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Optimistic Game Chapter 61
🕑 Added 2024-02-27 12:39:58 +0000 UTCEdited by: Marethyu, Priapus
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â Weiss â
Having lived most of her life in Atlas, she had never really gotten used to warmer climates, and while she could handle the heat to an extent, adding humidity was something else. Weiss was constantly sweating, and it made her feel gross. She didnât understand how Blake could bear it.
And after a brutal battle in that other world, Weiss felt exhausted, even though it was still pretty early. She checked her scroll and saw it was only 16:21. The sun was still up and nearly dried out all the water in her body.
She liked Menagerie more when it was nighttime. This was unbearable. Painful. Not even Valeâs hottest day was this bad.
At least her teammate was kind enough to invite her to her familyâs private bathhouse. Weiss felt they deserved it after everything theyâd gone through, from the mines to the âdungeonâ thing Reid had dragged them to.
After their weird and literal out-of-this-world experience, Reid had told them to go back as he continued working on the mine. Weiss protested at first, wanting to be of help, but then he hit her with a very blunt âYou canât really do anything to helpâ.
Sadly, he was correct, but Weiss almost wished he had said it more gently. Almost. Reidâs straightforwardness was still very refreshing to her. It tended to be that way when nearly every person sheâd met before coming to Vale was ready to start brown-nosing without any shame.
At least they made it back to the city quickly this time. Unlike before, when the tense atmosphere choked her and Blake to death and made the hour-long walk feel like it took days, it felt far more pleasant after their reconciliation. Weissâ chest didnât feel uncomfortably tight whenever she looked at her teammate.
Of course, Weiss was aware of the risk of trusting her again, and the lingering doubt of betrayal was still present, as flimsy as it was, but this was a decision she was happy with. If anything, she felt that their relationship had grown stronger.
She just hoped Blake would stop constantly throwing her life away by putting herself in perilous situations, but honestly, it wasnât her place to scold her about that. Weiss wouldâve probably done the same.
Friends she was willing to die for⊠It felt baffling that she had attained one of the things she used to always dream of so quickly. Sheâd only known them for a few months, after all. Was it really this easy? Or was her team just special? Beyond just Blake and Reid, Weiss loved Yang, Levi, and Ruby like they were her own sisters.
Sheâd never truly believed in that stuff, but perhaps this was fate? Maybe, maybe not. Whatever it was, Weiss only wished that this friendship would last for a lifetime and was confident it would.
ââItâs insane how quickly the worldâs changing,â Blake said while eyeing one of Reidâs golems as the two made their way to her motherâs villa. âWith the golems now being public news and Titans dropping like flies.â
âRight?â Weiss agreed. âThis is the first time in Remnantâs history that two Titan Slayers existed in the same generation.â
âAnd theyâre both people we know.â Her teammate added. âIt really is insane to think about. It makes me wonder if weâll ever be able to do the same.â
âI donât see why not.â The SDC heiress raised a brow. âWe nearly defeated that Dreadnought together, didnât we?â
âThatâs true, but Ruby has her weird skimpy power-up and magic thatâs strong against Grimm.â Blake pointed out. âAnd even still, she says she had a lot of trouble.â
âYou make it sound like we need to kill a Titan individually to prove our worth,â Weiss said. âWeâre Team Wildberry; we work together, Blake.â
âI⊠yeah, youâre right.â Blake shook her head and then smiled. âSorry if Iâm being a downer. Itâs justâ being part of something so huge is really intimidating, yâknow? We almost lost our lives in that mine.â
âTo be fair, we didnât have Yang or Levi with us. Things wouldâve been easier with them around.â The team leader said. âStill, you make an excellent point. But we only need to train harder. Refine our teamwork and tactics. Get better at using Haki, seeing as we can both access it.â
Weiss wasnât sure what she should be feeling, knowing sheâd ended up with the rarest type, according to Reid, but this Conquerorâs Haki was no joke. Back in that dungeon, she couldnât really dwell on what sheâd done as it was in the heat of the moment, but after the two girls had calmed down, sheâd had time to think.
The power behind that weird pressure was very, very real. The fact that her shouting had caused an albeit run-down building to collapse wasnât something one could reasonably justify as being âtoo loudâ. It was something else.
Weiss didnât exactly feel strong when she activated it. It didnât make her stronger, but if what Reid told her was true, then she could end entire battles without even drawing her blade or accessing her magic. She could knock out veteran hunters by merely glaring at them.
âYeah, your ConquerorâsâŠâ Blake said, rubbing her arms. âThat was something, alright.â
âYou felt it, too?â Weiss looked at her in surprise.
âYeah. For a moment, I felt like I couldnât breathe.â She nodded. âItâs like⊠you know how everything kind of slows down when you feel like youâre about to die?â
âGoodness, Iâm so sorry.â
âHeh, itâs fine. You saved my life.â Blakeâs smile returned. âJust saying itâs really powerful. It felt worse than the time Reid used it as his first test for us.â
âAhâŠâ Weiss felt a mixture of honor and embarrassment being compared to him. âI, um, I appreciate the compliment, but letâs be honest, he was likely holding back that time.â
âYeah, probably.â She agreed. âStill, I think itâs amazing. Didnât Reid say itâs a one-in-a-million thing? Compared to Armament, which everyone with enough training can access.â
âIt feels like youâre underselling your own achievement by saying that.â Weiss narrowed her eyes.
âWellââ
âNo, enough of that. You know full well how difficult that was to utilize in the first place.â She cut her off. âWe made zero progress before yesterday. Be proud of yourself more, Blake.â
The Faunus looked a little surprised at Weissâ assertion, as she should be. How dare she constantly undermine her very own efforts like that? Right in front of her team leader, too? The nerve of this girl.
âIâm sorrââ Blake stopped herself. â...Youâre right, Weiss. Thanks.â
âHmph. Of course, Iâm right. Itâs only natural to be proud of yourself.â Weiss smirked haughtily and puffed her chest. âAfter all, youâre a student of Reid Astera and a part of the greatest team in Beacon Academy.â
Blake giggled.
âTrue enough.â
Finally making it to the villa, the guards bowed and moved out of the way, letting them in. Weiss noticed that the people here didnât look at her with anywhere near the disdain theyâd shown when she first arrived.
It made her appreciate Reidâs help even more. Without him, this wouldnât have happened. Though she felt a little worried, seeing as her father hadnât done anything yet, and as scary as her boyfriend could be, she knew Jacques was too stubborn to let this go.
He was going to most definitely try something stupid.
âAh, youâre back.â Kali smiled as she noticed them coming in. âHm? I donât see Mr. Astera with you.â
âHe said heâs going to stick around and clear out the mines of any remaining Grimm,â Her daughter answered.
âI see.â She hummed, looking them up and down. âIt seems you two were in quite the battle.â
âWe were,â Weiss confirmed, looking at her teammate with a smile. âBut thereâs nothing that can stand in our way.â
âIs that so?â Kali chuckled. âThen I assume youâre here to use the bathhouse?â
âIf itâs fine,â Blake said.
âOf course it is.â The mother nodded, getting up from her seat. âAllow me to prepare it for you.â
âI can do that, Mom. You really donât have to.â
âI want to, dear.â Kali easily deflected. âIt wonât take long. You may enjoy some tea until then.â
With that, she left the two girls alone in the living room. Blake sighed and took her motherâs offer, sitting on the sofa before pouring tea for her and Weiss.
âI know it isnât my place to say anything, but why not hire a maid?â Weiss asked. âYouâre wealthy enough to afford that, no?â
âWe tried to.â
âTried to?â Weiss parroted, a bit confused.
âYeah. Before my dad passed away, he wanted to hire someone to care for the place instead of mom since it was pretty big.â She explained, breaking into a fond smile. âBut she kept refusing, saying sheâd fire anyone he tried to hire. Dad kind of just gave up at some point.â
Weissâ confused frown turned into one of longing.
âI⊠seeâŠâ
âI think she just likes doing housework. Cooking, cleaning, all that.â She continued. âThough, she does appreciate it when we help her out.â
She looked at where Kali went, feeling her heart twist at her own lack of good memories about her family. Even before her motherâs depression, she was almost always too busy to be taking care of them. Besides Winter and Whitely, Weiss⊠didnât really know her real much about her family.
If anything, she considered Klein more of a parent than either Willow or Jacques.
That was one hell of a way to come to that realization, she thought. Weiss knew it wasnât her fault, but she suddenly felt incredibly jealous of Blake. Even though sheâd lost a parent, at least she still had one.
âAre you alright, Weiss?â Blake said, almost startled. âYou were zoning out for a second there.â
âA-ah, I was?â Weiss said, a little embarrassed. âSorry.â
âCome on, sit down.â Her teammate gestured at the sofa opposite of her. âI poured you some tea.â
No, she shouldnât think that way.
âThank you.â She smiled, took a seat, and grabbed the cup. âDid I ever tell you that I actually like it more than coffee?â
âYou do?â Blake blinked in surprise. âSeeing how much coffee you drink in Beacon made me think otherwise.â
âI donât drink that much.â
âEight cups is a lot.â
âNot for a huntress.â
She didnât need the approval and acknowledgment of deadbeat parents when she had everything she could want from her team. Both Willow and Jacques could die for all she cared. It would change nothing.
Because her real family was right here in front of her.
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â Reid â
Sitting on a rock next to the mine entrance, I try to decipher the cultist book I found in the dungeon, looking through some history books to find anything useful. So far, there is nothing I can use. Or at least nothing that could be used to decipher it directly. Thereâs still some information.
Also, the language in the book isnât ordinary. Thereâs something magical about it; whatever that is, it feels wrong. The closest thing I can compare it to would be Necromancy, but this is⊠different. Necromancy feels wrong, too, but itâs the âdisgustingâ and âvileâ type of wrongness.
This is different. This feels threatening, like Iâm about to be attacked at any moment. The longer I look at the words, the worse I feel, almost like Iâm being watched. But even Observation canât tell me whatâs going on, only that thereâs something malicious out there observing me.
Honestly, itâs kind of terrifying.
Thankfully, while brief, the history books mentioned the cult. Specifically, their âlordâ. Some kind of an old king who went mad and started a war against the gods. No other mentions. No name, no explanation why it happened. That was that.
He was defeated in the process, of course, but whoever it was, he was a fucking unit because he ended up wiping out half of them. 20 gods, reduced to 10 by him alone. I donât know what they did to piss him off so much because apparently, even though he was literally torn to pieces, heâs still alive.
Yeah, I think Iâd take Salem over this guy any day of the week. I might not be able to kill her, but even fucking gods couldnât take this âDeservedâ person down.
Anyway, these cultists want to bring him back because they believe heâs some sort of âchosen oneâ. Someone who would destroy their âimperfectâ world so a new, perfect one would take its place.
Thatâs all I could find about him and his cult. Honestly, I think whoever wrote the history books intentionally omitted information about them. So, while it did help me at least figure out who they were to an extent, it didnât help beyond the most essential info.
Having not made significant progress for an hour, I sigh and shake my head. I probably shouldnât be messing around with this book anymore. Not until I know what I want to do with it. Iâll just leave it in my inventory and do something else.
Once I send all my tools to the inventory, I approach the mine entrance, seeing my golems making a massive hole back into it. And this isnât some shitty half-assed work, either. I created a team of them, with drillers taking charge and others smoothing things out and putting in support beams so the thing wouldnât collapse again.
And theyâve done a great job. From the looks of it, one hour was all it took for them to reach the dungeon. God, these golems are so damn efficient. Iâm so glad I picked up that skillâ donât think my life as a hero wouldâve been anywhere near as easy without them.
âSeems youâve been rather busy.â
âHm?â I turn around and see the High Leader with two bodyguards. âOh hey, Sienna. Just been cleaning up the mess I made.â
âI can see that, and honestly, I wish you would stop.â She responded with her arms crossed. âI donât want to be drowning in debt.â
âRelax, itâs my fault the mines collapsed anyway.â I wave off her concerns. âAnyway, wanna come with? I was just about to go in. Clear out whateverâs still inside.â
âIt would be an honor.â Sienna smiles.
Hmm, Iâve noticed that sheâs smiling a lot more now. Thatâs good.
As the two bodyguards follow suit, I stop them.
âSorry, but can you stay here?â I say. âThereâs something I need to talk about with your leader. Something private.â
The two guards look at each other hesitantly.
âVery well,â Sienna answers for them.
âBut High Leaderââ
âI think the Titan Slayer more than earned our trust, Soldier.â She cut him off, looking at him sternly. âI would rather we respect his wishes after everything he has done for us.â
The two guards obey their leaderâs commands, nodding and staying put where they are as we go inside the mines through the tunnels my golems made. My incredibly competent golems have also lit up the place with dust crystals so I can actually see.
I have superhuman eyesight but not night visionâkind of bullshit, but whatever. I can probably make a permanent night vision potion or something if I put my mind to it.
âA bit harsh there, donât you think?â I ask Sienna after a bit. âHe was just worried about you.â
I didnât sense any dislike for me. If anything, they looked happy being in my presence.
âWhy would he be?â She raises a brow. âYouâre here.â
âI mean, fair, but still.â
âYou donât treat soldiers with gentleness, Mr. Astera.â She explains. âTheyâre soldiers. They shouldnât be coddled.â
âI guessâŠâ I concede. I donât think being polite should be considered âcoddlingâ, but I probably shouldnât get involved with that. âAnyway, what do you think?â
âMhm, I was about to say youâve done incredible work.â She nods approvingly. âYouâve barely been out here for a few hours. Progress like this wouldâve taken us a week. How did you do it?â
âGolems,â I answer with a satisfied smirk. âThey make everyoneâs lives easier. Thatâs their entire job.â
âI see.â She hums. âTheyâve certainly done their job back at the city. Not one Grimm made it inside. I didnât know they could dig up tunnels, though.â
âOh, they can do anything.â I shrug. âDangerous jobs like this, fighting, and even menial tasks like cleaning.â
âIs that soâŠâ Sienna glances at me, and after a pause, she speaks again. âSo? What is this âprivate businessâ you wished to talk about?â
RightâŠ
I donât answer immediately as we make it to the enormous hole where I fought the twins, seeing the legendary dungeon still there. I donât know why, but a part of me thought it would disappear. That wouldnât make sense. I have the key, thankfully, so I wonât have to run around killing things for it.
Even though Iâm fifty levels above the recommended level, I still feel danger radiating from it. Even from up here. At the same time, I feel pretty excited. Just what am I going to find in there? What is it going to be about?
One step at a time, Reid. First, Sienna.
âWell, I donât know how to say this, but uhâŠâ I turn to look at her. âItâs about⊠last night and earlier today.â
âAh, I see.â She crosses her arms, pausing for a moment to think before throwing a random guess. âAre you perhaps worried you mightâve gotten me pregnant?â
âHuh?â I blink. âEr, wellââ
âŠIs it bad that I completely forgot that was a thing?
I was too focused on the magic bit that I overlooked the possibility of impregnating her. Holy shit, am I stupid? I mean, sure, extremely low birth rates and all that, but the fact is that me getting her pregnant could happen.
âIf thatâs the case, you donât have to worry.â She shakes her head. âI canât have children.â
âŠOh. Nevermind, then.
âAhâŠâ I pause, trying to think of something to say. â...Iâm sorry about that.â
âAppreciated, but thereâs nothing to apologize for,â Sienna says. âIt has always been this way.â
She says that, and there is no change in her expression at all, not even a twitch, but I can feel her sadness. Well, fuck me, I didnât mean to remind her of something terrible. Goddamn it, Reid.
Now, how am I going to proceed? Should I just⊠be blunt about this? Oh, fuck it. Being straightforward never fails.
âWell, sorry for bringing it up anyway, but that wasnât what I wanted to talk about,â I respond, making her raise a brow. âYou can do magic.â
Sienna blinks.
âSorry?â
âMagic.â I cast a fireball in one hand. âLike this.â
She blinks again.
âIâm⊠afraid I donât follow.â She responds. âIsnât controlling fire your semblance?â
âMy semblance is steam control.â I correct her. âI donât use it very often, which is why most people think fire control is my semblance, but no, this is magic.â
Sienna takes a moment to process my words, and I donât blame her. For as sharp as she is, she knows practically nothing about the real things I can do, unlike, say, my students, who, before knowing about magic, were used to my bullshit.
Her eyes widen as her brain seemingly catches up with what I had just told her.
âAre you saying magic is real? Are you mocking me?â
âAm I?â I give her a blank stare.
â...Magic is real.â She says in shock, accepting it quickly. âNo, wait. If itâs real, then how come nobody has figured out a way to use it yet? Beside you?â
âBecause they canât,â I answer. âI can. And now you can, too.â
âMe? How can youââ Sienna freezes as realization dawns on her. âOhâŠâ
âYup. I have this hilarious ability where I can give women magic by cumming inside them.â I confirm a little vulgarly. âAnd I accidentally gave you some.â
â...Accidentally?â She frowns at me.
âI didnât mean it, Sienna,â I say. Even with my Observation, I donât know what I should be saying. âSomething like that shouldnât just be given to anyone.â
âBecause you do not trust me?â She guesses, feeling a little hurt from what I can tell.
âItâs not about trust.â I deny it. âThere are people out there who would go after your head if they knew about this, and theyâre dangerous. Even I might not be able to stop them.â
âAnd they are?â
I pause, and after a moment, I decide to give her the truth. Sheâs old enough, and unlike my girls, I donât think I can keep her by my side 24/7. Sienna is a leader of her own people. She needs to know now before she gets caught off guard in the future.
I canât help that part of me feeling like Iâm betraying the girls by not telling them first, but again, this is not about trust. Itâs about necessity. Now that she has magic, Sienna needs to know in case Salem figures it out and goes after her.
âThe person who controls the Grimm,â I answer.
That is the truth, but Iâm not going into details.
Sienna looks at me in shock, trying slowly to process my words.
âSomeone like that existsâŠ?â
Surprisingly, she doesnât try to protest or call me out. For as stunned as she is, she accepts it pretty readily. I donât know if itâs the trust she has in me, prior suspicions â because a lot of people think the Grimm have a leader on the internet â or itâs just my Charisma stat being bullshit again.
At least now, and with the Golems Iâve scattered everywhere in her region, she would be a little more prepared for serious Grimm invasions. If Salem were to mobilize a massive army, I should be more than quick enough to create a counterforce to combat her Grimm.
I just hope things donât get to that point. I still know nothing about her, not even how powerful she is.
âYes, and sheâs the one person I canât beat.â I nod. âNot right now, at least.â
âI⊠I seeâŠâ Sienna responds, becoming weary. âThis is a lot to take in.â
âI understand,â I reply. âYou should go back. Take some time to process this.â
She sighs deeply, rubbing her temples.
â...Youâre right.â She agrees.
Sheâs confused, shocked, and a little scared. I feel bad telling her all of this because I didnât want to involve her so soon. All she ever needed to do was to take care of her own people. Knowing that the Grimm have a leader and that there might be a chance she targets her is a lot to consider.
As she turns around to leave, I feel a sudden urge to at least reassure her, driving me to grab her arm.
âListen, Iâve only told you that because you deserved to know. I didnât want to, but it was my responsibility.â I tell her. âIt was never what you signed up for, I know that, but if it means anything, know that Iâll always help you. No matter what.â
âFrom the one being you cannot defeat?â
âIâve always been prepared to die, Sienna. Especially against her.â I respond, letting go of her arm. âAnd if my death means saving others, thatâs fine. I wouldnât want to die any other way.â
Something about what I said resonates with her as her expression softens, and she relaxes slightly. All things considered, sheâs taking the news really well. I was prepared to lose her trust and for her to get very aggressive.
Apparently not. Thank god.
âAnd why are you telling me this?â She asks. âAre you trying to make me feel safer?â
âI want you to be careful because I wonât always be here. You might accidentally access your magic without knowing it, which could lead to the Grimm Leader figuring it out. Now that you know what it is, itâll be easier to hide.â I explain briefly, then give her a small smile. âAnd hey, if you need any lessons on magic, hit me up. I happen to be an expert on the subject.â
Thankfully, I managed to draw a smile from her, which isnât fake. I can feel, besides her confusion, gratitude and admiration. Thatâs good. At least she doesnât fucking hate me now. Even though itâs kind of deserved.
âI suppose you would be taking responsibility, then?â
Sheâs making it sound like I did get her pregnant.
âYou know it,â I say confidently. âI swear on my name that Iâll keep you safe.â
âI think youâre taking the âheroâ bit too seriously.â She snorts, blushing a little. âFine. Iâve already decided that youâre more than deserving of my trust. Making a mistake under the influence should not change that.â
âYeah, I donât think Iâm drinking ever again.â I chuckle sheepishly. âI donât think I can afford to, anyway.â
âWelcome to the world of responsibilities.â Sienna sighs dramatically. â...I suppose I should keep it to myself?â
âItâs better if you do, yeah. The less people that know, the better.â I confirm. âThough, remember, if you wanna know more, just ask me.â
âIâll keep it in mind.â She says. âIâll be seeing you later today.â
âOf course. By the way, Weiss and I have one more thing weâd like to offer.â
âYes, I remember.â Sienna walks away. âGood luck with whatever you were doing.â
I watch her leave, and as soon as she is out of sight, I jump down to look at the dungeon directly, feeling a shiver go down my spine. Sheesh, the amount of power itâs giving off is immense.
I take the key out of my inventory, gazing at the orange-colored sphere. I donât know how long it could take me to clear, but so far, most dungeons only took two hours at the very most. Disappearing to clear it out for that long shouldnât be too bad, right?
I know I should probably prepare better, but Iâm just so goddamn curious.
Let me look at my stats before I make a big decision like this.
Name: Reid Astera
Title: Titan Slayer
Age: 17
Race: Human/Leviathan Hybrid
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Level: 255 (36%)
Professions: Gardener, Chef, Teacher
Mentors: Kazuma Kiryu
Students: 5
HP: 38,090 [Regens 3809 per minute]
MP: 22,150 [Regens 2215 per minute]
AP: 63,750 [Regens 6375 per minute]
STR: 736
VIT: 586
DEX: 560
INT: 443
WIS: 443
CHA: 443
LUK: 283
Points: 289
Doesnât look very impressive, but this is merely my normal state. Iâm so much more powerful with all my buffs active. Plus, my precognition from Observation and increased strength from Armament Haki. I think I take it on without much trouble, considering the recommended level for this tier was 200.
I think Iâm gonna go in. I donât really have anything better to do right now.
I donât recommend it.
The goddessâ sudden intervention makes me pause, blinking in confusion. Huh? Why not?
⊠I initially wanted to keep it as a surprise, but consider this tidbit a gift from me, seeing how well youâve done for yourself so far.
I certainly donât want the fun to end so soon.
I donât know what youâre implying here, but thanksâŠ?
Legendary and above dungeons will have funny little gimmicks attached to them. More often than not, they make the dungeon harder.
A gimmick? What kind?
It could be anything. Perhaps your magic becomes inaccessible, or your stats are set to a certain level. Maybe some perks, skills, or even system mechanics also become unavailable.
In the best case, youâre given a very powerful but temporary weapon or perk you use in there.
Ah. So youâre saying it could end up in my favor or go really horribly. And most likely, itâs the latter.
Pretty much. You might be above the recommended level, but I suggest preparing as much as possible before challenging it.
If youâre saying that, I canât really argue. Thanks for the advice. Probably for the better, too. If itâs as difficult as youâre implying, then there are a few things I want to do and make before clearing itâprimarily better gear. Enchanted clothes arenât going to do as well as actual armor.
Guess Iâll run around and finish other lower-tier dungeons insteadâbetter use of my time.
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â Titania â
She didnât know what it was that suddenly made time move at a snail's pace, but for as safe as this maid job made her feel, there was nothing to do. She couldnât even take her mind off the boredom by cleaning because sheâd already cleaned everything.
Was it because nobody was here? It for sure felt so much livelier when the Titan Slayer and his band of idiots were running around causing trouble â she hated that fucking wolf â and honestly, this silence was boring her right out of her mind.
There were only those two old dudes in here. The Branwen asshole and Rubyâs dad who looked nothing like her. The first guy was boring as hell and was kind of a dick, and the other one was so cringe he made her want to eat her own metal legs. Seriously, he couldnât go two sentences without at least three dad jokes.
Even Cinder and Emerald werenât as bad as those two. If anything, Em was really fun to be around. Her bitchiness and almost creepy obsession with Cinder were hilarious. It was so easy to poke fun at her and get her to react.
Iâm so bored. She thought with a deep sigh as she looked at the broken moon from the window, twirling her broom around.
Things were too quiet for her liking. She knew the Titan Slayer put a magical barrier around the property or some other bullshit that stopped intruders, but even with how little she knew of Salem, Titania was more than sure that the Grimm Queen could just⊠force her way in with zero trouble.
That womanâs very presence made her feel and look unstoppable. The fact that the former assassin was on her shitlist made her feel a shiver go down her spine. Titania was fucked if Salem ever decided to go after her.
Though, she hoped she wasnât important enough to hunt down. After all, Cinder was the mastermind and knew most things about the plan. Assuming she didnât get caught, but who was she kidding? What could Cinder do against Salem, especially seeing sheâd barely gotten any of the Spring Maiden magic?
That woman â and Emerald â were doomed.
Titaniaâs best bet would be to stick by the Titan Slayer until he wasnât the safest option anymore. Then she could go into hiding or something. Honestly, she didnât think that far ahead, but it wasnât like there were any other good choices anyway.
She did prefer her old job over this, though. Even though she didnât find it as humiliating anymore, it felt so⊠pointless. Why did he specifically want her to be a maid? Shouldnât he be sending her to do his dirty work like any other typical politician?
Probably for a dumbass reason. She snorted. Heâs younger than you. Donât think about it too much.
At least he wasnât a complete bitch like her former boss. She was still happy about that. Titania didnât really trust him, but he wasnât some condescending, sarcastic asshole who would threaten to burn her alive if she phrased a sentence wrong.
Also, eye candy. That was a plus.
As the front door of the mansion suddenly opened, she lazily turned to look at one of the very few people she kind of liked. Ruby, still in her red dress, fell flat on her face as she entered, letting out an exhausted whine, which made Titania snort in amusement.
âIâm so tiredâŠâ Ruby groaned. âI wanna die.â
âWelcome home, Pipsqueak.â She said with a smirk. âCool speech there. Almost had me convinced.â
âDonât call me that.â She pointed at Titania, not bothering to raise her head.
âRight, right, Titan Slayer.â She chuckled. âDoesnât change the fact that youâre fun-sized.â
âHey!â The twerp glared at her, quickly getting back up on her feet. âIâm a hero now! I demand respect!â
âSorry. You havenât earned mine yet.â
âWhaâ I killed a Titan!â She said. âWhat more do you need?!â
âSo did your boyfriend. Do you see me worshipping the ground he walks on?â Titania deflected. Finally, entertainment. âSo, what was it like talking to millions of people?â
âIt sucked!â She complained. âItâs like Iâm wasting my time! I donât wanna do stupid speeches or wear stupid dresses! I wanna go out on adventures and save people!â
It was almost sickening how naive she was, but honestly, she was too adorable for Titania to be annoyed by her idealism. Whatever. Soon enough, her innocence would be crushed and sheâd learn that the world isnât very fair to people like her.
âToo bad.â Titania snorted. âYouâre stuck doing those annoying things forever now.â
âWhat? Thatâs not true.â Ruby disagreed and raised an eyebrow. âI can just not. Whoâs going to stop me?â
Admittedly, Titania didnât expect that ballsy response at all. And with the runt saying it so confidently, that made it seem like she actually believed herself, which was kind of cool. Though, at the same time, it sounded like something Reid would say.
Maybe he was rubbing off on her.
âYou know, I like your guts, Pipsqueak.â
âI just told you not to call me that.â
âBut weâll see if thatâs the case once the media starts hounding you.â She added, ignoring Rubyâs annoyed comment. âThey can get pretty ruthless.â
âPff, Iâm just gonna stay here, then,â Ruby answered with a grin. âThey canât get me here.â
âYou say it like youâre so proud of the fact,â Titania said. âBut is this any different from prison? You canât even go out to get more of your silly comics.â
That didnât deter her at all.
âThatâs fine.â She shrugged.
What.
âI-it is?â Titania blinked.
âYeah. Yang could get them for me. Or Reid since nobody bothers him.â Ruby said, then paused with a thoughtful frown. â...Now that I think about itâŠâ
âUhâŠâ
Right before Titaniaâs eyes, Ruby looked like she had the biggest revelation of her life.
âOh my god!â
The former assassin flinched. What? What was going on?
âWhat?â
âI just realized I donât have to ever leave the house! Ever!â She exclaimed. âI donât even need to go to Signal anymore!â
âAhâŠâ Titania wasnât sure what to say. Was school that bad? âCongrats?â
âDonât you get it?!â Ruby looked at her with a big, beaming grin. âI have an excuse to never leave if I donât want to! Haha, being a hero is the best!â
The complete turn-around in the span of a minute left Titania reeling. What the hell was that? Theyâd barely even talked, and the girl, who was just wishing for death, was now bouncing around the hallway like sheâd just won the lottery.
Fucking introverts.
âAnd what, youâre fine with just staying there doing nothing the entire time?â
âWell, obviously not,â Ruby responded. âI mean, besides training ân stuff, I get to play all the video games and read all the comics I want. Itâs like, an endless vacation!â
How nice⊠She thought to herself. You have nothing to worry about, huh?
âYouâre really wasting your time with that stuff?â Titania scoffed playfully, still wanting to get a rise out of her. âSo much for being a Titan Slayer.â
âTheyâre not a waste of time.â She pouted, then smirked. âI see you playing âem, in the middle of work too.â
Busted.
âAlright, you got me.â The older girl shrugged, her smile turning competitive. ââŠI bet I can kick your ass in Hunterâs Arena.â
âOh, youâre so on!â Ruby accepted the challenge. âHold on, let me change first.â
Titania closed her eyes as she felt a sudden gust of wind hit her face, with small rose petals falling on the ground beneath her. Oh, that little shit wouldâve made her so fucking pissed if these things didnât disappear over time.
She stretched her arms with a satisfied groan, then felt slight resistance from her metal legs as she started to walk away. An annoyed frown made its way to her face as she did. They needed maintenanceâŠ
âBack!â Ruby reappeared in front of her, nearly scaring the soul out of her. âYou alright? You looked a little mad just now.â
âIâm fine, justâŠâ She glanced back down at her legs. â...They need to be oiled.â
âOh.â The younger girl blinked. â...Want me to do it for you?â
âWhat?â
âI can do more than just oil them, too.â She added. âI can upgrade them if you want.â
âEr, no, Iâm good on that.â
âIâll do it for free.â
âI said Iâm fine.â
â...Are you sure?â
âWhy are you so insistent?â Titania asked, honestly feeling a bit annoyed.
âWell, I just wanna help,â Ruby answered simply. âAlso, I think theyâre pretty cool.â
âYou think theyâre cool?â
Is she trying to make fun of me?
âT-that came out kinda weirdâ Not in that way! I promise!â Ruby backpedaled. âI just like mechanical stuff and weapons, yâknow? I didnât mean anything bad. I mean, whoever made these is really good. Being able to make functioning legs for everyday walking and running while also working as deadly weapons is a tough balance. Itâs masterful craftsmanship, and I really wanna see how they work from the inside. You donât see this type of stuff anywhere, and I can tell youâve been taking care of them pretty well. Also, I just wanna see if I can improve on them, thatâs all, because as good as it is, I can tell itâs a bit outdated in some aspects. B-but Iâm not doing it only for myself! I really wanna help make your life easier andââ
âFine!â Titania cut her off. âFine, just shut up.â
âReally?â
âYes, just please stop talking.â
âYay! Thanks a lot, Tania!â
Titania clicked her tongue as the younger girl hugged her tightly. This twerp was getting way too damn comfortable with her, and she wasnât sure how to prevent that. Being too mean to the girl would just piss off her boyfriend, and, admittedly, Ruby could probably kick her ass too.
âŠShe really missed Emerald.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
â Emerald â
She couldnât believe it, but she kind of missed Titania.
She didnât know where she had gone or if sheâd just died, but she could really use some of her scathing humor right now. It would probably stave off the cold for a bit.
But here they were, stuck in the middle of fucking Solitas, freezing their asses off as Grimm continuously chased them to the far end of the world. They were miserable. And since Emerald was kind of used to this type of miseryâ this hunger and cold, Cinder had it worse.
Way, way worse.
Emerald sighed as she went back into the cave, the blizzard being too violent for them to leave. Right after they were practically renounced by Salem, they went from Mistral to Solitas. Vale was too close to Ozpin and Astera, while Vacuo was too close to Salem.
And they were utterly fucked if they didnât move because of Lionheart, meaning Solitas was their best choice, even though it really wasnât a good one either. Atlas itself was too dangerous because of Mister Irondick over there, so all they had were random villages, caves, and clearings.
They seriously couldnât do anything, and Cinder was losing her mind from paranoia.
âCinderâŠ?â Emerald uttered, seeing her boss sitting with her back against the wall and wrapped in her cloak, still awake. âYou should probably get some sleep.â
âShut up.â She gritted out. âDonât tell me what to do.â
Emerald sighed but said nothing else. Bloodshot eyes, mood swings, constant tremblingâ Cinder was rapidly losing her will to survive. She was going more and more insane by the day, and there was nothing Emerald could do to help.
Of course, Cinderâs attitude certainly wasnât helping their situation, but what else did Emerald have?
Nothing.
She had nothing.
So she might as well protect the only thing she still had.
Comments
fireball77
Poor emerald, hopefully she gets a good end, cinder can die tho
Wade Conner
time for more maids
James French
Thanks for the chap!!
Z3DeltaGhost
Nice to see Cinder getting what she deserves
thevolunteer
Poor emerald
