Dad..." Necro whispered, hearing the conversation.


    "They killed even the kid they say. They said he killed over a hundred soldiers alone."


    "No way! They''re exaggerating it for sure. There''s no way a teenager can kill that many Paladins."


    "Dra-c..."


    "Oi, Necro, is everything okay?" Bid''s voice made the whole table look at Necro, tears flowing from her widened eyes.


    "Nec?" Ace asked. Only to see Necro turn towards her, emotionless. "Oi, Necro?!" In a second, she hopped off of the table, running out the door of the tavern, and leaving the four dumbstruck, staring at each other in silence.


    "What happened?" Mary asked.


    "I don''t know." Bid answered.


    "What a crazy girl, that was." A voice called their attention to the table behind them.


    "Crazy right. Anyway, good thing they got rid of them. I wonder who''ll succeed The Impaler."


    "..." Ace''s eyes widened as she heard the conversation.


    "Ace... that."


    "I gotta go after her."


    "Yeah, go. We''ll wait for you here."


    "Ok." She stood up. Walking out of the tavern too. ''Nec... I hope you don''t do anything stupid...''


    ''No! No! No! It can''t be!'' Tears flowed from her eyes uncontrollably. ''It can''t have happened'' She turned a corner after the next building. Rain began pouring heavily, covering up the noises of the people walking the street. ''It can''t be... It must be a lie.'' Her body felt heavy under the soaked clothes. She made another turn, this time into a small alley, not that far from where she was before. Only a small amount of light bleeded from the street into the dead-end alley. And the girl hid herself in the corner, shrinking in fear and angst. ''It can''t be. They did it again. They did it. They killed him. It''s all their fault. I hate them.'' And her disbelief turned into dismay, then into hatred. ''It''s all their fault. I hate them. I''ll kill them. I''ll make them pay. I''ll make them suffer. I''ll take them all to hell. I''ll make them feel hell. I''ll kill every last one of them.'' Something snapped inside her. She could no longer think. Something burst forth, a hatred she''d never experienced before. ''I''ll make them suffer.''


    "Hey little girl, don''t you wanna have some fun with us?" And completely unrelated to all of that, two man appeared at the beginning of the alley. "Don''t be shy. We''ll make you feel real good~... Hehehehehe..." Having followed her all the way from the tavern, the two seemed to have hit a jackpot. For such an easy pray to corner itself so far from anyone who could help her... The men walked into the alley, moving closer and closer to Necro, who rocked herself back and forth in the very end of it. "Come play with us... HIEE~" Something stared back at him as he touched the shoulder of the thing in the end of the alley. And that thing was not human.


    "Necro!" Ace yelled as she left the tavern, heavy rain poured down, drenching her. ''Where could she have gone?'' She asked herself as she looked in all directions, in the hopes of seeing a glimpse of her. "Necro!" She yelled again, walking to the middle of the street.


    "If you''re lookig for your friend, she went that way. But you better hurry, some weird guys followed her." A voice spoke from her back, a man stood near the entrance of the tavern.


    "Thank you." She thanked him, running off in that direction.


    "Just be careful not to share the same end as her..." He muttered to himself, resting his chin against his chest as he relaxed again against the wall of the tavern, sheltered from the rain by the overhang of the roof.


    "Necro..." Ace muttered to herself. "I hope you''re ok..." She ran, her feet splashing the small puddles between the cobblestone tiles. ''Where did you go... Necro...'' She made a turn where the man had pointed to, but she was still nowhere to be seen... "Where did you go?!" She asked aloud, cursing the heavens for her having heard that conversation. "NECRO!" She yelled again, to no avail, the rain not giving her any mercy nor any sign of stopping. "Where did you get yourself into..." She asked, as she looked at the uncountable dark alleys around the street she was now into. The slums. They began here... It was impossible to know where she could have gone...


    "GHYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"


    "Necro!" A horrifying scream, enough to make her hairs stand. But it was a man''s voice. A great sign. She had been followed, she was a great magician, she''d be alright. She started running once again, towards the voice she''d heard. Towards a very dark alley.


    "HIEEEE! STAY AWAY FROM ME! NO! NOOOO! HIIIIIIE~ GAAAAAAH" An even more terrifying sound, but a different voice from before. ''What could that be?'' she thought, running amidst the night, into the dark alley.


    "Holy fucking God..." She muttered, seeing the bloody remains of a man, rested against the wall of the building to the side, on the part of the alley some energy managed to make its way through. Blood painted the walls and the ground around him, splashed in a strange pattern. Ace put her hands in front of her mouth, in shock. Not even against monsters, she''d never seen such carnage. His head twisted in an odd angle, and his neck missing a large chunk of it.


    But that was not all of it... A rummaging sound made her turn towards the darkness...


    "Ne...cro?" She murmured, seeing something stand up from atop what she thought to be the other person, crimson eyes shining like rubies in the darkness. "Nec..."

 Ch 81 – Double Awakening [End of 1st Arc]

    "Nec..." Ace stared in awe as the being slowly walked towards her. This was Necro, she knew it had to be. The water from the rain washed away all doubts. "What''s going on?" She asked, but nobody responded.


    A lightning, followed by thunder.


    A flash of light, revealing a familiar yet very different face. Crimson eyes, with a slim vertical slit for a pupil. Her white skin looked even more ghostly white, but her lips looked even more red than before, a thin line of blood flowing down the corner of her mouth. But most importantly, two massive fangs now could be seen in her mouth...


    "So it was true after all..." Ace muttered to herself, as the light from the lighting vanished. She closed her eyes for a second. "Are you okay?" She asked, yet, Necro still didn''t respond. Rather, she stopped walking towards her. After a second, something could be seen shining near the corner of her eyes. Tears.


    "Is that so..." Ace said, taking a step towards her. Necro took a step back, trying to stop her from getting closer.


    "A----ce... W-hy..."


    "Because you are my beloved one."


    "R--un..."


    "I refuse."


    After a handful of seconds, Necro''s back hit the wall behind, Ace still taking slow but steady steps towards her...


    "Why..."


    "Because I love you." Ace took a step forward, standing only a couple feet from her. Necro raised her arm. Ace flinched, fear overwhelming her confident facade. She opened back her eyes, as she felt Necro''s fingers caress her face, her long claws only lightly touching her skin.


    "You''re... afraid... of me..."


    "I''m not."


    "Don''t... lie..."


    "I''m not." She took another step forward, awkwardly kissing Necro''s lips. "I''ll be with you... No matter what."


    "Thank... you."


    "Nothing to thank me for." She hugged her.


    Necro''s eyes fell onto Ace''s nape. Something pushing her. He mouth opened, then closed again.


    "You can do it."


    "I... don''t want to... hurt you..."


    "It''s okay. I trust you."


    "Ace..." Necro''s eyes glowed in a different shade of red, a much gentler one, and so did Ace''s. She relaxed herself, strengthening her resolve. ''I need to hold back."


    ''Do it." But Ace''s words pushed her over the edge. Ace winced as Necro''s fangs bore into her nape, a cold feeling taking her over as she felt her very life escape through her neck. ''I entrust myself to you, my love.'' She thought, as she felt her consciousness fade, only for a torrent of mana to burst through her soul. It was like before, but more powerful. Her soul felt like it was burning as something seeped into her through the wounds on her neck. "Aaahh~" a captivating moan of pleasure leaked from her lips as she held tightly around Necro''s waist, her hands supporting her back and neck. Her whole body felt like it was on fire, she could feel her own mana surge like a magic circle going out of control. Something was changing inside her. Another self was now taking over. But it didn''t feel strange or uncomfortable. Instead, it felt cozy and warm. She knew who that other self was. It was her. A will to do something unthinkable took her over. Her body began moving on its own, her mouth moving itself towards Necro''s neck.


    ''What am I doing? What''s going on? Why am I doing this?''


    ''I allow it.'' A permission came through her mind. A voice of a man, but she knew who it was. It was also her. She felt a rusty flavor invade her tongue. Before she noticed, her canines had grown into Necro''s nape.


    *THUMP*


    Her heart beat stronger than ever before. Power surged once again though her body, but not her own, yet, still hers. A power unparalleled and far beyond human understanding, one leagues above that of which she''d even felt from Necro. ''What is this? What''s going on?'' Yet, somehow, she knew. She''d been granted something.


    "Fuaaah~!" Necro let go of her neck, breathing heavily. "Thank you for bringing me back... I don''t know what would''ve happened without you..."


    "I... I''m the one who has to thank you... I was so afraid. So worried I had lost you." The two held each other''s face, their fronts touching. "But now I know... I remember everything."


    "What are you talking about?"


    "I can''t say for sure for now, It''s still hazy... But I''ve known you for a long time."


    "Is that so..."


    "Nec... Why did you marry me?"


    "Eh?!"


    "You let me drink your blood, didn''t you?"


    "I think I did... Wait! That makes you my..."


    "I''m so happy..." Ace kissed her mouth that had now gone back to normal. There were still fangs, but not as large as the ones before.


    "Wait, you''re not angry? I turned you into a vamp¡ª"


    "It''s okay. I understood it from the moment I got close to you... Rather, this is the best outcome."


    "Then why?"


    "Haven''t I told you already? Because I love you. I really, really love you."


    "Thanks... I''ll match your feelings." Necro smiled, despite everything that happened today, she was genuinely happy now...


    "But why didn''t you tell me before? That you were a vampire..."


    "Because... I didn''t know I was one..."


    "How come...?"


    "Nobody said anything about it... I had a hunch but I had never had anything to tell me I was one such thing..."


    "I see... you awakened today..."


    "Awakened? Do you know anything about this?" ''I remember something about this from when I was studying as Soleir... but I don''t recall it...''


    "I do... Vampires, no, not any vampire... Purebred Noble-born Vampires... they don''t have powers ever since they are born... They need an event to trigger the release of their powers."


    "So..."


    "Yes... Today, you awakened as a vampire."


    "Sorry for taking you down this path."


    "Sorry? Are you crazy? Do you realize how much mana I have flowing though myself right now? That''s way beyond anything I could''ve ever imagined even in my wildest dreams. Instead, thank you..."


    "Thank you too..."


    "Guess this means we''re together forever from now on, right... Immortal..."


    "Yeah... Feels strange to know that..."


    DarkGodEM

 Ch 82 – Water Heating

    *Thump*


    The door to the tavern opened with a loud thump. At the door, two hooded figures, drenched in water, stood, eerily, glancing at a table with a lowered head.


    Mary shivered, an instinctive fear rushing through her spine as she felt their gaze pierce through her. Her hand went straight to her sword, before turning towards the figures... and recognizing the details of one of their dresses.


    "Huh! Ace, Necro?! What the hell happened?" She stood up in a hurry, her armor clanking at the sudden movements. "I''ll take them to the inn. You guys stay here. If we don''t come back, get yourselves a room and take the bill from our share."


    With Bid and Hal''s strained nod. Mary quickly walked towards the figures, a strange fear growing further in her. There was something different, something odd. She didn''t know what, but it made her feel a genuine terror. ''I''m her knight. I''m by her side. No matter what happened, she''ll take me with her and we''ll be fine. Yes, I need to trust her, not my instincts.'' Mary persuaded herself as she made her way to the door, widened eyes staring at the three from the whole tavern. Oddly enough, none of them carried fear. She was the only one feeling this sense of oddity...


    Which soon turned into awe as she reached the two and put a hand on Necro''s shoulder.


    "Are you o¡ª" She froze mid sentence, as Necro looked up into her eyes for a second. Her hairs stood on end, her muscles tensed up as if screaming for her to run. This fear... She knew about it, she never felt it before though. "We gotta go, now. You two, keep looking down." She warned the two softly, while putting herself in front of the pair, leading their way across the street and over to the building next to the Adventurers'' Guild.


    "Mara, they ain''t feeling well. Can I get the keys to our room?'' Mary asked the human at the desk. Mara was a frightful girl, young but not so much as to find it strange to have her as an Inn-keeper.


    "Mary... Is everything okay? These people look..." She stopped for a second, staring softly at the two girls behind the paladin. Her eyes wandered down to see two pairs of feminine feet, and a glimpse of a damp bluish hair, "Wait! They''re too wet, you''re gonna get ill!"


    "It''s fine, we''ll change in the room."


    "No can''t do! The bath is cold... but nobody used it yet today. Just go and use it before they fall ill."


    "A bath? Thanks! Didn''t know this inn had one."


    "Oh, It was built recently. We bought the house behind."


    "I see... We''ll be going then." Mary walked past the desk into the direction she pointed, carrying the key to the room. Ace and Necro followed suit but something else happened, unbeknownst to Mary.


    As she passed, Necro looked up, trying to see the face of the innkeeper. The girl gasped in awe silently, as a pair of blood-red eyes stared deep into hers... a rose glint flashing over her hickory eyes, before vanishing as if it''d never happened, leaving the girl staring at the two as they passed by.


    The bath, if you could call it, was just a wooden basin filled with water. It could easily fit one, maybe two, if small, comfortably. But for those three... It''d be pretty cramped.


    *plaf* *plaf*


    Two extremely wet rags fell to the ground. Necro''s fake peasant dress, and Ace''s similar one... way different than her usual clothes that lay underneath it.


    "What the heck happened? You girls are completely wet, it wasn''t even raining that hard when I left now, what the fuck happened."


    "We got wet." Ace responded coldly.


    "That I can see, but where did all the water come?"


    "The sky."


    While the two wet girls undressed themselves, the paladin was still struggling to remove her armor, looking towards the shelves while she dried the removed pieces of armor, slightly wet from the rain.


    "Are you fuckin¡ª Wha¡ª What the fuck!?" Mary froze after turning towards the two, a shiver running down her spine as her hair stood on end. "What... is going on?" She muttered in awe and horror, as two pairs of eyes stared at her. A dark slit ran through the center of both of the two¡¯s eyes, their pupils shaped like those of an animal. And beyond that, Ace''s blue eyes were drowning from the edges in a red color that seemed to take over most of her irises. Necro''s looked about the same as before, but now completely red. The purple hue was nowhere to be seen.


    And more... a pair of fangs could be seen sliding between their lips... ''What is happening here? Is this a joke?''


    *Badump*


    Mary''s heart skipped a bit as their eyes stabbed onto her very soul. It was almost as if she could see a dark red aura around the two...


    While she pondered, frozen in shock and awe, the two finished undressing themselves, and Necro put a single hand into the water, swirling it.


    What followed made Mary widen her eyes. More so, Ace, who until now had an equally dark and cold face, returned to her normal self, her eyes and mouth wide, as the water began to steam. The surprising thing was, not a single magic circle had been seen.


    While taking off the remainder of her underwear and twirling it on her finger, Necro turned, "Are you just gonna stare or you intend on joining us?" Her teasing smile made Mary''s heart waver, relaxing from the ungodly pressure she''d been feeling from the two until now. ''I guess everything''s fine...'' she thought, before untying her trousers.


    DarkGodEM

 Ch 83 – I was the enemy

    "Haaah~" Ace moaned as she got into the warm water of the bath. "This feels amazing..."


    "I... kinda needed it too." Necro spoke softly, only enough for Ace to hear.


    "Today was tough on you... Wasn''t it."


    "Yeah..."


    While the bath was large enough for the two particularly small girls to bath without touching, and both had sat on opposite sides of it, Ace was slowly drifting around the bath, inching closer to Necro.


    "Huh?" Necro looked down, as she felt something touching her hand. "Oh... You''ve come... Sorry I didn''t pay attention to you."


    "It''s okay honey." Ace sat right next to Necro, resting her head on her shoulder, while caressing Necro''s thigh with her hand."


    "Afuu~." Necro breathed in and let go a long sigh, hugging Ace''s shoulder and bringing her closer. "Thanks for being there for me."


    "Now..." Mary slowly walked, naked, towards the bath. She had a slightly annoyed face from the two''s cuddliness but... she knew something major was up. "You two... just what happened...?" she asked, anxious.


    "Just hop in first. We can talk from there."


    "O-Okay..." Frightful for the first time in forever, Mary slowly walked the rest of the way to the bath, her hands trembling. She steeled her resolve, as she turned around and climbed into the bath, slowly submerging her naked body on the water, her floaters still floating... "I''m in... What happened?"


    "A lot of things... Where do we begin?" Necro thought out loud, but a devilish voice said something in her stead.


    "We got married."


    "What!?" Mary''s eyes widened as she heard such inconspicuous words coming out of Ace''s mouth. "The hell do you mean with married?!"


    "Ace, don''t tease her too much. Let''s start from the beginning."


    "Tehee~. Okay, okay."


    "Hahh~" Mary sighed. "So it was just teasing..."


    "Ah, no. I didn''t say that. She didn''t lie. But I have to tell you the whole story."


    "Wait, what?!" Mary sunk into the water all the way to her nose, her fists clenched. ''She stole a march on me again, that bitch!''


    "Now, shall I begin?"


    "Are you really gonna tell her everything? She could betray us." Ace spoke, with such coldness and lack of emotion a shiver went down Mary''s spine, making her come up from the water and move towards Necro, opposite of Ace.


    "Yes." Necro said, smirking. "After all, I can trust my knight."


    Mary blushed, as Necro''s hand made its way around and over her waist, pulling her the rest of the way towards her. A sense of security made her relax, despite the clear hostility from Ace.


    "Now... Mary, this is something Ace already knows but I haven''t told you yet¡ª"


    "You don''t intend to tell her about¡ª"


    "I do. If she wants to stay with us from now on she must know. Things have changed."


    "What are you guys..."


    "Mary,"


    "Yes!"


    "Are you sure you want to be my knight? From now on, there''s absolutely no way back. After I tell you what I will... I cannot let you go away."


    Mary gulped. This was both a proof of trust, and a grave threat. She could feel Ace''s eyes on her. ''She wants to get rid of a rival...'' she thought, before her gaze met Necro''s. In her''s, Mary saw something she didn''t expect... ''What... is this...'' Her eyes widened, her mouth going agape, ''What could this monster fear?!'' she gulped one more time. "I... made a vow. I''ll remain by thee." And in response to her words, Necro let off a sigh of relief.


    "Thank God... So, first things first. This is not my first life."


    "I see¡ªWAIT, WHAT?! What do you even mean with that!?"


    "Mary! Calm down!" Ace spoke coldly. The instinctual fear calming Mary down.


    "S-sorry..."


    "It''s fine. This girl had a similar reaction."


    "Hey!" Ace protested, only to bite her lip in an inebriated expression.


    ''...Grab her by the... nevermind'' A weird thought crossed Mary''s mind, but she brushed it aside. "What do you mean not your first life?" The cogs slowly began turning inside Mary''s head, her complexion turning paler and paler, as she heard the story of a man she didn''t know personally,  but knew very well...


    "I''m... I''m sorry! I''m sorry! I''m sorry!" Mary began sobbing uncontrollably apologizing to Necro about something.


    "What happened?" Ace asked, thinking Necro had something to do with it.


    "I don''t know..." Necro whispered. "Mary, what are you apologizing for?"


    "My master... I... I was in that expedition." As soon as Mary said those words, the atmosphere changed. A dark miasma covered the entire room, the water growing turbid as dark dendrites grew from the walls toward Mary.


    "Gha¡ªNe..cro... calm... down..." Ace struggled to speak, an insurmountable pressure crushing her chest.


    "Oh, shit! sorry." And with those words, almost as if it was but a dream, it all went back to normal. "Mary..." contrary to her expectations, Mary wasn''t even frightened or in shock, like Ace was... She... had accepted her fate. ''I... can trust this woman.''


    "Huh... why?" Mary asked, in awe.


    "I promised you, remember? It won''t ever happen again."


    "Thank you, thank you!" Mary rose, leaning down on Necro''s chest as she cried. Necro combing her hair with her fingers, while kissing her head.


    "What did you do back then?"


    "I was just a page..."


    "Then you did nothing wrong."


    "But... I was on the other side!"


    "None of that matters, you''re by me now."


    "Thank you! Thank you so much..."


    ''What''s with that crap?!'' Ace just sat there, by the two''s side, her hand on Necro''s thigh, and Necro''s in between hers. ''What the hell is happening here?'' watching in awe wide eyed, as somehow Mary became even closer to Necro... by saying she was the enemy.

 Ch 84 – Cumming Clean [16+]

    "But... Nec..."


    "Yeah?"


    "If you were that person... How can you be this you?"


    "That... is a great question."


    "Huh?"


    "You see... I wasn''t supposed to be."


    ''This story is getting more interesting by the second...'' Ace thought, recollecting the conversation of mere minutes ago. While she appreciated that she was the first of the two to know about it, the lengths she knew were... limited. Rather, all she knew was that Necro was in fact a second coming of another person. Nothing more, nothing less... And this was a minute long conversation after she got turned... ''What does this mean?'' she thought to herself, realizing another thing. ''Does she intend to turn her too?'' she thought, biding herself in envy.


    "I tried to use a very advanced magic to evolve from being a human... but it failed... to some extent, that is."


    "How can that be? Magic doesn''t fail half-way. It either works or it doesn''t." Ace interjected, interrupting the flow. In the meantime, while Necro looked up to think about the answer, two knobs tickled her chest as Mary rose up, kissing her cheek, before sitting back on her side.


    "I thought it had... but..." Necro lifted her hand above the water, looking at her pale skin as she turned it in front of her eyes. "it seems it just took me a while to realize it."


    "Huh?" Ace was further confused. What did she mean?


    "You see... I thought it had failed, and reincarnated me as a person... But this body is undoubtedly that of a vampire."


    "I don''t get it... What does that have to do with your magic failing or succeeding?"


    "Vampires are also undead."


    "... Are they?" Ace was not convinced, but a voice she didn''t expect to hear confirmed it.


    "They are. Holy magic is very effective against vampires." Mary confirmed Necro''s words, making it clear she wasn''t lying.


    "I didn''t know..." Ace murmured, acknowledging her shortcomings... "But if you are so powerful and, even more so, a reincarnated undead, why the hell did you need us to fight that wolf?!"


    "That... I... I don''t really know. Rather, I''m not the same person I used to be."


    "Huh?"


    "See... I have some memories of my time as Soleir... But I''m not him."


    "What do you mean?"


    "I''m Necro. I was always Necro. I just remember the memories of that guy Soleir, some of them, that is."


    "So... you mean?"


    "I... was too scared to cast magic... It was my first time fighting, you know?"


    "Haaah~... So that''s what you mean... Guess you''re still human after all."


    "Oi! Ace! What did you think I was?"


    "An otherworldly monster capable of destroying the very foundations of this world."


    "Stop it! You''re hurting my feelings!"


    "Hehehe... Sorry, I''ll stop teasing you... But why are you telling us this?" Ace asked. Oddly, Mary was just hearing this conversation without saying a word. Necro didn''t mind this though, since she trusted her.


    "Well... long story short, I wanted to come clean with you two..." Necro said, looking down. Ace was confused as to why Necro looked so sad, but her next words painted a clear picture. "I''ve been hiding all this from you... I lied to you, and cheated on you..."


    Ace struggled to find words to answer, but Mary didn''t have to think twice. But instead of words, she answered with a kiss.


    Necro cried, as Mary''s hands caressed her face, their bodies intermingling underwater.


    "None of that matters. We love you, more than anything. And I, even more than Ace, owe you my life." Mary spoke, smiling wholeheartedly, her eyes turning a clear shade of red.


    "Then... I need to match your feelings." Necro bit her lip, her blood dripping into her own mouth, before kissing Mary.


    *THUMP¡ª*


    Mary''s heart stopped.


    She held her chest in pain and terror, but Necro''s grip stopped her from leaving the kiss.


    *Thump*


    She felt her heart beat just once, before a feeling she''d never felt before invaded her body through her tongue.


    Mana.


    Her mind went blank, as her body felt lighter than a feather, and completely powerless... and she passed out.


    "What... did you do to her?" Ace asked, trembling, as Necro''s presence increased for a second.


    "The same thing I did to you, but a little different."


    "... You turned her?"


    "Not quite. She''s still a human."


    "... What then?"


    "I made a contract with her."


    "Huh?"


    "You see... There''s one thing few people know about vampires. They are not simple monsters."


    "Not monsters?" Ace asked, confused.


    "Yeah..." Necro stood up, Mary''s sleeping body in her arms. She left the bath, laying Mary on a towel, before hopping back in. "See... the vampires stem directly from something as old as the world."


    "You don''t mean..."


    "Yes. Vampires are the children of the night-bringer."


    "Are they really¡ª"


    "Shhhh!" Necro made her way through the water, her index finger over Ace''s lips. "The walls... they have ears."


    She moved her hand down, sliding it over the valley of Ace''s bosom and down her navel, making her shiver. As her hand slowly approached Ace''s groin, Necro snapped the fingers of her other hand, sending a visible wave through the air around them.


    "Wha¡ª"


    "A small sound barrier, so that the walls can''t hear us speak."


    "How can you cast magic without circles?!"


    "Oh, didn''t I tell you? Demons don''t need to externalize circles to create magic." reaching lower in between Ace''s legs Necro stared deep into her eyes, as a moist moan left her lips. A pair of magic circles appearing on her pupils, and sending waves of pleasure through Ace''s body. "See?"


    "Hyaumm~ Yeshhh! I¡ªI Shee, I shee... AAAAAHHH~!"


    "Haah, Haah, Haah."


    "It seems my magic control has improved amazingly... And I remember a lot more about using magic... I need to explore this stuff later." Necro muttered to herself, looking at her fingers, while Ace catched her breath after cumming almost instantly.


    "Nee~cky..." A cheeky voice called her back to reality. Ace''s voice.


    ''How did she recover this¡ª'' Necro raised her head in a hurry, only to see a pair of glowing red eyes staring into her soul.


    "It''s my turn now."


    DarkGodEM

 Ch 85 – Doggo Girl?!

    "Ace?" Necro''s eyes widened. Ace''s appearance had changed dramatically. Not only that, her aura was different. Her presence had grown.  "Are you okay?" she asked, seeing a broad grin grow on Ace''s face.


    "I''ll return the favor?" She smirked, her fangs glowing in the faint light of the bath room.


    "Ace? You''re scaring me," Necro said, sitting down into the water, as the berserk demon walked up to her.


    "Don''t sweat it. I''m just gonna make you feel real goo~d..." Ace leaned down, pinning Necro against the wall of the bath.


    "Ace! Haah~" she moaned, as the girl''s tongue slid down her neck. Necro''s head was spinning, her body burning in an odd passion.


    Ace smirked, pulling herself away from Necro for a second, and sliding her leg in between hers.


    "Did you like it that much?" she asked, half jokingly. Her eyes glowed red, enough they seemed to be emitting their own light, and in their pupils, the same two magic circles glowed, albeit more faintly than they had in Necro''s.


    "I¡ªHaah~¡ªHate when you do me like this"


    "Eh... Why is that so?" Ace shot back, licking her lips as she watched Necro''s face distort in pleasure, her fingers smoothly riding over her clit.


    "Because¡ª" With a loud splash, Necro turned the tables, pushing Ace down while she pressed her lips against Ace''s. "You''re mine, not the other way around," she smirked.


    "Hmmm~!" Ace let out a muffled protest, mixed in with a moan, as Necro''s fingers slithered their way up the inside of her thighs, and into her. "HHHHMMM!"


    "What is it?" Necro asked, backing off a little bit.


    "I couldn''t fucking breathe!" Ace yelled, rising a bit and pulling Necro''s body down, making her sit on her lap. "Wanna take this somewhere else? My fingers are starting to get wrinkled."


    "Oh... right..." Necro kissed her lips, softly this time, before rising up above the water. Ace''s mouth opened in awe and lust, as she watched Necro''s figure slowly rise, the waterline slowly licking over the surface of her body, down her shoulders, breasts, waist; slowly unveiling the silky white skin, once hidden by the almost magical distortion of light brought up by the run of the mill bathwater. Necro turned to the side, showing the entranced Ace the side of her contours, and her beautiful figure from another angle, "Are you not coming?"


    "Ah... sorry. I had my attention elsewhere for a second." Ace shook her head, bringing herself back from the lands of her own desire, before also rising from the water in a hurry.


    Necro smirked, realizing what had just happened, her confidence in her own body rising by another notch, just from Ace''s lovely reaction. "Oh, what do we do with Mary?" She asked, realizing they had forgotten something major. The girl laid down sleeping on the edge of the room.


    "Don''t worry about it. Can you take her armor and stuff though? I can handle carrying her."


    "Okay, I''ll check that t¡ª" Necro froze in place. Leaving the room through the wooden door, the sight she had at the dressing room was... amusing to say the least. ''This girl...'' Necro thought to herself, as she stared at the widened hickory eyes in front of her. Her hair was a little bit under her shoulder, a very beautiful wavy caramel that was a sight for sore eyes. Her face was soft like that of a child, but her complexion made it clear that she was much older than that; maybe around her age even. But long story short, this girl was semi-naked.


    "Is something wrong?" Ace''s voice sounded from behind her, as she slowly made her way out of the water, after checking Mary.


    "Yes, it''s all good. I just thought of something. I''ll be right there, take this," The girl flinched in fear as Necro''s hand passed inches from her face, grabbing a pair of towels and throwing them over at Ace. "I''ll bring both of you''s clothes."


    "Oke~!"


    With Ace taken care of, Necro closed the door behind her, pushing her body closer from the girl, who was sat on the floor, her legs still wide as her juices slowly dripped onto the wood below. It was clear what she had been doing.


    "Were you eavesdropping?" Necro asked softly, staring into her eyes from a tiny distance. Her eyes flashing in a menacing red, while the girl''s glowed in a pinkish hue Necro was completely unaware of.


    "Y¡ªyes. I''m sorry. You were too b¡ªhmmm~!" The girl moaned and rolled her eyes, as Necro''s tongue invaded her mouth, while her fingers scooped her dripping fluids back into her.


    "Don''t make any noise. You want her to know you''re here?" Necro asked, releasing the girls lips, while she still breathed ragged from Necro''s fingers inside her.


    "Sowwy~!" the girl apologized, looking up to Necro with eyes like those of a puppy, fearing reprimand while still yearning for its master''s touch.


    ''Odd...'' Necro thought to herself, realizing something didn''t quite feel right. This girl... she didn''t feel human.


    "Hmmmp~!" the girl moaned in pleasure as Necro once again shut her mouth and thrusted her hand in her. But this time, there was a different purpose. Trace amounts of Necro''s mana merged with the girl''s, giving Necro a clear picture of her Mana flow. ''There it is.'' Figuring the source of the oddity, Necro broke through the transformation magic, her hand reaching towards the ribbon on the girl''s hair, slightly above her head. "No~! Not there! If you touch that place I will¡ª" Necro''s heart began throbbing. The girl''s body contorted as Necro pulled on the ribbon. Necro was not sure whether it was caused by the ribbon-pulling itself, or what she was doing to the girl''s body, but either sufficed. Necro smiled inwardly knowing she''d dominated the eavesdropper so easily, but a sense of wariness washed that feeling away in a second.


    FUR!


    Necro started feeling a soft fur touching her thighs. ''What the fuck?! An animal-kin?!'' She thought to herself, thinking weirdly along the lines of the girl hiding... but it was weirder. Necro flinched as she pulled her hand out of what was clearly not a human girl. ''What the fuck?!'' she thought to herself, backing away, as she realized this was not a person.


    "What the fuck is a fox doing here?!" She voiced out loud, as she looked at what used to be the girl''s face, that was now a full fledged... no... this wasn''t even a fox. It was a caramel brown like that of a hunting dog, with the slender appearance and head of a fox, but the build of a wolf. ''The heck have I gotten myself into?'' Necro thought to herself, thinking of what was next, before the door behind her opened.


    "The heck are you¡ªIs that a dog?!"


    DarkGodEM

 Ch 86 – Beware of Doggo’s Father

    "A¡ªAce?!"


    "Necro! What the hell is happening here? Why''s there a dog here?"


    "Ummm... when I came here it was already here, It seemed to be in trouble so I helped it and put it to sleep..."


    "... Did you really?"


    "Y¡ªyeah..."


    "God dammit! Fine! Now, get the stuff and help me dress Mary up. Bring the dog upstairs too."


    "Huh?"


    "Didn''t you help it? Tomorrow we check with the inn people if they know whose it is and, if not, we can use a tracker to get ourselves into the woods safely."


    "Oh... I see..." Necro brooded this conversation over, glancing at the sleeping canine on the ground as she thought of what would happen when she woke up... After all... she recognized those eyes. This dog was the innkeeper!


    ''Think of it... she was dressed before turning into a dog... Her clothes¡ªnowhere...'' Necro blinked a couple times, trying to keep herself together on this weird turn of events, before turning onto the wall and storing all their items, except for basic clothing... Dry basic clothing.


    "Oi... Necro... What do you think you''re doing? We can''t just walk up to our room naked."


    "Huh? Why not?"


    "Eh~to..." Ace fiddled with her fingers, her thighs sliding over each other in embarrassment, "I don''t want anyone else to see me, just you."


    "Oh, really? What about Mary, then?"


    "I''ve already told you she doesn''t count, okay!" Ace raised her tone, irritated.


    "Hai, hai. Chill. But go on a towel, we don''t have dry clothes that people can see."


    "Oh... right... but why not use magic do dry and clea¡ª"


    "I said, we don''t have dry clothes."


    "Hiiie¡ª" Ace shrieked, trembling at the pressure on Necro''s voice. ''Why is she making me do this?'' she thought. Whereas in Necro''s mind, this was but a bit of teasing. After all, If the innkeeper was... free enough to be in the dressing room masturbating, there''s probably not many customers.


    The two walked back into the bathing room, dressing Mary up with the minimum amount of clothing. After all, they''d strip her when she woke up anyways. Wrapped in a large towel, that kinda pricked her skin from not being the best quality, Ace crouched, pulling Mary''s body over her shoulder in one swift motion.


    "Eh..." Necro watched in awe, realizing Ace''s strength had grown incredibly. "Since when could you carry her like this?" she asked, tilting her head.


    "Huh? Since tonight, of course. Did you not realize your physical strength changed?"


    "... Did it?"


    "God... how clueless can you be?" Ace rolled her eyes, standing up while carrying Mary over her shoulder like a bag of potatoes.


    Necro watched in silence as she slowly made her way through the room, and into the anteroom where the dog was laid. ''What will she think if she knows...'' Necro once again brooded over the dog thing. ''Now that I think of it... didn''t Mary know the innkeeper? Did she know of this?''


    "Necro? Aren''t you coming? You don''t know where our room is."


    "Ah... Yeah! I''m coming!" Necro rushed behind her, walking into the anteroom and leaning down to check on the girl¡ªnow dog. Since she was quite large, Necro carried it in front of her, like in a princess carry. "Where is the room then?" She didn''t stop a second to realize she was carrying the human sized dog without any effort whatsoever.


    "Like heck do I know. We have the key but it says nothing either... I''ll go to the front deck and ask the innkeeper."


    "I... see." Necro responded calmly, while internally panicking. What would she do if the innkeeper was asleep in her a¡ª ''She woke up?!'' Necro panicked, seeing the dog slowly roll its head towards her, opening it''s eyes slowly. She blushed, as the dog''s eyes widened in shock. But contrary to what she expected, the dog didn''t jump or anything, instead cuddling its head on her shoulder.


    "Let her go to the front. Dad''s already there taking care of everything since it''s me offtime now." A sweet voice resounded in her ear very softly... but it didn''t seem to be coming from the dog. Rather, it sounded like it was coming from all around her. "DON''T GO AFTER HER! He''ll kill you if you go there carrying me like this." Necro froze on the spot, more not wanting to be in a fight than being afraid of the guy, after all, a mere human couldn''t¡ªwait... the dog wasn''t a human. What the heck was the dog''s father?! Such thoughts crossed her head like a storm.


    "You not coming?" Ace asked, walking out through the hall.


    "No... I''ll go upstairs and wait for you in the hall. I don''t want to cause a fuss for having a dog in here."


    "Oh, I see. I''ll be right there then." Turning her head away while speaking, Ace rushed towards the front desk. Despite carrying Mary, she didn''t even look inconvenienced by her weight at all. And despite her being quite slender, Mary was tall and fairly strong, her muscles weighing in a fair bit.


    ''Now that I think of it...'' she looked down for a second. "Are you okay? You feel very light for your size..." She muttered to the dog, while walking towards the stairs.


    "W¡ªWhat!? I weigh exactly what I should! I''m very fit and proud of my body, ok?!" Again, the sweet voice ringed into her eardrums, but this time, way more energetic.


    "Sorry, sorry! I didn''t mean it like that... it''s just you feel very easy to carry, that''s all."


    "Hmpf! It''s just that you are too strong and powerful and¡ªWwawawawa~! What the heck am I saying!? Oh my, I must be going crazy, I''m so red. Oh my."

 End of Hiatus and Patreon Recompensation Announcement

    As you all may know, I was completely unable to write for the last few months. As such all updates were halted both here and on Patreon.


    First and foremost, I come to apologize to my patrons, who stayed and paid without updates for a while, including this month. As a way to compensate those and try to stay fair, I have paused billing for the month of September. This means all of my patrons will not be charged on September 1st, regardless of tier and date of ingress. If you want to contribute for this novel, I recommend taking it now, since all new patrons for the month of august will not be charged at the beginning of next month. Second, I''d like to thank those who look forward for the next update, regardless of contribution, as creation is also a process of love for the writing.


    As for chapter updates, I am slowly getting used to the rhythm of this semester and organizing my times, but you can expect chapters at least biweekly. I will, however, do my best to get more chapters out, as, in the end of the day, writing and editing novels is my job.


    I am also introducing discounts for my patrons who request my editing services for their stories, both for proofreading, story and line editing and so on, since I am better at that than even writing, or so experience has been telling. I remind you that I am open to writing on demand for side-chapters and fanfics of works of mine and others.


    I wish you all the best and hope you keep on enjoying my novels.

 Ch 87 – Moonlit Spirits

    // Aye! This is the first POV change in this entire novel so far. There will be at least one more chapter on this new POV, before turning back to our usual schedule, so please, enjoy.


    ''Red? Does she mean blushing?'' Necro thought, confused by the statement. ''Hold on, this voice doesn''t sound like it did a second ago...''


    "You know dogs don''t¡ªHuh!? Since when did you come back to being a human?!"


    "...Don''t you like me this way? You zoophile freak." The cute girl in light-brown hair bit her lip as she smirked at Necro, her eyes flashing in a pinkish hue.


    "Huh?! No! I''m not that kind of... Forget it! It''s just if Ace sees you like this with me she''s gonna¡ª" Necro was silenced by a kiss. Because she was that strong, the girl could move freely in her arms without them even flinching, letting her lean up and steal her a kiss, while also shutting her up.


    "Here''s retribution for earlier. It''s fine, I can change forms whenever I want, unless SOMEONE was to disturb the mana flow on my ears by pulling on them and making me turn back~!"


    ''Oh, so that''s what happened...'' Necro thought, realizing she''d done something horrible. Breaking a continuous cast by force was something very unpleasant, probably why the girl passed out and¡ª ''wait, wait, wait! This means...''


    "Oi, kiddo. Are you a magical beast?!"


    "Umm... sorta. I''m a half-breed, between a spiritual fox and a wolf-kin."


    ''Oh... that explains her appearance.'' Necro put 2 and 2 together, understanding the girl''s appearance. However... "Why you pretending to be a human, then?"


    "... Heh... You asked me a tough one."


    "You know... You don''t have to tell me if you don''t wanna..."


    "No.. It''s fine... Is just that people started hunting us for the fur so... It got kinda dangerous and most of us died..."


    "Oh." Necro gasped. "I''d heard of it, but never thought it was actually true."


    "Is fine. Most people don''t even know our people exist..." The girl depressively laid her head upon Necro''s shoulder.


    "..." Necro bit her lip, troubled. Though she knew some sketchy stuff was taking place, she didn''t expect such a thing to be casually thrown at her. "Mara, wasn''t it?" She asked, laying down the girl, who now had a confused look, on the ground.


    "Y¡ªYes. Did someth¡ª" The innkeeper looked at her eyes with those of an abandoned pup, prompting Necro to leak a warm smile, before hugging her casually.


    "No, it''s all good. I just felt like giving you a hug, that''s all" Thinking about a certain person who went through many hardships in the past, Necro bit her lip once more. This time, holding the tears from forming in her eyes. ''I hope you''re okay... How long has it been...?''


    ------------------ [Dark''s Unfathomable POV Change] -----------------------


    ''God, I''m so tired...''


    In the middle of a forest somewhere, a small girl tumbled her way onto bed.


    "Uwaaa~!" She moaned, exasperated, as she finally got around to end her day and plopped herself onto bed.


    "How long has it been...?" she thought to herself, rubbing her ruby-red eyes and looking up to the ceiling. It was not a pretty ceiling, after all, this was just a hut in the middle of the forest. The girl put her hands underneath her head,spreading her silvery hair, before dozing off to sleep...


    "HEY, ANYONE THERE?!"


    Only to be woken up by the sound of someone banging on her door while yelling.


    "What is it now...?" she muttered to herself, raising from bed to open the door, sluggishly. Swaying to the wind for the restlessness, the girl opened the door while yawning, only to be called by a familiar face.


    "Master Ly, he''s down bad, he''s gonna die! We need you!"


    "Uhh... Luzia, wasn''t it? Okay, let me grab my chest. Wait for me outside, will you?"


    "Umm!" The visitor nodded.


    ''Guess the old man''s dying again from that charlatan''s stunts'' she sighed inwardly, walking to the crudely made table and grabbing a decently sized chest.


    *Badumb*


    "Ughh!" Ly grappled her chest, a weird feeling washing over her. ''The hell is this?!'' she thought, as the pain vanished, only to bathe her in a newfound melancholy. ''I haven''t felt this way since...'' Her eyes widened.


    He was out there.


    He was in danger.


    Something was happening to him.


    Yet, there was nothing she could do about it, and she knew it.


    Ly bit her lip, a tear forming under her eyes, but contrary to that feeling, she smiled.


    ''At least I know you''re still out there, my love.'' she thought, bittersweet. After all, this had been the first time in over a decade she had felt the link between them... At least, she now knew he was alive.


    Grabbing her chest, now completely awake, Ly made her way to the door, only to have her hand pulled by the teenage girl.


    "Come. Quick. He needs you!"


    "I know, I know. I''m going." Holding herself from pulling her arm from the girl''s touch, Ly followed her along. To this day, she still flinched at others'' touch... but that man had shown her that not all people were evil.


    "We''re here." the girl exclaimed, as the two reached a rundown house, much larger than Ly''s own. Despite walking rather quickly, it had taken the two almost an hour to get here, under the moonlight.


    "I''ve brought help." After knocking on the door a handful of times, the girl spoke to the person on the other side.


    "Thank God..." A middle aged woman opened the door immediately. Her eyes were red, and tears rolled down her cheeks, dripping from her chin.


    The girl rushing into the house, dragging Ly through the corridors unto a bedroom, not nearly as rundown as the rest of the house.


    "Father!" The girl fell to the ground by the bedside, her eyes wide and her hands covering her mouth.

 Ch 88 – Witchcraft

    ''This is bad...'' Ly thought, as she stared at the man on the bed, slowly turning cyanotic.


    "What happened to him?" she asked the woman behind, ignoring the kid crying on the bedside. The whole room smelled tacky, so it was probably just cleaned from vomit.


    "I¡ªI don''t know... He was all good until morning, then he started feeling sick, and he passed out, and his body got possessed for a second and now he''s like that..."


    "Possessed? Oh, you mean his body started thrashing around?"


    "Yeah! It was so scary! I thought a Demon had possessed him or something..."


    "No.. sometimes the body will do that when it''s freaking out about something. Did he feel sick or anything before?"


    "Not really, no. He said he had a headache and couldn''t breathe right."


    While listening to the woman, Ly got closer to the man on the bed. His heart was beating so slow one could barely even hear it. ''Odd... This looks like...''


    "Oi! Did he eat or drink something strange today or yesterday night?"


    "Not really... The only thing different was the Strength Oil the town''s Doctor told him to take a spoonful."


    "Strength Oil?"


    "Yeah. It was really sweet and smelled like almonds."


    "I s¡ª Bring me that oil here, right now!"


    "O¡ªOkay!" The woman ran out the room at Ly''s order, leaving her and the girl in the room alone.


    "This is bad... This is real bad... Why the fuck would that quack do this?" She muttered out loud, making the girl look up from the ground and stare at her in disbelief.


    Ly opened the small chest she brought with her, rummaging through the contents searching for a small vial. "Found it!"


    After a couple minutes searching, Ly had a very small glass tube on her fingers. It was kind of transparent, but a little brownish in color. But inside, small blood-red crystals could be seen.


    "What is that?!" The girl asked, wide-eyed at the eerie look of the thing the "witch" took out.


    "Sea-Blood Crystals" she started explaining. "These are crystals extracted from creatures of the sea. I have a very small amount of them since I don''t go to the coast that often..."


    "Is that so..." The girl muttered, not so certain. Before she could think any more, the door opened with a loud thud.


    "Here! I brought it!" The woman walked into the room with a small pottery vial.


    "Let me see..." Ly got the vial from the woman, opened it, and took a sniff at its contents. "Yeah... This is almond extract. My hunch was right." she said, before sighing. "He was poisoned by this. I can''t tell you for sure whether it was intentional, but there''s no mistake."


    "You mean... the doctor almost killed him?"


    "I would never call that quack a doctor, but you do you. I''ll give him the medicine now."


    "Thank you!"


    Moving quickly, Ly opened the man''s mouth, moving the vial towards it...


    "No... It''s not gonna be fast enough... He''ll die before it works." she muttered to herself, but unfortunately loud enough for the others to hear.


    "What do you mean?! He''s gonna die?"


    "No, no! Sorry. I thought out loud. It''s just that feeding it to him won''t work.


    "Oh..."


    Calming the woman down, Ly went back to checking her chest. She first grabbed a small round bottom dish, a vial of transparent fluid, and a pair of tiny metal rods.


    The woman hugged her kid, as she saw the witch sprinkle the crystals onto the dish, then drop a couple droplets of the transparent liquid onto the bowl. After a couple minutes of thorough mixing, the fluid in the bowl looked just like blood. Using her mouth, Ly pipetted the bloody mixture into the larger of the rods. It was hollow, and had a tiny slit on the side that would not let any liquids through, but allowed a tiny amount of air. Turning it upside down, she inserted the smallest rod into the opening opposite to where she got the liquid in. There was still a tiny blob of it on the bowl.


    "Are you not taking that last bit?" The woman asked, apprehensive.


    "If I inject air into him, he dies. I''m better off wasting a small bit of the medicine, than running that kind of risk." Ly''s answer made the woman shiver, but also trust her. The woman watched in awe as Ly stabbed the man''s arm, right where the green lines of the blood vessels could be seen. In a second, she emptied the rod, usign the smaller one to ram the contents into his bloodstream.


    "Now, we wait." Setting all things she used aside, and storing the rest of the crystals into her trunk, Ly sat by the bed, waiting.


    "Huh? What about him?" The girl asked, being stared daggers by her mother.


    "No, It''s fine." Ly addressed the mother. "Now that I gave him the medicine, it should take him a few minutes to slowly get better. He''ll wake up in an hour or so. Saying so, Ly crossed her arms, and dozed off to sleep, listening to the two''s conversation.


    "See?! I told you we could trust her, she''s even waiting to see if he gets better before leaving." the girl said.


    "Yes, child, but you know how your uncles are... And they went do get the doctor... I''m afraid it won''t go as smoothly as this..."


    "Like I care! My old man is way more important than what they think!"


    "I know, honey, but you should be prepared."


    "Okay, mom."


    And so, Ly fell asleep to her tiredness... only to be woken up by someone shaking her shoulders shortly thereafter.


    "YOU BROUGHT THE WITCH UPON OUR HOUSE?! ARE YOU INSANE?!" A thunderous voice yelled in the distance.