Blue Blood

Authors note:Looked through the touhou timeline more thoroughly and patchouli was born in 1900-1910 so I removed her being in the story from previous chapters, though Arata still knows about her and her strength. The current incarnation of Hieda is also Hieda no Aya, Akyuu is born around 120 years after the barrier is completed, which is the year our protagonist went through it. (If he broke in before completion he might ruin it) Aya is about to die and our protagonist can't save her yet, he will try to save Akyuu.

I come to the front door of the Scarlet Devil mansion and it opens before I reach it, the resident grey haired maid opens the door with an elegant bow that can only be a technique refined for around two decades.

Sakuya:"Welcome to Scarlet Devil Mansion, Arata-dono. I am about to prepare my Mistress's breakfast so I will not be able to take care of you for long. You may follow this fairy maid to look around the Mansion now though." (dono because she's in full maid mode)

Arata:"Actually, first I wish to do a favor for you Sakuya. It seems none of the Magicians I've met so far know you can do it, but I think it's a waste for a maid to not know how to use magic to cook. You can even take it as a challenge from me. Do you want to see cooking better than you thought cooking could get?"

Sakuya:"My Mistress wanted to talk to you over breakfast so I don't need to take you to her until then. Though if you cannot back up you're words I will take grave offence. Looking down on the ability of others is not a good thing afterall."

It seems she's upset I put her abilities as a maid into question, though her curiosity of 'magic' cooking got the better of her. I explain reinforcment and how it's used in cooking while we walk towards the kitchen. After we arrive I give a few examples with foods quick to prepare. She doesn't want anyone but herself to prepare her Mistress's breakfast though so I don't make it.

Though I will say, Sakuya is almost as good as me when it comes to food reinforcment. A combination of her basic cooking being better than mine and her already cooking with the taste and feeling food gives in mind. She just needs to get better at creating specific 'intents' with mana since she already knows which ones to use.

She looks like someone that leveled up 20 times using her saved up experience after the game devs finally raised the level cap. I guess her ability to make one of the things Remilia loves is pretty important to her, huh?

Arata:"You can send one of Remilia's bats to my Yokai Inn with money and an order. I will send you desserts I made so that you can better understand the thought behind the 'intents' infused. It's always a good thing for someones cooking to get better afterall."

Sakuya:"Such a thing would be appreciated, Arata-dono. Could you leave a menu from your Inn's behind? Or should I send a bat to retrieve one?"

Arata:"Such a thing isn't needed, I will give you the recipe book I threw together roaming the outside world and you can just pick thing's from it. Just send a note with what you ordered with a little more money than the ingredients cost. I'm not doing this to make money, but to make food better afterall."

I say as I give her the book, I'm not worried since she will only cook food for Remilia or her guests. She wouldn't normally take the book as a handout, but since it will improve her ability to aid Remilia, she will keep this favor in mind and try to repay me in the future. Not that I want repayment though.

Sakuya:"I thank you for the book and in advance for allowing orders, since from what I read in Aya's report it seems you're Inn will become too popular to do delivery."

Arata:"Did she really not write anything bad about me? I'm kind of suprised honestly, I didn't want to read it since I only used her to advertise."

Sakuya:"No one believed it, she always add's something bad about others to get attention. I didn't expect your cooking to be good until you started talking about magic cooking because of it. We've arrived."

She opens the door with mana manipulation, which some people outside would call telekinesis. Letting me enter first with a bow, she pushes the food cart in after me. She even pulls out my seat before I get to it and moves enough food to feed 4 people from the cart to the table instantly, without sound.

Her time stop ability. Though thanks to my magic resistance It didn't affect me, I sat perfectly still, both physically and mentally while she moved the food. I want to see if this stoic maid does anything embarrasing during the stopped time in the future.

Arata:"My name is Arata Shinohara and I came to confirm, but it's comforting your face didn't change when I walked in."

Remilia:"Remilia Scarlett. So, is what Aya wrote true? A Blue Blood? I could see why weaker vampires would hunt you with this sweet smell in the air."

Arata:"I didn't read Aya's report since I just used her to advertise, so I don't know what all she wrote. But if you want, I guess it would be more believable to hear it from my mouth instead of hers."

Remila:"I'm starting to believe most of it. You're sitting there like your both ready to run away and attack me, you should calm down. I'm not spineless enough to need to eat you."

Arata:"I expected that when I sent my smell back on Sakuya's hand without you visiting me. It's just this is the first time I've sat in front of a fellow vampire without getting attacked. My mind has realized you won't hurt me already, but my body needs to be around you for a while to get used to you."

Remilia:"Is that the reason for your visit? Most people wouldn't bother and just avoid me to be sure. Facing such things is admirable. Though now that introductions are over, Sakuya, present the food."

Sakuya lifts the covers over the platters and backs away with a look of pride on her emotionless face. Watching closely for Remilias reaction.

Remilia:"It smells better than usual, did the human village get a new strain of spices Sakuya?"

Sakuya:"It's actually thanks to Arata-dono, he has opened my eyes to a new way of cooking using magic."

After going back and forth and her hearing about reinforcement we continue our conversation about the differences between our species while eating. Finishing the topic, her curiosity is satisfied since even though she looks 12, she's 150 years older than me. She can tell I'm pridefull and disdain lying just speaking to me. So she knows I'm not exagerating my race.

Remilia:"Since you need to stay near me before you can calm down around vampires and are so knowledgeable about magic. Do you wish to work here until then as a magic consultant? Sometimes people invade my Mansion using interesting trinkets and I like to know what they are."

Arata:"While spending time near you was my goal in coming here, invaders won't come every day. I don't want to freeload during the rest of the time so while I can do that, I can also cook desserts better than Sakuya since they're my specialty. Try one yourself and decide if you also want me to make desserts and snacks for you, teaching Sakuya as time passes."

I give her some dessert from my magic bag and she looks satisfied.

Remilia:"If only that inn of yours was usable by vampires I would visit. Did you make the Hot springs running water just so vampires wouldn't go?"

Arata:"The water cycling back into the hot spring slowly counts as flowing water? I didn't feel a vampire approach my Inn though so how did you know? I can always turn part of the girls bath in the Yokai Inn into a vampire section since I made the girls section bigger due to there being more female Yokai if you want."

Remilia:"That would be wonderfull of you. I sent my familiars to look at your Inn's after Aya's report, even though running water is a weakness of mine, I've always enjoyed baths. I now wish to see if your hot spring is as 'magical' as your food."

Arata:"Then visit whenever you wish. Since most Yokai visit during the night I left extra people working there. Or if you want I can attach a magic gate on one of your doors to my personal hot spring in the forest of the lost, since you seem to be like me, enjoying solitude."

Remilia:"That would be perfect, though I don't want to trouble you to set up something that sounds as troublesome as a gate on our first meeting."

Arata:"It's no problem in a place as rich in magic as Gensokyo. You should need less mana to activate it twice than you would get from bathing."

We talk about it for some more and she leads me to her spare bathrooms door. I lay the spell formations on the door and they stick extremely well since this Mansion counts as a Yokai. Finishing the spell I take some coins out of my magic back and use mana manipulation to beat them into key shape while enchanting it to activate the gate.

Arata:"I will leave behind a Raven and tell you to try the key after I finish the gate on my end."

Reaching home after flying for 3 minutes I lay the same spell formations on my back door, telling Remilia to try the key through my Raven. The door opens and I see Remilia through it, she looks at my almost full garden and the hotsprings along with the tiny Yggdrasil.

Remilia:"It looks much better here than at your Inn, I'm glad I accepted your offer of forming the gate."

I reply as I set the water to stop cycling through the bath after pouring mana into Yggdrasil, the bamboo clacker still fills and makes noise, but now it pours into a small pool near the bath and cycles from there.

Arata:"Well, I like my herb gardens to be beautifull. Since I plan on this being my house until I die I went all out. I even enchanted the steam from the hotspring to cover everyone near it below the neck so that the people that get lost here can't peep at me and added purification so you don't have to worry about soaps and shampoos dirtying the water. Just say your order out loud, theres always a few Ravens at my home. I guess this also counts as me cooking desserts for you, so you don't have to pay for them."

I say as I walk to the bath showing her the enchantment, placing a menu from the Inn's near it. I try to leave quickly though since I don't want to get into the bath with her barely knowing her. She seems like she might tease me instead of just not caring like Mokou.

Remilia:"Where are you going? You created such an enchantment and are afraid to use it? Come, since we won't be able to see each other join Sakuya and I. Don't humans bond over baths? This is a prime opportunity to get used to other vampires."

Arata:"While I've used the enchantment before, that wasn't bathing with someone that looks like they enjoy teasing others."

I say as I strip at the same time Sakuya walks out my back door carrying shampoo, conditioner and soap. I guess even though Remilia knows she doesn't need it because of my enchantments she enjoys Sakuyas care.

Sakuya:"W-What are you doing Arata-dono!?"

Remilia:"Come now, I won't tease you in such a sensual way on our first meeting. Such a thing can only come far into the future. Sakuya, come here and wash me. Don't worry about him seeing you since his enchantments are convenient."

I get in as Sakuya realized no light can pass through the steam, calming down completely after I set down 6 feet from Remilia. She starts washing Remilia and even though she said she wouldn't tease me, the arms and legs Sakuya raise out of the water to clean are too sensual. Sakuya's body is filled out in all the right places without it being exaggerated, an attractive a.d.u.l.t. Though I can't see more than their arms and legs.

While Remillia.... Is it the affect of a Vampire stronger than myself's charm? I swear F.B.I! I've never been attracted to lolis! Inside or outside the barrier until now! She's the perfect example of a m.a.t.u.r.e and wise woman trapped in a 12 year old body, though it seems she can be a little childish at times. I don't think I would be attracted to her If I didn't speak with her for an hour and a half today, so If she does make me fall for her in the future I won't let the fear of being called a lolicon stop me. I already knew women that were born with bodies like Remilia and couldn't get boyfriends during my past life because men feared being called lolicons, so I won't let such a thing stop me.

We finish the bath without Remilia teasing me like promised, though I think she still won somehow. I need to find a way to let vampires age until there a.d.u.l.ts before I turn deviant as well. I'm going to need to eat breakfast lunch and dinner with Remilia from now on, I hope she doesn't pull me into bathing with her again. I don't know how many times I can resist the Remilia plus Sakuya combo attack.