The Simulacrum

The ripples of the big incident in the Ninhursag capital reached far and wide, but after a day or two, they became part of the background noise as the Abyssal Civil War continued to trudge along. So did the gang, though in a more literal sense.

They spent the day in the small town on the outskirts of the lands of House Shamash, and it was unexpectedly uneventful. They got a small stipend from Fidèle, and they used it to prepare for the next leg of the journey. My girlfriends were in charge of supplies and spent most of the day shopping. They stuck out of the crowd due to their clothes, which was true for everyone, but thanks to a couple of Faun guards on loan from House Ninhursag following them everywhere, nobody questioned them.

In contrast, the childhood friend couple declared that resting was also very important, and spent their free time trying out the local cuisine. They didn't have a particularly high opinion of the taste profile (as I mentioned before, the spice situation in the Abyss was spotty at best), but the novelty apparently made up for the lack of gastronomic intensity.

In the meantime, my sisters used their Concealment Sigils to sneak all over the place and try to collect unfiltered news around the train station and the nearby marketplace. The Faun guards assigned to them were rather perplexed by this at first, but eventually gave up and just played along, acting as decoys for the girls while they skulked around. To my eyes, they looked like a pair of rambunctious kids playing secret spies, and they didn't gather much intel, but it was cute, so I approved.

While all of this was going on, Ammy was mostly following Judy and Elly around, seemingly endlessly fascinated by the ingenious touches of magical engineering the Abyssals used to bridge the gaps between the various imported human technologies they reverse-engineered over the decades. I didn't quite share her enthusiasm (maybe I was just spoiled on the magitech front by Fred and my stay in the Elysium), but she seemed to have fun, so who was I to judge?

Oh, and Hareng was there too. For some reason.

Anyhow, the day passed rather uneventfully. Josh and Angie had a fun little romantic escapade at one point, involving learning about the local marriage customs and a scenic sunset and such, but it was a private matter. I had way too many things to pay attention to, so I didn't linger long enough to see how it turned out. It was probably wholesome. Or awkward, if Deus got involved. Or maybe both.

In any case, it wasn't until the sky grew dark that everyone gathered once again at the hotel near the train station. It wasn't a particularly upscale establishment, and despite checking in, they didn't plan to stay there. As soon as things grew quiet, the whole group sneaked out the back door to a pair of old-timey cars waiting for them, yet apparently even that was too conspicuous, because said vehicles were ditched as soon as they reached the edge of town.

The Shamash matriarch had declared, "We'll continue on foot from here until we reach Buduhudug, then we'll go through the Sippar valley, and we should arrive at the outskirts of New Larsa within three days. From there, we can continue in the air."

Translation: They trekked through the woods at night until they reached a village, camped outside until the next evening, then they continued on through a shallow river valley. It was a hassle, and by no means a very efficient way to get to their destination, but there wasn't much of a choice. During our daily ten-minute chat, I managed to warn Judy about Crowy's intentions, so Fidèle decided to be extra-clandestine when putting together their travel plan.

It made some sense. I mean, they already established that the railways were a no-go, because they were both extremely visible and predictable, and flying was out of the question as well, since Angie's and Josh's Celestial wings were waaay too conspicuous. I personally thought that a car ride would've been safe enough, but the Shamash matriarch was adamant about making everything as sneaky as possible, and considering how few cars were on the roads, she didn't want to risk being spotted.

In retrospect, she was probably less worried about Crowy than Bel, and she was paying extra attention to the class rep (or rather, the inert Mana Well in her backpack), probably thinking that it would be his prime target.

As such, this part of the gang's journey turned into an ad-hoc hiking trip, complete with camping, outdoor cooking, and all the related tropes. It did a number on the group's less athletic members (read: Judy and Ammy), and the lack of hair-care made Elly's trademark ringlets disappear by the second day, but they didn't seem to hate the experience.

"The sun's rising," Josh said as he pointed at the horizon turning a lighter shade of red. "Should we set up camp?"

"Yes, let's settle down," Fidèle responded firmly and used her parasol to point in the distance. "Once we pass that hill, my city should be visible in the distance. If we continue at this pace, we should reach the outskirts before the next dawn."

While the gang definitely looked out of place in town, among the gothic architecture and the fancy Victorian-style outfits, she looked just as strange in the middle of the forest while wearing her usual black dress and carrying her fancy lace-trimmed parasol. She was even wearing high-heeled shoes! They weren't quite stilettos, but they definitely weren't mountaineering footwear, that's for sure. Though again, she kept up with the rest just fine, so maybe Abyssal vampires had magical hiking powers, or something. I mean, would that surprise anyone at this point?

"If we're that close, couldn't we just fly the rest of the distance?" Angie asked, and after a long beat, Fidèle put her parasol down and shook her head.

"We could, but it's best not to get complacent. Let us rest for now, and if there's no sign of the Emperor of his lackeys by the time New Larsa is within sight, we'll take to the air for the last stretch."

"Sounds good to me…" the class rep muttered before sitting down onto a fallen tree trunk. "My feet are killing me."

Penny chimed in with a hopeful, "I can't wait to sleep in a proper bed again," and put down her backpack.

"It would be nice," my other sister agreed as she followed her lead, and it was at this point that the group's third (or in this case, ninth) wheel spoke up.

"Worry not, my fair maidens! The goal is in sight, and our spirits are still strong!" Hareng declared with a toothy grin, and he looked almost as incongruous in the woods as the Shamash matriarch, with his bright blue swashbuckler pants and his unbuttoned tailcoat. "Leave the breakfast to me!"

He proceeded to take out a pot and made a bunch of delicate hand movements to create a ball of water, which he promptly guided into it with a soft splash.

"My fair maiden? May I ask for a flame?"

Ammy responded with a robotic, "Sure," and summoned a fist-sized fireball, the same kind she used to heat the firebox of the train before, and the young noble didn't waste any time setting up a tripod around it and then placing the pot on top.

Despite initial resistance, he somehow managed to wedge himself into the group yet again, and he just demonstrated the reason why Josh let him stick around. Being able to make water out of thin air meant they didn't have to bring fluids with them, which cut down on the weight and let them move ever so slightly faster.

Now, knowing how magic operated, I wasn't entirely sure if it was safe to drink that, but there were no issues so far, and I had a working theory about it. Snowy's icicles couldn't be melted because they were conjured. They were effectively magical constructs, and once the world recognised them as anomalous, they would sublimate out of existence. In contrast, Hareng condensed the water, probably out of moisture in the air, so it was considered to be 'natural' by the world, and thus safe for consumption.

If Ambrose heard that, he would probably spend half an hour explaining how one was Aetheric magic and the other was Material, meaning the second type was inherently superior and whatnot, but let's not get into that right now.

On a different note, his ability also made me wonder about the specialisations of the various Abyssals I'd met and seen so far. Snowy was all about ice and frost, while the Ninhursag patriarch would throw around lightning like it was his hammer and the whole universe was made of nails. Crowy's weirdly solid, inky shadow magic was a bit harder to classify, but it was still relatively consistent, so… were Abyssal powers based on elements? In the fantasy sense of the term, I mean?

But then again, Snowy also had her Sigils and could set up wards, and Crowy could apparently 'burn' mana, however the heck that worked, so it wasn't so clear cut, meaning… maybe their elemental preferences were related to their ancestry? Of course, by today it was probably more of a 'recessive gene lottery' than anything else, but if I presumed that the Abyssals had other bloodlines mixed in their lineage besides Celestials and dragons, it made a bit more sense. Maybe one of Hareng's distant ancestors was like a mythical sea-serpent or a leviathan.

Which, of course, made the fact that he nearly drowned when he was knocked out by Josh and sent overboard all the weirder, but I digress.

While he was busy setting up the makeshift camp stove, the others also settled down and started laying down their bags while chatting. For example, Elly was staring intently at the Abyssal preparing the broth, and then turned to Judy with a glint in her eyes.

"I'm serious! This is a sure-fire business opportunity!"

"And I heard you the first time you explained it, but I still think we shouldn't count our chickens before they hatch."

"But that's how commerce works! You have to hit the iron while it's hot and be the first on the market, before anyone else could get a foothold," she insisted and pointed at Hareng. "We can establish a brand-new trade route here! We can be the new Venice!"

By the sound of it, my princess also noticed the less-than-satisfactory spice-situation in the Abyss, and she was more than happy to remedy it her own way. My other girlfriend didn't exactly share her enthusiasm, though it might've been just the exhaustion speaking.

"Yes, I also read the history textbook, but we should discuss starting a trade monopoly after we rescue the Chief and make sure the world won't end."

It was at this point that Angie chimed in from behind with an upbeat, "Oh, come on, Judy! The world isn't going to end! Don't be silly!" and wagged her finger at them before diving back into her backpack again, looking for something.

My dear assistant looked over her shoulder and sent her a disapproving glance that said, 'No, you're silly! This is the finale of the narrative, so there has to be a world-ending threat. It's only logical!' but she didn't say that out loud and just shrugged her shoulders.

I kind of understood where she was coming from. I mean, the end-game plots of shounen stories, be they the battle, the harem, or the battle-harem varieties, had a bad habit of falling into one of three distinct tracks: it was either 'becoming the master', aka reaching the highest accolade in whatever gimmick the world revolved around, stopping a world-ending threat, or killing god. We had no gods, and Josh wasn't trying to become the next pirate king or whatever, so by process of elimination, that meant there would be a world-ending threat.

It was indeed logical, except for the part where we've yet to see a single indication of such a thing. No rumours about sealed demon kings (and no, Bel didn't count), no ancient conspiracies trying to mind-control the world with the moon, and definitely no giant mallets in space. Yet, as much as I wanted to dismiss her, my inner cynic said that she was probably going to be right one way or the other. I didn't worry too much, because the Simulacrum was a 'legacy setting' and the Emergents wouldn't let it blow up, but still, the possibility was there.

Meanwhile, Penny and Fidèle circled the campsite as a safety measure, while Snowy joined Hareng's cooking efforts. Seeing that Angie was still busy with her bag, Ammy was practically dozing off, and my girlfriends were still locked in a discussion about the spice trade, Josh grudgingly walked over to the camp stove.

"Ah, my fair maiden? Can I be so bold as to ask you to get the dried meat?"

"Not at all. I'm happy to help, Sir Ninurta."

True to her words, my Abyssal sister seemed to be having fun fussing around the fire, so Josh didn't bother her and addressed the other guy instead.

"What were we talking about before we hit camp?" he asked, and Hareng froze mid-motion while stirring the pot. "Ah, right. I asked why you're here, didn't I?"

"Come on, boss. Why must you wound my poor feelings?"

Hareng pouted his lips and tried to look deeply hurt, but Josh just rolled his eyes at him and insisted all the same.

"No, seriously. I'm not saying you're not useful, especially for stuff like this, but I still can't figure out why you decided to stick with us. Didn't you want to find a safe place away from your home?"

"Well, yes. I did." He flashed a grin and used the wooden spoon in his hand to gesture at the group. "This is the safest spot on this whole island, don't you agree?"

It was at this point that Snowy returned, and she was obviously listening in, because she told him, "Um… I think I understand your point, but we are heading towards danger."

"No, you're not," he argued back and made a vague motion towards the Shamash matriarch. "You're heading towards the Lady Shamash's castle, the headquarters of the Noble Alliance, which is the second safest place on the island, I believe."

"Uuu… M-Maybe, but I still think you would've been safer if you stayed with Lord Ninhursag and his family in Samsatu."

"Ah! To decide between the safety of the shackles of family and the safety of the company of the fairest maidens of the land! It was not a difficult choice at all!" he swooned, but then he shook his head and added, "Also, just between you and me, being in my cousin's presence is anything but safe," in a considerably less theatrical manner.

"… Are you that afraid of her?" Josh asked with an edge of skepticism, and the other guy's hand once again stopped stirring the pot. "What's your deal with her, anyway?"

"What do you mean, boss?"

Josh squinted and uttered a flat, "Don't play dumb. It's not normal to get your head locked in a choke hold as soon as you meet."

"We used to do that sometimes!" Angie chimed in from the back, causing Josh to exhale an exasperated breath.

"Yes, but you didn't actually try to choke me out."

The Celestial girl responded with a half-hearted, "Fair," followed by, "By the by? Have you seen my emergency gummy bears?"

"Inside the side pocket."

"Gotcha! Thanks!"

While his girlfriend was busy with that, Josh's attention returned to the Abyssal guy, and he squinted again. Seeing that he wasn't going to relent, Hareng gave up and lightly tapped his wooden spoon on the rim of the pot, as if to punctuate what he was about to say.

"If you really want to know, let's just say that we used to play a lot when we were kids, and I might've accidentally imprinted on her. Are you happy now?"

"You accidentally what?"

"Ah…" Unlike Josh, Snowy seemed to immediately understand, and she explained, "It's an unconscious thing that can happen for Seducers, especially when we're young or under a lot of stress."

"Yes. That." Hareng concurred and exhaled a long sigh. "I just wanted to test my abilities on someone my age, and she didn't seem to mind. It was all so innocent and harmless and wholesome… how was I supposed to know it would stick!?"

Josh interjected with a hand raised, "Hold on, let me digest this… Are you saying you seduced her… by accident?"

"Um… I-It can happen…" Snowy insisted, looking extra awkward.

"But she's your cousin, isn't she?"

"Yes, and that's the problem!" Hareng agreed, but just as Josh was about to relax, he threw a different curveball. "I just turned ten back then, and yet the Elder Council immediately started pushing for an engagement! My father thought I did it on purpose, to gain leverage on the main family! It was the only time he ever praised me, but I'm too young and handsome to be fettered down with the first girl who falls for me like that! Whether she's a good match or not, I want to at least have the opportunity to see the world and widen my horizons and my options, you know? Arranged marriages are so last century, don't you agree?"

"Oh? Are you two betrothed?" my sister asked, looking surprisingly delighted.

"Well, we were. Before the coup," Hareng grumbled as he threw some dried vegetables into the pot. "I thought that was the end of it, but then we got stuck on that train together, and I had to get away before she convinced the Lord Ninhursag otherwise."

"But… she is your cousin!" Josh blurted out, and the other guy looked at him like he was slow.

"Yes, second cousin once removed. I believe we already made that abundantly clear. Didn't we, my fair maiden?"

Suddenly put on the spot, Snowy sputtered, "I-I believe Sir Ninurta is right," completely missing the core of Josh's objection.

By the sound of it, the Abyssal noble houses were doing some Ptolemaic family engineering, which… wasn't that unexpected, to be honest. I mean, they were aristocrats, and with only seven main Houses on the island consisting of just a couple hundred people, I wouldn't have been surprised if their family tree resembled the roots of a mangrove forest.

All in all, it was a rather uneventful morning, with the group chatting, then eating breakfast consisting of the soup and some travel bread (aka re-branded hardtack), plus some snacks. The Shamash matriarch didn't have any of that, which made me wonder: what did Abyssal vampires eat, anyway? That question never got answered, but I felt fairly confident in saying that she probably wasn't going to drink anyone's blood. Maybe she was a new-age emotional vampire who fed on people's aura, or something.

Once the sun rose above the horizon, Snowy set down some more concealment Sigils, everyone took out their sleeping bags, and they got ready to turn in for the day. It was almost a routine at this point; travel under the shroud of night, sleep during the day, avoid trouble. Under normal circumstances, that would've been the end of my observations, ready to move on to greener pastures, but just as I was about to return to my body and see if Ollie was up yet, my knightly sister's alarmed voice pulled me back.

"Erm… Lady Shamash?"

"Yes, child?" the matriarch asked with a motherly smile, but her visage quickly hardened when she saw the troubled expression on Penny's face. "Is there a problem?"

"Maybe…" she responded weakly, her hand on Snowy's shoulder, who was just about to settle down. Once she got her attention, she pointed at the clear sky visible between the trees and asked, "That's the direction of the city, right? Where we're heading?"

"Hm? Yes?" my Abyssal sister nodded while straining her eyes.

"You are correct," Fidèle confirmed as she stepped up to the two and also gazed in the same direction. "I don't see anything out of the ordinary."

"N-No, I'm not saying there is, but…" Penny stammered and pointed slightly to the left. "… but if the city is in that direction, what's that way?"

By this point, the rest of the group got up as well and joined them. Angie, in particular, put a hand over her brows and rose to her tiptoes, as if that would somehow magically let her see through the foliage any better.

"Is that smoke?"

Or maybe it did, because until she said so, I didn't notice the wisps of black smoke sneaking through the air.

"A forest fire?" Ammy proposed, but the matriarch shot the idea down right away.

"No. There are only pastures and farmlands in that direction. There's no cover. It's why we're taking this route through the hinterlands."

The next one to speak up was Judy, though it was more of a prompt than anything.

"Meaning the only flammable thing there should be…"

"There are a few small villages that way," Fidèle confirmed, and then they all twitched when Hareng let out a loud 'A-ha!' and hammered his palm with his fist.

"I get it!" he declared proudly and pointed in the direction of the smoke. "The Inannas must be losing their patience, so they're setting fire to innocent hamlets to draw us out! That's exactly what I would do if I were an Emperor, or a Herald!" He paused and simultaneously crossed his arms. "Actually, no. I wouldn't. It's a puerile plan. There's no way we're blowing our cover for something this insignificant when we're just a day's walk away from our destination, right?" When he didn't get immediate agreement, he stressed again, "Right?"

There was another beat of silence, then Josh looked at the Shamash matriarch.

"We should take a detour and take a closer look."

"It's foolhardy, but if they are indiscriminately attacking the people of my land, I'm obliged to put an end to it."

Josh let out a hum in approval and turned to the rest.

"Sorry, guys, naptime's postponed."

Reactions ranged from a 'No biggie!' from my princess to a disappointed 'Aw…' from the class rep, but most importantly, Hareng continued to eye the gang with shock clearly written on his face, eventually culminating in a dejected, "Oh, bother. Maybe I should've stayed with my cousin, after all…"