章 531: 41
Chapter 41
The first few hours after the battle were enough to set up a basic camp inside the castle yard. There was no room in the castle itself, as the Family used every space available inside the building.
It wasn't that big of a deal, as the enchanted tents were enough for the assassins and Zesshi, who, to Earan's observation, wasn't exactly thrilled to find out about her many brothers and sisters.
Rather quickly, she disappeared into her tent, with assassins guarding its entrance and not letting anyone near the apostle.
'Too much of a reminder about her roots I guess.' Earan mused.
Now that he had time to observe and analyze the situation, he could see just how bad things were. Most of the elves present were looking rather sickly and malnourished. The fact that only half of them ate the rather pitiful meal that was available, all but confirmed that they were in a state of constant starvation.
As the food was spread around, his wife approached him. Despite her indifferent attitude, he desired to gaze upon her face once again. The unmoving mask made her less than she was in his eyes.
"Earan, I assume you will organize the newcomers?" she asked in a flat, neutral tone.
"Yes. Lord Blue Planet wished to commune with nature and left the more mundane tasks to me."
"Then I will inform you, we don't have any food to spare. I don't know how you plan to feed your forces, nor do I particularly care, but you will not take our reserves."
"That shouldn't be a problem. The convoy with supplies will arrive soon. Will you accept our help?"
"We don't need your help!"
"How long do you plan to be stubborn?" Earan asked with his voice raised.
"Don't use that tone with me!"
"Or what? You think I will look away and pretend these people are not starving because of your pride?"
"You…" she hissed, "dare accuse me of being prideful. You think your handouts will make things better all of the sudden?"
"Yes! The Gods are willing to bring salvation and you are spitting in their faces."
"You don't know how it's…"
"How it is to starve? How it is to lose everything? How it is to only feel regret? I lost Liadan, I lost my home, and I lost you because I was helpless to prevent it. Do you want to blame me for everything? Do it then, just take off that stupid mask and do it as my wife, not whatever this farce is!"
Muirin stood silently as Earan continued his rant.
"But I will not idly look away as my people starve when there is something I can do to help. I will beg my Gods for help and I know they will help."
Not waiting for her response, Earan walked away. If she wanted to be stubborn then there wasn't much he could do in that regard. With a more productive course of action in mind, the older elf walked towards his master. He had seen how life was under the rule of Gods and trusted his Lord would want to give the same to these people as well.
He quickly reached Lord Blue Planet, who sat outside the castle wall.
"My lord, I apologize for the intrusion…"
"Don't worry Earan, I already asked for the supplies."
"Thank you, my Lord. These people will appreciate your generosity, I'm sure of it."
"They need help. That is all that matters. I hope your wife will come around as well. She seems to hold a lot of resentment."
"I am sorry you had to hear that, my Lord."
"It's fine. The supplies will arrive within the hour. Could you organize the distribution?"
"Of course, Lord Blue Planet."
"Thank you. If you don't mind, I would like to continue my communion now."
Earan bowed and walked back inside the castle walls. Waiting for an hour was a grueling task, but once the dark void of the gate spell appeared, he could let out a relieved sigh. Rows of undead carried crates and bags with food and clothing, putting it all in neat piles.
After them came around a hundred elves, with Saibh in the lead. To his estimate, the amount of food delivered was enough to feed all the local forces for about two months. He knew that all the food had a preservation spell cast upon it and thus that storage would not be a problem.
To show the good will of Nazarick, he and Saibh ordered the volunteers to hand out the food to locals who, although wary, greedily accepted the food, while Muirin watched from the side. Even though speaking with her had left a foul taste in his mouth, he still picked up a loaf of bread and a bag of dried fruit and approached her.
"Here, take it. You need to eat as well."
She stood unmoving.
"Take it. There is enough food for everyone for two months. Don't starve when you don't have to. Please." With no response from his wife, he raised his voice again.
"If you don't take the food and eat, I will force-feed you myself."
"You wouldn't dare!" she hissed.
"Try me! I said Nazarick would help and I will not let my wife starve."
"Fine." Muirin said, taking the bread and dried fruit. Reluctantly, she took off the mask, broke off a piece of bread, and took a small bite.
Earan watched her eat more to show that he was not planning on backing down, but also in fear that she would not eat and collapse at some point. He did understand her wariness and unwillingness to accept help. Her face had more lines than he remembered, but she was still as beautiful as the day he lost her. Only the warmth from her eyes was gone, but then again, so was it from his. Muirin closed her eyes, savoring every bite she took, as if remembering how the bread tasted.
After the meal, she said with a quiet voice, "Thank you." putting the mask back on. Earan offered her a quick smile. Seeing her even for a moment was more than he had dared to hope for before arriving back to his homeland. The realization that it was one of very few times he had smiled, even in recent times, reminded him of something lost on the inside.
Not wanting to dwell on that fact, he went to help carry the supplies.
"Wait."
"Do you need something?"
"Earan, do you truly believe the Gods will help us?"
"Yes, I do. Compared to what the Elf Kingdom was, even in its past glory, Nazarick is a paradise. The Gods are ruthless only to their enemies."
Muirin removed her mask once again, looking into her husband's eyes.
"Then I will believe as well, for old time's sake."
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The unexpected defeat of his forces sent to deal with rebels was not news he had expected. Rosdunne, the military leader of the Elf Kingdom, walked towards the King's chambers, his stride hurried and his knees weak. The entire army of ten thousand was almost fully wiped out. One of the King's approved sons was killed, by another child of the King no less.
The most disturbing part of the entire ordeal was the rumors about the monster empire's involvement. The King was a step away from running to Nazarick and trying to tame the Goddess of War himself, thinking he could get powerful children that way.
'Even for him, that would be beyond foolish. He really thinks he could subjugate a God. Preposterous.' The rumors about the cataclysmic battle of the Katze Plains had reached even his remote homeland, same as the confirmation that it was the servant of the strongest of Gods who forced the Slane Theocracy to its knees, preventing the Elf Kingdom's collapse for a decade or two.
The aging general pushed one of his grey locks away from his face and continued walking. Save for the King's quarters, the castle was in an almost derelict state. The two malnourished guards saw him approach and saluted, with the older of the two saying.
"My apologies, general Rosdunne, but the King doesn't wish to be distributed."
"Is one of his brides with him?"
"No, she was taken away recently."
"I have urgent news. I will take responsibility for the intrusion."
Both guards looked at each other, and then silently stepped aside.
Rosdunne took a deep breath, preparing for what he was about to see, and opened the double door leading to King's dwelling. The potent smell of recent sex hit his nose right away. The Elf King himself, as usual, didn't even bother to get dressed, lazing around naked on the sofa, eating cheese and drinking wine.
The long years of service had already prepared him for the sight, with the older general keeping a neutral expression and not even wrinkling his nose. Some of his predecessors had made that mistake and lost their heads in the process.
The Elf King scowled and exclaimed, not even looking at the general. "I told those useless guards to not let anyone pass. Why is everyone so incompetent?"
"I deeply apologize, your highness, but I have news about the force that was sent to eliminate rebels."
"I don't care about some peasants and the useless rejects being wiped out!"
"Your highness… our forces… were eliminated."
"Useless trash, all of them. To die at the hands of those rejects."
"Not by them… Reports say it was an unnamed daughter of yours who almost single-handedly eliminated the entire force."
That surely caught King's attention as he turned to face Rosdunne with a wide smirk.
"Finally! My efforts had paid off. Bring her in."
"Your highness?"
"Bring her in. She surely wishes to get my praise."
"Your highness, she is with the rebels. She defeated our forces."
"What is the point of having you if I have to do everything? Write an invitation letter. She surely will be thrilled to be accepted back into my embrace."
"Yes, at once, your highness," Rosdunne said with a deep bow.
The King, already losing interest in talking with the general, spoke too loudly once more to himself, "A daughter worth my attention. Maybe her offspring will surpass even her."
He had to suppress his disgust about the ruler's disturbing idea as he left the King's chambers. If he didn't already know that any attempt of assassination would fail miserably, he would organize one himself. The King was a monster not only in his behavior but in power as well.
A crazed guard once tried to assault the king, only to see his spear break upon contact with the King's unguarded chest. No one really knew from where the King came from, as Rosdunne had not seen him age a day over the long years of his servitude. The King had always looked like that. Sharp, almost chiseled features, long silver-colored hair, and those distinct black and white eyes. If not for his absolutely disgusting personality, most women would have willingly become his concubines.
There was no helping it. He had to carry out the order, no matter how idiotic it sounded. The only one who didn't realize just how much his children hated him was the Elf King himself.
There was one person he could consult before making the letter, namely the prime minister, Ailpein Nolani. The man shared his sentiment about the King, as both kept their positions to contain the King's selfish madness to the level it was at now. His country was doomed either way, but he and the prime minister had kept the country together for the last six decades.
Just a short walk to the castle's administrative wing was all it would take and he would find the minister. Rosdunne hoped to arrive there before a loose stone in this crumbling castle killed him by accident. The farther away from the King's chambers one traveled, the worse the castle became. There was no upkeep at all and there were very few servants meant to keep it clean.
'How could everything go so wrong?'
When he started as a guard two centuries ago, the castle was still in its prime. It was, once upon a time, a marvel of elven architecture. To walk these run-down corridors was as seeing a friend slowly wither away.
The very few guards stationed saluted him. Most were not even old enough to be proper guards. The constant war had dwindled the able-bodied soldiers to such low numbers that properly trained guards were almost impossible to keep. Not to mention no female guards were anywhere near the castle for a rather obvious reason.
The minister's office as usual smelled of cheap brandy. Rosdunne had not seen the man fully sober for a long time. The sunken cheeks, glassed over eyes and shaking hands had signaled the minister's slow descent into an alcoholic mess, at least for a decade.
Despite his condition, the minister was writing a document with calligraphic handwriting.
"What is it this time?" Ailpein asked.
"Did you read the battle report?"
"Yes, of course I did. Please tell me that our 'beloved king' didn't give an order to contact her?"
"Invitation to visit her father."
"For the love of… how about we both just climb up the last standing tower and jump?"
"I'm afraid we will stumble and fall to our death in these ruins before getting to the top," Rosdunne said with a dry laugh.
Ailpein shared the laugh with him and then asked, "You want me to write it?"
"I have to present something to the King."
Ailpein suddenly got up, locked the office door, and put a quick silence spell on the room before returning to his chair.
"You think we can reason with the newcomers? I understand one of them is present among the rebels."
"If the King gets even a wind of it, we are both wasting rope, you know?"
"You find me long enough piece of rope in these ruins and I'll hang myself before he gets a chance."
"So, what do you have in mind?"
"We make two letters. One for the King to put his seal on and the second explaining what is going on. If fate permits it, maybe the newcomers are at least a bit better and will let the people eat every other day."
"Only time will tell." Rosdunne said solemnly, "Only time will tell."
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The capital of her homeland looked grey and tired, almost dying. The winter was not her favorite time of year, but even that was not the sole reason for the depressing sight.
It took less than a year for things to become so much worse.
Neia looked around at the people while walking with her father. The aura of uncertainty was strong, a stark contrast of the optimistic feel permeating from the capital of Nazarick.
"I think the shop we usually went to is around that corner." Pavel said, pointing forward. He could see just how hard the words of her wife had struck his daughter.
Neither Neia's different beliefs nor her chosen path bothered him. She was his little girl and always would be. Her overwhelming might assured him she could defend herself, at least physically.
Acilia however dealt the hardest blow with the least effort. How could she? His wife always was a hardline paladin, but he never saw her as someone so fanatical. They saw each other less and less lately, but still, her words 'I have no daughter' were not something Pavel believed she could ever say.
"Oh, there it is!" Neia exclaimed.
"Looks like they are open."
To see her childlike excitement put a smile on his face. The deliciously smelling pretzels looked smaller than he recalled, and the layer of honey seemed to be a lot thinner than it used to be. The price also bordered extortion, but then again, all prices had gone up. Far too much was exported to Re-Estize once the civil war started in the failed country.
Now Neia's master ruled over it.
"Say, Neia, how is your new life?" Pavel asked while biting into his snack.
"It's great. Emperor Ainz is kind to me, maybe even a bit too much for a God I devote myself to. Also, I'm not used to having servants, but they insist I need to live according to my rank."
"That's good to hear. I am happy for you."
"How are things on the wall?"
Her father's tired sigh already told her everything she needed to know.
"We are still holding on. Paladins crawling everywhere is a pain, but they do help."
"I could ask Emperor Ainz to help."
"Those things are better left to the Queen. You serve another country, it's better to not get yourself involved too much."
"Dad, I can't just let you die there."
"I will be fine, Neia."
"You could come live in Nazarick."
"I can't abandon my duties. I'm sure you understand."
"I do." Neia said. Maybe she could ask for her father to be looked after? An angel or something similar as a guardian surely would not be too much to ask.
When it came to her mother, the waters were muddled. She openly disowned her, abandoning Neia to her own fate, and giving her a reason to do the same to her mother. But she was still her mother. What if she died in some beastmen attack? Maybe she would calm down over time and they could be on talking terms in the future?
"Kiddo, are you alright?"
"Yes. I'm sorry, I got distracted. Would it be ok for me to arrange some protection for you and mother?"
"You want to protect your mother after what she did?"
"I don't know… But I don't want her to die, even if she hates me."
"She… I hope she will come to her senses."
'But what if she doesn't? What if she hates me till the end of her life?' The more she thought about it, the worse her fears became. She always was much closer to her father than her mother, but now the gap had become impossible for her alone to overcome.
'One day I will be like you.' How many times had she said those words? The desire to get her mother's approval fueled even her choice of becoming a paladin.
A loud ringing of a bell four times told her it was time to return to the castle. Queen Calca likely had already prepared the response and it would be rude to make her wait.
Her guess was on point, as the castle's head butler already awaited her at the castle's entrance. With the previous fiasco, she expected the throne room to be filled to the brim with guards, but surprisingly, the opposite was true. Only the Queen, her angel, and the high priestess were present.
Quickly dismissing the butler, Calca spoke, sitting on her throne,
"Pavel, you should leave too. I wish to speak about a sensitive topic with Neia."
Could it be a trap? The queen would not be so reckless as to harm Neia, right? Reluctantly, Pavel bowed.
"I would prefer if my father stayed," Neia said before Pavel had left the room.
"Neia, this conversation is between you, me, and the high priestess."
"Your highness, I think we can trust Pavel as well," Kelart said.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. I believe so."
"Very well," Calca said as she stood up from the throne, walked up to Neia, and handed her the letter personally. "I trust you will deliver my response safely."
"Of course, your highness."
Calca turned her back, looking out the window, and asked quietly,
"Neia, what do you think would happen if we tried to introduce your faith to the people of the Roble?" Calca asked.
Her mother's reaction was the first thing Neia imagined as a widespread reaction. There was a noticeable worry in the Queen's tone. Neia turned to look at the high priestess, but she, as usual, had an unreadable expression.
"Not all would accept it. Some might oppose it violently."
"Now you see my dilemma. The angel who serves your master… She showed me the truth. I would like to ask for your help. Together we must find a way to save our people both from the beastmen invasion and the annihilation that may be brought on by the very faith that had once protected our nation."
"How can I help?"
"Could you ask for help from your God? Neia, it is your homeland too and, even if the majority don't look favorably towards Nazarick, surely you can find a way to help us."
Pavel never was a particularly hard believer and faith itself wasn't that big of a deal to him. However, the revelation that both the Holy Queen and High Priestess were willing to cast aside their faith to save the nation still shook him. Both of them were seen as almost direct messengers of the four. Yet the truly bizarre realization was the fact that his daughter might be the savior of Roble.
Neia, meanwhile, put her hand to the side of her head, and after a moment of silence said,
"Emperor Ainz is willing to talk with you in private."
"Thank you. I will try to arrange a way to travel to Nazarick…"
"I mean now." Neia said, shaking her head as the dark void of the gate appeared behind her.
"N-now!?"
"Yes, my master awaits." Neia said, motioning to the void.
Calca stood frozen for a moment, and only a gentle push from Kelart made her move. Neia and Pavel were the first to go through the void as she and Kelart followed.
In her mind, she saw the dark God sitting on the throne of skulls waiting for a foolish mortal like her to beg for a favor, but the reality turned out vastly different. Emperor Ainz stood in a cozy reception room. Still, the dark flames dancing in his eye sockets was not something she was prepared to witness.
Neia kneeled instantly, with Pavel mimicking her as quickly as his impressive agility allowed him to.
Should she kneel as well? Calca was not used to being in such an uncertain position. The clear divinity radiated from the undead emperor so much so she almost forgot she was supposed to act as a ruler. Luckily, Kelart was one to show her what to do as the high priestess also kneeled.
She could only hope the dark God didn't find her hesitation disrespectful.
"Rise." Ainz said and then addressed Calca directly, "A foreign monarch should not bow before me so eagerly."
"I have not come here as the ruler of my country but as a lost soul in need of guidance."
"Is that so?" Ainz said as he sat down and motioned for others to join him.
Neia grabbed her father by the hand, sitting down next to Ainz almost instantly and practically forcing Pavel to do the same.
Was she supposed to do the same? Even Kelart besides her looked confused. The table was prepared for five people. Deciding that it should be the proper response, she subtly motioned for Kelart to follow her lead and gracefully sat down.
Only now she saw that the same angel that gave her the vision stood in one corner of the room, hiding her presence rather well.
"Let's hear your plea then." Ainz said, picking up a cup of tea and taking a sip. Him drinking tea in his skeletal form in front of unprepared people never grew old.
'How do I even start?!' She surely envisioned the first meeting with a living God differently. Unfortunately, there was no going back, and she had to say something.
"Your majesty, I know the religion my nation follows is false, but it is so ingrained in our culture that I don't see a way of moving my people away from it easily, but at the same time, we need your help. The beastman attacks on the wall protecting us are getting worse. Monsters are also attacking from the sea."
"The vision Eleleth showed you. I must admit, it was a more forceful approach than I would have liked from her, but at least now you know the truth. Considering your current situation, the presence of my armies would make people question your loyalties. Unless your people are willing to accept my help, there isn't that much I can do."
"I understand, but there must be something. Anything. I will gladly accept you as my patron God, but I cannot do it openly without my people demanding for me to step down from the throne."
"There might be a solution." Ainz said, putting down the cup and then turning to the man sitting beside Neia. "Would you, Pavel Baraja, accept my gift of empowerment?"
Pavel looked at his daughter, who gave him a reassuring smile. He understood the meaning of the gift. He, too, would become a close follower of the dark God; it was a small price to pay if his homeland was saved for it.
"Yes, I will gladly accept it, your highness." he said as he got off the sofa and knelt before the undead emperor.
The moment the Emperor's skeletal hand touched his head he felt pain unlike he had ever experienced, but even before he could let out a scream, the pain ended. There was this almost euphoric feel of the newly gained power rushing through him. This is how Neia must have felt when she too was empowered.
Ready to take the entire beastmen army on his own, he stood up and deeply bowed, saying, "Thank you for the gift and thank you for accepting my daughter as your most devoted servant."
"Neia has earned the position of an Apostle by her own merit. I couldn't have picked a better candidate to represent me." Ainz said.
"Calca, for now, you will keep your faith in secret, as there is no benefit of you announcing it publicly, but you will declare that you have forged a pact with Nazarick and our human volunteers will join the defense of your nation soon."
"Yes, Emperor Ainz, I will carry out your will, but I'm afraid a large part of Roble will rebel even with such a minimal approach."
"Let them. Even Gods cannot save those beyond reason. My friends and I will protect those who will accept our help and the rest can fend for themselves."
It was about what she expected. There was no reason for a God to protect those who would openly defy him.
"I understand."
"Good. You will be informed when help is about to arrive. If that is all, I will send you home."
"I would like to announce my wish to become your follower, Emperor Ainz." Kelart said, dropping on her knees.
"Very well. As a priestess, you can coordinate spreading the faith of the new Gods with Neia." Ainz said with a wave of his hand as the gate back to the Roble royal castle appeared.
Neia quickly hugged her father, wishing to see him soon. With three guests departing, Neia was left alone in her master's presence.
"Neia, I already have said it, but if you need something, you can speak up. Your father should be safe for now, but I will put eyes on him just in case. As for your mother, it's up to you whether we should look after her or not."
"T-thank you, master. Thank you so much." Neia said with tears in her eyes. "But my mother… she…"
"It is up to you. A few shadow demons should be enough for you to monitor your parents yourself. With my blessing active, you should be able to keep them safe."
"Thank you, master. I am truly undeserving of the kindness you show me." Neia said, dropping to her knees. For her it was unthinkable that her God would want to protect someone like her mother, someone who openly would defy all the new Gods for old, dying traditions.
This day had been a rollercoaster for her. Although she couldn't see it, there was a feeling of her master smiling at her. With a quick bow, she left the room in dire need of some rest.
"The priestess is an interesting one. If not for your newest catch needing support, I would take her for myself." Ulbert said, turning off his perfect unknowable.
"You could just have sat with me."
"They were twitchy as is. If only Renner was as humble as your Neia."
"You knew what you did when you chose her as your servant."
"Touche."
"For now, don't overdo it with the beastmen. We don't need that country to fall apart before the Theocracy strikes."
"It's all already planned way ahead."
"Of course it is."
"Have some faith in me once in a while. Have my plans ever failed?" Ulbert said with an evil chuckle.
"You've got a point."
"By the way, you may have to talk with Tabula at some point. More crawlies are getting out of the water in Roble and it doesn't sound good."
"That is a disturbing development. I will ask for his input." Ainz said, leaning back on the sofa.
"We already know it will happen at some point. Slane is a time bomb waiting to go off."
"Still, I would prefer to be ready when that thing wakes up."
"Me too buddy, me too."
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Her blood boiled. How could her queen side with that monster-loving little bitch?
'She took me by surprise. Next time I will be ready. She will pay.' Remedios raged as she paced back and forth in her chambers.
The poor rug under her knees showed noticeable wear and tear in the form of a circle, unable to withstand her constant assaults.
'Kelart, she did nothing. She did nothing!'
How could her own sister not stand against this heresy? Some priestess she was. Suddenly someone was knocking on the door.
"What?"
"The queen summons you." Kelart said, opening the door.
"If she wants an explanation, you can tell her I was acting according to my vows."
"Not this time, sister. You are coming with me now!"
Arguing with the queen was not something she should do, but she was right. Neia was a heretic consorting with monsters. Her sister was too soft to set Queen Calca straight. Maybe she had to go for a harder approach and be more forceful with leading the Queen back on a righteous path?
Her sister's expression was unreadable, as always.
As they silently approached the throne room, she could hear the subtle rattle of armor. There were people clad in plate armor in the throne room, at least ten of them. What was going on? The queen wouldn't have gone around her back and summoned paladins by herself, not her Calca.
Oh, how wrong she was. Two rows of paladins stood at each side of the throne room with her second-in-command, Gustav, standing by the throne as the queen sat on it with a saddened expression.
A bad feeling arose inside her.
Remedios stopped two meters from the throne and kneeled.
"Your highness, you summoned me?"
"Yes. Remedios Custodio, you have ignored my direct orders; you have broken the vows of doing everything to protect our nation."
"Your highness, I have broken no vows!"
"Silence!" Calca said loudly.
"Because of your transgressions, I am relieving you from the position of the grandmaster of the Roble Holy Kingdom's Paladin Order. From now on, Gustav Montagnés will serve as the head of the paladin order."
"No! You can't!" she gasped, shocked.
'This can't be happening. That heretical bitch did something to the Queen that twisted her mind. She seduced the Queen to join that vile monster worshiping cult. I should have known!'
Ignoring Remedios' reaction, Calca continued. "You may keep your position as a paladin, but further transgressions may force me to reconsider even that. Do you have anything to say, Remedios Custodio?"
Remedios lifted her head, silently glaring at her sister and Queen Calca. They had sided with monsters! They had betrayed her, the paladin order, and the Kingdom itself. She could have risen and struck them both down, becoming a martyr in the process, but her brothers and sisters in arms didn't know about the Queen's betrayal.
"No."
"You are free to go and may the great six watch over you."
Remedios stood up. There was nothing to say to them. Her sister, her queen, even her second in command conspired against the true believers. Now was not the time to strike. She would have to gather true believers, wait for the opportunity to arise.
Kelart knew her sisters were not about to just accept her fate. She was stubborn and always blamed everyone but herself. Luckily, even she may have to think twice before going against the queen.
Would there have been any other option, Kelart would take it in a heartbeat, but part of her already knew her sister was beyond reason. She was partly to blame for it, enabling Remedios's behavior far too often.
Maybe one day Remedios will see the error of her ways, but it was more likely that every single monster of the world would fall dead on its own before the stubborn paladin admitted her own shortcomings. With a heavy heart, she watched Remedios stomp out of the throne room in anger.
"Paladins, you may return to your duties. Gustav, stay behind, I wish to discuss the future of the order with you."
"Of course, your highness."
Kelart glanced over at the new grandmaster. He was a middle-aged man with greyish-brown hair and a goatee of the same color. He was Remedios' second in command for years, but arguably was the one who already ran the order for a while.
When the last paladin closed the throne room doors, Calca spoke again.
"Gustav, I want to know your opinion on the Empire of Nazarick and how you would deal with it."
"I would avoid a confrontation with the monster empire at all costs, your highness."
"Wouldn't that go against your principles?"
"A paladin's duty is to uphold justice and protect the people. An unnecessary conflict with an unbeatable enemy would not bring any good."
"I see you are more reasonable than Remedios. Roble is corresponding with the monster Empire and Emperor Ainz Ooal Goal is not interested in a conflict with us."
"Your highness, I will trust your wisdom in dealing with the monster empire."
"Good. Then I will entrust you with guiding the volunteers from Nazarick when they arrive to help us repel the beastmen attacks."
"Volunteers?"
"Nazarick has a sizable human population, and some of them will arrive soon to help us. Emperor Ainz has permitted them to do so. Are there any problems with this arrangement?"
"No, your highness, I will carry out your will."
The moment Kelart and Calca were alone again, Kelart turned to her friend, who had slumped down on the throne with a tired expression.
"I'm afraid my sister might do something stupid."
"What do you suggest, then? If she assaults more servants of Nazarick, they will not show any mercy to her."
"That's not what I meant."
"Kelart, please don't dance around the point and say as it is." Calca said with a long sigh.
"I think she might try to usurp Gustav, or even you."
"That seems extreme, even for her."
"Just in case, keep that angel of yours close at all times."
With turbulent times ahead, the last thing she needed was the Remedios acting out. The Emperor might help her next time, but for now, the only contribution was the empowerment of a single man, and even that clearly was done as a favor to his own Apostle, not to help Roble.
All her life, she had believed the four would guide her. She should have put the same devotion to the God she now followed, but the doubts still lingered. What if it was a mistake to trust the God of Life and Death?
{ Put your trust in your God. The faithful are rewarded. }
That voice! The voice of the angel who showed her the vision.
'Are you the messenger?'
{ Believe Calca, your God will protect you. Believe with all your heart. }
'I didn't mean to doubt.'
{ Cast away your doubts, child. He is watching over you. }
'I will. I won't doubt my God.'
Bonus Story - Crossing the line. (Smut warning)
Rigrit awoke in the middle of the night and, as usual, forgot to put a glass of water beside her bed. With her mouth dry and itchy, she tossed around for a minute and then decided to go get something to drink.
At first she was ready to go as is, but Tsar may have been up and, with the recent tension between them, maybe it wasn't the best idea to walk around buck naked.
'This one will be fine.' she thought. The large shirt was enough to cover her up to a decent degree. Feeling lazy, she buttoned about two-thirds of it and went on her merry way.
Just as she thought, Tsar was still awake.
'That lizard really needs to settle down and get some kind of decent sleeping pattern. He is grumpy as is already.'
She found him sitting at the dining table, dressed in his casual clothing and staring at a filled glass with a rather disgusted expression. A rather familiar bottle of rum was on the table in front of him.
'That's one of mine.'
"What are you doing?"
"I don't know how you humans can drink this thing. Its smell and taste are awful."
"You don't know what good stuff is." Rigrit shot back as she filled the glass with water and drank it greedily. "Why are you trying to drink, anyway?"
"Gagaran, told me this would help calm me down."
Rigrit sat down at the table as well, filling her own glass with the strong liquor, and taking a large gulp.
"That only works if you don't have high poison resistance. Are you still upset about the whole consort thing?"
Tsar responded only with an annoyed grumble and drank from his glass, twisting his face even more. Rigrit leaned forward, touched his half-empty glass, cast a quick chill spell, and said. "Here, it should taste better."
It took her a moment to realize that Tsar's gaze went down to her cleavage and didn't leave it right away.
'Heh, he couldn't resist.'
She was rather proud of her now youthful body, and attention from men was a thing that came back with being young-looking again. Tsar's gaze, however, was an unexpected surprise.
"What's the big deal with it, anyway? Other dragons clearly didn't care." Rigrit said, playfully unbuttoning the top button.
"I… What are you doing?"
"Giving you a better view," Rigrit said with a smirk and leaned forward again, knowing he should be able to see her breasts, this time with ease.
"You shouldn't be doing it!"
"Why not?"
"Because… being in human form changes the way I think. I might do something you don't like."
"And what makes you think I wouldn't like it?" she said, downing her glass fully and pouring another one.
"Rigrit, stop playing around!" Tsar growled.
"Or what?" she asked with a cheeky smile.
Tsar stood up silently with a furious expression and was about to walk out of the dining area as Rigrit sprung to her feet and grabbed Tsar by his shoulder.
"Tsar wait."
"Rigrit let me go."
"Tell me why it bothers you so much?"
"It doesn't!"
"Then turn around and look at me."
Tsar slowly turned around, still noticeably angry. Or was there confusion mixed in?
"We need to sort this out. I will do something rash and maybe stupid and if you tell me to stop afterward I will not tease you anymore deal?"
She waited for a response, but Tsar just stood silently.
"Answer me."
"Deal."
This was it. Rigrit quickly stood up on the tips of her feet, grabbed Tsar by the back of his head, and kissed him. She expected him to push her away, but he didn't.
Smut Part Begins.
The next moments went by in a blur. She was pushed against the wall as Tsar tore her shirt off. Her right hand went into his pants, grabbing his already hard member, as they couldn't get enough of each other's lips.
Rigrit gasped between kisses. He was much bigger than she expected. But there was no backing down now. She had awoken the beast and all that remained was to ride it out.
She stroked his cock with one hand while pulling down his pants with the other, just sent Tsar over the edge as he grabbed her by the hips, lifting her against the wall and entering her hard and fast.
Rigrit let out a pained gasp as Tsar froze with a fearful expression.
"Easy there, big boy, you will tear me in half." she said, wrapping her hands around his back. "Start nice and slowly, you are a bit too big to be so eager."
He obliged and resumed his movement slowly.
"That's it. Just like that." She moaned in his ear as she slowly grew accustomed to the enormous member filling her more than anyone before had.
Encouraged by her moans, Tsar's thrusts became faster and harder again. Her nails dug into the dragon's muscular back and her legs wrapped around his waist as the first orgasm took her by surprise.
With a loud moan, she exclaimed, "AHH, DON'T STOP!"
How much she had missed this. Tsar's pace only increased, making her hold on for dear life. Another orgasm, even stronger than the first one, was reached just as quickly. Losing herself more and more in pleasure, she felt Tsar cumming inside her hard, with a loud grunt.
"Hold me like this," she whispered, listening to her lover breathing hard and slowly calming down.
"Rigrit…I…"
"You were fantastic. Don't you dare regret this!" Rigrit whispered in Tsar's ear, letting out a long, satisfied sigh.
He slowly pulled out, letting her down but with her legs refusing to listen, she gasped, "Wait, wait. Hold me."
Tsar obliged, pulling her slender body against his muscular frame, holding her up.
"Mmm, I could get used to this."
"Me too."
Rigrit looked up with a cheeky smile, saying, "How about you carry me to the bed and I may handle you at least once more tonight?
End of the smut part!
Rigrit awoke with the sun way up, feeling sore, and with Tsar peacefully sleeping beside her.
'Heh, that's what I get for taming the beast.' She chuckled and slowly got out of the bed, putting on the robe. With a slow stride, she went to the dining area. The Blue Roses were already up having breakfast.
Gagaran had the biggest shit-eating grin she had ever seen on the gigantic woman as she shouted,
"So how was the big boy?" Rigrit smirked and was about to indulge her but then she noticed Lakuys being beet red and stabbing the scrammed eggs while looking down.
'Oh, she got a bit more exposure than she was ready for.'
"One day you will know how it is, Gagaran." She said with a laugh.
"Hey, I already know!" Gagaran responded hastily.
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