WARNING: This story contains mature elements such as manipulation, Non-Con, humiliation.
Chapter 22: Liberation Maidens
Underworld, Centoria, Swords Mastery Academy—22nd May, Year 380 in the Time of the Realm of Humanity
Red. Red like blood.
No. What was fountaining out of where Eugeo's right eye should have been was indeed blood itself, gushing out without a shred of decency as it bathed everywhere around him—some of his clothes, the floor, a bit of the walls—in dark crimson.
A swordsman is one who has devoted his life to perfecting his art of the sword in order to fight for and protect the Human Realm and its citizens. That was what she and her best friends had been ready for, knowing that there would have been no other roads that they would have chosen.
This was what Eugeo was. A swordsman. Perhaps not a noble, but one of the most incredible swordsmen she's ever met. He might as well have been a noble had he never said anything.
What Tiese had been woefully unprepared for, in all her sixteen years of life, was the ugliness of the hidden side of nobility.
She is, admittedly, one, though coming from a low-ranking noble when compared to some others, just like Ronye. She wasn't raised with the ugly satisfaction of her station and insatiable hunger to dominate others. She was as normal as any girl could get.
A girl who had been utterly unprepared for the ugliness of mankind.
Not everyone was perfect. She knew that from the very beginning, having accepted the fact that she had her own flaws, just as many others might. Her and Ronye's mentors, Eugeo and Kirito respectively, weren't perfect either, but they were special in their own ways that made them stand out when compared to others.
Eugeo was the textbook definition of what a true noble should be; kind and caring, gentle to a fault. He was steadfast, hardworking, and she couldn't ever imagine having someone else to teach her—for his patience and understanding, she would forever be grateful.
Kirito was fun, wild, spritely. He loved to smile, possessed wisdom that you couldn't find anywhere else, and was mysterious (in a good way, of course). He was a person you could confide to, trust to always have your back, and feel safe with.
They were two villagers with humble beginnings, having worked hard to get here. They were a lot of things.
From tonight onwards, she knew that Eugeo and Kirito were both her and Ronye's heroes.
After all, what should have been a night of grief and suffering was ultimately averted. Be it the will of the goddesses or pure chance, she would forever be grateful to their saviours.
"Aaargh..! My arm!" Howling in pain, Humbert collapsed backwards on the bed and clutched tightly at his stump, where his left arm should be. Now, the limb in question was on the floor of the room, spilling blood into the carpets and painting it a deep red. "I-It hurts..! Gaah!"
Her eyes were not focused on the agonizing silverette or his companion. Even bound by rope and incapable of movement, she was focused on her mentor, and her heart sunk at the sight.
Eugeo, down on one knee, was panting heavily as his right eye closed. Whatever happened to him had caused his eye to swell and burst, and she could only imagine just how painful it must be. And yet, he had come here, went against the nobles' orders and moved to protect them. Protect her…
The bed shifting catches her attention and the girls watch as Raios leaves his friend to continue grunting and moaning in pain, instead moving towards the wall where their weapons were hung up on display. Below, Humbert's large silver sword. Above, Raios' own sheathed in a red scabbard.
She felt the tugging of the ropes binding her legs and flinched, relaxing only momentarily when Humbert sought not to further any of his earlier actions, but simply to attain some rope to tie around the arm (or lack thereof) and stop the bleeding.
"Well, well… I've never actually witness someone commit such a crime before. Truly heinous, to the point that it sickens myself as well," his words bring only disgust to her, knowing that what he did was far worse than what Eugeo had done. He did it to protect them! "Honestly, I should have known you weren't exactly the exemplars that you made yourselves seem to be."
She wanted to argue. Ronye too. They were better role models than Humbert or Raios could ever pretend to be. But fear kept them shut in case he sought to do even worse than what he intended to them.
"Nonetheless, action must be taken. And though judicial acts mostly apply to lower nobles and commoners, well…" A deep chuckle. Inhuman. Gross. Bone-chilling. "Exceptions can be made for you! You, a criminal, who've broken a Taboo!"
The scabbard clutters to the ground a moment later as silver steel is presented for all to see, allowing whatever form of light to bounce off its polished surface. And yet, for as pretty as the sword must have looked, in the hands of such a vile human like Raios… it was rotten.
The sword is an extension of its wielder, after all. Not a mere tool, but a part of he or she who holds it. And the sword reeked of its wielder's horrid wrath.
The girl's breath hitched in her throat as the blond man proudly marched before her mentor, still on one knee and too tired to fight back.
"Heinous criminal Eugeo!" He barks. "For your crimes and your goings against the «Taboo Index», I sentence you with… execution!"
Metal is raised into the air and swings down in a powerful, fast motion, even as the two girls scream for him to stop.
*Clank!*
A hissing spark cuts their scream off, and rather than dread, hope fills their hearts.
'Kirito-senpai..!' She screams in her heart, overjoyed and relieved at the sight of her best friend's mentor here. Drenched from the rain, perhaps, but that did not make him look any less impressive. He had come to save her and Ronye, and even Eugeo.
He was holding off Raios with his own unnamed sword, that which would someday be named by his best friend, a look of grim determination on his face.
"Raios..!" He grunted out, sparing a quick look at his partner before aiming both onyx eyes at the man, an intensity in his gaze that was downright hostile. "Stop this! Lower your sword! I won't let you hurt my friend!"
"Kirito…" She heard her mentor whisper, equally in awe as she was.
"Not going to happen, Disciple Kirito! Your friend there," he emphasized the word 'friend' with a nod of the head. "Has broken the «Taboo Index»! He has committed a crime irredeemable, and must be allowed to die! You shall stand down and watch! Just like the flowers that night!"
His words drew forth fury that she hadn't recognized before. Something that burned even greater than Raios's own wrath that it made her light-headed. And judging by the wide-eyed look Ronye had on her face, this must be a first for her as well.
After all, he had never shown such anger before. And right now, she could only thank the goddesses that she wasn't on the receiving end of his fury.
"I don't care about the «Taboo Index», much less so your 'nobility'! Eugeo's my friend, my brother, and I'd be damned if I just sit back and watch you kill him!" He yelled, with a hint of protectiveness that felt so normal. As if he was used to having to fight to protect other people. "And you, Raios, are nothing but a scumbag! The lowest of the low, worse than goblins and every other monsters from the Dark Realms!"
Against any of their expectations, the swordsman in black drew back his left arm, clutched his fist and willed power into it. Glowing, just like their swords would when initiating a «Secret Technique».
A «Secret Technique» without a weapon? It's unheard of! One would have need of using a weapon, most commonly a sword, to unleash a «Secret Technique», but for Kirito to be capable of doing so with just his fist alone…
Just who is he?
It hadn't been just her, her friend and her mentor who was taken aback with the spectacle. The action was enough to draw the blond's attention away from his black sword, unable to react when Kirito dealt a firm uppercut across his face, the man releasing a pained scream as he was knocked backwards until he crashed into the bedframe.
She knew, from when she first met both Eugeo and Kirito, they were unique. Seeing him now, however, had all but confirmed that he was much more.
"K-Kirito…" His partner sounded so impressed, he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Neither did she nor Ronye, to be fair. "What was..?"
"«Senda», a martial arts «Secret Technique» in the Aincrad-style," he tells him calmly, giving him a soft smile before pointing his sword towards Raios, his facial expression returning to a stern look. "Raios, you and Humbert had attempted to rape my and Eugeo's valets… friends. If anyone here is guilty of anything, it's the both of you. Stand down, or I'll make you."
Rather than taking heed of his warning, the proud noble wouldn't listen. Instead, he would do things the way he so wished, and instead stood back up, his face marred by a look of wicked anger.
"You… You..! Country bumpkin! How dare you defy me?!" He drew his sword once more, no longer content with taking his time. Being humiliated as he was earlier, added with the bruise on his face, he was going to finish this, no matter what. "I'll execute you! Both of you! There can be no other way to it!"
And Kirito, not one to surrender (when has he ever?), merely met his challenge with a scoff of his own, positioning himself in front of Eugeo—to protect him. "Do your worst."
One held his sword above his head, the power of «Incarnation» and his own fury wrapping his blade in a distorted, purple mass. The embodiment of his own twisted desires, she assumed, and it was so sickening to look at that her stomach seemed to agree, twisting some knots of its own.
The other, however, had his sword poised to his side, behind. Beautiful light shone over his sword, a materialization of his beautiful hope and desires, suddenly causing the black blade to extend and grow longer than how it was earlier.
It had grown, become larger, and turned from a one-handed sword into a two-handed.
Was that the power of his «Incarnation»? Such power was not lost on her and Ronye, but that did not terrify them—it made them feel safe.
"Prepare to die, Criminal Kirito!"
"I'll protect my friends, no matter what, Raios! Nobody, not even you, will stop me!"
Even if they had accidentally taken the life of another man, even if he had broken the «Taboo Index», even if they were painted as criminals in the eyes of everyone there… both she and Ronye knew the truth.
They were heroes. Maybe not in shining armour, but heroes all the same.
Underworld, Centoria, Swords Mastery Academy—30th October, Year 380 in the Time of the Realm of Humanity
Norlangarth's Swords Mastery Academy. It was meant to be the start for her and two other girls, her two friends. Meant to be the beginning of their journey into a greater future that could have potentially been much more than anyone else could have anticipated.
Well, that's how it should have gone, but life just doesn't go the way it does. And in the case of the aforementioned three, life certainly took a plunge.
And certainly, it wasn't just them that got the bad end of the straw. What was once an esteemed academy meant to train elite swordsmen worthy of serving the country and its people had suffered in the aftermath of its biggest controversy, that of which was the supposed murdering of a high-ranking noble and the arresting of two students.
Though the truth behind the incident was brought to light—that the two nobles had attempted to rape two younger students who were the pages of the two students who were apprehended by the Integrity Knight—it still casted a negative light over the academy, and many were dubious of the academy, either to enrol in it or to trust its students.
And, as Kirito once said, people don't really care if the fault lies solely with one person, or even a small group of people. Once something's happened, everyone takes the blame.
He was right. Students of the academy were met with scorn by other people when they were out in the city, and even Ronye and Tiese had been subjected to such treatment—although, the fact that they were the victims completely changed their reaction towards them. Where others received distrust, they got sympathetic looks.
She, too, had been getting nothing but sorry looks and words of encouragement. They didn't do much to truly erase the fear she had felt on that fateful day, but… well, it was better than nothing, perhaps?
This would go on for a few weeks, and she wasn't sure what to feel about it. Uncomfortable, for sure.
Thankfully, however, with the apprehension of the previous headmaster, who had turned a blind eye to certain goings-on in the academy and generally supporting such negative actions to begin with, followed suit by the inauguration of Cardinal as the academy's next headmaster, she helped to ease some of the students' worries, and at least ensured that no one would have to worry about such an incident ever repeating in the future. Her efforts continued into returning order to the academy, and it was a deed that she knew would not go unpaid in the future.
Plus, quite a number of students—many of them nobles than commoners—had their deeds exposed, and ultimately faced expulsion. That was a major relief for a lot of students, apparently.
And for Ronye, Tiese and Frenica, that was a given, considering their past experiences with two nobles in particular.
"It's tragic, what befell the two of them, but in a way… Ooh, that does sound awful of me to say, doesn't it?"
"A-Ahh… I doubt Kirito-senpai would mind, though."
"Haha, that's true. He's hardly reserved on things like this."
For these three girls, there was hardly a moment for much relaxation. The awkwardness of things aside, the worst that they had to worry about was not keeping up with their syllabus—still, they did technically promise their senpai's that they would do their best to study, no matter what. So far, nothing too difficult.
And with how calm things had been, it at least helped them to focus on things that needed to be done, so that's one good thing out of all of this.
"It's kind of sad that they didn't have the chance to graduate properly, what with everything that's happened to them," sighed the hazel-haired girl, nursing a cup of warm tea in her hands as she looked up. Light pierced the leaves of the tree, the sight of which could be similar to a fragmented kaleidoscope. "It certainly isn't fair for the both of them…"
"Well, there's nothing that can be done. Plus, now both Kirito-senpai and Eugeo-senpai have really important jobs. Kirito-senpai even became the Second Head of the Human Realm! That's an incredibly high position as one could get," quickly pointed out Ronye, the other two girls nodding in agreement.
Like a bomb that came out of the sky, the news of his position was something no one (not even himself, funnily enough) expected. When both Kirito and Eugeo had arrived at the academy, the former revealing that he was assigned such a role by the pontifex herself, and even became an instructor in their academy, it was all that they could do but not faint on the spot.
Seriously! What is it with his luck? Is it bad? Or good? No one knows!
As the good valets that they are, they did worry that he might just run himself ragged in the end, considering just how exhausting it must be to have to do two things altogether. Still, he had been able to juggle both duties relatively well thus far, so they supposed he was doing well in that regards.
"I still wonder how he did it… That's amazing…"
"Ehh~? Ronye, are my ears deceiving me, or are you—"
She barely got far enough with her harmless tease as the brunette, face swallowed up by a burning blush, started screaming and flailing her arms wildly in the air to get her to stop talking.
Frenica, giggling at their antics, spoke up after a while. "Anyways, have the both of you finished your assignments?" She asked all of a sudden, a tilt of her head that lets a few strands of brown hair slip down her shoulder. "Researching the history and dynamics of the High-Norlangarth Style is a little odd, don't you think?"
"Well, it must mean something if Kirito-senpai asked all of us to do. Or would it technically be Kirito-sensei?" Humming that, Ronye shrugs her shoulders. "Well, he has us research the different sword styles so that we can discern the differences between each style and decide for ourselves what we're most comfortable with."
Come up with your own sword styles, she remembered him telling on the first day of their lesson together.
It certainly got to rile them up (and not in the good way), but they had settled into his lessons quite well soon after. And, dare she say it, everyone were more comfortable with their own individual sword styles. It was amazing!
And given the chance to just be creative with how they wanted to fight, it ultimately lead to a lot of them developing fighting styles that gave them individuality. Something of which Kirito and Eugeo stood for—they were the only ones who had used the Aincrad-style of swordplay, after all, while others stuck to the High Norkia-style.
Of course Kirito would go down that sort of teaching style. In order to fight effectively, one has to find the most efficient way to fight of their own. It was why, to Ronye and Tiese, they had chosen to study the Aincrad-style from their mentors, finding it to be the best sword style that they could use. One-handed sword style, instead of two-handed.
And it became the building blocks of their new sword style.
Frenica ignored her cup and thought of herself. For a moment, she wondered just what sort of style she uses, but… well, there was nothing that she felt could really make her stand out. She was hardly anything special, and wasn't that a depressing thought?
Ronye's voice pulled her out of her thoughts, spotting the frown on her face. "Still, have you heard? Some students were talking about how Kirito-senpai wouldn't be able to come to the academy to teach for a few weeks. Apparently for business."
The piece of news surprises the other two girls, Tiese the first to follow up. "Really? I hadn't heard anything."
"Neither did I, though a few students had been talking about that a little while," there was a hint of concern in her voice, but it was masked well enough by her little smile. "Oh well. Being a ruler of the Human Realm is obviously trying, so of course there'll be duties that he needs to take care of."
Managing all four empires, plus Centoria, must have been a heavy responsibility for the first pontifex. At least, now, such a task befalls two individuals rather than just one, but any of them could have thought of any such work that amounted to this incredibly important job—anything, really—but none of them couldn't even begin to fathom its importance.
That wasn't the only worries that they've had recently, however.
As of late, more knights have been mobilized around Centoria, the increment in security and patrolling worrying them somewhat. Some were deployed in the other four empires, too, and the Integrity Knights have been moving here and there more often. She even came into contact with one once—Knight Renri, was it? He looked pretty young, but he's still an Integrity Knight, so it counts!
With all the signs around them, something big was happening, but none of them could possibly begin to understand just what is going on. It's certainly frightening, for sure, but for the three of them who are mere students who haven't graduated, there was very little that they could do. And were they to try to do anything, they might just cause more trouble than what it's worth.
All thinking came to a stop as something taps Frenica on the head, before the other two girls feel the same. It was hardly noticeable, what with how soft it had been, but judging by how the rhythm of pattering was slowly beginning to grow faster, and the dark spots forming on the ground…
"Oh, it's raining!" Hastily picking up all the cutlery while Tiese grabbed the basket and Frenica folded the blanket, the three girls rushed away towards the building. "Come on, girls! We'll get soaked if we're slow!"
"Right!"
"Coming!"
Days in the academy is uneventful, but for the sake of things, they supposed this was for the best.
Underworld, Centoria, Swords Mastery Academy—3rd October, Year 380 in the Time of the Realm of Humanity
Law, Sacred Arts, History and Sword styles studies. Four lessons in total that makes up a student's schedule in North Centoria Swords Mastery Academy.
For anyone who were willing to put effort into their studies, keeping up with the syllabus wasn't at all difficult. The theory part was mostly simple.
But when it all boiled down to what really mattered, the actual hard part of their goals—to become an Integrity Knight, just as she promised her mentor all those months ago—it was the practical that mattered more than anything else. And having learnt under the best mentor ever (fifth seat or not, her opinion wouldn't be changing any time soon), she definitely came a long way.
Long gone was the girl who felt like she wasn't enough. Who wasn't strong enough to fight against others. Now, she was ready. With sword in hand, she will fight. Just as he had.
"Hmm!" She sidestepped the «Avalanche» that her opponent had utilized to quickly take her out (it didn't help that he executed his attack rather slowly), having made the mistake of immediately going in with a «Secret Technique».
While it made sense that the one who made the first move would have the advantage, Kirito had drilled into her all the time to never make that mistake against someone. Instead, draw out the match to tire her opponent out and learn their general fighting style. Quickly study them and decide the best way to counter them.
Unfortunately for most students here, they've been too stubborn in studying just the High Norlangarth-style because most of them are nobles. And, well, the High Norlangarth-style is just seen as 'beautiful' in their eyes—'beauty of a single strike', as they say.
Fortunate for her, however. Just like her mentor, play smart, not hard.
Learn to read the opponent first. Extricate their fighting patterns. Go in for the kill.
…Well, n-not really kill! He sounds really cool when he says that, but she knows that he just means 'go in and deal the finishing blows'… maybe.
The fact that he had unleashed a «Secret Technique» right off the bat, and missed his strike, left him utterly open. Literally everywhere, he had holes in his form and she was able to go for it. And perhaps, one could think that it would have been better to at least draw the match out for a little—but there was no use for it.
For one, she might offend her opponent, who might think that she was just playing with them—she would never do that! She doesn't have the heart to do so!
And second, her mentor would never let it down. Finish the fight as quickly as you could—that's what it means to win the fight. Beat the enemy down before they could fight back, and simply end the battle.
Once upon a time, Ronye Arabel would have thought that such a way of fighting was utterly ruthless and almost merciless. Cruel, even. But, with time, she and Tiese came to understood the reasons behind his teachings (as did Eugeo, long before they arrived in the academy); in a fight to the death against a monster or an enemy, time would be invaluable. Waste too much of it in a fight, and you're risking yourself to ambushes, or the enemy getting backup, or some secret weapon being pulled out of nowhere—
'Gah! K-Kirito-senpai really planted that idea in my head..! Focus!' With a slight flush, she shook off the thoughts and moved to attack.
Body low and sword hand outstretched to the side, she begins to focus her willpower into her sword and colouring it with a bright blue light. She moved forwards and swiped her blade in the motions of a «Horizontal», blade cutting across the air and batting his sword aside. His weak grip over the handle allowed her to easily disarm him, but her weapon turned in the opposite trajectory, completing the second movement of «Horizontal Arc», her weapon stopping mere inches away from her opponent's throat, kicking up air around them.
In a real fight, she knew that such would never mean anything. But she supposed that, for the purpose of education, stopping short of hitting an opponent is just the right way of things. Wouldn't do to accidentally kill a fellow student in class.
"Ronye Arabel takes the win," spoke a fellow student, who volunteered to take the refereeing task. A few hushed whispers began around them, most of them impressed.
"Nngh… Good one," her opponent muttered, sounding a little disappointed with himself. He bowed a little and sheathed his sword, taking his leave right after.
Ronye returned the gesture, retreating to the sides, to where Frenica and Tiese were seated at.
It's not hard to find the three of them constantly hanging out together, considering what they've gone through. And even before all that mess, they became fast friends through shared interests and similar situations—it's not easy being low-classed nobles, but it would mean very little if it meant they'd have to be just like the other nobles.
At this rate, becoming commoners sounds more preferable, if they really thought about it. But it's not like they'd willingly dispose their titles, of course! The thought of burdening their families was something they would never be able to forgive themselves for.
"Amazingly done, Ronye! You managed to dodge his attack at just the right time," her red-haired friend complimented with a smile, earning her a nervous laugh.
"Ehehe… That wasn't really anything special. First hit would have been better, but not a lot of students here favour that sort of duel, so we'll just have to deal with stopping short," sighed the girl, crossing her arms. "I still feel like it won't help a lot, if we just keep doing stopping short. What about you girls?"
"W-Well, I'm not exactly the best at fighting, so I personally don't have much opinion," Frenica hadn't exactly been the best at sword-fighting like the other students. Even compared to Ronye and Tiese, she didn't exactly show much skill. "Although, I suppose getting hurt a little would help…"
"Kirito-senpai would be so quick to agree on that," hummed the other brunette with a bit of mirth.
The day was over before they knew it, and with nothing exciting to do here, they decided that they may as well just return to their dorm room for now—Frenica would be bunking with them, as she has for a pretty long time now. After all, if your roommate was more busy spending her nights in her partner's and that left you alone, and with what had happened to her before, she pretty much had a decent excuse to seek out companionship.
It's odd, but she wouldn't be telling the teachers. After all, she wouldn't want to intrude on her roommate's affairs, and it's not like she had done anything to slight her, so she may as well as ignore her.
Ronye had barely entered the room before she threw herself onto her bed, feeling exhausted only enough that an afternoon's nap would remedy. Her red-headed friend at the door merely giggled at her, and for as embarrassed as she should be, she could hardly care. She was tired!
Frenica had the decency to at least sit down slowly, sighing as she patted away at her skirt. Tiese sat beside her, pulling out a book and beginning to flip through the pages.
This is how it's mostly been. Whenever it wasn't a rest day, during which they'd take advantage of to go to the city to do some sightseeing or buying some treats, they'd either return to their dorm room and do nothing. Sometimes, they'd chat about any topics that caught their attention or revise their studies. If they were feeling it, they might even do some extra training together.
Today, though? They'll just settle for a day of naps, peace and tranquillity.
After all, it was the perfect weather today. Cotton clouds drifted lazily across the blue sky, while a soft gust blew by, carrying countless scents across the lands. It would be so nice to go outside, sit underneath a tree and have a picnic, but they hadn't exactly gotten enough food for one.
So, if there was no chance for a day outside, then they might as well enjoy it in the comforts of their own room.
"Sooo…" Drawled out Ronye, turning herself around so that she was looking up. "Any news?"
"None that matters too much," responded Tiese with a small sigh, tilting her head to look at her friend. "But… I did catch wind of something worrying. Supposedly, at least two weeks from now, there's going to be a lockdown of sorts. By Kirito-senpai's orders, it seems. We'll all be required to stay indoors and not go outside. I can't tell what's going on, but…"
"Something big if it concerns all four kingdoms, plus Centoria. None of us are allowed to leave our homes no matter what, so it's possibly dangerous," Frenica, so soft-hearted as she is, bless her, began to clench her hands. "You girls don't think… something bad will actually happen, right?"
All three of them shared a look, the question hanging in the air like a knife suspended with string. It was bad enough that there was absolutely no information about this, but the signs are there; more knights on the street and in the air, patrolling the city. They were worried about something.
And they didn't know.
They wouldn't think of inciting panic and terror in the masses. So it was necessary that they withhold information on any of this from them. Perhaps a little unfair, but the rulers had their reasons.
"…Guess all that we can do is hope for the best," she wasn't even sure if she could even be hopeful, but there was just no other way to it. Panicking would only make things worse for everyone. For all purposes, however, she would have to do her best to stay as calm as she could. Both for herself, her mentor and her friends.
In peaceful days, things would have been perfect. They would still have their beloved mentors, and the days would still be fun. As things are, however, not everything can be perfect.
In just a few days, everything will be torn asunder.
Underworld, Centoria, Swords Mastery Academy—5th October, Year 380 in the Time of the Realm of Humanity
Everything was fine. The day was fine, nothing strange had happened, and they had already gotten used to the normalcy of things, absence of their mentors included.
So why was it that today, of all days, made her feel so… uneasy?
The lessons were as usual, her roommate was clingy to her partner as always, she had been spending her time with Ronye and Tiese as always… and then this happened.
Granted, for a girl who had gone through such traumatic experiences like Frenica Szeski, she'd thought getting called to the headmaster's room meant something along the lines of advice and suggestion to pay a psychiatrist a visit. But there was a strange tire in her voice today that made her a little more jumpy than usual, and that was bad.
She's a nervous girl, she'll admit, but she had a gut feeling that today was bad.
It also didn't help that, on their way to her room, a lot of the students were talking pretty loudly about something weird going on. Ooh, that isn't good.
The fact that they walked into a room to see both Headmaster Cardinal and Lady Quinella was more than shocking!
"H-Headmaster Cardinal! Lady Quinella!" Struggling to just be calm, Ronye still managed to bow, the other two following suit. Her wide eyes shifted towards the silverette, already fidgeting. "Milady, w-welcome to our academy. You called for us? Is… Did we do something wrong?"
"No, no trouble at all. Performance-wise, all three of you have been doing rather well to keep up with your studies. None of your peers have made a report on you, in case you're wondering," Cardinal was the one who responded, adding that last bit when all three of them looked particularly worried, granting them comfort and drawing out sighs of relief. "So no, you are in no form of trouble."
"Then… if I might ask, why have you summoned us, Headmaster?" Frenica asked next, feeling the twist in her gut since earlier this morning ease up a little. "And Lady Quinella, why is…"
"It was by my request," answered the woman, her expression hard to decipher. She looked calm, but there was a hint of unease in her irises. "It's with good reason, and it has nothing to do with school."
"I-Is that so?" Blinking, the redhead gulped before speaking up again. "W-What is it, Lady Quinella?"
She didn't answer. Instead, she nudged the shorter girl by the side with her—did she just elbow her? The bespectacled girl glared at her for a moment before sighing, taking over from there.
"Girls, while I would never think of putting you in danger, it seems that I've run out of options. And out of all the students here, I can only see you three being the most suitable choices for the mission," she sighed, straightening her posture.
"Mission?" Repeated Ronye, getting a nod. "What do you mean?"
"Allow me," when the headmaster made to speak, the ruler of the Human Realm had cut in. They shared a look before the shorter girl nodded her head. In turn, silver eyes shift to look at the three girls, freezing them in place.
The eyes of the woman who rules their four kingdoms from within the cathedral… Frenica had never thought that she could have found a person even more intimidating than her previous mentor or even Kirito-senpai (not like he was scary in his own right, but just more… intense). But she was wrong in that regards.
No, perhaps the word intimidating seemed too far from the truth. She was powerful, exuding an aura that made her stand out amongst everyone else. It was hard to feel calm around her, rendering her like a mouse.
Of course, she knew that this woman was their ally. No, she's their leader, someone who do everything in her power to protect them. She had no reason to doubt that, but it's just hard to imagine herself standing in the same room as the one person who's in truth their ruler.
Also ironic that their chirpy senpai who likes lazing around and smiling was also their ruler.
The world works in incredibly strange ways.
"The mission isn't something that you shouldn't have to bother yourself with accepting, although I personally asked Cardinal here for help on suggestion for whom I could turn to," she began, looking to the girl before back to the three students. "As it stands, the three of you are the only ones that I am willing to take with me on our mission."
"And that is?" Frenica finally asked.
No one doesn't immediately answer, however, before Cardinal taps her staff on the ground once. By her will, a rolled-up map floated on the table before spreading itself for the three to see, and she pointed to a part of Norlangarth. It was quite far out, but not as much as Rulid Village was. It steered off a little to the west, less developed than any other settlements.
"Laurelei Village. Home to blacksmiths and frequently visited by travelling merchants, it is well-known for its… let's just say, odd weapon design," and judging by her uncertain tone, they must be really weird. "This is where you are meant to go to."
Quinella hums, adding her two cents in. "Around two weeks ago, there has been a string of kidnappings in a village to the west, only for their bodies to be found in the open with claw marks in their bodies. Demonic beasts are suspect, and it would only make sense for them to be from the Dark Forces, though even then, we couldn't be sure since the culprit has eluded capture. We've sent knights there, but none have been able to find anything wrong, let alone catch a culprit. The people there are growing restless and have requested aid."
"But you've sent knights. They'd be more than capable for something like this," pointed out Frenica, the other two girls nodding at her logic. They're professionals, after all! Not like the three of them—mere students, and mid-tier swordswomen at best. "Why not send in the Integrity Knights?"
"We can't. Most of them are busy with training the army, and some others have their hands full patrolling the kingdoms," sighed Quinella. "Three other locations seem to face the same issue, so he saw it fit to dispatch four teams in total to handle the situation."
"I-Is that so..?" The brunette gulped, suddenly feeling light-headed. "And you want to go there…"
"To investigate the situation, and potentially catch the culprit if we could," she answered. Her expression then softened, allowing a soft semblance of guilt to surface. "I… I'm sorry that I came here out of the blue to ask you of this, but I desperately need your help. It can't be anyone else."
Their help?
That was so odd. Why did the pontifex reach out to them specifically?
"We don't understand, Lady Quinella. Why is it that you're asking us for help?" Asked the redhead, her hands balling up slightly. "There must be others that you could rely on, right?"
"Perhaps, but there's a… personal reason of my own that greatly limits my selection," she sighed, sounding surprisingly frustrated. "While Kirito's friends are many, I cannot exactly choose any from them because… reasons. And I suppose I feel like I can trust the three of you," her lips formed a smile right there, more relaxed than earlier. "The three of you are important to Kirito and his friend, Eugeo. They trust you very much, and it would only be right if I were to show the same amount of faith in your skills."
The silent compliment was more than enough to flatter the three girls, embarrassing them enough that they looked everywhere but the two pontifex's, who shared looks of amusement.
Teenage crushes. So adorable.
Probably goes beyond crushes if they really knew what went down during their spare time, but that's their own secret to keep.
"Nonetheless," she began once more after they calmed down. "I don't intend to send you to some unknown place on your own. I will, of course, go with you."
"You will?" Chorused the three friends, clearly taken aback.
"Of course," nodded the woman. "I will be leading a group of four—all of us altogether—to investigate the village. And we won't have you go uncompensated. This will be treated as work, and you will be compensated as such. And if you do not wish to take the job, you needn't. I wish to make it clear that you are, in no shape or form, indebted to him or myself. But he trusts all of you so much. I simply wish to do the same."
Her words… They felt so genuine. So kind. So unlike anything that Frenica had once thought of long ago, when they heard news of Kirito's and Eugeo's execution.
Things would have been simple if she was an evil ruler, someone who wished to benefit solely herself. And yet, here she was, being so understanding… It didn't make sense.
He trusted them, and so did she… enough so that she chose them to accompany her on this mission.
It sounded dangerous, if people are found dead. If the knights couldn't do anything, why should it be them?
Frenica thought long and hard, thought about what Lady Quinella was thinking when she decided to ask them of all people for help. By the sounds of it, there was obviously going to be battle, and the sound of it made her stomach fall. Why would she ask them..?
There were so many capable people. So many people. She's gotten wind of a group of individuals who showed up a few months ago, supposedly acquaintances of Kirito's who had showed up to help him. And, if they weren't wrong, they're equally skilled.
So why them..?
No. In the end, it didn't matter about Ronye and Tiese. What really bothered was why he trusted her with this… She wasn't even his student, wasn't any good as her friends, was hardly anything. Why would she want her help? It just didn't make sense.
The level of trust in them. That was the only thing that she could even think of, considering that they barely qualified for such a difficult and important task. And even then, she must have really thought well and hard about this—they're the only people suitable for the job. She'd gone out of his way to choose them in particular, after all.
Frenica gave sideways glances to her friends, and noticed the looks on their faces.
Ronye's looked hopeful, of all things. Of course she is; it's become personal for her. Though her mentor didn't exactly call for her assistance, she knew that her mentor needed help. And knowing the girl, she wanted to prove herself to him. To show that all his time spent in training her, all the help he's given her wasn't wasted.
Tiese, understandably, was a little nervous, but there was an underlying sense of excitement. More so than the way that she seemed to bite her lower lip, she seemed interested in taking part in this mission, if only because it meant that she could help out in any way that she could. Plus, where Ronye goes, she would be there to help.
And Frenica…
"Do better, you poor little girl! Or else I'd just have to punish you myself!"
"What a pathetic excuse of a valet that you have, Raios-sama!"
"I swear, you'd better work harder, Frenica Szeski, or else you'll just be expelled!"
"You're such a waste of time. God, why do we even keep you around..?"
"I'll be with my friend for a lil' bit, so take care of the room while I'm gone, yeah? Thaaanks!"
"Don't worry. Everything will be fine."
Frenica was a lot of things; a victim, a student, and a coward at best. But she was also nothing; she couldn't do what others could, wasn't exactly fond of fighting, and showed less skill in said field than anything else. She wasn't sure why he had chosen her as well.
But… But that night, when he returned from the storm and bumped into her, when he took notice of the fear that burned within her eyes, it was his silent calm and words of motivation that soothed her. That made her feel like… like everything would go well.
And everything did. Perhaps at his and Eugeo's expense, but things changed for the better. And all because of him.
Kirito, Second Head of the Human Realm, a person with the power to change the law and making decisions of his own, was giving her the choice; if she didn't want to take part in this fight, she wouldn't have to. She would just have to say that she didn't want to, and he wouldn't force her. He was just that kind.
Lady Quinella was of the same accord. She wasn't forcing them to join her. She might just look for help in other places, and that meant she would get to stay here, in the safety of her room instead, away from all the dangers…
No. What a foolish thought. This isn't right! She can't just sit back while her best friends would be putting their lives on the line! There were people getting hurt! Dying! Enemies out there on the loose, doing whatever they so pleased!
If she would be able to help, even if a little, that meant that she'd get to save lives. Just as Kirito had saved hers, and her friends.
And that alone helped her find her conviction.
'No more,' she decided in the end, her heart set on doing what was right. 'I can't keep running away… I ran away once.'
She should have followed him. Followed him when he rushed off to save his friends. Her friends. But she didn't. She was too afraid. Too much of a coward. But things change. People change, and she too could find it in herself to change.
Frenica, Ronye and Tiese shared a look. A long stretch of silence was soon broken by smiles, before their eyes—crimson, sea blue, and hazel—turned towards the woman.
Quinella felt herself breathless at the looks of determination she witnessed in the gazes of these young girls. Girls who had never tasted actual combat, unlike her beloved. And yet… the fact that they could find it in themselves to be strong, to hold onto hope and fight for what's right reminded her just what she was.
A human being. Flawed, foolish, emotional things. And that alone was more than perfect.
"When do we leave, Lady Quinella?" Asked Frenica, earning a smile from the two pontifex's. And for once in her life, she felt like she could really be strong. Just like him.
And Quinella would know that this would be the right step in the right direction. She would fight, learn to understand just what she was fighting for, and discover her conviction—and maybe… finally, talk to him.
All they have to do now is make preparations for Laurelei Village.
To where would be the beginnings of hell.