Simple man with his overpowered army Chapter 46: True Vampire of Genocide

The woman with long blond hair and elegant nobleman clothes said to the person who ca shortly after her awakening "Zil, prepare the invitations to the important people of this age from every realm to join the banquet."

Zil, a female butler who almost always keeps her eyes closed says "As you wish, my lady."

The elegant woman also said "Also, prepare soone who can make my hair neatly tied up like I like it. Do we have anyone like that currently?"

Zil says "That art has been passed down in the Torous bloodline for generations so that won’t be an issue. I’ve already sent soone to notify the current holder of that art to co by shortly."

The elegant woman says "Excellent. Also..."

The elegant woman looks outside the window and says "Make sure that that person will be treated as the honorary sanguine of the banquet."

Zil says "As you wish, my lady. May I know this person’s na?"

The elegant woman replies "For to utter his true na would be disrespectful, so search for a newborn demigod in, what I still presu is still called Thalaraalin."

Zil says "Understood. I’ll handle the matter regarding that person personally. Now if you’ll excuse ."

And with that, Zil the butler leaves the elegant woman’s side.

The elegant woman mutters to herself while looking out the window "Let us hope that this banquet will be much more productive than the last one."

anwhile in the Embershthir household, people have gathered to eat in celebration of the patriarch’s rejuvenation. A mighty feast where all the mbers of the family are invited.

As they are having a jolly good ti, Loyr grabs Lud by the shoulder while holding a drink in his other hand. Loyr raises his cup and says to the whole assembly "Hear hear! While we have gathered here to celebrate my rejuvenation, it was only possible thanks to this young human. As such, I, Loyrktoshthil Embershthir, declare that house Embershthir stands with Elysium and its people! Cheers!"

And with that the whole assembly cheers in unison for their lord’s amusent. There are people who have joy in their faces, especially the four core mbers of the family, but there are people who question the situation a little bit.

Loyr says to Lud "Honestly. Thank you for what you’ve done. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have been able to witness all these smiling faces and... caused much suffering for those dear to . We of the Embershthir household will never forgive the kindness you have shown."

Sarah and Brutus are just eating their fill and arguing over who gets what. Lud looks at them and says to Loyr "While a ruler should always hold the smiles of their people dear, I cannot help but wonder if I made the right choice."

Loyr says "Ah. You an my reservations on continuing these cycles."

Lud drinks a little and says "Yes. Was it not your wish to give up the torch to another generation?"

Loyr drinks so of his own drink and then says "I still haven’t decided fully if this will be my last cycle or not. But even if I do decide to relinquish my position, I have faith that the next generation could take up the mantle in due ti. Granted, I had ti to ponder on the mistake of not preparing for my departure in earlier cycles."

Lud smiles and says "Your son sure looks happy that he doesn’t have to take up the mantle just yet."

Loyr chuckles a little and asks "Is that how you see it? I think that he is just happy that his father is alive."

Lud points out "Do not act like you never wanted to have extra days off. As a ruler of a kingdom, I have learned those days of peace are few and far between."

Loyr chuckles again, takes a sip of his drink and says "I personally find peace in maintaining the household manners."

Lud looks weirdly at Loyr and asks "You are not workaholic, are you?"

Loyr just smiles, takes another sip and stays silent.

After a while of just being in the mont, Loyr says "Co to think of it, Shalaphinar’s long awaited wish was finally realized thanks to your daughter. I would like to personally thank her, but before she left, she didn’t look to be in the mood to talk much."

Lud says "I sensed that too."

Loyr looks at the night sky and says "Sotis, a family does things in a way that is in conflict with one of its mbers. Even so, the family must not break because of differences in philosophy."

Lud says "I know. I’ll talk to her when she is ready to talk."

Lud takes a sip of his drink and Loyr blurts out "So do you want to have Shalaphinar’s hand in marriage?"

The drink in Lud’s mouth bursts out and makes Lud cough a little. Loyr just comnts "You okay, young man?"

Lud gathers himself for a mont and asks "Where did that co from?"

Loyr answers "You an the marriage talk? It was just a question. As the patriarch of a family you have aided with its troubles, it is natural for to offer so form of compensation for your efforts."

Lud says "Still, I think marriage talk is a bit out of the left field."

Loyr repeats Lud’s words "’Out of the left field’ you say? Haven’t heard that one before."

Lud asks "The saying or the rejection?"

Loyr answers "The saying. Oh how easy life would have been for if I never heard rejection."

Lud says "I an... with a man of your stature you never know."

Loyr replies "I can see where you are coming from. I haven’t heard much opposition in this cycle, but I’ve read that I have had so difficult tis when I first beca a patriarch."

Lud asks "What was it like?"

Loyr takes a deep breath, sighs and asks "Oh where do I even begin?"

With that, Lud knew this was going to be a long night, so he drank the rest of his drink and ntally prepared to be a listener for the rest of the night."

anwhile in the abyss, Toki is looking at the tilines more carefully and notices that the tiline is indeed very different from the rest.

Toki mutters "If She is in the tiline I’ve spent ti with, that would explain the very few instances of s not colliding so much here. But if that is the case, how did different tilines appear to make Nesis beco a reality. Mom also has splits of her too in different tilines, following the logic of singular beings, but still, She is in that tiline, and sohow she never existed in the split tilines. How is that possible?"

Maumar appears behind Toki and says "That is a good question indeed."

Toki would be startled a little by Maumar’s sudden visit, but knowing the absurdity of the fact that She is in the picture, she figured Maumar would show up and explain the situation."

Toki asks "So do you know the answer, gramps?"

Maumar answers bluntly "No."

This surprises Toki who repeats Maumar’s answer "No? What do you an ’No’?"

Maumar answers "I don’t know why the splits happen in that tiline if She specifically exist in one of them."

Toki is surprised and mutters "So... even you don’t know the answer, huh."

Maumar replies "No, but I have so theories."

Toki says "Go on."

Maumar continues "There is the matter of four outsiders interfering with the balance of Lutah."

Toki asks "Four? Dad, mom, Mathews and who?"

Maumar answers "Personification of death from another world that ca after the Sword Demon."

Toki asks "How co you never ntioned sothing that grand to ?"

Maumar tilts his head and says "You never asked."

Toki looks at Maumar for a mont, until eventually she sighs and says "Well if sothing as grand as the law of nature from another world appears in the tiline She is in, then I suppose it can kind of make sense."

Maumar says "But it is just a theory, so don’t rely on it so much."

Toki says "While you never really show concern for anything, I’d expect sothing like this to make you investigate more thoroughly."

Maumar says "There is a saying from earth where two of your three parents co from, and I think that it fits the situation quite nicely."

Toki is cautious, but asks "And what is that saying?"

Maumar says "If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it."

Toki stares at Maumar for a mont, until eventually turning around and sighing once again.

Maumar says "I hear that if you sigh too much, it’ll take years off of your life."

Toki replies "I’m literally the embodint of eternity."

Maumar replies back "I almost forgot that you don’t see the world as I do."

Toki is taken aback by this and stays silent.

Maumar notices this, but chooses to ignore Toki’s current mood and says "By the way, She will invite your father and mother to a banquet, so don’t look too much into the future if you want to be a surprise guest."

And with that, Maumar disappears and Toki is left to ponder things on her own.

Toki mutters "How am I supposed to face dad now? I can see that they are holding a quite nice party for what dad did but..."

Toki shakes her head and slaps her cheeks a little. Then she nods and says "Well since this is Her we are dealing with, I have to tread carefully but not show weakness."

Toki then leaves and wakes up Lud in the next morning. Lud is surprised to see Toki so cheery, so he feels a little taken back, but smiles at her effort to reconcile their differences.

When the group is eating breakfast with the Embershthir family, a servant of the family cos and whispers sothing to Loyr.

Loyr asked the servant "Are you serious?" And the servant simply affirms what he told Loyr.

Loyr pondered for a mont, until he said "Apologies. I have sothing to take care of. Please eat well, friends and family."

And with that, Loyr leaves. Lud asks the people at the table "I wonder what that was all about." To which Yush comnted "It is rare to see father leave the table when we are eating."

Toki stayed silent, but Lud could tell that she knew sothing. He asked Toki "Do you know sothing?" To which Toki answered "I have an idea, but I don’t know how it’ll play out."

Flot asks Toki "Please. If it isn’t too much trouble, would you share your thoughts Lady Toki?"

Toki pondered for a mont, but before she could say anything, Loyr ca back to the room and said "I’m sorry, mt dear guest of honor, but there is soone who wishes to et you."

Lud, Sarah and Brutus looked at each other and stopped eating the breakfast midway. They soon rose from their chairs and followed Loyr.

Of course, Lud asked Loyr "Did sothing happen?" To which Loyr answered "A ssenger ca here and wished to see us."

Brutus comnts "By the sound of it, the person sending that ssenger sounds like a big deal to make you look worried."

Loyr answered "That, my dear dragon friend, is an understatent if I ever heard one."

The group followed Loyr to a room, in which sat a ssenger with a tied silver hair dressed in butler’s outfit. She was calmly drinking tea before Loyr said to her "As you wished, I brought the people you were looking for.

The butler took another sip and drank calmly before replying "So it seems. So this is the person my lady wishes to see pronto."

Lud asks "Excuse , are you talking about ?"

The butler says "While I can sense that the one with the eyepatch is much stronger than you, she doesn’t fit the description that my lady gave . Hence, it must be you."

Sarah comnts "So you think I’m weaker than Faust, huh?"

The butler says "Weaker? No. I can sense that you, an amalgam, are far more dangerous than the homunculus you accompany."

Sarah is stunned by what the butler said and asks irritably "What did you just call ?"

Lud puts a hand between Sarah and the butler and asks the woman "I think we should start with the introductions. My na is Faust Ilumnos. The short powerhouse is Sarah Livendig, the dragon is Brutus and the woman with the eyepatch is my child Tokiko Ilumnos."

The butler puts the tea cup to the table, gets up and bows slightly as she introduces herself "Now where are my manners. My na is Zilogos Ka’at and I serve my lady rcy as her personal butler."

Loyr then says "Why don’t we all sit down and..."

But before Loyr could finish, Tifa appeared on the opposite sofa from Zil with her arms crossed and said "So she finally has made a move."

Loyr is surprised and tries to ask "Who on Lutah are..."

But Zil said as she sat back on the sofa "My lady figured that you might show up. How has it been, Lady Zolotifa?"

Loyr is stunned to hear Zil say Tifa’s na, but before he can say anything, Tifa replies to Zil’s query "Well you know... that bastard still won’t shut up about that one thing. But on the bright side, I have finally reunited with my darling."

Zil says as she looks at Lud "By darling, do you an..."

Tifa says "The most unique person here besides is my darling."

Lud comnts "I don’t know if I should be offended or flattered by that."

Tifa replies "Take it as flattery and you live longer."

Zil says in the midst of this "I see. That is indeed high praise from Lady Zolotifa. As expected, you and my lady have the sa interest."

Tifa comnts "That bloodsucker better have a good excuse why I would lend my darling to her."

Sarah says "Faust is not an object!"

Tifa says to Sarah without even looking at her "Shush child. Adults are talking."

Sarah is fuming at this point, but Brutus takes a hold of her while Lud goes and sits next to Tifa. He says "Tifa, so you know the person who sent Zilogos."

Tifa replies "I had my fair share of interactions with her, but even as I tried to use her body as my own, I only felt pain all over all the way in the abyss."

Zil comnts "Lady Zolotifa was so furious that she had hard ti controlling my lady that it beca an annual thing for a couple millenia. Alas, my lady stood victorious as Lady Zolotifa ca personally to admit defeat."

Lud is surprised, but before he can comnt, Tifa says to Zil "This better be the way that you rember it and not the way rcy rembers it or we are going to have a problem."

Zil makes a slight giggle and says "I rely jest. I am well aware that the battle between the two ladies was considered a draw. I rely wished to see your reaction in front of a man you claim as your ’darling’. Please forgive my slight impudence, Lady Zolotifa."

Tifa says "I forgive you this ti, but if I hear you spitting lies again, I’ll resu that battle with that bloodsucker and win even if it kills ."

Zil says "Oh my. I better tread carefully in the future so that I don’t cause my lady unnecessary troubles."

Tifa then asks "So why does rcy want to see darling?"

Zil replies "I must apologize, but she did not tell the details of her plans. All I know is that she wants to et Lord Faust before the banquet begins."

Tifa says "While I wish to darling and that bloodsucker to never et, I can tell that keeping him from her will prove much more trouble than it is worth."

Zil says "I’m thankful for your understanding Lady Zolotifa. Then if I may, I should take Lord Faust to..."

Tifa stops Zil before she could finish and says "I hope that tagging along won’t be an issue. Won’t it."

Zil is a bit taken aback, but still remains calm and replies "I’m sure my lady will understand."

Then Toki speaks up and says "I’m going to tag along too."

Zil looks at Toki once more and says "While I can tell that you share blood ties to the two people that will co with , my lady has just woken up and is wary of visitors before the banquet."

Toki says "Even so. I must co along with my parents."

Zil says "But my lady..."

Tifa, seeing how serious Toki is about this, says to Zil "I take the responsibility if rcy becos troubled. I’m even willing to refrain from harsh words as long as she doesn’t step out of line."

Zil thinks for a mont before deciding "I understand. As long as Lady Zolotifa can vouch for this unexpected variable, I think there won’t be any problems."

TIfa then says "Now then, shall we?"

Zil nods, places an envelope to the table and says to Loyr "This is an invitation to the banquet for the four mbers of the Embershthir family, Lord Loyrktoshthil. With this envelope being delivered and Lord Faust coming with , this concludes my visit. I apologize for the sudden visit and I hope that we’ll see each other during the banquet."

With that, Lud, Tifa, Toki and Zil disappear from the eting room, leaving Loyr, Sarah and Brutus confused.

Sarah would call Altair and Sarah and Brutus would soon depart from the Embershthir household back to Elysium.

Soon, Lud, Tifa, Toki and Zil appear in a eting room where there sits a woman wearing clothes fitting of a nobleman. She was also drinking coffee at the ti the group arrived.

While the woman wears n’s clothes, Lud can tell from her face and hair that she is a woman.

Before no one else says anything, Zil says to the woman "I have brought the person you requested, my lady."

The woman puts the cup of coffee back to the table and opens her previously closed eyes. The crimson red eyes make Lud and Toki stunned as the woman herself greets them with the words "Greetings guests. And old friend. Please take a seat.

The three go and sit on the sofa that is besides the chair that the woman is sitting in. Tifa is the one that sits the closest, then Lud and then Toki. Zil goes to stand beside the door of the room to keep watch on the situation.

The woman says "While I did expect you to co as well, old friend, I didn’t expect to see your offspring this soon. With the man I wished to see, no less."

Tifa says "Cut the pleasantries. Why did you call my darling here, rcy?"

rcy answers "My my, don’t be so hasty. It has been so long since we last saw each other. And my, oh my, can I see that ti has changed you, my dear old friend."

Tifa asks in annoyed tone "Changed? ? Why would I?"

rcy says "Oh, you can’t hide it from , my old friend. The last ti we saw each other, your mind was like a storm that could tear the very ground beneath it to the skies. But now... While the wind still rages on in you, I can clearly see that it has llowed down. Like the calm after a hurricane."

Tifa, in a more annoyed tone, asks rcy "Why don’t you stop with your little act and just get to the point already?"

rcy says "Well, if you are that impatient, you can simply pop in my head like you usually do."

Tifa says "And make my head hurt? No way."

rcy says "I see. So am I right if I ascertain that you, Zolotifa, blood daughter of Maumar, have beco weaker after eting your destined one?"

Tifa snaps and asks "You fucking dare to say that to , bitch?"

rcy chuckles and says "Oh? Did I strike a nerve? Was it because I referred this man here as the reason you have beco weaker, or were you insulted by the ntion of your lineage?"

Tifa’s eyes beco as dark as dark can get. Then rcy’s hand moved forward and struck her own heart. Ripping it out and crushing it right before her eyes.

Then Tifa beca distraught and her head started to hurt heavily, making her hold her head for a mont.

rcy in the anwhile, looked at all the blood that spewed out from her casually and said calmly "Oh my? I would have expected you to rip a sharp wooden stick from one of the appliances and stab to the heart, but you went straight to using my own hand. I’m a bit disappointed, my friend."

While rcy was speaking, her wounds heal in a sanguine fla, making the blood disappear from the appliances.

Then rcy comnted "Though then again, you did leave your destined one a window to my chest, as these clothes don’t fix themselves. Too bad. Now the only man in the room has to look at my inner chest area."

Tifa just spouted "Fuck off."

rcy asks "So... what do you think of my proposal? My dear old friend."

Tifa, still distraught after briefly taking control over rcy, took a few breaths before saying "I don’t like it, but I agree to your proposal."

Lud asks "What? What proposal? Why do I feel like it is so heavy stuff? Would either of you tell ?"

rcy says as she grabs her cup of coffee "Well... it does include your current situation. Ludwig Freigner."

Toki and Lud are surprised that rcy knows Lud’s real na, but then Toki looks at Zil, who was able to deduce everyone’s race back in the Embershthir household and she was reminded of what kind of existence rcy and her servants were. Lud was still confused though.

Then rcy brought a bombshell as she said "The proposal that my friend agreed to is the marriage between and Ludwig."

Toki and Lud held a blank stare at rcy for a brief mont, but before either of them could say anything about it, Zil beat them to it and said "My lady! Are you seriously considering sothing so drastic?!"

rcy says "Calm now, Zil. I have planned this all out."

Zil asks "Since when?" and rcy answers "Since the mont I noticed this new demigod’s rise."

Zil objects "But my lady. How is he worthy of your..."

rcy looks at Zil with a calm yet powerful gaze and says "Do you object to my will, Zilogos?"

Zil backs down as she answers "N-no, my lady."

Lud then decides to ask "I’m flattered, but why would you want to marry ? We just t."

rcy clears things out by saying as she drinks her coffee "It isn’t a marriage born from feelings. Rather, it is a marriage born from necessity."

Lud repeats "Necessity? How is it a necessity that we get married?"

Toki then asks Tifa "Why did you say that you agreed with her proposal?! Don’t you love dad?!"

Tifa says, now more collected than before, "I don’t like the ans, but I agree with the reasons."

Lud asks "Reason?"

rcy looks at Tifa and asks "Do you want to tell them, or ?"

Tifa takes a deep breath once more and then says "Darling. Do you know what is happening to your body currently? And what can you tell about your father’s condition, Toki?"

Lud checks his body briefly and then says "I... don’t feel like anything is wrong."

Then Toki sheds light by answering "His body is in chaos from all the things it has endured and is still enduring."

Lud looks at Toki puzzled and asks "What do you an by that?"

rcy says "You don’t need to hide it from us. Everybody in this room knows that you have, at the very least, communed with a god of so sort as well as soone related to the abyss."

Tifa says "The abyss shit I can tolerate since that shitface brought us here in the first place, but I have seen ti and ti again what happens when you mix abyssal stuff with aether. And trust , those aren’t stuff that you’d speak about during dinner."

Toki says "Normally when aether collides with the abyss, the abyss just absorbs the aether without a problem. But mix an abyssal entity with an abundance of aether and the little semblance of intelligence that the creature might have had just disappears. Only the will and emotion left in the aether consud will dictate what that kind of creature will do in the future. Outside of consuming more, they beco chaotic manifestations of the emotions left in the aether."

rcy continues "And given that you are on the edge of becoming a singular entity, that being an abyssal entity, with great concentration of aether that cos from the chaos god themselves, plus little bit of star god’s aether, and you will not remain you much longer."

Lud says "But... I feel just fine. If it is as dangerous as you all make it out to be, how can I be so fine right now?"

Toki says "I believe that the fact that you chose convergence as your aspect isn’t a mystery. Your body might have felt that sothing is wrong, so it chose a path of many other minds colliding to fix the problem temporarily."

Lud stays silent after hearing that and rcy says "No matter what reason you went the path of convergence, the fact remains that you did choose to do it in the end. And... that is also what that chaos god wants as well."

Lud asks "You know her?"

rcy asks "Her? So they appear as a woman before you, huh. I would be worried if they said that they love you."

Lud looks away nervously and this makes rcy say "So it is like that. Then we have to proceed with the marriage."

Lud asks "But... What will marriage solve? How will it fix the issue at hand?"

Tifa says "rcy has the ability to... change a thing’s very concept with her ability by simply uttering their na. The only exception is herself and only herself. Even Maumar’s ’being’ can be molded by her."

Lud looks at Tifa and asks "Seriously? She is more powerful than that guy?"

rcy chuckles a little, places the cup of coffee back to the table and says "I wouldn’t go as far as to say that I’m more powerful than him. I simply know things and can mold them according to my will. Maumar might not be able to mold the world anymore, but he can do many other things with the current state of the abyss."

Toki asks "I’ve been hesitant to ask, but why haven’t you done anything to the abyss or Maumar by now with your powers?"

rcy smiles and says "Both would lead to this world likely ending or beco much worse places to host life. Any change to the inner workings of Maumar’s being or the abyss could lead to catastrophic consequences. And while I year for the day that I die, I don’t wish that day to be the very end of this world."

Lud asks "Why doesn’t Maumar just make you the next host since you are so powerful? Why focus on if he has you?"

rcy says "Maumar may refer to as the bones of this world. A necessity that wasn’t there before like how it was before the Mythril Tower. But if I would use the words that my dear friend called once, that would be because I am the cancer of this world."

Lud is surprised and asks "Cancer? I’m barely able to follow Maumar’s Lutah biology taphor, but why would Tifa call you the cancer of this world?"

Tifa says "Because, like a cancerous cell born from the sa cells as the body itself, she has beco an integral part of Lutah that can’t just be cut off just like that."

Lud says "I... don’t quite follow."

Toki tries to explain "Since rcy was sothing that was born in this world in a natural way, she did sothing nobody expected and beca a being that Lutah itself cannot let go off."

Lud asks "What did you do, rcy?"

rcy takes a deep breath before saying "I killed off every other true vampire besides myself. And the only way to kill a true vampire is for another true vampire to consu another’s essence. Well, Maumar has his own thod’s, but even Mathews with his Matrix cannot kill ."

Lud is a bit taken aback after hearing this and asks "Why... Why did you do it?"

rcy says "For my nasake. rcy."

Lud asks "What rcy is there to kill off an entire species?"

rcy answers "We true vampires were a product of ti before the abyss. A ti when gods tried to find ways around the high concentration of aether in the world. True vampires were the closest ones to surviving those conditions and perhaps Betherlov, the creator of true vampires and the forr god of vampires, was close to a success. But when Maumar ca up with his abyss plan, there wasn’t a need for such a powerful race to exist."

Tifa says "But still, she was a rciful god who didn’t want her creations to go to waste."

rcy says "Yes. There was nothing wrong with that act in itself. But it was a mistake. True vampires, like dragons, phoenixes and angels were products of another ti. And hence the races of higher realm were decided. Low and behold, the previously failed creations, humans, beastn, elves, dwarves, demons and so on were placed to the other realms. Humans, being the very product of Maumar himself and the basis of all other higher forms of life, were placed to the realm closest to where Maumar rests, the lower realm."

Tifa says "I think we are getting a bit off track here."

rcy "Oh my. I just... This tale is important to , as you soon hear... why I... consud the rest of true vampires."

Toki says "What Maumar would tell ... True vampires started to see themselves as highest form of life compared to the rest of the high life forms, making them comparable to how the middle realm treats humans."

rcy says "While there were so true vampires that didn’t agree with this worldview, more and more true vampires began to act as the superior species. So... in order for our race to not be known as a species that detests other forms of life, I massacred all the rest of my kin. n or won... adults or children... guilty or innocent."

Lud asks in astonishnt "But... why? Why even those that weren’t guilty? Why needlessly kill everyone else but you?"

rcy answers "rcy. It was all for the act of rcy. If I left the innocent live, they might start to resent for one reason or another, maybe even have survivor’s guilt. By killing every last one of my kin was to not let them face the stigma of being from a race that could be otherwise immortal but waste it on killing each other. I saw that I could carry on the stigma by myself. And as I grew to carry this kind of stigma, the original stigma would disappear."

Toki says "But people are still going to rember what you did. Stories have been told throughout the ages in this tiline. The stigma of you committing a genocide still remain."

rcy takes a sip of coffee and says "Whose feelings are stronger to the torntor. The victim, soone who empathises with the victim due to similar circumstances, or just an empathetic person who hasn’t suffered the sa kind of tornt?"

Toki says "That doesn’t answer the question!"

rcy says "For a true vampire, it does. And that is all that matters."

Tifa says "This... THIS is why I never liked you."

rcy guesses "Because I’m a homicidal maniac?"

Tifa says "Because you think that every true vampire back then felt the sa."

rcy says "I don’t think so. I know that if they saw who they really had beco, they would rather die than live in sha."

Tifa says "And you say that because no one can no longer prove otherwise. Not even that pile of shit or your god."

Lud asks "Wait, how can it not be proven? Can’t you or Toki just go back in ti?"

Tifa says "By consuming the rest of her kin, rcy sohow twisted the whole Lutah by becoming its bones and making it so that she has been the only true vampire since the dawn of the abyss. This makes seeing that part of the past impossible even for . And hence, why I call her the cancer of this world."

Toki says "And the rest of the tilines only have an affliction called vampirism and not a single other from the true vampire race but rcy here."

Lud says "I see. Well ti travel in this world kind of sucks."

Toki replies "I don’t know any other form of ti travel, so I can’t argue for or against it."

Tifa says "I’ve seen more confusing ti travel plots than this, but this part in particular is sothing I’d put it on the lower tiers, even if there are reason for why sothing is."

rcy says "Fascinating. I’ve always wanted to see the world where Tifa and Lud co from ever since I first t Tifa. Alas, entering the abyss would just end this whole world so all I can say is that it is interesting to listen to."

Lud says "But back to the topic at hand. Even after hearing that story, you think that it is best for to marry you?"

rcy explains "Well that story was more for explaining what I can do and why. But yes."

Lud says "And what if I don’t agree?"

Tifa says "You will, in all likelihood, die."

Toki says "And given how things have been going, it might just be what Maumar or that chaos god are counting for."

Lud asks "Why would Maumar want to die so suddenly?"

Tifa says "Oh you won’t die. You don’t have to worry about that."

Lud says "But I’ll lose my mind."

Tifa says "I can ask Li to lift his thing from you and I can pull you into my illusion and we can be happy again."

Lud confirms "But you did agree with rcy’s proposal?"

Tifa clarifies "That is if I want to keep you as you."

Lud asks "Is it not important that I’m ?"

Tifa stares at the ceiling and says "Well would you look at that lamp."

Lud sighs, then looks at rcy with a serious look and asks "Why can’t you just do it without the marriage? Does doing your thing require so sort of ritual or sothing?"

rcy says "Well, no. Marriage isn’t necessary for fixing your body’s current condition."

Lud raises his eyebrow and asks "But it has sothing else I would benefit from?"

rcy says "Yes. If you marry , Elysium and its people would be affiliated with , rcy of Absolution. This would make the middle realm treat humans that affiliate with Elysium at least a bit more pleasantly. And if you agree here to beco my fiancé, in three days, there will be a banquet held where all the important people in Lutah are invited. There, you can cent your affiliation with by being by my side as my fiancé. I would introduce you as such and by the ti when the holy church’s affiliates co, we can ask them to help us with the wedding."

Lud turns to look at Tifa and asks her "And you are fine with this?"

Tifa says, her arms crossed, "I have realized that your condition has been worsening, but I have nothing that can help you with this."

Toki says "Also... the issue of the chaos god."

Tifa says "Right. , Toki or Li can do nothing about them pulling you to the abyss whenever they like. rcy on the other hand... she has the ability to counter almost all things abyssal."

Lud thinks for a mont and asks "Can I have so ti to think about this."

rcy says "Of course. But just in case you are wondering, the Holy Church of Lutah let’s people marry as many people as they can. Well, it depends on the priest, but there is no law against marrying multiple people."

Lud raises from the chair and nods "Ok. I’ll... keep that in mind" And leaves the room. No one but Lud leaves the room and the four won are left to chat.

Lud wanders a bit in the castle and can’t find a place to think things through in peace. Oddly enough, none of the servants in the castle didn’t didn’t question his presence there, which is kind of odd.

Then Lud thinks that it is odd that he would just be let out without any attendants, causing him to panic a bit. But then he realizes that there are plenty of people around him, so he is not alone.

Which was also sothing he craves at the mont.

As soon as Lud sighs from the situation he finds himself in, a man with a blindfold appears behind him and asks "Are you okay sir?"

Lud is startled by the man’s sudden appearance, then he calms down and says "No I... well, I’ve been looking for a place where I can clear my thoughts carefully, but I’ve been stuck in the castle for quite so ti. It is like a maze here."

The man rubs his chin and says "Hmm... since you have our lady’s scent on you, you must be important. And since you are important, it is important that I assist our lady’s dear guest with his worries. Do you wish that I’ll show you the way, sir?"

Lud says "Thank you. You would be a life saver."

Then with a snap of the man’s fingers, Lud and the man appear on a hill sowhere, the city where Lud and the group were brought up to being in the distance. The city looks as massive as Elysium, if not even bigger, and it is also hosting a harbour far from the castle. The view is sothing that Lud hadn’t even experienced in Elysium. Simply magnificent. Majestic even.

The man asks "Is this for your liking, sir?"

Lud says "Thank you, but can I ask you to send back to rcy when I’m done?"

The man says "Absolutely sir. I’d be happy to assist you."

Lud stares at the city far away and becos lost in thought. "Why can’t things just be simple? Why can’t people just get along?" Lud mutters to himself.

The man answers the questions Lud didn’t expect to hear an answer to. "Because that is what living is."

Lud is a bit surprised by the man’s answer, and asks further "But why does it have to be that way?"

The man answers "If things were all too simple, there wouldn’t be discovery. If everyone got along, there would be dormancy. And when life would lay dormant, so couldn’t call it living anymore."

Lud says "But so would live in bliss."

The man says "There is a limit on how much bliss one can live in before nothing feels worth it. Dormancy is just dormancy."

Lud stares at the city far away and says to the blindfolded man "rcy asked to marry her so that she can fix my body’s affliction and help my people."

The man says "Is that so. Sounds like a wonderful proposition if you don’t have anyone else in your heart."

Lud says "She did say that the church here allows multiple people to marry."

The man says "That is true. So marry out of love, so marry out of necessity or circumstance. Important thing is that all parties can accept and fulfill their wows."

Lud says "My forr wife seems to be okay with it."

The man says "Then what is the issue?"

Lud says "It just... ca too fast and I have to decide soon."

The man asks "Do you believe that it is wrong for you to accept our lady’s proposal?"

Lud stays silent for a mont and the man says "If you feel so, then follow your gut. They do say that you’ll regret less having tried and failed rather than having never tried, but there are things that are better left not done."

Lud asks "Like what?" And the man answered "Crack".

Lud is stunned by the blunt answer and decides to look at the man and ask "Does that warning co from experience?"

The man stays silent.

Lud turned his head back to the city and nodded. Not sure why. Maybe just to acknowledge the situation. Lud himself didn’t even know.

Lud then stretches his arms and says "Well. No ti like the present. Let’s get this over with. Bring back to rcy, would you, umm..."

The man bows and says "Geralt Olaf Dandelion. May your fortune be plentiful, sir."

And with the snap of Geralt’s finger, Lud pops back in the room where the won were having a conversation about sothing.

rcy looks at Lud and asks "So... Do you have the answer, or do you still need more ti?"

Lud kneels, picks one of the rings from his inventory, presents it to rcy as he says "rcy... May I have your hand in marriage?"

This stuns, all four won in the room. There is silence. A silence that couldn’t be more loud.

Lud started to sweat as the suspense that shouldn’t be there lood over him. He thought "Have I... been caught in so heavy ass joke?"

.

.

.

After silence that felt like eternity, rcy looks at Tifa and asks while pointing at Lud "Is... is this how you propose where you co from?"

Tifa says "One of the more traditional ways of proposing from our ho world, yes."

rcy says "Oh." Then looks back at Lud and says to him "Sure. I’ll accept. Though you could have just said yes to my proposal. There was no need for a ring yet."

Lud says "Is... that so..." Puts the ring box back to his inventory and goes sit in the corner of the room.

Then Lud says while huddled in the corner "Still went better than with Tifa though."

Tifa pretended not to hear Lud’s comnt.