CH.255 Lunch and Dinner with Viscounts
<span style="font-weight:400">“.... good morning.” I said to Alice, when I woke up. She must have already been awake, because she was ‘drilling’ her head into my chest.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Morning…. you are warm.” She responded, as she got even closer to me.
<span style="font-weight:400">“... thanks, I guess. … but could you stop pushing your head into my chest?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Nope. I like it like this.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“... just use a bit less force, please.” I said, as I moved my hand to the back of her head and brushed it a bit. “Did you sleep well?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes. I don’t know how I couldn’t, since I was next to you.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Well, that’s good. But remember, you can’t just take me. You’ll have to be able to share with Lua.” I reminded her.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I know. But I know you’ll just make us a big bed, won’t you?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“... I guess. But it won’t be ready today, or anything.” Well, I probably could make one today with the dungeon.
<span style="font-weight:400">“That’s fine. Even a small bed can fit all three of us.” As Alice said that, she hugged me even tighter.
<span style="font-weight:400">“... yeah. I suppose that is true, if you sleep so close to me.”
<hr>
<span style="font-weight:400">Knock, knock.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Miss, Sir, are you awake? May Ie in?” After a bit more cuddling, we heard someone at the door.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes. We are awake.” Alice responded.
<span style="font-weight:400">After hearing Alice’s response, Jenna came into the room. Her eyes widened just a bit, as she saw Alice clinging to me, but she quickly recovered.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Breakfast will be served soon. Please get dressed up.” Jenna told us, before she quickly left the room.
<span style="font-weight:400">Running away after seeing something you didn’t want to see? I hope not, because for some reason, I feel like this won’t be thest time Alice will want to do something like this with me.
<span style="font-weight:400">“So, shall we?” I asked Alice.
<span style="font-weight:400">“... I do like this… but I’m also hungry. … what to do?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“We can keep going after breakfast.” I told her, knowing full well that what I said was likely a lie.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Okay. Then yes.” Alice said, as she let go of me.
<span style="font-weight:400">We got out of bed and as I was quickly dressing up in my usual t-shirt and jeansbo, Alice was looking at the few outfits she has in her two closets. Well, they were almost empty, as most of her clothes were in her magic bag.
<span style="font-weight:400">“... Brian, pick one for me.” She then asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Alright. But why not just go with your magical girl outfit?” I asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“It takes some mana to stay in it. While not more than I naturally recover, it does slow down my mana recovery.” Alice reminded me.
<span style="font-weight:400">“... yeah. I kind of forgot that part.” I admitted. “Well, I’ll pick something for you then.”
<span style="font-weight:400">After going through what Alice had both in her closet, as well as her magic bag, I picked a daily-wear dress with a yellow to orange gradient. It actually looks amazing on her, even if I picked it more as a joke. I just wanted to see a dark attributed magical girl in a bright dress. Maybe I can talk her into making one with her new skill.
<hr>
<span style="font-weight:400">After breakfast, we had one more pass through the town. Mostly because I wanted to. We were going to get into Big Core outside the gates anyway, so why not.
<span style="font-weight:400">Mainly, I wanted to give Alex a Harpie’s Pet Dragon. I opened the trade for it, and he is the ''Harpie Master''.
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<span style="font-weight:400">Finding Alex wasn’t too difficult and after handing him the card, as he was still at the guild. A lot of adventurers were. Perhaps because of howte into the night the party had gone, or perhaps because of the alcohol.
<span style="font-weight:400">As we were still there, Zay also came to see us, handing me four cards in toploaders. Threatening Roar, Draining Shield, Mirror Force and Spellbinding Circle.
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<span style="font-weight:400">They had been found around the area where Alice had fought the behemoth, and Zay had taken control of them all. I dly took my cards back, and in return, I gave Zay a Chorus of Sanctuary. Sure that isn’t a fair trade, but whatever. Chorus of Sanctuary just is an alright card that might help in emergency situations. At least I think so.
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<span style="font-weight:400">After we were done at the guild, we headed for the north gate ready to return to Sawyer city. Since there were a lot less of us this time, it was a lot easier to get everyone into the ship so we were quickly on the move.
<hr>
<span style="font-weight:400">After wended, we spent a lot of the day with dumb busy work caused by the nobles still there. Most of them wanted to speak/dine/have tea with the ‘heroes’, so we were basically forced to attend to that. But because of the amount of invites, they ended up beingbined into just two different events.
<span style="font-weight:400">First was lunch with viscount Kramer. And two barons, but they are not important.
<span style="font-weight:400">With him, we talked a lot about summoning and taming monsters. Too bad I’m not an expert in either. Well, either way. Kramer was especially interested in ways of taming flying monsters, like wyverns, hippogriffs and griffins. Sadly, I wasn’t an expert, but Agunan actually knew some stuff about it. This is because dragons sometimes keep monsters like that as pets. Agunan never did, but some of the other dragons that were with him do.
<span style="font-weight:400">… too bad his taming method was a bit … brutish, so it wouldn’t work with humans. Dragons would just beat the monster nearly to death, before healing it with magic. If the beast didn’t feel like following them after that, the dragons would either repeat the process, or just kill the beast and eat it.
<span style="font-weight:400">I could have tried to give some suggestions of my own, but even my ideas wouldrgely amount to something normal people cannot do. I could do something like force a monster to stay still with my cards, giving people a ton of time to attempt the Tame skill on the monster.
<span style="font-weight:400">The easiest way to look at the tame skill was … well, I guess I canpare it to a Pokeball. Except that you don’t throw anything. When you use it, you have to be actively touching the monster you are trying to tame. Then you send a specific kind of mana into the monster, trying to bring it under your control. That monster will then either fall in line and bes tamed, or it will resist and doesn’t be tamed.
<span style="font-weight:400">Laura could actually calcte urate chances for all of that, based on things like the amount of mana used, the skill level of Tame skill, the monster you are trying to tame and so forth. But she also gave me a nice tip about it. If I were to attempt to tame a monster, I could hold it in ce with something like Spellbinding Circle, then attempt the taiming, and then, if the monster refused, I could use Change of Heart to force it to agree to the taiming. And the best part, I could do that with anyone trying to tame a monster. It wouldn’t have to specifically be me doing it, it could be anyone. But I didn’t tell them about that part.
<span style="font-weight:400">I was offered a ce in the Viscounts taming squad, but I refused that. I did say that I would considering to help ‘part-time’ as an adventurer, but nothing more than that. After all, having ess to my flying summons would help in taming other flying monsters.
<hr>
<span style="font-weight:400">The afternoon was a bit more peaceful, so we spent that time just rxing, with some light magic practice. For Alice, a lot of time was spent getting more used to her new power. Even with Mana’s soul inside her body, she still had difficulty using all of her new powers and had to focus immensely on controlling it. Luckily, her new System Support did help her, so that made things just a bit easier.
<span style="font-weight:400">Ria and I also had a quick meeting with Mateo Garner. Ria’s test time had already ended and technically her final test should have been yesterday. But we weren’t here, so it wasn’t. Not that Mateo even felt it was necessary. ording to him, thest test would generally involve trying to make the dhampir angry, while also having human, or other humanoid creatures, blood in an open container, or even bleeding from a wound. But with the ‘episode’ of Baron Bloggs having happened, and Ria already having been exposed to human blood in her first test, Mateo didn’t see it necessary to hold an official test. Instead, he just wrote the official ‘stable’ papers for Ria.
<span style="font-weight:400">And now that she had those, Ria could officially be an adventurer. I think we will register her in theing days. I wonder, can Agunan join? He is a dragon and he also doesn’t have a status.
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<span style="font-weight:400">As I stated previously, we enjoyed dinner with Viscount Hill.
<span style="font-weight:400">With him, our discussion quickly turned into metals and forging. He was especially interested in the vampiric steel sword I had given to Thomas. I gave him an exnation using my summoned monsters. It just is simpler than telling them that we (Lua and I) have been able to teach True Blood Magic to dhampirs in the nearby vige. I don’t want some Viscount harassing them just because they can do that.
<span style="font-weight:400">After that, our discussions quickly turned to my dungeon made swords. For that, I brought out the mithril sword I use, as well as a handful of other stuff I have in my storage from Paulina going into all of the challenge rooms. Most of them were just alright, not amazing or anything, but alright is still alright. Or I guess in this case I should say they were around intermediate+ in quality, while my mithril sword was good+.
<span style="font-weight:400">On the other hand, the parasitic armor Ria and I wore were both excellent in quality, while the vampiric steel sword I gave Thomas has been excellent-. <sup ss="modern-footnotes-footnote " data-mfn="1"></sup><span ss="modern-footnotes-footnote__note" data-mfn="1">For those that want a reminder, item and material quality goes: poor, low, intermediate, good, excellent, wless. All but wless can have a + or -.
<span style="font-weight:400">A bit like with Viscount Kramer, I got a request from Viscount Hills toe visit his workshops, and perhaps help him to make some vampiric steel. And like with Kramer, I didn’t have any reason to straight up refuse, instead saying I’ll think about it.
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<span style="font-weight:400">In the evening, after Alice asked if we could, we opened some packs together.
<span style="font-weight:400">Because I already opened some The Lost Millenium packs with Laura, Tahlia and Fantasia, I decided to go with some Cybeic Revolution packs today.
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<span style="font-weight:400">CRV 1
<span style="font-weight:400">Mad Lobster, Batteryman C, Des Croaking, Conscription, Doitsu, Cycroid, Spiritual Water Art - Aoi, Poison Draw Frog, Elemental HERO Bubbleman
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<span style="font-weight:400">“There is a Hero monster. Are they real heroes?” Alice asked, as soon as she saw the cards.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Well, kind of. They are based on superheroes. Theye from stories from my world.” I answered.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I see… Could you tell me more about them?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Sure. Some other time.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Other than that, Cycroid is actually somewhat interesting. I don’t think bicycles actually exist in this world, so studying Cycroid might allow for the manufacture of bicycles. And Mad Lobster is something I want to eat. At some point.
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<span style="font-weight:400">CRV 2
<span style="font-weight:400">Batteryman C, A Rival Appears!, Mechanical Hound, Drillroid, T.A.D.P.O.L.E., Cycroid, Cybeic Cyclopean, Indomitable Fighter Lei Lei, Dark Catapulter
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<span style="font-weight:400">Nothing too amazing in this pack. Well, I do like the look of Mechanical Hound. I want to go hunting with it. Drillroid is also alright, if I ever need to dig through a mountain or something.
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<span style="font-weight:400">CRV 3
<span style="font-weight:400">Spiritual Fire Art - Kurenai, Des Croaking, T.A.D.P.O.L.E., Drillroid, Dragon''s Mirror, Poison Draw Frog, Fusion Recovery, B.E.S. Crystal Core, D.D. Trap Hole
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<span style="font-weight:400">“Oh? Crystal Core, huh?” Imented as I saw the super rare.
<span style="font-weight:400">“... is it another airship like that other B.E.S. monster?” Lua asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Spaceship, but yes. It should be.” I rified.
<span style="font-weight:400">I wonder, how does Crystal Corepare to Big Core?
<span style="font-weight:400">And there is also Fusion Recovery and Dragon’s Mirror. Those aren’t bad either.
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<span style="font-weight:400">CRV 4
<span style="font-weight:400">Jetroid, Batteryman C, Dragon''s Mirror, Mechanical Hound, Cybeic Cyclopean, Conscription, Steam Gyroid, Giant Kozaky, D.D. Trap Hole
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<span style="font-weight:400">Oh? Jetroid? I wonder if I can use it as an actual jetfighter, or is it too small for that? There is also Steam Gyroid, but I need the fusion materials for it, and the only thing it really is good for is being a fodder for my fusion challenge.
<span style="font-weight:400">Well, next.
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<span style="font-weight:400">CRV 5
<span style="font-weight:400">Doitsu, Cybeic Cyclopean, Tyranno Infinity, Mad Lobster, Mechanical Hound, Jerry Beans Man, A Rival Appears!, Jetroid, System Down
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<span style="font-weight:400">System Down is nice. If I ever face mechanical monsters, it should kill all of them. I think. Are there even any mechanical monsters in this world?
<span style="font-weight:400">(Metal golems would likely count as machine monsters, but we would need to test that first.) Laura answered.
<span style="font-weight:400">Alright. Good to know. Tyranno Infinity also sounds interesting, but I don’t think there is any reason for me to use it. And I don’t think there ever was a Dinosaur deck that focused on banishing its own stuff, so I don’t think Tyranno Infinity was ever really a good card.
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<span style="font-weight:400">CRV 6
<span style="font-weight:400">Jerry Beans Man, T.A.D.P.O.L.E., Shien''s Spy, Spiritual Wind Art - Miyabi, Prepare to Strike Back, Mad Lobster, Des Frog, Power Bond, Magical Explosion
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<span style="font-weight:400">“Wow. Power Bond. That’s good.” Imented.
<span style="font-weight:400">“What is so good about it? What does it do?” Alice asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“It''s a fusion spell, simr to Polymerization. It only works on machine fusions, but it does double the attack stat of the summoned monster.” I exined. “But it also doese with a huge downside of damaging the summoner.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“... then it shouldn’t be used, right?” Lua asked. “Isn’t your health most important?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Well yes, in some situations. But sometimes it is worth it to give up some of your own HP, so that you can quickly take down your enemy, right?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Well, I suppose.” Lua admitted.
<span style="font-weight:400">Perhaps I should teach Lua and Alice how to actually y Yugioh. That would be fun. Well, I’ll do it when we have the time for that.
<span style="font-weight:400">Next pack.
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<span style="font-weight:400">CRV 7
<span style="font-weight:400">Steamroid, Cyber Archfiend, Doitsu, Spiritual Water Art - Aoi, Jetroid, Dragon''s Mirror, Des Frog, Goblin Elite Attack Force, Bubble Shuffle
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<span style="font-weight:400">Goblin Elite Attack Force isn’t bad. At least I think so. Not that I’ll ever use it, most likely. But I have one.
<span style="font-weight:400">Next.
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<span style="font-weight:400">CRV 8
<span style="font-weight:400">Patroid, Cyber Archfiend, Prepare to Strike Back, Conscription, Spiritual Fire Art - Kurenai, A Rival Appears!, Cycroid, D.D.M. - Different Dimension Master, Bubble Shuffle
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<span style="font-weight:400">Different Dimension Master, huh? I wonder if he uses Dimensional Magic like Cosmo Queen does? He might be helpful in teaching me things. I’ll need to give him a Book of Secret Arts at some point.
<span style="font-weight:400">(You can just leave that to me.) Laura offered.
<span style="font-weight:400">(... sure. You can do it.)
<span style="font-weight:400">Anyway, two more, then I think it will be bedtime for us.
Spoiler
<span style="font-weight:400">CRV 9
<span style="font-weight:400">A Rival Appears!, Prepare to Strike Back, Shien''s Spy, Cyber Archfiend, Soitsu, T.A.D.P.O.L.E., Steamroid, Jerry Beans Man, Dimension Wall
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<span style="font-weight:400">Dimensional Wall is not bad. It could be used as a set card with Wabaku and the other stuff I usually set on people.
<span style="font-weight:400">Well, one more to go. Let’s hope for something good.
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<span style="font-weight:400">CRV 10
<span style="font-weight:400">T.A.D.P.O.L.E., Prepare to Strike Back, Ebon Magician Curran, Tyranno Infinity, Giant Kozaky, Protective Soul Ailin, Shien''s Spy, Spark ster, Cyber End Dragon
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<span style="font-weight:400">Yeah. I’d call that something good. Even if there is no way I can summon it at this moment, because I don’t have the materials, Cyber End Dragon is ‘something good’.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Th.. that’s it…” Lua quietly muttered next to me.
<span style="font-weight:400">“What is what?” I asked her.
<span style="font-weight:400">“... that dragon…” She pointed at Cyber End Dragon. “... in a dream I saw, you rode on the back of that dragon. At least I think it was that dragon.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Really?” I asked. There is nothing strange, well that strange, about Lua having dreams, but this is the first Cyber End Dragon I have, so she shouldn’t have been able to see it beforehand. So how did she dream of it? “What kind of dream was it?”
<span style="font-weight:400">After I asked that, Lua blushed quite a bit. Then she told us about her dream, but it felt like she cut out at least some information.
<span style="font-weight:400">The main parts I took away from it was this.
1. In her dream, we were married.
<span style="font-weight:400">2. There was a dimensional fissure, and Alice and I had gone to deal with it.
<span style="font-weight:400">3. I had figured out how to keep my monsters summoned either permanently or for long periods of time using something called ‘avatar dolls’.
<span style="font-weight:400">4. When I returned with Alice, we rode in on what was most likely Cyber End Dragon.
<span style="font-weight:400">That is interesting. Now normally, I’d just say a dream is a dream. But considering when she said she saw the dream, the information isn’t something she should have known. Not just Cyber End Dragon, but also the dimensional fissure. That also exins why she reacted to the term ‘dimensional fissure’ like she did.
<span style="font-weight:400">Did she see some sort of a prognostic dream?
<span style="font-weight:400">The main thing I’m worried about are the dimensional fissures. If they really are popping up multiple times a week, that might honestly be bad. Even if not all of them poop out something on the level of a true behemoth, they do still sound incredibly dangerous.
<span style="font-weight:400">Well, I guess I’ll ask about that when I get to speak with the Goddess.
<span style="font-weight:400">Anyway. With the packs opened, it was sleep time for us. We all shared the bed, so it was a bit cramped, but with both Alice and Luapeting on how close they could be to me, we did fit.
<span style="font-weight:400">I just hope I can sleep like this…