Being the only occupants of the city that weren't Youkai made Cain's little group stand out more than a little bit. The fact that they suddenly appeared in the middle of a town that never got strangers visiting likely didn't help either, though.
"First order of business. Find the Librarian. Second order of business, see if she has the books I need." Cain instructed his group right before a small golden Lion that looked like an animated statue came over to them.
Su's first response was to pet the creature, but Kone managed to stop the curious dragon before she could insult him. Or maybe it was her? She didn't know, but she was sure that it was an intelligent creature, her instincts as a Beast Lord told her so.
"What is your business with the Lady Librarian?" The Golden Lion asked curiously.
"I am the Ancient, Cain. She has some books from the ruins of an Ancient city, including one on child care that I am particularly interested in." Cain explained.
Luna gave him a curious look because she thought he was doing a pretty good job even without a book, but she didn't say anything that might mess up the Quest that he was on.
"Oh, you wish to study at the Library. Follow me, and I will try to get you on the waiting list." The happy statue informed them, running between pedestrians and through the streets.
The city known as End of the World wasn't busy at the moment, so the group had no trouble following the tiny creature, but they did have to avoid several unfortunate workers who were nearly tripped by the rushing statue.
The Lion eventually led them to a large palace, built in what Cain recognized as the Ancient style, similar to the Greeks of three thousand years past in his former life.
"Mom, dad, I found an Ancient, and he wants to read a book." The little Lion informed the two enormous golden beasts at the gate.
Unlike the little one, these seemed to be a form of chimera with scaled front legs and a Scorpion's tail on a Lion's body.
"How often have we told you that you shouldn't believe every silly story people tell you?" A deep but feminine voice reprimanded him.
"Before he gets in too much trouble, I am an Ancient," Cain explained, shifting his form to the three-meter tall version of his Ancient self.
"I am Cain, and I haven't seen the Librarian since before the Great War. I am told she saved a large portion of the books from the city, and I need a few." Cain explained.
His physical appearance was really drawing attention now, especially among the older Youkai.
Some of their species were very close to Immortal and had been born into families with relatives who were alive for the War Between the Gods.
"Someone inform the mistress. She has been waiting for you, Ancient Cain, but don't expect too warm of a welcome. You kept her waiting for a long time." An elderly Youkai told him with a smile on her face.
"A small matter of time displacement. I think I can make it up to her." Cain replied.
The angry stomping of tiny Elven feet running through the building echoed for everyone to hear, and the very disheveled Elf in question appeared before them, wearing a simple red silk robe with wet hair dripping on the floor.
"It is you. And you look exactly as I remembered." The Librarian gasped when she saw Cain standing by the door, then narrowed her eyes when she saw Luna.
"What exactly are you wearing? I have a book on the rights of sentient species if you need a refresher."
"Librarian, meet my daughter, Luna. Miss Luna was born at level 99 as a Lamia Progenitor and a Puppet Master. I don't suppose there's anything about that in the books you saved?
I will also need to know a bit about Ancient species children since I have some on the way." Cain tried reasoning with her while Luna waved happily at the introduction.
"Come inside; we have a lot to talk about, it seems. First, you disappear for a thousand years, and now you're back with multiple children. But yes, I have books on the topics you want, both modern and legacy versions." The Librarian complained.
"You know, I recall you being much more cheerful, despite being trapped in a city for much longer." Cain pointed out, motioning for the others to follow them.
"That was a requirement of the Puppet Body. Whatever you did the other day freed me, so now I am fully capable of giving you a piece of my mind." She informed him, but her angry demeanor faded, and she looked exhausted.
"I wasn't sure you were coming back at all. I waited so long after the war, but I couldn't find any sign of you arriving back in this world. We only recently heard rumors of an Ancient, and that's when I started to track you." She said with a sigh.
"It looks like Moana using a portal to send us here caught you off guard as well. But I'm glad you survived everything. Did any others make it out, or were they destroyed in the War?" Cain asked, referring to the few Puppets he had fixed the last time he saw her.
"Oh, they're here. Nothing short of a Dragon could have destroyed them during the war, the human champions weren't strong enough, and most of the others didn't care enough to try. If you stay a while, I am sure they will come to say hello."
That was good news, though Cain wondered why he had lost his mental link to them. Maybe he had just needed to see them again after moving through time to fix the link, but they were free people now, so it wasn't an issue.
"First, this is the book you were reaching for when you vanished. I assume that's what made you finally come looking for me." The Librarian informed him, passing the tome over.
[Early Childhood Basics For New Parents] obtained.
[Quest Complete] Please wait for the rewards.
After all this time, that was definitely anticlimactic, but the announcement that he would be waiting made Cain think there would be more to this situation than simply claiming a reward and catching up on old times.
Things were never that easy when the Gods were involved, and he had assembled their avatars.
While Cain was looking at the book, Luna had crawled down his arm to greet The Librarian.
"You knew him all that time ago? Was he always weird, or did it happen because he's always talking to people in his head? Did you know Ancients do that?" Luna asked, crawling up The Librarians arm to speak to her from Luna's preferred distance of ten centimeters away.
She had gotten so used to being wrapped around Cain that she almost forgot her voice could carry across a room, not only a few meters.
"It is part of being an ancient, little Lamia. They have too much power, and it changes the way they think. I see the System made you a Puppet Master, so you should be careful that you don't forget what it is like for regular people."
That made Jessica giggle, then move closer to pat the Librarian. "I don't think she has ever met a normal person. She hangs around Cain's neck all day, and her mother is the leader of the Darklight Host's Outreach Program."
"I thought he was paired with a human?" The Librarian asked, confused.
"He is, or was? Probably is. But the other Ancients took her away for the end of her Pregnancy, and later, he got with Lamia who was formerly an Oracle. The one he transformed." The Bunny God High Priestess explained, then jumped back in shock after touching the Librarian.
"Oh, I finished a quest. Everyone, come greet the Librarian, and it should finish the Quest for you as well."
"Oh, that's what that message was? I thought it was like a target reminder, telling me that we had reached our destination." Luna replied.
"Wait, you're one of the Avatars as well? Now I don't know whether we brought the right people." Cain muttered, carefully closing the book and setting it aside.
"Me too," Jin informed them, then Kone poked the Elf and smiled.
"That's all of us. But I have no idea which is which avatar. Well, except Jessica because that's obvious." Kone added.
"Can I be war? I would be a good conqueror; I'm petty sure." Luna asked.
"The God of War is also the God of orphans. After you sure you still want it?" The Librarian asked the little Lamia Progenitor.
"I get to conquer and collect people?" Luna asked excitedly, making the Elf sigh.
"I almost forgot she is half Ancient. Of course, she would be fine with raising orphans; it's in her nature to collect, study and train living beings."
"She's way too cuddly to be a War Avatar, though. War shouldn't be that cute." Jin pointed out.
"War always seems reasonable and attractive on the surface, or nobody would ever agree to it." A soft voice came from the back of the room before an Elf in a maid outfit entered.
She was not one of Cain's Puppets, so she must be a worker here, Cain assumed until she bowed to the Librarian.
"Mistress, the restricted area has been dusted, and the maintenance spells have been refreshed." She informed the older Elf before bowing and leaving the room.
"I see that I am not the only one who collects people. Cute outfit, too, I approve." Cain told the Librarian with a wink.
"Of course you do. It's a replica of the ones you made for the other Puppets. But I am not collecting people; she is one of the other Librarians, hired to guard the books and save the knowledge, not a pet." The Librarian informed him with great dignity.
"Minor details." Cain shrugged.
