“Yes, sorry. Something super urgent just came up.”

“Please come back some other time. I’ll make sure to discount it for the inconvenience!”

“Thank you, bye!”

Fiya and Baston closed the door just as the last of their customers finally left.

They then turned back to us, and Baston addressed Luine and Salaire. “So, you guys already talked?”

“No,” I answered. “We went here so that I’d only have to tell it once.”

“That’s a good idea,” he nodded. “Follow me.”

He and Fiya led the way as I looked around their shop some more. Baston had gotten even better at making plant art through controlled growth and trimming, and there were a lot of more normal flower arrangements too. I… didn’t really understand the latter, to be honest, but they were pretty.

We reached the back of the store, and the door opened to a more modest but elegant green garden with a pathway that eventually led to a small house decently and artistically overgrown with plants.

They’d really built an idyllic place for themselves.

“I like it,” I commented.

“Thank you.”

“It is very great.”

We walked the path, entered the quaint and cozy little home, and then sat down around the dining table once we’d gotten a few cookies and other snacks out.

It was time… to finally talk to them in person about what had happened.

I didn’t know where to start. I didn’t want to.

“Haell?” Fiya called.

“Yeah.” I smiled thinly. My thoughts churned. It wasn’t my fault. Therick betrayed me. I was the one who suffered the most under a year of torture. But… “You guys got caught up in that, huh?” I scratched my head. “I didn’t really mean for things to spill over like that. To get you chased out of Latarus and all.”

They winced. I think everyone’s appetite just died.

“Haell…” Luine started. She looked like she was trying to force the words out. “That’s… not true. It wasn’t your fault you got captured. It was…” she choked up. “It was because Therick betrayed you… right?”

She had practically raised the boy. And she only knew part of what happened because we had been able to send the occasional letter between North and South.

I should have come sooner.

“I never said it was my fault,” I said, just a little bitterly. “But you still had to lead your children and friends through a perilous journey here. Not… all of them survived. And I’m aware, you know? When I revealed myself as a demon. You’ve been under scrutiny ever since.”

Luine stayed quiet, but Salaire confirmed it. “Yes. It was hard.” The belfegor woman looked at me. “But I do not blame you for it. They were the ones who decided that we should be put under scrutiny. Not you.”

“And I don’t disagree” I just said that! “I just… feel bad about what happened.”

She smiled kindly. She hid her own pain to soothe mine. “Of course you do. That’s just normal. But there is nothing to be done. We are here now, and… thriving.”

“What really happened, though?” Baston asked after a long moment of silence had passed. “None of you ever did go into detail in your letters. I know that… Therick betrayed you.”

I nodded, slowly. Messages had been exchanged between us over the years, through the spy network and scouts near the barrier range. I really should have come to visit them sooner, but I was truly… unstable for years since I’d freed myself. And then I wanted to consolidate my power after I was marginally better.

A small, ugly, cowardly part of me was relieved when my parents informed me of their plans to send a letter. I penned my own, glad that I didn’t have to confront them about Therick’s betrayal and everything else in person just yet. That the sting would’ve been delivered in my absence, and the wound would have scarred by the time I arrived.

It was pathetic. A demon. An archdemon. Feeling this way. Afraid. After all I’d faced. After the pain I’d suffered in obscurity. Why would I ever fear anything else!?

It was just like the Illusion Dragon all over again.

“Hey, Haell,” Fiya shook my shoulder. “You alrig–?”

“YES!” I hissed, glaring at her. I regretted it the moment after. I shouldn’t have done that, I should be in control, I was the one in the wrong here, why the fuck was I acting like the victim–

I breathed in, and swallowed it all inside. I was spiraling, and I recognized what that looked like. It was a trap that tried to ensnare my hearts at every passing moment. How could I let it win now, when–

“No,” I said softly. “I’m not okay. I need a moment.”

Fiya did not react at all to my outburst, and just gestured me to the living room nearby, or the door outside.

I settled for living room, as it was just as cozy as anything outside. Who knew what kind of asshole I might meet if I went out.

I sat down on a luxuriously soft couch, and closed my eyes. The sweet smell of my surroundings only grew more calming. My best memories swirled around my head, from my family to my friends, but none that included anyone I didn’t like anymore. I had gotten very good at choosing which memory I wished to surface over the years.

I stayed like that for a good while, until I stood and finally told them of all that had happened.

From the adventure we had since we last saw Luine and the others. Bittersweet, since one of us was an impostor from the start. We saw half this continent, and I hated how the many discoveries of that decade had been tainted because Therick was in them, plotting my doom.

“I don’t think it was all fake and Therick was like that from the start…” Luine started, but thought better of it upon my blank stare.

I let it go, and expounded upon more of our journey. How we arrived at New Grandera, and what our impressions of the place was. It was different, it was better, but there were still so many problems

All too soon, the event that everyone knew was coming, and had dreaded all this time, finally arrived.

We went on a quest to hunt goblins… that Therick had picked out. An ambush awaited us there, and I sacrificed myself so that they may live, including him. I was imprisoned, I was tortured, and in that darkness he had the gall to show himself and try to deceive me!!!

“Can you…” Luine hesitated. “Can you tell me what his final words were? I understand why you hate him, and I’m torn too, because how could I have let him end up like that… I’m sorry. But he was still one of my children. I want to know. Please.”

For a long moment, I didn’t answer.

I swallowed my own discomfort and told her of Therick’s last words.

“He… apologized, once I broke what brainwashing he was under. But the betrayal was all him. He blamed me for a lot of things, like… ‘I didn’t know– I didn’t think this would happen! We were just… we were just… It didn’t matter! It didn’t matter that we were in New Grandera! Everyone’s evil anyway! I wanted to return home! But you took that from me! You fucking broke your promise! I did what I could! I did what I had to! They promised! They promised that they wouldn’t hurt the others! I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I just wanted to go home! That wasn’t the place for me! It was only the place for you! It was always you! I’ve always been nothing! I’m nothing to you! I’m fucking nothing…!’ That’s what he said. He apologized, and then… screamed about how it hurts in his final moments. I… was admittedly supremely livid back then, and I used one of my strongest attacks. The curseflame. It’s… the most painful one, though he did… die very fast.” My voice was breaking by the end, but I wasn’t the one feeling the most pain. I shouldn’t be.

Luine and Salaire sobbed. A bit of steel entered their eyes when they stared at me, and I endeavored not to blame them. I would accept it if they came to hate me. I regretted none of my actions, but what could you do when someone dear to you had been killed?

“I… I have a good memory. It’s brutal though, but I can repeat his very last words verbatim like that last one, if you want…”

They tensed, but Salaire nodded, almost imperceptibly.

I said it with as little emotion as possible.

“Were you mind-controlled?”

“Y-yes… yes… W–w-w-wwell, right now… yes. Only–only a little. But I did not… not at the time. Not then. I’m sorry! I’M SORRY! PLEASE FORGIVE ME! I’ll get them to release you! I promise! I swear–”

“IT HURTS! IT HU-RTS! IT HURTS SO BAD! MAKE IT STOP! PLEASE MAKE IT STOP! F-FUCK YOU HAELL! FUCK YOU! I CURSE YOU! YOU THINK YOU’RE BETTER THAN ANYONE!? WELL YOU’RE NOT! YOU’RE JUST AS MONSTROUS AS THE PEOPLE YOU WANT TO DESTROY! I HOPE YOU FUCKING FAIL! I DON’T WANT TO DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!”

I remembered it all. I remembered it well. I could never forget anything again.

Luine cried harder, and Salaire held her, shedding more tears of her own.

I just sat there and allowed them to grieve for a man I utterly despised.

~~~

Luine stormed off, and Salaire bowed at us apologetically, though I could tell she was just as sad. That left Fiya and Baston to tell me about their own side of the story, and what they’d been up to since I was gone.

Life was much of the same for them in the years since we last saw each other. Things did get hard when it got revealed that I was a demon, but they worked directly for my parents, who were in turn under Grandpa Golex’s protection. They were put under scrutiny, but they survived. That same protection was extended to Luine and the rest… for the most part. They played off my demonhood as something completely unexpected that they knew nothing about. I must have only recently become a demon. Maybe I wasn’t even the Haell they knew, but someone wearing my skin, or stealing my name. It had been done before.

The propaganda that came out of Angelore matched this. All speculation, but placing all the blame on me, Haell or not. Perhaps Grandpa called in some favors, or perhaps no one really wanted to believe and announce that their greatest hero had concealed and raised a traitor.

And then I was captured. Grandpa revealed the truth through death and carnage as he stormed out of the city and smashed his way through the wall. The gate was right there.

Baston and Fiya’s own group made their move at the exact same time, staging an exodus from the other side of the city that was unbelievably successful. They faced little resistance, which was easily dispatched by their own fighters and Luine’s many hidden collaborators. They suffered not a single casualty.

The subsequent trek through the forests and towards Northern New Grandera proved to be a lot more perilous. Countless soldiers, and a few armies, were sent to stop the defectors.

Thankfully, they weren’t the only one.

Like The Harvesters’ own escape from Edengar in the south, this was when the countless agents and asylum-hopefuls came out and all ran for Northern New Grandera. That same nation launched an all-out attack that spilled well past Edengar’s Borders. And the Crustecar Kingdoms of the deep also took this opportunity to inflict damage upon their most hated foe. Edengar’s response was severely strained, especially with the greater focus they put on failing to capture Grandpa, which was what allowed so many more people to slip through the cracks.

It goes to show that making an enemy out of everyone is a very bad idea. I should learn from that.

Of course, not without trouble and significant casualties of their own, not just from Edengar pursuit but from the monsters that dwelled in the forest; but Luine’s massive group managed to make it through, and they turned the tables on their pursuers once they reached the new border and joined the closest allied army they could find. Northern New Grandera had of course committed hard on this same occasion to further pressure Edengar and secure territory, as did the crustecars harass their

It’s hard to have so many enemies, huh?

It was at this point that the door opened, and Luine returned. Her gaze was hard, at first, but it quickly softened and she patted my head hard.

I glared, but allowed her hand to linger for a few seconds

“I get it, Haell. I do. I still… just got emotional.”

“Yeah. I know.”

“Your parents’ letters were a lot more detailed, you know? Are you the one who was there or not!”

“Eh, it was a really hard topic to breach, okay? What the fuck was I supposed to say? Hey, I killed this guy who’s basically a son to you!”

“That is basically all you said!” she huffed, then sighed. “I would’ve done the same thing if any of you betrayed me like that. And I’ve been in the spy business for a long time, so… I have.”

“Now then,” Salaire got our attention, “We were speaking about killing the Edengarians, and finally making it here?”

“Yeah,” Luine allowed the change in topic. “In a way, it was the best opportunity we could’ve asked for to get that many people across the border.” I smiled thinly at her attempt to reassure me and see the bright side of things. “The forest monsters were almost more troublesome than them. Their armies didn’t really get the chance to catch up to us until a New Granderan detachment had come to meet us halfway. We had a lot more elites on our side, and managed to drive them back. We then met with an even larger allied force, and nearly wiped out the converging Edengar armies that met us. That was satisfying.”

“I get the feeling.” I nodded strongly.

They were escorted to Swordpierce City after that, a frontier fortress along the border. From there, they were hosted quite generously, and then given the freedom to choose where they wanted to go from here. Many of the refugees chose to go to the safer inner territories of Northern New Grandera, but a good chunk stayed in Swordpierce City to be immediately indoctrinated into the army and take the fight to Edengar.

“It’s they best recruitment drive,” Fiya commented sarcastically.

My four friends here chose to venture deeper into New Granderan territory despite the military’s attempts to persuade them. They led what remained of their people and many more refugees, which definitely made the journey safer. They got to see and experience a new and diverse culture along the way, and the caravan gradually shrank as people found cities and towns where they would like to settle down.

“It was nice to see the kids heal and have fun again, after the grueling journey here,” Salaire remarked.

She and the rest of my friends here apparently paid for the trip themselves. They had a lot of money squirreled away, and they made even more by reviving the Piss Hunters and taking on quests along every stop. It was only a shame that two crucial members of the Piss Hunters were missing, but they could deal.

Eventually, they stopped too, and the caravan of people who wished to go further went on their own way. Baston and the rest settled for this Jaleson Cty, for its distance from any possible warfronts, myriad opportunities, and a very permissive Count in charge. They almost separated actually, because Salaire wanted a smaller and quieter town for the children, but eventually agreed to just stay together here.

The Luine and Salaire orphanage was built anew, in an entirely different land.Baston got the noble title he wanted, and Fiya easily went along. The other couple was a lot more skeptical.

“On the one hand, we can provide a good, safe, and wealthy neighbourhood for the children to grow up in,” Salaire started.

“But do we really want them to grow up and think that that’s normal and okay?” Luine continued. “I really wasn’t sure. And there was even pushback against us potentially starting an orphanage for common children in noble district. They also wouldn’t accept us just adopting everyone into a noble family. There are restrictions for that sort of thing. How very noble of them.”

Salaire patted her wife’s shoulder reassuringly. “So, we decided to just set up shop in the wealthiest common district we could find. It’s safe and filled with plenty of opportunities. There are even actual schools, and not ones that only teach you one trade and expect you to work for them no matter what during the best years of your life.” She paused. “I don’t know. Maybe learning the ways of nobles would’ve given them a brighter future. But there are enough opportunities here. We’ll help them. And I was afraid that if we did bring them to the noble’s district… that the children would get bullied.”

“Some had already come to try and stir trouble,” Luine said sourly. “But I took care of them.”

What does that mean…? I furrowed my brows.

“I gave them a stern talking to, of course,” she stared at me incredulously. “The bullies were stupid brats, too.”

“Hey. I didn’t say anything.” Though I did think it. Conflicts could be resolved other than with violence. Of course. I knew that. I even did it sometimes, like with all my interactions with basically any government. I am a demon that understands restraint.

~~~

Over the next few days, I stayed in Jaleson City to truly catch up and reconnect with my old friends. It was hard to think of them as the family friends, or honorary aunts and uncles, after all this time. I’d grown so old. Older than I’d ever been. By Earth standards, my friends here should be elderly by now, but they yet remained spry and active.

Fiya took me to a clothing store in the noble district, and I found a few clothes that I liked. Some of them bore a brighter design that somehow didn’t clash with my demonic appearance. The staff were overly polite, but they did do their jobs well, fitting everything to suit my larger frame, and adding holes for my tail and wings.

“Um, can I ask what that is?” one of them was finally brave enough to ask about the Mark of Pandemonium on my chest.

“Magic,” I simply replied.

“Does it always show over your clothing?”

“I do like to make it show, yes.” Implying that I can just stop, when I certainly cannot.

I experienced another round of fitting into multiple different clothes, as the staff and Fiya picked out things that might work well with the Mark of The Beast.

It was nothing compared to Moonwash’s custom-made dresses, but I still had a good time. I wouldn’t mind showing them off once I got home.

“So why are you wearing your armor again?” Fiya pouted the next day. I had slept in their guest bedroom last night.

“You never know when an attack might come. It’s best to be ready.”

“Haell, you… That’s not healthy.”

I rolled my evil eyes. “Oh come on. It’s my first time here in the North. Who knows what could happen.”

“So, you’ll wear them if you were back home?”

“Yes,” I nodded, then decided to add, “In Pandemonium.”

“That’s… your house right?”

“Yes…”

“And if you go out?”

“Well… I got an armor dress that Moonwash made for me?” It wasn’t as good as my main armor, but it was good enough for me to feel safe while looking good.

“Haell! How can you live like this! That’s terrible!”

“Oh, come on. It’s not that bad. Lighten up a little.”

“You’re the one who needs to lighten up!”

~~~

The next day, I hung out with Salaire and Luine. They made the effort to do it, even though I could tell they were still a little bit uncomfortable around me. We spent most of the day in the orphanage, where I played with the kids. From dodgeball to flight, I carried them high and dodged their volley of projectiles. I only got hit because I refrained from flying or going past the fence. The kids were excited to see the world from above, even if it wasn’t the first time. Luine did bring in some harpies occasionally to fly them out. It was something they might not be able to do anymore once they were older, especially for those of heavier species. Harpies were really quite fragile.

They all knew I was a demon. I wasn’t hiding it. And the children had surely heard the stories. So, predictably, they had a whole deluge of questions.

“Hey hey! Are you demon?”

“Wow.”

“What’s a demon?”

“Why’s your skin red?”

“What do demons do?”

“What’s a Demon Queen?”

“The queen of demons, duh!”

“Then… is there like a kingdom of demons?”

“Wooow.”

“You’re scary…”

“Scary eyes!”

“Why do you do war? That's bad!”

“You shouldn't kill people, you know?”

“I like your horns.”

“Pretty armor.”

“Can I have it!?”

“I like flying!”

“Can I fly too?”

“I want wings…”

“You just grew them! How do I do that?”

“But now they’re gone… that’s sad…”

“TAILl!”

I smiled and did my best to answer them. I definitely had to sugarcoat a lot of subjects, but I didn’t want to outright lie. It had been so long since I last saw Luine, that I did not know any of these children anymore, though I did know some of the other caretakers who just smiled warmly without saying more.

“Yes, I’m a demon. It’s a species of free and powerful people, I would say. My skin is this color because it’s a nice color and I like it. Demon Queen is my title, I’m a demon who controls territory. I like my eyes, thank you, yours are nice too. Death is indeed unfortunate, but… sometimes war is necessary. You know that self-defense is okay, right? You wouldn’t just allow someone to punch you if you can help it? It’s like that. But I’m sure you’ll understand more when you’re older. Maybe you won’t even agree with me, and that’s fine. It’s too complicated an issue to give an absolute answer to. My horns are nice, yes. TAIL! My wings are still here, see? It’s… like a sword, sometimes it’s sheathed. It’s magic. I… your species doesn’t have these things, but um, uh…” Shit! I shouldn’t tell them to try and change their species. It was incredibly dangerous for one. And being a demon would not be a good idea for most people, if not literally everyone else. “Be confident in yourself. Be whatever and whoever you want to be. You don’t have to copy me. You don’t have to copy anyone. You can carve your own path. And no, you can’t have my armor. It was made by my girlfriend, Moonwash! You’ll have to get your own.”

Whew! I got through that perfectly. And I didn’t even curse once! That deserved praise.

~~~

I sat with Luine after telling the children a few more stories. We watched them play and tire themselves out as a question floated up my mind.

“You know, I never did notice any of your children here get adopted. I don't think I've ever noticed an office. Do just not do that?”

“We do. Occassionally. I just have to... investigate them. A little. And if I like what I see, then they can adopt.”

“And how often is that?” I asked skeptically.

“Not… that often, to be honest. I’m really all for getting them adopted to a new home. I try my best, but a smaller household can give them the attention they deserve. It’s just… I’m pretty fucking confident that they’ll live a better childhood a better childhood here than most places.”

“True.” I nodded. “I agree. Most parents are people, and most people are shit.”

“I’ll drink to that if I had one on hand… and we weren’t right here in front of the children.”

I chuckled. “What about me? Hypothetically, if I wanted to adopt, then will you let me?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Wha– That was fast! Too fast! I don’t even want to! But it’s just a hypothetical! You don’t know that I’ll make a bad mom.”

She just stared at me. Right into my soul.

“Okay. I know that. Ahahahaha!”

~~~

I went out with the four of them to tackle some quests, and thankfully, of the many documents that weren’t accepted here, my New Granderan adventurer credentials were something that remained valid even in the north.

I was still only gold-ranked. I could, potentially, get it to hero-rank because I possessed the power to rival one, but I didn’t bother. It’d just give people a more comprehensive idea of my capabilities.

We left the city in high spirits, with Baston’s shop closed for the day, and the orphanage handled by Luine’s other staff. A good number of her ‘graduates’ had gone on to work for her orphanage, and many kept in touch.

“Maybe it’ll come soon,” she said as we traveled along the untamed wilds. A tiger pounced at her, but her katar-hand was buried through its skull before the creature could react. “I’m not really needed here anymore. They’re safe, they’re secure, they don’t need protecting. I can rejoin the frontlines anytime.”

“You don’t have to,” I made sure to remind her of what she already knew. “You seem to enjoy it here.”

“That’s precisely why I have to. It might not last if I don’t.”

Don’t worry. I’m here and Edengar won’t survive for much longer. I chose not to voice those thoughts.

“Well, I don’t think my help would be that impactful,” she chuckled. “Unlike yours.”

“No one person’s is!” Salaire reassured her wife. “But your help, and that of many others, will carry just as much weight if taken together.”

Luine raised a brow. “Do you want me to go?”

“No. But you’ll do it anyway, right? So this time I’m coming with you!” She forestalled her wife’s concerns. “The orphanage is in good hands. I’m not really needed there anymore either. And… I want to fight too. Before I can’t anymore.”

Luine opened her mouth, and then closed it. “I don’t like it, but I’ll be a hypocrite to stop you.”

“That’s right!” Salaire said proudly, and then disappeared into the trees, before landing with a branchcap

mushroom in hand. “That’s one quest down!”

A sound reverberated in the forest. The warsymbol’s claws and my Devilcalibur collided. The monster’s limb predictably fell apart… but not entirely. It was unusable, but not entirely torn off.

“Huh.” It’d been a while since I faced one of these guys. It was actually impressive that the monster only took that much damage from my swing. Magic had aided me, therefore most Level 40s would’ve just fallen apart with little resistance.

The warsymbol roared, stood on its hindlegs, and tried to swat me even harder with its remaining front paw. I slashed in return, my every frustration poured into the scream that tore out of my mouth! And the violence my body brought to bear.

The confluence of wrath, bloodlust unmatched.

This time, the offending limb was truly torn apart. Flesh was blown away as if by an explosion. The remaining length twisted and fell off on its own. A rotting wound lingered on the shoulder that barely remained, quickly invading the rest of my opponent’s body in turn.

The warsymbol whimpered, and then tried to run.

I watched it for one short moment, fully aware of how it would not survive this. The wound of its stump gushed great amounts of blood, and it would not close with all the rot introduced. I flew and decided to show my enemy some mercy.

I ended its suffering early.

“Holy shit,” Fiya said behind me.

“By the angels themselves,” Baston agreed.

I giggled and landed in front them.

“Well done!” Salaire praised, fearlessly patting my head. She had to reach high to reach.

I glared and shooed her away.

Luine stared at the carcass of my enemy for a short while longer, then shook her head.

“I knew it. I knew you’d grow stronger than anyone. I called it! What did I tell you!?”

“You did tell me!” I agreed!

“We trained you!” Baston shouted back. “That means we also did this! In a way!”

“That’s right!” Luine snapped her fingers, then reached up to wrap an arm around my shoulder. “We guarded you when you could fall to a stiff breeze!”

“Hey! I wasn’t that weak!” I protested.

Baston reached up, also wanting wrap me in a side hug. I actually crouched down to make it easier for the both of them.

“I do appreciate it,” I said genuinely, wrapping my larger arms around them in turn. “I only survived to reach my potential because of you.”

“Well, part of my potential so far,” I hurriedly added. “This isn’t the end! It’s only the beginning!”

The four of them looked at each other and laughed.

“You’ll see! I’ll still get so much stronger from here!”

They did not doubt me one bit.

~~~

“Haell?” Baston asked. I looked up and waved at the man, as he had woken up in the middle of the night. I felt a little awkward, because my spatial senses did kind of reveal a lot of things happening in a house as small as this. It was an issue for my stays at inns too, but I rarely had to deal with it because Pandemonium was too big for it to be an issue.

“Hey. What’s up?” I lowered my book but didn’t close it yet. I… Only Moonwash knew of my Dimensional Scanner. No one else.

“You still awake?”

“Nah. I’m fast asleep.”

“Can’t sleep?”

“Cheeky.” My friend snorted and grabbed a bottle of wine. “You good to drink?”

“Sure,” I smiled, and he poured us both a glass.

“I thought you quit?” I asked after a good sip.

“Hm?”

“Adventuring work.”

“Ah. Well, yeah. But I don’t mind hanging out occasionally. I was perfectly safe earlier. You were there, and nothing came close to being able to take you, alone.”

“You got a lot of faith in me,” I chuckled. “I’d tell you not to be so sure. Who knows what monster may be hidden in the forest’s depths. But it’s true that I was never challenged at all in that trip.”

“Yeah. And to think you used to be a wee child, only claiming that you will be this strong.”

“I never claimed that,” I countered. “My ambitions are not so low.”

He barked a laugh, and we drank in companionable silence for a little while.

“What’s it like living here?” I asked eventually. “Among nobles.”

He snorted. “It’s fine. They’re fine. I don’t know why you hate them so much. You’re even the Demon Queen!”

“I acknowledge the hypocrisy,” I agreed. “But it’s just a title. I’m plenty sure that we’re nothing alike.”

“You’ll be surprised.” He took another sip, grinning. “They are a bit stiff like that, usually. But there’s a reason I and the lady like them so much. These nobles are so much more fun than the ones in Edengar, especially once in private.”

I raised a brow.

“I… shouldn’t say more. Fuck, I’m getting drunk.”

“Yeah.” I laughed. “This is strong stuff.” Good thing I’d healed it all before it could actually affect my psyche. Alcohol just remained a nice delicacy.

~~~

“So, how do we do this?” Fiya asked. The five of us were currently in a secluded cave behind a waterfall.

“I’ll hug you and then start the teleportation process.”

They wanted to visit my folks too, now that it was so easy, and Fiya ended up being the first one. Baston still needed to finish some preparations before closing up shop for a while, as did Luine and Salaire with the orphanage. Not that the orphanage was closing, but they had to say goodbye at least. They wouldn’t be leaving permanently just yet, which was good, because then it would look like it was my fault to the kids!

“Oh? If you need a hug then you should’ve just asked!” She did so and patted me reassuringly on the back. “There, there.”

“Idiot,” I snorted, but returned the gesture. It was fortunate that I was keeping this capability a secret, and only intended to transport the people closest to me. “Space magic is difficult, especially since I don’t actually have it.” Or maybe that was what made it easy, because it was an ‘innate’ ability. I could only push around some large rocks if I used actual magic, and I suspected I was only able to do that much thanks to my growing experience with space. I couldn’t use it at all before my evolution. “It took some effort until I was able to transport people without outright tearing them apart.”

She stopped patting my back. “What?”

“Hmm? No, no. Continue. I do need a hug, I think.”

“Is this safe!?”

I laughed. “Is anything safe? That’s a deeply philosophical question.”

“HAELL!”

I laughed harder. “Okay, okay. I did say I worked hard to work out all the kinks, and I tested it again yesterday. There’s no issue with activating it at this distance, or concealed behind a waterfall.”

“Whew. Okay. Asshole! You lost the respect you had as a kid, huh!?”

“I don’t know if that ever happened.” With another laugh, space began to bend around us, and Fiya frowned from the sensation.

“Later then!” I said to the remaining three.

“Yeah,” Baston nodded, then addressed his wife. “Say hi to Granuel! But uh, tell him that I’ll be long so I can surprise him!” That was a good idea. I had gone along and didn’t even reveal that I’d come back yesterday.

Luine chuckled. “Have fun and stay safe, you two.”

“BYEEEEE—!” Salaire waved, but her voice distorted before disappearing entirely.

They were gone. I and Fiya were in a completely different place.

“YIKES!”

The teleportation room maintained a creepy cultish aesthetic. Just the way I liked it.