It Rhymes with Shmelegance.

As we were ushered into the lobby within the castle, we saw two maids in what I could best describe to be stereotypical French maid outfits waiting patiently for the three of us at the base of a grand staircase that led on up for what seemed like forever.

"Ah, the twins- has Madam Carmilla already debriefed you two?" Ryul spoke to the maids, both of them had short hair that obscured their faces- hiding their eyes. Otherwise, they both had this alluring petite cuteness to them- a gothic kind of 'moe'.

"Yes." "Yes." They both spoke in unison; I couldn't tell them apart other than the differing-colored ribbons present on each of their heads- the one to the left had a white one, and to the right a black one.

"Hello." "Hello."

"I am Ami." "I am Ima."

"We are-"

"-your 'Jailors'" 'Jailors'" For a moment the black ribboned twin looked slightly annoyed- was it because the left twin didn't keep the unison-speech act up?

They both revealed identical keys at the same time as they finished their sentence.

The one with the white ribbon, or Ami, walked silently to me and gave a quick, polite bow, as she motioned her hand to follow me. Ima, the black ribbon one, approached Levii.

Ima looked at the coat Levii had and wordlessly rose an eyebrow at Ryul.

"It's fine, feel free to throw it into the laundry with the rest of theirs." Ryul said as he let go of Levii's arm, he began walking ahead to the staircase.

"I fear I must go now, albeit as inelegant that is." He stopped at the first step of the staircase.

"I am needed elsewhere, but-" He looked at Levii.

"If there is anything- anything you two require or need, do not feel afraid to call for me; merely ask one of the twins to do so." I feel as though that was mainly directed at Levii.

"You two will be summoned again shortly later tonight- do not go about sleeping! Ta-ta!" He waved as he began to ascend the stairs.

"Follow." Ami asked again, I saw that it was just me and her now- Levii was already far down the right hall with Ima.

"R-Right."

I began to follow the odd maid down the left hall of the Demon Castle, and if I had to honestly say- I wasn't impressed.

Everything looked like it's been put through the ringer- either by damage or age. The carpet was muddled and decaying at the edges. Wallpaper was peeling at the top-down, and countless paintings of strange, yet regal looking Demons that decorated the walls were a careless sneeze away from carpeting the hallway with a dust bomb.

Ami led with a lantern in her hand as the hallway stretched on for what felt like forever- until we reached an unseeming room at portion of the hallway. The lobby looked like a small speck in the distance from where we stood.

She opened the door and subsequently wrinkled her nose.

"Apologies for the odor- if it displeases you, would you like another room instead Sir?" Her voice had a monotone ring to it- it was polite, but it had zero 'oomph' like Carmilla's; it kind of unnerved me.

"That's fine- I can't smell anyway." I enter the door and find a spacious room that has no window; guess that explains the smell, whatever it is Ami is complaining about. If there's no circulation in a room, then sure as hell the air will get stale- amplifying whatever natural rot that happens in the room to amplify its odor.

I wonder if that's the case for a lot of the castle's rooms.

Ami followed me inside and closed the door behind me- she walked to the other side of the large bed that dominated most of the room.

From that side was a small nightstand, within it she procured a small white towel and bucket.

She then looked at me and proceeded to tell me something outrageous.

"Now- please strip Sir." Her monotone voice hit me like a truck.

"Wahh!?"

"Sir, I cannot clean you if you do not strip." She pointed at the cloth Levii had given me to protect my soldier from indignity.

Wait, not that I think about- she saw it.

Oh god, she saw it- I didn't think about it until now, but she saw my proud general!

Ah kill me! KILL ME! I WASN'T EVEN AT FULL MAST! THE NIGHT WAS COLD, BELIEVE ME AAAAHH!

"N-No way! Can't you buy me dinner first eheh- w-wait what're you doing!?"

Ami began to strip herself, she already unbuttoning her maid blouse.

"I do not want to dirty my clothes for the cleaning, that is all Sir."

"B-But, you're a girl!? You can't just go around stripping in front of random men!?"

"I have bathed with countless men before; this is no issue." Not to judge someone's personal life- but I don't think you should go around telling people, especially men that!?

She removed her top effortlessly, it revealing a tight, black corset that hugged her very chest tightly- she had a very slender frame, but otherwise she was as flat as a board.

"N-Nevermind what you do in your free time, but that doesn't involve me! Just let me do it myself!" I said, as I tried to burn her revealed chest deep into memory.

"Show me your p*nis." She ignored me as she said something far too vulgar to come out of her mouth!

"No! STAY AWAY, AND DON'T SAY THAT!"

"P*nis, p*nes" Is she having fun with this!? I can't tell, she's saying it with her self-same monotone voice. But she made a rough-scrubbing motion with the towel in her hand and it's scaring the hell out of me!!

"Wait, there's not water here- don't be hasty, you can't wash me without water haha-- huh!?"

From out of her hand a small magic circle appeared, and from it a small stream of water trickled out of her hand and into the bucket.

"We cannot keep her Majesty waiting Sir, it is time to be cleaned."

Then her skirt fell- revealing something that would forever change me for the rest of my days in this new world.

...

*Scrub* *Scrub*

*Scrub* *Scrub*

We both sat in silence-

*Scrub* *Scrub*

Not a word was spoken between us two as a soapy towel glided up and down my back.

*Scrub*

"It is done, you are clean."

"..."

"Hey-..." I looked behind me, seeing the completely nude maid before me- their supple skin full of obscuring soapy suds.

"Why didn't you just tell me you were a man!?"

Ami, who kneeling on his knees began drying me off with a different towel- he began with my hair.

"I never said I was a woman, Sir."

"B-But, I called you a girl!" I shot back, my manhood had been shaken to its very core when just before I saw him reveal what was hiding under the skirt of his.

Instead of Nirvana, I had witnessed the pits of hell.

Ahh- I really hope memory erasure magic exists in this world.

"I did not mind, so I didn't feel as though I needed to correct you, Sir." As he dried off my shoulders, I could feel his soapy chest on my back-

No, NO! The Levii route is still salvageable- and maybe, if I squint reeaally hard, Flaur is kind of cute too in a feral idiot kind of way. Otherwise, 'that' route is absolutely forbidden!

As he was about to move his towel to my resting general I grabbed his wrist-

"P*nis." He spoke, effortlessly so- a powerful, poetic monotone statement; it rivaled even the most charismatic king's rallying battle cry. I'm not ashamed to say that I was nearly moved by it myself, nearly that is.

"I washed it myself, and I can dry it myself."

And that was that-

...

We both left the room, now having reached a new kind of understanding as men who have shared a bonding, cleanse together.

I was given a new pair of clean clothes- I looked like a classical butler now dressed in a white dress shirt with matching pants and shoes.

"Say Ami, why do you dress like a maid and not a butler?"

Ami was briskly walking ahead; I think we were going back to the main lobby where the grand staircase was.

"Her Majesty finds it amusing so she bid me to wear it along with my sibling."

Sibling huh- wait a minute?!

"Your sibling!? Does that mean Ima is also a boy!?!" I was about to run at light speed to find the potential pervert maid that was going to force Levii to strip down like what Ami had done to me.

"No, she is my twin sister."

"A-Ah, I see- good."

Hehehe, two girls bathing together? Hehehe, this is some good 'material'.

"Could I ask why you're smiling creepily like that Sir?" I could feel a kind of malice coming from Ami's hidden face, but his voice was still just as monotone; could I be imagining it?

"Ulp!" Caught in the act!

"Nothing, nothing- I'm just thinking about uh, why I'm still being kept in these chains that is."

Ami briefly unchained me during the scrubbing down, but soon rechained me once I had dressed myself- I didn't let it bother me too much, but it seemed excessive.

"That is something I cannot say, Sir."

"Geez, just call me Kai." Brothers in nudity, I have to take this as my chance to make a male friend who isn't a handsome freak like Ryul!

I dropped my arm onto Ami's shoulder, he didn't negatively react to it as he kept his pace, but it was hard to keep it on him with his girly slim shoulders.

"Sayyy, Ami- good buddy ol' pal of mine." It felt weird being this close to someone who otherwise looked like a real girl- but once you've gazed upon the forbidden fruit, you begin see the world for what it really is.

"Could you tell me a little of the history between Ryul and Levii? C'mon, for old time's sake!"

"Sir we just met less than half-an-hour ago."

"Don't sweat the small stuff!"

Thinking about it now, if I was really desperate to find out more about Levii and Ryul's backstory- I could just use [Moon God's Charisma] to charm Ami into telling me. But as what had happened before, I don't know the full extent of what could happen- and the last thing I want is to open up any possibility of 'that' route from beginning, if you know what I mean.

Ami stayed silent as his bangs tussled softly with every step he took as we walked down the virtually endless hallway- but he finally spoke up.

"Lord LuCraft is a prince of the Forest Imps, but as he is not the eldest son, he does not have any claim to power in his clan- allowing him to be a magical researcher here."

"But, in his youth, as a prince of the Forest Imps, even if he did not have claim to power within the clan, he was still expected to visit other Imp clan villages to learn etiquette between their races."

"And so, he naturally met Steppe Imp Princess Levii, in his travels to other Imp clans."

"Beyond that, I do not know anymore, apologies Sir Kai." Ami looked a little sad admitting that.

"Thanks bud, that was more than helpful! And hey, I told you- just Kai! K A I!" I softly patted the top of his head- ruffling his otherwise perfect raven-black hair. A small smile crept on his lips.

Is this what it feels like to have a little brother? Wow, I feel pretty goo-

// Trait [Object of an Innocent Boy's Affection] Acquired. //

I TAKE IT BACK, I TAKE IT BACK!

...

As we finally arrived at the lobby, we found Levii and Ima waiting for us.

Levii was dressed like a maid, but far less intricately designed compared to what the twins were wearing. She glowed with newfound cleanliness, something I bet she's been dying to do ever since we couldn't have a bath at the inn then just before entering the labyrinth. Her hair was let loosely down, a silvery drape over her modest clothes- this beats cold beer after a hot bath any day! The only thing that did ruin her otherwise ethereal image were the ugly chains that held her wrists in place.

But back to something more important on hand-

Hehehe, they scrubbed each other down by hand- NUDE!

The both of them, two beauties- ah, I should calm down before my general makes an unexpected visit from the south.

"Ah, Kai, you finally arrived." Levii sweetly greeted me as she showed me her clothes gleefully.

"Look, look- I don't smell anymore!" She offered me to smell her but soon realized what she was doing and retracted away embarrassingly.

"Ah, I forgot- you can't smell." Adorable, truly adorable.

"Brother, what took you so long?" Ima spoke, her voice was practically identical in monotone tone to her male sibling.

"I scrubbed him down by hand, apologies."

"Did you not do the same sister?"

"What are you talking about brother, we were allowed to bring the 'prisoners' to a private bath- did you forget?"

I could feel a blood vessel on my forehead throb to life after hearing what Ima had just said-

We could've bathed normally this entire time!?!

This entire self-discovery trip of manly bonding could've been so easily avoided...

"Ah, I see, my mistake." Ami brushed it off like old news- I'm going to STRANGLE him if I'm given the chance.

"What're you two still doing down here?" A voice spoke out behind us, it came from the entrance.

"Why, are you here to personally escort me above? How kind, I am most touched hehe!" It was Flaur walking by herself this time, no Carmilla in sight.

"Your Majesty." "Your Majesty." The twins synchronized their greetings to Flaur as they bowed to her entering the room.

"Ah, the twins- have the 'prisoners' caused any trouble for the both of you?" Why're staring at me so much for!?

"No." "No."

"Good, then they've been behaving."

"With that out of the way, you're dismissed- I'll be bringing them along with me now."

"As you wish" "As you wish" They raised their heads and left promptly, disappearing together down the right hallway.

"Now then- if you two would follow me." Flaur began to walk up the grand staircase as Levii and I followed suit.

...

We walked upwards for what felt like a solid ten minutes until we reached where Flaur was taking us.

Two gigantic doors, made out of gold and colored crimson red, stood imposingly before the three of us; talk about tacky though.

They looked impossibly too heavy to move- I was about to offer to push them aside with my [Moon God's Might] secretly enabled, but Flaur instead held out her palm.

"Goetia." Is all that she said as a small magic circle appeared on her hand, it shone brilliantly white.

With it, the massive doors began to open- they creaked loudly from their massive weight as they did.

// Cannot [Absorb] Due to Racial Requirements Not Met. //

Mm, guess there's that- I can't steal her skill because maybe I'm not a part of the Goetia bloodline?

The twin doors revealed a massive throne room that stretched imposingly inwards.

Large crimson tapestries hung over the sides of the throne room, but other than those and the extending carpet that reached all the way at the other end- it was all pretty barren.

As we walked down the throne room, we caught the throne itself alone at the end. It encapsulated the idea of a true "Demon Queen" with its rough but powerful aesthetic. But in all honesty, it kind of just looks uncomfortable to sit on for too long.

Flaur began to speak as we walked down the carpet nearing the throne.

"I think I'll start explaining now- As for why I had the both of you arrested."

"As I had told you before, Oculobos was one of the major reasons as to why I couldn't really move around the kingdom myself very much."

I recall her telling me this in the barracks, Carmilla looked pretty peeved then when she had told us that.

"As Oculobos is near impossible to see without a focused magical search, it acted as a perfect reconnaissance and assassination tool used by the Humans. That was, until now when you had 'destroyed' it- that being a fact that Ryul himself is researching as of right now to identify as a truth."

"But it wasn't the 'only' reason why I couldn't move around the kingdom as freely as I would've wanted to."

We reached the throne, Flaur silently looked at her imposing throne.

"In truth, the many of the problems I face that constrict my movement come from within the kingdom-"

"A spiraling economy, dissatisfied citizens, war scars that refuse to heal..."

We could hear commotion coming from behind us, I turned around.

A group of Demons, varying in size, age, and stature wearing rich looking clothes came walking into the room. Even from here, I could sense a feeling of dread watching them walk down the carpet- their eyes were fixed towards the throne, but not at Flaur.

"And a den of old wolves eager to tear me down if I show even a single sign of acting with any real power- afraid that history will repeat itself." Flaur was now sitting on her throne, she tried to make it fit her small size- but it seemed like it was just too much for her.

"Stand to my side and say nothing unless I myself personally ask of you to- ignore anything and everything these vermin have to say." Her face was completely devoid of her usual whimsical nature- instead, it had the steeled resolve of someone who's seen the worst people- or more precisely, Demons have to offer.

"Do so- and the clause that nobility cannot kill war-prisoners without undue cause will sustain."

"Welcome, Welcome-" Flaur's voice boomed outwardly, her voice felt like it aged a few years with how she talked.

"Let us begin the Lesser Key's Court now, shall we?"

///