A/N : i'm back now with New Year's spirit, of course. Oh, this first month to kick off the new year, I'll be giving bonus chapters for every 50 power stones, so don't hesitate to throw your power stones if you want extra chapters đ.
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While Allen was off relaxing and having fun in his apartment.
Now in Runeterraâspecifically in BilgewaterâJill and Excella finally woke up from their nap. Feeling a little hungry, they headed to the dining room. There, Raviel, Abigail, and Sarah were already sitting together, eating and chatting.
"Hey, you two are finally awake. Come eat," Raviel said, motioning for her sisters to join them. Hearing that, Jill and Excella took their seats.
"So, how are you feeling?" Jill asked, showing concern for Abigail.
"I'm doing just fine, thank you. And of course, it's all thanks to Miss Raviel. I want to thank you againâbecause of your help, I'm still alive and able to see my daughter," Abigail said. But Raviel simply waved dismissively.
"No need to thank me. If anything, your daughter is the one who deserves the gratitude."
Abigail already knew the condition required to bring her backâthe one Sarah had agreed to. Of course, that made her a bit sad. The thought of being separated from her daughter because of this weighed heavily on her, especially since Sarah had to follow them from now on.
"Miss Raviel, may I come with you as well? I promise I'll serve under you too," Abigail said, gathering her resolve. She didn't want to be apart from Sarah, and this was the best way to stay with her. She also hoped Raviel wouldn't reject her request.
"Hmmm⊠are you sure? You understand that if you follow me, you'll be giving up your freedom too," Raviel warned.
"Mom, you don't have to do this," Sarah protested. She had already sacrificed her freedom for her mother's life, yet now her mother wanted to follow them as well?
But Abigail stopped her daughter and spoke firmly. "I don't mind losing my freedom, as long as I can stay with my daughter."
"Hmmm⊠fine then. You'll become one of my followers and work for me as a maid for my family going forward," Raviel said, deciding that adding another maid wasn't such a bad idea.
Jill and Excella exchanged looks and clicked their tongues. They could tell Raviel definitely had another agenda behind recruiting this mother-daughter pair.
And it seems the author's plan to reduce Allen's harem size has been completely destroyed by this goddess. Truly unfortunate for me as the writer.
"Fufufu⊠and who exactly do you think you are, trying to control our lives?" Raviel sneered, openly mocking the author.
Author: _-
.....
After they finished eating and chatting for a bit, the group finally stepped out of the house to continue their little journey to find a gift for Allen.
But before that, Abigail and Sarah insisted on returning to what was left of their homeâboth to clean the ruins and to prepare a proper farewell for Garrick, Abigail's husband and Sarah's father.
They didn't hate Garrick. Far from it. He had been a good man to them, a decent father and a reliable husband, even if life in Bilgewater was never kind to anyone.
Among the smoldering debris, Abigail spotted two familiar shapesâher twin pistols, Shock and Awe, her greatest creations⊠now scorched and broken. She picked them up carefully, sadness flickering across her face. She'd fix them, she decided. And when the time came, she'd pass them on to Sarah.
Not far away, Sarah was gathering her father's ashes into a small iron urn. Later, she would scatter them into the oceanâBilgewater's final tribute to the dead. Returning to the deep was tradition here. A last respect⊠and a hope that the Bearded Lady would guide their souls to calmer tides.
When Sarah released her father's ashes into the sea, the wind carried them gently across the waves. She fought to steady her breath, but the weight of her memories made her shoulders tremble. Every moment she'd shared with himâevery laugh, every lessonâechoed painfully in her mind.
"It's alright⊠we're going to be fine," Abigail whispered, pulling her daughter close. Her voice was steady, but her eyes shimmered with the same grief. She held Sarah tightly, the two of them clinging to each other as the tide washed the last remnants of their past away.
After the funeral rites were finished and the quiet of the shore returned, Excella finally broke the silence.
"So, sis⊠how exactly are we getting to our next stop?" she asked, tilting her head. "We're not flying again, right? That'll stand out like a flare gun in Bilgewater."
Raviel smirked at her concern. "Hmm⊠then how about we take a ship? None of you get seasick, I assume?" she asked, glancing between Jill and Excella. Both shook their heads.
"Good," Raviel said with a pleased grin. With a flick of her hand, she pulled an entire ship from her inventoryâa dark, weathered vessel with a hull stained black and an old name carved proudly on its side: Black Pearl.
Of course, it wasn't the real oneâjust a replica she crafted after binge-watching the movies when she was bored. But in a place like Bilgewater, appearance was everything⊠and this ship looked every bit the part of a legendary pirate vessel.
"Whoa⊠that ship looks amazing," Sarah breathed, awe shining in her eyes as she took in its size and sinister elegance.
Jill narrowed her eyes. "Hold on. Raviel, how are we supposed to sail this thing? It's massive. We need a full crew to even get it moving."
"Haha, relax. I've already got the perfect solution," Raviel replied with mischief in her voice. She reached once more into her inventory and drew out a bladeâits presence alone seemed to stir the air.
The moment the sword's edge caught the light, the ship responded. Ropes snapped to movement, sails unfurled themselves, and the masts creaked as if awakening from a long slumber.
The weapon she held was the Sword of Tritonâthe supernatural blade wielded by the notorious pirate Blackbeard in Pirates of the Caribbean.
"Of course you have something like that⊠you have everything in that storage of yours," Excella muttered, half impressed, half exasperated.
The others silently agreed, though none of them were surprised anymore.
Once they were aboard, the ship's interior groaned like an old beast rousing from the deep. Raviel moved to the helm, her blade still in hand.
Their destination: Bilgewater Bay, the beating heart of the port city. And beyond that, a place Abigail had recommendedâHigh and Dry, a black market hotspot known for good deals⊠and dangerous ones.
"Alright, everyone's on board. Let's set sail," Raviel declared, while wearing pirate-like clothes. She then swung the Sword of Triton with a flourish.
Of course, the girls couldn't help but giggle at Raviel's behavior, who seemed to be getting a little carried away by the moment.
The Black Pearl lurched forward, cutting through the sea with confidence, its shadow dancing across the waves as the group began their voyage toward the lawless, salt-soaked city of Bilgewater.
During the voyage, Abigail slipped into one of the cabins and set herself down at a small table. She carefully laid out her tools and the pair of damaged pistols before her. With the long journey ahead of them, she refused to waste timeâthere was always something useful she could do, especially if it helped her daughter.
Just as she was adjusting a gear mechanism, the door creaked open.
"Mom, what are you doing?" Sarah asked as she stepped inside with Jill following behind.
"Oh, Sarah," Abigail smiled warmly. "I'm repairing these pistols. They took a bit of damage earlier." She nodded politely toward Jill, wordlessly inviting her to join them. After all, Raviel had turned the captain's quarters into a sort of shared living roomâcozy and spacious enough for everyone to relax in.
"I wanna help! Can I, Mom?" Sarah asked, her eyes shining with enthusiasm.
"Of course, sweetheart," Abigail replied, genuinely pleased. She always loved it when her daughter showed interest in craftsmanshipâespecially something as delicate and meticulous as gunsmithing.
Jill approached the table, her gaze lingering on the twin pistols. Their internal mechanisms were unlike anything she had ever seen in her own worldâintricate, elegant, and almost artistic in design.
"They're beautiful⊠truly the work of a master craftsman," Jill said with quiet admiration.
"Thank you, Miss Jill," Abigail replied politely, dipping her head slightly.
Jill grimaced a little and waved her hands. "You don't have to call me 'Miss' like that. Just Jill is fine. I'm not used to fancy formal titles."
Abigail chuckled softly, and Sarah giggled beside her as they returned to working on the pistolsâthree women from different worlds sharing one peaceful moment aboard a ship cutting across the endless blue.
...
Meanwhile, in the heart of Bandle City, a small purple feline perched atop a floating spellbookâher tiny paws tucked neatly beneath her as she tried to hold what could only be described as a very serious⊠yet incredibly ridiculous conversation with the grimoire beneath her.
"I don't know, Book," she said with an exaggerated sigh, her voice carrying the weight of a dramatic actor on stage. "We already searched all over Shurima, and we didn't find even a single pawprint! Master could be anywhere!"
Book:fwipâŠ
Its pages flipped on their own, faster and fasterâuntil, without warning, a fish suddenly launched out from between the pages, flopped through the air with an undignified splash, and dove right back into the book as if returning home. The pages kept turning wildlyâbrowsing through themselvesâas though searching for any clue.
The feline slammed her paw down to stop the frantic flipping, landing squarely on the exact page where the fish had appeared.
"That's it!" she declared with triumph beaming from her whiskers. "Master must be somewhere with lots and lots of fish!"
She immediately sat down atop the spellbook like it was her rightful throne, curling her tail smugly around her feet.
Book, absolutely horrified by her logic, shook itself from side to side in desperate protestâtrying to dislodge the cat now using it as a royal seat. The idea of venturing anywhere wet was pure nightmare fuel for something made entirely of enchanted paper.
"Oh, come on, Book!" she whined, gripping the edges of its cover as it wobbled beneath her. "If we never try, how will we ever find Master? Adventure is calling!"
Book responded by flailing all its pages at onceâan unmistakable NO NO NO NO NO for anyone fluent in the language of Sentient Grimoires. Where the cat brimmed with reckless energy, Book was packed full of logicalâand entirely justifiedâfear.
Especially fear of water. Soaking, wrinkling, fish-smelling water.
"Don't be such a scaredy-page!" she chirped proudly. "I have the Magic of Protection, remember? I can keep you dry and safeâsuper safe! I promise not a single drop will touch you!"
She said it with the boundless confidence of someone who had never once considered the possibility that her magic could misfire.
Book froze mid-flutter.
Slowlyâvery reluctantlyâits pages settled.
Because despite its fear, one truth remained stronger than any water-related nightmare: if their Master truly was in danger, then hesitation would help no one. Even a magical grimoire had its priorities, and Nora had always been the highest of them.
"Oh? OHHH? Does that mean you agree, Book?!" she squealed with joy, her eyes sparkling like twin moons. Her tail curled into excited spirals.
Book floated upward in resigned acceptance, its cover glowing as ancient arcane symbols lit up across its surface. With a soft hum, the grimoire activated its powerâsummoning a Threshold portal, ancient spatial magic capable of opening pathways to any location ever recorded within its pages.
A swirling blue oval unfurled beneath them.
"WUHUUUUUUUU~!" the cat shrieked gleefully as the portal swallowed both feline and grimoire whole.
And just like that, they vanishedârushing headfirst into yet another chaotic adventure in the ongoing quest to find their missing master.
For the spellbook beneath her wasn't just any enchanted tome; it was the Book of Thresholds, a sentient archive of places, memories, and lost paths.
And the whimsical creature riding it wasn't just a catâ
she was a spirit feline birthed from the magic of Bandle City, gifted with potent protective sorceryâŠ
âŠcurrently using that magic in the most irresponsible way imaginable.
Together, they chased faint rumors, scraps of teleportation magic, and the smallest crumbs of hopeâ
hoping to reunite with Nora, the rabbitlike Yordle who had disappeared long ago, leaving behind only mysteriesâŠ
âŠand one overly clingy magical housecat named Yuumi.
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