«Is this really necessary?» Jimbo asks himself as he watches the soldiers move the bed and wardrobe into the core room, all while being supervised by Hilda's watchful eye.
Jimbo had offered to build Hilda a bedroom in the adjoining space to the right. It wouldn't be a problem for him to use a little ether for the new room; he already had a blueprint for Dowmy's bedroom that he could reuse. But Hilda rejected the idea, arguing that she preferred to be close to the core just in case something went wrong. Such a situation makes Jimbo gulp with his ethereal throat, feeling uncomfortable with Hilda present, always lurking, watching everything he or Dowmy do.
Core Supervisor.
That was the position created and bestowed upon the captain. Just hearing the job title makes Jimbo want to laugh, but for the castle's inhabitants, it was no joke. King Marc offered Hilda an extra salary to go along with her position as captain. She accepted it, although only after turning down the payment a couple of times and reaffirming that she would perform the duty for free if they let her.
Jimbo couldn't tell if Hilda was an idiot or a kiss-ass. He found it hard to fathom her loyalty to King Marc, especially when he found out—by spying on the soldiers and chatting with Dowmy—that Marc's bloodline has a deadline.
«100 years to rule a kingdom. It's still a lot of time, but does he deserve that level of devotion?»
He could try to get Dowmy to talk to Hilda about it, but he doubts he'd get anything other than sullen glares. Jimbo wants to maintain a somewhat healthy relationship, although he would have preferred if the older man, that Lynel guy, had gotten the supervisor job.
«He's a good dude. Though it was super awkward when I explained that the cavewomen were my inventions.»
Among those present, there had been a long silence and exchanges of glances, especially after Jimbo dismissed and then resummoned one of the girls, earning murmurs of surprise. Only the strange hooded woman remained impassive, the one with the shaved head and slanted eyes. King Marc proved pragmatic and ordered that nothing be said regarding the human summons, another secret on top of the already taboo subject of Jimbo's existence.
"Well, the young ladies do seem a bit dim-witted," said Axiel, whom Jimbo observed with disdain, considering him the typical handsome blond character that makes fangirls squeal. "Their lack of a soul would explain the lesser intellect."
"Sir Axiel, that is highly disrespectful of you," Lynel had said at the time, although he didn't entirely reject the second captain's theory.
«The fact that I can summon beings that look like them seems to be blasphemy. Good to know, I don't want to piss off anyone powerful. Lucky the king is a reasonable guy.»
Jimbo is thankful for his luck. If Arrax were present, or a more obtuse king were in charge, his survival would have been complicated to negotiate.
«Although it's a bit weird that they're acting so cooperative all of a sudden.»
The fact that the man in the golden helmet, Claus, was not present left Jimbo thinking. King Marc not only accepted Jimbo's existence but also gave the green light to his plans to train the troop of soldiers.
Jimbo wasn't going to complain about his good fortune, so he thanked the monarch, and the latter left with the rest of the captains. Hilda returned shortly after accompanied by soldiers tasked with bringing her things. If they were in an office environment, she would be something like his immediate boss.
The soldiers leave the core room via an alternative path that allows them to bypass the first-floor trials. Hilda, now alone with the core and the imp, walks over to stand at the edge of the pit and crosses her arms, staring intently at the crystal.
"The master wishes to know what you want," Dowmy says, fluttering to approach quickly with a protective demeanor.
Hilda looks at the imp for a few moments and then returns her attention to the crystal.
"I wish to speak with you. Directly. No intermediaries."
Jimbo is left speechless by the unexpected request. Dowmy clenches her fists and puffs out her cheeks, indignant.
"The master only speaks with his trusted assistant, with me!"
«Dowmy, chill. It's fine.»
Dowmy keeps clenching her hands tightly; it's clear that this is a sensitive issue for her.
«It would be way more comfortable for me to communicate with her directly. Especially if I'm supposed to explain what I want to do first. I have to take advantage of them acting in good faith to get my projects rolling!»
Jimbo asks Dowmy to relay the instructions to Hilda, but the imp closes her eyes, crosses her arms, and turns her back on them. Seeing such childish behavior, Hilda flashes a half-smile devoid of humor, almost a grimace.
"If you worry I might steal your monster creator from you, nothing could be further from the truth, child. I only care about streamlining this work to better aid the realm."
Dowmy looks back at them, first with doubt, then sighs in resignation, convinced that Hilda doesn't have some hidden agenda to take her master away.
"You must do the same as I did... Reach out your hand and touch... And then accept the gift."
"Accept the gift?" Hilda frowns, suspicious of the word choice.
The imp nods repeatedly.
Hilda contemplates the crystal for a full minute.
"If you attempt to seize my mind, you will be making your final and gravest mistake, Dungeon Core," the captain warns. She doesn't state it outright, but she is shielded by a quiet confidence in skills not visible to the naked eye.
Jimbo assumes that to become a kingdom's captain, one needs to be strong or have above-average abilities. Even if Jimbo had mind-control powers, he wouldn't risk jeopardizing the cooperation the king and his people are showing.
«Well, maybe I would. But only if I was absolutely certain it would work and nobody would notice.»
As an E-Sports professional, Jimbo knows when and how to play his cards.
Hilda steps up to the edge of the pit, extends her arm, and plants her palm on the crystal's surface. An electrical tingling runs through her body; her shoulders jolt and she blinks a couple of times.
Inside Jimbo's blue space, a new message in red letters appears.
Connection point found. Do you wish to formalize the external link?
Jimbo hesitates for a couple of seconds, but ultimately agrees to create the link.
The circles begin to spin.
Formalizing link...
25%...
50%...
80%...
100%.
Link completed.
New lines form another circle with more information, data about a certain nameless Imp. But such information is overshadowed by new sensations. The blue mist parts and Jimbo's consciousness flies beyond, exiting the crystal and left floating in a dark but solid place, illuminated by fires on the walls and the glare of his own blue crystal.