Tales of Viera (Moon Hound Hati x Lusterless Nova)

[Mini Magi]

Adventure, fame, and fortune. Auch were the ideals of those who picked up the profession of the adventurer, and all who were able were free to become one. The only things that made them different were their background, and their abilities. And what was common amongs all of them was that the call of riches was irressistable~ Such as the latest news of the city of Viera. A huge subterranian structure was found, and dubbed Labyrinthos. So far not even half of it was explored, and it contained both weapons and gold alike. All one would have to do was register with the guild for emergency cases, and everyone was pretty much free to explore it. The only downside: Viera was far off the mainland. It was an island, and hence could be reached only by ship.

Chris was one of those unfortuate enough to not be able to afford a ticket. But did that stop her? Well... Considering she heard the crashing of waves, and the ship swayed around a little, nope! And since it has been quiet around her for some time now... Quietly, in the back of the ship's storage room, one of the chests opened from the inside, and a young woman emerged from it.

Spoiler

Name: Chris
Class: Thief
A quick thinker who wants to find treasure and live to tell the tale.

"Finally some space~" She was stuffed into that thing for quite a while now. Finally being able to stretch out her legs felt wonderful~ Sure, she couldn't go on deck, but so long as she heard no footsteps, she was free to lounge around in the storeroom... Or so she thought. What was that rumbling?! She quickly drew her knife, found the source, and eyed down a suspiciously rumbling barrel.

Edited July 5, 2021 by Lusterless Nova

[Moon Hound Hati]

In his opinion, the life of an adventurer was of risk and reward; you tackle the risky quests to get a shot at reaping great rewards. But rewards weren’t always necessarily of immediate monetary worth. No, sometimes the fame you gain from it was way more valuable. Seeking to gain some of that fame, Kyrian Aeravathar had parted ways from his static adventuring group of two years to pursue glory. Having snuck aboard a ship setting sail for the island of Viera, his goal was to explore the newly discovered dungeon dubbed Labyrinthos. It was rumored to hold many treasures, mysteries, and dangers.

Unfortunately, being quite new to the stowaway game, the adventurer had chosen a fairly poor place to hide, namely a barrel filled with salt. At first, it was all fine and dandy, but the swaying of the ship caused a good helping to find its way into his mouth and now he was parched. Seeking to get out, he exploited what little mobility he had while neck deep inside the barrel of salt, causing it to rumble and sway until it eventually tipped over and crashed onto its side, the wooden lid, fortunately, popping off.

Kyrian came tumbling out with a tiny tidal wave of salt, groaning softly as he remained laying face down on the floor of the storage room for a long moment. “Next time I’m picking a barrel of water,” he muttered to himself as he stood up, noticing Chris only then. Calmly raising his hand, he simply said, “Yo.”

 

 

[Mini Magi]

It was not uncomon to see a monster spring out of a container. Or a container being a monster. But this? A fellow stowaway was something she was much happier with. Taking a sigh of relief, Chris put her knife away and went over to him and chuckled at the sight. "Interesting choice." The reason why she was friendly with him was quite simple. He was literally in the same boat, it wouldn't do either of them good to start a fight... well and he was quite a looker if she was honest. As far as company goes, she could be much worse of. Holding a hand to him, she pulled him out of the salt once he took her hand, and tried to help him get up. "Next time you might wanna try the vegetables, or just put an empty chest near the barrels. Last thing you wanna be is well seasoned in case we do come across hungry monsters. I'm Chris by the way. And you are?"

Once pleasantried were aside, she went to her chest, reached inside, and threw him a cucumber. A peek into the chest showed that she had a bit of a stockpile with her, though most of it seemed to be used up already. "Nice to meet you. I'd usually say these are better with salt, buuut..." Yeah he was probably good on that front. And while the cucumber didn't seem like much, it was just about bland enough to not strain his taste buds, and wonderfully got rid of the salt taste.

Chris busied herself in the meantime by looking through the crates and barrels around her quietly. "Don't mind me. Just seeing if there is something useful around." But there wasn't. Sure, there was a bit of alcohol here and there, and plenty of food, but this wasn't the time for any of that. Sadly there was no gold down there... but there was a helping hand. Grinning from one ear to another, Chris went back to her new buddy. "Saaaaay. How would you feel about making some gold before we get ashore?"

[Moon Hound Hati]

Kyrian hadn’t taken the girl to be a guard or even a deckhand and was promptly proven right when she returned his greeting with a friendly disposition, commenting on his choice of hiding place. “If they stored candy in barrels or chests big enough, I’d hide in one of those,” he responded jokingly as he heaved the salt barrel back upright, saving about half its contents and placing the lid back onto it.

“Kyrian,” he said, introducing himself as well. “And the pleasure is all mine. Thanks for not being a crew member, heh.” Having a good look at her, Chris seemed like the rogue-ish type, much like himself. Probably an adventurer too, if he had to guess.

The girl took to scrounging for loot, but seemed to find nothing of worth among the crates and chests. Odds had been low for a normal storage room like this. Turning back to him with a grin that was a little suspect, to say the least, she made a proposition for him. Raising an eyebrow, he decided to bite with a slight, amused smirk. “Alright… Let’s hear it.”

[Mini Magi]

Hehehe~ She had his interest huh? Best make use of it. She scooted a bit closer, then put her arm around the slightly taller male, pulling him down to elaborate her genius plan. "So you know how we two here can barely afford a ticked, right?" She paused to give him time to agree. "We are on a ship full of people who have either already paid for the most imporant part, or will get paid once we reach land." Another short pause. "So while everyone is busy up on the deck, how about we borrow some money from their cabins?" She chuckled, then continued. "It'*s fine, it's fine~ We'll just borrow a few coins, not their whole stash. And once we have arrived and made a name for ourselves, we'll pay for generous emounts of drinks for everyone for a few days and are even. It's brilliant I tell you. Brilliant!" And lightning struck outside, thunder roaring through the wood at the most convenient timing. Others would take that as a warning. Chris however... "See? A thunder deity agrees with my genius~" Not wanting to waste any time, she went to the door leading out, took a peek... and closed it again. The playful confidence from before was pretty much gone, and a little thief ready to panic slowly looked back at Kyrian. "So... What are the odds you are a hero, destined to slay monsters?"

[Moon Hound Hati]

Kyrian thought her delivery needed some work still, but he went along with it for now. “So, a steal from the rich and give to the poor -- the poor being us, obviously -- type of gig, huh?” Nodding to himself more than her, he mulled it over as she continued to make her case, even attempting to rope nature itself into her argument when thunder cracked in the distance outside.

Honestly? He could use a bit of extra coin for a new bow, having been forced to ditch his old one because it couldn’t fit well with him in the salt barrel. It had been a longbow, so it couldn’t fit even when he tried.

Chris moved on ahead towards the door before he’d given her his answer but promptly closed it after peeking outside, appearing on the verge of panicking. “Ah,” he replied simply and with unintentionally large amounts of deadpan. Looking at her, he then looked down at himself, then at the salt barrel, he’d fallen out of. Walking over to it, he removed the lid and leaned forward, sticking his arm deep into the white pile. After blindly fishing around for a few moments, he exclaimed a victorious “Aha!” as he pulled his sheathed shortsword out.

“I might not be a hero… yet, but I’ve done my fair share of monster-slaying,” the wayward adventurer told the thief with a smirk, approaching her and the door. Unsheathing his sword, he told her with a wink, “We’d better get out there before they sink the ship and there’s nothing left to steal!”

Edited July 17, 2021 by Moon Hound Hati
spelling

[Mini Magi]

If the choice was to potentially face the crew, or get ambushed by monsters, Chris definitely prefered to facing those that would not eat her. Besides. There was always a chance of some loot where there were monsters~ So drawing her dagger, she went to the barrel and rubbed her dagger into the salt. "You'll get it in a minute, I promise." One last check on her own end to see if she was ready, a nod to Kyrian, and she slowly pushed the door open.

Just outside the storeroom was a corridor with just 1 other door on one of the walls, and the stairs leading up. And more importantly: A phandom. A ghost type monster wearing a white cloak and having long claws as weapons. "Aaaargh! There's one over here!! Run!!!" One member of the crew shouted and began to run, but it was too late for him already, for the phandom had already catched up and dug its claws into the man's back. "Now's our chance," Chris quietly muttered, and together with Kyrian went for the distracted monster. Blessed or not, salt was effective against demons. And with their weapons covered in it, their blades had the much desired effect.

The monster cried out in death, and an ominous feeling filled the air. "Y-You don't think there are more, right?" A quiet moment passed, and from upstairs a whole swarm of phantoms appeared. Chris wasted no time and made a dash for the other door in an attempt to pick the lock "Come on come on! Eep!" The lock clicked open, she went inside, waited till Kyrian was in as well and slammed the door shut. It was just another storeroom, fine, but at least one with a metal door that locked when it was shut. "Is anything good in here? Anything to fight back with?" But no matter how hastly they looked around in this small room, there was nothing of real use. It was mostly trading goods... and a treasure chest. Chris tried her best on that too, but... "No way. I think this one is sealed by magic. Which means... plan B." Meanwhile the monsters put up quite a lot of effort to try and tear the door down. Occasionally a loud thudd would come from it, and the unpleasant noise of claws against the metal.

From her bag, Chris took out what looked like a jewel that was glowing pale green. "So... This is a teleportation stone. It can teleport people across long distances. Like... you know. All the way to Viera City? I really wanted to sell it since they are expensive. But it's not like I can be picky now, right?" But unfortunately, she had to pop the bubble. It wasn't all good news, and ashamed she looked away while making some distance between her and him, and a green aura began surrounding it. "I'm so sorry! I have only one, and only one person can use it! If you could not turn into a vengeful ghost, that would be great. See ya!" And in a flash of green, she was gone, and the monsters that banged against the metal door were still there.

[Moon Hound Hati]

Ghost monsters on a ship in the middle of the ocean. He had so many questions, but he doubted he’d get many answers. As a poor crew member found his end by way of a phandom’s claws, he readied his short sword and nodded as Chris pointed out their opening. As they were both rogue-types, they were both nimble and fast, closing the distance swiftly and delivering strikes with their salt-enhanced weapons with deadly precision. That went pretty smoothly, but it was certainly because they had all the advantages. He wasn’t counting on it being quite as easy if they or when they were to encounter more of them.

...And they didn’t have to wait long to find out, as a whole swarm zeroed in on their position as if drawn in by the smiting of their kin. The white-haired thief didn’t waste a moment and dashed for the nearest door and Kyrian made sure to not fall behind as he threw himself in after her. After picking himself up from the floor, he noted they were in another storeroom. In retrospect, that was to be expected on this level of the ship. Luckily phandoms couldn’t just phase through solid objects, but they couldn’t hide in here forever.

“Maybe… Let’s look around,” he said as he began digging through the cargo with her, searching for anything that could aid them in their fight against the monsters banging on the heavy, wooden door. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much to find aside from general goods like food and water. Chris found a chest, but it appeared to be locked by magic. Hearing her mutter something about a plan B, he turned to her as she fetched jewel from the small bag she carried with her. It was a teleportation stone; an expensive item most adventurers had heard of, but a precious commodity few possessed.

“Oi…” he began as she began to back away from him, averting her gaze in shame. And then she was gone, whisked away by the green, magic jewel. There were a bunch of emotions that passed through him in quick succession, but eventually, he settled on mild disappointment that was visibly displayed with a deep sigh and a shrug of his shoulders.

“Mama did always tell me not to trust overly friendly scantily clad women…” he muttered to himself with a hint of bitter amusement. Hearing a loud thud coming from the door, he refocused and redoubled his efforts on trying to get out of the situation as alive as possible. With just the treasure chest holding any semblance of promise, he knelt in front of the rather large, ornamented object. “Maybe I can brute-force it somehow?”

Looking at the lock, he reached out and placed his hand against it, thinking he might be able to jam his short sword’s tip in and break the lock forcefully. However, as soon as he did the chest’s lock mechanism clicked audibly. “...Did it just?” And sure enough, he could easily lift the lid, opening the chest to find that it contained but a single item: a rather nice-looking sword.

“Maybe it’s a magic sword? That would be pretty sweet right about now!” Wishful thinking, perhaps, but being a downer wasn’t going to save his hide and right about now he wasn’t feeling picky about whatever favor fate tossed his way.

[Mini Magi]

The moment he raised the lid of the massive chest, light emerged from it. Oddly enough however, it wasn't blinding, even though it turned everything around him pure white. When it faded, a foils stuck out of the chest. It didn't take a genius to figure out that magic was at work here, for the foil was lodged into the bottom of the chest by just its tip, and was too large to simply close the chest again now.

"Oh? You're just a typical man." Yup. No doubt about it. Either the radiation from Chris' teleport crystal messed up with his head, or the rapier spoke. "I was expecting some kind of great hero, but... The criteria are fullfilled. If you want my strength, you may have it." Its voice was pleasant however. Definitely female, and while a bit high and mighty, it wasn't unfitting of what was most likely an artifact weapon, the rarest kind a personal armament could be.

Edited July 25, 2021 by Lusterless Nova

[Moon Hound Hati]

Ask stupid questions, win stupid prizes, Kyrian thought to himself as he stared at the slender, rapier-like sword that stuck straight out of the chest. There was no way this thing was not magic. What had his eyebrows make a mad dash for his hairline was when it seemingly spoke, addressing him with a somewhat pretentious-sounding feminine voice. His head snapped briefly towards the door when a particular loud ram against it made the wood moan and even crack a bit.

“Whelp, guess I’ll wonder about how and what later,” he said, more to himself than the inanimate yet sentient sword before him as he rose to a stand, slipping his hand around the handle and pulling the surprisingly light out of the chest. After a few fancy-looking hand movements with his new sword in an attempt to familiarize himself a little with it on the fly, he equipped his salt-dipped sword short in his off-hand. Times like these made being ambidextrous quite handy.

Stepping closer to the door, he waited for the phandoms to eventually knock it down. He was planning to rush them then and try and cut them down one by one as they filed through the bottleneck that was the door opening. It was one of the tactics he’d learned in his time as an adventurer.

[Mini Magi]

"Vey well master." The rapier was indeed light, even for a rapier. It was as if it was made out of wood, but the blade sung softly as it cut through the air. But there was little time to wonder about that. Another large thud came from the door. But a few precious seconds were left to prepare. And with another thud, the door's hinges finally gave up, and the first clawed phandom rushed in.

It was odd however. Time didn't slow down as tales of near death experiences would tell. Everything was just as fast as usual, yet Kyrian's blades had no trouble finding their ways to parry and counter whatever came at them. It was as if he was at the peak of his skill, as if all hours of his training culminated in these few precious moments.

One by one, the phantoms dissolved, slain by either his salt-dipped sword, or his new rapier. Both were effective here. And when the commotion died down, there were finally a few moments to let all events catch up, for there was no other monster nearby for now. "Impressive. It appears you are not so normal after all." The rapier spoke, shone once more, vanished quickly, and a woman with pretty wings stood before him. A fairy? Not quite. She was too big for that. There was also a lack of a certain feeling. No childish nature so to speak.

Spoiler

Name: Alma
Occupation: Spirit of the rapier Arendile
A being that can only be seen by those who fulfill certain criteria. Alma acts as the control system of the rapier, hence her pride, but all in all she is absolutely loyal to the one she considers her master.

 

Edited December 2, 2021 by Minibit

[Moon Hound Hati]

Every muscle in his body tensed for a moment as the door was broken down, but he sprang into action right after, dashing forward to deliver the first strike with a thrust forward of his magical rapier, landing a hit dead between the… dead eyes of the phandom. Piercing straight through with surprising ease, he had no time to admire the power of his newly acquired weapon as the next monster rushed in without hesitation. What followed was a battle that pushed Kyrian’s swordsmanship to its limits, dodging, parrying, and striking with both weapons. It was only when the last of the group fell that he allowed himself to exhale deeply.

“Well, my mother always said I was special,” he responded jokingly, partly to hide his surprise when the magical sword disappeared from his hand and a blonde girl with large butterfly-like wings appeared, instead. She certainly didn’t give off the air of a fairy -- even if she would be a giant one by comparison. Perhaps weapon spirits just came in all shapes and sizes, he thought, though it wasn’t like he’d ever seen one before. She had a very aetherial kind of beauty about her, in any case.

“I guess you are the personification of the weapon?” he asked casually. A smile had returned to his lips as he took a more casual stance while sheathing his short sword. “I’m Kyrian. Kyrian Aeravathar. And you are?”

[Mini Magi]

Humor? A fine trait, hinting at the ability to adapt quickly. Alma took note to not judge him by the initial impression and lack of armor. "My name is Alma. I am the spirit of the weapon you took, which is Arendile. It adapts to its users preferences, hence why you wield it as a rapier." She took a moment to look around, but not to assess the damage. That much was obvious on first sight. "This area is filled with unpleasant energy. Something much more powerful than these phantoms is above us." In other words, the danger was far from over. "Furthermore, I am still unsure if you are worthy of Arendile's full power. But considering the situation, I will allow you to wield it for now, with no price attached to it until either a full pact is needed, or until a new master appears. Is that acceptable for now?" It really wasn't the issue that she didn't like him. Quite the contrary. He seemed smart and adaptable, but she required someone with one key feature she has at least not yet seen. Hence why she could only permit a temporary contract.

[Moon Hound Hati]

It appeared ownership of a magical, sentient sword was not quite as clear-cut as he had initially thought it would be. Well, it wasn’t as he’d much of a claim on her, seeing as she’d been here in the storage room and not in some long lost treasure room of a dungeon or other location marked as free pickings by official instances. Oh well, he thought as he shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.

“Yeah, that’s fine,” he told the sword-turned-girl as he offered her a handshake and a smile. “Don’t think I’ve ever said this to a weapon, but looking forward to working with you… for however long that is.”

Peering up at the ceiling, he set his mind to the immediate threat at hand. According to Alma there was something much more unpleasant than the phandoms lurking above them. He guessed that it was their boss and it was above on the ship’s deck. “We should make our way up and see what is radiating that unpleasant energy you were talking about. I’d rather it not kill all the people and sink the ship.”

[Mini Magi]

This man... It might pay off to watch him a bit longer than needed. And after his suggestion, she took his hand with a soft smile. "Understood master. For as long as it is needed, I will be right by your side." After she took his hand, her body turned into light again, and where before was her hand, the rapier Arendile was again.

First things first. He had to get further up. Since there was nothing worth taking here, there was no good reason to waste more time in this room. Outside of his room were nothing bit a few dead bodies, and while not a pleasant sight, they were avenged, and at least he was not one of them. Up the stairs came the next floor. This area was more damaged, and the floor leading to what were probably the captain's quarter was completely torn down. All that was left were two doors. Trying the first one showed that it was locked. Just as he was about to grab the handle of the other however. "Wait, hold your breath. There's someone there." The new voice in his head reminded him to be cautious, even in a situation like this when there were no monsters around.

-Meanwhile inside-

Spoiler

"Don't make me say it again. Let me out right now!" A girl, quite young, black hair and ruby red eyes, was behind bars in what looked to be a small prison cell. Although not restrained aside from a collar, for now all she could do was bark at the man in front of her. "Don't be stupid. Do you have any idea how much we paid the guards to get you shipped here?" The man wasn't looking too special, but it was clear as day that he had combat experience. His armor was a bit worn out, but still held true. A telltale sign of someone who fought and lived to tell the tale multiple times. "Do you realize what you are doing? I am a crimson mage. With just one spell I can-" "You can do nothing!" He shouted at her. At this point he was honestly just getting tired of her threats. "Get it in your head already. So long as you wear that collar and are without a master, you can't cast even a simple fireball. You're a weak little girl now, and you will be one too once I've sold you off for 1 million." Quite a sum. And for good reason. Crimson mages were known for their absurdly powerful magic. What wouldn't one give to have one of those as their slave? "W-What are you going to do to me?"  "What do you think? Or do you think we're just nice enough to leave you a virgin on a boat full of males?" He laughed aas he left, leaving the girl with horrible fantasies of her imminent future.

"We shouldn't take risks. Hide." Master or not, fighting humans was a whole different story from fighting monsters. He would have her strength of course, but it didn't guarantee a win in any confrontation. As soon as the man was out, he saw the destruction around him. "What the?!" He looked around in a bit of a panic, then unlocked the other door and went upstairs.

[Moon Hound Hati]

There wasn’t much left to do in the cargo hold once the phandoms had been dispatched. Gaining nothing of value from their remains, Kyrian and his rapier familiar headed out, stepping over some corpses along the way before reaching the next deck. The pathway leading up to what seemed to be the captain’s quarters was blocked off, leaving just two doors to be explored. Perhaps one of them led the next deck above.

After the first appeared to be locked shut, he attempted his luck with the other, but was stopped short by Alma’s warning. Noting the voices, he stealthily crouched down and listened in through the keyhole. Able to pick up most of the conversation, it wasn’t hard to guess that the man was a slaver. It was a practice that was not illegal in many countries but trade generally wasn’t done in the open in most places. He wasn’t a fan, personally, and the slavers he’d encountered in his journeys, few and far between that they had been, struck him as unsavory types.

Hiding behind a half-destroyed crate in the corner, the adventurer tossed something heavy out onto the floor, creating a thud loud enough to draw the man out of the room. For some reason, the chaos outside his room had gone by completely unnoticed by the slaver as he displayed genuine surprise at the scene he found and immediately rushed through the other, locked door and up onto the decks above.

“Let’s go…” Kyrian muttered as he quickly but quietly entered the other room, closing the door behind him. Placing his index finger against his lips, he gestured for the girl inside the cage to keep quiet as he moved closer to her. “Hey, I’ll get you out of there. What’s your name?” he asked with a soft smile as he looked around for a lock to try and pick -- or break, in a worst-case scenario. Saving the girl from slavery was something he didn’t even need to think once about, let alone twice. Having grown up with a loving foster family, he cared nothing for slavery. Hell, a couple of townsfolk had even been former slaves and they were among the kindest people he knew.

[Mini Magi]

When he came in, he would have seen a girl at the bring of getting overwhelmed by emotion. She shot him a glare at first even, expecting someone else. But her anger was swept away by relief. She nodded, wiped her eyes, and replied quietly, but with pride and extravagant posture. "My name is Megumin. My calling is that of an arch wizard, one who specializes in explosion magic." The crimson mages, better known as Crimson Demon Clan, were not well known. Those who did know them however could speak volumes of their high aptitude for magic. The talk of a million gold probably made a lot more sense now. But there was an issue. "Master. I suggest you break the lock using Arendile, forge a pact with this one and make her yours." Probably not what one would expect from a fairy lady to hear, but it did not sound like a joke.

"Who was that? And what is this atrocity you suggest?!" Her voice rose, and for good reason probably, but with the chaos going on it was probably safe for a bit. Besides. The crew was used to her talking to herself. "You can hear me? Your aptitude is a very useful thing. I am Alma, the spirit of the rapier he wields, and I will make things clear: Even if my master releases you later, so long as you wear this collar you have no rights. Any noble, peasant, and criminal alike could simply attack you and make you their own. With the options available, my master is the better choice." This would have been a fantastic time to find a lockpick, key, or knive to pick the lock with, but there was nothing of that sort around. Last thing left to try was to simply brute force his way into the cell.

Edited July 28, 2021 by Lusterless Nova

[Moon Hound Hati]

Kyrian whistled softly. “An arch-wizard, huh? Color me impressed,” he complimented the girl with a smile as his hands and eyes continued to wander in search of a locking mechanism. Finding one keeping the front of the cage shut, he took a closer look. Too bad he didn’t have a lockpick on him. The last one broke when he got into the storage area of the dock and slipped into the salt barrel. “I’m currently classed as a ranger with the adventurers’ guild.” Rangers were capable and dexterous monster hunters well-versed in the use of both ranged weapons, as well as lighter melee weapons, such as swords and daggers.

With nothing else insight that could be used to pick a lock, it didn’t seem like he was going to get the million gold girl out the rogue-ish way. As he was mulling over his options, Alma called out again, suggesting the lock could be broken using the rapier. Well, he supposed a magic weapon could have multiple uses. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be too loud.

Surprisingly enough, Megumin could hear his sword spirit companion. Until now he’d assumed she was just speaking directly to his mind, but perhaps the communication was a bit more open than that. It made him curious about even more things when it came to this magical weapon.

Alma’s words gave him pause, what she was true. As long as Megumin wasn’t bound to a master or incarcerated, she would be free game for almost anyone. “Hate to say it, but… Alma’s right. The collar’s not something that can easily be removed. Needs a specialist, you see. That means as long as you’re not bound to a “master,” you’re free game.”

Holding up his hands in front of him, he continued, “Look, I’m not into the whole slavery thing either, but for now there’s not a lot of options to take that wouldn’t result in you being hunted and captured again. Do you understand?”

[Mini Magi]

She hated to admit it, but they had a point. The mage stood there quietly for a bit, head down, her hat covering her face. She still hated all of this but... "Very well." The next moment she stood with one foot at her front, the other a bit at her back, her left arm on her head which she pulled back a bit, and and her right arm on her hip. "I, Megumin of the crimson demon clan, will accept you as my master." He was still a far better choice than that prick earlier, and some random master who would do god knows what to her anyway.

"Very well. Master? To finalize the pact, I need you to put one hand on her collar while I take care of the rest." Once he did as told, and with Megumin being fine with the process, the collar shone softly for a moment, and a seal appearad on the back of Kyrian's hand. "Oh?!" Megumin looked at her own hands, obviously feeling different. "My strength is returning." The inhibition spell on her was gone, and she was free to cast magic again. It would be weaker since she had no staff on her, but she was not going to be picky right now. "I put one of the more effective slave pact on her. 1st: Megumin will be unable to hurt you intentionally." She heard that, and at the mention of it couldn't resist her curiosity, raised her hand for a karate chop, but halfway down her hand seemed to be in a bit of pain, and she pulled it back. "Ugh. She's right. It feels all fuzzy on the inside." She had no reason to think these two would put anything lethal on her, but it was reassuring to know she was right. "2nd: She will grow weak if she is apart from you for too long. And lastly: Your orders are absolute. So long as she is physically able to do so, Megumin can't refuse your word. With that in mind, I suggest you test it and let her strip." Alma's voice was as calm/dissinterested as possible as she suggested this. Her nature was still up to question, but it was true that this was an order most people would outright refuse.

Wait, what?! It felt like a pretty good time to get to a safer distance, maybe even back into the cage. "S-Say. You don't really need to test that one, don't you?"

[Moon Hound Hati]

Kyrian could not help but clap softly and exclaim a calm “Ohhh~!” when she struck a dramatic pose and declared her acceptance of the master-slave pact in a dramatic fashion. It was not even something intentional or action he performed mockingly or sarcastically, but there was simply something enticing about the excentric dark-haired girl. Well, it also helped that he found her physically attractive, with a petite, slender frame and outfit that certainly put some emphasis on her legs.

At Alma’s behest, he stepped closer to the wayward arch-wizard and gingerly placed his fingers against the metal collar wrapped around her neck. When it began to shine, he almost pulled away but suppressed it before it came to that. Afterward, a seal had appeared on the back of his hand. He looked at it from various angles with a questioning and curious expression, holding his hand up above his head as he did so.

“Oh? That sounds like we’re getting somewhere!” the ranger commented in celebratory fashion when Megumin announced that her (magical) strength was returning. Having a reliable partner would be a boon in this situation. Well, at least if she didn’t pull a Chris -- yes, he was calling it that now -- on him.

Chiming in again, the spirit in the magical sword informed them that she made some “improvements” to the slave pact for him, which included the inability to refuse any orders that she was physically capable of performing. Without even batting a proverbial eye, she then suggested he order the girl to strip. While Megumin was, naturally, quite alarmed by this, Kyrian pondered the situation for a moment. It was obvious to him that Alma’s angle was to display the enhancement she had put in place for the master-slave pact and he honestly couldn’t think of a different way to go about it without it involving putting his new companion in harm’s way.

“Well… I am curious if what Alma says about the alterations are true, so…” he began, looking over at Megumin with an apologetic smile. “Please, do strip naked for me right now.”

Edited August 8, 2021 by Moon Hound Hati

[Mini Magi]

Megumin looked in shock as she heard the order. "W-We can talk about this right?" Well. Technically yes, but before she could do much about it, her body already moved on its own, putting down her hat, her eyepatch, and taking off her footwear. "Don't look!" "I suggest you ignore that." She might not have been around, but the mental image of an Alma sitting back and enjoying the show was a very fitting depitction. Regardless. Next she took of her gloves, and reached for her top, pulling it over her rose red face. She wore no bra to take off, but leaned forward to pull her panties down all the way, giving him a good view of how her petite chest would look like if she were on all fours.

With the deed done, Megumin covered her chest with one arm, her bottom with the other, and tried to avert his gaze. Worst of all, she couldn't reach down to get dressed again. Stripping was done not just for the act of getting naked, but staying so for at least a little while, which would go against her order. "This is enough, right?" She had a slim figure, which was bare to view. Not a single imperfection on her skin either. If not before, by now it was very clear why she would have earned the other person one million gold. "Fufufu~ Did you know that you can make slaves follow you around naked?" A teary eyed Megumin looked up to her master, while Alma instead mused about more orders that could be given to her.

[Moon Hound Hati]

Quite frankly a little shocked that his order was actually enforced so naturally by the pact, he stood by speechless for a moment as Megumin began to strip. When she cried out in embarrassment for him not to look, he held up a hand to cover his eyes… Before parting the middle and ring fingers, allowing his eye to peek through as a playful grin spread across his lips. Little by little more flawless skin was exposed, showing him exactly why she had been price-tagged at a whopping million gold. It was wrong, he knew, yet his body could not help but grow aroused, resulting in a light bulge forming in the crotch area of his trousers, though that fact might have easily been missed by Megumin in her highly embarrassing state.

Alma took to bullying the arch-wizard further, informing them that he could make perform acts such as follow him around publically in her current, nude form. The teary-eyed expression his new slave made in response drew a chuckle from the adventurer. Stepping close to Megumin, he patted her head gently and smiled down at the petite, dark-haired spellcaster. “Alright, that’s enough of that,” he said. “I’m sorry, Megumin. I couldn’t help but tease such a beautiful girl a little. You can get dressed now.”

[Mini Magi]

She wasn't sure what to think of him. On one hand, he just gave her such a riduculous order! Death and flame, ruination over his mortal soul! But... Despite being fully capable of going further, he didn't, going against Alma's idea. "Hai." She replied quietly, then picked up her belongings and got dressed quietly.

Alma meanwhile took note that he wasn't afraid to use his own head. Thoughts of a permament pact came to her at this display of his will. Any fleshling could wield a weapon. Resisting temptation and opportunity? This was a most rare trait.

Spoiler

-Current status-

Megumin affection:  Minus-9999!  ... +10
Alma Affection: +20

After Megumin got dressed, it was high time to go back to their initial problem. Alma filled Megumin in with the details, who was by now calm and understanding. "We might be dealing with a poltergeist. It's a higher ghost type monster that can summon lesser ones. It's either that or... A lich." Megumin had experience with some monsters, and everything else she learned from books. At the mention of a lich, she turned a bit nervous. "Liches are high level undead. But no matter what we face, we best do it before the ship gets sunk. Which means, we go to the uper deck." Nodding to each other, they left the room and went trough the other door.

Megumin quickly showed to be a real asset, being able to quick cast small spells like fireballs and raw magic blasts, and given time could even cause bigger ones. "If we weren't on a ship, I could send them all to oblivion in one blow!" Whenever that was true or not had yet to be seen, but her frustration was real.

Once on deck, the last few members of the crew were fighting off phantoms, 5 of them, and only 4 crew members. Luckily for Megumin's mood, the prick from earlier was not around. Good for him. She'd turn him into a pile of ashes otherwise and burn the ship along with him. "The higher monster is not here. Shall we write a tale of how a stowaway saved a crew, or would you rather have the ship for yourself?" With this weapon in hand, he was free to do either. Both the sword and arch wizard were at his command.

[Moon Hound Hati]

Megumin seemed quite knowledgable, though she did not strike him as an experienced adventurer like himself. Nodding to both her words and those of his sword spirit, he responded calmly, with arms loosely folded across his chest, “I’ve dealt with a poltergeist a few times before, but a lich is a lot more advanced… We’d be at a disadvantage against something like that without proper gear and someone specialized in holy magic.” Liches were one of those types of monsters that were hard to keep down without specific counter-measures. In this case, it would be purification magic, which was usually used by holy magic casting classes such as priests, clerics, paladins, and the like.

After leaving the room and crossing the hallway into the other one he’d seen the slave trader unlock and disappear into earlier, they ascended up onto the top deck. Luckily the weather was not too unruly, keeping the boat from swaying more than it needed to, considering the predicament it was currently already facing. Alma’s words drew a chuckle from him as he dashed forward with his magical rapier in hand. 

“I don’t think keeping and maintaining a ship and crew are currently in the budget,” he told her as he engaged the nearest phantom, making short work of it with swift and skillful thrusts. He had to write his father a letter at some point to thank him for all the fencing lessons he’d given Kyrian as a child. While he’d also learned basic sword fighting in school, seeing as people in the countryside had to rely on themselves a fair amount when dealing with stuff like smaller monsters and pests, his father thought it important to teach his adopted son the elvish martial arts. In hindsight, it was obviously also driven by his desire to pass on the knowledge his father had taught him; to have a father-son bonding experience.

“Let’s take these down quick because I’m not keen on trying to sail a big ship like this by ourselves!” he called out to Megumin, trusting her to put that magic she was so boisterous about to good use.

[Mini Magi]

"So it would seem," Replied Alma in an amused tone, and gladly lend him her strength as he engaged one phantom after another. Megumin having heard the order also began her attacks, creating small balls or mana to circle around her, and bombard whatever monster was unfortunate enough to get in her sights with small blasts. The remaining crew realized quickly that they suddenly had serious support, and now focused on defense and distractions to buy their saviors as much time as possible. And suddenly, all seemed like it would turn out better soon.

Until out of nowhere, Kyrian's blood painted a small part of the deck red. The crew members he just saved rushed to his side, one of them with what little medical supplies he had on him, to try their best at stopping the bleeding, while another looked out for more attacks. It came from the back of the ship, where a black cloud began materializing. Something unholy began stepping through. Bare-boned feet, a cloak around its body, and armed with a staff. Before them stood trouble. A lich. "For... Purphobos," was what Kyrian heard last, before the world turned dark.

But while the world turned dark, his body seemed to retain a certain glow. A light in the infinite darkness... and something surprisingly soft at the back of his head. "Worry not. You aren't dead." It was Alma's voice, who was resting his back against her bosom. "You are merely in shock and will come to your senses in a bit. But I have a request to make before that. Will you enter a pact with me?" What they had before was a temporary contract, which allowed Kyrian to access the peak of his own potential. But there was more. "The name the Lich just uttered belongs to the very being Arendile was forged to defeat. A mad god, rumored to destroy the world in the far future. But a disciple of him being here might mean that this future is much closer, and that I am their target to begin with. So here is my offer: If you wish it so, I will restore your body and teleport you to safety. Even if he is coming, you shouldn't see the events of Purphobos in your lifetime." That much was true. Even a near future was for being of her caliber around a couple thousand years or so. "But... On the odd chance you want that instead, I offer you all of my and Arendile's strength, if you in turn raise it against the mad god and his followers."