"Evil Punisher Grand Formation?" Iris said. "Should I be scared?"
Ludmint grasped Iris’s hands, lightly caressing them. "How can I place my cute Iris in danger? So long as you don’t do anything overboard, the Grand Formation won't act, and if it somehow tries to harm you, my authority will protect you."
Iris relaxed and shifted her attention to the street. The passersby walked past shops and admired the displayed goods, unaware of their prior deaths or the destruction. They continued their routine as if nothing had happened.
"The mortals won't remember anything," Ludmint said. "To them, nothing happened. They won't even know they lost a few days of their lifespan."
"Can the Grand Formation revive the dead Monster Girls?" Iris held her breath.
Ludmint shook her head. "Unfortunately, the Grand Formation is still within the limit of the mortal. To grasp the control over life and death, only the realm within the legend can do such."
"But it clearly revives those people. They are alive!"
"Only the mortals, and only because they hadn't faded away yet. If they’d died for longer than a few minutes, the Grand Formation wouldn't be able to do anything."
"That's just a tiny part of the Grand Formation. If it's—"
Far away, behind Ludmint, a beam of light flashed and penetrated the drifting clouds atop the sky. An invisible power swept across Donhalgen, cleansed the remnant of the evil aura, and deceived the ordinary. A few more beams pulsed at other locations, signifying the might of the Evil Punisher Grand Formation.
Iris swallowed her words and shrunk back, anxiety simmering in her heart. Her eyes darted around, afraid of the attention of others. The invisible, inescapable might of the Grand Formation shocked her so much she forgot her current situation.
"Have you calmed down?" Ludmint said. "I've already cast an isolation spell before you lost your bearing. They will only see and hear we talk about mundane matters."
Iris nodded and took a deep breath. Her mind gradually cooled down. "Thank you. The illusion of peace made me complacent. It won't happen again."
"It's my fault. Usually, Donhalgen is peaceful. A month may pass by with nothing happening. You're just unlucky."
Iris nodded. I hope it's a coincidence. "What should we do now?"
"I initially want to tour you around more, but I'll have to skip the procedure. I'll make up for it later. Shall we board a carriage and go sightseeing?"
So fast? Looks like the situation is worse than I thought. Iris smiled, got up, and took all the bags of purchases. She resisted the urge to put them into her Virtual Space Ring. She carried them with her while she followed closely behind Ludmint.
The two blended into the bustling crowd, revealing nothing unusual as if they, too, forgot the gruesome event. Though Iris could still carry more, she lost the drive to buy more items. When she looked around, she felt like she was looking at a ruin and a graveyard, where the dead forgot their inanimation and walked the earth once more.
Such thought instilled chill within her, but she quickly regained her calm. These people have their hopes and dreams; they aren't dead. It is good that they can live once more. I should not be afraid of them.
As Ludmint and Iris drifted farther into another street, whose atmosphere grew thin and quiet, a carriage emerged around a corner and stopped in front of Ludmint. Its decoration was neat, black, and rich with complex designs. On its walls was the golden silhouette of a flowery wreath.
The driver, a middle-aged man whose leather hat concealed his features, glanced at Ludmint, then Iris, and tilted his hat in greeting. The carriage door slowly opened, revealing the spacious interior, inviting the passengers to enter.
"Let's go," Ludmint said. "This is one of the highest quality carriages around here. You won't feel a bump inside. No sound will disturb you either."
Iris stared at the driver and nodded. I thought the Court of Indulgence was for the Monster Girls. Is this man a disguise of a powerful Monster Girl? I can't smell any scent of Corruption Power.
Ludmint looked at Iris and smiled. She entered the carriage, then offered her hand to Iris, who gracefully took it and smiled.
The dark purple curtain and red cushions of the interior gave off a faint aroma. Iris sank into the seat opposite Ludmint, who closed the door and veiled the window, preventing the outsiders from seeing the inside.
"Is he one of us?" Iris said.
"It depends. He is not a Monster Girl, but he is a member of the Court."
"I thought the Pure Races feared us. We turned women into Monster Girls and drained men to death."
"You'll be surprised how many of them feel about us. Like them, we too have hope and dream, joy and sorrow, love and hate. We're just blessed, or cursed, with beauty borderline temptation, sensuality borderline temperance. Only the most extreme of us will act like those depicted by the Churches, beasts with only carnal desires in their hearts."
"Is the Churches' grip on the ordinary people not enough to change such perception?"
"The Churches have a strong grip on many things, but ultimately, they can't control everything." Ludmint giggled. "The world is too vast, filled with numerous conflicts. Moreover, through the restriction of the Churches, we Monster Girls have become a taboo, an alluring taboo."
"Their teachings restrict us but also help us?"
"Maybe." Ludmint fell into deep thought. "It might be better, or worse, if they didn't spread misinformation about us. I have no idea."
Iris thoughtfully nodded and turned to the side. Her gaze passed through the curtain and fell on the streets, where ordinary humans, and sometimes Beastkins, and Elves, and Dwarves, walked from one place to another. They came and went in groups, some with friends, some with family, some alone.
If I were to come to this world as the Pure Races, what would I become? Iris closed her eyes. I might become a renounced scholar, or librarian, or Mage, or even Priestess. If I were lucky, I might get reborn as a princess!
But then, I wouldn't have met Lenmia, Dulcie, Reta, Tardi, Vilia; all of you are precious, precious enough to offset the hardship of this life. Maybe I'm the lucky one after all.
"Sister Ludmint, I want to know more about this Evil Punisher Grand Formation," Iris said. "If I don't know its limit, I'll get anxious and start imagining bad things."
"Even if you don't ask, I'm going to tell you regardless. Be sure to praise me for working hard on it." Ludmint giggled. "The Evil Punisher Grand Formation is a city-wide formation, endorsed by the Knoffvegent Imperial Family and the Churches, especially the Church of the Seven Goddesses, or the Church of Seven Virtues, their original name.
"The Grand Formation’s main function is to suppress and regulate dangerous magical phenomena, including the Evil Cults, like Pupils of Masolis, and the Secret Organisations, like our Court of Indulgence. At its peak, its power is akin to a Peak Condensation Phase Monster Girl.
"Because of the high energy consumption, this kind of firepower is rarely used. The Grand Formation will monitor the fluctuation of energy and only react if the fluctuation exceeds the thresholds."
Iris nodded. "If we limit the destructive range of our power, the Grand Formation won't react?"
"Either we reduce the potency, or we reduce the range. Ideally, the Grand Formation would be all-encompassing and all-detecting, but then it would be too unstable. Even if it is possible, the commotion for such a project will prompt all the rogue supernatural beings to unite and tear down Donhalgen until the Grand Formation is no more."
Rogue extraordinary beings? Their numbers must be comparable, if not superior, to the Churches and the imperial family. Should I be considered as one? "I supposed the official extraordinary beings must have something to identify themselves in the case of friendly fire."
Ludmint chuckled and reached inside her body. Her hand passed through her chest, which rippled like water surface, and took out an emblem. It had a symbol of tome and quill and a pair of wings engraved on its surface.
"This little badge is like an identification card. It's called the Rising Horizon Badge, given to every member of the Rising Horizon Council," Ludmint said. "Rising Horizon Council is the team of the scholars and officials who managed the Evil Punisher Grand Formation. Our authority is only inferior to the Imperial Badge of the imperial family."
"Sister Ludmint," Iris said as she made her eyes teary, pitiful. "Can I have one?"
"These badges are for the Rising Horizon Council members."
"I'll try my best. No need to help me. Though I don't know much about this place, I'm quite knowledgeable in other aspects."
"Your sense of fashion is enough to please me, but I doubt it can help you pass the academic test." Ludmint giggled. "Of course, if you're willing to use your charm, I can guarantee your success."
Iris lowered her head, blushing. "It will be too suspicious. If you help me, and I accidentally got discovered, you'll be implicated."
"If they look, they will know we live together. To others, our relationship is deeper than just acquaintance, maybe even more than friends."
"Even then, I want to do it by myself. Can I have this autonomy?" Iris fiddled with her hair. "Please?"
"You're trying so hard to charm me, but your blushes tell me you aren't very good at it." Ludmint reached out and caressed Iris's face. "Consider yourself lucky. Your blushes are enough to charm me. I'll let you do as you please. However, if you have any problem, you must tell me. After all, you're already a member of the Court of Indulgence."
Is the procedure always this lax, or is it because of my circumstance? Iris nodded. Seduction is an art that I need to practise more. Wait, why am I trying to get good at it? No, Iris! Don't let that feeling get to you!
Soon, the carriage came to a stop in front of a large estate, where multiple two-story buildings made of concrete and woods seated. The door of the carriage slid open. Soft breezes of the midday air drifted inside. Iris adjusted her clothes and hair before she stepped out with Ludmint, who wore a gentle smile on her face.
The children and teens playing in the nearby field noticed the two visitors and rushed out to greet them. The orphans recognised Ludmint and thus implicitly trusted Iris, Ludmint’s friend, to be a good person.
"Miss Ludmint, welcome back," a young teen said. "You didn't visit us last week. Did something happen?"
"A scholar like me sometimes needs to work through the night, especially during the critical phase of my project."
The teen nodded. The other kids and teenagers greeted Ludmint and chatted with her. They occasionally cast their gazes on Iris, curious, shy.
"Miss Ludmint, who is this fair lady?" Another teen said. "Is she your colleague, your relative, or your friend?"
"She is Iris." Ludmint turned to Iris. "We live together."
The kids widened their eyes and snatched a few more looks at Iris and Ludmint. Their gossips spread like wildfire, giving Iris no chance to explain herself.
"Then, everyone, can you give me and Iris some private time?" Ludmint said.
The orphans understood the hidden meaning and scattered, eyeing Iris and Ludmint from afar. Iris sighed but still stayed close to Ludmint.
"You're wicked, Sister Ludmint." Iris pressed herself on Ludmint. "You plant this seed of impression so fast and give me no chance to correct the misunderstanding. Now I have to act according to your script."
"It's for your own good. The more impressions you leave on the innocent eyes, the easier you can blend in."
This is why I called you wicked. You take advantage of me, and I have to accept it. I'll have to frequent this place a lot; it would be suspicious if I were to stick close to Ludmint without any deep relationship tying us together.
When all the kids left the perimeter, Iris leaned to Ludmint's ear. "Because you spent your time in the lab for a long time and neglected me, I'm upset and won't be cuddling you too much. It's your turn to seek my forgiveness."
With this setting, I won't need to act too much. What are you going to do now, Ludmint?
"Iris, that premise doesn't correspond to how you acted in the carriage." Ludmint smiled. "You should act like a shy yet mischievous lady who can't admit her impure thoughts."
A bad feeling rose in Iris's heart. "No one except us knows what happened inside the carriage."
"Are you sure? You should look around."
Iris glanced around. The orphans were playing, chatting, sleeping far away. No one was near her, but there was a faint shadow beside her. Iris realised someone was standing behind her. She spun around and inwardly chanted a spell, but Ludmint lightly squeezed her hand, dispelling the panic.
"I'm sorry, Lady Iris, but Lady Ludmint has ordered me to conceal myself," the petite lady said. "Please accept my introduction. My name is Secain, a Master-Tier Assassin."
