[S2] Chapter 24: Rules

MIKO

"And how far have you gone already? Have you kissed… maybe more?"

"We haven't done anything, and even if we had, you'd be the last person I'd tell."

"Ah, why are you so mean? I always thought you'd never find anyone. That's why I'm so excited."

Because I knew that Lilith would be like that, I kept it a secret from her that Kayla and I were now a couple for two whole weeks. Of course, I left out the fact that we were trying the whole thing out on a trial basis. I don't want to know what I'd have to put up with if she knew.

By the way, nothing has really changed between me and Kayla. This is probably because we both don't know what the other really wants, and we're also a bit shy when it comes to expressing our own desires.

In the past, we simply reached for each other's hands or slept in the same bed for a month without thinking about it, but now we are a little more cautious. It's almost as if neither of us wants to make a mistake and cause the other to feel uneasy. I'm actually open to anything Kayla might suggest. Still, I'm not going to force her into it by telling her that.

"She's here," Lilith whispers to me as the front door to the house opens. Kayla is coming over today for a guild meeting, the first time since the others learned that we are a couple.

As silly as it sounds, seeing her is exciting for me. My eyes are fixed on the hallway, and a moment later, Kayla steps into the room. She's wearing her hair in a plait today and, as usual, an outfit consisting of a slightly oversized t-shirt and a pair of shorts.

"Since when are you so cute?" Lilith asks me, making me realize how absent-minded I've just been.

"Leave me alone," I hiss back quietly and walk towards Kayla.

"Yoo-hoo, here I am," she announces, waving to Lilith before our gazes meet. I feel like giving her a hug, but knowing we're being watched makes me a little hesitant.

As if Kayla could see right through me, she simply throws her arms around me and gives me a firm hug. Pressed up against her like this, I notice how good she smells. I don't know if she's done anything differently since she's been my girlfriend, but I'm gradually realizing how great everything about her is. It's kind of creepy.

The only thing that is even creepier is the noises Lilith makes. I would describe it as a mixture of shrieking and choking. Kayla and I join her at the table, and after a few moments, Lilith seems to calm down again. Only the striking blush on her face remains. Why does she suddenly seem like a little innocent girl when it comes to my love life? As far as I know, she's definitely had her own experiences.

"Do we still have to wait for Eliza?" Kayla asks, looking around for her.

"No, she won't be here until later."

"Okay."

"I say we get started. The sooner we're through, the sooner you can enjoy some privacy." I'm sure Lilith doesn't mean any harm, but that big grin on her face is getting on my nerves so much that I can't stand to look at her any longer.

"Today's agenda includes the previous mission, our upcoming activities, and a small surprise."

Surprises from Lilith are rarely a good thing, but let's wait and see.

"The Ministry has finally evaluated your results. Firstly, the rank of the dungeon was retrospectively raised from C to A, so we got a bit more money. However, you've missed out on practically all the bonuses. You didn't bring a monster body with you, and you couldn't find out the motivation of these demons either. But since the danger to the public has been eliminated, the mission has been counted as a success."

"Has the demoness been found? The one that was at our camp?" Kayla asks. We were just told that they would be hunting for her and that she was unlikely to escape, but since then, there has been no further update for us.

"The situation around her has been resolved. That's all I can say now. Do you have any other questions about the mission?"

Kayla and I shake our heads almost simultaneously, and so we carry on.

"I've been thinking a lot about what next step we could take as a guild since Kayla joined us. Now that Miko's ban has also been lifted, we're pretty open in terms of what we can do. That's why I've decided to register our guild for this year's Dungeon Raid."

My gaze immediately wanders to Kayla, who, as expected, looks absolutely clueless. I remember what she said to Wace about wanting to develop a routine and do a few normal missions in a row, and now Lilith comes around the corner with such an announcement. I do feel a little sorry for her.

"The what?"

"You can think of it as a large gathering of numerous guilds. Everyone lives together in a hotel for a few months, from which they set out to eliminate as many dungeons as possible. There are prizes for the best guilds, you come into contact with other mages, and it's financially worthwhile anyway, thanks to the entry bonus."

At first, this may all sound quite exciting. For mages, it is, above all, dangerous. Many guilds overwork themselves with the prospect of big profits. Some are overly motivated to outperform others. The fundamental desires of power-hungry individuals are excessively encouraged. A few years ago, it was a wet dream for me to take part in this spectacle, but now I get stressed out just thinking about it.

"And what exactly are we doing with a two-person guild? Or will your ban expire, Lilith?" Wow, Kayla is throwing questions today.

"Good of you to ask. Because that brings me to the surprise I mentioned. Drum roll, please."

Oh, no.

"I've found us some new guild members."

For a moment, I'm not sure if by found she means that they've already signed or if I'm being delegated again to convince them that it's a great idea to work with us. Sorry, but I'm taken now, I can't do this again.

"Unfortunately, both of them still have a few things to deal with, which is why they can't be here right now. But I've brought you photos so that the shock of meeting them for the first time won't be overwhelming."

Lilith pushes a tablet over to us with a text document open on it. The first page, which is on display right now, simply shows the words new members. Kayla places a finger on the screen and swipes it to the side, revealing the first photo.

Kayla just furrows her eyebrows and has to take more than one look to believe who she's seeing. Meanwhile, I turn my gaze to a proudly smirking Lilith.

"How?" I ask, a little unbelieving.

"I was able to convince her of our project, I would say. As you can imagine, it's definitely not the money."

"Since when has there been talk of her joining us?"

"The day you left camp."

"That's why she said see you soon," Kayla says, slamming her hand on the table. "I can't believe Luna is leaving her guild for us."

Just like Kayla, I can't believe it either. Luna was already at the top of the witches when she was my age, then completely retired to devote herself to the whole Magical Girl thing, and now she has become part of our little guild?

"Luna will be like your leader on the missions. In addition, she will be given the task of looking after the second new member."

Luckily, I wouldn't have survived if I had been given the role of team leader, especially with someone as experienced as Luna. I already realized on the last mission that following orders is easier than giving them. If my former self from three years ago had seen it that way, I would probably have been able to avoid getting banned.

"Is this a joke? Seriously, I don't understand." The tone in Kayla's voice sends a shiver down my spine. I look at her face and see her turn white as a sheet as she puts her hand over her mouth as if she's going to throw up at any moment.

It takes me a second to realize that Kayla has already turned to the next page and discovered the other new member.

◇◆◇

"Let me explain," Lilith speaks to the closed door of my room. I reflexively fled with Kayla and ended up putting her in my bed, where she lies curled up.

"It's alright. I just suddenly got that stabbing headache and felt sick," Kayla says in a feeble voice.

"There's nothing alright about that. Get some rest." Watching Kayla suffer makes me much angrier than is reasonable. Rather, out of impulse, I jump up from the side of the bed, stomp to my door, and yank it open. Lilith, who is a good deal shorter than me, looks up at me with a deadpan expression.

"Let me explain something to you. Not everyone is such an out-of-touch freak who lives in their own little world like you do. Did you actually use your brain when you made the decision to recruit the demon that almost killed Kayla into our guild?"

My heart is racing. I can't remember ever talking to Lilith like that for a serious reason. We never really argued, but Kayla's reaction triggered something in me that I had never experienced before. I've never been so upset for someone else.

"Don't forget who you're talking to, Miko." her tone is almost threatening, but she doesn't scare me. I'm aware that she won't do anything. She would never hurt me.

"I just don't understand it."

I'm already feeling sorry for having spoken to Lilith like that. I've been with her for as long as I can remember. She's looked after me and tried to support me as much as possible. She was my mother, father, and sibling's replacement.

"How was I supposed to do it? Talk to you first? Ask your opinion? Taking Kajsa in with us involves a whole lot of trouble that you can't even begin to imagine. And you don't have to. That's what I'm here for. That's why I'm asking you to just trust me."

Is she taking in someone new now that I'm an adult? Does she need new work because I'm getting boring? Bullshit. Take a breath, Miko. I am not making any sense right now.

"When Kayla's feeling better, we'll come down and talk, okay?"

"I'd love to." And with that, Lilith turns around and disappears down the stairs back to the first floor.

My heart is beating as hard as if it's going to jump out of my chest at any second. It's only in the moment of calm that I realize my eyes are watery. If we'd talked for a minute longer, I'd probably be bawling.

"I'm sorry you're arguing because of me."

"Don't blame yourself. Lilith is just insensitive and stupid when it comes to other people's feelings. I don't know what she's up to, but I guess we should listen to her later."

I can't help but feel stupid. After all, I was the one who overreacted a little, wasn't I? Kayla's body reacting like that to the exposure to Kajsa's photo is something we can all do very little about. I don't quite understand why I got so angry with Lilith about it.

"But isn't it good to bring someone strong into the guild?" Kayla giggles, but a memory that I had completely repressed flashes through my mind.

The demoness we left to die in the dungeon. She was definitely allied with Kajsa, the one we're supposed to be working with now? Who says she's not out for revenge? Was it my subconscious that opposed Lilith's decision so much rather than the fact that Kayla felt sick?

"It's all right, Miko, I'm here." Kayla sits up and puts her hand on mine. I can feel the color slipping from my face.

"I'm scared."

"Of what?"

"That she hates me."

"Who?"

"Kajsa."

"Would you have hated her if she had killed me?"

"Definitely."

"Then be prepared for her to feel the same way. But you have the rare opportunity to apologize. How often do enemies become colleagues?"

Her silly grin makes me feel relieved. If she ever asks me why I fell in love with her, her smile would be my answer.

"Thank you, Kayla. Shall we go downstairs and talk to Lilith?"

"Not yet. I want to hold your hand a little longer."

Slowly and carefully, I turn my head, my lips just a few centimeters away from Kayla's, and give her a quick kiss on the forehead before something else can happen.

"Can I kiss you back?" she asks in a voice I've never heard from her before.

"Nope."

"That is unfair."

KAYLA

Once we have calmed down from all kinds of emotions, we make our way downstairs. Lilith and Eliza, who must have arrived while we were upstairs, are sitting in the living room and end their conversation as soon as they notice us.

Lilith gets up from her seat and walks towards us. Throws me an almost pitiful look and hugs Miko without her putting up any resistance.

"I'm sorry, I apologize to both of you. Indeed, I didn't give it enough thought."

"I'm sorry I shouted at you like that," Miko says far too quietly.

It's almost uncomfortable for me to watch the two of them reconcile like this, so I slip away discreetly and go to Eliza.

"It's rare that these two argue about anything serious. Mostly, it's about pointless stuff." It's amazing how relaxed she is, probably because she's seen these situations often enough. What I am burning to know but have never asked anybody...

"Can I ask you what kind of relationship you actually have with these two?"

Eliza giggles, "I thought you'd never ask. As you know, I work here as a sort of secretary. I originally worked at the Ministry of Magic. Among other things, I was assigned to look after a young mage called Lilith. One thing led to another. We ended up becoming good friends, and when she wanted to found a guild, she asked me if I wanted to join."

Not quite as exciting as I thought, but it confirms my suspicion that Eliza and Lilith have a pretty close relationship. If I didn't know, I'd think they were an old married couple.

"So, shall we get it over with now that we like each other again?"

Lilith and Miko, both with slightly worn-out expressions on their faces, join us at the table.

"I'll make it short and simple. Kajsa was detained the same day you met her. After speaking to her many times, I made a deal with her and the ministry. She'll tell us more about the world she came from in exchange for learning more about ours. Several seals have been placed on her that prevent her both physically and mentally from harming anyone. There are literal rules engraved into her mind that she has to follow."

If this all works, as Lilith says, everyone can theoretically be reassured. Still, somehow, it all seems too smooth, too convenient. I don't want to say that Lilith is lying to us, but there are probably a lot of details missing.

"Since the Ministry has no desire to have a demon around, they started looking for someone to take her in. I expressed interest, developed a concept, and received approval. Only then did I contact Luna and offer her the prospect of looking after Kajsa, among other things, which may have been the decisive factor leading her to accept."

I'm still not quite sure why taking care of a demon is an appealing idea. Still, when I imagine myself as an overpowered witch, it actually seems quite attractive to explore other worlds and get to know their people.

I peek over at Miko to read her expression and see what she thinks of the whole story, and I find her looking rather critically.

"Where are the two of them? Luna and Kajsa?"

"In an apartment nearby."

Miko sighs. "Can you call them over?"

◇◆◇

It must look strange as Lilith, Eliza, Miko, and I stand in a row next to each other, waiting for Luna and Kajsa to arrive. You can clearly feel the tension, and it's getting worse by the second.

"They're coming."

My eyes are fixed on the front door, which opens shortly afterward. I see Luna, who is walking in with a warm smile. A moment later, Kajsa follows, whom I recognize mainly by her purple skin and black horns. Unlike Luna, however, she keeps her head down and doesn't dare to look at us. When they are a little closer, I notice that Kajsa's white shoulder-length hair is tied back in a cute little ponytail, and her clothes look rather casual and adorable, definitely Lunas stuff.

"Thank you for coming," Lilith says. Luna looks at me and winks playfully.

"I told you we'd see each other again, Kayla."

She then turns to Kajsa, puts an arm around her back, and pushes her slightly in our direction.

"Go on, say something, at least hello," she tries to encourage her.

Kajsa seems like a different person. This intimidating aura she had has completely disappeared. When I think about that she is in an unknown world and has been deprived of the opportunity to defend herself against us, I'm not much surprised about that anymore.

"Sorry for everything."

She looks up briefly and then returns her gaze to the floor. It's scary how anxious she seems, and I can't help but look at Lilith with concern. After my initial shock, I hadn't expected to feel pity for her on the very same day.

"Wow, what a bad mood. Do you guys want to go out for… I don't know. A drink?" No matter how silly Luna's suggestion may sound, I think it could lead to a solution to some of our problems.

"I happen to know an excellent pub," I say.

"And you think they'll let a bunch like us in there?"

"Absolutely."

"Lilith is paying?" Eliza asks casually.

"I think so," Miko replies.

"What!?"