Harem Online: My Party Is Full of Beautiful Celebrities

By the time Martin logged out, evening had settled over the city.

He washed his face, carried his laptop into the penthouse living room, and joined the secured video call Cassandra had scheduled.

Cassandra and Katherine shared one camera from opposite ends of the couch. Martin took the armchair beside them, while Rias appeared alone in her own window. Elisebeth’s camera showed half her face and most of a lampshade until she adjusted her phone.

Alexandra joined through her headset. Her window displayed Chaosgraphy beside Kumoe, whose three heads immediately tried to inspect three different edges of the call.

"Can everyone see me?" Elisebeth asked.

"We could see your lamp perfectly," Katherine said.

"The lamp had better lighting."

Martin laughed under his breath, but everyone settled back into the reason for the call when Cassandra leaned toward the camera.

"Before we discuss what comes next, I need to state what has not changed," she said. "I sent the archive concerning Victoria and Just Die to Rias and the Crucible Concord investigators. I do not control what they conclude."

Rias nodded. "The archive has been received. It has not been independently verified yet. They are comparing it against the laboratory record, and we have no final result."

Cassandra inclined her head. "Understood."

Cassandra described her role without excuses. Victoria had been her character. She had controlled Just Die while leading Night Espresso, leaked Night Espresso’s route into the Cascade Valley ambush, and used Raze’s desire to recover Deadmaw to make him kill Ashy. The Beastslayer project had continued under the structure she built, even after she lost control of the people using it.

"Those were my decisions," Cassandra said. "The investigation may establish who did what afterward. It cannot turn my choices into someone else’s."

Alexandra’s fingers moved through the fur beneath Kumoe’s middle jaw. "Answering questions doesn’t make us forgive you, and helping now does not balance what happened to Ashy."

Cassandra’s hands tightened together in her lap. "I know."

"I’m here because Beastslayers threaten other beasts. I’m not here to restore your position."

"I understand."

Elisebeth folded her arms. "I don’t forgive you either."

Cassandra met her gaze through the camera. "I did not expect you to."

Elisebeth did not answer. She held Cassandra’s gaze until one of Kumoe’s side heads sneezed directly into Alexandra’s camera. The screen filled with white fur, and even Cassandra’s mouth twitched before Alexandra pushed the curious muzzle aside.

Martin summarized the Light Tree’s explanation, including Worldshell’s new condition and the intelligent beast cultures trapped below monster-held routes. Then he described what he wanted their group to become.

"I’m not replacing Night Espresso with another guild," he said. "We’ll work together when our goals align, and no one will be bound to the next expedition."

Rias rested her chin on one hand. "What are we agreeing to protect?"

"Beast cultures first. We open safe surface routes for the communities that want them. We don’t drag anyone upward because a quest says rescue. We stop Beastslayers where we find them."

"I’m in," Elisebeth said.

Alexandra looked at Kumoe before answering. "So are we."

Rias nodded. "Voluntarily, one route at a time."

Katherine raised a hand. "I’m coming too, though I reserve the right to complain about all the walking."

Martin smiled and counted that as agreement.

Cassandra did not add her voice.

Martin looked into the camera. "Kill Clause can join if everyone agrees and Cassandra accepts the conditions."

Alexandra answered first. "Ordinary member. No command authority."

"Agreed," Cassandra said.

Rias continued. "Every piece of information about Beastslayers, Just Die, suppliers, routes, or targets goes to the entire team. No private version prepared for Martin first."

"Agreed."

Martin held Cassandra’s gaze. "No secret second plan. If you disagree, say it. You don’t arrange another outcome behind us because you think you can control both sides."

Cassandra took a slow breath without looking away. "Agreed."

Elisebeth pointed at the camera. "And nobody calls this forgiveness later."

"I won’t," Cassandra said. "I’m asking for the chance to work. I don’t control whether trust returns, whether anyone forgives me, or whether this gives me a place in the world again."

Alexandra watched her for several seconds. "Then Kill Clause gets one conditional chance."

Nobody objected.

Martin released a breath. "Good. Now the expensive problem."

He displayed his equipment window. Three badly underleveled weapons filled the active slots, while the space reserved for a dependable shield remained conspicuously empty.

Rias stared at it. "Raze already showed you how badly this needed fixing."

Martin looked back at the Level 1 warhammer. "Being murdered was an excessive way to make the point."

Martin explained that the Worldshell Arm Stage needed compatible Level 60 armguards, then listed everything else he had to replace. "Level 60 sword, warhammer, trident, and shield. The old weapons stay as utility options, but they can’t remain my main set."

"I’ll meet you at Endless Rain’s Auction House tomorrow," Rias said. "Someone has to keep you away from weapons with pretty descriptions and useless passives."

"Robert said the same thing."

"Robert is wise."

Cassandra looked down at the equipment list she had opened. "Kill Clause needs rebuilding as well. Her current Ranger set was prepared for a different role and different access. I won’t bring her into an unknown route under-equipped."

"Then every listing, receipt, and source goes into the shared record," Alexandra said.

"Yes. All purchases and sources remain visible."

Elisebeth cleared her throat loudly. "Since everyone is displaying their humiliating progression problems, mine is not humiliating. It is merely complicated."

Her NukEncore handle lit up the shared chat, followed by a quest notification.

[Active Class Evolution Quest: Make Magic Listen.]

[Mage Class Evolution: Spellweaver]

[Quest Objectives:]

[Successfully use three different original combination spells during the same battle.]

[Original combination spells used: 0/3]

[Exploit an opening created by an ally with an original combination spell five times.]

[Openings exploited: 0/5]

[Create one original spell by combining three compatible skills.]

[Three-skill combinations created: 0/1]

[Defeat an Elite or Boss with an original combination spell while every party member remains standing.]

[Elite or Boss enemies defeated: 0/1]

[Reward: Your Mage class will evolve into Spellweaver.]

Martin read the final objective again. "Every party member remains standing?"

"Yes," Elisebeth said. "So try not to die while I become extraordinary."

Rias smiled. "A demanding first assignment for your new ordinary teammates."

They spent another twenty minutes matching objectives to what little they knew about the hidden routes. Nobody chose a destination. The Light Tree had offered direction, not permission to rush blind into the first sealed refuge.

When the call ended, Alexandra disconnected first with Kumoe still crowding the screen. Rias and Elisebeth followed. Martin took his laptop back to the guest room, leaving Cassandra and Katherine alone on the couch.

Cassandra waited until his door closed.

"Katherine," she said quietly. "Will you buy Kill Clause’s new equipment through your account? Nothing hidden. Every listing, receipt, and coin goes into the shared record."

Katherine studied her, then reached for the tablet. "Send me the build."