After cordoning off the cave's entrance and leaving behind a pair of soldiers to keep close watch over it, the crestfallen group decides to begin the ride back to the ogre village.
"I'm sorry for how this turned out." Juliette says after some moments of pure silence. "Poor kid..."
Morgana, utterly defeated, seems to be able to just momentarily escape her somber catatonic state when the voice of the captain reaches her ears. "U-uh...?" She disorientedly stammers.
"I... I said I'm sorry for how this turned out..."
"Oh... okay..." The depressed ogre woman lowers her gaze, barely processing the sentence. Her voice devoid of any of her previous overwhelming cheerfulness. "Captain... G-Garret's body... Can't ya just...?"
"It can't be moved from where we found it... I'll have to report this occultist activity to our court sorceress back in the Capital for her to investigate, this situation falls under her jurisdiction now..." Juli makes a pause, looking back over her shoulder at the ogre. "I promise you we will bury him when that investigation is over, Morgana."
"I... I understand..." The woman sighs, once more covering her tear-drenched face with her open palms. "H-his parents... What am I goin' to tell 'em...? They... They'll be..." She softly mumbles to herself in absolute despair, sinking into her thoughts yet again.
"...By the way... I'll also need you to hand over that sword, orc." Juliette adds, throwing an angry glance at the ambassador riding next to her.
Orok rolls his red eyes and clicks his tongue. "Tch, fiiine, whatever... But I'll bring it to Grace myself. I'm friends with her..." He annoyedly says, giving the reins of his fatigued horse a strong pull to keep some distance away from the demanding captain.
...
Back in the Capital, Pink, wary of what could be the... uh... murderous consequences of the crazy night she spent with the young teenage princess, carries her late morning a good distance away from the castle, sitting on a wooden bench with her frog companion and observing the busy streets of the city, where she glued a shiny golden coin to the ground.
"Mwehehe, look at that one..." The succubus tries to stifle her childish giggles as a pudgy man kneels and attempts to grab the coin, failing miserably at it, unawarely displaying his butt crack as he starts pulling with all his strength. "Bwahahahahahahahahaha!" She loudly roars with laughter, searching for complicity from the frog by her side.
Very surprisingly, no sort of reaction comes from it.
"Hahaha... H-haha..." Pink's laugh starts slowing down until it transforms into just a sigh. "Yeah, I know, it's not that funny... Maaan, where are those two!? Hope they didn't abandon me or something." She pouts, taking a deep breath as she stands up and pats her growling tummy. "Yo, I'm hungry, we should go back... Think that brat will execute me if she sees me...? Bleh, at least I'll die with a full stomach."
The shortstack then starts marching back towards the castle with her pet, stopping herself as she notices a familiar face by the entrance gates...
"Uh... big! Really big!" Makoto Mifune, the kitsune mangaka from the lands of Kaimū that the group met a few days ago, timidly explains to an armored guard, standing on her tip-toes and moving her palm upwards to describe the height of the orc ambassador she is searching for. "And... uh... also really green..." She continues. The foreigner girl dressed in a more casual kimono than before, the white traditional makeup that was on her face now gone, showing her cute natural features.
"Yooo!" The succubus excitedly approaches her, smiling widely. "I know you! What's up, girl?"
"O-oh, konnichiwa!" Makoto politely bows, fox ears twitching. "Uh, Pink-san, right...?"
"Aww, you remembered my name! You are so friggin cute~!" Pink exclaims, causing the young kitsune to slightly blush and fidget with the long sleeves of her kimono. "You looking for Orok? He is not here right now but we can wait for him together if you want."
Makoto shyly smiles back at the extroverted succubus before deeply bowing once more in a display of gratitude. "O-okay, I'd like that...! Arigatou, Pink-san."
"Oh-hohoho, you have to teach me some of those wacky words, I like them." The shortstack giggles, hugging her kitsune acquaintance close and staring at the guard in front of them. "Hey, handsome~ This cutie is my friend, she is allowed to enter."
...
Morgana, dragging her feet forward, enters the village alone while the group sensibly waits for her outside.
"Goddess, that scene back in the cave was... unsettling..." Nova softly sighs, removing her glasses to rub her eyes. "W-what do you think happened there, Juliette?"
"As I said before, occultist activity. Maybe some sort of sect..." The blonde frowns, crossing her arms and pensively gazing at the horizon. "I've heard of similar 'rituals' before, but... never saw one with my own eyes... I'm sure Grace would know more."
The women make silence, their attention moving towards the silent orc ambassador who amusedly slides his fingers across the intricate blade of the weapon he claimed for himself. "...What?" He suddenly asks, lifting his gaze from the sword as he notices both pairs of eyes fixed on him.
"Stop playing with that thing! It could be cursed or something..." Nova huffs.
"Pffft, it's not cursed. This thing is great!" Orok smirks as he firmly squeezes the sword's hilt. "Gahaha, it's kinda weird, but touching this feels like touching a girl's body, you know? A really hot girl."
The elf raises an eyebrow in confusion. "T-that is indeed weird... What are you even talking about, idiot?"
"Disgusting as always." Juli comments. "I expect you to return that sword at once when we return to the Capital. You'll be in serious trouble if you don't."
Before the orc can complain, the village gates are lifted again, and Morgana, looking even worse than before, emerges. Only moments pass before Sarah, the ex-leader's protegee, chases after her. "Morgana! Morgana!" She desperately calls out.
"Uhh, ya shouldn't be outside, little one...!" Asher, the ogre holding the gate open, nervously shouts, being completely ignored by the little girl as she grabs onto her devastated protector's leg and prevents her from continuing to move.
"P-please... I... Sarah, luv..." The ogre woman sighs as she crouches to get to her level, though feeling deeply ashamed to look at her face. "I-I have to go..." She weakly sobs.
"Ya can't go! Y-ya... Ya can't!"
"I... I've been exiled, luv..." Morgana tries to contain her tears. "I'm a danger to everyone. I'm a danger to ya..."
The girl frowns, clenching her tiny fists. "T-that's not true, Morgana... I'll... I'll go with ya!"
"No!" She alarmedly exclaims, gathering the courage to meet Sarah's eyes. "You'll be safe 'ere in the village... M-maybe... Maybe this world really is dangerous to our race... Maybe I... Maybe I was wrong..."
"I... I can't believe what you are sayin'..." Sarah's voice trembles. "That's it...? Ya just goin' to give up!?"
"Sarah..."
"So all ya said about us not havin' to hide anymore in the future and bein' able to live normally like the other races, it was all just... b-bollocks!?" The little girl shouts, tears streaming down her puffy cheeks.
"Sarah, t-that little kid is dead because of me...! G-Garret... His blood is in me hands..." Morgana, stricken with guilt, cries out. "We couldn't even bury his body... I... I failed... I thought I could change things, but I'm... I'm an idiot, I should-"
*CLAP*
The frustrated little girl interrupts Morgana's laments with a loud, hard, concise slap across her face. The sharp sound seems to resonate on the entire forest, causing the bystanding members of the group from the Capital to surprisedly glance at each other. "U-uh...?" Morgana gasps, dumbfoundedly looking at Sarah with wide eyes, softly rubbing her sore cheek.
"Ya can't give up! Y-ya can't just give up like this...! G-Garret was me friend too, we always talked about how great it would be to visit a city, o-or just to feel like an actual race instead of scared, hidden prey that's goin' to go extinct... He believed in ya, I believe in ya, I'm sure there is a lot of us who believe in ya too, even if they are afraid to say it!" Sarah passionately exclaims. "So you 'ave to stop actin' like a pathetic crybaby! That's not the Morgana I know... Even if ya can't do it, ya should never give up like that! Ya owe it to us! Ya owe it to Garret! Keep fightin'!"
"I... S-Sarah..." Morgana stays silent for a moment, the little girl's words sinking in... Almost a minute goes on before, with what seems pure determination reignited in her eyes, she opens her mouth to talk again... "I'm never givin' up." Morgana simply states, a smile returning to her plump lips.
The little ogre beams with happiness, bouncing to hug her guardian close, who tenderly plants a kiss on her forehead.
"I'm goin' to return... Maybe it'll take some time, but I promise I will. So wait for me, aight luv? We'll see each other again." She smiles brightly, playfully booping Sarah's nose as she stands up. "Buuut ya better not be usin' more of that dirty language when I'm back, young lady... Who is the villain that taught ya that b-word?"
"Uh, I can't remember~." Sarah giggles, giving the woman's leg a final hug before, to Asher's relief, heading back into the village. "Good luck! I love you!"
"I love you too." Morgana exclaims, watching the gate close and the little girl disappear behind it... She then takes a deep breath before turning to finally face the group staring at her. "So I'm afraid I'm homeless now, innit? Would ya mind if I..."
"Gahaha, you can stay with me! It'll be a pleasure!" The orc hurries to say, licking his lips. "I'll take really good care of you~."
"Blimey, I-I appreciate it, luv! Thank ya so much." Morgana smiles, clearly beginning to consider something...
Juliette grunts, mounting her horse and making a gesture to her remaining soldiers to mimic her. "We should get going, then... I have to tell Olivia that the ogres have a new leader..."
"Uh, Captain, can ya give me a few moments, please? Don't worry, I promise it'll be quick..." The ogre requests, directing her attention towards the elf of the group. "I... I need to have a private conversation with ya, Nova."
"With me...? S-sure."
The two women walk some distance away from the group, shielded by a few trees and bushes.
"Now, before I tell you this... I-I just want to say that I really respect ya and yer relationship, and I would never consider somethin' similar if it wasn't-"
"Look, Morgana... Just say it." The elf sighs, starting to realize where the conversation is going.
"Your husband... I-I might be wrong, but I believe he... fancies me a little bit, innit?" The ogre embarrassedly scratches the back of her neck. "And, well... What I saw last night... He is certainly virile..."
Nova silently crosses her arms, not able to hide the furrowing of her brow.
"If I... If I return to the village soon... with a pregnant belly... Then maybe I can finally get 'em to listen to me, make 'em realize this is our only chance... But the fastest way for me to get pregnant at this moment is... well..."
The elf just continues staring at her.
"I'm... I'm so sorry for even askin' this, and if you say 'no', I will never bring it up again... b-but..." The ogre suddenly drops to her knees in front of the elf and lowers her forehead to the ground in an extreme form of pleading. "Please allow me to be impregnated by your husband!"
Nova's eyes go wide in surprise as the tall woman grovels. "I-I beg you to stand up..." She says flusteredly, Morgana quickly complies. "First, I'm not his... wife. And we don't have a 'relationship', it's... complicated."
"O-oh, sorry luv... I thought..."
"Second. Y-you don't want him to be the father of your child, h-he... he is an imbecile! A good-for-nothing brute! You'll taint yourself with his sole company..."
"I... I'll admit the ambassador seems somewhat carefree... But he doesn't seem malicious at all to me! Maybe... Maybe we can fix him together? Focus on makin' him more responsible and empathic?" Morgana, with her signature optimism now renovated, enthusiastically exclaims.
"F-fix him...? You must be kidding..." Nova grunts, closing her eyes and tiredly massaging her temples.
A small silence forms between the pair, before the ogre dispels it. "So... Ya two aren't a couple, then...? Luv, I've seen ya two make love with such passion, that... I feel like I should still ask for yer permission to-"
"I just... Listen, I couldn't care less about who that idiot takes to bed... I-I can barely stand him..." The elf bitterly says, lowering her gaze towards the ground. "Do whatever you want."
"T-thank ya so so so much!" Morgana breathes a sigh of relief, suddenly hugging the elf close against her much taller body. "I'll name me firstborn after ya if it's a girl!"
"...Please don't..." Nova struggles to say, squished in the tight embrace.
...
"Blimey, this place is breathtakin'!" Morgana exclaims in awe, walking through the streets of the bustling Capital towards the gigantic castle towering over every building. "By the way, ya think this outfit actually looks good on me...? M-me bum doesn't look too big with these trousers, right?" She coyly asks, dressed in a blue assistant uniform that the orc bought on the way to their destination, similar in style to the ones that Nova and Pink wear, yet modified to tastefully adapt to her size.
"It looks huge! Just as I like it, Gahahaha." Orok loudly laughs, now very well aware of the ogre's request and his new designated role as a breeder.
Nova rolls her eyes in exasperation at her master's perviness. "You look fine, don't worry," she reassures Morgana.
The trio is then stopped by a guard as they approach the entrance of the castle. "Sir, I believe a... kitsune girl was looking for you earlier. She-"
"W-WHAT!?" Orok's expression turns from relaxation to horror in a blink. "WHERE IS SHE!? DID YOU TREAT HER RIGHT!?"
"I... uh..." The man gulps, taking a step back from the intimidating orc. "I-I think she is with that succubus of yours... Maybe in your suite?"
Orok then immediately rushes into the castle as quickly as possible. "Hey! W-wait up!" Nova shouts, grabbing Morgana's hand and following behind him.
Inside the luxurious suite of the ambassador, Makoto and Pink calmly hang out. Empty cups of tea and plates with just crumbs left on them are scattered around the area... The kitsune mangaka remains seated in front of a table as she carefully draws on a piece of paper, the succubus assistant, on the other hand, lies prone on the floor, doodling on her own canvas with some colorful crayons. "Yo, drawing is pretty hard... I don't know how you do this all day, girl."
Makoto giggles softly, a warm smile on her lips. "Lots and lots of practice! Don't worry. I'm sure you can become great artist someday, Pink-san!"
"Heh, I dunno about that." The succubus smirks as she puts her crayons away and examines her finished artwork.
Suddenly, the two serene girls are surprised as the door is kicked open, and a huge figure dashes inside. "Gaaaaaaah, I'm so sorry, Makoto-chan! I-I should have been here to receive you, please forgive me!" The orc ambassador ashamedly exclaims, completely out of breath. "I've disrespected you. I'm such an awful fan..."
Nova and Morgana then enter the room just seconds after him. "Th-there was no need to run off like that!" The panting elf scolds him.
"Yay, you guys are finally back!" Pink excitedly smiles, proudly presenting her drawing. "Look what I made, Nov-Nov~."
