Mistress!

"Go on ahead, I'll catch up," Rust said to the knight that came warn of the situation in the main hall

"But your highness-"

"Go."

"Yes!" The soldier was gone, Rust stayed alone on the corridor since her grandmother was still in her bedroom.

"Shrew, what do you have to say about it?" In the next second she felt something light as a feather landing on her shoulder.

A wine-red body with eight hairy legs landed and walked with leisure through her arm. Rust raised her hand, two spider eyes were staring at her. She didn't need to spy the thing's spirit to know it was excited.

"Is this the way you ask for favors? Calling people shrews? And to an Elder goddess nonetheless."

"If she's the goddess of selfishness jealousy and envy, It's the most fitting nickname," Rust said callously.

The queen of the spider seemed to be pleased. "You want to know about that tick? Too bad, I have nothing for you." The empress didn't care "State your price shrew, but be warned; my last two wishes are not for sale." Rust stated.

The sun shone on her Rust-colored eyes and highlighted her bluish-gray eyelashes. the spider sighed, she hoped the girl to be filled with anxiety for at least a second, but she didn't even react. 'I'm losing my ways, to think I send a divine army into chaos but can't make a little girl frown...'

"...A djinn's tricky blessings are not for the gods, girl. Even if I wanted it I would need a djinn that worked within the natural law of the gods, a djinn of the divine realm. But about that tick....." The spider couldn't show emotions but Rust felt merriment emanating out of it. "Huhu, my child, there's no helping it I guess, It's this treacherous one's fault for being attracted to your budding sadistic spirit. I might as well tell you something..."

It waited for Rust to anxiously look at her, but nothing could change the sternness on those eyes.

"....That thing, cannot be completely seen by me, I only caught a bit of its true aura and current soul state after losing one of my true legs. And what I understood of it is..."

It glared at the empress and seeing no change in expression scoffed to the side, "Fine, annoying girl, I'll stop the suspense and just tell you. The karma threads on it tell me It destroyed as many worlds as it saved, and killed deities the same way it killed demons. The state of its soul showed me it died and was reborn without the usual process at least a hundred times and most of its rebirths didn't endure the first years of life." The empress's gaze finally turned to a frown. The spider danced with glee. "Are you afraid? Or you just not believe me? Whatever the case, girl. know this; because of your first wish, yours and its fate are interconnected in a way that cannot be undone until one side dies. Now, worry not about payment, I'll get my amusements just by watching you two. Huhu."

The spider popped and went up like smoke.

Rust shook her head sighed.

"As I thought, a useless goddess who just want chaos." As Rust walked away from a cold slowly crawled up her spine.

*****

"Oh, this is beyond rude." The came out of the ball of light as it chided. w it was being pierced through and pinned at the tip of the thin spear.

Rust, still holding the spear, frowned.

The hall was dead silent.

It was well known that Rust could pierce through anything. Immaterial or not, men or ghosts. It was what gave her the edge to kill elder yeti who could become intangible for seconds. Although a spiritual tick was doom to mortals, it's nothing more than a fly to someone like Rust, who was a tier beyond the maximum mortal level, At the sixth tier.

"I'll sue you for moral damage." The tick prattled on.

Rust gazed at him as she slowly controlled the fear and excitement on her chest. "Why stop? Isn't it too terrifying of a variable? Use the powers the djinn gave you, it'll be finished then." The spider spoke.

The tick went silent, just gazing at Rust.

"Leave. All of you." The hall abruptly broke into hurried steps and closing doors.

Only the marble ground being warmed by the heat of the sun coming through the side windows and the people in the middle of it were left.

Rust walked to the stairs leading up to her wooden throne and sat on the first stony step, she crossed a leg above the older and gesticulated to the tick. "What do you want?"

"... And I thought you wouldn't see through the little mischievous spidey behind your ear." Delua spoke. With a sincere chuckle, at least, that's what Rust felt it was.

"Tch!" A little spider with wine-red bosom jumped out of Rust and looked at the tick with incredible animosity.

"...."

"She's feeling threatened because I'm about to steal her toy." the tick floated closer. "Little tick, don't so conceited. you might've been born and reborn repeatedly, but you never left the mortal realm. Yout can't be more valuable than me, the queen goddess of spiders, Itridge-Hey!"

Rust shoed the spider away, her rust-colored eyes gazed at Delua. "You didn't answer me."

"...I've lived through some lives, I have knowledge for you to make this empire the strongest, I'll give it to you, in parts, and in turn, you'll help me create the magic that can outdo a god's curse."

Rust started fiddling with her fingers in pondering.

"Humpft, that's easy boy, this treacherous one is one of the most ancient gods on thi-"

"A true god." The tick stopped her, Delua's tone was stern.

The spider froze and looked at him with mocking eyes. "And how the hell would a human offend a True god? Not even this one has the means to communicate with their plane."

"...I slept with his woman." The tick said. The spider froze and laughed. "...For sure, you're a clown, a clown tick. What a blessing."

"...We'll decide on the terms, then we'll make a soul bound oath." Rust who was silent until now said.

"You can't be serious!? AH-" Itridge was swatted away.

"Sure." the tick nodded.

"Why did you slapped me, girl!? Humpft! without me, you wouldn't know that soul binding oaths are useless on him!"

The tick neared the spider; "Little thing, you're starting to annoy this handsome tick."

"...What if I can make you feel again?" Rust spoke. She thought about what her grandmother said, and the goddess words. coupled with the ticks own world, she guessed what he really wanted.

The tick slowly floated towards her, Delua didn't even have the mind to ask how she knew he just wanted to "feel" he just floated over, and stood in front of her eyes.

To rust, like she felt the emotions on the spider, overwhelming desire flooded the empty hall. The tick knew it was impossible, but like others, he was the kind of person who'd rather die on the way to a mirage lake in the desert.

Rust didn't give him time to ask, she punctured the glowing ball again. this time, with her finger.

"Ugh!" Delua blurted out.

Rust's eyes showed an unprecedented emotion,'As I thought, it work.' Slowly, She took her finger out of him. "My first wish towards the djinn was; Do not-!" The tick flew to her face as fast as an eagle cutting her off.

"DO IT AGAIN! PUT YOUR FINGER IN ME!"

The spider felt disgusted and took eight steps back, Rust's mouth twitched.

The little ball of light vibrated excitedly.

"DO IT, MISTRESS, DO IT!