elapt1c/ElapticAI-512 · Datasets at Hugging Face

text stringlengths 0 149M
But
Just be quiet and accept the position. Philine, feel free to make full use of her.
Thank you, Claire. Um, I couldn t help but notice you ve stopped using Lady to address me as well.
Would you rather I did?
Not at all! I m more than happy to make an exception for you! It feels like we ve gotten closer!
Uh-oh. Miss Empress was starting to get ahead of herself.
Like Dole said, this is the empire, so I m willing to let you take the lead for now, Manaria said. I assume the stronghold with the magical tool installed is going to play a part in our battle strategy?
Manaria spoke like she was the actual leader of their newly formed alliance. I supposed this made sense, as Sousse was the second-most powerful country in the alliance behind the empire, as Bauer was still recovering from the aftereffects of the eruption. Of course, the new unified international power she envisioned would be one that would act without a set leader, but that was neither here nor there.
It should, Dorothea said. Our strategy will likely involve luring as many demons into its range as possible.
We need to work out a way to avoid letting our own people get caught in the blast, William said.
It would be preferable if we could gather intel on the enemy forces, Dole said.
The three of them began a full-on strategy discussion. There was no room for an amateur like me to get a word in.
It seems like our plan to manipulate the empire has come to fruition, Claire said.
Miss Claire
We did it, Rae.
Yes, we did. But we re not out of the woods yet.
Indeed. A demon assault and a Demon Queen. Neither is something we can readily ignore.
I gazed at her face in profile as she firmly made this declaration. She looked as noble as ever. I would have fallen for her right then and there if I hadn t already done so long ago.
Was there any mention of the Demon Queen in your book of prophecies? she asked.
Not at all, I said. There weren t even many mentions of demons.
I see The empire doesn t seem to have much information about the Demon Queen either. It would be to our advantage if we had some manner of clue.
I may not know anything about her, but I think I know someone who might.
Really? You should ve mentioned that sooner. Who is it? Mr. Torrid?
While he might know something, I can think of someone else who s far more likely to know.
Who?
We met them when we visited Mr. Torrid, remember? They talked like they knew a great deal more than us.
Moreover, by their choice of words, they seemed to have some kind of tie to Claire and me, just like the demons seemed to.
You haven t forgotten them already, have you? I asked. I m talking about the apostle.

***

You re looking for a way to meet the apostle?
The day after the summit, Claire and I went to visit Mr. Torrid.
I do know a way he paused, cautious. But why do you want to meet them?
We d like to learn more about the Demon Queen, Claire said. Even Dorothea seems to fear her.
Of course, we d like to check whether you know anything too, Mr. Torrid, I added. But we figured the apostle was sure to know something.
I see He nodded in understanding. Unfortunately, yesterday s summit was the first I ve heard of this Demon Queen. I m sorry I can t be of more help there.
So we have no choice but to ask the apostle, then, Claire said.
It would seem so. Personally, I would advise against it. The apostle is moved by a different set of values than we humans are.
What do you mean? Claire asked.
As you ve heard them admit directly, the apostle isn t human. But the mystery shrouding their existence runs even deeper than that. For one, they seem to not care at all about the lives of individual humans. There was some bitterness in Mr. Torrid s words that he couldn t fully hide.
Did something happen? Claire asked.
The apostle started monitoring me around the moment I lost my daughter, he said after a pause. I knew from the moment they appeared that they were powerful. They said they had ties to the Spirit God, so I pleaded with them to bring my daughter back to life.
What happened? I asked.
Nothing. They said they didn t care for my daughter s life. But the way they phrased it was strange something about how it had already happened.
Cryptic as always, that apostle.
You make me sound heartless, said a voice.
The voice startled me as well. Neither Claire, Mr. Torrid, nor I had noticed the fourth party in the room until just then.
Apostle! Mr. Torrid exclaimed.
Hello, Torrid Magic. So that s how you thought of me? I had no idea I caused you such grief. But I m sorry to say that bringing a human back from the dead is forbidden to me.
Smiling at us was a nun who I didn t recognize. It appeared Lilly wasn t the only person the apostle could possess, if that was even the right word for what they did.
Putting that aside, I was curious as to how this nun had managed to sneak up on us without a sound. I could understand if it had been Lilly, with her training, but this nun seemed as plain as they came. Was the apostle able to increase the physical, or maybe even magical, attributes of a person when they took over their body? That sounded kind of convenient. I wouldn t mind having such a skill.
Perfect timing, Claire said. We have some questions for you.
Please, ask away, Claire Fran ois.
Do you know of the Demon Queen?
The apostle smiled. Of course. She s our enemy.
By our are you referring to the Spiritual Church?
Not quite. She s the enemy of the Spiritual Church, yes, but she s also the enemy of all of humanity, including you and Rae Taylor there. Her grin remained plastered in place. Our interests align, so why don t we work together?
I didn t trust her one bit.
Then tell us what you know about the Demon Queen, Claire said.
Unfortunately, at this point, I do not have the authority to tell you anything.
What?! But you just said that you wanted us to work together! Claire countered.
The apostle just sidestepped the issue. I did, but that doesn t change what I can and can t do.
Why, you
Please calm down, Miss Claire, I interrupted. Apostle, if you don t have the authority, then please make a request for one of your superiors to help us.
That is currently not possible.
Currently, huh?
Yes, currently.
In other words, it might be possible later. The problem was when this later would be.
But I suppose I could give one piece of advice, the apostle said.
Yes? Claire said expectantly.
Claire Fran ois, Rae Taylor you two must flirt more.
Huh? I couldn t believe my ears. Did I hear that right?
We have no time for your jokes! Claire yelled.
I m not joking. If you re to fight the Demon Queen, that is what you must do.
Huh? She was serious?
I want nothing more than to flirt with Miss Claire myself, I said, but what does that have to do with fighting the Demon Queen?
I m unable to disclose that at this time, but it will be important.
Is that right?
I m sorry, but I have my reasons. Oh, and one more thing: Don t pay any mind to what the Demon Queen says.
Yet more cryptic words.
The apostle continued, Defeat her as fast as you can without listening to what she says. If you waste time trying to understand her, you ll only wind up being defeated instead.
Saying that just makes me want to hear her out even more.
You re welcome to, Rae Taylor, but it might cost you your beloved s life.
I paused. You sure know what makes me tick. But I guess I shouldn t expect any less from the ones controlling the world from behind the scenes.
Such kind words. But we do not control the world; we merely adjust it. We re on the side of humanity, really.
I wonder about that. The apostle s words might not have been a lie, but I was convinced they weren t the whole truth.
Claire sighed. There s no way we can waste time flirting in such a time of crisis.
Even if I were to say the success of the coming battle depended on it? the apostle said.
Ngh Claire groaned. It seemed the apostle knew just what to say to twist Claire s arm as well.
It shouldn t be that difficult, the apostle said. You are already flirting every free moment you have.
Nonsense! We are not! Claire insisted.
Huh?
Huh?
Huh?
Mr. Torrid, the apostle, and I shared a look. I, at the very least, was self-aware of how all over each other Claire and I tended to be.
Torrid Magic, said the apostle, go negotiate with Thane Bauer and Dole Fran ois to secure these two some more free time.
Mr. Torrid sighed. I take it that I have no right to refuse?
Whyever would you? This is for the benefit of humanity. Don t you think Emily Magic would have wanted this as well?
Please, don t talk like you understand my daughter.

But

Just be quiet and accept the position. Philine, feel free to make full use of her.

Thank you, Claire. Um, I couldn t help but notice you ve stopped using Lady to address me as well.

Would you rather I did?

Not at all! I m more than happy to make an exception for you! It feels like we ve gotten closer!

Uh-oh. Miss Empress was starting to get ahead of herself.

Like Dole said, this is the empire, so I m willing to let you take the lead for now, Manaria said. I assume the stronghold with the magical tool installed is going to play a part in our battle strategy?

Manaria spoke like she was the actual leader of their newly formed alliance. I supposed this made sense, as Sousse was the second-most powerful country in the alliance behind the empire, as Bauer was still recovering from the aftereffects of the eruption. Of course, the new unified international power she envisioned would be one that would act without a set leader, but that was neither here nor there.

It should, Dorothea said. Our strategy will likely involve luring as many demons into its range as possible.

We need to work out a way to avoid letting our own people get caught in the blast, William said.

It would be preferable if we could gather intel on the enemy forces, Dole said.

The three of them began a full-on strategy discussion. There was no room for an amateur like me to get a word in.

It seems like our plan to manipulate the empire has come to fruition, Claire said.

Miss Claire

We did it, Rae.

Yes, we did. But we re not out of the woods yet.

Indeed. A demon assault and a Demon Queen. Neither is something we can readily ignore.

I gazed at her face in profile as she firmly made this declaration. She looked as noble as ever. I would have fallen for her right then and there if I hadn t already done so long ago.

Was there any mention of the Demon Queen in your book of prophecies? she asked.

Not at all, I said. There weren t even many mentions of demons.

I see The empire doesn t seem to have much information about the Demon Queen either. It would be to our advantage if we had some manner of clue.

I may not know anything about her, but I think I know someone who might.

Really? You should ve mentioned that sooner. Who is it? Mr. Torrid?

While he might know something, I can think of someone else who s far more likely to know.

Who?

We met them when we visited Mr. Torrid, remember? They talked like they knew a great deal more than us.

Moreover, by their choice of words, they seemed to have some kind of tie to Claire and me, just like the demons seemed to.

You haven t forgotten them already, have you? I asked. I m talking about the apostle.

***

You re looking for a way to meet the apostle?

The day after the summit, Claire and I went to visit Mr. Torrid.

I do know a way he paused, cautious. But why do you want to meet them?

We d like to learn more about the Demon Queen, Claire said. Even Dorothea seems to fear her.

Of course, we d like to check whether you know anything too, Mr. Torrid, I added. But we figured the apostle was sure to know something.

I see He nodded in understanding. Unfortunately, yesterday s summit was the first I ve heard of this Demon Queen. I m sorry I can t be of more help there.

So we have no choice but to ask the apostle, then, Claire said.

It would seem so. Personally, I would advise against it. The apostle is moved by a different set of values than we humans are.

What do you mean? Claire asked.

As you ve heard them admit directly, the apostle isn t human. But the mystery shrouding their existence runs even deeper than that. For one, they seem to not care at all about the lives of individual humans. There was some bitterness in Mr. Torrid s words that he couldn t fully hide.

Did something happen? Claire asked.

The apostle started monitoring me around the moment I lost my daughter, he said after a pause. I knew from the moment they appeared that they were powerful. They said they had ties to the Spirit God, so I pleaded with them to bring my daughter back to life.

What happened? I asked.

Nothing. They said they didn t care for my daughter s life. But the way they phrased it was strange something about how it had already happened.

Cryptic as always, that apostle.

You make me sound heartless, said a voice.

The voice startled me as well. Neither Claire, Mr. Torrid, nor I had noticed the fourth party in the room until just then.

Apostle! Mr. Torrid exclaimed.

Hello, Torrid Magic. So that s how you thought of me? I had no idea I caused you such grief. But I m sorry to say that bringing a human back from the dead is forbidden to me.

Smiling at us was a nun who I didn t recognize. It appeared Lilly wasn t the only person the apostle could possess, if that was even the right word for what they did.

Putting that aside, I was curious as to how this nun had managed to sneak up on us without a sound. I could understand if it had been Lilly, with her training, but this nun seemed as plain as they came. Was the apostle able to increase the physical, or maybe even magical, attributes of a person when they took over their body? That sounded kind of convenient. I wouldn t mind having such a skill.

Perfect timing, Claire said. We have some questions for you.

Please, ask away, Claire Fran ois.

Do you know of the Demon Queen?

The apostle smiled. Of course. She s our enemy.

By our are you referring to the Spiritual Church?

Not quite. She s the enemy of the Spiritual Church, yes, but she s also the enemy of all of humanity, including you and Rae Taylor there. Her grin remained plastered in place. Our interests align, so why don t we work together?

I didn t trust her one bit.

Then tell us what you know about the Demon Queen, Claire said.

Unfortunately, at this point, I do not have the authority to tell you anything.

What?! But you just said that you wanted us to work together! Claire countered.

The apostle just sidestepped the issue. I did, but that doesn t change what I can and can t do.

Why, you

Please calm down, Miss Claire, I interrupted. Apostle, if you don t have the authority, then please make a request for one of your superiors to help us.

That is currently not possible.

Currently, huh?

Yes, currently.

In other words, it might be possible later. The problem was when this later would be.

But I suppose I could give one piece of advice, the apostle said.

Yes? Claire said expectantly.

Claire Fran ois, Rae Taylor you two must flirt more.

Huh? I couldn t believe my ears. Did I hear that right?

We have no time for your jokes! Claire yelled.

I m not joking. If you re to fight the Demon Queen, that is what you must do.

Huh? She was serious?

I want nothing more than to flirt with Miss Claire myself, I said, but what does that have to do with fighting the Demon Queen?

I m unable to disclose that at this time, but it will be important.

Is that right?

I m sorry, but I have my reasons. Oh, and one more thing: Don t pay any mind to what the Demon Queen says.

Yet more cryptic words.

The apostle continued, Defeat her as fast as you can without listening to what she says. If you waste time trying to understand her, you ll only wind up being defeated instead.

Saying that just makes me want to hear her out even more.

You re welcome to, Rae Taylor, but it might cost you your beloved s life.

I paused. You sure know what makes me tick. But I guess I shouldn t expect any less from the ones controlling the world from behind the scenes.

Such kind words. But we do not control the world; we merely adjust it. We re on the side of humanity, really.

I wonder about that. The apostle s words might not have been a lie, but I was convinced they weren t the whole truth.

Claire sighed. There s no way we can waste time flirting in such a time of crisis.

Even if I were to say the success of the coming battle depended on it? the apostle said.

Ngh Claire groaned. It seemed the apostle knew just what to say to twist Claire s arm as well.

It shouldn t be that difficult, the apostle said. You are already flirting every free moment you have.

Nonsense! We are not! Claire insisted.

Huh?

Mr. Torrid, the apostle, and I shared a look. I, at the very least, was self-aware of how all over each other Claire and I tended to be.

Torrid Magic, said the apostle, go negotiate with Thane Bauer and Dole Fran ois to secure these two some more free time.

Mr. Torrid sighed. I take it that I have no right to refuse?

Whyever would you? This is for the benefit of humanity. Don t you think Emily Magic would have wanted this as well?

Please, don t talk like you understand my daughter.