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“Girl in the mask?” Ivan scanned over their audience before settling on Emiliana Elroy. “Interesting. What makes her so special? Tell me, and I’ll give you all the rest of them, too.”

“No, you won’t,” said Gohvis.

“Ha. Fine. So if I give her to you, what will you give me in ex--?”

“You are not giving her to me,” said Gohvis. “She is mine. Try to take her, and I will kill you.”

“Ah...” The yellow man’s gaze returned to Gohvis and lingered there. “I actually believe you this time. You really would fight me for this girl, wouldn’t you?”

Gohvis just stared at him.

“Hold on. Is she--?” Ivan broke for a look of genuine excitement. “Is she your kid? Can you have kids? Is she your lizard baby?!”

For some reason, the Monster chose not to respond to that.

“Does she have a lizard face?! Gohvis, please! I’ll let you have them all if you just show me her lizard face!”

“She is not my child.” The Monster was beginning to sound exasperated.

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“...So no lizard face?”

“No.”

“Well, forget it, then. Anyway, I’d enjoy fighting you, but not over something so trivial. You can have her if she means that much to you.”

A muddy brown swirl chose that moment to arrive.

-+-+-+-+-

Hector had felt it like everyone else. Even the non-servants they’d gathered outside the castle were talking about it. This ominous pressure. Most of them were Rainlords, though, so they seemed to have a better idea of what it was. Hector needed Garovel to remind him.

True giants were here. Two of them, according to Garovel. And the Elroys were caught in their path, naturally.

Hector didn’t know what to do. More so than usual, even, because Garovel didn’t know what to do, either. That, and he was still feeling a little woozy from whatever Rasalased had done to him.

Ibai, on the other hand, was a different story.