In another world as my waifu #1: Brave New World and the Fallen Prince(ss)

And now we bring you some scenes from the recent “Meet & Greet” the members of the Knights of the Ever Burning Will and the Argento family had with our dear Paragon Maecenas~~!

 

Brought to you by none other than your favorite Goddess of Love, Nerinne~~.

---

The first one to arrive was an adorable demon maid disguised as a human. She was trying to suppress her excitement as she held the VIP ticket but…fufufu~~, it was quite clear for me.

As for who she wanted to meet the most, well…let me show you~~.

 

“So…Ayth, have you decided who you want to have fun with, I mean, meet? Fufufu~~.”

“Hehe…Sophie…I want Sophie! I mean…ahem…I want to meet Sophie. I want to take her on a veeeery wholesome date with lots of pampering and delicious teasin—snacks, I meant snacks.”

“Oh my~~! A fellow Sophie pampering enjoyer~~! I believe we’ll get along peeeeerfectly~~. I’ll go fetch her right away!”

 

It was such a nice experience to meet someone as passionate about pampering our dear Sophie~. Not only that, but the fact that she had been chosen made her make quite the funny expression~~.

 

“Sophieeeee! You’ve been chosen!”

“KEH?! M-ME?! Chosen?! Why?! By who?! Are they nuts?!”

“Fufufu~~don’t say that. You’re quite the adorable one, you’re just in denial. Now get up and let me dress you up!”

“Wa-wait! Don’t just take off my clothes like that! And I’m not adorable! Ahhhhh!!!”

 

Fufufu~~that was so good. But not as good as what came after that. Because, of course, this was an event to thank our dear supporters. So it was only fair for the one chosen to deliver our deepest thanks~. Even if said chosen one was blushing very much while holding the hems of her very fluttery and cute dress, fufufu~~.

 

“He-Hello, th-thank you for choosing me as the one you wanted to me-meet the most. I-I am Sophie…one of Master’s Maid-Knights. I-In the name of everyone here I thank you f-for all the contributions you have made to our cause and everyone here! Really, thank you very much Ayth!”

“Ahhh, so cute…ahem…don’t worry about it, I could help, so I helped as much as I could. Seeing you grow into the adora—strong maid that you are today was already enough of a reward. But I’m very glad that I’ll be able to spend the day with you. So relax and let’s have a fun day, shall we?”

“Kekeke…then I’ll take you up on your word! Just a question…when did you start carrying me like a princess?”

“…?”

“Stop looking at me like I questioned something that is common sense and normal!”

“D-Don’t worry about it.”

“Wh-Why are you drooling…?”

“…”

“Keh! Those eyes…I’ve seen those eyes before…they’re just like Ludovica’s and the Goddess!”

“…we’re going!”

“Wait…! Goddess! Who is this maid?! GODDEEEEEEEESSSS!!”

“Have fuuun~~.”

 

Truly, thank you so much for your support throughout the years, Ayth. From convincing the Director to open himself to contributions to rallying the many members of the community whenever something happened, you have done a lot for him and for us.

So, from the bottom of my heart…

 

Thank you.

---

Up next, we have…oh right, that happened. I don’t know what kind of shenanigans the Director pulled so that a shade of the past could attend this little get together but, in the end, she came. Scath, the Violet Death.

 

“This is clearly not my personal space, nor my castle. Huhu…interesting. Very, very interesting. Just like that ‘Director’ fellow said. Now…where is that cheeky Maecenas that dared to think they could take me on and teach me a few things about…domination?”

“…”

“Do you know…Goddess?”

“How did you…haaa…just wait right there. I’ll bring him to you. And don’t even think about going anywhere or I’ll be very, very angry. Understood?”

“Of course, huhu. I shall remain right here.”

 

She was confident and with no sign of her usual aloofness even when she knows she’s been time-displaced and bound with mysterious magic. I guess this whole thing was that entertaining for her.

She even recognized me when she wasn’t supposed to…

This would’ve turned out very badly if she and Celesia met. Thankfully, that didn’t happen. But that doesn’t make the act of bringing her to the present any less dangerous! I so want to put the Director in a cow maid outfit and make him moo until he cries just for doing it!

Ahem…anyways…as for the Maecenas who requested her, he was an incredibly tall human who carried himself with as much confidence as Violet Death herself, if you can believe me.

It was to the point that his gaze was already fixated on the dragon lord he had clearly been waiting to meet. He looked at her with eyes that were both provocative and daring.

That’s why I didn’t even need to ask him who he wanted to meet while I took his VIP ticket.

His name was…

 

“…Schoookie. If you can, teach her a lesson.”

 

He smiled a wide white smile. Taking the words ‘if you can’ as an extra challenge.

 

“Oh, I will. And Goddess, I’m expecting to meet a spider and a fox next time. So tell your dear to get on with exploring the world and finding them, yes?”

“Fufufu~~, I’ll be sure to pass your message to my dear. Look forward to the things that will lead to such meetings, you won’t want to miss even a second of it.”

“Heh. Good.”

 

At first, he might seem a bit arrogant, but I know very well that his stout and constant support of the Director and my family is very, very real. From the good times to the bad times, he has always been there. And because of that, I don’t mind relaying a message or two on his behalf.

To be honest, the Director wouldn’t even have one of his most crucial tools if it wasn’t for him, so he more than deserved the good time he was about to experience.

If he managed to wrest it from Scath that is.

 

“Hmm…uhuhu, I see, I see. It is you. Very well, let us see if you can truly take me on and teach me. If not, well…at least be entertaining enough, little lamb.”

“Oh, I will be more than that. Much, much more. You will see. Now, don’t you have something to tell me?”

“Those ‘thank you’ lines that were in the letter? Uhuhu, you will have to earn them.”

“Ha! I’m going to enjoy this.”

 

Of course, she wouldn’t say the lines. It would’ve been like admitting defeat right then and there. And that wouldn’t be fun for her, and him for that matter.

Thus, I just left him with her and let the Director’s magic take them to a more private place.

Still, thank you, Schoookie.

Thank you for sticking with the Director and us for all this time. Thank you for helping him when he was incredibly sick and in pain, when his tools broke down and needed to be replaced, and when he needed that little bit more to feed his family.

Truly…

Thank you.

---

You would think that with the power the Director wields more people would flock to him with the most absurd of choices, risking the very fabric of my dear, dear world.

Fortunately—for him—that was not the case. And that is not to say that the choices of any other Maecenas were bad, not at all. On the contrary, they were great.

This one, for example, is one I was looking forward to ever since this particular Maecenas crossed the portal into the castle.

 

“Awawawawawa! A-A Knight! An honest to goodness Knight!”

 

And I wasn’t the only one who thought like that. Fufufu—no, there was a certain white-haired maid who caught a glance of our armored supporter and immediately hid behind a pillar to sneakily admire him, just as she admires and reveres any and all things related to knighthood.

Fufu~~, it was to the point that she couldn’t help but let out such a cute murmur scream.

 

“Good day, Goddess. The Director told me that I was welcome to use this ticket to meet with someone here. Tis a reward I had no desire to ask for, as he knows that my support is one without any strings attached besides my wish to see more of your world. Yet…here I am.”

“Indeed. And do not worry, I am sure that the Director gave you that ticket as thanks for your support. So, please, use it to your heart’s content, Ser KnightRedundant~.”

“Thank you, Goddess. Then, I shall do so. May I meet with Kara?”

“Fufufu~~, of course. Wait here, I shall bring her to you.”

 

Ahhh, you can imagine my joy when he gave me his VIP ticket and asked to meet that very same maid.

I was so happy that I even pranced my way into the room where she was.

As for her reaction, it was priceless.

 

“Karaaaaa! Guess whose turn it is~~?

“M-Mine?! Wha…?! Bu-But…!”

“And it’s the Knight that arrived a few minutes ago! The one you were secretly looking at!”

“T-That’s…! Mi-Miss Nerinne saw me?! I…awawawa!”

 

See? Priceless. And the reaction inside her head even more so!

 

‘Di-did he also saw me ba-back then?! What am I going to-to do if he asks me what I was doing?! Awawawawa…wait! What if…? What if he is from the mysterious Knight Review Association Max told me?! C-Could it be that he came to review me?! D-Did I make some sort of mistake?! I thought I have been doing my best in battle and my duties here! But...but...what if my best was not enough? What if I'm not good enough and he stops supporting us?! What if he tells me I can’t call myself a knight?! Awawawawawaaaa! Wh-what am I going to do?!'

“There, there, Kara. Don’t overthink things and just focus on doing what is important today. Which is…?”

“G-Giving thanks to our supporters…?”

“Exactly! So just focus on that and everything will be alright~~.”

“Y-Yes! You are right, Miss Nerinne! Thank you!”

‘Wait…was Miss Nerinne reading my mind…? N-No way…right?’

 

Fufufu~~, she’s so cute, isn’t she? In any case, she didn’t have much time to ponder about that little detail since she soon arrived before a certain armored Maecenas.

 

“W-Welcome, I-I am Kara Orphea! I-I serve my Master, Auros Argento, as one of her esteemed Maid-Knights! It is a pleasure to meet one of our prime contributors! S-Ser Knight!”

 

At first our dear Kara was still somewhat nervous. I suppose that Ser KnightRedundant’s appearance might have been too dazzling for her, and I can see why. The armor he was wearing was nowhere near shining or unblemished, instead it was well worn and had plenty of signs of battle.

Signs of his storied knighthood and steadfast support.

Such things not only gave Kara pause, but they also made her feel a lot of respect for the one in front of her. And that only deepened her nervousness.

 

“I-I…t-thank…”

 

Meanwhile, Ser KnightRedundant couldn’t help but feel tempted to give her a headpat to ease her nerves. Yet he didn't do it because doing so would tell Kara that he saw her as an adorable young woman first and a knight second, and that would hurt her.

Knight respected Kara as a knight. Thus, he reached for a handshake. One firm and full of respect.

 

“The pleasure is mine, Knight Kara. You might not understand this completely, but you could say that I have seen many of your battles. Those that passed and those that may come to pass. And I wanted to tell you one thing. You are a Knight worthy of the title.”

“…!”

 

When Ser KnightRedundant showed her that respect to her, when he told her such heartfelt words, she couldn’t help but be shocked and happy.

Even if she couldn’t fully understand part of what he said.

Still, she was able to properly deliver her thanks, our thanks, with a smile.  

 

“Thank you, Ser KnightRedundant. Thank you for the stout and steadfast support you have delivered not only to us, but the Director. Thank you for your honesty and advice that has nurtured his work and in turn nurtured us, nurtured me…

“Thank you for being there from the beginning and never doubting the Director and his commitment to our cause. Truly, thank you, Ser Knight. I shall strive to keep being worthy of your respect! No matter the time!”

 

There’s nothing else to say but one thing. From the bottom of my heart…

Thank you.

---

Fufufu~~, I know I haven’t even gotten to show you half of the wonderful meetings that took place in this event, but it’s such a nice thing to be a part of, you know.

Take the one that I’m about to show you for example.

This Maecenas in particular was one I had been wanting to meet since quite a while, so I couldn’t hold myself back and hugged them right when they came out of the portal!

 

“…?!”

“Teresa! You made it!”

“…??!!”

“You have no idea how much I wanted to meet you!!”

“…????!!!!”

 

She was surprised—if a bit shocked—by that kind of welcome, I admit. But, BUT, I just couldn’t help myself, OK? Not only does she share a name with one of my best of friends, but she’s been Ilya’s Protector for a while now! Not to mention that she also became Celesia’s Protector the moment she came into the picture!

How can I not be happy when I finally get to meet her?

Of course, that doesn't mean that I forgot about my role in the Meet & Greet, not at all!

 

“The girls will be so happy when they see you! They’re playing in the garden right now! Let’s go!”

“I…erm…ye-yes. Let’s. I too want to meet them. I’ve been wanting to for years.”

“Fufufu~~, leave it to me. We’ll be with them in no time!”

 

See? This Goddess of Love takes her responsibilities very seriously! And with how Teresa shook off her surprise and showed me just how genuine her wish was, I had even more reason to take said responsibilities very seriously!

When we arrived at the garden, things went just as expected. Adorably.

 

“Muahaha! You can’t catch me, Big Sis! You can’t catch me!”

“Hihi…Ilya will…?”

“Huh? What is it, Big Sis?”  

“…! Big Sis…Teresa! She…came!”

“Big Sis Teresa? …!! Big Sis Teresa!!”

 

Very, very adorably. So much so that my heart started to melt the second they realized who was beside me and their eyes began to beam with pure joy, let alone their smiles. Ilya even raised her voice, which is very rare.

 

“They really…they really…”

“…know you? Of course, they do. You have been looking after them for years now. Protecting them from beyond the tapestry of worlds, the Director’s plane of existence.”

“I…just want to see them be happy. That has been my wish from the beginning.”

“I know. And they know too.”

“But…how?”

“Fufufu~~, while I don’t want to ‘brag’, as people from my dear’s world say, my daughters are quite talented, you know.  Their ‘eyes’, while different in origin, let them see things other people can’t. Even if it’s just in flashes. The same can be said for their other senses. Thus, it was easy for them to see and hear from you from time to time. Add that to their incredible curiosity and, well, you can guess the rest from there.”

“I see…I’m…that makes me happy.”

 

As for Teresa, she was just like them, overcome with emotions. So much so that she couldn’t move. But that was alright, my daughters were already happily running towards us anyways.

 

“Big Sis Teresa…Ilya is so happy to see you…so happy…”

“Me too, Big Sis Teresa! Me too! Do you want to play with us? Do you want to?”

“I…”

“Fufu~~, go Teresa. You’ve more than earned it.”

“Thank you.”

“No, thank you.”

 

There was nothing more to say then, at least not for me. Instead, I just happily watched as my dear daughters grabbed Teresa’s hands and took her where they had been playing. There they played plenty of games together, from hide and seek, to tag, and many more.

They even drew together and painted each other’s faces. They had so much fun together that their smiles never disappeared from their faces. And when they were in the middle of a little tea party, my daughters did something that went perfectly with the reason for this event.

 

“Big Sis Teresa…”

“Yes, Ilya?”

“Thank you…for protecting Ilya and my…little sis...”

“And! And! Papa said that this place wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t helped the Director! So! So! Thank you for helping the Director and Papa!”

“Unn…! Thank you for…helping Ilya’s big, biiiiiiig family. Ilya wishes that you will…always be happy…”

“And I wish for you to come to play with us again! Again!”

“Unn…Ilya too…”

“That’s why!”

“That’s why…”

““Hug!””

 

They thanked her. Not only that, but they also gave her a biiiig hug. One filled to the brim with their gratefulness and their desire to show her how they feel. How we all feel. Thank you, Teresa. From the bottom of our heart…

Thank you.

---

This next meeting that I’m about to show you starts from a different point than the others. It starts in the castle’s smithy rather than the event hall where the rest of the Maecenas were.

There, the sounds of hammering could be heard. But unlike other times, such hammering didn’t carry the usual confidence born from experience that the master of the smithy had. Almost as if the hammering sounds didn’t belong to someone learned, but someone learning.

 

“Come on! Ye can do better than that! Where’s the excitement ye had when we were designing this child? Don’t worry, she won’t break! Strengthen yer grip and pour yer heart into the hammer!”

“Like this?”

*CLANG*

“Aye! Just like that! I knew ye could do it! Now, keep hammering while paying attention to her. She’ll tell ya where to hammer next, go it?”

“Got it!”

 

And would you look at that, those sounds did belong to someone who was learning. Not only that, but they were learning from this castle’s best blacksmith! Our dear, dear Roxxy!

 

“Yer doing great! Keep at it and I’ll start thinking that this ain’t yer first time in a smithy!”

“Ahaha, it really is. I’m just lucky that the Director introduced me to a great teacher.”

“Ha! Oh stop ye! Flattering me ass will get ye nowhere, hehe!”

“I mean it though. You’re a good teacher, Roxxy.”

 

Meanwhile, the man who was her newest apprentice showed an incredible desire to learn as much as he could from Roxxy, whom he clearly respected.

It was to the point that his skull mask couldn’t hide the fact that his eyes were brimming with those two emotions.

 

“Hey, don’t sell yerself short, eh. Ye’re willing to learn and put in the work! Ye didn’t even back down when I gave ye reign of the bellows, no matter how hot things were getting. Ya wanna know what all that means? It means this: ye’re a good apprentice, Hollow.”

“…thank you.”

“Hehe, ye’re welcome.”

 

His name was Lord Hollow, and he was one of the Director’s oldest supporters, let alone Maecenas.

To say that he was one of the first members of the Director’s community wouldn’t be an exaggeration. He was also one of the first to reach out to the Director when everything began to fall apart. When he began to fall apart.

It’s no wonder that he personally appeared before Roxxy to ask her if she could teach Lord Hollow.

And of course, our dear blacksmith maid accepted immediately. After all, teaching others her craft was her pride and joy.

Every lesson taught, every moment spent, every mistake fixed and learned from, every strike of the hammer followed by a growing confidence, they all brought a beautiful smile to her face and brought great joy to her heart.

And the more their little project took shape, the greater said joy became.

 

“Heh, here comes the fun part! Brace yourself, Hollow!”

“What?”

*FWOSH*

“…?!”

“That pressure yer feeling now is this halberd’s magic blooming! It’s spreading to all directions because it’s just like a babe! It doesn’t know where it needs to go without guidance!  That’s yer job! Take this mithril hammer and guide the magic properly! Teach it to permeate its body rather than escape it!”

“And how do I that?!”

“Ha! How else? By hammering the magic! Now, grab the hammer and do it!”

“Got it!”

*CLANG-CLANG-CLANG*

“Yes! Yes! Just like that! Keep at it, Hollow! Don’t let up now!”

“Yes!”

 

All in all, the experience ended up being as much of a gift to her as it was for Lord Hollow.

Of course, we cannot forget the purpose of all this.

Gratitude. Both the Director’s and ours.

Thankfully, I didn’t need to worry about that at all.

That’s just how dependable Roxxy is.

 

“Keep hammering while ye listen, alright?”

“Ok?”

“That Director dude…he told me everything ye did for him, for us. Ye were there when things started. Ye were there as one of the first to reach out and help forge the foundations of the community that keeps him going. Ye were there when things began to go wrong and never left. Aye, life took some turns and the way of your support changed, but it never stopped. Ye have never stopped. Ye’re here.”

“That’s…I didn’t do that much. I just did what I could.”

“Selling yerself short again, huh? Well, not on my watch! Ye did a lot and ye should be proud of it! That is to say, thank ye, Hollow. Ye’re not just a good apprentice, but a good friend too. And I hope ye can still be there for him, for us, in the future.”

“I…I’ll try.”

“Ha! Good enough! Now keep hammering! We have a magical halberd to produce, and we still need to do more work on the handle!”

“Hahaha…yeah!”

 

Oh dear, now that I think about it, it feels as if I was left on the side when it came to this meeting. Then again, I can just say it here, right?

As such, just like Roxxy said from the bottom of her burning heart, thank you, Lord Hollow. Truly. Deeply.

Thank you.

---

Let me tell you something, dear viewers. I am very thankful with the Director for organizing this event for the Maecenas and the girls, all of them. It was a nice change of pace for them after everything that happened these couple of months. Specially with what is to come…

As for me, I had a lot of fun running around the castle setting up these wonderful meetings and following up on them, which let me catch some great teasing material and more than a couple of very wholesome scenes~~.

All in all, I had a great a meal, fufufu~~.

And the meeting I’m about to show you is one of those that fed me with both teasing material and wholesome scenes! Mhm!

Without further ado, let me tell you all about it.

 

“…eh? Wait, why do I have fox ears?! A tail too?! And why do I look like a fox version of my avatar?! That Director…he never told me anything about this!!”

 

Fufufu~~, yes. Let me tell you all about the Maecenas who appeared from the portal and was surprised by their adorably foxy appearance…

 

“My, my, there is no need to be so surprised, dear Maecenas. Why, it is only fair for us to match if we are to pass some time together today. Don’t you agree?”

“…!”

 

…and the proud foxy maid they picked to meet. Gabrielle. Yes, that means she too sported fox ears and a fluffy tail, just like the starstruck Maecenas before her. Although, hers were blonde like her hair and her maid outfit remained, but that is not to say that it looked the same! No sir!

I, the very best tailor in the castle when it comes to maid outfits, transformed it into one inspired by the fashion of the Sanjo Lordship to ensure the ‘miko maid’ feel our dear Maecenas might have been expecting!

And yes! Your eyes are not deceiving you! Those ears and tails are moving!

That is to say, this was a Cosplay Meet & Greet taken to the next level by the Godly powers of yours truly!

In any case, with Gabrielle there to receive them, there was no need for me to take their ticket and instead I just watched Gabrielle take them to a certain place.

How? Fufufu~~, how else?

 

“Now, shall we go? I have a place I want to show you as a token of my appreciation.”

“…! I…is it really fine to hold your h-hand?”

“Ohoho, why, but of course.”

“…!”

“My, do not worry about it and let us be on our way. I promise that it will be worth it.”

“A-Alright! Got it!

 

She did so by confidently taking their hand and showing a charming, yet reassuring smile that melted any hesitation. Although, more than that, I think our dear Maecenas was too enchanted by Gabrielle’s appearance as a fox-kin than anything else, fufufu~~.

As for where she was taking them, I don’t want to ruin the surprise, so I’ll just say that she took them to the best place for her to show her gratitude.

 

“When that Director person and Miss Nerinne told us about this event and its significance, I thought long and hard as to how I could show my gratitude properly. Why, I could not just dress up like this and go ‘kon-kon’ like Miss Nerinne and Auros told me. It did not feel right.”

“That’s…to be honest…just spending time like this and having some light fun with these costumes(?) would have been enough for me. You really don’t have to do more, Gabrielle.”

“Oh me, oh my, but I want to? After all, I am not a woman who likes to stay within expectations. I like to defy them, to go beyond them. Isn’t that one of the reasons why I caught your eye? Then again, I may be overthinking things. Perhaps you really, really just wanted to see me as a fox kin. I wonder.”

“…”

“Ohohoho, no need to be embarrassed. Either way, I am having fun and I really wanted to show you this place.”

“This is…what is this place? It’s massive…”

“It is the new medical wing of the Castle of the Ever-Burning Will. A place that wouldn’t have been possible without your support.”

 

There it is. Doesn’t that sound as the best place for her to show her gratitude?

 

“It is still under ‘construction’ but…these beds, these tools, these materials, these medicines, everything. None of it would be here without your continuous support. We wouldn’t have reached this point either. The fact that we will be able to help so many people in so many ways besides combat is something that I, Gabrielle Eryn, cannot thank you enough for. This, all of this, is the difference your support has made.”

“I’m so happy that it’s making this much of a difference…”

“It is. And it will continue to do so, no matter the form your support takes. That is why…thank you, AnimeFreak. Truly, thank you.”

“You are welcome, hehe. I can’t wait to see what comes next for all of you, to see all of you grow more and explore the world.”

“You will. I promise.”

 

Fufufu~~, didn’t I tell you? This meeting was quite the fulfilling meal.  But it’s not over yet~.

 

 “Now, come here. I shall groom your tail as a service.”

“Wait what…?”

“Ohoho, don’t worry, I already groomed mine and it was quite pleasant.”

“Waitwaitwait my heart is not ready! Wai—ohhhhhh???”

 

Now that’s a delicious expression~~. Still, I too am very thankful to you, AnimeFreak. I cannot act in the way I would like to, as I am bound by divine law not to interfere with my world in such ways.

There are so many lives I would like to save, but I can’t. So, every chance to save even one more person means the world to me. For that and more…

Thank you.

---

Up until now we’ve seen our dear Maecenas meet with Maids who are, for the most part, very good at socializing. But what happens when that is not the case?

 

“Lucaaaa! Where are you, dearie~~?”

“…”

 

What happens when the maid in question is quite shy and can’t handle social gatherings unless they’re mostly filled with people that she has stablished a connection with? 

 

“Please come out, Lucaaa! You’re going to do fine! There’s no way that you’re going to ruin it and disappoint us! Please, don’t think like that.”

“…!!”

*poof*

“Ah. Saying her thoughts out loud only ended up adding embarrassment to her list of reasons to run away from me and hide. Good one, Nerinne, you dummy…”

 

Well, you get a Goddess trying, and failing, to find said Maid in the countless halls of the castle and bring her to the Maecenas who wished to meet her. I know what you’re thinking, dear viewers. ‘Isn’t she a real Goddess? Why didn’t she use her powers to teleport her?’ I didn’t because I don’t like using my powers that way, it’s not nice and it doesn’t solve the real problem.

That can only be solved with a certain form of love, empathy.

 

“Luca…I’m sorry for saying your thoughts out loud. I didn’t mean to expose your worries like that…”

“…”

“I know it’s hard for you. I know that your senses are constantly telling you about all these new presences that keep coming into the castle and how it all starts blending into a deafening hiss. It’s all so overwhelming, isn’t? Being what I am I understand it too well…”

“…you…too?”

“Of course. I love this world, so I need to watch over it. All of it. At all times. And sometimes…sometimes it is very overwhelming. But just like you, I try to give my best. And that’s why you’re so worried, right? You feel like you can’t here, even if you want to give your best like you do with everything else.”

“…yes…I…want to but…the…others…better than me…at talking…relating. My…way of…expressing…thanking…would be…lacking…disappointing. I’m…no good.”

“Not at all, Luca. You are more than enough. I promise. After all, the Maecenas wants to meet you. And not just because you’re cute, but because you’re you. So, there’s no way that they’d be disappointed with you. Nor any of us for that matter.”

“…! Really…? A-Also…I’m not…c-cute…”

“Really~! And yes, you are~~.”

“Hn…alright…I’ll try…best.”

“That’s our Luca~.”

 

See? Divine powers weren’t the ones that made our cute Luca come out from my shadow—surprisingly—but empathy and a genuine desire to see her little smile.

Shortly after that we arrived at the event hall where you can bet that Luca made good on her word. But there’s no need for me to tell you when I can show you.

 

“Welcome. I am…sorry for…keeping you waiting, esteemed…Maecenas. I am…Luca…and I serve…Master Auros as…one of her Maid Knights. My…rank is…Paragon and…I lead the…scouts. It is a…pleasure to…meet you.”

“…”

‘She looks so nervous and worried. Could it be that she thinks I’m offended for the wait? But that’s not the case at all! I’m not offended! Meeting you made every second worth it, Luca!! I want to tell her that, but I can’t! I feel that if I say something, anything, she might not be able to continue talking and she’s trying so hard! Ahhhh!! You can do it, Luca! You can do it! Don’t worry about me!’

 

She was doing it. No matter if she was aiding herself by reading things off the little piece of paper she was holding tightly in her hands. It was clear that she was trying her best. Even the Maecenas, who remained silent, was cheering for her inside their head, and pretty loudly at that, fufu~~.

 

“I…thank you for…helping all of us…with your support, esteemed…Maecenas. I was told that…that…”

“…?”

“…no good…”

‘Ahhhhhh! Nononono! You’re fine, Luca! Don’t look so sad! What should I do?! What should I do?!   That moo moo Director will tell everyone that I made cute Luca sad if he sees her like this!’

 

That poor Maecenas’ reaction was quite understandable if you ask me. Seeing Luca stopping like that while looking down would make anyone assume the worst. Fortunately, that was not it. Rather…it was a prelude for the opposite.

Her best.

 

“No good…”

‘I need to say something…!’

“Luca..erm…”

“That is…why…!”

“—?!”

‘Sh-She…’

“That…is why…! Nnnn…!”

‘She’s holding my hand with both of hers?! And that intense expression…! She really wants to say something!’

“Come…”

‘Come…!!’

“…with me…!”

‘…with her?!!!’

 

And so, without giving them any time to reply, she took her accompanying Maecenas to the place where she could express her gratitude best. A certain clearing deep within the woods of the forest area, a place right outside her dear treehouse.

 

“This is…woah…”

“Here…it’s...my refuge. Here…I can…do it. Ade…”

“…!”

‘She said my name…!’

“I may…not be…very good when talking but…I want you…to know…this. Your support…it is like this forest to me…it nurtures us…makes us feel safe…and lets us keep going…keep growing.”

“…”

‘The Director does go on and on about thanking us. I shouldn’t be surprised that Luca and the rest feel as deeply thankful as him. Still…I’m glad to be of help.’

“During…the time you…have been supporting us…and the Director…many storms came…and hit us. But you always…always…helped us weather them. One after the other…you helped us. And not just…with your support as…a Maecenas…but also through…your friendship with the…Director…”

“…”

“Your…humor would…light his days like…the sun lights this clearing…and your friendship fills…the place where he interacts with all of you…with warmth. That is why…thank you, Ade. Thank you for everything.”

“No problem, Luca. If it’s for you, I’ll keep doing everything I do! I swear!”

“…!! Tha-that’s…! Te-Teasing me…is…no good…ok…?”

“…!!!”

‘SO CUTE!!’

 

Ah. I’m dead. Blushing Luca is too much. She is just too cute. So thank you very much for that and more, Ade. Really.

Thank you.

---

Up until now each Maecenas we’ve met has been plenty unique and wonderful. From their picks of who they want to meet and the hows, to their reactions towards their words of thanks.

And I’ve loved meeting every single one of them.

Until now…

You see…amm…I really thought that every Maecenas was going to be a sweetheart from beginning to end, but…and I don’t like saying this…

But there was an exception. A very big. Very annoying. Exception.

I would even dare to say that they were the most irritating Maecenas I met in this whole event. So let’s just get on with it by showing you how he greeted me!

“E-Excuse me? C-Cow? Who? Wha…?”

 

To be honest, I was so shocked that I didn’t even know how to respond. I mean…just who would arrive at someone else’s home and gift them an adorably knitted scarf with that kind of message on it?! That’s just baffling and mean! It doesn’t matter if the recipient is a Goddess or not! Yet this Maecenas did it!

And their adorable form made it even more shocking! They were like a giant, living version of my dear Celesia’s spider knight Uma plushie! Complete with the cute round eyes and the adorable tiny knight helmet on top of their head! When they arrived, they even raised one of their legs to greet me in what looked like a friendly way before giving me the scarf…

And yet…and yet…

“O-Of course! Here, let me guide you, dear Maecenas—AS IF! WHY ARE YOU BEING SUCH A MEANIE TO ME?! WHAT DID I DO TO YOU?! WHY DO YOU WANT TO MEET CELESIA?! AND WHY ARE YOU SO GOOD AND QUICK AT KNITTING THESE THINGS?!”

“Fufufu…you…”

 

AND YET HE DID IT AGAIN WITH ANOTHER SCARF AND A COMFY BLANKET! Honestly, I was about to thoroughly tease that meanie spider until he apologized but then…

 

“Mother! Mother! Big Sis Lyra told me that there’s a big spider here! Big! Is it true?! Is it—?! AHH! IT IS! IT IS!”

“Wa-wait Celesia, he is—"

“IT’S SPIDER KNIGHT UMAAAA! SPIDER KNIGHT UMA! HE’S HERE!”

“No he—”

“Did you come to see me?! Did you?! Did you?!”

“*arachnods*”

“You did?! You did?!”

“Dearie, please, just let Mother—”

“Then let’s go play in the forest! The forest!”

“*arachnods*”

“Dearie, I don’t think that’s a good idea…”

“But Mother, Spider Knight Uma came to see me…he even made this princess cape for me right now! Right now…! It’s so pretty! Pretty! Why won’t you let us play? Why?”

“That’s…”

 

Then Celesia arrived and made things complicated. I didn’t want to break my daughter’s heart by revealing that meanie spider’s true nature and ruining the image of the Spider Knight she read about. Specially after that spider not only head patted Celesia, but also made her an adorable cape to boot! But I just couldn’t leave my daughter with someone like him!

No sane mother would! Regardless of the Director vouching for them!

This was when, perhaps sensing this, the spider finally talked. Or more like, it made his thoughts known to me.

 

‘Oi. Goddess. There’s a misunderstanding here, so I’ll explain. I wouldn’t, ever, EVER hurt Celesia in any way. Much less hurt her development by badly influencing her. In fact, the very reason I’m here as a Maecenas of that Cow Director is BECAUSE I wish nothing but happiness for Celesia. I want her to grow in a safe place where she can laugh and sleep soundly. A place where she is loved. All of this also applies to her sister. So, if there’s a thing that you can trust more than my dislike of you is this: I will never, EVER, EVER let any harm get close to Celesia. Even if that means killing the cow. Capisce?’

‘…I hate that I can’t feel nothing but the truth from that wall of text of a thought…’

‘Of course. My desire to protect Celesia is as truthful and intense as my dislike of you.’

‘You didn’t have to say that last part again…’

‘I know.’

 

I know I shouldn’t say this about an esteemed Maecenas who has supported us but…I REALLY DON’T LIKE HIM! AND NOT BECAUSE HE DOESN’T LIKE ME, BUT BECAUSE HOW HE IS ABOUT IT!! IT’S SO IRRITATING!! MOU…!!

Still…he spoke the truth. And I hate to it, but I couldn’t see him acting in any way that would harm Celesia. So…so…

 

“Mother…can’t we go play? Really?”

“Sigh…you can.”

“Yes! Thank you, Mother! Ah! I mean, not that I wanted to thank you or anything, Mother! Nu!”

 “Fufufu~~, just do as always and don’t leave Big Sis Lyra’s sight, ok?”

“Mhm! Mhm! Let’s go Sir Uma! Let’s go!”

“*arachnods*”

 

With that, they left to the forest area to play while I watched over them with my powers—that’s what I’d like to say, but that spider couldn’t leave without giving me one last blanket.

“Fufufu…this little…”

 

I swear if he wasn’t a Maecenas, I would’ve…I would’ve…!!! Ah! Sorry! I guess just relating this to you is making my emotions run a bit wild. How about we just focus on them playing instead? Yes, let’s do that.

They played a lot. That spider put Celesia on his back and took her on a web swinging spree while never forgetting about her safety. After that, he made a comfy swing for her and softly pushed her with his legs. Then he used his webs to make a trampoline for her and jumped around with her a lot.

They even had a tea party with the rest of Celesia’s plushies…

It was all…wholesome..safe…fun. There was nothing I could complain about even if I found him irritating…

And in the end, my dear daughter had nothing but a big smile on her face while thanking that spider.

“Thank you, Sir Uma! Thank you!!”

Just like that…haaa…I STILL DON’T LIKE YOU! BUT THANKS ANYWAYS!

---

Ahem! With that irritating arachnid out of the way, we can once again focus on more pleasant Maecenas and their meetings with the ones they pick~.

Yes~, let’s do that. As such, let me see who’s next on my little list of recordings that I’m yet to show you.

Ah! It’s this one! Fufufu~, you could even say it’s somewhat of a fitting follow up since Celesia came before this one.

After all, besides me and my dear, that person is just as important to her.

But that’s enough of a hint for the pick, let’s talk about the Maecenas who made that choice.

 

“Pan—ahem…the Director was right. Crossing the portal feels somewhat…strange? Wait…why do I sound like this? Why do I LOOK like this??? Oh, my back doesn’t hurt! That’s nice!”

 

I was told in advance that this Maecenas wished for a nice Cosplay Meet & Greet too, so I used my power to provide the best kind of cosplay service right out of the gate! And quite literally, if I might add, fufufu~.

Thus, they came out of the portal looking like their avatar from a certain game. In this case, that meant that our dear Maecenas looked like a short-haired cat girl with daring eyes, a confident smile, and a valiant attire! All perfect features for a game’s protagonist!

 

“Welcome, esteemed Maecenas! I apologize for the sudden transformation, but I was told to do so by the Director. I hope everything feels alright.”

“It’s fine. I was a surprised for a moment, but as I’ve told the Director countless times about countless things, it’s nothing to be sorry about. In any case, thank you for the welcome, Goddess. I believe I need to give you this ticket, right?”

“Fufufu~~, that’s right. Please, wait here while I bring her to—”

“That will not be necessary, Miss Nerinne. I am here.”

 

Truly, what a pleasant Maecenas. I only got to exchange a few words with them before our dear Ere arrived, but it was clear that they were another sweetheart. Even more so because I could see how much they cared about the Director and their mental wellbeing when they mentioned him. Fufufu~, I’m glad that he is surrounded by such people.

 

“While Miss Nerinne may have already done it, I bid you welcome to the Castle of the Ever-Burning Will esteemed Maecenas. I am Erevain vi Kyrie, and I serve my Lord Auros as her right-hand woman and Head Maid-Knight, charged with overseeing all of the Order’s matters as well as other things. It is my pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“The pleasure is all mine. You can call me Maddex or Maddy as the Director calls me.”

“Very well. Thank you for coming, Maddy. Truly.”

 

As for our dear Erevain, she was as regal and gorgeous as always, BUT there was something missing on her as she bowed and introduced herself. Just keep watching and you’ll see.

 

“Your continuous support in many a thing has not only helped the Director through days filled with stormy skies, but also days where everything seems meaningless. You are, like many others here, a pillar of the community that lifts him up and helps him go on. And through that you have helped us, helped me, go on too. For without your support, I would certainly not be feeling the joy I feel every day since my life became connected with My Lord’s. Your help keeps our journey moving, it keeps bringing new joys to our lives, it keeps testing us, it keeps us…alive. For that and more…thank you.”

“No problem. I just do what I can to help.”

“That is more than enough.”

“Ahem…I’m sorry to interrupt Erevain dear, but…you forgot about something, fufu~.”

“Hm? Whatever do you mean, Miss Nerinne?”

“Your costume~.”

“…!! T-That’s…! How did I forget…?! I-I apologize! I shall be back in a moment!”

“It’s alright, take your time. Heh.”

“Fufufu~~.”

 

That’s right! What she was missing all this time was her costume! She came and even said her words of thanks in her normal uniform instead of the cosplay I made for her!

I suppose she focused a bit too much on the giving thanks side of things and forgot about it. Still, the expression she made after I told her about it was just…adorable! Even more so as she left in a hurry! You could even call it a kind of fanservice since seeing the embarrassed side of Erevain is always such a treat!

And the Maecenas seemed to agree since they were amused by the whole thing as well. So, no problem there.

In any case, it really took just a moment for Erevain to come back in the white and grey cosplay that I made for her.

 

“I apologize for the wait. I am back. How do I look?”

“Perfect. I was right to tell the Director about it.”

“I agree with our esteemed Maecenas here. You look gorgeous, Erevain. It fits you perfectly~~.”

“Thank you both.”

 

Indeed, she looked gorgeous. And I don’t say that just because I made the cosplay itself. Our dear Maecenas, Maddy, also gets credit for coordinating such outfit!

In any case, it was time for the little surprise that the Director had planned for their friend, and Erevain knew it. How? Because she probably read the Director’s missive while changing into the cosplay, of course. Thus…

 

“Now…Maddy, please come to my side.”

“Huh? Alright.”

“Thank you. Miss Nerinne, please transport us to the location of today’s entertainment.”

“Wait what?”

“Fufufu~~, don’t worry. It’s just a little surprise from the director! They called it a ‘treasure dungeon’ or something like that.”

“Wait! But I don’t know how to fight!”

“Don’t worry, I imbued your transformation with powers like the game! Just imagine yourself doing the same stuff and you’ll do it! In any case, have fun you two!”

“Wai—!”

*FWOOOSH*

 

Thus, Erevain did what she needed to do to ensure that our esteemed Maecenas didn’t lose their balance coming out of that surprise teleport. One that I totally did without any other reason besides the Director asking me to do so.

Mhm~.

I totally didn’t want to see their reaction too. Not at all~.

Either way, their afternoon was spent in a very pleasant and colorful dungeon, filled with fun puzzles and monster roulettes that gave out incredible treasures with every monster summoned!

Of course, our dear Maecenas was never in any real danger. After all, they had Erevain with them and she wouldn’t let anything get past her and her shield!

All in all, I hope you had lots and lots of fun, esteemed Maddy. For you have given the Director that and much, much more. That is why, from the bottom of the hearts of me and mine…

Thank you.

---

Fufufuhaha…oh dear, this next meeting I’m about to show you is a fun one. When the Director first told me of this coming Maecenas, I was baffled. What kind of person just refuses to know what they’re supporting and calls it cringe time and time again?

To be honest, I was somewhat annoyed at that too. After all, in a way, she was calling us and our journey cringe.

But then, as the Director told me more about her and what she’s done to him, I couldn’t help but feel a certain sense of camaraderie with her.

Yes~, it was a sense of camaraderie that I felt once before with another Maecenas. The Maecenas who went on a teasing play date, I mean, a wholesome play date with Sophie.

In short, they were another teasing enjoyer.

And I just can’t get mad at someone like that~.

Specially after hearing the Director vent about how she made them moo, fufufufu~.

Just remembering his face of frustration and annoyance puts a smile on my face and almost makes us even for him sending that irritating arachnid.

In any case, I was so looking forward to her arrival and she did not disappoint.

She came out of the portal in the form of a small, almost Chibi-fied, kitsune with plenty of tails and a smug smile.

 

“Heh.”

“Fufufu~.”

 

When we locked eyes, I saw it. Her honest and very respectable desire. She had come to thoroughly tease whoever she had chosen. And then she came to me and handed me her ticket.

 

“One cringe Pervros to tease, please.”

“Fufufu~~what a fine choice to tease. I’ll be back with her in a moment.”

“Mhm. I’ll wait.”

The funny nickname. Her overall tone when referring to my dear. It all made it seem as if she knew her. And knew her well at that. But surprisingly, that was not the case.

Rather…things were just as the Director explained to me. It was all a misunderstanding born from the idea that my dear Auros and that Director were the same person. Not only that, but she was quite adamant about it too.

Normally, I would try my best to dispel such misunderstanding concerning my dear but…fufufu…if I had done that, then this meeting wouldn’t have been as fun to watch.

So…sorry about that dear~. Teehee~.

In any case, it didn’t take long for me to bring over my dear from her office and introduce her to the Maecenas that had picked her. I expected my dear to be quite welcoming and warm. After all, she worked as hard as me to organize this little event. And yet…things didn’t go like that.

 

“Hello, Pervros.”

“…”

“Are you enjoying yourself in that body?”

“It’s you.”

 

The moment the Maecenas greeted her in such a smug, teasing way without missing a beat, Auros’ expression turned into a sour one instead of a welcoming one.

And what my dear said to her really made it seem as if she knew this Maecenas. Ahhh, that annoyance and displeasure she was showing was quite cute, fufufu~.

But even that didn’t compare with what happened next.

 

“The Wri—ahem…Director told me all about you and your little plan to tease me while I say my thanks for all your support.”

“Oh? And what is that? Do tell me.”

“You wanted to steal my bra and then make me beg you to give it back while also praising you to hell and back for all your support. Despicable.”

“No. It’s fun.”

“…well, now you don’t get to do that since I have my guard up. So too bad for you, you munchkin fox.”

“Reaaaaally?”

 

I had so much fun watching this exchange between the massive and lovable dragon lady and the little kitsune that was determined to tease her. Especially when that little kitsune put my dear’s confidence in her safety into question, and not just by voicing it but by pulling something out of her sleeve.

 

“Then what’s this? It says that I can do it.”

“Wha…? Give me here! A ticket? And this is…”

“Wha…? PS5? Already? Wait! That’s not it! What do you mean endure—”

*Boing-boing*

“Boing?”

“Hehe.”

“…?!”

“Pfft…!!”

“YOU…!! WHEN DID YOU?! MY BRA…!”

“Why are you so surprised? You gave me that bra-stealing ticket on the other side.”

“THAT WAS NOT ME! THAT BASTARD SOLD ME OUT!”

“Uh-huh. Whatever you say, Pervros.”

“I WOULDN’T DO THIS TO MYSELF! NOW GIVE IT BACK!”

“Nuh-uh.”

“YOU…wait…why are you tying it on your head?”

“Why do you think? It’s time to go for a run! Catch me if you can!”

“YOU LITTLE…! THAT DAMN DIRECTOR GAVE YOU ROAD RUNNER POWERS TOO?!”

 

Fufufufuhahahahaha, the betrayal! The realization! And the sheer audacity of it all! It was glorious! To think that the Director would make a ticket that would instantly teleport Auros’ bra onto the hands of that kitsune the second my dear finished reading it!

 

“Gah! You…little...how do you keep slipping away from like that?!”

“Because that’s what you wanted.”

“I TOLD YOU THAT THAT TRAITOR PANDA AND ME ARE NOT THE SAME PERSON ALREADY!”

“And I don’t believe you.”

“Grrrr…JUST GIVE ME MY BRA ALREADY!!”

 

And then…and then…fufufuhaha…he also gave her some sort of cartoonish super speed powers that made her just a bit faster than my dear every time she was about to catch her, making the whole thing even funnier to watch!

Fufufufuhahaha! I can’t, I just can’t! Watching my dear run all around the castle while never quite catching that little kitsune was so fun!

Ahhh…for that and all the support you have given the Director and us, I can only say thank you. Thank you so much, Euphie. You teaser fox.

---

Fufufu~~…this little event of ours has been quite the rollercoaster, don’t you think?

Well, get ready my sweet viewers~! Because this rollercoaster is not stopping! Not at all! Rather, we’re going from one of the funniest meetings—in my humble opinion—to one of the LARGEST!

That’s right! This next Maecenas thought that they were playing a good prank on both the Director and us when they made their pick known.

Yes~, they even grinned impishly when the Director asked them for confirmation.

Fufufu~~, perhaps they thought we wouldn’t be able to do it. That we would have to limit things in some sort of way and thus…lose.

BUT! How could I call myself a Goddess if I was unable to pull off things like that?

 

“Welcome, dear Maecenas~. Please, take a seat over there and make yourself comfortable. Ah! And don’t worry…”

 

So, when the Maecenas crossed over, guised as a Lamia Maid, I welcomed them in the warmest way before I whispered to their ears the one thing that they weren’t expecting…

 

“…everyone shall be coming to thank you shortly.”

“…?!”

 

Fufufu~~, they were quite surprised. Surely, I wouldn’t actually do it, right? I wouldn’t take their request to meet ‘everything’ seriously, right? Of course, I would! And the glowing eyes I showed them as I stepped away made it very clear to them.

Shortly after, I came back with something you could call a…little warm-up round.

 

“I apologize for the wait, esteemed Maecenas. While I prepare the main event, please enjoy the company and the thanks of everyone here. You’ll even get a group photo so, please, enjoy yourself~.”

“Wah…? Eh?? Wa-wai—”

“After this, everything will come.”

“…!”

 

This little warmup round was composed of my dear Auros, our daughters, all the Maid Knights, Ludovica and her people, and everyone else who was involved in this opening shot of our journey.

This surprised them once again, so much so that they tried to stop me from leaving. But there was no way that I was going to stop, I had to prepare to fulfill their request and I made my strong conviction to do so known to them.

After all, this was all so we could give our very, veeery esteemed Maecenas a big thank you, an even BIGGER group hug, and an unforgettable experience!

Mhm~. Aren’t I quite the great host~?

And just as any great host would do when they must leave for a moment, I left our guest in the hands of someone as good as me, my dear Auros.

 

“While my darling, Nerinne, might have already welcomed you. Let me do so again. Welcome to my castle, esteemed Maecenas, Azzy. As someone deeply involved with this event, I was told of your choice almost immediately, so I had some time to get ready. I sincerely hope you enjoy this, as everyone here practiced quite a lot to say these next words at the same time.”

“Err…there’s no—”

“Let us do this everyone.”

“““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““Yes!””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””

“Ahem…3, 2, 1!”

“““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““Azzy. Ree. Thank you very much for all the support you have given to the Director and us. Thank you for supporting us throughout the now many years this journey has been on and for being a mainstay of the community that has kept the Director—and us—going. You have been with us through both good times and bad times, even when you yourself faced difficulties. You are important to us, and we hope that our journey together will continue for many years to come. Thank you for being a friend to us all. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you.””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””

“I…you’re welcome…that was really impressive.”

“Huhuhu, thank you. Like I said before, we practiced quite a lot to pull it off. But enough about that, we have something else to do right now, and it is just as important. The group hug and photo.”

“I’m not complaining but…how would that work, Miss Auros?”

“Do not think about it. Just know that it will be fun. I promise.”

“Alright.”

“Then, come here! Let us show you our gratitude with our bodies!”

“…!!”

*SUPER WHOLESOME GROUP HUG*

 

And so, everyone in the room hugged our dear Maecenas with as much gratitude and warmth as possible. From Ludovica’s Paladins to our very own daughters, they all did so genuinely. After all, Ree, Azzy, wholly deserved our deepest gratitude and so much more.

Regardless of them wanting to play a prank on us or not.

But that doesn’t mean that I did not tease them back a bit after I returned, fufufu~~.

That’s why, when everyone left the room, I stayed back with our dear Maecenas.

 

“How was the group hug and photo? Did you have fun, dear Maecenas~?”

“Yes! Everyone was very nice. And we took plenty of photos doing funny poses.”

“Fufu~, that’s great.”

“Mhm. That’s why there’s really no need for anything else. I’m very satisfied already.”

“Oh no, we can’t have that. You asked for everything, so you’re getting it. And that’s why I brought this~. Here.”

 

I stayed there so I could give them the thing that would permit them to meet everything.

 

“A headset?”

“Put it on and you’ll see.”

“O-ok? There.”

 

It was just as they said, a headset. One that resembled a VR headset from their world.

 

“Good. Now, stay still while I activate it. 1, 2, 3! Omniscience ON~!”

“Omni—WHOA?!”

 

And once they put it on, I made good by giving them a taste of my omniscience.

Everything in the universe that I created greeted him, from the great unknowable things deep in space to the tiniest particle. And not only that, but they thanked them too and they did so in the form of a song, one made of notes composed of pure essence.

Moments folded within moments, notes became un-notes, and silence became but another tune.

And there, beyond the boundaries of my universe, our dear Maecenas listened as one more voice joining the chorus of gratitude. The Director’s.

Then…nothing.

The song ended and our esteemed Maecenas left looking something like this ‘(O)_(O)’ after taking off the headset. Ah, don’t worry, they’re fine.

They probably had a strong reaction to the Director’s singing more than anything else. After all, experiencing omniscience with a mortal mind is totally safe if it’s just for that long, I promise~.

In any case, I hope they enjoyed it despite the Director’s terrible singing.

There’s nothing more to say besides…thank you. Thank you for all these years of support and friendship. Truly…

Thank you.

---

After that last meeting and counter-prank, I’m in the mood for something a little cozier and more personal. Don’t you agree?

Thankfully, the next meeting I’m about to share with you fits that mood like a silk glove.

And it’s not just because the dear Maecenas is such a cutie that you just want to hug them and rub your cheeks on theirs, but also because their pick is just like that too!

Then there’s the setting for their meeting and the thanksgiving, that cute kitsune princess picked one of the coziest things to do and that makes me very happy~.

In any case, let’s start from the beginning. The moment our esteemed Maecenas crossed the portal into the castle was quite the adorable one. Her eyes lit up with pure wonder and her tails could not stop wagging.

There was just pure joy in her.

You could tell that she really loved watching over our journey and us.

Such pure emotions…how can anyone not want to hug that wholesome fluff princess?

Oh, and then there’s the welcome.

 

“Welcome, dear Maecenas~. I see that you’re already enjoying yourself, I hope that you like everything you see. Everyone in the castle worked really hard on the decorations.”

“…!”

“Hm?”

 

The second she laid eyes on me, her eyes lit up even more and she went agape.

Then…

 

“You are even prettier than I imagined…”

“…!”

 

…she melted my heart. That little bundle of fluff just went and said that with that adorably marveled face. I just couldn’t hold back after that.

 

“Thank you~! And you’re sho cute too, Ivie!”

“Hehe.”

 

I just couldn’t hold back after that. So, I didn’t. I hugged that little adorable kitsune princess and rubbed my cheeks on hers with gusto! And she enjoyed it too since she was all giggles and waggles!

Of course, I still knew that she had come to meet someone else, so I responsibly resumed my work as host…while still hugging her.

 

“And who did you come to meet? Kris? Roxxy? Maybe Evangeline?”

“M-m. I want to meet Sylvie and play lots of games with her. Can I?”

“Nngh…those eyes and smile…sho cute—ahem! Of course, of course! I’ll go look for her right now, so just wait here, alright?”

“Ok!”

 

Truly, those round, shiny eyes and big, adorable smile are dangerous. She’s too kawaii. It almost made me want to adopt her right then and there.  In any case, I mustered all my divine might and cut our hug short to go get Sylvie, who was helping Louise in the kitchen.

 

“Sylvie!”

“Miss Nerinne? What brings you to the kitchen? Did the guests run out of snacks? I can bring some to the event hall right now.”

 

Earnest as always. Ever since my dear brought her to the castle, Sylvie has been happy to help with anything and everything. All with a smile on her face. And that’s without mentioning how much effort she puts in her training.

Really, this girl…it makes me happy to watch over her. As a Goddess and a friend.

 

“Fufufu~~, nothing like that. You’ve been picked!”

“Eh?! Me?! Really?!”

“Really! A Maecenas wants to meet you and play lots of games with you. Not only that, but they’re a cutie! Come! Let’s go!”

“Ah, but…Louise…”

“Go, Sylvie. Go and have fun with the esteemed Maecenas. I can just tell Gail to help me out.”

“Alright! Thank you, Louise!”

 

With nothing holding her back anymore, Sylvie happily accompanied me to the event hall to meet with Ivie and…

 

“Sho cuuuuute! What’s this adorable creature?!”

“Hehe. Nice to meet you, Sylvie! I’m Ivie! Would you like to play games with me?”

 

…she had pretty much the same reaction as me. Hugging. Rubbing cheeks. Everything. Ivie had successfully captured the heart of our dear Maid-Squire, but then the way she tilted her head and asked Sylvie to play with her just sealed the deal.

 

“Yesh! Let’s go play some games! Lady Auros bought lots and lots of them last time she went to the capital so there’s many that you may like!”

“Oohh! Does that mean that there’s a game room in the castle?”

“Mhm! That’s where I’m taking you! But first, thank you, Miss Nerinne! I’ll be going with Ivie now!”

“Thank you, Nerinne!”

“Bye you two~~. Have fun~~.”

 

And so, our dear Maid-Squire princess-carried Ivie to the castle’s game room, both sporting big smiles on their faces. When they arrived, the room welcomed them with all the preparations for a comfy and cozy gaming session. That meant snacks, comfy cushions, and blankets, and of course…all the game scrolls already infused with the necessary mana to use them for synced play, courtesy of yours truly~~.

With that, the fun began. The game scrolls did their magic and pulled them into the interactable illusion that my lovely Arte’s videogames! Magic Games!

 

“Ivie! Look! A treasure!”

“Oh!”

*click*

““Click…?””

*BIG ROLLING ROCK BEHIND THEM SOUNDS*

“…!! Run, Ivie! Run!”

“Yeeeees!”

“Ahhh! And we were so close!”

“Hahaha don’t worry! We’ll beat this, Sylvie! Together!”

“Heh, yes! And thank you, Ivie! Thank you for picking me and helping us all so much! We all really appreciate it! Thank you for supporting Lady Auros’ journey all this time and being there for the Director! Thank you!”

“Thank you too, Sylvie! I wanted to be brave like you and I will! Because you’ve shown me countless times how to do it!”

 

From dungeon diving games to simple puzzle games and more, they had so much fun playing together. The smiles on their faces never faded, regardless of the outcome. If they lost, they would try again and again until they won and beat the game. And if they finished a game, they would happily celebrate with a high five and move to the next game to beat.

All in all, they had a great time and I’m so happy that Sylvie got to make a new friend.

For that and all your support, I can wholeheartedly say this…

Thank you.

---

Once upon a time there was a Crimson Maid named Yuna, who was an esteemed Maecenas for the Director of a grand play. She supported him plenty, from helping him recover his health to reading and rereading everything he wrote.

She truly was one of the many lights that helped him keep going, keep writing.

Thus, the time finally came when that Director was able to show how thankful he was for her support, just as he had done for the others.

That’s why he gave the Crimson Maid a ticket that would take her to the world where such grand play took place.

My world. My house.

And I, Nerinne, welcomed her with open arms just like I have done for everyone else.

Fufufu~~how was that for an introduction to our next little meeting? I thought I’d go for something a bit different yet very on topic for the setting.

As for the setting itself, well…let us immerse ourselves in the recording of a meeting like we have been doing all this time.

Our story starts just like the others, with a Maecenas crossing the portal and me welcoming them before asking who they wanted to meet.

Her passionate answer made me smile warmly at her, as I could see how much she loved the ones she wanted to meet.

Knowing that, there was no way for me to deny her.

And so, I took her to the place where she would be able to show them such love.

The library.

 

“This one, Big Sister Yuna! Read us this one! It’s my favorite! My favorite!”

“Unn…Ilya likes it…too. The princess is…very cool…”

“And! And! Her fairy friend is awesome!”

“Hehe, very well. Then “The Princess of the Tower” it is!”

““Yay!””

There, my adorable daughters and her huddled together on one of the big, comfy cushions of the reading section and treated themselves to a wholesome story time.

 

“Once upon a time there were two Kingdoms in a place far, far away. One Kingdom was governed by a human King while the other was governed by a Demon Queen. Some time, somehow, a misunderstanding happened, and their relationship became strained. Once friends. Now nothing but tense. Some even feared that a war could start at any moment. And so, to quell such fears, both the King and the Queen came to an agreement. The King’s daughter would become a ‘guest’ of the Queen and reside in the mysterious Black Tower…”

 

There was no reticence, no shyness, or anything like that from my daughters as they moved even closer to her. Rather…it was the opposite. They could sense that Yuna was just like the other two who visited them.

 

“‘Oh what a sad fate for the princess! To be locked up in such a dreary and lonely place! She must be freed at once or she’ll be cursed by the Queen! I can assure you! For I was cursed by her!’ exclaimed the mysterious, hooded warlock to the King and the Hero, making their worries grow more and moooore…”

“Nuu! Don’t listen to him, dummies! Don’t!”

“Liar…liar…cloaks on lava…”

“Hahaha, poor King and Hero…they seem to be falling for some sort of evil ruse. But hey, that just shows how much they love the Princess. Don’t you think so?”

“Yes! But that meanie is still a meanie! Yes!”

“Unn-Unn…”

“Ha! True, very true. Still, let’s continue.”

 

Yuna took great care as she read to them. She’d stop to let them look at all the pretty pictures on the book and she’d voice every character differently, even adding some funny effects here and there. All so that they could have the most fun possible.

 

“The Princess could have stayed in her room. She could’ve hidden herself under the sheets and just wait for the day she was returned to her home. But did she want to do that? No! No, sir! ‘This is no punishment! This is an opportunity!’ she thought as she readied herself to confront the new day. ‘I will go out and meet as many people as I can! That way I’m sure that I’ll be able to find a way to fix the relationship between our kingdoms!’ she so declared and so she did. After all, the Queen never told her that she couldn’t go out of her room or anything like that. So, it was fine, right?”

“Yes! Yes!”

“The Princess…is very smart…”

 

Their little laughs, their adorable reactions, all of them continued as Yuna took them on a journey through the high and lows of the Princess’ story. From the fun parts and the serious parts, to the sad and the calm, and everything in between.

And by the time they reached the climax of the story, my daughters and Yuna seemed as inseparable as they are with all their other big sisters.

 

“‘This Princess…why must you ruin my plans…!’ bellowed the evil warlock as he fell on his knees, beaten, yet still full of anger. ‘Because I couldn’t stand and do nothing while you threatened my people! My family!’ she replied with confidence as all the friends she made in the tower and beyond stood beside her. ‘And if you thought that I would, then it’s clear why you’ve lost and why you’re alone’, the Warlock smiled bitterly at those words and let out a ‘Maybe so…maybe if I…’ before fainting and bringing an end to the battle once and for all. Cheers could be heard immediately after that, cheers from both human and demon alike, cheers from people happy to be friends again, cheers for the Princess and her friends who brought them such joy.”

““Yay!””

“And cheers from two cute little girls too it seems!”

“Hehe!”

“Hihihi…”

 

Then, as the end quickly approached, my daughters moved their eyes from the book to Yuna more and more, waiting in anticipation for her opinion on the story.

 

“…the end.”

“Did you…like it…Big Sister Yuna?”

“Did you? Did you?!”

They wanted her to like it just as much as they did, but I knew that my daughters were strong enough to accept it if she didn’t like it.

 

“Of course, I did! I loved it!”

“…!”

“…!”

“Thank you for letting me read this story to you two! I’m so happy that you shared this with me, Ilya, Celesia.”

“N-n…thank you for spending time with…us…Big Sister Yuna.”

“Yes! And and thank you for reading us the story! We had so much fun! So much!”

“Daww…you’re welcome!”

 

Still, as you can see, there was no need to worry about Yuna not liking the story or anything like that, fufufu~.

In any case, we’re still missing something. Something very important. Something that my dear daughters still needed to take care of. So, they did.

 

“Big Sister Yuna…”

“Big Sister Yuna!”

“Yes?”

“Thank you…hug…!”

“Thank you hug!”

“…?!!”

“Thank you…for helping Father and the Director…and us…”

“Thank you for everything you’ve done! Everything!”

 

Fufufu~~, just like they said. Thak you, Yuna. For your friendship, your support, everything. Truly…

Thank you.

---

“…?!”

“Ufufu…did I startle you, esteemed Maecenas? If I did, I beg your pardon. It’s just that I’m more…hands-on when it comes to teaching.”

 

Oh me, oh my, what are we watching right from the start and with no introduction?! Could it be Allegra leaning on the back of the Maecenas who picked her for some teatime and not only whispering to them into their ear with her silky voice, but also softly guiding their hands with her own as she…teaches them how to make grounded tea from scratch?

Yes~, it is~.

Fufufu~, what else would it be~?

Don’t worry, it’s alright if you thought that something else was happening. After all, Allegra’s voice is enough to make anyone weak in the knees, especially if she is whispering right into your ear.

 

“…”

“Now, now…that’s still no reason to grip the pestle so strongly. Relax. Breathe in. Breath out. Ah~.”

“…!”

 

Every whispered word, an embrace as warm as a morning breeze. Every sigh, a titillating chill down the spine.

 

“Focus on my hands. On my touch. Feel how softly I’m guiding yours rather than brusquely moving them?”

“Y-Yes…”

 

And let’s not talk about her tender touch being as soft as silk yet stimulating to the point that made our dear Maecenas think that she was cheating.

But I assure you, there was no cheating. It’s just all those pleasant chills making them so…receptive~. Fufufu~~.

 

“You need to do the same with the pestle. Hold it well yet not so hard that you can’t feel the leaves you are grinding.”

“I-I…”

“Ah, are you wondering why you’d need to do that since the point is to grind the leaves?”

“Th-That’s right…”

 

Then there’s her scent. One made by her and for her alone. Its floral and fresh yet mature allure made it hard for our dear Maecenas to focus on Allegra’s words, let alone ask but a simple question.

It’s like the ‘cherry on top’ of the sudden sensory feast they were in the middle of.

 

“Oh dear, it seems I spoke in your place rather than letting you speak. I beg your pardon, esteemed Maecenas. It is a habit of mine born from wanting to help a dear friend.”

“Ah! I-It’s fine! I know! I’m just a little nervous so it actually helps ahaha…”

“Is that so? That makes me happy then.”

“…!”

Lastly, her smile. If her scent was the ‘cherry on top’, then her smile could be considered a ‘finishing blow’, or if I may take an expression from Earth…it’s the ‘coup de grace’ that ensures one’s fall.

Fall for her, of course~. Fufufu~.

 

“As for the answer to your question, have you noticed something strange about the asary leaves we’re grinding?”

“Err…ah! They have those things that look like bubbles. I think the word for them is…amm…bulbs!”

“Correct. And we want to pop them softly so that the nectar they hold doesn’t turn bitter and ruins the tea we are trying to make.”

“Like this?”

*pop*

“Ufufu, yes. Just like that. Let’s continue like this.”

“Got it…!”

Still, our dear Maecenas did well in slowly recovering their focus as they got more and more into Allegra’s tea-making lesson. Eventually, they even came to ignore the feeling of what was pressing on their back.

As expected of someone who proudly holds the name of Dragon Warrior!

I mean it.

This even made Allegra happier as she had been thinking that her little fanservice jest could have gone a bit too far. But seeing as they were both enjoying themselves, she decided to continue the lesson like that.

It didn’t take long for them to be done and enjoy the result of their efforts.

And of course, our lovely Allegra perfectly served the first cup to our dear guest, as it is expected of a maid trained by Erica. All while her eyes were filled with expectation and curiosity.

 

“Ahh…”

“Ufufu, how is it?”

“Good. It’s very good, Miss Allegra.”

“That gladdens me as it is my favorite tea.”

“…! Really?”

“Yes. Asary leaves are special to me since it tastes like home. It calms you down and lets you relax. Ufufu…in the past I used to call it a support tea.”

“Well, I do feel calmer now, so it checks out, hahaha.”

“That is all I could have asked for.”

“Really, thank you, Miss Allegra. I had a great time.”

“No, thank you, Ser Dragon Warrior. Thank you for everything. Thank you for the support you have given to the Director and us. Thank you for helping us make a difference. And I promise you that what we did today was just a small token compared to how truly grateful we all are.”

 

And so, they both enjoyed more tea and biscuits while conversing peacefully about many a thing. As for me, there’s only one thing I can say, and that’s…

Thank you.

---

The story of our next meeting has a similar start to the one that came before. No, it doesn’t start in such a way that it can lead to some to misunderstand the situation and reveal themselves as the pervs they are, fufufu~~.

Not at all~~.

Rather, it’s similar in the fact that it’s different.

How? Well, this meeting starts not with the arrival of the esteemed Maecenas, but with the arrival of the one they wanted to meet.

And, in a way, it’s not even an ‘arrival’ per se. More like a return since she had already been part of a previous meeting.

 

“My Goddess, I’m baaack~!”

“Oh? Welcome back~.”

 

As you can see, I’m of course talking about my one and only, High Priestess. My Popess. Ludovica.

 

“Thank you for helping us in this event when your days are always so busy, Ludovica.”

“Non~, non~, non~, it is no problem! If it’s for you, our lovely Goddess, not just me, but the whoooole church will move without thinking it twice! Yes~, yes~!”

“Fufufu~, now now, there’s no need for that. So, let’s not cause a mass panic through massive mobilization and focus on the matter at hand, alright?”

“Teehee~.”

“Did you bring everything?”

“Hehe, but of course, my Goddess! I brought everything! Make up, nail polish, accessories, hair stuff, the works! I promise you; the esteemed Maecenas and I will totes have the greatest and girliest of girl times!”

“Fufufu~~, good.”

 

As you may have already guessed it, our esteemed Maecenas’ plan for Ludovica is to share some gal pal quality time with her, which made the latter quite ecstatic.

It was adorable. She was going on and on about doing lots of stuff with her.

Truly, seeing her like that is always such a joy.

 

*FWOSH*

“There we go! Perfect landing, hehe!”

 

And as luck would have it, neither of us had to wait too long to welcome the star of this tale, for a figure would jump out of the portal a couple of minutes after Ludovica’s return.

 

“Gosh! This place is even more amazing than the Director described!”

 

She was a very stylish and bouncy phoenix gal that clearly wore her emotions in her sleeve, seeing as how she immediately began praising my darling’s castle and everything else that she laid eyes on, fufufu~~.

Then, those very same eyes…

 

“Everything’s so stylish! Even the carpet! Like, what’s this beautiful embroidery telling the tale of two maids saving the world together before—OH GOSH! OH GOSH!! Nerinne! Ludooo!”

*WOOSH*

““…!!””

*FIRE BIRB GAL HUG*

 

…those very same beaming eyes fell on us, and her excitement went up to eleven! She immediately went ‘woosh’ and appeared right in front of us in a feat of incredible speed before giving us one of the warmest hugs in the whole event. Not that it’s a competition mind you, fufufu~.

 

“I’m so so so happy that I could finally meet you both! Like, gosh, you have no idea girls!”

“Fufufu~~.”

“Hehe~.”

*GODDESS-POPESS COUNTER HUG*

“…!”

 

Normally, I would’ve welcomed her like usual and started introductions shortly after that, but her pure, unbridled excitement and love made it clear to the both of us that there was no need for that. Thus, Ludovica and I smiled at each other, nodded, and gave her a hug just as warm~!

 

“It is such a treat to finally meet you too, Phee~!”

“Like, it totes totes is! I’ve been going cray cray about meeting you since My Goddess told me all about you, Phee! We’re so going to be BFFs!”

“A-All about me?! Oh gosh, oh gosh, oh gosh! That Director, he must have said some embarrassing things ahaha…”

“Fufufu~, on the contrary! The only things that he said were good things, like the various times you helped him.”

“Mhm, mhm. Extending a helping hand is already a commendable act. And doing so multiple times just shows how deeply you care. That is not embarrassing. Non, non, non. It’s beautiful, just like you girl~!”

“Gosh, Ludoo! You’re going to make me blush!”

“Teehee~.”

 

Ahhh, it was such a wholesome and fun exchange. It even reminded me of my days in the godly academy with Yawue and a certain other person…

But enough about that, after this exchange reached its natural end, I took both Ludovica and Phee to the place where they would spend the precious gal time together.

A room painted in my favorite chic colors.

Auros called it…the Gal-den of Eden.

Fufufu~~.

 

“Oh my gosh! I wuv this room sho much!””

“As expected of my Goddess! This room is perfect! Yes!”

“Fu~, of course!”

 

The room was not only filled to the brim with stylish clothes of all types and sizes, including lots of dresses, but it also had an amazing selection of shoes, bags, and so much more.

Furthermore, it had everything they might ever need. Specially if we add everything Ludovica brought.

Of course, it also has both a very comfy bed and carpet!

And all was waiting to be used.

So, that’s what they did.

 

“Oh gosh, Ludo! Look! This skirt would look so good on you with this blouse!”

“Heee~~, you think so? Then I’m so trying it on! But not before you try this two-piece fairy dress! You’ll look fabulous! I assure you! Especially when the elemental magic in it starts going!”

 

They tried as many clothes on as they did accessories and shoes, as well as different hairstyles that matched each other and each outfit.

It was a fashion show, but also an arts and crafts one, as Ludovica taught Phee how to make some very special best friend bracelets.

As time passed and they moved on to doing each other’s nails, a certain question appeared on Phee’s mind.

One she had been wanting to ask Ludovica from the very beginning.

 

“Ludo, can I ask you a question?”

“Of course! Ask away~.”

“When did you start loving Nerinne?”

“Heeeee~ when did I start loving my Goddess? Hmmm…”

“Ah! I hope I’m not too rude for asking that.”

“Hehe, not all. It’s love talk~. So, it fits. Still, when…hmmm…it’s been so long…long enough you could call it another age altogether…ah! But I’m an eternal 21-year-old, you got it, Phee~?”

“Gosh, of course, Ludo!”

“Hehe, good! As for the answer, I suppose it happened when I first heard her voice and realized just how much she cared about all of us. You could even say that hearing her back then saved my life and the life of many others. From then, she just kept showing me how much she cared time and time again. She’d cry with and for us. She’d laugh beside us and console us when down. She’d take the blame for tragedies she was not to blame for and more. All so that we can be happy…someone who loves so deeply is difficult not to love, don’t you think?”

“Yes…I get what you mean. And you looked so cool while saying it all, Ludo! Like, gosh girl!”

“Teehee~, well, if a gal pal asks me about love, I’ll obvs give it my all!”

“Thank you, Ludo. For your sincerity.”

“No, thank you for everything, Phee. You are a blessing not just for the Director, but for us too. So, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You’re totes the best, girl~~.”

“Hehe!”

 

And so, with smiles on their faces, they continued to do each other’s nails, before moving on to plenty of other things, enjoying their time together to the fullest.

As for me, I will echo what Ludovica said. Thank you, Phee. For your support, for all the times you’ve gone even beyond that just to help, and more. You are a blessing.

 

Thank you~.

---

Speaking of blessings, there’s someone else who—just like all of you—deserves to be called as such.

A person uniquely important to the Director and in turn…to us.

They are someone with whom the Director has a rare bond, one he shares with but a few.

Said bond is none other than a friendship of over 20 years. 

You should’ve seen it when the Director told me about them… The words he used. The eyes he showed. It all really showed how much he cherished his bond with this friend of his.

He spoke of how they met in that lone schoolyard one early morning and the many things they talked about through the days, of how they sometimes grew apart as it is wont for children in different friend circles, and how they reconnected time and time again.

Be it via coincidence or via discovering even more common likes between each other, their friendship would always find a way to be reignited throughout the years.

In the end, it became a very welcome constant in the dark sea of uncertainty that was the Director’s life.

To be honest, it was quite endearing seeing him express himself in such a human manner.

Why, he almost made me forget the fact that he is an extra-planar demiurge of a higher ontology than me.

Almost, fufufu~.

In any case, his tale didn’t end there. Instead, he showed me that that bond’s tale was all but a prologue to another story.

Our story.

For you see, without him, without this friendship that endured many a thing, without the conversations about the many worlds they observed and loved, without any of that…our story wouldn’t have been told.

At least not in the way that it has.

And much less witnessed by as many people.

Perhaps our story, our world, would’ve shared the same fate as another of the Director’s, locked away in his private repository where only a few would ever witness it.

Instead, because that friend was there, because they always conversed about the worlds they loved and those that frustrated them, it led to them encouraging each other to create their own worlds, their own tales.

And then…it happened. The thing that changed our tale’s fate. The thing that changed the Director’s fate.

That very same friend pushed the Director with a ‘bet’ to show our world to the many that is all of you, and the Director did it.

He put us out there.

We became seen and a new bright spot in his life was made.

One filled with many joys brought by all of you.

One that helped him when his health failed and threatened to rob him of what he loved.

One that fed him and his family.

One that kept him going even after so many tragedies hit him one after the other.

One that still keeps him going to this day.

Do you see? What else could we call this person but a blessing?

Thus, as he came out of the portal, I couldn’t help but deviate from the usual greeting once again.

 

“Welcome, esteemed Ounce. Dear friend of the Director, thank you for everything you have done for both him and us. Thank you.”

“…?!”

 

And I was not alone in my grateful bow, for all the castle’s inhabitants and many others who still remained there joined me.

 

“““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““Thank you very much, esteemed Ounce. For that push that led to our world being seen, our tale being heard, and more. Thank you so very much!””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””

“…?!!”

 

It certainly wasn’t what he had come here to get, but what can I say? I couldn’t not feel grateful to him. And that’s a sentiment everyone in this world of ours shares.

That’s why I had to do it. That’s why we had to do it. Even if we took him by surprise, fufufu~.

 

“…”

 

There, as he stood in silence, processing what just happened, I could see the gears turning inside his head. He was probably trying to figure out how to go about it with us. Maybe go the humble way? Or the smug way? A bit of both? He seemed to be having trouble coming to an agreement with himself, but then he just sighed before a smile appeared on his avatar’s dog head.

He was just going to be himself, he concluded.

 

“You’re welcome, everyone. To be honest, I was just messing with him back then, but it is good that I did. Let’s keep taking care of that dummy together, alright?”

“““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““Of course!””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””

“Good. And hey, maybe he’ll finish reading my story one day. That’d be cool, don’t you think? Hahaha!”

 

We laughed with him since that did sound like something the Director would do. And if you’re reading this, Director, don’t be a dum dum and finish reading your friend’s story.

Yes, finish it like a certain someone who raised her hand right after the laughter died down a bit.

 

“I finished it! I couldn’t stop reading until I was done!”

“Who—?! Euphemia?!”

 

Indeed. The one who did what the Director hasn’t was none other than our dear princess, Euphemia.

Ounce was shocked despite his thoughts telling me that he had expected the Director to show his work to Euphemia.

So why? Well, perhaps it had to do with her immediately moving towards Ounce with an innocent smile.

One innocent enough to melt his heart and threaten the plan he had made for their interaction.

 

“The Director gave it to me alongside lots of stuff about you, esteemed Ounce. Like a certain tale you penned for the Director so he could take a break. I really liked it! Thank you for putting me in it, esteemed Ounce. Or should I say…”

 

And so, with every step taken, with every word said, Ounce’s smile became more nervous before the nearing Euphemia. He had planned out their meeting very well, he thought. He swore he was ready. But then Euphemia dropped a bomb on his heart.

 

“…esteemed Godfather? Hehe.”

“Gah!”

 

She said them, the words he had been fearing the most, and she did so in such an innocent and endearing way. It made him yelp, it made him tremble, it made him reel back a few steps. Meanwhile, we all watched the wholesomeness unfold, for we knew that Euphemia was not done yet.

 

“I just have a question, esteemed Godfather.”

“Y-Yes…?”

“Do you like making your readers cry? Because I can see where the story is going, and I know that I’m going to cry when that happens to Ed…”

“I…err…well, you have to understand, Euphemia…I wanted everyone to see that the risk is real, and through it give proper weight to the effects the characters have on the world and vice versa…you know…”

“Hmm…I understand.”

“You do?!”

“Of course! But I will still cry…is that alright? The Director told me that you considered yourself a sadist writer, but I can’t believe that. My Godfather can’t be a sadist writer.”

“Guhh…don’t make that face…my heart can’t take it…”

“But are you a sadist writer?”

“I…err…I…”

 

The poor Ounce wanted to say yes, just like he practiced, but he couldn’t. The words wouldn’t come out of his mouth no matter how hard he tried. And it was all because of Euphemia’s saddened yet expectant expression. It made his already melted heart melt even more.

Still, by that same feeling, he couldn’t bring himself to lie to her.

Thus, he reached a compromise within himself.

 

“I…am not a sadist writer per se but…that is the tale I want to tell…”

“…”

“That’s why…I hope you…keep reading…”

“Alright! I’ll look forward to it! After all, I love the way you write, Godfather!”

“…!!”

 

So declared Euphemia with a smile so powerful it broke the dam in Ounce’s melted heart once and for all.

 

 “Waaahh! You’re such a good girl! The Director doesn’t deserve you! Waaaahh!”

“Hehehe!”

And so, the Dogman that was the Director’s friend gave a teary hug to Euphemia who not only received him with a smile, but also patted his fluffy head.

All in all, it was quite the wholesome and funny scene, fufufu~~.

Of course, that was but the start of their interaction for the day.

A day where Ounce doted on Euphemia as they talked about many things.

A day where Ounce felt every bit of the gratefulness everyone had towards him.

A day to pay back to him if only a bit of the joy he brought through his friendship.

Thus, in the name of everyone, including the Director, I say this once again…

From the bottom of our hearts…

 

Thank you.

---

Phew…that last thank you was quite something. Don’t you think so everyone?

It felt quite final too! Like if everything were to fade to black after that one, it’d fit well.

But I’m glad to tell you all that that thank you was not the final one. Not in the slightest.

So, tighten your metaphorical seatbelts and get yourself comfortable, because we still have plenty of stops on this ride~!

And that leads us perfectly to our very next ‘stop’!

This one starts with a wise young wizard clad in crimson robes coming out of the castle’s portal. And along with a serene expression he also carried what looked like a small box of food to-go.

‘Perhaps a snack?’ I hear you asking, and you’re right. But it was not for himself, rather…it was for the one he was here to meet.

 

“Welcome dear Maecenas~. First and foremost, I would like to thank you for your long-standing support and your trust throughout the years. It is not only heartening, but also inspiring and reassuring for all of us, and that includes the Director. I hope that we can repay you even just a bit by making you have a great day here. So, again, thank you, Crim.”

“…! Please, raise your head, Goddess! There is no need to bow in gratitude like that. I just love this world and I am happy to support it and see it grow.”

 

Indeed. Indeed. The love that he spoke of was nothing if not sincere. A truth cultivated and backed through continuous actions. Once again, here was another pillar who I couldn’t help but thank with all my heart.

 

“Fufufu~, apologies if I made you uncomfortable, I just wished to show you my deepest gratitude. And the words you just said prove that you are more than worthy of it. But! Let’s stop here and move on to the fun, shall we~? May I have your ticket please?”

“Y-Yes, here it is.”

“Fufufu~, perfect. Now, who do you want to meet?”

 

To be honest, the snack he carried was already a dead giveaway as to who he wanted to meet, but it was not my place to say it. And there was no need to either, as his response was immediate.

 

“Jules. I would like to meet Jules.”

“Fufufu~, very well. Wait a moment, I’ll call her.”

 

Thus, with a soft voice rather than a shout or me leaving to look for her, I summoned her from wherever she was with the best words to do so.

 

“Jules, dearie~~. This esteemed Maecenas wants to meet you and he brought you a delicious snack~.”

*FWOSH*

“I’m here. Hello esteemed Maecenas and my new friend. I am Jules Prum and I serve my Master, Auros Argento, as her one and only Hunter Maid. It is a delicious pleasure to meet you.”

 

And there she was, appearing right beside me the second I mentioned the snack, fufufu~~. Of course, she would’ve come with or without that, but food is always quite the motivator for her. Not only that, but she also meant it when she called Crim a new friend, as she takes the act of sharing food with her as a sign of friendship.

All in all, she’s quite endearing, don’t you think?

 

“With our dear Jules here, my job is done. Be sure to guide our esteemed Crim to wherever she wishes to so that you two can enjoy that snack together.”

“Of course, Miss Nerinne. You can leave it to me, but…”

“But?”

“…?”

 

Of course, our dear Jules is not just endearing, she is also as attentive as the rest of the colorful Maid-Knights that roam this castle. And she goes about it in her own very special way, or should I say…her own ‘cool’ kind of way.

Even if sometimes such way makes some raise an eyebrow or two in either curiosity or confusion, just like our esteemed Maecenas here.

Still, she always comes through.

 

“But I’ll do something better than just that for my new friend and esteemed Maecenas.”

“Oh my~, fufu.”

“That’s why, leave everything in my hands and follow me, Crim friend.”

“…! Hehehe, alright. Let’s go, my friend!”

“Mhm!”

 

Thus, with a thumbs-up to each other and a smile on their faces, Maid and Maecenas went on their way for something more than just a snack. Perhaps a feast?

Fufufu~~, who knows?

Either way, ingredients were a must. And after a quick trip to the kitchen for some of them, Jules took our esteemed Maecenas to the forest area of the castle to look for the rest together.

At first glance, that might seem a tad bothersome for, well…some, but the forest area is a place brimming with fresh ingredients ripe for the taking, it’s only a matter of knowing where to look.

And with Jules by Crim’s side, they had no problem finding said ingredients.

 

“Hum, hum. Here they are. Groggi mushrooms.”

“Are they good?”

“Very. Hm? Are those…? They are! Cool.”

“…?”

“We’re lucky, Crim. Can you see those orange-colored berries there?”

“Oh! Amm…yeah! I do! They’re tiny! And yet you found them so easily. That’s so cool.”

“Heheh, they’re Pokopoko berries. They’ll go well with the dish I’m thinking about. Can you grab some?”

“Of course! How many?”

“A handful. And thank you. Meanwhile, I’ll grab the Uruns growing over there.”

 

Just like that, they foraged their way through the forest, stopping by here and there to take in the amazing vistas and curious scenes that could only be witnessed there, and nurturing their newfound friendship through many conversations.

Through that, they both learned quite a bit from each other and found themselves enjoying their time together more and more.

Then, having found all the ingredients they needed, Jules took our esteemed Crim to a beautiful clearing with a lake and its own waterfall. There, she used the storage skill in her dress and pulled out everything that she needed to cook what she had in mind.

‘And what’s that?’ I hear you thinking. That’s an easy question. After all, it’s our dear Jules we’re talking about.

What else could it be if not a feast?

Fufufu~~.

 

*sniff-sniff*

“Ahh…everything smells so good, Jules.”

*munch-munch*

“These ‘nachos’ are…*munch-munch*…good too, Crim. I like them.”

“Hehe, I’m glad.”

“Also, everything will be ready soon. I hope you like it, my friend. My forest and farm feast.”

“I sure will!”

 

‘Soon’ came rather swiftly thanks to them passing the remaining time talking lots more and it brought with it a table full of delicious dishes. Some small, some big. Yet all looked incredibly delicious.

Here’s some of them, the rest I leave to your imagination.

First, there was a bowl filled to the brim with roasted uruns and other vegetables from the forest, all seasoned with a mix of aromatic herbs and a pinch of salt and pepper and garnished with a perfectly made mil cream cheese dip.

Yum!

Next, a salad made with plenty of the greens that both friends collected, as well as the Groggi mushrooms Jules grabbed and the sweet, yet spicy Pokopoko berries that Crim gathered. Add some crushed nuts sprinkled all over it and a tad of Jules’ special dressing and you got quite the fresh and deli salad.

Finally, using the rest of the vegetables they foraged along with some well-cut chunks of doorim meat from the castle’s pantry as its base, Jules proceeded to make quite the hearty main dish.

A doorim meat stew to warm the soul and fill the belly, just like her father taught her.

The meat was tender, the vegetables on-point, and its broth…its rich and filling broth was made with caramelized onions, red wine, aromatic herbs, doorim broth, and the Prum family’s tavern secret stew sauce, elevating it from delicious to…mouthwatering.

I’m so hungry now—err…I mean…all in all, Jules gave her best to make good on her word, and Crim’s delighted expression as they went through each dish was more than enough confirmation.

Not just that, but Crim could feel Jules’ gratitude towards him in every bite and every spoonful. It was warm, genuine, and heartening.

Like the hug of a grateful friend.

And in many ways, Jules was that. A grateful friend.

One that perhaps had no longer needed to voice such gratitude, but she was still going to do so.

After all, she was cool like that, fufufu~.

 

“Crim, my friend.”

“Yes?”

“Thank you for helping me and my friends eat delicious stuff like this again. Thank you for supporting all of us in our journey and the Director in his. Thank you for…helping all of us smile again while sharing a meal together. Thank you…for trusting us and being here for all these years. Through good times and bad times alike. Truly, thank you, my friend.”

“I’m just happy to help. And I can’t wait to see where you go next, my friend.”

“Don’t worry, this Hunter Maid will show you plenty of cool stuff. I promise.”

“Hehe, I’ll hold you to that.”

“Heh.”

 

And so, they continued enjoying their time together, talking, laughing, and   eating joyfully, for a new lasting friendship had been born.  

As for me, there’s only one thing left to say…

 

Thank you.

---

Our next thank you starts not in the event hall but in a very special location within the castle’s forest area. That being a beautiful lake with its very own waterfall and a cave hidden behind it.

It was there that our beloved Celesia met us all for the first time and became part of our family.

And it was there where I decided to welcome our next Maecenas, for I couldn’t help but be ecstatic at the fact that she had chosen a playdate with me along with my daughters as her special pick for this event!

But that wasn’t all, I was also looking forward to meeting them for another reason altogether. Reasons, actually. Them being her longstanding support of the Director and us throughout the years, both good and bad, and the fact that she belonged to a very special group of Maecenas that I hold close to my heart of hearts.

Can you guess which group I’m talking about, dear viewers? If not, that is fine, for I shall tell you right now. It’s none other than the cult dedicated to punishing and teasing that panda of a Director whenever he misbehaves or does something dumb, supplying me with plenty of funny scenes involving him year-round, fufufu~~.

In any case, I was so excited about this that as soon as she came out of the portal I had opened right by the side of the lake, I, along with my daughters, welcomed her in the most fitting way possible…

 

“Zenith!”

““Big Sis Zenith!””

“…!”

“““Welcome!”””

“…I am glad to be here.”

*SUPER WHOLESOME TRIPLE HUG*

 

…with a big, warm hug. At first, she was surprised, but she immediately answered in kind, her tranquil yet glad smile showing just how at home she felt with all of us, which warmed my heart and made me want to spend time with her even more.

As for how she looked, she was a fox lady with hair white as snow, but with a tinge of teal that warmed it up in gorgeous harmony. In short, she was beautiful.

Of course, things didn’t end with just a hug, not at all. Instead…

 

“Big Sis Zenith! Big Sis Zenith! Can we…”

“…tail…fluff?”

“Hehe, of course girls. After all, I came here to play with you.”

“Yay! Thank you! Thank you!”

“Thank you…Big Sis Zenith.”

“Ah! But can I pat your heads in exchange?”

“Yes, you can! You can!”

“Unn…! Unn…!”

 

…my daughters didn’t waste any time and immediately asked her if they could touch her fluffy, fox tail. The faces they made as they partook of the fluff after getting permission were simply adorable, fufu~.

Meanwhile, Zenith, having made a request of her own, had her heart melted when she saw how my daughters reacted to her caring and tender head pats.

As in, she saw Celesia wagging her tail and Ilya’s pointy ears going up and down, fufufu~. My girls are cutest, yes~~.

All in all, it was quite the wholesome scene of tail-fluffing and head patting, don’t you think?

Well, tighten your seatbelts because there’s more where that came from! And I say that because soon after that the playdate began in earnest with none other than swimsuit time!

 

“Zenith dear, can I ask you something?”

“Of course, Nerinne. Anything.”

“Fufu~~, very well! What’s the bathing suit of your dreams?”

“Bathing suit…? Hmm…”

“Oh my, so that one! Alright!”

“Huh?”

*POOF’S IN DIVINE PRESTO CHANGE-O*

“…!”

“There! It’s yours now! And you look gorgeous! Now, let’s go play in the lake with the girls!”

“Yes! Come, Big Sis Zenith! Come!”

“Unn…! Cannonball…splash…time, Big Sis Zenith!”

“Hehe, alright! And thank you, Nerinne.”

“Not at all, thank YOU for being you and being part of this. All of this. It is why we get to happily enjoy ourselves here and continue our journey. Also, keep punishing the Director along with the others, you have my full support~~. Come on, time to play!”

“Yes!”

 

And so, with smiles on our faces, we climbed our way up the small waterfall and readied ourselves to dive into the lake just like my daughters wanted, a cannonball!

 

“Ready Celesia? Ilya?”

“Ready!”

“Ready…!”

“Ready Zenith?”

“Ready!”

“Fufufu~, alright! Three!”

““Two!””

“One!”

“““SUPER CANNONBALL!”””

*SUPER DUPER PLUS ULTRA SPLASH*

“Fufufuhahahahaha!”

“Heheheh!”

“Hihihihi…!”

“Hehehahaha!

“That was awesome! Awesome!”

“Fun…! So…fun…! Ilya wants…to do it again…”

“Yes! Again! Again! Mother! Big Sis Zenith!”

“What do you think, Zenith? Shall we do it again?”

“Yes, let’s. As many times as they want.”

““Yaaaay!!””

 

Many laughs were had as we did more and more dives, and not just cannonballs, but many other fun ones too. And things only got better from there.

 

“Twenty…twenty-one…twenty-two…”

“Let’s…hide in those bushes…little sis…”

“Okay, big sis!”

“Shhh, sweeties. Lower your voice or Big Sister Zenith will hear you~.”

“…! Mhm!”

“Unn…!”

“Twenty-eight…twenty-nine…thirty! Ready or not, here I go!”

 

We played hide-and-seek, then we played with water ballons, and we even did a scavenger hunt with plushies and other goodies after that. Truly, it was pure fun and a great time. I couldn’t be more grateful about it all.

But also, once again, I’m truly grateful for everything that you have done for us and for the Director, Zenith. Thank you for caring for his health. Thank you for being there as one of the many lights that keeps him going and for being a great friend to us all. Thank you for all the smiles and the explosions, fufufu~.

Truly…

Thank you.

---

Before we move on to the next thank you there’s something I must say and that is, it’s incredible just how many of you are here with us.

More than that, it is heartening to know that whenever I think I have met all of you, there’s someone new joining in with not just the same passion and love for the Director’s work, our story, our journey, but also…the same willingness to reach out with a helping hand when tragedy seems about to strike.

And that is the case with our next Maecenas, who joined us but recently and has helped the Director a great deal in their most recent tribulation, just like you all did.  

Who would have thought that his furry son would fall sick again? Truly…what a vexing turn of events. Still, he is healthy now and it is thanks to the efforts of all of you and him.

And as with all of you, it is time to thank him.

So, without further ado, our story begins with a Panda Beast-Kin with a magical prosthetic arm coming out of the castle’s portal. Intimidating as he looked with the many scars and burns that he had over his body and face—not to mention his towering height—truth was that he was anything but that.

Still, don’t take my word for it. Take his.

 

“Good day, Goddess. How are you? Is there anything I can do to help before I exchange my meeting ticket?”

“Oh my~~, you don’t have to worry about anything like that, dear Maecenas. You were invited here to have fun, not so I could put you to work, alright? And as for your question, I am fine. An event like this is nothing for an experienced goddess like me, fufufu~~.”

“You’re right. You are an amazing goddess after all.”

“Fufufu~~yes! Praise me more! Ahem…I mean…you are amazing as well, dear Maecenas. First, you helped the Director’s friend by commissioning him to take us to that fun festival and paint us while we walked around with those gorgeous kimonos, immortalizing such a lovely family moment in a way that I know we’ll look back fondly for years to come. Then…you helped the Director when that blasted tumor returned to ail his furry son, and you did so throughout the whole thing. So, as I said, you are amazing, LowBattery. And I couldn’t be more grateful to you than I am right now. Thank you.”

“No problem. I just wanted to help, and I am glad that I could.”

See? Rather than intimidating, he was someone whose good heart was out in plain sight, wearing it not only in his sleeve, but also in his whole being, fufu~.

And it is because of that good heart, that I knew Lyra would be more than ok with his request. After all, she is someone who likes people who are ‘warm’.

 

“We all appreciate it, which is another reason why you’re here. But I better stop myself from thanking you more than I already have, or I will leave your pick with not much left to thank you for, fufufu~~. On that note, let’s bring her here so she can recharge that low battery of yours, pun very intended.”

“Heh.”

“Oh Lyraaaaa~~. It’s your tuuurn~~.”

 

Thus, just like with Jules before, I called her with a soft voice rather than with a shout or me fetching her, as I trusted her adorable, fluffy ears.

 

“Fluff?”

 

And there she was, the jingle of the tiny bell on her choker announcing her immediate arrival alongside her favorite word in the form of a question and with an adorable head tilt to boot! Lyra! Our lovely fluffiest maid!

 

“Fluff.”

 

As for me, there was no need to say anything more since that one word was more than enough of an answer for Lyra.

 

“Fluff!”

 

So, after giving me a hug just because she wanted to, she grabbed LowBattery’s hand and began leading him to wherever they would have their fluff party while he waved goodbye to me.

 

“See you later, Goddess. And thank you for this.”

“No problem! Have fun~!”

 

With that, they disappeared from the event hall, smiles adorning their faces, and anticipation adding a pep to their steps, making their journey to their destination a swift one.

As for where she was taking our dear Maecenas, it could be said that it was the best place in the castle for what they had in mind, and that was…the plushie room! That’s right! A dangerous room full of the softest and most comfy plushies ever to grace this place! From giant to tiny, and long to short, the is no plushie need that goes unmet in there!

But why did I say that it is dangerous? Well, because it is difficult to not become useless once one is lying on the soft belly of one the giant ones, and that is WITHOUT doing anything else! Like—no, you know what, I’ll just let Lyra show you the best example.

 

“This room really has a lot of plushies.”

“Mhm. It is comfy.”

“So I just have to lie down on this one’s belly with my arms up and nothing more?”

“Yes. Leave the rest to me.”

“Oh, ok. I’ll do just tha—oOoOohhh…so comfy…and soft…like a cloud…”

“Secret Art: Cuddle Pile of Softness.”

“Ooohhh…”

 

See?! Lyra didn’t just plan to have LowBattery lie down like that! No! Not at all! She wanted to go beyond that, and she did so by covering our dear Maecenas with a pile of soft, comfy plushies ala cuddle pile! But that wasn’t all, for she then put herself on top of it all to provide him with the best and most comfy fluffing experience this world has ever seen! How? By positioning herself in a way where his once raised arms could fall perfectly on top of her tail and ears! A move with instant success! You don’t believe me? Look!

“This is great…”

 

It’s as if he was in heaven!

 

“Purrrr…purr…”

 

Her too! And I mean it, as LowBattery’s prosthetic arm was a marvel of magical engineering! Not only was it capable of transforming into many tools and weapons and transmitting 100% of the sensations to its user in real time, but it could also do things beyond combat! For example, its fingers could elongate quite a bit, permitting LowBattery to focus on every part of Lyra’s tail at the same time! No wonder she looked so pleased, fufufu~.

Still, she didn’t forget her duty.

As such, in between purrs, she began with her thanks to LowBattery…

 

“Purrr…LowBattery…good…purr. Thank you for…purr…helping the Director, dog, Master, and us…purr. You are…purr…warm. I promise more…purr…adventures and…purrrrr…fluff.”

“Mhmm…no problem…sho shoft…”

 

…or at least as much as she could in the state that they both were in. Fufufu~~, seriously, that’s such a wholesome way to turn into mush that I can’t bring myself to say anything bad about our lovely Lyra’s performance.

Still, there IS something I can say and that is, from the bottom of my and everyone’s hearts…

Thank you.

---

And just like that, we have reached the end of our first iteration of this very enjoyable event! I hope everyone enjoyed watching how some of you, our dear Maecenas, spent their time in it!

But most important of all, I hope that these were enough to show just how thankful we all are of the unwavering support you have given us throughout the years.

I, Nerinne, am most grateful for this and more.

Thank you for keeping this beloved world of mine going and thank you for blessing our lives with your presence in today’s event, it was truly a pleasure to meet you.

Of course, no great event would be complete without the main organizer stepping up and giving his own thanks to all of you, our heroes.

So, without further ado, I pass the baton to the Director, or as you know him, Mr.Pandopool himself.

Take it away, Director~.

 

Thank you, Nerinne.

As she said, this round of personal thanks could not end without me stepping in to thank you all personally for all the support you have given me throughout the years.

You have fed not only me, but my family when we were at our lowest back when the pandemic took my job and my father’s.

You helped me get the medical attention I sorely needed when I first developed Quervain’s Tendonitis in both of my due to overworking myself and drowning in stress.

You helped me heal and slowly recuperate through the painful months of physical therapy and injections, not to mention all the medicines and so on.

You helped me get vital medicine for my little sister and my grandmother.

You helped me save my dog’s life not once, not twice, but plenty of times through all the medical emergencies he has been through over the years.

You even sent me gifts for my birthdays and even got me cake.

You helped me get a new laptop when the one I had suddenly died.

You have helped me so, so much…that even this list falls short.

For me, you truly are my heroes.

It is because of you that I’m able to write again every time this sickness of mine reappears and threatens me with taking away my ability to do this.

It is because of you that I can still pet my dog and see him play with his toys every day.

It is because of you that I can still talk with my grandma, and I can see my little sister smile and study hard.

It is because of you that “In Another World As My Waifu” continues to exist.

So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.

Thank you for always reminding me that there is value in what I do and that it is not for naught.

Thank you for trusting me to this point despite my many flaws and shortcomings.

Thank you.

Truly.

Sincerely.

And just as I thank all of you as a group, I’d like to thank three of you personally. One of you asked me to do this when I put out the announcement for the personal thanks, and their wish is my command. Meanwhile, I couldn’t reach the other two, but you are entitled to a personal thanks and by Nerinne I shall give it to you!!

So let’s start!

Salinthrous, you have been a member of this community since the early days of the first volume in Wattpad, always commenting and helping me out with the grammar and syntax in said comments.

I always appreciated that, as it not only made the story that I was writing better, but it also helped me become a better writer in a language that wasn’t my own.

Then, when I started doing the rewrite of the first volume and uploading it to other sites, you were there too, still helping me out, helping me grow.

And you even joined the Patreon when I opened that.

You have always helped me one way or another.

You have always been there to cheer for me coming back after getting sick or any other reason.

You were even there when I announced that I was coming back a few weeks ago.

You have always been there for me and this story.

So thank you.

Thank you so much for your unwavering support.

It means a lot to me.

It always has.

And I hope to see you in this community for the years to come.

John, I still fondly remember just how excited you were when talking about the story I had made and the characters in it, and how happy you were about supporting me. A support that hasn’t stopped over the years. I know that we don’t talk much, but I also know that you’re still reading my posts, and I hope that you still hold that same excitement over the story today.

Truly, thank you for continuous support. I’ll try my best to keep you from not losing that feeling, so please look forward to what is coming!

Aravir, you are one of my oldest patrons, and while we never interacted with one another, you have been with me through both the bad, the worst, and the good times. It’s been so long and yet, you were there, through all of it.

Thank you, Aravir. Thank you, so, so much. And I am glad to have you as part of this community.

Naeon, Dantenshi, Ash, you three supported me on some of the worst months of my life even if they were in different years, and I can’t thank you enough for it. Naeon and Dantenshi, you two were there when I was starting to develop my tendinitis and when I started getting treatment for it. Suffice to say, your support back then is what has let me write this for you, thank you. Ash, you supported me when my grandmother got sick as well as my sister, and the fact that I could help them with their medicines is something that I was able to do thanks to your support too. Thank you.

Normally this would seem to be the end, but there’s more people I’d like to thank to and acknowledge. And rather than make a different section, I prefer to thank them here, for they are just as important. Some are patrons and some are not, but they have still supported me in ways that are equally important and valuable.

Chaty, CrimsonNarwhal, Eeleater, SL Dark Assassin (Karma), Nashiby, Timofy, Ukroppen Offizier, Nova-chan, Thabian, Edje, and so many more. Thank you to each and every one of you for your support over the years, it meant a lot to me then, and it still means a lot to me now. Some of you, like Karma, have been with me since the times of the wattpad version and have stayed with me to this day, while others joined a little later like Thabian and Edje, but your constant support, friendship, and care fills my heart with joy just the same. Thank you, all of you, thank you so much. Thank you for being there for me both for joyous stuff like my birthday and for hard stuff like my sickness. Thank you, my followers of Nerinne, Maid-Knights, my heroes.

Dajer, what can I say that I haven’t told you, my friend? Thank you for always checking up on me and enduring my antics in all the games we play together. Thank you for your constant support and the open hand with which you always reach out to me. Thank you, my dear friend, it means a lot.

Kozua, I’ve said this to you a lot of times already, but this community wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you and the rest of that seedling of a community that started in the comments of wattpad. And then, you did something that would in turn change my life for the better, you created this story’s discord and turned said seedling of a community into a full blown one through it. Even to this day, your help with the server is invaluable and your friendship even more so. Thank you.

David, Helium, Felix, Fia, Patrick, Catfromvat, asteriakiii, and more, so many more. Thank you for bringing the characters I wrote about to life with your gorgeous, breathtaking fanart. Each and every one of you has made me so so happy so many times and yet…I cherish each of those times deep in my heart. From that very first fanart, to that first fanmanga, first toon, and even a fansong, to all that came after that. All of it means so much to me, to the point that I look at your artwork whenever I need to pick myself up when things get bad, for it fills me with warmth. Thank you for making one of the dreams I had since childhood so very real.

And last but certainly not least, to my great friend and brother LARH. Thank you for being the illustrator of this novel, for teaching me so much about so many things related to creating, and for that hard but honest feedback that has helped me grow as a writer and a person. The fact that I get to work with you on this project is something I will always be happy about, and seeing you bring my characters to life as well as moments within the story is something that will never stop filling me with a great amount of joy. Just as with the fanart, your art is one of those things that I always go to whenever I feel down about many things and seeing it every day on my desktop helps me start said days with a smile on my face and the motivation to keep going, to keep making more of this beautiful story and its characters.

Thank you, brother. Keep being awesome.

Thank you, everyone. For everything.