There is No Epic Loot Here, Only Puns

65: The Key to her Heart!

Delta watched Wyin idly prune a branch near her head.

You aren't panicking. This seems off.

With a roll of her eyes, Delta glared up at Nu. The box had its new fingers clasped together as it seemed to be taking every inch of the Wyin tree in at once.

"I wasn't panicking because compared to Maestro, Wyin really wasn't that much of a shock. I was... upset when she appeared because I was worried she might make mincemeat out of Noland and/or Quiss would be forced to burn her to defend themselves because I had minutes to explain that murder is a no go here," she pointed out with a flat expression. Nu hummed, his box slightly vibrating.

His words appeared slowly as if he was thinking each one over.

I remember how you screamed over mere spiders. How you've grown... Well, this is our second-floor boss? You do not aim low, do you?

The words were not harsh but Delta merely sighed.

"I... No, you know what," she stood and put her hands on her hips.

"I don't aim low because this is my home! So, yeah, I made a pseudo-legendary/mythical tree a boss, what you gonna do about it?" she asked Nu with a grin. Nu turned his palms up.

My home too. I am actually quite pleased with this. Wyin tree, do you see me?

Nu called and Wyin stopped pruning to give him a sharp look.

"The shadow. Do you require something?" she asked blithely as she yanked out a slightly under-grown twig.

Your room, your attacks, your mist... you have many options and this is good. But I can see your thorns. Do you intend to obey Delta's wishes?

Nu's words were like a blunt hammer and Wyin's lips curled back to reveal shapely thorns acting as teeth.

"I do not like being called a liar," she said coldly. Nu ignored her barbed words and kept talking. Delta watched the two. All monsters seemed to react to Nu differently than herself. It was something she had noticed but not really wanted to comment on it since it felt a little invasive.

A liar? No, I merely called you clever. You can stick to the letter of her word but utterly disobey the meaning. You have yet to earn either her or my trust.

Delta snapped back to see what Wyin would say, the sudden heated debated between Nu and Wyin seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. Wyin fanned herself with her many branches.

"Pray tell, why I must earn trust when none of the others had such trials. Am I being bullied for merely being excited about being the boss?" she directed this question at Delta.

Delta blinked and shook her head.

"Of course not. I mean, it wouldn'-" she began but Nu shot in front of her.

Don't play on her guilt. The goblins and mushrooms don't have the mental scope to scheme, nor do they have the desire to. The frogs and the contracts settled in fine and while Renny has... some things to resolve, none of them make me worried. You do.

Wyin merely shrugged.

"Maybe Mother shouldn't be played on by your paranoia either...but what would you do if I did misbehave? Hm, Shadow of Mother?" she asked, a playful smirk on her face. Nu's hands slowly dropped to his side.

I will uproot you like the weed you are. Do not forget your place.

The words were sharp and Delta scrambled between them.

"Enough! That is just enough!" she snapped and the thick tension seemed to falter for a moment.

"I don't care if Wyin is plotting to try and be a pain in my butt, we will deal with it. You don't get to threaten to kill my bosses just because you feel nervous around them!" she glared at Nu. Wyin's small chuckle was cut off as Delta snapped her glare to her.

"If you hurt anyone out of spite or boredom Nu won't have time to uproot you. If I can evolve people, I'm sure I can fiddle around with things to unevolve you. Our safety is our top concern. The people coming in comes second. Your entertainment ranks way below both of those things," she warned.

Wyin's face looked pinched as if in pain.

"O-of course. I was merely ruffling Nu's feathers. Can't expect every meeting to go smoothly, hm?" she hid her face behind her branches. Delta didn't know if it was to hide a curse or merely avoid meeting Delta's eyes.

Sagging, she muttered as she left the room.

"Supposed to be magically grown adults... why am I the mature one around here?" she asked no one.

She could hear Nu say something quietly to Wyin and the tree responded. Honestly, if she wanted to hear it she could have... but she was fed up with those two at the moment.