Teresa: Everybody Loves Large Chests (Vol.5) Read online

  “Ahem!” Underwood forcibly cleared his throat. “Now that we’re all assembled, let us begin the debriefing posthaste.”

  “Quite so,” nodded the Legate. “Now then, Decanus Morgana. Am I to understand those dryads have returned to sleep?”

  “Yes, sir,” she replied with a monotone, almost whispering voice.

  “Do you know when they’d wake up?”

  “No, sir.”

  “Did they show any disturbing or out-of-place signs following the two days after Operation Honeytrap?”

  “No, sir.”

  Boxxy felt it unnecessary to mention their hair had turned a weird color.

  “Have you received any contact from the Sandman?” the Legate continued.

  Crap, I completely forgot they wanted that guy’s shiny amulet, the monster realized. Well, I’ll take care of it later tonight.

  “No, sir.”

  “Very good, Decanus. Go get some rest and report to Primus Underwood first thing in the morning for your next assignment.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Keira stood up, gave a firm salute towards the empty seat, and walked out of the room practically dragging her feet. It was an exceedingly short meeting, but the majority of the issues and details were addressed during the initial debriefing less than an hour after the Lodrak Empire’s retreat. The catgirl hadn’t yet been told of Milo Faehorn’s death at the time, so her attitude had been considerably more upbeat. Her current solemn behavior served to punctuate that the victory at Fort Yimin was a grisly, regretful, and costly affair. Once she left the room, Underwood couldn’t help but repeat his lost friend’s words of wisdom.

  “Have I mentioned I hate this war?”

  “That’s enough of that, Primus,” the Legate reprimanded him.

  “Apologies, sir.”

  “Well, I’m with Underwood on this one,” said Vera. “Seeing that girl… it makes it hard to think of all this death as just numbers. I mean - did we truly do the right thing?”

  “Of course, we did,” Drannor stated bluntly. “If we did nothing, we would have lost countless more of our people. I may have been skeptical at first, but that girl’s actions saved the entire western front. If word spreads that hylt trees could fight back against invaders, then the Empire wouldn’t dare come near this fort ever again. With some luck, they might assume that all hylt trees are like that, and would be far warier of them as a result. With some luck, they might even hesitate to attack the Republic in the first place.”

  The Legate nodded grandly in agreement, then turned his head towards Silus.

  “Primus, can your Sandman contact lend us that orb again? Or perhaps let us hold onto it permanently?”

  “No, sir. He claimed the Elder Dryad’s Authority took a long time and a lot of effort to recharge, so it wouldn’t be feasible to use it twice in the same season.”

  “Are we sure he’s not just saying that?”

  “As I explained before, sir, I already had some people examine the dormant crystal while it was in our possession. They found absolutely nothing about its construction or function, nor did they make any sense of the chant used to activate it. Worse still, it was lacking even a single speck of mana even after several days since its use. It’s likely the type of item that requires some ritual or rite before it could be used again.”

  This conclusion was technically correct, but Underwood’s scholars had no idea the Elder Dryad’s Authority was, at its core, nothing more than a mana storage device. Ambrosia had filled it with her magical energy in a matter of minutes and could easily do so again. While there was indeed a ‘ritual’ required to recharge it, it was as simple as giving it back to its owner.

  “We could have held onto it and researched it more thoroughly, but none of my people were confident they could handle it,” Underwood reported. “After considering our military situation, we decided the Sandman’s continued cooperation was more valuable than the Authority’s potential.”

  “I see,” said the Legate. “Considering the results, it’s hard to argue with that decision.”

  Frankly speaking, the mercenary had more than earned his paycheck just by eliminating an enemy VIP in a one-on-one confrontation. He was a fearsome ally, but could easily become a troublesome enemy if the Republic didn’t uphold their side of the bargain.

  “Still, I think it would be good to borrow it again as soon as it is recharged,” he added.

  “Sir, I feel that would be unwise,” Vera objected. “Even if we could trigger it, I doubt any of us could actually use it.”

  “What do you mean, Prefect?”

  “Well, Faehorn said it himself, sir. That Authority merely gives the user a warm welcome from the dryads and opens the floor for negotiations. But trying to convince them to take our side and slaughter our enemy with very little to offer in return? I don’t think it’d be easy, especially considering how indifferent they appear to our plight.”

  The elf in charge fell silent as he considered those words. The memories of him trying – and failing – to communicate with those green children over the past week perfectly illustrated Vera’s concerns.

  “There’s also the fact we – if you’ll permit the casual tone – lucked out big time,” the Prefect continued. “Operation Honeytrap only worked because the fort was home to a group of impressionable youngsters that latched onto a suitable surrogate mother figure by accident. I sincerely doubt that would happen with a more mature dryad, especially considering what happened with Lady Imiryl.”

  “Hm. Very valid points indeed, Prefect. It seems I failed to fully consider the personal element. I shall take your words into advisement. Now, onto the next point of order. Primus, what of the Decanus?”

  “What about her, sir?”

  “Will she be able to fulfill her duties as a soldier of the Republic’s 3rd Legion?”

  Underwood couldn’t help but frown slightly.

  “Sir, are you planning to send her on another mission straight away?”

  It wasn’t as if he was being protective of her because she was his old friend’s star pupil. It was simply in his nature as an officer to ensure those under his command were treated carefully.

  “Not exactly,” the Legate leaned forward, putting his elbows against the table. “While things have more or less settled down on this side, the eastern front is struggling. They’ve requested reinforcements, and I plan to send three thousand troops their way, including the Decanus and her squad.”

  “If I may ask, sir, why send her specifically?”

  “Sandman business aside, she is still an excellent scout. Although I am loathe to let her go, the 2nd Legion desperately needs her help defending the Rainy Woodlands. If she is able, of course.”

  “I see.”

  He grasped what Aidun was getting at. A soldier existed to fight during wartime and to remain vigilant at peacetime. However, one could hardly call the girl a soldier. She may have some ability, but her mental state was in question. That was why the Legate inquired about her wellbeing. Sending their comrades a potential liability could do more harm than good to the Republic’s operations in that region.

  “I believe it would be unwise to dispatch her immediately, sir,” Underwood assessed. “Although Faehorn’s… passing was doubtlessly quite hard on her, it isn’t the main cause of her current state of mind. Regardless of her words at the time, it would seem she is having trouble dealing with the consequences of her actions. I understand she feels personally responsible for the death of all those Imperial soldiers. Frankly speaking, only a monster would feel nothing after killing so many people, even if they did so indirectly or under orders.”

  “I thought as much,” the Legate sighed. “Even I could tell at a glance she was deeply troubled.”

  Although the monster in question wasn’t around to hear them, those words proved Boxxy succeeded at one of its toughest acting challenges yet. The shapeshifter could easily express sadness, happiness, or anger because it experienced these firsthand. Xera’s
demonstrations combined with its affection for shiny chests allowed it to flirt and act like it cared for someone, albeit at an extremely basic and rudimentary level. Still, Keira’s obvious inexperience with matters of love only made her seem more genuine and endearing in Rowana’s eyes, so it worked out in Boxxy’s favor.

  However, that shameless monster being burdened by a sense of guilt and remorse over something it did? Such a thing was impossible. Even though Clarissa the Goddess of Dice Rolls would say there was a ‘non-zero chance’ of it happening, it was still less likely than the whole planet turning into an incomprehensibly large cheese wheel overnight. More specifically, cheddar or gouda. Maybe camembert. Blue cheese was right out.

  Planetary-scale dairy products aside, feelings such as grief, remorse, or guilt were so removed from Boxxy T. Morningwood’s understanding that it hesitated to ask whether such emotions were actually tasty or not. This made acting out these feelings as Keira quite troublesome. Thankfully, it knew the theory behind what it was doing since it read a book about something-or-other. What was it called again? Post-Tastetastic Shiny Disorder? Whatever it was, it taught the shapeshifter about the face it needed to make and the way it should act. That was only a theory, though. No matter how much it practiced over the last few days, it always felt its performance came off unnaturally stiff and artificial. Due to this, it avoided contact with others as much as possible and was understandably worried about this debriefing.

  And yet, Boxxy’s ruse was a success despite its lack of confidence in its acting skills. The monster severely underestimated the power of Keira’s expertly sculpted appearance, a perfect blend of beautiful and cute. A man whose heart wasn’t moved after seeing her bright and innocent smile disappear was no man at all. As a certain otherworlder once said, ‘Cute is justice!’ Then again, he spoke a lot of nonsensical phrases such as ‘A flat chest is a status symbol!’ or ‘Yes lolita! No touch!’ but even a broken clock was right twice a day.

  “However, we want to send her there regardless of whether she’s ready to fight,” insisted Drannor the strategist. “While she may be capable in her own right, this Sandman character is also quite valuable. And for better or worse, he will only meet face-to-face with this Decanus. They’re a package deal whether we like it or not.”

  “You want to use him again?” Underwood raised an eyebrow.

  “Of course! I will admit I was skeptical of the dryads at first, not to mention I still don’t fully trust the guy, but by all accounts his personal might is quite substantial. We would be fools not to take advantage of someone who could single-handedly kill a VIP if all he’s asking for is money. We just need to maintain a cordial long-distance relationship and keep him from getting too involved with the government and its citizens.”

  “I understand. Would it be possible to at least give her some time to recover from her mental distress?”

  “Hmm…”

  The strategist fell into thought as he considered all the variables. Ever the diligent one, Drannor made sure to keep himself updated on the other front’s status. The Republic there used the terrain and wilderness to slow the Empire’s advance to a crawl. By his estimate, although it would take some time, the reinforcements coming from Fort Yimin would allow for a stalemate of sorts. Once they did, introducing an unknown element like the Sandman might tip the balance in their favor. As for time, there was still a month before winter truly began, then perhaps a dozen or so days before it froze the Empire in their tracks.

  “We can afford a week,” he concluded.

  “Very good,” declared the Legate. “Primus, give the Decanus a week to recuperate at home, then evaluate if she is fit for duty. If she is, deploy her immediately.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Then let’s move on to the next topic. Prefect, have we located Faehorn’s weapon?”

  While the deceased Ranger’s body was found and recovered, his trademark bow was still missing. It was a superb item, even amongst its Artifact-grade peers, though its value went beyond its abilities. Considering who wielded it and what he had accomplished with it made the bow worthy of being considered a national treasure.

  “No,” Vera nearly bit her lip, “and it’s likely we won’t. We’ve already scoured the area around the tree five times, but we’ve been found no sign of it. Most likely someone looted it during or after the siege.”

  “Hmm, I see. Then I suppose I should request the government put out a bounty for it.”

  A Legate held a good deal of political power, so Aidun could get something like that handled post-haste.

  “With all due respect, that would be a bad idea, sir,” said Underwood. “The item’s common appearance means we’ll have a huge influx of frauds, scammers, or simply people who confused it with a regular weapon. Processing all those would put quite a bit of strain on the government’s Scribes.”

  “Well that’s to be expected with any item bounty,” Drannor pointed out. “I’m more concerned with the possibility whoever took it is either a ‘collector’, or they sold it to one in secret. Such people are liable to go underground and cover their tracks when they find out the government is looking for it. I think a covert investigation is a more prudent approach.”

  “All of our Spies are busy with the war, though,” argued Underwood.

  “But if we don’t act now, the trail will just grow cold! Wait too long and we might lose it completely!”

  “So, shall we appoint some of our drafted adventurers to track it down instead? Surely we won’t miss a few dozen of them.”

  “No! Doing such a thing has certain political ramifications-”

  The argument regarding the late Milo Faehorn’s weapon lasted for a long time. However, this particular discussion, along with the decades of searching that followed, were all for naught. The Republic would eventually give up recovering the Artifact, and the ridiculous bounty for it would remain unclaimed.

  The bow, known as Enduring Gale, was carved out of an ancient hylt tree’s heartwood and had already began fusing with the branch it landed on by the time its last owner had hit the ground.

  [General Information]

  Boxxy T. Morningwood

  Doppelganger (Juvenile), 7 months old

  Member of Hidden Arrow

  Level 23.86 Doppelganger

  Level 50.00 Mimic (MAX)

  Level 5.00 Cat (MAX)

  Level 50.00 Warlock (MAX)

  Level 18.37 Artificer

  Level 30.10 Ranger

  Level 20.44 Blade Dancer

  Level 13.28 Rogue (+)

  4854/4854HP (+18.4/sec)

  3863/3863 MP (+6.7/sec)

  [Attributes]

  STR 619, DEX 676, AGI 626, END 847, INT 729, WIS 489, LCK 217, MNT 370, CHR 206, PER 230, FTH 17, AFF 12

  [Mimic Skills]

  Assassination – Lvl 10.00 (MAX)

  Storage – Lvl 10.00 (MAX)

  Cadaver Absorption – Lvl 9.13

  Biomass – Lvl 12.58

  Natural Armor – Lvl 10.00 (MAX)

  Metal Mimicry – Lvl 10.00 (MAX)

  Mend Flesh – Lvl 10.00 (MAX)

  Adaptive Defense – Lvl 7.74

  [Absorbed Skills]

  Acid Spray – Lvl 10.00 (MAX)

  Divine Attunement – Lvl 4.10

  [Cat Skills]

  Feline Agility – Lvl 8.24

  [Doppelganger Skills]

  Mirror Image – Lvl 6.35

  Pheromone Control – Lvl 5.41

  Broken Reflection – Lvl 3.63

  Puppet Parasite – Lvl 4.68

  [Warlock Skills]

  Summon Familiar – 10.00 (MAX)

  Power Overwhelming – Lvl 9.91

  Demonology – Lvl 7.91

  Crystallize Magic – Lvl 9.21

  Chant Reduction – Lvl 5.10

  Demonic Insight – Lvl 6.70

  Despair Aura – Lvl 4.11

  Soul Link – Lvl 3.64

  [Artificer Skills]

  Clockwork Expertise – Lvl 5.84<
br />
  Explosives Handling – Lvl 4.93

  Deconstruction – Lvl 3.49

  [Ranger Skills]

  Tracking – Lvl 4.27

  Marksman – Lvl 5.23

  Whisper Wind – Lvl 4.62

  Fleet Footed – Lvl 3.08

  Hunter’s Mark – Lvl 2.62

  [Blade Dancer Skills]

  Hornet Style – Lvl 4.52

  Adagio Variation – Lvl 3.71

  Winterlich Waltz – Lvl 3.31

  Evasion – Lvl 4.65

  [Hero Skills]

  Chaotic Disposition – Lvl 1.00 (MAX)

  Agent of Chaos – Lvl 1.00 (MAX)

  Essence Concealment – Lvl 1.00 (MAX)

  [Other Skills]

  Shapeshift – Lvl 13.14

  Stealth – Lvl 10.00 (MAX)

  Lockpick – Lvl 3.55

  Sword Mastery – Lvl 7.53

  Meditation – Lvl 4.50

  Projectile Mastery – Lvl 8.76

  Dagger Mastery – Lvl 10.00 (MAX)

  Ruin Mastery – Lvl 12.19

  Domination Mastery – Lvl 8.11

  Shield Mastery – Lvl 10.00 (MAX)

  Staff Mastery – Lvl 5.81

  Bow Mastery – Lvl 6.46

  Axe Mastery – Lvl 6.19

  Primal Mastery – Lvl 5.51

  [Spells and Martial Arts]

  Ruin Spells – Shadowbolt, Ebonfire, Frostbite, Dark Explosion, Shadowbind, Singularity, True Darkness, Massive Rejection, Reality Slash

  Domination Spells – Mass Panic, Delirium, Dark Infusion, Mind Blast, Hysteria, Mind Control

  Other Spells – Implosion, Transfamiliar, Demonate

  Marksman Arts – Power Shot, Guided Arrow, Multishot, Blast Arrow, Shrapnel Shot

  Part Two

  Keira walked into Underwood’s office and gave him a dispirited salute.

  “Decanus Morgana, reporting for duty, sir.”

  She talked in a low, shaky voice and there were heavy bags under her eyes, implying she didn’t get much sleep that night. Underwood involuntarily groaned at her appearance. Seeing such a normally happy girl so incredibly depressed tugged on the elf’s heartstrings. He wanted to hug her, comfort her, tell her everything would be alright. However, he kept such emotions in check as best he could. Not only was it highly inappropriate from a professional standpoint, but he also knew full well she had a special someone in Azurvale who would be more than happy to fill that role.