Interlude 25.5

"[All Appraisal Magic Item]" Bachelory chanted, pointing his hand at the strange fire ring on the golden tray.

The Queen of Titania watched expectantly as the Doppelgänger used the spell on the ring. 

What could be so significant for that ugly Dragon to use the ring despite its aesthetic inefficiency?

A relic-class item? Legendary? Divine, perhaps?

She raised an eyebrow impatiently as Bachelory froze momentarily before looking at the Demon Queen slowly and silently.

"... E-Ejem, my deepest apologies, my queen. I... Was taken aback." He apologized with a bow, then stood up straight with both hands behind his back. He moved one of his hands to 'present' the ring. "This item is the 'Rebirth of the Phoenix Constellation'..."

Dont raised her eyebrow again. She had never heard of this item before.

"And it is a world-class item."

"ª"

…

Mariana Fosa hummed a tune as dozens of large mollusks and crustaceans moved about, carrying ingredients, chopping food, and more. 

The octopuses used their eight tentacles to slice fish, the crabs handled spatulas, griddles, and pots, and the shrimp hauled boxes full of ingredients and spices.

It was a perfectly systematized process without any accidents. 

After all, they were Mariana's subordinates. 

However, despite all their efforts and hard work, none of them could come close to the level of deliciousness that Mariana could achieve, even when working at a slow and careful pace. 

None of her dishes were rushed nor delayed, they were made with love and care. Love for the Supreme Lords.

When the dish finally reached its perfect point, Mariana carefully took the griddle she was using, savoring the smell of the sizzling meat with its juices. 

She 'slithered' to the other end of the kitchen, with all her subordinates moving out of her way to avoid disturbing her, while she happily hummed with the griddle in her small hands.

Her attire was somewhat revealing for her torso size, inspired by ancient Chinese culture. She wore a very small dress on her torso that covered her flat chest down to her serpentine waist, adorned with golden and silver embroidery. Three small red ribbons hung from it—two at her waist sides and one from the front. The dress left her shoulders, back, and part of her hips exposed. 

On her arms, she had two long black fabrics of similar material, almost reaching the floor and nearly matching the length of her straight dark brown hair, which had two side braids twisted into small buns. 

On one side of her bangs, she wore a small red ribbon, and on the other side, a golden brooch, looking at the food with her pretty light brown eyes.

The most remarkable feature of the girl was her lower body: a long snake tail with red scales that glided effortlessly over the marble floor of the enormous kitchen. 

After all, she was a Gorgon, taking after the Lamia lineage.

{Marian Fosa PNG}

On the other side of the kitchen...

"At this rate, Titania will starve to death with how long it's taking you to cook! The maids are going to turn into skeletons from hunger! Where's the sauce for the lamb?!" A masculine voice shouted angrily at the cooks, who were quickly moving dozens of dishes back and forth, preparing an impressive number of meals in record time for any restaurant. "Move faster! You're cooking as slow as depressed worms!" The chef exclaimed.

He was arranging the dishes with professional efficiency. Wearing black gloves with a plastic-like appearance, he was undoubtedly in excellent physical condition, his muscles tightly contained by his white chef's uniform. He had a red scarf and a black gas mask, topped with a chef's hat that signified his status. His outfit was completed with white pants and black shoes.

{Manjar de Pan PNG}

With many dishes completed, the chef began delivering them to the table where the maids eagerly approached to receive the food, looking quite pleased. 

While the lower-ranking cooks worked tirelessly, Mariana happily finished placing a sprig of what appeared to be rosemary on a magnificent, enormous steak accompanied by a salad. The dish itself looked incredibly better than all the five-star wonders the maids were eating.

After all, the greatest marvel of Titania was reserved primarily for a select group of individuals. 

Mariana picked up the plate with effortless joy and glided leisurely towards the maid currently serving the unparalleled Lady Black Abyss•White Flower. The fortunate recipient was Furfur.

Furfur was a beautiful woman with bronzed skin and short black hair that reached her neck, with bangs parted to either side of her forehead by her two black horns. She was, after all, an Oni. 

On her cheeks, she had a diamond-shaped marking on each. Above her lip, she had a mole, as well as one on her chin, making her look even more exotic. Her bright pink eyes gleamed at the plate prepared for the Supreme Lady.

She wore a sort of golden tiara, large circular earrings, a gold necklace, and equally golden bracelets. Additionally, her maid's dress was somewhat revealing, in the most minimal sense, showing her bare shoulders and a bit of cleavage.

{Maido Furfur PNG}

She carefully took the dish before bowing her head towards Mariana, as a [Gate] opened behind her, conjured by one of Eyesight's subordinates from the Observatory. 

Mariana greeted her with a cheerful smile, to which Furfur responded with an elegant smile before stepping through the portal.

…

"And at last, upon employment, it is consumed and-"

"Yes, yes…" Dont interrupted Bachelory. "It appears in a random location…" she murmured more to herself.

", my queen." Bachelory bowed.

Dont clasped her face and sighed, making Bachelory shiver. 

Then, the Queen of Titania started laughing maniacally out of nowhere.

The Prime Minister, however, trembled once more, fearing the worst.

"M-My queen? I-Is something amiss?" He asked nervously, an unusual behavior for him that would make even Titania's Commanders doubt.

And amidst her laughter, the Demon Queen responded, alleviating her creation's nervousness. "No, no! Not at all, my dear Bachelory~! This is wonderful!" She exclaimed with open arms. With an impressive speed that Bachelory could barely follow, Dont was standing in front of him.

The Demon gently took his mask and tilted it to look directly into his eyes, mere inches from his mask.

"My dear Bachelory~ We have another world item under our power~ And not just any~ One of the 20~" She whispered with a smile from ear to ear.

Even though it was a divine sight for the Doppelgänger, he felt he would be sweating from nerves and unease because of his queen's manic expression, capable of traumatizing an adult for life. Only his inability to sweat as a Doppelgänger prevented it.

Dont moved her face away from Bachelory and looked at the ceiling, closing her eyes in contemplation.

"Hm…" Then she looked intently at the Doppelgänger. "Listen, Bachelory. I will give you the Rebirth of the Phoenix Constellation." She said with finality.

"W-W-But-My queen!?" The Prime Minister, Bachelory, made with a perfect tongue to never falter or tangle in words, stuttered.

"However, you will give Superbia the Trumpet of the End of the World, and she will give the Mirror of Eternal Souls to Miia, which, as stated before, will be used by Eyesight unless the respective Commander must be outside." Dont clarified before Bachelory could panic.

Understanding his creator, Bachelory calmed down, though still uneasy due to Dont still holding his cheeks.

"... Your duty from now on, Bachelory, is to survive no matter what. It doesn't matter if you have to abandon me or Black Abyss or anyone in Titania to let us die. As long as you live with that item in your possession… We can all come back." She looked at him seriously before releasing him. "Understood?"

"... My queen… I-" The Doppelgänger hesitated, having received a rather terrifying order for him.

"Understood?" She repeated, narrowing her eyes.

Bachelory hesitated, after all. His queen, his Lady, his creator… She was ordering him to prioritize his own survival over the lives of the Supreme Lords, even over Dont herself, an irremediable sin for any creation of the Supreme.

It wasn't something he should normally consider… He was a mere servant of the Supreme Lords. A pawn to sacrifice if necessary to fulfill their desires and needs.

"... Aye, my queen." But the order of the Queen of Titania, the leader of the Supreme Lords, and his creator, was above his own opinions.

The only thing he could never do was even accept anything that insinuated the death of his creator.

This order might be saying something similar… But it wasn't the case. It was saying to live, so he could later revive them all.

After all… With the Rebirth of the Phoenix Constellation…

He hardened his heart over his vague doubt and placed a hand on his chest.

"I, Lord Bachelory Antoinette Sheoler II, do solemnly swear, in the name of the Palace of the Pact of Titania, in reverence of the Supreme Lords, and in the name of my creator, Lady Dont-Say-My-Name."

Dont gave him a smile as she withdrew her hands from him.

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Name: Mariana Fosa

Creators: MichiXMichi, °Mulin123°, Puli~Puli, Most♥Valuated♥Player, ΩMinyibaiΩ, Dont-Say-My-Name

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