"So what does MP Boost do, anyways?" Lena asked out loud, completely shattering any sort of wise image she may have given to the other party members.
"It increases your mana pool." Lumi explained patiently. "Just read it. It tells you in the skill page."
"See? He explains things so I don't have to think!" Lena beamed. "It's perfect!"
Twenty-five minutes into the wait…
"This is torture." Afton moaned. "Worse than torture! At least torture has a point! You're just... talking! Like I'm not even here!"
"Would you prefer we pay attention to you?" HazyNova asked, twirling a dagger. "I could practice my precision strikes..."
"No! No, talking is fine! Talk more! Please!"
"Hey, that reminds me," ToraX suddenly said. "What was that about golem genocide? Why were we farming them so hard?"
Lumi and Lena exchanged a quick glance.
"Same reason we farm anything?" Lumi offered, stating the obvious.
"Bloodlust?" Lena added.
"But like why specifically those golems?" ToraX continued. "I just want to understand the thought process of the one carrying our asses."
"They just happened to be there." Lumi replied. "In truth, we were just here for this clown." He pointed to Afton. "As for other details, let's just say I have good instincts about these things."
"The best instincts!" Lena added supportively. "Lumi knows all sorts of things! Like where to find the best monsters and how to talk to people and how to buy things and how to make me happy!"
"How do you make her happy?" VICE asked, genuinely curious.
"Just treat her normally." Lumi replied.
"It's true!" Lena confirmed. "Simple needs for a simple girl!"
Thirty minutes. The party had devolved into discussing food.
"I'm just saying," VICE argued, "pizza is the superior food. Portable, customizable, doesn't require utensils-"
"But the grease!" ToraX countered. "Gets all over your controls. Burgers are better. Those are self-contained."
"Just eat it with a fork, stupid." HazyNova cut in, "You wouldn't be getting grease everywhere if you used a fork like an actual human being. You fool. You absolute buffoon."
"But that defeats the purpose?" Both VICE and ToraX rang the same sentiment despite disagreeing with each other earlier. "It's finger food!"
HazyNova shook his head. "What purpose? There is no purpose. Whether you hold the food yourself or a utensil, you still take your fingers away."
"If it's the same either way," ToraX advocated for his chosen food, "Then just eat burgers! No utensils needed AND you stay clean!"
"You…" HazyNova was amazed at his logic, or rather, lack of. "The grease from the patty is going to drip. The sauce will leak. The bun will spread crumbs everywhere. It's not clean."
"You're all wrong," Lena interjected. "The best food for staying clean is soup! You can drink it! No hands needed!"
"How do you drink soup without using your hands…?" Ryan asked, genuinely curious.
"Straw." Lena replied as if it were obvious. "Are you stupid? How else."
"That's the most insane thing you've said today," HazyNova noted. "And you asked about sniffing someone's girlfriend."
"She's not my-!" Afton's rebuttal was cut short by an additional dagger stab, then everyone ignored him as if he didn't exist.
"But..." Lena made puppy eyes, "But... Why is no one else into that? It just makes sense, doesn't it? If they are your partner, you should want to smell them."
A silence fell over the group. VICE opened his mouth, closed it, then finally managed, "Well, I guess you wouldn't hate their uh... smell, if you like being around them, I guess..."
"Yeah, no, she's completely wrong." HazyNova replied. "Liking pizza doesn't mean I want to rub it on me."
Lena looked smug. "It's all about sensory experience. Think about it! It's like, you know what it's like chat? It's like we have five senses.So you should appreciate your partner with all five of your senses! They'll smell like home! Or like... cinnamon, if you're lucky."
ToraX blinked. "If my girlfriend ever smelled like cinnamon, I'd propose instantly."
"You don't even have a girlfriend." VICE pointed out.
"How do you know that? Wait- I mean, exactly. Hence why no proposal," ToraX shot back, with the solemnity of a monk who had taken a vow of celibacy.
"Okay, but hold on chat." Lena continued, clearly gaining momentum, "What if you combined it all? Like... a pizza soup. In a thermos. With a straw."
"You're banned from the kitchen." HazyNova said flatly. "And possibly… possibly…" He paused, then. "I can't say the name of the planet."
"Masteria?" Afton replied confusedly.
"Shut up. I bet you don't even get to sniff your girlfriend."
"Not yet! She's not mine yet!" Afton corrected. "Lady Twilight is... it's complicated!"
"It always is." VICE said mockingly, "I bet she hates you."
"She doesn't even know I exist." Afton admitted miserably. "But one day! When I become powerful enough! When I gather all the Will Stones and prove my devotion-"
Lumi's head snapped toward him. "Will Stones? You're searching for Will Stones?"
"I- that's- classified information!" Afton tried to backpedal. "Forget I said anything!"
"Too late for that," Lumi muttered, filing the information away. Another confirmation that events were proceeding as he remembered. The Wings of Darkness were already mobilizing their search.
"What are Will Stones?" Lena asked innocently. "Do they make you willful? Can I eat one?"
"They're ancient artifacts." Lumi answered. "Very powerful, very dangerous. And definitely not edible."
"Everything's edible if you're brave enough!" Lena countered.
"Please don't eat magical artifacts."
"You never let me eat anything fun."
Thirty-five minutes. The party was growing genuinely restless.
"Lumi," Ryan said carefully. "Not that I don't trust you, but soon we'll have to go and…"
"Just a little longer." Lumi assured him, though he was beginning to worry himself. Had his message not gone through properly? Had-
"There's an airship!" VICE suddenly called out, pointing toward the horizon.
The party turned to look. Indeed, a vessel was approaching through the darkening sky, but this was no ordinary airship. Where the commercial vessels they'd seen were functional wood and canvas, this was a work of extravagant art. Silver and gold formed elegant curves along its hull, with cyan inlines and plating. It radiated power and authority.
"That's..." ToraX breathed. "That's not a commercial travel ship."
"Herene." Lumi said with satisfaction. "The response to our little photo."
"Herene?" Ryan's eyes widened. "The floating island? The one where-"
"Where the Empress lives." HazyNova finished. "Holy mongoose, Lumi. Who did you message?"
Lena perked up. "Mongoose? I wonder if it's tasty…"
"What."
The airship descended, landing in a clear area fifty meters away. A gangplank extended, and figures in shining armor began to disembark. Their movements were precise and disciplined, much more professional than that of the countless adventurers.
Leading them was a man who embodied the concept of a legendary knight. His armor was distinctive. It was mostly silver, with gold trim. But where light hit it, both brilliant light and deep moonlight were visible at once. A cape of midnight blue completed the ensemble.
"That's Chief Knight Divan Alloy." Lumi murmured. "Commander of the Eclipse Knights."
But it was the figure behind Divan that made Lumi's eyes shine.
"Gabriel…" Lumi noted, seeing him, with a small grin, speaking to himself, "Glad to see ya, buddy."
Indeed, following respectfully behind the Chief Knight was none other than Gabriel, username, Angle, wearing the initial armor of an Eclipse Knight trainee. He looked different in the game than in real life, but Lumi recognized him.
Divan approached steadily, his eyes taking in the scene. The battered and restrained Puppeteer, the low level party maintaining vigilant watch, and the crude but effective imprisonment.
"I am Chief Knight Divan Alloy. Head of the Eclipse Knight division of the Aria Knights." he announced, his voice carrying deep authority. "We received intelligence regarding the capture of a high priority target. I must confess..." His eyes swept over the party again. "I did not expect to find a group of your level to have accomplished this."
"We're very motivated," Lumi offered.
"And lucky," Ryan added.
"And violent!" Lena contributed cheerfully.
Divan's lips twitched in what might have been amusement. "Indeed. May I know your names? Such a feat deserves proper recognition."
"I'm Lumi." he stepped forward. "These are my companions, Lena, Ryan, Tora, Vice, and Hazy."
Divan's eyes lingered on each of them for a bit, then looked back at Angle, "Such… unique names. You are of the same kind of people as Angle, over there."
The group, except Lumi and Lena, froze for a bit. They hadn't encountered an NPC that commented on how weird usernames were, not yet.
As for those two, Lumi already knew all about this, and Lena just didn't care.
Divan let out a small, curious grin. "Do you all come back from death, too, with nothing more than minor penalties?"
"Yes." Lumi immediately replied.
Divan honed in on Lumi, "You're the one who sent the message through Trainee Gabriel, aren't you? He speaks highly of you."
"Gabriel's too kind." Lumi replied modestly.
"I think not." Divan stepped closer, lowering his voice. "To identify Afton S. Crow as a threat, locate his hidden base, and successfully capture him with such a large disparity in power, this speaks of intelligence beyond your apparent experience. Tell me, how did you know about him?"
Lumi had prepared for this question. "I know many people. You noticed that Angle and I are the same type of people. Among us, I'm rather famous. A celebrity, in a way. This fame also translates to information."
"And his affiliation with the Wings of Darkness?"
"He confessed it himself just now," Lumi said smoothly. "Though I had suspicions. I mean just look at him. Just…?" He pointed over. Even Afton's robes had the insignia of the wings of darkness. "He's kind of stupid."
Divan studied him for a long moment before letting out a grin, "Hah! Right you are. They always sneak around like rats. Can't even plot properly."