The 24-hour night cycle in Carcosa had finally passed, and with it, the tumultuous Ordeal. The Landship rumbled steadily onward, the sound of its screw-propellers churning the ground beneath it like clockwork.
Beyond the armored windows of the observation deck, the sky began to shift—darkness retreating, giving way to a blindingly vivid horizon where the Carcosan sun rose.
Still, the fact that the so-called 'sun' was a black hole, a monstrous entity with a luminous accretion disk spiraling around it—5t was both awe-inspiring and oppressive, its light an eerie combination of stark brilliance and shadowed intensity.
The light being more yellowish than the morning I rembered on Earth truly gave this world an entire apocalyptic vibe that I sotis forgot everyti I breathe in the morning air.
"Morning," I whispered softly to myself, the thought of greeting a black hole almost making smile.
The Landship's bastion stirred as its occupants began to recover from the night.
And none of them were waking from a good night's sleep. This is Carcosa after all.
My thoughts turned toward the newest additions to our bastion: the Heavenly Maids, is what I called them inside my head.
Twenty of them, all exact replicas of the demigod-like entity dubbed as the Heavenly Victory, a unique presence that I had extracted from the Mirroring Well.
Each of them had been swiftly integrated into the Landship's ecosystem, learning their roles and responsibilities under the watchful supervision of Viviane and Kuzunoha.
They were surprisingly quick learners, even if their transition from defiant demigods to subservient maids had been… unorthodox.
I also like watching them trying their best to maintain the Landship's cleanliness outside of the bastioneers.
Their pride was no longer there, but their troubled expression was sotis too hilarious to observe.
Of course, their job was not only that. They were also going to be in charge of taking care of our hydroponic farm and dabbling with the Cognitive Engines connected to many places of the Landships.
And if the result was positive, I might give them more work to do after I renovated the Landship again with upgrades and greater defensive features.
And since they possessed Naosi's muscle mories to a great extent, I might start making them to help the production of products made from Neuro Alloy, and just overall more projects regarding the Neuromorphic Technology.
Ah, speaking of them. One of the Heavenly Maids had just bowed her head to .
Maid-1, the first of the Heavenly Victories to be summoned, remained distinct from the rest. Not because of her deanor—though she was marginally more reserved than her counterparts—but because of her missing arm.
Her disembodied hand, claw-like fingers and all, remained in Kuzunoha's possession, undergoing a series of experints. Kuzunoha was investigating the interaction between the divine influence of the Heavenly Victory's soul and the Theotech modifications embedded in her vessel.
She hadn't shared her findings yet, but I trusted her curiosity would yield results. It always did.
After all, I would be the one who should dabble into that research, if not for the enormous amount of plans that I have in pending.
"Gather all of the Maids to the dining table in thirty minutes," I ordered.
"Yes, Master!"
Watching them, one might almost forget their divine origins, were it not for the faint remnants of their godly auras and the way they occasionally stared at the world with a lingering sense of existential irony.
"Maids, huh," I mused aloud, smiling. "It's not every day you enslave demigods and have them wearing maid uniforms."
And yet, I did.
Also, after a good round of abuse and threats, it seed fitting to properly welco them into their new roles. And how better to do that than with a al worthy of gods?
Yes, my ego has been inflated since the last dining session, and I wouldn't call any of my cooking otherwise.
"Ah, the timing couldn't get even more perfect," I said, as I started to feel another attack of my cooking withdrawal. "Welp."
The kitchen buzzed with activity as I set to work. Rows of ingredients lined the polished Neuro Alloy counters, illuminated by the gentle glow of enchanted lights. I worked with a quiet intensity, letting my hands move instinctively as I transford raw materials into dishes of unparalleled quality.
The aroma that filled the dining hall was intoxicating, even by the high standards of our bastion.
When the Heavenly Maids were finally summoned to the table, their collective expressions ranged from wide-eyed amazent to thinly veiled hunger.
I unveiled the feast, and the reaction was imdiate.
"This…" Maid-6 stamred, her voice barely above a whisper. "This is… incredible."
Maid-11 clasped her hands together, tears glistening in her eyes. "If I can eat like this every day, I wouldn't even mind being enslaved or… or even physically abused!"
"Don't say that out loud!" Maid-8 hissed, panicked. "You'll give her ideas!"
I chuckled softly, unable to resist the humor of the mont. "Oh, don't worry," I said warmly, my tone light but carrying an undercurrent of amusent. "I already have plenty of ideas."
"I-I assure you, Master! Maid-6 doesn't know what she is saying!"
"To be honest, I kinda agree with Maid-6… I won't mind going through hell and back just to get a feast of this again."
"Yeah, this is better than anything I consud in that shitty world."
"As if you're saying that this world isn't as shitty enough too…"
"... I swear, all of you!"
As soon as they experienced the warmth, they started to beco more chatty and expressive with one another. To them, their other version was never the sa entity, but a comrade in arms who suffered the sa twisted fate of being enslaved by .
But I could see it. Slowly, in their eyes, my presence evolved from that of a demon into a benevolent and rightful goddess.
I guess my newfound charm had found its usefulness now that we got new people onboard.
My bastioneers' opinion didn't really change drastically, so it felt good getting a new sense of praise.
Gotta feed that narcissistic side of before I rip soone's face again.
Maid-1, ever reserved, remained silent as she sampled the dishes. Though she kept her composure, I noticed the faintest flicker of wonder in her eyes as she tasted each bite.
"You're all adapting well," I remarked as I appeared behind her. "Perhaps better than I anticipated."
Several of the maids exchanged glances, unsure whether my words were ant as praise or a subtle threat.
I guess my tone was still a little bit too intimidating to them.
They'll get used to it.
With the Ordeal behind us and the sun casting its eerie light over the horizon, it was ti to focus on our destination: the Theotech Vault. But the Landship still had hours, if not days, to travel before we reached it.
The Maids were settling into their roles, the bastioneers had returned to their routines, and my confidantes were imrsed in their various experints and tasks. For once, there was a rare sense of calm within the bastion.
It was the perfect ti to indulge in a personal endeavor.
I retreated to my quarters, the door sliding shut with a soft hiss behind . The room was a blend of comfort and grandeur, its walls lined with shelves of books and artifacts from Kuzunoha's mansion, sothing that I personally asked to the owner of those goodies herself.
I haven't finished all of the wonderful tos and scrolls, after all.
"My eighth day in Carcosa~"
I settled onto the plush sofa, closing my eyes as I exhaled slowly. Then, with deliberate focus, I began to project my spiritual consciousness.
While I barely have any access to magic and all of those sparkly sorcery that my precious confidantes possessed, I'm still able to perform so fun tricks just by being greater in existential height that a normal mortal alone.
And this ti, I'm going to use it to visit a peculiar friend of mine.
The transition was seamless. One mont, I was in my quarters; the next, I was adrift in a realm of incomprehensible beauty and chaos.
Mathematical concepts coiled and writhed around , alive in a way that defied logic. Variable strings spiraled into fractals, forming bridges and pathways that connected planes of existence within my soul.
And then, as if responding to my presence, the realm began to shift. The swirling chaos gave way to structure—a drawing room, similar to those in Kuzunoha's mansion.
Seated at the center of the room was Black Daffodil.
She had taken a new form, as she always did. This ti, she wore a regal gown of black and silver, its intricate patterns shifting and flowing like liquid starlight. Her iconic void-covered face remained, frad by her long, flowing black hair.
"You've returned," she said, her voice elegant and poised. "How rare, for you to grace with your presence unprovoked."
I approached the table in the center of the room, my smile widening as I sat across from her. "Oh, don't flatter yourself," I said lightly. "I've simply grown tired of ignoring you. And besides, you've been awfully submissive since my ascension. I thought I'd check in and see if you're still sulking."
Black Daffodil tilted her head, her faceless visage sohow managing to convey amusent. "Submissive? Hardly. If anything, your ascension was precisely what I desired. Watching you carve your path through Carcosa has been… satisfying, to say the least."
For the past Carcosan days after I got my ascension, I had been making so personal visits to Black Daffodil myself.
She voiced how annoyed she was at for playing with her, and I voiced my annoyance about how cryptic and dangerous she was.
We sowhat beca quite the close buddy after that exchange.
"Is that so?" I replied, leaning back in my chair. "Then why do I get the feeling you're still scheming sothing?"
"Sches, my dear Narcissus, are rely tools for entertainnt," she said, her tone carrying a hint of condescension. "And you've provided with quite the spectacle thus far."
We continued our back-and-forth, the conversation flowing like a ga of chess. Black Daffodil's words were always carefully chosen, layered with aning and intent.
And then, she made her offer.
"A boon," she said, her voice soft but resonant. "A way to call upon should the need arise. Consider it a gesture of goodwill."
I raised an eyebrow, my skepticism evident. "A boon? From you? That sounds… suspicious."
Black Daffodil chuckled, a low, lodic sound. "Oh, I won't deny there's an ulterior motive. But rest assured, it's nothing that would jeopardize your precious bastion. Quite the opposite, in fact. I simply wish to ensure your continued survival. After all, you're far more entertaining alive than dead."
Her words piqued my curiosity, though I remained wary. "And what exactly do you get out of this?"
"Perspective," she replied smoothly. "You've put a great effort on defying the fate of every Daffodil before you. That alone is worth preserving."
"Thank you for realizing that."
"I bet that their constant whining must be annoying."
"It seems that you're also experiencing that as well."
"I'm connected to you, after all."
"Still, why the sudden change in heart?" I shrugged.
Her tone shifted slightly, becoming more serious. "There is a presence outside Carcosa. A dark force, waiting for its mont to strike. It wants you dead, Narcissus. Desperately so. But it is bound by limitations—criteria that must be t before it can act."
She appeared to be genuine for this one, and I don't know if I should felt intimidated or even more cautious of her with this.
I leaned forward, my gaze narrowing. "And you know what those criteria are?"
"I know enough, but it changes every day, or every hour, or every minute, every second. I won't be able to notify you, so you need so kind of backup in case that you're cornered like a pitiful rat outside of my influence," she said cryptically. "And if that ti cos, and you need my help, all you simply must do…" She paused, her faceless void tilting as if to et my eyes directly.
"…Is to strip your face clean."
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