Contract With the Greedy Witch
Hello everyone and welcome to the next story in the New Crusade IF series! First off, mild apology for the delay but this one wound up surprisingly long. And second off: RRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGHH, GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH, MOTHER # # $$%%&*! Ahem, sorry about that but if the news I received is true, then Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 has been delayed, yet again, until next year. Don't know about you but even I think I've probably waited long enough. So, unless I hear otherwise here's the plan, I intend to resume Army of the Forgotten Hero after I finish out Breath of the Rifleman using the manga instead of the anime. If anyone has any more info on what the situation is with that whole bit, feel free to let me know. Now then, we appear to have no guest review questions, so onto the story!
The Dream Palace
'"Would you be willing to form a contract with me Sir Knight, no, Sir Ulric?"' It was a simple question, and yet the answer to it had changed practically everything. On that day he, Sir Ulric Arkwright, agreed to a contract with the Witch of Greed, Echidna. Had he been back in Jerusalem or at home, he would've been burnt alive or at least executed for consorting with a witch.
The reason he eventually agreed to her proposal was the assurance that she did not draw her powers from hell. She did not react to the sight of a cross being dangled in front of her and seemed to have no knowledge of what the names Lucifer, Satan, God or Jesus Christ meant. Ulric was certain she was lying about that given that she had access to his memories, but her lack of trembling at the name of God's son seemed to be genuine. So, in order to save Rem, Emilia, the inhabitants of the mansion and the Sanctuary as well as to have another line of defense against other inevitable obstacles, Ulric had agreed to her terms.
Now here he sat once again at the familiar table with an umbrella over it and a tray of tea and treats, ready and waiting for consumption. Though Ulric rarely had an appetite when he came here these days, tending to only sip the tea and take an occasional bite out of politeness more than anything. Though this didn't seem to offend the one sitting on the other side of the table too terribly as she wore her usual knowing smile. "I expected you to be in slightly better spirits this morning," said Echidna as she sipped from her own cup of tea, "your love most certainly enjoyed last night's escapade."
"I am happy for every blissful moment I'm able to spend with Rem," replied Ulric as he set down his own cup of tea, "seeing her smiling face is one of the few assurances I have that the decisions I've made up to his point have been worth it. And as you'll no doubt remind me, yet again, I have you to thank for the current circumstances."
"You give me too much credit," said Echidna, feigning humility, "you simply made the right decision in forming a contract with me. Anyone else facing such a situation would've done the same and now, all the ones you love are safe."
"Safe and happy are not always the same thing," Ulric pointed out, "I followed all of your suggestions when it came to the Sanctuary, even working with that shell of a man you once called your student. We succeeded in quelling the crises both there and at the mansion, but there are still many unhappy people from that outcome."
"You needn't try to please everyone," said Echidna with a mild shake of her head as she put her teacup down, "for many of those who are unhappy with the way things turned out, much of it comes down to them holding onto things they shouldn't have. Give them time to think and adjust to the changes in their lives and eventually, they'll find another reason to be happy."
"I'd feel more encouraged by such words if they came from someone with a better understanding of what happiness actually means," said Ulric with a sigh.
"Such is one of the many reasons I wanted to form a contract with you in the first place," said Echidna, "to learn and better understand the feelings and motivations of others. It is also why I so look forward to the next steps you'll take for the royal selection."
"You'll know what my next steps for it are whether I inform you or not," said Ulric as he absentmindedly fingered the crystal pendant Frederica had given him, one of two objects hanging around his neck. The other was naturally his necklace with a silver cross, something he found himself glancing at more often now, especially when praying for forgiveness. "With that in mind, I'd best be getting up. There's work to be done around the mansion."
"Do take care now," said Echidna with a playful smile, "and remember, just call upon me for anything you might need."
"I won't have any trouble remembering that, whether I want to or not," said Ulric as he got up from the table and bowed, "thank you again for the tea and refreshments. Now, I'll be off." With that, he turned and walked out of a suddenly appearing portal in the dream grasslands.
Morning: Roswaal Manor
The Crusader's eyes slowly opened as he took in the sight of the familiar room. It looked much the same as many of the other rooms in the mansion save for the presence of his weapons and other belongings, as well as the clothes of another, smaller individual. Ulric, feeling a little weight on his chest, glanced down and was pleased to find that Rem was still in the bed with him. He'd had more than one nightmare about waking up and being unable to find her throughout the year so far, so it always gave him a good bit of relief whenever he saw her safe.
'It was all for her,' thought Ulric as he lightly stroked her hair, 'her, Emilia, Petra, Frederica, Beatrice, Puck, Ryuma, Garfiel and the rest of the people of the Mathers domain both in and out of the Sanctuary. It is because of all of you and my faith in God's forgiveness that I don't feel more shame for taking the contract of a witch.' His thoughts were interrupted then by a small moan as Rem suddenly shifted, repositioning her head as her eyes fluttered open to look at the knight in bed with her. "Good morning, my knight," she said with a smile, "did you sleep well?"
"It'd be nigh impossible for me to have anything but a good night's sleep when you are in my arms," said Ulric as he lightly stroked her back, eliciting a small but contented sigh from the Oni maid, "I'm more concerned with whether or not you slept well. I've been told I toss and turn in my sleep from time to time."
"You needn't worry so much about that," said Rem as she somehow managed to snuggle up to his chest even more, "sister has told me many things about what us Oni are capable of, one of them being how resilient we are. Whatever small discomfort you think you may have caused me I assure you it didn't disturb my sleep in the slightest." Ulric smiled and was about to answer to that when a sudden knock on the door caused Rem to shoot upright.
"Ulric," said the voice of Petra on the other side of the door, "have you seen Rem. I knocked on her door earlier and didn't get an answer."
"I believe," replied the Knight, thinking quickly, "at least if I recall correctly, I believe she said something about heading to the garden this morning. She might be there already, so if you give me a moment, perhaps we can find her together."
"I've got a moment if you hurry," said Petra, "Frederica is a bit more forgiving when it comes to late starts, but if I'm not working by the time Ram wakes up, she'll be very cross."
"More than enough reason for me to make haste then," said Ulric as he looked at Rem and put a finger to his lips. Even without her memories, Rem had good instincts and caught on to his intentions quickly as the two slid silently out of the bed with Ulric quickly donning his blue tunic and sword. Rem was quick to grab her own outfit and stood in a corner out of sight of the door, giving Ulric one last smile as he stepped out into the hall.
"You look slightly tired," noted Petra as the two began walking down the hall, "have you been sleeping well lately, Sir Knight?"
"A knight must always be ready to rise at a moment's notice," said Ulric, "though I will admit, I was probably up later than I should've been."
"I believe Sir Reinhard has warned you against not going overboard in training," said Petra, "though I imagine it doesn't help that you have to entertain three to sometimes four ladies throughout the day."
"Are you or are you not including Ram within that count," questioned Ulric with a raised eyebrow, "despite her new attitude towards me, I assure you she has the same disdain for me as she always has. Though now that you mention Reinhard I must ask, is he still present?"
"He said he'll be out on the training ground shortly," said Petra, "but he and Felt will need to depart later this afternoon for the capital. The best knight in Lugnica can't stay away from the capital for too long and Felt has her own project she's been working on."
"Hopefully it's something that'll be beneficial for all of us," mused the Crusader, "though it's still strange for me to picture Felt performing a royal duty of any kind."
"It's fun to watch her and Emilia learn about royal matters together," said Petra with an amused smile, "Emilia's laugh seems more genuine during those…..uh, oh no." The small maid quickly changed the subject, deciding not to tread on the issue of Emilia at the moment. "I hope those aren't storm clouds out there in the distance. I have to make a run for groceries later today." Ulric glanced out the window, deciding to play along with her change of subject.
"I don't think you'll have anything to worry about," assured the Crusader, "back home in Europe where I came from, the air took on a pretty distinct feel before it started raining. Though I'd advise keeping an eye out, just in case."
"Of course," said Petra with a nod as they went down the staircase and approached one of the doors to the outside. But right before they got there, it opened.
"Oh, good morning Petra, Sir Ulric," said Rem, pretending to be surprised by the two as she straightened her maid outfit a little, "my apologies for being in such a state, I was working in the garden." In truth she'd hastily put on her clothes and made her exit into the garden by jumping out the window. She did use some of her relearned water magic to cut some branches, though, just in case her story wasn't convincing enough. Thankfully, Petra wasn't the type to pry too much.
"That's alright sister Rem," said the orange-haired girl with a smile, "I was on going to start on the washrooms this morning, so we should be able to get you cleaned up in no time!"
"I would appreciate your assistance with that," said Rem with a happy smile, flashing a wink at Ulric when Petra wasn't looking.
"Well if that matter is settled," said Ulric, "I need to head to the courtyard. My instructor is patient but my partner in training is less so."
"Then we shall have a good meal waiting for all of you when you return," said Rem with a bow.
"And maybe today you'll finally be friends with Garfiel," said Petra hopefully.
"God willing," replied the Knight as he hugged both of them before stepping out onto the mansion grounds through its main entrance.
A Few Minutes Later: The Courtyard
"This time I've got you!" Exclaimed Garfiel as he moved in close against Reinhard with a flurry of punches and kicks. The calm expression on the redhaired knight's face hardly wavered as he bobbed, weaved and ducked around the half-beast boy's onslaught. At one point, Garfiel came in with a low roundhouse kick which Reinhard reacted too by jumping back and away from him. His jump was met almost immediately by Ulric who came at him from behind.
"Oh," said Reinhard as he blocked the blow with a wooden sword held behind his back, "are you two actually coordinating this time?"
"I wouldn't say that exactly," replied Ulric as he broke the blade lock and came in with a series of diagonal and horizontal slashes. The Sword Saint moved around these just as easily as he did Garfiel's punches, only ever using his sword to parry the occasional horizontal slash. The two of them both jumped away as Garfiel came in with a flying ax kick which could've easily struck Ulric along with Reinhard.
"Don't think you can ignore me!" Exclaimed Garfiel as he swiped at Reinhard a few more times before the knight leapt up and knocked him off balance by kicking off his back. Again, Ulric was there to strike the moment his movement seemed more restricted. But as before, the Sword Saint's reflexes were just too fast as he parried a few more blows before leaping high into the air yet again to avoid another charge from Garfiel. Ulric himself turned his head just in time to dodge the half-beast boy's missed strike.
He might've made a comment to Garfiel about watching his aim, but his partner continued chasing their instructor, attempting to land blow after blow on him. Ulric would resort to using his light magic to increase his strength and speed while continuing his strategy of striking when he believed Reinhard was vulnerable, but it made little difference against the sword saint. "Not too bad," said Reinhard, "I actually have to stay on my toes against you two now."
"You're too kind," quipped Ulric as he attempted a low strike which Reinhard jumped over. This time Garfiel was there to intercept him with an attempted claw strike which the Sword Saint ducked before weaving around behind the Half-beast boy. This time he decided to go on the offensive and raised his left hand to strike Garfiel in the neck. He was distracted, though, by a piece of something flying by him. 'Is that part of Sir Ulric's training sword,' thought the knight for a split second, long enough for Garfiel to attempt a back elbow in his chest.
Reinhard, naturally, leapt away in time and right into Ulric whose sword he blocked with his own. "A clever tactic," said the Sword Saint as he noted the top part of Ulric's sword had indeed been broken off, "I was distracted even though I know my divine protection would alter its course."
"Even a broken blade is useful so long as it's still sharp," said the Crusader as he broke their blade lock in time for Garfiel to step in with a left haymaker. Reinhard moved in time to dodge the punch, but was stopped by something on his boot, Garfiel's clawed foot.
"Got ya now!" Exclaimed the Half-beast boy as he threw another punch towards Reinhard's face. The Sword Saint reacted quickly and swatted Garfiel's arm with a lot more strength, redirecting his blow while breaking his training sword in the process. His opponent winced in pain before Reinhard released a surge of mana from his body that caused both Ulric and Garfiel to stagger before he punched the Protector of the Sanctuary in the gut. The blow was powerful enough to make him go flying back into Ulric, sending the two crashing a short distance away.
"D-Dammit," groaned Garfiel as he tried to get up, "that one hurt."
"It was quite the decisive blow," agreed Ulric as the two of them struggled to their feet.
"I think that will do for now," said Reinhard as he examined the condition of both his and Ulric's training weapons, "we've broken several of these this week and it'd be a shame if we ran out too soon."
"Like you need it," commented Garfiel, "you can still destroy us both with your bare hands alone."
"I doubt it'd be that easy for me," said Reinhard with a small smile, "I'm teaching both a brawler and a swordsman at the same time, though, so it's a bit more efficient if I also have a training sword to use."
"He makes a fair point," agreed Ulric, "we also need to learn to fight together against our opponents as well as separately."
"I don't need your help to fight, Knight Boy," scoffed Garfiel, "I just need to get stronger so you and that bastard, Roswaal, don't come swooping in again acting like your savin' everyone."
"As I've told you before," said Ulric, "my intention had been to protect Emilia, Ram and the rest of the Sanctuary's inhabitants. Your desire to keep the barrier in place would've cost them their lives and it was only because I was able to break it that the majority of them escaped the Great Rabbit."
"And I still wanna know if the Great Rabbit would've even shown up in the first place if not for that strange snowfall," said Garfiel, "you've sworn up and down that it wasn't Emilia's doing but even Roswaal would need help to perform a feat like that. So when you finally feel like tellin' me the truth, you know where to find me!" The Half-beast boy turned and stomped off towards the mansion then as both Ulric and Reinhard let out a sigh.
"It's easy to forget he's only fifteen," said Reinhard, "he's very strong for only being fifteen, but his emotional development still needs a good bit of work."
"I believe he's just continuing to be bitter," said Ulric, "despite his supposed support at the start, Garfiel really had no desire for the Sanctuary to be freed. He was entirely convinced he could handle the responsibility of defending it on his own. Though I am still to blame for not stepping in and lifting the barrier sooner. Had I known what would happen to Lady Emilia I-." Reinhard stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.
"Neither you nor her should be so hard on yourselves," assured Reinhard, "given the situation you were dealing with, it is miraculous you all managed to survive and even defeat the Great Rabbit. That speaks volumes of what you're capable of as well as Lady Emilia. Just continue to care for her and soon, she'll be back to normal."
"I sincerely hope you're right," said Ulric, "but either way, I shall continue to pray day in and day out for her recovery. Which reminds me, there's someone else I need to see and talk too, so if you'll excuse me."
"Of course," said Reinhard as the two shook hands, "should you need me, I'll be in the mansion until after lunch. After that, Felt and I must depart, as you're likely aware of by now."
"I'll be sure to give your charge my best wishes before you both depart," said Ulric as he turned to head back towards the mansion, "until then, thank you again for the lesson." Reinhard gave a nod to this as Ulric headed back into the mansion.
"I'm sensing a bit of doubt about your actions again," said the voice of Echidna in his mind, "as I mentioned to you before, Garfiel is just being childish. Once he matures a little more, he'll realize that it was his own fear of the outside world and not concern for the inhabitants of the Sanctuary that drove his actions against you."
"His anger has more than a little justification," Ulric thought back, "I never told him that it was Roswaal who was responsible for the snowfall in the first place."
"A decision he and I both advised you against for good reason," replied Echidna, "Garfiel is already hard enough to manage on his own and he's only continuing to help this camp because his sister, Frederica, asked him too. And as much as you deny it, I know deep down you enjoyed winning her over to your side." She didn't need to see the Knight's face to know that he was frowning now. "Though if your conscience really won't let you keep that a secret, you can still rest assured in the fact that you have Reinhard here to help now."
"While I feel less guilty about what I did to obtain their help, it still makes me feel more than a little dishonest," said Ulric. The reason being was that in order to get them to join the Emilia camp, Ulric had brought up the fact that Felt owed her life to him and Emilia for holding off Elsa long enough for her to escape and find Reinhard. He'd played on the fact that Felt wouldn't really like being indebted to anyone and convinced her that helping them at least from time to time would be a good way to repay their kindness. Reinhard was, fortunately, fine with the arrangement thanks to his easygoing attitude but it took Felt some time to adjust to everyone at the mansion.
Despite that, Ulric shuddered to think what might've happened if he'd followed Echidna's advice to the letter. She'd wanted him to convince Felt to abandon Reinhard and have nothing to do with him, all in order to break the Sword Saint mentally and make him receptive to the offer of joining up with them. "You say dishonest," purred Echidna, "but we both know you much prefer having Reinhard as an ally as opposed to an enemy."
"That is something just about anyone in this kingdom would agree with," replied Ulric as he walked down the mansion hallway before stopping at the door to what was now Felt's room. He knocked on it a couple of times but received no answer. 'Odd, she's usually not up at this hour,' mused the Crusader. The former Thief had found the high-quality bedding a bit disconcerting at first given what she used to sleep on. Though once she got a feel for it, she'd taken up the habit of sleeping somewhat late in the morning.
'Perhaps I should see if she's alright,' thought the Knight as he pushed open the door and walked in, to the Forbidden Library. "Ah, this explains why she wasn't answering her door," said Ulric as his eyes fell on the miniature inhabitant of the library, Beatrice, "I was knocking on a different one."
"Have you come to burn more of my books, I suppose, 'Sir' Ulric," said Beatrice in a mild mocking tone. He honestly should've expected it, he did wind up burning the tome of knowledge Echidna had given her as punishment for choosing to take no action when she became aware of the assassins in the mansion. While it was true that the deadly duo of Elsa and Meili were called off by Roswaal after Ulric made a deal with him, the Knight still felt she needed a lesson in learning to care for other people besides herself. Beatrice had been distraught for days after that, even though the book hadn't told her of the future for centuries.
"I abhor the destruction of knowledge and art, you know that," said Ulric, "I burned that tome because it no longer held anything of value for you or anyone else."
"It was still my last link with mother," said Beatrice with narrowed eyes, "without it, what will I remember her by?"
"You still have the forbidden library," Ulric pointed out with a sweeping gesture of his hand, "and if we're talking about your mother, wouldn't it be more of an honor to her legacy for you to continue adding knowledge to this library?"
"Betty can add knowledge to this library just fine from where she's at, I suppose," she said with her arms crossed, "I doubt I'll discover anything new outside of here."
"You say that, but this world is quite large," replied the Knight, "even Echidna wasn't able to archive all the knowledge it possesses before passing on. At the very least, you could come visit the Sanctuary every now and then."
"The last thing Betty would want to do is visit a place with nothing but bad memories," she said as the door opened behind Ulric, "now I've tolerated you here long enough, I suppose, so please leave before I blast you out."
"If you insist, I'll take my leave for now," said Ulric as he turned to go, "just remember you're always welcome in the mansion and the village. It'll do you wonders to meet more people." Beatrice simply 'hmphed' in reply to that, shutting the door behind the Crusader as soon as he exited the room. 'Still being stubborn,' he thought with a sigh, 'I'd hoped burning that book would open her eyes a little.'
"You needn't worry too much about her," assured Echidna through their mental link, "she just needs time to think and adjust. Simply keep the thought in her mind that there is plenty outside of the library. Given enough time, she'll eventually open back up and then her emotional wounds will start to heal. Then she'll gain the courage she needs to step out of the library once and for all."
"God only knows how long it'll take," said Ulric, "but Rome wasn't built in a day, as the French say, so I'll just keep trying."
"That's the spirit," said Echidna. The Crusader didn't need to see her face to know that she was smiling as he walked down the hallway. Apparently, Beatrice had let him out on the top floor of the mansion as opposed to the bottom where he'd entered her room. Unfortunately, this meant he wasn't far at all from a certain Margrave's study.
"Is that Sir Ulric I heaaaar outside of my door," greeted Roswaal as he happened to have just stepped out of his study mere moments ago, "always such a pleaaaaaaasure to see my knightly accomplice."
"As always, you'll find my feelings on our arrangement differ greatly from yours," replied the Crusader with a frown.
"Now there's hardly a need to be like thaaaaat," said Roswaal, "As I've assured you a number of times before, I have every intention of foooooollowing through with my end of the bargain. Or do you not trust Beatrice's insight about the seal I have placed upon myself?"
"Beatrice, while knowledgeable, is not the craftiest of individuals," said Ulric, "and she'd have little to gain by lying to me. You, on the other hand, have spent centuries taking part in numerous schemes and are a well-practiced liar, especially given that Beatrice never noticed you were the same person from four hundred years ago. To say your word is far from trustworthy would be an extremely large understatement."
"Oh you wound me, Sir Knight," said Roswaal with a bow, though the smile never left his face, "I was ceeeeeeertain I'd made it clear that as long as I obtain my most cherished desire that I would assist you in any way to obtain yours. Surely me calling off the assaaaaaaaaaaaassins and assisting you in ending the Great Rabbit should be proof enough. I even placed this seal upon myself and swooooooore that I'd never bring intentional harm to aaaaaaaaaaany of your loved ones, so long as you cooperate. And you aaaaaaaaare still planning on following through with your end, yes?"
"I am a Knight and a Crusader," Ulric reminded him, "I do not give my word lightly and when I do it is with every intention of following through. I agreed to help you obtain your most cherished desire of reviving your teacher, but that again is entirely dependent on you keeping your word and not creating a situation like the Sanctuary again."
"But of coooooourse," said Roswaal, "I need not repeat such a perfoooooooormance now that I've secured your cooperation. Just keep up the good woooooooooooork and we'll both get what we want before we know it. Now then, I believe the time for lunch has arrived, so I'll be seeeeeeeeeing you some time later. Farewell for now, Sir Knight." The mage strode past him then, humming a tune as he went.
Ulric couldn't help but clench his fist a little at the interaction. He'd died numerous times looking for a solution to the Sanctuary's plight, far more than he could count, but none of his approaches had worked until Echidna suggested agreeing to Roswaal's terms with several conditions, one of which was an oath sealed with a curse designed to burn the mage to ashes on the spot and condemn his soul if he broke his word. In this case, he'd pledged to never take intentionally harmful actions like sending assassins to the mansion to hurt those Ulric had grown attached too. He'd also aided Ulric greatly in protecting the Sanctuary from the Great Rabbit by ending the snowfall and using his own magic in conjunction with Emilia's to freeze and kill every last one of them. The price for that was Ulric agreeing to assist Roswaal in his own schemes to bring Echidna back, a price he was more than willing to pay but that didn't mean he had to like being manipulated into such an agreement.
Just the thought of it was enough to sour his mood as he continued down the hallway. At least that's how it was until he made it down to the second floor where a pair of arms suddenly encircled his waist from behind. "And where has our knight been all morning?" Cooed Frederica as she pressed herself against him, "I smell my brother and Reinhard on you, but I also smell one of my little charges as well. It seems you're having no trouble with your romance at the moment."
"You'd be one of the first to know if I did," said Ulric as he turned around and gave her a quick kiss on the lips, "it still amazes me that you convinced Rem to accept this arrangement. She is a kind girl, but even I didn't suspect she'd so readily accept two others vying for her beloved's attention."
"Rem knows very well how wonderful the person she fell in love with is," said Frederica as she put her arms around his neck, "so naturally she wouldn't be so surprised that I or Emilia would also fall for you. All three of us owe you a great deal after all. Emilia owes you her life several times over and that's not even counting the many times you've helped ease the burden on her shoulders, while I owe you for saving not only the Sanctuary, but my and my brother's life as well. And of course Rem owes you not only for her life, but helping her to truly live again, at least according to what you say you remember. Though after feeling your touch a few times," Frederica pressed him against the wall and planted another kiss on his lips, "I can see why she'd held onto your name above everything else."
"You speak as if I owe you and the others nothing," said Ulric as he cupped her cheek with one hand, "I owe Emilia for saving my life and giving me a purpose once more, I owe Rem for standing by my side against all odds including the White Whale, and I owe you for protecting her and Petra even at the potential cost of your own life. I can hardly be called wonderful in comparison to all of you."
"You're too kind, Ulric," said Frederica while pressing her head to his, "though I can't help but notice that you seem a little off again today. You know you can tell me what's troubling you."
"Just thinking about how the Sanctuary played out again," Replied Ulric with a sigh as the head maid pulled back a little to see his face better, "I can't help but feel there was some other way I hadn't thought of to avert the crises there and here, something I could have done to help Emilia face the trials."
"Emilia gave everything she had in attempting to pass those trials," said Frederica, "were it not for the attack here and the arrival of the Great Rabbit, she might not have felt pressured to take the trials repeatedly without rest. And even if everything didn't turn out ideally, you still saved me and everyone here at the mansion, not to mention everyone at the Sanctuary, regardless of how belligerent my brother is about it. He hasn't been giving you trouble again, has he?"
"Garfiel is the same as ever," assured Ulric, "too old to be a mere boy but still too young and immature to be a man. Perhaps one day he'll forgive me for tricking him and taking the opportunity to break the barrier."
"You let me worry about Garfiel," said Frederica as she kissed Ulric on the forehead, "I'll keep working on straightening him out. In the meantime, you simply focus on making your rounds and attending to your duties as a Knight. And of course your duty to join me in the bath this evening."
"I wouldn't dare miss it," said Ulric with a smile as he planted one last kiss on Frederica's lips. The two parted then as Ulric continued walking the mansion. Though as soon as he was far enough away, a sigh escaped him. 'I'm not as wonderful as you might think, Frederica,' he thought.
That wasn't to say he didn't love the blond-haired maid, in fact he'd become extremely fond of her and the intimate moments they'd shared together up to this point. What nagged at him was the reason he'd approached her and formed a relationship in the first place: keeping Garfiel in check. Naturally it had been one of Echidna's many schemes that he'd reluctantly agreed too. Frederica had already developed something of an admiration for him after he saved both the mansion and Sanctuary from disaster.
Even though a lot of it had been with the help of Roswaal, Frederica was grateful beyond words that he'd broken the barrier and allowed her to reunite with her brother for the first time in a decade. It was by her request that Garfiel was remaining with the Emilia camp, and thus Echidna encouraged him, not for the first time, to make her his lover to ensure she'd be more devoted to him than Roswaal and thus make it more likely that Garfiel would side with him should he ever need to go up against the court mage of Lugnica. The Witch of Greed had even let him practice his advances on her to make sure the half-beast girl would be as pleased as possible. Though what irked the Knight most of all, was that Echidna had correctly deduced that Rem could be convinced to allow him to court more than one woman.
Now he was in a relationship with three of them, one of which was genuine while the other two were originally for ulterior motives before becoming anything akin to actual love. He'd spent several nights praying for forgiveness now because of it. "Oh, Sir Ulric," said a voice that broke the Crusader out of his thoughts, "you appear to be doing well today. Is there anything you require at this time?"
"I wouldn't say require," replied Ulric, recovering quickly, "but I would like it if you acted a little more honest with me."
"Ram has always been honest with you, honorable knight," replied the pink-haired maid, though Ulric quickly caught the slightest twitch in her expression, "I have simply decided to be less brutal in my honesty."
"You paid no mind to the brutality of your honesty before," said Ulric, "I know Roswaal ordered you to be extremely polite with me, but I'd prefer it if you spoke your mind more often. After all, even without your memory of her I imagine it still irks you that I am courting your sister."
"It is no business of mine who you deflower, Sir Knight," replied Ram, "though I would advise against courting any more of the mansion's staff. My workload is already large and it would only increase if all the other maids were busy attending to only your needs."
"Yes, I imagined I couldn't hide that from you," said Ulric as a smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. While he did appreciate Ram being a bit more agreeable there was just something unnatural about her going from insulting to overly polite with him at the drop of a hat. "By the way, how has Emilia been today?"
"She has been in her room studying," replied Ram, "and if my ears are not deceiving me, she's been muttering your name a fair bit. It would likely be wise to visit her sooner rather than later."
"If it is as you say, then I've little time to lose," said Ulric as he nodded to the pink-haired Oni, "farewell for now then, Ram, and I look forward to our next meeting."
"This humble maid shall await such a time with bated breath," said Ram, this time making the sarcasm very obvious as she did a quick curtsy before walking past Ulric to attend to her other duties. As for the Knight, he made his way to Emilia's room and stopped at the door. He'd honestly been both looking forward too and dreading this moment, as he had every day since the Sanctuary. 'Dear Heavenly Father, give me strength,' prayed Ulric as he took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
"Who is it," rang the voice of Emilia. It was like hearing a bell yet if one listened closely enough, they could tell something was off.
"It's Ulric," replied the Crusader, "I thought I'd drop by to visit for a minute, if you're not busy that is." The answer to this was the door being suddenly flung open as Emilia pounced on him.
"ULRIC!" Cheered the half-elf as she clung to the Knight who she'd nearly knocked over with the force of her hug, "I've been waiting for you all day, how have you been?!"
"I've been doing well enough," he replied as he hugged her back, "just doing my rounds and checking to make sure everyone is alright. Do you happen to know where Felt is?"
"Oh, Petra stopped by and told us she was going shopping," explained Emilia with a bright smile, "Felt jumped at the chance for a study break and said they'd be back soon. But I'm not upset, because it means we can be spend time together by ourselves!" She quickly pulled him into the room then, laughing happily as she roughly sat the Knight on her bed. The half-elf wasted no time in seating herself in his lap with one of her study books in her other hand. "I've been having a little trouble understanding this part, do you know what the word 'immolation' means?"
"In simple terms, it means killing or destroying something with fire," explained Ulric as he looked at the word. His reading ability in Lugnican script still wasn't the best, but he could read enough to get the general idea of what a page was saying. "Though this part appears to be about sacrificing with fire."
"Yeah, I've been reading about all these strange cults that have popped up over the years," said Emilia, "some of them sound like fun but then others just sound like they lost their minds." 'You would know, wouldn't you,' thought Ulric as he glanced at Emilia while she continued speaking, noting again how her eyes seemed vacant, almost dead despite the animated way she was moving. She'd been like this ever since the Sanctuary. Her mind had been assaulted over and over again in her attempts to surmount the trials of the Witch's Graveyard.
It eventually shattered, leaving Emilia in the state she was in now. "But enough about weirdos in big robes," said Emilia before kissing him on the cheek, "I want to hear a little more about your day. Did you remember to eat breakfast, how'd training with Reinhard go, and I guess I'll ask about your second and third loves too. I might not be super onboard with it, but you promised I was your first and foremost, so I can live with that for now."
"Rem and Frederica are doing well," said Ulric, "Rem is relearning her old skills at an incredible rate and Frederica is taking good care of her, Ram and Petra. Though I do hope she won't have to scold Garfiel again this evening."
"Garfiel," repeated Emilia with a pout before holding up her hand, causing the temperature in the room to drop instantly from the swirling mana that was forming in it, "I don't see why we have to put up with him. Are you sure you don't want me to just, freeze him? I could get him when he's running away, and he'll have the funniest look on his face." She talked about it like she was playing with a pet as opposed to mercilessly killing a person.
"Garfiel will come around in time," said Ulric as he put his hand on Emilia's and lightly pushed it down, doing his best to ignore the freezing sensation that shot up his whole limb, "remember, by age he's younger than you, so it's expected that he'd still be a little childish."
"Oh alright," said Emilia, still keeping the same vacant smile on her face as she stopped dispersing mana and curled her fingers around the Knight's hand, "but only because you asked so nicely. Oh, and I think it's about dinner time, so let's eat!"
"That sounds wonderful," said Ulric, giving his best smile in return. Inside, however, he absolutely hated himself for not being able to prevent this.
"I've said it before," Echidna chimed in, "I really don't get why you're so upset with yourself. The girl is a child emotionally who was too afraid to face her past. Or rather she'd have been able to face her past if she could actually remember it. But even then, I doubt she'd have been able to surmount the trials like you had. You did everything you could to help the Sanctuary, including making a deal with me despite your very obvious reservations, but even I doubt I'd have been able to help her emotional state. Her lack of ability to pass the trials is her fault alone and now because of it, she's been reduced to even more of a child under the delusion that you love her. If you're going to hate anyone, hate her for being so weak."
"Echidna," Ulric thought back finally while Emilia had gone to retrieve the food which had been left at the door by Rem, "that will be quite enough. If I desire to have someone slandered I shall let you know, but I am dining with her ladyship, so hold your tongue!"
"Oh very well," said the Witch of Greed, "we can always talk later. Or rather I know we'll talk later."
"What a joyous occasion to look forward too," thought Ulric sarcastically as he returned to his meal with Emilia.
A Short Time Later
The Knight let out a sigh as he approached his room. It was never easy seeing Emilia like that, and even harder playing along. He hadn't gotten to the same level of intimate with her like he did Rem and Frederica because he knew it wasn't necessary, and moreover Emilia wouldn't even be able to understand what was going on even if she hadn't been broken mentally. That hadn't stopped Echidna from suggesting it, more for the sake of her own curiosity, and Ulric had immediately denied it with more than a little disgust. 'I'll be the first to admit that I did some questionable things while following orders during the Crusades,' thought Ulric, 'killing the occasional prison, striking in the night, occasionally stabbing an enemy in the back, helping burn villages and towns.'
He had blood on his hands like any Crusader but even then, he felt like there was a clear line that neither he nor his fellow knights would cross, or so he liked to believe. But now that he made a deal with Echidna and Roswaal, it seemed like the depths he needed to go to protect what was important to him became lower and lower as time went on. "Oh, there you are," said a sultry voice as the Knight entered his room, "I was just about to go looking for you."
'Case in point,' thought Ulric with a sigh as he closed the door behind him. "Hello, Granhiert," he said, "how goes your investigation into the Sin Archbishop of Gluttony?"
"Oh now how many times have I asked you to call me Elsa," replied the assassin with an exaggerated pout, "we're working together now, after all, so there's no need to be so formal."
"I'll remind you that until recently, my only interactions with you were when you tried to kill me and the others," Ulric pointed out, "I know you'll say you were doing your job, but that doesn't mean I'll just forget what happened like that."
"Hmm, I hope this doesn't sour your mood further then," said Elsa, "I looked as hard as I could at the most recent location, but the Sin Archbishop of Gluttony had already moved on from that area. Luckily, I may know where to start next."
"Well at least that's some good news," admitted Ulric as he put a hand to his chin, "since you're here, go and take some time to rest. You'll need your strength if you're to continue hunting down leads."
"Oh my," said Elsa as her smile widened, "is that actual concern for me I hear in your voice?"
"My concern is that you'll be unable to perform the task set before you if you're not properly rested," corrected Ulric, "make no mistake, I only tolerate your presence because my hatred for the Sin Archbishop of Gluttony exceeds my hatred for you."
"So you say," Cooed Elsa, "would you still try to kill me if I accomplished my mission, or would you being willing to forgive me of my transgressions if I help you kill him?"
"The only way for you to know that is to find the bastard first," said Ulric, "consider it something else to motivate you."
"I'll keep that in mind," said Elsa as she brushed her hand under his chin while walking past him, "until then, I think I'll have a little bath." She strode out the door then, hardly making a sound as befitting her talent as an assassin. This wasn't the first time she'd done this, either. Ulric was certain she'd snuck into the mansion like this several times for the occasional bath or meal. Though what was more frightening was how accepting Ulric was about the fact.
'I casually allow an assassin to walk through here unsupervised,' he thought with a sigh as he unclipped his sword and sat down on his bed roughly, 'and I work with a guiltless liar who'd sacrifice any one of us without batting an eye to get what he wants. Not that I haven't made certain questionable sacrifices myself.' He drew his sword then, examining his reflection in the blade as he thought back to how this all started: his deal with a witch. He'd prayed back then for God to provide him a solution to his troubles but he wondered, not for the first time, if his haste had blinded him to the real answer he sought.
Ever since he'd made a contract with Echidna, he could feel himself spiraling further and further from his own code. He slept with two women out of wedlock, though he intended to marry them both in the future, he'd agreed to follow whatever dirty scheme Roswaal had next for reviving the Witch of Greed, manipulated a friend in order to gain an alliance with the most powerful of knights, was cooperating with an assassin and allowed the lady he served to suffer a mental breakdown. Could he really still call himself an honorable knight if his sins were going to keep piling up like this? 'Lord God, what sort of path have I chosen to walk?'
Echidna's Dream Palace
'He still seems to be worrying about his actions,' thought Echidna as she sipped at her tea, 'it really is amazing he cares so much about such things despite living through three years of war. What is it that makes him so concerned with his actions, what is it that keeps his conscience from disappearing completely?' It was a question she often asked herself when watching the actions of her contracted knight. Though he had sought her help numerous times, he didn't always listen to her suggestions. Often times, things would end how she predicted they would when he didn't follow her advice, but there were times he was able to find another solution despite her initial analysis of the situation.
His recruiting of Felt and Reinhard being one such case, calling in her help as a debt to him instead of convincing her to abandon the red-haired knight as she had originally suggested. She had also not anticipated how accepting the blue-haired maid was at the idea of not just one, but two other women vying for his attention. She'd honestly had hoped for some amusing drama when she suggested Ulric court Frederica to keep Garfiel in check while also going along with Emilia's delusions about the two of them being in love to keep her from deteriorating more mentally. Yet somehow the Crusader had made it work.
Though it was this loyalty, this persistence, this willingness to endure death over and over again while searching for a way to save all those close to him that made Ulric Arkwright so endearing to one such as her. Perhaps he would break or perhaps he would grow so strong as to be unstoppable, or perhaps he'd finally give up and retire from being a knight, or maybe he'd stop being a knight and become the most notorious of brigands. The countless possibilities, the numerous paths he could take, the endless entertainment, and the promise of new knowledge. Just the thought of it was enough to send a pleasant shiver down her spine. "Your interesting fate is what makes me love you so, Sir Knight," purred Echidna, "perhaps one day that love will fade, but for now, continue to be my most wonderful source of knowledge and entertainment."
And, whew, there you have it, Ulric in Greed IF. I honestly had no idea it'd be this lengthy, but hopefully that means there was something entertaining for everyone in it. And as always, feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked and, most importantly, what you'd like to see next in this series of side stories! Be sure to stop in next time as we attempt the Wrath IF story route. 'Til then.