Chapter 12: Royalty of the Highest Calibre Part 2
At the graveyard...
Dracodeus came into the large and gloomy ground, as she looked around for Ruche, turning her head around again and again, to check if she could find her.
"Ruche? Overlord Ruche?" Dracodeus called out softly. "Where are you?"
She then kept on walking forward, as she came closer to the graves of the Overlords, as she then arrived at the spot, where she found Ruche standing on front of Astaroth's grave, with two stalks of Underworld-grown flowers in her hands.
"There you are." Dracodeus said to her, as Ruche noticed her come, turning to face her partner. "I have been looking for you for a while. When I ask the maids around here, who were patrolling the castle to clean it, they told me that they never saw you inside the castle at all. So I went everywhere, and this was the last place I would expect to find you, honesty..."
"So?" Ruche raised a eyebrow and gave a casual reply. "You have something you want from me? You are intruding on my own personal matters here."
"Yes. Overlord Fegor, and Lady Elma have been looking for you." Dracodeus answered the question. "They said that they wanted to talk to you. About what I don't know, but you should at least meet them."
"NO!" Ruche cried back. "Pester me another time, servant!"
"I see..." Dracodeus nodded slowly. "Are those flowers for your late father and sister?"
Ruche gave a silent nod in response.
"Then... why only two stalks, one for each of your relatives?" The silver-haired lady asked. "You usually come here with bonquets of flowers, like Great Overlord Zeabolos told me. Why only two this time?"
"So what? I'm not going to dirty my hands or ruin my carefully tended garden, just so that I could make those bonquets. I'd be better buying them outside." Ruche replied back with a growl. "Besides, it's a change of pace. The amount doesn't matter, as long as you have care into them."
Dracodeus understood that although Ruche's words were true and her words were quite calm, but she could tell that her body, which was fidgeting slightly, was telling her otherwise.
"Two flower stalks..." Dracodeus muttered, as she pieced together a theory about what was going on. "Were you going to give them to both Fegor and Elma?"
"...No..." Ruche answered back in a reluctant tone, turning her gaze away slightly. "It's not like I needed them so desperately. They are having enough fun as it is. I would have been a bother if I tried to cut in. After all, siblings are friendly with each other."
True, Ruche... Dracodeus thought in agreement, before she then realised something about Ruche. "Wait... Then that means that you're... shy?"
"E-Excuse me!? Me!? Shy!?" Ruche exclaimed in frustration. "O-Of course not! Are you trying to make me laugh here with that kind of lame joke!?"
"Then why don't you go and see them then? They wouldn't treat you badly." Dracodeus asked sincerely. "I think that you need to spend more time being with friends, in my honest opinion, Overlord Ruche."
"I-I'm not worried about the treatment!" Ruche continued to blabber. "I just figured that it would be best for those sisters to spend their time together!"
"I know that you're envious about it, and you wanted to join them. You just have to tell them that you were a little shy." Dracodeus suggested.
Ruche immediately hissed, as she immediately went up to Dracodeus, and pounded her fists on the other's chest. Dracodeus was knocked back a step due to how forceful Ruche was.
"Overlord Ruche? Are you angry about what I said?" Dracodeus said.
"OF COURSE!" Ruche screeched, as she was red in the face with both embarrassment and anger. "Stop making assumptions, you lowly servant!"
Suddenly, Elma and Fegor approached them, as Elma slowly walked in front, while Fegor limped just behind in her always-present laziness.
"Ah...! It is you, Lady Ruche!" Elma said.
"E-Elma!?" Ruche blurted out, as she was surprised by the appearance of Zeabolo's little sister, as her eyes widened slightly.
"See? I told you she would be here, dear Sister! Lady Ruche is over here!" Elma told Fegor, as she faced the green-haired Overlord with a smile.
"Mmm..." Fegor mumbled, as she blinked her eyes a few times tiredly. "El-El has good eyes as usual."
"You too, Fegor?" Ruche asked, as she placed a hand over her chest in anxiety. "W-What is it?"
"We were just tending the gardens earlier with plans to pick some flowers for the graves." Elma told Ruche softly.
Dracodeus cast a look over the graves, as she saw the names of the Fallen Overlord, including the recently-erected pink and crooked grave of Ashmedia, as she only muttered silent prayers.
"Oh really? Well, have fun." Ruche said, as she seems to be a little relieved by what she heard from Elma.
"Ru-tan always puts pretty flowers ahead of everyone, so we're challenging you today." Fegor added.
"Huh? What!?" Ruche yelled, as she was stunned.
"Ah, look! Lady Ruche's flowers!" Elma smiled, as she examined the two flower stalks in Ruche's hands. "They're so pretty. I bet you went very far to look for them, didn't you?"
"W-Well... Yes..." Ruche timidly answered back, as her attitude changed greatly when she was praised in a way she didn't expect.
"Where can we get some? I've never seen such, such pretty flowers before." Elma asked politely.
"Well, it's..." Ruche tried to say, as she was fumbling over her words. "Um..."
Dracodeus looked at Ruche, as the silver-haired companion leaned over to whisper into her Overlord's ear.
"Overlord Ruche, I think that you should come clean about the truth about the flowers. You should give it to them." Dracodeus whispered.
"Y-You don't have to tell me that! I'm not stupid like you!" Ruche snapped back, as her cheeks blushed a little.
"What's the problem?" Elma asked.
"Nothing! It's nothing!" Ruche hastily replied, as she was sweating a little in trying to keep herself calm.
"Playing secrets? That's nice..." Fegor muttered.
"Not even!" Ruche retorted back.
"You're really getting to know Dracodeus like the other Overlords did with the other people." Elma said.
"Me!? With that... servant! Why... Why would I care for some generic servant like her? I'm just treating her like she should be!" Ruche replied back.
Dracodeus smiled under her mask, as she knew that it was not entirely true, since she did get to know Ruche over the long time they have been training together.
"Tee-hee. You two are really good friends, when I see it." Elma said. "I'm a bit jealous about it."
"Yup. I'm jealous too." Fegor sluggishly nodded in agreement.
"Huh?" Ruche asked, confused about why they felt jealousy to her, about having Dracodeus by her side.
"I'm always asleep, so I don't have much of a chance to see Lady Ruche, so I am a bit lonely." Elma admitted.
"I keep seeing her. but she isn't friendly with me. She goes away so quick." Fegor commented.
"Well, I can't say for sure..." Dracodeus said. "But I could say that we would be friends, considering how many times we meet and how long we spend together."
"Thanks for the vague reply." Ruche growled, dripping with sarcasm on those words. "That just means that we're not really friends at all."
"Hmm... That remains to be seen on your perspective, Overlord Ruche." Dracodeus answered back. "Because I consider you one."
"Whatever!" Ruche exclaimed, throwing her arms up in frustration.
"Now that I think of it... As-Chin and Ru-Tan have the same eyes." Fegor muttered tiredly.
"Why yes! Very similar, now that I see it." Elma nodded. "She does seem to share the appearance of Brother Asmodeus's wife, but her eyes must have come from Brother Asmodeus himself. I guess it just carries over from parent to daughter."
"Yup. But boys seem to inherit the weirdest parts. Like the shape of the ear, nails, and stuff." Fegor raised her opinion about the topic as well.
"Yes, but when you notice them..." Elma said, as she smiled brightly. "...you feel a little happy finding them on your own. Speaking of which, I never did ask this question. Do you have parents, Dracodeus?"
"Well..." Dracodeus said. "I could say that. My father has passed away when I was very young, and I didn't find my mother until about a year or so ago."
Ruche seemed to feel a little pity for Dracodeus, since they both lost their fathers, except Dracodeus was fatherless for almost her entire life.
"That's really sad to hear..." Elma replied. "To be separated from the family you were born with, from a very young age. It's a terrible thing to happen to someone like you."
"I know... But my life wasn't as dark and dreary as you would seem. I was adopted by a royal family, led by a king who cared for his family more than his own kingdom. His wife died shortly after she gave birth to four children, and so, he took me in, because he was a kind soul. From within that royal family, I was met by both brothers and sisters, both older and younger than me. They gave me the family love that I never had, and treated me as if I was their own blood-related sister." Dracodeus recounted the tale of her life. "And it was thanks to a certain tactician who served as the king's most trusted general. He was the one who actually stood by the king's side, and nursed him back to health with his own two hands, and he taught the children after they have lost their mother, and became their kind guardian."
"It was a happy time, but it only lasted so long." Dracodeus continued her tale. "I came to find that the family I was born in, was also one of royalty, except that the family was from a kingdom that oppressed the one that my family protected. There was a time where I was captured by that very kingdom, and that was when I finally met my true mother, and my blood-related brothers and sisters. Even though I was born in their blood, I couldn't embrace their ethics of wiping out the family that cared for me in my youth, and their kingdom. So when both families met at the battlefield... I decided that I could support neither."
"Even though I was forced to fight both of my families in order to make them see reason, the tactician who cared for all of us stood by my side, and convinced me that there will be the time where both families would be at peace. And so, we fought for that very cause, and slain the true perpetrator of the war, a former god corrupted by insanity. Thanks to my decision, I was able to keep both of my families, and let them co-exist in peace. There would have been no greater joy on that moment, in my entire life."
Elma was touched by the short tale, while Ruche felt that Dracodeus was a respectable person, and was having second thoughts about her treatment of the former noble, while Fegor did not express much, although she was happy that Dracodeus got her happy ending in the end.
"But who was the tactician then?" Elma asked.
"That tactician was someone who has travelled between dimensions. He was the only one I could ever feel mutual love with." Dracodeus said. "He is the current leader of Unmei Force, Pangu."
All three Overlords were shocked by the fact, as Ruche was the first to snap out of it, and gave Elma and Fegor the flower stalks in her hands.
"I gotta go. Bye!" Ruche said hastily, as she left before Elma or Fegor could snap out of the awe they felt from Dracodeus's reveal.
"Wait, Overlord Ruche...!" Dracodeus said, before she sighed deeply. "Sorry, Overlord Fegor and Lady Elma, but I have to go after her. I'm sure that you can keep the flower. And don't press it, Ruche mentioned that she doesn't like them like that."
Dracodeus then left, as she followed after Ruche.
A few days later, at the castle coliseum...
"HA!" Ruche cried, as she swung her parasol down at Ergo, sending the large red bulky demon back a few steps, as the Overlord immediately shifted her posture back into a prepared stance.
"Gahaha! Good... Good!" Ergo complimented Ruche, as he straightened himself up again from the blow he just took. "Now you're looking like something, missy!"
"And I got more! Take this!" Ruche cried, as she charged at Ergo again.
As Ergo and Ruche fought against each other physically, Ragon and Dracodeus were merely by the side watching.
"It seems that you have taught her well in the arts of physical combat, have you not, Lady Dracodeus?" Ragon asked.
"I did. My younger brother was a spell-caster like her, but even he did not neglect his physical capabilities, as he had a blade in hand, should his magic fail him." Dracodeus replied back. "Even though the parasol is a odd weapon for close combat, it would still work the same as a greatsword, albeit with more blunt impact than pierce and slashing power. So Overlord Ruche is still a swordswoman in my eyes."
"In all honesty, I question your own strength, and the strength of the other members. Each time you have embarked to face Trillion, although their Overlord partner perished in the combat, they always came back alive. Could it be that the Overlords are in equal to each of you?" Ragon asked.
Dracodeus remained silent, before Ragon then sighed.
"Ah... I do forget that each of you has not left the battle unscarred, physically or mentally. Lady Perpell dying in the hands of what she considered her elder sister... Lady Levia imparting her will for Zeabolo's love to the one who has brought her peace... Yoku crushed in failing to save her friend Mammon... And now... Lady Ashmedia who died sacrificing herself to protect your friend Apollo." Ragon listed the deaths that have happened in the past. "I worry that the tragedy might repeat itself with Lady Ruche... And we are lacking in ability to train her, and must rely on you."
"I will do my best, General Ragon." Dracodeus replied with courtesy. "It is my duty to assist you with everything I can, and in turn, Overlord Ruche as well."
"You there! Stop mumbling, and let me concentrate!" Ruche barked, as she was deflecting each of Ergo's punches and blows with her parasol. "I need this training so that I can kick Trillion in her ass!"
"I apologise." Dracodeus sincerely answered back. "We were just merely talking about matters regarding you, and your current progress about becoming the strongest of the Underworld in time."
"O-of course! The moment I'm serious, this is how strong I'll be!" Ruche shouted back, before she then quieted down to mutter something. "Even stronger than my sister, Perpell..."
She then shook her head, as she knocked Ergo into a wall. "Either way, I'm sick and tired of facing these old-timers day after day! I want someone stronger to fight, like you, Dracodeus!"
"I'll fight you when you are ready." Dracodeus said. "And I won't hold back, because you will need to see how much strength you need to gain before you will face your own father in combat..."
"Father..." Ruche dampened down again, as she let her parasol drop down, as she remained still, as she stared the sky. "...I'll be the one fighting him..."
"Then can I face you?" Fegor said, as everyone turned to her, as the sleepy demoness entered the training ground so casually. "I want to exercise, now that I have seen Ru-Tan training."
"Um, Fegor..." Ruche hissed, as she bit her lip to avoid making a nasty remark back at her fellow Overlord. "Can you not make it feel like my training sound like a marathon?"
"I hate marathons. But I think I can have fun facing Ru-Tan." Fegor sleepily replied, stretched her arms with a shallow yawn, while irritated Ruche greatly.
"Don't put yourself on the same pedestal as me! Now you're making me really mad!" Ruche answered back with a hostile tone, before she swung her umbrella and pointed it at Fegor. "Bring it, Fegor! I'll show you that I'm the strongest in the Underworld now!"
Fegor drowsily nodded back. "Mm, okay..." Fegor drawled back, as she raised her claws at the ready.
"Here I go! Haaahh!" Ruche roared, as she swung her umbrella, as a magical pulse fired from in front of her, knocking Fegor away a little, as the latter blocked by crossing both her arms over each other.
"Un... Okay. So strong. Ru-tan. Super strong." Fegor smiled tiredly.
"What do you mean by that!? Be serious!" Ruche screamed back, getting increasingly angry by Fegor's attitude to her effort.
"Okay. Serious." Fegor replied back, as she dashed forward, and did a wide swung on Ruche that sent the purple-haired royal demon back a little, although she was forced to clutch her parasol-wielding arm in pain.
"Ouch...! What was that!? My arm... Numb?" Ruche cried in pain.
"That was a good wake-up hit." Fegor muttered to herself.
"Now you're asking for it!" Ruche cried, as she slams Fegor on the side of her head with a leap towards her, sending the lethargic demon girl across the arena. "If you're going to be serious, then I'm going to be serious too!"
"Let's do more." Fegor smiled, as she got back up.
Ruche only gave off a prideful smirk. "Come at me! I'll make you regret facing me!" Ruche shouted, before she charged at Fegor again, as they fought each other vividly, especially Fegor herself.
"Lady Ruche and Lady Fegor are getting carried away!" Ragon exclaimed with fear in his voice, as he was about to charge in to stop them, before he is stopped by Dracodeus, who raises a arm to stop him. "Lady Dracodeus? What are you doing? These two could injure each other!"
"This is good training for Overlord Ruche." Dracodeus calmly explained. "I do not wish to neglect your need of safety for her, but she needs a battle which she will be hurt in, otherwise she will never know true adversity. The reason I didn't want to fight her before, is because I worry that I'd do more than just that to her. I want her to fight someone who is just about her level, and Overlord Fegor fits fine for that. I'll make sure to stop the fight, once they're done fighting."
"Lady Dracodeus... I... I see." Ragon nodded slowly, as he stepped back. "I'll trust in your judgement, as Lady Ruche's servant. But I have to tell you, Lady Dracodeus, if Lady Fegor decides to lose her own voluntary lethargy... She will be far more than Lady Ruche can handle. If that is to happen, would you help to stop the fight between them?
"If that is what you worry about, Sir Ragon." Dracodeus humbly answered back. "I can do it."
"Hah! Take this!" Ruche cried, as she cast a thunder-bolt on Fegor, who was staggered slightly by the attack.
"Good. Ru-tan. Very good." Fegor complimented her fellow Overlord, as she lowered her stance.
"What's with that composure of yours!? You're really good at getting on someone's nerves!" Ruche growled back.
"Heh... Isn't that what you did with Aeon-tan, right?" Fegor chuckled.
Ruche was left fuming, as her cheeks turned red with anger, while Fegor turned around and left with a long yawn.
"Overlord Ruche, are you fine? How did the fight go?" Dracodeus asked, as she walked over to Ruche.
"Not good. Not good at all." Ruche answered back with gritted teeth. "Come, Dracodeus, we have other matters to complete."
"As you wish." Dracodeus answered back with a nod, as they both left the coliseum.
At the garden, a few days later..
Ruche and Dracodeus head to the garden, where they find Elma and Pangu inside the rotunda, sitting opposite of each other. Elma had her other arm laid on the table, as Pangu had both of his hands above the arm, as they glowed with a faint green aura.
"Elma?" Ruche asked. "What are you doing in a place like that? And why is that masked Pangu doing magic on you?"
"Ah... Lady Dracodeus and Lady Ruche... It's so nice to see..." Elma replied weakly, before she was interrupted by coughing twice onto her shoulder. "...you. Pangu here... He said that he saw me sick like this... And he decided to heal me a little with his own magic."
"Hello, Overlord Ruche." Pangu answered back, as he lifted his arms up, as the aura around his hands disappeared, turning around to face Ruche. "I see that you are getting along fine with my subordinate, Dracodeus, are you? Do not worry about what I'm doing to Elma. I'm just giving her some relief to her constant illness."
"As if." Ruche scoffed, turning his head slightly. "And you better not have your subordinate, Aeon, cause troubles for me!"
"Are you sick, Lady Elma?" Dracodeus asked in a caring tone. "You seem to look quite pale compared to your usual appearance. Let me check your fever."
Dracodeus pressed two fingers on Elma's forehead gently for a while, as Elma looked up with a pitiful expression. "I'm really fine... Don't tell Big Brother..." Elma whispered gently.
"It's quite serious for a fever." Dracodeus shook her head gently. "I think that you should return to your room."
"That's right, Dracodeus! I'll bring the doctor here, so you carry Elma straight back to her room, now!" Ruche ordered Dracodeus, before she then walked to Elma. "Oh, but before that... Elma, hold still for a moment."
"My arm?" Elma asked back, as she looked at the arm she laid on the table.
"It may hurt a little, but just bear it." Ruche replied back, before she then pressed a thumb down on the centre of the underside of Elma's elbow, pushing down firmly until she is pressing against her bone.
"Mmm..." Elma hummed, as she was biting her lip, as the pressing was causing some pain on her.
"What are you doing, Lady Ruche?" Dracodeus asked her partner.
"When you're coughing, you press the inside of your elbow, towards the bottom of where it bends with your thumb, like this." Ruche explained. "It works immediately, but it's only temporary, so you'll still need to rest well, Elma."
Ruche then lifted her thumb off Elma's arm, as Elma got up, as she smiled a little, as she is no longer coughing. "Wow... It seemed to work... I feel a lot better now. Amazing!"
"See?" Ruche smirked with pride. "Come on now, one of you take Elma back to her room, and let her rest."
"That can be taken care of." Pangu spoke back in a firm tone, as he snapped his fingers, as a purple portal appeared in front of him. "Lady Elma, come through here, and we'll be at your room. It's best that you walk as little as you can in your state. If you want, I can help heal you there. But I doubt you'll need it when you're resting in bed."
"Thank you, Pangu." Elma replied back, as she stepped through the portal, as Pangu was about to step through it.
"Be sure to let the maid who arrives to boil water in the room. The moisture will ease the coughing more." Ruche informed Pangu. "And tell Elma to listen to the doctor always."
"Noted, Overlord Ruche." Pangu answered back. "I'll stand guard by her door, and notify anyone who comes to her of what you have told me."
He then stepped through the portal, as it disappeared. Ruche then looked around the garden, as she got to the ground.
"Dracodeus. I need your help." Ruche told her partner. "I need to look for a certain type of flower for me."
"Of course." Dracodeus responded back. "What kind of flower you're after?"
"I'm looking for some Blood Orchids. They can help suppress her coughing and reduce her illness. Just in case that her illness isn't fixed by the doctor's medicine, we can use this to help it." Ruche answered back. "They're-"
"You mean these?" Dracodeus answered back, causing Ruche to turn to Dracodeus, who was holding a small bundle of said plants in her hands, as they were red round flowers with many petals and a yellow pollen-filled centre.
"How!? How did you-!?" Ruche cried in shock.
"Well... I did some research on my own from the castle libraries... So I immediately took off when I heard you needed those flowers. They were quite nearby, so I manage to get some of them, before I responded back to you." Dracodeus admitted, as she rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "I was just making sure that I was prepared."
"Hmph... Perhaps you're actually proving more useful than I once thought before." Ruche spoke back in a humbled tone, which has some hints of praise inside of it. "Anyway, if you're asking why I know all this, I just remembered these things because Mother was constantly sick. She was rather frail and prone to sickness. What I did wasn't much except to just make her feel better."
"Fair enough, one time, my foster father was quite ill for a while, so much that he was confined to only his throne, as his attendants had to bring the medicine to him." Dracodeus answered back. "I'm happy to see that you care for Lady Elma so much. And I'm sure that your mother would have been happy, just like my foster father did when I helped him during those times as well."
"I suppose. With how much they gush over kids, I wouldn't be surprised." Ruche responded with a slight blush on her cheeks from the praise. "As for me, I'm a lot stronger, so I don't need any of those things. But every so often when I got sick, my parents came to my room worried sick and would touch my forehead to check my temperature."
"Indeed, I understand that kind of doting attitude. When I got sick often as well, it was not just my own family, but also several of my most loved maids and butlers. They would often be so protective of me, and it would have taken a few words from me, my foster father and my mentor to get them to stop worrying so much about me." Dracodeus replied back with a nod. "By the way, from what I heard before, Elma was sick from the beginning of her life, and that's why further illness is so taxing and dangerous for her. I wonder what it would take to relieve her of such suffering that she does not deserve..."
Ruche remained silent, as she considered Dracodeus's own experiences compared to her own, as she felt a bit more of a connection between them.
"Being healthy is of utmost importance, Overlord Ruche..." Dracodeus continued. "In life, a sickly body is one that would never be able to prove useful in its everyday tasks, much less when dealing with important matters. So what you did for Lady Elma, is most appreciated, both by me and possibly her. If you feel the throes of illness on you, I'll do my best to keep you well as much as possible, with the assistance of others."
"...Thanks. I might let you in if I'm confined in bed." Ruche spoke back in a rarely timid voice. "Bring some cakes if you do, they're my favourite, and might keep me happy to get better..."
"If that is what you wish." Dracodeus answered back. "I'm willing to help you no matter what, Overlord Ruche."
"Ugh... Just give me the flowers, and go and do what you want with your friends. I need some time to myself." Ruche groaned.
Dracodeus passed the Blood Orchids into Ruche's hands, before she left with a short bow before leaving.