Chapter 408: An Arrangement

“Come again?”

Wilhelm stared at Alex like he hadn’t heard her words correctly. Entirely within the realm of possibilities, since the Demon had a strange, multi-tonal vocal dissonance thanks to her unique biology. Unfortunately for the Hero, he hadn’t heard her wrong.

“Sex…” Alex carefully enunciated with all the patience of a schoolteacher explaining a new word to a dim student. “Or fucking… Is Required… For Eir’s Ritual… To work…”

Eir, who was sitting next to Alex, closed her eyes and let out a soft sigh through her nose.

“Thank you, Alex, for your succinct explanation.”

“You are welcome…”

Wilhelm’s face, which had just started to return to normal from his earlier embarrassment, had flushed anew with a fresh and even more extreme blush.

“I—I had no idea, I did not—I did not mean to imply anything—Oh gods, Jocelyn, my sincerest apologies! I didn’t—What did I—”

The cackling laughter coming from Kerr, Amarantha, Tiernan, and Ludger did a good job of drowning out the Hero’s awkward and stuttered apologies. The man really had no tolerance for innuendos. Jadis couldn’t help but smile at his extreme reaction, and she saw that others in both her and his party were doing their best to hide their amusement. The only two who didn’t look entertained were Jocelyn and Lucia. The former because she was too busy trying to shrink into herself out of shared embarrassment, and the latter because the pale therion had a poker face to rival Vraekae.

“Well, well,” Ludger put a big arm around his shorter friend, bringing the Hero in close. “Willy, you finally have a good excuse to lose that chastity you have been holding onto for so long! State sponsored sex!”

“Lud!” Wilhelm shouted while he shoved his laughing friend off of him. “You go too far!”

“Yeah, that ain’t happening,” Dys stated dryly as she folded her arms across her chest. “Not even with the excuse ‘for the good of the empire’ behind it.”

“I am speaking in jest, of course,” Ludger quickly said as he held up both hands in apology. “Such unions should not be so… heartlessly done.”

“The more time I spend around you and your companions, the more fascinating little tidbits I discover,” Amarantha mused, having finally calmed down from her explosive laughter. “A sex-based ritual? For an oracle, no less. May I ask, is that Lyssandria’s influence? I know her aspects can be somewhat naughty at times.”

“No, that’s my influence,” Jay answered after seeing that Eir was still looking a little lost. “I have my own sex-based ritual class and that has a tendency to sway the class options of my close companions. It’s why the high priests have been debating as to whether or not I count as some kind of alternate Hero, just without the title.”

“I have heard some of that debate,” Tiernan said as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “From some of the scholars, since coming back to the capital. Not a lot of time to look into it, not with all of the excitement, but I’d like to ask you a few of my own questions about that.”

While Jadis offered her tentative agreement to the gnome’s request, Halvor scoffed and shook his head at the wizard.

“Of course that’s what you focus on. A beautiful woman surrounded by more beautiful women says that they do sex rituals and all you can think about are scholarly debates.”

Switching his attention to Jay, the barbarian raised his mug in mock salute.

“Skål! Some fools have all the luck. Where are my fucking fuck rituals, eh?”

“I don’t think it’s that worth being envious over,” Ludger shrugged one big shoulder. “Casual sex is nice but finding the love of a woman who cares only for you, that is best.”

“We don’t all have a princess salivating at the idea of sucking on our cock, Lug Head.”

“Don’t speak of my Elodie in such a vulgar way, arschgeige!”

“Why not? I’ll probably jerk one out later tonight thinking about her big nose and how it might feel to rest my balls on top of it.”

“Schweinehund!” Ludger shouted.

“Kronidiot!”

To Jadis’ surprise, Ludger launched himself out of his chair and onto the foul-mouthed barbarian. The two went down onto the ground in a tumble of flailing limbs and incomprehensible shouts. Reaching down to where they were, Rein picked up the chair that Halvor had been sitting in and set it back on its feet while otherwise ignoring the two big, brawling men.

“It’s best to just let them punch it out when they get like this,” Tiernan said with an apologetic smile.

Jadis had half a mind to insert one of her selves into the brawl. Not to stop them, but to throw a few punches of her own. She didn’t like how Ludger had implied that Jadis’ relationships with her lovers didn’t have the same level of passion and commitment as his relationship with Elodie. But, after a second of reflection, she recognized that he wasn’t really criticizing her specifically, just the idea of casual sex rituals with no feeling behind them. It was Halvor who seemed to think that was what was going on, and his opinion was inoffensively ignorant since he didn’t know Jadis and her companions at all. Getting upset at either of the two men was a waste of time. Especially since they had more important things to focus on at the moment.

“Putting aside the details of Eir’s ritual for a moment,” Jay said as she addressed Wilhelm directly. “I don’t want to use her once a month opportunity to speak with D for the cultist question. I mean, I want to help, and the decision is ultimately up to Eir and I know she wants to help, too. It’s just that we have our own pressing questions that we need to ask D and waiting a whole month to ask them isn’t going to work.”

“What questions do you need to ask that could take precedence?” Wilhelm asked after taking a deep breath to calm himself. “This is an order from our emperor, after all. It is also a matter of safety. Many people are at risk so long as so many cultists are allowed to roam free through the streets of Eldingholt.”

Jadis had been having an inner debate ever since the audience with the emperor about how much she should reveal to Wilhelm and his companions regarding her classes. On the one hand, he was the Hero. From everything she had seen and heard, he came across as a truly good person who was just trying to do his best to save lives and defeat the demonic forces of evil that were invading the empire and the rest of the world. On the other hand, she barely knew the guy. She had no idea how he would react to any of the information she might reveal to him.

She had, of course, already given the information of her D-given mission to the high priests, so if Wilhelm didn’t know the details yet, it was only a matter of time. There wasn’t any point in trying to hide those facts from him. He didn’t seem like the type to get jealous over the thought of not being the only Hero trying to save the world, anyway. What she was more worried about was telling him and his companions about Alex and her present condition. Once the cat was out of the bag, it wasn’t going back in.

Well, Jadis supposed, it wasn’t like they were going to be able to keep it secret for long. Jadis had no idea how many weeks or months Alex’s gestation period would be, but she doubted that people wouldn’t comment once she started getting thicker around the middle. Besides, Jadis had every intention of consulting with Bertha the midwife and the rest of the Lyssandrian priests anyway. Once they knew, it would be only a matter of time before everyone else did as well.

“I leveled up during the battle a couple of nights ago,” Jay explained. “I was given four options for my tertiary class and the significance of them is great enough that I want to talk over my potential choice with D before finalizing my decision. I’m not sure how many questions I may need to ask, since every time I’ve spoken to D, he’s been extremely difficult to get straight answers out of. If we end up using any of the three questions to ask about cultists, I could potentially end up not having enough questions to get the info I need out of D to make the decision of which tertiary class I should pick. If that happens, I’d have to wait a whole month to perform the ritual and ask him more questions. I really don’t want to put off choosing my third class for that long.

“I don’t know if anyone has talked to you about my mission yet, but Destarious himself gave me the task of bringing an end to the repeated cycle of the demon invasion. I may not succeed, but I am trying. Waiting a month to pick my tertiary class would be too much of a hinderance towards my mission. I need to keep leveling.”

“I can understand your position,” Wilhelm nodded, all of his previously bashful disposition gone as he gazed at Jay with full seriousness. “I have been informed of your mission; High Priest Oswin spoke with me just this morning. If you succeed, then Oros will be a better place, of that I have no doubt. I see no reason why we shouldn’t work together as much as possible, since we share the same goal.

“That said, I’m not certain why you feel you need to discuss your class selection with Destarious. I can understand wanting to debate the merits of each option with those who are wiser and more experienced. I did the same, actually, when I was selecting my tertiary class. High Priest Oswin was a great aid to me in that regard, as were Prince Hraustrekr and Emperor Somerulf. Why not consult with them and others? Why do you need to speak with the gods?”

“You are a Nephilim, are you not?” Amarantha spoke up as she flicked her tail in Jay’s direction. “Have you not sought Lyssandria’s guidance already? Ulya offered me her wisdom when I was choosing my classes.”

“I have been listening,” Dys told the Lares. “But sometimes I have trouble telling the differences between my instincts and Lyssandria’s nudges. Plus, I’m not entirely sure she would be objective with her choice. She… well. One of the options seems like the kind of thing she would focus on a lot, even if it didn’t necessarily help with D’s mission.”

“Let me be candid with you all,” Jay said as she swept the table with her gaze. “Considering the circumstances, I’m going to do something I wouldn’t ordinarily do with anyone but my lovers. I’m going to read the titles and descriptions of all four classes to you all. Let me get them all out before you say anything, alright? After I do, you tell me if you think they are worth asking D a few questions.”

Jadis noticed that some of the Hero’s companions looked vaguely uncomfortable at the idea of hearing her class options, which made sense since such information was normally only shared between intimates. That societal taboo didn’t stop them from also looking intrigued, so when she saw that no one was objecting to her proposition, she launched into her descriptions. Starting with Bonded Harem Leader and then going down the list in order, she didn’t stop until she had gotten out all four classes. No one interrupted her, though all of their expressions ranged through a gambit of emotions that varied from person to person depending on the class she was describing.

When she was done speaking, Jay let out a sigh while shrugging somewhat helplessly.

“So, what do you think?”

“Congratulations,” Lucia said, breaking the silence on her side of the table. “On becoming a parent.”

Lucia didn’t smile, really, but she wasn’t frowning either. It was hard to get a read on the stony paladin, but the meaning behind her words seemed genuine.

“Thank you,” Jay replied mildly. “I’m still getting used to the idea.”

“Which of your companions is the mother?”

“I am…” Alex answered without any reluctance.

“That makes sense, based on the class description,” the pale therion nodded once. “Congratulations to you as well.”

“Oh my,” Jocelyn chimed in as one delicate hand covered her mouth. “So unexpected… A new species? I’ve never heard of such a thing. I agree with Lucia, though. Congratulations to you both! I… well, I assume Eir already has everything well in hand, but if you are in need of a healer, I can assist with any pregnancy issues you might have. I apprenticed to a midwife when I was much younger. I suppose a demonic pregnancy would not be all that different considering your looks….?”

“Ja, ja, well wishes to the happy couple, your fucking was successful,” Halvor said as he leaned forward on the table. He and Ludger had stopped fighting about halfway through Jadis’ class description explanation and he was now rubbing at the black eye Ludger had given him. “Did that Cycle Break class say multiple gods would lend their power? Hva er det!? That is insanity! How have you not already taken such a class?”

“Hm, I don’t know…” Amarantha mused as she folded her front paws under her body as she lay down on the table. “The other classes on offer are quite enticing as well. I can see why Jadis would have trouble making a choice, especially when you have so many expectations settled on your shoulders.”

“Tell me about it,” Syd grumbled.

“A plight I think we share,” Wilhelm spoke softly, a bemused look on his face as he leaned back in his chair. “I can’t argue. You do indeed have a difficult choice in front of you. Oh, and yes, congratulations to you both.”

“What’s a succubi?” Ludger asked after wiping some blood from his split lip.

“No one would know now, would they?” Tiernan frowned at the big man. “It’s a new species. That means no one has ever seen one before.”

“I did not think that a new species could be made,” Rein murmured as he raked his hawkish gaze across Alex. “But I suppose a mix between a Demon and other life has never happened before. I also did not think that more than one god would lend their power to one class. Has that ever been recorded?”

“I have found a few references to classes like that,” Aila replied to the gray elf. “Usually, they are priests who are dedicated to worshipping all of the Nine equally. However, I have read of a few notable people in history who apparently held classes which were granted by multiple gods, including a few companions to previous Heros.”

“Nothing Aila found really compares to Cycle Breaker, though,” Jay clarified. “Which is, again, why I really do want to ask D some questions about these class options.”

“Maybe we can offer a compromise, then?”

Everyone’s attention turned to Jocelyn. The oracle had one finger held against her chin as she stared off into the middle distance, her mind focused on some internal thought. When she realized that her quiet words had caught the interest of the rest of the room, she folded her hands in her lap and sat up straight while clearing her throat.

“What I mean to say is, my oracle’s ritual will be recharged in six days,” Jocelyn spoke calmly as she nodded towards Eir. “The Emperor has requested that Eir use her ritual right away, since too much time has passed already. The longer we wait, the further any fleeing cultists may go, or the more time they have to enact further atrocities. But six days isn’t too long of a delay to answer your class-related questions, is it, Jadis?”

Six days. Jadis could live with six days.

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