Wilmarina Noscrim the Eccendentesiast Hero
There was an air of excitement among the Nobles of Lescatie, not exactly unusual but instead of it being about some new meaningless trend or new exotic animals and other luxuries it was a diplomatic party from the republic, the first one in over fifty years. This alone would have shaken the entire court (the republic despite it's trade agreements and occasional weapons trade were isolationists, they saw all who were not part of their nation as 'barbarians', 'foreign despots' and of course 'savages'), however it wasn't just a normal diplomatic party, noooo that would have been far too simple, the party was coming to talk about a 'matter of critical importance' and were led by the Curators daughter herself.
The Curator ,while not the mythical founder he is seen as in the Republic, is still extremely important in Lescatie, mainly because of his once status as King Mortei III Castor's friend and teacher more than two hundred years ago. I guess being a living legend does that. I remember what Father said about that man to one of his 'friends' years ago: 'the Republic is only a democracy in name, that abomination is a monarch in all but name'. Though I wouldn't trust my Father's words if my life depended on it, he still knew more than I did.
And sadly It wasn't just the stupidity of the Nobility that was annoying me, it was also that being the strongest hero of Lescatie certain things were expected of me. These expectations weren't to go out and push back the monsters raiding our villages and towns, no it was to act like a guide to the coming diplomatic party, once more acting like nothing more than a figurehead.
I work so hard to become the hero they want, I sacrifice everything because he would want me to be the hero they need, but I am used as nothing more than a fancy decoration to show off. Is it even worth it? Is it even worth it anymore to bear my heart throbbing every time I see Elt from afar, knowing I am the cause of his suffering?
Keep yourself together, you still have a job to do. I opened the door to the gate house of the fanciest gate in Lescatie: the northern gate and entered whilst being escorted by some knights from my Order of The Ice Flower. I immediately found the Noble in charge of the organisation of the welcoming committee, another one of my Father's faction, because of course it would be. Nothing in this damned city happens without Father or his lacky's knowledge and Chief God forbid anything important isn't done by a noble with their head shoved so far up their ass they look like Ouroboros.
"Lady Noscrim, I am pleased to see you have arrived just in time. Our guests of honour have been spotted and they are about half an hour from here, the required soldiers and decorations have already been prepared as per your father's orders. All that is needed of you is to lead the chosen delegation to the Castle and if you will, take part in the small cocktail to celebrate their safe arrival."
A 'small cocktail' to celebrate their safe arrival, what a joke. Our people are starving, the isolationists are here to inform us of a dire matter and we are going to get drunk and enjoy imported food. But I had no choice, if I didn't take part in that obscene waste of funds father would punish me somehow. Discreetly of course, he couldn't punish the 'Symbol' of the nation and announce it, he would divert some funds or maybe force some of my knights into difficult positions. If I just kept being what he wants me to be, everyone would be happy.
I cleared my mind and answered to the snob decked in golden frills. (some other stupid trend I guess) "I'll make sure to openly showcase our nations splendor to our guests."
"I'm sure you will, then come with me please." The man led me to an outfitting room? What ,why here? Suddenly five maids emerged from another door to the side carrying various cosmetics and clothing.
"My lady, certainly you didn't expect to greet our esteemed guests in those clothes, did you?"
Oh you bastards, they are actually going to try and dress me in some stupid looking dress aren't they?
The maids started closing on me and I got ready for a fight for my reputation.
Thankfully the maids were sufficiently cowed and I managed to only get away by wearing an extremely expensive ceremonial armour set. We didn't have much time left by the time I put on the armour, so after a quick bit of makeup and hair care I was rushed outside to the front of the gates and I got to watch the gates opening for our guests.
The army coming with them wasn't what surprised me, nor was it the sheer amount of troops dressed in armour and wielding expensive weapons. These were what I had expected, the republic was a rich country with an extreme amount of industry to support itself. No, these things were mundane, within human capability, potentially achievable for Lescatie had we been able to rule ourselves and manage our funds properly. What surprised me, left me standing still was the Curator's daughter, Naotora.
She didn't look like a human, more than two and a half metres tall, dressed in shining plate so wondrous I wondered had it been crafted by a god, decorated by the fluttering thin red cape almost drawing the reality surrounding it into itself and with an almost tangible golden aura around her she looked more angelic than every single angel I had seen.
Her face was set in a hard glare, almost dismissive, almost apathetic but full of expectation. I could hardly stop myself from staring. And they told me that the republic would be weak without heroes. Who needs men and women worth a thousand soldiers when they have a demigod walking among them? She looked like what I always tried to be, a 'hero'. It was as if one of the warrior kings of the Past had come before us.
She was walking towards us not even sparing a glance to the shining knights on both sides of the road followed by men and women in grey armour and red cloth. She was close now, maybe two or three steps left she stopped. I tried to regain my wits and greet the diplomat.
Bowing my head slightly I used a light tone. "Legatus Naotora, I greet you in the name of King Castor Bistoa, I am Willmarina Noscrim. I have been informed that you wished to discuss urgent matters, but I believe such matters would be better discussed in the Castle."
She raised an eyebrow and looked me up and down.
"Hmm, lead the way then lady Noscrim. The rest of my party will follow us."
"Ahh, but there is a small issue, the rescued heroes. If you could show them to us, some priests requested to talk to them."
"Oh, of course." She turned towards the armoured woman with the massive plume next to her. "Catarina, go and herd the three heroes back together."
"Um… Lady Naotora, there were originally five heroes."
"Oh, we haven't informed you… The Stalwart Paladin and Prodigious Mage were lost."
Hu- huh… What? Clair and Jean Paul are gone, but how. They are just gone, lost to the monsters? What happened that two of my Order were lost just like that?
"You must have known them personally, my condolences." The permanent scowl on her face was replaced by a somewhat sorrowful look, or at least something similar. I could tell she wasn't actually sorry, more so just saying so to try and comfort me. It was odd, I should feel angry for her false sincerity but she's the first person in over a decade to actually try and help me.
"I- I'll recover, I'm assuming your troops will also need accommodations." I pointed to my adjutant. "He will lead them to proper accommodations."
"Very well then, I'm assuming it's fine if I bring one of my guards with me?"
I nodded and she called for another one of her knights pointed towards my adjutant and said something in Carthigian or Stahlstadish, I don't know.
"Well, I think we're all ready. Time to get on with things."
With that I started walking in step with the massive woman through the streets cleared specifically for today towards the isolated castle.
I have to say, Lescatie looked very artistic. Tall towers of cathedrals poked out over the white stone walls of the merchants quarters and a large castle meant more as a palace than genuine fortification framed the distant skybox. We were very clearly led through the scenic route. I was not going to complain, every second of the peaceful journey with the blue haired hero talking to me was pleasant.
Her words and polite tones could barely conceal the hate and frustration she had for her own people, maybe she felt comfortable complaining to someone not engaging in the power struggles of nobility?
I do wonder what the army was like considering all the money the nobility was wasting on events like the cocktail we were currently heading to. And where were they getting the money from? Lescatie was primarily agricultural with some artisan industry, such an economy could not import goods from outside on a scale as large as what I was seeing.
I decided to ask my guide the reason.
"Lady Noscrim, it may be a bit intrusive to ask but where does Lescatie get the goods and funds to indulge in luxuries and support hundreds of heroes?"
Her face darkened, oh dear I am not gonna like this answer, am I?
"...Um, My fath- I mean Lescatie extracts a protection fee from our neighbouring countries belonging to the Order."
What? Are they a fucking street gang? Why did the Pope or the angels they valued so much stop them?
My disgust and surprise was apparently clear on my face, Lady Noscrim had lowered her head as if apologising for a mistake.
"Don't bow, Lady Noscrim, it is no fault of your own that the rulers of your country are lacking even the tiniest sign of humanity and honour."
She spoke in a soft voice unusual for her.
"P-Please call me Willmarina instead, I am not fond of my family name."
She had met me thirty minutes ago and was already trusting me, how social-contact deprived was she? Well, I'll take another friend in a high position.
"Heh, very well, Willmarina." I am going to make sure that Catarina spends time with Willmarina whilst I'm busy herding the nobles together.
We arrived at the gates of the noble section of town. They despised their own people so much they built walls just to keep them out. The gates opened and our small group of three was travelling through the paved roads decorated by silver road lights.
The palace was quite central, right in the middle of the city. We passed by houses of prominent families and reached the castle, a castle that was oddly less guarded than the walls around the noble's section and the manors of other nobles. Confidence or idiocy I didn't know.
We were guided by a maid into the massive hall decked in decorations with soft music playing inside. Well then, time to face the music.
I regret everything. I couldn't even get an audience with the king, he wasn't here. Apparently he was feeling 'under the weather', your entire fucking country is under threat by monsters and you are hiding from the only help you are going to get because your tummy hurts. I hate these people.
If the king wasn't annoying enough the nobles kept hounding me for purchases of republic goods and I had to explain to them that I wasn't here for such reasons. The only man with a good degree of influence who had taken my warnings as what they were was Archbishop Noscrim. Who was clearly a snake, I don't think I've ever heard of anyone sounding so arrogant and unreliable at the same time.
Even he had taught that the heroes should be enough to stop the incoming makaitide. The heroes who also could get corrupted and be turned into elite troops for the enemy.
What was needed was ranged firepower, when the monsters get close the only hope is to hold them back for long enough to reposition the ranged troopers. From what I've heard around the party most of the lescatian army was made up of armoured foot knights and spearmen meant to hold the lines so that the heroes and cavalry could break the monsters ranks. Useful when attacking but absolutely useless for a siege, where complex movements and orders were close to impossible.
The army needed reformations, reformations the nobility didn't want to spend money on and time we most likely didn't have. The solution was simple for me, wrestle control of the military without them noticing and ally with the few nobles with their wits about them. I was going to be so busy wasn't I?
Catarina Trenck The Captain
I have to say, this was actually quite comfortable. Most of the expedition force had been settled in the Castle City of Salvarision, the barracks over there had plenty of room, apparently there have been less and less common born people applying for the military.
Salvarision wasn't a real city really, more so meant to house the various knightly orders and the auxilla (I think they were called levies here?) meant to support them. Still it didn't look like one massive camp it looked like what a rich noble would think it would be like. The walls were white marble, a shitty choice for defence, there were servants and entertainers running round everywhere and almost all training fields had rafts and private rooms to watch from around them.
The entire city was more of a menagerie of soldiers for the Nobility to enjoy. But the city was comfortable, we could keep the training of the troops up, there were stables to keep our horses comfortable and the drinks were cheap and tasted good. I also had a good companion to keep. Willmarina Noscrim, the strongest hero in Lescatie, was much more interesting than I had thought. The fact that she would be a really good way to take over the city if my Lady ever decided to was also a plus.
Most of my day was spent training my new recruits up to the standards of the reichsgarde. They were all trained knights but they lacked the one thing that a reichsgarde needs, devotion. They must not hesitate to offer up their very souls for their lord, the new recruits lacked the determination needed, and I knew of a simple solution for this. Constantly break them down with harsh training, make sure they see each other and especially the elder reichsgarde as comrades and never give them a break. Brainwashing is a crude word, I prefer induced behavioural patterns. Whatever free time I had was either spent with Lady Willmarina, training with Markus or drinking and chatting with my Lady.
Speaking of my lady, I think she was finally drunk. Cosmos, she could drink. She alone had finished nine bottles of wine in the last two hours. I might be a little bit tipsy too but damn, how stressed was she to drink this much?
"Cat…"
"Um, yes my lady?"
She was trying to say something but she was already far too drunk to properly form sentences.
"I'um fonnd of you, yuw kno?"
Huh?
"How so?"
"Your… you're a guaarddd and you always let me destress with you. Y-you don' know thus buth muh Father's called a… 'proconsul'. You, remind me of him, talshking too mew and aaadvising me. I-I'm glad, I feel shafe."
Ohhhh, that kind of fondness, it's kinda touching that she feels safe. Well what kind of guard would I be if I didn't make sure my mistress was safe everywhere. She's kind of open when drunk. She's a sincere drunk. But there's one thing bothering me…
A 'proconsul', now that means something like 'advisor' I think. But who did the Curator serve? They must have been important enough that the Curator was a 'guard' and 'advisor' not a peer.
I wanted to ask Nao, but she had already fallen asleep. Thankfully the room we were using was the study connected to her room in Lescatie and she was wearing a very 'light' nightwear, so I was able to half drag half carry her to her bed. My room was by my mistress' orders in Salvarision, so I'll have to head there.
It would be bothersome to deal with the castle security on the way out so I jumped out of the fourth floor window onto the roofs of the nearby manors. I had found a new sort of strength welling up from inside of me ever since I had fought in the 47th Siege of Mount Unbesiegbar. The odd power filled every inch of my body and I felt like I could rip a werewolf to shreds with my bare hands. The fall still stinged a bit, not much but a slight almost pleasant ache.
The cold winter air was cooling everything down and there wasn't a single cloud in sight, even then there wasn't much light . The moon wasn't currently visible and the sun had gone down, so I'd have to take the long way to Salvarision. Didn't mean I did not enjoy it, hopping from one roof to another in my ceremonial knights garb was an odd experience, the leather of my pants stretching and contracting my legs drove shivers up my legs and my unbuttoned half coat fluttered in the wind. The night feels homely to me as if something in my blood sang to it. I felt as If massive weights were lifted from my back, my frail human flesh brimmed with power.
Despite the lack of light I could see the city quite well. So good was my sight that I noticed the two very busty figures following me. How were they planning to hide when that thin cloth they wore let their racks just bounce around everywhere? I wouldn't be surprised if I could hear clapping sounds when they got close. Still if I saw two there must be more.
I led them through the city and to the edge of the lake. Let's see you follow me through this then. The air was chilly, so the surface tension and density of the lake water was close to optimal. I think I might have been influenced by my mistress… I caught on to her chronic showmanship. I dashed and started running on the water making massive splashes in the water.
"What the fuck!?" The monster infiltrator was so surprised that she screamed after me. Heh take that you fuck. I'll inform Wilmarina once we speak tomorrow morning. I started walking towards the officers quarters making sure no one else was following me and started getting ready for a peaceful sleep. I glanced in the mirror of my personal bathroom and saw the oriental succubus standing behind me in a bow. I continued my preparations but I do admit I am kind of curious.
"Well then, I'd suggest explaining why you are here unless you want me to crush your head."
The succubus assassin (Kunoichi or something like that) bowed even deeper after that.
"Respected Honour Guard, we thought that disturbing your mistress would be unsightly, as such we have come to you with a proposition from the Fourth Born."
Oh? Negotiations already? I suspect their terms would be some stupid shit like join us and you will be rewarded greatly.
"Deliver your message and begone from my sight wench." The monster flinched at the hate in my tone but she was a well trained pet and kept going.
"My mistress decrees that if you take the army you have brough and leave peacefully the towns to the north of Lescatie will be handed to republic control, additionally a reparation in the form of gems and valuable metals will be delivered to any place of your choosing. Please deliver this message to the Comet, there need not be any more bloodshed."
She used 'the Comet' for my lady. A nickname common among our troops, they must have gotten in somewhere, I should organise a hunt soon. Well the offer wasn't really that bad but there was no way Nao would be satisfied with this. She wanted to fight, she wouldn't admit it, however she wanted it, thirsted for it.
Before I could say anything, the kunoichi presented me with a brooch. The brooch was shaped half like a clean human skull and half like an amalgamation of metal imitating a skull with the words 'deus ex machina' written underneath.
"Regardless of your choice, my mistress has requested to meet the Comet on the mountain west of the lake, I am told this brooch is part of the reason."
So Nao knows what this is then. She'll want to go even if it is a trap, but I have to give this to her, it could be extremely important. The succubbus vanished into smoke leaving me alone with my thoughts…
Oh well, that's something for future me to deal with.