Knowledge Is Power 1 (2/2)

It had been far too long since Boxxy had enjoyed the dryad’s cuisine. It was practically salivating at the mouth just thinking about it.

“Alright! I won’t let you down, Master!”

The webstalker responded in high spirits, infected by the sheer fervor with which those orders were delivered. Her body shimmered out of view as she departed the dungeon, leaving Boxxy to consider its next move. There were two more points of interest it wanted to address, both of which were raised by its recent demise.

One was the nature of that mysterious pink mana sponge of a gem. It still vividly remembered when it summoned Arms the first time after its resurrection, and how she coughed up the item in question. This obviously meant it had some link to the Beyond, as there was no other feasible explanation for that bizarre event. The fact that it had somehow absorbed and then released the contents of Boxxy’s Storage was also indicative of some sort of spatial magic at work. It knew from its experiences with the Transfamiliar Spell that those two aspects produced very interesting results when combined. It therefore wanted to know more about this gemstone and whether its bizarre properties could be weaponized in some way.

“Yo, boss! How’s it hanging?”

Which was why it summoned Arms as soon as it could in order to question her. It wasn’t expecting much, but it was a start.

“Arms, what can you tell me about that shiny you coughed up after the contract was reestablished?”

“Uh, what?”

“I’m talking about this, idiot.”

The doppelganger produced the item in question and held it out for Kora to see.

“Oh! That thing! Yeah, I remember now.”

“So? Can you tell me anything about it that might be useful? Anything at all.”

“Now that you mention it, I guess the summoning that time felt a bit different than usual. I just thought it was ‘cus you kinda died, and there weren’t any problems after that, so I didn’t worry about it too much.”

“Different how?”

“Well, normally whenever you call me out there’s a ‘Fwooosh!’ that turns into a ‘Eeeeek!’ and then it’s all ‘Khrrrrrr!’ for a short bit, and then there’s a ‘Bam-bam-bam-DON!’ and I’m here. But that time the last bit felt more like a ‘Skrrrrrra!’ and then a ‘Pak-kak-kak-POP!’ Know what I mean?”

“… I think I do, actually.”

Boxxy was, surprisingly enough, indeed able to make sense of the archfiend’s abstract noises, gestures and facial expressions. Maybe it was a side effect of being temporarily fused with her during the Malefic Union, or perhaps it was due to the clarity of mind the Mimic experienced following that extremely satisfying nap. Whatever the case, it was able to attach meaning to what would otherwise be the nonsense of a moron that was literally born to be thick-headed.

What Arms was trying to say was that some external force had interfered in the latter stages of the summoning process. And considering the fact that a certain pink gem had been lodged in her throat when she appeared, the culprit was rather obvious. Did the item somehow hijack the demon’s entry into the physical realm in order to transport itself? That would certainly explain its appearance, though it raised far more questions than it answered.

“… Arms? What’re you doing?”

When Boxxy next turned its attention to the archfiend, it found her staring at the magical shiny thing in its hand. Her attention was so fixated on the thing, that she didn’t even respond to it calling out to her. Intrigued by this odd behavior, the shapeshifter moved the gemstone around. Up, down, left, right - wherever the jewel went, her gaze silently followed. It was strangely entertaining, but it had other things to do.

“Arms!” it called out once more, this time using the thought-link to yell directly into her mind.

“Huh?! Wha?!” responded the shocked archfiend as she shifted her gaze towards Boxxy.

“Why are you suddenly so obsessed with my shiny?”

“Uh, sorry boss. It’s just that, I never realized it before, but that pink thing is kind of pretty, isn’t it?”

‘Kind of pretty’ was certainly one way of putting it. If Boxxy had to be blunt, the item was without a doubt the shiniest gem in its entire collection, which was mostly due to its exotic coloring and exceptional clarity. Arms’s sudden interest in it was quite baffling, though, as it was rather absurd for a demonic entity to bother with material things. Perhaps it was due to whatever demonic magics this thing inhabited? Or maybe a side effect of having this thing interfere with her summoning that one time?

“Damn, the questions just keep increasing don’t they?” it grumbled.

“Master, forgive me for intruding on your conversation,” butted in Xera, “but may I point something out?”

She had been able to listen in on the latter part of Boxxy and Kora’s discussion, as the pair had moved from verbal to telepathic communication without really realizing it. Then again, the Mimic had spent so much time conversing exclusively with thoughts that it found telepathy to be more natural than speaking. Especially when it came to orderings its demons around. All things considered, the fact that it had used its voice at all in the first place was actually kind of weird.

“What is it, Snack?”

“I’m not sure what you were talking about, but I wouldn’t take anything that moron says too seriously. If it’s about that square gemstone you got from whatshisface the Ranger, then the pink color probably just reminded her of a virgin pussy or something.”

“Oh yeah, it kinda does, actually!” exclaimed Kora.

“See what I mean? She’s so thick that it’s a wonder she’s even able to speak.”

“Hey! I may not be as smart as the boss, but I’m not going to be an idiot forever!”

“Yeah, right. Leave the miracles to the gods, sweetie.”

“Laugh all you want, but you’ll see! I actually met a guy that- Oh, shit! Boss, I almost forgot!”

“What is it now?” responded Boxxy in a slightly annoyed tone.

“You still need a dungeon master for your base, right? You could contract a ranker to fill that spot!”

Boxxy had to admit, that wasn’t a terrible idea. If Goroth could have a djinn as his dungeon’s manager, then surely a Hero could do the same. The only reason it hadn’t tried before was that it wasn’t even aware that was a thing that could happen until it saw it with its own eyes.

“Would anyone actually accept that deal, though?” asked Xera. “Even if the Master is exceptional, I don’t think any demon would take on the job of tending to its hoard. No matter how important any of us think it is, it’s still a rather dull undertaking if you think about it.”

Snack raised a very valid point there, actually. Generally speaking, the demons’ interest in the physical realm was purely for entertainment purposes. A dungeon master position, for example, would let them boss around the dungeon’s monsters while also having fun with any intruders. Boxxy’s place, however, would ideally have none of those things. The only thing a dungeon master would have to do in this place was to sit still and maybe talk with the dryad every now and then. They wouldn’t even be able to tune into Gilligan’s broadcasts of Boxxy’s adventures if they weren’t in the Beyond, so there was actually a net loss of fun.

“Actually, I already got a guy who’s willing to do it,” revealed Kora. “His name is Khurpath Sordazzurr, he’s the gazer demon I fought in the dungeon. He said he’s curious about me, my master and our potential and that he’d like to keep a closer eye on us. He’s also super smart, so he can probably teach us things. Maybe he even knows something about this pussy-gem!”

Boxxy carefully considered the fiend’s suggestion, as it was very likely this idea was given to her by the gazer demon in question. It was certainly an attractive proposition, as information was the one thing that the Mimic was currently in need of. Not only about the mysterious arcane gemstone and the soulstone that may or may not be keeping it alive, but also regarding the flower monsters Ambrosia wanted to pollinate with.

At the same time, it was wary of putting its trust in a demon’s words, as it had no idea how strict a dungeon master contract would be compared to a familiar’s. Not to mention it was unclear what sort of agenda this Khurpath guy might have if he was really volunteering for the position. It may have lucked out by contracting a pair of simpletons like Snack and Arms in its infancy, but elder demons needed to be handled with a lot more care.

“I’ll keep the offer in mind,” it declared. “For the time being, I want Arms to remain here and assist Ambrosia with anything she may need. Claws and Snack - you two focus on your orders and report back as soon as you have any news developments.”

Each demon responded with affirmative answers, though Kora was obviously not enthusiastic about her duties. Boxxy ignored her unspoken complaints and got ready to head out into the city of Azurvale. It wanted to see if it could find out more about Mountain Alraune at any of the adventuring guilds of the Central Consortium. It wanted to avoid turning to unknown demonic entities for answers until it had exhausted all other options.

However, since Keira was still supposed to be out on her private mission with the Sandman as her escort, it had to adopt an entirely new identity. This was a good opportunity, so it decided to infiltrate a new adventurer organization as a rookie member. And since it was already a Warlock, then the Maleficium was the most obvious choice. Alternatively it could try to enroll in Broken Mirror, which dealt with more reputable Caster Jobs, but that would mean starting from scratch as a Level 1 Wizard or a Pyromancer. It had an open Job slot, but that wasn’t the issue here.

It was about its cover. Rather than a throwaway identity, it wanted to set up a low-key Facade that could be used repeatedly without drawing any attention. A total newbie going through the building’s archives and records looking for a very specific monster was sure to raise some eyebrows. It was therefore better to act as someone who was relatively new, but not completely green. Such people could be seen all the time in the Consortium’s library, so such a front would be far less suspicious. Not to mention that said library was on the same floor as the Maleficium’s offices, so this setup was rather convenient to say the least.

The doppelganger therefore began forging its third Facade. Unlike Keira or the Sandman, this one would need to be far more boring and mundane, so doing so was rather easy. The monster shapeshifted into a lanky-looking male elf in his early twenties. He wore a thick, black robe intended to shield him from the winter cold rather than amplify his magic. His green hair was oily and unkempt, he was perpetually hunched over and his personality would be that of a reserved, quiet bloke who wasn’t very good at socializing. A completely stereotypical bookworm, no matter how one looked at him.

As for the identity of this new dramatis personae, Boxxy would play the part of one Bate Enswich, an elf born and raised within the Empire. He faced a certain amount of prejudice during his upbringing, so he was never quite comfortable over there. He finally made up his mind to move to the Republic following the whole war business, though it took him some time to organize the funds to do so. A completely reasonable and, more importantly, believable turn of events given the current political climate.

Having established a baseline for the new Facade’s background, Boxxy began to consider what to put on its Status via Essence Concealment. A Level 20-something Warlock and member of the Empire’s Order of the Black Wand was a good place to start as any. The young mister Enswich would also have the Demonology Skill, which solidified his thirst for knowledge and-

Nope, that wouldn’t do at all, actually. Boxxy had almost forgotten, but Essence Concealment was unable to lower the apparent Level of a Job, meaning it would have to show up as a fully fledged demon-wielding Warlock. Not only that, but adventurers that had familiars, pets or other minions under their control were required by law to register any and all magical creatures they commanded with their guild. That way the records could be used to easily identify the culprit should said subordinate be used to commit a crime via proxy, so it was by no means an unreasonable requirement.

The problem was that the registration process involved a Basic Appraisal check to note the bound creatures’ names and species. And since Boxxy’s Essence Concealment didn’t extend to its servants, it wouldn’t be able to mask its subordinates’ identities. It would therefore show up as a high-Level Warlock with one or more Ranked Up demons under his control. Such a thing was sure to set off all kinds of alarms, meaning that the Facade of ‘Bate Enswich’ would fail completely in its duty of not drawing any attention.

It would appear the monster would need to use a different means of infiltrating the Maleficium.

“Snack, where are you right now?”

“I am still en route to Reggie’s bank, Master. I should arrive shortly.”

“Good. I need your advice on something before you enter the building. I want to get inside the Central Consortium’s library to check a few things out, but I can’t think of a good cover to use.”

“Ah. I see. It’s still too early for Keira to be back from her trip, and masquerading as a new adventurer would be troublesome.”

“Exactly.”

As expected of Snack, her head may be filled with nothing but lewd thoughts, but her knack for infiltration and deception was still as sharp as ever. She immediately understood Boxxy’s dilemma without it having to say anything. She probably even knew about the bureaucracy involved as well, as the practice of cataloguing familiars was the standard across the continent.

“Pardon my ignorance, Master, but why not just visit the library as a civilian?”

“… Huh?”

“The Consortium’s library is still open to the general public, right? All Keira’s membership does is make it free and let her see some more sensitive materials. And if that doesn’t work, you can always get a consultation or put in a Quest.”

“Oh… Oh! Right! Yes! Of course!”

Boxxy was so caught up in its own bullshittery that it failed to grasp this painfully obvious solution. Doing things under the guise of a random citizen was much simpler and faster than crafting a full-fledged Facade. The monster had been so used to thinking up complicated schemes and elaborate stories that it didn’t even consider there was a normal, proper way to go about things. And if it ever needed sensitive information that badly in the future, then nobody in their right mind would think to deny or question Keira.

“Good work, Snack.”

“You are most welcome, Master. In fact, I can swing by on the way back from Reggie’s place and look up whatever it is you want to know. I’ll even make that old fart hand over some gold. That way it won’t even cost you anything and you can just keep taking it easy.”

Boxxy had to admit, that was a very tasty proposition. It just went to show how useful a servant could be once properly motivated. Speaking of which, it would probably be a good idea if it took care of Snack’s needs sometime soon. She had done an exemplary job during the raid on the Palace of the Crystal Maiden, and even managed to present it with a Prismatic Cloak. It was just the kind of helpful attitude it wanted to reinforce.

“Alright, let’s do that then,” it consented.

“Understood, Master. What is it you were planning to investigate?”

“I want to know about Mountain Alraune. I made a deal with Ambrosia to bring her one of those by spring, so I need to know where and how I can get one.”

“Oh! Well, you’re in luck, Master!” exclaimed Xera. “I happen to know exactly where you can find those!”

It would appear that the ex-succubus was full of surprises today.

She would also be full of bigger, harder, and more numerous things once Boxxy got around to giving her that extra-special reward, but that would come a bit later.