Chapter 164: Chapter 163: Third Time’s The Charm Part 1

As they walked down the same route they had the first time, Carl felt something strange beneath his hoodie.

’Creator, I have Rhenium particles accumulating against your chest, can you synthesise it with your some nanites?’

’I am so glad that is you, I thought Ki-ko had done something to my shirt.’

“Jupiterran, I know we’re in a rush, but I wanted to show you something. The new feature of my nanite hilt.”

“Oh? Another vehicle?”

“No, it’s a weapon…” Carl scratched his head. “…As I’ve said before, I like to upfront as much as possible and I don’t see the point in not showing redundant cards.”

Jupiterran nodded, saying that since they didn’t need to stop for a weapon it wouldn’t be an issue and slowed his pace to observe and keep moving.

Carl produced a basic longsword from the hilt. “It’s nanites which I can imbue with other properties…” He held out the blade and asked Aegis to melt the tip, which Aegis did without question and nanites disintegrated with intense heat. “…Now all I have to do is synthesise it with some Rhenium and…”

The strong glow that formed from the synthesising process made Jupiterran avert his eyes.

“Well the light show is certainly spectacular.” Jupiterran laughed.

“…Now watch…” Carl held the sword back out for Aegis once more and the blade glowed and repaired itself as the nanites demonstrated their improved thermal processing. “…See, good as new.”

Jupiterran shook his head, his knuckles turning white and frustration burning in his eyes with an unexpected intensity. “We were fools to make an enemy of you… I told them that we were making a bad choice…”

As the variant ranted to himself, barely audible, he realised that Carl could hear. Unable to restrain it though, he switched to a language Carl didn’t understand. “I’m pretty good with languages, but I’m not familiar with that one.”

“It’s English, a language half the world once spoke. It’s actually the origin of the language we all speak now, since it was the common denominator in the survivors.”

“Does language really evolve that quickly?”

“Necessity changes all things quickly.” Jupiterran flinched by the sudden outburst of laughter and Equinox once again scolded Carl.

“Carl, it would behoove you to retain your composure in front of others.”

“Balance, Equinox, demands both levity and sobriety.” Carl laughed, making Equinox’s eye twitch at the corner.

“Master, perhaps it would “behoove” us not to antagonise the dragon-god adjacent to the structural weakness that separates us from the vacuum of space.” Aegis said, speaking seriously, but taking the opportunity to tease Equinox in this unprecedented moment of hesitation.

Jupiterran didn’t catch the levity of the moment however, all he saw was the dragon-god growing angry and his pride being prodded. “Carl, I agree with Aegis, maybe you shouldn’t agitate Equinox too much.”

Carl blinked, unsure he had actually heard correctly. “Did you just use their names? You’ve changed since we first met…”

“You would know about Change better than anyone and as I said, “necessity changes all things quickly”, I don’t intend to die too ignorant or stubborn to evolve.”

Equinox’s mood shifted suddenly, from irritation to joyously surprised. “May I ask you something Jupiterran?”

“Of course, we have halls to walk and time to talk as we do.”

“Who killed Kyubi’s species?…”

Jupiterran grew pale.

“…Carl, sign a contract with him, that you won’t act, or allow us to, on the information he gives you. Well not until later anyway…”

Carl was much happier he had Equinox with him, he’d never dreamed of asking them that question and produced the contract as instructed.

Jupiterran examined the very simple document carefully and then signed it. “It was Luna, Terra’s daughter. If you decide to seek vengeance, I only ask you to learn the extent of her evil first, justice should be taken for all her victims.”

“I am grateful…” Carl took a few steps as he processed. “…If you tell me that this is some stupid matter about how the fox-spirits adored the moon…”

Jupiterran’s palms bled again. “I am a poor match for Terra unfortunately, few of us aren’t, I am not the only one that wishes that inbred little witch coven to pay… Marsian nearly killed four of them that day, but then Sol arrived on Gilgamesh’s orders…”

“I’m sorry, I stopped listening after you said inbred… Did this Terra actually…?”

Jupiterran chuckled through the anger, he could see it was a joke born from Carl’s determination to retain composure. “Nothing more than a baseless insult, Terra is a witch who wouldn’t hesitate to do anything grotesque, but she has no family except her daughters. She killed them all when they burnt her at the stake in a place north of where you grew up..”

“What the hell, can’t say I blame her after they burnt her alive…”

“She deserved it. She awoke to the power of essence insemination early, she stole a man’s essence mixed in her own and then forcibly impregnated young women with it. One of those daughters was then seduced by a man, she used her witchcraft to kill him and rather than run, she let them punish her just to fake her own death.” Jupiterran explained as they entered the elevator that would open to the final stretch before the study.

“Wow, she clearly needed more hugs as a kid… How did she earn the title “Terra”?”

“She was the only one of us that Gaia even came close to yielding land to.”

“I see, but why didn’t Sol challenge her, or Gilgamesh?”

“Sol can’t fight on earth without destroying it, Gilgamesh… Well, you saw the condition my bodyguard is in after laying eyes on him. Mortals shouldn’t be able to see him without being reduced to a gibbering wreck. Did you even feel the oppressive heat that radiates from him?” Jupiterran asked as they exited the elevator.

“I did, it was a bit uncomfortable for a bit, like walking into a stuffy room… Wait, so that’s why they were standing out of sight?”

“Of course, you were ignorant to the truth, I should have made sure you understood the situation.”

“Yeah, I feel bad, but I guess they knew what they signed up for.”

Jupiterran squirmed. “I’m sorry… We quite literally stole innocence from the future of humanity…” He rubbed his brow before stepping into the illusory study and waving his hand to dispel it.

He then moved to the elevator and gave it the divinity required to unseal.

“Carl, this will be the last time we meet so casually, make sure you know what you want to get out of this.”

Carl chuckled. “I don’t want anything out of it. I want you guys to do the easiest thing in the world, nothing.”

Carl stepped into the elevator, flanked by his two attendants.

“Aegis, can I ask you a question? Why have you been looking at me with hope in your eyes?” Jupiterran asked, wanting a quick subject to fill the silence.

“Well when the mistress consumed Dracula’s soul, even a slither, she grew exponentially stronger…”

“You want a piece of my soul? Sorry, I have no soul-form, the key feature of my class is the fact that my soul is completely fused to my physical body. If the situation arises, I’d recommend Terra’s or Neptuna’s.”

“Do you have any recommendations for a wine pairing?”

Jupiterran was reduced to a bout of hysterical laughter, if he’d know that Aegis got that from Lillim, Carl wasn’t sure how he’d react. Even as the door hissed open Carl stood there awkwardly amidst the deep, bellowing laughter of his guide.

Gilgamesh looked both annoyed and curious, annoyed by the beings standing at Carl’s side and curious as to what evoked such a response.

As Carl and Gilgamesh refused to break eye-contact with each other, Carl persistently cleared his throat until he got his guide’s attention.

“Sorry, our guest’s bodyguard has an incredible sense of humour.”

’Sorry, I didn’t mean to be a source of disruption.” Aegis started with a bow, taking the opportunity to scan the audience.

As Carl had said to reassure Aegis, all their eyes were on those they perceived as the greatest threat i.e. Equinox.

’I believe I could assassinate them five variants and all of the bodyguards.’

’Imagine what would happen in the chaos of Equinox’s attack.’ Carl replied, leading to Aegis bowing deeply as if to accompany the apology, but in reality only hiding the gnarled smile spreading.

“Gilgamesh, I should apologise as well, I cut our meeting tragically short. I’d be happy to finish hearing the tale you started.”

Just as any good narcacist would, Gilgamesh grew placated immediately and conjured four seats for those in the elevator.

“Of course, your condition must be difficult to manage… Where was I?” The question which would usually be rhetorical was posed as a test, one that was as transparent as the air between them.

“If I’m not mistaken, “Hail Hero-Prince Gilgamesh”, maybe some general narration I’m forgetting. I was a bit confused at the time…”

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