AN: This was originally part of the same chapter as the previous one. I split them up due to the length and also to avoid introducing too many new characters at once.
For those trying to keep track of the timeline, this chapter starts on the same day as the previous chapter and continues into the following morning.
Sasha felt around her lower back. For the first time in the past few days, there were no feathery wings or a tail there. Just some nigh-imperceptible slits in her clothing, which could open or close as necessary to fit her anatomy. She then felt her ears, which were now rounded instead of long and pointed.
She breathed a sigh of relief. She hadn't been able to take on human form until she talked to the monster aid workers who'd come to her church. That said, they were no longer present.
It should be any minute now…
With nothing else to do, Sasha paced around the empty floor of the church, illuminated through several windows by the afternoon sun. Normally she would have something to keep her busy, like tending to the orphans or maintaining the church, so this inactivity was quite rare for her.
Before, I would often pray to the Chief God when I had the chance… The equivalent now would be…
Eros, God of Love, can you hear me? Will you answer my call for—
Yes, what is it?
Sasha jumped in surprise. Never before had her prayers been answered so quickly.
Do you want advice on how to deepen your relationship with Elt? Eros asked.
N-No! Sasha replied, so shocked that she almost did so aloud. I was just wondering if you had any advice on… on the current situation in Lescatie!
Hmm… Eros took a few seconds to consider her answer. I certainly hope for peace to be made, it would make it much easier for love to sprout, but I'm no expert on military or economic or diplomatic matters.
That was within Sasha's expectations. Still, it helped to have a friendly voice to talk with.
Oh! But there's one other thing that should help! Eros said. I can tell you that two of the three people you invited have unfulfilled loves! It's something far, far too common in Lescatie…
Because love between social classes is forbidden, and the upper classes—whom I'm about to meet—almost always practice arranged marriages? Sasha guessed.
Yes! Looking at Lescatie has always been painful for me… Eros groaned. Then, in a much perkier voice, she added, But now it's all about to change! As my first heart priest, I trust you'll do a good job of spreading love in this dreary place!
Sasha remembered a certain redhead and blushed. I-I'll try… however…
Suddenly, Sasha heard the faint sounds of hooves striking ground and carriage wheels turning. The guests she'd invited this morning had arrived.
Alright, I'll leave you to it, Eros said. Just remember, two of them are missing love!
Then the voice in Sasha's head disappeared.
Sasha checked her appearance to make sure nothing was untoward, then left her church.
Outside the front were two horse-drawn carriages, both with fine craftsmanship that indicated considerable wealth. Stepping out from the carriages were two Lescatian nobles, each accompanied by a guard—said guards had also been the ones driving the carriages.
When they left their carriages, the nobles performed an identical set of actions. First, they looked distastefully at the surrounding slums. Then they glared at each other, clearly not expecting the other to be present. Finally, they looked at Sasha and smiled politely.
"Hero Sasha," said Count Eldon, a middle-aged man who nevertheless still had a full head of brown hair. "It's good to meet you."
"Quite, even if I was expecting it to happen under… different circumstances," said Viscountess Miria, a young woman with orange hair tied into braids.
"Thank you both for accepting my invitations," Sasha said, putting on her usual mask of politeness. "I will only ask that you wait a little longer for the third to arrive."
The two nobles both looked stunned by the news, but they quickly hid that behind their own masks.
They desire my support too much to complain… Sasha thought.
Less than a minute later, a third carriage arrived. From it emerged a priestess in a pale blue habit richly adorned with yellow—proof she held the title of Gold Priestess, the second-highest within the Order's clergy. Her driver remained on the carriage and no one else stepped out from within—indicating she felt no need to have a guard.
"Greetings, Priestess Sasha," said Gold Priestess Valeena. She looked around at the slums, then at the two who'd arrived before her. "You… wished to meet with all of us?"
The three guests Sasha invited all had a moderate amount of authority within Lescatie: enough for them to matter, not enough for them to be satisfied with what they had. Each of them was also associated with a different faction. Sasha had considered their situations carefully before sending out letters of invitation.
"Yes," Sasha confirmed. "Now that you're all present, please come inside."
The group of six—Sasha, her three guests and two guards—entered the Fullmoon Church. No one said anything, but Sasha could sense her guests' disdain for the humble building.
In the main room of the church, Sasha sat on a chair while her guests sat on the pews in front of her. They all looked uncomfortable, but whether that was due to the humble furnishings or the presence of potential rivals, Sasha wasn't sure.
"So… I'm sure you're curious as to why I called you all here simultaneously," Sasha explained. "I'll explain that now. A fair warning, this is likely to alarm you."
That was met with confused expressions… right up until Sasha reverted to her monster form, exposing her wings, tail and pointed ears.
"M-M-Monster!"
"H-Hero Sasha, how—!?"
"You—You have given into the darkness!"
The two nobles and the Gold Priestess reacted as expected. As for the nobles' guards, they drew their swords with trembling hands, one trembling so much that he actually dropped his weapon. It was clear these two had never been trained—or expected—to fight monsters, despite that being the supposed purpose of Lescatie.
"If you cannot believe this, then simply think back to what you just saw outside this church," Sasha said. "Something that ought to have been fixed a long, long time ago."
Most of the guests were unable to reply. One of the guards—the same one who'd just dropped his weapon—even looked at the floor in shame; perhaps this touched on something personal for him.
Gold Priestess Valeena, on the other hand, was undeterred. "You would betray the Order and all of humanity for the filth of the slums? They have only themselves to blame—"
"Do not say another word," Sasha said, her voice as cold as a midwinter blizzard. "I've heard enough of such nonsense in the social events of Lescatie. I no longer have the patience for more."
Valeena flinched at the sharp reply. Before she could say another word, Sasha continued:
"Do you think the people of the slums are poor because they are too lazy to improve their lives? They did not start their lives with money, good homes, guards to keep them safe, or tutors to educate them. They had to fight to survive from as soon as they were born. Would any of you fare as well in their place?"
There was silence. Sasha's three guests would have never questioned the hierarchy of Lescatie before; why would they, when everyone around them agreed with it, when the hierarchy allowed them to live comfortable lives?
Count Eldon stood up. "But, surely, becoming a monster is excessive…"
"Well, that part was not quite voluntary," Sasha said. "It all began when…"
Sasha explained everything that had happened since Druella came to Lescatie… including the part where she'd confessed her feelings towards the man she loved. It took considerable willpower to keep a straight face then.
"You betrayed humanity for a crush on some street orphan!?" Viscountess Miria said scornfully. "You're nothing more than a—"
"Quiet," Sasha commanded, her embarrassment replaced by quiet fury. "Elt is a far better person than, I suspect, most of those you normally interact with."
Interestingly, neither Eldon nor Valeena criticised Sasha's choice in romance. Rather, they looked oddly thoughtful… it seemed Eros was right earlier.
"And, as I have explained in detail, I have plenty of other reasons to consider working with the monsters," Sasha said. "So, what will you do now? Will you continue fighting against other humans, which would stop Lescatie from repelling the monsters, even if they were truly hostile?"
The trio of Lescatie's power players all looked guilty. They could not deny doing this for their entire careers, not when it was why they'd accepted Sasha's invitations in the first place.
"Or... will you do what is truly best for Lescatie?"
After some visible hesitation, Valeena spoke up. "Sasha… Priestess Sasha… Are you certain there is no hope of defeating the monsters through force?"
"Yes," Sasha replied. "I did not witness the fight itself, but I have seen several of Lescatie's strongest heroes fail to defeat Druella, and heard of another who failed to defeat one of her subordinates. There will be no victory through force."
"But… if nothing else, won't the monsters hold grudges against us?" Eldon said. "We—our forces have killed many of them, after all."
"I considered that as well," Sasha said. "But, in past wars between human nations, the two sides could often agree to peace, in the end, despite their losses."
The two guards had been trying to melt into the background, unwilling to speak in the presence of their social superiors. It was natural behaviour for most of Lescatie's population, but it was another thing that had to change.
"You two, what are your thoughts?" Sasha asked.
"Eh!?" one guard exclaimed. "Ah, um… this isn't something we know enough to, to talk about…"
The other guard, the one who'd dropped his sword earlier, hesitated before meeting Sasha's eyes. "H-Hero Sasha… are you sure that this is best for Lescatie? That it won't mean anything bad for people like us?"
Miria turned towards the second guard, as she was his mistress… yet she didn't scold him for cowardice. And from the odd look on her face, that didn't seem to just be out of fear of Sasha's wrath.
She also isn't one of the two who has unfulfilled love… Whatever the relationship is between her and her guard, it must be something else…
"I can make no guarantees," Sasha admitted. "But the monsters I've personally interacted with, at least, seem to be trustworthy. And I swear to you, I shall do all in my power to ensure the best outcome for Lescatie."
The guard looked slightly more relaxed, yet still uncertain. All of them were, really, even Sasha herself. A lifetime of upbringing could not be undone so easily.
"As more proof of my intentions, I won't keep you here," Sasha said. "You may stay if you wish to talk longer, but now that you've heard what I had to say, you are free to leave. I only hope that you spread the word, as best as you can, that we can negotiate with the monsters."
"...It's foolish for you to take such a risk," Valeena said. "What if we reveal everything to the Senate?"
"That would still not make Lescatie any more able to resist the monsters," Sasha retorted. "And, to be frank, no one would believe you if you truly revealed everything. That is the same reason my collaborators are taking their own risks."
"Hah… I suppose that's true," Valeena said. "You have given us much to think about… Priestess Sasha. And…" she looked around at the church, "perhaps I've spent so long struggling for power, I forgot the meaning of being a woman of the cloth… For now, I shall take my leave."
The Gold Priestess stood, moved towards the door of the church and left.
"...I can't give you an answer now, Hero Sasha," Eldon said, also rising from his seat. "But… I suppose I should thank you for informing us of… the truth."
Eldon left the church, along with his guard.
"This—all of this is just nonsense," Miria said. "In the first place, if we actually tried to fight, we could buy time for the rest of the Order's armies to come to our aid!"
"Perhaps," Sasha admitted. "Of course, that would also give time for monster reinforcements to come. At the moment there is one lilim in Lescatie, but there are others in the world…"
Miria shrank back slightly. Then her guard walked up to her and looked at her pleadingly. No words were exchanged, but Sasha could still guess his meaning.
If Lescatie did devote itself to fighting, then even household guards might be sent to the frontlines…
"Tch… I'm still not about to start helping you betray Lescatie!" Miria said. In a quieter voice, she added, "...I'm going to keep my head down and wait for all this to be settled. Let's go, James."
The noblewoman and her guard began walking out of the church. Just before they went out the door, James turned and bowed to Sasha, seemingly on reflex.
Now Sasha was alone in the church again. She looked up at the ceiling and sighed.
It feels so empty in here, without the children or anyone else….
She'd kept a mask of politeness on for the entire encounter, but it had actually been nerve-wracking for her. She still had a deeply ingrained reluctance to criticise Lescatie's failings, like any other citizen of this country. Yet it had also been satisfying to finally vent her true feelings for once.
Still, perhaps I didn't have to reveal quite so much… Ahhh!
Sasha covered her blushing face with her hands, even though there was no one around to see.
But… by now, Wilmarina has already done the same in Salvarision… and if this confession helped me reach out to some of my guests, then embarrassment is a small price to pay…
For now, Sasha could only hope that those nobles, their guards and the priestess spread the word that monsters weren't inherently evil.
And if the response is a group of heroes being sent here to purge a heretic, I'll just have to help the monsters now hiding around the slums to capture those heroes. I could then talk to them… it would be difficult, but convincing them to defect as well would also further the plan…
And speaking of the plan, the army should be coming back soon. It would be good to see them again…
Sasha wanted to talk to Elt and Primera in particular. She wasn't certain about Mersé Dascaros' feelings, but she knew very well how Primera felt regarding Elt. Literally everyone who'd ever lived in this orphanage did, excluding Elt himself but including even the youngest children.
Sorting out this tangle will be difficult… I don't want to simply give up on him, but that poor girl has suffered enough, I don't want her to hold back because she thinks herself unworthy… And it's even more complicated when others are considered...
There was one possible solution, one Sasha had heard about some months ago from a monster acquaintance. But it went against everything Sasha had ever been taught, the mere thought of it made her blush again.
Eros has also suggested it, while acknowledging it to be difficult… I… What should I do?
-ooo-
When evening arrived, the army of Lescatie set up camp again. This time, they had three hundred mercenaries with them. Normally, there'd be plenty of curious questions since the two groups had never met before.
This evening, there was a much more important topic on everyone's minds.
"So that's what monsters are really like…"
"Will we stand a chance, even with all the heroes…?"
"But do we need to fight them in the first place…?"
"What the hell are you saying!? The Order says—"
With over two hundred witnesses, it had been easy to pass information about the monsters to the rest of the five thousand-strong army. One or two witnesses might have been dismissed, but it was much harder to deny the consistent testimonies of so many at once, especially when some of those witnesses were heroes.
Granted, there had still been some uncertainty back then. Mersé's response to this had been simple and direct—she'd picked up two of the sceptics and literally ran back to the monster camp with them, allowed them to see the truth for themselves, then ran back.
Now, hours after they'd started travelling back to Lescatie, there was no longer any doubt. Each and every single one of the witnesses' stories had had enough time to circulate through the entire army.
"Sheesh, can't believe all this is happening," said Frank, one of Elt's fellow recruits who was sitting at the same campfire. He bit into a piece of bread, chewed a few times and swallowed. "We just have to hope Lescatie's heroes can kill so many monsters."
"Yeah, grunts like us could never make a difference…" said Paul, another of Elt's fellow recruits. However, there was some guilt in his voice.
"Maybe… Maybe it won't come to a fight," Elt said.
All the nearby soldiers looked at Elt in surprise.
"What do you mean?" Frank said. "You saying the monsters might get scared off once all the heroes show themselves?"
"No, I mean… it didn't look like the monsters came here to fight," Elt said. "I know this sounds crazy, but… maybe it's possible to talk to them."
"Elt, that's…" Paul said, looking around nervously. "You'd better not say that around any of the heroes…"
"Yeah, what the hell!?" Frank said. "Ideas like that could get you killed!"
But Elt remained firm. "Something has to change. Many people in Lescatie, many of us until this morning, think monsters actually kill and eat humans. But we still got sent out on this mission, even though we had no chance of winning. Meaning…"
"Meaning the ones in charge don't care if we get killed," said Alex, another of Elt's fellow recruits.
They all fell into a grim silence. It was a fact they already knew, but that didn't make it any less painful.
"And… there's something else I should mention," Elt said. "The heroes I know… it feels like they're sick of fighting against monsters, against other people."
In any other situation, that statement would have been seen as ridiculous. It might have gotten him reported to the authorities for two counts of heresy—sympathising with monsters and smearing the reputations of the Chief God's chosen heroes.
But the soldiers here knew Elt, knew that he lived with two heroes, trained under a third and was regularly visited by a fourth. Furthermore, they'd either seen or heard from many witnesses that monsters were people just like them.
"...I don't know," Frank said, staring at the ground uncertainly. "Even if you're right, what can guys like us do?"
"We can do exactly what the captain ordered," Elt said. "Tell the people back in the capital everything we learned out here. All of it."
Over to Elt's left, Alex scratched his cheek awkwardly. "Might get us into a bit of trouble, though…"
For a few moments, there were no more sounds except the crackling of the campfire and the distant conversations of other groups of soldiers. Elt wondered what he should say next.
Then someone walked up behind Elt. From the shocked expressions on his friends' faces, Elt knew it was someone important even before he turned around.
"Elt-san," said Amanomiya Koyoi. "Your leader has requested your presence."
Others might have been frightened by this abrupt request. However, Elt knew that neither Mersé nor Primera would allow any danger to come to him here. Furthermore, he didn't any hostile intent from this monster slayer from Zipangu.
"Alright, thanks for letting me know."
Elt stood up and followed Amanomiya—Koyoi, he still forgot sometimes that her culture placed given names and surnames in reverse order.
I'm also not sure about those foreign words she adds to people's names… I'd like to ask her, but I'm not sure if she'd be willing to answer...
They passed between the groups of soldiers, some of which now included mercenaries. These groups were chatting about similar topics to Elt and his friends. They often looked up at Elt and Koyoi—presumably due to the latter rather than the former.
I can't see Primera anywhere… looks like she still isn't comfortable around people...
Eventually, they arrived at a campfire that had Mersé and Doon sitting around it.
"Elt!" Mersé called out. To Doon, she said, "This is the one I was talking about! Elt, sit down and tell this guy about how you became my best trainee!"
Elt did as instructed. But even as he talked about the past, he realised that Mersé must have some reason for summoning him.
"That was a nice idea with the tripwire," Doon said in response to one of Elt's stories. "Now, you've said a lot about yourself. Is there anything you wanna know about the work me and Koyoi and the rest do?"
"Well…" Elt said. "It's probably a question you had to answer already, but what… kinds of experiences have you had with monsters?"
Doon didn't seem surprised by the question. On the other hand, Koyoi suddenly turned her face to avoid looking at any of the others.
"We've run into monsters a few times," Doon said. "Usually, it's in requests to slay monsters who're a threat to humans."
Doon brought a mug to his lips and sipped the contents. He stared into the fire.
"...Not all those monsters actually are threats, it turns out," Doon continued quietly. "Some mercs kill 'em anyway, others… let them go, after warning 'em to move to a different place."
None of the other three at this campfire reacted, not visibly at least. That said, Elt wondered how Mersé might be feeling deep inside.
She's probably killed more monsters than anyone else here… is she regretting it now, wondering if she could have let some go?
"And sometimes, the mercenary guild even gets requests from monsters," Doon said. "Disguised as humans, obviously, but you can recognise them if you know the signs. And those requests tend to get carried out as well."
"When you put it that way, we in Lescatie are just... isolated," Mersé said ruefully. "We're taught to do nothing but fight monsters, support those who fight monsters… but it's not that clear-cut, is it? There's more than just the Order and monsters in the world, there's neutral countries as well… not that you hear about them much in Lescatie."
"Yeah, those exist too," Doon said. "Pretty nice places to stop by, if you're travelling. A few of my old merc buddies even settled down in a neutral country."
Elt glanced towards Koyoi. The Zipangan hadn't spoken a single word since they sat down, just reacting occasionally to what was said.
"...Do you need something from me?" Koyoi asked.
"N-No, it's nothing!" Elt said quickly.
"...Well, in that case, I'll ask a question of my own," Koyoi said. "Mersé-dono, Elt-san, what is the aristocracy of Lescatie like? I've heard that it's very rigid and structured, but how well does the truth match the rumours?"
Elt and Mersé looked at each other in bewilderment. It wasn't exactly an unusual question for a foreigner, but neither was it something they'd been expecting.
"First… I have to say that neither of us is really involved in that," Mersé replied. "But from what I do know? Take all of the bad rumours you've heard, and you'd just be scratching the surface of what Lescatie is like. I get a bit of respect for being a hero, but because I happened to come out of—" she grimaced, "—a commoner's womb, they don't really care for me. Though to be fair, it's 'cause of my personality as well."
"I experienced some of the aristocracy… I used to be in the mansion of a high-rank priest, because my parents were family servants," Elt said. "And… any relationship between aristocrats and commoners isn't allowed, even friendship. That can lead to people losing their jobs… people dying as a result…"
"Damn, you've been through a lot, kid," Doon said, looking sympathetic.
"I apologise for dredging up old wounds, Elt-san," Koyoi said, bowing her head.
"It's fine," Elt said. "It was my choice to say it."
Koyoi reached out and took some rabbit meat roasting on a skewer over the campfire. However, she didn't begin eating just yet.
"...Even though our countries are so far apart, they're similar in some ways," Koyoi said, so quietly she almost couldn't be heard.
Doon raised his eyebrows. Apparently, Koyoi opening up about her past was a very rare event.
"At the very least, my family is similar to the aristocracy of Lescatie," Koyoi amended. "The killing of evil youkai—as they are known in Zipangu—is meant to be our only aspiration, yet when my grandfather passed away… Tell me, is your aristocracy beset by infighting as well?"
"Yes," said Elt and Mersé at almost the exact same time.
"Hmm. Perhaps you ought to consider the mercenary life as well..."
The conversation continued for long enough that soldiers and mercenaries started retiring to their tents. Eventually, Elt did the same.
Of course, Elt's friends pestered him about his recent conversation with the foreign mercenaries. He thus told them, passing on information about the world outside Lescatie… just as Mersé had undoubtedly been planning.
As a mere soldier, Elt didn't have much fighting prowess or official authority. But he could play the crucial role of a mediator, transferring information from the higher-ups to the soldiers in a way the latter were more likely to trust.
And the soldiers he talked to would, in turn, talk to other soldiers...
-ooo-
The next morning, the army broke camp an hour earlier than usual. This would have caused complaints normally, but there were none now.
We all want to get back home as fast as possible, Elt thought, helping fold up his tent.
About two hours after sunrise, the walls of Lescatie's capital came into view. The sight drew cheers… very short-lived cheers, for they all knew the gravity of the task that lay ahead.
"This is where we split up," Doon said. "I doubt those puffed-up nobles would want foreign mercs in their shiny city."
"If I argued on your behalf, I might be able to get barracks for your group inside the walls," Mersé pointed out.
"Maybe... if we had multiple hero-level fighters, to make it worth their while," Doon said. "Thanks for the offer, but we'll be fine camping out here. You should spend your time trying to convince the idiots inside to take things seriously."
"If you're camping out here, I could show you some good spots…" Primera said from a short distance away.
"Well, if that's your choice, I'll leave you to it," Mersé said. "It was nice meeting you all."
The mercenaries left, following Primera's lead to one of the woodlands that lay near the capital.
Elt and the rest of the army continued on the road towards the capital. At this distance, he could just barely make out the guards standing on top of the walls, looking like tiny ants.
What do they think of us returning so fast, without looking like we fought a battle?
But that wasn't all. There was a group of farmers on the road in front and travelling in the same direction. Since they had many donkey-drawn wagons full of produce, they moved slowly. Soon the front of the army caught up with them… and the farmers looked back with terrified expressions.
"Hey, it's not a problem!" Mersé said to the farmers. "We're both almost there anyway! I'll just tell my troops to slow down a bit, you won't have to get off the road and let us pass."
Yet the farmers still looked as terrified as mice surrounded by starving cats. Elt was starting to understand why that might be.
The road we're on has branches, leading to villages and towns… most already taken over by monsters. If these farmers came from one of them...
To her credit, Mersé seemed to have realised this as well.
"...Truth is, we all just came back after finding where the monsters are camped. We saw them… how many there are, what they're preparing."
One of the farmers worked up enough courage to speak. "Th-Then… Miss Hero… you decided not to fight 'em?"
"You could say that," Mersé replied.
After some more reassurances, the farmers began moving towards the capital again. The army stayed right behind them, making this group of farmers the most well-defended in the known history of the world.
As they walked, Elt happened to catch Mersé's eye when the latter glanced over her shoulder. She quickly turned back to face the front again.
...We're almost back at the capital now. I shouldn't have asked her that question yesterday…
If Primera was here, she would be calling him an idiot for distracting the army's leader at a crucial step of the plan. Then again, Primera had her own feelings for him, so jealousy might make her react differently to how he expected.
In the first place, we can't talk about… that… just yet. Mersé has to go to the Senate and report what happened, and Primera's still helping the mercenaries settle in.
But… soon...
Finally, the farmers and the army passed through the city gates. There was cheering as the citizens saw their friends and family return home safely.
And then they all split up. The farmers hurried away to sell off their produce. The soldiers left in groups or as individuals to their barracks, where they'd drop off their equipment, after which they'd return to their long-awaited homes. The heroes left to give their reports.
In this way, over five thousand seeds of doubt were sown within the capital of Lescatie.