NOVEL NEXT Chapter 44 – Idols!?
"G-give me that, you little-!" Nova angrily yells, hurrying towards the succubus and trying to snatch the poorly-made, offensive piece of art off her hands.
Pink giggles as she swiftly scurries away from the elf's grasp, fueling her frustration more and more. "What, you don't like my masterpiece~?" She teases, folding the paper and sliding it deep into her cleavage. "Go ahead and take it, then..." She simply says with an amused shit-eating grin, pushing her huge chest in the grumpy elf's direction.
"...Slut." Nova huffs, staring daggers at the cleavage, then at the smug's shorstack's expression, and then at the cleavage again as she resignedly reaches for it, angrily shoving her hand between Pink's pillow-soft titties. "W-where is it!?" She demands, her face redder and redder with each millisecond of wrist-deep searching that passes.
"Keep looking, it's there somewhere." The succubus chuckles. "Oh-hoho, I've really missed youuuuuu~."
"Well, the feeling's not mutual." Nova rolls her eyes as she finally pulls out the piece of paper from its lewd hiding place, crumbling it into a ball with disdain and tossing it out the open window. "I didn't miss you nor your ridiculous haircut one bit."
"Aww, don't say that, dude. We are supposed to be-" The succubus starts talking but her words taper off as she notices the towering figure of the ogre woman serenely observing her. "Woah, tall red lady... Hi there! I'm Pink~."
"Oh, 'ello! Name's Morgana. Ya must be the ambassador's succubus friend. Pleasure to meet ya!" The ogre says with a sweet smile on her face, approaching the shortstack and leaning down to courteously shake her hand.
"Pleasure is all mine~." She purrs, playfully planting a quick kiss on her palm instead. "So you got charmed by our dear Orok too, huh?"
"Well, uh... somethin' like that, luv." Morgana softly laughs, rubbing the back of her neck. "I require him to impregnate me!"
"O-oh, I-I see! That's quite something!" Pink surprisedly exclaims, glancing at Nova with an utterly excited expression, her eyes sparkling behind her long bangs. "Heh, what's the deal with this cutie?"
"It's a long story..." The elf wearily sighs. "We met her in the ogre village we visited. They are having a... natality problem there."
"Oh, so that's where you guys went! Yo, why didn't you tell me anything before leaving!?"
"I left you a note!"
"Nov-Nov, you think a cool sexy girl like me knows how to read...? Only dorks do that."
"Ugh, of course..." Nova shakes her head in exasperation. "That's the dumbest thing I've heard you say yet."
Some feet away from the discussing girls, Makoto tries her hardest to console a deeply distressed Orok. "Don't worry! I didn't wait so long, and I had a fun time with Pink-san!" She softly says, reassuringly patting the gigantic orc's shoulder with her tiny hand. "Oh, almost forgot! I got gift for you."
"U-uh? A gift?" The orc widens his eyes as the small kitsune girl skips toward the table where she was previously drawing and grabs the piece of paper lying on it.
"For my... how was it...? Oh yes, for my number one fan!" She smiles, bowing as she gracefully hands the paper to him using both hands. "Thanks for the support!"
Depicted on the signed artwork is the protagonist of her series "Bloodbath Warriors", surrounded by piles of dead bodies that had been murdered in the most grotesque of ways. The protagonist's muscular body is covered with different injuries, an arrow even sticks out of his right arm... yet his expression remains content with what seems like a bloodlust-driven euphoria. Surveying the scene stands the protagonist's skimpy-dressed elf companion, Orok's favorite character, trying to keep her long luxurious boots from getting soaked with the blood pooling across the ground... Memories of making Nova cosplay as her in the past quickly come to the orc's head...
"I-is this really for me!?" He asks like an excited little kid, eagerly examining the detailed black and white drawing.
"Hai!" The kitsune enthusiastically nods her head. "I forgot how good it feels drawing something I truly enjoy... I have to thank you for opening my eyes, Orok-san!"
"Gaaah, you are so nice, Makoto-chan..." He sniffs, hugging the gift close against him.
The rest of the girls then decide to approach the pair. "Hello again, Makoto." Nova politely says.
"Nova-san, hello! And... umm..." The kitsune timidly looks at the ogre woman.
"Morgana, uh... san! Nice to meet ya!"
"Look what I got!" Orok boastfully shows off the morbid drawing that has been gifted to him, receiving mixed reactions. Pink smirks in amusement, Nova makes a disgusted expression, and Morgana squeaks and covers her eyes.
"Ugh, that outfit..." Nova sighs as she recognizes the slutty garments on the elf sidekick. "Makoto, why... Not trying to be rude, but why do you like drawing that kind of brutal stuff so much...?"
The kitsune brightly beams. "It's very fun!"
"Uh..." The elf instinctively takes a step back, noticing the foreign girl's almond-shaped eyes start shining just at the thought of the perverse subject matter...
Morgana, still covering her eyes, slides some of her fingers up and down to observe just a little bit through the cracks. "W-wouldn't ya prefer drawin' yer characters havin' sum wholesome fun instead? Maybe instead of all that violence, they could be sharin' a cup of tea... or maybe..."
"No, Morgana. That would be dumb." The orc interrupts her, pressing the drawing close against himself again.
"O-oh, okay... Sorry, luv..." The ogre pouts, lowering her hands from her face as the shocking image is finally hidden.
"Anyways, we are not here to discuss this amazing art, we are here to help Makoto-chan follow her dreams!" Orok exclaims. "If I remember correctly, you said this was all your editor's fault, right?"
"Well... m-my big brother..." She begins stammering, before making a pause and letting out a deep breath of sadness as she simply admits it. "Yes..."
"Got it. So, since I can't just kill him, we need to find another solution... Hmm..." He scratches his chin.
"Call me dumb, but what even is an editor?" Pink confusedly asks, tilting her head to the side.
Nova rolls her eyes, crossing her arms. "Dumb."
"Oh alright, miss smarty-pants, you tell me then. What's an editor?"
The elf's serious expression quickly drops into a nervous one, long pointy ears twitching. "W-well, it's... uh... the person who... edits..."
"Oh-hohoho, you have no clue!"
"Shut it!"
"In manga business, an editor is the guy who controls where the stories go, handles the marketing, handles the legal crap, negotiates with the publishers and translators... It's kind of a big deal." The brutish orc ambassador calmly explains, surprising the two girls with his sudden and unexpected display of knowledge.
"Blimey! Ya are very informed 'bout this stuff, Orok!" Morgana smiles.
"I know, I'm awesome! Gahahaha." He laughs before making a small pause, raising one of his eyebrows. "Huh... Hey, Nova. I'm also like, super rich and important now, right?"
"Ugh, your salary isn't as huge as you might be thinking... And you haven't even got your first paycheck yet!" She grunts, yet an idea seems to begin brewing in her mind, prompting her to rapidly take her notebook and pencil out of her pocket and start scanning through her notes. "But... in the future, maybe if I put some of it into those investments I've been eyeing up... and, praying the market doesn't shift too much..." She makes some calculations while chewing on the back of her pencil. "You might become really wealthy in a year or so."
"...Gahaha, it's a bit dorky but also really cool when you get all professional like that."
"Hmmpf..." Nova huffs, adjusting her glasses and trying to hide a dumb little smile.
"Alright, so I'll have the resources for it, then." He rubs his hands together, turning towards the kitsune girl again. "Makoto-chan, I'll be your new editor! You don't have to worry about a thing."
"W-what!? No, you won't!" The elf's little smirk instantly disappears. "I already have enough trying to stop you from causing a diplomatic catastrophe! More responsibilities is the last thing we need."
"Uh, Nova, luv... It seems the ambassador is really eager about helpin'... Don't ya think it would be good for him?" The ogre woman softly says, resting a hand over her shoulder.
"Please don't encourage him." She frowns. "All of us are going to get into a shitload of trouble just because this imbecile can't stop fanboying over some girl..."
Pink giggles in amusement, approaching Nova and playfully sniffing her. "Hmm, is that a bit of... jealously I smell~?"
"J-jealously? What are you talking about...?" The embarrassed elf roughly pushes her away, clicking her tongue. "Tch, I told you to shut up!"
"Umm, Orok-san, I really appreciate your help! But... I don't think that's good idea." Makoto gently pats on the orc's arm, calling for his attention. "Big brother is really good at business, knows lots of people. He also is ruthless... I'm afraid that if I stop working with him, he'll put me on blacklist and make publishers afraid of me."
"Ruthless, huh?"
"Hai... One time, another mangaka started drawing with style very similar to mine. I didn't mind, but big brother got very angry and summoned his lawyers... Now that mangaka is in prison." She sighs, lowering her sad gaze and fidgeting with the sleeves of her kimono. "He wasn't like that before..."
The elf, ogre, and succubus quietly glance at each other. Orok angrily stomps his foot against the floor. "Ugh, what an asshole!"
An uneasy silence then forms in the ambassador's suite, only interrupted after almost a minute by the short pink-haired girl.
"...Kusottare!" She loudly exclaims one of the swear words that she had managed to get Makoto to teach her. "Did I pronounce it right~?"
"Fufufufufufufufu~" The kitsune isn't able to hold back a delicate, high-pitched fit of laughing. "O-oh, gomen ne... Sorry..." She embarrassedly covers her lips as she notices the group staring at her.
"Gahaha, you have a really pretty voice, Makoto-chan!" Orok exclaims, his red eyes suddenly widening like plates. He takes a good look at her, then at the drawing on his hands, then at her again... "Huh!"
"I do...? Uh, a-arigatou... I haven't-"
"I'm a genius! Gaaah, sometimes I even surprise myself." The orc interrupts her. "Makoto-chan, you are forgetting a really important part of selling manga, the hardcore fans like me! There is nothing your brother can do if you become really, really popular and loved." He excitedly grins. "And, know what? You have a really great way to make that happen very quickly... Gap-moe!"
Makoto blinks in confusion. "Eeeee!? G-gap-moe...!?"
"Yeah! You are really cute and tiny, but you draw these kinds of things. It's so unique and interesting!" He gives his gifted drawing a good look, folding it and sliding it into his pocket. "You'll build a raging fanbase in seconds if you put yourself out there, and for that... Makoto-chan, we are turning you into an idol!"
"Wh-Whu... Orok-san!?" She stumbles over her own words, jaw hanging open in bewilderment.
"H-hey, slow down a little!" Nova alarmedly exclaims, raising her arms. "An idol is one of those young girls that dance and sing, right? Someone that likes that stuff would never enjoy these kinds of drawings!"
"Oh, Nova... You have so much to learn..." He smugly rolls his eyes. "Eighty percent of idol's fans are pervy, weird guys that would absolutely love this."
Pink nods her head, tapping her finger against her plump lower lip. "You might be onto something, big guy..." She says, causing Nova to groan in annoyance.
"I... I... I..." Makoto seems to start hyperventilating, sweat dripping through her forehead. Her accent thicker than ever. "M-me on stage... dancing, singing... Yabaaaaai!"
"You can do it, Makoto-chan! You just have to trust me." The orc crouches, resting his hands over her narrow shoulders and firmly looking at her eyes. "Okay?"
"Orok-san... I..." The girl starts shakily talking, pausing herself to gaze at his eyes and take a very deep breath to calm herself. "I... Yes, I trust you."
"Gahahaha, there we go! I won't let you down!" He happily laughs, courteously guiding the girl towards the exit of his suite. "Come back in a couple of days, okay? I'll take care of everything... I just need you to continue drawing! This time, whatever you want."
"Y-you are the kindest person I've met... Thank you so much for everything!" A stirred Makoto cries out, tightly hugging the towering orc.
"Don't mention it! It's the least I could do." He exclaims, patting her back. "Please stay safe!"
The kitsune nods, waving her hand at the rest of the girls before exiting the room.
"Alright, this is gonna be so cool!" Orok bounces. "I'll need a stage, advertising, some cute outfits, sound equipment..." He lists, grabbing his bag of money and taking a look at its interior, disappointedly frowning as he notices only two golden coins remain inside it. "Ugh."
"Good, you have no money left for all that. Can we please forget about this and never talk about it again?" Nova grunts.
The orc deeply sighs, carelessly tossing the small pouch away. "Whatever. I'll just ask that creepy princess for money, Gahahaha."
"Blimey, a real princess!? I would love to meet her!" Morgana exclaims in excitement, holding her hands together. "I bet she is so pretty."
Pink loudly laughs. "Oh-hoho, she is an adorable little sweetheart. You'd love her, Morgs~."
"I just... unbelievable..." Nova vexedly removes her glasses and rubs her face, turning on her heel and starting to walk towards her desk with the intent of doing paperwork and distracting herself. "Do whatever you want, I'm done caring."
"Oh, by the way. I also need you three as backup dancers."
"WHAT!?" The elf girl freezes in place, her expression one of pure horror.
Pink smiles, resting her hands over her wide hips. "Sure, sounds fun. I'm a great dancer~."
"Aight, luv! I feel like I might be too lanky for dancin', but I'll do me best!" Morgana softly says as she plays with the tie dangling from her neck.
By the late afternoon, on the training grounds of Malena's castle, two soldiers sit one next to each other, dutifully tending to their weapons.
"...Hey, you know that orc ambassador? With the annoying laugh?" One of them, who hours ago was present in the situation at the ogre village, starts talking.
The other soldier, somewhat disinterested, nods absentmindedly as he continues to clean a dark spot on his blade. "Uh-huh. Why?"
"Well... I heard him call the captain 'Juli'..."
"What, really!?" He widens his eyes in surprise, momentarily abandoning his task to focus on the conversation. "And what did she do?"
"That's the weird part. Nothing! I even think that she was... blushing." The man lowers his voice tone and leans in before continuing. "D-do you think they...?"
"The golden ox with that orc...? That sounds crazy! Yet... I don't know..." He makes a pondering pause, scratching the stubble around his lower face. "We keep forgetting the captain is also a young woman... Romance is pretty important for them, isn't it? She might-"
He instantly falls silent as he notices the presence of an utterly towering, intimidating figure ominously staring down at him...
"What? Finish your sentence." Captain Juliette orders, furiously clenching her strong hands into fists.
The soldier nervously gulps, glancing at his equally terrified companion and then at their leader. "I-I didn't mean... Captain, I... I just..."
"Finish. Your. Sentence!"
"S-she might... she might need... um..." He stammers, his voice barely above a whisper, before finally mustering the courage to continue. "She might need a boyfriend..." He gasps, closing his eyes and preparing for the worst.
Juliette's intense, indignant glare lingers on the two soldiers for what feels like an endless time, before gradually starting to soften as she tries her hardest to control her rage. After a slow, long exhale, she finally unclenches her fists and continues addressing them in a slightly more collected tone... After all, she surely knows who's fault this really is...
"Both of you. Fifty laps around the yard, no breaks allowed." She firmly commands, sternly pointing her finger at them. "I'm not a 'young woman', I don't do 'romance', and the only 'boyfriend' I need is my sword... Never say something like that again, do you understand!?"
"Yes, captain!" The soldiers immediately reply in unison, as loud as possible, doing an exaggerated military salute before hurrying away to do their exercises.
The tall blonde woman crosses her arms as she observes the two armored men begin running across the yard... This... This can't continue like this. That disgusting piece of filth... She has to put a stop to it. Right now!
