The journey from the capital of Deorum Regnum, both ways, could easily take a few months. After all, there was a mountain range, a forest, and while before there was Re-Estize to greatly reduce the need to pass through the former two, now there was only an ashen wasteland with who knows what monstrosities.
Therefore, for Neia, the majestic golden carriage, along with strong steeds, being 'her' return vehicle... It was unbelievable. Literally. She couldn't believe it.
She almost asked Kelart again if what she heard was true.
"...Get in." Kelart ordered, without much further ado, before looking back at her group of paladins and nodding for them to climb onto their horses.
Of course, they weren't going to just leave like that with such a 'convoy'. They were accompanied by several Deorum Regnum soldiers on their own steeds, and those inside the carriage were...
Neia gulped, unsure if she should really go in...
W-Was this some kind of joke...? No, a dream?
It didn't make sense...
Why should she, a squire, ride in the luxurious carriage while High Priestess Kelart Custodio and other highly trained paladins had to ride on horseback...?
Of course, the answer, while somewhat strange, was obvious.
Because she was the one who got the Marble Queen to agree to send aid.
That happened literally yesterday... No, not the meeting with the queen, but the aftermath of it.
A high-ranking knight apparently entered the hotel where they were staying and had a private meeting with Kelart...
No one but Richard knew what they discussed.
So, according to what Neia knew… Actually, the help that Deorum Regnum so urgently provided… There were 12 soldiers, and who knows who was inside the carriage.
If the squire had to give this help a rating… The truth is, it was 1 out of 10…
N-Not that she was going to doubt the capabilities of soldiers who might well have been recommended and even trained by Titania herself! But...
Was this all the aid that was going to be provided to an entire country...?
Neia pursed her lips, looking down slightly. She almost felt disappointed, but... She couldn't. Even if it was only 12 soldiers, it was still better than simply leaving empty-handed. And with this carriage and escort, they could very well shave a month or two off their journey.
Asking for more would be... Apparently a lot.
It's not as if she knew about the geopolitical situation in Deorum Regnum either. Perhaps they were at war with one of the nations on the other side, or they needed to be on guard in case Komodo took advantage of the situation to directly attack the Marble Nation.
Neia had no idea, but she could at least understand that this was complicated...
At best, the aid would be gradual, meaning more and more soldiers and resources would come over time.
It's not as if liberating the entire northern Holy Kingdom was actually that easy. Of course, Neia understood that.
Well, there was no point in overthinking things…
With a sigh she quickly swallowed, she moved forward, preparing to enter the carriage…
At least she would be able to accompany whoever the commander or elite warrior Deorum Regnum commanded was…
She opened the door, and feeling somewhat uneasy and nervous, she didn't even notice when she sat down in the seat opposite two figures.
When she noticed, she froze and looked up.
And while she had already frozen, now she was practically paralyzed, her heart stopping for a moment as she blinked, completely in disbelief at what she saw.
"Hello~" Titania greeted with a small smile. So now you should understand why she stood almost like a statue watching whoever Deorum Regnum commanded…
If Neia had to reevaluate Deorum Regnum's help, it would go from 1 out of 10 to… 1000/10…
"T-Titania!?" She blurted out, almost in shock, and would have fallen face first onto the floor if she weren't already sitting down, but instead stepped back, leaning her back against the soft backrest.
"Yes~ That's my name~" The paladin blurted out with a beautiful smile at the squire. "What a way to meet, huh~?" She said in amusement.
"W-W-W-W-What are you d-doing t-…!?" Neia couldn't even speak properly, her tongue tied and unable to speak while the shock still prevented her brain from properly processing what was happening…
"Wow~ I'm almost jealous that you're making that impression~" A second voice hummed from Titania's side, and Neia quickly glanced at the woman who said that…
And she almost fainted when she saw the dark beauty she'd seen next to the damned Marble Queen a couple of days ago, Lady Nyx, looking at her with an amused smile as she sat on the edge of the wide seat.
"I just got a little recognized~" The white-haired woman giggled, scratching her cheek, before looking back at Neia. "Did you rest well, Neia~?" She asked in her beautiful, soft, reassuring voice, though the blonde was barely processing what was happening.
She could only open and close her mouth like a fish out of water, unable to figure out how to even see this situation as even remotely logical…
And in response to this brutal shock… The squire's brain only did the most reasonable thing: Shut down.
…
"...She fainted." Dont sighed, watching the blonde collapse in her seat. "I told you it wasn't a good idea to surprise her."
"Hey… I didn't know it was going to be so bad…" Black Abyss blew a droplet onto her forehead, looking from side to side at Neia, confirming that it wasn't anything more than a simple faint. "It's like she've seen God…" She murmured, measuring the girl's pulse, sighing in relief knowing that everything was correct.
"Well, it's not that far from the truth~" The Demon chuckled, wrapping her arm around Black Abyss's waist after leaning closer and placing a peck on her neck. "A cute one, though~" She hummed less seductively.
"Right~? She has Black Flower's eyes~" Black Abyss replied amusedly.
"Ah, yes… That's actually true." Dont muttered, flinching as she did when Neia gave her a glance… Her eyes were somewhat frightening, though she'd had enough training with Black Flower himself to withstand those looks… But other than that, overall, the girl was pretty, and certainly, the first impression was amusing~ Well, apart from when she saw her in the Marble Palace.
"I guess she'll be like that for an hour or so… She must have thought we sent very little help with the escort soldiers, and suddenly she sees the Deorum Regnum elite in here… Yeah, now that I think about it, it would be quite a surprise…" She muttered, scratching her cheek thoughtfully.
"Didn't you tell them we sent an army unit beforehand?" The Shooter sweat dropped.
"I had to do it…?" She asked, looking at her sideways, doubtful.
"… You told Alucard what to say." The Demon looked at the Paladin with a neutral expression.
"Ah… Tehee~ I suppose there will be another surprise~" The little dove, in response, hit her head with a hand, sticking out her tongue.
"… Did you at least tell them we're going to teleport away as soon as we leave the capital?" The busty girl sighed again, raising a hand and caressing her little dove's deliciously modest, covered breast~
"I-I told them it was going to be a quick trip…" She blurted out, blushing slightly, more from having forgotten certain things than from the touch, but also from that. "Not by teleportation, though…"
"…" Dont said nothing, just remained silent, and leaned in, placing a hard, wet kiss on Black Abyss's cheek. "Then you'll be in charge of dealing with all the surprises~ And cleaning that up before anyone sees you~" She hummed playfully, moving away from the Paladin and leaning back on the wide carriage seat, taking a book out of her inventory to ignore the big-ass girl.
"Gh…~" The Paladin blurted out, taking a handkerchief out of her pocket and rubbing it against her cheek. "Hey… Why do I feel like your lipstick is getting harder to remove…?" She mumbled, almost annoyed, but not really, since it was such a pain…
"Who knows~ It's not like we've increased the budget for the cosmetics science division~" The Demon purred, caressing her own lips while still staring at the book, but instead extending a paw and placing it on Black Abyss's lap.
Black Abyss just sighed, putting the handkerchief away and touching Dont's leg, which began to purr from the lovely massage the Paladin was giving with her soft little hands.
"Even though we're going to teleport away, there's still time for that~ So settle in~" The Paladin murmured.
"There's a little girl in front of us." Dont pointed out.
Black Abyss looked at Dont, reaching out with a finger and tapping her on the forehead.
"You and your perverse mind~ I said settle in, not that we were going to do anything~ We already did that before we came here, silly Succubus." With a pout, she blurted out.
"Your fault~ Tehee~" Dont blushed slightly, getting comfortable. "[Message]. Depart." She ordered the convoy leader. And while the movement wasn't even noticed due to the enchantments on the vehicle, they began to move.
…
"You finished the test with an hour to spare." Superbia murmured, observing the Demiurge bowing deeply in front of her.
"Yes, Lady Superbia." The Devil murmured submissively, not daring to raise his head or his voice in front of the Commander.
"What was the result?" A shadow, almost because it didn't even try to hide, exclaimed from the side. "Well, a result lower than 99 points means I must dismember him!" The Dragonoid exclaimed, staring at the Demiurge… And he really wanted to do it. After all, that summoning attacked his Creator, his mother…
"A 99." Superbia hummed, not very impressed. "I must give him credit at least. He did what few outside of Titania could do in 10 years: surpass a 1." She snorted, not very impressed.
"It's still not enough. Between 99 and 100, there's a calamitous gap. But if 'They' said 99 was fine, I'm nothing to say otherwise." Achernar sighed, almost disappointed. He really wanted to hurt him…
"I understand your annoyance, lizard." The Marble Queen snorted, although she wasn't wearing that disguise now. "But this thing has been pardoned by the Supreme Ladies, and it has been declared that we must make it useful to Titania, implement it. Its place among the ranks of the Supreme Ladies' marvelous creation is still up for debate, but it's still an invocation of the Supreme Lady Dont-Say-My-Name herself."
"I understand that. But I don't know if he understands it." He said, looking at the Demiurge, who raised his head.
"I have been stupid in the past. My infinite ignorance led me to commit sacrilege against the Supremes. But that will never happen again. Thanks to this blessed and supreme place called Titania, I have learned my place as nothing more than another piece for the Supremes to use for their future, already existing plans." He exclaimed, making sure to emphasize that it wasn't just Dont, but also Black Abyss White Flower whom he had to serve, making Superbia nod.
"Hmp. Your existence is already part of the Supremes' plan. So, in our ignorance, we wouldn't know if everything that happened was already planned. And the way things are going, with the Supremes going to the Holy Kingdom…" Achernar looked at Superbia, who smiled proudly.
"But obviously, lizard~ It was always the Supremes' plan~ That's why they had this insect attack Supreme Black Abyss White Flower and not any of us~ They needed someone who didn't know about Titania~ And therefore wouldn't hold back~ That gave the Supremes the unmatched facade they needed to, later, destroy Re-Estize in an instant~" Superbia exclaimed, each word praising the Creators and owners of all Titania.
"Ohh…!" The lizard-Achernar blurted out, marveling at the Supremes' greatness.
And if the Archarchaeologist weren't in such a difficult situation, he would have also expressed his awe at seeing the infinite wisdom and intelligence of both Supreme Ladies~
Certainly, it was a blessing to be a servant directly created by Her Majesty… And naturally, if he had to obey one of the two Supremes, he would obey Dont-Say-My-Name without hesitation. She was still his summoner, after all. But knowing that he could serve both, Her Majesty and the other Supreme Lord, Black Abyss White Flower… Ah~ What a wonderful feeling~
But that only added another weight to the Archdevil's shoulders. A heavier guilt for having attacked Black Abyss herself… And therefore, he must work twice as hard, no, a hundred times as hard to make up for his sin!
His dark and rotten heart clung to this resolve~ Now he only had to listen again to what the two Commanders had planned for him.
"Listen, vermin. You have a duty~ While your trials aren't over, the Supremes' plans require you~ So let's consider your usefulness in Their plans as part of their test~" The proud Moth smiled.
"Yes! I will do my best to meet both your expectations and those of the Supremes!" The Demiurge said, pressing his face firmly into the ground.
"Even so… Lizard." Superbia called out, to which in an instant, the Devil received a brutal blow to the face that sent him tumbling into the wall. He was stopped by the hand that struck him before he even touched the beautiful wall, and was carried to where he was.
Betelgeuse barely noticed, but it was evident how half of his HP was instantly reduced by the brutal attack.
"Not getting 100 points is still a fault. But for the goodness of the Supremes, I will be gentle with your punishment with that simple blow!" The Moth exclaimed, looking down on him with all his pride and sense of superiority. And although the blow was brutal… The Infernal Arch-Archaeologist felt better…
"Of course, Lady Superbia… Lord Achernar…" The Demon gasped, panting a little as he bowed deeply again, uncaring that his face, made of darkness and shadows, was distorted by the blow, and he had many, many broken bones. "However… If I may dare to ask…" He murmured almost timidly…
"… I will allow one question." Superbia blurted, looking at him like a cockroach, although, well, she looked at almost everyone that way except for the Supremes.
"… I thank you, Lady Superbia… If I may know… What is the reason behind… you sitting on Lord Achernar…?" The Arch-Devil asked, curious and grateful.
Superbia froze, while Achernar said nothing, before the Moth got up from the Dragonoid's lap with a cough.
"Ahem. I'm going to ignore that stupid question. Your punishment for such nonsense will be to forget everything you saw just now. GO!" The Insectoid roared.
"YES!"
…
Lord Marcelo Crin was a brave nobleman~ A very brave one indeed~
Oh, well, he was.
One distracted swipe of the tail from the gigantic blue-scaled monstrosity, and Lord Marcellus and his best soldiers were reduced to a red paste on the ground.
"Tch. Damned filth." The serpentine monster hissed, surveying its surroundings with a fury barely quelled after weeks of wanton destruction.
In fact, its blind rage at having to fight that filth from the Dragon Emperor, who then cowardly fled, was such that it could no longer even see the shoreline, having advanced so far across the nearest landmass.
It hissed once more. It could smell the water, of course.
Even from miles away, it could easily orient itself and find its way back to the ocean.
And naturally, it would…
But first… There was a problem it had to solve.
"Everything I've done for centuries has been destroyed by that thing… UGH! JUST THINKING ABOUT IT MAKES ME RAGED AGAIN!" Roared the Ocean Dragon Lord, or rather, it would be Lady, since she was a female, but that was beside the point.
While her awakening and fight against that Player was very violent, it didn't guarantee that all of her servants in her temple had died, but she didn't need to explode in that fight for that to happen. She barely paused to observe her surroundings after the thing left, and saw that nothing was left alive.
From her strongest servants to the weakest, even predators and prey. Nothing was within miles.
Entire civilizations were wiped out just because that thing had entered her domain, so she would have to chase it away.
It's not like she had a great appreciation for life or anything. But the thing was... Not only did a foreign being wipe out the lives of beings of this world... But she destroyed what was HERS.
And naturally, worthy of a Dragon, she exploded in a savage rage seeking revenge.
And ended up wiping out entire settlements of... Something.
Honestly, she didn't even pay attention to which species she was punishing, even if they weren't at fault. But what did it matter?
She was a Dragon Lord! She could do whatever she wanted!
But... Once again, she lost her worshippers... So, naturally... She had to find new ones... How else would she rebuild her temple!? It was so comfortable before that thing destroyed it!
She almost fired another breath of water with enough pressure to cut through a mountain, but she held it back.
Ugh, what a nuisance. WHAT A DAMN PAIN IN THE ASS!
She hissed one last time before starting to move. She had to get new servants. It didn't matter if they were weak. As long as they could rebuild her temple, or at least make a new one, it should be enough.
She had already managed to get most underwater species to worship her by simply getting one to worship her hundreds of years ago. What difference would it make to do the same thing on land and wait another few centuries?
…
"I was thinking about taking Miku to see the ocean~" Black Abyss exclaimed, making Dont look at her with a raised eyebrow, stopping reading her book.
"The ocean…?" She muttered with a frown.
"We've never been to the ocean~ I mean, to a beach, but on Titania. I want to see what the ocean is like here~ And it's been a while since we visited Miku…" She blurted out, somewhat saddened by the last bit.
"Mm… Both are true… The only ocean shores we had were by the Argland Council, Re-Estize, and the Holy Kingdom… And we're going to the latter, which as I recall, had some famous beaches." She recalled, grabbing her chin.
"It would be a good opportunity~" Black Abyss said with a smile, massaging Dont's other leg.
"Mm~ Certainly~ Although… Who knows how we'll transport Miku… And if we can get her back to Titania if we manage to do so…" The Demon sweated a little.
"Well, she's a Water Elemental, so we could take her in a fishbowl. What about taking her back to Titania? It's not like she'd leave. Just... She'd just become the entire ocean... Huh…" She blurted out thoughtfully…
"Exactly." Dont muttered, also thinking about the implications of this…
Well… What was so different about a Wind Elemental like the ones on Titania coming into contact with air?
Same with an Earth Elemental. It's not like just because one is an Earth Elemental one would fuse with the planet.
Therefore… Miku wouldn't fuse with, or absorb, the ocean… Right…?
No, no. Foolish thoughts lead to foolish results.
"Umu, Miku most likely just has access to an exorbitant amount of HP constantly, and a huge boost to her abilities from access to water en masse…" Theorized the Demon.
"It would be good to check it out~" The Paladin murmured, tickling the Demon's thigh.
"Mm~ Perhaps~" Dont purred, glancing to the side, seeing that Neia Baraja snoring lightly against the comfortable seat. "Mm… Just a few minutes and we should be teleported away by Eyesight."
Oh well… It wasn't going to be a very long trip, but it was still a trip to another country~
And she would make sure to enjoy it to the fullest with her beloved dove~ Even if they were going to, technically, save a nation from a mass genocide by Demons who had been rampaging indiscriminately for several weeks…
Not to mention that all of that was, technically, Dont's complete and utter fault…
Details~
…
A small division of Demons advanced, heavy and unstoppable, toward the small makeshift village of survivors, who desperately ran from one side to the other, trying to prepare a counteroffensive.
Others gathered everything they could and fled, and still others simply gave in to complete panic, fleeing in terror…
After all, if Kalinsha, where the Custodio Sisters themselves had stood alongside the Color Pink and countless Paladins and Priests, had fallen, what chance did the few survivors, who narrowly included some common soldiers and paladins, have?
All hope, indeed, was lost…
Until a white flash blinded the humans…
Followed by a… A mass of shadows that stirred on the ground…
No, no shadows had appeared…
Survivors looked up, seeing what was generating the shadows.
An ocean of Dragons swirled, flapping and circling around a much larger, white, feathered Dragon.
And on that Dragon.
"Devour them! Finish off Komodo's servants in the name of the Marble Queen!" A red-haired woman ordered, sword in hand, pointing it at the Demons…
And in response, the powerful and imposing Dragons and Wyverns, which basically formed a floating island, pounced like obedient piranhas toward the monsters, not even seeming to consider attacking the humans…
At least until the white Dragon swooped down, almost stopping in front of the small, poorly armed group that planned to buy their friends, brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters at least a little more time to escape.
And the woman calmly stepped off the Dragon.
"Don't worry, inhabitants of the Holy Kingdom! Because in the name of Deorum Regnum! We have come to save you from demonic evil!" The woman shouted in a noble tone, raising her sword…
And naturally, cheers followed. Cries of joy.
Just as the Supremes' grand plan dictated~
Brynhildr had to pat herself on the back for her wonderful act~ Although Suryt was obviously going to give her one too~
Operation Holy Liberation had just begun~
.
.
.