My Wives Are A Divine Hive Mind

Blanchette glanced at the cruising Landship with a spark of interest in her crimson eyes, her wide smile curving into something more mischievous.

"It might not be a bad idea to sightsee for a day or two. We could learn something useful from a place like this."

Noirette's eyes immediately lightened with excitement.

But before Noirette could verbally respond, Blanchette grabbed her arm with surprising firmness, her fingers cool against Noirette's still-feverish skin.

With a playful tug, she pulled them both forward—and downward.

Noirette felt a lurch in her stomach as they plummeted toward the ground, but instead of the expected impact, the earth parted like mist.

Reality shimmered around them, a brief disorientation of colors and sensations blending into one another, and then they reemerged in a bustling street.

The transition was seamless, as if they had stepped through a hidden door in the fabric of the world.

"Whoaa!"

They now stood inside the bastion of the Landship, surrounded by the vibrant sight of the civilization above the land-cruising beast.

Cobblestone streets wound between timber-framed buildings adorned with intricate carvings of mythical beasts and arcane symbols.

Lanterns floated overhead, their soft glow emanating from enchanted crystals that shifted hues with the time of day.

Market stalls lined the avenues, vendors hawking potions that bubbled in glass vials, enchanted fabrics that changed patterns at a touch, and ornate jewelry pulsing with faint magical auras.

The air was rich with the scents of fresh-baked bread infused with herbs from distant realms, spiced meats roasting over open flames, and the underlying tang of forge smoke from nearby smithies.

People burgeoned their lives—silhuettes of various demi-human, from elves with pointed ears to beastkin with subtle furred tails, and even the creepy one where sharp spikes cover half of their body, and only a handful of fully human figures among them.

Though in the end, in this world, all of these would still be considered to be part of Humanity.

Noirette steadied herself, a wry smile tugging at her lips as she adjusted to the sudden shift. "Is it okay to enter the bastion without any kind of permit or identification? What if they have some sort of defense system for intruders like us?"

Blanchette chuckled, releasing Noirette's arm and straightening her cloak. "Only a few places are that paranoid about defenses among the bastions of civilization, that even think to such an extent and then implement it. Most rely on their mobility and community to ward off threats~"

Noirette noticed then that the people around them—vendors calling out wares, passersby chatting in clusters—paid them no mind at all.

Not a single glance lingered, no curious stares or startled reactions to their abrupt appearance from the ground.

It was as if they were ghosts in the midst of the living.

"They do not even seem to notice us. I assume you did something about that."

Blanchette's smile widened with satisfaction. "I have essentially made the two of us unable to be perceived for a good amount of time. It is a simple application of the Malleable Essence—bending our presence just enough to slip through awareness like shadows at noon."

"Well, that is certainly one of the first things I wanted to master now."

"You already did it in a way when fighting that troll yesterday, just need a lot more practice and optimization~"

Noirette's eyes lit up with excitement, her earlier fatigue forgotten in the thrill of discovery.

"Anywho, let's stop yapping." Like an eager child in a new playground, she grabbed Blanchette's hand and began dragging her through the streets. "Let us explore this place!"

Their tour wove through the heart of the bastion, each corner revealing wonders that blended magic and craftsmanship.

And through the tour, they later know that this bastion was known as the Resilient Mother.

It was certainly a weird name for a bastion, but it seemed like it refers to the Landship itself as a living mother figure that resiliently brings their children to the path of survival.

They first stumbled upon a grand church, its spires reaching toward the Landship's upper decks, stained glass windows depicting epic tales of wanderers defying cosmic storms.

Inside, the air was electrified with chants from robed acolytes, their voices weaving spells of protection over the vessel.

Noirette lingered at the altar, feeling a faint echo of her own lost divinity in the ambient magic, while Blanchette examined the relics with casual interest.

In a way, it felt refreshing to suddenly become fully mortal again and re-experience the same awe and weight that a non-divine would feel when encountering a divine object.

From there, they ventured to a weapon forgery, where smiths hammered blades that glowed with infused runes and concocted spells.

The heat was intense, forges fueled by captured elemental spirits that danced in contained orbs, of what appeared to be Curio Items.

Hammers rang against anvils, shaping swords that could cleave through voids or axes that returned to the wielder's hand.

Noirette watched a craftsman test a new piece, the blade slicing through a test dummy with ethereal precision, and felt a pang for her own lost arsenal.

Noirette regretted that she hadn't been playing around with her magnificent vault of Curio Items, many of them being on the high tier.

Next came the Curio item trading center, a bustling hall filled with stalls displaying artifacts of every tier.

Common trinkets hummed faintly on lower shelves, while noble and exotic pieces were guarded behind wards.

Vendors haggled over items that shifted forms or granted fleeting boons, their voices a cacophony of offers and counteroffers.

With how active and noisy it was, Noirette overheard whispers of the Foilschwert Association, a prominent Void Hunter group in this continent of Myovernia, known for their weaponry and something called Morphed Curio Items.

These were Curio Items modified through specialized means, retaining their original traits while gaining new ones, or even enhancing them further.

A nearby stall showcased one, which was a simple ring twisted into a gauntlet that amplified strength without draining mana.

They then passed the Void Hunter Chapter, a fortified guild hall backed by the Foilschwert Association.

Banners emblazoned with crossed swords fluttered outside, and inside, hunters planned expeditions over maps glowing with scouted anomalies.

Noirette eavesdropped on talks of recent unknown and indescribable anomalies encroaching on routes, the hunters' voices laced with wary determination.

To think that none of them ever talked about the glitches.

Blanchette pointed out a display of Morphed Curio Items—daggers that phased through armor, shields that absorbed entropy—highlighting how the association's expertise made them a force in Myovernia.

"I'm hungry," Noirette uttered.

"Me too," Blanchette said with a smile.

"Being mortal isn't easy."

"You said as if you had been born a divine being since your beginning."

Hunger eventually drew them to the feast places, like bazaars overflowing with exotic delicacies, restaurants serving dishes that shimmered with enchantments, and street vendors hawking skewers of grilled Voidling meat seasoned with rare spices.

The aromas were intoxicating—sweet fruits glazed in honeyed syrups consisted of uniquely hardened mana, savory pies filled with herbs that granted temporary vigor, and bubbling stews promising warmth against the plains' chill.

But Noirette and Blanchette were essentially broke, carrying no currency or tradable goods.

Noirette glanced at Blanchette with a sly grin. "So, how do we even enjoy these delicacies?"

Blanchette's eyes twinkled. "By not paying at all~"

Using their invisibility and Blanchette's command of the Malleable Essence, they pilfered samples with effortless grace.

Blanchette would focus on a stall, her will bending reality just enough to whisk away a skewer or pastry unnoticed, handing it to Noirette with a wink.

They sampled everything, tender meats that melted on the tongue, fruits bursting with juicy essence, breads warm and flaky, and even some of the local specials that couldn't be described by words.

Noirette stuffed a particularly savory bite into her mouth, savoring the flavors. "You are so sinful, Blanchette."

Blanchette popped a stolen fruit into her own mouth, chewing thoughtfully. "You are just as sinful, since you practically let it happen and then got a share of the loot on top of that."

Noirette swallowed her last snack, wiping her lips. "Can we really get away with this?"

Blanchette nodded confidently. "My control of the Malleable Essence is strong. It might take a very powerful individual with a Well of the Soul to track it—like the current strength of Samael with half of her Divine Constructs combined.

Noirette joked. "Can you fight Samael with all of her Divine Constructs?"

Blanchette answered casually. "I would die. The power of instant synchronization across multiple vessels in power and progress is too overpowered." She poked Noirette lightly. "It could be used as a catalyst to rule over Fathomi in a thousand years or so."

Noirette chuckled. "That is too long."

Blanchette's tone grew serious. "There are far more powerful entities in Fathomi that you cannot even imagine. Those kinds of power are what you will eventually face in the future."

Noirette pointed out. "Since no one has caught the two of us in our shenanigans in this Resilient Mother bastion, does that not mean there is no one here stronger is stronger than Samael?"

Blanchette replied. "By theory, yes."

But right after that, a foreign voice intruded into their periphery—a mature, deep feminine tone, laced with amusement and authority.

"The two little rascals have been having too much fun for too long."

The words came from a slender, flat-chested woman with a blond bob cut, dressed in a modified butler outfit beneath a long coat cape.

The cape was adorned with numerous cross-shaped holy ornaments, with the materials, qualities, and sizes all different from one another, strapped securely with chains and belts.

She was there, in the middle of the two of them, manifesting out of nowhere. Her presence was commanding despite her unassuming build.

Noirette tensed, but before she could react, the woman placed her arms around their necks, drawing them close with surprising strength.

Her breath was warm against their ears as she whispered menacingly, though a smile played on her lips. "Troublemakers need to be punished, you know?"

In an instant, chains attached with holy crosses wrapped around their arms and torsos, restraining their movements with unyielding force.

And it all happened before the two of them could even react.

The metal was cold and heavy, etched with glowing runes that pulsed faintly.

The woman tightened her grip on the chains and began dragging them across the ground, their feet scraping against the cobblestones.

Noirette nervously glanced at Blanchette. "If this woman can see through the guise, does that not mean..."

Blanchette, her ever-carefree wide smile intact, replied casually. "This person is possibly stronger than Samael."

The dragging stopped abruptly.

The woman glanced back over her shoulder, her reserved smile masking her intelligent sadism. Her blond hair catching the light.

"I am Dorose, and we will be meeting a lot from now on~"