Gehrman sat on the porch of Sunny's house with eyes narrowed, and his foot nervously tapping. He was drinking his favorite fruity drink to try and calm himself, but he would be lying if he said he was a bit on edge.
He considered changing back into his actual Yharnam clothes instead of this white "t-shirt" and "blue jeans" he had borrowed to blend in. Familiar clothing might have relaxed him, but it wasn't worth the hassle of dealing with a bunch of odd looks.
Gehrman was more than happy to suffer the minimalist clothes in exchange for spending time in the serene quiet of the outdoors.
This was a new habit he picked up. Gehrman realized that he would be interrupted this time of day, so he decided to have his leisure time during this hour.
This was because Sunny had been asleep for the past three weeks, and he wasn't the only one getting antsy.
At that moment, the annoying visitor showed up right on schedule.
From the looks of it, she was an ordinary school girl with a uniform, backpack, and a light in their eyes. Indeed she was an ordinary school girl. There was nothing mystical or strange about her.
The reason she had encountered Gehrman and was knocking at the door of an Awakened every day was because of her heritage.
Though she knew she was adopted by the wealthy family that had brought her up and loved her, the girl did not consider that her blood still lived.
The one surviving member of her old family was an older brother that refused to die.
Of course, it was Sunny.
And this girl, Rain, was his sister.
Though he had not told her of this neat bit of information, he still "naturally" encountered her and after subtly influencing her, got her to ask him to teach her.
And so Sunny had acquired a student.
In truth though, he was just looking out for his younger sister.
"How is he still not back?" She asked in an agitated voice.
She was very casual with Gehrman, and actually treated him rather coldly. This was because she still didn't believe that someone his age was Awakened. And since he wasn't about to explain his sordid history to this already skeptical girl, she had just come to the conclusion that Gehrman was a homeless man that Sunny took pity on.
"Probably because some horrible monster trapped him, sometimes Nightmare Creatures of a higher Class will torture their prey before eating them." Gehrman took another sip of his drink.
Rain's face still twinged with fear and worry even though he had said as much for the past few days.
In truth, Gehrman was not at all as casual about his disappearance as he seemed.
Sunny had left with Cassie to visit one last area before challenging their Second Nightmare.
It wasn't supposed to be a big issue. This was actually a human-controlled citadel called the Night Temple. And it was under the control of Clan Valor.
It held some strange importance since only those sworn to the King of Swords, Clan Valor's Monarch, could anchor to this place.
It was shrouded in mystery and an aura of danger, and there were many precautions to keep outsiders from coming near the place.
But Cassie had built a decent rapport with Clan Valor, and she had gotten the two of them access for a visit.
And yet something had gone terribly long. He had contacted both Effie and Kai but they also came up empty. Any efforts to communicate with the Night Temple had been blocked.
Gehrman was half tempted to go down to the place himself and tear apart the Citadel until he found them. Mostly so he wouldn't have to deal with the incessant nagging of this child.
They were technically around the same age. But the difference was easy to see from any outsider.
"Whatever, I'll be back tomorrow," Rain said stiffly.
"Didn't he say he would text you when he got back?"
"I'll be back tomorrow!"
Gehrman looked at her retreating form with a deadpan expression.
They were definitely both stubborn. They also looked nearly identical, with the same pale skin and smooth black hair. It was a wonder she hadn't figured out their true relationship.
Gehrman took a deep breath and stood up, stretching excessively before heading inside.
Lately, he had run out of the food that Sunny kept in his fridge and pantry. And he was slightly addicted to the food of the Waking World now. Even going as far as to find cooking videos online.
But once again he had run out of supplies, so he would need to go to the store again. He checked his communicator from the Government before heading out.
There were no immediate Gate crises he was requested for. That could change at any time, but he still felt like hitting something.
But there was no rampant destruction galavanting around some place for him to deal with.
And there were no messages either.
He had only a few people's contact information, but he also had a professional messaging system that he could use to contact random third parties.
He used this only to reach out to the place that was supposed to get him in contact with Seishan.
As it turned out, she was a much bigger deal than he had thought.
The Great Clans were more influential than the Government in most cases, and she was the daughter of one of their leaders. There were very few people who could wield the same level of respect as her.
She truly was royalty.
And unfortunately that also made her really damn hard to contact.
He had sent out three messages, but there was no response.
So either Clan Song didn't tell her about the messages or she simply didn't care to meet with him.
Despite their short time as associates, he still hoped that the reason for being left alone was the former.
She had helped stab him into a wall and listened to him scream bloody murder for an entire night, what else could bring people closer together?
Despite this disheartening turn of events, he still did his best to work hard.
Lately, he had started to form a plan for the future, one that accounted for all his desires and end-goals. And hopefully it would also give Caster a chance to finally move out of that Legacy Clan of his.
Of course, Gehrman would also finally move out of Sunny's home and become financially independent.
The work needed to acquire land and the approval of the Government for his idea took a lot of brain power. So before he did anything, he needed food.
…
He got the food, and then he got kidnapped.
It wasn't really a kidnapping. All things considered he had basically become impossible to kidnap.
But a few scary men with black suits came up to him and insisted they get into their vehicle or else he would face dire consequences.
They did not disclose why he had to do such a thing, but they did promise food.
Which was how Gehrman ended up in the back of a limousine with a couple bags of groceries and a bunch of stern looking men all looking at him with concentrated expressions.
"So how are your days going?" Gehrman asked.
No one responded.
"If you don't mind me asking, how much longer until we get there?"
"Soon."
"...you all are terribly unhelpful."
Despite the unpleasant experience they did indeed arrive at their location soon after that. And true to their words they had arrived at a restaurant. However, they neglected to mention that it was an incredibly fancy restaurant.
Wood (which was apparently incredibly expensive in this world) decorated much of the exterior and interior.
Intricate designs flowed across the floor and ceiling while extravagant art hung from the walls. All of it blended together to create a harmonic picture of elegance and style. This was rather confounding to Gehrman considering that the wood seemed rather out of place to him. And yet, it worked.
As Gehrman followed the scary men it suddenly occurred to him that he felt out of place. His shoes squeaked and the clean marbled floor instead of letting off a crisp, clapping sound that the shiny shoes of the men had.
The fact that he still only had a t-shirt and jeans (as well as his bagged groceries) made him seem a bit out of place.
But he wasn't going to act ashamed of it.
After all, they had interrupted him. If they wanted him to appear cordial, they should have sent an invite.
Despite his apparent non-challance though, his awareness had not dimmed. And after realising what awaited him, it sharped to a degree not dissimilar to how he focused during combat.
All of the men were Awakened, this was unsurprising, but also unimportant.
More of these scary people (which he realised were actually body guards) waited for him upstairs. But these ones had armor-type Memories summoned and weapons at their side. Noticeably, most of these ones were women.
What was far more noticeable was the two individuals in the room he was about to enter.
One of which was another Awakened, though this one seemed to possess a much more potent energy.
…and the other was a Transcendent.
Similar to the Awakened, this one had a quality that made it seem more dangerous. Even the experienced Cor did not give off such a frightening aura.
He did not consider himself in any real danger, since it would be easy to level the building and flee. But if this Transcendent had some strange abilities, this might turn into a dire situation.
Gehrman debated turning around right then and there, but his curiosity got the better of him.
There were no signs of hostility, only wariness.
And he was very glad for this decision when he opened the door and saw Seishan.
She looked even more beautiful than before. Her grey skin and shining hair made her more enchanting than even the finest doll. The inhuman allure about her was fierce…but it was nothing compared to the Transcendent next to her.
Gehrman actually flinched at the sight of her.
While Seishan's beauty was simply a byproduct of her own nature, this one's appearance was downright dangerous.
Looking at her, Gehrman felt the chemicals in his brain altering and his heart rate accelerating.
Even if he wasn't in the body of a teenage boy it would have been hard to look away.
But he snapped out of the trance in less than a second, a jolt of Agony cut through him like a rusty blade, pulling him from her hypnotizing gaze.
"Seishan, long time no see," he greeted her with a half smile. "Can you get that thing to leave before we have our happy reunion?"
Both of the girls balked at his words, and the Awakened outside actually drew their weapons. The bloodlust from them was enough for Gehrman to consider killing them right there.
But abruptly, the aura of the enchanting women dimmed a considerable amount.
"At ease, I'm sure our guest meant no offense by his words," her sultry voice seemed strangled by her own will. It was if she was purposely trying to dampen her appeal.
The Awakened were physically shaken, but they slowly put their armaments down.
Gehrman eyed the dozen or so Awakened outside.
"I was caught off guard by your beauty, madam. I do offer a most sincere apologies to any and all offense I caused," Gehrman returned to a cordial speech similar to that of proper Yharnamites. Even so, there was little sincerity or warmth in his voice.
For some reason, the woman seemed more appalled at being called 'madam' than by being called 'thing'.
Seishan also fully regained herself before addressing the other Awakened.
"You may leave, your job here is done."
There was clear hesitance in all of them, and they stared at Gehrman with death in their eyes. But they were clearly mere underlings, and none of them could deny an order from their Princess.
They stalked away slowly.
Gehrman rolled his eyes and waved his hand in a swift motion. Two small tendrils of blood escaped from his hands and closed the doors behind them. Officially closing the three of them off from outsiders.
Gehrman took a step to join them at a table but was stopped by the Transcendents voice.
"Before you take another step, I ask that you do the same as I and restrain yourself."
It took a moment for Gehrman to realize that he was still leaking a bit of Agony. Though he could call upon specific Madness at times, it was by no means a perfect science. Stifling it on a day free from Blood though was a simple task.
Unbeknownst to him, the glowing ring of Madness circling his eyes dimmed.
The tension instantly eased from the room, and the two women visually relaxed. Without him noticing, they had become rather tense.
"My sincerest apologies for my rudeness. Allow me to reintroduce myself, I am Gehrman. It is a pleasure to meet you." He lowered his in a slight bow. His words and his demeanor both heavily contrasted the modern and casual clothes he wore.
He blinked in a moment of clarity and realised that he was also still clutching his groceries.
Gehrman slightly abandoned his polite demeanor and simply tossed them to the side of the room.
The Transcendent gave him an odd look that he was quite used to by now.
"I am Beastmaster. Princess of Song," Said the Transcendent.
It was clear then why she seemed extra frightening, it was evident that the Monarchs of the Great Clans had a special quality about them, and it made sense that their families would share in this uniqueness.
Seishan didn't bother to introduce herself, it was obvious the exchange was simply between the other two.
Instead, she looked deeply into Gehrman's eyes. She was searching for him, like the others had, trying to confirm that it was truly him.
Gehrman sighed.
"Yes, I came back from the dead. I killed some more Nightmare Creatures and then I challenged and passed my Second Nightmare. It is a really long story and I wrote it all out in a really long essay. If you just give me your contact information I'll send it to you."
Beastmaster raised a brow and with a sly smile spoke before her sister.
"Asking for her number already? A bit forward for a child, isn't it?"
Whatever the second meaning of asking for one's number was, Gehrman didn't care.
"I'm over a hundred years old, kid," Gehrman said with a glare. Then he put his elbows on the table and put his head in his hands. "And I'm trapped in a fifteen year-old's body. You don't realize how unbearable it is until I meet people like you."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Beastmaster asked in a low voice.
"Beautiful people," he grumbled in dismay.
Both women were once again taken aback. Clearly, this conversation was not going the way they expected.
"I am sorry for being rude earlier, it was a response from panic. I haven't felt so powerless since coming to the Waking World. I panicked," Gehrman decided against all the formal talk. The switch was so quick that it might have been a result of some lingering Madness, but in truth Gehrman simply judged it was the superior option at that moment.
Instead of responding to this, both of them were silent. And then it was Seishan's turn to sigh.
"It's…definitley you. Against all logic it's definitely you."
"Thanks for your understanding. The others weren't so easily convinced."
Seishan looked up at him.
"The others?"
"Well, sure. The people Nephis's cohort, they are a lot easier to reach than a lofty Princess such as yourself."
For an odd reason, Seishan's seemed upset by this fact. Though she did not press further upon it.
"How long have you been back?"
"Two months now. I sent you a couple of messages through what I thought were official channels…but I assume you didn't get them or were too busy with other stuff. Either way don't worry about it. I've been keeping myself busy as well."
Beastmaster gave Seishan a genuine glance that was between apologetic and concerned. That type of look made it clear to him that they were not simply sisters in name alone. Though it was strange to put a Transcendent on the same level as an Awakened, it would be incorrect to do otherwise.
"I'm sorry. I…didn't receive it," she said slowly.
"Don't worry about it, seriously." Gehrman was starting to feel awkward about the whole situation.
"I just wanted to check in, make sure you were doing well, make sure you know I'm alive and you can ask if you need anything. I am doing pretty well for myself so I don't really see a need to set up a deal like we did on the Forgotten Shore. Maybe someday I'll need some stuff but for right now I'm good."
Seishan shot him an alarmed look.
"You–what do you mean? Didn't I say you would be my Vassal in the Song Clan? You will receive benefits that even most Legacies would be jealous of. Memories, Echoes, Soul…Shards."
Realization dawned on her then. The things that she listed were both invaluable and essential for others Awakened, but for an existence like Gehrman their worth was significantly decreased.
Beastmaster seemed to notice her sister's disheartened look and took over.
"Despite your…behavior. I can assure you that you will be treated well. As a Vassal, you would take up residence in the Jade Palace or be granted a territory of your own. You would be cooperating with many Saints, and with the power of Song there is nothing that you would not be able to achieve."
For the first time during the discussion, Gehrman was intrigued. He did want some territory. Since it was offered from a Great Clan, it would be an area in the Dream Realm. And later down the line that would be essential.
"Perhaps we could work out a deal for a territory. I wouldn't need much, but I could buy one off you or sign a contract for my services if need be. I am a Terror now so most things below Corrupted Tyrant are manageable."
Beastmaster's eyes narrowed.
"I don't think you understand the position you're in. Every Awakened must pledge loyalty to a Clan. If you do not join us, then you will be an enemy."
Gehrman raised an eyebrow. He did not respond aggressively to the threat for the simple reason that he hadn't known about such a thing.
"...I am technically a Government employee? I don't know why being in one Clan makes you the enemy of another, but I'd rather stay uninvolved in such politics."
Beastmaster leaned back and her face showed a look of understanding. All the pieces in her head fit together cleanly at that moment.
But Seishan was still clearly displeased.
"I looked into it, and you really aren't one of ours. It seems that you just happen to share the same affinity as us by sheer coincidence. But since this is the case then you are truly uninformed about the state of the world right now. The Government is a neutral party, but it will soon become obsolete. It simply dosen't–"
"Seishan," Beastmaster cut her sister's words short. The two ladies gave each other meaningful glances, and they appeared to communicate wordlessly.
A long and awkward silence took over the room. Gehrman wasn't sure how to break this tension so he just tipped his chair back onto its back legs. With his feet hanging like a child he did his best to seem as unimposing as possible.
Eventually, Beastmaster spoke.
"It is clear that neither of us were prepared for this encounter. While we still wish to extend an invitation to join our Clan, we will make an official offer at a different time."
"Negotions will be done at that time as well," Seishan added while giving a sidelong glance. She took out her communicator and gestured for him to do the same. "Send me your 'essay' at your earliest convenience. I will inform you of the details of our next meeting through this communicator."
Both of them became very formal, but there was still clearly tension in the air. But this time, it was not just between Gehrman and the Princesses, but the two sisters as well.
Gehrman brought his chair back down to all fours before rising from his seat.
"Sounds good. Next time don't feel the need to send a bunch of Awakened to come fetch me. I am sure I can find my way by myself."
Gehrman went to the side of the room where he had tossed aside his groceries from before.
As he left he offered one last pleasantry.
"It was a delight to meet you, Beastmaster. I hope next time you don't feel the need to bring any friends with you."
As he left he made sure to look pointedly at the invisible Nightmare Creatures that littered the empty restaurant. Each of them were of the Fallen Rank, and they were all the thralls of Beastmaster.
An illusion shrouded their presence, but after he realized that Beastmaster's abilities lie in the mind and hypnotization he empowered [Eyes on the Inside] more and found the creatures.
Though Gehrman left with confidence and a mustered swagger, he couldn't help but clench his jaw.
He had been wrong to enter the place so brazenly. If the negotiations turned and she truly wished him dead, the small army of Nightmare Creatures along with her Transcendent strength and mental manipulation would have likely brought about his death.
It was a good reminder of how terrifying the humans of this world truly were.