CHAPTER 9:

DOWNFALL OF CASTLE AND COUNTRY

Shortly after that embarrassing little interlude, Church managed to get Ninya away from the main group of the Swords of Darkness. As gently as he could, he confronted her about hiding her gender, acknowledging it was a pretty good idea. It took a moment for her to trust that he was mostly curious about things, and that he wasn't going to expose her gender. As it happened, both Peter and Dyne knew, while Lukrut was pretty clueless.

As they sat near the graveyard of the village, Church asked, "So…your sister was abducted by those cockbite nobles, right?"

Ninya nodded solemnly. "Tsuareninya, Tsuare for short. I don't know what's happened to her. There are many people trying to stamp out the practise of kidnapping and slavery in Re-Estize, including Princess Renner, but the practise is still going on out of sight."

"Is Gazef one of those working against slavery?" Church asked.

"I heard he is…and the nobles hate him all the more for it," Ninya said quietly. "As I said, Princess Renner is trying to stamp it out. It's said that she has a connection to the Blue Roses, and has them working against those perpetuating the slave trade. Rumour has it that the Blue Roses have begun attacks against the Eight Fingers."

The Eight Fingers, an infamous crime organisation. While powerful, it was also noted for immense infighting. Church had asked Sebas to keep an eye out for any organisations in the area.

Church chuckled ruefully. "I guess it was too much to hope that the Slane Theocracy had a monopoly on cockbites and douchebags in this continent. Ninya…I'm not going to lie and promise you that I'm definitely going to find your sister. But I promise that I will have my people keep an eye out for her. A couple of my allies went to Re-Estize City to visit, make connections with the nobles. They're taking a longer route, though. But we have ways of sending messages that can help."

"Why would you do that? We barely know each other," Ninya asked.

"Yeah, and frankly, I'm an asshole, but…well, a kid like you shouldn't have to go through that shit in the first place. Jeez, and I thought what I heard from Gazef was bad enough. Slavery…like I said, Ninya, I can't guarantee that I will find your sister, but I'll have my people keep an eye out. Leaving it aside that it's a decent thing to do, if these cockbites are doing this, then it's gonna be a pleasure to stick it sideways to them."

Ninya gave a sad, disbelieving smile, and turned to watch the others. "You're so strange. You're even more vulgar and rude than half the people I've met in a pub or on the road, your weapons are loud and…well, cold. You and South and those others we met, they seem so dangerous, and yet…I trust you. To try and look for my sister, if nothing else." She then shivered a little.

"What's the matter?" Church asked.

"I've got a sense of…well, dread. Like someone walked over my grave," the girl said. "It's been like that for a little while. Ever since I heard rumours about Zuranon operating in E-Rantel."

Church frowned. Zuranon: a clichéd-sounding cult of necromancers who were into human sacrifices and raising the dead, according to the information he had stolen from the minds of the Slane Theocracy fucktards. "That can't be good," he said with considerable understatement. He made a note to contact Sebas and Solution ASAP. They would be in E-Rantel by now, or getting close. He wanted them to keep an eye out for Tsuare, and to relay any rumours or information about Zuranon. Sebas would probably be enthusiastic about the latter in particular: apparently his creator, who had the bizarre name of Touch Me, was very into ideals of justice, despite being in a guild filled with monsters.

Church, despite being a cynical and bitter man, liked Sebas. He was old, calm, dignified, and yet managed to stay morally upright in a dungeon filled with monsters. What's more, his heroism wasn't going to be utterly stupid like something Tucker or Caboose would do. Sebas was a bit like Tex on one of her better days.

Church, Narberal and the Swords of Darkness were going to stay in Carne Village overnight, before heading back to E-Rantel. Thanks to Aura's help, Nfirea had managed to get some quality medicinal plants…though frankly, there were none of the type that Church would have to confiscate from Tucker and…umm, destroy according to regulations. Yeah…

They stayed overnight in Carne, intending to leave early in the morning. While the others were sleeping, Church got a message from Sebas. He had communicated with Sebas earlier about what happened, and Sebas and Solution agreed to keep an eye on things. Apparently they had been listening to rumours in E-Rantel too, Sebas more than Solution, who was playing the role of a spoiled heiress. One rumour disturbed Church more than any other: that someone called Clementine had been sighted in the city.

Clementine. It was a name that chilled Church to the bone. It was a name in Nigun's memory as an infamous member of the Black Scripture. Admittedly, 'Clementine' was an alias, one of many, but that was standard for the Black Scripture, apparently, like codenames. Clementine was apparently what happened when you combined the sheer crazy of Omega with the abilities of Tex, or Carolina. Although Church personally thought, given what he saw in Nigun's noggin, that she was like Bellatrix Lestrange and Red Sonja combined. Sadistic, brutal, and skilled, she was all kinds of nope in a sexy package.

Anyway, Sebas was messaging him, so it meant something important had turned up. Yes, Sebas?

Lord Church, I bring tidings both good and ill.

Church sighed. Okay, I'd say bad news first, but give me the whole story. It sounds like a long one.

Very well. As part of our plan, we allowed ourselves to be ambushed by a group of bandits. I dealt with most of them, with Solution deciding to dine with a young man who intended to have his way with her, but I left enough alive to lead me to their hideout. I met with the leader of the bandits, a mercenary called Brain Unglaus. As it happens, he was once beaten by Gazef, and has worked to try and overcome him. Mr Unglaus is certainly very skilled. Not enough to pose a threat to either myself or Solution, but his mastery of Martial Skills is most excellent. After defeating him in a fight, I made him an offer. He accepted. He will teach us Martial Skills abilities in exchange for training to as high a level as he can go. His loyalty to his men was little: we spared a couple of use, and killed the rest.

Church nodded. The generally principled Sebas killing them probably meant that they weren't nice people at all. Got it. And then?

We left, and found ourselves confronted by a group of adventurers who were trying to deal with the bandits. We managed to resolve things without it coming to a head. Did you happen to give a potion to a girl by the name of Brita in E-Rantel? Red-haired, rather hot-tempered?

Probably. I didn't get her name. But you said there was bad news. What is it?

These adventurers had split their group, and one of their number had been attacked. I offered to go and help, and with Solution's help, we found their fallen comrade, and returned to them. They have since departed. We used those binoculars you created for the armoury, and found a group of unknown warriors in a clearing. They are strong by this world's standards, but they have one thing that truly concerns me: a World Item.

Church froze. Are you sure?

Solution and I overheard them discussing it. The World Item is a robe of some kind that an old woman is wearing, called the Downfall of Castle and Country. It allows the user to take over the mind of an enemy. We have managed to get away from the area without them detecting us, but I thought you would want to know. While their affiliation is unknown, Solution also overheard them discussing Clementine's defection from their ranks, suggesting that they may be from the Black Scripture.

Church frowned. The Black Scripture were meant to be an elite group, so they shouldn't be advertising their presence, or what they had. It could be a trap. But the thought of gaining a World Item sold him. While technically I'm in the middle of something, I'll come over using Gate. I'll have Narberal explain my absence if necessary. If these cockbites really are from the Slane Theocracy, I think we can give them hell. Remain at the area if possible. You're still wearing the armour?

Of course, Lord Church.

Right. Church summoned a sniper rifle, before using the Gate magic to bring him to Sebas' position…

He soon had the people in his sights, lying on the ground, making sure nothing would reflect off the scope in the moonlight. Sebas and Solution, both dressed in UNSC armour to conceal their identity, were also lying on the ground. "So that old lady in the Chinese dress is the one wearing the World Item?" Church whispered.

Sebas nodded. "Your orders?"

Church, after a moment, said, "We're going to gank them. Sebas, Solution, make your way quietly to other sides of the clearing. Once you're ready, send me a Message. Once you are, I'm going to shoot the old lady. Also, as soon as you are ready…" He handed Sebas and Solution a scroll apiece. "That ought to break any surveillance spells on the area. They had some on Nigun. We kill them quickly. Don't leave any survivors, or even corpses. We'll bring them back to Nazarick for Demiurge to molest or something. Or maybe you and Entoma could make yourselves a pantry, Solution."

"Understood, Lord Church," Sebas and Solution said simultaneously.

In the end, it was too easy. Anticlimactic, even, and Church, who had been used to situations going too swimmingly, only to turn to shit soon after, waited for the other shoe to drop.

Okay, while killing an old woman wasn't going to get him any good karma any time soon, he was sure that was mitigated by the fact that she was a member of the Slane Theocracy, already on his shitlist, and that she had a World Item. Bad combination, in his not so humble opinion.

Some of them stayed and fought. Others tried to escape. Between Sebas, Solution and Church, none of them survived. They used Gate magic to send the corpses through to Nazarick. Church decided to take the World Item with him for now, keep it in his inventory. He'd even managed to possess one of the last fighters…and managed to get more information.

After they were done, Church looked grimly at the bloodsoaked ground. "Are you troubled, Lord Church?" Sebas asked quietly.

"A little. Okay, the Black Scripture aren't nice people, but…"

"They should be bowing in supplication to you, Lord Church," Solution declared.

Church rounded on her, glaring from behind his helmet's visor. "Solution, I don't want people bowing at my feet. I'm only killing these bastards because the Slane Theocracy murdered all those people just to draw one guy out! And from what I got from Nigun's mind, there's others as bad. They kill non-humans, supposedly as a form of defence, but they don't know where to draw the line. Some humans, we help. Others, we deal with. We may be ridiculously OP compared to these chumps so far, but if we piss off the wrong person, someone who might be stronger than us, we're fucked. So we play nice. I don't care if the people you eat are douchebags. But we don't make these people bow." Taking a calming breath, he added, "We make fuckers scream who deserve to scream. Got it?"

Eventually, Solution nodded. "I understand. Forgive me."

"That's fine. Solution, as I told Albedo, I'm not out to conquer the world. We are trying to make it a better place. I'm not saying you can't enjoy yourself doing so. Just know there's a time and a place."

"Understood, Lord Church!" Solution said, with more eagerness.

"Now, aside from your main mission in Re-Estize City, remember to keep an eye out for any leads on Tsuare. It's more likely that you'll stumble across her, though, if you do find her at all. Now, if slave rings are common in Re-Estize, keep an eye out for them. Gather information about them before taking these fuckers apart, just in case they have friends in high or low places, but when you do wreck their shit, do it Carthage-style, salting the earth and all that shit. If they're with the Eight Fingers, then we just stomp on them. If we can get Renner's help on this with those Blue Roses, all the better. By the way, Sebas, who's dealing with that Brain Unglaus guy back at Nazarick?"

"I decided on Albedo, Lord Church," Sebas said. "I originally considered Cocytus, given his warrior mentality, but his appearance and his inability to deactivate his cold aura were points against him, sadly. Demiurge was not a good option, and Shalltear, while a skilled warrior in her own right, may taunt him. I considered recalling Yuri Alpha or Aura, but decided against it, and Shizu Delta may not have much to discuss with him, considering her specialisation in ranged weaponry."

"Yeah, but…Albedo?"

"She is under orders not to harm him, and to refrain from taunting him. I have pointed out that you would want him alive and willing to help us, and that swayed her. I must say, Albedo is improving in her tact since we came to this world. I presume it's your influence, Lord Church."

Well, that meant more about her concealing her crazy better than her becoming less crazy, Church reflected. Still, better than nothing.

"Okay, head on back to the carriage and start heading to Re-Estize City. I'll have to head back to the Swords of Darkness before long. Remember what I said."

The pair of them bowed, and made their way away from the clearing. As they did so, Church looked up at the star-filled skies. How many people on this world looked up, and even wondered whether they were little more than balls of fire hanging in the sky? Whether there may be aliens? Did they even comprehend the distance between such places? Hell, Church couldn't comprehend it. It was all very well to talk in terms of light years, parsecs, and all that shit, but while he wasn't stupid, he also knew the human mind couldn't comprehend that. If the people of his time couldn't, how could people growing in a medieval world do that?

He sighed, and called up a Gate, not realising that, some hours later, a great power would mark the battlefield, and begin to suspect the presence of a power it had sensed before. But Church wouldn't find out until later…

Thankfully, none of the Swords of Darkness had noticed his absence. Early in the morning, they set out back for E-Rantel, and only got back in the evening. Church intended to escort Nfirea all the way back to the shop with the Swords of Darkness. Thanks to Aura's help and the willingness of the so-called Wise King of the Forest, they'd gathered a lot of plants useful to the Baleares.

As they began bringing in bundles of herbs and medicinal plants, Nfirea frowned. "Hey, what's up, Supes?" Church asked.

"Grandma isn't here," Nfirea said, indicating the darkened shop with a lit lantern. "She would've come down to greet us otherwise. She must've gone to deal with an errand or something."

Church hoped that was the case. Something about this situation was making his instincts scream. It was like the Meta was nearby.

Once they had unloaded the bundles, Nfirea offered to give them some fruit water, whatever that was, only for a door to open. "Oh, welcome back, kid! You're here at long last," a woman's voice lilted out. But it wasn't an older woman's, not like you'd expect from a grandmother. No, it was a younger woman's, but filled with as much crazy as Omega or Sarge. "I was so worried about you, because you kept me waiting. Shame on you."

The woman who stepped through was wearing a cloak, though Church noticed through the gap of the cloak a bizarre costume. Yeesh, did people actually wear that Red Sonja chainmail bikini crap? She had a short bob of blonde hair framing features that would have been considered attractive, if it weren't for the deranged, vaguely feline expression she was making, filled with malevolence. Her red eyes glinted at them in the firelight from the lantern. Church, however, recognised her instantly from the memories he had stolen from other members of the Slane Theocracy. And he knew the Swords of Darkness were in VERY deep trouble.

For this was Clementine.

CHAPTER 9 ANNOTATIONS:

Well, that just happened. Church may have scored one victory over the Black Scripture, and bagged a World Item into the bargain, but will he be able to save anyone from Clementine?

Review-answering time! DocSlendy: Agreed. Demiurge is the real wildcard, as everyone else is more conventionally loyal to Church. I think, though, doing evil for its own sake is so thoroughly entrenched in Demiurge, he may eventually revolt against Church. Then again, Church might be able to persuade him to only do evil things to evil people.

Za Warudo: Yeah, no, not gonna happen. Church already has enough crazy women in his life (Shalltear and Albedo) to deal with that.

Lawless: In making Aura like that…well, I'd like to think that, of all the Floor Guardians, the best inclined towards humans (other than Sebas and a few of the Pleiades) would be Aura and Mare. Cocytus might too, but he's too inhuman to get reactions other than fear and loathing. I think part of the reason Aura reacts so well is because she got praise and sympathy, and while she would prefer it from a Supreme Being, given her Neutral Evil alignment, I don't think she'd mind it. She'd kill them in a flash if ordered to, though. I can see Aura and Mare getting along with Ninya when (not if) she is brought into the fold.

As for Church's meeting with Renner, well, I can't say. As of writing this, I've only just started reading Book 5 (I'm reading Book 5 and 6 together, given that they're two parts of the same story). Personally, I think that there'd be a bit of that, but something will set off Church's 'psycho bitch' senses, like he thinks she's like Tex at her worst, or maybe South Dakota. As for Clementine…well, we'll see.

No numbered annotations this time.