Reborn in a Dating Sim: Life as a Mob is hard in an Equestria Girl’s Dating Game! Book 2

Reborn in a Dating Sim:

Life as a Mob is hard in an Equestria Girl’s Dating Game!

Book 2

Chapter Fifteen

Monika could feel the look from Diamond Tiara. Her soon to be sister-wife was practically staring a hole through the back of her head. She wanted to reassure her, to let her know that her fears were unfounded, but the simple truth was that she couldn’t. She couldn’t because Hilda had told her something that wasn’t going to go away.

“Hilda made a very odd statement,’ Diamond Tiara said as they walked toward the opening of the labyrinth, “Normally, I would consider such a statement as a way to unsettle those attempting to raid the labyrinth, and of course gather any and all treasure they could find. Still, there was something that seemed off about it. The way you reacted mostly. So, Monika, please, tell me, what is the reason you reacted the way you did?”

Monika breathed out, and she considered how to best address it. There was no denying at this point. Diamond Tiara wasn’t a fool. She was far too intelligent to even be considered one. She was the kind of person that was able to come to the most logical conclusion on her own, and that of course made Artemis respect her, “I am what I appear to be,” Monika said, her voice even, “I am alive, I am flesh and blood, and I absolutely love our husband. I’ve loved him for an exceptionally long time. There’s no denying that, but I cannot say that I’ve always been flesh and blood.”

She looked at Diamond Tiara, “I began as what you might call a lost item. I was more or less pure thought, pure potential, and then I was given a body. This body is alive, and it has the potential to live an exceptionally long time, but please understand that I am someone that truly cares for, and loves, our husband and all of you. I want to spend all of the time we have together. I want to raise a family, I want to be there when all of you give birth. I have wants, desires, needs, and fears just like any of you.”

Diamond Tiara walked toward her, and she wasn’t sure what to expect. She was almost certain that the duke’s daughter might strike her, but instead she found herself in a hug, “And you will be,” she confirmed, “I’ve seen how much you love Copper, but I wanted to hear it from you. My faith in you isn’t so weak that a few words could break it. I’ve also seen the content of your character. Monika,” she said her voice soft, yet firm, “You are someone that truly loves those she considers her family. I believe that you love all of us as your family.”

Monika nodded, and then she looked down at the floor, “At a time I had considered how to become the only wife to Copper,” she admitted, “I wanted it to be just the two of us, to have him constantly paying attention to me, to feel what it was to be loved so completely, but I couldn’t do that now. Like you said, I’ve come to love all of you. I want to be with all of you, and I want us all to raise our children together.”

Their exit from the labyrinth was one that didn’t seem that different from a normal exit. It wasn’t the fanfare of a completion of a difficult journey. In truth most of those that surrounded the area considered their exit the same as watching day laborers. The comparison wasn’t that far off. While they hadn’t been in the Ancient Dragon Empire for long one of the first things Copper had learned was that diving into labyrinths was considered labor for the masses.

It wasn’t something the nobility did. It went a step further to prove the differences between the Lunar Sol Kingdom and the Ancient Dragon Empire. With the Lunar Sol Kingdom it was expected for nobility to go labyrinth diving. It was a right of passage, and more to the fact since the entire kingdom was formed from Adventurers it only made sense that it was something that was instilled in all of them. They were, in a word, considered almost barbarians to those living in the Ancient Dragon Empire.

Not that it mattered a single bit to Copper. As far as he was concerned his entire reason for being here was at least found. He couldn’t use Grogar’s Bell. Mostly because he felt that doing so would lead to far more trouble. Instead, using Discord to ensure that King Sombra remained trapped was the best option. Granted, it was one that was still filled with problems, but if he could get a decent contract put together, using as many sources as he could, then there was a decent chance that it could potentially be something that would tie Discord to his family for the rest of eternity.

Sure it sounded like slavery, but it was Discord himself that made the suggestion. That in and of itself meant that he had been fine with the idea. There was a part of him that still questioned if he really wanted to go through with this. A being of chaos meant that Discord could potentially be far more powerful than any of their magic. He actually wondered if there was a chance that Discord could be more powerful than Artemis. The worry was certainly there, and he wasn’t going to pretend that it wasn’t.

“Dethrone the council of six!” a voice cried out from near them, “Remove the tyranny!”

He looked toward the voice to see a young woman. She had pinkish hair that slowly turned blond at the tips. Her build was more on the athletic side, and her face was almost wholesome. She looked like a typical girl next door. The kind of girl that any guy would be happy to date, especially if she was approachable. He watched as she stood there crying out to the people, “Dethrone the council of six!”

A car pulled up, and a similar looking girl, one that had blond hair that ended in pink tips, stepped out from the car itself. He also noticed that while the first girl look athletic the second looked closer to that of a scholar. Her slightly plump build made her look attractive in a bookish kind of way. She seemed to stomp over toward the first girl, “Sea Breeze, are you insane?!” she asked, her voice a hushed whisper, “You’re only tolerated because I’m engaged to one of the sons of the council of six! Shut up, get in the car, and come home!”

Sea Breeze shook her head, “How can you stand to be engaged to someone who is related to those that watch the people of our nation constantly fight and starve?! It’s insane! This is completely insane! Our people need to be taken care of first! Their needs, basic needs, need to be addressed before the council does another thing! And you, you’re on your back, spreading your legs for one of them!”

The slap that happened was one that Copper expected. That kind of insult wouldn’t fly on a good day. It certainly wouldn’t fly now either. He didn’t know either of them, but from what he could guess they were siblings, and it wasn’t going to do any good to get involved. He knew better than to get involved in a family fight. So, the fact that he was walking toward them was against everything he knew was better.

“Hey, there’s no reason to fight, is there?”

The two turned toward him, and he saw Sea Breeze shake her head, “My sister, Delicate Touch, is currently engaged to one of the council’s sons. It’s a slap in the face, like the one she just gave me, to every single person here. To know that we’re alone now, to know that we have nowhere else to go, and to know that she would choose some mediocre dick and a warm bed over her principles is more than disheartening, it’s depressing.”

Her sister, Delicate Touch looked at him, “Not that it involves you, outsider, but my sister is foolish as they come! I’ve been trying to set her up with one of the council’s sons as well. It’s a good life, a decent home, and all of the food and fanfare that a person could handle. It is something that she deserves, if she could ever get it through her damned head! Instead she’s out here trying to make waves! Damn it, Sea Breeze they’re going to eventually come after you! When it happens I can’t stop them!”

Copper saw a few individuals, dressed in suits, moving their way, “Actually, that might be today,” he said as he watched as they came closer, “Okay, come with us.”

Sea Breeze looked at him, “What?”

He shook his head, “Look, you’re about to find out why it’s a bad thing to go to prison. I’m going to guess that you’re not into being forced to take things in places you’re not accustomed to taking them. Well, I’m sure that if they take you that is exactly what’s going to happen. So, come with us, and we’ll get you out of here for the time being.”

Delicate Touch looked at them, and then at her, “I hate to rely on outsiders, but he’s right, you need to go, and you need to go now!” she exclaimed before she looked at the suits coming toward them, “I’ll do what I can to slow them.”

It was obvious that Sea Breeze didn’t like the idea of being forced to leave. She was squaring up her shoulders, preparing to tell the guards off, and Copper looked at Delicate Touch who shook her head, “Take her, please!” she exclaimed before she shoved Sea Breeze toward him, “Get her away from here. My sister is an idiot, but she doesn’t deserve what they’ll do to her if she is caught.”

He nodded, not liking that he had involved them, and pulled Sea Breeze toward him. The girl looked surprised, and before she could say a word he lifted her to his shoulder. One thing that could be said about the men of the Lunar Sol system was that they were powerful and strong. A good number of them were that way because there hadn’t been a choice. In order to get a wife most had to train mercilessly until they could become professional adventurers. Only them, when they made enough of a fortune, could they hope to attract a wife.

Things had begun changing after the incident with Queen Chrysalis, but it wasn’t completely abandoned. Most young men still worked hard to become adventurers. After all, he had unwillingly shown them that hard work was more than enough to climb the ladder and gain not one, not two, not even three or four, but five fiances. To be honest he wasn’t exactly sure how he felt about it, but the squirming and upset girl on his shoulder wasn’t really helping matters. The fact that her sister sent her with them meant that she figured whatever was going to happen with them was preferred to whatever was going to happen with the council of six.

That part bothered him. What could they be willing to do that would be so horrible? What could they perform that would make sending a sibling off with strangers better than letting her be captured by the government that ruled over the country they resided in. Honestly he wasn’t sure he wanted to know. In his old life the government of the land he lived in was pretty corrupt as well. They had done multiple questionable things, and he had just been lucky enough to stay under the radar when it came to their notice.

He hadn’t been important enough, influential enough, or anything else when it came down to it. He had just been some dude that happened to work at a call center. Nothing too special about that. He had been just some guy that happened to work a crappy job at a call center, and did his best to just get by. In truth his life now was better, and he questioned his sanity as he ran with the girl. He could be putting this new life completely in jeopardy for reasons he couldn’t even fathom.

He made his way toward busier section of the city, and he moved toward the shopping district. Remembering stuff from his previous life, mostly stories he’d seen or read, they made their way toward a small clothing store. Without saying a word he dropped the girl, grabbed a hat, put it on her, grabbed one for himself, and two more for Diamond Tiara and Monika. He then grabbed some coats, different ones from different areas, and they put them on and looked around the store.

The people that had been chasing them came by, looked in, seemed disinterested, and soon were gone. He breathed a sigh of relief, and then he looked at the girl who seemed bewildered, “How did that work?” she asked as she looked at him, “Is it some kind of spell? How could just putting on a hat and coat hide you from being discovered?”

Monika cleared her throat, “They were looking for specific things, and we changed that by altering our appearance. Our husband is a clever man,” she said, her voice completely sincere, “I truly admire how clever you are darling.”

“I have to admit that it was a smart idea to alter our appearance on the go like that,’ Diamond Tiara said, her voice sounding impressed, “I mean it, really it was truly impressive. Coming up with it on the spot only goes to showcase how clever you can be,” she said before she studied him, “Which of course makes me wonder why you wanted to get mixed up in this to begin with?”

She smiled and shook her head, “No, forget that I asked. I know the answer,” she replied as she looked at the some of the goods in the store for real, “You did it because it is truly part of who you are. You see someone in trouble, and you go out of your way to help them. That is who you are. That is what you are. I have never met another noble that truly steps in and attempts to save so many individuals.”

She laughed, the sound was actually musical, “In truth, it is one of the most enduring things about you, but I do wonder if you might have overstepped.”

Sea Breeze took a moment, “A noble?”

Monika grinned at her, “You are standing in the presence of Earl Copper Bit Plum of the Lunar Sol kingdom. It is by his actions that you were saved. More to the point it is do to his impressive intellect that you have continued to escape capture. So, for his assistance, I believe that some explanation should be proved, correct?”

She looked at them, “I’m sorry, I know that you were outsiders, but I didn’t realize that you were nobles. If you were of lower station then it wouldn’t have mattered, not that it does now. I doubt that the Lunar Sol kingdom would do anything against the Ancient Dragon Empire,” she said, her voice low, “We’re the one country that is able to supply solidified dragon’s fire to the world. Without that much of the instant transport and mailing wouldn’t be possible. A good portion of the world would simply come to a halt.”

Copper took a moment and looked at her, “Wait, what do you mean that everything would come a halt?”

It was Diamond Tiara that cleared her throat, “Beloved, she’s talking about the fact that the Ancient Dragon Empire supplies all of the solidified dragon’s fire for the dragon fire mailers. It is something that is only found here, and it is distributed throughout the world. Every kingdom that uses the mailers uses them, and of course it is also used for instant transport of goods and services.”

He looked at her, “Wait, so the mailers that we all use, all of them, are fueled by the solidified dragon’s fire that comes from here,” he said as he looked at them, “So, why did we build something that was dependant upon another country? Why didn’t we just come up with something that used monster cores?”

“Because that would take time,’ Sea Breeze replied, “Time that most kingdoms don’t feel they have. Time that they could use better by ensuring that their subjects are monitored and that they follow the rules and regulations that are set down for them. That is my guess as to why.”

He felt his eye twitch. It made no sense. It flew in the face of logic. Why build an important part of the infrastructure around something that was supplied by another country? What happened if that country became enemies, or one of their allies became an enemy? They would stop supplying what was needed, and there was absolutely no way around it. It was something that they would pay for with blood. He breathed out, “This is insane,” he said after a moment, “I get that it’s convenient, but at no point should it have become such a huge part of the infrastructure of the Lunar Sol system. We needed to ensure that it didn’t become such a huge part of it.”

He shook his head, “Okay, doesn’t matter, we need to get you somewhere safe, get in contact with the retainers and lawyers that we know, and get to drafting that contract. That is priority right now.”

Monika nodded, “I agree Darling,” she replied, “Let us return to the mansion, and then we will figure things out from there.”