Chapter 16 - A step into the mud (1)

  My sisters and I were on our way to visit Cire when I noticed something on the mini map that seemed out of pce. Despite staring directly at the indicated location, there was no one there. Even using Observe revealed nothing, yet the map insisted someone was present.

  “Is there something there, brother?” Sakura inquired, her gaze fixed on the same spot.

  “Two,” my twin replied. Gncing back at her, I caught a faint glow in her eyes.

  The invisible presence could belong to the individual who remained undetected during our st encounter. She didn’t appear on the map, even though I possessed her card. On the other hand, it could be someone else entirely.

  “Same,” My twin answered the question again.

  ‘Seems you can hide from my system,’ I mused, eyes fixed on the map. Perhaps its effectiveness varies from person to person, or, more likely, the princess reaching one thousand has strengthened our bond. Now, not even her guard can conceal her presence from me.

  After some thought, I decided to call out to her.

  ‘Jeane,’ my twin offered, her voice resonating gently in my mind, just before her true name could escape my lips.

  I nearly smacked my forehead in realization. ‘Right, I'd forgotten she introduced herself with a pseudonym at our first meeting.’

  “Hey, Jeane, what brings you here? Lost again?” This time, I used the correct name.

  A girl materialized seemingly from nowhere, startling my two older sisters and eliciting appuse from Alice. My sisters hadn't met her before; during our st encounter, they had stayed out of sight, though I had since recounted everything to my family.

  [+4 Shadow 13 Affection points]

  I attempted to Observe the origin of the hearts, but again, my efforts were fruitless. This confirmed that she could indeed evade detection by my system. Consequently, it became apparent that my sister's array of abilities surpassed the capabilities of my own Observe.

  [Name: Grace Highnce Level: 35 Affection: 1000She is watching you while feeling sad. ]

  ‘That's curious. What could be making her sad, and how does it involve me?’ These thoughts swirled in my mind after seeing what my Observe ability revealed. She still had her hood up, concealing her face, and this time, she was deliberately hiding her eyes from me.

  “Hello, sir,” she greeted me, her tone noticeably more subdued than during our st encounter.

  “Hello, Jeane. We're on our way to visit another sister of ours. Would you like to join us?” At the implication, Jeane's cheeks tinged with color. Trying to figure out how I could discern her blush, without seeing her face, was giving me a headache.

  Angelica adeptly pretended as if everything was normal, subtly suggesting that Jeane might be a prospective member of our family. Meanwhile, Sakura, who was rubbing her eyes, attempted to reach for Jeane's hood in a bid to lower it, but Angelica swiftly stopped her with a smack.

  The term "sister" carried its own subtleties, akin to its usage in English. Outside of religious or familial contexts, referring to someone as a sister often implied a deeper connection, typically hinting at a shared marriage interest.

  “Hello, young miss, I am greatly indebted to your brother,” Grace stated in her characteristically formal manner. The response didn't sit well with Angelica, Sakura, and Alice. Alice and Sakura visibly expressed their displeasure, while a subtle twitch in Angelica’s smile betrayed her feelings.

  There seemed to be an underlying complexity to her words, a nuance that my automatic transtion was failing to capture. The air was charged, with both groups exchanging intense gazes.

  ‘Well this is acquired,’ I couldn't help but think, as my eyes shifted back and forth between her and my sisters.

  “Date starto!”

  “Really now?” I murmured, it seems the universe decided to have pity on you.

  “My finger got itchy…” came a soft voice, resonating within my thoughts.

  “Or not I guess,” I sighed, finding the interruption more amusing than bothersome, even though the loss of three Date points was a setback to my pns for the year. Miki had finally completed her tier six poison potion, and instead of acquiring cores as expected, she leveraged a favor to secure us tickets to a hot spring. This wasn't just any hot spring, but an exclusive retreat renowned for its benefits to personal growth, frequented by many powerful figures.

  [A date at a familiar alchemy shop.][Date target: “Jeane” AKA Grace]

  Come on let's get going, we don't want to leave her waiting.Wait for one side to breakLeave on your own[Social has triggered, adding an option.]

  4. There will be no more veiled conversations, is that clear?

  “I could just put my foot down and that would have worked?” I pondered aloud, after seeing the new green option materialize into existence below the others. “If only dealing with my ex had been that straightforward.”

  “There will be no more veiled conversations, is that clear?" I decred, my voice firm and audible, as I addressed the individuals in question.

  [-1 Affection points from everyone]

  ‘Wait, why did that give me a negative even though it was green?’ I somehow knew this was the stupid goddess's fault. The girls, for their part, offered no response, merely averting their gaze from one another.

  “You're welcome to join us; we're off to visit a friend,” I extended the invitation to Grace. She hesitated, stepping back slightly as I instinctively reached out to her. Reflecting on it, I realized I had grown too accustomed to initiating physical contact in this world. I believe st time, I instinctively reached out and took hold of her without much thought.

  “I am most grateful for your invitation,” Grace responded after a brief pause, her smile slightly uneasy yet genuine.

  Interpreting her response as affirmative, I withdrew my hand, and we resumed our walk. ”She works in an alchemy shop four blocks past Main Street,” I continued, leading the way to Cire's alchemy shop.

  “It would be fascinating to witness potions being brewed live,” Grace remarked, her voice betraying a hint of the excitement she'd shown during our st meeting.

  “They mainly specialize in powders,” Angelica chimed in.

  “That sounds even more intriguing. I've never encountered a powder before,” Grace replied. Gncing back, I noticed she was maintaining a somewhat awkward distance. Her behavior piqued my curiosity. Despite having the second highest affection rating, I realized I knew very little about her, and it was gnawing at me as we continued toward the shop under this atmosphere.

  “What a quaint shop,” Grace observed as we arrived at the small establishment. As usual, I led the group inside, opening the door for everyone.

  Upon our entrance, Cire immediately perked up to greet her patrons. “Welcome, how may I assist you today?”

  "It's just us. Still quiet around here?" Sakura chimed in, ceasing her disapproving gre back and approaching the counter with a bright smile.

  Recognizing us, Cire rexed, pushing her alchemy book aside as she leaned back against the counter. “Yeah, really could use a memory Blessing right about now. Who knew one pnt could have 10,000 combinations?”

  Her Blessing granted her considerable knowledge, but it had its limits. Engaging with higher-tier techniques through reading and study was a strategy to accelerate the enhancement of her Blessing. This approach also helped identify any gaps in her knowledge and uncover its scope. Despite two Blessings being named identically, they would never function in exactly the same manner.

  “Wasn't it 5,000 st time?” Sakura interjected, gathering our usual chairs from the side to bring them over.

  Cire exhaled dramatically, "Well, I didn't know then that there was a whole other book."

  “Hang in there; we're counting on you,” Angelica encouraged, extending her healing ability towards Cire, who managed a nod, looking momentarily disheartened at her counter before her attention shifted to Grace.

  “So who's the new sister?” Cire inquired, nodding towards Grace, who was browsing the shelves with interest.

  “Not everyone we come here with has to be a sister.” Angelica retorted, her words ced with subtlety that went untransted. I wouldn't have caught the nuance if not for Cire's quizzical eyebrow lift.

  “Ah ha. I hear some girls don't see the writing on the wall. Didn't expect you two to just let it go though,” she commented, casting a brief, evaluative gnce at my sisters before her attention returned to Grace.

  “Brother scolded us,” Sakura chimed in with a light ugh.

  Cire blinked, then shot me a curious look. “That's not something you see often. So we just let it go, until life smacks her in the face?”

  Given that everyone present was either directly aware of my abilities or, like Cire, had gleaned some understanding through my sisters' chatter, they seemed to treat the outcome as almost certain. Despite their conviction, I was still holding out hope.

  “Yep,” they collectively agreed, casting a final gnce at Grace before shifting their focus. We settled into our usual seats, with Yuno offering hers to Grace and opting to sit in my p instead. Grace, for her part, moved her chair slightly further from mine before taking a seat.

  “You won't believe what we encountered outside,” Sakura began, once we were comfortably arranged.

  “Some crazy monster?” Cire guessed.

  “No, a tier one girl was fighting a monster that must have been at least tier six.” Sakura shared, her excitement palpable.

  “No way, that's crazy,” Cire responded.

  “That must have been Elsa of house Ironfist. I am surprised that you do not know of her,“ Grace interjected, contributing to the conversation.

  “The most we hear about nobles is to be respectful and keep your son close.” Cire responded, her tone reflective.

  “There hasn't been any notable incident since the reign of the st queen,” Grace replied, her voice carrying a hint of defensiveness.

  “There hasn't been a man of note since then,” Angelica interjected, offering her perspective.

  Cire began to counter, “Even if t…” but stopped herself before completing her thought, causing the conversation to momentarily pause.

  An awkward silence then descended upon our group.

  So tell us about her and her house.Jeane wanted to see some alchemy.Which guy was kidnapped?The third option glowed in an ominous red, piquing my curiosity further. However, I chose prudence over curiosity and decided not to pursue it. “So tell us about her and her hause.”

  “Yes, House Ironfist is in charge of the military. The current generation is made up of 24 girls and is 7 generations deep,” Grace shared. “Elsa is the strongest member ever born. Her father hails from a small ogre tribe. She was granted a maid when she defeated a tier 4 general before adulthood.”

  They might have been astounded by this feat, had they not known I was capable of simir accomplishments. Grace seemed to realize this, adding, "You would all be amazed to see her in action. Actually, you might get the chance, I believe she is participating in this year's tournament.”

  “Why this year?” I inquired, curious about the timing.

  “The city has been successful in reestablishing many of our alliances. Elsa's participation is meant to demonstrate our potential contributions for the future, even if we're perceived as weak currently,” Grace expined with evident pride.

  “Who else is expected to attend?” I pressed for more details.

  “The valkyries, members of the esteemed Elven groves, a princess mia of the desert and representatives from the myriad minor tribes throughout the great forest,” Grace listed.

  “And what of the dwarves? They're the nearest to us,” I inquired further, my interest piqued. Dwarves have always been my favorite race in fantasy, and yet, I haven't encountered any in this world since my arrival.

  “We have established contact, but so far, the only agreement reached is permission for us to access the mountain regions,” Grace expined, her tone tinged with disappointment.

  “Hmmm, looks like there is a long way to go to clean up the previous queen's mess.” Angelica remarked, with a subtle jab that Grace didn't catch.

  “Yes, though we are slowly mending bridges,” Grace confirmed with a nod.

  “What did the old queen do?” I inquired, hoping to glean any insights from Grace.

  “Only the current queen knows the full story but it seems she had pns to take over all the other great nations. When the current queen found out, she personally syed her.” Grace shared, her voice carrying a note of pride when speaking of her mother. The simplicity of her expnation hinted at a more complex reality, yet her pride suggested she viewed her mother's actions positively, indicating she might be privy to more details.

  Reflecting on Grace's transparency, I couldn't help but wonder, ‘Is it ok for the next queen to be bad at lying? Wait, is she the next queen?’ Her openness had once again highlighted how easily her thoughts were interpreted.

  Will you be at the tournament?How did she get killed?How does the royal line even work?‘I'll have to ask my mom ter about how royalty works here, with the whole polygamy thing.’ It turns out, the structure is straightforward: the family's head is the queen. Should a new leader be designated, she assumes the queen's mantle. The rest of the family serves as advisors. The next generation, upon marriage, ascends to the queen's position, with all offspring marrying into the succeeding generation.

  “Will you be participating in the tournament?” I queried Grace.

  “I ck combat abilities, so even if I were to participate, I wouldn't progress far,” she responded, assessing her capabilities realistically.

  “What about your sisters?” I probed further.

  “I'm the eldest, and I don't have any younger sisters as of now,” Grace expined, her tone carrying a hint of pride, which Sakura seemed to echo with a nod. Seizing the uplifted mood, Sakura redirected the conversation towards the monster, eborating on the encounter with vivid detail.

  I drew Yuno closer, resting my chin atop her head as I observed the lively exchange among the girls. My gaze drifted towards Grace, a girl I've merely spent a few hours with over two encounters. Her ability to effortlessly reach an affinity of 1000 intrigued me; she and Yuno seemed to share little in common, yet both possessed a unique quality I couldn't pinpoint.

  ‘Thinking about it I wonder if my new skill would push her past 1000.’ I paused at my own thoughts, as I gnced at the skill “Charm her pants off.”

  [Charm her pants off - Do an action that will result in at least +1 Affection.]

  ‘Would that even be a good thing? If it did that would put her life in my hands. In a fucked up way that might be a good thing. If something ever happened to my family I could use it as a bargaining chip.’ These thoughts cross my mind as I observe her from the corner of my eye, pondering the potential for her to grow cold towards my sisters after today's events. My gaze eventually drifts back to Sakura, and I find myself watching her smile.

  I'm uncertain how long I simply sat there, observing, but eventually, I reached a decision and took action.

  As the skill activated, my actions unfolded with an involuntary precision. Sk?gul's card slipped into pce, and I harnessed an unknown force, enhancing my agility in a manner unfamiliar to both Sk?gul and myself. Effortlessly breaching the space guarded by her sentinel—who I now recognized as a barrier between us—I gracefully lifted the princess into my arms, my finger gently coaxing her chin to direct her gaze towards me.

  Her expression was one of utter surprise. “My little princess has been in quite the sour mood today. Concerned about the future??” I inquired softly.

  The astonishment on her face deepened, and I sensed her guard's startled reaction to my words. I found myself wishing I understood the full impact of what I had said.

  “Do you doubt your knight so much?” I continued, my voice calm and reassuring, even to my own ears.

  She gently shook her head while maintaining contact with my hand, her gaze locked on mine. The corner of my mouth curled into a smile that radiated warmth; in response, I could see her nipples stiffen and her breath quickening.

  Leaning in, my voice dropped to a whisper, my breath barely grazing her ear as I spoke. “All my little princess needs to do is pce her trust in her knight, and everything will be alright.”

  I could sense tremors running through her body as I pulled back marginally and tilted my head upwards until we were gazing directly at each other with only a sliver of space between us. Our faces were so near that our noses almost touched, an intimate proximity.

  Her gaze lingered in mine, reflecting a mixture of contentment and bliss. The corners of her mouth curled upwards as she exuded an air of rexation combined with satisfaction.

  [+15 Grace Affection points] [+23 Shadow 13 Affection points]

  As soon as I regained control of myself, I abruptly pulled away and she tumbled unceremoniously off her seat without any assistance. Mid-fall, she vanished completely, leaving only an oversized wet patch on her chair that dripped down onto the floor below.

  “Holy shit, is that what I can expect in the future?” Cire looked at me with eyes wide open, shock evident on her face.

  “No cursing, young dy!” her mom called out sternly from the back.

  I was left just standing there, wondering what the fuck just happened.

  [Date end]

  [You have gained Grace Highnce’s Spark.]

  [Achievement Unlocked - Turning the wheel - No effect.]

  [Achievement Unlocked - Eloquent Ecstasy - Make a girl cum with just your words - Gain +5 on all sexual rolls[Locked]]

  [Achievement Unlocked - Knight - Take one princess past 1000 Affection - Gain 1 tier worth of stats when an action involves a princess.]

  [All princess-reted buildings have been halved in cost.]

  [Your destined location has been used up.]

  [Achievement Unlocked - Fortune's Favor - Use up a destined location for the first time - +3 Luck.]

  [A tea set has been added to Tower 1 - Gain improved affection while visiting.]

  [Love nd - tier 1Buildings - Monster Ranch 1, Training Area 1, Arena 1Building queue - Training Area 2]

  [Liev Ekker - Level 17 Goddess points: 6,265Love points: 768,456Debt 1,331,096Stat points: 0

  Luck: 14 Charm: 5 Social: 2 Observe: 5

  Skills - Date a lottery 5/12, A date to remember [o], Show hidden secrets [x], Charm her pants off [x]

  Achievements - 27Achievements_Alice - 1

  Cards: 1_Yuno - 1899, 2_Sakura - 500, 3_Angelica - 500, 4_Alice 500, 5_Cire - 243, 6_Selen - 253, 7_Miki - 415, 8_Amelia - 425, 9_Anna - 237 10_Emma - 237 11_Sk?gul - 500, 12_Ellie - 139, 13_Lucy - 124, 14_Grace - 1015, 15_Shadow_13 - 136, 16_Izzy - 204 17_Lamya - 402]