Side Story: Everyone’s Morrow

CONTENT WARNING: The section within the filled diamond symbols (◆ ◆ ◆) contains a depiction of sexual violence that may be upsetting to some readers. Please use personal discretion if you are sensitive to content of this nature.

---

Deep in an unknown forest, the Golden-Haired Hero surveyed his surroundings from behind a great tree. He breathed a sigh of relief when he didn’t see anyone nearby. It had been several days since he had somehow managed to escape his escort meant to take him back to Klyrode Castle after the business with the Grand Magus of Midnight. Klyrode had put quite a valuable price on their heads and sent pursuers after them, so the Golden-Haired Hero and Tsuya continued to stay on the move as fugitives.

“My Lord Hero,” said Tsuya, fatigue evident in her voice. “We’ve been running through the forest for three whole days... I’m tired...” She sat on the ground, utterly fatigued.

The Hero grunted in agreement as he sat down next to Tsuya. Once again he sighed with relief. “I can’t believe they chased us as far as this,” he said. “Persistent, these louts.”

Ever since their escape, the Hero and Tsuya had been fleeing for three days without rest. No matter how much they would have preferred to find an inn, every settlement they found had posted wanted posters of the two of them. They had no choice but to camp deep in the mountains. Wherever they went, they had to keep fleeing from the shadow of the Princess’s hunters, far past the limits of their endurance.

The Golden-Haired Hero turned to look at Tsuya. She was sitting on the ground with her feet planted in front of her, her shoulders drooping so much that her head was touching her knees. Her breathing was ragged. It didn’t seem like she was getting up any time soon.

The Hero sighed. “Well then,” he said, “let’s take a break.” He closed his eyes and turned his head up to the heavens. They were far from the road in a part of the woods where the trees grew thick and dark. They probably won’t find us here for a while...

Still breathing heavily from exertion, the Hero reached into the Bottomless Bag that King Klyrode had given him when he had first been summoned as part of his equipment for his quest to slay the Dark One. “At least they didn’t take this away when we were arrested,” he said as he pulled out his Bag of Endless Water. “They put anything I might need on a monster hunt in here. We should be good for a while.” He proffered the water bag to Tsuya. “Go ahead.”

“Oh...” Tsuya started. “I’ll have a drink after you do, my Lord Hero.”

But the Hero insisted. “There’s no need to ration this, you know. This bag is powered by a water gem. It’ll last halfway till forever.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Tsuya mumbled, shaking her head. “It simply wouldn’t do for me to go ahead of you!”

“Honestly, don’t worry about that,” the Hero said, offering the bag once more. “Here.”

“O-Okay...” she said, taking it from his hands. “Then I suppose I’ll help myseeelf!” She immediately brought the bag to her mouth and started to gulp it down. She had been dreadfully thirsty.

What a strange woman, the Golden-Haired Hero thought. Even now, in these circumstances, she calls me “Hero” and treats me with deference... He smiled, thin-lipped as he looked at her. Then he took a look at the bag on his belt. I should probably double-check this. We aren’t at the end of the road, after all. A window appeared as soon as he touched it, listing off the contents of the bag. The Hero squinted as he read. “We don’t have that many rations left. And there’s almost no money in here...” Thanks to the bag of endless water there was no need to worry about thirst, but seeing how little food and gold they had made the Hero suddenly feel dizzy.

Well, he told himself, dwelling on it isn’t going to put food in our bellies. He steadied his emotions and looked in the bag again. “There are some spare weapons, and... Oh, what’s this?” He tilted his head as he saw the item at the end of the list: “A treasure box?”

“Oh!” said Tsuya. “Didn’t you stuff that in the bag when we were sneaking into the sanctuary, my Lord Hero? I remember you said we should take at least one as a memento...”

The Hero thought for a while and then struck his fist on the flat of his palm, remembering. “Now that you mention it, I did! Everything that happened after that was so insane—with the djinn and the Midnight Grand Magus lady—that I must have forgotten!” He took the chest out from his bag. It appeared on the ground in front of them, a lavishly-decorated treasure chest from the castle.

“If we manage to sell whatever’s inside, we might be able to get the funds we need for our lives as fugitives,” he said, putting his hands on the chest. It was locked, but it wasn’t hard for the Hero to force it open. “Hm?” he said.

“What?” added Tsuya. Both their eyes went wide and round.

Inside the chest were two shovels.

“...Really?” said the Hero. “Nothing but shovels?”

“Indeed...” said Tsuya. “It seems to only be shovels.”

They checked and double-checked, but there really was nothing else in the box. “Incredible,” said the Hero. “Of all the boxes I could have picked, it had to be the one full of shovels. Absolutely incredible...” Dejected, he halfheartedly stared at the shovels. They seemed fairly solidly built, but other than that they looked entirely ordinary. “But why in the world would somebody at the castle put shovels in a treasure chest?” Curious, he cast the spell Analysis.

A window popped up:

◇Item Name: Drilldozer Shovel

Every other field read, “Analysis Failed.”

“At my level, the most I can get is its name,” he said, laughing bitterly at himself as he took one of the shovels in hand. “Drilldozer Shovel, is it? Well, maybe this will be useful after all.” He gave his new shovel a smile. “I’m counting on you, partner!”

Suddenly, a new window appeared.

New Skill Mastered: Dig

“What?” The Hero looked at the window, confused.

“Diiig?” wondered Tsuya, looking at the window over the Hero’s shoulder. “I’ve never heard of that skill before.”

“So... What can we do with this?”

“I suppose it’ll help you dig deep holes, perhaps?” Tsuya mused, her right index finger resting on her cheek.

“I guessed as much,” the Hero replied. “But I mean, what good is digging holes?”

Tsuya pressed both hands to her forehead, deep in thought. “Hmm... Well...” she said, and then grinned all of a sudden. “Oh, I know! You can make pitfall traps! Maybe we can catch something to eat!”

The Hero had folded his arms, deep in thought when Tsuya made her suggestion. “I see...” he said. “Now that you mention it, I suppose that is something I could do...” He took to his feet. “Let’s go a bit further into the forest, just to be safe, and then I’ll try making some pitfalls.”

Tsuya stood up to follow him. “Okaaay!” she said. “I feel quite a bit better after that break.”

“Then let’s get moving!” The Hero took the water bag from Tsuya and took a single deep swig, gulping it down all at once before returning it to his bag.

He was just about to get moving when Tsuya stopped him. “Oh, my Lord Hero,” she called. “Um, are we going to leave the treasure box behind?”

“Oh, well, it’s empty isn’t it? It won’t do us much good.”

“Maybe,” she said. “I suppose that’s true...”

“What’s wrong?” the Hero asked. “Is something bothering you?”

“No,” she started. “Well, not really. It’s just one little thing. But that treasure box,” she hesitated, “it’s pretty, isn’t it? The way it sparkles? I wonder if someone might pay a good price for it...”

“That’s ridiculous!” the Golden-Haired Hero scoffed. “There was nothing in there but two shovels, right? Why in the world would they use a valuable treasure box to store shovels?”

“Aaah?!” Said Tsuya, taken aback. “O-Oh. Yes, I suppose that makes sense. You’re so smart, my Lord Heroooo.” She nodded emphatically at his words, clapping her hands together.

“Well, there you have it. Let’s get going, Tsuya!”

“Yes, my Lord Heroooo!”

“Wait.” The Hero hesitated. “You keep calling me your ‘Lord Hero.’”

“Of course!” she said. “My Lord Hero is my Lord Hero, after aaall!”

“I’ve heard there’ve been a lot of Heroes in this world, so that in itself shouldn’t be a problem...” the Hero mused. “I know! From now on, why don’t you call me ‘Hero Gold-Hair!’”

“Yes, my Lord Heroooo!” Tsuya answered. “If that is what you wish to be called, I certainly don’t mind.” She cleared her throat. “Now, my Lord Hero Gold-Hair, shall we be off?”

He grunted affirmatively. “Let’s get going, Tsuya!”

The two of them nodded their heads and headed off deeper into the woods.

◇Days Later◇

Mimew of the Adventurers’ Association felt her eyes go wide at the sight of the resplendently decorated treasure box set before her. “This is quite a find!” she said. “I can’t believe you just happened to stumble upon something like this.”

The young woodcutter who had found the box stood next to her. “Is it really that amazing?” he asked.

“Mister Marcobia,” Mimew responded, more and more excited as she spoke, “‘amazing’ doesn’t begin to cover it! Do you see these gems embedded along the sides? These are magic gems—every one of them! Exceptionally high purity too! Let’s see...” She folded her arms as she considered the chest. “Five gold each wouldn’t be out of the question for gems like this.”

At those words, the onlookers suddenly began to clamor among themselves.

“Holy... That box must have twenty magic gems on it...”

“Wh-What?! So then the whole thing would be worth a hundred gold?!”

“Kind of makes me feel mortified by how little I earn hunting C-Rank monsters...”

Mimew put the crowd out of mind. “Tell me, Mister Marcobia,” she said. “Where did you find something like this?”

“That’s the thing...” he responded. “I was just in my usual spot in the mountains behind my village. I went there to cut wood like always, and this thing was just lying there in a thicket.”

“I wonder if some bandits stole the box and forced it open on the spot,” Mimew muttered. “They must have had no idea how valuable the box itself was.” She shook her head. “Oh, excuse me. I’ll prepare your payment—please wait just a moment,” she said and headed into the back.

“Do you think there are more boxes like that lying around?” wondered one of the adventurers. As soon as the words were spoken, the adventurers rushed into the streets, heading for the nearby forest as fast as they could.

Marcobia watched them go, a dry smile on his face. Yeah, he thought. I had that idea too. Looked all over before I came here... Well, I wish them luck.

◇ ◇ ◇

A few days later, the Princess of Klyrode was sitting on her throne, listening to a report from one of the guards. “A treasure box? From our own sanctuary?” she echoed.

“There’s no doubt about it,” said the guard. “We’ve just retrieved the box from the Adventurers’ Association, but our early investigations confirm that it could only have been removed by that Golden-Haired Hero.”

“And the contents... Were you able to retrieve those?” The Princess was worried.

“I’m terribly sorry, Your Highness. He must have taken them...”

“I see...” she slumped her shoulders. “They were the Drilldozer Shovels he took, were they not? The legendary items...”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Legends say that once upon a time the Drilldozer Shovel was used to create pitfall traps so devious that not even the Dark One could escape them...” The Princess nervously bit her lip as she worried. “Our highest priority must be to prepare for another attack from the Dark Army,” she continued. “But I want to take what soldiers we can spare and dispatch them to search the area around where the Adventurers’ Association says the box was found. We must apprehend the Golden-Haired Hero and his companion with utmost haste, and retrieve the treasure he stole.”

“Yes, Your Highness! I will send the order out at once.” The guard bowed deeply as the Princess finished, and left the throne room.

The Princess sighed deeply once she was alone. If only we had acknowledged Flio as the Hero from the start, how much easier this would be... she lamented. The djinn would have never been unsealed, the Grand Magus of Midnight would have never broken free, and when the Dark One attacked, the Hero would have driven his armies away as if it were nothing. Once more she sighed, and shook her head. No... There’s no use dwelling on such things. And after all, I am complicit in naming that golden-haired man as the Hero... She sighed a third time and sat back heavily, staring up at the ceiling.

Still, she thought, Lord Flio did give his word that he would cooperate with the kingdom... That must suffice for a silver lining in all of this, I suppose.

◇ ◇ ◇

While the Princess was busy dealing with the erstwhile Hero, Flio was alone with Belano behind his house. “Now,” he said, “try it like I taught you.” Belano nodded, and focused on the wooden stake driven into the ground in front of them. She held out both hands, concentrated deeply, and began to chant. A magic circle appeared in front of her. She focused her senses.

“...Fire Lance.”

A single magic spear erupted from the circle. It was on the small side, but it burned brightly as it flew at the target. It impacted the top portion of the stake with considerable force, skewering it and sending the tip flying off. Flio raised his fists in the air, crying out happily. “You did it, Belano!” he said, a big grin on his face. “Your first Fire Lance!”

Belano turned red in her cheeks, and mumbled, “I mean...it’s only one spear, though.” She raised her eyes. In front of her she saw Flio, as happy at her first successful attack spell as if it was his own achievement. Seeing him like that, Belano couldn’t help smiling happily herself.

◇That Night◇

Belano was sitting in her room, facing her desk. When they had first moved in, Belano and the rest of Balirossa’s party slept in beds lined up in the living room, but at some point Flio had extended the house’s floor plan using magic, making it about one and a half times as large as it had been. Now, everyone had their own private room.

On her desk was the textbook and reference book Belano had been using for her class at the College of Magic. On the wall above her desk was a painting of a young Belano, with one man on either side of her. “Father...” she whispered, looking up at the painting. “Brother...”

Belano’s mother had died shortly after her birth. She had been brought up by her father and her brother, who was ten years older than her. Both were mages working for Klyrode Castle. Her mother, too, had been a witch. Belano was born with a high affinity for magic, and her father and brother had taught her how to cast spells. They were both very kind teachers.

However, the day came when the two of them didn’t come home. They had gone with the knights of the castle to fight a salamander who had been attacking nearby villages and lost their lives.

“Father, Brother,” she repeated. “You know, Lord Flio killed that salamander for us.” She smiled. “He’s amazing, Lord Flio. His magic is incredible, and he’s so kind... I was a failure of a witch, but he was so patient in teaching me. He’s a lot like you, I think...” She spread out the fingers of her right hand as she spoke. She had six rings on her middle three fingers, presents from Flio to increase her magic reserves. Belano took one ring off her right ring finger and held it up to her eye, looking at it fondly.

“Father, Brother,” she said. “Please watch over me...and Lord Flio...” She slipped Flio’s ring back on...on her left ring finger.

Belano?

“Eeek!” Belano felt chills run up her back. She thought she’d heard a voice call her name, dark as if it was seething up from the very bowels of the earth. She panicked, looking around her room. But she was alone, no matter how hard she looked. That voice... she thought, her whole body trembling. Didn’t it sound like Lady Rys?

Afterwards, she returned the ring back to her right hand.

She crawled into her bed to sleep, but that night she kept moaning in her sleep, troubled with nightmares of running from figures of Rys wearing a truly demonic expression.

◇ ◇ ◇

While Belano was wrestling with her nightmares, Balirossa popped out of bed with a start. “Aah!” she screamed. Only in her lower undergarments, Balirossa searched the room carefully, breathing heavily. Before long, she sighed in relief. She was alone, in her own bedroom. “A dream... It was only a dream. I’m so...so glad...” She collapsed back onto her bed, staring at the ceiling. “Why... Why do I keep having that same dream, night after night...?”

Hiding her face in her hands, Balirossa kept muttering to herself incoherently.

◇Balirossa’s Dream◇

“You look beautiful, Balirossa.” Gholl, the Dark One, was facing Balirossa with a big smile on his face. She stood beside him, wearing a black wedding dress as the bride of the Dark One. Before them kneeled the arrayed forces of the Dark Army, Uliminas at their head.

“Lord Gholl, Lady Balirossa, congratulations on your meowrriage!” she said. “To celebrate, we purromise to conquer the world, and offer it to you as a wedding purresent!”

“Hrm,” said Gholl. “You’d best start soon.”

“Meow!” Uliminas stood, and at once the demons arrayed behind her also took to their feet, perfectly on cue. Uliminas turned to face the forces under her command. “All right, mew lot! We set out at meownce! The world will be ours! Are mew with me?!”

The army all cried at once in response. “Ma’am, yes, ma’am!” and then, “Long live the Dark One! Long live Queen Balirossa!” Voices praising the two came from all directions.

Gholl surveyed his army, and then turned with deliberate slowness to look at Balirossa. “Oh Balirossa,” he said, “when we conquer the world, I will gladly offer it to you. Although, it is poor tribute to your beauty.” He took her in his arms, princess-style.

“Oh, Lord Gholl...” said Balirossa, tears of joy streaming down her red cheeks. “You make me so happy.” She closed her eyes.

“Hrm... I love you, Balirossa.” He leaned in, pressing his lips against—

“Aah!” Balirossa screamed and jumped out of bed when she remembered what had happened in her dream. “The... The Dark One! It’s been a long time since he was visiting our house every day, so why am I still having dreams like that? And every night...?” She continued mumbling to herself, recalling the scene from earlier.

Although I must admit, she thought, he does have a rather nice face... If he were to...

“Aah!” Balirossa screamed again, interrupting her train of thought. “This is wrong. This is so wrong! Why am I thinking things like that? Even if he does have a nice face... Have I gone mad?” She collapsed back onto her bed, mumbling to herself as she crawled under the covers. “I’m going to sleep! Just sleep! No more dreams! I’m sleeping! Sleeping!” She closed her eyes tight as she repeated the words to herself over and over.

◇ ◇ ◇

Blossom was up early in the morning, rising before dawn to go tend the garden. “I feel like I heard some strange sounds from Belano and Balirossa’s rooms,” she said to herself, tilting her head curiously. Blossom’s room was in the same hallway as Balirossa’s and Belano’s. The rooms were fairly well soundproofed, but they had been sleeping with the windows open, so some sounds from the neighboring rooms got in.

“Balirossa screams over and over like that pretty often for some reason...but Belano is Belano. It sounds like she’s been having a nightmare. I should go check on her, I guess.” Sitting up on her bed, she folded her arms and glanced at the left and right walls of her room. After a little while, she began to perk up. “Well, if it’s bad, I’m sure Lord Flio will do something about it. Probably no need for me to barge in.”

Having convinced herself not to get involved, she grabbed the clothes she had left draped over the back of her chair and put them on. She headed out of her room and down the stairs. When she reached the living room, Sybe ran up to her, snuffling happily. It seemed to have noticed her coming down. An ordinary horned rabbit would generally run on four legs, but Sybe was originally a psychobear and ran on its two hind legs.

“Hey, good morning Sybe! I’m always happy to get a greeting from you.” Blossom beamed happily and picked Sybe up in her arms, rubbing the rabbit against her cheeks. “Oh, I know! Today’s harvest day for our garden. Do you wanna help out?” Sybe snuffled once affirmatively. Blossom put Sybe down, and Sybe transformed back to its original form on its own.

Blossom was tall for a woman, but next to Sybe at its full height of almost three meters, she looked like a petite girl. “Right, thanks for the assistance,” she said, looking up at Sybe as he grew to tower above her, grinning. “I’ll ask Rys to cook up lots of meat for you when we’re done.”

Before long, the two had reached Blossom’s garden, Blossom shouldering her tools and Sybe pulling along the cart. “The vegetables I planted have been ripening one after another ever since we moved the house,” she said, spirits high as she took one of the many baskets from the cart and headed towards the vegetable field. Sybe saw her off, and arranged the baskets neatly, one by one. When it finished its task, it flopped down next to the cart, staring out at the garden.

The garden was full of vegetables growing as tall as two or three meters high, dense enough that Sybe couldn’t make out Blossom among them. Its nose was sensitive, however. It kept track of her general area by smell, looking after her as she worked.

Suddenly, it could hear Blossom’s voice calling for it. “Sybe!” she said. “Come over here!” Sybe grabbed one of the baskets, balancing it on its head as it headed off towards the middle of the field. There were footpaths in the garden between the towering vegetables, but Sybe’s body was too large for them to be of any use. It just barreled on through carrying the basket, well used to this. It reached Blossom, along with the first basket she had brought, now overflowing with vegetables.

“All right, you take these,” she said smiling, holding up her hands, “and I’ll take your new basket in exchange!”

“Gwaor!” Sybe cried out and nodded. First it placed the empty basket in Blossom’s arms, and then it hoisted the full basket above its head. Blossom watched as the psychobear did an about-face.

“I’ll call for you when I’ve filled another basket, so you just wait there, okay?” she said and squatted over, returning to her harvest.

Eventually dawn came, the sun just beginning to crest the horizon. “Raohr!” said Sybe, taking the final basket from Blossom and balancing it on its head.

Blossom slowly rose to her feet. “And I suppose that does it for today’s work,” she said, stretching her arms wide. “Right! We’re done with the harvest, so let’s take a quick once-over of the garden and head home.” Blossom left the field behind Sybe, looking around as she did. For about a minute afterwards, she glanced around, inspecting the area. “Mhm, everything looks good,” she said, and along with Sybe started back towards the house.

Sybe’s cart was full up with baskets of vegetables. “But really,” Blossom said, “having you here to do the heavy lifting is a big help. I could only do maybe half of this on my own.” Amiably, she slapped Sybe on the back.

Sybe cried out happily, “Gwor!” and picked Blossom up with its left arm.

“Wha— Hey! Sybe!” she shouted, startled. But Sybe lifted her up and placed her on its shoulders. “Aha... Well, all right,” she said, wrapping her arms around Sybe’s big head so she wouldn’t fall as she looked around. “It’s a good view from up here, Sybe,” she said. “Right... Why don’t we take a quick walk before we head home? Since I’m already up here and all.”

“Gworawr!” cried Sybe, nodding just slightly.

◇ ◇ ◇

“Huh?” Byleri stopped in her tracks, blinking curiously. She’d been pulling her cart through the pasture between Flio’s house and Blossom’s garden. “Um, where are Blossom and Sybe going?”

Until a second ago, Blossom and Sybe had been heading straight towards the house, until they suddenly changed directions off towards the mountains. Byleri watched them go, puzzled over their behavior.

She was interrupted from her thoughts by the sound of a loud whinny coming from the stables. “Oh, right, sorry!” she called back. “I’m coming!” She pulled her cart behind her into the stables. Inside were the horse monsters she had been raising: the crystal-hoof horse with its two heads and transparent hooves, and the snake-hawk horses, with the wings of a hawk and the head of a snake... Her herd had six heads total, counting the double-headed horse twice. Some of them were originally savage monsters, but Flio had bound them to Byleri with his Subjugation spell, making them quite obedient.

She would sometimes lend her horses out to merchants to hitch their wagons to. However, lately she had been absolutely swamped with requests. Her horses were very fast, often reaching their destination well ahead of schedule. And if the wagon was ever attacked by monsters, Byleri’s horses could fight them off. She had become quite famous, it seemed.

That being said, Byleri was willful, and would not take every client who asked. She insisted that her horses be given time to properly rest, and would only lend them when they were good and ready. As a result, they were always in top form when they worked, and performed excellently.

“I’m here!” she called. “Ready for breakfast?” She took the pails loaded on her handcart and gave them to her horses in turn. In each was one head’s portion of food, handmade by Byleri herself to suit the tastes of each, with a good balance of fruits and vegetables. The horses stuck their heads out of the partition, making sure to bow politely to Byleri before tending to their meals.

Byleri bowed. “You’re all, like, very welcome!” she said, happily. She was grinning ear-to-ear. “And, here you go!” Finally, she reached the last horses, the two snake-hawk horse brothers. She let out a heavy breath and wiped the sweat from her brow. The pair bayed happily and bowed politely like the others. They flicked out their long tongues, licking Byleri on her cheeks. Because they had snake heads in place of a horse’s, their tongues were very thin and long.

“Oh!” she said, walking closer and hugging both of their heads close to her. “You two are such sweethearts, aren’t you?” Suddenly, she felt the younger one’s tongue sliding down her back. “Hyah?!” she cried out, startled by the sensation.

That was only the beginning.

The snake-hawk horses mistook Byleri’s cry for a cry of joy, and both began to run their tongues all over her back, doing their best to make their mistress happy. “Hyaaaaaaaah!” she cried in the same weird voice, bending backwards at the uncomfortable sensation. Still thinking that she was enjoying it, the horses licked her more and more fervently.

Byleri twisted her body, looking for some way to escape from the snake-hawk horses’ tongues, but they were too flexible. All she manage to do was put herself in a position where their tongues were lapping at her chest instead. “Hyaaohhh...” she moaned, her face blushing as she curled up into a ball to protect herself. The brothers kept licking. “H-Help? Somebody?!” She tried desperately to call out, but the sensation of their tongues on her chest was too much. It was all she could manage to make a faint, feeble voice.

Suddenly, she heard a man’s voice. “I told you Byleri,” he said. “In times like these, you need to look the horse in the eyes and tell it to stop, right?”

“H-Huh?!” Byleri looked up, startled by the unexpected voice. There, interposed between herself and the snake-hawk horses, was Flio. He was holding up his hand to the horses, signifying them to stop. They were already pulling in their tongues and drawing back.

“L-Lord Flio...” Byleri said, sinking down to the floor. “Th-Thanks.”

“If you’re done feeding the horses, shall we get back to the house? I think Rys is cooking us breakfast.” He looked as cool and relaxed as always.

“Oh, um, could you wait a minute?” Byleri said, walking towards the snake-hawk horses. They were eating despondently, worried that Flio was angry with them. She began to gently pat their heads. “Only lick me on the cheek, okay? Promise? I know, I know, you’re such good boys, aren’t you?” She turned to each of them in turn, and they rubbed their cheeks against hers happily, with no sign of their earlier despondency.

Byleri really is incredible with horses, Flio thought as he watched the scene unfold with his usual cool smile.

◆ ◆ ◆

While Flio and Byleri were in the stables, Hiya was standing in the corner of the living room, her arms folded and eyes closed. At that moment, she was projecting herself into her own mindscape—the world inside her head. Everything around her was pure white. And before her, a single woman sat cross-legged on the floor.

“Didn’t you swallow me whole and destroy me or something?” scoffed Damalynas.

Hiya opened her narrow eyes, gazing at the woman. “This is the mindscape of the djinn who commands the origin of light and darkness, myself. I have captured your soul and bound it here to me.”

Damalynas laughed, almost as if the thought entertained her. “Oh? You’re not even going to allow me to die? You are quite vindictive, Miss Djinn.” She kept laughing for a bit, but Hiya only stared at her, regarding her with a cold smile. With the djinn giving no reaction, it wasn’t long before Damalynas cut out the laughter. “Well? So you’ve bound my soul to this world. What then? Are you gonna do something with me?”

At this, Hiya merely smiled. “I think I shall ask you to be my training partner.”

“What? Training?”

“Indeed. Training.”

Damalynas looked dubious as Hiya extended her right arm towards her. “Wha... What?!” Damalynas’s body suddenly was no longer sitting on the floor, but floating through space. A large bed appeared next to Hiya, and Damalynas was carelessly thrown onto it. Her limbs extended out to the corners of the bed where they were held fast by leather straps, in a diagonal cross shape.

“Wait!” cried Damalynas. “Wait! What do you need to tie me to a bed for?!” She had a bad feeling about where this was going.

Hiya rose up to the bed, and extended her right arm towards the bound Damalynas. “Every night, the Exalted One I serve entwines his body with his wife’s in a passionate exchange.” She waved her hand, and Damalynas’s clothing vanished, leaving her stark naked. “I, Hiya, only know secondhand of lovemaking. I am very interested to try it myself. I would like you to serve as my training partner in this, for the sake of intellectual curiosity.”

“Hey wait!” Damalynas cried frantically as Hiya drew gradually closer. “What are you even talking about?” She was speaking as quickly as she could. “We’re both girls! What do you mean ‘try it yourself’? Sorry, but I’m not into that!”

As she protested, Hiya’s own clothing vanished before her eyes, revealing her exceptionally slender, well-proportioned body. Hiya brought her hand to the lower part of her body, and something that looked like a man’s penis suddenly emerged from her pelvis, growing larger and larger until it was enormous. Damalynas went pallid. “Wait! What is that?! Did you seriously just—”

“I am Hiya...the djinn who commands the origin of light and darkness. I am a being above sexual dimorphism.” She mounted Damalynas as she spoke.

“You... Just because you have the parts doesn’t mean it’s okay! And more to the point, that’s way too big! There’s no way it’ll fit! Please... Please, let me go!” pleaded Damalynas, tears in her eyes.

Hiya smirked. “Don’t worry. According to the information I have acquired, it is only supposed to hurt the first time.”

“You idiot! It’s not my first time, but the size of that thing is just too—mmffh!” Hiya kissed her, blocking her mouth and cutting off her words. Slowly, she lowered herself between Damalynas’s legs. With no warm-up whatsoever, she began to move. Damalynas screamed into Hiya’s mouth. “Mffhhaaaaaaaaaahh?!”

◇Minutes Later◇

Hiya’s arms were folded. She tilted her arms, puzzled. “Now then,” she said. “What could have gone wrong...” She stared over at Damalynas. Even though Hiya had hardly done anything, Damalynas had fallen unconscious. She lay there, her body twitching.

“Perhaps it is too much to expect myself to be able to perform as well as the Exalted One my first time,” she said, glancing at Damalynas as she thought the matter through. “Truly, this is a mysterious art.”

◆ ◆ ◆

“Hiya? Is something wrong?” Rys looked worried. Hiya had been standing for some time in the corner of the living room, her eyes closed, not moving. Some time passed, and then Hiya slightly opened her eyes, barely peeking out under her eyelids.

“No,” she said. “Nothing is wrong, O wife of the Exalted One.” She bowed deeply.

“Really? All right, then. But if there is something, don’t hesitate to ask for help. It’s no use trying to do everything on your own.” Rys smiled. “If you’re looking for something to do, would you care to help me? I’m about to start on breakfast.”

“I would be happy to assist you,” Hiya said and followed Rys into the kitchen.

◇ ◇ ◇

The two of them spent a few dozen minutes in the kitchen, Rys busying herself here and there preparing the meal. Behind her, Hiya was assisting with her preparations.

“Mistress,” said Hiya, “am I to serve this food?”

Rys took a quick taste of the soup and glanced over at Hiya. “I suppose. Would you portion out the stir-fry and take it to the living room? The rest will be a little longer.”

“As you wish. I shall be quick.” Hiya bowed and moved the meat and vegetable stir-fry from its platter to a number of smaller plates. While she was busy, Rys took another taste of the soup and cocked her head.

Strange. I feel like this is missing something. Rys gave the contents of the stockpot another good stir and tasted it again. Yes... Something is definitely missing. Rys stood in thought for a short while, and then picked up the stockpot with both hands. “Excuse me,” she said. “I’ll be right back.”

“Mistress?” Hiya said, but Rys didn’t even wait to hear her response. She darted out of the house with incredible force, partially transformed into her lupine form. Within minutes, she alighted in front of a building—The Mileno School for the Culinary Arts, Houghtow Campus.

Rys transformed back into her full human form and knocked on the door with one hand, holding the massive stockpot in the other.

“Yes yes, I’m coming—oh, if it isn’t Rys! Good morning!” The rabbit woman who answered the door smiled when she saw who it was.

“Miss Japyona,” said Rys, “I’m sorry to bother you so early in the morning... It’s just, I tried to make the minestrone you taught us in yesterday’s lesson, and it came out wrong. Would you please help me?” She held out the pot for her teacher.

“Hmm. Let’s see...” Japyona gave the soup a stir with the ladle sticking out of the pot and brought it to her lips. “Ahh,” she said. “Rys, you have the proportions wrong.”

“The...proportions?” said Rys, blinking in confusion. “But I used the same proportions you did...”

Japyona wiggled her ears and held up her index finger, gesturing as she lectured. “The recipe I taught you yesterday is for half as much soup as you have here. You need to double the ingredients when you use a pot this big or else the soup is going to be too thin. Like so.”

“Indeed? I... I see.” Rys peered into the stockpot, staring at the soup. “I understand what I did wrong.” She was speaking quickly, like she was in a rush to leave. “I will return home immediately and adjust the proportions as you say.”

Japyona smiled at Rys’s strange behavior. “Miss Rys, would you at least consider staying for tea—oh?” When she looked up, she saw that Rys had vanished. She hurried out of the store, looking up and down the street, but Rys was nowhere to be seen. “That Rys...” she said. “Where did she vanish to? I don’t see any side streets she could have gone down.”

She tilted her head to the side, puzzled.

“I’m back!” Still in her half-lupine form, Rys said a hurried greeting as she rushed to the magic stove. She put the stockpot on the burner and set it to high, gathering seasonings from the shelf above her to add to the soup. “Two dashes of this... Three of that...” She glanced over at the notes she had taken in class, doubling the ingredients like Japyona had said. It was ready in no time. She dipped the ladle in, stirred, and once again took a sip. “Yes!” Satisfied, she ladled out the soup into the household’s bowls behind her.

“Hiya!” called Rys, “How’s the rest of our breakfast coming?”

“Everything is on the table, Mistress. Blossom brought in fresh vegetables as well; they have been arranged on a platter and brought into the living room.”

“Very good. Then all that’s left is to serve the soup. Let’s hurry!”

“Yes, Mistress.”

The two brought the bowls of soup into the living room, where Flio and the rest were already seated. “I apologize for the delay,” said Rys. “Here is today’s soup.” She went down the line, placing the bowls in front of her family. Across from her on the other side of the table, Hiya did the same. Rys went back into the kitchen to hang up her apron on a hook beside the door, and then took her seat next to Flio.

“Shall we, then?” said Flio once everyone was seated. He clapped his hands together and said, “Thank you for the food!”

“Thank you!” said the rest, also pressing their hands together and bowing slightly. Soon, everyone was busy eating.

Flio took a spoonful of the soup and looked over at his wife, beaming fondly. “This soup is new, isn’t it? I like it a lot.”

The soup was a big hit. After Flio spoke, the others tried theirs, and one by one offered words of praise.

“Oh! Now that you mention it, I’ve never seen this kind of soup before.”

“It’s good! I like soup with lots of vegetables.”

“Lady Rys’s cooking is always good.”

Rys smiled happily, but not even Flio noticed that she was pumping her fists in triumph under the table.

◇ ◇ ◇

After eating, Flio went to the room he shared with Rys. There was a passage between his bedroom and the rest of the house, so that if he wanted, he could sneak into the bedroom without anyone noticing. Sitting in front of his desk, Flio removed a number of magic gems from his bag. He lined them up on the desk before him.

“I think I’ll create some enchanted rings today,” he said, taking out a metal plate. This plate had once been the poor-quality weapons he had been given when he left Klyrode Castle. Some time ago he had fused them together into a single piece. “Those weapons really were worthless,” he said, fondly remembering. “No respectable shopkeeper would take something like that.”

He used his magic, peeling off a portion of the metal like it was soft clay. Flio took it in his hands and imbued his fingers with magic, manipulating it dexterously. Before long, he had shaped the lump of metal into a ring. “Not bad,” he said. He carved intricate patterns around the ring’s head, taking breaks as he worked to see how it was coming. He nodded, satisfied.

Next, Flio picked up a magic gem and touched it with his index finger, pouring magic in directly. “I feel like I’ve more or less gotten the hang of this,” he said, nodding to himself as he chanted. Before long, the gem was imbued with two effects: a speed enchantment and a stamina enchantment. “And now,” he said, “for the finishing touch.” He set the gem into the head of the ring he had just created, and once again began to chant. There was a click, and the ring was finished.

Flio picked up the ring, looking it over from every angle. “Not bad,” he said again, satisfied. He kept working for a while, and before long he had created twenty rings.

Conventional wisdom was that for a gemcrafter to create a ring of this quality, it would take three days to complete the head and two days to enchant the gem itself. Flio, however, could do those five days of work in approximately three minutes.

Flio stashed his newly-forged rings in his bag. “I suppose I’ll head into town and sell these at the general store,” he said, and at that moment Rys came into the room. She met Flio’s gaze.

“Oh, were you about to go into town, my love?”

“Yeah, I was just getting ready,” Flio said.

“Then I suppose I shall get ready as well,” said Rys. “Would you wait a few moments?” She took her favorite white dress from the dresser and stripped out of the clothes she had been wearing to change into the dress.

Flio was openly staring at the sight of Rys in her undergarments. “Is something the matter?” she asked.

“N-No.” Flio blushed. “I was just... I was just admiring your beauty.”

“My lord!” Rys’s face turned as red as Flio’s. She brought her hand in front of her face, a little shy. But then she sidled up to him and sat down on his lap, hugging him tight and pulling him into a deep kiss. Flio returned her affection, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing back eagerly. For a while, the two simply stayed like that, bodies pressed together, lips touching lips. Then, they pulled apart.

“As much as I hate to end it there, we had best deal with your business first,” said Rys, wistful as she stood up from Flio’s lap.

“Yes, it’s still midday,” said Flio, taking to his feet as well. “We should take care of the day’s work.”

Flio and Rys left the house together, Rys holding Flio’s arm as always. “Houghtow is such a busy city,” she said as she looked around at their surroundings. True to her words, the streets were full of people going about their day. Everywhere they went they could hear some lively conversation.

“It is,” said Flio. “Houghtow’s a good bit o’ ways from Klyrode Castle, but that also means it hasn’t been targeted by the Dark One’s forces. It might be more prosperous than cities nearer to the castle now.” He took stock of his surroundings as he spoke. “Perhaps I’ll open my own shop here one of these days. I’ve been thinking about it.”

“Your own shop, my love?” said Rys. “I’m sure it would do well. If you do, I’ll have to tell some of my acquaintances to come visit.”

“Hold on, Rys!” Flio balked. “When you say ‘acquaintances,’ you mean people from the Dark Army, right? I mean, I’d be happy to have them, but wouldn’t having demons walking around the city make the humans panic?”

“I’ll be sure to tell them to disguise themselves as humans,” Rys said. “There shouldn’t be any need to worry.” She smiled and added, “You know, my dear husband... I would do anything for your sake. Anything at all. You need only order me.”

“Thank you, Rys,” he said. “I’ll be sure to keep that in mind when I need something.” He gently pressed his lips to her cheek, and Rys returned the gesture. “Ah, there are so many people here...”

“I understand, my lord.”

The two continued their whispered conversation until they finally reached the shop. “All right,” said Flio. “I’ll see about selling those rings.”

“And I will go to the cooking school again,” said Rys, bowing deeply. She had been attending classes in secret at first, but eventually she decided that it was an act of disobedience to keep secrets, and confessed. Flio, of course, was happy to give her permission. And so, she now studied cooking with her husband’s blessing.

“Do you want to go out to eat again after I’m done?” asked Flio.

“Of course!” said Rys, bowing again. “I look forward to it!” She turned and headed off towards the school. She wore a bag over her shoulder, with parchment and a pen for taking notes in class.

Flio watched her go before heading into his usual general store. “Good luck at class,” he said. “I’ll do my best too at the sales talks!”

◇ ◇ ◇

That night, Flio and Rys were together in bed. Rys laid her head on Flio’s arm, her hand resting on his chest. “Today’s dinner was amazing,” said Flio. “Did you learn to make that minced meat dish in class today?”

“I did,” Rys answered, rubbing her cheek against Flio’s arm as she spoke. “It is called ‘hamburger steak.’ It’s a way to make a good meal out of cheap meat. I was only testing out the recipe, but I’m glad it found favor with you.” Flio hugged his wife tight. “Did you get a good price for those magic gems, my love?”

“I suppose,” he said wryly. “I think I might have gone in a bit too hard bargaining, though. The shopkeeper looked like he was on the verge of tears.” Rys chuckled.

“You know, my love,” she said, after she had finished laughing, “the hamburger steak I prepared today is supposed to be quite popular with children.” She blushed as she spoke, looking up at her husband.

“You don’t say,” said Flio, smiling as he moved to kiss Rys. “Then we’ll just have to do our best to make one.” Rys closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. As the two shared a lingering embrace, the magic lamp by their bedside went dark.

◇The Following Morning◇

Flio opened his eyes to see the morning light streaming in through the curtains. “Morning, huh?” he said. Rys was beside him, still snoring quietly in his arms. Flio looked over, taking in her sleeping face. Slowly, Rys opened her eyes as well.

“Good morning, my love,” she said.

“Good morning, Rys.” The two kissed. “Clear sky today.”

“That’s good to hear. I need to launder the sheets, you know.” Rys stepped out of the bed as she spoke. She pulled on her clothes. “But first, I should get breakfast ready, shouldn’t I?”

“Would you like my help today?” said Flio.

“Oh, would you like to?”

“Of course! I’d hate to make you do all the cooking, Rys.”

“Then, my lord, I will trust myself to your capable hands,” said Rys, giggling.

“And I to yours!” said Flio. He couldn’t help giggling either.

Flio and Rys. They were born in different worlds, to different races, but they nonetheless remained very deeply in love.