Настучать в бубен / Hit the tambourine: Глава 2.2

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Camrad_RIP 10.11.25 в 13:29

"I've sent men to the guards, and also unofficially instructed my assistant to hire a couple of inexpensive underworld experts from a shadow guild to find out where my highly valued employee has disappeared to." Urvag, as always, impresses with his business acumen and his foresight, earning ever more sincere respect. "Unofficially, I received a very coherent theory that he was caught by damned slavecatchers, but the reply from our new Catcher, the infamous Lame Bazhzhi, claims that his men and not-quite-men didn't catch any Stae in the alley. The guards became a little more interested after this, perhaps fearing the work of an illegal warlock, and Corrin personally came to assure me that he had nothing to do with your disappearance, expressing his willingness to undergo a magical test."

Camrad_RIP 13.11.25 в 05:40

Stepan couldn't help but grin at that last sentence. He was almost laughing, because yes, this man should have been the first suspect, given his publicly blatant love for Stae. It's not for nothing that in classic detective stories, the role of the butler's killer is considered a cliché. Although, okay, Corrin isn't exactly a butler, so it's possible to suspect him of the poor, gifted boy's murder. Stepan even seriously considered planting some evidence in the investigation, confirming the involvement of the distraught father, who couldn't find a comfortable place for his beloved daughter. He considered it, but decided against ruining the jerk's life; he wasn't that fed up with him, to be honest.

Camrad_RIP 13.11.25 в 05:59

"So, Stae will mysteriously disappear, and I'll start creating a new mask for myself, once I've explored the city a little better." He shrugs, suppressing the urge to yawn, an urge spurred on by Singha, who blushed from not being able to contain her own yawn, almost to the point of dislocating her jaw. "Did you absorb the tablet's gifts well?"

Camrad_RIP 13.11.25 в 06:00

"Yes, I checked it. Many times. And I'll check it again. Even more." The mother answered in place of her daughter, torn between pride, concern, doubts about the reality of what was happening, and the desire to obtain the same gifts herself, so torn that she couldn't even properly hide her emotions from his passive reading. "I simply refused to believe it. The way her essence, her lakhao-avat... she simply became stronger overnight than she should have been in many years. She will soon be my equal! And the knowledge! The truth is in her mind! Imbued with your ilash-khao-tar! In many ways, she already knows more! More than I know! I am glad, proud of her. And even envious. But prouder! Much prouder!"

Camrad_RIP 13.11.25 в 06:19

Judging by her disjointed manner of speech, she's seriously agitated and still as tired as a run-down horse. Ha-ha, pun intended. Surely this whole time, while Stepan was recovering from the ritual and absorbing the gifts of the system, she's been jumping around her daughter, checking her for all sorts of things. She didn't find anything, of course, because there was nothing to find, but she's still incredibly tired and now she's barely thinking, and she's clearly taken some kind of stimulant; her pupils have dilated slightly, almost imperceptibly, but there are symptoms. I hope she doesn't ruin her health, or they'll blame him, Stepan, for it later.

Camrad_RIP 13.11.25 в 06:22

"Welcome to my world," the shaman comments sarcastically, but not without a yawn. "It's not as outrageous to me as it is to you all, of course, but I still get stunned up regularly when I understand the limits of the System's power—that is, the Tablet. Or rather, the complete lack of such limits."

Camrad_RIP 10.11.25 в 13:30

"That's right. I wanted to get drunk myself today, or rather, yesterday, when my daughter turned her gift from nothing into reality. It's like a fairy tale, really." Urvag is clearly allowing himself a rare luxury for a man of his position: a display of sincere and genuine emotion. "Twelve chests of the highest quality silver! I don't even know I'll have that much spare cash in my treasury right now! Believe me, I seriously thought about keeping my most trusted confidants, the ones who helped me drag those chests from my daughter's room to the vault, quiet. I wanted to kill them to keep them quiet!"

Camrad_RIP 13.11.25 в 06:23

Well, yes, for him, far removed from magical matters, the purely material gift his daughter received—twelve chests of fine silver, minted in Elven, Confederate, and Caliphate styles—clearly shattered his worldview. He actually has considerably more property than those chests of silver cost; he's already put a vast amount of it into business. But to suddenly receive so much cash so easily is a shock even for him. Especially for him, an experienced merchant who truly understands not only the value but also the difficulty of creating silver out of thin air in such quantities.

Camrad_RIP 13.11.25 в 06:29

In this alien and terrifying world, silver is valued not only for its beauty but also as a useful magical reagent for a whole host of purposes. Even so, if such systematic currency injections are constantly used, the silver market can quickly collapse, causing natural devaluation, inflation, ovulation, and other scary words. And the smart man Urvag couldn't help but understand this, but he also wouldn't refuse several hundred kilograms of the highest-grade silver in ready-made coins.

Camrad_RIP 13.11.25 в 06:32

The System clearly took Singha's family background into account when awarding its prize. In addition to the material gift of a mountain of silver, a small box made from the bone of an ancient, mutant, predatory mammoth appeared in the de Lomer household. This piece is weaker, only slightly inferior to the cloak from the isekai shoulder, but it is also a very powerful artifact. No, it doesn't store spirits like a cloak, but rather draws them in, sucking them in like a vacuum cleaner or the favorite toy of the Ghostbusters from the cartoon.

Camrad_RIP 13.11.25 в 07:08

This is the ability to subdue any rampaging creature quickly, then either negotiate with it or command the box to devour the captive, becoming slightly stronger. The ability to summon a powerful creature without any contract, even an entity with which no dialogue is possible, like greater evil spirits, then release it in the desired location, so that its wrath falls on someone else. The ability to simply stuff a bunch of willing spirits into it, dragging the already summoned retinue somewhere to a carefully guarded location. The surprise will be so great that anyone who survives the first attack will be completely stunned.

Camrad_RIP 13.11.25 в 07:13

Stepan himself wouldn't refuse such a box, but he doesn't really need it; it's not quite his style. But for the steppe shamans, given the peculiarities of their ancestral yurt-altar, it would be quite suitable. Due to the structural features established during the dynasty's inception and later, when Maega moved here and further customized her workspace, their call has become very strong and penetrating, like a hurricane in the steppe. Roughly speaking, they are capable, through their ancestral power, of making themselves heard by a being far more powerful than they have any chance of controlling.

Camrad_RIP 13.11.25 в 07:18

This design has a multitude of advantages, true, but with them comes the constant risk of overestimating oneself and summoning something that will turn them inside out. There were precedents in previous generations, fortunately preserving the youngest of the line, already powerful enough to avoid being devoured by benevolent neighbors across the endless steppe. But the wound in memory remained very, very serious, and some of the family contracts were considered lost, as they hadn't been passed on to the daughter, nor had the exact terms of summoning or renewals been explained. In theory, nothing prevents the summoning, but in practice, the TV remote had been lost, and there was no manual control; the buttons had fallen out.

Camrad_RIP 13.11.25 в 07:29

Tellingly, the contracts were considered lost — the system's reference allowed Singha to read and perceive everything they represented. Some of them, of course, had disintegrated without renewal over the course of fifteen generations, but a couple were restored and cooperation resumed. Those spirits apparently didn't even notice that anything had changed, and a lull in their relationship ensued. For entities living in eons, mere generations and centuries are like a few seconds. Well, if the payment isn't overdue, then they won't let a single day pass; they'll immediately show their resentment and anger.

Camrad_RIP 13.11.25 в 07:33

That's why, to avoid the mistakes of the past, their yurt has never been operated at full capacity. Only those who performed shamanic rituals there gave it their all, always careful not to resonate too strongly. Stepan suspects that if the ruler of Morgrave, the venerable August, had known what a dangerous place he had under his belt, he would have been far less willing to allow Maega to live and practice in his glorious city. However, the same could be said of almost any altar, ritual hall, or axial structure of a magical source, so Stepan could be wrong. It's his view that certain aspects of the shaman's altar are less than optimal, but his point of view is still heavily biased by the perfectionism of the System.

Camrad_RIP 13.11.25 в 07:35

"Well, then, I suppose we can bury poor Stae little by little, maybe even create a false amulet of blood bonding, so we can later show it ." Mentally, the shaman was already sending Corrin a couple of weeks of alternating constipation and diarrhea to teach him a lesson, and he was also creating a new legend, pondering what to call himself in his third iteration. "I'll take about three weeks to adapt, sift through the city, set up a few safe spots, and maybe even start placing additional hidden totems outside the walls, since the technology worked on Dantmark. And then we can-e-e-e... Huh? You're fucking kidding me!"

Camrad_RIP 13.11.25 в 07:36

It was a bit harsh, true, but in the shaman's defense, he was hit in the face with a systemic assignment, one that was enough to make you cry. And not just any assignment, but partly a group quest! Meaning, it was clearly the same quest for him and Singha. She had been given the same assignment but tailored for her. Reading the proposal, the shaman realized he would be furious, that he would be shaming the dragons and masters of fire magic soaring in the sky with fire from his ass, and that he would deeply regret it all. But he would accept the quest. And not because the reward was good; for a "difficult" quest, it was mediocre at best. It was all made up for by the last part of the reward, for which he would have agreed to work for free.

Camrad_RIP 13.11.25 в 10:29

Giggling softly, but with a furious chuckle, he reads the images flowing through his mind again and again, finding no change. Although admittedly, the assignment itself is quite different from the usual, if only in that it lacks any particular perversions, despite its "social" basis. He's become accustomed to his assignments, either involving the most impersonal magical practices or tied to that very same social network with tacked-on pornography in the name of Automilf. But this isn't quite like that, or even completely different. Even the underlying images of the system text in his head seem slightly different, as if the font, so to speak, shimmers not only with azure and violet, but also with \\gold.

Camrad_RIP 13.11.25 в 12:02

Received a systemic assignment (difficult): within six months and six days, assume the social role of personal servant in the retinue of Singha, daughter of Maega, daughter of Maedra, also known as Singha de Lomer. Completely and flawlessly perform all duties required by the position, without deviating from the already established legend and image. Avoid being exposed as inappropriate for your original position and social status.

Camrad_RIP 10.11.25 в 15:05

Required specifications for standard position in the retinue : [EXPAND].

Camrad_RIP 10.11.25 в 13:30

The conditions of the assignment allow one to lead a double life, continue magical practice, and ascend the Steps, but without compromising one's main work.

Camrad_RIP 10.11.25 в 13:31

To be carried out satisfactorily, it is necessary not to be revealed until the very end of the task to more than twelve dedicated individuals; senior members of the de Lomer family do not count.

Camrad_RIP 10.11.25 в 13:33

To fully fulfill the role, it is necessary to perform the duties of a member of the retinue and servant to the highest possible standard and not take advantage of the fact that representatives of the de Lomer family know the true nature of the new employee.

Camrad_RIP 10.11.25 в 13:33

For a perfect performance, it is necessary to create the impression in the minds of uninitiated observers that the new member of the retinue is madly in love with his own young mistress (Singha, daughter of Maega, daughter of Maedra) or with her mother (Maega, daughter of Maedra, daughter of Sidhana), while trying to hide his own feelings, but completely unsuccessfully for the attentive observer.

Camrad_RIP 10.11.25 в 13:35

Reward: Completing the current level; a significant increase in the overall effectiveness of the calls, five additional random minor knowledge in the Elder Spirit Contract subtype, a significant increase in affinity with the air spheres, and an elite random property.

Camrad_RIP 10.11.25 в 13:37

Upon full completion: one free stat point; three elite or super-elite meta-impact tokens; any high-end item from the System Store of your choice (choice is limited by the nominal amount of system purchase equivalent).

Camrad_RIP 10.11.25 в 13:38

If executed perfectly: all remaining (except the last one) mandatory debt assignments from the Patroness will be closed without the need to fulfill them.

Camrad_RIP 10.11.25 в 14:44

Note: During the execution of the assignment, new assignments from the Patroness will not be issued, and after completion of such assignments, such tasks cannot be set in relation to the de Lomer family.

Camrad_RIP 10.11.25 в 15:00

The shaman's eyebrow twitched, and a little later, after a pause, his cheek twitched as if he were about to have a fit. Honestly, he was glad to receive this quest, genuinely glad, with all his heart and soul. It offered the opportunity to erase almost all of his outstanding debts at once, and the very fact that this particular quest didn't require any particularly perverted behavior. He also didn't have to worry about future penalties for refusing the AutoMILF quest, because he himself wouldn't have messed with his allies' minds, even if he'd been given a pornfication assignment on Maega and Singha. And now, if he completed it, they wouldn't give it to him, and that involuntarily lifted his spirits.

Camrad_RIP 13.11.25 в 07:42

Well, yes, the assignment, especially the last one, is one of those that irritates him, but these aren't the obstacles that will prevent him from achieving his goal. If only he didn't have to play the role of a lovesick underage idiot, but that's a minor detail. Considering how much the AutoMILF's tasks were making him cringe, he'd be willing to work as someone else's part-time lackey for a year (he wouldn't say it out loud and would even be careful about it, lest the system hear and change the assignment deadline). Especially since no one's stopping him from pursuing his main leveling at the same time — Urvag could certainly come up with a series of tasks that would allow him to escape the estate and pursue self-improvement.

Camrad_RIP 13.11.25 в 07:51

Now the main thing was to convince this family to tolerate him under their roof for another six months. He glanced at Singha's status with an inward glance and read the assignment she'd received, knowing she could read it too. Satisfied that there were no differences, he merely sighed wearily, placing his hand to his face under the puzzled gazes of Maega and Urvag, who alternated between him and the now-blushing Singha, who also seemed on the verge of breaking down into either indignation, laughter, or even fainting.

Camrad_RIP 13.11.25 в 07:55

"Honorable, I have a rather strange question for you all." No, no, honorable, this question is far from strange. "Does your daughter need a servant?"

Camrad_RIP 10.11.25 в 15:06

A puzzled pause, clearly missing the joke and in no mood for humor. The shaman put his blunt sense of humor aside and spoke normally.

Camrad_RIP 10.11.25 в 15:10

"Your daughter and I received a task from the Tablet, a combined one for both of us." No, the nervous tic still throbs in his cheek, despite five fucking units in his Constitution and the overall strength of his aura. "Read this task out loud, Singha. Please. Otherwise, I'm afraid I'll start laughing louder than the rest of you in the middle of quoting."

Camrad_RIP 10.11.25 в 15:12

She looked at him like a traitor, like Caesar at Brutus, like a rich kid who buys exams at the dean, who told the whole class that instead of the usual teacher, Rodislav Gastoldovich Yanin would be personally administering the exam. But Singha wasn't the daughter of her mother and father for nothing; she steadfastly withstood the blow and read the assignment in a barely changing voice. She had her own assignment, but simpler than Stepan's: essentially, she simply had to maintain his cover story in public (minus the "youthful infatuation") and behave exactly as she usually did with her retinue. Stepan had observed her before and hadn't noticed any particularly bitchy tendencies or any sadism toward her servants. Superiority and arrogance, a scornful gaze on the crowd, a sense of self-importance — yes, certainly, but not excessive cruelty or a love of self-affirmation at the expense of others.

Camrad_RIP 13.11.25 в 07:57

The reward for her personally is also a bit modest for such a “difficult” task, but it is still magnificent, so she has no reason to refuse.

Camrad_RIP 10.11.25 в 15:12

"No-o-o-o-o-o-o. I don't believe it. I'm so sorry, Pann, you're holding something back." And he couldn't even read his face; Stepan's face is completely unreadable, as are his facial expressions and body posture; four separate spirits are monitoring this. He simply guessed from experience. "I remember that you don't care much about having to play the role of a servant, though I find that hard to believe. But I also remember that it irritates you, just far less than it should. You didn't even hide it. And you yourself told me that you often refused the gifts of the Tablet if you found them humiliating and unnecessary. And now you've jumped at it. I'm not insisting on an answer. I'm simply curious, and you are free not to answer; my attitude won't change in the slightest."

Camrad_RIP 13.11.25 в 09:00

Damn a diplomat! Everything was laid out, politely and respectfully — really respectfully, in fact — but now it felt awkward to refuse an answer. Especially since this was a perfect moment to reveal some of the answers, the very ones he'd been planning to gradually reveal to this family. The main thing, after all, was to be able to present the truth in a controlled and discreet manner, in the form Stepan needed, and this was the perfect opportunity to feed him such a controlled truth, even if it wasn't even the opportunity he'd created.

Camrad_RIP 13.11.25 в 09:02

"Okay, well, in a normal situation and for a normal reward, I wouldn't tie myself down like that. It's not worth it, even if the reward were ten times greater." At this point, Maega, Urvag, and Singha must have all thought something along the lines of "he's just crazy of fat, the otherworldly bastard." "I really don't care about all the things you're used to seeing as damage to my position, but I wouldn't tie myself down to a position for six months. It simply wouldn't pay off. I would have earned no more, if not much less, from the Tablet during those six months on simpler missions and personal projects, but I would have saved myself some nerves, too."
T.N.

Camrad_RIP 13.11.25 в 09:05

"But you clearly intend to accept the assignment," the loving father asks, matter-of-factly and with undisguised interest. He still suspects her daughter's acquaintance of all sorts of evil, simply because he lives in this very world. "Is this some kind of special assignment? A special gift from the Tablet?"

Camrad_RIP 10.11.25 в 15:14

"Yes, one of the rewards, the one for the last part of the assignment, the perfect completion, I really need." Catching Singha's even more embarrassed expression out of the corner of his eye, he clarified to avoid misunderstanding. "I'll appear a little lost, blushing when we meet in person, stumbling over my answers, and gossip will follow. I won't do anything more, ahem, that would further damage the honor of your daughter and wife, rest assured. Just as I won't do anything that would cause a lackey who's lost the boundaries to be fed alive to the pigs. And as for the gifts... these gifts will forgive part of my debt to the Patroness who bestowed the Tablet upon me."

Camrad_RIP 13.11.25 в 09:07

A carefully calculated pause, coupled with a spirit imprint implanted in his collarbone beforehand, embodying the essence of a "charming actor playing a role," began to help him play as convincingly as possible. Maega was nearby, but she was tired, and he wasn't making any impression on anyone, only on himself, and only just enough so as not to ruin his tone of voice and facial expression. Then again, he doesn't lie, even in small matters; he speaks the pure truth, and therefore now he's not at all afraid of having his little plot exposed.

Camrad_RIP 13.11.25 в 09:13

"As you're all probably aware, things were fun in Dantmark recently, downright demonically fun," he began, sounding alarmed, as everyone seemed to be, because in the new world, any mention of demons was cause for alarm, even panic. "I fought back, even played demon-fighter and gave the guests from Hell a good beating. You must have seen the footage of the aftermath of that carnage and individual stills of it; they've been shown to everyone, yes. But the thing is, I couldn't have handled it on my own; at a certain point, I received help from the entity behind the Tablet and my transport to this world. And this help was provided on credit, forcing me to complete a series of assignments without the right to refuse. Or rather, refusal is possible, but under the threat of an as-yet-unknown penalty. These assignments pay well, but in and of themselves... well, let's just say they're too much at odds with my preferred pursuits. And this assignment, although I can refuse it at any time, without any penalties, will close almost everything that remains of the original debt, which makes me extremely happy."

Camrad_RIP 13.11.25 в 12:05

So, the words have been spoken, the truth has been presented exactly as he intended, and everyone present is silent, digesting the information they've received. Urvag leaned back in his chair, clearly not quite expecting to hear this, not to mention "not at all." It's a shame that Stepan is such a moral individual and can't simply delve into someone else's memory and read what interests him... because some are dressed in the finest protective amulets of classical magic and are protected by the spirit of their beloved wife, yes. But it's all a matter of morality, of course, and there's no doubt about it, not even a second.

Camrad_RIP 13.11.25 в 12:11

"Hmm, that's not what I expected, but I understand, I even approve." Something in Stepan's words calmed Urvag, who had been growing nervous, and practically forced him to relax. He didn't show it outwardly, but the shaman's scan penetrated the protective surface around the mental-emotional part of his subtle bodies. "Creditors always take their due, and the chance to painlessly repay a debt with a profit is always priceless. And to be indebted to a great being, before whom even the gods I'm accustomed to would be like a gifted student, next to the head of the Academy and the Apostate himself... I certainly wouldn't wish it. Then, I suppose we need to think about how we're going to save Stae, right?"

Camrad_RIP 13.11.25 в 12:13

"Yeah." By the way, the funny thing is that Maega doesn't get involved in this conversation, just as Urvag hadn't gotten involved in shamanism before; she simply remains silent and listens attentively. "Were you talking about an illegal warlock? I hope there really are some in the city, because the bastard will definitely be found, convicted, and his future victims, including the miraculously saved Stae, will be released from their cages."

Camrad_RIP 13.11.25 в 09:15

The smile on his face was now about as wicked and anticipatory as that on Urvag's face, and even his daughter's and wife's. Illegal warlocks were generally disliked, just like legal ones, and it also seemed to him that at that moment he had passed some kind of incomprehensible test, finally convincing his family of allies that he could be trusted and his intentions were pure. It was just unclear how exactly... or what? They had discussed the matter together; it was just that Stepan and Urvag were handling the tactical aspects of the upcoming show, while Stepan and his daughters and mothers provided magical support. But Maega, for some reason, didn't seem to be involved in this conversation much, which was a little odd.

Camrad_RIP 13.11.25 в 09:16

The shaman subtly shifted the spectra of his spiritual vision, not by summoning spirits into his eyes, but by sifting the universe through his own perception and high Sensitivity. Although he found no direct evidence, the residual background noise suggested that Maega's tension and obvious fatigue were caused by her upholding some kind of ancestral contract. Most likely, she was monitoring not just the truthfulness but the purity of her intentions with her family. Afterward, she sent the spirit on its way, having received the entire package of information at once. Because she couldn't have maintained constant contact with the spirit, not under Stepan's gaze, he would have noticed. And only then, having confirmed that the shaman had been sincere all this time and hadn't even lied once, did she noticeably relax.

Camrad_RIP 13.11.25 в 12:16

Technically, she'd tested him before, but then he'd been prepared for the test and might have tried to deceive her, whereas here she considered herself completely invisible... and guessed correctly. System or not, discounting Maega would be foolish. She's still his equal in raw power, and she'll surpass him in the calls of wind spirits and the like. Just because she doesn't have a System or the synergies it grants doesn't mean she's powerless or harmless; that's worth remembering. Her test hadn't harmed him now, nor could it have, but anything could happen in the future, since he still has no intention of using the Mark on the mares' couple, restricting their freedom. And free humans are prone to foolishness, just as non-humans are, for that matter.

Camrad_RIP 13.11.25 в 09:33