CHAPTER 427: ARC 6, CHAPTER 43: ALLIES AGAINST THE CULT

"That is a cool skeleton you’re staring at."

"Jesus!" Ben jumped. "Have you thought about wearing a bell dude?"

Jotou stuck her tongue out and gave a wink. Both of them stood at the centre of the guild, now glancing back up to the massive skeleton hanging from one side of the ceiling to the other. "It’s a dragon, right?"

Ben tilted his head and let his gaze wander down one of the wing bones. "Not just a dragon. It’s the Great Drake of Burnetrout—an ancient being. It used to lord over the Gnilan Shores in the ages before the first war."

"Where’s that?"

"That’s Burnetrout’s old name, you know, before the first war, that’s why I-"

"I got it," Jotou replied. "Studying lately?"

"You know I love my lore. But, Clyde talked about it once," Ben’s eyes closed halfway.

Jotou switched her gaze towards the armoured figure, "Hm. How’s that going?"

"Oh we were just talking before you jump scared me. I," he sheepishly looked at her. "Apologized for thinking he was an NPC... Then I had to explain what an NPC was. I said, I didn’t know this was all real.

He sorta gave a smile and said it’s alright. It was kinda awkward," his face shrunk while he explained. "Haven’t talked to the sister yet."

"Progress is progress." ’More than I can say about my own life at the moment.’ Jotou peered up to the draconic skeleton, "That’s probs fake up there."

"Probably. Or it actually got killed in the first war."

"First war... Know much about it lore enthusiast?"

"Come on man, I didn’t even know you were here."

"Touché."

"Though it does make me wonder. What’s this war even about?"

Jotou knitted her brows, "It’s the war of the Tri-Regime of Iniquity—Di-Regime of Iniquity now."

"Yeah obviously; I mean why?"

"Are you asking my war happens Crispy?"

"It would’ve started for some reason. Land, power, whatever—it would’ve also started somehow, I’m just confused on the how. They’re islands around the mainland, right?"

"Yeah..."

"And the cult’s doing what it’s doing cause it wants to basically go all scorched earth policy on the Regime across the pond, right?"

"Annihilate them, yeah. They also want complete control over the populace to do that."

"Maybe the answer are there? As in, in how this whole war started. Might help you guys to understand the cult more. That’s helpful, right?"

Jotou pondered for a moment. A single impressed hum came out of her, "May be. Speaking of which, you’re dancing around the topic."

Ben nonchalantly stretched an arm, "I’m just... You’re after the cult, seemed like an impressive mission of heroic proportions..."

Jotou stood silent and smirked.

"You guys said they’re these uber-threats and could probably use all the help you can get, and," each sentence dragged on for longer.

The blonde nodded along and crossed her arms.

"They’re villains to the land and killed hundreds, they need to be put down and brought to justice," he said with a clench of his fist. One eye went to the side while he tipped his head up to the ceiling.

Jotou bobbed her head around. "Yup. Wish us luck," she turned-

"Dude! Can I join you guys?" all the indifference was lost in his voice.

"Was that so hard to spit out?" Jotou looked at him from the side.

Ben slouched with his arms dangling, "You don’t gotta troll man. Course, I’m not gonna have my helmet fixed and re-enchanted anytime soon, so my intimidation factor’s lost."

"I’m sure the cult would’ve been quaking at the mere sight of it; what a shame," she snarked. "I knocked the literal enchantment off the thing?"

"Nah, they gotta reshape it and to do that they gotta disenchant and it reapply it, it’s a whole thing."

"Just get a new helmet."

"It’s a match set man," he stood upright and gestured to his own body.

"Well, whenever we do set out for the cult hunt, I’ll let you know."

"What’s the ETD on that exactly?"

"That’s what I’m gonna go find out," Jotou walked away.

_

"Meko~"

The lone brunette turned from her never-ending endeavour, "You alright?"

Jotou raised a brow as she approached, "Yeah, why?"

Fumeko observed her face for a moment, "You just look tired."

Jotou tapped a finger onto the bags under her eyes. "Coming from you detective?"

The brunette looked to where Jotou’s eyes pointed to—the notes and journals sprawled across the table. "It’s been informative. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of crap in here that is completely useless, but I’m not gonna skip a page."

"Not like we can do something in Dolpool or against the cult at the moment anyway."

"Exactly," Fumeko agreed. "What do you need?"

"Came to check the progress and how you’re doing," Jotou sat next to her.

"I’m fine," Fumeko relaxed a tad in her presence. "I just wanna get this done as soon as I can. But one thing’s for certain; I think we’re gonna have to head back to Casten Castle."

"My feet are gonna revolt against me soon enough. Think you can teleport us there?" Jotou nudged the brunette’s side.

"I don’t know, I’m not sure if I want your hand as mine," she side-stared.

"Oh come on detective~ You gotta practice."

"Now’s not the best time."

"You’re no fun anymore," Jotou pouted.

"Go find Sobi for that," Fumeko hid her slight blush with a wall of sass.

"On my list. Anyway, not to stress you out more, but did you get anything on spirit-mages?"

"Hm. So that’s what I forgot."

"Eh, it’s alrighty, I’ll spend my time on that."

"Sorry," Fumeko looked at her. "I’ve been busy with learning spells and this damned project. I can’t even get Stasis Hop down, so that spell’s a bust."

"You’re doing great detective," Jotou laid a hand on the back of her shoulder and rubbed it in gentle circles. "We’ll be done sooner rather than later. I know a part of you wants to busy yourself, but don’t be afraid to take a break."

Fumeko collapsed with a loud sigh. She let her face fall into her notes. "I thought I was getting bored at the palace for all those weeks, but now I kinda want it back..."

"You want me to take over the journal reading?"

"No, I’m close to something and would rather finish it," she mumbled against the table.

"I trust you detective. I’m here for you, whenever you need," Jotou took her hand off of her.

Fumeko tilted her head to the side, "...Are you sure you’re alright?"

Jotou knitted her brows, "Yeah, I’m doing fine," she said with a chuckle and a genuine smile.

The brunette stared at that expression for a good chuck of time. She tightened her lips and lifted her head off the table, "I should get back to work," she uttered softly.

"I’ll let you get to it then," Jotou stood up and walked away. However, Fumeko watched her leave out of the corner of her eye... and then frowned to herself.

_

"And then Fumeko ran away with my wand, but I eventually caught her and blinded her! She couldn’t see anything and I just—pop!—and took it back!" she said with a giggle by the end.

Jotou rested her chin in her palm while she watched the elf tell tales she missed with illusions and effects. "Sounds eventful," Jotou smiled. "How’ve you been?"

Asobi finally took a seat on the barstool of the tavern. "Fantastic! Spectacular! One might even say, Amazing!!" her wand lit up into a sparkler of rainbows.

The blonde peppered in a few claps at the display.

"Thank you, thank you," the raven-haired elf tipped her hat and bowed her head. "But everything’s sorta slowed down after you left. All Aru and Meko have been doing are practicing magic and reading those books.

At least Stella’s having some fun talking to Colwyn and me sometimes. I’ve been making sure the Adventurers Guild of Burnetrout never runs out of a show!" she made a peace sign. "But I also think the cult might come to kill us every night," she beamed.

"How quaint," Jotou giggled at the morbid thought. "I won’t lie, every second we’re not in Dolpool worries me. But that’s outside of our control."

"I’m sure Meko’s not doing too well. Especially with Detective Namora and her sister still there," Asobi poked a wand under her chin.

Jotou dug her chin deeper into her palm, "I hope she doesn’t burn herself out."

Asobi buzzed with the same sentiment.

...

"Sobi~?" Jotou sung.

"Mhm~?" she chirped right back.

"You know back on our birthday, when you kissed me?" Jotou’s smile had not faded, nor the singsong tone of her voice.

Asobi’s smile remained as well as she nodded in glee, "Yeah I do! Why?"

"Oh nothing, it’s kinda the reason why me and Hotaru had this whole fight," she let her sentence drag.

Asobi kept her grin, "Oh, I’m sorry about that."

"No, no, it changed some things. Might’ve, actually revealed a lot of things about each other that I don’t know if I would’ve clearly seen otherwise; or at least confront it. Even so, you don’t sound sorry about it," Jotou fluttered her lashes.

"That’s because you’ve been smiling this entire time and you’re scaring me. I can actually feel my heart about to explode all thump-bahbump, so please stop intimidating me with happiness," her act cracked a little and the squeak in her voice was about to break into crying.

Jotou dropped the façade. "I’m not gonna do anything to you."

"I’m not ready to be an electrical conductor miss executioner," her eyes sizzled like eggs on a frying pan.

"Look, I don’t know why exactly you did it and I don’t know why I didn’t say anything to you about it sooner, but don’t do that again, got it?"

She cowered and curled herself into a ball on the stool, holding her wand in both hands, "I won’t," she peeped.

"Then we have an accord."

"Accordingly," Asobi gave a firm nod.

’What?’ Jotou squinted at her for a moment and was too confused to ask anything. "Sure." She got up and left the elf alone...