Beta read by Shigiya, Fluffy Slayer and Gamercrusher55
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-Feoh-
The specifics of the Tiefling race were still rather vague to Archer.
A race that, as far as he knew, had never existed in his world.. Fairy tale creatures he'd heard about in tales spun by ordinary people —mythical beings said to embody magic, akin to elves or fairies — confined to the pages of folklore and fantasy. He'd stumbled across the term a handful of times in the past but had dismissed it as trivial, nothing more than the stuff of stories. But now, reality has delivered a sharp wake-up call. As he cradled Radomira's unconscious form, he tried desperately to rouse her after she'd somehow managed to soak up every last drop of aphrodisiac in the entire Kingdom. It was inconvenient timing, to say the least, for a crash course in mythical races turned stark reality.
The after-effects had likely been too much for her body to handle, putting her to sleep to recover. Archer couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the situation, especially as he confronted the physical changes that hadn't been there before.
Her transformation was nothing short of stunning, leaving Archer a loss for words. She had grown enough for her eyes to reach his chin, her features more mature and alluring, almost ethereal beauty — one that rivaled even Grace's captivating beauty, as well as some of the other women that he had gotten to know.
The child-like Radomira he knew was nowhere to be seen.
The change was so drastic that it seemed almost surreal how her proportions had developed in such a short time. Her purple hair now shimmered with a vibrancy he hadn't seen before, occasionally shifting between brighter and darker hues as if alive.
It was just captivating.
Cascading down to her feet in long, luscious waves, adding to her newfound elegance. Her wings had expanded too, now covered in sleek feathers that gleamed with a dark, ethereal sheen. Even more striking was the way her body had filled out, defying the natural progression of time. Archer, ever observant, couldn't help but notice the fact she had become more gifted than Celestine in both her upper body, hips and a narrower waist.
The transformation was so dramatic that it left him both fascinated and slightly unsettled, unsure of how to process what he was witnessing.
Then finally there was the noticeable gem embedded in her forehead. Even from a distance, Archer could sense the surge of magical energy gathering within it, a familiar sensation that reminded him of the charged jewels Rin often used.
"Are you sure she's not actually a succubus in disguise instead of a Tiefling?" he asked, arms crossed, as he faced the Dark Elf in his room. "Just considering her abilities, — the power to produce and then reabsorb such a large amount of aphrodisiac — it sounds a lot more like something a succubus would do."
"Pretty certain, though I have heard rumors that their bloodlines once intertwined through marriage, so her abilities might be proof of that heritage. If you want to compare differences, I can take you to a few places I know where succubi reside, you can study them firsthand. I'm sure they would love to have someone like yourself visiting them."
Archer sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Right, of course." He'd been down this road before, yet every day seemed to introduce a new level of absurdity. At this point, the answers he got were starting to sound like something ripped from a poorly written erotic fantasy. "Look, just... will she be alright?"
"She's fine," Olga replied calmly, holding her hand over her and using a few spells to check on Radomira's state. "Her body just went into mild shock after drawing so heavily on her latent abilities all at once. I don't know how you managed to make her do such a thing or even figure out how it worked, but I am impressed."
"I didn't do anything," he said. "She did it on her own."
Rather than accept his answer, the Dark Elf shot him a seething glare, though within seconds, her expression smoothed back into neutrality. "I have a hard time believing you. These changes… they only seem to happen when you're around. I can't even tell if it's a good thing or not. Just what are you feeding her?"
"Actual food."
Olga hummed but kept her suspicious stare, "Are you sure you didn't use any ingredients heavily imbued with magic or the flesh of a dragon?"
"Dragon meat? Seriously?" Archer scoffed, his patience wearing thin. "I can barely find a decent cut of beef in this kingdom, let alone slay a mythical beast for dinner. Even if I did, I wouldn't serve it to a kid without sampling it first. I have standards, you know."
He ran a hand through his hair, exasperated at this situation.
"Look, Radomira eats the same meals as Brynn and me. Nothing fancy, nothing magical. You've had my cooking, Olga. Did it taste like an enchanted grilled dragon to you?"
That brought up, to the both of them, their memory of their first time together when he had just agreed to accompany her to Feoh. While they had consumed dried rations for most of the journey, the times when he would make fresh food still remained ingrained in Olga's mind, and taste buds. She was raised in nobility and luxury all her life, tasting the finest meals and nothing ever came close to Archer's cooking.
"Careful, you're drooling."
"—!"
Taken by surprise, the woman realized she had fallen into his trap the moment her hand touched the corner of her mouth. Confirming there to be no traces of saliva, she quickly regained control, but the small slip was enough to send her into an embarrassed state, especially when she saw that smirk on his face.
"You are a loathsome human." It has become a habit for her to blurt out such words whenever she is with him. "I will teach you a lesson soon, but not today. We should focus on Radomira instead, she has achieved full physical maturity and I see no signs of her reverting back."
This particular case vaguely reminded him of the King of Heroes, who supposedly possessed every artifact and treasure imaginable within his Gate of Babylon. Among them was a potion crafted from the herb of immortality—one capable of reversing his aging and transforming him into a child.
However, Radomira had somehow achieved the opposite effect of the potion. He was uncertain whether her powers would continue to develop further towards rejuvenation and immortality.
But such a change was far too sudden, in his opinion.
"She was already growing at an accelerated rate prior to this moment." The Dark Queen explained, her expression contemplative. "Her current form is only a few physical years older than before. Were it not for the incident, the transformation would have happened sooner or later… perhaps in another two months at most."
"Yet this transformation was enough to put her in an exhausted state like this. It's clearly not normal."
"The only reason she was knocked out was because the change happened too suddenly. As I said, it drained and exhausted her in the end." She repeated herself once more, this time turning her face to the side, throwing in a sidelong glance. "There is no 'cure' or treatment for this—it's not exactly an illness or even a curse. I don't think it's reversible at all. It's been a couple of days, and she hasn't changed back even once. Even Serafina's powers won't have any effect on her."
The woman was right. Archer had stayed by her side for many hours during the days, guarding her against any unexpected issues. Her complexion had gradually improved, and she had regained her color for the most part. Now, all he had to do was wait for her to wake up again.
"Will there be anything I should look out for?" he asked, worrying about the effects this may have on her mental state with the sudden rush of hormones. Not even sparing him a glance, the woman answered in a slightly dry tone.
"It's not like she'll wake up as a completely different person. She'll still be the same Radomira you knew. And if my explanation isn't enough for you…then don't even think about trying to kill her."
"..."
His eyebrow arched at her words, especially at the faint venom in her tone — that came out of nowhere. However, after a moment of thought, it didn't take an expert to figure out why she was acting this way. Much to his own admission, this was his own fault. He hadn't properly addressed the matter upon meeting her today—or in the past few days, for that matter. His focus had been entirely on Radomira and dealing with the aftermath of the catastrophe.
"That aphrodisiac was everywhere, spreading throughout the entire kingdom. Sooner or later, it would have consumed everything, turning people into crazed, lust driven maniacs." Archer said, crossing his arms as he stared outside the window. "I can't simply put everyone to sleep or knock them out one by one. If any of them managed to escape and the effects lingered, then nearby villages and people would be in grave danger—along with other unaccounted factors that could plunge this entire region into even greater peril."
"..."
"I also could not allow the chaos to persist, the Beast would practically feed off it and grow stronger."
Olga got up and brushed past him without so much as sparing him a glance. Instead, she moved to her desk, sifting through the items set aside for her. "'Of course, it's easy for you to say that. I can't imagine how many kingdoms you've destroyed with a thought process like that."
It was strange—she seemed angrier with him now than when he had destroyed her castle. From his vantage point, he noticed the subtle tremor in her shoulders and hands. Olga was afraid—terrified, even.
"I could say the same to you. I doubt you kept a headcount of every town and innocent person ravaged by the monsters under your control." He reminded her, not forgetting about the sight he witnessed during his journey to Geofu. "I'm not particularly asking you or anyone else for forgiveness. Nor am I trying to make this a competition of who amongst the both of us is the bigger monster."
The answer was obvious. He knew that Olga, despite being unaware of his true origins, must have had her suspicions. Her earlier words were proof of that after all.
"Had I been in the same scenario, facing the exact same threat without any guarantee that Radomira could absorb it all, I would have made the same choice … and I rarely miss." He didn't intend it as a threat, but just a simple fact.
"... Don't you feel any regrets?" She asked, her prior anger having simmered down slightly. "I know there are people here you get along with— quite well. That redheaded buffoon, your squire, those two elves… and us". She hesitated with that part. "Claudia Levantine." He caught the subtle shift in her last words, as if she was about to utter a different name but changed her mind at the last second.
"It would just be another regret added to the pile." Even though he despised it—to a certain extent, at least—it had been the only option. Things wouldn't have been nearly as dire if an entire town hadn't been at risk of turning into undead monsters. But with Draco involved, there had never been another choice.
These people had been corrupted, driven by lust to such a degree that any hint of their previous self was nonexistent. Continued exposure to that dense fog would have permanently destroyed their psyche, reducing them to mere flesh puppets, with only the pursuit of sex in their mind.
There was no guarantee that the effects were temporary, or that everyone would simply revert back to normal after a few days. Especially when he recalled Anna mentioning the lingering side effects she had endured —ones that persisted even after years of healing.
"I want to hate you with every fiber of my being. I want to despise you and kill you at this very moment," Olga's voice trembled slightly as she broke the silence. Her once-composed tone had faded, replaced by something raw… something vulnerable. "But in a way, the fault is mine as well. I've grown so accustomed to believing that I was completely safe around you. That as long as you were here, I was untouchable—even against Celestine and her seven slaves. But I was a fool. Because at the end of the day, my safety, or that of the Princess Knights was never your priority. You'd rather save a thousand by sacrificing a hundred."
She let out a bitter sigh.
"And as much as I hate to admit it… I completely understand and agree with this method."
His eyes furrowed as soon as she said that.
A part of him wanted to reject her words, to deny the accusation—because it echoed too closely the philosophy of a certain mage killer who had raised him in the past. While he had carried that man's dreams for a long time, they were not the same.
But then again, he was not one to dispute her claims. He had wiped out entire civilizations more times than he could count, all in the name of saving the world and preserving human history. He had done it over and over again, until the blood he spilled could have formed an ocean by now.
That was the life he had been chained to ever since he agreed to the contract, and as much as he wanted to believe that he had walked away from it, even for a small moment after Alaya sent him here, he knew that wasn't the truth.
Despite all that, the outcome he thought would happen did not come to pass—and it was all because of the girl in front of him. In a way, part of him felt grateful but also worried that this choice of hers carried certain consequences.
"You should have known that from the beginning. My deal with you was simply to deliver you to the city safe and sound. And while we may have extended that protection for convenience; it was never set in stone that it would last forever. I was never meant to become your permanent bodyguard."
As he spoke, Emiya sat on the bed beside Radomira, carefully brushing a few strands of hair from her face. She looked peaceful, despite appearing noticeably different—her hair, he noted, was a brighter shade of magenta this time.
A slight smile tugged at his lips as he watched her.
The soft drool leaking from her mouth and the occasional goofy faces she made as she unconsciously leaned into his hand, were a rare, almost endearing sight.
Even Olga was not sure how to feel about it.
"I suppose you're right. Here I thought I had gone to great lengths to tame you, to make you my ally." Olga let out a dry chuckle. "Who would have thought that a small Tiefling child managed to beat me to it."
Archer's head snapped away from Radomira, fixing Olga with a disbelieving look. "What are you talking—"
His words died in his throat as he turned—only to find the Dark Elf had closed the distance between them. They now stood so close that a mere breath could bridge the gap between them. She leaned down slightly, her fingers gripped his chin, tilting his face upward. Archer found himself staring directly into her piercing gaze, their faces mere inches apart. The sudden proximity caught him off guard, his usual sharp retort slipping away as Olga's intense eyes bore into his own.
"Who else but her? I doubt you would have stopped if it were someone else. Whether it be Maia, Anna, Grace, Celestine, or even myself… I believe she has become an important key to my future plans. If I cannot get you through an offering of power, then I will use her to put a chain around your neck." Her sultry voice reached his ears, despite showing fear a few minutes ago towards him, that part had vanished as if it were never there. "I would have also offered my body, but that would have been too easy to gain your loyalty, wouldn't it?"
"...What has brought this sudden change, Olga."
Olga's demeanor had shifted dramatically from their usual exchanges. Gone was the polite, if slightly adversarial, rapport they'd cultivated. This new intensity made Archer tense, his instincts screaming caution as he held her piercing gaze with his own steely gaze, yet he knew he could not hide his shock.
The Dark Elf's amber eyes seemed to burn with an unfamiliar fervor as she stared into his gray eyes, and he found himself reassessing everything he thought he knew about their relationship. He'd let his guard down, he realized. A potentially fatal mistake when dealing with someone as cunning as Olga.
"Tell me, Archer."
Her voice was a whisper, sultry and deliberate.
"If I were to offer you my body right here and now— to indulge in all your sexual desires, to defile me in ways no other male has ever dared, or dreamed of,, would you take me?" Her other arm rested just beneath her chest, subtly pushing them up ever so slightly, emphasizing their impressive size. From his angle, the armor she wore did very little to conceal her curves, leaving very little to the imagination. Her smooth, hourglass body was perfectly accentuated, each contour drawing his eye, daring him to look.
… Yet he saw a slight tremor coursing across her body.
"Vault wanted me as his personal plaything, but he never got to have a taste of me. I know for a fact that every single one of his men would have raped me had they gotten the chance — I am aware of my own beauty. But if I were to offer myself willingly, would you take me right now?"
"..."
At some point, she had moved even closer. Her knees pressed into the bed, positioning her practically on his lap, so near that he could feel the heat radiating from her body.
The space between them had all but vanished, their proximity charged with an unspoken tension — all while Radomira still slept soundly behind him, oblivious to it all. Archer's eyes had widened at her offer, as he started to wonder whether or not the woman had been under the influence of the aphrodisiac this entire time.
But the clarity in her eyes proved that she was in complete control of her actions.
"Or is it that I am not enough? It makes sense; humans tend to be greedy regardless of their goals and ambitions. Perhaps you also want my loyal guard, Chloe, to satiate your lust as well. But that should not be an issue, as she will follow me regardless if it means getting on her hands and knees and servicing you with her mouth. Or maybe you want not just me but every single one of the Princess Knights as well? To have yourself a bevy of beautiful women at your beck and call? A true harem. Tell me."
Her long and flowing raven black hair that reached the floor, fell around him, forming a curtain, taking him away from the outside world.
The scent of her hair, a blend of exotic spices and night-blooming flowers, filled his senses as strands brushed against his face. All he could see was her enchanting face with her dark brown skin, her bright amber eyes, her caramel colored lips, and her peek-a-bangs that slightly covered her right eye. All of it was so mesmerizing that it felt almost as if she was casting a spell on him. Of course, he knew that this was not the case.
This was just her.
It was almost like standing in an oasis beneath the vast night sky—beautiful, intoxicating, and utterly surreal.
So he acted.
"Kya!"
Rather than sitting idly by and letting her have her way, Archer moved. In a single fluid motion, he grabbed her shoulders and reversed their positions. Now, she was the one pinned down beneath him, trapped under his firm hold against the bed. He stared down at her, suspicion flickering at her gaze. Her pure black hair fanned out against the sheets, the recent shower giving it a glossy sheen—like an obsidian halo framing her stunned face.
"You are being quite bold all of a sudden, Olga. I'm not sure what you're planning, but it is quite cute of you to believe that I would fall for such a stupid ploy." It almost felt like he was dealing with Maia's shenanigans all over again, but unlike that woman who was an open book, Olga was a different matter.
Undeterred, after a pause to collect her thoughts, Olga pressed on with her act. She locked her legs around Archer's waist, pulling him directly against her body. Their faces were inches apart as she gazed up at him with smoldering intensity.
"You think I'm joking?" she purred, her breath hot on his skin. "Come now, Archer. You know me better than that. I don't waste time on pointless games."
Her grip tightened, leaving no doubt about her intentions. To any observer, they'd appear locked in an intimate embrace. Yet Archer could see the calculated gleam in her eyes beneath the feigned desire.
"Yet you are also not someone who would be interested in having such a relationship with me." His eyes narrowed and this time Archer brought his face closer to her. He could practically feel her breath, and her his. "You should be more careful as well, there is no guarantee that I would not take you up on your offer. What would you do then? Would you just let it happen?"
"Why don't we test that theory?" Olga murmured, her gaze unwavering, daring him to take the gamble. Archer felt a flicker of unease at her sudden boldness, unsure where this newfound confidence stemmed from. Their faces hovered mere inches apart, the tension between them thick and suffocating. One small move would close the gap entirely. Olga's voice dropped to a sultry whisper, "You still haven't answered me, Archer. What's holding you back?"
Outwardly, he remained calm—his expression unreadable. But inside,his mind was racing a thousand miles a second, trying to decipher exactly what this woman was trying to achieve.
'What's going on? Olga despises men, especially human males. She has always held them responsible for her people's suffering. Not to mention the fact that whatever relationship we had was never anything close to this, and on top of that she still thinks of me as a perverted beast. She may have joked about this before, but she'd never actually go through with it—unless it was to catch me off guard. And yet… I swear I saw fear in her eyes when I pushed her down. What could have changed? What could have compelled her to take this path? There's got to be a clue… If only I could just find it.'
Recalling their prior conversation, he could not make heads and tails of it until a name came to mind.
"Celestine."
It lasted only a split second — a fleeting moment when her body and smile froze in place before she resumed her actions. But that brief hesitation was all he needed to spot the shift in her behavior, solidifying his suspicions even further.
"This has to do with her doesn't it… are you—" The more he thought about what the Dark Queen intended by taking this path and the fact that it involved the Goddess Reborn, the clearer it became. Their past rivalry made the answer obvious. "You can't be serious, this is idiotic. Are you a child?"
Her smile tightened, growing more strained, before fading altogether. In its place returned that stoic look he had grown so accustomed to seeing.
"You have no idea how shocked I was when I realized just how much Celestine loves you. And I feel like you don't even understand the extent of her obsession with you, so much so that I got to see a side of her I never knew existed— not since the day I met her." Despite him uncovering the truth, she did not push him away or let go of him. Instead, her arms intertwined behind his neck, pulling herself closer to his face till their lips were less than an inch away from one another.
"I want to find out the kind of expression she will have when I make you mine… the absolute look of despair that will be etched on her face when you choose me instead of her. Can you imagine the anguish she would experience when someone she holds dear chooses her arch-enemy? Not once had I managed to push her to such an extreme, even after slaughtering countless of her people and having my monsters defile and devore the very knights who were once the orphaned children she raised. Yet the moment I so much as suggested us being together, I truly saw something twisted in her eyes."
"You are a wicked woman."
There was a glimmer of genuine amusement that flashed before her eyes. "I like to believe it to be simple curiosity more than anything else. Also, everything I have said before is the truth."
Despite revealing her true intentions, Olga refused to let go. There was a flicker of stubbornness in her eyes, a silent defiance. He knew, without a doubt, that she was afraid of him. She could hide it all she wanted, but the slight tremors in her body betrayed her. He could feel her shaking with every passing second of their interaction. Perhaps this was another reason why she was pushing things this far—to confront that fear, tame it, and prove herself she could.
Neither one of them said anything for the next few moments. And slowly, she tried to pull him closer, their lips connecting.
The entire time, the third person in the room remained blissfully oblivious of everything happening around her. Occasionally, her face twisted in slight discomfort at the sound of their voices, but she simply burrowed deeper into her pillow. At some point, her hair had shifted back from orchid to magenta.
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(A few hours later)
As nightfall descended upon the kingdom, the atmosphere inside the castle grew heavy. In the main throne room, the Princess Knights had all gathered in unison, accompanied by a handful of Knights who lined the hallway. Archer entered last, having been summoned to take part…Yet, as his gaze swept the room, Olga's presence was nowhere in sight.
"You're here!" Celestine's eyes practically sparkled at his arrival. Her behavior was no longer restrained, no longer hidden—like that of a lovesick teenage girl, oblivious to the stares of those around her, even amongst her fellow Princess Knights. Before he even realized it, she had abandoned her throne, closing the distance between them in an instant. Her arms were now wrapped around him, burying her face into his chest as if she had been waiting for this moment. "I hope you are well and uninjured, Prim told me how you saved her. Thank you for keeping her and everyone else here safe."
It was genuine gratitude, not an act or a façade—Celestine, the goddess reborn, had laid bare her true feelings around him. Not that he had hidden any information to her about what Radomira had done, but she still insisted that he also deserved recognition.
"It's fine. I figured I should be present here, given who we are dealing with." He hesitated for a moment, but after a brief internal debate, he slowly patted Celestine's back. The simple gesture made her tighten her embrace, pressing herself even closer against him. By now, he had grown accustomed to the amount of times she hugged him whenever they saw each other. Still, he wished that her chest wouldn't sink into him so softly. Or that the only thing separating their bodies wasn't just a set of barely-there white ribbons hiding her crotch. He also wouldn't have minded if she let go a bit quicker, considering the many glances being thrown their way —ranging from amused smirks to outright jealousy. And it wasn't hard to figure out where that last one came from.
"Sorry I couldn't come see you sooner, I had to…. heal those who were injured in the attack." There was a hint of something in her voice—regret, perhaps? Discontent? But before he could dwell on it, she finally released him. Almost immediately, another person stepped forward to take her place..
"Serafina," he greeted. Unlike her sister, she just smiled and gave him a nod. As their eyes met, his thoughts began racing a thousand miles a second, swirling with questions, memories, and things left unsaid.
He couldn't ignore the fact that she was completely still naked; at least the other girls had some level of self-awareness when it came to their appearance and wore something 'That's… definitely not a thought I ever expected to have.'
It was as if she was completely unbothered by it, or unaware of the problem at all. Yet, he recalled how squeamish she had been when her sister made advances towards him, proving she wasn't entirely immune to embarrassment. Maybe it had something to do with her being an elf, disconnected from the customs of the current era. It was possible that the culture of the elves was once so foreign to the outside world that they never saw the need or the purpose of wearing clothes in the first place.
Just speculation on his part.
Anna, at least, wore enough clothing that he didn't consider it an issue.She had been here long enough to understand the norms, or so he thought. Oddly enough, the woman who wore the most clothes was the one who terrified him the most in this particular regard. Celestine, like her fellow Princess Knights, followed the same strange custom of wearing less to distract monsters, but Serafina? She had barely arrived in this kingdom long enough to get the lay of the land.
Of course, his thoughts were merely a distraction, a way to maintain his focus as he faced the unclad woman before him. She was so striking, so otherworldly that she might as well have been a painting. Her long blonde hair, cascading to the floor, flowed like a stream, with strands partially veiling her body. Yet, the delicate coverage could only do so much, leaving Archer to take in every detail—from her curvaceous figure to her strangely pristine, pale skin. As she continued walking towards him, even more of her was revealed…
"—!"
… A shiver ran through his body as the woman holding him suddenly tightened her grip and became eerily still, almost as if she had noticed—no, felt—his reaction to her sister. In that moment, any lingering thoughts on the matter evaporated from his mind. Despite being wrapped in the arms of a woman who wore nothing but thin ribbons—herself nearly as exposed as the other—he suddenly found himself far more preoccupied with the tension that now hung between them.
"I hope you have gotten enough rest. If you still suffer from any side effects from the aphrodisiac fog then please let me know, and I will come over to cleanse you." She offered those words with a kind smile, her intentions nothing but pure.
"There is no need for that, sister." Celestine finally stepped away from Archer, turning to Serafina with a smile, one that mirrored the warmth she had shown him, yet carried a noticeable strain. "I am perfectly capable of tending to any injuries that Archer may have."
Serafina's brow furrowed in confusion as she glanced between her sister and Archer. "Are you certain? I don't mean to overstep, but healing is my specialty. Your foresight is invaluable, sister, but perhaps we could combine our strengths here?"
Her logic was sound. Archer had firsthand experience with both sisters' abilities. Celestine's energy had amplified his magecraft beyond its usual limits, though not without consequences. Serafina, on the other hand, had mended his battered body after the brutal fight with Draco, leaving him refreshed and pain-free by morning.
The contrast in their powers was stark. He needed the power of foresight to locate his foe, but that meant nothing if he wasn't in fighting condition. Now, it seemed he had found an ally just as capable as Olga. While Celestine's aid came with a price, Serafina's healing touch worked near miracles. The difference was undeniable, but Archer found himself caught between the two, unsure how to navigate this unexpected tension brewing between them.
"That's not true!" Celestine insisted, seemingly nervous at first but finally getting enough courage to continue what she wanted to say. "I know you are aware that I have an ability just as suited for Archer. If something were to happen to him then I can use my brea—" Before she could finish, Serafina's hand shot forward, swiftly covering her mouth and silencing her before the rest of the words could escape..
Archer was surprised by her actions and wondered just what Celestine was about to say.
"You should never mention that, sister. No matter who it is or how much you trust them, that secret is only to be shared amongst ourselves and no one else." Serafina, who was usually quite silent-spoken and held a gentle demeanor revealed a different side of her personality. There was a clear amount of anxiety, unwillingness, and strangely enough, embarrassment within her eyes.
This sudden shift even caught Celestine off guard. Her eyes widened for a moment before realization dawned on her. Slowly, she calmed down, her shoulders slumping slightly as the weight of her mistake settled in. A silence stretched between them, and for a few seconds, she looked as though she had truly stepped over the line, and had deserved a scolding.
"... I understand. I really do, but if something were to happen to him, you would not be able to stop me, it's the only way."
Lovingly, Serafina caressed Celestine's face, Her behavior was almost motherly to anyone watching. "That is why I wish to be present and make sure to use my powers to keep him safe. To make sure it never reaches that point. I am doing this not only to protect him but you as well."
A silent conversation passed between them, one he had no part in but could clearly sense. Whatever power Celestine possessed, it was enough to make her usually composed sister react so strongly. Archer decided it was best not to meddle. If merely mentioning it caused this much tension, there was no telling what revealing more could lead to. Still, from the way Celestine had framed it, he could only infer that it was some form of advanced healing magic—or perhaps even a ritual of some kind..
"Archer, glad to see you could make it." Now that the two had separated from him, Maia approached him with Alicia close behind. "You should have seen how chaotic it was back there. Both Alicia and I almost got swarmed by horny zombies! I'm pretty sure a couple of them managed to cop a feel of my ass and tits, even Alicia was not spared from their groping."
"Maia!" the blonde exclaimed to her with an expression of disbelief.
"What? It's the truth." She answered with an unbothered tone, even finding the blonde's reaction quite amusing. "In any case, this little firecracker over here wanted to say something to you but did not have the guts to do it. I got tired of it and brought her here, so don't start a fight."
Alicia looked a second away whispering curses for a bit, while stopping herself from starting a fight with Maia. Frankly with Claudia present, she did not dare to act loudly and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry about what happened last time, I was out of line and… and… "Whatever was about to come out of her mouth remained stuck at the tip of her tongue, a heavy blush spread across her face and she could not even look at him in the eyes anymore.
Archer smirked, deciding he would help her along. "So you're not planning to have me be loyal by forcing yourself on me like be—"
"Aaaaaah! Enough of your nonsense! We should get this hearing started. I have to return to handle some work later!" She quickly left, her face having turned red like a tomato and further worsening, especially when Maia called out to her asking what he meant by that.
But as Alicia pointed out, they needed to get started—soon, everything would be set in motion.
"So what should I ask about first, how you liked the feel or how you liked the view?" Maia teased, an amused twinkle in her eyes.
"Please don't start Maia, even you of all people have got to admit that she can't just walk around that way." He replied.
"I guess that's fair, honestly I can't think of any man who wouldn't have reacted the way you did. Staring at someone like that would blast anyone straight into puberty…I mean Woowza. Still stung though, I wish you'd reacted to looking at me like that instead when you came in."
He raised an eyebrow, "I don't see what you mean by that, I do smile and make the same faces just like everyone else. You make it sound like my face is stuck in a constant state of frowning."
"Is it not?" Maia sarcastically answered before continuing her wisecracking. "Ah the pain, the snarky attitude hurts, it feels like I'm losing faith in my feminine charms, how will I be able to finally claim you and take you to bed…oh wait."
Her laugh echoed in the hallway along with Archer's chuckle and both afterwards entered a comfortable silence for a bit. They moved to the corner of the throne room to rest their backs on the wall.
Watching Alicia and the other Princess Knights order knights to proceed with bringing them the topic of discussion in question, and anything else they needed. Now that he was here, there was nothing stopping them from beginning. Archer was the first one to break the silence. "How come you're not working like the other Princesses? Are you slacking off? You've been here for quite a long time, I'm afraid to think about Ken's current state. Might be pure anarchy at this point."
"For your information, I left Ken in the hands of a group of trusted advisors and old friends. They know how to temporarily run the place while I'm gone and no, they won't be usurping me any time soon. Those dickheads are too lazy for that, especially with everything that happened lately. Also, while I'm over here, I help out Prim with paperwork wherever I can, it's not like I sit in my room drinking all day…"
"Seriously, someone's aiming for some big praise, good job."
"Hehehe, praise me more~!"
She began to skip deeper behind the pillar with a smug grin on her face. He followed and at this point no one could see them. Archer then decided to be the one who let out the elephant in the room.
"Maia, I know that a lot of stuff has happened, but I'm glad you're okay."
She paused, a trace of red creeping to her cheeks, and then proceeded to grin in that order. "Well ditto for you, shucks, warms my heart to know you were thinking of little ol me. Heck you're making me fall for you even more."
He paused and acquired a frown, things could have gone sideways so fast, he'd already hurt her enough, but he had to press on, he knew that this was important. "Are you ready for what's about to happen?"
She looked straight at him. "What do you mean?"
"What's about to happen here will most likely show you things you've had difficulty coming to terms with since…"
"Oh that." The redhead turned away, facing the throne room uninterested, waving her hand at him. "I'll admit that's the last thing I wanted to be true, but if I really am going to prove to you how I feel… and be a better Princess Knight then I've got to stop turning my head away and just face it. I've always been hard headed."
Maia looked down for a second, then raised her face displaying a look of pure resolve.
"You really have been helping me out more than I ever realized, all the way back when you exposed a certain massive corruption scandal in my own kingdom…no it was even before that when you tried to warn me how my tendency to raise the ones I love on a pedestal make me unable to see the wrong in what they were doing. Over and over you showed me proof of things that I didn't want to know, but needed to. Heck this whole experience has let me know I really dropped the ball when I became a Princess Knight and have caused quite a lot of trouble for everyone around me."
No one noticed their conversation—everyone was too caught up in their own tasks. Hidden from sight, their exchange went completely unnoticed. It helped that they were speaking much quieter and more subdued than usual, their words slipping between them like a secret meant for no one else to hear.
"You were pretty blinded by love back then." He said, recalling how the girl was practically head over heels for Vault and let his influence freely permeate Ken.
"Aaaah, you don't need to bring that up again!" Shame and embarrassment crossed her face. I learned my lesson, what needed to happen, needed to happen… Still though, even if they were in the wrong they were my family."
Maia balled her fists so hard he could see blood.
"If they had fallen off I always thought I could knock some sense into them, but maybe I just didn't want them to hate me. I didn't want to know them as…that. Once upon a time they were all I had, heck a part of me was hurt when Hick's started hanging out more with the Kuroinu than with me. I don't think he even realised what was happening, but Vault's entourage would pull him away and they would start talking about things in hushed conversations — I didn't know what."
"..."
"Those guys had a gleam in their eyes though that even unsettled me, especially when Hick's started to get it too. I noticed but… no, the truth is that I pretended not to notice, I didn't want to have my worst fears confirmed. To be honest, Hick's is the reason I'm still alive, he looked after me when I was nothing but a slum girl who probably wouldn't have made it the next day. Though finally, if I'm being fully honest, he wasn't the only one at fault at that time. All I could think about was him…about Vault…"
Archer didn't say anything, waiting for her to continue.
Maia turned to look at him with a smile and a few tears rolling down her eyes. "It really is hard to believe that the people that were so important to you, meant to harm you in the worst way possible."
Archer bit his lip and thought deeply about her words, he knew what had to be done, but that didn't change how much it hurt — that was the last thing he wanted to do.
"Maybe what snapped me out of it was falling in love with another man who told me to stop relying on him and start looking at things clearly—to take my job seriously. Perhaps, in response to that and everything that's about to happen, I tried to do just that, so I could hopefully find that not all of them were bad people. To see the truth with my own eyes… the good and the ugly. Are you disappointed?"
Archer was taken by surprise, taking a few seconds to digest those words. Crossing his arms with a hum coming out of his throat. "Why would I be? There is no fault in that if you are willing to uncover the truth with an open mind, that's what should matter."
He answered calmly as Maia wiped the tears from her face and gave it a good hard smack. She then started walking to her place among the other Princess Knights. "Watch me, this time, I won't look away. I've made this my personal mission."
Archer watched her back as she left, for a brief moment he pictured the version of Maia he met in Grünes next to the current one.
She definitely changed a lot in such a short amount of time. Now, he put these thoughts at the back of his mind. For he was called to witness and see how the Princess Knights would handle this affair.
Judging Beardsley.
"Bring him in," Claudia commanded and soon, the doors opened, several knights walking in holding chains all linked to a single person.
Dressed in nothing but rags, his disheveled hair and battered appearance made it hard to believe he was once the esteemed advisor to the Arcturus family. he dignity and respect he once commanded had long since faded, leaving behind nothing but a pitiful old man, his face marred with bruises and cuts. This was only the second time he met the man face to face, yet Archer couldn't help but find it funny how this person alone nearly led this Kingdom to ruins. He was brought to the center of the hallway before the next word was said.
"Beardsley," the first to speak, was none other than Claudia. A frown was present on her face as she addressed the former ally now turned traitor. "For your actions — not only betraying Eostia and its people… but conspiring to lay waste to the land and poisoning one of the Princess Knights — you have been brought here to face judgment."
Her tone was absolute, leaving no room for argument or interruption. The weight of her words settled over the room, and everyone reacted differently to the revelation. Those who had no personal ties to the old man like Luu-Luu, Kaguya, and Maia were mostly just waiting for his punishment to be announced.
Whilst for those the likes of Alicia, she showed an expression filled with pain, the discovery of someone she so trusted turned out to be a traitor who was responsible for her state a while ago.
Archer noticed Prim not being as saddened or hurt as her cousin. That was strange, was she not close to the old man? He couldn't tell. He thought there was a time where they worked together.
"For not only conspiring against us but also sharing dangerous drugs to… to the late Levantine head and many other people, what do you have to say in your defense?"
Honestly, Archer expected the entire process to end quickly with Beardsley being given very few opportunities to defend himself. It reminded him of the first time he arrived in Feoh and was looked down upon by many of the ones currently here.
"What's the point of trying to defend myself when all of you have already condemned me for something I did not do!" Archer raised an eyebrow at the man's words. Denying his involvement in the mess, especially after being caught red-handed, was not a smart move.
And finally enough, the old man instantly turned his attention towards him.
"You want to blame someone? Then that's your target! I have served this kingdom and the Church of Lucross for decades! From Alicia's father and to even her grandfather, I have served them all loyally and never once committed such an act. You have all accused me of being tricked by this impostor!" He moved around frantically, the chains rattling loudly, but his restraints kept him from making any real move. His words moved very few among the Princess Knights, but a few did show uncertainty on their faces.
"He is the one who brought the Dark Queen within our territory and even killed Vault himself! Don't you see his plan is to destroy us all from the inside!?"
He was shouting relentlessly, throwing every accusation and bit of blame his way. Archer listened as the man screamed at the top of his lungs, everything from him being a spy of Olga all the way to him using charm magic to brainwash those currently present.
"You are out of your mind," he remarked. Noticing that the rest of the room had remained silent, either unwilling or uninterested in engaging with the man's outburst, he took it upon himself to speak. "From what Brynn gathered, a few locals just happened to spot a few of your troops near the entrance of the sewers before the explosion." His words were calm, but their weight was undeniable.
"Again with your lies!" Beardsley retorted angrily. His chains rattled with his movements, but his voice carried the desperation of a man grasping at whatever straws remained. "Where is your proof? Are you going to now claim that you or one of your confidants have seen me in the underground tunnels? Even if my men were there, they were only conducting routine checks to keep the kingdom safe from outside threats! I am the one keeping this kingdom afloat for decades!"
Archer had to admit; at least the old man had an active imagination to come up with these statements without so much as flinching. Spoken with such conviction that it even impressed him.
"Who the hell do you think you even are? You appeared out of nowhere, with no past, nor history or connections, but the first thing you do is worm your way into the Princess Knights' good graces. If you are not allied with the Dark Queen, then you are a spy sent by one of the kingdoms beyond our borders." He continued his storm of accusations against Archer, having spoken non-stop for ten minutes that even Luu-Luu started to yawn. "Alicia-sama, surely you will not believe such accusations? I have been by your side since you were a small child, you know me better than anyone, I do not have an evil bone within me!"
Strangely enough, he did not beg Prim for support. Instead, he directed all his pleas to Alicia instead. Unfortunately for Beardsley, he had completely misread the room and what the people here genuinely believed. Rather than offering him even a shred of support, Alicia clenched her fists at her side, her knuckles turning white. When she finally spoke, her voice was barely audible inside the throne room.
"Enough… Beardsley… lying to us will not serve you any good anymore. If you are not responsible for this, then why… why…WHY did you have chocolates laced with aphrodisiacs in your office?"
"I didn't know about the aphrodisiacs within them! In the name of all that is holy, I had no knowledge of what was inside them. You know how many gifts I receive from nobles and peasants, Alicia. I know that you like chocolates so I had intended for those to be a gift for you, but I would never have given them to you knowing what was inside them! Someone must have spiked them! I am being framed here! I AM INNOCENT!" He tried again, almost begging before everyone, especially Alicia, yet no one else had much of a reaction to his plea.
Alicia did not say anything, turning her attention to Claudia and then Celestine. There was an ongoing conflict going on within her heart, and the young girl could not trust herself to judge the man who was almost like a father to her.
"That is enough, Beardsley." Finally, Celestine spoke with a tone similar to Claudia's. "You have been lying to the Seven Kingdoms and more importantly the Arcturus family. As for proof, we have this."
Seeing Celestine retrieve an orb he recognized Olga used during the night of Grave's assassination, Archer was surprised she had this in her possession. 'Did Olga give it to her at some point.' The Princess Knights were curious as to what it was, but their questions were soon answered when magical energy began emanating from the orb, and the very next second they heard the familiar voice of Grave Levantine speaking from it.
As the recording played, Archer's brow furrowed. While he mentioned Beardsley's involvement making it clear, he noticed conspicuous gaps in the conversation. The orb seemed to focus solely on the advisor's misdeeds, omitting other potentially relevant details.
"W-When was this taken…" Claudia asked, the death of her father-in-law still haunted her, yet now, hearing Grave's confession that all happened without her knowledge rattled her. But Celestine did not answer her question and continued to focus on the detained old man in front of her.
Beardsley's face quickly turned pale white when he heard the conversation that was recorded, "N-No… this… this cannot be! This is a mistake, Celestine-sama! It is a fabrication! Someone is trying to frame me!"
She narrowed her eyes, "There is no point in lying, Beardsley. Even if we did not possess this, I could still use my powers to go through your memories and find out the truth myself, don't tempt me on doing so. We know you were behind this. How could you do this to us…"
"I always knew this man was a real shrew," Maia commented, wanting to throw her own two cents into the matter, she made a single hand gesture and a knight under her command brought her some papers that she showed to everyone. "My men and knights searched your place earlier this morning and they found a few interesting things. From a hidden entrance leading to the tunnel to several documents of transactions, you had recently with Grave and the Mortadella brothers all with your signature. It just so happens that they had signs of being burnt, but the explosions that caused the earthquakes also doused them, leaving them intact enough to make out what they said. Imagine my surprise when I found them scouring that tunnel. Doesn't help that you disappeared the same day Alicia was drugged, who afterwards proceeded to mouth-rape Kaguya over there."
"No need to go into such details, Maia," Kaguya warned the redhead, only getting a cheeky grin in return. She shook her head, and then asked. "May we see these documents." Maia nodded and gave them to Kaguya who divided them among the Princess Knights. When Alicia read them she was distraught.
"Anyways, you obviously tried to hide your tracks, but you're not that good at it given it was obviously all done hastily. We even captured some of the men involved, and when we told them their charges for almost destroying this kingdom they all confessed about working under YOUR command. That it was you who ordered the moving of several crates of that aphrodisiac within the tunnels. Add the fact that the explosions were discovered to have occurred in the tunnels from eye witness accounts and residue left there. Tunnels where we found these documents hastily destroyed as if someone was trying to conceal evidence involving transactions of aphrodisiacs with your name on it. Tunnels that led into your quarters, something that not even Alicia knew about, and let's not forget that when the kingdom was attacked, Prim and several knights had caught you at the exit of said tunnels leaving the kingdom almost as if you were fleeing the scene instead of providing aid. If all of this is accurate then…"
"…THEN THAT ALL PAINTS QUITE THE GUILTY PICTURE!"
"N-No… no!" Faced with such overwhelming evidence, despair crept into the old man's eyes. Archer watched as he struggled to conjure another lie, another desperate attempt to twist the situation in his favor. Slowly the realization sinked in, his fate had long been sealed. He collapsed on his knees, covered his face, and screamed. "No! I can't accept this! I CAN'T ACCEPT THIS! You are all making a mistake!"
"Oh is that so, well then let's ignore that our queen bee can read your mind, and if you really want to deny it more I can bring your men here to confess under the condition of a lesser sentence." Maia finished, fully nailing in Beardsley's coffin leaving him no avenue to lie his way out.
The site was truly pitiful, despite having not spoken much in this trial, Archer truly felt that he did not even need to be present for this situation. Perhaps only to make sure that none of them would make a stupid decision and somehow allow this man to be set free. To be honest he was impressed and proud that Maia had covered all her bases.
'You've grown, Maia.'
"Why did you do it, Beardsley?" Alicia asked again, her voice shaking as she walked closer. "I trusted you, Prim trusted you and so did everyone else here. Why did you turn your back against us? I have never treated you unfairly before!"
"..."
There were practically tears streaming down her face, for the confident Princess Knight had turned into a fragile girl when confronting the man before her.
"...Come again?"
"...?"
"... Fair? Do you truly believe that, Alicia?" What felt like an eternity quickly came to pass and the old man started to talk. His voice was low, laced with defeat and seething anger. Slowly, he pulled his hands away from his face, and began to rise, his chains clattering with the movement. When he lifted his head, his expression was one of unfiltered rage. "You are nothing more than a child, handed a position of power you couldn't possibly handle! Proud, naive, and a fool who by the way, were it not for me would have long since driven this place to ruin! I AM the one who kept this place afloat! I AM the one who turned this previously war-torn territory into the beauty you see today! And you? You did NOTHING but exist — and yet you stole the attention of everyone around you!"
Alicia, along with several others in the room couldn't help but recoil at his outburst. Instinctively, she and a few others took a step back, startled by the raw intensity in his voice. It was clear the man had abandoned all pretense of defense, choosing instead to bare his unfiltered thoughts for all to hear. But what unsettled them most wasn't his words. It was his eyes.
A new, eerie gleam flickered within them—something dark, something unnatural. It made the air feel heavier, and made stomachs turn. Yet, despite the unease settling over the room, Maia and a few others held their ground, meeting his gaze without flinching
.
"Other than your body, what worth do you have!? After your father Eos's death, this place should have been mine! I would have become its ruler! Yet Celestine just had to intervene and give you the authority and the people's veneration! Vault was right, this is not the country I had dreamed of achieving! I only wished that his plans had come to fruition back then. A perfect paradise, you would have gained the only role that would have suited you and you would have been the best at, a fuckable toy whose good looks would finally be put to good use."
In the end of it all, he let out a ragged breath, regaining his composure after releasing everything he'd kept bottled up.
Though Archer had a few things to say, "Again with that cuntry nonsense. Did you truly think that turning this place into a glorified brothel kingdom would have made it a paradise?" There had to be someone on Vault's side who must have found this entire situation ridiculous. Archer just refused to believe that every single one of them thought this was a good idea.
Though if there was a silver lining in all of it, it was Beardsley's public confession of Vault's true intentions. Now, even those who had doubted him—those who refused to believe he had defeated the Kuroinu to save Eostia or dismissed Olga's words due to their millennia-long conflict—would have no choice but to listen. They could no longer ignore the truth staring them in the face.
Beardsley was a guilty man who had nothing left to defend, and after what he'd done to Feoh, every connection he had would be scrutinized down to the last detail. He took a glance at Maia to judge her reaction, and she was staring straight as if to make sure she saw what was happening.
Beardsley scoffed at him. "As if you'd know anything about living. You're nothing more than a chained servant tasked to not only babysit an incompetent fool but to follow the orders of that very fool of a woman who doesn't know what she's doing."
Archer did not miss the irony of those words, but he preferred letting the fool dig a bigger hole for himself. "Wasn't it your duty to make sure said women would know what she was doing. You took advantage based on what I've seen to make sure you would get your way."
"Women were NOT meant to rule, this duty solely belonged to us from the beginning and this so-called goddess came out of nowhere and took away what was rightfully ours!" There was a large amount of venom pointed towards Celestine who remained calm while Serafina was trying to comfort her sister even though she didn't need it.
"Your kingdom would have fallen in a matter of days, you idiot," Archer muttered, rubbing his temples. "Also, fake Goddess? I suppose you are also allied with the Beast."
"B-Beast? How…" The old man was not expecting them to even be aware of who Draco was in the first place.
"In the end, you are no different to the others. Clustering together in hopes of achieving a foolish dream, one that would not have lasted more than a few years before getting destroyed by the surrounding kingdoms. You truly are a pitiful being. I suppose you are also behind almost raping Alicia from a few years in the past as well." he had remembered the story Prim mentioned and was curious about this man's involvement in it, but from the sounds of it he was most likely the one behind it as well.
"Heheheheh…HahahahahEHAHAHAHAHAHAHA…."
Yet, instead of responding, Beardsley burst into manic laughter. His voice rang through the throne room, echoing for what felt like an eternity. No one spoke. No one dared to interrupt. The laughter went on and on, only fading when he was forced to stop and catch his breath.+.
"You think I am the one responsible for THAT? What a joke! Let me tell you something, the one who you should be worried about is not me or Vault's remaining allies but rather those amongst your group!" He turned his gaze towards Prim and grinned widely. "What kind of joke is this, I am forced to be pushed into such a situation while she remains completely free. She's nothing more than a worthless bitch who wants to fuck her own cousin—urgh!"
His words faltered, and slowly, he looked down. A blade had pierced straight through his chest, its tip jutting out from his back. Blood dripped onto the cold floor, each drop echoing in the stunned silence. He gasped, struggling for breath, and weakly lifted his head, following the blade to the one holding it — Alicia..
She had moved faster than most could react. Even Archer, sharp as he was, was a bit perturbed by her movements — it was instantaneous, almost unnatural. It felt like back then when she attempted to assault him. But this time… this time was different. Was it possible that her emotions fueled her speed? The pain in her expression had vanished, replaced by sheer rage and disgust as she glared down at the man before her.
"This will be the last time you EVER say her name through that filthy mouth of yours," Alicia spat, ripping the sword tightly. A slight tremor ran through her hands as the reality of her actions set in. She had acted on instinct. She had struck without thinking. "I trusted you… I-I trusted you…"
Beardsley's body trembled as his life slipped away, his desperation clawing at the last threads of existence. "N-No… this… not like this…"
He clutched at his wound, but the bleeding wouldn't stop. His strength drained from him, bit by bit, until finally, his body crumpled to the ground, like a puppet with its strings severed. The entire throne room fell into a heavy silence. Nothing remained but the soft, broken whimpers of Alicia..
Though the outcome had played out differently than he had imagined, at least he didn't have to take the same kind of approach against Beardsley as he did with Grave.
No one spoke. No one moved. The only sound was the soft drip, drip of blood falling from the tip of Alicia's rapier, staining the floor beneath her.
{Break}
Deep within the lower depths of the Kingdom of Feoh lay a labyrinth of abandoned alleyways, twisting and leading to nowhere. Tattered remains of decrepit tents clung to the shadows, scattered among the forgotten belongings of those who once sought refuge there.
Living amongst filth and the stench of decay permeating through the area was enough to make even someone's nose burn and eyes water. This was a place utterly forsaken—one where no knight or guard would bother to pass through, let alone patrol.
A small, lawless enclave where only the rats thrived, alongside those who scraped by at the very bottom of society. Even the recent fire that had ravaged much of the lower districts failed to reach this forsaken place. Some called it a miracle—though others jested that not even calamity itself cared enough to erase such a stain.
A shadowy figure emerged from the darkness, their features obscured by a heavy cloak. The only thing betraying their identity was a voice - distinctly female, with an edge of steel that matched the massive sword strapped to their back. The weapon bore an uncanny resemblance to the one once wielded by the Black Dogs' leader, yet it seemed to weigh nothing as the woman moved with fluid grace.
"What's the situation?" she demanded, allowing no room for argument.
"Things have been getting more chaotic every passing day. Feels like with every step I take, I'm inches away from setting off a bomb," came the reply." Standing before her was another cloaked figure, though from his voice, it was clear he was a man. Unlike her, he didn't seem too concerned with hiding his identity—within seconds, he pulled back his hood, revealing the face of a middle-aged man. "We are walking through streets coated in shit and piss, couldn't you have picked a better place for this conversation?"
"Funny you mention explosions," she scoffed, folding her arms across her rather sizable chest from under the cloak. "Word is, there was a big one not too long ago. I need details, every last scrap. Can't have some other band of mercenaries swooping in and snatching my kill. You follow, Bal?"
At that, the man sighed — a clear mix of remorse and disapproval at her last remark. His reaction earned a chuckle from the woman before him, a low, amused sound that caused her cloak to shift slightly. For a brief moment, the fabric loosened just enough to reveal a glimpse of her upper chest—along with a necklace resting against her skin..
That which bore a significant resemblance to the infamous Kuroinu tag, except this one was white instead of black and its design leaned more toward the likeness of a wolf rather than a hound.
"I know how you are with important clients like these. But you can't just act irrationally or stir up trouble like you did in Fullstar or Sangria. Those kingdoms are nothing like the one we are in now — especially Feoh." Speaking in a hushed tone, he constantly glanced over his shoulder, scanning at every corner just to be sure they were not being eavesdropped on.
"Oh please, stop being such a coward!" The woman exclaimed in clear irritation whilst also smacking Bal's head with a fist covered in bandages. "No one is going to be interested in listening to the conversation of a few nobodies like us when the entire place is recovering from all that chaos. Do you not see how even the Knights are more preoccupied with cleaning the place up rather than protecting its streets? I'm pretty sure I saw some people still affected by that dark magic attack fucking some poor sod in the sewer entrance. It was pretty gross."
Without warning, her other arm moved fast enough to become a blur, and the next moment it was holding onto the hand of a small boy who had sneakily tried to get behind her.
"Ah! L-Let me go!"
"See? Even these little brats are getting more confident with their little tricks!"
The commotion from the boy struggling to free himself from her grip, paired with the woman's amused chuckle at his futile efforts, only made the middle-aged man's stress mount further. His expression tightened as he hissed under his breath.. "Stop it, Leona! You're attracting too much attention!"
"Tch, fine, fine." At his words, Leona finally stopped messing with the boy—only to switch tactics. Letting go of his arm, she instead grabbed him by the collar and effortlessly lifted him off the ground, bringing him eye to eye with her.. "Hey, kid. Didn't your parents ever teach you that stealing is bad? Had you been caught in some of the other places I've been in, they would've chopped your arms off long before you even thought to beg for mercy."
"N-No!" The boy panicked and started to cry as tears and snot streamed down his face. His entire body trembled, wracked with fear, yet no matter how much he squirmed, he couldn't break free from her grip.
"H-Hey, stop crying! I was just trying to give you some advice! I wasn't seriously going to cut your hands off or anything stupid like that, so quit your blubbering!" Leona's prior smirk disappeared and she quickly grew helpless. With no choice, and much to the dismay of her partner, she pulled back her hood which immediately made the boy go completely silent.
Her sun-kissed skin gleamed with an otherworldly perfection, untouched by even the faintest imperfection or scar, its golden hue seeming to glow faintly even in the dim shadows of the alley — smooth and supple, it invited the eye to linger. Her striking amber eyes, sharp and confident, held a predatory allure, glowing faintly like molten gold in the low light. Followed by a cascade of wild white hair, impossibly fine yet thick, flowing down her back.
(Image)
But what truly demanded attention was the wolf ears perched atop her head, their soft fur twitching ever so slightly in response to the faintest of sounds.
The boy along with a few curious eyes in the background stared at her with shock and awe, yet those whose gazes turned a darker glint were quickly averted when she glared back at them. Her hands slowly reached for the sword forcing all to quickly scurry away like cockroaches into the darkness.
"Anyways, you haven't answered my question, kid."
Pulled back from his gawking with her commanding tone, the boy still shook slightly but managed to utter a few words. "My… my mother died… I don't have money to eat." He said in a faint whisper.
A fleeting moment of empathy flashed within her eyes but soon disappeared with no trace of it left. "Oh, I suppose it's because of the fire or…"
He shook his head and hesitated, "No… it's… it's because… s-she told me she loved me and to live, then put me in the closet a-and told me to keep my eyes s-shut and cover my ears…" The more he tried to say it, the more obvious it became to Leona what happened. How couldn't she, the stories she heard from locals about people turning into ravenous rapists and pillaging the streets were plentiful.
Most likely the mother wanted to protect her kid and offered herself, getting raped with the kid most likely witnessing the tragedy first hand, given the horror that lingered on his face. The sight before her made the mercenary leader ponder on her next course of action. "Here, take it, you'll need it more than me from now on."
With a softened heart, she grabbed the pouch on her belt with a handful of coins and then tossed it at the boy. Her actions shocked him for a moment, but he accepted and opened it nonetheless. "G-Gold?" Staring at the small pile in his hand, he just did not know what to do at that moment.
"Now scram kid, we adults need to talk privately. Next time you get caught stealing, they won't be as nice as I was." She turned her gaze away but the seven-year-old boy continued to stare at her with awe for a while longer till he finally left.
"That was surprisingly nice of you." Bal felt the need to point it out, having calmed down after the attention on them lessened despite Leona no longer hiding her face. It became obvious that no one had recognized her or maybe preferred not to get involved, seeing as how she had the appearance of a veteran who could kick their ass with both eyes shut.
"Want me to punch your lights out? You've gotten pretty cocky after leaving the White Wolves, now look at you getting all high and mighty as a spy. Hope the pay is worth it."
"It's better than risking my life every day against the forces of the Dark Queen and the Kuroinu." He answered swiftly as if he knew she would mention it. "Then again, the Kuroinu are no longer a thing."
"..."
A complicated expression appeared on Leona's face, the woman who had been a mercenary since she was a child. Sharing a similar story to a certain Queen of Mercenaries but being more active in regions occupied by beastmen rather than humans. "It's still hard to believe. Vault was not an easy guy to take down. I heard a lot about him and how much of a juggernaut he was on the battlefield."
"People were comparing you two constantly, there are many similarities."
At that, she scoffed, "Humph, my sword is far bigger than the one he carries." She exclaimed, tapping the giant slab of steel on her back. "A couple of swings with this and no weapon in Eostia will last before breaking. Even those made by that halfling Princess Knight up north."
"I doubt any person other than an ogre or demon is even capable of swinging that thing around like you, Leona." Bal said with a bitter smile, "Unless it's a Princess Knight, I heard the one known as Claudia is quite strong."
She shrugged, "Perhaps! Regardless, I am not here to fight any of the Princess Knights. Give me the information I want, Bal, I can't stay here for too long. Not when this place is going to get conquered by one of the surrounding kingdoms soon."
"Very well. In any case, our target has not been spotted anytime recently. Nothing, not even a rumor about her has spread in the underground. Are you sure she's here and well… not dead like the rest of the Kuroinu? Why did you even agree to this mission? It's not something the White Wolf Mercenary Group takes. If I remember it right, you weren't fond of these kinds of missions and found them to be a waste of time."
Leona did not give an immediate answer, her fists clenching before she was forced to let out a sigh. "The client is a high-ranking slave merchant who has proposed a deal that I had a hard time saying no. According to his own words, he had asked Vault to find this woman but that man is pushing up daisies. It is in the best interest of my men and the White Wolves as a whole. I also have some grudges against that particular woman who killed a few of my guys I personally knew back in the day."
"You're doing all of this for revenge?"
"You can see it that way if you want, but at the end of the day this is a job I accepted."
Memories of the past flooded her mind, back when she was still a rookie, Even though the Dark Queen mostly waged war against the goddess Reborn and the kingdoms under her reign, there were still conflicts spreading across the neighboring areas with demons and monsters invading many lands that who were unlucky enough to be swept in the crossfire.
"If the rumors are true and the Dark Queen is indeed here, held within one of the prisons inside the castle, then so is her right-hand servant, Chloe. They're never apart, and if she is indeed hidden somewhere over there, then I will find her and take her to our client."
"Don't," Bal tried once again to convince her otherwise. "That place is heavily guarded by not just every single member of the Princess Knights but also some kind of champion."
"A champion?" That caught Leona's interest. She stopped mid-step, turning back to face her informant. "At least that's what I believe he is. Not much is known about this man and he seemingly appeared out of thin air as far as I know. But from the very start, he has always been seen in the company of the Princess Knights, from the Mercenary Queen all the way to Claudia herself. Wherever he goes, trouble isn't far behind. In one way or another, chaos seems to follow him. Some even speculate that he's connected to the Dark Queen herself—acting as her personal bodyguard."
"Is he dangerous?"
She honestly did not care about his origin nor past history. As long as she had her sword and did not fall prey to any underhanded tricks, then the likelihood of her succeeding was quite high.
"He is a human."
"A mage?"
"... Doesn't look like one, but there were mentions of swords but no quartersta—"
"Then there is nothing to worry about!" She cut him off with her tone now more at ease than before. "If he is not a mage or even a halfling then do you honestly expect I would lose to a regular human? Even if his skills are amongst the best in the kingdom, I doubt he will survive getting crushed by my sword when I am faster than him. Stop worrying so much, Bal. You're already bald enough as it is, stressing over nothing will make you lose all of it." She waved her hand whilst walking back, grabbing her hood and putting it on once more. Her features were completely hidden and her figure slowly blended into the crowd, disappearing completely soon enough.
"Just what got in your head, Leona… this is not like you at all." As a long-time member of the White Wolf mercenary group and even a friend of the woman who walked away, he knew her personality better than most people. She was arrogant but definitely not stupid, never had she taken any decision without carefully thinking about it, and never had she gone solo.
"Whatever that slaver proposed as a reward, it had better be worth it."
Regardless, there was not much he could do to change her decision. But still, he felt very worried, especially with this unknown factor appearing out of nowhere. That man had no past, his face did not match any record from all underground sources yet the Princess Knights seemed to treat him fairly well.
One of the reports even mentioned that such a possible figure had been spotted in the middle of the slums during the fire, firing some kind of spell that missed the main castle and struck the edge of the walls at the back of the kingdom, where a large portion of it was completely destroyed. It was an observation from an unknown source, which usually weren't as credible, but still, there had to be something there.
"Good luck, Leona. Hope I see you next time."
Putting on his hood, Bal went the other way around and walked further within the alleyway till his figure completely disappeared into the darkness.
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The next 5 chapters of Snafu, and my other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, A Fake Familiar Reborn with 3 chapters, Steel Eyed Faker soon to be 3 chapters, Hound having 3 and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.