Chapter 386
Still, whatever one might say, he’s a round one-eye. I can’t see him as anything but a cute monster.
Demonic Marquis Adombraly-kun tilts his eyes downwards, staring at the cracked crimson sphere, which had lost its light, with an expression full of regret. He only has one eye, but because of his state that clearly expresses his sense of loss…I remember the one-eyed race that had been sold at the Underground Auction.
At that moment, pink mana waves are released from the cracked sphere. Does he plan to give it another go?
I can perceive how the waves expand like heat waves. In the next instant, the sphere transforms into something similar to a lava flow. It kinda looks like fluid clay, but…while dividing into two separate streams, they converge inside the axle marks and eyeball of Adombraly-kun.
I guess he recovered it.
“…Was that a light attack from the earlier ruby?” As I ask him, I grab him by the collar and lift his small body up.
Despite his tiny body, he’s surprisingly heavy. At least as heavy as a massive toy made out of metal. The two wings on his back are cute and tiny, but…just now Adombraly-kun said he’s a Amshabis… I recall having heard the name of that race.
If I remember correctly, the demon I met in the sky of the labyrinth’s 20th floor in Pelneet mentioned it. Her name was Soux. I ran into her when scouting the area with Rollodeen, didn’t I?
Soux introduced herself as an Amshabis as well. Just like Crazy-Eye Togma and Four-Eye Rulizeze, she was transferred into Evil Domain Hellrhone.
“Let go! Let go of me!” Adombraly-kun yells while his body dangles, but I ignore him.
Unlike this little guy here, Soux was a beautiful female demon. Well, they share the trait of having wings, at least.
Without asking him about Soux, “…So you’re not going to answer my question, I take it…?”
Adombraly-kun gulps and stares at me fearfully, “…I-I haven’t said anything like that.”
His voice trembles while his eye darts around in a funny way. It looks like he’s trying to dodge the issue.
I stare at that meatball-shaped Adombraly-kun. He’s got a fleshy eyelid… The way how it closes and opens while sliding across the surface of his eyeball is comical. The parchment-colored clothes he’s wearing look like a miniature version of a noble attire. A crescent-moon-shaped crest and a semi-transparent saxifrage badge are affixed to his chest next to each other. The moon resembled Evil Emperor Ciphot.
On his upper arms he’s got marks depicting a vase and wheel overlapping an axle. A red gem is embedded in the center of the axles. Those gaudy red gems look as if they represent some kind of king. Above the red gems are other gems with different shapes, as if blessing those kingly gems.
Overall, he’s a ridiculous, round life-form, but…just by the designs on his arms and the luxurious attire, you can say that his title as Demonic Marquis is fitting.
I think I’ll first ask about the crescent-moon-shaped accessory on his chest.
“…Say, do you know Evil Emperor Ciphot?”
“For you to mention Ciphot-sama’s name…are you a kin related to the gods of the Spirit World?”
Adombraly-kun answers my question with one of his own. Still, me as a kin of the Spirit World gods, huh? I’d love to say that he’s wrong, but…I do have that
I touch the mark with my fingers, feeling unevenness like that of a scar. I check the husk applied onto this patch of skin with status.
※ Dark Dream Celebration ※
※ Originally it’s a
※ It has the ability to perceive those connected to Goddess of Nightmares Vaamina by causing small pain and bleeding, if they are nearby. ※
※ And it boosts the probability to project the true form of divine beings possessing huge amounts of magic elements. Occasionally the wavelengths of Goddess of Nightmares Vaamina are going to reach you while you are asleep. ※
That’s the kind of thing it is. Am I similar to Demonoid Naromivas because of that? As a kin of Vaamina?
But, lately I haven’t encountered her in my dreams…I guess it’s alright to consider her an acquaintance in the Spirit World for now.
Just when I reach that conclusion, I decide to ask him about the Spirit World in regards to Ciphot.
“…You could say that I’m acquainted with several Spirit World gods. And I’ve been entrusted with an item by Ciphot. Thus I plan to travel to the Spirit World at some point. I’ve already got a Score of the Demon King and a Highcellcone horn.”
“Seriously!? I want to go back to the Spirit World!” Adombraly-kun blurts out cheerfully. “Still, for you to have been entrusted with an item by the evil emperor who got famous during the Great Spirit World war… Even I, as a demonic marquis, only possess a replica of the crescent-moon blade…”
“You mean the accessory on your chest?”
“Quite so! That is no mere accessory either!” Adombraly-kun shouts out proudly.
He looks like he’s going to fire a beam from his eye any moment.
“This replica is called Forged Crescent Moon Imitation of the Evil Emperor. It’s a replica, but if you pump a big amount of mana into it, it transforms into a boomerang weapon! However, I can’t use it because I have too little mana on top of it being too heavy for me.”
In other words, it’s no more than an ornament, huh?
While looking at the decorations on his arm, I say, “Are the red gems in those marks on your arms some kind of item?”
“…Indeed.” Adombraly-kun admits while glaring at me.
The squirming of his thick eyelid is too hilarious. If I sold him as a plush toy, he’d be very popular, I’m sure.
Still, unlike with the fake evil emperor item, he doesn’t seem eager to talk about the gems. Oh well, let’s go with something crucial next.
“…In the first place, what’s a demonic marquis? What’s with that Adombraly name of yours?”
“It’s something similar to a mana capacity ranking among demons. Starting from the lowest, we have demonic soldiers, demonic knights, demonic generals, demonic marquises, demonic dukes, demonic marshals, demon kings, and demon gods.”
It feels similar to the adventurer guild.
“Hee, so it’s something like a power ranking?”
“No, ultimately it’s just about the apparent mana capacity. It’s quite rough. Hayzephan Rosnald, one of the famous Dead Sea Knights and subordinate of Tyrannical King Boshiado, is well-known for being a demonic knight going by his mana capacity. Of course it doesn’t change the fact that mana capacity serves as one indicator for the strength of a demon, but…there are also cases where demons suddenly experience a boost of the mana capacity all the way up from being demonic marquises to demon king like Lord Nightmare, okay?”
I’ve heard that Hol-something is a burning knight, but it’s my first time to hear the name of a Dead Sea Knight, isn’t it?
“…Spirit World knights, and the Dead Sea Knights belonging to Boshiado, eh? I’ve heard about those “Dead Sea Knights” on several occasions, but it’s the first time for me to learn one of their names.”
“You’re a weird guy. Aren’t you acquainted with Spirit World gods?”
“I’ve only talked with some of them.”
“…That’s a surprise. So, the bastard who won against Schmihazar…isn’t an official apostle or anything like that?”
“Correct. We’re the Spearmaster and the Black Cat. Right, Rollo?”
“Nya.”
Rollo replies after having been fumbling around with her forepaw’s pad as if cleaning it.
Alright, next is…the fact of his contact lens turning into a red sphere, and him then trying to use it for attacking me, I suppose.
“So, Adombraly-kun, you tried to dodge the issue earlier, but you attempted to attack me with that ruby of yours, didn’t you? If you want to fight me, I’ll humor you, but…what’s it gonna be?”
It’s not like I’m going to use
『Am I to pierce the tiny eyeball? Even though I have approved of you as my vessel, that’s a waste of my powers』
『…I haven’t asked you to do so』
『Uugghhh』
Saraten groans but doesn’t fly out.
“…You used trees to lock me up, didn’t you? That’s why I was pissed!”
Adombraly-kun scowls at me after checking my palm. His wings flap in a ridiculous manner, and he displays an intent to oppose me. He seems to plan on attacking me. But, he doesn’t appear to have any power anymore…
Though I’d butcher him anyway, even if he was in his normal condition… Oh! Right! I could feed him to my cats! He might top up their mana a bit.
“――Rollo, wanna eat this guy?” I show Adombraly-kun to Rollo while still holding his collar.
『If you’re going to feed him to that nyan partner of yours, you might as well give him to me…I need some blood soon』
『Saraten, you just want to get out and do as you please, don’t you?』
『…Tsk, you noticed it, huh? But still, if I don’t get any sweet blood, I’ll…』
I don’t know whether Saraten is a candy lover, but it looks like it wants some sweet blood. Even so, I ignore the sword.
“Nn, nyaa?” Rollo points her head upwards as she lay on my bed, meowing in a questioning manner.
“He might be as delicious as a dessert.”
I don’t know whether she understood my words, but Rollo’s ears twitch, and she unleashes a cat punch in Adombraly-kun’s direction.
“Nyanyanya, nya～”
I guess he’d be transformed into a SuperBall after all. Or so I thought, but she places her paw on the edge of Adombraly-kun’s eyeball. Then she starts to play and fiddle around with him in various ways.
Going through all those experiences, Adombraly-kun is seized by fear. Something similar to cold sweat gushes out on the skin around his eyeball. I can also see what might be blood veins throb. And then his eyes start to spin around clockwise.
“…Uuhh, w-wait! Please waaait! Don’t eaaat meee!” He starts to quickly yell, or rather, whine pathetically with his eye continuing to spin.
All of his previous confidence is gone like the wind. He doesn’t seem to have any fight left in him anymore. Well, I guess that’s only natural.
Rollo’s head must be filling Adombraly-kun’s visual field right now…
“Nyaon――”
I don’t know whether it’s a reaction to Adombraly-kun’s wish, but Rollo suddenly turns her face away, looking my way. She looks like she’s found a liking in him. Maybe she’s pleased with his scent.
While she’s looking at me, she’s caressing Adombraly-kun with her bushy tail. Suddenly, she stops moving her tail around, stretches it upwards, and farts.
“――Fuuuuuuucckk! It stinks!”
Ahahaha, did she get influenced by Rotalz?
“…Although I’ve fallen low, I’m still a former demonic marquis…!”
Adombraly-kun is visibly anything but amused by Rollo’s fart. On the other hand, Rollo looks satisfied with herself.
After apologizing to him by stroking him with her tail, Rollo returns on my shoulder.
“Ahahaha, it’s the fart of a divine beast. Maybe it’s a divine favor?”
“Kuuh…” Adombraly-kun’s pupil widens as he watches us mess around with him. “But, I don’t want to be eaten…
He doesn’t seem overly angry despite having been directly hit in the face by Rollo’s fart. Or rather, he’s suppressing his anger…
Figures. Not like he can act up under these circumstances anyway.
Thereupon, Alray and Hueremy meow as they walk along the cat path I built on the roof. It looks like they’re interested in Adombraly-kun who had the rare chance to personally experience Rollo’s fart.
“Rollo won’t eat you, it seems. But, I don’t know about Alray and Hueremy.”
“――N, nyaoo.”
“Nn, nyaa――”
However…both don’t show much interest in Adombraly-kun. They play around by boxing with each other. After a while, they stop, and then continue dashing energetically across the roof, before I witness how the leave through the cat window.
“…Aren’t you glad? It looks like they have no interest in you for the moment.”
“For the moment…huh…?”
Adombraly-kun stares at Rollo on my shoulder, his eyes full of fear. After looking back and forth between me, Rollo meows at me meaningfully.
“Make him my new subordinate? Is that what you’ve asked? Or did you ask whether I wouldn’t eat him?”
“Nn.”
I only get a throaty purr as reply.
“Now then, what should I do with you, Adombraly-kun?”
He did try to attack me. While considering that, I stare at the round eyeball thing.
“Anyway, what do you want to do, Adombraly-kun?”
————— End of Part 1 —————
Adombraly-kun looks towards the shelf. Fixing his eyes on the wooden mass with Iglued in it, he answers, “What do you plan to do with her?”
“She isn’t moving right now, but I’ll try to get in contact with her in the same way as I did with you.”
“You plan to go out of your way to win over Iglued whom you defeated? You’ll suffer in the same way as Schmihazar who employed me as Demonic Armament Spirit.”
“Which reminds me, Kisara talked about Demonic Armament Spirits in the past, didn’t she?”
“――Shuuya-sama, you called for me?” Kisara’s voice reaches my ears.
Her face then peered in through the window at the roof.
“Oh, you’ve timed it just perfectly. Moment’s ago I was talking with Adombraly-kun about Demonic Armament Spirits. But let me first thank you, Kisara. It’s wonderful of you to oversee the training of everyone, including Muu.” I bow my head at Kisara.
“No, not at all. It is a matter of course since it is for your sake, Shuuya-sama. I’ve watched Muu-chan’s training together with Spirit-sama. It is proceeding well. The two orcs were surprised by my dancing paper dolls, though.”
“It looks like Moga, Nemus, and Higlia have opened up to the orcs as well.”
“Yes, although it seems like the orcs still cannot understand our language…”
Kisara entered the room with those words, and leaned her witch spear against the wall next to the window.
“The children didn’t become scared of them either. It was a big help that Arry and Taack took the initiative to chat the orcs up.”
“Quiche-san has explained it to them as well. And as someone who had witnessed their actual strength, Higlia-chan consented as well. That Quema can use her spear quite proficient. She seems to use unique arresting techniques. She has not shown us her other skills based on her bone flute yet, though… On the other hand, Solobo handles his silver sword very nimbly. He is a superb warrior who can also enter ranged combat since he can unleash mana blades.”
Well, Kisara can handle those two without breaking a sweat, though. Solobo’s swordsmanship with its way of movement I’ve never seen before was quite awesome. Enough to remind me of Marici…
『――Magnificent! But
After the immediately following roundhouse kick, Solobo had to give up.
“Those orcs seem to worship you, Shuuya-sama. Currently they are standing at the entrance as if to protect this house. Then again, each time the Wave Gourd gleams up in crimson, they fall into panic…”
The Wave Gourd has become an entryway decoration nowadays. I wonder what’s to be found inside that gourd…I’m really curious.
Though it’d be best for the two orcs to get used to the gourd since I’ve prepared a room for them on the first floor.
Anyway, I guess I’ll also ask Kisara about Red Tiger Storm.
“The members of Red Tiger Storm are fairly strong, aren’t they?”
“Indeed. Higlia-chan had her eyes drawn to the beastwoman and dual-wielder Sarah-san. Certainly, her movements and her previous sword work were admirable. It looks like she’s also mastered her mutant power which resembles the one tiger beastmen possess. According to Sarah-san, her father was a human while her mother was a beastwoman with cat ears, but…I estimate her to be a half descending from lycanthropes or leopard beastmen… However, the one worthy of most attention is the magician Luciel Adokinz who can use light magic at will. She possesses a wonder magic wand allowing her to unleash ice pebbles on end. She also owns a heap of lightning-based scrolls like the leaders of the General Sorcery Association… She’s a beauty who makes me wonder just who she might actually be.”
It sounds like Kisara is more interested in the vice-leader Luciel than the clan leader Sarah.
“It’s light magic that worked even against the Evil Dragon King. Nowadays she’s serving as vice leader of an adventurer clan, and not the Holy Church, with her special magic. It’s definitely interesting…”
I can imagine that it might be a skill or spell Luciel acquired as a result of her abilities, magic books, skills, and combat occupation meshing in a complex way.
“Anyway, for now we’re going to continue our little conversation with Adombraly-kun over here.”
Kisara nods and so do I.
“Just as you can see, I have released him. And he earlier mentioned the Demonic Armament Spirits.”
“I see. Are you going to make a contract with him?”
“No, not yet.”
“…Make a contract with me. If you do, I’ll approve of you as my new lord.”
So his answer to my previous question about what he wants to do is a contract with me, huh?
“He has an insolent attitude, but he is a demon who raised all the way to marquis rank in the Spirit World…before he got tampered with by Schmihazar. If he becomes your bloodkin, he has the potential to grow into a Demonic Armament Spirit surpassing Schmihazar. Now that I think about it, it is good that he has not been absorbed by Rotalz and me.” Kisara comments and approaches me with her big boobs swaying.
While she’s been speaking, Adombraly-kun as been rattling on, “She’s right, completely right! Form a contract with me! Come on!”
“His attitude has completely changed from before. Probably because he doesn’t want to be eaten by Rollo.”
“Of course. Most of my power was stolen by Iglued and Schmihazar, okay?”
“So, what was that ruby from earlier?”
“It’s a power the Amshabis possess. Not being able to unleash it to a satisfying extent, I…”
“Okay, I see.”
“You understand, don’t you? Earlier I was simply angry over having been captured, so I did the only thing I could do. That’s why I’ll leave the rest to your discretion.” He says and folds his pair of wings, apparently exhibiting his intent to pledge his allegiance to me.
It perfectly fits the proverb, “There is no flying from fate.” He’s unexpectedly upright.
“If you become my master, I’ll likely transform into your personal Demonic Armament Spirit. The contract requires a fair amount of mana, however…”
All of a sudden the flow of the conversation has become completely dominated by me forming a contract with him…
“Wait a moment. Before contracts and all that, I don’t have any intention to shackle you down. I wouldn’t mind if you use those small wings of yours to travel the world.”
“Eh? You’d release me while respecting my will?”
“Yes. I caught you out of curiosity, but you don’t seem to have any will to fight against me. Besides, you want to return to the Spirit World, right?”
“…”
Adombraly-kun closed his eyelid.
After remaining silent for a while, “I’ll stay back here. After having magically remodeled me, who was once called a demonic marquis, that cursed Schmihazar evaporated into nothingness. Now that I’ve become free, I…want to return to the Spirit World if I can, but…even if I returned…”
Adombraly-kun’s eyelid trembled. Big tears formed at the base of his eye, and trickled down.
Rollo rested as a cat loaf on my shoulder, but reacting to his tears, she extended a tentacle towards his eye and wiped away the tears.
“Rollo, you’re really kind.”
“Nya.”
“…Thanks, Rollo-sama. In reality I didn’t want to talk about it, but…I…my appearance hasn’t changed much, but…thanks to Hoffmann and Schmihazar, the old me has actually…I’m no demonic marquis or Amshabis anymore…in reality I’m a shadow of my former self as Demonic Armament Spirit who’s been remodeled so that it’d be easy to absorb my mana…and nothing else.”
It’s a way of talking and crying that doesn’t suit demons.
“I got it. Then let’s have a contract! And when I go to the Spirit World, it’ll be fine for you to go back to your hometown if you wish.”
“…Are you planning to make me cry!?”
You’re already crying, eyeball! I thought but won’t present him with a spear kumite retort. If my retort hit his eyeball, it’d likely get crushed in an instant.
“…Shuuya-sama…winning over a demon with words alone…you are amazing.” Kisara joined her hands in front of her chest, resulting in her elbows squashing her boobs.
It might be a blessing that Rollo had teased his eyeball and not me.
“…So what do I need to do to make a contract with you?”
“You just need to touch this――”
The instant Adombraly-kun said so, his eyeball peeled back. Once his eye became all white, red, blood vessel tentacles began to squirm, forming a magic crest.
It’s a three-dimensional crest, but the red color thins out, and a magic crest that seems to be formed out of white and pink earthworms floats up. It’s gross…
“It looks like a trap…”
“I think it will be alright, but how about calling Spirit-sama over?”
Following Kisara’s advice, I call Helme.
“Helme.” I shout.
The chatting on the training ground is very lively. Seemingly very pleased with the black sweet water, Sarah, Luciel, Belize, and Bucchi are talking about it cheerfully.
“Hehe, you don’t need to hurry so much with the drinking, Muu-chan…”
“Still, Muu-chan, you’re really good at handling your threads. You’re a small spearmaster.”
“…”
“Can’t talk, eh? But leader, this stuff is really good!”
“…If we hunt in Pelneet, we always put a priority on a Black Sweetwater Snake after all.”
“For you to say that seriously…but I totally get where you’re coming from, Belize.”
It looks like Red Tiger Storm is letting Muu drink some black sweetwater.
“Let me have a drink as well.”
“Professor, me too…”
Domidon and Mie-san, huh?
Next, “Sweetwater, huh!? How nostalgic! Nemus drained our stock down in one night!”
“I am, Nemus!”
Once they hear Moga and Nemus, Quema and Solobo say, “This is…a sweet vegetable that can be harvested in Hekatrail…”
“It’s quite different in quality from what can be obtained underground.”
It sounds like they’re wolfing down the fresh vegetables that were grown in Hekatrail.
Moreover, Adomos and Zemetas are heatedly talking about having witnessed a legendary, huge sonrissa in the Spirit World. At that moment, Catiza, a lover of Hekatrail cheese and bread, joins in.
Everyone is probably holding cups with a mix of black sweetwater and Helme’s boob water in a hand while enjoying some snacks. Gramps Ton’s sweets are great, and Riedel’s sweets are nice, too.
She talked about having failed in making them, but…they were surprisingly great apple sweets. It sounds like they’re currently eating those.
When I contacted Rebecca through blood messaging, she told me, 『How neat! I wanna eat those sweeties too! Shuuya, you’ve already set up the 16th mirror in your house, haven’t you? Then, get your ass moving and bring them back home. Viine bought magic preservation tools a little while ago, so storage should be no issue! This has top priority!』
Rebecca was so excited that I could feel it through the blood message… It seems like her internal sweets sensor had been triggered. Eva should like apple sweets too.
As Eva is Eva, she told me, 『Thanks to the Blood Moon Sea Stars Alliance, the joint business with a fruits company that possesses its own farms is going very smoothly』
When I told her about the vegetable garden made by Donagan and the natural apple plantation discovered by Catiza, she got really happy. Moreover, we recently learned that those aren’t normal apples either.
And then, at the end, she said, 『Nn, it might be possible to oppose Tanaka confectionery, which has become famous for its round sweets, with sweets using those abnormal apples. That’s why I’d like you to sell those apples to Dee’s restaurant…』
『It might be a bit difficult, since those apple trees are natural. Well, come to Cydale and see for yourself next time. I’ll have Catiza show you around』
『Nn! I will!』
We had that kind of carefree chat through blood messages.
As for Yui, it didn’t really develop into an apple talk…
『We defeated the robbers controlling the highway close to 【Elephant God City Regeepick】, you know?』
『With your triple-katana style?』
『Yep. Thinking that things were shady, we went straight to a bar. Over there Dad ordered saboten meat and wine after we sat down, and while we pretended to enjoy a nice drinking bout, we gathered some information. But, the bitter, boiled saboten meta was sure delicious…』
『And that’s how you got a lead on the robbers, huh?』
Apparently Kaldo, Yui and Crow-san had a great fight with a dark guild opposing the Assembly of Stars, our ally, in the process of their operation. After expansively talking about it, she shifted to grumbling about her Dad and Crow-san making out…
“――Your Excellency! I am terribly sorry for being late!” Helme butts in just as I imagine Kaldo springtime.
No wait, it’s just normal since I called her over.
Helme was in the middle of reeling her
“No problem. Come here.”
“Of course.” Helme replies with a smile and enters the room.
“I’ve been thinking about forming a contract with Adombraly-kun over here, but…you can see the reason why I wanted you to take a look, right?”
“It’s the one you had Gramps Ton take care of, right? And yes, I see. Going by its appearance, it’s a gathering of earthworms…certainly…but, it’s okay. There are no evil spirits around it. It’s just an amassing of mana.”
“Got it.”
And then, after nodding my resolve at everyone…I fix my eyes on Adombraly-kun’s eyeball. I summon my courage and extend a hand for the magic crest.
The instant my fingers touched the group of earthworm-like tentacles…
Nuoohh!!
I felt how quite a lot of my mana was sucked out.
『Hahan! Absorbing mana from me is impossible! Fuhahaha!』
I ignore Saraten’s clamoring. Or rather, the instant her voice resounded, the tentacles melted away.
Adombraly-kun dissolved――no, became beads? Small red beads.
Having gained their freedom, the beads draw an arc in the air as if shaping a red wing, and then head my way with a sharp curve.
I tried to dodge them by reflex, but the beads gathered on my middle finger. That’s why I remained still with my hand still stretched out.
Immediately following, the beads on my middle finger turned into a ring. The ring has a red gem in its center, surrounded by a quiver mark. The red gem has crimson wings.
※Piiing※
Oohh, it’s a skill.
“My mana got absorbed, but I acquired a skill. I guess that’s the standard type of Demonic Armament Spirits you talked about, Kisara. It seems to be a contract similar to that of the Burning Knights.”
“Oh, Your Excellency, you have a brand-new ring! It looks like you can also take it on and off.”
Just as Helme says so, I take it off my finger, and show it to Rollo.
“Nn, nya”
“The scent is the same as before?”
“Nya～”
Rollo changes her posture. She begins to wave her tail in the direction of the ring.
Kisara steps up next to me. Her perfume smells really nicely. My eyes are reflexively drawn to her armpit as she strokes Rollo, who has fled into my hood after I teased her a bit.
But, right now is not the time for lewd stuff.
After shaking my head, I put the ring back on, and poured mana into it. Thereupon, the red wings attached to the red gem began to move. As they flapped, the wings became bigger and bigger.
At the instant when the red gem also transformed its shape by bending flexibly, Adombraly appeared while still being connected to the ring. His size has shrunk by half compared to the one before the contract.
“――Milord, the contract has been concluded. I am looking forward to working with you from now on.”
“Aye.”
Now then, next up is Iglued, I suppose. I can’t even begin to imagine how things are going to turn out with her…