Posts from ☀️ Arselia and Akonia Auto-translated

- I made this mask myself, it's unbreakable. But you phrased it incorrectly. What matters isn't whether I shoot or not, but what the result will be," she said, taking advantage of the pause, and shot herself in the head with a gohei.

- Hey!...
Blacksoul reached out to her, trying to stop her, but it was too late... To his relief, the spirit unit vanished into thin air and didn't affect Ayano, but for the first time during their acquaintance, a mixture of emotions like resentment and anger appeared on his face. Without commenting on what happened, he started cleaning up - by that time, the remains of the fifteenth apostle had exhausted his hospitality.

Phyr looks around the living room: were they all here, and none of them asleep?

-- Okay. While I was looking around, you already did it, quickly and quietly, well done. Thank you so much.

Erephir hangs the portrait of Air in the newly available slot 4.

"Well, why reinvent Purian-975-P? There are time-tested, reputable organizations (there were), so you can take them as a basis."

-- Yes. Perhaps.

"You'll get along with the current governor..." sighed the follower of Luensian ethics. "In principle, no, there's no need to cut corners; if the budget were approved from above." 👆

-- As if I like it, -- he shrugs. -- Tracking time during work is a clear form of madness, needed either by pathologically lazy people, or by totalitarian leaders who don't know how to monitor the state of their subordinates, or by both at once. But I have no choice but to live according to local traditions, not only is my reputation at stake.

"Will she get along with our cats?.."

-- What kind of pet is it that doesn't listen to its owners and attacks everything that moves? Of course, there are animals with their own minds, and I once had one, but it didn't dare to cross a certain line because I personally taught it what it could and couldn't do. I hope that if we get a dog for search operations, it will also be trained...

"You're now discussing the organization of a knightly order with a person who has no general education, who previously only knew how to wash dishes and wipe dust off windowsills. So... I believe in you. 👍

-- A count without education, and a bookish knight who became a grandmaster, but still lives according to the precepts from a two-volume book about a cunning hidalgo... Yes, in my homeland, we would both be ridiculed, -- the fury smiled modestly. -- But that's okay, it just means that we need to improve ourselves, quickly and rapidly, keeping pace with our duties, correcting all our shortcomings. You will receive a proper education befitting nobility, and I will reconcile the picture of reality with my ideals, bringing them into alignment.

-- Well, I think we've taken everything into account, now I'll revise it and send it.

With a sigh, she raised her eyes to the ceiling after this highly intellectual act, the dark-minded woman put away all the tools and went to wash the dishes, and then to brew a new pot of tea. This took very little time, so, leaving it to steep in the company of two oriental teacups without handles with a bamboo pattern, she leaned back in her seat and indulged in observing the rest of the cleaning. Only now did she finally fully feel the great fatigue that had not been felt until that moment.

Having gathered the bones into a large bag, the Lord threw it into the trash can on the street – it would be taken away with the rest of the cafe’s waste in the morning; for some reason, he didn’t even consider that it might be disrespectful to the attacker, barbaric, and could lead to certain questions if someone saw its contents. Then he swept and washed the floor, after which he sat down at the table and stared at the surface of the mug.

- It seems my temporary residence permit has expired, and now they've finally given me my passport. Ha-ha! Ha... - a forced smile faded; she twirled the mug between her palms. - I was 99.(9)% sure. She did something and said that Anuzish had accepted me. You should have seen her face at that moment. It was completely blank, not at all Akonian, but just a normal human face. Probably mine didn't look very star-born either at that moment, given the lighting... But I didn't think through the 0.(1)%. I could have accepted that outcome, even though it would have been completely absurd and deserving of some kind of comedic award; guided by some extremely twisted logic, there would have been a certain justice to it. My sense of self-preservation isn't the strongest, as you know. It's just a professional hazard, I suppose? It's not easy to maintain a perfect balance when you spend your whole life doing something like this. Constantly observing other people's grief and suffering, rarely being able to prevent disaster, and only cleaning up the sad consequences, like a vulture, - she looks at her soul in the reflection of the liquid in the glass. - But still, that's no excuse. Even if I personally could accept such nonsense, that doesn't mean my word is the only one that matters. It's unfair and unworthy to apply standards to others that you don't follow yourself. You're not the only one who would put me in my place for something like that, but even that is enough. To knock the ground out from under someone's feet with a single, cruel snap of your fingers... For something like that, the person who did it to another should have slit their own stomach, if it were still possible to do so in that situation. I can imagine many of the things you might say right now, and all of them would be justified, but just your appearance, without any words, cuts me like a rusty knife. So... I'm sorry. I got a little carried away. I won't make jokes like that anymore; I can learn from my mistakes. At least... Now we definitely know, and you can finally sleep a little easier, - having said this, she felt shame and irritation at her reflection in the surface of the glass, so she took a burning sip.

- 0.1% is not 0... Sometimes I remember our incident in the Mittens Church, and in those moments, I'm very afraid that something like that might happen again... Just now, I thought for a moment that it was all over – Ayano was there, and suddenly she was gone. I've already told you that I can't imagine my life without you, right? I think so. With your sense of self-preservation, I should put you on a chain and put a gag in your mouth so you wouldn't think about biting off your tongue or doing something else. - He slapped his knees, thereby inviting his companion to sit on them. - And you don't need to burn your mouth and throat either. Naria certainly has many tricks up her sleeve, but that doesn't mean you can be so careless about your health.

- But 0.(1)% isn't 0.1%. If you start being so meticulous, you might choke on your tea, fall down the stairs, or end up in the central district on November 5th. So, it would have been better for you to be glad that the Mittens gestalt turned out to be closed. It's unlikely that would have convinced him – he would have blamed it all on diabolical Aconian tricks. But from his perspective, there's not much that can be done here anymore," he nods towards his gesture. "Isn't it a bit early for something like this? Usually, that's what grandfathers do, or Father Frost. You still have half a century ahead of you.

- The distance is 0 to 0.1% greater than from 0.1% to 100%. - The phantom hesitated and didn't repeat his gesture; instead, he stood up, took a few steps towards Aiyano, and picked her up, looking intently into her eyes; fortunately, the extra 20% didn't hinder him yet. - There's an opinion that to truly mature, a person needs to become a parent. Then they will have to take care of the present and future of their offspring, and reckless actions will not come as easily as before. - The peculiarity of the spoken phrase didn't bother him at all. - Aiyano, my beloved... - He was about to say something important, but remembering something, he refrained from doing so, slightly darkened, and carefully placed the princess in her bed, and he himself walked towards the stairs. - Don't do that again.

Erefir and Klin are drafting

a letter

To reform the order and bring it to a state of maximum efficiency, I ask you to consider the following and, should it be Your will, facilitate this by passing it to the appropriate parties; or permit me to act accordingly.

Task 1: Reward.
To boost morale for completing a hopeless mission (even if it was spontaneous for us), a reasonable monetary reward could be issued (to the dragon slayers, including the allied Kalina), keeping in mind that Her Highness Naera has already taken the liberty of distributing several artifacts among Carneol as preparation.

Task 2: Initiation and Ranks.
Status: The formal initiation procedure for the current membership will be held tomorrow morning, November 21. Nevertheless, additional personnel of minimal rank may be required, including unnamed ones, to perform simpler assignments (listed below).
Proposals: A small hierarchy. I would like to separate the dragon slayer knights, who have already gained some fame through this collective achievement, by giving them special titles; this will have a positive effect on motivation. As for Klin, who joined recently — given his length of service, I will take the liberty of granting him a full knight, though without a special title. Named recruits should be initiated as squires, so that this status changes in the next serious battle (of those about which something can be said publicly). Certain people for additional activities, such as the maid, or any additional staff that may be needed, remain in their status as servants/guards, which may be changed in the event of certain merits.

Task 3: Permanent Income.
Status: Several people left in the past, likely partly due to this nuance. This money is spent one way or another on purchasing enhancing items or intensive training, so not a single rem will be wasted.
Proposal: There is no information on current knightly orders; I ask for contacts for a meeting and clarification, or we can simply do it by analogy if such information is known to You. I hope this will work better than attempting to guess and will be more respectful toward the treasury.

Task 4: Food.
Status: Renewal of the contract with the restaurant is required; this will be resolved by a personal visit tomorrow, the bill has been sent. In the future, a cook is needed at the Fortress (note: the profession is not on the charm list, but theoretically the problem is solvable through personal connections).

Task 5: Guarding/Protecting the HQ from Intrusion.
Status: Spending the strength of the few main members on 24-hour duty would be a bit too much, but at the moment it is already clear that attention toward Carneol is high, and we can no longer exist as carefree as before.
Proposals: Novices/servants specifically for this job; significant combat experience is not required, the main things are reliability, the ability to follow orders, and high perception. They won't save us from "ultimate" invisible spies, but from theft and sabotage — yes. After the move, these people can be used to populate the Fortress (although more will be needed there). For a typical shift (if the work is according to Margel legislation), 4 people are needed (covering 160 hours out of 168 weekly). 5 cover 168 hours with a margin.
Also — several safes (a reasonable suggestion by Klin). It would be good to make a purchase or be given contacts of whom to buy from, since Tentacle is no longer operating.
Also — a consultation with someone with relevant experience (Draco Mellis with experience guarding the patriarch, if it includes something of this nature).
Against spies, grills can be temporarily installed on the windows, but the entrance door cannot be protected this way and invisibles cannot be detected, so it will only help partially. I will try to look for technical or magical solutions, but it would be better if some organization has a ready-made one (scouts?).

Task 6: Search and Pursuit.
Status: The status of the task is unsatisfactory. There is contact with Cassiopeia Eresaf, but she is not interested in permanent work, and no one possesses hunter skills.
Possible solution in hiring (budget) or further training (if such an opportunity exists, it is better).
An additional possibility or alternative to a hunter — well-trained service dogs on the budget.

Task 7: Information about Nephiria.
Mostly resolved by hiring a suitable person (Tluassa Elfir), but there may be some subtleties unknown to our recruit.
Possible solution in exchanging information with veterans on the front lines. It would be especially valuable to find those who personally managed to encounter Monogat, although the chances are slim.

Task 8: Access to Information.
To monitor the current state of the Empire's enemies, or any situation related to Carneol, I ask for permission to establish permanent contact with scouts (candidate to assist in this task: Penelope Hau). There may also be a need for a corresponding operative (the same person as the hunter, or someone else).

If Klin has no objections, it will be sent via secure channels.

Erefir slowly prepares for a new day, not forgetting to draw the Carneolians' attention to the book about Eir, and regretting that no one ever bought the "Saga of Baldur"...

From 0 to 0.(1)% is a greater distance than from 0.(1)% to 100%.

"I have a feeling that someone, somewhere is wrong about the mathematics; a strange feeling."

- I don't believe in that opinion. You can't fix what's broken, and someone who's already doing well doesn't need "extreme" measures; what matters is the desire to apply their intelligence in the right direction. Did you decide to take a walk late at night? It's your choice, but there's one thing. Don't quote me on this, but there's a chance you saved the galaxy half an hour ago. So, watch your step and don't choke on your tea or trip on the stairs. That would be no less tragic and foolish, especially so close to the finish line, without even hearing the answer, - she finished the sentence with a yawn and rubbed her eyes. - What a tiring day... I hope tomorrow will be easier.

- ...
- ...
- ...

^ He picked it up from Aiyano.

- Good night, my love.

The next morning, the princess will find an FCL card on the table with the following text: "I will be waiting for you where you found the Phantom's chest."

*****

Throughout his not-so-long but eventful life, Amamius Okikot was distinguished by his methodical approach and always avoided close interpersonal relationships, preferring to maintain only useful connections. In the end, he understood his own capabilities and needs inside and out, while friends and a lover seemed to him like chaotic variables that could not be controlled. Even today, he heard a story about how a young man hanged himself because his beloved left him due to some misunderstanding, which seemed like utter foolishness to him, because life is the most valuable thing a person has. Nevertheless, his own immunity failed. Time and again, Erefir Linel Darvening reminded him of her existence, conducted mutually beneficial business with him, and maintained casual meetings, as if hammering through his defenses. And today, when she was in trouble, he firmly decided to do something that he would never have dared to do in the past - personally investigate a dangerous case, even not for the sake of a reward, but simply to impress her with his masculinity and the reliability associated with it. Therefore, he forgot about safety and began searching for a suitable place for a thief's hideout: being a representative of the criminal world of Margel, he was more aware of such things and the mindset of local criminals than anyone from the guard or Carneol. His search led him to the city's sewers, where he wandered for several hours until he found the right place. Erefir's watch (and other Carneol junk) was just a few meters away from him, but at the last moment, he lost the courage to take the final step - the note written by Erefir instilled a certain fear in his heart, and he retreated, deciding to return here again with the guard. Later, Sarana and her subordinates will find various traps in this place, and Amamius will realize that even if he had managed to return Erefir's stolen goods at the last moment, he would never have returned to her himself. Nevertheless, although he managed to save his life, by the time he and the guard returned to this hideout, the stolen goods had already disappeared. After this incident, he will continue the search, but without success, and by 6 a.m. he will appear on the threshold of Carneol, tired and defeated.

*****

The next day dawns - the morning passes without incident; since Naria was busy fighting bone dragons, the response to Carneol's request will be later.

The next morning, the princess will get herself fully ready and put on perfume, after which she will drink a cup of very strong coffee, thoughtfully looking at this strange message. Despite their enormous nature, her body's muscles will still ache a little after the cosmically large battle with the demigoddess. After finishing the first cup, she will have a second, moving to the window and watching the sleepy bustle of the few early morning people.
Finally, having finished with these important tasks, she will look for the red sphere, in case its owner hasn't picked it up yet, or thrown it away in the trash along with the bones.

The sphere is found in one of the dresser drawers, among various household items and other junk.

Applying all her impressive skills in high-level erudition and deduction, her blood relation to Akonia, and her spiritual connection to Anuzisham-tach, as well as her experience interacting with a vast number of strange artifacts and experts in the field, and all her metal and radiation detectors, Ayano attempts to identify the sphere's purpose.