The competition was over with the overkill of 3-0. It shouldn’t be a surprised after the revelation of uncle Gordon’s resume. No amount of bribe was worth insulting the specter of a chef so legendary his dinner course could crash Acceltra’s equity market. Amy’s stamina potion, Golden Vigor with Bejewel Depth, was a mythical masterpiece whose market price was a blank check.

Bruno didn’t even know what to feel. Should he be happy to get an honor of being publicly trashed by Gordon’s heir? Or should he be worried because Carolina Westerna would be having him for lunch.

The finishing touch was Amy’s friendly tip.

“Mr. Harris, your precision is excellent. However, you are too haphazard when adding each ingredient, causing the taste to deteriorate. Second, grinding bones is a classical medicinal tradition, but it damages the bone-marrow that truly enhanced the stock. Last, you tackle the potion in an almost industrialized manner, instead of seasoning and enhancing each ingredient in the cooking process. You did well, but I believe you can go even further. The match is very exciting, thank you.”

Bruno took the comment with a sporting smile and raging vengeance in his heart pit.

…

Ciel, and more importantly Xia and Betty, sensed Bruno’s intention, and they took separate precaution.

“Caislean, emergency pull-out protocol,” Ciel said

Inside the strange space the Residence of Lord resided, Caislean nodded.

Caislean: Master, you spoke like you can be pulled out of whatever horrific dismemberment awaits you.

“At least you get my corpse for the funeral.”

Caislean: Master, our lives are linked. If you go, I will go down with the ship.

“That is sarcasm, Caislean.”

Distance away, Ciel saw Betty walked over to Amy and gave her something. Ciel bet it was a tracker.

Heaven would know what would happen next, and Ciel, who knew the Lords who created ‘heaven’, didn’t want to place his bet on Yume’s generosity.

Needless to say, Ciel was spot on about getting ambushed on his way back home.

…

Thirty minutes later.

Ciel sighed as he woke up to the most meta development possible.

“Hey Amy, wake up,” Ciel nudged the girl beside.

Amy, who was tied by her hand and feet, opened her eyes to see Ciel similarly being restraint like her.

“Wait! What happens!” Amy quickly took in the surrounding. “Where are we?”

The two were tied beside each other, leaning against an old wooden wall inside a barely lit room. Various sizes of wooden containers and racks suggested they were inside a warehouse. Orange light filtered past the iron bar acting as a window proposed they were late into the afternoon. The smell of spice was a welcome distraction from the stench. Ciel’s sharp eyes spot a pool of water by the corner of the room, an evidence of a shoddily maintained roof. Meanwhile, Amy froze solid when she saw a rat the size of a small cat meandering its merry way through the crate.

“To answer your question, we are in the storage room as condemned as the rest of the town,” Ciel mirthlessly said. “What do you remember?”

“We are walking back to the wood together, and then darkness,” Amy replied.

Ciel nodded, “A professional job. I guess they already planned to kidnap us before the competition even began. Your performance simply hardened their resolved. Quite a good execution, too. Using Artichoke to tie Betty up in conversation, leaving us vulnerable on our way back home. A knock-out gas and bag-over-head later, and they took us here.”

“What do they want with us?” Amy said.

Ciel laughed, “It is more what does their boss want with you?”

Silence.

“They want me to work for them,” Amy spoke the most logical hypothesis out loud.

“Obviously.”

Meanwhile, Caislean refused to let an opportunity for degeneracy went to waste.

Caislean: Golden opportunity has arrived! Suspension Bridge effect. Say something husky and manly. This is the perfect set-up! Push her down. Kiss her! Sweep her off her feet! The hour of glory dawns, my master. Time for the old ‘refuse to die a virgin trick’.

Ciel wanted to dig a hole and hide. Still, this was the perfect moment. Thus, he gathered his courage and spoke, “Amy, I—”

“Ciel…” Amy’s voice was uncharacteristically calm. She was in her competency mode. “I heard you last night.”

A missile from High-speed Interceptor Amy sank USS-Ciel and forced Fleet Admiral Caislean to commit seppuku as atonement for the utterly decimated attack plan.

“What conversation?” Ciel tried to play dumb.

“About War of Lords, you needing to seduce me into a Faustian contract and that we are all going to die.”

Caislean: Aw shit. Okay, my master, I am so sorry, but we are utterly screwed. Good luck.

…

Ciel tried to avoid Amy’s eyes. The atmosphere was already awkward enough. He prayed that the rapidly apologizing Amy would emerge. Sadly for him, Amy Seyfert came in two flavors: self-depreciating mess of apology out of her element and no non-sense juggernaut in her home court.

And Ciel landed smack inside her home court.

“Truthfully, I am not upset about the fact you aren’t human,” Amy said with a sympathetic voice which contrasted like night and day with the dingy setting and Ciel’s precarious situation. “The way you stood against Caislean for my sake is really touching. I want to help you, but I am upset you didn’t tell me everything upfront. Do you think I am the type of person who will abandon a friend just because.”

Ciel needed to admit Amy might be too good for him.

Caislean: Oh shit! Reverse fucking seduction. This is bad. Master! Don’t listen to her! Whatever you do, don’t put her in charge of all harem related decision going forward. This is bad. I know I might not be the highest on the rank, but this one-side slaughter is too much!

“I am sorry I don’t trust you,” Ciel tried to maneuver.

“Well, I do trust you,” Amy let out a sweet smile. “So why don’t you tell me everything.”

Caislean: 0_0 (The girl is good. Too good!)

Ciel told her everything. The Void. The storms coming toward Acceltra. The War of Lords and how badly he was on the short-straw. He even told him about his ability.

“Unity Lord Authority?” Amy almost burst out laughing. “You are supposed to be a god, and you are only as powerful as your spouses.”

“The spouse part is still hanging on the air. I consider the term as partners,” Ciel said.

Amy wasn’t impressed, “Partners who forms a symbiotic link with you, have access to your house in another dimension, communicate to you in a pseudo hive mind and will have to risk themselves with you in a war against every deity in Acceltra. Sorry, but even husband and wife don’t go that far.”

“Fine. Let settle with spouse,” Ciel gave up defending his moral integrity.

“Is Caislean your first?” Amy asked.

Caislean: YES!

“She is the bonus that came with the ability. I never ask for her or her sordid imagination.”

Caislean: Master… that hurt.

“You didn’t tell me any of this at first because you believe I will refuse,” said Amy.

“You should realize how creepy it is to ask that from someone you met on the first day,” Ciel replied.

Both of them said nothing else. Those silent were spent to reach an understanding.

“I don’t hate you. In fact, I like you, Ciel. You are surprising honest, kind and reliable. I am not that upset about needing to share you with whoever gets on the ship next. But asking this much in this period is just too hasty,” Amy began.

“I can relate. Put yourself in my shoes,” Ciel pointed out. “Do you think I am some kind of overconfident debauchery lord who screws other people wife, boasts to the world my prowess at bestowing green hats and turns sane women into raging sex addict? Sorry, but if that is what this Authority wants, it got the wrong guy.”

“I am sorry,” Amy apologized. “I can’t imagine having that as your strongest weapon. You are too considerate for this kind of power. But can you narrow down the war’s timescale?”

“No idea. Maybe within ten years. Maybe two hundred. But with me as a last out, probably soon,” Ciel answered.

“10-200 years?” Amy asked in a boggled voice. “Ciel, the range is ridiculous.”

“Amy, first tip on dealing with the Lords: we are the forefather of vague and incomprehensible on-the-whim decision,” Ciel humorlessly laughed at the idiocy of his species. “I can say I am the most honest and logical of them. Trust me, if my kind operated on forethought and clarity, we would already finish this war at the dawn of creation. I protested the entire fiasco, but everyone else is dead set on a gigantic, convoluted competition at judgment day.” Ciel shrugged. "All hail Democracy.”

“Wow, I feel that is the closest thing you say to the real you, ever,” Amy said. “But I don’t think I am ready. How did you prepare for all this?”

“I don’t know,” Ciel admitted. “Thing is I am totally not ready for this, but that is life. Shitty thing we are not prepared for happens, and we simply have to rise to the occasion.”

It took a while of silence, but Amy finally arrive at a decision, “I will take the bargain.”

Caislean: Un-fucking-believable. Master, you pull victory from the jaw of annihilation.

“Are you sure?” Ciel asked.

Caislean: Don’t ruin it!

“Not at all,” Amy replied. “But it is like you say. Things happen. And I live in this world. Let me be honest here, Ciel, your ability is worrying. I can imagine you slipping in desperation and turning into something worst. I like you as you are, so I will be there as breaks to keep that from happening because I doubt Caislean will stop you. If someone is going to rule the world, I would rather it be the current you.”

“Thanks.”

Caislean: Am I a punching bag?

“So, about the contract?”

“A kiss,” Ciel stalely said. “And I didn’t make the rule.”

Amy suddenly turned from wise-friend to a stammer mess, “S-Sorry. A kiss? Is it a kiss to the cheek or…”

“The romantic kind.”

Amy turned redder than Kool-aid, “But I never have any experience. I-It is my first kiss, so I might be bad.”

“I don’t mind,” Ciel said. “I really hate this ability sometimes.”

Amy pumped herself up, close her eyes and dove in.

Their lips met. Ciel had to say it tasted like apple juice. It was slapdash, downright sloppy, but passionate. A kiss from an amateur which compensated experience with effort. It could be worst (read, illegal). Amy's height was about 152 cm. That is the low end of the 5th percentile of average height of woman, comparable to average 12 years old (Amy was 16). That stature, combined with Amy’s youthful look, would cost Ciel a fine conversation with the gentlemen of the FBI.

However, the subject of legal Lolita was the cultured debate of tomorrow. The kiss, built on that mutual affection, created a bridge between the two, and they felt it.

Inside the Residence, Caislean felt a significant increase in her level or a release of the locked function.

…

Ciel

Unity Lord Authority: [Caislean], [Amy Ramiro Seyfert] (NEW!)

LV: 14

Skill: [Elemental Resistance], [Calculative], [Reconstruction] (NEW!)

…

Caislean

Ability: Residence of Lord

LV: 10

Potential: ***** (SSR)

Skill: [Inn], [Treasury], [Training Room], [Garden] (UNLOCK!), *LOCK*

…

Amy Ramiro Seyfert

LV: 10

Potential: ***(R)

Ability: Lord’s Hospitality

Skill: [Heart of the Hearth], [Instinct], *LOCK*