Yes, everything had been planned beforehand. From the dungeon experience to my discovery of bonded artefacts, even to the point that there was something preventing people from killing me.
Yom had been talking to one of my doppelgängers and we decided it was time to prank everyone, Cael leaving that exact morning was just the perfect excuse for me to act.
There was also the fact that I was starved for a good joke.
"Either way, I feel this dungeon thingy was more productive than expected, but now let's go sleep, of course I will not take any night watch duties."
I was dragging Cael with me and the man was not showing any signs of resistance, that was also good.
"Wait wait wait!!! Why go to such lengths to just play a prank?" -Juste
"Aahhhh, poor, righteous, stubborn and naïve Juste, laughter just like wine is more delicious the more it sits waiting."
"We also needed this acting practice for our next session in the hall of mirrors, at least for me, it was enlightening." -Yom
Precisely, my brother immediately got the gist of it. To deceive yourself well knowing you're the one doing the deceiving and yet being able to stay true to your own heart. But I didn't dwell with them to explain my actions, I had fun, that was all that mattered.
And a sulking young man with teary eyes.
"I… I thought you hated me…" -Cael
That confused me a little, didn't he tell me himself that he didn't have a choice?
"Well, do you see a reason for me to hate you? I can always change my opinion of you."
He shook his head in a reflexive movement.
"Then let's just go to sleep."
That's how the day ended peacefully after all the trial and tribulations of the day spent fighting and emotionally draining those young heirs.
Besides me, Rovan and Marin had both received their bonded artefact.
The heir of war actually received a leather belt, while the mostly silent princess of flood received a necklace.
Neither of them said anything about names or effects, just like with me, it was personal matters and it was rude to ask, but they all looked more than satisfied. Even Marin, master of not showing any emotion that wasn't called distress, finally smiled satisfied, so I considered the conquest a success.
The next morning, when I woke up with a bundle of silver hair gently snoring against my chest, I hummed satisfied.
All the heirs had seen how I had trapped Cael with my body, how he didn't even try to free himself and that gave me a wicked sense of satisfaction, so when I started smooching his head, the heirs already awake didn't even flinch, well except for my brother.
"Crow, brother, please… don't get too close to those of the storm."
"Why do you hate him so much?"
Cael had already woken up with my first kiss, I knew it, but since he was faking being asleep I decided I could cover for him.
"It's not like I hate him, it's just… look, those of the path of storm believe themselves to be superior to everyone else. They think they mask their ideal good, because they don't even think anyone else is smart enough to figure them out." -Yom
"Well, he is stronger than anyone else, I think a little arrogance can be justified, no?"
"Of course it can be justified, if you still act like a normal person. They believe themselves to be gods among humans and behave accordingly." -Yom
Now that sounded nasty and stupid, of course in a world where might makes right they could actually shave like that, but we lived in a pseudo democracy… yeah I was actually not believing myself one bit, but the facade was that.
"Oh! Should we send a gift to the Duchess of storm?"
Yom looked intrigued at my proposal, especially since I spread Cael legs putting each of them on one of my sides.
"Imma plunge my tongue inside his mouth and push my hand on his ass, snap a picture and send it!"
Yom had already taken out his phone and was ready to snap when Cael decided he couldn't bear it anymore.
"Stop! You knew I was awake! And you still decided to act like a horny teen?" -Cael
I shrugged and freed him, fun times were over, and Cael needed to focus back for his 5th floor.
"Well, don't pretend to be asleep to listen in on me and my brother."
He scoffed and stood up, his face still flushed with embarrassment.
"Yom, did you record everything?"
"Of course, are we really sending it to the duchess? She might outright kill him for stooping so low…"
"Nah, I just need it to analyse behaviour patterns and stuff, I'm not so naïve to think he actually likes me without strings attached."
My gaze turned ice cold remembering that everyone here knew something about me that I didn't. Something big enough to prevent the adults to keep up with my rude ass.
"Either way, if I discover he is just after some kind of benefit and that's why he stays close to me, I'll just fuck him senseless and send the remains to his loving mom."
Yom immediately understood what I meant and snickered behind his hands, but there was no more time to waste. The forth floor awaited us and we all had enough rest and food to keep going.
___________________
The forth floor of the maze held a single boss monster and nothing else, but it was an extremely fearsome one, so fearsome that we needed all our combined efforts to even make a dent on it.
"This doesn't make sense! How can a griffin appear on a walker dungeon? This is clearly on the level of a Trailer!" -Selan
"Less talking more fighting, it just means whoever kills it gets a better reward!" -Aurelia
They were all right, this was a terrifying opponent for 13 walkers, but the dungeon was fair, we were all walking the main paths of power. So an equal challenge was needed.
Cael beside me was seething with fighting intent, but I kept him grounded.
"Just sit still Cael, next floor is all yours."
"I know, but watching you all coordinate and fight like that…"
He didn't continue his sentence and only gripped his twin blades with a little too much strength.
Under the relentless attacks of the 11 heirs and my magic, the griffin had decided to try and escape, but I wouldn never accept such an outcome.
[decay]
The feathers on his wings started to rot at visible speed and his flight was cut short.
With his fall already guaranteed, the beast tried to use all the wind magic he could to slow down the fall and even attack us, that until purple mana hit his head cleanly.
Yom had used a confusion spell with his new and boosted rune and it was enough. The beast's magic was cut short and the next second after the fall, a rapier erupting with purple mana embedded itself into the griffin's head.
"Ahhhhh fuck. That was… ahhhh hard."
Everyone was gasping for hair, their mana at all times low, the only ones in good conditions were Cael and I, but this was an expected outcome.
What I didn't expect was a small brother launching himself at me.
"Brother! Look! This is amazing!!!"
He shoved on my face a scabbard that seemed perfectly made for his rapier and held decorations resembling the feathers of a griffin.
It also had its name engraved on one side, that made me chuckle a little.
"This scabbard is amazing! I'll tell you everything later at home, so we can discuss our artefacts together!"
"Hahahaha what makes you think I will discuss my beautiful ring with you?"
He pouted slightly and his cute expression was too much for me to bear.
My hand found itself nuzzling his hair with affection.
"Who gave you permission to be such a cute brother? I will have a word with dad later!"
Yom blushed but didn't stop me from nuzzling him and only slimed brighter when he noticed how Cael was looking at us.
I wanted to say something, but then remembered I had already kissed Yom, and there really weren't any blood relations between us.
So I decided to shut up.
I also knew I would have liked to talk about the scabbard with Yom as we both spoke at the same time.
"It's called [lier's gift], right?"
"It's perfect for us! The [lier's gift]!"