The Chimeric Ascension of Lyudmila Springfield

Chapter Eighty-Nine: Summoner’s Growth

As I stood on the ship's deck, my gaze fixed upon the tranquil expanse of the nighttime sea. The moon casts its ethereal glow upon the gentle waves, their rhythmic dance soothing the weary soul. The air was still, carrying whispers of mystic energy that wrapped around me like a silk shroud. The Eagle Yew remained far. We were still days away from reaching land, but its massive girth and incredible height made it easy to spot from almost everywhere. It only vanished beyond the horizon and clouds once you were in Parthina.     

I turned around and stared at a brown-skinned woodland spirit wearing a crown of thorns and vines, with clothing more suitable to work as lingerie. Tilde, Tris, and Surtr silently watched. Lei balanced on my lion’s back. It wiggled happily from the warmth.   

My doppelgängers behind them oversaw steering the ship to our destination. Heading to what used to be Ria was a foolish choice because Gloria’s soldiers were using it as a base while rebuilding the city. Tris checked it out earlier, and amid the rubble and half-constructed tents were posters with Niva’s face and description. She did a search, but there weren’t any soldiers affiliated with Dirge in Aetos Village.    

The eagle was there, biding his time while roosting on a tree limb as thick as a skyscraper. His HP was dangerously low, though. A large portion of his body was burnt black with ash. I hoped we made it in time. He knew we were coming, so he had to hang on.     

Niva stood near Primrose and gripped her wooden staff. Her crystalline purple scales reflected her healthy recovery and bounced the stars’ illuminations like tiny mirrors while accenting her soft, blue skin.    

“Mistress, I owe my life to you. If you weren’t there to save me from Noelia... I wouldn’t have known Irisa, Ichiha, or Kokan. Or Tilde, Sekh, or Erin, and I wouldn’t have met Primrose or Lei. And I wouldn’t have gotten my mobility back. My life changed for the better when you entered it." Niva’s face was determined. She lifted her chin and stared me in the eye. Primrose smiled and put a hand on her summoner’s shoulder. “But I haven’t...devoted as much effort into training as I should have. Primrose talked to me about it... I was holding myself back, wasn’t I? I’ve...always been told I was useless... That I wasn’t worth the food or water used to keep me fed... Or the bedding to keep me warm. I kept lying to myself after you saved me. I thought that if I put in just enough effort, it would be enough... I wouldn’t have to fight or get hurt if it looked like I was advancing. But I was wrong. I’m sorry, Mistress... It took me this long to realize it.”   

Niva took a deep breath and continued to channel [Mana Perception]. Her gaze... It was unwavering.    

“But that’s going to change. I’ll follow you wherever you go. I won’t be scared anymore. I won’t think of myself as weak because you don’t think that of me, do you?” She smiled. “You see something in me. And I wish to be the Transcendent Dark Lord’s spirit summoner. I won’t rest until I can summon a draconic spirit for you. And that’s my promise. That’s my vow to you.” Niva turned away and looked at her spirit. “And Primrose… You...helped me learn how to see. You helped me walk. And you’ve given me courage. I can look proudly at myself because you’re here.”   

“And I’m glad you were my summoner,” said Primrose. “I wouldn’t have wanted anyone else.” The spirit turned to me and repeated most of what Niva said, albeit with her own twist. She said she looked back on the past and hated how she acted. She took my hands in hers and gave a heartfelt apology. “I wish I were stronger… I wish I were more mature. I… The regrets I have number in the thousand…” Prim couldn’t speak without stuttering. She choked over her breath and wiped her wet eyes. The tears only grew stronger when I embraced and held her close.    

“I love you and Niva,” I whispered, extending an arm for the spirit's summoner to join the hug. “You’re under my protection. I won’t ever betray the trust you two have in me...” I sprouted four more arms from my hands and rubbed their heads as Lei jumped to my hair and joyfully wiggled. Three months ago, I’d never thought this would happen.    

“Aww… Isn’t that just about the sweetest thing?” Tilde asked. She held her hands to her heart and flapped her pretty wings. “I think I’m about to cry.”   

“I agree it is heartwarming,” Tris replied. “But you cannot ‘about to cry’ when you’re already crying, Tilde. Additionally…” Tris approached and held a black, eye-shaped orb etched with white computer lines. This was the mana generator Niva had embedded within her eye socket. It powered the illusion spell that made her seem like a normal cyclops.    

Tris found a way to ‘reset’ it to factory settings.   

If Niva permitted me to implant it where her second eye would have been, it would absorb enough mana from the atmosphere to sustain [Mana Perception]. She wouldn’t ever need to cancel the spell.   

"Tris and I have done our research, Niva," I said. "It won't be painless, but it shouldn't hurt too much."  

The healing magic I learned from Sera would obviously help after the surgery, but it wouldn’t do anything to numb the operating area or lessen the pain during it. It was too dangerous to put her to sleep since I didn’t know how to control the strength of those spells. And like hell would I risk it on Niva.  “Aetos or Aello could have a sedative if you'd rather wait." 

"No." Niva shook her head. "Please, can you do it now?" 

"Are you sure? I don't mind being patient." 

"I've made you wait long enough. I need to take a more proactive role, Mistress. Primrose and I talked about that. I'm finally Lv. 19." 

“I’m proud of you, Niva. I really am. And you too, Primrose. But if this is what you want, then I’ll get started. Tris, I need the plans.”   

“They’re already prepared, my lord. I’m sending them to you now.”   

Detailed instructions for the operation appeared in my vision. I laid Niva on the ship’s deck and formed a barrier of slime, which I spread across half of her face. A spell called [Healing Field] enveloped it in a golden glow. Prim took Niva’s biological hand and readied herself to channel [Minor Heal]. 

I first formed a long, sharp, thin needle and slowly pressed it into her face where her second eye would've been. Primrose gripped her hand and kept her calm, and I followed the augmented instructions Tris had made that showed me how deep I was going.  

After reaching the correct depth and reaching the empty socket, the top transfigured into a little drill and chipped away at the skull fragments that had healed. Niva's face strained. She bit her lips and tried to kick away-- a reflex-- but Tilde and Surtr kept her pinned to the deck.     

A squirt of slime kept the operating area sterile and assimilated the flowing blood and bone fragments.  

"Okay... Almost..." The slot was shaped, so I slowly canceled my transfiguration after leaving behind a single drop of slime. It was so thin Sera would have had trouble seeing it, but it belonged to me. Therefore, it acted as a 'receiver' for my storage ability, so the slime retrieved the mana generator. Primrose offered her sticky sap, so the slime dripping used that to lock the generator into place. "And there... It's done." 

Niva didn't answer. She had passed out. While I couldn't deny that it hurt, the likelier option was that her mind had expected something so much worse, and Niva passed out as a result. But Tris assured me she was fine-- Niva's vitals were perfectly healthy. 

A potion wasn't needed, but we still used it in the aftercare. Niva's tolerance was still decently high, so she'd need three more detoxes. But even so, the little entry wound was already healing after Tris sprinkled a little bit on Niva's tongue. Honestly? The extra precautions weren't required, but it was always better to be safe than sorry. 

Finally, I took a couple of bandages from the stockpile Sekh and Dad had made from the web I had spun. 

That seems so long ago... 

Primrose gave me more sap to act as glue. The last step was to apply the pain reliever ointment Dad had taught me. It wasn’t strong. But it was what I had. She once needed constant care, so I became good at looking after her. Again, the aftercare was too extensive, but it was still good practice. Besides, we had the supplies to spare. Niva was also important to me, so why wouldn't I do what I could to ensure the healing went off without a hitch? 

All that was left was to wait for Niva to wake up. I went with Primrose as she picked her up and carried her to the cargo hold. We didn’t have a bed, but the sleeping bag and lumpy pillow would have to sustain for now.    

I looked at the supplies Captain Caulk managed to load for us. Only two people needed to eat, and I had more than enough food for them. I wouldn’t say they were wasted because I could store them, and I did just that—with enough room to spare—but it was a genuine gesture from someone I fought side-by-side with.    

Tilde, Surtr, and Tris remained above to watch for things.     

“You’ll have my loyalty until the day I draw my last breath,” Prim suddenly said, breaking the silence. The gentle waves of the ocean rocked the boat while she palmed Niva’s cheeks. She looked so peaceful. “Lord Springfield?”   

“What is it?”   

“I don’t know if you’re aware, but you became part plant after assimilating that draingi. The one that gave you [Photosynthesis]? Do you recall it?”   

“What about it?”   

Primrose sprouted a bundle of primrose flowers from her hand. “I’m certain you can use biomass as a substitute for sunlight and nutrients. Please take this.” She handed me a seed. I assimilated it, then followed her commands. The skill innately came to her because she was a woodland spirit, so it was difficult for me to grasp my mind around growing a living thing from my body.     

Three hours of practice resulted in nothing more than a root and stem.  

I took a break and sat with Prim while watching Niva.    

The spirit told me of their spelunking within the Crystal Veil Mines. It was close enough and consisted of weak enemies, so it was the perfect place for Niva to train. She sometimes went with Pawsome Fables, but she mostly went alone.  

“It wasn’t easy. My summoner’s terribly frightened of failure. It paralyzed her to the ground—immobilized her hands and feet. It wasn’t until a crystal monster ran me through from behind that she acted.” Primrose touched her chest and said my thread protected her core. “Her use of [Razor Wind] was spectacular. It was her first time casting magic like that. The independence she gained from the feeling… For all her life, she thought herself a dependent weakling. But she isn’t.”   

“Niva’s strong. She’s resilient. She has the drive to survive. She would’ve died a dozen times over if she hadn't. But she’s here. And I’m proud of her. I’m so proud.”   

“While you were away at the Heptarchis, she cried in my arms every night, and we spent every day in active combat.” Primrose recalled she and Niva were walking through the mines. They had found a chest in a side room, but it was a trap. Two dozen crystal lizards rushed them from all sides. But Niva… She didn’t let her fear get her down. She had activated [Spirit Overdrive] to flood Primrose with half of her mana, used [Vine Manipulation] on the staff she held, and threw it in the middle of the group. The excess mana let Primrose turn the staff into one large vine. It pierced, stabbed, and threw the enemies into the air.    

Niva had aimed with [Razor Wind] and ripped them apart, but she almost passed out from the mana drain.    

“I recall her pounding the ground with her fist until it was bloody. She screamed and cursed while I fought, then forced her legs to stand. She didn’t let the prosthetics slow her down. She picked up a rock and tried to fight the lizards head on. I shielded her with [Woodland Shield] and finished the fight. Do you know what her biggest fear is?”   

I shook my head.    

“It’s disappointing you. You’re my summoner's light. You gave her a reason to live. You gave her back everything she lost.”   

Prim went quiet for a moment.     

“I’ll follow you until the end of the world. Your enemies are my enemies, your goals are my goals, and I vow to become your sword and shield to end Meruria’s life and beyond. I know I don’t compare to the Dark Lord of Tyranny, but… I will forever be there for you. I will lay down my life for you without hesitation. And I ask that…should the day come to pass…assimilate me. Please... Allow me to accompany you until the end. My strength is meager, but it is yours all the same.”   

“I won’t allow you to die for me. Prim, I won't let you live solely for me. You’re not an underling. You’re not a subordinate. I see you and Niva as equals. I refuse to let your only lives revolve around me.” I reached over and took her hand in mind, and we interlocked fingers. Her skin felt so wooden and bark-like. She apologized for the texture, but I shook my head and said it was pleasant.  

I told her I felt regretful about something when Niva made her speech. It sounded like her sole reason for living was…to serve me. I was a fool to force the idea of her summoning a draconic spirit for me as ‘repayment’ for saving her.  

I didn’t want that anymore because…was that needed?  

Just look at how strong I was… [Conferment]? [Ira Ignis]? [Furia Glacies]? Immunity to fire and ice? Surtr? My Soul Weapon? And with Sekh’s eventual return…   

I didn’t want their lives to revolve around me. I didn’t want our relationship to evolve to the point where their feelings had to look at me for approval or denial.    

Making a big deal about a draconic spirit was one of my dumbest mistakes. I regretted it so much I wanted to scream.   

“Please… Just treat me like an equal. Call me Lord Springfield, Mistress, or Mila. I don’t care. Be a friend. Be someone I can count on, but don’t devote yourselves to me to the exclusion of everything else. I may have wanted that in the past, but I don’t want that anymore.”  

“I…” Prim kept quiet. I’d given her a lot to think about. Her poor mind was already in disarray. And this didn’t help.    

Hand in hand, we watched over Niva, who awoke after the morning sun vanquished the dark night and illuminated the skies with its cherry-red glow.    

I thought she would’ve cried when I told her what Prim and I spoke about, but…  

No. Niva said she had spoken to Tilde a few days ago. She helped her rehearse her speech and said I would eventually approach her.   

She added that I had said almost everything Tilde had predicted—word for word…  

Niva had asked Tilde if she should change her speech, but the fairy insisted she keep it the same to ‘encourage’ me to have this talk.   

Tilde also helped Primrose with her emotions.    

Oh, she knew me better than I knew myself.   

So…  

My worries were for naught. 

“You gotta have a little fun when you get to be my age,” Tilde said, grinning. She cozied up near me. “I’m glad I can read you like a book, Master. It means we have a connection, ya know? Something deep and primal. Most of the world can’t ever experience something like this.”  

I couldn’t deny that. It seemed as if I was always relying on that lewd menace.    

Tris prepared a simple breakfast of eggs and potatoes and fed it to Niva. The familiar magic circle appeared over her eye once she took off the unneeded bandages. It would forever remain there, granting her the gift of sight until the day she drew her last breath.    

---

After eating, Niva claimed she was well enough to stand and move. Of course, she stumbled immediately after standing, but she swore she was okay.    

“I’ll do this for us,” she said. “I want to be stronger, and I’ll use my power to protect those I love!” She leaned against Primrose for support and walked to the deck. After getting her balance, she wielded Primrose's staff and cast spells. Her spirit joined her. Tris helped by taking pots and pans from [Artificer’s Arsenal] and throwing them in the air for target practice. Niva used [Razor Wind] and tried to cut them all down, but she missed a bunch.    

Next, Lei helped by dashing across the ship. Niva was to use [Vine Manipulation] to catch the slippery rascal. She ran ragged.  

When she was tired, I assisted her as Sera did for me. Likewise, Niva never learned how to cast magic the proper way because she had these blockades preventing the mana from properly circulating.    

“And a Vredi taught you this?” Prim asked. She kneeled and assisted, using her vines to help Niva direct the mana.    

“Seraphina Vredi. Susize’s sister,” I replied, coating my finger in ice. I slid it up her flesh-and-blood arm, but Niva had trouble grasping it. It took a few hours to break the blockades inside her biological limbs, but her prosthetics were another thing entirely. She had long forgotten what it felt like to move them.    

Tilde said a nerve mesh would help. Ruru, a Deerfolk, used some for a kid he brought to Aetos Village to get a prosthetic. It connected the nerves to the metal and made it act like skin. But that was rare. We didn’t know where to even begin to find it. Even a search for it via [Skyview] came up empty.    

Niva was upset. But all it took was a gentle, loving scolding to calm her down. I told her she shouldn’t rush anything. As much as she wanted to jump ahead into the deep end, I couldn’t have her burn out.  

---

It was almost midnight, and nothing challenged us on the open sea. I had two clones take the shape of a large fish and push the boat from behind, and Surtr’s ferocious roar scared off anything that came close.    

I sat across from Tris, who skillfully worked the makeshift kitchen from [Artificer’s Arsenal]. I had told her I wanted to reward her for her help in Atrix, and she wanted a dinner date after getting advice from Tilde.     

Tris was all smiles as she sautéed mushrooms, boiled potatoes, and seared the steaks. She said she had spent over 1,000 hours studying the inn’s chefs, and Tris proudly proclaimed she had surpassed them in culinary skill. “Your presence is all I require. And you know how much I enjoy copulating. But Tilde told me sex shouldn't be the only thing on my mind. She says the 'intimate non-intimate' moments should be enjoyed."  

“So…”   

“I wanted to share one with you, my lord. Tilde is tutoring Niva and Primrose below, so…”   

“I’m all yours. Mhmm… It smells delicious.”   

Tris’s ears happily twitched. We enjoyed small talk until she plated our food. And it was incredible!   

The chefs at the inn were masters at their craft, but this?   

My endless praise caused Tris to blush like a tomato. If her tail had wagged any faster, it would’ve shot off like a rocket and escaped the planet’s gravitational pull.    

She said her heart felt peaceful to hear how much I liked it. She finished first, and after putting everything away, she sat beside me and fed me. When I was thirsty, she filled her mouth with the lemongrass tea she brewed, then passed it to me through a kiss.    

“Wow. That’s something new.” The touch of her soft lips still lingered on mine.    

“Did you like it?”  

“I did. I think I’m still thirsty.”  

“Well, I cannot have that…” Tris giggled and gave me another tea-filled kiss. Then we laid down under the beautiful night. She rested her head on my shoulder and slung an arm over my stomach. “These moments… I now understand what Tilde meant when she said they should be cherished. It…fills my heart with something new, and the butterflies have returned.”  

“I’m not the only one,” I whispered, kissing her cheeks.   

“My lord… Once Lady Sekh has returned, I…want us all to share a moment like this.”  

“I desire the same. I think that can be arranged. We’ll have to make it one to remember.”  

“Yes, we do! But…” Tris was unnaturally stuttering. Her words were hesitant, but I knew what she wanted.   

How could I not?  

I rolled on top of her and found her precious fingers. They were so soft and slender…and fit perfectly in my hands.   

“This night has yet to end, Tris.” I sealed her lips with mine and tasted the remains of that tea. The sweet sensation sent thrills throughout my body. Our lips parted, and she panted. Her reddened cheeks… Those glistening eyes… The way she adorably squirmed when I gently caressed her neck…  

In a flash, she swapped her clothes for that lingerie, I ‘dressed’ for the occasion, and…  

We loved each other all night long...continuing until dawn’s morning glow as our telepathic connection sent shatteringly euphoric earthquakes throughout my mind.  

She didn’t want it to end.   

And neither did I.   

I loved her…so much. 

---

“Guess you can call that a successful date night, huh?” Tilde asked as she emerged from the hold the following morning. She skipped over and saw Tris’s wonderfully satisfied expression as she recovered from our intense night. My Fragment of Wisdom laid softly in my arms like a princess. I had dressed Tris in her regular clothes after supplying her with the tender aftercare she deserved—just like my fairy had taught me.    

“You could say it was.”  

“I didn’t hear anything, ya know. I tried, but Tris rocked your mind instead of your ears. Anyway, wanna take her down below? Niva and Prim are still asleep. Don’t worry. I’ll wait on ya!” Tilde met me off with a wink, and I used my slime to craft a mattress. I looked at Niva, who had her head in Primrose’s lap.   

They look so cute… Better let them sleep.  

I returned to the hold and found Tilde leaning against the railing. Joining her, she attacked my cheeks with a quick kiss. “Anyway…”  

“Anyway…what?”  

“I…really like…” Tilde was uncharacteristically bashful as she swapped to Maid Mode. “Fine. I’m just gonna say it. Being a maid suits me a lot, so I think I’ll stay like this,” she said. “The fit’s pretty cute, yeah?” She struck a few poses like a pop singer would do when performing.    

“Yep.” I nodded. “Anything for the cutest fairy in the whole wide world.” She seriously loved the outfit more than her adventuring gear. “But you don’t need my permission to use Maid Mode.”    

I should find a way to reinforce it.  

“Well… I mean, I know that. But… I dunno. Maybe I’m being kinda weird.” Tilde lightly pinched her cheeks. “But you’re not wrong about me being the cutest fairy in the whole world. And might I add another nomenclature to that? I proclaim I’m the cutest fairy maid the world has ever seen. And that means a fairy like me has a reputation to uphold, so… Pardon me, Master.” Tilde gave me a sexy wink and set about improving her marksmanship with a silent pistol.    

That was a little odd. But Tilde is Tilde. She wouldn’t be Tilde otherwise. Huh… I gave her that name for the hell of it, but it definitely suits her.        

Niva and Primrose showed up about fifteen minutes later. They asked me about last night and if I enjoyed it, and I nodded.   

Something felt strange. I looked at Tilde, and she briefly nodded as if she could read my mind.   

I guess that discussion was fated to happen sooner than later. But how did I want to approach it? Did it have to be in any specific way?  

…   

Niva practiced melee combat, and I tossed in a slime clone to help. It was roughly configured to her level and wielded a water staff—courtesy of Sera’s tutoring.  It wouldn’t hurt if it hit you, but you’d get wet.   

She’s a master at projecting elemental weapons… I wonder how the situation is in Orchta? Meh, I can find out later.     

So, my clone fought Niva and her spirit.  Niva couldn’t athletically move, so she relied on [Woodland Shield]. She chanted the spell and raised her staff, and thick vines grew from the tip to form a defensive armament.     

When Tris woke from her deserved nap, it was time to break for lunch, which consisted of eggs and sausage expertly prepared by the Fragment of Wisdom.    

Training resumed afterwards.    

I taught Primrose how to properly shoot a gun to rest my mind. She wasn’t a fan of them, but she understood how impressive they were when the silenced 92FS refused to make noise. She was also led to believe that a silencer couldn’t be wholly effective.  

Dinner consisted of fish stew with tons of veggies and freshly baked bread. Tris received a lot of compliments. Her blushing face was so cute that I just had to squeeze it.    

After eating, I asked for Tilde’s maid and adventuring gear. She happily stripped nude for me, and I used my crystal-infused webbing to add protective reinforcements. Tris analyzed the armor and developed the plans, but after I was finished, the maid outfit had splashes of azure and crimson. When the iceflame cloak was added, Tilde looked spiffy. She gushed and hugged me tightly, then proudly flew around the ship while happily proclaiming herself the Transcendent Dark Lord’s Head Maid.    

She was the only maid, so she said it naturally made her the ‘top dawg.’ Tilde put that energy into training to work off dinner.     

---

Night had fallen again, and it was Tilde, Tris, and myself on the deck. Niva and Primrose had descended to the hold since they were exhausted. The training was hard, but it bore fruit. If nothing else, it increased their confidence. And that was always a positive.   

Confidence went a long way, after all.   

But… Something wasn’t right. I had intended to have a talk with those two, but…  

“You know as well as I do that I won’t get a straight answer from them. Niva will say things are fine. But they aren’t. Tris, can you speak with them? You know what I want to say, right?”  

“Leave it to me, my lord,” said Tris. She gave me a sly wink before skipping away.  

“Master? Are you sure?” I turned to Tilde, who leaned against the railing. She looked utterly beautiful and breathtaking in the pristine moonlight.   

“I am,” I replied. “Tris’s better than me at analyzing emotions. She can read those and use her processing abilities to steer the conversation in the right direction.”  

“That’s logical. I can’t find any flaws in your reasoning, so… What do we do? Wait?”  

“Unless you have an idea?” I raised my eyebrows.   

Oh, Tilde had an idea—one that greatly interested me.    

“But that can wait. Little Miss Verdant isn’t the only one who’s prepared a gift.” Tilde turned around, haughtily peeked over her shoulder, and… “Ta-da!!!” She turned around and held a neatly folded stack of clothes. “Go on. Check them bad boys out.”  

“Where’d you get this? And is that a hairpin? Why is the gem so big? And a…tiara?”  

“I pulled some strings. But no. The gem’s fake. The one in the tiara isn’t real, but they look pretty. Right?”  

“They do. But okay. Give me a second.”  

A heartbeat or two later, I was dressed.    

The top was white with puffy, long sleeves with a stiff collar. It came with a slot to attach the red ribbon neatly laying on top. The brown crisscross corset hugged my stomach and transitioned into the skirt. The white stockings came all the way up my thighs. And the heeled shoes…  

Well, they were high heels. Susize loved these things, and wearing anything else didn't feel right.   

“Wooow…” Tilde licked her lips. “Ya know, I was thinking that big ass hairpin was too much, but just look! It suits you. You’re powerful, Master. And powerful women need to look powerful. It’s just like how water is made of water, and sand is made of sand. Obvious things are obvious.”  

“Well… I do feel good,” I admitted. The sensation differed from Verdant’s gift. That brought tranquility and…peace while this... It made me want to go on an adventure.  

Two different emotions... But ones I cherished and loved.   

“Okay, so I was thinking it’ll be like this. This can be your regular outfit. Your Atrixian disguise—the orange clothes? That can be your casual wear. And Verdant’s gift can be what you wear to formal events or when you gotta stand out and make a splash.”  

“What? Are you my wardrobe maintainer?”  

“Damn skippy!” Tilde crossed her arms and flashed a confident smile. “I may not look like it, but I was into fashion for a few hundred years. Anyway, consider that another perk of having me be your headmaid. Oh, but before we move to the good stuff... Wanna do me one last favor?  

“What?”  

“Okay, so make a throne with your slime.”  

“What?”  

“Come on. Just play along.”  

I did. It felt odd, but I made and sat on it. But Tilde wanted me to cross my legs. And then she asked me to do this weird pose with my finger under my chin after giving me a fake book. “Surtr? Can I get your help?”     

My lion approached and sat. “Okay, so can you make some fire? It must be around the throne…kinda like this…” Tilde scribbled something on a piece of paper. Surtr looked at me.   

It's fine. 

As you wish, Lord Springfield.   

And so, Surtr created a thin blanket of harmless, orange flames that danced around the throne.   

“Are we done?” I asked. 

“Yep.”  

“And why did we do that?” I canceled the throne and erased the flames.   

“Because we could. Isn’t it a Master’s job to make her headmaid happy?”  

“Well… Only because you’re so cute. And adorable. And beautiful, charming, and enchanting.”  

Tilde’s just Tilde… She’ll always be my precious little fairy.   

“Anyway… Why don’t we move on and have a little fun, Master? It’s my way of thanking you for going along with my dumb little skits…” Tilde licked her lips, and…  

Well, we had time to kill while Tris talked to Niva… And Tilde’s idea?   

I didn’t expect anything else from the fairy who taught me how to be a compassionate lover… 

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