From the moment Sekh woke me with a kiss to when I was finishing up a basic breakfast of tomatoes and bread, she never let go of my arm. She held it snuggly between her clothed tits while a happy smile occupied her cute face. I’d thought our sexual tryst would’ve been too much, but it seemed there was no need for embarrassment.   

Still, after we all ate breakfast, I took Niva’s hand and apologized from the heart. To my surprise, she was taken aback and shook her head. Some questioning later, she made it clear that she really didn’t mind it. Or rather, maybe she felt like it shouldn’t have bothered her since, in her eyes, I was working so hard for her to gain her mobility back.  

Regardless, when asked if she wanted me to move to another room whenever the mood struck me, she shook her head no. Niva kept looking at me with that smile, then pressed her hand to her heart. Her toothless mouth opened, the strain clearly visible as oil in water, yet whatever she was trying to say refused to come out.  

I patted her head and said she didn’t have to rush things. A moment later, Tilde wanted to be a jackass and started moaning as loudly as she could, then complained that she couldn’t hit the high octaves compared to Sekh.  

“Like seriously. What the hell was that last night? Penis vines and slimes and semen and clones? Oh my?” The fairy covered her mouth slyly. “You’re a seriously depraved pervert, and I am all for that shit! You were my only choice for the training system, but I’m glad you’re a deviant. Imagine when you can make an orgy’s worth of clones? Hehe!!! The fuck train has no breaks! The fuck train has no breaks!” She chanted. “Wooooo!!!!!!!”  

“My liege, what’s the plan for today?” asked Sekh once her eggs and sausage were devoured, ignoring Tilde. Yeah, we all disregarded the horny little thing.  

“I gotta find Ruru and get his help. And that’s all there is, really.”  

“In that case, may I have permission to stay here with Niva?” I looked at Sekh with a puzzled look because she’d never asked permission before. Upon asking why, she mentioned she wanted to focus on training. We didn’t know how long it would take for Niva’s prosthetics to be done, but she wanted to try to regain a few more skills. “I’m...still uncomfortable being out in the village proper.”  

“Sure, that’s fine. We won’t stay here longer than necessary, okay?” I rubbed her head as she purred, her tail happily dancing behind her. Out of curiosity, I asked if she wanted me to get the AI to highlight clothes that fit her, but Sekh refused. She honestly didn’t want anything at all to do with anything relating to Amos, his Soul Warriors, or Aetos and this village, including wearing their clothes. Well, that only made me more determined to make her outfits myself.   

I searched for Ruru and found him standing outside Enap’s cave with a pair of fishing rods. Arguna was in Aello’s house, so after slipping on my socks and boots and admiring my new self in the mirror, I stashed my gun on my hip. 

“Huh...” I suddenly said, stopping before the front door. “Tilde?” 

“What’s good, homie?” Tilde asked. She flew in front of me and hovered. My eyes scanned her up and down. 

"Let my clone fuck you.” 

“...” Tilde was silent. 

“...” Sekh was silent. 

“...” Niva was silent. 

“...” The AI materialized...and remained silent. 

“Fuckin what?!” Tilde broke the silence with a deadpan expression. Apparently, I’d caught her off guard.    

“You heard me,” I said, creating a naked clone beside me. “You’ve always said I was too small for you, but let’s put that to the test.”   

Having sex with Tilde was different than wanting to make love with Irisa. It didn’t feel like cheating since we shared a life, so perhaps it was apt to think of it as mutual masturbation? When I told Sekh about Tilde and me when she was drunk, she was only slightly upset because she couldn't, at the time, satisfy my urges.  

She was fine with Tilde jerking me off with her body, though. But Sekh also said I had her consent to have sex with her if she was asleep or drunk—that I didn’t have to use Tilde because she was right there. That didn’t sit right with me, but I didn’t say anything to hurt Sekh’s feelings.   

“What? You think that skinny thang can mess up my insides and flood me to kingdom-fucking-come? Ha! Try again, Master.” Tilde put her hands on her hips and let loose a hearty laugh while pointing at me. “Fine! I’ll accept this little challenge!”  

“Uhh… It’s not a challenge. Tilde, I love you. And I want to have sex with you. I couldn’t before, but I can now.” The words I said were spoken from my heart. They truly were. The horny fairy was instrumental in me making it just this far, and life wouldn’t be the same without her around. Tilde watched as my clone, with the same proportion, shrunk to the proportion of a particular fairy. A moment later, it returned to its original size.    

“Wait… Are you embarrassed?” Sekh asked with a slight chuckle. “I suppose even you can be cute.”   

“Sh—Shut up, Big Tits!” Tilde threw her hands down and tried to wipe away her blush as the crimson veins in her wings rapidly flashed. “Fi—Fine! If you’re going to confess, the least I can do is let your clone stick it in… It’s probably bigger than you anyway! But hurry up!” Faster than ever, Tilde flew past me and into the hallway.   

But my clone remained behind.   

Sekh kissed my cheeks when my hand touched the door handle, and Tilde poked her head from around the wall--her cheeks were as red as a sunburn.  

“I—I love you too, Master. But—but next time, I don’t wanna fuck a clone. I’m only doing this because I’ve seen how you look at me! Consider it a favor from the Tilde, The Real Cock Champion!” she stammered. “And…and next time, I want the real you, not a clone. Clone!Master, hurry up!!!! I ain’t got all day, dammit!” 

She repeated herself twice. Guess she’s embarrassed. Okay, that’s really cute. 

My smile said what I wanted to convey. After giving the clone a few simple commands, I went out the door with a flutter in my heart. 

I love them so much… I really do… Ah, I don’t want to get an erection, so I’ll turn off the feeling and emotional flow from my clone. When it returns, I'll feel what it felt and learn what it experienced.  

---

As I traveled to the waypoint I marked, I had to go around the Eagle Yew. The Dryad I’d seen the day before saw me approach, then hastily ran over to give me a big hug around my legs. She wished me good morning, I did the same, and we walked together for a few minutes before a centaur called her name. I waved and greeted the other villagers I saw—even going so far as to make direct eye contact with the two Bellerophon agents staying at the inn. They walked around with some veggie leaf wrap in their hands, and they returned my greeting. 

[Status Cloak] has defended against their use of [Detect Chimerism], my lord. A negative response has been sent. The AI alerted me just as I saw something similar in my activity log. 

Those bastards don’t waste any time, do they? Maybe I should think of a way to kill them? No, it's too risky to do it here. 

Left alone with my mind to think of potential plans to rid myself of trouble before it blossomed, I reached the pond quicker than I thought.  

Ruru stood with a form so perfect and a gaze so intense that I doubt he heard me. He held the rod as if it was a sword, and when the tip began to lightly dance, he pulled back and started to reel.  

“Yes!” he exclaimed gleefully, reeling in a fish called a flatskull bass. It flopped endlessly around before he removed it from the hook, but Ruru was happy nonetheless. I approached him, accidentally stepping on a stick, which alerted him to my presence.   

“Good morning, Lady Springfield.” He threw the fish back and reached into a small can to pull another worm to wrap around the hook.  

“Morning. You’re out early, aren’t you?”  

“Lady Aello and Arguna had a sleepover last night, so I’m spending my time casting a line or two. Care to join me?”  

“Possibly, but I came here to ask a favor. Do you mind?”  

“For a High Blessing? Not at all. What can I do for you?” His golden hair flowed and danced in the breeze, scatting against his softened cheeks and striking blue eyes. I told him of ‘Lola’ and her wounds and injuries, then mentioned the herbs I used in the initial treatment were of poor quality. That was really all the information he needed.  

“In that case, I believe I could help you. Of course, would it be prudent to ask for something in return?”  

“If it’s money you’re after, I just recently became broke.”  

He shook his head and quickly clarified he wasn’t looking for anything monetary. “All I’m asking is for a fishing companion. In my line of work, I rarely have the time to relax and cast a line. In return, I will teach you the recipe to an elixir that can be found with ingredients located within this very village.”  

“And is that it? Just a fishing companion to know how to make something as powerful as an elixir?” I asked, dumbfounded.  

“That is where I must correct you. Forgive my rudeness, but it takes an expert’s touch and having [Alchemy] at Lv. 9 to properly mix the raw ingredients. Anyone below that requirement would only make something that could barely be called a potion, even if they used the same methods as I did. But should you obtain the skill and level, I hope having the recipe will assist you in the days to come.”  

“If you’re offering, I won’t refuse. When can we get started?”  

Ruru smiled, grabbed the spare rod, and tossed it to me. “Follow me. There’s a bigger lake about three miles away. It’s actually a stone’s throw away from the stone temple that houses the boss.” 

---

During our hike, Ruru was oddly talkative about his hobby. He claimed his love for it came from his mentor, and the two of them could spend literal hours out on the lake in complete silence while never feeling the least bit alone. There was some connection between the two that couldn’t be described with words. About part way through the trip, he suddenly jumped up to a nearby tree’s limbs and looked down, expecting me to join him.  

And I did. While it was true this body hadn’t been pushed to its physical limits, and I wasn’t aware of all it had to offer, I could effortlessly jump to the limb. At that point, the memories of a Susize rushing from tree to tree to swinging from the vines like a monkey, feeling the wind brush past her youthful face. Up high above sat a great eagle that followed its Master, and just as quick as it happened, the flashback ended and brought me back to the present. With experience not from me, I grabbed the vine gracefully and held on for dear life, only letting go when I was at the apex of my swing. Soaring through the air felt invigorating, even more so when I landed on the thick vine and recovered with a roll to effortlessly continue my sprint. Ruru was right there with me, keeping pace for pace as if he was much more experienced than me—someone with two elves making up their body.   

Suppose that’s a Deerfolk for you. I mean, they’re actual deer. Or part deer, I guess. They’re just as close to the forest as elves. 

After a few short minutes, we saw a break in the forest line. Ruru hopped to the ground and slowed to a steady walk, and I joined him seconds later. My eyes lit up with wonder when I gazed at a beautiful, crystal-clear lake that felt bigger than the horizon. More than ever, there was a sense of genuine astonishment and a longing for home that belonged to the Susize inside me. Tears wanted to cascade down my face, but I prevented that from happening. Ruru took the lead. Following him, we walked past a family of deer quenching their thirst. Far past them on the other side was a wolf and her cubs enjoying a warm nap while all sprawled out. A couple hundred feet past that was a turtle slowly getting its lethargic body into the water.  

Really, it was a whole ecosystem and a half, but what surprised me was that everything was literally so peaceful. It was a melancholic feeling seeing prey and predator not vying for the right to a source of water or food. As a chimera, I stood at the top of the food chain. Had I been alone with Sekh by my side, I’d guaranteed everything I saw, if it was within my level range, would have died before the sun abdicated the sky.   

But that was neither here nor there, so I temporarily threw the survival of the fittest from my mind. Ruru eventually found a nice spot right on the lake bed. Since I knew nothing about fishing, he instructed me to wrap a worm around the hook and the proper technique to cast out my line. Well, that wasn’t exactly true. I knew that if you used a bobber, you had to wait for it to dip underwater before reeling and yanking back the line. If you weren’t using one, you waited until the tip started to bend down.  

At least, I thought that was how it was done. Ruru said the best way to learn was by trying, so we threw out our lines and waited.  

The sweet silence lasted for minutes, yet it was broken when he eyed my .45 and asked about it. I just said it was what I preferred, which opted the question of if I was a sharpshooter.  

“I like to think so. Why? Oh—” The moment I said that, I felt a tug on my line. “Yah!” I pulled up and started to reel, but there was no resistance. Perhaps it was cheating, but I used my map’s satellite mode and zoomed into the water only to find my hook wormless.  

“Hmm... You were too impatient. Try not to pull at the first tug. You don’t want to be too hasty,” he said, giving me more advice before following up on the previous topic. He wanted to know if I was a sharpshooter. 

“Well, I’m not your ordinary High Elf. Besides, I like to think I have a pair of sharp eyes. But even if it’s my weapon, I can’t use it that often.” I reeled in my line and re-wormed it. He asked what I meant as I tossed it back out. “I don’t know how to make bullets. I have about 40 to my name, and that’s it unless I find a place that sells them.” He told me about {Mana Link}, and I replied that I knew of the skill. However, I didn’t have the cores. Besides, I didn’t even know how to enchant, even though I knew the ability. Ruru thought that to be weird, but the subject quickly changed to the elixir.  

In short, the primary ingredient was the rainbow-like petals of a flower known as a panabow. Ruru said they only bloomed where the ‘rainbow ends,’ so saying they were rare was an understatement. Luckily for us, rainbows were a common occurrence in Aetos Village. We only had to wait for one to show up, which shouldn’t take too long. Then he said we needed water from a mana-infused lake-- our current location-- and the sap from a sacred tree. The Eagle Yew satisfied that requirement. Aello apparently had no problem allowing people to take its fluid as long as it was for a noble and just cause. Three things were all it took to make a powerful restorative, but you could argue that even the most powerful country would have trouble collecting them. 

Trees like the Eagle Yew were scarce, and being in the right spot to travel to the end of a rainbow to hopefully gather some panabows? If I was pessimistic, I’d turn my head at such a coincidence. Besides, I’d doubt the elixir would even work well on me because of the whole chimera thing I had going on.   

For the next hour, we turned away from the elixir and talked about whatever else. I focused on fulfilling my end of the bargain. Things were going well. I’d managed to catch a few bass, he snagged a catfish or two, and we were both joking that we wouldn’t walk away empty-handed.  

Even I had to admit I was having a fun time. Perhaps it wasn’t the most exciting, but I carried the memory of that spontaneous fishing trip as I handed the rod back to Ruru. He had such a smile that his antlers appeared to shimmer the same gold as his hair.   

From there, we walked deeper into the forest with keen eyes for flowers with rainbow-colored petals. Since it was my first time venturing into this area, I couldn't search for what we needed. It didn’t feel right to stick to the comfort of silence for a second time, so we occupied the time with some chatter. And since I had clearly had someone knowledgeable by my side, the whole thing was more about what I could get out of the Deerfolk. First and foremost, gunpowder was needed to make bullets. In this world, they were called firesalts. When asked if there was any particular method to mining it, Ruru shook his head and said it was just like any other metal. The only exception was its tendency to be explosive when struck with force. It was dangerous work, of course. But it was important work for any country with a navy or cannons because how else would you shoot a cannonball with no explosive powder?  

That was one problem solved. I just needed to find some. There was the whole problem of making the bullet, though. As well as the casing and primer. I was thankful, though, because I needed to make one exceptional bullet. The AI could mass manufacture the rest if I had the materials.  

I wanted to ask more about enchanting, but I stopped because I figured it was too dangerous. It was a long shot, but enchanting seemed like something elves, especially High Elves, should’ve been very familiar with. Thus,, I closed my mouth and allowed Ruru to take the conversational lead while we searched for the fabled panabow.   

It took about 18 minutes, but we finally saw the glimmer of a rainbow in the sky. With haste, we jumped up onto a tree limb and raced towards our destination. Upon jumping down, we saw it. Surrounded by pretty reds, oranges, yellows, greens, blues, indigos, and violets sat a plant with those very same colors embedded into its petals.  

“Oh, this is great news. Lady Springfield, care to play a song?” Ruru said after plucking the petals and storing them in his pouch. He grabbed a blade of grass nearby. [Analysis] said it was called a songleaf. Long and narrow with a slight curve, he handed it to me without waiting for my response. But I wasn’t worried because my Elvish instincts taught me what to do. I took the grass, placed my lips on one side, and began to blow while maneuvering my tongue to control the air coming out. And like magic, a serene noise echoed. It sounded something similar to a flute, yet it felt like there was more cadence or ‘emotion’ packed within this single piece of nature.   

Before I knew it, I closed my eyes to further focus. Upon opening them, deer and wolves sat around me, their eyes closed as well while enjoying the performance. Again, predator and prey relaxed and remained in my audience until the song was done. Then they mutually disbanded to return to what they were doing before. I stashed it in my holster for later use since I wanted to play it for Sekh.  

“It was a beautiful song, Lady Springfield. I felt the raw emotion you put into it. Thank you for playing it,” Ruru said. He wiped his eyes clean of tears, and after I petted the deer and wolves, we retraced our steps back to the lake to get some of the mana-infused water. Our next goal after that was to find Aello, so we casually chatted during the trip back to the village. Ruru once said he had the pleasure of seeing a class of children work hard to turn a bundle of songleaf into an actual grassy flute. It was something like a rite of passage that taught the children how to focus their nature-attuned mana to prolong the life of their flute and stave off decay.   

Ruru mentioned he joined in, yet he didn’t have the training or experience to make a flute, though he had the chance to buy one from one of the instructors. But it took hard work for a non-Elf to create music, and even after a month, his flute had turned brown. Meanwhile, the students’ flutes were still as green as the leaf of a healthy tree. 

Susize and Reina must’ve done something similar. Why else could I play it so elegantly? 

---

Aello’s abode was the very definition of a birdhouse. It was tall and narrow, with nary a set of stairs to be found because she could fly to where she wanted to go. A perch hanging from the fourth floor probably acted as her ‘bed’ since she probably slept while securely locking herself into place with her talons. Despite the lack of accessibility to those without wings, Arguna seemed to be enjoying herself. Besides, Aello allowed the young, deaf girl to grab onto her legs to fly her to the second or third floor if she wanted to go there.   

Upon asking if it was alright to take some of the Eagle Yew’s sap, the Vermillion Harpyfolk could not have been happier. She gave us her blessings and thanked the Eagle Yew for granting assistance to a High Blessing. Honestly, I was kinda getting tired of being referred to as that. I wasn’t a blessing—there was nothing ‘blessing’ about me, but again, it wouldn’t be apt to purposely cause some problems because I started to feel annoyed. You wouldn’t look a gift Deerfolk in the eye—especially one that could make an elixir. When we left to gather the sap from the base of the Eagle Yew, Arguna traveled with us. She held Ruru’s hand like a daughter would a father, and he quickly answered the question on my mind with a shake of his head.  

If they weren’t parent and child, then the only other option must’ve been child and their guardian. It was kinda like what I was to Niva. She wasn’t a child—with her being 22 years old—but for the time being, she was under my protection.  

Ruru took a specially-designed tool and drilled a small hole into the Eagle Yew. Then he inserted a hollowed wooden peg with holes to control the airflow. With a hammer in one hand, he placed a bucket in the right spot and gently rapped the peg until the thick, amber-colored sap collected itself in the bucket.  

It took about thirty minutes to get enough, but it wasn’t uneventful. Right after we started, Enap and his eight legs came hobbling over with a wrapped gift held with grace within his upper arms. The Dryad and a few other children hung from his legs with glee and laughter while he removed the cloth to reveal a silver prosthetic.  

A prosthetic, mind you, that looked every which way the same Arguna’s fleshy arm. The deaf, one-armed girl let out a smile and excitedly jumped around. Reaching into a pouch, Ruru retrieved something he called a nerve mesh and laid it over Arguna’s stump. Next came the socket, which securely wrapped around that and looked like a giant nut. The kind you’d use in construction.   

“I can see it in your eyes, Lady Springfield. The nerve mesh is not something I offer. Nor do I know how to create it. But I know they’re not something even a baron or duke could find. And I’m not curious enough to pry into a customer’s life,” Enap said while eyeing a thin mesh of white and yellow Ruru pulled from a pouch. He laid it over Arguna’s stump and rubbed it in finely. Next, the Deerfolk took the socket and wrapped it around the stump, using the mesh to stick it to the stump. This socket reminded me of a giant nut you’d use in construction. But then came the actual arm. He placed the end into the socket, then turned it like one would a screw until it couldn’t go anymore. Apparently, it was designed so that it was impossible to screw on too tightly, too loosely, or upside down. 

Enap did quality work, I suppose.  

And then there it was...  

A fully functional prosthetic arm. The nerve mesh worked to create artificial nerves from the stump down through to the fingers of the hand. Enap remained behind for a few minutes to check the quality of his work and to hug the crying Arguna, who wrapped her biological arm around one of Enap’s legs since she couldn’t exactly reach his upper body.  

Once everything checked out, he told me he was heading back to start on my order and left with the Dryad and other kids. Aello came along shortly to spend some time and to see how things were going, but she flew off before too long. It took a while for the feeling to come back in Arguna’s fingers. From what I understood, it would take time for her arm to feel like second nature, yet since mythril was obviously more durable than mere skin, it was nothing less than an improvement. Not sure if it was worth the trade-off, though. Once the nerve mesh had bonded a person to a prosthetic, taking that arm off would be excruciatingly painful.  

After about ten minutes, Arguna could move the fingers to a certain degree, and the first thing she did was flash a few hand signals to Ruru. No, it wasn’t just signals... It was...sign language? 

Does that exist in this world?  

New Skill: [Sign Language] 

And I guess it does. Thanks, [Scholar’s Tongue]. 

I used the newfound knowledge to tell Arguna my name and how happy I was she had gotten her arm, and the look on her face was one of such raw emotions. Almost immediately, the tears ran wild down her face as she asked me something. 

You can understand me? You can sign? It was more than simply understanding the language, but what she wanted to ask me appeared in my mind as a query that needed a response.  

Yes, I can. 

“How marvelous... Truly, you never seem to not surprise me, Lady Springfield,” Ruru noted, a smile on his softened face telling me he was speaking the truth. Until the bucket was filled with sap, the three of us continued our conversation using sign, nary speaking a sound until it was for Ruru to start making the elixir. He said he’d write me a note with the exact creation process, but he wanted to ask me one more thing.  

“We aren’t planning on staying here long, but if you see Arguna out and about, could you sign with her? Where we come from, very few people can communicate with her without writing.”  

I didn’t really mind that at all. 

Goodbye, Lady Springfield! Thank you for signing with me! 

You’re very welcome, Arguna. Take care. 

As she walked away with her guardian, Arguna really did look like the world’s happiest girl.