Haru was kneeling before the Great Cross with his wife, Rias. It was placed in the area where Celestine once sat. Unlike the voluptuous false goddess, this Great Cross filled him with hope and vigor, something that he would need against the upcoming hordes of Black Dogs. He did the Sign of the Cross before standing up. He is greeted by a plethora of builders and workers, who genuflected before him.
"We hope that we are not interrupting your prayers sire."
"Nonsense, you are doing God's work building a church here. I look forward to seeing this church finished, so don't let me stop you."
"You heard him, men! Put your back into it!" the leader barked as the workers rushed to get started. "We have the honor of building this holy site, and we have no room for error!"
Haru looked with satisfaction as the laborers began to work on the church. With the abundance of manpower, he predicted that the church would be finished within a week's time. He could wait until then. There was no need to be harsh on the workers. After all, God demands mercy not sacrifice. He looked at his wife, who was strangely quiet the whole time.
"Something wrong, my love?"
"Oh it's nothing. Just a bit tired from all the commotion."
"Do you wish to rest?" Haru asked with much concern.
"No, no. I'll be by your side at the throne room, regardless of my health." Rias replied firmly, before wondering about something. "Speaking of family, where is your nephew?"
"You mean Millicas? He joined me for the morning prayers but left without a word."
"I'd wager that he's with his betrothed, that noble girl from Guines." Rias guessed.
"That's quite possible. Though I have to say that she's a rather whimsical and independent young woman. Quite unorthodox for a lady of her standing."
"What was her name again?"
"Penelope Charlene de Guines. Though she carries the name of "Penny", what a strange girl."
Millicas was struggling to catch up as he felt like himself being dragged through the crowd. He was a bit exhausted from even going through such a crowded place, but he had to go through with it. Especially when the woman dragging him was his life-long friend, Penelope Charlene de Guines. Ever since they had arrived in this strange new city, she was eager to go sight-seeing.
"Penny, stop pulling!" Millicas complained. "You might pull my arm out of its socket!"
"But we have so much ground to cover! We're in a new world, might as well explore it to its limit!"
"Then let us at least eat first! We can't explore the world on an empty stomach!"
"Hmph, fine." Penny huffed. "How about that inn?"
"Looks a little expensive."
"You are the nephew of the new ruler of this nation and you call this expensive?"
"I prefer NOT to abuse my power, thank you very much." Millicas replied dryly.
"The place does look a little fancy." Penny expressed, before fixing her hair a bit. "How do I look?"
Millicas took a look at Penny, and needless to say, she was beautiful. Her fair-skinned face shined with her lovely deep green eyes. Her orange hair was put in a long braid. She wore a white, long-sleeved dress, with a brown corset sealing her upper body. She wore a hair band that had a flower on the side. Millicas had to just go with the simple answer.
"Yes, you look fine, how about me?"
Penny looked at Millicas, and he was wearing strangely common clothing. He wore a green, slim fit tunic and brown trousers. He didn't have the long, smooth combed hair of nobility. His hair was short but shaggy, conflicting with his noble background.
"Are you disguising yourself as peasantry on purpose?"
"What do you think?" Millicas asked with a deadpan.
"Okay then! Let's go!" Penny said while pulling Millicas to the front of the inn.
They walked up to the entrance, to see a woman in a frilly dress, which the locals called a "maid". Which probably meant maidservant in their language.
"Can I get you anything?"
"Yes! I am Madam Penelope Charlene and this is my betrothed, Millicas of Whirlingpool!"
The maid's eyes widened as she looked at Millicas and bowed.
"Milord! Would you like to have a seat?"
"Yes…" Millicas said while looking at Penny disapprovingly. "I would like to have a seat inside."
The maid guided them inside, where they heard strange music. The tables were arranged in a way that there was a free space in the middle. The maid brought them to the largest table with the most comfortable chairs. Penny plops down happily on one of the cushioned chairs while Millicas calmly sat on the other.
"What is your order?" the maid asked while handing them the menus.
Millicas was certainly surprised by the type of service they offered, their food looked high-end as well.
"I'll have this 'fruitcake'." Penny said while pointing to the menu.
"Just get me some bread and fish with some bitter vegetables." Millicas said before putting a pouch on the table. "Will this cover it?"
The maid then nods as she took the money. Millicas and Penny sat idly as they then discussed.
"What does your uncle have planned for this new nation?"
"I believe he'll start with improving infrastructure and trade. He'll soon be imposing taxes to fund his campaign against the Black Dogs. He expects an influx of migrants and refugees, so border guarding will also be top priority."
"And how do you plan on helping him?" Penny asked, leaning on the table.
"He won't even let me join the frontlines, and I'm too young to even become a general."
"Didn't he become a general at fifteen?" Penny countered.
"That was a position forced onto him, he had no choice." Millicas replied. "And I acknowledge my inexperience in many fields. And I do plan on improving in—"
Millicas stopped talking as he saw Penny making eyes at him, it was making him a bit uncomfortable.
"Er…"
"Oh don't let me stop you!" Penny said while still making those eyes. "Go on."
"I can't speak with you looking at me like that. Speaking of which, why do you keep doing that whenever I talk?"
"It's a nice change to have you talk so self-assured and smart, when you usually talk so casually and mild. It's what makes you so alluring."
"Y-Yes, of course."
Before the conversation could go on, Penny perks up at the sound of music. It was fast, and even more catchy than the music in the festivals that she had been to. Though the music wasn't necessarily familiar, it still made Penny feel like dancing.
"Are you hearing this?" Penny asked.
"Er, yes. It's a bit strange to hear—Whoah!" Millicas expressed in surprise as Penny pulled him to the empty space in the middle of the inn. "Penny! What are you doing!?"
"C'mon! Doesn't this sound melodious?" Penny said while heading to the dance floor.
"Actually it doesn't." Millicas replied dryly.
"Oh shut up!" Penny said while getting ready to dance. "Just trust me on this! I got a good feeling!"
"But how do you dance to music like this?" Millicas asked.
"Just follow my lead." Penny instructed.
(PLAY SOUNDTRACK: "Sleeping Jasmine" by Aioi)
Penny holds Millicas's hands as they begin swaying. Penny guides Millicas through the dance as she begins to be more lively with her swaying and hand movements. Millicas instinctively follows and becomes livelier with his body movements. Penny then pulls Millicas closer as they move through the dance floor, their bodies moving in sync.
Millicas becomes more confident and takes his own route. He spins Penny then pulls her closer. He and Penny grow more accustomed to the music and their bodies start moving in sync. Penny filled the air with her joyous laughter, which made Millicas smile all the more.
The world slowed down as the two genuinely enjoyed their moment together. It didn't feel romantic, it just made them both very happy. As the music came to a close, they both improvised and did their finale. Millicas releases Penny into a spin and then catches her right when the music ends.
The spectators clapped at the performance. Millicas and Penny stared at each other for a bit, before realizing their position and quickly got out of it, being a bit bashful at all the attention. Penny sees the bard who performed the song. A woman with chinky eyes and a strange looking lute. Penny approached the lady and cheerily said.
"You're really good at playing!" Penny complimented.
"I could say the same about your dancing!" the lady praised back, in a strange accent. She then extended her hand. "Shigaraki Sumire at your service!"
"Penelope Charlene de Guines!" Penny returned while shaking the lady's hand. "Nice to meet you Ms. Sumire! What sort of surname is that?"
"Actually, Shigaraki is my surname. Sumire is my given name."
"But you said your name was—"
"Shigaraki Sumire." Sumire groaned. "Where I'm from, we say our surnames before our given names."
"That does beg the question, where are you from?"
"Don't you recognize the language? I'm from Shenkitaiyo, though folks here just call it the Far East."
Millicas perked up at the name as he rushed to Sumire, he then grabs her hand, saying.
"You're from the Far East?"
"Y-Yes!" Sumire stuttered while getting flustered at his sudden grabbing of her hand. "W-Why are you grabbing my hand?"
"Because Haru needs whatever information he can get on this world, and your knowledge will be very welcome."
Millicas then turns to Penny.
"Sorry Penny, but our exploration will have to wait. Uncle has to know about this." Millicas said before pulling Sumire outside.
"W-Where are you taking me!?"
The onlookers were shocked at the turn of events, as Penny sighed and threw the waitress another pouch of coins.
"Keep the change, we'll be keeping your bard for a while."
Penny then followed Millicas back outside the inn. Millicas and Sumire were staring at something down the street, piquing Penny's interest to what was on the street. She joined Millicas to see dozens of people wearing cloaks and pulling carts. They seemed to be hiding their face, as they refused to even look at the other onlookers. Penny could only wonder what those people were doing. She then asks Millicas.
"What do you think they're doing here?"
"My uncle was right. There are refugees really coming to us for aid."
"But why do you suppose they're wearing those hoods?"
"There must be something about them that they're hiding. We'll just have to see what the Duke will do with them."
Millicas and Penny followed the convoy with Sumire in tow.
"Hey! Where are you taking me?" Sumire complained.
Haru meditated on his throne, concentrating on his current situation. He then glances at his wife, who also seemed to be deep in thought. But before he could continue this quiet and peaceful session, a messenger bursts through the room, panting.
"Milord! You were right all along! Refugees have entered the city asking for aid!"
"Then help them settle down and—"
"That's not all milord! These refugees aren't human! They call themselves the Beastpeople, and they ask to speak to you."
Haru gulped, it was barely a day since his conquest of Thore and already a beastly race was coming right down his doorstep. He had never talked to non-humans before, so this will be very delicate for him.
"Very well. Tell them to come inside."
"Milord are you—"
"I said, tell them to come inside." Haru replied firmly.
The messenger bowed and exited the room. Haru then turns to one of his guards, saying,
"Tell the messenger to call all the available nobles from their quarters."
"Yes milord." the guard said while bowing.
As the other guard left, Haru turned to other guard.
"Tell another messenger to call Celestine over and have the maidservants dress her. She will act as my advisor for this meeting."
The other guard bowed and left, leaving Haru to slump in his seat, before turning to his wife.
"My love, do you wish to join us for the meeting?"
"I am rather curious about these 'Beastpeople', I will join you for the diplomatic meeting later."
Haru sat at the long table, with his wife by his side once again. Gathered there were all the available nobles that Haru could gather, together with a few members of the clergy. Haru was a powerful lord, and had many lesser nobles under his command. There were members of Scottish, French, English and even the Holy Roman nobility, coupled with the chieftains of the Sudanese mercenaries. One noticeable trait about most of these subordinates was that they were younger than the Duke, which made sense as they looked up to Haru as a leader figure due to their youth. Celestine stood by Haru's side, with Haru instructing her.
"Since we are new to this world, you will act as counselor for our decisions. If they question your status as goddess, you deny any connection to the divine, understand?"
"Y-Yes milord." Celestine replied while bowing her head. While it was humiliating for her to be a mere advisor, it was better than what the Black Dogs had offered.
"Ever since the Duchy had been established, I have been meaning to gather you all here today, my loyal and trustworthy companions, to form the Duchy's Council of Nobles."
There were a few mutters among the nobles, but most of them were sounds of approval and satisfaction.
"Now if any of you have problems with this, do raise your objections."
None raised their hands, either they were too obedient to argue or Haru was too feared to oppose. Haru then added.
"Now listen, I am giving ALL of you the benefit of my trust. On your tables is a copy of the oath drafted by the Church, the Orders and I to guarantee your loyalty to the Duchy. Our dear companion Celestine will be reading the scroll." Haru said while handing Celestine a scroll.
The nobles and chieftains took the scroll from their table.
"Now put your right hand on your chest and repeat after me." Celestine said.
"We, the nobles of Amelborough, swear to dedicate our lives in service to God and His Will.
We swear that we will not turn away from our mission to cleanse the land from the evil that plagues it.
And should we choose to betray the Duchy, we will not only be punished in this world, but also in the Inferno that awaits the treacherous.
In God's name, we swear our fealty to Duke Haru of Whirlingpool, the Church and the nation of Amelborough to serve its noble cause and uphold all that God demands to be upheld.
And should the Duchy practice any wrongdoing, heresy, or injustice, we swear to cleanse the system and return it to the righteous path towards Heaven."
Celestine put down the scroll. The oath was quite demanding by her standards. Haru demanded the willpower and discipline from his men to stick with him and oppose the Black Dogs, when it would have been so much easier to defect.
"Now men, do you have any problems with this oath?" Haru asked.
"Aye! Isn't this the part where we sing praises to the Duke?" one Scottish noble joked, prompting the others to laugh.
"We French can sing, you just talk out of yer arse!"
"I wager their arse-singing is still better!" one Holy Roman commented.
Celestine was a bit confused at all the banter between the nobles. Haru notices the confusion on her face.
"These young nobles have been under me for a long time, so they're practically brothers-in-arms. Quite an amusing spectacle between nationalities to be honest."
Haru then turns back to the young nobles, who were exchanging light insults and banter, while the elder ones just shook their heads in disappointment.
"Now, now gentlemen. We still have to address the elephant in the room." Haru said with a smile while calming the nobles.
The young nobles calmed down. While their youth did cause them to be a bit immature, they knew when it was time to get to business. The more senior nobles who sat close to Haru then voiced out.
"Sire, what of our lands and resources?" one noble asked. "How shall we deal with refugees and the granting of fiefs?"
"We are stuck with one city for now, but do not fret. Once the knightly Orders have finished reclaiming the surrounding land, we'll have more space for everyone, including possible refugees."
"Speaking of refugees, we must prepare for the arrival of these 'Beastpeople'!"
"Who knows what sort of abominations lie under those cloaks?"
"Nya, here we are!" A squeaky female voiced.
The whole council froze at the weird sounding voice. They slowly turned their heads to the door, where a group of women stood. But something was very wrong with them. Though their human figure and face were still very human, they had varying ears on the top of their heads. Some had cat ears, others had wolf ears, fox ears, bear ears and etcetera. They also possessed tails of different sorts, belonging to different mammalian animals. The larger catwoman bonked the smaller catgirl.
"Behave yourself! This is a very important diplomatic meeting!" the older catwoman chided before glancing at the Duke. "You are the ruler of this domain?"
Haru nodded blankly, struggling to even find the words. The woman then knelt before him and said.
"We are the Beastpeople, and we seek refuge from the Black Dogs. We beg of your Lordship to grant us protection from the Black Dogs."
"Er, but how do we know that we can trust you?" Haru asked while recomposing himself. "You could be Black Dog spies for all we know."
"Nya, how dare you accuse us of being Black Dogs!?" the smaller catgirl snarled, before being hit in the head by the larger catwoman. "Owie!"
"I said behave yourself!" The catwoman chastised again, glaring at her younger companion. "Sorry about my sister. She's still a kit by age."
The council still had little to say since most of the members were still recovering from the mere shock of the situation. One of the elder nobles recomposes himself and says.
"How about you introduce yourselves before we get to diplomacy?" the noble suggested.
"Very well then. My name is Blake Pan Thera, though I would prefer to be called Blake, and this is my younger sister, Kuro Pan Thera."
"But you can just call me Kuro! Nya." Thal added in.
Haru was sure that one of his council members was actually on the verge of vomiting from disgust, he was getting a bit queasy himself. But he had to endure if he wanted to fully comprehend what these Beastpeople are and what they are capable of.
"So why does your sister make that 'nya' sound?"
"That is because when catgirls are still immature, they make that noise."
"And is there anything else about your race that we should know?"
"Well, to answer your question, you must know how the Beastpeople came to fruition."
"There is a legend behind your race?"
"You see, long time ago, before the war, before the kingdoms even rose, there was a great divide between elves and humans. Back when both humans and elves treated each other with animosity."
The rest of the council took notes on this, a bit of history would help them rule over the people.
"During that time, there was a human tribe who kept many elven slaves. They treated them all like animals. They would tie them to posts and keep them in cages. They would beat them if they were too noisy and would sacrifice them for the sick pleasure of the men."
Haru felt that this story was a bit familiar; he leans forward in interest to continue hearing the story.
"But one day, an Elven witch came upon them and saw the injustices they committed to her kin, so she cursed them with a spell, chanting 'You have made my kin suffer for long enough. You will receive retribution for the injustices you have committed on the elves. Since you have treated the elven daughters like animals, then it is only fair that your daughters suffer the same fate."
Haru grimaced, these people were the result of vengeful sorcery. A result of another feud between two races.
"So that human tribe carried the curse of bearing daughters who had furry ears and tails. Over many generations, we've interbred with many humans, thus propagating the Beastpeople population. But the elven view of us never changed. Even when the Dark Elves and High Elves split apart, they still treated us with disrespect and disgust."
The council waited for more but realized that they were finally finished. Haru still had other questions.
"So do these animal traits affect your senses? Like do you have the hearing of a feline, for example?"
"Yes." Blake said while gesturing to her other companions. "All of us have very good hearing."
"How good?"
"I can hear your heartbeats and I can tell that you all are very agitated by our presence."
The council was once again stumped by this. If these beasts could read their heartbeats, then they must have heard everything they've been speaking prior. The council stayed silent, leaving Haru to question them.
"Okay… Anything else?"
"As you can see, we Beastpeople come in a variety of beast forms. But we categorize them by ear and tail type. We typically come in fox, rabbit, cat, wolf, and bear."
"And what differentiates one from the other, besides looks and type?"
"Cat girls and rabbit girls are the most nimble. Fox girls are slightly less nimble but they are slightly stronger. Wolf girls are a balanced sort, being decently nimble and strong. Bear girls are very strong but cumbersome."
"Okay then, do you have anything to add, Celestine?"
Haru turns to Celestine expectedly.
"She speaks the truth sire. I know of these Beastpeople and everything the leader says is true."
"Then why didn't you say anything?"
"Because I have little to offer in helping these Beastpeople. Because my mother was one of the elves enslaved by their ancestors. I may have great compassion for my people but it's different with them."
"Go figure! You never even offered help to us for a single moment!" Blake snarled while pointing an accusing finger at Celestine. "The only reason we came now is because we hoped that our new hosts would be more hospitable. Order of Chivalry my ass!"
"ENOUGH!"
The women froze at the sound of Haru's enraged voice. The whole council glanced at Haru, who was breathing heavily.
"Celestine, you may take your leave."
"But—"
"LEAVE!"
Celestine gulps and bows before Haru before rushing out the door. Haru then stands up, his height making Blake feel smaller.
"We will allow your people to stay in Amelborough and when reclamation efforts are finished we will give your people land to live in."
"Thank you—"
"BUT! Your people owe us a debt! In exchange for protection and hospitality, if the Duchy should need your assistance, you will answer our call! Be it for labor or for battle, you will make your contribution to this nation."
Blake pondered on this as she whispered to her companions. There was heavy discussion among the girls about the terms and conditions. Blake then turns to Haru.
"What sort of labor?"
"Your cat girls, fox girls and rabbit girls will make excellent scouts. The wolf girls will make good hunters. The bear girls will make excellent laborers and we'll definitely need them for some heavy lifting."
"Is that all you need us for?"
"Well, if you have any other ideas on how you can help us, then please do say it. Your animal-like sense could be of great use to us and I aim to see it used to its full potential."
"I have a suggestion sire," one noble said while raising his hand. "We should have these people help us in hastening the construction of housing sites for our current refugees. If we can properly finish construction before reclamation efforts, we can concentrate on development of the city defenses and infrastructure."
"Good thinking." Haru said before turning back to Blake. "Your people have one day to rest. Starting tomorrow, your people will be put to work in exchange for shelter."
Haru then turned to two Scottish noblemen.
"You two will gather your men and help them settle down. If any of them try to cause trouble then don't hesitate on being rough." Haru then turned his head back to Blake. "I'll leave you in the care of two noblemen. If anyone causes you trouble or if you have any worries, do take it up with them."
The two men instinctively stood up and walked to the door, opening it for the ladies, saying,
"This way miladies."
As soon as the women left, Haru relaxed. He breathed a huge sigh at the successful talks. That meeting was tedious and it really drained him. He leaned back on his seat and rested his head for a bit. But he noticed that his wife had not said anything during the whole meeting.
"Rias, are you okay?"
"That catgirl…"
"I understand that these experience is a bit shocking, but we must be lenient. Even for strange races like these."
"No, I have no problems. It's just that the younger catgirl was so adorable."
Haru just shook his head at the comment as he stood up.
"Sire, where are you going?"
"To rest, of course!" Haru said while turning back to the council. "Aren't we done?"
"Er, no. We still have many concerns to address sir."
Haru groaned as he returned to his seat and slumped back in his seat. This was going to be a long day, and he couldn't help but think about how the Knightly Orders were doing at the moment.
The Hospitaliers carefully walked through the grass and foliage. They spied a large wooden fort as they crept forward to take a closer look. Sadly, they had to be discreet, so no siege engines were brought. They had left their horses tied up in a hidden area, guarded by some men who were left there. There target, the wooden fort, was a supposed camp of sex slaves built beside an abandoned village. If they were to capture it, then they would have control over the region. As the small army got closer to the fort walls, they could hear the sound of moaning and sexual activity.
"Barbarians… All of them. Too dumb and proud to even keep watch." one of the knights expressed in disgust.
The leader raised his hand to stop the patrol from moving in.
"Spread out and scout the area. We need to make sure we're not alone."
The soldiers nodded as they then split up to cover more ground. The other soldiers stood by the siege engines, keeping watch.
The leader then signals two knights to accompany him as they scour the outside for any patrols. As they crept carefully, the heard a loud sound of moaning as they peeked through the trees to see a group of men raping women, with some monsters joining them. The leader grit his teeth in anger as he then said,
"Let's show these barbarians true hell."
The leader and the two knights jumped from the foliage and ambushed the men and monsters. Before the monsters could even react, the knights began slaughtering all of them, leaving all of them dead and naked. The knights breathed a huge sigh at the elimination of their enemies. But they noticed that one of the girls was squirming. The knights bent forward to take a closer look at the naked woman.
She wore a face of ecstasy, completely broken by the rough sex that she had been receiving. But then suddenly, something burst from her anus. The knights stepped back and recoiled in disgust at the sudden release of strange, green liquid. They noticed that there was a strange, purple sac in the green liquid. The sac suddenly bursted, revealing a strange spider-like creature that had a frightening human-like face. The spider jumps and tries to attack one of the knights. The knight quickly swats it away and squashes it.
"What was that!?"
"I think the woman gave birth to it…"
"God, does the Black Dog's treachery know no bounds!?"
"Wait… Look."
Another spider creature emerged and went upon one of the women. It used its abdomen to insert a green liquid inside a woman's anus. The knights saw the woman squirm and thrash, before she relaxed again. The knights made a grim realization of what this meant. They saw all the women begin to squirm, making them all realize that they knew that they could not let the women join them if they're going to give birth to more of those dreadful spiders. But they also knew they could not let those women live with the suffering of giving birth to those beasts. Each of the knights shared a nod at each other, agreeing on what to do. Each knight drew their sword and said a short prayer, before swinging them.
The knights returned to the patrol, completely silent from their ordeal. Their armor carried a splash of fresh blood. The other men made the wise decision of not questioning what happened. The two knights take a seat while the leader calls up the patrols.
"How did the patrols go?" the leader asked.
"We have patrolled the area, sire. No reinforcements or patrols nearby. Looks like everyone's inside screwing the slaves."
"Good, we might not need siege engines after all." the leader said with a satisfied tone. "Get one of our spies inside to open the gate."
"But sir, if the Black Dogs see our men inside, they'll surely kill him!"
"Then we'll dress him up as a peasant. He'll be indistinguishable from the rest."
"Okay, sire. Let's hope this really works."
The spy dressed himself in the tunic and trousers of common peasantry. He is released by his superior to find a way to get to the gate while the enemy doesn't see them. He spies a small hole, large enough for a man to fit in. He sees it as an opportunity to get inside, so he crawls through. He gets inside to see a strange and disgusting sight. Numerous men and monsters were raping women left and right. He had to blend in, so he grabbed the nearest woman and tried to look for the gatehouse. He sees the gatehouse and runs over to try and get it to open. But chills ran down his spine when someone called hIm.
"Ey you!"
"Me?" The spy asked.
"Yeah you, goin' outside fer a screw with that fine lady?"
"Er, yes."
"Well, why didn' ya ask me to open it? Ya could have asked."
"Uh, I was excited to screw this woman." The spy lied.
"Well, don' forget to hand her over to me when yer done."
"Okay, I'll take note of that. Just leave the gate open for me."
"Sure thing."
The large man lifted the weight that held back the gates. The spy gave him a nod as he walked out, with the woman in tow. He runs with her back to the patrol, who was waiting for his signal. He saw the leader up front and said,
"Sire, the gate is unlocked, we must strike while we have the chance!"
"You heard him lads! Let's get to it!"
The men cheered as they marched with the Hospitalier leader to the wooden fort. The spy simply hung back and just left the woman in the care of the men guarding the horses. The Hospitalier sergeants pushed open the gates and stormed in. The men and monsters were caught off guard from the ambush as they were being slaughtered before they could react. But those were not all of the men.
More men poured from the houses as they attacked the Hospitaliers in a loose manner. The leader takes advantage of this and raises his hand to his men. The men take this signal and set up a shield wall with spears to hold off the Black Dog assault. The leader makes another gesture to his two knights, who lead their own group of men to assault the keep. The leader then stands by his crew to make sure that they defeat their opponents.
One mercenary tries to slash at the leader, but he parries it and strikes the back. Another tries to hit him but he ducks and thrusts his longsword into his enemy. He then decapitates another approaching opponent before raising his sword in time to parry a strike from another enemy striking from above. He then quickly stabbed his opponent before kicking him away. He looked around and saw the knights at the keep encountering fierce resistance. He knew he had to go and help, but there were too many enemies approaching. He then whistles out loud to the crossbows and shouts.
"CROSSBOWS!" The leader shouted while pointing at the path.
The leader then ran across the battlefield while the bolts rained from the sky. The bolts killed so many men that it cleared him a path to get to his other comrades. But on the way, an ogre bumps him and makes him fall over. He then quickly recovers and gets ready to fight him. The ogre tries to hit him with his giant sword, but the knight dodges and thrusts his sword deep into the ogre's stomach. To hasten the ogre's demise, the knight held tightly onto his sword and ran around the ogre to cut open its stomach.
The ogre fell dead before him and he ran in to defeat the Black Dog captains. He slashes down one soldier, before parrying a strike from another. But he then gets hit by another as he falls over. But before he was finished off, a fellow Hospitalier knight saved him from the final blow. He gets up and attacks the soldiers. He parries a strike from one soldier before decapitating him. He then stopped a strike of another soldier, before hitting him with the pommel of his sword and then changing the grip of his sword to hit him with a mordhau strike.
The knight then kicked the body away as he stared down the carnage of his men slaughtering all the Black Dogs. They had won, and with little casualties as well.
The leader passed through all the men, who were taking care of the women slaves. He sees his men enter the fort to settle down and rest for now. He calls over one of the men and says,
"Go back to the capital and tell the Duke that we've conque—"
"Sir Francoise!"
The leader turned to see one of his soldiers run up to him.
"What is it?" Sir Francoise asked firmly, still irked at being interrupted.
"You might want to see this."
Sir Francoise stared at a naked girl, who had a very voluptuous body. She had short, red hair and brown eyes. She had a brown band wrapped around her head. She was tied up as her hands were tied to the ceiling, leaving her behind vulnerable. There was still some semen on her body, dripping from her mouth and vagina. He then turned to his subordinate, asking.
"Are you absolutely sure this is her?"
"She matches the description, so I would say so."
"Then we do have something else to tell the Duke." Francoise said while turning to the messenger. "Tell the Duke that we have conquered our first settlement and that we found one of the shield princesses."
Volt smashed the table in frustration. First, he received the message that his army failed to capture Thore, because they were flanked by a larger and stronger army. His men also failed to capture those sexy Beastpeople before they could come to the Duke for help. It seemed that there was a new player in this game. This "Haru" will be a huge hamper to his plans to build his sex empire, especially if he comes in contact with the other nations.
"I swear Haru, when this is all over, I will have your head."
Sumire sat quietly on her side of the table. She wasn't expecting to join the Duke for dinner. She thought that they would simply let her go when all the confusion was cleared up. But the Duke was strangely kind enough to give her the honor of eating at his table. She felt so out of place on the banquet table, and her seat mate, Ruby likely felt the same way, judging from her behavior.
"Hey, why are you acting so nervous?" Sumire asked her seatmate.
"I-I don't know how to act in front of the Duke… I'm even surprised he invited me here…"
"I know right?" Sumire said silently, relating with Ruby on that feeling.
"How do his relatives act so calmly though?" Ruby asked as she and Sumire stared at the two youngsters sitting close to Haru.
"Now say aah." Penny said affectionately while waving a spoonful of food.
"Damnation, Penny! I can eat on my own!" Millicas protested, while averting his gaze to actively avoid the spoon being shoved at his face.
"I'll keep doing this until you love me." Penny teased as she tried to bring the spoon closer to Millicas's mouth.
"I-It doesn't work that way!" Millicas exasperatedly screamed while shutting his mouth.
"It won't hurt to try!" Penny retorted as she then made a final push with the spoon. "Now eat your beef stew!"
"No—mmph!" Millicas sounded before the spoon entered his mouth, gulping down the food. "I'm not a baby, you know!"
"Oh shut up and eat!" Penny said playfully as she then took another scoop of food. "How about another bite?"
"I'm not playing this game with you." Millicas said indignantly as he then again tried to avoid the spoon.
Ruby and Sumire watched with absolute confusion. Being in a society where women were leaders, seeing a woman so subservient to a man was a sight to behold. Though Haru and Rias didn't seem that surprised as they continued their dinners.
"Lady Penny, I will have to ask you to stop feeding my nephew. Though you may be his betrothed, he is mature enough to eat on his own."
"Yes milord." Penny said sheepishly as she then put down her spoon and returned to eating.
Millicas then takes the opportunity to say his piece.
"Uncle, do you not think that it is time for me to also aid your efforts in the upcoming war?"
Haru stops eating, and glances at Millicas. The silence of Haru was so heavy that the other people at the table stopped eating. Ruby squeaked while Sumire tried not to look directly at Haru. Lady Rias merely stared at Millicas, who suddenly felt small from his uncle's heavy gaze.
"I am quite sure that we discussed this before." Haru said stiffly.
"Yes, but I remain adamant that I can help." Millicas replied with a small tone of contempt.
"You still have your squire duties to accomplish." Haru added.
"But the tasks you have bestowed upon me can be completed with little to no effort! I could finish your given tasks five times over and still have the rest of the day to myself!"
Rias gave a sort of disapproving look at her husband, who looked a bit sheepish for unknowingly spoiling his nephew.
"You'll be safer in the castle."
"But I don't want to be safe!" Millicas replied indignantly. "I want to be of help to my country! I want to help cleanse the filth of this land!"
"And you will soon." Haru said firmly. "But now is not the time."
"But uncle! I've heard the stories! Stories of when you were nearly my age! You weren't shut in a castle with servants at your beck and call to spoil you. You were out there, slaughtering the enemy and bringing glory to the Kingdom of England!"
Haru stiffened at the mention of his old days. Haru closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He gives his nephew a very somber glance as his eyes bored into Millicas.
"Believe me Millicas. I didn't have a choice there. I never actively pursued the glory of battle, it was a weight that was pushed onto my shoulders, and God help me, I wish you to never experience it. I would never forgive myself if you ever experienced the pain I did. I just want you to have a safe and secure life for now."
Millicas hung his head, realizing that he opened some old wounds for his uncle, feeling ashamed for being so rebellious towards his uncle.
"But, your desire to aid us is most admirable and it will definitely not go to waste." Haru added in. "Tomorrow, you can join the commanders in training the citizens."
Millicas's eyes brightened at the sudden change of heart of his uncle.
"R-Really?" Millicas asked with much shock in his voice.
Haru merely smiled and nodded.
"Y-You will not regret this uncle! I will not let you down!" Millicas said with much gratitude.
"Of course you won't." Haru said before standing up and signaling the servants to clean his plate.
Haru leaves the table, with Lady Rias also standing up and telling the servants.
"I will be in the palace gardens."
And that left only Millicas, Penny, Ruby and Sumire at the table. Millicas looks fearfully at Penny, who had a spoonful of food ready for him as he then booked it, with Penny running after him. Ruby and Sumire were left on the table as they then began to converse.
"So how did you come into servitude under Haru?" Sumire asked with much curiosity.
"It was by chance that he found me. I personally asked him to be his apprentice and he obliged."
"That's strangely brave of you. Knowing that guy, he could probably do things to you while you're his apprentice." Sumire said suspiciously.
"I-I don't think he's that kind of person." Ruby protested. "I overheard a conversation he had with the Grandmaster, and it had something to do about his sister."
"Interesting…" Sumire said while stroking her chin. "What do you think happened to his sister?"
"I-I'd rather not invade his privacy." Ruby replied defensively.
"Come on! Aren't you the least bit curious?"
"The only thing I am curious about is why someone as beautiful and charming as that woman Penny would fall for someone like Millicas?"
"Actually, I was curious about that too. Not to insult Millicas, but that girl's way above his league, even if he's the nephew of the Duke."
"Let's go ask her now!"
Ruby and Sumire see Millicas run across the hallway, panting and screaming.
"I'll outrun you eventually!"
"Running only makes me want you more!' Penny screamed as she chased him.
"Maaaybeee when she's less preoccupied." Sumire added in, watching the spectacle unfold.
Rias was well on her way to the garden, but as soon as she exited the banquet room, she encountered the all too familiar Celestine and Alicia standing outside the banquet hall idly.
"Lady Celestine, Lady Alicia, I was not expecting to see you out here."
"We were actually waiting for you milady."
"Really now?" Rias asked with surprise. "What do you require of me?"
"We have many questions to ask." Alicia said.
"Questions about your husband." Celestine clarified.
"Well please join me in the gardens for an evening talk. I'm sure your former maidservants will be happy to serve you."
Celestine and Alicia followed Rias to the garden. Celestine looked in nostalgia, these were once hers. She was once the most respected figure among the kingdoms, only rivaled in prestige by that damned witch Olga and the beautiful dragonness Xiaolong. But now, she was at the mercy of a mere mortal man. Though he seemed kinder than the Black Dogs, his attitude intimidated her. A no-nonsense, apathetic man like him scared her so much, and she couldn't imagine what sort of person could become like him. Rias sits on one end of the table and Celestine sits on the other end, with Alicia sitting on the side.
"So, what do you wish to know about the Duke?" Rias asked while sipping from her cup.
"I want to know what sort of man he was back in your land. What kind of leader he was to his people."
"And why do you need to know that?" Rias asked while tilting her head in puzzlement.
"I just need to know if my citizens are in good hands."
Rias sighed as she set down her cup.
"Promise that you will tell absolutely no one of this."
"Goddess' oath." Celestine said while putting a hand on her chest.
"Knight's oath." Alicia said firmly.
"Good." Rias said in a satisfied tone. "Now to understand my husband, you must understand the world that he lived in."
"Okay…" Celestine said while listening intently.
"The continent that we all lived in was called Europe. And there were many nation-states that occupied the land, but there were only four major powers that stood out, the Holy Roman Empire, the Kingdom of England, the United Kingdom of Scandinavia, and the Portugese-Spanish Alliance. Though we lived in separate nations, we were united under one faith by the Catholic Church."
Celestine was intrigued that there were more armies as powerful as that of Haru. She was also very interested in this Catholicism that Haru had introduced and imposed on her citizens. Alicia was interested to hear more about the military of this world.
"Haru was born into a high noble family in England, under the Duke of Whirlingpool and the Duchess of Leafvalley. Haru was the eldest of his family and therefore was next in succession to inherit his parents' lands."
Celestine nodded at that, so Haru had a very powerful background after all. But that still didn't answer her question. Alicia grew a little respect for Haru for having noble blood.
"What sort of person was he?"
"Patience milady." Rias replied calmly. "Haru' mother, the Duchess of Canterbury, was a very caring mother. The moment he had exited her womb, he had immediately clung to her. He always ran to her loving arms in times of pain and suffering."
That was the least of Celestine's expectations, the Duke? A mama's boy? It almost seemed adorable, but the Duke's attitude quickly brought the High Elf back to reality. Alicia couldn't see the Duke being so soft, he looked too tough and serious.
"But one day, he and his mother were attacked by bandits. Though his mother was able to escape with him, she was fatally wounded. With her dying words, she told Haru to try and find his way back home. Imagine that, at seven years old, young Haru watched his mother die."
Celestine had to admit that was tragic, an important figure in his childhood, dying in front of his very eyes. Alicia couldn't imagine seeing that happen, especially since she and Prim had also lost their parents.
"Haru was able to escape the forest and inform his family of the travesty committed by those bandits. As soon as they sorted out the problem of bandits, they were finally able to retrieve her body. Haru was there to see it all. Her body in the funeral pyre, seeing his beloved mother turn into nothing but ashes."
Celestine and Alicia frowned at that, Haru really had it rough when he was young. Maybe that was why he was so serious. But Celestine and Alicia knew that Rias had more to say.
"Young Haru convinced himself that if he knew how to fight, his mother would not have died. He firmly believed that he needed to protect those close to him. So he demanded that his father train him. His father obliged of course, giving his son the training he wanted so badly. It was tough for Haru but he pulled through. He aspired to be like his father, powerful, skilled and intelligent, traits that he needed to protect those he loved."
Celestine could notice that this was the time when Haru was starting to become the person he already was. He certainly was powerful and his plans so far have had no failure, he was quite the multifaceted man. Alicia saw an admirable sense of determination in the man, maybe he wasn't so bad.
"Over time, his father became a source of inspiration for Haru. Someone to look up to. Haru saw a mentor in his father and he grew a great respect for him. But one day, his father became bed-ridden after contracting a terminal disease. At fourteen, Haru was once again struck with the horror of losing the one he loves."
Celestine gasped. Another important loved one had died? This was getting even more grim than Celestine had imagined. Alicia hung her head in solemnity at what Haru had experienced.
"With his last dying words, Haru's father made Haru the man of the house, the patriarch to watch over the lands of his family. But, he also gave Haru another responsibility, to take care of his younger sister, Lady Naru of Leafvalley, who was only a year younger than him. And he took his father's words to heart."
Celestine was surprised to know that Haru had a sister. If he really cared about her so much, then why wasn't she with them? Alicia was also surprised, perhaps she and the Duke shared something in common and that was great care for their younger siblings.
"Now back to the politics, the Catholic Church had excommunicated the Holy Roman Empire, meaning that the Holy Roman Empire was no longer a member of their religion, which angered the great power. The Empire sought to attack the capital of the Catholic Church, the Vatican."
Celestine was shocked at this. These men were willing to desecrate holy artifacts to wreak their revenge? This Holy Roman Empire sounded very crazy, though Celestine knew they were not close to being as crazy as the Sex Empire. Alicia shuddered at the mention of another empire.
"The Catholic Church was ruled by a figurehead known as the Pope, who was the head of the whole Catholic Church, much like you were of your religion."
Celestine could see the similarities between herself and this "Pope". She couldn't help but feel the desecration of a city was all too familiar, as her city was close to suffering that very fate, had it not been for the timely arrival of the Duke and his men.
"The Holy Roman Empire stormed into the city, hell-bent on capturing the Pope. While the Pope's defenders, the Swiss guard, valiantly fought against the invaders, the last stand fell and the Pope was captured. Lady Naru accompanied Haru and the other English to a meeting with the Hapsburg Dynasty of the Holy Roman Empire. Other representatives from the Portugese-Spanish Alliance and other nations arrived in the Holy Roman Empire to try and negotiate with them."
Celestine nodded, this story was getting more interesting. Alicia was interested to hear about the politics of their world.
"Though he was only fifteen years old, Haru was already acquainted with politics and diplomacy, and he played an important part in the negotiations. But it turns out, the whole thing was orchestrated as a trap. The Pope had been executed long before the arrival of the emissaries and the meeting was merely a ploy to gather the nobles of the different powers. Assassins would enter the bedchambers of the nobles and kill them in their sleep. Many nobles died to the unexpected assault by the assassins, except for the English, Scandinavian and the Portugese-Spanish Alliance nobles, who had foreseen the betrayal of the Holy Romans. And the whole attack was orchestrated by Leopold Hapsburg, the son and heir of the Holy Roman Emperor."
Celestine was once again taken by surprise. The Holy Roman Empire was such scum to even backstab the other major powers like that. She was growing to hate this Empire a little more. Alicia saw the empire as dishonorable and despicable.
"Though Haru had also foreseen the assassination attempt and thwarted it; he made the fatal mistake of leaving his sister alone. He ran to her rescue, to only find that he was too late. His sister was not dead, but she was being raped by Leopold Hapsburg himself."
Celestine's eyes widened at the trauma that Haru suffered, seeing his dear sister being violated like that. She could only imagine the pain he felt when he saw his sister being molested and abused. Alicia was even more shocked. She couldn't imagine something like that happening to Prim. To the best of her ability, she had protected her dear cousin, whom she treated like a sister, from anything. She couldn't imagine the feeling of failure of protecting the one you love.
"Haru was enraged, together with his guards, he was able to stop Leopold. One eyewitness account stated that Leopold acted smug, as he was the heir to the Holy Roman Empire and he believed that the boy Haru would not even touch him. But he was dead wrong. Haru took sheer pleasure in beating the man with his bare hands. For the rest of the night, Haru prolonged the suffering of the man who dared touch his sister until he himself ran out of energy. By dawn, Haru had left with the rest of the nobles, escaping the clutches of the Holy Roman Empire, and the Emperor himself was treated with sight of his dead son, horribly beaten to death by Haru himself."
Celestine was a bit torn there. On one hand, it was disturbingly sadistic of Haru to take pleasure in the suffering of another, but on the other hand, the man did rape his sister, and that would justify his anger. Haru wasn't as black and white as she thought, he was becoming even more complex in her eyes. Alicia smirked instead, seeing justice in what Haru did.
"How did the Empire react?" Celestine asked.
"The Holy Roman Empire demanded Haru to be handed over, but by the time, the other powers didn't listen. They had already concluded that the Holy Roman Empire needed to be punished. The King of England punished Haru for his reckless act against the Holy Roman Empire by putting him on the front lines to fight the Empire."
Celestine's heart stopped there. A mere boy? Being put on the front lines? It seemed the world that Haru lived in was harsher than she thought. If he had really gone through all that, then who knows what he could be going through? Alicia began to respect Haru as a warrior and knight, perhaps she gave him too little credit.
"So what happened?"
"Of course, at the young age of fifteen, you would think that Haru would die immediately on the spot. But that was when his genius kicked in. Haru proved himself to be an amazing tactician. As a general, his quick mind had always carried the day. No matter how many men he faced, he had the wit to outmaneuver and defeat his opponents."
Celestine nodded in amazement, so this was when Haru's military career began to grow.
"Haru's rage against the Holy Roman Empire was unyielding. With every battle against them, his fierce determination was what his enemies feared. Due to his efforts, the English advance on the Holy Roman Empire grew quickly, with the other nations still a little far behind in piercing the Holy Roman defenses. A few years of war passed and it was not long before Duke Haru of Whirlingpool became a household name. His name causes enemy soldiers to abandon or even defect to his side."
Celestine was amazed that a mere mortal like Haru could earn himself such a name. A name that could strike so much fear belonged to that of demons or the Black Dogs. But even then, the Black Dogs were feared as a whole group. Haru was feared as a single man. Even Alicia couldn't dream of such fame, or infamy in this case.
"When he had finally won over the Holy Romans, he had marched into the capital, the place already giving him bitter memories of what had happened to his sister, He marched into the palace and ordered every member of the Hapsburg Dynasty to be executed on the spot."
Celestine did not expect that. And neither did Alicia. They both stared at Rias slack-jawed.
"Why would he do such an atrocious act? That makes him no better than his enemies!" Alicia declared indignantly.
"I never did tell you what happened to his sister after she was raped."
Celestine and Alice shared a glance, before turning back to Rias.
"So what happened to her?"
"She was pregnant with Leopold's child at the age of fourteen, as she decided to keep the child. One day she had gone into labor and gave birth to a healthy, baby boy."
Celestine sounded relieved to hear the child was safe, but Rias left out a crucial detail.
"What happened to Lady Naru?"
"She died giving birth."
Celestine and Alicia could clearly see what caused Haru's grief. Now that he had lost all his family, Haru had almost little reason to go on.
"The execution of the Hapsburgs was sensationalized, everyone knew about it and feared Haru. He was invited to numerous banquets and was generally a sociable person. People liked him for his comedic nature and his eloquent way of speaking. He became a very popular person among the nobility."
Celestine and Alicia nodded slowly, so Haru had quickly gotten over his grief. Good for him. Looks he wasn't one to dwell on the past. But then again, Rias never mentioned how she met him.
"Before he could return home to England, Haru would then be called to battle once again, this time, against the Mongol invasion and the Timurid Conquest. And the usual did happen, the Mongols and Timurids were beaten back, and Haru once again got most of the credit."
"So he stopped the invasion?" Alicia asked in awe.
"He insists that it was thanks to the collective efforts of the other nations, but I would admit that he did most of the heavy lifting."
"So how did you meet him?" Celestine asked. "You must have been a princess or some powerful woman to have been married to someone like him."
"Wrong." Rias smiled. "I was the daughter of a low noble family in German, another kingdom occupied by England."
Alicia and Celestine gasped at that. The Duke didn't even marry a powerful woman? Had he existed, thousands of women would throw themselves at his feet, if not to marry, then to carry the child of the man himself. It seemed strange for a man as social as Haru to not even exploit his fame a little.
"So Haru was well on his way to returning home. After nine tireless years of fighting on the frontlines, Haru had gotten a well-deserved rest from battle. Of course, he was excited to see Whirlingpool, his home that he had not seen for nearly ten years. But he would have to make stops frequently to spend the night."
So Haru was returning home after all the fighting he had experienced. He deserved it after all. Alicia would have to train with him more to pick up some good advice from him. Celestine had a better picture of why Haru was the man he was.
"Of course, being a famed general and hero, Haru was subject to many invitations to party. Numerous noblemen would invite the young man to their parties, throwing numerous upon numerous marriage proposals, offering their daughters to him. But Haru declined all of them."
Celestine wasn't expecting that move from Haru, as she couldn't help but wonder how a mere mortal like Haru could resist such pleasure. Then again, she wasn't very well acquainted with mortal affairs.
"Haru arrived in our humble manor in Frankfurt to spend the night before finally going home to England. My family was too scared to even entertain him, as we were already struggling and couldn't afford to accommodate anymore men. My family had sent me as his entertainment, hoping to use me as a scapegoat."
Alicia was a bit disgusted with the family antics. It seemed so wrong to use your very daughter for such a traitorous and possibly dangerous purpose.
"I entered his bedroom and merely talked with him. He was a pessimistic and cynical man, and I would not blame him for being so after seeing so much war. We both had incompatible views of the world. I believed in a better world, where I could make people happy. He believed that the world was cruel and that in the grand scheme of things, we were insignificant."
Rias was voluptuous in figure, though her dress did a good job of hiding it. She had fair skin, with rich lips. Her crimson hair was long and flowing, shining under the sun. From a beauty standpoint, Rias would have fit the bill as a princess. But Celestine returns to Rias' story.
"We've had a few clashes over our viewpoints, but much to our surprise, Haru had decided to stay another few days. He was curious on why I would hold such an idealistic position. I said that though we were just drops in the bucket, we can cause ripples and change the world just a little bit. He was taken aback by what I had just said, and that really caused him to reflect deeply. Soon he conceded and tried to follow my example, and see the world in a better light."
Celestine and Alicia leaned forward in anticipation to hear what Rias had to say next.
"But it was easier said than done. Haru talked to me privately about it and revealed his insecurities regarding his view of life. When he was young, he always hated people who wanted to change the world, because he believed that people didn't really know how big the world was and were merely egotistic and desperate to be remembered, and all his years of war only solidified his belief. But after he met me, he saw the sincerity in my words and saw no desperation in my words. Seeing someone so cheerful and determined about making the world a better place was the even that made him envy me for being so happy all the time. He wanted to try and see things my way before finally admitting that he could not do it. He said that he could not see the world in a happy light after it had been so cruel to him. As he told me all his insecurities, he broke down in tears and began to cry."
This story took quite the sharp turn for both Celestine and Alicia. It didn't seem like him to just cry out of nowhere. Haru seemed too mature and emotionally strong to just cry over trivial things.
"Haru was a man of high standing, but deep down, he was really unhappy. It was not like he refused to be positive about it, in fact, he was desperate to be positive. But he could never see anything in a positive light. He wanted to be happy but could not find it in him to be. I realized that I was privileged to have such an uncorrupted view of the world. Haru was not so lucky. I tried to help him the only way I knew. I embraced him and comforted him.
And he suddenly looks at me like I'm insane, wondering what I was even doing. I nearly regretted doing that until the next day, when he gave me his gratitude. I was relieved to see that he wasn't going to punish me. And on the contrary, he invited me to join him to England."
"So why was he sad in the first place?"
"Doctors had told me that Haru was suffering from melancholia from the trauma of what he had experienced. I never understood what melancholia was until one of Haru's personal guards described to me how Haru viewed the world."
Celestine was interested to hear how such a complex personality would view the world.
"Imagine being in a feast. Lively music playing, people dancing, jolly mood. Quite fun, right?"
Celestine and Alicia nodded.
"Now imagine an empty feasting hall, dead silent, no food, no people, and overarching mood of melancholy. Very depressing, right?"
Celestine and Alicia nodded again.
"Well, back then, that was how the Duke saw the world. Each feast for him was not a lively gathering, but an empty and trivial event for him. There was this voice in the back of his mind that taunted him, tortured him, blaming him for what had happened to his family. The trauma he had suffered had completely distorted his view of the world."
"Wait, if only Haru knew about his ailment, then how come you're telling us in great detail?"
"This is information that only I know. Haru had confided in me ever since we met and he's depended on me for emotional support. My infectious positivity and happy nature is what keeps him from feeling sad and lonely, not because of my beauty or my noble background."
Even Celestine couldn't see that depth into Haru's relationship. She simply thought he was like the other husbands, but this had changed her perspective of him. Haru was a man who could take control, command respect from his peers and lead people to success. But deep down, he was still a man. A man who had suffered a loss beyond comprehension, and had only bottled up his emotions until he reached his breaking point.
"After the marriage, Haru's mood and attitude improved. Guards said that it was the first time he genuinely smiled in years. His devotion towards me was no less short of loving. He became a genuinely humorous and social person, rather than the convincing facade, he was truly happy. He finally no longer walked the thin line between his sanity and the abyss below."
Rias then stared wistfully at the distance.
"And I shudder at what would have happened if he truly fell into the abyss."
Haru sat in silence in his throne room. The silence tortured him. It was the same silence that taunted him years ago. Though he may have recovered from the losses he had suffered, the memory would always be there. That unholy night will forever stick in his mind. His breathing became more frequent and panicked. He began to sweat profusely as his panicked state began to grow. But a slam of the door interrupts his moment of anxiety.
"Sire! I have come with a message from the Hospitaliers!" the messenger announced with a scroll.
"Well, what is the message?" Haru asked, quickly calming down.
"The Hospitaliers have successfully taken the first few villages outside of the city. And they have found one of the shield-princesses!"
"Is that so?" Haru asked, clearly surprised. "Where is she?"
"Hospitalier escorts will have her over shortly." the messenger said before bringing out another scroll. "I also bring information that the scouts have returned."
"I trust that the collaboration with the Beastpeople has been successful?"
Meanwhile…
The spy was clearly tired as he trekked through the forest. He seemed to be carrying something heavy as sweat poured down his brow. He then feels uncomfortable and shouts behind him.
"Quit fidgeting! You're making it hard for me to carry you!" he chided to a girl on his back.
The spy was actually carrying a rabbit girl on his back, it seemed that she was chosen to be his partner for the scouting missions. He thought that their advanced senses would be of much help, but now he was having second thoughts.
"B-But there might be spiders and creepy crawlies around!" the rabbit girl quivered.
"Isn't that why I'm carrying you?" the spy asked exasperatedly.
"B-But they might come from above!"
"If you don't stop squirming, I'll be tempted to leave you here alone!" the spy threatened.
"No! No!" the rabbit girl panicked as she then held tightly onto the spy. "Please! I'll stop fidgeting!"
The spy was being choked by the rabbit girl's panicked embrace.
"… How about… you stop hugging… me so… tightly…"
"Sorry!" The rabbit girl said while letting go abruptly, causing her to lose balance and fall over.
The spy sighed as he looked down on the poor timid girl.
"What am I supposed to do with you?"
Celestine suddenly got a headache as she massaged her forehead. Alicia and Rias clearly saw her distress and became concerned. Celestine tries to stand up but collapses nearby, causing Alicia to stand up from her chair.
"Goddess! Are you okay?" Alicia asked while rushing to Celestine's aid.
"I-I'm fine… I'm just having a vision…"
"A vision?" Rias asked.
"Celestine has the power of seeing into the future. But the gods seemed to have an urgent message if it's one of this magnitude."
"What is it?"
"I see… I see Maia, being escorted by the knights into the kingdom."
"Maia!? They found her!?" Alicia expressed in shock.
"Maia?"
"One of the shield-princesses. We never heard from her after her kingdom fell." Alicia said before turning to Celestine. "Is it true?"
"Yes, the visions never lie. But it seems her mind has been broken, and they are taking her to the castle infirmary for healing."
"Then what are we waiting for, let's go!" Alicia hurried as she tried to help up Celestine.
"No… There's something else…" Celestine said while closing her eyes and concentrating, before she reopened them, wearing a face of horror as she turned to Rias. "Lady Rias, we must get to the Duke at once."
"Why?" Rias asked, confused at all the commotion.
"Because your knights are in grave danger."
Louis ran through the dark forest, with the monsters hot on his trail. They were waiting for him, he should have known. He had to escape, but these monsters wouldn't let him. His helmet and body were stained with blood and there was a sound of heavy breathing from his helmet. The situation was getting dire and Louis was getting even more desperate. A stray ogre wanders onto his path and tries to whack him.
Louis blocks with his shield, but the ogre kicks his shield, sending Louis back. Louis quickly recovers and charges back in. He slices the ogre's stomach and kicks him to stun him. While the ogre was stunned, Louis threw his sword in the air and caught it by the blade, holding it through mordhau. He uses the crossguard of his blade to pull the ogre's head closer to him, before going ahead and bashed the ogre. The ogre falls dead, while Louis turns to see himself surrounded by smaller goblins, clumping up together as they ganged up on him.
One goblin lunges at Louis who stabs it midair, before raising his shield to block another attack by another monster, before bashing that monster away. He shakes off a goblin biting his leg and stomps down on it. He proceeds to elbow a monster sneaking up behind him and then uppercuts his sword to stab another wolf-like monster attempting to scratch him.
Louis took a moment to breathe while the monsters hesitated to attack. The smaller monsters couldn't hurt him with their claws and teeth, it was only the ogres he had to worry about. But he had to make sure that none of them could get his armor off or else it would be over.
Louis glances around to see that he was surrounded. Black Dogs and monsters everywhere. The mercs were hanging back to let the monsters do their job, and they seemed rather smug that Louis was running out of options, but spotted an abandoned mine in the distance.
"Maybe if I run in there, I'll be safe from them. There may be a risk of a dead end, but it's all I have."
Louis then looked through the crowd, seeing that he would have to fight too many monsters to break through.
"But how will I break through… Wait, I still have something that can help."
Louis then took out a blue glass bottle with a cloth stuffed over it. The mercenaries laughed at this and taunted.
"Looks like he wants a drink before he dies!"
"Eh, let him have it! It's useless anyway!"
Louis then recalled what this strange item was. He recalled the time an industrious, young priest wanted to ask a favor from him.
"Monsieur Louis!"
Louis turned around to see a young man with a tonsure run up to him. He had to entertain the main, because of course, he was a priest and he needed to give his respect to the men of God. And he took a particular liking to this young man.
"Yes, Mon Père? What is it this time?"
"I wish for you to try this new improved incendiarius I have made!" the young priest said while handing Louis a blue bottle stuffed with a cloth.
"How will this incendiarius work? It looks too simple to operate!"
"Just light it with your torch and throw it at the enemy! That liquid inside is the same liquid used for Greek fire, so do not let it break!"
Louis felt inclined not to use such a dangerous item, but he felt like it would save his life someday. He carefully places it in a secure area on his belt.
"I'll make sure to give you back the results Monsieur l ' Abb é ."
"I have a good feeling about this one, trust me and God on this."
Louis wasn't one to indulge in one's requests, but the young priest showed promise in creating something game-changing. Louis had always seen a promising future in the new field of science that has been becoming prominent. Each innovation was a step closer to being truly like God.
Louis takes off his torch and gets ready to light it. He turns once again to his desired path of escape. He lights the bottle and throws the improvised explosive at the crowd of monsters. As soon as the bottle broke, all Hell broke loose. The bottle exploded in to a huge blaze that immediately scorched any poor soul within its vicinity, leaving wails and cries of agony. All of Louis's opponents immediately took a step back in fear as Louis saw his chance to make a break for it. Louis immediately ran for the mine. The monsters and mercenaries made motion to pursue but one mercenary shouted.
"Wait! Don't bother! Look at the sign!"
Everyone looked at the sign saying, "Emmet & Murmek Mining Co." The mine was surrounded by mountains and mountains of gold right outside the mine entrance. Though it looked easy to grab, the mercenaries and monsters elected for some reason to not even stay close to the collection of gold.
"Hahaha! Looks like the lad's walkin' into a death trap!"
"Yeah! Let the murmeks eat him!" another one jeered.
The monsters and mercenaries quickly dispersed as they laughed at the misfortune of the knight as they then disappeared into the foliage.
Louis, on the other hand, simply crawled into a space and tucked himself. His body slowly bleeding as he decided to shrug off his wounds for good night's sleep.
Haru stroked his chin as he stared at the apparition conjured by Ruby, who was reading Celestine's vision. He was a little relieved to see Louis making it out alive, but he was still wary of his safety. He wanted to know what these "murmeks" were and what kind of creatures they were.
"What are these 'murmeks'?"
"We can't say for sure sire." Celestine replied. "Few people ever live to see those creatures and usually those people don't live long after that either. But a common tale was that these creatures resided inside the mine, digging out more gold than a whole company of miners, though they kill those who even step close to the mine."
Haru had to process this information, but Celestine looked distressed once again. She moaned in pain as the apparition began to change. Haru saw something else in the picture.
Grandmaster Oswald dismounted his horse and raised a hand to his men, signaling them to ready their weapons. He looks down on the ground and investigates the strange footprints on the ground. He sees multiple footprints in the mud as he knelt down to investigate.
While Oswald was investigating, a soldier nearly gets shot by an arrow, ducking just in time to save himself. Another soldier raises his shield as more arrows flew at them. Grandmaster Oswald retreated behind the lines as the Templars set up a shield wall, ready to face their unknown opponent.
A group of half-naked women wear running at them, holding a sword and dagger in hand. They had dark skin and pointy ears like other elves.
Celestine gasped as she saw the adversary. She pointed and screamed.
"Dark elf assassins!"
"What do they want?" Haru asked with much worry.
"They are very territorial and will chase out any outsiders, especially men. But this doesn't make sense, the Dark Elves live too far north to be wandering in this territory. Unless…" Celestine trailed off before her face paled. "Haru, where did you send Oswald?"
"To the Northwestern region of course. We were investigating the lack of Kuro Inu presence in the center of the continent. Why?"
"Because if Grandmaster Oswald doesn't leave now, there will be something even worse that will awaken!"
Haru' eyes widened as he turned back to the apparition, desperate to know what would happen next.
Grandmaster Oswald and his men steeled themselves as they stood their ground against the Dark Elf assault. But before the assault could even reach them, a giant figure bursts through the trees. A giant scaly beast emerges and charges down the Dark Elves. Grandmaster Oswald watched as the giant lizard-like creature ate and trampled all the other elves. Oswald made a silent hand motion to his men to return to their horses as they scrambled away. The lizard creature takes notice and roars, before charging at them.
Grandmaster Oswald and his men could only run deeper into territory because of the giant lizard chasing them. It seemed that they would have to outrun that beast before trying to get home. Oswald turns back to see the beast, but he also sees something riding on it. It was a smaller lizard, holding a frightfully ornate club with spikes.
Haru and everyone else in the room where at a loss for words. They had never seen a frightening creature like what they had witnessed. A giant, scaly creature that could trample and swallow men with ease was more like a hellbeast than anything else! Not even the mercenary elephant riders could beat such a thing. And that thing that was riding it, looked like a part-man, part lizard type of creature.
"What were those things?" Haru asked in horror.
"Anthrosaurs. A legendary race faded into legend." Celestine replied curtly. "Olga the Queen of the Dark Elves sealed them away after they tried to stop her from summoning the Legion."
"Wait, Olga didn't create the Legion?" Haru asked.
"Of course not, if Olga had actually created them, then they would have been completely subservient to her, but their defection to the Black Dogs says otherwise. Instead, the Legion has existed long before the human kingdoms. And the Anthrosaurs were the first to fight them."
"Why did Olga seal the Anthrosaurs away?"
"Because they were trying to stop her from reawakening their long lost enemy. Olga responded by sealing their whole kingdom in an inescapable barrier. Legend has it that only men of true faith could break it open."
"So that means…"
"Your men have reawakened the Anthrosaurs, and they are eager for revenge."
"But wait, on human matters, where do they stand?" Haru asked.
"If you choose to somehow side with the Kuro Inu, or even worse, Olga herself, they will consider you as a threat. But for now, they will ignore you in favor of revenge against the Dark Elves."
Haru looked frightfully at the apparition once again. The Dark Elves, Anthrosaurs and the Black Dogs were having a big free-for-all. The Dark Elves possessed hellish creatures at their disposal, hellhounds, hell-horses, hydras and wyverns. The Anthrosaurs commanded different lizard beasts of different sizes. Some had horns, sharp teeth, spikes or even all of the above. Though the Black Dogs looked like they had the numbers advantage. The battle was bloody and Haru lauded the fact that one day, he would have to bring his men into that bloodbath. For now, it seemed that Oswald was safe, and was going to be a mere spectator to a large battle.
But Celestine had another headache as she closed her eyes tight to concentrate. Haru then turns to the apparition to see what else Celestine could see.
Arend had his longsword drawn and circled a lady wielding a strange looking spear. She appeared to be mostly wearing leather with a gray knee-length coat on top. Her outfit possessed two small strange shoulder pads. She wore a mouthless white mask and a strange hat.
"You trespass the field of Blooming Petals foreigner. I, the Wild Warrior, demand that you turn and leave at once."
"I will not turn around. For I am searching for the Far East. If you shall allow me passage, I promise to not sully your lands."
"Only the worthy may pass into these lands. And the only way to prove your worth, is by combat!"
"Then let us begin." Arend said calmly as he lunged.
Louis woke up, feeling different. He felt as if his armor had been taken off, making him feel a bit naked. As if the surface of his sleeping area had suddenly changed. He felt something smooth and warm below his head, and something spongy below his body. He opened his eyes to see that he was suddenly sleeping on a silk-like bed. He then takes a brief moment to look around, to see giant insects all around the room. They looked like ants, but Louis only knew those tiny insects he used to play with, not these gargantuan, lion-sized ants. He was wondering why these ugly creatures weren't attacking him yet. But then he notices the cushion below his head wasn't a cushion at all.
He slowly looks up from his curled up position, to see realize that he was sleeping on the lap of a strange, purpled haired lady wearing a strange hat that had antennae. She had a fair bust size from Louis's point of view, together with beautiful emerald eyes.
"Oh I see you're awake!" the woman said with delight.