Now that I’m alone except for the three Catgirls, I lead Snow to my office and bring the extra chair to the side of my desk. Peri and Cherry have to go grab stools from the kitchen to sit behind me, and while they’re gone, they both change into their maid uniforms. They might as well since they’re up for the night now anyway and will have to perform various tasks for me while I oversee the dungeon operation.

The first of which is making me some coffee and something to eat. The maids leave me alone with Snow yet again, who confronts me on the lewd smell. “Are you going to tell me why you wasted precious time playing with your little Mage now, Myaster?”

“Yes, Snow. You already saw how the city morphed, and a dungeon appeared because of me, yes?”

“...Mhmm. I see no reason to doubt you on that, what with the ball of light that showed up and the conspicuous timing.”

“Then I take it you won’t doubt me when I tell you something as equally absurd?”

For a second, Snow thinks to herself. Her serious demeanor fades, and the smallest hint of a playful smile lifts the corners of her lips. “I suppose you’ll just have to try me, nyaa.”

“Whenever I cum inside a woman, their abilities become several times greater. Physical types like Sam and Meri become stronger, more durable. At the same time, Mages have their spells amplified in power at no cost to their mana. Without getting into the interpersonal reasons as to why Zutiria hasn’t made love to me in over twenty-four hours which is about when the effect wears off. She used her magic to ‘drain’ me instantly, and we rectified this problem so she could go on the Quest fully powered up.”

As expected, she stares at me like I belong in the nearest sanitarium. This expression changes after she processes my words, though. While Snow is still very skeptical, she at least fights it back enough to try believing me. “That is an awfully large load of bullshit you’re asking me to swallow, Myaster.” She says with a dash of sarcasm.

“That’s a fair assessment.” I laugh in response.

“You’re not lying, though. That much is obvious, nyaa.” The older maid sighs, shaking her head. “The more I find out about you, the stranger you get... you know that, right?”

“Also a fair assessment.”

Snow giggles for the first time tonight, just as Peri and Cherry come in with a cup of coffee for me and a plate with apple slices and a ham sandwich. “Thank you, girls.” I take the cup with gratitude as Peri sets down the plate in front of me on my desk.

As I take my first sip, Cherry hangs her head. “Can I apologize now, Myaster?”

“No. You don’t need to apologize. If I was in your position, I’d probably question my motives, too...”

“I still feel bad about it...” She sighs, frustrated and crossing her arms over her chest. Her brown kitty ears droop from annoyance as she taps her foot. “Just... I was angry and scared. But it’s not like we can just ask you to do this for free, either...”

Snow gives Cherry a long, thoughtful look as she contemplates something in her head. After staring for a few moments, she smiles and shakes her head. “I almost don’t even recognize you, Cherry. You’ve changed.”

“W-Wha...?!” The pink-haired Catgirl blushes bright red as she struggles to look Snow back. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, nyaa...”

“You apologized of your own volition, just now. That’s astonishing. It used to be you’d only ever admit to being in the wrong when I whipped it out of you...” Snow laughs, despite the darkness of her implication.

Cherry’s face sours, thinking back to all the times she’d been punished at the hands of Snow’s riding crop. She crosses her arms and turns away. “...It’s not THAT big of a deal.”

Peri gives Cherry a loving hug, squishing her ample breasts into the Catgirl’s back from behind. “A lot can happen in five days, Snow.” As the hug tightens, Cherry’s blush and frustration increase, and she grumbles under her breath.

“I suppose that’s true...” Snow shifts her attention to me and smiles with warm, gentle affection. “Thank you for all that you’ve done for these two, Myaster. Peri is so bright, cheerful, and more confident now by the looks of it. Cherry, on the other paw, is like an entirely new kitten.”

“If they didn’t want to change, they wouldn’t have.” I take a long, drawn-out sip of my coffee, thinking about my words before saying them. “You should be praising the two of them for taking the initiative to themselves, not praising me for being the catalyst. All I ever did was support them.”

Snow thinks about my words for a moment as they linger in her mind. She hangs her head in silence, smiling still but in a more reserved and sullen way. “I suppose, nyaa.”

“Ugh... this is embarrassing. What are you, my mom?” Cherry rolls her eyes while spitting out sarcasm.

“She’s more like our big sister, nyaa.” Peri corrects her friend, prompting a sigh from Cherry and a giggle from Snow.

It’s terrible of me to think this given the current situation, but I can’t help enjoying the adorable chemistry of all three Catfolk at play. It makes me wish even more so than I already do that Snow would reconsider my offer to become the head maid for my Guild. The three of them are all so natural and loving towards one another that I feel as if I could watch them for hours.

However pleasant the last ten minutes have been, though, no one’s forgotten the severity of the events currently unfolding. Snow makes that apparent as she pivots the conversation back to more serious matters. “You said that you would be leading the girls, Myaster. I believe it’s time you tell me how you plan to go about accomplishing this. Do you have some sort of artifact or arcane tech device that allows you to speak with them from a long distance, nyaa?”

“No, nothing like that... although in principle it’s similar. It’d be easier if I just show you.”

So, I open up Taskmaster, and I show Snow how I will lead the girls. Cherry and Peri have both seen me do this a few times by now, but this is also the first time they’ve heard a detailed explanation of how it works. I open all three camera views of the adventuring party. My command has silenced the audio, meaning they can’t hear me, and we can’t listen to them.

“Incredible...!” Snow’s eyes open wide, and she covers her parted lips behind her paw. “I’ve never seen anything like this...! If only the tribe had such a power at our disposal, nyaa. To think just how much easier the trial periods would go...”

“You’re always thinking about work, Snow.” Peri frowns.

“No surprise there,” Cherry adds.

I sneak in a few stealthy bites of my sandwich while the kitties gawk at the magical display before continuing on. “Audio on. Girls, report.”

“HYAA!” Meri jumps from shock, almost falling over if it weren’t for Sam there to catch her. “I-It’s true, his voice really does just show up in your head...!”

“Yo, Boss,” Sam says while helping the Shield Maiden get situated. “We’re a bit over halfway there. The city is going kinda crazy right now.”

“I can see that,” The camera feed shows many panicked Dewhurstians doing a number of panicked things. Some marvel at the sexual structure. Others are running around screaming as if the end times were upon us. “No sign of monsters escaping and causing trouble to the ‘innocent’ townsfolk?”

‘Not yet. Is that something you’re expecting to happen, Sir?’ Zutiria asks.

Peri tilts her head. “Wait, how is Mistress Zutiria’s text thingy-”

“Just go with it.” Cherry shrugs.

“I don’t know what to expect. Neither does the Goddess, for that matter.”

“You tried asking her bout this shit, Boss? It wouldn’t hurt, even if she won’t tell you shit.” Sam suggests.

“I can try. Lux Ultima,” I look to the sky somewhat dramatically, showing off for the curious audience of kitties. “I need your guidance. Please, if you would only bless us with your grace, and-”

The small ball of light reappears in the center of my desk. -Oh, fuck off. Stop playing it up.- Luxy says bluntly.

All three Catfolk stare in wonder and silence at the ball. I’m sure they don’t worship the Goddess, but even so, I’d wager a hefty bet they haven’t had much experience with the divine. This occurrence is a brand new territory for them.

The excitement fades pretty quickly, though. Peri tilts her head and swipes at Luxy’s sphere of light with her paw as if it were a ball of yarn. “Nyaa?”

-GAH!- Luxy’s ball is knocked back several feet away before it vibrates with anger. -MY HOLY AVATAR IS NOT A TOY, YOU ANIMAL!-

Mumbling under her breath, Peri crosses her arms and pouts. “Then don’t make it look like one...”

“Peri,” Snow chides, making the naughty kitty’s ears droop in shame.

The Goddess shrugs from on high before dismissing Peri’s misbehavior and moving on. -ANYWAYS, the fuck do you want? I made you a dungeon you can actually use this time. Do you want the map? A compass that points out where to find all the treasure? How bout a portal that warps you straight to the boss room?-

“Is any of that on the table?” Sam asks.

-No, you dummy.-

The Princess groans, muttering expletives I shall not repeat.

“I wanted to ask you to share whatever limited information you’re allowed to before the mission begins. While I do realize that there might not be anything significant, any little drop of intel helps.”

“Please, Goddess!” Meri sets her shield down so clasp her hands together in prayer. “You exist to help others and fill the realm with light, don’t you...?” The timid girl’s voice wavers, no doubt thinking of the blame she carries in her heart towards the Goddess she once worshipped so heavily.

Luxy is silent for a few moments, and the avatar hovers limply about in the air. -I exist because I exist. Gods don’t owe you anything. Don’t forget that.- Her voice wavers as if she’s unsure of her own statement, but eventually, she continues on. -The only thing I can really tell you about what to expect is that I basically just reached into the Pimp’s soul. Then I just overlaid his essence on top of a place that already exists. So now his stronghold is like... a reflection of who he is and everything that he stands for, if that makes sense to mortals like you.-

Zutiria looks off into the distance at the golden, penis-shaped castle that has a giant woman’s ass for a portcullis and a vagina gate. ‘...I suppose that would explain a thing or two.’ She says with biting sarcasm.

“So is that bastard freaking the fuck out right now or what?” Sam laughs, picturing the Pimp’s reaction to his home.

-A bit, but it also kinda... well... eh. You’ll see.- Luxy shrugs once again. -Just make sure you explore the place top to bottom, alright? When a God makes a dungeon, we don’t meticulously craft the fuckin’ thing top to bottom. Well, most of us don’t. You remember my screen, right? Making dungeons is another app.-

“App?” Snow tilts her head like a confused kitten.

Luxy sighs. -Mortals. I’m saying some Gods go all in hand making every room, while others input variables like the theme, difficulty, monster variety, boss and mini-boss monsters, and all that shit. Since this one was made with a unique method, the Pimp’s dungeon made itself... except for one area, which I personally tailored.-

“And you won’t tell me what it is?” I ask rhetorically.

-Take a guess, smartass.- 

I close my eyes in thought for a brief moment before instantly reaching the only conclusion that makes sense to me. “You handpicked the contents of the treasure chests.”

Even though I can’t see her face, I know Luxy is smiling the same smug grin as I am with absolute certainty. -Maybe...?-