Chapter 181: Toasts, Tours, and a Terrifying Voice

Back at the royal palace that evening, a massive banquet unfolds in honor of the Pleasure Prince and the Demon Queen’s arrival.

Kathoril and Vexena huddle at one end of the long table, deep in logistics and diplomacy, while Virelle sits beside them, elbow deep in some elaborate dwarven confectionery. At the other end of the table, Kandor floods Vuvi with an endless stream of questions about Pip’s construction. The rest of the team and the generals trade stories about the past few chaotic days across the rest of the table, speculating on what the next stretch might hold.

Vuvi, flattered but visibly worn down by Kandor’s relentless enthusiasm, finally seizes the chance to change the subject. "So... what’s the plan with the fire crystals? The Flame Mother?"

Kandor goes quiet, turning to his sister.

"I trusted them with the truth." Kathoril shrugs. "They promised to help."

The King’s eyes go wide. He turns back to Vuvi and Pip. "You’re really going to bring the Flame Mother back?"

"We’re going to try." Vuvi says, with a small shrug. "Pip’s already had... intimate discussions with the Seed Mother and the Earth Mother. I’m confident he can bring the Flame Mother around too."

Kandor throws both hands into the air, delighted. "Blackthorn and her construct truly are gifts from the Great Mother!"

"That’s correct!" Vuvi says, beaming with unfiltered pride. "Literally. The Saint Sisters even confirmed it."

"What’s this about a Flame Mother?" Vexena leans in from down the table.

Kathoril fills her in, and Vexena’s interest visibly sharpens. She turns to Vuvi. "I’d like to join this little quest of yours, if you’ll have me. I’ve never met any demi-goddesses of this continent. I’d love the opportunity."

Vuvi glances at Veena, who just smiles and shrugs, having resigned herself to her mother’s sudden involvement in her life.

"Sure, why not," Vuvi says. "Already dragging around a demon princess, might as well bring the queen too."

Maribelle chuckles from her seat. "I’ll tag along as well. Somebody needs to make sure Vexena behaves herself."

Vexena shoots her a flat glare while Eris bites back a laugh. "I’m loving every minute of this trip, personally," Eris snickers. "Mortals these days are wildly entertaining."

Down the table, Kandor leans in toward his sister, voice dropping. "Are we seriously relying on the Demon Queen to save this kingdom?"

"That’s the price of having the Prince around," Kathoril replies with a shrug.

Kandor looks out across the table, where demon-kin sit shoulder to shoulder with Pip’s team like old friends. "The Prince truly is unlike anything this world has ever seen." He sighs.

He rises, claps his hands twice, and the whole hall quiets. "The Dwarven Kingdom is honored, nay, we are privileged, to host not only Vuvela Blackthorn and the Prince, but the Demon Queen and her retinue as well." He raises his glass. "I give you my word, if you succeed in bringing back the Flame Mother, this entire kingdom will be in your debt. Whatever lies within our power to grant, name it, and it’s yours."

The hall erupts in cheers, goblets raised high enough to slosh wine across the table, dwarven fists pounding the wood in time until the plates rattle. Somewhere down the far end, Virelle raises her own goblet of what turns out to be fruit juice and cheers along just as loudly, sticky confectionary crumbs still clinging to her chin.

"You were right," Vexena mutters, leaning toward Maribelle. "Working with mortals might not be such a terrible idea after all."

"Told you so," Maribelle says, smiling a little too smugly.

Later that night, every member of the traveling party has been given their own opulent private quarters somewhere across the sprawling palace. It doesn’t take long, though, before most of them find their way instead to Vuvi and Pip’s room, sprawling across the beds and every available chair as the team settles in to plan out the coming weeks.

"I’ve already secured a building for the pleasure house," Veena reports, flipping open a small ledger. "We can start setting up in the morning, have it running by midday."

"Already?" Vuvi asks, impressed despite herself.

"I had some time to kill while you two were off getting fawned over by clergy." Veena says. "Priorities."

"You have to see it!" Lula cuts in, practically bouncing on the edge of the bed. "It’s bigger than anything we’ve ever worked out of. There’s a whole wing just for the bath."

"Multiple baths," Raikya corrects, equally giddy, tail thumping against the mattress. "I counted at least three separate bathing chambers on the tour alone, and Veena said there’s more we didn’t even get to."

"A whole wing!" Lula repeats, like she still can’t quite believe it.

"You said that already," Penelo chuckles.

Sera and Zora nod along. "We’ve already got a waiting list a mile long," Sera says. "People trying to book early appointments before the doors are even open."

"We’ll need a second Pip to keep up," Zora adds, flipping through a stack of parchment with names scrawled in every direction. "We’re basically booked solid for two weeks already, and word’s barely spread past the palace gates."

"Don’t even think about it," Vuvi says, without looking up. "One Pip. That’s the entire business model. It’s all my brain can handle."

"I was merely observing the market demand," Zora chuckles in response.

Vuvi grins, proud. "Good, everything sounds perfect. I’m leaving all of that to you. I’ll be out most of tomorrow."

Veena tilts her head. "What do you mean?"

"The King’s invited me on a tour for the next couple days. The forges, the royal engineering and alchemy labs, all of it. Best on the continent, apparently. Kandor wouldn’t stop talking about it all through dinner, practically vibrating in his seat. There’s so much I want to see, and hopefully a few upgrades I can snag for Pip while I’m at it. The dwarves have access to materials nobody else on this continent even knows exist. Ores, crystal alloys, entire categories of tech I’ve only ever read about in banned alchemical journals."

"So basically," Sera says, "you’re going on a date with a laboratory."

"It’s the best kind of date. No awkward small talk, no wondering if it’s secretly courting someone else on the side. Just me, a workbench, and materials nobody’s ever let me touch before."

"Deeply, tragically romantic," Sera giggles.

"I’ll be finding out about the Flame Mother and her temple as well," Vuvi pouts. "It’s not all fun and games." She turns to Pip, practically glowing. "And best of all, in a few days, you’re going to have a voice. A real one. No more beeps, no more whistles. You’ll actually be able to talk to us."

The whole room gasps at once, swarming Pip in an instant, everyone talking over each other about how thrilled they are to finally hear him speak properly, Penelo already wondering aloud what his voice will sound like, Sera betting it’ll be deeper than everyone expects, Raikya insisting it has to have some kind of mechanical hum underneath it.

"I bet it’s smooth," Lula says, hands clasped under her chin, wings fluttering with excitement. "Like honey. Warm honey."

"I bet it squeaks the first time and everyone has to pretend they didn’t hear it," Raikya counters, smirking, ears flicking toward Lula just to watch her deflate.

"Don’t you dare jinx it," Lula huffs, swatting at her with her tail.

Pip gives a small, nervous beep.

Internally, though, a very different thought runs through his processors: the fact that this might genuinely be the worst possible development to befall him since the day he choked on a piece of sushi.

He’s never once, in his entire existence, old life or new, managed to speak to a woman without immediately, catastrophically turning her off.

A metal body, divine blessings, an army of admirers, and none of it will matter the moment he opens his mouth and ruins everything with actual words.