Chapter 121 - Searching for Yvoire
'Alright, now that we have that interrogation out of the way, it is time that we make a move…'
'Yep, it's time. Doesn't feel like we'll get more distractions, though I'm not holding my breath. This attack opened my eyes, looks like people are actively seeing us as a threat and thus are trying to eliminate us. That was why they sent those assassins. They were strangely co-operative though, so for assassins, they seemed kinda lousy at their job.'
Nico hummed to himself as he emerged from the bathroom, sighing as he shook his head from side to side, letting his crimson hair fall back into its default style. Thanks to what had happened, Nico didn't feel like partying with the other Nobles anymore, nope his mind had refocused itself on what he had REALLY come here for. Thus, he had switched back to his Spec Ops Gear. He adjusted the leather gloves on his hands, mentally sighing in relief at the familiar feeling they brought out. He never did feel like himself in that thing, anyway, so there was that.
He had just finished his 'talk' with those last two Assassins, spending a total of 10 minutes getting everything he could out of them. Well, most of that time had been spent 'convincing' them to talk through the use of Hellfire to their crotches until they confessed, but meh. What, not like a little heat to the crotch did anyone any harm, and it wasn't like he would let them procreate after that. By the time they were finished talking, Nico tore them apart for what they have done, letting IT have IT's way with them. He had not seen anybody looking like those two had done the moment they realized what Nico was, in his life, but luckily for Nico, he had the foresight of tearing out their vocal chords after the interrogation was complete, so they couldn't scream very loud, even if they wanted to.
Still, while he hadn't gotten much out of them, Nico did get some details out. They were contracted to kill him when they were in a tavern drinking by an anonymous person in a hooded robe. There had been a hefty sum given to them outright, though it had only been a piece of the total reward which would be given once the job had been completed. Only called himself 'Bill' which was likely just an alias used to hide their real identity. The cloak thing was an addition to this theory, too. People usually wore cloaks to keep themselves inconspicuous, especially those who were of… well, shadier professions. They wore em to keep their true identities away from prying eyes, more specifically law enforcement or any other undesirables who wanted them for… well, more sinister reasons.
'Still though… how long had it been since I last had IT feed…?' Nico wondered to himself, looking down while his hair shadowing his eyes. Slowly, he raised a hand to his mouth, then put two leather covered fingers onto it like he was trying to taste something that had gotten onto those fingers. The cold taste of leather greeted his taste senses, however, the male remembered what they had ONCE been covered in when he allowed IT to have fun with those remaining Assassins while cleaning the rest of the scene up as well. In the end, not even a spec of blood had remained from IT, which had done a perfect job in making it so that the assassination attempt hadn't even happened.
If they had any family, then they would never know the true fate those Assassins had fallen under.
Nico quickly shook his head to clear those thoughts before they could be fully processed, tarnishing them and dismissing them from existence. No, he couldn't think about that, the male roared within his mind while gnashing his teeth within the confines of his mouth. If he did, then he would go down a dark thought process, one that he had not gone down since this adventure started. One that he had found himself to being tempted to go down since he arrived in Leanbox, actually now that he thought about it. He hoped to NEVER have to go down THAT path again, and yet this moment had been one where he had almost done exactly that. It… wasn't exactly a path one would go down if they had a choice.
'I checked their emotions, and it appeared that before their demise, it appeared that the revelation of what you were made them give up on even hoping for your forgiveness, for you to let them go. Your reputation and… THAT must truly bring the act of terror into man's hearts if it is THIS powerful.'
Biko's words rang through his mind, and Nico had to do all he could to stop himself from making a sarcastic remark back. Not just because his Demon Persona wouldn't likely get it, but also because he didn't deserve it. Biko was a part of him, so he would have a familiar with how powerful the beast within was… however, that beast's REAL power would be unknown to him. He was only born recently compared to his inner beast, which Nico had been forced to house within him for years now. Thus, Nico had… intimate experiences with how terrifying IT could truly be.
A beast always, ALWAYS, had more than one set of fangs.
'You'd be right… anyways, this actually works for us. If Yvoire isn't at the Main Hall with the rest of the Nobles, he is probably somewhere else, likely working. In that case, his negative emotions may be low, but any at all outside that of the ones in the Main Hall could lead to his location. We'll find him and get him on our side, as no matter how much I hate the guy, he's still a powerful individual and his discrimination isn't above protecting Leanbox. Once that's done, we move on to investigating the other Nobles, see if they have any connection to Count Mott. That guy's been up to something, and I'm going to figure out what. Think that'll work?' The male questioned Biko, stopping his walking along the corridors to speak to his Demon Persona. They were alone, so there wasn't a high chance of an encounter.
'It would make sense for him to have low levels of negative emotions, while I question why he would not be at the Gala due to its importance to Leanbox's future. Perhaps we can ask him when we find him, but aside from that, your plan seems decently solid. We just have to make sure that we don't run into any trouble before we get started.'
"Yoooooo, Nicky-Dear!"
'… Really, Biko? You just HAD to jinx us.'
Biko offered no response, prompting the male to shut their link for the time being to address the newcomer who had called him by a nickname. At least it was someone whom he knew since that nickname he had was something only one person called him. Someone who put a small smile on his face as he looked towards her. "Yo, Lucy. What are you-?" he began to say… only to jump and gasp, his eyes shooting wide open in a cartoonish fashion when his eyes laid sight on her. 'Holy… motherfucking… shit…!' Those three words were quite literally the ONLY ones he could think of right now, it was like what he was seeing right now robbed him of the ability to speak of anything else but those three words. Such was how powerful the effect this sight had on him was.
Jogging up to him, Lucy waved excitedly while laughing at the dumbstruck look on Nico's face. She hadn't been surprised in the slightest, thanks to that look being her main goal from the beginning since she came to this Gala. The woman had made to attain her 'goal' through her attire, which consisted of her hair styled so that it had two long ponytails going down the sides of her head, held in place by some black and red ribbons that had red jewels in the center. Plus, the red diamond-shaped earrings in her ears combined with matching lipstick and eye eyeshadow her a succubus seducing temptress look. Then, there was her very nice-looking dress. A dress she would proudly admit to being saved just for an occasion like this.
The Dress had no sleeves and exposed the shoulders, with a white piece covering the area beneath the neck and the upper torso, while exposing the sides under her armpits. The piece ended in white frills, with a frilly white collar and a crimson ribbon tied together in front while being held in place by a crimson ruby jewel. The dress sported a red corset that was tied together by strings at the front, with a black underdress beneath while both covered only the round tips of her boobs, the rest being covered by the white piece. The dress finally had a skirt of matching design that went down to the halfway point of her thighs, while angling downwards slightly behind her. Behind her, Nico could see a large red ribbon tied into a neat bow, falling down towards her ankles. Speaking of her ankles, Lucy's legs were covered by some black stockings with… very posh-looking flowery patterns on them, her arms sporting bicep-length gloves that matched the design. There was a red leg band around her left thigh with black frills. On her feet, Lucy sported a pair of high heeled pumps, with red ribbons spiraling up the heels and ending in small bows behind her ankles, with pearl anklets around her ankles.
'Oh my… god…' Nico barely managed to think, his mind being completely blown up like it had been caught in a dynamite explosion. His face also showed just how dumbfounded the teen felt, while also sporting a rather full red shade to indicate how flushed Lucy's new appearance made him get. It was like, take Lucy's natural beauty, crank it up by a million, then you get an idea of just how beautiful he had found her at that moment. No, he wasn't exaggerating either, at least, not in his opinion. Black may be his favorite color, but red was a close contender for the second, but nonetheless, those colors always got to him. It didn't help that, as she closed in on him, Lucy got that seductive smirk on her lips, her eyes gleaming with amusement at his state from seeing her like this.
"Oh me, oh my, does little Nicky-Dear like what he sees?" she asked sultrily with a matching smile. She even giggled while hiding it behind her fingertips, yet the demeanor she sported spoke volumes.
Her words did the job of snapping the male out of his trance, though, as his red face got even redder than that blushing stalker heiress who came from the same village as a certain copy ninja. "L-L-L-L-L-Lucy? Wh-Wh-Wh-Wh-What are you doing h-h-h-h-h-here?" he asked, stammering like all hell much to his displeasure. What the hell, what was going on with him right now?! This felt JUST like the time when Neptune and the others broke him when they showed him their dresses all at once. Only, this was Lucy, someone whom he KNEW had strange intent for him. It didn't help that she had her usual charm amped up to max right now thanks to her stunning apparel.
Another giggle escaped her lips, and the feeling of being an idiot layered itself onto his mind, giving him a feeling of embarrassment and humiliation. As well as a side of depression, though he didn't pay much attention to that part. "Why, I wanted to see you, silly. I saw you a few times during the Gala in that suit of yours…" she replied, her eyes glazing over as she recalled the moment that she saw Nico in his suit. "You must have been on a mission, figuratively and literally, if you didn't notice me looking at you like I wanted to drag you to my room and have my way with you." She then shrugged her shoulders and gave him a mischievous grin, circling around him with her hands behind her back as she leaned forwards. "Though I will admit, seeing you with that look on your face combined with your military gear is a much more fitting look for you. You're not one who looks good sitting behind a desk…"
"I-I-I-I-well, I-uh…" Nico, still tongue-tied thanks to Lucy's apparel, and then there was the fact that she had gotten close to him so that his nose could pick up her perfume (which he had smelled right as she ran to him, smelling like fresh strawberries now that he thought about it), could only say. It was almost like the sight before he refused to allow him to speak, telling him to keep his mouth shut. However, he had to get something out if for the hope of not looking like a total creeper anymore, thus Nico forced his mouth to open while making words come out from within. "Well, uh… you look… insanely-freaking gorgeous, Lucy…" he stammered once more, though at least it wasn't bad this time. Part of him couldn't help but feel like the way he said it this time felt much more… impactful, then when he said it to the girls. Why was that?
Still, it seemed to be the response Lucy was looking for if the satisfied smile she had on with closed eyes was any indication. Leaning back from him, Lucy stopped forward till the toes of their feet were almost touching if it weren't for their footwear separating them. "Ufufufu, I'm glad you think so, Nicky-Dear… I did come here mostly so I could spend time with you after all…" she cooed softly, going straight for his ear while doing so and blowing into it. The teen nearly gave a girlish yelp as he stepped back, much to Lucy's amusement. The woman just LOVED to get a rise out of him via teasing and flirting… though she wouldn't say she wouldn't like it if he made a move on her. In fact, she wanted him to.
Coming to this place after getting tickets for her and her team by seducing some Nobles she couldn't remember the name of took some effort. However, she had done so simply because Nico had been invited to this farce of a Gala. In all honesty, she didn't like coming to places like this, they were too stuffy for someone like her. There were too many idiots who whined and complained without actually doing anything, which was largely the reason why Raven had insisted to remain away from the Gala alongside the others. Though Lucy HAD managed to convince her otherwise, she didn't know where the heck her leader was anymore. Thanks to her experiences, that woman had a good ability for concealing herself, even from someone of Lucy's caliber. One of the few things she DID like about these things was the dressing up in nice-looking outfits, it helped her get attention from those she targeted, it helped her get information about who to investigate, seduce then destroy. One could say these formal events were like big treasure troves of information if one knew how to push the right buttons.
She'd done this a whole hell lot, after all.
Just then, something flashed in Nico's mind, something that Lucy had said to him just now that snapped him out of his previous state and made him recover his senses. His composure quickly returned, and he thus promptly switched from being flushed like a shy schoolgirl to the serious warrior than he was. "You said mostly just now, right? Does that mean you have another reason to come here, too?" he asked her.
That was something about Lucy that few picked up on, thanks to her usual nature throwing them off about her so easily. In fact, only Team RAIL, himself and a few others managed to notice it, including himself. That fact being that whenever Lucy did something, there was usually a reason behind it or even multiple like in this case. Whatever reasons Lucy had for coming here, they were big enough that she had to go to such lengths to get access to this Gala, something that normally she wouldn't have had to. What that was though, Nico didn't have that many theories, and the ones he did have needed confirmation first.
Noticing his mood change, Lucy stepped backward while sighing, her previous demeanor vanishing as she opened her eyes. She had that mischievous demeanor still, but it felt different than usual. No, it felt more like something was mixed within it, something like a bout of several emotions like seriousness, concern, and anxiety all at once. "Well, you're right about that. Normally, I'd not go to an event as grand as one like this. I'd stick to smaller formal events that weren't hosted by the CPU herself, sticking to the ones hosted by Nobles across the Nation." She remarked, crossing her arms as she looked to the side. While she did this, the male noticed something else, something surprising.
She seemed to be looking in the direction of the Main Hall, where Nico could sense the largest amount of negative emotions. Most of it seemed to do with the guests venting stress through their complaints, however, there were some there who had… specific hatred. A hatred that was large enough that Nico assumed was directed at a similar source. Thinking about what he felt, Nico found that the hatred had an edge to it… a horny edge. Like someone had tried to get their owners off then left them hanging. Almost immediately, Nico's eyes widened when he began piecing it together.
Well, the start of it, anyway. "Wait, don't tell me, you…!" the male exclaimed, turning back to face Lucy with a shocked expression on his face while realization dawned on him. He didn't know that many people who would do such a thing, but it became easy to see who the culprit was if he just connected the dots. The way that she looked so… well, known for lack of a better word, knowing yet unrepentant for it, all but proved his theory right.
It became fully confirmed in his mind when Lucy turned to him and nodded in his direction, a slight smirk tugging at her lips. "Yep, I came here to draw attention, to draw attention to myself, that is. That way, a certain someone on your team will have fewer eyes on her and thus, will have room to 'grow'." She explained, shamelessly.
… You know, maybe he shouldn't have been surprised at this coming from someone like her at this point. But, even now, Nico still didn't fully grasp why he felt such shock. Lucy was a girl who liked the attention, it was a big part of who she was. Whenever she was in a crowd, eyes were drawn to her like moths to a flame. Both men and women wanted her, so much so that they would fall victim to her spider-like clutches without a single complaint, allowing her to use them until she was satisfied.
Like himself, she too was a freaking Predator… a Predator on top of her respective food chain.
But, even so… with everything that had happened recently, perhaps he just thought she would have more of a care for her own health. 'Guess not, then.' The redhead teen cursed himself under his breath, scowling deeply in his mind while doing his best to rein in his emotions. This was just who she was, the male chided himself, she loved attention and that was just a part of her nature.
However, there was something else, something Nico almost overlooked in his state of being, something that would have been swept under the rug had the memory of that time on that rooftop not flashed through his mind. He couldn't help but feel glad when he did though, cause it allowed him to calm down and think rationally again. Lucy may love attention, she may have gotten addicted to the feeling. However, that wasn't all there was to her, there was more to her than that. She wasn't so one-dimensional. Proof of that not only existed in how she acted around him, both in recent times and in the past. That proof came in the form of her recent words to him, words to do with someone else…
Someone whose identity he quickly figured out.
"… Compa? Do you mean that you took the attention away from Compa?" he asked her, stunned with wide eyes. Now that he thought about it, Nico realized just how much that would help someone like her. Compa wasn't one for big, fancy parties like this either. It was something the three of them (him, Lucy and her) shared. She could go to them, but only if there were people she knew who were also in attendance like her friends. If she were separated from them though, then she would become riddled with shyness and anxiety, which would register on those pigs' radar and make them corner her. Nico mentally cursed himself for not remembering this till now, he felt like he had failed her as her friend.
When she took note of his state, Lucy's smile turned to a console as she placed a hand on her shoulder. "Not to worry, Nicky-Dear. I made sure Compa remained with her friends, or at least with IF. They'll keep any of those PIGS…" she spat the word 'pigs' in disgust when she referred to the many Nobles in attendance, before returning to her prior demeanor. "away from her. But that's not what I'm talking about…" at this, her look turned from consoling, to deadly serious as a frown marred her lips. "I'm talking about Compa's awakening."
"Awakening?" Nico questioned, frowning in confusion for a moment. That moment, he spent it wondering what she was talking about, what kind of awakening could Compa go through? At that moment, he didn't get it, but soon enough realization dawned on him when specific memories of events, events he hadn't pondered recently, returned to the forefront of his mind. "Wait, you mean…?!"
A nod came from Lucy, and that was all he needed to hear. Still, she spoke anyways while retracting her hand from his shoulder and turning away from him, looking up at the ceiling. "Her powers have grown immensely over the last few months. In recent times, I checked them with my senses, and they're one step away from fully awakening. She just needs the right catalyst for them to finally come out. If I were to state what that could be, a life or death experience or something of equal emotional impact would be the best option for her. However, the way she is right now will attract attention from… forces that aren't so on the CPU's side as they are on the demonic side." She then turned her head, so she could glance at Nico from out the corner of her eye. The way she did that, it made Nico gulp to himself, the intensity in that stare alone worked wonders. "I'm talking about possible spies for the Chaos Gods."
At that, Nico gasped, momentarily taken aback, before he calmed himself down and put his index finger along with his thumb under his chin, looking downwards before losing himself in thought. "I see… that makes sense… Now that I think about it, Compa HAS been shown divine energy recently, a lot of it too. I remember checking up on her with my senses after the Hellverse incident, and her power seemed almost infantile in comparison to right now." he muttered under his breath, his frown morphing into a confused scowl while his eyes narrowed sharply.
That was when something else flashed through his mind, and he quickly remembered something else. "Oh yeah, I wanted to tell you something." He started, getting Lucy's attention as she fully faced him. Whatever she had expected, him bowing before her was NOT that. "I must apologize. I know you must be angry at me for giving her that crystal." He told her.
"Well… I'll admit, I was a bit pissed at the beginning…" Lucy admitted once she got over the shock of him actually admitting it. It had been so long since it had happened, that she had nearly forgotten about it. The feelings she felt when she first realized what had happened to Compa. Briefly, they came back, but they didn't last long since she pounded them out of her mind. "But, the more time passed, the more I realized that you had little choice. Compa told me of what happened, why you gave her the crystal. I checked her myself, and it seems her compatibility with it was quite high. Especially so when I noticed how her training went." She explained, sighing as she crossed her arms under her chest. "Now that I think about it, perhaps that was why it reacted to you the way it did. The crystal sensed the essence of a worthy wielder on you and used you to seek it out."
A wave of relief escaped the male when he realized that she had not held it against him for what he did, only to be replaced with confused worry when he heard the rest of what she said. "Huh… interesting, well I think I have something about that. Apparently, before I gave it to her, my Bracers detected abnormally high energy readings from the Crystal. It almost seemed like the Crystal was happy or something, happy that Compa was nearby. Or something along those lines. Your theory just coincides with mine a little bit." Nico wasn't the only person who could hold a grudge, Lucy could too. She was like that one song about a dark horse, she can be sweet as pie but if you hurt her, her heart turns cold as a freezer. Her theory also agreed with some of the things Biko and himself discussed about the nature Compa's powers. hough, he still hoped that Compa wouldn't have to need those powers, as in his eyes, he worried that if they ever did fully awaken…
They may take something… something irreplaceable to Compa.
That was a fate that he hoped would NEVER befall someone as pure as Compa. To humanity, thanks to everything about Gamindustri, aside from the Goddesses they see anything that wasn't human as something to be feared and hated with a passion. The Abnormals, Demons, anything non-human was a threat to them. IF kept her BOW status a secret cause of this, and this was also a reason why those outside of Leanbox despite Spec Ops. Their hate may not be as intense as those in Leanbox, but it was still there, enough for them to receive looks of scorn behind their backs, have horrible rumors spread about them and general discrimination. Thus, monsters like him, the Spec Ops etc were generally filled with people who could handle such a role in society. However, Nico did NOT wish for Compa to go down that road. She wanted to be a Nurse, so she should stay on that path… the path of being human.
The path of monsters like them was NOT for the faint of heart, after all…
Clearing his thoughts from that depressing territory, Nico mentally checked his internal clock, and his lips pursed together. "Well, I'd love to spend more time with you, but I have to go." He told her with a regretful tone in his voice. Nico truly did enjoy spending time with her, something he had found himself realizing shortly after that kiss back on the Urgent Quest. Before, he had been wary of her thanks to her constant attempts to get him 'entangled' within her 'web'. She was like a sexual predator, and he a delicious piece of man meat she wanted more than anything else.
But, as of recent times, things were… well, they were changing. Not just Lucy, but also himself, too. Thank to those girls, Nico felt like he had been getting 'softer' towards Lucy and their advances (though it confused the hell out of him why they did that and not with someone more worthwhile and experienced). Heck, Lucy had been with plenty of partners, both male and female. She didn't give a fuck who she rode through the night, and yet she had been pining for him for as long as he'd known her. Only recently her she too has been 'softening' herself before him, likely starting from when he began opening up to her after nearly 5 years of camaraderie.
Still, she didn't miss the way he said that, and her eyebrows shot up with concern plastering itself over her face. "Oh? Did something happen? Something big must have happened since you have that look in your eye." She questioned, a hand on her hip. It was something that she prided herself on, but Lucy found herself exceptionally good at reading people. Up until recently though, she couldn't get much of what was going on in this Spec Ops Agent's head at all.
Nico made to respond, but then he stopped himself, his eyes losing focus as he began to think. As in, he thought about telling her what had happened and his theories about it, basically bringing her up to speed on this situation. In the end, he remembered how IF had been like when she gave him… what she did, which prompted him to tell her everything. He didn't want to see that expression on any of his comrades, never again. It hurt too fucking much for him to do that, plus it wasn't like Lucy wasn't in on this in the first place. She too had been targeted by Count Mott in that Urgent Quest…
Wait, thinking back on it, wasn't IF targeted by people potentially associated with that guy, too?
… Great. Now he felt even more like a dick.
Once Nico explained everything, the look on Lucy's face went through a variety of stages: Shock, bafflement, disbelief, then finally settling onto cold fury. A look that ironically would look just as terrifying as it would on Raven's face. But, even so, when Lucy had that look, it just made people realize just how fucked they were, cause that girl can be one scary Daughter of a Bitch when she wanted to be. Seriously, one time she helped Nico on a case involving a criminal who raped his victims in dark alleys, preferring young virgin girls, before slitting their throats and writing vulgar messages using a combination of their fluids and blood. Called himself the 'Cumpster', ironically enough. Let's just say he wasn't all together once Lucy got her hands on him. She'd said she wanted to know what his world was like, too… definitely gave her some perspective, if her wanting to continue helping him when she wasn't busy was any indication. "Wow, so that happened… you think Count Mott's behind this?"
"Got no proof myself, but I recorded what they told me before I got rid of them. I'll use those recordings as evidence if things go south, but I don't plan on letting things get that bad." Nico replied. He had a big suspicion about that Count, ever since the Urgent Quest and even more so when he heard what Stefan said at the Hellverse Dungeon. That bastard's records and reputation didn't do much to sway Nico either, but for now, he had things to do. "Anyways, I gotta go. Gotta find some people and sway them to my side… ugh. Politics are such a pain, you have no idea. If I had a choice, I'd rather spend it with you or the girls than all those crappy old pol-" He quickly gasped, covering his mouth when he realized what he just said.
Lucy seemed to notice too, as a look of surprise flashed onto her face for a brief second before she replaced her surprise with a seductive smile. Matching emotions flared behind her eyes, and beneath that Nico could see… happiness? Yeah, happiness, that was what he saw. "You would, would you? Ufufufu, why thank you, I'm flattered." She remarked, while Nico just turned his head away with a face-sized blush on his cheeks. Goddamnit, someone just take him away from this! No, wait! He didn't rely on others, he relied on himself! He'll get out of this himself, or he wouldn't feel right calling himself DEATHSTROKE!
"Y-Yeah, but anyways I really gotta go, so if you'll excuse me…" he began, trying to make his way past her. However, she grasped onto his arm by the bicep and pushed him against a wall. "Oof! Lucy, what-" he made to say, however, Nico got silenced when she got REAL close to him, their entire bodies touching to give him a feel of her skin. Not to mention the fabric of her dress.
A giggle came out of Lucy's lips, though to him it didn't seem like one of her usual ones. There was something more… positive about it, like she had found something genuinely amazing. "Don't you worry about finding your targets, sweetie." She cooed, whispering softly so only he could hear while she placed her hands on his shoulders. "I'll tell you if you do one thing for me first..."
"Name it."
Lucy's smirk just widened into a full-blown grin, and the way her red lipstick seemed to make it all the more alluring seemed almost like a crime. It certainly made heat rise through Nico's ears, but he would NOT allow Lucy to have a debt to him. He didn't like owing people debts, but when he did, then he'd make SURE to pay them back. It's part of being a macho man after all. "Why…"
Soon after, she leaned in and whispered it into his ear, making his eyes widen. 'Whoa, shit! Really, THAT's what she wants?!'
'Thinking about it, it does seem surprising. I assumed she would ask you to spend the night with her in the bedroom, however, it seems that even Lucy would want something like this.'
'Well, I can at least do that for her… It would be beneath me to do anything less for her.'
With that in mind, Nico took a deep breath, calming his buzzing nerves… until he gave her a serious nod. "Alright, I'll do it."
Instantly, Lucy's eyes widened, and she shrieked in pure joy. "Yes! Yes-Yes-Yes! Finally! I' finally getting through to you, sweetie!" she exclaimed, giggling happily as she stepped backward, not only giving him breathing space (to which he let out a relieved sigh at) but also made a successful fist pump. Seeing that happy look on her face, it made a similar smile from on his own lips as well. When the heck did this happen, when did he become so obsessed with seeing Lucy smile?
Part of him told him that he already knew the answer to that one.
With that, Lucy went back to him and whispered the location of EVERYONE in attendance that Nico had wanted to see. Something that he quickly made a mental note of and memorized her words by burning them into his brain. Once she was done, Lucy stepped back and waved at him while walking away. "Later cutie, I got to go see how your friend Compa's doing!" she exclaimed. "Don't forget, you promised me!"
Nico nodded at that, chuckling at the earnest demeanor the woman showed before she finally left his sight. With her gone, Nico's face shifted from happy to serious in an instant, his game face back on. 'Alright, Biko. It's time that we get to work.'
'Agreed.'
With the consent of his Demon Persona (deep within his mind he could hear the loud cry of 'FINA-FUCKING-LY!' from his white copy, Nico began his trek once more. It was time that he got to the bottom of this. His first stop was... seeing Yvoire.
Meanwhile, said Archbishop currently held himself up in his personal quarters, looking over massive piles of reports he had received from the Military and the Guild in recent weeks. If he didn't have a migraine from all these complicated issues, then he would certainly have one now, the man thought irritably while he wiping his forehead, which looked to be covered in sweat, with the back of his hand. He held in his other hand a report listing the number of territories being taken by the various forces that were making enemies of Leanbox, and so far, they were gaining ground. More ground was lost to them by the day.
To start with, by this time 3 months ago, about 10% of Leanbox's territory had been taken by various enemies, with an estimated 20% by the next month according to predictions made by Dukes involved in military matters. The biggest blow to their national Military had come with the disappearance of Captain Stefan Von Kessel of the Ostermark Order, which hosted some of their best warriors other than the Spec Ops Agents. They had better training, better equipment, and better discipline than the average Leanbox soldier, but the conditions for making it into that army were absurdly high. Many Nobles' sons who joined that army soon left because the training regimen (which had been made mandatory thanks to a generation's head centuries ago) had been too much for them. Many attempts had been made to lessen the difficulty of the training, but even with threats of heresy and exile from Leanbox none of the heads had ever conceded to the Basilicom's demands. Mostly because the Ostermark Order would be on the front lines for most of the battles against powerful Abnormals, ranking up the highest kill counts to date.
However, after Stefan's return, it almost seemed like the enemy got a LOT more aggressive in their plays and their tactics. Almost like his return scared them or something, as the day after he did their attacks increased. Therefore, before the next month, about 30% of Leanbox's Territories had been taken across the board, with up to 45% being declared lost the following weeks. This had not only made the normally high-and-mighty Nobles piss themselves in fear. They were spurred into action, but a lot of them weren't as experienced in conflict and military tactics as others were, which lead to internal conflict between them which could only have resulted in more lost lands. It was a… humiliating time for the military, and as the head of it himself, he had to deal with a lot of the panicked nobles himself. Fortunately, he had experience with managing them for the past 70 years, but none of those years had been kind to him.
Until today, up to 72% of Leanbox's lands have been taken. Taken by these nefarious foes who dare to defy Lady Green Heart by defiling her homeland. It was an outrage in his opinion, how so many of her precious citizens would openly spit on her great work by betraying her and taking up the mantle of these 'chaos gods' or whatever. In fact, the whole Overlord religion seemed to be overshadowed almost by these Chaos Gods in terms of worship and influence on the minds of mortal men. He hadn't heard much about that side of things with how these Chaos forces were tearing everything apart from themselves.
Ugh, all this gave him one hell of a headache, and he had taken more aspirin these past few weeks than he had in years. This was quite possibly the worst disaster that had befallen his beloved Nation ever since the Abnormals arriving 500 years ago. There had been many skirmishes between them and those freaks, but nothing could have prepared them for an incursion of this magnitude, and yet Yvoire's instincts told him that this was only the beginning, the calm before the storm.
Sometimes, he wished things were simpler for him like it was back then… back when he, as a young man, hadn't been head of military affairs.
There had once been a time when Yvoire had NOT been in this position, a time when he had been an astounding warrior who fought on the front lines. He had been one of the few noblemen who took his duty as a soldier seriously, not caring much about meaningless things like money or prestige. All he cared for was keeping his country safe, safe from any and all threats against it. He had been one of the best in his generation, skilled in almost all forms of martial arts, his most favored being either Halberds, Bows, Spears or Sickles. The art of the sword had been his second favorite, yet it had also been his first. The art of the sword, while not his favorite, had commanded the most respect from him towards those who dedicated their lives to it. He had been one of those who knew of true honor, who followed the way of the sword, the spear, the ax, in his youth he had been an exceptional warrior…
Though, now that he was a shriveled and weak old man compared to his prime, Yvoire couldn't help but sometimes wonder if he could have done more on the battlefield than in this desk job. It just seemed to… stale, stagnant sometimes. Such thoughts he felt CERTAIN that by his family's rules were considered heresy, and simply uttering one bit about them would get him to court marshaled by society. Yet, even with his absolute faith to Lady Green Heart, those sinful thoughts refused to leave his mind. Moreso thanks to recent events. In the end, all the man could do was sigh and lament, lament his own weakness at being unable to help his people. Like a true man of the people should. It had been his ideal for a very long time, and he had inspired many to do similar acts.
Part of him, however, couldn't help but wonder why then, that the divide between the nobility and the commoners was still as large as it was. It shouldn't be as bad as it is, the nobility were the ones who took the burdens of leadership so that the masses didn't have to. They were like martyrs in a way, so they should at least be respected for their sacrifice. They do a lot to make sure the Nation had been as peaceful and prosperous it once was before all this shit went down and turned Leanbox into an, as much as he felt his heart constrict in pain for admitting this about his beloved Nation, an unholy nightmare.
Just then, his thoughts became broken when he heard the door to his quarters get opened from the other side, making him jump and twirl towards the source with his body set for a CQC fight. Old instincts and whatnot. Though, when he saw who it was, he couldn't believe his eyes. "You…!"
One Nico codename DEATHSTROKE (a large source of trouble for him) scowled at his stance.
"Settle down, old man. We need to talk."
"Things don't look good..."
"No, they don't, mother, no they don't at all..."
Stefan and Elenore, who wrapped her arms around his since he was her escort for the evening, quietly spoke to one another as they overlooked countless Nobles across the Gala. Unlike the majority of the populace, both of them had extreme worry written all over their faces, their lips set into frowns while their eyes cast their respective gazes across the attendants for this Gala. If there would be a reward for tense, then they would definitely win it hands down. They each had a wine glass in their hands, but none of them had the right frame of mind to drink right now, especially with what they were seeing. Though the Nobles in the Gala seemed peaceful and merry, both of them weren't fooled by such pathetically constructed Masks. No, this serenity was just a charade, both of them could see it as clear as day.
Beneath the merriment, everyone had a swirling vortex of anxiety and unease for Leanbox's future... well, not necessarily Leanbox's future, but their own.
Thinking back to his return, Stefan couldn't remember the last time so much strife had overcome Leanbox's masses. Both the Nobles and the civilian populace, at least the ones still loyal to Lady Green Heart. Ever since he came back, the whole political situation had been a complete mess, lesser-ranked Nobles were losing their homes, lands, fortunes and their lives during the various assaults on their beings by the Demonic forces, and NOT just the ones being lead by Maghda. Stefan mentally repressed a shudder at the thought, but if there were more players than the ones he knew right now (Nico, Lady Green Heart, Yvoire, the Nobles and Maghda) then things for Leanbox would be worse off than he initially thought possible.
Ever since then Nobles have been making more and more radical decisions than they would do normally. For example, new and unorthodox trade agreements were made between various Nobles across the lands, when certain items became more and more valuable due to their quantity becoming scarce. Mostly due to their original providers being either captured or slain by these demonic beings. These Trade agreements would use different routes than the norm to avoid all this demonic shit going down, routes that took people through more Monster territory than normal which did keep up the workload for the Guild at least, it gave them more Escort quests which soon became a constant source of funds for the Guild.
In addition, arranged marriages became more and more common, with daughters and sons alike being bound together in... well, not holy matrimony which would have been the norm before, but by contract instead. There were decreasing amounts of funds, and it became pretty obvious that squandering them on big, extravagant weddings for these arranged marriages would not be the way to go. Not to mention how these Nobles slowly became more and more paranoid to the point where they would be hiring more and more mercenaries to keep their lands safe from invaders. Unfortunately for Guild Agents, these beings proved to be too much for them to handle, and they thus only ended up offering their lives to just slowing them down and still leaving the lands being protected, ravaged and destroyed.
Sometimes, these marriages were just so that their heirs could be saved from impending death since they were the next generation, though this thought process was limited throughout the nobility.
"In the end, this Gala may just end up achieving one thing: keeping the Nobles' minds off of the impending chaos that will soon envelop Leanbox..." Elenore commented, worriedly. She knew a LOT about the militaristic point of view, being once a warrior herself and having close contact with its current head, her son. She WAS once the head herself, after all. The constant fighting of losing battles against these beings did horrific things to the troops and their morale. Every lost battle made mobilizing their full strength harder and harder to achieve, since doing so costed money. Money that was slowly decreasing thanks to the number of Lands still in their possession. Weapons, Armour, Troops, Training, provisions, all of those needed war funds, and the wealthy Nobles losing faith in their abilities from those battles did NOT help matters.
Right now, the cheapest of their options had been the Guild Agents and the Spec Ops Agents, ironically enough. Some of the Nation's most hated people were in fact, some of their greatest weapons against these demonic hordes. Many of the Spec Ops Agents would come to see these Demons and other beings of similar nature as just powerful Abnormals, thus they wouldn't make the same mistakes. In fact, their days fighting Abnormals worked in their favor, since they wouldn't be too afraid to do much unlike most of the Soldiers who couldn't do much against even the regular types of Abnormals.
Definitely didn't do the military's tarnished pride any favors.
"True, I can see these people having a mental break down by the time the Gala is at its end, and the storm of reality crashes down on them." Stefan stated, nodding. He had been conversing with several Dukes who had been the most affected by the economic decreases thanks to these attacks, and he had seen their faces. It wasn't pretty, practically all of them looked like they had become literal corpses thanks to the stress of managing their territories hung over them like the cloaks of the Reaper himself.
If only the CPU were here, perhaps she could help calm everyone's minds a little, at least by attending. However, when he had seen her briefly when he brought her to Noire, Stefan had seen how many looked at her, looked at her with eyes that were not meant to look upon the CPU. Thus, part of him argued that it was probably a good idea that she hadn't stayed long, otherwise something bad might have happened to her, and he would have had that Noble arrested. Such a thing would do NOTHING good for the peoples' nerves.
Nothing good at all.
Chapter end!
That's another chapter down.
Now, I hope all of you can see just how different this is to canon. Not only is Leanbox actively playing a bigger role in how things are going with all the politics going about, but the fact that a human's perspective outside of the main cast showcases jut how shitty things are getting. If nothing is done soon, Khorne's forces will overwhelm Leanbox, of tat I believe all you readers who know of Warhammer will agree. Strife is rampant within Leanbox, and when an entity like KHORNE, the god of bloodlust and war, has its eyes on you, you KNOW strife will only FUCK you in the end.
I'm also showcasing the point of views of different people to give a better sense of sophistication, to show that this isn't a simple tale of 'the enemy is here, lets forget our past grudges and strive to fight it together!' like in a lot of friendship is magic based anime/manga that use this trope. No, with the way i'm planning to portray things, I hope to make everything that happens thanks to this Gala feel as real as possible. Though I don't claim to be good at politics (Ii bet any who are learning that stuff reading this will be screaming at their devices at me by now).
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it, read and review all that jazz.
Now then, peace out!
