Phantasm Deliverance

A New Life III

Lumière and Momonga had donned masks before heading into the village. Although Lumière could deactivate her halo on command (which she normally kept off because it was blindingly bright and really only useful in raids for the passive), there wasn't much she could do to hide her wings. She had a long white cloak in her inventory which she pulled out but it offered little use outside of disguise since its stats were small.

Before they left, Momonga had casually tossed a throw-away gatcha item that could summon some Goblins to protect the girls from any other knights. Lumière wanted to summon an acolyte for them, but she refrained per Momonga's insistence not to waste her spells.

Momonga tilted his head. "The Death Knight has nearly slaughtered all of them."

Lumière sensed some displeasure in his tone and hesitantly asked, "Is that not a good thing?"

"It is good our enemy is weak, but..." Momonga tapped on his mask thoughtfully. "It would be harder to find their masters if they are dead, no?"

Lumière nodded in understanding.

"I'm going to fly ahead. Jack, with me. Albedo, stay with Lumière."

Both bowed.

"[Fly]" intoned Jack and Momonga. The two took to the skies.

Albedo and Lumière could fly as well, but Jack and Momonga had teleportation abilities that could guarantee their capability to flee. Lumière's wings nervously fluttered behind her.

"Please be at ease, our dear angel, for Lord Momonga is powerful. No enemy could harm him," Albedo soothed.

Lumière smiled at the succubus. "Thank you, Albedo. You're always so kind."

Albedo's raven black wings flapped happily. "How could I not be to our treasured lady or to the man I love most?"

Man she loves most...?

Lumière did not recall there being any mentions of romance in her biography. Actually, she thought she remembered Tabula specifically writing her last line as "slutty bitch" because he thought that'd aptly suit a succubus.

Perhaps she was misremembering. Or maybe Albedo has already fallen in love with Momonga since they came to the new world.

Lumière tried to picture the two together. Momonga had only had a couple of girlfriends in real life. Only one of them he spoke positively about and described her in a wistful way. They had been together through college, but when she got offered her dream job out of the country Momonga hadn't wanted to follow her. They ended things amicably and returned to being just friends. Momonga hadn't dated anyone since—and that was well over a decade ago.

Even when he joined in RP sessions he never started a romance or even jokingly seduced anyone.

Thinking back, Lumière tried to remember if he ever volunteered his preferences. He would answer honestly if directly asked, and give out relationship advice if begged, but he was never the type to bring it up. If the topic got too raunchy, he'd either defean or try to change the subject.

If he were a character in a dating sim, he'd probably be the helpful guide who did not have a route because he was wholly uninterested.

Or he'd be the hidden character that required a lot of hidden achievements before even becoming available.

The thought of her friend as a character in a romance game made her giggle.

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Momonga sent a message to Lumière to bring the girls. He had chased off the final knights and soothed some of the villagers. He mentioned that the villagers were naturally wary of him—unlike NPCs from YGGDRASIL—and he would need Lumière to put them at ease with her [Hope] passive. He wanted her to try to obtain information about the world.