Saki

  I walked through the guild hall, everyone staring at me. I used my illusions to appear calm as I walked across. Despite my anxiety and shaking, I appeared calm, and that's what mattered. Tama would hold them off for a while.

  She was probably going to run soon too though. The fact I had to walk back over the dead bodies of the royal guards meant no one had come to check. Tera hadn't even noticed them on her way to Tama.

  I reached the door and heard a voice speak up. "Um... hello. You are Saki, yes?"

  I whirled around in surprise to see a tall lean man wearing glasses and holding a book close to his chest. Definitely a spell book of some kind. Perhaps a grimoire?

  "Yes?" I said curiously, summoning a void ball behind my back while shielding it in a minor illusion.

  The man looked nervous and shy. After a moment he spoke. "I was there when Tama hit the staff and got all three of you teleported. I told Talia based on the trajectory of the spell and its latent magical readings that you were most likely teleported underground and had a 40% chance of survival."

  As he said this he fixed his glasses as they slid down his nose and he couldn't make eye contact with me.

  I considered for a moment before asking, "Are... are you Lyran? Like, the Lyran who went on a quest with Tama?" My void ball got slightly smaller and my ears twitched.

  This was the man who had indirectly saved me with his float stone. He had also helped Tama do her first successful quest, where I had failed due to the... goblin army. Though in my defense, it was supposed to be a routine cleanup!

  "Yes, did Tama mention me?" he asked curiously.

  I nodded. "A few times..." Truthfully, she wouldn't stop talking about the 'weirdo that acted like you but had round things on his face and walked around with a book'. But, I didn't say that to him...

  "Ah! That's wonderful and kind of worrying. Tama is very... Tama. I had a feeling anyone that quested with her was bound to get into trouble. I gave her some stuff for the people around her.

  She told me at the time it was useless stuff, but I felt whoever else might need it. She tends to forget others exist." He said simply, his voice cutting off as he seemed to try and find the right words to describe what I liked to call the Tama effect.

  I smiled at him, a genuine smile I wasn't expecting. "Yeah, Tama is definitely Tamathere is truly no one like her." My tail began to wag slightly and I unsummoned the void ball. I kept the illusion up though, this could all be a trap.

  He sighed and said, "For better or worse." As he said this, his eyes went distant for a moment. The kind of distance that screams 'I am remembering a traumatic event.'

  I couldn't help myselfI smiled at that. As someone who just walked out of one of Tama's latest traumatic events, I felt that look on a personal level. If he knew what I actually looked like right now under the illusion... yeah.

  "Do... do you want to go get something to eat? I am starving and have had nothing but fish for weeks." I asked carefully. My tail wrapped around my stomach and I felt strange. I had seduced men lots of timesI wore a freaking lingerie dress and men literally drooled as I walked by. But for once, I was feeling something and it felt weird.

  He looked tense for a moment and said, "I would love to... but I spent all my gold from the quest with Tama on a new spell." He smiled at me sheepishly and held up the book he was holding onto and opened it. There were three spells. Magic missile, a simple arcane spell that fired three small spheres of arcane energy.

  Almost like the magical equivalent of throwing rocks. The second was a fireball, and it had a scribble on the side that said 'do not cast inside!'. The third was most likely his newest and I instantly understood his thought process.

  Especially if he got it after meeting Tama. 'Return'. The spell literally lets you mark a location, then whenever you were far away, you could use the spell a second time and you would be teleported back to the location you marked.

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  I laughed hard and said, "Don't worry, Tama will pay for us, one second." I turned and said in a calm tone, "Tama, please come here for a moment."

  There was a moment of silence and Tama just materialized next to me. A few people nearby flinchedI made note Lyran did not flinch. Instead he sighed and shook his head.

  "Can I see your bag?" I asked.

  Tama nodded, handed me her bottomless bag, turned to Lyran and said, "Nya! Tama wants more quests!" Then she vanished again. I didn't know where she went, but it didn't really matter.

  I turned to Lyran and smiled. "Shall we?"

  He smiled at me weakly and nodded. "Thanks."

  I shook my head and with a genuine look of gratitude said, "Thank you."

  We turned and walked out of the guild hall.

  Tama

  I pointed Serenity at Alissa as I declared loudly, "Tama does not want to become Empress!"

  Alissa giggled and asked, "What kind of runes are those? They look important!"

  I paused and looked at the runeseven after all this time they still pulsed gently with calming waves. I smiled and opened my mouth to speak, but Talia spoke over me.

  "Well, the rune on the hilt is for anti-slip and drawing. The six runes along the blade itself are of sharpness, water affinity, air affinity, ethereal effect, speed enhancement, and extreme durability enchantment.

  She has built-in sentience and when named understands herself. The entity within is an ocean spirit of SSS Rank and gives all calming vibrations into the air, causing everyone surrounding the blade, including the wielder, to enter a state of peace when focused on."

  I paused and considered her words before turning to Talia. "Nya! How do you know so much about Serenity!" My tail lashed angrily and I looked worried.

  Talia just laughed. "Because I crafted her myself. Serenity, huh? That is a beautiful name. I didn't recognize her at first when we fought back in the guild hall before this whole fiasco. But now that you have her out, it's clearly the gift I made for Reggie's apprentice.

  I just forgot to put the two together." She sighed heavily and her wolf tail wrapped around her body in a sign of anxiety. "I miss him so much. I understand why, I just... it doesn't matter." She trailed off and looked over to Alissa. Alissa nodded along happily.

  I was at a loss for words. My mind was racing but none of it made sense. "Tama thinks... Tama feels... Tama is... TAMA IS CONFUSED!" I finally screamed as my mind stopped working. I knew Sensei told me about his adventuring days. I knew Talia was Auntie Talia. But somehow, through everything happening, I had never put it all together.

  Talia just sighed and smiled at me while shaking her head. "That seems to be your default state, Tama. You remind me so much of him it isn't even funny. That's not what we are focusing on today though. You need to step up to be Queen or Empress, or whatever you call yourself."

  "But Tama..." I began to say, but Talia raised her hand and spoke. "No, you can't buy your way out of this with gold coins, you can't trade it with Gryphon legs, you can't pass it on to someone else... officially.

  You need to go to the capitol, Tama, and you need to do the ceremony. After that, we can figure out more. I understand you don't want to be Queen, but that was never a good decision. Do you really want millions to suffer or die because of your inaction? Is that what your Sensei would have wanted?"

  I tried to argue, but when she mentioned Sensei, I deflated instantly. I tried and failed to open my mouth multiple times, but nothing came out.

  Finally, I glared at Talia and sat back down in my chair. Tears streamed down my cheekspart of it was because I didn't want to become Queen, but the other part was because I missed him too. I wonder if she knew... that he was dead?

  There was silence as I sat there and cried. I felt Alissa as she hugged me and wrapped her tail around me. She whispered in my ear, "Your mother didn't want it either. I understood her pain. But she ran away, I didn't.

  You shouldn't either. We have to protect our people, Tama." Her words were soft, but they hurt. Each one likes being stabbed. I made a heaving sob and said, "But... Tama will make a horrible Empress."

  Alissa smiled gently at me as I looked into her eyes. She spoke, her words barely a whisper. "You will be great."

  I shifted and slowly stood. I turned to the door and was about to blink when Talia spoke. "You can't always run, Tama. Life will catch up to you."

  I froze at her words and my eyes wandered to Tristy, the slave collar on her neck, to Anna in my gi form, and finally to Tera as she kneeled next to me. I swallowed and said quietly, "Tama needs... time." And blinked out of the room.

  Chapter 98: The Regent Part 2