Chapter 117.2: Interviewing
If audio player doesn't work, press Stop then Play button again
Chapter 117.2: Interviewing
PART 2/2
Erani, Ainash, and I all sat around Ripley as she spoke.The original appearance of this chapter can be found at Ñøv€lß1n.
“The king is different?” I asked.
She shook her head. “I don’t know, but he’s not acting right. Something more serious is going on than just some extortion. I think they’ve infiltrated us to our core. We’re supposedly ‘working together’ with the Demons, but anyone around can tell that’s bullshit. King Koinkar, he...changed. Used to at least try to fight back against what those damn Demons said. Now he willingly goes along with their plans without a word against. Hells, he almost seems enthusiastic about following along. Not like someone working under threat of being invaded if he doesn’t follow their commands.”
“When did this change occur?” I furrowed my brows. Had something happened to the king? I wouldn't be surprised, really.
“I was... imprisoned. For some time. The day I went in, he was fine. Day I came out, he’d changed.”
I nodded, and Erani stepped in. “How did those changes manifest? Did he look different at all? Did his clothing change? Even just an additional piece of jewelry, or a single item swapped out? Anything you didn’t recognize?”
She pursed her lips, pausing to think. “Well, mainly his actions. What he says, what he does, the way he talks, it’s all wrong. It’s like I don’t know him. And the changes are all in favor of the Demons. But looks...I don’t think he changed his appearance at all. But he sits differently. I do remember that. You know him, he’s old. Ancient. He slouches, can barely support himself even if he wanted to sit up. Now, it’s like he isn’t a day over forty. Wouldn’t even think it was physically possible.”
“Huh.” I chewed on my lip, mulling over what she said. “No idea how that happened, I assume?”
“Nah. But whatever those damned Demons did, they’ve corrupted this entire kingdom, top to bottom. No way I could’ve done what they said for long.”
“What about the other royal guard that was with you? Asmo? She seems to be just fine going along with the Demons. Think they’ve ‘corrupted’ her, too?”
Ripley shook her head, smiling in a strangely fond way, considering the subject matter. “That girl’s a lost cause. She wants to get to the top of whatever ladder’s in front of her. Right now, the ladder we’re climbing is the one where killing you is at the top. So she’s just working her way up. Money and power, that’s all she’s been after.”
“Do you think you could convince her to come over to our side? You seem to work well together.”
She laughed. “We do, but not in the way where I could change her mind on that. Hells, I’m willing to bet she’s out there forming a plan to get me back to her side right now. We’re good together, but we’re both too stubborn for something like that.”
I frowned. “You seem pretty...okay with that. Aren’t you two close? Wouldn’t you be upset that you’re fighting now?”
“Oh, we’ll find our way back to each other’s sides eventually. One of us will beat the other and then we’ll be working together again. When we were kids, I told her she’d become a royal guard with me, she said I’d become an adventurer with her. I won that fight. Now we’re just dancin’ the same dance once again.”
“Maybe. I am very fast.”
“Yes, you sure are,” I couldn’t help but laugh. “Erani, you think we should send Ainash to go get her?”
Erani pursed her lips. “Seems a bit needlessly dangerous. We got the information we wanted out of her. And she doesn’t seem hostile in the first place. We’d have to let her go eventually, so we may as well do it here. Sending Ainash out to find her, alone, would just be asking for trouble.”
I nodded. “Yeah, I guess. Don’t want to antagonize her.”
“Okay. Let’s keep going for a bit to get out of this dangerous area, and then sit down and rest for a while? Also keep an eye out for that Ripley woman. She didn’t seem dangerous, but who knows.”
“Yeah,” I nodded. “Hopefully we can find a place to rest soon. I need to regenerate some Health. And manage a Level–up.”
“Oh, you got one too?”
“Yep,” I nodded. “I’m getting a new Spell. What about you?”
“Well, with the help of the lovely Ainash,” Erani pulled her into a side-hug, making the child Draconiad look remarkably embarrassed, “I actually Leveled up twice!”
I raised my eyebrows. “Really?”
“Yep. Eleven percent XP from her really helps out.” Erani smiled at Ainash. “Good job with all the fighting! You did really well.”
We’d been getting into the habit of, whenever we spoke aloud to each other, also telepathically relaying the conversation to Ainash. This way, not only would we keep her in the loop of what was going on, but she could hopefully begin learning our spoken language, too. I mean, she was still a child, so it made sense that we should try to teach her some stuff.
So, after Erani complimented her fighting, Ainash grinned and hugged Erani back. I’d have said it was a remarkably sweet sight, if not for the fact that we were praising her for her killing abilities. Considering the fact that her given name was technically “Humanslayer” Ainash, I didn’t know if praising her even more for that quality was much of a good idea, really. But her smile warmed my heart regardless.
Then, Erani suddenly frowned.
“Oh,” she said. “Hey Arlan, you know how you mentioned the Bond with Ainash Ranking up before?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, it just happened to me.”
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
Chapter 117.2: Interviewing
PART 2/2
Erani, Ainash, and I all sat around Ripley as she spoke.The original appearance of this chapter can be found at Ñøv€lß1n.
“The king is different?” I asked.
She shook her head. “I don’t know, but he’s not acting right. Something more serious is going on than just some extortion. I think they’ve infiltrated us to our core. We’re supposedly ‘working together’ with the Demons, but anyone around can tell that’s bullshit. King Koinkar, he...changed. Used to at least try to fight back against what those damn Demons said. Now he willingly goes along with their plans without a word against. Hells, he almost seems enthusiastic about following along. Not like someone working under threat of being invaded if he doesn’t follow their commands.”
“When did this change occur?” I furrowed my brows. Had something happened to the king? I wouldn't be surprised, really.
“I was... imprisoned. For some time. The day I went in, he was fine. Day I came out, he’d changed.”
I nodded, and Erani stepped in. “How did those changes manifest? Did he look different at all? Did his clothing change? Even just an additional piece of jewelry, or a single item swapped out? Anything you didn’t recognize?”
She pursed her lips, pausing to think. “Well, mainly his actions. What he says, what he does, the way he talks, it’s all wrong. It’s like I don’t know him. And the changes are all in favor of the Demons. But looks...I don’t think he changed his appearance at all. But he sits differently. I do remember that. You know him, he’s old. Ancient. He slouches, can barely support himself even if he wanted to sit up. Now, it’s like he isn’t a day over forty. Wouldn’t even think it was physically possible.”
“Huh.” I chewed on my lip, mulling over what she said. “No idea how that happened, I assume?”
“Nah. But whatever those damned Demons did, they’ve corrupted this entire kingdom, top to bottom. No way I could’ve done what they said for long.”
“What about the other royal guard that was with you? Asmo? She seems to be just fine going along with the Demons. Think they’ve ‘corrupted’ her, too?”
Ripley shook her head, smiling in a strangely fond way, considering the subject matter. “That girl’s a lost cause. She wants to get to the top of whatever ladder’s in front of her. Right now, the ladder we’re climbing is the one where killing you is at the top. So she’s just working her way up. Money and power, that’s all she’s been after.”
“Do you think you could convince her to come over to our side? You seem to work well together.”
She laughed. “We do, but not in the way where I could change her mind on that. Hells, I’m willing to bet she’s out there forming a plan to get me back to her side right now. We’re good together, but we’re both too stubborn for something like that.”
I frowned. “You seem pretty...okay with that. Aren’t you two close? Wouldn’t you be upset that you’re fighting now?”
“Oh, we’ll find our way back to each other’s sides eventually. One of us will beat the other and then we’ll be working together again. When we were kids, I told her she’d become a royal guard with me, she said I’d become an adventurer with her. I won that fight. Now we’re just dancin’ the same dance once again.”
“Maybe. I am very fast.”
“Yes, you sure are,” I couldn’t help but laugh. “Erani, you think we should send Ainash to go get her?”
Erani pursed her lips. “Seems a bit needlessly dangerous. We got the information we wanted out of her. And she doesn’t seem hostile in the first place. We’d have to let her go eventually, so we may as well do it here. Sending Ainash out to find her, alone, would just be asking for trouble.”
I nodded. “Yeah, I guess. Don’t want to antagonize her.”
“Okay. Let’s keep going for a bit to get out of this dangerous area, and then sit down and rest for a while? Also keep an eye out for that Ripley woman. She didn’t seem dangerous, but who knows.”
“Yeah,” I nodded. “Hopefully we can find a place to rest soon. I need to regenerate some Health. And manage a Level–up.”
“Oh, you got one too?”
“Yep,” I nodded. “I’m getting a new Spell. What about you?”
“Well, with the help of the lovely Ainash,” Erani pulled her into a side-hug, making the child Draconiad look remarkably embarrassed, “I actually Leveled up twice!”
I raised my eyebrows. “Really?”
“Yep. Eleven percent XP from her really helps out.” Erani smiled at Ainash. “Good job with all the fighting! You did really well.”
We’d been getting into the habit of, whenever we spoke aloud to each other, also telepathically relaying the conversation to Ainash. This way, not only would we keep her in the loop of what was going on, but she could hopefully begin learning our spoken language, too. I mean, she was still a child, so it made sense that we should try to teach her some stuff.
So, after Erani complimented her fighting, Ainash grinned and hugged Erani back. I’d have said it was a remarkably sweet sight, if not for the fact that we were praising her for her killing abilities. Considering the fact that her given name was technically “Humanslayer” Ainash, I didn’t know if praising her even more for that quality was much of a good idea, really. But her smile warmed my heart regardless.
Then, Erani suddenly frowned.
“Oh,” she said. “Hey Arlan, you know how you mentioned the Bond with Ainash Ranking up before?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, it just happened to me.”
Chapter 117.2: InterviewingPART 2/2Erani, Ainash, and I all sat around Ripley as she spoke.The original appearance of this chapter can be found at Nvl1n.The king is different? I asked.She shook her head. I don't know, but he's not acting right. Something more serious is going on than just some extortion. I think they've infiltrated us to our core. We're supposedly working together' with the Demons, but anyone around can tell that's bullshit. King Koinkar, he...changed. Used to at least try to fight back against what those damn Demons said. Now he willingly goes along with their plans without a word against. Hells, he almost seems enthusiastic about following along. Not like someone working under threat of being invaded if he doesn't follow their commands.When did this change occur? I furrowed my brows. Had something happened to the king? I wouldn't be surprised, really.I was... imprisoned. For some time. The day I went in, he was fine. Day I came out, he'd changed.I nodded, and Erani stepped in. How did those changes manifest? Did he look different at all? Did his clothing change? Even just an additional piece of jewelry, or a single item swapped out? Anything you didn't recognize?She pursed her lips, pausing to think. Well, mainly his actions. What he says, what he does, the way he talks, it's all wrong. It's like I don't know him. And the changes are all in favor of the Demons. But looks...I don't think he changed his appearance at all. But he sits differently. I do remember that. You know him, he's old. Ancient. He slouches, can barely support himself even if he wanted to sit up. Now, it's like he isn't a day over forty. Wouldn't even think it was physically possible.Huh. I chewed on my lip, mulling over what she said. No idea how that happened, I assume?Nah. But whatever those damned Demons did, they've corrupted this entire kingdom, top to bottom. No way I could've done what they said for long.What about the other royal guard that was with you? Asmo? She seems to be just fine going along with the Demons. Think they've corrupted' her, too?Ripley shook her head, smiling in a strangely fond way, considering the subject matter. That girl's a lost cause. She wants to get to the top of whatever ladder's in front of her. Right now, the ladder we're climbing is the one where killing you is at the top. So she's just working her way up. Money and power, that's all she's been after.Do you think you could convince her to come over to our side? You seem to work well together.She laughed. We do, but not in the way where I could change her mind on that. Hells, I'm willing to bet she's out there forming a plan to get me back to her side right now. We're good together, but we're both too stubborn for something like that.I frowned. You seem pretty...okay with that. Aren't you two close? Wouldn't you be upset that you're fighting now?Oh, we'll find our way back to each other's sides eventually. One of us will beat the other and then we'll be working together again. When we were kids, I told her she'd become a royal guard with me, she said I'd become an adventurer with her. I won that fight. Now we're just dancin' the same dance once again.Maybe. I am very fast.Yes, you sure are, I couldn't help but laugh. Erani, you think we should send Ainash to go get her?Erani pursed her lips. Seems a bit needlessly dangerous. We got the information we wanted out of her. And she doesn't seem hostile in the first place. We'd have to let her go eventually, so we may as well do it here. Sending Ainash out to find her, alone, would just be asking for trouble.I nodded. Yeah, I guess. Don't want to antagonize her.Okay. Let's keep going for a bit to get out of this dangerous area, and then sit down and rest for a while? Also keep an eye out for that Ripley woman. She didn't seem dangerous, but who knows.Yeah, I nodded. Hopefully we can find a place to rest soon. I need to regenerate some Health. And manage a Levelup.Oh, you got one too?Yep, I nodded. I'm getting a new Spell. What about you?Well, with the help of the lovely Ainash, Erani pulled her into a side-hug, making the child Draconiad look remarkably embarrassed, I actually Leveled up twice!I raised my eyebrows. Really?Yep. Eleven percent XP from her really helps out. Erani smiled at Ainash. Good job with all the fighting! You did really well.We'd been getting into the habit of, whenever we spoke aloud to each other, also telepathically relaying the conversation to Ainash. This way, not only would we keep her in the loop of what was going on, but she could hopefully begin learning our spoken language, too. I mean, she was still a child, so it made sense that we should try to teach her some stuff.So, after Erani complimented her fighting, Ainash grinned and hugged Erani back. I'd have said it was a remarkably sweet sight, if not for the fact that we were praising her for her killing abilities. Considering the fact that her given name was technically Humanslayer Ainash, I didn't know if praising her even more for that quality was much of a good idea, really. But her smile warmed my heart regardless.Then, Erani suddenly frowned.Oh, she said. Hey Arlan, you know how you mentioned the Bond with Ainash Ranking up before?Yeah.Well, it just happened to me.
