The human mind is such a curious thing. It's been less than a month since I've been home the last time. Much less so if we count the times when I only flung my disembodied point of view here. Yet, the moment I sank into my old padded chair, I could feel the stiffness actively draining out of my shoulders and my face being conquered by a relaxed smile, as if I just returned home after a long hike in the mountains.

Our guest might've misunderstood my actions, as she tensed up like a piano wire. In some ways, she reminded me of a mouse in front of a snake, which was an odd mental image, considering she was a high-ranking definitely-not-demon, and I definitely wasn't a snake either. Definitely.

"Um… Sir Dunning?"

When I raised a brow, she twitched like she was expecting me to blow a lid and cut off her head at any moment.

"Just Leonard will do. I'm not a fan of formalities," I told her in a dry voice, and it didn't help her complexion one bit.

"I-In that case… Sir Leonard… What exactly do you plan to 'do' with me?" When I didn't respond right away, she raised her arms defensively, and hastily sputtered, "I-I'm one of the chief retainers of Lord Noire Irdu Inanna of House Inanna! K-Killing me would result in diplomatic repercussions!"

"Relax, I'm not planning to do that," I told her in the same tone as before, and I only just realized that it might've been the reason behind her overreaction. I'd been playing Polemos so much as of late that it became second nature, and it was most likely unnerving her. As such, I cleared my throat and adopted a slightly friendlier manner. "Seriously though, you know that I'm not exactly on friendly terms with Crowy, right? You probably shouldn't try to threaten me with him. It's not very effective, you see."

"Ah… Um… I'll k-keep that in mind…"

Seeing that we weren't getting anywhere fast at this rate, I decided to cut the pleasantries short and cut to the meat of the matter.

"As to answer your previous question, it's still up in the air." She blinked at me, belatedly realizing that I was talking about what I would be 'doing about her', and her eyes quickly focused on my mouth, hanging on my every word. "As I've said before, I'm going to return to Timaeus soon, and I'm not entirely keen on sharing a roof with an Abyssal Seducer."

"A-Aren't you already living with my Lady?" she blurted out, but then covered her mouth as if she didn't mean to say that out loud.

"That's a different matter entirely. Snowy is my sister and entirely trustworthy. The same cannot be said about you."

"You… have a good relationship with my Lady…" she blabbered on, seemingly saying whatever came to her mind. How this woman managed to remain a spymaster under someone like Crowy was a mystery for the ages.

"Certainly. She's the most reliable little sister I could ask for," I answered with a smile I hoped wasn't too sheepish, and after a measured beat, I shifted it into a deadpan expression. "So, I want you to be honest now. What are your plans with her."

"M-My plans? I have no plans! Nothing at all!"

Her flustered denial wasn't going to convince anyone.

"Miss Sukkal," I started with a level voice. "I'm aware you have told my sisters that you have only visited Snowy out of concern, and that nobody, either in the Abyss or among your Faun escorts, knew about it. Frankly, I'm not buying it."

I must have hit the nail on the head, as she visibly tensed up, but then she responded in a much calmer, almost practiced way.

"I… I don't know what you mean. I can only repeat what I've already told My Lady and the Griffon Knight. I am here to look into the whereabouts of—"

"I have to stop you right there. I know Crowy, and he's too paranoid to let you out of his sigh and come to this island for some vague reconnaissance mission like that. The fact that you beelined here right away, without your escorts, tells me that Snowy was your primary target, and you wanted to get your hands on her in secret, without anyone else's knowledge. Did I get that right?"

She was doing her best to remain outwardly calm, but the way her eyes were shaking told me she was anything but that.

"Stop stalling and tell the truth, would you? This is getting tiresome."

She was visibly conflicted for a moment, but then she hesitantly told me, "For you to understand, I would have to reveal the recent political changes in the Abyss."

"The Ashurs colluded with the Celestials, Crowy got obsessed with the possibility of them holding me hostage, sent in spies, it turned out I wasn't there but you discovered the Celestial connection, Crowy mobilized and caught them by surprise, took over House Ashur, and now there's all kinds of political drama going on, because he's holding two Mana Wells, and the other houses don't like that. Was that the gist of it?"

Tajana stared at me like I was some kind of surprise poltergeist, her face slackened and white as a sheet, but before long, she limply nodded.

"Y-Yes, that's… How…?"

"Not important," I cut her inquiry short and hardened my voice. "Answer the question."

The young spymaster opened and closed her mouth a couple of times, like a fish out of water, and ultimately slouched her shoulders in defeat.

"Since you know this much… Erm… Yes, you are correct. I did receive a secret mission from My Liege, to contact My Lady in private."

"As expected," I noted with a satisfied hum. "What does he want with her? I can hardly imagine it was out of brotherly love and concern, so I guess it had something to do with the political landscape."

"No, not at all! I-I mean, maybe in a sense, but… My Liege only wanted to offer a deal for My Lady, to overlook her transgression and accept her back to House Inanna in exchange for services rendered."

"What transgression?" I blurted out, raising my voice more than intended. "She was used by Crowy, he left her behind when he ran away with his tail between his legs, and then pretended that he was the one who got betrayed. That's the long and short of it."

Honestly, I didn't exactly expect an apology from that bastard, but that was a bit too much.

"My Lord did no such thing!" Tajana objected, only to then immediately shrink back. "I-I mean, Lord Noire never betrayed my Lady!"

"… Are you messing with me right now?" She remained silent, looking more confused by my insistence than anything. "You are aware that Crowy had a literal mind-control slave collar around her neck, right?"

"I-I'm sure Lord Noire had his reasons!"

"And I'm sure he was also full of nothing but benevolent intent when he exploited her, painted her as a traitor, and threw her under the bus, blaming everything on her to try and save his own ass, right?"

"My Lord was… he was working with limited information! That's why he thought the Nergals were involved, and… and it doesn't matter, since it was all just a misunderstanding!"

"It 'doesn't matter'? Really? That's the best excuse you could come up with?"

"It's… It's not an excuse! It really doesn't matter and you… you're no better! You exploited My Lady's weakness! Hypocrite!"

"What are you even talking about?" I blurted out in sheer confusion, and she doubled down.

"Y-You adopted My Lady, did you not?"

"Yes? After she was betrayed by her brother, thrown aside, and had nowhere to go."

"That can't be the whole truth! Nobody accepts an Abyssal Seducer into their family without ulterior motives!"

The more worked up she was getting, the less she stuttered, which was a welcome change. It unfortunately also came with increasingly frantic arguments, and I wasn't a fan of that.

"You're showing your Celestial heritage. Not everything is a part of some elaborate scheme, and not every act of kindness is just a setup for exploitation. I thought after living with Snowy for the last couple of days, you would've already realized that."

"Y-Yes, I understand that she refers to you as her brother now, and she had forsaken Lord Noire, but that doesn't mean anything!" She argued back, constantly swinging back and forth between frightened and agitated. "My Lady is an Abyssal Seducer! We rely on our inborn powers to create bonds of affection, and it's well-known that a Seducer is most vulnerable to displays of unregulated affection! That must be how you manipulated her!"

For someone afraid I would kill her just five minutes ago, she was surprisingly eager to throw accusations around. That said, I couldn't help but raise a curious brow at her latest outburst.

"Hold your horses. Seducers are weak to love?"

"Yes!" After exclaiming so, her eyes suddenly opened wide, she raised her palm and began waving them around in a panic. "W-Wait! That's not what I meant! It's much more complicated than that! S-Since we're so used to creating f-feelings in people, when someone shows the same kind of affection on their own, it's… it's just makes us a little flustered, okay?" It took her until this moment to realize that she was rambling, and she forcefully folded her arms in front of her chest before loudly yelling, "D-D-Don't act like this is the first time you've heard of this! I-It's how you manipulated my Lady into forsaking her blood and heritage!"

Ignoring the way she was flailing around to the point I wouldn't have been surprised if steam started billowing out of her ears at any moment, I thoughtfully pinched my chin.

"That is the first time I've heard something like that, but if it's true, it certainly explains a lot." It was only at this point that she noticed the critical look I was aiming at her, and she shrunk back once again, like a puppy that didn't understand why its hooman was angry at her. Shaking the mental imagery out of my head, I exhaled hard and levelled a flat stare at her. "Let's make things clear, shall we? No, I didn't adopt Snowy as part of a nefarious plan, I don't plan on using her in any way or the other, and as for her relationship with Crowy, I couldn't be happier if she cut all ties with that bastard, but it's ultimately up to her. She's a big girl, and she can make her own decisions."

I purposefully skimmed over the unintentional love-bombing part, but to be fair, I didn't think it was that big of a deal.

"I… I don't believe you."

"Then don't. It doesn't change the fact and only makes you look foolish. Nothing new." She twitched as if I just punched her in the nose. "Anyhow, you still haven't told you what your secret mission was about. Why did you contact my sister? For the record, I have the means to make sure you aren't lying, so don't even try to wriggle out of this question."

This time, she let out a hiccup, and after staring at the floor in front of her feet for a while, she let out a defeated noise.

"Uuuh… F-Fine." Reluctantly, she finally explained, "As you have said, My Liege claimed hold of all of House Ashur's assets, including their Mana Well. However, Abyssal Law explicitly forbids of one house possessing more than one Mana Well. Because of this, while My Liege is currently in custody of the Ashur estate, the other Lords of the Abyss are pressuring him to return it once the investigation concludes and the traitors are weeded out."

"So far so straightforward. Where does Snowy come into the picture?"

"I-I'm getting to it! So, you understand, we have an ideal way to resolve this situation. The Ashurs had many children, and the youngest is only five years old. Since his siblings are implicated in treason, My Liege is planning to remove them from the line of succession, making the boy the only potential heir, and then arrange a marriage while he's still custodian, so that House Inanna can exert control over House Ashur even after the handover."

"Oh, I get it now," I noted a tad morosely. "So it's a forced arranged marriage plot, and he sent you here, as the closest person to Snowy, to try and convince my sister to return to the Abyss and become one of his pawns again."

"N-Not in these words, no," Tajana whimpered.

Clicking my tongue, I rubbed the bridge of my nose.

"This is sooo clichéd, but I guess I shouldn't have expected anything better from him." I let my hand down and sent a sideways glance at my 'guest'. "Have you told Snowy about this?"

"I… am still waiting for the right opportunity," she whispered, and I couldn't help but exhale a single chuckle.

"Marvelous. So, now that we're clear on that, I would once again like to ask what you're doing here." She looked at me funny, so I clarified, "I don't mean 'in my house', but 'officially'. Your secret mission was to convince Snowy, and I know that you're probably hoping to meet Bel again in the process, but what's the public explanation for your departure from the Abyss?"

Instead of answering my straightforward question, her attention snapped back to me the moment I uttered the B-word, and her eyes opened wide as saucers.

"N-No, w-w-wait! How would you know about th—!" Biting back the last syllable, her eyes somehow widened even further. "C-Could it be…? Did you… hear about me from Lord Bel? I've heard you're in contact, and… and did Lord Bel mention me? By name, maybe? Did he?"

Her sudden shift into a young maiden hopelessly pining after her idol was a rather jarring one, but I saw no reason why I shouldn't play along if it would help me pry her mouth open.

"Sure. Not in detail though, just that you might show up sooner or later. Then he said something about a timey-wimey ball, how this is the present of a future of a different past than the future of his past's present, and he concluded that with, 'The past is a history, the future is a mystery, but the now is a gift. That's why it's called the present'. And then he made cartoon duck noises and disappeared. True story."

"The present is a gift…" she repeated after me with a dopey smile, seemingly completely disregarding everything else that just came out of my mouth. "Lord Bel's wisdom is unfathomable."

"Sure, keep telling yourself that," I grumbled, tapping my feet against the floor. "More importantly, you've yet to answer me."

"I… am in Timaeus track down the connections between House Ashur and the Celestial Intelligence Network, and to discover the whereabouts of a vial of Udug Blood Amalgam."

"Is that just a cover, or something you have to do?"

"The latter."

"How often do you have to report back?"

"W-We don't have a reliable way to communicate between the Abyss and the outside world, so…"

"So Crowy has no idea that you were captured," I finished her sentence, and after a moment of hesitation, she raised her voice.

"B-But, by now I'm sure my Lord is aware that something happened to me! It's only a question of time before he would—"

"No, he doesn't know yet," I pointed out a touch dryly, and she shrunk back again, not expecting to be rebuked that fast. "Staying on topic, you say that your official concerns were the Ashurs and the Blood Amalgam. Correct?"

"C-Correct."

"And you had no reason or desire to get on the bad side of either me, the Draconic Federation, or the Magi?"

"Of course not! I'm not suicidal!"

Nodding, I crossed my arms again and considered her words carefully. All things considered, there were three possible options on the table. The first one was to let her go. Since she was marked, I could use her to track down her Fauns, and then I could catch them all, avoiding any future complications. The second option was to let her stay as a guest in my house, which was something Snowy would've likely appreciated, but I wasn't particularly fond of, and once Judy and Elly learned of it, I was sure it would cause some friction. Last, and certainly least, there was the pragmatic option, where I would simply imprison her. The dockyard hideout had a couple of empty rooms, and locking her up there would've been a classic out-of-sight-out-of-mind solution.

While I was still thinking about which solution would be best, my ears picked up some shuffling from upstairs, and when I glanced over, my eyes met with Snowy's.

"Can we come down?" she asked a touch uncertainly, making me smile.

"Why couldn't you? We aren't discussing state secrets."

"W-We actually are…" Tajana protested in a mousy voice, but by then, my sisters were already halfway down the stairs.

"Brother? Are you bullying her?"

That was Penny's first question the moment she stopped by the couch, earning her an incredulously raised brow from yours truly.

"I don't think I am. Am I bullying you?"

"Y— N-N-No! Definitely not!" the young spymaster insisted as if her life depended on it.

"You see? We were just discussing what she's doing here, and what would happen to her once I'm back in town."

"Are you going to lock her up?" came Penny's next question, and her expression told me she didn't know how she would feel about my answer, whether it was yes or no.

"I'm still considering my options, but I'm not sure if keeping her here is a good idea."

Tajana stiffened in her seat, as if I just gave her the death penalty, but it soon shifted into uncertainty when Snowy stepped up to me and tugged on the shoulder of my shirt.

"Yes?"

She leaned over and gestured for me to do the same, before forming a funnel with her hands around her mouth and whispering directly into my ear.

"Are you sure Tajana can't stay here any longer?" I wordlessly raised a questioning brow at her suggestion, so she lowered her voice even further. "If you give me some time, I think I can convince her to come over to our side."

After some thinking, I gestured for her to turn her head, and mimicking her actions, I also shielded my mouth and whispered back to her that way.

"She seems pretty loyal to Crowy. Are you sure you can do it?"

She nodded right away and urged me to turn my head.

"I… I can do it. She can be a little stubborn at times, but I'm sure I can make her see reason, so… can she stay with us a little longer?"

So, my sister wanted to keep her around because she was trying to subvert her, while Tajana was staying around because she was looking for the opportunity to lure her back into the Abyss. Kind of a messed-up situation all around, and I still wasn't one hundred percent sure it was a great idea. That said, Snowy rarely made any requests to me, so I felt that it was my big-brotherly duty to accommodate her. Even if that meant I would have to look forward to an awkward explanation involving my girlfriends in the future.

"Fine. She can stay."

"Thank you!"

Snowy beamed at me, but before I could return the gesture, someone started murmuring into my other ear.

"W-What are you whispering about?"

Glancing over, I found my Knightlier sister, slightly flushed, staring at me from up close with her hands forming a funnel around her mouth. She must have felt left out, I surmised and gestured for her to turn her ear my way.

"We just decided to keep Tajana here for a bit longer. Are you okay with that?"

"I can put up with her, but…" Penny paused and glanced between Tajana and me. "You're not planning to… erm… seduce her too, right?"

"Who do you take me for?" I spoke aloud and delivered a light flick on her forehead, then gestured for her to lean over again and whispered, "Snowy wants to make her switch sides."

"Really?"

"Sure. You can ask her if you want."

My knightlier sister nodded with a determined grimace and walked over to the other side of my seat before signalling for Snowy to lean closer and they started whispering between each other. Despite her strong-minded expression, Penny was clearly having fun, which reinforced my initial hunch that she must have been feeling left out.

In any case, since we came to a conclusion, it was time to share it with the eminently confused Abyssal sitting on the couch and staring at us in open-eyed bewilderment.

"The family council decided that, for the time being, you're going to stay our guest here. You can thank Snowy for that."

"T-Thank you?" she blurted out on autopilot, but my sisters were too busy whispering to each other to pay her any heed.

In the meantime, I stood up and reached into my pocket.

"You can keep using the guest room for the time being, I suppose. It's not like Percival is coming back any time soon."

My stray comment made the redhead behind me let out a high-pitched noise and she grabbed hold of my shoulder.

"That's right! Brother! What about Uncle Percy!" I turned to face her, and after glancing left and right (all the while conveniently ignoring the startled look on Snowy's face), she practically pulled me down to her level to whisper into my ear. "I… I know that he did bad things, but he was kidnapped by Bel before he could tell his side of the story, and he's been missing for so long! Shouldn't we do something about him?"

"Don't worry, kiddo," I spoke softly, in the company of a few head pats. "He's fine, at least for now."

"How do you…?" She swallowed the end of the sentence and her eyes immediately narrowed into suspicious slits. "Brother? Did that awful Bel bastard tell you about him?"

"Yes."

"When? Did he really go into the Elysium to talk to you? You really shouldn't associate with evildoers like him!"

"I know, I know." I rubbed her head a bit harder for emphasis, and added, "Desperate times create desperate partnerships."

"I understand that… but…"

Seeing that she had no comeback, I flashed my standard Big Brotherly Smile™ at her and turned back to Tajana.

"So, as I was saying, consider yourself promoted to official mandatory guest status."

"That means I still can't leave," she grumbled, seemingly less timid now that Snowy was in the same room.

"Obviously." I showed her a toothy grin, then removed my hand from my left pocket, and lazily threw a gold-foil-covered chocolate truffle over her head. "[Keep up the good work.]"

"[Thanks, boss,]" Hrul responded with a grin of his own as he rolled the confectionery between his large fingers, his whole body covered by a thin sheen or orange film.

"Wha-waah-whaaat?" Tajana was in a panic, glancing between me and the source of the disembodied voice behind the couch.

Ignoring the bamboozled woman, I turned back to my sisters and sternly told them, "Keep an eye on her, just in case. Don't rely on the Fauns alone."

"… I didn't even know he was there…" Penny mumbled in a daze, while Snowy nodded with an expression that said it was only natural.

I spared a glance at the clock on the wall and then let out a long breath.

"Since I'm done here, I think I should head back."

"Already?" My knightly sister sounded disappointed, and she wasn't alone.

"Can't you stay for dinner?" Snowy pleaded, but I had to shake my head.

"Sorry, but I still have places to be, plus I'm waaay behind on my schoolwork, so I have some cramming to do."

"Schoolwork…?" Tajana continued to mutter in the background without anyone paying much attention to her.

"It can't be helped then," Penny concluded without too much resistance, but her dissatisfied eyes still bothered me, so I came up with an idea on a whim.

"How about we go on a family trip once I'm back?"

"A trip?" Snowy's eyes lit up at once, and Penny's downcast look made a hundred-and-eighty turn as well.

"Just the three of us?"

"If you're okay with that."

"I am!" Penny declared with way too much enthusiasm. "Where are we going?"

"I don't know yet. I'm open to suggestions."

"Challenge accepted!" she declared with a fist pump, and Snowy barely managed to stifle her chuckles.

Seeing them so hyped up over such a small promise made my small heart grow at least one-and-a-quarter sizes, and I roughly tousled their noggings before turning towards the teleport closet. However, before stepping inside, I turned to Tajana one last time. I just felt like I needed to get in the last word.

"Behave yourself, and everything will be fine."

"Y-Yes, sir."

I nodded at her, then at the Faun behind her, and then waved at the girls before making my exit. A second later, I reappeared inside the underground base and made my way over to the main workshops. I wasn't lying when I told my sisters I would need to cram, but some things were more important than my academic success, and my Plan F backup project was certainly one of them. I could only hope it would be ready in time when the proverbial shit hit the proverbial fans…