Micchi Versus the New World - Chapter 99

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Chapter 99

"Micchi!"

"Master!"

As soon as I was through the door, Loraine and Kawa were on me in less than a second. It was hard not to share in their excitement even with all the shit that happened not too long ago. They seemed to know right away that something was wrong though. Maybe it was the underlying scowl looking more ticked off than usual, or the strained smile I showed them.

Loraine held my face to get a better look at me, and the warmth in her palms quickly turned into healing magic. The bruises I carried back as marks of shame were slowly disappearing. Meanwhile, Kawa was circling us while sniffing my legs and back, probably looking for Sacchan.

"You must have had it rough out there, but you're home now." Loraine pulled my head into her chest and stroked my hair.

"There's a lot I gotta tell you," I said.

While Ethel and Roma were whipping something up for me to eat, Loraine listened intently to everything I recounted about what happened by the living room fireplace.

For the first time in a while, Kawa transformed into her human form and started wailing on the ground.

"Master's stick is gone? Aaaaahhhh! Kawa wanted to play more!" she cried.

"Quit crying. You're a big girl. We'll find you something else to play with," I said, patting her on the head.

"All of you went through quite the ordeal. I'm glad you and Yui patched things up. But with your old friend, Chika… now we know for sure she is the dreaded demon that has been terrorizing this world. What are your plans now?" Loraine asked.

"Nothing's changed. I— We find where Chika's hiding and beat the senses back into her. Until then, Kain's rounding up all the big boys for something he calls a summit. Actually…"

The Sultan was going to be a problem. Kaoru mentioned that the sack of shit might be working with Chika. No way to know for sure unless we grilled him. To make things worse, him coming here was bad news for Loraine, and by the looks of it, she understood without me telling her.

That bastard had hell to pay.

"If you don't wanna be here when he comes, Kaoru can probably set up a place for you to hunker down in Taiq'ae. I still don't like that bitch, but I can trust her now," I said.

Loraine shook her head and looked me straight in the eyes, brimming with resolve. "Just like how you intend to face Chika, I shouldn't hide from facing my uncle. It has been a long time coming."

"Heh. We'll slug him a good one when he gets here." I flashed a smirk and clenched my to expel a small burst of fire.

"But before any more fighting…" She reached across the table to clasp my fist. "You're absolutely filthy. I think we need to have a bath before eating! Come now, I'll wash your back!"

"Uh… Wait, I—"

After Loraine's intense scrubbing session, I came out of the baths squeaky clean and decided to pay the Cynderace Branch a visit with Kawa tagging along. Everyone stopped what they were doing and rose to their feet to face me.

"WELCOME BACK, BOSS!"

"You lot been keeping busy while we were gone?" I asked.

"YES, BOSS!" they answered together.

Good. My delinquent senses were telling me shit wasn't going to stay peaceful for long. Whatever Chika took from inside Sacchan couldn't be good. Demons had been quiet up until Kazaar. We needed to start staying on our toes.

"Never a dull moment with you here, Micchi." Frey smiled as I walked up to the reception area.

"Yui tell you everything?" I leaned my back against the desk and watched with pride the many members of the Cynderace Branch who had grown to be worth something.

"With a lot of colorful details… Anyway, I've gotten the paperwork for the former member of the Grishant Branch settled. Naka is now officially a member of the Cynderace Branch! However, did you know that woman was carrying five artifact weapons?! Registering all that was a headache!"

That many? I didn't remember her carrying a weapon though. She was also scared shitless to do anything during any of the fighting.

"Oh, Micchi!"

Speak of the devil.

The treasure hunter was coming down the stairs to say hello. However, she froze like a statue once she reached the bottom step. Kawa turned to the beastling, and like the excitable dog she became upon finding a new friend to play with, tackled her to the ground.

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Naka let loose a blood curdling scream as Kawa licked her face.

"Kawa, down!" I pulled the giant wolf off Naka, who was now lying on the ground in the fetal position and trembling.

Oaks and Frey rushed out from behind the counter to help her.

"D-Dogs… Please, not dogs…" Naka repeated like a mantra, her eyes having lost their color.

Kawa changed into her human form and cocked her head sideways.

"Who's causing a ruckus?" Yui emerged from the guild leader's office, kicking the door open.

"Guess our newest member is scared of dogs," I said.

"Awww, you aren't scawy." The guild leader put on a childish voice and rubbed Kawa's chubby cheeks. "Wanna go play? Yes, you do! Let's ditch this joint, Kawa!"

Kawa returned to wolf form for Yui to ride her, and the two of them leapt out of the guild hall.

"Damn it, Yui!" Frey shouted at their backs.

"So much for promising to work hard," I joked, then turned to the scared beastling. "What's got you so worked up? How did you used to be A-ranked acting like this?"

"M-More like why aren't any of you scared? Dogs… They bite and chew with their sharp teeth… A menace… that's what they are!" Naka cried.

The rest of us looked at her, then at each other.

If I remembered correctly, Naka was also spooked by the pack of wolves that attacked us in Mou'nan.

"Maybe Kawa can come in her human form from now on?" Frey suggested to me.

"Alright, whatever. Yui already hightailed it outta here with Kawa anyway. I was only dropping by to update my subclass," I told them, only to be met with surprise.

"As in… You were able to change subclasses with divine intervention?" Oaks asked.

"Nah. As in I'm both a berserker and an elementalist now thanks to divine intervention."

Neither of them believed me until we went down to the evaluation stone, but since they didn't want me to break it, I had to just tap the damn thing with a finger. Sure enough, even though my rank stayed the same, two subclasses appeared on the surface of the stone to prove it was true.

"This means I'm special, right?" I smirked.

"More than just special, Micchi. Only three people in recorded history have achieved multiple subclasses," Frey explained, but the tone in her voice didn't sound like she was speaking about heroes.

"The three of them weren't saviors of any kind," Oaks added. "They were terrible tyrants, said to have brought cataclysmic destruction across the lands. Only by old age were any of them stopped at last."

I definitely felt stronger. Not destroy the fucking world strong. It wasn't as though my punches hit two harder than before. All I gained was the power to control the elements like Mildred and Loraine.

I went downstairs to Bogart's workshop where being greeted by a blast of hot air was the norm. The blacksmith was hammering away and only finally looked up when Tulip, the little dryad girl I rescued from Jinwa's black market, alerted her to my presence.

"Thanks, squirt." I fist bumped the dryad, who jumped back into a pool of water at the corner of the room to soak in.

"Oh, back so soon?" Bogart pulled the goggles off her face and tossed the hammer aside.

"Soon my ass. It's been a couple of weeks. Time just passes right fucking by for you, huh?

"Just weeks?" She gestured to the much more tidy workshop now furnished with many mannequins and racks displaying her finished stuff. "Old Bogart used to bang out twice this many. No shortage of work with how many members of the Cynderace Branch been recruiting. Anyway, what can I do ya for?"

"I need a long metal pole made of osinthanite. Maybe fifteen feet?" I said.

The blacksmith raised a sweaty brow. "Just a metal pole?"

"Just a metal pole." I nodded.

While Bogart was getting my commission of a long fucking pole, I paid Mildred a visit next. She wasn't in her workshop or at the counter, so I let myself into her room. The master enchanter was in front of a mirror, holding one outfit up to her with one hand and another in the other. A huge pile of clothing laid strewn all over the place and on top of the bed.

"The hell's going on here?" I asked.

"We have a summit. Dignitaries from all over Dysentia will be attending. I must also look my best for my betrothed. That whore in Grishant will be here, too. No doubt trying to swindle Kain from my hands," Mildred growled.

It looked like we all had our own problems.

"Well, what need do you have of me? Or perhaps you are here to borrow a dress for yourself? I'm not so sure any of my outfits will make you appear any less brutish," she teased.

"Was wondering if you know anyone who can make clothes. Lars ain't gonna cut it. They gotta be able to work with cloth," I said.

I wasn't going to hold it against Kaoru, but she really tore my jacket to shreds, so I needed a new one. In addition to that, I was hoping to get something else done, too.

"I am acquainted with a number of seamstresses and tailors. Though I assume you will want the best. Lars and I know one— his name is Jennick. I suppose I can spare time to take you there." Mildred tossed the two outfits in her hands away.

There was more to the artisan's district I wouldn't have known about without Milred showing me around. We passed through a seedier area where people worked out the window of their own homes. Others had their tools and workbenches out in the streets. We finally came to a shop with a needle and spool as the signpost. Inside, the most fashionable and gaudy clothes were displayed on mannequins for all to see.

Jennick, a balding old man with only a thin crown of white hair on his head, was sewing by hand a robe with intricate patterns and embroidery. Even though he glanced up to greet us, his fingers didn't miss a beat.

"Mildred. What am I in trouble for this time?" the tailor asked, squinting past his glasses.

"Why's that the first thing he asks?" I glared at Mildred.

"Just lucrative dealings, no worries." Mildred smiled, then led us up to the counter. "My companion here has a request."

I brought out what was left of my ripped up jacket. Someone could still make out the shape and how it used to look, but there wasn't a point to wearing something that came out of a woodchipper.

"To fix and sew up? Not a problem. The enchantments are busted. What did it get hit by? A god?" Jennick asked.

"Worse. The Empress of Jinwa," I said, causing him to choke on his spit. "Hoping you can patch it up with Jinwan crystal threads. Whatever it costs, I'll pay. I also need another thing done. Might be a little different from what you normally make."

"Go on." The tailor's hands stopped moving, and he leaned forward on the counter to listen.

"I want a huge fucking flag."