Chapter 396

The discovery that the former Emperor was the mysterious scholar sent the monks into a state of disarray. Robes caught the wind like kites as they ran to and fro with wild eyes mixed with elation of the discovery of their patron… and fear that they were all bound for the headsman's ax for hiding him from the Emperor and Empress who won their crowns on the sands of the arena itself.

Zesshi and Brain took little notice of the tumult, their thoughts were for their daughter who once again vanished through the mysterious portals into unfathomable Nazarick. 'What does she do over there?' Was the question on both of their minds but which, for all their courage, neither wanted to know.

'What was given can be taken.' Was a lesson that hammered into Brain's mind all too well over the entirety of his short lifetime, and Layali served as a reminder of that, given how close they came to losing her… only to find it impossible.

'If she didn't return happy every time, I'd object or demand to go with her but… she seems so happy to go with the maids who come to pick her up, and they always seem so happy to see her…' Zesshi unknowingly finished her husband's thoughts while they sat at the table opposite one another and began to unthinkingly eat the feast which was being laid out before them.

Succulent stew and roasted boar face was filling the space between the royal couple with scalding steam, the aroma of fresh baked bread filled their nostrils and paired like multiple instruments in a symphony, with the smell of locally made fresh butter.

Zesshi's ears twitched a little bit, searching for the sound of the portal's reopening, but it was futile, and for all the perfection of the meal, sans their child, it had only the flavor of dried ashes in their mouths.

"Do you think Jircniv will come back?" Zesshi asked and dropped the bread roll out of her hand. It spattered into the stew, sending a few stray droplets over her clothing, she ignored the stains and folded her hands together, her heterochromatic eyes darted in the direction of the empty space where the pair vanished an hour before.

"I think so. I-I think so. The Allfather strikes me as a deal maker, a collector, kind of… if that makes sense. Everything he's done with us has involved give and take. As far as I know… nobody willing to make a deal has come out of it a head short." Brain replied and drained his cup of wine, the rich red stuff, worth more in one cup than a peasant earned in a quarter year, may as well have been dirty water on his tongue for all he cared.

"All we can do is wait." Zesshi said and reached for the roll in her stew without really paying attention to herself.

"So what's this for, Mr. Urge?" Layali asked while she watched him handle her missing right arm and leg in his hands. She herself sat in a chair especially made just to allow her to sit comfortably, with securable cushions that could slide from one side or the other for her to lean against, which conveniently enough also soaked up the copious quantities of blood she lost along the way during the many 'spearmints' to which she was subjected.

The demon snorted and his tail lashed, out of all his many subjects, the little half elf amused him the most. Her idle curiosity would normally have gotten on his nerves, except it existed in utter defiance of common sense. So instead of snapping at her, he answered.

He held up her right arm which had been severed at the shoulder. "I'm going to secure some mana infused gems to this side, and then some other gems to the place where your arm would normally be, and then I want you to try to use your arm as if it were still a part of you."

"Huh." She cocked her head and her little ears wiggled a bit, "Interesting. So… what's this spearmint supposed to do?"

"This experiment, is going to tell me first whether or not connections to physical bodies matter, and then I will do it with less and less magic until I know just how little it takes to control a body. If it's little enough, it might be possible to create puppets our master can use or even possess out in the world without ever having to use his physical body. Thus lowering any risk to him since the Guardians can always be here where he is. And of course we're going to switch out the limb types to see if your body can control other species' limbs just as well."

"Hmpf, and my leg?" She asked when she saw him set the leg on the scale.

"A favor to CZ, she asked if mechanical limbs could be used instead of 'borrowed' ones." Demiurge replied and began to jam small blue gems into various points around the inner muscle of the arm. The squelch and flow of dripping blood should have horrified the half elf girl beyond all measure, but she seemed utterly passive and indifferent. 'Even with the spell used to numb the pain you would think she would feel at least a smidgen of fear or upset. Even with the memory wipe practice and replacement…' It tickled at his curiosity.

'Is there an upper limit to torture before it just stops mattering? Is that limit different from person to person? If we wipe the personality and replace it with another, would the limit be innate or would it change?' The questions caused him to turn a thought to the captive Remedios Custodio, 'I was forbidden from physical torture on her… but maybe… maybe I could find another living body whom nobody would miss or object to?' The delightful thought plastered a smile on Demiurge's face and made his tail lash and dance at his back with such contentment that he began to hum, and when the girl leaning on the angled cushion began to hum along with him, he slowed down to match her pace.

Neither really minded when it slowed down his work as a result.