Chapter 166 - 163: Sizing Up the Disciples, Part 1 (1/2)

{{Jinma}}

With our discussion done for the time being, I spoiled myself in fondling Ren's body more while Ume massaged me. Sue at one point pulled up a teapot and some cups from her [Storage] and offered tea for a refreshment. I checked the teapot's contents with my [Street Smarts] skill and confirmed there wasn't anything suspicious inside. On the contrary, the tea blend was said to recover stamina, give a boost of energy, and prevent anything that will make the drinker tired or sleepy, its effects would last for 6 hours. I can apparently cross reference the drink with my [Cookbook] skill to find the tea blend was made of valuable herbs and flowers in its recipe, as well as the process to have it prepared.

{… Just at the right temperature, with a soothing aroma and a touch of sweetness. Could it be the remaining nectar from the flowers?} I thought as I savored the drink, and it was good with the remainder of the buŧŧer cookies we got from that Imp earlier. Ume and Ren also seem to be enjoying it, and Sue, even though she's drunk it before, couldn't get enough of the stuff. Having such a high quality drink freshly brewed and ready, she couldn't have prepared this on her own. When I asked Sue where she got it, of course, she answered ”That's classified,” but it was less serious and more teasing-like this time around. I wasn't in the mood to refute that statement, so I just continued enjoying my drink. She did say she can have some more ready for me at any time as we returned the finished cups and pot, though.

Sometime later, the remainder of our party returned with all the supplies I asked for stuffed in the Magic Item Bag—we dressed up when they were approaching, of course. Erizora immediately noticed Ren's new collar and praised it with both excitement and jealousy.

”Master! Please forgive my selfish request, but could I maybe get a collar like Ren's, too?!” Erizora asked with hope gleaming in her eyes. I had a slight feeling she wasn't wanting one just as a fashion statement.

”I don't know about one exactly like Ren's, but we can look for one that suits your taste after the quest, okay?” I asked, and the Ogre/Human hybrid got ecstatic at hearing her wish granted, {I mean, unless you pull another collar like Ren's when you see Obina, that would be great, but I don't see the odds of that happening again anytime soon.}

While my party talked amongst themselves about what happened in their errands—with Ren, Ume, and Sue minding some content being kept secret—I pulled Mametama and Kenaka aside to a private area in the inn and filled them in on the oath I had to sign earlier. Obina said it was okay for me to use Nyra's memory-sharing powers to fill both of them in on everything Nyra and I learned quicker when I asked her, so I did just that.

<I see, so with Sue being a high-level Devil and the numerous Null Spells she apparently wields, it would make sense she may be suspected of being royalty, whether that be the illegitimate sister or the Demon King, herself,> Mametama said through [Telepathy] so we can keep our talk discreet.

<Gah, it's bothersome that we can't confront that girl to confirm her motives, though,> Kenaka added, <Then again, if she really is the Demon King, even with our maxed-out powers, I'm uncertain if the two of us could stand against her. If Milord can't even see her status, who knows what she may be hiding. If she really is on our side, her arrival couldn't be better timed.>

<What do you mean? Did something happen during your errands?> I asked.

<Kenaka and I sensed some large gatherings of powerful Demons suddenly coming together before dispersing around Palocaesy,> Mametama explained, <Since I had the most stealth among the group, I separated from them for a bit to investigate. Turns out all the inns in town aside from ours have been occupied for tonight, and they're all packed with adventurers. There weren't any mentions about special occasions approaching that would gather such crowds.>

I thought briefly, <By any chance, did you happen to come across a group of Lizardmen among those adventurers, maybe some Devils?>

Mametama's eyes widened, <Why, yes, actually. Among the eighteen Lizardmen, three of them were female occupying what looked like one of the higher-quality rooms with a large bed, and there were about five Devils and one capable Arch Imp gathered into one group in another inn, with one Devil having the most power and influence among them.>

<Jinma, could those guys perhaps be acquainted with …> Nyra trailed off.

I nodded in agreement ,<Yeah, I'm starting to think of the same. Were there any other groups of Demons from different races that you've seen?>

<There was also a group of ten Orcs that seemed to be acquainted with that gathering, one powerful Succubus that seemed to be by herself,> Mametama explained, <And ... I'm not sure how related this is or how Ren would feel from hearing it, but there have been mentions of a pack of White Werewolves among other Demons camping outside of the city's borders.>

ighteen, twenty-four, thirty-four, add in those we saw earlier … that's about fifty, with the number from the White Werewolf pack still undetermined, and there may be more that are yet to come,> I said after counting the number of people seen and mentioned today.

<It's as if they're preparing for a war …> Kenaka trailed off.

<Milord, you seem to have an idea for what's going on. Would you care to enlighten us?> Mametama asked.

<We'll need to go over this with the others, for sure, but before we head back, Obina gave me these for you two to wear,> I said before taking out the enchanted ribbons, <It seems these will turn into clothes that you wear after your transformation. It's a bit hectic to see what it looks like now, so just keep these on aside from bath time. If we don't see what you look like soon in private, then we'll just hope they look good when you transform under an emergency.>

<Ugh … I feel awkward having this gifted to me by Goddess Obina,> Kenaka ġrȯȧnėd as I started tying his bright purple ribbon into a bow.

<Why? Does she remind you of a certain someone, perhaps?> Mametama teased.

<Shut up. You know damn well what it is, don't rub it in.>

<You know, I try not to get nosy into people's personal affairs, but I'd love to hear what went on between you two before you became my Familiars,> I commented as I tied Mametama's bright yellow ribbon next, <It sounds like you two have quite a history. I won't press anymore if you're not into revealing it, but I thought I should voice my thoughts on this.>

Kenaka sighed, <I am grateful for you respecting my privacy, Milord, but after you gave me so much power through the Special Medals we collected today, it wouldn't be fair of me to not share something in return. This is aside from my services as your Familiar, of course. Maybe after we're done with this quest, I'll find the time to tell you everything.>

I nodded, <Sure, that sounds fine. We'll do it over drinks as part of a guy's night, my treat. Just don't die on me after raising that death flag.>

<Ho ho, that would be nice, and you need not worry over my death, Milord, for even if I do fall in battle—which is highly unlikely since it's me we are talking about here—I will only return to the Cursed Realm as a temporary measure to recover from my wounds,> Kenaka explained, <The minimum time to return after falling is 3 days. It's you who I should warn about not dying, as me and Mametama would be forced back to our own realms due to our severed pacts as master and familiar, and who knows what may happen after that?>