"Why?"
"What I heard about them is that they are floating eyeballs with many different appearances and powers," Kayda explained, making me look at her sideways.
'Floating eyeballs, really.' I thought dejectedly, ears twitching back.
"Yes, the common ones are flying eyeballs with bat wings. Easy to deal with. But then there are the rock ones," Ann added, her voice dropping.
"What makes them so hard?"
"Seekers attack with darkness, and that eats away at you at a rapid rate if it hits you. Now just imagine an eyeball floating in the air, shooting balls of darkness at you, with rocks floating around it protecting it." Kayda shook her head slowly, her expression grim.
"Ooh, that... doesn't really sound like a problem."
"What do you mean it doesn't sound like a problem!?" The guild master yelled, his patience snapping again. His voice grated against my ears.
"They need to shoot you with their darkness, right? So there should be a hole where they shoot it out of," I said, shrugging like it was obvious.
"Yes, that's correct," An admitted, nodding faintly.
"Do you know how small that hole will be? No one will be able to hit that shot with an arrow!" The guild master roared again, his hands balling into fists.
"Sheesh, you're the most annoying dog I have ever met," I said, flicking my ears mockingly.
"I am done listening to an uneducated brat!!" The guild master snapped, standing abruptly. His chair scraped against the floor, and he stormed toward the door.
"Fucking annoying. How the hell is that pup a guild master?" I muttered under my breath, folding my arms.
"I heard that!!"
"I don't give a shit, you dumb pup! Go take care of your troublesome adventurers like a good puppy takes care of his master! I shouted back, baring my teeth slightly.
"... " The silence after was thick. Even the tomato girl looked like she'd stopped breathing.
"Dumb bastard," I muttered, ears flattening as I leaned back in my chair.
"... Wow, that's something new." The tomato girl said softly, glancing at her mother.
"Yeah, I never heard someone disrespect him so much and still live," Ann admitted, her lips twitching into the faintest smirk.
"What, are people too scared to tell him off?" I asked, my tail flicking with irritation.
"Well, new guild members that disrespected his guild or him get killed some way or another. Mostly it's himself doing it."
"And you never do something about it?"
"Why would I?" The man casually shrugged his shoulders.
"I don't know. Maybe because he's killing technically innocent people!" I snapped, my voice rising, frustration bubbling out.
"This is the first time I have heard that he kills people," Kayda said, her tone sharp and displeased.
"Well, he does, and I don't really care too much to stop it. It only happens once or twice a year at most.
"And you let it go?"
"Yes. He gives more than he takes."
"Sigh. I can't really say it's no good, can I?" I said, looking at Kayda, my voice softer.
"Now that I think about it, no, you can't. We would have done the same for you," Kayda said, patting my shoulder with a faint smile.
"In all fairness, the amount of disrespect the person gave him was enough to get him killed. So it wasn't just a little bit," An added, placing the book down.
"Yeah, yeah. Let's get back to more important things. How do you kill thralls?" I asked, eager to move on.
"You shoot them with magic, and they die."
"That sounds easy."
"You see, the problem comes with the amount. They duplicate every five seconds if not killed," An explained, her face grim again.
"Hmm, I might have a solution if the issue is related to their numbers." They can't jump, right?"
"They can, but not very high. Don't worry too much. They aren't very smart." Ann reassured, flipping another page.
"Awesome. Then my idea will work. Now, for seekers, how do we deal with them? I think you can leave the rock ones to me as well."
"I think I know what you want to do. But will you have enough mana?"
"Yes, I will have enough if I use my storage the right way."
"Okay, so you are finally going to use that week's worth of magic practice projects," Kayda said, her tone amused.
"For the other ones, we will get archers to get rid of them. They aren't that fast, making them easy targets," An said, nodding in satisfaction.
"That's a great idea, but you can't come with us," I said, tilting my head at her.
"Of course, I am coming. This is my city," An said firmly, swinging her legs off the bed.
"Yeah, you're injured. It will be best if you stay in bed," Kayda said, her voice carrying no room for argument. Ann sat back down reluctantly, her pride bruised.
"Yeah, don't worry. We got this," I said with a smug grin.
"Sigh, at least Kayda will be there," An muttered, ignoring me completely.
"Wha... fair enough," I said, glancing at Kayda.
"Ha-ha, let's go before the summoning starts," Kayda said, rising to her feet with renewed determination.
"Cheers, guys. And you, look after your mother," I said, pointing at the tomato girl.
"Oh, before you go, where is our butler?"
"In a jail cell, why?" Kayda said this while tilting her head back slightly.
"Why is he there?" I asked, frowning.
"He acted against me and was on his scroll with someone. I think he might be a traitor."
"Nah, it was probably just him talking to his boyfriend," the tomato girl said, waving it off casually.
"I will check into it to make certain it's like that. Thank you," An said, giving her daughter a look that screamed disappointment.
"Awesome. Then we'll see you guys later when it's over," I said, snatching the book from An before walking out with Kayda close behind me.
Uhm Hello?
Sorry for not saying anything here or on Discord. I just didn't know how to say or face you guys.
Firstly I am actually struggling to write about Kitsuna. No, not like writers' block or anything. I actually have like 3 chapters already of it. I am just enjoying writing Sazanami. Yes, Sazanami is still a go, but Dungeon princess might not be anymore. Don't get me wrong, I can write it, but Sazanami is way more interesting to write at the moment.
Oh, and No, I am not going to upload anything of Sazanami. The reason is I have so many chapters (36) that aren't edited that I am annoyed to do it.
No, I am not sharing or asking for help. I want to do it myself because I have become the laziest person ever at the moment that I am actually starting to hate myself.
I am changing this now.
Like I am starting with that today, the day I uploaded this shit.
Starting from today, 1 chapter a week. If I don't do that, spam me on Discord, okay. I am giving you permission.
PS only if I miss the upload date, that being Thursdays.
If you spam me before that, I ain't holding back.
TheRealSkolliecreators' thoughts
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Chapter 127
"Is there anything else in the books that you would like to share with me?" Kayda asked, her voice low and calm as she sat next to me in the carriage. The wheels creaked beneath us as we rattled along the uneven road toward the slums. Her arms were crossed, but her tail flicked, betraying her impatience.
"Hmm, An kind of explained everything. The only problem is that we need to shut it off or know how long it stays, but I can't find anything about it," I said, staring at the leather strap of my spear harness. My voice came out more frustrated than I meant, but hours of fruitless page-turning had left my head pounding.
"I understand; that could pose a problem. But didn't An say that it works on lives?" Kayda leaned back, her eyes narrowing in thought. The sunlight that cut through the slatted window painted one side of her cheek in gold, the other in shadow.
"Yes, do you think it might hold out until the life force that was sacrificed runs out?" I said this more to myself than to her, and my words came out almost as a mutter.
"Yes, but that's too vague to run on," Kayda said, nodding slowly.
"Yeah, you never know how long the life force of a dog can hold the summoning on," I said, shrugging. The image of the guild master's tail swishing popped in my head, and I almost smirked.
"Just don't call the guild master 'dog' or 'pup' in front of the other adventurers. It will make this operation just run way smoother," Kayda said with a long sigh. She rubbed at her temple like she could already see the future argument.
"I need to be friendly with the young man who has an attitude problem." No promises."
"Yes, but I wouldn't really say he has his head stuck up his ass," Kayda said, tilting her head slightly at me, her lips twitching like she wanted to smile.
"He expects everyone around him to follow his orders with-" I stopped mid-sentence, the words dying in my throat. A heavy realization washed over me, cold enough to make my ears droop.
"Kitsu? You okay there?" Kayda asked, her voice softening as she noticed my dreaded expression.
"Kayda, I am the-" I mumbled, the last part muffled, almost inaudible. My throat clenched, the words bitter.
"Kitsu, don't just stop in the middle of your sentences like that. You are making me worry."
"Kayda, I am the same as him, aren't I?" I said finally, forcing my eyes to meet hers. My voice cracked slightly, pleading for her to tell me I was wrong.
"Who, what now?" Kayda blinked, clearly confused.
"I am the same as the guild master."
"Ooh, yeah, pretty much," Kayda said after a heartbeat, not denying it in the slightest. Her answer was blunt, her honesty cutting sharper than a blade.
"You could have been nice about it."
"Why? You guys don't like each other because you share similar traits. And on second thought, he's worse than you. You won't expect someone to reveal everything about themselves on the first meeting." Kayda nodded to herself as if her words were comforting wisdom.
"I guess I won't, but I might force someone to tell me," I said, my tone turning thoughtful, though my stomach twisted.
"Might? You have done that a couple of times." Kayda flicked her hand up and swatted me lightly over the head.
"Tch, that's true," I admitted, clicking my tongue in annoyance.
"In all fairness, that was all I needed at the time."
"Still, it is frustrating to think that I am being compared to that dog." "It is quite irritating," I said, venom dripping from each word. My ears pressed flat to my skull.
"If you don't like it, change it," Kayda said with a chuckle.
"But that's a tall order."
"Yes, but I know you can do it," Kayda said suddenly softer, leaning close enough that her breath tickled my cheek before pressing her lips against it. My face went hot instantly. She pulled away just as the carriage jerked to a stop, her timing cruelly perfect. Without missing a beat, she hopped out of the carriage like nothing happened.
"We have arrived," the coachman announced politely, bowing slightly at the open door.
"Oi, that's unfair. You can't surprise me like that," I said, flustered, my hand flying up to cover my blushing face.
"Come on, Kitsu, let's get moving," Kayda called back, glancing over her shoulder at me with a wink that only made my chest tighten.
"Fricking dragoness, one of these days, you're going to kill me with these surprises," I mumbled, muttering into my palm as I stepped out.
"Pah, a heart attack won't kill you," Kayda laughed loudly, her voice echoing in the open air.
"Tch, it will still hurt, though," I said, turning away with a pout.
"With your pain resistance, it might just feel like an insect bite," Kayda rebuked smugly.
"... " There was nothing I could say to that, because it was probably true. My lips pressed into a thin line.
"Ah, you guys have arrived. Luckily, the summoning hasn't started," the guild master said, his tone dripping with sarcasm as he stepped forward. His dog ears twitched with irritation, and his tail flicked sharply.
"Yo, we have a bit more intel about the summoning," Kayda said, walking right up to him, unfazed.
"You do; do tell us, please. I hope it has something to do with how long it will last." The dog's voice was demanding, authority bleeding into every syllable.
"It is somewhat related, but we are uncertain about the duration it will last." All we can assume is that it depends on how much life force was sacrificed," I said before Kayda could answer, shrugging as casually as I could manage.
"Hmm, good assumption but useless in the end."
"No, it is instrumental, you know," I shot back sarcastically, my tail flicking.
"So, guild master, what's your game plan?" Kayda asked, bumping my shoulder lightly to keep me from starting another fight.
"We took all the houses away in a one-kilometer radius, making it open grassland so we can see the thralls easily," the guild master explained, sweeping a hand outward. The flattened ground stretched out around the fortress ruins, dirt still raw where buildings had been torn down.
"Not bad, but with that much open space, the thrall can run rampant much easier," I said, squinting. I didn't see enough people around to manage this wide of a field.
"True, but that's where I thought you might have a plan." The guild master's eyes locked onto mine.
"... I have something cooked up for that," I admitted with a nod, surprised he was willing to hand me that much trust.
"Great. I was also thinking to put all the adventurers who are only physical attackers on bows and arrows to have their shot at the seekers," the guild master continued, his voice calm now.
"That would work wonderfully," Kayda said brightly, nodding in agreement.
"Hmm, how many guys with magic sword skills do you have?" I asked, glancing over the gathered fighters.
"Let me give you a complete rundown instead."
"Clever idea," Kayda and I said at the same time, both focusing on him.
We have only 120 physical attackers, 114 mages, and 56 swordsmen who also use magic.
"That's quite many people. Sadly, I don't think it will be enough," I said, trying to sound polite but failing.
"If we work in shifts and properly, we will make it work," the guild master said firmly.
"You've done the calculations already?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes. We will." His tone left no space for doubt.
"You can oversee that or tell Kayda. I'm just going to go set up the fence. Oh, and the rock seekers, I will manage them the best I can."
"Okay, ask Jess over there to help you," the guild master said, pointing at a woman explaining something to a group of adventurers sitting on the ground in front of her.
"Thanks," I said, heading toward them.
"Remember to hit the seekers in the eye," Jess said to her group, tapping her own eye as emphasis.
