"Wow! So this is the capital?"
Blushing in shame, while Narberal growled, Galadriel moved away from Tatsumi. The latter had cried out in wonder after gazing at the buildings and the sheer size of the capital. There were a lot of people and a lot of medieval-style houses. To Galadriel, this capital looked a lot like E-Rantel - bland and boring. In truth, she liked the technology of her homeworld very much. She loved video games, read comics and manga, loved collecting figurines… and above all, she loved eating food made by the best cooks. In this world, there was none of that.
But for Tatsumi, who had never left his village, the capital was a breathtaking sight.
If he had a camera, Galadriel would have bet he would have fun taking pictures every second. Anyway, because of the boy, the locals started looking at the trio and pointing fingers at them.
"Can we get rid of this bugger now that we're here?" Narberal wanted to know.
Before Galadriel could respond, Tatsumi walked back to the two women with a broad smile on his face.
''It's incredible, isn't it? I still find it hard to believe that I'm in the capital."
"Um, yes! Anyways, what are you going to do now?"
"Me? Go to the barracks to register as a captain, of course! And you?"
Not knowing how to answer him, Galadriel simply looked around instead. To tell the truth, she was surprised. From the accounts of the two men they had passed, Galadriel was convinced that the capital was ruled by a tyrant, bullying the poor. Still, that didn't seem to be the case. The people who lived here seemed to be relatively happy.
"What did the two men warn us about?"
"We plan to simply look around the capital." Galadriel hastily answered. "In fact, we want to make up our minds before settling here."
''Very well, in that case, I think we'll have to go our separate ways! It was a pleasure to travel with you."
"It is not mutual." Narberal muttered.
"We too were happy with your company." Said Galadriel. "And once again thank you for your help."
Getting ready to leave, Galadriel suddenly heard Tatsumi ask them.
''By the way, do you have any money?"
"Hum? No, why?"
Taking his purse of coins, Tatsumi emptied half of it into his hand before handing the money to Galadriel.
"Here! With this, you'll at least be able to afford something to eat and a place to stay."
"You don't have to!" Assured Galadriel "We can fend for ourselves!"
"Don't worry," Tatsumi retorted. "It is my pleasure to help you."
Putting the money in Galadriel's hand, Tatsumi then left, screaming.
"Next time we meet, I'll be a great captain."
Seeing him leave, Narberal asserted.
"Thank the supreme beings for allowing us to get rid of his presence."
"You are really mean to him," Galadriel remarked, still looking at the coins in her hand. "He is not hateful! Arrogant, yes, but that doesn't mean you should behave like that."
"It's a human." Narberal simply said while looking at the city around her. "I already hate this city."
Simply sighing, Galadriel finally walks.
"Find a deserted place! I could then cast a spell that will allow us to teleport from the tomb to this capital at will."
"Where are the monsters that the other two told us about?" Narberal wanted to know. "I thought that we would meet some guards who would want to kill or rob us."
"I thought so too," Confessed Galadriel. "But hey, it doesn't matter! Whether good or bad, I doubt that there are people who can kill us."
Suddenly grabbing Narberal's arm, she then declared.
"And then, why should I be afraid when I have a magnificent bodyguard with me?"
This time, Narberal's irritated face turned red, as she began to stutter.
"Ma... My lady... I don't deserve your attention in any way! I… I'm just a…"
Chuckling, the Empress began to walk past her, savoring some of the city's vibe.
Noticing something, Galadriel stopped. Looking at a table, she saw a person having an alcoholic drink of some kind. Blonde, she also had big breasts that Galadriel found hard to ignore. Seemingly looking around for something or someone, the blonde showed her eyes. Captivated by these, Galadriel had a strange feeling. This woman's eyes were the same as Lupusregina's. They were beautiful, as well as filled with mischief.
Finally seeing Galadriel staring at her, the blonde put on a pretty sexy smile before finally getting up and leaving her table, emptying her drink in one swoop. Watching her go, Galadriel heard Narberal call her.
"Are we going, my lady?"
" Euh... yes, I'm coming."
As she sat at a table, Galadriel began to stare at the odd steak that she was served.
"This is the hostel's specialty." Affirmed a waiter while depositing a jug of water. "Don't hesitate to call me if you need anything else."
"Thank you!" Said Galadriel, before starting to eat.
Tasting the meat, she quickly made up her mind.
"Sure, it's edible, but Nazarick's cuisine is ten thousand times better! I hope they're at least capable of preparing good desserts!"
Seeing her eat away hungrily, the waiter looked at the huge portion of food on her plate, while Narberal had contented herself with a glass of water. The difference between the two commands was quite strange.
"There is a problem?" Narberal questioned him, giving him a dark look.
"Uhh, no! It's just… your friend seems to have quite a big appetite."
"This person is my lady, human." Narberal retorted. "And above all, do not try to disturb her while she is eating! She hates it!"
"Yes, Madam!" The man exclaimed, especially not wanting to annoy Narberal.
"No need to threaten him, Narberal." Galadriel retorted while drinking some water. "We must be thankful that a lovely boy like him is willing to help us."
Blushing the same way as Tatsumi, the boy immediately asserted.
"Of course! I would be a hateful being if I didn't help two lovely women like you."
Immediately, Galadriel saw him staring at her chest, he was probably wondering whether he could have a reward if he helped the two girls. Wanting to take advantage of it, Galadriel asserted.
"We are new here! Can you tell us about this place?"
"You are in the capital of the empire! The most powerful territory in the world! It is a place that has prospered for 1000 years."
"1000 years? That makes a lot! I imagine the king of this place must have a lot of responsibility to be able to run such an empire."
Suddenly, looking around as if wanting to make sure that no one was overhearing their discussion, the waiter ended up bending down a bit towards Galadriel before telling her.
Galadriel first wanted to teach the waiter a lesson for his perverse action but ended up holding herself back when she heard his answer.
"Actually, there is an emperor here! However, he is only a twelve-year-old child."
While drinking, Galadriel made a strange noise, showing that she had just swallowed askew. She coughed several times.
"TOUSS! TOUSS! You are serious? A kid runs this empire?"
"It's the case! But …"
Lowering the tone of his voice even further, he explained.
"If you want to know everything, another person controls this country, in the shadows! It's the Prime Minister."
"Prime Minister?"
"Yes! I don't really like to talk about it because I might get my head cut off but… There are some weird rumors going around this guy! Personally, I don't trust him at all! I'm sure he's using his power to commit many murders and other massacres! But it stays between us, eh?"
Chewing on what she had in her mouth, Galadriel remembered the advice of the two men Tatsumi had saved. Finally, she understood the origin of their warnings.
"Human-looking monsters? This Prime Minister must be one!"
"Tell me, are you the only one who thinks that the Prime Minister is a monster?"
"Chut!" The waiter ordered her while noticing that she had spoken normally. "No one should hear us! However, I know a lot of people who think like me! The Prime Minister's business is unclear! Far from there!"
"In that case, why is there not a revolt on your part?"
"What? Are you crazy? Do you want us to have our heads cut off or what? Since the Prime Minister manipulates the Emperor as he pleases, it only takes one wrong word for someone to be beheaded."
Swallowing his saliva, he added.
"Three days ago, a man criticized the laws of the empire and was arrested by the militia! There had been no signs of him until yesterday! In the main square, his body had been crucified! Just like that of his wife and two daughters! Because of his disagreement, the Prime Minister ordered his death, as well as that of his family."
"What a charming character." Galadriel remarked with a fake smile.
Finally, the waiter left, letting Narberal say.
"The emperor is a child? Really, the humans of this world are even more stupid than those of our world."
"Perhaps! But it suits us." Galadriel asserted, continuing to eat.
No matter where she was, as long as her family was with her, Galadriel knew one thing: She will have to exercise rulership over this world. Her NPCs saw her as a true empress who must rule the whole world. Because of this, she was certain that Demiurge and Albedo were already making plans for her future conquests.
Usually, Galadriel found this very annoying as it forced her to have to work hard. Of course, if she were to rule this world, she could let the NPCs deal with enforcing her dominance. Nevertheless, one slight misstep could easily end in a massacre.
Galadriel could kill without feeling guilty. She could even watch Demiurge or Neuronist torture someone without being disgusted. Yet deep inside, Galadriel refused to lose her last drops of humanity. Although she didn't mind slaughtering people, she still preferred to act like a heroine rather than a serial killer.
"If this Prime Minister frightens the population, then he must be hated! If we manage to overthrow him, surely we can have the support of the people and then I can take the throne of this empire without any protests."
Listening to her, Narberal began to look at her in wonder.
"You are incredible, my lady! We've only been in this world for two days, and yet you're already formulating a plan to conquer it."
"Honestly, I doubt I can escape this." Galadriel thought. "If it were up to me, I would have preferred to run a huge luxury restaurant chain and be able to eat dishes prepared by the best chefs."
"Now that we have found the location of this city, we will go back to the tomb and hear what the others have found."
"Understood!"
However, before Galadriel could finish her meal, someone familiar sat down next to her before letting her head hit the wood of the table.
"I am damned."
"Tatsumi?" Galadriel wondered.
"What is he doing here?"
"The vermin." Narberal growled, very unhappy to see the boy again. "What are you doing here?"
"The army doesn't want me." The boy sobbed, ignoring the obvious hostility in the Pleiades maid's voice. "There are too many people for everyone to be taken."
"Poor guy!" Galadriel simply said.
"But that's not our problem!"
Still, remembering that she was eating using the boy's money, Galadriel sighed before offering to her.
"I offer you a beer."
"This is no refusal."
"I would also take one." Cried a voice.
Turning their gazes in the same direction, the trio saw a woman sit at their table. At first surprised, Galadriel ends up recognizing her as the woman with blonde hair she saw earlier.
"The girl who looks like Regina."
"Hi everyone! My name is Leone! Nice to meet you!"
"Leave the table, worm," Narberal said. "You are disturbing my lady's meal."
"Yeah, we didn't invite you." Tatsumi remarked.
"You too." Thought Galadriel, still continuing to eat.
"What do you want?" She asks to know.
"Sorry to have overheard your conversation, but he believed me to understand that you are people who came to seek adventure in the capital, right ?"
"It only concerns this boy." Galadriel asserted.
"What do you want from me?" Tatsumi wanted to know.
"I know a way to get recommended in the army." Leone asserted. "For a little money, I can get you into the army."
Galadriel looked up from her plate and stared into Leone's eyes. Again she saw that ounce of mischief that was similar to Lupusregina's. This girl was obviously trying to trick him. Not seeing it, the boy asked.
"Seriously?"
"Yes! I have a contact in the army! In return for compensation, I'm sure he'll be happy to help."
"Will this be enough?" Tatsumi asked, showing her a purse full of coins.
"Waw, of course! You have a lot of money on you! It's impressive."
"Besides the money I received from my village, I also hunted dangerous creatures and got rewards on the way! I hope this will allow me to enter the army."
"What an idiot." Thought Galadriel.
Yet, she did nothing to stop this scam. In fact, it might turn out to be a good lesson for Tatsumi. Galadriel hoped he would become more suspicious in the future. It was his reward for allowing him to eat.
Taking the money, Leone left the table, declaring.
"With a little luck, you'll receive the rank of captain very quickly."
"Okay! I'll leave it to you."
Passing by Galadriel, Leone asked.
"And you? Don't you want to join the military?"
Just eating, Galadriel didn't even bother to look at the crook. Nonetheless, she asserted.
"No, I'm not the type to trust a stranger."
Suddenly, she made an evil aura appear around her. Seeming to feel it, Leone made her smile disappear, as she felt the goosebumps. Eventually staring at her, Galadriel produced an evil smile while declaring a slightly changed version of Leone's thoughts.
"I will give you a little advice! Beware of strangers! No one knows what a stranger can do! If so, I may have a very strong urge to kill you."
Shivering at the woman's ability to predict her words and the dangerous aura radiating from Galadriel, Leone stepped back before finally leaving.
"I'll come back later." Said the young woman to Tatsumi.
"What…? That…?" Wondered the boy, who hadn't understood what had just happened.
"She seems to be in a hurry to help you." Galadriel remarked.
"Um, yes!"
Finding her smile again, Tatsumi rejoices.
"Great! Soon I will be a captain in the army."
"What an imbecile!" Weighed Narberal and Galadriel, knowing full well that Leone would not return.
Finishing her meal, Galadriel was about to leave the inn. Nonetheless, her sadistic side wanted to see Tatsumi's face when the boy was going to learn that Leone tricked him. Noticing then that she was still a little hungry, Galadriel ended up calling a waiter.
"Again, please."
"Okay!"
Finishing her sixth plate, Galadriel ends up rubbing her stomach.
"AHHHH, this time, I'm sated! Sorry for keeping you waiting, Narberal."
"It's nothing, my lady! On the contrary! It is an honor for me to see you happy to celebrate! Even though we are in a lousy hostel and in the company of an insect."
"Hum? Why do you hate me ?" Tatsumi wanted to know. He had finally noticed Narberal's hostility towards her. "I saved your life, though."
"Tsss! Nonsense! My lady will never need the help of a maggot like you to defend herself."
"Sorry?"
"Hey, calm down." Cried the owner of the inn suddenly. "Either way, I'm closing! Pay me the bill and go."
"What?" Tatsumi wondered. "Wait! I'm waiting for someone!"
"I saw that." Affirmed the boss. "The busty blonde… poor boy! You had your money stolen."
"What?"
"It was evident." Galadriel remarked, putting her money down on the table.
"You're just a stupid human." Narberal asserted.
"RAAAAAAHHHH!" Tatsumi yelled." If I ever find this woman, I'll make her pay for stealing from me."
Feeling a vein forming on her forehead, Narberal found it very difficult to endure the boy's company, who had decided to follow them out of the inn.
"Galadriel-sama, I beg you! Let me kill him."
"Leave him alone! We'll get rid of him in a few minutes."
"Where are we going to sleep now?" Tatsumi wanted to know. "You spent all the money I gave you on food! Besides, you really ate a lot."
"We can manage." Galadriel simply assured while once again convincing Narberal not to kill the boy yet.
In fact, the second Tatsumi leaves, Galadriel will be able to teleport back to the tomb, where the other NPCs were already waiting for her.
"Damn it!" Tatsumi finally grumbled, lying on the ground. "No choice then, guess I'll just sleep on the ground."
"Good idea." Narberal asserted. "That's where you belong."
"Hey! Stop putting me down! If you keep going, I'll get annoyed eventually."
"What, you think you scare me?" Narberal asked him.
Barely interested in their conversation, Galadriel preferred to look at a piece of paper pinned to a wall. Seeing a face there, Galadriel realized it was a wanted poster. The image depicted a beautiful young girl with dark hair. However, what intrigued Galadriel were her beautiful red eyes. They were worthy of a demon.
"Akame, from Night Raid? Hey, Tatsumi! Have you heard of her?"
"Hum? Not at all! But I think she must be highly sought! 50.000 gold coins for her capture! That's enough to live a wealthy lifestyle without ever working again."
Pausing to reflect, Galadriel was pondering the best ways to control this country. In all fairness, thinking about this bothered her in advance. Nevertheless, knowing full well that this was going to happen, she preferred, for once, to be one step ahead of Demiurge, before announcing her decisions to him.
"To control this empire, I'm going to have to attack the government of this country, as well as destroy its army! However, to make my control easier here, I must also get the admiration of the people."
Of course, Galadriel knew that it would be very easy for her to kill anyone who wanted to speak out against her. However, her human side wanted to prevent her from committing any massacre. Other than murderers, rapists, or pedophiles, she didn't want to kill anyone excessively.
"Night Raid…? I should investigate this. Hopefully, these guys might come in handy."
"Narberal, let's go! Say goodbye to Tatsumi."
"Go die in the gutter." Narberal muttered, to the boy, before leaving.
"Hey, I heard that."
As the two women were preparing to leave, the sound of hooves could be heard approaching.
"Stop!" Cried a voice.
"Hum?" The trio wondered.
They then saw a carriage stop in front of Tatsumi, and a young girl came out. Seeing her expensive clothes, Galadriel found that she seemed to be quite rich. Accompanying her, a guard exclaimed.
"Mademoiselle, you don't have to help all these people."
"These people do not seem to have a home." The young girl noticed. "I can help them."
"Hum?" Tatsumi repeated again, tilting his head to the side.
Approaching him, the young girl displayed her sweetest smile before asking.
"You come from the countryside?"
"Well, yes."
"If you don't have a place to stay, would you like to come to my place?"
"A Samaritan woman?" Galadriel wondered.
Nevertheless, she quickly noticed the fake smile of this girl. It seemed to be completely wrong. Also, the two guards behind her looked somewhat confused. They looked at Tatsumi with a mixture of dread and pity. Something was wrong, and Galadriel wasn't the only one guessing.
"Do I have permission to kill her?" Narberal asked him.
"Not yet." Whispered Galadriel to her." Let's see what she wants from us."
Being convinced that Tatsumi was going to accept the offer, Galadriel was surprised to hear his refusal.
"No thanks! I already got screwed today! Anyway, I don't have any money."
Thinking that his last sentence was going to make the girl leave, Tatsumi was surprised to hear her say.
"I know it very well! After all, you wouldn't be sleeping here if you weren't broke! It is to help you that I am offering this to you! Not to steal you."
"Not for the money?" Galadriel wondered. "So, if my suspicions are correct, she wants to kill us!"
Looking again at the hidden faces of the two soldiers, she realized that her intuitions were correct.
"My name is Aria." The young girl explained. "And I live in a large house with enough bedrooms to allow the three of you to sleep with me! Better than sleeping here, right?"
"Tsss, who does she take us for?" Narberal growled. "Vulgar beggars ?"
However, she was surprised, hearing Galadriel cry out.
"Thank you so much! You saved our lives! We just got here and were afraid we would have to sleep outside! We gratefully accept."
"My lady?"
Hearing Galadriel accept, Tatsumi shrugged, before declaring.
"In this case, I think I will also accept! Thank you very much, Miss Aria!"
"Perfect, in this case, it's settled." Aria asserted, getting back into her carriage. "Go up!"
Seeing her do it, Galadriel admired her smile, and in turn, she began to smile. Suddenly she was in a hurry. Pressed for Aria to try to kill her and see her display a look of dread, seeing Galadriel's true identity.
"We're going to play cat and mouse! Nevertheless, I'm sure Aria doesn't understand that this time, she'll be the prey."
"Waouh!" Tatsumi gasped in wonder.
As when entering the capital, Tatsumi began to marvel at the lust of Aria's abode.
"Unbelievable!"
For their part, Galadriel and Narberal remained stoic. Compared to Nazarick's Tomb, this place looked like a janitor's hut.
"This human is excited over nothing." Narberal growled.
"If he came to our tomb, he would be the victim of a heart attack." Galadriel scoffed.
Following their host, the two young women arrived in a large living room where a couple in equally expensive clothes as Aria was staying. They introduced themselves as Aria's parents.
"Oh, Aria has brought guests again." The man remarked.
"Ufufu! It becomes a real habit." The woman chuckled.
Noticing that their smiles were as fake as their daughter's, Galadriel concluded that these two people must have the same twisted personality as their daughter. Immediately, she wanted to have fun by killing these two people in front of their daughter, and savor her face in fear. However, it was still far too early. Just like an exquisite bottle of wine, it took a little patience to maximize the taste, or in this case, the fun.
"Have you seen the guards?" Tatsumi suddenly whispered to her. "They look strong."
Glancing at the three soldiers in the room, Galadriel saw them stand still. Despite the arrival of a trio of 'beggars' with Aria, none of them had flinched. However, by the fact that they each held a spear in their hand, Galadriel knew they would attack the instant danger arose.
Too bad for them, since Galadriel was in this house, they had failed. There was no greater danger than she.
"Thank you for welcoming us here." Cried Tatsumi suddenly, while bowing. "My name is Tatsumi! It is a great honor for me to be welcomed into such a sumptuous residence."
"No need to bow, let's see," Aria assured. "Make yourselves at home."
Turning his gaze to the two women accompanying Aria, her father asked.
"Who are these two charming young ladies?"
Immediately, Galadriel saw a hint of perversity in his eyes. She would have bet her previous kingdom that this man was planning to rape them. Still, displaying a charming smile, she introduced herself.
"My name is Galadriel! I am the daughter of my village's carpenter and I came here hoping to be able to find work in order to earn a better salary! And here's my friend Narberal."
The Pleiades maid looked at the adults in front of them, remaining silent.
"Say hello!" Galadriel whispered to her.
"Hello." Narberal sharply said.
After the introductions, a heavy silence descended upon the room. Not knowing how to ease the mood, Galadriel silently thanked Tatsumi when the boy exclaimed.
"Excuse me, but I have a question for you."
"A question?"
"Yes! Have you perhaps seen my friends?"
"Your friends?"
Now sitting in an armchair, Galadriel had listened to Tatsumi's adventures, as he explained the reason for him coming to the capital, as well as being originally accompanied by two of his friends. Meanwhile, Galadriel took advantage of the presence of a fruit bowl to discreetly peck a few grapes at a time. By the time Tatsumi had finished his explanations, the grapes were already long gone.
"So, you want to be part of the army." Understood Aria's father, who seemed thoughtful. "Huummm…! Tatsumi-kun, I'll be honest with you. Being a soldier who has to patrol the capital is a very difficult job to obtain since it's currently very peaceful here! Therefore, enrolling in the army means being brought to the borders of the Empire! This country is surrounded on three sides by other countries with which we are at war! The mortality rate is very high there."
"I know it very well," Tatsumi assured. "Maybe I'm just a simple peasant! But I swore to my village to become a great captain so that I could send money to my village."
Clenching his fist, he cried out.
"A lot of people are dying of hunger over there! I refuse to let them die! I swore it on my honor! Moreover…"
Looking at Aria's father, he asserted.
"I want to protect people from the slightest danger! Even if it means dying there! Because that's what it is to be a soldier! You have to put other people's lives before your own."
Suddenly stopping to eat a pear, Galadriel looked at the boy, as she was surprised by his word choice. She had the impression as if she had heard an old friend of hers talking.
"Touch Me?"
"Tatsumi… that's admirable!" Aria's father asserted. "Many soldiers should follow your example!"
''But regarding your friends, do you have any idea where they might be?" Aria's mother asked him.
"No. I was separated from Ieyatsu and Sayo when bandits attacked us on the way here."
"Oh my, poor thing."
"The two of them are as strong as me, so I'm not worried that they'll get in trouble! However, if Sayo is not with him, I'm afraid Ieyatsu will never find the capital, as he has a very bad sense of direction."
"I understand." Aria's father said. "So you want me to help you find them, right?"
"You... Could you do that for me?"
"Of course! I have a lot of knowledge, you know?"
"Thank you so much!"
"I'm happy for you." Aria asserted." And I'm sure you'll see them again soon."
"Thank you, Aria-san! If there is anything I can do for you, please let me know."
"Hum? In fact, I would be reassured if people like you would become my bodyguards! I just planned to go out tomorrow! Could I count on you?"
"Of course."
"Aria-san!" Cried Galadriel." If you wish, Narberal and I would be happy to help you too! Finding a job might take several days, so I would like to work for you in the meantime."
"It's amazing." Aria assured, with a big smile.
"I really want to see this bitch cry." Thought Galadriel.
Later that night, Galadriel sat down on a large bed, in a room that had been given to her. Sighing, she asked.
"Narberal, did you understand what is happening?"
"Of course, my lady! This girl invited us here to kill us."
"Indeed! Her smile seemed so fake that I'm surprised Tatsumi couldn't see through it."
"Are we going to kill all four of them?"
"Four? Why do you hate poor Tatsumi so much?"
"It's just a stupid vermin."
"No matter." Galadriel asserted, getting out of bed.
Walking up to the bedroom window, Galadriel began to stare at the red moon that could be seen in the sky. It was almost full. The full moon will surely take place tomorrow. Admiring the beauty of the stars, Galadriel ends up lowering her gaze to look at the manor's large garden.
Despite the darkness, her improved eyesight allowed her to see the place as in broad daylight. As she took another look around, her gaze fell upon what looked like a strange building in the back of the garden. Squinting her eyes, Galadriel finally said.
"Let's go for a quick visit."