In Loki's Honor Life 26 - Chapter 20 - It's an E(L)ffing Quest

After Lorna's passing, I had no will to do anything. I filled the bathtub and beca shapeless and inert inside, using ditation all the ti. It was the only way to keep my mind from drifting. To keep the pain of grieving from overwhelming .

Nenandil stayed with , sotis swimming inside , sotis just watching ti go by. We were two immortals, and we didn't need to act as if we were in a hurry.

King Eric sent so guards to convert the ground floor of the house into a guard station. The upper floors were off-limits for everyone. I had to thank him later for that.

The coward hid in a bathtub. I was but a puddle of water.

I wasn't tracking ti. Sotis I had flashes of this or that mory but {ditation} quickly centered back. It was like when I was dueling with Bundeus.

People ca and went. Windere prospered. Talia had a litter of rat-kin babies. Nenandil told she attended the were-rat [Rogue]'s wedding.

The nas of King Locksley and Queen Lorna entered the history books. I think Eric held a funeral for them as I gave him the body of a half-elf dressed with the gothic plate armor. He inherited the enchanted dragon scale and the Tabard. May his rule be long and wise.

There ca one ti when the influx of MP from the wellspring increased drastically. I learned later that a group of mages ca to Windere to study the "mana spike phenonon" and use the doubled MP regeneration rate to further their study of magic. Eric deftly bound the permission to erect a magical college to the compromise of putting on the Tabard once for the college leaders.

I paid the episode no mind because there were only two detection Skills turned on. Humans and the Church of Bundeus. During the ti I lived as a tub of water, no priests of the Butt God ca to Windere.

One day, years later, the ssage I was waiting for finally ca.

Your curse {Invulnerable Stone Flesh} was downgraded to {Stone Blood}.

Reporting to caster... blocked.

That confirms it. Bundeus was the one to put the curse on .

She saluted.

I activated {Remove Curse}. I dumped three streams of energy into the Skill, two from my MP and SP pools along with one of Nenandil's MP at the start. Then the cores crumbled into dust as the MP was funneled into the Skill. After the cores were gone I supplented it with the three streams of energy, going as low as two or three percent in each. A few hours later the full cost to break the curse was paid.

Your curse {Stone Blood} is lifted.

I shifted back to my normal form. I had no target for {Erode Curse} so I assigned it to the {Feeblemind} series. I hope it would erode faster now that it was a stage down.

I heard a giggle. Nenandil was flying around, clearly happy that I was back to my normal self. I was in no mood to celebrate with her but I still smiled sympathetically.

"What are you going to do now?" She asked.

I needed to get stronger if I was to enact my vengeance. Because now, with Lorna gone, there was only one goal for . Get rid of the Butt God. But first I needed to get stronger.

"Now, I'm going to visit so friends."

"Which ones?" She replied cheekily. "The ones you've been ignoring for thirty-five years or the ones you've been ignoring for a hundred years?"

That hurt. "Thanks," I said oozing sarcasm. "Let's begin with Yznera. She told she wants to grant the sa Perks she gave to the elf princesses. Then I need to learn how to use the fairy mushroom circles to teleport long distances. When that's done, I'm going to destroy every single temple to the God of Butts to end His worship."

"Okay! But you can't go like this," She pointed at my lamia form. "Lakerta is petrified. Bundeus left Windere alone because of that."

"You're right."

"I always am," She poked her nose up.

I donned my Fox-Kin Disguise Kit and it imdiately beca Lakerta's usual wig. Then I shifted into Lily's form but with a fox tail and ears. I still had both arms. It seems my Perk "saves" the shape of my past lives as they were at the mont I died.

My mood changed the mont I shifted into Lily's form. It never ceased to amaze how the chemistry of one's brain affected their very personality.

"I rembered one grueso thing, Nenandil. I have quite the selection of babies to transform into."

She didn't seem happy. "Oh. I wish I could stay by your side from your birth."

"Maybe the power to transform into a baby might co in handy soday."

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Nenandil was skeptical, "Maybe not? You forget you died as a newborn and sotis not even that."

Disgusted, that's the word I wanted. "Maybe we should not talk about the wanton slaughter they did to ."

Nenandil pouted and put her knuckles on her waist, "Maybe we should, indeed. We should not talk about that tragedy."

It hit . How far away that feels now. Maybe a decade ditating in the bathtub put closer to enlightennt. Yeah, right. No, it was my Perks ssing up with my mind. Helping cope. Or maybe it's the ditation. Or maybe I'm just too broke inside and this is my insanity speaking. I don't know. But why did Loki ant with "never lose the sense of self"?

"Nenandil, ti to go. You'll have to stay undercover now," I told and my familiar fairy hid inside my soul.

After storing Lorna's last objects that were moved upstairs by the guards, I put on so peasant clothes and they adjusted to my size due to my [Hero] Perk. Looking out through the window, I found a dark alley to teleport to. One {Shadow Warp} later I was there.

I joined the foot traffic and walked the streets of Windere. The kin had very good eyesight because of their beast blood but Windere had all sorts of species. It had that feeling of fantasy. I made my way to the temple of Yznera. The busy streets were full of rchants hawk their wares, children run among the passersby, people shopping for groceries, and a party of adventurers coming back from the Dungeon.

Maybe that's what I need. Live a normal life, like a normal person.

"Hey, kid! You there, the red-head fox-kin!" A man shouted.

It took a while to find out he was talking about . He was as nondescript as a wolf-kin could be. He beckoned over.

"How may I help you, mister?" I asked with a fake grin.

He leaned to whisper in my fox ears, "I work with a certain dark elf. I just wanted to warn you to change your displayed Status. Children don't have a Status, much less forty-sothing million HP, Your Highness Lakerta."

I giggled and blushed. I dismissed my {Status Forgery}, opting to display nothing. "Send your boss my regards. I'm going on a trip."

He raised his voice, "Here, you annoying fox! Get these coppers and buy yourself sothing to eat. Put so at over those bones of yours, grow so tits, and co back to solicit later!"

The wolf-kin [Spy] pushed and tossed so coppers on my lap before going away and vanishing in a dark alley. Which cities had a lot because people needed access to their backyards.

I scooped the coins and made myself scarce with {Crowd Surfer}.

Yznera was the main faith of the kin. Theirian was a nation with lots of elves and fairies, and the were-kin adopted their religion. Her temple was in a privileged location, the main square of the city. The temple was obviously crafted with the elven {Spell-Song}. It looked like the inside of a tree trunk. The ground had a verdant grass and from the ceiling, a massive quartz crystal shed daylight onto the temple. Vines grew along the inside walls of the main nave and instead of pews, the temple had these round rocks where people could sit and admire the inner temple's nature.

I found a "wood" elf in acolyte robes and approached him.

"Yes, child. How may I help you?" He asked with a soft lodic voice intended to soothe and calm. Elves and their three sets of vocal cords. Even after living as one, it never failed to amaze .

"I seek the Mother's wisdom," I told him in Fulgen elvish. "A friend of mine told she has sothing for ."

"The Mother? The mother Mother?" He asked a bit confused. Then it hit him, "You speak the Forest People's language very well."

"Yes. Please tell Her that Lily Blackcat is here."

He looked at angrily, "Girl, we don't have ti to waste with your childish pranks."

"Acolyte, just pray to Mother Yznera telling her what I told you," I said with the weight of a {Royal Order}. Lorna might've been on the money. Those social reaction-influencing Perks were doing nothing. Or maybe they are and this elven acolyte was supposed to act like a total jerk toward .

Lo and behold, coercion worked. It's - was - good to be the Queen?

His eyes went wide but he soon closed them and prayed. Once he looked at again, they were in awe. "This way, please," he pointed to ta door leading deeper in the building and added in a whisper, "I'm sorry, Old Soul."

"Think nothing of it. Let's go."

Inside, I was introduced to an older werewolf priest. He had silver-white fur but it wasn't glossy. "Ah. Pleased to et you, Champion. This way."

I felt a shiver down my spine. Did he pierce my Perk and saw my Status? I followed him for the ti being. The priest led out through the back of the shaped tree-like temple. The yard was big, with a copse of trees in the back. As we entered the small copse, I was led into a clearing with a life-like statue of Yznera as the centerpiece.

The old werewolf priest pointed to so rocks and I sat on one as he took his place next to . Then he spoke.

"The Mother has so gifts for you but it cos at a price. One she warned you'll reject at first."

There is no such thing as a free lunch. I was expecting as much but I had no idea what She would ask.

"What is it?"

The werewolf grinned.

Yznera, Goddess of Nature, offers you a Quest.

Revive the Old Fulgen Royal Bloodline.

To complete this quest, you need to use Queen Alloralla's form and give birth to a pink-haired elven princess.

Upon accepting the Quest, you'll receive the following Traits:

Rest and Relaxation (rare): The beneficial effects on your body and psyche from relaxing and comforting items and actions are enhanced by 100%. This perk will be granted to your offspring.Fertile Womb (very rare): You have a 100% increased chance of achieving conception through intercourse with a fertile male. You have an 80% reduced chance of miscarriage. You have double chances of twins or triplets. You have a 20% better chance of conceiving daughters. Childbirth is 80% easier and less stressful. This perk will be granted to your daughters.Birth Control (rare): During intercourse with a male, you can decide whether to allow a chance of conception or not. This perk will be granted to your daughters.Removal of your {Sterile} curse.

These traits will not be taken away.

After the Princess is born, you'll gain:

Ten bonus points to the current value and cap of two Attributes of your choice. The perk: Tree Refuge (ultra-rare): When using Tree Stride, you can instead opt to teleport into a tree refuge, a circular forest adow twenty ters across that is inaccessible by any other ans. You always access the sa refuge. Objects left in the clearing will be there once you return. Ti passes in the clearing normally when you are not there. When you cross out of the clearing, you return to the tree you entered from.

Warning: {Tree Refuge} is only obtainable by Yznera's grace.

Accept? [YES]. [NO]

I closed my eyes and thought of the best way to reject the quest without angering Her. I didn't even know I would have the physiology of my current form as it was. But If I had a daughter, I would raise her and that was incompatible with my dangerous life. And I wouldn't let the court swallow her up. Also, I had zero interest in sleeping with a man. Or anyone else, given that I'd lost my wife recently. I could even hear Nenandil's protest, "it was a decade ago!" but I wasn't ready to enter a relationship again.

I stood from my rock and walked to the statue. I didn't touch it. I was very careful to not touch anything inside the temple as I knew I would siphon a lot of energy. Just by standing on the temple grounds, I drained so power.

"I'm sorry, Yznera. I can't have children. The Royal bloodline died when the council betrayed them. And if I had a child, I wouldn't give her up. Or let her be swallowed by the court politics. It's not happening. You'll have to make do with Sariandi and her daughters."

With a heavy heart, I declined the quest.

The werewolf looked up and his ears twitched as if listening to soone far away. Then he declared, "The Mother said to not be angry because she offered you the quest. Queen Alorna of the Fulgen was one of Her favorites. She wishes you the best."

Alorna was Alloralla's mother. Another mother of mine who died a horrible death because Gods and Demons had to play their gas.

"I'm not. It was offered in good spirit, I hope she's not offended by my refusal. I think she knows my reasons."

He smiled and nodded, "She does. She also said, 'I had to try'. Farewell, Matriarch. Know that you'll always have us as allies."

I waved godbye and left the temple without saying another word.