Vesperia looked at Caleb for less than a second before she simply smiled. ”No, but thank you for the offer.”
Jake gave Vesperia a massive ntal thumbs-up as Caleb seed a bit taken aback.
”Cute try, though, but while I do recognize Jake as my sire, that does not make his blood my family. I do not an this in any offensive way; that is simply how things are,” Vesperia further clarified. She looked at the others and nodded.”It is a pleasure to et all of you.”
Miranda took the montum as she went forward. ”The pleasure is all mine, your majesty. I am Miranda Wells, the City Leader of Lord Thayne’s city back on Earth and one of his confidants.”
”No need for the formalities, Ms. Wells, just call Vesperia,” the Hive Queen smiled at Miranda. The two won looked at each other for a mont before the others also moved to et her.
Felix just bowed but didn’t seem overly interested, Sylphie looked at Vesperia a bit weirdly, and Maria was more polite than usual. Sandy didn’t co to greet her as they were too busy dealing with the consequences of trying to eat the essence of nothingness itself. The King also didn’t for obvious reason, with the last to greet Vesperia being the Sword Saint, who bowed respectfully as he observed her.
”I have little understanding of True Royals and only operate on rumors and second-hand information, so please let know if my question is impolite, but would you be open to a quick spar before we head off?” the old man asked politely.
Vesperia raised an eyebrow. ”While many would not see such a request as acceptable, I see no issue with it, but are you certain? My current form is not the one you would be facing.”
”I am well aware,” the Sword Saint nodded.
”Let us have a small bout later on, then. First, let us go inside,” Vesperia said as she motioned for them to enter.
Caleb walked by Jake and muttered to him. ”And here I thought I could set up fun play dates between our two kids.”
”Calling her my kid is kinda weird, man,” Jake said. ”Look at her.”
”Yeah, they grow up so fast, don’t they?” Caleb teased him. ”Just so we are clear, I will tell mom and dad about the large amazoness-looking Hive Queen woman who calls you her sire.”
”I would expect nothing less of you.”
The group entered the mansion’s living room, where ira had already prepared tea and snacks to welco the guests. Caleb, who was still walking with Jake, looked a bit surprised when he saw ira and raised an eyebrow as he threw Jake a glance.
”Ah, this here is ira, a fellow mber of the Order of the Malefic Order who works here at my residence,” Jake quickly clarified to the group. He felt damn lucky they had ti to make her join the Order before this eting, as that dispelled much of the awkwardness that could have ensued.
”Ah, a pleasure to et you,” Miranda greeted ira. ”I also believe a congratulations is in order for successfully joining the Order.”
Jake had told Miranda about ira a few tis in the past, as it was honestly hard to never ntion her when they had their occasional eting about how he was doing in the Order. He also had a feeling she could learn about her from the Verdant Witches even if he didn’t.
”Thank you,” ira bowed. ”Please enjoy the refreshnts. I shall take my leave and allow you all to discuss in peace.”
”No, please stay for a while,” Caleb said with a smile as he went over and extended his hand. ”I would love to hear more about it has been working for my brother.”
”Brother?” ira asked, surprised, as she shook his hand on instinct.
It was now Jake realized he had never really talked about his family when around ira. Mind you, this was not because Jake had forgotten, but a purposeful choice as he didn’t want to bring up any potential trauma ira may have, considering she had been enslaved by the Order. Talking about family just seed a bit insensitive.
”Little brother, to be more exact,” Caleb clarified. ”However, I am not at the Order as his brother but as a Judge of the Court of Shadows at the behest of my Patron, Umbra.”
ira slowly nodded but was clearly still more interested in the fact Jake had a brother.
”It is my honor to greet the Judge and brother of Lord Thayne,” ira bowed deeply.
”Lord Thayne, is it?” Caleb said with a raised eyebrow. ”Tell , how did you two end up eting? How did you get to work here at Jake’s place?”
Jake knew what the little shit was fishing for. He bloody knew. Shit, why wouldn’t he? The Order and using slaves? It was hard to na a more iconic duo, so most would probably assu she was his slave by default. Moreover, she was allowed to be there when Jake brought so many people, and she clearly knew he was the Chosen of the Malefic Viper. So random employee Jake had hired wouldn’t be aware of such things before the big announcent. At least that is what Jake theorized Caleb had concluded… likely giving Jake a bit too much credit when it ca to keeping secrets.
”It was that asshole snake god who thought it would be funny,” Jake explained. ”The mont I arrived here, ira was already waiting and was assigned as my slave against my will. Not anymore, though. She joined the Order and is now just another mber, but I allowed her to stay here and work because she wanted to.”
”Oh?” Caleb said with a smile. ”Now, isn’t that quite sothing. I just have one tiny little question. If she is no longer a slave, why is there still a slave contract in place?”
”There isn’t one,” Jake frowned.
”I quite literally have a skill allowing to detect if she has one, so are you saying she signed a new one after yours was nullified?” Caleb asked skeptically.
”No? I don’t think so?” Jake frowned more deeply as he looked at ira. He saw how she blushed and looked embarrassed at their discussion.
”Ah, sorry, rude to discuss it in front of you like this…” Jake muttered. ”Were you forced to sign a new contract or sothing? I get so non-disclosure agreent stuff, but…”
”Jake,” Miranda cut in. ”Just for quick clarification, when did you nullify the contract?”
”It was nullified when she joined the Order,” Jake answered. She clearly had her gold token and was a mber; Izil had confird this too.
”I asked when you nullified it,” Miranda said as she sighed.
”I…” Jake said as his mouth was open for a bit. He then looked at ira. ”I thought it was gone after you joined? I am sure I read that people can’t have their slaves beco full mbers, and the Order made the contract, so they should have nullified it too.”
That was how it worked, right?
”That isn’t how it works, no,” Miranda sighed, answering his thoughts. ”At least not for you. You are the Chosen of the Malefic Viper, for bloody sake. These kinds of rules don’t apply. Did you seriously expect so random clerk at the Order to be capable of nullifying the contract?”
”… yes?” Jake said ekly.
He quickly took out his token and promptly searched through it. He rembered it being linked to the contract and… well, fuck.
Yep, still there. Jake imdiately nullified the contract, ignoring everything else, thus officially freeing ira for good. It was surprisingly easy, and he didn’t even feel anything change. ira did briefly shiver, but otherwise, nothing happened.
”Fixed!” Jake said, but he was already getting several judgental stares.
”I’m gonna tell mom you had an elf slave,” Caleb said.
”Please don’t,” Jake pleaded.
Caleb just grinned widely, and Jake was pretty damn sure the bastard wouldn’t listen to anything he said.
”Why… why would you not want to eternally serve the Chosen of the Malefic Viper?” the damn sculptor asked ira, his face filled with genuine confusion. ”To forsake such an honor, I-”
”It was my decision,” Jake cut him off.
”I see. Alright then,” Felix nodded. He then seed to have a thought. ”Can I be your slave the-”
”No.”
”Oh…” Felix said, looking like a kicked puppy as he stared at the ground.
”Ignoring Jake’s questionable employnt practices, do we have anything else we need to discuss regarding the upcoming ceremony? You have been briefed, Vesperia?” Miranda asked.
”No, I would like a quick rundown on what will happen,” the Hive Queen answered.
”How about you, ira? Will you attend?” Miranda also asked the embarrassed ira.
Jake could see how uncomfortable she was, surrounded by everyone. She looked out of place, and Miranda seed to also have noticed.
”No,” ira said. Jake had invited her, but she had rejected it without a second thought. Jake totally got her; he also didn’t want to go if he didn’t have to.
”Alright,” Miranda smiled as she looked at Jake. ”Let’s allow ira to attend to her own matters then, shouldn’t we?”
Jake nodded and smiled at ira. ”Yeah, I am sure you are busy with your own stuff. Thanks for the tea and all.”
ira was obviously relieved as she bowed. ”I hope the ceremony proceeds as expected; it was nice eting all of you.”
With those words, she scurried off towards her own building away from the main mansion. After she was gone, Maria gave him an inquisitive look.
”Did you… you know.”
Jake wondered what she ant but quickly realized. He frowned and looked at her sternly. ”No.”
Caleb also shook his head and threw Maria a glare. ”You can say a lot of things about my older brother, but yeah, not that.”
”I ant no offense; I was just curious, you know…” Maria said, knowing she had fucked up.
Vesperia giggled a bit at their exchange and shook her head. ”I truly have much to learn about you humans and your customs.”
Jake, wanting to change the subject and looked at Miranda. ”So, any idea who will attend this event? Which factions? Besides the obvious ones.”
”Many significant factions you have never heard about will be there, but it isn’t like everyone will be announced. I would reckon thousands of god-level factions will attend, but it is no more than a handful you need to actually care about or even interact with. As I ntioned before, they are just there to butter up so of the officials from the Order of the Malefic Viper and get in their good graces for future business ventures,” Miranda explained.
”Right,” Jake said. He didn’t actually care much. He really just wanted to change the subject. Luckily, the conversation was revived as a certain Unique Lifeform Jake had thrown on a couch also revived.
”We… have arrived in the first universe?” the muddled voice of the Fallen King spoke.
”That we have,” Jake confird. ”eting those Void Gods hit you hard, huh?”
”My senses are not like that of you humans or beasts. I saw things that were impossible yet familiar, superimposed concepts that resonated with my very core yet in conflict and paradoxically opposed. My soul magic is anchored in the realm of the eldritch, so to see a true being personifying that concept… it was too much,” the King explained in a surprisingly open fashion. ”My limited comprehension only made see more of that which is unseeable and forced my mind to try and understand more of the incomprehensible.”
”Sounds rough, but we made it back here safely. Was afraid we would need to find two new party mbers during this ceremony,” Jake cracked a joke.
”You are fortunate you did not have to downgrade,”the Fallen King said as he floated his body to an upright position. It was also only now he regarded the only new person in the room.
”You must be the True Royal Hive Queen,” the Unique Lifeform greeted her. ”I am known as the Fallen King.”
”It is a pleasure to et a Unique Lifeform,” Vesperia said with respect. ”Your kind is rare, and we have had so few ectognamorph-esque Unique Lifeforms throughout history.”
”To try and categorize one such as I with other races is aningless. We are unique by definition and belong to no tribe,” the King dismissed her.
”So of your kind still seek ties to others, often finding those reminding them most of themselves. Perhaps it is not perfect, but it is the closest thing they can ever get,” Vesperia countered. ”Besides, have you not also embraced unity?”
”An impossible choice made only because I fell at the hands of your creator,” the King spat back. ”I do not recognize him for his Lineage or race, but solely his accomplishnts.”
Jake raised an eyebrow. Well, that is nice, isn’t it?
”So have I. Which makes him part of my Hive. My tribe and my people. He is an ectognamorph and honored mber of the Endless Empire in all but race from my point of view,” Vesperia refused to back down.
Leaning back and relaxing, Jake would lie if he said he didn’t enjoy their debate as, for once, people weren’t shit-talking him during it. They continued for a good while as the King once more countered how race then played no role in who was an ectognamorph, with Vesperia arguing that so were simply included by default while others could beco honored mbers.
It was nice not having to get involved, and no one else bothered getting into it with them, either.
Eventually, they finally cald down without either side backing down, and no compromise or agreent being reached. It was ultimately the Sword Saint breaking them up by asking if Vesperia would be open to an exchange of pointers now, sothing she agreed to as the two of them went outside.
Jake looked out the window and saw Vesperia transform as the old man praised her before they began their spar. Well, Jake wasn’t really sure if he would call it a spar. From the looks of it, neither side used any skills or did anything fancy. Their speeds were even low as they exchanged blows, it looking more like a dance than a fight, with every single exchange ending with a small scratch on Vesperia’s armor. The longer it went on, it began to look like a disciple and his student.
The rest of them stayed inside and just relaxed as they chatted. Sylphie eventually woke up and went off to explore the mansion, and through Jake’s sphere, he saw her reach ira’s room. There, she scared the shit out of the poor elf by turning into wind and appearing on her desk right in front of her face. She looked damn proud, too, when ira fell over backward.
After a bit, Vesperia and the Sword Saint ca back in, with Vesperia praising the Sword Saint and didn’t seem down. She then went off with Miranda for so briefing on the upcoming ceremony, leaving the Sword Saint back with Jake and the others.
Sandy also eventually ca to and made Jake rush outside as the huge space worm began eating his fucking lawn while complaining about feeling empty from trying to eat literal void. He was forced to feed the glutton with other valuable items to tide over the wait, lest Sandy decided to try and eat one of the buildings.
Finally, after many hours of a mix between relaxation and chaos, the ti arrived as a figure teleported onto the now mostly ruined lawn. Her aura instantly washed over the mansion, getting everyone’s attention as she greeted Jake.
”The ti has co,” Viridia said.
Jake nodded, and soon everyone joined him as they headed off to the big ceremony where surely nothing could go wrong, and everything would go just as expected.
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