Tensei Skill Shop Chapter 11

Tensei Skill Shop

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Chapter 11:

While Matsu had planned out several steps for me on what to do, she conveniently left the use of [‘Creation’] up to me. I could have used it to just make the Dragonborn ability so I could kill dragons and claim their souls, but that would end up painting a big target on me as well. Instead, I used one of my uses to create a skill for predicting events, and [Edited] it to fit my needs more appropriately. Overall, it cost me more than three-quarters of my current LP.

But I considered it a worthwhile expenditure. This [Event Predictor] would be very useful for other worlds that I had knowledge of, because it could give an estimate of the amount of time it took before said event was likely to occur. Not only that, it also informed me if the event I had in mind already occurred, but with some details about how it actually went down, so I could perceive who and what was involved. Currently it was linked to this world, but I could probably adjust it to do the same with other worlds when I visited them, though the LP cost would be expensive. 

For now, I was mulling over the realization that the Last Dragonborn really was a moving plot device.

Given the whole issue of Elder Scrolls existing outside of time and space, containing records about past, present, and future, a single person being able to trigger events with his presence wasn’t actually that unbelievable.

For example, I tried to predict when the College would start their expedition into Saarthal, where the Eye of Magnus was, as that was the start of the College questline. It conveniently coincided with the time when Lernen would finally manage to enter the place. Other questlines I knew of were also in the same situation; the time when he talked to Delphine to initiate the infiltration of the Thalmor Embassy would be shortly before they invaded the Ratway Warrens beneath Riften to try and capture Esbern the Blade, and the Silver Hand would start making moves when Lernen finally decides to try his hand at joining the Companions.

It couldn’t provide a definite answer though. Regarding the Civil War, it was a fifty-fifty chance that he would join either the Empire side or the Stormcloak side. It was very likely that he would end up having to negotiate a peace treaty between the two sides, which was a quest that wouldn’t happen if one side won before the first confrontation with Alduin.

It also told me which questlines Lernen wouldn’t pursue. There was no chance of him joining the Dark Brotherhood, but when his investigations into the rumors of a cursed child in Windhelm results in the death of Grelod the ‘Kind’, he would be approached by Astrid. Her death at his hands will lead to the destruction of that group of assassins. 

Similarly, he has no interest in joining the Thieves Guild, brushing off Brynjolf when the man tries to get him to assist in a job. 

As for what happens if I try to take the role… Well, it might not work as well, since I didn’t have the plot development power that Lernen does, but I’m sure I can get a few benefits anyway.

I took another gulp of the potion to restore my magicka, since the skill consumed all of it and left me with lingering magicka damage as a consequence with each prediction. An expensive cost for each cast, but I had quite a bit of money with me. With how much I had consumed, I was going to be spending quite some time emptying my bladder afterwards. It was also the reason why I didn’t try to predict Alduin’s actions, since I couldn’t afford the cost of that many potions.

By my estimates, when I had met Lernen on the road to Winterhold previously, he had been trying to expand his repertoire of spells before going to claim the Horn the Greybeards sent him to retrieve. Of course, that journey had been sidetracked by encountering Sam, but the reward of the Daedric artifact gave him enough courage to attempt the trial. 

So now… it’s about eight days or so before he does the embassy infiltration, so after that, he’ll be heading to Riften to try and extract Esbern. That decides it for me then. I still have enough time to visit the Guardian Stones.

I made sure to dispose of the empty potion bottles at the nearby alchemist, who didn’t ask any questions. After that, I boarded the cart for Whiterun, wrapping myself up against the cold weather as it set off.

The rumors of the Skilless Sickness had spread to that place as well, and I made a bit more money by selling the Cure Disease potions I made to take advantage of that worry. I also took advantage of my time there to steal some more skills from the people who had them. With my Stealth skill supplemented by otherworldly benefits, no one noticed me swiping their hard-learned ability.

As I managed to discover in the College, the [Trainer] skill was something I could acquire, though at a preset level based on the original owner’s ability. The skill would allow me to impart some small boost to another person’s ability with a little bit of coaching. The amount of instruction given logically shouldn’t be enough, but the benefits were undeniably there.

I could have [Edited] one of them to be more variable, but I didn’t want to waste the LP when I could just grab multiple versions of it after they had drank Cure Disease potions to recover what they lost. 

In Whiterun, the Companions were especially great targets.

[Expert Archery Trainer learned!] [Expert Block Trainer learned!] [Master Heavy Armor Trainer learned!] [Expert One-Handed Trainer learned!] [Master Two-Handed Trainer learned!] [Master Smithing Trainer learned!]

Normally I wouldn’t be allowed to enter Jorrvaskr without joining them as a member, but I picked up a lute, used my Speech skill to talk my way in, and entertained them with a few drinking songs. I was not ashamed to introduce the Nord Mead song by miracleofsound, claiming it was inspired by the tales of the Dragonborn slaying the dragon with the help of brave Nord guardsmen. They liked it so much that they kept chugging mead, even going so far as to order more from the meadery nearby for more. Then when they were all largely passed out drunk, that was when I struck. 

After I was done, I rented a horse from the stables to cut down on travel time, and rode it to the Guardian Stones. There, I communed with them to let Sano’s analysis skill register their learning boost benefit. As usual, some bandits attempted to waylay me, but I dispatched them quickly and continued on my way. 

There were a few dragons flying around, but fortunately they didn’t seem to have any interest in a lone traveler. 

Five days before Lernen would arrive, I finally made it to Riften, and found myself accosted by a guard trying to extort me with a ‘visitor’s tax’.

[Speech identified!]

So it works this way too, huh? “You need practice at that,” I told him.

“Huh? Hurry up and pay if you want to get in.”

“Look, friend, you don’t sound convincing at all. I can tell that you’re just trying to do a shakedown. It’s not working.”

The guard glanced around a little nervously, then focused back on me. “Keep it quiet. Fine, I’ll let you in.”

And with that, I was allowed into the city. It wasn’t long before I noticed a Nord approaching me in a casual manner. With long hair and a trimmed beard, he definitely appeared to be more innocent than he actually was.

“Never done an honest day’s work in your life for all that coin you’re carrying, hey lad?” He greeted me.

Hmm, so if Lernen’s close enough, then it’s possible to trigger the questline then? What sort of plot fuel power do I have? “I’ll have you know that I made my pay through honest means, thank you very much.”

“So you say, but it’s all about sizing up your mark. How they walk, what they’re wearing, it’s a dead giveaway.”

“I agree,” I nodded, “If you know how to use it, you can draw the reaction you’re looking for.”

Idly scratching my face, I traced a diamond shape on my cheek with my finger, and a circle within it. It was the symbol of the Thieves Guild, and while Brynjolf didn’t react, I knew he saw it.

“Huh, so you’re seeking to join then?” He didn’t specify what, but we both knew what he was referring to. 

“I would be interested, yes. Also, I’ve got a small tip you might be interested in.”

“Oh?”

“Agents of a certain race are coming to Riften, searching for a rat who knows things.”

“A tough task, that. There are many rats beneath, and they can deliver a nasty bite if cornered.”

“Yeah. Coincidentally, there’s another guy who’ll be coming to pick up the rat for his lady friend, so I’m thinking of helping him out some.”

Brynjolf considered it, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “Well, I guess I can hear you out a bit more. Meet me later tonight in the Ragged Flagon, down in the Ratway.”

So no ring-planting for me. Nice. Speaking of rings and other jewelry… maybe I can get something for Matsu and Uzume while I’m here. While it would only be a day or so for them, I hadn’t seen the two Sekireis in over a week. Even if we only got to know each other for a short while, I had to admit that I was missing them a little.

Getting into the Ratway was easy enough, as was finding the place Brynjolf told me about. I only wished the place didn’t stink so much, but I had no choice but to bear with it.

“So this is the hopeful thief? Well, it’s your choice if you want to board a sinking ship,” The Nord bartender behind the counter said when he saw me.

“It remains to be seen if this is another one of Brynjolf’s misses,” A second man, an Imperial,  remarked.

I raised my eyebrows. “I’ve done my share of jobs, just wait and see.”

“Hah! He sure sounds confident enough!”

At first, Brynjolf was considering giving me minor jobs, but using my meta-knowledge, I ‘came to the logical conclusion’ about some people who weren’t paying their debts, and offered to help collect them. I finished visiting the three names on the list he gave me within one day, claiming their debts through persuasive methods and knowledge of their weaknesses. Upon returning to Brynjolf with the money, I was allowed to meet Mercer Frey, the Guildmaster of the Thieves Guild, and inducted into the guild.

“If you play by the rules, you walk away rich. You break the rules and you lose your share. No debates, no discussion... you do what we say, when we say,” The man told me sternly.

Oh wow, this guy has a pretty high One-Handed skill… and he’s got the Skeleton Key on him too. Can’t risk swiping it yet, but I better consult Sano first. “Right, thanks. You can believe I’ll follow the rules.” As long as it suits me.

I found a room at the inn and erected wards to preserve my privacy before contacting Sano. When I appeared in the communication space, I was a bit startled to see it in the shady concealment decor.

“Is there another one of those around?” I asked him.

“Not that I can detect, but I’m just being careful.” Sano adjusted his glasses. “You’ve been there for a while now. I assume you’ve collected quite a number of skills, am I right?”

I nodded. “Yes, but I called to ask you about something. Has Matsu told you about Nocturnal and the Ebonmere?” 

“Yes, she did bring it up with me a moment ago.”

The lore of the Skeleton Key was that it could unlock anything, from doors that shouldn’t physically be unlocked, to metaphysical things like human potential. So the questions I had were how well would it work on skills, and what were the chances of Nocturnal noticing if I obtained it and made use of it, because with its absence from the Ebonmere, her power in this world should be weaker.

Sano thought over it for a bit, before sharing his conclusion; as the Key was a part of this world and its linked realities, it would only work to its fullest potential on skills that were a part of it. The other skills I brought with me would see a lesser effect, or none at all. 

However, if I was able to use the Key to unlock enough of the skills I had collected here, then it would generate a lot of useful data for Sano and Matsu to use.

As for whether Nocturnal would notice… the chances were low, but it wasn’t zero. 

“I recommend you only use it sparingly to avoid attracting her attention, until the last moment.”

“Alright, I’ll do that then. I won’t be sending any new skills for the time being then.”

Sano accepted that without any objection. “I’ll be waiting for your return then.”

Back in my room, I started making plans to tackle all the separate objectives in front of me, with only a few days to do so. It was a very stressful challenge, but I couldn’t deny I was getting fired up.

…

Lernen sometimes wondered what would have become of him if hadn’t tried to cross the border into Skyrim on that day. He might have actually been able to arrive at the College, and be busy learning more magic spells even now, with all the dragons appearing over the land. Unfortunately, no matter how much he wished that had happened, his reality was that he was the Dragonborn, and was involved in many different events.

Right now, he was headed for Riften, to search for a fellow member of the Blades that the Thalmor were after. It wasn’t exactly his forte; he would rather face an enemy head on, instead of tiptoeing around with politics. That was the main reason he hadn’t fit in well back in, and eventually left Daggerfall. But even with the special conjuration ability of his magic staff, Lernen doubted a single dremora would be able to handle the forces the Thalmor could bring to bear, so once more he was forced to go along with a plan that he knew he wasn’t suited for.

If only he had someone he could rely on to help handle that side of things. The housecarl he had received for slaying the dragon back in Whiterun, Lydia, was the blunt type that couldn’t do that at all, which was why he chose to leave her behind on this task.

“Well, I’ll be! If it isn’t Lernen!”

The Breton blinked at hearing his name being called, and looked in the direction of the speaker. “Is that… Rick? What are you doing in Riften?”

“I could ask you the same. Weren’t you planning to go to the College? You just up and vanished in the middle of the night after the drinking game. I see you got your staff out of it though.” The other Breton shook his head. “Well, let’s not stand here talking. Come on in. He’s with me.” He said that last part to the guard, who just nodded back.

Rick led Lernen to the tavern in the city, the Bee and the Barb, and once they got a table in a quiet corner, they began telling their stories. 

Lernen explained what had happened to him; how Sam Guevenne had turned out to be the Daedric Prince Sanguine, a fact he only discovered after retracing his drunken steps all over Skyrim, and had rewarded the mage with the staff at the end of all that. After that, he used its power to help him delve into a dangerous dungeon, where he retrieved a horn that the Greybeards asked him to get. And now, after descending from High Hrothgar, he was paying a visit to Riften on some business for a friend.

He didn’t mention to Rick that the horn hadn’t actually been there when he first looked, because it had already been taken by Delphine, who made him fight a dragon with her to prove that he was the Dragonborn. Nor did he reveal that he just came from Solitude instead of High Hrothgar, because that was where he infiltrated the Thalmor Embassy to find out what they knew about the dragon attacks.

Yet as he looked at the clean-shaven Breton slowly drinking from his mug while listening to him, Lernen sensed that the other man knew more than he let on. 

But he likewise respected Rick, and didn’t press for answers and just listened.

Rick had entered the College and spent quite a bit of time learning magic with them, though he eventually left to continue exploring some of Skyrim’s other cities. He had been in Whiterun just a week or two ago, and mentioned hearing tales of how the Dragonborn slew his first dragon there. And now, he was currently living in Riften, doing a few jobs for some well-connected people in the city to get by.

“You must be quite the impressive mage by now then,” Lernen commented. “Believe me, your gift has been very useful.” 

In climbing up the many, many steps to High Hrothgar, though it also helped with escaping from the Thalmor and other threats.

Rick glanced around without moving his head, and leaned in to speak softly, “If you have the time, I wouldn’t mind giving you an enhanced version.” 

Lernen replied before he even thought about it. “I accept.”

Moving from the tavern to a more secluded area, the Breton allowed the mage to put in a larger box of light in place of the one he extracted, leaving him filled with much greater strength and magicka as well. He gave his friend a grateful look, knowing that this gift would help him out even more.

Perhaps that was how he finally found the courage to ask what he wanted to ask. “Rick, can I ask for a favor? Would you join me in helping to stop the dragons from coming back?” 

He was prepared for Rick to refuse, and would subsequently perform some task before the other man would oblige. Instead, Rick just nodded and asked what they have to do in order to achieve that.

Things moved quickly after that; Lernen learned that the Thalmor had been spotted around Riften, though they had been having some trouble with the citizenry with their roughshod attempts to find the person he was here to rescue. Rick mentioned he had some friends in low places that could help, and led him to a bartender in an underground tavern. 

Vekel had pointed him in the direction of the Ratway Warrens, and Rick had split off to handle a Thalmor spy who had been eavesdropping. Lernen faced some trouble making his way deeper underground, but nothing a summoned daedra couldn’t handle. He managed to locate Esbern and convince him with Delphine’s message, and escorted the old man out of the city.

Just as he was debating whether or not to go back for Rick, the other Breton strolled up the road, fiddling with a strange-looking key in his hand. 

“You’re safe,” Lernen said to him with relief.

“It was a bit risky, but I managed to get away from the people after me,” was the reply. “So, where to next?”

“Riverwood. We’re meeting with my friend there. What’s that you’re holding?” 

The head of the key looked like the hilt of a dagger, with a patterned pommel on a handle of stacked rings. The teeth on the bit also stuck out in such a weird way that Lernen doubted it was even meant to fit a lock, and that made him curious enough to ask.

“Oh, this is something I’ve been working on for a while. It’s more of a test of my dexterity, trying to create something… unique.”

Lernen sensed that Rick was being honest, though not sharing the whole truth. “Are we at any risk of being pursued?” He asked, changing the subject.

The other man shrugged. “I’ve directed them at a tough target. Hopefully we get far ahead of them before they notice. Hey, old man, need any help carrying those?”

Esbern shook his head. “No. No, I can handle them myself.”

“Suit yourself.” Rick turned back to Lernen. “So, shall we go?”

Rick was talented at both blade and spell, making the Breton mage feel a bit inadequate, but when he put in some effort to try and catch up, he found that he improved in leaps and bounds. It was almost as though some of Rick’s talent was spilling over into him, which made the other man laugh when he mentioned it.

There were times when he felt like he lost some of his skill, but Lernen quickly recovered it by drinking a Cure Disease potion, which indicated he was suffering from the Skilless Sickness. Rick started doing the same, making batches of that potion every time they passed by an alchemy lab. If anything, they were overall improving instead.

Throughout Lernen’s journey, Rick would occasionally wander off on his own, but the Breton somehow managed to make the travel easier for them in some way, and Lernen was grateful for that. It was quite a journey as well; they found Sky Haven Temple for the Blades to take shelter in, then met the leader of the Greybeards, who turned out to be a dragon, Paarthurnax. That led them to the discovery that an Elder Scroll was involved in Alduin’s defeat in the past, which prompted them to travel to the College once more.

“Rick, could you tell me more about the lectures they give there?” 

“They cover many different topics, usually on the various schools of magic, but there are also things like history and how events and spells influenced each other,” Rick explained as they sat around a fire, having decided to camp out rather than risk the weather.

“What about the magic classes?”

“That’s a bit tougher. I say that the instructors usually focus on ensuring that all the students are progressing at an equal pace, so if you want to advance faster, it depends on your own efforts.”

“I see. I hope I do get the chance to learn there this time.”

However, as they were passing through Windhelm, Lernen couldn’t help but feel interested in the rumors of someone trying to summon the Dark Brotherhood. All he knew about that name was through dark rumors, so he decided to pry a little and see what he could find.

With Rick’s assistance, they investigated until he found the source at Aventus Aretino, an orphan hiding in the house that belonged to his late parents. Hearing the child’s tale irritated Lernen so much, even more so when he peeked into the orphanage and saw Grelod’s treatment of the orphans there. So even though he wasn’t the Dark Brotherhood Aventus thought he was, Lernen struck the old woman down.

They had to leave Windhelm quickly afterwards, but luckily no one cottoned on to them. It was a day after they left when a courier caught up to them.

“I’ve been looking for you,” The Bosmer said to Lernen, “Got something I’m supposed to deliver, your hands only.” 

“Got anything for me?” Rick inquired, after Lernen had accepted the folded note.

The man checked his pouch, then shook his head. “Nope, sorry. Nothing.”

“Hm, okay.”

Opening the note, Lernen was puzzled to see that it contained a handprint and two words, ‘We know’. He asked his traveling companion if the Breton knew anything, but all he got was a shrug and a flippant guess that it could be from the actual Dark Brotherhood. He decided to put it out of his mind and focus on arriving at the College of Winterhold first. Pushing themselves a bit, the pair arrived in Winterhold late in the night, and decided to rest at the inn before going there in the morning.

Lernen wasn’t expecting to wake up in an abandoned shack, with a member of the Dark Brotherhood perched on a shelf near the ceiling. The masked woman demanded that he repay the debt of stealing a kill from their organization, by slaying at least one of the three other people present. 

It took a while for the situation to sink in for him, but he quickly came to a realization. He was very angry to have his journey to the College disrupted for the second time. But this time, he had a target for him to vent his anger on.

Picking up the Sanguine Rose, he summoned a dremora and unleashed his magic alongside it.

…

Wow, seriously. What are the chances? I wondered as I walked into the room where Lernen ought to be, only to find it empty. This is the second time this has happened. Just right outside the College, once again.

To be honest, part of the fault lay with me, because I could have asked Lernen to go around Windhelm instead of entering the city and getting involved, or I could have stood on guard to prevent him from being taken, but in both cases, I didn’t.

But this was convenient for me, because I had enemies closing in, and was planning to pull a disappearing act. As it turned out, Mercer Frey was just that good, managing to evade the Thalmor Justicars I tricked into thinking he was a hidden member of the Blades, and he had finally discovered the switcheroo I pulled on the Skeleton Key, leaving him with the forgery I made. It wasn’t hard for him to connect the dots to trace it back to me, the member who disappeared recently. Too bad for his attempts at pursuit, I had a way of predicting when he would draw close, and take steps to throw him off my trail.

The Key had come in very useful in the days I had it, and I spent that time unlocking the potential of many of the skills I had acquired, learning its use as I did. I even did the same to Lernen, to help him on his quest to stop Alduin. 

Too bad I couldn’t bring it with me, because Sano said that Nocturnal would definitely notice then. I was curious about how it would work on Uzume and Matsu, but I would just have to hope that Sano could create an [Unlock Potential] skill with the data I gained. 

Speaking of data, it appeared that the analysis skill I had reclaimed from Lernen was successful in getting an understanding of the dragon soul, along with the few Dragon Shouts he managed to learn. Maybe the next time I return to this world, I might be able to use them myself.

Using the [Tracker] skill I swiped from a different courier, I found an available one nearby and paid him to deliver two messages. One was to Lernen, apologizing for sudden business calling me away, and wishing him luck in his quest along with the hope of joining up again with him in the future. Another was a short note to the Dunmer Karliah, telling her that a Little Nightingale wanted me to pass an item to her, with the Skeleton Key included.

There was one more matter that I would have liked to handle before I left, but I didn’t have enough time. I would have to trust that Lernen would be able to handle it when he was finally able to reach the College without being forced into a detour.

Wonder how the Thalmor helped Ancano regain his skills? Cure Disease didn’t work… unless Lernen’s plot fuel powers just happened to bring back a necessary enemy? With that thought, I strolled into an alley and initiated the return, just an hour ahead of my pursuer.

“Rick-tan! Welcome back!” 

Matsu threw herself at me for a hug, but I intercepted her by catching her arms and spinning off the momentum, making her pout.

“Not when I haven’t had a proper wash in over a week,” I told her firmly, before looking at Uzume.

“Eheheh~” She laughed sheepishly, scratching her cheek. “Welcome back, Rick-kun.”

She had been about to do the same, I could tell. 

“Were you waiting here for me the whole time?” I glanced at the clock, which showed that it was now Saturday morning. “Nah.” I answered my own question.

Matsu nodded. “Sano told us that you wouldn’t be back at least until the next day. He called us to let us know to come to his office to wait.”

I looked at the patiently waiting god, who quirked the corner of his mouth in a not-quite smile. 

“Welcome back. Seems like you’ve had quite the bountiful haul this time.”

“Yeah, I think so too.” 

“I’m very interested in seeing what you’ve brought for me, Rick-tan!” Matsu chimed in.

Looking between the two of them, I realized that I had to make a decision regarding how to split the bounty between the two. Technically, I would potentially earn more if I let Matsu fiddle around with them first, but her ability to modify them was still limited, so there was the risk of it not paying off either. But if I were to trade them over to Sano, I would earn DP to purchase more skills for the three of us, not to mention the unique skills he might be able to create with what I brought to him.

Immediate earnings versus future windfalls.

I felt a hand touch mine, and looked to see Matsu smiling expectantly at me.

“Just do what you feel like doing, Rick-tan,” She told me, “We’ll handle it somehow. Together.”

“Matsu-chan’s right,” Uzume added, “Do what you feel best about, and if you regret it later… that’s okay, because you have us!”

[3500 LP]

I gained LP from that. I couldn’t help smiling as the number popped up in my head. These girls… 

“So, what will it be?” Sano asked, reminding us of his presence again.

After some consideration, I decided to hand over two-thirds of the new skills over to him, keeping the old ones and the remaining one-third for Matsu to experiment with. One of those I didn’t hesitate to give up was the analysis one that bore the record of the Dragonborn’s power, since that originally belonged to him. 

Truth be told, I was counting on Sano passing down some of the data to Matsu for her to crunch, and that would help her figure out how to alter the format of the skills I kept back for us. From the indulgent expression he was looking at me with, he probably knew that already. He just didn’t care. I had the feeling it was because he was interested in seeing what she would come up with.

That was fine. I was interested too.

“So the amount of DP you’ll get for these skills is…” 

Sano handed me the catalog of skills to purchase, allowing me to see the total before it was added to my current balance. 

“Wow.” That’s way more than I ever made before. “Were the Key-unlocked ones that valuable?”

“They were.” He held up one of them. “In a way, it’s more than just increasing the efficiency beyond normal levels. And with some of the foreign ones you applied the same process to, I believe I can understand how to make even better modifications to mine.”

“I see.” At least, I think so.

“Now, will you be buying any skills from the shop?”

“Not right now. I’ll decide when I’ve made up my mind on which world to visit next.” I looked at the two patiently waiting girls. “If there’s anything you two want, go ahead and pick first.”

“Really?” Uzume said in surprise. “You don’t mind?”

“Since Rick-tan said so, then I’ll go ahead and take the ones I want!”

“Don’t go overboard,” I warned the enthusiastic Matsu. “Keep it within two skills.”

“Two will be plenty!” She replied without looking up from the catalog.

Next to her, Uzume at least nodded to let me know she would help rein Matsu in.

“I’ll head back to my room to take a shower first. See you later.”

“Rick,” Sano’s calling my name made me pause, “If you plan to go to another world tomorrow, let me know before noon. I’ll be very busy working with the skills you brought back.”

I acknowledged it with a thumbs up. “Alright. I’ll do that.”

The feeling of being cleansed by the hot water felt really good, testament to how long it had been without a good wash. When I came out after what felt like half an hour, I was mildly surprised to see the two Sekireis waiting for me, with a huge spread of food and a mouthwatering smell in the air.

“When did you prepare all this?” I asked.

“[Food Preparation Acceleration],” Uzume explained by naming a skill. “I also picked [Chef], so I could prepare the dishes you like.”

Matsu winked when I looked at her. “I’ll tell you what I chose later, for now…”

““Welcome back, Rick-tan/Rick-kun!”” They chorused, and wrapped me in a tight hug.

Afterword: I considered putting a cliffhanger for impending lewds, but I felt like it didn’t flow right for me to have it happen like that, as much as I would like it to. So I decided to just go for a generic welcome back. Technically it’s the third time they said it in the span of two days, but for Rick, it’s a touching reunion with his Sekireis that he hadn’t seen for weeks.

Feel free to throw out guesses for what other worlds to visit, and what skills Matsu would pick, or create based on what Rick brought for her.